In the morning Yumichika wakes up alone. Last night had ended with them going home together, and they'd shared a bed, like they always had before this began, but nothing more had happened. Well, they'd both been tired anyway, and after their conversation in the dark alleyway neither of them really felt like it much.

But it's so unusual for Ikkaku to wake before him. Yumichika supposes that yesterday's emotional upheaval, injury and fighting must have taken more of a toll on him than he realised. He doesn't seem to have much of a hangover, which is a relief, but as he starts to get out of bed he realises that his reiatsu is very low indeed. He feels incredibly tired, like all his limbs are made of lead, and shaky as well.

Yumichika's always had quite a volatile reiatsu - it's very easily affected by his mood. He supposes whether it's something to do with his zanpakoutou type. He toys briefly with the idea of finding Shuuhei and draining him again, but dismisses it as impractical. And he might well find himself needing Shuuhei on his side.

As he sits down in front of his mirror Yumichika considers his options. The fact that he's allowed Ikkaku a month to play with Kira doesn't mean that he's going to stop fighting. And he doesn't think for a minute that Ikkaku would expect him to. He wants Ikkaku back before that month is out. When he thinks about it, he doesn't have an enormous amount of confidence in Ikkaku's promise. Not if he wanted Kira badly enough to refuse Yumichika's request.

Their arrangement means that he can't ask Ikkaku to stop again, and he won't try to stop them by force either. But he will try his hardest to make him want to stop.

But what on Earth is he going to achieve in this state?

Yumichika is trying to put his feathers on, and his hand will not stop shaking. Every time he gets the a feather in the right place his hand will jerk before he can secure it. He fixes his feathers on with a tiny amount of kidou, and that's not something he wants to try rashly with a shaking hand either. He holds his hands up before his face and regards their trembling with disgust.

'This is not a beautiful way to be behaving,' he tells them. 'You're letting yourself go to pieces...'

He can't go out without the feathers. If he does, Ikkaku will assume he's letting himself go on purpose in order to make him feel bad. And pathetic and needy is not the impression Yumichika wants to give right now. He tries again.

He's concentrating so hard that he doesn't feel Kenpachi's reiatsu until he's peering round the door that Ikkaku must have left slightly open.

'Yumichika?' he says, and his surprise at his reliable 5th seat not being up yet is palpable.

Yumichika jumps and drops a yellow feather. 'Oh! Taichou!' he says.

Kenpachi comes into the room and catches up the feather as it floats across the floor towards him. He twirls it between his fingertips. 'I always assumed these things grew on you..' he muses, peering closely at Yumichika's face, perhaps for signs of plucking.

'Taichou!' says Yumichika again, slightly hurt, 'I didn't have them when we first met...'

'Didn't you? What the hell's the matter with you anyway,' Kenpachi demands. 'You look like shit.'

Yumichika shoots a worried glance at the mirror, but doesn't have the energy to be offended. He knows what his captain means. He wouldn't personally have used the words 'like shit', but there are dark smudges under his (slaty-grey) eyes, and his complexion is waxily pale.

'I don't know, Taichou,' he says. 'For some reason my reiatsu's right down...' Damn it, he thinks. I could've just said I have a hangover. Taichou wouldn't be able to tell.

Kenpachi's reaction is not what he expected though. As Yumichika tries again with the red feathers he squats down beside his chair and takes them from him.

'I can't fucking bear to watch this anymore,' he growls. 'I'll hold the damn things straight and you can stick 'em on.'

Yumichika is touched, and even more so when Kenpachi points out that it might be a good plan to put on 'that orange thing' first so that the feathers don't get ruffled. Yumichika hadn't even noticed that he'd forgotten to put it on. Kenpachi turns out to be a very useful accessory for feather attachment. His hand (fairly predictably) is a steady as a rock, and he gets their positions right with very little prompting. Yumichika supposes that he must get quite a lot of practice at this sort of thing with his bells.

Yumichika seems to be getting worse though, or perhaps it's just the proximitiy of Kenpachi's disturbingly huge spiritual pressure, but his hands are getting even less steady. For the last feather Kenpachi (now perched on the edge of Yumichika's dressing table) has to hold Yumichika's hand with his finger pointing at the base of the feather in order for him to be able to apply the kidou. It's at this moment that Ikkaku appears in the doorway. Both of them are so absorbed in their task that they don't notice him immediately.

Kenpachi is saying, 'I came to get you to take some papers to the 9th, but maybe I'd better send Ikkaku? Where is the fucker anyway?'

'I don't know,' Yumichika replies sadly. 'He was gone when I woke.' With huge concentration he generates just the right amount of energy to fix the feather on, and Kenpachi prods his finger forward. 'It's on.'

Ikkaku clears his throat. For some reason the spectacle he's looking at both disturbs and annoys him. Even more so because he suspects that at any other time he'd just have been amused. But what the hell is Kenpachi doing in their room with Yumichika only half dressed? 'I'm here,' he says, slightly belligerently. Really, this situation, considering how Kenpachi had reacted when Yumichika offered to help him with his bells, is quite unprecedented. And Yumichika is sitting practically between Kenpachi's legs as well. Ikkaku strides over to them and stares down at Yumichika, not knowing quite what to say. Yumichika looks fucked, which makes him feel both guilty and irritated at once.

Yumichika's reiatsu jumps up a little as he registers Ikkaku's reaction. That was... unexpected. Though perhaps he should've been able to predict it. But Ikkaku is definitely rattled. Interesting...

Kenpachi drops the papers for the 9th on Yumichika's dressing table and leaves, saying they can sort out who takes them between themselves. He's disturbed too. He's not a particularly perceptive person, but even he can see that something is wrong between his two favourite officers. And all the evidence points to Ikkaku seeing some other - what? Man, woman? Kenpachi doesn't much care, but he certainly isn't going to let his valuable 5th seat - better than most divisions' lieutenants, he reminds himself smugly - slide into a decline because of it. He resolves to keep an eye on the situation.

Yumichika covers the papers with his hand as Ikkaku goes to pick them up. 'I'll take them,' he says. 'It's fine.' He stands up and ties his sash properly, then slides on his arm protector and buttons on the strap that connects it to his collar. All the while he avoids Ikkaku's eye, to hide the glint of amber that suddenly appeared in his own as he thought of a rather interesting plan.

To put any plan into action though, he really needs to be feeling a bit better. And perhaps after all Shuuhei would be able to help...

When Yumichika reaches the 9th's headquarters he doesn't announce himself, but wanders without knocking into the Fukutaichou's office and shuts the door behind him. Shuuhei is there, working somewhat erratically on a huge pile of paperwork. Yumichika pulls a chair up next to Shuuhei's and slides into it, depositing the papers carelessly on the already overcrowded desk. Then he regards Shuuhei quizzically, but without saying anything.

Shuuhei turns to look at him. 'Yumichika.' There's mild surprise an a slightly note of anticipatory excitement in his voice. He knows something's up. 'What can I do for you?'

Then he looks closer, and a his tone changes to concern. 'Are you OK? You don't look well...'

'Well, no.' Yumichika says, smiling. 'Taichou was kind enough earlier to tell me I looked like shit...'

'I wouldn't go that far...' Shuuhei leans forward. He's intrigued that Yumichika should have come to him like this, when he'd clearly been avoiding him last night.

The thing is, Shuuhei...' Yumichika wonders how best to put his proposition. 'Well, it's one of two things, really. You can choose. And I'm prepared to... do something for you in return...' He meets Shuuhei's gaze for a heartbeat longer than is normal. Then he lowers his eyes and hesitates a moment before saying, 'I suppose there's no chance of you taking Kira off my hands...?'

Shuuhei laughs, slightly grimly. 'Man, no way.' he says. 'I feel like I am well out of that. Seriously, I'm not going to go there. Not even for...' he looks Yumichika up and down, lasciviously, 'a little something in return... What's the other thing?'

'Oh, well. I can't say I blame you. In that case, it's simpler really... I just need to feel a little more... energetic.' Yumichika puts his elbows on the desk and leans close to Shuuhei. He lowers his voice seductively. 'You're the only person I can ask. I promise I wouldn't take anything like as much as last time. And we can do... whatever you want. I'll make it worth while for you...'

Shuuhei leans back, but doesn't break the eye contact. His expression is unreadable, and for a moment Yumichika is afraid that he's made him angry, and that he's going to refuse to help at all. He bites nervously at his thumbnail, wondering whether he should just leave now, when Shuuhei suddenly begins to chuckle appreciatively. He tugs Yumichika's hand away from his mouth and keeps hold of it, stroking the palm with his thumb. Yumichika relaxes slightly.

'Alright. Why the hell not?' he says, still laughing. 'I've only got paperwork to do today - I guess I can do that lying down. And you certainly look like you could use a fix...' His tone changes slightly as he reaches out and brushes the side of Yumichika's face with the backs of his fingers. 'How are we going to arrange this though... I don't want to feel like shit while I get my... reward...'

'I won't make you feel that bad,' Yumichika murmurs, sliding Fuji Kujaku from his sheath. 'I'll take most of it afterwards, and just a little now, so I have enough energy to give you a really...' - He moves right up to Shuuhei, - 'good...' - and catches his lower lip briefly between his teeth - 'time.'

Shuuhei can't suppress a moan of desire as Yumichika slides onto his lap and presses against him, the naked sword between them.

'Sakikurue, Ruriiro Kujaku...' Yumichika murmurs the words sensuously against Shuuhei's lips, and just for a moment the tendrils of light in their peacock colours play around them. Shuuhei feels a delicious languid helplessness spread through him, and then the lights die down again. Yumichika sheathes his sword and in the same motion begins move his mouth down Shuuhei's body, kissing and biting, while his hands begin to untie his sash...

An hour later Shuuhei lies panting on the floor, exhausted but utterly satisfied, not quite sure whether it was what Yumichika did to him with his sword or his body that made him feel this way. If he shuts his eyes he can still almost feel Yumichika's fingertips tracing over his skin, almost taste the sweetness of Yumichika's mouth on his, almost re-live the sensation of sinking into the tight heat of the most beautiful arse in Seireritei... 'My god,' he gasps. 'Yumichika, that was...'

Yumichika wanders around the room gathering up his discarded clothing and putting it on. He's humming a little song and looks sleek and well cared for again. He pulls on his collar and smoothes his hair and feathers, then stretches out next to Shuuhei. Shuuhei props himself on one elbow to look at him better. 'You can do that to me anytime,' he continues. 'God, you can take as much reiatsu as you want, if we can do that again.' Then he starts to laugh.

'What is it?' Yumichika demands, kneeling up.

Shuuhei pulls him down close to him again, so that Yumichika's silky hair brushes his cheek. 'So -' he begins, then breaks into helpless giggles. 'So Izuru hasn't put out for Ikkaku yet, then?' he finally says.

'What? What?? Why do you think so - how do you know?' Yumichika frowns. 'I was sure - at least, I assumed they had, after yesterday morning when I woke up and they were asleep together...'

'No, no, I bet not,' Shuuhei smoothes gently with his fingertips at the frown between Yumichika's eyebrows. 'For him to be still chasing round after Izuru instead of staying at home with you... Man, he is going to be one seriously disappointed guy...'