Ikkaku woke up with a start, practically falling out of the tree he'd situated himself in. It took a moment to remember where he was and then why he was there, but it all came back soon enough. He'd not felt comfortable sleeping on the ground near that bloodthirsty monster, so he'd climbed up here and clung onto a branch all night, listening to these horrible scraping sounds. He knew that since Yumichika could fly, sleeping in a tree wouldn't make him any safer, because Yumichika could obviously get up there after him, but Ikkaku had felt more secure that way, okay?

Looking down with trepidation, assuming that Yumichika had left in the night, he was surprised when he saw him sitting on his ass on the ground, gnawing on a bone with determination, all the meat gone off of everything Ikkaku had brought him. Bones and cartilage lay strewn in the grass, pure white and completely bare. Yumichika's big wings were spread out on the grass, not looking so good at all.

Ikkaku hadn't really gotten a clear glimpse of his wings before, and although Yumichika was sitting in the shade to preserve his beauty, it was daytime, so there was enough light for Ikkaku to see that his wings were in really bad shape.

The grey dusty feathers were shedding off, leaving Yumichika looking mangy. The bare pink patches of flesh were rife with crawling insects, some areas even bleeding, peppered with open sores. The top joint was completely bare, rubbed raw from where it had chafed against the top of his cramped cage. That had to be incredibly painful. It was no wonder the animal was so violent and quick to lash out. Even so, the bird had eaten already, so Ikkaku climbed down, deeming it safe. He immediately stopped short when Yumichika's bloody face turned towards him.

Ikkaku heard a loud growl and took a step back, almost peeing himself when he realized it was the harpy's stomach. Suddenly, its cheeks puffed out and it put a hand to its mouth, then exhaling quietly. It went back to chewing on those bones, scraping its teeth, the noise making his toes curl. Ikkaku just stared for a minute, blinking once or twice... This thing... It had seriously just burped politely.

Ikkaku was pretty relieved, even though he was watching a pretty grisly display. That had just been a digestion noise. He'd thought it was still hungry for a minute.

'I'm still hungry.'

Shit.

'But I feel much better than I did. I thank you.' Ikkaku looked up and saw it gazing into his face, bones abandoned for now. It gave him a gentle smile that sharply contrasted with the gruesome smear of dried blood across its cheeks and mouth. Its beauty was extraordinary.

'Come closer to me, so that I may look at you,' it told him. Ikkaku stood there for a moment, looking behind him and all around.

"Me?" he asked, pointing to his chest. It nodded. Ikkaku still could never tell if it was talking to him or if he was imagining things. Seriously, the voice was in his head, so…

'Come closer. I wish to look upon you.'

Oh right, its vision was shitty. Still, those words sounded like the big bad wolf tempting Red Riding Hood, and Ikkaku cautiously stood there for a moment as it waited patiently. Well, he'd already made two bad decisions in the last twenty four hours. Better make it an even three.

He knelt down in the grass to put himself at eye level and crawled over to it, sitting in front of it. Yumichika's great wings made Ikkaku feel smaller by comparison, but in reality, Yumichika's body was thinner than his, and not as tall either.

'Closer still.'

Ikkaku swallowed and leaned forward towards Yumichika's pretty face. He could smell rotten meat and tried not to breathe, intimidated as Yumichika's large eyes crawled over his face. Purple and somehow... golden... and... reddish, bloodshot... beautiful. Ikkaku felt woozy all of a sudden, blinking.

Ikkaku almost jumped out of his skin when fingers raised to his face and touched. Yumichika held a hand up strangely, like he didn't like his own arm being attached to his body, and stroked Ikkaku's left eye marking with just his middle fingertip, very softly, with curious eyes.

He was so very gentle.

Ikkaku swallowed and closed his eyes for a minute, letting Yumichika touch him and squeeze his ears. He even let him peek inside his shirt and look at his back and shoulder blades. Yumichika touched things only with his fingertips and positioned his hands like claws, but he was so so gentle.

Damnit. Ikkaku hated it, but it was mostly just that he hated loving it. He knew that as long as Yumichika was sweet and soft like this, Ikkaku would start to see that as who he really was, not as this murderous beast who could tear into him at the slightest offense. Ikkaku had fallen for a killer, but that was the price he paid - to have his pulse quicken in fear at every touch, lest he be lulled into a sense of security that could cost him his life.

Still, the way Yumichika touched him... it felt like he'd never hurt him.

Yumichika finally lost interest in him and went back to his bones, gnawing away for even the slightest piece of meat that might be left.

'I want flesh. I hunger.'

Ikkaku breathed nervously, but stood up, skin still tingling from the personal attention. "Let's get some flesh, then," he said with conviction. If the harpy was calming down a little bit, wasn't it his job to protect people from it? Maybe it could stay with him? And if it ate him, well that was what he deserved for being idiot enough to trust it.

'You offer yourself?' Yumichika perked up eagerly, looking ravenous, but Ikkaku quickly shook his head.

"No, no, no, no, not me," he said firmly, feeling his stomach drop at the sight of Yumichika's pupils thinning.

'Fear not. I promise, when I eat you, I'll leave your head,' Yumichika assured, eyes closing as he nodded to Ikkaku a few times.

"No!" Ikkaku shrieked, stomping his foot. "Shitty-bird! I'm not food! I let you free, so you can't eat me! Show some gratitude!"

Yumichika gave a bitter grimace, glaring, eyes flickering dangerously. Ikkaku clammed up, but held his ground. Finally Yumichika made a chuffing noise, turning away, seeming to accept that.

'You aren't entirely intolerable. I still feel you'd do better as a meal,' Yumichika emoted begrudgingly, 'but perhaps I could enjoy your company as well... Maybe.'

He put the bone in his mouth and snapped it, chewing on the pointy end for the marrow. Ikkaku just swallowed hard. He was so vicious, but so beautiful, so so beautiful. Ikkaku had always been a sucker for a pretty face, and he was sure it was gonna' be the death of him.

"Yeah, let's get you some flesh. And maybe some clothes too." Yumichika looked up in confusion then, and Ikkaku held his shirt off his body a little, pointing to it.

Yumichika just snorted, rejecting the idea, and went back to what he was doing. Ikkaku gave an exasperated sigh. Maybe he'd just have to get used to looking at that naked butt.

… That wouldn't be so bad.