I do not own Bleach.

Sorry it has taken me forever and a day to update. I won't waste your time with excuses. Special thanks for the people who haven't given up on me. EzraTheBlue for reviewing, kyuumihaira for reviewing, QueenLanaRey for reviewing, Aile UchihaxUzumaki for favoriting, Guest for reviewing, I love brown eyes for following, and Pocky0523 for following.

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The next morning, Yumichika wakes to find that his leg isn't quite as sore and swollen as it was the day before. He actually doesn't know whether or not to be happy about this or worried. Right now, however, he was worried about Ikkaku. The third seat didn't come in during the night and Yumichika couldn't sense him anywhere in their quarters. The raven haired shinigami carefully stands up from the futon and makes his way into the living room. He looks around, but doesn't see any sign that Ikkaku had been there at all during the night. He lets out a concerned sigh. He really hoped that nothing bad had happened to his lover. He knew that sometimes Ikkaku got carried away when he went out drinking especially if he didn't have squad duty the next day…which he didn't. Yumichika decides he will just go about his normal daily activities and not worry about Ikkaku until later in the day. He was sure his bald boyfriend would barge in hung over any minute now.

Yumichika goes into the bathroom and gets his morning rituals out of the way and then makes his way into the kitchen to get something to eat. He's completely finished with his breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen and dining room when he senses Ikkaku's reiatsu coming toward their quarters. The fifth seat continues cleaning up trying to pretend like he hasn't been worried out of his mind during Ikkaku's absence.

The third seat finally makes his way into the room and flops down onto the couch. Yumichika enters the living room as well and gives Ikkaku an irritated look, "And, just where have you been all night and all morning? Do you even realize how worried I've been about you?"

Ikkaku closes his eyes and rubs his temples with his fingers, "I left a note didn't I? Told ya I'd be out drinkin'."

The smaller man places his hands on his hips and frowns before speaking again, "You failed to mention that you would be out all night! I hope you didn't keep Renji out all night. You know he has a baby now."

Ikkaku covers his eyes with one of the pillows on the couch and lets out a groan, "Renji barely had one drink. He went back home to his baby and his bitch and I went to another bar fer more drinks. Now, could ya please stop shoutin'?"

"Why should I?" The dark haired shinigami snatches the pillow away from Ikkaku's eyes and throws it across the room, "It's your own fault that you have a hangover and it's your fault that I'm worried about you!"

The third seat sits up on the couch and glares at his petite lover for a moment, "Why would ya be worried about me anyway? Cause if I hadda stayed here last night we woulda just sat around doing nothin'. Ya been avoidin' me here lately. So I figured if ya don't wanna have sex with me no more then I'd just go out and get drunk. I figured ya were too busy guarding yer ass to worry about what I was doin'."

Yumichika only stares at his lover speechless for a few seconds before a furious expression appears on his face, "Excuse me?! Is that all I am to you?! Just a way to get off?! I have a hurt leg in case you haven't noticed!"

Ikkaku lets out a derisive chuckle, "A hurt leg…you were avoidin' sex with me before ya hurt yer leg! I'm startin' to think ya hurt yer leg on purpose to give me that fuckin' excuse!"

"Are you even listening to yourself right now?!" The fifth seat comes around the corner to bring himself farther into the room, "Why would I do that?! That makes no sense!"

Ikkaku stands up from the couch and points at his lover, "You tell me, Yumi? Why are ya bein' so weird here lately? Ya been hangin' out with Rangiku an awful lot lately and ya haven't had sex with me in almost a week and now yer biting my head off fer spending a night out drinkin'!" He lets out an angry growl, "Ya tell me why ya would hurt yer leg on purpose?! I know somethin's going on with ya and I don't know what it is yet, but I do know one thing…ya better hope that whatever is goin' on that I hear it outta yer mouth and not from someone else!"

An offended expression over takes the enraged one on the fifth seat's face after hearing his lover's words, "And just what does that mean?! What are you accusing me of exactly?!"

"I ain't sayin' nothin' else until you tell me what in the hell yer up to." Ikkaku crosses his arms over his chest and gives Yumichika a determined look, "Whenever yer ready."

Yumichika shakes his head in disbelief as he yanks a bag up from a nearby chair, "Fuck you, Ikkaku! I don't have to stay here and take this!" The smaller man then makes his way around the room stuffing different items into the bag, "You're drunk and not thinking straight. I'm going to spend the night somewhere else tonight and maybe tomorrow until you've had a chance to calm down."

"The fuck ya are! You ain't goin' no damn where until we talk!" He makes his way to Yumichika and attempts to snatch the bag out of his hand, "Sit yer ass down and tell me what the fuck is goin' on!"

Yumichika tightens his grip on the bag before giving Ikkaku the most hateful look he can muster, "Let go of my satchel right now, Ikkaku!"

Ikkaku also tightens his grip on the bag and returns Yumichika's furious expression, "Or what? Yer just gonna walk out and not even talk about this?!"

Without loosening his grip on the bag Yumichika responds, "That's rich coming from you! Every time I want to talk about something important to me you always tell me I'm being stupid! So why should I give you the pleasure of sitting down and discussing whatever it is you think I've done to you?!" Yumichika can feel Ikkaku's grip slacken a bit as he tries to think of a comeback giving the fifth seat the chance to reclaim possession of the bag, "If you thought this shouting match was going to get me to have sex with you then you are sadly mistaken and I sure hope you haven't pissed off your hand because that's the only company you'll be having for a while."

Yumichika makes his way into the bedroom where he continues to stuff things into the bag before going into the bathroom. When he returns from the bathroom, he notices Ikkaku is standing on the threshold of the bedroom with his arms crossed, "And just where the fuck do ya think yer gonna stay anyway?"

Yumichika cinches the bag closed and gives his lover a patronizing smile, "Wouldn't you love to know that?"

He then shoulders his way passed Ikkaku and puts his shoes on at the door, "When are ya coming back?"

The raven haired man slings the bag over his shoulder and makes a point not to look at Ikkaku as he answers, "I don't have to answer myself to you. When you decide that we can sit down and have a genuine talk about any and everything then perhaps I'll come back sooner than you think."

Before Ikkaku can respond, Yumichika leaves their quarters, the only thing Yumichika failed to do was limp, but Ikkaku certainly didn't miss it. His lover was going to have some explaining to do if he had to come right out and be blunt about it the next time they were together.

Yumichika angrily makes his way to Rangiku's because…well, who else was there that would understand the whole story of what was going on. She was also probably his best bet for having somewhere to stay for a few days. He makes it to her quarters and knocks on the door. She soon comes to the door and as soon as the door opens Yumichika wraps his arms around her and buries his face in her cleavage before bursting into tears.

She returns his embrace and rubs his back with her hand, "What's the matter, sweetie? And why do you have a bag packed?"

"I-I…I had a fight with Ikkaku and I need to…to talk to you." He lifts his face from her breasts and wipes his eyes on his sleeve, "Can I…can I come in?"

"Of course." She takes his hand and leads him into the room, "Now, have a seat and tell me everything that happened."

He nods and takes a seat before beginning his story. A few minutes later he's wrapping up the story, "And then he says, whatever is going on he had better hear it from me and not someone else. What the hell does that mean?"

A concerned expression appears on the busty lieutenant's face after hearing Yumichika's story, "Well, there's no way he could possible know what you actually did, but he has something in his mind made up that you've done." She chews on her bottom lip for a few seconds before giving the fifth seat a sympathetic look, "I really think you should just give in and tell him the truth about what you did."

Yumichika lets out an appalled gasp, "Rangiku! I can't do that! I thought you were on my side?!"

"I am on your side, but Ikkaku is obviously really mad about whatever it is he thinks you've done." She lets out a worried sigh, "It might be better on your relationship to just tell him what's actually going on."

A defeated expression overcomes Yumichika's features as he sinks lower into the chair he's occupying, "I can't tell him what I did because if I do he'll ask all kinds of questions and get mad and then he'll never trust me again! He'll always question me for the rest of time!"

"And what happens if you actually get pregnant?" She gives him a serious look, "How are you going to explain that to him? Will he trust you then?" She notices his forlorn facial expression and tries to soften her tone, "All I'm saying, sweetie, is put yourself in his position. He's probably wondering if he did something wrong or who knows what. Just tell him you made a mistake and that you know you should have talked to him first. Yes, he will be upset with you, but it's better than all this sneaking around you're doing."

"It sounds so easy when you say it, but I know he won't react the way you or I would react." Yumichika nervously rubs his hands together in his lap, "I just want him to want a baby as much as me, but he won't even talk about it with me. If he won't even talk about having a baby then how in Soul Society are we going to have a civilized conversation about me almost having one without even telling him about it?"

Rangiku shakes her head not really knowing anything helpful to say to him, "There are only two options…you either continue lying to him and take whatever consequences come with that or you tell him the truth. You know him better than anyone so only you know how he will react."

The two shinigami are quiet for a moment as both try to think of a proper solution to the fifth seat's problem. Finally, Yumichika breaks the silence by speaking again, "Sometimes, I wish that I had been Captain Kurotsuchi's first test subject. Then it wouldn't be my fault if I was pregnant and Ikkaku and I would already have a baby of our own."

Rangiku stands up and makes her way to her dejected friend and kneels down beside him to take his hand in hers, "You know Captain Kurotsuchi chooses his test subject wisely and he knew better than to mess with anybody in Eleventh Squad. Plus, Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku have been together so long that they make your and Ikkaku's relationship seem like puppy love. Captain Kurotsuchi knew those two could handle it…both of them." She releases his hand and stands back up, "Besides, look at how much older they are then you and Ikkaku. It's not like you have to be in a huge rush to have a baby. You have plenty of time."

Yumichika lowers his gaze to the floor as his ears absorb her words, "Do I?"

The tenth lieutenant's eyebrows come together in confusion, "What does that mean? I know you and Ikkaku aren't breaking up anytime soon."

He shakes his head, "That's not what I mean."

She kneels back down and forces him to look at her again, "Then what are you talking about, sweetie?"

When he looks at her his violet eyes are shiny with unshed tears, "You see how reckless he is…he's determined to either have victory or…or die. Who's to say there wouldn't be a battle tomorrow and I might lose him forever." He lets out a heavy sigh before continuing, "I want a baby with him first and foremost because I want us to have a baby together, but if something were to happen to him then at least I'd have a part of him with me. Part of him would still be here in Seireitei…in Soul Society."

The unshed tears finally slip down his cheeks and Rangiku quickly wipes them away with her fingertips, "Have you ever told Ikkaku this?"

Yumichika sniffles and shakes his head, "No, he would say I was being weak and that I didn't have faith in his abilities." He looks up with pleading in his eyes, "Please, don't tell anyone I told you that."

She shakes her head, "Of course not." She stands up once again and walks to the closet. She then pulls out an extra futon, "You can stay here for a few days and let him cool off and you get your wits back. Then you can decide with a clear head what the two of you need to do."

Yumichika nods and wipes his face with his sleeve. He knew better than to argue with Rangiku and it was actually a good idea anyway.

TBC…

Thanks again for reading!