The poem that begins this story does not belong to me. It's Sir Thomas Wyatt's according to the internet, and I put it in here cutting off more than 4/5 of the thing off because I read it awhile ago in an anthology book and it just made me think of Yumichika.

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"Farewell thee love and all thy laws forever, thy baited hooks shall tangle me no longer."

Ikkaku rubbed his eyes sleepily. Did he just hear Yumichika talking? What about hooks now? "What the hell are you going on about?"

"Just working on the beautiful overtures of my voice, silly. Reading poetry not only improves my wit, but also helps me find the most beautiful pitch for me to speak in. I was reciting poetry yesterday as well. But you were asleep then."

"I was asleep until your 'beautiful over term' or whatever the hell you just said woke me up."

"Did it sound beautiful?"

Ikkaku answered by throwing his pillow in the face of the narcissist, and rolling out of bed. "Not beautiful enough that I want to get woken up from a perfectly good sleep by."

"What part in particular needed to be worked on?"

Ikkaku glared, and Yumichika got the hint that he was overstepping playful conversation into dangerous territory.

"Breakfast and tea is set out when you're ready," Yumichika offered and went over to his vanity to comb his hair until Ikkaku was less irritable.

That would take awhile.

Ikkaku ate the food quickly and stumbled over to the swords, still so tired he looked as if he were drunk. He wasn't a great morning person yesterday, either, but Yumichika felt especially bad for waking him up earlier than he would've gotten up on his own. "Would you like to lay back down?"

"Fuck it, I'm already up," Ikkaku answered with a shrug. He didn't seem to be mad at Yumichika in particular, but wasn't happy with him either.

"Would you like to wait awhile before training?"

"Why the hell would I do something like that?"

"Just wondering if you'd like time to wake up, you're still tired," Yumichika answered and started to casually put his hair up. "I just don't like the idea of making you think I'm impatient to start and make you feel the need to rush."

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm not rushing just because you're in a tizzy."

Yumichika smiled and walked over to Ikkaku. "We'll be training with the wooden swords, correct?"

"Unless you got a death wish or something."

"No thank you," Yumichika answered and leaned over to pick up the smaller of the two practice blades, and handed Ikkaku the other.

Dammit, I was standing here like an idiot, Ikkaku thought.

"Let's go outside and start, if you're ready."

"Fine by me. I've never seen someone rush to get their ass kicked, though.

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Ikkaku spent the whole day, well into dusk, training Yumichika with basics. He wasn't really strong, and his striking techniques left much to be desired, but his defense was much more accomplished.

"Why can't you be as good with attacking as you are defending?" Ikkaku asked, they were in the middle of a small sparing session so Yumichika could use the new moves that he was just shown.

"Defending comes naturally to the beautiful. Everyone is jealous, after all."

"Do you even know the meaning of the word 'humble?'"

Yumichika nodded. "Yes, but I don't practice that, because the word is so ugly. It doesn't roll off the tongue beautifully, like Ayasegawa does. It even ends in a 'bumble' sound."

Ikkaku risked forever being shunned by the pretty boy to use the hilt of his training sword and knock the man upside his head with it. "Let's just get back to training."

"How mean," Yumichika said, and rubbed to see if there was a bump rather than because it hurt. Ikkaku was immensely surprised, thinking that Yumichika would never stop whining about being hit like that.

The man pulled his pale hand from his head to see a spot of blood. "I suppose this is your way of asking me not to talk so much?"

"Yeah, and don't complain. I won't teach idiots who can't handle a little hit."

Yumichika replied with a shrug. "Fine, but I won't learn from someone who can't take what he deals."

"Huh?"

Yumichika took the opportunity to hit Ikkaku on the head in the same way he struck Yumichika. "Besides, I always thought someone with such a pretty name would have more patience."

Ikkaku rubbed his head. "You're pushing it."

"Maybe you're right. It's getting really dark, too. Should we go inside and call it a day?"

"What the hell are you talking about, we're not going inside until one of us collapses from exhaustion!"

"How ugly."

Ikkaku spent the next few hours drilling Yumichika on offensive techniques, and noted while there was very little improvement, the man had uncharacteristically amazing endurance. Ikkaku briefly thought if he used too much of his energy during their sparing sessions, he may be the one to collapse first.

"Ikkaku, let me see you use these techniques. I'll defend," Yumichika said after he had practiced each of them one-hundred times. Ikkaku's jaw almost dropped when he saw hardly a bead of sweat on the man's body.

"I'll have to hold back then."

"Trust me, I will be more than able to take a hit from a wooden sword. Stop doubting me so often."

"I'm not doubting you-"

"I have twenty-three examples ready at any time of you going easy on me because you think I'm especially weak. Beauty and weakness are completely different things, and true beauty should never collide with the ugly concept of being weak."

Ikkaku scoffed. "Fine, if you think you're tough enough to handle me attacking. Tell me to stop if you get too badly beaten up."

Yumichika took his starting position, that was a modified version of the best defense position Ikkaku had taught so far, that Yumichika and he worked on to accommodate the lack of strength that Yumichika could bring that the stance depended on.

The vain man lectured Ikkaku on how beautiful it was until Ikkaku had gotten angry and made him shut up and pay attention to the basics or he'd stop the training there and then.

"Don't flatter yourself. I am getting quite good at this, I think."

"And I'm the one who shouldn't flatter myself?" Ikkaku asked sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"I have reason to flatter myself, Ikkaku." Yumichika said, and put a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "It's only my first day of training in attacking, yet I've gotten so many basics down."

"Hardly enough to actually fight anyone decent."

"I'll get there, more than likely sooner than you realize."

Ikkaku, although the bragging was getting on his nerves, realized how utterly adorable Yumichika made himself. Like a child, almost, if it weren't for the way he spoke (in a resonantly deep and beautiful way. The poetry must really work if these are the results).

The stances Ikkaku was trying to use relied more on the weapon and the speed behind the blow, rather than strength. They had been taught to him awhile back, but he so rarely had any use for moves like that he had trouble demonstrating them accordingly. Of course, Yumichika's observant eye noticed.

"Aren't you good at fighting?" The pretty boy asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Only that it doesn't look like you'd ever hit someone with moves like these."

"Well, I can't teach you my own style, idiot. This is harder for me to show since I don't fight like this."

Yumichika tilted his head, slightly confused. He was smart and clever, but he really believed if one knew how to fight, they could teach another how to fight regardless.

"Listen, you're not strong so you can't fight the same way I can," Ikkaku explained.

"Isn't the point of this to make me strong?"

He shook his head. "Of course not, you moron. My goal is to teach you how to fight, you're not suited for brute strength-type fighting. There are plenty of ways for you to fight without having to put a lot of muscle into it. I'm just trying to remember what I learned about that type of fighting, and demonstrating it is almost impossible for someone who never uses it."

Yumichika seemed to think hard for a minute. "Then how did you know how to help me with defense techniques that don't require strength?"

Ikkaku sighed. He hated all the talking that came with teaching his new annoying pupil. "I knew those so I could focus all my energy on attacking and not have to waste it blocking some meat-heads attack."

Yumichika hummed for a moment, thinking again. "Could I try to attack you now?"

"What?"

"You can't teach me to attack, so could I try to attack you now. I think I have an idea."

"You're ideas never turn out well for me in the end," Ikkaku sighed. "But we're sure as hell not accomplishing anything with me on the offense. Sure."

"I need you to attack me first, though. I just want you to know I'll be countering."

Yumichika assumed what Ikkaku considered to be the worst defense stand that he taught so far and waited. Although Ikkaku seriously wanted to criticize the choice, Yumichika didn't listen to words when his mind was made up about something.

Ikkaku, although toning down the strength he would normally put behind his blows, used his normal fighting style so Yumichika would have to work to keep up.

"Ikkaku, you look like an unrefined thug, with those movements," Yumichika teased, catching Ikkaku off guard and then deflecting his strike with more energy than necessary to knock his opponent's whole stance off balance, then he proceeded to put the tip of his wooden sword on Ikkaku's back roughly where the heart was.

"Ho-how the hell?"

"I must do things opposite from how you do them, correct?"

"Looks like we at least found something that will work for you," Ikkaku sighed and turned to face Yumichika. "Don't get cocky, though."

"Me? Never."

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