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They sat in the debris filled alleyway for what seemed like hours, although it was probably closer to mere minutes until Yumichika caught his breath enough to get up and get Ikkaku's sword. When he returned, he smiled brightly at the bald man, who was still struggling to catch his breath, and presented the weapon.
"Thanks," Ikkaku managed to get out between deep and paced breaths as he grabbed the blade. He tried to muster a smile, but he was too tired to show any emotion what so ever,
"You know, it's kind of strange," Yumichika said, but before Ikkaku had time to ask what was strange, he sensed the question. "You fight beautifully."
"Thank you," Ikkaku replied, able to speak now that he had most of his breath back. "Well, I think."
"I don't want you to get the wrong implication, but if you need a place to stay, I'll let you sleep at my apartment."
"I don't think that's-"
"Come on, if I had wanted your things I would have kept them, so I'm not going to steal, not to mention the fact that nothing else sexual is going to happen. I said I like your fighting style and think it's beautiful. Nothing about the practitioner."
Ikkaku blushed. "Who said I even wanted anything like that? I was drunk last time, but I but I'm not gay."
Yumichika shrugged. "Sleep out here, then. But there have been plenty of 'straight' people who left that idea in the dirt when I so much as gave them a fraction of a chance."
"What the hell ever, I'm only going with you 'cause it looks like it's gonna rain!"
"M hm."
"Don't 'm hm' me, you narcissistic bastard!"
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There were only a few buildings that hadn't been reduced to rotting masses standing only by some miracle in the entire town. Living so close to the ocean, caused wood to get wet and disintegrate from the inside. Renovations helped somewhat but to completely fix and protect the buildings would be too costly.
Yumichika had a room, surprisingly, in one of the stable sites. It was much nicer, and even somewhat well decorated in comparison to the rag-tag room he'd led them to randomly the other night.
Going straight to bed, the raven haired man pulled the covers to his shoulders and curled up. He was so exhausted from the match fought earlier in the day, he could hardly even remember where his room was. Luckily, he knew the feel of his bed. His gracefulness in climbing into bed, although subsumed from the norm, was in any event incredible he even cared enough to put on the air of perfection while so completely and totally fatigued.
Ikkaku wasn't sure if he was expected to sleep on the floor or in the bed. He assumed the first, and didn't mind in order to avoid any awkward positions or situations in the small bed, and began looking for an extra blanket he could use. The port towns, even in nearly tropic regions such as the one they were at, got dreadfully cold due to the air coming from water.
"Ikkaku, aren't you tired?"
"Of course I am."
"I'm not taking up all of the bed. It may not be extremely roomy, but there's enough space," he said rubbing his eyes and sitting up. "Besides, it doesn't matter, does it?"
"It's still weird."
"Oh well. I'm not having you shuffle around while I'm trying to sleep. Just lay down, I'll try to resist the temptation of reliving the wonderful memories of your disgustingly drunk ass trying to stay awake through intercourse. It'll be so very hard, but if you're straight and I have some sanity left, I'm sure we'll make it through the night," Yumichika said drily, and added; "My beauty sleep is not to be interrupted just because you have an ego that should be considered legendary."
Ikkaku looked down, a little embarrassed, but with the crude sarcasm came a grain of truth. Neither of them were interested in the other, or if they were, they weren't about to admit it. He reluctantly crawled into the bed next to Yumichika.
It really was a small bed. Ikkaku could hardly lie down and not be touching Yumichika, but at the same time as he felt it was awkward, he couldn't bring himself to care enough. He was exhausted.
"Hey, Ikkaku?" Yumichika ask the moment before the man fell asleep.
"Hm?"
"Don't pirates normally have crews they belong to?"
"'Course."
"Why don't you?"
"I," Ikkaku hesitated. "Well, I just don't. I don't need one. Haven't met one with anyone worth spendin' my time and usin' my talent for."
"How long do you plan to stay here?"
"I thought you were tired. The whole point of getting in bed was to go to sleep, wasn't it?"
"Answer."
"Just however long it takes to get a boat and go somewhere else."
"Until then, stay here."
"Whatever."
Yumichika chuckled a bit. "I believe it's customary to say thank you, actually."
Ikkaku was either asleep or too annoyed to respond.
He figured the second. It wasn't beautiful to annoy those who were trying to sleep, though, so Yumichika ignored all the questions he wanted to ask.
Something was irking him. Something made him want to keep Ikkaku up all night, learning what he was truly like. But then again, that something seemed to be ugly and Yumichika decided it wouldn't even result in anything besides maybe being yelled at to shut up and go to sleep.
There would be plenty of time tomorrow to ask whatever he wanted, though.
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