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Ikkaku didn't have to wake up. He'd been up all night thinking how he should have handled what happened in the bar. When Yumichika walked in mid-morning the next day, he was sprawled out on their bed without particularly caring how cold it was.

"Ikkaku?"

"Hey."

Yumichika walked over. "Are you alright?"

"Eh."

"Give me an actual answer." There was a clank of the axes hitting each other, then the rustle of metal brushing and hitting against other metal in a bag while he was sitting his goods down. Ikkaku had to admit, he was good at what he did.

"Just a little pissed off."

"That you couldn't drink last night?"

"Nah."

"I made you leave?"

"Nu-huh."

"How long are we playing a guessing game?"

"Looks like it'll be awhile."

Yumichika sighed and went over to the bed. He didn't sleep at all last night. It took him most of the night to work around the bear's house and score all the valuables that he could carry. On top of that, he was busy occupying the man for quite some time seeing as he wasn't so drunk that he was going to pass out before they'd completed what he figured they went to a room to do.

"Hm... You don't like seeing someone else being stolen from like I stole from you?"

"Oh, so close. You're getting there."

"I'm too tired to keep guessing," Yumichika said and yawned. "I never can bring myself to sleep in the presence of anyone ugly."

"Hm?"

"I just said, I couldn't sleep around that behemoth even if my life had depended on it," Yumichika replied crawling into bed, pushing Ikkaku over from the center of the bed.

"I don't like the idea of you..." Ikkaku didn't finish. He didn't think he could finish.

It wouldn't have mattered either way. Yumichika was curled up against him and falling asleep. He had to leave either way to work for the old woman. When he got back, Yumichika would either be at another bar or out selling the items he scored where ever he was last night.

A few minutes passed before Ikkaku got up and left.

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"You!" The old woman shouted as soon as Ikkaku walked in. He was ten minutes early.

"Huh?"

"Where's Yumichika. He would normally stop by before now."

"Sleeping," Ikkaku answered simply.

"What? Is he sick? Why on Earth would he be sleeping so late?"

Didn't she know of Yumichika's occupation that got him all the weapons he sold to her? "He just came home late."

"I see. Well, get to work. I'm not paying you for chit-chat."

Ikkaku rolled his eyes, thinking he was barely being paid at all. It would be two weeks before he could afford anything to take him to another island.

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It was late in the afternoon before Yumichika woke up. He thought he should make a habit of sleeping in the daytime during the cold seasons. It was much warmer than sleeping at night, and Ikkaku wouldn't be around forever to be his personal heater.

More of a morning person than most people, Yumichika jumped out of bed and got his score from last night.

Yumichika wasn't exactly the muscular type, his physical strength definitely left a lot to be desired. He never really needed to be strong in battle to win, but sometimes he wished he was much stronger to make carrying what he scored from his "job" easier. Not to mention he had to run around the entire town to find someone to buy the odds and ends of what he scored. The old lady only dealt with weapons, and there was often so many more things he could find that would get him a good bit of cash, provided there was a merchant who actually wanted the stuff.

Once he had staggered out of his apartment and locked the door, he realized the gorilla he'd stolen from would still be angry with him. Now, not only did he have to make it across the entire town, he had to take a complicated route to get there. He normally had to take back passage ways, but he'd have to be extra careful today.

The man was twice his size, easily. Fighting him alone was an absolute suicide attempt. He decided to take the back winding alleyways, past seedy bars and adult entertainment venues that he used to work in before he found a much easier way of using his beauty to create money.

Nearly an hour later he made it to the shop, ducking behind dumpsters or barrels each time he thought he saw or heard the ape anywhere along the route. Once the man was so close, that he was speaking to someone a mere three feet away from Yumichika's hiding place talking about how much he wanted to kill the beautiful man.

He wasn't going to the old lady's shop, however. Yumichika was able to gain that from the short conversation the ugly man had with some merchants. He doubted that Yumichika would stay there for any length of time, and he had enough honor not to kill an old lady.

Yumichika breathed a sigh of relief and crept the rest of the way to his destination.

"Hey, Granny!" He called as he walked in.

"Yumichika, you're in late," she called from behind the counter.

"It's great to see you too," Yumichika answered and put the duel axes before her. "Anyways, I don't need money right now, so you can just have those." He lifted the bag that consisted of random jewelery and other valuables. "I'm going to sell these somewhere anyways."

"I couldn't just take these," the old woman protested.

"Fine. Tell your husband how much they're worth and I'll buy that much food from him."

She pouted, but knew Yumichika wasn't the type to be moved on issues once he'd made up his mind.

"Hey, Yumichika!" Ikkaku said walking out from the back of the shop. He was sweating and covered in dirt. It was only then that Yumichika realized the shop had never been so clean.

"Ikkaku," Yumichika answered, trying to hold back laughter. "Good afternoon."

"You're a fucking jerk," Ikkaku said, narrowing his eyes. "You didn't tell me this job would suck."

"Hm? But you're a pirate, I thought you'd be used to doing the dirty work. Besides, no one would hire someone who looked like you, and most everyone hates pirates in the first place here anyways."

Ikkaku frowned and continued to glare, but a blush was forming on his cheeks from embarrassment. "Look like me?"

"Glare at everything, carry around a sword, picks fights, just the typical angry pirate look."

"Tch. What the hell ever."

The woman smiled behind the counter. They were bickering like children would if someone cheated during a game.

"Oh, and if a big, ugly, hairy gorilla type guy comes in, well, you know what to do when he asks for me."

Outside, a rough gravely voice was booming. "I'm gonna just check 'nd see if that coward's been here yet or not!"

"You said you wouldn't involve the poor old woman, boss," an unknown voice criticized.

"Uh, speaking of," Yumichika said lowly.

"Hurry, under the counter," the old woman hissed and motioned for Yumichika to hide.

Ikkaku put his hand on the hilt of his sword for a moment, but then took it off as Yumichika hid. Nothing would look more suspicious, he thought. Instead, he picked up a broom and began to sweep.

The doors slammed open, the man had to duck a bit just to get through the door.

"Can I help you?" The old woman asked calmly, but with a tinge of annoyance. Ikkaku admired her acting skills, although that was to be expected from someone who must have to do things like this on a regular basis.

"Hey ol' lady. Had a pretty boy goes by Yumi-somethin' been here? Ya know, this tall, long hair-"

"Yumichika? I haven't seen him since about noon, I don't think. He told me he had something to sell me, but was too tired to bring it today," the old lady said, having already hid the axes.

"Ya sure then?"

"Why is it any of your concern where my husband's best customer is?"

Ikkaku's jaw almost dropped. The old lady was staring the man down, unafraid that he was much bigger than her. He felt that stepping in between the two might be the only way to stop a confrontation, but the intensity of the moment had him paralyzed.

"If you see him, watch out. He's nothin' but a dirty, rotten thief and he's gonna steal from ya if ya don't be careful."

"I'd like you to leave," the old woman said curtly.

"Fine by me, I just came to be checkin'," the brute said as he made his way out. Ikkaku, however, wasn't about to allow Yumichika to be insulted right in front of him. He shared his house, returned the sword he'd stolen and done a number of other kind things. Within an instant, Ikkaku had his sword drawn and put to the neck of the ape.

"You know, it's rather rude to come into a shop and not buy anything. Even more rude to shout and cause a commotion then just leave," Ikkaku said drily. His words were sharper maybe than his blade.

"Put your sword down 'fore I give ya a reason to be sorry."

"The worst thing that you did, though, was insult someone whose name you don't even know. Bastard."

"Ikkaku, put the sword down," the old lady instructed firmly. "Mister, leave. This is over."

"Tch," Ikkaku did as he was told and sheathed his blade. Even though the brute wasn't willing to leave so simply, he still felt it wrong to bring an old woman into a fight. He pushed Ikkaku halfway across the shop and left. There would be time to defend his pride later, now he thought he should just go before he brought the whole building down.

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