Title: Stowaway

Author: lola_tenshi

Pairing(s): Starrk/Ichigo, Ichigo/Uryuu (past)

Rating: Soft R (to be on the safe side)

Warnings: Yaoi (m/m), AU, characters will be slightly OOC (sorry!), slight language, and sexual situations.

Word Count: 8400-ish

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, not me.

Summary: When Pirate Captain Coyote Starrk finds a stowaway aboard his ship, he finds himself desiring the red-haired youth. When Ichigo shows a similar interest in the Captain, Starrk takes matters into his own hands.

Author's Note: Well, I had meant to post this yesterday as a birthday present to myself, but livejournal was up to something. After pushing it off, and pushing it off I finally made myself commit to a deadline, my birthday only to not be able to post it! It's much later than I had originally hoped to post it but I guess it can't be helped sometimes. This story is also a lot longer than I had intended, which I find to be great! It happens to be my first StarrkIchigo fic, which is a current favorite pairing of mine. Hopefully there will be more to come as I don't think there's enough of these two around. :)

I hope you enjoy, and please review! I love reading feedback (the good and the bad) so I know how to improve my stories in the future! Also, because of how long it is, I'm afraid that I've missed some typos and grammatical errors, so please feel free to point them out so I can fix them!

P.S. - I have rewritten the ending! If you want to read the original version, check out my livejournal which you can find in my profile! :) (10/10/11)

"Captain! Captain!"

Starrk sighed, pulling the rim of his black hat further down his face. He attempted to tune out the sounds of Lilynette pounding on his cabin door and her screaming.

"STARRK!"

"Go away, I'm busy," he groaned, managing to drift off into a state of being half-awake and half-asleep. The sound of his door slamming open seconds later, lock now in pieces, jolted Starrk fully alert. The sight of his tiny second in command pointing an accusing finger at him from the now open doorway roused a second groan.

"Sleeping, or napping, or whatever the hell it is that you're doing doesn't constitute being busy! So get the fuck up you lazy excuse for a captain, you're needed on deck!" Lilynette shouted, stomping over to his bedside.

"Is the ship on fire?" he questioned in disinterest.

"No."

"Is a storm approaching?"

"No."

"Did a fight break out amongst the crew?"

"No," Lilynette grit out.

"Are there ships around that might pose a threat to us?"

"No!"

"Then I don't see why you need me on deck. Whatever the issue is, I'm sure you can handle it without me," Starrk yawned. He covered his mouth and moved to turn over but was stopped by a hand painfully grabbing his shoulder-length brown hair, jerking his head back around.

"The problem is that we have a stowaway. It looks like he came aboard when we docked two days ago, but he's not talking."

"Fine," came the tired response. First rescuing his hair from Lilynette's death grip, Starrk ran a hand through his brown locks to smooth it back down. He then settled his chin onto his open palm, staring blandly at the petite woman. "I assume you assigned people to watch him?"

"Nnoitra and Grimmjow. However, if you don't hurry up, there won't be much left of the boy to interrogate based on how those two were eying him."

Pushing himself up, Starrk swung his legs over the side of his bed. He sighed. Of course Lilynette would put the stowaway in the hands of those two barbarians. Why not Nelliel, or Harribel? Hell, why not Ulquiorra? He would have to deal with the boy quickly to avoid any unpleasant incidents.

Striding through his cabin door, Starrk paused to look at the broken handle. He turned his head to shout over his shoulder, "Have one of the crew fix my door while I'm gone."

Strolling down the dimly lit passageway, Starrk pushed open the companionway door meant to keep water out of the ships interior. He was unprepared for the sight that met him.

When Lilynette had mentioned the stowaway, Starrk had pictured the boy to be a street-rat no older than twelve. Instead, a handsome older boy in his late teens knelt between Nnoitra and Grimmjow, glaring straight at him with brown eyes full of resent. An unruly mop of bright orange hair sat on the boy's head, but all other aspects of him were neat and clean.

Starrk spent a few minutes staring at the boy, waiting to see if he would back off on his hostile gaze. When it didn't lessen, Starrk cocked an eyebrow, impressed with the boys bravery. Or stupidity. He thought it best to get straight to the point.

"Listen up. I'm not in the mood to deal with this shit today, so when I ask you a question I want an answer. You happen to be an unwelcome guest on this ship, so don't think you can get away with any funny business. Tell me boy, what's your name?"

The red-headed youth glared balefully at him, offering no answer.

"No response? Fine then, what's your age?"

Again, no response.

Starrk sighed irritably, right hand sliding down his side for the pistol hanging on his hip. Once removed from the holster, Starrk pointed the weapon point blank between the boys eyes.

"As I said, I'm not in the mood. You can either answer my questions or become food for the fish, it's up to you." Starrk paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Now, let's try this again. Name?"

The boy hesitated for only a second, "Ichigo."

The boy's voice was smooth and low, though not as low as Starrk's was. It sent a pleasant tingle racing through his body, sparking a slight interest in his desire for the red-head. As distracted as he had been by the boy's voice, Stark nearly missed hearing Nnoitra and Grimmjow chuckle. One of them muttered "Strawberry" beneath their breath, causing Ichigo's face to flush a light shade of pink.

"Age?"

"18."

"Why are you on my ship?"

"An accident. I-I meant to climb aboard a different ship, but the confusion at the docks messed me up."

Starrk stared at Ichigo for a few moments, again taking in the others appearance. It was no secret on the ship that Starrk had a strong preference for red-heads when it came to his bed partners, even if their fiery personalities were a pain. While it wasn't guaranteed that Ichigo would end up in his bed, the possibility was there. A very tempting possibility. Either way, having the boy stay on board would definitely keep the crew on their toes and make things interesting.

"Very well," Starrk replied, spotting another of his crew approaching. "Nelliel, take Ichigo here to the brig. Welcome aboard Los Lobes, Ichigo. I'm Captain Coyote Starrk, you can address me as Captain."

Ichigo's eyes watered at the repugnant scent in the brig; identifying some of the smells as unwashed bodies, blood and defecation. If this was where he was going to be staying for his duration on the ship, Ichigo would almost rather welcome death. In addition to the unpleasant smells, the brig was dark, damp and humid.

From next to him, the guard assigned to bring Ichigo to this dreadful place, Nelliel, wrinkled her nose in disdain, "Sorry for the awful smell, but don't worry too much. If you're lucky, Captain Starrk will relocate you soon to one of the empty cabins near his."

"Why would he do that? I'm a stowaway." It was customary on any ship, whether it be run by pirates or privateers, that stowaways were always kept in the brig.

"The Captain keeps a couple of the cabins near his empty for when there are people on board that he wants to keep a close eye on. I have a feeling that he's going to want to keep an especially close eye on you," she winked at him, laughing softly.

A feeling of unease settled within Ichigo, who was unsure how to interpret this latest statement. What could she possibly mean by 'keep an especially close eye on you'?

Ichigo suddenly recalled his earlier meeting of the Captain, the way the man had paused in clear surprise before running an appraising gaze over the red-haired youth. The man's blue-gray eyes had been sharp, taking in as much of Ichigo as he could in such a short period of time before staring Ichigo in the eye for what had seemed like an eternity. Though Ichigo was unsure what the gaze had meant. Perhaps he was looking to see if Ichigo was pirate material? Or was he looking for something else as Nelliel had seemed to suggest?

Ichigo had to admit that the man was attractive with his piercing eyes and shoulder-length, wavy brown hair. He was tall and slim in stature, not at all what Ichigo had imagined a pirate to look like. He also had to admit that had they met back home, in one of the local taverns, Ichigo would have been sorely tempted to allow this man to bring him home. But surely he hadn't been looking at Ichigo in any form of attraction?

An amused chuckle quickly brought Ichigo out of his thoughts, cheeks flushing bright red in embarrassment. Nelliel was giving him a knowing look, grinning as though she couldn't believe what Ichigo had just been thinking.

"Stay here for now, I'll talk to Captain Starrk about changing your place of stay," Nelliel grinned.

Ichigo wanted to protest, but the woman's expression was making him feel even more unsettled. So instead, he stayed silent and merely watched as the blue-green-haired woman locked him up in the brig. She waved happily at him, then was off.

Once she was out of sight, Ichigo sat down, sagging against one of the dirty wooden walls, head in his hands. When he had made the decision to leave home by stowing away on a ship, this hadn't been what he imagined. Although, that was probably because he had intended on hiding in the hull of a commerce ship heading to one of the developing colonies. Instead he was stuck in the brig of a pirate ship.

If his father knew where he was now, Ichigo was certain that the man would go crazy. Well, crazier than he already was. The man's mental capacity had seemingly suffered under the loss of his wife, Ichigo's mother. Ichigo was embarrassed and occasionally mystified by his father's child like behavior. Even his two sisters, both fourteen years old, acted more mature than the man.

Thinking of Yuzu and Karin reminded Ichigo of why he had left home in the first place. How his father had been struggling financially to support the family of four despite his work as the small town's doctor. Ichigo had hoped that by traveling to one of the colonies, he could at least send some money home. Had that plan failed, at least it was one less mouth his father had to feed. Now he wasn't sure what the future held for him, except for a long period of silence and loneliness.

Ichigo wasn't sure if he had fallen asleep, but when the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears, his head shot up. He stared in apprehension, then dread as the blue-haired man from earlier appeared. What set Ichigo's nerves off about the man wasn't his odd colored hair (for which his eyes shared the same blue shade), but the wide maniacal grin. Ichigo was certain that in the past, anyone who was met with that startling grin was soon met with death.

"Yo, Strawberry. Get up. Captain's ordered you to be moved."

Ichigo scowled at the nickname, but stood up and cautiously approached the now open door. He didn't exactly trust the man, hadn't even expected him to be the one to escort him to his new place of stay. Ichigo longed for the female, Nelliel, to return. At least she had been kind and had seemed interested in Ichigo's well being.

"Where am I being moved?" Ichigo asked.

"Che. Didn't Nel tell you earlier? You're being moved to a cabin next to the Captain's. Right next door actually." The grin was back, wider then before.

"You'll also be happy to hear that the Captain's ordered you to sup with him tonight. In his cabin."

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you're sleeping again?"

Starrk suppressed the groan that threatened to escape, unwilling to let his second in command know that he was actually awake. He was merely resting his eyes. While thinking of a certain red-head who was, by now, settled into the cabin next door. To think that all that separated the two was a single wooden wall. In addition to the groan, Starrk found that he also had to suppress a grin fighting it's way onto his face.

He listened as Lilynette cursed and muttered under her breath, quickly making her way across the room to where the ship's Captain lay.

"Wake up you lazy ass!" she shouted directly into his ear. "The cook is going to be here in five minutes with your private dinner, then your fuck-toy will arrive shortly after that."

Cracking open one blue-gray eye, Starrk glared at the short female, wanting to convey his displeasure at her choice of words without having to open both eyes. Lilynette responded by cocking a light-green eyebrow, staring back unblinkingly until Starrk gave in with a sigh.

"I wasn't actually sleeping," he yawned behind one hand, the other reaching behind his head to scratch at a non-existing itch.

"Laying in bed with your eyes closed is hardly going to help you prepare for tonight either. So get the hell up!" Furious light-pink eyes attempted to bore holes straight through Starrk's skull.

"Whatever. I'm clearly awake now and getting up, so go away." A last second thought had Starrk calling the female to a halt, "Lilynette, when the cook leaves after bringing the food, can you bring the boy here?"

The light-green haired female sighed, "Yeah, fine. Lazy ass." Lilynette left the room with a huff, slamming the door behind her. Some of the trinkets hanging on the wall that Starrk had collected over the years shook from the force, but at least this time she had left the door in one piece.

Starrk sighed, running the long fingers of one hand through his hair. He supposed that if Ichigo was going to be arriving soon, then he had better prepare himself. A quick glance at his billowy white lawn shirt showed numerous sweat stains among others that Starrk could only guess were from food. His black pants were still clean, or at least appeared to be, so they would be staying on.

The shirt was quickly removed and replaced with a tighter fitting, cream button-up shirt. Over that Starrk pulled on a dark brown wool vest that was open in the front, it was one of his favorite pieces of clothing that he didn't wear often. He slid a large sapphire ring on the index finger of his right hand, a memento from his first ever raid as a pirate.

Soon after changing his outfit, the ship's cook entered Starrk's cabin followed by two cabin boys. Both were carrying large trays of food, elaborately set up to be appealing to any eye. Not that Starrk truly cared. They placed the trays on a small table located next to the cabin's only window along with two of the ships finest glasses. In the center of the table the cook placed two bottles, one of wine and the other of water. Once done with their task, the three bobbed their head's respectfully to Starrk then left.

Taking the seat that allowed him the best view of his cabin door for when Ichigo arrived, Starrk fought off the slight grin that again wanted to make its way across his face. After he had made the decision to move the red-headed stowaway at Nelliel's advice, Starrk had been unable to keep the boy out of his head. What had originally been an innocent mental image of angry brown eyes had progressively become more provocative. First wondering what the boy's mouth tasted like had led Starrk to imaging other parts of Ichigo's body that he could lick. Which had then morphed into the red-head laying flat on his bed while Starrk-

A quick rap at the door jarred Starrk out of his thoughts, and was the only warning he had before it jerked open. Ichigo entered the room cautiously, jumping when the door shut loudly behind him by Lilynette who was now off duty for the rest of the night. The boy's clothes had been changed so that he now wore a similar outfit to Starrk's without the vest. His shirt was white and slightly baggy, leading Starrk to believe that it belonged to Grimmjow.

Ichigo looked around with uncertainty in his eyes, gaze sweeping over the room before taking in the table. The entire time he avoided Starrk's gaze.

Starrk cleared his throat, allowing a small smile to touch his face when the red-head startled. "Sit down. You won't enjoy dinner very much if you continue to stand."

The boy's face flushed a red color similar to what it had earlier on deck. He slowly shuffled forward, taking the only available seat. Once seated, the boy eyed the food in front of him, a simple pasta covered in a meat and tomato sauce then garnished with a green herb. A small wicker basket held thick slices of warm bread, and next to it was a bowl of green grapes. Relief seemed to flit across Ichigo's face at the sight of the grapes.

Sensing Ichigo's hesitancy to begin eating, Starrk grabbed his own utensils and murmured, "Don't worry. The food wasn't poisoned or drugged."

Instead of relaxing as Starrk had intended with his words, Ichigo tensed even more. His eyes were now glued onto his plate wearily, his expression clearly reading: I wasn't thinking that, but I am now.

Besides raising an eyebrow, Starrk made no other remark to Ichigo's reaction. If the boy chose not to eat then the food would probably be welcomed by the cabin boys who worked hard to only earn scraps. He wasn't going to waste the energy trying to force feed the boy.

The boy's gaze was now focused on him, watching Starrk avidly as the captain ate his first few bites of pasta. Either having decided that the food wasn't poisonous after all or that his hunger overcame his earlier fears, Ichigo took a cautious bite from one of the thick slices of bread. He moaned in delight, briefly flushing red before devouring the rest of the slice.

Starrk chuckled at the boy's antics, grabbing a slice of bread for himself. While he enjoyed the taste of creamy butter on his tongue as the bread practically melted in his mouth, it wasn't enough to elicit a verbal response from him. Though, having been a stowaway for at least two days, Starrk was unsure how much the boy had eaten.

"Where are you from?" he asked, breaking the silence.

The fork making its way to Ichigo's mouth froze, the red-head's mouth wide open as he eyed Starrk suspiciously. It wasn't until Starrk chuckled again that the boy snapped his mouth shut for a second before responding.

"Why do you want to know?"

Starrk sighed, "I want to know when you boarded my ship."

"Karakura Town. It's a neighboring town to the last port you docked at. That was where I snuck aboard," he mumbled.

"Two days is a long time to go without eating."

"I was eating, at night I would sneak food out of the galley. I took too much last night and alerted the cook to my presence on board. That was the only reason I was found."

"That so?" Starrk asked, stretching his arms above his head. He folded them and locked his fingers together behind his head. "What led you to run away from home? You don't look like you were starving on the street, or that your parents were abusive."

This time, Starrk stretched out his legs, pretending to find a more comfortable sitting position. He slid one stocking-clad foot , for he never wore his boots in his cabin, searchingly towards the boy. He smiled widely when his foot made contact with another stocking-clad appendage, moving his foot closer so that he could briefly caress at the hidden ankle.

Ichigo fiddled with his fork, wondering if he should tell the other man the real reason he was so far from home or if he should just come up with a lie. He was briefly contemplating telling the Captain that his parents had just recently died when something brushed up against his foot.

Freezing for the second time since entering the cabin, Ichigo wondered if his imagination was playing cruel tricks on him. But again he felt the object softly brush up against him, on his ankle this time.

From across the table, the Captain was grinning at him, head cocked to the side. He clearly wasn't trying to hide the fact that he had intentionally nudged Ichigo's foot twice now. Ichigo was uncertain of how he should react, whether he should ignore it or confront the other man.

"Well? Are you going to answer my question or not?" The brown-haired man was still grinning, eyes sparkling in amusement.

Ichigo muttered out the first thought that came to mind, the truth. He paused briefly during the tale of his poor family to take a couple of bites from the pasta and sauce, which was tangy in flavor. The food was delicious, rivaling that of Yuzu's cooking. If the red-head ever saw his sister again, he was going to have to remember to never tell her that particular thought.

The two lapsed into silence, both focused on finishing their food. The sudden quiet put Ichigo on edge, emphasizing the sounds of cutlery clanging against plates and waves crashing against the side of the ship. At least the other man wasn't rubbing against his foot anymore. Across the table, the Captain had finished his meal, now munching on a small handful of grapes. The blue-gray eyes hadn't left Ichigo once.

When he had finished with his own plate, Ichigo put down his fork and reached for his glass which had been filled with water. There was no way he was going to be consuming even a drop of alcohol in the presence of this man. Or his crew for that matter. With his free hand, Ichigo fingered the white top he had been given, playing with the edges.

Ichigo jumped, startled when the other man began to speak. "Tell me, if your father was the town's doctor, why didn't you stay to succeed him?

Fighting off a scowl, Ichigo muttered, "I don't have the patience or the bed-side manners to be a doctor. Besides, a new doctor recently moved into the area just over a year or two ago. His methods of healing are more . . . conventional than my dad's."

"But surely you could have found work somewhere, even it it wasn't as a doctor?" A brown eyebrow arched bemusedly, the Captain's head resting the palm of his hand. His eyes had yet to waver from their stare directed at Ichigo.

The red-head shrugged noncommittally, "I needed to get out, see something new." Ichigo watched as the Captain popped another grape in his mouth, appearing as though he was contemplating what he had heard.

"You're more than welcome to the grapes, you know," the brown-haired man transitioned, apparently finished with his interrogation of Ichigo's life and reasons for being on board Los Lobes. Blue-gray eyes sparkled, "I thought that you would appreciate them more than strawberries. I have a fondness for them, strawberries."

Ichigo couldn't fight the scowl that stretched across his face, having already had his life's quota of strawberry jokes. "No thank you. I'm not hungry anymore."

"No? Are you sure about that? These grapes are good, we just picked them up when we were at port," the Captain persisted.

"I'm sure." Ichigo eyed the man suspiciously, wondering if he was up to something.

The Captain nodded, changing the topic again, "How do you like your cabin?"

"Uh, it's fine?" he replied, confused. The questions seemed to be random, with no one obvious reason behind them. Where exactly was the man going with his inquires?

"Just good?" Ichigo received a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting to be put in one of the cabins," he countered. "It's much nicer than where I thought I would be kept once captured."

The Captain chuckled, "Wary? You should be. You're on a pirate ship now. We don't follow any rules except for the ones that we want to follow."

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "What do you want with me?"

"What do you think that I want with you?"

"I. . . I don't know," he trailed off.

The two lapsed into another moment of silence, broken only when the brown-haired Captain pushed his seat back to stand up. "Well then, I suppose I should walk you back to your cabin. Don't want you thinking you can go into hiding again."

"Like I'd be stupid enough to do that now that your people know I'm here," Ichigo muttered to quietly to himself. Despite his efforts to go unheard, the Captain grinned at him.

"Wouldn't want you running into Grimmjow or Nnoitra either, they'd tear you apart in minutes."

Ichigo chose not to answer, but knew that he'd put up a better fight than the captain gave him credit for. When he was younger, his ginger hair was often responsible for getting him into street fights with the local gangs. So, while he probably wouldn't win a fight against either of the two pirates, who had spent their entire lives fighting aboard a ship, he would probably last more than a few minutes.

"Come along. As much as I'm sure you'd love to stay around and chat, I'm tired and would like to get some sleep. " The Captain ushered Ichigo out of the room, grabbing a grape on his way out.

He herded Ichigo into the next room, following closely behind him despite the red-head's out right glare. He leaned against the wall next to the door and took a look around, inspecting the room. He nodded, made a small sound of approval, then turned his gaze towards Ichigo who was standing near the room's bed.

"If you need anything let Nelliel know, she'll do what she can. You'll stay here if you value your life, I'd rather not have to get involved if you start a fight," The captain said this with a pointed stare.

"Fine, it's not like I want to die anyway," Ichigo sighed, wishing the other man would just leave already.

Instead, the Captain cocked his head to the side, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. Ichigo had only a moment to process this before the man was across the room in a second, grabbing both of Ichigo's wrists in his hands and shoving the red-head against the wall. Ichigo gasped when his back made contact with the rough wood, his eyes opening impossibly wide. He watched as the brown-haired man brought his hands up the wall above his head, transferring both wrists so that they were in one hand. It was then that Ichigo realized the grape was gone even though he hadn't seen the other man eat it.

A hot, hard mouth came crashing down over Ichigo's, sending shocks like electricity racing though his body. His thoughts became hazy as wind-dried lips moved against his, demanding and unrelenting. The other man stepped even closer, pressing Ichigo against the wall so that there wasn't any spare room for movement. This close, Ichigo could distinguish certain smells off the man; the salty ocean, peppermint, sweat, and an underlying musky scent. The combination made Ichigo dizzy, forcing his eyes to slide shut in an attempt to block out some of the overwhelming sensations. It didn't work. Instead, he felt a tightening in his stomach as warmth spread through out his body like wildfire. A dull roar had started in his ears growing louder. Ichigo was fighting off a moan when he felt it, a warm wet sensation ghosting across his bottom lip. A tongue. The moan escaped.

The brown-haired Captain chuckled at his reaction, his chest and lips vibrating against Ichigo's body. Ichigo tensed, embarrassed that he had made such a sound. He was sure that his face was even redder than his hair. He was just beginning to lose hope that this impromptu kiss would never end when something smooth and round was pushed into his mouth.

He blinked in confusion when the Captain finally pulled away, mischievous smile replaced with a self-satisfied one. Rolling the smooth object around in his mouth, Ichigo was surprised to find that it was the missing grape from just before the kiss. A line of spittle was running down from the corner of his mouth which he hastily wiped away with the back of his hand.

"Fruit doesn't last long on this ship, it would have been a pity if you hadn't gotten a chance to have any during your long stay."

Ichigo's face flushed an even brighter red. "Yeah, I'm sure that was your only motivation."

"Of course not," the brown-haired Captain looked vaguely surprised. "If I only wanted you to eat a grape, I would have simply ordered you to eat one."

The two stared at each other for a moment, unsure how to respond to the man's frank response. When it was clear that Ichigo had nothing left to say, the Captain stretched one long arm above his head, the other scratching lazily at the back of his neck.

"Well then, if you're all set, I'm tired so I'm off to bed." The Captain turned around, walking back to the doorway. "Oh, about my earlier command to address me as Captain? I've changed my mind. Call me Starrk."

Ichigo watched as Starrk left, quietly shutting the door behind him. He didn't move as he listened to the almost silent thuds of footsteps retreating to the room next door. It was only when he heard the other door shut that Ichigo let out that breath that he had been holding.

His stay on Los Lobes had just become more interesting.

Starrk groaned, gripping both hands in his hair. He couldn't sleep. It was a problem that he had never encountered before. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was assaulted with the memories of a certain red-haired stowaway. The shock in his hazel brown eyes when Starrk pushed him against the wall, the softness of pink lips that had never felt the harsh life at sea, and the blush that burned across the boy's face when they parted.

The blush was what was effecting Starrk the most, displaying the boy's emotions like an open book. Arousal from the kiss, embarrassment from his reactions, and a whole lot of innocence. Starrk almost wondered if that had been the boy's first kiss, but he doubted it. One rarely reached their eighteenth year without having been kissed.

Sighing, Starrk swung his legs over the edge of his bed. His current train of thought wasn't doing him any good except to create a spark of growing heat in his belly and even lower. A heat that he wasn't in the mood to deal with alone. So instead, he dragged himself out of bed for a late night walk. Hopefully the cool ocean breeze would calm his body.

The sight Starrk saw when he walked out of his room was just as effective in cooling off his body as his original plan to go on a walk in the cold night air would have been. The tall lanky form of Nnoitra was lurking outside of Ichigo's temporary room. His back was facing Starrk, so the tall man hadn't yet noticed his Captain's presence.

"Nnoitra. I thought I told you and the rest of the ship that no one was to bother Ichigo."

The other man quickly turned around, one dark gray eye narrowed in annoyance. His other eye had been ripped from the socket while working on a different pirate ship, a white patch hiding the empty space.

"Ha, I'm not bothering the boy. Was just walking in the hallway. Don't have a problem with that, do ya Captain?"

"Not at all. But I will if I see you near Ichigo's door again. Now get out of here, I believe you have early duty tomorrow so you had best be getting some rest. The next time I see you around here or Ichigo, you're being marooned on the next island we come across."

"Whatever," The tall man scoffed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants. He shuffled quickly down the hallway, back slouched as though he was attempting to attract less attention to himself. Starrk didn't care, he just didn't want to see his most blood-thirsty crew member hanging around Ichigo.

Resisting the temptation to check up on Ichigo, Starrk continued on his way. The hallways were empty at this time of night, the only people awake being the night crew who would all be on deck. It offered some peace to Starrk's mind that he didn't pass by many people. They wouldn't dare to ask what he was doing, but they would stare which would further ruin his mood.

Of course, as Starrk's luck had it, there was one person who would confront him regardless of his position and she was walking towards him.

"Oi, I thought you were going to be busy tonight? What, did your plans fall through?" Lilynette mocked once she was close enough to prevent other crew members from overhearing. A fact for which Starrk was grateful.

"No, I'm just taking things slow this time. I'd like to enjoy the boy's company for how ever long he's going to be aboard. Otherwise he'll be back in the brig and an extra mouth I'd rather not have to feet."

"Yeah, I'm sure you want to enjoy his company," the small woman scoffed.

Starrk sighed, "What are you doing out here? Don't you usually hang out with Apacci or Mila Rose when you're not on duty."

"Mila Rose is on duty and Apacci is busy. She's doing what I thought you would be doing tonight, but you suck at . . . whatever it is that you're trying to do!"

"You know what? I'm going back to bed. Goodnight, Lilynette," Starrk dismissed his second-in-command, already walking away.

"You could always sneak into the stowaway's room, you know. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He's probably lonely and would enjoy the company!" Lilynette shouted after him, her voice trailing off as he got further away.

The ship's corridor to his cabin was dim, the only light from the few lit torches on the wall. They were the reason that Starrk almost didn't notice that the hallway wasn't empty. In front of the door to the stowaway's room was the red-haired boy himself. He was leaning on the door, one arm wrapped around his stomach while the other hand was fiddling with the door handle. He was either too deep in thought or he hadn't heard Starrk approaching, because the boy didn't give any indications that he knew Starrk was present.

Starrk wouldn't have to follow Lilynette's advice to sneak into the boy's room after all. Not that he had actually planned too.

Ichigo brushed his hands against the clothes that he had just changed into, smoothing them over his lithe frame. The dark-brown cotton pants that were given to him for sleeping were comfortable even though they were a bit large. They weren't pants that Ichigo would walk around town in, he would always be worrying that they would fall down. They were perfect for the purpose of sleeping however, and that's all that Ichigo cared about. A cream colored lawn shirt accompanied the pants and was just as comfortable.

He couldn't help it when his eyes drifted over to the wall next to his bed, where he had been unexpectedly accosted not too long ago by the Captain. Starrk, as he now wanted to be called. Ichigo was confused at the man's behavior. It was almost as if he took actions on a whim, all depending on his mood and his motivation. Sometimes he acted as though he wanted to get tasks done and out of the way with as soon as possible, other times he took his time. Ichigo remembered the unexpected dinner the two had shared, the delicious food that Ichigo hadn't eaten in so long accompanied by questions.

While Ichigo was starting to understand what Starrk wanted from him, he was unsure why the man was waiting. Surely he didn't have any qualms about taking what he wanted, he was the captain of a pirate ship after all. But even with the sudden kiss that still made Ichigo feel light-headed with flushed cheeks and butterflies in his stomach, he had still been surprised with the other man had stopped and left. The kiss left him with feelings that he hadn't felt in a while, not since his brief affair with Uryuu.

Uryuu, the son of a man who was slowly taking over Isshin's position as the town's doctor. Ichigo had met the boy for the first time after being sent out by Isshin to investigate this new man that was overstepping into his territory. He had been spying through a window when a boy his age had snuck up behind him, demanding to know what Ichigo was doing. The boy had dark colored hair with matching deep blue eyes, his visible annoyance at the red-head's presence doing nothing to deter Ichigo's interest. They had a strange, experimental relationship, one filled with much name calling. Ichigo's favorite activity had been 'How many ways can I get Uryuu to stop calling me names or making fun of me'. Ichigo had to admit that some of his favorite ideas had left Uryuu flushed for hours.

The two had stopped seeing each other as often when Uryuu's dad had moved to a different part of town. What was once a daily occurrence quickly became a weekly occurrence, then a monthly occurrence until they finally stopped meeting. Their last meeting had been over six months ago.

So while Ichigo's experience was limited to his time with Uryuu, he was by no means completely innocent or naïve. If Starrk was planning on taking the kiss even further, he was going to be in for a surprise. Ichigo wouldn't be so laid back next time, passively leaning against whatever surface he was closest to.

This time, when Ichigo recalled the kiss, the warmth from earlier returned twofold to the point of distraction. He had cooled off some while changing, but it seemed as though the relief was only temporary. He liked to blame his body's reaction on his being a young adult. It's what his dad would say, that Ichigo was in his "mating season".

Ichigo debated his options for the night, deciding on whether he would try and deal with his body's current state or leave it alone. He could always try and sleep the feeling off, something he did often when at home. However, sleep was always hard to come when he was feeling like this, his body heated with desire. The thought of spending the entire night awake was definitely out. He was on a pirate ship, he was going to need as much rest as he could get in order to protect himself.

The thought of dealing with the problem himself left him as flustered as earlier. He may not be naïve when it came to physical desires and fulfilling them, but that didn't mean he wanted to put his body on exhibition for anyone passing by. It would be Ichigo's luck that someone walking by would hear him and decide to join in.

The only other option that Ichigo could think of was to find someone else willing to help him. That of course only really left him with one option, the source of the problem, Starrk himself. The solution should have been easy, what with the brown-haired man's obvious interest, but it wasn't. Ichigo might not deny himself the opportunity if Starrk pursued him, but he wasn't going to play the enamored maiden who was seduced and made the first move.

Perhaps what Ichigo needed was a bit of fresh air. He wouldn't venture too far out of his cabin, he reassured himself. Maybe he would only step out of the doorway for a moment then return to the safety of his chambers.

Confident that this was indeed what he needed, Ichigo tip-toed quietly to his doorway. Cracking the door open, Ichigo cautiously glanced around the hallway. No one was there, he was safe. Leaving his room, Ichigo shut the door behind him, careful not to make a sound. Once done, he leaned against the door and took a deep breath. If the excitement and terror didn't work on curing Ichigo of the desire, Ichigo wasn't sure that anything would.

Curling an arm defensively around his stomach, Ichigo placed his other hand back on the door knob. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths with debating whether or not he wanted to venture further out from his cabin. His thoughts didn't venture too far.

"I thought I told you to stay in your cabin."

Ichigo yelped, surprised at how close the unexpected voice was to himself. Standing next to him was Starrk, blue-gray eyes focused intently on his face. The brown-haired man was frowning, clearly unhappy about Ichigo's short field trip.

"Uh, I needed air," Ichigo blurted out. There was no way he was going to be upfront about the real reason he had left safety.

"Air?" a brown eyebrow lifted.

Ichigo didn't respond, instead defiantly starting back at the man as though he didn't have to justify his answer. The fact that both of his arms were now encircled around his waist probably didn't help, but Ichigo didn't care.

The other sighed, "Whatever."

Ichigo watched intently as one hand buried itself underneath brown hair before scratching at the scalp. Starrk stepped in front of Ichigo, making the red-head think that he was going to pass by without any more questions. That is, until Starrk darted closer and grabbed one of Ichigo's wrists to spin the boy around and press him face first into the wall. For the second time that day Ichigo was left slightly disoriented by the man's speed and force.

"You don't seem to understand the fact that you're on a pirate ship. My previous warnings may have left you thinking that they would only kill you, but you'd be wrong," the gravely voice next to Ichigo's ear had the hair on the back of his neck rising. "They'd use you like a toy; torture you."

Starrk's warning had Ichigo's stomach lurching uncomfortably, suddenly leaving him with the urge to get back into his room as soon as possible. His plan to do just that was abruptly thwarted when the hand holding his wrist against the wall quickly pulled him both closer to the body behind him and away from his door. He was dragged back to the other man's room at a dizzying pace that left Ichigo breathless from both want and hesitation.

The other man let out a heavy sigh as he closed the door to his cabin, "I suppose it's my duty to keep you out of trouble. Otherwise I'll be the one to discipline my crew later which is simply too much of a bother. I'll have to keep you occupied then, or too tired to leave your cabin."

Gray-blue eyes sparkled with amusement and more than a little desire as Starrk leaned forward to lick a purposeful line from Ichigo's shoulder to his jaw. Ichigo groaned at the contact, his worry leaving him in that small whoosh of breath, leaving him with only the desire for more. Perhaps his ending up on this ship wasn't all bad for Ichigo, especially if it meant ending his long months of being celibate.

Whatever the case, Ichigo was certain that he could get used to this unusual Captain's attention.

From his spot against the railing, Starrk watched Grimmjow and Nnoitra's rather violent sparring match on the main deck. Ichigo was next to him, also leaning on the railing as he avidly took in the swing of swords and fists. It was something that had always perplexed Starrk, that the two pirates enjoyed fights where they were constantly changing "weapons".

A quiet intake of breath had Starrk turning his head to Ichigo, causing him to catch the slight wince as the red-head shifted his position against the railing. The two hadn't talked yet since last night's incident after Starrk dragged the boy into his room. Perhaps he should ask how the other was doing.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," came the mumbled response.

Starrk raised an eyebrow. "You aren't in any pain?"

The boy's face turned red, an even brighter shade than his hair which Starrk hadn't thought possible. "I said I'm fine," Ichigo quickly spat out. Then his eyes unfocused in a way that made him look contemplative, but Starrk couldn't be sure.

"I. . . can I ask a question?"

"You can ask, but it doesn't mean I'm going to answer," Starrk replied.

"When Nelliel was taking me to the brig yesterday, before I was moved into the cabin, she mentioned how you keep the cabins around your room empty for people you want to keep a close eye on. Do you often put people in them?" Ichigo inquired.

Starrk shrugged, "Rarely. Even when they're being used, it's mostly for other pirates who we've captured on a raid."

"Why would you put pirates that you've captured in a cabin instead of the brig? They're practically receiving special treatment if you keep them in rooms."

"Some are kept in a cabin for separation purposes. We only have one brig after all, and putting them together might give them the idea that they can escape. Besides, the rooms are locked from the outside and anything in the rooms can easily be removed. It's not exactly paradise by the time they have occupants."

"Well, a locked wooden door doesn't exactly sound secure either," Ichigo shot back.

Grinning, Starrk turned so that his side was leaning on the railing causing him to face the red-head. "Oh, there are guards at the doors too. Two or three at a time depending on who's on guard duty. As you can see, people like Grimmjow and Nnoitra are more than capable of holding their own." The two refocused their attention on the sparring duo who had abandoned their swords and were now engaged in an all out fist fight.

The two lapsed back into silence as their attention was back on the two fighting on the main deck. The silence didn't last long, and was broken this time by Ichigo. "Why are they always fighting or looking for a fight? No on else on the ship seems to be as focused on it as they are."

"One learns early on that to survive on a pirate ship you have to know how to fight. The lesson is even more ingrained if your entire life has been spent on a pirate ship just as Grimmjow and Nnoitra were. Before they were a member of my crew, they followed under a pirate captain who was known to be violent. For those two, it doesn't help that we haven't been on a raid for a while. They're antsy and need a good outlet for their energy is all.

"Speaking of life on a pirate ship, I still need to decide what I'm going to do with you."

Ichigo's entire body stiffened, "As in whether or not you'll kill me?"

"I suppose; however, I can assure you that I'm not planning on killing you. I was thinking more along the lines of if I'll drop you off at the next port we dock at, or if I'll maroon you on an island, maybe I'll even keep you on board indefinitely. But, I'd thought that it might be best to keep you on board until we've returned to the dock that you found us at." Starrk had spent a long time awake the previous night thinking about what possible options he has for the boy.

Ichigo's head whipped around, staring at Starrk as though he didn't know if he should believe the other. Starrk could only imagine that the images of his family were probably passing through the boy's head. "You mean return me home?" It was barely a whisper.

Starrk felt his lips twitch, "Of course. Unless in the last day you've decided to become a pirate? We could always use another set of hands on board." The suggestion was given with the expectation that it would be denied. Starrk wasn't disappointed.

The red-head scowled. "No I don't want to be a pirate."

"I didn't think so. I just hope you realize that it might be a long time before you can leave. We might not reach the port near your home for another year or so. Do you think you can wait that long?" Starrk asked.

"It's not like I have a choice. I either wait or I don't get to see my family at all, which isn't an option. Besides, it's not like I'll be spending the time twiddling my thumbs," Ichigo muttered. Starrk chuckled as the boy's face grew bright red again.

"No, you'll be much too busy to be twiddling your thumbs. In fact, I've grown bored of watching Grimmjow and Nnoitra fight. Why don't we go below deck, I'm sure we can find something much more entertaining to do in either my cabin or yours." Starrk leaned closer to Ichigo, reaching out so that he could snag one of the boy's arms and pull him closer. His face broke out in a grin when the red-head started spluttering.

"You can't just grab me like that in the middle of the open!" Ichigo protested.

"Why not? I'm the captain of the ship, so if I want to grab you then why shouldn't I?"

"I-I don't know! Wont your crew look down on you or something for doing this?"

Starrk's grin widened, "What's the worst that can happen, mutiny? They could try, but they wouldn't be very successful. I have a way with keeping a tight hold on things I like, that includes my captaincy and you."

The End

Author's Note: Having finally reached the end of this story, I have to say that writing it truly gave me an insight on why I like this pairing. Writing them in character was really hard, which let me to discover that my main attraction to his pairing is that I think Starrk and Ichigo look good together aesthetically. Maybe that's just me though. :)

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review!