Initial notes:
This is yaoi.
The usual disclaimers apply.
Preference
"Let's go, Mokuba," Kaiba said, turning and striding off. Mokuba shrugged, casting back a look that said, Sorry guys! and then ran after his brother.
Yugi switched places at the prompting of his other self and motioned for the others to remain behind. Then he sprinted after Kaiba.
Catching up with him, the nameless one halted and said, as commandingly as he possibly could, "Just one minute, Kaiba, there's something we need to discuss."
Kaiba stopped in his tracks and simply stood there for a moment before slowly turning around and impaling "Yugi" with an expression of extreme impatience an annoyance. "Mokuba, go ahead without me. I'll be along directly," he said. As he watched Mokuba receding into the distance, he asked, "All right, Yugi, what is so important that it can't wait?"
"I've had just about enough of this," the spirit said.
"This? This what?"
"Your continual baiting of Jonouchi, that's what."
Kaiba looked at him from under lowered eyelids. "As I recall, he accosted me."
"So? As though he poses a problem."
"He's annoying … like a mosquito."
"Just what is your problem with Jonouchi, anyway?" demanded the spirit imperiously.
"I don't have time for his kind. He offers no challenge to me."
"He's improved considerably and you know it. Admit it."
"Very well, I admit it. But an improvement from abysmal to respectable is still no challenge to duelists of our caliber. Isn't that so, Yugi?"
Yugi couldn't deny it. There was no way Jonouchi could beat either one of them. Not yet, anyway.
Begrudgingly, he admitted, "That's so. But it's no reason to constantly call him names and treat him like garbage. I really don't get it. You don't treat other duelists like that, not even truly mediocre ones."
Kaiba simply glared at him.
"What?"
"Exactly."
"I don't understand."
All he got in return was a sharp exhale of breath. Then Kaiba began to turn, but the spirit shot out a hand to grab Kaiba by the arm to halt him.
"No, we're going to settle this. This isn't about me, it's about a good friend of mine."
"You and your friends," Kaiba growled.
"Yes, you should try it some time."
"And you should try—"
"What?"
"Nothing."
The spirit stood frowning for a moment, frustrated, trying to figure out what Kaiba had been about to say. He sighed. "You don't appreciate his courage."
"What?"
"He's got twice the guts of either one of us."
"I beg your pardon."
"When you have less chance of success, it takes a great deal more courage to try."
"So you're saying that there's something inherently wrong with possessing talent and skill?"
"Not at all. I'm just saying that because of our talent and skill, we don't require as much courage to throw ourselves into the fight."
"Bah. That sounds like a loser's argument to me. Just the sort of argument a mediocre duelist like Jonouchi would come up with."
"But you don't care about just any 'mediocre' duelist, it's Jonouchi that you pick on. Your issue is with him. If I didn't know better, I'd think—" his eyes widened. "I'd think you were infatuated."
Kaiba burst into a short peal of laughter. "Infatuated? With … That would be hilarious if it weren't so disgusting."
The spirit scowled. "If the issue isn't Jonouchi himself, then it's—"
"He's just an idiot, that's all. He annoys me." Kaiba shrugged.
No, that wasn't it. It was Jonouchi especially, and if it wasn't personal, then it was something connected with Jonouchi, and …
Oh, that's too obvious.
He stared at Kaiba.
"You're wasting your time," Kaiba said quietly.
"What?" Trying to figure out what's going on here?
"With him!" Kaiba spat out. "Isn't it obvious? Every moment he spends with you. You could be doing so much better. He's wasting your time!"
"He's my friend. Friendship isn't about status."
"Isn't it? Don't you want to spend your time with someone worthwhile?"
"Jonouchi is someone worthwhile."
Kaiba's eyes narrowed and his jaws clenched. "Worthwhile or not! You could be spending your time with someone so much better than him." He looked the spirit straight in the eye, accusingly, he thought, and said, "but you choose not to."
Then Kaiba spun on the ball of his foot and strode off.
The spirit stared after him. Why didn't he have a good comeback ready? He'd let Kaiba have the last word.
On the other hand, was that … was that even important?
You could be spending your time with someone so much better …
The man was already receding into the distance.
What was he was implying?
… Seto …
He wanted to follow, but …
He couldn't make his feet move.
Author's notes:
This is a bit that wouldn't fit into Pride, which I'm currently writing. It was on my mind, so I thought I'd get it out of there and turn it into a one-shot. I put it out quickly, so I hope it's not too rough.