Tea's strength had buckled under Yami's vanishing weight before; it is very likely that it would happen again.
"That medicine must have knocked him out cold," Tea thought as she easily manipulated his slim body across the table. She had already removed his shirt and jacket and was just about to wrap a deep gash in his right forearm when she noticed an even deeper wound on the side of his torso.
"Damn," she thought as she narrowed her eyes, "each injury leads to a bigger one."
Tea was confident that she wouldn't freak out again. She wiped her eyes as she recalled the earlier events of that day. It wasn't long ago that Yami was shock and was bleeding badly while Yugi was on the floor, suffering from his less dire wounds. It was at that time, when Yugi, Yami, and Joey might have needed her most, that Tea had completely freaked out.
"I completely lost it," Tea scowled at herself. "I froze up. If it weren't for Yugi and Joey, Yami might have died."
She closed her eyes tightly as she applied pressure to Yami's side. He didn't even wince in pain. He was completely gone.
Even now she was struggling to stay strong. But it was considerably easier than before. Yami was stable and asleep. Meanwhile, Yugi and Joey were still out and about looking for supplies. The day had gotten much cooler, so Tea wasn't very worried about them. They had already returned with a bucket of water but still no food.
"I hope they find something...anything," Tea thought.
Tea slipped a hand under the pharaoh's torso and began to wrap the bare skin of his side. Yami's body was almost always completely covered, except for the occasional sleeveless shirt. Yugi was normally the one to do the dressing. But now Yami laid bear from the waist up. Tea couldn't help but notice his tan skin and toned extremities. She couldn't do anything but blush with embarrassment. There couldn't have been a more inappropriate time for Tea to be doing this but "I mean, how many times does a girl get to examine the body of her biggest crush without him even knowing it!" she thought. His eyes were gently closed, as if he were happily sleeping. It was obvious that Tea was smitten with him. The way she felt for Yami she had never felt for another guy. But she could never tell if he felt the same way for her. I mean, she turns bright red whenever he's around. And then there was that time before duelist kingdom when Yami saved her. "Actually," she thought, "he saved me a bunch of times, but he's never ever taken it any farther than that." But now wasn't the time for Tea to be fawning over Yami. Yami was by no means allowing Tea to see him this way because he loved her, or because he trusted her. Yami had no choice in the matter and was completely powerless to stop anyone who decided to manipulate him. But still, Tea imagined that somehow Yami trusted her...cared for her.
She couldn't help but think that she had never seen him this way, lying limp on his back. Yami was very defensive, always standing with his arms crossed. Tea had an ounce of hope that she could be the woman to bring it out of him.
"Maybe he's shy," Tea thought.
Yami coughed.
Tea had finished wrapping the deep wound in his side and moved closer to the pharaoh's head. He moaned in his deep voice and slowly put together the blurred image above him.
"You must be waking up," Tea said as she gently touched his hair.
Yami growled in a deep stupor and slowly moved his head.
"Where..."
"Yami, don't speak, please..." Tea pleaded.
But before Tea could finish her request, Yami bolted upright.
"Aibou!?"
Tea grabbed onto his shoulders. He was in no condition to panic. "Yami must have been having a bad dream about Yugi," Tea thought. She applied pressure to his body and slowly pushed him down.
"Yugi's fine, he's out trying to find food for us with Joey."
Yami placed a hand on Tea's wrist and guided her had to his knee. She didn't understand what was happening, but Yami's touch had her blushing all over. And she was touching his knee.
"Please, don't try to push me down, Tea. I...need to sit up. I need to heal quickly." Yami has slowly positioned himself onto the edge of the table. He clutched his head in pain. His blonde bangs covered his eyes. Tea clutched the spot on her arm Yami grabbed onto and felt herself loosing her balance.
"Why does my entire body ache?" he spoke slowly.
"Yami, you've been through a lot recently. I don't know what happened, but one minute we were all sleeping in the woods and the next....you and Yugi were badly hurt. This is the closest shelter we could find and..."
"It's okay Tea, I understand, thank you. Did you do this?" he asked as he looked down at the wraps covering most of his upper body.
"Yeah," Tea smiled. She reached for a blanket and threw it over his body.
"Thank you, Tea."
Yami retreated into his own thoughts. "As usual." Tea thought. Just when I think he's about to get some sort of reaction from him, it's over. She sighed heavily and decided to give the pharaoh some space.
"This is not the time for this!" Tea said to herself. "Yami was practically on the verge of death and I'm selfishly thinking about myself." Tea rested on the wall opposite Yami.
"I wonder what he would do if I just told him how I felt?" she thought.
Yami couldn't think of anything except his Aibou. He was glad that Tea had moved away. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Honestly he wanted to go search for Yugi, but every small attempt to move resulted in more pain. He was certain he couldn't stand. Yami had no idea what had happened back in that cave. All he remembers is the figure in the dark, wearing the image of his beloved dark mage. He sat on the edge of the table covering his body with a blanket, thinking of his dear Aibou when he heard Tea say something.
"Hmm?" Yami whispered.
Tea was slowly walking back toward the Pharaoh, still clutching the spot on her wrist where his fingers once lay.
"Is something wrong, Tea," Yami asked as he raised his head revealing his deep purple eyes.
"I want to tell you something," Tea spoke as she crept ever closer. "I want to know something about you."
Yami chuckled. "God, it's good to see him smile," Tea thought. It happened so little.
"I barely know anything about my own past Tea, besides the fact that I was once a pharaoh. You were with me at the museum, so what I know, you know."
Tea was staring at him.
"But I'm curious, what is it you care to know?" he slowly added.
Tea's strength was waning. She couldn't figure out what she had chosen this time to figure out if Yami cared for her. Maybe it was because he was weak, and she didn't fear an outrageous objection. Maybe it was because they were alone. Perhaps it was because Tea witnessed his remarkable body and she wanted it all for herself. Whatever reason, Tea was acting very strangely and found herself creeping ever closer to Yami.
Yami kept an eye on the girl. "She's acting peculiarly," he thought. But still, he kept an eye on her. If anything happened to her, his aibou would never forgive him. He wrapped himself in the blanked Tea had provided and slipped further into his own mind. In times like these Yami could always retreat into his soul room. But there was no such retreat for him now. He was alone.
"I want to know how you feel about me," Tea blushed. "I mean...if you think I'm...a good friend?"
"That wasn't what I meant to say!" Tea scowled at herself.
"What is the purpose of this question," Yami thought. Yami figured that she was under much stress and was just looking for relief. So he answered with a grin.
"I would never let any harm come to you, Tea. You are my friend. Even with all my wounds here, I would protect you. I care deeply for you."
Tea thought Yami was giving her the same old lines...until that last sentence. "I care deeply for you," Tea repeated in her head. She imagined him saying that to her in ancient Egypt. She imagined him strong and healthy again, standing in his palace with her by his side. A feeling resonated within Tea. "Maybe I am the woman to bring it out of him," she smiled.
Yami told Tea this time and time before. In fact, this wasn't the first time Tea asked him that. After Battle City, she did it whenever the two happened to be in the same room alone. Yami noticed how she blushed, how she stuttered. And time after time, deep inside him, he hoped that his gut feeling was false. But there was no faking it. The way Tea looked at him, how she touched him and spoke to him said it all. But Yami knew from the beginning how his aibou felt about her. And Yami himself had never fallen in love with a woman. Even in his past in ancient Egypt, Yami was beckoned by his father and close friends to enjoy the women of his time, but Yami had no deep interests in seducing them. Even though it was in his power. Yami didn't feel that his purpose lie in having as many sons as possible, but in giving his life for Egypt. And that's just what he did. Yami's present purpose now, was to protect Yugi. And to protect Yugi, he would have to tell Tea the truth.
"You care deeply for me?" Tea asked.
"Yes. We all do, Tea," Yami responded as he clutched his side.
"I want to know what you think," Tea said.
Yami was beginning to feel sick.
"I'm going to lay down for a while, Tea. We can finish this when I wake, is that okay?"
Yami collaped onto the hard table. Tea ran by his side and tucked the blanked around him.
"Sure," she thought.
"I sure hope my aibou is here by then," Yami said as he closed his eyes.
Nice going, Tea. Man, I know this chaper is long over due. I apologize. I owe you all, and next week you shall have your cups overflowing with juicy chapters.