Battle Plan
"Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change." Jesse Louis Jackson
Chapter 14: Aback
"Hey Yami, maybe you made me sick."
"What?"
Yami thinks that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever said.
"Yugi, why would you say that?"
I smile and put my hands underneath the pillow my head is sunken into. "Maybe you secretly don't want to go and look for your destiny. Maybe you'd rather stay here with me." I sit up and add, "For now, anyway. Am I right?"
I've got him now. How can he deny what I've just said without seriously hurting my feelings? I know he really wants to look for his destiny, but at the same time he doesn't want to leave me. I'm his best friend, and his link to the living world. How's he going to refuse to confirm what I just said?
"...I didn't make you sick," he says sulkily. "But I would rather stay with you, Yugi, believe me." He tries to give me an imploring look, with large, violet eyes aimed at me.
I lean back against my pillow, grinning. "I know. After all, you have to see Tea, don't you?"
Yami blinks. He doesn't hesitate before saying, "Tea's not as important as being your friend."
I blink. "What?" I say, deadpan. My chest physically hurts, as if I've just been poked hard enough to leave a bruise.
"My relationship with Tea isn't as important as my friendship with you." He said it again. The sentence makes my ears ring a bit.
I laugh nervously. "Well of course not! If we were fighting you wouldn't be able to take over me, so you have to maintain--"
"No, I meant--Yugi, what are you thinking? We couldn't fight. You're my best friend. Tea's a good friend, but you're my soul partner."
I stare at my knees. So I'm more important than Tea? Why does that seem so messed up to me? I guess it could be taken as normal... My head hurts. It's because I'm sick. That must be it.
"Tea's your girlfriend. She should be more important," I say bitterly. Yami seems tacken aback.