A man can't be too careful in the choice of his enemies. ~ Oscar Wilde


"No. I don't think it matters, at least, not in the long run," he says the words sincerely but cautiously. He is being careful. Maybe for fear or loyalty (but there is always the question of which side he is playing for and the answers to that only lead to more reasons for being careful, so maybe that question too does not matter in the long run...) or maybe even because that is his way.

He has always been careful. He has to be. He, this ordinary high school student, this little boy, is dangerous.

(So dangerous.)

His - (he wants to say friend and he is sure the boy across from him would have no objections to this but perhaps he just answered his own question. This boy throws around the word freely, so it has become meaningless.) - classmate knows this too. Maybe not consciously, but his classmate does know that he is dangerous. And that's why he curls back a bit once the words he had spoken set in.

"You really mean that, Bakura-kun?"

"Yes," he says, but now is not sure.

"How?" his classmates stares, wide eyed, naive, innocent. He assumes his eyes once looked like that too.

"It's simple, really," he lies, "There is good in everyone. Everyone deserves a second chance. Even him."

Him. His other. His darkness, his yami. Maybe he believes what he just said, maybe he doesn't. It really didn't matter in the long run. After all, for better or for worse, they are each one half of the same whole.

(He has taught himself to accept this by now, just so he could stop lying to himself.)

They compliment each other, in an odd way. His other sees in the broad scheme of things, while he can only see pieces. He sees them perfectly, each detail of each piece. He knows how they fit and what purpose they serve (host or friend) but he can never see the completed product. His other can though, his other swears he will see his plans come to fruition, and plots and plots moving each piece but not knowing each piece.

Together, (he is sorry to know this, because his classmate is so kind and he regrets that they are now enemies, but he and his other are one.)

Together, they could solve the puzzle.

"Wouldn't you agree, Yuugi-kun?"


A/N So I was feeling really angsty (mostly because of how sucky last chapter of Fireproof was) and I whipped this up. Hope you all enjoy it! Review!