"Why not me?"
The question startled Yuze, even though he'd been standing still watching Kai Low for several minutes by then. The Bandri warrior had followed him back to his rooms after Eirian had left to meet Chenzhou and Mingzhe.
He'd been oddly quiet after the run-in with Akari. After Eirian had finally stepped in and tried to extricate them all, and Yuze had snapped at Akari to leave when he'd refused to drop it, he'd fallen silent. It seemed unnatural after watching him scream at Akari.
And after every other experience Yuze had with him. If there was one thing Kai Low was not, it was quiet.
Yuze had been trying to think of a polite way to get him to leave when all he'd done was follow Yuze inside and stared at him in silence. He was the only person besides Yuze that had been in these rooms; he'd moved after Akari had left him, and Yuze wasn't sure how to feel Kai Low being here.
Or him asking such…terrifying questions. Strange questions. Was Kai Low truly so driven by ego?
That made Yuze angry. There were so many more important things that Kai Low's stupid ego and yet here they were.
"Why not me?" Kai Low asked again, sounding more like a hurt child than a full grown man.
Inexplicably, Yuze was enraged. "Because your asking right now! In the middle of all this madness! My friends are in danger and you're worried about getting your dick wet?"
Anger flared to life in Kai Low's eyes. "Am I not allowed to ask? You'll just come up with an excuse no matter when I do."
Yuze flushed with indignation. "I'm sorry I have responsibilities. I'm sorry I have people I care about who are in danger. I'm sorry you're a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because you can't have what you want."
"There will always be those things! You are making excuses."
"It must be nice to have so few responsibilities. Such a life of lesiure." Yuze mocked him, uncaring in his anger.
Kai Low snarled. "I have responsbilities! I wouldn't here if I didn't. You think you are the only one who cares about people? Who struggles with everything? Get off your high horse, spy. You're just like everyone else."
Yuze pulled at his hair in frustration. It was either that or he strangled Kai Low. "You think I don't know that? I'm not saying I'm special, I'm saying your selfish and immature!"
"Because I ask questions? Or because I asked a question you don't want to answer?" That was the annoying thing about Kai Low, even when he was acting like a petulant teenager, there was enough intelligence that he could still land a blow.
Yuze glared at him. "I don't have to answer anything. I don't have to tell you anything. I owe you nothing, Kai Low. Whatever this strange fascination you have with me it, it's not my concern or my problem. If you want to be successful as the Ambassador, you're going to have to learn to put it aside."
"I don't have to put anything aside." Kai Low snapped. "Excluding one does not guarantee the other. What kind of life is that? You make yourself miserable to carry out your duty? Who would do that? Everyone would just give up their responsibility."
"Not everyone." Yuze argued, although the majority probably would.
"Only you people think you must sacrifice everything for duty. Ignorant selfishness."
"How is it selfish to put your duty to others above all else?"
"You aren't doing it for them! You're doing it for yourself so you can avoid anything that you think will hurt you." Kai Low shook his head violently. "You think if you seperate yourself from life you can live it without ever being hurt but that is not how life works."
Stung, Yuze hissed. "You know what else doesn't work? Taking what you want without any regard for anything or anyone else. You don't get to demand answers just because you want them. No one owes you anything. I don't owe you anything!"
"That is a coward's defense." Kai Low stepped forward, index finger digging into Yuze's chest.
He slapped it away with more force than he probably needed, but he was too angry to control himself. "You're acting like a child."
"Coward." Kai Low repeated, face red with rage. "Why won't you just tell me? Are you that opposed to being honest? Do you think I will argue with you? I am not him! I don't talk down to you. I don't insult you."
Yuze sputtered. "You do nothing but insult us!"
"Not you, them!"
"We're the same!"
They're both screaming now, thank the rock the walls of the stone buildings Kai Low hates are so thick, otherwise the guards would have burst in by now.
Another, calmer day and Yuze would have worried about what that meant for assassination attempts, but he was too worked up right then.
Kai Low's face was twisted up, he just couldn't understand and Yuze was the same. They'd reached an impassed they both realized. They could continue screaming at each other, or they could make the responsible adult choice and do something more productive.
~ tbc