A blinding flash struck somewhere in the distance, followed by a gentle roll of thunder. Rain fell softly on the window, a slight pitter-patter sounding throughout the otherwise quiet bedroom. Within, two boys sat on a full-sized bed, playing a card game by candle light. With the recent blackout from the storm, they had been forced to abandon their usual electronic forms of entertainment. Ah, but card games were what they both liked the best anyway, right?

Haga adjusted his glasses and laid down a three, four, and five of the same suit next to several similar groupings of cards. He smirked and finished his turn by placing the last card in his hand next to the face-down deck.

"Rummy! I win again."

Ryuzaki wrinkled his nose. "I bet you cheated."

"Nuh-uh! Check my cards."

"Whatever." He stretched out and began gathering up the cards. "Crazy Eights?"

Then, a brisk knock sounded from his door, momentarily startling the two.

"Yeah?" Ryuzaki groaned as he righted at the cards in his deck.

A clack-creak later, preceded by the beam from her flashlight, Mrs. Kaseki shuffled in and tossed a stuffed brontosaurus to her son.

Her eyes gleaming with mirth, she chuckled, "Dino's eye surgery is a success."

Admiring the shiny new button on his green plushy, Ryuzaki gave her a childishly innocent thank you. Snickering lightly behind his hand, Haga couldn't help finding the mother-son exchange amusing.

Mrs. Kaseki smiled warmly. "Fairing well, boys?"

"Yeah, Mom," Ryuzaki grudgingly replied, and shot a brief glare at Haga.

"Sure you don't need a flashlight?"

"No, Mom."

"Have you done your homework yet?"

"No, Mom." He began reshuffling the deck.

"Well, get on it as soon this game's over."

"Okay, Mom."

"You're a big boy now, so I'm going to trust you to do it without me having to come back up here, all right?"

"Okay, Mom."

"I mean it." She put a hand on her hip and shook her finger at him. "I'd better not catch you bringing home another bad mark."

"Yes, I get it. Geeze."

His mother nodded, convinced, and headed for the door. As soon she was out of the room, Haga let out the laughter he'd been repressing.

"Mama's boy!"

His disgruntled friend blushed. "Lick my balls, asswipe," he retorted and chucked at pillow at Haga.

"Hold on, let me get my microscope," the blue-haired boy teased and flung his own at Ryuzaki.

For the next ten minutes or so, feathers, cards, and insults littered the air as the two waged a pillow fight of epic proportions. For them, if it wasn't a Duel Monsters match or some other game-related challenge, it was a battle of wits. Often one-sided, but a battle nonetheless.

Perhaps it should also be noted that the two shared what most would call a unique sort of bond. Acquaintances turned rivals turned cohorts turned friends, they eventually became inseparable. Drawn together by their love of dueling and eventual downfalls thereof, the duo complemented each other like an Apis ceranis and its honey. Or so Haga might have put it. Regardless of the analogy, Haga and Ryuzaki were quite the pair.

They just didn't know it yet.

--

Author's Notes: So far this drabble is just a premise. A plotline (and slash) will develop soon. Ryuzaki's and Haga's family names are not canon, so don't go shitting your pants over it.