Jounouchi gave a triumphant laugh, holding up the tournament trophy. "Yet again, Jounouchi Katsuya triumphs!" he boasted.

"Mou, Jounouchi!" Anzu sighed. "You got 2nd place!"

"To Yuugi," Jounouchi countered. "Yuugi's the only one I lose to. All others fall before the power of my desk!"

Bakura covered his laugh behind his hand.

"And Kaiba," Honda pointed out drily. "I'd like to see you make HIM 'fall to the power of your deck.'"

Jounouchi scowled. "Kaiba no yarou..." he snarled. "Everyone who's not a world champ falls before the power of my deck!" he corrected. "Even the American Champ fell!"

"Anzu beats you regularly," Honda pointed out, expression showing him to be still not impressed.

"Not anymore!" Jounouchi scowled. "She hasn't defeated me since before Duelist Kingdom."

"She hasn't played you since then," Honda said, smiling as he enjoyed himself.

"She knows she'd lose," Jounouchi countered, looking cocky again as Anzu gave a sigh.

"I think she's just afraid of facing your inflated head. It takes up most of the arena."

"Teme!" Jounouchi growled, getting in Honda's face.

"Demo," Yuugi interrupted. "Jounouchi-kun's become a really great duelist."

"Sou, sou!" Jounouchi preened.

"Better in his head than in practice. He wins because of pure dumb luck. Anyone can do that."

"Temee..." Jounouchi growled again, fists clenched. "Are you saying I'm not a good duelist?!"

"I just think that you think you're better than you are."

"Oh yeah?!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "I don't see you winning any trophies!"

Anzu gave a sigh. "Mataku..."

"I have other things to do with my time," Honda said casually, hands in his pockets.

"Heh," Jounouchi smirked. "You don't play because you're just a beginner," he countered. "You couldn't win a battle to save your life!"

"I could beat you," Honda shot back.

"I'd like to see you try," Jounouchi smirked. "And I'll even give you a week to get ready for your defeat!"

Honda smiled. "You'll eat your words."

Jounouchi crossed his arms, looking cocky. "You'll be the one doing that."


Bakura smiled over at his friend as the pair walked to his apartment. "Honda-kun, do you really think you can beat Jounouchi-kun?"

"With some practice. We've talked about beating Jounouchi before, so I just have to go over the main techniques a few times. You'll use your mostly-Jounouchi's deck against me, right?"

"Un!" Bakura smiled. "I can help you build the prefect deck for breaking Jounouchi-kun's luck too, if you'd like!" he beamed.

"No. I want to beat him using mine," Honda said firmly.

"Eh?" Bakura blinked. "Demo..."

"I know it's not that good," Honda acknowledged, "But if you build me a deck then it'll more be you beating him than me."

"Un..." Bakura admitted. "Demo..." he thought a moment. "You can go through my collection and strengthen your deck," he suggested. "That way, it'll still be your deck, but strong enough to beat Jounouchi-kun's gambling. I even have a few cards that can ruin luck throws!" he smiled.

Honda smiled and touched Bakura's cheek gently. "What would I do without you?"

Bakura smiled softly, leaning into the touch. "Probably lose to Jounouchi-kun," he smiled impishly.

Honda laughed. "I'd know better than to challenge him if I hadn't had some practice with you."

"I can't wait to see you win," Bakura smiled happily as they reached the apartment building. "It might help Jounouchi-kun to think about other things besides Duel Monsters."

"I hope so."

A short while later the pair was in Bakura's apartment. "I keep my extra cards in here," he called, entering the game room and heading for the chest that held most of his games. "And if there's any cards you think you need that I don't have, I can ask Yuugi-kun if his shop has one," he smiled, opening a drawer that was almost overflowing with cards.

Honda laughed. "There are cards you don't have in there?"

"Un," Bakura smiled, looking slightly self conscious. "I just have a lot because I would always buy the packs looking for specific cards." He smiled, pulling out a cloth wrapped deck.

"I'm sure your deck is one of the best out there," Honda said with a smile. "I just don't know why you never duel, considering how good you are."

The boy looked down at his deck, eyes clouded a moment. "It's the same reason I don't play Monster World anymore," he said softly. "Things always seem to happen when I do..."

Honda hugged him. "Not anymore. You've been dueling and playing with me."

Bakura gave a soft smile, melting against the taller boy. "True..." he said softly. "So maybe it would be safe....?" he asked, looking at his deck again. "I'd love to show it off, but I always get afraid something will happen."

"If you want to duel we'll all be with you so that nothing will happen."

Bakura shook his head slightly. "Just you," he said softly.

"You don't want Yuugi and the others to see you duel?"

The pale haired boy hesitated a moment, then nodded.

"Why not?" Honda asked softly.

Bakura was quiet for a while. "I guess I'm just afraid of what might happen, or what they might think..."

"They'll think that you're better than all of them and that I'm one lucky guy," Honda said with a smile, kissing Bakura gently.

Bakura smiled. "I'm not better then all of them," he corrected softly. "Yuugi-kun always beats me in practice duels and he's the only one I've ever really played."

"I'm still one lucky guy," Honda said, giving the other boy another kiss.

"I'm far luckier," Bakura countered, kissing back.

Honda scoffed. "Who's prettier here? Who's more talented here? Who does Bastet love more?"

Bakura gave a small laugh. "Mou, Honda-kun!" he smiled. "You're better at much more things then I am and are utterly amazing. I can't compare to you at all!"

Honda laughed in turn. "I think we should stop this argument 'cause neither of us can win it." He leaned down, resting his forehead against Bakura's. "I still think I'm luckier."

"Uun," Bakura shook his head slightly. "I am by far," he corrected softly.

"I think we can practice later. There are a few things I'd like to do with you before then," Honda said, taking Bakura's hand and leading him to the bedroom.

"Mou, Honda-kun," Bakura near laughed. "If you had your way we'd do nothing else but, hmmm?" he teased.

"Sounds good to me," Honda said with a wistful sigh.

"Mou, Hiro-hentai," Bakura teased.

Honda laughed. "Hiro-hentai?"

Bakura blushed slightly. "If you can call me Ryou-neko, I can call you Hiro-hentai," he defended.

"Then I'd better live up to my name," Honda murmured, nuzzling against Bakura's neck.

"Mm..." Bakura smiled. "You always do..."

"And you know you love it."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't invite you over," the pale haired boy teased.

"So let's give you something to love," Honda murmured, pulling the boy into his arms.



Jounouchi stared in shock as his life points vanished. "How...?!"

Honda smirked. "Want some ketchup with your words, Jounouchi?"

The blond looked at his friend. "Teme... How did you do that?!" he demanded.

"I played better than you did, apparently."

"Temeee..." Jounouchi growled. "Who gave you that deck?!"

"It's my deck, Jounouchi. And it takes more than cards to make a duelist, or you would have beaten Otogi."

The blond scowled, turning and near stalking away from the dueling table to sulk.

"Honda-kun, omedetou!" Bakura smiled happily.

Honda grinned. "I'm not taking on anyone else, but that was fun."

The pale haired boy looked over at where Yuugi was trying to console Jounouchi and gave a small smile. "I don't think Jounouchi-kun's taking it very well."

Honda looked at the pair and sighed, then walked over. "Jounouchi! Good job. There were a few times I was afraid you'd actually planned for once and I was going to lose."

Jounouchi barely looked up. "Teme..." he near mumbled. "You and your stupid antigambling cards..." he sulked.

"Demo, he showed you that you need to rely more on your deck and less on your luck, Jounouchi-kun," Yuugi pointed out.

"Un, un," Honda agreed with a nod. "If I can do that to you, think what would happen to you if Ryuuzaki decided to play with some of these cards. None of them are rare."

Jounouchi gave a sigh.

"C'mon, Jounouchi-kun, we can go improve your deck!" Yuugi said brightly. "You can learn from this and become stronger."

"Even second place winners have to improve," Honda said with a grin.

Jounouchi muttered something under his breath, then rose to his feet. "To the card shop then, I guess," he sighed.

Bakura gave a small smile as Jounouchi and Yuugi left. "He'll recover," he smiled.

"He always does," Honda returned with a fond smile. "Remember how he was whenever Anzu beat him?"

"I'm surprised he has hair left," Bakura smiled.

"It grows back."

"Just like his ego."

"What ego?" Honda asked, only half in fun. "But yeah. He'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

"And probably want a rematch to prove he's better again," Bakura smiled. "Maybe I can get Yuugi-kun to tell me what his new card are..." he mused.

Honda laughed. "If he can get through without relying on luck I'll be happy to lose to him. I don't want to be a duelist anyway."

"You're much better at pool," Bakura agreed happily.

"Yeah. Let's go play pool, Bakura! I need something that's a physical challenge after all that standing around looking pretty!"

The pale haired boy gave a laugh. "Honda-kun no baka," he chided with a smile. "Only if I get to beat you at Magical Drop after."

"I suppose I can let you do that," Honda teased.

Bakura smiled happily.