"Let's bet for a rim job," Bakura said nonchalantly.

Marik looked nonplussed.

"Bet for a what?" he asked slowly. "A rim-"

"Job. Exactly," Bakura continued. "I wanted to try out something different, and I thought this would be a good way of raising the stakes."

Marik's expression didn't change. "I don't even know what that is."

It was Bakura's turn to look nonplussed. He looked across the table at Marik, trying to decide if he was joking or not. This would be kind of hard to explain if he really had no clue what it was.

"It's where you-" Bakura started, and then paused to choose his words carefully. "Well, okay. It's kind of like a blow job."

"Yeah, I got that from the name," Marik interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Except," Bakura continued, "instead of sucking someone's cock, you suck their, uh...you know, their-"

Bakura gestured at his lower back, but Marik just raised an eyebrow.

"Their what? Their pelvic bone?"

"Their asshole!" Bakura snapped, looking a little flustered, before he composed himself and continued, "Anyway. And it's not sucking exactly, but I hope you can imagine the details yourself without me spelling everything out. So, do you want the new bet, or not?"

Marik took a moment to think about this.

A rim job. Putting his mouth right up to someone's asshole and...he supposed it involved licking, or even putting his tongue into it; as he imagined doing those sorts of things to Bakura, he felt a shiver run down his back. Well, it wasn't like it was guaranteed that he would be the one to do it to Bakura. He had a great shot at winning the duel. The idea itself was definitely strange, and he would have never come up with such a thing himself, but- it wasn't bad. Like Bakura said, it was just another thing they could try out. And it did sound...interesting, for lack of a better word.

"Alright," Marik said, glancing down at his cards again. "Let's bet on it, then."

This duel took a lot longer than usual. They each started with 8,000 life points, naturally, but while one or the other destroyed a monster, or delivered a string of clever strategies, neither seemed to get the upper hand. It droned on, the momentum swinging back and forth between them for almost two hours before they were finally neck and neck, at nearly 1,000 life points each. Marik was almost ready to throw his cards on the table and quit just so they could finally end the game, but he finally found an opening.

"Michizure," Marik said, flipping up his trap card. "Since you destroyed my Spirit of Flames, I get to destroy your 7-Colored Fish."

Bakura threw his card into the Graveyard and sulked at his empty side of the field. Marik still had a monster on his side, and it didn't help that Bakura only had one spell card left and no monsters in his hand.

"Your turn," Marik said, smiling.

Bakura drew a card, quickly scanned its contents, and turned to Marik with a self-satisfied look on his face.

"What?" Marik said, folding his arms. "You've been giving me that look for two hours now, and just because you drew one good card, it doesn't mean you'll win."

"No, I think this time it does," Bakura said, his smile widening as he placed Legendary Fiend on the field.

Marik looked mildly impressed before he scoffed. "Just because it gains 700 attack points every standby phase, it still doesn't change the fact that it only has 1,500 attack points now. And my monster is a lot stronger than that. You're going to lose that card next turn."

"Not if I do this."

Bakura flipped up the spell card Swords of Revealing Light, which would prevent Marik from attacking for three whole turns, enough time for Bakura's Legendary Fiend to power up to an huge attack point level.

Marik eyed the card sourly. If he didn't do anything within three turns, even his Summoned Skull would be nothing compared to Bakura's monster, and he would lose the duel.

"Go on, then," Bakura prodded. "Your turn."

The next three turns were unbearable for Marik. Each time he drew a new card, it didn't help him in the least. All he could do was throw new monsters onto the field, but they were too weak to do anything for him. When the Swords of Revealing Light disappeared, Bakura's Legendary Fiend was at 3,600 attack points, and Marik's Summoned Skull was still only at 2,500.

"I'm going to attack you for 1,100 life points," Bakura said slowly, watching the resigned look on Marik's face.

"Are you doing anything about it?"

"No," Marik said, throwing the rest of his cards on the table as he stood up. "Congratulations. You win the game."

Bakura watched him carefully, trying to decide how to best bring up their bet, when suddenly, Marik heaved a deep breath and pursed his lips, trying to look a little happier.

"At least the duel is finally over. That took a lot longer than usual."

"Maybe you are getting better, then, and not just getting lucky all the time," Bakura ventured, deciding to be a little nice since Marik had lost.

"Of course I am," Marik said offhandedly, but his mind was elsewhere.

The moment he'd lost, his thoughts had immediately jumped back to the bet. He wasn't so much dreading it this time as he was unsure. Now that the deal was set in stone and he would be the one giving the rim job, he had to wonder how he'd do it; how exactly it was going to work. He imagined pressing his face down there, parting his lips, and reaching out with his tongue, but the idea was so vivid that he flushed and turned away from Bakura.

"You should probably, um...take a shower beforehand."

Bakura looked startled that Marik had even mentioned that, before he laughed and said, "Well, of course."

Twenty minutes later, Bakura was naked on all fours on Marik's bed. His hair hung in his eyes, still damp from his shower. Marik knelt behind him on the bed, his hands on Bakura's hips.

Bakura looked back at Marik. "Well?"

"Let me take a minute to work myself up to it," Marik said. "It's a little weird." He laughed nervously.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Alright," he said, turning back around.

Soon, Bakura felt Marik's hands spreading him open. A moment later, he felt something soft and wet briefly touch his opening as Marik licked him experimentally. He gasped at the sensation. Encouraged, Marik licked once more, long and slow. Bakura shuddered as the feeling went straight to his cock.

"More," he demanded.

Marik laughed again, still nervous, but now he could see the effect that this was having on Bakura, and he gladly obeyed Bakura's command.

Bakura felt Marik's tongue again, and this time it swirled in a circular motion over the exquisitely sensitive skin. Bakura moaned, dropping his head.

"Yes, like that...don't stop..."

This time, Marik didn't stop. He knew he must be doing something right, because he could feel Bakura's body quivering against his palms. After a while, he decided to try something new, to see what other reactions he could get from Bakura. So he changed the motion of his tongue, flicking and poking at Bakura's hole.

Bakura pulled away slightly, as if he couldn't quite stand it, and then he shoved his hips backward, into Marik's face, seemingly trying to get more sensation.

Marik let that go on for a while, with Bakura retreating and then pushing back against him. Then Marik changed the motion of his tongue again, going back to circling, listening to Bakura's breathless pants as Bakura thrust his hips towards him.

Marik continued, with Bakura thrusting insistently towards him. Eventually, Bakura couldn't take it any longer, apparently needing something more.

"Touch me," Bakura finally gasped.

And then Marik realized that this was what he had wanted. From the start, he'd wanted to dominate Bakura, to make Bakura totally surrender to him. At first, he'd thought he could break Bakura through pain, but that was wrong.

Pain would never break Bakura. But pleasure? The last time he'd fucked Bakura, he'd gotten the idea that maybe he could break him that way. And if he could break him through giving him pleasure...if he could make Bakura need him enough...that would actually be far more satisfying for Marik...and it would be far more humiliating for Bakura. And that was exactly what Marik wanted.

And so, Marik drew away and said teasingly, "Oh, you want to come?"

"Yes," Bakura said with no pretense, not even seeming to think about his answer.

This only encouraged Marik, and he smiled evilly.

"Oh, but there's no touching when it's not part of the bet, remember?" Marik said snidely, referencing the aftermath of the last time he'd fucked Bakura. "The bet wasn't for a hand job, just a rim job."

Bakura groaned in frustration. Marik definitely took notice. He leaned down and gave Bakura one more sensuous lick, causing Bakura to suck in breath.

"If you really want me to do more than I owe," said Marik, "you'll have to give me something in return."

"What?" asked Bakura, seeming barely able to speak.

And Marik definitely wanted to take full advantage of the situation.

"Let me fuck you," Marik said, "and then I'll give you a hand job and make you come."

"Yes, yes, alright," Bakura said, his answer immediate and possibly too enthusiastic.

Marik noticed it. "Well, you're eager. You sound like you really want it."

And Marik thought that it was true. Bakura did want it- he'd wanted it the last time Marik had fucked him, and he wanted it even more now, after what Marik had been doing to him. And now he just had to make him admit it, to make the humiliation complete.

"You liked it last time I fucked you, didn't you?" asked Marik.

"N-no..."

"Oh," Marik said casually. "Well, I wouldn't want to do something you don't like."

So Marik dipped his head and went back to licking Bakura, giving Bakura's body a jolt.

Marik's tongue circled and flicked and poked at Bakura's opening, and soon enough, Bakura was panting and quivering again. Marik brought his head up.

"Do you have anything to say?"

But Bakura resisted, and shook his head jerkily.

"Okay," Marik shrugged, dipping his head again.

Marik's tongue touched him again, and Bakura knew he couldn't hold out much longer. The circling and flicking of Marik's tongue on the sensitive skin of his entrance was driving him crazy, and more than anything, it made him want something inside...he needed to be filled.

"Alright, alright, I liked it!" Bakura finally yelled, entirely against his will, his cheeks burning as he spoke, but unable to help the exclamation.

Marik gave him one more long, slow lick before sitting up again.

"Good," Marik said, smiling his cat-like smile. But he wasn't done yet. He wouldn't be done until he'd made Bakura completely debase himself. "Now ask me for what you want. Ask nicely."

"Oh, you little fucking brat, I'll-"

But Bakura's words were cut off when he felt Marik's tongue fluttering around his opening again. Marik hadn't expected this to be easy, but he didn't mind. He would go on for as long as it took. Marik continued licking until Bakura's body was shaking uncontrollably.

It went on and on, and eventually, Bakura couldn't take it anymore; he was dangerously close to losing control. He badly wanted to be fucked, and to come. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. He was utterly out of his mind, and he could no longer even think about what he was saying, or the consequences.

"Fuck me, please," Bakura said mindlessly, breathless. "I need you inside me."

"Of course," Marik sighed, and as he sat up and coated himself with the lube, he was satisfied with Bakura's request even more than he'd thought he would be, every nerve in his body telling him that he needed to be inside his best friend.

Marik slipped in slowly, and it took all he had to restrain himself and make himself move gradually.

Then he reached around and grasped Bakura's cock, and began stroking.

"You're- you're not- going to make me come when you're inside me, are you?" Bakura said, some part of him still rebelling against the idea of coming when Marik was inside. "You- you said after-"

"Don't worry," Marik said, almost breathless himself now. "I've just started, so I don't intend to make you come yet."

But Bakura was already on the edge. "Then- then stop touching-"

And then Marik's hand was gone.

Marik continued thrusting into him, and it was so good to be completely enveloped by Bakura like that. And then, even through his ecstasy, he remembered something, and he changed the angle of his thrusts a little, trying to hit that spot that he'd touched with his fingers before.

He tried a few experimental thrusts, and at first there was nothing, but then he heard Bakura gasp, and knew he'd gotten it right.

He continued like that for a while, hitting the spot every single time, listening to the needy sounds Bakura was making, and then his hand was back, stroking Bakura.

"Marik- I'm- I'm going to-"

"Not yet," whispered Marik, taking his hand away.

But he continued with the angle of his thrusts, making Bakura draw in his breath sharply and involuntarily move his hips to meet him.

After enough time had passed, he grasped Bakura's erection again, stroking, and then, when Bakura was about to explode, he removed his hand, delaying his orgasm, but never stopping the motion of his hips as he pounded into Bakura.

And then he did it again, and again, taking Bakura right to the brink over and over, but never quite sending him over the edge.

Bakura quivered helplessly with pleasure and need, left hovering on the brink. Then Marik struck that spot inside of him again, his finger brushing over the tip of Bakura's cock at the same time, and Bakura was more desperate than he'd ever been in all his existence; he needed to come even if Marik was inside- especially if Marik was inside- and-

"Please," Bakura finally cried. "Please let me finish."

Marik wasn't quite ready to finish himself yet, but that didn't matter.

"Alright," Marik said quietly. "Come for me."

And then Marik's hand was back just where Bakura wanted it and his world exploded.

The pleasure coursed through Bakura's body, overwhelming him, drowning him, and Marik continued thrusting and stroking until Bakura was completely spent. Then he pulled out, letting Bakura collapse onto his stomach, his post-orgasmically weak body trembling against the bed.

Marik laid down on top of Bakura, his own erection pressing into Bakura's backside.

Marik's mouth was beside Bakura's ear. "Do- do you mind if I finish up?"

"Don't mind," said Bakura dreamily.

So Marik slid back into Bakura, and he thrust into Bakura's completely relaxed body until he came himself with a soft cry.

Then he pulled out again and rolled off of Bakura, laying down next to him.

Marik looked at Bakura's face. Bakura was smiling- maybe not at him, but smiling just the same- with half-lidded eyes. Marik had never imagined that Bakura could ever look so peaceful and content.

And something about that look made him want to- but no, he couldn't. Kissing Bakura would be utterly crazy, and it would make him lose every bit of power he'd gotten from this encounter.

But the urge was overwhelming, and he felt himself leaning in anyway. At the last moment, he diverted himself, and his lips instead met Bakura's shoulder.

Marik pulled back, afraid of what Bakura would do in reaction to that small show of affection. But Bakura's eyes only slipped closed.

Bakura was clearly exhausted. And Marik didn't have the heart to kick him out of bed and back to his place on the couch.

Feeling strange about what he'd just done, Marik rolled over, so that he was facing away from Bakura, and scooted all the way to the very edge of the bed, putting as much distance between himself and Bakura as possible. Eventually, he fell asleep.

When Marik woke up the next morning, Bakura wasn't there, and this didn't surprise him at all. He didn't figure they'd be talking about the previous night any time soon. He shuffled around the apartment for the rest of the day, occupying himself with various things.

And then, that night, Bakura came home with another token. He dropped it on the coffee table in the living room where Marik was watching TV, and plopped down on the couch beside him. Marik's eyes widened as he picked up the token and delicately turned it over in his hands. As always, the turquoise color gleamed back at him.

"Thanks," he said, turning to look over at Bakura.

Bakura just nodded his head, unbuttoning his coat. The nights had gotten cooler, and he still had some color in his cheeks from the cold breeze. As he dropped the coat on the armrest, he noticed Marik staring at him.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Marik blinked, as if he'd just realized that he'd been staring.

"Nothing," he said immediately, turning away. And then he hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to start.

"I've lived with you long enough now to know you have something on your mind," Bakura said, rolling his eyes. "Spit it out, already."

Marik didn't look reproached. Instead, he glanced back at Bakura and held his gaze. Somewhere far away, the TV was blaring at them, but suddenly Bakura had no interest in it.

"I just wanted to say thanks," he said again.

"You said that already," Bakura replied, and if Marik didn't look so serious, he would've sounded snarkier than he did.

Marik looked down at the token again. "Thanks for helping me out, I mean. There's no way I could've stolen these on my own."

"Well, it's part of our deal, right?"

"Yeah," Marik replied, admiring the reflection of the TV screen on the token. "But I feel like you would've helped me out anyway, even if we didn't make the deal."

"Of course I wouldn't have," Bakura scoffed. "Nothing would be in it for me."

"Well, you've done it before."

"When?" Bakura asked skeptically.

"During the Battle City tournament. When you dueled my dark side," Marik said, turning the little token in his hand again, running his fingers over the smooth surface. "You didn't have to duel for me, but you did anyway."

Bakura stayed silent, remembering the breath of Ra on his face and the way Marik's spirit had burned up in flames.

"I wanted to bring that up because I lied to you before," Marik said, and Bakura gave him a strange look. "When I first brought the Ring back to our apartment, I told you that dueling for me didn't make a difference and that it didn't benefit me at all, but I was wrong."

Bakura watched him, transfixed.

"It actually meant a lot to me that you tried to destroy my dark side. You could have just set up a duel for the Rod, item for item, like my other personality suggested. But you decided to duel for me instead, risking yourself to try to destroy my dark side and protect me. And you saved my brother beforehand. And I just wanted to thank you for that."

Momentarily, Bakura's throat went dry at hearing the genuine gratitude. It was hard to accept a thank you. Bakura hadn't had those words spoken to him with any form of sincerity in a long time, and now, as he stared at Marik's bright eyes, he felt a part of himself tremble at this emotion.

He opened his mouth, suddenly finding it hard to speak or to tear his eyes away from Marik, before he finally regained his voice.

"Well. It's nice to get some appreciation around here," he said with a small smile, looking away.

Marik stared at him for another moment before turning back to the TV with a smile on his face.

AN: Thanks for reading, please review!