Author Notes: Citronshipping as requested! I feel like this came out really strangely, though, for both of them. Eh. I can always try again later. Enjoy and review!

"Get that thing away from me!" Marik shrieked, leaping back in terror.

"Why?" Akefia asked with an innocent look. "It's not even poisonous… much." He grinned, making Marik shiver.

The pearly white snake slithering along Akefia's arms flicked its tongue out, and Marik tried to back up even more, but he hit a wall and couldn't move any further away, not without getting closer to the snake. Akefia took a few steps forward until he was about six feet away from the younger Egyptian.

"Come now, Marik, say hello to Diabound. He wants to meet you." He spoke calmly as he lifted his left hand towards Marik, the snake's head nearing the thief's wrist as it slithered towards Marik. Akefia, took another step forward as Marik flattened himself to the wall.

"Get away from me!" he shouted, growing increasingly distressed. He was shaking, his breathing shallow as he met the snake's icy blue eyes with his own and felt paralyzed. Akefia frowned and sighed, then backed off at last, returning Diabound to his terrarium. Marik's relief was visceral, as he relaxed and dropped to the floor, leaning back against the wall as he tried to catch his breath.

"I was just kidding, Marik," Akefia said softly as he approached the blond, now snake-free. "He's harmless. I wouldn't put you in danger like that." He crouched down by Marik and tried to put his arm around the other, but was pushed away.

"Stay away from me!" Marik cried out, his eyes watering as he rejected his lover's presence. Akefia froze, then pulled back, not wanting to upset Marik any more than he already had.

"I just wanted to help you overcome your fear," he said in explanation, letting his hand rest gently on Marik's shoulder. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Too late for that," Marik grumbled bitterly.

"Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Yeah, get rid of the snake!" Marik glared at Akefia, his lavender eyes narrowed with resentment. His partner had expected a reply along those lines, and he was glad that he'd already made arrangements for the snake to reside elsewhere for a little while until Akefia could bring it home again.

"Okay, I will." He bent his head and kissed Marik's cheek, trying to comfort him, but feeling like he wasn't doing a very good job of it. "He's locked up securely, and he's completely harmless. You don't have to be scared anymore."

"Hmph." The grunt was both indifferent and skeptical, and Akefia rolled his eyes.

"Look, what more do you want me to do?"

"Wash the smell of snake off of you." The blond wrinkled his nose in disgust as Akefia smelled his own arm. He couldn't discern any snake-scent on himself, but then again, maybe he'd just gotten used to it.

"Fine, I will." Akefia left to do just that, taking a quick shower to please Marik before he returned, hair still damp and wearing only a towel, to where Marik was still sitting against the wall on the floor.

"Quit pouting," the Thief King grumbled, tired of Marik's moodiness. "I did what you wanted me to do, so cheer up."

"It's still here, though," he pointed to the glass case where Diabound was curling around himself, as if to sleep.

"I'll get rid of him tomorrow. Until then," he took Marik by the hands and pulled him up so that he was standing too, "You need to chill out."

Marik scowled, opening his mouth to protest, but Akefia silenced him with a kiss. The shorter one resisted initially, determined to maintain his resolve and argue with him, but Akefia was too good, and Marik wanted him too much. With Marik's legs wrapped around his waist and his arms around his neck, Akefia carried his partner to their bedroom, grinning as he dropped the smaller male onto the bed. Marik quickly removed his black tank, baring his chest as Akefia dropped his towel and leaned over him to resume kissing him deeply, using an unusual amount of tenderness, as if the kiss was his apology. As Marik's hands roamed the broad, muscled chest before him, he lifted his knee to press it firmly between Akefia's thighs. The king of thieves grunted and broke the kiss, reaching for the waistband of Marik's khaki cargo pants. He stepped back and stripped them away, dropping them as Marik shimmied out of his boxers and shoved them onto the floor as well.

Now they were both fully vulnerable, and they sized each other up for a few moments, as if trying to decide what they were going to do now. Marik was the first to break the silence.

"Come here, I want to try something new." He stood and reached for his partner's hands. He led the suspicious thief to the bed and made him sit on the edge before fetching something from their nightstand.

"What did you have in mind?" Akefia asked, his voice raspy and deep, deeper than usual.

"A punishment for you, because you brought a snake into the apartment." Marik looked at him with an expression of pure mischief as he returned to his lover and placed his hands on those thick shoulders. He pushed on them until the thief complied, letting himself be lay down on his back. He still watched Marik carefully, unable to determine what he had in mind.

Marik moved at a leisurely pace, kneeling on the floor between Akefia's legs as he took the time to ensure his partner's full arousal with the use of his hands and mouth.

"Marik," Akefia growled between gritted teeth, his hands gripping Marik's hair tightly. It was a call, a demand, an order. His heavy panting made Marik smile.

"All in good time," he promised breathlessly, his own body flushed with need as he grabbed the bottle of lube from the floor and stood, forcing Akefia to release his hair. Akefia was expecting to watch Marik prepare himself, but gasped in surprise as Marik's fingers pressed to his entrance.

"What are you—?" He grunted and gasped, hands clutching the sheets under him as two slick fingers pushed in.

"I did say I was punishing you, didn't I?"

"A-Ah!"

The teen teased delighted groans from the proud thief, feeling quite gratified as he did so.

"Now you know better than to bring snakes into our apartment again, you prick."

Marik removed his fingers, feeling bitter enough towards his lover to stop preparing him altogether. He pushed Akefia's legs up until his knees were close to his chest, contemplating the thief's feet for a moment before shoving them up above the other's head. Marik watched Akefia's face with a smug smirk. He took a moment to lube himself before rubbing against his lover's entrance.

"Are you ready?" he crooned with lowered lids and a sugary voice.

"No," the broader man retorted from his bent position, feeling far too vulnerable for his liking.

"Too bad," Marik growled.

He lined himself up and shoved. His fellow Egyptian roared beneath him, but he couldn't tell if it was out of pleasure, pain, or sheer frustration. Probably a mix of the three. He held his place deep within his lover, watching in satisfied fascination as he desperately tore at the sheets.

"Grab your thighs," Marik ordered sharply, and surprisingly, Akefia obeyed, gripping his own thighs as his fingernails indented the taut skin. Marik grinned and began to roughly slam into him at a rapid pace, causing the thief to claw at his own thighs as he cried out. He should punish Akefia more often.