A/N: This story was requested. I had started on it a few weeks before I left Florida, then finished it. But, the laptop I saved it on crashed, or something, and it won't start up at all now. So, I had to rewrite this from memory. But, a request is a request, and since she asked me so nicely, I gladly offered to write this. So, here it is.

A/N: The Marik in this story is actually Yami Marik, but to make it flow better, Marik will be used.

~

Dark Seduction…

"Hey, Serenity, you okay?"

The innocent young girl nearly jumped at the sound of her name. She had been lost in her thoughts, and almost didn't hear her friend calling her. Embarrassed, she blushed, and smoothed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and returned her friend's concern with a smile. "Oh…yes, I'm fine, Téa!"

Seeing Serenity come back to her senses, Téa gave the girl a faint smile, and placed her hand on her shoulder. "You sure?"

Serenity nodded. "Yeah. Sorry to startle you. I guess I'm just worried about the finals tomorrow. My big brother will be dueling against that Marik person. I just hope nothing bad happens to him…"

"Yeah…" Téa trailed off in thought. She then smiled to Serenity and gave her a light hug. "We've just got to trust Joey and believe in him. As impossible as that may sound, all we can do is hope for the best."

With wide and cheerful eyes, Serenity looked to Téa, then nodded. "You're right. Thanks, Téa…"

"No problem!"

Serenity smiled to her, then placed a delicate hand to her mouth as she yawned. Rubbing her drowsy eyes, she stood up from sitting on the bed and waved to Téa. "Well, I better get back to the room and get some sleep. Thanks for cheering me up."

"Sure thing, Serenity. Come back anytime you need anything, or if you just want to talk!" Téa said with a broad and encouraging smile.

"Thanks! See you later!" Serenity said with a wink, then made her way down the hall.

*

Upon reaching her brother's room, Serenity allowed one more stretch and yawn to pass before she reached down to slide open the door. But she suddenly stopped herself as a thought came to mind. 'I wonder if he's still going over his deck for tomorrow…'

Before she had left to say goodnight to everyone, she couldn't sleep while Joey was concentrating so hard, so she decided to leave him alone to fine tune his deck. Not wanting to disrupt his concentration again, instead of opening the door, she silently stood on her tippy-toes and slid the peephole-like hatch aside to look inside the room. Just as she thought, Joey was still in the room, sitting hunched over his cards and scrutinizing them as if the writings on them were in very fine print.

"He's still going over them…" she whispered, closing the hatch, then turning her back to the door.

In aimless thought, she lifted a light hand to a few loose strands of stray hair and trailed it behind her ear. "Looks kike I won't be sleeping in there for a while. Maybe I could sleepover in Téa's room…" she wondered, looking off into the direction of her friend's room. "I don't think she'd mind…"

Facing the door again, she leaned close to it, as if she were close to her brother and whispered into it. "Don't worry, big brother. I'll be at Téa's room, so don't get into a panic looking for me…" She then closed her eyes for a moment, hoping the bond they shared would enable her soft words to reach him. Then, with that, she moved away from the door, and began her way to Téa's room.

Just as she began to take a step, she felt a rumble in her stomach and gently placed a hand to it. "Oh…I guess I'm a little hungry…" she said to herself. She then looked down the hall towards the elevator that led down to the kitchen area, and smiled. "I suppose it's not too late to have a quick snack. Maybe Joey will be done by the time I come back."

Taking the innocent idea to heart, Serenity made her way to the elevator and took it down to the lower level. Stepping out of it, she gasped at how loud her footsteps echoed in the long and empty hallway, and tried walking on her tippy-toes instead.

She also stayed close to the wall and let that guide her through the dimly lit hallway. 'Maybe Mr. Kaiba is trying to save money on energy saving' she thought, while continuing her walk. With her delicate fingertips trailing along the cool walls, Serenity finally reached a part of the hallway where a light was on in the kitchen, as if someone was in there already.

She hesitated, as her heart skipped a beat, 'Someone's there…? What should I do?' Shaking her head, she recomposed herself. 'What would Joey do? He wouldn't run away. He'd face whatever would come his way, so I should too!' With her composure restored and a look of determination laced across her soft features, she boldly stepped forward and entered the room.

Wondering who could be up eating at such an hour passed through her mind, until she realized who that person was and gasped.

Noticing someone else was in his presence, the arrogant male simply chuckled and gave Serenity no mind, and continued his previous engagement of impaling fruit with his Millennium Rod.

'It…It's him! The man who's going to duel my brother tomorrow and who trapped Mai in the Shadow Realm…! Marik…!'

As if he could hear her thoughts, Marik chuckled again, and glanced to her out the corner of his eye. Serenity felt herself tense up from the immense coldness emitting from his eyes, but stood her ground. Not saying a word, she watched him chuckle again, then slip a few pieces of fruit in his mouth.

"Well, now, I never expected anyone to invade my privacy…especially not a fair and innocent little girl like you…" he mused, his deep voice sounding like a mocking sneer. Turning to face her, he tauntingly held up the Millennium Rod and tapped the pointed tip against his cheek while amusingly eyeing her from head to toe.

Watching him, Serenity had become frozen in place and couldn't speak. Marik noticed her hesitation and smiled, his tongue rolling over his lips seductively. "Come now, there's no need for fear, child. I won't bite…unless you'd like me to." He laughed, causing Serenity to shudder from the sheer madness and darkness his laughter held.

With her still unable to speak, Marik chuckled and began stabbing pieces of fruit with his Millennium Rod, as if to fuel her fear. "So, what brings you here, little girl?"

Serenity flinched at his words and hesitantly rubbed her arm. Without her knowing, her honest words tumbled from her quivering lips. "I…I couldn't sleep…and wanted a snack…"

Marik raised an interested eyebrow. "Oh Is that so? A snack, you say?" With a dark chuckle, he impaled a whole peach, then sliced it in half with the Millennium Rod. Looking to her, he held the dripping fruit close to his lips. "I'm a little hungry myself. Care to join me in a little snack of my own?" He grinned, taking the fruit to his mouth and lashing his tongue through its succulent crevice in a rather suggestive way, and making unnecessary slurping sounds.

Uneasy by his display, but not fully understanding what he meant, Serenity gave him a confused look and shook her head. "What do you want from me?..." Her words slipped out, sounding a bit shaken, but true.

Pausing from his teasing, Marik raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled at all the different meanings that came to his mind. "You dare ask what I want from you? My dear, such pure innocence you have…" he said, rising from his seat and making his way over to Serenity. With a dark smile, he popped the half fruit in his mouth and consumed it so fast, Serenity thought he nearly swallowed it whole.

Chuckling while keeping his eyes wandering over her form, Marik, stepped directly in front of her, causing her to step back against a wall. The moment she realized it, his hands rested on either side of her on the wall and he neared his face very close to hers. Serenity found herself trying to turn away from him, but a part of her wanted to know what he'd do. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and her breath became short as she shut her eyes, anticipating the worst. Seeing her fear, Marik half-smiled and trailed a finger under her chin and brought her fleeting eyes to meet his. Nearing closer still, he smiled to her and spoke his suggestive words. "Your delicious eyes show fear. You still fear me? I told you there was no need for that. The thing you should fear is my manipulative weapon…"

"Weapon? Serenity thought, her mind buzzing with fear and constant thoughts. "You mean…that ominous soul-trapping rod of yours…"

"My 'ominous' rod, you say…?" Marik repeated with a devious sneer a chuckle at how her innocent words carried a double meaning. This was starting to get rather entertaining. Stroking her face with his fingers, his other hand rested on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"What is your name, little girl?"

Without thinking, Serenity's words tumbled out against her will. "S…Serenity …Wheeler…"

Marik raised an eyebrow. "Wheeler…? Ah, you must be related to that half-wit blonde I'm going to have to obliterate tomorrow in our duel."

"You won't!" Serenity retaliated, feeling rush of boldness suddenly course through her." My big brother will beat you! He'll beat you and save Mai and everyone else from the Shadow Realm!"

"Oh, will he…?" Marik mused, playing on her words and returning them to her as if they had no meaning whatsoever. "You seem relatively sure about all of this…Serenity…"

Serenity shuddered at the cold darkness in the way he said her name.

Somehow, she found the will to speak again. "I…I know my brother will beat you. I believe in him!"

"Hmm such confidence." He replied, licking her lips. "I like that…"

A rush of emotion ran through Serenity as she shuddered from his tongue and accidentally licked her own lips to get his essence off. This only excited Marik more and he pressed his lips lightly to hers and spoke against them. "Such pure innocence…Looks like I'll be the first to taste to sweet virgin lips of yours." Before Serenity would make any form of retaliation, Marik's mouth covered hers and she became a helpless victim to his hungry and relentless tongue.

Marik chuckled as he eagerly explored the moist and sweet depths of her mouth and devoured the nectar of her taste. While enjoying his little game of toying with her, Marik then released her quivering lips and looked to her with an emotion that Serenity couldn't read.

Wordlessly, he searched her eyes for any feeling, then half-smiled when he found it. He licked his lips and tilted her chin up. "You enjoyed that, my dear?"

Looking to him, Serenity couldn't say a word. A light hand went up to touch her wet lips as she realized that she really did just have her first kiss, but it wasn't stolen from her. In fact, she felt a part of her deep within accept Marik's embrace, while another part despised it and caused her to think of how appalled Joey would be. Shocked and ashamed that part of her approved with liking Marik's kiss, Serenity clasped a hand over her mouth.

With a half-smile, Marik stroked her face and led a few locks of hair behind her ear. "I've left my mark on you. …Such a fair face… Maybe you'd like to join me by my side on the throne when I become pharaoh…"

Alarmed, Serenity could say nothing, but gaze up at him with an emotion he never thought he'd ever see from her. Her eyes were full with a hidden feeling she had never shown anyone, and he was the first to claim it. With a smug expression, Marik turned on his heels and fluttered his cape while leaving the room.

It seemed that his little game had effected them both in a way that was unexpected.

Heading for the elevator, Marik crossed his arms and dared a glance back at the kitchen.

Remembering the soft and sweetened taste of Serenity's lips, Marik licked his own. With a dark smile, he imagined the pain her brother would feel from her telling him what happened. Grinning sadistically, Marik looked to his Millennium Rod. "Now, not only do I have your friend, but I've also claimed your sibling as well! I'll be sure to make our duel as slow and painful as possible and send your soul to the Shadow Realm! You're no match for me!" With a maniacal laugh, Marik fluttered his cape behind him as he stepped into the elevator.

To Be Continued!

-Mel