This is a follow-up story to Mechanisms. You could probably read it without reading Mechanisms first, but I don't really see what the point would be.

After writing Mechanisms, I needed to explore the relationships between the characters a little more, especially in the face of conflict, and this happened. I originally wrote this for myself, so it's a little different in terms of style, but I don't know if the difference is noticeable or not.

One thing that gets alluded to here is that the camp they're staying at is unoccupied-the group is there during the off season.

Angle of Action

It took Joey a few days to notice anything had changed; it's not as if Tristan and Duke ever stopped arguing, over Serenity or otherwise. An offhand comment from Yugi along the lines of "it's nice to see them finally getting along" finally made him take step back from dueling and Mai and dueling with Mai to reevaluate the duo that constantly accompanied his sister.

They were all at breakfast; Joey, Mai, Tea, and Yugi at one table with Tristan, Duke, and Serenity at the other. It wasn't an unusual arrangement; the circular tables could comfortably fit six chairs, but seven started to feel cramped. It didn't help that the former's conversations almost always segued into Duel Monsters. Anzu could tolerate the constant gaming talk, but some people (Tristan) got impatient with it quickly.

Joey casually leaned back in his chair to check out the other table. Duke was deep into a story, one about some lame-ass bigshot he had probably met only once and who wouldn't even remember him if asked. Tristan and Serenity were engrossed enough for Joey to see the way Serenity leaned toward Duke when he spoke, and the way Duke would casually touch her in the midst of a dramatic gesture, and the way Tristan observed all this happening with perfect placidity, as if he not only didn't mind the contact, but expected it.

Then Serenity laughed at something Duke said, and Tristan's eyes flicked toward her for only a moment before he said something that must have been smart-ass, because Duke immediately leaned over the table to smack him and then they were arguing again, but Joey noticed that the words had a different quality to them; they had the form of the argument without the meaning.

Something about it unsettled Joey, and he kept glancing back at their table throughout the whole meal until Yugi and Tea volunteered to clean up the kitchen and people started to filter out the door. There weren't any planned events, since they were technically just borrowing the premises, but there had been talk of a kayaking trip to the other side of the bay.

Joey managed to pull Tristan aside on their way out the door and they crouched by a pile of firewood while Joey asked Tristan what the hell was going on between Duke and Serenity. That was the most obvious conclusion, right?

Tristan's expression shifted immediately from confusion to guilt, and he glanced away from Joey toward the fire pit thirty yards away. Years ago, someone had built a series of wooden bleachers that surrounded the fire pit on three sides. Time and weather had degenerated the construction into something that hardly looked safe enough for sitting on, but of course people still used it.

Mai was standing by the pit talking to Serenity, who sat on the third, highest row of seats. Several feet away, Duke had taken the second row and was fiddling with his coat while he listened to the conversation.

Joey found the distance between Serenity and Duke more suspicious than if they had sat together. "Does she like him?" he demanded. "Are they dating?"

Tristan paled. "Well—I don't…maybe. Shit, I don't know. Kind of?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

Tristan shrugged, but there was something he wasn't saying, and Joey paused to take a breath and put a hand on Tristan's shoulder. "Listen, man," he said quietly, intently, "Serenity's my sister, you gotta tell me what's going on."

Tristan licked his lips and nods. When he spoke, he didn't look at Joey; he kept his gazed pinned on the group by the fire pit.

"I don't really know what it is. I thought same as you, she liked Duke, but when I asked her she said she liked me too—" at this point his shoulders tensed, as if he was preparing for a blow, but none came and he reluctantly continued. "I told her, you have to pick someone, but she wouldn't, she said she could like both of us if she wanted, and I think Duke…he's…"

He trailed off, flushing a little, but Joey didn't notice. He was too busy trying to decipher the first half of what Tristan had said.

"So…what? She can't pick, so she won't date either of ya?"

Tristan shook his head. "No…I…I think she wants to date both of us."

"What the flying fuck does that mean?"

Joey didn't realize until Tristan cringed how loud he was talking, and when he glanced toward the fire pit he could see everyone looking toward them. Well, there was no time like the present; he stormed toward his sister, pushing Tristan aside when he tried to pull him back.

Duke saw both of their expressions and muttered "oh, shit," but Joey's attention was entirely on his sister.

"What the fuck are you thinkin'?" he asked Serenity. "You wanna date two guys at the same time?"

Serenity lifted her chin to glare at her brother. "Maybe I do," she said. "So what?"

Mai was the first one to recognize that this scenario had the potential to turn into a veritable shitstorm, and she stepped forward to put a hand on Joey's arm.

"Sit down," she snapped at Tristan, who was just standing there looking helpless, and he hastily slid into the bleachers next to Duke.

Then she pulled Joey closer to mutter in his ear. "Calm down," she said. "You're going to make an ass of yourself."

Joey squared his shoulders and pulled away to pace in a tight line, hands jammed in his pockets to prevent him from whaling on anyone who got too close. Mai was the only one who didn't seem afraid of him, she crossed her arms and stood back. She watched Joey's movements with the patience of a sphinx; he knew she was just waiting for him to blow his top so she had an excuse to kick his ass. Hell, it was almost inevitable, but dammit, he has the right to be angry, doesn't he?

"Listen Serenity," he said haltingly, trying to be civil despite his recent display. "I dunno what's going on, but you can't just, just date two guys—"

"Why not?"

Was she really going play the innocent card? It didn't matter; Joey lifted his chin to tell her exactly why. No one could argue that he was the most traditional guy in the book, but there were some things that you just don't do, and the words were forming on his tongue when he saw his sister's face, and the anger in her eyes was enough make him forget everything he'd been about to say.

"Back off," she snapped, standing up and jumping off the bleachers to approach him. "Listen, Joey, it has nothing to do with you, and—"

"What do you mean, it's got nothin' to do with me?"

"It doesn't! What I do and with whom is none of your business! And anyway nothing happened, we've just been talking and you're overreacting. I'm not your baby sister anymore. You've got to calm down."

As she talked, Tristan leaned forward to put his head in his hands. He's clearly distraught, and Joey felt a stir of hesitation; maybe he was overreacting. He took a step back, opened his mouth to say something about how they can talk about it later, and then he stopped.

Duke was putting a hand on Tristan's shoulder, and even though Tristan didn't move, even though it could just as easily have been platonic as it was romantic, that single act of careless kindness frightened Joey more than anything Serenity's said so far, because he finally understood that Serenity didn't want to just date two guys, she wanted to date two guys together.

"You," he said.

Both Duke and Tristan looked up when he spoke, but only Duke's fingers clenched when he met Joey's eyes. "What're you even doin' with them?"

Duke's expression is guarded. "What do you mean?"

"This was yer idea, wasn't it? You think you're so great and mighty, you can just take my sister and my best friend-"

"Joey, it wasn't Duke's-" Serenity interrupted, but Joey just talked over her.

"I can't stand you," he told Duke. "Serenity with Tristan? Fine, whateva, I can handle that. But you…" He was trying as hard as he could to avoid punching Duke outright. Only Mai's gaze and the ten feet between them stopped him. "You don't deserve it," he said. "You're not good enough for either of them."

Duke didn't respond, not immediately, and Joey was opening his mouth for another salvo when Mai stepped forward and slapped him full in the face.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, grabbing him by the arm. "Listen to yourself!"

Joey struggled away from her, but the look of anger and horror on her face restrained him as much as her iron grip did. "It isn't right!" he complained. "It isn't-"

"Shut up," Mai said. She pulled him away from the bleachers and down the path towards the cabins. "You need to calm down before you spit out any more of this bullshit."

Joey shot one more glance over his shoulder as he went. Some part of him knew he was being unreasonably cruel, but the other part, the stronger part, was angry and repulsed and mostly just terrified by what was going on.

When Joey was gone, Serenity turned toward the boys.

Tristan's head was still in his hands; he was breathing heavily and his chest was heaving. He wasn't crying, though he might have started if Joey had kept going. Duke had a hand on Tristan's shoulder. He wouldn't look at Serenity. Neither of them would.

It was too soon, Serenity thought. They'd barely started to figure out what was happening between them when it blew up in their faces. They weren't equipped to handle this kind of situation. The affection is there, but the trust isn't, not yet, and it'll never be there if she can't handle this the right way.

She approached Tristan and put her hand to his head, moving it down along his ear and caressing his cheek. He didn't say anything, but he took her hand in his and held it to his face, as if he was afraid she was going to take it away.

She could tell he felt guilty, but Serenity didn't blame him. He had an honest streak as wide and deep as an ocean, and no one could blame him for confiding in his best friend.

"It's ok," she told him. "It'll be ok."

Tristan choked back a laugh, his grip on her hand tightening. He didn't believe her. In his eyes, everything was already over.

She looked up at Duke, who avoided her eyes. He was outwardly relaxed, but she could see the way his fingers flexed anxiously in his lap, and she knew he was hurt more deeply by Joey's words than he would ever let on.

"Duke," she said, leaning forward a little to hold her free hand out toward him. "Duke, look at me."

Duke took Serenity's hand with both of his, and he stared down, clenching his fingers together and rubbing his thumbs over the ridges of bone in her wrist. When he looked up at her, he was smiling.

"I guess he never forgave me," he said, with a little laugh that was far more telling than tears could ever be. "I kind of hoped-" he stopped himself and looked down again. He took a deep, careful breath and exhaled slowly. Then he dropped her hand and stood up, leaning forward to kiss Serenity briefly on the forehead before stepping away. "I'll talk to you guys later," he said. "I need some air."

Serenity and Tristan watched him walk away, hands shoved in his pockets and shoulders hunched, and Serenity wondered if he would ever really let himself be honest with them. It had taken her months and months to make her way past that playful exterior to something halfway solid, and then Joey—

As much as she loved her brother and understood his concern, Serenity would have liked to do more than just slap him in the face.

"You should go after him."

Serenity turned. Tristan sat up a little and nodded toward Duke's rapidly disappearing silhouette. "He's just going to go sulk anyway." He sounded bitter about it, as if Duke had somehow claimed a privilege Tristan deserved instead.

"He needs space," Serenity said, and when Tristan glared at her, she glared sternly back. "If you think that, why don't you go after him yourself?"

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Because he trusts you."

"He doesn't trust me," Serenity snapped, ignoring the way Tristan's eyes widened. Whether it was from her tone or her words, she didn't care. She turned back toward the path, but there was no sign of Duke. Behind her, she was conscious of Tristan standing up and coming to her side. Without looking, she reached back and, obligingly, he took her hand. She sighed.

"He doesn't trust anyone."

No one saw Duke for at least an hour; there were a plethora of hiding places in an unoccupied campground. It was Yugi who finally found him sitting behind the refueling station on the big dock, well out of view from shore. Duke didn't say anything when Yugi approached, but Yugi knew that only meant Duke didn't mind Yugi's presence.

Yugi settled down next to him and folded his hands in his lap. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. Over the years, they'd developed an unspoken understanding. Yugi was the only one who'd seen Duke at his worst, therefore he was the only one Duke didn't need to pretend to.

"It's kind of stupid," Duke said, keeping his gaze fixed on the ocean. "He has every right to hate me."

Yugi had heard the story from Serenity, and a more fleshed-out version from Tea, who knew her friends well enough to interpret their actions even when she wasn't there. "He doesn't hate you," he said, but Duke just shook his head and smiled.

"It doesn't matter. I don't really care anymore," he said. "I'll just stay out of his way from now on. I don't need to worry about it."

"What about Serenity?" Yugi asked. "And Tristan?"

Duke lifted a shoulder and dropped it again. "It wouldn't have worked anyway," he said. "Everyone knows I'm just, like, the third wheel."

Yugi wasn't convinced. He leaned forward and rested his chin in his hand. Like Duke, he stared at the water, which was so still it might as well have been glass. "They don't think so."

"They don't know what they want," Duke said. "I know Serenity; she just wants to make everyone happy. Tristan's going along with it because he doesn't want to lose to me."

"So," Yugi said. "You're going to hurt them before they hurt you."

"That's not what this is-" Duke said, but when he turned toward Yugi, he stopped short, because the look on Yugi's face told him that if he tried to defend himself, he was going to regret it.

"So you're afraid," Yugi said. "So it might not work. But do you love them?"

Duke didn't answer immediately; he looked away from Yugi and pressed his knuckles to his mouth. Yugi knew he wasn't thinking about the question, he was thinking about a way to justify his inevitable answer.

Finally, Duke droped his hand. "What do you want me to say?" he said. "I'm not like you, Yugi. I'm not-" He cut himself off and stared down at the ground. When he continued again, Yugi had to lean forward to hear him.

"I'm not strong like you," Duke whispered. "I can't just smile and forgive and love everyone like you do."

"Don't assume that I'm stronger," Yugi said, his irritation showing despite his efforts. "Has it occurred to you that I loved people because I was afraid?"

"Afraid?" Duke shook his head in disbelief. Yugi had everything Duke didn't. Yugi had the pharoah. "Afraid of what?"

"Being alone," Yugi said. "But it looks like you're more afraid of the alternative."

When Duke didn't answer, he sighed and stood up. It was clear Duke needed more forceful persuasion from someone more involved in the situation than Yugi.

He found Tristan combing through the cabins, tense and wild-eyed with irritation. Serenity was with him, listening to him rant, but most of her attention was focused inward. She barely noticed when Yugi joins them.

"He's down on the dock," Yugi said, pointing in the direction of the one in question.

Tristan took one look at Yugi and bolts for the door, and Yugi smiled, because only Tristan could manage to channel his every emotion into action.

Serenity moved more slowly, her glance toward Yugi an unasked question. In reply, he shrugged. "You know how he is."

"Unfortunately," Serenity said. "But what should I do?"

The corner of Yugi's lip curled up. "Follow Tristan's lead, maybe. He might need help putting his feelings into words, but he has a gift for expressing himself."

Serenity smiled back at him. "Thank you," she said, and then, she too, was gone.

Duke could hear Tristan coming from a mile away-even physically, the guy had no sense of subtlety-and he was just starting to stand up when Tristan barged around the corner and came to a skidding halt in front of him.

Duke stared, because Tristan looked like a wreck and he wasn't even sure what Tristan was so worked up about anyway, and Tristan, panting, had to stop and lean against the wall of the station while he caught his breath.

Laughing a little, Duke shoved his hands into his pockets and turned back toward the water. "What's wrong with you?" he said.

"You're an idiot," Tristan said. "Why'd you disappear for so long?"

"It wasn't that long." Duke said. "And why would you worry? It's not like I can go anywhere."

"Because you're an idiot," Tristan reiterated. "And I know you. You've probably just been sitting here letting some shit Joey said when he was pissed eat at you until you start thinking what he said is true."

Duke's smile disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, and he was turning toward Tristan to tell him off when Tristan pushed himself up and glared right back. "Tell me I'm wrong," he challenged. "Tell me you don't believe that shit."

Duke's expression twisted. "Don't act like you understand," he said. "You're the one who gets the girl."

"Gets the-?" Tristan took a step toward Duke and stopped when Duke reflexively backed away. "What does that mean?"

"You heard what he said," Duke brushed a hand through his bangs and looked away from Tristan. "It's fine if she dates you."

Tristan was at a loss. When he didn't say anything, Duke shrugged. "I figure there's no point standing in your way, right?"

"You really are a fucking idiot."

"What?" Duke dropped his hand from his hair and was turning when Tristan took him by the shoulders and kissed him.

The kiss was uncharacteristically passionate: Duke wants to complain that Tristan didn't have a happy medium between painfully awkward and just plain violent. But Tristan's hands were insistently pulling him closer, and Duke had never been one to complain about a kiss, damn it all, so he got a good grip on Tristan's coat and went along with it until Tristan pulled away a little, flushed but still plenty pissed, and said "Why do you have to go and take everything so personally all the time?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"It's immature."

"Fuck you."

And then they were kissing again, and Duke somehow got his arms around Tristan's neck and Tristan was growling, and hell they were both still furious with each other but it wasn't enough of a reason to stop. Tristan's skin was blazing compared to Duke's; he was sweating from running all the way out to the dock and Duke's fingers slid on his skin so he just pressed harder, and then they both heard a voice that wasn't theirs, and they pull away from each other to turn as a unit toward the source.

Serenity was standing a few feet away, her hands clasped and a look of solemn amusement on her face. "Gotta say," she said, smiling faintly, "That wasn't quite what I expected."

Tristan was blushing and tried to back away from Duke, but Duke still had a good grip on Tristan's coat and they scuffled for a minute before Tristan gave up and Duke grinned shamelessly at Serenity.

"Tristan was just telling me how much of an idiot I am," he told her. "He seems to have strong feelings on the subject."

"I can see that," Serenity says, laughing when Tristan turns even redder and stammered something about being caught up in the moment. Then her expression grew somber and she turned back to Duke. "But I have to say that I probably agree with him."

Duke studied her for a moment, and then sighed in resignation. "You're both too optimistic."

Serenity stepped forward then, and Tristan, far too eagerly, pushed Duke toward her.

Serenity's kiss was gentler than Tristan's but nowhere less insistent; she knew what she wanted and she wanted Duke to know it, too.

When she pulled back, Duke looked over her shoulder toward Tristan, who straightened his shoulders and glared uncomfortably back. Duke smiled pulls Serenity close to kiss her again.

"Thank you," he said.

It was all that needed to be said between them.

No one saw Joey until dinnertime, when Mai dragged him through the cafeteria doors and to their table. Yugi and Tea were sitting there, but so was Tristan, flanked on both sides Duke and Serenity. The room quieted as Joey scratched the back of his head and unsuccessfully tried to avoid looking anyone at the table in the eye.

It was just as well. While Tristan was positively mortified, Serenity just looked pissed. No one knew what Duke was thinking; he twirled the spaghetti on his fork and ignored Joey completely.

Finally Joey sighed.

"Mai said I had to-"

A prompt elbow to the gut derailed that train of thought, and Joey continued, wincing.

"You're old enough to decide who you wanna date," he said to Serenity. "Doesn't mean I hafta like it."

"You'll learn to," Serenity said, maintaining the steely calm worthy of her name. When Joey didn't say anything else immediately, she glanced pointedly at Duke. Joey visibly cringed, but he stirred up his courage and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, uh, Dice-boy-"

The look that Duke gave him was venomous, but Joey flushed and met Duke's eyes. "Look, after all you did-"

"All I did?" Duke said, rising. "I haven't done anything-"

"You made me act like a dog!"

"A-? Joey, that was years ago!"

"It still counts!"

"Counts for what? We made a bet and you lost!"

"Yeah, because you cheated!"

The argument quickly degenerated into a shouting match until Tristan, in despair, slammed a hand down on the table. "Can you just shut the fuck up?"

When the room suddenly quieted and everyone at the table turned to him, he just uneasily pressed his head into his hands.

"What the hell, man?" he said to Joey. "What does the dog thing even have to do with it?"

"Serenity's my sister," Joey said. "I just wanna make sure he's not going to make her do anything weird."

A pause, and then Duke shook his head.

"Wait-what?"

Joey lifted his chin. "I've seen the-" he paused to glance sideways at his sister. "Papers," he said in a careful tone that fooled no one. "Some people are into that shit."

"What, bestiality?"

"I dunno. Yeah, whatever. I'm just trying to make sure-"

"Like I would ever-"

"I would think," Serenity interrupts placidly. "That if I wanted to engage in that kind of behavior, it would be my choice and not yours."

All three boys turn to stare at her. She shrugged and returns to her plate.

Tea coughed tactfully into her sleeve, and Mai grinned. "Well, that's enough of that," she said, clapping a hand on Joey's shoulder. "I'm personally starving."

She led Joey away so they can dish up some food, and Duke sits back down. They eat in cautious silence until Joey and Mai return and everyone silently scoots closer together to make room for them.

"So, um…" Tea said. "Yugi and I found a monopoly board in one of the cabins. I thought we could play later."

"I called the battleship," Yugi added. There was a pause.

Mai puts down her fork. "I want the top hat."

"Thimble," Tea said promptly.

"Cowboy," Joey and Tristan said simultaneously, but when Joey tried to argue, Duke thrust a fork in front of his face as if it was a penalty flag.

"Obviously, Joey, you have to be the dog." He turned to Tea. "I'll take the car."

Joey groans. The attention of the table turned toward Serenity, who beamed beatifically at her brother.

"Joey," Serenity said. "If it really bothers you that much, I'll be the dog."

Joey and Tristan both turned beet red, and Duke sputtered into his glass. Joey glared around the table, but no one could bring themselves to meet his eyes.

"Fine," Joey muttered. "I'll be the dog."

Yugi, of all people, finally broke down and snickered, and Tea slapped his arm, but she was trying hard not to smile.

"And we have ourselves a game."

End

I don't think I've ever played a game of Monopoly where people didn't fight over who got to be which character. The dog is usually a more popular character, though.

As with most of my stories, you can see further notes on my livejournal: http : / oxeyed . livejournal . com / 8245 . html