"…am I doing this right?" Yukari's voice was slightly muffled.

Akihiko glanced at Junpei's face. "Well, I don't think he wants you to stop…" Junpei managed to shake his head violently. Yukari began again a little more confidently, and Junpei ground his teeth and let out a moan.

This was the second time the three of them had been alone in someone's room like this, and it didn't look like anything had really changed. No, Akihiko thought, that's not quite right…this is more tense. And "tense" made it intense. He was still just watching them for the most part, but he knew that wasn't going to last much longer.

He had already realized that he'd been avoiding Junpei because he was worried about a repeat of their last time together. Junpei had made him be rough as hell and Akihiko had liked doing it. He didn't want to be that kind of person, but as he looked at the two of them and felt himself wanting to do certain things…rip off that stupid pink sweater…force those teeth of Junpei's open…he had to admit that maybe sometimes he was that kind of person. Maybe everyone was…under the right circumstances.

Yukari was looking at him, her eyes barely visible above Junpei's thigh. Maybe she could tell the way his thoughts were running; anyway, something made her cheeks redden. A moment later though her eyes squeezed shut and she tried not to cough. Akihiko found himself hauling her up and tilting her chin back. She tasted like Junpei…of course. He stopped when he felt nails digging into his chest, and Yukari leaned forward sharply, panting for air.

Junpei was recovered by now and had seen most of it. He dragged himself up a little higher and sat up straight, pressing his forehead against hers. "…you alright?" She nodded and looked at him.

Junpei rubbed the back of his head and looked back at her a little awkwardly. "Well…I guess now we know you were doing it right, anyway."

"Oh, thanks." Yukari looked back over her shoulder, suddenly a little alarmed. "Um…Senpai?"

Akihiko had been in the middle of trying to get the pink sweater off. "…oh…sorry, I guess I should have asked first."

"N-no, that's fine, I mean…" Yukari gulped and raised her hands to help him. As soon as they were exposed he leaned down and bit one of her shoulders softly, making her shiver. Junpei frowned.

"Don't tell me you're already getting lonely over there." Akihiko looked back at him deliberately over Yukari's shoulder as he let his hands wander further down. Junpei was about to answer with something cutting when Yukari interrupted him.

"…I don't want to be in the middle of some fight between the two of you." Her voice trembled the slightest bit, but Junpei thought it was from nervousness at being touched rather than any hurt feelings she might have. If she brought in morality now, maybe she thought she wouldn't get swept up any further. Junpei realized this, but he wasn't interested in morality at the moment.

"Really, Yuka-tan? I thought that was exactly where you wanted to be…in the middle."

Akihiko felt her stiffen under his palms as his own eyes widened a little bit at Junpei's tone. He looked down at her face, worried that she was going to cry or something, but the only thing on her features at the moment was shock. It made him angry. "Hey, Junpei, what the hell. Don't talk to her like that."

"And what about you, Senpai? Where do you want to be?"

Akihiko glared. What he really wanted to do right now wasn't something he could just say out loud. It had a lot in common with what he had done to Junpei the other night. But there was also Yukari to consider. Maybe she didn't just want to watch this time…and he didn't want to ignore her or tell her to leave. That really would hurt her feelings. Dammit, this hadn't even been his idea in the first place, so why was he the only one worrying about it?

"Yukari…" Akihiko's face was serious. "What do you want? Anything, or nothing, is fine."

"I…" Yukari's voice finally found some of its old spirit. "Right now I just want him to shut up!"

Akihiko blinked and then said, "Done." He moved suddenly and flipped Junpei over roughly, pinning his arms behind his back with one hand and forcing Junpei's head down with the other. Junpei gasped and protested as his face was pressed against the sheets, but Akihiko's grip was uncompromising. He looked up at Yukari. "I thought maybe if you wanted, you could..." Junpei's face was roughly between her knees and after a moment she understood his meaning.

"Oh." She gulped and shifted a little. "I don't know, that's--" She looked down at Junpei and bit her lip. In low light his eyes really looked almost black. They looked that way now as he stared up at her. Akihiko lessened the pressure on the back of his head a little and Junpei drew in a breath and shifted his gaze so that he was looking directly in front of him. She realized then that he wanted it too.

Akihiko let the two of them get settled before he unbuckled his belt. By this point he was pretty certain Yukari and he had both been played, but he was used to it by now. He watched Junpei and thought that to be fair, he probably didn't know he was doing it. Someone like him, who didn't know who he was yet, or what he wanted…it wasn't too strange that Junpei couldn't make up his mind. At least Akihiko was there to keep an eye on him…this year. After that, he could only hope Yukari was up to the task. He watched her tilt her head back and breathe more rapidly, the hollow of her neck pulsing under that collar of hers, and stroked the back of Junpei's head as it moved in her lap. Then, still not releasing Junpei's arms, he poised himself and slid into him.

Yukari must have noticed from the way Junpei was moving that something had changed, because she opened her eyes slightly. Her breath caught in her throat as she found herself face to face with Akihiko while he was doing that. She'd watched him in a moment like this once before, of course, but his role had been reversed with Junpei's. Now he was completely different, but somehow it wasn't unfamiliar. She had seen this intensity, and this forcefulness, in him when he was fighting. As she watched he let Junpei's arms go and put a hand on her shoulder, pulling her forward. As he kissed her, Junpei clutched at one of her thighs and groaned between them. For a long moment the three of them remained unbroken.

Then Akihiko ducked his head suddenly and pulled Junpei's hips closer. Yukari watched in a daze as Junpei sank his fingers into the bed and arched his back. She never knew afterwards if it was his mouth at that moment or the sight of them together that made her lose control. Junpei's hair wasn't long enough to clutch at so her fingers ended up dragging roughly against the back of his head, leaving red trails that faded almost immediately. After she was done he panted and pressed his face to her stomach, pulling her partway under him, and stayed against her like that listening to her heart as it hammered in her chest.

Akihiko was starting to lose control himself at this point. The two of them lying there in front of him filled him with some violent, undefined emotion. He didn't feel envy, or anger anymore…instead it was almost as if the two of them belonged to him. He felt instinctively that he could do anything he wanted with them right now, anything at all, and he dug his fingers into Junpei's hips as the thought of that made him pulse harder. Junpei braced himself against the bed and pushed back against him, willing him to go further.

Yukari held Junpei tightly, a little afraid for him. She could feel how hard Akihiko must be thrusting into him now, didn't it hurt? But his face on her chest didn't contort into pain, or even discomfort…instead Junpei's expression relaxed, and the sounds that he made as he put a shaking hand on one of her arms weren't sounds of pain. Akihiko reached down and wrapped one hand around him, working him roughly until he came. Then he leaned in to kiss Junpei's neck, and Yukari realized that Akihiko still knew how to be gentle. She watched, no longer afraid, as Akihiko's eyes drifted shut and he finally allowed himself to follow the two of them.

This time around there wasn't any question of lying stiffly side-by-side on the narrow bed and talking about what was right and what was wrong. Like casualties of some unnamed war they lay where they had fallen. It was a very long while before anyone even spoke.

"I hope you're happy." Akihiko didn't even bother to open his eyes. His remark was addressed to Junpei.

"I didn't ask you guys to come here."

"Doesn't matter."

Yukari stirred a little and groaned. "It must be so late…ugh, I don't want to get up."

Akihiko smiled tiredly. "Then don't. We can always hide you in the pile if someone knocks on the door."

Junpei looked annoyed. "My room isn't that filthy."

"Whatever, Stupei…" Yukari cupped a hand over her mouth and yawned.

"I told you not to call me that."

Akihiko fell asleep to the sound of the two of them arguing.