A/N: This was written by email. Like always. I don't know why I always say this, but I do. It's tradition at this point. You know, I probably should wait longer to publish this so you can all suffer from the cliffhanger, but Lex might kill me, so I won't. You have been saved by her... This time. So I'm really depressed right now because I just finished the last season of Vampire Knight. It was EPIC! You must all go watch it right now! Scratch that. Not now, but after you finish reading. :) It's probaby the best anime I have ever seen in my life and I've seen some damn good anime! I almost cried! And I never cry! I didn't want it to end! But it did, hence my saddness... Oh... This is a Prince of Tennis fanfic, isn't it? Huh... I probably shouldn't be advertizing other animes then.... Oh well, you'll live. :)

Special thanks to chocolvr69 for your lovely reviews! You should feel special because I totally bolded your shoutout. And Lex says she loves you... Actually, it was more like, "TELL HER I LOVE HER FOR REVIEWING!!!!!!!!!!!!" But you get the picture. :)

Disclaimer: We don't own Prince of Tennis, because if we did, hmmm........ Oh! I know! I would make the Seigaku regulars play soccer with Kamimomo (Cole) and I for no apparent reason. And I'm pretty sure someone would get hurt. :)

My eyes were blurred with tears, and Kakeru stood before me. It didn't make any rational sense, but it's not like I cared about that.

"Kakeru... I -"

"Wait, I'm not -"

"Shut the hell up and let me talk," I yelled, "You've been gone for years and now you show up again. I'm pretty damn sure it's my turn to make a point." Kakeru swallowed once, and stood there in the pouring rain.

"I never read any of your letters, aniki. They're all stashed in a drawer in my room. Not even oka-san and oto-chan know that you attempted to write to me. It's rather funny, actually. What I've really been trying to do is forget you, and all I do is come back to the fact that you aren't here anymore."

"It's not so lonely anymore without you. I've made friends. All guys, which I'm sure is much to your dismay. Eiji-kun, Fuji-kun, Taka-san, Kaidoh-kun -" Kakeru snarled at the last name, "Oh, shut up, just because they're guys doesn't mean they're all man whores. And then there's this one guy..." Kakeru froze up at the tone in my voice, although it's possible that this was from the cold rain. "This... this Momoshiro... He's tried so hard to be a friend of mine, and I won't let him. I hate myself for wanting to hate him, because he's just like you and because of that one fact I hate him and I find myself inexplicably attracted to him at the same time! And it's all your damn fault that I can't interact with people, aniki!" I put my head in my hands, still crying and rocking back and forth slightly.

"Why did you leave? I don't get it! You turned eighteen, and you just left me! And because of you, this guy who I have no problem with, a guy who I have the potential to really get close to; I have to force myself to hate him because I don't wanna risk him leaving me like you did damn it!"

Kakeru stood still, staring at me. I broke the silence, "And why the hell did you decide to come back now damnit!? Things were better! I even saw oka-san smile last week! She hadn't done that since you left for goddamned America. If you ever want me to forgive you, stay away from us! We were actually starting to become a family again," I sobbed.

"Ch-Chiaki..."

"Shut up! I'm not done with you yet!" I screamed at my brother before dropping down to a stage whisper, "After all these years of trying so hard to hate you like you deserve, I can't bring myself to. So I'm done, Kakeru. I'm done with trying to forget you. I'm done with blocking people out of my life because of the fear that they'll leave me like you did. You can't control me anymore, Kakeru. I'm not sure if it's possible for me to let Momoshiro in at all at this point, but I'm not the helpless, obedient child that I was when you left me. Y-you can't control how I live my life anymore..." I looked up to my brother with a determined look on my face. My vision was blurred with tears of resolve, but I still felt torn up inside.

"Chiaki-san -"

"And what the hell is up with this formality all of a sudden, aniki? Whatever happened to you calling me Chi-chi, huh? I always hated that name, but at least back then you were still you -" I looked into Kakeru's eyes for the first time since the encounter began.

Except that they weren't Kakeru's eyes. The color I was expecting to see was blue.

These were purple.

My own eyes widened, and I stared upon Momoshiro Takeshi, who was standing before me in a state of shock.

"Oh my God." I raised a hand to my mouth, as if trying to take back the entire confession I'd just given. "Y-you, Kakeru, n-not..." I collapsed, an emotional, nervous wreck, sobbing until I couldn't feel myself hurt anymore.

"Ch-Chiaki-san..." Momoshiro said, probably unsure of what to do at this point. His voice was the last thing I heard before I passed out of emotional exhaustion.

It's warm here. And soft. Like a cloud. Where am I? I shifted a little. Was it all a dream? Kakeru... Momoshiro... Did it really happen? I stirred some more and groaned. My head hurts... It was then that I heard someone speak.

"Well, it looks like you're still alive..."

"F-Fuji-kun?" I peered into that empty smile of his. "Wh-Where am I?"

"You, Chiaki-san, are at my house, in my sister's bed to be more precise."

"Wh-What...? Who...? How...?"

"It's okay, Momo brought you here. He lugged you on his bike in the rain while you were passed out. He took you here because it was closest. We called your dad to tell him that you and the Pocky were okay, and your mother knows nothing of this."

"Thank you, Fuji-kun..." I said quietly. "Is-"

"Momo is waiting downstairs along with Eiji, Taka, and Oishi. They're all really worried about you." He then threw something at my face. "Here. They probably won't fit very well, but put them on. You really shouldn't be in those wet clothes." And with that he left. I stared down at the bundle of clothing that he had thrown at me. Even though he didn't say that he was worried about me, I could tell. That damn sadist really does care about me.

I changed slowly into the clothes Fuji had given me, thinking about what had just happened. Momoshiro... He brought me all the way to Fuji's? He.... I don't know what to do about him.

I had just slipped into the dry shirt when my favorite hyperactive redhead pinned me to the bed.

"Aki-chan's okay, nyah! Fujiko called me as soon as Momo brought you here, I was worried sick, don't ever do that to me again, I was going to -" I pushed a finger to his lips, sitting up on the bed. "Shh, Eiji-kun. I'm fine."

He grinned widely before hugging me again, stealing the air from my lungs. I heard Oishi's voice, "Eiji! Eiji, you're killing her!" I laughed quietly.

"I'm fine Oishi-kun." I smiled at him as I switched from -san to -kun, looking over Eiji's shoulder. He smiled back.

"I'm glad, Chiaki-chan."

"Are you sure you're okay, Chiaki-san?" Taka's shy voice was heard, although Eiji's grip on me hadn't loosened at all.

"I'm fairly certain that I am okay, Taka-kun. And -chan, please..." I looked into Eiji's eyes and grabbed his shoulders lightly. "Eiji-kun... Everyone. Could you... Could you leave, please?"

Eiji, Oishi, Fuji, and Taka filed out, Eiji pouting at me. Momoshiro began to follow, before I said, "Momoshiro-san. Wait." He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to look at me. Everyone else left, with Oishi dragging Eiji out. Momoshiro looked at me blankly, and I'm fairly certain he didn't know what to say. My eyes shied away from him sheepishly.

"I guess... I guess I owe you an apology of epic proportions, huh?" He looked at me in shock, as if he couldn't believe I was trying to say sorry..

"It's not your fault. It was stupid of me to keep trying to -"

"Don't you dare try to apologize. It was my fault and we both know it, so shh." Momoshiro was quiet, and I was too for a moment.

"So... I admitted some pretty embarrassing shit back there, huh?" He laughed a bit, and nodded.

"Well... I guess... Friends don't poke fun at other friends' deepest secrets, do they, Momo-chan?"

He looked confused before grinning at me. "No, they don't Chiaki-san."

"Chiaki-chan, dumbass," I winked at him and grinned.

Kakeru, I'm glad that it was Momo in that park instead of you. Then things would've ended differently. But I meant every word of what I said. You can't control my life with that fear anymore, Kakeru. I'm not going to shut people out of my life because of what you did. And even though I can't hate you... I don't think I can ever be your Chi-Chi ever again.