Thank you for continuing to support me! I've been busy - but I know everyone else probably is too, so I can't just leave you all hear. Anyway, I've been looking at this chapter a lot - and there are somethings that I thought you might not understand. But when I tried to change things - they just looked wrong. So, I hope it isn't confusing, or strange in anyway. I actually really like this chapter for some reason.

Disclaimer: Don't own Prince of Tennis...but wait, I have a DVD! Does that mean? No...nevermind...

Anyway, hope you enjoy it! I'm off to do my homework. Blergh.

It had been nagging him all night, and he hadn't gotten to sleep on time at all. Oishi was tired and wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep all the worries and confusion away and wake up to a new day where he could just forget. But that wasn't the case, instead, everytime he laid down and closed his eyes Fuji's voice, the piercing realization and now the painful thoughts on what he was supposed to do about it. To most people, the answer would be simply - move out and then no one would be hurt. After a while feelings would fade and the whole situation would dissapear in a haze of a memory.

Except it hadn't, and it wasn't going to.

Eiji had said Fuji told him two weeks after Oishi had moved in. That was hardly enough time to realize you were in love with two people and decided that you wanted them both. Though Oishi hadn't exactly had such an experience, so maybe it was possible to do such a thing in two weeks. But he knew Tezuka and Fuji better than that, he knew that this was important for them. They would never risk their relationship together or their friendship with him over a whim or a silly thought they had one day.

He couldn't help but feel horrible, especially if they had waited long for him. How long had he lived in absolute obliviousness while they simply watched and hoped, until it finally came to this. How was it that he seemed to be the only person surprised by the whole situation? He was almost afraid to know how long the whole thing had gone on, and yet he felt like he needed to know.

Oishi yawned as he walked out into the Living Room, expecting both Tezuka and Fuji to most likely be awake. They both stayed up watching whatever drama happened to be on and then slept in impossibly late. He shuffled slowly toward the couch, slightly surprised and grateful that the tv was off and only one lamp lighted the room near the couch. Tezuka sat, a book in hand, mostly likely one of the play's he read when he felt like he needed to 'relax'. Fuji lay with his head on Tezuka's lap, stretched out on the rest of the couch, seemingly asleep at this point. Oishi took a deep breath, too tired to really be too nervous at this point and sat on the floor at the opposite end of the couch, leaning back against the couch and wishing so desperately that he had a pillow.

"Ne, Tezuka." Oishi's voice sounded sleepy even to himself and he barely stopped himself from yawn as he continued his sentance. "Its a weird question, but...when did it all start. The both of you liking me, I mean."

He wasn't sure if Tezuka was surprised by the directness of his question of trying to really think about the answer. Oishi didn't mind too much, there was something about being out here that helped him relax. Being alone made him think too much as he curled into himself to keep warm, feeling strangely alone in his own bed in comparison the warm embrace he had experienced a few days ago.

"For the both of us, our final year of High School." Tezuka said softly, as though he were picturing some moment in his mind. The way he said 'for the both of us' made Oishi think that perhaps he had felt something for even longer. "It was a few weeks before graduation that we both realized it."

"A few weeks before graduation..." Oishi repeated quietly to himself, the truth taking its time to sink in. He stared at the floor as his eyes widened with the realization of what that actually meant. Five years, at least, that they had both had these feelings for him. How? How is that even possible? "Why...?"

"Love isn't always rational is it?" Tezuka said, almost to himself. Oishi could feel Tezuka's eyes on him without looking up. "This must be very hard for you."

"A little overwhelming." Oishi said with a sigh. "But it isn't very fair to you is it? I'm sorry I'm being so difficult."

"You aren't." Tezuka said immediatly, then added firmly. "You have every right to feel uncomfortable. We should be the ones to apologize."

"It isn't your fault." Oishi said, yawning as he added. "Love is irrational, na?"

There was a pause, surprisingly not uncomfortable as the words he heard took their true meaning. He was tired, in the morning he knew he would freak out and worry, but now he felt so completely calm and more levelheaded than he had in weeks. Maybe this was why Tezuka and Fuji stayed up late, they were too tired to be freaked out by anything and thus remained calm all the time. But still, he couldn't help but feel guilty, it wasn't right for him to do this to them.

"I think it might best..." Oishi closed his eyes as he continued. "..if I do move out for, at least a while. I need to think about it, but I don't like to think that my presence is hurting you in anyway. It wouldn't be fair of me to let you wait, while I'm too afraid to really think about it."

"Syuuchiro, it is perfectly fine for you to be-" Tezuka began, suddenly serious as the forbidden subject came up.

"Kunimitsu." Oishi never used Tezuka's given name, unless it slipped out by accident. It felt normal to call Tezuka - Tezuka and Oishi valued normality. "I won't continue to burden you anymore."

"You must be tired." Oishi could swear he heard a hint of something like fear in Tezuka's voice. "It is too late to be discussing this, we can talk about it in the morning."

"Why can't we talk about it now?" Oishi demanded, eyes opening as he turned around to look at Tezuka. "Anytime I bring it up, you always change the topic and it isn't fair. What does it matter to you whether or not I leave?"

"Because the thought of you leaving hurts much more, than you being here." Tezuka answered immediatly, amazingly calm but completely sincere. "This is good enough. And if you want, just being here is all you have to do."

"Tezuka..." Oishi couldn't seem to think of anything that quite matched that. Tezuka was right, if Oishi really wanted to he could tell both Tezuka and Fuji to stop. His fears, uncomfortableness and shyness about the whole topic had yet to lead him to saying 'no'. Saying 'no' had never actually crossed his mind to begin with, the choice had never been between yes and no in his mind. His 'maybe' was the only answer he felt confident enough to give, because that felt right.

"I wish you would call me Kunimitsu." Tezuka sounded almost wistful, which was ridiculous because Tezuka never wished and waited, he made things happen. This was a side of Tezuka that most intrigued and scared Oishi at the same time.

"I can't it..." sounds to intimate. Oishi looked away, staring at the wall as he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Thats fine." Tezuka said, not sounding dissapointed, but instead understanding. "It is late. Could you help me get Syuusuke to our room?"

"What?" Oishi turned to look at Fuji who hadn't moved at all during the whole conversation. His chest was rising and falling steadily, as he was still locked in a deep sleep. He looked rather peaceful, somewhat less intimidating than when he was awake at least. "Sure."

Together they managed to carry a completely knocked out Fuji into the bedroom and lay him down. Oishi couldn't help but pull the covers over him, absently brushing a strand of hair out of his face and smiling despite himself. It really was rather sweet, and Oishi almost felt envious of both Fuji and Tezuka. They got to be comfortable with eachother, and he'd have to go to his own lonely bedroom and get so lost in his thoughts that he would never actually get to sleep. He bit his lip and took a deep breath before turning to leave, stopping as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You can stay, if you want." Tezuka said, looking Oishi directly in the eye. "You seemed lonely."

"I wouldn't want to - " Oishi cut off his sentance as he saw the look Tezuka was giving him. He looked at the floor and the hand slipped off his shoulder as Tezuka walked across the room to get ready. Maybe...just tonight..? It was so tempting and yet so against what he had determined would be his desicion making proccess. Though most of the barriers he had set and been broken already, so really, this wouldn't be anything big.

He managed to convince himself as he slowly walked over to the bed, feeling slightly odd as he slipped between the covers on Fuji's right, unsure of how close to actually get to Fuji before he felt even more uncomfortable then he felt already. Yet he could feel the heat radiating off of Fuji's skin, a few inches away - the warmth he wanted so badly. He bit his lip, resisitng to urge to inch closer, closing his eyes as the lights went off and he felt Tezuka slip into bed on the other side of Fuji. It wasn't as bad in the dark, and just being in here and knowing they were here comforted him. He didn't have the warmth that he wanted yet, but he knew there were certain obstacles and things about himself he would have to overcome before he could ever get something like that of his own will.

Tezuka was right, for now, this would be enough. The soft breathing and the warmth just out of his reach, yet close enough to ease his thoughts. It wasn't perfect, but it was just enough.

Hmm, next chapter might take a while. Having some issues with it, but no fear, I've got everything under control.

Love ya,

Tabis