Author's Note: Hi, back with the eighteenth chapter. I think I'll wrap this story up in a couple more chapters. I want to thank everyone who reviewed, you people are the best! I have another story planned and it's almost ready, I just have to work out a few details and I'll start writing the first chapter. Anyways...wow, over 100 reviews, truly amazing! I didn't think this story would be all that popular considering the pairing but I was wrong. Thanks again to my lovely reviewers. Onto the story. (I had my friend read this chapter to see if I could improve it and she said it sounded like a soap opera...that doesn't sound good...)

Disclaimer: I don't own PoT/TnO...yeah, we've been through this many times.

Chapter Eighteen

Tezuka's hand froze, stopping midway from reaching Oishi. A momentary flash of emotion streaked across Tezuka's face. Inside, his heart beat wildly, his mind spinning. Was it true that Oishi finally remembered? More importantly, was Oishi ever going to forgive Tezuka.

"Oishi," Tezuka called, his voice barely above a whisper.

Oishi's shoulders stiffened as the green-eyed player turned slowly back towards the other. "H-Hai?" he answered, just as softly. His breath came in short spurts, as if the whole weight of the incident bore down upon, squeezing the breath from his lungs, constricting his chest until it became almost painful. Suffocating. His newly wounded heart struggled to beat with the same force it had just moments before and it too, stung like the harshest whips upon bare flesh.

Oishi tried gallantly not to shed the tears of pain that were threatening to spill forth as he looked into Tezuka's eyes. Guilt, frustration, and despair all looked back at him, reflected in Tezuka's eyes. His eyes communicated to Oishi all the emotions the captain was incapable of expressing on his features. "You…" Tezuka started, finding he was unable to continue. It was just too hard.

Oishi looked away and asked gently, "Why?"

Tezuka stared at the other for a moment. "Why what?" Tezuka asked.

Oishi angrily turned back around. "Why did you push me away so roughly?" Oishi demanded, tears beginning their glistening, painful descent down Oishi's face. "I…I told you I loved you. I gathered up all my courage just to tell you and you…" Oishi fell silent, unable to go on, he held a hand over his mouth. Before Tezuka could speak, Oishi stood up abruptly and yanked open the door. Letting out one heart-wrenching sob, Oishi sped out of the changing room, leaving Tezuka with tears down his face too.

The other Seigaku regulars had already gathered around the courts, discussing what might be happening in the changing room. All the talking ceased when they saw Oishi run past them, hand still over his mouth, tears running steadily.

"Oishi-senpai?" Momoshiro asked, as he watched said fukubuchou run by.

He chased after Oishi and caught his senpai by the arm. "What happened?" he asked. Oishi said nothing, letting the tears speak for him. The other regulars ran after the junior and all stared at the broken fukubuchou.

"He's crying," Ryoma said.

"Oishi-senpai," Kaidoh said.

"Oishi?" Kawamura called. "Are you alright?"

The tears only seemed to come down faster as Oishi shook his head and refused to answer.

Fuji turned back to the changing room. 'Tezuka.' He thought. Narrowing his eyes, Fuji ran back to the changing room.

Tezuka walked out of the changing room and was greeted by a furious looking Fuji. His azure eyes opened wide and focused their intense glare at the stoic buchou. "Tezuka," Fuji called out, his voice strained.

"Fuji," Tezuka greeted, thankful his voice did not betray his emotions.

"Go after him!" Fuji shouted. Tezuka merely closed his eyes and sighed.

"He hates me,"

"He does not!"

"HE DOES!" Tezuka screamed, his fists tightly clenched at his sides. Tezuka rarely lost control but enough was enough. After all he had been through, all that he endured just to find Oishi and make him remember, it was all for nothing. He had lost Oishi for a second time, he was sure of it. "He's gone." He whispered.

"Tezuka!" Fuji shouted, his eyes blazing. "Go after him! Straighten things out!"

"It's too late," Tezuka mumbled.

Strolling up to the stubborn captain, Fuji harshly slapped Tezuka. Pain blossomed on Tezuka's cheek but it hardly compared to the throbbing and aching he felt in his heart. He stood silent as Fuji raised his hand again. "Tezuka," Fuji said gently, placing his hand on the reddening flesh. "Go."

The set look in Fuji's eyes gave Tezuka the extra push he needed. Nodding, Tezuka took off running. 'Please,' Tezuka thought frantically. 'Let me reach him this time.' He came upon the ring of regulars that surrounded Oishi. It tore at his heart to see the tears still making their way down Oishi's face.

"Buchou," Ryoma greeted.

Oishi looked to Tezuka through his tear-glazed eyes. He stiffened and prepared to run but a firm on his wrist stopped him. "Oishi," Tezuka called softly.

"Please, let go," Oishi whispered.

"Iie," Tezuka said firmly.

"Tezuka-buchou?" Momoshiro said.

"Momoshiro," Tezuka addressed. "There is still cleanup."

"Hai," Momoshiro said. "Let's go!"

"Don't order me around," Kaidoh hissed.

"Baka, it's no the time," Momoshiro said.

"Fsssh," was Kaidoh's reply.

The other regulars walked back to the courts to continue cleanup, each of them aware that Tezuka and Oishi needed some time. When the regulars were out of hearing distance, Tezuka turned back to Oishi, whose wrist he still held.

"Let go, Tezuka."

"Not until we've talked," Tezuka said.

"There's nothing to talk about," Oishi said quietly. He gently eased his wrist from Tezuka's grasp and stepped back.

"Oishi," Tezuka growled. "You know that's not true!"

"It is," Oishi shouted, momentarily losing control. Hanging his head dejectedly, he said softer, "I have to go."

Oishi turned and began to walk away, but then, Tezuka moved forward and embraced the fukubuchou. Oishi's eyes widened in surprise as he felt Tezuka's arms envelop him. "I'm sorry," he heard Tezuka murmur as said captain's arms tightened their hold. Feeling the tears start to flow again, Oishi shook his head. He knew he could never hate Tezuka, even if he did break his heart. Oishi loved him too much and couldn't bring himself to feel any malice or any resentment towards Tezuka. Even if he was mad, like he was right now, he knew he could never hold a grudge against his childhood friend. He just couldn't. There was no explanation.

Oishi pulled free of Tezuka's embrace and turned to face Tezuka. As the crystalline tears once again began to fall, Oishi said. "Kami-sama, I can't do it. I can't hate you or be angry with you no matter how much I want to."

"Oishi," Tezuka called out, the edges of his eyes glistening.

This time, Oishi instigated the hug and wrapped his arms around the captain. "I forgive you," Oishi whispered against Tezuka's shirt. "For everything." Tezuka stood still for a moment before returning Oishi's embrace and wrapping his arms around the fukubuchou.

They stayed like that for a moment, lost in their own little world.

"Nya!"

The shout forced the two to come back to reality and they quickly pulled apart. "It's Eiji," Oishi said, making his way back to the courts. Tezuka followed silently after, wondering what could have caused the acrobatics player to shout.

When Tezuka and Oishi made their way back to the courts, Oishi froze.

"Atobe!" Oishi exclaimed. What was the Hyotei buchou doing at Seigaku?

Said Hyotei buchou had Eiji's arm in his grasp and by the look on Eiji's face, a painful one.

"Oishi," Atobe greeted calmly.

Author's Note: Oh my god, can you say corny and cheesy at the end of this chapter? Ugh, not as good as I had thought but hopefully it worked out okay. Now that I read back, my friend was right...it is a soap opera. Oh man! Well anyways, was this chapter good? Bad? Too dramatic? Please let me know!

Read and Review! Arigatou!