Nyah! Guess who is sick and writing fanfiction? Moi. Lol, I am sick, but more importantly, I have two days off of school and I would've felt horrible if I didn't post this. Anyway, once again, thanks everyone for supporting me! This has been so much fun, ne? . I love that everyone is enjoying this fic!

Disclaimer: Incase you've been absent the last 15 chapters; I don't own Prince of Tennis.

Enjoy the story!

Ps.If you don't know already, go check out 'The Story of Br'er Oishi' by way of my profile it actually does have something to do with this, so I think you'll actually like it. Give you a break from all this angst 333

Oishi was sure Tezuka and Fuji knew he was avoiding them. It wasn't like he was exactly trying to hide it. He knew the excuses he made to get out of the house were stupid and so did they. But they also knew it was their fault Oishi was upset and thus had no right to tell him what he command him to stay at home (Though had it been any other situation, this would have been just fine). So Oishi stayed late at school, went out with his friends - not actually telling Tezuka and Fuji that - and sometimes he just needed to get out and walk before he suffocating in that forever pressing cloud of tension.

So maybe this is a little unfair... Oishi sighed as he looked out the window of the little café. He was supposed to be reading a book, though in all honesty had held the same page open for at least twenty minutes and barely touched the tea he had ordered. He had been like this for a while now and it was becoming a problem - all of it. Ever since he had found out everything he had ever counted as normal seemed to fall out of place and were trying to rearrange themselves into places they shouldn't fit. Yet he couldn't bring himself to think about a solution - if he said no he would feel like he was lying and saying yes seemed really uncomfortable. Whatever he decided ended up seeming like a mistake.

"Oishi!"

Oishi immediately snapped out of his thoughts as he looked over at the door, blinking in surprise and confusion. "Eiji?"

"Oishi! I haven't seen you in forever!" He grinned as he leaned down and hugged Oishi tightly.

"Eiji, you call me almost every other day." Oishi said gently, smiling a real smile for the first time in weeks. "And my texting bill is ridiculous because of you."

"Hehe..sorry about that." Eiji said sheepishly as he pulled away and rubbed the back of his head. Suddenly he turned around, looking as though he were searching for someone. "Gaku-chan?"

"Oi. Why did I have to come?" Gakuto didn't look particularly happy as he walked over to the table. He punched Eiji lightly on the arm as he said. "Next time you drag me along, don't leave me at the bus stop."

"I thought you were following!" Eiji protested as he reached up to smooth down Gakuto's hair.

"Whatever. I know you care more about Oishi than me." Gakuto turned away huffily, refusing to look at Eiji.

Oishi could barely hold in a laugh as he watched Eiji trying to reason with Gakuto without insulting him. It was amazing really, considering how both of them were incredibly sensitive and over protective when it came to their reputations. Most people would see each of them as selfish and thus incapable of living and having a functioning relationship with someone else exactly like them. But some how they managed, and Oishi might have been a little bit jealous..but only a little.

"Anyway," Eiji slung an arm around Gakuto's neck, though it looked rather like a choke-hold than a loving gesture - at least by the way Gakuto was gasping and trying to pull away. "Fuji told me you've been feeling off, so we came to help."

"He wanted to help." Gakuto ground out as he tried to pull away from Eiji. "There isn't any help for this kind of unresolved sexual tens-" He squawked indignantly and Eiji tightened his hold.

"We wanted to know if there was anything we could do for you." Eiji was still smiling - reminding Oishi rather uneasily of Fuji.

"Thank you Eiji, but this is probably something I have to figure out for myself." Oishi shook his head as he looked away.

"Oishi." Eiji frowned and let go of Gakuto. "Have you actually been thinking about this?"

"Of course I have..." Oishi started and then realized this was Eiji and there was no point to lying.

"..not." Eiji sighed, disappointed, and sat across from Oishi. "You are making this way too complicated."

"But it is complicated." Oishi groaned dejectedly.

"Tezuka and Fuji aren't asking you to marry them and have their kid." Eiji rolled his eyes. He pulled some money out of his pocket and held it out to Gakuto who was rubbing his neck unhappily. "Something hot." Eiji winked as Gakuto scowled and walked up to counter. Turning back to Oishi he continued. "They just want to know how you feel."

"But I don't know how I feel."

"How do you not know how you feel?"

Oishi was silent and looked out the window once more. Well, that certaintly was a valid question - one that he didn't have an answer for. He knew what he was feeling, but hated to think that he was stalling because of that - because he might be afriad. Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Gakuto returned and handed Eiji his drink. The other grinned and whispered in his ear and they both laughed. It was sweet, uncomplicated - the exact opposite of Oishi's situation.

"Look Oishi, I think this may be the best for you. " Eiji said earnestly. "Maybe you could just...try it."

"Try..it?" Oishi repeated, unable to stop the blush that spread across his face. Try what? Unfortunately Oishi did realize what Eiji meant by 'trying it'. 'Trying it' meant not pulling away or protesting when Fuji and Tezuka tried to touch him. It meant no more making excuses and giving into the impulses he had been resisting until now. "And how exactly would that help me?"

"Well, there was one idea..." Eiji was suddenly cheerful again, grinning ear to ear. "But you have to trust me, okay?"

"Depends on what it is." Oishi said quickly, not sparing any precaution in this type of situation.

"I can't tell you right now." Eiji got up, grabbing Gakuto's arm. "But it involves a trip to the mall and we don't have a lot of time."

"Wait, what?" Oishi blinked but rose to follow Eiji and Gakuto. He knew he had potentially put himself into some sort of danger by following those two. It was tii vad ge was desperate enough to take any suggestion he could get.

"He isn't here." Tezuka closed the door behind them as he followed a step behind Fuji. It was a small, quiet place, exactly where they would expect to find Oishi anytime - except now.

"I was sure he would be here." Fuji frowned as he glanced around quickly before heading to the counter. "I'll be right back."

Tezuka sighed as he moved away from the door and slowly looked around. He didn't want to tell Fuji, but this was getting to be...too much. Of course he wanted this, and would be ecstatic if Oishi accepted, but he was concerned. Tezuka was concerned that he was slowly losing his best friend and that he was being selfish by forcing Oishi to make this decision. He knew that Oishi was feeling guilty, afraid and confused and was doing his best to blame himself for making both Tezuka and Fuji wait. Oishi was misunderstanding and over thinking the situation, which was something Tezuka probably should have anticipated - should have taken into consideration before this whole thing had started.

"He really is trying." Fuji said as he returned, trying to hide his disappointment. "Though exactly what...I'm not sure."

"He is avoiding us." Tezuka stated grimly and then continued. "Because he is scared."

"That would be true, ne?" Fuji mused and added softly. "But just what is he afraid of..."

As well as he knew Oishi, Tezuka couldn't come up with an answer for that.

--

"You, Oishi, are afraid of change." Eiji announced diplomatically as they stood outside of a store with a glowing neon sign that said 'NEW-leveL'.

"If you say so." Oishi didn't sound convinced and was quite preoccupied with looking past Eiji into the store. It was mostly dark with rows of equally dark looking clothes. He really couldn't imagine why anyone could shop in a store where they could barely see what they were picking out. "Is there any specific reason we're here?"

"To give you the confidence you need to become a new person, by trying new things!"

"And how will this end up helping me?" Oishi wondered where Gakuto had gone and wishing he would come back and distract Eiji.

"You don't understand now, but you will soon." Eiji grabbed Oishi's arm and pulled him into the store before he could protest. "You'll be a brand new you!"

--

"Eiji, these are huge! They keep falling down!"

"Isn't this a girl's shirt?"

"Is there supposed to be a hole there?"

"I can't wear fishnets...no none of it!"

"No, absolutely no-, Hey!"

--

It took nearly two hours and a whole lot of embaressment for them to finally leave the NEW-leveL. As per usual, Oishi was still protesting and Eiji was still not listening, not to mention the people in the store were still amused as they left. It was lucky that was the only place Eiji forcing Oishi to go because apparently they were on a tight schedule. Of course Oishi didn't bother to ask because he knew he wouldn't get a straight answer anyway.

Finally they arrived back at the house which was - thankfully - empty and Eiji was currently trying to push Oishi toward the shower and putting on his new clothes.

"Hurry up, Oishi." Eiji said as he passed the bag to him. "You wanted help, so here you go."

"This isn't going to help me." Oishi stared at the bag with doubt and then tried to hand them back. "I really appreciate it though. I just don't think I can do this..."

"Oishi.."

"What?" Fuji stared at Tezuka in shock. "What do you mean by 'give up'?"

"This is really too much, Fuji." Tezuka said softly. His voice was determined, yet he refused to look Fuji in the eye. "None of this should have happened."

"How can you say that?" Fuji could scarcely believe what he was hearing. While he knew Tezuka had always been hesitant about letting Oishi know - he had never though Tezuka would use the words 'give up'. Wasn't this the stubborn fool who almost ruined his arm just for his Junior High Tennis team? The thought of Tezuka giving up on something that Fuji knew was so important to him was alarming.

"I don't - I won't allow us to worry him any more." Tezuka shook his head as though trying to convince himself that this was the best choice. "I love him too much to cause him more stress."

"How could you do this to yourself?" Fuji wondered. How could you do this to me? To us? He reached across the table and grabbed Tezuka's hand. At once his boyfriend looked up - this time actually looking at Fuji. He could see that Tezuka's eyes told a different story - one of longing and fear. The thought that he might lose his best friend - that he was causing one of the people he loved pain, it was tearing him apart. But still...

"Because I love both you, and him." Fuji brought Tezuka's hand to his lips. "I can't allow you to give up on this."

This used to be a really long chapter, but I split it into two parts and you will see why. Something actually happens -shockhorrorface- I totally ruined it, but I want you guys to get pumped. Besides, this is the last part of the story that is somewhat normal - the rest is something like highly potent crack -because this story has been totally normal so far-

Love as always,

Tabis