Characters: Luke, Noah, Casey, Jade, Maddie, Holden, Lily, Damian, Mason
From Captain Tsubasa (crossover from anime): Kojiro Hyuga

Disclaimer: Me no own.

Pairings: You'll see ;p

Summary: This is a story about second chances, about finding your true self, your true path in life...and your true love...and sometimes, it's not who'd you imagined it would be...it's someone who'd you never, ever would've expected...

A.N.: Some Kind of Stranger is by the Sisters of Mercy; I think it suits this story perfectly ;)

I was going to list this in the 'crossover' fic section, but because the main focus is going to be on Luke and his new life (and love) I've decided to just keep this in the ATWT section.

Betas: kay_mika, omarandjohnny, and samuralatoya (thank you!!! :D)



"Noah...."

Luke Snyder stood in the middle of his living room, trying to register what Noah had just said. It didn't seem real...it couldn't be real...It just couldn't be! Because...

Because Noah had just said...that...that....

That he was in love.....With someone else....

"Wha- what - " Luke couldn't get his brain around this...

"I'm sorry, Luke...I'm so, so sorry." Noah said, his voice cracking with the pain he felt, knowing what these words meant to Luke. "I didn't mean for this to happen; it just -" Noah sighed. "I can't explain it."

"But - Noah....how? Who?" Luke was at loss. He swallowed. "It's - it's Mason...isn't it?" He said, finally speaking his fears of the past month or so; this past month that he and Noah didn't seem...connected...Noah was somehow distant, and every time Luke asked him what was wrong, Noah kept insisting everything was fine. But it wasn't....Luke knew that it wasn't. And nothing but the truth would abate his unnamed fear, no matter what Noah said to assure him otherwise.

"No, not Mason." Noah said numbly, shaking his head. He took a deep breath as he prepared himself to explain. "It's - it's Koji."

"Koji?" Luke asked, confused.

"Kojiro. Kojiro Hyuga. You know, our---my friend in Italy? We're -" Noah took another deep breath. "We're in love, Luke." Noah said quietly.

"In...in love?" Luke said those words which, before, held a very different meaning for him; now, now it meant his whole world was crashing down around him; that everything he once knew....he didn't know anymore...

"but Noah - I -- I thought- ---" Luke took a deep breath, trying to suppress a ragged sob, as he stepped closer to Noah. He looked into those pretty blue-grey eyes of the man he loved, searching, trying to find that look Noah used to have just for him....Noah averted his eyes, but when he did look up into Luke's lovely chocolate browns, it...it wasn't there anymore....it was a different expression he saw...one of pain, of guilt...of pity... Luke backed away, unable to recognize just who this person in front of him was...It wasn't Noah...it wasn't his Noah...not anymore....

"How did this happen?" Luke forced himself to ask. His breaking heart didn't really want to know, but he still couldn't believe what he was hearing; He just couldn't....how can Noah love someone else....after everything they'd been through together....after everything they'd meant to each other.... "I thought --- I thought you loved me....I thought we were past this, Noah...past this...this fear you have of getting close to anyone...."

"I am...." Noah said. "I am Luke, and it's all because of you, because you believed in me....but....I -" He swallowed. "I don't -- I love you, but, I'm not in love with you..." Luke closed his eyes trying not to let his tears escape as those fatal words tore through his heart like a knife. "But - you're - you're one of the most important people in the world to me, you're my best friend, you're --- "

"Your best friend?!" Luke exclaimed, some of the shock wearing off, and the pained anger welling up inside him was now boiling over. "Noah, I LOVE YOU. We were supposed to have a LIFE together. And not as your FRIEND."

"Luke - "

"Do you THINK I would have done everything I have for just a FRIEND?? Do you think I would have stood by you for MONTHS while you were married to Ameera? Do you THINK I would have followed you to Chicago to stop yourself from making the biggest mistake of your LIFE? Or stood by you, waited for you, over and over, when you were scared, when you needed time....my family, we opened our home to you... "

Noah tried to speak, but Luke, while so hurt, so angry, spoke in a more subdued voice: "You --- you're everything to me, Noah..." Luke's pretty brown eyes shone with spilled tears. He tried to caress Noah's face, but Noah moved his head away. "I'm sorry Luke." Noah said breathlessly. "I don't want to hurt you; Gods, Luke, you're the LAST person I ever want to hurt. You've done so -- " Noah took a breath as he tried to speak: " --- so much for me. No one has ever done as much, has cared so much about me....Luke, you helped me find who I am - YOU'RE the reason I am able to be myself..." Noah said, trying not to break down, himself; Luke was such a big part of his life; such a part of him...he honestly didn't want to know what his life would have been like had Luke not bulldozed his way into it. His whole world had changed because of Luke; He found his life, his true self because of this brilliant, passionate young man. And now to keep living the life he wanted, the life he was meant for, the love he was meant for, he had to break this beautiful young man's heart.....

"I tried to fight it, Luke..." Noah said, so pained at having to do this to Luke. "I fought it every step of the way, you've got to believe that; I couldn't think that....I could ever love someone else, anyone else but you...but I - " Noah took a deep breath, his voice shaky with emotion. "I'm in love with Kojiro, Luke...I love him, so much...I can't help it..." Noah said, trying to compose himself. To explain himself....hoping it would start to make sense, to Luke as well as himself....."We've been friends ever since I first met him after one of his soccer games, during my first trip to Italy." Noah sat down on his - their - couch, in their apartment. His and Luke's, which he'd be leaving for good in a couple of weeks. He explained: "We kept in touch after that, and well, you've met him..."

"Yeah." was all Luke could say, remembering the gorgeous soccer player with wild hair and intense dark eyes. "Go on." Luke said, still standing, his arms folded, an iciness forming to try to shield himself from some of the pain...But it wasn't working...He knew he shouldn't let Noah go on - he knew his heart couldn't take anymore...but the side of him that simply could not believe this was happening, had to know....

"Well..." Noah took another deep breath, as Luke wiped the tears off of his face. "We were friends, for awhile...then..." Noah stopped abruptly and stood up, "Luke I don't think you need to hear this; It's probably better I go - "

"No." Luke said firmly. "I want to hear this...I need to know."

Noah looked at him doubtfully, not sure if this was the right thing to do; For Gods' sake, he didn't want to put Luke through any more heartache... "No, Luke - really, you don't - "

"Yes, really, I do." Luke said evenly. "I need to know the truth...I need to know what happened to us Noah - you at least owe me that...you at least owe me the truth..."

Noah swallowed, and nodded; He knew Luke was right....Noah took a deep breath as he sat back down on the couch, as he prepared himself to tell Luke how it happened. This was not going to be easy...