Summary: What if you have a chance to go back to your past and change your life? What if you can live your life differently, make new choices? Will it make a difference? Or will making a different choice still take you down the same route? What if your decision changes the rest of your life and everything is different from what it is supposed to be? What would happen if you make the wrong choice?
The doorbell rang incessantly.
It was raining heavily outside and for that reason, filming was cancelled, which was why Eriol was taking a rare leisurely bath at home. He heard the doorbell but was loathed to give that up for whichever pest was at his door wanting to sell him whichever newest, useless invention. He let his head lolled back and his eyes slid shut in bliss. His aching muscles were soothed by the hot water. He worked too hard, but then again, what else did he have besides his work? He didn't have a family to come home to; he didn't have anything he was proud of, except his work, so why not work? Once upon a time, he had a motivation to return home to or so he thought. Now, that motivation was snatched away by the very person he called friend. A bitter, cynical smile curved his sensual lips as he thought that. Eriol knew better now.
The buzz of the doorbell made Eriol raise his head in annoyance. The salesperson just didn't know when to give up. Uttering an oath, Eriol climbed out of his Jacuzzi and grabbed a towel which he wrapped loosely about his trim waist, and yanked the bathroom door open, heading towards the living room, intending to give the inconsiderate salesperson a very huge piece of his mind.
"What the" - Eriol's snarl died a quick death on his lips when he nearly unhinged the door opening it, and saw who was at his doorstep.
It wasn't a pesky salesperson as he expected. No, it was much worse. It was the person he swore he'll never see again for the rest of his life. He almost didn't recognize him.
"Syaoran," Eriol said coldly, his eyes taking on a sudden chill. Eriol didn't know what his former best friend was doing here, neither did he want to know. All Eriol wanted was him to get off his property before he had the security forcibly evict him from here.
Syaoran stared dumbly at Eriol who was trying to bore holes into Syaoran's drenched and trembling body. Syaoran didn't know what he was doing here; he knew he shouldn't be here. Eriol was liable to murder him and Syaoran wouldn't blame him at all if he did. Belatedly, Syaoran wondered if he wasn't here hoping that Eriol would indeed kill him and put an end to his miserable life.
"Are you done staring at me? If you are, get off my property before I have you arrested for trespassing." Eriol's tone was quiet and quite calm, but his eyes were a different matter entirely; they were spitting fire at Syaoran. If looks could kill, Syaoran would be but a pile of ash at Eriol's feet now.
Syaoran shook his head and suddenly found humor in the situation. He started laughing, "I gave up our friendship so that I can regret it, when Sakura died and I find out that she's loved me these past 10 years but I was too pigheaded to realize it until it was too late, all for a woman I didn't love at all." Eriol stared at the laughing man for a long moment, absorbing the very long sentence he was just fed. Eriol had heard that Sakura died on Syaoran and Tomoyo's wedding day. He'd wanted to turn up for her funeral but didn't because he didn't want to see Tomoyo or Syaoran. Eriol still hadn't forgiven them what they'd done to him.
To Eriol, there were no excuses for betrayal. But Eriol did go back there the day after the funeral to see Sakura. He brought her her favorite flowers, peonies. Sakura loved them for the simple reason that they were the first flowers Syaoran gave her.
It was the first and last time Syaoran gave her flowers. Eriol still remembered how still Sakura went when Syaoran dumped those flowers into her arms. Syaoran didn't even buy them; he'd picked them in the countryside. Eriol was with him then, Syaoran had saw those peonies and had made Eriol pull over at the side of the road while he got out and picked them. Eriol had watched in amusement and he ribbed Syaoran about it all day long.
"If I get a ticket because of you and your flowers, Syaoran, I swear I will make you eat it up!" Eriol threatened. Syaoran just laughed good-naturedly, knowing it for the empty threat it was. Eriol stood by and watched for a moment before sighing and going to help his friend. But his kind gesture wasn't appreciated. Syaoran looked over at Eriol and immediately frowned.
"What are you doing Eriol?" he'd demanded.
Eriol looked at his friend in exasperation, "What does it look like I'm doing? Picking apples? I'm helping you, dumbbell."
"I would appreciate it if you didn't help me," was Syaoran's reply. Eriol dropped the peonies he'd picked and searched Syaoran's expression, trying to ascertain if he was serious. He was.
"Fine, I won't interfere," Eriol stood up, a grin breaking out on his face as he watched Syaoran gathered the peonies clumsily, trying to pick the blooms without demolishing them completely in his grip. Eriol decided that men just weren't cut out to gather flowers; their big hands would crush every delicate blossom, but Syaoran was trying his hardest not to mutilate those fragile beauties.
"Why peonies, Syaoran? Can't you get those at a florist or something? At least those peonies won't look like they've been through a blender," Eriol finally couldn't help his curiosity.
By then, Syaoran had picked a huge armful and was very satisfied with his handiwork. He stood up and strode to the car and got in. he wanted until they were on the road before answering Eriol, "Peonies because they're simple and beautiful, like Sakura. You don't notice peonies, but they beautify the scene without grabbing your attention, just like Sakura. You don't realize Sakura's beautiful until you put her into a room you thought was dull and suddenly, because she's there, the room seems lovelier than ever, that's the effect she has on people. Sakura's wild and so untamed, she wasn't cultivated, not made, she's natural, that's the only word I can find to describe her," Syaoran gave Eriol a lopsided grin, "like these beauties here."
Eriol chuckled, "You really like her?"
Syaoran considered that for a moment, "As a sister, I feel for her the way I would for a younger sibling, that's all."
Syaoran had been in self-denial then, Eriol knew. But Eriol had also kept silent about it. "Maybe it was partially your fault that Tomoyo broke up with you to be with him, maybe it's your fault that all of them are suffering now because you chose to keep your thoughts to yourself and not given Syaoran any advice. Maybe this is your punishment," Eriol's conscience whispered snidely to him. Eriol quickly shook it off, an easy task from long practice.
"I don't know why I'm here, maybe I just wanted to apologize for what I did to you. But this thing between us can never be settled with a simple apology," Syaoran stated softly now that he'd sobered and had stopped laughing. He looked at Eriol through clear eyes even though the rest of him was pretty much a mess. "I ruined my life, your life, Tomoyo's life and Sakura's. There's no way I can make it up to Sakura now, but I can right the wrong I did to you and Tomoyo."
"I don't need you to make amends, just get the hell away from me before I give in to my urge to murder you," a threat made softly was more lethal than one made loudly, at least that applied to Eriol. Still, Syaoran didn't step back and make any move to leave.
"She's home right now, crying her eyes out." Syaoran closed his eyes in anguished as he relived the scene earlier in his house. "She read Sakura's diary, she knows that Sakura was in love with me all along. She also knows that I didn't love her as much as I thought I did. As we thought I did. She's probably questioning her own feelings for me." Syaoran opened his eyes and pinned Eriol with his steady gaze, "She needs you now."
Eriol gave Syaoran a look that eloquently told him that he didn't give a damn whether Tomoyo needs him or not. "I'll give you ten seconds to get off my property, if I still see you here when I get back, I swear I'll call the cops then." Eriol slammed the door shut in Syaoran's face. Syaoran stood motionless for all of five seconds before he turned and trudged off Eriol's property, a heavy weight on his shoulders.
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Author's Note: Kind of a dark chapter but hey look! Our dear Eriol finally came into scene in the future part of the story.
Oh yes, for the flower I didn't pick cherry blossoms as Sakura's favourite because it would of been very hard to pick. Instead it was Syaoran's favourite, peonies. They're very pretty too, hehe, and it fitted the story better.
Well I didn't get very many reviews at all last chapter, was it that bad? *tear* I hope to get more comments for this one. Anyways, that would be all, later! ^_~