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?
Eriol first tried Syaoran's house, but he wasn't there, so he went to several pubs near Syaoran's place that he knew Syaoran had been frequenting but no one had seen him there that night, at least not yet. In the end, Eriol found Syaoran at the basketball court, playing a game of solitary basketball. "Well, at least he's not sober," Eriol said to himself, watching Syaoran dribbling the orange ball around the court before trying to sink the ball in the hoop – and failed.
The ball hit the board and fell over Syaoran's head, out of bounds. Syaoran didn't even bother to look where the ball went. He simply bent forward, his hands on his knees, his head down. It was a posture that told Eriol of the defeat Syaoran felt. Eriol quietly strode over to Syaoran, his sneakers making no noise on the hard floor. But Eriol knew that Syaoran was aware of his approaching. He stopped a few feet from his friend but made no move to touch him. Eriol didn't say anything for the longest time. He simply watched Syaoran trying to ignore his presence.
In the end, Syaoran was the one who acknowledge him when he turned his head towards Eriol, and not looking him in the face, asked, "What do you want?"
Eriol didn't answer him, instead, he asked, "What do you want?"
Syaoran frowned and straightened. He stared at Eriol full on the face, his frown ferocious but intimidating Eriol not one bit. Eriol knew him well enough to know that Syaoran's bark was worse than his bite. Eriol repeated his question, "What do you want?"
"What do you mean what do I want?" Syaoran snapped, striding away from Eriol, clearly irritated with him. He was in no mood for Eriol's word games; he was in enough trouble, he didn't need more. Syaoran wasn't a glutton for punishment, even though it certainly looked that way now.
Eriol caught Syaoran's arm as he passed by him, forcing Syaoran to halt and look at Eriol's hand on his arm in confusion. "You love her," Eriol said simply, after a moment's lapse. Syaoran blinked at the sudden leap in subject, but he wasn't shocked. No, he already guessed that was why Eriol was here. Eriol was already by his side ready to give him advice whenever Syaoran needed it.
Inexplicably, Syaoran's temper blew up. He jerked his arm out of Eriol's hold and gave him a stare so full of anger that so surprised Eriol that he instinctively took a step away from Syaoran.
"Stop it! Just back off!" Syaoran's voice was a shout. Eriol took another step away from him. "I know I love Sakura, I knew it when I first saw her, and I know it now when I've so thoroughly screwed things up with her. I don't know what went wrong, but something obviously did go wrong because she ran out on me! And what did clever old me do? Go after her like all sensible, coherent men would? No, I had to stand there gawking open-mouthed like some retard then drink myself into a stupor. I had to be a coward and hide here playing," Syaoran looked in disgust at the basketball sitting all alone at the corner of the court, "basketball, instead of going over to her house and asking her what the problem was!" The anger went out of him then and his shoulders and head drooped in defeat. "I've screwed things up royally now haven't I?" his voice was so quiet with self-loathing now, that it was nearly inaudible. But Eriol heard every word clearly.
He shook his head but Syaoran didn't see it. He was too busy berating himself over being a coward that Eriol had to grab him by the shoulder and forced him to look at him before he would pay attention. "Listen to me Syaoran. Forget all about what you perceived you'd done wrong. It done now and you can't undo it no matter how much you want it to. Forget about all of it and give you and Sakura a brand new start. You love her and I'll tell you something else. Sakura loves you too. You don't have to look so surprised. You shouldn't be surprised. Anyone with eyes at all could see that the girl worships the ground you walk on. The look in her eyes every time you look at her should tell you enough.
"All that's hindering the both of you is misunderstanding. It can be solved if you quit wallowing in self-pity and actually do something to make her know you love her too." Eriol shook Syaoran. "You're unhappy, so you drink; what do you think Sakura's been doing?"
Realization struck.
"She's been crying?" Syaoran's insides twisted to know that when he's been torturing himself about his so-called shortcomings, Sakura's been crying all because of his lack of self-confidence. He really was an idiot! "She's been crying over me?"
"That and she'd been going out to pick fresh peonies every single day without fail. If that doesn't prove that she loves you, I don't know what else would."
Syaoran was floored. Sakura loves him. Sakura actually loves him despite his continual mess-ups. She loves him! A grin spread slowly across his face and his turned twinkling eyes to Eriol. "Sakura's as much in love with me as I am with her." Eriol shook his head, barely hiding his exasperation.
"What do you think I've been trying to tell you these past few minutes? The weather?"
Syaoran ignored Eriol's sarcasm and started walking off the court. "Where do you think you're going?" Eriol watched him go with a slight smile. Eriol had a pretty good idea where Syaoran was heading.
"To someone who needs me as much as I need her," came Syaoran's answer. He didn't bother to stop or turn to relay that piece of information; he just kept on walking, leaving an amused and relieved Eriol behind. Eriol hoped that his friend wouldn't screw this up again.
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Author's Note: Oh boy, is this a good thing or a bad thing? I'll let you readers decide, hehe. Things are getting a little more involving again and dilemas are reappearing. Hope for the best next chapter, and plead I'm not in a cruel mood! Well thanks for the reviews and keep on commenting. That makes me happy and it might help in my writing... ^_~
P.S.- Back to school *sigh* I'll try to update ASAP but please bare with me if I don't.