Chapter 10: "A Sky Full of Stars"

Silence fell as the limo pulled off from Emerald Residence. Everybody in the car was tense now, including Yue, Brad –who was driving— and Syaoran himself. Yet it was a relief they had managed to get out of the building without being followed by paparazzi or reporters. Thanks to Eriol, who had led the way to the emergency exit and private elevator.

Syaoran couldn't hide his anger, clenching his fist tight. There was no way Tuck Cole could get away from this. Ever. They still had an unfinished business, and he better be careful. Next time, Syaoran wouldn't be so kind.

Sakura's sobs snapped him out of his thoughts. She was crying, burying her face in his shoulder.

"Shhh… It's okay now," he soothed her, his arms wrapped around her.

She just nodded in response.

His jaw tightened. If it wasn't for her own good, he would dash back to the party now and finish the bastard himself. Yet it would do no good in the long run. It would only jeopardize their future.

The ride was torturing; it felt like forever. By the time they reached the hotel, she was already asleep, tired from crying. As usual, the car went through the basement for the VVIP route.

"Sakura, we've arrived already," he whispered.

She didn't wake up, her head still laid on his shoulder.

He didn't want to disturb her either so he carried her in his arms, stepping out from the car. Yue and Brad followed suit. They entered the elevator, which then stopped when they finally reached the destination floor.

He carried her along the deserted corridor, halted in front of his room and turned his head to Yue and Brad, who had worries written on their faces. "It's okay. You guys can leave and rest now," he told them.

They understood. Yue had something in mind to talk about –yes, he would scold Syaoran for sure—but Syaoran guessed he would save it for later. Instead, as Syaoran's hands were full, he helped Syaoran open the door.

"You have some rest too. We'll talk tomorrow," was all Yue said before he put the card on its place and closed the door behind Syaoran.

The lights went on, illuminating the president suite. Syaoran heaved a sigh. His gaze darted outside the glass window on the view of London. Never had he thought he would bring Sakura here with him. Indeed, a lot of things had happened.

He carried her to one of the bedrooms and placed her on the bed. His eyes fell on her face as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

How strange. Gazing at her sleeping sound like this, his heart was much more in peace now rather than when the incident in Eriol's penthouse happened. And even though he was a thousand miles away from home, it felt like home. The warmth filled his heart and spread through every vein in his body as he realized it now:

Because she was home. His home.

Sakura opened her eyes. It was jet black. Cold air blew against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Her heart beat faster as she called, "Hello?"

Yet she heard nothing and raised her voice, "Is anybody there?"

But still, no one answered.

She squinted at the sight of someone trudging towards her. As the person approached her closer, she noticed he was a man. She started to recognize his feature, and her heart raced even more.

Hold on… Not this man.

His face became clearer, and her eyes widened in shock.

Tuck Cole smirked at her, just like he had found his prey. "I like you," he hissed, reaching out his hand to touch her.

.

"No!" Sakura screamed, sitting up on the bed. Her hands shook as she covered her mouth in it, panting.

It was a bad dream.

Her eyes then dropped to the clothes she was wearing, which were the same clothes she had worn for Eriol's party earlier. She snapped her head towards the window, only to find the same scenery of London.

No… Where am I?

Her pulse quickened as she traveled her eyes around the dim room and rose from the bed. Her body still tried to regain its balance, and she fell down to the floor instead. "Ouch—" She winced in pain, trying to get up on her feet. Once she had managed to stand up, she shuffled over to the door. Yet before she could reach it, she stumbled.

Someone grabbed her, and she stared into a pair of amber eyes. "S-Syaoran," she stuttered.

Worry crossed his expression as he stared at her.

Her eyes dropped to his bare chest, and she looked away, blushing. He hadn't button his pajama shirt and was wearing shorts. His hair was still wet. Did he rush here after taking a bath?

"What happened? What's wrong?" His voice was filled with concern. She must have startled him with the scream just now.

"I had a bad dream."

He let out a sigh. "It's okay now. Come." His hand dragged her to the bed, and he reclined her on it. "Don't worry. It's just a dream. You're alright now," he soothed. Yet his eyes still reflected his worries. He pulled the bed cover over her and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry. You were asleep in the car so I carried you to my room. I was worried."

She shook her head, not wanting to be left alone either. "No, it's okay." The incident in Eriol's penthouse flashed back through her mind, and she shivered. She stared up at him. "Syaoran…"

"Hm?" He stroked her hair again.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I should have listened to you earlier… about what you said at the party."

He heaved a sigh. "No, I'm sorry… I was too harsh on you back then… I was just—" His eyes fell close as he remembered what had happened at the party. He should have realized she wouldn't be protected from any roughnecks unless she had come there as his official girlfriend. His jaw tightened. "I should have come to you sooner." The fact that another man had laid his hands on her made him want to break something.

"…Syaoran." Her voice snapped him back from his thoughts.

He faced her to find her staring up at him with worry, and his eyes softened. "You take a rest now, okay?"

She just nodded in response. He leaned over to kiss her forehead, and her stomach fluttered.

"Don't worry. I'm here," he assured, locking eyes with her.

She found truth in his eyes. Her heart beat started to slow down, and her eyes began to fall close before she finally managed to fall asleep again.

Distant melodies echoed. Sakura's eyes snapped open. She blinked, listening to the music. It was the sound of piano.

Her eyes fell on the clock on the table beside the bed. 2 am. Who would be playing at this late hour? Syaoran?

She shuffled over to the door and peeked into the living room. There settling at the grand piano was Syaoran, who was lost in his own world. His fingers moved swiftly against the keys, playing enchanting melodies.

Of course. He was the gifted boy after all.

Her heart beat faster. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the sight before her. It was the kind of feeling she had had when she had seen him for the first time in an alley, when she had thought he was beautiful.

Only now, it was much more than that. Much deeper.

She had known him better: his heart… his feelings. Including his feelings for her.

Her eyes burned. Tears welled up in them. She cared about him… so much.

Did she love him? Did she? But he was a superstar. It was never going to work between them.

But he was just an ordinary guy she had met in an alley two years ago. Couldn't she fall in love with that person? Couldn't she fall in love with Li Syaoran...?

A tear dropped to her cheek, and she was startled: she was already crying. Her heart felt like exploding due to this huge emotions inside her. Due to this love.

But staring at him like this, she knew she wouldn't turn back the time, even if she could. Because this was his dream, and fulfilling it was more than enough for her.

.

The song kept playing in Syaoran's head. The melodies kept coming out, telling him to turn them into a masterpiece. Yet he was restless. He stopped short, making the last chord echo for a while before silence crept back.

His hand swiped the music sheets, making them fall on the floor, scattered.

He panted. What the hell was happening to him?

These overflowing emotions had forced him to make music just now, but he couldn't handle it. Rage built up inside him as he thought about how he had failed to protect Sakura. He had brought her to his world, yet he didn't know how she could survive it. How they could survive this.

He had been looking for her, waiting for her all this time for God's sake.

Sounds of footsteps echoed, and he snapped his head only to find her standing before him. She must have been wondering what was going on.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"

Yet she didn't throw any answer. Worry crossed her expression.

A sigh escaped from his lips as he stared down. He then stood up from the piano and stomped towards the window, turning his back at her.

"Are you okay?" came her question as she tried to approach her.

He turned around to face her. "Two years ago… why did you leave?" Now, it was his turn to ask her.

Damn it. He had held back this question, but not tonight.

She was perplexed. "You mean… when I left the town?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he peered at her, determined to know the answer.

He had been looking for her, trying to find her. If he hadn't accepted the contract with CLOW Records –if he hadn't become a superstar, would they have met again? Would they have found each other again?

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. After hesitating, she finally spoke, "My father was assigned to work in Osaka. It was such a sudden announcement, and we had to move out the next day—"

"And you couldn't even tell me about that?"

She was stunned. It took a few seconds before she finally answered, "I didn't have any time. We were such in a rush—"

"But you had enough time to persuade Yue?"

Her jaws dropped.

How he wished she could have sent him a message through her neighbors or something like that. She had known he would come to visit her again.

"Syaoran—"

"I was looking for you," he raised his voice.

She froze.

"I tried everything to find you." He still remembered what Brad had told him before he accepted the contract with CLOW Records. "Sakura… I—" Staring up in desperation, he ran his fingers through his hair before closing his eyes.

Silence fell. Then what came out from her mouth was a whisper, "You—you had a thing for me since back then?" Her voice was hoarse as she faltered.

He opened his eyes to find her staring at him with broken eyes. Lost in her gaze, he shook his head. "No," came his answer.

She swallowed.

"A big thing," he corrected her.

She stared at him like he had just shot a bullet through her head. Her eyes watered, and the next thing she did startled him.

She rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her hair, closing his eyes.

There was no way he would let her go again. Never.

A sigh of contentment escaped from his lips, and she pulled away, staring at him. Her eyes glistened with tears as a soft smile touched her lips. They stared into each other's eyes, and none of them needed to say any single thing to know what the other felt. It was an emotion so deep, unrequited for these past two years.

She stared down, deep in thought.

He wondered. "What's on your mind now?" came his whisper.

"The models," she blurted out. Her eyes widened as she couldn't believe she just let it slip.

He bit back a laugh. "Are you jealous?" She should have known she was incomparable. There was no way those girls could replace her.

Blushing, she buried her face in his chest.

"You don't need to worry about that, Sakura… at all," he assured her, amusement present in his voice.

She stared up at him.

He broke into a smile. "You trust me?"

A soft smile appeared on her lips. "I do."

At that answer, he pulled her into a kiss, and she moaned. Their kiss deepened, and he tightened his hold on her even more. The kiss then left them breathless at the end of it.

His eyes glinted with love as he stared at her. Her answer was more than enough. Her trust was what he treasured the most. It wasn't easy to trust someone like him, who was a superstar at the top of his world now.

She was hugging him tight when something outside the window caught her attention. He turned his head towards it to find the view of London skyscrapers. Yet what caught her attention wasn't the city lights; it was the stars above.

"How beautiful." She gasped in amazement.

Indeed, the sky was beautiful tonight. It was full of stars.

He pulled her closer to him as they stared outside the window side by side. A smile appeared on his lips as he thought about an idea. "I'll show you something more beautiful than that."

Curious, she turned her head towards him.

He glanced at her and uttered, "Just wait."

She just smiled in response and sighed in contentment, laying her head on his shoulder.

.Rome, Italy.

.

.

High pitch screams echoed in the Colosseum.

"Are you ready for the next song?" Syaoran shouted, dressed in his gold jacket and black sneakers.

The audience roared. The night had just begun, and he would make sure it would be the best one ever for them.

As for Sakura –his number one fan— she stood in front of the stage, surrounded by Wolfers who were jumping in excitement at the sight of their superstar.

A large grin crept on her face. This was phenomenal. She had thought he would put her in the VVIP seat, just like he had done in his previous concerts –including the one in London. But come on… This was much more fun. He must have realized she needed to experience the excitement of watching the concert from the festival area once more. And what could be better than watching it right before the center stage? Awesome.

She beamed at Brad, who was standing against the stage, facing her two feet away. He winked, making her giggle even more. A double agent now, his job was to guard the stage along with other securities and to protect her if some chaos happened.

Oh yeah, Brad. You're the best.

The guitarist played the rhythm of the next song, and as she figured it out, she couldn't help but smile. It was one of her favorite songs in his new album. A story about believing… about having faith. Syaoran had once shared to the media that he had personally created this song for all his fans who had believed in him.

It wasn't an upbeat song that the atmosphere in the hall turned quite, the majority of the audiences now waving their hands holding the light sticks in slow motions. Syaoran's voice echoed as he began to sing the song. Soon, everyone was carried away.

Sakura laughed in joy, her heart filled with bliss. He continued to sing –hypnotizing them— and strode across the center stage, getting closer to where she was. His fans screamed out loud, reaching out to him.

Then she noticed Brad whispering frantically to her.

"Sakura, be ready! I'll lift you up!" He signaled it with his hand.

Up. She had to climb up.

What?

She was dumbfounded.

Are you kidding me? No way.

Her knees felt weak now. Even just to stand up there would be impossible. Period.

He reached out his hand to his fans, and they screamed in hysteria. Yet he was still careful enough not to let them pull him down. He then approached the end of the center stage and stepped closer in her direction.

Her eyes widened. No. He was not doing this to her. Impossible.

He locked eyes with her, telling her to trust him. People's hands shot in front of her, trying to reach him, blocking her from him.

But Brad was faster and stronger. Within seconds, he lifted her up while Syaoran reached out to grab her hand.

And then… Boom! She was on stage.

By the way, she hadn't managed to stand up. She was still on her knees, holding his hand. The audiences screamed even louder, thinking how lucky she was.

Lucky, you said? She swore her heart almost stopped.

But wait… It didn't. So yeah… She could consider she was lucky.

Her body felt weak all over, shaking. She stared up at the person responsible for this: Li Syaoran. A naughty smirk touched his lips, but his eyes softened as he stared back at her.

And she knew he wasn't going to make her stand up. It wasn't his plan from the start. Still singing the lyrics, he bent down to face her and reclined her on the stage so she was lying on it.

He then followed her, lying down on the stage too, still holding her hand. They lay there side by side. His voice still echoed in her ears as he continued singing. And then she spotted it…

The lights… waved by the people in the tribun, dancing before her eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat. He had told her before about something more beautiful than what she had seen from his hotel room, and this was it… These were the stars…

His stars. His sky. And his heaven.

He had brought her here with him so she could taste his world. Tears filled her eyes as she turned her head to face him, and he did the same thing.

His eyes glistened as well, filled with his love for her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled at him.

Thank you for loving me, Li Syaoran…

Sakura flopped herself on the couch at the backstage and heaved a contented sigh, not able to erase the smile on her face. The sound of the crowds cheering outside echoed distinctly.

She lay down on the couch, staring at the ceiling, finally feeling tired. Syaoran still had a few more songs to go before the concert ended, and she couldn't imagine how tired he was.

Yet a smile touched her lips again as she thought about the things she had been experiencing these days. It felt like her world had changed drastically, but in the most amazing way. Her eyes fell close as she fell in a daze.

Li Syaoran had given her the best dream for tonight, one she wouldn't want to wake up from.

"That was marvelous, Syaoran!" Paul's compliment was the first thing that greeted him when he stepped into the backstage.

"Thanks, Paul." He smirked, patted Paul's shoulder and strode further into the room, searching for Sakura.

And there she was: sleeping in the couch. She must have been tired from all the activities today.

He sighed and smiled, stepping closer to her. His eyes fell on her sleeping face. Such a homey face. It brought such peace just by staring at her like this.

Since the couch was big enough for both of them, he couldn't help but lay himself down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, closing his eyes before finally allowing himself to feel tired. His body needed to rest, and doing so with her in his arms seemed like a perfect idea.

Indeed, he was asleep not long after that.

Brad stared at the young couple sleeping in the couch. A sigh left his lips even though his eyes were smiling. He then turned his head towards the manager, who stood beside him. "You're not going to do anything about that, are you?" came his question.

Yue fixed his gaze at Syaoran and Sakura. A soft smile touched lips as he crossed his arms on his chest. Behind his cold exterior, he always had a soft spot for the two of them. Shaking his head, he answered, "They still have a long journey to go. Let them be now…"

Brad smiled at the answer. Of course. He would do just that.