Stardust for saana_13
Title: Stardust
Author: REMINDER!
Written for: saana_13
Beta: Will be revealed together with authors.
Pairing/Group: SakurAiba, slight OhMiya
Rating/Warnings: PG13
Length: 7.519
Summary: Setting on a journey to find the falling star that would enable him to marry the girl he loved, Sho doesn't only find the fallen star but gains something else, the star's heart.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, Arashi and the stars all belong to themselves xD
Note: Based on the movie Stardust
Dear (saana_13, I hope I managed to put in what you wanted and even though it might different than the movie (especially the ending) I hope you will like this. ^^
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Sakurai couldn't believe his eyes. In the big crater, struck by the falling star he had seen coming down not too long ago, a tall man was looking around with big brown eyes. Carefully Sakurai approached the man who seemed startled when he saw him. Sakurai held up his hands to show he meant no harm which seemed to relax the man a little.
"I saw a big star falling down just now, where... Did you see it?" He asked confused when he was close enough. The man in front of him smiled a bit shyly, looking around while scratching his head.
"Yes, I'm sorry for creating such a mess. I didn't damage anything yours did I?" Suddenly the man looked at him with scared, wide eyes. Sakurai tried to process what the man was saying. Creating such a mess? What did he mean by that?
"Oh no, I did, didn't I? I'm so sorry. I... I'll try to make it up to you. Please tell me..." Quickly he cut the man off.
"No. No, you didn't damage anything of anyone. This is just a big open meadow. As far as I know nobody really owns it. I'm just a bit confused. What do you mean? You did this?" The man smiled weakly, visibly relieved he didn't cause any troubles.
"Yes. I don't know what happened. At one moment I was shining brightly between my brothers and sisters and then next moment I was suddenly falling down." Suddenly the man clasped his hands in front of his mouth.
"How rude of me, I didn't even introduce myself. Aiba Masaki." The man held out his hand for Sakurai to shake it which he did a bit dazzled.
"Sakurai Sho." He still wasn't sure what was going on. If he had to believe this man's words he was the falling star. But then why was he looking like a normal human being? As far as he knew stars were nothing more than big pieces of stone, falling down from the sky every once in a while. He had never heard of someone being a star. Was that even possible?
"Excuse me Sakurai-san, are you okay? You look a bit troubled." The man named Aiba smiled brightly and waved his hand in front of Sho's face. Sho slowly nodded and stared at the man in front of him. He remembered his promise he made just before he ran here and smiled. The people in his hometown would never believe this. Without a warning he suddenly leaped forward, grabbing the taller man by his wrist.
"You are coming with me." He declared, ignoring the fear that suddenly appeared in the man's eyes.
"But I don't think I should leave this place. It happened to some of my siblings before, falling down and they always got back as long as they stayed close to the place they fell. If I leave there is a chance I can't get back." Sho felt slightly sorry for the man but not enough to give in to him. His promise he made to his lover was much more important to him. If he would bring back a piece of the fallen star she would agree to marry him. Bringing back the whole star was even better. Out of his small bag he got a long piece of rope, tightly tying one of the ends to the wrist of the struggling star.
"Sakurai-san please. Please don't take me with you, I have to stay here." Aiba looked at Sho with big, tearful eyes which would have broken the smaller man's heart if he would have paid a bit more attention. But Sho was too busy thinking about his future wife, the girl he had know for such a long time and now was finally able to marry.
"Let's go." He said cheerfully, pulling the string. The star whined and tried to protest but when the sun started to rise in the sky he slowly became more silent. Sakurai wished he could use the same way he came here to go back, using the candle he got from his mother before she left him when he was still a small child. The candle could bring someone to his destination point immediately but Sakurai didn't know if it would work for two people at the same time as well. You had to think of your destination point with all your might and if the star would think of somewhere else they might end up separated and that was the last thing Sakurai wanted. Too lost in his thoughts he didn't notice Aiba was falling down behind him, crying softly, until the string stopped him from moving on. Seeing the man like that Sakurai finally decided to have some mercy on him.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, kneeling down in front of the broken man. Sobbing and visibly exhausted Aiba looked at him.
"I can't go on anymore. My feet hurt, I'm hungry and I'm so tired. I have never been awake for so long during the day, I usually sleep now." Sakurai frowned but then nodded.
"We will take a rest then. I'll get us some food." For a moment he looked around, spotting a slim tree close to them.
"Let's sit over there okay?" He helped the man up and brought him to the tree. Still slightly sniffing Aiba lay down on the ground close to the tree, curling himself in a small ball before closing his eyes. Sakurai looked at the figure for a short while. He looked so innocent and so beautiful. Frowning he shook his head, tying the other end of the rope to the tree before quickly walking away. Did he just think this man was beautiful? He could still see the man's face in front of him while he walked through the forest. Big, hazel brown eyes, full lips which seemed to have the perfect shape. It was hard not to call him beautiful but why was he wondering if those lips were really as soft as they looked?
Shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts he focused on finding food. He managed to find them some eatable roots and some fresh fruits but when he returned the man was nowhere to be seen. Cursing softly he looked around, seeing the rope was still bound to the tree but halfway it was cut off by something sharp. Sighing deeply he tried to find any traces of where the man could have went but all he found were some prints of horseshoes. He shook his head in disappointment. If the man was taken away by someone on a horse it was no use to go after him. They could be far away now already and he was only on foot, no challenge to a horse.
"Of course, it would have been too good to be true." Sakurai mumbled softly, sitting down against the tree with the rope still around it. He found himself playing with the end of it, feeling like all of his energy was slowly drained out of his body. Slowly he started to doze off, looking up when he heard voices calling his name. Around him it was completely dark but one by one people started to appear. They all shone, one even brighter than the other. Children and adults, men and women, varying from all ages were standing around him and looking at him. A few of them started to talk to him.
"Save our brother Sho. He is in great danger."
"Please Sho, don't leave him. They will steal his heart."
"Please. If they steal his heart he will die. Help him Sho."
"Wake up Sho. Wake up and go after him before it's too late."
"Wake up!"
Breathing heavily Sho's eyes flew open. For a moment he tried to process what just happened in his dream. Or was it a dream at all? All he knew was that he suddenly had the urge to follow those voices and go after Aiba, his feelings telling him the man was in great danger. Quickly he crawled on his feet, starting to run in the same direction he thought the horse had gone. While he ran a woman's voice filled his mind, making him hurry up even more.
"You will find him in an inn that isn't an inn. It is a creation by a great wizard who wants eternal youth. If he gets his hands on the light that shines in Masaki he will get what he wishes for. When that happens this land will be in great danger. When that happens great power will be released which will cause the world you know to fall. Save Masaki from his claws if this world is dear to you."
"Masaki." Sho muttered as he started to speed up even more. His legs were hurting from the effort but he knew he couldn't stop now. Not until he found the fallen star and was sure he would be safe from the claws of the wizard the voice had told him about. After what felt like hours he finally came to the edge of the forest, seeing a big house standing not far away. Knowing this would be the inn the voice had told him about he ran towards it, bursting inside as soon as he had reached it.
"Aiba-san! Are you here?" He yelled, hearing a scream in response. Following the sound he rushed up the stairs, not even having time to find it strange he didn't run into anyone on his way. Another loud scream tore the air, followed by high-pitched laughter. The door of the last room in the corridor was slightly opened, warm light flowing through the small opening. With newly found strength Sho ran towards the door, throwing it open and gasping at the sight.
Inside Aiba was standing in a corner, surrounded by flames which reflected in his fear filled eyes. Not far from him a small man was watching him but he turned his head as soon as Sakurai came inside the room. An evil grin split his face as he waved his hand and blocked Sakurai's way with more flames. Immediately Sakurai realized this must be the wizard the voice in his head had been talking about.
"Sakurai-san run! You are no match for him, save yourself." Aiba yelled, trying to sound stronger than he looked. Instead of listening Sakurai grabbed the rug just outside the room and started to put the flames in front of him down. Using the fact that the wizard turned back to him with surprise written all over his face when he stepped through the put down flames he threw the partly burning rug towards the man. At the same time he jumped through the flames around Aiba, grabbing his hand tightly. His other hand searched in his pocked for the candle he had used yesterday.
"Think of my home!" He yelled towards the scared man, trying to make sure he heard him over the roaring flames. As soon as he lit the candle he felt the familiar tug. He closed his eyes, thinking of his home and hoping the man he was holding hands with was doing the same. They were twirled around, making Sakurai slightly nauseous and happy that he didn't eat much. When he felt solid ground under his feet again he slowly opened his eyes, afraid of what he would find wasn't his home. Groaning softly he saw indeed they were not home. They were not even close to his home he realized, as the 'ground' under his feet wasn't as solid as it first felt. It wasn't even ground at all. Next to him he heard Aiba gasp and when Sakurai looked at him he saw the man had a confused look in his eyes.
"Where are we?" The taller man asked softly, trying to steady himself on the constantly moving white, fluffy cloud they were standing on. After everything that had happened Sakurai didn't even try to figure out how they could be standing on a cloud in the first place.
"Where did you think of?" He asked slightly irritated, frowning when the star slightly pouted as he looked down.
"I thought of home. I know you said I should think of your home but my mind wandered off towards my own home..." The last part was no more than a whisper. Even though Sakurai could feel his blood start to boil inside of him, he couldn't bring himself to get mad at the man in front of him.
"I'm sorry..." Aiba said softly, tears hearable in his voice. Sakurai sighed and shook his head.
"Of course you would think of your home. It was stupid of me to ask you to think about my home. You don't even know where my home is right?" He expected a soft no or maybe just a shake of the man's head but instead the star looked at him with his lower lip between his teeth.
"I..." Sakurai couldn't hear the rest of the sentence as the silence around them was suddenly interrupted by the sound of loud engines. From behind a cloud close to them a big airship appeared, making the cloud they were standing on shake heavily. Grabbing on to each other the two of them watched the ship coming closer. They could hear some yells from the deck and when they looked up they saw some of the people were pointing at them.
"Pirates..." Sakurai softly said, looking at the flag at the top of the biggest mast of the ship. He could feel the taller man shake against him and he tightened his grip around the man's waist in an attempt to calm him down. As the ship came closer and closer more pirates on deck came to look at them until a few threw out ropes and climbed down.
"Captains orders, you are coming with us." One of them said, pulling Aiba out of Sakurai's embrace. Sakurai was taken by two other pirates and within a short time both he and the star were standing on deck in front of a fancy looking pirate which Sakurai assumed to be the captain.
"Well well, what have we got here." The captain said with a smile on his face. He walked around the two taken men, whistling softly when he stood in front of them again.
"Not a bad catch, but only one of you can stay. And I prefer... you!" He pointed at Aiba who looked at him with wide eyes.
"Such a shame but policy is policy. Lock him up in the captain's cabin, I'll take the other one down." With much force Aiba was pushed towards the other side of the ship while Sakurai was handed over to the captain.
"I can take it from here." The captain said, waving the others way. For a moment the pirates hesitated.
"But Matsumoto-san, wouldn't it be better if we would take care of him? Or let at least one of us go with you, just to be sure." The captain sighed and pushed Sakurai forward himself.
"I said I can take care of it so leave. Unless you want to go down after this big boy?" Did Sakurai just imagine it or did the captain wink at him? He didn't have time to think about it too much as he was pushed down a ladder. After being pushed around for a while he found himself in front of a big porthole. Getting ready to fight the man behind him Sakurai tried to free himself but the man was a lot stronger than he looked. He was pushed against the wall with Matsumoto's face close to his.
"Listen, I won't kill you if you do exactly as I say. Understood?" Surprised by the sudden words Sakurai nodded and took a deep breath with relieve when the grip on him loosened.
"Okay undress." Sakurai froze. Undress? What on earth was going on? What was this captain going to do when he would undress?
"I said undress. I'm not going to do anything to you but my people are watching. I have to put your clothes on a few bags so it will look like I will throw you out of the window." Slowly Sho nodded, starting to undress himself. Just when he wanted to start with his undergarment the captain stopped him.
"You can keep that on. I can't say I wouldn't love to see but we don't have time for that. Now, help me with making this doll." As quick as they could they filled the clothes until the captain nodded satisfied.
"This will do. Now, I need you to scream. Yell, beg for your life, anything that comes into your mind. Just do it." Matsumoto opened the porthole and as soon as he did he stepped on Sho's foot, making him scream with pain. Getting it was his cue he started to yell.
"No please, I'll do anything. Don't..." He screamed loudly when the doll was pushed out of the porthole, making sure it was slowly fading as it fell deeper and deeper. Above him he could hear loud cheers from the pirates who were indeed watching from the deck to the doll falling down. Matsumoto nudged Sho and pointed towards the ceiling. He held his finger in front of his mouth to order the other to stay silent as he opened a hidden door.
"Get in there, it's my cabin. I'll be there in a short while, make sure you stay silent." He said softly, helping Sho up through the door and closing it behind him again. Sho looked around and saw he was indeed in the captain's cabin. Not far from him he saw Masaki staring at him, his red and puffy eyes wide with surprise. Just before he could say anything Sho quickly got his finger in front of his mouth, ordering him to stay silent.
"How... I heard you scream, I saw you fall. How can you be here?" Masaki whispered, slowly coming closer as if he was afraid if he would move too quickly Sho would disappear.
"It was a doll. The captain helped me. I don't know why but... I'm still here?" Sho smiled weakly and gasped when he was pulled into a tight embrace. He could feel his cheeks starting to heat up, suddenly very aware of the closeness of their bodies. At the same time his heart started to beat in a strange way, making him wonder why his body was reacting so strongly to the other man. He never felt like this before, not even with his lover at home. Is this what they called true love? The door opening made them split apart, looking at the captain who came inside.
"Good, they don't suspect anything." The captain softly muttered, smiling when he looked at the pair in front of him. He gestured them to sit down and gave them some bread and water.
"Why are you helping us?" Masaki asked when he finished eating, looking at the captain. Matsumoto shrugged and leaned back.
"I don't like violence but I have to keep my image up. Otherwise nobody would fear me anymore and fear is what gives us what we want everywhere." Sho and Masaki looked at each other.
"But how do people believe you?" Masaki asked slightly confused.
"Because I always ask the people I help to create scary stories for me. That way the fear stays alive and we can live the way we want."
"So you never fight?" Sho asked, finding it hard to believe the feared captain had never fought anyone but could still keep up his reputation.
"Gosh no. Did you ever try to get bloodstains out of a silk shirt? Pure nightmare." The captain shivered at the thought and for a moment Masaki and Sho looked at each other, smiling slightly.
"But, how can you be sure your crew won't recognize me when they see me later?" Sho asked. Matsumoto smiled and got up. He opened a closet, filled with clothes, accessories and make-up.
"Trust me. When I'm done with you, your own mother won't even recognize you."
***
Matsumoto had said his own mother wouldn't recognize him but when he looked in the mirror he was pretty sure she would. It was probably because of his very recognizable face and even though Matsumoto had cut his hair in a shorter cut and somehow managed to make his front teeth less obvious, Sakurai found he was still looking pretty much the same. Aiba looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"I'm not sure if this will really work." He said, smiling innocently towards the captain of the ship. Matsumoto frowned and grabbed Sakurai's chin to look at him from different sides.
"I know but his face is too beautiful to hide." He pulled up his shoulders.
"Oh well who am I kidding. My crew knows I lie to them about being a ruthless killer anyway, might as well come out now. Let get to the deck, the night is beautiful. As a star you must want to see your brothers and sisters, especially this close." Aiba smiled weakly and even though the taller man didn't say it, Sakurai could see the longing in his eyes as he gazed at the sky when they were standing on deck not long after. At first they had been surrounded by the pirates who weren't surprised by seeing Sho at all but one by one they had left for their cabins until they were the last two standing on the deck. From somewhere close by a soft tune filled the air, making Sakurai look at the man next to him. He could feel his heart start to beat faster and before he knew what he was doing he grabbed the man's hand and pulled him closer. Leaded by the soft tune he started to dance slowly, the surprise on the taller man's face making place for a warm smile.
"You miss them, don't you? Your brothers and sisters?" Slowly Aiba nodded.
"I miss them but at the same time I don't mind being here." Aiba softly said, making Sakurai's heart beat even faster. He held his breath when a small blush appeared on the stars face and he suddenly seemed to give off a dim glow.
"You are glowing." Sho said breathlessly, looking at the shining man in front of him. As he said it the glow seemed to get even brighter, just like the blush on the man's face deepened.
"I... I'm just... it is night remember? Stars shine in the night." Masaki muttered softly, his eyes avoiding Sho. Something told Sho that it was not the only reason he was glowing right now, the other nights he had seen him Masaki had just looked normal after all. And because of the blush on the man's face Sho's feelings told him there was something more behind it but before he could ask they were interrupted by the captain coming back on deck.
"We are going to land in a short while. There is a landing place close by and a big city close. It will be easy for you two to get home from there." Sakurai and Aiba let go of each other, nodding at the captain's words. Not long after the ship was sailing down. The lights of the city Matsumoto had been talking about came closer until they could see the shapes of the houses in the dark night. By the time they had landed the sun was slowly rising. They said their goodbyes to the captain and his crew, promising to tell everyone how cruel and scary they are to keep up the reputation. Just when they wanted to leave Matsumoto grabbed Sakurai's arm, dragging him away a bit from the others.
"This may not be up to me to say but please remember my words. True love is in front of your eyes, don't let it slip out of your hands again." Sakurai wanted to ask what the man meant with his words but he was pushed away and in the blink of an eye the captain was on the ship again, yelling orders to get them back in the air. A bit confused Sakurai looked at the ship setting sail again, wondering why Matsumoto had said this to him. True love was in front of his eyes? Did he mean Aiba? Or did he mean something else? Was Aiba the key to true love or was Aiba the reason for true love?
"Sakurai-san, are you okay?" Aiba asked worriedly, waving his hand in front of Sakurai's eyes. Sakurai turned to him and smiled. He could think about the captain's words later, now it would be best for them to find a place to sleep and maybe get something to eat. Afterwards they could finally return their journey towards his hometown.
"You know, Sho is fine. We probably have to stay together for a while anyway so let's drop the honorifics." Aiba smiled brightly and nodded. While they started to walk towards the city the star started to tell about the many different things he saw up in the sky when he was looking down on earth and hearing him talk like this brought a smile to Sakurai's face. It was the first time he heard the other tell so much and for a reason he didn't know he didn't mind the rambling. In fact, it was the first time he heard anyone ramble without getting irritated and for the first time in his life he started to wish time would stop, just so he could spend more time with the man next to him right now.
***
A few days passed after they got off the ship. Instead of getting horses Sakurai had decided they would walk to his hometown. This way he could get to know the star better and spend more time with him. It was strangely comfortable around him and Sakurai found himself getting more and more attracted to the beautiful man. He found himself staring at him whenever he thought Aiba wasn't looking, wondering how those lips would feel against his. Sometimes it made him even forget about his hometown, not able to think of anything else than to stay in the stars shining light. Figuratively that was, since after the night on the ship Aiba didn't shine that way again. Sakurai couldn't get himself to ask about it, somehow afraid for the answer he would get. What if the taller man had been thinking about someone at his home? Someone he loved? What if he did have someone to love in the sky? Just thinking about that made Sakurai's heart clench together painfully. He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to ask the star about it but every time he got courage to do so the other man distracted him with something without even knowing.
One night, when they weren't far away from Sakurai's hometown, the smaller man finally found the courage to ask about it.
"You remember shining on that ship? You said stars shine at night, but why didn't you shine after that? Why don't you shine that way right now?" He asked softly, looking at Aiba's surprised face. For a moment the other man hesitated before he looked down at the ground.
"I... I just was happy at the ship on that moment. I think it was because of that."
"You were shining because you felt happy?" The star nodded, still looking at the ground.
"So you aren't happy right now? You haven't been happy after that moment?" Sakurai asked a bit disappointed. For the past few days he had been sure Aiba had been happy, or at least close to it. Knowing that he wasn't almost broke his heart. If he couldn't make him happy, how could he ever make him love him?
"I'm happy. I think I am happier here with you than I have ever been. But on the ship... I don't know. It felt different. Like it was some different kind of happiness. I don't know how to give words to it." The man yawned almost comically, stretching his arms above his head.
"I'm sleepy Sho-chan, let's sleep? We can talk more tomorrow if you want." Without waiting for a reply Aiba lay down on the ground, his back facing the confused Sakurai. Slowly Sakurai lay down on the ground as well, staring at the sky were many stars were shining. Aiba had been happy for the past few days, which was a huge relief. But he felt different on the ship, what did he mean with that? A different kind of happiness? Could it be?
Sakurai sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Maybe he could ask more about it tomorrow but his heart wanted to know now. His heart needed to know now, or else he was sure it wouldn't stop beating so loudly it was doing right now. He didn't know for how long he was lying there with his eyes closed, listening to his own breathing until he heard Aiba move next to him. He could feel the man getting closer but his feelings told him to fake sleep so he stayed like that, with his eyes closed and his breathing soft and controlled.
"I do know what I felt on the ship Sho-chan, I'm sorry for lying to you but I'm afraid of what you will say or do when you hear this. You know, I have always been watching the earth from up in the sky. I have seen how mankind can love and now I get what the feeling is I got every time I watched people love each other. Jealousy. Jealousy I couldn't have love the way they have it. I know that love is supposed to be unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable..." A short silence crushed down on Sho's chest as it became harder and harder for him to pretend to be sleeping.
"What I'm trying to say Sho-chan... I think... No, I know I'm in love with you. My belly fills with butterflies when I hear you laugh. My heart, it's beating so loud when I look at you that it feels like it will burst out any second. It's like... it doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs to you and if you want it... you can take it. I would wish for nothing in exchange, just knowing that you love me too. Just your heart in exchange for mine." Sho was sure his heart would burst out of his chest with joy now any moment. He wanted to open his eyes, look at the man next to him and tell him how he feels but by the time he found enough courage to do so, he saw the star was sleeping soundlessly next to him. Sighing deeply he moved closer to the man before lying down again, falling asleep not long after. In their dreams their bodies looked for each other, arms wrapping around each other as they cuddled close in their sleep, the scent of the other bringing them nothing but happiness in their dreams.
***
Waking up on the ground had never been so comfortable. It had never smelled so nice around him before and something warm and soft was pressed against his chest. Smiling he took a deep breath and pulled the warmness closer to his chest, his eyes shooting open when it moved. All he could see from this position was a ball of hair, which he realized was Aiba. Letting out a very unmanly squeal he sat up, creating some distance between him and the star who stirred in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes.
"What's wrong Sho-chan?" Aiba asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up as well. Sakurai tried very hard to stop himself from blushing deeply, looking the other way to calm down his loud beating heart.
"No-nothing is wrong." Aiba yawned and nodded, trying to get the last bit of sleep out of his body by stretching.
"We are close to your hometown right? Why are you taking me there?" Sakurai looked at the other man and frowned.
"I... I made a promise on the night you fell down. I made a promise to someone that I would take a piece of the star that fell and bring it back." He hesitated about telling the whole truth. What would Aiba say or do if he told him he had a lover who would become his wife if he would keep his promise? The star picked up his hesitation and lowered his eyes.
"You made a promise to your girlfriend right? If you take me to your hometown you can marry her right?" Sakurai gasped softly in surprise.
"How do you... How do you know that?" Aiba bit his lower lip, still avoiding Sakurai's eyes.
"I... have been watching you. I have been watching you for a long time now. Ever since my eye fell on you I couldn't stop thinking about you." Sakurai didn't know what to think or say, he could only stare in surprise. In the awkward silence that followed he remembered Aiba's words of last night.
"Is that why you felt jealous? Because you saw me with her while you wanted to have with me what I had with her?" Aiba's head suddenly snapped up, finally looking at Sakurai again.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you really mean what you said last night?" Masaki looked at him with big eyes as realization came to him.
"But... but you were sleeping! You were... sleeping! Oh god this is so embarrassing." Sho smiled and moved closer, grabbing Masaki's hands to pull him close to his chest.
"There is nothing embarrassing about that. I... do you want to know what captain Matsumoto said to be right before we left the ship? That true love is in front of my eyes. And he was right." Masaki started to shine again, the light getting brighter and brighter with every word.
"Your heart in exchange for mine." Sho said softly, closing the last distance between them and finally feeling the soft lips he wanted to kiss for some time now.
"What about your girlfriend?" Masaki softly whispered when they pulled apart. Sho sighed and pulled the other man in a tight embrace.
"She will understand. I'm sure she will. Nobody would be happy if I would have to stay with her while my heart belongs to you." Masaki smiled and wanted to lean in again but he was interrupted by the sound of someone clapping not far away.
"Very touching, very beautiful." A sarcastic voice said slowly. Sho looked towards the source of the voice, seeing the same man that had been in the inn. They had completely forgotten about the wizard wanting Masaki's heart. It had made them careless and now the man had found them again. On impulse he pushed Masaki behind him, getting ready to protect him no matter what.
"Cute but useless. Satoshi, grab the star, I'll take care of the other." Behind him Sakurai could feel Aiba was being pulled away from him by a man with sleepy looking eyes and around the same height as the wizard. Quickly he turned around and wanted to get Aiba out of the hands of the man but when he stepped forward his legs suddenly couldn't carry him anymore. Just before he hit the ground he could hear the wizard's evil laugh and Aiba's scream was the last he heard before his vision went black.
***
Soft voices filled the air, begging him to wake up. He had a terrible headache but he tried his hardest to fight against the sleep that was trying to take him away again. Not far from him he heard soft singing, something that sounded like the song for a ritual. Slowly he opened his eyes, his vision blurry as he searched through the room he was in. It looked like a big and high hall from where he was lying. Carefully he tried to move his limbs, relief flowing through him when he found he could still move everything. Slowly he moved his head, looking to his side and seeing he was lying in the corner of what was indeed a big hall in an old looking castle. Stairs leaded to another level and on a big altar between the two stairs he could see a familiar figure, tied down and struggling against the ropes.
"Masaki." He softly whispered, slowly trying to get up. To his surprise he wasn't tied down or restrained from his movements in any way. In the corner of his eye he saw something move and he got ready to fight but the man who had helped the wizard before shook his head and held his finger in front of his mouth.
"Nino doesn't know what he is doing." Sho's eyes widened with surprise when a voice filled his mind. Again the man in front of him held a finger in front of his mouth, making Sho realize he had gasped.
"Try to stay as silent as possible. He is distracted with the ritual now. If you want to save Masaki you have to listen very carefully to what I will tell you. Give me a sign if you understand." Sho nodded slowly, wondering how the other man could invade his mind and speak to him that way.
"I'm a brother of Masaki. I was send down to this place to help Nino but as you can see I failed." A brother of Masaki? Did that mean that Masaki could do the same?
"Yes, but only when you allow him to and if he concentrates enough. But that is not important right now. For now all that should matter is saving him from Nino. You have to make sure he can't finish his ritual. If he takes Masaki's heart he will use it in the wrong way. He will use it for evil and if that happens he will never be able to get back again." Satoshi looked at him with sad eyes, sighing softly as his gaze turned toward the wizard.
"He hasn't always been like this you know? He lost his heart when he was younger and has been searching for a replacement ever since. He has aged since then but all he wants is getting back to the time and age he lost his heart. It blinds him for what's in front of him. There is a reason Masaki was send here, just like there is a reason you were the one who found him. Figure out what that reason is before it's too late. Convince Nino that this isn't what he wants." Sho nodded slowly. He had no idea what the man was talking about but he had to try. He didn't have any other choice. The smaller man gestured to him that he should go, disappearing in the shadows again. Softly he made his way towards the altar, stopping his tracks when he was just a few feet away.
"Nino!" He yelled, getting the attention from both men in front of him. Relief flowed over Masaki's tear strained face but in Nino's eyes a fire lit up.
"You! How do you dare to interfere?! I know I should have left you there but I wanted to see your face when you would realize you were too late. When I would have taken the heart out of this useless body." The wizard pushed his hand hard on Masaki's chest, making him hiss softly with pain. Anger boiled up inside Sho as he leaped forward, pushing the smaller man off Masaki. As quick as he could he tried to untie Masaki's hands while Nino was crawling back up. With much force Sho was thrown against the wall.
"Sho no!" Masaki screamed, rolling off the altar and jumping towards Sho with his feet still tied. From behind the tallest man was pushed against the wall next to Sho, groaning with pain. Sho quickly covered him with his own body, looking at the wizard who was standing above them.
"Don't do this." Sho begged. "Don't do something you will regret. You don't need his heart, don't take it away from him."
"Shut up! You know nothing about what I want or what I don't want. You don't know what I need! I need his heart!"
"If you want his heart you will have to take mine! His heart belongs to me, not to you. Please try to understand, please don't put us through what you have been through." Sho softly begged, seeing his words were having influence on the wizard as he hesitated.
"What do you mean?" Nino asked, his arms hanging by his side in confusion.
"My heart belongs to Sho-chan." Masaki said, standing up from behind Sho and looking at the wizard with pity in his eyes.
"I don't know what happened to you in your past but I can see you were hurt badly. Why do you think you need my heart? Taking my heart will destroy you. If you take a heart which doesn't belong to you, you will only feel the unbearable pain of the one that it used to belong to. Don't bring this to yourself."
"I..." The wizard started but suddenly Satoshi appeared from the shadows again, standing between the pair on the ground and Nino.
"This heart doesn't belong to you. You don't need another heart Kazunari."
"I have no heart! I gave it away centuries ago only to be broken and returned into pieces. Pieces I could never heal, no matter how hard I tried." Ohno smiled and stepped closer to the wizard, pulling him in a strong embrace once he was close enough. The wizard froze with wide eyes but didn't oppose.
"Maybe it's time you let someone else try. Maybe it's not you who can fit the pieces back together. Maybe, if you let me, it can be me." Ohno softly said.
"Satoshi why... Who are you?" Nino softly whispered, his voice raspy and broken as a tear fell down his cheek. Ohno pulled back a little to look at the other man.
"I'm your star Kazunari. Let me heal your heart. Don't try to break the hearts of those two wonderful men in front of you just because you think they have something you can't have. You can have it as well Kazunari, if you would just allow it to come to you." Sho could feel Masaki move closer to him and a hand slipped into his. With a weak smile Sho tightened his grip around his hand. A small glow got his attention and when he looked at the two other men in front of him he saw Ohno was glowing the same way he had seen Masaki glow before. The wrinkles started to disappear out of Nino's face, his features slowly turning back to youthful. Tears were shimmering inside his eyes as his grip tightened at the back of Ohno's shirt.
"I never knew, I'm so sorry for everything. I'm so sorry Satoshi." Ninomiya softly whispered but his words were cut off by Ohno's mouth who softly kissed him.
"It will be okay now. Everything will be okay now." The slightly taller man nodded and looked at Sho and Masaki.
"You two are free to go. I won't chase you any longer. I'm sorry for everything." The light around Ohno became brighter but Sho's vision was suddenly covered as Masaki pressed him against his chest. Even through the darkness that covered him for a short while he could see the flash of light, accompanied with a soft whispered thank you. When Masaki let him go again Sho saw they were standing alone in the big hall.
"Where are they?" Sho asked, looking for any signs where the other two could have gone but not finding anything. Masaki smiled.
"To a place they can be happy together." Sho looked at the other man and nodded, deciding that was all he needed to know. Grabbing Masaki's hand tightly they walked out of the castle, leaving the place filled with memories behind.
***
Years and years passed where Sho and Masaki lived together peacefully and happy in each other's presence. Like he had expected Sho's girlfriend had felt betrayed and sad when they just broke up but when she saw how happy Sho was she was able to move on and marry one of Sho's friends. One day, when Sho and Masaki were starting to grow old and had spent more than enough time on earth they decided to leave. Masaki started to long for his home and using the last bit of the candle they moved to the night sky where they could shine together for the rest of eternity.
Author: REMINDER!
Written for: saana_13
Beta: Will be revealed together with authors.
Pairing/Group: SakurAiba, slight OhMiya
Rating/Warnings: PG13
Length: 7.519
Summary: Setting on a journey to find the falling star that would enable him to marry the girl he loved, Sho doesn't only find the fallen star but gains something else, the star's heart.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, Arashi and the stars all belong to themselves xD
Note: Based on the movie Stardust
Dear (saana_13, I hope I managed to put in what you wanted and even though it might different than the movie (especially the ending) I hope you will like this. ^^
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Sakurai couldn't believe his eyes. In the big crater, struck by the falling star he had seen coming down not too long ago, a tall man was looking around with big brown eyes. Carefully Sakurai approached the man who seemed startled when he saw him. Sakurai held up his hands to show he meant no harm which seemed to relax the man a little.
"I saw a big star falling down just now, where... Did you see it?" He asked confused when he was close enough. The man in front of him smiled a bit shyly, looking around while scratching his head.
"Yes, I'm sorry for creating such a mess. I didn't damage anything yours did I?" Suddenly the man looked at him with scared, wide eyes. Sakurai tried to process what the man was saying. Creating such a mess? What did he mean by that?
"Oh no, I did, didn't I? I'm so sorry. I... I'll try to make it up to you. Please tell me..." Quickly he cut the man off.
"No. No, you didn't damage anything of anyone. This is just a big open meadow. As far as I know nobody really owns it. I'm just a bit confused. What do you mean? You did this?" The man smiled weakly, visibly relieved he didn't cause any troubles.
"Yes. I don't know what happened. At one moment I was shining brightly between my brothers and sisters and then next moment I was suddenly falling down." Suddenly the man clasped his hands in front of his mouth.
"How rude of me, I didn't even introduce myself. Aiba Masaki." The man held out his hand for Sakurai to shake it which he did a bit dazzled.
"Sakurai Sho." He still wasn't sure what was going on. If he had to believe this man's words he was the falling star. But then why was he looking like a normal human being? As far as he knew stars were nothing more than big pieces of stone, falling down from the sky every once in a while. He had never heard of someone being a star. Was that even possible?
"Excuse me Sakurai-san, are you okay? You look a bit troubled." The man named Aiba smiled brightly and waved his hand in front of Sho's face. Sho slowly nodded and stared at the man in front of him. He remembered his promise he made just before he ran here and smiled. The people in his hometown would never believe this. Without a warning he suddenly leaped forward, grabbing the taller man by his wrist.
"You are coming with me." He declared, ignoring the fear that suddenly appeared in the man's eyes.
"But I don't think I should leave this place. It happened to some of my siblings before, falling down and they always got back as long as they stayed close to the place they fell. If I leave there is a chance I can't get back." Sho felt slightly sorry for the man but not enough to give in to him. His promise he made to his lover was much more important to him. If he would bring back a piece of the fallen star she would agree to marry him. Bringing back the whole star was even better. Out of his small bag he got a long piece of rope, tightly tying one of the ends to the wrist of the struggling star.
"Sakurai-san please. Please don't take me with you, I have to stay here." Aiba looked at Sho with big, tearful eyes which would have broken the smaller man's heart if he would have paid a bit more attention. But Sho was too busy thinking about his future wife, the girl he had know for such a long time and now was finally able to marry.
"Let's go." He said cheerfully, pulling the string. The star whined and tried to protest but when the sun started to rise in the sky he slowly became more silent. Sakurai wished he could use the same way he came here to go back, using the candle he got from his mother before she left him when he was still a small child. The candle could bring someone to his destination point immediately but Sakurai didn't know if it would work for two people at the same time as well. You had to think of your destination point with all your might and if the star would think of somewhere else they might end up separated and that was the last thing Sakurai wanted. Too lost in his thoughts he didn't notice Aiba was falling down behind him, crying softly, until the string stopped him from moving on. Seeing the man like that Sakurai finally decided to have some mercy on him.
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, kneeling down in front of the broken man. Sobbing and visibly exhausted Aiba looked at him.
"I can't go on anymore. My feet hurt, I'm hungry and I'm so tired. I have never been awake for so long during the day, I usually sleep now." Sakurai frowned but then nodded.
"We will take a rest then. I'll get us some food." For a moment he looked around, spotting a slim tree close to them.
"Let's sit over there okay?" He helped the man up and brought him to the tree. Still slightly sniffing Aiba lay down on the ground close to the tree, curling himself in a small ball before closing his eyes. Sakurai looked at the figure for a short while. He looked so innocent and so beautiful. Frowning he shook his head, tying the other end of the rope to the tree before quickly walking away. Did he just think this man was beautiful? He could still see the man's face in front of him while he walked through the forest. Big, hazel brown eyes, full lips which seemed to have the perfect shape. It was hard not to call him beautiful but why was he wondering if those lips were really as soft as they looked?
Shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts he focused on finding food. He managed to find them some eatable roots and some fresh fruits but when he returned the man was nowhere to be seen. Cursing softly he looked around, seeing the rope was still bound to the tree but halfway it was cut off by something sharp. Sighing deeply he tried to find any traces of where the man could have went but all he found were some prints of horseshoes. He shook his head in disappointment. If the man was taken away by someone on a horse it was no use to go after him. They could be far away now already and he was only on foot, no challenge to a horse.
"Of course, it would have been too good to be true." Sakurai mumbled softly, sitting down against the tree with the rope still around it. He found himself playing with the end of it, feeling like all of his energy was slowly drained out of his body. Slowly he started to doze off, looking up when he heard voices calling his name. Around him it was completely dark but one by one people started to appear. They all shone, one even brighter than the other. Children and adults, men and women, varying from all ages were standing around him and looking at him. A few of them started to talk to him.
"Save our brother Sho. He is in great danger."
"Please Sho, don't leave him. They will steal his heart."
"Please. If they steal his heart he will die. Help him Sho."
"Wake up Sho. Wake up and go after him before it's too late."
"Wake up!"
Breathing heavily Sho's eyes flew open. For a moment he tried to process what just happened in his dream. Or was it a dream at all? All he knew was that he suddenly had the urge to follow those voices and go after Aiba, his feelings telling him the man was in great danger. Quickly he crawled on his feet, starting to run in the same direction he thought the horse had gone. While he ran a woman's voice filled his mind, making him hurry up even more.
"You will find him in an inn that isn't an inn. It is a creation by a great wizard who wants eternal youth. If he gets his hands on the light that shines in Masaki he will get what he wishes for. When that happens this land will be in great danger. When that happens great power will be released which will cause the world you know to fall. Save Masaki from his claws if this world is dear to you."
"Masaki." Sho muttered as he started to speed up even more. His legs were hurting from the effort but he knew he couldn't stop now. Not until he found the fallen star and was sure he would be safe from the claws of the wizard the voice had told him about. After what felt like hours he finally came to the edge of the forest, seeing a big house standing not far away. Knowing this would be the inn the voice had told him about he ran towards it, bursting inside as soon as he had reached it.
"Aiba-san! Are you here?" He yelled, hearing a scream in response. Following the sound he rushed up the stairs, not even having time to find it strange he didn't run into anyone on his way. Another loud scream tore the air, followed by high-pitched laughter. The door of the last room in the corridor was slightly opened, warm light flowing through the small opening. With newly found strength Sho ran towards the door, throwing it open and gasping at the sight.
Inside Aiba was standing in a corner, surrounded by flames which reflected in his fear filled eyes. Not far from him a small man was watching him but he turned his head as soon as Sakurai came inside the room. An evil grin split his face as he waved his hand and blocked Sakurai's way with more flames. Immediately Sakurai realized this must be the wizard the voice in his head had been talking about.
"Sakurai-san run! You are no match for him, save yourself." Aiba yelled, trying to sound stronger than he looked. Instead of listening Sakurai grabbed the rug just outside the room and started to put the flames in front of him down. Using the fact that the wizard turned back to him with surprise written all over his face when he stepped through the put down flames he threw the partly burning rug towards the man. At the same time he jumped through the flames around Aiba, grabbing his hand tightly. His other hand searched in his pocked for the candle he had used yesterday.
"Think of my home!" He yelled towards the scared man, trying to make sure he heard him over the roaring flames. As soon as he lit the candle he felt the familiar tug. He closed his eyes, thinking of his home and hoping the man he was holding hands with was doing the same. They were twirled around, making Sakurai slightly nauseous and happy that he didn't eat much. When he felt solid ground under his feet again he slowly opened his eyes, afraid of what he would find wasn't his home. Groaning softly he saw indeed they were not home. They were not even close to his home he realized, as the 'ground' under his feet wasn't as solid as it first felt. It wasn't even ground at all. Next to him he heard Aiba gasp and when Sakurai looked at him he saw the man had a confused look in his eyes.
"Where are we?" The taller man asked softly, trying to steady himself on the constantly moving white, fluffy cloud they were standing on. After everything that had happened Sakurai didn't even try to figure out how they could be standing on a cloud in the first place.
"Where did you think of?" He asked slightly irritated, frowning when the star slightly pouted as he looked down.
"I thought of home. I know you said I should think of your home but my mind wandered off towards my own home..." The last part was no more than a whisper. Even though Sakurai could feel his blood start to boil inside of him, he couldn't bring himself to get mad at the man in front of him.
"I'm sorry..." Aiba said softly, tears hearable in his voice. Sakurai sighed and shook his head.
"Of course you would think of your home. It was stupid of me to ask you to think about my home. You don't even know where my home is right?" He expected a soft no or maybe just a shake of the man's head but instead the star looked at him with his lower lip between his teeth.
"I..." Sakurai couldn't hear the rest of the sentence as the silence around them was suddenly interrupted by the sound of loud engines. From behind a cloud close to them a big airship appeared, making the cloud they were standing on shake heavily. Grabbing on to each other the two of them watched the ship coming closer. They could hear some yells from the deck and when they looked up they saw some of the people were pointing at them.
"Pirates..." Sakurai softly said, looking at the flag at the top of the biggest mast of the ship. He could feel the taller man shake against him and he tightened his grip around the man's waist in an attempt to calm him down. As the ship came closer and closer more pirates on deck came to look at them until a few threw out ropes and climbed down.
"Captains orders, you are coming with us." One of them said, pulling Aiba out of Sakurai's embrace. Sakurai was taken by two other pirates and within a short time both he and the star were standing on deck in front of a fancy looking pirate which Sakurai assumed to be the captain.
"Well well, what have we got here." The captain said with a smile on his face. He walked around the two taken men, whistling softly when he stood in front of them again.
"Not a bad catch, but only one of you can stay. And I prefer... you!" He pointed at Aiba who looked at him with wide eyes.
"Such a shame but policy is policy. Lock him up in the captain's cabin, I'll take the other one down." With much force Aiba was pushed towards the other side of the ship while Sakurai was handed over to the captain.
"I can take it from here." The captain said, waving the others way. For a moment the pirates hesitated.
"But Matsumoto-san, wouldn't it be better if we would take care of him? Or let at least one of us go with you, just to be sure." The captain sighed and pushed Sakurai forward himself.
"I said I can take care of it so leave. Unless you want to go down after this big boy?" Did Sakurai just imagine it or did the captain wink at him? He didn't have time to think about it too much as he was pushed down a ladder. After being pushed around for a while he found himself in front of a big porthole. Getting ready to fight the man behind him Sakurai tried to free himself but the man was a lot stronger than he looked. He was pushed against the wall with Matsumoto's face close to his.
"Listen, I won't kill you if you do exactly as I say. Understood?" Surprised by the sudden words Sakurai nodded and took a deep breath with relieve when the grip on him loosened.
"Okay undress." Sakurai froze. Undress? What on earth was going on? What was this captain going to do when he would undress?
"I said undress. I'm not going to do anything to you but my people are watching. I have to put your clothes on a few bags so it will look like I will throw you out of the window." Slowly Sho nodded, starting to undress himself. Just when he wanted to start with his undergarment the captain stopped him.
"You can keep that on. I can't say I wouldn't love to see but we don't have time for that. Now, help me with making this doll." As quick as they could they filled the clothes until the captain nodded satisfied.
"This will do. Now, I need you to scream. Yell, beg for your life, anything that comes into your mind. Just do it." Matsumoto opened the porthole and as soon as he did he stepped on Sho's foot, making him scream with pain. Getting it was his cue he started to yell.
"No please, I'll do anything. Don't..." He screamed loudly when the doll was pushed out of the porthole, making sure it was slowly fading as it fell deeper and deeper. Above him he could hear loud cheers from the pirates who were indeed watching from the deck to the doll falling down. Matsumoto nudged Sho and pointed towards the ceiling. He held his finger in front of his mouth to order the other to stay silent as he opened a hidden door.
"Get in there, it's my cabin. I'll be there in a short while, make sure you stay silent." He said softly, helping Sho up through the door and closing it behind him again. Sho looked around and saw he was indeed in the captain's cabin. Not far from him he saw Masaki staring at him, his red and puffy eyes wide with surprise. Just before he could say anything Sho quickly got his finger in front of his mouth, ordering him to stay silent.
"How... I heard you scream, I saw you fall. How can you be here?" Masaki whispered, slowly coming closer as if he was afraid if he would move too quickly Sho would disappear.
"It was a doll. The captain helped me. I don't know why but... I'm still here?" Sho smiled weakly and gasped when he was pulled into a tight embrace. He could feel his cheeks starting to heat up, suddenly very aware of the closeness of their bodies. At the same time his heart started to beat in a strange way, making him wonder why his body was reacting so strongly to the other man. He never felt like this before, not even with his lover at home. Is this what they called true love? The door opening made them split apart, looking at the captain who came inside.
"Good, they don't suspect anything." The captain softly muttered, smiling when he looked at the pair in front of him. He gestured them to sit down and gave them some bread and water.
"Why are you helping us?" Masaki asked when he finished eating, looking at the captain. Matsumoto shrugged and leaned back.
"I don't like violence but I have to keep my image up. Otherwise nobody would fear me anymore and fear is what gives us what we want everywhere." Sho and Masaki looked at each other.
"But how do people believe you?" Masaki asked slightly confused.
"Because I always ask the people I help to create scary stories for me. That way the fear stays alive and we can live the way we want."
"So you never fight?" Sho asked, finding it hard to believe the feared captain had never fought anyone but could still keep up his reputation.
"Gosh no. Did you ever try to get bloodstains out of a silk shirt? Pure nightmare." The captain shivered at the thought and for a moment Masaki and Sho looked at each other, smiling slightly.
"But, how can you be sure your crew won't recognize me when they see me later?" Sho asked. Matsumoto smiled and got up. He opened a closet, filled with clothes, accessories and make-up.
"Trust me. When I'm done with you, your own mother won't even recognize you."
***
Matsumoto had said his own mother wouldn't recognize him but when he looked in the mirror he was pretty sure she would. It was probably because of his very recognizable face and even though Matsumoto had cut his hair in a shorter cut and somehow managed to make his front teeth less obvious, Sakurai found he was still looking pretty much the same. Aiba looked at him with raised eyebrows.
"I'm not sure if this will really work." He said, smiling innocently towards the captain of the ship. Matsumoto frowned and grabbed Sakurai's chin to look at him from different sides.
"I know but his face is too beautiful to hide." He pulled up his shoulders.
"Oh well who am I kidding. My crew knows I lie to them about being a ruthless killer anyway, might as well come out now. Let get to the deck, the night is beautiful. As a star you must want to see your brothers and sisters, especially this close." Aiba smiled weakly and even though the taller man didn't say it, Sakurai could see the longing in his eyes as he gazed at the sky when they were standing on deck not long after. At first they had been surrounded by the pirates who weren't surprised by seeing Sho at all but one by one they had left for their cabins until they were the last two standing on the deck. From somewhere close by a soft tune filled the air, making Sakurai look at the man next to him. He could feel his heart start to beat faster and before he knew what he was doing he grabbed the man's hand and pulled him closer. Leaded by the soft tune he started to dance slowly, the surprise on the taller man's face making place for a warm smile.
"You miss them, don't you? Your brothers and sisters?" Slowly Aiba nodded.
"I miss them but at the same time I don't mind being here." Aiba softly said, making Sakurai's heart beat even faster. He held his breath when a small blush appeared on the stars face and he suddenly seemed to give off a dim glow.
"You are glowing." Sho said breathlessly, looking at the shining man in front of him. As he said it the glow seemed to get even brighter, just like the blush on the man's face deepened.
"I... I'm just... it is night remember? Stars shine in the night." Masaki muttered softly, his eyes avoiding Sho. Something told Sho that it was not the only reason he was glowing right now, the other nights he had seen him Masaki had just looked normal after all. And because of the blush on the man's face Sho's feelings told him there was something more behind it but before he could ask they were interrupted by the captain coming back on deck.
"We are going to land in a short while. There is a landing place close by and a big city close. It will be easy for you two to get home from there." Sakurai and Aiba let go of each other, nodding at the captain's words. Not long after the ship was sailing down. The lights of the city Matsumoto had been talking about came closer until they could see the shapes of the houses in the dark night. By the time they had landed the sun was slowly rising. They said their goodbyes to the captain and his crew, promising to tell everyone how cruel and scary they are to keep up the reputation. Just when they wanted to leave Matsumoto grabbed Sakurai's arm, dragging him away a bit from the others.
"This may not be up to me to say but please remember my words. True love is in front of your eyes, don't let it slip out of your hands again." Sakurai wanted to ask what the man meant with his words but he was pushed away and in the blink of an eye the captain was on the ship again, yelling orders to get them back in the air. A bit confused Sakurai looked at the ship setting sail again, wondering why Matsumoto had said this to him. True love was in front of his eyes? Did he mean Aiba? Or did he mean something else? Was Aiba the key to true love or was Aiba the reason for true love?
"Sakurai-san, are you okay?" Aiba asked worriedly, waving his hand in front of Sakurai's eyes. Sakurai turned to him and smiled. He could think about the captain's words later, now it would be best for them to find a place to sleep and maybe get something to eat. Afterwards they could finally return their journey towards his hometown.
"You know, Sho is fine. We probably have to stay together for a while anyway so let's drop the honorifics." Aiba smiled brightly and nodded. While they started to walk towards the city the star started to tell about the many different things he saw up in the sky when he was looking down on earth and hearing him talk like this brought a smile to Sakurai's face. It was the first time he heard the other tell so much and for a reason he didn't know he didn't mind the rambling. In fact, it was the first time he heard anyone ramble without getting irritated and for the first time in his life he started to wish time would stop, just so he could spend more time with the man next to him right now.
***
A few days passed after they got off the ship. Instead of getting horses Sakurai had decided they would walk to his hometown. This way he could get to know the star better and spend more time with him. It was strangely comfortable around him and Sakurai found himself getting more and more attracted to the beautiful man. He found himself staring at him whenever he thought Aiba wasn't looking, wondering how those lips would feel against his. Sometimes it made him even forget about his hometown, not able to think of anything else than to stay in the stars shining light. Figuratively that was, since after the night on the ship Aiba didn't shine that way again. Sakurai couldn't get himself to ask about it, somehow afraid for the answer he would get. What if the taller man had been thinking about someone at his home? Someone he loved? What if he did have someone to love in the sky? Just thinking about that made Sakurai's heart clench together painfully. He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to ask the star about it but every time he got courage to do so the other man distracted him with something without even knowing.
One night, when they weren't far away from Sakurai's hometown, the smaller man finally found the courage to ask about it.
"You remember shining on that ship? You said stars shine at night, but why didn't you shine after that? Why don't you shine that way right now?" He asked softly, looking at Aiba's surprised face. For a moment the other man hesitated before he looked down at the ground.
"I... I just was happy at the ship on that moment. I think it was because of that."
"You were shining because you felt happy?" The star nodded, still looking at the ground.
"So you aren't happy right now? You haven't been happy after that moment?" Sakurai asked a bit disappointed. For the past few days he had been sure Aiba had been happy, or at least close to it. Knowing that he wasn't almost broke his heart. If he couldn't make him happy, how could he ever make him love him?
"I'm happy. I think I am happier here with you than I have ever been. But on the ship... I don't know. It felt different. Like it was some different kind of happiness. I don't know how to give words to it." The man yawned almost comically, stretching his arms above his head.
"I'm sleepy Sho-chan, let's sleep? We can talk more tomorrow if you want." Without waiting for a reply Aiba lay down on the ground, his back facing the confused Sakurai. Slowly Sakurai lay down on the ground as well, staring at the sky were many stars were shining. Aiba had been happy for the past few days, which was a huge relief. But he felt different on the ship, what did he mean with that? A different kind of happiness? Could it be?
Sakurai sighed deeply and closed his eyes. Maybe he could ask more about it tomorrow but his heart wanted to know now. His heart needed to know now, or else he was sure it wouldn't stop beating so loudly it was doing right now. He didn't know for how long he was lying there with his eyes closed, listening to his own breathing until he heard Aiba move next to him. He could feel the man getting closer but his feelings told him to fake sleep so he stayed like that, with his eyes closed and his breathing soft and controlled.
"I do know what I felt on the ship Sho-chan, I'm sorry for lying to you but I'm afraid of what you will say or do when you hear this. You know, I have always been watching the earth from up in the sky. I have seen how mankind can love and now I get what the feeling is I got every time I watched people love each other. Jealousy. Jealousy I couldn't have love the way they have it. I know that love is supposed to be unconditional. But I also know it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable..." A short silence crushed down on Sho's chest as it became harder and harder for him to pretend to be sleeping.
"What I'm trying to say Sho-chan... I think... No, I know I'm in love with you. My belly fills with butterflies when I hear you laugh. My heart, it's beating so loud when I look at you that it feels like it will burst out any second. It's like... it doesn't belong to me anymore. It belongs to you and if you want it... you can take it. I would wish for nothing in exchange, just knowing that you love me too. Just your heart in exchange for mine." Sho was sure his heart would burst out of his chest with joy now any moment. He wanted to open his eyes, look at the man next to him and tell him how he feels but by the time he found enough courage to do so, he saw the star was sleeping soundlessly next to him. Sighing deeply he moved closer to the man before lying down again, falling asleep not long after. In their dreams their bodies looked for each other, arms wrapping around each other as they cuddled close in their sleep, the scent of the other bringing them nothing but happiness in their dreams.
***
Waking up on the ground had never been so comfortable. It had never smelled so nice around him before and something warm and soft was pressed against his chest. Smiling he took a deep breath and pulled the warmness closer to his chest, his eyes shooting open when it moved. All he could see from this position was a ball of hair, which he realized was Aiba. Letting out a very unmanly squeal he sat up, creating some distance between him and the star who stirred in his sleep and slowly opened his eyes.
"What's wrong Sho-chan?" Aiba asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up as well. Sakurai tried very hard to stop himself from blushing deeply, looking the other way to calm down his loud beating heart.
"No-nothing is wrong." Aiba yawned and nodded, trying to get the last bit of sleep out of his body by stretching.
"We are close to your hometown right? Why are you taking me there?" Sakurai looked at the other man and frowned.
"I... I made a promise on the night you fell down. I made a promise to someone that I would take a piece of the star that fell and bring it back." He hesitated about telling the whole truth. What would Aiba say or do if he told him he had a lover who would become his wife if he would keep his promise? The star picked up his hesitation and lowered his eyes.
"You made a promise to your girlfriend right? If you take me to your hometown you can marry her right?" Sakurai gasped softly in surprise.
"How do you... How do you know that?" Aiba bit his lower lip, still avoiding Sakurai's eyes.
"I... have been watching you. I have been watching you for a long time now. Ever since my eye fell on you I couldn't stop thinking about you." Sakurai didn't know what to think or say, he could only stare in surprise. In the awkward silence that followed he remembered Aiba's words of last night.
"Is that why you felt jealous? Because you saw me with her while you wanted to have with me what I had with her?" Aiba's head suddenly snapped up, finally looking at Sakurai again.
"What do you mean?"
"Did you really mean what you said last night?" Masaki looked at him with big eyes as realization came to him.
"But... but you were sleeping! You were... sleeping! Oh god this is so embarrassing." Sho smiled and moved closer, grabbing Masaki's hands to pull him close to his chest.
"There is nothing embarrassing about that. I... do you want to know what captain Matsumoto said to be right before we left the ship? That true love is in front of my eyes. And he was right." Masaki started to shine again, the light getting brighter and brighter with every word.
"Your heart in exchange for mine." Sho said softly, closing the last distance between them and finally feeling the soft lips he wanted to kiss for some time now.
"What about your girlfriend?" Masaki softly whispered when they pulled apart. Sho sighed and pulled the other man in a tight embrace.
"She will understand. I'm sure she will. Nobody would be happy if I would have to stay with her while my heart belongs to you." Masaki smiled and wanted to lean in again but he was interrupted by the sound of someone clapping not far away.
"Very touching, very beautiful." A sarcastic voice said slowly. Sho looked towards the source of the voice, seeing the same man that had been in the inn. They had completely forgotten about the wizard wanting Masaki's heart. It had made them careless and now the man had found them again. On impulse he pushed Masaki behind him, getting ready to protect him no matter what.
"Cute but useless. Satoshi, grab the star, I'll take care of the other." Behind him Sakurai could feel Aiba was being pulled away from him by a man with sleepy looking eyes and around the same height as the wizard. Quickly he turned around and wanted to get Aiba out of the hands of the man but when he stepped forward his legs suddenly couldn't carry him anymore. Just before he hit the ground he could hear the wizard's evil laugh and Aiba's scream was the last he heard before his vision went black.
***
Soft voices filled the air, begging him to wake up. He had a terrible headache but he tried his hardest to fight against the sleep that was trying to take him away again. Not far from him he heard soft singing, something that sounded like the song for a ritual. Slowly he opened his eyes, his vision blurry as he searched through the room he was in. It looked like a big and high hall from where he was lying. Carefully he tried to move his limbs, relief flowing through him when he found he could still move everything. Slowly he moved his head, looking to his side and seeing he was lying in the corner of what was indeed a big hall in an old looking castle. Stairs leaded to another level and on a big altar between the two stairs he could see a familiar figure, tied down and struggling against the ropes.
"Masaki." He softly whispered, slowly trying to get up. To his surprise he wasn't tied down or restrained from his movements in any way. In the corner of his eye he saw something move and he got ready to fight but the man who had helped the wizard before shook his head and held his finger in front of his mouth.
"Nino doesn't know what he is doing." Sho's eyes widened with surprise when a voice filled his mind. Again the man in front of him held a finger in front of his mouth, making Sho realize he had gasped.
"Try to stay as silent as possible. He is distracted with the ritual now. If you want to save Masaki you have to listen very carefully to what I will tell you. Give me a sign if you understand." Sho nodded slowly, wondering how the other man could invade his mind and speak to him that way.
"I'm a brother of Masaki. I was send down to this place to help Nino but as you can see I failed." A brother of Masaki? Did that mean that Masaki could do the same?
"Yes, but only when you allow him to and if he concentrates enough. But that is not important right now. For now all that should matter is saving him from Nino. You have to make sure he can't finish his ritual. If he takes Masaki's heart he will use it in the wrong way. He will use it for evil and if that happens he will never be able to get back again." Satoshi looked at him with sad eyes, sighing softly as his gaze turned toward the wizard.
"He hasn't always been like this you know? He lost his heart when he was younger and has been searching for a replacement ever since. He has aged since then but all he wants is getting back to the time and age he lost his heart. It blinds him for what's in front of him. There is a reason Masaki was send here, just like there is a reason you were the one who found him. Figure out what that reason is before it's too late. Convince Nino that this isn't what he wants." Sho nodded slowly. He had no idea what the man was talking about but he had to try. He didn't have any other choice. The smaller man gestured to him that he should go, disappearing in the shadows again. Softly he made his way towards the altar, stopping his tracks when he was just a few feet away.
"Nino!" He yelled, getting the attention from both men in front of him. Relief flowed over Masaki's tear strained face but in Nino's eyes a fire lit up.
"You! How do you dare to interfere?! I know I should have left you there but I wanted to see your face when you would realize you were too late. When I would have taken the heart out of this useless body." The wizard pushed his hand hard on Masaki's chest, making him hiss softly with pain. Anger boiled up inside Sho as he leaped forward, pushing the smaller man off Masaki. As quick as he could he tried to untie Masaki's hands while Nino was crawling back up. With much force Sho was thrown against the wall.
"Sho no!" Masaki screamed, rolling off the altar and jumping towards Sho with his feet still tied. From behind the tallest man was pushed against the wall next to Sho, groaning with pain. Sho quickly covered him with his own body, looking at the wizard who was standing above them.
"Don't do this." Sho begged. "Don't do something you will regret. You don't need his heart, don't take it away from him."
"Shut up! You know nothing about what I want or what I don't want. You don't know what I need! I need his heart!"
"If you want his heart you will have to take mine! His heart belongs to me, not to you. Please try to understand, please don't put us through what you have been through." Sho softly begged, seeing his words were having influence on the wizard as he hesitated.
"What do you mean?" Nino asked, his arms hanging by his side in confusion.
"My heart belongs to Sho-chan." Masaki said, standing up from behind Sho and looking at the wizard with pity in his eyes.
"I don't know what happened to you in your past but I can see you were hurt badly. Why do you think you need my heart? Taking my heart will destroy you. If you take a heart which doesn't belong to you, you will only feel the unbearable pain of the one that it used to belong to. Don't bring this to yourself."
"I..." The wizard started but suddenly Satoshi appeared from the shadows again, standing between the pair on the ground and Nino.
"This heart doesn't belong to you. You don't need another heart Kazunari."
"I have no heart! I gave it away centuries ago only to be broken and returned into pieces. Pieces I could never heal, no matter how hard I tried." Ohno smiled and stepped closer to the wizard, pulling him in a strong embrace once he was close enough. The wizard froze with wide eyes but didn't oppose.
"Maybe it's time you let someone else try. Maybe it's not you who can fit the pieces back together. Maybe, if you let me, it can be me." Ohno softly said.
"Satoshi why... Who are you?" Nino softly whispered, his voice raspy and broken as a tear fell down his cheek. Ohno pulled back a little to look at the other man.
"I'm your star Kazunari. Let me heal your heart. Don't try to break the hearts of those two wonderful men in front of you just because you think they have something you can't have. You can have it as well Kazunari, if you would just allow it to come to you." Sho could feel Masaki move closer to him and a hand slipped into his. With a weak smile Sho tightened his grip around his hand. A small glow got his attention and when he looked at the two other men in front of him he saw Ohno was glowing the same way he had seen Masaki glow before. The wrinkles started to disappear out of Nino's face, his features slowly turning back to youthful. Tears were shimmering inside his eyes as his grip tightened at the back of Ohno's shirt.
"I never knew, I'm so sorry for everything. I'm so sorry Satoshi." Ninomiya softly whispered but his words were cut off by Ohno's mouth who softly kissed him.
"It will be okay now. Everything will be okay now." The slightly taller man nodded and looked at Sho and Masaki.
"You two are free to go. I won't chase you any longer. I'm sorry for everything." The light around Ohno became brighter but Sho's vision was suddenly covered as Masaki pressed him against his chest. Even through the darkness that covered him for a short while he could see the flash of light, accompanied with a soft whispered thank you. When Masaki let him go again Sho saw they were standing alone in the big hall.
"Where are they?" Sho asked, looking for any signs where the other two could have gone but not finding anything. Masaki smiled.
"To a place they can be happy together." Sho looked at the other man and nodded, deciding that was all he needed to know. Grabbing Masaki's hand tightly they walked out of the castle, leaving the place filled with memories behind.
***
Years and years passed where Sho and Masaki lived together peacefully and happy in each other's presence. Like he had expected Sho's girlfriend had felt betrayed and sad when they just broke up but when she saw how happy Sho was she was able to move on and marry one of Sho's friends. One day, when Sho and Masaki were starting to grow old and had spent more than enough time on earth they decided to leave. Masaki started to long for his home and using the last bit of the candle they moved to the night sky where they could shine together for the rest of eternity.