Title: Walking in the Sky
Author: Solitude Whispers
Pairing: Hyuuga Neji x Tenten
Rating: K
Summary: 'Neji always wanted to fly, or so he told me.'

dis-claim'er, n. 1. A denial or renunciation, as of a claim or title. 2. A statement made to save one's own ass.

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Neji always wanted to fly, or so he told me. I'm sure he didn't mean to literally fly, but to escape the cage he had been locked in. He wanted to break free.

I had never met him before I was put on Team Gai. He was hard to talk to at first, but he slowly started to open up to me. After that, we started to train together. He always came to me for help, not Gai-sensei or Lee. I never questioned his ways until we were entered for the Chuunin Exam.

"Neji, why me?"

He had simply said, "I feel comfortable around you. And…I enjoy watching you fly."

I knew that I had flushed at the comment, but I never pressed any further. I noticed during my fight with Temari that he never took his eyes off me for a second.

We started a methodical way of training after the first round of the Exams. When I helped him perfect the Kaiten, he always told me: "Fly for me, Tenten."

During his fight with Naruto, I hated that he lost. I knew that his defeat meant he would no longer desire the urge to break free, but when he got out of the hospital, he came to me and we resumed our training.

When he was chosen to go help bring back Uchiha Sasuke, I wanted to go. I was left behind like the other kunoichi and when they brought Neji back critically wounded, holding a bird's feather, I shuddered in fear that his wings had been clipped. Then I got a call to go to the hospital and when I saw him sitting up on the bed, he smiled when I walked in. I ran to him and cried. I couldn't help myself.

He had made it. I was so glad.

Now, a year later, I'm waiting for the uptight Hyuuga prodigy in our regular training spot. I assumed he would be late today; it was the anniversary of his father's passing. So, I was preoccupying myself by twirling a kunai around my index finger and staring at a rather peculiar fungus growing on a tree.

He arrived an hour later than what we had scheduled. Neither of us spoke a word, but we took our desired stances and started to train. I immediately jumped into the sky, twirling a scroll.

"You start off by flying, huh?"

I grinned and let loose my barrage without hesitation. We trained for hours before we both collapsed onto our backs, starting up at the sky. I didn't count the minutes that went by before he spoke.

"What's it like to be free?"

I quirked a brow, "Huh?"

"What's it like to be free, Tenten? What do you feel like when take off into the air?"

I rolled onto my side and took in his disheveled, yet handsome appearance. This was something I hadn't expected, but I didn't show my shock. Instead, I smiled. I couldn't believe after all this time he still felt caged.

"Like I can do anything."

His pearl eyes turned in my direction before looking back into the sky, watching some birds soar.

"Must be nice."

I frowned. He seemed so distant and aloof today, but I had no reason to blame him. I sat up and crossed my legs, looking at him.

"Neji…"

He stiffened at the way I said his name. I bet he thought I was grieving for him, not with him. He opened his mouth, but I stopped him. I took his hand, holding it in my own. His skin was pale compared to mine; his hands soft to my callused ones.

"C'mon. Let's fly, bird boy."

I stood quickly and jerked him to his feet, dragging him out into the middle of the field.

"Tenten!"

I turned, his hand still in mine, and smiled, "Neji, I can't do it alone."

He stared down at our joined hands and then up into my face. His eyes were confused yet sad.

"You fly by yourself every day."

"But Neji, don't you know?" I took a step forward and traced his cheek with my free hand.

"I fly best when I'm with you."

I knew he had been taken aback by my unadulterated confession, but it didn't take him but a second to recover. He reached up and put his hand over mine, kissing the end of my palm.

Neji never rested his wings after that.

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"When you're walking in the sky
Heaven is holding hands with you,
So you better learn to fly
Before you're falling through
'Cause I'm walking in the sky
Heaven is holding hands with me
Now I think I've learned to fly
I'm happy just to be..."

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AN: Purr WAFF and my first K rated story every. Damn, I'm such a sap. Lyrics are form the song "Walking in the Sky" by DJ Encore.

Dedicated to Blooming Cosmo and Tanya Lilac.