Stargazing: A Tribute
Neji was sitting outside her window. The one she stares at the stars out of, this woman of pink and green.
He was in total awe of her. This girl's parents came from nothing, the heir of a simple trading family and his orphaned wife. They should have been nothing. But they had risen above their place in life. They were now the top two agents in the Intrigue Department. They had changed their destinies. They had defied fate. She came from those who bested destiny. Her parents were an inspiration. She was an inspiration.
She had been nothing. She was the less talented daughter of two great shinobi, forever bound to live in their shadow. She had defied this. Her family specialty was not hers and she had tossed it aside for something better. She had fought destiny. But destiny's scythe was quick. She had taken a paralyzing blow. She had been assigned on a team with an Uchiha and the Jinnchuriki. She would be forever doomed to be the less bright star. What could a simple, boy-crazy girl ever accomplish compared to the two of the most powerful ninja the leaf has ever seen?
And then, in her magical ways, like her parents, she had defeated destiny. She took fate in her hands, hands strengthened by a hokage no less, and made it shine. There was no doubt about it anymore. Top medic, deadly kunoichi, fearful genjutsu wielder, and drop-dead gorgeous. She shone with ever radiant starlight.
That light, her starlight, had guided him out of some of his darker times, when he wanted to bow to the mark upon his brow. But he had learned long ago, with her unknowing help, that the caged bird who stops dreaming of freedom has no song. Even in the darkest corner in the darkest room in the most lightless of moods, he would sing. Because his star loved song.
Even now, he could see her swaying rather lamely to the music coming from her small, silver radio. Her movements were ungraceful, faltering, and filled with the pure joy of music. She danced for the love of the song, not caring for her appearance, only for the physical transformation of the emotion the song inspired in her. She was beautiful and his usual apathetic glance turned into a small smile as he watched her lovingly.
Then there was a presence behind him. It startled him, but he showed nothing of it. His eyes saw everything, but they could never seem to pick up on this being behind him. The man came close to god in Neji's book. Even now, he suspected that if Kakashi had not wanted to be noticed, Neji would not have noticed him, despite his all-seeing eyes. If he wanted to, that silver god could kill him before he saw it coming.
He didn't take his eyes off the kunoichi he had spent many an hour watching. His eyes narrowed for a moment, but any sadness he felt was eclipsed by the endless hope he felt whenever he gazed at her.
"Back so soon? How was the mission, Kakashi-sempai?" asked the raven-haired man sitting on the shrouded balcony across from Sakura's window.
"It was fine. What are you doing, Neji?"
Kakashi's tone was light and friendly, but he knew the other man knew he was masking a fierce inner anger.
"Just star-gazing," said the whelp, not even looking away from the kunoichi. The subdued tone told Kakashi all he needed to know.
"See any you could catch," he smiled falsely.
He could tell Neji was tensing for a confrontation. It was always like this. Battles in witty words and metaphors. The boy never learned that the star he always watched was already caught.
"A star should always be free. No man should catch her."
Yes, the boy could keep up just fine, but Kakashi was a genius.
"You have to catch her, or else she'll fall right out of the sky."
The boy had to think after that one.
"That just means you can hold her to you when she gets to Earth."
Heh. The boy was getting sloppy. There was an easy rejoinder to that.
"But when she gets to Earth, she's so much less that what she was, just a chunk of hard rock."
The boy sighed. They both knew he had been beat.
"She would still be beautiful…but, I guess you're right. On Earth, she would not be a star."
"As long as you understand that," Kakashi said firmly, irked the boy still refused to look away from his kunoichi.
With that parting veiled threat, Kakashi leapt to the window and entered, much to the delight of that beautiful star, now held safely in his arms. Neji hated that he couldn't touch her like that silver god was doing right now. He rose from his favorite star-gazing spot.
He supposed Kakashi was good enough to catch her. A student-teacher stigma and a wide age difference had not stopped the two from forming and eventually keeping a deep and intimate relationship. He supposed it was just one more way she beat destiny back. He supposed that her chosen catcher was also somewhat changing fate in the same way. He supposed that the catcher had fought gallantly for her, through teeth and nail. He supposed that the catcher was a good man who deserved a star. That didn't mean he couldn't hate that he couldn't catch her himself.
He was only the songbird, singing quietly to the star from behind the cage of earth. One day, he would be better. One day, he would defy that silver god and rise to the heavens himself to catch that star that was so far beyond her reach, because she was hope.
"Kakashi, I'm a little worried about Neji," Sakura said as she tried to keep his roving hands on her hips.
"What makes you say that, love?" Kakashi asked, trailing hot kisses down her neck. Now was really not the time to be discussing the boy. He growled softly into her throat as she once again brought his hands down to rest at her hips.
"He's been acting kind of strange lately. He's talking more, his eyes are always really bright, and whenever I feel for a fever, his face heats up and he goes stiff as a board. He refuses to come in for a check-up and I don't know what to do."
She was so cute when she worried about everyone like that. Her eyebrows scrunched up adorably and he just wanted to kiss that high forehead of hers. He did just that. He couldn't have his kunoichi worrying pointlessly over a boy.
"Don't worry about him. He's just going through a phase right now. It happens to all guys at some point. He'll get over it."
He placed a reassuring kiss on her pouting lips. He knew that Neji would find his own star while he let Kakashi have this one without much of a fight.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Now, come here. I missed you."
"I missed you, too, but I don't think I can get any closer to you than I already am."
"You'd be surprised."
"Kakashi…"
"What? I'm a man after all."
"Sometimes I wonder if all I am to you is a good sex buddy."
"Sakura! Don't ever think that again!
"Heaven would be dark without the stars, after all."
"What?"
"Nothing. Just trying to say my world is dark without you."
"Oh…hm. The stars are really bright tonight."
"It's because they're in the sky."
We can sing to the stars, but only their catcher can make them shine brighter. A tribute to all those out there who have loved a star, but stood aside for their catcher. There is no greater sacrifice than a sacrifice of the heart.