This fic is a Yami x Ryou shounen-ai one-shot that came to mind when I wrote the poem below. It can be taken at face value, but there are also lots of symbolic hidden meanings in there. Look at it whichever way you care to. In this fic, the two are Takajin – humans with large bird-wings (literally 'hawk-people').

Hope you enjoy!

I seek your freedom, I seek your touch
Your spills and thrills, I miss so much
Cross the skies, stand by my side
Give me wings and let me fly

- cloud-1-3-5

"Yami…" the boy whimpered softly. "I'm scared…"

Ryou stared across the vast expanse of ocean before him, feeling himself shaking even as Yami's whispered breaths ghosted over the back of his neck. "I know…" came the reply, soft and reassuring. "The first step is always the worst, even when you've flown for years."

Ryou shivered as he felt Yami's hand lightly brush down his ivory-coloured, feathered wing, barely making contact. It was a trick that Yami had found always calmed the boy, his lustrous wings being highly sensitive and responsive to touch. It was, to Ryou, what cuddling a stuffed animal was to a human child – soothing, calming, a sensation that reminded Ryou of warm smiles and happy memories. He couldn't place his finger on why, but Yami knew that it was the same effect. Stepping forward, Yami gently slipped his arms round the boy's chest, resting his chin lightly on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do it today," he murmured softly, tipping his head so it rested lightly against Ryou's. "You can do it tomorrow, or next week, or never, if you want. But each time you put it off, it'll be harder to do. It only gets easier to say 'tomorrow,' not to prepare yourself."

Ryou gave a soft, melancholy sigh, turning to nuzzle lightly against Yami's head with his cheek, returning his affection. "I know…" he whispered in reply. "But… I don't know if I can do it…"

A gust of wind blew against the two boys, the cold sea breeze making Ryou shiver further and instinctively draw his wings in closer to himself. Yami had recommended he only wear light clothes for his first flight, to make it easier. "It's just…"

Ryou didn't know what it was. Whether it was the fear of the fall if he went wrong, whether it was the fear of the unknown, the fear of leaving the safety the ground offered and depending solely on the frail appendages on his back to keep him up, or a mixture of these, he didn't know.

"Ryou…" Yami whispered softly. "I won't lie. We're hundreds of feet up on this cliff top. Your wings feel weak, to you, and the bones are fragile. You're depending ultimately on your own instincts to do the impossible and defy gravity." Yami heard Ryou whimper at these words, and shushed him softly. "But it'll be okay. I've been on this cliff, in your shoes, with my teacher encouraging me. And I made it through, didn't I?"

Ryou gave a soft, hesitant nod at this, but that deep-rooted fear wouldn't let him go.

"Ryou… no-one in all our history has failed their first flight. There have been takajin heavier than you with smaller wings who've made it." One of Yami's hands slipped down from Ryou's chest, brushing diagonally across his body to the opposite hip. "Your body is as perfect as one of our kind could ever ask for flight," he husked gently into Ryou's ear. "If ever someone was born to fly, it was you."

Ryou shook his head softly at Yami's words. "I'm not, Yami. I'm not perfect, and I'll never fly. I just can't do it."

Ryou swore he felt Yami's mood darken for a moment at this statement, before he tenderly kissed the boy's neck, chuckling lightly as he felt his understudy squirm. "You're perfect in more ways than you know…" he answered softly, before releasing Ryou from his embrace. "Now watch me."

Yami stepped round Ryou and paused for a moment, to gauge the distance between himself and the edge of the precipice. Without a word, the elder boy ran to the sheer drop before him, ducking low before leaping from the cliff's brink, his crimson-tipped wings fanning out behind him.

Ryou gave a soft gasp as he watched Yami soar majestically into the air, riding on another breeze as it came in, before swooping down and arcing off to his right, arms and wings spread to their full extent. No matter how many times he saw it, Ryou never ceased to be awed by the sight of his lover flying, gliding and diving, sweeping through the air as if gravity were only a concept, not a law. Yami's back arched smoothly as he directed himself skyward again, veering round and flapping his wings hard as he followed the vertical cliff face, suddenly coming back into view right in front of the younger, white-haired boy.

Ryou gave a small, delighted laugh as Yami swept over his head close enough to touch him, turning round and watching the boy land gracefully in a crouch, his wings tucking back in again as he stood. Barely even panting, Yami turned to face Ryou and walked across to him, gently resting his hands on the boy's shoulders. "You don't even have to think about it," he stated simply. "It'll come to you as soon as that first breeze hits you."

The laughter dropped from Ryou's voice as Yami spoke, and he instinctively moved in closer to him, lightly placing his hands on his chest. "But… what if it doesn't…?" he whispered softly. "Will you catch me in time?"

"I won't need to," Yami promised, lightly kissing Ryou's forehead. "You won't have a problem."

Ryou nodded in response to this assurance, before turning and gazing over his shoulder at the sparkling azure sea that stretched out into the distance. With a small whimper, Ryou fisted his hands in Yami's black vest-top and pressed his body close to his lover's, hiding his face in the crook of Yami's neck. "I can't," he whispered again. "I'm so sorry… I don't want to let you down, but I can't…"

Yami pulled Ryou flush against him, stroking the boy's silvery tresses softly. "You can…" he murmured patiently, kissing Ryou's forehead again. "You can and you will, I promise."

Yami wasn't certain, but he thought he felt a small, hot splash against the base of his neck. Frowning slightly, he tucked two fingers under Ryou's chin and tilted his head up, gazing on the boy's face with concern in his eyes. Sure enough, Ryou's eyes were beginning to fill with tears, and the boy tightened his grip on Yami's top as a pleading look came into his doe-brown orbs. "Please don't force me," Ryou whispered softly, his voice cracking slightly. "I'm so scared…"

Yami felt his will wavering a moment, but forcibly pulled himself back together. This was the one time he couldn't let Ryou have his way. Sighing softly, Yami slipped one arm round from Ryou's back and reached up to catch a tear between two knuckles, wiping the trail away with his thumb. "Ryou… if I had any doubts in my mind, I wouldn't let you risk it…" Yami brushed a few stray strands of hair back behind Ryou's ear, before lightly cupping his cheek. "You're too precious to me to take any chances over."

Ryou felt his eyes well up again at Yami's words, and pressed himself against the boy's chest again, his hands squeezing the fabric of Yami's top tighter than ever. The look on his face told Yami that Ryou was wrestling with himself, and he kept silent, wanting Ryou to decide on his own.

"…please come with me then!" Ryou eventually blurted out, before he could change his mind. He lifted his head and gazed imploringly at Yami, showing his need for the boy's support was greater than ever before. "It seems less scary, when I'm in your arms…" he whispered. "Please take me up with you… I'll have nothing to fear then…"

Yami blinked in surprise at Ryou's sudden change of heart, staring silently at the look on the boy's face. He wanted to be happy that this was what Ryou wanted – that he didn't feel pressured into it. If Ryou wasn't truly willing, Yami wouldn't take him up – not now that he'd tried every line of approach that he could. The boy's deep, russet eyes gave no sign of doubt, though, that Yami could see. For Ryou, there was only that one solution.

If Yami was with him, he was ready for anything.

Smiling, Yami nodded, kissing Ryou's forehead again and taking his hand, leading him to the cliff's edge. "Don't be afraid…" he murmured, turning his back to the rock face and opening his arms to take hold of Ryou. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Ryou nodded softly, offering Yami a shy smile as he stepped into his embrace. As his lover slipped his arms round Ryou's waist, Ryou held lightly onto his shoulders, both boys taking care not to restrict each other's wings. "What now?" he whispered softly, looking up into Yami's cerise eyes. "What do I have to do?"

Yami stepped back a couple of paces, gently pulling Ryou with him, before giving the boy a mischievous grin. "Now, you fly," he stated simply, before leaning back and falling off the cliff's edge, dragging Ryou with him.

"Yami!" the boy screamed, clinging onto his chest tightly. "Yami! We're falling!"
"Open your wings then."
"Yami! I can't!"
"Do it, Ryou, or we'll both hit the rocks."
"Yami!"

Ryou's eyes widened as he saw the jagged rocks rushing toward them both at a dizzying rate, before screwing his eyes up and screaming again in abject terror. He couldn't do it. He couldn't make his wings open; he was too scared. Yami was facing the wrong way to open his – if he tried, they'd get caught in the slip stream and fold over, serving no purpose.

Yami had placed his trust in him, and he'd failed him. Now, it could only be a second more before they-

"Ryou…" Yami murmured softly. "Open your eyes…"

Ryou whimpered in fear, before suddenly realising he'd just heard Yami's whisper. That meant the wind wasn't rushing in his ears any more, which meant they weren't falling…

"…Yami?" Ryou blinked his eyes open, and gasped as he saw the sparkling cerulean sea below him, the two boys still locked in each other's embrace and rising further and further all the time. The boy swallowed guiltily as he remembered his blind panic, closing his eyes again. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, pressing his head against Yami's chest. "I didn't mean to let you down, but… I was so scared…" Ryou choked back a small sob of regret, realising he'd nearly cost his lover his life. "Thank you for saving us…"

The silver-haired teen felt a soft set of lips pressed to his forehead. "Ryou…" Yami murmured again. "My wings are still closed…"

Startled by this statement, Ryou lifted his head, blinking again. Sure enough, Yami's wings were still closed, the boy's aerial bearing maintained solely by his arms being wrapped round Ryou's waist. "But…" Ryou gasped softly. "Then… how did we…?"

"Take a look for yourself."

Ryou turned his head to glance over his shoulder, and gave a faint, amazed cry of delight. "M… My wings!" he exclaimed. "They're open! I…" Ryou looked down at Yami again, who had the widest grin on his face Ryou had ever seen. "I'm flying?" he asked, his voice much softer as he waited for confirmation of his lifelong wish.

"Not just flying," Yami returned, leaning up to press a soft kiss to Ryou's lips. "You're carrying all of my weight too."

To prove his point, Yami allowed his body to go limp, maintaining strength only in his arms so that he could keep a grip on Ryou. The teen gave a small, overjoyed laugh at this, amazed that he could manage such a feat, before pulling Yami's body up to his again. "Fly with me…" he whispered, lowering his eyes slightly. "Fly with me, and make my dream come true…"

With a soft kiss, Yami nodded, releasing his grip on Ryou's waist and allowing himself to plunge toward the ocean, arching his back and spreading his wings once he'd gained enough speed to begin to arc upwards again. Much to Ryou's delight, Yami flew with all his usual grace, corkscrewing in the air as he came round to glide by Ryou's side. "Ready for your next lesson?" he called, the wide smile still present on his face as he caught the rapture shining in Ryou's eyes.

Beaming, Ryou nodded his acceptance of this offer, taking Yami's hand in his as his lover offered it to him. "What now?" he enquired, keen to find out what was in store.

Yami gave Ryou's hand a reassuring squeeze, before he nodded down toward the ocean. "Altitude," he stated simply. "Then turning, then the fancy stuff." Yami gave Ryou a small wink. "The more fun it looks, the more fun it is, trust me."

Now spread your wings
Keep your dreams high
Some day you'll learn
To rule the sky

Please review?