Yami sat in the medical room, wasting time making salves and ointments her mother or she would use later. Haruka was away on a mission at the moment, and had known that Yami would be able to manage any wounds or injuries anyone came back with. Yami had been the medic when her mother was away since she was 10. That was how she first met their nearly newest member, Hidan. He wasn't at the base often, he was away on a mission now as well, but he hadn't believed that a 10 year old would be able to heal him. The young girl had ignored all his whining, and proved him wrong.
Since then, they hadn't had much interaction. But in recent weeks, she'd felt... strange, almost wrong when she saw him. Her stomach knotted up, her face felt warm, and her mouth felt slightly parched. When she asked Ookami what it could be, the blonde only laughed, shook her head, and gave her another book to borrow.
"You'll find out," she had told the girl.
"I do not understand."
"You will."
Yami wasn't dense, she was very advanced for her age and she prided herself in that, but she truly didn't understand. Nothing and no one else had made her feel this way before. She sighed as she continued to grind herbs with the mortar and pestle distractedly. Hikari came in and talked for a while, complaining about there never being anything to do on the base. She was right, but she also never tried to make something to do. After a while she left, probably to go find Saru.
Another hour went by. Yami finished up the salve she was making, ready to go find a book to read or something else to do, not wanting to use up all of the herbs. Just as she was standing up, Kakuzu brought Hidan in and set him on the medical table, Hidan whining and swearing all the way.
"Dammit Kakuzu! You don't have to be so rough!" he complained. Kakuzu grunted in response, turning to Yami and ignoring the immortal.
"He hurt himself. Haruka isn't here, is she?"
Yami shook her head.
"Then you get to fix him up. Have fun," he said, waving dismissively and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him. Yami froze for a moment, feeling her insides begin to coil as she turned to him. Though she was in turmoil, she acted in her normal apathetic way, having learned from the best how to control her emotions.
"Where are you hurt?"
"That damn bastard won't sew me up," he explained, holding his left arm around the bicep. It was bloody, and she assumed that it was just barely staying attached together. She nodded, trying to focus on the medical aspect.
"I will need to stitch it up first," she explained, turning to the cabinets to grab the needed materials. She moved the stool to his left side and sat down, starting to work once he'd moved his hand down so that he was keeping it together.
With all her might she focused, stitching up the skin around his arm. Her stomach continued to do flips and she could feel her face warm while her heart thumped in her chest. What in God's name was happening to her? He watched her as her face reddened slightly as she worked diligently.
"Why've you been avoiding me?" he asked. He'd been wondering, though he was fairly certain why, but figured she was stuck with him now and couldn't avoid his questions. She stopped stitching for a moment, staring at her work, then began again.
"I am not."
"You definitely are, kid. Anytime I've been around the base for the past month, you either ignore me or leave if you can. What'd I do?" he asked impatiently. She frowned as she worked.
"You make me feel uneasy. You did not do anything... I do not know why I feel this way."
"Wha-? Uneasy how?"
She paused, contemplating how to explain it.
"I... My stomach aches... My heart beats faster... My face flushes... I do not know what it is, but I know I do not like it. Thus, I try to keep away... I do not avoid you on purpose."
He blinked in surprise and smirked. He'd met Itachi, and knew that the young Uchiha was very much like him, especially in hiding or possibly even not having emotions. The fact that the girl had a crush on him was amusing enough, but that she didn't even understand that she did was even more laughable. He didn't pester her as she worked, a brighter shade of red now. Instead, he watched her, thinking. Soon she was done sewing and put the equipment aside, now using her chakra and jutsu to mend the muscle and flesh.
"So, what do you think of me when I'm not causing you to freak out and shit?"
She blinked, taken aback by the sudden and random question.
"You are an admirable ninja," she said plainly. He frowned, not getting quite the response he'd hoped for. A moment later though, he smiled.
"Hey, Yami," he said, trying to get her attention.
"Hm?" she asked, not looking up.
"Hey, look up a second, will you?"
She did so, being done with her healing. As soon as she was looking him in the face, he moved in, lips colliding against hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, though she didn't attempt to push him away. She responded feebly just a moment before he pulled away.
"That thing you're feeling is a crush, kid."
"A...," she started. "Impossible."
"Well how'd that kiss feel?"
She turned away, unwilling to admit that he had made her feel happy. That had been the one rule her father had always drilled in: A ninja has no weakness. She knew her job wasn't done and so she got up to grab gauze, came back, and began wrapping quickly as she could so that she could get away.
"You know, Yami, we could follow this thing."
"My parents would never allow it," she said simply, staring at his arm as she blushed. He just continued to smirk in amusement.
"So we keep it a secret."
She finished her work, looking up to him again. There was a glint of desire in her eyes. She'd seen the way her sister and Saru flirted and had wondered if she would ever have the chance at any sort of romance. He took the opportunity presented and leaned in to kiss her again. This time he was met with no resistance as her lips pressed back against his. Once he pulled away she stared at him a moment longer.
"I... suppose so," she told him, getting a smile as a response.
"Good. I'll come talk to you later then," he told her, getting up to leave. He winked at her just before he exited. Her face was aflame as she hurried to clean up. A smile was on her face though, even if she wasn't sure what had just happened.
