Chapter one. this might get transferred to my other page, depending on how far I want to take it, I'm not sure. For now it will be on here. Enjoy.

(C's POV)

The war had ended years ago, five to be exact. Wow, just saying it out loud sent my head for a spin. It was said over and over but still it blew my mind. Each day dragged on, slowly as ever and yet I looked back and had managed to loose five years. I guess, and as much as it pained me to admit, time really did fly. If my partner were here he would surely laugh at me, that low deep laugh that made my legs shiver and my stomach burst with butterflies. The nations had come together after the war, leaning on each other like never before in this time of peace and the need for highly skilled teams was becoming lesser with each passing day. Given my medic training and his position as the Raikage's bodyguard and right hand, there were few days we got to see each other. This burned me even more, as after five years, a war, and little time to call my own I still couldn't work up the nerve to tell him how I felt.

I spent most of my days in the hospital, treating the wounded, mostly over eager children playing with weapons while their parents were busy but today I had a man, sitting before me, hand sliced open and shaking like a leaf. Not from the pain no, but the needle I'd be putting in his flesh to freeze the skin. I often laughed at this, not out loud of course, but out of everything I did in this room, the small needles for vaccines and numbing agents seemed to take the cake. Being one of the head medics wasn't all I did, even though it was unneeded as the Raikage was more than capable of taking care of himself he still asked me to accompany him and Darui on out of village missions. I spent so long in my office it felt surprisingly good to stretch his legs, a notion Darui would again tease me about. It had been five years since I was on active duity and I'd even heard rumors about A stepping down, that fact pained me slightly as I looked back on all of our times together fondly but the fifth Raikage wasn't getting any younger and the job, while slightly easier without the threat of war hanging over our heads, was still challenging.

Plus there was talk about the next candidate. No one knew for sure, as the rumors were still rumors and if I wasn't in the inner circle, I.E. listening to darui's calm version of his day to day, or month to month depending on how far the time gap was between their visits. There were many promising candidates, even Lord Killer Bee, the raikage's younger brother but i had a feeling that it would be Darui. He has been the closest to A for a long time, was his personal student and one of the few people to earn the lightning tattoo, god that tattoo made my knees weak. I wanted nothing more than to run my tongue over the black in and brown skin while my hands- okay! Stopping that train of thought there!

While I was polite to everyone I met there were few people i liked from this village. I was a bit of a control freak and happened to rub people the wrong way without realizing it, thats why I was so shocked when Darui didn't leave or request a different team after three days of working with me. At first I thought he was weird, I mean even i knew i was annoying, but after time went on i realized that was his way. He was so laid back and chill, while I was uptight and cautious, always planning my next three moves while he just when with the flow, or my carefully thought out battle plan... I even had at laugh at the adorable way he apologized for everything he did, warranted or not. It was oddly cute.

I would say my crush started back when we first met. The way he spoke, and how he didn't care how i took control was a shock to say the least, but his eyes, his eyes were the real reason. Unlike everyone else there was no judgement in his eyes, even when i was at my worst, full blown control freak he only smiled, letting do what i needed and doing the best he could to follow the forty five precise steps i'd laid out, even though we both knew he couldn't in a real battle as things change. There was also the way he was surprisingly strong, that strength hidden behind his calm demounor and yet so gentle, as he apologizes for hurting someone with that strength. He was one of those people that could change your life, a person you'd root for even in the smallest of things.

He was also quite easy on the eyes. Tall muscular build, his chocolate brown skin and blonde hair that shimmered in the sunlight... okay, it didn't actually shimmer but it did in my mind. Even the way he stood, waiting for the world to give him something worth working for. Even the way he muttered "so drab" was one of the most enlightening things. Life threateningly annoying uttered from anyone elses lips. God, he could stare at those perfect lips all night long and would if he could do it in a normal way. I only prayed i could keep my urges under control tonight. He invited him out to dinner tonight, the first time in about a month and a half as the calm headed male had been doing last minute details for the Raikage. In the heart of his absence I threw myself into my work, logging overtime hours and weekend shifts for the younger doctors who had lovers and families of their own, and I found myself for the first time in a while actually looking at the clock and wishing the day would be over already.

Speaking of my day. I stopped, looking at my patient before me, shaking on the papered bed as i pulled the clear liquid out of the small glass bottle.

"Don't look." I say, hoping to avoid a possible fainting incident that required me to be held back longer than needed. I really didn't have to do this at all, my shift was ten minutes from over as i would normally be finishing the last of my paperwork and making sure the weekend was in order but the doctor in the front had to leave to get her child who had come on with the flu so I said i'd step in.

The man shuts his eyes. It wasn't something I could get mad at him for. It wasn't like he meant to cut his hand open gutting a fish -while most people would wear cut proof gloves- and decided to be as nice as possible. Many people feared shots, in this line of work i think only myself, the Raikage and Lord Killer Bee didn't fear them, the former beeing to distracted by his rapping to notice the needle and picked up the mans hand.

"That hurts," the man whines, causing me to bite me lip to avoid the laughter I wanted to let out.

"I haven't even put it in you yet" I did however roll my eyes, seeing as he couldn't see me and decide to take after Killer Bee and distract him "Tell me about your family."

"My what?" he stutters, I didn't bother explaining that his family was listed in the folder i'd breifly fingered through to find his sheet "Uh, what did you want to know?"

"Anything. Birthdays, hobbies, things about your wife. Any important dates coming up?"

The man began telling stories about his life and how his wife was a retired ninja, stepping down to take care of the little ones as many women did after marriage. He talked about his children, a little boy and new born daughter who meant the world to him. I could tell how much he loved them as his voice quivered on the story of his sons first day at the academy. I waited till important moments of his story, allowing him to be deep in thought as I worked, numbing the area and adding the necessary stitches.

"Done." I state after he finishs, wrapping up his hand gently and stick the clip into place.

"What?" he blinks "when did you?"

I smile, only looking up for a fraction of a second as i filled out his paper slip.

"Take this to the store and get your medication. Take one pill every five hours for the pain and I'll you back here in a week to get the stitches out. Don't use that hand or i'll bite you in the ass and pain medication wont help. Trust me."

It would have been easier to use medical ninjustu but he asked to use stitches, wanting to prove to his kids that even a world without shinobi could still help people. A growing fear among us, as the lack of war meant the down slide of available missions. Still i looked forward with hope, if one day shinobi were not needed we would move on, hold are heads high and remember the times we got to fight for what we loved.

After catering to the man I did the rest of my paperwork in a flash, once more thankful for my shinobi speed and when everything was in order, clocked out of work and left the hospital. The cooler air hit me pleasantly, being in the clouds the tempature shifted unusually. The hospital was warmer than most places, kept that way for sick patients and set a brisk pace home as I was already later than i wanted to be for my date tonight- er, I mean dinner. I walked into my home, waving a quick hello to my elderly neighbour and slip inside my house, walking to my room to change. Like my life my house was extremely neat, well organized and and up to date with my life. Anything unneeded was tossed away, another testement to my friendship with Darui, even if I wanted more...

I shake my head, slipping out my hospital garb and slip into the shower, wanting to get the alcohol and disinfectant smells off of me before I left. Darui knew what I did and there for didn't care but I did, and wanted this night to go over better than the others. This time he had reached out to me, actually walking into my office before he checked in with the Raikage, stating he needed to talk to me about something and we arranged dinner. My childish mind hoped it was a marriage proposal but I had to be rational, the cool minded man had yet to show any ounce of interest in me what so ever, but, on the other hand he was one of the few males still single in this village and given his statue and position he must have girl throwing themselves at his feet left and right. I wasn't sure what that meant as that opened up a whole new level of possibilities but it gave me hope.

I stepped out of the shower, the steam rising in the dimly lit room as I move, a towel wrapped around my waist and grab the clothes laid out carefully on my bed. I dressed in record time, leaving only five minutes left of my fifteen minute early window. I always had that, my extra extra time to get ready, do what I needed and still have ten to fifteen minutes of cushion to arrive at my destination. Lateness was one thing I would never tolerate, it was my Achilles heel and always threw a metaphorical wrench in my carefully planned out day, causing all my careful planning to go down the drain. Thankfully I added an 'unforeseen' time slot of my hospital shifts and was well prepared for this.

I toweled off my hair, letting myself go bare for the first time in while. This would be the first time Darui's seen me without my headband and a part of me hoped that he would like it. I gave myself a final once over. Simple black pants, except able for a upper class or casual destination and a grey shirt. I could add my sleeker black jacket over top if the place was classier or throw it over my shoulder or around my waist for a night at the bar. I liked to keep things simple, my uniform had no useless trinkets on it or marks that made it mine, Darui on the other hand added his more laid back and personal twist on the look. His jacket only three quarters of the way zipped up, of a shirt not always tucked in, pants higher or lower on his waist as his hands constantly entered and left his pockets and his holster to carry his sword, thankfully added into the outfit so he didn't have to add a third thing. I don't think I could handle a third loose bullet, nor could he 'put in the extra work' needed to wear it.

Thankfully he left his arms exposed. Showing off the muscles, clearly defined even in his relaxed state and I could help my heart, the small organ beating faster if I walked to close and "accidentally' brushed his arm. I hated to say it out loud but everything about him turned me on to no end, just thinking about him had me wanting to rip of my daily spread sheet and do unspeakable things to his body as they rained down on us. With him I didn't mind getting dirty or messy, or letting go of my life. I just had a problem telling others... anyone how I felt. It's been that way since i was a child, forcing me to keep a distance from others children and their judgement. But there was something about Darui, something... special.

Shoes. Shoes were trickier, it was hard to pick one that went with both and deciding to play it safer donned a pair of black sneakers. I all but force myself out the door before I could nit pick over other things and did a final peek in on my neighbor, the woman -had a heart condition and frequently visited the ER- was asleep on her chair, chest rising and falling slowly before I ran down the street.

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xxxxOneShotGoddessxxxx