Red Lilies

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

At the early morning due, he walked to secure the area, the constant threat of an ambush was fresh on his memory. Last time he was prepared but caught completely off guard, many lives were lost on that night, faces of people he barely knew but she did.

She remembered their names, their birthdays and what they preferred to eat. The mass funeral had to be quick and bittersweet. His memories of her struggling to keep everyone alive and responding to her treatments were imbedded into his mind.

Gaara wasn't much of a healer, all he knew was how to kill and defend, his wounds would be minor as the sand kept him from danger. So, he barely needed to seek out her medical touch, but he still did.

Not because he was concerned by the possibility of being poisoned or by an infected wound, but because when he had just a few cuts and scraped, she would worry.

After she lost her beloved teacher, she became the one responsible for everyone's health and safety. Those times he would sport a small hairline scratch on his face or on his hands from his own training, she would rush to him and create a peaceful bubble of just someone caring for another.

A small gesture that she was more than capable of treating and would mean her patient would survive. It gave her purpose, and it made him gullible to allowing her touch.

Because, every time she had a patient, he saw her resolve start to crumble. As the war went on, the medic who had a perfect survival score on her patients became nothing amongst the dozens of bodies they had to bury the next day.

There wasn't enough manpower to keep up with the injuries and poisoned victims of the war. Death and sickness were a daily occurrence, and it ate her up day by day, patient by patient.

They would talk, small moments of truths shared between the pink haired medic who needed someone solid to proudly take care of and not see them witter away by their cruel world.

He was one of the most important figures of his people during this period, and the pressure was on her to keep him on his best. She did not crumble under that pressure; her mind was stronger than to let comments and orders to get the better of her.

Their first conversation was as simple as any other normal person would have. The weather – how ironic. She loved bright blue skies and fluffy clouds that drifted leisurely with the cool breeze. He liked the calm nights with nothing but the dreams of thousands of his people adoring the night sky with those small diamonds that felt so far to reach.

Stars that would never be bothered by their world and would continue to shine no matter what.

The next few conversations had to change as the sky began to drift into a murky dark neverland of death, grey clouds rained on them, and black smoke was often in the distance. They talked about their first time meeting each other, she was honest about her fears over his strength. – "I did believe you could kill me at any point, but I was more afraid of them having no one to help them once I was gone." – she told him. – "But I am glad- and surprised- by how hard you worked and how far you've come. I spoke with Temari, and she told me all about your new life." – she would continue on about how the old Gaara was just an episode of his life he should never be ashamed of, because "It builds the future of our decisions".

She was honest about how much she felt those ranging emotions of shame, fear and regret that pushed her to be violent herself, but in a smaller scale since she held no power like he did. But she understood the change, her violence was just a mask to protect herself when she was a child.

Now that they had to grow up quicker than ever, in their teen years, their character became a complete opposite to their younger years.

- "Gaara, can I be honest with you?" – she whispered as she began cleaning the cuts in his hands. His silence was her cue to continue. – "Once this is all over..." – her eyes shadowed over, small dears boiling at the corners of her eyes. – "I wish I would never remember any of this." –