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And like that, Yashamaru was gone. Father said I couldn't see him anymore. As soon as he got out of the hospital, he just got up and left me.

It was so sudden, so brutal. I was all alone in a world where there was nobody to talk to me and nobody to tuck me in at night. I missed him so much, missed the sound of his voice and the sweetness of his kisses and the warmth of his body. He was gone. He left. Betrayed me. And for a while, I hated Yashamaru and I was glad that he left.

Until I found out why.

oOo

"Gaara. Gaara-sama. Are you awake?"

I thought I was dreaming. But then, I realized that I wasn't. He was sitting above me, eyes full of dark hope. "Yashamaru." I gasped as I stared up into his violet orbs. He looked at me without explanation, I stared back without question. I wanted to kiss him, but I didn't know if he liked me again or not, and so I held back. Instead, I rolled over, turning my back to him. I wanted him to know that I didn't like him anymore, that I didn't forgive him for leaving me.

"Gaara-sama! What's wrong?" Yashamaru sounded puzzled.

"You left!" I snarled quietly. "You didn't even say goodbye, you just... left! Do you know how hard it is to live in a house where everybody hates you? Where nobody even gives you a second glance? Where you're a... a demon?"

"N-No! Gaara... I didn't..." My uncle sounded suprised. "That's not it! Trust me, I didn't leave you!"

"Then where were you today?" I cried. "And yesterday? All week long? Father s-said you didn't w-want to b-be here anymore! He said y-y-you dodn't want t-to be with m-me!"

"No! He made me leave, Gaara-sama!" Yashamaru pleaded, placing his hand on my back. "Believe me! Please, believe me, because there's nobody else! Kazekage-sama won't let me back, and my brothers and sister are all dead! Please... believe me!"

"I..."

Lesson Two: Trust

I rolled back over to face him. "What do we do, Yashamaru? I want to be with you, but if he won't let you back..."

"I have an idea. Are you ready?" He looked half excited, half fearful. "I want to leave this place. I want to go to Konoha, and I want to take you. I can get a job, and you can make friends there at the Academy. Kazekage-sama can't hurt us, and we can be together again, Gaara-sama! Just you and me!"

My heart leaped into my throat.

I want to leave this place.

"Wh-What about Temari-chan and Kankurou-kun?" I murmured as I felt tears begin to escape my eyes.

Yashamaru shook his head. "No! They're staying. I only want you, Gaara-sama. Only you and I." His violet eyes looked sad. "I-If you don't want to... if you want to stay, then I won't make you..."

"I want to go." I took his hand. "Don't be sad. I want to go with you, Yashamaru-koi! I'm just crying because I'm happy!" I forced a smile to show him that I was really happy. But that wasn't why I was crying.

I had never ever been out of Sunagakure, and I was scared.

Yashamaru had never looked so relieved. "I'm glad!" He leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead.

"Father will never let me, though." I reminded him. "You're not even supposed to be here. How will you get him to agree?"

"I can't." Yashamaru responded. "I'll never have your father's approval. He'll always be bitter." He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the bad feelings dissipate. "So we should leave before he wakes up."

I knew at once that it was a bad idea. But I wanted this so badly, to be able to live with him again, without my father interfering. I thought perhaps that by leaving Sunagakure, I could erase in my mind all the wrong that my father had done, how he tried to kill my beloved. And so I nodded.

"Good." He smiled a little. "I've already packed my things. Regardless of your decision, I was going to leave for Konoha. But I brought an extra suitcase for you. Pack your clothes, and a couple toys. Not too much. I promise, there will be more when we get there."

I was unsure, but I had to trust him, because he was my link to freedom. To live in constant fear of death here in Suna, or to take my chances and run away from it all? To me, the answer seemed so obvious. I was willing to take the chance. I wanted this freedom. I wanted to make the choice. I wanted to continue to live with him, to give him this second chance to prove himself.

I packed as he instructed me to, bringing along only my teddy bear. It was all I would need. All the while, he told me about Konoha. The thick, leafy forests and the flowers, the snow in the winter, the Academy that I would attend. I began to wonder how he knew all of this. Finally, we were ready to go.

"Wait a minute, Gaara-sama." He said softly. He took a piece of paper and a blue marker from my drawing supplies. He began to write in his neat cursive. I couldn't read a word of it, and so he read it to me.

"Kazekage-sama," Yashamaru began. "Don't look for me, and don't look for Gaara-sama, either. I have taken him with me. I don't want to see you hurt my nephew anymore." At this point, his voice was giving way to tears. "My feelings for you will always remain. Try to remember me, and try not to hate me too much. Onegai."

I took the marker from his hand and wrote in my own messy print: "Yashamaru didn't take me against my will. I wanted to go with him. Temari and Kankurou, I love you, don't forget me. I'm sorry that I am a dissapointment, Father."

Yashamaru left the note on my night stand before we left, out into the bitter night.

The sun's rays were beginning to peak over the horizon as we exited the house. Suddenly, it seemed wrong to cry. This was nothing to fear, it was a new beginning. I smiled, a smile that remained until we got on the train to Konoha, and probably throughout the time I slept on Yashamaru's shoulder.