Vow.

If that look he gave me earlier discouraged me, it was only by an infinitesimal amount. I was still determined to keep my vow.

Confessions

I raised my hand and knocked softly, twice. I hoped he wasn't still washing or anything.

"Enter," he grumbled.

I bristled a bit. He sounded like the bossy Hokage!

I turned the knob. I was unusually nervous. But that was because this Gaara was so different from the one I knew, the one I had been comfortable with ten years ago.

He was sitting at the desk, facing the window, away from me.

"Gaara-sama," I said. The title seemed too formal, so I dropped it. "Gaara, just listen-"

"Go. Away." He said this slowly and deliberately. He didn't turn around.

"Please. I'm sorry. I-I…My promise-I…wanted to keep it. I will keep it. I still care about you, Gaara! I'll still be your friend, I just haven't-"

He abruptly got up from his chair in a swift movement, the chair scraping against the wooden floor.

"Shut up. Go away." He was making his way to the bathroom.

"Stop! Wait!" I unthinkingly grabbed his arm.

He froze.

I did too.

"Don't touch me." He ground out.

I dropped my arm. My resolve was wavering. I felt tears beginning to well up, and my throat was closing in.

No. I can't lose this.

"Please. I'm so sorry. I love you!" I choked out.

Finally he turned to face me. It was the disgusted look again. His eyes were drilling into me, holding me in place.

"You never sent me any letters or anything at all to let me know you were okay. Nothing for the past ten years!" He spit out. "You have some kind of nerve."

His words were a slap in the face. The tears finally spilled over. He went blurry.

"Sorry," I whispered. "I just…I was…" I took a deep breath and started over. "I just thought you didn't want me anymore when you turned away that night," I said. "It looked like you were going to save me, then you didn't. I thought you wanted me to leave."

Something inside of him changed. The statue melted. That look of regret and remorse filled his eyes again, like they did ten years ago.

"How could you think that?" He whispered. "How could you think I didn't want you anymore?" His voice was rising. "I always wanted you! Did you even give one thought about me, because I did! All those years!"

"Yes, I-"

"You were my only friend! And then no word from you!" He was positively shouting now.

"Shh, Gaara," I said idly.

"I…I still love you," he said, his voice breaking. It was soft now. I asked the most obvious question.

"Then why didn't you save me?" I held my breath for the answer.

"I just…I didn't want to be a monster. I didn't want to lose control," he mumbled.

I was stunned.

"Even to save me?" I whispered.

He didn't answer. He turned away and left me.

Breakfast

After a fitful sleep, I woke groggy and disoriented. Did last night really happen? I thought.

"Ren," Sakura called softly. "Breakfast's ready. We're going to leave as soon as you're done eating."

"Okay," I croaked out.

Finally, after a big sigh, I cracked my eyes open and began getting dressed.

When I arrived to the kitchen, only Sakura and Gaara were there. After a swift glance out the window, I realized the others were done eating. I moved robotically around Gaara.

"As soon as you two are done," Sakura said. "I'm heading outside with the others. We've paid the owners already."

Sakura moved out the door.

No, I screamed inside. Don't leave me alone with him.

Oh well. Good opportunity.

"Good morning, Gaara," I said timidly.

He barely looked up from his scroll to nod at me, his eyes cold and furious again.

It was like last night never happened. After all those confessions! I sighed. I was beginning to lose my patience.

"Look," I said. "I'm sorry that I never sent you any word, okay? I just didn't know if you-"

"Okay." He cut me off.

"What do you mean okay?"

"I don't care."

"You don't care? So you still don't care about me?" I flared.

He stared blackly down at his scroll.

"Do. You." I chopped up the two words like he did last night.

"No."

He might as well have stabbed a knife through my heart, because suddenly a searing pain soared through my chest.

"No? So. What you said last night was a lie then." I struggled to keep my tone calm.

Finally he looked at me.

"It doesn't matter what I feel, because we can't possibly be together anymore. You have left me too much pain and devastation."

"I'm sorry!" I cried desperately.

"Look, remember when I said that I would be your friend even when no one else would, those ten years ago?" I felt at risk broaching the subject.

"I was making a vow to myself to be your friend, to not let the fact that everyone was scared of you ruin your life."

He pushed away his chair suddenly and began packing his scroll.

"But I don't need that vow anymore!" My voice rose in panic as he started toward the door.

"Even if you didn't need me, even if everyone else wasn't scared of you, I still would've loved you." I paused to regain myself. "I still love you," I said quietly. "It's too strong for-"

Again he cut me off.

"I always needed you," he informed me. He stopped short of the door.

"I always needed you, and you just up and left me. You broke your vow, anyway."

"I'm sorry I said! I said I didn't know-"

"You let the simple fact that I didn't save you put a doubt in your mind? Like I said, Renna, you were my only friend. You were my only one! Even if I hadn't wanted you, what could it hurt to try to send me something?"

"I was afraid of-"

"Yes, you were afraid. You are a selfish bitch!"

I winced. He stared at me darkly before striding out the door.

A/N: hello all again...ive decided just to put it all up b/c otherwise it would be just sitting uselessly on my computer and when im finished i wont ever look at it again....so might as well just put it here right? but i would still appreciate some reviews..... ;)