A/N

Wow! 41 Reviews for one chapter! I'm so excited! That's a record for me! Thank you all so very, very much! To be honest I was a little scared I wouldn't get this chapter up in time, but it looks like I did at the last minute! Hopefully there are no mistakes, but if you find one please let me know so I can fix it! Thank you!

I wanted to give a special thank you to SapphireRivulet. She is my fanfiction idol. I started reading her wonderful pieces of work before I started my own and she has even graced me with reading my own stories and leaving me reviews. If you haven't checked out her work, then do so! Especially "The Blood of Ivory" It's a GaaHina.

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Trust lies at the core of love;

there can be no true love without trust.

~M.K Soni~

It was well into the night, seemingly only moments after he'd sunk into his meditative state when he heard the earsplitting scream that sent his heart racing. Gaara bolted up, his sand already collecting around himself as he peered into the darkness, waiting for the oncoming assault, the whizzing of Kunai piercing the air, weapons colliding with his sand… but there was nothing. He pushed the particles through the small cabin, tracing it along the wooden walls and even across the ceiling for any hidden enemies, or threats, but to his surprise found none. What was it that he had heard? What had made that awful high-pitched noise that threatened to make his ears bleed?

A soft whimper drew his attention to the dark-haired girl sleeping beside him. He starred at her for a moment before noticing her erratic breathing and the sob that accompanied it, echoing into the darkness. His own heart rate began to slow as he realized the scream must have come from her.

He continued to stare at her for a long moment, trying to assess what was causing her so much distress. There were no enemies around them and she didn't appear to be hurt. She slept in the same position she took every night, as far from him as the mattress would allow, though her body faced him tonight, her hair obscuring the delicate features of her face. Ever so slowly he reached over, moving the strands from the front of her eyes to see cheeks glistening with tears; a steady stream flowing down her face.

It tore at him.

For some unknown reason he felt he didn't want to see her tears, didn't want her to shed them for any reason. He didn't want to see her pain, though he didn't quite know what to do about it. He lacked experience in comforting another. He remembered seeing her like this once before and it quickly became clear to him why she was in distress.

The last time she had whimpered in her sleep, he had ignored it, something else that threatened to tear at him. Why had he been so cold to her all that time? Couldn't he at least pretend to care?

Wait…Did he care?

He looked at her face again, feeling something wash over him that had never made itself known before, though he couldn't place the emotions. War and bloodshed brought nightmares to terrorize her mind. She most likely dreamt of him tearing at their enemies like a raging animal. Perhaps it would feed her fear of him. Make her recoil at his touch…

His mind went back to their kiss and how she had pressed herself against him. How she seemed to willingly welcome his touch. Why would she? After what she'd seen him capable of, why would she desire to be near to him? Why did she sleep beside him, seeming to be in comfort?

He again peered at her face. She wasn't in comfort. She was being tormented by him in her mind. She would wake, realizing the monster he was and then refuse his further advances. If not, then at least the fear of him would show on her face. Sometimes he was glad he couldn't sleep; he could only imagine what kind of demons would haunt his own dreams. The blood and pain the Shukaku could inflict on his mind wasn't something he particularly cared to dwell upon.

He'd seen enough blood by his own hand without that demon terrorizing him as he did when he was but a child. It threatened him, telling of how it would never again allow him to sleep, lest it kill all those dear to him. Problem was, Gaara no longer held anything dear to him. All he thought of was blood, flesh and his next victim.

Until now…

Moving as slow as he could manage Gaara reached forward, catching a single tear on his fingertip, barely grazing her beautiful pale skin; her cheek was warm, leaving a burning sensation that ran up the length of his hand, igniting the craving of wanting to touch her again. It was without her permission, but… He couldn't stop from grazing that skin a second time, this time with the entire backside of his fingertips, completely wiping the tears from her cheek. She felt so warm… so delicate… so alive…

Pale lavender-hued eyes slit open, causing him to freeze. He expected her fear, expected another scream to fill the silence in the night from his close proximity. He was sure she had been dreaming of the terrible things he had done earlier that day; that he was the sole reason for her raging nightmares. That she dreamt of blood lust and raging violent sand, but she surprised him, much as she always did. Instead of wide eyes, instead of that frightened expression he had grown so accustomed to from people. She smiled and with a whisper uttered something he had never heard from anyone.

"Arigato, Gaara-kun"

Gaara felt his breath hitch. He watched her, stunned, as heavy eyes drifted closed and she once again drifted into a deep sleep. She was still now, her face no longer wrinkled from the images that haunted the dark recesses of her mind.

Did she just thank him? And use…kun to call him by? Didn't that represent affection for another? Why would she…

Come to think of it, she'd never really said his name before had she? He abruptly pulled his hand away as other thoughts of her screaming his name came to mind. Thoughts of her body beneath his own, panting for breath as he ravished her with his hands and tongue. He fought against them, recollecting himself and abruptly laid back in bed, cursing his thoughts. His hand still burned pleasantly from touching her skin and he had to separate himself from her, lest he act upon his own desires. She was so close to him… so vulnerable. He couldn't resist glancing back at her slumbering figure once more before forcing himself into meditation.

He wouldn't be the one to break her frail trust in him. He wouldn't be like all the others in his life.

Hinata woke to a quiet knocking on the door. She startled as Gaara was already on his feet, storming towards the offending noise, the sand whirling around him dangerously. She felt sudden panic shoot through her body as she hastily followed him, wondering who could possibly be foolish enough to come here after the ordeals of yesterday; surely more men didn't want to risk their lives by attacking him?

As the door slammed open, Hinata saw something she least expected. Instead of a group of Shinobi set out to seek revenge, Yaoki knelt before them on the ground, his eyes glued to their feet, head bowed in respect. She felt the sand particles as she neared Gaara, approaching from behind and earning a glance in her direction. She knew better than to touch him, but alerted him to her presence by simply passing through the grains circling his body. It was so strange that she had grown accustomed to it.

"Gaara-sama… My Lady." The name made her jump, thinking for a moment the people here had recognized her lineage and knew her as the heiress, but she quickly concluded it was only out of respect that he addressed her in such a manner.

"What do you want?" Gaara growled; his temper clearly only being sated by her presence. The man visibly flinched at Gaara's dark voice, but somehow managed to keep his own voice steady as he responded.

"I wanted to apologize for any involvement I had with what occurred yesterday and to pledge myself to your servitude. I am yours to do with as you see fit." Hinata glanced at Gaara to gauge his reaction, but his eyes didn't meet hers. Instead he was looking down on this man as though he were a piece of trash; trash that needed to be eliminated. She wondered if he would be angry at her for speaking, but she felt if she didn't the man before her wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

"Thank you." He glanced at her then, dark eyes softening as he gazed into her pearlescent orbs. Gaara turned back to Yaoki, his fists clenching and un-clenching,a sign that he was clearly restraining himself.

"Keep in mind that you are only alive due to Hinata wanting you that way. If you touch her again, I will kill you regardless of what she thinks."

"I understand." Gaara slammed the door, standing there for a moment, seeming to collect himself. Hinata backed away a few steps, giving him room to walk past her, but he paused, glancing in her direction before she felt the sand wrap around her wrists again. His movements paused as she winced.

"You didn't heal your injuries?" She looked down at her wrists to see the burn marks still present and then at her shoulder where dry blood was still caked to her arm.

"I guess I forgot." He seemed to stiffen before stalking off towards the bathroom, emerging a moment later in a fresh pair of clothes. She took the time to heal her wrists; the wounds there were only on the surface and didn't require much effort. Her shoulder had only been grazed and it too, took only a few moments before it was healed. She looked up, feeling eyes on her to find Gaara staring, his arms crossed and face puzzled.

The events of last night ran through her mind as she continued to stare at him, wondering what could possibly be going through his mind. What did he think of her? Was he going to kiss her again?

"You're coming with me today." Though she was confused, Hinata stood slowly, giving him a curious look, "I don't want a repeat of yesterday's events." She only nodded in understanding before she took the opportunity to pull on a jacket and followed him out the door.

The people around her moved swiftly out of Gaara's reach, casting strange glances towards the girl following their commander. Hinata remained close behind him, not wanting to get lost or cause anyone else harm on her behalf. Several tents lined the walkways, but those were not the only things present. She could see men sharpening their ninja equipment, handing out supplies to those who waited and others cooking in large pots with Shinobi lined to get their rations. The cooking seemed to be predominantly done by the slaves within the encampment, but that was to be expected. Shinobi had better ways to spend their time. It was everything expected from war.

In the distance she could see a small clearing where others seemed to be training and even larger tents beyond that. She briefly wondered what those places were for, but brushed the thought aside when something, or rather, someone caught her attention.

The same young girl who had been bringing Hinata food and clothing during her stay with Gaara now stood, facing a rather large Shinobi with fear filling her eyes. He was screaming at her as she scrambled back, tripping in her haste and dropping whatever had been in her arms. This caused the man's rage to ignite even further as he stalked forward.

Hinata, being a patient woman and meek by nature, could deal with a lot of things. She could deal with screaming, spitting, and even throwing blunt objects wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but when a man raised his fist to a girl who couldn't defend herself, she felt her anger break free. Uncaring of the consequences, Hinata rushed forward, catching the man's large arm, shoving him firmly away, where he stumbled for a moment before righting himself. She stood between him and the girl, taking her stance as she cast him an icy glare.

"Got a brave one here, don't we? Guess I'll just have to teach yo-" He froze mid-sentence and she watched his face pale, the color completely draining to leave an ashen hue. She turned to see Gaara approaching them, his sand already whirling dangerously around his body, causing everyone in the vicinity to retreat to what they determined to be a safe distance.

The girl behind Hinata ducked into a low bow, pressing her forehead to the ground as she shivered in fear, while the man before her took a few steps back.

"M-My l-lord." Though she didn't care for the man in front of her, the thought of Gaara tearing him apart didn't appeal much to her either. She was sure Gaara was still reacting to the violent turn of events from yesterday, but at the same time she wasn't sure she would be able to stop him. Hinata watched as the sand came around Gaara's body, circling the girl's attacker, causing him to scream out in fear.

"Gaara-sama." Hinata uttered bravely. As he turned his attention towards her, she hoped he could see the plea in her eyes. She had seen war, had seen men torn to pieces before her, but the girl that now cowered at her feet was young and though she had probably seen many horrible things, it was doubtful the girl had ever seen someone murdered before her eyes. He seemed to understand as he followed her gaze, but whether he cared or not ,she couldn't tell. His angry eyes turned back to the man before him, the sand moving around the arm he had raised. It was with a sickening crunch that she watched it bend unnaturally backwards, causing a rippled cry to emit from the man's throat. Sand wrapped around him then, lifting him from the ground and sending the Shinobi sprawling several feet away, crashing into a few large wooden crates as he landed.

"Let me make it clear to all. Anyone touching this woman will suffer personally at my hands. Is that in anyway unclear?" The crowd all glanced towards Hinata, but made no other sounds. He clenched his fists a few times before turning towards her, "Come." She obeyed following him to a tent where he conversed with a few people; something about the boarder and securing the perimeter around them by sending out scouts. It seemed he would be joining one in the future, but she wasn't sure about the locations they spoke of. It seemed Suna's enemy might be approaching their boarders; did that mean Konoha? Did Suna have any other enemies outside of the leaf Shinobi?

Following him around did nothing to ease her rising anger. She hated seeing people treated like dogs and remembering the girl only made it harder to contain herself. The young maiden had already been hit once; a bruise forming on her face. The fact that the man would hit her again meant the slaves here were probably abused on a regular basis.

As she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings it came as a surprise when they were before the lake; the smell grabbing her attention and interrupting her thoughts. She looked towards Gaara, but his back remained turned to her.

"You're frustrated." She didn't say anything. How did he know? It was then that she noticed her hands clenched, the knuckles turning white and she took the opportunity to allow blood back into her fingertips.

"Maybe."

"Because of the girl?" He turned to her, honestly asking. Why did he care, he let these men do as they pleased, with no regards to their actions on others.

"I don't like others being treated as such. They are not Shinobi."

"And you feel inclined to protect them because of their weakness?" She nodded again, but didn't miss the sand that began to form around him. Hinata looked back into his eyes to see something she hadn't before. Something almost… daring? "Mere training will not release your anger." Again she gave him a curious look. Mere training? "Spar with me." She felt her heart jump as she watched the sand continue to gather around him. It was a command, not a question. Unsure of herself she took her stance and not a second later his sand struck out at her.

She dodged it easily, rolling on the ground and simultaneously activating her Byakugan. She took the gentle fist stance once again, staring into green eyes that seemed almost amused. Was he enjoying this? The sand came at her again and she realized he was holding back. Perhaps that meant he wouldn't actually try to harm her. Was he playing with her? She'd never imagined someone like Gaara to have any sort of humor.

The next strike came twice as fast, grazing her with its strands, creating a superficial wound to her right shoulder. Though it bled, it was only a light flesh wound.

Okay, maybe he would hurt her. Thoughts ran through her mind as she once again tried to figure out the man before her. He didn't like her being hurt, didn't like seeing others spill her blood, but if he did it, it was okay? How did that make any sense? Perhaps simply knowing he hadn't caused her any permanent damage was enough to calm him. Perhaps he felt sparing was different. Whatever the reason, it was clear he wouldn't be going easy on her.

Hinata again took her stance, seriously this time, as she watched two more waves come at her. She dodged them both again, rolling, only to realize a third one had shot forward as she stood. Reacting on instinct Hinata lashed out, striking it only to have the sand fall to the ground in a useless pile. She glanced up to meet confused eyes and quickly realized he hadn't been the one to recall it. He had been aiming straight for her.

Several others shot towards her, but instead of dodging Hinata hit each one as they came, leaving them crumbling at her feet. She could see the Chakra circulating through the grains, but she didn't expect she would be able to sever the network just as she did on a human body. Sure, he could pick it up again, but the delay gave her a momentary advantage.

While she was calculating he seemed to come at her full swing. Giant arms of sand erupted from the ground, racing towards her at a dangerous speed. She ran towards the forest and he followed, matching her pace as she struck out at each grain.

Hearing the water nearby she got an idea as she continued to dodge and strike out at her opposing foe. He was right; this was more relieving than mere training. She formed the whirlpools in the water from a distance, grabbing the water and twisting it into Senbon needles. Hinata struck out, creating some distance between her and Gaara as the needles of water raced forward to encircle her body. Much in the same manner Gaara's sand encircled his own body.

He didn't react to them, but instead gave her another curious stare before sending a large hand flying towards her body. Hinata threw a few of the needles forward and the sand reacted just as it had done when struck with her gentle fist. It fell to the ground uselessly. Dodging his attack she once again threw two, only in succession this time, one directly following the other, just to see the sand's reaction. It pierced through the first, but a second stream quickly came to its master's rescue.

Hinata lined up several Senbon in a row as she slammed her palm into another mass of sand to avoid it crashing into her body, she flipped over another and upon landing, shot the needles forward. Her eyes watched, almost in slow motion, as the first needle penetrated, as did the second and the third, but fear began to materialize in her gut as she realized the next one was blocked too close to his body and at least another three were following. It was too late to retract them… too late to warn him.

The fifth needle collided with his shoulder with the other two following in rapid succession. Shock ran through his features before pain and only a second later he was gripping his right shoulder, the arm falling completely limp at his side. She had severed the arm's Chakra system and watched as he fell to one knee, gritting his teeth in pain. He didn't cry out, but she could see the blood now soaking through his clothing. Though they were Chakra infused, they were still needles and her attack focused on the physical body as well as the Chakra network.

Hinata ran forward quickly. She didn't know why, but seeing him in pain only brought on her own wave of misery and knowing she had been the cause of that pain only added to it. Sand enveloped her before she got close however and a pained glare met her eyes. The grains were tight around her, tighter than he had held her in some time and she saw the questioning look in teal eyes.

"I can fix it." She watched him hesitate, analyzing her, before releasing her body, again the sand continued to graze her skin, threatening her if she made any false moves. She knelt beside him, his eyes taking in every movement as her hands emitted a faint glow. She watched the lines on his face begin to relax as she first sealed the wound, then began working on the Chakra system itself. The Chakra network was much harder to restart than stop and she had to work her own Chakra around the system to get it flowing again. It was sluggish and faint, but moving nonetheless, "Your arm will probably be numb for a little while, but the Chakra systems will restart themselves to their fullest soon."

"What did you do?"

"My needles severed your arm's Chakra system. After realizing I could stop your sand with the needles, I got the idea to attack with multiple ones in the same area, just to see if I could penetrate it further." She turned sad eyes towards the ground before whispering, "I never meant to actually harm you." There was silence for a time and she finally got the courage to look back into teal eyes. They stared at her as if she were some strange, foreign creature, something that wasn't supposed to exist in their world, yet did.

"You're saying… you knew you could harm me, yet, you chose not to finish me off?" She couldn't help the sadness that crept into her mind. He expected her to kill him if she ever got the chance, to strike him down in a moment's notice. To betray him as so many others had done in his life.

Her attention was suddenly brought back as his hand reached up to meet her face, hesitating before actually touching her skin. She felt her face flush at the contact and locked her eyes with his, trying to read what he was thinking. His blue-green eyes shifted, trying to read whether or not he was permitted the contact so she solved his dilemma by leaning into it. The warmth from his fingertips sent delightful shivers down her spine as she thought about them sliding down her neck. His face leaned forward, eyes still searching hers as their lips made contact yet again, the strong feel of them sending butterflies through her stomach, tightening it into knots. Instead of pulling away he pressed deeper.

Feeling herself pushed back, Hinata tried to use her hands for support, but her back was met with a grainy texture as she realized he was holding her up with his sand. He pressed those strong lips to hers again, this time running his hot tongue along her lower lip. She almost couldn't repress the sigh that fell from her as she parted them and his hot breath mixed with her own, his spicy sent completely enveloping her senses. She could feel the urgency in the contact, his fingers trailing to the back of her head, pushing her face closer to his causing his tongue to delve deeper in her mouth. She fought for breath, to keep herself from fainting as it continued to dominate and explore her mouth. The very feel of his strong, hot tongue against her own had feelings stirring that she didn't even know she had; dark desires that craved to be released.

He broke the contact slowly, pressing his forehead against her own, breathing deeply before pulling away entirely. They both sat back on the ground, panting, assessing one another. If she had any doubts about it simply being instinct, they were shut down now. He had deliberately remained in contact with her, pressing those sweet lips to her own. She wanted more, so much more and her mind was screaming in protest as he stood; a clear indication they were now leaving.

"I have an assignment to attend to." She nodded, standing and followed in silence as he led her to the cabin. He didn't enter himself, nor bid her farewell, but seemed to run from her presence. Hinata entered alone, slowly closing the door behind her before sinking to her knees. She was surprised she could even stand after what had occurred, her entire body trembling from his gentle, yet firm caresses. She wasn't sure after that what would become of their relationship with one another. Surely it couldn't go back to them simply sleeping side by side, ignoring each other as they had done for so many months? She wasn't sure she would be able to resist. Thinking back, she would have loved to run her hands through his red locks, but had been too stunned to do so. When he returned, would she be able to resist a second time? Could she sleep beside him without being tempted to touch him yet again?

She didn't have high hopes for herself.

Gaara ran from her presence as quickly as he could. His entire body burning with a desire that was foreign to him, one that threatened to over whelm his self control. He wanted to tear her clothes off, run his hands over her entire body, claim her as his own. He wanted her far more than he had ever wanted anything in his life, but he had to remain in control. He didn't just want her just because she was a woman, he wanted her acceptance, wanted her compassion, her kindness.

She saw through his defense, found a way to penetrate it, yet had run after him in concern, not to deliver the finishing blow. She helped him… again. Healed him… again. She didn't want him dead like so many others; even knowing he was a Jinchuuriki didn't seem to bother her. Could such a pure person such as herself truly exist in this world? He found himself stopping, leaning against a tree as he tried to regain his breath.

He could still feel the after effects of her warm Chakra radiating through his shoulder. It was comforting, just as her touch was to him. Why did she welcome him so readily?

She was everything he wanted, and seemed to accept him for everything he was. Even the monster that lingered inside of him. Perhaps his desire for her presented a weakness; perhaps it made him vulnerable as his enemies would soon discover that weakness. But he could protect her, she could protect herself. Despite all the reasons to not have that connection he wanted it. He wanted her… and he would have her.

A/N

Alright, I really hope that chapter turned out well. I would have liked to have waited another week to go over it a few more times, but I know you guys would probably be upset with me over that. I didn't have as much time to go over it due to the holidays.

Speaking of holidays I got to wondering where everyone was located that is reading my fanfic. I'm in the United States.

I have plans to write a lemon for this story, but I was wondering what everyone's thoughts were on this? Are you all okay with a lemon or would you rather me write it a little more softer. Either way there will be lemony goodness, but I didn't know how much detail you guys wanted or were opposed to.

See you in two weeks! Please Review!

Ja ne