Keiko's POV

I couldn't find a present for Gaara that day with Temari because a gift or present needs to come from the heart as Temari described. A gift from the heart I pondered but I didn't even know what he likes and I hated him so finding a present would be hard. I only had a day left to find him a present so I needed to find what he liked.

"Ugghh I don't know what to get Gaara. Have you picked up a present for Gaara yet?" Kankuro asked me.

"No," I said watching Kankuro rub his head in a frustrated manner. We sat at the kitchen table, me still picking at the food on my plate. Kankuro had long finished his meal. I ate almost all of it knowing full well if I didn't Gaara would come and shove food in my mouth again. I really hated food but I hated being force-fed more especially by him. He got almost a sick pleasure out of it. I didn't even know why he cared if I ate or not, it's not like I would die from not eating. Because that would be to simply and easy of a death for a monster like me.

"I don't know what to get him. Almost ever year I got him a cactus but last year I brought him out... well, that didn't go as planned" he said zoning out most likely recalling the event.

"Only my brother would go to a place like that and end up befriending the girls" he mumbled. "Paid good money on it too, I don't understand it. Trying to give him a hand, give him experience before the council made him get married, " he grumbled again.

I didn't really understand what Kankuro was talking about but I guess he was just as lost as me trying to find a present for Gaara. It sounded like Gaara was difficult to find a present for since even Temari had trouble. She ended up buying him clothes the same thing she bought him last year. If I think about it I always see him in his Kazekage outfit or ninja garb and never civilian clothes. Kankuro always bought him cacti apparently but he changed it up last year bringing him somewhere where there were girls and he befriended them instead of doing something else.

'How odd' I thought to myself but then I remembered that book I read when I was out with Temari. I felt odd asking her to buy it for me so I decided not to ask but if I could get Kankuro to buy it for Gaara then I would be able to read it. I usually had plenty of money but I haven't gone on any missions and before coming here they took all my earnings away. I didn't think Gaara cared about what others got him, because when I glanced through an old album I noticed he seemed pleased with his gifts even if they weren't something he liked or would use. He liked them because they came from his siblings so I think he would be happy to receive anything so I set my plan in motion.

"Well, Kankuro I don't know if this helps but I did see Gaara reading a book. Let's see what was it called again." I said pretending to be recalling what Gaara was reading.

"I think it was called... um ichh ichha um no that wasn't right. Let's see... I know Icha Icha Paradaisu." I said clapping my hands together and I knew from his face he had fallen for it

"Really?" he asked sounding astonished.

"Yup," I said. "Why is there something wrong with the book?" I asked because he sounded surprised by his brother reading the book but I saw plenty of men reading the book in the store. I also read it and found nothing strange about its content, it held a lot of interesting data.

"Ummm no nothing is wrong, just surprised by the fact he would be reading a... a classic," he responded sounding somewhat relieved. "Anyway, thanks for the information. It's a real boring book nothing that will interest you, well I'm heading off to bed. When you are finished with your dinner put the dish in the sink and don't worry about cleaning it. Well, see you tomorrow."

"Okay, good night," I said smiling to myself while watching Kankuro climb the stairs heading to his bedroom, I was sure he would be buying the next book in the series as a gift for Gaara. I could also distinctly hear him muttering to himself happily. He probably thought I couldn't hear him.

"I knew it deep down that he had such interests, all my hard work must have paid off. He was just too shy to talk about it to his big brother."

After I heard Kankuro retire for the night I sat at the coffee table mulling over what to get him. Kankuro mentioned cacti and he seemed to care deeply for the plants so I could give him a plant. But what kind of plant to get him was the question... well I had all night to think about it. I got up knowing I no longer had to eat what was left on the plate and dumped the leftovers in the trash.

I placed the plate in the sink and began cleaning the dishes from supper, I know Kankuro told me not to but the nights were long and tedious. I looked out the window over the sink peering into the inky darkness if I was still back at the Kinjo Clan then I would no doubt be on the road on another mission, sleeping outside without any warmth or companionship. I sighed, I was beginning to get used to this lifestyle. I was beginning to see Kankuro and Temari as something like friends or siblings it made me feel warm that they so earnestly accepted me but all good things come to an end I knew that better than anyone.

The night dragged on and I listened to the sound of the clock tick, I had finished the dishes and put them away and now had nothing to do. I watched the clock's hands move and every time they moved the clock made an annoying ticking sound. I wanted to destroy the clock but I knew better. I was just tired, wanted to sleep but I didn't want to be touched again. He stirred up weird emotions in me in which I was currently trying to will away. Emotions will only hinder me, in the past, they hindered me and they would continue to do so if I let myself feel again. But I also I couldn't go back to being that thing again, a monster that didn't feel anything but rage.

Ughh my head was starting to hurt. I looked at the clock one more time, it read 2:15 a.m maybe Gaara wouldn't be in his office. I always thought he might be sleeping at the Kazekage tower but he might be at his lover's place because he never came home to sleep. It was a marriage without love and it would be normal to see someone else because some of the books in the bookstore described such things but it didn't explain what he did to me.

I slide my chair back and began to stand, the throbbing in my head was only getting worse. I would take a quick shower and head over to the tower to sleep, hopefully, Gaara would be out perhaps at his lover's place. As I walked to and up the stairs, my feet felt heavy, I really just wanted to sleep but I was afraid the nightmares would plague my sleep if I let myself drift off here.

I still didn't own any clothes of my own and continued borrowing from Temari but I didn't want to wake her up asking her for clothes. I could just wear Gaara's clothes, I have before and he didn't say anything. I climbed into the shower after picking out a black long sleeve shirt of his, I'm sure Temari had picked it out for him as a gift.I'm even more sure he never he even wore it.

I turned on the shower, the sound of the water winding up the pipes scared me causing me to jump back. I should be used to the noises in the house but still the sound scared me, I rationalized it as lack of sleep but I knew deep down I was frightened of water. I wasn't just frightened by the water I despised it more than anything but I couldn't remember why I hated it so much. I just remember choking on water, struggling against the currents wanting to live, survive its wrath and fury. So much water... so much death... it hurt so bad...

I climbed into the shower clutching my head with one hand. The water streamed down onto me filling me with a false sense of warmth which soothed me. The water I remembered was cold and painful. I washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner that wasn't mine but I assumed was okay to use, they were Gaara's but he never said anything to me. A nagging thought persisted in my head along with the throbbing pain.

'You don't belong here playing house with namuhs. You are monster, if only they knew your sins, they would hate you too.'

I placed my hands on the wall in front of me allowing the water pour down onto me rinsing away the last of the conditioner, the same thoughts repeating over and over again. I knew my sins were great but I wasn't playing house with anyone because I wanted to.

'Do not lie to yourself you crave this, but remember you don't belong here. You think they'll forgive you, love you, be friends with you if they knew what type of monster you truly are... They would be so quick to hate you.'

No more, I wanted to sleep. Sleep was the only time I could rest but even then the darkness threatened my only fragment of peace. I turned the shower off, grabbing the towel from the rack. I dried myself quickly, pulling the shirt over my head my wet hair getting in my way. I should probably dry my hair but my headache was bothering me. I dropped the towel in the hamper and headed for the door skipping the mirror. I didn't want to look, I was afraid of what I would see.

I was afraid of the monster which would surely be looking back...

I hurried down the stairs and out the front door, I was greeted by the darkness no stars, no moon to illuminate my way. But then I saw the flicker of fire from a torch in the distance and the dream I had came rushing back to me. Men were shouting, chasing me, wanting to hurt and kill me and I started to run, I knew nothing was chasing me but I couldn't stop myself from panicking and fleeing.

I made it to the tower hurrying inside slamming the door behind me. It was the past I was recalling, I was running from it but for how long can I run from memories which fought so furiously to be remembered. My body shook, my breathing was shallow and fast, my head throbbed painfully. I walked up the ascending stairs with shaky limbs, the men's shouting gone and replaced with my own breathing and echoes of my footsteps.

I entered the office my eyes searched for him but he wasn't here. He was probably at his lover's place, I wondered why he didn't marry her but then again this marriage was more like a business deal if anything. I was happy and also upset he wasn't there, I really didn't understand myself anymore. I wasn't me, not anymore. I walked over to the couch falling onto it. I inhaled much-needed air as I laid face down on the couch, I could smell him. His scent soothed me and rid me of these dark feelings I had, his scent was so familiar but I was sure why it was so familiar.

I continued to breathe in his scent and drifted off to sleep, all the while hoping I could leave before anyone discovered my sins and realized that they allowed a monster to sleep in their home. Tears slide down my face, I was no longer able to hide the sadness, loneliness, and the bitterness of everything I was forced to carry as long as I breathed.

'Always a monster in their eyes, my dear Keiko, always a beast' a man's voice echoed in my head, laughing at my pain.

Gaara's POV

I ascended the stairs of the tower, tired and aggravated. Three ninjas followed behind me, they remained silent and I wondered why even their faces seemed grim perhaps I missed something or they were simply exhausted from their mission. I should have been more aware of such things but the tenuki wouldn't leave me alone, he had been pestering me non-stop for a week.

'You need sleep boy, take a nice long rest and leave everything to me.' the demon said insisting that I rest. He was once again restless since Keiko been absent and by saying leave everything to him meant he would deal with Keiko, punishing her for straying from our side for so long. The images he conjured up for me to see were of things he intended to do to her as punishment. The images should have been unsettling but they weren't, I craved it as much as the demon but I had to be patient that's what Baki had said to do.

I ignored the demon and pushed open the door to my office, the ninjas behind me were following suit but they suddenly halted in their tracks. I turned around to see what the problem was.

"Lord Gaara things have popped up... we can finish this up at a later time if you could excuse us." spoke the team leader, he had a sheepish look. His face was turning red, was he sick? The two ninjas behind him faces were also turning red, were they also sick?

"Are you not feeling well?" I asked out of concern.

"Ummm... no just tired but things popp..popped up so if... if... you can excusssse us Lord Gaara" the team leader spoke, stumbling on his words. He wasn't usually like this, his face was even a brighter red now. One of the men behind him kept glancing to his left.

"You are excused then, we will finish this at a later time," I uttered confused by his strangeness as well as the strangeness of his teammates.

"ThankyouLordGaara," he said talking way too fast, which was out of character for him too. He meshed all his words together forming one big long word. He then hurried out the door pushing the teammate whose eyes kept glancing to the left. My eyes slowly traveled to where his teammate's eyes kept straying too and my eyes landing on her.

Like last time her ass was completely bare; however, this time, my shirt had completely ridden up to the small of her back. She laid on her stomach sound of asleep, completely unaware of the suggestive position she was in. My eyes went back to her uncovered ass and what I saw displeased me. She was wearing no panties...was she even wearing a bra? That wasn't even the point whether or not she was wearing undergarments, was she trying to intentionally tease me because Kankuro had mentioned women occasionally partake in such behavior to catch the attention of a man or men. So was she trying to attract my attention or the attention of another man?

'Those men saw what was ours, boy. And what if she seeks the attention of such suitors? She isn't truly ours so will you sit back and watch as they sniff around' Shukaku growled interrupting my thoughts.

'No' I responded a bitter feeling winding through me. 'She said we would be a family even though she has forgotten but I won't let her break that promise'.

'Then what will you do then, boy?' Shukaku asked his voice crackling in delight.

'Watch sand beast' I snarled. I wasn't annoyed at Shukaku any longer, my anger and annoyance were now directed at her. I was extremely angry at her for displaying herself like this to other men when she was yet mine. I was also annoyed that she had been avoiding me for the past week. I moved to where she laid utterly susceptible to any danger, my hand automatically reaching for her making sure what my eyes saw was actually real.

My finger grazed her skin beginning at her naked feet. She shivered instantly when I touched her skin but she did not wake. Her skin was cool to the touch almost frigid, I noticed when I touched her she was always unnaturally cold which bothered me. But she may be cold from bathing since her appearance suggested it, her hair was still damp.

Acting like a child wandering around with wet hair, had no one taught her any better?

A sigh escaped me, I was slowly losing the anger I had towards her, after all, I did tell her to come here if she was tired which she did do. My finger was no longer touching her skin but now my whole hand. It rested on her butt, I still had to punish her for showing to much skin to other men. She had to learn or they needed to know that she belonged solely to me.

My hand slid back down her leg to her calf before I sat down beside her, the skin contact with her eased any prior stress I had but I was still annoyed at her. Also, I noticed the gained weight felt good to my hands, she wasn't as bony as she was before. I was pleased she had gained weight; however, she needed to gain more weight but I wasn't going to complain about the progress she had made. I slowly lifted one of her legs up flipping her onto her back. I did not want to look at the scars on her back because they bothered me but also fascinated me, she was by no means weak as she proved in the arena that day. Whoever marred her skin, she allowed them to, I wanted to know who but she refused to tell me so I stopped asking her questions hoping she would confide in me. Hopefully, following Baki's advice will help me discover things with this mysterious creature.

Even after flipping her into her back she still did not wake, she must be in a deep slumber. Ninjas are trained to wake at the slightest changes in their environment but she seemed to lack that basic ninja skill. Well, I didn't mind at all since she would never be leaving my side I thought as I brought her suspended leg to my mouth, kissing the inside of her leg. She would never go out on another mission as long as I lived.

With her on her back, she was splayed out wonderfully in front of me as I kissed her inner thigh. The kiss to her thigh quickly lost its gentleness when I bit down on her skin. She whimpered and I stopped expecting her to open her eyes but she never did. I continued biting down breaking the skin before lapping at it kindly with my tongue. I pulled my head back inspecting it and I discovered I was pleased with the mark I left upon her and decided I wanted to give her more.

I dipped my head back down, trailing kisses up her leg nipping her here and there listening to her moan in her sleep. I watched her face as I bit and kissed her. Her brows drew together as she fought the pleasure in her sleep and before I continued leaving more of my marks on her skin I lifted her other leg over my head and rested it on my lap. I then trailed kisses and bite marks on her other leg inhaling her sweet scent and listening to her whimpers and moans. The sounds that spilled from her mouth while I kissed and nipped her soft skin were arousing me.

I tried to keep my arousal at bay but it was hard to since she lacked panties...and she was also very wet... I was just touching her for only a bit and her body was so eagerly responding to me.

My eyes lingered on her sex and I wondered how she would taste?... And found myself leaning forward my hands pushing her legs further apart, all arguments as why I shouldn't be doing this being pushed to the side. It didn't help that the sand demon fought at its cage seeking release. I leaned closer and kissed her sex, tasting her, my tongue delving in between her folds and my action finally quieted the sand beast.

I groaned into her sex all the while willing myself to stop and that I shouldn't continue, it was wrong to do such a thing when she had yet accepted me and also while she slept. However, any logical reasoning that I had left, had disappeared when a sweet moan containing my name drifted from her pouty lips.

"Gaaraaaaa"

A taste wouldn't hurt, she was mine after all and no one else's. I dipped my tongue passed her folds again lapping away the fluid that had begun to leak past her opening.

Her moans were getting louder and her body was quivering nonstop and I knew she was close. Just a bit more and she would come but I didn't want to let her body have that satisfaction not until she begged me for that release. It was cruel but it was a punishment but I think I was being punished far worse than her as my pants felt extremely tight. Although she called my name I wasn't about to forgive her, she needed to beg me and then I would give her what her body desperately craves although I knew her mind would deny it.

I pulled back and she whined most miserably when I left her body aching with need. I hovered above her my hands pushing the shirt above her chest giving me a full view of her breasts. They were not large but they weren't too small either, my hands giving each breast a firm squeeze, the perfect size to the touch. Her dusky nipples rigid and hard yearning to be touched.

I flicked it and she squeaked in her sleep. Maybe the underside of her breast could use a hickey to and I bent my head down biting and sucking the skin beneath her left breast while my hand tormented her other breast. I could feel the rapid beat of her heart as I left my mark on her skin. It was a soothing sound such a strong and fierce heartbeat.

'Claim her boy' Shukaku murmured in my head. I wanted to do exactly what Shukaku was saying but I had to resist and I bit down harshly in the valley of her breasts. I wanted her so bad, my pants had become painfully tight on me now...

I traveled up from her breasts to her neck, the last place I would leave my mark and again I bit into her delicate flesh sucking and licking it. It would be highly noticeable the mark would be. A mark saying she was mine but I wanted something more then shallows wounds that would eventually heal. I wanted to bind her to me, I always wanted her near me. It was dangerous thinking but I couldn't help it, she was mine and only mine.

I pushed myself up after thoroughly making a mess out of her neck and looked at her face. She was panting hard, her face tinted red, and tears were gathering in the corners of her closed eyes. I kept staring at her admiring her beauty wondering how such a lovely creature came to be mine. I decided how easily I could be trapped by her, how easily I could forget my past, how easily I could see a future with her with our children, how easily I could neglect my duties for her, how easily I could ...

Wait... I had an appointment with the council at 5 am and looked at the clock. It was now 5:01 am. I quickly got up pulling her shirt back down and threw my red coat over her masking her from the eyes of others. I quickly grabbed the required documents from my desk. Before I left I kissed her lips.

"I'll have my revenge," I said pulling away from her lips, feeling highly uncomfortable in my skin and willing away the problem in my pants.

The marks on her skin would scare off any pests that got too close, but they would heal and I would have to stake my claim again. They would begin to disappear in a week and would be most likely be gone the next week. Well, when the time came I would replace them.

Keiko's POV

I looked around me, I knew this place; it was my home. The trees' leaves blew with the wind's breeze and the sound of the leaves' sounded like wind chimes. The sound echoed through the crystal forest, my home. The sound reminded me what a peaceful place, my home was. These trees were crystal trees as the namuhs called them because the trees had the appearance of crystal.

"How could they destroy such a place" I whispered to myself as I watched the creatures of the forest. Sure the creatures that lived here were odd in the namuhs' eyes but they were gentle, they were not monsters like the nahums thought. Then something caught my eyes distracting me from my thoughts, it was a white moth; it didn't belong here it belonged in the namuhs' lands.

I watched as the white moth flapped its delicate wings, it was hypnotizing and my home quickly started to change with each flap of its wings warping my home into a wasteland. Small fires burned everywhere and smoke rose up from the burnt land. My home was destroyed in a blink of an eye but its just...

"A memory" I whispered.

"From a time from long ago in a land far from where you are now" a man spoke from behind. It should have alarmed me but it didn't I turned and faced him.

The white moth fluttered over and landed on his hand, his fingers curled around it trapping it in his palm, it lazily flapped it wings while perched in his hand not carrying that it was caught.

"Who are you?" I asked. He looked so familiar but I couldn't remember if we had met before. Surely I would have remembered such an unnerving and creepy being. His eyes were closed and his smile was wide which reminded me of a fox. His hair was pitch black, unruly, falling just above his ears. He wore a flashy red and white yukata with blooming flowers sprawled across it matching his creepy and unnerving demeanor. But I was not afraid of him, the only emotions I felt when I stared at him was sadness.

"Have you forgotten me silly Keiko dear" he sassed waving a fan he pulled out of his yukata. "Maybe this will help since your memories are all jumbled up in that pretty lil head of yours' he said and with a wave of his fan changed from a man to a young boy.

"I know you... but from where" I whispered at the stared at the boy. My hand automatically reached for my head as the throbbing pain returned in tenfold. The kid started giggling which only made the pain worse in my head.

"Stop laughing" I roared but the boy didn't stop laughing, and my vision started to blur as the pain worsened. Then everything was spinning and I closed my eyes as I began to feel sick to my stomach.

"Keiko! Keiko! Don't you want to know why you call humans namuhs?" the boy said in his high pitched voiced. "I can tell you but you know the answer yourself, don't you," the boy said still laughing at me. I tried to stagger away but it was no use, I felt weak and ready to collapse right there.

"Don't fight it," the boy whispered in my ear behind me, he was no longer laughing.

"No" I choked out my throat suddenly dry. I didn't want to remember, ignorance is bliss. But he wouldn't allow me to have bliss, no because I didn't deserve it for I destroyed everything for him and the others.

I felt his hands on my back and he pushed and then I was falling. I felt the air rushing through my hair and clothes as I fell and I should have hit the ground immediately but I kept falling. I opened my eyes and I was no longer falling but on my feet. My headache was gone and so was the boy. I was back in my forest, my home but the only difference was a glass mirror without any frames laid upon the ground. I remembered it, it was what lead me to ruin everything I was given.

I walked over to the mirror and stared down at it but my reflection was not what I saw but the reflection of small children and a woman. What I saw made me laugh hysterically, how could I fall so low for these creatures who lead me to destroy everything I was given. I used to be so fascinated by these unusual small creatures not once thinking about what evils they could commit. I used to fall asleep in front of the mirror, watching and listening to the small creatures in the glass. They were unlike anything I had seen before, they fascinated me and I would always watch them, learning from them.

I tired of laughing and wiped the tears that gathered in the corner of my eyes and that's when I heard the voices belonging to the creatures in mirror.

"What sound does this letter make?" she said in a soft voice.

"ahhhhh," one child said.

"Very good," the woman said.

I knew now, no remembered why I called humans namuhs because everything I saw in the mirror was reflected backwards and the name just stayed with me since I considered these creatures as strange and backwards.

"Do you remember now?" a man asked from behind me.

"No" I responded. "I remember bits and pieces everything is so clear sometimes but most of the time it is foggy," I said quietly watching the woman and children in the glass.

"Do you hate me?" I asked because I had to know even though I already knew the answer. I turned and looked at him.

"Hate is a strong word Keiko dear. Of course, I can't easily forget you destroyed our home, killed innocents.. most of them were humans so it wasn't that much of a loss, your marrying a human yatta, yatta, yatta but that besides the point my sweet dear. I had a hard time finding you, really difficult time so I hope you remember this when you wake sweet Keiko because I'm going to destroy everything you hold dear so you need to..." he said but he never finished as a loud cracking noise resonated through the forest.

I looked behind me and a large crack had appeared on the mirror and the image had changed and what was reflected in the cracked mirror was now me sleeping on the couch and someone sitting next to me. I watched in horror as his hand traveled up my leg in the mirror and the worst part I felt what I saw. I shivered, I didn't want to feel what I was witnessing.

I turned and looking behind me in panic fearing that man was watching the scene unfold in the mirror but he was gone when I turned my head. Then I felt something bite my leg causing me to whimper. It hurt but something else was stirring within me and I turned back to the mirror and I was horrified by what I saw. There he was doing as he please, his tongue lapped and swirled over the places he bit and nip my skin. I couldn't help but whimper and moan eventually my legs gave way.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing let alone what I was feeling. I just wanted to wake up but no matter how much I tried to will myself to wake I couldn't. Then all my thoughts stilled, he wouldn't...

I felt him there, his hot breath at my sex, then there was his tongue... I gasped. I could feel his tongue delve past my opening, it was such an odd sensation and I couldn't help but moan with each thrust and twist of his tongue allowing myself to be caught up in the same feeling and sensation as last time. But the worse part I had to watch it happen in the mirror unable to stop it only to feel the sensations I was witnessing.

I hated him so much for doing this to me but I wasn't allowed to focus on my hatred for him for long as his tongue kept diving in and out causing that awful feeling to build quickly. My whole body was on fire and there was not a single thing I could do but submit to the feeling, my body shivering and trembling under his ministrations. The heat was pooling in my gut and I ached terribly for that release, the satisfaction that made me forget everything.

"Gaara" I moaned allowing his name to spill from my lips.

The feeling was overriding everything that was engrained in my brain as bad and wrong. He was the only one to make me feel like this and I didn't know why but I knew I wanted no needed him not to stop. I was so afraid he would stop leaving me with this awful needy feeling aching for that satisfaction only he could give me. I was so close...but then he stopped before I could, pulling away from me leaving me aching causing me to whine in desperation.

"nnnhhhhh"

I felt tears threatening to spill from my eyes and I tried my best not to cry. Why did he do that and then I felt a sharp pain on my chest... I looked at the mirror my vision blurry from the tears I refused to let fall and saw he was biting my chest. That bastard... Then he flicked my nipple causing me to squeak, my skin was so sensitive right now and his touch was sending sensations to ripple across my skin which traveled straight down to the pit of my stomach. All the while I hadn't stopped quivering. His other hand was squeezing my other breast and I can only describe as absolute torture.

He didn't stop there and continued to my neck and bit there. It was painful but his tongue lapped it causing most of the initial pain to disappear but it only caused more of the tingling sensations to resurface. After the bite to my neck he collapsed on me, holding me close and I could feel the warmth and it was rather comforting but my body still ached with need, a need he wasn't fulfilling.

But that warmth quickly left as he got up quickly and rushed away towards his desk. He started to walk past me but stopped and leaned forward brushing his lips against mine, whispering something and everything went black but before it did I read his lips and my guess was right this whole thing was just revenge. His words would stay with me even when I woke.

'I'll have my revenge"

Keiko's POV

I woke up feeling freely refreshed but still a little bit groggy. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my back and yawned quite loudly. Maybe I would go back to sleep and snuggle under the blanket some more before finally getting up…'wait what blanket?', I thought.

'Wait I didn't fall asleep with a blanket, did I?'.

I felt the material with one hand and realized it wasn't a blanket. 'But what is it', I thought. I lazily opened one eye to investigate and saw what covered me was Gaara's red coat.

'Ehh? Why would he do that' I asked myself but my thoughts questioning it ended abruptly when the haze of sleep started to dissipate. Flashbacks of what occurred in my dream started to fill my head and I couldn't get the images to leave my head. I began to recall the feel of his tongue on my skin, his teeth nipping and biting my flesh, and the heat from his body. Remembering the sensations caused my body to become weird. I became hot, very hot but it wasn't because it was hot out today.

Then there was that other thing I had to think about. He wanted revenge for being stuck with me but the heat pooling in my gut made me push the thought to the very back of my mind. I felt my face flush red and I quickly glanced around the room. I hope he wasn't paying attention to me because I felt really weird and I didn't want him seeing my face beet red. I didn't feel right and I didn't want him to know so when I noticed he wasn't in his office I felt so relieved. But where was he?' I thought.

However, I quickly discarded that thought to as a wave of heat pulsed through me. I wanted to cool down and when I felt the cold breeze blow across my aching body it provided me an idea. I tossed his coat to the side and got up.

The shirt was bunched up around my waist and I tug it down and I realized how big his shirt really was on me. The shirt fell just above my knees but I picked one of his shirts to wear because I didn't have my own clothes and I didn't want to wake Temari up at a weird hour. But it made me realize how much bigger he was compared to me and the thought made me recall the sensation of his body pressed up against mine and how small and helpless I felt in his embrace. The memory brought another wave of heat to crash through me making me whimper involuntary. I moved quickly, I needed to be outside now.

I pushed opened the door of his office and ran out. I descended the spiraling staircase of the tower hugging my stomach. I really didn't feel too good, hopefully, the cold air of the outside would make me feel better. As I descended the staircase all I could think about was the heat and what he did to me. 'Why did he touch me like that' I thought angrily. 'What was his reason? I don't understand anything especially this feeling or what he's thinking.'

When I reached the bottomed of the stairs I heard two people approaching the door to the tower and quickly hid in the supply closet. I held the door closed leaving myself a slim crack to peer out. I never used to rely on my eyes so much, it was always my ears and vibrations I saw the world through. He took away the ribbon she gave me and then I couldn't control myself I wanted to see what others did. I didn't understand the urge but I just needed to. The thought made me remember the dream and the memories I had recovered but everything was so jumbled in my head.

'Why did I need to cover my eyes in the first place' I asked myself. It wasn't the first time I asked myself this. The other time was and I look at the fading wounds on my hand as another memory fought to free itself causing me to wince in pain. My head was starting to throb painfully and before the memory could disappear out of reach I heard her voice as clear as day.

'You must hide them from the one who will accept even the monster you believe yourself to be until you yourself can trust this person because if you don't they will betray you'

'ugghh, what did she mean? Why couldn't I remember?' The questions swirled in my throbbing head. The pain and the heat were also bombarding my body but all I wanted was to remember. The door to the tower swung open breaking my concentration and distracting me from the pain and the heat. Two people walked in, I couldn't see them yet but their voices drifted to where I laid hidden.

"Load Gaara, I have something I must tell you," a girl said. Her voice sounded mousy.

"Yes," a man said which I knew immediately was Gaara.

"Umm.. please hear me out … and don't think too too badly of me." She said stumbling on her words. She paused for a moment and continued when he didn't say anything. "You been my Sensei and I really appreciate it but-but…" she said.

They had just walked into my line of sight and stopped. When she didn't continue speaking, he turned and looked at her, his face was funny. His face usually didn't betray any emotion except when he was dealing with me but I had never seen his face like this before.

I looked over at the girl, I wanted to know what was so special about her and why he was making such a strange face when looking at her. I saw an average face, not beautiful nor ugly, just average. Not too tall and not too short either. Her hair reached the bottom of her chin and was a light shade of brown. Her eyes, however, were a dark shade of brown. If I had to describe her to anyone I would say the girl appeared average but maybe she had a special talent because she was shinobi of Suna since she had the village's insignia on her headband.

She was timidly teething her lip, her eyes were cast down avoiding his gaze. Her cheeks were turning a slight rosy color due to his staring. I was confused about why she was blushing and acting nervous. Did she do something wrong and what about him being her sensei, I didn't know he had students? Well, I didn't know much about him besides him being the jinchūriki, having two siblings, and being the Kazekage.

"Lord Gaara…." She said then paused, why couldn't she just say what she wanted but I didn't have to wait long. "I love you, please don't get married to that woman" she blurted out. After she blurted out her confession a silence fell over the two.

'that woman' I thought trying to figure out what woman she talking about. 'Wait…... she was talking about me. I didn't even want to get married to jerk in the first place and wow dare she call me that woman'. I thought angrily.

"I'm getting married to that woman in a few months so I can't return your feelings," he said taking a step towards her and placing his hands on her shoulder. She quickly shook his hands of her and ran out of the tower, tear welling up in her eyes as she ran away.

'Was that remorse I hear in his voice, no it couldn't be. He couldn't possibly be in love with that child could he?' I thought.

He sighed after a moment before ascending the stairs of the tower. When I heard the door to his office open and close, I quietly removed myself from my hiding spot.

'What did I just witness?' I thought. The incident had left me with a new feeling, a feeling that left a bitter taste in my mouth. I decided I couldn't dwell on the feeling any longer and hurried outside before he realized I was gone because I could distinctly remember his words from that other time, 'You are not allowed to wander around without someone with you which means Temari, Kankuro, or myself must be with you.' But of course he could say just about anything to me and it still didn't mean I would listen like an obedient child.

The cold breeze greeted me instantly when I stepped outside. It soothed my heated body and throbbing head allowing me to hurry along the empty streets of the village. During lunch, the streets were always empty which made it easier to navigate and by the time I found the glass building and tree I was somewhat tired. I collapsed under the tree and rested my tired eyes; however, my mind kept replaying the incident I happened upon.

'Love' I thought bitterly. "it's nothing but a nuisance" I mumbled out loud.

"What are you mumbling about, Keiko Sensei?" a familiar voice asked which startled me.