Embarrassment

I own nothing. Obviously.

Random plot bunny that was mean to be a one-shot, it has now taken on a life of its own with several new chapters in the works. Not to worry, my other stories are coming along and I hope to have Phantom finished by next month. If you can't tell by the rating, this story is M with mature themes and a definite lemon in the works next chapter. Personal warning: I did not ask my husband to beta this so all mistakes are my own.

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Kaida walked quickly through the halls of the Kazekage's building, a stack of scrolls in her arms for Gaara-sama to look over before adding his signature. The honey haired girl knew he took his job seriously and was pleased that over the last five years she had managed to teach him about delegation; between her and Kankuro, there was a fair amount taken from his shoulders. This had allowed him more time to make his presence known in the village, a way for his people to know he cared about their daily lives. At least, that was how she had sold it four years ago as she watched the pressures of the job take its toll on the somber redhead. In reality it had been the best way to get him to take a breather from his duties and allow that wrinkle on his brow to smooth over for an hour or so as he roamed the streets, connecting with the citizens.

It had been baby steps with the Kazekage. After working her way through the ranks and into a position of trust, Kaida had become not only his secretary but a teacher of sorts. Gaara-sama would frequently ask questions about other people's emotions and she was more than happy to help as it was a chance to talk to him on a personal level, which had allowed her to get to know the solemn man past his striking good looks. She never meant to fall for him but she had. Hard. However, she still worked to maintain a professional atmosphere and always treated him with the respect his station deserved. Besides, there was no way the incredibly sexy, surprisingly sweet, man would fall for his secretary. How cliché.

She shifted the scrolls into one arm as she knocked once on his office door. Hearing a quiet "enter," she slid the door open doing her best to balance the larger than normal pile as she closed the door. Turning, aqua eyes met brown and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"Kazekage-sama, I brought today's batch of paperwork…" She never finished her sentence. Attempting to shift the scrolls into a more controllable stack while distracted by his gaze, she stumbled and several dropped to the ground. A mistimed step had her feet shooting out from underneath her body. A moment of undignified flailing and she found herself face down on the office floor with her ass in the air. Thank kami I wore underwear today, she thought as she was certain her dark blue yukata had ridden up dangerously high on her backside.

"Are you alright?"

Blush intensifying, she managed to choke out an affirmative as she gathered up the various scrolls. Soon his hands joined hers and together they made short work of the mess.

"I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama, you really needn't help with this. It was entirely my fault." He didn't answer as he settled at his desk once more. She didn't expect him to as she continued anyway, "I am so embarrassed, I'm surprised you keep me around with how klutzy I am." She fanned her still burning face as she organized the scrolls on his desk alongside the ones he had already picked up, muttering about her hatred for the blasted emotion.

He grunted, "I keep you around because there is no one better for the job."

"Well now I'm embarrassed for an entirely different reason!" She giggled nervously before turning to leave.

She shivered slightly as his deep voice stopped her. "Kaida?"

"Yes?"

She noticed the small frown on his face and knew what was coming. "What does embarrassment feel like?" Oh yes, she definitely knew the look he got right before asking for a 'lesson.' If only he would ask for a different sort… She mentally berated herself as she turned back for the direction her thoughts wandered. Namely him: naked. Oh kami, she was so fucked.

"Another lesson in order, Gaara-sama?" She asked with a coy wink. Thank every deity under the sun that he never picked up on her less than subtle, completely harmless flirting. He nodded and she settled herself on the small couch in one corner of the office, patting the cushion next to her. She couldn't hide her grin at his small sigh, the equivalent of an eye roll from him. He sat on the couch next to the opposite armrest leaving a single cushion between them. Wishing he were closer but hopeful he couldn't see the racing pulse in her neck from three feet away, she carefully tucked her legs underneath her, taking care not to potentially flash him for the second time in one day. They weren't even her cute undies.

"What do you know about embarrassment, hm?" Kaida always like to set a benchmark with him when going over one of their lessons. Oftentimes he knew the semantics but not the practical aspect. Last time, he wanted to know why some people felt the need to scream when they were angry with another; this after a council member decided he was tired of Gaara putting off finding a wife and decided to express his anger by yelling. For the better part of an hour. Idiots, all of them on that stupid council, save for Baki.

"I know that you say you feel it quite often for one reason or another and you seem to think it the worst of your emotions." He paused a moment, studying her still cooling face. "You also turn red."

So much for her fading blush, it was most definitely back.

"You're right, I seem to consistently embarrass myself in front of you. Part of my charm," She flashed him a cheesy grin before continuing, "And I'd say the only thing worse than embarrassment is grief."

He nodded, "I am familiar with that."

Oh how she wanted to brush his bangs from his face. Focus, damnit!

"And I turn red because the blood rushes to my face. Go figure, my body has found a way to make me embarrassed of being embarrassed." She rolled her eyes and played with the hem of her yukata as it was resting across her knees. "Embarrassment feels hot, but in a bad way. My face, ears, neck all heat up and personally I want to find a teeny tiny hole to crawl in and wallow afterwards. Have you ever felt that way?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes, the surrounding black becoming all the more striking. "I don't think so."

"Do you want to?" The question surprised even her as she processed exactly what she said. Oops.

He gave a slight shrug, "I think I would like to know. Kankuro has been giving me a hard time about being more, how did he put it? Normal. If this is a normal emotion, I would like to feel it."

Kaida couldn't stop the shit-eating grin that broke out on her face. "Something tells me this is going to be a bit of a challenge. You are probably the most graceful person I know so I doubt a fall would have the same affect on you as it does me. You don't stutter or trip on your words. Hmm," She rubbed her chin and pretended to think. "You know, I think that just leaves… Nah, I'd hate to push you that far out of your comfort zone."

"Isn't that what this is about?" He inquired dryly.

"Fine but don't say I didn't warn you," she sang teasingly. Cocking her head she asked, "If you blush, will it show up through your sand armor?"

Gaara blinked, "I am not sure."

"Lose it."

"What?"

She snorted at his discomfort, "I won't be able to see if its working or not. Lose it from your face at least." She batted her eyelashes and added in a sugary sweet tone, "I promise to protect you should someone attack in the next five minutes."

He managed a small smile at her joke- his equivalent of a hearty laugh- and Kaida mentally patted herself on the back as the sand shifted away from his face. She took a moment to study him, slightly surprised that she couldn't tell the difference between his skin and the sand once it stopped shifting.

"So, Kazekage-sama. Have you ever seen a girl naked?"

Gaara visibly started, snapping his eyes to her own. A smirk appeared as she raised an expectant brow; if there was one aspect of life he lagged behind in, aside from understanding fundamental emotions, it was definitely sexual experience.

"No."

"Has a girl ever seen you naked?"

"What are these questions?" He asked, shifting slightly. Bingo. She knew his tells and he was uncomfortable, that small shift might as well have been him leaping from the couch.

"Well, if the common embarrassing things won't work on you then my last resort is to ask you embarrassing physical questions. Although you didn't answer my last one."

"The answer is no. Although I don't see the purpose."

She snorted, "Trust me, being naked with someone of the opposite sex can be pretty embarrassing. Is it working?"

The redhead nodded and glanced away. "I feel uncomfortable, though I am not sure it is embarrassment. I take it my face is not red like yours currently is?"

Damn him and his ability to flip things around on her. She crossed her arms and turned her head, "No your face is not red. And short of getting naked, I doubt I can say much more to shock you here. Though if you want to take me up on that offer, I'll see you at my place around nine. Enjoy the paperwork, Kazekage-sama." She made her way out of the office with a flirtatious wink, confident he would leave things be.

oOoOoOo

It was a rare night where Kaida had the following day off and she was hell bent on a little personal care. After leaving the office, she hurried to the market to pick up dinner before her favorite shop closed. Stomach satisfied, she was set on satisfying something else. As a single girl who rarely had the time off to pursue a relationship even if she ever decided she wanted one, Kaida had perfected her routine for her personal care nights. Dinner followed by a thorough scrubbing with her favorite lavender soap, then she would slip into a pale blue silk nighty that hugged her curves in all the right places. It had been an indulgent item she purchased with the intention of making herself feel sexy, not for any particular guy- not after the last time she had willingly undressed for a man and been shot down. The fact it matched the eyes of a particular Kazekage had nothing to do with it.

Most times she would light candles in her bedroom and proceed in the softly flickering lights but not tonight. Tonight, she was feeling adventurous so she lit the candles in her small sitting room instead, drawing the curtains closed but knowing the occasional shinobi would pass by directly outside her window. Thinking about passing shinobi, she glanced at the clock, chiding herself for her disappointment. It was nine thirty and Gaara was definitely not coming. Not that she expected him to. She was confident she had sufficiently embarrassed him at the office earlier, at least as much as the man was capable of. But a girl could dream and Gaara would be staring in her daydreams once again tonight.

She glanced down at her small breasts, pleased to see her nipples already hard at the thought of her incredibly sexy boss catching her in the act of touching herself. Laying back on the couch, Kaida brushed her fingers over her breasts, giving each peak a slight tug. Oh, how she wished it were Gaara's larger hands caressing her body. He would start with her cheeks, slowly making his way down the hollow of her throat, playing with her through the slinky nighty, as he worked his way down…

A knock sounded at the door.

Kaida shot up, eyes wide. It was probably her elderly neighbor wanting to borrow an egg for breakfast in the morning; damn senile old man never planned ahead. She pulled on her yukata which had been unceremoniously tossed over the back of her couch when she arrived home and made for the door- the last thing she needed was to call the medics because her ninety-three year old neighbor caught an eyeful.

She could swear her heart stopped beating as she locked eyes with the person on the other side.

"Gaa- uh, Kazekage-sama." She bit the inside of her cheek hoping to stop her nervous voice. He had obviously gone home to change out of his kage robes and was wearing his more comfortable red jacket. At his expectant expression she realized she had been standing there staring, and moved aside, gesturing for him to come in. Her mind remained blank as he removed his shoes at the door before making his way to the middle of the room. Belatedly, she realized she was still holding the door open. Get it together, Kaida. The topic is embarrassment: his, not yours. Right, she could do this, all she needed was a plan: embarrass him sufficiently and she could continue with her evening; if she was particularly lucky, she may have some new material to use when he had gone. "How can I help you this evening?"

He looked momentarily taken aback. "Didn't you tell me to come?"

Tapping her chin she cocked her head, "Don't tell me you thought I was serious." Careful, she knew she couldn't tease him too far lest he jump right past embarrassment and straight to anger. There was a warning glint among the sparking blue that told her she had found the line and was currently toeing it.

"I was under the impression you had invited me." The warning extended to his voice and Kaida felt heat pool in her belly at the deep tone. How screwed up am I for being turned on right now? Although, angry sex had a certain ring to it.

"Lose the sand, Gaara-sama, I can't tell if its working."

He narrowed his eyes, sand moving across his face. "Am I to understand this is part of your lesson?" Damn, he wasn't blushing. Guess she needed to step it up a notch.

"Well if a social faux pas isn't enough to get you properly flushed, I guess it's time for plan B."

"Plan B?"

Batting her eyelashes, she asked, "Don't you remember why I invited you over?"

Kaida was almost certain he swallowed harder than normal before nodding.

"Very well. You start."

He blinked, "Why me?"

"Would it make you more comfortable if I went first?" He nodded. "Then there's your answer. This is about embarrassing you, not me! So strip."

To her never-ending surprise he actually unbuckled the belt holding his small sand gourd, setting it on her coffee table. Was this really happening? His hands moved to the buttons of his jacket. Hells yes it was! Kaida hurriedly sat on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her, brown eyes fixed hungrily on the very real man playing out one of her many fantasies in the middle of her living room. Nimble fingers made quick work of the buttons and soon he had shrugged out of the jacket exposing a mesh armor shirt that was at once all too see-through and not see-through enough.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

His deep voice brought her out of her thoughts and she subtly brushed the side of her mouth, checking for drool.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" The sultry sound of her own voice surprised her as much as it did him.

He crossed his arms and leveled her with a stare, "Of course it does. You're looking at me like a piece of pickled tongue."

Kaida stifled a giggle, "And I believe I am starting to detect a hint of a blush."

"How can you see anything? You have a paltry number of candles providing less than sufficient light."

It was her turn to blush, suddenly aware how it must have looked to him arriving to her apartment lit in such a romantic atmosphere. Hopefully her luck would hold and he would continue to be blissfully unaware of her crush. A growing crush at that as she studied the muscles that were typically hidden beneath bulky kage robes or a shapeless red coat. She was mildly surprised at how fit he was considering he spent a fair amount of time at his desk and to her knowledge was only able to train a handful of mornings throughout the month when his schedule would allow.

"We're getting off topic and you are still not sufficiently embarrassed. Please, continue."

An irritated grunt was all she got before he roughly pulled the mesh shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Transfixed, Kaida stood from the couch and slowly made her way toward the half-naked man. As she came into arms reach, he took a nervous step back. "What are you doing?"

Disregarding the hesitation in his voice she took another small step forward, once again infringing in his personal space. She saw his muscles tighten in preparation to retreat and gently placed her hand on his wrist, her hooded gaze transfixed on his face. Logically she knew she was touching his ultimate defense sand and not his skin but she was captivated by the warmth radiating under her fingertips. "My turn."

She didn't give either one of them time to analyze what she said as she yanked the tie holding her yukata closed and pushed the garment from her shoulders. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of her matching aqua nighty; although she doubted his eyes recognized their match as they seemed to be focused on her chest. A shiver ran through her body as she focused on his face, ignoring her pebbled nipples poking at delicate silk.

"I suppose it's working, Kazekage-sama. Your cheeks are finally flushed to my satisfaction. Lesson complete," Kaida whispered the last words, bringing her mouth closer to his ear.

This time she definitely heard him swallow. "I am not certain, I find myself not minding this feeling. It is not what you described earlier."

"Describe it for me then. Please?" She told herself the husky tone was not inspired by the feeling pooling in her belly but to provoke Gaara's embarrassment.

"I feel… hot. Earlier you described it as being a bad form of the feeling. This implies there is a good hot?"

"Kazekage-sama, I believe that is an entirely different lesson."

"What is it?"

"Lust."

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So what was originally going to be a steamy one-shot has now expanded. Stay tuned for the next chapter Lust. And if there are any emotions you lovely readers would like to see, leave a review and let me know. No promises as this story will be taking a backseat but when I need a fun break, I'll add more chapters as inspiration strikes. Hopefully I'll have a chance this weekend to sketch out Kaida as the story cover.