Sakura spent several days like this; allowing him to hold her, soothing him when he seemed to be teetering on a mental breakdown, and the occasional shower intrusion that still had her jumping out of her skin. Other than that he rarely talked to her, with the exception of their card games, and he hadn't touched her with any sexual intent.
The last part surprised her as they had seen each other naked a few times now, and he was adamant about getting affection from her. However she wasn't necessarily making any moves either.
Yet, it had her curious to whether or not that was something that he would eventually want from her. It seemed like that in the beginning, but ever since that one singular night he had never 'assaulted' her again or even hurt her for that matter.
The pinkette sighed, sitting lazily at the coffee table situated near a window. Yes, she could try to escape, but she would most likely be caught in a matter of minutes. Guards always seemed to be outside the door, or on the streets. It was pointless.
She was still wearing Gaara's clothes too, as none were provided for her. Today she wore one of his longer tunic-like shirts, the kind that he would usually fashion a few straps around to re-establish his natural shape.
However, her shape was obviously more curvaceous than his.
He really enjoyed wearing maroon, or some other dried blood colors. Occasionally he would wear black, or grey, and she did see a white suit tucked deep in his closet. She wondered what he would look like if he wore teal-
The doors to his room flung open rather abruptly, and the redhead stormed in with a scowl. She was about to ask him what had happened, but then halted her question as he picked up a chair to throw it across the room shattering a full length mirror.
Alright, so he was angry, enraged even. Her best bet now just to wait for him to finish his tantrum before consoling him.
"FUCKING BASTARDS!" Gaara snarled viciously like a wild animal before pushing over a chest of drawers, spilling his clean laundry everywhere. Next he found a vase, and with a homerun swing he smashed it against the stone walls.
"Gaara." Sakura spoke gently, and his eyes turned on her with a malicious gaze.
"Don't. Say. Anything." He huffed violently, but it seemed just looking at her calmed his screaming. With how her mere presence eased him, she was confident that she could move in, and tame the raging beast.
She did as she was told, and said nothing, but waltzed up to him all the same to embrace him. He gave a halfhearted push to her shoulders.
"Don't touch me-!" The redhead's pushes didn't hurt, they were just irritating, but her hold stayed strong over his squirming frame. "I said don't touch me!"
The pinkette persevered, not budging in the slightest at his light struggling. Eventually he gave a huff, and hugged her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling into her hair like some sort of pet dog.
In a way they were each other's 'pets', and she was glad she fell into his command rather than Kankuro's. However, up close the older brother did not seem as heartless as she had initially thought. He was worried for her safety after all.
"Most people hide when I get like that." Gaara spoke just above a whisper in a tone that was laced in guilt. It was reassuring to see him show remorse.
"You won't hurt me, or at least I believe you won't..." Sakura hummed while she stroked her fingers soothingly down his back. He liked those kind of touches, as well as the soft scratches against his scalp. He claimed it tingled when she did it, and he would practically place his head in her lap for easier petting. He really was like a puppy.
"Your faith in me is naive." The redhead huffed stubbornly, but eventually every muscle in his body started to relax. "They want me to go to a social gathering. I don't want to go."
She couldn't believe how spoiled he sounded, however from how he was generally treated she honestly didn't blame him in not wanting to be around people.
"I understand you don't like people, but this could be good for you too-"
"No, it won't! I hate them all!" Gaara growled before hiding his face in the crook of her neck, his arms holding her desperately. "I hate them."
"Do you have anyone you like that could go with you?" The pinkette reasoned with him, and he went oddly silent. It took a moment, but he finally nodded, and it made her smile to know that someone else cared for him-
"You'll need a dress..." He mumbled, and her body stiffened at his words.
She was the only person he trusted. The only person he liked enough to make a point in being around. That fact broke her heart, and she began to feel him slip in like a lonely child wanting love from a mother. She allowed her heart to take over this one time.
"I need clothes in general. I've been wearing your clothes for a week now, and I have no underwear." She chuckled to herself lightly, but noticed his body tense at her words. His arms strangely held her closer, making her wonder about what he might be thinking.
"I don't go... shopping. Temari usually buys my clothes for me." The redhead tensed a bit further, pressing her chest firmly against his own. "But you need clothes, and my clothes don't suit your body..."
'Well at least he's noticed.' She inwardly laughed.
"Your body... is so different from mine..." He inhaled through his nose, and exhaled on her neck making every hair on her flesh rise in alert at his intimate position. "It's soft... and rounded... something about it makes me feel warm-"
"That's enough, Gaara. I get what you're saying." Sakura shifted on her feet nervously until he finally detached himself from her. This was also a mistake, as he really began to stare at her with a newfound curiosity. "Okay, so... shopping. Are you allowed to take me with you?"
That got his attention, and he blinked like a deer in headlights.
"I can take you wherever I please. If anyone tries to stop me I will kill them on the spot." The fact that he said this in complete seriousness had her withering. It was going to be tough bringing him around people.
"Alright then. Let's go hit the shops!" The pinkette flashed an excited smile, not because of actual shopping, but because she could finally go outside. He seemed perplexed by it, but said nothing as he led the way.
- ... - ... -
"I don't like that dress." The redhead huffed stubbornly as she held up a lovely blue strapless dress with a train. The dress was most certainly stunning so she couldn't understand why he wouldn't like it. She grabbed a red strappy dress thinking he would approve of it, but once again got a firm shake of his head. "No, its ugly."
Gaara was not one for fine fabrics, or fashionable cuts. There had to be something that he liked, but she had practically gone through every single dress in the store.
A mannequin in the back was sporting an interesting floor length dress. It contoured to the body like a second skin, was off the shoulder with tight long sleeves, and had a nude base fabric with a black intricate sequined design over the top. If the mannequin wasn't stark white she was certain that it would blend with the skin, looking like a black glittering woven tattoo down the whole body.
It was elegant, and scandalously modest. It sounded like an oxymoron, but the dress covered almost every inch with the exception of the shoulders and collar bone. However, its design made it look like the person was wearing just a sheared intricate black design over the skin. It was incredible.
Looking at the wrack it hung on she found her size to throw it over her arm, which was the only thing the redhead seemed to be paying attention to.
"That's ugly-"
"Oh, you'll change your tune when I try it on." Sakura grinned devilishly before finding a choker to go with the dress. He studied her for a moment, looking a bit miffed over the fact that she outright denied his opinion, but he seemed to let it go for now. "Okay, I'm going to try this on, you stay right there and don't go anywhere."
Without waiting for his approval she entered the changing room, and closed the curtain. Taking off his clothes that she had been wearing she slipped into the dress, and ended up shocking herself as she looked in the mirror.
It blended almost too well with her skin, and it hugged her curves all the way to her knees. It was a knock-out dress for sure, and if he wasn't impressed by her choice then god be damned he had to be an asexual man.
The pinkette opened the curtain, and strutted out of the small hall to greet him in the elegant dress. Luckily she was right two times that day.
Gaara blinked hard and fast, almost in confusion over the sight of the dress. She turned all the way around for him to really take it in, and he remained stunned as well as speechless.
"Well? What do you think? Is it still ugly?" Sakura smirked as she looked at herself in the mirror, and felt like swooning over her own reflection as narcissistic as that might sound, but it was true. It had been years since she actually felt pretty, so she was going to live in the moment.
"You made the dress beautiful." The redhead mumbled, most likely it was a thought that he had meant to keep to himself as his face cringed the second it left his lips.
"I made it beautiful? How?" With a giggle the pinkette put her hair up with her hands to see what kind of style would suit the dress best. She could see him shuffling nervously in the reflection.
"It was ugly, and shriveled on the hanger, but when you filled it the dress became beautiful." Gaara flushed slightly as he said it, and it was an expression she never expected to see grace his features. It shocked her to watch him act so normal, so human, and that thought was as sweet as it was bitter. "I know it sounds ridiculous-"
"No, that was a wonderful compliment. Thank you, I'm... flattered. Extremely." His blush was contagious, and she knew it had to be showing on her cheeks.
How was it that someone who could be the cruelest of people could also say the most heartfelt things? It reminded her of a theory someone had told her; good comedians were actually the saddest people. She wondered if that was case for Gaara; ruthless monsters were actually hopelessly wanting love.
Well, she already knew the answer to that question, and the whole idea had her scolding herself.
'He's not something you can fix, Sakura. You need to stop growing interested in damaged people.'
She chose to push her curiosity away for the time being, and brought herself back to reality. With one last look over she nodded her head approvingly. "So, I think this one is it. Don't you think?"
"Mm." The redhead nodded jerkily, and she giggled again before returning to the changing room.
After she had purchased the dress, she started to wonder why it was that she wanted him to be pleased with her appearance? What would that provide for her aside from his own personal favoritism?
'You like being the only person close to him, it makes you feel important-'
Sakura practically punched her inner voice for such disturbing thoughts, but it was definitely something to think about.
The day went on; she picked up some feminine toiletries, makeup, shoes, civilian clothes, and unfortunately underwear. It was unfortunate because for some reason the redhead felt it was his 'right' to state his opinion on every single pair of underwear she picked up. Which was odd, however it was just underwear.
Her one refusal was thongs, and thankfully he could agree on it. The redhead stated that they were for concubines only, which gained a few 'secretive' dirty looks from several women in the shop. Yet he was adamant to the fact that he had never seen a woman in such attire in person, which made the former kunoichi laugh at how he thought that was important need to know information. Long story short, all her underclothes involved lace for some reason.
They trekked back to his home, which was a stone building much like everything else in Suna. They traveled up the many flights of stairs until they reached his floor, it seemed to be abandoned for the most part now that she really paid attention.
The sun was setting through the windows as she plopped her bags on the bed. While they had been gone someone had actually come in, and replaced all of the broken furniture from earlier. She wondered how often this must happen for them to be so quick about it.
"The maids came by, they are rather good at their jobs-" Gaara cleared his throat awkwardly, and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"Very good I'd say. Wow." Sakura turned this way and that, inspecting the replacements that were better than their former pieces. With a content sigh she grabbed a few articles of her new clothing, and her toiletries before nearly skipping over to the bathroom.
"What are you doing?" The redhead queried, and she faced him with a brilliant smile.
"I'm going to shower, brush my teeth, and finally slip into something that actually fits my body for once." The pinkette gave a lighthearted snicker, and went about her merry way to the shower.
She had gotten a lot of fruity floral scented products, and was excited to use all of them in one go. From shampoos to body oils she was ready for a full explosion of girlish products.
Sakura hummed to herself, starting up the shower to allow the room to steam slightly. Her day had been a pleasant one, interesting, but pleasant. She had actually truly enjoyed her time spent with the redhead, and admitted to herself that he wasn't actually terrible company.
The pinkette stepped into the hot stream of water, breathing in the steam as she readied herself for a good wash. Her thoughts traveled back to Gaara, and she wondered just what he thought of her.
He was protective of her, he seemed to like her, but he also desired something from her. How dark that desire truly went, she didn't rightly know, all she knew was that her presence eased him in some way, and that he wanted her affection.
Sakura didn't want to admit it, but she enjoyed his strange attentions. For some reason it made her feel loved, and needed by someone. She didn't feel like that worthless girl left behind by her teammates anymore.
The pinkette sighed, not really knowing what she should do about her new feelings. She had just put a strawberry scented conditioner in her hair when the curtain slid open, letting out all of the heat with a cold whoosh of air.
While it made her jump slightly she was also expecting it as it happened a lot.
"Oh for heavens sake, Gaara! Please let me enjoy this, I haven't gotten to shower with products like these in a long time-!" Sakura stomped her foot for emphasis, but his expression stayed stony. She knew that he was going to be stubborn in one way or another, so she immediately gave up. "Can you close the curtain then? You are letting the heat out, and I'm freezing..."
She turned away from him, self consciously wrapping her arms around her breasts knowing full well what the cold would do to her body. It happened with everyone of course, but for women it was quite obvious, and embarrassing.
The curtain closed, but not before she heard fabric being shifted around, and dropped to the floor.
'Why does he always do this?! Can I not get a single moment of privacy?' The pinkette rolled her eyes, and in an attempt to ignore him she lathered up her bright smelling soap while scrubbing it against her skin.
"It smells... different." Gaara's voice was so incredibly close to her that it made her tremble. It were as if he was centimeters away, sniffing at the products on her skin, and hair.
"Well I'm sorry if you don't like it, but I find it to be very relaxing-" Sakura started bitterly, but cut herself short as she felt his warm hands smooth over her shoulders. His palms enveloped her while his thumbs drew hypnotizing circles against her sensitive flesh.
Always so intimate, yet never truly intrusive. The slight touches didn't seem to bother her anymore, but yet there was something in her gut that told her that it would not always be like this. Eventually he will want more.
"It's not a bad smell, just heady... it makes me feel kind of dizzy." Like a canine he continued to sniff, but his hands began to wander from her shoulders down her frame with a feathery touch.
It was clear what he was doing, but she didn't know if it had gone far enough yet for her to necessarily stop him. As his silky hands focused more on her waist she found it a bit acceptable, he wasn't moving anywhere else other than that so she felt that they were still in a safe zone.
"You're... so soft..." The redhead practically purred near her ear sending shivers down her spine. She had to move the topic along to something else less he get the fabulous idea of getting fresh with her.
"Here!" She whipped around in his arms to face him with a chipper smile, with the fruity shampoo in her hands she immediately began lathering it into his messy red hair. "It'll make you soft too! It's nice isn't it?"
He started to relax as she massaged at his scalp, but she startled with a surprised yelp when his arms pulled her against him tightly for an embrace. Every wet, naked inch of him was touching her, and slickly rubbing when she tried squirming away.
"Gaara... this isn't okay-" Her form trembled, and her tries to slip away from him ended in vain.
"Your body is so small... my hands can almost touch each other when they're around your waist..." His breathing was growing more sharp by the second, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she could feel 'it' on her thigh. She tried squirming again, but he only squeezed harder, indenting her soft curves with his grip. "You're...really slippery-"
"Gaara, let go of me right now!" Sakura was lubricated enough from her soap to turn herself around in his arms. They stumbled slightly into the stream of water leaving her partially blind, and unable to wipe the water from her eyes.
His body was so hard in comparison to her own, and the rippling feeling of smooth muscles on her back had her mind racing. Her thoughts of him were not the sweet kind, and it made her feel utterly shameful. It was too warm in here, she couldn't seem to catch her breath in the steam.
Heat attacked her neck that wasn't water, but it still felt wet. Something slick moved along her skin, and with a bated breath she realized it was his tongue licking at her shoulder. The smacking noise of his lips sucking along her skin filled her ears along with the sound of running water. The sensation burned in both pleasant, and unpleasant ways leaving her confused.
God, she was going to lose her virginity tonight, to the person holding her prisoner... in his fucking shower. Was this supposed to be her payment to him since he bought her some nice things? Her body for new clothes, and some beauty products? She started to really struggle, and he did not like that.
The pinkette felt her form be slammed against the cold sandstone, but not enough to bruise, just enough to startle her. She looked into his burning eyes, and instantly felt so small in comparison to him.
"Stop acting like your scared of me, I don't want that from you." The redhead huffed bitterly, confusing her even more than before.
'He doesn't want to scare me, or make me feel pain...'
"You smiled so much today, and it was beautiful. Please do it again... just for me..." His naked brows furrowed, and when she couldn't comply to his demands his hand pounded on the stone next to her head. "Stop looking at me like I'm a monster!"
"You're not a monster, and I'm not scared of monsters..." Sakura looked off to the side, wishing she could retract what she had just blurted out. His eyes turned sad.
"Why are you scared of me? Why does it bother you when I touch you?" Gaara tried following her face every time she turned it, not giving up until he had the answers he needed. She ended up closing her eyes, and something inside her broke. She only prayed that the water could hide the tears starting to escape her eyes.
"I'm scared... because you're a man." At her own words she felt her breath begin to heave. Panic filled her to the point that she couldn't breathe properly, and when she wanted him far away from her he only pulled her in closer to press her face to his shoulder.
She panted against his skin, not realizing that an embrace was exactly what she needed despite wanting to push away from him. She was dizzy, and it was hot. Had he not been holding her so tightly she was certain she would fall to her knees.
"If it makes you feel better you scare me too." His words rang more clearly than ever before, and it gained her attention quickly. "I'm afraid of... people. So it hurts when I touch you, or talk to you, or hold you... but I like you so much that I choose to ignore how much it hurts."
That pulled so hard at her heartstrings that she almost felt bad for denying him any form of human contact. She started to beat herself up over it.
This strange man, who hated everyone, liked her enough that it bordered on romantic. She had watched him fight people, grinding them to a bloody spray, and yet he had no desire to hurt her. He was awkward with her before, but now he only ever showed his true colors.
Deep down Gaara was lonely, and scared of the hatred others had for him.
How could she act so delicate when this man was literally made of sand? A porcelain doll that fought anything that got near it's fragile heart.
What made her fears so different?
"Okay...you win." She trembled, feeling her guts begin to twist as she spoke her next words, but she felt she owed him something for the kindness that he showed to no other person. With her face pressed into the crook of his neck she swallowed hard. "You can tou-"
"Gaara! You in there?!" A pounding came at the door, making her jump at the sudden sound. With a snarl he pushed away from her, threw open the curtain, and with out a shred of clothing he swung open the door.
"What?!" The redhead seethed at whoever was on the other side, but Sakura huddled further into the shower to make sure that if this person became curious that she would not be seen.
"Woah, sorry I didn't realize you actually showered-" The clearly male voice echoed in the room, and she could almost place it.
"I'm making a habit of it, so what the hell do you want?" Gaara seemed to leer at this person. If his gourd was placed in the bathroom rather than next to the bed she was certain that this man would already be dead.
"Council wants to know if you would like an escort to the annual banquet, so don't shoot the messenger-"
"I already have one." The redhead huffed, but at the mention of who he would be keeping as his company he seemed to relax a bit.
"Who are you taking?" She finally recognized the voice, it was his older brother, Kankuro.
Gaara seemed to shift on his feet, as if he didn't want answer the question.
"Sakura." He finally said. It was the first time he had ever said her name outright, and the way it rolled off his tongue sent chills down her spine. What frightened her more was the fact that she couldn't tell if it was a pleasant tingle, or a fearful shiver.
"Sakura is your date?! She's still alive?! Where is she?" The questions were fast, and frantic. Apparently Kankuro must have assumed that his younger brother had killed her by now.
'They must not talk often.' She thought.
"She's in here with me." The redhead stated it so openly that she felt herself flush from head to toe. Why it mattered what Kankuro knew or thought she couldn't say, all she knew was that she felt bashful over the fact that she was actively showering with her captor on a regular basis.
"Bullshit. You're just trying to get away from the fact that you should get an escort-!"
The curtain ripped open violently, and the two men watching her had her screaming with embarrassment.
"Gaara! Close it!" Sakura screeched as she tried closing the curtain herself, but had a hard time up until the redhead calmly did it for her. She sunk to the ground, and held her knees to her chest before whimpering in discomfort.
"You didn't kill her..." Kankuro sounded completely shocked.
"No, I did not kill her. I kept her, like you told me I should." Gaara murmured gently, but she could still hear him through the running water.
"Well, I'm proud of you, Gaara! Making some good steps with your first concubine-!"
"She's not a concubine." The redhead hissed, and silence enveloped the room before the older brother even thought to question it.
"Gaara, you're having sex with her-"
"We don't do that. We're not like you." Gaara sounded strange, almost possessive. That, and the fact that he was referring to them now as a unit.
"So I'm just supposed to think that you're just showering together? Men and women don't just shower together unless something else is going on." Kankuro seemed to be a bit sour over the idea, perhaps it was more of the fact that he thought that he was being plainly lied to.
"You can have a medic check her over then, we haven't done anything like that." The redhead huffed once more before giving an irritated sigh. "Go away, I don't like talking to you-"
"Gaara-" Sakura finally peeped her head from behind the curtain, allowing her face to be seen once more by his older brother. "Don't say things like that. It's mean, and rude."
Gaara blinked at her for a moment, still stark naked and dripping all over the floor with his older brother standing dumbfounded in the doorway. It was a very awkward moment, and how her captor could just stand there without any shame in the world was astonishing.
"But I hate him-" He pointed at the puppet master rudely.
"Oh, Gaara! You do not! He is your brother, and he loves you! Apologize to him right now!" The pinkette scolded him with every fiber of her being. She was done with his boorish behavior; he was an adult not a five year old.
While their relationship was lax enough for her to backtalk, the elder in the room started to pale rapidly.
"H-hey now, it's all good! I'm not hurt by it!" Suddenly Kankuro was waving his hands in surrender, as if something very bad was going to happen that only he knew about.
However, he seemed to be proven wrong as the redhead turned his eyes to the floor.
"Sorry, Kankuro." Gaara huffed bitterly, and his breath was heaving in his chest to control his temper. The puppet master's mouth dropped open in disbelief, but then he quickly recovered with a curt nod.
"Um... apology accepted. Have a good night." Kankuro awkwardly closed the door, the shock on his features still present as he pulled the handle to shut it completely.
The redhead remained there, staring at the ground. He still seemed to be simmering under the surface, perhaps there was a way to get him to calm down.
"You did very well, Gaara. I really like it when you're polite, and kind." Sakura used a common tactic that she saved for young children, and that was praising them for every little good thing rather than focusing on punishments. It seemed to work in her favor, as the redhead wandered back into the shower, but it seemed that his mind wasn't on what it had been previously.
Sure his arms wrapped around her frame greedily, but the way he nuzzled against her shoulder told her that he merely wanted her praise. He only wanted to be nurtured.
That was something that she would gladly do for him, and she did just that.
-…-….
"So, how's life?" Kankuro had leaned into the redhead's peripheral vision, looking over the younger brother's shoulder to see what exactly he was reading.
"It's fine." Gaara deadpanned, wanting more than anything to just disappear from this conversation completely.
The library had been silent up until this point, but now it seemed that he would no longer be getting any privacy.
"Alright, let me rephrase that. How do you like having a lady friend in your life?" The puppet master sat himself down in the chair next to his little brother, grinning ear to ear.
While the redhead appreciated actual positive attention, he still felt a bit of animosity with his older brother. Kankuro had called him a monster more than a handful of times, and it left the younger bitter over their relationship.
'"He is your brother, and he loves you!"' Sakura's words seem to echo inside him, and he wondered if blood really was thick enough to clot the open wounds from his past.
He supposed trying wouldn't hurt.
"Sakura eases me, so I would say my life is better for having her in it." Gaara spoke honestly, and he got a reaction that he wasn't truly expecting.
"That's awesome! I'm glad you could find a nice girl to settle down with." The puppet master beamed before patting his younger brother on the shoulder. His kindness took the redhead by surprise causing an owlish expression in the younger man. "So, have you kissed her yet?"
He was quick to the point...
"I had tried it in the beginning on a whim, but she didn't seem to appreciate the gesture." Gaara sighed, closing his book before placing it on the table. Funnily enough he had been reading a fairytale about a beast falling in love with a beautiful maiden, and found far too many similarities to himself and Sakura in the story.
Kankuro reached over to tilt the book his way, eyeing it curiously before raising a brow at his brother.
"You're not going to find out how to woo her through books like these. She seems open to you though, a girl doesn't just shower and sleep in the same bed with a guy who is 'just a friend'." The puppet master leaned back in his chair then before lacing his fingers together in thought. "You do want to hook up with her right?"
The redhead wouldn't use the term 'hook up' to describe it, but it was something close to that. He gave a quick nod, knowing his brother had more experience with women regardless.
"Okay, well... there are a few options here. You guys seem close already so making some moves would probably be safe. You could probably be straight forward with her too, she seems to be that type of girl anyways-"
"I don't know how to make 'moves', I don't even have a clue on what a 'move' would consist of." Gaara murmured mostly to himself as he stared at the fantasy book in front of him, the beast painted on the cover seemed intimidating.
"Well, you could try kissing her again, put a hand on her thigh, maybe whisper something sexy in her ear." Kankuro gave out options, but they were completely lost on the redhead.
"I don't... what would I even say? I have no clue what I'm doing..." Gaara began to space out, panic filled him over the thought that he was completely lost in this. He had no frame of reference, he had no clue what 'sexy' even meant. "What is considered 'sexy', and even if I did know is mating with her what I truly desire? Why is that so important to everyone-?"
"Dude, having sex beats having to use your hand." The puppeteer snorted, having a good laugh over the matter. However his smile dropped when he saw there was no emotional response from the redhead. "You still seem lost-"
"What does using hands have to do with injecting sperm into a female? As far as I know, hands have nothing to do with it." Gaara placed said body part to his chin in deep thought, not noticing his brother gaping at him.
"Gaara... have you never jerked off?" The question had the redhead looking over at his older brother, finding his features to be too dissecting.
He almost didn't want to answer, even though he didn't know the meaning of the question. Yet his silence only made Kankuro's eyes widen further.
"Dude, do you masturbate?" The puppeteer seemed urgent in his question, as if it were an extremely important thing to know.
"I... don't know." Gaara answered honestly once more, watching his brother's features distort in what almost seemed like horror.
"Oh my god." Kankuro gaped at him, both of his hands came up to cover his face in complete disbelief. "That's... not normal-"
"Can you just explain it? Perhaps I have and I just don't know the terms you're using." The redhead snipped, growing more testy by the second due to his initial embarrassment.
The puppet master blinked dumbly for a moment, but then his face went serious as he leaned in towards his younger brother. He waved for him to move in closer as well, obviously this topic was a delicate matter so he humored him just this once.
"I suppose there's no beating around the bush here, so I'll be as clear as possible." Kankuro's expression was stern as he cleared his throat, then lowered his voice so it could only be heard within the redhead's distance. "Masturbation is when you touch your genitals for sexual gratification."
Gaara ingested that information for a moment, trying to think back on if he had ever done such a thing...
The only time he had ever felt anything pleasant from touching that area was moments when Sakura had washed him. However, he had placed her hands down there to begin with... perhaps it was more instinctual than he had originally thought.
However, he had never actually tried it out on himself. He had of course held them, and washed them before out of necessity, but he had never gotten any pleasure out if it. He didn't even realize that it was supposed to feel pleasant.
"'Are you telling me... you've never touched yourself before?'" Sakura's words came back to him, making more sense now than they had at the time.
Apparently not masturbating was strange to people, including her. Did that mean she also did such things?
'I've never seen her do anything of the sort... perhaps she's like me, only she actually understands what it is that she doesn't partake in-
"Have you seen or read any pornographic material?" Kankuro interrupted his train of thought, however he understood for the most part what pornography was. He just didn't care enough to search it out.
Gaara shook his head, and his brother winced in a painful way.
"I have to be the worst brother on the planet." The puppet master put his head in his hands with a disappointed groan.
Why was he feeling bad about this? Was this supposed to be some sort of thing that brothers talked about? It seemed to be such a private thing, and it made no sense to the redhead as to why it needed to ever be discussed.
"Okay then. I guess it's time that I stepped up to the plate." Kankuro finally lifted his head from his hands, and forced a grin on his face. "Dad's not here, so it's up to me to fill you in on what you need to know."
"Is this really necessary? I've been fine without it up to this point-" Gaara started to protest, but was stopped by his brother almost immediately.
"Don't argue on this one, what are you going to do when it comes time to move onto the next level with Sakura? I can't just sit here knowing that you're going in blind. That would make me an even shittier older brother." The puppet master took control of the conversation, placing his status as the leading male figure in the family on the table. "Now, I'm going to show you some stuff that's going to seem weird to you, but trust me when I say its educational."
There seemed to be no room for personal opinions as his older brother stood abruptly from his chair. He motioned for the redhead to follow him, and out of curiosity Gaara managed to follow his lead.
Little did he know that what he was about to see was going to warp his view on a great number of things.
- ... - ... -
"Why is that woman doing that?" Gaara tilted his head at the video he was currently being shown, seeing it literally from another angle.
"Because it feels good to her, it's like the other clip of that guy I showed you, only this is how chicks do it." Kankuro answered with a smirk, although the expression was still lost on the younger brother. "Sakura most likely does this too, ya know."
At the mention of her name he suddenly imagined her in place of the woman on the screen. He blinked for a moment, watching carefully as the woman touched herself below the waist...
He felt warmer than usual. So much so that his coat was beginning to feel uncomfortable.
"I've never seen her do such things-"
"Well, she probably doesn't want you to know about it. She may be a straightforward person, but this isn't something you do in front of someone unless you're planning on them getting something out of it. From what you told me she sounds like a virgin, that's important to a lot of women, and doing something like that in front of you would be like a blatant sign saying 'hey, lets fuck'." The puppet master leaned back in his chair as they continued to watch the scene unfold on his television set.
It was... awkward. Gaara couldn't understand how something like this was casual amongst males, or females for that matter.
Suddenly the woman on screen inserted her fingers inside herself, and it had the redhead squinting in confusion.
"What is she doing now?" Gaara questioned, and Kankuro chuckled in response.
"Like I said, it feels good to them. Their genitals go inside them, ours are on the outside. While they have a clitoris on the outside for stimulation, they can get a similar reaction from touching inside too. It's why sex is so great, cause both partners can get off on it." Kankuro nodded to himself before reaching for the remote, deciding that the current lesson had been taught well enough. "Okay, so now we'll see a man and a woman together. You can get a general idea of what needs to be done-"
"I assume it involves inserting ones genitals into the other." The redhead sighed, growing a bit bored over the idea. He had seen dogs and cats do it before, but they always seemed to be uncomfortable in their efforts. That was the main reason why he always assumed it was a less than pleasant ordeal.
"There's more to it than that. Just watch, and you might learn something." The puppet master smirked once more before skipping forward on the video.
There was a couple, and they had started out with a kiss. So far it had been familiar enough to him. Next the man had his hands all over the woman, making her seem quite pleased by his actions.
"Ah! There! Her eyes, do you see it?" Kankuro paused the video, and pointed to her pupils. "Chemical arousal, it shows in the eyes when a person is ready for sex, or in some cases romance. The pupils dilate, becoming larger than usual-"
"Swelling of the genitals, dilating of the eyes... it seems so ridiculous." Gaara huffed, gaining a loud laugh from the man next to him.
"When you notice it you'll realize how sexy it actually is. It means you're desirable to her, and that she's ready for intercourse on a chemical level. You'll end up appreciating it." The puppet master pressed play after his explanation, allowing the redhead to truly see what happens behind the closed doors of most couples.
As he assumed, the man eventually inserted himself in the female, leading him to believe that this was just going to be another case of two animals mating-
Only, it was stranger. They seemed to be enraptured in each other, moving together as one while sharing kisses and touches. There was something odd about it, and yet it also seemed to be beautiful in a way.
The couple said strange words to each other, whether it was compliments or telling each other their desires they seemed to be in a state of shamelessness. As if the words held no backlash, regardless of their content.
One phrase stuck out to him, and had Gaara completely puzzled.
"Why is she saying 'I'm coming'? No one has requested her presence anywhere." The redhead furrowed his brow at the phrase, and jumped when his brother broke out into a fit of hysterical laughter. He had never seen Kankuro laugh so hard before.
"Oh man! You're killing me!" The puppeteer began to wheeze he was so overjoyed by his younger brother's question. "Shit, man. Woo, I'm dying over here-"
"Just answer the damn question." Gaara withered, and thankfully it didn't seem to frighten his brother like he thought it would.
"Alright, alright. She's not saying 'coming' as in c-o-m-e, but as in the word c-u-m." Kankuro began with a chuckle while the redhead became invested in his explanation. "'Cum' or 'cumming' are words for orgasm, approaching orgasm, or for the stuff left over from ejaculation. For example; 'I'm going to cum on your face' would be a phrase for someone ejaculating onto their partner's face-"
"That is disgusting." Gaara soured, and his brother broke out into another hysterical fit of giggles. "Why would anyone ever do that?"
"It's kinky, kind of a 'mark your territory' ordeal." The puppet master gave a half smile.
Marking one's territory was something that the redhead understood well enough. He did contain more animalistic urges than most people due to his bijuu's influence. He still grimaced over the fact of semen being the marker rather than something like urine.
No, urine was rather disgusting too now that he thought about it.
"Well, this was a good start, but I think we should end our lesson today-" Kankuro turned off the tv, but his words had Gaara gaping at him.
"There's more than this?!" As the redhead's mouth hung open his brother ended up laughing for the umpteenth time that day.
"Oh dude, we haven't even touched on oral sex. That's a whole other beast." The puppeteer snickered before rising from his seat.
'What the hell is 'oral' sex? I didn't think there would be so much to this-' As his eyes widened at the amount of information he'd have to take in, his brother patted him firmly on the shoulder with camaraderie.
"Don't stress about it too much, most of it is exploration anyways. Try it on yourself tonight, and see how you feel." Kankuro stretched casually, as if none of this content affected him at all.
"You can't be serious-" Gaara paled at the thought, growing nervous at the idea of trying to venture to such a state of mind and body.
"Dead serious, just take a long hot shower. Any mess will go down the drain easy, so you wont have to stress over cleaning up-"
"I can't do that! Sakura is staying in my room!" The redhead panicked, but his older brother merely hushed him gently.
"Hey now, it's okay. She doesn't have to know. Just keep your voice down, and you should be fine." The puppet master patted his brother on the back reassuringly, and surprisingly the younger found comfort in it.
Gaara had actually felt a bit of bonding from this 'lesson', and for the first time he actually was grateful for his older brother's existence.
"Kankuro?" The redhead murmured softly, knowing that speaking his own brother's name in calling usually had negative effects on the puppeteer. Sadly, the youngest of the sand siblings only ever spoke their names in moments of anger, and he knew that he would have to start being more gentle in his approach with them if he ever hoped to have any form of a family relationship.
His soft demeanor seemed to have a good enough effect.
"You have another question?" Kankuro was quick to smile, making everything at ease.
"No, I just... wanted to thank you. So... thanks. For everything..." The redhead looked to the floor, unable to handle the shock on his own brother's face.
It was silent for a moment, but eventually a small laugh broke the stillness of it all.
"You're welcome. You can come to me for anything, okay? Even if it's just cause your bored." The puppet master gave a generous offer that left Gaara blinking.
The redhead nodded, unable to contain the sliver of a smile starting to appear.
- ... - ... -
"You're back late, how was your day?" Sakura got up from her seat to walk over to the bookcase, a small smile appeared on her face as she went about putting her books and scrolls away.
Gaara watched her as she moved, studying her delicate wrists and lithe fingers as they trailed along the spines of each piece of literature she organized.
'Beautiful hands...' He mused to himself before a rather racy thought blazed through. 'I wonder if what Kankuro said is true...'
Her eyes seemed to meet him right at that moment out of coincidence, and he found his face growing hot at the idea of it. He brought his fingers to his cheeks, wondering why there was so much heat there.
"Something wrong-?" As the pinkette took a step towards him he felt himself backing away. It made her instantly concerned.
"N-no. I'm fine. I'm just..." The redhead was finding it hard to form a sentence. She was just so incredibly beautiful all of a sudden, and staring at him with her bright jade eyes. "Shower. I'm going to...take a shower."
"We took one yesterday, unless you've been out working?" Sakura took another step to examine him, and once again he stepped away from her.
"Yeah, I killed some people. Got blood in my hair, nothing to worry about-" Gaara turned tail into the bathroom with a tightness in his chest. However, this was a mistake as her curiosity seemed to force her to follow.
"Okay, well I can help you if you want." The pinkette actually offered this time, and it had his heart skipping a beat at the thought of her willingly joining him in a more private setting.
"It's alright. I can handle it by myself-"
"Really?" Her tone was suspicious, and it had him on edge.
Did she know what he was going to try to attempt here? Should he just leave it alone, and do what he normally did in the evening?
"Gaara, what's wrong? This isn't like you." Sakura walked around until she stood right in front of him, her eyes dissecting him considerably. "There's no blood. You're lying."
Alright, so now he was warm as well as sweating from the thought that she had caught him red handed. Perhaps he needed to be a bit more honest.
"Forgive me, I was just wanting to relax a bit." The redhead looked off to the side, but tensed when he felt her hands hold his own.
"If you're stressed out just let me know from now on. I like to be useful-"
"I don't want to burden you." Gaara murmured truthfully, he didn't want to cause her any form of discomfort, and yet he knew that this was exactly the type of scenario that she had been avoiding.
"I trust you. Go ahead and hop in, I'll wash your hair for you. I know you like it when I do that." She wasn't getting the hint, and it was only making him more tense.
Why couldn't he just tell her the truth? It would be so much easier just to tell her outright what his plan was.
Perhaps he really did need to make the situation clear for her. That her presence was just going to be an issue.
No, her presence would be far too stimulating. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep himself away from her for much longer.
'Why am I getting so worked up over her? We're not in love, she's not a consort, nor are we in any form of a marriage... so why-?'
"Did something... happen today? You really seem off." The pinkette brushed some of his red locks to the side, feeling out his forehead for some sort of illness. He clenched up, unable to move forward as he usually did.
He was so lost.
"I had a talk with Kankuro today, and he brought some things to light that I can't ignore anymore." Gaara looked off to the side, worried that her eyes could see through him. "I don't want you to think poorly of me, so it's better off if I keep my distance from you-"
"Well, that sounds counter productive." Sakura scoffed, forcing his gaze to turn back on her. She was crossing her arms over her red dress, stuck in some sort of power stance while her eyes held his own strongly. "You obviously want to be around me, and I've already seen you at some of your worst moments. So what is the real issue here?"
The pinkette's stare was piercing through him, forcing him to see all the beautiful details in her glassy orbs. He licked his lips, finding them to be too tingly. It didn't seem to help, so he bit into his bottom lip for a moment too.
Nothing was helping. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, his inner thoughts screaming at him to just lean forward-
"You know what? It's fine." Sakura gave a small laugh, her demeanor suddenly seemed to be closed off. "I'll go, and you can take a nice long shower in peace."
She started turning, her image trying to disappear from his sight as she backed away.
He panicked.
"W-wait!" The redhead reached out, grabbing her wrist with a vice grip. His tone came out far too desperate, and he felt the embarrassment warm in his cheeks. His eyes shot to the floor unable to handle her shocked expression, he felt ashamed of needing her to be near him.
But that fact remained; his need for her.
"Gaara, I don't know exactly what you want from me... but the way you looked at me just now told me enough." The pinkette murmured softly, but she didn't struggle in his grasp. "I don't think I can give you what you want-"
"I don't need you to do anything! I can handle it myself, I just want you nearby-!" Gaara flinched at his own words, blinking in shock over his own behavior. He looked back at the floor in disbelief, confused over why he was suddenly so weak.
Why was this important to him? He didn't need these things before, so why were they so important to him now that he knew about them?
The redhead felt disgusted by this feeling, and he wanted nothing more than to slit his own throat-
"Hey." Sakura's voice called to him, but he shut his eyes to avoid even accidentally looking her way. Her free hand cupped his cheek, and the sensation of her warmth against his skin left his breath quaking. "Gaara."
Her soft tone left goosebumps all over his body. He shook his head, trying to disappear from the room if he could.
"It's okay." The pinkette spoke softly as her touch left him. He felt her form begin to move, so he graciously let go of her other hand. He could hear her moving, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she left the room completely.
Running water, he could hear it in the shower-
"Let's get you out of these, then we can hop in together, okay?" Sakura's sweet tone tickled in his ears, and his eyes fluttered open as he felt her fingers thumbing over the buttons of his coat. Her eyes were turned down towards her work, and he spacily went with the motions of letting her undress him.
"Why are you... you don't need to-"
"Because it's not fair for you to be left out of everything life has to offer. Even if it's something that is inappropriate for me to be present for, I still want you to experience it." The pinkette nodded to herself as she slipped his coat down his shoulders, revealing a black shirt underneath.
"It... pains me to watch you suffer. I'd rather humble myself than leave you here utterly confused with no one to guide you, especially since you asked for my own personal support. I may have a stubborn ego, but my empathy is much more powerful. I wont leave you alone if you ask me to stay, my boundaries can take a hike for a little bit while we sort this out."
Gaara was in disbelief, he had never seen anyone make such sacrifices for him before. This woman was a true angel, inside and out. He didn't deserve such kindness, he didn't deserve the happiness he currently felt as her fingers smoothed over his clothes.
He felt like he was in a dream, or it could just be the steam of the shower filling the room. One by one his clothing seemed to disappear, and as he felt her begin to tug down his pants reality abruptly sank in. Before she could get them down past his groin his hands grabbed hold of them to keep them up.
The redhead didn't want her to see him now, not when he was like this. He understood why all these things flustered her before, and now he felt so much guilt for pressuring her into anything. Even though in his eyes at the time they had been innocent, it was still unacceptable.
Right now it was not innocent. Right now he knew what he desired, and she knew it too. Yet she was moving forward all the same. Her inner strength almost frightened him.
"It's okay." Sakura whispered, her hands folding over his own to loosen them from the waistline. "You don't need to be scared, I already know what's under here-"
"You know what I looked like yesterday, today is... different." Despite his fear, Gaara loosened his death grip on his pants allowing her to pull them as she pleased. There was no reaction with the exception of her tapping lightly at his legs to cue him in stepping out of the garment. He did this, but didn't miss the way her eyes had flicked about his lower half. Luckily he still had underwear on-
She blinked for a moment, before stifling a laugh.
At first he felt a bit sick, thinking that perhaps she found something humorous about his state, or perhaps even something a bit more sinister; something that would injure his pride greatly-
"So your a grower, not a show-er. Good to know." The pinkette managed a smirk before raising herself back up. She messed with the fastenings of her own dress, leaving him dumbfounded.
"I don't understand-" The redhead began, but was quickly cut off by a snicker.
"It means that when you're flaccid it's nothing to really call home about, but when you're 'excited' it's actually quite impressive." Sakura gave another small laugh, however he could tell her emotions were mixed at the moment. Perhaps making a joke was her way of getting through awkward moments. "It means you're not small-"
"I-I got the reference. Thank you." Gaara looked off to the side as she stripped down to her underwear. He felt himself go warm over the sight of her bare skin, even though he had seen her before with even more clothing removed with no issue.
Soft hands were reaching for his faster than he could react, and she anxiously pulled him into the shower with her before closing the dark curtain behind them.
He could tell she was nervous, maybe even more so than he was, but yet she still persevered with a strong and dominant demeanor. Leading him into a fire that he expected would burn him, however she still knew more about it than he did.
The light in the shower had been kept off, while the one outside the curtain had been left on leaving them in warm shadows. She pulled him under the stream, wetting down his form as well as the last article of clothing left on him.
He felt raw, as if he had been sitting out in the sun for too long. However, the hot water felt good on other places.
"Okay, do you know how you want to do this?" The pinkette asked gently, but it didn't do much to calm his nerves.
"N-no..." The redhead shook his head slowly in a trembling whisper. Her expression seemed to fall, showing her concern for him.
"I'll try to guide you through it then. Go ahead, and take off your underwear." As her hands went to assist him he felt himself gulping deeply.
It was almost like someone else was ripping off a bandaid, however Gaara never had needed to use such a thing. Even the rare occasions where he'd get injured there was no need for anything like that, he would heal too quickly.
The second they were gone though, he felt completely frozen. He found his hardened length to be a strange phenomena, as he had never seen it go completely hard before. There had been odd times where there was a bit of stiffness, especially after he had laid down for long periods of time, but nothing like this.
"It's okay, just breathe." Although flushed, Sakura seemed to realize that she would have to guide him further. Her hand reached for his, and placed his palm and fingers accordingly on his arousal-
The redhead shuddered, finding difficulty in keeping relaxed with the sudden foreign sensation. With her hand over his own she forced him through the motions, moving his fingers slowly from base to tip. His breath hitched, finding a pulse of tingling warmth flood his senses.
"There, it's not so bad." The pinkette murmured softly before taking her hand away to place on his shoulders. Her thumbs worked soothing circles along his collarbone, and with his relief he found his head drooping down to rest in the crook of her neck. "Just feel it out right now. You've got this."
With the slightest nod against her shoulder he moved his own hand, feeling his erection twitch in his palm from the pleasant touch. His breath flayed against her neck, noting how she trembled underneath him. Yet her fingers still traced delicately across his wet shoulders, occasionally tracing down his biceps to follow the flow of water.
Gaara went through the new motions, occasionally adding more pressure here and there to his efforts. He had started to grow dizzy, and mindlessly wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist to hold himself steady. He could hear the barest of squeaks from her, and he knew that if he looked for it he would probably find a blush on her beautiful cheeks. At the thought of her flushed features a small moan escaped him, and she squirmed a bit in response to it.
"I'm...sorry..." The redhead panted heatedly against her skin, his lips brushing on the soft flesh as he spoke. She gave a small nervous laugh in return.
"You're fine, I'm just being childish..." The pinkette whispered, but he was close enough to hear it clearly.
"This... it disgusts you..." Gaara felt another moan form inside him, but he swallowed it back before it could escape.
"Gaara, this is fine. I promise." Sakura pushed him back gently until he was pressed against the wall. It stunned him enough that he stopped what he was doing to study her features. With a shy expression she bit her lip, then without any warning she leaned her head in to kiss gently at his neck.
The gasp that escaped him was embarrassing, but it felt too good to keep in. He went back to moving his hand, and in conjunction with her licking at his jugular he let out a groan of true approval.
His vision was tilting, the oxygen he was breathing didn't feel like it was reaching his veins fast enough. His motions grew instinctual, pressing firmly underneath his length as he stroked up to his tip only to swirl his thumb over the head of his pulsing erection. He shivered, and moaned sharply from the burning pleasure. It shot through his core like a hot poker, scalding him from the inside out wonderfully.
"Does it feel alright?" The pinkette murmured against his sensitive neck, and he eagerly nodded with excitement.
"Yes." The redhead purred as her hand dragged up to his jaw, petting him like one would their lover. It was comforting, and yet also strange. He hadn't connected her touches before to anything like this, but now he was afraid that any petting she gave him in the future would have undesirable results.
Undesirable; meaning he would be making whatever special moment they had awkward with his newfound promiscuous interest.
Sakura dragged her teeth along his tensed neck, and the shock of it had a sharp whine exhaling out of him without any prior thought. It surprised him, even scared him a little bit over how he couldn't control himself anymore.
Then it happened, Gaara felt and heard the sounds coming out of him consistently. His body was tingling, electrifying him more with every stroke he made. The lack of control had him beginning to panic, and thankfully he let go of himself with a pained cry.
The sensation died down, but the urge to continue was so strong. His blood was pumping so hot in his veins that he was sweating underneath the water flowing over his sensitive skin. He was salivating too, hungry for the touch that he denied himself.
"What's wrong?" The pinkette asked gently, pulling away only to look at him. She soothingly cupped his face in both of her hands, occasionally wiping away strands of wet red hair that had fallen into his eyes. He was trembling, completely torn over what he should do about the situation.
"It feels... weird..." The redhead puffed his breaths, acknowledging that his heart was going a million miles per minute. He avoided his eyes from her scrutiny, and stared off. "I don't feel... in control."
"Ah." Sakura mused, dragging her fingertips down his cheek to calm him. He remained still under the touch, hardly recognizing it was even happening. "That feeling goes away if you keep going. It's only there for a moment, but you'll feel better afterwards."
He barely registered what she had said, and jolted when he felt her hand reach for his dominant one. She guided him back to his aching arousal, repositioning him back into a firm hold.
"I d-don't want this anymore-" Gaara's voice croaked, disturbing him with how fearful he sounded.
"Sshhh, it's okay. I'm right here, and we're almost done." The pinkette hushed him in a gentle way, and guided his movements. "If you stop now you'll only end up in pain later. That's what happens when you start something like this, you need to finish it."
It was worse than before, now he truly took note of the full sensation instead of just different parts. It was like he was starting out at the last lap of a race going a hundred miles per hour.
"I can't-!" The redhead groaned through his teeth between harsh pants, hardly hearing her voice in his ear.
"You're okay, just push through. You're almost done." Sakura ran her fingers through his hair, but his scalp felt like it was burning. Every inch of him felt raw, and exposed, but his body was pushing him to keep going; to not let anything hinder his journey even though he was afraid of the unknown.
Her hand squeezed over his own, and forced him to pick up his pace. If she wasn't in the way he would have doubled over to scream. It felt wonderful, but there was a sense of abandon that he wasn't ready for. His hips bucked at the sensation, heightening it exponentially, and forcing him to feel it burn through every muscle.
"Sakura... please...!" Gaara pleaded, his heart pounded painfully in his chest as his lungs heaved with each ecstatic moan. He felt like he could recognize every single cell in his body as they ignited in flames, and yet his sense of rational thought was flying away from him.
"You're almost there. You're doing so well, and it's almost done." The pinkette cooed for him in reassurance. "Don't be scared, it'll be over very soon. Just keep going-"
"N-no... please-!" The redhead felt his core begin to burn, and the electric sensation set off some sort of alarming state. A string of sharp sounds came out of him as his vision blurred, and a harsh pounding of his heart could be heard in his ears. A tidal wave was going to hit, something horrible was coming-
"Sakura-!" Gaara shouted out her name at first, but as the final wave hit him he felt the name become forfeit to what he would compare to as a battle cry. As the pounding hit an unintelligible level he felt intense pleasure wash over him, leaving his hips rolling and his voice to give out. He experienced a harsh pulse go through his erection, and he froze up as the panging sensation rampaged his system. His eyes had clamped shut in an instant, and he saw swirls of dark color behind his lids while his entire face tingled with numbness.
When the peak had been passed the redhead let out a harsh groan, and a relieving high came in to replace the initial franticness that was present before. He whimpered as everything slowed, finding the remaining pleasantly exposed feeling to be a good sensation. His eyes opened slowly, as if he had just been remade in some way, and was experiencing a second birth.
It didn't hurt. It didn't kill him. It felt good. Everything had felt so incredibly wonderful, like he had found a way to float.
Breathing came back to him, and so did enlightenment. He had never felt so alive and refreshed in his entire life.
He wanted to do it again.
"Are you okay?" Sakura stole back his attention, and he looked down at both of their hands as she rinsed a viscous residue from them.
Gaara didn't know what urged him to do it, but he had sprung into action. His hands grabbed her to spin them around, and he held her firmly against the shower wall before pressing a firm kiss to her lips. She tensed, but didn't fight off the abrupt action.
He pressed his whole frame against her, savoring the way her body felt against his overused nerves. His arms wrapped greedily around her waist to pull her even more to his form. The delicate fingers in his hair told him to calm down, and when he noticed that he could go no further he pulled away from her.
It was like kissing a wall, but at least she was kind enough to let him try it.
"I know you're 'enraptured', but I don't want to go past this-" The pinkette was flushed, yet she shook her head in protest. It hurt him more than he thought it would...
"Its fine. I apologize for my behavior." The redhead went to pull away, but was surprised when she leaned forward to capture a chaste kiss.
The wall was suddenly no longer a wall, but a shy woman.
"Sorry, I'm just a bit slower in warming up to these sorts of things." She murmured as she pulled away, leaving him completely stunned. He had to fight an intense urge to touch his fingers to his own mouth. It was such a small and innocent kiss, yet it was still a kiss.
A kiss that she initiated. He found his hope renewed somewhat.
"Let's wash up, hmm? I think I've had enough craziness for today." Sakura laughed lightly as she reached for her bright smelling soaps, but his eyes remained glued to her back.
He remained in a strange glow for a long time, and he wondered if perhaps at a later date they could try something like this again-
'Don't rush this. Remain patient, and good things will come.' He noted to himself before finishing up his shower with her.
Patience was not his strong point.