A/N: I give credit for the definition sequence to the Webster's Online dictionary. I copy and pasted the pronunciation from that. Awesome, huh? I do not own the characters of Naruto.
"Flirt /flərt/: (v) to behave as though attracted to or trying to attract someone, but for amusement rather than with serious intentions. (n) a person who habitually flirts." Jade eyes stared at the book in which this strange word had come up. He'd heard similar words: tease, heartbreaker, leading someone on…but he'd never really thought about the word. Until he'd seen it first hand. Well, more like been on the receiving end of some serious flirtation. He'd not known it for what it was until his brother had approached him afterwards with a grin on his face, saying the females had 'obviously been flirting' with him.
Still, how did one go about flirting? Was there a manual one could follow? He looked up from his book when he heard a gentle knock on the door. He arched a brow and stood, leaving the dictionary on the table. He opened the door and was met by a smiling face. He nodded at the figure and stepped aside, allowing the small female to enter. He'd purposefully ensured everyone was out of the house before extending the invitation for her to come over. He wanted to ask her some questions and he didn't want others to hear him.
Though he'd once been highly feared, he'd mellowed in the years since Shukaku had been removed from him. He knew from experience that certain individuals were not afraid to tease him and he'd rather avoid that at this moment. He was curious and he wanted answers, not teasing. So he'd called upon the one person he knew he could trust.
"Kazekage-sama, it's wonderful to see you. How are you enjoying your stay in Konoha?" He regarded the bright eyed female before him. Haruno Sakura was a female he was highly familiar with, thanks to their mutual friendship with Naruto. He also knew her intelligence was beyond mere words and, hopefully, she would not tease him about his lack of understanding in this matter. He inclined his head to her and motioned her inside.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Haruno-san." He noticed the light blush that tinted her cheeks and the delicate smile that twisted her lips.
"Please, call me Sakura. And it is certainly no problem." He returned the gentle smile and nodded, offering her a seat near where he'd been reading the dictionary from the provided library.
"Then please call me Gaara. We are the same age, after all." He noticed her blush deepen ever so slightly and she giggled once, nodding.
"Alright, Gaara." He noticed she seemed very pleased he'd given her such an allowance, which he bestowed on very few people, actually. He wondered why he was making such an allowance for her, actually. He shook it off and returned to where he'd been sitting previously. She followed him inside, shedding the heavy coat she wore. He looked outside his window and frowned. He did not like snow, which is what littered the ground at this moment. He wondered how she could bear to stay here with the weather as cold as it got sometimes.
He turned just in time to blush as he noticed her shirt riding up as she attempted to remove her heavy sweater-shirt. He felt his mouth go dry at the creamy expanse of her torso. Not only that, but a sudden heat laced through him, building into a tightness between his legs. He stifled a gasp and turned away from her, hoping she did not notice the sudden bulge in his pants. He sat and tried to ease the sudden pain in his groin. He noticed her vibrant blush as she pulled the sweater off and noticed her midriff was showing. She apologized quietly and pulled her shirt down quickly. They then sat down across from one another.
He murmured something and she nodded, accepting it as his acceptance of her apology. She knew he was modest; knew he'd been raised that girls didn't expose themselves as she'd just unintentionally done. Then again, he'd also been raised around plenty of kunoichi, many of which wore rather revealing clothing. She sat when he offered for her to sit and she regarded him carefully. She decided to dive right in, tired of the awkward silence between them.
"I must say, I was rather surprised when you contacted me and asked me to come over. Naruto informed me you'd be here a few weeks for the festivities, but you've mostly kept to yourself. I assume the snow is a little offsetting for you, ne?" He blushed slightly, though he hid it well, and nodded in confirmation.
"I am…unused…to such extreme cold. During our winter months, the night becomes chilly, but nothing like this." He stated and looked up, only to see the young woman he'd known for all of his teenage and adult years smiling at him, a slight blush staining her cheeks.
"Well I guess I should thank you for braving the cold then." He noticed sadness suddenly creep into her vibrant eyes. "It means a lot to Naruto, and to me, that you came. It has…" He noticed a tear slip from the corner of her eye and he leaned forward, putting his hand on hers.
"Naruto said it has been hard for the both of you since Uchiha's defeat. I am sorry that it came to this…Sakura." He tested her name in his mouth, without the honorific, and he found it came out more easily than he'd suspected. He noticed her wipe her cheek and she smiled at him, a shyness entering her eyes.
"Uhm, thank you…G-Gaara." He canted his head to the side, wondering at her sudden shyness. He noticed how she kept rubbing her hands together and he arched a brow. He put his hands on top of hers, stilling them, and heard her gentle gasp. He noticed, when he looked up at her, that her cheeks were a vibrant red. It made him wonder, her sudden shyness and the color flushing her features. She was very…pretty…when she turned red like that. And her shyness…he found it alluring.
"Sakura, are you certain you're alright?" He asked gently. He noticed her bite her lip and she suddenly lifted her head, her eyes locking with his. He found himself falling into those pretty green eyes, so like and yet so different from his own.
"I-I…uhm…" He arched a brow at her and inhaled, trying to calm the sudden giddiness affecting him at her stuttering. That he, a young man who'd never interacted in a personal manner with others, could affect her so…he almost choked when he inhaled a massive dose of Sakura's scent. Though a jinchuriki no longer, he had lived long enough with Shukaku to have developed supernatural senses; including hearing, eyesight, and smell. And right now, he could smell Sakura. His pupils dilated as pleasure coursed through him at her scent. It lacked the commonly used fragrances most women seemed drawn to using. Instead, she smelled of fresh rain and a warm breeze, like one of the many fields here in Konoha during springtime. It was a clean and fresh scent. Welcoming.
Without even thinking, he spoke to her. "You smell nice." He noticed her eyes widen and for some reason her hand went to her hair, almost like she was self conscious about something. He noticed her blush deepen and he looked at her curiously. "Have I said something wrong?" He noticed her look up at him quickly before shaking her head.
"N-no, no it's not that. It's just…I don't think you've ever complimented me like that. It…it surprised me, actually." She noticed him lean forward slightly, as if taking in her scent. He closed his eyes and hummed.
"I would guess my reason behind never complimenting you in this way is because we have never been in a social setting together like this. Most of our encounters have been on the battlefield; once as opponents and the rest as allies." He noticed her blush, but she smiled as well, as if something he'd said made her happy.
"You're right, of course. I guess I never really thought about it like that. But now that I think about it, every time I've been around you, you've had this…very masculine scent about you. Like sunshine and good quality leather." He arched a brow at her, slightly put off at her description of his scent. How did sunshine have a scent? And he smelled like leather? He looked down at himself and sniffed, but all he could smell was her.
"I would suppose that the reason we can smell one another is because they are normally unfamiliar scents to us. I was not aware that sunshine had a scent." He noticed her blush brightly and bite her lip, looking away.
"Well, it doesn't really have a smell, but you think of certain things when the sun shines, so I suppose that's what it smells like." He noticed her blush deepen and he suddenly became curious. This was much more interesting than the questions he'd asked her over to answer for him.
"What do you think about when the sun shines?" He noticed her eyes glaze and a soft smile curled her lips. She took a deep breath and sighed, a happy sound.
"I think about the mountains and the forests, the calm summer breeze, and laughing children. Things I grew up hearing, seeing, and feeling. It's like your senses are in overdrive, heightening everything and yet condensing it down into one simple scent: sunshine." She smiled and looked over at him before she laughed and shook her head, a self deprecating smile on her face. "I'm sorry, that probably made no sense to you at all."
She looked up when he put his hand on top of hers. He gave her a serious look. "I, too, have a word that I associate with a particular scent." He said softly, regarding her. He noticed curiosity light her eyes and he stared deep into their bright green depths. He then leaned back, regarding her through hooded eyes. He noticed her eyes widen slightly and she blushed at the look he was giving her.
"A-and w-what word would th-that b-be?" Again he felt his blood heat as she stuttered. His male pride escalated as he caused her to stutter once more. Her scent had changed, quite suddenly, and his pupils dilated even more as he took a deep breath of it. When he spoke once more, it came out a deep, husky growl.
"Arousal." He noticed her gasp and she jerked back quickly, her pupils dilating in shock and fear. The shock he could understand. Expected even. But why the fear? Was she afraid he'd do something to her? He stood and walked around the coffee table to stand before her, his eyes never leaving hers. He noticed how her breathing became labored and he wondered at it. He knelt down, his eyes locked with hers. "Are you afraid of me, Sakura?" He noticed something flicker in her eyes and it made him purr. It wasn't fear; oh no, definitely not fear. What he'd seen flash in her eyes was quickly hidden hope.
"N-no…I'm n-not afraid…" He noticed she had to swallow and run her tongue across her lips. "I'm not a-afraid of you…" Her voice was breathless and his eyes dropped to her chest as he noticed it rising and falling quickly. He lifted his eyes back up to look at her and noticed she was staring at him. He was surprised when she blushed brightly and turned her eyes away from him, her hair slightly covering her face. "P-please…don't t-tease me…" He could hear the tears in her voice and he stiffened.
He got on his knees in front of her, his hand going to her chin. He turned her face to his and he noticed the tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I do not understand what that means, Sakura." He said gently and looked over at the dictionary on his coffee table. "Actually, the reason I asked you here tonight was because I wished to ask you some questions. Questions I was afraid others would laugh at me about." He confided honestly to her, his lips turning down as he scowled.
"I…I do not know how to interact with women not of my family. That became apparent to me at the Five Kage Summit in the Land of Iron. I did not understand much of the personal interactions between the Mizukage and various males around her. My brother called it 'flirting'. I do not understand the concept behind this word. I…was hoping… you could tell…me…" It was his turn to blush as he looked away. His hand was no longer on her chin, but rather on her knee. Sakura's eyes widened as he revealed something to her she was pretty sure he'd not revealed to anyone else. It made her feel special, that he trusted her with such intimate information about himself. She smiled, her tears tracking down her cheeks as she sniffled.
He was surprised when she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He gasped and stared at her as she drew back, a blush and smile on her face. "You are so sweet and innocent, Gaara." He turned his face from her once more, his blush darker than before. He looked down when she covered his hands with hers. He looked up at her and noticed the sweet smile on her face. "I will gladly teach you about this, Gaara." She then stood, pulling him to his feet. He was mere inches taller than her, but he still had to look down to look her in the eye. He found it satisfying and a small smile curled the corners of his lips. He noticed her blush slightly and smile at him.
"Well, the best way to learn about flirting is to actually do it." He arched a brow at her and she blushed, biting her lip. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and he gasped in surprise. He felt his body physically react to her. He noticed her shyness was back as she smiled at him. She then reached out for his hand. He watched as she took his hand and ran her fingers over the back of it. Her actions confused him. Most of the time, when women flirted with him, they were very brash about it. It surprised him that her shy, modest flirtation would affect him so much more than the exhibitionistic flirtations he had been subjected to.
His breathing hitched as he realized that she was genuinely flirting with him, not the flirtatious camaraderie she and her friend Ino oftentimes exhibited around the guys they were commonly teamed with. Sakura would blush and loudly flirt with her teammates, but this shy flirtation…this was something altogether different. It was reserved, apparently, for those she was genuinely interested in. His eyes widened and he suddenly caught her wrist, causing her to gasp. He looked deep into her eyes, saw the tiny glimmer of hope and the huge abyss of fear. He understood her fear; fear of rejection, of dismissal. The hope…that was a little harder for him. What was she hoping for? Could he provide it for her?
"Sakura…" He started, only for a loud knock to make them both jump. He instinctively pulled her towards him, almost like he was protecting her from whoever was on the other side. He almost growled when a girl with wavy brown hair and closed eyes stuck her head in, a smile on her face.
"Oh Kazekage-sama, I brought you some snacks from the kitchen. I can bring them in for you if…you…want…" The girl trailed off as she opened her eyes and noticed the position of the two room occupants. Sakura was all but in Gaara's lap and they were both regarding the intruding girl with surprised looks. The brunette had the grace to blush and begin stuttering. "Oh, uh, I-I'm really s-sorry. I d-didn't realize…" She quickly shut the door, causing both Gaara and Sakura to look at one another.
They both blushed as they realized what kind of position they were in and what it must have looked like to the girl. Sakura started stuttering again, sounding like she was apologizing, but he just stared at her, mystified. There was a definite change in her when she was flirting with someone she liked as opposed to teasing her friends. He decided to try something and he tugged on her hand, causing her to tumble against him. He leaned down, light brushing his lips against hers. He heard her gasp and when he pulled back slightly he noticed how big her eyes were.
"Did you know that when you flirt with me, it is different from how I've noticed you act around other men, Sakura?" He whispered to her, gently nuzzling against her cheek. He heard her gasp yet again and he purred, chuckling slightly. He then pulled her in closer to his body, situating her between his legs ever so slightly as he sat there on the couch. He reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand and stared into her eyes. He noticed her lean down, almost as if mesmerized, her eyes slightly glazed.
"I thought you didn't know how to flirt, Gaara." She whispered his name and it caused him to groan, a slight hiss coming from him as his body reacted physically to her voice. He tangled his hand in the hair at the back of her neck and pulled her to him, locking his lips with hers as his instincts took over. She moaned as their lips met, their tongues dancing as her hands came up to cup his cheeks. She pulled away just enough that she could readjust so that she was now straddling him. She heard him groan and she leaned back in, kissing him and running her hands through his thick red hair.
He pulled back just enough so that when he spoke, his lips brushed hers. "This is pure instinct. I have no idea what I'm doing…" He confessed to her, his forehead resting against hers. She smiled down at him, that cute, shy smile that he found so endearing. She nuzzled against his hand as he caressed her cheek, running his fingers over her delicate structure.
"Sometimes, relying on instinct is much better than knowing how to flirt…" She whispered to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him once more to kiss him. He growled slightly and suddenly stood, picking her up with him. She gasped as he hiked her up his body, her core now resting against his taut stomach. He turned and headed towards a door, intent on exploring her further. When he had her in the room with the bed he'd yet to sleep in, he gently laid her on it and followed her down, his lips going to her neck. He growled when she moaned and allowed his hands to do what felt natural.
He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, wanting to let her know how he felt about what was happening. "Sakura, this isn't…I'm not…" She put one finger to his lips as she smiled shyly at him.
"I know. No teasing. No games. No conquest. Just us acting on our feelings." She whispered to him, her eyes swimming with unexpressed feelings. He closed his eyes when she cupped his cheek and he leaned into the caress. When he opened his eyes once more, they were alight with emotion. He stared down at her as he gently began undressing her. She sighed in happiness and allowed him to do as he wished. She also began stripping pieces of his clothing off, though he didn't have on as much as she did, as he had yet to travel outside. She blushed when her hand brushed against his erection and she felt it pulse, which caused him to groan.
"Are you sure? You must be sure. I won't let you go if we do this…I won't be able to…" He panted, his eyes all but glowing with excitement. He noticed her bite her lip before she leaned up just enough to whisper to him. His eyes widened and he choked as her words sent his arousal soaring. With a frantic growl, he reached down and snagged the hem of her skirt. As he yanked, a loud rip signified his impatience. She moaned and squirmed beneath him, her body heating up with excitement. She gasped when she felt the heat of his naked form against her barely covered form. He'd made short work of her clothes, ripping much of it in his unrestrained excitement, though his fared little better.
Her eyes widened as she felt him nudge her entrance and she bit her lip, preparing herself. She knew it would hurt at first, but she refused to deny him; or herself, really. She'd known for several months that she harbored feelings for the red head, but she'd kept quiet, especially after things had turned out the way they had. Though Naruto was alive, his quality of life had diminished since Sasuke's untimely demise. He was also no longer capable of active duty, which had been hard for them all to accept. He'd lost function in his legs after the fight with Sasuke. Tears stung her eyes as the thoughts of her best friend and surrogate brother. She wrapped her arms around the man who'd slowly worked his way into her heart and whispered to him. "Please…" She heard him groan and then her eyes rolled up into the back of her head when he pushed against her roughly, breaking through the proof of her virginity.
She felt him still, felt his muscle tense, and she feared he'd stop. But he merely groaned something against her shoulder and proceeded to lose himself in her. She gasped, the pleasure almost too much to bear as he delivered slow, powerful thrusts. She whimpered at the overly full feeling she was experiencing. It was like he'd been custom made to fit her body. He filled every part of her with himself, leaving no room for thoughts of anyone but him. She moaned, her fingers tangling in his thick hair as he kept giving her everything he was.
And for as big as he felt to her, she felt impossibly tight to him. He was having a hard time breathing, the pleasure was so exhilarating. He'd never felt pleasure on this scale before, not even when he'd still had Shukaku and killed at the demon's whim. This was so much more than that…it was…euphoric. There was no other word for what he was feeling other than that. It was like everything he was feeling combined with everything she was feeling to create something exponentially greater. He wanted it to last forever.
Her sudden jerking and gasping had him opening his eyes-when had he closed them?-and he noticed her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open, as the glorious sound of her pleasured scream echoed through the room. He could feel her body drawing him in, cinching tightly around him. He growled and sped up, slamming himself into her in order to feel that which he was certain would be the greatest sensation he'd ever felt in his lifetime. He could feel something just barely eluding him as he continued to push into her. He hissed, reaching for it, and almost collapsed as it hit him full bore, out of nowhere.
He jerked, seating himself impossibly deep inside her as he felt every muscle seize. And then he was shuddering, moans wrenching themselves from him as he came, streams of his passion jetting deep into her welcoming body. His last coherent thought was 'where do babies come from?'
Gaara watched her from across the banquet hall. It had been three days since their first lovemaking and neither had been able to get the other off their mind. Gaara hooded his eyes as he regarded her. She was dressed in a traditional kimono, the outermost layer a cool jade; the same color as his eyes. She had a pink obi that matched her hair, which was done up with little trinkets and ornaments. He noticed the most prominent ornament was the one he'd made for her. It was a glass rod with a hand painted cherry blossom on the end.
He'd made it for her one sleepless night and had blushingly given it to her the day before the festival banquet. He noticed her speaking with her female friends, her male friends standing off to the side talking to one another. He watched as several young hopefuls approached her, but she just smiled and brushed their advances aside. It made his pride, and other parts of him, swell. She was only genuine with him. Only he got to see that shy smile of hers. Only he got to see her eyes glazed with passion. Only him. No one else.
He noticed her look up suddenly and their eyes locked. She knew he'd been watching her. She could probably feel his eyes on her this entire time. He noticed her eyes hood slightly and she smiled his way. It wasn't that shy smile that she used when flirting with him, but instead it was one that said she was happy to see him here. He nodded his head to her and waited for her to approach him. It didn't take her long.
He watched as she excused herself from her friends and made her way to him. He held his arm out to her and she took it, tucking herself against his side. He relaxed now that she was at his side and he looked over at her, his eyes becoming gentle. "Are you enjoying yourself?" He asked politely, remembering the manners Temari had drilled into him upon his appointment as Kazekage. He heard Sakura's light giggle and looked over to see that shy smile he was so fond of.
"I am now." She whispered to him, her eyes telling him everything he needed to know. She'd missed him these three days they'd been apart. He purred and pulled her more tightly against his side, all but wrapping his arm around her. As it was, he noticed her blush as people began to regard them. He leaned down and whispered to her, making that slight blush turn into a full body blush. She looked up at him with those innocent eyes and he smirked. She looked around and bit her lip. "You don't really expect me to answer that right here, do you?" She whispered, seemingly scandalized. Her smile, however, told him she wasn't offended. He shrugged.
"Well, you could, but I'd be embarrassed. People might tease me." He answered in a low, husky whisper. He noticed her breathing hitch and her eyes dilate slightly. He knew he had her now. "You could answer it for me, say, in my room back at the Kage tower? Where I wouldn't be afraid of people overhearing? I do have my image as Kazekage to uphold." There was a glimmer in his eyes and Sakura had to stifle her laugh at his teasing. He was blatantly flirting with her now.
She gave a respectful bow, which apparently put off any suspicions of their intentions, because people stopped paying attention to them. She looked up, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I would be honored to teach you, Kazekage-sama." She smiled when he shot her a warning look. He did not like her calling him by his title. She merely tucked herself back against his side and whispered to him, making him chuckle. "Shameless flirt."
She noticed him arch a brow at her before he chuckled again and hooded his eyes at her. "Merciless tease." She giggled and he noticed that shyness coming out ever so slightly. He smiled and put his hand overtop hers on his arm. It was their way of reassuring one another that these 'insults' were nothing more than their own way of flirting with one another. A game for just the two of them. One that would never grow old.