Teach Me

“Let’s get on with teaching you the minor erogenous zones, then,” Sakura said, biting into her de-chocolified strawberry. “There’s lots of places you can touch a woman that make her feel good, and not just the breasts and between her legs. You need to be patient and not just dive in to what you think is interesting – especially since it may take a while before your bride is fully aroused. That’s just how most women work.”

“So where do I start?” Gaara asked, “Kissing?”

“Touching,” Sakura replied, “Caressing, stroking, that sort of thing. The hands are also very good for exploring your partner. This is an extension of the holding exercise we did yesterday. The first group we’ll cover is the face: The hair, cheeks, ears, and eyelids, specifically. We’ve… already had a preview of the mouth, but we’ll save that lesson for a bit later.” She put the lid back on the chocolate sauce, to his evident disappointment. “Don’t worry about the chocolate for now. Just stand up. I’m going to have to get pretty close for this, so just try to relax.”

He stood, and she stepped forward until they were nearly touching. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and he would be surprised if she couldn’t feel it too.

“Now, close your eyes,” she instructed him, “and I’ll demonstrate on you. Then I’ll guide you as you try it out on me. Okay?”

He wet his lips and nodded, closing his eyes. He felt her fingers sliding through his hair as she guided his head down slightly; the sensation gave him a delightful chill up his spine. He could smell her – the mix of strawberry scent and sandalwood and the musky fragrance that was so undeniably hers – as she stretched upwards, leaning against him slightly, to brush her lips against his cheek, his kohl-dusted eyelids, his brow. She did not need to stretch far, as she was not that much shorter than he, but he was still quite aware of the swell of her breasts against him. He felt her eyelashes brush over his cheek, feather-light, followed by the warmth of her breath. She caressed his cheeks, first with her fingertips, and then with the backs of her fingers. She lightly traced the red lines of the scar-kanji on his brow with a gentle fingertip. She stroked his hair, ran her fingers through it, and dragged her fingernails lightly over his scalp. It was heaven. It was torture. He felt her breath, gentle and warm against his ear. He took a shuddering breath.

“I feel like I should be doing something,” he murmured, then sucked in a startled breath as he felt her nip at his earlobe.

“Shh. Just relax.”

“I c-can’t,” he protested, opening his eyes as she put a finger over his lips.

“Be patient. You’ll get your chance.” She saw the expression he had on his face then – longing – along with a tinge of pink to his cheeks. He wanted so badly to try. “Now – think of how it felt when I touched you. Do you think you can touch me the same way?”

He nodded somberly.

“The trick,” she added, “is to take the time to enjoy the experience, like you’d enjoy an exquisite food or a rare wine. Don’t rush in, and above all, if your bride starts to feel uncomfortable, you have to stop. Do you have any questions before you start?”

“Where do I hold you?” he asked.

“Well, you can hold me by the shoulders – like this – or around the waist – like this. Around the waist is more intimate, while by the shoulders is a bit more aggressive.”

“I want you to enjoy this, too… Do you trust me enough to close your eyes?”

“I trust you,” Sakura replied, and closed her eyes, folding her hands demurely in front of her.

It took every ounce of his willpower not to take advantage of her trust. He wasn’t sure if he was strong enough to overpower her, but he didn’t want to lose her as a teacher. She was the only outsider who had offered him this level of trust, and he absolutely did not want to spoil this. He took a few deep, measured breaths to calm himself, and reached out to her.

He took her gently by the shoulders, leaned close to her throat, fettering his more aggressive urges, and, closing his eyes, inhaled her scent – her glorious, intoxicating scent. Take the time to enjoy the experience, she’d told him. With trembling fingers, he stroked her cheek, feeling how smooth her skin was under his touch. It reminded him of the petal of a fresh desert rose. He slid the pad of his thumb across her cheekbone, cupping his fingers around the edge of her jaw, and saw her pink lips curl in a smile. He tried to recall how she’d kissed him on the cheek, that delicate brush of her lips across his skin. He kissed her delicately on the brow, then the cheek. Her face was quite unmarred save for the ancient remnant of a thin scar bisecting one eyebrow (the origin of which he’d never learned). His fingers traced the contours of her hair to the pins binding it in its bun, and he tugged them free. Her hair fell in pink waves around her shoulders, and he leaned close, nuzzling the silky locks, inhaling deeply through his nose. Take the time? He could be here forever.

“You’re doing very well,” Sakura breathed, taking his wrists to guide him to new areas. “Keep it up.” Under her guidance, he traced the pad of his thumb across her eyebrow, then ran his fingers through her hair.

Compliments. Sakura said women enjoy compliments. Here goes—

“You smell nice,” he whispered huskily into her hair, “like sweet ripe fruit.”

She blushed and smiled, opening her eyes in surprise. “Thank you. That was a very sweet thing to say. It… made me feel pretty.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said, relieved. He was afraid it would come off like something a dog-nin would say – but he had discovered how much of a turn-on her smell was, rather than merely a pleasant bonus. He made a mental note to tell her about other things he enjoyed about her, which narrowed the list down to… everything, as far as he could tell.

“You’re making swift progress, Gaara. I’m proud of you. Now, for tomorrow, I have an assignment for you. Actually… two assignments. The first is to practice the berry-cleaning exercise I showed you.”

He furrowed his brow. “It is important to know how to lick chocolate off strawberries?”

She nodded. “Later on, it’ll be very important. I’ll leave the chocolate and strawberries here.”

He nodded. “What’s the second assignment?”

“I want you to think of someplace in the Palace you’d like to show me… someplace you’re proud of, or someplace that relaxes you or makes you happy, or maybe a view you enjoy that you think I’ll enjoy too. Someplace you’d share with someone important to you. We’ll have your next lesson there. No, don’t tell me now – wait until I come by tomorrow. Okay?”

He considered her request, and nodded. “I understand.”

She bowed. “Good day, Gaara.”

He bowed in return. “Good day, Sakura.”

And she was gone.

He stared at the open doorway for some time before stepping forward to shut the door. It was strange, this feeling… he knew that love was the desire to care for and protect another, even at the cost of one’s own life. In this way, he loved the village of Sunagakure, and its people. It was his duty as Kazekage to protect them, and he would do so until he died. But this was a new feeling… He enjoyed her company. He enjoyed the sound of her voice, the feel of her gentle hands touching him. He wanted to explore her, to find out what exciting secrets her body held – and he wanted her to do the same for him. He wanted her to desire him, as he desired her… and he wanted to make her feel pretty, as she had when he’d complimented her. Being human was so complicated.

He glanced over at the bowl of strawberries and the can of chocolate syrup. He would practice the berry-cleaning technique she taught him, keeping in mind the way she did it. There was something special in the way she licked chocolate off a strawberry, and he resolved to find out what it was, and perfect it.