6 A Healing Touch

The day dragged on and on.

Gaara was struggling to concentrate, despite all of the meetings actually being interesting topics to him.

He cared about the upcoming Chunin exams and made sure to watch the various genin practice in the arena. The Sand would have some real contenders this year.

He was also interested in discussing trading with the Village Hidden in the Stone. He felt that being the closest neighbors, they'd have a unique understanding of what the other's needs were and how they could compensate for whatever was lacking.

But no matter how hard he tried, he kept watching the sun and a small part of him begged for it to set.

Kankuro came up beside him. "How'd it go, last night? Were you able to get some shuteye?"

Gaara swished his hand over a twisting tornado of sand, stopping it before it gained any real momentum. "If you're asking whether or not I slept, no. Ms. Ito thinks it will take a few more castings."

The captain laced his hands behind his head. "That's too bad. I was hoping you'd wake up this morning refreshed and ready to go."

Gaara smiled at his brother. "I may not have slept like you and Temari did, but I wouldn't say I don't feel at least slightly refreshed."

Kankuro's eyebrows rose. "Oh, well that's saying something, at least. What's she going to do tonight?"

The Kazekage turned, slicing through the last dirt devil. "She claims I'm too tense to make real progress, so she's going to try some more relaxation exercises before we start."

At this, Kankuro stopped walking behind and rushed to stare his brother in the face. "What kind of exercises?"

"I'm not sure. Oils and herbs and such, why?"

The captain felt a redness come to his cheeks. "Oh, no reason. It's just, she's a lovely woman, wouldn't you agree?"

Gaara missed a step and nearly stumbled over his brother's words. "That's not coming into play at all. What's happening isn't...that."

Kankuro raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not saying anything sordid is happening, but if it was, good for you, bro."

Now it was his turn to feel uneasy. "Trust me, the things she's seeing in my subconscious, are not my best qualities. It's all professional."

When Temari caught up with the two, she'd picked up the tail end of the conversation and her lip turned into a snarl. "Men. Of course, you'd think that any type of female attention is sexual. Even when it's clearly medicinal. I swear, your ego, sometimes."

"I never said I thought it was!" Gaara was quick to say, a bit of his youth showing through his protest.

Temari rolled her eyes. "Ms. Ito is here to do a job, nothing more. It's no different than when Sakura treated you, Kankuro. Remember that? When you were dying of poison. Suffocating, coughing up blood, sweating like a pig..."

"Okay, okay, I get it."

She smiled at him. "Defecating."

"Ew! Stop! Please!"

Unwilling to further picture the pretty medic tending to him in that state, Kankuro covered his ears and took off in the next direction, leaving Temari with her youngest brother.

Gaara smiled at the scene and nodded his thanks. "I appreciate the help."

"Kankuro means well, you know that."

"I do."

She decided to escort him the rest of the way to the house, asking only a few questions here and there.

It was nice to have Gaara to herself, especially when the sun was setting and their conversation lasted more than just what business had to be handled that day.

Just as they reached the door, he turned. "You're a woman, Temari."

"Wow, thank you for noticing."

"Sorry. Do you think there is anything to what Kankuro was saying?"

She leaned back on her fan. "Do you want there to be?"

His pale eyes searched the ground. "I don't want what he's implying. Not right now. However, Ms. Ito claims that I'm having a hard time trusting her and relaxing. I suppose that's a big part of this jutsu being a success. How do I trust her, when I'm just starting to trust myself?"

Temari thought about the question. The face of her strategic mind flittered with all manner of outcomes.

"Temari?"

"In this case, little brother, I think the easiest way to trust someone, is to let go. Remember when we were kids and you liked to watch Kankuro and I on the swings?"

"Yes."

"We used to jump off and see how far we could land. Remember what happened when you tried that once?"

The image of his mouth full of the sand, which rushed to protect him, flashed through his mind. "I couldn't do it."

"And why couldn't you?"

He looked down at his hand, which he opened and closed a few times. "Because no matter how badly I wanted to fly like you, I couldn't let go of the swing at the very end."

Temari placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "That's right. Maybe this is a time to finally let go of the swing?"

He smiled at her words. "Thank you. Would you ask the chef to bring up dinner for myself and Ms. Ito, to my room? She wants to start earlier tonight."

"Yes, my Lord."

~~~

By the time Rin made her way up the crazy staircase and down the halls, she felt thoroughly lost.

How anyone was expected to memorize this crazy path was beyond her, though she guessed that was the point. She couldn't recreate a map of this place, even if she tried.

The guard who escorted her, hadn't said a word the entire walk and that was fine. Her mind was full of the information she'd gleaned last night.

Tonight, she'd try a different tactic.

When she was allowed entry into his private quarters, Gaara was resting at the table in his side room. She wasn't sure if it were her imagination or high hopes, but he seemed a fraction more relaxed, as he lounged in the chair and gave her a nod.

"Good evening, Rin."

"Hello Gaara, how are you feeling today?"

He reached for a glass of tea and sipped it. "Not bad. Same as usual."

This irked her a little, though it shouldn't have.

Well what did you expect? He'd be cured over night? You're just getting full of yourself, Rin.

She set down her bag and took a peek at the assortment of food. "Lovely spread you have."

He smiled at her. "Yes, I figured you'd be living off of your travel rations and I thought to offer you something a bit tastier."

Rin settled herself into the chair opposite of him. "Well aren't you sweet? I was actually looking to make sure there wasn't anything with lots of sugar or caffeine, honestly."

This made him chuckle; a warm, happy sound. "Always the medic, I see."

She shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

Gaara gestured to the food. "Please, help me finish this. My cooks went a little overboard, since I don't often request anything from them."

The Sand's food was unfamiliar to her pallet, but manageable all the same.

Rin wasn't a huge eater; in fact she'd been scolded for being "too picky" in the past. She'd often eat alone, so as not to have the fight with the scientists for the umpteenth time.

This, however, was the perfect excuse to get to know her client better.

"What's your favorite color, Gaara?"

He set down his tea cup and studied her face. "I don't think I've ever been asked that."

"No?"

"No. It's not pertinent information to carry out my duties."

"I guess it's not, is it?"

She reached for a biscuit, nibbling until it grew soft in her mouth.

What a witty conversationalist I am. He's only the youngest leader of the Sand in history and THAT was the best question I drummed up?

"Red."

"What?"

Gaara reached up and touched the tips of his hair. "I like the color red."

She smiled. "I like red too, but I prefer green. What is your least favorite job as Kazekage?"

He smirked at the question. "Are you trying to figure out where I'm weakest or something?"

Rin took a sip of the tea, which tasted like pomegranate. "No, just trying to understand you better. You never have to answer, of course."

"Hm, all of my duties are important. If I had to choose, I don't enjoy the paperwork."

"I feel like that's a common complaint of Kage. What do you enjoy the most?"

He popped a grape in his mouth and thought about it for a moment. "Walking through town in the daylight now."

"Now?"

"Yes, there was a time I'd avoid it at all cost. People wouldn't want to see me and I had no interest in encountering them."

"But that's changed?"

A small smile came to Gaara's face. "Yes, I believe it has. There's still a few of the older generation who tighten up when they see me, but the younger ones don't seem to mind. I even had a child ask me to make her a sand flower."

Rin took note of the way his face lit up when he spoke of the memory. It was nice to see him smile like that.

The round of twenty questions went on for a time, most of them lighthearted in nature. She noticed his posture and how he carried himself when she arrived versus now, when they'd been chatting for a while.

Most people relaxed after a few minutes of pleasant conversation, but Gaara remained perfectly posed, his shoulders back firmly.

"He's one tough cookie." She thought to herself, as she finished the last bit of her tea.

"So, what's the plan for tonight? You mentioned starting earlier with new techniques."

"Indeed, I did."

It pleased Rin that he remembered her idea from the night before and that he seemed eager to start.

She stood from the table and walked over to the bed, noticing how the blankets were firmly tucked in, not a wrinkle to show he'd been there at all.

Rin let out a low whistle.

"Is something wrong?"

She turned on her heel. "No, nothing. I'm just curious, do you feel more at rest when things are orderly? This bed, for example, I don't think I've ever seen anything so tidy in any of my clients."

Gaara stood at the end of the bed and brushed his fingers across the blankets, removing a pinch of unauthorized dust that settled. "My father insisted on it."

"Your father?"

He nodded. "Yes, he always commanded an orderly home. Temari and Kankuro's beds are the same."

Interesting.

"Do you feel better when things are like that or is it a matter of habit, now?"

The Kazekage shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"I see. Well, unfortunately, we're going to disrupt the tidiness. I need you to lay, face down, on the bed for me."

His eyes caught hers, the faint light of suspicion filling them. "Why?"

She smiled her encouraging smile. "Because I'm going to work out those tight muscles, if it's the last thing I do tonight."

For the first time since their meeting, Gaara seemed truly stunned. "You're... you're going to give me a massage?"

Rin grabbed a bottle of lotion from her sack. She'd spent weeks waiting for the lavender to bloom in her garden and made sure to pick them under a full moon.

Whether or not this actually effected the scent, didn't matter to her. She'd do anything to get the full extent of her products.

She took a heaping dollop and started warming her hands. "Oh good, you know of it?"

"My physicians recommended it in the past, but the man they brought in to do it, couldn't get close to me."

"Why not?"

Gaara held up a hand and the sand formed a tiny tornado in his grasp. "The sand responds when it perceives I'm in danger. Any time he tried to approach me, he was pushed away and we never tried again."

Rin studied the mini-twister and tried not to show the concern on her face. "Why would the sand think a massage is dangerous?"

He avoided her gaze, focusing instead on the wall, the ceiling, anything to get away with not looking at her. "I don't respond well to people touching me like that."

The lotion began to dry in her hand. "Oh..."

They stayed quiet for a moment, neither sure of how to proceed.

Rin finally broke the silence. "Well, remember what I said in the beginning, you decide what you're comfortable with. I think you would really benefit from having the tension worked out, but if you're completely against it, I'll move on to something else."

Gaara thought about it for a moment, the emotions working across his face in waves.

"What is he so scared of?" Rin wondered.

Just as she was convinced she'd been foiled, a voice, that was more of a whisper, responded. "All right. I'll try."

Her smile was genuine, the fluttering of her heart, like a bird taking flight.

Gaara was trying so hard to make this work and that gave her back the hope she was losing.

"Okay, then take off your shirt and lay face down. I'll give you a minute, while I prepare the herbs."

Quick not to waste her opportunity, Rin raced over to the bag, retrieving the various supplies she needed and mixed them together.

Lavender, jasmine, vanilla, all the herbs she'd tested time and time again for muscle relaxation, she prayed wouldn't fail her.

She barely heard him make any noise and half expected him to still be standing there when she turned around, only to find that he'd obeyed her command and was laying on his stomach, with his arms tucked under his head.

Rin steadied herself and approached slowly, feeling like she was coming up on a wild animal, afraid one quick movement would spook him.

She stopped at the bedside, warmed her hands with the lotion and set to begin rubbing his shoulders.

To her surprise, a wave of sand rushed to block her touch.

It didn't hurt her, but the pressure of it did send her back a few steps.

She breathed heavily, heart racing at the sudden intrusion.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the assaulting force went back to its home, silent as a grave.

"I told you." Gaara's voice sounded miserable.

Rin took a deep breath, just as she instructed her clients to do, when they were frightened.

She didn't want to be afraid of Gaara, but that sand of his, was enough to put even her on edge.

"It's okay, I'm just going to move slow and remember to tell you what I'm doing."

Stepping back up to where she was, Rin swallowed down her nervous energy and announced. "I have the lotion in my hands. I'm going to reach down now and touch your shoulders. Is that okay?"

"Mm hm."

There it was, the moment of truth.

Rin kept her eyes fixed on the large gourd where the sand waited, like a guard dog ready to attack. Her hands inched closer and closer, steady, though they wanted to shake.

Her voice came out in a whisper, as if she could hide. "Here we go, 3, 2, 1."

And just like that, her hands found their way to his shoulder blades and though he tensed when she touched him, the sand stayed in its resting place.

Rin exhaled the breath she'd been holding and set out to do one of her specialties; making her clients feel relaxed.

She rubbed her hands along the curves of his shoulder blades, pressing gently on his spine. There was a trail of goosebumps on his skin, but he stayed completely still, giving her no indication of the panicking thoughts flittering through his mind.

"She's going to do it. She's going to touch me. What if I hurt her? The sand already warned her once. What will I do? What do I do? What do I...oh... that's... wow."

Her gentle, warm hands slid up and down his back and it felt divine. The way her fingers melted into the grooves of his muscles, the graceful strokes she took that were calculated, but free. The whole experience was the best thing he'd known in a very long time.

"Mmm."

Rin's ears perked up at the sound.

As if he were molded from clay, her fingers worked into his rigged frame and he melted at her touch.

"Is that feeling good?"

"Yes."

"How's the pressure? Harder or softer?"

Gaara didn't say anything.

Rin's eyebrows went up, surely this wasn't the only thing he needed to fall asleep? Life was never that easy.

"Gaara?"

He took a deep breath, his voice soft. "A bit harder, if you don't mind?"

"Can do."

Increasing the pressure, she noticed the trail of goosebumps that shot over his body, and bit her tongue, so she wouldn't say what she wanted to say.

Her inner voice was celebrating at this progress, but she was determined to maintain a professional air, if it killed her.

When she came to a particularly difficult knot, her eyebrows drew together. "Tension here usually implies that you're slouching."

"Slouching? I thought my posture was perfect."

Rin slid the outside of her hand up the knot like a blade, cutting away at it. "When you're standing up, yes, but if you're bent over paperwork, this kind of thing can happen."

"Further reasoning to avoid paperwork at all costs."

She laughed at his joke, truly surprised at how quickly he thought of it. Perhaps the Kazekage had a sense of humor, after all?

Gaara smiled to himself. It wasn't often he made someone laugh. He liked the sound of it.

After a bit more attention to his back, Rin's capable fingers worked their way up to his neck, marveling at the tension there.

No wonder he was having a hard time relaxing, the top of his shoulders and neck were practically rigid.

She moved her fingers in a circular pattern, running them up and down, feeling the tension drift away under her touch. "Your body responds really well to massage. That's a good thing to know in the future. Before I leave, I'll make sure to schedule regular appointments with your medical staff so you can have one a week."

To her surprise, the sand that previously stayed dormant, came rushing up, blocking her hands from their work.

Rin withdrew, holding them to her chest. "Gaara? What's wrong?"

He rose up on his elbows, turning to face her, an odd look in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know it's important to continue with all of this after you're gone, but I don't think anyone else is going to be able to do what you've done. That's why the sand reacted that way."

Rin gave a small, "hm" curious how she could break through this touch barrier, but couldn't convince him that others were just as safe.

"Okay, we don't have to think about the future right now. I'm almost done with the massage, unless you want to move on to something else?"

"No!" Gaara's protest was louder than he intended and it showed by the slight blush that filled his cheeks.

He quickly recovered, clearing his throat. "I mean, I'd like to finish, if that's fine with you?"

Rin tried to fight it.

Every part of her soul fought for the control not to laugh.

Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Don't laugh, but despite her best efforts, the look on his face was too much and she giggled into her hand.

Gaara studied her face, marveling at the way it lit up when she laughed, even if he wasn't sure what he said that was all that funny. "Ms. Ito?"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh." She said, through bouts of giggles.

"What did I say?"

Rin squeezed her stomach, her laughing rolling out before her. "Nothing! Nothing. I'm sorry. It's just, I'm so happy."

Gaara tilted his head. "Happy? About what?"

She finally managed to rein in her giggles, wiping away a tear that trailed down her cheek. "I'm happy that you're relaxing a bit. It makes me glad to see that you're enjoying things like massage and oils. This is great progress."

The Kazekage thought about this for a moment, before laying back down, so he was studying her from his pillow. "You're a strange girl, Rin."

"Yeah, I've heard that before. All right, I'm going to work on your chest for a bit. Make sure to take those deep breaths we talked about, so you take advantage of the effects of the herbs."

Gaara knew he should close his eyes, it felt weird to stare at her while she worked, but he couldn't help it.

Rin was unlike anyone he'd met. She was serene and at the same time, enthused. Experienced and yet, young at heart. He couldn't pin her down like he did everyone else.

Her skilled palms went to his chest, rubbing the lotion into his muscles in a circular motion.

It felt heavenly.

Rin focused on her work, pleased at the response she was getting.

It dawned on her why Gaara looked different from all her other clients.

It wasn't his highborn status, she'd quickly moved on from that, or even the sheer level of insomnia she was taking on, it was something she'd never encountered before.

All of her clients, from children to elderly, had the same thing in common, besides sleeplessness.

They all had scars of some kind.

Small cuts from tree climbing, large wounds from farm work, a number of tiny things that showed their life journey in some way.

Gaara was completely devoid of them. Not a single blemish, scar, scrape, scratch, nothing at all.

The sight astounded her.

"Is something wrong?" His voice broke her trance.

"Oh, no, nothing at all. I was just thinking."

Gaara focused on her face. "You have a lot of expression when you're thinking."

She placed the final touches on his chest, noticing the incredible shape he was in. Rin tried to separate her womanly desires from her professional mindset, but of course, it was always in the back of her mind.

"All right, that will do it. How do you feel, Gaara?"

He closed his eyes, stretching his arms up. "Good. Really good."

Rin smiled. "I'm glad. We can put down massage in the pro-relaxation category."

"What's next?"

She left the bed to retrieve her jasmine oil and red ribbon. "We go again, just like last night."

Gaara started to sit up, but she placed a hand to his chest and lowered him back down. "It's fine to stay right where you are. We're going to work our way in levels this time."

"Do you think it will be the same kind of memory as last night?"

Rin began wrapping the ribbon around their joined hands, which she noticed he had no problem interlocking with hers, and shrugged. "That all depends on what you want to show me. Here we go."