Reborn as Sakura and Hinata: Lost in the Wind

Upgrades People, Upgrades

I kicked around absentmindedly on my bed, trying to expend the nervous energy that had refused to leave me all day. Lipstick sat on my chest, gazing off into the distance much like I was.

"What's taking them so long!?" I whined, "It doesn't take that long to get from here to the hospital..."

Lipstick gazed back at me blankly.

"'Patience is a virtue'!? Who cares!" I huffed, "It doesn't make waiting any better!"

The door to my room opened, breaking my train of thought. Gaara poked his head in, glowering at me.

"Why are you making so much noise?" He grumbled.

"What!? It's not like you sleep anyways!" I shot back, crossing my arms over my chest.

His frown deepened almost into a pout, "That doesn't mean I appreciate your incessant ramblings."

"Don't be mean!" I shouted, "I'm worried about Sasuke, okay!?" I rolled over and buried my face into my pillow, anxiety turning me into an emotional mess.

The weight on the bed shifted, pulling me from my brooding. I glanced up to see Gaara sitting next to me on the bed, his glare now softened to a look between confusion and concern.

"Need something?" I asked, intrigued by his actions.

He stayed silent a moment, as if just as confused by his own actions as I was.

"I don't fully understand what it is to be 'worried' about others." he admitted.

"Well, that would make sense for you." I scoffed, "You don't have a lot of experience with people worrying about you. Or you don't think that anyone does."

He glanced down at me, bewildered.

"Your siblings really care about you, y'know?" I raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Gaara huffed and averted his eyes.

"Perhaps they do..." he grumbled.

"And I think you also care about them." I teased, enjoying how he tensed uncomfortably.

"I don't know what you mean." he glared down at me distrustingly.

"You got really mad when I touched Temari before the Chunin exams, and you also got mad when I said Kankuro looked like a clown." I smiled up at him, "Whether you know it or not, you do care about them."

He had an expression dangerously close to a smile, "Maybe you're right."

"I am right." I grinned, "And I know that somewhere deep in there," I poked at his chest for emphasis, "You care about Sasuke and I too."

He squirmed away from my prodding, "How can you be so certain?"

"Well, you're in here right now aren't you?" I asked, sitting up and wrapping my arms around his waist teasingly. I might've been hallucinating, but I could've sworn he blushed.

"I... guess." he shrugged, "I'm just not used to... having 'friends' or 'siblings' in the way most people do."

"You're learning." I smiled, resting my chin on his shoulder,

"You think so?" he sighed.

"Yep! For someone with as shitty a childhood as yours, I think you're doing a pretty good job." I grinned.

His posture relaxed as we sat there in silence. I felt my anxiety melt away as I was essentially hugging a teddy bear. Of course, said teddy bear was a living boy with a horrific sand demon inside of him who has killed a lot of people, but, hey, I wasn't going to complain.

Jerry peered curiously into the room, causing Gaara to tense again.

"Oh, hey you two!" Jerry opened the door fully, stepping into the room, "Something going on?"

"Nope," I answered simply, "Just waiting."

"Stressed?" he asked.

"I was. Not so much now." I squeezed Gaara a little bit.

"I'm surprised. About time you warmed up to us, Jeremiah." I bet Jerry was smiling behind that mask.

Gaara just gave an awkward shrug, discomfort evident in his expression again.

"Aw, don't be like that." Jerry sighed, "Everyone needs a little comfort now and then."

"Did you need something?" I asked, clearly he wouldn't have come up here for no reason.

"Ah, that," Jerry nodded, "I have a feeling Sasuke will be back soon, so I was going to ask you two to come downstairs so that we'd be ready."

"Awesome!" I released Gaara and jumped up excitedly, "I'll make grilled cheese then!"

"Sounds like a plan, Princess!" Jerry's tone mimicked my enthusiasm.

I ran down the stairs, Jerry and Gaara following behind me. I began cooking immediately, wanting to make sure everything was ready for when Sasuke arrived.

Soon, I had the table set, and I didn't have to wait long until I heard the door open. Running into the entryway, I saw Ben carrying Sasuke on his back, who had a bored, tired look on his face.

"You're back!" I cheered as Ben maneuvered into the kitchen, setting Sasuke down.

"Yo." Sasuke gave a tired smile.

"Can we see it!?" I bounced excitedly in front of him, realizing the left side of his face was still bandaged.

"He's been through recovery, so they said the bandages can come off whenever." Ben answered, leaning against the table next to him, "Whenever you're ready, kid."

Sasuke nodded, "I..." he took a deep breath, "Yeah, let's see it."

Jerry walked into the room, mirror in hand. We all watched apprehensively, even Gaara, as Sasuke began to unwind the bandages. He took a deep breath before holding the mirror up to his face and opening his left eye.

"Holy shit, it's fucking blue!" I couldn't keep down my shocked gasp as Sasuke gazed at his reflection, now with a vibrant, icy blue eye to contrast with the deep black of the other. Even Gaara seemed mesmerized by the way it looked.

"W-Wow..." Sasuke murmured, turning his head a bit to look at the eye from different angles, "This is..."

"It's fucking goregeous!" I beamed. Sasuke flushed a little bit.

"I dunno... it's a little much." he muttered.

"C'mon, kid." Ben patted him on the shoulder, "Take the compliment. It looks great."

"How's it working though?" Jerry asked.

Sasuke blinked a few times, holding up a hand and glaring at it before a wide smile broke on his face, "I have depth perception!" His tone had a touch of childlike happiness that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He truly looked happy.

"Congratulations, Sasuke." Ben ruffled his hair, "I'm glad something's going well for ya."

Sasuke nodded enthusiastically, "No more rehabilitation!" he grinned.

I ran over to hug him, not being able to contain my joy anymore, "I'm so happy for you!" I gushed, my joy only multiplying when he returned the hug.

"So, you have the grilled cheese you promised me?" he smirked.

"You bet!" I beamed.