Insomnia

III.

Neji woke in a soft bed. At first, he was grateful, because being in a bed let his arms and ribs heal better. But then he panicked, knowing that if he was in a bed then Hitatsu had gotten what he wanted. He sat upright and touched his eye-sockets, wincing as his fingers poked the orbs within. His eyes were still there, still intact. He let out a relieved sigh and gingerly flopped back down, closing his eyes against the darkness. The sun did feel good on his hand – his eyes flew open. Darkness. But he could feel the sun. Maybe the curtains were closed? He was panicking, but he didn’t care. The blankets were forced off his body, his legs swung over the side of the bed, bare feet touching gritty sand on linoleum. He forgot about the sand, forgot about anything but trying to find a curtain to pull away.

A strong hand wrapped around his searching fingers, sliding to his wrist, holding tight. Neji stilled before he exploded into action, free hand curling into a fist and swinging toward where his captor’s face must be. His fist was caught and still he struggled, panic overwhelming, until he was pulled into a hug. The scent that filled his nostrils was nice, a scent he’d smelled before. Sand, the metallic scent of blood, the scent of the wind all rolled into one warm body that held his so gently. Neji clutched onto that safe person and cried.

Gaara could only hold onto Neji, hearing and feeling the sobs that wracked Neji’s body, his gaze softening as he looked down at Neji’s head. He stroked the Hyuuga’s dark hair, clean now, along with the rest of his body. Lee had returned with Sakura and Kankurou, who had volunteered himself to wash the blood and ink off Neji’s body before Sakura had done her best to heal the Hyuuga. When Hinata had arrived to retrieve her cousin, Kankurou had convinced her to return to Konoha and had gone with her, leaving Sakura and Lee behind in Suna with Neji.

How brave Hinata had been, Gaara surmised, when she received the news from Sakura. Neji’s curse seal had been removed, how no one really knew except the man who had done this to him. But that forced removal had caused severe, irreversible optical damage.

In plain words, Neji was blind.

Gaara felt Neji relax and shifted to lay him back on the bed. As he drew away, Neji latched onto his sleeve.

“Don’t go,” Neji whispered. Saying nothing, Gaara sat beside the brunette and held his hand. Neji didn’t need to be alone right now, didn’t deserve to be alone. So Gaara stayed with Neji until the brunette fell asleep, rising from the bed and moving from the room to allow Lee and Sakura to go into the room. He watched the pair through the window for a long while. Neji, though, eventually called his gaze again and Gaara forced himself to look away, to walk away, before he let his heart get the better of him.

Neji woke to voices he recognized, his eyes open but seeing nothing but darkness. The voices hushed when the speakers noticed he was awake and soon he felt someone beside him. He reached out to touch that person’s hand, feeling soft skin beneath his fingers. A woman then, but not Hinata. Who else could it be then?

“Neji? How are you feeling?”

Sakura, then. He recognized that voice. So that meant the other voice was Lee.

“Neji?” Sakura prompted.

Neji turned his sightless eyes to the girl he couldn’t see and stared at her. He couldn’t get his throat to work, to make a sound, anything. So he only shook his head and looked away. What good was he now, blind as a bat and more so because he didn’t have echolocation to help him? He swallowed the tears that threatened to come out, not wanting to show weakness in front of Sakura and Lee. He’d already done that, and on the shoulder of a stranger no less.

“It’ll be okay, Neji,” Sakura said after a moment of silence. “We’re going to take you back to Konoha and we’ll find a way to heal you,”

“You’ll be back to your old self in no time!” Lee said with more feeling than he actually felt himself. Neji didn’t know how to react to Lee’s enthusiasm, wanting to scream at him that he would never be normal again. Still, he could only nod, unable to get any words out. Sakura was watching him, he felt that, before she shifted and rose from the bed, touching his shoulder.

“Get some rest, Neji. Lee and I will get everything ready, and we’ll go home soon.” Sakura whispered to him before she and Lee left him. When they were gone, Neji let the tears well and fall. He sobbed quietly, wishing for the presence of that stranger from before. Still, he soon quieted, rubbing his eyes and shifting to sit where the sun was, warming under the rays. It was hours before Lee came to get him, handling him as gently as a china doll. Neji didn’t complain; he couldn’t, his voice still not working. The three Konoha nin were soon on their way, traveling slow for Neji’s sake. The only one who didn’t want to see them go was the Kazekage, watching the three leave without a sound.

Gaara figured, though, he’d be seeing much of Konoha in the future.