Someone was singing, and terribly at that.
Squinting his eyes open, Sasuke blinked against the blinding light that assaulted him, suddenly aware of warm white sheets and his aching body and a familiar, sterile smell.
He was in the hospital.
The singer hit a particularly high note, voice sharp and screeching. Turning his gaze in the direction of the sound, he saw a pink-haired girl sitting at his room's only window, tending to an equally pink carnation, her eyes as green as its stem.
Sakura.
Oblivious to her now-conscious audience, she kept singing loudly and happily, either unaware of how bad she was or simply not caring. The Uchiha had a clear view of her from where he lay in bed and took the opportunity to study her – it had been almost three years since he had a proper look at her.
Her skin wasn't the same smooth, flawless way it had been before, when she still though a lot of beauty and looks over her skills and duties as a kunoichi - it appeared rough and scarred, especially her callous-ridden fingers, displaying the hardships she had endured in battles and training. Muscles were more defined in her arms and legs, showing further evidence of her hard work and training, as well as her new found strength (and it reminded him why he was the hospital, the shock he felt when delicate little Sakura had shattered his ribs in a single punch). Still, her eyes and her smile and the happiness she radiated remained the same.
Done with her flower, Sakura turned around, gasping in surprise when she saw he was awake and watching her intently.
"Oh! Y-you're up," she said, stiffening and blushing. "How long have you-? Did y-?" Bowing her head shamefully, she stuttered, "S... Sorry about the singing."
"I don't mind."
"What?" she asked, head jerking back up to look at him with wide eyes. "You don't think I'm bad?"
"No, you're terrible. But I don't mind – you can keep singing, if you want."
Cheeks still burning, she nodded, going about her duties (he could see now that she was his nurse) with the usual song – albeit a bit quieter. And, for reasons beyond his understanding, Sasuke enjoyed the sound of her sweet, off-key voice.
Author's Note: Trying to force myself out of my SasuSaku rut, so I wrote this before going to bed last night. Sorry if it's not that great - it's a pretty pointless little piece of fluff. xD I'm still kinda happy with it, though.
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Naruto' or any of its characters.