[ he listens, regardless of how long it takes her to finish what she has to say, because at this point he's run out of places to hide. in staying put when she'd decided to confront him about this, he'd agreed to the conversation, however mutely.
but it doesn't make it any easier to listen to.
the way she explains herself is sensible. Sasuke can comprehend why she thinks the way she does, but unlike Naruto, she'd never understood that Sasuke was fully aware of how attached to his team he'd become. it was for that reason he'd left them to begin with. he needed the pain it would cause, to become stronger, to develop the Mangekyou (and now, he can imagine how he got it, if he did, and it makes his stomach clench unpleasantly).
Sasuke's eyes stay on her face, heavy as a weight, intense as the stare of a hawk. it's impossible to tell what he might be thinking, his expression is so carefully contained (but even then, it isn't always purposeful— habit, grown out of defensiveness, to preserve some small part of himself). ]
I understand why he did the things he did.
[ he says instead, finally, low and heavy; because this is important, too, and he needs to see how she will react.
they want to dual wield— and that comes with trust. ]
no subject
but it doesn't make it any easier to listen to.
the way she explains herself is sensible. Sasuke can comprehend why she thinks the way she does, but unlike Naruto, she'd never understood that Sasuke was fully aware of how attached to his team he'd become. it was for that reason he'd left them to begin with. he needed the pain it would cause, to become stronger, to develop the Mangekyou (and now, he can imagine how he got it, if he did, and it makes his stomach clench unpleasantly).
Sasuke's eyes stay on her face, heavy as a weight, intense as the stare of a hawk. it's impossible to tell what he might be thinking, his expression is so carefully contained (but even then, it isn't always purposeful— habit, grown out of defensiveness, to preserve some small part of himself). ]
I understand why he did the things he did.
[ he says instead, finally, low and heavy; because this is important, too, and he needs to see how she will react.
they want to dual wield— and that comes with trust. ]
I betrayed you because I cared for you.