Look at Me (a sasuhina fanfic)

4. Little Changes

Sasuke Uchiha could be described as the devil himself. A powerful being in the form a man. He got restrictions from the past Hokage, Tsunade, to be given a second chance. He got a seal to suppress his strength, his visual prowess, his Chakra. When in truth, she couldn't suppress them at all. It was only a fraction of his power, he could still cast a genjutsu in the whole of Konohagakure and only those who have a strong sense of Chakra can only really feel it.

A chance. He couldn't believe it at first, but there it was. A chance for redemption. A chance for forgiveness. A chance for others to trust him again. A chance for a better turn of his life.

That's why he so willingly agreed to the 'restrictions' given to him. Even if he was pissed and annoyed, he let it be. Itachi would've been laughing at him for letting such an opportunity pass, and he also let Naruto know that he was thankful. But not in a way that fed his ego. He still enjoyed picking fights with him though.

This, however, was also a surprise. This young female that was tasked to him was the one thing he cringed at when he started his redemption arc. He was at first, flabbergasted.

Shy.
Stutters.
Small.
Too soft.
Too kind.
Too accepting of him.

Over the course of days that they have spent together, there are things that would clearly be obvious him now. Changes. Her changes. Looking around the house, Sasuke had a feeling of looking. Looking for something. For someone. Hn. He grunted disapprovingly at himself. It's not like he wanted her companionship, but it's also not like he hated it.

And somehow, he also couldn't suppress the thought of her in this house.

She used to stutter around him. Even when he was a good few feet away from her, she would stutter when he spoke to her. Now though, now she almost never stutters.

She was always red. Always having flushed cheeks when being looked at, being talked to. She still has those occasional flushes of red, when he would encounter her at the hall when she just got out of the bath, or when he suddenly goes near her while she's lost in thought. But most of the time she can now handle speaking to him without blushing profusely. There would be a tint of pink sometimes,  when his hands would sometimes brush against her skin or when she would get surprised at some of his statements and some topics, especially a certain blond fellow.

She hums now. He would catch a tune of it sometimes, softly, when she's cooking or reading a book at the porch or when she just gets out of the bath. He wasn't familiar with the tune. And he never really wanted to know what tune it was. She would hum with her lips slightly in a smile and her eyes looking down at whatever she was focused on. In a way he sought it to himself that when she would hum, then that would mean she wasn't nervous around him at that moment.

She would now sometimes start a conversation between them. It wasn't the forceful or awkward type of speaking to each other. Actually, it would just happen and it would seem okay, even for him.

She would ask him if he would like to go with her to the market. And though she probably knew that he was under housearrest, she took it upon herself to ask for the Hokage's permission if he would be allowed to have a stroll outside when accompanied by her. Surprisingly, he went with her a few times now. He would get looks from the people and whispers behind his back, but it he didn't really pay mind to it, nor his companion did.

She would sometimes ask him what specific dish he would like to eat at that time of the day. And she would go out of her way to make that specifically. And when Sasuke would tell her a dish that she heard for the first time, she would look at the recipe books that she have and try to make it. She would always ask him if it were to his liking. And what kind of taste he would like to that dish. And he would also sometimes give some comments here and there.

She's more used to the routine that he has and would move according to what he was doing. When he exercises, she would be at the bath. When he reads, she would be cooking up something. When he naps in his room at the afternoon she would clean the house from its dust. And when he's in the living room moping she would be there opposite to him while reading a book and occasionally asking him if he wanted something.

She's more open to him now. Whenever he asks a question she would always answer specifically and elaborate when asked to do so. She would tell whatever events happened in the town and with the others specifically his old teammates. She let's him invade her personal space at a respectful distance and would let him disturb what chore she was doing. She would let him bother her trail of thoughts.

She let's him rant and shout at her, without saying anything back. When he sometimes gets frustrated and throw and break things, she would just be quiet and listen to him scream out profanities at her even if she did no wrong. And she would always ask with if he ever needed anything specific to quell his anger. And she would fix and clean up whatever mess he made after his tantrums.

What patience. He thought to himself.
I wonder if she already confessed to Naruto. Knowing that it wasn't any of his business, he just shrugged it off.

"... Ha-san?"

He felt a light tap at his elbow. "Uchiha-san?"

"Hm?" And looked to the person who was calling his attention.

Round eyes that seem far too deep looking at his ebony eyes, asking for attention. Brows furrowed and worry etched in her features. "Are you okay? I said dinner will be early. I have somewhere to be later."

A date, perhaps? "Hn."

-----

Ebony eyes scanned the figure before him. Arms folded in front and his side leaning to the wall. A look of impassiveness plastered on his face.

Just bathed. Hair tied in a braid. Long sleeved dress with the skirt just ending below her knee. Heeled sandals. She looked okay. Well, she looked better than usual. Maybe it is a date.

"I'll be taking my leave then. Please do not wait for me. I will come back home before midnight." a smile evident on her face.

Is this your home now? He just gave a nod to her to let her be on her way.

Then there was it, the smile that's impossible to miss. She gave him that smile before turning around, opening the door and closing it behind her.

It may not look like it, but Sasuke had the face of annoyance once again.
Tsk. Go enjoy your date.

Maybe she did change. Maybe he did also. Just that he wasn't aware of it.

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Hi guys! Thank you for reading!
I'm sorry this might be a sort of boring chapter. Not much dialogs here and we'll I was aiming to skip some parts and sort of make the affection appear faster. I hope you don't mind it tho.
Thank you for understanding!