#paledsight

i.

It was that time of year where all the villagers would gather down the central road to send their wishes up to the gods. All the floating lanterns with their soft glows sprinkled in the night sky while the people beneath stared in awe. All the stands remained busy with business and chatter.

Sasuke, himself, didn't dress traditionally for the occasion. Instead favoring a more plain form of dress with a fitted black long sleeve and his usual black pants. He didn't own any form of wear that wasn't practical, given that they would often go years being unworn.

Tonight was a more special occasion than others. The only reason he found himself mingling was because he was invited by his childhood colleague, Hinata. He wasn't sure why she didn't favor literally anyone else, not even the likes of Ino or Sakura, but he wasn't going to question it either.

What good is it to be combative to casual company? The world isn't out to get you.

Sitting on the fountain, his hand idly fussed with a spare shuriken that he had kept on his person. Rolling the ring around his index finger until he saw his company arrive— wearing a beautiful kimono fitted with a fur scarf around her neck.

Shamelessly underdressed in comparison, he stood up to greet her, but his eyes immediately diverted away from hers to the glaring issue on her dress.

Wordlessly, he reached forward and grabbed the ends of her scarf, pulling it taut to the nape of her neck and smoothing it down over both of her shoulders. He pinched the edges to fluff it outwards and shape the piece to her kimono.

"Oh, sorry. It was bothering me."

ii.

It was a hot Summer day.

All the windows and doors of the Uchiha estate were open, allowing the wind to cycle the air within the dreary place. Well, would be dreary, had the estate not been lively with a guest.

Granted, it was only one guest, but it made for more life than the quiet man.

Unsure how to host people, he followed the steps of what he noticed people should do and that was to cook a dinner. It was insisted that they can dine out for the evening, but Sasuke had no desire to be out in the heat nor within a noisy crowd. Plus, it was good to use some of the food he had been preserving.

He had roasted some fish and prepared rice with a small cooling dessert on the side. All of these contents he placed neatly on a plate before walking over to the kotatsu where Hinata was sitting.

"It's hot," he said as he lowered it to the table himself, not letting her have the chance to reach and take it from him.