Day 7 Prompt: "Noticing subtleties" and "Tying ties"

How Sasuke ended up here, he's not really sure.

He's standing in front of a mirror with his tie loose around his neck, frowning at himself.

Behind him, Hinata.

Yes, it's been a strange turn of events.

What went from an awkward hand clash to getting drinks to having lunch together every day…has turned into Sasuke asking her to be his date.

There was no way around it. It was a date. To his brother's wedding. He's asked Hinata Hyūga to join him as his plus one to his own brother's wedding, and it's a date.

And now, Sasuke stands in front of the mirror, clueless in the worst way about how to tie his own damn tie.

It's not something he'd like to admit aloud, not because he's ashamed necessarily, just that he doesn't think it's anyone's business, but he wears clip-on ties to work. Because, honestly, who has time to do that shit every morning when you can just clip it on? Why bother? It's like learning cursive just so you can sign your name once every couple of months. A waste of time.

Luckily, Hinata, with a teasing smile, comes to his front and turns her back to the mirror, and faces him. He stares at her back in the mirror, tracing the lines of her neck and shoulders as she takes the tie into her hands. How comfortable they've become.

"You bothered to learn how to tie these things?" He glances down to watch her fingers seamlessly work the tie around itself. "I always thought it was a waste of time."

"I'm rich, remember?"

It's a teasing question and actually forces breath out of Sasuke as sudden laughter bubbles out of him, a little wheeze. He smiles, feeling better already. "Right. Rich girls need to know how to tie ties, right?"

"I did," she says, softly, looping the fabric between her fingers. He looks up at her face, a little frown.

"Didn't want to?"

"Does anyone?" she giggles, quietly, tugging it down in its final knots. She looks up at him with that nice smile, tilting her head. "I mean, does anyone really want to have to learn to tie ties?"

"I guess not."

She steps away from him, already looking…well, stunningly.

Yeah, Sasuke's adult enough to recognize the attraction flowing through him. Hinata's cute…or, well, she's cute, but she's also…she's pretty. He doesn't know how to define what makes those different, but they are. She's easy on the eyes and he finds himself wanting to look at her too often, especially tonight. She knows the rules on weddings: never look better than the bride. But she still dresses in a nice, lavender gown. One that falls off her shoulders to reveal her whole neckline, but doesn't reveal her chest. It pulls in at her waist, then goes straight at the bottom. She's even wearing what Sasuke recognizes as 'kitten heels', a term he learned from maybe Naruto.

Her hair is down, but the front ends frame her face while the rest of the front is pulled into a clip. She has light makeup on and she looks like she's glowing. It's not often he sees her done up like this, but there is not one shred of argument in his brain for it. She's nice to look at and look at her he does.

"Ready?"

He tears his eyes from her hands, which were pulling on each other's fingers, to her face as she gives him a nervous smile. He nods, quickly, grabbing his jacket to pull over his shoulders.

At this point, he's sort of picked up on the best ways to put Hinata at ease. It's not something he did intentionally, just sort of learned here and there by being around her often enough as people do. He compliments her hair in a non-overbearing way, tells her they still have over half an hour before they need to be in position for their roles (her just a guest in the seats, him a groomsman), and goes over the procedure with her for the 5th time. Something about the repetition actually brings Sasuke some calm, and he finds he really doesn't mind going into these details with her.

When they get to the main hall where they're to split up, she where the guests are and she'll know no one, and he with Itachi's entourage, he stops her before she can run off.

"You'll be okay?" he asks, earnestly, already knowing that this is pretty difficult for her. She won't say it outright – they haven't gotten close enough for that, yet, and he's not upset by it. He can just tell that unfamiliar scenarios with lots of people are a sore area for her.

She stops, her lips twisting as she reaches up to mess with her hair, but quickly pulls the hand back to resist the urge. She nods, quickly, a strained smile.

"Just uh…look at me when I'm up there." He's not sure what compels him to say it but her eyes grow a little and her lips uptick, a clear sign of a little confidence. She looks happy with the offer and nods again. It makes him kinda happy, too. "So, I know there's one not-lame face out there."

"Not-lame," she says with a little giggle behind it, looking more relaxed. He nods, still smiling a bit before she nods back and gives him that awkward wave that he returns just as awkwardly. Small, not quite back and forth, just unsure as it always is.

Sasuke sighs as he turns to the room he's to meet Itachi and others. Sucks in a breath and goes forward.

The ceremony goes through as smoothly as one can expect these things to go. He's irritated to have to interact with Kiba, but successfully shields himself for the most part behind Shisui's extroverted personality. He easily keeps from the conversation as they get ready, until they line up and Sasuke goes through the misery of a wedding ceremony. They're never fun for anyone outside of the bride, groom, and their parents, and they always go terribly slow. But he takes comfort in glancing at Hinata, who is sitting next to Izuna and always looking at him when he turns. It makes good things inside of him expand. What those are, he's not sure, but it's welcome.

After all is said and done and the whole party is ushered to the reception hall, he fends off attempts to grab his attention and finds Hinata within moments. Right when he touches her elbow, she whirls around, her anxious expression softening to relief.

"Thank god you're here."

Sasuke sucks in a breath, knowing he shouldn't take that too seriously. But, there is a part of him that is a little prideful that she feels so comfortable with him, to be so relieved to see him.

"You were okay," he says, not a question, just a statement. Her mouth opens for a moment before closing into a smile and she nods, pushing hair behind her ear. He holds out a hand for her, unsure of whether this is appropriate or not, but decides it's a 'special' day so he can be a little bolder. He's surprised when she immediately slides hers into it, as if on instinct, to be led around. "Er—come with me."

"Okay."

Her trust in him gives him a little confidence boost, and he takes her to the table meant for the groom's closest family. It's where he, his mother and father, and Shisui seat themselves at. Suddenly, he realizes something he should have thought about earlier—

"Oh my goodness!" He hears his mother exclaim, bubbly and over the moon as it is, standing to greet Hinata, who actually manages to keep her composure. "Is this the lovely Hinata my son has as a date?"

Sasuke wants to groan, but Hinata does some sort of 180 on him. She pulls her hand from his and willingly accepts his mother's embrace, beaming as she does it. "You must be the infamous Mrs. Mikoto Uchiha."

"Oh!" His mother gasps with mirth in her voice, squeezing Hinata into a hug. Sasuke, taken aback, stands to the side, letting Hinata work whatever social magic she seems to keep packed away.

"And you must be Mr. Fugaku Uchiha?"

Sasuke blinks, knowing he's told her his parent's names before this, but still, she absorbs information better than he does. She naturally pulls from his mom to hold a hand out to his father, who regards it with a slightly suspicious eye, but soon turns to gratitude as he stands and pulls her into a hug, too.

"And what about ol' Shisui, huh?"

Sasuke's about to scold Shisui for being an idiot, but Hinata's on top of it. She circles his parents and immediately bows slightly to Shisui. "Of course, I could not forget, Shisui Uchiha."

Shisui throws his arms around her, chuckling and she returns the hug, as forced as it is. Sasuke glares right at Shisui, one that is meant to tell him to relax. Shisui smirks at him with a wink and lets Hinata go, who steps back.

"Uh—here." Sasuke beckons her by pulling out the chair next to him, freeing her from direct contact with his family. His mother gives him a knowing, yet approving look as he pushes her seat in for her. Just as he does, a clink is heard and the toast begins.

Sasuke didn't even have to make it clear to Itachi that he would not be doing a toast, Itachi was in full agreement when they discussed it. Hana's family was more than willing to do most of the toasts, and Shisui was happy to give a heartfelt one as the man of honor. Sasuke was relieved for it – if he had a choice, he'd just be one of the empty-headed guests in the seats rather than up on the stage. But tradition demanded he be up there with them, and so he did, like a good son and brother.

Everything proceeds as planned, to the great relief of most, because no one really likes it when weddings go bad, except maybe those that crave drama and chaos. Not Sasuke, he'd like this all to go smoothly so he doesn't have to play damage control if the situation called for it. Dinner service happens, conversation flows, and he's actually really impressed with Hinata's ability to carry a conversation with his curious mother and overbearing Shisui. She fields their questions with ease and does the back-and forth-effortlessly. Sasuke barely does much talking at all.

Then it's time for the signature bride and groom dance, and everyone turns in their seats to see the happy couple, including Sasuke. He's no longer that bratty 15-year-old that would find it amusing to be the only one not to turn around, sulk in the corner while his mom pleads for him to stop being a brat. He's grown up and, even if it's boring, turns to watch. Even decides to scoot his seat a little closer to Hinata's so they have a similar view. She glances up at him but he doesn't return it.

All the while, Sasuke downs wine. It's a way of numbing his way through this. He doesn't normally drink, just like when they were at the bar, but it's an open bar and they left several bottles of wine and champagne at each table. Even Sasuke can't deny that alcohol helps loosen him up. He finally feels relief when it becomes an open dancefloor and his mother drags his grumpy father out of his seat to the floor. Shisui gets up after taking a swig from a flask, slaps his hand on Sasuke's shoulder, then grabs an unassuming lady to dance with.

Now they're left alone. He wonders if she'd beckon him to get up to dance, but she simply leans back in her seat, sipping her wine. Without realizing it, he's gotten fairly tipsy himself. Casts his gaze at her while resting his cheek on his palm, admiring the way she fits in so flawlessly in a fancy soiree with her shoulders back, chin tilted up, holding her wine glass just below her lips, following everyone's movements. She looks like a piece of art for display, like one of those nice paintings of 'woman watching the world pass her by' sort of thing. But this was the Hyūga.

He blinks when she turns her head to him, curious. He knows he's got a sloppy grin on his face, but can't control it. She gives him one of those smiles that he's realizing makes him feel good. She leans forward a little bit, pointing ever so subtly out towards the crowd.

"Who is that?"

Sasuke sees her finger pointing at Obito, looking like a little taller and more athletic version of Shisui, and he responds, "Obito. A cousin."

"And her?"

Bobs his head over, tells her that's Rin. All just in time for a heavy hand to land on his shoulder, surprising both him and Hinata. He jerks his head up, glowering at the masked face above him.

"Hey kiddo," Kakashi's voice greets him, sounding a little more optimistic now as Sasuke straightens himself out. "I was just gonna check on you, but seems you have company already."

Hinata's social battery is getting low, he can tell by the way she takes a little longer to hop into action. She's about to get out of her seat before Kakashi waves her back down, shaking his head. She rubs her nose, smiling up at him. "It is nice to meet you, Mr…"

"Call me Kakashi," he offers, hand leaving Sasuke's shoulder to outstretch toward Hinata's. Sasuke sees the bandages on his fingers and rolls his eyes as Hinata takes the hand, shaking. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Hyūga."

"Hinata," she says with a smile, not questioning how he knows her name.

"Don't let me bother you two," he says, patting Sasuke on the head patronizingly. Sasuke grumbles something incoherent under his breath, leaning away from the offending hand. "Just glad to see you having fun, Sasuke. Good to meet you, Hinata."

"You, too, Kakashi." Hinata bows her head slightly as Kakashi gives them a peace sign and treks away. She looks at Sasuke who immediately begins sucking down wine. "That was…?"

"Obito and Rin's friend," he says airily after draining his glass, reaching over to pour another. He looks right at her with a serious expression, and says in a flat voice, "they write shoujo manga together."

Hinata blinks, a hand to her mouth.

"Romance comics."

She sputters, unladylike, and he smiles. It's kind of cute.