Fascination: Sequel

Fascination: Sequel: Part 19

There’s a bit of detail on kimono wear in this, but my knowledge is extremely limited – so I apologise if I made any massive errors, it can be difficult to know what information is accurate, and what would be appropriate here, so I’ve made as good of a guess as I can as to what a fairly traditional Japanese wedding would be like – but again: *basic* knowledge is not an understatement, so I have to ask you to bear with me! (Or feel free to message about any serious mistakes!) Thanks!

Sorry this took so long! I’d been pretty busy recently and I’d had a bit of eye surgery, so I couldn’t even look at a computer screen for quite a while! But alas! It returns! :3

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Fascination: Sequel

Part 19

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Kakashi hadn’t slept at all; he was worried and getting progressively more tired as the night went on which, in turn, made it harder to focus his thoughts and think logically so that he could calm down and find rest.  Every time he closed his eyes, it seemed that he could only imagine what it would be like to see but never touch her again – when was the last time he’d even kissed her? When they were still in Shimo, at least, damn it.

He headed over to Oriko’s for approximately ten-ish – he’d gotten up early and taken himself on a long walk, far too distracted to eat anything and he didn’t want to be taken in the same depressing circles of thought he’d been whilst at the KIA stone…though he didn’t have much luck avoiding them.  Still, he knew that the kuniochi generally rose early, but she could occasionally be unpredictable with such things and he didn’t want to turn up too early (tiredness can easily turn to anger), hence he’d procrastinated for a long time by even his standards.  As he knocked and waited patiently, he had to forcibly resist the urge to move or fidget slightly, as a means to rid himself of his frustration. 

Nothing.

He knocked again, twice, but there was still no answer – was she avoiding him? Nah, she wouldn’t do that-

“She’s with Shiori, getting dressed,” That voice was familiar, Kakashi turned to face Oriko’s long-time friend, Kiyoshi, wasn’t it?

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“Shiori and I are getting married today,” Kakashi apparently couldn’t keep the surprise off his face, “Heh, is it so odd? Well, I wanted Oriko – and you – to be there but its formal dress and apparently Oriko doesn’t own a kimono, so Shiori had her dresser bring a spare,” Kakashi nodded slowly, “And yes, I want you to attend too, in formal dress!” As much as Kakashi wished the other man well, he really wasn’t in the mood for such things – but Oriko? Was she so unconcerned?

Something must have shown on his face, “Look, I’m aware that you and Oriko have some things that you both need to sort out and this is probably the last thing you feel like doing right now…I’m sure that’s how Oriko’s feeling…but it’s my wedding day and it means so much to me for Oriko to be there – and you too, even if we never really made great friends,”

Kiyoshi scratched the back of his head in slight nervousness, “Oriko’s graciously not putting up a fuss and the ceremony’s only a little thing – although Tsunade insisted that the reception include most of the village’s population…you and she will have plenty of time to talk later, what’s important to me is that you’re there for the ceremony so if you need to, you can go off immediately after and talk it out,”

Kakashi paused, staring at Kiyoshi, unsure how to articulate his strange feeling – a combination of slight relief that Oriko too was aware of the gulf between them, thankfulness that Kiyoshi seemed to be so understanding – but also slight irritation that he’d have to wait so long to talk to her.