... it was definitely Sasuke's imagination. As far as he was aware, the only things that brought smiles to his father's face usually involved fire in large concentrations, and even then only very rarely. Sasuke could probably count on one hand the number of warm expressions he'd seen on Fugaku's face that weren't brought out by Mikoto.

At least his choice of conversation change seemed to have worked out, Sasuke glancing back out the shop window at the rain, now less a proper storm than a drizzle. An abject drizzle, but a sign at least that the weather was letting up. As for digging a bed for the bulbs, that definitely sounded like a project his mother wanted done more than anything else.

Sasuke had been away from home far more often than usual this past season, which was normal for a ninja at his age but also meant he had something akin to second-son guilt when he thought about the seasonal traditions that had once been his job to help his mother with. Before he'd properly thought about it, he'd offered: "I'm in town for the next few days. I can help Mother with that."