title: 7:31
prompt: SASUSAKU MONTH ON LJ! 2012
rating: T-M

summary: oo3: He took up a rebel life because he didn't want to be the "second-best" brother anymore. Sakura makes him realize that he doesn't have to punish himself because of it.

REVISED 6.30.14

.oo3.
Rebel

Itachi was always the good kid. He was the epitome of the perfect child that every parent wanted their kid to be. Polite, smart, and kind, he was the whole package.

Sasuke never lived up to his parents' standards with Itachi always being the best.

Whenever he did something wrong, his parents would punish him for it. And whenever he accomplished something that he was proud of, they would shun him.

"Why didn't you get a hundred? Where did that last point go? Itachi always gets a hundreds. Even more than a hundred." They looked at him with such impatience and disappointment that Sasuke just decided to give it all up.

"I don't want to fucking please anybody anymore," he said, kicking rocks as he took a much-needed venting stroll around the nearby park. "I don't want to be second best. No longer do I give a shit!" he kicked the rock so hard it flew up a few feet away, and then landed with a small thud.

He sat at the nearby pond, looking at his reflection from the still water. His usually combed and gelled hair was bothering him. He pushed his bangs out of his face and growled, punching the reflection.

Then, he went home, took a cutting knife from his mother's kitchen drawer, and cut his own hair the way that he—and not anybody else—wanted it.

The stray locks floated to the ground like black blades of grass.

.

six years later

.

"He's such a rebel," her friends whispered as they giggled, spotting him smoking under a tree. His uniform was out of place and worn casually, the tie loosened and his pants hanging low while his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He held the cigarette to his mouth, sucked in, and then blew out smoke.

"Right, Sakura?"

"Yeah."

Sakura was prim and proper. In essence, she was the embodiment of the female Itachi. She would have no business dealing with someone of that kind of nature, no matter what.

"His hair looks like a chicken's butt! Right, Mika? Look! It spikes up in the back!" They began to giggle even louder, pointing fingers at him.

"Guys, don't—you're going to attract atten—"

It was too late. Sasuke had seen the girls laughing at him. He crushed his cigarette in the grass and got up, dusting his pants off from grass stains.

He was walking towards them.

Oh my goodness, he was walking towards them.

Like a deer in headlights, the girls froze in place. Sakura couldn't even feel her feet. They were glued to the floor

"Hey," he said.

"H-Hi," her friend, Mika, responded. She shied away in fear, obviously frightened by the attractive 'gangster.' From his disheveled good looks to the ash on his shirt to the smell of "I've fucked hundreds of girls and you might be next," he gave off the feeling that he wasn't a very friendly guy.

"What's so funny?" he asked, moving a step closer to Sakura's friends. "I want to laugh, too."

"N-Nothing!"

"Something's got to be funny. Why else would you be pointing at me and laughing? Is it how I look? I look stupid, don't I? Just fucking say it. You've done enough already."

By now, Mika was cowering behind Sakura, almost in tears. Sakura had had enough.

"Dude, what is your problem?" she asked, stepping towards Sasuke. "Why are you acting like this?"

Sasuke spat on the grass and glared down at her. "Why don't you ask your friend what she thinks is hilarious, hn?"

"Can we just…" Sakura sighed. "Can we just let this whole thing past us? You go your own way, and we go our own way. And we never bother you again. Alright?"

"That's not good enough." He took Sakura by the wrist and drew her closer to him. "We can't just forget this whole thing. That's like letting a murderer scot-free."

"There is no parallel to that—"

"You're coming with me." He pushed Mika and her other friend aside. They both looked as if they were going to wet themselves, and quickly scampered away, not bothering to help their friend in need.

Sakura struggled in order to wrench free from his grasp. Finally, he let her go, and she massaged her wrist.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked angrily. "Do you just like to make a big deal out of things?"

He shrugged, obviously amused by her behavior. "No. But you seem to."

"How did I—"

He reached in his pocket and drew out a carton of cigarettes. Taking one, he found in his other pocket a lighter which he used to light the cigarette.

"Don't," she said, reaching out for the smoking stick. "It's bad for—ouch!"

She drew her hand back quickly, the cigarette hot on her skin. She had been burned.

"Shit, woman," Sasuke cursed, taking her hand. "Don't you know you shouldn't touch fire?" He examined the burn. "Let's get some ice."

"I don't want—"

"Bullshit. I know how much those things hurt, and you're probably in a lot of pain right now. I'll take you to the infirmary."

"I—" Sakura began. But she saw how serious he was, and shut her mouth. He led her to the nurse's office, where she sat on the bed and waited until the nurse came. Sasuke leaned against the doorframe until the nurse was at her side, and he said, "By the way, I'm Sasuke."

"Sakura," she responded softly, tenderly clutching her hand.

"Nice to meet you."

She scoffed. "No, you're not."

"Not what?" he asked. He stood straight up, demanding an explanation.

"You're not pleased to meet me. I just basically told you off less than ten minutes ago."

Sasuke was silent. "Whatever," he finally said. Old habits don't break hard.

The nurse finally came, holding a first aid kit. "Sorry about that!" she said. "I had to get more supplies and…Kami! What happened to your hand?"

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, trying to hide a smirk. "I'll leave her in your care then," he said to the nurse. He nodded to Sakura. "Take care."

"Thanks," she muttered.

As Sasuke was walking down the hallway, he exhaled deeply and sunk his hands into his pockets. He didn't know what to think of this Sakura girl.

But he sure as hell liked her a lot.

.

one week later

.

It had been a while since he'd seen Sakura. The nurse said she sent her to the hospital, because of "her delicate hands" or "thin skin" or something like that. Sasuke scoffed. He felt that Sakura was tougher than a simple cigarette burn. Especially when her stupidity was the reason for it.

Sakura.

For some reason, he couldn't get her out of his head. She didn't shy away from him like her friend did when he confronted her, nor was she attracted to him immediately like the other half. She was just…Sakura.

He sat under the tree again, this time without his carton of cigarettes. It had been a tough habit to break, but he was trying, even going as far as leaving his things at home. Instead, he popped a fresh piece of chewing gum in his mouth.

"…Hey."

He looked up to see Sakura, her hand bandaged.

"Hey."

"Can I sit down?"

"Sure."

She sat next to him, looking up at the falling leaves.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You already did," he smirked.

She slapped him playfully. "Don't be a smartass."

"Fine. Shoot."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, then stopped, thinking how to phrase it.

"Why do you act the way you do? The rebel life? Is it because of some family issues, or…?"

Sasuke froze. He didn't expect this kind of question.

Instead, he shrugged.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."

But he kind of did want to talk about it.

"My brother."

She looked at him. "So…it's the second best thing, right?"

She knew so much about him!

"Yeah."

"And your parents? Putting pressure on you by rating both of you?"

"…How do you know this?"

Sakura looked back up at the falling leaves. "I read. I think. I observe the world. I spend my time doing something good. Something that benefits myself and everyone else. I'm not blaming you for your past, but that doesn't mean you have to punish yourself with a rebellious lifestyle."

"So it's my fault I act like this?"

She looked at him in horror. "No! Of course not! But you can do so much with yourself if you try." She dusted herself off, making sure not to put too much pressure on her bandaged hand. "See you later, Sasuke."

If you try…

The words echoed tauntingly in his ear. He had made up his mind and would stick to his plan.

.

the next day

.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see—Sasuke?" Sakura stopped in her tracks to examine the new Sasuke in front of her. His uniform was pristine and clean, and fit him to a tee. No crumpled edges. A perfect, tight tie. And pants that weren't too baggy nor too tight.

"Hey." He smirked.

"W-What…what is…"

"You were right, Sakura. I'm not going to live in my brother's shadow. I'm not going to let my parents control my life. I'm going to be the best person I can be. For myself."

She smiled. "That's good." Then, she stepped forward and put her arms around him, letting go before he could hug her back. "I'm glad to hear that."

"Thanks."

"Well, I'll, uh…see you around?" she said, almost shyly.

"Yeah." He gave a half-smile. "See you. Hope your hand gets better."

"Thanks." She gave him a soft smile before walking past him. He turned to watch her leave, smirking.

I'll see you soon.

Then, he walked the opposite direction, feeling good about himself. He ran a hand through his newly styled hair.

Very soon.

Slight changes!