Rococo
SasukexHinataxItachi
Alternate Universe
Sasuke, a closet weirdo. Hinata, an introverted geek with a penchant for sewing. They've never even spoken to each other at school, so when he spotted her walking down the street in a rather frilly, puffy black dress and holding an umbrella with many adornments, a strange 'clicking' sound echoed- and it wasn't the sound of her heels on the slick pavement.
Chapter One:
He was Uchiha Sasuke. There were few words that could be spoken for a young man with not much dimension to his own personality. If anything, anyone in his entire school would simply cough up a few synonyms for cold, quiet, and handsome and they would have the complete handbook to his character. While others proved them wrong time and time again about their quirks, Sasuke remained adamant on staying true to the few words that embodied him. Besides, why fix it when it wasn't broken in the first place? Although many have claimed it to be, the important was that he found peace with himself.
Oddly enough, that peace settled in the muck of his utter hatred for an elder brother who insists on surpassing him in anything that they ever experienced. Whether it be in martial arts, where Itachi had roundhouse-kicked him into victory. Whether it be in video games, where Itachi's over-customized ferari beat his with just an inch across the finish line. Whether it be in something simple as outward appearance, where Itachi's long hair gleamed and the fitted clothing showed off every drool-worthy muscle he offered to show.
But most importantly, Itachi always had the upper hand with their father. And at the end of it all, he would be the one inheriting their rich company that supplied the Uchiha family with a "modest" estate and a "fair" amount of money.
So, there were reasons for a cold, quiet, and handsome Uchiha Sasuke. Being in the constant shadow of his elder brother can do that to anyone.
Even so, he wouldn't have it any other way.
"The newspaper keeps talking about how your father is claiming bankruptcy."
Sasuke glanced over to meet a pair of sparkling blue eyes. He silently observed the young man he kept refusing to call "best friend" despite the fact that he was the only person he talked to.
Without as much of a complaint or insult, he naturally continued on with his statement. "Uchiha Fugaku, a man of few words with a devoted family of a wife and two sons, only gave a stern look when confronted with the questions on how he conducted his business." He spoke with such an air of intelligence, Naruto must have reiterated what he read in the papers this morning. Wait. There's a question that is begged to be answered: What made him read the newspaper in the first place? And as if the power of being best friends couldn't be ignored, Naruto moved onto his explanation without a disgruntled look from his companion, "Sakura-chan was supposed to be in the papers today. Did you hear? She won a local beauty pageant of some sorts."
Sasuke easily ignored the part concerning Sakura and considered the story about his father. His father wasn't one to show things so bluntly as Naruto did. In fact, it felt as if they didn't have one at all. Sasuke would meander carelessly next to his parent's quarters just to find out anything important, but the stillness of their home only served to call him an idiot. Who would sneak around the hallway occasionally putting ears against a room which held no one in it?
Itachi had even called him out one day when he was skulking around in the vents. No one had questioned what the hell was going through that young boy's mind as he wrenched open the duct covers and say hello to all the cobwebs that were accumulated over the years. All that mattered to Fugaku was the fact that Sasuke was closing in on their room where he and his wife had been having some alone time. Coincidentally, this occurrence started the thoughts in Itachi of Sasuke's strange behavior. Fugaku hadn't the care to notice because he was, quite frankly, a non-existent being that always tended to his business. Only when the family gathered for a meeting to address concerns did his eyebrow quirk at the youngest son who kept mumbling quietly to himself.
"Sasuke."
He snapped out of his musings to glare at Naruto- and he was enjoying them, too. Although his musings completely disregarded the fact his father may be hiding bankruptcy, he had enjoyed it anyway.
"Is it true then?"
"Why?"
"I thought you'd be worried."
"What?"
"Well, I'm kinda worried... about..." you.
"Che. You wouldn't understand, so what does it matter to you?"
"... So I can laugh at how conceited you are for no reason! Now you won't have the money to back that damn face up!" Naruto automatically yelled. He was trying to be gracefully this morning, but the continued superiority complex had grated his last nerves. Funny, though. This is how it happened every morning. Naruto would come up to Sasuke and say something, Sasuke would acknowledge but say nothing, Naruto would then subconsciously say something to push his buttons, Sasuke would snap, and then Naruto came afterwards. Now, considering this form of interaction that happened every morning right before class, how were they best friends again?
Sasuke immediately jerked his head away from the face that steadily grew angered. "It's our business and you would only muddle it. Especially with that loud mouth you have so much pride in."
"I could say the same for you, bastard!"
Before any of the two could engage in another argument full of cursing, a feminine hand pounded on the picnic table that all three would always meet up.
"Fighting even before I get here you two!" Sakura shouted and caused one of them to jump and sputter.
"Sa-Sakura-chan!" A sing-song voice full of glee and longing.
"..." An all too predictable response from an irritated back-up plan.
"And here I was expecting a nice shout of congratulations," Sakura sighed as she took a comfortable seat against a brooding young man. He twitched at how she deftly snuggled against his arm and regarded him with a lustful visage. "Right, Sasuke-kun?" In the background of this terribly wondrous moment, Naruto kept garbling and blubbering in jealousy.
"Over what?" Came the two words that crumbled her ecstasy into pieces. Her jaw slacked as he nudged her off and turned his back on her.
"But, but-"
"I think that the award rightly goes to you, Sakura-chan!"
"Who asked you?" Sakura snapped; she carelessly dropped her head onto the table and stretched out across the cold surface. "I was hoping that would impress you," she muttered. She had worked up the courage to finally present herself to a crowd of hungry spectators in order to measure her beauty factor... just for him. And what does he do? He turns a blind eye to every accomplishment that she achieved just so she can stand equally by his side as girlfriend. It was a pity though. She was blind as well.
"At least I give a damn! Not much can be said for this guy over here," Naruto gruffly replied and gestured over to the figure who suddenly bristled. "Only caring about himself. I mean, who cares if the company is going bankrupt?!"
Oh, he sure was going to hell for that.
"What?" Sakura quickly responded; her doom and gloom mood quickly passed as anything concerning her current interest actually popped out of Naruto's mouth. Her attention immediately shifted to the subject, especially when Naruto was currently incapacitated to continue even further. Sasuke was to be thanked for it because he had swiftly landed a punch on Naruto's thick noggin as soon as the words came out of that loud mouth. "Sasuke-kun!?"
"It's nothing," he answered, composure still in tact. However, Sakura noticed a slight trill in his voice.
"Are you sure? I mean, it's a serious thing that you need to talk about!" Sakura grabbed his shoulder; and without noticing, she was jumping in on the opportunity to appear benevolent and loving over a distressing situation. "I'm here for you, Sasuke-kun!"
"Nothing meaning he's a damn liar," he growled. Shoving his her arm away, he walked away from the two. "And... get over yourself," he added as an afterthought and headed to the direction of the gates. He left a grumbling Naruto and a shaken Sakura in his wake.
He was Uchiha Sasuke. There were few words that could be spoken for a young man with not much dimension to his own personality. That was the case because not one individual made it to the position of friend in his life. The exception on goes for Naruto, but even that was best friend with quotations sandwiching it at all times. If any acute observer (or stalker) would have paid more attention, they could write a whole novel about him. The plot would be beautifully depressing: A genius shadowed by another; the major factor setting genius from genius is time of birth. Throughout the years of a parent's absent strictness, the young genius still stifled by an elder one grows lackadaisical and uninspired.
Was that all to the plot?
Sasuke had to admit it was pretty boring. He also had to admit he was sitting at the computer one day thinking about possible plot-lines that could neatly describe the overlooked hero he was, which could only go so far when considering his dull life. Sasuke had even gone so far to even think about a beginning in his head... but where was the middle and the ending? This was turning out to be tragic story.
So when he was done thinking about his goals and leafing through all the academic textbooks in the house, Sasuke had grabbed a crate full of tomatoes and started drawing angry faces on it. Because of his love for the strange vegetable, they had stocked the refrigerator with the for the balls of red just so he would continue to study diligently. It didn't matter whether he drew on it or not. Besides, it wasn't particularly horrible tasting with marker doodles glaring into his mouth.
It was a pathetic scene, though.
Right after he threw a temper tantrum with Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke went straight home. Skipping school was a good idea at the time; but when he was left sitting on the floor of his room drawing on tomatoes, the idea could very well be thrown out the window. He could have been productive at school. Could have. He could have been productive passing out food to his fellow student just so he could avoid senseless fangirls rubbing up on him. Otherwise, everything they were teaching reached a moot point. Sasuke already knew them, so why would he waste time sitting in a classroom?
But here he was, drawing on tomatoes and occasionally munching on them. They also held an odd resemblance to Itachi. And if it would start making the scene look even more pathetic, he carried the crate of angry tomatoes to his brother's room and lunged it right at his door. The oozing mass of red slid from the door and created a mess on the carpet: satisfaction.
After eating the remaining tomatoes (some actually had smilies), Sasuke sat himself on the bed and took out various voodoo dolls and started tinkering with it. This was a research project. Really. They were. Whatever Itachi hadn't done or thought up of, Sasuke made sure that he researched it and experiment. Voodoo dolls just held his fascination hostage.
And after he was done trying to inflict imaginary damage to Naruto and Itachi, Sasuke lazily ambled into the kitchen to take some pills for his anemia only to start trying to eat them with chopsticks. Struggle was described for the first few minutes of his time, but after finally popping one in his mouth another surge of satisfaction surged throughout his mind. Fugaku would certainly be proud of his chopstick wielding son.
Where Itachi had achieved in all things important, Sasuke achieved in all things pointless.
So, it was obvious Uchiha Sasuke was suffering from lethargy and no road in life; his brother has taken that all from him anyway.
He would like to have it some other way, but at the moment, there was no muse to spark any interest in anything. Sure, random comics here and there made it to his list of reading. Gore and macabre were certainly mind-numbing in a good way. Sports was something he was fairly good at. Math is pleasingly easy.
But... above all those, he wanted to be the heir to his father's company (which is NOT going bankrupt.)
She was Hyuuga Hinata. Several things can be said about her: pleasant, sweet, shy, and cute. But moreover, she was hard-working and was able to get the job done. If there was anyone to befriend first, Hinata would surely be the perfect person to seek out. Being polite was her main objective, and it's no surprise that she would ever fail in that promise. However, her father hadn't taken much liking to such a character. He needn't someone strong, someone outgoing, someone who would put a foot forward to make their objectives known. Not a measly young woman with a promise to give out candy to any child crying within a three feet- that was too much even for her.
Such utter disappointment was created to the lamentable fact that she was born into it. She was also a heiress to a large company that the father wanted the first child to inherit. He was now wanting to drop that senseless tradition ever since Hinata had come home from high school with a puffy face. Oh no, the boys were teasing her again. Her father had reprimanded her on showing that certain weakness during that moment of fragility. He had repeated long-winded lecture that she was to become company lead and would have to toughen up to stupid high school children. After all, there were tougher men out there. It was also unfortunate to have a younger sister consistently praised for punching a boy in the face for throwing her doll into a pond.
There was a reason for the shy and timid Hyuuga Hinata. Being admonished by her father constantly and an over-powering younger sister would do that to anyone.
If her personality were overlooked, she would have been praised for consistently topping the school ranks along side Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru, and Uchiha Sasuke.
It was one of her resolves then: change that outlook. Maybe even doing it another way...
"I-It's called ca-catharsis," she managed to speak. Through all the suffocating stares the teacher and students were giving her, it was a wonder that she even managed to speak moderately loud. "It's the release of tension when thoughts or memories m-move into someone's conscious mind."
The teacher gave her an approving look. "Good enough, Hyuuga."
She exhaled almost as loudly as her explanation, which caused a few of her classmates to giggle in response. Hinata had recoiled in her seat in response and flushed a deep red.
"Uzumaki, care to measure up to their intelligence," the teacher then directed her strict question at the blonde who was slowly drifting into a deep sleep. He snapped to as a response and almost grumbled until he saw heated eyes glaring into his own.
Hinata couldn't hear what came out of his mouth because of the students erupting into laughter, but she knew it was to be something admirable. Neji had one day questioned her on how vulgarity could be admirable, but the question was left open as she started to wonder that herself.
"Hinata-chan."
She was nudged in the back.
"Hinata-chan, did you hear?" Another rough nudge. Sakura was obviously taking the opportunity of the loud ruckus to discuss a certain Uchiha. No matter what Hinata said to change her mind-set, Sakura kept thinking that since they were the two people high up in social class, they must know a thing or two about each other.
"H-Hear what, Sakura-san?"
"About the Uchiha bankruptcy, of course."
Hinata blanched.
Her father hadn't taken the care to tell her about it at all. But that was okay, considering the fact that she was too "misinformed" to understand the logics to business. Hiashi had taken up Hanabi on his lap instead and started describing the wonderful mechanics of business while Hinata served them tea.
"I'm afraid... I don't know about that," she said. Nor did it really matter to her.
"Your father should have mentioned something. If anything, you guys are head rivals to the company Sasuke's father manages."
"I'm not really in a position to know..."
"Aren't you going to be the head one day?"
Hinata chose not to answer and opted to speak about something more comfortable. "Well, it hasn't yet, I-I think. I mean, maybe the newspapers are hinting at it," she feebly mumbled.
Sakura gave a cluck of impatience. "I really need to know. I mean, Sasuke-kun could be suffering all alone."
Pale eyes glanced over to the empty seat on the far right of her. That's where Sasuke sits right? Maybe Sakura could be right.
"I'm sure e-everything is all right," she offered.
However, she still looked impatient. It wasn't so much of complete worry but the fact that she could be the one pouncing on him during his fears. Like a romance novel, he would realize how much she's been there for her and suddenly start making out with her like mad. A shiver reverberated in her spine. A scary thought, indeed. And for a moment, she even felt sorry for the young man who always liked to ignore everyone.
"Haruno!"
Hinata heard a startle gasp from behind.
"I'm sure you can tell me about the cerebellum," she unintentionally spat. Reviewing vocabulary words with Uzumaki certainly took a toll on her nerves.
"Yes. Well it's the part of the brain that controls balance-"
And for the rest of the class, Hinata easily slipped away into a daydream about what she was going to do when she got home. It was stress relief. It was complete elation. Her dreams involved nicely sewn petticoats and bright colors and even dark colors. The best part: no one close to her knew.
Unfortunately, the harsh ringing signaled the end of her reverie. Back to facing people again. Not that was horrible, but she was never really comfortable in their presence. Especially the teacher who made it a point to discuss business with her at the end of the day. A groan sounded in her head when the others dispersed but the teacher headed straight to her desk. It wasn't that she didn't like her; the subject of their talks never failed to make her feel horrible at the end.
"Hyuuga."
"Y-Yes!" She almost sputtered. Hinata bowed down on instinct.
"What's this I hear on the papers?"
That again.
"I-I'm sorry, ma'am," she quickly said, getting to the point, "I have do not know what's going on."
Kurenai thoughtfully regarded her. "So I guess you've been hearing about it lately?"
"Yes. A-A lot."
"I was thinking that it would be a lot of trouble of Uchiha. Especially that older brother of his."
"I don't believe it would be the case..."
"The Uchiha family has always been hush-hush about humiliating matters. It's a good possibility."
Why do they always talk to her about someone she has never even said hello to?
"Well, y-yes..."
"Strange, huh? I bet the elder son has something to do with it."
"Wh-Who?"
Kurenai gave her a confused look. "Uchiha Itachi. You should know about these things."
An unconscious stab to her heart, but deserved nonetheless.
"I-I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. But you should really focus on these things," she said. Before briskly walking off with her bag of school papers, Kurenai gave her a gentle squeeze on the arm. "You've been working hard, at least."
At least.
"Yes," Hinata strained and bowed her head.
"And if your father is interested, he should take a good look at Uchiha Itachi, if you know what I mean," Kurenai called before Hinata shuffled out the room with a flustered appearance.
She was Hyuuga Hinata. Several things can be said about her, but feverishly reading comics of any kind and sewing together absolutely detailed dresses wouldn't be named among them. It was a past-time turned life style, especially when her father demanded that she be kept in the house in order to study more and more. Locked in her room, he wouldn't know that she would have several comic books piled high as mountains or elaborate dress patterns and designs strewn about. And as polite and sweet as she was, there were even questionable dress choices and comics secretly shoved into her expansive closet.
With the very little friends she had at school, even they didn't know that she engaged in such wondrous activities as dressing up like a doll or researching the victorian period. Gothic lolita, sweet lolita, classic... everything was wonderful to her and she made sure to preserve her secret hobbies... well, a secret.
Not only did she dress up herself, Hinata had a nice collection of eerily gorgeous dolls perched up on her wardrobe; every two weeks they would have a different dress concerning the mood that she clothed them in. The dolls presence were detected, though. A wily young sister burst through her doors one day when she was putting on their attire; Hinata had to run all over the house chasing after the young girl who flailed the thing every which way. In the end, it was discarded when Hiashi received a nice bruise on his head from the doll's landing. Luckily, that doll was easily recovered from the mass of stinking food that rotted in the garbage can.
And even more fortunate, Hyuuga Hiashi didn't go further into why there had been a doll in his seventeen year old daughter's possesion. If he were to see everything, he would blow off his top and make sure that everything was shoved into the dumpster. But Hinata didn't mind, as long as he thought she was studying mathematics and reading up on psychology, there was no problem at all.
So, right after she had gotten home from school, Hinata stealthily avoided her father, climbed up the winding stairs to her bedroom, and prepared for a pleasant afternoon "having a study session with her classmates." Of course, that translates into going to a nice little group of enthusiastic individuals and sharing ideas on the next dress that should be worn.
After an hour or so of scrounging the room for her materials, Hinata was out the door with an oddly large duffel. Neji had approached her on the way out though, and handed her the umbrella that she was so keen on bringing out everyday. For him to do that means Neji knew; but that wasn't the case. After a year or so bringing out the umbrella even on raining days, Neji grew accustomed to the fact that he would be the one to somehow find it and bring it to her. 'Secret spot my ass,' he had thought one day when he asked her about the odd places she placed it in. 'Skin problem my ass,' he had thought on another day when he asked her why she kept bringing the damn thing around.
When he asked on another where she has been going, he left it at "she doesn't want to tell me," when Hinata said something about studying with Inuzuka Kiba, the kid grouped in with Uzumaki Naruto's intelligence.
Walking closer to "the place she was going to study with Kiba", Hinata quickly stole into the nearest bathroom. After thirty minutes of trying to get on the outfit as fast as she could, Hinata appeared at the doorway wearing a puffy black dress; frills and intricate buttons adorned the outlandish thing. Because of her current appearance, she peered around the buildings to spot anyone she knew; the coast was clear.
At least, that's what she thinks. When you don't know people, you easily forget someone that could be the closest thing home.
As she walked down the street to the shop that was only a block away, a boy with black hair was stumbling down the street carrying bags filled with something round and red. When he spotted the "thing" walking down the road, Sasuke almost dropped his bags.
'What was that?'
Here he was wearing a simple black t-shirt and cargo pants... and she was adorned decked out in frilly, girly things that even he couldn't name.
But...
It was still oddly appealing in one way he couldn't pinpoint.
His feet shifted in her direction. Between the two, her clacking of the heels and his crinkling of the bags were the most sounds that they ever gave each other.
They didn't mind.
They didn't even know each other.
He kept following her even so.
Why?
Maybe he could make fun of her.
I mean really.
What the hell was she wearing?
But then again... it wasn't anything like he had seen before.
No, maybe he should scare her away, just in case if she was a fangirl. If he were to make fun of her passion, then maybe she would stay away from him.
But then again... she looked very nice in the clothing he hadn't encountered in his life, despite the fact that he passed by the store on his way home every day. He just didn't cared enough.
'Weird girl. There are more of them I bet so it's better to just... ignore them,' Sasuke concluded. So, why wasn't he walking away from said weird girl?
"Hey," he suddenly called out on impulse. Sasuke would've slapped a hand on his face for initiating a conversation, but showing the slightest mistake could prove dangerous in a situation as abnormal as this. He didn't have time to say another word when the girl had stared at him wide-eyed and fearful. Her pale face started flushing too many different shades at one time.
'Uchiha Sasuke,' her voice cried out. Run! Run!
But she didn't. That would ruin her dress. Hinata then merely disregarded him and popped out the umbrella. He had taken a step back, managing to avoid the tip of it slashing into his chest.
"What's wrong with you?" he hissed. It wasn't something that was supposed to be heard, but Hinata clearly made out each syllable anyway. At that, she simply started walking away with tears almost threatening to fall from her face. She had been spotted by a someone at school, and of all the people, it was Uchiha Sasuke. The young man who had direct but venomous relations to her father and company. Or simply, the mean one. She cursed the small club for requiring strict rules on dress etiquette: proudly walk around showing off your creation to others, the minute you walk in would be your minute of glory.
'Weird girl.'
He almost got punctured by the damn thing and she was just going to walk away as if it never happened? That hurt his pride, and if anyone knew Uchiha Sasuke, he was hell-bent on making his pride full and intact.
"That's right. Only people who wore those things would do that!" He called out, challenging her. "That's the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life."
Which was the direct opposite of what he was thinking. So when he saw the girl trembling quite vividly, he almost regretted his choice of words; because as soon as he almost regretted it, she weakly kicked him in the shins- emphasis on weakly. Even though they were leather and thick, he leg wasn't strong enough to even lift the thing around. So what in the world was she doing wearing it? And was that the first time a girl kicked him? His questions were confirmed when she tried to kick him again; Hinata also noticed that she wasn't strong enough to bruise him. So when she tried to kick him again, her bad balance caused her to knock the bags out of his hand.
Tomatoes with odd scribbling rolled to the ground. Were those smiling faces?
So, everything unfolded.
Their quirks and interesting hobbies (although the tomatoes weren't a hobby as Sasuke would try to disprove later) were revealed people who didn't even know each other.
A timid young woman easily labeled a geek with a penchant for sewing.
A closet weirdo who drew faces on his favorite food.