Warning: This story contains yaoi/slash/boyxboy. If this makes you uncomfortable, please click the "Back" button on your browser now.

Rating: M for language, sexuality, drug use, and self mutilation.

Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Naruto, sadly.

Heart of Glass

Chapter 1: Introductions and Admissions

The smoke curling from that delicate mouth was almost enough to make Gaara instantly despise the new transfer student. Not that he didn't often instantly despise people, but he typically allowed a brief period for them to prove themselves acceptable if they happened to capture his interest. And this boy, with his cold, stony demeanor that was only enhanced by a pair of near colorless eyes, definitely captured his interest.

It was for this reason that Gaara tilted his head ever so slightly to better hear Naruto's rambunctious gossip about the mysterious teen, whose presence in the school's courtyard had been the most exciting thing to happen since police ran all over the campus attempting to catch a runaway cow.

"–so yeah, apparently they sent him to rehab and he had to stay in a mental institution or something. Now he's living with his cousin, but she goes to that private school for like, insanely rich people. I guess his uncle didn't want to waste money on a lost cause." The blonde whispered enthusiastically to Kiba and Ino, whose faces were construed into such a state of awe and shock that one would think they had just discovered Santa Claus wasn't real.

Gaara, however, merely rolled his eyes. "Naruto, if he doesn't know anyone here, how did you find all of this out?"

"I heard Gran talking about it with a bunch of the teachers after school yesterday. I had to clean the bio lab, remember?"

Hmm. Seemed Naruto had a reliable source of information this time. But still.. it was difficult to process the concept of someone so inexplicably complex and interesting suddenly appearing in their dull and lifeless school.

Allowing his eyes to rove over the new student's form once more, Gaara watched as he flicked his cigarette to the ground and didn't bother to stomp it out, simply allowing the ash to build and collect on the pavement until the fire eventually died out. Gaara felt mesmerized by the sight until he felt an odd sensation pulling at his stomach, threatening to pull him forward by some sort of invisible string. Raising his gaze, Gaara fought the urge to recoil in surprise as he found the boy's pale eyes boring into his own. His heartbeat immediately quickened, yet he found that he couldn't look away. What the hell was happening? Gaara had never experienced this sort of reaction before – his palms suddenly felt as though they were being held over a white-hot flame, while his throat became a barren desert in desperate need of a quenching oasis.

Finally, as if breaking a spell, Naruto called his name and Gaara's head jerked quickly away. He stood, fisting his hands at his sides as he struggled to figure out what had just occurred. As Naruto threw an arm over his shoulders and began leading him into the building, Gaara chanced another look. And the boy, much to his displeasure, seemed to have been waiting for him to do so. As soon as Gaara's eyes met his for the second time, a deliberate smile overtook his lips.

Neji. Neji Hyuga.

That was his name. According to the soft spoken calculus teacher with the shriveled nose and mangy, ginger-colored hair, anyway. Gaara unconsciously held his pencil tighter in his hand as the elderly man began looking around the room for a place to seat the new arrival. Given that there were only a handful of kids in their school of 500-something students who bothered with taking the advanced placement course, there were a number of choices. The teacher seemed distraught by this and resorted to the words of wisdom that he had bestowed upon the class at the beginning of the year: "Well, just sit wherever you like."

And of course, he chose the only available seat next to the back wall of the classroom. The seat conveniently placed next to Gaara, who proceeded to snap his pencil in two as the brunette sat with perfect posture, perfect fingers raking through his ridiculous and impractically long hair. He leaned forward as the day's lesson began, something about two "very important" theorems, and eyed Gaara's splintered writing utensil with amusement. "Hey.. can I borrow a pencil?"

Scowl in place, Gaara turned, silently clapping himself on the back for having kept his composure upon being addressed by the undeniably attractive teen's deep whisper. Quite aware of the fragments of what had previously been a perfectly capable No. 2 pencil were still in his hand, and equally aware that Neji was clearly being an ass, Gaara pursed his lips before making up his mind. "No."

He didn't bother to see the Hyuga's smile widen. Instead, he shifted back in his seat, facing the front of the classroom once more. However, it seemed that the other boy was not so quick to relent.

"What's your name?"

Gaara bit the inside of his cheek to keep from turning his head. "Rumpelstiltskin."

"Well, I suppose that's fitting. You are rather dwarfish."

Scowl darkening, Gaara opted for silence and stealthily retracted his cell phone from his pocket, finding that he had a new text from Naruto.

Fr: Naruto

I heard the new guy is in ur class, wats he like?? besides dark, mistereus, and sexy, hahaha

8:46am Tue, November 4

Ignoring Naruto's annoying chat speak and blatant butchering of "mysterious," Gaara did not hesitate to hit reply. With his thumb moving at an almost blinding speed, the redhead swiftly typed: "He's an asshole. Level 5, category 3."

The two of them had made up a scoring system of the different varieties of pricks, assholes, jerks, and the like in the seventh grade. Level 5 was the worst kind, with category 3 being "overly egotistical and pompous."

Gaara never got caught using his cell phone because teachers didn't expect it from him. Why would someone so antisocial even carry a phone? On the contrary, however, Gaara couldn't live without the slim chunk of plastic. Texting allowed him to speak when he couldn't do so verbally, be it because he was uncomfortable or simply didn't feel like talking. And Gaara was certainly uncomfortable when Neji's breath was suddenly enveloping his ear.

"Isn't that against the rules or some shit?"

This time, Gaara did jump away. As far as the bar connecting the seat and desktop allowed him to, at least.

"What the hell?!" He ground out, pissed that he had already exceeded his word limit for the day. His face reddened with the outburst, the pink tinge contrasting his vibrant hair.

"We're supposed to partner up for the worksheet." Neji responded, teeth all too visible in his shameless grin. When Gaara's expression remained blank and confused, Neji picked up the worksheet that had not been on the smaller boy's desk a few minutes ago and waved it in front of his face. Snatching it away, Gaara glanced it over, feeling slight panic in that he hadn't been paying attention to the lesson. He breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that the sheet was just a review of derivatives and their rules.

"If you can't comprehend this by yourself, I doubt you should be taking this class," Gaara mumbled, scooting his desk a few inches away from the Hyuga's.

"But I'm just a poor transfer student," Neji insisted, closing the space that Gaara had created by moving his desk closer for the second time. "I'm still adjusting to my new environment, and I need your guidance." He batted his eyelashes for good measure, mouth closing into a frown. Gaara felt his eye uncharacteristically twitch at the sight. Relinquishing his desire to punch the other's too-pretty-for-his-own-good face, Gaara settled for a sigh and began answering the first question with the half of his pencil that had the sharpened end. Neji reached his hand out, smile already back in place. "Pencil?" He asked again. Returning the smirk, Gaara handed him the other half, unsharpened and with a half-dulled eraser.

He didn't pay attention as Neji stood, only lifting his head when he heard the classroom's mechanical pencil sharpener whirring loudly. Damnit! He had forgotten that he could simply sharpen it. Silently fuming, he found that his jaw was beginning to ache with his incessant scowling. As Neji returned to his seat and played with the mended pencil between his thumb and forefinger, he flashed Gaara another grin. "Hope you don't mess up."

"Interesting. Veeeeerrrry interesting," Naruto stated, nodding his head wisely as he accompanied Gaara to their French class.

"Shut up," Gaara muttered, recognizing Naruto's tone all too clearly as one that he didn't particularly feel inclined to hear.

Naruto wouldn't stand for this, of course. He ruffled the redhead's hair playfully, an act that would earn anyone else some quality time in an iron maiden. "You know he intrigues you," the blonde remarked, having emphasized his "smart" word of the day. Gaara glared at his friend's grin, which would perhaps permanently remind him of a certain brunette. However, he found that he couldn't disagree with the statement.

"And," Naruto continued, once assured that Gaara wouldn't attempt to falsify the claim. "You obviously intrigue him too." At the redhead's scoff, Naruto rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Gaara. Everyone saw him this morning – he didn't say anything to anyone, he glared at whoever looked at him, and he has yet to be seen with something other than a frown. Yet apparently, with you, he talks, jokes, and smiles. You can't ignore the signs."

"The signs?" Gaara questioned in disbelief. Naruto usually mocked Ino and Sakura to no end when they tried to decipher whatever "signals" and "signs" that they believed the object of their affection to be sending them.

"Yep," Naruto said confidently. "I've been reading some books about relationships and stuff. It'll be sure to help me get Sakura!"

Gaara raised a hand to his temple, massaging the area gently in hopes of appeasing the headache that always appeared whenever Naruto brought up the pink-haired girl. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

Naruto proceeded to pout as they made their way to their seats. Meanwhile, Gaara wondered why the hell he was so talkative today. Normally, he could go through entire days without even speaking a single word. His thoughts quickly drifted to Naruto's previous deduction about the mutual "intrigue" between himself and the Hyuga. Was it true; did Neji find him interesting? Gaara focused his eyes on the white board, but his mind was completely encompassed by these thoughts. Yes, he thought Neji was attractive. Everyone did, probably. But the guy was a bit of an asshole, based on the forty-five minutes they had shared in calculus. Then again...

He reflected on Naruto's words once more. He didn't say anything to anyone, he glared at whoever looked at him, and he has yet to be seen with something other than a frown. Yet apparently, with you, he talks, jokes, and smiles. Why was he different? Logically, it could mean that Neji was interested by him. Or... maybe, somehow, he hated him. It didn't really make sense, but Gaara couldn't fathom how Neji could possibly be attracted to someone like himself. Someone quiet, boring, and... alone. Gaara momentarily felt himself being drawn to the familiar voice of self-loathing. With one glance to the blonde in front of him, however, he hurriedly shook such thoughts from his mind. He wasn't alone; he had Naruto. He had Shikamaru too, and even Kiba when he wasn't being obnoxious.

Exhaling a frustrated sigh, Gaara absently rubbed the tattoo on his forehead. It wasn't like he knew how to deal with this sort of thing. The only person he had ever been... interested by before was Naruto. And after a couple of years, those feelings had diminished and settled into a brotherly bond. The two were hopelessly alike, yet vastly different. Gaara couldn't deny that Naruto was a thousand times stronger than him. He had loathed the blonde at first, jealous of his ability to befriend anyone who approached him and most of all, jealous of his smile that never seemed to waver. It wasn't until junior high that he discovered the darker side of Naruto. Now, he knew that his friend's smile wasn't always as genuine as it seemed. He could tell the difference between the real Naruto and the one he put up as a front when he was struggling with some form of mental torment. And similarly, Naruto could sense when something was bothering him. He had given Gaara a key to his apartment, promising that he could come whenever he needed to escape.

Naruto was the best friend Gaara could ask for, but he still couldn't help feeling alone at times. At times when he faced his parents' empty bedroom or his siblings' hateful glares. At times when he opened the topmost drawer of his bureau and stared at the shiny metal razors that had become so intimate with his skin. They tempted him, their gleam begging him to return for one last dance. Naruto had made it easier to ignore their call, but he couldn't dispose of them completely. He needed them there, just in case it became too much. Just in case he couldn't handle it, and Naruto somehow wasn't there. Sure, it was weak, but Gaara didn't give a fuck.

The bell signaling the end of class tore Gaara from his thoughts, a fact which he found he was quite thankful for. Naruto turned as he stood, his smile losing some of its strength at Gaara's morose expression. "Oi, are you okay?"

"Yeah.." Gaara muttered, realizing he hadn't even bothered to take out his books for class. "Just-" He paused, slinging on his backpack, then decided that he shouldn't bother Naruto with his silly worries. The sentence remained incomplete, idly hanging in the air as if someone had put his vocal chords on pause. Naruto lifted a brow, sapphire eyes seeking some sort of answer in Gaara's own pale orbs.

"Just what?"

"Nothing."

Naruto frowned, but didn't seem worried enough to pursue the topic. "Right. Well, see you at lunch. Hopefully I don't spill a shitload of formaldehyde again," He said, offering a wry grin. Gaara gave his signature snort and headed in the opposite direction toward physics, somehow feeling as though he wouldn't be getting much work accomplished today.

This time, he was already in the class. He, as in Neji. And as if things couldn't become worse (or more coincidental), Neji was seated at his lab table. Gaara almost wished that he believed in some kind of deity so that he could curse them for dealing him such a shitty hand.

"Oh, hello, Gaara," The teacher greeted. "I had Neji here fill in the empty seat. No more solo labs." Gaara glared at the man, Mr. Asuma Sarutobi, as he winked – as if this were positive information. The dark hair and scruffy beard that Gaara had once admired now disgusted him.

"Looks like we're lab partners," Neji stated as Gaara took his seat.

"What a brilliant observation. What next, are you going to point out that I have two eyes and a nose?" Gaara mentally kicked himself over his lame retort, but more importantly, the fact that he was responding at all. Why couldn't he just ignore the damn Hyuga? But, if he ignored him, that would make it rather difficult to learn if he was really an asshole or if this was some form of... Gaara paled. Where was his mind going, and why now? Was it really necessary that he be mentally debating whether or not Neji was.. flirting with him when said person was seated beside him?

"No. But I do like your tattoo."

Gaara's thoughts halted abruptly. It figures Neji would be the only person in the whole goddamn school who could recognize the kanji. Turning to face the brunette, Gaara finally took in his features for the first time. Neji had a low hairline, but it somehow seemed to suit him. His brows were as dark as his hair, the perfect frames for his opal, crescent-shaped eyes. A narrow nose interrupted the smooth expanse of unblemished white skin, while his lips were long and thin, the lower being only slightly more plump. Gaara could find no trace of stubble on his pointed chin, strong jaw, or enticingly long neck. Looking again into Neji's entrancing eyes, Gaara seemed satisfied that he had managed the examination with what he hoped was a stoic expression. Yes, Neji had some Asian features, but Gaara could tell that he was only half, at most. In any case, whatever genes he had were certainly working for him. From far away, Neji was a mysterious dark beauty, but he provoked even more curiosity when put under a microscope.

"I presume you can read it," Gaara stated slowly. Neji smiled, as if amused that it had taken so long for Gaara to come to such a conclusion.

"Yes. My father was Japanese."

Past tense. Was. Gaara swallowed thickly, unsure what to make of it. "Mine wasn't." Again, the comment was made after some deliberation. It was turning into some kind of give-and-take game; he felt obliged to share the same information. He watched Neji's reaction, noting how his eyes appeared to soften and his smiling mouth relaxed.

"I see," He said simply, and Gaara was thankful that he hadn't probed further. Delving into that would only make him retract into the emotionless shell that he felt most comfortable with. In an attempt to continue the conversation, Gaara bravely nodded and cleared his throat.

"Uh.. where did you move from?"

"Kumo. I was born in Konoha, though." By the look on Neji's face, he seemed very pleased with the fact that Gaara was warming up to him.

"I was born in Suna," Gaara replied, now looking at the lab table and doodling on it with his still-broken pencil. "I came here when I was six." He didn't know why he was sharing this information, or why it was coming out so easily. Most of the people in the school he hadn't ever spoken more than two words to, yet he was able to talk to Neji without feeling horribly strained or awkward.

"I left at the end of elementary school."

Frowning, Gaara paused in his ministrations of defacing school property and looked at Neji. "I would have known you." Oddly, his voice held an accusatory tone that he didn't quite like.

"Yes," Neji admitted, sighing. For once, his smile was gone. Gaara had a feeling that he hadn't expected this to come up. "I should have graduated two years ago." At Gaara's widened eyes, he corrected himself. "I skipped second grade, so it's more like one year. I'm only eighteen."

Gaara remained silent, mind racing. What could have caused Neji to miss two years of school? He thought back to that morning, a time which he had previously been ignoring. Neji couldn't really be some kind of ex-drug addict slash clinically insane person, could he? He seemed normal enough.. yet Naruto had taught him that he couldn't always judge a book by its cover. But still – Neji didn't seem like the druggie type at all.

"Oh," He finally breathed, not noticing the rapid relaxation of Neji's facial muscles or the unclenching of his hands. In all honesty, he wasn't sure what else to say. He had never been good at making friends, and the only reason he had more than one was because they were friends of Naruto's. The fact that someone other than the blonde was willing to put the effort into gaining his friendship was both flattering and frightening.

Neji nodded, now leaning back in his chair and watching as Mr. Sarutobi scribbled across the board. It wasn't until now that Gaara noticed Neji's complete lack of a backpack – in other words, no school supplies. Wondering if the brunette even cared about graduating, Gaara frowned as he extracted his notebook and began copying the various formulas and practice problems. When he was done, he took out his phone again and found that he had another two messages from the bubbling blue-eyed blonde.

Fr: Naruto

are you sure you're okay?

10:11am Tue, November 4

Gaara bit his lip. The fact that Naruto took the time to use proper grammar and spelling implied that he was truly worried. When he hit the reply key this time, it was with a little more resistance than before.

To: Naruto

I'm fine. I was just brooding. Neji is in my class again.. he may be more of a Level 2 after all.

Smiling, Gaara hit send and moved on to the next message. This one contained a picture, and Gaara had to bring the phone close to his face to decipher the image. Then, it became clear that it was an image of Naruto holding up the skin of a rat in one hand and a scalpel in the other, a triumphant grin gracing his face. Gaara's nose scrunched, face contorting as he abruptly lowered the phone. This seemed to peak Neji's interest, who looked over with a questioning gaze.

"What is it?"

Gaara shook his head, unable to even voice the picture's contents. Naruto knew that he disapproved of animal testing in high school, feeling that it was unnecessary and pointless. If people wanted to pursue careers that actually required the knowledge of animal anatomy, then they could perform their autopsies in college.

At Neji's frown, however, Gaara thrust the phone into the other boy's hand. Neji lowered his head to see it clearly, and promptly issued a laugh. "It looks like a cape. Who is it?" He glanced back toward Gaara, unfazed by his evident fluster.

"My friend.." He grit out through clenched teeth.

"Naruto?" Neji questioned, which made Gaara look at him in confusion. Neji returned the phone. "He just sent you a message."

Fr: Naruto

but u say ur a lvl 2 too. and ur a wuvable snuggly bear!

10:27am Tue, November 4

Gaara felt his face begin to redden. Had Neji read that? He glanced to his right to find Neji staring straight ahead, watching the teacher just like before. Unfortunately, the silent chuckle and amused grin plastered onto his face were difficult to ignore.

Damn Naruto.

Author's Note:

Sooo, what did you think? This chapter was kind of boring, my apologies. It will get darker later on, as Neji's past is revealed. Yay, angst! Don't forget to review. :) Thank you for reading.