A/N: My first yaoi story. Just setting up the story here. Will get more intimate later on. Told in Gaara's POV.

Warnings: This is yaoi, which means boy on boy. If you're uncomfortable with this, please find something else to read. Thanks.

Credits to Kishimoto Masashi for the characters. The story is mine.

Chapter 1: The Offer of Falsity

I can feel it again. That familiar sensation of awareness coiling in my belly and the tiny hairs rising on the back of my neck. Swiveling my head, I immediately catch sight of the cause.

Brilliant golden hair and mirthful sky blue eyes. You are dressed in your usual bright orange t-shirt, this time with dark blue sleeves and well-worn blue jeans. Today, you wear dark blue sandals rather than your usual white sneakers. Our eyes meet for a brief, time-freezing second before you turn and heartily laugh at the joke told by one of the many students surrounding you.

Fake.

I turn away in disgust. Everything about you is fake from your wide, impish smiles to your bright, cheerful blue eyes. I don't know why no one can see through your cheery mask. You insist on behaving like a bumbling fool despite your popularity, but I can see through it. I have glimpsed those rare instances when your true self bleeds through, when your smiling gaze sharpens with astuteness, when your sunny smile twists into a sneer. I can tell you detest those admiring students and even the fawning faculty who gather to you like moths to light. Yet I still cannot figure out why you continue with your disgusting façade when you so obviously cannot stand them.

Uzumaki Naruto, you are a fake, and I can see through your act.

I am the only one, and you know this well, which is why I can feel your intense gaze burning into the back of my head as I walk away from your guise. But I have no interest in you, so you do not have to worry I will reveal your secret.

The bell rings, signaling the beginning of class. I adjust my sand-colored backpack over one shoulder, striding leisurely despite the rushing crowd of students. Then I arrive to class in a timely manner like usual and take my seat in the back next to the window, dropping my backpack next to my seat. Students trickle in as the last warning bell rings. I rest my chin on my knuckles and gaze out the window, awaiting the familiar scene which will occur in a few seconds.

"Made it! Sorry, Iruka-sensei!"

As expected, you rush in with dramatic flair just as the last of the bell echoes through the hallways and classrooms. I'm turned towards the window, but I can easily see you scratching the back of your head with an unapologetic, mischievous grin on your face like you do every day.

"Just find your seat, Uzumaki-kun," Iruka-sensei sighs, having long given up on having you get to class on time.

You make your way to the back, greeting students on the way, where your seat lies on the opposite side of the classroom with your pack of 'friends'. They immediately gather to you. I cannot understand how being tardy makes you popular, and from the faculty's constant scolding, you are doing poor in your classes. This puzzles me, because I have seen your calculating gaze and intelligent spark in your eyes, but perhaps it is simply because it is not geared towards your academic studies.

"How are you late? You were right behind me…"

The conversation slips into whispers as Iruka-sensei begins class. I vaguely recognize the voice but I don't recall a name. The fuzzy image of a scruffy broad-shouldered student with wild brown hair comes to mind. I remember seeing him unknowingly jog past my house every morning with a mammoth-sized white dog bounding at his side.

I frown, wondering when I started to remember the students you usually hang out with. When had this begun? This peculiar relationship – could it even be considered a relationship? – between us. Ah, wait, I remember now. Our unfortunate meeting I had unsuccessfully tried to purge from my mind. Three and a half months ago, when I arrived at Konoha High School as a new transfer student. I don't think you would have ever paid attention to me if it had not been for that single meeting.

Suna is – had been – my home since I was a child. I did not miss my home as it had never been a happy place for me, but I did miss the dry desert air and the perfect silence. After my seventeenth birthday, my two siblings and I moved to the town of Konoha. I had hated it the moment I laid eyes on it – and I still did. Surrounded by forests and small lakes, Konoha's air is moist and humid and most importantly, the town is loud. Not just the regular bustling of residents, but the constant calls of friendly neighbors and endless sounds of the surrounding forests are impossible to ignore. The complete opposite of Suna.

The first day of school was the worst. Whereas Suna raises their children in a strict militaristic style, Konoha is complete chaos. Students don't pay attention in class and disregarded faculty. They eat lunch during class, nap, play cards, text on their phones and basically do everything they aren't supposed to. I have no desire to mingle with these people, and the students quickly learned this within the first few days of my arrival.

Except for one.

It was impossible to not notice you. I immediately was able to recognize you as the type of student I generally avoid. You were loud, noisy, and popular. Your colors were almost blinding, and I think I detested you on sight. When you first approached me and introduced yourself as 'Nice to meet you, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Sabaku no Gaara was it?' I did not answer. Your presence was not desired, and I made sure my stance and glare let you know. Imagine my surprise when you didn't back off like the other students I had taciturnly disregarded.

I don't think you cared to know me, either, but you only did so because it was expected of you. They thought you friendly, determined, and welcoming, so of course you kept your fake image up and continued to try and befriend me. It only took me one look to see through your friendly smiles and jovial words.

"Stop it," I had finally said, fed up with your persistence when you had cornered me alone in the bathroom. "Why do you continue this?"

"Because I want to be your friend," you had automatically answered, your false merriment making me want to retch.

"No you don't," I had told you. "You're only doing this to amuse yourself."

"What are you talking about?" you had smiled with feigned innocence. "I just want to be friends with you."

I should have stopped there had I known the repercussions that would happen afterwards.

"Stop lying. Your charade is disgusting to watch, and I want no part of it," I had said coldly.

I think that was when you realized I saw through your pretense. Even though I had known this, it had still been a little shocking to see the smiling face fall off like a discarded napkin as you scrutinized me with sharp, penetrating eyes. Then you smiled. It wasn't cheerful, it wasn't friendly, it was simply neutral.

"You're interesting," you merely said, that unsettling smile still in place.

And then your fake smile smoothly returned when someone walked into the restroom. You amiably greeted the student, sending a merry 'See you later, Gaara' over your shoulder as you sauntered out like nothing had just occurred. That odd episode had been disturbing, but I had brushed it off as unimportant.

I should have realized sooner the meaning of your words.

Barely a day had passed before the oddest sensation of being watched fell over me. When I had looked up into your mocking blue eyes, I had known from then on that any semblance of peace I could wring from this hateful school setting was utterly lost.

Three and a half months later, aside from the casual greetings and the stares you direct at me, we do not speak, or rather, I do not speak a word to you. I find myself frequently tense and irritated. I simply want to be left alone, but it is impossible when you so openly let your presence be known. Yet again, I wonder how no one catches on to your façade.

"Sabaku-san?"

I jolt out of my thoughts when I hear my name being called. Glancing away from the window to the front of the class, I see Iruka-sensei looking at me curiously and realize he has probably been calling me name for a while now. A familiar blue-eyed gaze rests on me, but I disregard it and easily school my features into an expressionless appearance.

"I apologize. I was not paying attention," I say solemnly.

The class doesn't laugh as they would have if it had been a certain blond. They are uncertain about me, so they remain quiet. Iruka-sensei continues with his lecture. I can still feel you looking at me, but I am determined to ignore you. My irritation rises once again, but I push any thoughts about you away. You have invaded my life enough. I am certain if I continue to ignore you, you will cease your annoying stares. At least, I hope so because three and a half months is a long time, and my limited patience is wearing thin.

Thankfully, you return your attention back to whispering with your friends and class goes on uneventfully.

-~~o0O0o~~-

"Welcome home, Gaara," Temari, my sister and eldest sibling, greets me when I walk through the door.

I grunt a reply, kicking off my shoes and brushing past her. Used to this, she simply returns to the kitchen and resumes preparing dinner. Kankuro, my older brother, is probably still in school participating in his club activities. Both of my siblings attend Konoha University; Temari being a sophomore and Kankuro a freshman in college. I suppose I will attend there as well after I finish my last two years of high school. The thought isn't appealing, and figuring it is still too far away to think about, I put it out of my thoughts and head upstairs to my room.

We rent an old three-bedroom house. It is small and compact with a kitchen, living room, and a tiny bathroom, but it suits our needs. Temari works part-time as a tutor during the day and waitresses at a local restaurant during the evenings. On top of that, she attends her classes full-time. Kankuro attends full-time as well and works in a small toy shop owned by a distant cousin of ours. They insist I do not need to work, and unfortunately, Konoha High does not allow students to maintain jobs. I do not reveal it, but it is vaguely upsetting. I never had a good relationship with my siblings, but I acknowledge it is because of them I am able to gain some freedom from the shackling household back in Suna.

The memories of my old hometown are depressing, and I do not want to reminisce in them. Instead, I toss my backpack on the hardwood floor and sit on my bed. I had left the lights off, but the dim light peeking through the shutters are enough for me to see.

The room is small, as is the other rooms in the house. There is only a bed, dresser, and desk with a chair. My room is clean and neat and mostly bare. The room is not personalized since I do not care to personalize it. Temari had acquired some cheap carpeting and other furnishings from garage sales. Most of the furnishings are unmatched. There is a rectangle-shaped puke-green carpet on the floor next to my bed. The desk is shoved next to the bed with a black lamp on the desk. My sheets are blue, the pillowcases checkered red and white, and the blanket is an ugly mix of reddish brown. The walls are plain white but there is a yellowish tint to them, and the paint is old and peeling. Old mold spots in the corners of the ceiling and floors are noticeable as well as water stains in the ceiling. Most of the house is similar to this, but the rent is cheap and that's all that matters.

I don't know how long I sat in the darkness, but I am brought to awareness from my perch on the bed when I hear the door downstairs open with Kankuro calling out, "I'm home!" and Temari's answering reply, "Welcome home. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." The normalness of it all is strange because I realize my siblings are doing it for my sake. My childhood was not a particularly happy one. Directing my thoughts away from that, I slowly stand. My right leg had fallen asleep quite a while ago, so I shake it out, feeling the tingling sensation run through it as the blood flow rushes back.

By the time I am able to feel my leg, Temari has called me down for dinner. Dinner is often awkward, but Temari tries her best to make it feel like a normal family setting. She asks about my day, and I make an effort to reply because I know it's me who is making it awkward. She is satisfied with my short answers, though, and questions Kankuro about his day. I idly listen, picking at my food. Kankuro is involved in some kind of handmade wooden puppet club. They're going to have a puppet show in a couple months. He hesitantly asks if I would like to go see it. I simply nod, and both he and Temari look relieved.

Dinner ends quickly because both Temari and Kankuro must leave for work. Since I don't work, I clean up the table and wash dishes afterwards. Washing laundry and tidying the house are also part of my responsibilities. The house is eerily silent with both of them gone. Once I place the last of the dishes in the dish rack to dry, I return to my room, this time flipping on the light switch.

Homework is the next part of my routine. I sit at my desk, pulling out books and folders from my backpack. I am not an exceptionally outstanding student; my grades are a little above average, and it is enough to keep the teachers satisfied. Without any particular goal in mind, I have no incentive to do better.

Homework goes by swiftly. By the time I am finished, it is only eight o'clock. I take a quick shower, dress in my pajamas consisting of an old t-shirt and loose sweats, and return to my room to reorganize my books and folders back into my backpack. With nothing else to do, I sit cross-legged on my bed and read, a recently discovered favorite pastime of mine. There is no particular genre I enjoy – I read pretty much anything and everything that comes my way. The little public library I had found several weeks ago while walking through the town has become a sort of sanctuary for me during the weekends. In this noisy town, the library is the only place I can find peace and quiet. While my siblings are at work and the house is empty, I walk to the library, find a quiet space, and read all day. Sometimes I drop by during the weekdays after school to pick up a few books as well. By now, the librarians have come to recognize me, greeting me by name whenever I come. How proud my siblings would be if they knew I would quietly greet them back.

The sound of keys and the door opening causes me to look up from my book and glance at the digital alarm clock on my desk. It is nearly eleven thirty. Kankuro is the first to come home while Temari comes home a little after midnight. I get off the bed, placing a bookmark between the pages and setting the book onto my desk. My siblings generally do not announce their arrival after they come back from work, perhaps thinking it might disturb me from my schoolwork or because they are simply too tired. I think it is the latter.

I listen to Kankuro's heavy footsteps downstairs. His is the only bedroom located downstairs while both Temari and I are upstairs. He is often too exhausted to shower before he goes to bed, so he just washes his face and brushes his teeth before he changes his into his pajamas and collapses into bed. Temari does nearly the exact same. In the morning, they both get up early to shower before heading to school and repeating the same routine.

I walk over to the light switch to turn it off before climbing back on my bed. Scooting until my back touches the wall, I draw my knees to my chest, cross my arms over them, and place my head against my crossed forearms. I am tired, but I know I will not fall asleep for hours. Insomnia, the doctors had told me. I have had it since I was a child.

Half an hour later, I hear Temari return. It is not until nearly four in the morning when I doze off into a dreamless sleep.

-~~o0O0o~~-

I managed to sleep for approximately two hours. If I am lucky, I might sleep for two and a half hours or even broach the three hour stretch. Usually, I am up before my siblings.

By six thirty, Temari is up and kicking a grumbling Kankuro out of bed. I am already downstairs by that time, dressed in my usual long-sleeved shirt and jeans, pouring freshly brewed coffee into a muddy-colored mug. I started the habit of making a simple breakfast for them in the morning. The first time I did it two weeks ago, they had both froze in the doorway, staring at me like I was an alien. I simply set the two plates of toast, scrambled eggs, and breakfast sausages on the table with two glasses of orange juice before casually slipping past them and heading to my room, coffee mug in hand. They never commented on the sudden change, perhaps sensing I would not appreciate it, but I could tell they were happy, and this became part of the unspoken routine we had quietly created since moving to Konoha.

They both enter the kitchen, mumbling good morning, Kankuro yawning widely while Temari sits at the table and nibbles tiredly at her breakfast. While they eat breakfast, I typically go to my room and sit idly at my desk, sipping coffee until they leave for class. Then, I would go back downstairs, clean up the dishes, and walk to school.

Today, I lean against the counter and sip from my mug, gazing at nothing in particular. They both glance at me before looking at each other but soon resumed eating. The silence is comfortable this time.

"See you later, Gaara. Have a nice day at school," Temari calls as she and Kankuro leave to catch the bus to the university. They rarely use the small car in the driveway unless absolutely necessary. Gas, after all, did cost money we could not afford to spend.

I don't reply, instead gathering the dishes and placing them in the sink. Once the dishes are done, I go to my room to pick up my backpack. It takes twenty minutes to walk to school, and I usually have about the same amount of time before class starts.

The walk is quiet since most students would be having their last minutes of sleep before preparing for the day and rushing to class. The rare quietness suits me fine, so I have no complaints. Halfway to school, however, I suddenly hear my name being called. Since the voice is vaguely familiar, I automatically turn to glance behind me. The sight makes me wish I had ignored it.

"Hey, Gaara, wait up!" Dressed in your standard gaudy orange, this time an orange sweatshirt with tan cargo pants, you jog towards me and flash a blindingly fake smile.

Without answering, I turn away and resume walking as if you are not there. Funny how I forget about you when I am at home. It must be only at school, I think, when your assertive presence forces yourself into my thoughts.

"Hey, that's not nice," you whine, finally catching up and obtrusively walking at my side.

Five minutes of trying to block out your insistent chatter and drawling out my name in attempt to annoy me finally brings me to a halt. You stop as well, and I glimpse the mischievous curl to your lips. You have done it purposely; I have fallen into your childish game.

"Uzumaki," I practically growl. "Leave me alone."

You smirk playfully, pleased I have finally spoken to you since our first meeting. "But I'm heading in the same direction as you."

My eyes narrow dangerously, and I somehow resist the urge to punch your smug face. Turning away, I determinedly continue on the way to school, intent on ignoring you. Perhaps I am too intent on ignoring you, because suddenly a shout sounds with the screech of tires on asphalt. A hand snatches my upper arm, pulling me into an unexpected embrace. My whole body stiffens in surprise.

"Watch it, bastard!" you shout, shaking your fist in the direction of the car which had almost run me over.

I think I'm more shocked you grabbed me than the car almost running me over. I vaguely hear you asking if I'm okay.

"Let go," I say, trying to pull away.

You blink at me, and I am suddenly wary when a gleam comes to your eye. I find myself abruptly drawn into a tight embrace. Shock makes me frozen for an instant before I attempt to shove you away, but you're stronger than you look because you barely budge.

"Aw, are you embarrassed, Gaara?" you tease, squeezing me tightly, obviously done to make me uncomfortable.

I look up at you, belatedly realizing you're taller than me by a couple inches, and try to murder you with my glare.

"Let me go now before I kill you," I enunciate each word deliberately with deadly intent.

Your taunting grin relays that you are not the least bit afraid of my threat. "Wanna try?"

"Uzumaki," I grit out, barely reigning in my temper.

You laugh, the sound vibrating from your chest against me, and suddenly I am released. I quickly take several steps back, scowling darkly when you quirk a blond brow, amused. Turning away once again, I ignore you, this time more careful about my surroundings.

By the time we reach the school gates, I'm silently fuming and trying not to submit to the urge of committing the heinous crime of murder. You had hummed obnoxiously the rest of the way to school, no doubt doing it intentionally to aggravate me, and unfortunately, it had worked flawlessly.

I stride to class with you following behind, this time whistling a cheery tune which does nothing to alleviate my negative mood. Students greet you as you pass, eyeing me a bit warily, no doubt because of the black scowl situated on my face. You don't pause to chat with the students as I hope, but instead reply with – in my opinion – over-exaggerated enthusiasm which seems almost mocking. Still, no one seems to notice.

When I reach the classroom and head straight to my seat, it is almost a relief. Or at least, it was supposed to be. I drop my backpack on the floor and turn, nearly crashing into you because you're standing so close. You peer down at me, that damnable smirk on your face, unseen by the others in the classroom because your back is to them.

"What are you doing, Uzumaki? Your seat is over there," I growl lowly once I get over the shock, looking pointedly at your seat across the room for emphasis and ignoring the stares of your friends and the students in the classroom.

"I know," you reply unconcernedly. "But you're always alone, and I thought you would like a friend to talk to."

I stare at you in disbelief. Behind your generous words, I can tell you are trying not to laugh. The students in the classroom are watching, having heard your words and stupidly believing everything you say, looking at me expectantly. To them, if I turn your offer down, I will no doubt be the bad person, and you, in your deviousness hidden by your false sympathy, no doubt planned this.

However, I neither care about what they think nor want your offer of friendship. Clenching my fist, I glare at you and clearly say, "Uzumaki, you can take your friendship and shove it up your ass."

There is a gasp from the group of girls seated near the front of the classroom. Your friends stare at me in shock, and you, your eyes gleam with suppressed mirth, and me – well, I just want to sock you in the eye.

"I see," you say, swallowing down your laughter but somehow still managing to sound sad. "Well, if you ever change your mind, I would still like to be your friend."

The words are so damned cliché I am nearly amused myself, but the students drink up every last drop of your falsely sweet words, admiring your determination to continue to befriend me despite my cold rejection. Your act is so revolting I want to puke.

"What a jerk," one of the girls mutters. "He's lucky Naruto's such a nice guy!"

"Yeah, he doesn't deserve it!"

My jaw tics. If only they knew. I have just made myself a permanent outcast, but I don't care, and I think you know. The bell rings. You stand there staring at me straight in the eye as it fades away before you step back.

"I'll talk to you later, Gaara," you say with a friendly wave, further deepening the students' belief of your kindness.

My glare hardens, but I simply sit down as a frazzled Iruka-sensei hurries in, apologizing for being late and looking shocked to see you here on time for once. I drown out the conversation and the lecture, staring blankly out the window and noting it might rain today, ignoring the feel of your amused eyes on me.

Uzumaki Naruto, you are a fake.

A/N: Off to a rocky start, eh? Let me know what you think!