Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Warnings: smut in later chapters, shouta (I guess)
Author's Notes: This is a request by the lovely Felnore over on Y!Gal. Also, if you find "Pein" where "pain" should be, it's because I fucked up replacing the words. Sorry, I don't feel like re-reading it before posting. Yeah, I'm a lazy ass bitch. I know this.
Read, review, and please enjoy!
Pein tapped his foot impatiently as he stared beyond the small clearing he was standing in. Three small torches were the only light they had besides the moon. He glanced at his watch for the fourth time in less than ten minutes. He was not a patient man by nature, and he was even less patient with stupid people. Which was what this client had a habit of being
He glanced at his right hand man, who had blended in with the tree he was leaning against. If Pein hadn't known who he was looking at, he would have never noticed Zetsu. But they had been friends for years and had worked together just as long. They knew how each other moved, how they worked. He shared a look with the man and Zetsu shrugged.
"Where the fuck is he?" Hidan growled, burying a dagger in the ground repetitively. Pein watched as his gun man mutilated the poor earth he was sitting upon. Hidan was a special one, that was for sure. But the silver haired man was the best in the business and was fiercely loyal to him. Pein paid him well, and knew better than to cross the man. And Hidan knew Pein could ruin his entire carrier with one call. They had a mutual agreement.
Small feet pounded against the ground, small legs carrying the boy as fast as they could. Blue eyes scanned the area around him as fear and adrenaline pounded through his veins. He couldn't believe he had managed to escape. But he knew they were hot on his tail. He could hear the dogs and men trampling through the underbrush behind him.
He sucked in as much oxygen as he could but it did nothing to sooth the burning of his lungs. He wasn't sure how much further he could go. His bare feet were sore, cuts and bruises searing the nerve endings in his skin. Branches and vines tore at his arms and legs, cutting into his skin, but he barely felt it. All he could think of was getting away, running as far and fast as he could.
Pein pushed up off the tree he had been leaning against, hand falling to the gun on his hip. Hidan was on his feet, gun and dagger in hand. Zetsu was also on alert, ears straining to catch any noise. And there is was again. The howling of dogs, the shouts of men.
"Ambush?" Zetsu asked as he moved to stand beside his captain. Pein shook his head. If this was an ambush, they were doing a shitty job of it. Anyone for a mile around them would hear all that noise. No. This was something else entirely.
The small boy gasped for air, muscles screaming in Pein as he pushed onwards. The men's words were still ringing in his ears. They were going to sell him. Sell. They'd killed his family, dragged him out from under the blood splattered bed and away from the only home he'd ever know. They'd beat him, but never touched him. He'd seen it in their eyes. That look that said if a virgin didn't get a higher price, he would have been theirs.
So he'd run. He'd taken a dagger from his guard, stabbing him in the neck with it. He was still covered in the man's blood. It was warm against his skin, dirtying him. He wanted to scrub himself until he was raw. He didn't think he'd ever feel clean again.
He could just barely make out the glow of light in front of him. He had no idea who, or what, was there. But it was better than what was behind him. That was all he knew for sure. Anything was better than being bought as some…some sex slave. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He pushed himself, making his legs carry himself faster. If he could only just reach…
Pein drew his gun as they noises grew closer. To be honest, it sounded like a chance. And sure enough, seconds later a small boy burst through the tress. The boy fell to his knees, breathing hard. Tangled blonde hair obscured his face, but he didn't look much older than twelve or thirteen. His clothes were rags, torn and coved in blood. Pein wasn't sure if it was his own or someone else's.
Hidan cursed loudly before lowering his gun. He glanced at Pein who was moving forward to kneel before the boy. One bloody hand came up to grip his shirt. The blood was fresh and glistened in the torch light. The bluest eyes he'd ever seen blinked up at him. The boy's face was badly bruised. The kind of bruising that only came from a beating. His lips were chapped; skin pealing as he tried to talk. The tip of his tongue swiped across his lips and he swallowed.
"Help me," the blonde rasped, tears leaking from his eyes. The boy looked like he'd been through hell. Pein was well acquainted with child trafficking industry, knew the ins and outs of it like the back of his hand. He'd had dealings with them for years; you couldn't be in the business he was in and not. He didn't necessarily like the trade but it was a part of their world. It wasn't going to go away. One either accepted it and stayed out of the slavers hair or pretended they knew nothing about it, like many civilians did. But trading kids this young…It was practically rape. But he had seen younger, had worked hard to rescue younger.
Before he could answer the boy, men burst through the trees, dog hot on their heels. Pein looked up at them, gun aimed at the man in front of him. The man blinked holding up his hands to show he had no weapon. Pein felt more than heard Hidan and Zetsu move up beside him. He glanced at Zetsu, who looked from the boy back to his captain. That look clearly said Zetsu did not like the state the child was in and that he was sure the men in front of them were the cause.
Pein rose slowly to his feet, bringing the boy up with him with a hand on his arm. The boy staggered, collapsing against the older man. The redhead held him close, one arm protectively covering him.
"All we want is the boy," the man in front of him said. Pein leveled him with an icy stare. The man flinched.
"So you can what, fuck face? Sell him into the fucking slave industry?" Hidan asked, moving closer to his captain. Hidan liked the slave industry even less than Pein did. The silver haired man had been sold into it himself when he was a child, granted it hadn't the same one these men were selling the boy into. The industry had been different back then. There whole world had been different. There was no way Hidan would inflict the same fate on anyone else. No matter the crime. To Hidan, death was better than slavery.
The man glared at Hidan and looked back to Pein. The red head met his eyes for a second before surveying the rest of the small search party. There were four men in all, one that looked very familiar to him.
"We don't want any trouble now." Pein cocked his gun. The man stared down the barrel of the gun, eyes wide with surprise.
"Well, you found it," Hidan barked.
"Just give us the child and we'll be on our way." A stocky man who had been still standing near the tress stepped forward. Pein glanced at him and then trained his eyes back on the leader. The gears in the captain's head turned. They really didn't have the room for another person on the ship, but he couldn't just leave the child to these men. If he had recognized the other man correctly, the branch of the slave industry he worked in was one of the harshest places a person could be. They didn't treat their merchandise with respect. The people they dealt to didn't care how banged up and bruised the slave they bought was because they would be doing worse to the poor child.
"Now, here's what's going to happen." Pein pulled the blonde closer to his body as he spoke. He could feel the small boy shacking against him, probably from Pein and fear.
"You're going to slowly back up and were going to wait until you're gone until we leave. And if you try to follow us or ambush us, you will die." His voice was cold and definite.
"You'll regret this," the man answered as he slowly backed up. Pein said nothing watching as the men disappeared into the tress. Once they were gone, he looked down at the shivering boy. The blonde was pressed as close as he could get. Hands twisted in his shirt and he could feel the boy sobbing against him.
"You're safe," Hidan told him and the boy's sobs grew louder. Pein gently picked up the child, cradling him against his chest.
"What's your name, boy?" Pein asked as he moved towards their ship. Their client could wait till later. Besides, Madara was a returning customer and knew how much Pein hated tardiness.
"Naruto," the boy whispered shakily, "Naruto Uzumaki."
"You're safe now, Naruto," Pein told him and the little blonde burst into tears, sobbing against the older man chest. Pein exchanged a glance with Zetsu.
"What are we going to do with him, Captain?" the man asked, brushing a lock of white hair out of his pitch black eyes.
"We're going to clean him up and feed him. He looks like he hasn't had a decent male in days," Pein answered, moving swiftly through the tress. He wanted the safety of his ship as soon as he could. He didn't trust the men not to follow them and try and take Naruto back.
Deidara was the first to meet them as they made their way onto the ship. The lanky blonde pulled up short as he caught sight of the child cradled in Pein's arms.
"What the hell happened?" the medic asked, voice just below a yell. He was instantly pulling Naruto out of his captain's arms, and checking the boy over.
"Madara was late and this boy showed before that blasted merchant did. A group of slavers were after him, recognized one of my old contacts in the group. Not sure if he realized it was me." Deidara huffed at that. Pein was a hard guy to miss. With piercings covering most of his face and hair as bright as flames, there captain was easily picked out of a crowd.
"Well, it looks like most of this blood isn't his," the blonde muttered as he ran his hands over Naruto's upper body. The blonde stood stock still, fists clinched at his sides, bottom lip held hostage by his teeth.
"You don't have to be scared," Deidara said comfortingly as he smoothed the boy's bangs out of his eyes, "We aren't going to hurt you." Naruto nodded, bringing up one dirty hand to rub at his eyes. He sniffled loudly before straightening his back and looking the older blonde in the eye. Deidara smiled at him.
"You're going to have to carry him, Dei," Zetsu told the medic as he passed by him, heading for the bridge, "I'm surprised he can even stand with his feet so torn up." Deidara blinked, brow furrowing as he looked down at Naruto's feet. Sure enough, they were bleeding bad enough that the blonde was now standing in a small pool of his own blood.
"Dear god!" the medic cried, a look of outrage crossing his face, "Why did you say something sooner?" Pein had the decency to look sheepish.
"Sorry, Dei. It didn't cross my mind," Pein apologized. Hidan had already left the hull, probably off to pester Shikamaru. Pein wondered briefly where their brunette mechanic might be when shouting reached his ears. The red head shook his head with a sigh.
"Just take him to my quarters. I'll be there soon." Deidara stared at his captain, wondering if he really meant what he said. No one went into Pein's quarters, unless it was an emergency, like the ship was crashing or they were being attacked. The red head didn't even bring one night stands on the ship. After a moment, the blonde nodded and gathered the fourteen year old in his arms.
Naruto was small, even by Deidara's own standards. He himself was short, barely reaching 5' 5" by the time he was seventeen, but Naruto was even smaller. The boy couldn't be more than 5' 1" and he was skinny. Slim in the hips and in the chest. The medic cast a glance at Pein, eyes still questioning. The captain waved him on before moving towards the bridge.
By the time Pein reached the bridge, Sasori was leaning against one computer panel watching as Shikamaru fended off Hidan. The brunette had one hand firmly pressed against the silver haired man's mouth, holding him at arm's length while Hidan tried to get closer to the mechanic. A tick was starting in Shikamaru's forehead and he looked as if he was ready to just shove the older man onto the floor and hightail it.
"So, what happened?" Sasori asked, "Zet wouldn't say anything until you were in here." The co-captain was on the opposite side of the bridge, flopped gracefully over the navigator's chair.
"We picked up a kid," Pein answered, leaning against the door jamb.
"A kid?" Sasori's brow furrowed and he tilted his head to the side as he stared at his captain.
"A fourteen year old boy, to be exact," Zetsu interjected. Pein gave him a dirty look. He was in no mood for his friend's bullshit and that was right where the other man was heading with this. Zetsu wasn't impressed and just shrugged his shoulders as if to say he couldn't give two shits if Pein wanted his opinion or not. Each man on the ship had full rights to say whatever they pleased, and, when it came to matters that affected them all, the red head was obligated to listen.
"He was running from slavers, Zetsu. Would you have preferred I gave the kid up to be sold off and raped?" Pein growled.
"Whoa. Whoa. No one said that. You know that none of us would leave a child to that," Sasori interjected, "All I want to know is what we're doing with him and if he can pull his own weight."
Pein rubbed the back of his head as he thought. He was covered in sweat and tears. Not to mention the dirt and blood that had rubbed off on him form holding Naruto. What he really wanted was to be taking a bath, but this was part of his position as captain.
"He'll be staying here for now, in my quarters." That earned him looks from everyone in the room, including Zetsu.
"He's staying with you?" Hidan asked, shocked. He had managed to coax Shikamaru into his lap and was currently rubbing his hands up and down the sides of the brunette's thighs. The Nara didn't seem to mind too much and looked as if he was about to fall asleep in his lover's lap.
"Well, he sure as hell can't stay with you, Hidan. And we don't have any extra rooms. I'm not shoving him off anyone else. It was my idea to bring him onboard and I'm making him my responsibility. So, just do your jobs and let me worry about this." The red head didn't give them a chance to respond. He turned on his heel and stalked off towards his room, fully intending to take a bath.
"Pein, wait." Zetsu grabbed him by the arm. The captain stopped, and turned weary eyes at the other man. Zetsu searched his eyes and then nodded.
"Okay," the co-captain said with a nod, "If you need anything, just let me know."
"Thanks. It'll all be okay. You'll get to see him soon." Pein clapped his friend on the shoulder with a smile. Zetsu smiled back at him, instantly thinking of a certain raven, who was waiting for him back at home, and turned with a nod and headed for his own quarters.
Pein watched his friend go before turning and entering his own room. He paused, the door closing softly with a small click behind him. Naruto was sitting on the edge of his bed, not a stich of clothing on his body. Deidara was nowhere to be seen in the room, but the captain could hear water running in his bathroom. The blonde boy was slouched, his arms resting on tanned thighs that were covered in scratches and bruises. The slavers had really done a number on the child, it seemed.
Naruto started when Pein cleared his throat. The blonde bent in on himself, hands cupping protectively over his groin. His body flushed a light pink color, all the way to his toes. Pein couldn't hold back the small chuckle that bubble dup inside him. The boy just looked so cute with his startlingly blue eyes open wide and his skin coloring in embarrassment.
At his chuckle, the blonde boy's demeanor changed. He frowned and then glared at the older man, which brought another chuckle from the red head. Pein leaned casually against his dresser, arms crossed over his chest. He looked the body over and was surprised to find that, even though Naruto was slight and looked underfed, there was muscle under his dirty, tanned skin. It told Pein that the boy wasn't a stranger to work, which made keeping him on the ship much easier.
The two regarded each other until Deidara appeared in the room. The blonde jumped slightly when he rounded the corner to find Pein already in the room.
"Are you sure you're human, Pein?" Deidara commented as he rubbed the back of his head, "I cleaned his feet but he needs a bath before I can warp his wounds. I just filled up the tub." The medic paused watching as Pein pushed off the dresser and started undressing.
"Wait! You're not-" Deidara exclaimed, blue eye wide with shock. Pein paused in the middle of stripping off his pants. Calm purple eyes met shocked blue ones and Deidara gapped at him.
"But you can't! After what he just went through! How could you even think of that?" Pein gave the medic a bored look as he tossed his pants across the room and into a small bin.
"I'm not going to fuck him, Deidara." The blonde on the bed physically jumped. A Peined expression crossed Naruto's face before fear bleed into his eyes. Pein watched the fear blossom across the boy's face and he felt his heart ache for the child. He didn't know exactly what Naruto had been through, but he knew none of it had been good. He moved past Deidara, leaving his boxer briefs on for the time being. It wouldn't do any good to scare the boy to death, considering the current topic of discussion.
He stopped in front of Naruto. The blonde blinked wide eyes up at him, fear clear on his face. Pein smiled but that didn't seem to reassure the blonde. The captain sighed; he wasn't good at these things. His sister was so much better at handling people in these situations then he was. But Konan wasn't here. He'd be dealing with this cute little blonde all on his own.
Before Naruto could react, Pein gathered him up in his arms. The blonde let out a yelp that was close to a scream. The red head winced and tightened his grip on the now struggling blonde.
"Hey! I'm not going to hurt you!" The blonde didn't see to hear him. His eyes were clinched shut and he was shoving at Pein's bare chest hard. When he wasn't released, Naruto resorted to scratching and punching at the captain's chest. Pein winced as the blondes nails dug into his skin, leaving red lines and small trails of blood.
"Naruto!" Pein yelled the boy's name into his ear. The blonde froze, blue eyes slowly opening. He stared up the older man, lips slightly parted as he panted.
"You're safe. No one is going to hurt you. You don't have to fight anymore." Pein kept his voice low and even, slightly soothing. Deidara, who had moved up beside him during the struggle, looked like he had been about to snatch the boy from his captain's arms.
"You can go, Dei. I can wrap his feet." Deidara baulked at him.
"But-!" Pein glared at him and Deidara snapped his mouth shut. He glared back at his captain before stalking out of the room with a huff, slamming the door behind him.
"Are you really not going to hurt me?" Pein looked back down at the boy in his arms.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Naruto. And I plan to make sure no one ever does again." At his words, the blonde relaxed visibly. The red head padded on bare feet into his bath room, and deposited the blonde gently in the large tub. His quarters were the largest out of everybody's, a queen sized bed and a full bathroom. One that he didn't have to share.
Naruto blushed brightly and turned his head when the older man slid his thumbs in the waist band of his underwear and slid them down him body. Pein smirked. Without a word, he slid into the water behind the blonde. Naruto jumped, head whipping around so fast Pein wouldn't be surprised if the boy didn't get whiplash.
"What are you doing?" Naruto exclaimed, scrambling for the other end of the tub. Pein blinked and heaved a sigh at the sight of the blonde's naked bottom as he tried to climb out of the tub. The older man caught the boy by around the waist and yanked him back into the warm water and against him. Naruto squealed like a little girl and tried to wiggle away. Pein groaned at the action. He had no intention of raping the child, but it had been a long time since he'd taken anyone, man or woman. And the feeling of Naruto's soft bottom wiggling against his cock sent tingles up his spin. Against his control, Pein's cock twitched and quickly hardened.
The captain wrapped his arms around the blonde's torso, pulling him completely against him. His erection pressed firmly against their bodies and Pein growled lowly in the blonde's ear.
"Stop." Instead of coming out soft and gently as he had hopped, Pein's voice came out husky and harsh, laden with lust. Naruto froze against him, fingers digging into the flesh of the red head's legs. The blonde swallowed, uncertain of what to do. Fear pounded through his system, but something else swirled in with it, something dark and hungry, something he didn't want to acknowledge.
"Shh, I won't do anything to you," Pein murmured against the warm skin of the blonde's neck. He couldn't resist the urge to nibble lightly at his skin. Naruto's shivered against him and Pein felt the blonde's pulse racing against his lips. He pressed his nose against the Uzumaki's nape, drawing in a deep breath. Naruto smelled almost sweet, like his innocent was a part of his scent. The smell had the captain's cock throbbing against Naruto's backside.
The blonde's breathing hitched, and then he was panting as Pein ran calloused hands down his chest. The older man's thumbs dragged against his nipples and a small moan slipped past the blonde's lips. He bit his lip, emotions he couldn't understand warring inside him. Hadn't this been what he'd been scared of? Wasn't this exactly what he'd been running so desperately from? But there was something Naruto found distinctly different in the way Pein was touching him.
Naruto had seen sex slaves, seen how they were beaten when the disobeyed their master's. Pein's touch wasn't rough or harsh. It was gentle, slow, and made him shiver.
The red head's hands came to rest on the flat plane of his stomach. Pein's fingers tensed and relaxed against his skin, nails dragging against the wetness of his skin. Naruto whimpered, body reacting in ways he couldn't explain. Heat pooled low in his stomach, and his heart thumped hard against the cage of his chest. The blonde wrapped his hands tight around Pein's wrists in a silent plea for the older man to stop but wanting him to keep going at the same time.
Pein took a deep breath, trying to calm the lust rushing through his system. After a few moments, he released the blonde slowly, leaning back against the tub. He let his head lull back on his neck, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself. Naruto inched forward a bit, but the red head's erection still pressed against his body. The blonde drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around him.
How did one handle a situation like this? Naruto knew about sex, had peeped on people before. But he had never imagined himself in such a situation, especially with a man.
The blonde jumped for what seemed like the hundredth time that night when he felt the coolness of a bar of soap against his skin. He looked over his shoulder to find Pein subbing at his back.
"I told you I wasn't going to do anything to you and I meant it." Naruto nodded at the words. He worried at his bottom lips as he let himself be scrubbed clean. When he felt the older man's hands sliding low on his stomach, the boy stuttered a protest and snatched the soap from the man's hands. He quickly lathered up his hands and then handed the bar back to the older man, who was smirking at him. Naruto blushed and glared at him before he finished cleaning himself.
Before he could get out of the tub, a large amount of water was dumped over his head. The blonde gasped, blinking water out of his eyes. He was about to protest when another cup of water was dumped on him. Naruto turned around, looked like a drowned kitten as he glared at the older man. Pein actually laughed out loud at the look, at which point Naruto snatched the cup from his hands and splashed the captain in the face. Then it was Naruto's turn to laugh as Pein blinked the water out of his eyes.
Pein pushed his dripping bangs out of his face with one hand and grabbed a bottle of shampoo with the other. He squeezed the bottle over Naruto's head. The blonde gasped as the cold soap came in contact with his scalp. The captain sat the bottle back down and began rubbing the shampoo into the blonde's scalp. Naruto protested, hands coming up to fend off the red head. Pein grunted and smacked the boy's hands away. Naruto grumbled but relented.
He could take care of himself just fine, thank you very much. But the older man's fingers rubbing against his scalp felt good. He started to relax under the care, letting his head lull forward into Pein's hands.
"Rinsing," Pein warned before he dumped water onto the blonde's head. He repeated the process until all traces of shampoo were gone from Naruto's sunny tresses. When he was done, he carded his fingers through the Uzumaki's sopping wet hair. Naruto blinked up at him, full pink lips slightly part, water trickling down his face. Purple met blue and Naruto's heart skipped a beat. There was something hungry in the older man's eyes, but also something gentle.
Blushing fiercely, Naruto grabbed the bar of soap and came up on his knees between the older man's legs.
"What are you doing?" Pein questioned watching as the blonde's trembling hands slowly pressed the bar of soap against his chest. Naruto's face light up like a Christmas tree, and Pein smirked at blush.
"Returning the favor," the Uzumaki mumbled lowly. Without another word, he began scrubbing at the captain's chest. Pein was far from scrawny, that was for sure. The older man's chest was made of pure muscle, honed by hard work and training. The blonde stared in odd fascination as the foam form the soap slid slowly down Pein's chest. Naruto looked up when a warm hand cupped his cheek. Pein smiled down at him, thumb rubbing softly across the blonde's temple.
The blonde froze in place as the red head slowly leaned forward. Blue eyes widened and his lips parted slightly. But instead of pressing his lips against the boy's, as Naruto had thought he would, the captain pressed a soft kiss to the blonde forehead. One long fingered hand took the soap from the blonde's shaking hand.
Naruto watched as the red head finished bathing himself, mesmerized by the older man's movements. He tried to tell himself he shouldn't trust this man that he could be a bad guy too. But there was something about the way Pein moved, how he spoke and how he touched the blonde, that made Naruto believe he could trust him.
When he was down, Pein stood up, water cascading down his body. Naruto started, blushing hotly and averting his eyes. Pein chuckled and grabbed the boys hand to haul him to his feet. The blonde cried out, pain shooting up his legs. He fell against the older man, hands gripping hard enough to bruise Pein's arms.
The older man caught the blonde under his arms, concern clouding his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Naruto. I forgot about your feet." The blonde had forgotten as well. But as pain pulse through his feet, he knew he wasn't walking anywhere. Without saying a word, Pein gathered the blonde in his arms. This time, Naruto didn't struggle or scream. He wrapped his arms around the captain's neck, blushing at the feeling of his bare skin pressing against the older man's.
Somehow, Pein juggled the blonde and grabbed two towels from the nearby rack. He padded into the bed room, sitting the boy gently on the bed. He tossed a towel to Naruto, who grabbed it and quickly began to dry off. Embarrassment was rising fast as he watched Pein pad around the room, naked as the day he was born. The older man wasn't embarrassed in the slightest and seemed as comfortable parading around naked as he did with a gun in his hand.
Naruto was so caught up in his own thoughts, that he missed Pein sliding on a pair of dark gray boxer briefs and making his way over to the blonde with a hand full of bandages. He blinked back to reality when he felt a gentle hand lift on of his feet off the ground. The blonde watched as Pein slowly wrapped his feet, being sure not to pull the cloth too tight.
Once this was done, Pein returned to his dresser and pulled out a shirt and one of the only pairs of boxers he owned. He tossed the clothes to the blonde and then moved to a small chest that was pushed against the wall beside the dresser. Naruto pulled on the clothing before trying to see what the older man was doing. Pein rummaged around in the chest for a few moments before slamming the chest shut.
Blue eyes locked the thin silver chocker in the captain's hand as Pein made his way back over to the bed.
"Is that…" The blonde trailed off as Pein came close enough for the blonde to recognize the piece of silver. It was a slave color, but unlike one he'd ever seen. The design engraved into the collar in Pein's hand had small stars and crescent moons woven in between swirls and leaves. The ones regular slaves wore were thicker and made of gold. The few sex slaves he had seen had worn one made of silver, slim and thin, but the designs on those were nowhere as intricate as the one the older man was securing around his neck.
Naruto's brow furrowed. He reached up, running his fingers along the cool metal. Pein crouched down to his eye level, hands braced on either side of the blonde.
"This doesn't mean I own you. You're free, but this is to keep you safe. As pretty as you are, the slavers are sure to come after you again. It was specially made for me, years ago. There's no other like it. It gives you access to all parts of every city. And you can freely come and go without having to have me or one of my crew with you." Naruto gave a faint nod at the explanation, still baffled by the whole situation. But he trusted Pein, or, wanted to trust Pein.
So when the older man flicked off the lights in the room, choosing to leave the light in the bathroom on, and slipped under the covers, Naruto followed. The blonde kept himself a good distance from the red head until Pein grabbed him by the hip and pulled him into the cradle of his body. Naruto stiffened and then slowly relaxed into the older man's arms. He pressed his face against Pein's chest, breathing in the strong earthy scent of him.
"You're can sleep. You're safe," Pein murmured into his hair. Frankly, the older man was surprised by the kindness he was showing to a total stranger. But he felt for the boy, otherwise Naruto wouldn't be cradle in his arms, in his bed, on his ship. The blonde gave a small sob and wrapped his arms around the older man, crying until he fell blissfully into the darkness of sleep.
Author's Note: Holy fucking god. Why the fuck is this so fucking long? Every time I thought I might be done, my muse was like "Oh, put this" or "It needs this!" Jeeze. Well, that's it for chapter one. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reading. And remember, reviews encourage an author and their muse.