Summary: A brochure about sunny islands paves the way to a new future for Itachi and Naruto.
World Status: AU
Pairings: Itachi x Naruto
Pecuniary.
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(Relating to money; monetary. )
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04-02-10
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Staring down at the pamphlet in his hand, Itachi ran his tongue over his bottom lip, drawing it into his mouth as a frown crossed his face. He was alone in the house, standing by the radiator in the hall. Naruto was due home from work any moment and Itachi knew he should move to boil the kettle or something, but he remained fixed where he stood.
In his hands was the perfect present. It was the perfect gift for Naruto's birthday; a getaway for two on a remote sun-filled island and yet...
"I'm home!" Naruto called out as soon as the door opened, smiling despite the circles under his eyes. "Oh, hello!"
Itachi tucked the pamphlet into the back pocket of his jeans and smiled, moving forwards to kiss Naruto on the cheek.
"How was work?" he asked smoothly, following Naruto into the kitchen. He slipped the pamphlet onto the counter, pushing it behind the pots of coffee, tea and sugar for later.
"Busy, the usual really." Naruto slumped against the counter. "Any luck today?"
Shaking his head, Itachi looked away. "No, though I got another rejection."
At once, Naruto was by his side. As he always was, even though Itachi had put him through so much. Naruto shouldn't have to deal with everything Itachi had thrown at him and yet here he was, still there by his side, willing to do his best.
"It'll work out in the end though, these things take time. You'll see, you don't need your father's company when there's so much more to you." Naruto looked into his eyes, hands on both side of Itachi's head. "You're more than your family and you know it. Just because Madara's flexing his influence around doesn't mean anything."
That was the crux of the problem. Madara had disagreed with Itachi's life choices (namely his reluctance to plot subterfuge on rival companies) and Itachi had left. Since then, Madara had been cutting his chances at finding a new job and Naruto had picked up their slack, working longer and harder than ever before.
Naruto kissed him softly. "Come on," he whispered. "Let's order some greasy pizza and watch a dvd."
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Three days later, Itachi had received another rejection and still hadn't stopped unfolding the holiday brochure. The paper was almost tearing with the amount of usage Itachi had been paying to it, but he couldn't shake the thought from his head.
He knew Naruto wasn't with him for the money. They loved each other and had been together for years, but Itachi knew his partner was almost at breaking point. Each night his smiles became a little more frayed and the shadows under his eyes darkened. Each night Itachi saw him slip into resentment, no matter how much Naruto refused to accept that.
A day would come when Naruto couldn't take it anymore. Despite how much they loved each other, something would snap and Itachi didn't know if they'd be able to mend something that big.
He had to do something and filling out more and more job applications wouldn't cut it. He couldn't afford a trip away like this, the brochure promising hot sands and soft waves, but Itachi needed to make it happen somehow.
For weeks, Itachi got in touch with old associates, set up meetings with former colleagues and clients while Naruto was working himself to death. It was hard to keep it from him, but Itachi needed to do it.
The last person he approached was Madara. Nothing had changed since Itachi had left and Madara smiled widely when he set eyes upon him, welcoming him with open arms.
"You've come to your senses then?" Madara said, walking them to his office. It was full of luxuries, plush and elegant and had been a thing Itachi thought showed how hard you worked.
Madara hadn't worked for any of it though and the true measurement of your achievements lay not in material possessions. It had taken one man to show Itachi that and he wasn't about to let Naruto's teachings fall from his grasp now.
"Actually I came to inform you that three of your top clients will be leaving your company. Their accounts will be transferred over to your rivals Senju after an anonymous tip off regarding your work ethics."
It had been worth it, the bullshitting and the dressing of his words, just to see Madara's face. He hadn't lied to any clients or the people over at Senju, but he'd needed to alter his words, spin them into tales that no one could accept. Allegations of Madara destroying rival companies had been floating around the industry for years, as had Itachi's sudden and previously-undisclosed departure.
"I told them why I left and they were happy to follow me once I mentioned I had just joined Senju." Itachi smiled, nodding to Madara. "I thought I should say thank you."
Itachi left then and returned to the Senju office he had just earnt, the small room bare and grey, but all his. He'd had to fight for this place and he wasn't going to let anyone take it from him now, not when he had a chance to give Naruto something special.
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Naruto smiled when he heard the news.
"A job? And at Senju?" His face split into a grin. "That's fantastic!" He jumped into Itachi's arms, kissing him soundly.
"And there's another thing," Itachi added, pulling the worn brochure from his back pocket. "I was wondering-"
"Itachi," Naruto said softly, taking the brochure from his hands and throwing it on the floor. "We can go for a holiday on a muddy patch of grass and all I'd care about is that we were there together."
He smiled, kissing Itachi again. "A beach would be lovely, but you just started. Let's save it for summer, okay?"
Itachi smiled in return, looking down at the ground. "I just wanted to thank you for all you did, extra shifts and everything."
He felt a hand on his chin, tilting his head back up. "You don't need to thank me, you know that."
Kissing Naruto again, Itachi nodded against him, pulling him close.
"Thank you though," he whispered, meaning the words from the bottom of his heart.
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Notes:
Yeah I am still working on this haha. Thank you for sticking with it, updates will be slower, but they will come!