Title: Slave

Rating: M

Couple: Itachi x Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Author: Thieving Thief

Beta: EmoButterfly1

A/N: So good News! I found my notebook! XD HE's chapter 3 for all you lovely people!

The next day started with Naruto waking to loud noises from downstairs. Curious, he left the bedroom and was instantly met with a yell from below. Recognizing the voice as Itachi's he raced down the stairs to see the source of Itachi's problem. A king size box spring had been dropped on his foot. As Naruto slipped slowly down the stair case behind him, Itachi cursed loudly at Deidara on the other end of the box spring.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked smiling. Itachi looked up and stopped cursing.

"Good Morning Naruto, Deidara and his um…boyfriend are moving in here with us."

"I know…what happened to your foot?"

"The blonde here spaced out and dropped the box spring then I dropped it and it fell on my foot."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Naru," Itachi walked the few steps to Naruto and gripped him in a hug. "You don't ever have to worry about me." Naruto blushed a little at the hug and pulled himself away.

"I'm going to go take a shower and get dressed…"

"Alright," Itachi smiled and turned to get back to lifting the box spring. Naruto went back up the stairs and straight to the bath. He loved water and taking baths at his leisure was one of the best things about living with Itachi. Living here was a dream compared to the pens, a dream that Naruto was glad to embrace.

An hour later Naruto had finished his bath and had dressed himself in jeans and a black t-shirt that said FOX in bright orange letters. He walked into the kitchen to see Deidara and Itachi at the kitchen table with a red haired man that Naruto assumed was Deidara's boyfriend.

"Naruto, come on in and have some lunch." Itachi patted the seat next to him. Naruto came forward slowly and made his way to the seat next to Itachi. Once Naruto had sat down and gotten a plate of food Itachi picked up again on his conversation.

"So Deidara, what's left to move in?" Itachi asked.

"Um…I think all that's left is Sasori's suitcases."

"Can you and Sasori deal with those without me? I want to talk to Naruto once he's done eating."

"Uh…sure Itachi, come on Sasori lets go get those bags." Deidara got up and Sasori silently followed grabbing Dei's hand as they walked out together.

Naruto found himself torn between eating his food as slowly as possible or scarfing it down as fast as he could. What could Itachi possibly need to talk to him about? Naruto settled for eating at a normal pace and Itachi pulled out a book and a pair of simple black glasses and began to read. Naruto could hear Dei and Sasori laughing with each other as they brought in the rest of Sasori's things. Soon enough the laughter died as the two retreated to their room and Naruto found that he had cleared his plate and Itachi had put down his book.

"Alright Naruto, let's talk."

"About what?" Naruto asked his voice quivering with nerves.

"About what you want to do, I've taken the liberty of signing your papers. As of this morning you are a free man." Naruto found himself unable to speak. He was free, finally free to do what he wanted to. "Well, do you want to stay or leave I suppose should be the first order of business." Itachi smirked as Naruto still struggled to speak.

"Well, I really want to go to school but I'm too old for that, aren't I?"

"I can get you a home tutor, and you can go to school while you're living here. But what will you do after that?"

"I…I don't know yet."

"Fair enough," Itachi stood. "Anything else you need before I start looking for tutors?"

"No, but thank you Itachi, you've done so much for me I don't know how to thank you."

"You don't need to thank me Naruto, You've done enough just by being you. You've made me see some of the good things in life that I didn't before; you've made me smile more often that I care to admit. That's all the repayment I need."

It was late when the four men once again gathered in the kitchen for dinner. Sasori had made chicken and dumplings from his grandmother's recipe. It was around 8pm when they were interrupted by a ring of the doorbell. The butler answered it and a few moments later he entered the kitchen.

"Master Uchiha, Miss Tsubasa is here to see you."

"I'll see her in a moment."

"Should I let her into the sitting room?"

"No, leave her in the foyer she won't be staying long." The butler nodded and Itachi excused himself.

Itachi entered the foyer with a stoic look on his face, the one that had been so often replaced with a smile in Naruto's presence.

"What are you doing her Kasumi, you can't just drop in whenever you'd like." Itachi watched as she stood from the chair. Her thigh high black boots clicked against the floor and her red trench coat swished around her.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing." Kasumi stood directly in front of him now her black nails reached out to twist themselves into his ponytail. Her chain link halter top started to press against his chest and he could feel the metal through his own shirt. Between her shirt, that Itachi had decided was extremely uncomfortable, and the black miniskirt she was wearing, it was clear the girl was just dropping by. "I thought maybe we could have a little fun." She walked her fingers up his chest as she talked.

"I afraid that won't be possible Kasumi, not now and not ever." Itachi backed away and lightly slapped her hands away. "It happened once because I was drunk and lonely and fresh out of my breakup with Kisame but you won't get me again."

"But why not Itachi, you could get drunk again…" Kasumi chuckled.

"I've fallen in love Kasumi, and it's not with you so you should leave. In fact you should leave for good. If you bother me again I'll get a restraining order." Itachi turned and left the foyer and he could hear as Kasumi stomped her feet and slammed the door behind her. He turned around and saw Naruto standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.

"Who was she?" He asked softly.

"She was a girl who once upon a time wanted to be my girlfriend. I told her no for the last time and she got angry and left."

"I…I heard you tell her you were in love with someone…is that true?" Naruto came closer trying to look at Itachi's face as he avoided his gaze.

"Yes." Itachi breathed.

"Who is it? Who have you fallen in love with?" Naruto sounded excited and he started to literally bounce around Itachi waiting for an answer.

"I…." Itachi took a deep breath.

"Don't worry about her Naruto," Deidara came through the kitchen with Sasori tagging along behind him. "She's been after Itachi for years and by the sounds of it, Itachi finally plucked up the courage to tell her off." Deidara grinned at Itachi and slid his hand back to grip Sasori's. "Anyway, we're off to bed, night you two." Deidara and Sasori left and once again it was just Itachi and Naruto left.

"I'm going to take a shower." Itachi slipped past Naruto and went to take his shower buying himself time to think. He hadn't expected Naruto to be listening. How was he supposed to explain it now? Itachi sighed as he basked in the hot water. How was he supposed to tell Naruto he had already fallen in love with him…?

The time for sleep had come and Naruto climbed the stairs quietly. He had decided he would try to sleep on his own tonight seeing as it seemed Itachi was avoiding him. Naruto quietly crept down the hall to his room to find Itachi sitting on his orange bed holding one of the plush foxes.

"Itachi, what are you doing?"

"I was waiting for you; you asked me a question earlier that didn't get answered."

"Yeah,"

"I've decided that I can't answer you until you give me an answer to the question I'm about to ask."

"Alright…"

"Do you love me?" Itachi asked his question with his face directed at the fox and Naruto froze in the doorway.

"I told you before that I like you, I'm just not sure why…or if my feelings mean anything at all."

"Naruto, I need a definite yes or no answer." Naruto hesitated as he came a little further into the room before he answered.

"No, not at the moment." Naruto muttered

"Alright, I'm going to bed…you can join me if you want or you can try sleeping in here. I don't care either way."

Naruto found himself lying next to Itachi unable to sleep. Itachi had been acting weird today and it was bothering him. Naruto had concluded that the reason was one of two things. One it was the girl earlier, something about her had sent Itachi into an unhappy mood. Or two it was Himself hassling Itachi afterwards. Naruto mentally hit himself, he shouldn't have asked about Itachi's love life. It was none of his business who Itachi was dating but maybe….maybe Naruto wanted it to be his business. With that thought Naruto fell into a fitful sleep.

Naruto woke to an empty bed and a glance at the clock told him it was almost 2 in the afternoon. Naruto forced himself awake and staggered his way down the stairs. He yawned and crossed into the living room. He stopped in the doorway his eyes getting bigger by the second and a blush covering his face as he saw Deidara and Sasori on the couch. Both men were naked and Sasori was on top of the blonde. Naruto left before he could see anymore racing up to his bedroom and closing the door. His heart was pounding as he sank onto his bed. He quickly found himself reliving some of his most hated memories, being auctioned off, his loincloth removed so he was completely visible, the buyer using him to pleasure himself and then throwing him back in the pens. Naruto began crying and sobbing loudly without realizing it lost in his memories he began to scream.

"I don't know what happened Ita; I called you as soon as I heard him." Deidara's voice cut through the fog that had formed in his head. "The poor thing is still crying in his sleep."

"Leave, I'll handle this." That was Itachi.

"Alright, come on Dei, let's go." Sasori led Deidara's worried face away and Itachi shut the door before worriedly coming over to Naruto.

"Naru," Itachi's fingers brushed some hair out of his eyes as he opened them. "Naru, are you alright?"

"Sasuke?" Naruto's voice was hoarse and broken sounding as Itachi lifted the blonde into his arms.

"No Naru, its Itachi…remember you live here now." Itachi brushed at the blonde's face. "Naru, what happened."

"I…I woke up and I went downstairs….Dei and Sasori….and then I remembered everything….everything they did to me. I remembered everything they did to Sasuke….he cried so much…." Naruto broke into tears again and clung desperately to Itachi. "Don't let them…don't let them Itachi….please."

"Shhh, calm down Naruto, I've got you I'm here, no one is going to hurt you again…I promise, I promise." Itachi held him close as Naruto once again cried himself to sleep. He set the blonde into his bed and then left to find Sasori and Deidara.