Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Emerald Key ❯ Chapter 7

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Haku woke up to find himself lying on an unfamiliar bed; he most certainly didn’t have sheets of various sand colors and cream. After blinking away the sleepy confusion, the angelic slave remembered what had happened the previous day. Hurriedly glancing down at himself, Haku let out the breath he hadn’t realized he was keeping. He was still wearing his pinkish-peach sleeveless yukata.

Glancing about the room, he gave a tiny smile. It appeared that the bombastic blond was just as messy at ‘home’ as he was in his ‘office’. Various bits of metal lay strewn amongst the various clay sculptures lined up on the dresser opposite the foot of the bed. A rather large pile of clothes was lying on the floor, obviously in dire need of a good wash or two. A couple half empty bags of clay rested against one camel colored wall, while a few paintings of birds hung crookedly above.

Shaking his head in amusement, the raven winged teen carefully readjusted the paintings. ‘He must really like birds,’ he mused, noticing that most of the sculptures were stylized versions of various types of birds. He was about to take a further look at one of what appeared to be a dove, when he remembered that the ‘artist’ used explosive clay in his ‘work’ for the firm. He couldn’t take the chance that the tiny bit of clay wouldn’t blow up if he so much as breathed on it.

Haku then decided that it was time he’d head back to his own suite before the raven haired CEO or Kisame got there and found him gone. He cautiously opened the door and saw that it was carpeted. The angelic slave then sent a grateful prayer for the plush yarn for it would muffle his steps should Deidara be anywhere inside the suite. He was about to head for the front door when he heard a voice call him from the kitchen.

“Hey you’re up, un!” the taller blond said as he looked up from his plate of eggs and bacon. “Ya feeling up to eating anything, un?”

Haku wasn’t really in the mood to eat in spite of the smell of cooked bacon making his stomach grumble. “I-I really should be going,” the smaller brunet said nervously backing away once he realized that the arsonist was wearing only a pair of baggy washed out black sweat pants. “I-Itachi-sama will be angry if the thinks I…”

“Not so fast little bird,” the taller blond said pouncing on him and sternly shoving the younger teen into a chair. “Don’t think I’m gonna let ya get away that easily, un. Not after that stupid stunt ya tried to pull last night, un.” The brunet said nothing, instead choosing to hang his head in despair. It was pretty obvious that this man wasn’t about to leave him alone anytime soon. “You’re gonna stay with me from now on, un,” the mad bomber stated, leaving no room for objection.

Haku nodded, once again resigning himself to yet another unavoidable fate.

“Look, kid,” Deidara began, feeling a tad guilty about being so harsh with the broken teen. “It’s not that I wanna keep ya here, un. It’s just that I’d hate to see that bastard Uchiha win even more.”

The raven haired angel stared at him in confusion.

“It’s pretty damned obvious, un,” Deidara explained as he fished another plate out of the cupboard. “Even a baby could see that Itachi-sama wants you out of the way.”

Haku winced slightly at the venomous tone the older man had when speaking their ‘employer’s’ name. “It’s probably best that I was,” he muttered.

The arsonist’s midnight blue eyes flared in anger and disgust. “Why the hell are you so eager to throw away your life like that, un?!” he shouted, slamming the plate down on the counter and making the angelic teen flinch in fright. “Don’t tell me you’re cool with him touching that fox kid of yours, un! Is that what ya really want, kid?!”

“I-I want Naruto-kun to be happy,” Haku stammered, staring at his hands as they lay in his lap. “He loves Itachi-sama deeply. If I were to remain here, I would only further drive a wedge between them.”

“But don’t ya love him, un?” the taller blond asked, once again feeling guilty for spooking his ‘little bird.’ He began piling food onto the plate, which gratefully didn’t crack from the force of hitting the sand colored granite.

“I do,” the raven winged angel replied, “but it’s not the same way. We may have been lovers once, but Naruto-kun’s moved on. And so have I.”

“Well, I guess there’s only one thing left, un,” he said placing the now practically overfilled dish of food before his ‘guest.’ “Since ya don’t seem to want your life, then I guess I’ll have to take it from ya, un.” Haku’s dull chocolate eyes widened in fear, the first real emotion the ‘artist’ had seen in them since yesterday’s crying fit. Deidara then grinned and let out a raucous laugh. “Relax will ya, un? I’m not gonna kill ya, little bird.”

“But you said-“

“I know what I said, un. Your life’s mine now, un, so no more of this crap like you pulled yesterday. Ya got it, un?” Haku nodded, his head hanging once again in defeat. “Now, go on little bird. Eat up, un!”

The raven haired teen just sat there, refusing to budge. Despite his body’s continuous demand for fuel, he just didn’t have the energy or will to comply. “I’m sorry, Deidara-san. I’m not really that hungry,” he murmured, getting up. The taller blond’s dark sapphires narrowed in stern disapproval.

“Oh no ya don’t,” Deidara scolded, placing both hands on the smaller one’s shoulders and forcing him back into the chair. “You’re not leaving this table until ya eat something, un.” Haku just remained silent, not bothering to look at the plate. The mad bomber sighed, “If that’s how you’re gonna be, un,” he grumbled. He then scooped up a forkful of eggs and pinched the raven winged angel’s nose shut.

The taller blond stayed there, grinning. It was only a matter of time before the lack of oxygen forced his ‘guest’ to open his mouth. He watched as the brunet’s palest pink lips slowly began to tremble and start turning darker. “Gotcha, un!” Deidara crowed in triumph as Haku was finally forced to give in and start gasping for air.

Not letting his chance get away, the older blond shoved the fork into the angelic slave’s mouth. The raven haired teen glared at him, having been forced to chew and swallow the food. It was delicious though. ‘He’s a good cook,’ he mused absently.

“So ya gonna eat now, un? Or do I have to feed ya again?” Deidara asked, eying the shorter teen disapprovingly. “It’s either one or the other, little bird. Pick your pick, un.”

Haku sighed. ‘It seems I have no choice,’ he thought, as he reluctantly shoved a bit more food onto the fork.

“Good boy, un,” the taller blond said, ruffling the younger one’s silky black hair before returning to his own seat.

“Why do you hate Itachi-sama so much?” Haku asked in between bites.

“He’s a pompous ass bastard!” the blond ground out, “That’s why, un.”

“What happened? There’s got to be a real reason for you to hate someone that much,” the angelic slave pressed.

Deidara sighed. “It’s because I’m stuck here just like ya are, little bird.” The raven winged angel looked at him confusedly, but said nothing. He’d wait for the other to gather himself and explain. “Your Itachi-sama blackmailed me into working for Akatsuki, un. Said he had Intel on me and was gonna go to the authorities with it, un.” He let out a wry chuckle at the younger teen’s shocked look. “Don’t look so shocked, un. You must have guessed by now my ‘art’ isn’t exactly legal, un.”

“You hate him because he blackmailed you, then?”

“That ain’t it, little bird. It’s not too bad working here, un. I’ve got myself a nice big cushy suite. I can work on my art as much as I like and the pay’s not bad either, un. It’s just that I was tricked into it, un!”

“What do you mean tricked?”

“I didn’t know until much later that that bastard Uchiha didn’t have anything on me, un! But, now he’s got a whole crap load of evidence, un! So if I don’t do exactly as he says, I’m jail bait, un.”

“So that’s why you said you were trapped last night,” Haku said, beginning to understand the taller blond a bit more. This man was in a similar situation as him.

“Yeah, we’re both living in a gilded cage, my little bird. But I’d rather live in a gilded one by myself than a filthy one with dozens of others like me, un.” ‘Though I wouldn’t mind having a kawaii, little, black canary around to keep me company, un,’ he added silently.

“I see your point, Deidara-san. Though it would get lonely, wouldn’t it?” the younger of the two said, fighting down the sudden blush. The more he spent time with the bombastic blond, he began to be reminded of his Zabuza-sama, of how the older trainer would get rather stern with him whenever he felt the raven haired angel was on the verge of giving up. And he surprisingly enough began to find that he liked the older blond’s grins, how his azure eyes would sparkle with mischievous mirth as he did so. They reminded him so much of Naruto’s own smiles and sunny nature.

‘I shouldn’t be thinking like that!’ Haku chided, ‘He probably doesn’t even think of me like that either.’

“Yeah, but it’s not so lonely anymore now, un,” Deidara replied, grinning at his little bird’s light blushing. ‘Hmm… looks like my little canary’s starting to warm up, un.’ “You should eat more, un,” he scolded as the raven winged angel shoved away the still full plate.

“I-I’m sorry, it’s just that there’s too much,” he apologized, “Honest. I can’t eat another bite.”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to work on that, ne?” Deidara said ruffling the teen’s hair again and making him blush. “So, what do ya wanna do, un?” the blond asked once the dishes were properly disposed of.

“Whatever you wish, Deidara-san,” the brunet replied meekly.

Blue gems narrowed slightly in distaste at his ‘guest’s’ submissive nature. He really preferred more assertive company, but there was just something about this beauty that made him want to keep him at his side. “I’m asking, you, un,” he tried once more.

“I-I… there’s nothing I-I really want to do, Deidara-san,” he replied, perplexed that anyone would actually ask him what he wanted. With his customers, and now Itachi and Kisame, he always had to do what they ordered him to.

“Hmm…” the blond mused, “I guess you can come watch me work on my art then, un,” said the older blond.

“I-I won’t be in the way?” Haku asked.

“Nah, but if ya wanna, ya can help, un.”

“Really?” the winged slave queried, eager to be of use for something other than a bed warmer. “But won’t it be dangerous?”

Deidara let out a soft chuckle. “Only if ya, want it to be, little bird,” he purred and inwardly smirking at the teen’s bright red face.


The next few weeks went by in a flash. Haku and Deidara had grown close and were now best of friends. The winged teen was much happier now that he had become the ‘artist’s’ apprentice/helper, finally able to be something else than a pleasure slave. The arsonist was happy for his little bird as well.

The boy’s warm chocolate eyes had gotten their shine back as well as his hair and feathered appendages. He loved to ruffle those long inky strands of silk and run his artist’s fingers through the downy soft wings. But such occasions were few and far apart. Not because Deidara was busy, but because he would do so only after cuddling the younger teen when he had a nightmare and had fallen asleep in the blond’s arms.

This was one such time. Poor Haku had once again woken him with his cries and screams and the mad bomber was now sitting on the sofa with the younger brunet cradled in his arms, sleeping peacefully like the angel he so much resembled. The blond gently rocked the slumbering angel as he continued to hum a lullaby his mother had so often used to sing him to sleep with.

“It’s pretty,” the raven haired teen whispered, sleepily, having woken up “what is it?”

Deidara blushed at having been caught being so abnormally gentle. Had the shark like VP walked in on them at that moment, Kisame would never let the bombastic ‘artist’ live it down. “I… I… It’s just something my mom used to sing sometimes, un,” he stammered, his cheeks as red as his boss’s eyes.

“I like it,” Haku whispered, laying his head back on the blond’s bare chest. “Sing it for me?”

The older man sputtered. “I-I ain’t that good, un,” he protested, “I’d wind up mangling it, un.”

“Please?” the angelic teen begged, his wide chocolate eyes watering slightly.

“I can’t say no to ya, my little bird,” the arsonist said, sighing, “Just don’t laugh, un.”

“I won’t.” Haku smiled then snuggled closer to his best friend, waiting patiently for him to start.



The raven haired teen smiled as he silently lay in Deidara’s lap, letting the gentle melody and the blond’s deeper voice lull him back into a doze.

Deidara continued to blush as he sang softly. The angel in his arms started slightly when he ran a hand over one downy soft wing, but quickly settled back down when he realized his friend meant no harm.


“It’s a beautiful song, Deidara-san,” the smaller brunet yawned, having forced himself to listen to the entire lullaby. Said blond was bright crimson again.


“Y-Ya didn’t hate my singing, un?”

“I liked it,” Haku replied, it being his turn to blush, “very much.”

“T-Thanks, un. Um… I think ya’d better get back to bed, un,” the ‘artist’ said, fearing that if he had to look at those adoring warm pools any longer, he’d wind up doing something to wreck their friendship.

He loved his little bird, so much that the thought of not having Haku around made his heart feel as if it’d been stuffed with his most powerful explosives and then blown to smithereens. However, he would gladly do that himself if it meant his beloved little bird would be safe from his raging hormones.

“I’m comfortable right, here,” the smaller teen murmured firmly wrapping his arms around the taller blond’s neck.

“H-Haku-chan?!” Deidara sputtered.

“Shh,” Haku whispered, bringing the blond’s head closer to his. “Please, Deidara-san. I-I want this,” he pleaded.

“Y-Ya sure, un? I could be just trying to seduce ya to get my way with ya, un,” the older blond teased darkly.

“No one who can sing such a beautiful song like that could ever be so cruel,” his winged friend countered, “Besides your song told me.”

“T-Told ya what, un?”

“What’s in here,” he replied, placing one delicate and slender hand above Deidara’s heart. The older arsonist’s heart fluttered at the gentle touch of Haku’s cool milky white skin against his slightly darker and warmer skin. “Aishiteru, my eagle,” the raven haired angel cooed before gently placing his lips on the taller man’s.

Deidara blinked several times before what his younger friend had said registered in his currently fogged up brain. ‘The kid… the kid loves me, un?!’ He stammered in utter shock. True he’d known that Haku had finally gotten over his timidity and had more often freely offered his opinion when asked, but he had never expected him to return his feelings like this.

‘Oi!’ chided his inner self, ‘Stop thinking so much and kiss him already, un! He’s gonna think ya don’t like him anymore if ya don’t un!’

‘But…’ the blond stalled.

‘Just do it already, un! Ya love the kid don’t ya?! Do it before ya lose him, un!’ the inner insisted.

‘Alright! Alright already, un!’ he yelled back.

“D-Deidara-san?” Haku queried, beginning to regret his actions. ‘I should have known he really doesn’t care for me in that way.’

“It’s ok, my little dove,” the blond said, gently cupping one porcelain smooth cheek. “I love ya too, un.”

With that he brought their heads together and kissed Haku’s rose colored lips with a passion that was like his personality, hot and explosive.


Naruto: Hey what gives Sakura-chan?! Since when did become a Dei/Haku?! I thought ya were doin’ an Ita/Naru?!


Sakura: This IS an Ita/Naru, Naru-chan! But I just couldn’t leave poor Haku hanging like that! I promise you two’ll be back next chapter!


Itachi: We’d better, onna.


Naruto: Oi! Bad Ita-kun! No sicking the Sharingan on the author lady!!! Bad!!! (whacks him with Sanzo’s fan)


Sakura: o.O Do I even wanna know?


Sasuke: I doubt it.


Sakura: Yeah, you’re probably right, brat. Well, let me know what you think ppl, ‘k? Oh yeah one more thing, all flames and flamers will be fed to Manda-san so don’t say I didn’t warn you! ^_^