Work Text:
Childhood friends
“Thank you so much again, Sakura.” Hinata handed a bag over to Sakura and smiled. She looked down at the little boy holding onto the hem of her skirt. “Boruto, you be good now.”
A pout formed on his face, and clutched onto his mother’s skirt a little tighter with his tiny hands. “But moooom!” His big blue eyes moistened.
“Mama?” A sleepy voice called from the living room. Dressed in pink pajamas with a tiny slug print, a little girl with dark hair peeked at the guests by the door.
“Oh, she woke up already,” Sakura muttered, then turned her attention to the little boy. “Come on, now, Boruto. I’ll make you your favorite breakfast.”
The little girl was now standing behind her mother, looking at their guest who was now near tears. “Why are you here again?”
“Sarada!” Sakura chided her. “That isn’t what we say to guests.”
Sarada puffed her cheeks and looked at the little boy. “But you said we were going to the park today.”
“And we will.” Sakura nodded, patting her head. “Boruto is coming with us.”
“Fine.” She sulked.
Sarada sat on her spot on the dining table, comfy on her booster seat, and watched as her mother piled two pillows and carried Boruto to sit on the seat next to her. Cereal was something Sarada often ate for breakfast, or if her father was around, fish and miso soup with tomatoes. Yuck.
However, since they had a guest, and she overheard, Sarada already knew breakfast would be special today. Sakura laid down eggs and bacon before them and poured orange juice into their glasses. Boruto was already eating happily, and the little girl couldn’t help but watch him.
It’s not that she hated him. Not at all. It was more like, the promise of going to the park to spend some one-on-one quality time with her mother was something she looked forward to but now she had to share.
She enjoyed spending time with her mother before they left, getting her ready and dressed for the park while Boruto watched morning cartoons. The dress her mother chose was a cute canary yellow, matched with white leggings. It was comfortable, too. And Sarada loved the way Sakura fixed her bangs up with a little clip, keeping her hair away from her eyes. Now, she could play without worrying about her hair getting in the way.
Her excitement soon dwindled when the park came to view, but Boruto seemed not to share her reaction. A bunch of other kids was running around, their parents sitting on benches and talking amongst themselves. Her mother was vaguely talking about knowing these people, and sure enough, Sarada knew them as well. It was hard not to when they would so often see each other around town or come together for dinner.
Boruto’s reaction changed once they parked. He could hardly wait to get out of his car seat, wanting to be where the other kids were and to play. The moment Sakura put him down on the ground, he made a run for it, joining the other kids easily.
Not Sarada, though. She waited for her mother to finish checking their car, and held onto her hand as they entered the park. She gave her mother a hesitant look before letting go and walking towards the sandbox, just close enough to hear the other kids talking, but not quite enough to make out what they were saying.
Boruto always got along with the other kids quickly, making friends and even leading which game to play. It was always a little difficult for Sarada, not really knowing how to approach them.
She bent down and started gathering sand into her hands, forming little lumps, trying her best to hear and see what game they would be playing. Their chattering sounded fun.
“Oh, wait.” Boruto looked over at her and ran towards her. “Sarada, come play with us.”
Sarada looked at him, and then at the other kids. She recognized them. Shikadai, Inojin, Chocho, and Metal. “Me?”
“We need to be six to play, but even if, you should join.” Boruto grinned and held his hand out for her to take.
Her gaze landed on his hand and she wiped hers on the back of her dress, the sand falling down onto the floor. “Okay.” Sarada placed her hand in his, and he held on, before Boruto proceed to drag her out of the sandbox.
“Guys, Sarada’s playing!” Boruto announced happily. The other kids didn’t object, and even welcomed her to play.
A smile formed on her lips. She didn’t hate Boruto at all. In fact, she liked having him and his smiles around.
.
.
.
High school
Boruto was looking forward to high school for what seemed like his entire life. He was young and oblivious at the time, thinking there wasn’t much more to life than school, friends, and video games.
And Thunder Burger.
Every day after school he and all of his friends met there to hang out and eat together. Sometimes they didn’t have more than a soda or shake, but Boruto never grew tired of eating burgers.
Freshman year, they all settled into life as soon-to-be adults, preparing themselves for what would come next, and yet Boruto was content where he was. He didn’t really want to grow up. He liked being home, having a simple life, and having nothing to worry about, but that perspective began changing over time. With each semester that passed, Boruto matured a little more.
He was relatively popular, knew a lot of people, and was easy to get along with as long as you didn’t cross his friends, but nobody was closer to him than Sarada. It was because their families were so close, they’d also grown up together. They were just always there, together, so of course they would be close. It didn’t mean anything more than that.
Boruto wasn’t stupid, he recognized how great Sarada was. She was beautiful, smart, thoughtful, and probably the coolest person he knew. If they hadn’t grown up together and weren’t such great friends, he thought for sure he would have a crush on her. They were just friends though and Sarada wasn’t interested in him. She didn’t seem to be interested in anyone, honestly. Although there were plenty of guys interested in her . Boruto took care of them though. No way would he let some nobody creep on his best friend. She was way too good for them.
Besides, he didn’t need anyone getting in the way of their hangouts.
It seemed to become more tedious over time though. The guys were relentless, but so was Boruto. Their final year of high school was the worst. It was like everyone was taking their last shots at trying to get with her. It disgusted him and he ended up in a few fights because of it. Sometimes he was subtle about it, like when he had to take care of things right in front of Sarada. It always annoyed him more when he couldn’t intervene before the guy reached her.
Hōki was one who had tried to gain Sarada’s affection many times over the years and Boruto hated his guts. He wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t the guy for Sarada either. Boruto was late leaving class for lunch and his jaw tensed as soon as he stepped into the cafeteria and saw Hōki sitting beside Sarada—in his seat.
“That’s my seat, ya know,” he said with a scowl, dropping his backpack on the floor next to Sarada’s in case he needed to jump Hōki. “Get lost.”
Hōki rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide his disgust at being caught by Boruto. Boruto knew everything that the creep was thinking. He knew what he wanted from Sarada. Boruto would die before he let it happen.
“You have my number, text me,” Hōki said to Sarada as he got up and left.
Boruto gawked at his retreating form before turning his head to look at Sarada. “You took his number?”
“More like he gave it to me.” Sarada put her phone on sleep and slipped it into her pocket. She blinked at his expression a few times before giggling. “Don’t worry about it. Come on, eat with me.”
“You know I can’t stand him.” Boruto sat next to her, grumbling under his breath more about Hōki sneaking up when he wasn’t around. “He has bad intentions. I hope you know that.” Sarada was smart but Boruto still felt the need to point it out.
She took a sip of her strawberry milk and nodded. “Yes, yes. No one will ever be good enough for me, as you have said many times.”
“Exactly. Glad that’s clear,” he huffed and stole half of her sandwich, taking a big bite before grumbling, “Can’t wait to get out of this place.”
“Mm. We should be getting our acceptance letters soon. I hope we all pass. It would be fun to go to the same university with everyone.” Sarada took her sandwich back and took a smaller bite, she chewed slowly as she waited for his reaction. “You think we’d be allowed to be roommates?”
“Definitely. No matter what. If the dorms don’t allow it, we’ll rent a place nearby.” He smiled wide, Hōki forgotten for the time being. “Promise?”
Sarada swallowed her food and grinned. “Promise.”
Boruto took her sandwich again and had another bite before grabbing a chip to stuff in his mouth as well. “Just me and you.”
.
.
.
University
When Boruto meant just he and Sarada sharing a room, he certainly had it all wrong.
Sarada stood in front of a large house, just a ten-minute drive away from campus. The front lawn was well-manicured, and the mailbox was void of any last name. It was brand new, and meant to house a large family, but with its proximity so close to the university, an investor saw it as a dorming opportunity instead. She bit her lip and looked at all the boxes strewn around the lawn with names scribbled on it.
INOJIN - CLOTHES
CHOCHO - MAKEUP
SHIKADAI - BOOKS
SARADA - BEDSHEETS
BORUTO - COMIC BOOKS
Boruto wasn’t happy, and she could still hear him arguing with Shikadai and Inojin as they hauled the boxes out of the car. Chocho was already inside, bringing some of her smaller boxes in. “I’m getting the room with a bathroom!” She yelled and ran back inside the house, already claiming her territory.
Sarada smirked when Inojin let go of his box and ran into the house, wanting to claim another room. There was another set of boxes by the door, all neatly piled up. MITSUKI was written on it.
They failed to rent the entire house, and the sixth room was vacant, so the owner decided to allow another university student to rent it. Information about him was little, just that he was in the same year, and he had clearance for pets. Sarada wondered if he had a dog or something. It would be cute if he did.
“I’m going to look inside,” Sarada told Boruto. “I’ll save you a room.”
“I’m coming with you.” He thought he at least wanted to get a room close to Sarada.
“Okay.” Sarada led the way into the house. The front door led into the living room with large sofas and a flat-screen TV. The kitchen was large, and was complete with appliances, from the oven to a microwave and a dishwasher. The dining table was the perfect size for them, being able to seat six people. “It’s like they expect us to keep everything in well and in working order,” she muttered to herself before walking up the stairs.
Chocho had chosen the first bedroom, which was supposedly the master’s bedroom. It was huge. Inojin chose the room right next to it, the bathroom and bed space were significantly smaller, but it had large windows and a view of the backyard. The room across it was bigger, facing the street, but no bathroom.
There were two rooms next to it, and Sarada entered the first one. It was roughly the same size but had another door that opened up to a bathroom. “Oh, I want this one. It has a bathroom.”
Boruto walked into the next room, checking it out but what was best about it was the adjoining bathroom. He couldn’t even hide his smug expression when he walked through the bathroom and directly into Sarada’s room. “This works.”
Her cheeks flushed, and her posture went rigid. This was not what she expected. “Wait… your room is connected to the bathroom?” She pushed past him and walked into the bathroom, and out through the other door. True enough, she walked into a bedroom similar to hers. It shouldn’t have had her flustered but it did. She had shared numerous things with Boruto all throughout her life. But sharing a bathroom? It seemed so personal and intimate. Sarada bit her lip and turned around, surprised to find him standing right in front of her. “No way.”
“What?” Boruto’s excitement dimmed and he pouted at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Sharing a bathroom—like,” her hands made wild gestures around his body, “with you? Really?” It made way more sense in her head why this was unacceptable but she couldn’t really find the right words to explain. Since when couldn’t she explain herself to Boruto? An even better question, since when did she have to explain herself to Boruto?
“Yeah, why not…” Boruto shrugged his shoulders, not seeing the problem. “We share everything else.”
Well, yes. That was true. “Fine, but don’t you be messy.” She pointed a finger at him and looked up to meet his gaze. “And we take turns cleaning it.”
“Sarada, really? I’m totally clean, ya know.” Boruto waved her off.
“No, you’re not.”
“Am so!”
“I’ve known you all your life, you think I don’t know how messy you are? Auntie Hinata isn’t here to pick up after you, and like hell, I will!”
“What’s so bad about picking up a few things every now and then?” Boruto huffed, brows furrowing. “You probably always leave stuff everywhere too and Auntie Sakura always cleaned up your messes.”
She shook her head and scoffed. “Never, Boruto. Mama stopped picking up after me when I was ten.” Sarada couldn’t believe this. Accidentally seeing each other naked was avoidable, by keeping the doors locked but— wait . Why was she even thinking about that? Her cheeks burned and she pushed past him again and into her room. “Just keep it clean, okay?” She said, refusing to face him until her cheeks stopped burning.
“Yeah, well, you better keep it clean too,” Boruto muttered as he followed her. “I’m not a jerk so I wouldn’t mind cleaning up after you.”
“You wouldn’t have to.” Sarada rolled her eyes and darted down the stairs, running past Shikadai. “You get the other room, mine is next to yours!” She announced as she continued to jog towards the lawn and picked up the first carton she saw with her name on it. Her cheeks were still feeling hot, and for some reason, she couldn’t get the image of Boruto wrapped around in a towel and fresh from a shower out of her head. Chastising herself as she walked back into the house, she stopped when she saw a stranger in the living room, holding a large green snake.
“Hi.” He smiled as if he wasn’t holding on to a large snake. “I’m Mitsuki.”
Sarada stared at him for a moment before introducing herself. “Hey, I’m Sarada. You’re our new housemate, right? Umm… Nice… snake.”
“Thank you.” He grinned. “I have four more.”
Boruto wasn’t going to like that. “Nice. We already chose our rooms… umm. Yours is the third on the right.”
“Great, thanks.”
Mitsuki walked past her, the snake hissing toward Sarada as he passed. Sarada followed him up the stairs and held in her laugh when she heard Boruto scream upon seeing the snake.
“What the hell is that, bro?” Boruto screeched. “No. Not a fucking chance. Get it away.” He was unashamed as he darted behind Sarada as quickly as he could. “Who is this guy?”
“Mitsuki,” Sarada introduced him. “This is Boruto.”
“What the hell is going—what the fuck?!” Inojin backpedaled into his room. “Was that a snake?!”
“Oh?” Chocho peeked from her door and laughed. “Interesting. I thought you would have a dog or a cat, you know?”
“I also have a cat.” Mitsuki smiled. “Nice to meet all of you.”
Shikadai walked out of his room and gave him a smile. “Right back at ya. I’m Shikadai. Just make sure it stays in your room, okay?”
“Right.” Mitsuki pointed at the door in front of Boruto’s. “This one’s mine, then?”
“No way!” Boruto yelled, wrapping his arm around Sarada and holding her against his chest as if it brought him more protection. “You’re not keeping those snakes across from me. I’ll never sleep.”
“I doubt it’ll hurt you.” Sarada put the box down and patted his arms around her waist.
“Mm. They like to cuddle,” Mitsuki explained.
“I like to cuddle too, but not with creepy snakes,” Boruto scoffed before realizing what he said and blushing from head to toe. “I mean… I mean… fuck this.” There was no saving his ass after that one.
Inojin guffawed. “Nice slip-up. I’m sure you’ll find a person to cuddle with but if not, you got snakes as a backup.” He walked back into his room and closed the door. Chocho and Shikadai did the same.
Boruto’s arms were still around Sarada, and Mitsuki was still standing there, but eventually walked into his own room, leaving the door ajar. She turned around in his arms and gave him a look. “Don’t be mean, Boruto,” she whispered.
“I’m not,” he said, sulking. “I hate snakes. Who even has pet snakes? It’s just weird… I’ll never sleep again being across from him.”
“Oh, don’t be a baby.” She wiggled her way out of his arms and picked up the box on the floor. “Just get settled in already so we can go take a look at the campus.”
“Fine, just leave me then.” Boruto continued to pout but went to do as she said, wanting to get it done as soon as possible.
For the most part, the rest of them kept to themselves, unpacking their belongings and fixing up their bedrooms. Sarada was able to clean her room up, put on the bedsheets and the curtains, as well as unpacking most of her clothes. Boruto was also making good progress, unpacking his games and comic book collection before anything else. His room looked a lot like how his did back home, which gave her some comfort, too. She sat on his bed and watched him put up a poster by the window. “Want to get something to eat?”
“Thunder Burger?” Boruto asked hopefully.
“I knew you would say that!” She laughed and got up, wandering over to his closet. “Sure, we should look for the closest one in case of emergencies.” Sarada pulled out a hot pink hoodie with a yellow thunderbolt on the front. She put it on and smoothed her hair out before walking over to him. “Let’s go?”
“Let’s.” Boruto grinned and grabbed her hand before leading the way.
Sarada nodded and interlaced their fingers together, walking towards the front door. Shikadai and Inojin were in the living room. If they had something to say, they didn’t. They only watched them leave the house together.
The drive to campus was fast and easy, barely any cars were out in their neighborhood, but traffic soon thickened as they approached the town center. There were lots of people near their age hanging out, walking, and shopping. The atmosphere was completely different from their hometown. Thunder Burger’s familiar signage came to view, and Boruto immediately pulled into the parking lot, not even bothering to ask if she wanted to see anything else first. He already knew the answer, anyway.
They walked into the restaurant together, brushing shoulders with other people along the way. Sarada knew she was fairly short, but she felt even more so when there were so many guys around. Thunder Burger always was popular with their age demographic, after all. “You order for me,” she told Boruto. “I’ll get us a table.”
“I’m on it,” Boruto said, winking at her before getting in line at the counter.
Sarada found a booth by the window, easily sliding into one side, where she can see Boruto ordering their food.
A group of girls entered the restaurant, loudly chatting amongst themselves and hushed once they got into the line.
Sarada’s brow quirked up when one of them tapped Boruto’s shoulder and started talking to him. They were too far for her to hear their conversation, but itn was obvious that they were flirting. The other girls joined in the conversation, flocking him on all sides.
Sarada’s fingers drummed on the table, thinking if she had to get up there herself to get Boruto moving. He was holding up the line.
Boruto turned around to place their orders, but these girls were persistent. One of them leaned up on the counter and continued talking to him as the register got his order ready.
Sarada placed her elbow up on the table, and held her hand to her mouth, stopping herself from calling out to him.
After a few more moments, Boruto picked up the tray with their food and looked over in Sarada’s direction before talking to the girls again. They followed his line opf vision and didn’t seem too pleased to see he was with someone else, and that made Sarada happy enough to remove her hand and grin at them.
Between her and Boruto, he was the more protective one. He never let guys come near enough to ask her out on dates, or even try to flirt with her. It never really bothered her, and it’s not like she had any interest in boys and dating as well.
Boruto always had a few admirers, and she never really stopped them from confessing or anything, since she was sure he didn’t have any interest in those girls, too. He would tell her if he did, and he never brought them up. But there was something about these college girls that felt different . They were playing on another field, and Sarada wasn’t so sure if she still would have the advantage in this game.
He finally reached their table, and she tried her best to ignore the girls’ glares directed toward her. “Who were they?” Sarada asked as calmly and casually as she could.
“Who?” Boruto asked as if he had no idea who she was talking about, eyes on their food as he slid hers in front of her and then had a sip of his drink.
She hated it whenever he played dumb because she knew for a fact he wasn’t. Sarada couldn’t even respond with words, so she just scowled at him and roughly took her drink to take a sip, hoping the cool cola would calm her down.
“Don’t do that,” Boruto groaned but there was a slight smile tugging at his lips as he poked her cheek. “Relax, they’re like… nobody. I don’t know, already forgot their names.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw the girls take a seat a few tables away and were still looking at them—at Boruto to be exact. “I don’t think the feeling is mutual,” she muttered and unwrapped her burger.
“Maybe I should’ve lied and said you were my girlfriend and not my best friend, then.” Boruto took a bite of his burger and sighed.
“That isn’t necessary. No use lying, too.” It’s not like they haven’t used that lie before, though. With them always being together, it was more believable than them simply being friends. “Besides, we’re in college now and we have never dated anybody. Might be a good time to start.” Although her tone was light, her heart ached at the thought of Boruto going out with another girl and not spending time with her anymore. She took a bite and looked at him, forcing a tight-lipped smile as she chewed.
“What?” Boruto dropped his burger. “I don’t care about stuff like that. You do? I mean… you want to date… other people?”
The look on his face made Sarada want to take it back. “I don’t. I mean, I don’t know, I’ve never tried it…”
He averted his eyes and stared at the burger now flopped on his tray. “Yeah… You’re right. I guess maybe it is time for that kind of thing.”
“Hey.” Sarada slid out of her seat and sat next to him, close enough for their knees to brush. “It’s not like it’s mandatory, you know? I might not even end up dating anyone because,” she smiled, “as you said, no one is ever good enough for me.”
Boruto tried to smile and managed to curl his lips, but it didn’t come close to touching his eyes. “Yeah…” He held her in high regard, but they weren’t kids anymore and he knew someone could come along who would catch her eye.
.
.
.
Classes started making all six of them busy. Sarada was anxious at first, not knowing anyone in most of her classes but she soon found that most of them were nice. She was happy that she and Boruto had some similar breaks and their buildings weren’t too far apart from each other. She gave up on seeing Inojin and Chocho since the art building was way on the other side. Shikadai’s schedule had similar breaks as hers, and their classrooms were relatively close. Boruto and Mitsuki had a number of classes together and she was quite happy about that. She felt like those two would be good friends.
“Up for a party later, Sarada?” Shikadai asked as he lit a cigarette and walked with her to the next building.
“Are you even allowed to smoke here?” She rolled her eyes but laughed. “Party? Where?”
“An upperclassman told me about it.” He shrugged. “She seemed cool.”
“Oh my god,” Sarada grinned and then squealed. “Out for the hunt and you pick an upperclassman ?”
“Shut up, it isn’t like that.” He blushed and blew the smoke away from her face. “I’m inviting everyone in the house, okay.”
“Sure.” Sarada laughed. “As long as you keep the noise down when you take her home. I like sleeping without noise.”
“It isn’t—what a drag.” Shikada gave up explaining it to her. “Whatever. We can all go together and take the car.”
“Sounds great.” She grinned. “I’ll let everyone know.” Her phone was already out, thumbs flying across the keyboard, letting their housemates know about a party and Shikadai wanting to go to score an upperclassman.
.
.
.
It was Boruto’s first college party so to say he was excited would be an understatement. He couldn’t stop grinning from the instant he got the text. It wasn’t often that he went to any sort of party, but he already knew he was going to have a great time. Boruto dressed in a pair of his best jeans but decided a simple t-shirt and university hoodie were suitable enough to wear. Everybody seemed to be looking forward to it, Shikadai especially. Even Mitsuki.
Once he was ready, Boruto went through his shared bathroom with Sarada, inhaling deeply as he passed through. She’d showered last so the smell of her body wash and shampoo was still lingering. Boruto was familiar with everything that had anything to do with Sarada, especially her smell, but he could never get enough of it. He was smiling softly until he opened her door.
“What the fuck is that?” He asked harshly, shoving the door open the rest of the way as he took in the sight of her.
Sarada wasn’t one to put her body on display, so seeing her in skinny jeans that looked as if they were made just for her shapely legs and hips and a crop top that revealed far too much skin was unexpected, to say the least. Her hair was down, her glasses gone and she was so beautiful Boruto lost his breath for a moment.
“What?” Sarada was so used to his outbursts that she didn’t even bother looking his way as she was applying lipstick on her lips. Once she finished, she smiled at her reflection and then looked at him. She laughed. “You don’t like my outfit?”
“Yeah, I like it. Looks great, but don’t you think you’re showing a little too much of… everything?”
“Hmm?” She looked down at herself and then at him. “I’m in pants. You should have seen the shorts Chocho picked out for me.”
“I should’ve known she was behind this.” Boruto huffed. “If you wear all that, everybody is gonna be staring at your ass. Not to mention everything else that’s not covered.”
Sarada laughed and walked up to him close enough for her to put her hands on his chest. “Looking is fine, but no touching.” She winked. “And you can keep yourself busy if someone does try, right?”
“Oh, so that’s how this is gonna go?” Boruto muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why can’t you wear one of my hoodies… you might get cold.”
“You’re wearing one. I can take it later.” She grinned.
Boruto frowned, knowing she wasn’t going to cave and he was going to have to watch her like a hawk the entire night. “Right, sure.”
He wasn’t happy but there was nothing he could do besides let it go and try to enjoy the party. It seemed safe enough. The girls at the party far outnumbered the guys, at least when they first arrived. Boruto smiled even when Sarada was swept away from him, happy to see her happy as she chatted with Chocho and a few other girls she knew. Nobody was eyeballing her and no creeps were lurking, so Boruto was able to let his attention wander and soon he was pulled away by his friends who wanted to drink with him.
After taking a few shots and getting held up by Shikadai introducing him to the girl, Yodo, whom he was obviously interested in, Boruto finally made his way back over to where he’d last seen Sarada. She was no longer there, but he found her before long, standing by the staircase, her girl friends gone, and nobody around except for a creep.
“I was gone for one minute. One.” Boruto grumbled to himself as he made his way over to the pair.
He wanted to barf seeing Sarada smiling at the guy who looked to be quite the charmer. Not only was he good-looking, but he had a sophisticated air about him, a warmth in his eyes that made him feel safe. Boruto hated him.
“Excuse me, hello.” Boruto stepped next to Sarada and placed his arm around her waist. “Who’s your friend?”
Sarada easily leaned into him and placed a hand on his chest. “Boruto!” A wide grin was on her face. “This is Kagura. Third year.” She then looked at him and introduced him. “This is my best friend, Boruto.”
“Oh, you’re Boruto.” Kagura grinned. “She won’t stop talking about you. It’s adorable, really.”
“Of course, she won’t stop talking about me.” Boruto glared at the guy, disappointed that Sarada hadn’t used him as an excuse to get away from the guy yet. “You must enjoy hearing about me, huh?”
“When she talks about you with that sparkle in her eye, yeah.” Kagura chuckled.
“Oh my god, I do not!” Sarada laughed.
For the first time, Boruto felt out of place at her side. He felt like an intruder who was ruining a moment she was having and it hurt his heart for some reason when he tried to meet her gaze only to see her staring into the eyes of the other guy. Boruto wasn’t happy about it and for a moment was unsure what to do. For once, he contemplated leaving her be, letting her have her moment, but in the end, he didn’t have the nerve to do it.
“Come get a drink with me,” he said, tightening his hold around her.
“Mm, yes. I do want another.” Sarada turned her gaze over to Boruto and smiled before looking back at Kagura and waving. “I’ll catch you later.”
“I would love that.” Kagura smiled warmly and waved at Boruto. “Pleasure to meet you, Boruto.”
Sarada wrapped an arm around his waist and asked, “How many have you had?”
“Not enough,” he replied in a mumble, trying to school his features but it was impossible when he was feeling so annoyed. He just looked ahead instead of at her, leading her into the kitchen so they could get a drink.
“Then we should change that.” Sarada was still looking at his face, waiting for him to look at her. Her arms were still around his waist, and she squeezed when a few seconds went by when he didn’t. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“No, of course not,” he lied, unable to prevent the way his face scrunched up. “I’m good.” Boruto dropped his arm and pulled away from her to fix himself a drink.
“That isn’t nothing.” She huffed and pushed her way in front of him, coming between him and the counter. Her hands came up to either side of his face, making her crop top lift. Her brows furrowed together. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but do you want to leave? We can if you want to.”
His blue eyes studied her momentarily against his will before he was able to avert his eyes. “No. I’m fine. We can stay.”
“You’re so annoying, stop lying to me.” She pushed her hands together, squishing his cheeks, making his lips pout up even more. Sarada continued to play with his face a little more and then giggled. “If you won’t make the decision, then I will. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Fine.” Boruto pretended like he didn’t want to leave, but he was relieved just to know they didn’t have to hang around anymore. He felt like he could actually breathe once they were outside and he didn’t hesitate to hold her hand. “We didn’t have to leave, ya know… I was fine.”
“Don’t be silly.” Sarada interlaced their fingers together and squeezed his hand lightly. “You’re not fine.” She pulled him along, walking away from the house. “Let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry.”
Boruto nodded in agreement, feeling guilty for feeling the way he felt and yet feeling unsure of what he could do about it.
.
.
.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but Boruto and Sarada found themselves at an impasse during their second semester of college. Boruto had his fair share of girls coming onto him and he turned them all down with ease, never questioning himself why he did that. Honestly, he knew no girl would be able to accept his relationship with Sarada and he wasn’t ever going to change how he was with her, so to him, it was pointless to try and date anyone.
He soon learned that Sarada didn’t feel the same.
It was a conversation that he hoped wouldn’t come up again, ever. The first time had been difficult enough, but this time… it wasn’t just mentioned in passing, Sarada wanted it addressed so that they could actually stop sitting still. Boruto knew the day would come eventually.
When Sarada would meet a guy who actually was worth her time. When he would no longer be able to stop her from dating guys, no matter their intentions. Especially when he couldn’t deny that someone was worth her giving them a shot.
It couldn’t be him, he was only her best friend, so of course it had to be someone else.
Boruto was calmer than he expected he’d be. He didn’t throw a fit as he normally would and even though he felt far from at ease, he managed to smile at her and tell her that he supported her fully. He was her best friend and that was what he was supposed to do. He even agreed to try dating as well, both of them deciding they needed to try something new.
He tried not to wonder how things were going for Sarada, but things weren’t going so well for him when it came to dating.
The campus was loaded with beautiful girls, and many of them wanted to date him. In fact, Boruto never had to ask any girl out, they always asked him. It only went from him turning everyone down, to him accepting their offers to date because it was the right thing to do. He needed to find someone else to focus on that wasn’t Sarada, but that was impossible for him.
“Three hours…”
Boruto looked up in surprise when his date stood abruptly, hands clenched at her sides. There was an undeniable look of fury burning in her brown eyes. He frowned, unsure what he’d done wrong this time, and even held his hands up in mock surrender.
“Three hours we’ve been together and all I hear is Sarada this and Sarada that. You claim she’s your best friend but it’s obvious you’re in love with her so why even agree to go out with me? You’re a total jerk!”
She stomped her foot and then angrily walked away, leaving Boruto to sigh in disappointment.
That was the third time he pissed a date off that week. In fact, every date ended the same. Just as he knew, nobody could respect what he had with Sarada and it seemed that he would never find the one for him.
Boruto pouted the whole way back home, ignoring all of his housemates on his way. He entered his room, stripped out of his nice clothes, and changed into joggers and a t-shirt before making his way through the bathroom and into Sarada’s room. He didn’t knock, knowing it was safe since the door was unlocked.
Sarada was wearing one of his hoodies and a pair of shorts. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun and her glasses were on, she was lying on her front on her bed, an open novel on the bed.
“Hey!” Sarada closed her book and sat up, folding her legs in front of her. “How was your date? Tell me.”
“Pointless.” Boruto walked over to her bed and pulled the covers back enough for him to slide in, though she was sitting in the way of his legs so he wiggled them around, waiting for her to move.
“What? Was it that bad?” Sarada moved to the other side of the bed, making room for Boruto to lie down. “She looked cute… right?”
“Yeah… guess I wasn’t her type after all.” Boruto stretched on her bed and rubbed the space next to him. “Let’s watch a movie.”
“Well, she’s stupid not to like you.” Sarada was always quick to claim that all the girls who couldn’t see how great Boruto was as dumb. She used to be confused and asked a million questions why the girls would even think that, but now, she just resigned to reassuring Boruto they were missing out. Then, proceed to spend time with him to cheer him up. Sarada picked up her laptop from the bedside table and placed it on her lap. “What do you want to watch? A thriller?”
“Really?” He peeked up at her, blue eyes sparkling with hope.
“Yes, really.” She slid the laptop over to him. “As long as you let me hide and you’ll hold me when the scary parts come up.”
“You already know I will.” Boruto was grinning from ear to ear as he searched for a good thriller for them to watch, his date completely forgotten.
.
.
.
The first year flew by way too fast for Sarada, and a lot of things have changed. Shikadai had a girlfriend, Inojin was dating girls left and right, and Chocho had multiple suitors who were always at their house, helping with chores and waiting on her. Even Mitsuki was dating, both girls and guys. It seemed like everyone was moving in the dating department except for her and Boruto.
It’s not like she didn’t go out on dates, or that no one asked her out. Plenty of guys did, and she almost never refused anyone, because she told herself she wanted to give people a chance. However, most of those guys never called her for a third date.
In the first week of her second year, Sarada had already been on three dates with different guys but they all ended so awkwardly. The second guy asked her out on another date and she thought it was going well, until he asked her, “Are you and Boruto together?”
Her initial reaction was to laugh. He wasn’t the only one who thought this. “No, no. I promise we’re just friends. We’ve known each other since we’ve—”
“—Been in diapers.” He finished. “I know, you told me like a million times.”
This made her gape. “I-I did? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.”
“It’s okay.” The guy grinned. “He’s obviously special to you, and you know, you’re beautiful and amazing but I don’t think I can date a girl who sleeps on the same bed with a guy who isn’t me.”
Sarada felt affronted. “He’s my best friend and it isn’t like that at all.” The guy was nice about it, though, and took her home. But Sarada decided that if he couldn’t trust her with Boruto, then he wasn’t worth a third date, anyway.
She came home feeling huffy and was surprised that the car wasn’t in the driveway. Turns out the boys went out to buy dinner and Chocho was the only one at home, but there were two guys in the living room with her.
“Chocho, can we talk?” Sarada looked at her friend and waited. The two guys looked her way, surprised.
Chocho finished chewing her chips before looking at the two guys. “Okay, time for you to go. Sarada needs me.”
“Thank you.” Sarada sighed. “And I’m sorry,” she apologized to the two.
When they left, she plopped down on the sofa and pouted at Chocho. “Am I not loveable? Is there something wrong with me? Why don’t these guys want to date me? What’s their deal?”
“Girl, they want to date you. They want more than just to date you.” Chocho raised her brows at her outfit, taking in oversized the letterman jacket Sarada was wearing. “Is that Boruto’s Baseball jacket?”
“Yeah, it is.” Sarada reached for some pretzels and took a bite. “It went well with my shoes.”
“It says ‘Uzumaki’ on it.”
“Yes, because it’s Boruto’s,” Sarada stated the obvious.
“You wore it to a date ?” Chocho tried to keep her voice calm but she was obviously going to lose it soon.
“Yeah, why not? I look cute.” Sarada shrank back on the sofa, bracing herself for Chocho to explode.
“This is why!” Chocho jumped up to her feet and gestured wildly at Sarada’s form. “You look fine as hell, enough to get any guy hard, but wearing your supposed best friend’s jacket to a date? Major cockblock.”
“No, it’s not.” Sarada rolled her eyes. “Listen, if he trusts me, he won’t be intimidated by what me and Boruto have. Besides, Boruto doesn’t even see me that way, okay?”
“You’re supposed to be the smart one.” Chocho rubbed her face. “Whatever. If you want to get laid, you might as well ask Boruto to do it with you because, at this rate, no guy will want to knowing he lives a bathroom away from you.”
Chocho usually made a lot of sense, but this one didn’t make any sense to Sarada. Not at all. All of the guys she dated must have been wildly insecure if they didn’t want to be with her because she spoke about Boruto all the time, or that she liked to cuddle and watch movies with him, and spent holidays with his family.
Later that evening, Yodo made an unexpected visit. It was past midnight, and Sarada was just about to sleep when she heard moaning and wailing coming from Shikadai’s room.
“Oh shit. Not again,” she muttered and closed her eyes, trying to drown out the sounds.
The bed’s squeaking started to join in the chorus, as well as something bumping against the thin wall that separated her room and Shikadai’s.
“Fuck.” Sarada almost never swore, but she did at times like these. She picked up her pillow and walked over to the door leading to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and then opened the door leading to Boruto’s room. It was already dark, and she could hear his steady breathing.
Sarada didn’t even bother waking him up. She felt around for the corner of his comforter and pulled it open just enough for her to slide in. The moment she sat down and the mattress sank with her weight, Boruto shifted in bed, moving to give her space.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Shikadai again.”
“It’s alright,” he whispered back, voice deeper as it was tinged with sleep. He opened his arms for her and wrapped her in them as soon as she lay down. “Quiet here.”
His smell and warm arms enveloped her, instantly making her feel at home. It was quiet in his room, and she could hear nothing except for his even breathing and his heart beating in his chest, lulling her to sleep.
There was nothing wrong with her friendship with Boruto. If other guys couldn’t understand that, then they could step aside. Boruto was more important to her than dating any guy, anyway.
.
.
.
“This is really nice.” Sarada smiled and licked her ice cream. “Thank you for taking me here, Kagura.”
“I knew you would like it.” Kagura smiled and looked over to the sea. It was already mid-November, and the weather was getting chilly. But it didn’t make the scenery before him look any less beautiful.
“Boruto would love it here,” Sarada mused as she looked over to the arcade. “He’d make me play games with him until we both run out of quarters.”
Kagura smiled at that and looked at her. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“What? No.” Sarada blinked and shook her hand in front of him. “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was talking about him again.” Great. Just when she did so well on the last two dates, she had to ruin their third one by bringing him up.
“No, it’s okay. I know you and Boruto are really close and it’s none of my business.” Kagura grinned. “You two are just friends, right?”
“Yes!” Sarada felt relief wash over her. “Finally someone understands. Yes, we’re just friends and—”
“—You have feelings for Boruto.” Kagura finished.
Sarada dropped her ice cream cone, but she didn’t care. “That’s not what it is…”
“It’s okay.” Kagura held his hands up. “You like me, don’t you?”
She didn’t know how to answer that. Her lips parted, but no response came. She was still stuck at the part wherein Kagura said she had feelings for her best friend. Her mind went blank and her voice escaped her completely.
Kagura’s smile only widened, and he scooted closer to her on the bench, and explained further, “Let’s say you do. I don’t think you would have agreed to come to the city with me if you didn’t at least have the tiniest interest in me, right?” When Sarada nodded, Kagura continued. “But you tell me that you have dated a lot of guys before and they usually stop because you can’t help but talk about Boruto, or they see you with him and photos, and whatnot, right?” She nodded again. “Well, Sarada, I really like you and I don’t care if you do have feelings for Boruto or not. If you’re willing to give me a chance, then I can look past that. He’s important to you and I won’t ask you to choose between us.”
Her whole world stopped for a moment, hardly processing everything he said. She did like Kagura and enjoyed his company. She had high hopes that their date would go well and he would ask her out again—maybe even kiss her—but that was all out of the window now.
Sarada thought she should be upset at having someone tell her how she was feeling, but all she could think of was how Boruto would feel when she came home and told him about this conversation. With all the thoughts swirling in her mind, she couldn’t think of a response.
But one thing was now crystal clear. Sarada stood up and said, “I’m sorry, it’s a lot to take in. I have to go.” As she was walking away, she picked up her phone and called Boruto. He answered on the first ring. Her voice came out a lot shakier than she wanted it to. “Can you please come and pick me up?”
“I’m on my way,” he didn’t hesitate to say. “Are you okay? Where are you… what did that bastard do to you?”
“I’m okay,” she assured him as she continued to walk. “It was my fault, he didn’t do anything.” Sarada walked into a Ninbucks and got in line, calming herself down. “I’m at Ninbucks. I’ll send you the address.”
“Alright. I’ll be right there.”
After ordering her drink, Sarada chose a couch to sit on and waited for Boruto to come and get her. All of the things Kagura told her wouldn’t leave her train of thought, and she reflected further on her behavior.
For years, it had always been Boruto coming to her rescue. Be it to include her in a game since they were kids, or because some creep was hitting on her. Now that she was sitting inside a coffee shop, feeling shaken up, she was doing it again—waiting and relying on him to come to be by her side. It felt pathetic, but as soon as she saw him rushing into the store, eyes searching for her, Sarada felt instant relief. She could always count on Boruto and there was no one else she wanted to run to.
As soon as he found her, he rushed over and looked at her from head to toe and back up again, seeing if she was hurt. He looked ready to fight if he found a scratch on her.
“I’m fine,” she told him. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“What happened?” He asked worriedly as he knelt down before where she sat, his whole face contorted in concern.
She hated having to see him so worried. “It was my fault. I ruined it. I always ruin my dates.” Sarada couldn’t bear to tell him. Boruto would get angry that Kagura did, but Sarada actually appreciated it. He was honest, and even said he would accept her relationship with Boruto. As enticing as it sounded, Sarada knew that wouldn’t be fair of her because Kagura was right.
She did have feelings for Boruto.
She knew that now as she stared into his ocean blue eyes with relief and fondness. “Let’s go home. I want to cuddle and watch a movie.”
“Okay.” He nodded, standing up and offering his hand to her. “Disney?”
Something felt different when she slipped her hand into his. A different kind of warmth filled her whole body, but it was welcome. This time, he was the one who interlaced their fingers together and it made Sarada blush.
Leaning into him, she nodded. “Definitely Disney.”
“I know just the movie,” he said, looking down at her with a reassuring smile. “I have a stash of junk food waiting for us to demolish it too.”
“Thank you.” Boruto didn’t ask any more questions. The drive was quiet, but he held onto her hand the entire time, and she was thankful for it. The two of them drove through to get Thunder Burger and they ignored everyone in the house, staying in Boruto’s room with nothing but their food, chips, and Rapunzel and the gang.
.
.
.
Their third year of college came and was halfway completed before they knew it. A lot had changed and a lot hadn’t. Boruto and Sarada had gone from refusing to date to trying their best to open up to other people and ultimately ended up letting that go and focusing on themselves and each other. It was easier that way, simpler, better.
Their housemates didn’t agree.
Boruto was aware of their gossip, and had been ignoring it, and their accusing glares forever. They were always wanting to butt in but usually not actually doing so. Until they apparently couldn’t take anymore.
“Listen, asshole, for crying out loud, you’re going to ask Sarada out on a real date and that’s it.”
Boruto frowned at Inojin and stuck his nose up defiantly. “Sarada’s my best friend. Don’t be stupid.”
“Don’t be stupid…” Inojin laughed quietly. “He said don’t be stupid…”
“Inojin, don’t,” Shikadai caught the feisty blond right as he went to lunge at Boruto who only backed up a step in surprise.
“The hell is your problem?”
“You’re the problem.” Shikadai glared. “You think I don’t know Sarada’s been sleeping in your room for months now? What the hell is that even about? And you won’t ask her out?”
“What are you trying to say?” Boruto was taken aback. “You don’t wanna know what it’s about, asshole. Leave us alone. It’s not like we’re hurting anyone by sleeping together.”
Shikadai smirked. “I know she sleeps in your room whenever Yodo’s over. Well, guess what, dumbass, Yodo hasn’t been around since we started our third year. What other reason does she have to sleep in your room?”
“She won’t reject you, okay?” Inojin whined. “She likes you, I heard from Chubbs.”
“What?” Boruto looked to Inojin then, blue eyes wide. “Sarada… she said that?”
“She doesn’t even need to say it, asswipe. It’s so fucking obvious it hurts .” Inojin flung his hands up in the air. “Do you know why she stopped dating other guys? ‘Cause, she likes you.”
“It’s not like that… Sarada… she’s—”
“Your best friend, we know,” everyone said in exasperation and Boruto slumped on the couch, pouting.
“Sarada doesn’t like me like that. If she did, I would be the first to know.”
“No.” Shikadai rolled his eyes. “If she told you, ‘I love you,’ you would tell her, ‘I love you too,’” and then you would both cry because you both think you meant that as friends but you don’t. ”
“What?” Boruto was having a hard time wrapping his head around what his friends were saying.
He’d been in denial of his feelings for so long that he’d begun to believe that he didn’t have feelings for Sarada aside from those feelings just for a friend. When the truth was thrust in his face though, he had no choice but to acknowledge it.
“So… then…” He didn’t know what to say or do, but he figured it was best if he just went for it.
What was the worst that could happen?
Boruto walked into Sarada’s bedroom the next day after they’d returned from their classes for the day. He was dressed in jeans, a pink polo shirt, and tennis shoes. Sarada was sitting on her bed, also in jeans and a t-shirt. She looked cute, as she always did. He smiled as he stepped into her room and their eyes met.
“Come out with me,” he said, blue eyes lit with excitement.
She seemed surprised. “Wow, you look nice. Where are we going?”
“On a date,” he answered honestly, tilting his head to the side as he watched her, waiting for her to join him.
Her brows shot up and she asked him slowly, “On a date?” Sarada sat up but kept her gaze on him. “Really?”
“Really.” He grinned at her. “I mean… if you wanna.”
“No, I-I do want to.” Sarada stood up and then looked at herself. “Let me just get changed. Umm… where are we going?”
“Dinner… and not to Thunder Burger.” Boruto laughed and walked to her door, opening it to let himself out. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
“Okay, sure.” Sarada stood there for a moment until her door clicked closed.
After fifteen minutes, she walked down the stairs, in a cute red off-shoulder dress and low black heels. Her hair was left down, and her glasses were gone. The makeup she wore was light but accentuated all of her features perfectly.
Inojin, Mitsuki, and Shikadai sat on the couch, gawking at her and their game on the television forgotten.
It was only Chocho who spoke. “Girl, you are looking fine as hell.” She then turned to face Boruto and roughly hit his chest, snapping him out of his daze. “Get out of here already.”
Not needing to be told twice, Boruto grabbed Sarada’s hand and pulled her out of their home, to have her by his side in private.
“You look beautiful… as always,” he told her with a small smile. They went out together all the time, but this time felt different.
This time they were going on a real date and not as best friends.
A blush spread on her cheeks. “Thank you.”
All their lives, Boruto and Sarada had been together. They’d been best friends for as long as they could remember. They were used to having dinner together, going to movies, holding hands, cuddling in bed, and knowing each other better than they even knew themselves at times.
But when they decided they were going on a real date. Not as best friends, but as more, it wasn’t the same.
It was so much better.
All throughout the night, Boruto felt his heart beating faster. The simplest things could cause palpitations, whether it be the way her eyes met his, the way she smiled so sweetly at him, or something casual she said. It didn’t seem to matter, it was just Sarada and Boruto was actually on a date with her, being able to admit that he wanted that.
Being able to admit that he’d wanted it for a long time.
After dinner, they went for a walk in the park nearest to their campus. Boruto and Sarada walked close together, hand in hand. Sometimes they were silent, sometimes they spoke, and always they were at ease. It was only now, that he was able to open up to her in this way that Boruto realized how foolish he’d been in waiting so long to make a move.
“Sarada,” he called as he stopped walking and turned to her, raising his free hand to cradle her cheek. “I’m sorry… for waiting so long to ask you on a proper date.”
Her hand rested over his. “Don’t be sorry. We kind of do these things all the time anyway but I do like going out on official dates with you.” She smiled and then giggled. “I can talk about you as much as I like.”
“And I can talk about you… and you don’t get mad and throw a fit.” Boruto laughed and leaned down enough to press his forehead to hers, thumb brushing her cheek affectionately. “I really do love you, Sarada. Not only as my best friend… but as everything…”
Long, dark lashes fluttered as his lips pressed against her forehead. Sarada let out a shaky breath, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I love you too.” Her voice shook and she looked up to meet his gaze. “I mean it in all ways, as my best friend, and more.”
“You mean it?” He asked teasingly, pulling his head back only to lean closer and brush his nose across hers.
Sarada chuckled quietly and nodded. “I really do.”
“I know,” Boruto whispered and then slowly brought his lips over hers, caressing them in a motion so featherlight it was barely there and yet somehow still so impactful.
His breath faltered at the softness of her pink lips ghosting across his and then he kissed her fully, allowing his lips to press against hers, gentle, adoring. The initial kiss lingered for a moment that seemed to last an eternity, though time ceased to exist for the two of them in that moment. It only resumed when their lips parted ever so slowly, the two sucking in shaky breaths while holding onto each other and letting their eyes flicker between their lips and eyes until the next kiss happened.
It was hastier, a kiss filled with passion where the two were clinging to one another and tilting their heads to immediately seek more. Boruto had always known that he’d never be able to let Sarada go, but having her now, being able to kiss her and knowing he would never have to give her to another man really solidified that fact for him. When he pulled back again, it was only to remind her that his confession was really, that it would stand for the rest of his life and that nothing and no one could ever change what he felt for her.
.
.
.
“Our time in Konoha Univesity may be over, but we will carry on and move forward with each other.”
Graduation caps and hollers filled the air as the speech ended. Sarada couldn’t believe it. Her four years in university ended in what seemed like a blink of an eye. She looked back and saw her parents, watching her with proud looks on their faces. Her gaze was then pulled to the person who sat next to her, she giggled knowing he had not been paying attention to the speech but to her instead.
“Boruto, seriously? You didn’t listen at all, did you?” Sarada couldn’t even pretend to be angry. Instead, she kissed his cheek and held his hand. “Our time here is over but we will carry on and move forward with each other,” she repeated, dark eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I don’t care about anything other than moving forward with you,” he said with a sincere smile. “And I can’t listen to anyone when you’re being so distracting.”
“I’m not even doing anything.” She snickered. “And don’t forget our families are watching.”
“Do you think they expect any less from me?” Boruto teased. “I could drop down on one knee right now and bet none of them would be surprised.”
“You’re right. I think they would be disappointed if you didn’t.” Sarada shook her head from side to side, thinking how silly he was.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint our families… but most of all, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.” He patted her knee and then moved out of his seat to kneel next to her. Before she could even react, Boruto had pulled a red velvet ring case from out of nowhere and opened it to reveal a beautiful white diamond ring to her. “I love you, Sarada. You’re my best friend. So… will you marry me?”
Sarada covered her mouth, not wanting to make a scene. The headmaster was giving another speech, but no one was paying attention. It looked like everyone except her knew it was going to happen. All the students around them were facing them, phone cameras out and chanting for her to ‘say yes!’
“Don’t keep us waiting all day!” Inojin screamed from his seat, on the other side of the area. He was standing on his chair, his phone pointed at them. “JUST SAY YES!”
Sarada wanted to laugh, all the blood rushing to her face. She usually hated public displays of affection and being put on the spot, but it dawned on her that everyone had been invested in her and Boruto’s relationship.
“Well go on, dear!” The headmaster announced on the mic. “Give this lovely gentleman your answer.”
Sarada burst out laughing and nodded. “Yes!”
Boruto beamed at her, pulling the ring from the case to slide it onto her left ring finger. It was a perfect fit, but he didn’t admire the way it looked on her right then, unable to help himself from getting to his feet and pulling her out of her seat so he could hold her properly. They shared a kiss, neither of them caring if the entire graduating class and all their families were watching.
“I had a feeling you’d say yes.”
“I’d feel bad if I didn’t,” she replied. “Even the headmaster said so.”
“You actually considered turning me down?” He huffed and sat down, tugging her until she took her seat next to him again.
“Have I ever turned you down?” She giggled.
“No,” Boruto replied, puffing out his cheeks before adding, “and you better not start now.”
“Never.” Sarada smiled and kissed his lips lightly, relishing the sweetness. “I love you.”
Even if it took them both years to come to realize their feelings, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that now they were moving forward together, just as how it has always been, and just as how it will always be.
Fin.