A/N: Wow, simply wow. I don't even know what to say. I think I got over 15 new followers from the last chapter. That's just awesome. I love you all. Anyhoo, here is the next installment. I hope you all enjoy.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Yuna sighed as she eased into the wooden chair at one of her favorite eateries. She had trained hard the entire afternoon with her father, pushing herself more than usual and only now was she allowing herself to relax, settling down with her trusty book amid the bustle of lunch eating patrons around her.

The current novel was a favorite and one she had read many times. The worn and dog eared pages were a testament to how many times she had thumbed through the book. The black haired kunoichi guessed she'd eventually have to break down and buy a new copy when the spine became so damaged that the pages would begin to fall out, a fate that her new Icha Icha collection would one day face.

Today's story featured the hero matching wits against the henchwoman of the evil feudal lord he had been sent to destroy. The woman thought she could use her wiles to twist his mind and confuse him into walking into a trap, but he saw right through her as if she were transparent as glass and used his own tactics to spoil her plans. Those tactics, of course, included seduction.

It was barely past noon and all ready her body felt heavy with fatigue. She really needed to be careful how far she pushed herself. She was only discharged from the hospital two days ago and was still recovering from chakra exhaustion, her sore muscles a constant reminder of that fact.

A handsome waiter came to her table, delivering the green tea she had ordered. He flashed her a smile that was really quite striking before hurrying over to another table.

The Diamond kunoichi sighed and took a sip of her tea, enjoying the feel of the hot liquid running down her throat and warming her stomach.

As she turned the page, she caught a movement from the corner of her eye. A colorful red apple rolled to her feet. The Kunoichi closed her book with a snap and stood, replacing the novel in its pouch and reached down to pick it up.

"Oh no."

Ten feet ahead of her, kneeling down, a very beautiful, dark blue haired woman picked up the apples on the dirt road. She wore a light purple short-sleeved jacket, a long-sleeved white shirt with a two pink colored strips underneath it, light brown shorts and purple open-toed boots.

"Um, there's one here, too." Yuna said holding out the apple to the woman.

She straightened and smiled at her. "Oh, you're right. Thank you so much."

Suddenly, the paper sack in her hands tore from the bottom, dropping the apples she'd just picked up onto the ground once again.

~MINE TO TAKE~

"I'm sorry for having you assist me."

"It's fine." Yuna smiled kindly at the woman as they walked to her house, several apples cradled against her chest. "I don't mind at all."

The woman's eyes drifted to the headband on her forehead. "You're a shinobi. I have a child your age whose a chūnin. He's rather serious and stubborn at times."

Yuna giggled. "Is he now?"

The lavender eyed woman sighed heavily, sadly.

"I was worried about him at first, on whether he'd enjoyed his shinobi life or not. But now I worry for an entirely different reason. After everything that had happened to the village, he'd somewhat distanced himself from his friends and rarely gets a full night of sleep."

Could this woman be…?

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "I don't mean to bother you with my troubles. I just can't help but worry about him."

"I suppose all mothers feel that way about their children," Yuna said. "Even when they get to be grown up and out in the world on their own, it's only natural for mothers to worry about their wellbeing. I'll admit, it can be a bit overbearing at times, but it just means you care. I'm sure I'll be the same way when I have children of my own one day."

"You want children?"

"Oh most definitely," Yuna said without hesitation. "Two or three, maybe even four. But I need to find a husband first."

The woman giggled. "I'm sure you won't have a problem finding someone. You're very beautiful and very kind."

Before she had a chance to reply, she found herself at their destination. It was a beautiful two story stucco house, tan in color with an angled wooden roof and a solar panel on top.

She walked up the stone walkway. The front door was dark wood, and there were a variety of flowers in ceramic planters all around the porch area. Next to the door bell was a plaque with their family name that read: Uzumaki.

I had some suspicions on who she might be, and thought it wasn't true...

"Thank you, it's been a great help," she said, motioning her inside. "Now, please come in."

"E-excuse me," Yuna said as she entered the residence and placed the apples into the basket beside the door. "I'll take my leave now."

"No, please wait. I want to thank you back. Have a cup of tea at least," she said before disappearing around the corner.

Yuna slipped off her sandals and followed her into the living room. The room was spacious, tastefully furnished in creams and browns—comfortable, understated, and very stylish. She could see various pictures hanging on the wall, mostly of Boruto and what appeared to be a younger sibling at varying ages. On the mantle across the room were books resting at one end along with small photos in shiny frames.

She looked to the one in the centre and walked over toward it. She could feel herself being drawn to the picture. She lifted the picture from the mantle and stared at Boruto who had a grin plastered on his face and a young man about their age baring a scowl. He had grey eyes and bushy black hair, the sides of which were shaven and blond in colour, a tattoo of the Roman numeral IX under his left eye, a pair of piercings on his right eyebrow and stud earrings. He wore a shirt with a sleeveless vest jacket with stripe patterns on his collar and dark pants with a studded belt.

"Boruto used to smile so much back then," The woman said as she stood behind Yuna with a serving tray in her hands. "I'm glad I was able to salvage some of these pictures after the destruction."

Yuna gently placed the frame back and turned to the woman who was placing a small plate of apple slices cut to resemble rabbits with long ears. She lifted her tea from the tray and took a seat across from her.

"Please dig in, um…I'm sorry, but I don't think I ever got your name," the woman said.

"Yuna," she replied, "Yuna Katayama and thanks."

"Yuna…Yuna...that name sounds so familiar," she murmured to herself. After a moment, she let out a surprised gasp. "Oh, you're the young lady who bought us candles when my son forgot his wallet at home. Seems like all you do is help us. I'm grateful. You can call me Hinata."

"Nice to meet you."

Hinata smiled. "Your family just moved here from Sunagakure, right?"

Yuna nodded. "Yes," she said. "My father volunteered to move us down here to assist rebuilding the village."

"That's very kind. I'm grateful and I'm sure my husband is as well."

"That's just how dad is," she said with a shrug. "He's always ready to help someone who needs it; that's what makes him so amazing."

"And your mother?"

"She's a medical-nin at the hospital."

Hinata nodded, merely reached for her glass and took another drink.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"One," she said. "a brother."

"How old is he?"

"Eighteen."

"I bet he's overprotective of his little sister."

"He is. He can be a real thorn in my side at times, but he's an amazing brother. I wouldn't trade him in for the world."

"So you're close."

"We are," Yuna admitted with a smile.

Suddenly, they heard the front door open and close and a familiar voice say, "Tadaima,"

Moments later, Boruto appeared around the corner and his mouth dropped agape when he saw Yuna sitting at their kitchen table.

"Welcome back, Boruto."

"Welcome back, Boruto-kun."

"Yuna? What are you doing here?"

She stabbed her toothpick into her apple with a smirk and took a bite of it before saying, "It's a long story."

"I was the one who asked her to come in," his mother said. "I dropped the apples on the street, and she helped me out."

Yuna pushed out of her chair and stood. "Thank you for inviting me in," she bowed politely. "I'll be taking my leave now."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Yuna. Come by again soon, okay?"

"I will," Yuna promised.

Their farewells said, Yuna walked to the front door and slipped on her sandals. Boruto followed her out.

~MINE TO TAKE~

"We should have a girl's day," Chōchō said with a mouthful of consommé flavored potato chips. "We'll invite Yuna and go to the spa, and afterwards we'll get our nails done."

Sarada rolled her eyes. "Manicured nails are such a waste, seriously."

"Oh that's right; you'd just gnaw them off."

"That's not fair. I don't bite my nails."

"You just chew on them."

She slapped Chōchō's arm playfully and laughed. "Oh, hush."

As they rounded the corner, Chōchō practically choked on a chip when she saw Yuna and Boruto leaving his house together.

"Neh, neh, neh," the Akimichi said, tapping on her best friend's shoulder excitedly. "That's Yuna and Boruto, right?"

Sarada's eyes widen slightly in surprise and shifted her gaze over to Chōchō . "I think so,"

"If I saw correctly both of them came out from Boruto's house," she smirked. "Let's follow them!"

"But," Sarada turned back to where Yuna and Boruto stood and noticed there was already no sign of her two friends. "They have completely disappeared already."

Chōchō let out a sigh. "That sucks…"

~MINE TO TAKE~

Yuna sat in one of the swings at the Konoha playground, pushing herself back and forth with the toe of one sandaled foot.

"So you were dragged to my house, huh?" Boruto sat on the swing next to her, but didn't swing.

"It was just a coincidence that I met her. I really like her though. She's very kind. And your sister, she's so cute! Does she call you Onii-chan…?" She said, her voice clearly holding a teasing tone.

Boruto rolled his eyes and twisted the swing so he could face her. "You better watch it with Himawari or else she'll get you with her Byakugan."

Yuna giggled. "I take it you know from experience?"

"Oh yeah," he admitted with a sigh. "She's super scary when she's angry."

"Enlighten me, then."

"Alright," Boruto said. "On the day that my father was to be inaugurated as the Seventh Hokage, Hima wanted to bring her panda toy to the ceremony, but knowing that I would be the one to end up carrying it, I tried to take it away from her."

"When the toy's head was ripped off during our tug-of-war battle, she awakened her Byakugan and attacked me in her anger," he continued. "Dad arrived just in time and shielded me, but was knocked out in the process due to the attack landing on one of his chakra points."

"Holy crap, she took out your dad?!" She gasped, eyes wide.

Boruto nodded. "I was scared so shitless I tried to run from her," he said and Yuna looked at him with a confused expression.

"But doesn't the Byakugan-"

"Yup," he said, cutting her off. "Its vision can penetrate through any solid objects or obstructions. She easily found me hiding in a closet."

The image made her laugh out loud.

He pursed his lips at her.

"I'm glad you find me funny." He couldn't keep his injured feelings out of his voice.

She stopped laughing.

"I apologize. Boruto, I'm sorry," she said, trying to look contrite, but her eyes are still dancing with humor. "I'd like to meet her."

"I'll introduce you sometime."

"Really?" Yuna clapped her hands together. "That would be great."

Boruto was silent for a moment.

"Thanks for helping my mom out."

"You're welcome," she said and looked toward the two young children playing in a sandbox nearby. "It was refreshing to see the place you grew up in."

"What do you mean?"

"The bunny-shaped apples. So that's how apples are always peeled in your family."

"Oh," Boruto blushed. "Hima and I were always doing it since we were young, so it became a habit."

"And the pictures on the wall."

"You saw them?!"

Yuna jumped off her swing and moved to stand in front of him with a grin on her face. "You were really cute when you were young."

At this the shinobi couldn't help but blush even more, a trait that, unknown to him, Yuna found adorable.

"Feel any better?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes thank you." Yuna smiled, "Two more days and I'll officially be back on duty. I could really use it right about now. I've been cooped up in the house with mom and she can't seem to drop what happened. I just want to forget about it and move on."

"If that's the case," Boruto said, and then scratched the back of his head. "You wanna kill some time...with me...tomorrow?"

A broad smile split her face.

"Sure."

~MINE TO TAKE~

When Yuna returned home that evening, she discovered Ataru had taken the liberty of ordering dinner and several steaming cartons lay on the table.

Slipping off her sandals, she wasted no time heading up to her room, slipping out of her shinobi gear and pulling on an oversized T-shirt that reached her knees before returning to select a carton of appetizing meat and veggies and went to the couch where he was waiting for her with his own cardboard carton in hand. He was lacking the brown leather jacket he always wore, lounging instead in simple tan pants and his blue short sleeved shirt.

"How was your day?" she asked as she snuggled up next to him, draping her legs over his lap and making herself at home.

Ever since their talk, Ataru had apparently stopped trying to avoid her. He was grateful things between them finally seemed normal again. Well, at least on his end, maybe. He, however, often caught himself daydreaming about her and what it would have been like to take her virginity while she was caught in his kekkei genkai. He knew it was a horrible thing to think but he couldn't deny that he was lusting over his sister. He wanted to kiss her again and wanted her to kiss him back, to show her just how passionate he could be.

"Not bad. Most of the patients today were civilians. One man had a broken leg from falling off his roof and another was a kid with a bee sting. The poor thing turned out to be allergic."

Yuna grabbed a large chunk of meat with her chopsticks, popping it into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully before asking, "So, a fairly uneventful day?"

"Basically, except civilians are the biggest babies! I mean, sure injuries hurt but the man was in his forties and he was crying like he was five. It was embarrassing." he said between his own, smaller bites of food.

"They've hardly had the chance to build up their tolerance to pain like we have." She noted, poking him teasingly in the ribs with her chopsticks. "We fight so they won't have to."

"I know." Ataru sighed. "I just forget what softies civilians are."

She silenced herself with a mouthful of broccoli and chomped away happily as Ataru ate his food in a much more dignified manner. Mid chew, Yuna suddenly remembered something.

"Geshshu I shawm tuday."

Unfortunately the fact that her mouth was stuffed didn't do much for her communication skills. After spewing nothing more than inarticulate sounds and broccoli bits, she decided to quit talking with her mouth full. Somehow Ataru remained unfazed and answered calmly, "I don't know Yuna. Who did you see today?"

Despite his composed demeanor, the smile on his lips betrayed the fact that he was silently laughing at her and she elbowed him playfully before swallowing the lump of masticated vegetable and tried again.

"Boruto."

Ataru tensed slightly at her words.

"Oh yeah? What did he have to say?" he asked, carefully keeping his voice flat and even and void of any note of jealousy.

She dug around her carton looking for any meat she might have missed and Ataru was wondering if she planned on answered his question at all. Finally, she softly said, "I didn't see him very long. I was helping his mother with some apples she had dropped on the street. Apparently, he wants to meet up tomorrow!"

This time, Ataru couldn't keep his reaction in check. "Seriously?" he said incredulously. "You're getting involved with him?"

"I'm not getting involved. We're just hanging out," the kunoichi said defensively. "What's so bad about him that I can't meet him to hang out?"

"Yuna, the man is no good," Ataru warned. "He is mentally unstable and is nothing but a lazy teen lacking motivation."

This time, it was impossible for Yuna not to detect the hint of envy in the Katayama's tone. "He made it to chūnin and saved an entire village, so he must have some motivation," she retorted hotly. "I'll be fine. We're just hanging out so stop acting like a big brother and being so protective."

She didn't know it, but her words just angered him more, although he did not show it. Did she really think he was playing the part of big brother? Did she not see that he was protecting her for very different reasons? She was to be his and no one else's, especially that Boruto's.

Ataru tried to sooth his anger, telling himself it was natural for Yuna to be curious. Once she had her rendezvous with him and found out that the whiskered teen was nothing more than a nut case, she would come back to him. She was too smart to fall for someone like Boruto.

That was what he kept telling himself, but as Yuna finished her dinner, still in an unusually good mood, Ataru couldn't help his persistent feeling of unease.

~MINE TO TAKE~

"So seriously, where are we going?" Yuna asked, noting that it seemed they were getting closer to the western outskirts of town.

"I told you, it's a surprise," His lips quirk up in a half smile, and he peered over at her. Yuna wasn't sure whether to be relieved or worried by his expression.

As they walked, large buildings were becoming scarcer and clusters of small houses took their place. Patches of scraggly greenery sprung up in some of the yards and the farther out of town they walked, the more the grass seemed to compete with concrete until it eventually won out and gave way to more of the gently rolling hills of green they had passed on the way in. An occasional structure dotted the landscape but it was clear they had left the boundaries of Konoha.

"Is this mission related to you or something?" Yuna finally asked after they had walked without speaking long enough for the silence to become uncomfortable.

"Inquisitive as always," he chuckled, veering off the main road onto a smaller dirt path that cut through the grass which seemed taller with every passing mile.

She pursed her lips at him. "Since you decided to drag me into the wilderness without an explanation," she muttered, pretending to sulk.

"Well, you have about another hour to endure because it will take us a while to get there," he responded, almost laughing when she let out a long suffering sigh. "Hey, it's better than being at home, isn't it?"

She had to admit it was true. She was unaccustomed to being cooped up in one place for so long and it felt good to get out and enjoy some air.

"Yeah, I suppose," she relented, a smile forming on her lips as she took in the sea of gently waving grass that was nearly knee high around them and the dappled shadows of shifting clouds that passed overhead. "That place is starting to feel a little like a cage. I'm glad I'm free for a while."

"You're not the type who takes well to being caged," he said, knowing that her indomitable spirit preferred to go where she wanted, when she wanted, and not stay cooped up. "And it's starting to show. That's why I arranged this trip."

His words were enough to make Yuna pause. He was doing this for her? She had thought that perhaps he was investigating an aspect of a mission and he had brought her along for his own purposes, even now she was hesitant to make more of it than that. However, she couldn't dismiss the nagging thought in her head that if he was going out of his way to do something for her, then maybe more had changed between them in that hospital room than he was willing to let on.

"What do you mean? Where are we going?" she persisted, even more curious about their destination.

"You'll see."

~MINE TO TAKE~

After an hour, they reached a drop off coming up in front of them. The grass continued beyond it but as she drew closer, she realized there was in fact a sizable lake tucked away next to the cliff that was being fed by a small waterfall a ways to their left. From here she could hear the dull roar that grew louder as they approached until they were finally standing on the edge, grass swaying on either side of them and the rippling water below. There was no river leading away from the lake so Yuna assumed it flowed underground somewhere, but all around the water's edge was a wide strip of sparkling white sand which gave way to more grass that stretched endlessly to the horizon.

The view was absolutely stunning.

"Boruto," she breathed in delight. "It's so beautiful. What are we doing here?"

"Well," he said, coming up next to her to survey the landscape. "I thought you could use a little break from your mom, so I figured we could take an afternoon to fish a little bit."

Crap.

He gazed at her and furrowed his brow.

"You don't like fishing?"

"No, it's not that. It's just...I've never fished before." Her voice was small. She peeked up at him, and he's gaping at her.

"Never?" he whispered. She shook her head.

"I'm from Sunagakure, remember? There aren't many fishing spots nearby. Besides, even if we were anywhere near water Ataru would handle that kind of thing."

"Then I guess I have no choice but to teach you."

"Well, shall we go then?" she smiled, edging closer to the drop off until her toes hung over the edge.

"After you," Boruto said with a sweeping gesture and a slight bow.

She didn't need any more encouragement than that. She jumped gracefully off the ledge, summoning chakra to her heel and landing in a crouch on the water's surface, a series of perfect rings rippling outwards from the point of impact.

Boruto admired her for a moment from his vantage point. She moved with all the liquid grace that a kunoichi should. She stood and turned to wave at him, giving him a sunny smile that was infectious.

He jumped down from the ledge to land in a similar crouch before straightening and walking to the lake's edge and Yuna followed him, tiny ripples breaking over the water's surface with their every step.

Yuna immediately pulled off her shoes and dug her toes into the warm sand as Boruto took off his pack, smiling as she wandered to the water's edge and tested it with one toe.

"It's cold," she announced, crouching and swishing her fingers over the sparkling surface.

"And clean too."

She tilted her face upward and let the warmth of the sun wash over her. How long had it been since she indulged in such simple pleasures?

"How did you find this place?" she asked, gazing over the sea of rippling grass and the water's mirrored surface. "This is a little out of your way isn't it?"

"I had a mission out this way a few years ago and came across this place back then," Boruto replied as he rustled through some bushes, retrieving a fishing rod. "Ever since, it's been my go to spot, especially when I'm having a hard day or just can't sleep."

She tightened her hold around the rod. Her heart contracted for this man.

"Let's get to it, shall we?"

The first thing Boruto showed Yuna was how to tie the fly onto the fishing line, providing detailed explanations. Periodically she nodded intently.

Once everything was to Boruto's satisfaction, they carefully eased into the stream. Boruto stood behind her, his left arm curled around her waist, his right arm aligned with hers, and his hand molded her hand gripping the fly rod. After receiving more instruction, she nodded her readiness.

Boruto slowly pulled back their arms and flicked their wrists. The line whipped over the water. He repeated the action until the lure settled in the exact spot he wanted. Fishing seemed like serious business, so Yuna didn't interrupt his concentration. Instead, she relaxed against him, his heat taking the edge off the chilling effects of the water.

Something she could only describe as serenity seeped into her spirit. Not only did she feel Boruto's presence against her, she felt him deep inside. As if he was rooting into her soul.

She wondered if Boruto felt the same.

After several fruitless casts, Boruto angled Yuna slightly and redirected where the hook and bait landed.

She felt a tiny peck on the line. Still holding her hand in his, Boruto teased the line until a solid jerk reverberated up the rod.

"Here we go!" Boruto reeled and reeled, but it seemed to take forever to bring the fish up. Finally, she could see it just below the surface of the water. After one swift tug, Yuna lifted it high enough so Boruto could get the net under it.

"My first catch!"

For a moment, she was so caught up in her excitement that she lost herself, throwing her arms around Boruto and hugging him fiercely. For the first time in a long while, he was caught completely off guard. It was clear she was totally caught up in her excitement. Even so, his arms came up on their own and embraced her. Again, he tried to deny how nice her body felt pressed against him, so nice in fact that this alone made the walk out here worth it.

Yuna realized all too soon what she had done and tried to disengage casually without making the gesture any weirder. His distinctive and pleasant masculine scent had already filled her nostrils and the sound of his beating heart still echoed in her ears. She felt her face threaten to flush and turned back to the view before he could see what their close proximity had done to her.

"A few more and we'll have dinner," she smiled, baiting the hook and casting the line into the water once again.

They spent the rest of the afternoon fishing. They talked about everything from the kind of music they liked to their favorite movies to their favorite foods. Their eyes locked and a smile formed on his lips. He was having fun, the most fun he had had in some time.

After they caught enough fish, Boruto had gathered enough wood to pile in the center of the clearing and with a simple jutsu, Yuna had a fire burning in no time. Yuna sat down near the blaze, basking in the warmth it radiated as several good-sized fish were roasting on sticks over the fire, giving off a delectable aroma.

As she stretched her legs straight out in front of her and pressed her nose to her knees while touching her toes, Boruto sat down across from her, watching her stretch out her hamstrings through the crackling fire.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"I'm not sure I could stop you."

She took a deep breath, hoping her question wouldn't anger him, but now that she had started she couldn't stop, not when she had wanted to know.

"The picture in your house, the boy with the piercings, who is he?"

In the silence, he stiffened slightly.

"He's no one."

"It's just…I've never seen him around the village and the two of you seemed rather close."

"Yuna," he said, his voice a low growl of impatience and anxiety. "Just drop it, okay?"

She stood, awkwardly at first, not knowing what to do, but she took a few hesitant steps towards him and stopped. "You can talk to me, Boruto."

He scowled and fisted his hands. "Jesus Christ. No. Will you just fucking drop it?"

His words stung. How could he make her feel so small and insignificant with his indifference when she was here damn near begging him to let her help him? "You're right. I don't need this crap."

He sighed. "Yuna."

She turned and marched to where her boots lay. But before she could reach them, she heard him trip over the fishing rod laying on the ground as he tried to stop her from leaving, and landed on top of her.

Teal eyes fluttered open and she gave him an awkward smile when she found his gaze locked on her face.

"What do you want from me, Yuna?" he asked.

"I want you to trust me," she murmured, noticing that Boruto had not gotten off of her.

He placed his hands on either side of her head to brace himself. There was just enough space between their bodies to keep them from touching, but his thigh was wedged firmly between her own, keeping her pinned on her back.

"Why don't you trust me?" Her voice was small, almost unrecognizable as her heart began to race.

She could feel the heat radiating off his body, mingling with the warmth of the sand beneath her. His face was inches from hers and he showed no signs of moving. She secretly hoped he wouldn't.

Boruto knew he should get off of her, for laying here was like playing with fire, and yet he could not look away from the hypnotic depths of her teal eyes. He had never seen eyes that color, a sparkling shade of teal, and right now they were fixed on him, reflecting mixed emotions of uncertainty and curiosity.

Yuna watched his blue eyes refocus a little further down her face as his head dipped dangerously low. She was not in the ideal position to resist with his thigh wedged firmly between her own, keeping her pinned beneath him and honestly, she didn't think she wanted to stop him anyway. His face was coming ever closer to hers. She could feel his breath coming in warm puffs across her own lips and she parted them unconsciously in expectation. He was going to kiss her. Boruto Uzumaki was willingly going to kiss her and she realized she wanted it. God, how she wanted it!

A croak of a solitary frog shattered the breathless silence around them into a thousand pieces and Boruto drew back sharply as if he had been burnt. Yuna's half lidded eyes opened wide at the realization of what had almost happened, and lamented the fact that it hadn't.

Whatever spell had lingered over them was broken as Boruto hastily picked himself up off of her, brushing the sand from his knees and hands with all the dignity he could muster, turning his back on her to clear his own head and allow her to pull herself together as well.

He was a sick bastard. A pathetic and lonely sick bastard. He was angry at himself for losing his grip on the emotions he had fought so hard to control, but at the same time, he was a little mystified that Yuna hadn't stopped him, had almost welcomed him.

Yuna got to her feet, brushing the sand off her clothing.

"Um…Boruto?" she said, feeling awkward and unsure in light of what had just happened. "I think the fish are done."

"Very well," he said, swallowing hard and banishing the memory of her body beneath him, her lips so close to his that he could almost feel their silky texture. "Let's eat."

~MINE TO TAKE~

By the time they had finished eating, the sun had started to set. The sky was ablaze with fiery colors that reflected off the water, making it look like a pool of amber and crimson.

"It's beautiful," Yuna breathed for the second time that day, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear that had worked its way out of her hair tie.

A light breeze had picked up, still carrying with it the warmth of the day and ruffled her bangs against her forehead.

Boruto stole a glance at her as he hitched his pack onto his shoulder, silently thinking that the woman was far more beautiful than the landscape. In that instant, he knew with certainty that he was already falling for her and that there was nothing on earth he could do to stop it.

A/N: Reviews, pretty please?