Sarada beamed a bright smile at the crowd as she glided across the ice. They were mid-program and everything had gone perfectly so far. She was feeling confident as she and Boruto skated beside each other, picking up speed for a complex side-by-side jump sequence.
She could feel that her entry into her triple axel wasn't steady, but when she tried to power through into the triple toe loop, she immediately could tell what would happen next.
Her hand instinctively reached out to brace for impact as her body hurtled toward the unforgiving rink floor. When her palm made contact with the cold, hard ice, Sarada knew it would be bad.
The crowd let out a collective gasp as an unbearably sharp pain shot through her wrist.
She was trembling with tears streaming down her face as she clutched her injured wrist to her chest. Each shuddering breath was a struggle to inhale.
The fans were silent as their program music continued to play and all Sarada could think was what a colossal failure she was.
Boruto skated over to where she sat balled up on the ice. His hand wrapped around her upper arm and she winced when he hauled her up to stand.
"Get up, you stupid bitch. Are you trying to embarrass me?!" Sarada could feel his hot breath against her ear as he sneered, "You're ruining my debut with your sloppy fucking jumps!"
She knew those insults all too well.
They were burned in her memory from years ago, from her first time competing at the International Grand Prix.
They were Kagura's words, but hearing them from Boruto's voice stung so much more.
Sarada didn't know why her subconscious was tormenting her with such a nightmare, but even the knowledge that it was just a dream didn't help her wake.
Instead, she was forced to relive the throbbing pain of her broken wrist, the disappointment of their terrible scores, and maybe worst of all, the heartbreak of watching her partner degrade her in front of everyone.
Her nightmare Boruto told the reporters that figure skating was an epic waste of his time, especially with such a boring and talentless partner, like Sarada. Hot tears welled up in her eyes as he declared she was holding him back from his hockey ambitions and he was relieved to finally be done with her.
His interview was harder to dismiss than the insults he spat at her because they weren't a memory of someone else's words, but rather, a projection of her deepest fears.
When Sarada finally woke, she instinctively clutched her long healed wrist as she pressed her face deeper into her tear-soaked pillow, willing herself to calm down.
Several moments of deep breathing later, she reached beside her hoping to find comfort in Boruto's warmth.
But he wasn't there.
Sarada rolled over for her eyes to confirm his absence before her gaze flickered to the other bed. He wasn't there either.
A completely irrational panic struck through her and she frantically ripped the blankets off herself and jumped out of bed. As she pulled on her big t-shirt, Sarada was overwhelmed by an onslaught of heartbreaking thoughts.
He's gone...
He left her...
She's too late... He didn't love her anymore.
Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. Last night, things had felt different. She thought what they shared was special, but maybe it was goodbye.
He was sick of her ups and downs, sick of her indecision.
So he left her.
Sarada searched their suite, checking the bathroom and the small living room area as if there were many places a man of Boruto's size could hide in a hotel room that small.
'He was gone,' she repeated in her mind over and over.
But then she noticed the balcony door was slightly ajar, and it was like she could finally take her first full breath of that morning. Sitting outside was Boruto sipping on a cup of coffee.
"Morning," he greeted when he heard Sarada opening the door. His voice was quiet as if to not disturb the serene sunrise before him. But when his blue gaze turned to her, his brow furrowed in concern.
"Are you okay? Why are you crying?" Boruto asked as he reached a hand out to her.
Sarada tried wiping away the fresh tears she hadn't even realized were streaming down her cheeks before she accepted his hand.
He pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his strong arms around her in that familiar, comforting warmth she craved when she woke up from her bad dream. He pressed his lips to the top of her head as she nuzzled her face against his neck.
Boruto gave her a few moments to calm down before he asked again, "Sarada, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"It's nothing," she mumbled.
He sighed as he pulled her back to look at her face. The sight of her red, puffy eyes and quivering bottom lip made his chest ache. "Please, will you tell me?"
Sarada averted her gaze and a faint blush colored her cheeks before she quietly confessed, "I thought… you left me…"
His brow rose with surprise, not only that she would ever think that, but that this would be her reaction to his absence. Boruto squeezed her tight against his chest and whispered into her hair, "you know I wouldn't do that."
He couldn't.
Even if he wanted to, even though he thought about it after the things Shikadai told him.
He just couldn't.
Blue eyes widened as Boruto glanced around the vast and modern ice arena. Upbeat music filled the space as huge screens flashed sponsor logos. He and Sarada arrived at the competition together, sporting their matching tracksuits over their costumes. Other skaters and even fans were arriving as well, getting ready for the event to start.
He threw his arm around her shoulders as they were walking and smiled when she didn't reject his public affection. They had been especially snuggly since she woke up that morning, and Boruto was relishing in it, imagining this will be the last time he'll be able to touch her so freely.
After everything that happened last night, he decided he didn't want to fight with her. He just wanted to enjoy this little time he had left.
Sarada picked him to be her figure skating partner as a last resort, but with a full year to scout and train before the next International Grand Prix, Boruto figured she would move on to a new partner, an actual figure skater, unlike him.
It was stupid that what that Shinki guy said bothered him so much, but it just felt like a cruel reminder that he was just some temporary fix and any hope for a relationship with Sarada had always been futile.
But he tried not to dwell on that, and instead focus on the competition. As bronze medalists from their qualifying competition they were slated to perform early in the lineup, so he and Sarada were already starting to stretch.
With Sarada's hand clutched in his, Boruto could feel his palms grow sweaty from nervous anticipation. He took a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart and reminded himself that everything went great in their warm-up, he didn't need to be so anxious.
It was weird, Boruto never felt like this before a big hockey game. Maybe it was because he was more confident in his hockey ability. Or maybe it was because this might just be the last time he ever figures skates. Either way, he was going to leave it all on the ice.
He really wanted to do well, and not just for himself, but for Sarada. He knew this was all she wanted, this was all she cared about, so he had to do his very best for her.
Sarada gave his hand a squeeze as their names were announced and the pair stepped out onto the ice, greeted by polite applause.
As they glided around in circles at the center of the rink, getting into their starting pose, the fans grew quiet in anticipation. Then when that familiar music started, it was like all his nerves dissolved into the background.
His heart calmed as he focused on Sarada. The sparkling flames of her costume, the warm feeling of his hand on her waist, the burning intensity in her dark eyes.
Boruto knew these moves like the back of his hand, so he just needed to trust in all the hard work he and Sarada had put into this program.
He could feel the momentum building, the cheers of the fans growing louder, and the music crescendo as they transitioned out of their last big trick.
Boruto was panting, his forehead rested against Sarada's in their final pose as he analyzed their routine, replaying every move in his mind.
It felt good.
Really good.
All their jumps hit. All their throws and spins were perfect.
But was it enough?
Boruto searched Sarada's stormy grey eyes, hoping for some kind of confirmation that she approved of their performance.
"I love you."
Blue eyes widened in surprise as his grip on her waist unconsciously tightened. His lips moved in an attempt to form words, but nothing came out. His brain seemingly malfunctioning from such a sudden declaration.
"You don't have to say anything," Sarada whispered with a soft shake of her head. "I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens, no matter what the scores... that's how I feel."
Boruto blinked at her, his mind still reeling, his mouth unable to utter a single word.
When Sarada pulled away, it felt entirely too soon. He just needed another moment to process the gravity of her words.
But then he remembered they were standing in the center of the rink in a packed arena. The crowd was applauding wildly, tossing flowers and plushies on the ice for them. She grabbed his hand, urging him to bow with her.
Boruto was still in a daze even as she guided him off the ice and over to the area to wait for their scores. He sat down next to her, his hand still tightly clutching hers, but his thoughts were a million miles away.
Sarada loved him?
She really loved him back... that's what she said!
She didn't love him for the competition. She didn't love him for helping her win. Sarada loved him and would love him regardless of what happened.
That's really what she said!
Boruto broke from his musings at the sound of Sarada's gleeful scream. He turned to her as she let go of his hand and practically jumped into his arms. He squeezed her tight against his chest as his heart continued to flutter uncontrollably.
She loved him! She loved him! Sarada actually loved him!
That's what she said!
When she pulled back to gauge his expression, Boruto thrust his lips to hers with abandon.
It was like all the love he had been bottling up burst like a bottle of celebratory champagne. He was practically drunk on the knowledge that she loved him back, so he kissed her again and again, vaguely wondering if she, too, had this same fuzzy feeling warming her heart.
It wasn't until the hoots and whistles of the crowd registered in his ears that Boruto realized he was kissing her in front of five cameras playing live coverage of their reaction to their scores on every tv screen in the arena.
Oh right! What were their scores?!
When he finally released her, Sarada's entire face was heated by a furious blush, embarrassed from all the attention. Boruto glanced over to the monitor that displayed the numbers and his brow rose in surprise.
That was high.
Definitely higher than he expected. They were currently in first place, but then again they performed rather early in the lineup.
Even so, he was suddenly super optimistic about their prospect of winning a medal.
"We should probably go," Sarada mumbled as she tugged on his arm, anxious to get away from all the cameras.
His attention refocused on Sarada and smiled at her pink cheeks before he murmured, "Yeah, let's go."
With his hand in hers, Boruto guided her away, but an eager reporter was quick to intercept them. "Great performance out there! Do you guys have a moment to chat?"
"Sorry, we're in a hurry! We'll talk later," he replied with a dismissive wave and continued on his path.
Sarada trailed behind him, growing confused as he led her down a back hallway. "Wait, Boruto? Where are we —"
But her question got cut off when he pushed her up against the wall. With his fingers tangled in raven hair, Boruto guided her lips to his, kissing her deeply.
Without a thousand eyes watching, Sarada was much quicker to give in. Her hands clutched at the suspenders of his costume, pulling him even closer, and allowing his heated body to pin her against the surface.
When Boruto pulled away they were both a little giddy and breathless, soft smiles lingering on their lips.
"It was a good score, huh?" Sarada said with a light laugh, her face still flushed.
Blue eyes observed her for a moment. There was no way she believed their score was what he was so happy about.
"So, I don't know if our, um, deal has expired…" Boruto murmured, their faces still only inches apart. "But can I ask you for one last request?"
When she had first convinced him to be her figure skating partner, it was only with the promise of three requests a day as compensation. Usually silly things like bringing him coffee or lunch.
After they started sleeping together, he gradually stopped asking. Sarada almost wondered if he considered the sex to be enough of a reason to keep coming back, but in reality, he stopped asking because he didn't need anything from her to motivate him to keep being her partner.
He had become invested in the sport and the competition and wanted to improve his skills for more than just her. He found that he really enjoyed figure skating.
"Um, okay," she nodded, suddenly feeling a little shy, wondering what he could possibly want.
"Say it again." From her small shift in expression, he knew he didn't have to clarify what he wanted to hear from her.
Sarada bit her lip as her gaze fell to her hands absently playing with his suspenders. He smirked at the way her ears tinted pink with adorable embarrassment.
With a deep breath, she finally looked back up at him. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Boruto replied immediately this time before he crashed his lips to hers.
His heart was racing faster with each and every kiss. There was just something about kissing Sarada now that he knew she loved him back that made it so much sweeter.
By the time Boruto and Sarada detangled themselves and made their way back to their seats in the stands, every bronze qualifier had performed and they had already moved on to silver. Somehow they were still sitting atop the leaderboard by a healthy margin. Sarada knew, however, that as the competition progressed it would only be harder to stay in gold medal position.
With each performance that followed, she and Boruto would hold their breath as the scores came in, then sigh together in relief and excitement, when every score was lower than their own.
"That was a really great performance, you guys!" Sarada beamed as ChoCho and Mitsuki joined them in the stands.
"Don't patronize me, Sarada!" ChoCho cried dramatically, clutching her chest as she threw herself down in the chair next to her friend.
"I guess we'll just have to settle for silver," she said, wiping away a nonexistent tear. Sarada and Mitsuki both chuckled at her theatrics.
"Well, you can always try to beat me and Boruto next year... Not that we'll make it easy!" Sarada teased and ChoCho stuck her tongue out in response.
"Next year?" Boruto mumbled and Sarada whipped her head to look at him as the playful smile fell from her lips.
"Oh, sorry... I just, sorry…" she hesitated. Her gaze cast down, suddenly feeling so stupid for saying something like that before they even had a chance to discuss such a commitment. "I shouldn't have assumed you would want to compete again next year. Sorry…"
There was a tense moment of quiet between them as Boruto furrowed his brow.
"You don't have to apologize." Sturdy fingers tilted her chin up, making her look him in the eyes. "I was just surprised because I had assumed you wouldn't want me to be your partner again, that you'd want to find someone… better," he shrugged.
"Boruto…" she said sadly. "Do you really not recognize how good at figure skating you are? I mean for you to be competing at this level so soon in your career is nothing short of incredible."
Now it seemed it was Boruto's turn to feel shy as a faint blush colored his cheeks.
"It's not just that you're talented," she continued. "But you're the best partner I've ever had when it comes to compatibility on the ice and just overall how much I am willing to be with you all the time. I don't have to go home and complain to my parents about practice anymore, because I always have fun when I'm with you."
Boruto didn't know how to respond to that, so he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that said he felt exactly the same way.
As gold qualifiers, Kagura and his partner were the second last pair to perform. Sarada and Boruto were still currently in first place, meaning at the very least they would win the bronze medal. Which was amazing and exciting, and the first time Sarada would medal at the International Grand Prix since she debuted in the senior division three years ago.
But there was this nagging, competitive voice in the back of her mind that told her she couldn't be satisfied unless they beat Kagura.
As he and his partner glided out on the ice, waving to the crowd and getting into their starting pose, Sarada squeezed Boruto's hand. Her dark eyes fixed on the rink. She had seen their program at the Kiri qualifying competition, and she may have watched it a few more times online, too. It really was an excellent program, that highlighted most of Kagura's strengths as a skater, and they performed it well.
As their music started, Sarada was on the edge of her seat.
"I'm kind of hoping he falls on his face," ChoCho whispered to the group. Boruto and Mitsuki snickered, but Sarada just smiled.
"Well, I hope they perform their very best," she said honestly, and everyone seemed to raise a surprised eyebrow at that. "But then we still crush him with our scores!"
They quietly giggled amongst themselves as the performance ended, but their amusement quickly shifted when the skaters stepped off the ice. A thick tension consumed all four friends as Kagura and his partner waited for their scores.
Sarada could feel her heart beating faster as she stared at the screens waiting for the numbers to appear.
A small smile tugged at her lips as she felt Boruto's arm wrap around her shoulders, and her body instinctively leaned into him.
And thank goodness for his support because Sarada nearly fell out of her chair when their scores were announced.
"That…" Boruto hesitated. "That's lower than their qualifying score, wasn't it?"
Sarada may have stopped breathing, but she was still able to nod. Kagura and his partner's score put them in third place below ChoCho and Mitsuki. Which meant unless Shinki and Yodo choked (which was incredibly unlikely), Kagura and his partner would miss the podium altogether.
"Guaranteed at least silver and beating that jackass seems like a win in my book," Boruto smiled before giving Sarada a kiss on the cheek.
But her dark eyes were still focused on the screens showing Kagura trying desperately (and failing) to hide his fury. She didn't mean to, but Sarada suddenly burst into a rowdy fit of laughter.
Oh, what sweet poetic justice this moment was.
Boruto's hand covered her mouth as he pulled her near. "Stop it!" he whispered, trying his best to hold back his own laughter. "People are staring at you!"
Sarada glanced over at ChoCho and Mitsuki, who also looked thoroughly amused by the results. It was guaranteed at least one camera had panned to the four of them, to catch the current leaders' reactions to Kagura and his partner's scores and she secretly hoped he would get to see her laughing at him.
Finally, there was only Shinki and Yodo left to perform. Having come into the Grand Prix with the highest score from their qualifying competition, they would definitely be tough to beat.
Their routine was the same technical value as Boruto and Sarada's, assuming they execute everything perfectly, that really only left performance and style points as the deciding factor.
In a brief moment of reflection, Sarada found herself appreciating all those stupid partners she tried out that failed and all the frustration that drove her to the creative solution of asking her father's flirty hockey student to become her figure skating partner.
Call it luck or call it fate, every one of those maddening missteps, every rejection that had hurt so much at the time, ultimately led her to Boruto and by extension led her to this moment.
Sarada glanced up at him, her lips unconsciously matching the bright smile he wore as he energetically waved to the cheering crowd. As if he could feel her gaze, Boruto turned to her, his eyes softening when they met hers.
Her heart fluttered at the adoration swirling behind his blue depths and Sarada questioned how she had ever doubted his feelings for her; his love for her was so obvious in the way he looked at her. She could only hope her own dark eyes reflected the same.
Boruto and Sarada broke their gaze when the announcer's voice boomed over the speakers with their names. The fans applauded wildly as they both bowed forward and the judges bestowed a gold medal around each of their necks.
A/N: oh my goodness! I have given so much time and mental energy to this story over the last few months, I can hardly believe it's over! I just want to say a very big thank you to everyone who has been reading and leaving such sweet comments throughout this story! your enthusiasm for this fic always brightened my day and helped keep me motivated to make a great story for you guys! I really hope this was a satisfying conclusion!
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and reactions to this chapter and the story overall, so please please leave a comment!