Forget me
"Boruto. Come closer. I have something to tell you before I die."
"Grandpa, stop being such an idiot. You are not going to die, or at least I don't want you to die. I love you."
The old man who had been bedridden for years could only look tenderly at his eldest grandson. The wonderful, responsible young man before him.
And Boruto just looked disapprovingly at the old man. Can't he see it's not time for jokes?
"Boruto, my grandson. Don't be afraid of death. I am already old and it is your turn to live now and that is why I want to tell you this. Like a story from which you should learn as much as possible."
Sighing regretfully, the young man, who had the same intense blonde hair as his father sat next to his grandfather's bed, whose hair has remained just as white since he met him. The only thing that has changed has been the lost eye and the wrinkles.
"I hope you don't interrupt me, Boruto. This story is special because I'm going to tell you the biggest mistake I could have made. I let go and abandoned the one who was the love of my youth."
The atmosphere in the hospital suddenly became tense, as if anticipating the story that would soon be told, cooling the air and raising an unease in the bottom of their stomachs.
"I was young. I was just in my first year of college and with some friends we went to a convenience store near our apartment.
It was early morning. I remember that exact night. It was 3 in the morning and with my friends Asuma, Obito and Genma we had gone to buy some beers."
"My adoptive parents had given me the best education I could have had, and I became a fucking egotist. But tonight it would remind me that life is not a bubble."
"None of us four knew that this place was a recurring encounter for prostitutes and drug addicts so it took us by surprise."
"I remember Asuma had said to a young woman "Don't touch me or come near me. You are not like me.""
"And I was no better. I remember seeing a thin guy walk into that convenience store, Boruto."
"At first I only saw his back. He had long hair and scars on his arms. You could tell he was addicted."
"With the boys we were looking at the shelves when I saw the drug addict in the face."
"The shock hit my stomach like a stone. I knew him! And very well!"
"It was Iruka. My first love. My first boyfriend. We had met at the orphanage, but I had forgotten about him when my parents adopted me."
"I couldn't believe that handsome young man was raggedy and being a junkie in a goddamn convenience store at 3 in the morning."
"I don't have free food tonight Iruka. Come back tomorrow" I remember listening to the boy who was tending the store.
"And money? I need little, please" Iruka had said.
"I swear to you Boruto, I almost cried right there in the aisle of a convenience store at three in the morning with a few beers in hand and with my friends staring at Iruka in disgust.
"But steadying myself, I approached the couple. The nameless prostitute and Iruka. My heart was guiding my body and I didn't care."
"His hair was dirty and he had a slight tremor, but underneath it all he was still the same beautiful and unique boy I knew at the orphanage. His partner was tall and beautiful. She had short dark purple hair. Her dress was tight showing her body to the best of her ability. And I'm sure she was addicted to drugs too. Her eyes held deep aching longing."
-Iruka- I had said and I felt like that rock had multiplied. His, once, perfect face was dirty and scabbed over. His gaze was longing and even painful.
"Excuse me, do I know you?"
"That sentence broke me. I saw the doubt on her face and then I saw the recognition."
"Anko, let's get out of here. Kiba doesn't have anything for us."
"But Iruka. Let me try something. In fact, you should too." She said looking at the group behind me.
"The prostitute had approached my friends trying to convince them of something, but they didn't allow me to even touch them. They were calling her horrible insults causing the girl to rage and leave the store upset."
"Iruka, please. Stay here."
"And what do you want Kakashi? We haven't seen each other in years. We haven't met or spoken in a long time."
"But we meet, you are here."
"If you really want to help me, give me money or whatever you have."
"I didn't know what to think. Iruka was there, dirty and asking me for money while his friend was out flirting with another man."
"Come with me Iruka. I have an apartment nearby and I can help you get out of this."
"I saw the hope in his eyes and a growing gratitude, but Obito was coming to my side looking at Iruka with disdain."
"What happened to you, Iruka?" I had asked.
"I escaped from the orphanage, Kakahi. I had no friends, I had no boyfriend and I had nothing to do in a place where nobody loved me and what had to happen happened. I lived on the streets and the drugs helped me with the hunger and the cold."
"Boruto, I hadn't realized that Obito and the others had caught up with me and that they were even looking at Iruka with disgust."
"Kakashi. Why are you talking to that garbage? He doesn't deserve you to even look at him" Genma said as I saw a shudder in Iruka.
"Yes Kakashi. What are you talking about with this man? He is dirty and asks for money. I assure you he does nothing but ask for money."
"Hey you." Asuma almost yelled. "Why don't you just go away? We don't want to keep smelling your dirt, you filthy tramp"
"I didn't know what to do. For one thing, I had seen Iruka again. My first love and with whom, I knew very deeply, was still in love with him. But on the other, there were my friends and I didn't want to look bad in front of them and I, for this, made one of the worst mistakes in my life."
"What do you want? Suck my cock for a few bills? Huh? Well, here you disgusting junkie. Have these and don't call or touch me again, do you understand?"
"The pain in his eyes was noticeable and brighter from the pent-up tears. I just wished he could read my mind so he knew it was all an act and that I really wanted him back in my life and help him get out of his trouble, but he couldn't."
"He took the bills that had fallen to the ground and, when he was leaving through the sliding door, he said something that follows me even in my dreams."
"Forget about me because I will finally do it. Bye."
"The next night I saw him sucking a cock in the alley next to that very convenience store so that he would then walk away and never see him again."
Boruto didn't know what to say. Obviously what happened that night had impacted his grandfather for life.
"Grandpa. Do you still love him?"
"Oh boy. A part of me has always loved him and never forgotten him. To this day I wonder what would have happened if I had really helped him, if I had really stayed with him, but these are questions that will never be answered."
End.