"I love you."
The words echo in Hinata's head, as she rocks Boruto. The words she's been waiting to hear from Naruto for years. She's heard them once before, a long time ago, but she didn't think he meant it then. Not as much as he does now.
She holds Boruto tighter to her chest as she hears voices getting louder, and she softly bounces to avoid another crying session from the baby.
Holding him manages to calm her fast beating heart. He's always had the power to do that to her; to help with her anxiety. To make her feel better just with his presence. Just like his father.
Connecting with her friend's child wasn't in the plan for Hinata. She never expected to bond with Boruto as much as she has, and a part of her felt guilty, like what she was doing was wrong. Connecting with the child of her first love, knowing they could never have a happy ending. Not with her engaged to someone else.
Being around Naruto and Boruto for the past six months managed to amplify her feelings. Although she wasn't a mother, nor an Uzumaki, she was an emotional wreck.
Because she loved them. Probably too much.
And as much as she hated to admit it, she'd never felt as happy as she did being around them. She couldn't think of a time where she felt so genuinely overjoyed without Naruto or Boruto in the picture.
Did that make her a terrible person? For loving a family that wasn't her own?
Speaking of, she can make out the raised voices speak her fiancé's name, which manages to confuse her. Why is Toneri getting brought up?
She places Boruto in his crib, before cracking the door open and walking out. The voices are louder, but hush when she turns the corner and peeks her head in.
Naruto stands, his hands running through his hair, as he glares at her. She knows it's not directed towards her, she knows him well enough to know that he's pissed.
"What's going-"
"She fucked Toneri."
There wasn't much that she was expecting, but that was certainly the last thing. And she knows it's true, judging by the guilty look Shion has on her face.
And just like that, everything clicks.
Toneri telling her he had a child with someone else, his persistence that she shouldn't be around Naruto and Boruto. It all makes sense now.
Her mouth opens and closes, as she thinks of what to say. She barely has time to speak, when Naruto asks a question.
"Is Boruto even mine?"
Her eyes widen, as she looks at them. Naruto questioning his paternity was unexpected, and Shion even looks shocked.
"Are you serious?"
She wouldn't call it a stupid question, but Boruto was the spitting image of Naruto. The blue eyes, the two whisker marks on his cheeks. He was definitely his father's son.
"Naruto, I only told you what happened between me and Toneri because I felt that you needed to know."
"Wow, that makes you such a good person." The sarcasm is evident in his voice.
Hinata tunes them out, focusing more on the doorbell ringing. Naruto doesn't seem to hear it given he's yelling, so she walks towards the door.
Opening it, she's prepared to tell the person now isn't a good time. But the person at the door is Toneri.
"What are you doing here?"
His question makes her raise her eyebrows in disbelief.
"Did you sleep with Shion?" Her voice is quiet, but she knows that he heard her, judging from the look on his face.
Before he can respond, she walks into the house towards Boruto's room. She knows him well enough to know that he's following her.
"You cheated on me?" She takes her eyes off Boruto, to look at her fiancé.
"Hinata you already knew this."
"No I didn't. You said your baby was from years ago!" Her voice raises as she crosses her arms, subconsciously protecting herself.
Toneri sighs, running a hand over his face.
"Does it matter now?"
"Yes!"
It's different now. Because his alleged child is Boruto. And that changes everything.
"Hinata, Boruto obviously isn't mine, so-"
"You think that's the only problem? Toneri-kun you cheated on me!"
He doesn't have anything to say in response, and a frustrated Hinata puts her head in her hands.
A part of her wants to tell him they can work through this. She'd always been a caring person, and had the ability to see the good in people.
But there's only so much a person can take.
"Hinata, you know how shitty I feel about this situation. You know how much I love you." He steps closer to her, and she looks at the ground. "Words can't express how sorry I am. But…"
He grabs her hands.
"If you give me another chance, I swear to you you won't regret it. I'll spend the rest of my life trying to earn your forgiveness."
She's hardly listening to what he's saying; questions are ringing in her head.
Why should she fight for a relationship she doesn't want to be in? Why should she stay in a relationship when her heart belongs to someone else? Why should she stay with Toneri, when she loves Naruto?
She feels awful that she's thinking of another man while her fiancé is pleading for their relationship, but she can't help it.
She loves him.
She bites her lip, and hesitantly looks up at Toneri. The desperation in his eyes almost makes her feel bad, but she remembers what he did to her.
"Hinata, I'm so so sorry, but-"
She knows he isn't that sorry. If he was, he would've done something for Boruto and Naruto. He knew how much Naruto was struggling raising a child - she told him multiple times - but he still refused to help, knowing there was a possibility that he was the father.
"I can't be with you."
"What?" His ramblings of how they could work through their problems cease.
"I can't be with you…not when I love someone else."
It's easier to say than she thought. Saying the truth - that she loved Naruto - out loud makes a weight lift off her shoulders.
"What are you saying?"
She looks up at Toneri.
"You're not seriously considering leaving me for him. Are you?"
He's making her feel guilty. Despite their issues, she had good memories with Toneri. Her first, and the person she thought would be her last. The past year and a half made her realize that was just a false dream, and a life with him wouldn't make her happy.
"Hinata, I know we have our issues, but-"
"It's not about that. It's about how I feel." She doesn't want to tell him she doesn't love him as much as she loves Naruto. She doesn't want to be harsh, or to make this harder than it has to be. But she knows she's hurting him, almost as much as he hurt her.
"It's about how you feel? And what do you feel, huh? You want to play house with a single dad? You're going to get sick of that Hinata. You're never going to be that kid's mother. As much as you want to be-"
She can't control her hand lifting and connecting with his cheek. The slap is strong enough that his head turns, and she meets his gaze with a glare as he looks at her in shock.
"I don't expect a terribly selfish person like you to understand what it truly means to open your heart to another person without getting anything in return, but I love Boruto, and I don't care if I'm not his mother, I love him and I'll never get sick of loving him or taking care of him."
Toneri scoffs at her confession.
"Please Hinata, you're just projecting your mother issues onto this child. You'll never be accepted as his mother. Let's be honest, you don't love Naruto, you just love the attention he gives you."
Boruto's mumbles can be heard, as if he knows he's the subject of conversation. Hinata places a hand in his crib, and looks down as Boruto's small hand grips her finger.
"Despite how long we dated, it's obvious you don't know me."
"I know you well enough to know that you'll be crawling back-"
"Get the fuck out of my house." Naruto's voice interrupts Toneri, who looks behind himself in shock. Before he can respond, Naruto is dragging him by his shirt collar, walking so fast it takes Toneri an extra two steps to catch up. Hinata removes her hand and follows, and watches as Naruto practically throws him out the door, before slamming it shut.
She doesn't know what to say, too speechless at the turn of events that took place. Naruto's back is towards her, and his head turns to the side after a moment.
"Are you okay?"
She should be asking him that.
"I'm okay." It's a lie, but she says it to ease his worries. He doesn't need any more unnecessary stress. "Are you okay?"
It takes him a moment to respond.
"I will be."
I love Boruto, and I don't care if I'm not his mother, I love him and I'll never get sick of loving him or taking care of him.
Naruto stares at Hinata, who's sleeping on the right side of his bed. Boruto lies between them, sleeping soundly as well.
Sleep doesn't come so easily to him.
He's too busy thinking. About the fact that his entire marriage was a lie, at least towards the end of the relationship.
He looks down at his hand, at Boruto's small hand squeezing his finger.
He can't believe he questioned his paternity. Looking at Boruto, his son, with his bright blue eyes, and head full of blonde hair. There's no question that he's his.
But if he wasn't, what would happen? He'd already built a bond with the child, one he had no plan on getting rid of. Was he prepared to let the six months of loving this child go?
He's thankful he doesn't have to.
And then her.
Hinata.
Staring at her now, looking at her with love and adoration in his eyes, because now he knows she loves him, and she loves Boruto just as much. He knows she'll always be there with him, and he knows his feelings that she was a part of his family were mutual.
His vision is blurry as he stares at her, and he can feel the six months of emotions he'd bottled up opening. A tear soaks into the pillow underneath him, and another, and another.
He's silently crying, thankful that finally, he has someone. Boruto has someone. Things aren't 100% okay now, but they will be. Because he has them in his life.
Boruto and Hinata lying next to him, he realizes.
This is all he ever needs.
AAA! so that was a lot! the final chapter is next! i can't wait to share! ty for reading!