Blue eyes blinked open as a yawn escaped his lips. The morning light filtered in through the sheer curtains of the hotel room's big window, signaling the start of a new day. As he stretched his arms and his mind slowly gained awareness, the events of the previous night came flooding back.
Boruto's eyes shot open as he jerked his head to the side to discover Sarada wasn't there beside him.
He sat up and looked over to the other bed. It was completely undisturbed.
When he noticed that the bathroom light was on, he exhaled a sigh of relief that she hadn't run away or something.
His nervous heart pounded in his chest, as he rolled out of bed, deciding that they needed to get this confrontation over with sooner rather than later. He slipped on his underwear, before appearing in the doorway of the bathroom.
Sarada stood there, fully dressed, as she ran a brush through her raven hair. "Morning," she greeted when she noticed him out of the corner of her eye.
Boruto stared at her in the reflection of the mirror, a little stunned by how cavalier she was acting.
"Yes?" she asked with an unamused eyebrow raised as she met his gaze in the mirror.
"Are we going to talk about it?" he finally asked.
"There's nothing to talk about," Sarada said. "Today is the competition. That's where my focus is and it's where yours should be too."
Boruto just blinked at her, unwilling to believe that Sarada (someone who blushed at the mere mention of sex) was comfortable with sweeping something like this under the rug.
"If you need to take a shower I can use the other mirror," she said to change the subject. Without waiting for a reply, she scooped up her makeup bag and walked out.
Boruto caught her by the arm. "You're really just going to pretend it never happened?"
She stared down at her feet with a furrowed brow for a moment like she was puzzling over the right thing to say, then looked up to meet his gaze. "Yes, and you should, too."
A few minutes later, Boruto stood in the shower, letting the hot water pelt his body as he willed himself not to bang his head against the wall. He threw a wrench into their great dynamic and now Sarada was never going to act the same around him.
When she heard the shower turn on, Sarada fell back onto the bed and deflated with a sad sigh. From the moment she woke up, naked and draped over him, she had rehearsed what she should say when he inevitably brought it up.
She had scoffed and rolled her eyes a million times at the girls who so shamelessly threw themselves at Boruto, and now she was one of them. It was humiliating and hypocritical and she just couldn't even imagine him respecting her after this.
What could have possibly possessed her to strip down and invite him to have his way with her?! Sarada was so mortified, so painfully embarrassed by her own actions, that the only way she could cope was to pretend it never happened.
After the first mention, Boruto didn't say anything about it.
Well, actually, he didn't say anything at all, but the tension between them was palpable. The one unmade bed taunted her as she finished getting ready for the day.
She seriously needed to get out of that hotel suite.
Sarada wrapped a scarf around her neck and grabbed her purse before making her way toward the door, surprised when Boruto followed after her. Did he not sense that maybe they should get a little space?
"I should not have drank that much last night," ChoCho moaned from down the hall. Sarada turned around to find her friend wearing sunglasses inside to protect her sensitive eyes from the light. A quiet, smiling Mitsuki trailed behind her carrying her purse. "I'm starving! Where can we get some breakfast nachos?!"
"Sarada!" ChoCho called, the moment she noticed her. "How are you feeling?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I actually didn't drink that much," Sarada replied, wondering why her friend would get shit faced the day before their competition. Granted it was later that evening, but still.
"We went to this super fun bar down by the water after Boruto killed the party. Oh my god, the drinks were so cheap! What did you guys end up doing after you left last night?" ChoCho asked as she and Mitsuki approached them.
Sarada's cheeks flushed bright red. "Nothing, I just went straight to bed."
"So what are you guys up to now, then?"
"Umm…" Sarada hummed, trying to think of a good enough excuse to get away from Boruto so she could calm herself down and mentally prepare to compete before they needed to head over to the arena.
"We have brunch plans with our parents," Boruto answered.
Dark eyes widened. Shit!
Between her early morning mental breakdown and coaching herself on what to say in five hundred possible scenarios for when Boruto woke up, she had totally forgotten.
"Oh how fun!" ChoCho beamed.
"We should actually probably get going," Boruto added.
"Right," Sarada said with a nod, finally realizing that's why he followed her out of their room. "We'll see you guys later! Feel better ChoCho!"
They were all seated at a popular Kiri brunch spot near the boardwalk with huge windows that showcased a gorgeous view of the water. The mimosas were flowing as Naruto told the Uchihas a story Boruto had heard a million times. How his mom managed to laugh every time was beyond him.
But that morning Boruto was actually grateful his father was such a chatterbox because it saved him from making awkward conversation with Sarada, who was doing her damnedest to not even glance in his direction.
They were seated beside one another and every casual touch of their arms, every brush of their fingertips when they handed something to the other had Sarada flinching like he burned her. She was acting so weird and stiff and it was making him do the same.
How the fuck were they supposed to perform together in a few hours?
Pretend it never happened, his ass!
Worst of all, it felt like Sasuke knew something was amiss, like a shark that could smell blood in the water. It took all of Boruto's strength not to wither under his dark stare.
There was really nothing quite like sitting across from a man you greatly admire the morning after you fucked his daughter.
The sudden movement of Sarada unwrapping her scarf caught his attention. He glanced over at her momentarily and blue eyes widened as he noticed a not-so-subtle bruise on her neck.
Boruto's hand shot out instinctively to stop her. "You should leave it on, it's cold in here."
Sarada narrowed her eyes at him, obviously confused.
Fuck, she was really going to make him say it. He leaned in closer, turning his head away from the table as he whispered quietly against her ear, "you have a hickey on your neck."
"You're right, it is cold in here," Sarada immediately replied with a forced smile, cheeks coloring as she rewrapped her scarf.
When he turned back to the table, Boruto felt a pair of mischievous blue eyes on him. "Well don't you two look cozy," Naruto teased, lifting his mimosa with a smirk.
Boruto laughed a little too hard then looked to Sarada, his eyes begging her to laugh too. She let out a half-hearted, "ha ha ha."
"It's not like that, really Dad. Sarada and I are just good friends." Then as if to answer his prayers, two servers approach their table, plates in hand. "Oh look, the food!"
Luckily, Naruto was tipsy enough to get distracted by the steaming plates being placed on the table and dropped the subject.
Boruto had ordered a savory dish, some Kiri local specialty, but suddenly became jealous when he eyed Sarada's strawberry french toast.
Normally, he would not only demand Sarada give him a bite, but he'd probably try to make her feed it to him too, just so he could say something lewd and get her to blush. But a sinking feeling in his stomach reminded him that that dynamic of theirs was as good as dead.
"You nervous for tonight?" Naruto smiled, taking a bite of his omelet and pulling Boruto out of his thoughts.
"Psh, no," he grinned in an imitation of his usual confidence.
"You seem nervous to me, Boruto," Sasuke said flatly and Boruto's heart stopped.
He knew. He knew. Sasuke knew.
But there was no logical explanation for him to know beyond mind reading or some sixth sense that told him when Boruto had fucked up.
"Quit teasing him, dear," Sakura chimed in. "It's his first competition, he's allowed to be a little nervous."
"Are you nervous, Sarada?" Boruto asked, trying to turn the attention away from himself.
"Oh, um," she began, before glancing to the side, and Boruto realized he was resting his arm on the back of her chair. They met eyes and he silently told her to just roll with it, it would look more suspicious for him to suddenly pull away now. "I'm more excited than nervous."
"Yeah, it's excitement," he affirmed turning back to Sasuke to see if he was buying it. But he was just pouring more syrup on his waffle without care.
Was Boruto really just paranoid?
"We'll be in the crowd cheering for you guys, good luck out there!" Hinata called along with the rest of the parents' well wishes as they parted ways after brunch. Boruto exhaled a grateful sigh that that was over.
"Well, that wasn't awkward," he laughed sarcastically.
When Sarada didn't reply, he turned to discover she was standing there just as stiff as she had at brunch.
Oh… it was still awkward for her.
Boruto knew waiting to confront the elephant in the room would only make it more difficult and he regretted not being more persistent that morning before they left their suite. It needed to be addressed and they were running low on time, so he decided to be direct and honest and use logic he knew Sarada would subscribe to.
It was just a matter of getting her to listen.
"Sarada," he began, but she squirmed and turned away when his hands found purchase on her shoulders.
"Hmm, don't touch me," she grumbled, but he grabbed her by the face and turned her head. Sarada felt her protests die in her throat as she met his compassionate blue gaze.
"I am sorry that you regret last night, and I'm sorry that I knew you would and still let it happen, but please, please let it go," Boruto begged. "We spent the last three months preparing for this and I know you don't want to lose, but that is exactly what will happen if you recoil every time I touch you."
Sarada blinked at him silently for a moment, then nodded.
"You're right," she replied in a soft whisper and averted her gaze. "And I'm sorry, too. Let's get ready, we'll kick some ass and then we can just go back to pretending that whole thing never happened."
Boruto furrowed his brow, that wasn't really what he meant. "Sure, fine."
Sarada took deep breaths as she and Boruto prepared to take the ice. She was as about as confident as she could be. They had practiced so hard for months and Sarada was determined not to let all that time and energy go to waste.
The only issue was her skin was burning underneath Boruto's touch. Her breath hitched when his hand rested her waist, but she told herself to allow it, to lean into it.
The crowd greeted them with a hearty applause as they circled around the center of the rink before getting into their starting pose. The bright lights of the arena reflected off the sparkling flames of her costume and captivated everyone's attention.
Thank god she ran their routine night and day and constantly in her mind because it ended up being the muscle memory that carried her through the performance. Every touch of his made her skin tingle and brought her back to the previous night. The sound of heavy breathing, soft moans, and his name whispered from her lips echoed in her mind.
She suddenly didn't have the wherewithal to be nervous anymore. She just lost herself in the movements, the music.
By the time she mentally recentered herself, she and Boruto were standing in the middle of the rink in their final pose, his hand cradling her cheek as their foreheads rested against each other.
His lips were parted and panting, blue eyes searched hers. "Damn," he whispered.
Sarada could only vaguely hear the cheering of the crowd surrounding them, the flowers and stuffed animals tossed on the ice for them. He pulled away first but she just kept staring at him like she was in a trance.
"Are we gonna bow?" he mumbled and Sarada jolted out of her daze.
"Um, yeah, let's bow," she said, grabbing his hand. They turned and bowed to both sides of the arena and Boruto continued to hold her hand as they skated over the edge. Konohamaru was standing on the sidelines looking practically giddy.
"That was the best I've ever seen you perform it!" he grinned as they stepped off the ice.
"You think?" Boruto smiled, feeling rather confident. But Sarada's silence made him nervous. Was she disappointed? Had she expected more from their performance? She knew more about this stuff than he did.
A little girl skipped over and presented them with the armful flowers and stuffed animals she collected off the ice. Boruto crouched down to her level as he accepted the fans' gifts.
"Which one do you think is best?" he asked her. The young girl furrowed her brow in deliberation for a moment, before pointing to the pink bunny. "How about you keep it?" he winked and her eyes widened with excitement.
"Really? I can?" she asked with a blush.
He stood up and smiled as the girl ran away to join the other young helpers, beaming as she showed off her new bunny. He turned to find Sarada was already looking at him.
"Sorry, I hope you didn't want the bunny," he chuckled and handed her another plushie.
"It's okay," she replied with a soft smile and hugged the stuffed fox to her chest. A stagehand collected all the excess gifts from him as they were ushered over to a bench.
With cameras in their faces, they waited with bated breath for the judges to tally up their scores. Sarada could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she stared at the monitors, just willing the numbers to appear.
Dark eyes widened when she felt Boruto's fingers slip between hers and give her hand a reassuring squeeze. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, finding him just as eagerly watching the monitors.
A smile spread across her lips at the knowledge that they were in this together.
Sarada gasped when the numbers appeared, they were even better than she hoped for. She wasn't thinking as she practically jumped on Boruto in glee, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight. He just laughed as he hugged her back.
Their score was enough to put them in second behind ChoCho and Mitsuki. Even though Kagura and his partner had still yet to perform, they were in a really solid position.
The moment they stood up a reporter was approaching them, another cameraman in tow. "Congratulations on those scores, you guys! How are you feeling?"
"Really good," Sarada smiled. "I'm optimistic."
"What about you, Boruto?" the woman asked. "These are some great scores for your figure skating debut. You were a dark horse coming into this competition, and I think you proved to everyone you're a real contender."
"Any praise you have for me, I would like to go ahead and forward it to Sarada. Everything impressive you saw me do out there, was really just an extension of her talent," Boruto turned to her and grinned. "I mean, she shaped me into a medal-worthy figure skater in a matter of months and I just think that goes to show not only her skill and determination but her passion for this sport."
Sarada was speechless, staring up at him with wide eyes, just trying to absorb his words. It was possibly the nicest thing he had ever said to her.
Hell, it was maybe the nicest thing anybody had ever said to her.
She suddenly realized the reporter had moved the microphone in front of her for her to respond. "Umm, I mean I can't take all the credit," Sarada began with a smile, turning to face the reporter. "There's no way we could have made it this far if Boruto wasn't so hardworking."
"I think the judges would agree the best part of your program was your ability to convey this very raw passion in your performance. It's obvious you guys have great chemistry on and off the ice, so what's your secret?"
A blush bloomed across Sarada's cheeks as she was reminded of what exactly had been on her mind during their performance. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
She silently thanked Boruto as he leaned in to answer. But then she grew worried wondering what he might say when she noticed the smirk that tugged at his lips.
"I don't kiss and tell," he said and then winked directly at the camera. Sarada squeezed his hand, but she wasn't sure if it was out of anger for his choice of words or if it was to help keep her upright because she wanted to fall over and die.
The reporter giggled as she gestured for the cameraman to stop rolling. "That was great stuff you guys, thanks for your time!"
"What would possibly compel you to say something like that!?" Sarada said in a harsh whisper the moment the reporter turned away. Her cheeks still burning red.
"It was just a joke, Sarada, calm down. No one is going to make a big deal of it," Boruto sighed, sitting down on a nearby bench to remove his skates. Sarada sat beside him and began to do the same, silently hoping he was right.
It was a long moment before she mumbled, "you didn't have to say that."
"I told you it was just a joke."
"No, not that… the other stuff, before… you didn't have to talk me up like that," she said, averting her gaze down to her fingers fiddling with the laces of her skates.
Her breath hitched when she felt his steady fingers under her chin, turning her head to make her look him in the eyes.
"I meant every word," Boruto said seriously.
A/N: thank you so much for reading! I so appreciate everyone who left a nice comment on the previous chapter! and thank you to my friends over on Twitter who hype me up and recommend this story to others!
I can't wait to hear what you thought of this chapter! What was your favorite part?
