After the debacle that was the Kumo game, Boruto had some serious repenting to do with the two most prevalent girls in his life.
He decided to start with Sumire because he figured her forgiveness would be more easily won.
He nervously made his way to her apartment, feeling unsure about how she may receive him. Boruto had never seen her look more hurt than that moment before she ran away. The pitiful sound of her choked sob echoed in his mind, he felt guilty knowing he had caused her such heartache.
He had been so insensitive even after she sought him out and sweetly tended to his injuries and his wounded pride. The lingering shame churned in his stomach as he readied his fist in front of her door. With a deep breath, he knocked.
It was only a few moments before Sumire answered. Her eyes still looked so sad.
"Boruto," she acknowledged, and it may have been the most unenthusiastic greeting she had ever given him.
"I'm an idiot," Boruto pouted as he pulled a bouquet of pink roses out from behind his back. "But can you forgive me?"
Despite her efforts to remain stoic, Sumire cracked a smile as she accepted his flowers. "You didn't have to bring me these," she mumbled as she took a gentle sniff, her body relaxing with a soft sigh.
"I did because I wanted you to know how sorry I was about what I said the other night," Boruto explained.
"Really?"
"Really!" he confirmed. He felt himself smile as she stepped forward to slip her arms around him in a hug, careful not to smash her gifted flowers. Relief washed over him as he returned her embrace, his head nuzzled against hers, inhaling her sweet vanilla scent.
Sumire tilted her head back to face him, but instead of meeting her violet gaze like he expected, Boruto found her eyes closed and her lips seeking his.
He instinctively lurched his head back and her eyes shot open, surprised by the sudden movement.
They stared at each other for several tense moments.
Boruto knew he should say something, explain why he dodged her kiss, but no words would come out of his mouth.
She blinked at him in confusion, but then her features melted into hurt. "I… I thought you came over because you picked me…" she whispered sadly, her brows pinched together.
"I came over because…" Boruto began, searching for the right thing to say. "Because you're important to me! And I just… I wanted things to go back to the way they were."
Her gaze fell to the floor as she processed his words.
"So, then nothing has actually changed…" Sumire mumbled and he winced at the disappointment in her voice. "I finally get the courage to tell you how I feel, to kiss you, and you just want to go back?!"
"Uh, I…"
"You know what, Boruto?" She took a deep inhale, steeling herself before she looked up to meet his gaze. "I'm done chasing someone who doesn't like me back."
"I do like you!" he defended.
A sad frown tugged down the corner of her lips as Sumire grumbled, "yeah, just not as much as Sarada."
Boruto stood there, staring at her in silent shock as if she had just slapped him.
He didn't realize how much he had been telling himself not to fall for Sarada and how ineffective his mind's pleas had been against his stupid, stupid heart.
Sarada didn't want him. Not like that at least. She had made that abundantly clear every chance she got.
It was no wonder he kissed Sumire. He was yearning to hear those things she said, but he just wanted to hear them from Sarada.
Her questions before they began their physical relationship about his other current partners implied that she wanted monogamy even without the feelings which was honestly so fucking selfish.
But he knew he was selfish too.
Sarada wasn't the first person to assume Sumire was his girlfriend. Despite never bestowing her with such a title, Boruto allowed her to play that role for him and give him the emotional validation and adoration he craved.
"I'm sorry," he pleaded.
He was such a fool. Did he really believe that he could make things go back to the way they were with his not-girlfriend and figure-skating-partner-with-benefits?
Those roles alone were so messy, it was a wonder they didn't blow up in his face sooner.
Violet eyes were rimmed red and brimming with unshed tears as Sumire shoved the roses against his chest.
"Goodbye, Boruto," she muttered and closed the door in his face.
As emotionally draining as his conversation with Sumire had been and as shitty as it felt to throw away a bouquet of flowers after getting a door slammed in his face, Boruto recognized it was for the best.
He had been unfair to Sumire for a long time.
He gave her special attention and affection, but would never make her his girlfriend because he didn't want to stop flirting or fooling around with other girls.
Then there was Sarada.
She never explicitly asked him not to flirt or be with anyone else as a condition of their arrangement, and yet he just didn't, simply because he wasn't interested. It was weird, but no one really caught his attention anymore.
Once she started sleeping over all the time, he found himself imagining that that was what having a girlfriend could be like and he was really warming up to the idea. He spent virtually all day, every day with Sarada, and yet he still couldn't get enough. He was so wrapped up in her and all he wanted was to hear that that feeling was mutual.
After a lengthy mental debate, Boruto decided that he should tell her about the feelings he had developed for her. But, then again, he could only really do so if she would forgive him first.
She looked so betrayed when she found Sumire standing in his arms. He hoped she would be willing to listen to what he had to say. But knowing Sarada she might just shut him down before he could even utter a peep and shatter his heart to pieces in the process.
And that's what scared him the most.
He realized that was why he exclusively had casual relationships and fun flirtations in the past.
Boruto hadn't thought himself afraid of rejection. If you hit on every pretty girl you meet you have to expect to strike out every so often, but those things rolled off his back easily because he was never truly invested.
But with Sarada it was different. His feelings for her built up so slowly over the past few months he didn't even notice.
When their relationship started including sex, he dismissed the way he felt as a fondness for the sex they were having. Frequently getting laid can do that to a guy, right?
It was a lie he was willing to believe, a convenient excuse for the fluttering in his stomach every time he saw her.
Sarada had ignored his texts and calls the remainder of the weekend, which only served to compound his fears. His nervous grip on his bag strap tightened as he entered the ballet studio on an early Monday morning.
Sarada was already in the room when he arrived, sitting on the ground and reaching forward in a saddle stretch. When she looked up at him, Boruto froze where he stood.
"Hey," she offered weakly.
"Oh, so I do still exist to you?" he asked, but when she frowned he regretted the sarcasm. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I mean, hey."
He dropped his bag against the wall, took a seat in front of her, and mimicked her stretch. She was avoiding eye contact, but she didn't seem as mad as he imagined she would be.
"Sooo…" Boruto began but totally blanked on his rehearsed apology when her gaze met his.
"I just-" "I wanted-" they spoke at the same time.
"Let me go first," Sarada insisted.
Boruto instinctively held his breath, waiting for a fatal blow.
"I'm sorry..."
Blue eyes widened in shocked confusion. Did he hear her right?! She was apologizing?! To him?!
If anything he was the one who should be apologizing!
"I had no right to get upset with you and storm out. I had proposed we have sex to help with our chemistry on the ice... but we never really discussed the perimeters of our…"
She hesitated, not wanting to call it a relationship.
"... deal. I guess because I don't have any other partners, I had assumed you didn't either. But if you, um, wanted to sleep with other girls that's..." she swallowed. "...that's really none of my business."
"But I'm not sleeping with Sumire," he blurted with a shake of his head. "That kiss was the first time! The only time!"
"Really?"
"Really!" Boruto nodded. "I don't have any other partners either! Just you! Only you!"
"Oh… okay," Sarada nodded as she absorbed that revelation.
He wondered if now would be the right time to broach the topic of his growing feelings for her. Tell her he couldn't have other partners when all he wanted was her.
She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry for ignoring you. I guess I needed a moment. Do you think… we can just go back to the way things were?"
Boruto's mouth opened but he didn't know what to say.
He didn't want that.
After the clarity he gained from his confrontation with Sumire, he knew he wanted more than just sex from Sarada.
He wanted to tell her how he really felt about her.
"Yeah, let's just go back," he finally replied and plastered on a fake smile.
A/N: thanks so much for your patience with this chapter! I can't wait to hear what you think!
I hope you all had a happy new year!
