Connection

Sometimes you need to look past what's on the outside to really see someone.

Chapter Eight

Outside

"I don't know what happened, just that he had to cancel. You haven't talked to him?"

Kawaki frowned at the question, having just been told his date with Boruto for the night wouldn't be happening. Boruto hadn't called him to tell him that and when they spoke on the phone the night before, he had been looking forward to the date, so Kawaki didn't understand. He got off the phone with Iwabe though to call Boruto and see if everything was okay, not prepared in the least for the call to be answered by another man.

"Hello?" A much deeper voice than that of Boruto's spoke across the line. Taken aback as he was, Kawaki couldn't form any words right away. "Hellooo?"

"Where is Boruto?" Kawaki asked quietly, he wouldn't let himself assume anything. He would not.

"Can't come to the phone. He's getting in the shower." The man said and Kawaki's face fell.

"At home?" He wondered aloud.

"No, he's here at my house and he's going to be busy. So don't try and bother him."

Kawaki's lips parted and he slammed his phone down on his kitchen counter, shattering the screen and effectively ending the call. He breathed in shakily, heavily, gripping the edge of the counter with both hands. Never had he expected something like this to happen. Boruto wouldn't do this to him . . . he couldn't. But he was.

He should have fucked him. The opportunity had been there so many times and yet Kawaki refrained. He wanted to wait, for once in his life and it tested him like nothing else ever had . . . and Boruto was tired of waiting. Their little getting off experience hadn't been enough. It made sense, Kawaki understood because it was difficult. Boruto couldn't see him and neither of them had had sex in so long now . . . but Kawaki couldn't accept it. He wouldn't blame himself when they were so close.

Had it all been meaningless? Had Kawaki been mistaken by thinking Boruto actually did care about the real him? Of course. Nobody wanted him for him. Even without seeing his face, Boruto could tell a lot about Kawaki by his body. That was all that mattered. The challenge meant nothing, he just needed to prove he could date blindly for a while. Now, he had someone he could see and fuck and not have to put up with them without those luxuries.

The crushing weight Kawaki felt on his chest was unlike anything he had ever felt before and more than that, his rage frightened even him. He'd never been so wounded, ever. He'd never been so livid. Right now, he couldn't trust himself. All he could do was smoke to try and calm himself down, it wasn't working and his mood only worsened after Shikadai showed up at his house.

Believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see.

…

Boruto was in a deep sleep when the sound of someone knocking on his door woke him up. He had been up late the previous night talking on the phone with Kawaki, eager for date number eighteen. He dragged himself out of bed and went into the living room. The knocking grew louder and whoever it was was insistent. It soured Boruto's mood and he knew it better not be Shikadai or else he was going to punch his ass. Once he reached the front door he looked through the peephole, eyes widening when he saw his ex. Well, his last and latest ex before the whole blinddate thing started.

With a scowl, Boruto opened the door. "What do you want?"

"Hey, no need to sound so angry." Mitsuki said. "I thought you might like some company . . . that is if your boyfriend of the week doesn't mind."

Damn, Boruto really had been shallow . . . and maybe a little bit of a slut. "Fuck off, I'm not interested in your booty call."

"Now sweetpea, we both know you don't mean that."

Boruto hated that nickname. "What part of no do you not understand? What's with you, showing up out of nowhere after all this time. The last time I saw you I'm pretty sure you told me to take my bitch ass and jump off a bridge."

Mitsuki shrugged, smiling that crooked smile of his that used to run shivers down Boruto's spine. "What can I say? You weren't that much of a nice guy yourself, breaking up with me and saying I might as well cut it off because I don't know how to use it."

"You got nasty with me first, Mitsuki." Boruto reminded. "I wasn't about to be some quiet baby that only spoke when they were spoken to. You tried to tell me how to act and how to look so I kicked your ass to the curb."

"That's because you don't know what's good for you. We had a great thing going and I tried to move on, I thought I was done with you. " He said and trailed his eyes up and down Boruto's body. "But no one forgets a body like yours, sweetpea. I can make you perfect, give you everything you want. All you have to do is say yes."

Boruto rolled his eyes, having heard this kind of shit come out of his mouth more times than he could count. "I'm not doing this with you, the answer is no. Now get lost before you piss me off." He said and moved to slam the door closed, but Mitsuki wasn't having it and stepped in. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"What I should have done in the first place, Boruto." He said and closed the door behind himself. "I need to teach that mouth when to shut up."

Boruto never thought of Mitsuki as dangerous, but he didn't like the way he was looking at him, not at all. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but Mitsuki was on him in the next instant. He grabbed Boruto by his waist and started tugging him further into the flat. Boruto shouted and began kicking his legs, trying to break free from his hold and punched his face. But Mitsuki was a determined bastard and he wouldn't let go, his grip like iron. He tossed Boruto into the bedroom and then wiped his arm over his face where Boruto had punched him.

"You fucking psycho!" Boruto yelled from the floor before he got to his feet.

Mitsuki was ready when Boruto lunged at him and he caught him by his hair, kneeing him in the stomach. Boruto fell to his knees with a gasp, but Mitsuki was far from done.

He pulled Boruto's head back with a thin smile. "It would be a shame to mess up that pretty face, wouldn't it? So how about you play nice, hm?"

He kneed him in the stomach once more and let him fall to the floor, leaving Boruto struggling to breathe. The sound of a phone ringing caught Mitsuki's attention and he was quick to locate Boruto's cell phone. He frowned when he saw the caller id, Shikadai. He tossed the phone on the bed and let it ring, going back over to his ex.

"I hate to see you like this, I really do." Mitsuki sighed. "Let me ask you again, alright sweetpea? Are you going to be good?"

"Bite me you fucking bastard!" Boruto hissed, forcing the words out as he clutched his stomach. His ex was a lot stronger than he remembered.

"And you continue to be difficult. Oh well." Mitsuki said and yanked Boruto to his feet, dragging him to the bathroom. The style of Boruto's flat was old, he was fond of the way things looked, but he regretted that decision now. All the interior doors had old fashioned locks. "You stay in here until you change your mind." Mitsuki said as he forced him inside, pulling the door closed and taking the key after he locked it.

Boruto leaned against the tub and cursed. This was what he got for sleeping around, taking whoever looked good even though they could turn out like Mitsuki. His ex couldn't keep him in here forever and surely people would come looking for him. The bathroom didn't have any windows and the spaces between the apartments in his building went by floor, though sound didn't travel that well either. Sometimes having the finer things in life was a pain in the ass. Boruto would have to bide his time until someone came for him, but if he got a chance to escape or gain the upper hand then he would.

Little did he know that Mitsuki was making things more difficult. He had picked up Boruto's phone again, reading the text message Shikadai left about some date that his ex was apparently going to. Deciding to nip that in the bud, he typed in Boruto's password that he had seen him enter multiple times before and typed a response. He said that something important came up and he wouldn't be able to make it, but he would explain everything later. Boruto wasn't a complicated person and Mituski had been around him enough to imitate the way he spoke. After he saw that Shikadai took the bait, he put the phone in his pocket along with the bathroom key, leaving the bedroom to make himself at home.

It wasn't that much longer before Boruto's phone rang again while Mitsuki was sitting on the couch with his feet on the coffee table. He didn't recognize the caller id, someone named K. He wasn't sure if he should wait for them to text as well, but decided to risk it because of the weird name. It was easy to figure out what was going on, this K person was Boruto's new boyfriend of the week. He went ahead and ruined whatever relationship they had, Boruto's were never deep anyway and would break easily. It didn't take much effort at all and the call was short, lasting less than two minutes.

Mitsuki planned out what he was going to do next and made himself something to eat before he went to check on Boruto. He knocked on the door and asked if he was ready to behave and come out. Boruto was as stubborn as always, that nasty mouth of his a habit Mitsuki really needed to change for him. He left Boruto to think about his choices for a while longer and finished eating his food. Thirty more minutes passed and Mitsuki had everything thought out. If Boruto still wanted to be difficult then he would have to set him straight. Just as his hand turned the knob to the bedroom door the front door opened. He spun around, seeing Shikadai walk in with someone he didn't recognize.

"What the fuck?" Shikadai spoke lowly when he spotted him. "What are you doing in here, Mitsuki? Where's Boruto?"

Damn, so he hadn't fallen for the text a hundred percent. "He's not here right now, left to go get some drinks. I stopped by and . . . well, you know how Boruto is."

"You're a goddamn liar. You told me on the phone that Boruto was with you at your place." Kawaki hissed every word, walking through the living room on his way to the bastard. "What the fuck did you do to him?"

Well this wasn't looking good. Mitsuki hadn't expected the stranger to be the same one he spoke on the phone with. "Come on, no need to be so angry. I was only telling you what Boruto told me to in case anyone called. You're the boyfriend, right? He doesn't open his heart to anyone, just takes what he wants and then leaves. I know from experience. He's no good for you."

"You don't know shit." Kawaki growled, reaching out quickly and grabbing the white haired guy by his throat. "Shikadai, find Boruto."

"Right." Shikadai walked past them and started with the bedroom where Mitsuki had been headed.

"If I find out you hurt him, I can't say you'll make it out of here alive." Kawaki threatened, squeezing his throat as he held him in place.

It seemed he was cornered. This K person was quite a big guy and he wouldn't be able to put up a fight in his current position. He could think up another lie, but he knew Shikadai would find Boruto.

"Alright, you got me." Mitsuki said calmly. "I was lying about everything. Boruto wasn't too happy to see me and threw a few punches as you can see. I had no other choice than to lock him in the bathroom for my own safety."

"So you did hurt him?" Kawaki breathed shakily, rage and adrenaline coursing through him.

Shikadai came out of the bedroom, his own face twisted in anger. It wasn't obvious to those that didn't know him well, but he was pissed. "Give me the key, Mitsuki. Or else I'll murder your ass and make it look like an accident."

"Key." Kawaki said, tightening his grip on Mitsuki's throat. "Give him the goddamn key."

"E-easy." Mitsuki voiced, struggling to breathe. "Can't do it if I'm dead." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, Boruto's phone falling out and hitting the floor.

"You conniving piece of shit." Shikadai snatched the key out of his hand and picked up Boruto's phone before heading back into the bedroom.

"You fucked with the wrong guy today, shithead." Kawaki laughed darkly, choking his prey with the same hand.

Mitsuki could no longer say anything and his face went from red to blue as his oxygen was cut off completely. Never had Kawaki felt like this, so consumed with the need to hurt someone. Even watching the life leave the bastard's eyes, Kawaki felt no remorse. But he was worried enough about Boruto to let the guy crumble on the floor after he passed out. He didn't give a damn about the challenge anymore, he just cared about Boruto and needed to see with his own eyes that he was safe.

Boruto was captured in a tight hug when the bathroom door opened, his friend shaking. "Fuck, Boruto. I just can't let you out of my sight, can I?

Boruto chuckled and held Shikadai just as tightly. "Yeah, sorry. I knew you'd get here. Thanks."

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Boruto lied. His stomach still hurt, but it wasn't a big deal. He heard a thud from outside the bedroom door and frowned. "Uh, what was that . . . and what happened with that bastard?"

Shikadai released him and scratched his head. "Well . . ."

The bedroom door opened and a tall man came walking in. Boruto was taken aback by the handsome specimen that was in his flat for some reason, not recalling him as an ex. He would have remembered. Not that it mattered, Boruto already had a man, one that he was supposed to have gone on a date with. He really needed to find his phone and apologize to Kawaki.

"Um, can I help you?" Boruto asked the man and then whispered to Shikadai, "Why the hell are you letting strangers in my place?"

"Shikadai, get the fuck out."

Boruto's attention snapped back to the man, not fully believing he heard such a familiar voice come from his lips. "Ka . . . Kawaki?" He whispered, not noticing Shikadai make his exit.

Kawaki walked over to Boruto, his eyes finally taking in the face that he had longed to see. His hands moved to Boruto's cheeks and he sighed. "Are you alright?"

Boruto nodded, not able to find his voice. He couldn't take his eyes off of the man in front of him and his hands came up to clutch at his shirt, tears suddenly spilling down his face.

"You're alright. I've got you." Kawaki promised, moving his arms around Boruto to pull him into a hug.

"I-it's you." Boruto finally got out, not knowing why he was crying, but he was happy. So unbelievably happy. "It's really you."

"Shit happened . . . sorry to end our blind games early." Kawaki mused, pulling him back to get another look at him. "It's really you too."

"It's alright." Boruto laughed. "Just let me look at you." He wrapped his arms around Kawaki's waist, not letting him go anywhere anytime soon. "Aren't you the handsome fellow."

Kawaki smirked at that, grey eyes lighting up as they stared into Boruto's blue ones. "You think so? I can finally see that you are in fact cute as fuck."

Boruto smiled widely, not caring if his face was a mess and his blond hair was sticking up everywhere. "Thank you."

"So then you're not disappointed?" Kawaki asked, one hand running through Boruto's blonde hair.

"Not at all." Boruto answered, reaching one hand up to feel the edges of Kawaki's black undercut. "I think you're wonderful . . . though I was already biased." He teased.

"Relatable." Kawaki hummed. "I really didn't care what you'd look like, but I can't deny how impressed I am. I think I got lucky with you, baby."

Boruto blushed at the pet name, but didn't look away. "I think so too. I'm lucky to have you."

"Are you really okay? He didn't hurt you?" Kawaki asked, trying not to get anymore distracted by Boruto's adorable features and then those lips, he couldn't even look.

"He hit me a few times, but it's not that bad." He said and then furrowed his brow, putting two and two together. "Wait . . . did you?" Where was Mitsuki and that thud . . .

"I didn't kill him. But I wanted to." Kawaki admitted before leaning down to kiss Boruto on the forehead. "We should go make sure Shikadai is handling things alright."

Boruto nodded, more than ready to have Mitsuki's ass thrown in jail. The bastard wasn't dead, but Kawaki had knocked him out cold which Boruto was extremely proud of, feeling like his honor was defended. While it was a little sad that they didn't make it the full twenty dates, it didn't really matter. Shikadai and Iwabe could rub it in their faces all they wanted, not that they would at this point, but Boruto was happy. He had a great guy with him that was everything he wanted in a man. No, he was everything and more. Kawaki was something he didn't know he needed until he had him and he was never letting go.

…

This was totally unexpected. It was supposed to be a regular date day, they only had two left and the anticipation had been at an all time high, but the reveal came sooner than expected. It came so suddenly and being concerned as he was, Kawaki didn't even have time to observe Boruto at first. Sure he'd looked at him, knowing when he saw him that it was in fact Boruto because it couldn't be anyone else. Kawaki expected him to be cute, but he never thought he'd be near perfection.

He was Kawaki's type in every way possible. He did have a thing for blondes and those blue eyes were endearing. He had adorable features and his face as good as the rest of him. Kawaki knew he was lucky as fuck and he was happy to be with Boruto. It didn't matter how he looked, not at all, but Kawaki was thankful to finally be able to see him.

After the incident, there was no way in hell that Kawaki was going to leave Boruto alone and figuring he wanted to get out of his flat after what happened, Kawaki asked him to come to his house. It was strange, even sitting next to him in his truck and Kawaki's eyes kept drifting to their clasped hands resting on the center console. This was a whole new experience. The built up reveal did not leave him feeling down, nothing had changed except for the fact that they could now do so much more together and Kawaki was looking forward to it.

Boruto couldn't stop smiling and kept stealing glances at Kawaki, though he tried not to be too obvious. He was so cute all over, Kawaki just couldn't stand it and he dared either of their annoying friends to even think about stepping in. They had their fun, now Kawaki was done with them. He wanted to be able to enjoy some time privately with Boruto since they could now easily take care of themselves.

"Oh shit!" Boruto exclaimed when they pulled up to Kawaki's house. "You seriously built this?!"

Kawaki smiled as he parked in his garage and looked over at Boruto. He still couldn't get over the fact that he could see him at all. He just kept getting cuter. "These hands really know what they're doing."

Boruto giggled and gave Kawaki a smirk. "I know that from experience."

"Mm. You did have a preview, didn't you?" Kawaki mused. "Well let's get inside so you can explore and I'll cook something."

"Okay!" Boruto agreed, feeling really energized and giddy for some reason. He was excited to see everything and admire Kawaki's work.

They got out of the truck, Kawaki taking Boruto's bag for him and then his hand as he led him inside. He felt relieved finally, knowing Boruto was safe and with him so nothing could happen to him. When they walked in, stepping into the kitchen first, Kawaki set the bag on the table and gave Boruto another smile.

"You can look around, make yourself at home. I'll get started."

"Alright." Boruto grinned and quickly left a soft peck on Kawaki's cheek before he wandered off.

"Shit." Kawaki sighed to himself, knowing he was in deep with this one and he couldn't have been happier about it.

Getting right to it, Kawaki busied himself with preparing dinner and let his mind drift. He couldn't stop picturing Boruto now that the image of him was imbedded into his mind and he was fine thinking of him, he just wouldn't let himself think of what had happened and what could have happened. He'd calmed down now and wanted to forget all about that and concentrate solely on spending time with his cute little Boruto. His.

Dinner was coming along nicely and Kawaki was still smirking to himself at the thought of Boruto. Even the way he padded throughout the house was adorable. Kawaki wondered how he could be so taken with someone, but he was nothing but happy about it. He was leaning against the counter, patiently waiting on the food when Boruto came back, bouncing over to him with a big grin on his face that had Kawaki's face softening further. He was so fucking weak for him.

"It's amazing!" Boruto praised. "And huge as fuck! How long did it take you to build it all?"

"Hm. A few months I believe." Kawaki answered thoughtfully, wracking his brain to make sure he was being honest. "I'm not exactly sure."

"Whoa. It's really great." He said and then added with a smaller but softer smile, "You hung up my painting."

"I told you I did." Kawaki chuckled. "Did you think I was lying? I really love it."

Boruto shook his head, laughing. "I did believe you, but when I saw it for myself, I couldn't believe it. It's really ugly."

"Watch it. Don't go hating on my baby's masterpiece." Kawaki chided him teasingly. "I'm very proud."

Boruto laughed again, this time harder and it ended with a snort. "I apologize."

"So fucking cute." Kawaki groaned and forced his attention to the stove so he didn't jump on Boruto's ass.

Another thing Boruto couldn't believe was that Kawaki actually liked it when he snorted, but his constant approval didn't make him self conscious about it anymore. "Smells good. Is it almost done?"

"Yes. About five more minutes. You can go ahead and help yourself to something to drink." Kawaki wanted Boruto to feel at ease in his home and not think he had to ask for anything.

"Okay." He said and glided over to the fridge. "Do you want anything?"

"Surprise me."

The sound of Boruto pulling things from the fridge and searching the cabinets sounded from behind him, but Kawaki didn't look over his shoulder to see what he was doing until he heard the blender. Boruto was mixing something and had a little collection going on the counter, causing Kawaki to raise a brow. He didn't say anything, however, and turned back to the food.

He must have been making something special for real and Kawaki was curious for sure. He kept his attention on the food, just needing a few more minutes. He was absentmindedly stirring one of the pots when Boruto suddenly popped up beside him with a drink in his hand.

"What did you make?" Kawaki asked as he stared at the light blue icy looking drink.

"A little something my mom taught me." Boruto replied. "Have a taste."

"Thank you." Kawaki took the drink with a smile and had a swallow. "Mm. Sweet. But . . . is that . . . liquor?"

"Yep." Boruto chuckled, picking up his own drink that was a bright pink. "Not a lot, but it's in there. I made yours really sweet and mine really fruity." He informed and had a sip of his own before adding, "Actually, do you wanna taste mine too?"

"It looks strawberry as fuck. Yeah, I want a taste." Kawaki smiled, leaning over to suddenly capture Boruto's lips in a kiss, quickly sliding his tongue into his mouth for a taste just like he wanted. He hummed when he pulled back, too soon for Boruto. "It's better than I thought it would be."

Boruto licked his lips, cheeks darkening. "You're welcome to have more."

"Better not. Can't go getting drunk so soon." Kawaki mused, lips pulled into a smirk. "Though it's very tempting."

More than tempting and Boruto wanted to test his patience, but he held off. "Maybe after dinner?"

"Maybe."

The food finally was ready and Kawaki told Boruto to sit at the table while he fixed their plates and carried them over. He had learned during their dinner dates what Boruto did and didn't eat for the most part and he was confident Boruto would enjoy the quick meal he'd prepared. Once they were both sitting at the table, Kawaki had a few sips of his drink. While it was in fact sweet, it was strong too and he wondered if his cute little blonde was trying to get him drunk.

"Do you really feel okay?" Kawaki asked, unable to forget that Boruto has been through quite the ordeal today. They were both happy to be together and have this new experience together, but he couldn't ignore the fact that Boruto had been attacked today.

Boruto's hand went to his stomach where Mitsuki had kicked him. "A bit achy, but I'm alright. I'm tougher than I look." He told Kawaki. It only hurt if he moved a certain way, but he wasn't sure if it had bruised or not. He had been in too much of a rush to get changed and packed to look.

"It's your stomach?" Kawaki frowned. "What did he do to you?"

Boruto didn't want him to start worrying, but he wanted to be truthful and he had already told him that Mitsuki hit him. "Just kicked me a couple of times. That was all, he didn't do anything else before he shut me in the bathroom."

"Kicked?" Kawaki hissed. "Who the fuck was that bastard anyway?"

Uh oh. "My . . . my last ex. I didn't know he was a fucking psycho, but there you go. I have great taste in men, don't I?" Boruto quipped, staring down at his plate. Kawaki was the exception, he had horrible taste.

"It's not your fault." Kawaki sighed. "I can't say I'm any better . . . I've never spent any time with anyone though. Never took a chance to learn anything about anyone I've ever fucked." He mumbled before finally picking up his fork to eat.

"But we're both different now, I think." Boruto said and dug in as well, feeling better about the situation. "Although, I still want those two dates you owe me, blindfolded or not."

"You'll get more than two." Kawaki assured him after swallowing the bite of food in his mouth.

Boruto's eyes lit up. "I can't wait!"

"There's so much more we can do now." He smiled, having another sip of his drink. "So many possibilities."

Boruto quickly raised his glass as a toast, giggling. "I'll drink to that."

"Careful if your drink is as strong as mine." Kawaki said, knowing Boruto was a lightweight.

"If?" Boruto repeats, smirking before he takes another drink. He was teasing, he knew, but he wanted to see if Kawaki could catch on to his little game.

"Does that mean it is?" He questioned. "I don't want you getting drunk and passing out on me."

Boruto shook his head. "I won't." He assured and added, "And they have a bit of liquor, so we'll have a good buzz at least." Maybe more than that for Kawaki, he wasn't sure how much it would take to get him drunk.

"It will probably hit me harder because I'll smoke after we eat. If you don't care."

"Ohh. I don't mind." Boruto said and went back to eating, anticipation running down his spine. They had only fucked around once and that was when Kawaki was high. Having him a little drunk and high would be interesting to say the least. He only felt slightly guilty that he was taking advantage.

"Okay." Kawaki thought Boruto may have sounded a little excited there, but he figured he was just imagining things.

They finished eating and then washed the dishes together, even though Kawaki told Boruto he didn't need to help. They'd finished their drinks, but Boruto made Kawaki and himself another before they walked out onto the back patio together so Kawaki could smoke.

Boruto snuggled close against him just as he always would and the closeness had long since become something Kawaki craved. He'd set his drink on the glass table in front of him so he would have a free hand to rest on Boruto's leg.

"You really don't mind staying with me?" Kawaki asked when he was about halfway finished with his joint. He hadn't given Boruto much of a choice and was only realizing that now.

"Not at all." He hummed contently. "I wanted to be around you . . . I needed you with me."

"Needed?" Kawaki repeated in a whisper. Though he didn't know what to make of how that made him feel, he knew he liked it and said nothing more as he brought the joint back to his lips.

"Yeah . . . it's funny, you know? How in the moment you can be anything, brave, pissed, your mind constantly thinking . . ." Boruto trailed. "But then after the fact you look back and think, fuck, that was some scary shit." He hadn't panicked in his time alone in the bathroom, but he knew that if he had stayed alone after the whole ordeal the fear would have snuck up on him.

"Definitely some scary shit." Kawaki agreed. He had been scared, but he'd been more angry than anything. "I can't handle that kind of thing happening. Ever again." He would keep Boruto with him everyday before he let that happen.

"Me either." He said and took a sip of his drink. "Come to think of it, I never thanked you, did I?" He realized and looked up at him. "Thank you, Kawaki."

"I think you're cute enough without all that shit." Kawaki huffed. "You don't need to thank me. I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did!" Boruto smiled. "You stormed the castle with the loyal knight, Shikadai, and saved the prince from the completely insane bastard dragon that was all fire and no burn."

"Cute synopsis. But . . ." Kawaki trailed off, feeling guilty for the thoughts he'd had before Shikadai got a hold of him. "I thought you left me for that bastard."

Boruto rested back against Kawaki's shoulder as he took in his words. "Can't say that wasn't a logical conclusion . . ." Shikadai had filled him in and returned his cell phone. " . . . but it was stupid. I'm crazy about you, more than I have been about anyone else. You can take that to the bank and cash it."

"Yeah?" Kawaki smiled and took another draw off his joint. "I thought so too but then . . . I couldn't help doubting everything for a moment. I figured maybe you got tired of being with someone you couldn't see."

"No, not me . . . not anymore at least, I've changed. You changed me for the better, I think. And it's gonna be you and me for a long time if I have anything to say about it." Boruto grinned.

"You've changed me too. I have the same plan." Kawaki told him, turning his head to meet his gaze directly. "I'm not going to let you go."

Boruto looked up into his grey eyes, the weight of his words embracing him completely. "Kawaki . . ."

"Hm?"

"I . . ." Boruto hesitated for a moment, a thousand thoughts running through his head, but fuck it. Fuck it all. "I love you."

The joint fell from between Kawaki's fingers and he breathed at those three words. Nobody had ever told him that before and he didn't know what to make of it. Did he feel the same way?

"You do?" Kawaki couldn't believe it.

"I do." Boruto promised quietly. "I really do."

The look in those earnest blue eyes did funny things to Kawaki's heart and he realized in that moment more than any other since he'd met Boruto, that he wasn't the same man he was before meeting him. Somehow, this adorable blonde had stolen his heart and Kawaki didn't care. Actually, he was happy about it. Thankful for it. His left hand ran through Boruto's hair until he reached the back and fisted it, forcing his head back.

"I won't let you regret that." Kawaki murmured, tenderly caressing Boruto's lips with his own.