A/N: Hello everyone! Long author's note ahead. The story begins at the line break.

This is officially the start of part 2, and so the rating will be changing to RATED M! Things are going to be much darker and more mature from now on, and that includes sex and other intimate scenes, violence, drugs, alcohol, swearing, character death, and general inappropriate themes. So please be aware. I will always put warnings at the beginning of each chapter so no one is taken by surprise, but of course without spoiling anything. Just expect lots of BoruSara developments hehe.

I love you all so, so, so freaking much and I want to thank everyone for being so patient. I read all your reviews, take them to heart, and I truly want to be the best writer I can be, so I will be going through slowly and editing each individual chapter to tweak dialogue, grammar, character reactions, and small things, but nothing drastic will change. The plot will still be the same. Sometimes a scene I had planned in my head turns out differently when put on paper, and rewatching/reading the Boruto anime/manga is showing me that I've left out some core characteristics of certain characters, despite this being an AU. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and now that I'm taking a break from school AND I'm newly single after an awful two year relationship, I have PLENTY OF TIME to revise my story bahahaha.

You can follow me on Twitter for news, updates, and more: koalachiii :) onto the story!

Shirts, jeans, shoes, and skirts were scattered across the young Uchiha's floor as she sifted through her closet. Even after a heap of clothing had grown atop her bed, nothing had stood out to her. Raiding her mother's closet was no help either as she mostly had scrubs and lounge clothes.

Tomorrow was the first day of junior year, so Sarada had to find something cute to wear. Their school allowed students to wear what they wanted on the first and last day of school, and Wednesday's were optional. Besides that, school uniforms were required. So, she had to make a good first impression.

The white tennis shoes gifted to her from a certain Uzumaki lay atop her dresser, and she sighed. He'd never contacted her after she'd texted him. Sarada had already overthought every scenario into oblivion and even mustered up the courage to show up at his front door, but Hinata had answered and said he was out of town until school started.

That had been two weeks ago, and since then Sarada filled her remaining summer days distracting her downtrodden soul by practicing volleyball by herself in the park, reading, baking, hanging out at her uncle's house, and fighting the urge to call Boruto. There had to be more to the story, but communication was a two-way street. Since she had already put herself out there to talk but he hadn't responded, she couldn't force him to explain. There was really no alternative way to take his silence other than they were officially over, or at least he wanted time away to reconsider.

Accepting that things ultimately weren't working out was difficult for her; there was no closure. She hoped and wished for them to be together, but in the end to no avail. The time they'd spent together had been special, but not meant to last. Aside from their romantic interest in one another, over the course of the year, Boruto had become one of her closest friends. And now with her best friend no longer in the picture, she felt sad and alone.

With or without Boruto, she still had many things she tried to look forward to, such as volleyball tryouts tomorrow. Sarada had long given up trying to find an outfit and was now packing her duffel bag. Knee pads, extra socks, gym shoes, shorts, and a fitted tee. Her text groupchat with Sumire, Wasabi, and Namida was blowing up her phone with notifications. They were planning on getting ice cream after tryouts in the shop in the mall. It was going to be fun. The tryouts were a three-day process, so Sarada wouldn't know until Monday after school if she'd made the team or not.

Even if she made it only to become the designated water girl, at least her foot was in the door. Maybe then, next year she could make the actual team and play varsity. She was going to try her best, regardless.

Staring at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, she pondered about how this school year would go. Starting anew could be difficult. A new school year, new friends, new teachers, and classes, but Sarada knew it would be okay. The future was something great to look forward to, not scary.

Then, getting into her pajamas and sinking into bed, she fell into a restless sleep.

In the morning, Sarada was up bright and early. Although she felt confident, her nerves still were prominent. She gripped her gym bag tightly as she stood in the driveway with her dad as she scuffed her shoes against the pavement.

"Just remember you're an Uchiha, and you can do anything you put your mind to. I'm proud of you." Sasuke said with a smile.

Sarada put her bag into the front seat of her car and gave her dad a hug. Sakura wasn't there due to working an overnight shift or else Sarada would have given her mom a hug too. "Thanks, dad!"

"Wait, your mother told me to do something…" Sasuke recalled every instruction Sakura had told him before heading to work last night.

"Take a picture?" Sarada smiled. Yes. That. How could Sasuke possibly have forgotten?

"Right." He said. He pulled out his phone. "Smile."

"Dad, you're supposed to tell me cute poses to do!" Sarada laughed. He narrowed his eyes.

"Just smile and let's go."

She giggled, and after making him retake it at least seven times, she accepted it and got in her car. The past couple of weeks, Itachi had practiced driving with her to her school, parking, backing up, and getting back home. She felt comfortable with the drive now, though there was something that was throwing her off today. Nerves, anxiety, excitement – she didn't know. So her dad was dropping her off.

Sasuke pulled into the parking lot and parked. He then said, "Have a good day. Good luck with your tryouts! Let me know when you're finished."

Sarada grinned and hopped out of the car. "Thanks!"

A lot of her classmates were hanging out around their cars, and the fresh crisp air gave Sarada a feeling of rejuvenation. Throwing the duffel bag strap over her shoulder, she walked into the school. It was full of bright energy and chatter, and lots of different fashion. Her locker was now on the second floor with all the other juniors, so she walked up the two flights of stairs. Scanning the long row of lockers against the wall, she finally found hers.

"Ah, here!" Sarada was filled with glee. A bottom locker wasn't the best, but since she hadn't applied with a locker partner this year, it would work just fine. She managed to shove her duffel bag into the small steel rectangle. Her homeroom was 2D, so she walked through the hallway searching for the room.

The junior homerooms were on the second floor, whereas seniors were on the top floor, and freshmen and sophomores were on the first floor. The locker locations varied, so Sarada was lucky hers just so happened to be on the same floor where her homeroom was. There had been instances of seniors having homerooms and all their classes on the third floor, but their locker was on the first floor. Or sophomores having all their classes on the first floor, but their locker was on the third floor. That was one thing Sarada and the other student council members had tried to change last year, but no conclusion had ever been drawn. So, students either were lucky or they weren't. If volleyball didn't work out for Sarada, she would campaign to be on the student council again and bring that issue to the voting table again. The detention rules she had created last year had gotten accepted and officially went into play this year, so she was at least proud of that.

"Sarada!"

Sarada heard a cheerful voice amongst the mass of people. Himawari came barreling up the stairs towards her with Inojin following behind. She hugged Sarada tightly, her eyes gleaming.

"Himawari! Oh my gosh, how are you?" Sarada hugged her tightly. "It's your first day of high school!"

"I know, I know!" Himawari said with a cheerful smile. "I'm so excited I can see you more now!"

"Yeah, it'll be great!" She said, then looked around the hallway nervously. If Himawari was nearby, Boruto might be too. A burst of nervousness shot through her body.

"I missed you! Oh, you're wearing the shoes my brother got you!" Himawari said with delight.

Sarada tried to contain the blush across her cheeks. It was quite the morning trying to throw together an outfit and she ended up choosing the shoes Boruto had gotten her. And of course, Himawari would notice – nothing got past her.

"Aha, y-yeah!" Sarada said, gripping the strap of her shoulder bag tightly.

"Have you seen him yet?" Himawari blinked innocently. Sarada rocked back and forth on her feet.

"N-No, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere! The bell's about to ring, I'll see you later alright?"

"Okay!" Himawari said, and she spoke to Inojin for a moment longer before hopping back down the flight of stairs.

Sarada took some deep breaths as she walked away. Well, nothing could've prepped her more to see Boruto than seeing his own sister, she supposed. Their facial similarities were uncanny. Hopefully, she and Boruto would be in different homerooms this year so they wouldn't have to deal with the awkwardness. She had finally started to feel okay with their ending but that interaction with Himawari brought all her feelings back instantly. Now she had no clue how she would feel when she saw Boruto.

Entering class 2D, Sarada saw there were already a couple of her classmates inside. There was so much anticipation surrounding who would be in the same homeroom this year, as they would be stuck together the entire year. And not to mention, the candidates for student representatives were never guaranteed to be good. But, everyone was offered an equal chance, and that's what their school primarily emphasized.

Sarada chose two seats back in the middle row next to a classmate she'd never seen before. She liked being surrounded by others and hated being on the corners. She could never see from the back of the classroom and got distracted if she was by the window. So closer to the front was the best option for her.

The classmate next to her turned his head to her and offered a smile. "Bonjour, what is your name?"

He had a thick accent, striking hazel eyes, dirty brown hair, a very prominent jawline, and some crooked teeth, but a glow to him that was comforting.

"Sarada," She said, "what's yours?"

"My name is Pierre, I'm new here." He said. Sarada couldn't stop looking into his eyes.

"Where are you from?"

"France." He smiled. "I'm studying abroad this year."

"Oh wow, that's so cool," Sarada said wondrously. "Do you like it here so far?"

"I don't really know, but it is very different that is for sure."

"Yeah, you–" Sarada was about to speak, but a loud laugh diverted her attention. Lo and behold, Mitsuki walked into the homeroom and following suit, Boruto Uzumaki.

Of course they were in the same homeroom.

To make matters worse, Sarada's mouth was left hanging open as she and Boruto made direct eye contact, though his sentence didn't falter, and he casually sat right behind her. Mitsuki took a seat to his right. Shikadai walked in with a coffee and a yawn present and sat behind Mitsuki, and Inojin came in shortly after as the warning bell rang and placed himself nearby. Leila and Allison also came shuffling in with their giggles trailing behind them.

Boruto was still casually jabbering to Mitsuki about video games, and Sarada was speechless. Pierre tilted his head.

"What were you saying?"

"O-Oh, yeah, um," Sarada shook her head, hiding her trembling hands in between her thighs. She was having a hard time containing her nerves. Boruto was less than a foot away from her. She could turn around and his baby blue eyes would be right there. "Y-You'll get used to it. Um, so you're here for the whole school year?"

He nodded. "Oui. You speak French?"

"Ah, un peu." Sarada said. Finally, the last two years she'd taken French classes weren't for nothing.

"Je vois!" Pierre exclaimed happily.

The final bell rang, and footsteps outside in the hallway clambered to their designated homerooms. Iwabee stuck his head through the doorway and shouted, "Boruto, after school party at my house!"

"You got it!" He shouted back with a finger snap, and Iwabee dashed to the floor above.

Pierre seemed to be a little surprised at how rambunctious everyone was, and Sarada looked at him, completely unfazed by the senior.

"You'll get used to it."

Pierre chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I guess so!"

From behind, Boruto was giving him a hard stare.

Their homeroom teacher walked in and was revealed to be Mr. Kakashi Hatake. Sarada knew him slightly; he was a martial arts teacher at the nearby dojo along with Metal's grandpa, Guy. He had mentored both Naruto and Sasuke when they were little; he'd been teaching at this high school for decades. He was good friends with her dad, but she never saw much of him. He seemed like an odd guy with his mysterious novels always hidden behind fake book covers, but had a neutral personality. He introduced himself, and anyone new who had joined them this year which included Pierre then moved on to the rules, and then roll call. Finally, it was time for class representatives.

Sarada smiled to herself in remembrance of last year. Boruto had immediately raised his hand to be a class representative, then Metal had volunteered Sarada, and no one else had offered, thus automatically ruling in Boruto and Sarada. In fact, if it wasn't for Metal, her and Boruto wouldn't have gotten as close as they did. They definitely had good times in the after hours of school.

This year, the process was more rigorous (all thanks to Sarada and Boruto claiming they were quitting a million times last year), so the ones that raised their hands had to campaign to the homeroom for the first three days of school and then be voted in next week. There were two boys, one of which was Pierre, and three girls, one of which was Leila, who volunteered, and it seemed like a decent lineup. The stakes were high, and they were all to give a small speech at the school assembly this upcoming Friday.

Once that was over, Mr. Hatake let the homeroom class chat the rest of the period until the bell rang. Sarada grabbed her knapsack by the handle when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Um, would you mind showing me to my next class?" Pierre said shyly. "I could not find it when I was looking around yesterday."

"Oh," Sarada blinked, "yeah, of course, do you have your schedule?"

Pierre handed her the piece of paper and she looked it over.

"Oh, that's easy! It's on the first floor in the science hall. C'mon."

Pierre thanked her and grabbed his knapsack as well and they walked out of the classroom. Boruto was trying to finish his sentence to Shikadai but it fell short as his eyes followed Sarada and Pierre out of the room. Shikadai snorted.

"Earth to Boruto, I'm over here."

Boruto glared at him.

Sarada led Pierre to his class and then dashed up to the third floor just in time to step through the door as the bell rang. After running up those stairs, she was out of breath and trying to calm her beating heart. And her first class of the day was upper division math. Great.

The day whisked by, and before she knew it, she was in the girls' locker room with Wasabi, Namida, and Sumire changing into their gym clothes. The excitement in the room was contagious and everyone was pumped. Sarada crammed her gym bag into a locker with Sumire's belongings, and they ran out to the gym.

The tryout was long and vigorous, Sarada's stomach was growling, and she was sure she'd never sweat more in her life, but seeing her friends work so hard made her push herself harder than ever. Her adrenaline was pumping and her energy was at its peak. She was on top of her A-game today, there was no way she wouldn't make it! She felt great! Everything she had practiced over the summer came like a breeze to her.

Once the tryouts were over, Sarada, Sumire, Wasabi, and Namida were all chatting excitedly in the locker room. Sarada felt she did great, whereas Wasabi wasn't too sure about her tryout since she had felt nervous all day. They all reassured her, and regardless if any of them made the team or not, none of them would have hard feelings because it was a fun experience.

Day one of tryouts was over, and Sarada waved to them as they parted ways. She had decided to not get ice cream with them today since she was exhausted, but she would tomorrow after day two of tryouts. Sarada waited at the front with her gym bag hung across her body as she began texting her dad to come pick her up.

There was a whistle from behind her.

"Sarada Uchiha caught wearing the Nikes I bought her? I think the world must be ending."

Sarada whipped around. Boruto was approaching her wearing a t-shirt and sweats, cleats hanging from his grip, and a smirk across his sweaty face. Sarada glared at him.

"These were the cutest shoes I had." She snipped, turning back around to hide her blush. God, she was so embarrassed. Luckily, her cheeks were already red from her workout, so maybe it wasn't as noticeable. It may have been a subconscious decision to wear these particular shoes, but she hadn't expected them to elicit any reaction. Whether it was from nerves or all the running she'd done, her heart was pounding like crazy.

"I'm just playing with you. They look great." He chuckled and dropped his cleats in front of her to fix his duffel bag strap. "How'd your tryout go?"

Why was he talking to her so casually? She hadn't heard from him in weeks and he was acting like he didn't completely ignore and avoid her attempts to fix things. This wasn't unusual behavior from him, though. He had done something similar to her last year then one random day revved his jokes back up and they fell into their usual banter. Not this year, though. Sarada was determined to hold her ground and not let him get away with it. He couldn't walk in and out of her life as he pleased. Still, her feelings for him were seeping through and she missed him dearly. But, her pride was getting in the way, and to protect her confused heart she was teetering on the side of irritation.

"Just fine, but there's two more days left. So who knows what'll happen."

"Same," Boruto said. "All you can do is try your hardest."

Sarada fiddled her fingers together as she looked at the ground. This was awkward.

Boruto picked his cleats back up. "What are you waiting out here for?"

"My dad."

"You didn't drive?"

"No."

"Why don't I just give you a ride home?"

Sarada frowned. "N-No, my dad was coming to get me."

"Is he on the way?"

Sarada looked at her phone. "No."

"Okay, then c'mon."

Boruto began walking away and Sarada, out of habit, stumbled after him into the parking lot even after her own mind protested. Her curiosity was getting the best of her and she wanted answers. Since he was giving her a hook, then just this once she'd take the bait.

They threw their gym bags in his back seat and then got into the Mazda. The engine roared to life and Boruto cranked it into reverse before pulling out of the parking lot. The ride was awkward and tense as they passed the train tracks into their neighborhood. Once parked in the Uchiha driveway, Sarada hopped out of Boruto's car and he got out as well. She furrowed her brows.

"What are you doing?"

"Walking you to your door," Boruto waited for her to grab her bag then placed an arm against the roof of his car so she was trapped. She tried to duck under his arm but he put his leg in the way. She gave him a wary look.

"Listen, about me disappearing like that, I'm sorry. Things… happened, so I was at my grandparents for a while." He said.

Sarada had a lot to say, but looking up at his baby blue eyes made her want to melt into his arms. There were about a hundred questions and emotions swirling through her mind, but she didn't know where to begin.

"I read the text you sent me that night, and I just never responded. I'm really sorry about that. I want to talk and explain everything if you're willing to listen." His voice was gentle, similar to soft waves lapping onto the beach.

Sarada tilted her head. He sounded so sweet and genuine. It really was hard to say no, but she wanted to think about it first before she made a hasty decision. She sighed.

"Okay, we can, just not when you smell like a dumpster." She said, ducking under his arm as he smelled his shirt. He looked perplexed.

"I'm wearing cologne?"

She resisted a laugh as she got to her doorstep. He had paced back to the other side of his car, wistfully waiting for clarification, and she said sheepishly, "We can talk later?"

"How much later?" Boruto asked.

Sarada bit her lip. "The weekend. After our tryouts."

Boruto nodded in understanding and waited until her front door was closed to get back in his car and head home. Sarada heard the motor of his car disappear into the distance, and she leaned against the front door.

Things? What things could he be talking about? That aside, he had apologized, which had been nice to hear. But, it was impossible not to overthink. Sarada didn't even know if she wanted to hear what he had to say, as there were so many conclusions she could jump to.

Forgetting it for now was the best option. Then come the weekend, Sarada would have her clarity.

XxX

The second day of school was Sarada's secondary class schedule but this time equipped with a uniform. The blazer felt uncomfortable and bulky and Sarada's bare legs were cold as she was perched in her homeroom seat. The class was filled with nonstop talk of the "small" get-together last night at Iwabee's that somehow turned into a rager and had gotten busted by the cops. Iwabee's house was a horrible place for parties. Nothing good ever happened there. But, right as the bell was ringing, Iwabee shouted into their homeroom that he was having another party tonight, and this time he got written up by a teacher for running in the hallway.

During the last period of the day, Sarada discovered she had French with Pierre as well as Boruto, which wasn't surprising, but what was surprising was when he sat right next to her and Pierre and suggested that he drive her home again after their tryouts. That was thoughtful and she could tell that he was trying, but today Sarada was getting ice cream with her friends, so she declined.

After another great tryout, Sarada threw on a hoodie, shorts, and tennis shoes, then made her way out of the locker room. Her high ponytail was swinging back and forth as she walked to the entrance with Sumire, Namida, and Wasabi. Boruto was passing by, cleats and duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and he waved. She gave him a small wave back, and her three friends immediately stopped to interrogate her once he was out of earshot.

"Oh my god, Sarada, are you guys talking again?" Namida asked.

"Umm, not really." Sarada chuckled nervously.

"He was probably having a fling with someone else and felt too guilty to tell you," Wasabi stretched her arms above her head, "So that's why he ghosted you."

"Wasabi," Sumire chided. Wasabi rolled her eyes.

"What? She probably goes to a different high school and now that summer is over and it didn't work out, he's gonna try with you again!"

"It doesn't matter." Sarada shrugged. "He said he wants to talk and explain everything, so we'll see what he says, I guess."

"Pft, I wouldn't even give him the time of day, Sarada." Wasabi scoffed. "Just move on. I think you and Metal should get back together."

Sumire, Namida, and Sarada all let out a surprised exclamation.

"You're joking! No way." Namida shook her head.

"Yeah, Wasabi, Metal and Sarada aren't good together." Sumire frowned.

"Well neither are you and Iwabee, but you still let him hit on prom night." Wasabi retorted. Sumire twirled the ends of her long braids nervously.

"W-Well, that's different. We're talking about Sarada."

"Can we please just get ice cream?" Sarada whined. "I don't want to talk about any of this."

"Okay, okay, let's take my car!" Wasabi said.

The three girls followed her reluctantly.

XxX

As Boruto stepped through the doorway of his house, the first person he saw was Inojin. He gave him a nod.

"Wassup dude?"

"Hey bro." Inojin greeted.

"Where's Hima?"

"Upstairs."

Boruto clicked his tongue and went upstairs.

"Hima, you in here?" He knocked on her door. Soon after, it opened. She beamed at him.

"Yeah! I'm just getting ready, Inojin is taking me out for ice cream."

"Of course he is." Boruto harped, "how was your second day?"

He went into her room and sat on her bed. Himawari continued to surf through her gigantic closet of clothing.

"It was fun! Mr. Aburame told me today he hopes I'm nothing like you!"

Boruto cackled. "Hey, for the record, I was a great student. So he's talking shit for nothing."

Himawari laughed. "Yeah, but I'm only known as Boruto's little sister!"

"Perfect, that means I did my job." He said. "Well, be safe tonight and have fun."

"Thanks! What are you doing tonight? Are you hanging out with Sarada?"

"Uh, no." Boruto said, "Why?"

"I was just wondering if you'd talked to her yet. About, y'know."

Boruto grumbled. "No, we're talking after tryouts are over."

"Gotcha." Himawari said, then turned around holding a shirt up. "What do you think of this?"

"It's ugly." Boruto got up and left and Himawari gave him a protested, "hey!".

XxX

On the third day of school, after the morning school assembly and last day of tryouts, Boruto arrived home to see his grandparents' rental car still in the driveway. He walked in to see his grandpa Minato and grandma Kushina sitting at the dinner table with Naruto and Hinata deep in conversation. He said a quick hello then went upstairs into his room and locked the door. With a sigh, he rolled onto his side.

After the incident with Naruto, Boruto and Himawari went to stay with their grandpa Hiashi until things cooled down. Their aunt Hanabi had come to stay and visit with them as well. Boruto and Himawari didn't come back until the day before school started, so even he was still adjusting to being back home. Their grandma and grandpa Uzumaki had flown into town and were currently staying with them until further notice to help guide their family through this tumultuous time. It sucked feeling like he and Himawari were being pitied and being transferred around like lost baggage.

There was one simple solution in Boruto's mind: kick Naruto out. But for some reason, no one wanted to be the first to say it. There had been talk of family therapy, individual therapy, treatment centers, AA groups, and a 90-day detox center, all focusing on Naruto's problems leaving no justice for Boruto or Himawari. Boruto didn't want to go to family therapy, he didn't want his dad to shell out money to go to a detox center, he just wanted him out.

This burden was heavy on his shoulders. He didn't have anyone to talk to other than Himawari about it since she felt the same, but unlike him, she was a lot better at hiding it. Hinata was focusing on Naruto fixing himself so their family could be happy, so Boruto wasn't too happy with her at the moment. His mom was putting too much into a dead-end relationship and not enough into her kids.

Maybe talking with Sarada and getting everything off his chest would make him feel better. He had missed her immensely, and he craved her soft hands and warm touch. He often thought back to the nights they were fooling around in bed, lips interlocked, skin to skin, and desired that connection again. He had a lot of time to think whilst at his grandpa Hiashi's. Things like what he wanted, needed, and desired. He had come to one concrete decision, so once he and Sarada were able to talk, he was going to make his intentions known. Boruto was done letting all the small things and excuses get in the way. He wanted to make things official when the time was right.

Saturday morning rolled around and Boruto struggled to get out of bed. His muscles were torn and his neck was stiff. There was a lovely aroma wafting into his bedroom which meant breakfast was waiting for him. He took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and got dressed. One good thing about his grandparents staying at the house is Boruto had free range to do whatever he liked again. His dad stayed in the basement and only came upstairs to eat. Other than that he was supposed to stay away from his kids until further notice. He was like a rabid dog. Boruto wondered how many times they'd let him bite until he was put down.

As Boruto ascended the stairs, his grandparents looked happy to see him.

"Hi Bolt!" Minato said, and Boruto smiled.

"Hi grandpa, I'm glad you guys are here."

"We are too," Kushina said. "How did your soccer tryouts go?"

Boruto sat at the table just as Himawari ascended the stairs. He plated himself some pancakes, eggs, and fruit and told them about his tryouts. Himawari was shuffling around the kitchen yawning absentmindedly.

"That sounds amazing, I'm positive you're going to make it." Kushina smiled. "You are very athletic."

"I hope so!" Boruto exclaimed. Himawari sat down at the table.

"We're not getting taken away from mom, are we?" She asked.

The energy in the room immediately shifted. Boruto clutched onto his fork, Kushina frowned, and Minato sighed.

"We're working with Naruto and Hinata to come up with the best solution for everyone. We want you two to be safe, and we want Naruto to get better." Minato said.

Boruto got up from the table. "Well, whenever your next roundtable discussion is, tell him I'm not having any part of it. He's not my dad." He said and put his dish in the sink. "Thanks for breakfast."

And he was right back to his room to lock the door.

XxX

Wyd?

Boruto continued to clack away on his Xbox controller that night as he waited for Sarada's response. About five minutes later, her text popped onto the screen.

Reading

Reading what?

Twilight

Oh wow

It's a classic

Yeah ok

Lol why what are you doing?

Xbox

COD?

Nah Fallout

Very nice

Yep. You wanna hang so we can talk

Sure. When?

Rn

Where?

I was thinking the park

Okay tell me when you leave

Roger that

Boruto finished up his mission in the game and then texted Sarada he was on his way. It honestly had been smart to wait for them to be done with the first week of school and their tryouts. This way, Sarada wasn't burdened with Bortuo's troubles during an important time and she had been able to focus. And, Boruto had been able to sort out what he wanted to say.

Going through the backyard gate, Boruto crossed through the thicket of pine trees. The dead needles crunched against his shoes and he brushed branches from his face. The park came into view and he saw Sarada walking towards the swingset from her side of the neighborhood. They met up at the same time and sat down next to each other on the swings. She had brought him a chocolate chip cookie from a batch she'd made with Itachi earlier this week and he thought it was the cutest thing ever.

"How was your day?" He asked, taking a bite of the cookie.

"Good, I'm pretty nervous about the results though."

"Me too." Boruto said, "I'm sure you'll make it."

She smiled. "Well, I have you to thank for that."

"Oh. Well, you're welcome I guess." He grinned, and Sarada laughed.

"You know I saw Himawari at the mall yesterday?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, she was with Inojin. We were all at the ice cream shop."

"Oh right," Boruto recalled the two going out. "That's funny. Small world."

"Yeah," Sarada laughed, "So, um, what else is new? Do you… want to talk about the other stuff?"

"Yeah, I do," Boruto said, finishing off the last bite of his cookie. "By the way, that cookie was amazing."

"Good. I was worried I'd put too much salt in there."

"Nope, it was perfect." Boruto looked to the horizon. The sun was barely starting to set so the sky was still blue. Soon, it would transition to a beautiful orange with the remaining clouds lazing across the sky. He absentmindedly swung his feet against the loose sand. "Well… last time we talked, you told me about what happened between you and Metal at the party. He said he wanted to try again."

Sarada nodded slowly.

"I never told you thanks for being honest. I freaked out on you, and that wasn't cool at all." Boruto swung mindlessly back and forth. "I'm sorry. I overreacted."

"It's okay, I understand why you would feel that way."

Boruto let out a small breath of relief. "So, did anything happen after that?"

She sighed. "Well, I actually went and talked to him the next day after you and me got into that fight. I didn't want to drag it out or make him feel like I was seriously thinking about it. I basically told him that we were done and I wasn't giving him another chance. And that I… was choosing you."

Sarada's and Boruto's gazes locked. His heart swelled with a sweet feeling.

"You told him that?"

"Yeah…"

There was a short silence that felt very cozy. Boruto couldn't help but smile to himself, and Sarada was also having trouble controlling her fond expression. She scratched her temple.

"U-Um, and I asked him why the two of you don't like each other, but he wouldn't tell me."

"It's because of you. That's literally it. He probably doesn't want to admit that though." Boruto said. Sarada shook her head.

"Yeah, well, he made it sound like this big secret."

"Nah. He's just mad 'cause I stole his girl." He said cheekily, and Sarada gave him a look.

"Can't steal me from something I never belonged to."

Boruto held his hands up. "I didn't mean it like that."

"No, I know." Sarada sighed. "But yeah, that's literally it. I told him to leave us alone, and that was that."

"That's…" Boruto scratched his temple, "cooperative of him."

"Right?" Sarada looked at the sky. "Once that was over, I texted you after that."

"Ah," Boruto nodded, "Yeah, I really wanted to come over and clear things up. But, well… I've told you about my dad and his past."

Sarada nodded slowly.

"Well," He hesitated, subconsciously touching his left cheek softly. "I, uh, had a lot to say to him that night, and he hit me."

Sarada's eyes widened as her heart lurched in her chest.

"He also gave me a bruise," He also outstretched his arm where the bruise had now faded, "and I hit my head a little. But I'm fine. I just hate that Himawari was right there to see it. I've tried to protect her my entire life from seeing that happen. If it wasn't my mom, it was me. Never Himawari."

Sarada's hand clutched to her chest. "I… can't believe it."

He let out a breath. "Yeah. Then my mom got home and just cried. My dad has shoved me into walls and grabbed me, but it's been a long time since he's hit me like that. At that point, I just gave up. I was mad about a lot of things at the same time, like what happened with you and Metal at the party and being grounded all summer. I was also mad that I get all this allowance that just builds up in my bank account meanwhile your family is over here struggling. When I was talking to my dad I was trying to tell him that if Sasuke's his friend, he should at least reach out and try to help him, but my dad said I was talking back to him."

"Wait, you were talking about my dad when this happened?"

Boruto looked at her. "Well, yeah, Sarada. I get a hundred dollars a week for allowance. I don't need that money at all. I wanted to tell my dad that I didn't want my allowance money anymore and wanted him to give it to you guys instead for groceries or something. Like, the least he could do is pay a utility bill so you can turn on the air conditioning."

"Oh my god…" Sarada leaned forward with a hand to her cheek.

"That was on my own accord, don't take that like it's your fault at all, because it's not. And I mean, I did say some mean things to him too. That probably didn't help get my point across." Boruto grumbled. "But he just smelled like alcohol when he was yelling in my face, it was pathetic. I don't call him my dad anymore. He's just an abusive, alcoholic man that's sleeping in our basement."

"Boruto, I'm– so, so sorry."

Boruto shrugged. "Himawari and I were sent to my grandpa's for a couple of weeks. That's why I didn't text you back – I was just dealing with a lot and didn't know how to tell you. My aunt Hanabi took care of us. Fed us, gave us a safe place to stay for a minute. And now my grandma and grandpa Uzumaki have been in town and every night they have this long discussion with my parents about consequences and choices. It's really annoying. I just stay in my room."

"W-Wait, so do you know what's going to happen?

"No, but my grandparents keep talking about some family therapy bullshit that I refuse to be a part of." Boruto clenched his fist. "This isn't our fault. Talking to some stranger about my daddy issues isn't going to solve the problem. There's a 90-day detox center in the city my dad could go to, but with his job he'd just have to be an off-site case 'cause he's so damn busy. In my wildest fantasies, I want them to ship him across the country, he sends us money, and he never comes back. No contact whatsoever. Me, my mom, and Himawari would be better off that way."

It was a lot for Sarada to process. Wasabi had been wrong, Boruto didn't ghost her for another girl, he had been dealing with very serious family matters. Deep down, Sarada knew it had to be more than him deciding to be done – and she was right. Her heart was broken for him. He had been going through all these horrible things and she had no idea.

"So… yeah. That's why I didn't text you back. I know it sounds really serious and dramatic, but everything's fine now. It's just awkward." Boruto trailed off.

"I mean, I can't believe you're even saying it like that. It is serious, no matter if you feel like it's not. If my dad did that to me, could you even imagine how you'd react to me saying something like that?" Sarada asked, aghast.

Boruto smiled sadly. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Sarada grabbed his hand against the swing chain. "Are you okay?"

Boruto didn't know how to answer that. Yeah, the bruises healed and went away, and he was here in the comfort of Sarada's aura. So yeah, at that moment he was okay. But everything else and in the future? He wasn't so sure.

"Yeah, Sarada, I am now." He said.

She stood up and pulled him out of the swing and gave him a tight hug. Her touch felt so inviting and warm, he immediately felt at home. He hadn't realized it, but he'd grown quite a bit taller. His nose was now hitting the top of her head. Not long ago they had been eye to eye. He was getting taller, they were getting older, and time was passing.

"Do you and Himawari want to come stay at my house?" Sarada asked, burrowed in his chest. He smiled and set a hand on the back of her head.

"No, we're fine. As long as my grandparents are here I'm not worried about anything."

Sarada looked up at him, her eyes glistening. "I'm worried."

He brushed her hair behind her ear. "I know. But this isn't the first time I've dealt with this, please realize that. I don't want you to pity me or feel bad. I've been dealing with this my whole life."

"That just sounds awful." Sarada pressed her head against his neck.

"Yeah, but not as awful when I'm with you." He said, wrapping his arms around her. "You're my safe haven."

Sarada's hug only got tighter, and they stood in the park for a long time as the sun began to set. It felt so nice and calming being in Sarada's embrace like this. They moved over to the large slide where they could sit next to each other and Boruto gently played with Sarada's hair. There was a stretch of silence where they didn't talk, and instead just relished in the comfort of each other's presence.

"You know, I've really been thinking a lot, too," Boruto said. Sarada lifted her head from his shoulder.

"About what?"

"Us," Boruto said as their gazes locked. His hands were trembling with nerves, but he kept his cool. "I want to be with you. Whenever you feel ready or want to, I'm all in. You just have to say when."

Sarada's heart thumped in her chest. With a beaming smile, she curled back into his shoulder and their hands clasped together tightly.

"Okay."

XxX