I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Boruto clenched his teeth and dug his nails into his palm. His face was now twisted into frustration.
"Mom, I can't stand him!"
Hinata's face softened. This was a common occurrence, he would say something dishonorable about her poor father, and Hinata, refusing to allow her child to disrespect her husband and his father that way, would always refute back.
"Boruto- you know he's trying-"
"Trying" yea I got that mom!! Isn't he always trying! Always doing his DAMN best huh?" A distasteful chuckle escaped the young boy's lips as he took another look around at the poor state their kitchen was in.
Confetti is thrown everywhere, cake is splashed all over his sister's outfit, frosting in her hair though she doesn't seem to really be bothered with it at the moment. He would have to apologize once he cools down. Chairs are flipped over, their dinner now half eaten and cold. An eerie silence haunts the room for a moment before the blonde kid speaks up.
" I hate him, mom."
" Boruto-"
"He promised," he said. He promised he would be here. I don't—I really don't care if he doesn't come to my birthday. As much as it stings, I told him. I told him he could ignore me. That he could ignore everything important to me. But not my sister. He promised he would do better this year after last year's slip-up; he promised he'd be here this time. He swore to me! He promised he would be here for her! He PROMISED, MOM!"
Unable to with old his range Boruto turns and punches the dry wall, his breathe sharp and shallow his eyes now hollowed with anger, his knuckles are bent up if walls could talk.
"He loves us, Boruto."
"That's not enough."
"bor-
". He loves being Hokage, finally achieving his dream even if his family has to sit on the back burner."
Himawari's knees were brought to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them for some sense of comfort. Her eyes were glazed over, and the shine that used to be present was now replaced by unknown emotions. She tried to sway her intruding thoughts, but her throat was clenched up, trying to hide back the tears. But how could she not be upset? Not when her father wasn't here. Not when he got her hopes up again. Himawari couldn't seem to stop the growing bitterness, but she was trying, she really was. She wanted to put on a smile and pretend like everything was fine, that it didn't hurt that he missed another birthday, that she was okay even though the man who seemingly never broke his promises had broken them twice in a row to his own daughter. But she couldn't allow herself to feel that way, no. Not when her dad was doing all he could to keep them in a time of peace. Her head now buried in her lap as a pathetic attempt to shield herself from her reality, she mumbled to herself, "Mama loves Papa so much, she's never selfish, always smiling and understanding. I should be too."
But right now all she can do is fight back her tears and try to put herself in that stupid understanding mindset her mother seems to perfect, she would be damned if she showed how much this really hurt. But how could she? It was her birthday, why couldn't she cry?