Twisted

Hope and Despair

It was unheard of for Boruto to shed tears. So perhaps, as he cradled Sarada to his chest, the tears streaming down his face were enough to convince Sasuke and Tsunade that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. They got what they wanted.

It wasn't until they retreated into the forest that he came untensed.

This was the first time Prince Boruto ever really had his hopes completely shattered. Sasuke and Tsunade knew well enough not to meet his eyes when negotiating. But there was always another way around unpleasant situations.

He knew how to sneak out when he didn't want to be at home. He knew how to coax one last meal out of a shop that closed for the day. He'd gotten the palace to agree to keep Mitsuki's cat as a royal pet. He could even neglect sword training with Sasuke if he tried hard enough.

So why couldn't he save Sarada?

It wasn't just a matter of falling in love with her. He didn't want her to have to live alone with no one to hold her when she was sad, no one to make her smile and laugh, no one to enjoy walks through the forest with her. Several elderly people lived life alone, but that was why he found them out and about so much, seeking a fraction of the care and attention their partners and children once gave them. Sarada wasn't even allowed to see the light of day.

His stupid heart that got all twisted in knots before was now sinking into his stomach like a cold block of ice. He didn't want to leave her. He couldn't.

He held her tight against him, wishing Sasuke's words were all a sick joke. Wishing he could spend eternity with her instead of just one stupid short day. Tsunade and Sasuke's boots crushing leaves underfoot faded into the still silence of the night. The crackling fire warmed his hands against her back, the chirping crickets singing their children to sleep.

When enough time had passed, he found it within himself to ask her. "Do you really find me that unpleasant to be around?"

Sarada shook her head against his neck. "No." Her voice came out in a choked whisper, her tears wetting his skin. "I don't find you unpleasant at all."

"Then why?" Tears of his own dropped over his eyes and onto her back. "You could've... You could've just asked to come with me and they wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it."

"Because." Her arms squeezed him just a little bit tighter. "I can't let anyone die because of me."

"No one would die." He squeezed her back, proving his strength through the ache in his arms to draw her closer. "I wouldn't let anyone die. Especially not... Especially not you."

"Boruto... I know you think that you can save the world... But you're just one person. Even if you're a prince. Or a king. If me staying in that tower can save someone like you, then it doesn't matter if I have to live there for the rest of my life."

As she spoke, he heard so much resolve in her voice despite the her pain, despite her tears. It just didn't make sense. She was used to bearing it, and he hated that.

"Why are you so selfless?"

"Why are you so selfish," she asked, a light chuckle tickling his neck.

He held her close for several more moments in silence, trembling hands running through her hair as thoughts whirled around his brain. Was there really no good solution that would allow them to stay together?

Boruto swallowed and did his best to collect himself. "I'm going to make sure tomorrow is the best day of your life. And I will come visit you."

"You and your wife?"

He slowly pulled back, moving the hair out of her face as gently as if his hands were made of feathers. The tips of her ears were cold, but her cheek was warm against his palm, the weight of her head sinking into his hand as her eyes fluttered closed. Boruto's eyes wandered her lips. "If I asked you... To marry me, would you have said yes?"