Mine to Take (A Boruto Love Story)

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

A/N: Hey everyone. I'm so sorry it took so long to get this out to you all. Unfortunately my father just recently passed away and it's put me in a pretty bad block.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Night fell and sleep never came. Not because of the sorry excuse for a place she was supposed to call home. Not because she didn't have her duvet to keep her warm throughout the night. But because her brain was firing through every reason as to why they hadn't come to her rescue. Perhaps it wasn't Mitsuki's snake after all and she berated herself for holding on to false hope.

When she had drained her tea cup, she visited the bathroom. The face reflected in the mirror was haggard and sleep deprived, barely recognizable. She splashed cold water on her cheeks and neck and spent the next couple of minutes doing the best she could to make herself presentable.

"Yuna."

Just then, Ataru's silhouette filled the doorway. He looked haggard, drained, his cheeks stubbled with a day's growth of beard and his eyes bloodshot. She watched his reflection as he walked slowly toward her where she was trying to pull herself together.

"Can we talk?" He stopped behind her, catching her gaze in the mirror.

"What about?" she said, her tone neutral, pretending that nothing had happened.

"About last night," he said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

She forced herself to smile. "I know. It's okay. It's been a hard few weeks. You've been working a lot for the people of this village."

He rotated her toward him, pulling her close. "You're so beautiful. You know I love you, right?"

"I know."

Yuna turned to walk away, but his hand on her upper arm halted her. "You're supposed to say that you love me, too," he whispered darkly.

She bit the inside of her cheek. "I love you," she said.

Reaching up, he caressed her bruised cheek, running his long fingers down to her chin, which he grasped between his thumb and forefinger.

"I don't like hitting you. You just don't think sometimes." he whispered.

Yuna's lips parted in a gasp at his words, appalled. Even more appalled because of the casual way he said it—and her mother's words from long ago drift back to her...You don't ever have to tolerate people who treat you poorly. It doesn't matter if it's a friend, a family member, or a partner. It doesn't matter how long you've known them for or how nice they may have been to you in the past – you're allowed to call people out on their abusive behavior.

"Is that what your father used to tell your mother after he would hit her?" she growled, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. His mouth dropped open in shock, and he closed his eyes briefly as if she'd slapped him.

"How dare you." And her voice cracked. No, Yuna...hold on. "I am not your punching bag."

He swallowed and took a step forward. She stepped back and held her hands up. "Don't even think about it, Ataru," she whispered menacingly.

He glared at her, silent.

"You really fucked up yesterday," she whispered, her anger boiling over. "When you love someone you protect them from the pain you don't become the cause of it."

"Yuna," he plead, shocked.

"Don't you dare 'Yuna' me! You need to sort your shit out, Ataru!" And with that, Yuna turned on her heel, and walked out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.