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“... Boruto?”
A soft concerned call was heard.
Boruto looked up, highly aware of the fact that Kawaki was looking at him for the past few minutes.
It seems like they both stopped walking for a while now.
Night hour. Stars are above the sky twinkling. Around then used to be full of buildings and houses, but then— those were broken down.
The night was quiet for once. Only the noises of the crickets are visibly heard from afar.
They were in the lakeside close to the bridge they always walk to. Walking home from a check-up on Boruto’s chakra reserves, being proposed to find a way to temporarily seal his chakra off for a while.
Just then, the wind and atmosphere in this lakeside river of Konohagakure were always breezy at the night. The air felt cold around a time like this, although Kawaki wasn’t bothered about it in the slightest as he was used to it since he migrated here.
For a moment, it didn’t occur to Boruto that he’s been standing behind his brother for a solid five minutes now, the issue was— they should be walking home, instead the blonde was standing and starring into nothingness.
Nothingness that felt like a reminisce of a traumatic memory.
His grey pupils shrunk from the thought.
At least that’s what Kawaki thinks.
Kawaki, with his usual neutral demeanor—shifted to a much softer and concerning look the moment he felt something off. Something tells him, that there’s a reason why the blonde boy halted with no warning.
To the other, it was sudden. Only snapping back to reality just now is when he realized he felt something stinging in his chest.
A sting that felt like a dull nostalgia. Yet it doesn’t feel like any of it. The feeling doesn’t feel pleasant.
It felt like remembering a memory that made you feel— happy, and melancholic then depressing.
A memory when he once was happy, when everything was doing alright— when he didn’t have to go through the pain of losing anyone.
He couldn’t stop thinking about what he did. What he’d done to Sasuke, how there’s no other way to fix this situation they’re in—he’s in.
When the only option left is to kill him for the sake of the world.
Naruto—his father couldn’t do anything about it anymore since he’s unconscious.
And then Sasuke. Boruto avoided him for four days now. The last thing he heard from him was that Boruto will be on house arrest for one month, he can only go out if he needed something or for a check-up. Sasuke planned to talk to the Five Kages about the situation, even then he promised he’ll make sure to check on him every week since Kawaki's with him.
But Boruto didn’t give him a chance to.
Every single time he sees him he kept running away or pretending he's not there. He was sure Kawaki noticed all of it by now but didn’t bother to talk about it since he knows the situation well.
Then again. It wasn’t enough to put his emotions down.
He harmed Sasuke. He harmed Kawaki, affected his friends, caused this chaos, and now his only option to live is to die for the sake of the world’s peace— humanity at this point.
And if he only kept living. He’ll only continue to harm people.
With that realization, Boruto’s mask was put down. The stinging in his chest— increased.
Kawaki caught up immediately with the change of tone in the atmosphere. The raven fully facing him, his eyes narrowing.
They stood there for a solid three minutes.
From the way Boruto looks at him— those starring blue eyes felt different than the ones he used to witness before. Those blue pupils starring back at him right now— was hitting differently.
All the times they’ve bonded, those past few months gave him a feeling of hope with his newly adopted family, something that he’s never stopped being grateful for.
Then there were times whenever he's with him— to witness those eyes he has. It felt like a new purpose or whatnot. A goal in his heart.
A positive feeling. Like a fleeting sense of freedom for a short amount of time.
Despite so, it's at least beautiful to witness it.
He cared about Boruto.
He'd do anything to keep alive. Maybe even risk his life again.
This terrible situation the blonde was forced upon to— made him sick and furious.
To think that a decent person would suggest killing the Hokage's son.
Naruto would never in a million years, even on his deathbed, would agree to something like that.
He wanted to rip everything apart. To think they can just take his brother away from him— how dare they.
He can put those aside, his anger and resentment to these shinobis. He'll destroy it for even thinking about hurting his family.
And worst of all at that time, when he looked at Boruto— he was expecting the shines in his eyes to change.
But it didn't.
Sometimes that confused Kawaki every now and then, how much willpower of emotions can someone hold when something traumatic is happening in their eyes they're experiencing off.
That shouldn't be the case, right?
Eyes can tell emotions and feelings. It's easy to read someone with it, many people do think the same.
That's what the raven thinks.
Only then, how come—, it only occurred to him that those eyes can hide things so well.
It’s not like he’s an idiot for not noticing it.
He’s always been watching.
His dim, clayish, grey eyes of his had the same purpose as Sarada does. Observing and watching. Always there beside him almost every single day since then. When suddenly after that fight with Isshiki and— Momoshiki, from what he heard— is when he was witnessing something that rarely happens.
Small, fragile, sapphire eyes becoming severely null.
He didn’t want to admit it, that he had noticed the signs ever since Boruto found out about Momoshiki existing inside his body.
The shining in his eyes—those that he admittingly love to see— was continuously wavering from its place.
It always amazes him in a subtle way. Because those sapphire orbs are always shining.
Kawaki never really seen colored eyes like these in his life. Except for Naruto and Himawari.
Then again, admittingly so— seeing Boruto in this way hurts. Physically and emotionally. But strong enough to withstand all of it.
It always fascinated him a lot, and whenever he gets the chance to see those stare at him it’s always sparkling every now and then.
In this time—those ocean eyes aren’t looking at him directly.
Even if it’s not directed at him, it always sparks within him to witness it.
But to think that, it can end up becoming lifeless.
His brother feeling lifeless.
The possibility of Boruto ending up lifeless.
A tear ran down the blonde’s right whiskered cheek, reaching his chin and dripped down.
Suddenly, Boruto shuddered— his body surrendering itself to his suppressed emotions in its own will.
Kawaki reacted. And he knows what to do.
Hands still in his pockets, walked towards Boruto at the same pace he used to walk with him every day.
Just when he’s close enough to him— he reached out to his small shuddering body, strong arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace, almost carrying him off his feet from their height. Face beside his temple while those golden locks brush his left cheek.
He felt dampness on his left lower-shoulder, and he knows the blonde’s letting the waterworks flow.
Boruto fully surrendered to his emotions.
For once he didn’t want to die.
He was scared of dying, but if he just left for the sake of the world— who’ll be there for Kawaki when Naruto’s shut down.
It was a crisis he didn’t want to end up being in.
Suppressing everything was the worst possible way to cope with it despite every possible way as so.
He wanted to speak to him, at least say a word about how he felt—to not left him in the dark.
Kawaki whispered, instincts coming in.
“ ….You don’t have to say anything if you couldn’t.”
The hug tighten. The raven’s face fully buried his face on his hair.
Boruto gave in and hugged him back. The words hitting him, knowing that even though they’ll both part ways, in the end, this could be the last time they’ll see each other.
In those last moments, knowing that they both mutually cared about each other was enough for both of them.
To at least know the blonde changed his life for the better.
To have an older brother he can look up to.
At least he knows— what it felt like to protect and be protected by someone he deeply cared for.