Chapter Text
Dear Naruto,
I thought of a lot of different ways to write this letter. But I realized there was nothing I could say that would justify what I'm about to do.
"This is the last box. Where do you want it, Naruto?"
Things aren't working between us. Things haven't worked in a long time. And I think having Boruto in the middle of our struggling marriage was a mistake. I wish I'd never gotten pregnant. Which is an awful thing for a new mother to say, but it's the truth.
"Naruto."
If I told you how I felt, you would've tried convincing me to stay. To try and work it out. And I probably would've given in, because you're a convincing person. But I know if I stay I'll be living in my own personal hell.
"Naruto."
The truth is, I don't love you anymore. I fell out of love with you a long time ago. I know the feeling is mutual, even though you'd never say it.
"Naruto."
I don't love Boruto, even though I wish I did. I tried to. I really did, but I didn't feel that surge of unconditional love mothers feel the first time they hold their child. I waited for it to come, but it never did.
"Naruto!"
Naruto looks up, to see his best friend staring at him with a look of concern on his face.
"What are you reading?"
He quickly stuffs the paper in the front pocket of his jeans.
"It's nothing. What did you want?" He walks into his new house, Sasuke following him.
"Where does this box go?"
He looks behind him.
"The label is on the box, idiot."
"I can't read it given I'm holding it dumb f-"
"Not in front of the baby!" They both turn to Sakura, who's sitting on a box, shaking a toy rattle in front of his son's baby carrier. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to have Boruto's carrier on a box, but it was the sturdiest thing around given they had no furniture yet.
"That box goes in the kitchen." Naruto rolls his eyes, before walking into his living room, on his way to unpack. "How is he doing?"
He peeks behind Sakura to look at Boruto. His small head is tilted to the side, his mouth opened wide. He's in a deep sleep, much to Naruto's delight.
"I want him to wake up." Sakura shakes the rattle, and Naruto grabs it.
"You're not waking him up." She reaches for the rattle, and Naruto lifts it up in the air.
"He's been up for 21 hours." He knows because he counted. "Which means I've been up for 21 hours. Let him sleep. As a matter of fact, maybe I should sleep."
Sakura huffs, and rocks the carrier back and forth.
"He's such a cute sleeper." She ignores his plea for sleep. "He drools a lot, though."
"Yeah, well-"
"I hope my baby doesn't drool this much." She rubs her pregnant belly, and looks off into space as if she's imagining how her daughter will sleep.
"All babies drool."
He opens a box, and begins taking out stacks of picture frames.
"Alright, that's everything." Naruto looks up to see Sasuke walking down the stairs. "Sakura, let's go."
"Wait, what? You're leaving me?" He stands up, and helps Sakura stand as well.
"We have things to do."
"More important than me?" He follows them out the door.
"We're tired. Sakura, let's go."
They're probably nowhere near as tired as him, given he's had to lift and unpack boxes while trying to take care of a two month old child.
"Well-"
"Don't worry Naruto. The guys are coming to help you build your furniture, and Ino said she'll babysit Boruto whenever you need." Sasuke starts the car, and Sakura resorts to yelling out the window.
"You have a lot of people that are coming to help! Hinata is coming to cook-"
"Wait, what?!" He runs to the yard, as the car slowly starts rolling.
"I said, Hinata is coming-" The passenger side window is being rolled up, and all he can see is Sakura's lips moving before she turns to her husband.
He stands in the middle of his front lawn, staring at the car that's driving in the distance. He thinks about the last thing Sakura said.
Hinata is coming.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." He stands there, until he hears a cry coming from the inside of his house. "Shit!"
The doorbell rings, and Naruto runs from the kitchen to the living room, stopping in front of his child. He's still in his carrier, now propped on a successfully built TV stand.
"Boruto, how do I look?"
It's a good thing the two month old couldn't talk, because if he could he would tell him he looked awful. It's probably apparent he hasn't slept in two days, his T-shirt is soaked in sweat, and his hair is held back with a thin headband.
The door rings again, and he internally panics.
"Should I just lose the shirt? Or keep it on?" He lifts up his shirt, then shakes his head and puts it back down. "She'll probably faint."
He walks towards the door, and stops. "Not saying she'll faint just by looking at me. I just meant-"
The doorbell rings again. He huffs, and opens the door, as if he's ripping off a band-aid.
She's looking down at the dish in her hand, and looks up at him when he opens the door even more.
"Heyyy, Hinata."
She looks the same. She still has the same long purple-black hair that swayed with every step she took, and the same lavender eyes he used to get lost in. And when she looks up at him, he can see her plump lips stretch into a small smile.
"Hello, Naruto-kun." It's obvious she's changed in the last six years, since the last time he saw her was at high school graduation. He stares at her, and is almost overwhelmed at the emotions that he feels."Can I come in?"
"Oh!" He would open the door wider, but it's already open all the way. "Yeah, come on in!"
She steps into his house, and he closes the door behind them. "We're still trying to get everything set up, y'know." He kicks an empty box out the way.
"It looks really nice." She turns around, and sets her dish down on the coffee table. "How have you been?"
"I'm good…" He makes his way over to his new couch. "I had a baby." He points to Boruto, who's in front of them.
For some reason, Hinata giggles. "I can see that. He's adorable." She's looking at him, and Naruto stands and makes his way over to his son.
"You can hold him. If you want." He sits back down, and sets the carrier on the coffee table by her dish. "It's really easy. I don't know if you've ever held one before." He lifts Boruto up, and carefully sets him in Hinata's arms.
His head rests in the crook of her arm, and her free hand is placed under his bottom. Boruto stares up at her, and Hinata smiles at him.
"He's so cute." Boruto coos, and Naruto smiles at them.
"He gets it from me."
She laughs, and rocks him back and forth. She whispers under her breath, and she's so quiet he doesn't understand what she's saying. He doesn't mind though. The sight of her lovingly holding his son makes his heart skip beats, although he doesn't know why.
"How have you been, Hinata?" He needs to distract himself, otherwise he'll start thinking about her more deeply.
"I've been good." She seems too distracted with Boruto to continue a conversation, and he almost feels jealous.
"Nothing new?" He wants to know more about what she's been up to.
"Well, I'm engaged."
And just like that, the smile on his face drops.
"Really?"
She nods, and looking at the ground seems more interesting than looking at her.
Really, he should have known she would eventually move on and start her own family. He did, although it didn't turn out quite the way he wanted it to. But something about knowing that she moved on from him made his heart sink in his chest.
"That's great." He spits the words out, and she looks at him. "I'm really happy for you." She can probably tell he's lying through his teeth, but she still smiles anyway.
"Thank you-"
"Who's the lucky guy?" He interrupts her, but he needs to know just who managed to get the best girl in Konoha (in his humble opinion).
"Um, Toneri." Of course it's that asshole. He was all over her in high school, and never gave up despite the numerous times she sweetly turned him down.
"Wow." It's all he can find himself to say. It's quiet, until her soft voice fills the room again.
"Naruto-kun, I think he used the bathroom."
He looks at Boruto, who has a satisfied look on his face. The same face he makes after he's pooped.
"Let me change him. I'll be right back." He takes his son out of her arms, and speed walks to his nursery.
After two months, he thought he'd get used to changing diapers, but he hasn't. It makes him gag after he's done a number two, and he still has a fear that he'd pee in the middle of him changing him.
When he comes back to the living room, a clean Boruto in his hands, Hinata is in the same spot he left her, which makes him breathe a sigh of relief.
"He doesn't stink anymore." She turns her head, and smiles. "He's clean now." He puts him back in his carrier, wrapping his small blanket around him.
"Naruto-kun, I wanted to tell you something." She turns her body to him.
"Oh no. What happened?"
"It's nothing bad." He has a feeling he knows what she's about to say. "I want to let you know you can count on me. Whatever you need, I'm here for you."
He knew this speech was going to start, and it usually annoyed him, but he liked hearing it from her.
"You have all of us, so don't hesitate to call." She puts a hand on his thigh.
"I know, Hinata. I'm fine. I promise." The lie slips out easily, given he's said it more than once. "If I need something, I'll call you. Or anyone else if you're not available."
"Okay, but-"
"No buts. I give you my word." That seems to relax her, and she nods.
"Well, I made tonkatsu. All you need to do is heat it in the oven, and you can eat it."
He nods. "I appreciate it. A lot." He knows he probably wouldn't eat if she hadn't brought him something. He would be too busy with Boruto.
She stands up, and makes her way over to the door. "Don't forget to call if you need me."
"I will." He has a feeling she knows he won't, but at least she says it anyway.
"Okay then, I'll see you later." She waves, and begins walking away.
He watches her retreating form as she walks down the driveway, and eventually makes it to her car. She waves again, and he waves back, and takes it as his cue to close the door.
He walks back to Boruto, and sits on the couch in front of him.
"Well Boruto, it looks like it's just you and me."