A/N: Hello, darling! Finally, here's the next chapter to Functions and Feelings. :)

Beta read by: Tuvstarr's Lost Heart & SandsAna

I don't own Naruto / Boruto

Shinki crossed his arms and smirked, mischief dancing in his dark eyes. He knew what he had done, and the bastard was nowhere near sorry for ruining their moment.

Boruto's lips pulled back in a scowl, his fists clenched and made a move to pummel him right there and then but he stopped when Sarada's warm hand came to rest on the crook of his elbow. He looked at her, and his scowl melted away.

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked so shy. "Boruto, stop it," she whispered. "We really shouldn't be here."

He stood properly, his clenched fists loosening. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and finish what they had started. His phone still played the song, yet it was already coming to an end.

"She's right," Shinki agreed. "You two shouldn't be here."

Sarada looked at him and apologized. Boruto's jaw dropped. Why was she being so nice about this? First, the bastard ruined their almost kiss, and now Sarada was agreeing with him. What the actual fuck.

Back up for a second. Almost kiss? Was he even sure that Sarada was going to kiss him? Just because she had her hands on his chest, eyes closed, cheeks flushed and lips parted didn't mean she was going to kiss him—right? Just recalling how she looked before they were so rudely interrupted made his blood rush.

"You're looking a little red there, Boruto," Shinki teased. "Perhaps you've had too much to drink?"

His anger came flaring back and his eyes narrowed. "Listen here, you—"

Sarada squeezed his bicep and took a step forward. "Was there something you needed, Shinki?" She asked. "If there is nothing you need us for, I think it's best Boruto and I leave the party."

Shinki's brows pulled together and his arms tightened across his chest. As someone who was raised by the Kazekage himself, he wasn't used to such impudence. "Father and Hokage-sama were looking for you two."

Sarada nodded. "Ah."

Boruto pouted. So it was also his old man's fault for ruining that almost kiss. 'Fuckin' figures.

She looked at him with an apologetic smile. "Let's go?"

His pout deepened. Boruto just wanted Shinki to disappear and have Sarada with him in this greenhouse for a few more moments .

The way the lanterns glowed, her dark eyes capturing their shine and illuminating her beautiful features just did things to his heart. He always found her pretty... but only God knew how fast and far he had fallen for her all over again just seeing her look at him that way. Boruto would have given everything to have her look at him that way... every day.

"Yeah, okay," he grumbled and picked up his phone, turning the music off.

Sarada's smile widened and she tugged on his arm lightly, wordlessly asking him to fall into step with her.

They both followed Shinki out of the greenhouse but he stopped when he felt Sarada's hand letting go of his arm.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, making the two men look her way.

"What is it?" Boruto asked, following her gaze.

Sarada approached a shrub and poked at the yellow fruit hanging from it. Her dark eyes were wide with amazement. "Kazekage-sama grows lemons too! Look!"

Shinki rolled his eyes.

Boruto took a closer look, their fingers brushing when he stood next to her. "That's so cool! I didn't know he grew fruit as well."

"Father grows all sorts of plants."

Sarada grinned. "I guess he and Hokage-sama have a lot in common."

Shinki shrugged and turned around, leading the way back to the ballroom.

Sarada no longer held onto Boruto as they walked back, which made him a little sad. Whenever their fingers and shoulders brushed, he had to bite his tongue and stop himself from wanting to grab her hand. He kept stealing looks at her, every now and then. The pale moonlight highlighting her features made her glow. He was starting to swim in his own thoughts, delving deep and staring into space as they walked.

"Hey..." Sarada whispered as she peered up at his face. "You okay?"

"Huh?" Boruto shook his head and forced a grin. "Yeah. Just a little tired."

Her smile was back. "Tired from all that dancing?"

He chuckled. "If I were dancing with only you, I'd never tire."

Boruto relished seeing her cheeks color.

He wished he would always be the reason for her to blush this way. The only reason.

Shinki coughed, making the two of them break eye contact. Boruto frowned at him. One of these days, he was really going to pummel this bastard to the ground. Sakura Uchiha style.

They finally made it to the ballroom, but it was empty save for a few waiters packing up.

"Seems they left..." Shinki murmured.

"No shit," Boruto spat.

Shinki glared at him, and Boruto returned his hateful gaze. They had been at each other's throats since the event began, and all their little heated exchanges were reaching their peak. Boruto never really liked Shinki since the chunin exams. Although he could be civil, he just never thought that it was important enough for them to become friends. From the look on Shinki's face, it seemed like the feeling was mutual.

It's about to go down.

The two of them took a step toward each other, but Sarada stepped between them. "Since they're gone, this means we should also take our leave." She gave the two of them pointed looks.

Boruto took a step back. He knew that look. If he didn't do as he was told, he would need to hope that Shinki would stand between them. But knowing him, he would take a chair and watch with pleasure. Boruto pouted and backed off.

Shinki had an impassive look on his face. He only nodded and left the ballroom.

Boruto and Sarada stood there for a few moments before finally leaving. The two of them walked in silence for the first half, Boruto had his hands stuffed in his pockets. The air between them have changed, slightly heavier, and palpable. They were so close… their lips had almost touched. His hands shook at the memory, and then balled them in his pockets to make it stop.

Did this mean she liked him, too? She did say there was something she wanted to tell him but she didn't know how to say it in words… Sarada never ran out of words. She always knew what to say and how to say it. Could it be that she knew what she had to say, but didn't want to because she wanted to kiss him?

Boruto's cheeks flushed. Perhaps he could confess first, and see how that went… They have known each other for a long time, she would be cool with it, right? Their relationship was strong enough to withstand all kinds of troubles, he knew that with all his heart. If she didn't feel the same, then... at least he tried. What scared him more was the thought that things wouldn't be the same. He liked being her best friend, and he wouldn't trade his current position for anything else. Although it did hurt him to think that that was all they could ever be.

"We're here," Sarada announced.

Boruto stopped walking and pulled himself out of his thoughts. He looked ahead and saw the hotel lobby. He didn't even realize they were approaching. He needed more time. "I'll walk you to your room."

"You really don't have to…"

He was already leading the way, a few steps ahead of her. "I know." Boruto winked. "But I want to, ya know?"

Sarada scoffed, "No one's going to hurt me, Boruto."

"No one ever will as long as I'm by your side. I won't allow it."

They walked along the hallway, talking in a hushed yet playful tone. His shoulders eased up, releasing tension. Easily falling into step with her teasing and banter.

"Lucky me you'll be here, then." She smirked.

He turned to face her, his lips tugging up as he observed the way her eyes twinkled, hair flowing with her movement… she's so beautiful. Breathlessly, he responded, "Always."

A light gasp slipped out of her mouth and she looked at him with wide, dark eyes. It might have been a trick of the light, but he could have sworn she was blushing. Sarada's hand hovered over the doorknob to her room.

The sudden change in her expression made Boruto realize what he had just said. Fuck. He's said too much. Heat rose to the back of his neck and he sputtered, "I-I promised you, re-remember? I meant it. I really will." He laced his hands at the back of his head and laughed nervously. "What other reason would I have?"

She averted her gaze, a small smile on her face. "Oh, right. Of course."

Her crestfallen expression made Boruto drop his arms to his sides. He watched her unlock her door and push it open. She forced a smile and said, "Best we get to bed. Thank you… Good night."

Boruto held on to her wrist. "Sarada-"

She looked at him. "I'm really tired, Boruto. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Slowly, he let go of her wrist and nodded. "Right. Good night."

The door clicked and echoed throughout his empty chest. He stood there in the hallway for a while, thinking about how he should have just already told her how he felt.

.

.

.

She completed her nightly routine in a daze as she replayed the events of that evening over and over again. Analyzing everything that happened, scrutinizing every single detail. All the conversations she had that night spun through her mind, channeling her five senses to make sense of it all. The interactions with dignitaries and other VIPs were easy enough to decipher. It was clear to her what their intentions were from the topics they chose to speak of, and the way they thought they could convince her with their warm smiles and tight handshakes. But that wasn't why she was in a daze… Boruto and his behavior was what had left her confused.

Sitting on the bed, she let out a long sigh. The lights in her room were already out and her curtains drawn, giving her a clear view of Sunagakure's sparkling nightscape. She lay down and looked out the window, watching the lights twinkle and remembering Boruto's hand around her waist, holding her hand, and then, on her cheek. His heated breath on her face, making her lips tingle. Her stomach knotted up just remembering it, making her close her eyes harder, trying to contain her heart in her chest and willing it not to burst, to no avail. Feeling defeated, she let out a short shout of frustration and crawled into her bed, under the covers. She placed her glasses on the nightstand and tried to sleep.

After a few minutes of tossing and turning, she caved and grabbed her phone and glasses. She put them on and opened up her phone. A quick look at the clock told her it was well past one in the morning, and it made sense that there were no new messages, but part of her wished there were. Sarada wasn't like most of her friends who indulged in scrolling through social media and staying on top of the latest gossip. Her phone would go unused for days unless she was expecting a call, but ever since she discovered that she could put books in her phone, she would always carry it around so she could read in her spare time.

Opening up the app, she leafed through the book selections she had. There were a number that she could reread, but there was one book that she had been putting off finishing for a while now. She clicked on it and it automatically led her to the last page she read. Decreasing the brightness, she made herself comfortable and started to read.

"It just doesn't feel right being with him," Saki muttered to her best friend. "I-I don't even know why."

"Ever thought it was because you really love Sora and not Kenji?"

"Chieko!" Saki burst out. "Can you stop with the teasing? You know I don't like him that way."

Chieko rolled her eyes. "Girl, please. You two have been friends since you were born. Done everything together. Have you seen the way Sora looks at you? He likes you, too. The more you prolong being with Ken, the more it'll hurt you two, and everyone."

Sarada felt the heat creep up her face, and suddenly, she recalled why she had stopped reading this book and chose to read another. This hit a little too close to home, and it opened up doors and realizations that she really would rather remain shut.

Her phone vibrated, and she pulled down the banner to see she received a text.

Boruto: Hey, you up?

Sarada blinked for a few seconds to make sure she read that right. He was still awake…

Sarada: Now I am. Why are you awake?

Boruto: Did I wake you?

For a moment she thought she might lie and say he did, but she knew Boruto would feel guilty and she did not want that.

Sarada: No, I was reading.

The three dots appeared for a while to indicate he was texting, and then, finally, the text came through.

Boruto: What're you reading?

Why was he suddenly so interested? Sarada contemplated replying something snarky. Her brow tugged up, but nevertheless, she indulged him.

Sarada: A book I've been trying to finish for a while now.

Boruto: Is that the one with the half-vampire girl and werewolf boy have forbidden sex or something? That was pretty cheesy.

She nearly dropped her phone. No one says shit about one of her favorite novels. Especially not someone who has never even read it before. Sarada rolled to the other side of the bed and started texting, hoping he could feel her fury when she hit send.

Sarada: They were in love! And it was NOT cheesy. You just didn't read the good parts. There was no actual sex in the book!

Boruto: LOL. Sure. It's okay if you read porn. I don't judge, Sarada.

Sarada: Says the person who reads Icha Icha.

Boruto: It's fine literature. Anyway, if you're not reading that cheesefest, what're you reading now? What's it about?

She pursed her lips, still feeling a little hurt that he basically compared one of her favorite romance novels to Icha Icha when it didn't even have actual porn. Implied? Sure. But it wasn't porn.

Sarada: It's about Sora and Saki. They're childhood friends and have always liked each other but they're in constant denial. It's causing a lot of problems with everyone. They could have avoided the entire thing if they just confessed, really.

As soon as she hit send and reread her message, she immediately thought that the situation felt far too familiar. Like a case of déjà vu.

The three dots appeared on her screen for what felt like forever. Was he writing a novel in response?

As she waited, she chewed on her lower lip, mulling it over a little more. Sora and Saki's story was pretty typical, and most reviews even said it was cliche. Despite these reviews, she read it anyway because the characterizations, situations and choices they were faced with and made were all too real. It sometimes made her think that somewhere out there, someone was reading this piece of fiction and thinking, "Is this the story of my life?"

Finally, he replied.

Boruto: What you're saying is I'm Sora and you're Saki, right? Lol.

She read his response three times before the lightbulb finally lit up. When it did, she wanted to take it back and recall the message. For the second time that night, she remembered why she stopped reading that book.

It was too late to recall the message. Boruto had already read and replied. There was no way out of this one. She felt so stupid for not recognizing the pattern earlier, why she would always think of Boruto whenever Sora would throw a flirty remark at Saki, and Saki would pretend not to be amused or flattered in the slightest bit.

It made her feel worse that she did not realize she was in love with Boruto earlier, though. Perhaps she did know, she just refused to acknowledge it.

Sarada rolled around in her bed, not knowing how to reply. She felt so silly, and understood why those girls in romantic comedy movies did this. The panic and confusion crawling up to her chest felt too real. What if she confirmed it? How would he react? But would she really want to do that over text? Surely there was a better way… what if she denied it? For sure, he wouldn't take it nicely… but what if she said it as a joke instead? Bad idea, that would be a low blow. She racked her brain for more options, what she could say and reply, but nothing came out right. All the responses just looked like they would all make things worse.

Calm down, she told herself. Boruto could just be fooling around. He liked to tease her, and this could just be him trying to push her buttons again. She bit her lip and typed a message, telling him to stop teasing her. No, what if he was serious? Boruto's a tease, but he isn't stupid.

She released a shaky breath and calmed herself. Telling Boruto how she felt about him was such a scary thought, but was it really? They have been through so much worse together and he always had her back. Why should this be any different?

"Yes." Sarada typed, and her thumb hovered over the send button, but couldn't bring herself to do it. She deleted the text and started to type another response, only to delete that as well.

Boruto: Sarada?

It was only a word, but she could hear his voice in her head, sounding so confused and hurt. It made her heart tighten and her eyes stung. Why was this so hard? She could tell him anything. He assured her all the time, constantly saying he would be there for her.

And yet, she hesitated. Allowing the fear and doubt to take over, just like she did before her speech. There were so many reasons racing in her mind, her common sense screaming at her not to confess.

This is over text, don't do that!

What if he doesn't feel the same?

What if he was just kidding and you took it seriously? You'd look like a fool.

It was painful. The thought of Boruto playing with her feelings just because he knew he could.

No.

Sarada forced all of those thoughts down, shoving them back into their dark hole. She would not allow this to ruin them, but she wasn't going to settle things over text, either. He deserved more than that.

Boruto: Did you fall asleep?

Emotions racing high, Sarada concluded that the best course of action was to sleep it off. Better to settle things calmly, with a clear head, and hopefully, a normal heart rate. She placed her hand on her heart, genuinely worried that it was beating too fast. Taking a deep inhale through her nose, she slowly slowly exhaled it out of her mouth.

Sarada turned her phone off, removed her glasses, and placed both on her bedside table as she pulled the covers over her body and she found a comfortable position in bed. Maybe it wasn't the best course of action, but it was the most reasonable for her at the moment. She closed her eyes and promised to herself.

Tomorrow.

Sarada would tell Boruto she loved him.

A/N: Thank you so much for supporting this story. It's been a little over a year since I started, and I am still floored that people wait on this. Life really got in the way, but that doesn't matter much right now. I was finally able to deliver this chapter with the help of my two darling friends and beta-readers. Thank you so much!

The next chapter will be the last, I am still contemplating on adding an epilogue, or perhaps just continue it as a sequel. We shall wait and see! I have more chapter fics I want to finish as well. Hihi.

Please do leave me a review to let me know your thoughts about this chapter, and how you think this story will be tied up to a close. Thank you again so much.

All my love,

Kairi