Archive of Our Own ^beta

The mansion was too quiet. That dangerous kind of quiet that happened when six teens had nothing better to do than stare at each other and complain about boredom.

Daemon was knocked out cold in the other room, sprawled across the bed without a care in the world.

Eida sat cross-legged on the floor, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, her eyes locked on Kawaki who was leaning against the wall like he couldn’t care less. She sighed dramatically.

“You know what we should do?” she said suddenly, her voice lilting with false innocence.

Boruto groaned. “If it’s another fashion show, I’m out.”

“No,” Eida smirked. “Something way more… grown-up.” She dragged the word out, relishing the way Sarada raised an eyebrow and Sumire shifted nervously. “Spin the bottle.”

The room went dead silent.

“Spin the what?” Mitsuki asked, tilting his head like a curious snake.

“It’s a kissing game,” Eida announced, practically glowing as she clasped her hands. “You spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on, you kiss. Simple.”

Sumire flushed instantly. “K-Kissing?!”

Sarada folded her arms, her cheeks faintly pink. “That’s childish.”

“Yeah,” Boruto agreed, waving his hand dismissively. “Sounds dumb.” But the flush on his face betrayed him.

But Eida only leaned forward, her smile widening. “What’s the matter? None of you had your first kiss yet, have you?”

That shut everyone up. Even Kawaki, who usually brushed off Eida’s antics, shifted his weight and glanced away.

Eida clapped her hands in excitement. “Perfect. We’re all in the same boat. Let’s play.”

This could be her chance to initiate more with Kawaki!

----

They sat in a messy circle on the carpet. A soda bottle gleamed in the middle.

“Ladies first,” Eida said sweetly, giving the bottle a spin. It whirled, clicked against the wood, and landed on—

“Mitsuki?!” Boruto looked scandalized.

Mitsuki’s golden eyes were fixed on Eida as he leaned forward, blushing deeply. Eida planted a quick kiss on his lips leaving him in a daze.

"Ok, next!" chirped Eida excited to keep the game going.

The bottle went around again, and Mitsuki’s spin landed on Sumire. Her face turned bright red. She leaned in hesitantly, and Mitsuki accepted her kiss with the same cheerful calmness, making her fluster even more.

Sumire’s turn made her stomach twist, but the bottle landed on Boruto. She nearly squeaked. He just shrugged, lips brushing hers, though her heart was pounding like crazy. Sarada frowned slightly, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her hands tightly together. Sumire pulled away looking like a bright red tomato.

Boruto looked dazed like he was still trying to process the moment, but he couldn't sit on it for long.

Boruto spun next. The bottle slowed… slowed… until it stopped directly on Sarada..

The air thickened.

The room froze. Mitsuki immediately chuckled, like he'd been waiting for this exact outcome. Sumire’s shoulders tensed, she looked at the two with a grimace. Kawaki side eyed the two of them, watching their reactions carefully. Eida looked at them almost knowingly, as if she knew something the other three didn't.

Boruto’s breath caught in his throat. He glanced at Sarada, who was staring right back, her Sharingan flickering in the dim light before she blinked it off. For once, she looked nervous. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her cheeks were faintly pink.

As young as everyone in the room was, no one could really explain why this kiss felt the most tense. Was it maybe because Boruto and Sarada had known each other the longest?

“Well?” Mitsuki teased. “Rules are rules.”

“Shut up,” Sarada snapped, but her voice wavered.

Boruto swallowed. “Guess… we don’t have a choice.”

Slowly, almost cautiously, he leaned forward. Sarada met him halfway, her heart hammering in her chest. Their foreheads brushed first, and she froze, heat rushing to her face.

Boruto’s hand twitched, wanting to steady her shoulder but hesitating. Instead, their lips finally touched — soft, tentative, lingering far longer than either intended.

Sarada’s breath hitched. She didn’t pull away, and Boruto, emboldened, pressed just a fraction closer. For a split second, the world around them faded.

It was just Boruto and Sarada, lips barely moving, hearts racing, a kiss both awkward and devastatingly real.

When they finally parted, their faces stayed close, both of them staring into each other’s eyes in a dazed silence neither could explain. They were both breathing heavily as if they'd just run a marathon.

Sarada’s hand hovered in the space between them, as if she wanted to push him back, or maybe pull him in again. Boruto’s lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something — but the moment snapped when she jerked back, clearing her throat.

“Th-that’s enough. Next spin.”

Boruto leaned away, his ears burning, pretending to look nonchalant. But the slight curve at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

Then Sarada finally spun, breaking the tension.

The bottle clicked across the floor and landed on Kawaki.

If everyone had been tense before, it was at a whole new level now. Boruto felt his chest tighten, the high he felt during his turns crashing immediately. Eida suddenly began sweating bullets, her eyes narrowing at the two of them.

Kawaki raised a brow. “Do we really have to—?”

“Yes,” Eida snapped, though her gaze flicked anxiously toward the door.

The long, awkward buildup had Boruto’s pulse racing.

Eida, panicked, silently sent a message through her clairvoyance to Shikamaru, crossing her fingers that he would get her SOS quickly enough. This was a disaster! She'd only started this game so she could kiss Kawaki and bring a little liveliness to this drab mansion.

For some reason, she didn't actually expect Kawaki to have to kiss someone else in front of her. She planned on how she wanted to kill Shikamaru if he didn't show up in time.

But before she could finish the thought—

The door burst open. Shikamaru stormed in with Naruto, Sasuke and Konohamaru behind him. Sasuke had his sword drawn, while Naruto and Konohamaru had paper bags with the Thunder Burger logo on them.

“Eida!” Naruto shouted in concern. "Is something wrong? You said you needed help and food immediately?"

"Oh thank goodness!" Eida beamed. "I was just about to die of starvation, I knew I could count on you Shika-dear!"

“You dragged us here at top speed and sent us an urgent SOS because you were hungry?” Shikamaru narrowed his eyes.

Eida beamed innocently. “What? I was starving! And now that there’s food, I don’t want to play anymore.”

The circle scattered instantly, the tension broken. Sarada and Kawaki never kissed. Boruto exhaled a breath of relief, unnoticed by everyone else.

But before Boruto could start making his way to the food, a low, dry voice cut into the room:

“Play what?”

Everyone’s heads snapped toward the doorway. Sasuke stood there, arms crossed, his single eye narrowing slightly as he surveyed the scene.

The group of teens went stiff. Eida, Sumire, Mitsuki, and even Sarada looked down, their faces burning. Sarada gave the faintest nervous laugh, while Sumire’s hands twisted in her lap. Eida covered her mouth with her sleeve, muttering something unintelligible.

Kawaki, on the other hand, just looked bored. “Nothing important,” he said flatly.

Sasuke’s gaze lingered on the group for a beat too long, sharp as a kunai. Sarada refused to look up.

Boruto, however, practically lit up with relief. “Dad!” He sprang up from the circle like the game had never existed, grinning ear to ear. “It feels like I haven't had Thunder Burger in forever!”

Naruto held up the bags, smiling sheepishly. “You bet. Figured you’d all be starving after whatever it is you’ve been up to.”

Boruto jogged over, happily snagging a bag and chatting quickly with his dad about what he ordered, his earlier nerves gone. He didn’t even notice Sarada sneaking a sideways glance at him, her lips still tingling from their kiss.

Sasuke exhaled through his nose, clearly unconvinced but letting it slide. “Hn.”

No one else said a word about the game.

Eida smirked faintly to herself. Pleased with herself for successfully averting a crisis.