Equinox

Summer: Chapter 2

Sakura opened her eyes in the morning. She felt almost as miserable as if she'd had 10 shots of tequila the night before. Rolling onto her side, she realized that she wasn't in bed. She was on the sofa.

Tobirama sat at the kitchen island, his back to her. The smell of coffee lingered in the air. He was shirtless. She could see the rune tattoo on his back, just between his shoulder blades. She realized that his headphones were over his ears. So he didn't turn toward her when she finally sat up and stretched her arms over her head.

She had an impulse. And she decided to give in. So when she got to her feet, she paused just behind Tobirama. She gave the top of his head a quick peck before she moved around him to pour herself a cup of coffee. He looked up at her, touching his hair with his fingers. He pulled the headphones down, letting them rest around his neck.

"Morning," she greeted him.

"I thought we said..." Tobirama trailed off.

"Yeah. Guess I just have crappy memory," she replied with a shrug. And then she peeked over her shoulder at him.

Tobirama stared at her, hair uncombed and falling across his forehead. Expression just a little dumbfounded. When she smiled, he did too. He bit his lower lip as he looked away.

They got breakfast at a little hole in the wall. There were two seats open on the terrace. The croissants were still warm as Sakura broke one in half. Swollen eyes hidden behind her sunglasses, she took big bites.

The coffee was excellent. The couple bites of Tobirama's food that she stole were good too.

The main agenda for flying halfway across the world was to speak to Sakura's mother. And while that hadn't exactly gone well, at least it had happened. With the most pressing thing out of the way, they spent the day exploring the island.

It wasn't Tobirama's first time in Ibiza. He had been in Barcelona a couple months ago. So naturally, he had been dragged to this nearby island to visit its famous nightclubs. But he hadn't had a chance to visit anywhere else really. And though it had been several years, Sakura still remembered the sights and best restaurants fairly well.

They rented a scooter. And even though they both knew she was the better driver, she let him drive. Arms wrapping around his waist, her cheek against his back. Sea air whipping through their hair as they followed the winding streets.

Tobirama received a phone call late in the afternoon. He held it up to his ear as they lounged on the beach, feet buried in the sand. Sakura rested her chin on his shoulder as she eavesdropped. It was Shizune. She wrinkled her nose as she slid away from him.

But when he checked his watch, Sakura waved her hand at him.

"She said dinner..."

"Relax. They run on island time. They'll be late," Sakura assured him. She stretched back out on the towel, covering her face with her straw hat.

They dozed on the beach a while longer, until the sun was about to set. Only then did they reluctantly rouse from the warm spots on the towels, sand trickling off their bodies. Their shoes dangled from the tips of their fingers as they trekked up to where they had parked the scooter.

By the time the guests arrived, it was completely dark outside. Sakura had showered and changed clothes. She sat in the living room, feet up on the coffee table as she fiddled with her laptop.

"Can I listen?" Tobirama asked as he approached from behind. He rubbed his hair with a towel as he craned his neck to look at her screen. The colored lines running across the page looked promising. Especially the way the lines for drums swooped up and down.

Sakura patted the open spot on the sofa beside her.

Hamura and Hagoromo arrived later with bags of takeout. Shizune carried bottles of wine under each arm.

They sat around the coffee table, chattering as they distributed food and poured drinks. And even though all of them had different hair colors, there was something that made it obvious that they were siblings. Something beyond the usual beauty that came with their portion of siren charm. Maybe it was the way they smiled, or the way they laughed.

Hamura sat on the couch with a groan.

"Old man," snorted Hagoromo, earning a soft kick in the back.

"So, you probably have questions," Shizune said, turning to Tobirama.

Beside him, Sakura drained her glass of wine. She reached over to slide his glass from his hand to drink that too. He didn't resist, just moving his arm to rest on the seat of the sofa behind her.

"Open another one," whispered Hamura. Hagoromo got to his feet to head to the kitchen.

"It's easy," Sakura interrupted. She gestured to each of her siblings with the glass.

"Biggest bro," she began. Hamura waved.

"Big sister," Sakura went on, then indicating Shizune, who nodded.

"And then other big brother," Sakura concluded, jerking her chin in the direction of the kitchen.

She touched her chest with the wine glass. "There's me. Three little ones after that."

"Four now," Shizune corrected.

"Yeah. So that's seven of us...that we know of," snorted Sakura before she took a gulp of wine.

"...Sakura," Hamura began in a tone of reproach. But then he shook his head, like he was waving away the thought. He rested his elbow on his knee instead.

"You look good, kiddo. I had nightmares of you living on the streets," he remarked instead. And Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Ew. You sound like her," she retorted. And Hagoromo snickered at that, elbowing his brother's leg.

They moved on to more mundane topics as they ate dinner. The container lids opened to reveal cured meats and fluffy eggs. There were crisp potatoes sprinkled with herbs. And the smells of all the foods melted together into a beautiful melange.

But even once the food was gone, the wine kept flowing. And that made it easy to talk. Sakura still sat on the floor, her knees hugged to her chest.

"So, you've seen our nest. Where are you from, Tobirama?" asked Hamura.

And that drew Sakura's curiosity. Because that was just as much a mystery to her as it was to her siblings. He was just Tobirama. She had never imagined his childhood. He had probably been born wearing a leather jacket. She had never thought to ask him anything like that.

"I was born and raised in Empire City. I tried moving to the west coast for a few years, but it wasn't a good fit," answered Tobirama.

"LA?" asked Hagoromo.

"Malibu." Tobirama's lips thinned. Sakura smirked.

"Let me guess. Did they try to engage you in small talk?" she teased.

"About the weather," he grumbled.

"Those psychos," Sakura replied with mock-outrage.

Shizune mashed her lips together. She raised her glass to her mouth, but not before she shared a pointed look with her brothers.

They stayed late. People in the area seemed to be good at that. Lingering. Just enjoying the moments, never in a rush to get anywhere. Even this late at night, the streets were busy with people still enjoying dinner and drinks.

But eventually, Hagoromo glanced at his watch and announced that he had work in the morning. Everyone got to their feet, clearing the bottles and plates off the table. As Hamura rolled up his sleeves, Shizune pulled Sakura to the side.

Sakura had always loved her sister the most out of their siblings. Maybe it was the 20-year age gap, but Shizune had always felt more like a mother than their own mother had. So she half-expected Shizune to make some sort of remark about Tobirama or about her outfit or the piercings in her ears. Because she had always been a worrywart.

Instead, Shizune pressed something into Sakura's palm.

"Mom forgot to tell you. You'll need one of these. Any crystal will do, actually. But still..." Shizune whispered.

Sakura glanced down. In her hand rested a shard of lapis lazuli. It was a couple inches long. Gold flecked the otherwise deep indigo facets of the gemstone.

"The both of you should hold it. And then carry it with you," added Shizune. She smiled, and Sakura saw, for the first time, that there were tiny lines that spread from the corners of her eyes when she did.

Shizune kissed Sakura's forehead. "Let's see each other more often. I'll come to you if it makes it easier," she said. Sakura patted the back of her hand and smiled.

It was nearly midnight by the time she waved her siblings out the door. She stuck her head outside, watching them descend the steep path down toward the docks. And only when they smudged into the darkness did she step back inside.

She nearly ran into Tobirama holding up a bottle. "It's open and I can't find any corks," he told her.

"That's the opposite of a problem," Sakura replied as she went to find two clean glasses.

They sat out on the terrace. The mosquito zapper buzzed in the corner, glowing bright blue behind them.

Sakura swirled the wine around in her glass as she curled her knees up to her chest. A warm breeze tickled past them.

She glanced to her left. Tobirama relaxed in his seat, long legs stretched out in front of him. She had half-expected him to wear black leather jackets and boots here, too. Seeing him in t-shirts french-tucked into shorts blew her mind a little.

"Didn't think you'd have brothers," commented Tobirama, catching her staring at him.

"Why?"

"...You give off 'only-child' vibes," Tobirama said, leaning his elbow on the armrest.

"Are you calling me a brat?" she asked.

He quickly took a sip of wine. But she dissolved into giggles as she added, "...Yyyeah, I kind of am."

Sakura told him, leaning in closer to let him refill her glass. (It was good wine, a little sweet and heavy on the tongue.) "It didn't help that my brothers spoiled me rotten. They must have spent half their paychecks on ice cream and toys. It used to drive my sister crazy," she recalled, chuckling a little.

"Can I ask about the age gap? How'd that happen?" Tobirama queried.

Hamura was in his forties now. Shizune and Hagoromo weren't far behind.

"Different dads, all of us. And we think there are some siblings above us that we haven't met," she answered. But then her expression soured. "I kind of don't want to talk about this anymore," she added.

"Alright," agreed Tobirama, refilling his glass to the brim.

When the wine had run out, Sakura shifted her legs. Something poked her from inside her pocket. She pinched it between her fingers to yank it out, holding the lapis lazuli up to the light. The glimmer drew Tobirama's gaze.

"It's that simple?" sighed Tobirama when she shared what her mother and sister had told her.

Sakura shrugged one shoulder.

"Well, Shizune told me that I would have to wear it. Which would've been helpful to know..." Sakura added, glaring off into the distance. As if the expression would reach her mother somehow.

With a sigh, she looked back at him. She nudged his arm with her knuckle.

"Wanna do it now?"

"Sure."

The soothing song was used for fussy babies who wouldn't sleep. It calmed children during storms and pushed the memories of nightmares far away. It had been years since she had heard it, but Sakura knew the melody well. She hummed the first note. And Tobirama matched her. It was nice to know that regardless of where they came from, siren songs were all the same.

She hadn't listened to Tobirama sing for almost a year. The sensation was like warm honey dribbling onto the crown of her head, trailing down her back, her arms. She saw his irises begin to lighten. The black leeching away and turning to bright gold.

She closed her eyes, like that would keep the song from entering into her ear and twisting up in her brain. It was like, with a single word, he could tug on the nerves and move her body like a puppet. It was unsettling. The only thing that helped her push through was the cool edge of the crystal pressed between their hands.

And Sakura couldn't have known. But as she pulled the notes from deep inside, they flowed out of her mouth. Her irises glowed gold too. Only, there was a slight ring of green that lingered in her eyes, just around her pupil. And she missed the way Tobirama stared at her as their voices melded and harmonized when she closed her eyes.

The last note of the song drew out, weaving through the air. Sakura opened her eyes. Tobirama still sat next to her. She didn't know why that surprised her.

The space between their joined hands felt hot. She pulled away to reveal a deep blue crystal resting in his palm. Gold fissures had formed in the gem that glowed like it was lit from within. Sakura pinched it between her fingers, holding it up to her eyes to get a better look.

She handed it to Tobirama, who also took his time squinting at it.

"So what's it supposed to do?" she wondered. "Do I have to hold it when I talk or something?"

Tobirama shrugged as he returned it to her. And then Sakura held it up to the light as Tobirama spoke.

"Should we call your sister? Maybe she forgot to tell you something?"

She went very still.

"What'd you say?" she demanded.

"...I thought maybe we could call your sister," Tobirama said, more slowly this time. With each syllable, the crystal pulsed faintly. She could feel it humming a little in her palm. And then her head whipped around so that she could see him.

He didn't look any different. But something had changed. She scrutinized his face. Tobirama's eyebrows rose as he looked down at his shirt, then back at her.

"Tobirama."

"Yeah?"

"Tell me to do something."

"What?"

"Just- anything!" she insisted.

Tobirama's gaze flickered around. And then his eyes landed on the empty glasses resting on the table. "... Would you go check if we have another bottle of wine?"

And then she leaned in, mouth turning up into a gleeful smile as she whispered, "Don't feel like it."

She sat on the edge of her seat, practically bouncing with glee. "Tell me to do something else."

"Let me borrow $20."

"No!" she declared, laughing now.

"Say something nice about me," he suggested.

"No, no, no!" she sang. Tobirama rested his chin in his hand as he watched her. He was smiling now, too.

"Marry me." It slipped from his mouth as naturally as breathing.

"N-" The word stuck in her throat. Eyes flying open, they flew to him.

They stared at each other. Just the buzz of the mosquito zapper droning on behind them.

Tobirama's hand covered his mouth. Their gazes met and then quickly broke apart.

Finally, she remembered how her mouth worked and opened it. "Um... do you... uh... should I pretend that didn't just happened?" she inquired.

"No," Tobirama said too quickly. And then pressed his fist to his forehead, cringing. "I mean...yes... Well..." He broke off, sighing heavily.

Sakura grimaced, hands and feet clenching and unclenching. She cleared her throat. Tobirama raised his head a little.

"Sooo... I'm gonna go to bed. Because this is too awkward for me. Um... let's talk tomorrow?" she suggested. And she got to her feet, holding her wine glass in one hand. The indigo crystal clutched in the other. But as she headed inside, Tobirama grasped the edge of her shirt. She looked over her shoulder.

Tobirama peered up at her between his bangs. "That... wasn't a mistake," he confessed.

Sakura took in his expression. She smiled, but it wasn't a happy look. "Yes it was, Tobirama. People like us don't get married," she replied.

She bent over and kissed the top of his head before she slipped inside.

They didn't talk about it in the morning. In fact, they didn't say a word to each other. They went out for breakfast at the same cafe. Ordered the same espresso with milk.

Tobirama only looked up at her when he felt her nudge his shin with her foot. And it was only then that he noticed that she wore the lapis lazuli around her neck. She had wrapped a wire around it and hung it from a silver chain.

"What do you wanna do today?" she asked him.

"Drink until I forget who I am," he mumbled.

"Fantastic plan," she agreed as she picked up a pastry.

Maybe it was because they had spent so much time being dramatic and fighting before that things almost seemed okay. The awkwardness still hung there, like a weird third wheel throughout the rest of the trip. But that didn't stop them from visiting tapas bars and visiting the old hilltop forts on cobbled streets. They basked on the beach every day until even pale Tobirama started to develop a golden glow.

He fell asleep on her shoulder halfway through the flight home. Sakura pretended to be asleep too so she wouldn't have to shake him off.

They parted ways at the airport. Him, back to Empire City. Her, back to Old Pines. But before she could head to the parking lot, Tobirama grasped her by the forearm. He knew her too well.

"Hey. I know I made things weird," he said. And then he sighed, adding in a lower voice, "Could you at least look at me?"

Sakura dragged her gaze to his face. At the trace of sunburn across the bridge of his nose.

"Can you try not to disappear on me again?" he requested. He even managed a half-smile for her. Even though his voice didn't have a pull on her anymore, that expression still did. She had a particular weakness for it. Especially since he rarely smiled for anything... or anyone.

"You know where to find me," she answered. And then she thought. "But, like, don't come find me too soon. I need some time to digest... everything," she added.

Tobirama nodded. And just on another one of those impulses, she leaned in to kiss the sunburn across the bridge of his nose.

"I'll see ya," she whispered before she pulled out of his grasp.

The air smelled sweet with magic as she crossed town limits. Dodging the usual pot holes and dips in the road, she followed the winding road home. With the windows rolled down, she could hear the crickets chirping outside, almost unbelievably loud.

As she passed by Kakashi's house, she could see the lights on inside. And when she pressed the brakes, she saw Pakkun in the window, howling up a storm as he pawed at the pane. It took a moment, but then she saw the silhouette of a man walk out of the kitchen, into the living room. He froze in front of the window too. She leaned against the steering wheel and waved.

There was no point in driving away when she'd been caught. She parked the car and unbuckled the seatbelt. She was only halfway up the walkway when the front door burst open. She expected Biscuit or one of the other dogs to be the first one out to greet her.

To her surprise, Kakashi got there first, sweeping her up in his arms. The smell of fried chicken clung to him as he hugged her tight. One of his hands covering the back of her head as he swung her back and forth.

"Hi!" she greeted him, laughing.

"Welcome back," Kakashi said so earnestly that she let him hug her for just a little longer.