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Read Equinox and come back!

"What?" Kiba demanded before he began choking on his donut. Kakashi reached over to thump him on the back. Sakura reached across Kakashi's lap to hand him his orange juice to help clear his throat. And once the hacking quieted, Sakura turned back to Tobirama.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

Tobirama folded his arms across his chest. He nodded. Sakura closed her eyes. She fell back on the sofa, rubbing her temples.

"This is weird, right? I'm not just overreacting, right?" she heard Kiba ask. Followed by a soft cough.

"No, it's weird. Tobirama said that sirens don't really meddle in other nests. Not even their own kids'," Itachi agreed with him.

Sakura cracked one eye open. Tobirama sat on the rug in the same spot. He raised his eyebrows when he met her gaze.

"Why?" she questioned.

Tobirama's eyes darted around to the others before he peeked back at her. "I asked my mom if there were any good hospitals in the area with an S-ward that could accommodate for sirens," he replied.

"And she figured out that Sakura was pregnant," Kakashi concluded. Sighing, Sakura put her feet up in Kakashi's lap.

"So, your parents want to meet Sakura," Kiba repeated, a little needlessly. Tobirama shook his head.

"No. They want to meet all of you too."

Kiba choked on his donut again.

"I'm out," Itachi declared, raising his hand. "I'm charm-weak. No sense in going to meet in the in-laws and making a fool out of myself." He sat on the hearth of the unlit fireplace. His phone buzzed beside him. He'd been waiting for this call all afternoon. He shot Sakura an apologetic look as he answered it, getting to his feet to go talk outside. He squeezed Sakura's shoulder as he passed.

"I'm also in favor of Itachi not going. I'm not sure how he'll react to my mom. But it probably won't be good," Tobirama said. And then he turned his attention to the people sitting on the sofa.

"Sheriff- ah. Sorry," Tobirama stopped himself. Biting his lower lip.

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Wish I could. But I guess I have no choice but to hold down the fort."

Sakura and Kiba exchanged a panicked look over his shoulder. Kiba mimed strangling Tobirama, who grimaced in return.

Kiba laughed too loudly, slapping Kakashi on the back. "Don't worry! I'll bring back all the good leftovers!"

Kakashi wasn't stupid. When he looked up, he saw the looks of panic on their faces. He ruffled Kiba's hair, which only reminded them more of the fact that although the sheriff looked young, he was much, much older than them.

It was quiet for a while. And then Sakura spoke up. "Maybe we shouldn't go."

The sigh Kakashi gave in response conveyed so many things. But from the way he smiled, she knew that they weren't all bad feelings. "You can't not do everything that I can't be a part of. Go," he urged her.

And Sakura suddenly imagined something. Kakashi sitting alone on his sofa. Sipping warm cider, the TV buzzing low in the background as his eyes drifted to the clock over and over again. She knew that he wouldn't be all alone. The dogs would be snuggled up at his sides. But the scene still made her chest hurt.

"Doing things without you is stupid," Sakura mumbled, looking away from him. She felt him lean in to kiss the top of her head.

"Bring me those leftovers," was all he said.

A week later, Sakura felt Kiba grab her hand as they headed down the sidewalk. Their fancy shoes tapping against the concrete. Tobirama pointed to a building on the corner of the big intersection ahead. Kiba let out a long whistle in response.

"I always knew you were a rich boy. But this..." Sakura trailed off. She craned her neck to look up at the gleaming skyscraper. She moved her hand so that she could link her arm through Kiba's instead. His hands were sweaty. Or maybe it was hers.

"You make it sound like they own the whole building. It's an apartment," Tobirama protested.

"I'm nervous. Do I look weird?" Sakura fretted. She looked down at her outfit. The shimmery fabric was supposed to drape around her. But now she just felt like a bloated sausage swathed in someone's gaudy curtains.

"Hey," Tobirama said. His hand cupped her cheek, redirecting her gaze to him. "You look pretty. And it's gonna be fine."

"It better be. You've got me dressed up in this bullshit. My tie's too tight," grumbled Kiba, his hand in his pocket. He glowered at Tobirama. "I wanted to wear mine."

Tobirama sighed. "An elastic bow tie does not count as a real tie. You're lucky I didn't burn it."

Kiba continued grumbling as they walked into the lobby.

They hung back as Tobirama spoke to the person sitting at the desk. After a few moments, Tobirama motioned for them to follow. The man looked up to greet them as they passed. Instead, his eyes latched onto Sakura, mouth falling open.

As they got into the elevator, Tobirama hit the button for the right floor. Sakura fixed the collar of his shirt. Then she reached up to tousle his hair so that his part fell just off-center.

"It's my parents. Not a bunch of investors. Relax," Tobirama assured her, grasping her hands to pull them down.

Sakura made a face. "Investors, I can do. I don't know what to do with parents," she told him.

"Smile and say 'thank you' a lot. You'll be fine," snorted Kiba, knocking his elbow into her arm.

That made Sakura feel a little better. By the time the elevator doors opened, she had managed to stop fiddling with clothes and hair. They stopped in front of the door. Tobirama glanced over at the both of them.

"Ready?"

"Yep," Kiba answered right away.

Sakura took in a deep breath through her nose. She nodded.

Tobirama rang the doorbell. They could vaguely hear a woman's voice inside. Someone responded to her in a deeper tone. There was laughter from somewhere too.

"Don't worry so much. The canapé's look fine," the man called over his shoulder as he opened the door.

"Dad," Tobirama said. Sakura recognized him from the photos Tobirama had shown her. The man with the grey eyes and dimples- which he flashed when he smiled at them.

"Hi there. Come inside," he greeted them. He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter the apartment. As Sakura and Kiba silently debated whether or not to keep their shoes on or off, Tobirama smiled. Actually laughing as he hugged his dad. The way they clapped each other on the back was so in-sync that Sakura and Kiba elbowed each other, trying not to smile.

"Where's my boy?" a voice boomed from further inside.

"Father," Tobirama sighed. He shot Sakura a helpless look before he turned to face the man. Who crushed Tobirama in a hug. The kind that glued his arms to his sides. He swayed back and forth, glaring when Kiba snickered at him. And then Tobirama let out a grunt as his father lifted him off his feet.

"And you must be Kiba and Sakura. We've heard so much about you," Tobirama's dad said. He observed Sakura, his head tilting to one side. After a moment, his face split into a smile. Softening his face, crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"Ah, finally. It's so wonderful to meet you," he declared. He grasped both of Sakura's hands, squeezing them just a little. Sakura found herself smiling back. And then he did the same for Kiba, holding both his hands for a moment, the gentleness of his voice putting them at ease.

Tobirama joined them a moment later, gesturing to the other man.

"Father."

Sakura braced herself for a similarly crushing hug. Instead, she received a handshake. Kiba, who had been steeling himself for bodily assault, looked bewildered as he was only subjected to a handshake as well. When Sakura looked to Tobirama, he shook his head.

"He does it just to annoy me," he explained.

"Look who it is!"

It was a lovely soprano voice. Soft and liquid. The woman who appeared through a doorway looked just like the voice sounded. Beautiful and dainty- even shorter than Sakura, who had never considered herself tall. She reached up with both hands to hug Tobirama, who had to stoop so that she could reach.

Cheeks flushed, she then reached for Sakura and Kiba, putting an arm around each of them. A sweet fragrance drifted from her skin and clothes. Sakura cast a nervous glance at Kiba, wondering how he was doing. To her surprise, he seemed unworried. In fact, he laughed as he hugged her back.

"Wow, aren't you both just wonderful? You must be starving," Tobirama's mother trilled.

She ushered them out of the foyer, into the dining room. To the table heavy with dishes.

"You must have worked all day for this. It looks amazing," Sakura remarked.

The older woman beamed at her. "I had it catered. But thank you for saying so. You're very sweet."

Sakura felt Kiba's hand on her elbow, guiding her to one of the seats.

"You feeling okay?" he asked in her ear.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she replied. Still, she felt him run his hand along the side of her neck. And then he sniffed a few times. Whatever he sensed seemed to satisfy him because he pulled out a chair for her.

Tobirama offered to help his mother in the kitchen. She shooed him out, instead pulling his father through the doorway to help her bring out drinks.

Tobirama took the empty seat to Sakura's left. And his dad sat across from him. He offered Sakura a smile.

Dinner was delicious. Kiba nudged Sakura to mouth 'leftovers' halfway through the meal. Sakura wiped her mouth with her napkin, trying not to laugh.

It wasn't as awkward as she had feared. Tobirama's parents didn't pry. They wanted to know what she and Kiba did for a living. They asked about Old Pines, which Kiba was more than happy to boast about. When they moved on to ask about her pregnancy, Sakura was ready. It was the standard list of questions everyone seemed to run through.

"How far along are you?"

"Five months. I'm due in February."

"And you've been feeling alright?"

"I'm alright now, but my morning sickness was pretty bad. I think these two suffered more than me," Sakura laughed, gesturing to the men on either side of her. Tobirama and Kiba exchanged a look.

It was true that they had gone through every recipe and tried out every home remedy to help with her nausea. Kiba had harvest herbs from his garden to brew herbal teas, looking crushed when they proved ineffective. And Tobirama had been so careful not to eat anything that she couldn't eat. He still refused to drink alcohol or touch sushi, even though she assured him that she didn't mind at all.

After dinner, as Tobirama and Kiba went to do dishes, Tobirama's mother reached across the table to pat the back of Sakura's hand.

"Sakura, tell me if I'm making you uncomfortable, but I was never close to my mother. When I got pregnant, there were so many things I wanted to ask but never could. So I just want you to know that you can ask me anything," Tobirama's mother said.

Sakura felt the inner corners of her eyes sting as she replied, "Thank you." She laughed when Tobirama's father pushed her a plate of chocolates while Tobirama's dad handed her a clean napkin.

As Sakura dabbed at her eyes, something occurred to her. She looked up. Tobirama's mother raised her eyebrows, waiting.

"Not related to the baby," Sakura warned.

"Ask away."

Sakura pointed in the direction of the kitchen. She could see Kiba and Tobirama with their backs to her. Kiba scrubbed the plates clean while Tobirama wiped most of the water off and placed them in the drying rack. Neither of them could hear her over the hiss of the faucet.

"Kiba and I are fine even though we're in the house of three Sirens," Sakura observed.

"Ah. We smell like family. You also wouldn't be affected by any of Tobirama's brothers," Tobirama's dad explained. And then his dark eyes flickered in the direction of the kitchen too.

"Also, if I remember correctly, once a were has bonded, it's for life. I've never heard of a happily-bonded were leaving their partner for a Siren. I could be wrong, though."

It took Sakura a moment to process that. She nodded after a long moment. And then she looked to Tobirama's mother again, who smiled.

"Anything else?" she prompted.

Sakura pressed her lips together, wondering if it was alright to ask. When the other woman nodded, Sakura opened her mouth to ask: "What was Tobirama like as a kid?"

After dinner, they headed to the lobby, Kiba spinning his keyring on his pointer finger as they rode the elevator.

"Your parents are pretty cool," Kiba announced. And then he thought a little bit. "But they're also... so good-looking. Like, what the hell, man."

Tobirama chuckled, head falling back to rest on the shiny wall of the elevator. "I wouldn't be seen in public with you if you were hideous. You'd be fine if you'd wear something besides plaid all the time," he retorted.

"Ouch. Sakura, you hear that? He's bullying me," Kiba pretended to whine, clinging to Sakura's arm.

Once they reached the street, they strolled a couple blocks to where Kiba had managed to find a parking spot at a meter. Tobirama helped Sakura climb into the pickup truck, which still gleamed from the wash and wax Kiba had toiled over early that morning. Tobirama got into the truck after her, slamming the door behind him. Kiba settled into the driver's seat, already checking the traffic on his phone.

"Looks pretty good," he told them, snapping his phone into the mount.

"Let me know if you get tired. We can trade off," Tobirama reminded him like he always did. Kiba nodded.

Kakashi met them a few hours later. He sat next to the old wooden sign that spelled out the name of their town. Outsiders never noticed it with the way overgrown branches and vines crawled over the paint. His mismatched eyes gleaming in the darkness. His ears pricked up high.

As the truck slowed to approach him, Kakashi took off running. Smoky tail trailing behind him. He guided them down the streets, on the way they always took to Sakura's house.

He fazed into human form as they pulled into the driveway. Kiba's pickup truck growled one last time as they killed the engine.

"The leftovers are awesome, Sheriff. You have to try the the skirt steak," Kiba began talking before he had even gotten out of the car.

Less than an hour later, Kiba lay sprawled on the futon in the living room in just his boxers and a t-shirt. The suit he had worn lay discarded on the floor beside him. His head dangled over the edge, knuckles brushing the floor as his chest rose and fell in an easy rhythm. Tobirama sat hunched over the kitchen table, scowling as he read over the emails he had been ignoring throughout the day.

"You didn't have to drive all the way back here. You must be tired," Kakashi said, his voice soft against her shoulder. They sat on the worn leather sofa up on the loft, their feet resting on the coffee table.

"Oh, so you're not happy to see me?" Sakura pretended to be offended. She stuck her lower lip out in a pout as Kakashi rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Of course not."

And then his hand kept running up and down her arm as he thought. His eyes growing distant.

"I hope you don't feel like I'm holding you back. That's not what I want," Kakashi fretted, not for the first time. The tap of Tobirama's fingers on the keyboard went silent as he caught bits and pieces of the conversation.

"And I'm worried that you might not say anything even if you are unhappy," Kakashi went on.

"Sheriff, are you drunk? Sakura's broken up with me twice because she was unhappy," Tobirama interrupted, still typing away.

"He can't drink! He's a ghost-dog... dog-ghost?" Kiba slurred, half-asleep.

They heard the front door open and shoes clacked inside.

"Hey, how was dinner? I brought leftover pizza back," Itachi called. There was a thunk as Kiba rolled off the futon and onto his feet.

Sakura and Kakashi smiled. But before he could stand, Sakura took his face in her hands. She looked him in his mismatched eyes- just to be sure that he was listening.

"I'm very happy. I always am when you're with me," she assured him. And then she pressed a kiss to the mole on the left side of his face before she pressed another kiss to his smiling mouth. As she drew away, she glanced over her shoulder.

"Are we saving the pregnant lady a slice?" she called.

"We can only fight Kiba off for so long. Hurry up, you two," Itachi replied. Someone opened up the refrigerator door, the glass bottles rattling together in the shelf.

"You want grape jelly on yours?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," Sakura answered, pausing by the stairs. She reached back, waiting until Kakashi took her hand to follow her down from the loft. Where the rest of their family crowded around the kitchen counter, slices of cold pizza in their hands.