"Hey, Sui?" Says Izumi as she catches up to them. They're on their way back from their last minute trip to the store. "I need a favor."

Suspiciously, he side-eyes her. "What?"

"Can I come with you?" She says. "I got myself into a teensy tiny bit of trouble and I need to lie low until it blows over."

Shisui looks to Sakura in askance but she can tell that he can't quite gauge her reaction. "Give us a minute?"

"Sure," Says Izumi as she moves out of ear shot to look at the clothed mannequins in the windows of the store nearby.

"Is that okay?" He asks Sakura. "I don't want to--"

"It's your rut, Shisui." Sakura tells him. "So if you want Izumi there, she's welcome."

"Thank you," He says. "But it's your family's cabin and I don't want you to feel like I'm overstepping your kindness."

"They bought the cabin for me." She says. "They're omega and didn't know the first thing about how to help me. So Iruka-sensei told them to take me out to the wilderness. It worked so well they went and bought the cabin."

"Oh," He says. "Then did you want to invite Ino?"

"That's eight people in a tiny house with no civilization around for miles," She says. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine," He says. "Please invite Ino." Then he turns to Izumi. "Yeah, you can come. We're leaving tonight."

"Awesome~" Says Izumi. "Thank you so much!"

"I owe you anyway, since you kept mum about Itachi."

"Hey!" Shouts a man as he comes around the corner. "IZUMI UCHIHA!"

"Oooh," She says. "Time's up."

"What did you do?" Sakura asks.

"My playthings realized I wasn't going to leave my husband for them and they are not the only one in my life."

"This is why you shouldn't date outside the Clan," Says Shisui.

"Well," She says. "I just might be ousted from the Clan because Fugaku-sama found out."

"Oh ho!" Cackles Shisui. "You really fucked up."

"Thanks again!" She says before disappearing in a cloud of smoke as the man gets within ten feet of them.

"Where'd she go?" Says the man. He double takes at Shisui. "Oh! Hey bro!"

Eyes half-lidded and brow quirked, Shisui says, "Yo."

"Uh," He says, trying to come across as casual. "I'm looking for Izumi-san."

"You just missed her," Says Shisui. Sakura is exasperated at his decision to play dumb.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

"Well," Replies Izumi's now ex-boyfriend. "If you see your wife--"

"Wife?" Says Shisui. "Do we all look the same to you?"

The man awkwardly sputters. "You're not her husband?"

"Not a snowball's chance in hell, friend." Says Shisui. He just about sneers as he spits the word, friend.

The man turns on his heel and walks away as if very aware his life is on the line.

"What a dumbass," Says Shisui as he adjusts the bags on his arms. "I'm so sick of these outsiders who can't tell who's who."

"You do spend a lot of time with Izumi," Argues Sakura. "And I'm sure you're seen with her way more than her actual husband is."

"Given," He agrees. They start back home again. "But I've been introduced to her dick providers several times and they never know who I am."

"That sounds like it sucks," Says Sakura.

When they come in the house, Mikoto is standing in front of two horrified omega. Turning to the two alpha, Mikoto says, "Oh! You've returned."

There's a rolling pin in her hand.

"They don't know where Izumi is," Says Shisui. "And neither do we."

Patting the rolling pin against her free palm like it's a baseball bat she's excited to swing, she says, "And yet you know I'm looking for her."

"Everybody seems to be," Says the curly haired alpha. "It makes sense that you would be here, intimidating the omega for information on her. You wouldn't be looking so scary otherwise, Mikoto-sama."

"You're damn right I'm scary," She says. "What are these bags you're packing?"

"We're going on a camping trip for a little while. Sakura was magnanimous enough that she invited me out to her family's cabin."

The rolling pin comes down. Shisui stands stalk still with his eyes closed when she knocks him over the top of his head. "You better sleep in separate beds!"

"Of course, Mikoto-sama." Says Shisui. "Her friend, Ino, is coming along so I wouldn't dare do something so uncouth."

"Can't have you impregnating women out of wedlock." She says, brandishing the smooth wood and swiping the air as if it's a sword.

"Rest assured," He says as he rubs the goose egg beginning to form where she initially whacked him.

"And you!" Says the raven haired woman, pointing the rolling pin at Sakura. "Don't let him into your bed! Make him marry you first. All the other girls got burnt because they let him dip the wick."

Shisui's hand goes over his face, his exhale is audible.

Deidara's guffaw and Itachi's soft laughter are the only noise in the room as the Clan Head's wife waits for Sakura's response.

"Don't you worry, Mikoto-sama," Says Sakura, "I definitely will make him wait for me."

"Good." She says. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to straighten out Izumi."

The door shuts firmly behind her.

"Dip the wick?" Says Deidara. He's laughing so hard there's tears in his eyes.

Shisui lets out an agonized groan. "I'm too old for this shit."

"Apparently not," Says Itachi. "I like the allegory she used. My mother is so cultured."

"Traitor," Says Shisui. "Be embarrassed with me."

"I don't think I will," Says the omega.

xXx

"Ugh~" Says Ino. "It's so cold out here."

Sakura unlocks the door and it's only incrementally warmer inside. "I need someone to start on the wood stove. I'm going to go get everything up and running."

Shisui follows her, watching with interest as she gets the generator and boiler started.

"That's a big boiler," He comments.

"It's for the in-floor heating system."

"Your parents really went all out."

"I was the only child that was successfully born," Says Sakura. "They were excited to have me."

When they return, everyone is sitting around the wood burning stove at the center of the room.

"I forgot how cold it gets out here," Says Ino as her omega huddle against her for warmth. Itachi and Deidara are under Izumi's arms as she holds them against her.

Both omega look mildly uncomfortable. Shisui sits beside her, beckoning Sakura to sit next to him and their omega climb into his lap, bickering and pushing against each other to find comfortable positions.

Sakura can finally smell his rut and she assumes it's close to full swing. It creates a tingling in her stomach, compelling her to punch him in the face and take their omega from him.

Instead, she leans hard against his side, under his arm, and tries to breathe through her mouth.

"What the hell," Says Ino. "You and Shisui are cycled together, aren't you?" She asks Izumi.

"Indeed we are," She replies. "But you don't have to worry about me."

"We've always had our ruts at the same time," Says Shisui. "I suppose that contributes as to why everyone always thinks I'm Izumi's husband."

"That is definitely a thing that happens with married couples," Agrees Sakura.

The rest of the night passes in easy conversation and hot chocolate while they wait for the cabin to warm up.