Happy Accidents

Chapter 36: R&R

The drive was short, no more than an hour and a half before they'd reached the lakehouse. It was in a secluded area along the beach of a large lake; there were one or two other residences in the area, but they were spread out far enough that each individual had their own very private space. Theirs was surrounded by trees, with a large yard area on one side. The back door led right out to a dock on the lake, and a canoe and a couple of kayaks were in a rack near the back door. The house was small but tall; the lower area had a large living room with a fireplace, a small dining table and kitchen, and stairs that led up to two bedrooms and a study.

"Well, here we are," Sakura said as they entered, raising her arms and turning around to show him the place. "I have so many memories of this place. Ino and I used to spend our entire summers here in elementary and high school before I graduated early." Sasuke watched as she spoke, a soft smile on her features. This was one thing he felt he'd never understood about Sakura; when she was excited, her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. He couldn't comprehend how someone could be this joyful. There was happiness, there was joy and excitement, and then there was Sakura.

She was in a league of her own in so many ways. It baffled him.

"It's quiet," he commented. "I like that." He preferred quiet and privacy. He could undoubtedly stand coming here in the future if she wanted, especially if it elicited this kind of reaction out of her.

"Yeah, it's nice and secluded. Nobody here to bother you, but if you need anything, there's always someone just down the road. Anyway, let's get all of this into the fridge," she said as she grabbed the cooler and dragged it over to the fridge, sitting down on the floor to start putting things away. "The fireplace works, but there's also a pit down on the beach, which is a little better to use. It's been pretty warm the last little while, so the water should even be warm at night. Night swims with a fire on the beach are fun."

"Sounds wonderful." He picked up their bags and hauled them upstairs, setting one bag in the bathroom and the other in the bedroom. At least they wouldn't need to unpack those bags; they'd only be here for a few days, after all. Not that he'd mind an extended vacation...

Sitting upstairs, he tried to remember the last time he'd done something like this. His memory from when he was a child was foggy. He could remember a few things, but before the fire, it was only bits and pieces. Fragmented memories, if he had to describe it. After that, he remembers hospitals, foster homes, kids looking at him from afar, staring and pointing. He remembered trying to keep them all at a distance; only one kid had the guts to keep trying no matter how many times he tried to push the idiot away.

And, idiot as he was, Naruto had made an impression. He was one of the only people that Sasuke felt he could trust, that he could rely on if he needed anything. It was rare that he did. No, now that he thought about it... He'd yet to make any use of it. It was one thing to ask him about cases; they were coworkers, which meant their cases would often cross paths, and they'd have to compare notes. Personal things were not the sort of conversation Sasuke ever had with anyone.

He was determined to make this weekend memorable. Not just for him, but also for Sakura. She'd been through hell in the first few months at her job; something exciting and happy would be good for her. He grabbed his bag and changed out of his work clothes, folding them neatly on a chair in the bedroom before changing into something more comfortable. He wore long shorts that were just past his knees, putting them with a matching t-shirt. It still covered most of the scars, but he'd grown used to showing some of them to Sakura. She never stared the way others did.

Sakura had finished putting away the groceries and was starting on making something when he came down. It looked tasty, whatever it was; he looked forward to anything she cooked.