Author's note: Hi and welcome back for year 14. I cross post so i'm on Ao3 and . I tend to post to first and then Ao3 later fyi. I have had a blast writing this piece, it's been the perfect beachy kind of story to tell. Excited to share the final bits with you guys. Enjoy and thank you for reading!

Year 14

"What do you do with your summers?" Sasuke asked Itachi on the way to drop him off at their Gran's again.

Itachi didn't answer. Typical. "It's nothing illegal, right?" The last thing Sasuke wanted was for Itachi to end up in jail, and Sasuke in the foster care system.

"No." His brother laughed. "Nothing like that."

As soon as Itachi pulled in their Gran's drive for the new summer he shot out of the car and made a beeline for Sakura's house. He smiled when he saw their dried out flower crowns still hanging on the fence. He was knocking on Sakura's door when his Gran came out onto her own front porch.

"Sasuke what are you doing?" His Gran asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"Hey Gran." Itachi called while pulling the duffle that was Sasuke's out of the trunk.

"I wanted to say hey to-" Gran's face crumpled. Then Sasuke saw a flash of pink darting across the street in his peripheral. He jumped off the porch ignoring all five of the steps and hauled ass to catch up to her. "Later Itachi!" Sasuke called behind him.

When he found Sakura she was already among the wildflowers. "Hey you." He said. She was in the same white kimono and had her hair twisted in a pink bun just like he remembered her. She grinned at him and held up a bright yellow flower.

"They added sunflowers, this year." She held it out to him in offering. He took it, and made sure their fingers touched. She was cool to the touch but it felt like an inferno was swirling in Sasuke's stomach.

He had thought about Sakura almost everyday back home. She was the only thought that got him through his first year in high school. He was a freshman now. He had kissed 2 girls that year, and been to a handful of bonfire parties. He felt like he was closer to Sakura's level now. He was more mature, and experienced. He desperately wanted to close the gap that made her view him as a 'kid.'

"How was your summer?" He asked.

"My parents are getting a divorce." She said in a flat voice.

"Sorry i asked." Sasuke did feel bad. Then he felt even worse when he realized that might change the summer he had planned with her. "Do you have to- like is there a custody agreement or-"

"No. Don't worry about it. I'll be here the whole summer I won't be going anywhere. Promise." She rolled over to really size him up he guessed. She gasped. "Are you taller than me now?" She demanded giggling.

They stood up back to back. Sasuke hid the smirk on his face behind his hand. He was taller now.

They spent summer 14 much in the same way they had the summer's before. Gathering shells, talking about music. Some things changed though. Now they rode Sasuke's bike together. Somehow his dad's old rusted bike held the weight of them both, with Sasuke in the seat and Sakura perched on the handlebars. They road around the various streets in Kure and Sakura would close her eyes. She would guess what street they were on simply by the twists and turns it took them to get there. It was a game Sasuke liked alot because Sakura would rest her hands on top of his while he biked.

For summer 14 Sasuke started to read them Pride and Prejudice.

"I read this in school before." Sakura said and this year she rested her head in Sasuke's lap as he read.

'You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. And wish from this day forth never to be parted from you.' Sasuke read the words of Darcy but he knew they were what he wanted to say to Sakura but he didn't yet quite have the guts to say.

He realized it over the school year. He was in love with Sakura, no doubt about it. A fool in love his mother would have called him.

They added their newest flower crowns onto the picket fence, and Sasuke marveled at the symbolism in them. The crowns were representative of all the summers they spent together.

Sasuke saved a surprise for Sakura this summer. Somehow he managed to make it all the way through June without ruining it. He got them tickets to their favorite band, which happened to be playing in the town over that coming weekend.

"Oh Sasuke i-"

"Yeah. It's going to be great. I didn't buy the best seats but we'll have money for snacks and tshirts and-"

"I can't go Sasuke." Her face was full of regret.

"But i- why not?" She didn't want to go...or she didn't want to go with him?

"My parents won't let me go." She clarified but it felt forced.

"I'll talk to them."

"No you can't!" She screamed and he just stared.

"My Gran could-"

"No." She looked like she might cry so he stopped.

"It's okay." He hoped he hid the disappointment in his voice. "I get it. I'm just a kid." He fisted the flowers under his palm until they snapped.

"No." Sakura grabbed his hand. "It isn't that. It's not that at all. Okay?" She implored and he couldn't help but wait for further explanation. She bit her lip. "My parents right now, they're going through something and I don't want to bother them, you know? I'm giving them space or- if there was anyone i would want to go to a concert with it would be you. I swear. I just can't go this summer. Is that okay?"

Sakura's hand went to her throat but she wasn't wearing her pendant anymore, and her hand froze when it looked like she remembered she wasn't wearing it.

"Yeah sure." He didn't know if he really believed her.

Sasuke went to the concert alone that summer, and he decided next summer he would try again. He would buy tickets every summer, until Sakura finally said yes.

Before he left for the city his Gran told him she didn't want him going around the wildflower fields next summer when he came back. "People are saying bad things about the place lately." She explained.

"What like there's snakes in there or something?" He asked taking a bite of the goulash he had come to actually really enjoy.

"Or something." She answered...