"Dad, I told you to back off." Harris's normally calm voice was tense. He shuffled his feet in the sand and crossed his arms across his chest, a frown spreading on his face. "I'm not a kid anymore."

Thomas let out a sigh. Harris had seemed so relaxed this evening until he brought up the fact that he was spending a lot of time around the female crowd tonight. Thomas had been met with a very defensive retort, and he felt bad for mentioning it in the first place. "You know, you'll always be my son… I just want you to live your life and enjoy it. Seeing you so lonely at your age concerns me…"

"You make it sound as if I don't have any friends," Harris snapped. "I'm not lonely." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I'm… I'm going to go back in there and tell everyone I'm going home for the night…"

"You weren't always like this, you know," Thomas pressed, fussing with the flowers around his neck. "You used to always be so excited to see your friends. You would sneak out of the house to go over to the winery and play in the vineyard…"

"What do you want from me?" Harris lost his patience. "I can never tell if you want me to move on or hang on to the past!"

His father frowned. "You've been writing to her again, haven't you?" He already knew the answer.

Harris immediately became defensive. He drew himself to his full height and Thomas was reminded that his son could manage to scrape together an intimidating appearance if he needed to. "Why does it matter if I have been? You make it sound like it's a crime for me to keep in contact with her!"

Thomas's eyebrows furrowed with concern. He had seen glimpses of the pages of curly handwriting sitting on the table next to his son's bed. "Harris… she's been gone for years… and… well…" He removed his hat from his head, playing with the brim of it in his hands. "Well… you're not getting any younger. There are some really nice singles in there who have good hearts…" He thought of the pretty, hardworking young farmer and the cute, bubbly waitress. Both were quite a bit younger than Harris, but he couldn't see why either of them wouldn't be a good match. However, he'd need to act soon; Claire seemed almost as good as taken at this point. "You have options, son…"

Everything in his mind was screaming for him to either go home or hide out at Gotz's. "I know you're not happy with the way she left things. I'm not an idiot. But… who I choose to devote my time to is none of your business!"

"I'm your father and I care about you. Of course it's my business!" he shot back, returning his hat onto his head. He had seen the lonely smile on Harris's face last Winter Thanksgiving as others distributed gifts to one another. Harris had gone to bed early that night, hardly saying anything to anyone at all that day. Despite the fact that he never said it aloud, Thomas could tell that his son was lonely for a partner.

"I'm thirty-three years old, Dad…" He had enough money in his savings to hire Gotz for a job. Perhaps a small cottage in the mountains… He shook his head with a frown; while he certainly didn't live with Thomas because he still needed his father's care, Harris was becoming a bit concerned about leaving him completely by himself. Thomas had no health problems that Harris was aware of, but he was a very social person and he knew that living alone could likely leave him depressed.

He gritted his teeth in frustration – he had never gotten a chance to really do anything for himself. Aja was his escape… Or was she? He felt a lump form in his throat. He waited religiously for her correspondence and the days he heard from her were complete magic, if few and far between. She was busy in the city with her job and had a tendency to forget to write back, but the very sight of her handwriting brought back memories of simpler times. She wrote of her new responsibilities, yet she hinted that she missed the old days when their lives revolved around playing and laughing with each other. He still wrote to her the years she had lovers in the city; the hints of her unhappiness in their relationships were all too clear for him to see. After their inevitable breakups, Harris had written her kind words of comfort and Aja had thanked him for always being a true friend to her. His eyes moved toward the beach shack; what he felt tonight was different than what he felt for Aja, but maybe it was worth pursuing…

"You don't have to be afraid of trying something new," Thomas said quietly. "No one is judging you for it, and you should make that decision for yourself."

Harris didn't say anything in reply, but he looked back at the illuminated windows. Laughter and music could be heard, and it mingled with the waves of the ocean and the wind blowing through the reeds growing along the beach.

Karen's giggle could be heard above the din as she made a fake retching noise. "Goddess, Ann, you're so gross! Why are you putting cheese on top of your chocolate cookies? I know you like food, but yeesh!"

"It sounds weird, but they kind of go together," Ann retorted, her mouth full. "Don't knock it until you try it!"

Harris felt a strange fluttering sensation in his stomach. Maybe he had been too afraid of trying something new… He listened intently to Ann's mirth. There was something so refreshing about it that pulled him out of his defensive mode. Her laugh reminded him of a young girl with black hair and dark eyes jumping out from the grape trellises, attempting to startle him… a tight grip around his wrist as she pulled him down to the wine cellars, holding a finger to her lips as they poured themselves a tiny glass of the freshly ripened chardonnay… a firmer hold around him as they sat in the wine cellar together, Aja shrinking back from her parents' yells emanating from the house… a perky smile as he cheered her up and his heart stopping as they awkwardly pressed their lips together for the first time, surrounded by the fragrances of oaken barrels and fermenting fruit… those normally defiant, aggressive brown eyes suddenly looking so shy as she beckoned him down the creaky wooden stairs so they could have their secret daily kissing sessions down in the cellars... her soft voice breathing into his ear as they held each other, Duke and Manna's yells nothing more than white noise…

"I love you."

He thought that was how things were always going to be with them – him being a pillar of strength for her. Someday, he would gain the courage to tell her parents how much they were hurting their daughter, but what could an eighteen-year-old say? Apparently, he took too long trying to figure it out. She left without telling anyone in advance, leaving only a note. She had been torn from him. Or had she? She had chosen to leave, after all…

Maybe there is a reason why things worked out the way they did, he realized with a flash of guilt.

Ann laughed again, and his heart ached at the sound. It was almost as if she was beckoning him to return to her. Harris shook his head. He was ten years her senior and perhaps she would be uncomfortable with the idea of them spending time together, let alone seeing him as a romantic interest. Still, his feet carried him another step toward the doorway. Perhaps he needed to let go of his inhibition to improve his life.

"I… I'm going to go back inside… and… enjoy the company." Harris bit his lip and turned back around to find a track of footprints in the sand where his father had been.

He straightened his posture and took a deep breath, willing his heavy feet to drag him back inside.

When the party began to die down, Kai waved goodbye to his guests as Ann, Claire, and Cliff helped him gather the leftover food.

"Don't worry, Cliff. I'll make sure Claire gets home safely!" Ann clutched the blonde's arm and led the way toward the door. "'Night, guys! Come on, sleepyhead."

Claire stifled a yawn and blinked her watery eyes, a little saddened that she wasn't walking home with her usual companion. She quickly brushed it off; they'd be sharing meals together soon enough. After all, tomorrow would be their first breakfast together. "Good night, Cliff. Good night, Kai."

A hug goodnight would have been rather nice, Cliff thought with an inward sigh. He fumbled to hide the disappointment that he was being separated from her; she seemed to be opening up to him quite a bit and it was encouraging. However, he knew that he wasn't the only person who wanted to spend time with Claire, and he had practically monopolized on her time tonight. "Good night. See you," he responded warmly.

She shot him a quick yet loving smile and he felt his heart in his throat.

Maybe she regrets not getting a goodbye hug, too?

Cliff shook the thought from his head; he was being ridiculous. He jumped when Kai let out a satisfied sigh and leaned back in a chair, lacing his hands behind his head.

Kai's words had a pensive quality as he stared up at the ceiling. "There's always kind of a sad feeling after a party's over, y'know? Everyone's gone home, it's suddenly quiet, you're left with cleaning up decorations and food, and room just feels empty…"

And you realize how you've quickly worn through your usefulness, Cliff thought bitterly.

"I'm surprised Gray didn't hang around. Guess he's eager to walk the new girlfriend home." Kai shook his head with a soft chuckle. "Took 'im long enough to get around to finally asking her. I think it's safe to say everyone in this room is a little relieved at that."

Cliff said nothing in reply, looking down at his forearm as if willing it not to bruise once more.

He had drawn Kai's attention. "Everything alright, man? Not to sound rude, but you look like something's really bothering you."

Cliff looked up at him with wide eyes, silently cursing himself.

Why… why does my shield feel like it's completely broken?

"I… I confronted Gray. About the way he handled everything."

Kai sat up in his seat. "Oh, shit… You wanna talk about it?"

Cliff shook his head. "Tonight's your night. It's not a big deal, anyway."

Ignoring Cliff's first statement, he leaned forward, putting his hands on his knees. "You standing up to him is a pretty big deal. I'm not dumb – I can feel the tension in the room when you're both in there together. I've noticed it all summer, to be honest. Confusing vibes, to say the least. Heck, at first I couldn't tell if he wanted to fight you or…" Kai's voice drifted off as he averted his eyes.

"He hates me," Cliff stated flatly.

He was surprised when he was met with a chuckle. "I really doubt that, man. He wouldn't talk or focus so much of his energy on you if he really hated you."

"Focus? Wait, what did he say about me?" Cliff snapped his head to meet him.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

Cliff remained silent once more, running his fingers along the tender spot on his arm.

Filling the silence, Kai rested his chin in his hand. "Sure, Gray can be an ass sometimes. He's gruff and doesn't always think before he speaks, but he's got a soft spot he doesn't like to tell people about. Don't worry – you're part of that spot."

It took all Cliff's willpower not to roll his eyes at him. "Well, even if that were true, it's not after tonight."

"That bad, huh?"

Cliff gave a slow nod in response, refraining from elaborating further.

Sensing a change of subject would probably favor them both, Kai stood up and let his eyes travel along the remnants of the potluck. "Ah, the aftermath." Even though several guests brought food home with them, there was quite a surplus. "Should we bring some stuff back to the room to chow down on?"

Cliff began to help Kai wrap the remaining food that Ann and Claire had helped organize. "Oh, I couldn't possibly take from-"

"I'm not going to be able to eat it all before it goes bad. Lemme pack some stuff for you and Claire to share. She'll be happy with a variety, no?"

The color returned to Cliff's face as he gave a shy nod.

"It's really sweet you two are looking after each other. I think she's pretty keen on you, man."

The whiplash from conversation subjects left Cliff's tongue twisted. He nearly knocked over a bowl of macaroni salad with his elbow. "I, uh…"

"Here – you take these containers with you to the inn. I'm sure Doug will lend you extra space in the fridge overnight. Then you can take the lot to Claire's. That's sure to bring a smile to her face."

Cliff's lips tilted upward, his cheeks beginning to flush.

"So, what are we snacking on tonight?" Kai gave him a look that suggested refusal wasn't an option.

"Well… I'd be up for the melon bread and mochi."

Kai laughed. "The mochi's all yours, man. Got a bit of a sweet tooth?"

"Ah, Papa always said I got it from him." A smile spread across his lips at the memory of the playful man with bright eyes and thick brown hair, and putting away the remaining food went by quickly as he reminisced. His father laughed a joked a lot, but Cliff had gone out with him and Cain enough to know he took his craft very seriously. There was a firm yet loving way he handled his birds.

Cliff had to admit he would get slightly jealous when his father would take groups of young hunters out to teach them the basics. Affectionately referred to Double F, the Flying Ace, Falconer Flint Yamamoto was popular among the adults and kids alike in Akiyama Village. A young Cliff would eagerly share tips about hawks and falcons with the other boys, and he couldn't help but look back at it with a slight cringe; he was certain he had come off as boastful and obnoxious. "Ah… I wanted to be just like him…"

Kai couldn't imagine ever feeling the same way for his own father. "Huh… and when did that dream die?" His voice was laced with a bitterness that he couldn't shake.

Cliff was too lost in memories to pick up on Kai's tone. "When he did…" he sighed. He could still see the makeshift sleigh, a large cloth draped over the unmistakable shape of a body, a vigilant Cain perched beside the covered load… His mother's usual melodious voice was a ragged and broken wail. Ivy was sobbing inconsolably, falling to her knees. Cliff didn't cry or speak for the next few days; he had stared at the scene in numb disbelief and horror. His father, Double F, the invincible Flying Ace, had fallen.

It was tradition to release the deceased falconer's bird at his funeral, and a grim-faced Ray had been asked to do the honors for his older brother. Cliff had found his voice and tears, pleading to keep his father's partner. It was a little unorthodox, but his mother had convinced the village elder to allow it. Despite the fact that she was not a native to Akiyama, the leader held her in high regard, which Cliff saw as both a blessing and a curse.

"Hey, I'm sorry." Kai sheepishly put his hand on Cliff's shoulder. "I didn't mean to come off as unfeeling. As much as I don't get along with my old man, I'd be pretty upset if something happened to him. That being said, it's best that me and him have some distance between each other." His eyebrows furrowed in an uncharacteristic manner for a brief moment before he shot Cliff a rueful smile. "It feels kind of odd, being surrounded by people who are so family-oriented all of the time. It can be a bit of a relief being around someone who's not constantly gushing or griping about relatives, y'know?"

Cliff didn't reply to this one way or another – it wasn't as if he was avoiding his family by choice.

Not anymore, anyway…

Kai found himself bringing up the subject, regardless. "Mom had always been sickly. The doctors told her that another pregnancy would likely kill her. My parents agreed that four kids were enough when she unexpectedly got pregnant again… with me." His characteristic smile dropped as he averted his eyes. "My brothers… they always said that Mom was really sweet and kind. She was determined to make sure I was born. My dad just hoped that she'd make it though alright. One more kid couldn't be too much harm, right?" Kai's face turned pale as his lips were stretched into a thin line.

"Kai…" Cliff's voice was soft as his heart ached for him.

"It's a cruel burden to ask any child to bear. I didn't ask to be born the way I was. On top of that…" Kai gulped as he took off his bandanna and nervously wrung it around his knuckles. "Ah… I, well, I look quite a bit different than my brothers. Dad never directly said it, but it was pretty obvious he resented my existence."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Cliff pointed out. "You can hardly be held responsible for the decisions your parents made before you were even born."

"Ah, I know." Kai let out a strained laugh and began stacking up some wrapped plates. "I actually got Hardy over in the Valley to run a DNA test on us a few years back. I'm my parents' child. When I told Dad, it only seemed to piss him off even more." He shrugged as he opened the refrigerator and loaded it as Cliff handed him the plates. "There's no pleasing some people, y'know? That was the last time I saw him."

"It sounds like he's disappointed in himself for the way he treated you," Cliff realized. "Maybe your mother as well…"

Kai shrugged once again, neither accepting nor denying his claim as they sat back down.

"He's always been disappointed in me no matter what I did. My family owned a restaurant and all of us kids would help out. Most kids got to play after school, or they got to enjoy summer vacation. Not us. The moment we got out of school, Dad threw aprons at us and dragged us over to the kitchen. Don't get me wrong – I really enjoy cooking for people. I wouldn't have opened this place if I didn't." Kai let out a sigh as his eyes traced the ocean waves painted on the tile walls. "But there's more to life than work, y'know? What's the point of working yourself into the ground if you're not going to take any time to enjoy the people and things you're working for?"

"Things were busy back at my home, too," Cliff chimed in with a slight smile, hoping to console him a bit, "but you're right—it's important to enjoy what you're working for. That's why we had so many festivals." He took a large swig of his glass of punch, his eyes watering as he realized all of the vodka had sunk to the bottom of the cup. He quickly chased it with a bite of melon bread and stood up to pour himself a glass of water.

Kai snorted. "We worked double shifts on festival days. Got to watch everyone else have fun while we served them…"

Cliff chugged a glass of water in the kitchen and wiped his eyes. "Ah, do I know that feeling…" Cliff leaned forward on the counter, resting his elbows on the surface as he cupped his chin in his hands. Setting up the stage and square, watching his mother review the music, offerings, and schedule with the village elder, helping with a quick rehearsal, attempting to get dressed in his yukata while Ivy bounced around the house and stole various articles of his clothing, dealing with that overwhelming fear that someday this would all be his sole responsibility… "You start to wonder when you will be celebrated, too, you know?"

He was met with a bitter laugh. "But then you stop wondering because you know it will never happen."

Cliff exhaled deeply, causing his bangs to fly upward in the air before landing back on his forehead, disheveled. "That's too true. At least you were actually helpful to people back at your home…" He headed back to the table where Kai was seated and sat down with a loud plop.

Kai wasn't sure what to say in reply to this. He sensed that Cliff had his own unhappiness with his role at home, but surely things weren't as bad as he painted them out to be. "Eh, it's okay. My dad thinks I'm a lazy bum. He said that if I was really insistent on leaving the family business, the least I could do is set up a shop in a busy city with lots of tourists. He said there's no way that I can rake in much money the way I'm running things now… He just doesn't get it…"

Cliff was about to suggest that his father was probably concerned about making sure his son was taken care of, but he had a feeling this would not be a wise thing to say aloud. "There are many more important things than money…"

Kai finished off his beer and set the empty bottle on the tabletop. "Yeah… At least I learned some useful skills working in the restaurant, though, right?"

Cliff was eyeing up a ukulele sitting on a shelf, a wave of wistful emotion overcoming him. His studies had revolved around music and dance; neither of those really brought money in for him. Still, he found himself drawn to the instrument. "You play?"

Kai leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head. "Nah, not really. I can't do much more than tune it. How 'bout you?"

He shyly shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure… may I?" he asked. Upon receiving a nod, he picked it up and swiftly wiped away the light layer of dust with his hand. He strummed the strings, quickly tuning it. "Oh, okay… so it's like this…" He tested a few notes and let out a soft chuckle, his whole face lighting up as it brought a sense of warm and familiarity to him. "Ah, here we go…" He started out by playing a few mellow chords. He closed his eyes and could almost see Ivy's smiling face and hear his mother's sweet voice…

"Ah, it must be so cool to be able to just pick up stuff and play it," Kai said with a grin, feeling a mild wave of jealousy despite not putting much effort into learning the ukulele himself.

Cliff shook his head as he continued to play. "I'm not really just picking up things and playing them magically," he explained. "I've been practicing on all sorts of instruments since I was old enough to take direction." The young man closed his eyes he continued his song. Perhaps his skills hadn't been particularly lucrative, but they did bring back memories of a simpler time, albeit a complicated time.

The lines on Kai's forehead faded as he listened to the music. "Sing me something. Word around the inn is that you have a nice set of pipes."

Deep blue eyes flew open. Some color rose in Cliff's cheeks and he bit back the beginnings of a soft chuckle. "Well, they get the job done, I suppose."

He was given a vivid flashback of home, his mother on the stage, harmonizing her voice with his as he turned to face her. There was a hint of a smile on her lips as she watched him out of the corner of her eye.

Now Ma… she could sing…

He let out a sad sigh as his fingers plucked the strings.

"When the sky and the ocean turn gold

Promise that you'll think of me

With the sunset at our backs

And our worries carried on the breeze…"

Kai closed his eyes as he listened to his friend's song of nostalgia and long forgotten dreams. It was a slow song full of emotion and his throat tightened against his will as his thoughts shifted to the painful goodbyes he would have to tell Popuri soon as the summer ended. When he opened his eyes once more, Cliff had eagerly started on a second song and Kai could see the relief in his entire body language; this was therapeutic for him.

Kai leaned back into his chair with a soft sigh. He wasn't aware his friend had such a soothing voice and he allowed it to wash away his stresses of the party and focus on the moment. They were just two friends, enjoying some music and company together on a summer's night. It was a simple yet thoughtful birthday gift.

Author's Note: I extend a great big thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read my works. It seriously means a lot to me that you guys take the time to sit down (or stand, lay down, whatever) and read what I have written. When I first started on this story, I was stoked to see that anyone expressed an interest in it at all, and I still feel the same way. This story was originally for my own therapy, but it has grown into so much more! The thought that I can write words that people want to read still blows my mind!

Additional notes: I often feel like Harris gets the short end of the stick, with little to no development. Well, him and Thomas, anyway. I really tried to portray them in a realistic light here. Although Thomas can be bumbling and goofy (as most people write him), I'd like to think that he genuinely cares about his son and wants him to have a good life.

If you're looking for a good Harris fic, I'd highly recommend "Wildflower" by EmeraldHaze15. :) I feel like his character is really done justice there.

Cliff's past in music and dance is basically a big projection of my tween and teenage years. I performed and studied music so diligently for so many years that I began to resent it, conditioning myself to perform like a wind-up doll. I focused mostly on woodwind instruments – clarinet and saxophone – playing at the competitive level. There's a bit of trivia that is totally unrelated, haha.

Oh, speaking of Cliff, I was eager to finally reveal a little more about his father. He's non-existent in the games, so I took a few creative liberties with him, including naming him after my favorite cowboy character in a video game (Mother 3, anyone?).

In HM64, Kai has a family with five brothers, so I decided to keep that. I also took a few creative liberties with his family. He strikes me as the type of person that tends to have drama happen around him but he's not fond of instigating it.

I hope you enjoyed!