Not that it'd shock anyone too greatly, but Kana couldn't recall the exact moment when it'd hit him that he liked Georgia.

He supposed there was some part of him that always did, from when they first met. That he'd no choice but to fall for a horse-loving firebrand like Georgia, and so he'd accepted the inevitable straight from the get-go.

And for all Hiro's advice that Kana take this relationship at a gradual, steady pace, that'd been exactly how it progressed. It was far too similar to when Kana had learned to ride, filled with bumps and bruises and more than a little frustration, but always, always worth the effort. Something that took practice, sure, but was clearly made exponentially more enjoyable less from the activity and more from the parties involved.

Even more alike was the crushing fear that lanced through Kana when he considered the possibility of losing either. He couldn't think of anything more nightmarish than being unable to ride for some reason or another—permanent injury, to either him or his horses, maybe—until the letter from his dad arrived a couple days ago, urging Kana to come live with him and Kana's mother in her hometown.

Georgia, Hiro, all his friends—hell, they weren't just friends, they were family to him, as much as the person asking him to come home, to a dot on a map he visited once, when he was so small he didn't even remember doing so.

A couple days ago, his big worry was figuring out the boldest way to declare his feelings for her—and now, instead, he was left thinking about how he might need to go about saying goodbye.

He was pretty good about living in the now, and had succesfully shoved aside his concern for the span of the afternoon, refusing to let it dampen his mood when around his friends. But it all came racing back to him as he followed Georgia to where she had left Dakota tied to the tree downstream.

Georgia guided Dakota to the water's edge, and knelt down beside her horse. Cupping her hand, she scooped up some water to drink. She eyed Kana as he fed Dakota one of the blueberry treats she'd baked up, but no smart remarks left her mouth.

Phillip, Dirk and Laney were still at the waterfall—he could hear their faded shouts—and Kana was sure they wouldn't notice if he and Georgia were gone for more than a couple minutes. He knew the guys would be wanting him to jump soon—to follow through on their plan, and kiss Georgia, but with his dad's offer out there, he wanted to back out on it. It seemed so trivial, immature... fun, sure, but not as fun as it could be. Why would he want to take things further with her, now that he might not even be here a week from now?

"Oh, Kana, look!" Georgia squealed, breaking him from his ruminations. She pointed across the water, to a fluffy white duck waddling about on the other side. "What a cutie!"

Before Kana could respond, Georgia leapt to the other side, via the large rocks that rose above the babbling stream. The duck honked and quacked excitedly as she hurried after it and scooped it up. She pressed her face to his downy body, and was still nuzzling it when Kana crossed the stream himself.

"Mind if I join you?"

"I ain't the boss of you. Thankfully. You can do whatever your little heart pleases."

The duck quacked as if agreeing with Georgia.

"So sweet!" She patted the duck, and it wriggled about, happy for the attention it was receiving. Georgia knelt on the grass, releasing the duck and watching as it slipped into the creek and paddled around lazily. Dakota snorted as it came close, but recovered quickly and drank down water.

With a sigh, Georgia rocked back on the grass, first sitting and then flopping onto her back. Kana lowered down beside her, close enough that he could easily reach to where her braid lay, tailing out from her head.

"Why don't you ever wear your hair back like that?"

Georgia flinched, but a smile flickered along the corners of her mouth. "You like it?" She sounded earnestly confused, and Kana couldn't understand why.

"Yeah. I mean, it's fine when you let it down too, but it's nice like this too. I think it suits you—the rugged working girl."

"Rugged?" she repeated, punctuated with a punch of a laugh. "Ya really think that?"

"Yeah, I do. I think lots of things 'bout you, actually." He carefully moved her braid back, dropped it so it lay along her shoulder instead of on the grass.

"I find it hard to believe you do much thinkin' at all, Kana. But if you say so." Her words came out far less ornery than they normally tended to. She closed her eyes against the sun, and Kana felt he needed to do the same, staring at her the way he was. He'd always thought of Georgia as cute, but right now she looked stunning.

As it was, he simply laid out on his back, keeping a respectable distance between himself and Georgia—so that it looked like two friends, and nothing more, hanging out. But her hand was still within reach, and it felt stupid that this was the case and nothing was being done about it.

He inched his own hand over, first allowing it to graze hers, knuckles to knuckles, like it could have been an accident. When she didn't jerk away, didn't make a sharp comment, he kept it there. Before Kana could decide what would be the best speed and approach for completing his attempt, Georgia did it for him, snatching hold and clumsily lacing their fingers together.

Their hands were both calloused from ranch work, fingers slightly pruney from being in the water so long.

And Kana thought it was the most amazing hand-holding in the entirehistory of people holding hands. He'd have to tell Hayate about this later, how much she was missing out on having hooves instead of hands to hold with other horses. She was probably sicker of hearing about Georgia than everyone else in the village was hearing about her.

Kana tilted his head just enough to sneak a look at Georgia. What he saw was her shoulder, where a dusting of freckles trailed out from under her zip-up. He counted five, almost like they were beckoning his fingers to be placed upon them.

Well, his fingers were sorta busy right now, wound comfortably with Georgia's.

Was he gonna destroy their moment, by bringing up what was stampeding over all his other thoughts? Eh, maybe it wasn't the brightest idea, but as Georgia had just pointed out, thinking wasn't his strong suit. At the same time, he could hear Hiro urging him on—that this was the right way to pursue her: being honest and open about... well, everything. Showing he trusted her.

And he did trust her. Though he wanted to be more than friends with Georgia, it was precisely that—her friendship—that he valued most. Even if their relationship progressed into something romantic, he couldn't not see her as one of his most trusted friends.

"Hey, so," he started, sliding his hand off, glancing side-eyed in her direction. "Have you heard from Cam at all?"

Georgia cracked an eye open, peeked over at him Her now-empty hand tucked up towards his chest. "Hm? Why's that?"

"No, I just mean... well, you were friends with him, and it's been a while since he's left. Figured you must have gotten a letter from him by now."

"Oh. Accordin' to Laney he's doin well. He writes to her and Howard a lot. Not sure if he keeps up with Ash, though. I..." she hesitated, seeming to think better of traveling down that road. Kana had never been one for gossip, and her heavy pause informed him that if she continued, her response would be easily categorized as such. "Well, he sends along well-wishes to each and every one of us. What about you? Heard anything from Reina?"

"Yeah, actually. That's kinda why I asked about Cam." Kind of. He definitely cared, knew that Georgia missed Cam. Kana, himself, had never been close to Reina, at least not like he'd been with Hiro, or like how Reina was with Nori. But it was weird not having her there, so he could only imagine what it was like for Georgia. The guy she'd known for the better part of a decade, who'd always been less than a hop, skip and a jump away might as well now reside in a completely different universe.

"I 'ppreciate it. Mean, it's hard bringin' it up 'round others in Bluebell—forget about them bringing it up first."

"No, I getcha." And he did, and could tell Georgia believed him—that he didn't have to prove it to her in any way. But there was another purpose to this topic too, one he would get to by first elaborating on his answer. "Anyway, Hiro said somethin' about Nori wanting to go visit Reina sometime. Like, she wants us to, if we want to, anyway. Nori, especially, I think, but Nori wants Hiro and me to come with if we can. Even Dirk and Phillip, too."

"That ain't a half-bad idea. I know the town she lives in has a decent-sized inn, to stay at. And I know I'd go see Cam if he wanted us to come visit. Heck, I'd even go see Reina; she was a nice enough gal. Only harm I could see is the cost. But if y'all chip in, it shouldn't put too much of a dent in any of your pockets."

"What about me?"

"'Course you should chip in too, Kana! You ain't some destitute ol' vagrant, that you can't afford to-"

"No, no. I mean... if I ever..." Moved away. Left. "If I didn't live here. You'd come visit me, right?"

"I'd—!" Georgia sat up with a start, her eyes wild. Kana didn't know if the thin line of moisture forming beneath them was sweat or tears. "But why would you...? You wouldn't really, would you?"

Kana sat up too. "Georgia, listen—"

"If this is your idea of a joke, then—!" She reared her fist back, ready to drive it into his arm.

"Georgia." Kana caught her wrist, held it firm but gentle; she could break away if she needed to, but she didn't. She only worked her jaw, dropping her gaze from him as he spilled the rest to her.

"My dad, he... he sent me a letter." Kana figured it'd add some credency if he'd actually brought the letter along with him, but he'd read it over so many times since receiving it, he didn't need to see it. He had it memorized, right down to the crinkles, to the splotches from his dad's unsteady hand and the scribbles showcasing the multiple misspellings. "He wants me to come home. Or, I mean, to my mom's hometown—I've only ever visited there, y'know, it's not where I grew up, but... yeah. He wants me there."

"Just... just like that? What's he want all that for, out of the blue?"

"It's not out of the blue. See, he finally found this... this horse, the one he's been searching for all this time, all over the world. But it can't grow up on our ranch, it's just not the right climate; my mom's hometown is more suited, so..."

"So... so what, this whole get-together was just a goodbye party in disguise?" Georgia slowly lowered her fist, but Kana hadn't dropped his, and the motion drew him in a few inches closer. "Let go."

He obeyed her, and for how much Georgia liked correcting Kana whenever she thought he was wrong, Kana had never been quite as passionate when it came to verbal sparring. But right now? Hearing her accuse him of having so readily made up his mind and springing it on her like this? He wasn't pissed, exactly, but Georgia thinking he'd intentionally hurt her hurt him.

"No, no, I only just got the letter day before yesterday! I don't... I don't even know what I'm gonna do. Would I like to go live with him, and see this horse? Sure! But I've been here, what, almost five years now? Moving Hayate back there would be a chore in and of itself, and I have my shop. I have a life here, I have my friends, I have y—"

Kana cut himself off. He knew what he'd meant to say—he just didn't know if Georgia could handle it. If it would just anger her more, like he was trying to make it sound that everything was alright simply because he liked her.

"You have...?"

"I have..." He racked his mind—what in the world started with 'y'? Yams? Yogurt? "Well, y'know! I have, y'know, lots of reasons to stay here."

"So then are you tellin' me what you're doin', or askin' what you should do?"

"I dunno." And he didn't. "I guess I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, huh?"

"Look, Kana, I can't rightly tell you what to do. Just 'cause I'd do somethin' one way, doesn't mean you needa do it likewise. But... my mom, when she was still..." Georgia's words stumbled to a stop, but only a short one before she gathered herself and went on. "My mom, she told me that if I can't follow my heart, then there ain't no point to doin' anything. Then it ain't real, not in the least. 'Cause that's the truest, deepest, most humanest part of a person—what keeps 'em alive, she said. So you gotta follow it, if you wanna live any sort of the life you're meant to. I try to, 'least, and can't say I ever feel any less for doin' so."

No, and that was one of the things he liked so much about Georgia. Not that she thought of herself as perfect or that she didn't make mistakes, but she was Georgia, unapologetically. If you couldn't deal with that, then, as she'd say, "tough titty."

"Then..." Kana exhaled, running a hand through mostly-dried hair. "I've already made up my mind—maybe I'd had it made up the first time I read the letter. I want to stay here, at least for the foreseeable future."

"I... I'm glad to hear that, Kana," Georgia said, and maybe it was the trick of the sun, the shadows between the trees' leaves, but she seemed to be leaning closer to him now. "Dakota would miss you if you left, and, well, I don't like seein' her down in the mouth"

"I'm sure Hayate would miss seein' you too, if I took her outta here with me."

No, there was definitely less space between them. Kana couldn't say he minded, but he also wasn't too sure how to respond to it. He started rambling, all that he'd kept himself from saying earlier so as not to completely talk her ear off.

"Just, I guess I was sorta freaked out how much time I didn't spend dwelling on it, so I started second-guessing if I was really doing the right thing. It just seemed too easy, y'know, that I had this gut feeling, right off the bat, telling me I couldn't just leave here. But you're right, maybe it was less my gut, and more..." He put a hand to his chest, over his heart.

Georgia nodded. "Y'mean you felt it in your pecs?"

Kana laughed, hand frozen at his chest. "Yup, exactly."

Before he could drop it away, Georgia reached for his hand, using it as an anchor to pull herself into him.

Kana swallowed, wondering if Georgia could hear how loud his heart was beating. "Hey, um... when I said Hayate would miss you, I wasn't talking about Hayate, really."

"I figured that one out, dummy." Georgia's head tilted closer. "I didn't mean Dakota, either."

This wasn't the plan. There were supposed to be sparks, excitement, thrills, not this sense of calm. But the moment was so perfect. The sun, the breeze; Georgia and her cute freckles and her breath that smelled faintly of sangria, that was all moving towards him...

"YO! Kana!"

Kana's head shot up, forehead knocking against Georgia's. She hissed in pain and he jolted away from her, turning to find Dirk on the other side of the stream, beside Dakota.

"There you are, man. What's takin' so long?" Dirk wasn't far away enough that Kana couldn't see the grin splitting wider across his mouth, of his eyes ping-ponging between the two of them. "Oh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Still rubbing at her forehead, Georgia stood. Kana quickly got to his feet beside her, grabbed hold of her arm to keep her from answering Dirk by launching herself at him. He forced on a pleasant smile, hoping to make up for the daggers Georgia was glaring.

"Nah, nothin'. Nothin' at all," he managed, a faux lightness in his tone. His hand was still clutched to Georgia's arm, and his thumb gently brushed along her skin, trying to signal to her to settle down. "Why, what's up?"

"Hey, guess what? Philly's double-dog-dared me to jump into the river from up there." Dirk pointed in the general direction of the ledges clustered high above the waters, beyond the bridge. "What about you, dude? You game too?"

Oh. Yeah, he had still sworn to go through this whole production. Did he even want to anymore?

Okay, Hiro, he mentally conceded. You were right. This isn't the best idea, especially with things going totally fine at their own pace.

But he couldn't really back out on Dirk and Phillip, either. And, honestly, it sounded fun, jumping from that high up. He could always do it, just without the whole fake-drowning-and-kissing-Georgia part. Sure, Dirk and Phillip might razz him about it later, but they weren't the ones who were doing perfectly well on their own (almost) snagging a kiss from the girl of their dreams.

"Hell yeah I am!" Kana detached from Georgia and crossed back over to the other side, to Dirk, where he was met with a friendly thump on the back.

He looked back over his shoulder, at Georgia, who was still across the stream and visibly agitated about being interrupted. "Hey, c'mon, Georgia! It'll be a blast. I'll even let you push me off, if you want!"

That got a reaction from her, a laugh as warm as the sunshine along with a shake of the head. If Kana didn't get to kiss her today, at least he'd have that image to carry him over, until he finally did.


Laney and Georgia expressed their concern, as expected, but it was obvious they were excited too. Phillip promised it was perfectly safe—that he'd leapt off this cliff and into the waters several times since living here. Kana wasn't sure how much of that statement was true, but no one would put it past Phillip, either, so it went unquestioned.

Dirk and Kana trekked up the ledges first, Phillip behind them with his trusty sangria in hand.

"Oh, jeez, I didn't think it was this high." Dirk said, almost shouting due to the roar of the waterfall nearby.

"What, you too chicken now? It was your idea in the first place" Phillip came up beside Dirk and swung the arm that wasn't holding sangria around him. "Cmon, man. Liquid courage."

Dirk took the drink and swigged down a huge mouthful, pulling a face. "Ugh..."

"And one more for good luck," Phillip urged him on.

"Nah, that's okay, save it for Kana." Dirk passed the sangria back. "Let's get this over with."

And with those words, Dirk should have slid out of Phillip's hold, but he didn't, and Kana felt suddenly... intrusive, witnessing the look that passed between them, so close to each other. This whole scheme involved him, was concocted for his benefit, and yet, at least in this moment, it was like there wasn't a place for him here. He owed it to his mind being muddled up from the heat and everything that had nearly happened with Georgia. It couldn't possibly be...

Phillip snorted a laugh through his nose, even though neither of them had said a word, and tugged Kana with him, to step one ledge lower and allow Dirk all the room he needed.

"Hey, so..." Phillip mumbled, low enough only Kana could hear, as Dirk positioned himself as the very rear of the ledge. "I sorta lied earlier. I'd never done this and it's probably pretty dangerous, like Hiro said, and I'm kinda shocked neither you or Dirk have pissed yourself."

"Yet," Kana said, watching Dirk poise like a runner, half-crouched with all this weight on his toes.

Dirk swelled up with a great breath in, then out, and was off, sprinting to the edge. Phillip gripped onto Kana's arm, forcefully enough that Kana swore, just as Dirk took a flying leap off the edge with the exclamation of "GERONIMO!" A mighty splash followed seconds later, interwoven with the girls' screeches.

Phillip exhaled loudly, his hand falling away. Kana was positive come tomorrow morning he'd have bruises in the shape of Phillip's fingers.

"Alright, you next, Kana!" Dirk shouted up at him, pointing as if no one could see Kana otherwise.

"Maybe it's not so bad..." Phillip said, nudging Kana along. "You gonna jump, or punk out?"

Kana stepped up to the ledge, turning to look down at Phillip. His tone was light, but he couldn't help the curiosity poking through when he asked, "Oh, so when it's Dirk, you're suddenly concerned about safety, but when it's me risking my life, it's all fun and games?"

"Yeah. Something like that," Phillip replied, sipping at what was left of his sangria, partially concealing a sort of knowing smirk.

Kana huffed out a quiet laugh, not sure if that was any real answer but not caring too much either.

When Kana turned to face out towards the edge, unsteadiness hit him in a weak wave. It wasn't like he was scared of heights, but he wasn't exactly used to being up this high. He blinked, sure that the effects of the sangria had dissipated by now, so was it the heat? Maybe some combination thereof? Although, thinking about it, he hadn't really drank anything other than the sangria this afternoon—no Hiro around to keep him properly hydrated, he supposed. And now, it was sort of too late to do much about it.

Kana craned to check down below. Laney, Dirk, Georgia... they were all staring back up. Watching. Waiting. The area he had to jump into appeared so much smaller, tighter from up here. Too short or too long of a leap—it wouldn't kill him, he didn't think (or more, desperately hoped), but it wasn't gonna tickle, either.

As he backed up, he inadvertently stutter-stepped. That vertigo-y sensation, like he'd just been jostled off a horse, hit him and vanished just as quickly.

"You okay, bro?" Phillip called to him.

"Yeah, sun just got in my eyes for a sec." He shook his arms out, loosening the muscles. "You got any of that liquid courage left?"

"Yeah, no problem." Phillip handed the last swallow of sangria to Kana, who downed it and passed the empty cup back.

Phillip took it, giving Kana a wink.

He knew it couldn't possibly be taking effect already, but nonetheless Kana felt it. This wasn't exactly following his heart, as Georgia had advised, but it was something like it: not thinking too hard on what had to be done and just doing it. He focused on a point straight ahead—not above or around him, and certainly not down—and, just as Dirk had, breathed in, breathed out, deeply and deliberately.

Just like Dirk, he raced towards the edge.

But unlike Dirk, his toe stubbed into uneven patch of ground as he prepared to spring over.

A vibrant pain went careening through his foot, through his body. A scream forced its way up his throat, out into the summer air.

The air rushing all around him as he fell.

He heard the shrieks, saw the sky so bright and blue.

Felt the crack!, before it all went dark and disappeared into nothing.


Those of you who have romanced Kana (or poked around on Fogu) might recognize the portion featuring him and Georgia as a twist on his yellow heart event. :) Thanks for reading!