Timing is Everything

Thump, thump, thump!

Georgia's heart was racing wildly in her ribcage as she continued to run. She just couldn't stop.

Thump, thump!

She ran as fast as her long legs could take her without tripping, but they burned and ached. It felt like she was running in mud. Her footsteps felt heavy and slower.

"Georgia!" Lillian and Philip called, as she passed them.

She quickly looked back, giving them a smile. "Thank you," she mouthed out.

The siblings smiled back warmly then began to laugh in relief. Lillian even wiped a tear from her eye. Georgia continued to sprint, passing Ash, Cheryl, and their mother, Jessica. Cam and Howard followed closely behind.

"Hey!" They waved at her.

Thank you for being with me.

Then Georgia saw her father, who was walking the other direction. Grady didn't say anything. He merely nodded at her, with a kind expression in his eyes.

Thank you.

She exchanged glances with every single villager from Bluebell who were heading back. She even saw the mayor and his wife, but she kept running. She grunted in exertion, gasping for air and ignoring her legs begging for rest.

Thump, thump, thump!

She glanced up, feeling the wind tousle her hair. It made her eyes water, but they widened when she saw a dark haired teenager enter Bluebell from the tunnel. He shielded his eyes from the sun and squinted. His outfit stood out from the others, since he obviously wasn't from Bluebell. His hair was tied back with some strands framing his face. He wore a big smile on his face while he looked around at the other town.

And her heart almost skipped a beat.

Georgia's voice came out like a strangled cry, "Kana!"

I love him. I really do.

She still didn't stop running. She tried to speed up, and tried to take larger, quicker steps, but her legs wouldn't allow her. They met eyes, gold locking with hazel. She felt a mix of emotions well up inside of her, feeling like she was going to burst.

So much, it hurts.

"Hey, Georgia!"

Kana's wide grin immediately vanished and his jaw dropped when he realized Georgia was crying. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she rushed towards him.

"Long time no see -"

She crashed into him with incredible force, almost knocking him over to the ground. He stumbled around, throwing his arms around her to catch her before she fell, too. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him, either. She buried her face into his chest, as if she didn't believe what was happening.

She actually hugged him. That was a first.

"You -"

"Yeah?" he said gently. "I'm here, I'm here."

"It's you..." Georgia wouldn't stop sobbing.

So Kana stayed silent, and just held her. He rested his chin on the top of her head and smiled to himself. Finally, Georgia calmed down a bit and stepped away. She looked Kana in the eyes, and balled her hands into a fist. She fumed.

Suddenly, Kana felt a fist hit his arm - hard. Georgia clenched her teeth, "I hate you!"

Now that was something Kana heard all the time. Kana's jaw dropped again at her sudden outburst and clutched at his arm where she punched him.

"What the hell -"

Then suddenly Georgia leaned forward, closed her eyes shut, and crashed her lips against his and she was kissing him. Another first, huh?

His eyes widened in surprise. He had absolutely no idea what was going on. Georgia tightly held on to Kana's shirt, but she was the first to pull away.

"I don't hate you. I didn't mean it," she breathed, lightly touching his arm. "Sorry."

"Right." he replied simply, "Who else would punch then kiss me?"

"Sorry."

His words came out before he could even think. "No, it's fine. It's not like I minded." Kana couldn't help but smile, then quickly clapped a hand over his mouth to hide it. Both of their faces were flushed.

"I just thought..." Georgia began, "I would never see you again."

"Same," Kana replied softly, his voice muffled behind his hand.

There was a small pause. Georgia wasn't making eye contact, but her eyebrows were furrowed and her hands were still in a fist. They trembled as if she was boiling with anger.

And she was. She was finally with Kana, she mustered up the courage to kiss him, and yet she couldn't even confess her feelings to him? How pathetic!

"I'm also sorry about everything I said before. I was just confused." Georgia went on, "I was the one being stupid this time. I left you."

Kana scratched the back of his head, still smiling, "No, it's alright. I guess I was a little too forward with you."

"More like I was..." she muttered, lightly touching her lips. She felt more colour rush to her cheeks.

"But Kana, I really do care about you. I always did," she told him, her face heating up. "And I missed you so much. I thought I lost all my chances with you."

After realizing what she said, she quickly added, "I mean, being with you - no, I - being able to see you and hang out like we always do."

She sighed slowly, "But after being without you, I realized so many things. I was driven to the point where I didn't even care about the towns anymore. I just wanted to be with you. I was so tempted to run away. I guess I only learned my lesson after I lost you - twice. It won't happen a third time, though."

"With the towns not fighting anymore, I have no problem with visiting you." Kana added.

Georgia smiled, "And I'm so happy."

Her face was as red as her hair, and her golden eyes darted everywhere except at Kana. He shook his head, grabbing Georgia's arm and pulling her in for another hug. He stroked her wavy hair, closing his eyes.

He murmured, "I get it, I get it. Thank you, Georgia."

Georgia bit her lip, and let herself sink into him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. All the guilt and sadness she had inside of her washed away and she was overwhelmed with relief and happiness that replaced it.

"I missed you, too. A lot. I couldn't even sleep sometimes," he chortled. "I thought about you... if that doesn't sound creepy."

"You don't... hate me?"

"I would never hate you, Georgia."

After hearing those words, she resisted the urge to cry again. "Thank you..." she whispered, "so much."

"Do you know how long I waited for you?" asked Kana.

Georgia furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion, but moments later the conversation she had with Kana years ago flashed in her mind. His voice echoed in her ears.

"I hate you." She clenched her teeth, and pushed him away.

"Maybe, but there will be a time when you won't anymore." He said, and ruffled her red hair. "And when that time comes, I'll be ready."

Ever since then...? She wondered.

"There were times when I wondered if you were even worth it - worth the wait," he chuckled, holding her even closer, "but that was stupid of me. I just had to be patient with you."

"Sorry I took so long," Georgia said, laughing over her sniffles.

"Yeah," he laughed with her, "who has the bad timing now?"

Georgia felt like Kana could feel her heart beat wildly against his because she was so close to him. His smell was familiar to her - the smell of honey and fresh grass. And his warmth was so comforting. She felt something in her stomach tingle and stir. No wonder she was so dazed the first time she hugged him.

The two just stood there, holding each other like they never wanted to let go. Wide, bright smiles were plastered on their faces, as they silently told each other they wouldn't leave anymore.

And I'll be sure to tell him my feelings when the right time comes...

Thin beams of sunlight shone through the glass window of the café, making it sparkle with various colours. Laughter rang and the voices of teenagers filled the room.

"It's amazing you can eat that much and still stay thin. I'm envious!" Laney whined, watching Lillian eat another slice of cake.

Lillian rolled her eyes in disbelief. "No, you're still pretty fit yourself!"

"It's called farming, Laney," Cam muttered. "That's how Lillian burns off the food she eats."

Ash threw his arm around Laney, chuckling, "Yeah, I do that, too, I work up a huge appetite, yet no one even compliments on my physique!"

"It's that baby face of yours, Ash," commented Philip with a smirk. "I just can't imagine you being muscular and ripped."

Laney giggled and pinched Ash's cheek. "True. Look at those big eyes, too!" she teased.

Ash backed away, rubbing where she pinched him. "Want me to prove it to you, then?" He tried to stay serious and resisted the urge to smile while grabbing the end of his shirt.

"Hold on, don't undress!" Philip hollered.

Laney even yelped and covered her eyes. Ash only burst into laughter, "I kid! I kid! But do you believe me now?"

"Well, I didn't see anything, so..." Philip teased him again, trailing off.

Ash chuckled, "I'm stronger than you, that's for sure."

"Cam," Lillian began, "I think you have a customer."

Cam rose from his seat to look out the window. Everyone did the same, shifting their attention and straightening up in their chairs. He nodded, slightly confused. "I'm on my break, though."

"Something tells me that customer's not from around here, then," Philip stated. "Since he doesn't know your schedule."

"Probably Konohana." Laney added.

They all agreed. Cam stretched his arms and sighed. "Oh well, I guess I better help him out then."

"Yeah, we should stop slacking off," Laney giggled.

"We should go, too." Lillian got on her feet, smoothing out her skirt. "Philip and I are going to mine a little in the tunnel."

"It's been almost a full season since you fixed the tunnel, right?" Ash asked, getting up as well from his seat. "And the towns and everything."

Philip answered, "Yup. Time flies, huh?"

"So where are you all heading?" Lillian began, before walking out the door.

"No where. I'll be right here... Working," Laney laughed lightly, already tying her apron on. "But Nori from Konohana and I have plans later. She sells crop seeds and even makes the cutest clothes! She'll be showing me around the tea house they have there."

Ash answered, "Well, I'll be at Konohana, too. The botanist, Reina, wants me to bring some plants from Bluebell... Also, I promised Cheryl I'd bring her."

The guys chuckled and rolled their eyes. "Of course," Cam and Philip murmured, exchanging glances.

"And you, Georgia?" Lillian asked, smiling brightly and leaning forward.

"Yeah," Philip said, "You have any plans?"

Everyone faced the fiery cowgirl, who was still sitting in her seat, just quietly listening and enjoying their company. Georgia beamed, "I'll be tending to my horses. The usual."

The group of friends started to head to the door.

"We'll plan something again sometime," Laney told them.

"Maybe we can bring some Konohana villagers next time, too."

"Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, see ya."

"Bye!"

"See y'all soon."

They began to walk separate ways to continue their day and get working. Georgia saw Lillian quickly peck Cam on the cheek before going with her brother to the mines. Georgia looked at Cam's blushing face from the corner of her eyes.

"Marry her already," Georgia teased him.

She got an immediate reaction from him. He spluttered, pulling his purple hat over his vibrant green eyes, "W-what? I - We never..." He sighed, and smiled at her. "Soon."

Georgia smiled back. "Good."

"Oh, right, I have the rose perfume you ordered," he replied, and made his way to his flower cart while Georgia followed.

"Hello, welcome to Cam's Flowers," he also said automatically, when he noticed the customer from Konohana standing in front of him.

"Yes, hello," a small, male voice replied. As Cam rummaged through his cart, Georgia met eyes with the Konohana villager.

"Howdy, Hiro," she greeted him with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Hello, Georgia. I'm simply running an errand for Dr. Ayame... she wanted a bouquet to decorate the office but was so busy with files." He nervously played with his fingers, looking down. "Although, I'm not quite sure which flowers to get."

Georgia answered, "I reckon orange blossoms... or gerbera. Those flowers are beautiful."

"I'll take that into consideration. Thank you! So how have you been?" Hiro asked politely. "Well, I hope."

She nodded, replying, "Yes, I'm as fit as a fiddle!"

Hiro raised a finger at her, waving it as if lecturing her. He reminded her, "You're not intoxicated, are you?"

Georgia felt her face burn at the old memory that was triggered by his words. "Of course not!"

Hiro held his sides and let out a few laughs. "I am just kidding! Kana has been taking good care of you. If you ever need help straightening him out, though, just tell me!"

Georgia laughed with him, tucking some red strands behind her ears. "Will do."

"Here it is, Georgia," Cam spoke up, passing her the bottle filled with a pink liquid.

"Thanks, Cam."

After paying, she waved goodbye and headed home. The sun beat down on her skin, shining on her bright red hair. If she were out any longer she felt like she would melt.

But before she went to her house, she went to the stable to check on the horses one more time. She always did that, even when she was a kid. Georgia entered quietly into the stable, reaching out towards her horse, Dakota. She gently petted the horse, smiling to herself.

"How long has it been, Dakota?" she whispered. "Since we rode around the mountains?"

Dakota neighed in response.

"You're getting old, girl. I still love you, though!" Georgia smiled warmly, patting Dakota's neck.

Georgia suddenly felt a chill run through her body, like a pair of eyes were on her. She quickly spun around, eyes darting to every corner of the barn. She found Kana standing by the door, leaning against the frame. He had a small smile on his face.

"Yo," he simply greeted her.

She gasped slightly, "Don't scare me like that!"

She instinctively grabbed a handful of hay and threw it at him. He raised an eyebrow, brushed off the straws of hay and suddenly smirked.

"Right back at ya!" He laughed loudly, returning a handful of hay to her face.

"You're so immature!" She spat out a few pieces, while containing her giggles.

"And you aren't? You started it!" Kana countered.

"I reckon you were the one that told me it takes two to start a fight," Georgia retorted with a smirk.

Kana chuckled, "Fine. Truce... for now."

She beamed at him, feeling her face turn a light pink. "By the by, I don't see around these parts very often. What brings you here?"

"Oh, I haven't visited you in Bluebell in a while. You always went to Konohana, so I'll save you the long walk," he replied, shrugging.

"I see," she mumbled. "Thanks."

They both took a seat on a the stools in the corner of the stable.

"But hey, you should come chill in Konohana sometime, if you want," Kana suggested, picking out a piece of hay from Georgia's hair. "The kids Ying and Rahi want to see you again."

Georgia laughed softly, "Really?"

"Totally," Kana replied, grinning. There was a comfortable pause as the two just looked at each other. He let out a long exhale. "Man, we've been through a lot, huh?"

Georgia replied, taking Kana's warm hands and intertwining their fingers. "We sure did."

"Let's relax a bit, then. We can eat out, or something." Kana offered, shaking his hands so Georgia's whole body shook and her teeth rattled. "We'll go on more dates, yeah?"

She chortled, "We'll 'chill'?"

"Exactly! We can go to the tea house..."

"Or the café. You've never really been there, right?" Georgia asked.

Kana nodded. "That's true."

"Alright, then how about we go later today?" She offered, smiling sweetly and leaning towards him.

"Actually, Hayate's outside right now." Kana replied. "How about you and Dakota join us on the mountain? I got a picnic basket and everything..."

Georgia raised a red eyebrow. "Oh? What a coincidence," she commented sarcastically.

"Yeah, I know," he replied and played along with her.

Georgia smiled widely at him. "More like planning."

"Yeah, I know," he replied again, but this time with a sigh.

"I'd love to go. It's very sweet of you," she teased him, inching even closer and lightly pressing her lips on his cheek, causing both of their hearts to flutter.

Kana, still holding on to her hand, stood up and pulled her up to her feet. His eyes seemed brighter as he gazed at Georgia.

"And I really enjoy spending time with you," he told her, as random as it sounded.

But his tone was sincere, with his words coming straight from his heart. He honestly couldn't think of any other time to tell her this. To remind her of his feelings for her.

Georgia's eyes widened and she looked up to make eye contact. Her face flushed a deep red, and she opened her mouth to speak, trying to find the right words. She wondered whether it was the right time to tell him her feelings, too, but the words already slipped out. They formed easily in her mouth - the words she finally had the courage to say.

She said softly, her words also sincere and from her heart, "I... I love you, Kana."

Kana felt himself blush while he stared at her in awe after hearing her utter the words he was waiting for for the longest time. He replied, smiling at her, "I love you, too."

And for once, Georgia's timing was perfect.

The End.

A/N: A huge thanks to everyone reading this! (And thanks for always being patient with my updates.) I hope you liked it! It was fun and I'm going to miss updating this... Anyway, please tell me what you think and leave me a review ^_^ It was my first try at a light, sweet, romance fanfic. Ah, I just find GeorgiaxKana so adorable XP Thanks again! :)