Title: Rising Tides

Pairing: Sanjay x Rachel/Rio

Disclaimer: Please credit Natsume for all references to Harvest Moon: A New Beginning. I do not own rights to the game or any part of the franchise.

Rating: T

Author's Note: I married Soseki in my first file, and Sanjay in my second. I couldn't choose, but that's beside the point. I got inspired to do this when the MC takes Sanjay on the southern island vacation and the NPC (Janline) says a line about being disappointed that Rachel is taken. Enjoy! :)

Also, there are spoilers past Town Restoration Plan 5 and after the MC's marriage to Sanjay.

-START-

The harsh winter that had washed over Echo Village was but a faint memory when Rachel left the plane and saw the glittering beach before her. The warm breeze and bundles of brightly-colored turtles almost made her forget about Charles and Sanjay, who watched her from the plane with amused stares.

Rachel stumbled from the landing sight and raced to the water, eager to explore the beach and harvest all the unique items she could find.

"Well, you guys have until 9:00 p.m., okay?" Charles said, smiling as he waved the couple farewell. "Have fun!"

Charles went off to have a drink. Sanjay was barely able to bid the man a proper farewell before Rachel darted back to his side and took his arm. "Sanjay, Sanjay! This place is so pretty! Let's go into the waves together while the tide is still low!"

Sanjay chuckled at the tempting offer. Before he had the chance to tell her that he didn't think he would be a good swimmer, he noticed that her face was slightly peachier than usual.

"Rachel, your face is bright red!" Sanjay remarked, his chuckle dissolving. His voice oozed concern as his fingers went to brush her reddened cheeks. "Goodness, are you already sunburnt? We've only been here a few minutes."

The woman giggled and took his hands into hers, leading them away from her face and holding them between their bodies. The man felt his own face turn pink as his wife touched his hands. It would take a lot of getting used to before her touch would feel normal. Living in a palace surrounded by stiff manners had made her informal touches and caresses jarring, but far from unpleasant.

"I think I'm just a little pink from running along the shore," she said. The woman then titled her shoulder to slip off her rucksack. With a swift pull, she yanked the bag open to reveal coconuts, a few pearls, and some cacti. "I always stock up on goodies when I come here. If I don't run, then the waves might carry then away before I get to them!"

Sanjay's face was a visage of awe. It was amazing to see she'd collected so many materials in such a short amount of time. Quite the professional, as he and the entire town already knew. "Wow, that's quite impressive. I suppose it makes sense. You had to build that lavish fountain in town, so it makes sense that you would know the layout of the island and the best places to find items, especially rare ones like pearls."

She nodded and slipped her bag back onto her shoulder. "Now that I've done that, we can spend the rest of our time doing whatever we want," she said.

She was practically bouncing with excitement as Sanjay nodded in agreement. The man needed a slight amount of persuasion to ignore her sunburned cheeks, but was in agreement that it would be nice for the two to spend their remainder of time on the island together. He looked to Rachel and crossed his arms over his chest playfully. "Well, Mrs. Expert. What first?"

The woman seemed to enjoy Sanjay's teasing and took on a serious persona, tapping her cheek as if she was a manager pondering an important financial decision. With a thoughtful and overdramatic hum that almost made Sanjay burst out laughing, she came to a conclusion. With a large, thematic swing of her arm, Rachel pointed to a shaded table and chairs. "I believe…that we should have some drinks."

Sanjay laughed loudly, which made Rachel's heart soar. It was so unusual to hear Sanjay's real laugh. His role as a butler had turned him into an always composed gentleman. Chipping away at that venire felt quite rewarding to Rachel.

The two held hands and walked to a nearby table and umbrella. Within seconds, a young man near a hammock approached them. He had deep, magenta hair and looked happy to see someone else besides him on the beach.

"Hi, I'm Janline," the man said, introducing himself with a wave as Sanjay pulled out Rachel's chair. The two men shook hands, and then Janline smiled at Rachel, who he'd seen and chatted with before. "Hey Rachel! Oh, is this your friend, or maybe a relative?"

The couple chuckled. Rachel stood and placed her hands on Sanjay's shoulders. "Sanjay is my husband."

"Ah," Janline said, "Man, I was hoping I'd finally get lucky. Too bad."

Sanjay raised a brow, but Rachel laughed. "You always say stuff like that, Janline."

Janline put his hands on his hips and nodded. Sanjay watched on as the other man chatted with his wife. Rachel acted as she always did when talking with acquaintances, but something about Janline made Sanjay watch carefully. Janline seemed very interested in Rachel, more so than she seemed to be interested in him. After Rachel mentioned drinks, the man volunteered to bring them back some from a stand that was more inland. After he was gone, Sanjay looked to Rachel with a furrowed brow. "My, what an interesting man."

Rachel had sat back down and was now absentmindedly looking through her rucksack for some money to repay Janline with. "He's a silly guy."

When the concerned look didn't fade from Sanjay's face, Rachel put down her bag and stood to peck him on the lips gently. "C'mon, trust me. He's fine."

"It's not you I don't trust," he said, returning the kiss briefly before he caught sight of Janline coming up behind them with drinks. Sanjay backed away from Rachel, forcing a smile at the magenta haired man as he handed them each a glass.

"Here you go!" he responded enthusiastically, hands on his hips. "This place might be full of tourists, but there are still locals here that know how to make delicious drinks."

Rachel agreed with Janline. Despite the fact that the man was clearly hanging around them looking for an invitation to stay and talk, Rachel just handed him the money. It was nice to see the man, but he was just an acquaintance. Sanjay was the main person she wanted to spend time with. "Well, thanks for the drinks! See you later, Janline. Sorry to shoo you away, but…"

"Hold on," Janline said, stopping her mid-sentence by holding up a hand. "Didn't you say something about swimming before? The tide is low, so if you want to go into the water after your drinks, it wouldn't be a bad opportunity."

Rachel's brow furrowed in minor annoyance. Sanjay was happy to see that he wasn't just imagining the man's pushiness.

"We'll think about it," she said coolly, sipping her drink. "Thank you, Janline."

The silence finally prompted him to leave, at least for a short while.

Rachel sighed and, after checking over her shoulder to make sure he was gone, the woman turned back to Sanjay. "He's never been so insistent before. I told him I was dating last time I was here, but this is the first time I've been here since getting married."

So apparently Rachel's honesty about dating didn't discourage his chumminess. If the man had just shown kindness towards Rachel, that could have been a different story. However, it was sounding like he couldn't take a hint, or he was intentionally not leaving her alone. It was slightly disconcerting, but for the moment, it seemed he was gone.

"How's your drink?" Sanjay asked with a smile, not wanting to discuss the odd man anymore.

The question seemed to distract Rachel and got her talking more informally again, like how Sanjay loved and was used to. The woman talked for another half hour about some of the other destinations the duo could travel too. Her favorite was an exotic temple of sorts. It was the location where she had collected all the figures to build's the witch's house in Echo Village. More than intrigued, Sanjay asked many questions about the location.

In addition to answering them, Rachel said that it would be the perfect spot for their next vacation together. Sanjay couldn't agree more.

After the pair finished their drinks, Rachel looked off at the ocean in longing. "Hey Sanjay, I'm going for a swim. Wanna join?"

The man shook his head. "I'll join you in the surf, but I'm not the best swimmer, I'm afraid. It is quite hot, so please feel free to cool off."

Rachel jumped with glee before grabbing Sanjay's arm and pulling him gently towards the edge of the beach. He sat on the sand, enjoying the high temperatures and low humidity. The salt water was lovely to look at and aided in providing a fragrant breeze to enjoy, but swimming simply wasn't his forte. Playing the in the water alone didn't deter Rachel's enthusiasm as she removed her clothes, revealing a swimsuit underneath.

The woman trotted to the water and dove beneath the surf. Sanjay watched her, making sure she didn't get hurt or drown. Albeit he was watching her swim to make sure she didn't hurt herself—which was unlikely—he enjoy looking at her. To Sanjay, she was the epitome of loveliness.

Many of the townspeople disagreed with Sanjay. While Rachel was pretty, Sanjay's tall figure, perfect olive complexion, snow white hair and endless kindness made him the catch of Echo Village. Many were confused that a girl like Rachel could have snagged his heart. It was a puzzle to everyone but him.

To many, Rachel was a great farmer, idea powerhouse and genius builder. In addition to all those three things, he saw her as nothing short of a goddess of beauty.

"Sanjay!" she called, waving to him from her position in the ocean, bobbing playfully in the surf. The man chuckled and waved back at her. Already Rachel was out decently far, proving that all the farming had also turned her into an amazing athlete. Even in the case of riptides, she swam sideways as if there was nothing in her way. That was impressive, from what Sanjay had heard from experienced swimmers.

While Rachel swam around, he decided to dispose of the drink glasses they'd left on one of the beach tables. He would have hated to see the trash blow away and litter such a perfect beach. The man approached the table to pick up the remnants when his eyes caught an unusual movement in the nearby trees.

Janline, who they thought had vanished, was watching Rachel keenly as he swam. Sanjay froze, a mix of anger and confusion threatening to cloud his otherwise perfect judgement.

As the man readied himself to confront Janline, Sanjay was spotted. The magenta-haired man offered Sanjay a sad smile and abandoned his hiding spot in the trees.

"Sorry," the man apologized with a sigh. "I came back to get your trash and, uh, got distracted."

The statement didn't alleviate the glare that Sanjay was giving the stranger. Sanjay posed his question directly. "Why were you hiding and watching her?"

Janline look startled, then sighed. "Sorry. I know it's creepy and that I shouldn't do it. I'm not about to make any excuses other than the fact that I really like her and…well…I've liked her for months. It's surreal that's she's married now. I mean, when she told me she was just dating, I thought I still had a chance."

His laugh was self-deprecating. "Yeah, definitely not. I don't know what I was thinking."

Sanjay's gaze didn't soften, but he was slightly sympathetic. The man probably knew Rachel even longer than Sanjay had, since she'd been coming to the island for months before Sanjay had even arrived in town. He also looked maybe a year or so younger than Sanjay, which may or may not have added to his level of naivety. "That's no excuse for being so pushy."

"I know," he said with a deflated sigh. "Here, let me take the trash, at least. Tell her I'm sorry. I'd love if we could still be friends, but I totally get if she's too put off. I kind of deserve it."

Sanjay wasn't about to offer the man pity because his behavior, and reasons behind it, were still bizarre and strange. After a few meditative moments, Sanjay relented. "I'll tell her we spoke. If Rachel wants to be your friend, that's her business. Just be ready to work for her trust."

Janline hadn't expected such a reaction. Smiling, he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes sir, definitely!"

Sanjay shook the other gentleman's hand. Although it wasn't his business who Rachel was friends with, he still wanted her safety assured above all else. Janline didn't seem like a threat and, after their talk, his sense of paranoia about the man had vanished.

Mentally exhausted, Sanjay went back to the shore and sat. Rachel was also starting to tire. She exited the ocean and sat beside her husband, short of breath and sopping wet. Sanjay wondered for a moment if she'd remembered to bring a towel. The woman reached for her rucksack and, of course, pulled out a towel for drying. He shouldn't have expected anything less.

"I, uh, saw you talking to Janline," Rachel said somewhat quietly. The comment surprised Sanjay, but he ultimately nodded calmly. Rachel leaned closer to him, concerned for her husband. "Is everything alright?"

"I believe so," Sanjay replied, looking to his wife's face so he could catch a droplet that was ready to drip off her bangs and down her cheek. "He'd like to still be your friend, but only if it's okay with you."

Rachel thought for a moment. The woman looked at Sanjay's face, searching for a reaction, and smiled when she didn't see any malice or intense jealousy. All she could see in his face was corner for what she wanted. "I'll talk with him next time I'm out here alone."

Her reaction was so calm. "Were there a lot of guys who chased after you back when you lived in the city?" Sanjay asked. Rachel had worked in a big city before coming to Echo Village and imagined that Rachel had been extremely popular.

Rachel laughed and nodded her head, which made him twinge with jealousy. "There are a lot of guys like Janeline. I'm just glad you're not like that."

The unsettling feeling vanished and he could feel his face warm with a blush that wasn't caused by the sun which, by now, was setting over the ocean. She could read the confusion on his face and elaborated. "You aren't pushy. You let people make their own decisions and don't force yourself into people's problems, but you're always willing to offer help if someone wants it. It's very refreshing."

Rachel laid her damp head on Sanjay's shoulder and purred when she felt him tense. "Plus, you're adorable. Just make sure to stop me if anything bothers you."

His face had reddened considerably, but it didn't impact the sheer perfection of seeing Rachel slumped against his shoulder colored by the rays of the sunset. His hand found hers and, in an action that perfectly suited his princely personality, he lightly kissed her fingertips. Rachel laughed, tickled by the sensation of his lips against her hand. Plus, the kiss had been like the brush of a feather. It was delicate, yet sweet.

"That tickles," she gasped, laughing at the contact. A wolfish grin spread across Sanjay's face and he placed a kiss on the velvety inside of her elbow, and then trailed his lips up to her chest, kissing away the lingering drops of salt water. All the while, Rachel giggled and moaned, leaning back as Sanjay's lips roamed her. "Silly, stop that! My tummy hurts from laughing!"

"Your poor tummy," he teased, kissing her stomach through the flimsy material of the swimsuit, which did nothing to mask the warmth of his lips.

"Sanjay, please, I can't stop laughing!"

The words came out mixed in a stream of long, boisterous laughter, than only lifter Sanjay's heart higher and higher. Rachel reclined onto the sand and onto the towel, looking up at her husband as he extended a hand to wipe the damp strands of hair from her eyes. Rachel's hands went to his biceps, pushing lightly. Her cheeks were pink, this time from intense laughter. "You're clothes are going to get soaked if we stay like this for too long…my bathing suit is still wet."

"I don't mind if you don't," Sanjay whispered, leaning down so his lips could meet the shell of her ear. Rachel's giggles turned to moans as her grip of Sanjay's arms tightened before her hands abandoned his arms and her arms encircled his torso. His teeth grazed the delicate flesh of her ear before biting gently, earning a whimper of pleasure. His name became her mantra as his mouth made its way down her throat, leaving small lovebites as he went.

"Sanjay…"

His hands roamed her, skimming her breasts where her nipples had firmed after exiting from the cold ocean. Rachel tossed her head, although Sanjay did nothing but touch and stroke. He followed his wife's head movement until his face was titled in the opposite direction of hers.

With zero eyes watching them, Rachel raised her head to meet Sanjay's, mouths meeting in a blitz of arousal and sensuality. They had kissed plenty of times, but they were never satiated and always wanted more of each other.

His tongue caressed her bottom lip and, when his teeth bit gently, her lips parted and his tongue dove into her mouth. The kiss amplified the warmth felt between them and, in nothing but a bashing suit, Rachel cursed Sanjay's think clothes preventing their bodies from meeting in the way she would have preferred. Each flick of the tongue made Sanjay groan and Rachel arch her back until they were forced to part. At some point during the kiss, Rachel's legs had gone about Sanjay's waist, and her hips had risen to meet his.

The sun vanished beneath the horizon.

"It's almost nine," Sanjay exhaled, voice harsh as if to conceal his own arousal.

"When we get home…can we…?" she asked hopefully, hoping that Sanjay would agree after such a heated kiss.

As if he didn't need to think, he bent down and whispered in her ear, "When we get home."

Soon after Rachel had pulled her clothes on over her swimsuit, Charles came to fetch them. The flight was short blissfully short. After parting from the travel agency, the two trotted home with their hands intertwined so they could finish their romantic escapade behind closed doors. Both grinned like maniacs as they shut the doors to Rachel's farmhouse and kept each other awake and writhing until sunrise.

-END-

I didn't want to make Janeline too stalker-ish or creepy. He's a guy who goes about a crush in a bad way and (thankfully) learns a lesson. Although, this is Harvest Moon, so it's not incredibly realistic, lol.

He is only an NPC. However, I thought his in-game comment would make good material for a story. Hopefully it didn't ruin him for anyone.

Please let me know if you enjoyed and would like more! :)