A/N: I should really be updating my other stories rather than procrastinating on that even more than I already have been and posting an entirely new story, but in my defense, I already have this one written out. No more work involved, only regular updates, haha.I wrote this fic for a Harvest Moon gift exchange on tumblr last year and decided to post the drabbles here one by one because 1.) I think it makes a nice read for the holiday season; 2.) I already finished writing it so I might as well, and while the oneshots are connected they can also work as standalone drabbles; and most importantly 3.) Sanjay is both adorable and underappreciated in fanfic.

To be honest, I never really got into ANB all that much and haven't played it in quite a while, so any feedback on how I did with the characters in this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!

-CCM

001. Afternoon Tea

The young blonde farmer of Echo Village briskly rapped her knuckles on the front door of the enormous exotic mansion where the dark-skinned butler now lived with his prince, a confident smile on her face at the thought of seeing him. Ever since the pair had moved from some faraway land into the mansion in the village, that butler had intrigued her.

The girl fiddled absentmindedly with the straps of her blue-denim overalls as she milled around on the front steps, but she didn't have to wait long.

The butler answered the door, just as she had expected, long hair tied back in his usual snow-white braid and a welcoming smile on his face, full of warm surprise at the unexpected visitor.

"Oh, good afternoon, Rio. Are you here to visit Prince Amir, by any chance? Because I'm afraid he is out at the moment."

Rio laughed, a high, tinkling sound like bells chiming. "No, silly. I'm here to see you."

"Oh..." Sanjay clasped his hands together in front of him, somewhat unsure of himself. The girl's comment had taken him aback slightly, and his professional mannerisms were disrupted just for a moment. "Ahem… Well, please step inside then, I suppose."

Sanjay opened the door wider to allow Rio entry into the mansion, and then shut it quietly behind her as she looked around the entrance hall in amazement.

"You know, I helped build this mansion myself, but I've never actually seen the inside of it before? At least, not with anyone living in it." She looked back at Sanjay and smiled brightly. "It looks beautiful, decorated like this."

"Oh… is that so? Well, I'm glad you've gotten a chance to see it." He chuckled somewhat awkwardly, which was very unlike him. What was it about this farmer girl that made him forget his manners? "Um, why don't you follow me in for some refreshments?"

He took a deep breath and turned into the dining room, hoping that Rio would know to follow him there. She did, and smiled again upon entering the room, contentedly observing the furniture setup as she took a seat. Sanjay took this short lapse in activity to busy himself preparing tea. Tea had always helped calm him, and he hoped that it might help him avoid any more awkward small talk.

"I hope you like herbal tea. I'm afraid that's all we have in store at the moment."

Rio nodded enthusiastically, to his relief. "Oh, yes! I love all kinds of tea, actually."

She leaned backward in her chair slightly and stretched her arms over her head with a small yawn. "A nice cup of steaming herbal tea is such a relaxing drink after all the hard, stressful work on the farm. And it really warms me up during the winter."

Sanjay nodded, setting one steaming mug of tea down on the table in front of Rio, who accepted it graciously, before taking a sip of his own and sitting down across from her. "Oh yes, I definitely agree."

Together, the butler and the farmer enjoyed a serene afternoon drinking tea in each other's company. Though the weather was getting colder, the hot tea and cozy atmosphere kept them warm and comfortable until it came time for Rio to return to her farm once more.

"Oh no, look at the time!" Rio glanced up at the exotic clock on the wall in alarm. "I still have a lot of farmwork to finish up before it gets dark; I'm afraid I'll have to get going."

Nodding in understanding, Sanjay walked Rio to the front door, where she turned and said, "Well, thank you for the tea! …I had a wonderful time with you this afternoon."

She blushed ever so slightly, and Sanjay responded with a similar hint of pink in his cheeks. "You know you are always welcome here, Rio. Feel free to stop by anytime… I enjoyed making tea for you."

"But more importantly… I enjoyed keeping your company," he added softly, but Rio had already taken off down the walk.

From that day forward, Sanjay and Rio planned to come together for herbal tea every Sunday afternoon. Because hot tea and light conversation in pleasant company does wonders to relieve the stresses of daily life, for both farmers and butlers alike.