A/N: Here is my (pathetically late) TVS Secret Santa gift for Fading Butterfly Wings! I hope you will still get to read and enjoy this eventually, despite my horrid untimeliness as mentioned previously. It was originally intended as a oneshot, but then I realized it was well over 5,000 words and I honestly don't like posting oneshots over that word count, so the twoshot was born. This is technically eight very short stories in one, anyway, so at least they divided up nice and evenly. This is a winter fic, and it certainly isn't currently winter where I live, but if you're in a warm area like me right now, perhaps you can enjoy this little break from the sun and heat of summer. I'm happy to have finally posted this fluff Grand Bazaar twoshot, as the game gets so little attention in fanfiction compared to the big popular Harvest Moon games.

-CCM

Snowy Days...

"This is going to be fantastic!"

Kevin bounced up and down in the snow excitedly, pausing only to give his pink haired friend Cindy a high five while her identical twin Lauren stood stiffly behind her. The three children of Zephyr Town were at the very top of the large hill where the snowboarding contest had been held just the week before. The sky, which looked a lot closer than usual from this height, was full of thick grey clouds that released a light flurry of snowflakes around them.

Lauren peered at the snow-covered slope before them over her sister's shoulder, the uneasiness evident in her blue eyes nearly masked by the blue knit hat that slid down over her forehead, almost too large for her head. "We're really high up..."

Cindy laughed and clapped her red-mittened hands together, her own matching eyes bright with thinly veiled excitement. "Well, of course! That's what makes it fun!"

Lauren sighed. If only she hadn't agreed to go with them, after all; instead of standing at the top of the largest hill in the valley, freezing in the snow as she looked down at the dizzyingly high curving slope in anxiety, she could be sitting in the warmth and comfort of her own home, possibly catching up on her studying for their upcoming math test while enjoying some hot tea or cocoa.

But since Cindy wanted to go sledding with Kevin so badly, Lauren felt it was in her duty to tag along, as usual. After all, wasn't that the sort of thing twin sisters did?

"Come on, stop waiting around!" Kevin shouted, raising a fist to the air as he hoisted up his sled, a dark orange saucer. "Let's go!"

Cindy nodded as she prepared her own sled, a wooden toboggan she planned to share with her sister. "You ready, Lauren?"

"Um..." The girl glanced down toward the bottom of the hill again, unsure. Kevin rolled his eyes.

"I'll see you guys at the bottom, then. Later!" He hopped onto the saucer and immediately took off down the slope, spraying snow at the twins as he let out a whoop.

"Hey!" Cindy shouted after him, brushing snow out of her face, and she quickly took a seat at the front of her own sled. "Come on, Lauren, hop on - we can't let him get away with that!"

"Well..." Lauren eyed the sled apprehensively, and her sister turned around with a slightly kinder look in her eye.

"Come on, this'll be fun! Here," she turned to give the sled a pat, "you can sit behind me and hold on to me if you want. You don't even have to look at the hill! And if you don't like it, you don't have to go again. Just try it once! Please, for me?"

"Okay." Lauren made her decision and sat down behind her sister on the toboggan, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist. Her sister always knew just what to say to get her to play along. At the bottom of the hill, Kevin had already stopped and gotten off his sled, covered in snow. But he was a long way down... Lauren closed her eyes just as the sled took off.

Cindy screamed gleefully as the sled gathered speed, twisting and turning down the snow-frosted slope. Bitingly-cold air slapped at the bare skin on the girls' faces, and Lauren struggled to keep her overly-large hat down on her head with one hand as she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut, keeping a tight hold on her sister with her other arm. Unable to keep it in any longer, she finally let out a high-pitched scream, half out of fear and half... excitement.

Lauren was just about to risk opening her eyes when her face was sprayed with snow and the sled jolted to a sudden halt. Cindy let out a peal of laughter, and Lauren finally opened her eyes to find that they had made it safely to the bottom of the slope after all, Kevin excitedly jumping up and down beside them. "Wasn't that fun?"

"Yeah!" Cindy agreed, climbing off of the toboggan and slapping the boy a high-five as she brushed snow off her coat. "That was awesome!"

To her surprise, Lauren found herself smiling. "Yeah... um, can we go again?"

oOoOo

The blonde female farmer of Zephyr Town was just taste-testing the vegetable stew she had simmering on the stove top when she heard a single, resounding knock on the door. "Oh, I'll be right there!" she shouted, letting the ladle she had just been sipping from fall back into the pot with a clatter and almost tripping over one of the cats on her way to the door.

Quickly readjusting her flowery pink hat and taking a deep breath, Anita pulled the door open with a flourish and beamed at her visitor.

"Welcome, Amir! I'm so glad you could make it, it's getting awfully snowy out!" Anita quickly shut the door behind the young prince as he stepped inside and busied herself in taking off his coat and hanging it on the hook on the right wall, despite faint protests that he could do it himself. "I was almost afraid you weren't going to show up, which would have been such a shame, since you didn't have any plans for Starry Night... And then I would have been alone, too, since Oliver is out... And how dreadfully silly would that have been, two young people sitting alone and apart on the most romantic day of the year?" She said all of this in a single, hurried breath.

The white haired prince let out a small chuckle as he studied the flushed look on the short blonde girl's face. "I hope you didn't go to any trouble for me, Anita."

"Oh no, none at all! ...Wait, I mean, I-" She was interrupted by a dinging sound coming from the kitchen. "Oh, that'll be the rolls! You just sit tight!" She gestured to the small dining table in the center of the room before rushing off back into the kitchen.

The prince gingerly sat down at the worn wooden table and clasped his hands together. One of the farmer's cats rubbed up against his leg with a soft mew, and Amir bent down to give the ginger feline a scratch behind the ears. When he sat back up again, Anita had returned, balancing two wineglasses and an assortment of soft dinner rolls on a platter.

"I baked some bread, and brought out some wine since you like that sort of stuff, don't you? And the stew will be right out; I made it with vegetables from the farm, since I heard it was your favorite food," Anita went on as she set the large plate down and handed a wineglass to Amir, but not before giving the deep crimson liquid within it a small frown. "You don't think red wine is too romantic, do you?"

Amir laughed gently as he took a sip. "I'm sure it's fine, Anita. It isn't like this is meant to be a romantic festival or anything, right?" He added teasingly, and Anita blushed before hurrying back to serve the stew.

"R-right!"

Within moments, the farmer returned with two large bowls of steaming hot stew. For a few minutes, they ate in silence, though it wasn't at all awkward.

"I made a dessert too," Anita mentioned shyly, "I-I baked a small chocolate cake for later, if you like... We don't have to eat it all, though, Oliver made me promise I'd save him a slice or two..."

"You really did go all out, didn't you?" Amir noted as he pulled his dinner roll apart, raising an eyebrow at the girl. "I will have to repay you for this sometime."

Anita pressed her spoon to her lips thoughtfully. "You don't have to do that, Amir. This was all my idea, after all."

But the prince shook his head. "I don't know about you, but in my native country, one would show appreciation for a good meal by returning the favor. Even a prince. I'm sure it works about the same around here."

"Well... I though you might not want to come over here for Starry Night... You know, since you're a prince, and I-I'm just some small town farmer girl... My house is small and nothing extravagant, and I share it with an older brother, and I don't have much to give other than farm products..." The girl admitted, her face pink.

"Anita, you must know I don't care about things like that." The prince gestured around the room, at the meal, at Anita herself. "This is perfect. I'm grateful that you invited me."

"I know it's not much, but it's home, you know?" Anita added in a quiet voice, glancing down at her bowl of half-finished stew bashfully.

Amir nodded. "I like it."

oOoOo

"Daisy, dear? Could you help Stuart string up the lights over the windows?" Ethel called from the front counter of Zephyr Town's only hotel. A familiar head of golden blonde corkscrew curls popped out from one of the guest bedrooms, partially hidden by a cutesy white cap, as the elderly lady continued, "You know how his back is... At this age, he can't handle going up those ladders on his own. We're not as young as we used to be."

"I may be old, but my hearing still works just fine!" the elderly man in question grumbled irritably, though his eyes sparkled with a trace of laughter behind rounded spectacles as he sifted through boxes of multicolored glass lights and boughs of evergreen to hang over the doorways and line the walls.

"Of course, Ethel!" The young blonde maid replied cheerfully, always willing to help out her grandparent figures in whatever way she could. Though the young lady wasn't related to the aging couple in any biological way, here in Zephyr Town, she considered them her family. They were her family.

She left for a few moments and then returned with an old wooden ladder, prepared to help decorate the hotel lobby and add to the already festive mood. Stuart continued sorting through the cardboard boxes as Daisy rested the ladder against a wall and climbed up without hesitation, a string of white lights in her arms.

"Oh, do be careful, dear!" Ethel fretted worriedly. "I don't want you getting hurt now!"

"I'll be fine," Daisy grumbled, though she never became irritated with the old woman. Not when she cared so deeply for her.

"Daisy?" A rush of cold air burst into the lobby as the hotel doors opened, and a familiar young man with long, wavy brown hair hidden beneath an orange cap entered, a small red wrapped package tucked under his arm. The blonde girl brightened at the sight of her best friend in the valley, the artist Angelo, and in her haste to greet him, she tripped on a ladder rung and fell down rather ungracefully.

"Whoa, easy there." Angelo rushed forward and caught her by the arm before she could land face-first on the floor. "You okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine! Don't worry Ethel, Stuart, I didn't get hurt. Thanks for catching me, Angelo," Daisy replied somewhat breathlessly.

"No problem. I, um... Well, I actually came over to give you something." He held out the small, flat gift box sheepishly. "You know, since it's Starry Night, and you didn't have a date... I thought you might appreciate this."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that, Angelo!" She smiled playfully. "Ooohh, but what could it be? More cookies, perhaps?" Not that she would mind that at all - those cookies Angelo brought her last time had been delicious. He always knew she had a powerful sweet tooth.

Angelo grinned vaguely at her. "You'll see. Go ahead and open it up!"

Not one to hesitate, Daisy quickly and neatly unwrapped the package and lifted the lid while Angelo, Stuart, and Ethel looked on. She took one look inside and gasped - there in the box sat the most gorgeous colored sketch of the city skyline at sunset - her city skyline, where she grew up - that she had ever seen. A masterpiece of perfectly replicated, dark forms of high-rises highlighted by a beautiful blend of orange, pink, and purple shades in the background, making up the sky.

"Oh, wow…" Daisy breathed, her eyes widening in amazement. She held it up for all to see, and the elderly hotel owners appropriately 'oohed' and 'aahed' at the wonderful gift. "Angelo, this- this is amazing!"

She looked back up at him, tears forming in the corners of her eyes despite attempts to blink them away. "How did you manage to draw this so perfectly?"

Angelo blushed. "Well, I actually drew it the one time I went to visit the city for that art exhibition, remember? I thought you might like it; that it might remind you of home."

He gasped as Daisy quickly pulled him into a hug. "Oh, thank you so, so much! It's the best gift ever! We'll have to hang it up right here in the lobby, won't we?" She glanced back at Ethel and Stuart, who nodded in unison, knowing smiles on their faces.

"And," the blonde added, poking Angelo in the chest with one finger, "you'll have to teach me to draw like that sometime."

He smiled back at her. "It's a date, then."

oOoOo

"So, do you happen to have a particular recipe in mind?" Lloyd asked, readjusting his glasses as he perused the heavy cookbook on the counter in front of him, scanning its pages for cookie recipes. Beside him, the mayor's daughter nodded cheerfully, brushing a lock of long orange hair behind her ear. "Oh, yes, it's the one right there on page thirty. The sugar cookie one."

"Sure." Although Lloyd wasn't a huge fan of sweets, he didn't mind making them when he was with Sherry. She made everything sound so... fun. Guess that was part of being such a glowing optimist.

Finally, he found the correct recipe in the book, and began to read off the instructions out loud so that Sherry could follow along as she collected together the appropriate ingredients and supplies from around the kitchen. "Ahem... You have to mix the butter, sugar, and eggs together in a medium sized bowl-"

Sherry nodded. "I already did tha-" She was interrupted by the loud entry of her father, Mayor Felix, into the room, and let out a squeak as she nearly dropped an egg onto the floor in surprise.

"How's the baking going, you two?" He boomed. "Need any help? I'm getting hungry!"

Sherry sighed, though she didn't sound all that irritated. "No, father, I told you we would be fine. We don't need anymore help, it's just going to take some time for the cookies to bake." Though she didn't want to hurt his feelings, the truth was, her father was not the best at cooking, which was why she usually took care of the kitchen duties in their household on her own.

"Oh, please. Allow me!" Mayor Felix snatched up a whisk from the counter and whipped it around in an overly-dramatic fashion. "...Now how do you work this thing?"

"Er, no father, that's all right," Sherry stammered, grinning a bit at the bemused glance that Lloyd shot her from his position behind Felix, "But thank you for the offer, regardless."

"Are you sure, dear? Now, I don't want you working yourself too hard, especially when you have your little date tonight!" The mayor turned toward Lloyd standing near the doorway and eyed him suggestively, and his daughter's face flushed a deep shade of pink.

"Lloyd's not my date," she stammered again in embarrassment, "We're just friends! We-we didn't want to both spend the Starry Night festival all alone, is all! So I invited Lloyd to come over and help bake cookies!"

"Right," Felix winked at the blushing girl, and even Lloyd had to stifle a smile despite himself. It wasn't every day that he saw Sherry getting so worked up and stumbling over her words like that. "Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone, then! Oh, and keep an eye out for the mistletoe in the hall!"

"Father!"

Still chortling, Felix pushed his way out the door, but not before giving Lloyd a one-armed hug that left the young man coughing and sputtering, his turban knocked askew.

"Sorry about that," Sherry apologized as he caught his breath and hurriedly adjusted his headwear in his attempt to maintain a dignified appearance, "My father sometimes forgets his own strength."

"That's... quite all right."

"Oh, good."

The pair stared at each other for a few awkward moments of silence before quickly averting their eyes, Lloyd still clutching his turban, Sherry absentmindedly picking at her skirt.

"So..." Lloyd began.

"Yes?"

"...Are we baking cookies, or what?"

"Oh! Oh, yes!" Flustered, Sherry turned back to her mixing bowl on the counter. Lloyd turned back to the recipe book.

"So..." He glanced up from his page for a moment, drawing out his words. "About what your father said about us, regarding a date...?"

"Oh, don't mind him," Sherry chuckled, distractedly twirling the whisk between her fingers. "You know, he gets these crazy ideas in his head, and-"

"Well, I was just thinking... I wouldn't mind making this a date," Lloyd interrupted quietly, so quietly, refusing to meet Sherry's eyes. "Perhaps it's not such a crazy idea after all."

"Oh!" Sherry's eyes widened, but she couldn't hide the hopeful smile that crept up on her face. "...Well, then a date it is!"

A/N: Part 2 will be posted soon! - CCM