Disclaimer: I do not own Rune Factory 2, therefore I instead write shameless married fluff featuring their characters.

She couldn't clearly read what time it was on the clock on their nightstand, but with the guidance of the moonlight straining through the window, she estimated that it was two in the morning.

Her hand stroked the spot beside her where her husband would sleep, the two of them close together as she laid her hand over his torso.

The only problem was that he was missing.

She decided to wait for maybe five or so minutes, burying herself in the warmth of the sheets, but she couldn't push away a feeling of worry stirring inside her. She waited for one more minute before finally deciding to get up from the bed.

She stepped out into the hall, shoulders slightly tense as she hesitantly treaded through the darkness. From the time she was a little girl, she'd always been afraid of the dark, though being with him had slowly helped her to outgrow it. But there was still that small fear tucked away inside her, a lingering remnant of the child she used to be. Dorothy took a breath and placed a hand on the swell of her abdomen, feeling as though the presence of the growing life inside her could help her keep her balance in the dark, and it calmed her, a small smile coming onto her face.

She took careful steps down the stairs and her eyes scanned the first floor before they landed on the large window at the front. She recognized his silhouette, his back to her as he sat out on the patio, and she made her way to the front door.

A shiver spread through her body once she stepped out into the night air, the cold enveloping her in her thin nightgown, and she turned to where he sat. He looked toward her when he heard the creak of the door.

"Hey. What brings you out here?"

"I-I just woke up, and you weren't there...s-so I was worried."

"Ah, sorry about that."

She took a step closer. "Why are you out here, Barrett...?"

He shrugged in response. "Woke up and felt like getting some air."

She's slightly skeptic that that was all and stared with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"You're not cold...?" She asked, a blush forming on her cheeks as she looked at how he was dressed in only a sleeveless black shirt and his boxers. She looked down at her feet.

He gave her a smile. "I'm fine. You look pretty cold though," he remarked, nodding at how she held her arms together to keep warm. "I just want to be out here for a little bit longer and clear my head... You can go back to sleep if you want."

She bit her lip. "C-Can I...stay out here with you instead...?"

His eyebrows raised before he sighed. "Alright then. C'mere..." He motioned for her to come closer as he pulled a nearby chair to where he sat.

She gratefully took her seat, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. His fingers treaded through her hair.

"...So, what's wrong...?"

"Nothing wrong, really. Just have a lot on my mind."

She hesitated before asking, "Is it about the baby...?"

"...Yeah, actually."

She looked up at him worriedly, and it drew a small smile out of him.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea. I'm glad about becoming a father, and I'm glad that you're having my child. But you know? This change... it's a huge deal." He paused for a moment, Dorothy waiting patiently as she listened. "This child... he or she won't understand anything about the world at first. About what's good, what's bad... and as a father, it'll be my job to guide them and raise them right." Another pause.

"I've been thinking about it a lot... about what our kid will look like, what kind of person he or she will be. It's exciting, actually. I think about how they'll grow up...and sometimes, I get a little..." He stopped.

Dorothy lifted her face to look at his. His mouth was drawn in hesitation, and his eyes were closed tightly. He leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees, his head bent down.

"What is it?" she asked softly.

He stayed silent before quietly finishing.

"Sometimes I get scared."

"Barrett...?" She placed her hand on his arm, eyes concerned as he kept his head down, obscuring his expression.

"I'm scared that...I might screw up along the way. I'm not the most...expressive of guys. I'm not that social, friendly, or good with words. I could screw up along the way, and my kid could...hate me."

"Barrett..."

"You know, right, Dorothy? After my mom died, well... it really hit me and my old man pretty hard. He grieved for weeks, and he had all that stress from being mayor... So he got real strict with me, with my studies and how I should grow up, and by the end, I couldn't stand it, couldn't stand him. For a long time, it seemed like all we would do is just argue...about almost everything. I..." He took her hand and squeezed tightly.

"I don't want that kind of relationship... One where my kid and I always fight and scream, one where my kid would feel towards me the same way I felt towards my dad for a while... Thinking about my relationship with my dad makes me remember my mom, and it makes me think..."

She looked at him, confused at how he trailed off. "What is it?"

He didn't respond, and when he finally did, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Sometimes, I'm afraid of...losing you."

"M-Me?"

"Like something could take you away from me, like it did to my mom... Once my mom was gone, my dad and I ended up falling apart for a while. I don't want the same thing to happen to you. If you disappeared from my life, honestly, I..." He finally brought his eyes to meet hers, and her chest tightened at the sight of the tired, pained look on his face. "I don't know what I'd do."

"Barrett..."

"I don't ever want you to leave-"

And he's cut off, the pain in his eyes gone, quickly replaced by surprise, when she held his face and kissed him. It was chaste, but her mouth was firm and gentle against his. She held him to prove to him that she was here, and slowly, he relaxed, sighing against her lips.

She pulled away, still holding his face close to hers.

"I'm just a little hurt."

He's taken aback. "Huh?"

"It's just... I feel like you might be forgetting that I'm here too. I'm going to share the responsibility of raising our child together with you." Her hands fell from his face gently to hold his hand. "I...get a little scared too. About doing my best as a mother, but...we're both in this together, aren't we...? I don't want you to forget that."

He stared into her eyes before he smiled. "Right. I'm sorry, I should've considered your feelings too."

"It's fine."

He let out a light chuckle. "You're lucky. You at least already have some experience with raising a kid, since you've helped to take care of Cammy."

She giggled in response, "I don't know about that. I think raising our baby would be different from helping to raise a sibling."

"Well, hopefully he or she won't be as wild." And they both shared a laugh and he held her close as their laughter faded into silence. She quietly called his name out.

"What is it?"

"I promise that I won't leave. Do you believe me?"

"...I do."

"Thank you." She smiled. "We'll be okay, and I know you'll be a good father."

"...How can you say that for sure?"

"Barrett, the way you're worrying about this, you actually care a lot about our child already, don't you?"

"Yeah... Of course."

"That's why I'm sure of it. You'll be a wonderful father." Her voice softened. "I believe in you."

"...Alright then. I can't let you down...won't let you down." He laid a hand over her belly. "You know... I really can't wait to meet him or her."

Dorothy giggled. "Which gender would you prefer?"

"Huh? Well...I guess gender doesn't really matter by the end..."

"Yes... But if you had a choice?"

"If I had a choice," his voice quieted, and he stayed silent as he contemplated his answer before finally murmuring, "...I'd like a daughter."

"Really?"

"Yeah. One who's kind and gentle...like you. That'd be nice."

She giggled, "I'm a little surprised actually."

"Hmph." He looked away, embarrassed. "...Well, let's go back to bed... It's cold out here."

They got up to walk back to their bedroom. When they reached their bed, she crawled under the covers first before he followed. He held her close, one hand over her abdomen. As she was going to sleep, she felt him mouth something against her forehead.

She closed her eyes and smiled with a whisper: "I love you too."