Title: Pale Pink Ribbons

Pairing: Owen x Angela

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to the Harvest Moon franchise. Please only credit me for the fanfiction itself.

Rating: T

Author's Note: A fluffy one-shot because these two are so adorable that I will never be able to stop writing for them! XD

Well, please enjoy!

-START-

People say that women carry the highest burden of all. The weight of carrying a child and bringing a new life into the world was a respected pastime that everyone regarded as being extremely painful and rewarding. Everyone in Harmonica Town felt that way, and it showed no signs of changing.

Owen agreed fully with the concept. However, it made it seem as if men had it easy. It was as if men were too incapable to hold any form of responsibility and that just because they weren't carrying the child that the delivery of a baby was easy and painless for them.

The miner chuckled to himself. As he sat in the waiting room of the Choral Clinic, he knew first-hand how untrue that statement was. He'd nearly been killed in mining accidents and had broken multiple bones at his job. Hell, he'd even suffered a cave-in where he had to survive off nothing for days until help came. It was hard, but he'd gotten through with a smile on his face.

Regardless of that, he had never been more scared than he was just sitting helplessly listening to his beloved wife scream on the other side of the door.

If only I could help, he muttered inwardly, clenching his fists. That was impossible, though. Irene had told him he would merely be in the way and shoved him through the door despite his promise that he'd stay by Angela's side.

Just as he was thinking of disobeying Irene and busting through the door, the screaming stopped. He got up and walked to the back room. As he turned the handle, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the entire building. It was filled with agony and was followed by the most awful sobbing he'd ever heard. It made his knees feel weak and his skin blanch from fear. It sounded as if she was dying! He felt a pang of guilt for doing such a thing to her, even if she'd said she'd wanted a child too! Owen sighed and sat back down. The miner was close to snapping. He knew some women didn't live through childbirth, and now he could see why. It was so painful…but so rewarding. After all the pushing and crying, a life was brought into the world…most of the time.

He shook his head. No, he couldn't think like that! Both were going to live. He knew it.

Just when Owen thought he wouldn't be able to take it anymore, Irene opened the door and a hush fell over the clinic. Owen waited and saw a small smile appear on the woman's face.

"Congratulations," she said, motioning for him to come inside. "You have a healthy baby!"

He was dumbfounded. He stood slowly, as if in a dream, and walked in to see his wife propped up on a pillow in one of the hospital beds. She was holding a small bundle in her arms. When Angela saw him, a look of excitement crossed her face. Even after giving birth, she was still as cheerful as ever.

"Owen!" she cried merrily. "Come over here! It's our baby! Isn't he so cute? He looks just like us, right?"

"Y-Yeah," she said, leaning over to look at the child's face. It wasn't crying. It was softly sleeping against Angela's bosom, making the occasional squeak or whimper. The child had red hair and soft grey eyes like him, but had Angela's peppy, doe-eyed face. It really was their baby. He was almost in disbelief that the whole thing hadn't been a dream. It seemed too wonderful! "W-Wow…"

"Why do you look so astonished, silly?" she asked, getting out of bed. Owen tried to stop her, but she insisted she was fine. "Did you think something would go wrong?"

It's not like all births are perfect, he thought. "So…you knew you'd be okay?" he asked. "How did you know? It sounded like it hurt! I heard you! I felt…really…uh...well…"

"Please don't tell me you felt guilty!" she said suddenly, eyes saddening. "Oh, Owen…yes, it hurt. A lot. Still…I knew I'd be okay because I had your strength!"

He was confused. How could she have had his strength if he wasn't with her? Was he being naïve? Thankfully, Angela knew her husband well and took his hand. She could see he didn't understand, so she decided to explain. "I knew…" she said, pressing her forehead against his chest lightly. "I knew that you wanted to be beside me, and that if I really needed you, you'd find a way to break that door down to get to me! You may not know it, but I have faith in you. So much faith. I knew I could handle it by myself, but I knew that if I called your name, I'd open my eyes to see you right there…no matter what..."

"A-Angela…" he whispered, at a loss for words. He wanted to hug her tightly, but he'd probably end up squashing the baby. He put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her against him. He was just about to kiss her when Irene came back through the door. She giggled at the couple and saw the blush on both of their faces.

"I've had a baby crib sent to your house," she said happily. "Think of it as a present from the townspeople. As soon as you think you're ready, you're free to leave. Please have a safe trip home."

"We will," Owen said with a firm nod, thanking her for her help with the delivery. She merely nodded and left them. Angela stood weakly and Owen decided to be the one to carry the baby home. Once she decided that she could stand (she'd managed to take a quick rest while Owen was cradling the baby), both walked home to Angela's farm. As Irene had said, there was a baby crib against the right wall. Owen sat the child in the crib and was thankful to see it was still sleeping peacefully.

"Angela," he said, finally finding words. She had sat on their bed, not far from the crib. When she looked up she was in his arms tightly, both their bodies hitting the bed sheets. He had returned to his normal, energetic self. "Thank you! Our baby is beautiful and healthy! I love you so much!"

Angela smiled and embraced him, close to tears. "You're back to normal! I was getting worried about you."

He nodded and stood up, rolling his shoulders and looking at the baby again. "I'm so happy! I can't help it."

Both adults laughed quietly as to not disturb the baby. Angela had rested at the clinic and felt like doing something besides sleeping. She felt like checking up on the animals, but Owen insisted that she stay inside and that he would make sure all the animals were okay and fed before nightfall. She nodded and decided that the best thing for her was to take a long shower and then get into her nightclothes. As she walked to their bathroom, Owen noticed her and grabbed her hand, pulling her body against his. He was looking at her with a sweetly inquisitive look that Angela could never resist.

"Where are you going?" he asked, cocking his head slightly.

"To...take a…shower?" she responded, entranced by how close he was and the amount of concern in his voice.

"Will you be alright by yourself?" he asked. "Aren't you tired? I don't want you fainting!"

"I'll leave the door open," she said with a smile, brushing his cheek and kissing him. The sudden action made him blush uncontrollably for a second. "…So don't worry about me, okay?"

She left him stammering and flushed, still remembering the kiss. "Y-Yeah…okay…"

She giggled and started to take her clothes off before him on her way to the bathroom. She was completely naked by the time she got in the bathroom, looking over her shoulder and almost falling over in a fit of laughter when she saw how red Owen's face was. After her shower, she changed into an oversized tee-shirt and plaid pajama shorts. The shirt used to be Owen's, but since his mining had gotten more intense since he found out Angela was pregnant, he'd gotten even more muscle on his body (which Angela did not mind at all.) She'd taken some of his ill-fitting clothes and now wore them as pajamas. Owen didn't care. He thought she looked stunning in anything she wore. She felt the same about him, although neither of them believed one another no matter what.

She came from the shower to see him on the bed. He was wearing sweatpants and a baggy shirt while cradling the baby to sleep. Angela smiled at the sight and sat down next to him. "He's so cute," she said, smiling at Owen. "When he grows up, he'll be just as handsome as his father!"

The miner blushed and noticed the baby was asleep. As he went to slip the child in the crib, a thought occurred to him. "Hey," he said, looking back at Angela as she got under the covers. "A name. Did we think of a name?"

"We did," she reminded him, chuckling. "You must have been really out of it! Remember, we decided on the name Leon. Cute, huh? I really think it suits him!"

Ah, that was right! He remembered now. Angela had decided the name when she was still relaxing in bed after the birth. He had agreed, saying it was the perfect fit. Damn, he thought. He must have been somewhere else. He'd been so worried about her that the rush of happiness her and their son had brought him made him feel dreamy and distant. He sighed and slipped in bed next to her. He tossed an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close, lips brushing her forehead. She hugged him back and nuzzled against his hardened body. He was so warm…and she felt so safe. Her eyes drifted shut within seconds.

"G'night, Angela…" he mumbled lovingly.

"Goodnight, Owen…" she said, pecking his lips sweetly.

Both silently wished the same to their son as they drifted off to sleep. After all, it'd be a shame to wake up the poor thing.

-END-

I got the name Leon from the kid in my game! I just chose the default name because I don't like to change them…XD

It's cute! I also have a daughter named Marina, but I didn't include her here. That seemed like too much. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed! R&R if you can, and I'll see you guys soon! Bai bai!