Jaune Arc, Single Father 6 (Revised)
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AndrewJTalon
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The common room was usually a haven of controlled chaos—Nora's hammer propped in one corner, Ren's tea steaming on the table, Pyrrha's shield polished and leaning against the wall. Today, though, it had become a battlefield of a different kind.
Mia stood in the center, face flushed crimson, ears pinned flat against her blonde curls, tiny fists clenched at her sides.
"No! I don't wanna! I DON'T WANNA!"
The words exploded out of her in a wail that could have rattled the windows. She stomped her foot ineffectually against the floor, then dropped to her knees, kicking and screaming like the world was ending because Jaune had told her—no ice cream before dinner. And she'd tried to sneak some.
Jaune closed his eyes for one steadying breath, the kind he'd learned from years of parenting a whirlwind in cat-eared form. Then his voice cut through the storm, firm and unyielding.
"Mia Arc. You do not act like this."
He crossed the room in three strides, scooping her up despite the flailing limbs and outraged shrieks. She was strong for four, but he was stronger—and infinitely more stubborn when it mattered. He carried her to the empty corner by the bookshelf, the official Time-Out Zone, and set her down gently but implacably on the floor.
"You are going to sit right here, stare at that wall, and think about what you've done. You don't get to come out until I say so."
"DADDDYYYYYY!"
The wail could have shattered glass. Mia's face was a picture of betrayal, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jaune knelt briefly, meeting her eyes with the steady blue gaze that had faced down Grimm and White Fang alike. "No buts. You stay there."
She stomped both feet again, sobbing harder, glaring at him like he'd personally canceled dessert forever.
Jaune didn't budge. "You keep this up, young lady, and you're staying there longer. Do you want to sit here until bedtime? Miss story time with Auntie Ruby? No hammer rides with Auntie Nora?"
Mia's angry sob hitched. "…No…!"
"Then sit. Stare at the wall. Think."
She plopped down with a final, dramatic huff, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the innocent beige paint as if it had personally offended her. The crying continued, but quieter now—miserable sniffles and the occasional hiccup.
Jaune retreated to the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He kept her in his peripheral vision, heart twisting at every sniffle. Parenting was the hardest thing he'd ever done—harder than Beacon initiation, harder than any fight.
He jumped slightly when a gentle hand settled on his forearm.
"Oh—Pyr." His voice dropped to a murmur. "Sorry about that."
Pyrrha's touch was light, reassuring. "No, I understand. I didn't intervene."
"Thank you." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I hate having to do this, but if I don't—"
"It's all right." Her smile was soft, understanding. "You're a father. It's what you're supposed to do when you love your children—discipline them." She squeezed his arm gently. "You're doing it because you care."
Jaune managed a tired smile. "I know. It's still really hard."
"I know." Pyrrha's voice was warm, steady. "But being a parent means being strong in every way. And I know you are."
He looked at her then—really looked. The way the late afternoon light caught in her red hair, the quiet strength in her eyes that had always believed in him more than he believed in himself.
"Thanks, Pyr." He hesitated, then added sincerely, "I think… you'd be a good mother."
Pyrrha's cheeks went brilliantly scarlet. A startled, happy giggle escaped her—high and flustered—as she ducked her head, ponytail swinging.
"Oh, Jaune… Th-that's so forward~!"
He blinked, genuinely confused. "Huh?"
"Um—n-nothing!" She waved a hand quickly, still blushing furiously, eyes bright with a mix of delight and mortification.
It was twenty minutes before, from the corner, a small, sniffly voice piped up. "Can I come out now?"
Jaune and Pyrrha both turned. Mia was still facing the wall, but her ears were drooping pathetically, and her lower lip trembled.
Jaune's stern expression softened. He crossed the room and crouched beside her.
"Have you thought about what you did?"
Mia nodded miserably. "…I yelled and stomped when you said no ice cream…"
"And?"
"…And that's not nice. I should use words."
"And?"
"And... If you say no... No ice cream," she sniffled miserably.
Jaune opened his arms. "Come here, kitten."
She launched herself at him with a fresh sob—this one of relief—burying her face in his hoodie. He held her close, rubbing her back in slow circles.
"I love you, Mia. Even when I have to be the bad guy."
"Love you too, Papa," she mumbled into his chest. "Can I have ice cream after dinner?"
He chuckled. "We'll see."
Pyrrha watched them, smile soft and fond, cheeks still pink.
Parenting was hard.
But moments like this made it worth every second.
Mia stood in the center, face flushed crimson, ears pinned flat against her blonde curls, tiny fists clenched at her sides.
"No! I don't wanna! I DON'T WANNA!"
The words exploded out of her in a wail that could have rattled the windows. She stomped her foot ineffectually against the floor, then dropped to her knees, kicking and screaming like the world was ending because Jaune had told her—no ice cream before dinner. And she'd tried to sneak some.
Jaune closed his eyes for one steadying breath, the kind he'd learned from years of parenting a whirlwind in cat-eared form. Then his voice cut through the storm, firm and unyielding.
"Mia Arc. You do not act like this."
He crossed the room in three strides, scooping her up despite the flailing limbs and outraged shrieks. She was strong for four, but he was stronger—and infinitely more stubborn when it mattered. He carried her to the empty corner by the bookshelf, the official Time-Out Zone, and set her down gently but implacably on the floor.
"You are going to sit right here, stare at that wall, and think about what you've done. You don't get to come out until I say so."
"DADDDYYYYYY!"
The wail could have shattered glass. Mia's face was a picture of betrayal, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jaune knelt briefly, meeting her eyes with the steady blue gaze that had faced down Grimm and White Fang alike. "No buts. You stay there."
She stomped both feet again, sobbing harder, glaring at him like he'd personally canceled dessert forever.
Jaune didn't budge. "You keep this up, young lady, and you're staying there longer. Do you want to sit here until bedtime? Miss story time with Auntie Ruby? No hammer rides with Auntie Nora?"
Mia's angry sob hitched. "…No…!"
"Then sit. Stare at the wall. Think."
She plopped down with a final, dramatic huff, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at the innocent beige paint as if it had personally offended her. The crying continued, but quieter now—miserable sniffles and the occasional hiccup.
Jaune retreated to the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He kept her in his peripheral vision, heart twisting at every sniffle. Parenting was the hardest thing he'd ever done—harder than Beacon initiation, harder than any fight.
He jumped slightly when a gentle hand settled on his forearm.
"Oh—Pyr." His voice dropped to a murmur. "Sorry about that."
Pyrrha's touch was light, reassuring. "No, I understand. I didn't intervene."
"Thank you." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "I hate having to do this, but if I don't—"
"It's all right." Her smile was soft, understanding. "You're a father. It's what you're supposed to do when you love your children—discipline them." She squeezed his arm gently. "You're doing it because you care."
Jaune managed a tired smile. "I know. It's still really hard."
"I know." Pyrrha's voice was warm, steady. "But being a parent means being strong in every way. And I know you are."
He looked at her then—really looked. The way the late afternoon light caught in her red hair, the quiet strength in her eyes that had always believed in him more than he believed in himself.
"Thanks, Pyr." He hesitated, then added sincerely, "I think… you'd be a good mother."
Pyrrha's cheeks went brilliantly scarlet. A startled, happy giggle escaped her—high and flustered—as she ducked her head, ponytail swinging.
"Oh, Jaune… Th-that's so forward~!"
He blinked, genuinely confused. "Huh?"
"Um—n-nothing!" She waved a hand quickly, still blushing furiously, eyes bright with a mix of delight and mortification.
It was twenty minutes before, from the corner, a small, sniffly voice piped up. "Can I come out now?"
Jaune and Pyrrha both turned. Mia was still facing the wall, but her ears were drooping pathetically, and her lower lip trembled.
Jaune's stern expression softened. He crossed the room and crouched beside her.
"Have you thought about what you did?"
Mia nodded miserably. "…I yelled and stomped when you said no ice cream…"
"And?"
"…And that's not nice. I should use words."
"And?"
"And... If you say no... No ice cream," she sniffled miserably.
Jaune opened his arms. "Come here, kitten."
She launched herself at him with a fresh sob—this one of relief—burying her face in his hoodie. He held her close, rubbing her back in slow circles.
"I love you, Mia. Even when I have to be the bad guy."
"Love you too, Papa," she mumbled into his chest. "Can I have ice cream after dinner?"
He chuckled. "We'll see."
Pyrrha watched them, smile soft and fond, cheeks still pink.
Parenting was hard.
But moments like this made it worth every second.