Ahh, to be a Father
...
"Jaune, honey are you sure you'll be okay for the evening?"
"What, me? Pfft babe. C'mon. It's me! I'm great with kids!"
Pyrrha frowned and Jaune's grin turned to a cringe. Said Husband and Wife looked back to the sofa and their teenage daughter, headphones on as she sat on her scroll texting away. The pair locked eyes again.
"Okay so she's not a kid anymore, b-but that means it's gonna be even easier! Teenagers are easier than kids."
"Pfft!" Pyrrha burst out laughing, resting a hand on Jaune's chest to steady herself as she snort laughed. "O-Oh Jaune, you mustn't make me laugh like that, it'll ruin my make up!"
Jaune rolled his eyes at his mirth filled wife. "Laugh it up, laugh it up. But I'm serious! I don't have to worry about her drinking the bleach by accident! Or falling down the stairs, or falling in the washing machine, or falli-
"You've painted the picture sweetheart." Pyrrha laughed softly, checking herself in her pocket mirror.
"It'll be fine. A nice quiet evening in with my daughter! Now you go out and catch up with the girls!" Jaune smiled, putting her jacket on over her shoulders. Pyrrha smiled at the gentlemen doof, shaking her head to herself. She needed to give her Husband of eighteen years more credit. He was a terrific Father.
"Ori." Pyrrha said, but said daughter was oblivious amongst her tunes blaring. A quick flick of her semblance shot those headphones off and startled the lanky teen girl.
"Ah!"
"I'm heading out for the evening, and I want you to be on your best behaviour for your Father, okay? No exceptions." Pyrrha's mothering tone oozed into her voice. Ori shrugged.
"Yeah. No probs Mom. Me and Dad'll just watch a film." Followed by a great big cheeky smile. Pyrrha rolled her eyes.
"Good girl." She padded over in her heels to kiss her girl's head. "Be good."
"You too." Ori slumped back in the sofa, picking her headphones back up. Pyrrha saddled up to Jaune, giving him a long and slow kiss.
"And I will see you later tonight."
"You gonna get a cab back?" Jaune asked, absent mindlessly stroking her upper arms as he studied the golden patterns in her decorative Gorget around her neck. Pyrrha smiled.
"I think Yang said that Blake isn't drinking, so she may drive us back. If not then we'll get a Cab."
"Or call me. I don't mind coming to get you." He smiled. She hummed her appreciation before one more kiss.
"You're a wonderful man. Oh, they're here! Have a good evening, and I'll see you later." One last kiss after the supposed last kiss. Jaune smiled and watched her pad down the drive to the awaiting car, smiles from RWBY and Nora greeting him.
"Sup Daddio!" Yang waved out the car. Jaune chuckled, waving back as they drove down the gravel path, away from the house.
Shutting the door with a click, Jaune turned to face his teenage she's gone. Where's she gone?
"Ori?" Jaune asked, kneeling to pet Luna their sprawled out dog. "Where've you gone!?"
"Listen Dad-"
"Oh Jeez Louise!" Jaune panted, hand over his heart. "You scared me half to death!"
"But not all the way!" Ori beamed, before vaulting over the sofa. "So listen. There's this like, little party thing my friends are having."
"Uh huh." Jaune drily retorted. Ori carried on.
"And I was thinking, like, would it be cool if I just... you know... went?" A cringing laugh. Jaune frowned.
"No. Nope. Nu-uh!" Jaune shook his head and hands as Ori protested.
"But it's only a few of us a-and it's at Dandelion's house!"
"Oh Dandelion's party?! The same Dandelion who thought it was funny to put 'Ori's Dad is punching way above his weight' posters of your Mom all over school?!"
Ori chuckled. "Well I mean, you kinda are Dad." She looped some red and gold hair behind her ear with a weak chortle. Jaune frowned, arms crossed.
"I know I am, I don't need it written down to know that! Cheeky lil brat." Jaune huffed as Luna clambered over his knees for cuddles and affection.
Ori huffed, puffing hair out of her eyes. "C'mooooon Dad!"
"I thought you wanted to spend the evening with your old man?" Jaune sighed. Ori blinked at him, then sighed herself.
"Dad, I... I do, but... I also wanna hang out with my friends, you know?" She tapped her fingers together - her Mother's nervous trait. Jaune huffed, standing and picking up his car keys with a jangle.
"Well, c'mon then." The downtrodden Dad huffed. Ori looked down at her hands, guilt icy cold in her belly. She got up and grabbed her boots, lacing them up while trying to avoid Luna's snuffling nose in her face.
"Thanks Dad." She awkwardly said. Jaune nodded sadly, opening the front door. Ori groaned and threw her head back. "Dammit Dad, don't guilt trip meeee."
...
The Sun had fully slipped behind the veil of the nightly sky. As the headlights turned off and the engine died, Jaune looked up at the moon with a huff. He gazed down at the empty seat beside him, before getting out of the truck and heading inside the house.
He shut the door and smiled when Luna came clattering across the wooden floor and slamming into his Daddy's knees.
"Oof!" Jaune laughed as the red Shepard jumped up at him, licking his face. "Hey buddy! You're happy to see me, huh?" He ruffled those floofy ears and kissed his head. "C'mon, you wanna treat, huh? You wanna treat!? Yeah you do!"
A treat and a TV dinner later, in front of the holographic screen and the crackling fireplace, Jaune pushed the microwaved pasta and cheese around on his plate. He was so social throughout life. He grew up with seven sisters, a Mom and Dad, a crazy household. Then he went to a newfound family at Beacon. Then he fell in love, entrusted his heart to his other half. Together they made their own family, and now...
Jaune felt alone. He felt silly too. It was one evening alone! Surely he could manage that!
But it wasn't that. It was the fact his daughter was a teenager now. She had friends and stuff she wanted to do outside of him and her Mom. He was the most important person in her life once, and now he was... well, he was just Dad. He wasn't Dadda or Daddy, he was just Dad.
He huffed and wiped a tear, finishing his meal with his trusty red dog at his feet chewing on a bone.
...
A few hours in front of the TV, dosing the evening away as only a Dad could, Luna sprawled out over his lap, and Jaune awoke sharply to his Scroll vibrating on the coffee table. He snorted awake and Luna yelped, flicking his big ears left and right.
He rubbed his eyes and fished his scroll up as Luna jumped down off him. Jaune expected to see Pyrrha on the caller ID, but instead...
"Ori?" He fumbled the scroll to his ear. "Ori?" He paled. "Hey hey, baby what's wrong? What's wrong? S-Slow down, Daddy's here. You want me to come get you? Why?" He paled, then he grew red with rage. "He did what?"
...
Jaune pulled up outside the house, cranking the brake lever and jumping out the truck. Sat outside the music thumping house was Ori and her two closest friends. Ori was sniffing and crying while Dandelion and Coral comforted her.
"He's a jerk."
"I told him to leave if he's gonna be like that."
Jaune padded up the driveway. Both girls nodded, patting Ori's back.
"Your Dad's here, Ori."
"Hi Mister Arc."
"Hey girls." Jaune smiled, kneeling before Ori and cupping her red face in his cold hands. Their eyes met and Jaune wiped the salty crust from her bleary eyes. "Oh honey, what happened? What'd he do?"
Ori sniffed, hugging herself, trying to speak but unable to through the heaving for air. Coral huffed, saddling closer to her friend.
"So basically Mister Arc, Kallum wanted to... m-make out with Ori, but she didn't want to, cos... well she's not sure if she like-likes boys, you know."
"Okay." Jaune nodded, listening as he stroked his daughter's hair and kissed her head.
"... So Kallum called her frigid and said she needed to loosen up and... He made some rude remarks." Coral frowned.
Dandelion shuffled nearer, hugging Ori and resting her chin on her head. "I told him he needed to go, but he and his friends said no and... I-"
Jaune huffed and held his daughter's lowered head in his large palms, kissing her scalp, before standing and heading inside the house. Dandelion and Coral shared a look over Ori's head, comforting their friend while the heavy bass music continued to blared from inside the house. A few long moments passed, Coral whispering kind words into Ori's hair and Dandelion telling her they could easily beat those boys up.
"You were told to leave!" Jaune snapped, holding two of the spindly teenage boys by their collars, tossing them down the drive on their staggering feet. And then Jaune grabbed Kallum by the shoulder, a stern finger pointed at his face.
"Now you listen to me. That is my daughter. And if you ever - ever - speak to her or any girl like that again, I will be your worst nightmare. Women are not prizes to your ego, now get outta here before I call your parents. Move!" Jaune shoved Kallum down the drive. The three stumbling teens, who could not handle their punch, flipped the bird to Jaune, before turning and walking nose first into the bordering brick wall on the estate.
Ori sniffled, a small chuckle leaving her lips at them whining and clutching their noses.
"They'll be alright. Nothing Aura can't fix, believe me." Jaune groaned with age, kneeling in front of Ori. "You alright, sweetheart?"
"Daddy." She cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "I wanna go home."
"Okay okay, we can do that." He smiled softly over his daughter's shoulder to Coral and Dandelion. "You kids okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine." Dandelion smiled. "Take Ori home, we'll text her later."
"Okay. Thanks you two. For being such good friends to my girl." He smiled, fist held out to bump theirs. They shared a chuckle at Ori's goofy Dad, before waving goodbye as he and Ori paced back to their truck.
Once safely inside, the doors shut and muffled any outer world noise, only Ori's sniffing and chattering teeth remained. She wiped her eye with her sleeve, blinking long and hard at the dashboard. Jaune sighed softly.
"You okay kiddo?"
"Yeah." Ori sniffed. "He's a jerk."
"Yeah he is. And hey, between you and me? You, Coral and Dandelion could easily break his legs." Jaune put the key in the ignition. He sighed and rested his wrists on the steering wheel. "Ice cream on the way home?"
"That sounds amazing, yeah." Ori sniffled with a laugh. Jaune smiled, content his daughter was okay, before starting the truck and pulling off the driveway.
"So... You and Dandelion seem really close, I take it you often get lost in those golden eyes?" He grinned as she gasped.
"Oh my gooooosh, don't even go there Dad!" Ori blushed, hiding her face in her hoodie's collar, Jaune chuckling as wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her scalp to his lips. A proud and happy Father.
...
Ori was more than content cuddled up to her Dad with Luna sprawled over their laps and empty tubs of ice cream on the coffee table. Jaune's arm around her shoulders and his bearded jawline rested on her head, she smiled and hugged her Dad tight around the middle, watching the movies on the screen.
Then the front door clicked and opened, Pyrrha shivering as she stepped into the house. "Thank you for the lift home, Blake! Good night girls, get home safe!"
Jaune snapped awake with a snort, rubbing his eye and looking over his shoulder. Ori smiled and sat up, Luna scrambling off them to go and see his Mommy. Pyrrha laughed as Luna leapt up at her, quick to catch his paws so he didn't claw up her dress.
"Hey Babe!" Jaune sat up, scrubbing his chin with his palm. "Good evening?"
"Very good." she hummed, scratching Luna behind the ears. "It was wonderful to catch up with your Aunts, Ori, over one too many cocktails! They're coming over for Sunday lunch next week."
"Ah sweet!" Ori smiled up at her Mom. Pyrrha sighed contently, happy to be home as she took off her heels.
"So, how was your evening?"
Jaune looked at Ori, and then back to Pyrrha. "Eh. Pretty uneventful."
"A-Actually, Mom..." Ori coughed into her fist, gaining her Mother's attention. "I went to a party. But then someone upset me, so Dad came and took me home. And we had Ice cream." She shrugged. "I uhh, I didn't wanna lie to you, so..."
"I see." Pyrrha looked at Jaune and he smiled softly. Pyrrha blew out a breath. "Did you leave any ice cream for your old Mother?" She smirked, not wanting to pry, not just yet anyhow. Ori needed this to be her safe place, her home, where she wasn't going to be grilled or questioned heavily. Pyrrha also learnt early on with Ori that she will always tell her eventually. But when she was ready.
"Oh yeah! Your favourite's in the freezer!" Ori bounced. Jaune smiled softly, looping an arm around Ori.
"We raised a good girl here, Pyr." Jaune knuckled her head, Ori groaning and fighting him off. "And guess who has a ma-hoooo-ssive crush on Dandelion?"
"Oh my gosh, Dad!" Ori blushed, fighting harder. Pyrrha chuckled heartily.
"Oh please, you are hardly subtle Oriana. Maybe don't stare around her. That, I'm afraid, you get from me. Hopefully Dandelion isn't as dense as your Father was." She smirked as she strut out the room. Jaune gasped animatedly.
"I wasn't Dense!"
"HAH!" Pyrrha and Oriana spoke at once.
Author Notes: Here guys, a lil fluff and development for Oriana and Jaune! Hope you enjoyed, and hope you continue to stay safe and well in these turbulent times. Love you all! - Dave