PAPA JAUNE 4

Chapter 4

Ribbons

(JAUNE POV)

"Now… what should we do?"

I asked Blake as we walked out of the gym. It's good to have a reliable friend like her in this situation, especially if they're understand your situation. But that still doesn't change anything.

We're in the middle of the night, with a sleeping baby in our hand, with no place to sleep nor a spare diaper.

"First… What do babies need?"

Blake asked, she might be an expert in stealth and fighting, but it seems like I'm more experienced in taking care a baby. Never I have been more grateful to have 7 sisters.

"Ermm…. Milk and diaper? There's a lot more thing to get, but these two are the most urgent one."

"Hmm…. We won't be able to get either of them in Beacon, guess we'll need to go to Vale."

I paled up a bit to the mention of Vale, since we need to ride a dust plane to get there. And you know how bad my relationship with a dust planes is.

"Well… I don't think there's one going to Vale at this hour.. Maybe tomorrow?" I suggested, trying to delay my torture.

"Don't worry about that, The plane is automatic and ready to take us anytime we need according to their schedule. I just need to scan my scroll, telling them how many people we go with, for what business, and we're ready to go" She explained, destroying my hope to not get into that death trap.

"It's automatic? I don't know…" I commented. I have been trying to avoid the dust plane as much as possible, so I don't really know how it works. I though it have a pilot like any other planes out there. Which I equally dislike.

But what can I do? We really need to buy Makoto's supplies and I can't let something as small as motion sickness stop me from getting it.

We ride the dust plane to get to Vale. Much to my dismay.

I threw up everything I ate at lunch by the time we arrived.

I was tempted to kiss the ground, but my small pride prevented me from doing it in front of Blake and Makoto. Well, Makoto is still sleeping, so it's mostly because I don't want Blake to see my pitiful state.

Blake on the other hand, doesn't really take a look at me and just go to the nearest shop.

I have to use all of my power I have left to part from the ground and followed her.

By the way, Blake's hiding her cat ears by folding it a bit and using her hair to make it not too visible. It's nice that they have the same colour. You can still see it if you look close enough, but she's walking quite fast so no one can examined her hair too much despite that a lot of people (Mostly guys) are looking at her in awe. She wasn't that stand out when she's walking with her group, but She's still a real beauty afterall.

Compared to me, shirtless, tons of fresh wounds and Scars, I think some of them think I was just get robbed somewhere. One kind old lady gave me some lien for the cab.

Well, we do need some Lien right now, so I happily take it.

After searching around for a store that's still open at this hour, We went to a convention store called 7Dust, That's famous for their cheap price that sometimes make you wonder how it can be that cheap and they're open for 24 hours a day.

As we enter, we were greeted by the cashier who was quite an old man.

Hey…. Isn't he the one from A simple Wok? Did his shop get robbed, destroyed or caught in fire again? Poor guy.

We decided to ignore the old man for a while and focused on out quest to get the milk and diaper.

As we arrived to the baby section, I almost screamed in horror when I saw the price tag. Some of the items are really expensive that you can buy ammunition for Yang's amber Cecilia and it'll last for months. Is this the real price?

Blake looking at me, seems to be having a same though like me about the ridiculous price.

"Say, Blake? Sorry to not telling this sooner but… I'm low in cash, can we use your lien first?" I asked her while pulling out my miserable wallet with only a few lien in it.

She sighed and reached up for her pocket. She took out a few lien and handed it to me.

"This is all I have at the moment, will it be enough?" She asked. She's also low in cash, but I think it will be enough for the time being.

"Yeah, I think we'll managed with this. Thanks Blake! I'll surely repay you later" I said as I started counting the lien we have.

"Just promise me you'll buy a better supply for Makoto later. She's our baby remember?"

My heart nearly stopped at those words.

Our baby? Did Makoto calling her mama sparked the her motherly instinct? Just like how she called me papa? Okay… this awkward and embarrassing. Because, you know… just like I said before, If she's Makoto's mother, and I'm Makoto's father that means we're a married couple right? And she said our baby! Her baby but our! I think I just over thinking it, but still…

After counting the lien we have, I went and took the cheapest diaper and milk I can find fitting our budged. I wanted to give Makoto the best milk and all, but we won't be able to do that with our current lien.

Sorry Makoto. If only this stupid father of yours can managed his lien properly.

"Don't worry Jaune, I don't have that much lien with me either. But at least we do our best at the moment."

"….. did you just read my mind? "

"No…. you were mumbling it."

"Ow… "

"Anyway… what do you think of these?"

Blake asked me as she show a set of babies clothes in her hand.

It looks kinda old, and the design is simple but the price is cheap, and it looks comfortable.

"I think it looks good, anything will looks good on Makoto. Where did you find it?"

"Can't disagree with that. I found these At that corner, want to look at the other set? They got a lot of cute one. Maybe we can even get a matching pair with us. Will she looks good with ribbons? Should we tied her hair? It will be really cute!" She said as she began to imagining Makoto in a lot of different outfit. She looks so happy as she said it.

She's acting quite differently than I though she will.

She reminds me of my mother a bit, especially when she's choosing my sisters clothes and mine. The expression of happiness and pride of her child. To make such an expression, Blake's steadily became a good mother.

I shake my head lightly,

It pain my heart to tell her this, but… as much as I want to buy cute clothes for Makoto I have to rejected it. I really want to get it for her, but our budget say otherwise. Guess we'll have to save it for another time.

"Sorry, but I don't think we can afford it right now."

She looks really disappointed as I said it. Her cat ears that was moving around In excitement was laying down. I felt guilty for saying it. She was so happy to chose her clothes and yet we can't afford it.

I tried to search for a solution, something that can make her happy again.

"…. How about this?" I asked as I reached to the ribbons that was displayed near the baby clothes.

I take the Black ribbon which was the closest one to me and show it to Blake.

"Mother and daughter wearing a matching ribbon. Sounds cute to me." I suggested my idea.

From her expression I think she like it.

She took the ribbon and tied it on Makoto's hair. Yep! She looks really cute in it.

"…. Black doesn't really suit her… how about blue?" Blake said, and untie the ribbon.

I took the blue one and hand it over to Blake.

With one Swift movement, she put it on Makoto's hair again. Her speed of putting it on her is so fast and accurate that I think she's a pro at this.

"It's not that good…" she said as she take off the ribbon again.

I looked at the ribbons, which one is fit to Makoto? The one with Polka dot? The one with flowers? I'm not good at this. I looked back at Blake and her ribbons of choice, all of the ribbons she choose are plain in colour, without any motives. Did she like the simple ones?

If that so, I know what to choose.

"How about this?" I asked Blake as I show her a simple ribbon with bright red colour.

Blake stares at the ribbon, judging the colour and comparing it to Makoto's hair.

I handed over the ribbon and with another swift move, the red ribbon is resting on Makoto's hair.

"Perfect…" Blake said as she admiring her work.

I have to agree with that. Without doubt Makoto looks really cute with that bright red ribbon on her Hazel hair.

She reminds me to a present box, A very lovely present, with a bright red ribbon as it's warping.

It's like Christmas coming early this year as She's without doubt the best present I have received in my life.

"We'll take this! Do we have enough Lien Jaune?"

"Let's see…." I started counting our Lien and luckily the ribbon wasn't that expensive so we can afford it.

We can't afford the clothes, so I hope we can at least afford the ribbon.

Now then, Now that we got everything we need, we'll have to pay for it and get back to Beacon.

We place the items we took to the counter and letting the old man to scan it.

The old man was looking at us with a judging look and continue to scan.

Well, it's not that I don't understood our situation. A couple of teenager in the middle of the night, a cat faunus girl carrying a naked baby squirrel faunus, while the guy is topless. Suspicious as fuck.

It won't be weird if he kick us out or call the police.

"… She's a friend's daughter." I said, trying to give an explanation, but he doesn't seems to bite it. Maybe I should have said a sister's daughter.

"Kids.."

We can heard him whispered.

He's surely getting the wrong idea here

"Please wait a second…" He said as he get out of the counter and went to the item racks.

We were sweating like crazy and ready to rushed outside when he came back and throw in some more item to the plastic bag.

The items He put in there was some extra diaper, a small blanket, a milk bottle, some baby toys and the clothes that Blake picked.

We were surprised, and before we can even asked why he's already interrupting us

"It's on the house Kiddo. Just take it." He said as he shoved the plastic bag to us.

We were confused now. Why did he do that? I mean, it's really out of the nowhere.

"… errmmm… Thank you?" I said, unsure about what I should have said

"Don't be! I know how hard it is to raise a kids. I have my first child when I was your age afterall." The old man explained with a smile. " The grew so fast … it feels like it was just yesterday that they learned how to walk, and now they're building their own family now"

"You won't judge us for being half naked and a faunus?" Blake asked, quite confused by his action.

"Not really. I have been going through a lot of thing lately, I already get used to weird things, like that girl who stopped my truck bare handed, and that monkey boy and his blue haired friend who's falling from the sky, went around showing his abs, dine and dashing, stealing my lien and other stuffs. Yeah… weird things."

It must be Sun and Neptune isn't it?

I looked at Blake who's also looking at me. Seems like she also realized who's this monkey boy and his friend.

I wonder if Sun and Blake are dating. They seems to be so close when I saw them before. Weiss and Neptune too, I don't know if I did the right thing back in the ball but.. do i still have a chance? Sun and Neptune are both stronger and much more cooler than me. They're also a good guy.

But… well…. Part of me are not that happy about it.

No, I'm not jealous or anything. I'm just wondering. Because if they don't…. well…. Let's just say I'll be quite happy.

I'm not jealous!

Ignoring my self monologue, the oldman began to tell us about his story when he were young, It seems like he's kinda lonely with his childs are already busy with their own family and we reminds him to himself when he were young. I did hear from my grandma that they used to get married early to counter the grimms with number. But since we're at peaceful age right now the marriage age seems to be raising each year. When I was little, 20 years old are already late to get married, but now it seems like 23 is still early to get married. Well, that's statistically correct when you ignored the teen pregnancy.

Then out of the nowhere it hit me. What if one day Makoto grow old enough to fall in love and get a boyfriend? Will she leave me when she get married? Will she be happy with her choice? Oh, I'm so gonna butcher her future boyfriend if he made her cry.

"You're one lucky man to have such a pretty wife and Daughter, you need to take care of them more!" He said as he look at Blake and Makoto, Making her blushed a bit.

"I understand! I will take care of them as best as I can! " I said as I cry a manly tear.

"That's the spirit! Come here boy!" The old man also cried a manly tear and we share some manly brofist and manly hug. Ignoring Blake's weird gaze at us.

"This is exactly like chapter 34 page 423 where Naruto finished his training with Ichigo and off to go and fight the pirate king Luffy! Kyaaaa!" She mumbled some words I don't understand at all, followed with a girly squeal

Yeah… I don't even want to understand that. At least she looks happy.

We paid for the items we choose and thanked the old man. We promised to pay back the items he gave us, but he insisted that he won't take it.

He's a really good guy, maybe when he's finally saving enough lien to open a new shop we will be his regular costumers.

Really, we're very grateful for him

"Just remember! If I'm still alive by then, Be sure to invite me to your wedding!" He shouted from inside the store, loud enough that some by standers stopped and looking at us.

Needless to say, We ran away as fast as we can in embarrassment.

After we ran away for a fair distance from the old man, we stopped to catch out breath. Well, to be more precise, we stopped to catch my breath since I'm not used to running as much as Blake.

I looked up at her and see her blushing face. This much running won't tire her, so She must be really embarrassed by the old man's word.

Who won't? I'm not even sure if she accepted me as her friend yet, and someone already teasing us about marriage. Pretty awkward if you ask me.

My mind drift off again. I began to Imagining Blake in a pure white wedding dress, holding a bucket of rose. She looks so stunning and beautiful under the thin veil that covered her face. Behind her is Makoto who looks a bit older. She's wearing a white dress matching with Blake and a bucket full of flower petals, spreading it behind her mother.

I shocked my head. I have been imagining too many weird things lately. I need to focus more. Still… this imagination of mine is running wild. What's next? An adult Makoto wearing wedding dress while the old and wrinkled me watching her marrying someone I don't know? I'll jump and stab that guy in the gut when I get the chance…. AAAAaaand I'm Imagining things again. This is kinda serious.

I took a deep breath once again trying to focus. Only to end up coughing. Talk about being uncool.

"Don't push yourself too much…. " Blake said with a concern in her voice.

I appreciate her for worrying about me, but I didn't think I was pushing myself. Well, maybe just a little.

"Thanks Blake… But I'm okay…"

"You sure? You looked a bit pale."

"I'm sure…I'm just… a bit tired maybe? Thank you for worrying though."

"You're welcome, we're friends afterall"

I blushed a bit and looking down to the ground, trying to hide my face from her.

Friend huh? Not a bad start.

"Now then! We got milk, diaper and some free stuffs. Bless him and his store. Now we need a place to take care of Makoto, any suggestion?"

"Don't worry, I got that covered, follow me!" She said as she pull my hand, dragging me along with her.

She doesn't use too much force on her grip, and she also doesn't walk too fast considering my walking speed. It doesn't feels bad. But Honestly, I would prefer us to be holding hand instead.

Wait… what was I thinking?