Sun's chapter: Set approximately half-a-year after the last chapter.
One Day They'll Understand
Sun Wukong didn't really know why he was here right now.
Well, he did kind of know why. He was here to show support for his friends. To word that more specifically, Jaune and Blake's children were about to be born and as their good friend he was here to show his support. However, it was because it was Jaune and Blake's children that he was questioning coming here to begin with.
It was no exaggeration to say that at one point in time he had been quite infatuated with Blake Belladonna. Or should he call her Blake Arc now? That sounded kinda ridiculous, although if he was being honest he wasn't sure Blake Wukong sounded any better. Getting off track here. He had really liked Blake, that was the point.
Just when he thought she was finally starting to warm up to him though she started going out with Jaune Arc. At first he didn't believe it. How could he believe it? He didn't really know Jaune all that well, but the guy seemed kind of...lame. That was harsh to say and while this was all in the past it was true Sun had felt this at one time. Neptune vouched for Jaune's character as a person but that didn't exactly help him feel better about the whole thing.
He had thought at first maybe Blake was just playing hard to get. Or maybe Yang's theory about it being a prank was spot on? Then things started to get serious between them and Sun was suddenly forced to realize that they were official and nothing was going to change that.
So he allowed his feelings for Blake to die without ever truly discovering what could've been. He and his team still continued to hang out with RWBY and JNPR but for him the same spark and energy was never there as it was before. Conversations with Blake had turned awkward and he never really tried to communicate with Jaune. He just couldn't ever bring himself to do it. He didn't dislike the guy, maybe a little at first, but Neptune got along with him so he tried his best to do the same. He just also didn't really feel the need to spend time with the guy that had started going out with the girl he had been interested in.
Things started to normalize for him after a couple years and it was finally starting to look like he could put his past emotions behind him. Sure, he still thought about it once in awhile but he was never one to hold a grudge and he respected Blake's choice even if he didn't understand it. But then Blake went and got pregnant and the finality of it really hit him. Subconsciously he had been holding out to see what would become of their relationship but this was the final nail in the coffin.
Jaune and Blake were never splitting up.
What a frustrating feeling. He had spent all those years waiting for her and he never even realized it. Now it was too late and he knew he had truly lost the chance to be with her forever. That is, if there had ever been a chance for him to begin with. It hurt, it really freaking hurt.
Yet here he was, sitting here waiting for their children to be born. He almost wished this was some kind of a joke. He tilted his head up and looked around the rest of the waiting room. Jaune and Neptune sat on a couch across from him as they waited for Blake's children to be delivered. Yep, this was real.
It was a little odd for Jaune to be out here but apparently his weak stomach hadn't exactly tolerated the miracle of birth very well. Besides, the rest of team RWBY had been fiercely adamant about being in the room so there wasn't exactly space for him in there either. So he had been ousted to the waiting room. The rest of his team was currently on a mission so they couldn't be here right now.
Well, he called them Jaune's team but he wasn't really a part of it anymore. Nora, that crazy short girl of all people, had been promoted to team leader. Yet she still constantly called Jaune before ever making any kind of decision, unless of course they were on the field. It was apparently her way of keeping him in the team even if he really wasn't. It was the same for Blake, even though she didn't participate in missions with them anymore, the rest of RWBY took every chance they got to hang out with her. In a way neither one of them had never truly left. For Jaune this was especially true seeing as he was now employed by Beacon.
"I'm going to go get some water. You want anything?" Neptune stood up as he asked and was looking across the way to Sun.
The monkey-Faunus shook his head. "Nah man, I'm good."
Neptune merely shrugged. "Suit yourselves. I'll be back in a few." Having said that he turned to walk off, leaving Jaune and Sun alone together for what might have been the first time ever.
"..."
"..."
They stared at one another in silent contemplation for several awkward seconds. It only took that long for Jaune to break and lamely clear his throat. "So...nice weather today?"
"..." Sun gave him a look as if to ask 'really?' and Jaune could only smile guiltily.
"Sorry, I'm never really sure what to say in situations like this." He twiddled his thumbs and slumped his shoulders.
Great, now he was starting to make him feel bad for just staring and not saying anything. With a resigned sigh he decided to finally respond back. "Don't sweat it man. You must have a lot on your mind. I know I would if they were my kids." Sun almost immediately mentally kicked himself.
Damn. Why did he say it like that?
He flinched at his own wording and a look of concern crossed Jaune's face as he clearly noticed it. Sun averted his eyes so he didn't have to look at him. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
That question caused Sun to double-take and he saw Jaune looked absolutely serious about that question. Talk about it? What was there to talk about? Blake had pretty clearly chosen him so why would he even think there was something to talk about?
Jaune must have taken his silence as an opening to continue because he started talking again. "I'm not as dense as everyone seems to think, or at least not as much as I used to be. Just because Blake and I are happy doesn't mean everyone else is. It would be too easy if the world worked that way. At least three people were hurt when we started dating."
"Three?" Sun mumbled in surprise before snapping his mouth shut. He hadn't meant to say anything but Jaune's words had caught him off guard.
"It's a little awkward to say it about myself but both Pyrrha and Ruby used to like me." Jaune blushed heavily as he talked and Sun's mouth opened slightly in shock. "I think Ruby has gotten over it but sometimes I'm not so sure about Pyrrha. Sometimes I wonder if she resents Blake actually and that thought terrifies me. I don't want my best friend and my wife to hate each other."
"Why are you telling me this?" Sun gripped his knee as he tried to size Jaune up right now. "Is this supposed to be some kind of apology?"
The other blonde shook his head. "No, it's not an apology. I don't know what I'm doing exactly. Doing what I do best and creating awkward conversation I suppose?" It was certainly awkward alright. "There are a lot of things I could apologize to you for but getting together with Blake isn't one of them because that's something I don't regret. Blake...makes me really happy. Far happier than someone like me deserves."
Sun's tail twitched and he tilted his head. "And what makes you think you don't deserve happiness?"
"It's not that I think I don't deserve to be happy...it's just...I'm going to be a dad!" He gestured vaguely down the hallway towards where Blake was and Sun finally started to understand that it was Jaune's nerves doing the talking for him. This guy likely had no idea what it was he was even trying to mouth off about. "Will I even be capable of being a good parent? Oh…" He grabbed the back of his head and stuck it between his knees as he let out a long moan.
"H-hey man! Calm down. It'll be okay!" Sun had no idea what he was supposed to say in this kind of situation as he got halfway out of his chair and extended open palms towards Jaune as if willing him to relax through the power of suggestion. Damnit, maybe he should've tried to get to know Jaune better after all? "You're going to be a great dad! How could you think you wouldn't be?"
"I'm a horrible person." Jaune mumbled as he started to rock back and forth. "I cheated my way into Beacon and even after I got found out they didn't expel me. Yet the moment I found out Blake was pregnant I spit in their face and quit. Yet they gave me a job anyways! How can I even face my kids? I'm a cheat, a coward, and worst of all I'm still nothing more than an ungrateful bastard."
"You have to know that's not true, man!" Sun said a little louder than intended and cringed when the other people in the lobby began to glance curiously over at them. Ah crap! Not having much choice he scooted over to Jaune and crouched down in front of him so he could whisper. "So what if you made some mistakes along the way? Everyone goofs up. The important thing is not letting it hold you back. You...kept running forward. That's not something everyone can do. That's not something I was able to do."
Sun had no idea what he was trying to say but it seemed to work as Jaune slowly tilted his head up and made eye-contact with him. This was an odd situation. Here he was trying to cheer up the guy that by all rights he should want nothing to do with. No, maybe that wasn't right. Jaune wasn't a bad person. No one that cared that much about how he was going to look to his kids could be a bad person.
He had just happened to fall in love with the same person Sun had a crush on. That placed them against each other and Sun had spent this whole time thinking that made him someone that he could never get along with. He got hung up on the past and never tried to move beyond it. Instead he just made excuses to help himself feel better. Jaune didn't do that. He understood that his decisions had hurt others but he also understood that he had made them of his own accord. He didn't make excuses for them and instead moved ahead. It just so happened his nerves were making him question everything at this moment.
"Sun...thanks." Jaune's breathing calmed down and his eyes mellowed out as he seemed to gain his senses. "I know it might not mean much to hear that from me. However, hearing those words from you mean a lot."
Sun nodded and did his best to give a cocky smirk. "Don't mention it. You may have been talking crazy in there for a minute but I must admit I respected you a little bit more when you told me you weren't going to apologize. You worked hard and you made Blake realize that you must be a pretty amazing guy. That's definitely something no one should ever regret." It wasn't a big step by any means, but Sun felt like he could understand a little more why Blake had chosen him in the end.
And in a way that removed the sting a little. It was too late to change the past but maybe Sun could try and be like Jaune now and move forward? "Hey, you wanna get a drink with me and Neptune some time?"
Jaune gave a small start in surprise before a huge smile broke out across his face. "I'm going to be pretty busy from now on you know? Three kids and a job don't exactly leave a lot of free time."
"All the more reason you're going to need that drink." Sun chuckled as he patted Jaune on the elbow.
"Heh, you might have a point there." Jaune chuckled back for a second before they both settled back into grins.
"...Did I miss something?" Neptune asked curiously as he walked back up to the two of them.
"Jaune's coming out drinking with us after our next mission." Sun bounced back to his feet and gave his partner a big thumbs-up.
"Really? Is that going to be okay with Blake?" Neptune gave Jaune a dubious look but Sun immediately waved it off.
"We'll tell her we forced him! No worries!" He winked at Jaune who could only shake his head in bewilderment but he still had that big grin on his face so Sun knew he wasn't opposed to the idea.
"Mr Arc?" A nurse called from the edge of the waiting room. Almost immediately he bound to his feet and ran over to her. Sun and Neptune were quick to hurry behind him.
"Is Blake okay? The babies!?" Jaune was sputtering out nervous questions before he was even up to her.
The nurse gave him a gentle smile. "Your wife is fine Mr Arc. And congratulations. She's given birth to two beautiful girls and one handsome baby boy." A huge relieved grin spread across Jaune's face before his knees practically buckled beneath him.
"Whoa!" Sun jumped forward and grabbed his one elbow to hold him up while Neptune grabbed the other. "Hold on there, Pops. At least go see your kids first before you pass out."
"R-right." Jaune nodded and strength returned to his legs as he stood without their support.
"Follow me this way." The nurse inclined her head as she turned around.
Jaune gave a shaky breath before he straightened his shoulders and strolled forward with absolute conviction and Sun couldn't help but stop and stare at his back. Despite the overwhelming feelings of anxiety that was undoubtably coursing through him he continued to walk forward with as much might as he could possibly muster. He was walking towards the next stage of his life. Now it was time for Sun to do the same. It was hard to leave his feelings behind but he had to at least try and move ahead just like Jaune was. Even if only a little at a time.
"You think he'll be alright?" Neptune whispered into his ear as they started after him.
Sun gave a small nod and smile. "Somehow, yeah."
