Jaune Arc knew becoming a father was no trivial thing. His time at Beacon Academy was meant to mentally and physically prepare him for the dangers of Remnant. He was content with the idea of fighting alongside his friends to defend humanity, to carry on the torch the Arc family proudly passed from generation to generation. The idea of having his own child, though? The thought terrified him.

He sat before the girl in a small restaurant. It was practically deserted. The soothing atmosphere darkened when Jaune noticed the crestfallen look on her face. She hesitated to show him the positive pregnancy test, no doubt nervous about how he would react. Potentially with fear? Malice, even? Jaune instead softly smiled, took her hand and offered a reassuring look. He told his partner there was nothing that would make him abandon her. He'd help her with-

"I don't want it," she whispered.

The look on her face made much more sense now. The two of them weren't together for very long, but she already knew enough about his nature. Of course he'd prefer to raise the child. It's what made her own feelings regarding the situation far more difficult. The guilt pooled in her stomach, giving her the urge to bend over and hurl. She couldn't give up on her life. She promised...

"I..." Jaune had this empty look in his eyes. "I don't understand. Why...?"

She refused to look at him.

"Please," he said.

"I just can't, Jaune." She began to cry. "Believe me, I've been agonizing over this all day. If things were different... I mean, we haven't been together for long. Heck, we haven't even done much together, have we?"

"You mean you felt there was nothing between us?"

"That's not-"

"What is your plan?" He erected himself in his chair, refusing to back down. "For this child, I mean. I know you don't wish to raise it, but..."

She took a deep breath. "I'm... going to get rid of it."

Jaune said nothing. Any bits of joy over the news he was going to be a dad had perished. Thoughts and feelings flooded through him. Anger, heartbreak, betrayal... To think everything the two of them had been through were merely forgettable moments for her. He wanted to smack himself; this wasn't something to blame her for. He was responsible as well. She was terrified. Maybe he could convince her otherwise.

He wasn't the damsel in distress anymore. He'd stand his ground and refuse to revert back to his old self.

"What if-"

"I'm sorry, I'm not ready to be a mother."

He winced.

"Keep it, please." Jaune held her hand in his and gazed into her eyes. Even if she didn't want to, then he'd be the one to not give up. He couldn't let this happen. "You don't have to help me raise it. I'll ensure that our child grows up to be a strong and healthy person. Please... I don't want the alternative."

"Beacon," she blurted. A frantic look formed as she stood up from her chair. "Think of your career too, Jaune. We're not ready to be parents. Our time at Beacon would keep us from getting proper jobs. We wouldn't have time to raise our own kid. We can't balance that..."

"We have our teams. Our friends... No, I'd even call them family. I know it'll be difficult, but this is something I cannot abide. Think about it... Our son or daughter will have plenty of aunts and uncles, not to mention-"

She didn't look convinced. He felt his confidence waver as she sat back down. He knew that look on her face. This was serious, obviously. But that look indicated she wasn't going to budge. Jaune knew he had no real say in this, since it was her kid and her body... Not to mention her life as well. Having a kid at this age and while attending Beacon Academy? Mutually exclusive, especially in this life...

"I'm sorry..." she echoed.

"But-"

"Jaune, I can't-"

"I'll quit Beacon!"

He slammed his hand on the table, catching the attention of the other patrons. He didn't care for that though, and neither did she. He felt tears drip down his cheeks as he refrained from screaming. He felt desperate, on the verge of agony.

"Jaune, you can't-"

"I can still decide what I'll do with my life. We both know I wish to become a huntsman and follow in my father's footsteps. However, you also know how there are some parts of history I refuse to repeat. I can't go through with it, dear. I just can't..." Her eyes widened as he lowered himself onto the floor. "Please let me raise them. I beg of you..."

He couldn't see her, not with how he shut his eyes tight, trying his best not to cry. He felt her lightly pound his back as her walls began to crack. She weakly wailed as he began to break down as well. He rose, meeting her reddened eyes with his own.

"Okay..." she conceded. "We'll have the kid."

"You mean-"

"But I can't keep it as my own. Jaune, I'm willing to put it up for adoption, but I can't quit Beacon..."

"You won't have to," he assured. "We can... just..."

He trailed off as he realized her stance on this.

"So that's it?" he asked. She slowly nodded, refusing to change her mind.

Jaune felt himself in a room with nothing but two bottles of poison. Could he really raise a child? He didn't know the first thing about fatherhood. Being an older brother wasn't enough prep for this. Not to mention how he had no way to support the child. On the other hand... Would he really give up on his child like that? He'd have the chance to raise his own family down the line, surely... He'd be financially stable, an experienced huntsman with her by his side if things work out.

And yet...

He looked at her one more time, and pictured a child happily skipping down the sidewalk as they waved to him. Smiling as the bundle of energy they were.

"So be it. I'll help you through your pregnancy."

Her eyes lit up.

"However, I'm leaving my place at Beacon the moment our child is born."