A/N: So here's an Arkos idea (1 of like… 500) that's been stewing in the back of my mind for a few weeks. While it's currently not on my weekly update roster, if there's enough people who want to follow it I'll readjust my update schedule to slot this in. If not, it'll be more of an 'update whenever ready' kind of deal.

Is the fake-dating thing super cliché? Yes. Do I have any shame? No. So here's a (reverse) fake-dating fic. (It'll get to the avoiding-fake-dating thing later, don't worry)

Let me know if you want to see more of it!

Calling Bluffs

"Excellent work, Pyrrha. With that, I'd say you're about as ready for next week as you'll ever be. Otherwise, are you all ready to go for tomorrow?" the blonde woman asked primly. She folded her arms and leaned back against her desk, eyes flashing over her round spectacles. Judging by the small, expectant smile on her face, however, she already knew the answer she'd receive.

She was correct to assume. Pyrrha Nikos was always ready for anything. "Yes, I can't wait!" the redhead replied, closing her laptop with a sigh. "I'm just going to have to finish packing, but I'll be ready to head out by tomorrow morning!"

Pyrrha stretched, feeling the tension ease from her tight back. After practicing her upcoming presentation for what felt like hours with the elder woman (although today's session had realistically only been forty-five minutes), she finally felt confident and ready. All she needed to do now was relax.

The late afternoon sunlight streaming through the windows of the cozy office space filled the room with a comforting glow, and the young woman gladly took a moment to simply bask in the warmth of it all. She wasn't going to be able to enjoy such warm weather for much longer- not where she was going.

Going back home, huh? It was weird to think that she was going to be heading back home, even for just a week. How long had it been since she had left Argus in favour of coming to Beacon University? The annual Argus Social Equity Conference was one of the most prestigious events in her field of academia, and the thought that she'd actually been asked to present her undergraduate research there was mind-blowing.

Still, there was much prep to be done in order to head to the continent of Anima for the following week. She had spent the entire night previous unpacking her thicker winter clothes from their boxes, since Vale's weather was so much brighter in comparison to her home. Although the forecast for her time there was looking to be sunny, Pyrrha knew from a lifetime of shivering even on the hottest days in Argus that the sea breeze was enough to drop the temperature by over ten degrees, so her scarf collection was going to be put to good use.

The blonde straightened up. "Well, we'll be bringing your poster presentation, so don't worry about that," Professor Glynda Goodwitch explained kindly. "You just make sure you pack everything else you might need."

"I looked over the orientation package for the conference, don't worry," Pyrrha replied, standing up at last. She tucked away her laptop and stray notes into her large purse, slinging it over her shoulder.

"You're going to do well, Pyrrha," Glynda murmured, a proud streak in her eyes. "Your research may actually be picked up. It's an excellent meta-analysis."

Pyrrha beamed, nodding in thanks to the woman as she turned to walk to the door. "Thank you for all your help with it, Professor," she gushed. "I wouldn't have been able to finish it without your help. Well, you and Doctor Oobleck, of course."

Glynda chuckled, shaking her head. "We simply gave you the resources you needed. You figured out the trends on your own, so take that credit, Pyrrha."

The redhead blushed, pride bubbling up inside. Receiving praise from Glynda Goodwitch, one of the most highly-regarded professors in the Faunus Studies Department in Beacon, was no small feat. Pyrrha's research on the reporting biases in publications about the Faunus Revolution had been a passion project, so to see it so well-supported by her supervising faculty was incredible. "I should head out. My roommate is helping me finish up packing."

"Miss Valkyrie, was it?" Glynda asked, raising an amused brow. "She's a handful."

"I'm going to miss her," Pyrrha admitted. "This'll probably be the longest time in three years that we've been apart." It was true. Nora, her excitable roommate since her first year at Beacon, had been inseparable from the redhead since their first week in university. Every single birthday, holiday, vacation, and exam period had been spent together, along with their other friends and Nora's boyfriend, Ren. The thought of being away from her was honestly a little discomforting.

The blonde waved her worries away dismissively. "Well, you won't be alone during your specific presentation, so there's some solace in that."

Pyrrha paused by the door, frowning. "I won't be alone?" This was the first time she'd heard of that particular fact.

Glynda opened up the file on her computer, brushing back blonde bangs from her eyes. Scrolling through some list, hidden from view to Pyrrha, she explained, "Another fourth-year student will be joining you, since the presentation period will be split into two, with two students taking turns in each slot. You'll be with Jaune Arc. He's presenting on…" she paused, then pinched the bridge of her nose wearily. "Ah, yes. So you were placed with Mr. Arc after all… that boy. He's been working on an analysis on agricultural practices and their effects on…" The woman furrowed her brow, squinting as she tried to parse what was written. Finally giving up, she leaned back with a sigh. "You know, you'll be able to ask him more about it tomorrow."

"That sounds… fun," Pyrrha laughed awkwardly. Jaune Arc? I don't think I've had a class with him before. At least, I don't recognize the name.

The elder woman clearly shared her disinterest. "It's valuable research, but I wish he hadn't told me that the only reason he grew interested in the topic was because of a board game," the professor groaned.

Pyrrha snorted despite herself. "He sounds funny," she laughed. "It must be an interesting presentation, if it was based on a game originally. I look forward to meeting him, then."

Something in Glynda's eyes shifted, and the elder woman scrutinized her with an odd look as Pyrrha shifted by the door. Then, with the slightest smile, she nodded. "I'm sure you two will get along well," the blonde replied cryptically. "And, if not, it's just for a week."

Pyrrha frowned for just a moment, examining her professor's expression. What was that smile supposed to mean?

But the woman didn't offer any more detail, which meant that Pyrrha had no choice but to let it rest for the moment. "We'll be meeting tomorrow at the airport, correct?"

"Everything's in the email," Glynda said smoothly, the strange look snapping away. "I'll see you tomorrow, Pyrrha."

The redhead waved to the woman, shrugging the stray thoughts about this mysterious presentation partner away. I'll meet him tomorrow, she reasoned with herself. He seems fun. Or, at the very least, he seems entertaining. I'll for sure have some stories to tell Nora when I get back.

xXx

Glynda watched the 21-year-old wander out of her office, crossing her arms and leaning back against her desk. While she was indeed proud of the young woman she had been mentoring (and of the paper which had been put together with such speed and precision that her skills baffled Glynda still), it didn't feel right to be privy to the nonsense about to occur over the next week without warning the young woman in question.

How could she explain it, though?

She didn't have any time to ponder that, however, as a quick rap on the door of her office caught her attention. "Come in," she called, walking over to her kettle. She needed a quick cup of coffee to boost her energy- the final night of preparations before an away-conference was always the worst.

To her chagrin, entering her office was no student of hers. Instead, her peers filed in, giddy and excited as they took perch upon any available surface around the simply utilitarian space.

Taiyang Xiao Long, a Teaching Fellow in their department, broke the silence. "So, Glynda," he said excitedly. "Are you ready to put your bet in?"

She reached up under her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Are you all participating?"

Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck sipped his espresso loudly, then flashed her an enthusiastic grin. "Of course, Professor. This is what we've been waiting for, no?"

Professor Peter Port nearly cackled through his thick, grey mustache. "Our duty is to watch over the youth of this generation!" he announced. "And, of course, part of youth is romance."

Glynda groaned, "Miss Nikos is so much better than-"

"Now, now, Glynda," another voice interrupted, the speaker stepping through the door. The head of the department, Professor Ozpin, simply smiled at her peacefully, although she could see the wicked glint in his eyes behind his small, round spectacles. "We're not interfering, we're merely… putting the pieces in play. How they act once they meet one another is entirely their own doing."

"But… betting on it?" she protested.

The man sipped his own hot chocolate, his ever-present companion, and stepped out of the door. "Think about it, Glynda. Why not let the kids have some fun?"

She huffed, "They're not 'kids' anymore, meddling isn't appropriate, and this sort of 'fun' is hardly ethical-"

"C'mon, Glynda," the last professor to enter her office drawled, "apparently he's already holding a bit of a torch for her. If she's really too good for him, then she'll say no and that's that. If she does fall for his… stupidity… then we've done a good thing and," he took a swig from his flask, "I'll be a little bit richer."

She began massaging her temples. It was barely five o'clock. "Qrow Branwen, how are you already drunk?"

Qrow shrugged. "Need to fuel my genius somehow."

She groaned. His latest paper was getting a highlight feature at the conference. How he managed to produce quality work despite his drinking habits escaped her.

The five men were watching her expectantly. Deflating, she massaged her temples, then finally muttered, "I'll… tell you if I'm participating by tomorrow."

"Ooh, see the first real meeting before picking sides," Tai sang. "Smart. But wagers close tomorrow, okay? Ruby was serious about keeping it organized."

Peter guffawed heartily. "It's good to see young Miss Rose is utilizing her transfer to our School of Business fully!" he teased.

Tai rolled his eyes, defeated for a moment. "Don't remind me. She's becoming a criminal," he mumbled. Turning back to Glynda, he added, "Don't forget!"

"See you all at the airport tomorrow," Professor Ozpin said. And with that, the five men left her office, leaving Glynda alone to her thoughts.

…I am so sorry, Pyrrha. She paused. I mean… I suppose it won't do any harm to her. It's ultimately all about her choice. But that Jaune boy? She shook her head wearily. This is going to be a long, long week.

xXx

With that thought in mind, Pyrrha wandered home to her dormitory hall in peace. By the time she arrived back, the sun was beginning to set, painting the skies in amber and pink just as she crossed the threshold of her bedroom. To her amusement, the sight awaiting her was just as silly and unexpected as usual; Nora was jumping on her bed as she spoke to her partner, Ren, the box spring and bedframe creaking noisily. Ren, on the other hand, was seated properly in Nora's desk, his eyes locked onto his textbook while he responded to her chattering with the occasional hum and word of agreement.

Upon seeing Pyrrha walk back into the large shared studio, Nora's eyes lit up. The girl lithely flipped midair and bounced off of her raised bed, rushing to greet Pyrrha with a hug. "Oh my god, Pyrrha, Ren says I can't come with you tomorrow!" she cried noisily as Pyrrha struggled to slip off her heeled boots by the door.

The redhead chuckled, patting her roommate's short orange hair comfortingly. "Nora," she replied evenly, "I'm not stuffing you into my suitcase."

"But I've never been to Argus," Nora moaned, pulling away from her.

"We can go for winter break," Ren soothed without looking up from his notes. "You've got midterms coming up. You should focus on those."

The shorter girl grumbled under her breath, but she reluctantly pulled away from Pyrrha anyways. "Did Glynda say anything about what's going on once you get there?"

Pyrrha laughed, stowing away her belongings. "I've already shown you the schedule, Nora. Not sure what else you're looking for."

"Oh, come on," Nora insisted, "she's got to have told you something!"

The redhead slipped into the bathroom, re-emerging in her pyjamas a minute later. Taking out her long, flowing red ponytail, she sighed. "Well, I mean, I suppose I found out that I'm presenting with someone."

Ren's head finally popped up from over the desk. "You did your research alone, though," he pointed out.

Pyrrha set off to make some tea in their tiny kitchenette. "Well, we're not presenting the same thing," she explained. "He's talking about agricultural… something? Two students are going to be assigned to each booth during the actual poster presentation, meaning we'll take turns while our partner helps us with tech and setup." At least, she assumed that was how the roles were going to work. The exact details of how the event was going to take place would only be explained once they were at Sanctum.

Nora frowned, jumping back onto her bed across the room from Pyrrha's. "So, do you know his name?" she asked curiously.

Pyrrha nodded, absentmindedly stirring milk and sugar into her earl grey. "Jaune Arc, I think."

"What?!"

Nora's sudden yelp of surprise knocked Pyrrha off balance, and in the blink of an eye, half of her tea had been spilled onto the floor, narrowly avoiding burning her legs. "Oh goodness- Nora, don't scare me like that!" the redhead scolded, cleaning up the mess. "What was that reaction for?"

She glanced over at her best friend, but the shorter girl had covered her mouth with both hands, stifling her muffled shrieks. Concern bloomed in her heart. "Um… do you know who he is?"

Taking a deep breath, Nora tried to settle her face into something resembling a natural smile. She failed. With a strained grin, the corner of her mouth twitching at the effort, she replied suspiciously, "No, I don't know him personally. I know of him, though. I think he's friends with Ruby."

At that, Pyrrha brightened up. Ruby Rose, the youngest member of their friend circle, tended to have the sweetest friends. It probably came from being doted on all her life by her older sister Yang, but the younger girl always found herself surrounded by kind people. Well, maybe except for Weiss. No one really knew why Weiss had begun to hang out with them, the heiress having long since moved out of the dorms in favour of living in a lavish apartment right off campus, but she didn't question the fact that Ruby was even able to melt the cold, pale girl's heart a little.

"Well, if he's friends with Ruby, he's probably not that bad," Pyrrha commented, straightening up after wiping the floor. She checked how Nora was doing, still confused by the other girl's potent reaction. "But why the scream, though? You scared me."

Nora giggled nervously, now focused on texting furiously, her fingers flying across her phone's screen. "Oh, no, I just thought of something else, don't worry about me," the orange-haired girl insisted.

"Really now? So who're you texting?"

Nora stuck her tongue out at the redhead. "Ruby, silly. I wanna get the details on this Jaune guy. What if he's actually secretly a weirdo?"

Pyrrha shook her head. She highly doubted that he'd be the worst person in the world.

That didn't stop Ruby, Yang, and Weiss from storming Pyrrha and Nora's shared studio within the hour, the group settling around the low coffee table while Pyrrha focused on packing her suitcase.

"So, Pyrrha- are you ready to hang out with our dad for the trip?" Yang laughed, throwing her long blonde hair back over her shoulder haughtily. "He's kind of dorky, but you know that he'll always make things… pun-derful!"

Everyone, including Ren (still finishing up his readings, of course) groaned at that. "Sis, you're the worst," Ruby groaned, burying her face in her hands. Raising her head slightly, she flashed Pyrrha a wry grin. "But seriously though, if Dad tries to show you our baby pictures again, please run. He's got too much blackmail on us."

Weiss sighed. "It's only blackmail if you're ashamed of what you've done, and I highly doubt the two of you have matured even a day since you were children," she muttered.

The redhead finally zipped up the suitcase, testing its weight. Perfect. With that, all of her belongings were ready to go for the next morning- all she had to do was get to the airport on time for her flight. "I'm sure Professor Xiao Long will be fine," she soothed.

Hearing that title used for their father, both sisters shuddered. "Oh no, please just call him Tai- if you call him 'professor' it'll go to his head," Yang cried.

Ruby leaned back thoughtfully. "I mean, I know that this conference is his whole thing and all, but like… what's Dad's job during it?"

"He's organizing the presenting students in the undergraduate section," Weiss explained smoothly. When her friends merely stared at her, she shrugged. "What? I read the university newsletter, okay?!"

"Of course you do," Ruby laughed, making room for Pyrrha as the redhead made to join them. "Pyrrha, do you know who's gonna be your partner for it?"

Surprisingly enough, it was Nora whose hand shot into the air. "It's Jaune Arc!" she reported proudly.

Ruby's eyes lit up in an instant, and she squeaked in joy, clapping delightedly. "Oh, this'll be so much fun!" she squealed. Turning to Pyrrha, she explained, "Jaune's a great guy! You'll have so much fun! We had the same standard timetable in our first year, so I've hung out with him lots." She quickly opened up a photograph on her phone and handed it to Pyrrha. "Look! Pretty good-looking, huh?"

Pyrrha took the phone without complaint, glancing at the screen. In the picture, Ruby was standing next to a cheerful-looking blond boy in a silly sweater and baggy jeans. He towered over Ruby, likely at least a foot taller than the younger girl, and yet, his cheeky grin made it feel as if he was extremely approachable.

The tiny tuft amongst shaggy blond hair, tied up at the top of his head with a cute hair bauble, likely helped the image, though.

The redhead snorted, looking at the picture. He seemed pretty relaxed, if he'd allowed his photo to be taken after someone (presumably Ruby) had tied up his bangs the way one did to a little girl.

"Isn't Blondie the one who threw up all over himself during that first-year retreat you went on?" Weiss pointed out, wrinkling her nose at the thought.

Ruby and Yang both snickered. "Ooh, boy did he ever," Yang giggled. "He's called Vomit Boy for a reason."

"Um…" Pyrrha could feel her stomach twisting lightly at the thought, putting the phone down onto the table nervously. "You know that I'm going to be flying with him tomorrow, right?"

The three girls immediately flashed her apologetic smiles. "Sorry," Ruby murmured. "I swear he's gotten better. It's been three years!"

"He threw up the moment you got off the rollercoaster at the fair this summer," Yang whispered loudly, holding her hand up to cover her mouth as if it would stop Pyrrha from hearing her words.

Ruby swatted her sister's hand away. "Ssh! You're ruining it!" Smiling at Pyrrha, she added, "Maybe stay away from fast-moving vehicles if you can help it, though."

The redhead crossed her legs, leaning back against her bedframe. "How did you meet?"

The younger sighed dramatically at the memory, falling flat onto her back. "It was a dreary and cold orientation," she announced theatrically. "Rain was threatening to fall over a somber morn, and-"

"Her orientation squad left her and Vomit Boy behind, so they got lost together and became socially awkward friends," Yang interrupted frankly.

Ruby groaned. "Ugh, guys, you have no idea how painful orientation was for our section," the girl complained. "I transferred out for a reason! Our orientation leader ditched us in like, twenty minutes! Jaune and I got separated from the group, but we couldn't find anyone else who looked even remotely familiar. We got so lost."

"So did you just… miss the rest of the orientation?" Weiss muttered incredulously, looking up from filing her nails for the first time that evening.

Ruby huffed. "Well, I mean, we got back in time for the closing ceremonies in the stadium." She crossed her arms, pouting. "We just… hid out in a café and gossiped about the weird profs we'd heard about until then."

"Ooh, I like him already," Nora grinned wickedly, raising her eyebrows up and down playfully.

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "I'm not exactly much of a gossip," she reminded her friend, "so I'm not sure how that'll help me."

Ruby smiled brightly. "Well, at the very least, I'm sure you two will get along!" she announced. "I can see you two fitting together perfectly-"

"Ruby," Yang warned, raising a brow at her. "Nope. Let Pyrrha form her own opinions."

Ruby blushed a deep red, looking away embarrassedly. "Why can't I hype up one of my friends?" she muttered under her breath.

"Not when you have a stake in it, you don't," Weiss scolded. Instantly, Ruby and Yang both shot Weiss a warning look, to which the girl simply rolled her eyes and focused back on filing her nails.

A 'stake' in it? She probably doesn't want me to dislike Jaune- that would make things awkward, if we ever want to hang out as a group, Pyrrha thought, laughing off their odd conversation. They were always plotting something or the other- she had long learned to simply ignore whatever shenanigans they were planning. "Either way, it'll be nice going back to Anima," she murmured. "I haven't really visited home in a long time."

"Ah, the prodigal daughter returns, carrying accolades and fighting for research positions to bring her family honour. You went to the high school associated with Sanctum Academy, right? How poetic," Yang teased.

The redhead rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Oh, quiet, you," she brushed off the praise. Yes, she had gotten a lot of scholarships and bursaries to attend Beacon, but she didn't like thinking about the so-called 'prestige' which those awards had brought her. They were isolating.

However, the mere thought of visiting her home over the next week sent a wave of trepidation rippling through her. It had been so long since she had visited her family home… What would her mother say when she saw her? That worry had been running around her mind for weeks, and she still had yet to come up with a concrete answer.

We'll deal with that later. I need to make it to Argus first.

Ruby sat up, nudging her side with her elbow. "Don't worry. You'll kick butt," she cheered. "And you and Jaune are gonna get really close!"

"Ruby," Weiss warned again, but Ruby just stuck her tongue out at the pale girl.

Pyrrha giggled, eyes drifting back down to the phone on the table. Jaune seemed like a nice-enough guy, if Ruby had become his friend in such a silly, innocent manner. Based on the photograph alone, she just knew that he would be clumsy in real life- he had a scruffy, bumbling look about him, but the goofy grin and bright, open blue eyes warmed her heart a little.

Being paired up with him for this conference wouldn't be that bad. At the very least, she knew she'd make a friend.

A/N: Reminder: if you want to see more of this fic, let me know! Cheers :D