Sorry I wasn't able to post this on Friday. Life has been crazy lately. I have to finish a draft of my novel by Monday to show to one of my profs, and of course I only recently figured out that I need to add and subtract a crap-ton of stuff. Between that, and having to build a model for a film class, things have been pretty crazy. Still, I fully intend to put something fanfiction-related up every week, regardless of how busy I get.

So, I noticed that a lot of people are following this fic, even though I labeled it as a oneshot. I was originally just going to write a few oneshots for this, but now I think this will work better as a chapter fic. Enjoy!

"Hey, Arc Angel!" Ruby's voice, followed by a light tap to the head, caused Jaune to jump.

"Huh? What's up?" He blinked in confusion.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Barty just called a slave battle, lover boy. Let's hit the field. I'm sure Pyrrha will be here soon."

Jaune picked up his shield, holding it up to shade his rapidly-reddening face. "What makes you think that's what I'm thinking about?" he challenged. He couldn't help but glance around one more time. The usual group was there, along with a few newbies, including Ren and Nora. Pyrrha, unfortunately, still was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, please," Ruby said with a snort. "You've been mooning over her since opening week. It's pretty obvious."

"It kinda is," Velvet said as she walked by.

Jaune's face flushed further and his shoulders drooped. "Is it?"

"Yep!" Ruby chirped as they approached the field. "Why don't you ask her on an actual date this week?"

It was the fifth week of practice since freshman orientation. During those weeks, it had become a tradition for Jaune and Pyrrha to go out for coffee after practice, either at the campus Starbucks or at the local coffee shop. They would talk for hours about their assignments, Pyrrha's Dag character (a Roman soldier named Ophelia), and the Pathfinder campaign Jaune was thinking of starting.

They also met frequently during the week, finding time in their schedules to have lunch at the student union with Ren and Nora, or even have dinner at Jaune's house. Already, Jaune felt closer to her than he did to most of his high school friends. By week two, he knew that he had fallen hard for the gorgeous redhead.

"I don't know," he muttered. "I don't want to screw things up, you know?"

"What could you possibly screw up?" Ruby asked. "I'm pretty sure she's interested in you."

"She might not be," Jaune protested. "Maybe she just wants a close guy friend. Most of the girls I've seen who join Dag aren't looking for a boyfriend when they join. Heck, I've talked to a few who are hesitant to join because they think that all of us nerdy men will immediately hit on them. They want a casual environment where gender doesn't matter and we can all just hit each other with foam. I want Pyrrha to be comfortable in Dag and with me."

Ruby started to reply, but was interrupted as Barty started reminding everyone of the rules. A slave battle was a free-for-all where killing someone made them your slave. Killing someone who owns slaves sets the slaves free while killing a slave puts them under the new killer's control. If someone's slave kills someone, that person is under the control of the slave's master. The game ends when one person owns everyone else.

"3, 2, 1, play on!" Barty shouted.

Jaune immediately swung around and hit Ruby in the back with his sword, catching her off guard.

Sticking out her tongue, she put her red sword on top of her head and counted to three before declaring: "I fight for Arc Angel!"

The two ran into the fray, staying close to each other. Ruby spotted Ren and immediately ran over. The young Asian man was fighting with a blue in each hand and had gotten significantly better during the past few weeks. He blocked the first few hits before Ruby managed to get his leg. He went down on one knee and continued blocking.

Nora tried to run up behind Ruby, only to be stopped by Jaune. She was holding a blue sword and a shield, since she still wasn't allowed to use a red mallet. She jumped back from Jaune before running up and managing to hit the arm that held his shield.

Jaune dropped the shield and prepared to fend off her attack when a sharp blow to the back caused him to let out a loud puff of air. He looked over his shoulder to see Coco standing behind him, clad in her brown shield-maiden attire and wielding a shield and one-handed axe.

"Freedom!" Ruby shouted, killing Ren with another hit.

Jaune silently counted to three before declaring, "I fight for Freya."

Behind him, Ren called out, "I fight for the Rose Knight."

The battle continued, with Jaune changing hands from Coco to Velvet to Nora to Coco again. Halfway through, he noticed Pyrrha approaching the field, clad in her red leggings and recently-improvised gold tunic, made from an old costume shirt. She picked up a shield and sword from the loaner pile before rushing onto the field. She smiled at Jaune before swinging at him. He just barely managed to jump back in time, only to get hit with Velvet's dagger.

"I fight for Hyzenthlay."

After fifteen or so minutes, the slave battle finally ended with Coco as the victor. She laughed as they went to get water. "You shall all help me conquer these lands!" she declared grandly.

"The people will all flee in terror from our foam weaponry and dorky names," Velvet said dryly, walking over and planting a quick kiss on the other girl's cheek.

Coco's face flushed and she grinned. "Most of the wimps on campus would run if we all tried charging them. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Okay, sweetie." Velvet patted her head.

Jaune laughed at the girls' antics while Pyrrha watched them curiously. "Are they a couple?" she asked.

"Sure are," Jaune said, sitting down against a nearby tree. "They were roomies last year and became really close during that time."

"They look good together," Pyrrha murmured, sitting down next to him and opening her water bottle. "In high school, lesbian couples were never so open. It's nice to see that college is different."

"I can't wait till I'm in college," Ruby groaned, slumping against the tree on Jaune's other side. "People are so stupid in high school. There's so much drama."

"My head still hurts from all the times it's been slammed into lockers," Jaune agreed. "I'm glad those days are over."

"You must have a thick skull to have survived that," Pyrrha said, a teasing glint entering her eyes.

Jaune laughed. "I've been told that. Multiple times."

"Mostly by me," Ruby added.

After their break, they had a few free-for-all battles and some basic, two-sided battles where the winning team had to send over the first person on their side to die to be on the losing team for the next round. Nora and Pyrrha got sent back and forth quite a few times.

"I'll get better eventually," Pyrrha said as she went back to Jaune's team once again.

"You're already almost as good as me," Jaune pointed out. "You'll probably be kicking my butt consistently after a few more weeks."

They had one more battle, which was won by Jaune and Pyrrha's side, before Barty called a brief after-practice meeting. "Good practice today, everyone. Quite excellent. The new members are doing very well." He nodded at Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, who grinned back. "As a professor, I feel that it is my duty to remind you of the Homecoming Bonfire that will be happening on Wednesday night at the old football field in the park. I will bring some of my loaner weapons if anyone wishes to have a mini practice there. I'll post the location in the forum tonight. Until then, good night and make sure to study well."

Pyrrha, Jaune, and Ruby helped Barty load the weapons into his car before Ruby ran over to her sister's bright yellow car, waving over her shoulder. "Bye, guys!"

"Why isn't Ruby's sister in Dag?" Pyrrha asked as she and Jaune walked down the sidewalk leading to downtown and the local coffee shop. "I've seen her around campus, and she seems like the type to enjoy it."

"She's in SCA," Jaune explained. "They're kinda like Dag, but they use rattan wood and fiberglass weapons and way more armor."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "That sounds intense."

"Yeah. It's a little too much for me," Jaune admitted. "I'm good with plain old foam."

They reached the coffee shop, where they both ordered lattes and pastries. Jaune got a slice of cheesecake while Pyrrha contented herself with a slice of black forest cake.

"So, will you be going to the bonfire?" Pyrrha asked, taking a bite of her cake.

"Definitely!" Jaune nodded as an idea occurred to him. "I was going to walk Ruby down there. Maybe we could meet up at campus and all go over together?" That's platonic enough, right? She won't mistake that for a date, right?

Pyrrha smiled, trying to ignore the warm flush that rose in her cheeks. He wants to go as a group of friends. That's all, she firmly told herself. "That would be nice. I'll try to get Weiss to pry herself away from her textbooks long enough to join us."

"Haven't you been trying to get her to come onto the field for a few weeks now?"

"Yes. She still needs convincing that Dagorhir isn't filled with 'nerdy basement-dwellers'." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "She's a nice girl and a good roommate, but she really needs to loosen up a little."

"Still, you really lucked out," Jaune noted. "I've heard horror stories about roommates who play music all night or frequently kick their roomies out on account of having a boyfriend or girlfriend over."

"True. I'm certainly glad that she's quiet."

"Wanna trade for my sisters?" Jaune asked, snickering a little. "I might actually get to go to bed before midnight."

"No deal." Pyrrha smirked. "I like your sisters, though. They're sweet."

"They certainly love you." Jaune grinned as he thought of how excited his sisters, particularly the younger ones, got whenever he invited Pyrrha to dinner. "They think you're the coolest person in the world."

Pyrrha blushed, glancing to the side with a modest smile. "Well, most younger siblings think that of their older siblings' friends," she murmured. "I'm flattered, though."

"Well, in this particular case, they're definitely not wrong," Jaune said before he could stop himself. His face flushed. Aaand that was lame, blatant flirting at its finest…

Pyrrha's cheeks deepened in color. She hoped that the dim light would make it less obvious. "Thank you."

"N-No problem." Jaune quickly busied himself with his cake, hoping his face would be a normal shade when he looked up again. "So, I've been working more on the enemies for my Pathfinder campaign."

"You mean the undead hoard, or the void dragon? Oh, I've been meaning to ask: Would races from the Advanced Race Handbook be allowed in your campaign?"

"Oh, yeah!" Jaune replied. "That won't be a problem. As for the enemies, I was actually thinking of a smaller group of drow bandits that I may place in one of the forests. I won't tell you which one, of course."

They talked for another hour before parting ways. Pyrrha had to insist regularly that she was fully capable of walking back to campus on her own. Just the same, Jaune always told her to text him once she was safely back at the dorm. She rolled her eyes, but was secretly touched by his concern.

She sent the obligatory text as she entered her room. "Hello, Weiss. Are you free Wednesday night?"

"For what, exactly?" Weiss asked, looking up from her laptop.

"The Bonfire is that night. I'm meeting up with Jaune and Ruby. Care to join us?"

The heiress's nose wrinkled a little with distaste. "I never enjoy school spirit events. Besides, I have a test that afternoon."

"The bonfire isn't until after," Pyrrha reminded her. "After a test, you should relax a bit. And we don't have to wear spirit attire." When her roommate was silent, she gently tapped her shoulder. "We're in college, Weiss. What's the harm of a little fun?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "Oh, I suppose." She softened her reluctant acceptance with a smile. "Is this your sneaky way of getting me to finally fight with your Dagorhir people."

"Perhaps," Pyrrha chuckled as she opened her laptop to start her own assignments. Her phone buzzed and she paused to pick it up.

"Glad you got back safe. Up for lunch at the union on Monday? Usual time?"

Pyrrha smiled softly as she sent an answering text. "Of course. See you then."

….

On Wednesday, Weiss and Pyrrha went to the union for a quick dinner before going to their decided meeting place near the Dag field. Pyrrha wore jeans and a red jacket while Weiss wore gray leggings and a pale blue sweatshirt. By mutual agreement, they didn't wear a patch of gold or maroon, which were the school's colors. It only took five minutes for Jaune and Ruby to show up. Ruby wore a maroon sweater under her red cloak, which she apparently took everywhere, and not just to Dag practices. Jaune wore a Beacon University hoodie that had obviously come from the campus bookstore.

Pyrrha introduced Weiss to Jaune and Ruby, noticing that the latter's face turned a definite shade of pink when the heiress shook her hand. As they walked the fifteen minutes to the old football field, they talked about school and whether or not they'd be going to the football game (the general consensus being no). Jaune and Ruby made sure to include Weiss in the conversation and the heiress seemed incredibly at ease by the time they reached their destination.

The band was playing and the fire had already been lit. A few enthusiastic fans had painted themselves with the school colors and the football team was mingling with everyone else. It wasn't unlike a high school event, except for the fact that no one bothered to hide their alcohol.

Weiss cast a derisive glare in the direction of the rambunctious football players and fans. "We're not going over there, are we?"

"Don't worry," Jaune assured her. "The Dag group usually stays over there by that fence. No crazy fanboys there."

"At least not football fanboys," Pyrrha added.

Jaune laughed. "True. If you can't handle nerdy fantasy talk, now's the time to bail."

Weiss glanced at Pyrrha before shrugging. "I think I'll manage."

Only a few people from Dag were there, which was fine since Barty hadn't brought as many weapons as usual. Ren and Nora were there along with Velvet, Coco, and another new player named Sun, who was apparently Ren's roommate.

"Everyone got their roomies onto the field but me," Nora noted with a pout. "Mine's super shy, even more than Ren."

"Technically, I haven't been on the field yet," Weiss pointed out.

"I heard a yet in there!" Jaune teased, poking her arm. "Looks like we're wearing her down, Pyrrha!"

Weiss gave him a withering look, and stayed on the sidelines while the players sparred, occasionally talking with Pyrrha when the latter decided to take a break. However, when Ruby shyly offered to teach her the basics, she didn't say no. After a few fights, Weiss had successfully beaten Jaune, Ren, and even Velvet by sheer luck. Sun, meanwhile, was a natural and even Coco had some trouble landing hits on him. Barty, of course, won most of the duels he participated in.

Another hour went by before Ren yawned widely and decided to go home. Sun and Nora accompanied him back to campus, Sun promising that they'd be seeing him again during their next practice. Velvet and Coco leaned against the fence and started talking quietly. Barty collected the small pile of weapons, waving away Pyrrha's offers to help him, and also left.

Pyrrha didn't feel quite ready to leave, and was thankful to see that Jaune, Ruby, and Weiss felt the same way. They ended up sitting in the grass, watching the bonfire from a distance as it started to dwindle. The football players, of course, were as energetic as ever. At one point, they let out a resounding cheer that echoed throughout the surrounding park.

"Yeah, go sportsball!" Jaune shouted in response, grinning at the appreciative laughter of his friends. He was silent for a moment before a chilly breeze caused him to shiver.

Pyrrha looked at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah." Jaune waved a hand dismissively. "I'm just wishing I had picked out a warmer hoodie right now. That's what I get for being spirited." The hoodie had been fine while they were moving around and fighting. But now, it was starting to feel paper-thin.

"No prob, Jaune. We got your back." Ruby scooted over and hugged Jaune's left side. "Take his right, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha chuckled at Ruby before scooting over and hugging Jaune's other side. When would she get another excuse to do something like this, after all? She noticed Weiss rolling her eyes, but chose to ignore it.

Jaune's face turned bright red when Pyrrha hugged him, but he quickly played it off with a smirk. "So, is that all it takes to get a girl on each arm?" This earned him a punch in the shoulder from both of his friends. He winced. "Ow! Jeez, guys. I was kidding!"

The four continued talking for another half hour before the nearly-dead fire (and a call from Ruby's father) told them it was time to go home. By this point, Ruby had moved away from Jaune, but Pyrrha had ended up snuggled contentedly against his other side. At one point, he had cautiously lifted his arm to wrap around her shoulders, feeling giddy when she responded by shifting closer. He definitely didn't feel cold at that point!

They parted ways downtown, Pyrrha promising to text Jaune once she and Weiss were safely back at the dorms. Her face was flushed and there was a smile on her face that she simply couldn't will away. "So, Weiss? Do you think you'll come onto the field this weekend?"

Weiss shrugged as they walked. "I suppose, if only to act as a chaperone for you and that boyfriend of yours." Her lips quirked upwards and she raised an eyebrow. When Pyrrha only answered with a brighter blush, she smiled.

Ruby, meanwhile, was elbowing Jaune throughout their walk home. "See? I told you! She's totally interested. You need to ask her out like yesterday!"

Jaune looked at the ground. "Maybe."

"Maybe? Please, Jaune. No one cuddles against someone for a half hour unless they like them a lot."

"You could be right." Jaune started to smile before a thought occurred to him, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Wait. You planned that, didn't you?"

Ruby didn't bother trying to hide her wide answering smirk. "Maaaaaybe!"

I can see two or three more chapters coming out of this AU. Just to clarify on the roommates in this world: Pyrrha's rooming with Weiss (obviously), Ren's rooming with Sun, and Nora's rooming with Blake. Yang and Jaune commute from town and Ruby, of course, is still in high school. And yes, I decided to pair up Coco and Velvet in this AU because why not? They're adorable.

Stay tuned for more play fighting, more Arkos, and more of Ruby being the best wingman ever. Peace out.