Ruby grumbled when sunlight crept behind her closed eyelids. The creases in her forehead smoothed as she shifted, curling into the nearest object for blessed darkness. The object wriggled. Ruby rubbed her cheek against it, whining until movement ceased. There was a series of quiet murmurs, followed by a throaty laugh. Ruby groaned, flopped over, and propped herself up by the elbow, cracking an eye open to glare in the direction of the noise.

"Yang, stop–" Ruby blinked twice before she registered Jaune's amused grin. Then, she looked at the object she'd clung to. Pyrrha smiled back, her body vibrating when she hummed. Pyrrha's smile only grew as she tapped the arms locked around her waist like a steel belt.

"Sorry!" Ruby flung herself back, face warmer than the time she got dared to chug a bottle of hot sauce without any water, or milk, on hand. She ended up spending a day in the infirmary, red as a beet and clutching her upset stomach.

"No need to apologize. It's refreshing to be the smaller spoon, for once." Pyrrha stretched, hair flowing down her back like a steady river of crimson flames, before pooling at her hips. In comparison, Jaune's cropped, blonde hair blended in with the morning sunlight, becoming indistinguishable from the walls of the living room.

"Don't listen to her. She's the one who always insists on being the big spoon." Jaune looked at Ruby, who was still glowing with embarrassment. "Aw, Ruby, it's alright. No harm done. Though I might have a few choice words if you copped a feel."

"I didn't!" Ruby's pitched squeal did nothing but amuse her friends further. "Pyrrha, tell him!"

Pyrrha struck a pose, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her fist. "Hm… I swore I felt a hand inching up my thigh last night." Jaune smothered a grin when Ruby levelled an expression of horror at his girlfriend. "Would you care for another… demonstration?"

She batted her lashes, enjoying Ruby's sharp intake of breath and murmured, "Goodbye cruel world."

"Alright, alright. We're joking, Ruby. Yeesh, you look like want to fling yourself out the window." Jaune said, taking pity on Ruby as her skin shifted between shades of eggplant purple and spaghetti red.

Pyrrha giggled. Jaune leaned in to steal a kiss, chapped lips pressing firmly against hers. The satisfied flush that crept up her neck filled him more than any breakfast could. His stomach rumbled. Or not. "I'm starving. Pancakes and eggs, anyone?"

Ruby's eyes twinkled. "Don't forget the bacon! Think of it as payback for the emotional distress you caused me at," she glanced at the clock and slumped. "Eight am. Seriously? You two are meanies."

"Trust me, this is Pyrrha being nice. She used to wake our team at six. Six!" He shuddered. "You don't want to tangle with Nora before she gets her morning syrup."

Pyrrha shrugged. She usually woke Ren, and then got him to wake Nora. There were less death threats when the first thing she saw in the morning was her now husband's face. Ruby giggled at Jaune's theatrics. "Sounds like Weiss before she gets her coffee."

She pictured her partner's face, cheeks taut and eyes pinched as she glared at the poor soul who'd woken her that morning. Ruby had roped Yang and Blake into 'taking one for the team,' devising a weekly schedule on who had to wake the heiress. It was the only reason she survived Beacon to tell a universal truth: Schnee's were not morning folk.

After lazing around a little longer, they finally decided to start their day. Pyrrha ushered Ruby to the bathroom, a gentle hand on her back, while Jaune got started on breakfast. Half an hour later found the three sharing a table in the modestly sized kitchen.

Pyrrha's mug of coffee was running empty. Jaune and Ruby had just finished singing praises about how good the milk tasted. They agreed Paul the Singing Cow was the best brand to pair with Pumpkin Pete's. They didn't think it was a coincidence both brands started with the same alphabet, and Pyrrha wisely decided not to interrupt their heated conversation.

Ruby polished off the last of her breakfast and beamed at him. "Thanks for the food, Jaune! The pancakes were delicious."

"I had years to learn the art of pancake making from Ren." Jaune smiled at the compliment, slicing up his last pancake. He smeared a piece with blueberry jam before popping it in his mouth. "The man knows his way around a flapjack, and it pays to make em' how Nora likes them."

"He bribed her with twenty, once." Pyrrha smiled fondly, swallowing the last mouthful of coffee. "It was amazing sight to behold. She stuffed half in her pockets and the other half in her mouth. I wish I took a picture, it was uncanny how she resembled a chipmunk."

"What did you want her to do? Homework?" Ruby asked, eyebrows rising in an approximation of the face Weiss made when faced with a difficult topic.

Jaune nodded. "Homework."

"It worked brilliantly. But after eating them, she got so excited she spilled maple syrup all over our desks. Including the essays we were supposed to hand in to Professor Port the next day."

Ruby winced. By the looks on their faces, she could tell it wasn't a pleasant memory. "The one on the anatomy of Creeps and the method to pinpoint the position of their vitals?" She'd gotten a C on that. Beowolfs she knew like the back of her hand, but Creeps were tricky. It was a species of Grimm that didn't have a fixed layout of their internals. And they reminded her heavily of deformed chickens, which made it hard not to laugh when she came across a picture.

"I'd rather die than go through third year again." Jaune muttered. Pyrrha grunted in agreement. She brightened when he held out his fork, and leaned across the table to bite the offered pancake. Ruby gazed at them, a silly smile stretching her lips as she watched them interact.

After breakfast, they returned to the living room. Jaune busied himself with checking whether the home scroll had any battery left after their movie marathon the night before, while Pyrrha and Ruby tidied up the controlled chaos of multiple cushions, pillows, and popcorn kernels. He disappeared into his room to charge it when he found it dead.

"Oof." Ruby fell back onto the sofa, careful not to disturb the meticulously placed cushions. She rolled her neck, stretching her arms over her head. "I'm so full," she placed a hand over her stomach. "I don't want to move for the rest of the day. Do you have anything lined up later, Pyrrha?"

"I'm supposed to oversee a match this afternoon." Pyrrha lowered herself beside the red-haired woman. Long, nimble fingers threaded through the unkempt hair, drawing a huff from Ruby. Pyrrha smiled when Ruby eventually stopped squirming and leaned into her touch. She gently raked her nails over her scalp. Ruby's satisfied grumble made her giggle. "What about you? Does Remnant's most renowned Huntress have any missions lined up?"

"Nah, nothing for now. Weiss is busy with her company, Blake and Yang are off adventuring. I have to get treats for Zwei. Does that count?" She suddenly gasped. "Oh, and I almost forgot, I need to get more cookies!"

"Ruby, we already have enough till last till Armageddon. At this rate, you'll turn the house into a bakery." Pyrrha chided. She never neglected to get Ruby's favourite brand whenever Jaune and her had their weekly grocery trips. But given how many packets Ruby inhaled when she came over – which was a lot – she might have had a point. "You know what? I'm not sure if you devoured everything in the pantry last night. We should check."

"Noooo," Ruby groaned, nudging Pyrrha's hand like an overgrown pup. "I'm too comfy. Leave it for later." Pyrrha rolled her eyes good naturedly, but didn't resist.

Jaune returned with another scroll and laughed when he saw them. "Enjoying yourself?" He teased, settling beside Pyrrha. Ruby snorted. She peered at him but soon lost interest, drifting off under Pyrrha's gentle petting.

Jaune unlocked the scroll with a swipe of his fingers. He nudged Pyrrha when several messages popped up, and she turned to look at him quizzically. "Hey Pyr, looks like someone's asking for you."

"Darn, I must have left my scroll back at the locker rooms." She shook her head. "What does it say?"

Jaune's eyes flitted through the contents. His nose scrunched. "It's from Grey and Mag's managers. They want you to come down as soon as you can. Their sponsors are insisting the contestants meet Champion Nikos." He grinned. "You've gotten way more popular after someone claimed meeting you before a match brought good luck. I still can't believe they'd pay you to give a bunch of overconfident teenagers' a pep talk."

"It works no more than if they'd doused themselves in glitter and welded a picture of my face on their weapons." Pyrrha grumbled. Ruby snickered and gently tugged on the hand curled in her hair. "I meet you three times a month, which means I must be the luckiest person on Remnant right now. Sign me up for the next tournament!" She joked.

"It wouldn't be a tournament. It would be a one-sided massacre." Jaune said. He shrugged when his girlfriend gave him The Look. "My mom did always say that honesty's the best policy."

"Your mom also said rubbing onions in your hair helped it grow." She sniped, reaching up to rub a tuft of his blonde fringe between her fingers. "Don't encourage Ruby, she might sign up under an alias."

"Hey, I only tried that once. And, The Reaper of Flour and Baked Goodies was a great name!" Ruby protested. "Besides, you caught me before they could finalize the contestants."

"Ruby, your opponent would sooner flay themselves alive then fight you. You even got mobbed the last time you tried visiting me. Jaune had to use his semblance to shield you!" The memory that sprung to mind made Ruby grin uneasily. Someone had also tossed her a pair of underwear as she tried entering the stadium. She wouldn't have minded, but she was pretty sure the person had been wearing it just before they sent it flying.

"I just want to fight at the Mistral Stadium. One chance is all I need." She pouted. "Think of all the awesome moves I could do in such a huge area! I could do my special attack!" She hopped to her feet and swung her arms in wide, dramatic movements that could've sliced up everything in the living room if she'd been holding Crescent Rose. "Think of the ratings, the sponsors, and the free cookies!"

Jaune covered his mouth to hide his laughter. Pyrrha's exasperated expression nearly set him off, but he fought it down, only grinning widely to show his amusement.

"Dreams of stardom aside," Pyrrha gently maneuvered a vibrating Ruby back onto the sofa, taking care to avoid the sharp angles of the coffee table. "I have to get ready. Will we be meeting for lunch after I'm finished?"

"Definitely." Ruby nodded. "I'll be off shopping for dog treats and a couple of weapon parts. The important part's the treats though, I need to send them to Patch before Zwei throws a fit."

"Are you okay going by yourself? Do you need a ride, or...?" Jaune asked, lightly prodding her with his toe. She squealed and swatted it away.

"My semblance is super speed, remember?" Ruby puffed out her chest. "I could run to the mall and back without even breaking a sweat." It was a fifteen minute journey by car. She could probably make it in ten. This would be the first time she'd do it since Jaune always insisted on giving her a ride, and it would be nice to stretch her legs after three, wholesome days of lazing around the house.

"Then I'll drive you to the stadium." Jaune told Pyrrha, receiving a brilliant smile in return. He turned back to Ruby. "Remember to grab your keys in case you need anything."

Ruby saluted. Jaune pretended to tip his imaginary hat. Pyrrha looked between the two of them, her chest swelling with affection. What would she do without these dorks?

Pyrrha tilted her head towards the sky. The breeze tickled her cheeks, and she let out a content sigh. Ruby's arrival had been serendipity. The blistering hot weather had given way to something milder, and she could leave the house without feeling like she'd stepped into an oven. On the downside, it meant Jaune and Ruby traded their tank tops for sleeved shirts. She was tempted to holler at the heavens for another heat wave, but ultimately, decided against it.

Jaune gaped at the throng of people clustered around the main entrance of the stadium. "The match isn't due for another two hours. It looks like some of them have been here all night." He said, eyeing the tents that swayed back and forth.

Pyrrha shrugged. "Mistralians are very avid supporters of their tournaments. You should be used to seeing this." She teased, giving his hand a soft squeeze. "After all, you never missed any of my matches after we graduated."

"That's different. I get the best seats and go in from the back." He shook his head. "It's just kind of unfair, I guess?" Pyrrha being the idol she was meant she could bring anyone she wished. He suspected she could bring an international criminal, and still have the staff serve them peanuts and overpriced champagne.

Several of the staff on duty spotted them as they neared the back entrance. Just in time, too, because a bystander had screamed Pyrrha's name, catching the attention of the rest of the rabid flock. Jaune felt his palms going slick with sweat as jealous stares dug into his back. He smiled wryly when Pyrrha waved at the frothing crowd, and proceeded to hook an arm around his waist. The screams rose to a fevered pitch. He didn't relax until the solid double doors of the stadium slammed shut behind them.

"I'll never get used to that." He shivered. He'd rather face down a pack of Grimm armed with only a toothpick and a shield made of cotton candy. "Did you really need to encourage them? They looked like they wanted to rip me apart and set me on fire." He gestured to the arm still wrapped around him. He blushed at her heated stare and tugged at his collar.

"All's fair in love and war, Jaune." Pyrrha chortled.

"Hey, I'm not the one they're going nuts over," He complained. His blush grew several shades darker when she pressed her lips against the back of his knuckles. Muffled squeals erupted around them, and Jaune resigned himself to his fate. "You like riling them up way too much."

Once they made it to the other side of the long hallway, the doors were thrown open by a pair of overly, enthusiastic staff. It was overblown and dramatic, but Pyrrha didn't bat an eye as she stepped through. Jaune was ready to pull away and wander into his usual corner to wait, when a muscled middle-aged man popped into existence. The rainbow coloured toupee on his head made Jaune do a double take.

"Welcome back. I was wondering how long it'd take you to get here after I sent the messages!" Jaune winced at barrage of words, accompanied by flecks of saliva that rained on them like tipped spears.

"Hello, again." Pyrrha laughed warmly. "Is it just me, or are you looking younger whenever I see you?" She gushed, releasing her hold on him to shake Muscle Man's hands.

Jaune sighed a tad dreamily when she rolled her tongue. Her Mistral accent was unbearably sexy. She could talk someone into giving her their firstborn if she ever tried. Thank goodness Pyrrha was more partial to Valesian, or he'd melt into goo whenever she talked.

"I'm flattered, Miss Nikos! You don't look too bad yourself, and as usual, your muscles are to die for!" The man struck a pose. Jaune tried not to gape when he saw his pecs moving up and down. Was this man made from pure muscle or something? "Ah, I see your boyfriend's here. I must say, his muscles are magnificent as well!"

Pyrrha gave Jaune a sly look. "I agree. They are remarkably firm." Jaune coughed, heat creeping into his ears. He resumed his inspection of the speck of white on the ceiling above them in a bid not to look embarrassed.

Muscle Man's laugh reverberated around the large space. "Pleasantries aside, I'm here to tell you that Mister Grey and Miss Magenta are awaiting your presence in the lounge. Their sponsors will be arriving shortly. Mister Arc is welcome to tag along, I'm sure they'll be pleased to meet the Shield of Vale."

Jaune covered his oncoming groan. He'd wanted to wait somewhere quiet until Pyrrha was done rubbing elbows. That plan had just been shot to death. Giving spirit rousing speeches was also more of Ruby's shtick. "I guess I'll be there to look pretty." He said, earning a snicker from his girlfriend.

"Don't worry, I'll stop you from saying anything too embarrassing." She joked. She gave her ex mentor's hand a final, hearty handshake. "Thank you for telling me. I'll head over right now."

On their way to the lounge, Jaune's grip on her arm grew tighter, his fingers almost leaving indents in her skin.

"Don't be so worried. We're only going to chat. The match itself won't be too long, if rumours of Magenta's combat prowess to be believed." Pyrrha soothed, drawing circles with her thumb on the back of his hand. "It'll be time for lunch before you even notice."

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry for getting so nervous and fidgety. People are one thing, but upcoming champions and rich fat cats are kind of intimidating," he said, grimacing, "Sorry. I'm still not used to this stuff." He gestured awkwardly.

Pyrrha cupped his chin and silenced him with a kiss. When they broke apart, he blinked rapidly, a dopey grin plastered on his face. He could taste the honeydew mint she'd sucked on during the ride over. "Never mind." He mumbled, eyes glazing over when she leaned in to kiss him again.

Pyrrha smirked. Ruby was right when she'd said kissing him did wonders for his confidence.

Ruby rocked on her heels as she stared up the hulking form of the stadium. She could hear the crowd cheering wildly and felt the urge to cheer with them. She snuck a look at her watch. The match should be finishing up, if what she'd seen in the giant flat screen in the mall was any indication.

The two combatants were still duking it out when she left, but the girl, Magenta, had been in significantly better shape than the other. Ruby hopped from foot to foot. Her weapon had been pure awesomeness wrapped up in a shiny, chrome package! It was a humongous, double headed axe nearly twice her height. Magenta had hefted it over her shoulder, and swung it so quickly like it weighed almost nothing.

Even better, the head was detachable and could be used like a flail. Holydustinajar it even utilized dust and had a dagger in the hilt!

Ruby tried not to dance. Whoever came up with that design was a genius! Still, Ruby thought the axe would be even better if they replaced the dagger with a gun. Not just any gun of course, a high powered, sniper rifle was obviously the best choice.

The crowd cheered again, the whole stadium almost shaking from the sheer force of it. Ruby huffed and bounced impatiently. Ugh, she wanted to go in. But she didn't want the staff to recognize her. While she wasn't a homegrown star like Pyrrha, her role in the last war translated to sheer popularity in any continent. The last time she'd turned up unannounced, the staff had broken out the red carpet when she walked down the hall.

Then again… Ruby looked down at her outfit. She wasn't wearing her trademark cape, and her hair was tied up, so it wouldn't poke her eye out when she ran. She'd also nicked Jaune's rabbit hoodie and Pyrrha's sweats since she felt too lazy to dress in her usual corset. She looked astonishingly unlike Ruby Rose, and more of a normal girl with normal knees.

She was confident she could talk her way in. Or sneak, if that was what it took. The ninja lessons from Blake came in handy!

Ruby grinned. It was settled. It was time for operation invade and… invade and…

"Geez, I suck at names." She groaned quietly. "Whatever. Operation get inside is a go!"

Jaune smiled at Ruby's hastily written message. He lowered the scroll to let Pyrrha see. "Looks like Ruby found a way into the stadium." He laughed quietly when she groaned. "I wonder how she got in."

"Puppy eyes, no doubt." Pyrrha sighed and ran a nervous hand through her hair. "The media will have a field day if they catch wind of her presence. Remember last time, when she showed up with flowers and chocolates?"

"It was your fifth win. I would have done the same." Jaune shrugged.

"You did." Pyrrha replied dryly. "I had to carry two enormous boxes of chocolate and a bouquet with enough flowers to start my own garden. You also serenaded me–"

"In the car!" Jaune pouted, slumping lower in his seat. "I thought it'd be romantic, okay?" She patted his bicep. "Leave the singing in the shower, Jaune."

He was about to shoot off a snarky reply when the bullhorn sounded. Contestant Grey had been trounced and was face down on the field. Jaune winced. That was one way to go.

Magenta helped him up and lightly brushed off the dirt clinging to his scowling face. Pyrrha was worried he would cause a fuss, but he merely sighed, and bumped his fist with Magenta's offered one.

"Aw, damn it, I missed her special attack." Jaune craned his neck to see if the screens above them would replay the final seconds of the match. "Oh, there it is! Whoa, is she really eighteen? I couldn't even bench my own weight at that age."

"You talk as if you're in your thirties." Pyrrha guffawed, "You just celebrated your twenty second birthday last week."

He groaned at her teasing. "Har har. I thought I was dating Huntress, not a comedian." He snarked, earning a light slap on his arm. The scroll he held vibrated again. Pyrrha chuckled when she saw the picture below the name RUBY, which was of three of them dressed up as Santa, with cups of eggnog balanced on their weapons. "She's in the lounge. C'mon, let's go before sponsors ask you for another hand shake."

"Too late." Pyrrha smiled politely as the swarm of current, and would be sponsors, cornered them before they could leave. Jaune groaned. He wanted to bash his head on the steel beams when someone held up their scroll, asking if they could take a photo of him in Pyrrha's arms. He glared when his girlfriend snickered. She wasn't the one who needed to endure Yang's jokes the next time they met.

When they finally managed to get away – Jaune had to peel himself off the wall he'd flattened against – it had been twenty minutes since Ruby's last message. They took off in a light jog towards the lounge, Jaune slapping Pyrrha's hands away when she tried to carry him. Once they finally arrived, Jaune and Pyrrha found themselves… mildly annoyed with what they encountered.

The girl was outrageously attractive. And she was draped over Ruby as she showed the shorter woman the finer details of the double headed axe. They were uncomfortably close, and Ruby was too enraptured by the weapon to notice their presence. Pyrrha's hand twitched. The buckles on Magenta's shoes shivered, and a pair of eyes that could put sapphire gemstones to shame rose to meet them. Magenta gave a friendly wave.

"Pyrrha, Jaune!" Ruby's excitement tripled when she realised they had arrived. "Magenta let me look at her axe, and it's way more awesome than I thought!" Ruby's pitched squeal made everyone in the room grin. Magenta uncoiled herself from Ruby and smiled brightly at Pyrrha. Jaune fought the urge to squint. "Miss Nikos! How did you find the match?"

"It was remarkable," if anyone noticed Pyrrha's smile was a little strained, they didn't point it out. Jaune cleared his throat and added, "She was cheering for you the entire match. Your final move was really cool, by the way."

"Thank you so much!" The girl gushed.

"I didn't see the whole thing, but you really gave the other guy a hard time." Ruby said, her eyes still glued to the axe. The carvings were intricately detailed, and she itched to take it apart to see what was under the hood. She was startled when Magenta giggled, the girl's eyes having gone wide with glee. Jaune grinded his teeth. He didn't realise he was doing it until he nearly bit his tongue.

Ruby handed back the double headed axe with reluctance. "Thanks for letting me look at it. I can tell you take good care of it. I'm glad!"

Magenta beamed at the praise. "It's one of the first things my parents taught me. I'm really flattered you like it, Ruby. I've seen the first blueprints of Crescent Rose you released. They were spectacular, they were right when they called you a child prodigy!" Jaune wondered idly as Pyrrha's grip nearly crushed his hand, if it would be mean to form a barrier between Ruby and Magenta with his semblance.

Ruby blushed at the praise. "It wasn't all me though, my Uncle helped a lot with the initial prototypes."

"It's still amazing," Magenta insisted. She took Ruby's hand in hers, oblivious to silver eyes darting towards the two stiff figures behind her. "Um, I might be going out on a limb here, but… would you care to go out, and, um, talk about weapons sometime?" Magenta ducked her head in embarrassment. "Er, okay, that sounds really dumb. Never mind, forget I asked!"

Ruby shook her head. "I don't really mind, but I'm usually off doing Huntress stuff, so scheduling it might be hard. We could exchange scroll numbers, if you want?"

Magenta brightened instantly. Pyrrha and Jaune exchanged looks, both wearing identical frowns. When Magenta's manager and sponsors came trickling in – some stilled in their tracks when Ruby waved – they quickly left the lounge. There weren't any staff in the halls leading to the exit, likely clearing up the stadium after the crowd were shooed out.

"Er, Ruby?" He began, "I think Magenta might have had more in mind than just 'talking about weapons'."

"What? Really?" Ruby tilted her head, nose scrunching in confusion. She blinked, eyes widening. "…Is that why you and Pyrrha looked all murdery, like the time someone slapped my butt?"

Pyrrha nodded. "I supposed we might have looked a bit," she scrambled for a better word, "Fierce?"

"Aw, you guys were jealous? That's adorable." Ruby smirked when they blushed. Her expression melted into a comforting smile. "Don't worry, if she does ask me out, I'll just tell her I'm already dating two incredible people." She skipped forward and planted soft kisses on their cheeks. Jaune warbled. Pyrrha's face resembled her hair. "I know we agreed to take it slow and stuff, but kissing's fine, right?"

They looked at Ruby, their… girlfriend? Third half? Lover?

"Definitely a yes on the kissing." Jaune mumbled. When Ruby beamed, he clutched his chest and leaned to whisper to Pyrrha, "Oh dust, I'm going to die from cuteness."

"Get in line," Pyrrha replied. It was funny how a simple kiss from Ruby had the power to turn them into mush. She cleared her throat. "How about we stay home for lunch? I could whip up some Mistralian dishes you haven't tried."

Silver eyes twinkled merrily. "Is this code for going home and making out on the sofa?"

Jaune nearly walked into a pillar. Pyrrha made a soft 'eep' but didn't refute her words. Ruby threw an arm around Pyrrha's waist. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"The ride's about ten minutes. You think we can make it?" Jaune asked.

"An exercise in control. I really hate those." Pyrrha growled, emerald eyes growing sharp as she felt Ruby's hand glide over her hip.

Ruby smiled innocently. She would never admit it, but she loved teasing them. It was her form of payback.

After all, taking it slow had been their idea, not hers.

I was watching vol 5, and thought, god I miss Pyrrha. Somehow, this happened. Ot3 anyone? Anyway, hope you enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading!