It started off innocently enough.

When Sun first came to Blake asking if he could sit in on Professor Port's class, Blake thought he was making some sick joke. She couldn't imagine any sane person who would voluntarily suffer through one minute of Port's mind-numbing anecdotes, much less an entire hour. Even Weiss, the most academically-inclined member of Team RWBY had trouble staying awake during his lectures. Then, when it became apparent Sun was serious, Blake thought his request had some ulterior motive, most likely a prank he and Neptune concocted. No surprise then that she was initially hesitant about becoming an accessory to the mischief.

Sun must have sensed her reluctance, so he explained that all Haven students, during their stay in Vale for the Vytal Festival, were required to audit at least one non-combat course at a local academy. The faculty at Haven did not want their students to fall behind, after all.

"But why Professor Port's class?" Blake asked him as they walked together in the hallways of Beacon. "I'm sure you've heard how boring it is."

Sun shrugged. "Hey, it's not like I'm gonna pay attention in any class I audit. Plus, if I'm bored I'd rather be bored with friends," he replied with a nudge. Blake felt the corners of her mouth bending upwards even as she rolled her eyes. Smiles were not commonplace for her, but she found them gracing her usually-stoic face more frequently around Sun. Ever since the dance, she discovered he had an uncanny talent for brightening her day, a fact that did not displease Blake. Nor was she disappointed how she and Sun were spending more time together - usually in the library or outside under a tree - or how they shared friendly physical contact every now and then. Her heart grew warm as she reflected on the pleasant feeling of his company.

When she remained silent, he sighed and clasped his hands together. "C'mon, please?" he begged. "I promise I'll behave."

Blake regarded him for a moment, studying those puppy-dog eyes. He was being sincere, she could tell. Plus, it would be a welcome distraction amidst the boredom...

"Fine," she replied. "But no funny business, okay?"

He gave her a wink, earning him a playful elbow from her.

True to his word, Sun accompanied Team RWBY the next morning to Grimm Studies and sat quietly next to Blake. And true to his reputation, Professor Port was delivering one of the dullest lectures ever devised by an educator.

Blake scribbled in her notebook, as was her routine. She looked around the room, her eyes passing over the clock and wondering if Port's voice actually made time stand still. Her gaze found her teammates. Ruby was zonked out on her desk, her drowsiness Blake attributed to a late night reading of her newest weapon magazine subscription. Their fearless leader tried her best, Blake decided, but she still had some growing up to do. Weiss was, to nobody's surprise, scribbling down the exact details of how Professor Port managed to, allegedly, scale the side of the Goliath and ride it for six miles before felling the fearsome elephant-Grimm with a single swing of his axe. At least Ruby could get the notes from Weiss later.

Yang rested her head on her open hand, listening intently. At least, that's how it would appear to an unknowing observer. Blake was well-aware that Yang had an earpiece hidden in her palm and was currently listening to her newest playlist. Blake allowed herself a small grin as she glanced between Ruby and Yang, both equally inattentive. Definitely sisters.

She turned back to her sketch, her preferred method of time-killing in Port's godforsaken class. After a cautious glance to either side, she continued shading in some of the finer details of the subject's facial features. A little darker on the left, as if he was caught by candlelight... She gave a small nod of approval, liking the soft motif. She made to extend the shading down the side of his bare torso, but a small piece of folded paper slid in front of her and interrupted the flow of her pencil. A look to her right found Sun starting sideways at her with a sly smile. She raised an eyebrow, and he motioned discreetly with his hands for her to open the paper.

Blake bit her lip, wondering if she should indulge his game, but she quickly caved as curiosity got the better of her. She unfolded the note to find a crude stick-figure drawing of Professor Port barely hanging onto the side of a giant Goliath for dear life with a comically terrified expression on his face.

She snorted and covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter. This became even more difficult when she looked back up to find Sun mimicking the illustration in his seat by surreptitiously flailing his arms while mouthing a scream. She lowered her forehead against the desk, trying to pass her laughter off as a stifled cough. He beamed, proud he was able to elicit such a reaction. That rapscallion, she thought. Always making me laugh at times like these.

After she regained her composure, Sun went back to resting his head on his forearms and pretending to listen to the lesson, his face now bearing a lively smile. Blake wore a pleased grin as well. That was the most fun she'd ever had in this cursed lecture hall, she decided.

She turned back to her sketch for a moment and darkened some of the lines on the subject's body, paying particular attention to the exposed abdomen and thighs. This one was turning out nicely, and she only lacked a few more details until her creation was complete. But her gaze found its way back to Sun after a short time, and she soon found herself tearing out an unused sheet from her notebook.

A couple of scribbles later and she was sliding her own note across the desk to Sun. It was his turn to be curious as he stared back at Blake, took the note from her hand and unfolded it. His grin grew even wider as he quietly cackled at Blake's drawing: Professor Port manically running from an enraged Goliath, bug-eyed with sweat droplets pouring down his face. Their shoulders heaved as they tried to contain themselves.

"Ahem!"

Immediately their backs straightened and their laughter ceased. Port was staring right at them, apparently displeased at their inattentiveness. Blake reacted with remarkable slight-of-hand, sliding the notes into her notebook, snapping it closed and nudging it off the desk and into her bag all in one swift motion. Her heart raced.

"Ms. Belladonna, Mr. Wukong, is there anything you care to add to my heroic account?" Port inquired with the 'gotcha'-tone of a watchful authority figure.

Blake gulped. "N-No, sorry Professor."

Please, please, don't take up the book...

Professor Port's reputation extended beyond his intolerable lectures. His secondary claim to infamy around Beacon was his tendency to, whenever he confiscated off-topic doodles or notes passed between students, show off the contents to the entire class. Blake paled as she imagined Port waving her notebook around, its forbidden drawings made known to Beacon's student body. She swore she saw her social life flash before her eyes.

Sun at least had the sense to act shameful in order to avoid further scolding, though Blake knew the little head-bow he gave was a facade. "Yeah, sorry Boss. Won't happen again."

Port raised an eyebrow at the unorthodox honorific, and the pounding in Blake's chest grew faster. She didn't care about the notes. She didn't care about the embarrassment of being called out in front of the entire class. She didn't even care about receiving punishment for mocking a Professor. But if he took up her notebook, her life was over. No way she would ever live it down, much less adequately explain it.

Port let them stew for a while longer before returning to his lecture, and Blake gave a long exhale of relief. She made a mental note to thank Sun later for his good behavior. Her ears ached to hear the ring of the dismissal bell.

Sun gave a quiet 'psh' and gestured to Port with his thumb. He made a cross-eyed expression and shook his fist mockingly in the air, another obvious jab at the Professor's disciplinary remarks. Blake gave an unamused frown and turned her gaze away, still panicked at her close call. Her secret wasn't safe here, she needed to avoid drawing attention to herself, and Sun acting childish was certainly not going to accomplish that.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sun visibly deflate and sink down onto the desk, dejected at her suddenly aloof attitude. Her stomach twisted with guilt. This wasn't the first time she'd been unnecessarily curt with him. He was only trying to brighten her boring day, a fact that was not lost on her.

She sighed. She'd apologize to Sun later. Right now, her first priority was surviving this class. Still shaken up, Blake decided it was not safe to resume her sketches. She would have to suffer through the lecture without her usual means of mitigation, but she could bear it.

An eternity later, the bell of salvation sounded and Blake was out the door before Sun could even address her. A glance back saw him mopily gathering his belongings and swinging his bag over his shoulder, his downtrodden demeanor speaking volumes about his hurt feelings. Another sting in Blake's chest. It was exceptionally rude of her to abandon Sun after agreeing to escort him through the class, and she knew he probably thought it was something abhorrent he did that triggered her speedy and unceremonious exit.

She took out her Scroll and start composing a message, knowing she owed Sun at least that much. She refused to repeat the callous behavior she displayed when Sun asked her to the dance weeks ago.

'Sun, sorry I had to run. There's something I need to take care of. I'll meet you for lunch later, okay?'

She pressed send and continued walking down the hall, torn between self-preservation and treating Sun fairly. Her guarded, detached nature sometimes caused her to come off as cold, not because she wanted to, but because willingly keeping people at arm's length for so many years turned the action into a reflex she had yet to break. It was a habit she was consciously trying to rectify, not only with Sun, but with all her friends. And Blake felt she'd been doing well lately; one less passive-aggressive comment towards Weiss here, one more bit of encouragement for Jaune there, and then she went and ruined her streak with the one person who deserved her good grace the most. She cursed herself for being such an ingrate.

Her Scroll buzzed, and she read Sun's reply:

'No sweat, everything okay?'

Blake replied with a quick affirmative, thankful he didn't sound upset. Her reply was mostly true, she knew everything would be okay once she shoved her notebook away in the deepest, darkest corner of her bookshelf where nobody but her would ever know of its existence. Sun would have to wait just a little longer. After the incident in Port's class, Blake knew she couldn't maintain a level head around Sun with her damnable notebook burning a hole in her bag. She needed to hide it away before she could feel even remotely comfortable around him.

He was the absolute last person who should know what laid inside.

After a particularly long and tense walk back to her dorm room, Blake swiped herself in with her scroll, slipped inside and locked the door behind her. A cautious examination found the room to be empty. She hoisted her bag onto her bottom bunk and shook her head at the unnecessary paranoia. Of course her teammates weren't back yet, she'd all but scampered away from the lecture hall. There was nothing to worry about.

She drew the curtains closed, just to be safe.

Blake plopped down onto her bed and let her head fall until it hit the soft pillow. Absolute stillness was what she needed. She steadied herself internally, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. To think she learned that little zen-trick from Weiss of all people.

She was fine. Everything was fine. She had plenty of time before Ruby came bursting through the door for a nap with Weiss and Yang in tow. Plenty of time to sit up, unzip her bag, rifle through it for her notebook and file it away in the deep recesses of...

She froze. Her fingers leafed through the books in her bag, but she did not see the one she was looking for. The notebook was nowhere to be found.

With a sharp inhale, Blake wrestled the bag into her lap and all but tore it open. Her eyes darted around, frantically searching the inside. No luck. She began throwing books out of her bag one by one, checking each one in vain. Her pulse pounded. This couldn't be happening, it should be right there!

Now hyperventilating, she jumped up and dumped out the entirety of her bag onto her bed and scouted the pile of loose papers, writing utensils and paperback volumes for the item she so desperately wanted to keep secret. But no matter how many times her Faunus eyes combed over the contents of the bag, Blake could not find her notebook. Slowly, she sank down onto her bed and buried her face in her hands.

Her notebook was lost.

She felt sick.

Really sick.

Like she'd just ingested battery acid-level sick.

She growled in a mix of anguish and frustration, clenching her hands and closing her eyes. How was this possible? For the past several weeks, ever since she found herself sketching those... those less than appropriate images, Blake had treated the notebook containing them as an extension of her own body, never letting it leave her sight or person when it wasn't hidden away. And now, it was anyone's guess where the scandalous tome was...

She stood quickly and began gathering her belongings back into her bag. It wasn't the end of the world just yet. She still had time to avoid any trouble. She just had to figure out where she'd left it and retrieve it before anyone had a chance to discover it first. She closed her eyes and racked her brain.

Think! she mentally screamed at herself. You were in class. When was the last instance you saw it?

Sun. The notes. Port. That's right, she'd shoved the notes into her notebook and slid them off the desk in order to prevent Professor Port from seeing them. But if that was true, then the book should have been in her bag, which it clearly was not. Blake bit her finger. This was not good. Had another student taken it off her person while she was walking back? Doubtful, but what other explanation was there? She had been distracted...

No, Blake decided, it had to be during class. She replayed the events in her mind once more, making sure to include the smallest of details. Notes into the notebook. Sliding them off the desk, straight into the open bag. More boring class. Bell. Grabbing her bag. Unzipping it and shoving her pencils inside. Closing it. Leaving class. Walking...

Her eyes widened.

Sliding the notebook into the open bag. But she always kept her bag closed during class. And Sun's bag had been right next to hers.

She had dropped her notebook into Sun's bag.

"Oh... Oh my God," Blake whispered. In the course of a few seconds, she tore out the door and was in a full-out sprint back toward the lecture hall. She passed the rest of Team RWBY down the corridor but made no attempt to acknowledge their greetings. At this point, Blake was fighting back tears, wondering which force of nature she pissed off to deserve this fate. It couldn't be true, the notebook had to still be in the classroom.

After crossing the academy in record time, pushing through crowds and colliding with a few students along the way, Blake finally reached the lecture hall. Her head was on a swivel as she descended the steps to her usual seat, searching frantically for the missing item. She flew into the chair and checked inside, on top of and under the desk in front of her. Nothing. An examination of Sun's desk yielded similar results.

Blake paused, out of breath and stupefied. Sun had her notebook in his bag. He was undoubtedly back in his guest dormitory with Neptune by now. Soon he would find it among his own books, and once he opened it...

She stood and clenched her fists. No, she couldn't let that happen. She would tackle Sun to the ground and wrestle it from his hands if necessary.

With even greater haste than her run to the lecture hall, Blake once again sprinted full-throttle towards Sun's room. The guest dormitories were only a short distance away from the regular dorms, which unfortunately for Blake meant another cross-campus trek and more precious time lost. Just when she was about to round the corner to the hallway that would allow her to enter the correct guest dormitory, something grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her to a screeching halt.

"Whoa there, partner," a familiar voice said. "Who lit a fire under your butt?"

She whirled around to face Yang, incensed that her progress had been impeded. Her partner stood there with that cocky little grin she always wore, staring Blake down with her hands on her hips.

Blake was not amused. "What do you want, Yang?" she asked.

Yang shrugged. "Just wondering what's got you in such a hurry," she replied. "You might've even given Ruby a run for her money in a foot race back there."

"That's because I need to be somewhere fast," she replied and began walking once more.

"Ah, come on," Yang chirped, matching her strides. "That wasn't your average, everyday, late-to-class running. You're really worried about something, huh?"

Blake sighed, trying to appear calm despite the turmoil in her gut. "I'm fine. I have to go," she said, picking up the pace.

"Hey," Yang said, catching Blake by the shoulder. The two girls stopped and faced each other again. "You know you can talk to me, right? If anything's wrong, I want to help." She winked. "Partners, remember?"

Blake nodded slowly. She almost considered spilling everything to Yang but decided against it. She knew she would probably never be as close to Yang as Ruby, but Blake felt like she and Yang had become sisters of sorts since they found each other in the Emerald Forest. She trusted her partner, but it would still be best if she kept this to herself. Less messy that way. "Thank you, Yang," she replied. "I know you're concerned, but I'm not going to go off the deep end like last time when we were after the White Fang. I just need to handle this alone. It's nothing bad, just... something personal." She rubbed her left arm with her right at this, her actions betraying her insecurity.

Yang considered her for a moment before nodding. "Well then, I'll be with Weiss and Rubes. If you need us, just call," she said. She gave a short wave and departed.

Blake breathed a sigh of relief and began jogging once more. Good ol' Yang. If anyone understood the need to handle some things personally, it was her. Blake knew that her partner preferred to keep the details of her occasional nighttime crusades into Vale's less than reputable establishments under the rug, and she knew not to ask about it unless Yang brought it up first. Thankfully, Yang was principled enough to extend others the same courtesy.

After ascending several flights of stairs and navigating the hallways, Blake found herself in front of Team SSSN's room. Though she'd never actually been inside, a few late-night library reading sessions over the past few weeks had ended with Blake walking Sun back to his dorm. It was an unspoken protocol between them; they each took turns walking the other back to their respective rooms after spending evenings together. But Blake never had a need to enter before, and she was now mentally reeling.

What if he was already looking at it? What if someone else was looking at it? Oh God, what if they were all looking at it?

Just as she reached forward to knock, the door swung open, causing Blake to jump back and tense her muscles on reflex. Out walked Neptune, combing his hair into place. He gave his blue mane a dainty little flip before pocketing his comb. As the door swooshed shut, he finally took notice of her.

He flashed his sparkling smile. "Sup, Blake?" For some reason, he looked rather pleased with himself. "Here to see Sun?"

Some of Blake's fears dissipated. Judging by Neptune's attitude, everything seemed to be normal. "Hey Neptune," she replied. "And yeah, I am. I, um... forgot something, and he, ah-"

"Hey, no sweat," he remarked. "I know you and Sun have your thing going. It's cool, you don't have to hide it from me." He crossed his arms and nodded. "I won't gossip," he added jovially.

Her initial reflex was to vehemently deny... whatever Neptune seemed to be implying. But time was of the essence, so she decided to roll with it. "Yeah..." she tediously chuckled. "We're... having lunch together. So, is he alone in there?"

She immediately regretted her phrasing when she saw the bawdy glint in Neptune's eye. Whatever, she could clear up any misconceptions later. Right now, she had to get inside. Let Neptune believe what he would. "Yup, I'm heading out for some combat training," he answered. "I'll swipe you in before I leave." He ran his Scroll across the door lock and gave his signature double-finger point to her upon hearing it beep. "Have fun you crazy kids."

She cringed as he walked away, and down the hall she heard him mutter something about Sun owing him for being such an awesome wingman. She shook her head. As obviously insecure as Neptune was about maintaining his cool persona, she had to admit he was a good guy for helping her out. For the first time since class, she felt relaxed. Everything was fine. She just had to walk in, get the notebook from Sun with some lame excuse about how she needed it to study and walk back out. Easy. Then, she could enjoy lunch with Sun like normal.

Blake took a deep breath and opened the door.

What she found mortified her.

Hello, all. Thank you for taking interest in my story. BlackSun does not get nearly enough love, so I felt I should try to rectify that and support my ship. I would very much like to continue with this, but I would also appreciate some feedback. Please take just one minute leave me a review or PM me with your thoughts/likes/criticisms, it would mean a lot.

Until next time,

RobotFish