Next chapter. I'm debating on whether to turn this story into full humor or keeping serious elements in. The original plan was the latter, especially when it concerns Adam, but after writing angsty chapters in An Arc for Every Season I'm suddenly leaning towards the former. Don't wanna go dark again for a humor fic.

It was Jaune's second day at Beacon and he was raring to go! So what if he was partnered with the White Fang's most infamous traitor and she could gut him like a fish if she wanted? It didn't matter! He was ready for this!

Then Jaune opened his eyes and saw Blake standing and staring down at him from his bedside.

...

He was not ready for this!

Jaune did not shriek like a little girl and pull up his blankets to his chest, and anyone that claimed otherwise was spreading malicious slander, "Wh-What the heck?!" Jaune shouted in a very manly way, which was a normal reaction to your partner looking down on you like a creeper! Seriously, he'd lived in the White Fang barracks for months and he'd never woken up like this!

"I was planning to wake you up," Blake said, looking utterly calm and already dressed in her uniform.

"By staring at me?!"

"No, I was about to call out when you woke up on your own. Don't be weird." She huffed, as if he was the one in the wrong.

"Uh...Blake, you were staring at him for like ten minutes." Ruby said awkwardly from her bed. She was also dressed in her uniform. Yang was missing, though judging by the running shower and off-key singing, he had a good idea on where she was.

"...I was considering the right way to wake him up, and I'd just found the right one when he woke up on his own."

"Oh yeah, and what was the right way?" Jaune asked incredulously.

She leaned forward awkwardly and tapped his shoulder, "Wake up." A pause, "That's it."

"Seriously?" Jaune gave her a withering look.

"Sorry I'm not a better alarm clock, I guess." She rolled her eyes and turned around, "Next time I'll just let you be late."

"G-Good!" Jaune swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, arms stretched above his head. Despite the awkward situation both Blake and Ruby had to stifle their chuckles when they saw his Pumpkin Pete's onesie. What? It wasn't something he had to hide, and neither was it cultural appropriation like some of the old timers said it was! It was just something to show his support on the best cereal in Remnant.

He kept his head held high even when Yang stepped out of the bathroom in her uniform and broke down laughing when she saw him.

It was the first day, so they were allowed to spend that time unpacking and exploring the campus. It was supposed to give them some time to relax and get acclimated to their surroundings.

It was pretty hard to relax with Blake constantly looking over his shoulder, however.

"Uh..." Jaune stared at his partner. She hadn't stopped looking at him since they began to unpack, "Something on my face?"

"No."

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"I'm not," she said, not breaking eye contact whatsoever.

"...Please stop that. It's really awkward." She didn't know who he was, right? Maybe she was just weird. He didn't really talk to her before she left the White Fang, but she always did have some odd habits like wearing a bow to cover her ears. As if no one could tell what she was hiding under there. Not like him. Who would think there was a fluffy bunny tail under his pants?

Blake raised a brow, "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Just...stop looking over my shoulder! It's weird!"

"I'm not, but fine, whatever." She finally turned her attention back to her books and Jaune let out a sigh of relief.

Across the room, Yang looked between the two with a shit-eating grin, "Yang, no." Ruby sighed.

"Yang, yes!" she whispered back, gesturing at the pair. Blake was not-so-subtly sneaking peeks at her partner despite saying she'd stop while Jaune did the same, the two just barely missing each other's gazes. It was so dorky and cute, "Those two are hot for each other!"

"Jaune didn't seem super happy with Blake looking at him..."

"Ah, he's just being shy! Trust me, I know these things."

"Yang, the last couple you to set up tried to kill each other. One of them's still in a mental hospital."

"Unlucky break."

"The couple before that were siblings."

"How was I supposed to know that? They didn't look anything alike!" the blonde said to her redheaded half-sister.

"The one before those two broke up in three days and said they'd never love again. Also, they specifically blamed you for ruining their lives."

"Those three days were probably the best they ever had!" Yang waved a hand, "Trust me, I've got a good feeling about this."

Back across the room, Blake finished alphabetizing her favorite books and peeked at Jaune again. He was clever to catch her when she was being so subtle, so she had to up the ante. She knew he was a White Fang spy. Why else would he be so worried about her understated looks? He must've been hiding something, that was the only explanation, and she wasn't going to be caught unawares. Not again.

They continued to unpack in uncomfortable silence till Ruby eventually asked, "So...any plans for us?"

"Why are you asking me?" Blake asked back.

"Because you're the team leader?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Oh...right." Would it be fair if she commanded Jaune to empty his bags and show her what he was hiding? No, no, that would be too obvious. She'd just have to steal a look herself when everyone was asleep, "Let's go look around, I guess?"

"Sounds good to me." Yang clapped her hands and grinned, looking between her and Jaune for some reason.

Despite being the leader, Blake was content to hang back and let Yang lead the way. She stuck close to Jaune, both physically and metaphorically, never more than a few feet apart from him and lagging behind every time he just so happened to need to tie his shoelaces or get a snack from the vending machine. Hah, she wasn't fooled. He was probably trying to sneak off so he could contact the others in the White Fang. Well, she wouldn't give him the chance!

Yang kept grinning at her every time she looked back. Weirdo.

She was so busy watching for the possible betrayal that she only half-paid attention to the various facilities they toured through. Beacon wasn't Atlas, but it was far more decadent than what she was used to. Her time in the White Fang was spent living in the fringes of society outside the walls. Creature comforts like properly cooked meals, full beds, and even a roof over her heaad were things she'd done without for so long. She was supposed to be enjoying this, enjoying her fresh start, but she couldn't. Because of him.

"I gotta go to the bathroom for a bit. Be right back," Jaune said, then left before any of them could say anything.

Ha, she wouldn't make it that easy.

She followed him without a word until he stopped right outside the boy's room, "Blake...?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"I know."

"So why are you here?"

"I have to go to the bathroom too."

"Well, this isn't the girl's room, so..."

Blake bit her tongue to keep from cursing. Damn him, he was right. She couldn't go in there, and he was counting on that. Bastard, "Hm..." She watched him go inside through narrowed eyes and tried to see if she could hear anything. Not a peep. She was tempted to go inside and take her chances, but she held off. No sense to stop being subtle now. She'd just have to find a way to make up for it later.

Inside the restroom, Jaune walked over to the farthest stall and locked the door once he was inside. He didn't like the idea of making contact like this, but he didn't have a choice. Blake was either a weirdo or she was suspcious of him. Regardless, that meant his room wasn't safe for this kind of thing. Neither was this place, but at least he knew she couldn't follow or eavesdrop on him.

A quick tap of his scroll and he was connected to Ilia. She was down in Vale for the next week on another mission.

"Hey, Jaune. How's Beacon?"

"Something's come up," he said in an urgent whisper.

"What's wrong? Didn't pass Initiation? Cause there's no shame in-"

"Not that! And I passed, thank you very much! It's..." He looked around the stall and leaned in closer, "Blake Belladonna is here!"

"Wh-What?!" Jaune cringed at how loud her shriek was.

"Keep it down!" he hissed. His fellow Faunus nodded, face eyes wide with surprise, "Yeah! And guess what? She's my partner!"

"No!"

"Yes!" Clearly Ilia was taking this as seriously as he was.

"H-How is she? Is she doing alright? H-Has she mentioned me at all?"

"What? No." Ilia seemed to deflate at that for reasons he couldn't fathom, "I haven't really talked to her, but I think she might know who I am! She's been staring at me since this morning and she's been following me around. She might blow my cover."

"I'm not surprised. Blake always was so smart and observant." Ilia sighed, looking off into the distance.

"Right..." He'd heard of admiring your enemies, but Ilia was taking it a bit far, "Look, I'm not sure why she's here, but I won't let it stop my mission. I'll be on the lookout for anyone sympathetic to our cause. What do we do about Blake? She's a traitor."

"Right, right." Ilia coughed, "Well, um...I suggest that you keep a very close eye on her. And take pictures! Lots and lots of pictures. Then send them straight to me." Jaune nodded. That was smart; the more intel they had on her, the better, "But, uh, don't get too close, alright? Emotionally, I mean. Blake is amazing and has hair like silk and has an ass that could start wars, but don't fall in love with her! That'd be a bad idea!"

"Of course it would. She's a traitor to the cause, why would I fall in love with her?"

"J-Just saying." She laughed, though it sounded more like choking, "And, uh, make sure to tell me if she ever mentions my name. A-And be specific about the context and the reason for why she's talking about me! Maybe you could even slip my name into conversation. You know, all casual like, see how she responds."

"Won't that blow my cover?" If it wasn't broken already.

"What? No, it'll be fine." She waved a hand just a bit too quickly, "Also, don't tell Adam. Let's just keep Blake being at Beacon a secret between us, alright?"

"Are you sure? I think he deserves to know."

"It's just that he's so busy doing an important mission right now. You wouldn't wanna distract him, right?" Jaune nodded. That made sense, at least. Adam was a great man and he needed to be focused on the task at hand, "So yeah, pay very close attention to her and send me any pictures you can! The more the better!"

"Alright. I won't fail you, Ilia."

Back outside, Blake paced around the hall and grumbled under her breath. What the heck was taking Jaune so long? She tried to focus using her cat ears again and winced at the way the bow pinched them. She'd done it enough times to make her disguise foolproof, but that didn't stop her ears from hurting after being compressed for so long. She couldn't even release her ears in the room because of her roommates.

Looking around the empty hall, she stepped inside the girl's room and breathed a small sigh of relief when she found it empty, "Just be quick..." She stopped at the sink and hesitantly untied her bow. It was a risk to expose herself like this, but the utter relief she felt when the dark cloth slipped away made it all worth it. If only they lived in a world where people were treated equally, then she wouldn't have had to hide who she was.

Blake fingered her right ear and winced at the small bump on the outer shell. Ears weren't meant to be compressed like that, but it was a small price to pay. She'd planned to reveal herself to her teammates eventually so she could at least be open in the comfort of their room, but Jaune's presence had put a stop to that plan. Just another thing she could blame him for.

She was so distracted by the small wound that she didn't notice the clacking of heels till another person entered the room.

The white figure appeared in the mirror and she turned around with a gasp. Weiss Schnee. The SDC heiress was the last person she'd expected to see at Beacon, but they'd undoubtedly met two days prior. Well, maybe met was the wrong term. She'd simply commented on her family's poor reputation and, like the spoiled brat she was, the Schnee had gotten defensive about it. As if their abuses of the Faunus weren't already well-documented.

There were also rumors about Weiss herself that made Blake shudder, though she couldn't tell what was White Fang propganda and what was truth. Unlike her family's business practices, said rumors had little in the way of proof, which meant that they were either lies or Weiss was a mastermind that left nothing behind.

The former criminal and the heiress looked at one another without a word before, like clockwork, the shorter girl's eyes looked up at Blake's exposed cat ears, "Ninja Vanish!" Blake shouted in a panic as she threw a smoke bomb in the room and jumped out the closest window.

She landed on the ground and quickly tied the bow back on, ignoring the way her ears throbbed at the tightness, "No, no, no!" Blake whimpered. First Jaune was here and now Weiss Schnee, of all people, knew her secret? Why was fate so cruel to her? Couldn't she just make a fresh start?

No, this wasn't the end. She'd...She'd have to find a way to have Weiss keep her secret. She wasn't going to fall here!

Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC and leader of team WNNR (Winter), had a problem.

Said problem came in the form of the Faunus. They were everywhere, consisting of at least a quarter of the student body. It wasn't a surprise. Vale treated the Faunus pretty well from what she gathered. Not as well as Vacuo, but far better than Mistral and her own kingdom of Atlas. If any one of them wanted a fair shake, of course they would come here. Come here with their ears and tails and other Faunus features out in the open. They were so...so...

CUTE!

Oh Gods, they were adorable! What she wouldn't give to be able to pet their ears and rub their tails! Already she'd caught sight of a few people she really wanted to make friends with, like that absolutely charming bunny girl with her long ears. What would it feel like to run her fingers through them, she thought. They'd probably feel like velvet, so smooth and silky.

But she knew she couldn't just go up to someone and ask to pet their ears or tails. That would be offensive. Weiss, contrary what some people said, did not have a fetish for the Faunus. She didn't. So what if she considered their animal traits absolutely cute? That was complimentary! People liked to be complimented, right? It wasn't any different when people complimented her pristine white hair.

It was one reason she'd come to Beacon. Of course she'd done it to gain some freedom and distance from her controlling father, but the Faunus population was a definite bonus. That and she had a...bit of a reputation back in Atlas. A very underserved one, in her unbiased opinion. So what if she'd tried to collar one Neon Katt? It was consensual! Weiss was very much a believer in never imposing her will on others and Neon had agreed to the arrangement.

How exactly was it her fault that the catgirl had changed her mind at the last second? Or that one Flynt Coal, who had a grudge against her family, misconstrued the situation and spread rumors about how she was prejudiced against the Faunus? Because she wasn't! She found them absolutely endearing and disagreed heavily with her father's treatment of them. Her finding them cute didn't change that. She believed they were equal. Cute and utterly adorable, but equal!

Which led to another problem: the utter lack of Faunus on her team. She'd managed to be partnered with Pyrrha, which was very good for her, but both Ren and Nora were, unfortunately, Human despite the Valkyrie's obsession with sloths. It made her sad. If she had Faunus teammates she was sure she could eventually convince them that rubbing their ears was a normal team activity. It was like doing each other's hair.

But perhaps she'd found a solution. Blake Belladonna, that was the name of the cat Faunus that had, for some unknown reason, been hiding her cat ears under a bow. It was as if the Gods themselves were rewarding Weiss for all she'd been through. Blake was part of their sister team and she'd already planned to befriend her as a fellow leader. Finding out she was a Faunus...well, that just motivated her even more!

Oh, she could imagine petting those adorable ears now. She'd only caught a glimpse before Blake threw the smoke bomb, but they'd already been burned into her mind. She would find a way to pet those ears before the day was done. Price wasn't an issue, and if not money then she could offer other things. Weiss was sure that helping with Blake's studies would be worth a few scritches.

Now if only she cound find a bunny, then life would be complete...

Yeah...like I said, this chapter leans harder into humor. Weiss and Jaune are the world's worst spies, Yang is a wannabe matchmaker, Ilia's absolutely obsessed with Blake, and Weiss has a certain fondness for the Faunus that goes above the norm. Meanwhile, poor Ruby 'Normal Knees' Rose just has to deal with all this insanity.

Still deciding on Adam, though. If we keep the serious segments then he's a remorseless murderer that abused Blake. If we go comedy then he's an edgy cringelord who Studied the Blade and Blake ran cause she couldn't take how cringy he was.

P a treon . com (slash) Vendetta543

Question:

1. I know I put the fic as Knightshade, but would you guys be interested in adding Weiss to make it this weird Jaune/Blake/Weiss throuple? It might be funny given that this version of Weiss has...different feelings on the Faunus. That and Blake calling Weiss racist for fetishizing their animal features while Weiss tries super hard to deny it.