Blake didn't consider herself to be a gym rat, certainly not to the extent tat Yang was – or even Mina; generally speaking, she preferred libraries. Yes, remaining physically fit was important, but Blake found that she got no shortage of exercise in the course of the regular curriculum, and her fighting style wasn't dependent on an excess of brute strength, thus she'd never felt the need to 'bulk up,' so to speak; the way she fought, excess muscle mass would only slow her down, so she had never had occasion to spend much time here. No, her time was usually better spent in the library, where she could broaden her mind, be it through the absorption of knowledge or reading simply for her leisure, rather than working up a needless sweat. Right now though… She had come to the realization that maybe she should spend more time in here after all…

After spring break had come to an end, Blake had resolved to make a conscious effort to actively spend more time with Mina. This inevitably led to her having less time for the library, but Mina was worth it of course, even if spending that time on Mina meant trading her library time for Mina's gym time. Still, she'd have been lying if she'd said that she'd been eager to make the change, but Mina deserved it; Mina would drop anything and everything if Blake wanted to read a book, at any time of the day or night, just to spend the time with her, so the least she could do was join Mina her one real hobby. She had not, however, expected the time in the gym to be so… accommodating…

As she kept up a somewhat halfhearted pace on her treadmill, Blake's attention was actually committed to watching Mina on the next treadmill over. Mina was going at a steady five miles per hour, had been for a little over twenty minutes now, and it was starting to show. That was not to say that she seemed to be approaching exhaustion, far from it; she still gazed forward, unflinchingly blind as ever, as she maintained the pace of her run, but she had started to sweat. The skin glistened on her brow, neck, and bare arms, her chest rose and fell markedly with each deep breath and – WHAT AM I THINKING?

Blake shook her head, There's a time and place for everything Blake… Maybe we could share a shower after – NO!

She couldn't quite place why she was so reluctant to look. Was it respect? No, Mina had repeatedly and insistently encouraged her to look and … touch… all she liked, so that wasn't it. Embarassment? Maybe; Blake did like to consider herself responsible and detached, an image that was undermined somewhat every time that she caught herself staring. She couldn't rightly say that she regretted looking though… It was a nice view… No, it was perhaps more accurate to say that what vexed her was not simply the fact that she found her gazed drifting Mina's way again and again and again no matter how many times she consciously averted them, but rather the compulsion she felt to avert her eyes in the first place. It didn't make sense really; it wasn't as though she hadn't already seen Mina's smooth, toned body-

NO! Blake shook her head again, What the hell is wrong with me?

Things had been somewhat different between them since their heart-to-heart at the resort, not hugely so, but Blake had noticed the difference nonetheless. For starters, Mina had been considerably less… aggressive since then, which had been, if Blake was honest with herself, the precise opposite of what she'd expected. In the two weeks since classes had resumed, Mina had been as blatantly affectionate as ever, stealing a kiss here, a hug there, getting out a lewd little joke on the side, but that was it, she didn't make any more intimate moves. Mina had always been the one to… initiate… if only tentatively, as though nervous child asking forgiveness for stealing cookies – a fact which, in retrospect, made Blake feel even more guilty for not catching on to Mina's anxieties sooner- but now… nothing. All the kisses had been chaste ones, no attempts were made to grope her when they hugged, it was all rather puzzling, almost concerning even.

"Dearest? Are you well?"

"Huh?" Blake asked with a start; she hadn't been paying attention as Mina had brought her treadmill to a stop and toweled off the sweat from her brow, "Oh… Y-yeah, I'm fine. Are you done?"

Mina raised an eyebrow, "Yes… With the treadmill that is; it has been a half an hour, and normally I would join Miss Xiao Long over at the punching bags, but since you're here…"

"Yes?"

"Perhaps you would prefer to spar with me instead?"

"Sure!" Blake agreed, maybe just a little too quickly, she thought as she deactivated her own treadmill.

Mina smiled, and suddenly that didn't much matter to Blake though, "Wonderful,"

Blake let herself be led to the nearest octagonal sparring ring, near the punching bags. Looking around as she followed, Blake noticed that it was a fairly slow evening for the gym; Yang was busily abusing her favorite punching bag – her favorite as evidenced by the fact that it looked like it was about to fall apart- and across the rather large room, two other students whom she didn't know were taking turns spotting for each other on the bench press, but other than that, the place was pretty much empty.

Mina climbed up into the ring first, and then offered Blake a hand up, "Are you sure Dearest?"

"Of course," Blake accepted the offered hand, "Just empty hands, right?"

Mina nodded, "And no semblance either,"

Blake furrowed her brow, "Then how will you-?"

Mina reached up to tap her ears at the back of her head with two fingers, "By listening carefully, yes?"

"But don't you always-?"

"Often I use it to get a picture of my surroundings, and then let it slip until I need to re-orient myself; this is no issue here,"

"Alright…" Blake said nervously, taking a stance opposite Mina "But don't hesitate to let me know if you need to use it – it's okay,"

Mina's smile broadened, "Of course Dearest; and do not hesitate to tell me if you wish to stop,"

Blake observed with interest as Mina assumed a somewhat odd stance. Her feet were spread wide, but were angled towards each other in a very deliberate manner. She held her left hand somewhat above her right, but aside from that, she waited. If nothing else, Blake recognized Mina's footwork; it was her preferred stance, ideal for dodging, as Mina seldom liked to strike directly, but without the Sanguine Heart for this, Blake was curious to see how she would manage. Then again, Blake was not particularly accustomed to fighting unarmed herself, but she'd picked up a little from Yang

Nothing fancy, just keep it simple… Blake thought.

Not hesitating any further, Blake lunged forward, striking out with her right fist hoping to catch Mina off guard.. Instead of connecting though, the blow was swatted harmlessly aside and over Mina's shoulder by Mina's left forearm as she rapidly raised it to strike the underside of Blake's arm. Blake's eyes widened, startled as Mina's other hand shot forward, her palm rushing out to strike Blake's solar plexus, Blake winced at the anticipated impact, but it didn't come.

"Dearest… We need not do this if you do not want to…"

Blake blinked a few times, and then gave her a shove, "Are you seriously going to pull your punches on me? Come on Mina, I can take it,"

"You just seemed…" Mina hesitated, "Unprepared…"

Blake stepped back, slumping her shoulders a bit, "Okay, I admit it; this isn't really my thing Mina, but I can't improve if you take it easy on me, okay?"

"Very well,"

They parted, resuming their stances, and after a beat, it was Mina who made the first move this time. She threw a high-handed sweeping stroke towards Blake's head. Blake blocked this attack by raising an arm, and with her other arm, she tried to imitate Mina's previous move. The attack struck, but it struck low, and Mina tensed the muscles of her stomach, mitigating the impact. Before Blake could withdraw her hand though, Mina grabbed her by the wrist, wrenched her arm upward, pivoted, heaved Blake's arm over her shoulder and reached over to grasp the back of Blake's shirt. Before Blake had the chance to react, she found herself being thrown over Mina's shoulder, her face momentarily pressed into Mina's wonderfully soft chest - until she was slammed to the ground on her back.

Instantly Mina was on her knees beside Blake, regardless of the fact that she herself had been the one to throw her, "Dearest, are you alright? I hope that was not too-,"

"No, no, I'm… I'm fine Mina.. really…" she shook her head to dismiss the dazed state of her vision, "It was worth it though…"

Mina cocked her head in puzzlement, "Hmm?"

Blake shook her head again, this time in embarrassment, "Never mind… Where'd you learn that?"

"Ah," Mina nodded sagely as Blake guiltily felt somewhat grateful that Mina couldn't see the color rising in her cheeks, "I may have consulted Miss Nikos for a few throwing pointers after our match," Mina admitted, "Did I do good?"

"Y-yeah…" Blake nodded hesitantly, scratching the back of her head as Mina helped her back to her feet, "I'm kind of embarrassed that I let you get me like that though…"

Mina smiled sympathetically, "You need not be Dearest; It is a new skill set that I'd yet to have occasion to demonstrate, and that aside, I am learning from the best, after all,"

"Okay, but…" Blake hesitated, blushing furiously, "Could you… not use that move on other people?" It was a ridiculous request and Blake knew it, but still…

Mina's head slanted further, "Dearest?"

Her good sense recovering control as her blush subsided, Blake reluctantly sighed, "Never mind…"

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah…" Blake nodded, though one couldn't accuse her of enthusiasm in doing so, "I'll tell you what; why don't you show me how to do that?"

Mina's face brightened, "Very well dearest. First-," her excitement faltered somewhat, "Hmm…"

"Mina?"

"Well you see Dearest…" Mina chose her words carefully, "Miss Nikos was very clear that this maneuver works best against an opponent with a higher center of gravity, and preferably one who is lighter than you as well… In either case… I am not certain that I am the best choice for you to attempt this on…"

Blake stared back at her, dumbfounded, looking Mina up and down and back up again, "Okay, I know that you weigh ten or fifteen pounds more than me but how do you figure that your center of gravity is lower than mine?"

Mina blinked a few times in her own confusion.

"She means…" Yang interrupted, draping her towel over her shoulder and coming over to lean on the outside of the ring as she entered the conversation, "that most of those extra pounds you got on her look like they went straight to your rack," Yang clarified, tactless as ever.

"Y-Yang!" Why me?

"Oh my…" It was Mina's turn to blush, "That may well explain what you said earlier… now that I consider it…"

"No- wait! Mina, I-,"

"It is quite alright Dearest; I am actually rather flattered…"

"Hey, It's okay Blake," Yang jibed, "What's the point having the goods if you ain't gonna enjoy em?'

"Mina is not an object!" Blake objected, but before she could follow it up, mina cut in.

"Well Dearest… If it pleases you…"

"Mina!"

Mina chuckled, "I kid, Dearest," She fought to stifle her giggles, "But in answer to your previous question, most of that extra weight, Dearest, is in my legs and abdomen…"

Blake took another look, this time lingering on Mina's rather full legs and – Nope. Stay on task Blake… "I see… I guess the extra gym time really pays off…"

"Damn right!" Yang cheered, flexing her muscles for show, "You just gotta work it so it doesn't slow ya down,"

"I see…"

Yang shrugged at Blake's reaction, "Not your thing?" she grabbed hold of her towel where it hang over each of her shoulders, "Whatevs; I'm gonna go hit the showers, you kids have fun,"

As Yang showed herself out, Blake had noticed that, in the time they had been there, the other two students over by the bench presses had left as well.

"So…" Blake asked, inexplicably nervous, "How do you do it?"

"You will have to be more specific, Dearest,"

"The rest of your routine," Blake elaborated, "Or do you call it quits after the punching bags?"

"Ah," Mina shook her head, "Not yet; last is between fifty and one hundred hanging crunches,"

Blake's mouth hung open, "How many?"

"Fifty to a hundred," Mina repeated, walking over to the pull-up bars, "Would you like to join me?"

"Um…" Why not? "Sure," Blake took hold of the bar beside Mina's as Mina flipped herself and wrapped her knees over her own bar, "So I just… pull myself up and… hang?"

Mina wove her fingers together behind her head, "Yes Dear, and then you bend upward," Mina acknowledged as she pulled up into her first rep for demonstration, "Like that,"

Blake pretended not to stare as Mina's position relaxed, and she gained some small appreciation for certain… perks… associated with the force of gravity which she would absolutely never admit to before she pulled herself up onto the bar. Mimicking Mina's resting position was easy enough, - it was essentially just half a backwards summersault, but actually performing the crunches was another matter. She started to bend, but by the time she was approaching a thirty degree angle, her muscles were screaming. Grimacing, Blake forced herself to ignore the strain and push for those few more degrees. Glancing over briefly to Mina as a momentary distraction from the burning protests of her muscles, she saw that Mina was bending upward past ninety degrees…

Blake's abdominal muscles gave up there and then, and after just a moment's pause, she reached up to grab hold of the bar so as to dismount, "I'm sorry Mina… I don't think that I can pull this off…"

As she returned to the resting position, Mina cocked her head – ar rather odd sight seeing as she was hanging upside down – and asked, "You can't?"

"I… I don't have the abdominal strength…" Blake admitted, "whatever you did to-,"

"I did this, Dearest," Mina cut in, still hanging there, "and in fairness, I could do even less than your attempt when I started," Blake was speechless, so Mina continued, a sadly nostalgic smile on her upside-down face, "The first time I tried it, it was because I could not sleep, thinking 'if only I was a little bit stronger, maybe she would not have left,' and then I thought, 'if I get stronger, maybe she will come back, or I can go find her,' and so I tried," She chuckled, "My first attempt resulted in a rather severe headache…"

"Mina…" Blake gaped, "You started this…"

"The night Adam delivered the news that you had left, yes,"

"I'm sorry Mina…"

"Why?" Mina asked, some of the sorrow ebbing from her voice as reminded herself that she was secure in the knowledge that the events of the past were behind them, "I am… well… more capable than I ever was previously due in no small part to this routine," Mina chuckled again, almost to the point of a mirthful snort, "Even if that led to some… rough patches after I found you again…"

"I think I'll give it another try," Blake reached for the bar once again.

"No,"

"What?" Blake was more shocked than anything; Mina had not been giving her permission to abstain from a needless toil, but commanding her not to.

Mina did another rep before she spoke again, wiping a little sweat from her brow with the back of one hand, "I started this because I needed it, Dearest; the effort helped me cope – helped me not to think; I would not have done it otherwise, and gradually, the benefit has shifted from the mind and soul exclusively to my body, you having come back into my life to resume the place that I'd tried and failed to wholly fill with the effort of strengthening myself. It is of pettier consequence now, Blake, but the fact remains that I do it for my benefit, and it would not so benefit you; you needn't strain yourself by way of apology Dearest, least of all where none is necessary,"

Blake's hand fell away from the bar again; that had been exactly it after all, "You know something Mina, you're pretty amazing,"

Mina's smile broadened, "Amazing enough to earn a kiss?"

"Of course,"

Blake leaned in to press her lips to Mina's. It wasn't the most graceful gesture, Mina still hanging as she was, and it was such that Blake had to bend down slightly to meet her, but meet her she did, and it was good.

As they broke apart again after some moments, Mina asked, a wry smirk on her lips now, "What would you say if I asked you to take me, right here and now?"

"I'd say that this is hardly the place," Blake rolled her eyes, thumping Mina on the forehead, "Judgment, Mina… And you were doing so well until that last-,"

"Then I suppose that it is well that I didn't ask," Mina cut her off innocently, pulling Blake into an odd approximation of a hug, burying Blake's face in her chest in so doing, "But there should be nothing wrong with a hug…"

Blake tried her best to awkwardly return the embrace, and couldn't help but laugh a little, "Mina, you're going to suffocate me…"

Mina reluctantly let her go after a few moments, letting her arms hang limp now, until she let herself drop from the bar, at which point she landed on her hands and quickly sprang back to her feet, a devious smile dominating her expression, "My sincerest apologies,"

"Right…" Blake snorted, "Still, if I had to choose a way to go…"

Mina clasped her hands behind Blake's neck and pulled her into another, gentler kiss, "Let us not speak of such unpleasantness, Dearest,"

Blake smiled, "Alright, how about this: I want to take you somewhere, like, a date…. I guess… Does that sound good?"

Pale eyes brightened somewhat, "Truly?"

"Yeah," Blake nodded in affirmation, though it was more for her own benefit than Mina's; it was probably high time they had their first actual date… "This Sunday sound alright?"

Mina nodded, getting a bright look still in her eye, "Y-yes! Whatever you wish Dearest! I look forward to it!"

Blake laughed again, "I just want to do…" what exactly? I'll have to figure that out later… "Something nice for you,"

Mina's smile bared her fangs, but rather than as consequence of her typical her typically devious expression meant to playfully unnerve, this was the simple result of the inability to contain her excitement, "I look forward to it,"

Author's Note: Some of you may be wondering about the similarities to chapter four, or maybe you aren't… For those of you who are, rest assured, I intended a bit of juxtaposition here, where we have Blake and Mina together this time, in a less tense atmosphere, and being honest with each other, if not necessarily themselves (Blake ;)) (God, I apologize for that… I shall never use emoticons again… I am so sorry…). At any rate, thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave your thoughts. Have a nice day.