Author's Note: Alright, here we are with another one – mostly fluffy – and as always I hope you enjoy. Believe it or not, this was just going to be a short, but as I was writing, It sort of developed into some character fluff, so here you go; enjoy, and until next time, have a good one!

This really was her own fault… Blake had essentially given Mina a blank check after all – and she'd do it again – but the true consequences of that decision were only really sinking in now…

It had started off innocently enough; the first time Mina had come to her for a kiss since the offer had been made was the very next day, after an unfortunate misunderstanding involving a preposterously heavy stuffed sloth and Russell Thrush, which Blake had later learned was indeed a genuine accident – Nora having somehow smuggled 'Oswald' into class and left the toy in the aisle, whereupon Russell tripped over it, catching himself on Mina's desk, which had been just a little too close for Mina's comfort. Blake had been in the dorm at the time, so there hadn't been an issue; she gave Mina her kiss and all was well with the world again as far as Mina was concerned. The next day, Mina leaned over for a kiss at the start of Port's class because somebody had 'bumped her elbow in the hall,' on the way to class. Somewhat more embarrassing though that setting had been, Blake had acquiesced, and barring a massively unhelpful whistle from Yang, there hadn't been an issue then either. By the end of the week, Mina had moved on to blatantly abusing the privilege, and as irksome as it was to have Mina ask for a kiss in the middle of a sparring session, Blake took it in stride because Mina's increasingly cavalier and flirtatious attitude showed that she was starting to get over the anxiety.

Now though… things were probably getting out of hand… just a bit…In and of themselves, an extra kiss here and there was nothing; a little reassurance for Mina's peace of mind was so easy – but in the aggregate… Perhaps it may have done for Blake to have considered the implications of this policy for her own… needs…

After having gotten used to having Mina behave somewhat sulky and skittish, it was no small relief to see Mina return to behaving like herself – at first. As Mina recovered that bit of a sultry swagger in her stride and suggestive note in her voice though, Blake couldn't help but find it… distracting… Maybe it was because Mina had been much more reserved of late, but now that she seemed to have finally recovered herself, the way that she sashayed from one hip to the other with each step was just so damn enticing… when she'd initially noticed, Blake had silently admonished herself - Mina was going through a hard time right now; this was not the time for that. Still, as Mina continued to act more and more like herself, Blake couldn't help staring – idly contemplating how many inches of skin Mina's skirt left above the knee here, harboring a guilty hope that maybe Mina had forgotten her bra there… Ultimately harmless little flights of fancy, she supposed, provided that she kept them in check. Present circumstances were not making that easy… Sure, she'd occasionally fantasized about this kind of thing but Blake had never thought to actually do it…

"Hey Mina…?"

"Hmmm?"

Blake undid another button on Mina's blouse, "We probably shouldn't be doing this…"

"I…" Mina searched for the best words, despite being somewhat distracted, though she did not remove her hands from around the back of Blake's neck, "do not care…"

Doctor Oobleck had asked Blake and Mina to straighten up the classroom quickly after he'd dismissed the rest of the class – it was two different people at the end of every class – this just happened to be their turn, and after instructing them to return it to the mailbox outside his office when they had locked up for the afternoon, he left the key to lock the classroom and took his leave. That had been the first nudge. About five minutes into straightening the chairs and neatly stacking the various spare textbooks the good Doctor had lent out to students lacking the presence of mind to bring their own copies to class – or indeed put away the copies they'd borrowed – Mina had complained of how stuffy the lecture hall was. For her part, Blake couldn't disagree, but she wouldn't have gone so far as to undo the top two buttons of her shirt… The third and final nudge came as Blake had finished stacking the books and Mina had surprised her with a hug from behind, affectionately resting her chin on Blake's shoulder. Blake preferred to think that her 'romance novel' hobby did not color her expectations for real life, but that cause was done no favors by the fact that the present circumstances rather neatly mirrored the start of her… er… favorite chapter of a certain particularly steamy work of literature…

"I want a kiss now…" Mina had stated with a purr.

"Oh? What's wrong now?" Blake tried very hard to play dumb – she was supposed to have better judgment after all…

"Nothing…" Mina answered nonchalantly as Blake turned to face her now, her body utterly ignoring that better judgment she was supposed to have, "I simply want one…"

Wordlessly, Blake leaned in to oblige Mina with a chaste little peck on the lips, "How's that? Now come on; Doctor Oobleck probably needs his-,"

Without warning, Mina grabbed Blake and pulled her into another, much more… intense kiss. Blake's eyes shot wide open as Mina forced her tongue past Blake's lips, but despite a sudden want of air to breathe, Blake did not pull away. It was like a dam broke and all the little urges and fancies she'd been sweeping under the rug came flooding back all at once as her heartbeat quickened and her face grew flushed, and when Mina finally broke it off to say "I meant like that," she wasn't given the opportunity to finish the quip – Blake just pulled her right back. Mina had been surprised in her turn by Blake's sudden… initiative, but it only took the space of a moment for wide eyes to give way to an excited smile.

Blake never broke the lip-lock as she lowered Mina down onto the nearest desk – Dr. Oobleck's, specifically - so intent was she on the simple and all-consuming sensation of Mina's lips on hers, but as she made to move forward, she hesitated, which was where she found herself in the present, her hand hovering over the fourth button down Mina's blouse, "This… really isn't the place…"

Mina pouted, "You don't want to-?"

"No, no, I really do…" Blake sighed, "But somehow Dr. Oobleck's desk doesn't seem very…" she prodded a short stack of handouts with a sigh, her passions somewhat deflated, "…romantic…"

"Would that you could live as I do for a day and perhaps disabuse yourself of this fixation with the scenery…" Mina grumbled, propping herself up on her elbows, "But if it is the teacher's desk that bothers you, we can choose another-,"

"Not the issue…" Blake shook her head, much as she would love to stare at Mina's lacey black bra… "We'll go to that little grove; just… button up first and-,"

"Make me,"

Blake raised an eyebrow, "I beg your pardon?"

"I do not want to go,"

Blake's eyelid twitched in irritation, "You're being very immature about this Mina…"

"Someone has to be," Mina persisted in her poutting as she sat up, but did nothing to close her blouse as directed, "Otherwise we shall never have any fun…"

"Don't be silly Mina-,"

"Do you want to touch me?"

Blake winced at the question; intentionally or not, it was loaded like a powder-keg, "Yes…"

"And I want you to touch me…" Mina griped, even going so far as to undo the rest of the buttons on her shirt, and the blazer besides, "No one else is here and we can lock the door… What, then, is the issue?"

"Mina," Blake reached for Mina's hand, but Mina pulled away.

"You promised…"

That puzzled Blake for a moment, until it occurred to her that Mina might be forgetting – or willfully ignoring the fact that Blake had only promised her a kiss whenever she wanted, but this probably wasn't the time to bring that up…

"Come on Mina…"

Mina turned her nose up, "No."

I… I can't believe it… Blake fumed, Am I in the doghouse?

While Blake was stewing on that unpleasant and perhaps a touch ironic thought though, Mina leaned forward and unbuttoned Blake's blazer, "What would be the harm…?"

"Nothing…" Blake admitted, "If we went-,"

"No!" Mina wrapped Blake in a hug perhaps a touch counterintuitive to her defiance, "Maybe if someone did see and word got around, there would at least be no more troubling myself over the infatuated ignorance of some fool…"

"And you don't think this-," Blake paused to give her yet another kiss, more chastened this time, "You don't think that doesn't get the point across that you're taken?" Blake asked, somewhere between patient bemusement and concern.

Mina's ears drooped just a bit – hers not being so expressive, this drew Blake's attention as Mina spoke, "It does… but…"

Blake affectionately stroked Mina's cheek, brushing the lock of hair framing her face aside, "But what?"

"Dearest…You are not…" Mina hesitated, "Ashamed… of our… physical relationship… are you?"

"I…" Ashamed? "N-no! Mina, I love you-,"

Mina looked away, "I am not questioning that Dearest, but…" she shrugged the unbuttoned shirt and blazer from her shoulders before hugging Blake more tightly, "If this does not shame or embarrass you then… why the insistence on a change of venue…?"

"Mina, I know we've been over this…" Blake sighed, lifting Mina's blouse back onto her shoulders, "Time and place – I thought you understood that – there are just some things you don't do… in certain places…"

"I know, but as I said, we are alone and you have the keys; why then is this not an appropriate 'time and place?" Mina argued, defiance giving way to a disappointed pout, "You did not mind kissing me…"

At first, Blake did not have an answer for that one; it was true after all. That kiss earlier hadn't exactly been… for show… You are kind of sending her mixed messages…

"Dearest?"

Blake heaved a sigh; she should have known better. Mina was intelligent, sometimes remarkably so, but that did not change the fact that Mina's brain was just wired differently. Mina needed absolutes. Either 'yes' or 'no,' and she would faithfully obey to hell and back, but If given 'maybe' or told to go by what was 'intended' rather than what was said, well We get times like this…

"Alright, I'm not being fair…" Blake admitted, having a seat on the desk now, and sitting Mina down beside her, "We can't do… this in public places Mina. Not even if there's nobody else around and we can lock the door…"

"But you just-,"

"I was wrong," Blake cut in, "and I should have known better than to get your hopes up – or mine for that matter…"

Mina fell quiet.

"I'm… I make mistakes too Mina…" Blake squeezed Mina's hand on the desk beside her, "Believe it or not my judgment isn't always perfect either… just because I want to – or really want to – do something, that doesn't mean I should… and I'm sorry that I confused you…"

In saying this though, Blake could not help feeling a little anxiety. Egotistical as the thought was, Mina practically worshiped her, and had always been willing to take anything Blake cared to have her do with the faithful assumption that it was right because Blake herself wanted it. The anxiety derived from the realization that this, here and now, was probably the first time she'd confronted Mina with the concept that she was not some kind of infallible saint, and Blake wasn't sure how Mina would react to this fact being spelt out. Mina so depended upon Blake that until now, she'd never insistently disagreed with Blake on anything…Wait a minute…

"Mina…?"

"Hmmm?"

"It… just occurred to me…" Blake continued, "You told me 'no…"

Mina's eyes went wide, this time in horrified realization as she hastily turned away to button up her shirt, "I-I… Dearest… I'm sorry I'll not-,"

"No!" Blake grabbed Mina by the shoulders and turned Mina back to face her again, "That's good – well, not so much why, granted, but… I know you've always had your own opinion Mina, but until now you've never challenged me on mine…"

"And I should not have-,"

Blake shook her head, "You were wrong, just like I was to let you think it was okay, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't express an opinion solely because I might not agree with it…" Blake pulled a surprised and slightly confused Mina into another hug, "You shouldn't have to suppress your own opinion for me. You just-," Blake bit her lip, "We just need to learn to compromise…"

"Compromise?" Mina's brow furrowed, "Why should there be a compromise if one of us is right and the other wrong?"

"It isn't always that simple Mina," Blake smiled affectionately, "but we can work on it, okay?"

Mina however, did not appear convinced even as she gave her acceptance, "Very well…"

Blake sighed, her hand moving to gently run her fingers over Mina's toned, bare stomach, "Good. Now then, all that having been said…" She let her eyes wander down from Mina's face and over the smooth expanse of Mina's exposed skin, "I would like to… indulge…"

Mina perked up a bit, "Such being the case, I do believe that I've made my position quite-,"

"If you agree that we can go somewhere more private," Blake finished, pinching Mina's side and causing her to jump in surprise with a little squeak, "Alright?"

Mina huffed, "Fine… but please do not pinch me there…"

Blake chuckled, "Ticklish?"

"A little…"

"I can't believe it…" Blake laughed in relief that the touchy subject appeared to have passed, "Eleven years and I'm just now finding out that you're ticklish?"

Mina blushed a bit, "A little…"

Blake pinched her again, triggering another little involuntary yelp and a fit of giggles, "S-stop! Stop it! Dearest!"

"How did I not know this?" Blake asked herself aloud, stifling her laughter, "How…?"

"I have not exactly advertised it…"

"No, but I thought you told me everything," Blake prodded her again, "I can't believe that you'd hide this from me-,"

Mina scooted away across the top of the desk to get out of reach, "It embarrasses me…"

"It's cute…"

That really snared Mina's attention, "Cute…?"

"Of course it is," Blake nodded her affirmation, "Although… the adorable giggles are sending me a very different message than what I'm getting with your shirt hanging wide open…"

"The invitation stands…"

Blake reached over, but rather than a sensual caress, she took Mina's shirt by the collar and re-buttoned the top, "At the pond," Blake reiterated, "Now button up so we can go huh?"

"Oh alright…"