Sun Wukong had always been the envy of the rest of his team when it came to turning in for the night. On a given evening inside of their dorm, Neptune could usually be found primping and obsessing over his every pore in the bathroom late into the night, which contributed to keeping the others awake. Scarlet would lay in bed, staring at the ceiling for hours on end while remaining silent. Sage needed to read for at least two hours before turning off his light and making an effort to rest, or sleep would elude him for the entire rest of the night.

Sun, however, could fall asleep practically as soon as his head hit the pillow, or occasionally, the armrest of the couch, the floor, the netting of a hammock outside, or really, anything. The other three boys would sometimes reference the stunning feat, usually with subtle shades of jealousy lacing their voices. He really didn't know how to explain it- when he committed to sleeping, he was out like a light, and nearly impossible to rouse before he had clocked in a hard eight hours or more of sleep.

How the rest of SSSN would be laughing that night, if they could have seen him.

Everything about the guest room that Sun had been given in the Belladonna mansion was perfect for a restful sleep. The wooden-walled room was large, too large for one person, he thought. Decorative plants were strewn about, adding an exotic, soothing fragrance to the atmosphere. Multiple paintings were strategically placed around the walls to draw the eye to their representations of the foliage and animals of the island, and several pieces of furniture were spaced throughout the room to allow for several guests at once. Particularly of note was the bed, atop which a shirtless Sun had flopped himself, expecting to fall asleep near immediately.

The light, silky blanket upon which Sun lay was irresistibly smooth and warm to the touch. Any other night, the sensation of that alone would have been enough to lull him into a peaceful, comforting snooze. The mattress itself was soft and plushy enough to sink just enough beneath his weight, and the pillows were made of some material that he had never encountered before, and stuffed with what Sun could only suspect was pure witchcraft, for how heavenly they felt against his head and neck. As a final, somnolent touch, the bed was positioned perfectly next to a sliding door that led to a small balcony, which Sun had elected to leave cracked for the ambient sounds of the island nightlife and a cool, ocean-scented breeze.

Yet still, sleep evaded him, and he had been actively trying to slip away for over an hour.

The restless boy rolled onto his side with a disappointed moan, as the memory of his introduction to Blake's parents played in his mind on an endless loop. Oddly enough to Sun, the parts that stuck out to him weren't the looks that Blake gave him during the conversation, or the way that her mother had whispered how much she liked him.

It was her father's cold, judgmental stare, and how badly he had fumbled his words. Normally, a simple misunderstanding or moment of verbal entanglement didn't bother the monkey-tailed faunus. This time, however, it clawed at his mind like some small animal trying to escape from within his skull, with no sign of letting up.

She's got some moves.

All he had intended, at first, was to talk up Blake's ability in battle and let her parents know that Blake could take care of herself and they should be proud of their daughter. As soon as he had said she 'had some moves', however, his mind betrayed him and peppered his every thought with the way that her hips swayed as she walked, how her ears perked and curled with her emotions, and the subtle, easily missed twitch of the occasional smirk that she offered to him when he pleased her.

Carefree and enthusiastic though he was, Sun was no fool. He knew that a small crush had taken residence in his heart as he spent time with the mysterious and complicated cat faunus. It wasn't until that moment, looking at her father's disapproving expression as he could only return a self-conscious smile, that he knew that his crush had mysteriously and quite suddenly evolved into something more.

As the words left Sun's lips, his brain and mouth disconnected. No matter what he said afterward, or how desperately he tried to use his hands to convey meaning, he only seemed to be able to dig the hole deeper. Ghira Belladonna's eyes narrowed as Sun's terrible, dramatic flailing continued, making him feel as though he was shrinking and would soon disappear with a tiny, pathetic pop. Finally, he gave up entirely and tried to distract himself with the kettle upon the table.

Sun closed his eyes and drew the corner of his mouth upward as he cringed, speaking aloud to himself in the empty guest room.

"This tea is really good. Smooth, Sun. Smooth."

With a dramatic sigh, Sun sat up in bed and opened his eyes as he traced a hand upward to scratch at the back of his head. He looked out into the semidarkness, taking note of the locations of the coffee table, ottoman, chairs, and dresser before he slid down to the foot of the bed to let his legs dangle.

"This is stupid. I'm stupid," he whined, as he planted his bare feet onto the floor. Sun stood and stretched his arms up above his head with a disappointed groan, before straightening up. His shoes and gauntlets lay discarded at the foot of the bed, while his shirt hung over the back of a nearby chair. He chose to ignore both heaps of clothing as he walked to the sliding door adjacent to his bed. The wooden frame housed what appeared to be some sort of paper, and the entire contraption felt light, though sturdy, as he shoved it aside. Sun stepped out onto the small balcony and shivered as his bare feet touched the cool, smooth wooden planks beneath them.

Sun folded his arms over the railing and leaned down ever so slightly to look out over the town below. Scant lights within distant houses were still on, and the moon had almost climbed to be directly overhead. He had no idea what time it was, but he knew that it had to be very late.

As his eyes wandered the scenery, one particular light caught his eye. Far to his right side, on the opposite end of the mansion, one room was still lit by an orange glow. Sun knew that Blake's room was somewhere in that opposite wing, and he also knew that the move to place him as far away as possible from her was likely intentional. Despite the sour impression of his introduction to Ghira still lingering in the back of his mind, his heart leapt at the sight.

Was she still awake?

Was she, perhaps, unable to sleep, too? And if so…

…was she thinking about him?

Throwing caution to the wind, Sun turned on his heel and walked back inside of his borrowed room. He made for a wall on the opposite side of the room, and hesitated only for a moment as he placed his hand upon the sliding door placed in the center. His eyes wandered over to his pile of clothing, before he shook his head.

If he was to meet Blake after all, cargo shorts were enough coverage. He had been completely shirtless around her before, and his default look wasn't exactly far removed in terms of nudity. Shoes and gauntlets being absent was hardly scandalous, in comparison.

With only denim and a necklace to clothe him, Sun stepped out into the hall. The wooden floor creaked loudly at his first footfall, and his heart jumped up into his throat at the sharp sound.

Where, exactly, was Ghira and Kali's room? Sun hadn't been given a tour, and until that moment, he had never mustered the will to explore the house on his own.

He had been far too busy that day clinging to Blake, and making sure that his introductory blunder hadn't caused her to suddenly hate him.

Sun strained his ears as he listened for footsteps, a voice, or any acknowledgment at all that he had entered the hallway. He suddenly found himself wishing that he, too, had an extra set of cat ears, though he had a feeling that even that wouldn't have made Ghira see him as a potential fit for his daughter. After several seconds of hearing nothing, he exhaled a breath that he didn't know he had been holding.

"Come on, dude. You got this."

Resolute in his goal, Sun set out once again, stepping lightly. Shadows of pillars, plants, and occasional sculptures danced on the walls as the moonlight played through the high windows of the hallway while he walked. Sun found himself seeing, but not processing the imagery as he made his way toward the light. After a few minutes of walking, he found that he could see it just ahead.

Another large, wooden door was slightly open, spilling a shaft of light out into the hallway. That particular door, however, was emblazoned with a familiar crest upon the papery material- one that he had seen on various accessories belonging to Blake. The Belladonna emblem.

Sun allowed himself a victorious grin, and strode forward with confidence. He put a hand upon the wooden doorframe as he reached the room, and poked his head inside.

There, sat at a desk in the center of the room, was Ghira Belladonna, staring back at him with a familiar look of disapproval in his eyes.

"…and what are you doing out of bed so late, Mr. Wukong?"

Author's Note: So begins my first 'long' continuous story for RWBY. Updates soon.

-RD