She tasted good.

She smelled good.

Dammit, her breathing sounded good.

Sensations of love and affection filled every one of your senses as Blake's lips met yours. After bringing you back from the hospital, Blake surprised you with a kiss. Longing, worry, and stress had built up in her to a point where simply sitting and watching you lie there in your sleep wasn't enough.

But now you were awake.

But now you were there.

Your room was silent. It was away from every other dorm, so there was no noise from neighbors or anything like that, but this was different. It was silent.

The only thing that you hear with your Faunus ears was Blake. Her breathing. Her rustling of your sheets. Her heart beating in a slow, plodding step.

Since you had woken up, everything had felt fast. It was like the Grimm hit you and then you were awake in your room. You just somehow skipped days at a time with a scar to show for it.

But now, things were slow. Time stopped still. Your kiss with Blake lasted all that time you had lost. And suddenly, it was over.

Your eyes open as Blake slowly leans back, her soft lips still curled into a kiss. She bites her bottom lip as she closes her mouth. Her eyes open and she blinks a few times. The golden gaze stares directly into your eyes. Despite the tiredness Blake's face carried, the stress of the time you weren't in her life, you could only describe her as beautiful. She wore the face of someone in love.

Time resumed.

Blake's face readjusts to the flow of time, causing her to jump. Her soft gaze becomes one of shock and surprise, but she quickly returns to normal. She covers her face and looks at the ground. "Oh, my god, I just did that."

You scoff and try to think of what to do past that. You settle by putting a hand on her knee and saying, "You did. Where do we go from here?"

Blake lowers her hands, stares at the ceiling, takes a breath, and says, "Well, unless I'm somehow completely misunderstanding the signals, I think you feel the same way I do." She falls back onto your bed and stares up at you.

You gleefully let your weary body fall onto the bed, remembering just how exhausted you are. You and Blake stare up at the ceiling. "I think I do." Of course, you do. Look at her. Blake was gorgeous, kind, and the only person that really knew your struggle as a Faunus hiding. She was a fairy tale made flesh, and you could see in her eyes that you were her Prince Charming. For now, at least. You couldn't help but reciprocate those feelings.

"…"

"…"

"So…" Blake says. "Does this mean we're dating?"

"We can be."

"I'd like to be."

"Then we are."

"Good."

"What do you want to do now, then?"

"I want a lot of things, but I think what I need right now is a shower. What you need is sleep. What *I* need is sleep."

"This is accurate."

"I guess we figure it out from there. Maybe go on a date?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Then maybe afterward… you could join me in the shower?"

You bolt upright and stare down at Blake. You can FEEL the "WHAT!?" face you're making. She looks up at you and begins to giggle before bursting out in a full-blown laugh. Once she finishes, Blake sits up and says, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Wiping away a tear, she adds, "I really needed that laugh…"

You notice that Blake somehow looks like she'd spent a week sleeping restfully. The tiredness and fatigue she carried were completely gone. "I'm glad I didn't disappoint you, then."

"We can go on a date. Past that, we'll have to see."

"At least I know my current goal in life," you say, now forced to think of Blake in the shower. Blake playfully shoves you. "Hey, you're the one that brought it up."

"And now I'm regretting it. Do NOT tell Yang under any circumstance that I said that. She'd never let me hear the end of it."

"We can see how well our first date goes. Then we can figure out just how close we want to be and how fast."

"I think it will go well, but not THAT well." Blake kicks her way off of the bed and begins to walk out of your room. "But stranger things have happened..." She finds her way to the door and opens it. With one last look at the softest smile, she says, "Sweet dreams," and leaves.

You collapse onto your bed and stare up at the ceiling. A lot had just happened. You had woken up from a coma, and you've got a date. Who, judging from her joke, is pretty into you. For now, though, God, you were tired. Blake was right. What you needed right now was sleep. You toss off your shirt and crawl under your blankets, feeling the embrace of sleep take you instantly.

====

You look down at Blake, meeting her eyes as water cascades down your back. She smiles back as she turns around, giving you a cheeky look at her backside. Water runs down it as well, sliding down her curves as she invites you to stare. Despite the coldness of the deluge, your present company has you feeling warm, mostly because of her current state of dress. While Blake never shied away from clothes that showed off her figure, this was completely different. It also helped that Blake was exhibiting said figure for a number of people, many of whom enjoyed the view. She wasn't at all shy about flaunting her body, turning every now and then so everyone could get a good look.

"You totally knew this would happen, right?"

"Of course. I was going to suggest this whole thing after the mission as a reward and some much-needed stress relief. Seems like an even better idea after what happened."

You're glad to see Blake smiling. Yesterday, she'd been a mess of emotions that only gave way to happiness when she confirmed you were completely okay. Today, she and most everyone looking at her were content. Even though no time had passed for you, you knew this was the first time in a while everyone had been this happy.

"So, you think it's time to stop the peep show or…?" Blake says, furling out her hair.

"We'll just be substituting for Yang, you know." You look up and see Yang caught somewhere in between impatience and appreciation. Her eyes had been predictably glued to… well, mostly Blake, but there were plenty of other beachgoers for her to gaze upon.

"And now we can be the viewers. And yes, I know you want to. It's okay because I want to." Blake steps out of the public beach shower and takes a seat on a brick wall. You follow and sit beside her. Yang triumphantly takes your place and begins dousing herself in water, making a damn good show of it for the other beachgoers. Her golden string bikini matched beautifully with her golden hair, much like Blake's black bikini went with her black hair.

Though all of RWBY and JNPR were enjoying the beach view with you, most eyes were on either Blake or Yang; the rest of the girls, while all incredibly attractive, weren't wearing anything near what Blake was rocking, which in turn was about half of what Yang was. Blake wore a stylish black bikini with an alluring amount of straps holding the pieces together. Her hips were practically in full view thanks to the thin crosses of cloth, and the cups were cut up to expose some extra skin covered by X shaped decoration, with one big X covering her substantial cleavage. Yang wore strings and little else; bright yellow hugged her every curve, exposing most of her beautifully pale skin. You and Blake (and every passerby) enjoyed the view of the woman enjoying a pre-beach shower. Not that any of you necessarily needed a wash off before the sand, but Blake wanted to be cute and Yang wanted to be Yang.

Since everyone had been under a… significant amount of stress lately, you all agreed to enjoy a beach day. After you passed out until the next morning, you were told to get ready for a relaxing day on the beach, and soon after you stepped off the airbus at the nearest beach scene with all of your friends. Before you stepped onto the beach proper, Blake suggesting washing off, mostly so she can flirt with you under the water, fulfilling her joke of showering with you.

While you very much enjoyed your new girlfriend's figure as water dropped down it, she saw a bit less of yours. Your Huntsman training had borne fruit, giving you a nicely toned body worthy of your girlfriend fawning over, but you decided it would be best to stay mostly dressed. As such, you wore a swim shirt along with your trunks so she didn't have to be reminded of the scars she blames herself for. That, plus a hat. Blake was still the only one who knew you were a Faunus as far as you knew. You didn't think to ask if anyone else saw your cat ears while you were under.

But… let's ignore all that. It's beach time!

Now that you all took your totally unnecessary showers, you and your friends hit the sand and set up. This had been a long time coming, so everyone relaxes in their own ways, unwinding all that tension built up from classes, tests, and you. The guilt you feel from worrying everybody is alleviated as you watch Ruby, Jaune, and Pyrrha build sandcastles, Nora crush any that dare oppose her in volleyball while Ren unenthusiastically cheers, Weiss lay under a massive umbrella, and Yang and Blake play around in the water. The world turns slowly as the sun beams down, bathing everything in warm light almost like a wash of peace.

Feeling active, you decide to join Blake and Yang in the water. The frozen sea instantly invigorates your body as you gingerly step in, and a massive chill gets sent down your spine as Yang blasts a major splash of water over you. You respond by splashing her as well, leading to an all-out sea war. Blake joins your side, smiling as she sends waves of cold sea at Yang alongside you. You've yet to mention the fact that you were now dating to anyone since that kiss was really only a few hours ago, but already she was willing to fight by your side in the greatest battle you've ever faced! …which is a two on one splash fight against a hot blonde.

Jokes aside, you feel… alive. Pretty much the last thing you remember before waking up in a hospital was adrenaline. Everything moved so weirdly then, almost like a dream. The fading consciousness that immediately followed assisted with that metaphor. But now, the sun on your skin, the water biting your legs, the warmth you feel as you watch Blake smile and laugh away all of the pain she had been bearing… You feel like you're finally back where you belong. You feel like these are the people you want to spend time with. And, showing your new nature, these are the people you are willing to fight for and protect. Those that drive you to become a Huntsman, even after what happened.

Eventually, the sun starts to set on this day of life. You plus RWBY and JNPR pack up all of your things and start to head back to catch an airbus back home.

But before that, Blake joins you under the shower again as you wash off the sand and salt from your body. She gives you a peck on the cheek when no one is looking.

Yeah, she definitely planned this.