Yang.

An enigmatic awareness overtook her. She struggled to focus but the warm pricks of sunlight threatened to lull her back into unconsciousness.

Yang.

There it was again. She heard a groan somewhere nearby but soon realized it was rumbling up and out of her own throat. Eyes still closed her surroundings started to piece themselves together in her mind's eye. A soft giggle from her right placed Blake, reading the novel she'd brought with her. Canopy open to protect her from the heat of the sun's rays Yang was happily soaking up. Incoherent voices sparked faceless strangers scattered around them. The sound of the waves in the distance painted the shoreline.

"Yang!"

The image was washed away as Yang sat up in surprise at the pitch of Ruby's voice so close to her ear.

"Ah! What the hell Ruby." Yang exclaimed as their foreheads crashed together.

"Ooo, owie." Was her only response as she stood, casting a shadow over Yang.

"Ruby, are you alright?" Weiss jumped up from her spot next to Blake where she was protecting her alabaster skin from the sun's rays. She came to stand before Ruby and gently pulled the younger girl's hands away from her face. "It's okay." She cooed. "There isn't any blood so you haven't broken your nose at least."

"Are you sure?" Ruby pouted, taking advantage of Weiss' rare overly attentiveness. "It really hurts."

"What about me?!" Yang exclaimed. Stars were still dancing in her vision as a sharp pain throbbed within her skull. "Damn it Ruby."

"Don't yell at her!" Weiss admonished as she gently rubbed at the growing bump on Ruby's skull. "And don't give me that 'poor me' expression. You have your own girlfriend to fuss over you."

Yang turned to Blake, who had been watching the interaction in quiet amusement. She plastered her best pout, sticking her bottom lip out excessively for good measure.

Blake shrugged and turned back to her book. Staring for a moment, she found her place before flipping the page.

"Blake," she whined. Shimmying over to Blake's side, half in the shade. "Aren't you going to make sure I'm not permanently damaged?"

A raised brow and a short "no" was her answer.

Yang sat there agast. "Why?" She questioned further.

"Because," she said as she flipped the page once more. "I know just how hard headed you are. It will take more than the likes of Ruby to get through your thick skull."

Weiss and Ruby tried to stifle their laughter but both failed horribly in their attempts. Yang huffed and turned to lean against the side of Blake's lounge chair, her head resting against Blake's arm. They stayed like that, in silence, with Ruby and Weiss speaking quietly to one another. Yang relaxed against her girlfriend's side; the pain in her skull subdued for now. Her head dipped as the muscles in the arm supporting her moved to flip a page in the ever important book of the week resting in Blake's lap. Yang found the motion more comforting than annoying, however, to be connected physically while their minds were in two separate places.

She felt as if she could easily drift off to sleep once more, given the chance. The thought only reminded her of how rudely she was woken from her previous rest.

"Ruby?" She spoke loudly. Blake's body jerked in surprise at the sudden noise bringing her back from the fantasy world she'd been immersed in. Ruby and Weiss cut their conversation short to turn in her direction. "Was there a reason you woke me up so rudely or were you just trying to give me a headache?"

"Oh!" Ruby's smile widened. "Yeah, I need your help."

"For?"

"Weiss and I were going to build a sandcastle, but you know how horrible I am at them." Her smile faded slightly at the admission.

"Weiss is smart, I'm sure she can figure it out."

"Please?"

"Don't be sour just because you were woken from a nap." Blake cut in. "Go help."

Yang tipped her head back to see the small upside down smirk slowly take form. Turning back to her sister she answered. "I'll come help, but only if Blake comes too." She heard Blake's book slam closed. "I'm not going to watch you two annoyingly dance around each other, and pretend you aren't eyeing the other up, on my own."

"Blake?" Ruby turned her pleading eyes from her sister to focus on her new victim.

Blake opened her mouth to respond but Yang cut her off before the refusal could fully take form.

"Come on Blake, don't be sour just because you're getting dragged away from your book. Help us out!"

Throwing her words back at her had the desired effect. She grumbled and probably called Yang some colorful words under her breath, but she agreed. She sprung up from her chair so fast that Yang fell backwards, ribs impacting on the hard metal of the lounge chair.

"Ow."

"Sandcastles!" Ruby yelled, dragging Weiss to the shore.

"Don't worry!" Yang yelled after them. "I'm fine."

"Come on," Blake called over her shoulder, already following her two friends. Disappointed at the lack of attention her injuries were getting, but knowing further complaints would get her nowhere, Yang stood and marched after them.

By the time they reached the shore she'd caught up to Blake. It didn't take long to spot her sister as she was already fencing off their work zone.

"Hey! Can't you see the line and the sticks?" Weiss harshly questioned a six year old that foolishly crossed the line Ruby had just barricaded off. "Ugh," she huffed as the kid just stuck his tongue out at her and ran off. "I think we need some 'no trespassing' signs."

"Where are you planning to get them, Weiss?" Blake asked as they came to stand next to the makeshift border. "Are we permitted to enter?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yes. Don't be so dramatic."

"That's rich coming from someone who just yelled at a kid for stepping over a stick." Yang commented.

"Excuse me?" Weiss rebutted. "He crossed the very obvious line Ruby spent time in making."

"I'm sur-"

"Stop fighting you two." Blake interrupted, giving Yang a warning look.

"I don't understand why I get that look when she doesn't."

"Don't complain. Weiss has her own girlfriend to admonish her." Yang turned to find her sister just finishing the border with one last piece of driftwood. "Oh, looks like she didn't witness it. Better luck next time."

Weiss stuck her tongue out at Yang before turning to help Ruby plan out their grit palace.

After the layout and planning Yang was put to work doing more than most of the hard labour as material procuror. She was sure Weiss just made up the title to mess with her. The 'procurement' consisted of finding the best sand to continue construction. It couldn't be too wet or dry and Weiss was not shy about rejecting any 'product' that didn't meet her high standards. Normally Yang would not have stood for it, but the activity was making her sister happy and she really didn't want to be responsible if the towers fell due to poor quality sand.

After a few hours and plenty of time for Blake and Weiss to get a mild sunburn each they all stood back to observe their masterpiece.

"Not too shabby." Yang voiced first, kind of proud of the fragile structure.

"Weiss and my tower is this one." Ruby claimed, sticking a makeshift flag to the roof carefully.

"Okay, then this one is ours." Blake said, stepping forward to run her finger along the roof of the second largest tower.

Ruby's hunger made itself known with an audible rumble. "Come on you Dolt. I told you to have that apple before we came down here to build this. Let's go get something to eat." Weiss took Ruby's hand and led her up the beach to start gathering their things.

Yang took one last look at their masterpiece, knowing full well that it would not last more than an hour. Some kid would get just as much joy out of knocking it down as they had building it up. The tower Blake claimed as theirs stood out to her. She stepped forward to get a better look and realized Blake had drawn hearts around the roof of the tower.

"That's cute."

"Not as cute as you." Blake's voice drifted over her shoulder.

Yang turned around and Blake easily slipped into her space, wrapping her arms around Yang's middle and moulding herself perfectly against her. Yang returned the embrace as they stood in happy silence.

Yang took in a sharp breath as Blake found the sensitive spot on her ribs.

"How are your injuries?" She asked softly.

"I'll live." Yang responded squeezing Blake tighter, even if it meant putting more pressure on her bruised side. "My ribs are apparently as hard as my skull."

Blake scoffed. "You know I meant that as a compliment right?"

"Wow, really? I would hate to be on the receiving end of one of your insults." Sarcasm evident in her tone.

Blake pulled back from her embrace, just enough to be able to properly study her face. Bringing her one hand to gently explore the soft skin of Yang's forehead, easily finding the protrusion from the earlier impact.

"Ow, you weren't exaggerating earlier were you?" Blake asked, voice as gentle as her exploring fingertips. "I'm surprised it's not more evident to the eyes."

"I might have exaggerated a little. It didn't hurt as bad as I let on."

Smiling, Blake rose on her toes. She placed a gentle lingering kiss over the bump. She stepped back to inspect the possible visible damage to Yang's side but found it clear of any marks as well. Her thumb trailed comforting circles along the sensitive flesh of Yang's exposed ribcage.

"There are no marks here either," Blake voiced. "Which is good because it would have ruined the look of your new bikini. I approve by the way."

"I assumed by the way you were staring when I was suntanning, before I fell asleep."

Blake blushed and they both laughed. Turning they started to make their way to where they'd parked, assuming Ruby and Weiss were already there waiting for them to catch up.

"It's a good thing I don't have any marks." Yang spoke up after a few moments.

"Hmm?"

"What would Mr and Mrs Belladonna think if I showed up covered in bruises?"

"They would think you were accident prone; they wouldn't be wrong." Blake responded with an amused sigh. "Besides I could cover you in bruises now and they would still all disappear before our trip to Menagerie."

"Why Miss Belladonna, are you saying you want to mark on me?" Blake's jaw dropped. Her arm reflexively jolted out to smack Yang's arm. "I didn't hear you deny it and to be quite honest I wouldn't be opposed."

"You're impossible!" Blake exclaimed.

"That's why you love me." Yang teased.

"No, it's not why I love you." She answered. "But I love you nonetheless.

Blake wasn't sure if her mother actually loved scavenger hunts or if it was the nostalgia of them that she was going for. Blake could think of plenty of activities they could have been doing but the island's. Amusement park scavenger hunt would not have been one of them. Ever the competitor, her father had suggested they race to the treasure. It was childish and oh-so-endearing, how he had accepted Yang so readily into their little family. Yang took the challenge without even asking for Blake's input in the matter.

It's how she found herself being dragged through the enormous path of the park, up and down hills, around giant rocks and jumping rock-to-rock over one of the many river's running towards the ocean. Yang was determined to prove her worth. Blake thought it adorable that she believed a plastic piece of gold —which she was sure still rested at the end of clues— would win her some points with her dad. The fact he challenged her to such a silly game already spoke of his approval.

But Yang didn't know him like Blake did, so this was all obviously lost on her.

Yang was pulling her around a bend in the path when she halted suddenly. It took Blake by such surprise she crashed into Yang's back before she could react.

"What-"

"It's gorgeous."

The reverence in her voice caused Blake to follow Yang's eyes. They were glued to a break in the trees. Blake's eyes grew nearly as wide as Yang's. She hadn't noticed they'd climbed so high. The space was railed off and looked out at the island below. The drop was quite drastic so Blake knew they had to have come up the other side. Cliffs jutted out dangerously interspersed with the green canopies of trees below. Further in the distance the ocean sparkled as the sun's rays danced of it's undulating waves.

Mission temporarily forgotten Yang pulled Blake close so they could enjoy the view together. Blake basked once again in how happy. she was to have Yang here. How giddy it made her to show her around where she grew up and that she fit in so well with her family. Clutching Yang's hand she couldn't help but grip it tighter.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Blake's voice rose, confused at the sudden break in silence.

"Squeeze my hand exactly three times."

If she did it was accidental. She hadn't made a conscious effort this time to do it, but she had to admit it was becoming almost second nature at this point. It seemed after months of being in the dark Yang finally needed to know.

"Mmm," Blake smiled softly to herself. Leaning into Yang's shoulder once again. "It was the day you came and rescued me from my apartment fire."

"I picked you up." Yang laughed. "Don't make it sound like I ran into a burning building."

"You would have, though. Would you not?"

Yang's silence was confirmation enough. Of course, if Blake was in a building burning to the ground, Blake was sure there would be no one strong enough to hold her back or stop her from entering that building.

"And, watching you fret and worry over me that night… I think I realized what lengths you would go to. You would do anything for me; to keep me safe."

"I love you."

"Hmmm, yes. I know." Blake's hold on her arm tightened. "But you hadn't said those words at the time. That night I saw it. I didn't need you to say it. I could see it... I felt it."

She squeezed Yang's hand firmly. "I..." another firm squeeze, "love…" on the third squeeze Blake smiled up at Yang. "You."

Pulling away Yang looked incredulous down at their intertwined fingers. The wheels, almost visibly turning, as they remembered each time Blake had performed the same action. Every night before they slept, nearly every time they parted and the numerous other small moments. All the way back to the night of the fire, months before they'd said it out loud.

"All this time you'd been telling me you love me?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you say it?"

"At first," Blake took a deep breath of ocean air, letting the warm wind caress both of their heat slicked skin. "I wasn't allowed to voice it when I first realized what I felt, because of the smoke I inhaled that night. So it was a way to get it out, to tell you without verbalizing it. I continued it even after because I enjoyed being able to tell you I loved you without the pressure of wondering how you would react." She traced the lines of Yang's palm contemplating her next confession. "I think I liked having the ability to say it anytime I wanted and I found it amusing you hadn't yet asked what it meant."

"Uh huh, you were being a tease."

"What?! I am not a tease." Her nose scrunched and wrinkles formed over its bridge as if she'd bit into a lemon, sour taste on her tongue.

"Withholding telling me you loved me for your own entertainment. Is that not teasing?"

Yang wasn't upset. Her tone held a familiar playfulness, she seemed actually quite amused to learn the truth. The gesture had been a part of her daily life for months now and she never would have thought a love confession was what started it.

"Okay, maybe I was teasing a little. I made a kind of game of it, sometimes seeing how many times I could do it in a day to see if you would ask."

"You didn't?"

"I did," Blake laughed freely. And the way Yang lit up at the simple sound of her amusement made her feel so special.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Twenty-two."

"Liar!" Yang accused.

"I am not a liar," was her indignant response. "Take that back right now." Blake pushed her with her elbow strong enough Yang needed to shuffle her feet to catch her balance. Relaxing again they turned their attention to the view. "We're supposed to be finding the treasure." Blake's quiet voice eventually broke the silence. She sighed an apology obviously not wanting to break the peaceful moment.

"I already found it." Yang whispered into Blake's ear as if sharing the most important secret.

Blake preemptively rolled her eyes knowing Yang was up to something. "You haven't."

"You need to reduce the amount of time you spend with Weiss. Soon your eyes will be permanently rolled to the back of your skull."

Blake snorted. "And how do you suggest I do that once all of us are living in the same apartment?"

Yang started down the path and Blake was quick to keep step with her.

"Ack, well that's an easy one." Her smile, wide and full of cunning. "I just won't let that happen."

Yang was pulled to a stop when Blake's body froze on the gravel beneath her feet. Blake studied her with her amber eyes, scrutinizing her like she did one of the mystery books she sometimes read. Yang parted her lips, to question her sudden silence, but Blake keeled over laughing harder than she could remember in a long time. She really didn't know. She reached to grasp the branch of a tree beside her for support as she drew in great gasps of air in between her deep bellied laughs.

"Y-you really d-don't know."

"Don't know what?" Yang laughed, caught up in Blake's high.

Blake wiped the moisture from her eyes and focused on her breathing. When she stopped falling back into giggles she surprised Yang by placing a quick kiss to her cheek.

"It's cute you haven't noticed." Intertwining their fingers she pulled Yang along the path.

"Notice what?"

"That Weiss is all but moved in already."

Yang scoffed, obviously not believing her. But again the wheels turned and Blake could almost hear each internal argument she was having. She would have noticed if Weiss moved in. Of course she was there a lot… like all the time, but her and Ruby were dating. It only made sense they spent a lot of time together. Their apartment just made more sense to be at than Weiss'. It was bigger and now housed the third party of their trio of friends. The toothbrush in the bathroom marked by her name was only there as sometimes date nights or study sessions ran long and it was only smart to stay over on those nights rather than drive home tired. The fridge held an entire shelf of Weiss' weird fancy food Yang couldn't even begin to name if she tried, but that was just Ruby being a good girlfriend. Blake knew Yang made sure to have some of Blake's favourite snacks on hand before she'd moved in. And yes, the clothing hamper from Ruby's room did come into the wash twice as often now and three quarters of it weren't her sister's clothes, but that didn't-

"Shit."

Blake gripped Yang's hand tightly with both of her own. "There, there, it'll be okay."

"How could I not have noticed?" Yang struggled to wheeze the words past her deflating lungs. "She's there all the time."

"She makes Ruby happy. Remember that."

"Ugh, who did you meet first, Ruby or Weiss?"

"Well…" Blake was taken aback at the sudden change of subject. "Weiss and I were paired up in my Business class and one day she dragged me along to meet Ruby as we had to work on our project."

"You know," Yang's tone dropped menacingly. "You make it very hard for me to despise that girl, right?"

"Because she makes Ruby happy?"

"And she's the reason we met. It's not fair."

"Poor baby," Blake cooed, knowing Yang didn't really hate Weiss. She just liked stirring up drama sometimes. "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

"Yes please."

Blake giggled at Yang's exaggerated protruding lower lip. Yang pointed to her pout.

"Is that where it hurts?" Yang nodded and Blake leaned in. The moment their lips met Blake could feel Yang's mouth lift into a smile. When she pulled back Yang was giving her the most adorable endearing look… like she was the most precious thing on earth. "You are such a goof. We really should be going. We-" pausing she realized Yang had mentioned finding what they were looking for. "You said you found the treasure?"

"Mhmm, and she's right here." Blake was spun back into Yang's arm as she kissed her again. They separated only with their need to breathe but Yang held her tight lest she try to put any distance between them. She still wore that ridiculous grin. The lilac of her eyes softened, as they always did when they looked at her. "The only treasure I'll ever need was the one thing I hadn't even been searching for."

"Well," Blake swallowed past the heavy feeling in her chest. "Maybe the treasure was the one looking for you."

"That would make me a very poor pirate." Yang kissed her again and with the way she was looking at her the softness and honesty in her voice Blake couldn't help but fall over and over again for her. She wondered if she'd ever stop falling. She hoped not.

"I wouldn't like you in an eyepatch anyway." Blake whispered, their breath still mingling. She realized she was still holding Yang's hand, imprisoned now between their bodies. She tightened her hold, once, twice, three times.

"I love you, too." Yang returned the squeezes with her words and Blake's heart soared. She would miss the secrecy the action held but knowing Yang could now reciprocate filled her with joy.

THE END

/

Prompts for this chapter were Build and Treasure

I just want to thank everyone who has been following along, whether you were favouriting or reviewing or just silently here for the ride.

Thanks,

-JJ