A/N: Hey guys! Blue here with a brand new story! Well sort of. It's the prequel to Should I Fall, the story of how Ruby and Weiss fell in love. My first White Rose centric story! Woo hoo!

Now I know what you're thinking, "But Blue? You haven't even finished Should I Fall!". And yeah, I know. I've had case of Discouraged Writers Syndrome (or DWS) lately and it's been hard to conclude the story. But it should be ready soon!

In the meantime, I have this little gem that I have been working very hard on. It may even be longer than the original haha.

Anyways, sorry for the essay. Big shout out to Robyn who has been reading the unedited versions of these and giving me feed back. I love you so much! I really hope you like this fic as much as I liked writing it. Enjoy the Roses!

Chapter 1. World, cold. Eyes, warm

The world was cold and cruel. Her father had made sure she was aware of this fact. The world would not allow for mistakes, it wouldn't allow anything but perfection.

For her at least.

Weiss Schnee, the heiress to the most powerful energy company in the world, was told from the time that she was young that she had something to uphold. Something that she never asked for, but something that was expected of her. The name that was tacked onto Weiss was more important than her first name. It was everything.

And she was nothing.

One day, she found herself sitting in the cafeteria of her high school, all by herself. All the other students just watched her from afar, too scared to try and approach the girl. She was a Schnee after all, they knew what people who also shared her name did, what they could do.

The only one who would eat lunch with her (if she even let her in the first place) was Blake. The kind girl with ebony hair, the one who typically read whenever she had the free time, the girl who only seemed to see Weiss. Not Weiss Schnee.

Unfortunately, the girl seemed to be sick today. And even if she wasn't, Weiss had pushed her away. She pushed everyone away recently, convinced that no one really cared.

She was beginning to think she was right. That thought gnawed at her.

She wished Blake was here though. To talk about a book or ask her how her day was. Anything to stop the thoughts that ran rampant through her mind. She sighed and took a sip out of her carton of milk. She may have been going to the best school in Atlas, and they may have served near gourmet food, but the milk cartons were just like any other school cafeteria. She smiled a bit at the thought. How upset her father would be if he knew she was drinking the same thing as the 'common folk'.

It pushed her to drink more. In fact, she wished she could go back and get a second carton. She could, if she really wanted to. She wouldn't even need to pay for it either. They would simply see who was asking and give it to her. Once they saw she was a Schnee, she could probably take a whole container and they wouldn't bat an eye.

The milk carton crushed in her grip.

She didn't really want milk anymore. What was in her stomach now churned in rebellion against her body.

Weiss retrieved her phone from her bag to check for the time. There was still twenty minutes of lunchtime left. The heiress spared a glance back at her tray. The contents of the meal, while delicious and well prepared, were hardly touched. There was a small bite taken out of the chicken, the peas looked mildly disturbed and the cookie was still wrapped in it's packaging.

So with nothing else to do, Weiss took out a notebook and began to look over her notes for the day. She took extensive notes, she needed to get the best grades out of anyone. So she would write her notes and then make notes after the notes when she re-read them. And she would copy over the notes and the notes of the notes to make sure it was in her head. She was part of the way through her notes of her notes when she noticed how she signed and dated the next page. It was standard for her, it signified that these notes were taken on another day.

But Weiss just fixated on her name that was neatly written in pencil across the top. Typically, she used pens when taking notes. Actually, she remembers taking these notes. It was hard to concentrate, she was beating herself up for forgetting her pens at home. The only reason she kept pencils on hand was for the mandatory art class she was required to take. She never made mistakes when taking down notes, and if she did, the notes of her notes would clear that up for her.

But there it was. 'Weiss Schnee' in graphite. Her fingers traced the letters, smudging her porcelain digits. Without thinking, she pulled a pencil out of her bag and twisted it around. Her hand moved on it's own, the eraser pressing down to the page. She rubbed it against the smooth white parchment. When she removed it, it only read 'Weiss'. She almost smiled again, pleased with her work. But she noticed that 'Schnee' might seem gone, but the imprint was still there. The after image. She couldn't simply erase it, though she wished she could.

Sometimes, in her very dark moments, she wished she could erase 'Weiss' too.

Riiiiiing.

The bell finally rung, Weiss picked up her belongings and hastily made her way out of the cafeteria, out of view of cruel and cold eyes. In her class, no one would pay her any mind. Until she answered the questions, like she always did. She knew they made fun of her for it behind her back, she wasn't stupid. But she was a Schnee, she needed to answer as many questions as she could and prove her brilliance.

She was just about to open the door to her classroom when the school intercom blared over the hustle and bustle of the hallways.

"Weiss Schnee, please come to the Headmaster's office. Weiss Schnee, to the Headmaster's office, please."

If it were possible for her complexion to get paler then it was, than she would be as pale as the paper she took her notes on. She couldn't be sent to the Headmaster's office. Schnees don't get in trouble. She ignored the 'Ooooohs' from her fellow classmates and did as she was told.

She ran through her mind what she had done for the past couple weeks. Could she have been answering too many questions in class? No, they encouraged that behavior. Had her father pulled his funding from her? He forced her to go here in the first place, doing that would only make her happy. And the man seemed to detest doing that.

Her breathing quickened the closer she got to the office. Panic set in, sparking jolts of fear throughout her body. What if her father found out she was called to the Headmaster's office? She would never hear the end of it. She just imagined the ringing in her ears from his yelling, the spit that would spray.

The sting on her cheek if she dared talk back.

She knew he would do it, the scar on her left eye was evidence enough. If someone asked how she got it, she would recite the rehearsed story of how she fell into glass when she was younger.

A fabrication created by the real cause of the scar.

Her back leaned against the wall as she gasped for air. She gave herself a minute, just one, to compose herself. To regain the icy exterior everyone knew. After that minute, she grabbed a sip of water from the fountain and proceeded to the office.

She expected to be alone in the room, but when she entered she saw another girl who looked to be a bit younger than her. She was slightly shorter but wore the same school uniform. She had deep red hair that seemed to grow brighter at the tips. Upon hearing Weiss come in, the girl turned to look at her. Silver pooled in puddles where her pupils were supposed to be, so shiny and vibrant. Full of excitement and fun, there was no apt explanation on how they looked other than that. As soon as the girl saw the heiress, her face lit up. It was as if she was seeing an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time, so warm and inviting. And her smile, it brightened up her face, making everything about her feel like... Home.

"Miss Schnee." Headmaster Ironwood addressed, pulling Weiss' attention back to him. Right, the reason she was here. "This is Miss Rose. She is a new student here."

Her attention returned to the new guest, the ivory-haired girl swiveled back to face her. She extended her hand as she was taught to do since she was young.

"Weiss Schnee, nice to meet you." The robotic voice left her mouth. Miss Rose giggled, but grasped her hand back. It was soft for the most part, except for the pads of her fingers. They felt calloused and hard.

"I'm Ruby! It's really nice to meet you too!" She said, her smile growing larger.

"Miss Rose has actually skipped two grades, so she is in your class now." The Headmaster informed her. Part of Weiss was impressed. The other part was jealous. She must have been much smarter than Weiss. The heiress never skipped any grade. Why wasn't she good enough to skip grades entirely? "So naturally, she needs help navigating the school and fitting in. I figured who better to help her than our star pupil."

She wouldn't be much of a star pupil with Ruby around, now would she. The girl who skipped two grades.

Weiss wasn't bitter, she swore.

"Yes, of course." She answered, knowing that was the only option. She, Weiss Schnee, couldn't turn that request down. People would talk. "Would you like a tour of the campus?"

"Lead the way!" The bubbly girl told her, gesturing out of the room.

XxXxX

"And on your left we have the cafeteria where you can obtain a very nutritious lunch." Weiss recited. It wasn't her first time giving tours to people. Headmaster Ironwood often asked for her help (maybe because she never said 'no' to authority) but he typically told her ahead of time. No matter, she was still giving the perfect tour. Now it was time for... "Questions?"

"Yeah! How many times have you given this tour?" The new student asked. The heiress was slightly taken back by this.

"Um," Weiss started and cursed herself for saying 'um' like a plebeian. Way to go Weiss! Very scholarly. "The Headmaster has asked me to give it a few times, I'm not quite sure how many."

"Well you got it down pat, that's for sure!" She complimented.

"D-do you have anymore questions?"

"Hmmm." Ruby vocalized, tapping her chin. She looked into the distance and her tongue stuck out a bit. It didn't look like something a girl who skipped two grades would do... "Not that I can think of! Thank you so much for the help. Thoooough... I have a feeling I'll still get lost, I have a terrible sense of direction."

"Not everyone is adept with finding their way, that is understandable."

"Oh! I know! Let's compare schedules!" Ruby suggested, her excitement growing.

"I beg your pardon?" Weiss asked. What did schedules have to do with a sense of direction.

"If we have the same classes, we can walk in the halls together! Then I won't get lost." Ruby explained, scratching the back of her head when admitting her directional challenges again.

Weiss saw no harm in doing so, so she pulled out her planner and plucked the neatly folded piece of paper in the front sleeve of the organizer. Ruby, on the other hand, pulled out a crumbled slip of paper from her bag. She only caught a glimpse of the inside of Ruby's bag, but it looked like a disaster zone. Just looking at it sent shivers down Weiss' spine.

They opened their schedules and looked to see which classes matched up.

"Oh wow! We're taking most classes together! That's awesome." Ruby exclaimed, but a frown soon grew on her face. "Except for Shop Class and Study Hall. You've got something called... Iron... Iron-"

"I assist Headmaster Ironwood at that time. I typically do have the same study hall as you."

"Then why don't you use it?"

"Well I promised Headmas-"

"You know you're just a student, right?"

"Huh?"

"You don't have to do all these things that he expects of you."

"I'm used to people expecting things from me."

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm Weiss Schnee."

"So?"

'So?' Is that seriously what she said? 'So?' Weiss thought.

"I'm Weiss Schnee."

"Aaand that means what, exactly?"

To say she was surprised was an understatement. Astounded, flabbergasted, absolutely gobsmacked. Everyone in Atlas knew the Schnees. Everyone in the world knew the Schnees. But this girl, could she really be that ignorant?

"Where are you from?"

"Well, originally Vale. It's right be-"

"I know where Vale is!" The woman snapped. "Have you been living under a rock?"

Ruby's eyes widened, she shrank away a bit. Her silver eyes dipped down to the ground. Weiss felt instant guilt at dampening the girl's upbeat attitude. She didn't want to disappoint this girl. She couldn't say why. It wasn't the same as her father, that was caused by fear. She didn't know why, but seeing those silver eyes in misery pained her heart.

No, You don't know this girl. She chided herself. She means nothing to you, the only reason she deserves your attention was because the Headmaster told you so.

"Maybe I'm a little out of touch with stuff. My uuuh... Family kind of travels around a lot." Ruby said, the smile returned to her face. "So... Schnee?"

Weiss had been addressed this way before. Not directly, but she heard people whisper 'Schnee' behind her back. Like she was different from them. Well she wasn't. Like she wasn't a person. Sometimes she believed this too.

But Ruby wasn't trying to be malicious. She was genuinely curious about her.

"The Schnee Electrical Company. Biggest electrical company in the world. Ring a bell?"

"Oooooh, I think so?" Ruby said. "That's cool."

"Cool?"

"So how about it, wanna walk to classes together?"

"I suppose I can oblige until you get your bearings."

"Yay!" Ruby said, bouncing up and down in excitement. "First day and I already made a friend!"

Friendship? People didn't genuinely want that from Weiss, Blake being the exception to the rule. Well, she obviously couldn't be friends with her. She just had to be nice to her, kind enough so that she could tell the Headmaster that she had done her job well. Weiss said nothing in response, but turned around to head back to class, with Ruby in tow. If she was going to teach Ruby the ins and outs of this school, she might as well start now.

XxXxX

"Wow, this school is really nice!" The red-head exclaimed as they left their last class for the day. "And big! How did you ever get used to it?"

By forcing myself to memorize that damn map so I didn't look foolish on my first day. Weiss thought.

"I have a good sense of direction."

"Wow, you're lucky!" Ruby almost shouted in admiration. The heiress looked around to watch her peers. The new student was drawing even more attention to her. The unwanted kind.

"I suppose so." She said. "Well, I hope you found your first day to be pleasurable. I will see you tomorrow, Ruby Rose."

"Just Ruby is fine!" She told her with a giggle. A very normal, not in any way cute, giggle. "But, you're going home right away?"

"Yes. Normally, my father would have a car sent to pick me up, but due to some... circumstances, I must walk home. I would much rather get home at a reasonable hour. Preferably before it gets dark."

The 'circumstances' were that she got a B on a test recently. Apparently B's weren't good enough to warrant a seat in a car.

"Well I walk home too! Why don't we walk back, that way we can get to know each other better. For example! Did you know that I am double jointed in my hand! But only my right hand, which is weird, cause I'm left handed. But I heard that-"

"Ruby!" Weiss interrupted, losing her patience with the girl. She promised to help the girl in school, that was all. No need for her to get attached. "While I appreciate your offer, I'm afraid I will need to decline. I walk faster on my own and I really must get home."

"Oh, alright Weiss." Ruby said, a bit softer than before. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yes, Goodbye." Weiss said, turning on her heel and venturing in the direction of her locker. But something told her to look back. Something deep within her told her to look back at the new student she had just spent the day with.

When she looked back, Ruby was still watching her. As their eyes locked from across the crowded hallway, Ruby smiled. That same warm smile that turned all the heiress' insides to utter goop in the office. She even allowed herself to smile back. Just a little though. After all, Schnees don't smile often and when they do, people get scared.

Turning away again, she turned her icy exterior back on. It didn't take very long to reach her locker, she retrieved all the items she would need for the night and closed the locker.

As she walked home that evening, normally her mind was flooded with thought of the curriculum she had just been exposed to. She would think about her notes and brainstorm the notes of the notes she would take as soon as she got home. Thinking of ways to improve her grades and maybe even impress her father (like he would ever be satisfied).

Yet, on this walk, she couldn't get that new student out of her mind. She was so vibrant and bubbly, it almost pissed her off. No, it did piss her off. Who is that happy? Certainly not Weiss, that was for sure. But at the same time, the few times she saw her sad, even if it was only a little, it was wrenching.

How did a girl like that exist? She was just so... warm! Weiss was known to be effusive at times (an probably used more words than necessary), but she couldn't really find a better word. Synonyms of warm, sure, but the core remained the same.

Never had she seen such a warm shade of silver.

XxXxX

Her silver tipped wings folded in as she landed back in the realm of angels. Ruby released a sigh, exhausted from the day. Well... She couldn't actually get physically exhausted, but she still felt drained. They were right, this would be a hard case.

Would have been nice to be informed about the Schnee Electrical Company before hand. Figures. The other angels focused so much on the emotional aspects of someone's life. They overlooked what might cause it. It was clear that Weiss put herself under a lot of stress.

And that icy exterior, oh man that would be hard to take down. She's guarded, but this wasn't Ruby's first charge. She had dealt with cases like this one before, it would just be time consuming. Unfortunately that meant actually studying, getting good grades and trying to blend in.

Ugh, how does Yang make it look so easy? Ruby thought.

"Heya sis!" A voice greeted, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

Speak of the angel.

"Hey Yang!" Ruby greeted back, smiling at her sister. "I thought you were on guardian duty."

"Yeah, but I got switched out with Lance. Got in some nice saves though! Too bad no one could see it."

"That's the point, Yang. Invisible angels, we don't want everyone knowing we're real, right?"

"Yeah yeah, I miss doing field work though."

"You just got done with a case!"

"But it was a short one! I want like... one that last a couple months at least."

"Yeah speak for yourself." The redhead mumbled, walking ahead of her sister. Yang, however, used her wings to propel herself in front of her sister. The lilac tipped wings folded as she landed.

"So I take it the new case isn't treating you so well?"

Ruby stopped walking and ran a hand through her red tipped hair.

"It's going ok. She's just... stubborn." Ruby told Yang. "It's gonna take a lot to turn this one around."

"These ones typically do, but you know that she's got a lot of potential. It'll be worth it!"

"If I can help her." Ruby grumbled.

"You will, Rubes. There's a reason they sent you in!" Yang told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're kind, sweet and special. If anyone can melt that icy exterior, it's you."

Ruby laughed. Yang always knew what to say to cheer her up. She hated to admit it, but she was sort of glad they died at the same time. Not that she wished death upon her sister, but it was nice to know she wasn't alone. And they made one heck of a team! Typically, they were split up when working missions, but there were some cases that required two or more angels on it. And when the sisters were on it together? It was magic.

"I'm jealous though, I wanted field work." Yang pouted.

"Wanna take over for me? We can always wipe her memory! It wouldn't take long!"

"No way, little sis. This one is yours. Besides, I would probably just scare or offend her."

"Uuughh I haaaate field work. I hate how much goes into it. I just wanna invisibly save people, not get scolded by teachers."

This time, Yang laughed at Ruby's antics. Yup, she was really lucky that she had Yang around. The two had been looking out for each other for about ninety years now. An entire lifetime's worth of sibling bonding. Sure they had little spats here and there, but they never let it ruin their sisterly bond.

And Ruby was sure nothing would ever come between them.