Okay, short chapter this time with the same amount of wait… Sorry. Just think of it as light filler before the last of the shit hits the fan. Again, longer note at the bottom.

As always, enjoy!

Chapter XI

Weiss had to admit she was irritated when she realized she couldn't dislike Yang as much as she wanted without looking like an ignorant bitch. While the girl was certainly annoying and…rough around the edges…Weiss begrudgingly admitted she still carried a certain kind of charm. When the blonde decided to treat the three of them to ice cream and Weiss witnessed the joy emanating from Ruby in waves as she mulled over a flavor—joy Weiss only ever thought she could evoke from the mute girl—she realized she would have to cut Yang some slack.

Even if she had cost the Schnee family thousands after destroying that wall at the Home. At least Weiss would have something she could forever hold over Yang's head in the years to come.

"Get it?!" Yang's boisterous voice brought Weiss back to the present as the girl finished yet another joke. "There's no 'effin' way!"

Weiss just rolled her eyes at the lame joke about a turtle crossing the freeway, but did allow herself a small smile when she saw Ruby shaking with laughter. It was obvious Ruby adored Yang; and although she couldn't understand exactly why that was, Weiss figured she of all people wasn't allowed to judge. After all, Ruby had also befriended she herself, something many would also find a questionable source of company.

Ruby sure knew how to pick them, it seemed.

From what Yang had divulged to her on their trip from the Home to the town square where they now sat, Yang had literally bumped into Ruby after one of her many sessions at the Home a little over three years ago. Apparently Yang had only just started her therapy then, as the small run in was nearly enough for the blonde to clock Ruby's head off—Yang's words, not Weiss's—but upon seeing Ruby's terrified expression, her anger quickly sizzled out, a strong desire to protect taking its place.

"I always wanted a little sister," Yang explained with a shrug as the trio continued to finish their ice cream. "I never knew my mother, so growing up it was just dad and me. When an opportunity finally presented itself where I could be seen as a sister or maternal figure, I just kinda jumped at it, you know?"

"Well, according to what Dr Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch have told me, the fact that Ruby is able to look you in the eyes shows you've impacted her life just as much as she has yours," Weiss took her own turn to explain. "From what I understand, the two of us are the only ones Ruby's ever made eye contact with, or shown the slightest amount of interest in."

Yang frowned and bumped Ruby's shoulder. "Aw, really Rubes? What makes Weissy and me so special?"

Weiss twitched.

"Weissy?" she shrilled. "Excuse you, Xiao Long, but I hardly think the two of us are close enough acquaintances to be giving each other nicknames."

"Fine, Miss Stick-In-The-Mud," the blonde then huffed, eliciting another giggle from Ruby, "how did you meet our adorable Red here? I'm just dying to know how she managed to thaw your frozen heart."

Fighting another roll of her eyes, Weiss turned to her attention to Ruby. The girl looked back at her and immediately nodded, Yang watching their silent exchange with a raised brow.

"We knew each other as children," Weiss then stated proudly, feeling like she finally had the one-up on Yang in regards to Ruby.

Yang's eyes nearly bugged out of her head at that bit of news.

"You knew the heiress as a kid?!" Yang balked, looking to Ruby for confirmation, the girl only nodding in answer. "Did she ever smile back then?"

This time it was Ruby who rolled her eyes at Yang. Weiss hid a smirk. The blonde seemed to be having difficultly getting behind the idea of the two being childhood friends, simply looking back and forth between the two of them, one finger pointing at them in turns dumbly.

"So… Why did we never meet before now?" was Yang's next question, directed this time at Weiss.

Ruby hunched over then, averting her gaze to the floor in shame. Weiss wasted no time in grasping her hand from her spot across the table. Only once silver was locked back on blue did she answer.

"It's…complicated," she said with a smile meant only for Ruby.

Blushing, Ruby quickly looked away before nodding. While the two girls' attention was solely focused on the other, Yang grinned before wrapping an arm around Ruby next to her, and even going as far as to reach across the table to get Weiss as well.

"Aww, look at the two of you!" she crooned. "I didn't know I would be third-wheeling here!"

Weiss erupted in red at the quip as Ruby squeaked across from her.

"Y-Yang!" she cried.

"Just speaking the truth," the blonde retorted before backing away. "I know when I'm intruding, so I'll just leave the two of you to do…well…whatever. Just bare in mind you're still in public."

And with an all-too-flirtatious wink, the blonde was gone. Weiss just barely wondered how the blonde would be getting back to the Home or her own accommodations before her gaze was focused back on Ruby.

Was their infatuation with the other that obvious?

The day of Weiss's final fencing tournament fell two days after her final day of high school. Needless to say, tensions were high as she rallied her team in the locker rooms before they were to head into the gymnasium to begin. Still, her 'inspiring speech' wasn't as inspiring as she had been hoping for, her mind instead preoccupied with all the familiar faces she'd be greeted with soon.

Of course, Blake would be there, as she always had been since Weiss's first tournament freshman year; as well as Glynda, who always made sure to come watch Weiss whenever her time allowed. Weiss was grateful for her constant support, seeing as her real mother had maybe only been to…two?

Then, there would be Ruby. Weiss felt her heart hammer at the mere thought. She had really come. Of course, Weiss had never doubted her showing up, but after glancing out at the crowd only minutes before, she had indeed spotted that telltale flash of red, making her presence all too real now.

A frown came over Weiss momentarily as she remembered seeing Yang seated next to Ruby, and wondered if she had actually ended up extending an invitation to the blonde. Regardless, it was another familiar face in the crowd for Ruby. Weiss was just happy to know she wasn't huddled uncomfortably up in the bleachers alone.

Eventually, the time came for the team to walk out into the gymnasium to begin warm up. Weiss put on her strongest, most confident mask before leading her team out. Immediately, thunderous applause met them.

Yet only a small cluster of the cheering she cared anything about. Seeking them out, she saw Glynda sitting near the top, small confident smile of her own splayed on her lips. Blake had apparently managed to introduce herself to Ruby as she was seated next to her and Yang, and Weiss didn't miss the telling smile and looks the brunette kept sending to Yang when she thought the blonde wasn't looking. Weiss hid her smirk. Who would have ever thought?

Then, there was Ruby, who hadn't taken her eyes off Weiss since she walked out. Now in front of the bench where her team would sit when it wasn't their match, Weiss sought her out. Ruby's eyes met hers and she grinned, waving frantically before grabbing a large poster board in her lap.

Weiss's cheeks immediately dusted pink.

It was a handmade sign which read 'Go Weiss!,' the I in her name having a small heart in place of its dot.

Yang whistled loudly and Blake just looked on with pride and confidence, having seen Weiss perform before and only having the upmost faith in her.

Nodding to them and Glynda with a small—meek, in Ruby's case—wave of her own, Weiss spun around to return her focus to the more important task at hand:

Dominating each and every of her opponents.

Actually as easily done as said, Weiss, perhaps not so surprisingly, ended up taking the highest honor for her team. She had won each of her own bouts with flourish, her team emerging victorious overall as well. She had performed exceptionally, perhaps even having shown off in a couple instances.

That had nothing to do with Ruby being in the audience, of course.

"Man, Weiss, you are killer!" Yang exclaimed as the four of them met out in the parking lot later. "Those other guys could barely land a hit!"

"She's only improved over the past four years," Blake added. "Although even as a freshman she was better than everyone else."

Ruby tugging on her sleeve had her looking to see the brunette's thoughts.

You were great, Weiss! So cooool!

"Thanks, you guys," she replied humbly. "I'm really happy you all ended up coming to support me. And that you got to finally meet each other, Blake and Ruby."

"It's been a pleasure," Blake said, looking to Ruby with a smile, of who blushed and kicked at the ground with her foot. "Though it was hard to get anything out of her with how entranced she was with you the entire time."

"Blake!" Weiss cried, reaching to touch Ruby's shoulder as the girl pulled her hood over her head to hide, no doubt blushing like mad.

The black and yellow duo simply dissolved into a fit of laughter at the others' expense, and Weiss was instantly beginning to regret Blake and Yang ever meeting.

"Yeah, well, at least she was actually watching me instead of having eyes for a complete stranger!" she mindlessly retorted.

Blake ceased all laughter at that, narrowing her eyes at Weiss, though a playful glint was still present.

"Oh, just had to take the high road there, huh?"

"Wait… What?" Yang cut in, for all intents and purposes, completely lost. "Did I miss something?"

Blake looked away and blushed, mumbling, "Thankfully."

Weiss let her smirk show with pride this time, Ruby laughing alongside her.

All four girls were completely oblivious in their sheer innocent enjoyment to the dark figure watching them from across the street.

Okay, here's the deal. Against my better judgment, I'm going to start posting more White Rose stories alongside LiS. Again, have no fear, LiS will most definitely be finished—after all, I'm now seeing maybe three more chapters at most—but with my passion having been dwindling, I think I just need to give myself more options in stories I can turn to. I've already mentioned how I have so many ideas I want to do, I just have to pursue some of them.

So, to start, I'm going to be posting three new stories here soon. One is a Pirate!AU, one a Soccer!AU, and the other is a continuation to my oneshot, Mechanics of the Heart. There are even more partially written works I'll hopefully eventually get to, but these three are the ones that refuse to leave me alone when I've been trying to write LiS.

So! Exciting things! Be sure to keep out for all of them! And if you're only interested in Love is Soundless, I'll simply just see you next time!