Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. I do not own the characters or settings contained in this story.

This story is dedicated to my favorite fanfic author, Peacewish. Thank you for writing stories about the relationship between Syaoran and Sakura in a unique and interesting way. It's a pleasure to read such well written and complex stories.

Zettai Daijobu

Dismissive

You would think it's as simple as all that, but the day I returned to Tomoeda, the day I returned to my Sakura, was the day the nightmares began. It started out as literal nightmares that I wish now I hadn't shrugged off. They lacked the unique quality that a prophetic dream usually has, and since all my dreams are vivid I ignored them.

The dreams were also never the same. They were just--scary. Sometimes bloody. Sometimes haunting. Sometimes they were normal dreams that just filled me with a nameless dread and had me waking up in a cold sweat. How was I supposed to know they were a warning of something to come when they wouldn't cooperate and spell out what the impending problem was?

They were only nightmares.

I would walk to school every morning, rehashing the nightmares and worrying over them. I've had enough magic training to have given the nightmares some consideration, but I always came to the conclusion that they weren't anything important.

Particularly every time I saw her. Thoughts of nightmares or anything less than happy simply flew from my mind in the face of the sunny smile she always wore every morning when we met. I couldn't help it. Her clear green eyes always sparkled with life and hope and I could hear her spirit reciting the familiar litany of "zettai daijobu!" whenever we met. It would all be absolutely all right. That was so easy to believe when she stood before me and smiled just for me and reached for my hand.

Every day was like that. I enjoyed two weeks of this, forgetting the nightmares as soon as I saw her smile.

Sakura is just like that.

And finally, one day, I walked her home from school. The sakura were in full bloom, and my girlfriend always looked radiant when the blossoms she was named for fell around her like warm, enchanted snow. She danced as a gentle breeze picked up the flower petals like a child upturning a snow globe. They swirled around us in a fragrant drift, and when the petals landed in her hair she giggled. I reached over and brushed a few from her shoulders, then pulled one from her hair. The world went into slow motion at that moment and I felt the heat of the blood rushing to my cheeks. We were so close I could smell the clean scent of her shampoo and the light perfume she wore.

My heart was pounding faster than it had since I had first admitted how I felt about her. I was lightheaded, and my whole world was comprised of her, standing there, looking at me with more adoration than I could ever hope to deserve. She was perfect, and I was standing there, touching her, and she was smiling at me, just for me. I would move the heavens and earth for her if she asked it, just to know that she would smile like that for me again. I would slay dragons for her, if that was her wish, just to be able to feel her in my arms--

She stepped closer to me and laid her head on my shoulder, breathing a deep and happy sigh, and I thought I could die at that moment and not regret a thing. I held her close, feeling her silken hair against my cheek, hearing her breathe so close to my ear. I could feel her warm breath on my neck and my heart swelled.

The words look cliché and used, but it's true. Maybe they've become cliché because they're so true. I was in love. I am in love. My Sakura is my everything, and when I'm with her I can't think beyond that.

That afternoon though, our hugging was rudely interrupted by a shout from up the street. "Oi! What do you think you're doing with my sister, gaki?"

I groaned and held her closer for a moment, holding tight to the last moment we would be allowed. As I finally let go and turned around my only consolation was the gentle chiding his companion delivered. Touya Kinomoto was walking down the street, glaring at me with every step, his anger at my daring radiating off of him in waves.

Sakura was quick to jump to my defense also, literally stepping between the two of us. "Onii-chan! He didn't do anything! If you must know, I hugged him, not the other way around."

"It looked pretty mutual from here," he growled in return. "That's enough for me."

It was a no win situation for me. He hated me for loving her, but he'd hate me more for breaking her heart if I left. He would never forgive me for having her heart. I didn't care. From the beginning we had rubbed each other the wrong way, and I didn't think we'd ever find a way to change that. I had gotten off on the wrong foot with him, and he wasn't the sort to change his mind about people. Ever.

The pale young man beside Touya, Yukito Tsukishiro, brought a hand up to rest gently on his companion's arm. "To-ya," he admonished gently, "it wouldn't hurt to leave them alone about it once in a while."

Sakura beamed appreciatively at her brother's best friend, but I was waiting warily for Touya's response. I wasn't disappointed.

At first he looked like he was going to explode. He noticed something in Yukito's eyes, a glimmer of humor and teasing maybe, and he relaxed a bit. "You think I'm going to stand by and watch that predator grope my sister in public?"

I glared. He glared. Yukito shook his head, but smiled patiently. Sakura laughed. These were all typical responses except for the laugh, but I was grateful that Sakura had found some humor. It somehow disarmed what could have been world war three between us. I didn't grope. I never did something so vulgar as to grope. I held her.

I swallowed my retort though. I didn't have a little sister, but I'd probably react the same if I saw some guy kissing one of my sisters or Meiling. The thought of that happening gave me a deep appreciation for Touya's situation.

Understanding does not equal forgiveness though, so the glares wouldn't be ending any time soon. Not as long as he kept glaring at me first.

He and I both turned to Sakura at the same time with matching expressions of irritation and confusion. "What's so amu-" We both stopped at the same point even, saying the exact same thing at the exact same time. A mini glare was exchanged between us before we returned our attention to Sakura.

It was obvious. A pink flower petal had fallen directly on her nose, right between her eyes. "It tickles," she laughed. She was so adorable. She smiled so wide, and then a breeze took the petal away. She'd gone cross-eyed for a moment too, and while she refocused her eyes there was just something about her expression....

Maybe I'm just too in love.

I took her hand defiantly, glaring at her brother. Then I smiled at her, and we walked hand in hand to her front door. Touya and Yukito had followed along, so I couldn't claim a goodbye kiss.

"Are you sure you won't come in for a snack?"

I shook my head. "I'd love to, but I'm expecting a call from home this afternoon, and I have a lot of studying to do." It still took me longer to do my homework than everyone else I knew. I had to think hard about the kanji and when it meant something totally unexpected or unrelated to what I was used to. It was becoming easier over time, don't get me wrong, but I was slower at it than I'd like to be, so I gave myself plenty of time for homework.

She smiled. She understood. She watched me back away, down the sidewalk, and she waved her fingers. A wild grin spread across her face, and she blew me a kiss as soon as her brother wasn't looking.

At that moment I lost track of the feel of my feet touching the ground. I knew realistically that I wasn't floating or flying because I knew what both of those felt like from experience. But...I was lightheaded, and the world was perfect, and I didn't feel my feet touch the ground while I walked home. I didn't stop smiling. I walked back down under the row of sakura trees and laughed.

At that moment I thought the world was perfect.

That thought was only with me for a moment before pain lanced across my back and my world turned red. The nightmares had come.