AN: There was something I was supposed to address in my last update but I didn't and now I feel bad. To answer your question LittleMissEmblem, I can 100% tell you that Niles, Odin and Laslow don't have those dreams. Also yes, this story is Leo-centric. I should've mentioned that earlier haha.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Winter is definitely Leo's favorite season. He prefers the cold winds that nips at his skin, rather than the scorching heat that drenches him in sweat and threatens to put him to sleep. The snow is always refreshing to look at, and the icicles that hang from the barren trees glimmer prettily in the sunlight.

Leo can't help but stare at them through the window of his classroom.

While he is content with the weather, he notices that a few of the students who make their way to their first class of the semester aren't so content. The only thing that forces Leo's gaze away from the icicles is when he catches sight of pink tresses through his peripheral vision.

It's a pleasant surprise to see Sakura walk into one of his classes. She even makes him smile when she takes a seat right next to him after spotting him. Her face is flushed, and her hair is a little on the wild side today. When he points it out, she pulls her knitted hat down on her head further, and mumbles something about a bad hair day. Leo doesn't think it's bad, just an interesting new look for her.

She sighs. "I spent forever on my hair this morning, a-and as soon as I stepped outside, the wind ruined it…"

Leo chuckles. "Not a fan of winter, I'm guessing?"

"N-not in the least. I almost slipped on ice today, and it's super cold!" Sakura complains before stretching her arms out towards him. "Look, my fingers are so cold that they're numb."

There is a slight hesitation at first, but Leo does clasp Sakura's hands between his own. They're bone chilling, and incredibly small compared to his. "Where are your gloves?" He asks her. "You need to dress properly for the winter."

Sakura gives him a coy smile. It's hard to tell if she's blushing or not because her cheeks are still so red from the cold. "Um, w-well… I spent so much time on my hair this morning that I was in a rush," she tells him. "I think I left them on my desk…"

Leo lightly scolds her, and says that she needs to wake up earlier if she's going to spend an hour on her hair in the morning. She frowns, but promises that she'll get up earlier. After she does, Leo finally lets go of her hands to give back the book she loaned him. "Here you are. I was going to text you and ask to meet up, but having class together makes this a lot easier."

She accepts the book, and asks Leo what he thought of it. His brow creases as he tells her that she already knows how he feels about the book. They spent a majority of their winter vacation texting back and forth. "Y-yes, I know. But I just wanted to hear you say it." The wry look he casts her way doesn't break the cheesy smile upon her face.

"The book was definitely well written. The action and the suspense was so well done that I could hardly put it down," Leo says in a monotone voice.

"And the romance?"

Her eyes are fixated on him, patiently waiting for him to speak. "As much as I hate to admit it, the romance was good too. I… was on the edge of my seat hoping that things would work out for them. And I was so relieved that they did," he says, almost as if it's taboo.

It's hard for Leo to describe the small squeal of excitement that escapes Sakura's smiling lips at that moment. She launches into her favorite parts about the main character's relationship with her significant other as he listens intently. Then she pauses. "Um, sp-speaking of romance… i-is your family… okay?"

Oh right. Since being back on campus for a little over a day, Leo's temporarily forgotten about the soap opera he's left behind. "They're as okay as they're going to get," Leo tells her. After Garon woke up, he was incredibly upset with Xander, who hadn't told him a thing about the engagement.

Xander apologized, saying that he wanted to say something earlier, but was so caught up in his relationship that before he thought to tell his father, he was already down on one knee proposing. Garon calmed down, but Camilla exploited the situation further by asking when the wedding was.

At that moment, Leo tells Sakura that he could have sworn he felt the spike in his father's blood pressure when his brother said that it would be in June. Mid-June to be exact. When he told them this, there was only a week left until New Year's Day. "Now that February's almost here, we have a little over four months to help with preparations. After meeting with the other family, my father and my brother's fiancé's father don't get along, my older sister and the mother are arguing over who gets to bake the cakes, and the venue we thought we had booked is no longer available."

"W-wow…" Sakura stammers. "That sounds…"

"Like a mess?" Leo asks with a smirk. "Because it is. But it's fine, I'm sure we can pull through this one just like we have before."

Sakura lets out a small giggle. "Before? This has happened before?"

Before Leo can even answer, their professor walks in and greets them. He starts to hand out papers, most likely the syllabus, and Leo whispers to Sakura that they'll talk about it later. After class is dismissed, which is a little later than expected for syllabus day, Sakura asks Leo to tell her the other stories about his family drama.

Leo thinks on it for a moment before he decides to tell her about the time Camilla went missing for an entire day. Sakura gasps. "W-was she okay?"

"Oh, she was fine. See, she lied to my father about going to some program at school when she was actually going to a friend's house," Leo said. "So when we checked with the school and they said she never showed up, my father was absolutely terrified." Before the two of them reach the doors to exit the building, Leo hands Sakura his pair of gloves. "I'd rather you didn't get frostbitten fingertips," he says with a smile.

Sakura returns the smile, giving her thanks before she puts them on. The two of them leave the building and chat about Leo's surprisingly amusing family drama.

For some reason that Leo can't comprehend, the campus is decorated in hearts and roses red, pink, and white. Sakura laughs, and explains that Valentine's Day is almost upon them. Did he honestly forget? How could he? Laslow hasn't shut up about it since February began. Something about finally going on a date – Leo didn't catch all of it, nor did he want to.

Sakura tells him that even though she doesn't like winter, she adores Valentine's Day. The decorations are always so pretty, and giving chocolates to the ones she loves gives her such a warm feeling. It's just as good as receiving them. She asks Leo what his favorite thing about Valentine's Day is, and he scoffs.

"Oh please," he says. "It's nothing more than a capitalist holiday. The company bigwigs want to earn some extra cash to line their pockets with, and they decide to play on the heartstrings of those who don't know any better. Suddenly, those diamond earrings for the girl you like sound really appealing, or that fancy dinner with the guy of your dreams will certainly get him to fall for you." Leo stops to look at Sakura's frowning face. "What?"

"And now I know for certain that you aren't a very romantic person," she says jadedly.

Leo winces. "It's not that I'm not a romantic person, I just prefer to look at things logically. Why spend a specific day purchasing silly items for a significant other when you can do it at any other time of the year?"

"It's n-not about that," Sakura says. "Valentine's Day isn't just for the gifts. It's to spend a day to cherish the ones who are special to you. S-sometimes we may take them for granted, so it's nice to have a day that reminds us to appreciate them, or to mix things up in our relationships."

Well, Leo certainly hasn't thought about it that way. He supposes that's why Mother's Day and Father's Day are holidays (and why money grubbing business men latch themselves onto them to make a quick buck). Leave it to Sakura to brighten his dull perspective on Valentine's Day with her positive thinking.

"I suppose you have a point," he says, "but you can't deny that not everyone thinks like that. The corporations are still making money off of it."

"I know," she tells him. "But I'm spending it the way that I want to. There's no harm in that, is there?"

He smiles. "No, I guess there isn't. You're free to do as you please, Sakura."

Leo watches as Sakura bites her bottom lip in thought. "Um… have you ever got a Valentine's Day present, Leo?" Leo narrows his eyes at her, and asks why she'd sticking her nose into his private matters. She giggles and takes his defensive answer as a no. "Oh Leo, I was only asking."

"You say that, but I can't shake the feeling that you're teasing me."

Sakura giggles. She sure is laughing a lot these days, Leo thinks. But it isn't a bad thing.

He likes it.

"You said what to her!?" Laslow cries incredulously, and Leo has to wonder who invited him into his room, because Leo certainly didn't hand out any invites. After Laslow made a comment about seeing Leo and Sakura together around campus more often, Leo offhandedly commented that friends sort of hang out together.

Laslow, who loves to pry into Leo's non-existent love life, asked what they spoke about, and Leo filled him in on what happened. This includes the bit about Leo telling Sakura that he wasn't a fan of Valentine's Day. "I only told her what I felt. Why are you getting so worked up over this, Laslow?"

He sighs dramatically, and flops onto Leo's bed. "Don't you see, Leo? She's completely infatuated with you – so much that she wanted to give you a Valentine's Day gift! And you ruined it! Honestly, what kind of man tells a woman he hates a day where she wants to give him something? I'm offended that you'd just squander your privilege like that! I have to work hard for a date while you just get affection tossed at your feet!"

"Okay," Leo begins. "Someone needs to stop hanging out with Odin. As much as I appreciate your… concern, Sakura and I were only having a little talk. And I doubt she wanted to give me a Valentine's Day Gift."

"Oh yeah, not anymore since you broke her poor little heart," Laslow grumbles.

Leo takes his eyes off of his computer to glare at his roommate. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Laslow rockets out of Leo's bed, and says that he's about to be late for dance practice. He doesn't hear Leo's snide comment about not letting the door hit him on the way out. When he leaves, Leo scoffs. It's the funniest thing he's heard in a while. Sakura? Infatuated with him? This was the girl terrified of him just a few months ago; the same one who couldn't bear to be within a 10 mile radius of him.

He can't help but chuckle to himself about how silly the notion is.

There's something that Sakura is hiding from Leo. He can tell because of the way she smiles and fidgets when he looks her way. She's been keeping this up ever since they greeted one another this morning. Recently, Sakura has certainly been a lot more playful around him now, but Leo will admit that he rather this than having her struggle to keep eye contact and shy away from him.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Leo asks, quite finished with her little antics.

Sakura shakes her head, but the smile on her lips is still present. "Oh no," she says with a laugh, "I have nothing to say."

Leo throws a jaded look her way. "You, my friend, are a terrible liar."

She tells him she really doesn't have anything to tell him, at least not yet anyway. Sakura asks him to wait after class, and although he's quite curious, he obliges her. He immediately regrets his decision, as his mind is already going through the things she could possibly tell him 15 minutes into a 3 hour class.

When class is over and the two of them exit, Leo asks what Sakura had on her mind earlier. She smiles warmly at him, wishes him a Happy Valentine's Day, and hands him a small plastic bag of chocolates, tied up in pink ribbon. Leo marvels at the bag for a while before he asks why she'd spend money on something like this.

"Ah, I didn't buy them… I m-made them," she says coyly. "I think homemade things are the best, s-so I worked really hard on it. B-but… those chocolates are my way of saying thank you."

His lips part ever so slightly. "Thank you… for what?"

"For… for having patience with me," Sakura answers. "I know we got off on a rocky start, a-and you were going out of your way to be nice to me even though I wasn't putting in the effort. So, I wanted to thank you for being such a nice person."

They are only halfway across the cobblestone bridge when Leo stops to look at her, and she stops to look back at him. The chilling February winds rustle through their hair, and pierce through the fabric of their coats, but neither one seems to mind at all.

For once, Leo is at a loss for words. Between the homemade chocolates she's given him and her kind words, Leo isn't able to accurately name the feeling in his chest. He feels elation and a new sense of admiration for Sakura. His body feels warm, especially the pit of his stomach.

Leo clears his throat, doing his best to shove those thoughts aside. "Although I appreciate your gift, I can tell you right now that I'm not as nice of a person as you make me out to be."

Sakura's laughter fills the air. It's always so sweet and gentle, just like she is. "I think you are. S-sure, you may be a little rough around the edges, but I think that's what makes you all the more endearing, s-since you were so understanding of me."

The warmth in Leo's body rises to his cheeks, and all of a sudden, he's the one who can't bear to hold eye contact with Sakura. "Stop saying things like that," he scolds her. "It's embarrassing." Especially since he knows that she's innocently complimenting him. Though somehow, her words make something in him stir.

Sakura only smiles. "Um, i-is this really your first Valentine's Day present?"

It isn't, but it's the only one that has ever made him feel like one is supposed to on a day like this – cherished. But he can't find the right words to express himself, so Leo lies and tells her that he's never received one before her. Sakura seems to take pride in the fact that she's given him his first Valentine's Day gift, because there's a small glimmer in her eye and her smile is the widest he's ever seen before. She tells him that she's glad she thought to give him one.

With that, Sakura tells him goodbye, and leaves him to stand alone on the cobblestone bridge with a hand full of chocolates and a mind filled with thoughts of her. His feelings about her are as cryptic as when the two first locked in this exact spot, however, his feelings are cryptic for an entirely different reason.

On his slow walk back to his apartment, Leo carefully unties the velvety ribbon on the plastic bag and pops one of the small chocolates into his mouth. It isn't bad at all, actually. The flavor isn't too sweet, and the chocolate just seems to melt in his mouth. She's a surprisingly good baker.

It's funny, really. Last year, Leo didn't really know what to make of Sakura, the girl who stood opposite of him on the battlefield in his dreams. Now, Leo still isn't sure what to make of Sakura, the girl who hands him Valentine's Day chocolates and tells him the most heartwarming things he's ever heard in a honeyed voice.

Laslow is wrong. Sakura isn't infatuated with him. Instead, Leo feels like she's charmed him with her kindness.

Leo looks at all of his siblings' smiling faces with joy upon mentioning that with Xander with them, they're all reunited again. It's a thought so pleasant that the dark reason for their boat ride to Hoshido is temporarily forgotten. It is only brought up by Elise, rather cheerfully, after Corrin's heartfelt comment about being the big happy family they're meant to be.

Camilla lightly chastises her, and says they are not going to play. She reminds her of the battles that await them, and Leo thinks about the possibility of run-ins with the Hoshidan family. No doubt they'll meet again, no matter how badly Corrin wishes to avoid it, but for some reason, Leo's thoughts drift to the youngest of the Hoshidan siblings.

Maybe it's because he's overheard Elise get upset with Azura over mentioning her. She wasn't sure how to handle Elise's playfulness, and mentioned the Hoshidan princess' name – Sakura, if he remembers correctly – and Elise had stormed away from her, accidentally bumping into him as she did.

Though is seems that the two of them have patched things up since then, as Elise is currently talking Azura's ear off. Leo thinks about Sakura once more, but all he wonders about her if she's successfully learned to dry her tears on the battlefield since the last time he's seen her.

Corrin is the one to break his thoughts, and asks him if everything is alright. Leo says he's only in thought, but he appreciates the concern. He lets out a small laugh when Corrin makes a light hearted comment about their great tactician always in thought, and Xander soon joins the two of them. Their conversation is short-lived when a soldier approaches them and says that pirates are aboard their ship.

It's not that Leo expects to have a break during wartime, but it would sure be lovely if they could breathe for just a second.

With the creaky floorboards and constant rocking, a ship is no place for proper battle, and yet, here they are trying hard to keep their footing. Some men go overboard, never to be seen again while others are slain and their bodies sway helplessly with the ship.

When they catch the pirate who's masquerading as a Nohrian soldier, Leo quickly suggests that they kill him. As intricate and compelling as this man's story about Azura is, Leo would rather not take any chances with having a thief around. He takes comfort in the fact that Camilla readily agrees with him.

Although Corrin is hesitant, he agrees to go through with Shura's execution. Leo is certain that it is the right thing to do, but as soon as Shura's blood spills, Leo's eyes widen in shock. Corrin isn't there anymore, and neither are his siblings. Leo lies on his side, and stares at the alarm clock on his desk. It reads 5:27 a.m.

He lets out a slow, ragged breath. These dreams of his are starting to become a little too much to handle all of a sudden. And to make matters worse, no matter how hard he tries, he just can't seem to fall back asleep.

"You didn't stay up too late studying, did you?" Sakura asks quietly. Leo, who has been going in and out of sleep, quickly opens his eyes and sits up straight at the desk. Since the library is a bit crowded at the moment, Sakura suggests that two of them should study for their upcoming exam in her room.

Because never in a million years will Leo bring her to his apartment for a study session. With his roommates around, they'd never get anything done. However, Leo still isn't getting anything done because he drifts off to sleep so easily. With a sigh, he runs his fingers through his hair. "No, it's not that. I haven't been sleeping well as of late."

Sakura looks at him with a sympathetic smile. "Oh! If that's the problem, then chamomile tea right before bed should help."

He appreciates her desire to help, but he isn't sure that tea will help fix his problems. "Thanks, but I have no problem falling asleep. I've been having these… really weird dreams," he admits. Mentioning them to Sakura is a bit frightening, but if anyone has the heart to understand him, it's her.

Slowly, Sakura sets the text book she's holding down on her bed, and looks at him with curious eyes. "You mean like nightmares?" She asks.

Are nightmares really the right word to describe them? At one point, they made him happy, and during another, they were interesting and he always looked forward to them. Now, he isn't so sure. "I guess you could call them that. They've been startling me awake, and I haven't been able to go back to sleep. I just… kind of lie there."

"Oh, that sounds terrible," Sakura frowns. "Um, what are your dreams about?"

Leo's teeth sink into his bottom lip. He wants to confide in her so badly so that maybe its weight would ease up on him, even if slightly. "I…" he begins, and Sakura nods. She's being patient with him. "I'm not…"

"You're not…?"

"I don't really remember them," Leo lies. "They're pretty clear while I dream but when it's over, I know next to nothing about them." He can't do it. He can't bring himself to tell her about them, even if she's the only one who'd understand. No matter how hard his mind commands him to do so, his lips don't move the way he wants them to.

This truly is frustrating.

"H-hey," Sakura calls out. "Why do you look so sad? Forgetting dreams are normal, aren't they?" When he doesn't respond, she awkwardly traces shapeless patterns onto her pink and white duvet. "Um… w-we can stop studying early if you want. You know, since you're t-tired and all."

"It's fine. I can keep studying with you," he says. Sakura starts to ask if he's sure, but Leo already has his nose in his book. She follows suit. Sometime later, Leo can feel his eyes getting heavy once more. Everything sounds faint and muffled, like Sakura's voice. She's saying something, but he doesn't have the energy to ask her to repeat herself. Instead, Leo buries his head into his arms to get comfortable. The last thing he remembers hearing is laughter.

When Leo awakens, his mind feels a bit hazy, but he comes to his senses upon seeing the string of LED lights and posters of pop idols that decorate the room. As he sits up, a small blanket slips off one of his shoulders. Did Sakura put this there? Embarrassed that he's fallen asleep in her room, he starts to apologize to Sakura only to see that she's drifted off to sleep as well.

The corners of his mouth twitch upwards ever so slightly, and Leo removes the blanket Sakura so graciously draped over him and places it over her instead. Briefly, he thinks of waking her, but decides against it. After all, she did let him catch up on some much needed sleep. He begins to wonder what his next move should be when the door opens, and in walks who he presumes to be Sakura's roommate.

He watches her eyes as they move from him to her sleeping roommate, and then back to him before she says, "Woah, I'm sorry! I didn't realize Sakura was having company."

Leo grits his teeth, and tries to fight off the blush on his cheeks. He fails miserably. "No, don't apologize – this is your room after all. Besides, I was just leaving." They give each other sort of an awkward nod before Leo hurriedly grabs the rest of his belongings and exits their dorm room.

This is so embarrassing. She's caught him at such a bad time too – what the hell was he thinking standing at Sakura's bedside like that? And there is no doubt in his mind that she'd question Sakura about who he was and why he stood next to her while she slept. He can already hear giggling coming from her room. Leo definitely feels a headache coming on.

Thankfully, Sakura's roommate is understanding of him, though Sakura does inform him that she often teases her about that day. Still, it's a relief for Leo and one less thing on his plate that he needs to worry about. Camilla has impeccable timing, because right after midterms, she gives him a call.

After pleasantries are out of the way, his older sister cuts straight to the point. All this prep for Xander's upcoming wedding is stressing her out. The bride-to-be's mother, or "that nasty woman" as Camilla likes to refer to her, not only butts heads with Camilla on the cake, but decorations as well.

Leo suggests that maybe the bride should be the one in charge, and Camilla admits that she is, but her mother keeps getting in the way and suggesting other things that delay them. Or so Camilla says anyway. With the way she's stressed out, one would think that this is Camilla's wedding, and not her older brother's.

Because of this, Camilla has a proposition for her younger brother. She'd like for him to come home and act as a sort of mediator between the two. Leo isn't sure that he wants to do it. After all, shouldn't this be Xander and his fiancé's job? Camilla says that they're much too busy doing other things, and the wedding planner in her promised them that she'd work wonders for their wedding ceremony and reception.

She just didn't account for the irritation that is the mother-in-law.

Camilla starts to beg, and finally, Leo begrudgingly gives in. Any plans made to hang out with Sakura are out of the window now, but Leo guesses can overlook it if it helps make Xander's wedding a success.

"And that's why I'm going home for the weekend," Leo explains to Sakura, who gives him a sympathetic smile. "I know I said we'd watch Finding Robin as soon as it came out but…"

Sakura shakes her head. "No, no. I understand. Family matters are important, so you should tend to them. Besides, we can always go see it another time."

Leo's brow furrows. "You don't have to wait on me to go see it. You should go with someone else."

"Oh, but I'd rather go with you," Sakura says innocently, and a hint of blush dusts Leo's cheeks. "Besides, if I watch it, I'll want to talk to you about it, and then I might end up spoiling it. And then–"

"Actually," Leo cuts her off, "maybe you should wait to see it. I don't trust you to watch it and not spoil something for me."

Sakura lets out a sheepish laugh. "Well, I hope you have fun at home. Or, at least try to."

He says he'll try, but no promises. Going to the movies with her is something Leo considers to be fun, but now that that's ruined, he'll just have to find something else to keep him entertained. It's safe to say that he can rule out his family. As amusing as his family drama is in hindsight, dealing with it in the moment is rather stressful.

"I am mentally exhausted," Leo groans as soon as he and Camilla enter their home. While Leo is thankful that the meeting between he and the two women didn't end in a screaming match, but the side eyeing, accusatory tones, and borderline whining practically made his head spin.

"I'm sorry, darling," Camilla says. "Was that terrible woman bothering you?"

Leo frowns. "You both were." He ignores his sister's flinch. "Why does it take me to get you two to somewhat see eye to eye?"

When Leo sits down on the couch, his sister follows suit and looks at him with apologetic eyes. "Okay, I admit it. My behavior wasn't the best either. She isn't completely in the wrong. But having someone else come in to evaluate the situation helped tremendously, and I'm glad it was you and your savvy negotiation tactics."

He grumbles something unintelligible, and suddenly, Camilla seems to understand why he's so moody. "I got in the way of some plans back at school, didn't I?"

"I wanted to see Finding Robin today," he says.

"Oh dear," Camilla bites her bottom lip. "You love that series. But I don't understand. You can see it at any time, can't you?"

Leo's gaze hardens. "With a friend."

Camilla notes that "friend" isn't plural. "…A lady friend?" Leo's silence tells her all she needs to know. To his surprise, she doesn't tease him about it or pinch his cheeks and go on about how much her baby brother is growing up. Instead, she smiles and quietly says, "I know how you can make it up to her."

"By going to the movies next week?" Leo asks dryly.

"Well yes, I suppose," Camilla says as she rests her index finger on her chin. "But that's not what I meant. See, Xander is letting us bring a plus one. Are you catching my drift?"

Invite Sakura to his brother's wedding? Leo isn't sure he wants her to meet his family yet. Or at all. "I see what you're saying, but I'm don't think I should. You all would probably scare her away."

"Oh, don't be so callous," she frowns. "Don't you want to romance her?"

Leo looks pensive for a moment. "Camilla, if I'm being honest with you, it really isn't like that. And besides, that thought hasn't crossed my mind."

Camilla smiles, and gets up from the couch in one swift motion. She heads to her room, but not without a piece of advice for her younger brother. "Then maybe you should let it cross your mind, see where those thoughts take you. Who knows? You might find that you like them."

Leo rolls his eyes. He'll take his chances inviting someone else to the wedding. Even so, not all of what Camilla has to say is "drivel," as his father likes to put it. Leo does think there's merit in trying to figure out his feelings, rather than ignoring them.

The trip home is surprisingly enlightening.