AN: So, school's starting up soon and I won't be able to update as frequently as before so I guess this is me making up for it. Cheers to education!

Enjoy!

Despite all the drama, the wedding really seems to be coming together. The wedding chapel is decorated quite beautifully, with a wedding arch that holds interwoven roses purple and white and lightweight sheer fabric that drapes along the seats closest to the aisle. The reception area, which is at least an hour's drive away, is on its way to becoming beautiful, but Leo isn't too stressed about it, as there is plenty of time for it to look the way it's supposed to.

While Leo oversees the work that's being done at around nine in the morning, his little sister, who still wears rollers in her hair, gives a yawn. "Why are we up so early? The wedding isn't until 2:30," she grumbles. Someone is a little upset because she and her friends stayed up most of the night, and then startled awake when her father came knocking on the door.

Leo fights back a smirk. "You knew you had to get up early. You have no one but yourself to blame. And besides, we need to see to it that everything is perfect for this wedding."

"Ugh, I know it's my fault! Don't remind me!" She cries. "And I thought Xander already checked on everything! Why are we rechecking it?"

"Because things like this need to be checked periodically," Leo answers. "If we see something wrong now, we can call it out and get it fixed in time, rather than finding it too late and then scrambling at the last minute to fix it." Content with what he's seen, Leo shoots his brother a text message that everything looks in order so far, and that Camilla will stop by around noon to check the progress.

Right now, Leo just wants to get back home so that Elise will stop her complaining and go back to bed. As they step out of the reception area and into the hall, Elise takes in her surroundings, and asks why there are other people in the building so early. "This venue is built to hold multiple events at once. The others are here because they have morning events going on."

"We have to share this place with other people?" Elise asks. "That's kind of lame, don't you think?"

He shrugs. "We won't even know they're there, honestly. You know, unless you're trying to crash someone else's party." When Elise gets a mischievous glint in her eyes, all Leo has to say is, "Don't," for her to call him a party pooper. He'll bear the title proudly if it means that the police won't show up to drag his sister off.

"I'm just saying, who wouldn't want more people to party with?" She asks. "I don't need to eat because I can do it at Xander's wedding. If we can share a space, then we can all share a party!"

"No, because in this entire space, we're separated by different floors, walls and doors. So technically, we're not sharing a thing."

"Tomato, tomato! Same thing!" Elise chirps.

Leo prays that his sister and her friends don't sneak out and do something ridiculous, for Xander's sake.

As soon as they reach home, Elise goes back to her room, but not before a reminder from Camilla that she needs to be up by noon and dressed and ready to go by one o'clock. Camilla sighs. "That girl, honestly. I told her to make sure to get to bed on time. Do I need to give her a curfew?"

"Camilla, she's 17. Don't you think she's a little too old for that?" Leo asks dryly. She looks him over once before she turns her attention to her cellphone, and doesn't even bother to respond to him. He narrows his gaze. "Did you not hear me?"

The silence between them drags on for a few seconds longer than need be before she speaks. "No, darling. I heard you."

"So then you're ignoring me," says Leo.

"I'm not ignoring you, I'm busy sending a text message," Camilla says. "You know, to my date."

Leo heaves a heavy sigh. "You're still on this? I told you I wasn't inviting her."

"I didn't say anything, Leo. But if the shoe fits, then wear it," she counters. "And I hope it gives you blisters." Well someone is a little spiteful today, isn't she? And no, Camilla doesn't stop there. She continues on, "I can't believe you gave your plus one to Elise. What about making it up to her? What about romancing her? Did my words not sink in with you at all? You and Xander are the worst when it comes to love, I swear. I pity the poor girl."

"We already saw the movie together, it was fine," Leo frowns. "And those were your words, not mine. I only said that those thoughts never crossed my mind." When it appears that Camilla is still upset about the whole thing, Leo decides that being upfront with her will help. "Listen, I thought about what you said, I really did. And I thought about inviting her but then… something weird happened."

All of her annoyance practically washes away. She sits up on the couch and throws him a curious look. "Something weird?" She asks. "Between you two?"

"Not really between us since she doesn't know about it," says Leo who runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know, I just had a really… weird dream about her."

Camilla is silent for a while, as is Leo. He can feel when she places a gentle hand on his shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. He looks into her motherly gaze. "Oh sweetie," she says, "dreams like that are normal. Don't fret over it."

Leo's brow wrinkles in confusion before his cheeks grow uncomfortably hot. He's not sure what's more embarrassing, the fact that his sister had the gall to even imply something so lewd or the thought of Sakura – oh no. This isn't where his mind is going to travel today. "Camilla!" He hisses as he inches away from her. "It's not like that! It's wasn't that kind of dream!"

Sometimes, Leo thinks his older sister is even worse than Niles, because at least Niles is just having his fun. Camilla is serious, and that's a lot more dangerous. "No? Well if not wet dreams, then what?"

Did she really have to say it out loud like that? Leo shushes her, and reminds her that their father is in the other room. "It's about those dreams I sometimes get about being a prince," says Leo. "In that dream, she was taken prisoner and sent to be executed, and I saved her."

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Camilla asks. "You're like her knight in shining armor, and she's your princess. How romantic."

Except he didn't feel very knightly in his dream. He only did it out of common decency. "It wasn't romantic though, it just made me feel bad. I could hear her crying, and at one point, she looked absolutely terrified of me… not that I blame her. Everything just felt strange. And I wanted to talk to her about it, but finals got in the way, and she left campus before I did. I couldn't ask after that."

"I see. Okay, I'm not mad at you anymore. I know how strange those dreams are for you," Camilla says. "But promise me you'll talk to her about it? She sounds absolutely lovely, and I'd hate for… whatever those dreams are to ruin this for you."

"Camilla, I've barely said anything to you about her," Leo says.

She smiles. "Yes, but I just know she's lovely. She managed to catch your eye after all, and that's no easy feat. Especially for someone who's as love intolerant as you." How nice to know that Sakura isn't the only one who thinks he's terribly unromantic. "So, why don't you tell me about her? What's her name? Is she cute? Oh, why must you hold out on me?"

"Okay, okay! I'll tell you about her, just relax." Camilla's eyes are practically glued to him, and Leo clears his throat before speaking. "Well, her name is Sakura and she's going to be a sophomore in August. She's…" his voice trails off as he thinks about accurately describing her to his sister.

It's sort of difficult to put into words about the kind of person Sakura is, but he tries to do her justice. "Sakura is a kind and patient person. A little shy when you first meet her, but when she warms up to you, you really get to see how bright and bubbly she can be. She's soft-spoken, but has brilliant things to say, and you could honestly listen to her for hours–" Leo pauses to see his sister who makes the most unpleasant face. Her cheesy smile is the most annoying. "Camilla, the way you're looking at me is making me uncomfortable. Please stop."

"I'm sorry darling," she says with a flip of her hair. "It's just that… you have it so bad for her. Please tell me when the wedding is because I'd love to help plan it." Camilla gives a laugh before she leaves her brother's side and heads towards the bathroom. "I should be getting ready now, but don't think this conversation is over. We're picking right back up where we left off tomorrow."

"Me and my big mouth," Leo sighs, and buries his head into his hands.

Leo tightens the violet tie around his neck ever so slightly, and smoothens out his freshly tailored suit jacket. That, along with the charcoal vest underneath, fits him closely, but not so close that it's too tight. Combined with his black loafers and silver watch around his left hand, Leo has to say, he looks pretty damn good.

If only he could say the same for his brother, who struggles to properly put on his tie. Leo pushes away his trembling hands, and offers to do it for him. Xander breathes out slowly, then gives his thanks. "I'm not sure why you're so nervous," Leo says. "You're about to spend the rest of your life with the woman you love. Shouldn't you be excited?"

"I am excited. Ecstatic even," says Xander. "But the feeling is a lot more complicated than that. I always dreamed of this day, and now for it to become a reality, I… God, I'm so nervous."

"About what?" Leo still doesn't understand. "Because if it's about the décor or something, I can assure you that–"

Xander cuts him off with a low laugh. "It's not the décor, Leo. It's about finally being with the one I love. I'm not regretting this decision at all, but to stand in front of our families joined together, I… ah, you'll understand when your time comes." Leo rolls his eyes, and finishes with the tie around his brother's neck. He moves to retrieve Xander's jacket. "Maybe your time will come sooner than you think, with the way Camilla has been talking about you – hey! That wrinkles easily!"

Leo gives a small apology, and hands his brother's suit jacket to him before he can do anymore accidental damage to it. "Why does Camilla have to talk so much? Whatever she told you, it's wrong. End of story."

"Don't be too harsh on her. She only told me as a way to distract me from my nervousness earlier," Xander says. "And please, don't act so callous, little brother. It doesn't hurt to admit that someone makes you happy. Though, I never caught her name… Care to fill me in?"

"How about I do it later?" Leo asks. "Besides, this isn't about me. Today is your day, so we'll talk about it whenever your honeymoon's over."

Xander is silent for a moment. "H-honeymoon?" He parrots, and Leo heaves a heavy sigh before he attempts to calm his brother down. Despite what Xander says, Leo is positive he'll never understand his brother's nervousness, nor does he want to understand it, as he's too much of an over thinker.

After the exchange of heartfelt vows, golden rings, and a warm kiss shared between two souls who love each other so, Xander is now a married man. Even though he isn't one for romance, there is a sort of pride that swells in Leo's chest at the sight of his brother's smile so soft and tender as he looks at his blushing bride.

The guests cheer on the beautiful bride and handsome groom, followed by their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Leo, who bears the title of best man, walks down the aisle just a few paces behind his brother with the maid of honor who wraps her arm around his own. He's faintly reminded of the time he and Sakura linked arms and headed to the bakery together.

He hasn't had much time to speak to her, since wedding rehearsals have taken up so much of his time. At the same time, Sakura tells him that helping her mother with party planning has left her very tired. Leo thinks he should at least shoot her a quick text message, but doesn't get the chance to.

As soon as he steps out of the wedding chapel, the maid of honor slips away from him, tells him that they'll see each other at the reception hall and takes off. Leo watches her go, but not without a playful jab in his side from Elise, who wiggles her eyebrows at him. He has half a mind to ruffle up the hair that took her forever to do. He doesn't, only because he doesn't want hairspray on his hands.

The wedding reception is where everyone really comes to life. Elise and her two school friends dance as if it's their last day on Earth, Xander flashes his wife's garter that he so clumsily fished out from underneath her dress for all the guests to see, and Camilla is ruthless when it comes to catching the bouquet. It's not even as pretty as it used to be, seeing as though it lost a lot of petals when she and another woman fought over it.

It's a little embarrassing when his mother comes to greet him and tells him how handsome he's become. Yet, it's also heartwarming since the two of them don't speak often, but he appreciates when they do. Sadly, their relationship is the kind where they can only be around each other for a week at most before they begin to grate on each other's nerves.

Though, his mother is beginning to annoy him just a bit when she points out the maid of honor from across the room and tells him that he should ask her for a dance. Leo tells her that he isn't really fond of dancing, nor is he very good at it. Their conversation ends when his father decides he wasn't to talk to her, and Leo takes this as an opportunity to slip away from the party.

All he needs is a few moments away from all the picture taking, the DJ's blaring music, and the crowded dance floor, so he steps into the hallway. A mistake on his part, as it is much warmer out here than it is at the reception. He's thankful he thought to leave his jacket on his chair since the party began, even if he runs the risk of Elise getting cake frosting on it.

He takes his phone out of his pocket – seven text messages. Three are from Laslow who asks if there are any cuties around, and if so, to take pictures. There's one from Odin who asks to save him a piece of cake and three more from Niles. One is a pictures of his bicep with fresh ink. Another is a picture of his face twisted in… pain? But there's a hint of pleasure in there as well.

His text message reads: It hurts so good.

Leo didn't even know that Niles had planned to get a tattoo this summer. He starts to reply, but the clicking of heels by the nearest staircase grabs his attention. The grip around his cellphone tightens when he catches how quickly her face lights up upon seeing him. And he instinctively moves towards her while she practically races down the stairs to greet him, as he is worried that she'll trip.

She doesn't, and when they stand right before each other, the two of them simultaneously ask, "What are you doing here?"

"For the wedding, of course," Leo answers. "…And you?"

"I thought I told you that we were throwing my father a surprise birthday party," Sakura answers. "D-did you forget?"

What a coincidence. Sakura mentioned that her father's birthday was on a weekday, but she never told him they were celebrating it on the weekend. "No, I didn't forget. I just didn't expect to see you here. And… all dolled up for that matter." Leo almost didn't recognize her for a moment with curled pink hair and lips colored red. Her party dress is made of pure chiffon and is an ivory color that falls just above her knees. The bottom half is as flouncy as her hair while the bust hugs her close. A mature look for her, he must say.

However, she looks a little self-conscious when he points it out as she plays with the hem of her dress coyly. "D-do I look w-weird or something?"

"Not at all," he assures her. "If anything, you look stunning."

"Oh! W-wow, I… th-thank you," she manages to stutter out while her cheeks turn a rosy red. "A-and you look nice as well…"

He scoffs. "Sakura, you don't have to compliment me because I complimented you."

"N-no, I mean it," she insists. "That suit looks amazing on you. You look so sophisticated... a-and handsome." When she finally looks into his eyes, he thanks her, and she laughs. "Oh my goodness, I'm so awkward."

"Yeah, you kind of are," he smirks. "Anyway, why are you out here anyway and not at the party?"

"Ah, I just needed to get away from it all for just a little while. I was going to text you but then I remembered I left my phone in my purse."

Leo offers her his arm, but this time, it isn't done as a joke. "If you want, we can walk around together. I was hoping to catch a break from the reception myself."

Sakura smiles, and links her arm with his. "Well, let's go then."

They don't have a clear plan as to where they're going, they just walk. Upstairs and down the hall, downstairs and through the corridors; neither of them pay attention to their surroundings, only each other. Sakura tells him how surprised her father was and that he was so embarrassed that he walked right out of his own party, only for her older siblings to push him back in.

Leo tells her of his of his brother's nervousness, and how he caught his father shed a small tear when they were pronounced husband and wife. He was just as shocked as anyone else who caught it. No one knew what a big softie Garon could be, but it's to be expected. He doesn't have the heart to completely abandon any of his ex-wives, after all.

Their conversation is interrupted when someone calls her name, and she quickly wrenches herself from Leo's arm. He's shocked, and she quickly gives him an apologetic smile, then turns to face someone Leo is positive he's seen before. "Um, y-yes?" She answers timidly.

"We haven't seen you for a while, so Hinoka asked me to–" He pauses to stare at Leo, and Leo stares right back. Looking at him in real life feels surreal, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say that the man in front of him felt the same. Their eyes narrow at the same time. Then, the man turns away from him to look at her. "Who the hell is that anyway?" He asks casually.

Rude inside and outside of his dreams.

"Or you could ask the person standing in front of you instead," says Leo.

Before anyone can say anything else, Sakura hastily cuts in between them. "Uh, um! T-Takumi, th-this is Leo. H-he's my friend from school. And L-Leo, this is my brother Takumi."

"Oh," Takumi says dryly. "So you're the guy she keeps talking about."

Sakura lets out a sharp gasp and tugs on her brother's beige suit jacket. "Takumi!" She cries with cheeks red in embarrassment. "Wh-what are saying? I told you it w-wasn't like that…"

He blinks. "Was I not supposed to say anything?" Sakura only mumbles about how Takumi always says that she's the one with the big mouth. "Anyway. If you're going to be out here, you should at least let Mother know or something. I'll stay here and keep your… friend company."

Leo wants to roll his eyes, but if he does, he swears they'll roll into the back of his head. "Oh, b-but…" Sakura tries to protest, but Leo doesn't let her get another word out.

"It's fine. I don't mind. Do what you need to do," says Leo. Although hesitant, Sakura leaves the two of them there, and promises that she'll be back in a flash. They nod, and when she's out of sight the glaring match between them continues. "I'm not sure if anyone's ever mentioned this before, but you're quite rude."

"I'm the rude one?" Takumi asks. "You've been giving me the stink eye ever since I showed up. If anyone's rude, it's definitely you." Had he been giving Takumi the stink eye the entire time? He wasn't aware. "Just to let you know, this isn't personal. I'm obligated to hate you because I'm her older brother."

"A doting older brother. How sweet," Leo says sardonically. "You're wasting your energy, honestly."

Takumi lets out a dry laugh. "Ha, am I? Because I sure didn't miss how close you two were before I called out to her." Takumi revels in the eye twitch Leo gives, as well as the small blush across his face. "I knew it! 'Friends' my foot. Look, all I'm saying is that you better not try anything funny."

"Nothing 'funny' is even going on!" Leo cries, but Takumi isn't listening anymore. Instead he waves him off, and heads in the direction that Sakura went in. Leo folds his arms and gives a heavy sigh. He hadn't thought about meeting Takumi so soon, especially after that bizarre dream he had before school let out for the summer.

Maybe the two of them are meant to be enemies if their encounters are like this inside and outside of his dreams. Still, Leo shouldn't be annoyed with Takumi for being protective of his sister, even if it does put him in a little bind. But he will be annoyed anyway, because Leo knows that he's somewhat of a spiteful person.

He scoffs. "I better not try anything funny. I'm sorry, do I look like a comedian to him?" He's still bitter about their encounter, but his feelings of annoyance wear off as soon as he catches sight of Sakura running towards him. He scolds her about running in her heels and she slows her pace.

"I'm sorry! I tried to get here as fast as I could," she breathes. "Oh, wh-where's Takumi?"

"He went back to the party I'm assuming," says Leo.

At this, she begins to fidget nervously. "U-um… Takumi didn't s-say anything, d-did he?"

Leo's brow furrows. "Say anything about what?"

"Not about anything specific, just… you know…" she mumbles. "I… I know he can be cold with people he doesn't really know, so if he said anything that bothered you, p-please don't take it the wrong way. He's really great when you get to know him and–"

"Sakura," Leo cuts in. "Relax. I'm completely fine, so don't stress over it, okay?" She gives a small nod, and the corners of Leo's lips curve upwards just slightly. "Now then, would you like to continue our walk?" She doesn't even hesitate to loop her arm around his own and the two of them pick up where they left off.

Sometimes, Leo doesn't pick up a word she's saying and finds himself staring at her and the way her lips move. After some time, he concludes that she looks absolutely ravishing in red. That in combination with how close they are, Leo starts to think that maybe not all of what Camilla said untrue, as much as he doesn't want to admit it.

There's some sort of tranquility he feels around her. Her presence is as soothing as she is warm and friendly. Leo thinks it's safe to say that he cares about her a great deal, especially after the way she sent his mind into a panic when he'd just woken up from his dream about her.

Without realizing it, the muscles in his arm tense up. Sakura stops to look up at him with concerned eyes and asks if he's okay. Leo bites down on his bottom lip. Will he be able to properly tell her about his dreams this time? Will he scare her off? It's only when she says, "It's okay, y-you can confide in me," in a gentle voice that he has the confidence to try.

"How about we sit down and talk?" He asks. The two of them sit on a couch near the door to Xander's wedding reception. Her eyes are fixated on him as she waits patiently for him to speak, and somehow, Leo has the courage to look her in the eyes. "I had this dream a while ago," he starts, careful of his wording this time around. The last thing he needs is for Sakura to believe he's some sort of pervert. "You were in it."

Sakura smiles. "Wow, you dreamt of me?" When she puts it that way, it sounds rather embarrassing. He tries to correct her, but her lips move faster as she lets out a small giggle. "I hope that dream me didn't do anything strange."

"No, it wasn't anything you did," he says. "But the dream itself was kind of weird."

"What happened?"

"Okay," Leo breathes. "Stay with me on this. The dream was set in this bizarre place… medieval times I want to say? Anyway, I don't know why it happened, but you and–"

"Leo!" Someone calls out, and he lets out a groan loud enough for Sakura to hear. He just found the courage to talk to her about it and now their conversation will have to be saved for another day. Though, he supposes this is his fault. He's been gone for so long that someone should have noticed by now.

He's relieved (and surprised) to know that it's Xander who comes to look for him. What a disaster it would be if anyone else saw him seated next to Sakura. Camilla, Elise, his father – they'd all embarrass him to death. "Hey," Leo stands to greet his brother. "Why did you come out here to look for me? You should be in there enjoying your big night."

"Stepping out to find you doesn't mean I'm not enjoying myself. And you weren't very far away either. Actually, I came out here to…" Xander's voice trails off, and his eyes widen ever so slightly in surprise. Leo trails his line of sight until he finds himself looking at Sakura, who stands right behind him. All of a sudden, she looks like she's not feeling well.

She looks terribly pale. Her eyes, that now lack the wondrous twinkle they've held all night, are dull with smaller pupils. The silence between the three of them is bone-crushingly heavy, and for a moment in time, it's as if Leo doesn't exist anymore. It's as if no one exists anymore, and the two of them are having some sort of silent conversation.

And it's starting to weird Leo out. "Did you need something, Xander?" He asks, and just like that, the two of them snap out of their trance-like state. Sakura turns her head away from the two of them and doesn't make any eye contact while Xander keeps his eyes solely on Leo.

"I was going to say that I came out here give my thanks for all you've done, nothing too serious… Though, I hadn't realized I was… interrupting something."

You don't know the half of it. "It's fine, don't worry about it. Oh, where are my manners?" Leo lightly taps his forehead. "Xander, this is Sakura – a friend of mine from school. Sakura, this is my older brother." Though for some reason, Leo feels that this introduction is rather pointless.

Slowly, Xander extends his hand to Sakura. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura."

She's hesitant, but she eventually shakes his hand. "L-likewise," she says in a voice barely audible. Leo assures her that she doesn't need to be so shy, and at his words Xander gives a knowing smile.

"Ah, this wouldn't happen to be the young lady Camilla told me about earlier, would it?" Leo takes it all back. Xander is just as embarrassing as the rest of his family. There's absolutely no one he can count on to make things go smoothly for him.

"Xander, please," Leo hisses.

His older brother lets out a small laugh. "Oh, calm down Leo," he says before turning his attention back to Sakura. "I didn't think I'd meet you so soon. I've heard good things about you."

"O-oh, th-thank you…" she stutters out. "I… um, I've h-heard good things about y-you too… like um, l-like the wedding! Uh, c-congratulations, M-Marx."

"Marx?" Leo and Xander repeat at the same time.

All of a sudden, everything feels as if it moves in slow motion. The shared looks of surprise upon Leo and Xander's faces are practically cemented as Sakura's cheeks turn a vibrant shade of red. She looks absolutely mortified of what she's done. She takes a step backwards, then another.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, I…" her lips tremble. "I… I didn't m-mean to…" As soon as he catches sight of the tears that begin to well up in her eyes, Leo instinctively reaches out for her, but she shakes her head no. Wordlessly, she runs off and doesn't look back, despite how desperately Leo calls her name.

He turns to Xander, who looks just as stunned as he is. "I… I have to go check if she's okay."

"By all means," says Xander, and Leo doesn't waste time chasing after her. Once he's raced up the stairs, he catches a glimpse of her white dress as she turns the corner, and he follows pursuit. His heart beats against his chest rapidly as he calls her name again, only to get no response.

Leo grits his teeth. She isn't difficult to catch up to since she isn't so fast in heels, but what makes him come to an abrupt halt is when Sakura runs past Takumi, who makes an appearance into the hall from their designated party room. It's enough time for Sakura to run into the ladies' room with heaving shoulders and a sob, and it's more than enough time for her older brother to take in the entire scene before he gives Leo one of the nastiest scowls he's ever seen.

"You!" Takumi cries. "What did you do!?"

Leo flinches. How is that he's become so unlucky all of a sudden? "I didn't do anything, I swear! This isn't what it looks like–"

"Oh yeah, like hell it doesn't!" Takumi shoots back. "I see her running away from you in tears, and you expect me to believe that you didn't do anything!? Huh, I knew scum like you couldn't be trusted. You never could." For some reason, Leo can't find his voice anymore. Takumi doesn't bother with him after that, and barges into the women's room to check on Sakura.

Alone in the hallway is where Leo stands with shallow breathing, muddled thoughts, and a heart that feels as if it's sinking into the pit of his stomach. Somehow this feeling is worse than anything he's ever felt in his dreams of war and devastation. His chest has never felt as hollow as it does now.

AN: Fun fact: There was supposed to be a dream scene in this chapter, but I realized that writing out the entire wedding day was getting long and I didn't want this to be the only chapter that went on for 100 years. It's whatever though, reworking story lines after you plan it all out is fun. *Insert shrug emoji here*