What is... Love? Part Two

The Nightmare

Chapter Two: The Nightmare 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Naruto dismissed his class with a grin and a big wave, packing up as the students exited the room. The semester had barely started, and he was already swamped with not only his own coursework but also with looking over the coursework of the classes he was teaching. It didn't help that he was riddled with nausea and he couldn't even enjoy his daily four shots of espresso.

When he exited the academic building and walked across the campus, he looked over his shoulder, feeling the back of his neck tingle. It had started earlier in the week, and it had yet to go away. For the most part, it was when he was on campus, but he couldn't really pinpoint where it was coming from. Every time he looked around and didn't find anything out of the ordinary, it felt almost mocking.

Two nights ago the nightmares had returned.

He couldn't see anything in them, but the smell. The thick smell of rust and stale moisture. The eerie silence except for his own labored breathing. The cologne. The cigarette smoke burning his lungs. He'd woken up in cold sweat, gasping for air, but when Sasuke had fussed over him, he'd shrugged it off and told him it was probably just the pregnancy. Protective instincts acting up or something.

Which he did figure was the root of the nightmares.

"Naruto!"

The omega was startled out of his thoughts by Lee, who was waiting for him outside of their usual coffee shop. They'd decided to meet up to share their notes for an assignment due soon, and Naruto vaguely realized he'd walked all the way to the coffee shop in a daze. He'd been so exhausted lately he was out of it.

He quickly fixed a cheery smile on his face, "Hey Lee."

Lee held the door open for the blonde, and they headed towards the back to their usual table, "How are you doing on this fine day friend?"

"A little tired. And you?"

Lee nodded in understanding, "Pretty tired too. I've been having long nights between training and assignments."

Naruto chuckled, "Training too? Damn. And you have the most energy out of anyone I know."

They set up their station, and Lee decided to go ahead and go order some food. Naruto definitely wasn't feeling up for eating anything. He fought back a smile as he thought about his baby, wishing he was already big enough to feel kicking in his stomach. He sat down and was about to pull out his phone when a scent in the air made him pause.

No.

The smell was so pungent it almost made him vomit.

No.

His ears started ringing, and his vision was slowly darkening around the edges.

No.

It was Rasa's cologne.

Breathe. He's in prison.

He clenched his fist until his knuckles were white and his nails left marks on his palms.

Breathe.

The seconds ticked by and he jumped when he heard the scrape of Lee's chair against the floor and his chattering voice. He paused in the middle of his sentence when he saw Naruto's ghostly face.

Lee's dark eyes widened, and he leaned closer, "Are you okay friend?" He handed Naruto his water, and he took a couple of sips. Lee waited patiently until the color returned to the blonde's face.

Naruto nodded his head and gave Lee a small but sincere smile, "Yeah I am now. I just – had a bad memory. That's all. Thank you for being such a great friend."

The nightmares were getting to him. That's it. He was just imagining things.

Maybe he should go back to therapy.

Lee frowned in seriousness, "Of course! You're one of my best friends. If you need anything, you will tell me, right?"

Naruto grinned, "Yeah! I can always count on you." He held out his fist, and Lee bumped it back, whispering a yos! before they got back to it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Naruto robotically put his things up when he got home and took a shower. Before he went to bed, he walked around the house, triple-checking the locks on all the doors and windows. He looked out the window as he went to check the last one, seeing darkness outside. That feeling that he was being watched again prickled on the back of his neck.

At least the next week they'd be getting a new top-of-the-line security system. He knew that in reality, he was safe. But he just couldn't shake that feeling of dread.

Sasuke would be home late, and Naruto took the opportunity to gather his bearings. He'd been exhausted and tense lately, constantly fighting to make sure that Sasuke didn't notice his fidgeting. There were times when he'd wake up and his scars throbbed as if they were fresh. He knew he'd have to tell Sasuke eventually what was going on. Sasuke was his mate. He deserved to know. Yet Naruto didn't really know how to word this feeling.

Naruto wrapped the throw blanket tighter around himself and fought back a yawn. He was exhausted, and he didn't know if it was the pregnancy or the - well - everything else.

He knew logically that Rasa was in prison, had been for years. He couldn't hurt him. He was the type of person that needed to be the one causing the pain, he wouldn't send someone to hurt them.

He itched again to pull out his phone and call his therapist. Even tell Gaara. But he didn't want to mention Rasa and then give Gaara nightmares too. Gaara didn't deserve that. He –

He was calling.

Naruto answered the phone and heard Gaara's mumbled voice.

Hey

He felt this sudden panic about Gaara's safety, "Hey, are you okay?" His tone must have worried him because Gaara hurriedly answered.

Yeah, are you?

"I – " He wanted to lie, but then he'd really be alone when the only person who could truly understand was on the line. "I keep having nightmares about him."

Gaara stayed silent for a long time, and Naruto was about to check his phone to see if he'd hung up when the redhead spoke.

Me too.

"Huh?"

Yeah. For a few days.

Naruto was speechless, but Gaara continued.

I checked with the prison, and he's in there. We're safe.

"I didn't want to check. It would've made it all... real."

You should've told me earlier.

"I know, but I figured maybe it was just the pregnancy."

Have you told anyone else about the baby?

"Not yet. I just wanted to feel a little less... exhausted."

Understandable. I'll let you sleep. Please call me or text me. Don't hold it in.

Naruto smiled, tears of relief filling his eyes, "I won't. I promise."

He hung up and for the first time in a while he felt relief. Rasa was still in prison. It was just his instincts acting up. Only that.

Only that.