A/N: Sorry it's been a while, guys. School's been wearing me out, so I just haven't felt like writing. :/ But, I'm back now with a new piece! And this one's a little bit different than my last ones in that it's a bit more dramatic and angst-y. Set shortly after the Buu saga.


Nightmares

This was the third time this week her fitful sleeping had woken him up. He hadn't asked her about it, and she hadn't told him, but he knew just from watching her toss and turn and hearing her whimpers that she was having nightmares. He couldn't help but wonder why this was happening to her all of a sudden, but Vegeta had never been one to pry. And, he knew that Bulma had never been one to freely admit when something was truly bothering her.

He glanced over at her to see her clutching the bed sheets, her brow furrowed and her teeth grit, her lips moving in silent protest to whatever or whoever was tormenting her. Vegeta wondered if he should wake her-he didn't want to. He hoped she would just slip out of the dream on her own and return to normal sleep. It was easier that way. Vegeta knew the feeling of waking up from nightmares all too well, and it was a dreadful feeling that he hoped to never experience again even though he knew he would. Because of that, he hated seeing Bulma wake up in that same state of fear and confusion. He hated knowing that she was experiencing that same dreadful feeling.

As he turned over to face her, his eyes widened when he heard her whisper his name. Why was he in her bad dream? Suddenly, his heart sank. She could be remembering what happened at the World Martial Arts Tournament... She had told him that although it upset her, she forgave him for it, but if she was having nightmares about it, then it was obvious that the memories were still haunting her. Does she fear me now? It was strange; in the beginning of their "relationship," Vegeta wanted her to fear him, but now, the very thought made him feel almost disgusted with himself.

"...Vegeta...n-no...," she whispered as she shook her head, tears forming in the corners of her closed eyes. Vegeta was just about to reach over and wake her, when she suddenly jolted up in the bed with a shout. "No!"

Bulma blinked in confusion causing the few tears to slid down her cheeks. She clutched her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart and tried to steady her breathing, but she found it hard to do. That dream had shook her up like no other. Sighing, she quickly wiped away her tears and laid back down only to glance over and see two onyx orbs gazing at her.

"What am I doing... in your dreams?" he asked hesitantly.

"What?" she breathed. "You're not doing anything... in fact, it's just the opposite." She threw her arm over her eyes and exhaled deeply. "You're... dying."

"Dying?"

"Yes, Vegeta! Dying!" she exclaimed as her eyes met his once again, her tears threatening to return. "In my dreams, I'm always running after you... but no matter how fast I run, you just keep getting farther away. Finally, for some reason, in my dream tonight, I finally caught up with you. But it was too late... you were dead."

Vegeta didn't know whether to be relieved or more concerned. She wasn't fearing him, she was fearing his death. "...Bulma..."

"I'm sorry; I know it's selfish, but I guess I'm just still upset over you sacrificing yourself," she whispered.

Vegeta understood. He knew that even though she hardly ever spoke of it, she appreciated what he had done for their family. But he also knew that for reasons he really couldn't fathom, she needed him somehow. Since she experienced it once, the fear losing him would always be there, but only the passage of time would ease it.

A small smirk played on his lips - if Bulma didn't know any better, she would have sworn it was a smile. "You're always selfish, no need to apologize now."

"Whatever, Vegeta!" she said with a pout, but she knew his true intentions. He was teasing her, but it was his way of making her feel better and taking her mind off of it all. She figured that out a long time ago.

Suddenly, his strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her to his chest. She sighed deeply into him, their embrace almost immediately putting her at ease. "Here," Vegeta said as he rested his chin atop her head. His voice was low and almost soft - Bulma could barely make out what he said. "Perhaps you'll sleep better if you can feel me right here."

Yes, Vegeta understood. He understood the pain of nightmares, but he also understood her fear because for more reasons he really couldn't fathom, he needed her somehow, too.


A/N: Thanks for reading and please review!