Title: Night Terrors

Summary: Sulu suffers from night terrors and Chekov worries about him. [Pre-Slash Sulu/Chekov]

Disclaimer: I do not own and never will.

Warning: Pre-Slash - Don't like don't read.

A/N: Oh I just love this couple! I can't stop writing stories about them. I've got another story in the works for the Original Series but I had to stop to write this; the temptation was just to great. God damn me; I break too easily.

*
Chekov laid awake, his mind in turmoil.

He was waiting for Sulu's nightly night terrors to commence once more.

He remembered trying to wake Sulu during one of his attacks; how he thrashed and kicked while a look of pure terror was written across his face and his eyes wide with horror. He remembered how Sulu had looked right through him. Chekov had followed Sulu's line of sight expecting someone or something to be stood there, but it was just an empty space. He remembered the cold sweat on Sulu's brow and his racing pulse as he tried to stop Sulu from hurting himself. That next morning he had a black eye from where Sulu's fist had connected with him the night before. He lied and no one pushed the matter further, all except Sulu. He didn't believe the lie and was upset as well as angered by the idea that someone could have raised a hand to Chekov, but Chekov didn't have the heart to tell him it was his fist that caused it. No - the lie stuck and became regarded as the truth. Sulu suspected otherwise but dropped the subject.

He couldn't watch Sulu suffer again.

Swinging his legs out of bed, he went to Sulu's bed side by the quickest means. As he laid eyes on Sulu, he was awestruck at how beautiful his friend was when he was asleep. Chekov had first fallen for the smile; and every time he saw that smile he was lost in a whirl pool of emotions. Chekov was curious about what it would feel like to press his lips to Sulu's, to properly kiss him. Would they be infinitely soft and warm like he imagined them to be like? Chekov had spent much of his free time daydreaming of Sulu's lips on his, kissing him till he ran out of air and passed out. The idea of having his breath stolen away by Sulu sent cold shivers racing up and down his spine.

Shaking himself out of his daydream, he raised a single hand and placed it on Sulu's shoulder. "Hikaru." Chekov whispered as he gently shook Sulu's shoulders. "Hikaru - vake up."

Sulu yawned as he opened his eyes and looked at Chekov. "Chekov?" He asked confused. "Why are you here?"

Chekov smiled a warm, reassuring smile. "You hawe been suffering from night terrors. I thought that if I vake you before you hawe one, you von't hawe one."

Sulu smiled back at Chekov, touched by the young Russians compassion towards him. "Thank you Pavel." Sulu saw Chekov's warm smile turn into an unsure expression. "What's on your mind Pavel?" Sulu asked as he sat up in his bed.

Chekov looked very reluctant to speak about what was going on in his mind. Sulu wanted to know with a keen interest what the young Russian was thinking. He knew from experience though that Chekov would need to feel safe and what he was going to say about how he truly felt was going to go no further. It wasn't that Chekov didn't trust Sulu, it was the process of opening himself up and making himself vulnerable that terrified him. Sulu understood the fear Chekov was experiencing. He himself had made a mistake a couple of years back and opened up to the wrong person who he perceived to have his best intentions at heart. He felt bitter and betrayed, vowing never to open up to another man like that again; but that was until he met Pavel Chekov.

Chekov would speak in his own time when he felt secure enough to do so; so when Chekov started talking moments later, it caught Sulu of guard. He wasn't expecting Chekov to trust him with his feelings and emotions that fast.

"I vorry about you Hikaru." Chekov expression became one of great sadness. "I vatched you suffer, but could do nothing. You do not ewen remember them. There vas one time vhen you looked right through me, as though i vas not there."

"Pavel..."

"I cry for you. Ewery time you suffer from them I cry for you. I vould rather it happen to me." A single tear slid down Chekov's cheek. Sulu wrapped his arms around Chekov's waist and pulled him down to sit next to him on his bed.

"Don't cry for me Pavel." Sulu told him whilst running his hand threw Chekov's Curly locks and brushing a single finger delicately across Chekov's cheek to catch the escaping tear. "I hate to see you cry." Chekov shivered with the affectionate touch and Sulu feared the worse. "Do you have a fever coming?" He asked as he placed a hand on Chekov's head to see how hot it was.

"Nyet." Chekov replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He would not admit to it, but he loved it when Sulu fussed over him. Sulu brushed his fingers over the discolouration around Chekov's eye. Chekov held his breath knowing Sulu had worked it out. Sulu wrapped his arms around the young Russian and embraced him hard to his chest.

They stayed like that for several minutes before Chekov pulled away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "I ... am going back to bed." Chekov gave Sulu a small smile. "Sleep vell, Hikaru." He said before leaving.

Sulu sat and watched him go even though his heart wanted him to cry out and beg him to stay. No. Something told him that it could never work between them, and what he had to loose was the best thing to ever walk into his life.

He wasn't going to gamble with something that was that precious to him. Not now - not ever.

End.