Devils Dont Fly

Law had been a rampant insomniac long before Dallas had ever stumbled into his life.  At one point his health had even taken a sharp fall.  But after accepting Dallas as his partner it became easier to rest.  Even before they'd been officially mated the man had brought along a feeling of security.  Law was able to take naps during the day, enough to keep his body contented while he spent his nights keeping constant vigil over his mate.  It was rare the man was able to sleep through the phase of the moon, always haunted by ghosts that Law could never see. The doctor understood they were there though, knew that he was helpless to stop them from plaguing his lover. So far, Law's best course of action had been gently rubbing the mans chest until he awoke, always wary of flailing limbs and unconscious blows. He ached to hold Dallas in these moments, but usually found the strength to restrain himself for fear of running the man off.  He'd never left Dallas suffer alone though, following him even to the shower in order to watch over him. Tonight would be no different.
The doctor was propped against the headboard of their bed, sharp blue eyes flickering up everyone few moments from his book to settle on the already tossing soldier beside him.  Dallas had long ago left the service but the battle itself had never ended.  The man relived his worst moments every night, and Law was left to merely watch and wait until he could offer some form of comfort. It was difficult to remind the man he was safe, but Law did so each night.  By now he was brave enough to stretch out and reach for the man, allowing skilled fingers to dance gently through sleep-tousled hair.  Touching was always a risk.  A few times it had backfired.  Dallas would startle at the touch and wake thinking he was the enemy.  By now Law had learned his movements well enough to elude them. The hurt was having to hold his mate down until he stopped struggling, until he remembered he was home with his family instead of overseas on the battle front. The expressions of fear on Dallas's face plagued the doctor endlessly.

As Law could already see, Dallas was having one of the bad nights. The nights where he was trapped, reliving his worst moments over and over again in his sleep. And even when the shock of being shot at woke him from his deep sleep, he still didn't realize it was over, especially not when Law's hand was in his hair.
If he had taken one second and thought, he would have realized that the hand in his hair was a gentle one, easily removed. But he was lost in his own mind and so assumed his lover was the enemy, grabbing his wrist in one hand and twisting it behind the man's back, the other hand coming to squeeze around his mate's throat. He was fully shifted before he could stop himself, atop of his lover, snarling in the man's face. He wasn't a man anymore, he was a monster, practically foaming at the mouth, bright blue eyes glowing in the darkness of their room as he attempted to choke his lover.
It wasn't until a moment later that he realized where he was and what he was doing. He immediately let go, simply staring down at his lover for a moment as it sunk in. And then he was recoiling completely, getting off of the bed altogether and sitting down on the floor with his head in his hands. What the hell was wrong with him?

The doctor had relented the moment Dallas turned on him, body limp in submission even as he was pinned with his arm behind his back.  Throughout all of this though there was no fear.  He and Dallas had began in a fury of insults and sharply aimed fists.  A little rough housing was nothing.  In truth it usually ended in sex.
The doctor was entirely calm until Dallas was sitting on top of him, fully shifted and snarling in a way that left the mans fangs snapping in his face.  He no longer resembled the man Law had fallen in love with, replaced by near murderous stranger. There was a rushing moment of terror, just before Dallas let him go in which he considered this being the end of everything-
But then air was reaching him once more, and he realized distantly that Dallas had relaxed his grip before getting up and drawing away completely. 
That scared him more than anything.
"Dallas?"  The name was soft spoke in the dark, a gentle prayer that the man had not already closed himself off. "You're okay, oui.  You're home and im right here with you."  The man had recovered enough to inch forward, his hand stretching out to mirror the affection that had startled his mate into aggression.
"I'll have to get back at you sometime, oui.  But right now everything alright."

"You were scared." Dallas murmured softly, by now having his head tucked in between his knees as he rested against the base of the bed. "That's what snapped me out of it. You were scared..." Law had been scared. Law really thought he was going to hurt him. His lover had been afraid of him, even if it was just for a few short seconds and that was all that mattered. He couldn't do this anymore. He had to stop it somehow. "I'm sorry, Trafalgar." He had yet to look up at his mate this entire time, not wanting to face the man after how he'd just acted. How could Law possibly be acting as if everything was still fine? He could have killed him.

"Dallas..."  The name was spoken softly, a cherished whisper into the dark of their room.  Law's chest tightened with the knowledge that his mate had picked up on his fear.  Throughout all of that, Dallas had somehow still retained their love. It was a feeling so blissful it left the doctor merely staring for a few long moments, while he memorized every detail of his mates face, basking in the knowledge that he was loved so completely.
And then he was crawling forward, stretching across the wide expanse of sheets in order to rest his fingers at the crown of Dallas's head, a reflection of the caress that had started their ordeal. 
"Don't talk bullshit to me, oui. I don't need you to be sorry. You...These things just happen." Law never allowed the man to feel blamed.  He understood that this was something his mate couldnt control, and he loved Dallas despite these late night scares. He loved Dallas including all of the bad.  Law loved Dallas through everything.
"So you should stop feeling so ashamed, oui." The man's hands dropped down to gentle massage the arch of Dallas's shoulders, dragging lower and lower until Law had slipped from the bed entirely, abandoning the warmth in favor of settling himself in his mate's lap. This way, dismissing him was not an option.  Law knew that Dallas often accepted his words while still shouldering the burden. This time the man would listen before the guilt made him sick. 
"Look at me."  As he spoke, the doctor was guiding his mate towards the dark blue ocean of his gaze. "We will get through this. I love you, and I know all of your tricks. So you don't get to scare me, oui."