Obsession

Secret: Chapter 6

The group eventually went their separate ways, and upon returning to the Stroup residence, Rebecca expressed her desire to desperately take a shower and wash the paint out of her hair that was beginning to get stiff.

"Julian, do you want to walk with Gabe?" she asked, after Gabriel expressed that he too wouldn't mind hitting the shower, and thus, decided to gather his belongings from the Stroup residence and make his way back home.

"That's not necessary," Gabriel replied, feeling his cheeks flush at the mention of being left alone with Julian. They had a comfortable relationship, but there were still moments when he'd become all flustered and nervous around his crush. It simply could not be helped.

"I don't mind. It'll give me something do while I wait for my turn to shower," Julian informed, giving Gabriel a soft smile that made his eyes twinkle.

Gabriel felt his heart thud loudly – almost painfully – and he looked away, wondering briefly if Julian could hear what madness was going on in his chest.

"Okay," he said, and soon, they were off.

Gabriel didn't live far from the Stroup residence, only three streets away, and together, in a comfortable silence, they made the journey. He was the first to break the silence, wondering just how Julian knew what to do to keep his mind from revisiting the uncanny nightmare.

"I pay attention to the people I care about," Julian replied, gazing softly – fondly – at Gabriel who hummed. Julian tilted his head, taking note of how he bit his lip and kept his gaze downcast – something Gabriel was known to do when he was in deep thought. "It's still bothering you, isn't it?"

Gabriel nodded. "I don't understand it," he admitted, and the other could hear the profound confusion in his voice. "It's been almost four years, or about that, and I haven't had that dream or something like it."

Julian pursed his lips. They had arrived at Gabriel's home, and the former sat down on the steps, patting the space next to him. Without a word, Gabriel complied.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"The dream?" Gabriel asked, and Julian nodded. He sighed, and slowly, though hesitantly, he revealed the details of the dream.

He made a point to say that it was different from the nightmares he'd had immediately following the incident, pointing out all the ways in which it was different. He made sure to point out that even though the setting of the dream felt like his old home, he knew it wasn't. The setting had felt more contemporary, more current. The setting mirrored the Stroup residence.

"Boy," Julian drawled, expelling a puff of air through his mouth, displaying how eerie he found Gabriel's description of the nightmare. "That is creepy. And this is first time it's happened since?"

Gabriel nodded, a troubled look on his face.

"I'd tell you not to read too much into it but I'm guessing that would be pointless since you still look so bothered by it," Julian said, tilting his head slightly to catch a peek at Gabriel's eyes. The latter smiled, and turned away, feeling his cheeks heat up.

It was then he took notice of how closely they sat. The butterflies in his stomach started up again, urging him to react, but he decided against it appreciating the proximity while at the same time, knowing that he ran the risk of making things awkward especially since Julian didn't seem to mind – if at all, he had noticed.

"It doesn't make any sense," he commented, turning to look at Julian. "Did you know that some people believe dreams have meanings in them?"

"I've heard that," Julian agreed. "But given the eerie nature of that dream –"