Trying Short Stories

Trying Short 3: I'm still here.

You screamed inside your dream until you felt like you would choke while watching the scene in front of you. The fighting all around you paled in comparison to the sight in front of you.

This man, and even though he was far older than the little boy you were raising you could recognize him.
“Ace..!” You scream but it sounds so quite compared to the screams that erupt from Luffy. Tears fell down his cheeks, his jaw slack with the shock he just received. Ace falls forward and lands on Luffy, you can’t make out what he says but you didn’t need to.

You ran forward with all your might, ignoring the carnage that surrounds you, but before you can even reach the older version of your kid he dies. You feel the world around you collapse, and everything in one moment breaks you apart inside.
“ACE!” You scream again, but before you reach him and Luffy you’re jolted awake by someone smacking you on the stomach.

“(NAME)!” A sleepy but angry little Ace glares at you. Sabo and Luffy stood at the doorway looking at you worried. But you barely noticed them, you stared at the little boy next to your bed, the dream replaying over and over in your head. You felt like your heart was breaking.

Without a word you scoop him up and hug him, crying onto his little shoulder. All three boys look at you confused, what happened? They were wondering to themselves. Ace looks at you and glares, a light blush on his cheeks.
“What are you doing let go!?” He says trying to push you off, but you just cry harder and Ace stops wiggling around and stares at you surprised.
“I-I thought you d-died..” You cried weakly, Ace froze and stared at you in silent shock. The other two looked at you pitifully. Luffy walks over to your bed and climbs on, crawling to your side he gets under the covers and snuggles up to you.
“I-it was just a stupid bad dream..!” Ace says hugging you awkwardly. Sabo wordlessly walks over and crawls onto the other side of you. Ace pats your head and sighs.

“I’m right here…”He says when you slowly let him go. You give him a big teary smile and sniffle a bit.
“Y-yeah…I’m sorry..” You said while wiping your face with the back of your hand. The three boys situate themselves around you and you snuggle back down into your bed. They fall asleep almost instantly and you take a deep breath and look at the three of them while brushing some hair out of the freckled boy’s face.

“Good night guys…” You whispered, smiling softly at them.
‘They’re right here…’ You thought to yourself, falling into a dreamless sleep.