Author here!
I just wanted to thank everyone! I know it's been a while, I've been suffering with bad depression and the ADHD hasn't helped I couldn’t muster enough energy to write this chapter. Anyway thanks again for those that were patient and didn't badger me for the next part.
Peace out.
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Luffy’s POV (dream)
Luffy was being shook, would they stop? Stop! STOP!
He sat up right, angrily shouting to get off. Then the young boy opened his eyes, he was met with his older brother Ace, he had a annoyed scowl firmly in place.
“Get up! Stop lounging around!” The older child snapped, he crawled off the bed Luffy was sat in and the younger boy watched him open the door and slam it shut behind him.
Luffy slid out of bed with a slight frown, but started to get ready none the less. Why did Ace have to be so mean? He was upset this morning, he wasn’t usually that rough with him.
The door opened again, Luffy’s other brother came in, his short blonde hair was mostly hidden under his top hat. Sabo smiled, coming to sit next Luffy on the bed.
“Hey Luffy. Don’t worry about Ace, he’s just upset about what he read in the newspaper, there was an article about his real dad...”
“Dad was in the newspaper?” Luffy was suddenly very interested, the young boy missed his father Dragon whenever he went away, though he did make a point of visiting as much as he could and would usually stay for at least a week.
“I said Ace's dad Luffy... you know-" Sabo lowered his voice to a whisper “-Gold Roger...”
“Oh! The pirate king!” Luffy uttered loudly, totally missing the point of Sabo being quiet, the blonde boy face palmed, hissing an irritated “Luffy!”
Luffy frowned at his brother confused as to why he was mad at him, what did he do?
Sabo turned towards the door to their bedroom, sighing, he seemed relieved for some reason, but the young raven was just happy that his big brother was looking less mad.
“Come on Lu, let’s go, before Ace comes back and shakes you again.”
The younger boy didn’t like that at all, so he jumped off the bed, running to the door, bouncing on the spot waiting for Sabo to join him in going downstairs. Luffy didn’t want to go on his own, not when Ace was being mad.
Sabo shook his head slightly amused as he stepped up next to him, the blond led the way down the steps, until they reached the bottom. Their annoying bandit caretaker was in the middle of a rowing match with Ace. Nothing new there...
Luffy was sort of glad that Ace was busy yelling at someone else, at least his angry brother wasn't aiming his temper at him.
The younger raven's face immediately brightening at the smell of meat, Ace and Sabo forgotten as his stomach took over his brain with food. He dashed passed Dadan and his oldest brother and into the next room, skidding to a halt in front of the mountain of meat, or where it should have been, instead sat a dark cloaked man, with messy long black hair and a tribal tattoo. He was the culprit! He stole his breakfast!
"Hello Lu" The most wanted man in the world grinned, his sharp eyes gleaming in amusement as his youngest son puffed out his cheeks furiously.
"YOU STOLE MY MEAT!" Luffy yelled outraged, jumping on his father in a fit of anger, but to the young boys utter annoyance, he fell straight through him in a heap.
"Dad?!" Sabo shouted much more overjoyed then his little brother, who was trying and failing to attack their father.
"Hey Sabo! How have you been?" The raven haired man smiled, playfully pushing Luffy away, the rubber boy bounced back up a second later. He tried to grab his arm but his small hands swept through in a warm gust of air.
"Really good! We managed to take down a bear the other day!" Sabo boasted, rubbing his finger under his nose and smiling proudly.
Ace, followed by Dadan had both come from the next room to see what all the fuss was about, the oldest boy froze for a second, before the biggest grin spread across his face in utter delight. "Dad! You're back!"
Dadan immediately started to sweat, while the revolutionary wasn't as bad as old Garp was, she definitely didn't want to piss him off either. Though admittedly since his sons stayed with her, she had gotten a lot of nice things from the man. Beds, chairs, a bath, even a stock of food every other week, which was normally left on the abandoned coast. But she had to make sure those three little brats were well looked after or the man got very dangerous, very fast.
"Dad stole my breakfast!" Luffy wailed loudly, still trying and failing to batter the man.
"YOU ATE OUR BREAKFAST!" Ace yelled, the smile having vanished. He joined in with Luffy, trying to wack their dad in a hungry rage.
He burst out laughing, he leapt up in a gust of wind, in a fluid and elegant manner. "Nice to see you too Ace, but you really shouldn't have left all that meat lying around."
"YOU'RE ALWAYS THE ONE WHO SAYS WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE IS READY TO EAT!" Ace tossed out, his face drawn up in a growl.
"That's true... but well I wasn't ready. And we have a nice breakfast waiting for us elsewhere"
"We do?" Sabo asked, before his brothers could start yelling again, their father grinned, nodding.
"You could have have left this food alone! You didn't have to eat it, we could have eaten both." Ace grumbled, Luffy hummed wildly in agreement, head bobbing in a firm nod, shouting a clear disapproving "YEAH!"
"Isn't that kinda greedy Ace?" The long haired man teased, leaning over his sulking son.
"Says you..." The freckled boy grumbled.
"True, but a wise man once told me 'You wanna do something, then you do it without regret'" The man straightened, giving the three boys a crooked grin. "And I really wanted to eat that meat and I don't regret it"
Luffy nodded, like suddenly it all made sense, he still looked annoyed but he didn't say anything else.
"That sounds like something a pirate would say" Sabo pointed out.
"Because that's who said it. Anyway you guys wanna go on a trip?"
"A trip? Where?" Ace questioned, suddenly looking really interested.
"Can we eat that breakfast and go on a trip" The youngest asked loudly, he was bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Well I have some business in this part of the sea, figured you boys would like to come too and yes Luffy we're gonna eat too"
All three kids were staring up at him with sparkling eyes, big wide smiles in place and in unison they cheered "LET'S GO!"
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Dragon's POV
The cabin was dark mostly, shadows only being pushed back by the lantern hung over head, Luffy’s chest was raising and falling peacefully, the blank expression was gone, replaced with a smile and a sleeping face. At least that was something, but my boy was still out of it, I had shook him multiple times, nothing, hell I'd yelled food and yet he didn't so much as stir. It worried me.
The old man was sat on the bed next to Luffy’s sleeping form, his weight made the frame shake and the mattress sag. I was a bit concerned that he'd break the thing, however Luffy was by far the most important thing at the moment.
"How long's it been?" I asked, Whitebeard turned a soft gaze resting lightly on me, before sighing "Dragon, son its been about 5 minutes since the last time you asked, I know you're worried but he's a strong lad. He ain't looking blank anymore, looks more like he's taking a nap. So relax, take a breath, step out for some fresh air if ya need it. But standing there worrying ya self stupid ain't gonna help."
"Yeah, but what if its more than that? What if he wakes up and he's different!" I said in a raised voice, I was losing my battle at keeping my cool, my panic was starting to show and I knew it. I was so scared, I didn’t want anything to happen to my stupid idiot son, he was just perfect the way he was. I didn't want him to change!
The old man lent over, slowly hustling me into towards his chest, I didn’t really know what he was trying to do. His hand pushed to my back, holding me there. Then it hit me. He was giving me a hug...
I hadn’t had a proper hug since I was a little kid, since my mother had hugged me goodbye on that fateful day, was I too old to be hugged?
Wait? Why am I even letting him hug me in the first place?!
Yet, I just couldn't pull myself away, instead I slowly melted into it. My face resting on his shoulder, my shaking hands, without any want of my own, slowly coming to rest on his arm and back.
"He'll be alright... you just gotta believe in him. Let's be honest Dragon, Luffy, is always gonna be Luffy, regardless. He's a stubborn kid, with his own ideas, his own feelings and his own sense of who he is. Nothing will ever change that. You wanna do something, then you do it without regret. Do you regret meeting him here? Would you regret raising him?"
"No of course not!"
"There's your answer. Luffy knows that, he'll go on without regret and he'll smile doing it. After all, Luffy is gonna be King of the Pirates or are ya gonna tell me different?"
"No... I just want him to be happy. That's his dream, I'd never stand in the way of it... I'll support him no matter what..." I whispered, tears running down my cheeks, he was right, Luffy would always be Luffy because I'd make sure he was. I'd make sure he followed his dreams, I'd support him no matter what.
He was my son after all, we were pretty stubborn and neither of us would ever let even time shenanigans change who we were. I still wanted to be a revolutionary, even now, nothing had changed that, if anything it had made that want even stronger. Luffy would always be drawn to being a pirate, regardless of what I or anyone said. Hell, even with my old geezer chasing him around telling him to be a Marine, Luffy had become a pirate. Just like I had become a revolutionary...
Slowly my wet eyes eased shut, all my fears simply evaporated. Luffy was Luffy... Dragon was Dragon... it wasn’t about the journey, it was the destination and the will to see the journey through to reach your dream.. that's what mattered.
I could feel myself drifting, the last few weeks caught up, so much wariness. I was exhausted, but for the first time in years I was at ease, no old geezer hanging over me, telling me to be something I hated. No chains, no hopeless nights spent watching the sea pass me by through a tiny window.
The wind carried new hope, I wasn't running anymore, I was flying and I was free. Like a gust of wind, which always should have been.
But the best thing, something I had always thought I didn't need, was actually the most important thing of all.
I wasn’t alone anymore...
I smiled, leaning into the warm embrace, a steady heart beat filled my ears, something so simple yet so comforting. I felt like a little kid again, safe and warm, like nothing would ever hurt me. Nothing to be afraid of...
"Sleep well son..."