So I'm not sure where this idea came from, but come to me it did and it took me about an hour of frantic writing in study hall to finish. It's a songfic for Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift (bit . ly/1ioBaXK - I really recommend you listen to the song too), but there's a lot more to this story than what's on the surface, so I hope maybe you'll try to look for the hidden things, cause they all make the story that much better. If you can't/don't want to find any, send me a pm or ask in a review and I'd be happy to give you some hints! I actually have a lot of extra little headcanons for the things I write so if you're ever curious feel free to ask, I'd love to share them with you :D This one'll really stab you in the feels, but I hope you enjoy it anyways (:

Beta'd by LeafyxThiefy

"Ace!"

He jolted up in the middle of the night, woken by the sound of his little brother's cries. He must've had another nightmare; he used to get bad dreams every once in a while before everything happened, but now they came nearly every single night. The nightmares always woke the child up feeling breathless and drenched in a cold sweat with a name left lingering on his lips. Ace crawled across the charred, barren room, feeling his way through the dark to where his brother was curled up on his side into a tight ball, shaking violently from the remnants of his dream. Ace could hear Luffy's quiet sobs as he cried and he laid down next to the trembling boy, wrapping his arms around his brother's painfully thin frame and running his fingers through his rugged, tangled hair, making soothing noises until Luffy was able to speak.

"Shh, shh, Lu, it'll be alright, it'll be fine. Did you have another bad dream?" Ace asked, and the boy nodded slowly, tears streaming down his face, cutting a path of silver through the caked-on dirt. Ace could remember a time when that same face had always been smiling, bright, excited, and eager for a new adventure to come along. He hasn't seen that happy expression for a long, long time.

"Do you want me to sing?" Another heavy nod. Ace sat up and pulled Luffy into his lap, cradling the younger boy in his arms. After a quiet moment, Ace began to sing, his voice low and soft so that it couldn't be heard from outside.

"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go, when all those shadows almost killed your light. I remember you said 'don't leave me here alone', but all that's dead and gone and passed tonight." Luffy's shaking began to calm as the first notes hung in the air around them, the melody familiar and comforting to the pair. Ace kept his eyes fixed on Luffy, determined to calm his little brother. He refused to let himself get choked up, steadily running his fingers through the stringy matted hair.

Gunshots could be heard outside, followed by angry yelling. The chaotic noises made both brothers flinch violently at the ringing echo left behind, causing Ace to stumble over his words. He kept singing though, for both Luffy and for himself, quieter than before and pulling his brother closer to his chest. Luffy sniffled and gripped Ace's shirt as if the tattered dirty material was a lifeline, which it probably was to the younger boy. Ace didn't mind though, he held his brother just as tightly, cherishing every single moment with him in that cold, dark, empty room.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound." Ace took a shuddering breath. The words came easily enough to his lips, but they always got fat in his throat, choking him up every time he tried to speak them. He couldn't mess up though, Luffy needed him to be strong.

"Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone, gone." These words were as soft as a whisper, and the memories crashed over Ace unrelentingly.

He could still remember that day, when the sunlight ran red with the blood on the streets and the echoes of gunshots and screams filled the air. He remembered the look on their mother's face on that day and how the months after that passed in one big blur, how she would pull them both close at night and sing to them until they fell asleep. He could still remember her sweet voice and how it would fill the night around them, making the stars shine a little brighter and make tomorrow seem a little more hopeful.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light you and I'll be safe and sound." Ace began humming the next part, but his voice was probably too thick and strained to be of any comfort to his brother anymore. But still, Ace kept going. His mother had never stopped, even on that last day, so Ace wouldn't either. Luffy was still laying in his lap, his tears finally starting to dry up as he curled up on his side again, going still with a light smile on his face.

Just close your eyes.

The door burst open then, and people swarmed into the room, surrounding the two brothers. Ace looked up at them, past the guns pointed directly at him, staring into the man's hardened eyes, not saying a word. Luffy remained in his brother's arms, unmoving.

You'll be alright.

It was time. Ace could see the shadows dancing in the room, and he greeted them with a smile. He'd been dancing along with them for a long time, he even knew all their names, but their song together was finally ending.

Come morning light

The man said a word, and the sound of guns firing rang through the air, filling the once-quiet space with their deafening noise.

You and I'll be safe and sound.