My Mafia Man

"You"

A week had passed and it was the night before the day of the dance / ball .

I was asleep when I woke up to Mason crying . I couldn't really tell that it was him at the start . I got out of bed and walked over to Mason's room . I stopped at the door when I seen Ashton holding Mason in his arms .

Mason was resting his head on on Ashton's shoulder as he cried rubbing his eyes . "Hey buddy , it's okay" Ashton whispered . "The man got me" Mason cried as tears fell from his face . "I'll fight the man for you" Ashton said as he walked around the room while holding Mason in his arms .

"But he was strong and he hurt me" Mason sniffled . "I'm strong , I'll hurt him if he ever hurts you again" Ashton said hugging him . "Really" Mason said looking at him . "Mason ? I'd do anything for you" Ashton said . Mason nodded and lay his head back on Ashton's shoulder . Mason seen me . I put my finger over my lip , signaling him to be quiet .

Mason shut his eyes . "Thanks Ashton" Mason yawned . "No problem buddy , now go to sleep , we have the ball today" he said putting him back in his bed . "My neck hurts" Mason whined . "I'll get you some of your medicine now" Ashton said tucking him in .

"Does your leg hurt" Mason asked him . "A little" Ashton said looking at his boot . Ashton couldn't handle not being able to walk so he got a boot instead .

Ashton went to walk out and seen me . "Oh hi" he said limping out . "Your leg is hurting you" I said to him annoyed . "No it's not , I'm fine" Ashton said . Ashton was stressed . "What's wrong" I asked him worriedly . Ashton Shut Masons door. "Ella he keeps having nightmares" Ashton sighed . "I know , he'd have them all the time" I said . "They stopped for awhile but started again like 2 weeks ago" Ashton said .

"I'm worried , he's not getting sleep and keeps remembering you in his dreams" Ashton said .

"I know the feeling" I said . "I'd never sleep because of the nightmares, he probably doesn't either" I said sadly. "So what helped you stop them , what helped you calm them" he asked . "Calming them is easy , don't turn the light off , let him know he's safe , put on calming music" I said listing off things to calm them . "How did you stop them" he begged me . "You" I said looking at him . "What" he asked confused. "You stopped them" I said shrugging . "Being in your arms at night , it made them go away" I said staring at the ground .

"Although, they never really left, it's trauma , you'll never be able to take it away , that's just how it is" I said sad that I couldn't help . "If it gets worse , we will have to put him on sleeping medication, he needs his sleep" I said . "There not dreams , they are memories, that's the problem" I said shaking my head .

"Can you go in there , calm him down , I could still feel him shaking from fear as I put him down" Ashton asked . I looked at him and nodded slightly . "Just until I get the medicine" he said limping downstairs.

I opened Masons door . "I heard you had a bad dream" I said to him . "I'm not a kid , you don't need to watch me" he said stubbornly. "There bad aren't they" I asked him with a soft smile . He sighed and nodded.

"It's okay to be scared" I said sitting down next to him on his bed . "You're always in them" he said . "But it's never me that gets hurt , it's you" he said looking at me full of regret. "I'd get killed for you" I said smiling at him . "But you don't even know me that well" he said confused. "You're a good person , that's all I need to know" I said smiling at him . "Now I know how these nightmares feel , trust me , I get them too" I said . "I have a monster in mine" I said .

"A monster" he questioned. "A ruthless monster, an unforgiving monster" I said . "But it's probably nothing like yours , yours feels real doesn't it" I asked him . "Yep" he chirped as he nodded . "Well , Ashton may be able to fight off people in the real world , but I will always protect you in the dream world" I said stroking his cheek . "Thanks Ella" he said hugging me the best he could with his neck still hurting.

"No problem bubba" I said . He looked at me confused like he remembered something but brushed it off .

"Here bud" Ashton said handing Mason a pill to swallow . "Awh I hate swallowing pills" Mason whined . "Come on just one" Ashton said .

"Night bubba" I said . "Night Ella" he said .

I walked to my room . Me and Ashton don't sleep in the same room yet . We're trying to take things slow .

He looked at me from the end of the corridor . "Night" he mouthed . I smiled as I looked at the ground. "Night" I mouthed back as I went into my room .

I lay on my bed . It was 1 am by the time I went to sleep .

I jolted up out of my sleep screaming . I had a cold sweat on my forehead and tears running down my cheeks from crying .

Ashton ran in . "Hey hey hey" he said turning on the light . "He's coming" I whimpered not knowing I was awake . "He's coming , he's going to kill me" I whimpered traumatized . "Ella , no ones coming" Ashton whispered . "My dad - he's coming" I said out of breath looking around the around the room frantically.

"Ella look at me" he said gently grabbing my face . I was freaking out . "Shhh , Ella look at me , it's okay, it's okay" he whispered stroking my face with the back of his hand . "It's okay" I whispered back to him calming down .

He wiped the tears off my cheeks . "I will never let anyone hurt you again" he said looking at me straight in the eye . "I'm okay , I'm okay" I said putting my hands over my face in embarrassment.

"You guys and your damn nightmares" Ashton smiled at me . "You're Okay" he smiled . "I'm okay" I said . He went to walk out . "Don't leave" I begged him frantically, grabbing his hand . "Okay" he said climbing into the bed beside me .

I lay on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my forehead. "And for the record , I would never leave you" he said . "You'd have to walk away from me" he whispered . "Not possible" I said . "That was horrible" I whispered . "He really fucked you guys up" he said playing with my hair . "Yeah" I  whispered as I listened to his heart beat. It was consistent. It was peaceful.

He kissed my forehead and I looked at him . "God I missed this" he whispered . "I missed you" I whispered . "Go to sleep baby , we have to party all night tomorrow" he smiled pressing his forehead against the side of my face . I smiled happily .

"Ashton" I murmured as I was slowly falling asleep . "Yeah babygirl" he said . "Don't leave" I whispered softly drifting into the darkness . "Never" He said holding me protectively . He was my home . He was my safe place .