@nothraet
❛ hey. . . ❜ spoken through a heavy breath , knees bending so he would balance on his feet in front of the stone grave looking now to let his eyes read the name JOEL MILLER etched across. he had meant to come sooner after the burial & have this talk. the talk with a dead man. but he had been too worried that ellie would be UPSET think that he had no right to pay respects or visit where he lay after the rocky history of the two men. so he didn’t. but he had to. he needed to say his peace. for while he may not believe in any higher power or nonsense like that , he KNEW joel would be listening. ❛ i , ah. . . i’m sorry i’m just getting here now. not that you know , you’d care or anything. ❜ not spoken with malice , but much rather an attempt at a joke he was never good at this kind of thing. ❛ anyway , i. . . wanted to come here t’let you know that i’m sorry. ❜ lowering of his head , fidgeting of hands. ❛ see i was right there. . . you know ?? i saw your fuckin’ tracks & i saw tommy’s & the other one. if i was just a little FASTER , i would have made it t’you. but that didn’t happen , so. . . ❜ a shake of his head. that damn storm. jaw clenching as a huff of breath shot through his aching chest. ❛ i could’ve helped you & i didn’t. so i’m sorry. but. . . you should also know that i got ellie n’tommy out of there. they’re safe little banged up but safe. ❜ another pause , head raising to focus on his name now. ❛ i’m gonna do right by you. you hear me ? I WILL. no one. . . no one should die like that. not you. you kept ellie safe n’i never got to pay you back for that like i wanted to. but i’m gonna now. hopefully tommy n’ellie will let me go with them if they do , we’re gonna make those motherfuckers PAY for what they did. if they don’t. . . make damn sure i’m gonna track them down myself. and. . . you don’t have t’worry about ellie. i’ve got her from here now , okay ? i promise. i’m not gonna let anything happen to her. n’i hope you trust me enough to believe that. ❜ MINUTES would go by , staring to stone before shaking his head once again & letting his gaze fall. ❛ i’m gonna miss you , you bastard. ❜













