𝐁𝐘 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆

─────── 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗪𝗢 (teaser 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥)

"well, do you want to start, or what?"

A DOOR TO SOMEONE'S room opens, a now much taller misha walking in. His hair longer and slipping to one side of his shoulder, he sits down on the edge of his bed while kicking off his sneakers.

A sigh escapes his lips when he runs a hand through his hair, rubbing his tired eyes. Next to him you were laying asleep, he turns around and wraps his arms around your waist, closing his eyes as he tries to calm himself down.

"Let's try something different."

You, misha, and ellie sit across from Joel, trying to learn how to play the guitar. Misha leaned back in his seat— he looked young still, his medium length hair not fully grown yet.

You had your head lying on misha's shoulder as he strummed his fingers against the strings, Joel smiling proudly as he watched misha.

"You can't heal something unless you're brave enough to say it out loud."

Misha smiled, showing off his pearly whites as he laid next to you on the snow, his jacket warmly on him as he pointed up at the stars in the cloud, you couldn't help but smile as well— your eyes following his finger as he pointed at a constellation.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" Misha asks softly while you held his hand.

"They are." You answer in reply, you felt him press a kiss to your knuckles before his gaze goes back to the stars.

"Say the thing you're afraid to say."

Ellie stood next to you, watching Joel as he played the guitar but stopped once he saw the two of you— something was clearly wrong. And when misha appears he looked pissed, his jaw clenched.

If only he had told the truth about what happened...

"Say it out loud, no matter what it is, no matter how bad."

You were looking through old photos of you and your family before the outbreak had started— you missed them a lot, and you would never mention them. but of course they'd come to mind every now and then.

You look out the window, frowning when you see misha hadn't came back yet.

"What did you do?"

An infected makes its way towards misha, not biting him yet but just staring. Misha pauses, Ellie standing next to him as she saw the same thing. Why hasn't it attacked either of them yet?

Misha slowly backs away, gripping the gun he had in his holster. "Move slowly." he whispers to Ellie, she also holds her gun close as she nods.

. . .

You, ellie, and misha come across something drawn in blood. Misha steps a little closer to it to get a better look, tilting his head.

'FEEL HER LOVE'

It reads, drawn in blood. Misha glanced at Ellie who looked just as disturbed. you weren't sure what it was supposed to mean but clearly you were scared.

Ellie grabs your wrist and misha's arm, guiding the both of you away from it.

Dina quickly followed after you three, not wanting to be left.

. . .

You run with ellie, dina, and misha as all three of you were being chased by a hoard of infected. Misha grabs his gun and tries shooting but he notices he was out of bullets.

"I'm out!" Misha shouted.

"What?" Ellie replied before she realized what he meant. "Okay, just-- just run!" she tells him.

Misha holds onto your wrist as the two of you make it onto the train with ellie and dina.

. . .

You jolt awake, screaming as tears fall down your eyes. Misha wasn't able to sleep so when he heard you screaming he ran over to you, "hey! hey! it's okay. it's okay." he tries reassuring but he knows all too well what you were screaming about.

"I k-- keep seeing.." you couldn't speak as you cried again, misha pulls you close to him as you buried your head in the crook of his neck, he rubs your back reassuringly.

"Shh, shh.." misha whispers. he remembers, too.

. . .

Joel looks at you as you begin to play the guitar, you were proud of yourself at how good you were doing—

And Joel, he was proud, too.

The story continues in 2025.