𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 ━ 𝙟. 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧

future days

F U T U R E D A Y S

Tommy, Joel and Iris went out on patrol for the day, they stumbled across a town of stragglers who had tried to kill them, but they were quickly massacred by the trio. They were resting in a nearby house, as Joel and Iris were telling Tommy about their mission with the fireflies.

Joel was cleaning dirt off of a guitar that he found, "I don't know what happend, we were suppose to take her to the Fireflies and walk away. You go half way across the country with someone. She needed her immunity to mean something. Maybe we were starting to buy into that whole... cure business."

Tommy sits opposite him, listening to intently to the story. "Maybe Ris and I just wanted to do right by her. And then we made it, we found the fireflies. Because of her, they were actually gonna make a cure. The only catch..."

"It would kill her." Iris sighs as she places her hand over her mouth. Tommy was lost for words, "Jesus. What did you two do?" Joel looks up at his brother grimly, "we saved her."

Tommy looks down, "god damn. That's... that's a lot. What does Ellie know?" He asks. "I told her they just ran some tests. I told her, that her immunity meant nothing." Joel replies. Tommy raises his eyebrows, "and she believed you?"

Joel stops cleaning the guitar for a moment and locks eyes with Iris, "didn't say otherwise." Tommy stands up and grabs his bag, "we should head back." The pair follow him to the garage where the horses were, the men pulled up the door whilst the woman leads the horses forward.

The brothers hop on as Joel helps Iris onto the back of his horse, she grips onto his waist as the horse begins to move. They rode into the sunset as they see Jackson all lit up, they continue to ride until they come to gates, which we being pushed open by two workers.

They climb off of the horses, and begin to walk them to stables but Tommy stops them, "it's okay, I got 'em." He takes the lead out of his brothers hand as Joel asks, "you sure?" He nods, "yeah."

"Thanks, Tommy." Iris smiles, as Joel walks back to grab his backpack, before they could wander off, Tommy speaks, "what we were talking about earlier. I can't say I'd of done different. I'll take it to the grave if I have to." Joel pats his shoulder as the pair begin to walk away, "I'll see you later Tommy."

《 * ° • ° * 》

Ellie was sitting in her little hut behind Joel's house, listening to some music on her walkman as she sketched. Joel and Iris wander in and try to grab Ellie's attention, but she couldn't hear them over the music, until Joel gently kicks her chair, causing her to look up at the pair, "Jesus, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"We tried knocking but..." Iris trails off as she motions to the door. "Hey." Ellie greets, "hey." They reply, "what's up, guys?" She asks.

"Just checking in. Folks are talking about, how impressed they are with you and how well you're helping out." Joel smiles, as he walks over to her lava lamp. Ellie crosses her arms, "that's good." Iris and Joel nod, "yeah."

"We went out riding with Tommy the other day, and he um... He told me a joke, and I thought about you- oh shoot, now I forgot it uh, something about a clock, how do you-" Ellie cuts him off, "Joel, it's uh, it's pretty late, and I gotta get up in a few hours." Joel says, "yeah, yeah I know, and I'm gonna get out of your hair, I just um." He back away to the door, "I wanna show you something. Just give me one second."

Joel exits and Iris looks at Ellie with a warm grin, "you're gonna love it." He walks back in with guitar that he was cleaning before, it now had strings on and it was ready to be played. "What's this?" Ellie asks, "some folks, call this thing here, a gee-tar." Joel jokes, "funny."

He looks at her, "you wanna hear something?" She nods, "Okay." Joel walks backwards and sits down on Ellie's coffee table, and Iris leans on the edge of the couch next to Joel. "Now promise me, that you two won't laugh." Ellie sits back down in her chair, "I won't laugh. I won't."

Iris chuckles quietly, "no promises." Joel playfully glares at her while she smirks at him, he shakes his head, "I'm trusting you." He strums the strings and begins to sing.

If I ever were to lose you, I'd surely lose myself.

Everything I have found here, I've not found by myself.

Try and sometimes you'll succeed, to make this man of me.

All my stolen missing parts, I've no need for anymore

'Cause I believe, and I believe 'cause I can see, our future days. Days of you and me.

Joel finishes his songs and the girls are left silent, "there you go." He says, "well... that didn't suck." Ellie says. "Wow." Iris smiles as she straightened up from her position. He looks down at his guitar, "I'll take what I can get."

He stands up and steps towards Ellie, "She's yours." He places it in her hands but she objects, "No, no, I don't know the first thing about this-" Joel cuts her off, "I promised I'd teach you how to play." She looks down at the instrument, "you did."

"What do you say, tomorrow night, first lesson?" Joel asks, "deal." Ellie smiles. He and Iris walk towards the door, the woman had her hand on the doorknob before Ellie speaks up, "did... did you remember the joke?" Joel laughs slightly as he leans against the door frame, "um... What is the downside to eating a clock?" The young girl shrugs her shoulders, "it's time consuming." She and Iris snigger, "that's so dumb."

Joel smiles at the girls, "yeah. Good night kiddo." He closes the door, leaving Ellie alone to pluck at the guitar.

He and Iris walk to Joel's front door and they stop to say goodnight, she starts to tease him about his singing, "so, when am I gonna hear an album?" He scoffs at her and puts his hands in his pockets, "when you learn to dance properly." Iris punches his arm, "there's nothing wrong with my dancing." Joel scoffs at her, her eyes challenge him as she gets into position.

She begins to dance infront of them as they move down the street, he laughs at the faces she pulls when she dances, she continues to dance when Joel says playfully and sarcastically, "oh yeah, amazing dancing right there."

She giggles and punches his shoulder, "calm down, country boy, don't want you to get too big for your boots." He shakes his head as he chuckles. They walk up the stairs to his front door, he turns to face her, "goodnight." She smiles softly at him, "g'night Joel."

He watches her walk down the steps and says, "hey, Ris?" The brunette spins to look at him, "yeah?" He opens his mouth but the words he wanted to say didn't come out, "nothing, forget about it." She nods her head, her hair bouncing as she did so, and says, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." She walks off into the night to her house, which was a a few houses down. Joel sighs And opens his door, he hopes that one day he could tell her how he feels.