It had been four years.
Four long years.
"Ellie…" She snapped back to attention, giving Joel a smile, he returned the gesture. She set the broom against a wall, glad to have a pause from sweeping the small space they used as the living room. It always seemed like a never-ending battle, sweeping away the dust and dirt that Joel always tracked in after his rounds, yet at the same time it gave her a sense of normalcy.
"Yeah?" She questioned, watching as the man sat on the rugged couch, almost hearing his bones creak, age seemed to suddenly catch up with him after they had returned to Tommy's four years ago. He leaned forward, his face morphing to weary and serious, an expression that caused a silver of fear to creep down her spine. He never wore that expression, the last time she could remember it was…was on the hill when she confronted him about the Fireflies. He gave a shaky sigh and buried his face in his hands, alarm crossing her face at his defeated posture.
"Joel?" Ellie murmured, kneeling in front of him, hands softly touching his. Brown eyes peered down at green, countless emotions swirling within them. A calloused hand escaped her touch, brushing gently across her face, shifting to tuck a auburn strand behind her ear. He knew that he was scaring her, it was written in her eyes.
"Things happen and…we move on."
"Joel…" She didn't like the way this conversation was starting, it almost sounded like a confession, every fiber of her being screamed for her to get up and run. Get away. Whatever he was going to say would shatter everything they had built up. She could tell by the weight of his voice and the fatherly gesture that she had gotten so use to over the years.
"I promised myself that I would tell ya when you turned sixteen. But I couldn't do it yet. I couldn't lose you that soon." Both hands now cupped her face, rough thumbs stroking her freckled cheeks with care.
"Back…back in Salt Lake with the Fireflies…they were gonna kill ya." A heavy silence filled the air as Joel paused, taking in Ellie's reaction. He observed as her breath hitched, eyes widened and body trembled. He knew that telling the truth would destroy her, like he had.
"Y-you swore…" She stammered out, jerking out of his hold, green orbs filling with sudden venom, causing Joel to stop his breath. He could feel the crushing weight that those eyes held, the utter betrayal, pain and sadness.
"Baby girl, you've got to understand…you had to die for them to get anything out of you." He pled, grasping for her again, blindly hoping that she would, instead she drew back even further. Ellie stared at him, cheeks blazing red, hands clenching into fists.
"You fucking lied to me!"