"Never will either." Last time he'd probably ever make that joke. But it wasn't something he'd forget, either. Every time he saw a hoe, he'd think of Brandon, and subsequently Elliot. There were a lot of things that would make him think of Elliot, really, but he didn't want to bring them all up now and make things harder than they had to be on his friend. "Don't worry. I'll pick up the slack when it comes to Brandon-pranking, too."
If I can get Rae to part with them, anyway, he added inwardly. He wasn't sure about that, really. She was on a thin thread right now. It wouldn't take much to push her off of it. Swallowing thickly, he nodded. "You got it, man. Though I'll never be quite as good with them as you are..." Were. Whatever. He wasn't ready to say were yet.
Raising his head when Elliot squeezed his hand, Evan gave him a weak smile. "Not right now," he shook his head when Elliot told him it was okay to cry. "Not because I'm not going to miss you, don't get me wrong. I just..." He wanted to be strong. He already had a couple tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, but that was enough for now. "I don't want to fall apart right now. I need to keep it together so that I can... so that I don't back down when..." He didn't finish that sentence. So that he didn't back down when the time came.
Evan leaned forward and hugged him, patting him on the back again and shaking his head no. "Never, all right, man? We'll make sure that you're never forgotten." Evan already had some ideas. Like the willow tree idea he'd shared with David and a couple of other things; maybe he'd even talk to some others about making some other kind of memorial, when he could think of a good one. He nodded his head when Elliot reassured him that he'd find another best friend. "I know, man. I'll do my best. They won't be half the best friend you are, but you know."
He nodded and chuckled. David and Rae—and Evan, too, though he'd mostly been referring to those two—thought more than the world of Elliot. "And a third who helped you become more than capable, so you needed them less and less as time went on." Although... this was proof that it hadn't been exactly true. Elliot asked him the favor of teaching his son to defend himself and Evan nodded, feeling another batch of hot tears rolling down his cheeks. More things he'd never have with his son. "Of course..." he promised. "Of course I will, man. Not a problem. And when he inevitably ends up being better than me, too, he'll get those knives. With the knowledge that the best fighter, the best person, Uncle Don Evan has ever known wielded them, too." Another pause. "Do you... do you want me to work on David, too? I know he can shoot but..." Elliot wouldn't be there to kick asses for him anymore.
Sunshine can't die. Evan was one of the people who understood the sentiment behind that, and he choked on the lump in his throat. What was worse was the fact that Evan couldn't outwardly promise that Rae's "Sunshine" wouldn't, in fact, die. But he didn't say that. Elliot needed comfort right now. "She won't," he said instead. "I'll do whatever I can to make sure she doesn't." He had to hope that what made Rae who she was, the woman Elliot had loved so deeply, would shine through.
Was he ready? No. But he reached into his back pocket, nodding dumbly rather than saying so. "As... as I'll ever be," he said weakly, feeling the cool metal of the gun in his hand. He made sure there was at least one bullet in the chamber—there was, three in fact—before taking the safety off and swallowing the nervousness, the sadness and the sorrow. He needed to be brave here. "Think of something that makes you happy, okay? And close your eyes." He didn't want him to see it coming. It would make it easier that way.