THE RECORD SHOP ⋆ 𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗵𝗹

eighteen

MARCH 28, 1991. OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

"SO THIS IS IT?" Dave sighs as he looks around his now empty bedroom. 

Dave, with Evie's help has spent the last couple days packing Dave's belongings into cardboard boxes and milk crates. Luckily, he's not a man of many material possessions so their job was made pretty easy. All Dave really has to take is his records, tapes, notebooks, instruments and clothes. The biggest thing being his bed frame which John is driving to Seattle for Dave while Evie and Dave take everything else.

Evie walks out into the living room, breathing in the emptiness of the once cluttered house, taking in the space she's come to know and love for the final time. Soon enough, Dave walks out with his final duffel bag filled with his clothes. He has a somber look in his eyes which he hides behind a tight lipped smile, Evie knows Dave is a much more sentimental guy than people give him credit for and she can sense he's more upset about leaving this place than he's letting on.

"Is it bittersweet?" Evie asks and Dave nods slowly.

"Yeah, it is I guess. Even though I wasn't here for that long, I've made a lot of memories in this shitty little room," he takes a moment to reminisce on all the moments he and Evie have shared in this very space.

"We have made some good memories here, haven't we?" Evie asks, wrapping her arms around Dave's waist as she stands by his side, examining the white walls and the wooden floorboards before they say the final goodbye.

"We have," Dave agrees.

"Ready to go?" Evie asks.

"Ready."

They make their way through the front door and Dave takes one more look inside before closing the big white door behind them, leaving this chapter of his life in Olympia behind.

On the drive to Seattle, Dave tells Evie all about the songs that Kurt's written for the upcoming Nirvana album that they'll be recording in L.A. in the upcoming months. He stresses how great of a songwriter Kurt is.

"Would you ever show Kurt any of your songs?" Evie asks, aware of Dave's talent as a songwriter from the times he has let her read his lyrics and performed her some of his originals.

"No way. I know my place in this band, and it's behind the drums," Dave laughs almost as if Evie's question was some kind of funny joke. As if he would show Kurt his songs.

"I can see how Kurt would be intimidating to bring your lyrics to. He's pretty fucking amazing, but so are you," Evie encourages and Dave rests his hand on her leg, rubbing it softly.

"Thanks Eves, but I'll leave the songwriting to Kurt. Maybe one day I'll have some input, but I don't see that happening anytime soon," Dave says to Evie before peeling his eyes back to the road.

Soon enough they arrive at Dave's new apartment and they step inside together, walking around the empty space and welcoming the new environment. Much like Dave and Kurt's place in Olympia, it has wooden floorboards and white walls, but it is much cleaner than their place ever was.

Dave gives Evie the short tour of the place and she takes in the high ceilings and large windows which allow in the perfect amount of light. For just a moment she allows herself to imagine that she would be living there as well, but she quickly shakes the thought away. It wouldn't work, she tells herself.

"This place is perfect Dave, I'm so proud of you for moving out here," she tells him gladly.

"Perfect enough for me to persuade you to come out here with me?" Dave jokes and Evie sighs.

"You know I'd love to, but not right now," she says.

Not long later John pushes open the front door to drop off the last of Dave's belongings that he drove up to Seattle in his car. He walks through the apartment admiring the place as well.

"Nice place Dave," John gives his fatherly stamp of approval.

Dave and John spend some time putting his bed frame back together in the bedroom while Evie takes on the task of putting away all of Dave's kitchen and bathroom boxes for him. She listens in on Dave and her father's conversation while she puts everything away and smiles at how easily they get along. John is telling Dave stories about his 20s and his own time spent living in Seattle as a young adult. Evie can feel Dave hanging onto every word her father says and it makes her feel so lucky to be with someone who adores John and his life's stories as much as she does.

"Alright I'll leave you kids alone now. Congratulations again Dave, it's a great place you've found for yourself," John tells them. Evie stand with her arm around Dave's waist proudly.

"Thank you, John, for all your help," Dave says.

"Bye dad, love you," Evie tells John.

"Love you too kiddo," he smiles, closing the door behind him and leaving Evie and Dave on their own.

Evie smiles, glad to be alone with Dave despite how much she loves her father, she's been waiting for this moment all day.

"You know it feels quite domestic to be here with you," Evie states.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I like it," she smiles.

Dave pulls Evie in close to his chest and she can feel his slow, comfortable breaths.

"Wouldn't it be good if I could feel like this all the time?" Dave hints.

"One day," Evie assures Dave.

"I love you," Dave says.

"Love you too."

As the sun goes down, Evie starts on some dinner, urging Dave to go lay down and relax. Dave finds this relaxation in playing his guitar in the next room over, strumming out some chord progressions which are unfamiliar to Evie, clearly original stuff. 

She makes a simple stir-fry out of some veggies and noodles that Dave had. She plates it up and calls Dave out from the bedroom, pouring two glasses of wine while she's at it.

"Okay world's best girlfriend award officially goes to you," Dave says, walking into the living room and smelling the food.

"You happy to sit on the floor?" Evie asks.

"Sure," Dave smiles, planting a soft kiss on her head as he grabs his bowl of food and glass of wine.

They make themselves comfortable on the rug and a couple of cushions since Dave is yet to find some couches. When they finish eating they lay comfortably on the rug in each other's arms.

"Hey, before I forget, I'm going home at the start of May to see my mom and Lisa," he starts.

"Oh, that's great Dave," Evie smiles, knowing how much his family means to him.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come. It'll just be a few days and-," Evie cuts Dave off.

"You want me to meet them?" She smiles and she can feel how happy she must look.

"Of course. At this point they're basically forcing me to bring you so that they can get to know you. Mom asks every single time I call her when she'll get to meet you. I figure this is the perfect time," he explains.

"Well of course I'll come, I'm dying to meet them too," she agrees.

Evie has heard so much about Dave's mother and sister and she can understand they're truly amazing people. Family is such a core part of Evie's life so she can't wait to be a part of that aspect of Dave's life as well.

"Great. You're the best," Dave tells her.

Evie rolls over to kiss Dave softly.

"You're the best," she repeats to him.

Dave connects their lips again and smile softly into their kiss.

"Here's an idea, why don't we christen the bedroom?" Dave asks innocently.

"I like that idea," Evie nods in agreement and the two of them swiftly make their way to Dave's new room in a hurry to be a close as possible to each other.