After The Party (A Kurt Cobain fanfic)

Chapter 8 (Part 1)

Hey guys I'm not sure if you noticed but I usually post on Mondays and fridays but I decided to change to Wednesday's !! Please let me know what you guys think I really value your opinion!! Thank you ❤️

"Guys it sounds really good!" Lily praises the band as she walks into the practice space just as they were finishing up their song. She could hear them as she walked from her car and even just hearing "Sliver" through the walls of the barn they used to rehearse gave her chills.

They were practicing one last time before they had to head up to a recording studio in Seattle. Today between sessions for another Seattle band, "Tad," Nirvana would be recording a new single for them to promote on their upcoming tours.

The thought of this recording was bittersweet for Lily; she loved the single and knew that it would be amazing for the band once everyone heard it, she was actually speechless the first time Kurt had played it for her a few weeks before. However, the recording of the single also marked the beginning of the end of the current era of her and Kurt's relationship, the blissful cocoon they had been in for the past almost three months would be undone and they would be separated while he went on tour.

"Thanks Lily" Krist says enthusiastically, walking over and giving her a hug in greeting. She hugs him back tenderly; one of the best fringe benefits of dating Kurt was the close relationship she had gained with Krist and Shelli.

They were basically like family to Kurt and they had extended that bond to include Lily as well. Shelli was like a sister-in-law to her and Krist was an older brother figure, teasing her and looking out for her in equal doses—just as he did with Kurt.

"Hello dear" Kurt says, planting a kiss on her cheek, using his usual trope of pretending they were a couple from a fifties sitcom in his nicknames for her, a joke that never failed to make her smile.

"Hi darling" She says, wiggling out of Krist's grasp and wrapping her arms around Kurt. She looks up at him adoringly and he smiles down at her, for a moment its like they're the only two in the room.

"How was work?" He asks, leaning down and kissing the top of her head.

"It was good. The ladies miss you, Ruthie and Donna both asked why you haven't been by" She informs him and he groans.

"Oh god why do they like me so much? I don't speak" He complains and Lily and Krist both laugh at him.

"That's exactly why! They love to hear themselves talk. Plus you're a townie and they love Aberdeen kids" Lily explains, and he shakes his head.

"I love Ruthie man, she's one of the real old timers in Aberdeen" Krist says shaking his head, "I swear she tells the best stories...if you run into her at a bar..."

Lily laughs before checking her watch, "We should probably get going"

She was driving them to the studio and then they were going to go to a Mudhoney show after and spend the night on someone's floor in Seattle.

"Give me one sec, I just gotta call Tracy, remind her she sort of has to coax the rabbit into eating. Stu's been so moody lately." He says and Lily has to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.

She wanted to be supportive of him keeping a friendship—Tracy was a sweet person from the few times they'd met and Lily didn't want Kurt to have a bad relationship with his ex, but they seemed to talk more than most exes she'd seen.

Beyond that, it wasn't lost on her all the similarities between Tracy's relationship with Kurt and her own; both of them took care of him like a mother figure, supported him unconditionally, and utterly adored him. Even though Kurt reassured her that he felt differently about her than he ever had with Tracy, Lily still couldn't shake the fact that Tracy was his first girlfriend. Everything she did, Tracy had done it first.

This frustration manifested itself most clearly in annoyance about her watching Kurt's animals when he was out of town. Even though it was impractical for Lily to do so since she lived so far away, she still pouted every time he called Tracy to check in about the pets or she left a note for him to read after he got back—especially since it had been Tracy that Kurt had shared most of them with originally.

Kurt on the other hand found it cute that she was jealous, not in a belittling way, just in that she actually thought she had anything to worry about. His feelings for Lily were one of a kind, completely unlike anything he'd ever felt before, especially compared to Tracy.

Even though he saw where Lily was coming from when she said the relationships were alike, in his eyes they couldn't be more different. There was a stark contrast in the way Kurt felt when Lily did things versus when Tracy had done them, the experience with Lily always being the preferable once.

"I'm ready" Kurt calls as he hung up the phone. He turns and is almost immediately greeted by the sight of Lily pouting.

He has to stop himself from laughing, "Turn that frown upside-down" He teases, reaching out and pulling up the corners of her mouth upwards. She swats his hand away but does smile in spite of herself—she couldn't exactly hold a grudge to save her life.

They walk out to the car together, with Krist and Dan (the drummer they were using for this session) following close behind.

The drive to the studio is fast and uneventful, Kurt spent most of it writing lyrics to the song they would be recording and singing his words to Lily and his band mates for approval. By the time they got there Tad was still in the studio. Nirvana unloaded their equipment in the hallway and crept into the control room.

The members of Tad that recognized Lily hugged her in greeting. She hugs them back but eventually settles in a chair next near the mixing board, trying to stay as low key as possible, Kurt standing next to her until its time for them into the live room.

"I didn't know you knew anyone in Tad" Kurt whispers and Lily shrugs.

"I told you I knew people in the music scene, I've been around these people much longer than I've been around you" She replies in a matter-of-fact tone, grinning at him, but Kurt senses something disingenuous about her answer.

"You know we toured with them once" Kurt says, his insecurity at not being good enough for the scene leaking through and Lily nods politely, taking his hand in hers while seemingly immersed in reading over Kurt's lyrics one more time.

While they record Lily sits next to the producer, Jack Endino, with headphones on. She watches Kurt closely; fascinated by the way he worked and listening intently for the smallest idiosyncrasies that the she yearned to understand about his playing.

When Kurt finishes his part she rushes into the room and wraps her arms around him from behind, kissing him all over.

"This song is so amazing" She squeals as Kurt laughs, "I'm serious, this is a new chapter" She adds in a quieter tone, knowing Jack Endino was close with the people from Sub Pop and that the band didn't want them to know they were thinking of leaving yet.

They finish just in time for Tad to return from their dinner break and have barely enough time to get over to the club for the beginning of Mudhoney's show. When they get in Kurt and Krist immediately make a beeline over to the bar to get them drinks since Lily wasn't 21 and she hangs out by the side of the stage for them.

As she's standing there, she hears someone call her name from behind her and because of the noise of the opening band she can't recognize the voice. She turns around to see who it was and stands there in a moment of shock,

"Lily Hopper, when did you make your pretty little way back into Seattle?"