Another Five Years

If It Keeps On Rainin'

*February 1995*

"Is Anna not coming?" Nate asked when William finally appeared out of some back room.

"Nah, she'd rather stay home and watch X-Files," he muttered, his eyes darting around to avoid everyone's stare.

Dave shoved away his disappointment and went back to tuning his guitar. They were playing their first gig as a band, as the Foo Fighters at the Marine Building. It was pissing rain, as it always did in February in Seattle, but a large group of friends and family had braved the weather to watch them play. There had been several requests for them to play bigger venues right out of the gate, The Paramount and The Showbox being two of the most intense, but Dave wanted to start things out low key. At least, that's what he was telling everyone. Truthfully, he wasn't ready to be confronted with the old Nirvana gig posters and a marquee screaming that two out of the four living Nirvana members would be performing. Fuck that, this wasn't Nirvana. He was hoping Anna would be there to watch, but that apparently wasn't to be either.

They played through almost the entire album, adding B-sides Winnebago and Podunk just for kicks. Dave thought they sounded pretty tight and the crowd was totally into it, all in all, it felt great. The perfect foray back into the only life he knew and loved. Afterward, he stood around the keg with Nate, laughing loudly about someone's sister trying to crowd surf next to someone else's grandma when he felt a hand graze against his back and linger a bit too long on his shoulder. Looking back as they hurried away in an oversized hoodie, their head ducked low, even several drinks in he knew it was Anna. He made sure Jennifer was preoccupied with her glass of wine and ran to catch up when Anna darted out a side door. It led to an old shipping ramp that was littered with discarded tires and stacks of pallets, and when the door slammed behind him it was eerily quiet.

"Marco..." he called onto the empty loading dock, remembering all the times he and Anna had played in her parent's pool the summer they were together.

Her giggle echoed off the brick walls and he found her behind a wall of pallets waiting for him. "Hey," she nodded, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one had followed them.

"Hi!" he yelled back, frowning when he realized he didn't have any volume control anymore.

"You're drunk," she laughed.

"Wasted," he agreed and took another drink of his beer while looking her over. "You decided to come after all."

Her eyes darted back to the door, but she smiled brightly. "You guys sounded great up there. This is going to be it for you."

"Nah, the last thing was it, but I'm happy you're here."

"Yeah, about that," she said quickly, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him behind the stack of pallets when the back door opened again. "If anyone asks, I wasn't here. Okay?"

"What? Why?" he searched her face, then tipped his head back when he realized. "Oh, I get it. You want us to sneak around behind Will's back!" He ignored the terror on her face and slurred on, thinking he was hilarious, "Now, I might look like that kind of guy Anna, and you would be exactly right. Where should we go? You have a car here?"

"No- David, no," she stepped close and put her hands on his shoulders to stop him.

"We don't have to sneak around, you know. I'll put an actual diamond on your finger, not...," he picked her hand off his shoulder and frowned at her tiny engagement ring, "whatever this is. I'll get a quick divorce and then we can get to work on those eight-"

"David! Stop!" she yelled, startling them both into silence.

"You're the only one here that calls me David. You're the only one here that knows me," he said quietly, reaching forward to tuck her hair behind her ear. He trailed his fingers to her neck, frowning when her hand flew up to stop him.

"You did so great up there, kitten" she whispered. "I'm so proud of you." The door to the ramp flew open again and Anna gasped, her eyes blinking rapidly at the sound.

"It's just a door, Ann-"

"No, I know, I know," she tried to laugh it off but moved back out of his reach. "Look, I have to go, but I just wanted to tell you... all... those things."

"Anna, wait," he tried to follow her, but she ran down the ramp and into the shipping yard.

"Have fun tonight!" she called over her shoulder, then disappeared around a tall metal fence.