OUT OF THE RED ↝ dave grohl

sixty-seven.

           ON THE MORNING of Kurt and Courtney's wedding, Reagan awoke to the sound of knocking on her and Dave's hotel room door. She sat up in a sleepy daze, but Dave brushed her arm quietly, his silent way of telling her that he would get it. She watched him swing his legs over the edge of the bed with a sigh and pull on his boxers, discarded amongst the waves of messy sheets.

As Dave walked towards the door, Reagan sank low against the pillows propped behind her head. She pulled the swath of covers up around her face, unsure of what was awaiting Dave on the opposite side of the door. It was always a new surprise, though she didn't doubt that it could have been Courtney, demanding her help in preparing for her big day.

Dave opened the door and despite not being able to see his reaction, Reagan could hear his blatant confusion at being greeted by their visitor.

"Hey," Dave said, sounding perplexed. An upset response was returned in a voice that could have only belonged to Krist.

Dave leaned away from the door and grabbed the nearest one of his t-shirts draped over a chair. Reagan watched as he tugged it on wordlessly. He held up a finger to her, an indicative sign that she would have to wait, and she sat up again in concern.

"What is it?" she asked, wrapping the sheets around her bare chest.

"Hold on," Dave replied. He slipped out into the hallway and shut the door.

Reagan felt a spasm of fear in her heart. She swallowed against the tightness of her throat, wondering what kind of dire news required for such an early wake-up call. There was always the dreadful possibility of an accident involving Kurt and drugs, or at least that appeared to be the new norm, but it didn't seem possible. Courtney had just told Reagan that she and Kurt would be getting clean off of drugs for the sake of their baby.

Getting out of bed, Reagan grabbed the first articles of clothing she saw strewn across the floor, coming up with a t-shirt of her own and a pair of Dave's long-johns. She dressed herself and considered pressing her ear to the door, curious to see if she'd be able to hear Dave and Krist talking out in the hall. It would have eased her nerves to at least know what was going on and if there was anything she could do to help.

Before she made a decision on whether or not to eavesdrop, the door opened again and Dave entered the room. His face was passive and didn't give away any revealing information, though Reagan strode to his side quickly with a noticeable worry crease on her forehead.

"What's going on?" she prompted.

"Krist and Shelli are leaving," Dave announced soberly. "They're about to pack up and go to the airport."

"What?" Reagan cried, dropping her folded arms away from her chest. "Why? They can't leave! Kurt's getting married today!"

"Reagan," Dave began. He reached out for her, but she took a shuffled step backwards.

"I don't understand," she said, her voice stricken. "Why would Krist do that? Kurt's his best friend."

At the mention of Kurt being any sort of best friend to Krist, Dave looked away. Reagan knew why without questioning it. If he'd continued staring at her with such sad eyes, she would have spotted the truth in them.

It was no relationship of her own to examine given that it had always been a brotherhood strictly formed between Kurt and Krist, dating all the way back to their early teenage years in Aberdeen. A morose slideshow of memories crossed Reagan's mind as she remembered when she had first met them in Olympia, the two of them always latched at each other's side and equipped with their instruments. She visualized Krist towering over Kurt and Kurt standing diminutive next to him, wearing one of his rare but sweet smiles.