Sweet Agony (Slaxl)

II

Slash's POV:

"Put me down! Let me go!" Axl shrieked from behind me while I carried him up the stairs of our bus. He squirmed and wiggled, very lively for a man who was just about to be dead again.

Which means I should probably back up a little bit. The only reason why Axl hasn't been committed to a hospital or anything yet is simply because of me. He'd openly told me about his denouncement of therapists, 'lying bastards who only pretended to care' was his exact phrasing, so I agreed to keep these episodes on the down low. I'd spent a lot of time running out to find him if he'd been gone for too long. He occupied all of my free time and prevented me from having much of a life outside of him and the band. I didn't mind though, what life did I need?

The only thing that worried me was that one day I was going to try to go out and find him, and I was going to end up being too late. Today's attempt was way too close of a call. I have to watch him more closely from now on.

I finally dropped the uncomfortable redhead on one of the bus's benches. He glared up at me, crossing his arms. "You didn't have to throw me over your shoulder," He grumbled. I poured myself a glass of whiskey before sitting down next to him.

"I'm happy that you're still alive," I replied, draining the glass.

"Don't be so dramatic, you're the only one who would've missed me." He closed his eyes, tilting his head back. He and I both knew that wasn't true, but it felt like I was the only one who believed it. I wished I could believe it enough for both of us, that I could care about him enough for both of us, but it didn't work that way.

I opened a pack of cigarettes on the counter, taking out two and lighting one. As if on cue, Duff walked into the room. He took the other one, and I lit it for him. "Save him?" The blond asked, nodding towards Axl.

"Of course. It's not his time." I took a drag. Axl coughed as the room became thick with smoke.

"Do you two have to light up in here?" He demanded.

"Yes," Duff answered plainly. "In some states, it's alright to smoke in an office area with fewer than fifteen people. On some tour buses, it's alright to smoke no matter how many people are there."

Axl stood up, grumbling something to himself as he walked towards the other half of the bus with the bunks. "You shouldn't have made him leave. Now I won't know what he's doing." I stood up, but Duff pushed me back down.

"We need to have him committed or something. You can't keep saving him yourself." He gestured to my face. "You've got red eyes and dark purple bags under them. You're exhausting yourself with him."

"He can't be a burden, so he's not. I'm fine with dropping everything for him."

"You're not sleeping, you're not eating, you keep messing up the shows. He's giving you bad anxiety. It's bad for your health, dude."

"Why are you having an intervention with me?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Axl is fine as long as I'm around, and I'll always be around. What's wrong with caring about your friends?"

"Nothing, as long as you're not keeping them from a suicide attempt every other Thursday!" His face softened a little bit. "I know you love him to death, but you're only hurting him by doing this."

I stood up, annoyed and done talking. "You're crazy! Axl and I are fine!" I went back to the bunks to find the redhead. I could hear Duff trying to tell me something, but it fell upon deaf ears.

It was really true. I tossed and turned in my bunk, afraid that Axl might run away and try to kill himself again. I sat up, getting out of my bunk. I ran my hands over my face a couple of times. I opened the curtain to Axl's bunk, relieved to see that he was lying there, asleep.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I closed the curtain back over, laying back down in my bunk. I closed my eyes, trying once again to sleep.

After a ten minute cat-nap, I was wide awake again. I knew I didn't like what Duff was saying, but could it really be true? Could giving up a part of myself for Axl be hurting him too?

I stood up again, hearing a small rustling coming from Duff's bunk. He opened the curtain, staring at me. "I told you so," he said.

"Oh, fuck you," I hissed back at him.