The Garden

Welcome Home

Am I supposed to turn left here? Axl asked to himself. 

His feet felt like they knew the way back to Slash's place, but his brain was tired and full of doubt. He was struggling. And of course the fucker couldn't live in the obvious apartment place right across the street, no no you gotta go down the back alley, hop a fence, make some turns, climb up the fire escape 'cause the key to the front door doesn't work... Ugh. 

Axl yawned. It was late, he was tired, he was sick of guys hitting on him, he was sick of work, he just wanted to sleep. He felt like if he stood still long enough he could sleep standing upright. He'd be out by the time his head hit Slash's couch. 

Honestly though he really wanted a bed. 

A nice warm bed, he hadn't slept in one in months, not since he was sick and Izzy let him sleep in his bed while he was at work and Axl had to stay home. 

Axl wondered how much convincing it would take to get Slash to let him sleep in his bed. He didn't care if his room smelled like cigarettes or if it was filled with liquor or if it had stray women's underwear or anything, he didn't even care at all where Slash would sleep, on the couch, the floor, hell he didn't even care if he shared the bed. He didn't care if Slash cuddled in his sleep and wanted to spoon him, for all he cared, let him. All the difference it made to him right then is that he gets a little more body heat. 

Axl wandered along the pavement, clouds of cigarette smoke drifted up into the sky along the edges of the street as people smoked and drank, joking to each other. Axl heard derogatory and snide comments at him as he continued to walk.

"Hey, slow down sexy!"

"Yeah, gimme some time to get a good look at you baby!"

"Sure like that ass!"

Axl growled and just kept walking faster, he was burning and seething with rage inside, but the rest of him had no energy to take up and fight back on those comments. He just grimaced and bit his tongue, continuing to walk down the street.

Axl climbed over a fence and stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a voice directly behind him, "Hey babydoll where ya goin?" Axl continued walking but snarled when he felt a big, rough hand grasp at his arm, "Hey doll I asked you a question." 

Axl hissed, hitting his arm to find it belonged to a tall, burly man wearing a long leather trench coat, "Let go of me fucker!" 

The man only smirked, his grin missing a right canine tooth, "Oh but baby you just got here, stay a while lemme get to know ya," he added, pushing Axl against the brick wall and running his hands up his body. 

Axl writhed, kicking and punching at him, "DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME!" he spat, right-hooking him square across the jaw. 

"OW!" he growled, shoving Axl harder against the wall, "You little bitch!! You're gonna regret that!" he pulled at Axl's t-shirt and his skirt. Axl pulled back on his clothes in attempt to rip them from his grasp, only tearing his kilt so he only had his biker shorts and stretching out a massive hole in his oversized t-shirt. The force of Axl's clothes tearing made the man lose his grip and he stumbled backwards as it let go, and Axl took off full sprint outta there.

Axl raced down the sidewalk as fast as he could, his breath wheezing in the cold night air and his lungs tightening with exhaustion. He panted for breath but continued running, listening as the thundering footsteps slowly died away as the man couldn't keep up, and he heard shouting and swearing at him far behind him. 

Axl turned down a few more streets, hoping they were the right ones before he finally slackened his pace. Axl glanced around, before finally remembering where he was, so he briskly jogged down the alley to avoid any more encounters, before he found the fire escape he needed to climb. Axl shimmied his way up the ladder and made his way up the stairs, his entire body cold, but his legs burning with tiredness as he trekked up, counting the levels, until he finally found his way to Slash's floor.