Bandom One-shots book 3

Addiction (Steven Adler x Axl Rose)

~Part one of my Steven Adler birthday one-shots. There will be this one and 8 more :)~

It was another night, another blur of chaos and noise that drowned out the whispers of doubt and pain inside me. I couldn't keep up—not with the band, not with the expectations, not with myself. I felt like the weakest link in a chain that needed to be unbreakable. So, I did what I always did: I chased a numbness that never lasted long enough.

The room was spinning, the walls closing in, but I didn't care. The sharp sting in my arm was familiar, almost comforting. It promised escape, even if only for a little while. But then everything faded—the noise, the pressure, even my own thoughts. Darkness swallowed me whole.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't sure how much time had passed. The first thing I noticed was a voice—panicked, raw, and filled with something I couldn't place. It was Axl. He was kneeling beside me, his hands shaking as he held my face. "Steven, Steven, stay with me," he pleaded, his green eyes wide with fear. "Please, man. Don't do this. Don't leave me."

I tried to speak, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate. My body felt heavy, like it wasn't mine anymore. Axl's voice cracked as he shouted for help, his fingers brushing my hair out of my face. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I should've seen this. I should've known you were hurting."

I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, that I had been hiding it, that I didn't want to be a burden. But all I could do was stare up at him, my vision blurring again.

"You're not alone, Steven," he said, his tears falling freely now. "I—God, I love you, okay? I've always loved you. And I'm not losing you. Not like this." His words hit me like a freight train, even through the fog in my mind. Love me? Axl loves me?

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed. The fluorescent lights were too bright, and everything smelled sterile. My body ached, but I was alive. I blinked a few times, trying to get my bearings, when I heard a soft sound—a sob.

I turned my head slowly, and there he was. Axl was slumped in a chair beside my bed, his head in his hands. His shoulders were shaking, and I could hear him mumbling under his breath.

"Axl," I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. He shot up so fast he nearly knocked the chair over.

"Steven!" he cried, his face streaked with tears. In an instant, his arms were around me, holding me so tightly it almost hurt. But I didn't care. He was shaking, his breath hitching as he sobbed into my shoulder.

"You scared the hell out of me," he said, pulling back just enough to look at me. His hands cupped my face, his thumb brushing away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen. "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me? I can't... I can't lose you. I love you, Steven. More than anything. I should've told you sooner. I should've been there for you."

I stared at him, stunned. The raw emotion in his voice, the way his eyes searched mine for any sign of understanding—it was overwhelming.

"I didn't know," I whispered. "I didn't know you felt that way."

He let out a shaky laugh, his forehead pressing against mine. "Well, now you do. And I'm not going anywhere. We're going to get through this together, okay?"

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. Axl smiled, his tears still falling as he leaned in, his lips brushing mine in the sweetest, most tender kiss I'd ever experienced. It wasn't rushed or desperate—it was full of love, of promises, of hope.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe I wasn't alone. Maybe I didn't have to keep up with everyone else. Maybe, just maybe, I could finally let someone in.

~Addiction~