Bandom One-shots book 3

Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Bret Michaels x Axl Rose)

I don't know when things started to go wrong.

Maybe it was the late nights, the endless drinks, the way our tempers flared over the stupidest shit. Maybe it was just me—pushing too hard, needing too much, never knowing when to stop.

All I know is that Bret and I used to be good. We used to be us.

And now? Now we're just two idiots who can't seem to go a day without fighting.

Three Weeks Ago

"You promised me, Axl!"

Bret's voice is raw, breaking through the fog in my head as he paces the hotel room, running a hand through his blonde hair.

I groan, rubbing my temples. "Bret, I just had a few drinks, it's not a big deal—"

He whirls around, eyes burning. "Not a big deal?!" His voice cracks, and for the first time, I realize he's hurt. Not just mad—hurt. "You think I don't notice when you're high? When you've been drinking?" His breath shudders as he exhales, shaking his head. "We made a promise, Axl. Both of us. We were supposed to do this together."

I don't have an excuse. I don't even try to come up with one. I just sit there, staring at the floor, feeling the weight of his disappointment press down on me.

Bret sighs, defeated. "I can't keep doing this."

I lift my head at that, panic creeping in. "Bret—"

But he's already grabbing his jacket, already heading for the door. He stops just before he leaves, his voice quieter now.

"I love you, Axl. But I don't know if love is enough anymore."

And then he's gone.

Now

It's been weeks since that fight, since he walked out that night. We haven't talked much since. I haven't known what to say.

I miss him. God, I miss him. But I don't know how to fix this.

So when I hear that Poison's got a new song coming out, I don't think much of it. Not until I hear the first chords, the soft twang of the guitar, and then—

"We both lie silently still in the dead of the night..."

I freeze. My breath catches in my throat.

No.

No, he didn't.

But as the song goes on, as I hear the pain in his voice, the way the lyrics cut deeper than I was ready for, I know the truth.

He wrote this for me.

For us.

"Every rose has its thorn..."

It's not just a song. It's everything he couldn't say to me. Every late-night fight, every moment we let slip through our fingers, every time I let him down.

I feel my chest tighten, my eyes burning. Fuck.

I need to see him.

Later That Night

I don't even knock. I just show up at his hotel door, my heart pounding.

Bret opens it, looking tired, surprised... but not angry. Not anymore.

"Axl?" His voice is soft, cautious.

I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I heard the song."

Bret hesitates, then sighs. "Yeah?"

I nod. My throat is tight, my hands clenched at my sides. "You wrote it for me."

He doesn't deny it. He just leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "I didn't know how else to say it."

There's a long silence between us. Heavy, but not uncomfortable. I finally take a deep breath.

"I fucked up, Bret. I know I did. I broke my promise, I hurt you, and I don't... I don't wanna keep doing this. I don't wanna lose you."

His expression softens. "Axl..."

I take a shaky step closer. "I love you. And I'm gonna do better. For real this time."

For a moment, he just studies me, searching my face for any sign that I don't mean it. But I do. God, I do.

Then, finally—finally—he lets out a breath and reaches for me, pulling me into a tight hug. His arms around me feel like home, and I hold onto him like I'm afraid to let go.

"You better mean it, Axl," he murmurs against my hair.

"I do," I whisper back. "I swear."

And as he presses a soft, lingering kiss to my lips, I know we're gonna be okay.

~Every Rose Has Its Thorn~