Bandom One-shots book 3

Another One (Stash)

It was one of those perfect nights. The kind where nothing else mattered—no tour dates, no interviews, no drama. Just me and Steven, sprawled out on the couch, with an old cheesy movie playing on the TV. The one with the horrible special effects, the kind that made us both laugh more than it should have. Steven was nestled against me, his head on my chest, his hand resting on my stomach like he just belonged there.

I absently ran my fingers through his hair, the familiar comfort of his presence grounding me in a way nothing else could. I could hear him softly humming along to the music playing in the movie, the sound of his voice low and content.

Everything was perfect.

But of course, nothing ever stays perfect for long.

The door to the hotel room flew open with a slam, and instantly, I could hear the raised voices of Duff and Axl. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me, Axl!" Duff yelled, the words slurring slightly. "You've been acting like a fucking diva, man!"

I barely had time to look up before Axl's voice boomed right back, "What the hell do you know, Duff? You think I give a shit about what you think?"

I saw Steven's body tense instantly, his back going stiff against me, and before I could even react, he was pulling away from me, his breathing shallow, his eyes wide. He looked like he was starting to panic. Fuck.

I wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him back into me, my voice low and soothing. "Hey, hey... it's okay, Stevie. It's just them, alright?"

But Steven was already lost in his own head, his hands shaking as he pushed against my chest, like he was trying to get away from the noise. "I can't—Slash, please," he whispered, his voice trembling.

I could hear Duff's voice getting louder, Axl shouting back, and I knew this wasn't gonna end well. I could see it in Steven's eyes—he was spiraling, his anxiety taking over, and I wasn't gonna let that happen. Not on my watch.

I moved quickly, standing up and walking toward the door with Steven still clinging to me. I barely had time to register Izzy's voice, trying to calm them down.

"Guys, just fucking stop!" Izzy's voice was almost drowned out by the yelling, but I could hear the frustration in his tone. "You're both shit-faced and making it worse!"

I didn't even stop to think. I just walked right into the room, with Steven still clutching at me, his body trembling.

"Enough!" I barked, my voice sharp, commanding attention. I wasn't a fan of raising my voice, but if anyone needed to hear it, it was these two assholes.

Both Duff and Axl froze mid-yell, their eyes locking on me, and for once, the room was silent. Izzy stood off to the side, looking exasperated but grateful for the intervention.

"I'm not putting up with this bullshit tonight," I said, my voice colder than I meant it to be. "Do you two really want to fight right now, after everything? Come on."

Duff opened his mouth, probably to argue, but I didn't give him the chance. "No. Just... no, Duff. I'm not gonna let you do this, especially not with Steven in the room. You're both drunk, you're both pissed off, and I'm not dealing with it."

Steven was still shaking against me, his face buried in the crook of my neck, but I could feel him slowly relaxing as I kept talking, my arms wrapped tightly around him.

"You think yelling at each other is gonna fix anything? Fuck no. So knock it off." I turned back to Steven, my voice softer now, even though I knew they were still standing there, probably awkwardly. "Hey, baby. You're alright. It's okay."

Steven's hands were still gripping my shirt tightly, his breath uneven as he pulled back just enough to look up at me. His eyes were wide, glossy with tears, and I could tell he was on the edge. But with me, he didn't have to be scared.

"I've got you, Stevie," I whispered, kissing the top of his head. "You're safe here. Just breathe with me, alright?"

I felt his body slowly start to relax, the tension melting off him with each breath he took. I wasn't gonna let him fall apart. Not tonight. Not ever.

I turned my attention back to the room, where Duff and Axl were still standing in awkward silence. Izzy was rubbing his temples, clearly exhausted from trying to mediate this mess.

"I'm taking Steven out of here," I said, my voice flat. "I don't care if we're at a show or not. If you two can't handle your shit, I'll leave with him. Don't test me."

Izzy gave me a small, grateful nod. "Yeah, Slash, it's probably best to take him somewhere quiet. They're both too far gone for this to be productive."

I didn't even wait for a response, just took Steven's hand and led him out of the room, my eyes never leaving his face.

Once we were away from the noise, I found a small, quiet corner of the hotel where I could hold Steven, away from all the chaos.

"I'm sorry," Steven whispered, his voice hoarse, and I could hear the guilt creeping in.

"No, no," I said, pulling him close again, my hands gently cradling his face. "You don't ever need to apologize for this. You're safe now, Stevie. I've got you. Always."

And as we sat there, wrapped up in each other, the world outside felt a little bit quieter. A little bit calmer. And that's exactly how I wanted it to be.

With me and Steven? It was always gonna be us against the world. And nothing, not even a fucking fight between Axl and Duff, was gonna take that away from us.