It's a Jungle, Baby

Popping the Question

It New Year's Eve morning, Ruby is asleep in my room with Duff. Ruby was having nightmares and wanted to sleep with us. I'm making coffee with Queenie and Izzy. Well I was, Queenis had grabbed her camera and was trying to snap a picture of my sister and boyfriend curled up asleep in my room.

Izzy and I sit at the table and drink our coffee, Chelsea comes out of my room holding a Polaroid. She's smiling like an idiot.

"I got it." Chelsea smiles.

She hands me the photo of Duff and Ruby all curled up, sleeping and warm. I smile, it's perfect. Queenie takes the picture back and hangs it on the fridge.

"Gonna see how long it'll take for him to notice." She laughs, taking her cup of coffee.

"He's going to kill you, you know that right?" Izzy smiles as the door opens.

The rest of the band walks in and helps themselves to coffee or beer. Axl walk over to me directly and takes my coffee cup, he drinks most of my coffee in one gulp.

"Jesus Axl, there's an entire pot over there." I mutter as I get up to get more coffee.

"But this way, I don't have to make it." Axl smiles as Ruby walks out of my room.

Ruby is rubbing her eyes and but is dressed in a Pink Floyd shirt and blue jeans. She walks up to Axl and he pulls her up on his lap. I get her some cereal and put it in front of her, Ruby smiles her thanks and starts to eat. I sit on the counter drinking my coffee. Duff shortly after comes out dressed and walks up beside me, he kisses my forehead and  takes my coffee from me. Again.

"Second time today." I mutter as I hop off the counter to get more coffee.

I get more caffeine and turn around to see Duff looking at the picture of him and Ruby on the fridge. He looks back at me.

"Don't look at me, I didn't take the picture." I smile.

"Oh shit!" What's that?" Steven grabs the picture from the fridge.

"Hey!" Duff complains.

"Awe Duffy, you look so cute." Axl laughs.

"Never living this down." Duff mutter into his coffee cup.

"Awe, sweetie." I say and put my head on his shoulder.

Duff and I went out to go get more alcohol before the stores closed. Yeah, they're going to be swamped but we have rockers to keep alive. I swear if they were put into the hospital, they'd have to get vodka IVed into them. I drive through the slow moving traffic, Duff works with the radio trying to find a song he wants to listen to. Eventually, he decides on putting a tape it. He makes the choice of Pyromania, Def Leppard's album from a few years back.

"Take a left up here." Duff says and I look over to him.

"Thought we were going to the liquor store?" I question and he nods.

"We are, just traffic might not be as bad this way." He assures me.

"Okay, yeah. That's sounds like a good thing." I smile as I get into the turning lane. "You're going to have to direct me, I'm not sure how to get there from here." I say and Duff smiles.

Duff directs me and I follow his directions exactly but we don't end up at the liquor store at all. We're sitting in front of Griffith Park, I look over to Duff.

"Thought you were leading me to the liquor store?" I wonder and he smiles.

"I lied." Duff laughs. "Come on."

Duff opens the door and gets out, I follow his lead. We don't look like the normal people that'd walk through the park. I mean we're wearing blue jeans and leather jackets. Duff and I walk into the park and he holds onto my hand in his normal way. I look up to the sky, grey clouds roll in.

"I think it might rain." I say and Duff smiles.

"Then I guess we'll get wet." He laughs and I lean my head on his arm.

"What are we doing sweetie?" I wonder, looking up at him.

Duff smiles at my confusion, it's like my birthday all over again.

"You love having me confused, don't you?" I say with a smile.

"Yes, yes I do." Duff smiles again.

We walk further into the park and the sky darkens even more. After what seems like hours of walking, Duff walks me up to the a big tree. He picks me up with ease and I pull myself on to a big enough branch to hold my weight. Duff pulls himself up onto the branch as well and smiles at me.

"You know what this tree is?" He asks me and I shake my head. "I'll show you."

Duff climbs further into the tree and closer to the trunk. I follow him and hold onto the trunk for support. He smiles his prefect smile again.

"Can I see your knife?" Duff wonders and I nod, handing it to him from my hip.

I watch as Duff starts to crave into the trunk. I look around frantically, worrying that he's going to get in trouble. He catches me and laughs at my vex. He crafts a heart with D+T inside it. I smile as he takes out my camera and snaps a picture of it. The photo appears as we see it in real life. Duff smiles at me again as I run my hand across what he carved.

Duff and I climb back down the tree, him helping me down so I don't fall. We stand in front of the tree again and he smiles.

"This is our tree." Duff tells me and I smile.

"It's a great tree." I say and he laughs.

"Right!" He says and he takes my hand.

Thunder rolls overhead and we look up, a storm is coming. I smile at Duff. Rain starts to fall, at first gently but soon hard, Duff and I getting soaked along the way. Duff starts to laugh and he takes off his jacket, holding it over our heads. We stand under our tree and laugh at our luck. Pouring rain on the day Duff decided to go on a walk here. Then he lifts up my chin so I look him dead in the eye, I smile at him.

"I've gotta do this now." He yells over the pounding rain, sliding his jacket back onto his shoulders.

Duff gets down on one knee and smiles up at me, holy hell. He's going to ask me to marry him. I love him but marriage, it scares the hell out of me. If something scares the hell out of you, you know it's the right choice. Like the soccer team, like going home.

"Taylor Jane, I don't know how else to put this. I love you more than breathing, I never want anyone else. Will you marry me?" Duff says over the rain and I can't stop smiling.

"Yes, Duff. I'll marry you." I say and he lights up like a Christmas tree.

"Really?" He asks.

"Yes!" I almost have to yell over the rain.

Duff stands up and picks me up, telling me he loves me. I love him, I truly do. He slides the ring onto my finger and it has my name written all over it. Four black diamonds and a big normal diamond. It's perfect for me and Duff, it's what a rocker's girl should be wearing. He pulls back and looks me in my face.

"Taylor, you're the rock to my roll." Duff smiles.

"And you're the roll to my rock." I say and he kisses me.

I'm going to marry Duff McKagan, Duff freaking McKagan is going to be my husband one day. The only man I've ever thought about marrying is mine, forever.