The Artists (Slash & Izzy Stradlin)

Perceptions

Izzy sipped his beer smirking "So he past out on the couch huh?" He chuckled
We were at a rusty dive bar in the middle of the city that was filled with raging alcoholics and bikers. Just the way I like my booze.
"Yeah," I laughed alongside him about Saul passing out on the couch high as fuck after the show.
"He takes too much honestly, I always tell him he can't handle." He sipped his beer shrugging "The kid doesn't listen."
"I noticed, he's always been stubborn though," I laughed thinking of a memory from our childhood, " He wouldn't come home sometimes cause he had too much pride and stubbornness whenever he got caught with shit when we were kids, I'd go all over the city on my bike trying to find him." I looked down at my drink smirking "of course, he would never listen to a 11 year old kid now would he?"
"You guys have a three year difference?"
I nodded
"Shit, I'm six years older than you," he laughed shaking his head "Call me sir from now on."
"No, thanks."
"So you have a fake ID then or what?"
"Nope,"
"Then how do you go out here?"
"I smile, look pretty, blink a lot more than I need to, and speak French." I shrugged.
"Ah, I see." He raised his eyebrows at me nodding his head. "I don't blame them for not saying anything and just letting you in. You're easy on he eyes."
"Why thank you," I smiled winking "Can you tell my mother that?" I laughed
"She doesn't think you're pretty?"
"She thinks I'm jobless messy artist that turned down a job at the Louvre so she could go meet Andy Warhol."
"You met Andy Warhol?" His eyes widened
"Yeah, we did an exhibit together at the met. Totally gay and totally a dick by the way."
He leaned back in his seat "Well damn," he sighed "he's still Andy Warhol."
"Yeah I guess, at least he gave a me a letter of recommendation." I took my drink and held it up to the waiter signalling them to bring another one.
"See, this is what I miss. People like you, women like you who are decent and smart and just stable, fuck, you know the types of chicks we gotta go through just cause we're broke? God bless their souls still, I love and I respect women, but they're all complete wrecks, sluts, if you will..to put it in the correct term."
I stared at him blankly not really knowing what to say, my awkwardness getting the best of me. Thank god the waitress came around and brought me my drink
"Here ya go hun, your boyfriend want anything?" She turned to Izzy crossing her arms
"Oh umm, he's not my boyfriend," I laughed nervously "but yeah just keep the drinks coming." 
"Damn it, you just made me lose a bet. We don't get a lot of couples round here." She sighed "Fuck you Greg, I owe you ten bucks." She turned back around shaking her head "Well you guys look cute, all weird and artsy rocker lookin, where y'all from?"
"LA," izzy took a sip of his beer
I smile at the woman "New York."
"Wow, y'all found some middle ground to meet in then I'm guessing."
"He's on tour and I'm just tagging along for a bit." I smiled at the lady.
"That's nice, aren't you a doll," she winked at me "aright then I'll be right back with more drinks." She turned around quickly and skipped off to the bar.
Izzy smirked as he leaned in his chair staring me "I haven't been called someone's boyfriend in a long time." He laughed "I just got war flashbacks." He clutched his heart causing me to laugh.
"That bad huh?"
"Fucking horrible." He lit up a cigarette "Word of advice kid, never date a stripper. Or anyone in LA for that matter."
"I'll take your word for it."
He offered me the lit cigarette and lit his own like he always did and ran a hand through his hair as he looked at me frustrated.
"What is it with Slash anyway? I mean not gonna lie you guys seem like total opposites."
I shrugged trying to think of an answer "Theres history there I guess, I know where he comes from and he knows me. We're not that different when you see through it. We grew up with the same type of parents and went through the same things. I trust him, Ive always had you know? He's always been that little piece of home for me, calms me down."
"You think of people too highly."
"Do you think I think of you too highly as well?"
"Yes."
I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms waiting for an explanation.
"I'm only like this with you. Trust me, I'm even shittier than the rest of the guys if you haven't heard."
"Oh yeah, I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I think you're more than you make yourself out to be. I've seen you at work, I've seen how you are behind the scenes when you're alone, and when you're with me. You're totally different. I think you just like to give off that vibe in order to control other people's feelings towards you so they back off and leave you alone so therefore you won't have to deal with bullshit, or rather you try to deal with the least bullshit possible."
He squinted his eyes at me listening to me telling him about himself. I was right, no matter how much he liked to deny it and he knew that.
"Sugar, if I didn't wanna deal with bullshit. I wouldn't be dealing shit in the first place."
"That's not my point, that's a whole other story we'll get into later. What I'm trying to say is about the band, the people that surround you. You act all distant and laid back trying to not be centre of attention, cause you selfishly don't wanna deal with anything."
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. HAHA! I got him.
"I'm right. Right?"
"No comment." He chuckled and smoked his cigarette.
"So I am." I leaned back in my chair feeling successful. I should be a shrink. I loved it when I put people in their place and told them exactly how they were. People were always an open book with me, I saw through it. It had always been a talent of mine. Makes me a good liar too, but I shouldn't push my power to its limits and abuse my talent.
"How about you then? You know as much as you do about yourself like you do with me?"
I shrugged not really caring. "I'm a different person with every person I meet depending on the circumstance."
"Nah, you're not. You seem all tough and shit, you're actually really insecure. False perception."
"No I'm not,"
"Yeah, you are, you like to have justification with everything you do."
"Well, yeah I guess. Ugh, whatever this wasn't about me."
"Don't like the taste of your own medicine?" He smirked
"Fuck you."
"Anytime anywhere sugar," he smirked "you know where to find me." He winked
"We will let fate decide that honey, who knows if we're not with anyone in the next 5 years, I'll take you up on that offer."
"I might just need a signed contract of you saying that."
"Patience, baby. Good things take time," I winked at him "All we need is just a little patience."
His eyes went wide and he all of a sudden slammed his drink down and started doing a weird face before calming down and sitting back in his chair.
"What?"
"Nothing," he shrugged "I just took in what you said."
"For once," I rolled my eyes
"I might just need to write what you said down somewhere." He chuckled and lit up another cigarette.