For R, because we were angels...
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Axl avoided Slash. He avoided everyone, Slash thought bitterly. The show went on again 3 hours late, and he had enough. Enough of waiting, enough of drinking, enough of Axl's memory filling his every waking moment, spoiling him to every sex he tried to have after that.
He had Axl taste in his mouth, Axl skin under his fingers, the smell of his hair on his nose, every time he closed his eyes he'd see Axl's naked body in front of him.
When Axl draped his body on Slash that night, Slash was flooded with sensorial flashes. His smell. God his smell.
He decided he had enough. The countdown had come for him like a ton of bricks later that night, when he failed to perform for the girl he picked up. Miserably.
He didn't even tried to excuse himself, just got dressed and stomped out of the room, taking the stairs up to the floor above him two steps at the time.
"Let me in, Earl. " He faced the giant before him.
"I think not. Axl doesn't want to see anybody. "
"Is he alone? "
"Yes."
"Then let me in. It's important. "
Earl turned the key, shutting the door behind him briefly.
"You have five minutes. And take your boots off. "
Slash scoffed as he went in, his heavy Docs leaving tar stains on the plush white carpet.
Axl was at the bar, pouring brandy in a intricate crystal goblet. He handed it to Slash, that emptied it's contents and gave it back to him on the spot.
"So," Axl started, knitting his brows as he noticed Slashs boots, "you walk into my room just to stain it? Didn't Earl told you to take them off?"
"Fuck you, Axl, I'm not taking my boots off."
"You have 4 minutes and counting left." Axl said, pouring himself a drink and handing Slash the bottle.
"I'll only need one. Why?" Slash asked.
"Why what?"
"Why did you came to my room? Why did you stay?" Slash asked, taking a big sip.
"I could ask you the same! Why on earth would you do something like that?"
"Like what, Axl? You don't know shit about me, so take that judgement out of you fucking voice!"
"I know that you paid that ridiculous little twink 20 grand to appear that night dolled up as me."
Slash lit a cigarette. "I know what I did."
"You know now? Do you know why? I tell you why. You've been having this weird crush on me for years now, haven't you?"
Slash felt his cheeks burn. "Tell Leo to go."
"What?" Axl asked, disbelief written all over his face.
"I've been bumping on him all over the tour. Send him back to LA."
"I don't know what are you on about", Axl said, turning his back to him.
"Where did you think I've got the idea, Axl? I knew why Leo was around the first time I laid eyes on him."
He did. He first noticed the boy when Duff commented, amused, how this sound tech looked like a younger version of Slash. His hair was a bit shorter than his was now, and his features not quite as defined, but it was too close to the original to be a fluke of destiny. Slash knew straight away that the kid was somehow connected with Axl and sure enough, in less than a week he had found out he was not on the techs list, had an all access pass that he used with caution, stayed in a different floor from the crew and, and that was the thing that spurred Slash to book his own freak dream, this kid had Axl's room key. Both his dressing room and his hotel suite . He went and came as he pleased on GNR'S very heart like a ghost, only noticed briefly, in passing, always smiling, always polite, always smelling freshly showered. On demand.
