Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Axl Rose)

17: Mood Swings

A/n: this story is so fuckin close to being number one in the Axl hashtag just a few more votes and comments and we'll be there!!

I woke up to an aspirin and a pair of sunglasses. Next to them was a note and a glass of water.

Angel-face,
This is for your hangover.
Love,
Axl

I took the aspirin with the water, and then I put the sunglasses on. The lack of light made my headache instantly better. I walked out of my bedroom after I changed into clean clothes, and found Izzy pouring a cup of coffee. "What time is it?" I asked him.

He looked at me, chuckling a little. "Almost five in the evening."

"Where's Axl?"

"Still asleep. I wouldn't wake him if I were you." Izzy kept his voice quiet, knowing that I had a terrible headache. "Hit the alcohol pretty hard last night, didn't we?" He teased.

Duff emerged from his room, looking almost like a zombie. He too had dark sunglasses covering his eyes. He didn't say a word as he entered the kitchen. He opened a can of coffee powder and put some into the machine, then he started brewing himself a cup. "Where's she?" He asked Izzy.

"She left an hour ago. She told me to tell you to call her when you're sober." Izzy took out two more mugs from the cabinet. They were mismatched and one of them was chipped. Both of them desperately needed to be cleaned. "Did something happen between the two of you last night?"

"She's being all weird and distant." The coffee stopped brewing, and he poured half of the pot into one of the mugs. Izzy took the pot and poured another mug of coffee. "I don't know what happened. She was fine at the Roxy. Did Steven say something to her?" Izzy handed me the other mug, and I nodded my head in appreciation.

"I dunno, man. But I'd call her soon if I were you. You're gonna end up in the doghouse or some shit." He chuckled.

"Women are the worst," Duff groaned. He looked at me. "You'd better tell Axl everything that he's doing wrong. I hate when you people play mind games with us like we're psychic." I nodded a little, feeling like I was intruding.

Axl opened the door to the room he was sleeping in. He had no sunglasses, but was squinting like the light did hurt him. He saw me immediately, kissing me softly. He stuck his tongue out and moved away. "Yuck, you taste like coffee. I don't fucking like it. Iz!" He snapped his fingers at his bandmate. "Pour her tea."

"Do it yourself. No one likes a lazy asshole," Izzy answered.

Axl grumbled something inaudible. I went to take another sip of my coffee, and Axl slapped the cup out of my hand, shattering it as it it the floor. "What the hell is your problem?!" Duff demanded.

"I forgot you're always such a whiny bitch when you're hungover," Izzy grumbled.

I watched them fight, wishing I had coffee. They were talking too loud and it was hurting my head. Why was Axl in such a bad mood? "Hey! Hey! Stop!" Steven said, intervening. I didn't know when he'd gotten here. "You're making Lucy cry."

All of them looked at me, and Axl walked closer. He rubbed my cheeks, cleaning them of tears. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "My head is pounding and I'm really tired. I'll make you more coffee." He started picking up some of the shattered shards of the mug, and then started to brew another pot of coffee.

Steven, Izzy, and Duff all stood there with their mouths agape. "Where can I get one of those?!" Izzy asked, pointing his finger at me. "I want one of those!"

"Shoot, Lucy. Where have you been for the last twenty-four years?" Steven noted.

"She can tame the beast," Duff whispered. "A few tears and he's putty in her hands."

Axl handed me a different mug, though it was filled with the same coffee he seemed to hate so much. "Thank you," I whispered.

I sat on the sofa that night, biting my nails while I thought. I'd been given warnings. I'd been told not to hang out with Steven, and that went badly because I got sick. I'd been told not to let Slash introduce me to something I might like, and despite the fact that it was really Izzy who invited me, he was loosely involved. I'd been told not to let Duff pour margaritas down my throat, and I did do that. I'd gotten to blackout because of that. The only thing I hadn't done was let Izzy drag me to his dressing room. 

I'd done almost everything I wasn't supposed to do, and nothing had happened. I hadn't talked to God in ages. I hadn't been banished. I hadn't been replaced. Something was very off. Someone tapped my temple. I blinked, looking at Axl. "Everything alright?" He asked me, head cocked. 

"Oh, yeah," I nodded. "Just thinking."

He pursed his lips. "About us?" I furrowed my brow. "Because I've been thinking about us."

"Well it wasn't really about us, but now that you bring it up, what's wrong with us?" He sat down next to me, taking my hands in his gently while he looked into my eyes. "You're making me nervous."

He chuckled. "You shouldn't be. I don't bite."

"I won't put that past you," I teased. Although in the back of my mind, I was deadly serious. 

Axl shook his head. "We've been going out a little bit, and you mentioned that you wanted a romantic relationship." He bit his lip lightly, a little nervous himself. "Do you want to be my girl?"

I blinked at him. What was I supposed to say? "Um," I sighed. Axl's light smile disappeared. 

"I thought this was what you wanted," He groaned. "Forget I-"

"No! No!" I shouted. He moved back a little bit. "I do, I really do. But it just-" I took a deep breath. "I've been questioning my recent choices, and I can't help but think that it's a little bit your fault."

He nodded. "It probably is. I'm definitely not a good influence, but good guys don't play rock and roll." He licked his lip. "But I didn't change you. You're still the same on the inside, just a few mindless indulgences here and there. A little drinking never hurt anybody, and sex is a part of life."

"Huh," I looked at the ceiling. He wasn't wrong. "I never thought of it like that." Axl leaned forward and kissed me. 

"And you're always thinking so much, darling. But you haven't given me a straight answer."

"Yes. I'll be your girl." I moved to sit in his lap. "Can you be possessive and jealous and tell everyone not to even look at me? Give me a collar with your name on it?"

The singer laughed loudly. "God, you're something else, Angel-face."