Baby, I'm Gonna Leave You (SQ to Heaven's Door)

5: More Lies

"Hello, darling," Slash says. He's smiling at me, holding his hand out. "It's good to see you." I can't tell where we are. It's somewhere foggy. I can't really make out much other than the barely clothed top half of Slash.

"Where are we?" I ask him, looking around. He takes my hand, kissing it. It feels strange, though. Like a pillow, almost.

I shot up out of bed, running my hands through my hair a few times. A little bit of sweat pooled at my forehead, the dream still clinging to me desperately. I'd never dreamt of Slash before. Axl was next to me, his mouth open but still moving as he wrote songs in his sleep. I laid back down next to him, cuddling closer so as to attract a dream about him instead. Axl groaned at this, shifting. "Quit wiggling," he said in his half-asleep voice.

"Sorry," I whispered back. I flipped over, pressing my head against his chest, breathing his scent in deeply. I hoped for more dream, except these ones would be about Axl.

The dreams never came.

&&&&&

I woke up the next morning when Axl was untangling us. "Where are you going?" I asked, sitting up a bit.

"Gotta go to the studio. Promised Izzy I'd actually show up sometime." He opened his dresser, pulling out a shirt and yanking it over his head. "Don't worry, I'll go this time," he assured me.

"You'd better. I'll ask Izzy." I sat up all of the way. "Has Slash left yet?" Slash had been our guest for the last three days. It made me feel badly for him, especially since I was half-convinced he didn't even know where he was. Axl told me all that mattered was that the guitarist was safer here than he was alone.

"Not yet. But I'll try to get him down to do some work with us before he gets too high." Axl zipped up his pants before looking for a belt. Even when just going into the studio, he had to dress up in a thousand pieces of clothing and accessories. He still had to be Axl Rose, or at least what people thought was Axl Rose. He came over to the bed before kissing me quickly. "I'll be back before dinner, Angel-face."

"You'd better," I said it again. These promises were getting empty and shallow, so I hoped that he wasn't lying this time. "I'll make you something special."

"Scratch pizza?" That wasn't what I had in mind, but if he wanted it I would try. I nodded in response. "You're the best. Now, I've gotta go." He kissed me once more before leaving me alone in the bedroom.

I sighed as I got out of bed myself. I dressed myself in a tee-shirt and skirt before opening the curtains, allowing for sunlight to enter our vampire room. I walked down the hall, stopping by the guest room that Slash was in. Axl was inside, sitting on the edge of the bed while he spoke to the guitarist. "You need to get yourself up. We're working today."

Slash groaned and rolled over. "Go away."

"Get the fuck outta bed!" Axl snapped, pushing Slash right off of the edge of his bed. I gasped and jumped a little at the loud thud. Slash stood up, looking zombie-like. "Now pull yourself together. We're leaving in ten." Axl stormed out of the room. He only gave me a quick smile when he passed by. I entered Slash's room.

"Slash?" I asked. He glared at me. "Do you want me to help you?"

He pointed to the bed. "Clean the sheets. I wet the bed." He left with nothing more to say. I approached the bed, finding what he'd said to be true. I wrinkled my nose in disgust while I tugged all of the sheets off of it. Axl would be pissed to find I'd done laundry later, but that was a bridge I'd cross when I came to it.

&&&&

And Axl was pissed when he came home to what he thought looked like the common housewife. I'd cooked, I'd cleaned, and it angered him. "Angel-face, you're not my housewife."

Despite saying this, he devoured the pizza I'd made within a few minutes. I leaned over the table, smiling falsely at him. "Then potty train your friend."

Axl blinked at me. "Why're you talking like that?" He swallowed the whiskey he'd poured himself in one large sip. He stood up, handing me his plate.

"You're making me do the dishes?"

"If you want sex later," he shrugged, leaving the kitchen. I dropped the plate on purpose, shattering it. Axl came back, throwing his glass at me. I ducked, and it smashed against the wall. "Fucking bitch," he snarled.

"What is the matter with you?" I demanded. "You just threw a glass at me!" He blinked, then looked at his hands.

"Shit, Angel-face." He came closer to me. "Please, listen to me. You don't understand what I've been through."

"Oh, I understand." I pushed past him. "I'm sleeping in the guest room tonight." .

"Yeah, why don't you sleep with Slash?!" Axl snapped. "Your fucking great friend!" He grabbed me, squeezing my arm too tightly.

"Stop hurting me!" I tried to pull out of his grip. "Axl!" I could feel myself starting to cry. That's when Axl let go. "These mood swings are out of control," I mumbled. Axl was hugging me now.

"Angel-face, I'm so sorry," He was whispering the words sweetly in my ear. "Please don't sleep alone. I'll be good, I promise." I couldn't bring myself to believe him.