You Drive Me Wild

Chapter 4: How Wonderful Life Is

Oh that would set off Slash. No wonder he flew into a fury like that ready to pummel Axl in. 

"Fuck Axl, that's so fucked up! That's NOT your decision to make! Shit man! Fuck!" 

"What they're doing is FUCKED UP!" Axl was sudden back up and more agitated then before.

Izzy muttered under his breath, this was going well swell! 

"So that makes it okay for what you said to Slash and the way you fucking behaved? No! You publicly outed them, gave Slash a horrible ultimatum without consulting me or Steven! You talk about protecting the band but really Axl? Who are you really protecting huh? You act like they personally slighted YOU! When that has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU but that rubs you the wrong way doesn't it? This band, you think it's yours don't you? We're just along for the ride huh? Is that it? You know what Axl, it's not them that'll ruin the band, it's fucking you!"

"Get the fuck out Izzy!"

"No way man not until I get this through your thick skull, you're in the wrong here. It's YOU that's affecting the band, putting the band at risk! Not their little affair. You need to grow the fuck up and get over yourself Axl. I love you man, you know that but you were way out of line today. Completely out of line. By tomorrow if you don't apologize, it's not them you should be worried about, it's me. Got it?" 

That was a slap to the face for Axl. He was stunned. Speechless. 

"If you really want to protect the band, you start by protecting your band mates, the guys who paid in blood and sweat for this band. Slash and Duff always had your back no matter what, no matter the shit you put them through. Shit Slash let you live at his mom's house! If we can all collectively decide to accept you as you are, you sure as fuck as accept your two band mates are in a relationship."

He left after that feeling there was nothing more to be said. 

Izzy found Duff nearly incoherent on the floor, with a half empty vodka bottle. So he hoisted the taller blonde and half dragged him to the bathroom where he could piss or vomit when the need arose. 

"I spoke to Axl, we'll get things sorted okay Duff? You just hang in there man."

Duff was beyond hearing, completely plastered. Izzy was worried he'd suffer alcohol poisoning so he had the guy down a couple of glasses of water really quick and soon Duff's head was in the toilet throwing up everything. 

While he'd been clean from heroin some months now, he sure fucking missed the sweet bliss it would provide in moments like this. Instead he drank some whiskey he had stashed that Duff had not drank. Sipped it over ice from the mini fridge while he sat, back leaning against the wall just outside the bathroom door carefully watching over a still puking Duff. Finally, he wiped his mouth, and laid down on the linoleum floor. Izzy got him some pills and water. 

"You'll thank me tomorrow," he pressed the cup of water to Duff with a few sedatives. 

He popped a couple himself and settled in for the night. Hopefully Steven got Slash to calm down. 

Slash wanted to march over to Axl's room as soon as they got into the hotel to beat the living shit out of their lead singer but Steven managed to corral him into their room and keep him there. 

"That fucker had no right to threaten us! He told me either Duff or I had to leave the band but he fucking TOLD ME HE WANTED DUFF GONE! That's fucked up!"

"Yeah that is man," Steven nodded along. 

"And then...now the whole fucking bus heard, man the crew knows too! We're fucked! All because he had to be in control huh? Nobody knew and nobody had to fucking know until we wanted everyone or anyone to know! You didn't know did you?"