FicWad

“Watch it bring you to your-“ Axl moved the microphone away from his mouth for a split second to take a breath. “Shun-n-n-n-n-n-n-n knees! Knees!”

He thinks he’s so cool… Duff thought, managing to play his bass guitar while glaring at the vocalist. He had learned to do that over the time since they had started the band. Just because he can make that stupid noise… And he’s kind of cute…

“I wanna watch you- DUFF!!!” The red-head turned around with the flames of hell behind him. “Why did you stop playing?!”

The blonde was standing with his mouth agape and his arms hanging limply at his sides. Apparently, quiet as the bass was, the hypocritically perfectionist Axl had noticed when it had stopped.

“Duff!” Axl repeated. “What’s wrong with you?!”

Finally, he snapped back to attention, closing his mouth and staring at Axl blankly.

“Why did you stop playing?” Axl repeated impatiently. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring.

“Oh… Uh…” I did not just think that… “I was just… Er…” I did not just think that…I did not just think that… He shook the thoughts out of his head. “Sorry. I can play now.”

“You better.” Axl snapped. “Alright, start over.”

Slash, Izzy, and Steven begrudgingly started again. However, before they had even gotten to Axl’s first line, it was obvious that Duff couldn’t play. He was so off-tune, that after a few seconds Slash had to drop his guitar and cover his ears.

“Alright, stop!” Axl ordered, glaring at Duff. “God… Where’s my **ing water?”

Steven held out a red plastic cup to Axl, who snatched it away and walked over to the corner of the room.

“Good thing it’s just rehearsal.” Slash commented.

“Yeah,” Izzy agreed, “But judging by our band-mates, it’s just going to get worse once we’re in front of thousands of people.”

“Thanks for being so optimistic.” Slash replied sarcastically.

“Hey, what can I say?” Izzy grinned. “I’m just a positive person.”

Slash shook his head as he walked away to get his own water. Izzy sat down to mess with the lead guitarist’s instrument, but changed his mind when he felt an impending sense of doom.

“Hey… Uh… Slash?” Duff said awkwardly, standing behind his friend. “Can I… Talk to you?” Apart from being his best friend in the band, Slash was the most understanding, and the most likely to listen to Duff’s problem without incorporating some kind of violence or abuse.

“Sure.” Slash replied. He sensed this wasn’t something that Duff wanted to say in front of the entire band. “Do you want to… Go somewhere else?”

Duff nodded, and the two went to the closet where they kept the instruments between rehearsals and concerts. True, it wasn’t that comfortable, but almost nobody ever came in there, so it was probably their best bet.

“So…” Slash sat on the ground. “What’s up?”

“Uh… Supposing…” Duff replied, imitating his friend, “Hypothetically, of course, somebody in this band… Found somebody else slightly attractive.”

Slash held up a hand to stop him.

“Okay, Duff.” He explained patiently, “Nobody EVER falls for those little ‘supposing, hypothetically, somebody’ speeches. You’d be better off just being straightforward.”

“I don’t think I’m gay…” Duff sighed. “Considering up until now I’ve only been attracted to girls… It was weird, While we were rehearsing just now, it just popped into my head…”

“That’s why you messed up?”

“That’s why I messed up.”

“Okay…” Slash rested his chin in the palm of his hand. “That makes sense. Who is it?”

“Slash,” Duff replied, shifting his eyes, “You are my best friend in this band, and maybe my best friend out of anybody I’ve ever known. You know that. I trust you completely… But I don’t really want to say who it is, even to you.”

“Axl?” Slash guessed. Duff’s eyes widened.

“How-?”

“If it were me,” Slash reasoned, “You wouldn’t be talking to me about it. Some people might, but you’re not that kind of person. Considering you think Steven’s ugly, you probably didn’t think he was cute all of the sudden, and if it were Izzy you were talking about, he would of popped up out of nowhere by now.”

Duff sighed. It was all true. Especially the part about Izzy. He had a tendency to pop up whenever anybody was talking about him, or when he just plain wasn’t wanted.

“Ridiculous, huh?” The blonde asked, avoiding Slash’s eyes, which were barely visible behind his hair anyway.

“Well…” Slash seemed to be thinking, “He’s got a smaller build than most guys, he straightens his hair for some reason, dances like a female stripper, and acts like a girl… A girl during PMS, but a girl nonetheless… I mean, it kind of makes sense. It’s probably just the lack of any real girls around that made your mind want a substitute.”

“Oh my God…” Duff’s eyes went wide again, this time with realization. “You like him, too!”

Slash’s face went completely red, and he stared at the ground, pulling his hat down over his eyes.

“Oh my God…” Duff repeated dumbly. “Oh my God… Oh my God…”

“Duff, do you really think you’re in a position to be shocked about something like that?” Slash asked, still staring at the ground. At least he was honest.

“Guess not.” Duff admitted. “Man… Both our lives suck, huh?”

“Yeah.” Slash agreed.

“… You two done with your little moment?” Izzy asked, suddenly standing behind them. They both literally jumped, and had the same thought at the same time. Ohhhhhh **.

“Good.” He replied with a smile. “Now, before you freak out, let me assure you, I’m not going to tell Lil Rosie or Pop-Pop.” Izzy made a hobby of thinking of random, nonsensical nicknames for everyone he met. Axl and Steven happened to get some of the worst.

“You aren’t?” Duff replied, confused.

“Of course not!” Izzy walked over to the door. “But just so you know…” He glanced over his shoulder at them. “I saw him first. He’s mine.”

As he walked out with a wave and closed the door behind him, Slash and Izzy could only sit in shock.

“… This is seriously **ed up.” Duff commented.

Slash only nodded.