FicWad

She held tightly onto the steaming coffee mug in her hand, Axl doing the same across from her. Oh much he had changed since she saw him last! He looked healthier, stronger. His handsomeness had evolved from somewhat of a feminine beauty, to that of a man’s sleek, muscular built. His hair was still the same long, auburn shade it had been back then, and his eyes were lighter, more educated, more mature. He had grown up so much since they last saw each other, that much was clear to Vanessa.
She smiled and twirled the mug of coffee in her hands gently, allowing the heat that soaked through the colorful mug to warm her cold hands. It was cold in Seattle this time of year, and with winter coming, the wind was starting to turn into a sharp, biting chill that chilled you to the very bone. “How have you been?” she asked him and he smiled a small smile and nodded as he took a sip from his coffee, his eyes nervously darting to and fro. She smiled a small smile back. He was still somewhat paranoid, and that pained her to think it. He never really got over his stepfather.
“Good. Things are good. Well, not as good as they could be with this whole Grunge movement, but good nonetheless.” he told her and her smile widened and she nodded in agreement. All of the rock genre had suffered with the Grunge wave coming to LA from directly here in Seattle. Bands like Nirvana and Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam ruled the charts and the fans now opposed to Motley Crue and Poison and Ratt. These were troubled times, and the people wanted troubled bands. They wanted music that appealed to the depression and hurt and destruction that plagued their inner hearts instead of the parties and the women that the Glam movement brought. All musicians in the rock genre suffered. Even Velvet Revolver suffered. “You?” he asked her and she nodded too.
“Good. Career’s good. Both of ours, but like you said, its tough for rockers now with the Grunge movement. Duff’s trying his best, and CDs and arenas still sell but . . . its hard sometimes.” It felt strange, sitting in a little café and talking to her ex. Husband about economics like they have been in touch since she left him. It felt strange that they both had common ground after all these years. He nodded.
“How’s . . . Duff?” he asked her heavily and she sighed.
“Good . . .” She trailed off and he sensed that she wanted to say something. Something that had been praying on her soul forever. He swallowed.
“About . . . two years ago–”
“Jesus its been that long? I thought it was longer than that!” she interrupted him and he smiled and laughed a little before he nodded.
“Yeah its been about that long Vanessa. But . . . what happened? Why did you leave?” Vanessa sighed.
“I knew I didn’t love you Axl. I knew it as keenly as I do now. I mean, I’ll always love you, but not as a husband, not as a boyfriend or a fiancé; more like an older brother or a friend. Duff was different. He was always there for me and no matter how much I loathed to admit it, it was Duff I loved the entire time, not you.”
“If you knew that, then why did we stay together for as long as we did?” he asked her heavily and she sighed again.
“I guess . . . in some cruel, twisted, fucked up way . . . that it was for Brandon.” He laughed a little and sat back in his chair.
“Why? Brandon wasn’t mine . . . he was Duff’s.” She nodded.
“I know, and I’m so sorry that I kept that from you, but . . . I wanted so damn hard for us to have the perfect life we’ve never had. Even if it meant denying Brandon’s paternity.”
“Do you have any idea Vanessa, what it feels like, to wake up in the morning to find your fiancé and supposedly son, gone, and living in Seattle with one of your best friends? And not only that, but your pregnant! Do you know how much that hurts?”
“No. No I don’t. Axl, there’s not a day that goes by that I regret leaving you in that fashion.” she assured him. He sighed.
“I came to warn you, so you can warn Duff and Slash in return. Be careful. Nirvana, and Alice in Chains are quickly climbing the ladder to stardom, and they have no qualms on throwing other people down after them. Motley Crue isn’t doing so bad for themselves either.” she nodded and smiled a small smile.
“Thank you. Do they know why?” Axl looked away.
“They’re singing about hurt. About pain, about depression, about Goddamn near anything that regular artists won’t touch. They’re feeding off of the Punk movement of the 70's. Their attitudes are also similar.” she nodded again.
“How have you been doing so far?” he shrugged.
“Good. Of course, I haven’t really done much of anything, so they haven’t touched me that much, but Velvet Revolver is big, and sure to be hit. Tell Duff and Slash to watch their backs.” she nodded one more time.
“Again, thank you.” he smiled a small smile and leaned over, where he kissed her gently on the cheek.
“I’m glad your surviving Vanessa.” he joked and she grinned and laughed a little.
“Oh, like I couldn’t have survive without you?” Axl grinned playfully, and rolled his eyes.
“Well, that was my hope.” They laughed as Vanessa’s cell phone rang. She rambled through her purse trying to look for it, and found it on the bottom. She flipped it open and rolled her eyes.
“It was good talking to you Axl, but I gotta go. I got to get to a modeling gig.” he grinned.
“You still use the word ‘gig’.” he joked as they stood where they hugged. It was amazing that they could still be cordial to each other when they haven’t talked in over two years.
“Yeah, I still use a lot of words from back then,” she told him and she smiled. “I’ll see you later.” he nodded.
“Yeah. Bye.” they both smiled.
Finally, they were saying a suitable goodbye to each other.