Categories > Celebrities > Guns n' Roses > Strawberries and Cigarettes
Chapter 1: Blue
They say when you fall in love that everything will be alright and everything will fall into place. They say falling in love is painless, fearless, and freeing. They say that when you find the one you’re meant to be with, they’ll be with you no matter what. What a crock of steaming shit….
It all started in 1983 when a blue haired punk stepped into my life and fucked it up royally.
Axl had grown up knowing nothing but pain, heartache, and tough situations. Which is exactly why Axl hadn’t given up as he paced in a trashed apartment with Izzy (his then boyfriend), Slash, and Steven who sat watching him and wondering how they would afford their next meal. Slash and Izzy had just gotten back from meeting with some kid from Seattle who called himself Duff, who was supposed to be arriving soon to audition for their band. Axl wasn’t sure what he could expect from a punk named Duff, but if Izzy and Slash had decided he was good enough to show the rest of the band his skills, then who was he to judge?
“All I’m saying, is to give him a chance Axl.” Izzy sighed quietly, exhaling smoke from a cigarette as he pulled the pacing redhead to sit in his lap.
“He’s a punk. We aren’t punk.” Axl responded as he relaxed slightly into the brunette’s hold, though he continued to fidget a bit.
“If you don’t like him then we don’t have to let him in the band.” Slash spoke from the other side of the apartment, turning his attention from the magazine he’d been looking at to the couple sitting on the couch.
“Fine, he gets one song.” Axl responded, crossing his arms.
A few minutes passed before they heard a knock on the door, causing Axl to move from the comfort of his boyfriend’s hold and allow Izzy to answer the door. He paced uneasily in the background as he heard the door down the hall open and a deep voice greet Izzy.
“This is Duff.” Izzy announced as he walked back into the living room followed by a slim, blue haired…man? It caused Axl to pause and stare at the new male in the room with a look of uncertainty. Duff stood there with a friendly smile that only made his delicate features more feminine and soft. He’d never seen anyone quite like Duff.
After a couple of hours of playing together and Duff showing exactly what he could do on his bass, it was time for the band to come to a vote. Slash and Steven were fast to vote yes. Izzy had hesitated a moment, not liking the way Axl watched Duff, but eventually had said yes. Leaving Axl as the deciding vote. It had to be unanimous or Duff wouldn’t be in the band.
“You get one chance. Fuck it up, and you’re out. You play by our style, got it?” Axl said, green eyes meeting Duff’s dark hazel.
“Got it.” Duff nodded and offered a smile. “Absolutely. I won’t let you down.”
“Good, then it’s settled…Now let’s go out.” Slash said as he moved to his feet and tossed on a ripped tank top. Of course, this suggestion was met with agreement from all the men in the room.
So, they headed to the Troubadour for drinks and to see that night’s band play. The group found a place to sit towards the back of the bar and ordered drinks, Izzy going to retrieve the drinks when they were placed on the bar. It wasn’t long before they had enough alcohol in their systems to party.
Steven disappeared with a curvy brunette outside while Slash found himself chasing after a tall blonde in a tight skirt. Izzy remained where he was despite Axl’s urging him to dance and Duff sitting there watching the couple.
“Do you want to dance?” Duff finally asked the redhead when he noticed his annoyance with Izzy was growing and he was growing restless. Duff almost regretted the question when Axl looked at him with a surprised look.
“I’m not a fag, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Axl put the same old front up he always had, his eyes growing dark and dangerous.
“I never said you were. There are plenty of dudes dancing together out there, it’s not like I’m asking you to slow dance.” Duff rolled his eyes and stood, nodding towards the dancing. “Come on.”
Axl looked to Izzy who seemed as though he couldn’t care less…As always. Axl then turned to Duff and nodded before sliding out of the booth and following Duff to the dance floor.
“So, what’s the deal with you and Izzy? Are you brothers or something?” Duff questioned loudly above the music and moving close to Axl so he could be heard, Axl laughed.
“Not brothers.” Axl responded, offering no more explanation to his relationship with Izzy and not caring to talk about it anymore as watched Izzy stumble out of the club with a random girl; he downed his drink and took Duff’s. The pair danced as Axl drank…and drank…and drank until he was clinging to Duff to remain standing, his small frame pressed against the slim and tall punk.
It wasn’t long before Axl turned a shade of gray and gagged and Duff was pulling him towards the backdoor of the club and out into the alley just in time for Axl to throw the contents of his stomach up. He moved the redhead to a chair that sat forgotten next to a dumpster and used a rubber band on his wrist to tie the smaller male’s hair up.
“I think you’ve had enough.” Duff said as he patted the man’s back, chuckling lightly until he noticed…tears?
“Axl? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Duff asked in a more serious tone, concerned for his new bandmate.
“Fuck off.” Came the raspy reply as the redhead turned his back to the punk, stomach settling for now.
“What happened? We were having fun.” Duff frowned but didn’t dare to move any closer to the redhead.
“I said fuck off.” Axl’s voice was dangerously calm now but it didn’t faze Duff.
“It’s Izzy…Isn’t it?” It was making sense now, the brunette leaving with a random girl and Axl suddenly drinking heavily and refusing to talk.
“It’s none of your goddamn business.” Axl turned to Duff, trying to look dangerous only to feel his stomach churn. Duff moved Axl’s long, red hair from the range of vomit as he sighed. So, it was Izzy.
“Let’s get you home.” Duff said as he pulled Axl to his feet, steadying the redhead.
“No. Not home, I don’t want to hear them fucking.” Axl groaned as he stumbled, clinging to Duff which caused Duff to stumble a bit.
“We can’t just stay here in the streets.” Duff tried to reason with the redhead but soon found Axl was having no part in going to his home.
“Take me to your place.” Axl finally decided as he tripped and yelped in surprise when Duff caught him.
“It’s across town…You can’t even walk.”
“I don’t care.” Axl wasn’t going home.
They say when you fall in love that everything will be alright and everything will fall into place. They say falling in love is painless, fearless, and freeing. They say that when you find the one you’re meant to be with, they’ll be with you no matter what. What a crock of steaming shit….
It all started in 1983 when a blue haired punk stepped into my life and fucked it up royally.
Axl had grown up knowing nothing but pain, heartache, and tough situations. Which is exactly why Axl hadn’t given up as he paced in a trashed apartment with Izzy (his then boyfriend), Slash, and Steven who sat watching him and wondering how they would afford their next meal. Slash and Izzy had just gotten back from meeting with some kid from Seattle who called himself Duff, who was supposed to be arriving soon to audition for their band. Axl wasn’t sure what he could expect from a punk named Duff, but if Izzy and Slash had decided he was good enough to show the rest of the band his skills, then who was he to judge?
“All I’m saying, is to give him a chance Axl.” Izzy sighed quietly, exhaling smoke from a cigarette as he pulled the pacing redhead to sit in his lap.
“He’s a punk. We aren’t punk.” Axl responded as he relaxed slightly into the brunette’s hold, though he continued to fidget a bit.
“If you don’t like him then we don’t have to let him in the band.” Slash spoke from the other side of the apartment, turning his attention from the magazine he’d been looking at to the couple sitting on the couch.
“Fine, he gets one song.” Axl responded, crossing his arms.
A few minutes passed before they heard a knock on the door, causing Axl to move from the comfort of his boyfriend’s hold and allow Izzy to answer the door. He paced uneasily in the background as he heard the door down the hall open and a deep voice greet Izzy.
“This is Duff.” Izzy announced as he walked back into the living room followed by a slim, blue haired…man? It caused Axl to pause and stare at the new male in the room with a look of uncertainty. Duff stood there with a friendly smile that only made his delicate features more feminine and soft. He’d never seen anyone quite like Duff.
After a couple of hours of playing together and Duff showing exactly what he could do on his bass, it was time for the band to come to a vote. Slash and Steven were fast to vote yes. Izzy had hesitated a moment, not liking the way Axl watched Duff, but eventually had said yes. Leaving Axl as the deciding vote. It had to be unanimous or Duff wouldn’t be in the band.
“You get one chance. Fuck it up, and you’re out. You play by our style, got it?” Axl said, green eyes meeting Duff’s dark hazel.
“Got it.” Duff nodded and offered a smile. “Absolutely. I won’t let you down.”
“Good, then it’s settled…Now let’s go out.” Slash said as he moved to his feet and tossed on a ripped tank top. Of course, this suggestion was met with agreement from all the men in the room.
So, they headed to the Troubadour for drinks and to see that night’s band play. The group found a place to sit towards the back of the bar and ordered drinks, Izzy going to retrieve the drinks when they were placed on the bar. It wasn’t long before they had enough alcohol in their systems to party.
Steven disappeared with a curvy brunette outside while Slash found himself chasing after a tall blonde in a tight skirt. Izzy remained where he was despite Axl’s urging him to dance and Duff sitting there watching the couple.
“Do you want to dance?” Duff finally asked the redhead when he noticed his annoyance with Izzy was growing and he was growing restless. Duff almost regretted the question when Axl looked at him with a surprised look.
“I’m not a fag, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Axl put the same old front up he always had, his eyes growing dark and dangerous.
“I never said you were. There are plenty of dudes dancing together out there, it’s not like I’m asking you to slow dance.” Duff rolled his eyes and stood, nodding towards the dancing. “Come on.”
Axl looked to Izzy who seemed as though he couldn’t care less…As always. Axl then turned to Duff and nodded before sliding out of the booth and following Duff to the dance floor.
“So, what’s the deal with you and Izzy? Are you brothers or something?” Duff questioned loudly above the music and moving close to Axl so he could be heard, Axl laughed.
“Not brothers.” Axl responded, offering no more explanation to his relationship with Izzy and not caring to talk about it anymore as watched Izzy stumble out of the club with a random girl; he downed his drink and took Duff’s. The pair danced as Axl drank…and drank…and drank until he was clinging to Duff to remain standing, his small frame pressed against the slim and tall punk.
It wasn’t long before Axl turned a shade of gray and gagged and Duff was pulling him towards the backdoor of the club and out into the alley just in time for Axl to throw the contents of his stomach up. He moved the redhead to a chair that sat forgotten next to a dumpster and used a rubber band on his wrist to tie the smaller male’s hair up.
“I think you’ve had enough.” Duff said as he patted the man’s back, chuckling lightly until he noticed…tears?
“Axl? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Duff asked in a more serious tone, concerned for his new bandmate.
“Fuck off.” Came the raspy reply as the redhead turned his back to the punk, stomach settling for now.
“What happened? We were having fun.” Duff frowned but didn’t dare to move any closer to the redhead.
“I said fuck off.” Axl’s voice was dangerously calm now but it didn’t faze Duff.
“It’s Izzy…Isn’t it?” It was making sense now, the brunette leaving with a random girl and Axl suddenly drinking heavily and refusing to talk.
“It’s none of your goddamn business.” Axl turned to Duff, trying to look dangerous only to feel his stomach churn. Duff moved Axl’s long, red hair from the range of vomit as he sighed. So, it was Izzy.
“Let’s get you home.” Duff said as he pulled Axl to his feet, steadying the redhead.
“No. Not home, I don’t want to hear them fucking.” Axl groaned as he stumbled, clinging to Duff which caused Duff to stumble a bit.
“We can’t just stay here in the streets.” Duff tried to reason with the redhead but soon found Axl was having no part in going to his home.
“Take me to your place.” Axl finally decided as he tripped and yelped in surprise when Duff caught him.
“It’s across town…You can’t even walk.”
“I don’t care.” Axl wasn’t going home.
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