He'd tried to stay away… tried with every fiber of his being. Every person who ever cared about him told him over and over that he was no good for him… that he was nothing but a control freak and a mess on a whole other level. But for some reason he couldn't get rid of him. He was a worse addiction than heroin and booze ever had been. He'd demeaned him under the disguise of trying to "help him clean up". He'd degraded his heritage then tried to disguise it by saying that he wasn't talking about him or even all of them. And yet he couldn't stop… he felt like that cowboy in that damn movie Scott'd dragged him to… He wished that he knew how to quit him.

He was leaned against a SUV outside Axl's home smoking a cigarette thinking, planning, deciding. He had a new band if it didn't self destruct. He had new possibilities if he could only give this one up to go after them. Inhaling deeply Slash held in the smoke letting his head drop back against the side of the vehicle. He knew Axl was aware of his presence by now probably leaning against a window in the front of the house watching him thru the blinds. He could just give in and walk up that walkway and back into the redhead's arms. Of course that would mean an ousting from Velvet Revolver, probably a final break in his shaky friendship with Duff, and a voluntary placement of his life and career back into the hands of someone who most definitely wasn't stable.

Or

Or he could get back into his SUV and drive away. Go to the airport, get on a plane, and go to Scott's where he would be welcomed with open loving arms. A place where he knew he would be safe and loved as long as the troubled singer remained on his path of sobriety. The problem was that as sweet as Scott was, as loving and warm as he was… he wasn't Axl. Maybe it was some flaw in his mental makeup, but he couldn't handle all that nice guy stuff all the time. He needed a little bit of a bastard in his life. The problem was that Scott wasn't enough of a bastard and Axl was too much of one.

Which led to his current dilemma…

Does he go safe and head to Scott or does he say fuck it and go where he wants, where he needs to be?

The problem with Scott was that he WAS just simply too safe…

And if Slash were honest with himself he was more or less a weak Axl stand in. He had the appearance without most of what attracted him to the redhead in the first place. Scott had charisma, but it wasn't the right charisma. Scott was funny, but it wasn't the right funny. Scott had a history, but it wasn't the same as Slash's history and it wasn't the history that had been branded by fire with Axl.

He was still wondering what he was going to do when the front gate opened and a familiar figure slipped out then leaned against one of the heavy metal doors. He felt his head drop to one side and knew he must be frowning, but he was slightly confused. This was new. This was Axl taking the first step. This was something he'd never experienced before.

"I thought I would come out and invite you in for something to drink or eat. You look a little lost standing out here."

Slash felt his shoulder move up and down in a simple shrug wondering if he was having some strange LSD flashback or some out of body experience because he felt as if he were watching all of this unfold from some third party experience.

"I haven't decided what I want yet," he found himself saying then watched curiously as Axl nodded carefully.

"I can imagine. You and I don't have the best track record so far. I am too damned controlling and you give in too much. Duff and Scott would be pretty damn pissed off if they knew you were here I am sure."

Slash snorted at the statement. Axl always did have a strange way of understating things sometimes. "Yeah that's a way to put it. Scott threatened to kick me out of the band."

Axl rolled his eyes then smiled sadly as he looked down at the ground. "Are you sure this is worth it then? I mean… you've worked hard to get your shit together and... Well are you sure you wanna risk your band for... whatever this thing is between us that we just can't seem to give up?

"Are you sure I am worth it?"

Now Slash was really confused. Axl… Mister Control Freak himself, Mister put into overdrive so you don't have time to realize how far in over your head you are, Mister demanding himself was taking the time to make sure that the other person knew what he was doing? Then it got worse.

"Matt tells me that Scott really has it bad for you. Maybe you would be better off with him. He'd be safer for you. He's not as controlling. I can try to change all I want, but let's face it… that control freak thing just ain't ever gonna go away. I think it's safe to say the entire world thinks we are bad together anywhere but onstage or in the studio.

"And really where has love gotten us so far?"

That was it. That was the key. That last little question was what made up his mind. Before he knew it he'd crossed the road and was standing in front of the redhead running a slightly trembling hand over the red braids.

"It's gotten us here. It's kept me alive. It's given me a reason. It's everything."

As Axl looked up Slash searched his eyes his facial expression for some hidden bit of conniving… some sign, but all he found uncertainty and hope. It might not be the best decision that he'd ever made. It might not be the safest decision he'd ever made. But the thing about life he'd learned was that sometimes safe wasn't always the right direction.

Sometimes bad for you was the only way to go.

The End!