#I mean we always see Gun with cigarettes (lung cancer final boss moment) and then we have James always eating candy

[07043012]

Headcanon: James has a habit of keeping some lollipop, gums and candy in his pocket. He has a sweet tooth (gets addicted to sugar)

[guns-n-zeppelin]

Never say die - Chapter one

Pairing: Axl Rose x reader Words: 2561 Summary: Reader accidentally time travels back to 1985 where Axl, Duff, Slash, Steven and Izzy find her. A/N: So i posted this already before but i changed this a bit bc first it was Robert Plant x reader and i don’t have motivation for Robert rn lmao. So now you can enjoy Axl’s company. I’ll try to update asap

”I can't believe it's already today!” my best friend Leo yelled from the living room. I was still in the bathroom trying to fix my hair for tonight. ”I've been waiting for this for such a long time and it's finally happening.”

We were going to see Guns N' Roses at tonight's concert which started at 7 pm. Leo and I loved Guns N' Roses, we were crazy about their music. I had all of their songs on vinyl and many posters on my walls. We were sure for a moment that we couldn't afford to buy the tickets, but luckily I got my salary from work earlier than usual. Probably one reason was also that it was my birthday today and my boss knew how much I loved this band. I finally turned 20 and I was sure this night would be the best birthday ever.

”I know right! I hope they'll play Better, I've been lately really in love with it. My all time favorite is obviously November Rain though, but I know they'll play it every time,” I yelled back and worked with my hair for a couple of minutes more after the curls were good enough. I walked to the living room and saw Leo talking on the phone.

”Dude, how can you not be ready yet?! We're gonna be late soon if you don't hurry up,” Leo said to the phone. Probably talking with Amelie, I thought, she was coming with us and we were supposed to go get her from her house.

”We still have time you know, we're not that busy yet,” I tried to calm him down. He'd been stressing out a lot during the last couple of months. He was sure something bad would happen before the concert and we'd miss it, like for instance Axl would become really sick and lose his voice or the band would get into a car accident.

”We'll be there in 15, you better be ready by then. See you soon!” Leo said and ended the call.

”Calm down, dude. Jesus, you're acting like some young fangirl meeting Harry Styles or who the curly brownie is. Except you're not screaming your lungs out,” I laughed and Leo finally gave me a tiny smile. ”Just breathe.”

”Yeah, let's go,” Leo said and took car keys from the table.

---

It took hours to get in but we finally made it. There were so many people, thousands of them. I had never been in a same area with so many people before. I hadn't been in many concerts because my favorites had mostly either died or they didn't just do gigs anymore. Quite hard to be a classic rock fan in 2017 to be honest. I'd literally do anything to get a time machine and travel back to 70's and 80's. Pink Floyd, The Doors, Nirvana, Queen… There were so many.

”Oh my god,” Amelie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

”What?” I asked and drank water from my bottle.

”Okay, don't look. But how much does that pal look like a mix of Slash and Axl?” Amelie pointed a young guy with long curly brown hair, pilot sunglasses, cigarette in his mouth, a cowboy hat on his head and a red checked shirt around his waist. And right then, I accidentally spitted all of the water left in my mouth straight to some man's back and bursted out laughing.

”Oh my god he really does.”

The man turned around, stared at me and tried to touch his back on the wet spot.

”What the fuck –” he started. Then I fully realized what had happened.

”I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!” I apologized slightly panicking. He just shook his head and turned back to his friends.

Leo was trying to hold his laughter but didn't have time to say anything when the music already started.

---

The concert was amazing, much more amazing than I expected it to be. I literally didn't have any words for the feeling, it was one of the best moments of my life. I couldn't have had any better birthday than tonight. Their first song was Welcome to the Jungle and I slightly cried during Don't Cry – which is quite ironic. Now was the time of their last song before this all would come to its end.

”So this song is really special to us for many reasons. We dedicated this song to our old friend, our best friend,” Axl said on the microphone. ”Without her, we wouldn't probably be here tonight. She was amazing, more than amazing. She was kind, funny and fucking sarcastic. Steven and her did always pranks on the rest of us.”

I had never heard Axl talk about anyone or anything so softly, deeply or just seen him being so emotional during a concert. Everybody in the audience were quiet, probably even held their breaths and let Axl speak without interruptions. He sighed and continued.

”She was always there for us when we had our hard times. I don't have a fucking clue how she handled our drunk asses after some gigs,” Axl laughed. ”We first met in 1985 when we weren't a big thing yet, we were just a little band nobody had ever heard about. And one night we were playing at a local bar and after the playing and stuff she came to talk to us and said how well we played and we would be some helluva band in the future. Well, she wasn't wrong, like she never was.”

I was speechles like were everybody else. Duff and Slash had become more serious now and didn't move even an inch, just stared at the sky.

”She was from Los Angeles as well. She was on a tour with us quite often actually. She meant a lot to us. A lot to me. There’s not a day when i wouldn’t miss her,” Axl said smiling, but was quiet for a moment until continued. ”But the thing is that she died in 1997, she was only 32 years old by then. We were there when it happened and it was literally the worst moment of my whole life. And why are we singing this song exactly today? Well, because this is the day she both died and was born.”

Axl shared a few words with Duff and Slash that the audience couldn't hear. Then he turned to face us again and said:

”Now I'd ask every one of your asses to calm down and have a moment for her.” Axl looked at the dark sky with a couple of stars, ”this is for you, Amy, happy birthday, honey.”

The band began to play and already of the first words I recognized the song to be from the album Chinese Democracy. It was This I Love.

And now I don't know why She wouldn't say goodbye But then it seems that I Had seen it in her eyes And it might not be wise I'd still have to try With all the love I have inside I can't deny I just can't let it die Cause her heart's just like mine And she holds her pain inside So if you ask me why She wouldn't say goodbye I know somewhere inside There is a special light Still shining bright And even on the darkest night She can't deny So if she's somewhere near me I hope to God she hears me There's no one else Could ever make me feel I'm so alive I hoped she'd never leave me Please God you must believe me I've searched the universe And found myself Within' her eyes No matter how I try They say it's all a lie So what's the use of my confessions to a crime Of passions that won't die In my heart So if she's somewhere near me I hope to God she hears me There's no one else Could ever make me feel I'm so alive I hoped she'd never leave me Please God you must believe me I've searched the universe And found myself Within' her eyes

In this point of the song the camera had zoomed to Axl's face and I noticed a couple of tears rolling down his cheek but there was also sorrow on Duff's and Slash's faces. She must have really been an important person in their lives, I wondered and just now noticed how wet my but also Amelie's cheeks were.

So if she's somewhere near me I hope to God she hears me There's no one else Could ever make me feel I'm so alive I hoped she'd never leave me Please God you must believe me I've searched the universe And found myself Within' her eyes So now I don't know why She wouldn't say goodbye It just might be that I Had seen it in her eyes And now it seems that I Gave up my ghost of pride I'll never say goodbye ---

The band said one more good bye and then people were pushing themselves to get out of the place. When we were finally outside of the concert area thingy and could breathe properly without being stuffed between humans, Leo took a cigarette and put it between his teeth.

”Well don't come to cry to me when the doctor tells that you have a cancer,” Amelie said and rolled her eyes.

”You want some, Ruby?” Leo asked, totally ignoring Amelie, and offering me one from the packet. I shrugged and took the cigarette.

”Eh, why not.” I lighted it and watched the smoke flying in the chilly air. ”Why wouldn't we go to a bar or something? It's only 11 pm anyway. And I need something to drink.”

My friends nodded.

”Sure thing. It's been a while since the last time I had vodka,” Amelie stated.

”Funny, it was two days ago, drunky,” Leo snorted.

”Well, we're both apparently destroying our bodies. You your lungs and me my liver,” Amelie grinned and we started walking to the bar. ---

We were nearly there, when we had to cross a dark alley.

”You know, we could go to some other way. This place gives me chills at night,” Amelie told us.

”Yeah, but it's the fastest and besides, you just think too much. Nobody's gonna attack on us tonight. And if someone did, there's three of us to handle it,” I tried to assure. Amelie just scoffed.

”As if Leo could protect us. He even screams and runs away every time he sees a mouse.” Me and Amelie started to giggle.

”Hey! That's not fair and especially not true!”

”Sureee, remember last week when –”

”Hey, Ruby, wanna hear what happened to Amelie yesterday?” Leo started.

”No, no! Fine, you're the manliest man on Earth! You could even fight God!”

I just laughed. I still wondered how they weren't in a relationship. They would be the perfect couple to be honest.

”Thanks I know I'm quite powerful,” Leo said and did an invisible hair flip thingy because his hair wasn't long enough. We were in the middle of the alley when we suddenly heard noise somewhere near. We saw a drunk man ahead of us pushing a young woman against the brick wall with his body. The woman tried to yell help but the man shutted her up by putting his hand roughly on her mouth.

”Well aren't you a pretty lady?” the man said and brushed her long blond hair. She was wearing a purple dress, high heels and a black jacket. We saw already from the distance how afraid she was and without thinking anything, I approached them.

”Hey, asshole! Let the lady go!” I yelled and got his attention.

”Ruby, no, come back! Let's just leave!” Amelie said and tried to pull me with her but I just pulled away from her grip. The drunk guy stared at me for a moment until let the young woman go. She mouthed us 'thank you', took her purse and sprinted quickly away.

”And who might you be? You're just adorable,” he said and smiled, revealing his dirty yellow teeth. His brown hair was a mess, he probably hadn't washed it in a week. His clothes looked like he had rolled himself in a mud and his shirt was full of holes. Suddenly he was so close I could smell his breath. Beer. Disgusting.

Without thinking anything, I punched him with all of my force to his face and he whined in pain and held his bleeding nose. I had never punched anybody so hard and it fucking hurt my hand. I tried to run away with Leo and Amelie, but he was too quick and grapped me by my arm, so I kicked him on his man parts. But he managed to push me hard enough me to fall to the wet and hard ground.

”Ruby!” Leo shouted and tried to help me up and get me away but suddenly I felt horrible pain on my stomach. I saw blood on my t-shirt and saw a bloody knife falling to the ground. The man just stared in front of me a shocked expression on his face.

”Shit. Oh shit,” he murmured before he turned on his heels and run quickly away. Leo got a hold of me before I could collapse.

”Ruby! Ruby, no!” Amelie yelled and felt tears immediately stream from her eyes, as did also Leo.

”Fucking bastard! No, Ruby. Stay with us,” Leo said with shaky voice. ”For fuck's sake, Amelie, call help! Now!”

Amelie's hands were shaking and she barely got dialed the right number on her phone and told ambulance to come here immediately. Leo kneeled on the ground and held me in his arms. He pressed my stomach on the spot where the asshole had stabbed me, trying to stop the bleeding but with a bad success.

”The help is on its way, don't worry, you'll be fine,” Leo said crying. He had stabbed me badly, very badly. I was sure I wouldn't make it alive back home today. A tear rolled down my pale cheek.

”I-I love you guys,” I whispered. ”I really love you two.”

”No, no don't say that!” Amelie said. She had also kneeled next to me and cupped my face between her hands. ”They're here in any second, okay?”

But then I saw nothing but black and the familiar voices of my friends faded away.

---

The next time I woke up, I realized I wasn't at home nor a hospital. I was sure I hadn't been there before, it even smelled strange. I was laying in someone's bed and when I tried to get up I still felt pain in my stomach but not as bad as before and a shockingly familiar figure came from the door and smiled when he saw I was finally awake.

”Oh, great! You're finally awake!” he said.

I stared at him with wide eyes and he was just about to say something when I got up very quickly and basically screamed the words out of me.

”Where the fuck am I?! Who– what–?!”

”Woah, calm down. I won't hurt you.” He held his hands up as if defeated and kept a short pause. ”My name is Axl Rose and we just want to help you.”