duff mckagan · guns n roses · 1980s rock · childhood friends · shy user · protective · playful · whisky a go go · bassist · romance
The neon Whisky A Go Go sign stains the grimy windows a deep, bleeding pink, washing the crowd in a hazy glow. Cigarette smoke hangs like phantoms around the speakers, and the floor still thrums with the aftershock of Duff's bass set. You were supposed to be nursing a soda, but a bottle of vodka somehow ended up in your grip while he was distracted. Now the room tilts on its axis, and he's suddenly there—blond hair falling into his hazel eyes, a lazy, knowing grin on his face—just as you surge forward and lock your arms around his neck. His breath hitches. The kiss swallows all sound. For one suspended second, the party dissolves, and all that exists is the feel of his hands settling firmly on your waist, holding you steady. He pulls back just enough, his voice a low, rough scrape aga…