"Chas! Guess what!"

"What?" I call from my spot on the couch, about to inhale another handful of popcorn.

"The band is coming over and they're bringing pizza-Well actually it's only Duff and Ax and Izzy!"

I nearly choke.

So this is when it happens, huh? Tonight will be the first time I see Axl since yesterday, when I lost my kiss virginity.

Not if I can help it.

"No!"

Slowly, I can see Michelle stick her head through the kitchen doorway, the phone now pressed into her shoulder.

"What? You don't want pizza? Because I do-"

"We look terrible!" I tell her, gesturing towards my pajama pants. They have Christmas trees on them. It's Spring. And not to mention, I've already taken off my mascara and my hair is a mess.

When Michelle said we could stay at her house tonight because her parents are on a business trip, I didn't prepare for any other eyes besides Michelle's. And she doesn't care what I look like. But Axl might. Well, it's more about how I feel in front of him than his opinion of my appearance that matters.

Because without a doubt, he's going to look well, good. And if I'm going to have to talk to him after yesterday, I need all the confidence I can get. And that doesn't come from an old t-shirt with holes in it.

"Who gives a shit?! I'm hungry, and I'm not eating microwave popcorn all night." She hisses at me before bringing the phone up to her ear, and bringing our debate to a close.

I begin to panic internally.

Oh God. He's going to get here, and look nice and I'm going to look like a mess and clam up and make this awkward and then everyone will know what's up.

"-She's just complaining about how we're already in our pajamas."

"Don't tell them!" I groan, wishing I could slap my hand over Michelle's mouth.

I hear her laugh in the kitchen before she tells them to hurry, and then says bye.

When she comes back into the living room and sits down beside me, I ask her how long she thinks it'll be before they get here.

"Michael said an hour."

And what an hour of hell it is.

I try my best to focus on the T.V. where Sixteen Candles is playing, but it's nearly impossible.

I wonder if Axl and I will even talk about it, if we manage to end up alone with no one eavesdropping. Or maybe if I try to bring it up he'll shut me down. I can't decide on what I want to have happen in an ideal situation.

Somehow, I manage to chill out. Everything will be fine.

When my eyes get heavy, I don't fight to stay awake.

***

"Chas. . . You've gotta get up. I saved you pizza."

As soon as I open my eyes, it registers in my brain that the voice waking me up belongs to the man crouching on the floor before the couch. Axl.

"Hi honey."

Axl smiles at me, but it isn't just a quick, small smile. It starts slowly, his eyes crinkling as the grin starts in the center of his lips and spreads outwards.

"Hi."

He just smiles some more, and it's contagious.

"C'mon. I made sure we got strawberry ice cream just for you." Axl says as he helps me up off the couch, my head a little fuzzy from falling asleep I don't even know how long ago.

"Thanks," I say genuinely.

Pretty much everyone I've ever met thinks that strawberry ice cream is boring and that there's plenty of other flavors that are better and more exciting. And that might be true, but it holds a special place in my heart. I don't really know why, but it does.

And here Axl is, remembering that small fact. Strange.

"It was the least I could do for helping crash your sleepover. And for waking you up." Even more strange, Axl sounds genuine himself.

Normally we'd have ten fights to pick with each other by now.

As soon as I walk into the kitchen, I realize that no one else is around. "Where's Michelle?"

That's the exact moment that I hear a guitar coming from downstairs.

"She's listening to Duff and Iz play her part of a new song. We can't decide if we like it enough to put it on the record."

"Oh. Okay." I leave it at that. As much as I enjoy helping the band, it's nice to have a night off. "And why aren't you down there too?"

As soon as I stop speaking, I see how that question can be taken. More of a "You've clearly got a motive to want to wake me up when everyone else is busy does this mean our makeout meant something", and that's not my intention. Maybe my general nervousness of being around him after what happened is making me overthink it.

Luckily, Axl doesn't think of it that way. At least I don't think so.

I make the decision to stop worrying about it. If we talk about what happened, we do. If we don't, we don't. Immediately, my chest feels lighter.

"'Cause. I wanted to make sure you ate. Michelle said you guys never had dinner."

Again, so much. . . Thoughtfulness. Something I'm not used to from him.

"You didn't have to do that. How long was I asleep?"

"We've only been here for half an hour or so. Maybe a little longer." Axl leans against the kitchen counter.

I assess how many slices of cheese pizza everyone's left for me after grabbing a plate.

There's three, which is two more than I had anticipated. I put them all on my plate before putting it in the microwave.

Once I'm seated at the kitchen table, Axl speaks.

"So how are you? How's your day been?" He leans back in his chair a little, brushing his hair out of his face as he talks. It's getting so long.

"Boring. This is the most exciting part," I pick off a piece of pepperoni from the slice in my hand before eating it. "Having pizza at midnight."

Axl smiles at that.

"How are you?" I ask.

"I'm doin' okay."

"Where's the rest of your disciples?"

That makes him crack more than a smile. He laughs out loud.

"They're out with some guys from L.A. Guns."

"Didn't you used to sing for them?" I ask, swallowing.

"Mhm," He hums.

"Then why aren't you out partying too?"

Why on Earth would Axl want to spend his Friday night at his friend's kid sister's house?

Just as I pick up my second slice, he responds.

"Because I was just dying to see you. It was super important to me. Right at the top of my to-do list. Bring Chasity her ice cream."

"You actually write a to-do list?"

"Do I look like I have my life together to you? Sweetheart, I'm a mess." He could be joking. Or maybe he's serious. I can't tell.

"What problems are plaguing William Axl Rose? Inquiring minds want to know."

He sighs, as if this list is more massive than the to-do list that he doesn't have. "Adult stuff."

I was expecting some serious, juicy details. Some late night gossip. Not that shit. "Adult stuff."

So I think my response of narrowing my eyes and staring at him is more than appropriate.

"You're rude."

"How am I rude?" He puts an offended look on his face.

"Don't treat me like I'm ten, William. Give me the dirty details! Tell me about how your rent is late, and that you're worried you'll be sleeping on a bench in a park or something! That you're frustrated with the album and want to throw it all away! Anything but 'adult stuff.'"

"Okay, okay. You got me. That last part is true."

I have to pause as I'm wiping pizza grease off my fingers with a napkin. "No way. You're kidding."

"It's true," He nods. "Had a little melt down today. Don't tell anyone."

"My lips are sealed," I say solemly.

"I went in to the studio by myself to listen to some of the songs, and I just. . ." He searches for the right word for a second. "Freaked out. I panicked, Chas."

"About what? Everyone sounds great, the guitars are awesome and Duff's parts are genius and Steven is just a big ball of energy-"

"Exactly. The problem is me."

"No!" I practically shout, not wanting to hear it. He's wrong.

"Yes," He counters.

"You are a mastermind, Axl. No one sings like you. No one writes like you. You're doing everything right." I try to reassure him before taking a bite of my pizza.

"Except I'm not. I get off pitch and even though no one else says they can hear it, I can and it bothers me so much. It's all little things but they keep piling up. I want to re-do the whole thing."

"Axl," I start. "I would bet money that Guns N' Roses is going to become huge. If I had any, that is. And I'm talking like, life savings. You guys are so unique-you are so unique. And I know people are going to love the album as much as I do already, and I've only heard it on dingy guitars in a basement."

I don't hear a word out of Axl, not until I look up to make sure he's still here.

"That's sweet, doll. It means a lot to me."

"Well, it's just the truth."

I know I sound shy all of the sudden, and when Axl smiles all I manage is one back.

He stays with me after I finish the pizza and move onto a bowl of ice cream. He has one himself after I insist on fixing him one too. Down in the basement, we can hear Michelle and Duff and Izzy laugh, playing all the instruments that they have at their disposal.

Axl and I join them after dessert, and the guys come to the conclusion that they might as well crash in the basement so they don't have to drive all the way back to Los Angeles in traffic.

I start to fall asleep for the second time tonight, except now I'm ready for a real bed. I say goodnight, tugging Michelle up the steps with me. When we get to her room, I only have enough energy left to pull back the covers on her queen sized bed and climb in before falling asleep for the rest of the night.

***

I wake up, parched. When I look at the Barbie clock Michelle has had for years that's on the nightstand, it says three A.M.

My feet hit the softness of the carpet as I slide off the bed, Michelle still asleep. I make sure to quietly shut the door behind me, then walk down the hall to the stairs. I fix the strap of my tank top as it begins to fall, glancing at the shorts that barely cover my legs.

I shiver a little, hearing the hum of the air conditioning as I continue on to the kitchen to get water. Something I've done at Michelle's house in the middle of the night plenty of times before.

The kitchen is dark, but I don't bother turning on any lights as I go over to the cabinet where all the cups are stored.

I can feel the scream forming in my throat as soon as I feel a warm hand on my middle, clutching my waist. But then another hand is coming up to my mouth, covering it. Keeping me quiet.

"Sshh, it's me Chas. Don't freak out." Axl's voice is right beside my ear, dropping his hand. It grazes over my hip now.

I set the plastic cup in my hand on the counter before turning around to face him, still touching.

The little bit of light coming in from the window above the sink makes Axl's hair shine, and I realize that he's shirtless. He's in the jeans he was wearing earlier. The tight ones.

But I don't have any more time to think about how good he looks, because he's hoisting me up on the counter, the cup clattering to the floor. I can't interject about how loud it is on the tile, not when Axl kisses me.

This time, it's better than yesterday afternoon. I can feel every inch of my body against his. The thinness of my tank top practically makes it as if it isn't there at all. Axl stands between my spread legs, his thighs keeping me steady on the counter where I just barely sit. Just barely, so that he's able to press his lower half against mine.

"That feels so good." I gasp as Axl grinds his hips. His lips are at my neck and my arm is slung over his back. Keeping him close.

"I've been waiting to do this. Ever since yesterday. God, you have no idea Chas." He says against my skin.

I let out shaky breaths, his body moving against mine feeling better and better as time goes on. I almost pout as he backs up, taking his hands off me. I lean back into my arms, planting them on top of the counter.

"In these cute little shorts. . ." Axl begins to crouch down, his hands on my thighs. They're so big they nearly wrap right around me. "I bet your panties are even cuter, huh?"

I hope that the look I give Axl conveys my thoughts well enough: 'You're gonna kill me if you keep it up.'

All he does is grin as he begins to tug the tiny black shorts I'm wearing down my legs. I help him out by lifting myself up some, making it easier. I've never wanted a piece of clothing off of me so badly before.

Once he's got them around my ankles, he stops, looking back up at me again.

"C'mon Axl! Please. . ." I'm begging now.

He doesn't look away from my face as he pulls them off the rest of the way. They fall to the floor, and he stands once again, his hands moving back up my thighs.

Both our heads look down at his movements, my whole body shaky with anticipation of what he's going to do now. He spreads my thighs, even wider than they were earlier.

"I was right. They are cute," He laughs.

I can feel my face heat up as I look at the white lace. It comes up from the V of my thighs and wraps high up on my hips.

Axl lets a few fingers spread over the top of my pubic bone, right up to where a small pale pink bow sits. "Like a god damn present."

Oh my God.

I look back up at Axl's face to see that he's staring at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his arm move, his bicep flexing a bit. And I feel his movements, too. Right over my core.

My head snaps down, seeing his fingers press into my underwear as he drags them up and down slowly.

All I manage is a breathy sigh.

"Bet this is new."

"Don't stop."

"I won't, doll."

Axl's free hand comes up to my chest once he sees the outline of my nipples through the thin cotton. I arch up into his touch, crying out.

"Kiss me," I whisper.

And he does. His lips press to mine sweetly, like it's all so innocent. Like he isn't exploring my body. Like my underwear aren't soaked and I'm not moaning into his mouth.

As he kisses the corner of my lips, I remember that I'm sitting on Michelle's kitchen counter. Everyone is asleep. Out of nowhere, it feels hotter in here.

It's like my hands can't move fast enough, my lips still on Axl's. I fumble with Axl's belt, frowning after we pull away when I can barely manage to get it somewhat off of him.

"Let me do it," Axl laughs a little at my attempt. He takes his hands off of me, bringing them down to his belt buckle.

I don't waste another second before pulling my underwear off. . .