Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Really, love, you’re not as stupid as you think,” You murmured, barely looking up from the heavy book rested in your lap.
Stuart pouted from where he was sat. “But I am though! I can’t even say pacific right! No, I mean spe-…. spa-…… I mean-”
“Stu, it doesn’t matter. Really,” You responded with a frown, gazing up at him. “You’re smarter than me in some ways, anyways.”
“Oh yeah? How?” He asked stubbornly, scowling. It was more than obvious that he didn’t believe you.
“You can perform wonderfully,” You say. “And I’m not sure if I could ever perform as good as you can.”
You watched as his brows furrowed and the way he bit his lip, clearly deep in thought as he processed what you’d said. He was clearly confused.
“Well yeah, but that took a while to get used to. I had to learn that,” Stuart responded.
“And I had to do a lot of learning to get into university,” You said with a grin.
The blue haired man in front of you gnawed on his lip, letting out little huffs of breath. He didn’t know how to respond. His darkened eyes narrowed at you and he frowned deeper. You let out a soft sigh, moving the book off of your folded legs. You then walked over to him and nuzzled your face into his neck affectionately. His face warmed up slightly and he rubbed your back gently.
“Stu, I love you okay? Whether you’re smart or not. Alright?” You asked him softly.
“Okay,” Stuart mumbled, the corners of his lips twitched upwards slightly. He leaned over and gave you a quick kiss. “You can finish up now, love. I won’t bother you anymore.”’
You grinned. “Screw it,” You murmur into his neck. “I can finish it later. I’d rather spend some time with you.”
He grinned brightly, showing off his adorable gap. “I won’t argue with that.”

Chapter Text

You could’ve sworn that it was his millionth time watching Dawn of the Dead. It got a bit annoying after a few hundred plays, it was like watching the same movie over and over with a little toddler, but you would never, ever complain when he asked to watch it. Because whenever 2D would watch it he would get that starry, wondrous look on his face and in his eyes. You had never seen a man that age, or any man or human in general, get so excited about a zombie film. He was so beautiful and captivating and you’d give him the whole wide world if you could.
Uninterested in the movie, as you could almost recite the whole thing by heart, you rested your head on his shoulder with a sweet grin. He was too busy shoving handfuls of microwaved popcorn into his mouth to notice you there. You attempted to think up a way to get his attention.
You tried to elevate yourself, and smiled at your success. You planted a few soft kisses on his collarbone and nuzzled your nose into the crook of his neck. The corners of his lips twitched upwards into a smile and he turned his head to look at you. You grinned and nibbled at his neck very gently, making him chuckle.

“That tickles,” He protested. Pausing, he murmured, “What’s the occasion, love?”
“There is no occasion,” You responded, smiling up at him. “You’re just beautiful. So, so beautiful!”
He let out a little tiny giggle, kissing the tip of your nose. “Thanks, love.”
“You’re a beautiful angel boy sent straight from heaven just for me,” You continued. “Aren’t you, my dearest?” You kissed all over his face, on his cheeks and forehead and lips and the tip of his nose.
He couldn’t help but laugh a bit harder. Soon, you found yourself laughing with him. His face softened as your hands ran through his messy blue locks. Your movements were soft and careful, and he loved it so much.
“Perfection,” You murmured, staring into the endless voids that gave him his nickname. “2D. An amazing, blue haired, black eyed god.”
With that, you settled back down beside him, and the two of you continued watching your movie.

Chapter Text

It was in the late morning, nearly noon, when Russel woke up. He was surprised to see the number 11:30 glancing back at him on the clock. He’d gotten enough sleep that night. The corners of his lips twitched upwards. He felt…. Refreshed. Yeah, that was the word. Refreshed.
Sure, he was a bit sleepy still, but a bit of extra drowsiness was a normal thing to shake off after waking up in the morning. He sat up, a long yawn escaping his mouth. The house was quiet and peaceful. Very serene. Unusual, but much needed.
Katsu, who had slept in his room, was curled up on the bed beside him, purring softly as he realized that Russel was awake. He stroked the cat’s fur with a light hand, a smile playing on his face. He couldn’t help but love how easygoing the cat was around him. It was nice, to have someone around him that wasn’t always worrying about him. Because he knew it was what they all did. Noodle, 2D, even Murdoc, they all constantly worried for him. Because of all of the ghosts and demons and his mental illness. It was good to have people that cared about him, but they acted like the demons completely and entirely defined him. Like he wasn’t his own person or something. So it was nice for Katsu to not act like that and just treat him like any other human.
He moved carefully as to not disturb the cat beside him, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He carefully stepped into his cozy pair of slippers, then stretched out. Looking out the window, he glanced at what it looked like outside of the house. Beautiful was the first thing that came to mind that could possibly describe the day. He let out another yawn and was reminded of his slight lingering sleepiness. Maybe he could have a cup of coffee with breakfast. Surely he’d need to make breakfast, unless Noodle had already made some, but he didn’t really mind. He could make himself some pancakes or something. Probably 2D too, if he hadn’t gotten himself a heaping bowl of cereal before Russel got to the kitchen, and maybe even Noodle if she wanted any. He didn’t mind. Murdoc most likely wouldn’t even be awake, but that was good since Russel didn’t want his good day spoiled by Murdoc being cranky.
He made his way to the kitchen of the abnormally peaceful Spirit-House, pleased that not a spirit was in sight to ruin his mood. He could tell that sounds were coming from the TV, where Noodle and 2D were watching Night of the Living Dead and eating their Lucky Charms. He smiled. He could tell that they were in good moods as well, and that their happiness and focus on the movie were making the house a bit calmer. Murdoc was reading a newspaper and sipping from a mug of tea at the kitchen table, the crumbs of a muffin he’d eaten scattered on a napkin in front of him.
It was more than wonderful to see that all of his bandmates were having as good of a day as he was. Though, who could be in a bad mood when it was so beautiful?
Russel hummed to himself as he got his coffee started and moved to work on his pancake batter.
Eventually, his whole breakfast was all fixed up. He dumped a bit of syrup on top of his stack of pancakes, and settled down in a seat at the kitchen table with smile.

As he nibbled on his small stack of delicious pancakes, 2D and Noodle stood as the credits rolled and walked into the kitchen to set their bowls in the mess of dishes on the counter. 2D beamed and sat beside him as Noodle set a bag of popcorn in the microwave.
“Wanna watch some zombie movies with us?” He asked, tilting his head like a puppy and grinning. “Dawn of the Dead’s next! You can bring your pancake in there, or we can wait ‘til you’re done, if you want to watch with us.”
Russel smiled, held up a finger as a signal for 2D to wait until he swallowed his food, then he responded. “Maybe once I’m done,” he said, 2D’s grin proving contagious as soon he couldn’t help but grin as well.
Noodle was soon cheerfully smiling where she was stood, too. “We’re on a marathon,” she explained, still not tearing her eyes away from the popcorn as it spun in the microwave. “Murdoc, you can even watch with us as well if you want.”
Murdoc looked like he was sucking on a lemon with the sudden sour expression on his face, but it warmed up and he sighed. “S’pose I don’t have anything else to do….”

And, once Russel had finished eating, the whole band made their way to the lounge to watch their zombie film. 2D popped the disc into the DVD player, and moved back to sit between Noodle and Russel, who had been pasing the popcorn back and forth.
With no spirits in sight, the whole band in good moods, and pleasant banter to go along with the movie, Russel was happy. The happiest he’d been in ages.

Chapter Text

The band had gone out for drinks to celebrate the success of Humanz, so you’d tagged along. 2D had insisted on it, since he didn’t want to sit alone at the party. You didn’t mind going with him, since a few drinks wouldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, because you had such a sweetheart as a boyfriend, you had forgotten how jerky some guys were.
For a good 20 minutes, a group of guys from a table nearby you kept shouting catcalls in your direction. A lot of it was pretty nasty, as it was mainly them making remarks about how good you’d be in bed. You were personally getting uncomfortable, but you could tell that 2D was feeling even worse than you are, but it only got worse from there.
One of the guys walked up to where you two were sitting, trying to get your name. He was incessant, and it was rather awkward to deal with.

“Hey, mate, could you sod off?” 2D asked, trying to swallow back his nervousness and be tough about it. “They’re taken.”
“Could you sod off?” The man mocked. He turned to you, a nasty smirk on his face. “Come on, let’s leave this loser.”
That was the point that you’d had enough. You grabbed 2D by the wrist and tugged him away, outside, so you could leave, and possibly cool down as you waited for the taxi to arrive. Your face was flushed, and the chilly nighttime air helped to relax as you breathed in. 2D was oddly quiet, and you looked up at him nervously.

“You alright there, angel?” You asked softly, reaching for his hand.
“Bloody jerk,” 2D said quietly, biting his lip. He folded his arms and scowled. “I…… I was almost worried you were gonna go walking off with him. Other people I’ve been with would’ve…”
“Oh, Stuart,” You whispered, wrapping an arm around him and pressing your forehead to his in a gentle, comforting way. “I’d never… Never hurt you like that. Never.”
“Never?” He asked, brows furrowing.
“Never,” You said with a nod. You then grabbed his hand, leading him to the taxi that had pulled up. “Now, let’s go home. Okay, baby?”
“Okay,” he murmured, nodding. He smiled, and the two of you climbed into the taxi, so you could go and relax at home, away from any assholes at the bar who might bring you any trouble.

Chapter Text

Noodle rested on back on the bed that the two of you shared, and there was a laptop right on the bed in front of you. Bored, you two had been watching those stupid ‘RIP VINE’ videos for the past four hours. Not straight in a row, you’d left the house to pick up some McDonald’s and then picked up where you had left off. The two of you were drinking your milkshakes and stuffing french fries into your mouths. It was a boring, sleepy day. Murdoc was hungover and sleeping, and the last time you checked, Russel and 2D had gone out to hang out into the city.
Your head rested on her shoulder, and you yawned. Noodle turned her head to you and grinned.

“Sleepy?” She asked, brows furrowing.
You nodded, sharing her grin. She kissed your whipped-cream covered lips softly, holding your face in her hands. You smiled. In your mind, you realized that you could easily wake the both of you up. Sitting up, your hands reached her sides and you pounced on her, tickling her. She giggled loudly, wiggling around as you changed position to attack her with your merciless tickles.
Noodle shrieked with laughter. Though she was trained to be a soldier as a child, she hadn’t been expecting your sudden movement and she struggled to push you off.
“I surrender, I surrender!” She giggled.
Once you finally drew back, setting her free, she flipped herself over and attacked you right back. You tried to wriggle away but she had you pinned.
“You said you surrender!” You grumbled once she was finally finished tickling you.
“Yeah, but I changed my mind. Wanted revenge,” Noodle said, panting and shrugging. She wore a beautiful grin that made your heart flutter and you realized that you couldn’t be upset, especially after you’d started it.

You sighed, scooting out from underneath her and allowing her to wrap her arm around your shoulders. You pecked her cheek and rested your head on her shoulder. As you relaxed there beside her, you realized that you wouldn’t ever want to be anywhere else.

Chapter Text

You remembered the moment that 2D’s shaky hands had quickly dialed an ambulance, while Noodle and Russel helped you remain calm as you worked on pushing a baby out of you, with heaving breaths. And holding 2D’s hand the whole way to the hospital. At the hospital, too, throughout the whole process.
For the whole process, you were mainly worried you were breaking his hand, but he didn’t care. You were at the hospital anyways, so once the baby was out he promised he’d get his hand checked out.
After a good four hours of labor, the doctor looked up at you and proudly announced to you and Stuart that you’d birthed a healthy baby boy. You both glanced into each other’s eyes, both of your hearts swelling with pride and joy, as the baby was cleaned, swaddled, and placed in your shaky arms.
That all happened a year ago. Now, that precious baby boy was on to babbling happily and was lively as ever. His name was Oliver, a little blue haired boy, getting that from his father, and your eye color.
One morning, you woke up to your husband absent from his side of the bed, and Oliver missing from his crib. You stood, looking for the both of them. Once you got closer to the lounge you could hear 2D singing. You weren’t sure what it was, it was mainly incoherent mumbling in a more musical tone. Upon walking in, you found Oliver sat in 2D’s lap, with both of them on the ground in front of a keyboard. Oliver’s tiny hands were smacking the keys and 2D was attempting to make a song out of it. You smiled as you watched the two boys together.

2D glanced up at you, grinning widely. “He got hungry so I took him out here and fed him, then we got a little… distracted.”
“That’s fine,” you murmured. “You’re so cute, you know.”
“Me or Ollie?” He asked, chuckling.
When Oliver heard his name, he glanced up. “Ma! Ma!”
You giggled yourself and sat beside them on the floor. “Both of you.”

Stuart gave you a quick kiss, and then gently kissed the top of Oliver’s head. You could almost feel the pride radiating off of him as Oliver smacked his hands into the keys once more to capture his parents’ attention once again. As you watched them, Oliver on the man’s lap, and Stuart with his arms protectively keeping him from falling and hurting his head, you realized that there was no other place you’d like to be. Right there, beside your husband and son. You couldn’t think of anything better.

Chapter Text

“You’ll never guess who I found!”

When 2D had shouted that on an otherwise peaceful afternoon in the Spirit House, Murdoc immediately felt a wave of dread sweep over him. Of course, Murdoc wasn’t scared of much, and if he was scared of something he wouldn’t dare show it. But hearing that? That scared him.
Who could he have found? It could be literally anyone. It could be one of Murdoc’s family members, for all he knew! That’s what sent a shiver down his spine, what made his heart and mind race in sudden worry. Stuart Pot could’ve picked up any random weirdo off of the street. He had to go down to where his voice had come from to find out, he decided.

“Wow, Stuart,” he could hear Noodle saying, “he looks just like you!”
That scared Murdoc even more.
“It’s more than looks, my dear Noodle,” 2D said, a beaming grin on his face.
Murdoc walked out and finally saw the person who 2D was going on about. Noodle was right, his vocalist and the man next to him looked horrifyingly similar. So similar, in fact, that if Noodle hadn’t said anything before he saw the two, he would’ve worried he was seeing double.
“So what else about him is similar, ‘D?” Russel asked, raising a brow.
Then, they noticed Murdoc. But 2D didn’t really speak to him.
“Well, apparently, he’s a Buddhist like me,” he began. “And he loves keyboards too, like me!”
“I’ve dabbled with vocals, too,” the other man said, though he was a little less enthusiastic than his double.
Murdoc’s sharp teeth gnawed at his own lip nervously. He couldn’t think of anything to say.

Russel, Noodle, and 2D all broke off into conversation with the other blue haired man, who Murdoc didn’t even know the name of, and then he suddenly thought of something that made him feel a colossal mixture of feelings, mainly negative. For example, apprehension.

“So… Wait, there are two faceaches now?” Murdoc asked.
Noodle glared at him, gently punched his arm. Not too bad, but probably bad enough to leave it aching for the rest of the day, maybe even into the next. 2D quickly apologized to the man for Murdoc, and Russel shook his head.
As Murdoc rubbed his arm with a hand, he silently hoped that maybe Stuart could take his new pal somewhere else to hang out. He could barely handle one Stuart. Two would be far too much.

Chapter Text

“Baby,” You whispered, voice scratchy as you tried to get your sleeping girlfriend’s attention. You gave her shoulder a gentle shake, fighting back a monstrous sneeze.
Noodle yawned loudly. At first, she was scowling. Slowly, as she woke up and realized what was wrong. “Sick?”
You nodded, reaching for a tissue and blowing hard into it. Noodle pouted, kissing your forehead to see if you were warm.
“What’s the diagnosis?” You ask her between coughs.
“Probably a cold,” Noodle murmured, moving to stand up. “I’ll make you some soup. It’ll help your sinuses.”
She stood up and stretched, and you drowsily mumbled an incoherent flirt, which made her roll her eyes.
“Take a little nap while I’m busy,” Noodle advised, “and I’ll be back.”

It seemed like an eternity of waiting, but eventually you were gently poked awake. There was a little tray across your lap and a steaming bowl of soup atop it. Noodle sat with her legs crossed, a pair of chopsticks in hand, as she got you a bite of the actual noodles in the bowl. She helped you sit up and coaxed a bite into your mouth. Noodle was always the best at making just about anything. It didn’t take much for her to convince you to eat the soup.
Noodle hummed softly as she fed you little bites. Eventually, all of the noodles and veggies were eaten.

“You didn’t need to feed me,” You mumbled, a little smile growing on your face. “I’m not too sick to do it myself.”
Noodle shook her head. “I wanted to, though. I like to spoil you sometimes, love. Now, open up.”
She held the bowl to your mouth and you carefully sipped the broth. She then set it down and smiled at you.
“It is a bit nice, yeah,” You murmured, grinning at her. She grinned back at you, running a hand through your hair.
“How about I draw you a bath and then we can watch a movie?” Noodle asked. “Any movie you’d like to watch

You complied and allowed her to prepare the bath for you, and after the nice, steamy, relaxing bath, the two of you snuggled up in bed under the covers with a heaping bowl of popcorn and a nice movie playing on the TV.

“You know,” Noodle mumbled, “Once you aren’t sick, I’m gonna kiss you so many times that there’ll be lipstick all over your cute face.”
“Oh really?” You coughed. “I suppose you can consider me excited.”
Noodle smiled, kissing the top of your head where it was rested on her shoulder. With that comforting gesture, your eyes fluttered close, and halfway through the movie, you fell asleep in Noodle’s comforting embrace.

Chapter Text

2D’s fingers dug into his scalp as he held his head, trying to distract himself from the aches that plagued him. Shaky breaths made his whole body tremble. Tears from hours before still stained his cheeks. He cried so his brain wouldn’t drown in the bad feelings, that was his philosophy, but how come it never worked anymore? He always felt awful at this point.
He could see no light penetrating the dark waves that passed his window. He just knew it was late. If it wasn’t late, Murdoc would’ve probably dragged him up to the studio, the cyborg shoving a gun in his face, and he’d be forced to sing. He didn’t even had the comfort of his pills to take his mind off of the pain, to take his mind off of all that he went through. He had nobody but Murdoc and that stupid robot. And the whale.
So basically, he had nobody.

The feeling of such loneliness was awful. At least back at Kong, he had Noodle and Russel to comfort him if Murdoc ever stole his pills or bothered him. But now he just had a pillow to hug and sob to as he hoped to any powers out there that Murdoc would just let him have a few, just a few pills. Just to relieve the headache that made him feel like his skull was being split open. His stomach hurt at its emptiness, his throat ached from the dryness, caused the lack of water for him to drink and the amount of tears he’d shed since he last had anything to drink.
He stood and walked a few steps, trying to reach his bedroom door, ready to beg on his knees for Murdoc to show mercy and give him just a single bottle of pills, just a little food and water. He was singing fine, wasn’t he? He was doing his job. Wasn’t he doing good?
He had no clue. For all he knew, he sounded like a dying swan.

He stumbled and fell, head colliding with the floor, sending a spike of pain throughout him. His hands returned to his awfully pained head and he fought down a sob. He couldn’t afford to cry until he could get his hands on something to hydrate him. Instead, he sat up, dizzy, and finally made it to his door. He got all of the way there just to find it to be locked. It became more of a struggle to hold back the tears.
He stumbled back to his bed, and flopped down, pulling his blanket over his head miserably. He prayed that Murdoc would just allow him something for their next recording session. He needed it badly. Then, with his face buried in his pillow, he repeated the lyrics he’d been bullied into memorizing until his body could no longer remain awake.

Chapter Text

2D couldn’t remember the last instance where he’d been genuinely happy for the life of him. Plastic Beach had been rough for him, and every blow to his emotional stability had been strong, and he was weak and defenseless. Losing Noodle, losing Russel, being kidnapped and hauled to an island of trash by Murdoc and having to live in fear of being eaten alive by a whale or attacked by the scary green monster for what he deemed to be poor singing, were all things that diminished his happiness to an all time low. Additionally, he had not been able to see any of the family related to him by blood, talk to any friends, come and go at his will. He was trapped in the literal middle of nowhere with nothing to protect him and nothing to keep him from plummeting into crippling sadness and loneliness, an overall horrible melancholic state. No, melancholy was too theatrical a word for him to describe how he felt. Depressed fit him way better, he believed.
For a while, he’d gave up on trying his luck with any genuine happiness. Whether he felt like he didn’t deserve it or didn’t have the energy to put any effort into it, he again could not seem to remember. They were all excuses, people would tell him. Things would get better, he’d just have to wait and see. But he’d been doing 20 or so years worth of waiting. He just wanted to feel at this point.
His addictions had steadily gotten worse. He drank, he swallowed handfuls of pills daily, he smoked more than ever. All to just try to relieve the stress and anxiety and sadness. Because, he supposed, feeling nothing at all was better than feeling that persistent awfulness. He’d gone through a lot throughout his whole life. When would it be over? When could he finally be happy?
Then he met somebody. You.

It was a decent night for him. He was going out of the house for once. Out to a bar, of course, but out. It was definitely a start.
He hadn’t gotten attention from a pretty girl in ages. He was nervous to even speak to you that night, but it happened. And sure, you might’ve gotten off on a strange start, but it lead to something big.
He was completely smitten. So, so in love. It was more than a one night thing, thank the lord for that. And you gave him a reason to try.
You, with the help of his bandmates, encouraged him to go to therapy. You helped him take care of himself. He actually tried, for you.
He thought that maybe, just maybe, it was a stupid reason for him to get better, but maybe it was actually the push that he needed to at least help him keep going.
Either way, he was going to accept that.

Chapter Text

The two of you were snuggled together on a random day, watching some movies together. You wanted to watch cutesy animated movies, whereas he wanted to watch his bloody zombie movies. But he reluctantly agreed to your selection and allowed you to pick the movie. Unknowingly, you had picked Pinocchio.
Now, you were never updated on the whole “Disney’s Pinocchio causes a lot of post traumatic stress in this house” thing. You hadn’t really thought to ask, of course. And you’d noticed 2D stiffen as he processed what movie the two of you were watching, but he never said anything.
It only took the foreshadowing of the main characters being eaten by the whale Monstro to get his breathing to become irregular. Once the scene finally occurred, he was quick to become a mess, his eyes shut tight.
He could remember the walls crumbling and the way the whole room shook. The bellow of the creature outside of his window as its head butted into the exterior of the beach. The way everything shifted as the whale ripped his room out of the island. Then he was plunged into the empty darkness that he was stuck in for the time that seemed to be eternal.
Then, he was slightly snapped out of his daze when he heard your voice.

“Stuart?” You’d murmured. “Deep breaths, lovey. Deep breaths. You’ll be okay.”
You felt guilty, you wish you had known about the issue beforehand, so you could’ve avoided him panicking.
The blue haired man. with his eyes still squeezed shut, attempted to do as you’d said. You’d been quick to shut off the television so the audio and visuals would stop.
Then, you continued to talk him through it, reassuring him that he’d be okay, that he was safe, that he had no need to panic.

Eventually he’d relaxed enough to grab onto your hands and melt into your lap, shaking and whimpering as you held him.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t pay more attention to how you were reacting,” You murmured. “You’ll be okay, baby.”
He nodded meekly, holding onto you. He focused on his breathing and your gentle voice and eventually, though it took a little while, he was calm.

Chapter Text

Growing up, you’d always wanted to see the world. It was this huge dream of yours.
It was just your luck that your wonderful boyfriend happened to be a musician who traveled frequently to go on tours. With him, you were able to see the world, just like you’d always dreamed of.
Sure, very often he was busy with his whole “famous rockstar” thing, but somehow he always seemed to set aside time to go sightseeing with you in whatever city that you happened to be in. So, you saw a lot of places with him at your side. You’d gotten into the habit of taking a few pictures per city so you’d have plenty to help you keep your little adventures fresh in your mind.
He still hadn’t found out about your little book.
It was a scrapbook that you’d practically custom made, adding lettering to the front and everything. When he was busy, you’d work on a page to commemorate your travels. Pictures of you and him, pictures of him, pictures of key features in the city, each with a little handwritten detail or sentence to explain your love for him, and your appreciation for the time you were lucky enough to be able to spend with him. Page after page you worked hard on, putting every ounce of love you could into it. For his upcoming birthday, you’d show him what you had so far.

“Stu!” You’d sung out happily as you hid the book of happy memories behind you. “I’ve got a surprise for you!”
Your blue haired boyfriend’s brows raised. ”A surprise?” His face lit up like a happy child. “I like birthday surprises.”
You smiled back at him. “This one’s a special one,” You told him mischievously. Then, you showed him the book, with “Our Adventures” neatly displayed on the cover.
His expression grew soft and he opened up the book, taking time to examine each carefully made page and each precisely written inscription. He swore he could feel his heart melting as he examined each photo from the places you two had visited together.
“My love,” he murmured, a huge grin growing on his face that had just previously been displaying an adorable look of focus. “This is the best gift I could hope for.”

Your face lit up and he set the book down, then pulled you into a deep, loving kiss, unable to wipe the smile off of his face. You were right to believe it to be the perfect gift and were so glad you’d picked that day out of all of the others to show him, especially as you stood there in his embrace, heart swelling with love, happiness, and passion.

Chapter Text

You wasn’t sure what was wrong with your boyfriend. Normally, if something was wrong, he’d tell you. But you can tell by the pouty look on his face and the way his whole body has less of a cheerful way of being held than any other time. His brows were furrowed like he was lost in thought. You were out to dinner and there must’ve been something on his mind. So you reached across the table and rubbed his hand nervously.

“What’s wrong?” You asked him softly.
“Nothing’s wrong,” He said, trying to fake a cheerful look on his face. It then faltered when he realized you could see through it.
“You can tell me, Stu,” You murmured. “I promise I’ll do my best to help.”
He picked at his spaghetti and sighed. “I- I don’t know.. I’m just feeling strange today.”

You frowned as you examined him, taking a bite of your own food. You tried to think of what could’ve possibly been troubling him. You glanced over at him and sighed. With your free hand, you gently held his.

“Whatever it is, I’m here if you need me,” You promised, a tiny smile growing on your face.
He nervously smiled back at you. Then he looked up at you and sighed. “I feel like I’m not a good enough boyfriend. Like I don’t treat you as well as I should or something, that I could be better.”
Your expression softened. “..Stuart,” you murmured, pouting as you squeezed his hand gently. “You’re doing perfectly fine. You don’t need to worry.”
He relaxed his body slightly. “Really?”
“Really,” You said in a calm voice. “You’re the best boyfriend I could ever ask for.”

He blinked, processing it, and then grinned, slurping up a bit of spaghetti happily. His hand squeezed yours right back and beamed at you.

“Thanks, love,” he mumbled through his mouthful of spaghetti. “I needed to hear that.”
“Of course,” You chirped happily. “Any time.”

Once you’d both finally finished your meals and paid, the two of you went for a leisurely walked around the city, holding each other’s hands and staying close to each other happily. And the rest of the day was good.

Chapter Text

The commotion in the house occurred after sunset. 2D was just trying to have a relaxing evening, maybe put on a movie. He hadn’t watched Napoleon Dynamite in a while, so maybe he’d find the disc for it and watch that. But then he could hear loud banter from the kitchen and Russel letting out a loud sigh, followed by a loud laugh from Murdoc that sent a spike of fear through him.
What the hell was going on out there?
He nervously walked toward the kitchen to find Murdoc and another man, who looked horrifyingly similar to him, chatting over a couple of beers. They had a similar way of dressing, of holding themselves, they even had very similar styles of hair. They didn’t even seem to notice him when he walked in. Noodle did, however.

She looked up from her seat at the kitchen table. “Murdoc got a friend.”
“I heard,” 2D mused, looking in the fridge for something to eat.
“Oi! Faceache!” Murdoc called out. He sounded happier than he’d heard him in ages. “This is my new pal, met ‘im at a bar a few days ago. He decided to come spend some time over here.”
The young man glanced over at him and waved, uninterested. 2D waved blankly, pulling out the jug of milk and a glass, and poured it. It was good to see Murdoc so happy, but he was getting a headache from the loud, cheerful banter, Russel looked confused, and Noodle simply looked tired. But….. Had he ever seen Murdoc so happy? He wasn’t sure.

“‘M glad you came to visit,” Murdoc murmured, beaming at the man with his jagged teeth.
“I’m glad you invited me,” responded the man with the same enthusiasm, getting ready to leave.
Murdoc nodded and then suddenly he leaned forward to kiss the other man. He obliged. And then he was gone, and Murdoc was alone again, like usual.

Chapter Text

You’d been dating 2D for a while, and it was safe to say that the both of you were absolutely in love with each other. You’d met after you had moved to Britain, and the rest was history.

Often, you could find yourself cradled in his arms and snuggling with him, his hands playing with your hair in an absent-minded fashion. But little bits of playful banter always made your day a bit better, a bit brighter.

“Want to watch a movie or somefin’?” 2D asked you cheeerfully, glancing at you with those vacant eyes of his.
“Sure,” you responded. “Somefin’ like that.” A little grin grew on your face.
“Yeah,” 2D said cheerfully. In that moment he was oblivious. “What do you want to watch, love?”
Mimicking his accent, you responded, “Dunno.”

He processed your speech and narrowed his eyes. He’d caught on to your playful copying of his speech, and raised a brow. You snickered a bit, your grin growing wildly. He examined you, thinking, and then he grinned himself.

“Want some soda or popcorn?” He asked, putting all of his effort into making his voice that of an annoying, stereotypical American girl.
To be fair, you hadn’t really expected that from him. But you thought it was funny all the same.
“Sure, love,” you responded. “Would we need to head to the shop, though?”
“Nah,” 2D responded, shaking his head, trying to keep a laugh out of his voice.

The two of you went on like that for a while, until you’d both dissolved into laughter. 2D, as he calmed down, kissed your cheek gently, which made your smile grow widely. You cuddled up in his arms and let out a little sigh.

“I love you,” you whispered, the fake accent just barely present in your voice. “So much.”
“I love you too, you weirdo,” he snickered, nuzzling your cheek gently.

He held you, and quietly turned the channel to a random horror movie, his hands playing with a few strands of your hair. The statement was true. Silly banter always made your day so much brighter.

Chapter Text

You let out a little groan of pain, curling up in the fetal position with your eyes squeezed shut and your hands massaging your stomach, though it did just about nothing. Noodle was still fast asleep, and you really didn’t want to wake her up, but you figured you probably would if you kept shifting the way you’d been since you woke up. Shark week was hitting you like a train at top speed and this certainly won the prize for the worst pain you’ve felt in a long, long time. It was a miserable time and it picked the worst time to start, though, really, you’d be fine with it never starting.

A shaky smile grew on your face when you saw Noodle begin to stir, a little yawn coming from her as she sat.
“What time is it?” She groaned, brushing her bangs out of her eyes so she could see the time displayed on her vintage Hello Kitty clock that was displayed on a nearby shelf. She turned on a lamp to see it better, but then sighed upon reading the time. “Four in the morning,“ she grumbled.
“It’s that time of the month,” you mumbled. “Hurting like hell..”
Noodle’s expression softened and she gave you a little pitiful pout. “Oh, baby,” Noodle murmured, stroking your hair gently. “Do you need anything? Tea, or pills, or a heating pad?”
You let out a tiny groan. “All of those sound great, actually.”

Noodle stood quickly, paused to stroke your hair gently once more, and then rushed off quickly. Your face pressed into your pillow, a new wave of pain sweeping over you. Trying to keep your mind off of the pain, you decided to focus on listening for the footsteps that meant your girlfriend was coming back.

You’d nearly fallen asleep by the time she’d arrived, but thank the stars in the sky, she’d brought you back plenty of stuff to help you out.
“Sit up,” she murmured. Noodle kept a calm expression, but you knew she was just putting on a mask for your sake. You could tell by the look in her eyes she was worried about you.
You did as you were told, moving yourself into a sitting position carefully, blinking at her in the dim light of her lamp she’d turned on. You saw she’d brought a mug of tea, a bottle of pills, a blanket with a cord attached, and a little bit of chocolate wrapped in aluminum foil packaging.
“Eat a bit,” Noodle advised. “It’ll help the cramps, and the pills won’t tear up your stomach if you eat a bit.”
You stuffed the chocolate into your mouth and smiled at her gratefully. She smiled back and waited patiently.
“Pills next?” You asked her after you’d gulped down the sweets.

She nodded and put a few in your hand, then offered you the mug, which you happily accepted. You took the pills and leisurely sipped the tea as she fixed the heating pad over your abdomen. Once your tea was finished, you sunk into the bed and relaxed as the warmth consumed you. Noodle cuddled you in her arms and smiled worriedly.

“Feel any better?” She asked softly.
“Hmm,” you murmured, sinking into the comforting feeling of the sheets. “Yeah. Everything’s better when I’ve got you.”
Noodle kissed your forehead before turning off the lamp and getting comfortable beside you. “I’m glad you’re feeling decent. Now, let’s sleep. I think we’re both exhausted.”

Chapter Text

Murdoc’s sexuality had always been something debated over by his fans. Was he really bisexual? Was he gay, or straight?
Well, he knew one thing. Heterosexuality was not an option. Especially not with you being on the planet earth.
All of his life, he’d been told that stuff like that was bad. Hell, he grew up in a much less progressive time, and openly being “one of them” could’ve put him in danger. But he grew older, lived to a better time for the LGBTQ+, said fuck it, and decided he’d love whoever he wanted no matter what people thought of him.
Almost as soon as he fully came to terms with himself, he fell in love with you.

It wasn’t necessarily that simple, really, it wasn’t one of those cliché “love at first sight” dramatic romance. Rather, he kept seeming to spot you. Whether it was at concerts or just around the city. One night, he’d confronted you, and the two of you had a few dates together, and one morning he woke up beside you and realized that, sweet satan, you might be the one.

He smiled as he fully woke up, draping an arm around you. Perfect. You really were perfect.
He couldn’t help but plant a kiss on your forehead, which caused you to stir. As your eyes opened, they squinted to fend off the harshness of the sunlight.
“It’s early,” you mumbled.
“Yeah,” Murdoc said, shrugging, his rough voice softening. “I don’t really care, though.”
“Don’t care of much, do you, Niccals?” You teased, a brow raising curiously.
“Nah,” Murdoc said with a shrug. “I care about you, though.”

He could be so sweet if he wanted to. So, so sweet. You raised a brow and he grinned, and his wide grin was so irresistible that you couldn’t help but grin right back at him.

“We need to be productive,” you murmured, sitting up. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll make us some coffee, then,” Murdoc murmured, rising to his feet.
“Okay, I’ll be quick,” you promised, kissing his cheek, hurrying towards the bathroom.

After a while, you emerged into the kitchen, wearing your own trousers but one of Murdoc’s jumpers and an inverted cross necklace of his. He smiled when he saw you and handed you a steaming mug of coffee, but then pouted.

“What are you wearing?” He asked you pitifully.
“I’m just borrowing them,” you murmured, taking the mug from his hands.
Sighing, he wrapped his arms around you, holding you close. “You’re lucky you look so damn good in everything,” he grumbled.
You took a sip of the coffee he gave you and smiled. “Want to go out, then?”
Murdoc smiled as well, let go of you, and sipped his own coffee. “Mm. Sounds good to me. Just let me get ready, too.”

As he disappeared into the hall, you leaned against the counter and watched him. You found yourself thinking the same thing he thought of you while waiting for you to awake. Perfect. He’s perfect.

Chapter Text

A small voice woke you up, very early in the morning. You sat up, yawning, and turned to the spot where your lover would normally be, but the bed was cold and he wasn’t there. Then, you heard his gruff, raspy voice, somehow very soft, after the first voice. A little smile grew on your face as you pulled yourself out of bed.

“What do you want to eat, my love?” Your lover’s gentle voice grew clearer, and as you peeked around the corner, you could see him with the small child in his arms.
“Pizza,” the child murmured.
The man turned to the fridge. He caught your eye and grinned. “Pizza it is.”

Four years ago, you’d been lucky enough to have the most perfect baby girl, Dahlia, with the love of your life, Murdoc Niccals. Four long, wild years ago, when neither of you knew what to do with a baby. Now, however, you were stood, just outside the kitchen, watching the man you cared for more than life as he cradled the tiny girl you cared for more than the universe in the early morning. It made you smile, and it made you so proud of how far that your little family had come.

“Mama!” Dahlia chirped when she’d noticed you. A huge grin was displayed on her face.
“Hello, love,” you murmured, smiling as well as you approached the two. “So you’re hungry, baby?”
“Yeah,” Dahlia murmured. “Papa’s getting me someting.”

Murdoc grinned, rubbing her back as he searched the fridge. He pulled out a box of pizza, which prompted a cheer from Dahlia, which made your smile grow wider. Murdoc then set her in her chair and got her a slice. She then took a bite of it, chewing happily.

You moved toward Murdoc, and he wrapped his arm around your shoulder.
You blinked up at him. “She woke you?”
“Sort of,” Murdoc said, shrugging. “I heard her singing, actually, so I went to see what was going on. Then she told me she was hungry, so I went to come get some food for her.”
You grinned, kissing his cheek happily. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Murdoc murmured.
“I love you too too!” Dahlia cheered through a mouthful of pizza.

The both of you laughed, attention turning back to the little girl. She was such a sweetheart. So perfect. You being there with her and Murdoc was the best thing you could possibly imagine.

Chapter Text

It had been a little while since you’d revealed your adventure scrapbook to Stu, and tour was in full swing. As usual, he insisted that you tagged along, but he had extra reason for you to. Like a child he’d pleaded for you to come along, adding mischievously that you could take more pictures for the book. It made you happy that the book excited him so much. A huge part of you hoped desperately that it would be something you could show to your children, and your children’s children, if the two of you ever ended up having kids.

Additions to the book of adventures were piling up. You had pictures of you and Stuart in California, pictures of him sipping boba tea in Japan, pictures of him performing in Germany, and many others. Your favorite of them all was one Noodle took of the two of you together, silhouetted against the setting sun. You looked at it often while he was busy. In the photo, you stood with his arm around your shoulders, comfortable in his arms.

Cheerfully, you glued it onto a page along with a few others. It was only a little while until Stuart would be back to the tour bus, and you couldn’t wait to show him all the new additions.
“Love,” 2D sang out, opening the door, “I’m back!”
“Come look what I did!” You chirped back at him.

He hurried to your side, peeking over your shoulder as you sat in his bed.His dark eyes widened cheerfully.
With a gentle hand as he got comfortable beside you, reading what you’d written to go with each photo. He grinned softly, peering down at it. Then his expression changed and his eyes widened.

“I like that picture,” he murmured, pointing to the picture of the silhouettes, the one that you had personally favored. “Noodle’s good at taking photos.”
“I agree,” you murmured. “It really is good.”
He kissed your cheek quickly, a huge grin spreading on his face. “I love you.”
“I love you more,” you teased.
He shook his head wrapped his arm around you, and then pulled you into a huge hug.

Chapter Text

Murdoc let out a tiny hiss of pain, clutching his stomach, curled into a ball. He was bloody miserable, and bloody indeed. He was in a lot of pain from the cramping in his stomach, and trying to ignore the memories that this time always brought back. Sure, he’d moved out from his father’s home a few years before, he’d finally been able to be comfortable with who he was, but that time of the month only brought suffering to him. It brought waves of dysphoria, it sent him back to the memories when he was only a kid and how people took advantage of him. It reminded him of those times when he had nobody to comfort him, when he didn’t understand what was going on with his gender identity, with his sexuality, he didn’t know anything then, and he wished he didn’t have to go through the pain anymore.

Luckily for him, he had you.
You ran a hand through his dark hair, massaging his head gently.
“It hurts,” Murdoc mumbled.
You nodded, murmuring little encouragements. You rubbed his back soothingly.
“Keeps makin’ me think of m’ old man,” he muttered, squeezing his eyes shut and burying his face into your chest.

You winced. Murdoc rarely talked of his father for many, many reasons, you knew that much. And you could tell how much it pained him. Seeing Murdoc in such pain made you hurt a bit, too.

“Next chance we get, we better take some bats and fuck him up. Help karma do her job,” you mused. “And… It isn’t too helpful, but try to think of something else instead. I mean, your band’s gonna make it big. Then you’ll be able to get the surgeries you need, and things only look up from there. You’re never going to have to see his ass again.”
Murdoc put some effort into a smile. “That sounds…. so nice.”
“Yeah,” you said with a nod. “Just think about that.”
He nodded as well, then looked up at you. “Babe?”
“Yeah?” You asked in a soft voice.
“Can you make me some tea?”

You stood up and walked to the little kitchen in the winnebago. You plugged in the kettle and reached for a mug, and once the water had boiled you fixed the tea for him. You carried it to him, he sat up to accept the the tea, mumbling a thanks as he sipped it. You slipped into bed beside him, prepared to comfort him more.

Murdoc steadily drank the tea with hardly a breath in between and then settled down in your arms once again. “Thank you. I love you.”
“I love you too,” you said, kissing his head.

Chapter Text

“Oi!” A voice woke you up from your otherwise peaceful nap. “Mum said she needs you!”
“What?” You groaned, lifting your head.
“Yeah,” your brother said, a grin on his face. “You gotta take the trash out.”
“That’s your job, though,” you muttered, narrowing your eyes as you glanced up at him.
“Naw, I just went and clipped the grass, so she told me you gotta take the trash out,” Stuart responded.
Sitting up, you yawned and glared at him. “But… It’s still your job. Not my fault you decided to go and clip the grass.”
“But mum said-” Stuart began, but then another voice cut him off.
“What did I say?”

Your mother had poked her head out of the bathroom she’d been cleaning. She fixed the glasses on her face.

“He’s gotta take the trash out,” Stu said, brows furrowing.
“But it’s your job,” you repeated.
“I just cut the grass, and I gotta shower,” he retorted.
“That doesn’t make it not your job,” you snapped.
“One of you figure it out before Paula arrives,” your mum said, growing to be stressed.
“Paula?” You asked, raising a brow.
“Yeah, my girlfriend’s coming over,” Stuart responded, a look of triumph on his face. “So you can take out the trash.”
You scowled and stood, stretching. “Fine. Go take your shower before I knock you over.”
“As if you could,” Stu sneered.
“Would one of you just do it?” Your mum shouted in a frustrated voice.
“Fine, I’ll do it,” you snapped, walking toward the kitchen.

You walked into the kitchen and hauled the trash outside, and once you were inside it was your turn to shower. Finally, once you were finished, you could smell the scent of food from the kitchen downstairs and you grinned.
Your brother’s hair was messy and when he saw you he ruffled yours so it was as well.

“Hey,” he muttered. “I’ll do your chores next week, alright?”
“Alright,” you grinned. You weren’t all that mad at him, but you weren’t going to pass up the offer of your chores being done for you. “So, we’re gonna meet your girlfriend, huh?”
“Yeah, she’s gonna be here soon,” Stuart shrugged, yawning.
A knock at the door made the both of you more alert.
“Sooner than we thought,” you responded, grinning a little wider.
Stu sprung up and hurried to the door, letting Paula in. “Hey, babe!” he chirped, putting an arm around the woman and leading her inside.

You smiled knowingly as your father walked inside and sat down, and your mother greeted Stu’s girlfriend. Tonight would be an interesting night, for sure.

Chapter Text

You laid alone in bed one night while 2D was gone, doing stuff with the band. You knew it was irrational, but, you couldn’t help but wonder, what if he cheated?
Deep down, your inner voice of reason scolded you for such a thought, reminding you how much he loved you and that he could never hurt you in such a way. That you just needed to trust him.
It wasn’t really about trust, though. It certainly wasn’t that you didn’t trust him. What was more likely was that you were worried that he’d grow tired of you.

He was a rockstar, a famous man who traveled the world and won over the hearts of just about anyone who laid eyes on his pretty boy looks. You? Well, you were simply you. And though you figured you were idiotic to worry, you couldn’t help it. What if you bored him? What if he stopped caring? What if one day, he woke up holding you, and realized that the magic was gone? That he would realized when he looked down at your sleeping face that he didn’t love you anymore, that he had so many better options and was wasting his time?
You shuddered as you thought of the possibilities. They all made your stomach ache.

“Beautiful! I’m home!” 2D called out loudly, walking inside.
You jumped slightly, sucking in a gasp of breath before relaxing. “You startled me,” you whined back, trying to act like you were okay.
He hurried into the room and hugged you tightly. “Sorry, I just wanted to let you know I was here.”
You smiled. “Oh, you’re alright.”
There must’ve been some sadness left in your voice, because your boyfriend gave you a sudden, concerned glance. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” you responded, trying to smile again. “I’m okay. I swear.”
He shook his head. “Did something bad happen while I was gone?”
“I-” You sighed. Before you could talk yourself out of it, you admitted, “I’m worried that one day you’ll stop loving me.”

His expression changed a few times, from concerned to confused. For a split second he almost looked angry, but when he noticed you wincing due to his sudden change in demeanor, his expression quickly softened.

He cupped your face in his hands and gently lifted your chin. “That’ll never happen, love.”
“You’re sure?” You asked softly, tearing up just a bit. “You won’t find someone better looking and leave me for them or something?”
“Never,” 2D repeated. “I would never break your heart. Never. And there isn’t anyone more beautiful, more perfect than you.”

You cracked a smile and he kissed you gently. Then, he proceeded to murmur sweet nothings to you, cradling you and kissing your face. You wouldn’t be feeling sad, not on his watch.

Chapter Text

You weren’t entirely sure how you’d gotten connected with your father, but somehow, it had happened. He had been out of your life for so long that you didn’t know how to feel when you found out who he was, and that he wanted to meet you.
At first, you blamed him. That he was the reason for any of your sadness, that he had knowingly abandoned you and that he didn’t care. The moment you’d met him, though, you realized that he truly hadn’t meant to just abandon you.

Murdoc’s expression when you’d first arrived proved to you that he had honestly not meant to have ever hurt you. He’d had a look of such pure joy as he scanned you that you couldn’t wipe a smile off your face. His shaking arms extended to hug you, and once you complied he squeezed you tightly, grinning happily.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” he’d whispered to you, smiling. He sounded choked up.
“Yeah,” you murmured, voice soft.
“I- I’m not sure what we should do,” Murdoc murmured, furrowing his brows. “Get lunch? Watch a movie? What are father daughter things?”
You couldn’t help but smile. He was trying his best.
“We can do both of those things.” You grinned and stepped back so he could see you smiling. “Sounds good, Dad.”

You could tell by the look on his face that his heart had melted as you said that, and he slung an arm over your shoulder and pulled you close to him. He gave you a jagged-toothed grin and raised his brows.

“Wanna meet the band first?” He asked. “They’re as close to family on my side as you’re gonna get.”
You nodded gently. “Sure. I’d love to meet them.”

And with that, he led you inside so you could meet his bandmates. The atmosphere grew pleasant and cheerful, and you knew the day would be good.

Chapter Text

Stuart Pot had not had the best week ever, not at all.
It had been a rough week recording music. Murdoc had ended up having him redo vocals almost a million times. Of course, once he listened to the first few takes and the one Murdoc decided was best, he was always in agreement that the last take was much, much better. But it really had stressed him out, and poor Noodle was already miserable due to things she simply described as “girl stuff”.
After a while though, the recording was finally over and he had a chance to relax.

“Baby?” Stu called out, walking inside. “I’m back from recording, and for longer this time! Recording’s over.”
You smiled, lifting up your head to look at him from the magazine you’d been reading. “Ooo! I’m so glad you’re back,” you chirped, racing up to him to kiss all over his face.
He smiled slightly, kissing the top of your head gently. “Oh, really? That’s good to know,” he murmured.
You scowled slightly, picking up the weariness that surrounded him.
“Are they working you too hard, baby?” You said softly.
“Yeah,” he admitted in a soft voice.

You frowned and pulled him by his arm to the bed, covering his face with kisses and fluffing up the blanket. He sighed, sitting down, and you grinned.

“Put on somethin’ comfy, okay? I’ll be back with some snacks and we can watch a zombie movie,” you murmured to him.
He grinned and nodded. “Alright, love.”

You rushed off to gather up snacks for the both of you. Your boyfriend was stressed, so you were gonna give him the best movie marathon he could possibly get. You gathered up some candy, popped some popcorn, and grabbed two cans of cola before returning to him. He was wearing some sleep pants and a graphic t-shirt, which made you grin. How could he be so damn cute?

“Got a movie or two you wanna watch?” You asked him sweetly.
“Of course I do,” he yawned, giving you a (not so) toothy grin.
“Let me guess, Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead?” You ask softly, raising your brows. Like anyone, you knew how much your boyfriend adored zombie movies.
“Good job,” he said with a little grin on his face, opening up his can of cola once the lights were dimmed and the first movie was starting.

You snuggled up beside him and kissed all over his face, making him laugh.

“I love you,” 2D murmured.
“I love you more,” you responded.
2D huffed slightly and smiled at you. Seeing him smile made you happy as can be.

Chapter Text

Noodle:

You hummed a tune, playing around with settings on the synth Noodle had gotten for you for your last birthday, bored and waiting for her to come home. Curiously, you experimented with a few settings, setting up a drum beat, and then after a little while of playing around with that, you added a bass line to the mix. You moved on to whistling as you pressed the keys, making a spontaneous song with your synthesizer, lost in the music. So lost, in fact, that you didn’t notice Noodle as she walked into the room. She tilted her head slightly, grinning, and reached for her guitar, strumming some chords she found fit the tone of what you were playing. You paused, grinned, and glanced up at her.
“Made a song, have you?” Noodle asked, grinning back at you.
You let out a small laugh. “Kinda,” you responded, shrugging.
She leaned in and kissed you, then sighed, scooting a little closer. “Let’s keep going. It’s starting to sound good.”

2D:

Sprawled out on your boyfriend’s bed with headphones plugged into his iPad, you tapped around GarageBand, playing with the options it gave you. It was pretty cool. 2D was the person who’d introduced you to it, and you really thanked him. Whether you had a breakthrough or not, it was still fun to mess around with. After a while, you really liked what you were hearing. A grin grew on your face as you rushed to get 2D.
“Babe?” You called out, walking into the kitchen where he was eating a bowl of cereal. “You gotta listen to this.”
2D raised his brows, finishing up the last few bites. “What?”
“I made a song,” you responded in a hushed tone, eyes lighting up. “Come listen!”
He smiled and let you lead him to the bedroom where his iPad was. You gave him the headphones and he listened, nodding every now and again. He gave you a gap-toothed grin once it was over.
“Wow,” he whispered, tugging you close and grinning. “That was bloody brilliant, love. The band’s gotta hear this.”

Chapter Text

“I’m nervous,” you whispered to your boyfriend as he drove.
“Don’t be nervous,” Stu chuckled, taking his eyes off the road for a split second to blink at you sweetly. “They’ll love you.”
“D’you think so?” You asked softly.
“I know so,” he said confidently. “Just take a deep breath, it’ll be okay. Mum’s probably gone all out with dinner, so I hope you’ve got an appetite.”

You smiled at his comment and tried to relax your body as he drove. His dark eyes stayed focused on the road behind the glasses he wore to help him see it and you gently sighed. You couldn’t help but be anxious despite how often Stuart reminded you that his mum was a very nice woman, and that his father might be too busy to arrive for dinner. It still spooked you.
Stuart sighed, hoping that Russel would be fine without him to spend time with, or that Noodle’s teenage brain would be able to go the night without getting into an argument with a drunken Murdoc, Things were getting a lot harder to manage, but he liked to think that he helped. Either way, it wouldn’t matter. That weekend, the both of you would relax.

When he led you inside, you were greeted with the heavenly scent of food cooking, making your stomach growl. A woman with curly brown hair hurried out of the kitchen to greet you. Stuart’s mum, Rachel. was a bit shorter than you’d initially expected. He must’ve gotten his height from his father.
“Stuart, it’s so good to have you home,” Rachel said cheerfully, hugging her son tightly. “You best be prepared to eat- you’re far too skinny, love.” Then she turned to you, beaming. “And you must be the love of his life that he’s always talking about over the phone.”
Your face went a little red, and Stuart nodded.
“Yeah, I’ve finally brought them along,” he said, grinning fondly. “That’s the occasion, innit?”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Rachel mused, ushering the both of you inside. “I’ve got a room set up for you both for after dinner.”

You smiled, thanked her, and followed Stu to the room. You took a deep breath and glanced at Stuart.
“Do you think it’ll turn out okay?” You asked softly.
“Of course I do,” Stuart nodded, kissing your cheek. “Everything will be fine.”

Chapter Text

Your chest rose and fell almost rapidly as 2D pulled you closer, holding you in his arms. A little laugh came from your throat as you snuggled up beside him, grinning and closing your eyes.

“What’s funny?” He murmured, pressing a kiss to your neck.
“Hm?” You asked, raising a brow. “I love you.”
2D smiled brightly at you, snuggling up under the covers and holding you, keeping you nice and warm.
“I love you more,” he whispered in response, grinning playfully as he nuzzled your neck.
You giggled, playing with his soft blue hair.

He was perfect. With the glow of the dimmed lights illuminating him, and the slightly blushed, giddy grin on his face made him look beautiful, so amazingly beautiful. You kissed his head, smiling gently and curling up beside him.

“You’re an angel,” you murmured, smiling at him. “A perfect angel. A god almost.”
2D blushed a bit more, letting out a tiny sigh. “Yeah? You’re pretty amazing yourself.”
You pressed a loving kiss to his lips, prompting him to kiss you back gently. When you pulled back, after a moment, he smooched you again, stroking your hair as he gave you the gentle kiss. You couldn’t believe that you had the honor of being kissed, being loved, being cared for by such a wonderful man.

Once your snogging session ended, you fell back against your pillow, yawning. 2D smiled, holding you tight and sighing.
“Goodnight, my love,” he mumbled.
“Goodnight,” you purred, relaxing beside him and letting your eyes drift shut.
Then, you fell asleep in his arms, relaxed.

Chapter Text

It was midday on the sixth of June, 2001. Murdoc had only just woke up, and upon looking at the calendar he wished that he’d not woken up at all. Noticing that it was his birthday always reminded him of his childhood.
Though, once he woke up, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, so he reluctantly pulled on a pair of jeans and left his winnebago and into Kong. If anyone asked him, he’d say it was because his coffee machine had broken. Which was true, but in reality, he really wanted whatever Russel had cooked for breakfast, and, believe it or not, company. Maybe being with his band would distract him from the painful memories that plagued him.

As he walked up to the kitchen, he noticed the rest of his band sitting and eating together. Russel and 2D were maintaining a pleasant conversation, while Noodle was sitting in her booster seat, kicking her legs excitedly.
“Mornin’, Muds,” 2D murmured, not looking up.
Russel nodded to Murdoc, to acknowledge him, and cut off another bite of pancake, continuing with the conversation.
Noodle chirped something cheerfully in Japanese, wiggling in her seat and poking Russ, asking him something softly.
“After breakfast,” Russel murmured, grinning at her.
She nodded quickly, digging into her pancakes eagerly.

Murdoc helped himself to a plate stacked with pancakes, dousing it with syrup. After he fixed them to his liking, he sat down at the table and began to eat. Noodle finished her food and grinned widely, sliding out of her seat and racing off to her bedroom. Murdoc raised a brow but shrugged it off. After a moment, when his plate was about half empty, Noodle emerged from the corridor with a little bag. She handed it to him with a huge grin, waiting for his reaction.

Within the bag were a few bracelets that were made with random beads, and what he assumed was a little card made out of a folded piece of pink construction paper. When he opened it, there was a note written in sloppy Japanese and a little picture of Noodle stood beside Murdoc and her name signed below it in very carefully written English.
Noodle was unable to stand still as she waited to see his reaction.
“Thank you,” Murdoc began, but she cut him off.
She struggled slightly, but she managed to shout something confidently. “Happy birthday, Murdoc!”
His heart just about melted and he scooped her up into a hug, grinning. “Thank you so much, love,” he murmured, holding the little girl as she giggled happily. “This is probably the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.”

Chapter Text

It’s a well known fact that Noodle, the badass Japanese guitarist of the band Gorillaz, is basically a goddess. Beautiful, powerful, elegant, perfect. So of course she’s a wonderful muse.

You were given the privilege of being her girlfriend, and it was magnificent. Additional to everything else, she was an amazing significant other. A lot of the time, you would use her as references for your art. Whether it was just stupid doodles or full blown art projects, she was an amazing woman to draw.
If she wasn’t around for you to look at while you were drawing, you could easily use pictures from magazines or pictures of her you’d taken on your phone.
After a while, you had a whole sketchbook full of art of your lover.
She knew slightly that you liked to draw her, but she’d never really seen most of it. Finally, once your last page was filled, you decided to show her.

“So, baby,” you began, sitting up while the two of you were laying in bed. “You know how I like to draw you?”
“I certainly do,” she grinned. “Y’do it a lot.”
“Wanna see my work?” You asked sweetly, raising a brow.
“Hmmm,” Noodle thought, tapping her foot. “I certainly do.”

You grinned and grabbed your sketchbook for her, and she began flipping through the pages. Her face displayed her interest as she examined all of your art, occasionally letting out little giggles. Each time she expressed her interest, your smile grew wider. You wished you could capture that moment right then.

“These are amazing,” Noodle exclaimed, kissing you happily. “Absolutely wonderful!”
“Thank you,” you murmured, giggling a bit yourself.
Setting the sketchbook aside, she glanced at you with a brow arched. “How ‘bout I buy you a new one? Then maybe I could try my hand in modeling.”
You pressed a kiss to her cheek with a little sigh. “That sounds perfect.”

Chapter Text

Noodle watched the popcorn as it rotated in the microwave. 2D was going to be on TV for something other than band stuff, and everyone was proud of him. With no Murdoc to hold him down, he was trying new things and doing as he pleased.

“Hurry up!” Ace called from the couch. “It’s starting soon!”
Russel stood to join her in the kitchen, grabbing cans of soda from the fridge and some candy from the cupboard. By the time all of the snacks were gathered, set on the coffee table, and the three bandmates were comfy on the sofa, the show had begun. Ace had barely opened his mouth before Noodle hushed him.
“I don’t wanna miss anything,” she murmured.

All three watched avidly, enjoying the show even when Stuart wasn’t on, munching on popcorn and sipping their drinks. Russel, who sat in the middle, was the first to notice him.
“There he is!” He called quickly, shaking the two beside him gently. “Look!”
All of them grew more intrigued as it was his turn in the spotlight.

He appeared professional, but everyone who knew the lanky blue haired man could easily tell that he was having the time of his life as he was dancing. Even if he didn’t win, the experience of it all would be as good as a win to him.
His outfit was as elegant as his movements, and his bandmates were found holding their breath as they watched him. None of them knew he could manage such an amazing routine.

“…..Holy shit,” Ace murmured once it was over, lowering his sunglasses to glance at the two beside him. “You guys ever seen that side of him?”
“No,” Noodle mused, shaking her head. “Normally he’s not as…. professional.”
“Knew he had it in him,” Russel said warmly, smiling to himself. “Man of many talents, y’know? Figured he was bound to show us something spectacular like that some day.”

Even if the judges ended up not considering him the winner, 2D would always be the best in his band’s eyes.

Chapter Text

When you’d first met Murdoc, you didn’t know he had a kid. Of course, he looked rather tired, though still happy, but you just figured that it was from something else.
When you met his daughter, your heart melted completely.

Lilith Niccals was a rather sweet little girl, and you could see clearly that she was Murdoc’s whole world. You don’t know what happened with her mother, but Murdoc never wanted to talk about that.
As you got closer to Murdoc, she started to look up to you, and you slowly grew more attached.

Being welcomed into the little family was an amazing thing. Sure, taking care of a five year old girl was a lot, but Murdoc was doing the bulk of the work, and it was all worth it at the end of the day.
One of the sweetest moments ever was Lilith’s first day of school. Murdoc had been helping her get ready, while you packed up a snack for her to bring. Murdoc was so excited, you could tell just by the look on his face. He’d done his best to braid his daughter’s dark hair, and helped her brush her teeth after she’d eaten breakfast. Then, he buckled her up in her booster seat and the two of you got in the car, ready to see her off on her first day of school.

“Bye Dad! Bye Mum!” Lilith chirped, giving each of you a hug, smiling proudly.
“Have a good first day,” Murdoc murmured, crouching down and smiling at her. “We’ll be here waiting once school’s over. You’ll tell us all about it, right?”
“Yep!” Lilith nodded, her braid waving slightly with the motion of her head. “Love ya!”
“Love you too,” Murdoc said softly, smiling.
You echoed him, smiling fondly at the little girl. She ran off with the other kids toward the door, backpack on her shoulders and head held high You sighed, and Murdoc grunted as he stood back up.
“She looks so cute in her uniform,” you mused.
Murdoc nodded in agreement, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. You smiled and kissed his cheek, grinning. You loved your little family that you were a part of, and you were so glad you were lucky enough to be a part of it.

Chapter Text

Ever since Murdoc had been sent to jail, your boyfriend’s ego had been spiraling out of control. He’d gotten a ‘better than you’ attitude, he was ordering people around, and it was simply odd and nothing like how you knew him.
He wore Murdoc’s old clothes, held himself with more confidence, and did some other things as well. Above all, and worst of it all, he wasn’t nearly as respectful to everyone around him.
The Stuart you knew was sweet and gentle and polite. What you were seeing was a whole different person.

He was going on about some project he was working on, talking your ears off and not giving you much chance to speak. Your irritation must’ve been shown on your face because he paused, frowning.
“What’s wrong, my love?” He asked you gently.
“You’ve changed,” you mumbled.
His concerned frown turned to a scowl. “Of course I’ve changed. Everything’s always changing.”
You let out a huff of breath. Stu had taken a more spiritual outlook recently; almost as if he were a god among men.
“For the worst,” you responded, brows furrowing. “Ever since Murdoc left-”
“Don’t say his name,” Stuart snapped, cutting you off.
“Ever since he left, your ego has been spiraling out of control,” you continued, trying not to show how annoyed you were once he’d cut you off.

Stuart glared at you, eyes fading from white to black. You didn’t get thrown off by that, though. You stood your ground. If nobody else would tell him how awful he was, and it would have to be you, then so be it.

“I’m just expressing myself,” Stu pointed out. “There a problem with that?”
“There’s no problem with expressing yourself, it’s just the way that you’re doing it,” you said with a glare. “There’s a difference between self confidence and being downright rude.”
Your boyfriend frowned, trying to process the information. “What do you mean, rude? I’m just being more assertive.”
You rubbed your forehead, sighing. “Stu… There’s a way to be more assertive without being… well, without being a total arse. It’s fine if you stand up for yourself when you need to, but a lot of the time you just need to stay calm about things.”
He opened his mouth to argue, then processed the information he’d been given. Slowly, he glanced at you and let out a sigh. “….Yeah, that’s true. I’m sorry, love.”
“I forgive you, Stu,” you murmured, pulling your boyfriend into a hug. “Just… Try not to get out of hand, yeah? And let me help you with it, too. You can’t do everything alone.”
“Okay,” he nodded. “Thank you for telling me about this. I might not have done anything about this if you hadn’t.”
You kissed his cheek. “Of course, Stu! Now, come on. Let’s watch a shitty movie and then get some rest.”

Chapter Text

Like every day at Kong Studios, it was gloomy and rainy. But you didn’t mind, because the sleepy, rainy day gave you an amazing excuse. You got a chance to stay with your boyfriend all day long.
Whether it was listening to him play the drums or snuggling with him underneath the nice, warm sheets, it didn’t matter. Everything was wonderful when it was something you did with him.

Russel hummed as he woke, yawning slightly. You rolled over slightly, smiling up at him, sleepily pressing a kiss to his lips.
“Mornin’,” he murmured, smiling gently at you.
“Good morning,” you responded, catching his yawn and burying your face in his neck. After a moment, you murmured, “It’s raining again.”
“It’s always raining,” Russel said with a little laugh, holding you close.
“Makes me tired, though,” you noted.
Russel sat up with a little grin. “Yeah. But at least we get an excuse to not go out. Maybe we can have breakfast now and then have a movie marathon. Get some takeout later.”
Stretching, you smiled. “Sounds good. We can bring some blankets and relax in the cinema downstairs after we eat.”

Russel pulled himself out of bed with a little grunt, putting on his slippers. You smiled at him from where you relaxed on the bed, in awe of his beauty. He noticed you and smiled back at you. He pulled on a hoodie and yawned once more. You stood up and walked over to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Let’s make some breakfast, yeah?” You offered, grinning.
“Yeah,” he agreed, smiling back.
He lead you to the kitchen, holding your hand. Everyone was asleep still. Noodle had gotten into a habit of staying up late and sleeping in late like the boys, you were pretty sure Murdoc was nocturnal, and 2D….. well, you could never be too sure about 2D. His sleep schedule was always changing.
“Pancakes?” You offered.
“Sure,” he hummed, grabbing the ingredients needed.
The two of you worked together, talking and joking as you made the food. Russel even set out some fruit to eat with it.

He went to get Noodle and 2D. You all sat together, and you sat beside your boyfriend, eating happily. Sure, it might’ve been a nasty, rainy day, but the time that you spent with your boyfriend and the good that came after it was so good to have. Nothing could ever beat it.

Chapter Text

Your relationship with Stuart had been….. strained, to say the least. His jealousy and ego were out of control. Never had those traits been so prominent, but now it seemed that the good days were getting fewer, and the worst times were never going to end. You had to do something, but you didn’t know what to do.

“I told you to stay away from Murdoc,” he snapped, probably for the twentieth time that week. “Or did you not hear me?”
“I heard you, I heard you every time,” you retorted. “But I’m allowed to talk to whoever I want.”
Stuart let out a frustrated huff of breath. “I’m just worried, I’m always worried when people around him, especially after-”
“After Paula and Rachel and everyone else.” You’d heard the sentence a million times. “God, why do care so much about them? You aren’t with them anymore.”
“That isn’t what I mean by that!” His tone grew more exasperated. “I just don’t want to lose you to him.”

You scanned his face, wanting to know he was serious. You could tell, though, that he wasn’t joking about this. You felt a pain in your chest, filled with sudden emotion. You couldn’t do this anymore.

“You don’t need to lose me to him. You’re driving me away yourself.” You turned, going to get your things together.
“Wait, I didn’t-” He began.
“No,” you said, shaking your head. “I’m not gonna put up with this anymore. I can’t.”
“Please, don’t leave,” Stuart whispered, “I didn’t mean to push you away.”
You didn’t respond, packing your things and turning away. “Goodbye.”

As you walked out, Stuart fell to his knees, covering his face and letting out a week sob. He’d ruined everything out of paranoia. He was all alone.

Chapter Text

Noodle was the perfect extrovert; the life of the party, a natural born performer. Your opposite.
It wasn’t that you absolutely hated people- just that you had a social battery that was easily drained, one that was best recharged by some time alone.

Sometimes she’d drag you to a party. You enjoyed it sometimes, it wasn’t always awful, but it was a bit…. stressful, to say the least. Being around so many people, and even more when people recognized Noodle, was a scary thing.
She would hold your hand and help you through the tough situations, and then once you would get home and snuggle with you and help you relax. She’d whisper gentle reassurances and rub your back. That, or she’d put on a movie and pop some popcorn and you’d just relax. She’d hold you close and never let you go.
Times like those where she would scoop you up with her powerful arms and cuddle you were some of the best times you’d ever experienced in your life.

The good outweighed the bad. Being with your girlfriend was the best thing in the world, nothing could ever make you feel otherwise. Never.