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2D curled into a ball, as tiny as he could go. Like the pill bugs that would come out on rainy days, with their fat little bodies and their tough little shells The only difference was that he had no shell, but it wasn't like pill bugs couldn't be crushed when they scrunched up anyways.
He breathed, and breathed, and breathed again, clutching an ugly cap to his chest. 2D licked his teeth, and felt alarm at the dentures still wired into place. His nimble fingers dug around in his mouth before pulling out the fake teeth and throwing them aside to skitter across the floor in the darkness.
2D sobbed dryly and without noise as he rubbed at his eyes and pulled at his hair and his clothes and the skin on his arms.
The closet he found was dank and dark, but it felt too open, he couldn't even see the edges of the room. 2D could feel himself start to quietly hyperventilate as the open room suffocated him. There was too much space and too much darkness. 2D gasped for air and wheezed and coughed, when suddenly, the door opened and a light flickered on.
He screwed his eyes up at the sudden brightness and raised a hand to shield them, instinctively scrambling backwards into a shelf. Cleaning supplies and rags fell on top of his aching head. 2D hissed through his teeth and grimaced as he bit back sobs.
"W-wrong room, mate," he stammered while his chest heaved.
"Nah, that's a Tusspot if I'd ever seen one,"Murdoc said gruffly in a tone 2D had missed after the band had broken up. The bassist took a seat next to the singer on his knees and wordlessly dragged 2D into his tight embrace. 2D gasped and heaved as he obsessively rubbed at his eyes, finding it hard to stop.
"M-Muds, my eyes hurt," he whimpered. Murdoc held him at arms length squinting in the dim light. His eyes scoured 2D's face, meeting his gaze after a moment.
"Hold still, bluebird, I can get 'em out."
2D forced his eyes open as Murdoc lightly pushed the contacts out, throwing them aside to join the dentures. After a moment, it was as if 2D's form turned to jelly, and he collapsed into Murdocs arms. His dam broke, and the years that he had been holding back trickled down his face.
These cries were sad and despairing, 2D had been hurt.
Murdoc wrapped himself around 2D, petting his hair and whispering sweet nothings into his neck.
"Now now, come on Stu-pot, it's alright." 2D's cries died down as Murdocs embrace around him tightened, squeezing all of the energy out of him. 2D felt himself slipping from the migraine medicine he had taken earlier, and the comforting warmth from Murdoc surrounding him.
Even though Murdoc knew 2D had been lulled asleep, he held on and cooed in his ear and rubbed his back, face stony, but eyes downcast. No matter how defenseless pill bugs really were, they would always have their armor to hide them from the rest of the world.