Time passed. Life in Kong Studios carried on as it always had. Or almost as it always had. Russell and Noodle noticed how Murdoc seemed to lose his temper less and less, which resulted in fewer bruises for 2D. For 2D's sake, Russell and Noodle kept their mouths shut about it. They would enjoy the peace while it lasted.

But when they were in private, they gossiped and gabbed like two old hens. The only thing they could figure had changed between 2D and Murdoc was that lately they had been spending late nights drinking and getting on in Murdoc's Winnebago or up in 2D's room. When they were in 2D's room, Noodle could hear them through the wall in her bedroom. They laughed and swore and drank and got on real chummy. Russell was curious, but he'd accept just about anything that would keep him from having to break Murdoc's nose again.

2D stood in the empty bathroom of Kong Studios, preparing for a late night shower. Sometimes when the pills didn't work, the hot water and steam would. Though nowadays he had Murdoc to keep him company at night. 2D looked at himself in the mirror. The dark purple circles under his eyes had gotten lighter. He examined his protruding collarbone, chest, and stomach and only the green-brown ghosts of bruises blemished his pale skin. Things had gotten better. To a degree.

2D let the towel that was around his waist fall to the floor. He turned around and looked back in the mirror. 2D cheeks flushed while he looked back at his other cheeks in the mirror. On his bare arse he could clearly see the teeth marks left by none other than the rock god himself. A swollen pink and blue oval in the very center of his right cheek.

Several days prior, they had been getting on whilst in a state of drunkenness and giggling. Sodding Murdoc began playfully wrestling 2D out of his trousers and pants. When 2D tried to squirm away, Murdoc began slapping his arse worse than a nun with a ruler. That fucking violent shade of pink on 2D's bum sent shivers right down to Murdoc's cockles. When Murdoc saw the tears welling up in 2D's abysmal eyes, he sneered that deliciously evil grin. He put his thin green lips to 2D's ear and whispered, "Oi, dullard, I'll give ya something ta cry about."

Murdoc's low, silverware-in-a-garbage-disposal-sounding whisper always made 2D experience some shivers of his own. He was already horribly aroused when CHOMP! A searing pain spread across his bum and 2D really did start to cry. He screeched damnations on Murdoc and all Murdoc's descendants and ancestors. 2D fled the Winnebago with bogies running down his face and his trousers around his ankles. As the door slammed shut, Murdoc's deep, grisly cackle and Cortez's cawing echoed throughout the car park. 2D had avoided him since.

"Damn bloody Murdoc Niccals! I can't even sit down wiffout pain! I'll make that tosser pay… Dunno how I will, but I will!" 2D gave his reflection a reassuring look for a moment. Then he thought it a bit daft. He grabbed his towel and walked into the shower stall.

The stream of hot water turned his skin rosy and soothed is tender arse. 2D was lost in counting the tiles on the shower stall's floor when the bathroom door banged open. 2D nearly jumped out of his skin, but kept from screaming. By the drunken off-key singing and the staggering steps he heard on the tile, 2D knew it was Murdoc making a pit stop. 2D just stood and listened to Murdoc run into the counter and sway over to one of the toilet stalls and begin to take a piss. Murdoc pissed like a waterfall.

Then the idea struck him that it was odd to be listening to someone piss, so 2D started shampooing his electric blue hair and humming along to the song Murdoc was butchering. At some point, without 2D realizing, Murdoc stopped singing. 2D turned around to see two mix-matched eyes under greasy black fringe staring at him from the top of the stall door. 2D covered himself even though it was all old news to Murdoc.

"Muds. Whatcha doin'? It's late…" 2D trailed off. Murdoc didn't look right. He had some kind of bleary fire in his eyes that made 2D itch all over. "Murdoc?"

Murdoc's head began bobbing around as he moved around outside the door. 2D could see his feet from under the stall door as he kicked off his Cuban heels. Murdoc could win the sodding world record for the fastest time to disrobe. Within seconds, Murdoc was bare-assed, in the shower stall, and under the hot water with 2D. In the next second, he had his tongue in 2D's mouth.

The alcohol on Murdoc's breath stung 2D's throat. Murdoc had drunk a lot more than he normally did. The heat from the shower and Murdoc's body, breath, eyes, and tongue made 2D's head swim. Murdoc's hands began to wonder, teasing 2D's right nipple with his left hand and palming 2D's testicles with his right hand. He raked his fingers over the smooth tight skin of 2D's thighs, and with no warning, gave 2D's arse a sharp squeeze.

2D saw white and screamed. He shoved Murdoc away. Murdoc tripped and landed on his back, looking up at 2D. The pain almost made him vom on the clean white tile. "The fuck was tha' for, Murdoc?! Tha' fuckin' hurt!"

"Heh heh heh. No reason, Tusspot. No fuckin' reason at all. Heh heh," Murdoc chuckled as he lay there on the floor, the biggest, smuggest, ugliest grin on his face. Something in 2D snapped.

He jumped on Murdoc's chest. He pinned Murdoc's arms down with his knees. He balled up those big bony hands into fists and began swinging. When he had worn himself out, 2D stood up and caught his breath. Murdoc spat out some blood from where one of his teeth had cut the inside of his cheek. 2D had put forth a good effort, but to someone who had been getting into fights his whole life, the beating felt almost like a tickle to Murdoc. He stayed on the floor as he proceeded to address 2D.

"You finished, Stu?"

"I s'pose."

"What was that all about, eh?"

"Dunno. It juss really really hurt. Made me mad."

"Well, fuck, faceache. Of course it did."

"Why you gotta be like tha', Muds?"

"You're lucky I'm eighteen bloody sheets to the fuckin' wind right now, Stu boy."

"Why, Muds? What's happened?"

"Fuck. Maybe a stupid twatting faggot made me feel bad cos he got his knickers in a twist over a sodding joke. Maybe that's why. Maybe it's fucked up because I keep hurtin' ya. I don't know how to bloody deal with it."

"Tha' mean ya feel guilty like for whatcha done to me then? Like sorry?"

"Fuck off. Just tell me."

"Tell ya what?"

"What I can fuckin' do to make us square, yeah? I want things back to normal, so juss say what ya want."

2D thought for a moment. Then another. And then several more.

"Before we're fossils, dull—"

"I wanna have sex wiff ya."

"That's it? We already do plenty of that."

"No, Muds. I wanna have sex wiff you."

"Eh?"

"I wanna do ya, bang ya, fuck ya, give ya a bit of the ol' in-out in-out!"

"Oh," Murdoc's eyes got a faraway look as he processed what 2D had said. "You wanna do me. Like, with my arse and the like, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Well…All right."

"Ya ain't gonna be mad or hit me or sumfink, are ya?"

"Naw. If a bleedin' li'l tosser like you can take it, why couldn't I? Seems like you have a jolly good time with it, so can't be all bad, eh?"

2D reached out his hand to Murdoc and helped him to his feet. The water had long since gone icy. 2D grabbed his towel from the hook on the stall door and wrapped it around Murdoc's shoulders. Whether it was the alcohol or the knot on his head from being punched into the tile floor, Murdoc felt a bit affectionate. He opened up the towel and invited 2D in. 2D hunched down and slid his arms around Murdoc's waist, and Murdoc put his arms around 2D's neck. They stood in silence in their warm towel cocoon embrace.

2D lifted his head looked at Murdoc, empty, black pits searching Murdoc's insane, wicked eyes. Under his fringe, Murdoc cocked an eyebrow, as if to ask a question. 2D nuzzled Murdoc's shoulder and said, "Oh, nuffink. I juss think tha' maybe ya should get this drunk more often." Murdoc pinched 2D's cheek, but this time it was the one on his face.