2D sat on his bed with a brightly lit fag hanging loosely from his fingertips.
He began rubbing his head softly from the newly forming migraine.

He couldn't stop thinking about it.

The way she seemed to send chills down his body.
He couldn't even begin to think of what the others would say.
What the fans would say.
What society and his on morals would say.
He felt almost as if he just commit a crime.

He saw her grow up.
He remembered her climbing out out that fed ex crate screaming "Noodaru!"
He remembered the way he used to help her with her hair.
The way he had to check the closets for Kaiju (her way of saying monsters.)
How even during her teen years in Demon Days he'd stay up late and play video games with her.

That child was the same woman he had just kissed.
The same one that made him feel this way.
He couldn't help but wonder when these feelings really began.
He tried to remember if he even thought of her like this during Demon Days.
He couldn't think of a time he did...
but for some strange reason he knew she's the reason behind his broken heart on Plastic Beach.

He knew that when he had to sing that duet with Cyborg he thought of Noodle.
The fearful nightmares he had because of that robotic demon.
He hated Cyborg because it was Murdoc's creation, but to him it was the last piece of Noodle he had left.
He thought of how he's really the one who wrote most of those songs...or at least helped.
He wrote half of To Binge himself.

He made those lyrics on the supplies he had.
Fags, pain pills, alcohol, and heartache.
He seemed to be drowning in heartache at that time.
When he wrote those words, he knew his thoughts were set on Noodle.
He didn't mean for it to come out the way it did... but it did.

Even when he wrote On Melancholy Hill he thought of Noodle.
He had a line in both of those songs where at the time he didn't know why he wrote them.
At the time he didn't love her in that way.
It just came out that way...
but if that was true why was he so sincere?
He took a long drag out of his fag as he thought of both songs.

"I just have to tell you that I love you so much these days...
Have to tell you that I love you so much these days it's true."

He did. He loved her. He wanted her there with him..but then again that's why he wrote On Melancholy Hill.

"Cause you are my medicine when you're close to me.
When you're close to me."

He knew both of these songs spoke truth about his feelings. He knew she made him better. He knew he lost his mind when she had gone away from him. The depression threatened to kill him when she seemed to be ripped out of his life. After El Mañana he knew she was a part of him.
She seemed to be torn right of his heart...right then and there.
He loved her then, but as time grew his love grew.
Had had been in serious love with a 16 year old?

No.

Had he been in love with the 21 year old woman he'd just kissed?

Deeply.

Even deeper that he thought he could ever love another person. Even more than Paula herself.

Murdoc and Russel wouldn't be happy.

Russel would scream at him and call him a pedophile.

Murdoc would scream at him for being happy again.

It seemed like Murdoc hated to see 2D happy.

Fans and the press would call him a pedophile.

Everyone was against him.

"I get it...but should that stop us from being happy?"

He cringed.

That line from Noodle replayed over and over in his head.

How come he could never remember anything except things he wanted to forget?
He could only remember when he was happiest and things that he never wanted to bring up again.

Too bad Noodle was right.

None of this should stop him from happiness...
too bad he didn't feel like he deserved it.

2D put out his fag, poured 4 pills into his hand, and popped them into his mouth.
He sat back onto the bed and fell into a drug induced sleep.

Hopefully this would all go away tomorrow.

Too bad nothing ever happened to him the way he wanted.

Noodle knocked on 2D's door.
No reply.
She slowly peeked her head inside to find he was fast asleep.
She smiled slightly to herself.
Despite him walking out on her right after kissing her she still couldn't find anger in her heart.
She could get quite angry with anyone else, but not him.
She could never stay mad with him.
Especially not now.
She knew after that kiss what she wanted.
She'd known this whole time...but that seemed to be the final push.
She was hoping it would push him another direction too...good or bad.

She was independent and knew she didn't need a man to be happy. She could go her whole life without one, despite whether she loved them or not.
She didn't care if he loved her as a sister.
Deep down she expected it anyways...
but when he kissed her it gave her a sense of hope.
Maybe he did love her too.
She didn't have to wonder half of what he did.
She grew up in front of him.
To her he stayed the same.
He was 33 years old and still seemed to look around her age.
Despite all of his bad habits she wanted him.
Despite the drug abuse, alcohol abuse, random illegitimate children, past with women, everything.
She wanted him to be hers.
She didn't need anybody...but she wanted if he wasn't with her in a relationship she wanted him in her life.
She didn't just love 2D.
She was in love with him.
It's weird to know the difference.
She always loved him, but not like she loved him now.

A flashback seemed to appear in Noodle's mind.

They were back at Kong.

2D swaggered in with what seemed to be newly gained confidence. His hair, now more of a dark turqoise instead of light electric blue, was dampened and clinging to his forehead due to excessive rain Kong had always gotten.
He looked at her with black buttoned eyes and a soft expression making an impression of a lifetime on her.
He walked forward and tangled his fingers into her dark purple hair at 13 and giving her his famous toothless grin.

"Las' time I saw yew ya' was a lot smaller an yo' 'air seemed to be more black than this! It looks good luff!"

Noodle gave him a small grin.

"I missed you Toochi! I'm so happy I get to see you again!"

2D and Noodle hugged and embraced. He suddenly came to a realization.

"Wait...Noodle. Since when yew speak good english?"

Noodle smiled.

"That is a long story for later. For now we should help get you back in your room."

2D grinned and hugged her again.

"I missed yew so much love! I love you so much!"

Noodle smiled at the memory of the last time he said he loved her.

She knew back then he didn't mean the kind of love she felt for him now, but that's the last time she heard the words come out of his mouth.
She knew Murdoc and Russel wouldn't be too pleased about them being together now, but she didn't mind.
Russel was like her father and would go to any length to protect her, but she knew he put her happiness first.
It seemed like it didn't matter what Murdoc thought.
She didn't even seem to mind that she grew up with 2D and their age difference.
As long as they were happy.
She lightly brushed his new lighting blue hair and smiled.

"Maybe someday."

She thought to herself as she slowly walked out of the room.

2D woke up.
His room seeming to smell of sweet cherry blossoms and and his door cracked.
Noodle was in here.
He buried his face into his hands once again.
He wished he could fall back into his coma-like state and not think again.
He just wanted her to understand.
He wanted to understand himself.
He wasn't worth the young girl's time.
She deserved so much more.

3 gentle knocks reached his door as Noodle peeked her head inside.

"2D-san! Come downstairs!"

"Oh no...are we bein' evicted today? I fink I tol' the guy-"

"No silly! Breakfast!"

2D looked at her in sheer confusion.

"Oh...awright. I'll be down soon."

Noodle smiled and quickly disappeared.

2D scratched his head.

How could she still not be mad at him?

He dragged himself down each step and slowly walked into the kitchen.
Noodle sat there at the table and looked up from her plate to point to the stove.
2D walked over to the stove top.
It seemed to be piled with every breakfast food you could think of.
Somehow Noodle even cooked omelettes.
2D, uninterested in the piles of food, grabbed a piece of bacon and sat down across from Noodle.
He shoved the bacon into his mouth as Noodle looked and gave him a questioning look.

"That's all you want?"

"Yeh. Ih'm not too 'ungry."

Noodle gave him a sad smile.

"Is everything ok?"

2D shook his head.

"I mean...i's not that fings aren't ok...but...are we ok?"

Noodle looked down at her plate and stood up to take it away and wash it in the sink.

"Well...I would like to be ok...it just depends."

She placed the plate into the sink and washed it off.
2D walked up behind her and gently grabbed her hand as she looked down.

"Noodle, I would do anyfink to make fings bettah."

Noodle looked up again to see a look of sweet sincerity and desperation plastered on his face

"Please...just tell me wha' yew want...anyfink..."

Noodle smiled slightly as 2D leaned in and crashed her lips into his own.
He kissed her hungrily...even desperately.
His thoughts and emotions thrashed inside his head as he continued to kiss her.
Noodle pressed her lips firmly against his again as the moment seemed to grow longer.
They finally broke apart as 2D looked into her shimmering green eyes.
His expression seemed to grow bewildered as his emotions fought inside him.
Her delicate dampened fingers started to cup his face and she roughly pulled him in again.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, her small frame pressed against his tall lanky body.

"WELL, WELL, WELL! Look wha' we 'ave 'ere!"

2D and Noodle quickly broke their embrace.

"2D! I knew ya' was a dullard but I NEVAH though yew'd try to put the moves on little ol' Noodle!"

Murdoc began to cackle.

"Tha's funny. Tha's REAL fukin' funny! I 'ope yew two have nice, asian, blue haired, DULLARD children!"

Murdoc laughed even harder. So hard he started to hold his sides and fell over.

2D and Noodle looked down at him in confusion.

"So...Murdoc-san...you aren't mad at us?"

"MAD? Look gurly I don' give a fuck about who yew an' pinhead are shaggin'. If i's each othah who gives a shit? I just 'appened to think yew were smar'er than to settle for such a sodding idiot!"

Murdoc opened the fridge and grabbed a beer.
He started to open the bottle when suddenly he broke into laughter again.

"HAHAHAHA! Noodle and THE DULLARD! HA! Oh sweet satan tha's a good one!"

Murdoc walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs, laughing the whole way.

2D and Noodle looked at each other.

"Well...now wha'?"

Noodle shrugged.

"At least we know Murdoc doesn't care."

"How'll we explain to Russ-"

"Shhh Toochi-kun. We'll worry about that when the time comes."

2D leaned in and kissed Noodle.

"Noodle..."

"Yes?"

"I lo-"

Suddenly they both heard Murdoc let out a great booming cackle from upstairs.
Annoyed, Noodle turned her attention back to 2D.

"What were you saying Toochi?

"Oh...I was sayin'...I'm happy we worked fings out."

"Me too."

Noodle kissed 2D again.
2D knew what he really wanted to say to Noodle...
he just felt like now wasn't the right time.