Struggling with Time and Patience Chapter 3: Too much to ask

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"Noodle"

The Japanese teen jerked and hastily turned her head around to stare straight into the face of 2-D. Noodle smiled at him as her mind let loose on the tight grip of memories.

"Hey Stu"

"You zoning back in now are ya love?"

The guitarist blushed slightly and nodded. 2-D grinned his world famous toothless grin and walked around to join Noodle on the couch. Noodle watched him sit down and get into a comfortable position next to her.

"What are you doing up so early 'D? It's like 4 in the morning"

"I could ask you the same thing love"

"Couldn't sleep"

She whispered. 2-D sighed and looked at the floor below him mindlessly in a daze.

"…Same here"

"Do you have a headache?"

"Just a bit"

2-D said painfully and cringed angrily. Noodle stared at him sympathetically while he rubbed his soft blue spikes and the thumping dented skull beneath them.

"Pills aren't working… maybe I should take some more-"

2-D stood up but Noodle gasped and pulled him back down onto the couch and stared at him menacingly.

"No! You will not take more pills or you'll have an overdose again!"

More memories hit her back more painfully, she remembers just how close she was to losing her family to even the simplest of things. She nearly even lost herself on the windmill. 2-D had always had a problem with his painkillers and even while he was on the verge of death he said he was fine. It burned Noodle inside.

"… What's wrong love?"

2-D asked anxiously. Noodle looked up and shook her head as she wiped away her forming tears. Nothing was wrong except… it was hard trying to keep her family together.

"I just can't lose you 'D… not again"

"You won't lose me love, I'll be here always"

"… You'll have to prove that to me then because I'm not convinced"

2-D sighed and leaned to hug Noodle. The Teenager abandoned her leaking eyes and wrapped her arms around Stuart's neck.

"I'm sorry I scared ya love"

"… You do more than that"

Noodle whispered. 2-D let her go and pulled back to look her directly in her beautiful emerald eyes.

"I'm not gonna go until ya have a happy life"

"But I have a happy life with you!"

She said tearfully and a bit more louder. 2-D lifted a finger to his lips to indicate to lower her voice level. Noodle nodded and calmed down.

"… You should be going to bed now love"

"…So should you"

"I know"

2-D lifted himself off the couch and yawned loudly as he walked to the door slowly and quietly. Noodle shook her head and gritted her teeth, rage unexpectedly boiling up inside her. She didn't move from her space on the couch as 2-D waited for her impatiently.

"… So that's it then?"

She spat at 2-D loudly not caring if anyone else was getting woken up. 2-D stared at her in confusion.

"You're just going to leave it at that are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I tell you how I feel about losing you and then you tell me to go to bed!"

She shouted tearfully. 2-D sighed annoyingly and hid his face in both his hands and rubbed his head trying to ease the pain. Noodle breathed deeply waiting for a reply.

"Please Noodle, I don't want another argument"

He said calmly and lowered his hands from his face staring blankly at her. They never fight. They hardly ever have arguments and they never have had one about this topic.

"… What do you mean another?"

"Fuck"

He cursed to himself and screwed his eyes up. Noodle's anger grew more and more inside her. Was there something she was keeping from him?

"What do you mean another?"

She said coldly and turned in her seat to face him. 2-D sighed and looked at her the same way she was looking at him. Cold dark looks creating a negative field around them both.

"I said another because before I can here, me and Muds had an-"

Noodle groaned loudly and buried her face in her hands, her mind bringing back memories of what she feared the most. They were splitting up again. Another part of Noodle died inside, as her trust was broken once again. 2-D yelled at her angrily.

"It didn't mean anything! It was just an argument! The band's not breaking up!"

Noodle sobbed into her hands and 2-D just watched her. She heard him but she didn't believe it.

"Noodle it was nothing! I swear!"

The Japanese teen shook her head beneath her hands. 2-D sighed angrily and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?"

He whispered darkly to himself. Noodle heard and her hands fell from her face and she snapped her head to 2-D staring dangerously at him. Right then, the door opened and out stepped a large figure. Russel.

"Can y'all keep it down in here? Some of us are trying to sleep!"

He hissed at them. Noodle's nasty expression dropped and she smiled apologetically at Russel.

"Sorry we woke you Russel, we'll be quiet"

"Shouldn't you two be asleep anyway?"

"In a minute Russ"

2-D chirped in before Noodle could reply. Russel stared at them both suspiciously and wondered why 2-D looked angry.

"… Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah we're fine Russ. Just go back to sleep, we won't wake ya"

Noodle stayed frozen and watched 2-D with a sour expression. Russel decided he didn't want to get involved and he shut the door and walked back down the corridor to his room. 2-D and Noodle both looked at each other.

"So I'm difficult am I?"

Noodle said testily and much quieter than before. 2-D shook his head.

"No Noodle, I didn't mean that love"

"Then what did you mean?"

She asked looking at 2-D. He opened his mouth to speak but then closed it quickly thinking it was a dangerous move to take with women. He sighed and wiped a cruel look of his face.

"… We're not gonna split up love… You have to trust me"

"I'm not so sure I can now after you lied to me"

"I didn't lie to you I just didn't tell you because I knew you would be like this"

"Like what!"

She yelled again her voice raising. 2-D gave a cry of frustration and turned around to face the wall, his anger rising dangerously once again. Noodle scowled and jumped out of her seat and walked arrogantly to the door and opened it. She leaned into 2-D's face.

"You don't want to talk to me? Fine! Goodnight 2-D!"

She whispered menacingly and walked out of the door and slammed it shut. 2-D leaned his aching head on the wall and sighed guiltily.

Noodle ran to her bedroom and shut her door. Tears fell down her face as she jumped onto her bed sobbing in total darkness. It felt like the person she most loved had just betrayed her. Broken her heart. She wanted to try and fix the arguments, put a stop to them but she ended up causing one herself. It was going to be so hard to keep them together. Harder than it first looked. But they had to stay together. They just had to. They were the only ones she had left.

All she just wanted was to be loved and part of a happy family… was that too much to ask?

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