(I'll go ahead and start on the second chapter, not sure when I'll post it. R&R pwease!)

Disclaimer: typical not owning the band and stuffs…you know the drill

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Murdoc kept staring until Noodle grew fidgety. She wished he would stop staring at her like that. What did he care, anyway if she had a date, he was the one with girls in his 'bago practically every night. And just a simple date wasn't anything, why should he be so shocked by this statement?

She nervously waved her hand in front of the bassist for a few seconds when he caught it with lightning motion and dragged her by the wrist like a child through the carpark and into Kong. He even dragged up the stairs instead of in the lift, as though that would make a more dramatic air.

Arriving in the kitchen with her heels dragging, Noodle backed as close to the wall as possible as 2D looked up from slurping a Dr Pepper (AN: WOOO DR PEPPER!) and Russ from tapping out a rhythm with his drumsticks on the table.

"Hey baby girl!" the New Yorker greeted her like he always did, until Murdoc's stare bored him into silence. "What?"

The silence wasn't completely still, slurps announced that 2D's cup was empty, though the slurps kept on coming until the bassist knocked it off the table. "Dullard, even you are gonna wan' to hear this."

Noodle rolled her eyes and crossed her arm, yanking her wrist away from Murdoc's grip for a second time that day, this one with no flush creeping up her neck. Russ kept watching.

"What is going on?"

"Noodle. Noodle is what's going on."

2D's face contorted. "You and Noodle? Ew."

A blush threatened to crawl up his neck; it was as if 2D had read his thoughts. But that was impossible, fortunately, and he forced himself to respond as the old Murdoc would have. "Tha's fuckin' sick, two-dents…" he managed to get out, then tried to change the subject back.

"Anyway, the point is tha' Noodle here's go' a boyfriend."

He watched as the silence drifted back upon the kitchen, it was almost painful to wait for them to react. The heavyset drummer was the first to explode.

"SHE WHAT? I thought I wouldn't need to lock you in the closet until you were twenty four!"

Noodle placed her hands on her hips. "Russ, I'm seventeen. I'm okay with taking care of myself."

Russ scrambled for words. "You…you can't date!"

"Until when?" she asked sarcastically.

"UNTIL YOU'RE MARRIED!"

Noodle repeated his words back at him. "I can't date…until I'm married…"

Russ swallowed. "Yes." He said haltingly, unsure if this was the correct thing to say, especially with the look on her face.

Noodle's eyes burned. "You guys are being pathetic! I'm seventeen, just shut up! I've got a date, I'm not going downtown, I'm going out. I don't need your permission, God!"

2D continued watching this, unsure of what he should say. "Um, Noods?" he asked timidly, trying to calm her rage.

"What!" she snapped, turning her blazing jade eyes upon the singer.

"Is 'e okay?"

"Is who okay?"

"You're date. 'E is a guy, right?" 2D's expression turned to one of creeped out confusion. He didn't THINK Noodle was that way…

Noodle's look was more horrified than ever, though her rage had diminished a slight bit. "Of course it's a guy, 2D-chun. Ew."

2D turned a slight shade of red. "Awright. But is 'e okay?"

"If you mean he's nice to me," she stuck her chin out and straightened her shoulders. "He is. He's definitely nicer than you guys are being."

2D looked down, a little boy hurt on his face. "Sorry, Noods."

Noodle sighed, running a hand through her hair. "No, it's okay. Whatever. I'm leaving. Have fun at the gig." She spun on her heel and stalked off toward the lift, leaving the three men to stare at each other.

Murdoc felt an intense impulse to follow her, to insist that she not go, but he was at least controlling himself enough to keep his feet in place. Don't follow her. It'll just make these stupid thoughts worse, plus Lards'll think something's up. But then… Murdoc glanced at the drummer who was currently holding his sticks so tightly he heard a tiny splintering sound. …he may be a bit more occupied. Aw, what the hell.

Murdoc slowly followed Noodle, waiting until she was at her room to put a hand on her shoulder and spin her around.

"Noods?" the bassist could feel her muscles tense under her shirt, and he instantly regretted his decision.

"Come to tell me the date of my betrothal? Who'll it be to? Cortez? Maybe then you guys can keep an eye on me."

"No, I came ta ask ta meet the guy." The sentence blurted from Murdoc's mouth before he could stop it, and he wondered what would happen if he actually did; whether he would strangle the boy, feed him to the zombies, or stick his balls in the blender.

Noodle turned around a bit. "You want to meet him?" she thought for a moment, gazing at Murdoc as though she was trying to decide whether he was teasing, joking, or being not-Murdoc. "Muds, are you serious?"

Again, his mouth spoke before his brain. "Of course."

Noodle looked at him with respect, then nodded. "Sure. He's coming over at five."

Murdoc glanced at the clock behind her. Four thirty. He looked back at her, swallowing. "Awright. Jus'…uh…be careful."

Noodle rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna get pregnant or anything, Muds. Chill out. Yeesh." He watched her turn away, going into her room and slamming the door. He looked down at his boots, sighing.

You gotta figure this out, Muds, once and for all. "Fuck off," he told the stupid voice in his head, and kicked the lift as he got in and headed for the Winne.

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Inside of his 'bago, he could think, the messy atmosphere calming his mind somewhat. Cortez squawked in the corner, only receiving a hit on the head by a moldy cracker that was tossed at him.

"Awright, Murdoc," he told himself as he paced, hoping no one was listening. "Wot the 'ell is with the thoughts! You can' like 'er. Noodle is Noodle. Nothin' more, nothin' less. Wait, nothin' less? Wot the 'ell is that?" he sighed.

"Okay, so if ya do like Noods, ya can' tell anyone. They'd have such a field day wit' that one. Can you say pedifile?" He rolled his eyes, then sat down on the ratted old couch. He stared at the ceiling, trying to adjust to not being the Murdoc he was used to. Honestly, was it even okay for a thirty seven year old man to like a seventeen year old? Let alone freakin' legal? Probably not…

Consumed in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice a knock on the door. He reached over and slammed it open with his fist, waiting. Noodle poked her head in, and his thoughts that had been so close to convincing himself that he didn't like the Asian guitarist completely evaporated.

Noodle stood before him wearing her usual blue eyeshadow and simple makeup, though half of her hair was pulled back with tiny braids falling by her ears and it had obviously had much attention. He managed to peel his eyes away from her face just in time for her to step in front of him, and he was taken aback once more. She was dressed in casual formal, with a black long sleeved shirt with a tiny burst of white flame emblemed on the chest, along with a skirt that probably could have been longer.

He immediately quit goggling when he realized he was, and looked her in the ey. "Wha?" he managed to gasp, and she looked at him curiously.

"Are you alright, Murdoc-sama?" she inquired in a voice that said she didn't really expect or care for an answer, so he kept his mouth shut and nodded. She gave a curt nod, then waved him forward. "He's here."

Murdoc's breath was caught in his throat at those two simple words, how they meant so much. So he merely bit his tongue and stepped out of the 'bago, immediately taken horribly aback.

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(Oooo……)