Noodle was still being carried on 2D's back as they entered the dingy boiler room. Serpentine wires stretched across the floor and coiled up the ceiling like vines. Various machines of unknown function rattled and whirred, and a loud, rhythmic clanking sound came from behind one of them.
Noodle craned her neck to see the source of the annoying noise. A sweaty, grubby looking man was hammering at random bits of broken, cracked machinery, and was exhibiting a crack of his own. "Yer…that's the engineer. Don't botha talkin to em, he'll just ask for tea or sumfink," explained 2D. "…Interesting…," said Noodle, averting her eyes from the monstrous buttcrack.
"W'right! So my dad told me one time, if you get a jellyfish sting-" "What?" yelled Noodle, "I can't hear you over that banging!" 2D tried to raise his feeble voice. "Jellyfish stings! I heard if you…..…D'YOU MIND?" 2D shot a menacing look over to the Engineer, who stopped hammering smiled at him dumbly.
2D started again. "Anyways, when I was a kid my dad told me to put vinegar on jellyfish stings. Makes it hurt less or sumfink." "Vinegar?" asked Noodle incredulously, "Are you sure?" 2D cocked his head. "Er…yeah. I'm pretty sure it was vingar. Or olive oil. Sumfin' you put on a salad…" "Croutons, maybe?" giggled Noodle. 2D pretended to drop her again.
Noodle squealed with laughter, clinging more tightly to his back. 2D felt the tips of his ears turn red. "Er…Let's go get sumfin' for those stings, yeah?" he said, trying not to think about her curves.
2D carried Noodle down a short flight of stairs leading to the lower part of the room. "So where in a boiler room would we find vinegar?" asked Noodle. "Erm, in there," said 2D, pointing to a door, "Broom closet. It's got like ev'ryfing in it. I'd be surprised if there's no vinegar in there." He swung open the door.
2D was right. The dark cupboard was loaded with bottles of all sizes, artillery belts, shotgun shells, teacups, dinner plates, but mostly guns. He carefully sat Noodle down on a small stool. "Ahhh, that's loads better. Felt like I had a monkey on my back!" said 2D, stretching. "You did! I am a Gorilla, aren't I?" grinned Noodle. Suddenly Noodle's face fell. "Am I still a part of Gorillaz, 2D?" asked Noodle quietly, staring at the writhing tubes that used to power her android counterpart. "'Course you are, love," said 2D gently, pulling up a stool of his own, "A robot could never replace ya." "But it did…" whispered Noodle, trying not to cry.
The sight tore at 2D's heart. He wiped away Noodle's reluctant tears from her warm cheeks, staring deeply into her shimmering eyes. "It never did. Not for me. All that fing did was remind me how much I wanted the real you back again. It was like…starin' at a skeleton." Noodle's eyes widened and a red hue crept across her cheeks. 2D grabbed a bottle of vinegar and began to gingerly apply it to the stings on Noodle's arms. "It was nuffin like you, Noodle. It was evil, it shot guns out of its mouth. I wotched it chuck up an octopus one time too, it was down'wright creepy. It was all like…" He held his hands up to his mouth and wiggled his fingers like tentacles.
Noodle laughed through her tears and embraced 2D. "Thank you…" she whispered. "Any time, love," 2D whispered back. The darkness of the room somehow made them feel like they needed to keep their voices down. Noodle pulled away and rested her forehead on his. Her nose caught the scent of gel from his hair and butterscotch from his body. "I'm really glad I'm home," said Noodle softly, starting to feel slightly intoxicated by the fragrance.
2D felt her warm breath on his lips and shivered. The bottle of vinegar slipped from his hands and fell to the floor. He lifted his head and looked into Noodle's eyes, his heart beating wildly. He couldn't. Noodle had just gotten home, was recovering from her injuries, and was regaining trust. He couldn't just go and kiss her. Something about Noodle made him, for once, think rationally.
2D stared at her, eyes wide, mouth agape. "I fink……I dropped………the vinegar," he said slowly.