Day one:
It was around 9:00 AM and 2D was already bored of this hotel room.
The room that they were staying in is small compared to most hotel rooms that they have rented before. The two beds took up most of the space in the room with just an arm's length of space between each bed. The beds themselves were larger than they needed to be, they looked to be queen-sized. The sheets on the beds matched the ugly dull red and orange striped curtains. The hotel's interior designer must have been on something when working here.
However, it was nice that the curtains completely blacked out the light from outside. Under the large window that the curtains were covering there is a small circular table with two chairs across from each other. On the table was a little white vase with orange roses sticking out of the top of the vase in every direction. Other than the hideous sheets and curtains the flowers were the only things that immediately stuck out in the room. The roses are real instead of plastic, 2D wonders who put them here. That would be a lot of flowers if they were in every room.
Other than those things there is a television on top of the dresser. The dresser was in front of the beds and the TV was turned off. Murdoc and 2D had put some of their clothes in the dresser, but most of them are still in their suitcases since Murdoc decided he wanted to sleep instead. There was also a counter beside the door with some scattered papers from the hotel on it. The papers looked to be numbers to call and flyers for different attractions around the city.
Currently the room was being lit by a single desk lamp that was on the end table between the two beds. Because of the curtains there is no sunlight coming in through the window despite it being about nine o'clock in the morning. The two band members have been up for a little over an hour now.
The only reason Murdoc is awake right now is because of the jetlag. For reasons unknown to 2D he is currently lying face-down on the floor between the two beds. 2D and the rest of Gorillaz arrived in London a few days ago so he wasn't used to the English time zone yet. He was perfectly fine getting up at eight AM here on the American east coast.
2D was in his bed trying to do a word search puzzle that he found in the drawer on their shared end table. He's not finding a lot of the words that the puzzle wants him to find, but he is finding other words like 'a', 'as', 'he', and 'I'.
He was getting a bit hungry. Soon he should probably go and see if the hotel is serving breakfast somewhere. It's a semi-decent hotel so there should be food.
Murdoc moaned from his place on the floor but did not move or say anything else.
The singer peeked over his book to the floor beside his bed where Murdoc was currently at. Murdoc was flat against the floor with his hair covering his head like a blanket. His hair was getting a bit long, it was almost touching his shoulders when he's upright. He probably hasn't had a haircut while he was in prison. 2D kind of liked how long Murdoc's hair has gotten. It really looks like he could have been in The Beatles now. Murdoc wasn't wearing a shirt this morning which isn't surprising because he just woke up. He was also wearing his old pair of black skinny jeans and that is surprising because he can still fit into them.
After a little bit of staring 2D asked, "Are you alright, Murdoc?"
"Probably. I'm just trying to put together our plan for when the old Winnebago arrives," Murdoc answered into the carpet.
"Does bein' on the floor help with that?" 2D closed the puzzle book and placed it on top of the end table. He was now fully paying attention to Murdoc.
The singer could see the Satanist do a strained nodding motion with his head. "Less sensations to pay attention to when you're face down like this. Makes sense, trust me I have a sodding PhD." Murdoc lifted his arm and moved his hand with his words as he talked. It seemed that he was just assuming that 2D was watching him and he was right.
"Alright then… Couldn't you just lay down on the bed?"
There was a bit of a pause before Murdoc spoke again. "Yes. Yes, I could, but I'm not."
2D said, "No you are not." He stretched before he swung his legs over the bed and stood up. He was getting tired of just lying there.
From the corner of his eye 2D could see Murdoc look over his shoulder at him. He probably was wondering what 2D was doing. Before he could ask the singer decided to answer, "I'm goin' to open the curtains and let some sun in. I saw on the weather app that it's supposed to be a lovely day today."
Murdoc shoved his face back onto the floor and said, "Could you not do that? The sun hurts my eyes."
Taking his time, 2D stepped over Murdoc and walked to the window. He successfully made it there without tripping over the bassist and his own clumsy feet. "You're not even lookin' at the window," He said before grabbing the curtain's edges with both hands and threw them open.
The taller man was pleasantly surprised when he couldn't see the sun at all, it was being covered by leaves. He audibly 'ooh'd' at the sight of a very large tree right in front of the window. The only part of outside that he could see was bits of blue sky peeking through the leaves. The sun hitting the tree casted a warm light-green glow on the table in front of him. Looking a little closer 2D noticed that there was red fruit dangling on the branches between the leaves. He reached out to grab one without thinking but his hand thunked against the window. "Murdoc, there's an apple tree outside of our window!" He said cheerfully towards the floor. He can't see Murdoc right now who was still lying between the beds.
Grunting, the bassist sat up and squinted towards 2D and the window. "What kind of a bloody view is this? First the horrendous drapes and the dirty carpet, now there's a sodding tree plastered against the window! This place will definitely be getting a one-star review on Yelp from me." Murdoc mumbled angrily and grabbed the side of the bed to hoist himself up.
Once the Satanist was fully stood 2D said, "You had your face on the carpet. Why did you do that if it was dirty?" The singer gave Murdoc a concerned look.
"I already told you why." Murdoc shambled over to where 2D was standing.
"You could have just laid on the bed." 2D started playing with his fingers. He would like to have a cigarette about now.
"I didn't want to lay on the bed."
"You'd rather lay on a dirty carpet than a cozy bed?"
"I don't know I just didn't want to okay?!" Murdoc yelled now visibly agitated.
"Don't yell at me!"
Murdoc looked at him with an eyebrow raised, "I'm not yelling I'm just talking loudly."
"That's what yellin' is." 2D was now agitated as well.
"No, it isn't! It's more like shouting, not yelling." Murdoc looked at 2D's face and relaxed his own face once again. "Fine whatever," He now spoke with his usual volume.
The two looked at each other in silence for a moment before Murdoc grumbled something 2D didn't hear and sat on his bed. The singer kept looking at him a little longer until Murdoc laid down and turned on his side away from 2D.
The taller man turned his attention back to the window. The outside, even with the apple tree covering it, seemed more bright and welcoming than this room at least at the moment. 2D hasn't comfortably been able to walk around in a few days. He'd love to go explore New York without having to worry about concerts later or his bandmates worrying about him.
Pausing that thought he looked over his shoulder to see Murdoc grabbing for the puzzle book he found. Well he'd only have one bandmate worrying about him this time. That is… If he would be actually worried about him. 2D bit his lip and looked back to the window. He knows Murdoc cares at least somewhat about him. The proof for that was the dock incident. The thought that kept nagging at 2D was that Murdoc was only using him for producing music. He believes that to be true.
What he believes to be true as well is that Murdoc has truly cared about him at one point in their lives, when Gorillaz was only composed of Murdoc and 2D. As soon as their first album started getting attention Murdoc went through a kind of evolution and not the helpful type like in nature.
The first sign of Murdoc changing was when he forgot about 2D in a way, but he ignored the others as well. Murdoc bought his Winnebago and decided he wanted to live there in their carpark at Kong Studios despite having his own room in the building. The Winnebago was the first thing he bought with the album money. The Satanist would rarely come into Kong studios during the beginning of their success, and when he did he wouldn't acknowledge anyone, especially 2D. He would only communicate during practice and would ignore any suggestions that the singer had. It had hurt 2D at the time because they stopped hanging out together like they had used to, but he blamed it on everyone still trying to process the success they had achieved. He completely forgot about the incident with Paula when Murdoc started ignoring him. He really shouldn't forget about Murdoc betraying him like that. He should have still been upset, but he isn't anymore.
The next things that came were the insults and personal attacks. It was a gradual change between silence and unending insults. It started with an off-hand comment about how stupid he was here and some mocking about his personal interests there. 2D was excited when this was first happening because Murdoc was finally talking to him again. Eventually every time Murdoc laid eyes on 2D he had to say something nasty about him like he was addicted each negative word that left his mouth. Russel would defend him sometimes or laugh with them like it was a playful joke. 2D knew by then when Murdoc was just joking around, and those insults were not meant to be jokes. Noodle just watched them interact when she was in the same room as the two, unable to understand why everyone was yelling at each other. For some reason, despite how much the insults ate at 2D, he liked it more than the silence.
Then when 2D stopped caring about the verbal attacks, Murdoc moved to more physical attacks. Unlike last time though, the change was sudden. The singer doesn't remember a lot of things well, but the first time Murdoc attacked him he remembers clearly. It started with the usual string of insults about how moronic he was and 2D just continued watching the TV. The insults didn't hurt anymore. Murdoc didn't like that he didn't get a reaction at that moment and threw a lamp at him. That caused 2D to get a cut just above his eyebrow and he needed four stitches.
After that Murdoc didn't say sorry, but he did ignore him for a few days before buying him a new Casio. After that incident Murdoc just slapped him around and threw less damage-causing objects. That was also when Russel stopped finding Murdoc's antics funny and more of a problem. Though Murdoc hasn't physically hurt him since they all left Plastic Beach. During their Humanz album 2D would always expect a hit, but it never happened.
After they started working on their second album, Murdoc mellowed out a little. There was still the violence and insults, but Murdoc had gotten lazy with them. The bassist was much more focused on making music and finding collaborators than bothering 2D. This was when the singer stopped caring again and just let it happen. If he pretended like the insults were more playful like before 2D could convince himself that Murdoc was still his friend.
He stopped his mental timeline there before he could get to their next album. After all of that why would Murdoc just suddenly want to go to how they acted back in 1998? The only conclusion 2D can come up with is that he doesn't, he just wants his help to get rid of his criminal record.
Sighing to himself, 2D turned away from the window and headed towards the door. He needs to get out for a little bit and redirect his thoughts like he learned in counseling. Also, he still wants that cigarette he's been craving.
As he was turning the handle he heard Murdoc from behind him say, "Where are you going, Dents?"
2D turned back around to see Murdoc watching him with his head resting on his hand. "Goin' out for a smoke, want to come with me?"
Murdoc eyed him up and down before saying, "Nah, mate, maybe later. Don't stay out in plain sight too long though, don't want anyone recognizing you."
2D smiled and opened the door. "I wouldn't be recognized if I still had my hat. And I will be out for a little while. I want to go explore for a bit."
That caused Murdoc to sit up. He looked bothered about what 2D said and put the puzzle book back onto the end table. "Well you can't go explore out there; New York is filled with people! Everyone will take pictures of you and wonder why you're not with the rest of the band," He said hurriedly and moved his hands for emphasis. He completely ignored the thing 2D said about the hat.
After closing the door again, 2D responded "Well you're not goin' to be with me so it shouldn't be a big problem, right?"
"Did you not hear what I just bloody said? I said they'll wonder why you're not in the UK with the Noodle and Russel," Murdoc replied with some annoyance in his voice.
2D crossed his arms over his chest. "I did hear what you said and I'm tellin' you it isn't your problem. I can come up with a good excuse."
"Alright you came up with a good excuse once, that doesn't mean you're suddenly a professional liar. Just go for your smoke and come back. We'll explore when the van comes over," Murdoc said with a wave of his hand, motioning for 2D to go out the door.
"No, we probably won't. I'd prefer to go for a walk now, so I won't go crazy in this tiny little room. I'll even go get you some booze, how about that?" The singer smiled as a peace offering.
Murdoc wasn't backing down though. He stood up and crossed his arms as well. "As tempting as that sounds, I would still rather stay out of prison."
"I'm not the criminal here, it's you-"
"Hey now! Keep your voice down, we could have neighbors next door that can hear you," The bassist quickly said with a 'shush'. "Just stay here alright?"
2D can't understand the worry that Murdoc has right now. Does anyone other than those people at the airport even know that Murdoc isn't in prison? Is it a control thing? "Do you really believe that we're goin' to spend ten or eleven straight days in this room?" He asked annoyedly and a little anxiously now as well.
Murdoc scratched his chin and looked over at the window. Then he looked back and said, "Listen, 2D, I get what you're saying here, I do it's just like being in jail again for a while, but we honestly need to lay low. Noodle and Russel can't be trusted right now, and with social media things get shared fast."
"What do you mean they can't be trusted? I trust them!" 2D looked Murdoc in the eyes for a moment and then quickly looked to the ground instead. It felt like Murdoc just insulted the other bandmembers. He doesn't like the emotion Murdoc is giving off right now, it feels too familiar. "I can trust them way more than I trust you and here I am. I'm still here with you."
Murdoc threw his hands up in frustration. "Well then why are you still here? Go back to England if you just want to sodding ruin everything for me!" He yelled or maybe shouted, 2D wasn't sure.
2D let out a breath in disbelief, "I want to help you, but I have to help myself too you know. And what do you mean by 'ruin everythin''? You've ruined my life more than I could possibly ever ruin yours." He knew that this was not a healthy or productive conversation to have, but Murdoc had struck a nerve. "I'm not even talkin' about 'D-Day' either. I'm talkin' about Plastic goddamned Beach; that place and you have made me go completely mental. Did… Did you see how I was actin' on the docks? That was all because of you and Plastic Beach." His hands were starting to shake, but he really wanted to get this off his chest, "You locked me underwater and forced me to sing for you with Noodle's robot look-a-like pointin' a gun at my head the entire time. Do you not see how fucked up that was, Murdoc? Probably not because you were black-out drunk on rum the entire time. All of that stuck with me and I hate it!"
"Shut the fuck up, Stuart! It was hard for me too, you know? I drank constantly for a reason! I was broke I had to make money somehow and I thought Noodle was dead too-" Murdoc didn't seem worried about 2D calling the cops on him anymore.
"Get a job! It's not that hard! Make your own music by yourself! Work at McDonald's, I don't care! You kidnapped me! And it was your fault Noodle almost died too! What kind of excuse is that?" 2D could feel the angry tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He wouldn't normally start a fight like this or even fight back, but Murdoc being in jail gave him time to think about things. Murdoc was a hurtful person and he deserves to know that.
He could see Murdoc dig his nails into his arm. The bassist is getting overwhelmed and is trying not to show it, 2D knows the signs by now. He should stop this argument now before it gets worse. This isn't making progress with helping Murdoc or himself. It's an overall worthless fight.
Murdoc practically growled and said, "You're acting so smug because you made a whole album on your own, aren't you? Think you don't need me anymore, huh? You want me to go work at bloody McDonald's? I made you, Stuart. You used to just lay on my couch while I made sure you didn't choke on your own vomit. I made you who you are today, I made you famous, you owe me your life."
"Is that what you really think? I could sing before you hit me with your car. I could have found Kong Studios. I could have found Russel. Noodle would have still been shipped to our doorstep, she could probably play bass very well; she plays everything very well. And I would still have my girlfriend in my band playin' guitar. I could have done it without you. I still could, and I proved that while you were getting' knocked on your arse in prison."
The Satanist quickly took three long strides until he was an arm's reach away from 2D. He was panting like a rabid dog. 2D braced himself but refused to move or cower under Murdoc. The shorter man had his arms at his sides and clenched them into fists. At this distance 2D had to look down slightly to look Murdoc in the eyes.
"That wasn't even you, you ignorant piece of…" Murdoc growled again. He's obviously furious with 2D but he cut himself off. 2D had no idea what Murdoc meant. He wrote The Now Now by himself, does Murdoc not realize that? 2D wouldn't let that bit of nonsense distract him, he was still upset.
The two glared at each other for what felt like an hour but was probably more like a minute. Then Murdoc said in a faint voice, "Leave, now. I don't give a shit what you do anymore."
2D glared at him some more. Then he opened the door behind him and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Before he could see if Murdoc was going to come after him, he sprinted down the hall to where the lifts were.
He jammed his thumb into the 'down' button on the elevator and waited impatiently for the lift to get there. When the lift arrived and dinged he stepped inside and rode it to the floor below. The elevator was playing some sort of old pop song he might have recognized if he listened to it a little longer. Once he was on the first floor he speed-walked past everyone in the lobby and out the front door, keeping his head down as he did so. This place had a huge lobby compared to the size of the rooms.
Once outside 2D paused and looked up at the blue sky that was being teased through his window earlier. He sees this sky every day like everyone else, but it never stops being stunningly beautiful. People walked past him as he was admiring the sky. He wonders why no one stops to look up at the sky more often. Everyone must just be too busy to do so. In the corner of his eye 2D saw spots of color poking out from green.
Without thinking he turned on his heels and walked off of the sidewalk and into the grassy hotel garden where the tall apple tree was. There was a large green lawn outside of the hotel with bushes of different colored flowers and trees he didn't recognize except for the one that had apples. The interior of the hotel may be ugly, but the garden looked well taken care of and beautiful.
Once at the base of the apple tree 2D reached out to feel the bark. It was smooth compared to other trees and cool to the touch. The branches provided a semi-circle of shade around the trunk of the tree. Half of the tree was growing against the wall of the hotel right up to where his room is.
2D looked up and forgot for a moment that he was in the middle of a city. The branches obscured any view of the buildings around the hotel and only showed specks of blue from the sky and ripe-looking apples amongst a sea of branches. He couldn't even see where his room was.
The apples were very attractive looking for being in a cheap hotel garden. The singer reached up and grabbed an intact-looking apple from one of the lower branches. After a quick inspection for holes 2D turned around and rested his back against the tree trunk.
Now he could see the city again. He lifted the red fruit to his mouth but just held it against his lips. Birds can be heard chirping around the garden. 2D looked around at the other flowers and trees. Then he looked back up and slid his back down against the tree trunk until he was sitting on the ground with the apple still pressed to his lips.
The fight he had with Murdoc is ruining his rare time of peace. He looked back towards the city. Why does he still care? He has already concluded that Murdoc only wants to use him. So why does he still want to stay?
The apple was placed next to him on the ground since he doesn't feel that hungry right now. Instead he pulled out his cigarette pack and lighter from his pocket. He lit the cigarette and took a long drag from it.
2D wanted to get away from his thoughts about Murdoc, but instead it's even worse now after what happened up there. He didn't want to say those horrible things to Murdoc, even if they were true, they were unkind and unnecessary. He does not want to apologize right now either.
He took the cigarette out of his mouth and wiped a tear that left his eye with his palm. Will they ever be able to become friends again? 2D, despite all of the things Murdoc did to him, would still like for him to go back to how he used to be, when he wasn't like how he is now. Now Murdoc's probably only acting like he gives a damn. 2D wants to stop caring about Murdoc but he just can't. When Murdoc ignored 2D, he still cared. When Murdoc insulted him, 2D still cared. When Murdoc hurt him, 2D still cared. When Plastic Beach happened, 2D hated Murdoc, but he still gave a shit about him.
He doesn't hate Murdoc right now, but he's angry with him. Murdoc was getting better during Humanz and that restored some faith in 2D. The singer wasn't about to forgive him, but it was a nice start to rebuilding their friendship. But then Murdoc went to jail and insulted him again to some reporters and on his Twitter. That made 2D feel like all of that progress Murdoc made last year was fake. 2D has never been more confused with anything his life. He wiped away another tear and put his cigarette back between his lips.
Day two:
Yesterday left 2D feeling a lot less than great. He can't stop thinking about it. Everything about their exchange is eating away at him. It was the worst verbal fight they've had in a long time. He thought he would have felt better by standing up for himself, but he doesn't feel very good at all.
He's been thinking about what he should have or shouldn't have said. At times he wonders if he should have just kept his mouth shut. He also thinks being nicer would have helped his conscience now. However, he would also have liked to keep going. Murdoc deserved to know exactly how 2D felt about everything that had happened in their relationship. 2D wanted to tell him about how he ruined their friendship and made 2D hate him for the longest time. Murdoc is a horrible person, so why doesn't 2D completely believe that?
The Satanist told him to leave and he did, but not really. 2D booked a separate room for himself on the other side of the hotel. He doesn't have any of his things except for his phone, wallet, cigarettes, and lighter. His clothes are the exact same he left in yesterday morning which is a maroon hooded sweater with big white stars on them and a simple pair of black jeans. They don't smell too bad so 2D isn't worried too much about wearing them for another day. He didn't want to face Murdoc last night despite knowing that he needs to confront this issue sooner or later. The singer didn't even go explore New York City like he wanted to; just sat around the hotel all day brooding. He didn't sleep very well that night either.
The room that he had reserved last night was even uglier than the other one. The green bedsheets had a pattern that looked like it would belong on a 70s carpet. The curtains didn't have a pattern to them, but they were a clashing bright red color. It looked like it was vaguely Christmas themed though that probably wasn't the intent of the designer. The window faced the parking lot; oddly enough, the singer preferred the mess of leaves from the apple tree blocking the view in the other room. 2D already checked out of his room from last night hours ago. He's glad to be out of there.
At this moment 2D is waiting at the end of hotel's entrance. It's a little before 2:00 PM. He was actually going to explore today. A cab should be coming around any moment now to pick him up. There was a flyer in the hotel lobby advertising a festival of sorts going on today.
He forgets exactly what the festival is celebrating but there's supposed to be little carnival rides and lots of places to shop for food and things. He momentarily forgot about Murdoc when he saw the ad, remembering the time he worked with his father at the fairground. That lovely brief memory helped 2D decide that he wanted to go to this festival and forget about his troubles.
2D watched a yellow cab pull over to the curb he was standing by. He smiled and flicked his cigarette onto the ground. After approaching the car, he opened the back and slid onto the leather seat. The singer started to describe the festival to the driver because he forgot the name of it. The driver already knew what he was talking about and cut 2D off with a 'yeah okay'.
During the cab ride 2D looked out his window and watched the tall buildings go by. There was no blue in the sky today but instead pillows of clouds covering it up. They didn't look like angry storm clouds so there shouldn't be any worry about rain.
"What happened to your eyes? They're weird. You got some contacts in or something?" The driver asked while still looking at the road.
2D looked away from the window to the driver. In the mirror he could see the driver raise his eyebrow while still looking at the road. "Uh… well I was hit by a car," The singer said after thinking of what to say, he isn't good at small talk with people he doesn't know. Honesty should be okay right now; this man doesn't seem to know who he is.
The man driving met 2D's 'weird' eyes in the mirror and said, "Damn. That's unfortunate, sorry to hear about that. Never saw a car accident do 'that' to someone's eyes." 2D looked back outside.
"Well only one of them, uh, looked like this for a while. Then I flew through the windscreen of the same car that hit me the first time and got my other eye like this, forget which one was first though," 2D replied while picking at his fingernails.
After not hearing a response for a few seconds 2D looked back at the mirror. The driver looked like he was trying pretty hard to not look back at the mirror. The singer shrugged to himself and looked back out the window. This man definitely thinks that the singer is insane.
When the vehicle arrived just outside the festival grounds 2D was able to leave the uncomfortable environment that he unintentionally created. He stepped out of the vehicle and put his sweater's hood up. Murdoc told him that he doesn't care what he does anymore, but 2D still would rather not get recognized. His band still thinks that he's away to be with his family and arranging his mother's funeral. As soon as the singer's two feet were planted on the ground the cab pulled away.
2D ignored his rude driver's behavior and instead focused on the festival grounds in front of him. He smiled as he noted that the whole street was filled with activities like games, rides, food, and shopping stands. The street was huge compared to the streets he was normally accustomed to. There is enough space to fit everything on it and still have room for people to walk around freely.
The ferris wheel's flashing lights are the things 2D's eyes draw towards to after he looked at the rest of the festival. When he worked at his dad's fair he rode the ferris wheel more than 100 times. It was fun to ride with his friends, but not as fun to ride by himself. He'll probably ignore the rides today.
The singer put his hands in his hoodie pockets and strode over to where the festival begins at the end of the street. Everyone was bustling around the street going from vendor to vendor or just wandering around aimlessly. There are children all over the place holding onto their presumed parent's hand, playing little carnival games, eating ice creams, or holding different colored balloons. Middle aged ladies are carrying bags full of what looked like decorations and little antiques. Everyone who doesn't fall into those categories are doing their own thing.
Walking forward deeper into the festival, 2D took in the somewhat nostalgic sight. If he wasn't in Gorillaz he and his father could have taken care of their fair together and made it something huge like this festival. When 2D's father started getting sick he helped his father take care of the fair. He stayed there until his father couldn't walk anymore and eventually passed away. He was glad he could be there in the end, but sometimes he gets this nagging feeling like he should have been there longer. Maybe his father wouldn't have gotten sick if he was always there to help him. It's another reason why he feels horrible about using his mother's fake death as an excuse to get away from the band.
Shaking his head, 2D's eyes laid on an ATM placed between two stalls. Places like these only take cash, don't they? He walked over and inserted his bank card. After pressing a few buttons his money came out of the slot. Now he has 300 US dollars total split into 20-dollar bills. Even if he doesn't spend that much he at least has some cash.
As he continued to walk along the festival grounds he was stopped by a fan. She claimed that she loved him and that she was very sorry about his mother. Looks like Noodle informed social media about his mother's passing; that might make things complicated. He thanked the fan and signed the carton that she was carrying some sort of fried food in. Even with his hood up he was still being recognized. It was probably because his blue hair is sticking out of his hood and his completely black eyes are visible when he looks up at something.
He came across something that might help with one of those problems. There is a stand that sells sunglasses, hats, t-shirts, and hoodies. Perfect, he could get a new disguise here and maybe he could get something for Murdoc as well.
He's planning on going back to his original room tonight whether Murdoc is still angry with him or not. 2D doesn't want to just forget about what happened yesterday, he wants to talk about it but when they're both calm. The singer certainly doesn't forgive Murdoc for the fight or anything else really, but he wants to work out their issues together. That's how people grow, right?
Entering the semi-tented area, 2D first stepped in front of the table full of several types of sunglasses. The tent was well shaded compared to the rest of the festival. Some people were under the tent with him looking at various clothing items. The man who he assumes is manning this stand is standing in the corner next to a desk with a metal box on it.
The sunglasses came in different shapes, colors, and sizes. One of the pairs looks like the heart-shaped pair that Noodle owns. He kind of liked the pair of green aviators, but he knew that would look silly with his red sweatshirt. It would probably look like his previous ugly hotel room. A different pair that he liked was a thick white circular-rimmed pair. White goes with everything and the thick rim would cover his eyes from the side as well.
He picked them up and tried them all. The tented area was even darker now and had an orange tint to it. It fit well, and the singer decided that this was the pair for him. He kept them on while he moved over to the other side of the tent to look at their t-shirts.
There was a black one that looked like it would fit Murdoc so 2D picked it up to get a better look at it. The shirt proclaimed in a bold font that, 'LEGENDS ARE BORN IN MARCH'. 2D tilted his head to the side and read it again. Well he doesn't agree with that at all. People who were born in the winter were probably the most likely to be legends, they had to live through the cold as a baby and all that. Maybe whoever made this shirt comes from a place where March is a really cold month.
He put the shirt down and picked up another one. This one was even more bizarre saying, 'REAL WOMEN ARE BORN IN OCTOBER WITH PUERTO RICAN BLOOD'. 2D looked at this one even longer. Oh, he gets it now, these are supposed to be funny t-shirts. Russel and 2D love these kinds of shirts. The kinds of shirts he really likes don't have much of a meaning at all. These shirts have some sort of meaning to them, but 2D kind of likes how odd they are.
He held the shirt in his hand to his chest and sees that it wouldn't fit him, but it might fit Murdoc. Putting the shirt to the side, he grabs another one and inspects it, now excited to see what it might say.
This was an orange sweatshirt that said, 'WALK AWAY, THIS FORKLIFT OPERATOR HAS ANGER ISSUES AND A SERIOUS DISLIKE FOR STUPID PEOPLE'. Murdoc isn't a forklift driver, but he does have anger issues. 2D added the sweatshirt to the start of a pile of clothing he's going to buy. Maybe if people read the sweatshirt they won't know it's Murdoc because he isn't a forklift operator.
Once he had a rather substantial number of t-shirts that he deemed acceptable he moved onto the hats. He needs a new hat after he lost his in the ocean. The man in the corner of the tent has been watching him with interest. He seems very happy that 2D likes his merchandise. The hats weren't as exciting as the shirts, but 2D was determined to find one he liked anyway.
He did find one that he liked, it was a white billed hat just like his old hat, but this one had orange text on the front that said, 'B is for BALLIN'. 2D has never played basketball but he still likes this hat. Putting down his hood he put on the hat on his head deciding that he didn't care about if he matched anymore. He misses his old 'shit happens' hat, but this one fills the void that the other hat left behind.
Picking up his pile of new clothes, 2D made his way over to the desk where the man in the corner is. He picked out some stuff for both him and Murdoc. The Satanist probably won't have an appreciation for these kinds of shirts like he does, but Murdoc only has clothes that looks like something Murdoc would wear. 2D knows that Murdoc doesn't want to be recognized.
2D put his numerous items down and took out his wallet to pay for them. "Hello sir," 2D said politely to the man.
"Hello. I take it that you really like these kinds of things?" The man was happy as he spoke and began inspecting each article of clothing for a price.
The singer nodded and put the sunglasses and hat back on again once the man was done looking at them. "They're quite funny; at least I think they are." The man told him the total cost and 2D was surprised at such a low price for the amount of stuff that he's buying. He paid for his items with four 20-dollar bills and he received about five dollars in change back.
His massive quantities of shirts fit into about four large bags. At this point 2D realized that maybe he shouldn't have bought as many shirts. He needs to use both hands to carry his bags. Also, he spent quite a bit of time just looking and rating each shirt out of ten in his head.
Before calling a cab for himself, the singer spent a few hours wondering around the festival people watching and browsing more stands, he even bought a few fun things he thought was neat. 2D bought some greasy chips from one of the stands and a cup of lemonade. He had to sit down with his bags beside him to eat because he ran out of room to carry anything. On his way to meet his cab he had four bags of different items dangling off of his arms and a cup of lemonade in his hand. He didn't get anything to eat for Murdoc and he feels kind of bad about it, but Murdoc can take care of himself. He can order something from the hotel and put it on 2D's tab if he's hungry.
This cab driver was much nicer compared to the other one. She held the door open for him so he could get in and out of the vehicle. He managed to get into the hotel as someone was passing through, so the door was already open. Then he had to hit the elevator button while trying to balance his piles of belongings without toppling over. Everything was good so far, he made it without falling.
When the elevator reached his floor, 2D shuffled out and made his way to where his room was. He bit his lip nervously. Yesterday he forgot his keycard, so he'll need to rely on Murdoc to open the door to let him in. 2D was very unsure about coming back here all of a sudden.
Carefully 2D kicked the door three times as a way of knocking rather than risking falling over if he used his hands. He waited with his leg dangling awkwardly in the air. When he didn't get a response, he kicked the door again, this time a little more forcefully. Then he heard shuffling on the other side of the door.
He jumped back and was miraculously still holding his things when the door slammed open. Murdoc gripped the door frame and squinted at him. "I thought I told you to leave me alone," The bassist slurred. His hair was greasy and stuck up in odd directions. Surprisingly he was still wearing a shirt. It looked like he's been intoxicated for a little while now. "Oh, wait it's just my singer. Welcome back, 2D. Thought you might have gone back to… back to England."
2D had just now decided that he didn't want to talk to Murdoc anymore. Especially not while he's hammered like this. The bassist might not even remember anything 2D says in the morning. The singer ignored what Murdoc has just said and squeezed past him into the room. Once inside 2D set his things down next to the dressed after putting his cup of lemonade on top of the dresser.
After hearing some shuffling behind him, 2D turned back around to see Murdoc bent over forwards clutching the edge of the bed. He probably tripped.
Murdoc looked up at 2D and asked, "What the bloody hell are you wearing?"
Oh yeah, 2D still had his sunglasses and his cool new hat on. He took off both of those things and set those on the dresser as well. Just then was when he noticed all of the broken ceramic on the floor. A quick glance at the table told him that Murdoc must have broken the vase that held all of the flowers. Where did the flowers go? There's only pieces of the vase on the floor.
"Oh yeah, sorry about the mess. I had a bit of an accident… and by accident, I mean I threw it against the wall." Murdoc said shuffling forward until he was sitting on his bed next to where 2D was standing. "Also got rid of those repulsive curtains. Would have gotten rid of the sheets too, but we need those. You're welcome by the way."
2D doesn't immediately see the curtains anywhere and that worries him a bit. Was Murdoc drunk like this when he got rid of them? If so, then that could be a problem that he's going to need to deal with later. The singer's eyes settled on his bed where one of his previous questions was answered. On his bed was the orange roses from the vase placed onto his bed in the shape of a heart. He wanted to ask Murdoc why they were there, but he also doesn't want to have a conversation with him right now.
"Hey dullard" Murdoc nudged 2D's show with his foot, "No wait… hey you, what crawled up your arse?" The bassist slowly leaned forward without knowing it until his face fell against 2D's waist. Immediately he pushed himself back quickly but nonchalantly and pretended like it didn't happen.
Shaking his head in annoyance, 2D walked a step away from Murdoc to his own bed where he sat down and proceeded to remove his shoes. Hopefully Murdoc gets the hint and leaves him alone until the morning.
Murdoc looks at him blankly for a moment. "Are you ignoring me?" He asked.
After receiving no answer, he continued with, "You're seriously ignoring me? That's real sodding childish, you're 40 years old."
2D knows what Murdoc is trying to do, but he isn't going to fight back. Instead he turns around and begins removing the flowers that are on his bed. He's just going to toss them onto the floor for now and pick them up in the morning.
"Hey now what are you doing? I made your bed all pretty for you… and you're just ruining it," Murdoc said with some disbelief evident in his voice.
He looked up at Murdoc after that with confusion shown clearly on his face. This kind of reminds him of the times Murdoc used to mistake him for someone else while he was drunk. He was always real nice to him when that happened, but now there was no one else to mistake him with. 2D is the only person on this journey with Murdoc and he has a feeling Murdoc didn't invite a girl over to shag.
Murdoc looked the taller man in the eyes and softened his expression. He opened his mouth but for a moment only a squeaking sound came from his throat. 2D was getting concerned. Then Murdoc found the words he must have been looking for and said, "I'm sorry I never say sorry."
The singer would have been touched if Murdoc weren't as drunk as he was. He still feels something despite trying to stay mad at the bassist. Before he could make a mistake and say something back to Murdoc he reached over and turned their lamp off. He's hoping that Murdoc just goes to sleep.
Day three:
Murdoc did not sleep well last night. He usually sleeps fantastically when he's as drunk as he was last night, but his singer and the trouble between them kept popping into his mind. It was worse than the night before when 2D wasn't here. Having the singer here just made him even more off. Murdoc had just woken up and was still lying on his bed unsure of what to do now. There's hardly any light shining through the leaves against their window despite it being close to 10:00 AM.
After 2D stormed out yesterday Murdoc went into a rage of sorts. He threw the vase full of flowers against the wall first. Pacing around the room and almost ripping his hair out, Murdoc then decided he absolutely needed to be rid of those horrid red and orange striped curtains. He yanked them off of the bar and shoved them under his bed.
Nothing he did would stop the overwhelming mixture of anger and guilt that plagued his mind. He was furious at both 2D and himself. The singer said some horrible things that Murdoc didn't know he was capable of saying. Murdoc's insecurity about being unneeded was confirmed by 2D himself. Normally Murdoc would feel incredibly guilty about something like this, and he does, but he has this aching feeling that it wasn't his fault this time.
He refrained from both relying on insults and violence to try to solve their argument. He could have hit 2D, but he didn't and in a way he's proud of himself for staying somewhat calm. The only thing he asked was for the taller man to stay hidden. Murdoc didn't force 2D to stay with him; he let him go. The only mistake Murdoc really made was telling 2D that he made him, but he has said that before without many issues from 2D. If Murdoc didn't make any huge mistakes, then why is 2D this upset?
He took a break from his destruction of property to walk to a local grocery shop to pick up some beer. He had no money, so he just picked up three cases of beer and a pack of cigarettes and just walked out. Murdoc was too angry about what happened with 2D to come up with a better plan, but it surprisingly worked out okay. Whoever saw him probably just assumed that he already paid for his things and just let him go. The absurdity of being able to successfully steal three cases of beer and a pack of cigarettes made Murdoc halt his rampage.
When he got back to the hotel room with his acquired items he immediately had a few beers and a smoke. He ordered some room service and it tasted semi-decent in his drunken state. The bassist was forgetting about everything that had happened in the only way he knows how.
At some point into the late afternoon when the pink sky shined through the leaves pressed against his window he decided to gather up all of the orange roses on the floor. The possibility of 2D leaving him here alone in the United States was the only thing he could think about. Even with the alcohol the thoughts nagged at him.
I think I messed up again.
Nobody will ever love me.
Stuart deserves better than what I can ever give him.
What happened to him? What happened to the Murdoc Niccals who cared about no one but himself? He doesn't want to need 2D with him. Murdoc does need 2D, but not for his money. He needs 2D because he has never done well without 2D. The only stability that he's experienced comes from 2D. His singer is the reason he's still alive right now. If 2D had never stood in that shop on that day Murdoc probably wouldn't have made it this far in life.
Murdoc considered that 2D could eventually come back to him. The singer's clothes were still here after all. When 2D comes back he might still be upset. Murdoc's fuzzy mindset decided to arrange the flowers on the taller man's bed. He assumed that 2D would find it pretty and would appreciate the Satanist's efforts. It would be his own way of apologizing since he can't seem to say the words 'I'm sorry' for anything more than a slip of the tongue.
It turns out, as seen last night, that 2D didn't recognize what Murdoc was trying to do. In fact, the singer didn't say anything to Murdoc. For a little while as Murdoc was trying to fall asleep he wondered if the man in the other bed was real. Maybe the fog from Point Nemo had caught up to him and was making him hallucinate again.
That wasn't what was happening since 2D was still lying in his own bed. Murdoc is much soberer than he wants to be right now. 2D will be waking up soon and the bassist isn't sure how to talk to him. Should he try to talk to him? He would most likely say something wrong and make everything worse as usual.
Murdoc swung his legs over his bed and stood up. Seeing that the noise he made didn't wake 2D Murdoc continued to go over to the mini-fridge and get himself a beer. If he's going to need to deal with what's going on between him and 2D he'll need some liquid courage. The bassist is going to try very hard today to get 2D back on his good side even if the argument might not entirely be his fault.
Before the Satanist could open his beer, there was a loud crashing sound from outside. The sound made him jerk his head towards the window to look for the sound as if he might be able to see it through the leaves.
2D sat up and shot a worried look at Murdoc. "What was that?" He asked sounding out of breath. Murdoc can imagine that his heart was pounding.
Murdoc opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the new sound of rain pounding against the side of the building. Murdoc closed his mouth and then opened it again and said, "Well I think it was a bit of thunder." Then he smirked in 2D's direction.
Well 2D wasn't very amused at Murdoc's sass-filled answer. The singer frowned before looking past the bassist to the window. Murdoc's smile drooped as well, and he followed the other's gaze to the window.
The fierce rain that the two were hearing was not visible from their window due to the leaves from the apple tree shielding their room. The room lit up briefly during a quick strike of lighting that shined through the leaves.
Hearing 2D sigh, Murdoc turned his attention back to the other man. The singer wasn't looking at Murdoc and instead was eyeing the door. Does 2D want to leave again? Has Murdoc already messed up this morning? Why is it that when he's actually trying to 'get better' he ends up making it worse than if he weren't trying at all?
Not being able to handle this awkward heavy feeling in the room anymore Murdoc asked, "Are you going to leave again, Dents?" He spoke much calmer than the way he spoke when 2D announced that he was leaving the first time. Murdoc doesn't want 2D to leave again, but if 2D wants to leave then he won't force him to stay.
The taller man bit his lip before tearing his eyes away to meet Murdoc's eyes. Looking 2D in the eyes still makes Murdoc uncomfortable, but he can tolerate it. He can tell that 2D himself is uncomfortable at this very moment; he's biting his lips and picking at his fingernails.
"I mean um… I would like that. It's a little stuffy in here right now. That might be because of the storm and the humidity and that other weather stuff. It is stormin' outside though so it doesn't make much sense to go outside right now," 2D said in a rambling sort of way. The lights flickered briefly in the room. The power might go out soon.
He wants to leave again after all. Murdoc wants to say something like bring up the fact that 2D is causing him to doubt himself or that he doesn't want to be alone again, but instead he says, "You can go if you want. I won't yell at you. Just please don't tell people I'm here or that you're 2D, blah, blah, blah, all that stuff."
Murdoc sat down on the bed and braced himself for 2D to leave again. Looking at his fingernails, Murdoc pretended to not care.
2D looked between the man on the bed and the door. Despite the storm raging on outside like the man mentioned before, 2D looked like he really did want to leave. "Okay… I'm goin' to go out for a smoke then. If you need me I'll be outside. I won't go far, promise." Even though the mood in the room was awkward 2D managed to smile at Murdoc and held up his pinkie finger.
Murdoc rolled his eyes.
"Come on now, Muds. Pinkie swear, you have to." 2D said teasingly and held his pinkie farther towards Murdoc.
After a heavy annoyed sigh Murdoc raised his pinkie finger as well. 2D knocked their digits together and made a fake explosion sound from his mouth.
Satisfied with himself 2D nodded at Murdoc. Then he turned around and walked out the door.
For a few minutes the Satanist could only stare at the space 2D's lanky frame used to occupy. He was coming back. Murdoc had nothing to worry about. His singer took childish things like 'pinkie swears' seriously. He would definitely come back. So why does he have this nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that he should be worried?
He sat up and ran a hand through his bangs. He was probably being paranoid again. Or so he thought until he saw that 2D left his lighter on the dresser next to his new shitty hat. Either 2D is dumber than Murdoc thought he was since 2D hasn't come back up for his lighter yet, he borrowed a lighter from someone else, or he isn't going out to smoke like he said he was.
Murdoc was going through a mixture of emotions at that moment, none of them are very good. Where is 2D? Murdoc feels like he needs to find out right now. He doesn't have a new phone yet, so he can't just call him or text him.
Standing up again, Murdoc grabbed the lighter from on top of the dresser and slammed the door open. After immediately slamming the door closed again he took the nearest set of stairs down to the first floor of the hotel. Normally he would take the elevator and avoid the stairs at all costs, but he was in a hurry at the moment and the stairs are the quickest way to go.
Murdoc pushed passed the bellboys and random guests checking in while he was in the lobby. He received some scowls from people he had shoved on his way, but he could care less. He stomped quickly to the way outside and threw open the double-doors without thinking. A wave of rain pelted the front of him. "Aw shit!" He exclaimed angrily at mother nature.
Now that he was already uncomfortably drenched in rainwater Murdoc had no issues going fully outside and looking around for his singer. He did just that and held a hand over the top his eyes as if that would help him see better. The only people he can see are normal looking blokes that have natural hair colors.
After looking around so fast that he could have gotten whiplash a few times, Murdoc gradually slowed down until he was just standing in the rain. This is ridiculous. He shouldn't be as worried as he is. 2D will come back like he always does. His hand hardened its grip around 2D's lighter without him thinking. How did 2D even expect to be able to smoke in this torrential downpour? Murdoc's body was drenched the moment he shoved his way out the door; it would be impossible to get a proper smoke out here.
2D is his own person and if he wants to run off without telling Murdoc then he can do that. Murdoc knows that he needs to get used to 2D doing whatever he wants without the Satanist getting in the way. He turned around to go back inside but stopped when he saw the vivid colors within the gray filter that was the rain; It was the hotel's garden. Instantly he recognized the annoying fruit tree pressed against what was probably their room window.
The magnificent arrangements of plants called out to Murdoc in a way. He feels the urge to go over to the apple tree and he isn't sure why. He didn't like the tree very much because its leaves were blocking any view of the city that him and 2D might have. Perhaps that was a good thing due to no one being able to look into their room, but it was still bothersome to look at.
It would benefit Murdoc more to go back inside and change his wet clothes into some dry ones. Instead however, he stepped onto the stone path that lead to the garden area. As he walked along the path more flowers, trees, and other plants came into view. There was a fountain in the center of the garden area surrounded by wooden benches. Everything in the area has rain dripping off of it.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw a streak of dark blue in his vision. He turned his whole body towards the color's origins. It was under that damned apple tree. 2D was sitting with his back against the trunk of the tree. His head was down and resting on his knees while he sat in the fetal position.
Murdoc propelled himself towards the tree by pushing off of the nearest bench. He scrambled his way under the leaves of the fruit tree. The rain was no longer pelting his body. He isn't sure what to say to the man below him, so he just looked at him questioningly while breathing heavily due to the sudden burst of energy he just experienced.
2D heard his footsteps and looked up with wide eyes at the bassist. Murdoc can tell immediately from the singer's red face that he had been crying. The black-eyed man tried to pretend he wasn't crying by straightening his facial features so he looked neutral. Murdoc has seen 2D cry many times over the past 20 years, so he wasn't fooled at all.
"What…" 2D cleared his throat, "What are you doin' out here in the rain, Murdoc?" He asked trying to sound casual.
The bassist reached into his pocket and then tossed the lighter at its owner. "You forgot your lighter."
2D fumbled with it but ultimately dropped it. After the singer picked it up off of the ground he put it in his own pocket. "Thanks," He said guiltily.
"Did you really come out here to have a smoke? Be honest, Dents." Murdoc asked and crossed his arms over his chest. He was cold after being coated in rain water.
"No, I suppose I didn't. I just wanted to come outside I guess," 2D answered while looking at Murdoc's boots.
Murdoc sighed and crouched down to sit across from the other man. He groaned on the way down until his ass was planted against the ground.
The taller man didn't move his head to look up, but Murdoc can tell that he moved his pupils with how close he is to the other man. 2D is looking directly at Murdoc but he's trying to be sneaky about it. It's a mystery how 2D still doesn't know that Murdoc can tell where he's looking most of the time. They've been together for a long time; Murdoc might know more about 2D than what 2D knows about 2D.
The Satanist relaxed his face and questioned, "Did you want to get away from me?" The question was asked softly as if Murdoc didn't want 2D to hear and answer.
2D stayed quiet for a moment before saying, "No."
"You're lying," Murdoc said in a non-accusatory way.
"I'm sorry, Murdoc. I don't know why I don't want to be around you right now. Probably just my idiotic messed-up brain again. I'm actin' like a bloody child." The singer said and leaned back up so the back of his head was against the tree.
Murdoc felt incredibly uncomfortable now. The words 2D said were familiar and probably came out of Murdoc's own mouth a few times. It's making him feel utterly horrible.
I've hurt him too many times.
Does he believe all of the things I've said to him?
Why did I do this?
I know exactly why and I'm pathetic for doing this to him.
I'm afraid.
I don't want him to leave me.
"Shut up 2D…" He started but then he grunted and tried again, "What I mean by that is don't say things like that about yourself. Just… you're not acting like a child and you're not an idiot." Murdoc put his hands in his pockets because they were starting to shake. He doesn't want 2D to see how his own words were affecting him.
2D lifted his head up after hearing this. His now pinkish face showed confusion. "Why are you sayin' that?"
The bassist shrugged while trying to be nonchalant, "It's true." It is true, but he's never said it before. 2D isn't stupid. Sometimes he can be dense, but he can't help it. His singer has written genius songs before that Murdoc would have never thought of.
"If it's true than why have you never said it before?" 2D looked almost angry now. He put his hands on the ground to stabilize himself while he glared at the bassist.
I know why.
"I don't know."
"Well I know why. You just want me to help you," 2D accused harshly, "Then you're goin' to go back to insultin' and hittin' me."
Murdoc took offense to this and straightened himself up. "This again? How many times do I have to tell you that you're actually important to me?" Murdoc noticed how aggressive his response was and leaned back again.
"Until I believe it. Why can't you admit that I'm only important to you so that I can make you money?" 2D put his hands in his lap and looked at them. Now he really doesn't want to look at Murdoc.
That's what he really thinks? The Satanist stared in disbelief at the singer. "You want to know why I can't admit that? Probably because it isn't true." He frowned, lifted his hand, and snapped in front of 2D's face. When the other man looked at him, Murdoc continued. "I care about you. I came out here to look for you because I was sodding worried about you."
2D looked like he was about to cry again. "If you actually and honestly gave a shit about me then why did you do all those things to me? Why did you ruin my life with everythin' you did, Murdoc?" His voice cracked during the last sentence.
I can't stand seeing him like this.
Why can't I fix this?
Murdoc bit the inside of his lip so hard that he was sure that it started bleeding. He can taste it. "I uh…" He knows what he wants to say, but it won't come out.
"Everythin' would have been perfect if you were just nice to me." The tears started falling from 2D's eyes.
I know.
"I looked up to you. I cared about you. I still care about you."
You shouldn't.
"You were my best friend."
You were mine too.
"I… I loved you… in a way."
Murdoc couldn't handle it anymore. He looked up and shouted at the top of his lungs. 2D flinched at the sudden loud noise.
The Satanist snapped his head back down and crawled until his legs were touching 2D's. The singer looked petrified and his eyes were wide like an alert doe. "Listen to me 2D. I'm going to try my absolute hardest here and you need to just sit there and not interrupt me or else I might stop." Murdoc was close enough to feel the shaky breaths leave 2D's nose.
Murdoc himself took a shaky breath and began speaking before he regrets it or gets nervous and stops. "2D, everything horrible in your life is my fault. You deserve to be angry, hate me, and wish I was dead. But… I'm so… I'm so sorry, Stuart." As soon as the word 'sorry' left his mouth he was crying too. He wants to keep going.
"I'm sorry for hitting you with my car. I'm sorry for flinging you through the windscreen. I'm sorry for hurting you for 20 straight years. I'm sorry for every single fucked up thing that happened during our third album. I'm sorry for embarrassing you in front of our fans. I'm sorry for how I made you feel every time I talk to you. I'm sorry for stealing your girlfriends. I'm sorry for almost killing Noodle. I'm sorry that we aren't friends anymore. I'm sorry that before now I couldn't tell you how sorry I am. I'm sorry for-" Murdoc's rapid-fire apologies were cut off when 2D threw his arms around Murdoc's shoulders and buried his head in Murdoc's neck.
He doesn't want to stop. Murdoc let out a sob and held his hands awkwardly around 2D but not actually touching him. He knows 2D doesn't want to be touched unannounced. "I'm sorry for… I'm sorry for…" He let out another gross sob.
2D shook his head against Murdoc's neck. "It's okay, Murdoc."
Murdoc shook his head 'no' and tried to keep going. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Stuart. I'm sorry."
The other man rubbed his back soothingly. "I know. It's okay. I'm sorry too." He said gently.
"It's not okay," Murdoc shouted. "I hurt you. I'm sorry. I was scared."
2D held the shorter man tighter. They stayed like this for a while where the apple tree was shielding the two from the storm outside of the tree's shade. 2D embraced Murdoc while he tried to comfort him. Murdoc kept repeating 'I'm sorry' between his sobs.
Eventually Murdoc calmed down until he wasn't shaking and overwhelmed with emotion. Then he let out a long deep breath and rested his head on 2D's shoulder. The man's blue hair was in his face, but Murdoc couldn't care less right now.
"Murdoc?" 2D asked softly.
Murdoc hummed in response.
"Thank you."