Touring had been cut short and they had all except for 2D returned to Kong to take a break while their singer went back to his home town for his father's funeral. Murdoc remembered how lost and pathetic he looked before he had left like he was still off in some sort of a daze, he didn't say anything to the three of them; he just wordlessly left. He hadn't called, sent a text or anything else since he had gone away. Murdoc could understand it, but he still sort of hated not hearing from him, because he'd never seen 2D like that before. He knew it'd be nice if he didn't suck with consoling or making people feel better; he wasn't raised up to console, if you had a problem and tried to talk about it then you usually just talked to yourself or you got your ass busted for feeling anything at all. That's how he had been brought up and as an adult he just hated serious situations because they made him desperately uncomfortable like he wanted any reasons to just leave the room until it was over or find a way to make everybody move onto something less melancholy. Death didn't work that way though; he felt like shit at the idea of just avoiding 2D and even if he had wanted to he had nothing to say to make it seem like nothing had ever happened.

2D had been away from Kong for a little over two weeks. Murdoc was momentarily confused when his phone rang and it was 2D saying he needed him to come to the bottom of the hill and pick him up because the cab driver refused to even come near the place and made him walk two blocks. Murdoc agreed, he quickly dressed, left his Winnebago and went into the black Camaro he named Stylo.

One thing he sort of liked about Kong was that mid-day all the way through to early morning it was raining. He had always enjoyed the rain because it felt like it washed everything away, not like it ever did that for a person's mistakes or a dirty soul.

About half way down he saw 2D standing off to the side with one hand in the pocket of his jeans and the other holding the small bag he had taken with him. He glanced up at the sound of the car pulling up; he hesitated for a second before going and getting into the car. His hair and clothes were completely soaked through and he was shaking a bit.

"You're gonna end up getting sick again y'know."

2D shrugged, he looked out the window.

The ride back up to the house was quiet, awkwardly quiet. He didn't exactly expect the younger man to be his usually annoying talkative little self but he hadn't really wanted him to be this shut up.

Back in the car lot they wordlessly got out of the car and went to 2D's room.

"Can you stay in here with me?" The singer asked his voice soft almost like he was afraid to speak.

"Yeah sure, you okay?"

Dumb question.

2D didn't respond he stripped out of his wet clothes and changed into dry ones. He sat down on the edge of his bed staring down at the floor.

"Do you have any clue how weird it was to see my dad in a casket?"

Murdoc shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. He thought back to when he had worked a job digging graves and helping with funerals; he'd seen far too many dead men, women, and children.

He sat down next to the younger man.

"No, but I could guess."

"Everybody just talking to each other and crying, half of it I didn't even cry y'know. I just stood there staring at him; I couldn't stop looking at him because I couldn't really accept it or anything. I still don't, it's really horrible; people probably think I don't give a toss because I didn't cry."

"Nobody thought that, don't be stupid; some people just don't cry when they think they should, come on look at me I rarely fucking cry."

2D glanced over at him.

"I figured you never did."

Murdoc looked away.

"Er whatever it doesn't matter, so are you…I mean, I don't really know; I suck with this shit."

"Yeah I'm better, sorry I never called you guys or anything while I was away. I just didn't want to talk for a bit and then I was really busy. I would have got home sooner but I stayed with mum for a bit longer y'know."

"How is she?"

He remembered 2D's mom; he remembered that she hated him deeply, but usually faked a smile in the presence of the green skinned Satanist who ran over her son twice.

"She's better than she was, she only really cried at the funeral. She was kind of pissed off before I left though."

"Why?"

"Won't get mad at me?"

"No"

"I told her that I'm dating you; I mean I don't, I think we're dating so that's why I told her. Just what you said to me and things lately….If we aren't then that's okay, I probably shouldn't have assumed that." The younger man rambled on nervously.

Murdoc placed his hand over 2D's.

"Its fine, can't believe you told your mum though; you know she hates my guts."

"I know, she reminded me a ton of real good reasons why I should hate you."

Murdoc smiled.

"Change anything?"

"Nope, I still really love you."

"I love you too Stu, I'm happy to have you back home." He whispered still holding onto the other man's hand.

2D smiled at him, it was the first time he'd seen him smile since all of this happened. He'd missed that and sort of missed having him around; he liked being close to him he just had to keep on remembering to keep some distance between the two of them. That way when it finally would end it would hurt less, for himself anyways.

Murdoc kissed him; he ran his fingers through the younger man's still wet hair. He'd miss him, but right now Murdoc had him and 2D had him as much as he'd ever be able to have him.

'I'll be your liqour bathing your soul. Juice that's pure'