A/N: Thanks for reading! This is a relatively happy chapter, with people enjoying dancing, drugs, and sex. But then, some anxiety.
_

2D awoke in a strange room. Shaken from the dream, he sat up for a minute anticipating a panic attack.

A minute later, none. That was good. He should sleep in more often. Keep dreaming until the sun rises.

He looked around at his surroundings, dimly lit by the early sunlight muted through a white curtain.

The first thing 2D noticed was the form of a woman facing away from him, sleeping undisturbed in the same bed. He recognized her purple hair immediately as that of Roni, a funky girl who worked at the record label. She was always polite to 2D, but he still shocked that he was in her bed. He put his hand to his mouth quietly and looked down at her, confused. How on earth had he managed to convince her to have sex with him? He had slept with random groupies and birds from bars before, but Roni actually knew him and still had agreed to bring him home. Stu got up and walked to the shower, trying to piece together what had happened the night before.

As the shower water ran over him, his mind brought him back to the previous evening. He clearly remembered that the band was going to a club to dance, and videographers would film it for the Strobelite music video. He truly loved the music he had helped create, and the sound coursed through his veins like a drug.

Also coursing though his veins like a drug was drugs. MDMA and a little acid, to be specific.

He danced as the high rose in his system, and then the overwhelming desire to socialize and spread positive vibes took over. It's as though the real 2D melted away and a confident, free man took his place.

Or was this the real 2D, unleashed? And the anxious wreck he was half the time was the impostor? He supposed it didn't matter.

This 2D wanted to spread and enhance the good vibes with his band mates. "Noodle, Noodle, I don't say this enough, but I couldn't be more proud of you and everything you are and do," he told the guitarist with an embrace.

"Russel," he continued, turning to the drummer. "There's never been a better friend in the world than you." He even told Murdoc that he looked good tonight and quickly pranced away to dance with Noodle.

He must have talked to a dozen people in the crowd. A therapist gave him her card, blue and imprinted with a URL in front of a photo of a sunrise. He smiled and told her he would call her. "Sure," he thought to himself. "Like I need someone else telling me what I'm doing wrong."

Stuart also talked to a strange, mustached man in a fez who asked him a lot of questions about Murdoc. The mysterious figure said that 2D was the real talent behind the band, and should be in control. "We could work together and make that a reality," he suggested in a thick accent, sliding 2D a white card with a picture of a truck on it. "I just need some info."

Weird. Vibe down. 2D took the card and excused himself to talk to Roni.

"Everyone's different, even the same people when they feel different are different, even bugs, yeah?" 2D and the girl from the record label had been conversing for a while about their lives, about music, Roni's own band, and about the club, but as usual, Stu had started talking about bugs. He couldn't help it. "Some people think they're stupid just 'cause they act and think so different from us. But they got so much going on in their little heads."

"Exactly," Roni, surprisingly, agreed. "Like, think. If you spray some ants and you kill 100 of them, that's 100 individuals. Each of them, if you give them a puzzle, will solve it differently, because they have different personalities and hopes and dreams, and if you kill 100, you just killed 100 personalities and sets of hopes and dreams."

"Right?" Stuart nodded emphatically. "We should leave them alone. Everyone has a right to dream and to be happy. Even bugs."

That's when she leaned in to him, put her hand on the side of his arm, and slowly came in for a kiss. She looked deeply into his eyes and asked, "Do you want to come dream a little with me at my flat?"

The next thing he knew, they were snogging in the hall outside her flat, his hands on the small of her back, and hers running through his hair. He worried that he might accidentally catch her lip ring, but she was groping him too seriously to pause. She stumbled to get out her key, and when she unlocked the door, the singer kicked it open and they giggled their way to the bed.

Roni was so full of energy, it put a new force in Stu. They both tore off their clothes and looked at each other with a mutual hunger. Roni put her arms around Stuart's neck and pulled him backwards onto the bed. He put his hands out on either side of his partner to catch himself on the bed so he wouldn't land on her completely, grinning down. He lifted one hand to caress the side of her cheek, and she pulled him down and bit his shoulder.

He stopped moving abruptly, and his grin faded. Roni looked at the spot where her mouth was and saw there was already a bruise on her partner just to the left where she had bitten. As she receded from him, she saw more bruises on his bicep and collarbone.

"S-sorry," she said. "I won't do that again," and she gently touched the area with her fingertips.

"Thank you," he responded and the grin returned. "It's fine. Thank you for...for being aware."

The night slowed down from then and they continued gently, but the erotic energy still somehow ramped up. If anything, their exchange made 2D feel more seen and his feelings considered, strengthening their connection. Their hips, breath, and thoughts oscillated in tandem. They moved as one and watched how the other responded to each stimulus. It was like an energy was flowing between them, passing from one to another at every point of contact. The roof was caving in. At the height of their union, their connection blossomed so powerfully that 2D saw stars.

This was the happiness that he could choose.

He would never forget this.

2D turned off the shower water. So it had been Roni's idea to have sex, not his.

But as Stuart dried off and his brain found his reserve of dopamine to be dried up, negative thoughts slowly started to invade his bliss. He wondered if there was some reason she'd want to spend the night with him that didn't involve affection. Previous girlfriends had broken up with him, declaring various reasonable reasons to leave him, but Murdoc had told him the truth: They all were actually disgusted by how wimpish and stupid he was. Paula had been wanting to leave him for a real man, Murdoc said, and never told Stuart to spare his fragile heart. Did Roni not see that Stuart wasn't worth her time? If Roni didn't see his obvious flaws now, she would eventually. Maybe Roni had been fooled by his high personality. Maybe she just wanted to say she had screwed someone famous. Maybe she felt sorry for him.

Roni was still asleep when 2D returned to her room, searching out his clothing on the floor. He picked up his jeans, with his phone, keys, and business cards in his pocket. He checked his mobile-he had no texts asking where he had gone. Maybe he had told his band members where he was going before he followed Roni home, or maybe they didn't care that he was missing. He quietly put his clothes back on.

Stuart found a notepad and a purple marker, and scribbled a little note to the lady.

"wow," it said, with a little drawing of a happy face with heart eyes. "i had a lovely night & hope u did too. call any time," and his phone number. He stuck it to the fridge with one of her star-shaped magnets.

He left and closed the door softly, and walked down the hall. Now his anxiety was inflating inside him like a wretched balloon, and he turned around to take back the note. But the door had locked behind him.

Oh well. He lit up a cig and walked home.