Chapter 1: Stars

Author's Note:

This was a story that I wrote in November 2005 when I first got into Gorillaz. Getting back into the fandom has inspired me to do all the editing that I was un-motivated to do five years ago. Other than a few sentences here and there, I am not planning on adding anything new to the story.

This is a 2D x Murdoc fic, but there is a bit of stuff going on between 2D and Noodle.

Noodle's voice was barely a whisper. "2D?" she asked, poking him in side to test if he was still awake.

"Yeah?" he responded, the word barely existing through a deep yawn. He and Noodle had been sitting on the roof of Kong Studios for several hours now, both of them feeling sleep creeping up. They hadn't been doing anything that interesting, just talking about anything that came to mind, and staring at the stars.

She spoke softly, drawing her knees up closer to her chest. "Do you ever look up at the stars and wonder; How many of them are we really looking at?"

2D was in the process of lighting another of several cigarettes that night. This one was to try and keep himself conscious for a little while longer. He inhaled sharply and let out a soft breath before he replied. "What, you mean like...counting them?" he said in a serious tone.

"No," Noodle laughed. "How many of them still exist? A hundred stars could die right now, but we wouldn't notice it for thousands of years."

"Maybe we should give them our number so they can call and let us know," came the reply. He was joking that time, and he turned his head to grin widely at her as she giggled. He found her to be quite adorable when she laughed. Her hands would draw up to her face as though to hide her grin.

They had been going to the roof almost every night for the past month, and the nightly ritual had caused them to grow even closer than they were before. They told each other their secrets, their feelings. And, especially from 2D, random thoughts that really made no sense but had to be said anyway.

In that time, she had to admit, Noodle had developed a little crush on her band-mate. It was what made her do all this. Even when she was exhausted from a long day of recording, interviews, or other busy work, she would still meet him on the roof and stay with him for hours.

She never considered herself shy or reserved. Noodle was always very outgoing with her feelings, but this was one of the few situations that made her tongue feel like it was tied to the roof of her mouth. Her hesitance on confessing her emotions had nothing to do with the age difference. She was a firm believer that love is blind and that one should not push aside feelings of love due to gender, race or age. However...

"Speaking of calling, have you spoken with Murdoc yet?"

"No, not yet."

2D had confessed to her, the previous night in fact, that he fancied Murdoc. Murdoc! He had also confessed that he was terrified of those feelings. Not because they were for their unruly bassist (Even though it was something one should be afraid of.), but because it was for another man.

A secret that confessed to her, the previous night in fact, was that years and years ago he'd been sexually assaulted by a school chum of his. The details weren't spoken, but he told her a vague story of being pushed against a brick wall and having another man's tongue and hands all over him. He'd thought he was long past those ugly memories by now. Noodle pointed out the reasons to prove otherwise.

"Are you going to?"

"Do I have to?"

"I think you need to."

Secretly, he was afraid of any kind of relationship, possibly as a result of that experience. The incident with Paula had left him feeling used and unloved, and Murdoc's constant abuse and bragging about the many women he took to bed every night didn't help. 2D didn't understand why he had feelings for the that man. The singer often joked to himself that he must be a secret masochist or something.

All joking aside, he couldn't figure out the reason why. The feelings were just there, and a voice in his head was telling him to act on them. Even though he was afraid.

Noodle was glad to be trusted enough to know this secret, but it hurt her a little inside. She decided that it was best not to tell 2D about her own feelings. She'd rather help him find the courage to confront Murdoc with his. All she wanted was to see her friend happy. And, as ironic as it sounded, being around Murdoc did make him happy.

"You have to tell him," Noodle asserted.

2D exhaled a large cloud of smoke between the gap in his teeth. "It's not that easy," he replied. "I've been waiting to catch him in a good mood, but he's been sour for days."

"Do you think he likes you back?" It was a question she would rather not know the answer to, to be honest, but had to be asked. For her own sake.

"A while ago he was making passes at me. Giving me suggestive looks and stuff. I swear I wasn't imaging it either. It's the same look he gives to girls he fancies.

" 2D took one last puff of his cigarette and then mashed the remains into the floor next to him. The ground had become quite littered with them during the past month. "I dunno. Maybe he was just drunk, or high, or something. Does he ever say anything about me when I'm not around? That's not insults and stuff?"

Noodle's mouth suddenly refused to work. She thought about the time Murdoc had complimented 2D's rear. Russel just assumed he was drunk, which he was, but even that sort of comment was unusual for him. She recalled when Murdoc explained that being drunk doesn't make you that much different. If you like someone or not, you'll have the same feelings drunk or sober.

"No," she said quickly.

There were many other times where she had seen her demonic band-mate gazing at a magazine spread of their lead singer with a grin on his face. She had seen the signs that he did fancy 2D, but she debated whether or not she should tell.

She was about to say something else, but it came out as a yawn. It was very late and she was very tired.

"Geez, the sun will be coming out soon. I think that means we should get some sleep, eh luv?" 2D said as he stood up and gave a stretch and a yawn. Noodle just nodded.

She looked down at her watch. It was just past 4am. It had been like that almost every night, even when they had to do recordings or interviews the following day.

2D waited for her by the doorway as she slowly got used to standing again and began making her way to the door. She glanced up to the sky one last time. As she gazed up at one of the thousands of tiny lights in the dark sky she was certain she just saw one flicker out.

A star had died.

To be continued...