| *Why does it have to hurt so bad?* His face was bruised, and the dried blood on her hands had come from his face. He'd come crawling in several hours ago, and she knew that Murdoc had beaten him again. Noodle had cleaned him up and invited him to sleep in her bed with her. Wasn't it usually the child who was supposed to go to their parents when they needed comfort? And yet it came natural to mother the boy - she couldn't even help thinking of him as a boy. She smiled faintly, through the tears that were built up in her eyes but forbidden to spill down her face, and touched his hair, running her fingers through the softness and then stroking his cheek. He mumbled, smiled a little and settled into slumber that was a little less fitful. She sighed and looked at his face again, two front teeth missing, eyes that were black as night when they were open...all wounds inflicted by Murdoc. All his scars. Tears welled up again. She tried to fight them back, but remembered how her father had told her a martial artist's skills had to come from protecting those weaker than she was. Noodle snuggled up against 2D's side, her tiny body dwarfed by his much taller frame. She pulled his head against her closer and his dark pools of eyes opened slightly. "Noodle?" he whispered. "Daijobu ka?" the girl whispered in his ear. 2D nodded sleepily, "Fine. You?" "Junchou." she said softly. He smiled faintly. "Fank you very much for lettin' me come here..." he whispered, dropping off again, "Sorry I'm such a burden..." "Douitashimashite." she whispered back, snuggling against him, "I love you." She looked at his face again and smiled faintly, letting the tears over his sad state spill over. She couldn't cry for herself, but she could most certainly cry for him... The relief was wonderful, even though she only allowed herself to cry for a few minutes. When she was finished, she glanced out the window again and saw another falling star. Smiling faintly, she wished for their happiness, feeling free again. Noodle fell asleep hugging 2D, and, for once in their lives, he was supporting her just as much as she was supporting him. Author's Note: Heh...doesn't it strike you that she'd be the strong one in their relationship? Well, the idea of her and 2D's "zen bond" mentioned in the Official Gorillaz Fansite ( http://www.fans.gorillaz.com ) and decided to expand on the thought. Tell me what you think! |