styrofoam stars 🌅| gorillaz + 2d x reader

༄ 9. leave him alone {stylo}

You'd heard the backing track for "Stylo" so many times now that you could probably play it yourself in your sleep. You'd been in the studio for hours now, listening over and over to 2D doing his vocal parts, only for Murdoc to interrupt him, usually in a bellow or shout, and demand he redo it, declaring it rubbish or crap or whatever he decided his favorite adjective of the hour would be.

"When the Mako flies

Up from the bottom in your eyes

Then I'll know the twilight skies

Are not so broken hearted..."

Which is why you were surprised when 2D made it through his first few verses. You signaled your approval to him with two thumbs up, earning a shy yet relieved smile from inside the booth in reply.

You could tell by the look in his eyes and the crossing of his arms that Murdoc still wasn't totally pleased, but he was finally letting up slightly; for who's sake, you weren't quite sure.

"If it's love, it's electric!

It'll be flowing on the streets!"

For the first time during the whole recording process, the song had finally progressed to Bobby Womack's verse. His voice was proud and unwavering, helping to create a more solid atmosphere in the booth where one was much needed.

"Sometimes it's hard!"

Like a passing car, fast and determined, his verse was through. You could tell Murdoc wouldn't have anything bad to say about his performance. Now if we could only get through 2D's next lines...

"Sing-"

"CUT!"

Everyone in the booth groaned loudly as the backing track screeched to a halt with a kind of record-scratch-esque sound.

"It's crap!" He scolded 2D, who was beginning to look more and more impatient.

"Th' 'ell was crap abou' it?" 2D interrogated.

"Y'voice hit th' wrong note, it was too high!" Murdoc's gravelly voice shouted back a reply.

"You wouldn' know a right note if it kicked you in th' arse, f'fucks sake!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE-"

"HEY!"

You stood up rapidly, blocking Murdoc's path toward the recording booth door. He stopped right in front of you, clenching his fists. "Y/N, outta th' way!"

"Nuh-uh, you're not about to go in there and embarrass him like that."

"Y'wanna bet?!" He looked away from you to see everyone in the booth staring at him blankly. His expression softened. "Err, give us just a moment, fellas. Take 5." He let out a nervous laugh. You crossed your arms, unamused.

Meanwhile, 2D was in the booth with Mos and Bobby looking absolutely mortified. He tried to strike up small talk to ease the tension. "Erm...lov'ly weatha we're 'aving, eh?"

"You kidding me? It's hot as hell." Mos Def shook his head.

"Right, right!" 2D agreed nervously. "Hot...Tha's all it ever is, really..."

You followed Murdoc out of the room down into the study where you could talk privately. As soon as you'd both stepped off the last step, Murdoc wasted no time in getting to the point. "Th'fuck are you doing?"

"What am I doing?!" You were shocked. "I'm not the one who's kept us here for 6 straight hours working on the same song!"

"It's no' my fault 'e keeps screwin' it up!" He retorted. "'e does it all th' time, we're in there forever 'cuz of him most times."

"You cross the line when you get up to go after him!" You pointed a finger at him. "Don't you think after all you've put him through you can give him a little patience?! I ought to-"

"Woooah, there-"

As you were stepping closer up to him, armed with your pointed finger, you were stopped in your tracks by a sudden sound, resembling one of the cocking of a gun. Upon looking down to your left, you were met with the insanely quick sight of the Cyborg Noodle, aiming a shotgun directly between your eyes.

"I wouldn' try anythin' if I were you." Murdoc laughed dryly, suddenly nonchalant.

Your stomach dropped into your shoes, your mouth hanging open with sudden fear. With the rational sense you still had left in you, you lowered your voice to one of just quiet sternness. "I just want you to listen to me," you muttered. "As long as I'm here things are gonna be different. You lay a hand on him and you'll have me to answer to. So you'd better leave him alone. Got it?"

For a moment you almost thought you saw him flinch. But you knew for sure you saw him just grumble something in reply, wave off the cyborg and ascend the stairs back to the studio. You huffed, your hands at your hips as you watched the cyborg leave the room. You considered it a miracle that it didn't immediately kill you.

When you went back up the stairs, Bobby and Mos were just hanging around the studio having a chat. 2D was sitting near them, but he wasn't contributing much to the conversation. His head perked up instantly when he saw you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Did th' cyborg really point 'er gun at yew? I didn' hear that part!"

"Yep." You nodded, reflecting on the confrontation in the study earlier as you sat on 2D's bed. "It was only slightly terrifying." You joked. Luckily you were an expert at diffusing situations before they got too out of hand. Thanks to your rather unorthodox home life, you had a lot of practice diffusing fights. But you refused to think about your home at this exact second. "I can't believe Murdoc, y'know! Sometimes I really wonder whether he's even got a heart."

2D giggled a little bit, then his expression morphed into one of guilt. "Oh, Y/N, yer gonna get 'n trouble one day 'cuz o' me."

"Aw, nonsense, Stu!" You reassured him. "You couldn't possibly get us into any worse situation than we're already in. Thanks, Muds." You rolled your eyes. "Besides, I wasn't gonna let him treat you that way!"

"Ev'ryone else does..." He looked away shyly.

"Well, you deserve better than that!" You leaned down to where you could lift his chin up gently with your hand. "Because whether they like it or not, it's your band too."

He thought about your words for a moment. "...Yeh...It is, isn't it?" He smiled. "You should join th' band too, Y/N. Then it can be our band."

You laughed. "I could never do that! I can't even play anything!"

"I'll teach yew! 's not hard t'make music, 's just makin' noise, tha's all."

You just smiled, letting out a hum in reply. "Maybe one day when we've got the time...and we can think straight about it."

"Promise?" 2D grinned.

"Promise."