Gorillaz One-Shots

How to Be in Love {NuSquared}

<< This is a continuation of xXRhinestone_EyesXx 's amazing story "How To Be Human", which is in their one-shot book. Since they didn't continue it, I suppose I will! Of course, credit for the story idea goes to them. >>

Murdoc pulled out of the hug, dabbing at his eyes. But he guessed that this was what was to be expected when you made a robot with the capacity to feel.

"... who is it?"

Cyborg turned her head away with a series of clicking noises. "... no."

"No. Well, they have quite the pretty first name, what's their last?"

"... look, it's..." Cyborg grabbed his hand, pulling him towards her living quarters. She stepped inside and motioned to the walls, covered in drawings. Drawings of the same girl. To Cyborg, these were the closest she'd get to her forbidden love. From any angle, with any clothes or hairstyle or expression, she was... awe-inspiring. Breathtaking. A work of art that art itself could not capture in the confines of a piece of paper.

Cyborg was convinced that the feeling she described was love. Every night, she stared at those drawings and pretended that the girl depicted in them was laying next to her, pretending she could feel her chest rise and fall, her body against her back, sleeping peacefully. Whenever she ran her hand across one of the drawings, she wished that it was real, that she was caressing and kissing her lover. She knew it was all a fantasy, but... still. Her heart leapt at the thought of what could be between them.

Murdoc stared at the room, stunned. "... did you... draw her yourself?"

"Yeah... I-I did..." She heaved a shuddering sigh. "I'm so lonely, Murdoc, like I said... my heart hurts, I wanna hold her and touch her and... oh, anything." She clenched a fist. Feelings, emotions... that was the one flaw that kept her from being a perfect cyborg copy of a flawed human.

"... well, I don't know how Noodle would feel about all this."

"I know how she'd feel! She hates me!" More synthetic tears rolled down her painted cheeks. "I'm never going to change that... just a useless hunk of metal infatuated with a human... she'll never love me!" She collapsed onto her bed, a sobbing mess. Murdoc extended a paternal pat on the back.

"'Ey, you can't say that... I thought the same thing about 2D, and look at us now!"

"He hates you."

"Yeah, but at least he'll talk to me now... really, come on. Noodle's a good person."

"She is. And that's the problem... I'm not good..."

"You're better than me." He pulled her up from her bed. "Her room is right down the hall... just try. For me."

Cyborg scowled. "If I fail, you're dead."

Murdoc put a hand over his heart and another up in the air. "I swear on Satan himself that if she still hates you, you can murder me in any way you'd like."

Cyborg stepped out of her room. The hallway seemed a mile one, but she took a deep mechanical breath and put one foot in front of the other until she'd reached Noodle's room. She extended a fist to knock.

Then she recoiled.

"What's the matter?" Murdoc raised an eyebrow.

"I can't do this!" Tears brimmed her eyes once more, threatening to fall.

Murdoc paused, extending a hand as if to pat Cyborg's back again. Instead, he quickly knocked on the door and ran off down the hall.

"Murdoc, you--!" But before she could finish her insult, the door opened to Noodle, just like she was in the drawings. She wasn't smiling.

"Oh. It's you. Come in."

Cyborg walked in, sitting on Noodle's bed. The room was different that she'd imagined it. The only things in it were a bed with blankets, a guitar case, and a half-unpacked suitcase. She'd envisioned a pink and purple paradise, a passionate wonderland. But there was apparently no place like that on Plastic Beach.

"So... what brings you in here?" Noodle laid back in her spot on the bed.

"I'd, er... just like to talk."

"Did Murdoc put you up to this?"

"... I'd be lying if I said he didn't convince me. But, you know... I know that you don't like me, of course... but I just wanted to talk. I didn't even know I was being built... I never wanted to replace you!"

"Ca--"

"Murdoc just wanted you back! He regrets letting you go on your own like that! He was scared! And he wanted the band back!"

"Calm down, it's fine... it's not your fault, okay?" Noodle hugged her tightly, and Cyborg worked to force back tears. She really was as good a person as she'd imagined she'd be...

She found herself laying with Noodle all that night, talking about anything that came to their minds. Noodle's laugh was as sweet as sugar, and Cyborg said anything she could that would let her hear it again and again. And Noodle actually touched her a few times: a light hand on her shoulder, or a cheek brushing hers as she turned to say something. She was giddy, but under control. Her heart didn't hurt anymore, not as bad as before. It ached for a little bit more, but she knew these things took time. But the primary thing was joy, elation at Noodle's presence, at them being together.

Noodle gave a squeaky little yawn after a few hours, and Cyborg took this as a cue to get up and walk towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"... I just thought... I mean, you're going to sleep, aren't you?"

"Well, who's to say you can't sleep with me?" She patted Cyborg's former spot on the bed. Cyborg's cheeks lit up, and she laid back down, her head on the pillow again.

"Goodnight, Cyborg!" Noodle turned out the lights.

"... goodnight, Noodle."