kids with guns // 2doc

Chapter Four

June 27, 1995

The next morning, Stuart headed up to the attic, plate of breakfast in hand.

"Ello Muhdoc." he said walking in without bothering to knock on the door.

Murdoc didn't look at him but he gave him a faint nod of acknowledgement.

Stuart smiled at this and walked over sitting next to him and placing the plate of food in Murdoc's lap.

"'idya know that Noodle's really good at figh'in'? She beat the shi' outta me this mornin', 's kinda embarrassin actually." he chuckled and looked over at Murdoc who had a smile and mouthful of toast.

This only encouraged Stuart to keep going. He spoke for what seemed like hours, telling Murdoc the story about how a four foot girl beat him up.

Murdoc enjoyed Stuart's story, his voice and how it cracked when he'd get excited, or how he played with his hands and loose stands of his jeans.

It brought the smallest amount of happiness to him, enough for him to maintain the same grin he's had ever since Stuart had spoken.

Stuart had lay back on the bed by this point and had his hands clasped over his stomach, occasionally waving them around when he wanted to put emphasis into a statement.

Murdoc had begun to smoke and now had turned himself so he faced Stuart, and for the first time, it looked like he was paying attention because, well, he was looking right at him.

"She even called me a loser! It wan't like I was tryin, I let her win!" he said with his crooked grin.

"It's because you are." Murdoc said with a smirk. Stuart turned his head to look at him only to be met with a cloud of smoke being blown at his face.

"Wha' the hell was that for?" he asked fanning it away and coughing.

"Have you ever smoked pretty boy?" Murdoc asked him, his smirk having faded into his usual blank expression.

Stuart flushed slightly and shook his head. "I don' fink I have, nuh."

Murdoc leaned forward and placed the cigarette between Stuart's lips.

"Take a drag love." he ordered.

Stuart looked at him and back at the burning toxins in front of him. He decided he might as well, and take a drag he did.

He told himself he'd only take a small one, but he took a damn good breath of it in, for him to soon regret.

As soon as the smoke that previously inhabited his virgin lungs escaped his lips, he coughed harshly.

"Guess ya haven't. 'Ere, have a drink, it'll make it go down." Murdoc grabbed a glass bottle from beneath his bed and held it to Stuart's mouth.

He drank down a good gulp of the bitter liquid letting it burn the back of his throat. He didn't remotely enjoy it.

"Fank you, Mudz." he let it slip, burning a bright red. "I-I'm sorreh, I didn' mean tha' I was jus-"

Again the cancer stick was held to his mouth and two hazel eyes gave him an expecting look. Against his better judgement, he let the smoke fill his lungs, and again coughed.

Not nearly as much as the last time, but enough for him to question why he took a drag for the second time.

I can't learn from mistakes now can I?

"Look at you big boy, getting used to it." Murdoc smirked and put the cigarette back to his lips, where it rightfully belonged

"I don' fink I like em very much. O' the Jack." Stuart said looking at Murdoc.

"If ya keep hangin out wit me, you'll like em in no time." he spoke, each word coming out accompanied by a delicate veil of smoke.

Stuart thought it contradicted Murdoc in every way.

He gave him a knowing look. "Fine I'll try one, han' it oveh." he said reaching his hand out.

Murdoc smirked and pulled an untouched cigarette from the pack. Stuart sat up and Murdoc placed it between his lips, lighting it with his own.

Stuart's nose tickled from Murdoc's breath on his skin, but he didn't dare move away. Instead he focused on how chapped Murdoc's lips were.

"Oi, she's lit up princess." Murdoc snapped his fingers in Stuart's face.

He shook his head and took slow breaths of the cigarette in until he became accustomed to the tightening in his lungs.

"See, ya already getting better." Murdoc winked at him and Stuart flushed a peachy hue.

"Yeh, heh, guess I am." Stuart smiled at his lap.

The afternoon was spent in deep conversations and laughs, things that Stuart never even dreamed of doing with Murdoc.

Eventually nightfall came and Stuart stood from the creaking mattress, stretching and cracking his back.

"I fink I'll get goin nuh, it was nice talkin to yuh." he smiled and burned out the third cigarette he had that day.

"Come back tomorrow, yeah? I love hearing ya voice."

Stuart burned a crimson shade and nodded his head in agreement.

"Will do, g'night Murdoc."

"Goodnight Stu."