You're My Medicine When You're Close To Me

5

They got 2d into the house with minimal problem and laid him on the couch. Once his head touched the cushion he woke up. "Aye Noods, remember when yew were younger and we dressed you up as an eddsworld character. I can't remember which."

"Yes! You were Tom for obvious reasons but we all agreed you suited Edd most. Murdoc was more opted to be Tom." She laughed recalling the memory.

"Pfft. Dullard could've done et if he manned up a bit. " Murdoc scoffed.
"Ya know Mudz I fink either one of us could've been Tord. I mean we already act like we hate each other." His voice trailed off after the last sentence. Murdoc wanted to hug him and tell him otherwise but just grunted and lit cigarette,  focusing solely on that as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Noodle and Russel left feeling the tension thicken. "I'll go make dinner, Russ will ya help me?"
"Course' darling." (Petnames bc Russ gives dad vibes)

Murdoc puffed out a few clouds and began inhaling a large plume as he heard a quiet sob. His eyes darted to the kitchen seeing if it was Noodle, she was chatting with Russel. His eyes slowly dropped to 2d who had his face in his hands trying to muffle the crys.

Murdoc scowled and pinched the lit end of his cigarette off with his nails and sat next to 2d on the couch. "Hey, Dentz. Ya don't actually think that do you?"

2d's sobs subsided and he peeked at him through his fingers. "N-no?"

Murdoc just stared at the blank TV not knowing what to say. He fumbled with a loose string on the couch letting 2d compose his teary self.

He sat up and traced a fading brownish yellow bruise on his knee. Murdoc  visibly flinched remembering he was the one who gave it to him. He could see that one of 2d's sleeves were slid up a little and noticed the raised skin from the incident and held his emotions back trying not to cry himself.

He looked away and felt the couch shift. Two thin arms wrap around him and a cheek pressed into his shoulder. "Please prove it to me Mudz. I want to believe that so much." His voice was low and gravelly. Murdoc raised a hand to 2ds wrist and slowly lifted it off.

"I will. But I need you to get better first." His voice cracked and he stood and took off to his room leaving 2d alone in the livingroom.

As dinner neared 2d slipped in and out of sleep. Dreams filling his head with hurt and sadness with few happy bits.

Murdoc hitting him for lighting the fireworks before everyone else could see them, Murdoc comforting him after he returned from getting swallowed by the whale. Murdoc holding him that night. Noodle going missing. Them all thinking she died. Them finding Noodle. The terror of seeing Russel as a giant for the first time, playing with him.

He shifted uncomfortably until his arm was under him and was shooting needles into it waking him instantly.

He groaned and sat up, being hit with a wonderful smell. He brushed off his sleep idled head and arm and dragged himself into the kitchen. Noodle's back was turned to him mixing something in a pot, Russel was rolling dough and pressing cookie cutters into it. He looked up and smiled. "Hey D, how ya feeling?" He nodded at him and made way to the table sitting next to him. He was handed a rolling pin and little cookie cut outs of hearts and reindeer. "Its not Christmas Russ." He just shrugged.

Noodle began pulling plates down and serving food on them as Murdoc shambled down the stairs with a beer in hand and cigarette in another. He pointed the cigarette at 2d as in question. He just looked at him trembling slightly then swallowing and clenching the handles and rolling profusely. "Aye Faceache! How ya feeling ya bloke? Why didntya say hey to mee?" 2d just ignored him and rolled harder until the dough began to stick to the cutting board. He sighed and tried piecing it together and rolling it into a ball.

Murdoc moved over to the two and leaned down trying to make of what they were making. "Aye that's pretty good Russ! Save some fo me."
"Pft only if you don't fall asleep before they're done. Maybe D will save some for you." 2d let the comment slid past him as he started stabbing the cutters into the renewed dough.

Plates heaping with pot roast, mashed potatoes and greens beans were placed before the three men, replacing the cookie stuff. She grabbed her own plate and butted Murdoc over next to 2d shooting a piercing glare at him seeing the beer he immediately grabbed the water in front of him and drank some choking a bit.

Russel finished first and put his cookies on a baking sheet while Noodle finished and went to go do dishes. Murdoc stared down at his plate eating slowly as 2d picked at his, mushing the green beans and potatoes together. He gave multiple glances to Murdoc feeling he was staring at him. He decided he wasn't and began tracing his finger on the table in silence.

Murdoc looked at him and placed a hand on his knee, he could feel 2d tense up as his finger ghosted letters on the cloth. I'm sorry.

2d rose in a fluster and hustled to the sink. Once done stormed to his room leaving the three in shock.

Awkwarddd