Chapter Text
The room Jabber saw before him was plain and basically empty. A bed with worn out sheets, a side table with chipped edges from age, and a door leading to the rest of the Cleaners HQ. His pink eyes drifted to the reason he was here. Zanka, lying there so peacefully, like he wasn't the reason for Jabber's internal turmoil.
He quietly got down from the windowsill and crept over to the seemingly unaware Nijiku. The bed dipped underneath Jabber, arms coming to wrap around Zanka. His nails ran up and down Zanka's arm. He wanted to see him hurt, more than anything, but he couldn't, not in this situation. Never in 18 years did Jabber feel like this, normally violent tendencies slowly melted into soft and slow scratches. He tucked his face into the nape of Zanka's neck and fell asleep, he never struggled when the blond was up close like this.
The window had a lock, a pretty secure one too. It was never used again after the first time Jabber snuck in.
It had been a very tiring day for Zanka and the room felt way too stuffy. He opened the window, but forgot to lock it before heading to bed. His back always faced said window, so he didn't really notice the few times Jabber had come to watch him. He'd been hearing tapping on his window but didn't care enough to check. This time the noise wasn't there, rather footsteps took their place and the feeling of a warm hand on his cheek.
Zanka recognized the clinking of Mankira when Jabber moved his hands, it echoed in the quiet room. Lovely Assistaff was beside his bed, his hand slowly moving to grab her when he heard Jabber start talking.
"Wish you could hear this." He sighed. "Might as well let go of it now."
Arms wrapped around Zanka's waist, and chapped lips met his shoulder blade. His movements were so gentle, deep contrast with how he normally is.
"You're runnin' laps through my head and it's drivin' me crazy." His words sounded slurred, as if his adrenaline had finally ran out. "I wanna bite your face off and have you beat me blue and black" He gripped Zanka's waist tighter.
The room went silent, Jabber had passed out. Zanka should've grabbed Lovely Assistaff and beat him up there and then, but something stopped him. Jabber spoke so calmly for once, it made Zanka's chest hurt in ways it hadn't before. He hesitated before deciding that this'd be a one time thing and afterwards the window would never open again. It confused Zanka so much, how could Jabber be this gentle with him, did he even know what gentleness was?
The window stayed open, and that onetime thing became their secret nightly ritual. Zanka would pretend to be asleep while Jabber either talked his ear off or passed out immediately. It was usually the latter.