Chapter Text
Since the other day in the bathroom, Zanka, reluctantly, has been talking more with Jabber. He wouldn’t say they’re…friendly, or that they were friends, but Jabber was becoming more…tolerable.
They get along, mostly, in class. That is, they don’t talk much, but Zanka’s not as blatant about being an asshole as before. They get to their math class, at the same time. Jabber waving his hand as he sits at his desk. Zanka, nods in acknowledgment and sits down as well.
This time, when Jabber asks to borrow a pencil and a sheet of paper, Zanka lets him borrow it without complaint or judgment. Now, he just rolled his eyes and gave him what he needed.
They receive a worksheet back from last period. Zanka flips it over to see he received a 90%. His mood, which wasn’t terrible so far, instantly soured. Jabber quickly took notice of his face. Jabber smiled, leaning over and looking at his paper.
“I think you messed up there.” Jabber pointed to a question marked wrong, pointing out a specific error he made in the work he showed. Zanka tuned out the explanation some, not particularly wanting to listen to Jabber explain how he’s smarter than him.
“Uh…yeah. I noticed as soon as I got the test back.” Zanka lies.
Jabber laughs at this. “You’re funny.” He says “Hey, we should have out sometime! We can study, if you’d like.”
Zanka blinks at this. “Uh—i’m not sure—“
“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun!” Jabber presses him.
“Do you even study?” Zanka asks.
Jabber laughs at this. “Not really. But I think hanging out would be fun.” He says.
“You want to hang out with me?” Zanka asks. “Why?”
“You’re interesting.” He grins. “You’re not as boring as everyone else. I like that.”
“Hm.” He says. “Yeah, I guess you can come over to my place and study. ‘Long as you show me how you get hundreds on everything.”
As the rest of the days go by, Zanka begins to notice something. When he first arrived at the school, a lot of people paid attention to him. A lot of people came up to him, tried to talk to him, and tried to get to know him as ‘the new kid’. They were interested in why he was here, what his life was like in Japan, etc.
Now. Zanka wasn’t dumb, he knew a lot of this came from a place of them thinking he was “exotic” in some sort of way. Everyone was always impressed, specifically kind to, or wanted to hook up with a foreigner. Just because was a Japanese man, opposed to a woman, he wasn’t safe from the objectification, it seemed.
But, since he had been seen a bit more with Jabber, it dwindled, some. Suddenly, people weren’t stopping in their tracks as he passed by. Their stares were aimed at Jabber, which often went kind or admiring looks, particularly, when they were seen together.
It didn’t matter to Zanka. Jabbers reputation wasn’t any of his business, really. He didn’t care that people didn’t like Jabber, and if anything, he was grateful that his newfound presence around him got people to back off.
It culminated one day, at work. It’s slow, now, and Zanka and Riyo are busy bussing tables and cleaning the floor while Enjin was in the back and Rudo was doing dishes.
Riyo keeps eyeing him, seemingly wanting to talk about something, when she finally blurts it out. “Hey Zanka?” She asks.
“Huh?”
“Are you and Jabber friends, now?” She asks.
Zanka shrugs. “Classmates, I guess. We talk sometimes.”
Riyo considers his answer, not necessarily put off, but not pleased either. “Why do you hang out with him? Yknow he’s weird.” She says.
“Weird?” Zanka says.
“He’s…not someone you wanna be friends with.” She warns. “He goads people into beating him up. He’s always caused issues. Tries shit with almost everyone, one of my friends too.”
“What do you mean by that?” He asks.
“I mean,” She sighs. “Nobody likes him. He’s obnoxious, and annoying, and well, if you like him, people won’t really like you, either.”
Zanka considers this for a moment, before turning around, back to his chore. “Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind, I guess.” He says.
“Sorry. I know you don’t really have many friends, and I just-I don’t want him to make things worse for you.”
“Well, don’t pity me, jeez.” Zanka rolls his eyes.
“I’m not,” She raises her hands placatingly.
Zanka’s distracted as Rudo runs up to him.
“Zanka! I have a question.” He asks.
“Yeah?”
“So, me and this friend are in the same math class, and we both need help, or we won’t pass!”
“Are ya asking for me to do your homework?” Zanka sighs.
“No…we need a tutor.” He says. “But if you cant then, homework…would suffice.” He rubs his hand on the back of his neck.
“I’m not doing homework for free.” He says, rolling his eyes once again. “Who’s the friend that needs help.”
“Just someone from school” He mumbles.
Zanka considers for a second, before sighing.
“Sure. Fine, i’ll tutor you guys, if you promise to take a shift of mine once a month. And twenty bucks a session from the friend.”
“Deal…” Rudo sighs.
That night, Jabber comes over to Zanka’s apartment. Being let in, Jabber looks around at the clean, almost unlived in apartment.
“I didn’t realize you live alone.” Jabber says.
Zanka looks at him questionably. “You didn’t? I’m from Japan, you knew that.”
“A lot of foreign exchange students have host families. Or at least I think you’re supposed to live with someone or whatever, since you’re only 17.”
“Huh. Well, I like living alone anyway.” Zanka shrugs this off as they walk around his apartment. They make their way into the bedroom, where Jabber and him sit on two bean bag type chairs against the wall.
“Wanna watch a show or play a game or something?” Jabber asks.
“You came over to study.” Zanka reminds him.
“Right.” Jabber says. “Ugh. Studyings so lame though!”
Zanka rolls his eyes. He shouldn’t have expected anything else. “Not everyone can mysteriously get A+ on everything.” He says “Now let me see your papers, so I can look over and compare notes.”
They stay like that a while, Jabber occasionally answering questions he has, and otherwise twiddling his thumbs.
After a while. Zanka gets a call. He looks at his phone, displeased when he sees the contact information. He sighs , looking towards Jabber.
“I hav’ to answer this. Just, be quiet.”
Jabber nods. As Zanka answers it, he speaks in Japanese.
“Hello, Kyoka?”
“Brother.”
“What are you calling for?” He asks.
Jabber looks up, listening intently. “Who’s that?” He asks. Zanka ignores him.
“I was calling to check on your grades.” Kyoka responds.
“They’re fine.” He says.
“Can I say hi?” Jabber asks.
“No.” Zanka holds his hand over the speaker, keeping Kyoka from hearing him.
Jabber opens his mouth to respond again, in which Zanka covers his mouth.
“Good.” Kyoka responds.
“How’re things at home.” Zanka asks
“They’re fine.” Kyoka says.
Zanka almost gasps, almost shrieks, when Jabber licks his palm. He pushes him against the floor, to which Jabber pushes back.
“Mom and Dad and..Goka’s ok?” Zanka asks.
“Yeah, same as normal.” She says matter of factly. “I was just calling to check on your grades. Make sure you weren’t being distracted from your schoolwork.” She says.
Jabber has him pinned for a second before Zanka brings his knee up to his stomach, wrestling around once more.
“No, I’m not getting distracted. I’m actually…studying, right now.” Zanka says on the phone.
“Hm. Good, is that what that rustling is?”
Zanka manages to pin Jabber down. Still holding a hand on his mouth as he keeps him in pace with his knee. Essentially straddling him now.
“Yeah, just, organizing notes and textbooks and such.” Zanka replies.
“Ok. Well, i’ll let you get back to it.” She responds.
Quickly, Zanka hangs up the phone, lifting his hand from Jabbers mouth.
“Gross!” He scoffs, shaking the saliva off of his hand.
Jabber laughs. “Who was that!?”
“My sister, you asshole!” He grunts, he grabs Jabbers wrists, pushing them above his head. “I told you to be quiet, not…whatever this is!”
“Who says I had to listen.” Jabber laughs.
Zanka narrows his eyes. Leaning in a bit more.
“What’d she want, anyway,” He asks. “That was a lot of Japanese I didn’t understand.”
Zanka sighs, letting his face fall a bit. “To see how my grades were. Making sure i’m not getting distracted like…this.” He says.
“Who says distractions are such a bad thing?” Jabber grins up at him. “You don’t seem to be complaining.”
Having no words. Zanka leans in, meeting Jabbers lips with his is a fierce kiss.
Zanka had never meet someone who mad him so…angry, so giddy? So confused. As Jabber had made him.
He swore their first instance had been a mistake, a fluke because he was drunk and didn’t know what he was doing. He became friends with Jabber becuase he felt bad for him, or so he thought.
And yet, with much shame, guilt. and ruefulness, they have sex. Sex that Zanka did, indeed, want, for whatever reason. And thus begins the mental turmoil of their relationship.
After they’re done. Jabber is pretty much immediately asleep. Zanka tosses and turns for a bit, debating on kicking him out, letting him sleep for a little longer, or just having him stay the night. He knew that one night stands usually left, after the deed was done, but…Zanka couldn’t quite bring himself to make Jabber leave. He wasn’t sure why, as he turned to face him, staring as his peacefully asleep face, the blanket wrapped around his waist, the soft rise and fall of his chest.
He slaps his hands on his face and groans.
What the fuck was he going to do.