Chapter Text
He had a sensation of fuzziness when he woke up; he was still in the same shitty situation, but it seemed less catastrophic than before. He hugged the blanket closely; it had appeared on him out of nowhere while he was sleeping, but he was grateful, as it added some comfort. Plus, it smelled nice: a mix of citrus and flowers. It was a little different from the fabric softener they used in the Cleaners' HQ—it had something more, but he liked it very much.
Zanka sighed while rolling lazily in the bed; moping around wasn't going to change anything, but at the same time, he didn't want to do anything. Starting over seemed awfully discouraging; the blond knew nobody around here. His usual friends weren't his anymore, and everyone saw him as a dangerous enemy.
Because of the other Zanka, he only had a bond with Jabber, one which wasn't his, but the man didn't seem to care and treated him as he imagined he treated the other. For that he was grateful; Jabber acting familiar had helped him more than he recognized, even if the guy was a little too flirty for his own taste.
He sighed again before sitting up, taking the time to let his eyes slowly adapt to the darkness while watching his surroundings and yawning. The store was closed. He didn't remember doing that before going to sleep; he was too depressed to do so. Did the person who had given him the blanket also take care of that?
That was too sweet…
Feeling a little better and more courageous, he lifted himself and got to his feet. Napping was definitely the right choice; his mind felt clearer, and his body felt rested. Now he had to do something about his dusty uniform and his hunger; the adrenaline finally dropped, and he reacquired the most basic human needs.
When he opened the door of his room, he noticed a sign on his door, written in a wobbly font: “Property of Jabber, DO NOT ENTER.” He let out a soft snort; the guy was funny without even trying. But given how everyone seemed to listen to him, people wouldn't try to go in if Jabber had marked the room as his.
Or was he referring to him…?
Zanka felt his cheeks flush a little; he shouldn't feel better for such a thing; in this universe, he wasn't Jabber’s. But the man was kind enough to care all the same. He thought that the Zanka in this universe was very lucky, but on the other hand, he didn't understand him; what pushed him to join the Raiders? In his own universe, it was Enjin who had found him; could it be that one of the Raiders helped him first?
It would have been better if he was part of the Cleaners; this way he could have spent more time with his Jabber, and he was sure the dark-skinned man would have liked that; the guy seemed to like Zanka very much.
Or maybe the reason Jabber was on the Cleaners' side was because Zanka had joined the enemy first? Did destiny stop them from being together? He kind of wanted to help them; Jabber had been nothing but very sweet to him since he'd been warped here.
The blond tried to move quietly in the hallway before stopping in front of Jabber’s door. He hesitated before leaving it alone; that wouldn't do if he relied too much on him.
His destination was the cafeteria, the place where the chaotic scene had happened earlier. It could escalate again, but he was too hungry; he needed to eat something. Never again did he plan to let himself die of hunger.
So when he stepped into the cafeteria, people were surprised, of course, but not really for the reason he thought. A crowd had formed again where the Cleaners were observing he didn't know what. Honestly, he could ignore all of this and just go eat, but that didn't seem like a good idea.
Plus, he could hear Rudo’s yelling voice, and it often announced bad news. To think he would have to deal with him in this universe, too.
While Zanka was trying to make his way around the people, he could already hear snippets of what the teenager was saying: “He's obviously lying, he's a Raider! Don't you remember what he did to Gris?!”
Oh shit.
In this universe, he was the one who had almost led the supporter to his death; of course, Rudo wouldn't like one bit of it. The moody teenager was difficult in a lot of ways, but he was loyal to his friends.
Zanka finally caught sight of the boy, as angry as one could imagine, and he was pointing at Jabber, who was wearing his Cleaner uniform—a sort of vest but cropped, a purple hood sticking out from it with large sleeves over something that seemed to be a tight tank top under it—and had an apologetic look, hands high probably to signal to him that he meant no harm…?
When the white-haired boy returned to him, their eyes met and his expression changed; the red eyes almost begged him, “Zanka!”
Now, how to explain the situation…
“Listen, Rudo. Everythin’ Jabber explained to ya is the truth; I've been swapped with—”
“Not you, too!” he exclaimed, his face decomposing gradually. “This guy is walking in the HQ like nothing is wrong, wearing our uniforms, and everyone seems to accept it!” It wasn't surprising that Rudo was angry.
The surprising fact was that he was pointing at Jabber and asking him for help. If his understanding was correct, it should have been quite the contrary.
Could it be that Rudo…?
“Rudo!” The blond had put his hand on the boy's shoulder. “We are both Team Akuta, right?”
“Huh, yeah?”
That's it!
He hasn't been the only one to have swapped!
What a relief…
“We're in another universe; in this one, Jabber is a Cleaner, like ya. And it seems like I was a Raider,” he quickly explained, Jabber starting to relax now that the situation became clearer.
“That's the biggest bullshit I ever heard.” The boy grimaced.
Seeing such a familiar face in this weird situation put a smile on his face, one that nobody expected.
“So, you can smile, too…” murmured Jabber before everyone looked at him, perplexed. Zanka himself blushed slightly when he saw the expression the man made before breaking eye contact.
This shit was so embarrassing… The way he acted toward him was enough to make him doubt himself.
“Let's talk while we eat. I'm starvin’,” he announced while pushing the other people who were circling around them.
While he ate with Jabber and Rudo—the boy still glaring hostility at the man—he explained to him what happened. How a flash of white suddenly appeared and he had found himself swapped with the other Rudo. Luckily for him, they were in the same place when it happened, only a few differences with Fu and Enjin, so it didn't shock him when they weren't there.
In this universe, Fu never came into contact with them because the other Zanka made sure he stayed with the Raiders. And Enjin didn't go with Bro back then. Apparently, his sister came to the HQ, but there was no need for him to avoid her because Zanka never belonged to the Cleaners in the first place.
He wondered what his family thought of him in this universe. Betraying the Hellguard to help people by being a Giver and joining the Cleaners organization was already something disgraceful. But to actually join a criminal organization, the Raiders…
The blond wasn't concerned by all of this because it wasn't his own choice, but he certainly didn't want to cross paths with his sister, who would blame him for a decision he didn't make for himself. He would let the other Zanka deal with it; it was his universe.
“So you're telling me this Jabber isn't the crazy guy we know?” he asked him again while showing a face full of distrust.
The dark-skinned man and Zanka exchanged a look. “I now understand how you feel; it's hard to see someone close to you hate your guts.” Jabber smiled softly at him.
The man's smile became more and more comforting each time…
“Y-Yeah, this one isn't crazy. He's even pretty normal if ya ask me.” Here, Zanka was the crazy one.
He was sure of one thing: he didn't want to meet him. After all that Jabber had told him, he was quite afraid to be confronted by his other self. He didn't want to look at what his life could be like where his sanity left him; he was sure the other Zanka was pretty pitiful. He never liked himself, but he would probably hate the other one.
A flash passed through his thoughts before he turned to Jabber, “Could it be that ya were this guy’s mentor?” He gestured to Rudo. If Zanka wasn't his mentor in this universe, there must be someone else. And everything he saw until now showed him that Jabber replaced his role; he was in Team Akuta and he owned the same room as him. Their position alongside the Cleaners seemed mostly the same, too.
“Oh, yeah. How did you know?” He would have answered him if Rudo hadn't choked on his food after hearing Jabber was his mentor. For them, it could be shocking news, right.
Zanka passed his hand over the younger’s back to help him before speaking again, “Seems logical to me. Did Enjin find ya in a well, too?”
“A well?” the dark-skinned man asked, intrigued.
Never mind.
Heat rose to his cheeks as Jabber laughed at him, rubbing his hair affectionately. “What's that? Did Enjin find you in a well?” he insisted, closing the distance as a charming smile found his face. Meanwhile, he did his best to shove him away, acting like he wasn't embarrassed as hell.
“Shut up…” Maybe they didn't share as many similarities as he thought.
“Do you guys… erm,” when he looked back at Rudo, the boy was pointing at them with his finger, a look of confusion on his face. “Zanka, don't tell me you—”
“Oh, yeah. We’re going out,” Jabber casually announced, a grin showing his white teeth to him.
“Hell, no!”
“Huh? Yes or no?!” The boy stood up, letting his anger get the best of him once again.
This is going to be such a pain to explain!
…
“Having fun by yourself?” a feminine voice asked him before he saw a red-haired girl sitting next to him.
His attention went again to the training he was watching; Rudo was trying to reach Jabber in a simulated fight. Earlier, they went into the boy's room; it wasn't technically his, but Rudo had to sleep somewhere, and his own room seemed well enough. It happened that the Rudo in this universe was also keeping a mountain of broken items in his room, so they dug into it to find some appropriate ones for battle.
They didn't touch stuff that seemed too important; even with his power, Rudo didn't like to destroy objects without a valid purpose. Jabber spoke the right words about using the items one last time and not letting them rot, and it was quite enough to motivate him, fighting against him in the hope of becoming a little stronger.
The rules were simple: he had to hit Jabber in a fight. Not specifically beating him, but making him incapable of moving was enough; the dark-skinned man used his vital instrument in its restrictive form. One, because Rudo himself didn't know he had a second form—few people knew it even in this universe—and second, probably because if Mankira were unleashed in her true form, they were at risk of causing a lot of damage around here.
A thing that wouldn't be tolerated, obviously.
“I think he's a good mentor,” Zanka simply said, not unhappy to talk to Riyo, whom he considered his best friend, just not in this universe.
“Yeah. Jab has everything going for him.” So he's a genius even here? “I just can't understand why he's always going so far for Zanka. I hate him.”
The blond felt a pique inside his chest; he knew well it wasn't directed at him, but hearing that from one of the few persons he trusted still hurt.
“I wish he’d never come back.” The girl looked at him before grabbing his shoulder. “You should stay here instead. I'm sure you would treat Jab so much better!”
He felt a little hot suddenly; Riyo had just suggested he stay here to take care of the dark-skinned man, Zanka's boyfriend.
“I'm sure ya know it isn't possible. The warp can happen any time and my team probably needs me in my world.” Maybe. He hoped.
The red-haired girl snorted before letting him go, “That sucks. We're so much alike; Enjin kinda puts a leash on both of us, but his true side comes out when he fights seriously. That's why he likes Zanka so much, I think. It makes him feel true.”
“But Zanka never won, though?” he asked, remembering what Jabber had told him.
“He doesn't need to. Jab is quite satisfied with how their fights go each time. And honestly, nobody can beat him when he’s serious,” she giggled, pride in her green eyes.
“I see.” At the moment he was going to concentrate again on the training, the girl took his hand, getting closer to him. Personal space, dammit!
“I know! Let's be friends!”
“...But I’m not from here,”
“It doesn't matter! People can always consider someone as a friend, even if there is no guarantee of seeing each other again." The bright smile Riyo had on her face made him happy, full of hope. It was reassuring to see that even if he couldn't get back to his world, people were ready to accept him.
Zanka didn't fight the smirk growing on his face, “Then, if ya will have me,” it was good to get back his best friend.
“Huuum.” He almost jumped when Jabber’s face appeared out of nowhere between them, staring at their handshake. The man was kind of frowning, almost displeased.
“We're friends,” the red-haired girl announced happily, still holding his hand and shaking it slightly in front of the bothered magenta eyes.
“Huh, good for you.”
“Come on, don't be jealous,” she stood up before trying to hug the man, who now pouted and did his best to avoid her.
“Already am. Man, I can't believe you’re not mine alone anymore.” He looked at him, a mix of happiness, pride, and sadness passing through his magenta eyes.
“Wait, I'm not yers anyway!” The weird expression Jabber wore suddenly transformed into a smile now that he was looking at him. His hand went around him, locking arms with him.
Zanka let himself be dragged by an excited Jabber; Riyo watched the two of them in exasperation with a small smile, probably thinking, “They’re at it again.”
“Sure, sure. If you beat me, that's it.” The amused glimpse changed into a dangerous one, a look he was more used to seeing in Jabber’s eyes.
“Don't tell me all of that was a setup to actually fight me?” the blond asked, raising his eyebrows, but the other laughed in answer, magenta coloring his hands again as claws appeared.
“What if it is? C'mon, dance with me!” The man had the same charming smile as usual, but there was something more in it. He was obviously excited, given the way he was trapping his lower lip between his teeth and biting it. The passionate look he had was certainly alluring, too, so much that his heart started to beat strongly.
He didn't question all of this too much; he just knew he wanted to join Jabber in whatever he wanted to do with him.
So he took Lovely Assistaff before transforming her, blue glowing as the form changed, the wood becoming metal. He followed Jabber, eyes locked on him as he didn't see anyone else; nothing else mattered right now. The dark-skinned man said he was going to give him a fight, but for him, it felt a lot more intimate, something happening between the deepest parts of their souls.
Zanka tentatively threw his weapon with all his strength, knowing that the man would counter his hit anyway. And he knew his vital instrument would easily find its way back into his hands; he had perfect knowledge of it—it was his only advantage.
Jabber gasped when he instinctively guarded against the quick throw attack before a wobbly smile took place on his face as his vital instrument regained its rightful place in his hand, just as planned. The dark-skinned man’s expression became wilder, his grin wider as a flash passed again through his magenta eyes.
He liked seeing Jabber like that.
He wasn't acting totally like the one he knew, but it seemed closer to the behavior he was used to, but more… free, maybe? Like he had control over what he was doing. Jabber in his universe seemed scared to go all out, as if he were going to be disappointed if he won the fight. It was probably stressful for him to think that he would enjoy a fight to the point of getting high but suddenly lose everything the moment it ended. The more fun he had, the more it hurt when it stopped, probably.
He thought that while they were exchanging blows, the weight of each of them echoing inside his body, adrenaline never stopped rising while he countered the dangerous claws. Normally, he would try to avoid them; one stab and the fight could be over, but this time, he wanted to feel each attack the man had for him, like a need for his violence, his hope for him.
Jabber didn't use his full strength, but it was okay; they weren't fighting seriously. It was more like…
Flirting.
Discovering each other.
…Who knew hitting each other could be this sensual?
The look on Jabber's face grew in intensity, his smile enlarging as a laugh escaped him. It must be the true Jabber the red-haired girl was talking about; the man seemed brighter than ever before.
And it was refreshing to move his body after being depressed, even more so to go against him.
Man, fighting felt so nice.
Jabber looked so good.
“You're holding back,” the man commented while pouncing on him. Zanka had to block the attack once more with his vital instrument, his other hand clutching around the other’s wrist and stopping him from reaching his face with the deadly claws.
“Ya too,” he answered, mimicking the crazy smile Jabber had. His magenta eyes shone so bright that he thought he could go blind just looking at them.
While they were pushing against each other with their weapons, Zanka suddenly passed his leg behind the man's knee, making him fall while he made sure to block Jabber with his body, making it impossible to do anything but stay down.
The blond pinned the dark-skinned man under him, using his vital instrument to hold his torso against the ground, sitting on his waist and pressing hard on everything he could to make him stop moving.
It had been short but so intense.
He could feel all his limbs trembling as he panted over Jabber, his face closer to his than he thought, their eyes not leaving each other. The man was so red, his blushing face so alluring. When he tried to get up—he couldn't stay on him indefinitely—Jabber trapped his wrist with his hand, pulling him a little closer until he could feel his warm and ragged breath.
“Ah, ah… You sure ‘Zanka’ can't fall in love with ‘Jabber’?” he asked, his eyes a little glassy, always brimming with hope.
He wasn't even sure which Zanka or Jabber he was talking about; who cared about that anymore, anyway?
“Maybe… I'm not sure.” To be honest, he didn't have a clue anymore. It was certain that he had the urge to suddenly get closer to the other, to feel his warmth. Dealing blows together made him want more, a need inside his chest.
Had it been the same with the Jabber in his universe? Their fight had been exciting, but it had been a dangerous game back there because they were enemies, so he couldn't really remember how it felt; he only knew that he had disappointed Jabber by losing.
What would a fight look like without them being on any side, if they were “free” like Jabber wanted back then?
Surely it would feel exquisite.
…
After fighting with Jabber and training Rudo, he had taken a well-deserved shower. He wanted to wash his dusty uniform but didn't find it; in its place, there was a paper with written: Took into custody for the moment now, yours truly, AUGUST.
So his Cleaner uniform had been kidnapped by their stylist; of course the crazy guy would take a look at what his other self in some other universe had crafted.
Whatever, I guess.
They told him that he could stay as long as he wanted but that he couldn't take missions on his own. Mainly, because the situation was complicated enough and there was no need to find himself where he didn't know when or where when the warp could happen at any moment.
And secondly, because the Zanka in this universe was a dangerous guy. People would think of him as a Raider even if he didn't look exactly the same and wore his Cleaner uniform.
Plus, they had told him that it would be practical if they suddenly switched places and the Raider found himself in the custody of the Cleaners.
In replacement for his gone uniform, August had left him clothes to wear. It was a casual fit, a simple T-shirt with a pair of comfy pants; it could even be used as pajamas if he felt like it; the fabric was soft.
As he internally thanked August, he wandered around the HQ; night was starting to fall slowly. Zanka still didn't have a clue as to why and how they swapped places; Rudo was also a victim in all of that. But luckily for him, his role in this universe was the same; he wasn't some crazy criminal nor a suicidal freak.
After walking for a while in the dormitory, he had found himself in front of the room that would be his in his universe. But this one was Jabber's.
The blond lightly knocked on the door, not aware of what he was really doing. At the moment, he just felt like seeing the dark-skinned man, talking to him; his presence was very comforting in this unknown world.
He heard a lazy “Yes” from the room before he opened the door, closing it behind him. Jabber’s room wasn't lit except at his desk where he was seated, writing something on papers—the same ones that threatened to fall the last time he saw them.
The man, who was only wearing his choker and a pair of sweatpants, turned toward him as he took a few steps into the room. Jabber wore a curious smile, “What’s up?”
But before he could answer, he thought he had seen something shine on the man’s bare torso, light reflected by two metallic piercings?!
Heat quickly rose to his cheeks; he had never noticed that Jabber had his nipples pierced!
Holy shit!
When the dark-skinned man saw him drop his jaw, his face turning red, he let out a laugh, standing up before joining him. “Oh, this? My Zanka did it for me~” He let out a few giggles before closing the distance while Zanka gulped.
“And ya let him do that?!” Did Jabber really say yes to everything???
He couldn't look away; the shiny orbs were taunting him, daring him to move his eyes. Shit.
He almost jumped when the dark-skinned man took his hand to place it on his torso, his finger touching the pierced nipple as heat rose quickly in his body, his heart beating wildly.
“Wo-WOW, what the fuck, ya crazy man?!” What the hell!
Fuck, it was so soft…!
“You should see yourself, for real, aren'tcha overreacting?” He giggled some more, his grip tightening around his wrist as he almost totally closed the distance between them.
Zanka tried desperately to remove his hand, but he only ended up touching his skin more, his finger pushing his nipple as the dark-skinned man smirked wider, slightly blushing.
“I'm not! Let me go!” Of course he wasn't overreacting! It was way too much for a virgin like him!
“It's turned my Zanka on, y'see. Betcha you like it, too~”
“I-I don't…” He said that, but he couldn't do anything other than stare at the button of flesh he had his trembling finger on, two little balls shining between it while his heart was doing loops in his chest.
It was too erotic. Too sexy!
It was dangerous. Jabber's lethal body, that was it.
What the hell was this situation? Him in Jabber's room, the man half-naked and his hand still on his damn torso.
“Jabber…” he murmured, uncertain of himself as his heart was raging wild. He shouldn't have come here, after all; he had tried to ignore his rising feelings since he arrived, but it was useless. Not when such a temptation presented itself in front of him.
Right now, it felt like Jabber was a gift just for him to unwrap. It wasn't his damn birthday, though!
The more the dark-skinned man smiled, the more he wanted to lose all of his rationality. Since when did he find him this insanely pretty? Zanka thought about the one in his universe, the one with a dangerous smile and big eyebags under his eyes, before realizing:
…Both of them were gorgeous. How come he didn't notice it until now?
“It's fine,” the man answered while pushing him slowly, putting his arms around his back as he felt himself sink onto the bed, the mattress softly moving under his weight.
His hands found themselves on the man's face, his thumb caressing his red cheek. He wanted it. Zanka wanted absolutely everything from this man.
He felt his heart race and his breath grow ragged as Jabber closed the distance between their faces, like he was giving him the chance to withdraw. But if you were asking him, it was inadmissible that their mouths hadn't connected yet with how he craved it.
So Zanka quickly pulled the other over him as he kissed him, the new sensation giving him shivers and palpitations in his whole body. The way their lips were moving together, almost in the same movement, felt insane; Jabber probably did this with the other Zanka a hundred times, but it was the first time for him.
It was really soft and hot, and so damn intimate.
The warm contact lasted until Jabber found himself totally on top of him, his smile disappearing and being replaced with an uncertain expression, as if he wasn't sure what to do.
“Is it really okay to do that?” Zanka forced himself to ask; he almost regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
He wanted it so badly, but could it be that Jabber was somehow confused by the way he looked? He wasn't the Zanka he knew and loved, after all.
“... Probably,” he answered, his eyes fleeing. “I love Zanka so much, I would do anything for him to love me back,” Jabber confessed, sadness passing into the magenta.
“What makes ya think he doesn't like ya back?” Zanka took one of his dreadlocks before putting it behind his ear to see more of the man’s expression, the magenta reflecting sorrow.
He thought that he looked regretful when their eyes met. He was so glad he didn't dare to touch him more. He had almost done something irreparable with Jabber; it was probably the last thing he needed right now.
The dark-skinned man closed his eyes, sighing heavily before hugging him, his head next to his as two arms embraced his back.
“Because Zanka always looks the saddest when I'm telling him what I feel for him. It hurts so damn much.” He didn't have anything to say to comfort him; he wasn't the Zanka he fell in love with.
But Jabber had told him before that they were the same.
His feelings for the man were pretty new, mostly born from lust, but they were there; his heart beat when he thought of Jabber, both of them. They were probably weak against the other Zanka's feelings, though.
He gathered his courage, his lips trembling slightly as he let out his next words, the ones he could never get back: “I'm sure he likes ya, too…”
“How can you be so… sure?” His intrigued expression changed into a surprised one, blushing deeply and mimicking his own face when the realization hit.
“Oh.” It was stupid how ridiculously happy the man seemed right now, his eyes brimming with hope as tears were about to roll.
“Yeah,” he mumbled back. Never again would he say something so embarrassing.
The man's expression changed into one of pure happiness, letting out innocent giggles, “I see.”
It was unfair to be this cute.
… Maybe he would pronounce these words one more time, after all.