brand new cleaner jabber not realizing he's touch starved bc he's so used to people being afraid of him that he's gotten used to the lack of gentle touch. he only has contact in fights and training. but he sees the ease in which the others operate.
then Enjin ruffles his hair like he does to everyone else
Riyo laughs loudly and grabs his arm
Zanka sits too close on the couch and their sides are pressed together
and suddenly Jabber realizes how starved he is and it's all he can think about but he doesn't know how to initiate normal contact
he makes up games, challenges them to fights, anything to get the aftermath of a gentle touch
eventually Zanka picks up on it and starts giving him what he's looking for without saying anything
he leans over jabbers shoulder at the table, lets his head fall against him in the car when he dozes, lays his legs across Jabber's lap, grabs his hand to lead him places and more
and one day if jabber is feeling particularly restless, he asks Zanka to lay on him. he does. it's grounding.
and soon Jabber starts to feel like a part of the group. he starts giving touches more regularly and the fears in people's eyes is gone
but now he has a problem.
he's a once starved man now drowning. he's still hungry though. he's gotten greedy.
he prefers Zanka's touch.
he likes everyone's hugs and casual touches, but he's the most comfortable with his old rival. perhaps it's because he was the first to really see Jabber, first as a raider then again as a cleaner
or maybe jabber is developing a crush and he once again doesn't know how to deal with it
pt 2 - pt 3 - pt 4