You're not alone
Junkrat / Lifeweaver / Baptiste
a/n: no one asked for a Junkrat comfort/tickle fic, but here it is. :) I hope you enjoy!
★・・・★・・・★・・・★
Another successful mission had been completed, thanks to a certain rip tire from a certain Australian bombardier. Junkrat was quite proud of himself for this accomplishment but sadly, he was about the only one that was.
As the rest of the team congratulated each other on a job well done, Junkrat couldn’t help but notice that no one was talking to him. No “good jobs” or pats on the back for him, nothing. Just the usually cold shoulder or bored “yes, yes’s from those who felt like they had to acknowledge his existence.
With a disappointed sigh, he followed everyone back onto the ship as they departed back to base. The ride back was no different, everyone swapping stories on the mission and how many null sector they had taken out. Even Roadhog managed to get a praise from Ana, which didn’t surprise Junkrat at all, anymore.
Roadhog had managed to get on everyone’s good side quite easily within the team. Probably because they were scared shitless of the huge titan like man, but still, Junkrat was not far off in height and still didn’t get the same tone from everyone as Roadhog did.
He would be lying to himself if he didn’t admit he was slightly jealous of the positive attention.
In a desperate attempt to receive some praise, he spoke up amongst the chatter. “Did you guys see me tire at the end? Saved the day there, didn’t I?” He chuckled, almost nervously but hoped it wasn’t picked up on. Especially since he had gained the attention of almost everyone on board.
Their expressions dropped immediately from pleasant smiles to what could only be described as awkward glares.
“Oh please,” Tracer’s voice emitted from a few seats down. “You wouldn’t have even gotten them if it wasn’t for Mei’s blizzard!” She excitedly nudged said woman’s shoulder who happened to be sat beside her. Mei offered a shy smile in response and Junkrat could only listen as she was flooded with compliments from the rest of the team.
He sighed in defeat and remained silent the rest of the journey back to base. Why did his chest suddenly ache?
★・・・★・・・★・・・★
Junkrat sat in silence within the workshop, tinkering idly with one of his concussion mines. He had lost track of time as his mind raced with things that wouldn’t concern him on a normal day. It frustrated him just how much the lack of positive attention was getting to him; he usually didn’t care about stuff like that. He had his bombs and was able to use them against those no-good bots. What more could he want?
He growled, reaching up and yanking at his already thinning hair. “Oi, Roadie!” He shouted out to an empty room. The silence confused him at first but was then immediately reminded that his friend was not there, he and the rest of the team had gone out for some drinks to celebrate their success.
Of course, Junkrat didn’t find out until after they had left. He reached into his pocket for the small note that was left for him in the kitchen area by Roadhog. It read “Gone out. Stay out of trouble, idiot.”
The words stung. They stung and left that horrible ache in his chest again that he was not a fan of. Frustrated, hurt and confused by it all, tears began to form in his eyes as he scrunched up the note into his fist and slammed them both down onto the desk in front of him.
He lowered his head down beside it and began to let out the sobs that overtook him.
Junkrat thought he was alone at the base, which helped clear his conscience of crying and showing weakness to anyone else. Nothing got to Jamison Fawkes. However, he wasn’t alone.
Baptiste and Lifeweaver just happened to be taking a stroll through the corridors on their way to the kitchen. They had been spending a lot of time together and declined the offer to go out with the rest of the team in favor of spending more time with just each other.
Their conversation was interrupted when they heard a strange sound coming from the workshop. “Do you hear that?” Baptiste asked, eyebrow raised in the direction of the noise.
“I thought everyone had gone out,” Niran said, approaching the doorway. Jean followed behind closely, both unsure what they would find. “Oh! It’s you, Junkrat.”
Junkrat almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice, letting out a small yelp and immediately turned with defences raised.
This caused both men to laugh, and they both held up their arms defensively. “Easy there, we won’t hurt you. We just didn’t expect to see you sat there.” Bap said.
“Yes, we thought everyone had gone out.”
Junkrat sniffled, avoiding any eye contact with the two men. “Wasn’t invited.”
“Oh,” Baptiste responded, quick and awkward, just like how everyone spoke to him.
Niran frowned at the Junker’s tone, not used to hearing it so low and, well, sad. He approached, despite Baptiste reaching out in attempt to stop him, but Niran didn’t hesitate.
“Are you okay? You seem down.”
“M’fine.” Junkrat sniffled again, turning back on his chair with his back now facing them both. Niran exchanged a look of concern with Bap before taking the vacant seat beside Junkrat.
“Come now, I may not have known you for very long, but I’d say I know you well enough to know when something is eating away at you.”
Junkrat tried his best to ignore the man sat beside him, hoping that would make him go away. It was already humiliating enough that they both caught him crying, but now they were interrogating him about it.
“Junkrat?” Niran tried again.
“What?!” he snapped. “I don’t know anything!”
Niran laughed. “I’m not trying to pry you for information, silly. Just trying to help you.”
“We can go if you don’t want us here, you know.” Baptiste finally approached the pair, shrugging at Niran’s frown.
Junkrat stayed silent, was that what he wanted?
Niran leaned forward to try and read the expression the Junker was wearing, but it looked so dazed that he thought Junkrat had just got distracted again. He reached out to his bare side and gave it a quick poke. “Hello?”
The sudden sensation from the poke forced a startled squeak from Junkrat, surprising everyone in the room.
After a brief moment of silence the Junker cleared his throat. “G’day..”
Niran chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t know that would tickle you.”
Junkrat blinked in response. “It didn’t.”
“Are you sure?” Niran teased, bringing his finger to poke in the same spot, earning the same reaction as before, only this time Junkrat scooted a little bit away.
“Sure seems like it did.” Bap laughed, using his fingers to pinch the same spot on the other side of Junkrat which caused him to jerk away back towards Niran with a giggle.
“It didn’t! Stop doin’ that!”
Niran used this opportunity to reach out and grab onto both of Junkrat’s sides and scribble away at his already exposed skin. The sensations so foreign to the Junker that he immediately broke out into a fit of giggles. He tried to peel Niran’s hands off him but was unsuccessful when Baptiste also joined in, his hands tickling at his abs and tummy.
Junkrat couldn’t even remember the last time anyone had tickled him, or if he had even been tickled before. He was always so used to receiving pain from others that his senses were overwhelmed with this new feeling, his laughter only grew louder as the two kept tickling him, squirming in their grasp.
“STAHAHAP!”
“But Junkrat, you’re sounding like your old self again. This must be working!” Niran smiled, which the Junker wanted to punch off his face at that moment, but the tickling rendered him completely useless. Their fingers homed in on all sensitive parts of his torso with such accuracy that he was sure they were trained for this. They hoaxed such loud laughter out of him that he forced himself to curl his body down until he was now on the ground, hoping to escape this torture but all he did was make it worse for himself.
Both men followed and pinned him down to the floor below.
“Waitwaitwait- wehe can talk about this, mates!” Junkrat pleaded. “Maybe I’m a little ticklish, happy now?”
“That depends.” Bap smirked.
“On what?”
“Are you happy now?”
Junkrat stared blankly up at them, the smirks making him incredibly nervous. Why were they doing this to him? Was this just another way for the people on this team to mock him and bring him down even more?
“Why is everyone here out to get me?” Junkrat groaned, his head dropping down to the ground with a small thud. “What did I do wrong?”
This wiped the smirks clean off their faces.
“What do you mean?” Niran asked, concerned why the Junker would be asking such things. “We are just having a bit of fun with you; you look like you could use it. You seemed very upset.”
“That’s because no one likes me!”
Both men exchanged a look of hurt before looking back down at him. They released him from his pinned position and Niran placed a comforting hand upon the Junker’s shoulder.
“I ain’t tryin’ to be pest, but everyone treats me like one,” tears began to fill up his eyes once again. “I wouldn’t have joined this stupid team if I didn’t wanna help, yeah? But because I like to blow everything up, something that I love, everyone hates me.”
“You have a history behind you, Junkrat-“
“So does Roadie!” Junkrat quickly countered, bringing his arms up to place his palms up over his eyes. An attempt to keep the tears hidden. “Everyone likes ‘im though. They even use his actual name! No one uses mine.”
Niran tilted his head. “What is your name? I don’t think I know you to be anything other than Junkrat.”
“Jamison.”
“Well, Jamison. Since it’s something that you want, I will happily start calling you by your name.” Niran smiled. Baptiste hummed in agreement in which Junkrat peeked up at them to check for any expression of dishonesty.
“C-Cheers.” Jamison sniffled. “Uh… what were you guy’s names again? Eheh, I kinda forgot.”
“Niran.”
“Jean-Baptiste.”
“Nean, and Jirantiste.” He jokingly repeated, earning a laugh from the two. The first genuine laughs he earned from anyone from this team. “Thanks for tryin’ to cheer me up. You blokes ain’t bad!”
“And neither are you. You’re not alone on this team, even if sometimes you feel like it.” Niran poked his tummy which earned another squeak. “And if you ever feel like this again, come find us and we’ll help bring that smile back onto your face.”
“Yeah, you look weird when you’re not smiling.” Bap chuckled, bringing his fingers down onto the Junker and tickling his torso. Jamison cried out with laughter, trying to squirm away but Niran kept him pinned.
“I TAHAHAKE IT BAHAHACK, YOHOHOHOU BLOHOHOKES SUCK!”
“That’s not very nice.” Niran teased, joining in with the tickles and used his fingers to tickle at his neck while Baptiste had the rest of his torso covered. Squeaks, squeals and endless laughter filled the room as Jamison was under another ticklish assault.
Both men laughed along with Jamison as they tickled him silly. It was reassuring to know that not everyone on the team simply tolerated him. There were at least some people that liked him and that was good enough for him.