Chapter Text
It was early in the morning when Jabber woke to the dim light shining through his window. He slowly sat up, running a hand through his untied hair. When he slept, he usually kept it tied back neatly, leaving one dread, shorter than the others, loose so he would still look proper.
As he wiped the sleep from his eyes, a thought began to form. Usually everyone was awake around this time, yet the halls were strangely quiet. Jabber found himself wondering why he couldn’t hear any loud noises or the other Cleaners rummaging through the hallways, especially Rudo. He could always tell when Rudo was nearby because of the distinctive stomping sounds he made while walking down the hallway.
As Jabber pulled off the covers, he was met with his half-naked body. He always slept shirtless and without shorts since he often got random heat flashes during the night. Sluggishly, he slid out of bed and began getting dressed.
He pulled on his vibrant yet dark purple hoodie, adorned with silver metal spikes. He had owned the hoodie for years and wore it almost every day. To him, it was more than just clothing. It was a special gift from his father, given after Jabber won a fighting tournament. It was a memory from his childhood, back before things became rough and complicated.
Next, he pulled on his bootcut jeans. They were a bit dingy from how often he wore them, though he kept telling himself he would buy another pair soon. It was a promise he repeated often, yet somehow never followed through with.
Standing in front of the mirror, Jabber took the rubber band from his wrist and tied his hair back, leaving one dread loose. He grabbed a brush from his small dresser and combed back the frizz. Once he finished, he opened a drawer and fished out a small box filled with rings. One by one, he slid them onto all ten of his fingers before putting the box away.
Before leaving, Jabber quickly tidied his room and made his bed. He never openly acknowledged it, but he was a bit of a clean freak. No matter what, he couldn’t leave his room unless everything looked neat and in place.
As he finished up, he walked to the door, slightly opening it before taking one last glance at his tidy room. Satisfied, he stepped out and walked down the hallway toward the Cleaners’ dining hall.
When he entered, he was greeted by the sight of Enjin, Rudo, and Riyo already eating.
Jabber walked over to Rudo and ruffled his hair.
“Hey! Quit doing that!” Rudo snapped.
Jabber let out a quiet snicker before sitting down and placing some food onto his plate. He ate for a moment before Enjin broke the silence, glancing up with a knowing look.
“So, late to dinner like always, huh?”
“I’m not late,” Jabber replied, shrugging slightly. “I just had to make sure everything was aight before I left my room.”
Riyo let out a smug response. “Yeah, as if that’s rare from you.”
Jabber glanced over at her, giving her a slight side-eye before sighing.
“Well, is anything gonna happen today? Being cooped up at base is killing me.”
Silence settled over the table for a moment before Enjin spoke again.
“Actually, Semiu got a call about a Raider down near Canvas City causing chaos. How about you take Rudo along with you for a mission while he’s still learning his vital instrument? Besides, you’re the best when it comes to handling them.”
The last line made Jabber perk up slightly.
He nodded in agreement, but before saying anything else, his eyes drifted to Rudo’s plate.
Without thinking twice, he reached over and stole a piece of dessert.
A fork immediately stabbed down into the table right beside his hand.
Jabber froze and slowly looked up to see Rudo staring at him with clear disapproval.
Jabber quickly pulled his hand back.
“Gosh, mane,” he muttered under his breath, “you’re just big and greedy.”