Chapter Text
The ride back to headquarters did not go without conflict. First, everyone overslept for their own reasons: Enjin was hung over, Gris refused to tell why he overslept but everyone already knew it was because he was with Enjin. And Riyo, Zanka and Follo had stayed up all hours of the night, gossiping and pulling a few pranks on people— that “people” being Rudo and Remlin.
Then when they paid their extra fine for staying past their reservation times, they got on the road. Only to realize that everyone had been in such a hurry that they'd forgotten to eat. And let's just say that cleaners aren't known to be the most kind people when hungry.
Enjin, head already pounding, was yelling at everyone to shut up. Riyo laid in the trunk, unsettlingly silent. Rudo groaned about his hunger every thirty seconds. Zanka just sat there, unmoving, staring outside the widow as if the pedestrians they passed by had broken his staff. Follo and Gris were the only calm ones.
When they all stopped to eat, their orders took an actual millenia. The restaurant was backed up. The customer to staff ratio was not working in their favor.
After they got their food, and practically inhaled it, they were back on the road. Finally.
Except, their tragedies don't end there. For Enjin had forgotten to put gas in the car.
So they had to call someone from headquarters, Semiu, to help them from the side of the road. And what's worse? Whilst waiting for Semiu and her crew to arrive, an entire trash storm started.
So yeah, team Akuta hasn't had the best of luck today. You would think “damn…it can get any worse. Right?”
Zanka certainly thought so. Except to his dismay, after Semiu came and got them, the team encountered a few trash beasts in their path. Thus, they had to do a little cleaning.
Finally back at headquarters, Zanka quickly separated from the group in order to go and face plant on his floor the moment he got in his room.
Zanka took a deep breath in, coughing when dust entered his nostrils. And as if it wasn't already bad, he realized he hadn't closed his door completely when he heard the familiar voice of Enjin ring out.
“Uh… you good there Zanka?” Enjin's tone was laced with worry and perhaps a little confusion.
“Peachy!” Zanka mumbled as he rolled over to sit up.
Enjin let out a small laugh. “You sure don't look it.” He snickered. He went to close the door, but side tracked. “I know today's been a day. So get you some rest.” Enjin smiled warmly as he closed the door.
Maybe it was the warmth in his tone, or maybe it was that burning admiration Zanka had for Enjin, but all of the sudden, Zanka's mood was instantly replenished.
A giddy smile covered his face. You would think he just got news that he was the richest man alive.
Zanka sat on the floor, giggling to himself. And every second he spent there, the more sleepy he got by the second. His eyes sagged, and he contemplated laying back down on the tile. Eventually, he managed to drag himself up in his bed. And he thought that maybe it would hurt to just rest his eyes for a bit.
Rudo was having the time of his life. He managed to finally secure a good hiding spot for his candy. Why was he hiding candy? One, he didn't want to share it with Dear (or more like Dear would always find his stash and eat it all.) Two, Gris would lecture him about how unhealthy having all this candy is. Naturally, two things he wants to avoid.
And as he places the broken tile back in its place on the floor, he is startled by the unknown presence in his room.
“Whatcha got there Rudo?” Riyo smiled from his doorway.
“Oh it's nothing.” He says as he tries to cover up his evidence.
Riyo only laughs at his attempts. “No need to be so secretive. Don't worry I won't tell Gris you're hiding candy again.” She says as she walks into the room, letting the door swing shut.
Rudo relaxes. When he first joined the cleaners, he would get jittery at the very presence of anyone. He was jumping through hoops trying to figure out how to fit into this weird puzzle, when he was an extra piece that just happened to come in the box.
Now, it's much more natural. He thought that after losing everything up on the sphere, his life would disintegrate into nothing meaningful. He wasn't even sure he would survive.
And with the cleaners, he focused so much on getting revenge on the sphere, he hardly noticed how much he'd grown to love it on the ground, with the cleaners. His family.
So now, when he thinks about how anxious he used to be, he thinks how stupid of him it was. He knows now that the cleaners are definitely the family he needed, despite having to lose to earn.
“So Rudo… seems like something's been on your mind yeah?”
“Uhm no not really-” Rudo thinks. Nothing's really happened that Rudo had to really dwell his mind on or anything. It's not like Dear took his candy again or anything. Matter of fact, Rudo should probably change his hiding spot again. That boy is always on the loose, there's no telling what he knows and when he knows it-
“You sure? No interesting information you've learned?” Riyo pushed.
Confusion was clean on Rudo's face. What exactly does she mean? He thought and thought. Had something happened? Rudo doesn't remember. Is there something Riyo knows that Rudo doesn't? Maybe Dear has already found out the candy is under the floorboard and she's trying to tell him in a way Dear won't understand-
Then slowly, that confusion turned to understanding. Rudo did know something.Two things actually.
One: Rudo had accidentally walked into the boss's office without knocking. It's a bad habit of his, actually. You see, on the sphere Rudo didn't really have the luxury of knocking. Regto would usually just bust in with whatever rants followed him that day. Anyways, when Rudo had just abruptly walked in, well he may have seen Corvus and Tamsy kissing in there. Or he may not have! But in the hypothetical situation where he did see it, Tamsy later found him and said to him quite seriously that he hadn't seen anything.
Two: Rudo walking in Zanka's room (again without knocking) and seeing that Jabber of all people was in there. And then finding out that the two were in relations to each other.
(Yes Rudo has got to learn to knock before entering.)
Although, Zanka's dating life utterly bored him, in fact he wondered, in past conversations about said love life, how anyone could even want to be with such an asshole. But now seeing that that person is Jabber? Rudo sees it. Crazy on crazy. Not his cup of tea, but at least now Rudo knows how someone could like Zanka. You've gots to be a psychopath.
Now, whichever of the two Riyo wanted to know was a mystery to him. So instead of picking one to go with and risking a fifty/fifty chance of getting it wrong. Rudo word vomits it all.
“Okayokaylisteniknowineedtolearnhowtoknockbutitsnotlikeiknewiwouldfindtamsyandthebosskissingandjabberinzankasroom!” Rudo exasperated.
“WAIT! TAMSY AND THE BOS-” Riyo was cut off by Rudo covering her mouth.
“Shhh, I'm not supposed to have seen anything.”
“Okay okay!” Riyo slapped Rudo's hand away. “But that does explain why Tamsy gets so many days off-” Riyo said as Rudo was about to cover her mouth again. But then Rudo stopped himself.
“Wait, you didn't say anything about the other thing I said.” Oh damn it. Rudo internally cursed at himself. Riyo probably didn't hear him when he mentioned Jabber, so why would he bring it up again!
“About Jabber and Zanka? Oh I already know about them dating.” Riyo said nonchalantly, immediately returning to her rants about Tamsy and Corvus.
Meanwhile, Rudo looked bewildered.
“Wait! You know about them already?”
Riyo furrowed her brows. “Well yeah. They aren't exactly secretive about it. Running off with each other every time we fight.” Riyo shrugged.
“I thought they just really liked fighting each other…" Rudo trailed off.
“Oh Rudo, you sweet sweet boy.” Riyo teased him, giggling with amusement.
Enjin smiled as he walked down the hallway. He'd just left out of Gris’ room and—to say the very least— they had some fun (which Enjin thinks they both deserve after their long ass day) Unfortunately, that fun did include Enjin having aching knees from their hard ass floor.
“We need to invest in carpets, I tell you.” Enjin sighed. He heard snoring and chatter from rooms as he passed them. But one did catch his attention.
“...and Zanka? Oh I already know about them dating.”
Enjin stopped in his tracks. Zanka's dating someone?
Enjin spaced out. There in the middle of the hallway. And just stared. Zanka is dating someone…and didn't tell me? Am I not trustworthy enough to tell of such big news? Have I really-
“Why the hell are you just standing there… all creepily n' shit.” Semiu judged from behind him.
Enjin quickly regained his composure. “Why are you questioning me? Aren't you supposed to be reading magazines, or whatever you do?” He asked, starting to walk away.
“Aren't you supposed to be finding a dick to shove up your ass.” He said just loud enough for Enjin to hear. Yet when he turned to reply, she was already walking away.
Enjin sighed and just got to thinking. I have to let Zanka know that I'm totally trustworthy. Yeah, I'd be super supportive of who he dates.
Enjin smiled to himself as he conjured up his plan. He would get Zanka to open up to him. It'll be his greatest accomplishment as a father.