Chapter Text
Thud-clunk, thud-clunk, thud-clunk…
Oh, great, you think as you hear the sound coming down the hallway towards your workspace. The Rat is on the prowl again… Were a few hours of uninterrupted time to think simply too much to ask of that damned junker? You close your eyes and mentally prepare yourself to deal with his antics, taking a deep breath before he can foul up the air with that smell that always seems to linger around him. Moments later, the sound in the hallway has stopped – right at your doorway, of course. You don’t bother turning around, hoping that if you ignore him, he’ll just continue on his path and find somebody else to bother.
“Would ya lookit this bookworm, all ‘oled up inside on such a fine day!” You can practically hear the smirk in Junkrat’s voice. You may have only been here a short time, still a newcomer to the Overwatch team, but even you know that the Aussie likes to push people’s buttons. You internalize a groan and open your eyes, rolling them slightly before finally turning to face the doorway.
“Not sure how you can consider this a ‘fine day’ when it’s been raining for 3 days straight, but whatever floats your boat, Junkrat. You need something?” It’s hard to keep the irritation from your voice, but you don’t feel like dealing with him right now. It’s taken you a while to finally buckle down and get some work done today, and you don’t need him interrupting your already strained focus.
“Aw, just because a fella stops by ta see a pretty Sheila, does that mean he needs somethin’? I’m hurt, darl.” He dramatically falls against the doorframe and mimes like he’s been stabbed in the heart, the other hand draped over his eyes. He peeks out and sees that you’re not impressed, so he drops the act. “Actually, I just came ta get ya for dinner. We usually eat as a team, ya know? Just thought it would be nice ta get ta know ya a bit on the way. Whaddya say?” At this he offers his elbow in a manner he probably hopes is gentlemanly, grinning and raising an eyebrow to entice you further.
You let out a not-so-subtle sigh as you save your spot in your research, getting up and taking a quick peek in the mirror on your desk to make sure you look presentable. Being in your workspace all day meant that you didn’t care whether your hair was in a messy bun, but you at least want to be presentable for team meals. You tuck a few stray strands quickly behind your ears and straighten your clothes, some light grey sweats and an orange sweater, then turn back to face Junkrat. He’s dropped his arm and is looking pleased with himself for being able to pull you away from your work.
“Right! Now let’s go get us some grub!” He looks positively giddy, and you remember that he’s probably missed more than his fair share of meals living in the Outback, as is evident by his physique. He didn’t have to wait for me, you think. He’s probably just trying to be welcoming and friendly, I guess. You decide not to keep him waiting any longer, and walk past him into the hall, while he rapidly follows and joins you at your side.
As you walk together, your plain footsteps begin to fall in sync with his unique ones. Thud-clank, thud-clank, thud-clank. His peg leg really doesn’t slow him down a whole lot, just gives him a limp that he’s clearly used to by now. You also notice for the first time that he’s rather tall. WOW, how did I miss that? It takes you half a moment before you realize Oh, that’s right. He’s usually next to Roadhog. Or crouching. Or both. He catches you watching him as you walk and you quickly look straight ahead down the hallway. He smirks and then tries to strike up a conversation.
“So, d’ya like it here so far? Pretty stuffy, if ya ask me. But it beats bein’ on the run all the time. And the food ain’t too bad, anyhow.” He looks at you expectantly, and you shrug a bit before saying “It’s not bad. A little cold, but at least I have some space to myself.” You think back to your earlier research days, having to share a lab with a dozen other people, all coming and going constantly. You don’t like dealing with people much, so you’re glad to have some research time and facilities to yourself.
“I hear ya, never did like the cold much meself, ta be honest. Nothin’ like some nice heat, amirite?” At this he glances over at you, waggling one of his crazy eyebrows, a devilish look in his eyes. Oh, here we go again, you think. But just then, you both round the corner into the dining hall.
“Ah, dinner is served, milady!” Junkrat bows and ushers you into the room. You smile and walk past him towards the rest of the team. But not before he gives you a stealthy spank, right on your ass. You don’t even have time to register what happened, he’s already racing across the dining hall to take his seat next to Roadhog, cackling like the maniac he is. You just stand there silently fuming for a moment, flashing a glare in his direction, before taking your seat at the opposite end of the table near Lúcio and Hana.
~~~~~
Dinner is delicious, filling, and best of all, uneventful. The constant rain the last few days seems to have everyone in a mellow mood. It’s rather relaxing. Afterwards, Hana invites you to join her and a few others for a Smash Bros tournament. She’s been on a retro gaming kick lately, which is fine with the older team members, since it means they can join in for once. But you politely decline, promising to join the fun next time.
As you turn down the hallway towards your room (I think it’s this way… this place is a fucking maze), you hear giggles behind you from Hana’s direction. You turn around, and see her, Lúcio, and Lena quickly looking in any direction but yours. You look questioningly at them, and Lena tells you to have a great night, before they turn the opposite way and walk towards Hana’s room, still stifling laughter. I know I’m still new, but am I that weird for not wanting to play some games tonight? Sheesh…
You quickly arrive at your quarters and enter, kicking off your shoes as the door slides shut behind you. As you start to undress and get ready for bed, you take off your sweats and drop them on the floor. But a dark spot on them catches your eye. You pick them back up, inspecting them closer. And that is when you see the large black handprint right on the back of them.
You grind your teeth angrily, realizing that that is what the others were giggling about. Junkrat’s sooty handprint, right on your ass, for the whole team to see. And somehow you just know it won’t come out in the wash. I’m gonna kill him. These are my favorite sweats. I’m gonna fucking kill him. You throw them back onto the ground, quickly putting some other lounge pants on instead, and retrieve the sweats again before stomping out of your room towards the workshop. That Rat is dead!
You storm out of your room, heading down the hall in the direction of the workshop. If Junkrat isn't on a mission or in the mess hall, he’s usually tinkering with explosives. A few team members still roam the halls, since it's not too late just yet. But one look at the scowl on your face tells them they shouldn't try to chat it up with you right now. You're clearly on the warpath.
You take what you're pretty sure is the quickest route to the workshop, and soon enough you smell the fumes that never really clear out of that filthy place. You turn a corner, seeing the door wide open. That'll save me the trouble of breaking it down, you briefly think before barging into the space.
"JUNKRAT!" you bellow, stomping in without waiting for a welcome. He's sitting at his workbench, a tool in one hand and a frag in the other. He spins around on the stool, looking incredulously at you.
"OI! Never startle a man when he has explosives on hand! What the bloody hell ya want?" He looks almost as perturbed as you feel. Almost. But you're pretty furious.
"You think this is fucking funny, you Aussie bastard?!" you yell, waving your stained sweatpants in his face. "You think just because I'm new, you can ruin these and make me the laughing stock of the team? I don't need rumors spreading that you've got your filthy mitts all over me already! And these are my favorite damn sweats! What the hell are you gonna do about this??" You finally stop to take a breath, a bit shaky from adrenaline and rage. He looks from you to the sweats and back to you again, visible confusion on his face. For a moment you think you might strangle him. But then...
"BAAAAHAHAHAAAA! Oh, darl, I thought you were goin' on about somethin' important!" He continues cackling, practically falling off his stool, doubled over as tears begin leaving little tracks down his sooty cheeks. Ok, definitely gonna strangle him now.
You clench your fists at your sides, letting out an audible growl of frustration. "It isn't fucking funny, you jackass! What the hell did I do to you?!" You can feel hot tears start to prickle at the corners of your eyes. You rapidly blink a few times in an effort to make them go away, but it doesn't help much. You ball your fists up a little tighter, squeezing your eyes shut. Not now, don't freaking cry right now. "I didn't do anything to deserve this," you say, quieter now, not to anybody in particular. That's it, no holding back the flood now. Your shoulders start shaking a little, you feel your lip start to quiver. Should I just leave? No, I don't wanna be the pushover... gotta tough this one out. You finally take a couple shaky breaths to calm yourself down before opening your eyes and relaxing your hands.
When you look at Junkrat, his mouth is agape, his eyes are wide and shocked, and he looks for all the world like you’ve just slapped him. You immediately regret coming down here, regret making a fool of yourself. I could have just bought a new pair of sweats, moron. Why did I have to make a big deal out of it? “Hey… Junkrat, I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to blow up at you. Seriously, it’s not the end of the world or anything. I’ll just find another pair. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…” You can’t even look him in the eye, you just shift awkwardly and look at a spot on the floor near your shoe. Then you hear him rise from his stool, peg leg creaking just a bit, and lift your head just as his hands comes to rest on your shoulders.
“‘Ey now, dry those eyes, missie,” his voice much softer than you’d imagined it could be. He almost sounds… comforting? “I didn’t mean nothin’ by it, honest. Hell, I’ve done it to near everyone here, if it makes ya feel better. Simply Junkrat’s way of welcomin’ ya, that’s all. Just trying to make ya feel… like one o’ the team.” The pressure of his fingers is oddly relaxing on your shoulders, helping to ground you in reality. His eyes are no longer manic and mischievous, but calm, focused intently on your face as you look up at his. He’s trying his best to smile reassuringly at you, and somehow, it’s working.
“I… I just feel like I don’t belong here,” you say quietly. “I guess I thought I was the butt of some joke, like you were picking on me. I’m just still getting used to all of this, ya know?”
He giggles and replies, “You ain’t the butt of any joke of mine, darl. Not today, anyway.” He gives your shoulders a quick squeeze before letting go and grabbing the pair of sweats in your hand. “Now, about this then. Tell ya what – Roadie’s a right genius at gettin’ stains outta where they don’t belong. Got too tired of me gettin’ grease and stains on ‘is clothes over the years, I s’pose. I’ll see what he can do ‘bout these, and I’ll get ‘em back to ya, good as new! Whaddya say, hmm?” He looks at you expectantly, eagerly.
“You don’t have to, Junkrat, it’s really not as big a deal as I made it out to be,” you say, trying to grab the sweats back from him. But he’s faster than you.
“Nah, I insist!” he argues, pulling them out of your reach. “It’s the least I can do, after causin’ all this fuss. ‘Sides, it’ll give me an excuse to come up an’ see ya again!” Flashing what you assume is his most charming smile, he quickly turns and hobbles away toward a mountain of laundry on the floor in the corner, adding your sweats to the pile. I probably won’t see them for six months, if ever again, you think briefly before he turns around to face you again. “I do have one question for ya, Sheila. What did ya mean, ‘already’?” A sly look is in his eyes, and now you’re the one visibly confused.
“Huh?” you manage, clearly not understanding what he’s getting at.
“Ya said ya didn’t need anyone thinkin’ I got my hands on ya already. Interestin’ choice o’ words, if I say so meself,” his voice is almost a growl, and his eyes are glowing with a fire that can’t mean anything good.
You sigh and laugh lightly before replying, “Oh, that. I was just caught up in the moment; I wasn’t exactly picking my words carefully. I just don’t wanna be a part of some silly rumor, is all.”
He narrows his eyes a bit at you. “Riiight… Well! Alrighty then!” He claps his hands loudly, apparently back to his normal energetic self. “Glad we cleared that up, eh?” He starts back towards his workbench, and you take the hint that it’s time to leave. “Come down ‘ere anytime! Just don’t scare the shit outta me when ya do, could be surprising for both of us, if ya know what I mean.” He smiles back at you again before sitting back at his station, picking up a pair of pliers and the frag from earlier.
“Right. Thanks, Junkrat. G’nite,” you say as you turn to leave.
“That reminds me,” he said, turning to face you one last time. “Call me Jamison. Just between you an’ me.” He winks and turns back to his work, already lost in his tinkering.
You allow yourself a small smile and finally head to your room. Jamison, huh? Nice name, I suppose. That went better than expected. Much better, actually. You stroll leisurely through the halls, taking your time, allowing yourself to process everything that just happened. Weird that he was so interested in that ‘already’. Arriving at your door sooner than expected, you enter and continue getting ready for bed.
As you crawl under the covers and turn out the light, you can’t stop thinking about ‘already’. It was just a slip of the tongue; I didn’t mean anything by it. But maybe – you think back to how kind he was in the workshop, even for just a few moments – maybe I do want his hands on me already? The thought swirls around your head as you drift off to sleep.