Title: Friendly Competition
Rating: R (for the cursing, mostly on Jinx's part though)
Pairings involved: Jinx/Jak, hints of Dax/Jak, mentionings of Dax/Tess, Jak/Ashelin and Jak/Keira. (It already looks fun, huh kiddies?)
Warnings: Yaoi. Abuse of Ottsels and Explosives experts and misusage of bomb bots. /heen/

Short description: This is was all phantompele's fault. Seriously. But it was so funny I had to write it. /grins/

It had started innocently enough. Dax had even been a little relieved. The ottsel had to admit that it was nice to see Jak finally branching out when it came to the romance department. Things hadn't quite worked out with Keira, but Ashelin was another case altogether. All that leather and armor. Those legs that just wouldn't quit. And god… those… those wonderfully soft looking bags o'… er… yeah. She was a fiery little something and seemed quite capable of kicking Jak's ass in a fair fight. So what was not to like?

Thus, in the meantime Dax had even gone out of his way to make sure Jak knew he was cool with the whole thing. Joking about the bruises and other suspicious marking showing up in random places on his buddy's person. And yes, this morning was no different. When yet another questionable mark was noticed in vicinity of his friend's neck.

"Whoa, ho, ho! Get a load of this one!" Dax crowed. "Ha, someone had fun last night!"

It was good to encourage the guy, Dax had decided.

Especially now that he and Tess were an official item and all, he didn't want Jak to feel like a third wheel or anything. I mean, it was for the best that they both moved on though, right? No sense living in the past. Besides, there was no fighting the laws of nature, not to mention physics. Ottsels went best with ottsels and long eared humans went with best with other long eared humans. Though, Dax wasn't quite sure how Jak really felt about it all really.

Maybe he shouldn't have gone with those pants. But they were so cool.

Anyway…

Jak blushed in response to the comment and quickly finished wrapping the red scarf around his neck.

"Well… uh… yeah I had a little fun I guess." His rough voice stumbled on the words, struggling to find the confidence just to mutter them.

It was cute how embarrassed he was getting but that didn't mean that Daxter was going to let up.

"Big Red give ya a good time, buddy o' mine?" The ottsel said wangling his eyebrows, a perverted grin twisting his fuzzy face.

Dax watched his friend for any hint of the affirmative, his small feet swinging happily on the end of the much too large bed. It wasn't long before he got all the answer he needed. Jak's face turned red enough to match his scarf.

"Ah ha! I knew it! You think I don't hear you sneaking outta here at night!" Dax said jumping to his feet and pointing accusingly. "Oh and you can thank Tess for me not following you buddy. Though I do understand, a guy can't live off adrenaline and gun upgrades alone! Heh, heh, it's about time Miss high and mighty governess made some time for ya buddy! Oww… and I'm sure it was time well spent, am I right!"

It was the sigh that ended it all however.

That damned sigh.

oo0oo

It had been easy to slink out of that idiotic mission that Torn had sent them on. It wasn't like he would have been much help in the condition that he was in, as pissed as he was. Besides, Sig would be there. Jak would be fine without him this once.

In any case, Daxter had more important matters to attend to…

"Don't play stupid with me, pal!"

Jinx blinked once and stared down at the two-foot tall ottsel standing in front of him. It was truly surprising how intimidating the little guy could be… truly.

"I said you… stay… the hell… away from him!" Daxter screeched.

And he blinked once more. After swishing the significance of what had just been said to him around in his head, he immediately put two and two together. Oh, one should not be fooled by Jinx's seemingly vacant stare. The explosives expert was much smarter than he let on. And quite quick on the up take too. But it would seem that he'd met his match.

He didn't quite know how to feel about it being a fuzzy rat with a pair of goggles though.

The blond, pony tailed man raised a finger to interject.

"I ain't finished!" Dax grounded out, his little chest heaving in fury.

Jinx snapped his mouth closed in surprise. But that vacant expression of his was long gone. Replaced by lowered brows and quite the frown.

"And another thing! How dare you take advantage of my poor confused, sex deprived friend!"

"What the hell are you going on about, Dax!"

"I said don't play stupid with me, boom boy! Ya keep your friggin' grimy mitts off my friggin' friend!" Dax growled.

The smirk was on before Jinx could stop it. He did take a moment however to wonder whether or not he'd be sorry for it later. But instead he sighed and put his hands up in a placating manner. He'd figured the ottsel would find out about he and Jak sooner than later but he hadn't been expecting this reaction.

"Look, Dax, I don't want no trouble." He laughed nervously. "I'll just beat it, huh? Let you cool off a bit."

"I don't need to friggin' cool off!"

Jinx rolled his eyes. This was already getting way out of hand. So he did what it was that had always worked in his favor. He cracked a joke. Although, he should have known that Daxter was the king of cracking jokes when things got a little rough, therefore, the orange ottsel was not buying it.

"Aww… c'mon Dax, me and Jakey Boy are jus' have a l'il fun 's all." He grinned. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Oww… Big mistake.

Daxter was on the man before he could blink. Tiny, gloved fists dug into his neck scarf, ottsel spit peppering his face.

"What the hell do you mean 'You don't see what the big deal is!'!"

"Ugh… Dax, my fuckin' mouth was open." Jinx groaned.

Beady blue eyes widened in unadulterated fury, "I'll have you know that my best friend is fragile! You just can't go around bangin' fragile people with no intentions of being there for 'em afterwards!" Dax wailed.

Jinx's brows furrowed.

"Hey, hey now, small fry! Who said I wouldn't be there for Pretty boy!"

Daxter's mouth fell open.

"Oh bullshit!" He screamed.

Dax was now adorably damp nose to slightly pointy and not as adorable nose with Jinx.

"I know your type! Ye--ah, buddy. I know what you've got planned. You're jus' stringin' my pal along. Makin' him think you care about 'im and all you're doin' is goin' 'round town tellin' everybody 'bout how y'got Haven's numero uno, most available bachelor wrapped around your callused little finger. Well listen up pal! I ain't gonna let y'hurt my friend!"

Jinx was completely taken back.

Sure when this whole thing had started with Jak it had been just a joke. He'd just been trying to see how pissed he could make him without getting Dark Jak'd on. And damn it all if he hadn't been completely shocked when Jak had shown just the tiniest bit of interest in his little proposition.

He hadn't even thought it was possible for them to actually have enough in common for an honest to goodness relationship. He still wasn't all that sure about it. But he did like Jak. He was fun to tease, to look at and even more fun to touch… Oww, the sounds that boy made. He was also able to murk a dozen metal heads in a single bound. I mean who wouldn't like Jak?

And so here he was, weeks of many late night visits later being shrieked at by his new… boyfriend's (?) best fuzzy pal.

So, it sort of pissed him off that Daxter seemed to think that he was incapable of being more than just a fuck buddy to Hero Boy. I mean honestly, what did that mean Daxter thought about him?

Jinx was now experiencing a feeling that he'd never felt before… could it be… offence? Yes, he was indeed offended.

In fact, Jinx Royce McCorvy was mightily pissed.

"Wait a minute, here!" He growled. "Who are you, the fucking supreme ruler and guardian of Jak's ass or sumthin'!"

The ottsel reared back from Jinx's snarling face, red scarf still firmly in his grip, feet planted in the man's chest. The immediate shocked expression soon melted away to a smug smirk.

"Well… yeah. As a matter o' fact I am, boom boy. What of it, eh?"

"Look here rat boy, I don't need your, or anybody else's permission to be wit' Blondie. Got it!" Jinx spat as he snatched the ottsel off his chest and dropped him on the floor. "Jak's a big boy now, he don' need nobody playin' mama for him…" Jinx grinned at that, it was a decided perverted grin actually. "Well, not unless he asks nicely that is."

The bomb technician turned on his heel and went to leave the room. Dax gasped in outrage.

"Oh no you don't, you sick-o bastard!" Dax howled and was on Jinx once again, before the man knew what hit him.

The next few minutes were ones of complete chaos. Minutes of Daxter clawing and biting for all he was worth and minutes of Jinx shrieking and trying to pry the deranged, enraged ottsel off his head. And he did, pry Daxter off his head that is… eventually. The small mammal hit the ground with a muted thump, a considerable amount of dark blond hair clenched in both fists.

Jinx stared down at the grounded ottsel, face red with fury, his hair in disarray, numerous scratches and bloody spots smattered about his face. His left ear had a significantly vicious set of teeth marks that were currently welling up with beads of blood. He was down right outraged. He'd been attacked by a rabid ottsel. He was speechless.

Well at first anyway.

"You psychotic son of a bitch!" He screeched. "I'm gonna fucking break you goddamned scrawny ass neck!"

Dax's eyes widened, the realization of what he'd just done sinking in.

"Oh geez!"

The glorious Precursor made a brake for it, skittering across the grimy wooden floor of Jinx's apartment and leaping behind a mound of cardboard boxes. "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! It was the rage talkin'!" He squealed. "I didn't mean anything by it!"

"When I get my fucking hands on you, dere ain't gonna be enough of ya left for Pretty boy to give it a proper burial!" Jinx roared as he ripped box after box from against the wall. "Here I was tryin' ta be civilized and y'go all Animal Kingdom on me and shit, outta no where! Come outta there Dax! Y'wanted ta fight, then we're gonna fight god dammit!"

"No way!" The ottsel's voice was getting desperate now. Every hiding place he'd been able to find so far was being ripped away from him before he could settle down long enough to think of anything to say to calm the injured and furious explosives expert down. "I… I said I was sorry! Truce! Truce! Fer Precursor's sake! I wanna live!"

Then suddenly the sound of cardboard and other such things meeting the wooden floor in violence stopped. Dax huddled in even tighter on himself. All he could hear now was the creaking of the old wooden floor and Jinx's sharp breaths.

"Fine." The nasal drawl finally muttered. "Truce, then."

Daxter sighed in relief.

"Oh thank the Precursors…"

But he was snatched up by the scruff of his neck before he got to finish.

"Hey!" The orange one wailed swinging his tiny fists at Jinx's scowling face but coming up short. "I though we called a truce!"

"We did." The blond replied with a sneer. "But we ain't agreed on any terms yet neither, rat boy."

oo0oo

"Hey, hey, buddy… pal o' mine…"

"…"

"JINX!"

Still nothing.

"Don't cha think that this is a bit a'overkill!" The frighten ball of fur screamed from about ten feet above.

Jinx just grinned and pulled the antenna from the remote control he was holding.

"Aww… c'mon Jinx! Let me off this thing! It's not safe!" Daxter whined as he tugged and pulled at the ropes that bound him.

"Nope." Was the relaxed drawl of a reply. "Ya insulted my honor, Dax. I don't take things like that lightly."

"I said I was sorry!"

But the voice was already fading in the distance. The blast bot clunked clumsily down the street, scaring the begeesus out of the defenseless pedestrians that were in its path. Jinx just watched, his cigar tucked in the corner of a smug grin. He was not to be messed with and he was sure Daxter had gotten the idea by now.

"Jak's not gonna like this!" the ottsel screamed from off in the distance.

Daxter was right. Jak would probably be pissed if Jinx blew his best buddy to hell, no matter how annoying he was. But there weren't any explosives in this particular bot.

But… uh… Daxter didn't have to know that just yet.

Jinx exhaled a lungful of smoke and chuckled to himself. The setting sun in the distance made the scene all the more glorious. This was indeed comedic gold.

End.

Author's Note: /wipes away tears/ So yeah, I've always enjoyed writing Jinx. He's just ripe for hilarity and foul language, both of which are wonderful things in my book. But Daxter, oh my god. I've completely fallen in love with writing Dax! Ha! And putting Jinx and Daxter together in one fic, my lord/falls out of chair laughing/