Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jesse McCree had often been told he was a charmer. Several times when he was facing down a gun, his opponent had found him both literally and figuratively disarming. He had it on good authority that his words could put even the devil at ease.

It was frustrating then—no, infuriating—that he was unable to break through the defenses of the only man on earth he really wanted to charm.

Jesse had been smitten the moment Hanzo set foot onto the Watchpoint. A sure sign of this was the fact that he kept putting his foot in his mouth every time the man was around. They had become friends with some effort, but every time McCree pushed his luck and find out more about the man, everything went wrong.

Case in point: the lazy Sunday afternoon conversation he shared with Hana and both Shimadas in the rec room. They had been talking about the origins of Genji’s nickname (even at a young age, he had the energy of a sparrow).

“So, did you have a nickname too, darlin’?” Jesse had asked Hanzo with a beaming smile.

The temperature in the room dropped a full 20 degrees. Hana looked as confused as McCree felt.

“Yes,” The archer had replied stiffly. “’Sparrowhawk’.”

He had immediately stood, muttering an incomprehensible excuse under his breath before sweeping out of the room, despite Genji’s attempt to stop him.

Jesse slumped over with a groan, resting his head in both his hands.

“Ouch,” Hana winced.

“You could not have known,” Genji tried.

“Why the hell would your family give him a name that’d suggest he’d hunt you down?” Jesse demanded.

“Because that was his duty,” Genji’s voice was soft with regret. “He was the one sent to the arcades, clubs and hotels to find me. To bring me home.”

“That’s not how nicknames are supposed to work!” McCree growled. “They’re supposed to be affectionate.”

“That’s messed up,” Hana agreed.

“I realized eventually that affection was not something that my family had for my brother. He was always supposed to be beyond it. They commanded, and he complied. That was the nature of their relationship.” Genji began to absently rub at the plates on his arm, a sign that McCree recognized from before he even got his metal body. He was upset. “I wish I had seen it sooner.”

“You couldn’t have known either,” Jesse frowned. “You were just a kid.”

“Yes,” Genji agreed. “But so was he.”

There was no way to respond to that.

“But that is in the past.” The brightness in Genji’s voice was forced at best. “That does not solve our current problem.”

“And what’s that?” Jesse asked, playing along with his own pursed-lip smile.

“How to get him to fall in love with you,” Hana answered.

“Hana!” McCree snapped, eyeing the ninja warily.

Genji just shrugged. “If it means he finally gets that stick out of his ass—“

“Now hold on,” Jesse interrupted, face flushing red. “I never said—“

“You don’t have to,” Hana replied, rolling her eyes at the obvious.

“But he’s not even interest—“

“You do not know that,” Genji cut in.

“He sure doesn’t seem like he is.” Jesse crossed his arms.

“You might be surprised,” was all the ninja would give.

“You could at least try to talk to him alone,” Hana suggested.

“You saw how that went when I wasn’t alone! One on one there’ll be no one to stop him from shooting an arrow through my eye!”

“Ana shoots fine with one eye,” Genji deadpanned. “It might be worth it.”

“We could call you ‘One-eyed Deadeye’!” Hana said with excitement.

“You know what? Just get out. Both of you. Get!” Jesse grabbed every pillow he could reach and began to chuck them in their general direction. Hana screeched with laughter as one hit Genji square in the helmet, only to be hit in the stomach right after. They retreated together, which left Jesse alone with his thoughts. He eventually decided the two gremlins were right.

“Athena, locate Agent Hanzo Shimada.”

“Agent Shimada is at the outdoor shooting range.”

Jesse decided first and foremost that he hadn't had enough alcohol to deal with this situation.

---

One hour and five shots of whisky later, Jesse walked towards the shooting range, determined.

He arrived to find it empty, with the exception of several arrows in a target (all bullseyes, he noted fondly).

Jesse looked around, confused. Athena had clearly said Hanzo would be here, and the man was known to train for hours alone. As he drew closer, he saw a fluttering of gold in the grass, and his throat constricted.

Drawing Peacekeeper, he ran the rest of the distance, expecting to find the archer lying on the ground, and fearing the worst.

What he found instead was a good-sized bird, pulling at Hanzo’s golden ribbon, and no archer at all.

The bird turned its head abruptly as he drew closer, causing him to freeze in place. McCree squinted at it to get a better look. As if knowing it was being observed, the bird raised its head to look at him regally.

Its body was beautifully patterned with feathers that were light beige and bluish-black. The bird’s wings were entirely dark blue. The sharply intelligent red eyes darted over McCree’s form quickly, taking him in. It gave a tentative hop on its thin, yellow legs, as if also trying to get a better look at its new visitor.

“Well aren’t you pretty,” Jesse whistled.

The bird tilted its head at the sound, taking another hop forward. It still held the ribbon with its beak.

“Haven’t seen you ‘round here before.” Jesse crouched down. The bird took a hop back. “Didn’t think we had many birds of prey…”

Birds of prey.

Jesse stiffened and raised a hand to his comm.

“Athena. Can you scan this here bird in front of me, and tell me what you know?”

“Certainly. It is a male Japanese Sparrowhawk. They are typically found in East and South East Asia.”

Japanese.

Sparrowhawk.

Ribbon.

Regal as fuck.

Jesse did the calculations in his head.

“…Hanzo?” Jesse asked with uncertainty.

The bird gave a small, high-pitched screech, and took a few more hops backwards. It may have been frowning.

“Shit.”

Could it be? He’d obviously seen stranger things in his years: time-travelers, soul-eating ghosts, and spirit dragons. But that was just it: Hanzo’s spirit animal was a dragon, not a bird. What could have caused Hanzo to take this form? And how else could a bird of this sort be this far from home?

McCree remembered the last conversation they had shared, and how he brought up the nickname that was clearly traumatic for the archer. That must have done it. It had been his fault. His heart sank.

Jesse ran a hand through his hair and looked around him quickly. He had to bring Hanzo bird inside. If he flew away, they might never see him again, and the thought of Hanzo disappearing forever made Jesse’s blood run cold.

“Athena. How do I catch him?”

“I’m sorry. I must be misunderstanding your request.”

“The sparrowhawk,” McCree clarified.

“It is a wild animal.” If the voice could have sounded incredulous, it might have.

“I know that,” Jesse snapped.

“It is not recommended to take wild animals into custody.” McCree could have sworn that the AI’s voice was becoming extra careful, either to avoid offense or to make sure she was being understood.

“Duly noted,” he muttered.

Turning his attention back to the Hanzo bird, Jesse took a cautious step forward.

Hanzo bird narrowed its eyes and pressed its body downwards, ready to leap into the air.

The gunslinger slowly reached for his hat, and held it in his hand. Hanzo bird tilted his head, daring him to try it.

Jesse pounced—the hawk took off.

He managed to grab the golden ribbon before it could fully escape, tearing the fabric from its grasp. The bird gave another long screech, turning back to swoop down at McCree’s head.

“Whoa there!”

The Hanzo bird swept down again, closer this time to the hand that held the golden fabric.

“Sure are feisty for a lil’ thing.”

The comment met with another indignant cry. The hawk dove again, but this time, McCree was ready. He threw down a flash bang, causing the hawk to let out something that sounded like a panicked wail while flapping in place. Jesse threw his hat over the bird and gently pinned it to the ground.

“Gotcha! Wait. Darlin’?” He panicked when the creature under the hat didn’t struggle. Jesse lifted the brim of his stetson to peer at the creature, and found it lying prone, eyes closed, but still breathing. It was whimpering softly.

“Athena! Scan the hawk for injuries.” Jesse hovered anxiously over the creature, wanting to help, but not knowing how.

“The sparrowhawk is uninjured.” The AI’s voice sounded almost disapproving. “It is, however, in shock.”

“Shock?”

“Sparrowhawks typically take this state when under stress. It is preparing to be either mauled or eaten.”

“Shit…honeybee, I’m so sorry…” McCree quickly put the hat back on his head and gently wrapped his hands around the bird’s body to hold it closer to his own. “What do I do now?”

“Would you like instructions on mauling or eating the sparrowhawk?” Definitely sarcasm that time.

“On taking care of him,” McCree snapped.

“It will take some time before the hawk is lucid again. If you intend on keeping it, you might consider finding a leash, and a hood to cut out visual distractions,” Athena replied. “Its diet consists of small fowl, sometimes rodent. Live, preferably. Training a wild bird of prey takes years of proper education and--”

“Got it,” Jesse interrupted, not wanting to hear the lecture. “Location of Genji Shimada?”

There was a small pause: just short enough to show disapproval.

“Agent Genji Shimada is on mission in Dorado.”

“Dammit,” Jesse muttered. He was hoping that Genji would have been able to provide some answers. Cradling Hanzo bird in one hand, he placed his hat on the floor, then gently laid the bird down into it. The bird tucked its feet under itself and ducked its head down.

“Well pardner, guess it’s just you and me.”

---

Jesse managed to make it back to his room with the hawk without running into anyone else. Once there, he carefully put his hat on his bed, and used the yellow ribbon to tie Hanzo bird’s leg to his bed post.

“Don’t know what happened, darlin’, but I promise you I’ll fix it,” he murmured before covering the hat with a pillowcase, in case the hawk were to wake up in his absence.

Jesse hopped into a truck and went to town for a few supplies.

The errands took him longer than he expected, and he ended up grabbing dinner in town as well. When he returned to his room, he heard the sound of frantic wings beating rapidly.

Sighing, he opened the door part way, in case the ribbon had come undone. Seeing that it had not, he made the mistake of turning on the light. The hawk sighted him immediately and began to make series of short, anxious chirps.

“What. Is that.” Hana arrived, alerted by the high-pitched cries. She pointed to the bird that was flapping as hard as it could, trying to tear the bed post clean off Jesse’s bed.

“Err…Japanese sparrowhawk,” The gunslinger answered lamely as he put the supplies down on the floor and tried to calm the creature down.

The girl eyed him.

“You got a pet. That matches the pet name he hates,” she observed flatly. “And you wonder why he’s not into you.”

“It ain’t like that,” McCree protested. “I found him when I was at the shooting range. Athena said he’s not from ‘round here, so I took him in.”

Hana furrowed her brow. “Athena?”

McCree swallowed hard.

“Everything that Agent McCree has said is accurate,” The voice answered. Jesse breathed a sigh of relief when she said no more.

The suspicious glare faded. “Aww! We have them in Korea! They’re usually bigger though.”

McCree swore he heard the bird huff at the comment.

“Male sparrowhawks tend to be smaller than the females. It is normally females that are kept and trained for hunting,” Athena supplied helpfully.

“Why’s that?” Jesse asked.

“Male sparrowhawks are amongst the most difficult raptors to train. They are shy by nature, and are particularly wary of humans.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” McCree muttered.

“What?”

“Nothin’,” He added quickly. “Just seems to match the behavior I’ve seen so far, that’s all.”

“If I were such a small predator, I’d be prickly too,” Hana was quick to jump to the hawk’s defense.

“You *are* a small predator, pipsqueak,” Jesse ruffled her hair playfully.

“Don’t you forget it!” Hana said proudly. “So, what are you gonna do with him?”

“Take care of him best I can,” Jesse shrugged. “Maybe take him back to Asia when we get the chance.”

Only the last part was a lie.

While they were talking, the hawk had tired himself out. He finally settled for perching on McCree’s bed post and glaring at the humans with distrust.

“I gotta go start my stream. But if you need help—hey, maybe he’d like to guest star!”

Jesse chuckled affectionately, thinking about how human Hanzo would react. “Yeah, he’d *love* that.”

“What’s his name?”

“Hanzo.”

The look on Hana’s face told Jesse that he had answered far too quickly and with far too little thought.

Hana backed away.

“Ooookay, bai!”

Then later, further down the hall:

“Weirdo.”

Jesse eyed the hawk warily. Hanzo bird glared at him in return.

Closing the door, Jesse returned to his supplies, taking out a heavy, metal water dish. He filled the dish with water, and put it carefully on the nightstand beside his bed. The hawk tilted its head to look at it, but turned to watch McCree again right away.

“Alright, alright,” The gunslinger raised both hands and stepped back. Once Hanzo bird had decided that Jesse was far away enough not to be a threat, he hopped down onto the edge of the dish and began to drink.

Meanwhile, Jesse laid out several sheets of recycled paper onto the floor, and placed a short, sturdy metal stand on top of them.

“Okay now, you’re not gonna like this,’ McCree warned. “But I can’t have you poopin’ on me while I sleep, and I don’t put it beyond you to do so, so…just brace yourself.”

He moved slowly to untie the ribbon from the post. The bird instantly screeched at him angrily, and returned to flapping and swooping.

“Whoa there, just hold on!” Jesse muttered. He managed to reattach the ribbon to the lower stand, leaving a shorter lead on it so that the bird had less movement. He then moved the water dish so that it was accessible from the stand. The flapping once again stopped when Jesse backed away, but the glaring did not.

“Whew. There we go.” Jesse was relieved. He had considered purchasing a bird cage, but it didn’t seem like the right thing to do. “Now let’s see if you’re hungry.”

He reached into his shopping bag and took out the raw rabbit meat he had purchased from the butcher, hoping it would work just as well. Using a pocket knife, he cut off a small portion, and held it in front of the hawk, moving in slowly.

Hanzo bird’s eyes twitched to look at the meat. His beak darted forward swiftly to bite hard at Jesse’s fingers instead.

“OW, sonnuva…alright, my bad. Shoulda used my other hand. You hungry or not?” Jesse demanded. He reached forward again, this time using his prosthetic hand.

Once again, the hawk tried to peck at his fingers. After eliciting no response from the human, he began to pull begrudgingly at the morsel of meat instead.

“There you go,” McCree cooed under his breath. He dropped the meat onto the paper beneath the metal stand, and Hanzo bird hopped down to hold it with his talons.

After washing his hands, and putting the rest of the meat in his small fridge, Jesse kicked off his shoes and jumped onto his bed with a sigh. The hawk startled a bit at the sound, tilting his head again to look at the man, but resumed eating after detecting no threat.

“Athena, can you download any information you can find on training hawks to my tablet? For beginners.”

“Certainly, Agent McCree.”

---

Jesse woke up several hours later to the sound of soft trilling. Realizing he must have fallen asleep while reading, he stretched and sat up to look for the source of the chirping. He peered over the edge of his bed, alarmed to find Hanzo bird huddling in on himself, trembling miserably.

He recalled reading before he had dozed off that sparrowhawks had a very high metabolism because of their small size and large energy output. The little thing had just flapped up a storm just a few hours earlier.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he mumbled. He grabbed his serape and shaped it into a nest on a spare pillow beside him on the bed. He then carefully reached to untie the golden ribbon, and scooped up the hawk with both hands. For a moment, the bird blinked at him drowsily, trying to decide whether to peck his hand and fly away, or to snuggle into its warmth. It settled for the latter.

Jesse held Hanzo bird for a while to warm him up before placing the hawk beside himself on the pillow, wrapping the serape snugly around him, and making sure that it was a good distance so that he wouldn’t roll over on the creature. He then fell asleep to the gentle, more content trilling sound the hawk was now making.

---

Evidently, birds (like Hanzo, Jesse imagined) wake up at first light. More importantly, Jesse McCree does not.

He does wake up at the crack of dawn, however, when a needle-sharp beak is pecking repeatedly at his head.

“Ow ow ow!” He rolled over and the hawk flew swiftly out of reach, landing on top of his dresser.

“Ungrateful brat,” Jesse muttered.

The hawk gave a long wail before launching upwards to circle the ceiling of his room.

McCree fell back onto his bed with a moan. He obviously had not been thinking straight last night when he untied that ribbon. With a huff, he reached for the rabbit meat in the fridge, hoping the bird was hungry. After cutting off a small piece, he once held it up with is prosthetic hand, close to the bed post. A few more circles, and Hanzo bird landed imperiously, head held high. He tilted his head, eyeing the meat. Jesse whistled a few notes, and moved his hand closer.

The hawk tilted his head again, and agreed to take a bite.

“That’s a good yakuza bird,” Jesse chuckled. The bird clicked at him, glaring at the gunslinger to make sure he knew who was in control before taking another bite.

“Athena, locate Agent Winston.”

“Agent Winston is on assignment in Dorado.”

“Mercy?”

“Also Dorado.”

“Damn. Looks like most of our resident scientists are away,” Jesse used his knife to cut another small piece of meat for the bird. “We’re just gonna have to hang out today, pardner.”

The hawk tilted his head, his gaze flitting between Jesse and the rabbit meat several times. He took a long hop and perched directly on the gunslinger’s prosthetic so that he had a better angle. Jesse inhaled sharply.

“Well I’ll be. So you *can* be charmed,” he said with a silly grin.

---

After retying the golden ribbon around the sparrowhawk’s leg, McCree spent several minutes with a vicious, furious bird balloon that screeched and flapped up a storm above him. Hanzo bird eventually settled for sulking while perched on the gunslinger’s metal arm. He was rewarded with another piece of rabbit.

They arrived at the kitchen to find Hana having breakfast. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the hawk on his arm.

“You’re up early,” He commented first.

Hana shrugged. “Late night stream. Didn’t sleep. You?”

“This one’s an early riser,” Jesse grumbled, pointing to the hawk. “Say, can you help me with toast? I only have one hand.”

“Gotchu fam,” Hana jumped up to comply. She made a point of not looking at him. “So…what did you and…’Hanzo’ do last night?”

Jesse frowned. “Don’t call him that.”

“You told me to!” The gamer was indignant.

“Yeah, well I wasn’t thinkin’.”

The girl brightened. “Can I name him?”

“Don’t know. *Can* you?” Jesse grinned. In truth, he felt uncomfortable calling the bird “Hanzo”. It felt like his different form should have a different name.

Hana got his toast, and reached for the peanut butter and jam. She poured him a cup of coffee to sweeten the deal.

“Thank you kindly.” Jesse took a bite.

“Diablo.” She beamed.

“No.”

“Tyrael.”

“What.”

“Kerrigan.”

“…nah.”

“Windrunner.”

Jesse hummed. “Closer.”

“The ‘wind’ part, or the ‘runner’ part?”

“Wind.”

Hana made a buzzing sound. “Japanese Sparrowhawk. Kaze? Kazekage!”

“Wind shadow…”

The hawk stood taller, cocking his head to one side. The dark blue colouring certainly was shadow-like, not to mention the connections to his stealthy human alter-ego…

Hana leaned forward.

Jesse laughed. “I like it.”

The girl slammed her hand on the table, causing the bird to jump. “Oops. Sorry. But I *knew* I made you watch Naruto for a reason.”

“Yeah, to ‘understand Hanzo better’,” McCree reminded her with a frown. “Lotta good that’s done.”

“At least *I’m* trying here,” Hana pouted.

“What’dya think, pardner?” Jesse asked.

The hawk tilted his head the other way and gave a short set of chirps.

“That’s the first time today he’s not sounded like he wants to kill me,” McCree chuckled.

“Kazekage it is! Hey, do you think we can take him outside?”

“Not sure that he’d come back if we did.”

The idea of potentially losing Hanzo bird upset Jesse more than he thought it would.

“Let’s practice first inside first! Come on, let’s go!”

McCree shoved the rest of his toast in his mouth and washed it down with a long swig of coffee before following.

---

Three hours later, they were getting nowhere. Kazekage had taken permanent residence on a beam in the rafters of the hangar as soon as he had been untied. He was peering down at them, looking bored.

“I could get my mech?” Hana suggested.

“That would scare the living shit outta him,” Jesse shook his head.

“Hm. Well. How did you catch him the first time?”

“Flashbang.”

Hana narrowed her eyes. “You flashbanged a bird.”

“It worked,” McCree argued. “Although I pretty much shocked him into a coma…”

“So, no,” Hana said firmly. “Hm…what was he doing when you found him?”

“Pulling at Hanzo’s ribbon.” Jesse raised his right hand to show her the fabric that was wrapped around it.

“Maybe he likes it?” The gamer suggested.

“Huh.” Jesse tried to think back to other things that caught the hawk’s attention. He gave a long, sharp whistle.

Kazekage’s head tilt was visible even from far away. He gave a long cry in response.

“Do it again!” Hana said excitedly.

McCree repeated the sound, this time while raising his right hand to wave the ribbon in the air.

The hawk gave another cry before swooping down towards them. He circled the humans several times, making a shorter, more annoyed chittering sound.

“He wants to land!” Hana pulled at Jesse’s prosthetic arm so that it was stretched out, and took a few steps back.

The bird circled once more before settling on the arm, then glared at McCree expectantly.

“What…oh.” Hana handed him a piece of rabbit meat. Jesse carefully put it in sight of Kazekage. The bird snapped it up. If birds could roll their eyes, he would have been doing so.

Hana whooped and gave a little jump.

“Okay okay! That sound, and waving the ribbon! Let’s try again!”

“How do I get him to fly up though?” Jesse tilted his head to mirror the look the bird was giving him. Kaze blinked. The gunslinger tried to launch him upwards by thrusting his arm. The hawk gave a panicked screech and adjusted his talons to cling on. Another glare.

Jesse sighed.

“Maybe a different sound? It seems like he recognizes signals easy enough. Maybe he had another owner before.”

“Darlin’, this bird don’t take to owners,” Jesse laughed. The pang of jealousy he was feeling regarding the idea was unsettling. “I’m sure he thinks he’s the one training us.”

“Who says he isn’t?” Hana cooed at the hawk. The creature just stared owlishly back at her.

“Well let’s see…maybe two whistles?” McCree tried two shorter sounds. Kazekage replied with a short trill before taking to the air again and flying in a wide circle.

“GG!” Hana slapped Jesse on the back. “What’s he doing?”

“Huntin’, most likely,” Jesse guessed.

“Damn, I gotta go stream,” Hana moaned, looking at the time on her phone. She began to sprint towards the door. “Let me know how it goes, okay? And I’m not kidding about guest starring!”

“Will do!” McCree called back.

They practiced a few more rounds of flying and returning. The gunslinger started to notice that Kazekage was flying lower and lower with each launch.

“Time for a break, I reckon,” he mused, whistling for the hawk to land.

They went back to the kitchens after a quick stop to retrieve the water dish. Jesse set the dish up with fresh water on the floor, and the hawk perched on it to drink while McCree prepared himself a sandwich for lunch, and grabbed a glass of water from the sink. When McCree sat down at the kitchen table to start on his sandwich, Kazekage flew up to perch on the back of the chair that was beside him.

Jesse chuckled. “Oh we’re friends now?”

The hawk tilted his head and then turned away, as if to say, “Oh, please.”

He did turn back once McCree started to eat his sandwich, watching carefully. Once he bored of this, he began to rub his beak on the chair, trilling softly. Jesse stopped mid-chew. He had read that this was a sign that the bird was content.

“Ain’t that somethin’,” he murmured. Unconsciously, he reached a hand out for the top of the bird’s head. Once it made contact, Kazekage stiffened. Jesse retracted his hand right away, cursing himself.

“I just always push too hard, don’t I darlin’?” He asked with a rueful chuckle. The hawk warbled in reply, looking at him. He bobbed his head a few times.

“What? Again…?” Holding his breath, Jesse reached out slowly again, making sure that Kazekage could see his hand approaching. The hawk ducked as if to brace himself, and blinked several times. He looked almost annoyed by the first stroke, but gave a short chirp instead of the long screech that indicated discomfort. McCree ran his hand slowly down the bird’s back, earning a softer cooing sound. Kazekage blinked longer, then settled for keeping his eyes half closed.

“Ain’t that just the cutest,” Jesse hummed. His eyes also began to feel heavy. He remembered then that he’d been up since the crack of dawn. “Whelp, I’m just about ready for a nap myself.”

The hawk gave a crisp squawk when the petting stopped.

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s your fault,” The gunslinger rolled his eyes and pointed at him. Kazekage nipped lightly at his finger. Jesse laughed, realizing that he had been talking to the bird all day and that he wasn’t all that put off by this. “Come on.” He extended his left arm and gave a long whistle. The hawk took his perch.

Jese walked them to the rec room and sat down on his favourite couch. He placed the bird on his chest after stretching horizontal on the sofa. Kazekage chirped a question.

“Nap,” Jesse confirmed. “Wake me in an hour.”

The bird seemed to understand, and tucked his feet in, closing his eyes. Jesse smiled, using his right hand to push his Stetson over his eyes, before resting the hand gently on top of Kazekage. The hawk gave a short trill in content.

---

McCree woke up to a flash of light, and twin talons piercing through his shirt.

Kazekage gave a long squeal before launching into the air.

“Oops. Sorry.”

He blinked blearily. Hana was standing a few feet away from him, phone in hand. “Needed the flash.”

“What the hell?” McCree demanded. Kazekage landed behind his shoulder, perching on the couch, clicking an admonishment of his own.

“He was snuggling on your chest. It was too adorable not to. Sending it to Genji.”

“What NO!”

Hana raised an eyebrow.

Jesse realized he was thinking of the potential outcome of having the ninja picture his brother snuggling on his chest instead of a hawk. He hadn’t told Genji yet about Hanzo’s transformation, so the picture would be innocent.

“Kazekage doesn’t like to be surprised, Hana,” He tried to redirect the conversation.

“I won’t do it again,” she promised. “But look at it!!”

She turned her phone to show him the photo. It was admittedly damn cute.

“Fine,” Jesse grumbled. “But at least send it to me too.”

“Done!” Hana chirped. “So it’s going well?”

“I think so, yeah.” Jesse sat up with a stretch.

Hana’s phone pinged. “Genji loves it. Dorado team is on its way back.”

“That was fast.” Part of Jesse was worried about what was to happen next, now that everyone was returning. He had enjoyed his day with Hanzo bird, and didn’t want the hawk taken away from him.

“I think it was just a scouting mission. Must not have found anything. It’ll be a couple more hours at least though before they arrive.” Hana yawned. “You guys have made *me* sleepy.”

“No, your all-nighter’s made you sleepy,” Jesse pointed out. He gave her a fake kick on the butt. “Go get some shut-eye.”

“Alright, *dad*,” She rolled her eyes, but grinned affectionately.

“Hey! I’m not that old. More like your handsome older brother,” McCree shot back.

“Whatever, hara buh ji,” She raised a hand in a wave without looking back.

“I recognize that from that crappy K-drama you made me watch! That ain’t nice!”

She only giggled in response.

He turned back to Kazekage to find him hopping restlessly on the back of the couch.

“Yeah, me too,” he admitted. “Let’s get some fresh air.”

---

McCree retrieved some fresh rabbit meat for his treat pouch, even though he had intended only to go for a walk with Kazekage tethered to him and perched on his arm. About a half an hour in, however, the hawk began to look upwards, and made a long, warbling sound.

“You wanna be up there, huh?” Jesse’s lips turned up to form a smile, despite his anxiousness. “You gonna come back?”

The bird chittered at him.

“I don’t think I ever could tell you no, sweetheart,” he answered with a long sigh. McCree carefully untied the ribbon from the bird’s leg. Kazekage stayed on his arm, looking at him expectantly.

“Aww, that’s mighty kind, Kaze,” Jesse grinned, knowing that the bird was waiting for his signal. He gave a long whistle and thrust his arm upward, and the hawk took off with a long screech.

As they continued their walk by the sea, Kaze seemed to make an effort to stay in sight, staying only slightly ahead of Jesse while flying in wide circles.

All of a sudden, the hawk gave a shrill shriek, and circled lower.

“Ya got something there?” Jesse asked, more to himself than to Kaze, not wanted to scare away whatever it was the bird saw. The hawk dove without warning, ensnaring a small brown bird in midair. He gave a triumphant trill.

“Good one!” McCree laughed, whistling twice to call the bird back down. Kaze dropped the dead bird at his feet before perching on his arm again, preening his feathers arrogantly.

“Naw, sweetheart, that one’s all yours.” Jesse crouched down to pick up the kill, and offered it to the hawk. Kaze trilled again before hopping off his arm, tearing at the carcass with his beak.

Jesse sat down beside him while he ate.

“You know, you’re a lot easier to talk to in this form,” The gunslinger mused.

The hawk turned to look at him and tilted his head several times before returning to his meal.

“But you’re still you. Regal as all hell, smart as a whip.” He gave the hawk a long pet on the head. Kaze trilled and blinked.

“I wish I could tell you this in person, Hanzo. How much I respect you, admire you. How I wish we could be more. Why’s it so damn hard?” Jesse frowned.

He was interrupted by a short cough that definitely did not come from Kazekage.

Jesse turned to find Hana (trying her best not to laugh), Genji (not trying at all to hold back his laughter), and a very human, very embarrassed looking Hanzo.

“Oh.” Jesse went pale.

“You thought the bird was *Hanzo*?” Hana managed to choke out before the giggle escaped.

“Oh, come on now, that wouldn’t be the weirdest thing we’ve seen,” McCree tried, flushing red. “We work with a talking gorilla, for cryin’ out loud. And y’all summon *dragons*.”

Kaze turned abruptly to look at the new arrivals, blinking several times in rapid succession. He must have sensed that they were upsetting Jesse, as he took several hops so that he was standing between the gunslinger and the others and began to screech at them angrily.

“Aww, he’s standing up for you!” Hana cooed.

Genji's body language suggested that he could not breathe.

Hanzo peered at the hawk curiously, but said nothing.

Genji calmed down enough to kneel, and stretched his arms out. Kaze took offense and launched into the air with another screech.

“Even my hawk can tell you’re an asshole,” Jesse grumbled, standing.

“What the hell made you think that he was my brother?” Genji was undeterred.

“I went looking for Hanzo at the outdoor shooting range after our conversation, to talk to him like you said,” Jesse explained defensively. “Athena said he was there. I guess that was before I started drinking,” he admitted.

“63 minutes before,” Athena confirmed over their comms, in response to hearing her name.

Jesse grit his teeth. “I found Kazekage with Hanzo’s golden ribbon, and he was dark blue, and so damn beautiful and…”

The gunslinger trailed off as Hana and Genji started a fresh peal of laughter, and he realized that he had just admitted he thought Hanzo was beautiful.

“Cut that out!” he snapped.

They were interrupted by a long cry, and Jesse recognized it as the one Kaze used to tell him that prey was in sight.

“What is it doin—“ The hawk answered Genji’s question by diving swiftly towards a sparrow and capturing it ruthlessly between his talons in midair. Genji made a strangled sound as he watched one of his favourite animals get mauled to death. Jesse turned to Hanzo, scrambling to ready an explanation for this scene that so clearly reenacted a part of Hanzo’s past, knowing that the archer would have rather died than relive it again, but was surprised to find the archer’s face filled with wonder. The man had not spoken once during all of Jesse’s stammering. The gunslinger realized now it was because he was mesmerized by the hawk in the air.

“Extraordinary,” Hanzo breathed.

Jesse exhaled, relieved that Hanzo was able to separate his past deeds from his apparent love of these birds. He gave a sharp whistle and raised the golden ribbon.

The hawk turned towards them, causing Genji and Hana to take a few steps back. Hanzo did not. Kazekage dropped the dead sparrow proudly at the gunslinger’s feet before perching on Jesse’s arm, standing tall and preening. He gave another long trill.

“Nice one,” McCree grinned, extending a treat with his flesh hand. The hawk pecked at it, and was careful not hurt him while eating.

“Ew!” Hana scrunched her nose, looking at the dead bird on the floor.

“What a remarkable creature.” Jesse turned to find Hanzo alarmingly close, one hand stretching towards Kaze.

He swallowed thickly, face overheating at the proximity.

“Careful, he’s not always friendly…”

Kazekage tilted his head a few times to regard the archer. He was looking at Hanzo’s head intently, or, more accurately, at the golden ribbon that fluttered behind it. The hawk turned to look at the ribbon in Jesse’s other hand. Making the calculations in his head, he gave a quick chirp before nipping Hanzo gently on the finger, as if in greeting.

“OMG!!” Hana shrieked, flailing like she couldn’t handle how cute this was.

Genji was laughing so hard, he had to lean forward and hold his torso. “Holy shit! The bird thinks you’re married!”

“Shut up!” Jesse and Hanzo snapped simultaneously. McCree could feel his face burning. It was then that he realized the archer's face was also flushed pink. It made him blush even further, and his heart beat quickened as he wondered whether it meant what he thought it meant.

“Well I’ll be,” The gunslinger gave a nervous laugh. “Took me an entire day to get him to stop pecking at me.”

“Only one day?” Hanzo raised an eyebrow. “These birds are known for their prickliness. Particularly the males.”

“You know about them?” Jesse was surprised.

The elder Shimada nodded. “When I was young, I had an interest in falconry. My father did not think it a worthy hobby.” His features clouded at the memory. “My nickname was partially in jest of this.”

“That’s just downright mean,” Jesse frowned.

He realized that *this* was what Hanzo had found more upsetting that day, not the metaphor between the birds and his brother’s relationship. It was the reminder of the control his family had over him, of what he had not been allowed to do. He remembered what Genji had said the day before: how Hanzo had been a creature to be commanded by his family, much like a sparrowhawk.

“Well, if you don’t mind my company, maybe we could—“

“Yes,” Hanzo answered instantly. He flushed pink again, realizing how eager he had sounded. Jesse was practically beaming.

Genji laughed again.

“It *would* take something like this, wouldn’t it brother?” He teased. “All my hours of encouragement—“

“Whining,” Hanzo corrected.

“—and all it took was a damn bird?”

“Japanese sparrowhawk,” Hanzo and Jesse answered together, defensive. They turned to each other in surprise.

Hana made a gagging motion. She began to pull at Genji’s arm. “Dorks. C’mon, Genju. We’re clearly not wanted or needed anymore.”

“Use protection!” Genji called back.

Jesse narrowed his eyes. He gave two sharp whistles.

Kazekage looked at him and saw him glaring at the ninja. He replied with a long cry before taking to the air and swooping at Genji’s head.

“Ow! Hey, stop it!! McCree!”

It took a moment for Jesse to realize that the sound he was hearing was Hanzo's laughter, and it made his heart flutter. Jesse decided to encourage this sound whenever he could.

Grinning, Jesse gave another long whistle, raising the yellow ribbon in the air. Kaze turned to look at him, and returned to perch on his arm. The hawk received another treat and a long pet on the head.

An hour later, Kaze was content to sit on Hanzo’s right arm.

“So…the ribbon…” McCree began.

“I must have forgotten it when I left to prepare for the mission,” Hanzo answered, still looking at Kazekage fondly. “I always have a spare.”

“Right,” Jesse swallowed.

“He is very affectionate. But independent,” The archer pet Kaze carefully. “Do you keep him in a cage on base?”

“Naw, I couldn’t do that to a creature that regal,” Jesse chuckled. “He seems to trust me enough now anyhow.”

“Indeed he does,” Hanzo’s eyes were glittering, pleased by his answer. McCree suspected that Shimada wasn’t only referring to Kaze. He gave another nervous laugh, not sure how to respond.

“A little bird told me that you had something you wanted to say,” Hanzo continued, still not looking at the gunslinger. A small smile tugged at his lips. “Would you like to try now?”

“Yeah. I reckon I do,” Jesse smiled, taking in a long breath. “Hanzo…”

The archer finally turned to meet his gaze, his head tilted in a manner not dissimilar to Kazekage. Jesse thought about his short time as apprentice falconer, and realized that in truth, Kaze was far pricklier than Hanzo had ever been, and even the bird had somehow taken to him.

Kaze was also staring at him now, expectantly. He made a series of chirps and leaned over to nip at his prosthetic fingers. Taking this as encouragement, Jesse kept going.

“…I really like you. You’re smart, and funny, and gorgeous, and so damn good at all you do. But I keep gettin’ tongue tied every time we’re together…”

“You are doing a fine job right now,” Hanzo pointed out. “And I am not easy to approach. Especially when someone who I admire is involved.”

“So you…”

“Yes,” The archer offered another amused smile. He pressed his body forward.

“So does that mean we can—“ Jesse swallowed hard as the elder Shimada was once again, alarmingly close.

“Yes,” Hanzo breathed, before closing the distance between their lips.

Kaze warbled, as if to express exasperation, before taking off for the sky to wait until they were done. This left Jesse free to wrap both arms around Hanzo’s shoulders, pulling him close.

“I think this means he wants us to get a room,” Jesse laughed when they finally parted.

“Can I buy you dinner first?” Hanzo inquired with a wry smile.

“Oh shit, I didn’t mean—I mean, yes that sounds mighty fine,” Jesse scrambled to take back the innuendo before he realized it didn’t matter. He stood and offered Hanzo his hand. Hanzo took it, and held it. The gunslinger then gave a long whistle, and Kazekage swooped down to perch on his other arm, peering at the two of them in turn.

“You know Kaze,” Jesse looked at the bird with a serious expression. “For a sparrowhawk, you make a fine—“

“Don’t,” Hanzo’s eyes widened. “Don’t say it.”

“Wingman.”

Kazekage looked at Jesse like he was offended, but Hanzo burst into laughter as the three of them walked back to the base together.