Chapter Text
He couldn’t sleep
The events of the day were swirling in his mind. Things missed, plans mislaid, people to touch base with about the last time they tried to touch base.
Genji Sighed.
Its not that he needed that much sleep, but even that small amount of rest that was required for his body seemed to elude him. The light from the window was dim, neither night nor the break of day but an endless twilight that follows closely on the heels of restless nights.
The room he was in was an familiar comfort for him. Years ago, he had stayed in a similar room when he had first joined Overwatch. A different time, a different Genji. It seemed like an age ago, an almost completely different person to whom he was now.
So much had changed. He had changed, he had travelled so far and experienced much. Met so many different people. Like Zenyatta.
Like (y/n)
He blinked as he looked up at the ceiling. He had only encountered them a handful of times. Tracer had introduced you during a jaunt to Kings row. A neighbor of Emily’s, she had explained excitedly. She had practically bowled them over with a hug when she saw them, which was kind of unfortunate at the time because you had been carrying groceries. Tracer had apologized for squishing the carton of eggs and had blinked away to replace them as you stood there flabbergasted.
Sheepishly, you had looked over to Genji, pink in the cheeks from the sudden but joyous reunion.
“Well you can’t say she’s doesn’t have enthusiasm.” you had joked, mirth making your lips curve and eyes bright.
Even though you had met not 5 minutes ago and that you were standing holding a dripping carton of broken eggs which were staining your shoes, Genji was, weirdly endeared by you. It had to be something about your honestly and humble spirit that leaked out from your good-natured grin.
Before he could come up with a witty reply Tracer was bouncing back with a new carton of eggs, apologising profusely about the accident. Before you could say that it had really not been such a big deal, tracer had grabbed the rest of the groceries and blinked inside the apartment lobby to hold the door for you. You laughed and commented how Lena would make an excellent bellboy and Lena’s reply was a goofy salute and a terrible attempt at a transatlantic accent.
In the chorus of giggles that followed, Genji felt his heart flutter briefly. He was a bit bewildered by the sudden emotion but he managed to pull himself together long enough to wave goodbye to you as you departed.
That had been the first time you had met each other. The rest of the encounters had been fleeting video calls when you had been over at Emily’s while Tracer called and had waved a brief hello.
The most recent encounter had been during a reconnaissance mission in London. Genji and Tracer had been hot on the heels of Talon activity when he had cornered an agent on a rooftop. There had been a brief struggle before the talon agent had pulled a hidden taser on Genji, both shocking and startling him as the sudden flow of electricity in his body made his synthetic parts momentarily glitch. That had been enough time for Genji to get kicked in the chest and fall off the roof, right into the open maw of a dumpster which slammed shut as he had crashed into it.
After a period of silence with a bit of groaning, the lid of the dumpster was gingerly lifted open and light streamed inside.
“. . . uh . . . Genji?”
Snapping his eyes open, Genji had looked up shocked to see you there. He had hurried to stand up but only ended up smacking his head, again, on the heavy slanted lid.
“oh my god! Are you alright?” you had squeaked.
He had wanted to reply something about wounded pride but instead had opted for a weak “yeah”
You had looked deeply concerned for him and inside he had been feeling about the same. All these weeks of fleeting thoughts and imagined moments with you destroyed by the reality of sitting on several garbage bags and smell of rotten produce wafting gently in the London breeze.
“Uhm, let me give you a hand” You had said, mercifully extending an arm. Genji was keenly aware that his body had completely recovered from the shock and he was perfectly fine but he had taken your hand in his as you pulled him out.
His foot had then gotten caught on some unknown object deep within the dumpster and he would’ve had almost stumbled out of the dumpster and faceplanted onto the street had you not placed your hand on his waist to steady him suddenly.
“whoa! Careful there!”
Genji had felt his face suddenly blaze with heat, thankful that his visor covered any emotion his face was betraying.
He had mumbled thanks as he steadied himself out of the dumpster and onto the street.
What happened to all those careless years of being a playboy? Where were those suave words and clever phrases that had wooed all those he had dated? Genji couldn’t find any those words now, they were ghosted way into the night breeze as you had stood there, looking concerned for him.
“Do you feel alright Genji?”
“ yes, uh, thank you (y/n)” He had replied, trying to sound like the confident cyborg ninja that he was suppose to be , and failing.
You had smiled at him, perhaps trying to be polite, when you squeezed his hand in your, which he had still been holding.
“I’m not going to be fishing you out of the trash next week, Am I?” you had joked, trying to lighten the situation.
Genji chuckled. “I hope not. I’m not sure I could stand the smell”
That had made you laugh in response and grin brightly.
“Well I’m sure your busy doing ,uh,important overwatch stuff, I’ll see you around” and with that, with deep reluctance on Genjis part, you had let go of his hand and walked away down the street with a wave.
With a weak goodbye wave in reply Genji had made his way back to the roof, looking back to the direction you had walked when he stood on the rooftops, He could still feel your hand in his.
Coming back from the memory, Genji groaned and rolled over in bed, covering his face with his hands. He had to meet you again, in a place where he could be ready and not caught off guard while in the garbage.
He sighed, thoughts of you filling his restless mind.
How do you even recover from meeting your crush while skulking in the trash? Is that something you can even do?
He would try to meet you again. Maybe subtly ask Lena in the morning about you, maybe even try to set something up somewhere far away from a garbage receptacle.
He had to.