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“No, no, absolutely not. No way!” You stated firmly to your friend. “I can’t!”
The large lion stuffed toy stared back at you blankly, its silence almost challenging.
“What reason do I have? Well I...” You looked down and fiddled with a loose thread on your shirt. “It’s just that he such a famous and upstanding person you know? Famed and brave crusader, one of the main members of the original Overwatch Strike Team... I could go on. And I know fame isn’t something important to him... it’s just that I’m nobody, you know, nothing special.”
Lioney, a simple name you gave him, stared back at you, seemingly rebutting your comments.
“I know, I know... you’re proof of that.” Lioney was after all a carnival prize that Reinhardt himself had won for you on a rare trip to a local carnival in town. He had proudly presented it to you, having easily bested the game. You sighed and hugged the lion, burying your face into its soft fluffy mane.
“Its just that what if he doesn’t feel the same way? I don’t want to ruin our friendship over something like this.”
You had met the crusader after your first mission with Overwatch, the unexpected hecticness and intensity of the situation leaving you almost dead on your feet. Tripping down the stairs was almost inevitable but falling into a large firm wall was a surprise. You had dazedly looked up (and up some more) to find out the wall was in fact a large human man who was regarding you with concern.
“Are you alright mein freund? You seem a little out of it.” The man’s deep grizzly voice made you realised you were staring at him bewilderedly. It’s just that you’ve never seen a human so...big. And also never one so noble looking, even if he was blind in one eye. He looked like a knight out of a fairytale story who had fought many a glorious battle.
“Oh sorry, I’m alright. I just came back from my first mission and uh yeah things didn’t go as planned...” You rambled as you tried to cover up that you were staring.
“Ahh they rarely ever do.” He chuckled as his hands came down and gave you a surprisingly gentle but friendly pat on your back. “But you look exhausted and I should let you rest.” You opened your mouth to reply but was cut off by an embarrassingly loud battle cry emitting from your stomach. Blushing and cursing your stomach’s timing, you looked away from Reinhardt sheepishly. The older man merely laughed.
“Don’t worry about it my friend, tis only normal.” He reassured you, “Though I will be honoured if you wish to accompany me for dinner.” Still slightly embarrassed, you nodded in agreement and followed the crusader to the cafeteria.
You didn’t expect that when you woke up today you would find yourself laughing and talking with the famed Reinhardt. It had seemed that you both clicked almost instaneously, as if connecting a pre-existing bond. It didn’t necessarily meant that you both had similar interests, but you were both genuinely interested in the hobbies and likes of the other. Reinhardt was of course disappointed that you honestly did not know who Hasselhoff was but was happy enough when you said you would give it a try anyway.
Time got away from the both of you and you soon had to take your leave, your eyes dropping tiredly, a definite sign of your inability to carry on. Reluctantly bidding the German man goodbye, you had dragged yourself to your room, took a shower and fell into bed, falling asleep quickly with a dopey smile on your face.
From then on, it seemed as if Lady Fate was rooting for you. You met Reinhardt practically everywhere, in the cafeteria, in the gym, in the hallways and of course inevitably on missions. He was always happy to see you and to engage you in conversation. On days where either of you were not in the mood to talk, you both sat in companionable silence, offering comfort and company where needed. Your increasing closeness was beneficial on the field as well, your coordination and teamwork becoming increasingly in harmony .
-S-
The night when the Overwatch team went to the carnival was a memory you will always treasure. It was one of the rare occasions where you saw everyone let down their hair. Even Solider 76 seemed somewhat less guarded. Somewhat. It made sense however. Although everyone appeared relaxed outwardly, each and every one of you were trained agents, conditioned to be constantly alert and poised to react and protect if the need arises. Nevertheless, the team smiled a bit easier, laughed a bit louder and all around had fun.
You were hanging out with Brigitte, Ana, Pharah and Reinhardt. Töbjorn had wandered off somewhere earlier and promised to be back later. He received a stern look from Brig before he left, since she knew her father had a secret guilty pleasure for corn dogs and tended to... binge when opportunities arose (he was only allowed a maximum of 2). Despite not knowing the rest as they have known each other nor have the strong familial ties that they shared, you didn’t feel excluded and unwelcome; the open and friendly demeanor of the group made you feel right at home.
You were just finishing off your cotton candy when the group came upon the staple strongman or high striker game. The glint that immediately shone in Reinhardt’s eye was obvious, punctuated by Brigitte’s groan.
“He never could resist this game.” The young engineer commented mock-exasperatedly. Turning to you with a grin Reinhardt asked, “Is there anything you would like from the prizes, mäuschen?” You didn’t know enough German, save for a handful for random words, to know what that word meant (or as you would find out later, the significance of it) and simply figured it was just a nickname.
Still, feeling slightly flustered from the attention, you turned your gaze to the various stuffed animals that were displayed as prizes. Your eyes fell on the lions: large, with fluffy manes and an expression of wisdom and calm. It reminded you of the man currently looking towards you, a noble creature with a fierce fire burning within, a steadfast protector of its family. But there too was a sense of softness that one could discern in their eyes. Shyly, you pointed towards the stuffed lion and you swore that something flashed in the crusader’s eye.
“Good choice mäuschen,” he winked before turning to the attendant and paying them. The attendant eyed Reinhardt warily, but dutifully handed the older man the hammer anyway.
“Thank you.” The lion knight beamed as he took the hammer and weighed it in his grasp. Then, with practised ease, he lifted the hammer up in the air and yelled, “Hammer down!” The others, who have no doubt witnessed Reinhardt’s antics multiple times, only groaned and rolled their eyes as the hammer swung through the air and made contact with the lever with a massive THUNK. A moment later, a higher pitch ring sliced through the air as the puck shot up and struck the bell loudly.
“Ha ha, too strong!” The crusader declared triumphly.
“At least you didn’t break it this time, Reinhardt,” Ana commented wryly, nevertheless shaking her head in amusement. The attendant grudgingly handed the larger man the stuffed lion, practically snatching back the hammer from him. The lion knight himself seemed blissfully oblivious as he happily handed the lion to you, it’s size coming close to dwarfing you.
“A gift for a beautiful soul.” He uttered sincerely, his good eye looking deep into yours. For a moment you had imagined he was going to say something else.
But the moment was over as quickly as it started as somebody accidentally bumped into you, breaking the spell unceremoniously. You stumbled forwards slightly, but managed to catch yourself and hold on to your treasured prize. Your traitorous heart did a happy flip to see that Reinhardt had reacted as well, his hands stretched out and poised to catch you if you were to fall. You gave him a small smile of thanks, said heart flipping again as his expression softened into a matching one that was almost tender. You were so tuned out to the world around you that you missed the secret smiles your other companions shared.
“Alright, I’m off to find Papa to make sure that he hasn’t gone and stuffed himself sick with corn dogs.” Brigitte’s voice cut in. “Ugh he’s only taking advantage of the fact that Mama isn’t here to stop him. I’ll catch you guys later!” Ana and Fareeha also mentioned that they would like to get some food, disappearing into the crowd after setting a meeting point.
“Well I guess it’s just you and me, mäuschen.” Reinhardt remarked cheerfully, “ what would you like to do?” Both of you ended up wandering around the carnival, grabbing bites of food here and there, watching shows and even trying out a few other games. The prizes that you won were given away to children, the way their faces lit up in joy were better than the prizes themselves. Besides, you already had the best prize of the carnival, given to you by your lion knight of a crush. Your lion knight. The thought sent an unexpected pang of longing through your heart, but you quickly pushed it away, determined to not ponder about such matters when you were physically here with him and could enjoy the time spent together, whether as friends or otherwise.
Towards the end of the night, you both found yourself in front of the Ferris wheel. Feeling a small surge of courage, you tentatively turned to the larger man.
“Would you like to take a ride together?” You asked, eyes widening as you belatedly realise how potentially wrong it sounded. The unintended connotation, however, seemed to have gone over the crusader’s head, much to your relief. If it didn’t, he at least had the courtesy to not outwardly react to it.
“I would love to mäuschen,” Reinhardt agreed jovially. When it came to your turn to board the ride cabin, you began to have doubts if Reinhardt could even fit in at all. Even the attendant looked to be on the verge of stopping the crusader. But lo and behold, along with some rocking of the cabin, the older man did managed to fit into the space, and somewhat comfortably too!
A comfortable silence descended upon the both of you as your cabin steadily climbed. At first you were nervous about being alone with your crush in a small enclosed space but as the view of the carnival and the city below you became clear, you had forgotten about your nerves, your attention caught by the breathtaking view below you. The bright neon lights of the carnival beneath you, the sounds of laughter and excited chatter of the crowd wandering the carnival grounds，and the steady and lunimous lights of the city surrounding you. And you were reminded again why you joined Overwatch. This was the world you have sworn to protect.
You glanced at Reinhardt to see if he was equally as taken at the sight as you were, only to find him gazing at you intensely. You could feel your cheeks heating up at his frank stare, your heart rate picking up speed.
“....Reinhardt?” You asked hesitantly. Your heart pounding even faster as he reached his hand towards you, coming to settle on your cheek and gently brushing it.
“You have some cotton candy on your face mäuschen,” the crusader murmured, his gaze almost painfully tender.
“O-oh,” You breathed, not daring to move an inch; not wanting to break the spell that have seemed to have descended on your little cabin. You had expected him to remove his hand after brushing away the wisp of cotton candy, but he didn’t move. His warm hand comfortably encompassed the side of your face as you both stared into each other’s eyes, the intensity just screaming at you to do something. But neither of you did. You were both waiting. Anticipating. For a move that could change everything.
And then, it was over. The call of the attendant informing passengers to get ready to disembark sharply announced that your opportunity has come, and gone.
-S-
Then, it seemed as if Lady Fate was keeping you apart, punishing you for messing up the chance she had set up so perfectly. Clashing missions schedules, brief hellos in the hallway, different mealtimes and training sessions. It’s been 2 months since you saw Reinhardt for more than a minute. While it had given you time to sort out your feelings (or rather run away from it), you missed the older man’s company. You didn’t know when you started needing him in your life, as if he had made a Reinhardt-shaped imprint on your heart and refused to leave. Days just seem emptier without him, even if you were still having a good time with your friends and doing well in missions. It just wasn’t the same without him.
And yet you were stubborn. You had basically admitted that you pretty much couldn’t live without him. Almost. You tell yourself, almost. You just couldn’t comprehend the thought that you could fall in love with someone so quickly. You knew romance wasn’t all rainbows and sunny days, but the feelings you had resembled exactly just that. Sure you had your arguments and disagreements, but didn’t friends have that as well? Not to mention did he even feel the same? Reinhardt was kind and friendly to everyone, who was to say you weren’t reading too much into it? Countless times, Brig, Lena and Hana had tried to talk you into it, to spur you on to confess your feelings. You refused each time, though a part of you was screaming to do as they suggested. Hell, even Ana talked to you about it. And that, was the final straw.
Even without the intervention of others, you could feel your will cracking as your feelings somehow grew more and more. Though you didn’t directly see him for more than a minute or two in the past couple of months, you still kept up on his activities (in a non-creepy way), from mission reports to just idle chatter with other teammates. You had started to piece together the things that made Reinhardt... Reinhardt. From his reckless past to his noble outlook and flaws. Perhaps before you’ve even talked to him you would have been in love with the idea of him: gallant knight in shiny armour. But since you’ve met him, talked, laughed and argued with him, shed blood with him, learnt more about him... it was becoming unmistakeably clear, you were in love with Reinhardt: a living breathing man who bore years of scars, mistakes from the past, fights that no one would take up, and still... a gallant knight in at-times-banged-up armour.
And so when the opportunity came around in the form of an outing to a nearby city, and you heard that Reinhardt was going, you had jumped at it. That sunny afternoon saw you and Reinhardt walking companionably down one of the city’s busy shopping districts, the others having since spilt up to run errands or go shopping.
“I’ve missed spending time with you mäuschen,” Reinhardt commented fondly.
“And I as well,” you couldn’t help but let a huge grin spread across your face as you heard his words. Comfortable silence fell on both of you as you continue to walk, seemingly aimless and without a goal but to enjoy each other’s presence. It was now or never. Even if he didn’t feel the same it was fine, you still treasured him immensely as a friend, you only hoped he would allow that.
“Reinhardt, I-” The rest of your words were drowned out by the loud blast of an explosion. You and Reinhardt exchanged quick looks and started running towards the source. You activated your comms, something Overwatch agents carried at all times, and alerted the headquarters of the situation, letting them know to stand by. Reaching the scene, you came to understand that while it was not a Talon attack, it was a still a deadly robbery with at least 10 men armed to the teeth. They were not taking any chances. You activated your comms again, requesting urgently for back up. You didn’t have any gear on you and neither did Reinhardt. All you had was the knife in your boot.
“Mäuschen, get these people to safety.” The crusader spoke lowly.
“Of course, but what about you?” You asked apprehensively, but you already had a sense of what his answer would be.
“I’ll distract them as long as it takes.” Reinhardt replied unwaveringly, his eyes fixed intently on the robbers.
“Reinhardt, no! You don’t have your -” but it was too late, the crusader had already taken off.
“Go!” He yelled, his voice brokering no discussion as he picked up a large overturned table and wielded it as a makeshift shield. While you wanted to hesitate, you immediately scrambled into action, knowing that every second was vital. Keeping an eye on the situation, you ushered the civilians out of the area taking care to use a calm and measured tone, rallying and assigning people to help out the elderly, the children and mothers, the injured and anyone else who needed assistance.
You’ve gotten most of the civilians out of the area when you heard the telltale sound of a gun safety being clicked off. You whipped around and was faced with one of the robbers, his assault rifle pointed at you. You knew what was about to happen, and didn’t hesitate to position yourself to shield the people behind you as you stared the gunman down in the eyes.
“Nein!” A large body rushed before you just as the robber opened fire. The white hair, that posture...
“No!” You found yourself screaming as Reinhardt’s body jerked from the impact of the bullets. The world slowed as you watched your crusader collapsed onto the ground, revealing Soldier 76 who had tackled the robber a moment too late. Vaguely, you were aware that backup had arrived and were neutralising the threat. However, you only had eyes for one person.
“No, no..” your voice trembled strongly as you knelt over your lion knight’s fallen body, racking your mind desperately for what you could do to save his life. There were multiple wounds from the several bullets fired, all bleeding profusely.
“Angela, Reinhardt’s down with multiple bullet wounds, we need you here now!” You heard Soldier 76 bark over the comms, but his voice sounded so far away.
“Mäuschen...” Your heart shattered to hear his usually booming voice reduced to a weak whisper. Tears blurred your vision even further.
“I’m here, I’m here,” you responded frantically, grabbing one of his hands in between both of yours.
“Shh, don’t cry. I am honoured I could be the shield for the one I love, mein mäuschen.” His good eye focused steadily on you as he slowly lifted your hands to his lips, brushing gentle kisses on them. “Though I wished I had more time to spend with you. Ah... the old fool I am, I have dallied too long.” Oh the painful regrettable feeling in your frantic heart to finally hear the words you longed for, but only in the moment where you were losing him.
“Life is short and often moments we share with our loved ones even shorter. Seize every opportunity you get because in this world that we live in, you may never get another.” Ana stated, looking you straight in the eyes one morning when you both were alone in the kitchen. She did not miss the secret looks you gave the older crusader after the trip to the carnival. “Do not let fear stop you, or you’ll find yourself losing more than you ever thought you would.”
“You’re not! You’re not,” you shook your head desperately. “I love you! I love you so much and I’m sorry I was never brave enough to say it earlier. Please! Just hang on, you’ll be alright... and then we can talk about this when you’re better!” You didn’t know what you were saying anymore, feelings of desperation and distress clouding everything. You were losing him, and he was getting paler every second before your very eyes.
Your indestructible lion knight.
“Liebling,” Reinhardt smile weakly, his eyes drooping shut. “It will be okay.”
“Reinhardt? Reinhardt?! Please wake up! I love you, please don’t leave me. I’ll be brave I won’t be an idiot anymore and make you wait, wake up Reinhardt please!”
Rapidly sinking into the web of death, your lion knight never stirred, didn’t respond. Death has come to collect what could have been yours.
Somebody was screaming. You were screaming. You screamed, and screamed, and screamed. You screamed as hands took you away, as voices tried to talk to you, hush you and silence you. Till your voice was nothing but choked sobs and gasps. Till gentle arms held you but they were not his. They were not his. But they held on. Till the darkness claimed you, the last thing you saw was your lion knight bleeding out on the cold unforgiving ground. Pale. Eyes closed. Defeated.
-S-
Beep...beep...beep.
The sound of the heart monitor, the sound of knowing that Reinhardt was still alive, has become a familiar one. You had all but moved into the base’s medical ward ever since that fateful day. It took a lot of perusausion and at times physical force to drag you away from Reinhardt’s side to perform necessities, be it eating, bathing or even sleeping. It’s been a week since your lion knight was placed on this bed in coma. At one point Hana had brought in Lioney to keep you company in your vigil.
Beep...beep...beep.
You were used to hearing it by now. What you weren’t used to, as you were slowly coming into consciousness, was the awkward but gentle petting sensation on your head. As you start to sit up slowly, the petting stopped. Opening your bleary eyes and stretching your back, you were met with the sight of your lion knight awake, gripping one of Lioney’s paw in his left hand, using it as an extension to help reach you. Even the size of his hand dwarfed the stuffed animal’s large paw. Reinhardt’s twinkling good eye met yours and he gave a weak wave with Lioney’s paw. Your heart skipped a beat, before beating harder in pure relief and happiness.
“You were not having a good dream, Mäuschen.” The crusader whispered, his voice raspy from disuse. You wanted nothing more but to tackle him in a hug but settled instead for giving in to the brightest happiest smile and softly brushing the stray hairs from his face.
“Shhh don’t speak.” You gently shush him, before turning around to reach for the jug of water on the stand next to the bed, also making sure to press the button that would call for Angela. You poured a glass of water and raised it gently to his lips. “Here, sip slowly.”
“Ah Reinhardt it’s great to see you awake again.” You removed the glass just as Angela walked in, clipboard at the ready. “You gave us, especially Y/N, quite a fright.”
“And I would do it again, if it means saving my mäuschen.” Reinhardt replied without missing a beat, his voice slightly less raspy now that he had some water. Your poor heart unfortunately missed another. Did he just call you his?
“Indeed,” Angela mused thoughtfully. “Either way, now that you’re up we can run some checks and then you’ll be out of here in a week or so.”
“A week?!” The older man protested.
“You know the drill, Reinhardt. There only so much advanced medical technology can do. Even then you’ll be off-duty and banned from any strenuous activities for awhile.” At this, you couldn’t help but glance worriedly at him. How many times had he been this critically injured? Or worse? A cool hand touched your arm.
“I’m sure that Mr Wilhelm will be more careful now that he has you.” Angela reassured you while giving him a meaningful look. Shortly after, the doctor shooed you out in order to run the aforementioned checks and tests on Reinhardt to ensure that everything was recovering smoothly.
-S-
You continued to visit Reinhardt in the days where he was still confined to the medical bay. The last day was no different. Reinhardt was just finishing up the cookies you had sneaked in for him while you were content to keep him company, trying your hand at the daily crossword puzzle.
“Mäuschen,” Reinhardt addressed you softly.
“Hmm?” You answered, lifting your head up from the datapad to look at him.
“Did you mean what you said that day?” He didn’t even need to elaborate which specific day it was, the look in his eyes said it all. Suddenly, you felt shy about your desperate and heartfelt confession. You had pushed the issue of your feelings aside since, having wanted to focus on helping your lion knight recover.
“I...I did.” You could feel your cheeks flushing as you averted your eyes, not feeling brave enough to look at him. A large, battle-callused hand cupped your chin tenderly, lifting it so that you looked him in the eye once again.
“I didn’t get to answer Mäuschen.” Reinhardt smiled, the extent of his feelings lighting up his face. “If I could I would have shouted in joy, and swung you around. I would tell you properly that I love you too.” He chuckled. “But since I am currently in no position to do much physical or loud activities or gestures. Let me tell you again, I love you my mäuschen. Ich liebe dich.”
This time, you could not restrain yourself from throwing yourself at him and hugging him, still with enough sense to be mindful of his injuries. You both laughed in joy, blessed to have mutual feelings, and blessed to be given another chance.
-S-
A year later, in a beautiful field blooming with spring flowers, Reinhardt fulfilled his promise to you. For the moment, the world around you didn’t matter. You were not Overwatch agents, you were not heroes, you were not battle hardened warriors. Reinhardt swung you around in unbridled joy until you were both dizzy, before deliberately falling backwards with you on top of him. You peppered his face with butterfly kisses as he held you close. On your finger glinted a ring.
You had said yes.
“Ich liebe dich, mein mäuschen.” Reinhardt rumbled, brushing a gentle kiss on your lips.
“And I love you my lion knight.” You replied, your heart full as you reached up to cup his cheeks and pulled him into a loving kiss that spoke of an everlasting promise. Life was not a fairytale with a simple happily ever after. But you would stand steadfast by your lion knight’s side through every trial and battle, every fight and argument, every joy and blessing.
Till death do us part, and beyond.