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Hanzo stuffed and finished backstitching the last corner of the pillow, tying it off with a knot and cutting the excess thread off. He held it up in front of his face, admiring his handy work with a straight back and a proud smile.
The archer decided to make Jesse a gift for their three month anniversary. His boyfriend left for a mission in Petra over a two weeks ago. As soon as he said goodbye to the cowboy with a promise and a kiss, Hanzo rushed back to his room and began thinking of ideas. His mind finally settled on a pillow with a desert scene cross-stitched on one side, a sweet message stitched on the other. Hanzo opened the closet in his room and grabbed an old, leather-bound sketch book that had not been used since he was in his early twenties, and began planning.
The sketchbook and Hanzo’s interest in sewing was given to him by his mother on his sixth birthday. That day she taught her son the basics of sewing and design planning as they sat in the Shimada castle gardens. When the younger Hanzo asked his mother why she was teaching him something like this, she only smiled and claimed that it was a life skill that he should know.
Oh, how right she was.
Hanzo’s sewing skills not only helped him when life required it, like fixing up Genji’s shirts after his brother came back from a rough fight at a bar over a potential partner, but it also helped him cope with the stress and hardships of the clan. Many nights the young master would find himself in his room stitching and sewing away his stress and sadness, fingers red and irritated from accidental pokes caused by an unclear mind and tearful eyes.
His interest in sewing came to a halt after the supposed death of his brother and he became the master of the Shimada clan. Every time Hanzo picked up the sketchbook his mother gave him to plan his creations, he ended up throwing it across his room in disgust. It reminded the scion too much of the better days where he would sketch out designs with Genji and his mother. He thought he did not deserve those memories anymore, nor the book itself. The same would happen when Hanzo picked up a needle.
Only when Hanzo left the clan did he pick up sewing again, needing the skill to repair the holes in his clothes whenever he got into fights with clan members or bounty hunters while on the run. He always kept a needle and some thread stashed away somewhere on his person and in an easy to grab spot. The tools were not only used to fix knife slashes in his rough t-shirt, they were also used as improvised weapons when needed. Hanzo learned to never underestimate how efficiently a dull needle and cheap thread could kill a man.
The pillow for Jesse was the first time Hanzo had sewn anything since joining Overwatch at Genji’s request. The thought excited him as he sketched his idea for the cross-stitch on the pillow and the excitement followed him as he went to purchase the materials. Hanzo worked non-stop every day, restarting countless times to make sure the entire gift was perfect. He would have nothing less, especially for what he considered to be the love of his life.
Hanzo heard a loud knock at the door. He set the pillow down before walking over to it.
“Yes? Do you need something?” Hanzo asked through the door. He was not expecting the voice that would reply.
“Why, yes in fact I do need somethin’. I need to see one short archer with midlife crisis piercins’, please.” The smooth southern drawl of who could only be Jesse McCree joked through the door.
Hanzo opened it immediately and glared at Jesse in an attempt to appear angry, but the small upturn of his lips gave away how he felt.
“You are such an ass.” Hanzo said, smile fully forming when he saw Jesse laugh in response.
“But ya love me. And my ass.” Jesse retorted, winking and raising his eyebrows in a playful manner.
A faint blush dusted across Hanzo’s cheeks and he rolled his eyes in response. “Oh, come here.”
Hanzo grabbed Jesse’s arms and pulled him into the room, pushing a button to close the door behind them. He wrapped his arms around Jesse’s midsection in a tight embrace and sighed when he felt his boyfriend wrap his arms around him in turn. The cowboy rested his head on top of Hanzo’s, pressing his lips to the archer’s hairline. Jesse took a deep breath through his nose.
“I missed ya, sweetheart. Missed ya a whole bunch. I wished you were at my side every night.” Jesse murmured into Hanzo’s hair.
“The feeling is mutual, my love. I missed you just as much, if not more. I’m glad you came back safely.” Hanzo spoke into Jesse’s chest.
They stayed there, wrapped up in each other’s arms and cherishing each other’s presence, that is before Hanzo remembered about the gift. He reluctantly pulled away and walked towards the bed. Hanzo grabbed the pillow and held it behind his back before going back to Jesse, an amused expression on his face.
“Whatcha got there, Han?” Jesse asked with one eyebrow cocked and arms folded in front of him.
Hanzo took a deep breath and held the throw pillow out in front of him. He held his chin high. “A gift for you.”
Jesse looked at the pillow and then back up at Hanzo, a look of complete shock on his face. He reached out and grabbed the gift with care. The cowboy removed the glove on his flesh hand with his mouth and traced each stitch with his fingers in reverence. The scene was of a lone cactus in the desert with a pink, red, and orange sunset as the sky. On top of the cactus was Jesse’s signature hat tilting just a little bit. Jesse slowly lifted his head up, staring at Hanzo with affection flooding his coffee-colored eyes.
Hanzo grinned and tapped the back of the pillow. “Check the back.” He told his boyfriend.
Jesse flipped the pillow over carefully, reading what was stitched out-loud. “For the stars to my sky, the sun to my rose, and the icing to my cake.”
Hanzo tilted his head, the satisfied grin still on his face. “Well, do you like it? I thought I would make you something for our three month anniversary.” He asked.
Jesse’s attention went from the pillow to Hanzo. “Like it? Sweetheart, I love it! I-“ he blinked a few times and let out a short laugh, “Han, I didn’t even know you could sew!”
The archer chuckled at Jesse’s response, pride and happiness swelling in his chest. “I learned when I was very young.” Hanzo explained. “One of the first things my mother taught me how to sew was a dragon plush toy. I gave it to Genji a few months after as a gift for his birthday.”
The cowboy’s eyebrows furrowed. “It didn’t happen to be a green dragon with one eye larger than the other, did it?”
Hanzo’s eyes widened at the description. “Yes, that sounds exactly like the dragon I made for him.” He answered. “How do you know about it?”
“Back in Blackwatch Genji used to carry that plush around with him all across the base.” Jesse said. “It was the only thing he talked to for the longest time.”
Hanzo looked down at his feet, deep in thought. He always thought that his brother threw the plush away after that fateful night. The archer stashed the many questions flooding his mind for later, mind returning to the now.
Jesse placed a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. “I'm serious though, Han. This is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever given me. Thank you.” The cowboy leaned down and pressed a kiss to Hanzo’s forehead.
The archer hummed in response, a smile returning to his face. “You’re very welcome.”
Jesse took one last look at the pillow Hanzo made for him before looking towards the closet. “Now that I think about it, I have somethin’ for you too.”
The cowboy gentle placed the throw pillow on the bed before skipping over to the closet. Hanzo watched with interest as his boyfriend rummaged through everything, trying to find the gift. A sudden ‘ ah-ha! ’ had the archer looking at the back of a canvas as Jesse emerged from the closet. He walked back over to Hanzo.
Jesse held out the canvas to Hanzo. “Happy anniversary, baby.”
Hanzo took the canvas, flipped it over, and gasped. Painted in the finest acrylic paints one could buy was Hanzo caught off guard, laughing about something that was now just a memory. He recognized the place as park in Gibraltar, the place where they had their first date. Hanzo was so overcome with emotion that he could not find his words.
Turns out actions were indeed better than words as Hanzo set the painting down carefully before grabbing Jesse’s shirt collar with both hands and dragging him down into a passionate kiss. He tried to convey every emotion he felt: his gratefulness, his thanks, and most importantly of all, his love for Jesse.
Jesse returned the kiss with just as much vigor, reassuring Hanzo that his feelings were the same. The cowboy grabbed Hanzo by the back of his legs and carried him back over towards the bed, laying him down on it before crawling on top of him without breaking the kiss.
Hanzo broke the kiss, catching his breath and reaching a hand up to cup the side of Jesse’s face. Jesse nuzzled into the touch.
“I love you, Hanzo.” Jesse whispered breathlessly into Hanzo’s palm, eyes just a little bit watery.
Hanzo felt his eyes water up as well. “I love you too, Jesse.”
Their three month anniversary was definitely one they swore they would never forget.