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Ridding Ashe’s motorcycle was second hand nature to McCree. He had done it plenty of times in the old days, and the girl had kept this beauty in crisp condition. The painting was mostly new, save for a few hidden scratches McCree recognized as his own doing.
Sometimes he couldn’t be careful enough, and his life had always came in first, living meant the poor bike had to take some bullets for him. After every repair, Ashe requested not to repaint the bike entirely, leaving some patches untouched. She wanted McCree to remember she would never forget about any damage made to her property.
McCree noticed the photo Ashe had of them in the bike´s dashboard, and took it to see it for a few seconds without lowering his speed. He had enough memories to bother with a picture, so he let the wind take it away.
He saw a flash of grey in the corner of his eye and then he felt cold, a comfortable kind of cold against the bothersome weather of route 66. It didn’t made sense. And it was odd enough to make McCree halt, thinking something was wrong with him.
Then a thing caught up with him, and that fresh feeling increased.
An orb was floating at his side, attached to him and delivering that pleasant sensation.
“What the fuck.” He said in a low voice, only for himself to hear, and took the orb in his hands, it chimed like a bell.
He recalled the gray shiny thing he thought seeing a few miles away. The orb was a mystery, and that thing might be a clue.
“I don’t have time for this.” Yet, with a sigh, McCree went back. His curiosity wouldn’t leave him be if he didn’t.
It took less than a minute to find an omnic at the side of the road.
“Greetings.” Said the omnic, presumably looking at him. His faceplate had no eyes, only two thin holes and nine shiny lights in the shape of a square. His neck was being circled by other orbs like the one McCree had in his hands.
“Did you miss this?”
“Perhaps. And you might have lost this.” When the omnic opened his palm, a piece of paper slowly floated from it to the cowboy. It was the picture he just got rid of. “I’m glad my attempt to call for your attention worked.” The orb went back to join the others.
“I didn’t want this.”
“Littering is unwise.” Such a soft scolding made McCree chuckle.
McCree put the picture in his pocket, only to not dismiss the omnic’s words.
“Say, what’s a pretty thing like you doing in the middle of the desert?” He asked, forgetting completely about the urgent matter he had to attend.
“I was following my student. He was to meet a friend of his but in the way to the meeting place I saw a train wreck from afar. I believe we parted ways because I didn’t mention a thing. And he mustn’t have heard me leaving.”
“Why did you stop to give me a photo if you were in such a hurry?”
“Weren’t you in a hurry too?”
“Are you telling me meting this handsome man, was more important than looking after some huge accident?”
The omnic pretended to gasp and covered where his mouth would be with the tip of his fingers.
“I would never do such a thing.”
“Ouch.” This time it was McCree who made the omnic laugh.
“Don’t let your ego be wounded, cowboy-”
“Name’s McCree.” He interrupted, wanting for some reason for the omnic to use his name. “Jesse McCree."
“McCree. You may call me Zenyatta.”
McCree took his hat off and pressed it against his own chest.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zenyatta. I believe you were about to praise my looks.“ He winked.
The omnic moved his shoulders in a silent laugh.
“Unnecessary, now that you know my intentions.”
McCree put his hat back on and pouted playfully.
“Aw, c’mon. Don’t leave a man hanging.”
“Perhaps I could praise you, if you were to make me a favor.”
“Hmm, tempting. Name your price.”
“You seem to have come from the train wreck itself. Could you tell me if someone needs assistance? You seem unharmed.”
“Well, I wouldn’t advice you going that way. But no. That was a cargo train. No passengers, human nor omnic.”
“I understand. Then, I am not required.”
McCree thought for a moment. The omnic didn’t look that sophisticated and didn’t seem to be carrying any communication device.
“Zenyatta, do you have any way to go back to that student of yours? Where was he going?”
“I didn’t ask. I was merely following.”
“And yet you wandered off? Pretty ballsy.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time our paths divert. It will not be the last. If fate commands it we will see each other again. If not, we will eventually reunite in Nepal.”
“Nepal?” Everything fell into place suddenly. No need to be a genius to figure it out. “You are a monk?”
“I am.”
McCree flushed, embarrassment showing brightly on his face.
“And here I am flirting.”
The monk tilted his head slightly to the side.
“Is that what you pass for flirting? I expected more from a cowboy.”
“Don’t be cheeky.” He said with a smile. He remembered then the urgent matter he had forgotten. But an omnic this tiny, this frail, and over all, a monk, was not to be left alone in the middle of the highway. “Hop on.” He invited without thinking. He realized he hadn’t explaining his intentions to the monk. He was about to elaborate when the bike moved a bit as the omnic took his place behind him.
“Where to?” Zenyatta asked, hugging McCree’s waist against him. For security, McCree thought. His tone suggested he didn’t care for the destination, and that made the cowboy shudder. McCree started the motorcycle again, speed up, making the monk held tighter.
“I’m… also about to meet a friend too but, let me take you with me, after that, my time will be all yours.”
“Your flirting is improving, but lacks of charm.”
“Baby, you haven’t heard my best material.”
“Would you use it on a monk?”
“Don’t use the monk card when you are the one leading me into it.”
Zenyatta giggled softly. “I kid. I am very interested in knowing your true charms.”
McCree whistles.
“Do you pray with that mouth?”
Zenyatta gave a small pat into McCree’s side. Playfully scolding him again.
“I was merely talking about the charms of your speech. But I won’t oppose if you wish to show me your charms on bed.”
“Don’t make me crash this bike, darling!”
The rest of the way to the meeting place continued just as playful. When they arrived, the two of them felt much more than strangers already. Maybe even friends?
“Weird. I was pretty sure we were late.”
“Could it be that your friend got lost?”
“Nah, he’s a smart kid. But now I’m not sure when he’ll arrive.”
“I have no hurry. If that is what is worrying you.”
“I didn’t thought we’d be stagnant, I didn’t even packed my cards.”
“I can think of other ways to make time pass by faster.”
“I’m all ears.”
….
By the time Genji arrived, the night was only a few hours shy of its end. He was out of breath and worried to the core. He was on his way here when his master disappeared, and then spent the rest of the day searching for him until it occurred to him that McCree could help him out.
When he crossed the door to the only room in the accorded hideout, he saw his master in a sofa wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and a shirt that was lying over his crotch covering it. McCree was asleep on the floor beside him, naked, and with very clear stains and marks that revealed what had happened. Zenyatta spoke:
“Howdy, Genji.”