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Hanzo sits alone on a bench away from the crowd, leaning his back on the wall as he nurses a drink. He doesn’t much mind being alone—he’s recharging and done with his obligatory socialization since he has said his hellos and done enough small talk already. That tends to be awkward when he’s around so much of the old guard like this. They’re pleasant company, but he can only handle so much reminiscing on memories he was not part of. At a certain point he begins to feel out of place, or even unwelcome, though he knows the unwelcome edge is his brain’s crueler side pushing through. It helps to remind himself of that—of the irrationality that tries to sneak its way into his thoughts. It helps, too, that he has had Cole around as a much-needed anchor, so valiantly helping steer conversation or shoehorning Hanzo in. Where would he be without blissfully aware, selflessly proactive Cole.
A few brave souls sway on the dance floor—just a wooden floored area lit with colorful flashing lights, speakers barraging the area with bassy music—none seeming to have any real idea how to dance. The line to the open bar is, understandably, long. He’s grateful he had the foresight to order a beer just before the servers departed.
Ana and Reinhardt married in a small ceremony, one Hanzo was not invited to, but nor were most people. This party is the real celebration for the marriage; a gathering of all of their family and friends. Only a handful of people were at the actual ceremony—an understandable decision when you’ve lived a life as high-profile as they have. It’s an honor to even be part of this celebration, though all of the Overwatch agents were graced with an invitation. Still, it’s a lovely semi-formal affair, one that rather reminds him of some of the nicer parts of his past. Grand affairs full of life, everyone expected to dress nice. Good food and alcohol freely flowing among the crowd. He rather enjoys a more formal setting, something surprisingly sparse in an internationally-known organization trying to regain its former official status. Being part of a pleasantly formal event with a clean, joyous purpose is a nice reminder of just how free he is now. A stark contrast from the past full of networking with devious figures and celebrating unsavory deals; now, the company is much better.
He scans the crowd and his eyes land on Cole and Ana quietly chatting in a corner. Cole cleaned up nice for this occasion, nicer than Hanzo’s ever seen. His suit is perfectly fitting, if not a bit tight, and his hair is trimmed and well-groomed. If Hanzo isn’t mistaken, he even has a splash of decent cologne on. Something woody and warm. It’s nice. He’s surprised Cole hasn’t taken his suit jacket off yet—it’s stuffy in the venue despite the air conditioning being on full blast. Hanzo watches the stretch of Cole’s jacket on his arms as he animatedly talks, pulling his eyes away when he notices a pair of eyes on him. Ana’s gaze meets his from over Cole’s shoulder, and she raises her eyebrows at him before glancing back to Cole. She says something to him then grabs his shoulder, giving it a sturdy rub and stepping away. Hanzo busies himself with his drink when he notices she’s b-lining for him.
“How are you, Hanzo?” she asks as she sits down next to him and crosses her legs, all smiles.
He nods in acknowledgment as he takes a sip from his cup. “I am well, thank you. It’s been a lovely day,” he says. “Congratulations on the marriage.”
He doesn’t know Ana or Reinhardt as well as most others here do, but he does know they spent years apart from one another. Any marriage is a sweet occasion, but this one especially so. Hanzo keeps finding himself caught up in just how touched he is that he has been allowed to be part of such an occasion.
“Oh, thank you dear. I figured if I’m retiring, there’s really no more excuses I have to hold me back from doing the things I always wanted to do.”
Hanzo straightens his back, surprised at the deeply honest response. He treads carefully. “Would it have been too much to worry about a husband getting hurt in battle as opposed to a boyfriend?”
Ana offers him a wry smile. “I am grateful we have the privilege of being married and retired. Sometimes it seems there is a curse on married Overwatch members. They always get the worst of things. That is all. Call me superstitious, but I did not want to risk it.”
He thinks about what he’s heard of Gabriel, Gerard, and other tidbits about less talked about past agents whose names he can’t remember. “You do not regret waiting so long?”
“I do,” Ana shrugs. “I’m not exactly happy my superstition was able to keep me from leading the life I wanted for so long.”
Hanzo understands. Fear, no matter how irrational, can be a strong force.
“You did it eventually, though. That’s something to be proud you achieved no matter how long it took to get there.” If he let himself think too much about the many years he wasted away, he’d never be able to enjoy the life he clawed his way into today. He has made too much progress for that.
“You’re a good boy,” Ana praises, her eyes crinkling warmly as she grins at him. She rubs his shoulder just like she did Cole’s earlier. “You should make a move with Cole. Life is short.” She gives his shoulder a shake and leaves her hand firmly in place.
Hanzo stiffens, blood rushing in his ears. This is not something he’s discussed before. Not outside of his own head.
“I am not-“
“Shhh,” she hushes him, firmly shaking his shoulder again. “No need to hide your secret from me. Have you even told anyone about how you feel for him? It’s no fun hiding romance from the world.”
He places his drink to the side and gives Ana his full attention. “I-“ he tries to form a defense, but nothing believable comes to mind. He huffs. “No one else knows.”
“Mmm, fair. I only pieced it together because every time I’m near him, I notice you staring. And I know it’s not at me.”
Hanzo opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off.
“Not because I’m not worth looking at. But I know your tastes.”
He lets out a breathy laugh. “I thought I was being more subtle.”
“You were, but I have quite the eye,” she says with a wink.
“Perhaps your skills override mine,” he jokes, receiving a hearty laugh in response. Her open demeanor is surprisingly disarming, especially mixed with the alcohol in his system. “I suppose you wouldn’t have said this if you did not know Cole’s feelings.” The toothy grin Ana wears leaves him squinting at her.
“He does not tell me everything. Cole can be just as closed off as you.”
Hanzo glances towards Cole energetically talking to Angela across the room. He’s had the privilege of Cole entrusting him with some private facts, but those took plenty of time and trust to draw out of him. Cole shows a lot of emotion, but it doesn’t mean they’re always his true emotions. The cowboy isn’t as much of an open book as he wants people to believe, Hanzo has learned.
He sighs, glancing back towards Ana. “Even if he did reciprocate, I am not sure I should pursue this. For his sake.”
In response, he earns a drawn-out eye-roll and groan. “Quit it with the self-loathing,” she lectures. “That is annoying.”
Crossing his arms, Hanzo glares. “It is not for nothing.”
Ana stares at him, unwilling to feed into it. Letting out a breath, he closes his eyes and tries to refocus. He knows he needs to stop being so overtly negative. He’s trying to get better about it. He’s trying to get better about a lot of things.
“Maybe, if it ever feels right, I will ask him on a date,” he promises, empty. Proper dating is hardly familiar territory for him, let alone with someone he knows so well. He probably wouldn’t have trouble inquiring into spending a night with the man, but he doesn’t want only that. At this point, just sex would be bittersweet.
“Oh Hanzo. It’s worth a try. Will you not allow yourself to have anything?”
“Relationships in general are not something I ever really thought I’d be able to entertain,” Hanzo says, hoping that answers enough.
“The best time to try something new is always now. You will both be fumbling around, it will work out well.” Ana grins at him again, all warmth and kindness. He doesn’t know what he ever did to deserve such kind treatment from her. Maybe it’s Cole’s trust of him rubbing off on her.
He considers Cole could be just as lost as he is in regards to how to properly go about things. Not much has been said about Cole’s love life, past or present. It must be unremarkable enough if it has never come up. Cole has lived a pretty solitary life too, after all. He’s a smooth talker who’s all too good at putting up fronts.
“Perhaps you’re right,” he concedes, glancing back to Cole. He remains deep in conversation with Angela, smiling and content. Just as he’s about to look away, Cole glances over and they meet eyes. They share a warm smile before Cole turns back to Angela, Hanzo helpless to the way his heart flutters.
Ana gives his knee a quick pat before she stands up. “Sorry for the intrusion. I’m feeling sentimental tonight.” She eyes him up and down. “Good luck. Trust that I would never offer poor guidance.”
He sends his genuine thanks to her. When she departs, he smacks the back of his head against the wall. Downing the rest of his drink, he considers his options. He was perfectly content ignoring the depth of his feelings, but Ana’s words have shuffled his thoughts into an unignorable spot.
He sighs, knowing what he should do. He at least feels pushed to test the waters. Allowing time to gather himself, he has a quick smoke outside and washes up in the bathroom. Then, he tries to find Cole.
The dance floor is lively, Lúcio showing his moves off to a crowd as Hana tries to learn them. Less ambitious guests loosely dance. He doesn’t spot Cole among the crowd, so he moves on. Neither is he in line for drinks, nor picking at the table of food.
Exhausting search areas, he heads outside and makes a lap around the building. Walking down a cobblestone path in the botanical area outside the venue, he comes across Cole sat on a black metal bench in the back. Lush plants frame the bench, the warm light of a nearby streetlamp just barely illuminating Cole.
He looks up and watches Hanzo as he approaches, warm smile greeting him all the way. He slides into the bench, straightening his cuffs as he settles in.
“Crowds getting too much for you?” he asks, glancing up at Cole. He looks tired, but not worn out. A sort of sleepiness from the excess comradery and celebration.
“Yeah,” Cole says with a yawn. “Just a real big day.”
Hanzo raises an eyebrow. “For them, yes.”
Laughing, Cole rubs a hand on his neck. “I mean, yeah, nothing life changing for me. But it’s a lot seeing Ana and Rein end up this way. With this happy little ending together.”
Few people Hanzo knows have been able to settle. It’s a rarity to be able to escape the action in this line of work. Usually, you stay in it until it kills you, or until you just physically cannot handle it otherwise. You stay in until the function is drained from your body.
“It’s nice to know maybe not all of us are doomed, I suppose,” Hanzo muses.
A pause, then Cole lets out a surprised laugh. “No kidding!” he barks. “If you told me three years ago that Reinhardt and Ana’d get married one day? I’d think it’s a real cruel joke. You couldn’t convince me.”
He doesn’t know if Cole means that because he thought Ana was dead, because they were broken up at the time, or because life too often shows its cruel side, though he suspects it may be a mixture of all of the above.
“It’s nice to be reminded that good things can happen,” Hanzo says, conscious not to let himself lean into his more negative thoughts.
“True. Not that things are so bad for me right now. But life has a tendency to end up going to shit.”
“It is absurd there is no limit to how much bad can occur,” Hanzo agrees. “Nothing ever has to get better.”
Eyebrows shooting up, Cole’s mouth forms into a twisted smile. “Only you could get into the endless torture of the gift of life during a wedding celebration,” he teases.
Hanzo rolls his eyes, then meets Cole’s gaze, his eyes more strikingly intense than they have any right to be. “I’m not saying things are not getting better right now. I’m simply making a realistic assessment about life.” He averts his eyes to the side, Cole’s sweet eyes too much right now. “Life is better right now. For me, at least.”
“Better for me too,” Cole drawls, shifting his legs and drawing Hanzo’s eyes back. “But I know what you mean. No matter what you do or go through, universe owes you nothing. Could become the personification of justice and still see nary a thread of kindness from the world.”
“Don’t get me started on that,” quips Hanzo. Not that he deserves endless sunshine and flowers from life, and even he finds it hard to believe he deserves redemption most of the time, but life has been straight up unforgiving. In his time alone for the last ten years, things never got easier, not until Genji came along. No matter how many clan members he took out, or how much he punished himself, or how much positive change he tried to bring to the world. A decade it took for him to feel beyond his numbness. Now, he finds himself wildly navigating the most mundane emotions.
Eyes full of too much warmth graze over Hanzo. Cole lifts an empty hand up as if he holds a glass. “Universe owes us nothing but it did give Ana and Rein this. And it gave me Ana, damn near a mother to me. I’d trust her with the secrets of the universe.” His mouth lifts up. “And it gave me you.”
A smile Hanzo can’t control forces its way to the corner of his mouth, but he can’t bring himself to form a coherent string of thoughts. Receiving affection is still difficult. Cole looks at him expectantly, but he seems pleased enough by Hanzo’s small smile. He’s always good about that. Understanding.
Instead of making Hanzo force out an awkward reply, he continues, rambling on-topic.
“You know, Ana told me about how it felt like an endless hell when she was living as Shrike. There was a little respite in reminding herself her end goal had potential to bring good, but even that doesn’t quite heal the pain of being alone and having a past like that. Just offsets it a bit.” Cole’s voice grows smaller, his face softening as he glances up towards the stars. “Look where she is now. Gives me a scary amount of hope.”
Hanzo wishes he could capture his eye contact now. “Why not have hope? It does not have to be scary.”
Cole does glance up at him, but just for a moment. “Dunno. Don’t wanna let my guard down. Getting too cozy can be dangerous.”
He gets it, and he can’t argue against that, but he still has the incorrigible need to comfort this man. Humming, he tilts his head. “You can let yourself relax and still be aware. Caution does not have to bring you down so much. Not unless you let it.” A cool breeze whips through them, bringing Hanzo to shiver. “You can let yourself melt into a stew of insecurity, worry, fear, despair that consumes all of your paranoia but still leaves you on a constant simmer. Or, you can just be a little more conscious. Be careful, and still take care of yourself. But don’t let one bad thing consume you. Have a little hope.”
Finally, Cole does meet Hanzo’s eyes, their glossy surface twinkling in the light of the yellow lamps surrounding them. “Can’t believe I’m being out-optimism’d by Hanzo Shimada.”
Narrowing his eyes and smirking, Hanzo leans in. “Pessimism annoys me. I opt for realism. It is not my fault if reality trends towards the negative.”
“Okay, you win,” Cole says, aiming a smile at Hanzo that sets his insides on fire. “If you think I should keep hoping, is it fair to hope a sweet fella could bring me a cold drink to sip on in this heat?”
“Pfah!” Hanzo barks with laughter. “That is not how this works.”
“No?” Cole pouts, hand on his chest.
“No… but I will bring you something.” Hanzo moves to get up, smoothing out his jacket as he stands. “Beer? Or something harder?”
“With the stuff Rein’s got on draft? Beer.”
Dramatically, Hanzo sighs and turns on his heel. “Wish me luck on my journey.”
“Thanks Hanzo!” Cole calls after him as he walks away. “You’re the best!”
Hanzo feels light as he makes his way inside, heart fluttering him indoors with ease. It never gets old just how easy his banter with Cole comes. How easy everything with him comes. Maybe confessing his feelings would be just as easy. Especially with the newfound confidence Ana gave him, and maybe a little more alcohol.
Inside, the party is even livelier than before, the dance floor crowded and line for alcohol even more so. Groaning, he joins the eternal line, aching for the fresh outdoor air and enjoyable company. It’s overwhelming and stuffy among the crowd, but ultimately worth it to please Cole. Besides, it’s not like he couldn’t use another drink himself.
A loud cheer startles him from his ruminating about the line and he pivots his attention towards the action. On the dance floor, Lúcio fluidly dances, a sizable crowd surrounding him that only seems to be growing. Beside him, Hana seems to be attempting to mimic his movements, though her moves aren’t nearly as smooth as his. Still, she copies him well enough. It’s impressive, really. Others in the crowd join in and soon enough, most of the dance floor is doing a botched version of the dance as Lúcio falls to pieces with laughter.
The line moves faster than he expected, but still not fast enough. He can faintly hear someone at the bar making a bartender painstakingly explain the flavors of each of their ales. He tries to refocus his attention on the dance floor, but his eyes settle on Ana as they sweep the room. Looking directly at him, she raises an eyebrow when their eyes lock. He merely nods, hoping it conveys yes, I have intent to act on your words. She seems pleased enough and nods back, returning her attention to the table of people she’s sitting with.
Turning back towards the line, Hanzo sees Winston ambling away from the bar, two amber colored drinks in hand.
“HANZO!” Winston roars, swaying as he comes to a stop next to him. “You’ve gotta try this! It’s so good. Real- real fruity undertone. Under… note? Note. Just note.”
Grimacing, Hanzo takes a step back from the ape who has inched way too close to him. “Ah, I will keep that in mind. I do love a lighter brew.”
“Yes! Are you enjoying your night?” Winston loudly asks, paying no mind to Hanzo’s apprehension.
He’s seen Winston drunk, but not this drunk, and it’s a lot coming from a giant gorilla who isn’t used to intaking this much alcohol or known for his self-control. Still, Winston is nice and it is entertaining seeing his superior in such a state.
“It has been wonderful,” Hanzo replies, putting on a polite smile.
“This love being created… in our Overwatch!” Winston lets out a strangled chuckle, and when Hanzo meets his eyes, he can see them begin to wet. Frantically, he gives Winston’s shoulder an awkward pat and scrambles to say something.
“Yes, very lovely,” Hanzo says. “Do you not have someone to be getting one of those drinks to?” He asks, nodding down at his left hand.
“Oh.” Winston nervously laughs. “They’re both for me! But I should probably be getting back. Tracer’s waiting!” Winston grins at Hanzo, wide and goofy, before walking away towards the dining area. Hanzo lets out a breath of relief.
He only has a short time left in line which he spends composing himself for his confession. He runs through the best ways to go about this; how to perfectly word it. When he gets back out there, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a decent place to shoehorn in a simple question about going on a date.
Once he secures their drinks, he does some measured breathing and then heads back outside.
He comes out to the warm greeting of Cole’s sweet smile and brown, crinkled eyes. Hanzo slides a cup into his waiting hands and settles next to him, careful not to spill his drink as he sits. He hears Cole loudly take a few gulps from his beer, and it should gross him out, but he instead manages to find it charming.
“If you were that thirsty, I should have gotten you water,” Hanzo says as he eyes him, mouth barely turned up into a smile. Cole meets his gaze out of the corner of his eyes, smiling around his cup.
“Nah. No matter how dehydrated you are, beer’s more refreshing than water. Can’t explain it.”
“That would be the addictive properties, probably.” Hanzo grins victoriously when Cole lets out a huff of laughter, nearly choking on his drink. “You’re missing quite the show inside, by the way. Lúcio’s giving dance lessons to half the room and it seems Lena has gotten Winston quite drunk,” Hanzo says.
“Wait,” Cole sputters. “Drunk Winston? Like, actually wasted?”
“Mhm,” Hanzo hums. “He was being very emotional about Ana and Reinhardt’s marriage. Understandable, I suppose. He almost cried on me, though.”
“Can’t imagine you liked that,” Cole says, amused.
“What tipped you off?” Hanzo replies dryly. “Is the beer everything you dreamed it would be?” he asks, eyeing the already half-drunk cup. His eyes follow as Cole lifts it up to take another sip, his plump lips coming away from the rim wet with beer that he quickly licks up. Face flushing, Hanzo looks away, settling his eyes on his own drink.
There’s a pause before Cole responds, opening then closing his mouth, before opening it again to speak. “Think you bringing me it makes it taste even better than the ones I’ve already had,” he says.
It strikes Hanzo that this is the window he’s been needing, and he opens his mouth to speak the question he’s rehearsed before his brain can catch up with what’s happening and stop him.
“Speaking of drinks… Cole,” Hanzo starts, dragging his eyes up to meet Cole’s wide, expectant ones. “Would-“
Hanzo’s cut off by the sound of the door loudly banging open before slamming shut, and Winston comes barreling down the rocky pathway leading to their bench. He abruptly stops when he notices he isn’t alone, taking his glasses off and quickly wiping at his eyes.
Hanzo curses every god he’s ever heard of, balling up his fists and praying for Winston’s sake that his problems are life-or-death.
“Oh-“ Winston sniffles, loud and wet. “I didn’t think anyone was out here. I’m sorry-“
Winston chokes on his words and lets out a sob, which turns into a cascade of tears. Hanzo glances at Cole who glances back, looking just as lost as he is.
“Is everyone safe?” Hanzo asks, frowning when Winston seems confused by this question. “Everything is okay inside, right?” he elaborates, ignoring Cole’s suppressed laughter beside him.
“OH! Yes, everyone and everything is fine. I mean, I’m. I-“ Winston breaks off again, his cries cutting off his speech.
Clicking his tongue, Cole gets up and tentatively places an arm around Winston’s shoulder. “Hey big guy. It’s alright,” he soothes, giving his back a few pats with his outstretched arm. The comfort only makes Winston cry harder, and Cole looks to Hanzo with panicked eyes. Hanzo merely stares back at Cole, face blank. Cole squints at him then turns back to Winston. “You wanna talk about it?”
Solemnly nodding, Winston sighs. “I just. I knocked over one of the tables! It was humiliating,” he whines with slurred words.
“Aww, that could happen with any of us. It’s easy to forget how strong you are, especially when alcohol has you feeling so light,” Cole comforts.
“I guess,” Winston says, voice small. “But-but I think I stained Fareeha’s dress. And there’s such a mess to clean up… I think I even heard a crack from the table.”
Cole lets out a sympathetic hum. “We’ve all broken things we shouldn’t have in a drunken accident. Least they don’t have to clean up your puke or something! Could be a lot worse.”
Shaking his head, Winston whines, “I’m so big and clumsy, I shouldn’t have let myself drink.”
“Hey, I’m not gorilla sized but once I got drunk at a little Blackwatch get together, broke two computers, then puked in the punch bowl. Not my finest moment.”
At Hanzo’s raised eyebrow, Cole sends him a roguish grin, which Hanzo meets with his own.
“Once, I got drunk and caused the entire building I was inside of to collapse,” Hanzo boasts.
Cole’s outward disbelief only bolsters Hanzo’s grin. Winston’s pained face is briefly overridden by a look of confusion.
Hanzo crosses his arms and shrugs. “It was a dilapidated shack. It was likely already missing vital support beams.”
“Wow.” Winston swipes at his runny nose. “Thanks guys. I’m glad to know it’s not just a me thing.” Pausing, he glances at the ground. “Though I can’t say me didn’t come into play.”
Entirely done with this interaction—and Winston, at least until he can get over the impediment on his moment—Hanzo asks, “Why don’t you go inside and help them clean up? It might help to make you feel better.”
“Also might help soothe things if anyone is angry with you. If,” Cole agrees.
“I shouldn’t leave them to deal with my mess. You’re right.” Winston makes one last swipe at his eyes then puts his glasses back on. Cole retracts his arm. At Winston’s continued sniffling, Hanzo pulls out a small package of tissues and hands it over. He loudly blows into several tissues, and Hanzo can’t decide if that or the sound of the sniffles is more displeasing.
“I find dealing with a mistake head on often leads to the best outcome,” Hanzo says, pushing through his annoyance.
Winston only hangs around another minute to finish composing himself, giving his thanks to Hanzo and Cole before hobbling back down the path and out of view.
“Well…” Cole says, standing awkwardly in Winston’s wake. Hanzo slides down the bench, teeth clenched, his resolve now thoroughly broken. “How much alcohol you think he had to drink to reach that state?”
Hanzo huffs a laugh. “Enough to make Ana and Reinhardt regret having an open bar.”
Looking at Hanzo with an easy smile, Cole sits back down on the bench, elbow resting on the seat behind him so he can easily turn towards Hanzo. “If he really did stain Fareeha’s dress, he’s gonna want to sleep with his eyes open. She’s been bragging about how Satya made it for her. Real expensive fabric, too. Think it’s some sort of silk or something?”
“Perhaps I should not have advised him to go back inside, then. I once accidentally sat on a scarf she was sewing and she did not speak to me for a week.”
Chuckling, Cole nods his head in understanding. “Lena probably feels real bad for encouraging Winston to drink so much. Glad we’re not inside anymore, sounds like a real mess.”
“And yet some of the mess still found us out here.”
“Yeah. Trouble has its way of always finding us, huh? What’s the appropriateness of seeing your boss in that sort of state anyway?”
Hanzo raises an eyebrow. “I cannot say I’ve had many normal bosses in my lifetime, but I’m guessing not very.”
At that quip, Cole begins to shake with laughter. He’s unsure if Cole finds the idea of the nature of his previous bosses or the prospect of Winston being plastered funnier, but Hanzo still finds himself bowing his head forward as he laughs with him. He startles when a nearby voice cuts through their laughter.
“Thank you Hanzo, my goodness. Now I don’t have to find myself stressing about Cole’s love life on my honeymoon. It’s just Fareeha who I need to pair off now.”
The two of them freeze, then Hanzo slowly turns his head towards Ana, standing at the end of the path. As the silence drags on, her smile drops.
“Oh. Oh. I’ve terribly misread this,” Ana says, humming in thought as she shuffles her feet, unsure where to go.
Letting out a nervous laugh, Cole runs a hand through his hair. “Ana…”
She purses her lips and runs a hand down her braid before letting out a groan. “Just talk you two, won’t you? I feel bad, but I’m not going to apologize for this,” she states, resolutely turning around and walking away.
Hanzo stares down the now empty path, as if perhaps he can will her right back in front of them to dissipate the uncomfortableness she has caused. This is not how he wanted things to go. He isn’t ready. This isn’t according to any of the scripts he had formed.
He takes into consideration the fact that Cole hasn’t gotten up and run away from him, though, and tries to ground himself, fighting against the doom he so intimately knows as he steadies his breathing. It’s tiring continuously hiding away from difficult emotions and situations he’s unsure how to navigate. He lets out one last, long breath and faces Cole with a hesitant gaze.
“Would trust her with the secrets of the universe, hm?”
In an instant, all of Cole’s tension releases and he covers his face with his hands, laughing deeply. “Might have to rethink that,” he says, peeking up from his fingers.
With careful hands, Hanzo grabs his wrists and pulls his hands away from his face. He slots his hands into Cole’s, which he finds are pleasantly soft yet firm. Hanzo searches his face, laced with a subtle anxiety only betrayed by his wobbly smile. It’s sweet and pushes forward the question Hanzo has been aching to ask.
“So,” he says, struggling to tamp down a nervous smile. “Would you want to go out for dinner sometime?”
“Dinner?” Cole sputters. “Hell, I’d love to have it all with you. Apértifs, four course meal. Walk to an ice cream shop when our stomachs can stand more food. Drinks at the bar later. Can’t forget the bar food, too.”
Hanzo shakes his head, helplessly charmed. “How about we start with lunch tomorrow?”
“Or drinks tonight?” Cole asks with a shrug.
“It’s 10 pm.”
“Yeah, but the night’s still young.” Cole smirks up at Hanzo. “Besides, how often are we gonna be able to get free alcohol on a date?”
Hanzo considers this. It’s a surprisingly strong point. Besides, who is he to turn down immediate romantic company with Cole.
“Fair point,” he concedes, rubbing his thumbs over Cole’s knuckles. “Besides, I could really use another drink after… all that.”
Cole watches their hands, the corner of his mouth lifting up. “Sounds good. As long as you don’t let yourself get Winston-caliber drunk, at least.”
Hanzo scoffs. “You’ve certainly seen me in worse states before.”
“True. Not while on a date, though. That’s a bit different.”
“Fair point.” Hanzo pulls away from Cole and stands, holding an expectant hand out. “Do you suppose it’s safe to go in there? Or do you think Winston has crashed into the entire DJ-set?”
Cole takes his hand and lets it pull him up, squeezing Hanzo’s fingers when he interlaces them. “Definitely possible Hana and Lúcio talked him into dancing and things went downhill. Mighta thought a good dance could cheer him up and it backfired.”
They head inside and grab more drinks, Hana assaulting them in line to try and convince them to at least partake in the actual partying, insisting everyone else has given the dance floor a shot but them. Cole valiantly gets them out of it, lying that he’s too drunk and will throw up with that much movement. Things are relatively calm inside despite most people having imbued enough alcohol to kill an elephant. Still, they find themselves making their way back outside, too excited about each other to make conversation with others. Their beers, however nice and far away they were imported from, are soon set aside and forgotten in favor of licking their way into one another’s mouth. There are no more interruptions and Hanzo has no intention of stopping after today’s impediments. The only thing capable of stopping him at this point is his own heart giving out every time they pull away and Cole smiles at him with that smile Hanzo has never seen before.