Work Text:
As their time in America progressed Genji started to pick up on a habit Hanzo had developed. Or maybe it was always there? It was Hanzo's day off and they were in their apartment together. He had noticed the quick pace of Hanzo's leg bouncing in anticipation for nothing.
If it wasn't his leg, it was his hands. He had given Genji one or two heart attacks with him tossing and spinning his phone around like it wasn't worth hundreds of dollars.
He was starting to get worried. Was Hanzo having anxiety about something? Was he worried?
"Hanzo," Genji approached his brother who was sitting in their living room from their kitchen.
"Yes Genji?" Hanzo turned around from the couch that was facing away from the kitchen.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Hanzo had a curious look on his face, had he been acting strange.
"It's just, you've been moving a lot? I don't know how to exactly explain it, but you seem like you can't stay still, are you worried about anything?" Genji leaned against the door frame of their kitchen - less tense - seeing as how Hanzo seemed calmer.
"I have? I've noticed I do have a tendency to move around, but I can assure you I'm alright." Genji hummed which was followed by a surprisingly awkward silence. Seeing as there was nothing else to say, he walked back into the kitchen to continue making lunch for the both of them. He continued to think about his brother's habits, back in Japan his father was very strict on them, Hanzo especially.
Their family was very prominent, with Hanzo next in line to inherit their own company to officially run all the stores. With them owning a lot of the businesses in the area - and around the world - they have become famous in some states and even countries.
Due to this, Hanzo was always so clean cut. You would think he was the perfect son - soon to be hired to the company, always beaten down into submission and guilted into trying to become a successor - because if he didn't, that would mean he didn't care about their family. You were a back stabber, tainted blood, and most likely kicked out.
Although behind closed doors, Genji does recall his brother shifting from side to side in the comfort of his own room. The meticulous brushing and counting of each stroke of his brush, how his fingers wedged together and squirmed behind his back when there father would reprimand him.
Genji had forgotten these minor details, maybe because they were just that minor; or maybe it was their father’s way of discipline that got Hanzo to keep this habit under control - at least in public spaces. But as of now, Hanzo doesn't have anything to worry about. He felt safer, and could do things he couldn't normally have done.
After lunch, Genji pulled out his phone and started googling.
"What is it called when someone can't stop bouncing there leg?"
"Why can't I stay still"
"Is there a reason why I mess with my hands?"
"Can you move a lot without it being nervousness or anxiety?"
Genji soon found out that Hanzo was just doing something called “fidgeting” or “stimming.” He had heard of the term “fidgeting” but not “stimming" although they do go hand in hand. They were nothing harmful and if anything useful, it was just a way to regulate attention in your body - to help keep you focused on something when you can't stay still, or just to simply stimulate your brain when stationary.
Hanzo definitely had an issue with overworking himself - having the need to be productive or do something. Although he enjoyed working, it often tired him out and he was happy his brother found a way to release steam without being destructive toward himself.
He kept on googling and found out that some people use things called “fidget toys.” Pretty self explanatory, although a lot of them were brightly colored and marketed to children.
Maybe he could try and get some for Hanzo. There was a toy store not far from his work he could swing by.
Genji started to brew a plan, he could paint some of the fidget toys and decorate them to give it a more "Hanzo-y" vibe. He was an artist. It shouldn't be that hard. Maybe spray paint them, paint details and put some sealant on.
His brother had always taken care of him no matter what - even if it meant sneaking out and fleeing the country from their abusive father - this should be a piece of cake.
-
-
-
-
-
Hanzo had already realized his bad habit of fidgeting, he was kind of embarrassed of it since he was always so calm and collected. But no matter how hard he tried - whenever he was in the comfort of his own home or not - it was as if his brain just went loose and he would absentmindedly fidget. On his way to work, he passed by a toy store that was at the corner of the street and at the window, they had fidget toys on display.
It was tempting, but he was better than that. Anyways, he was thee Hanzo Shimada and he shouldn't waste his time or money on brightly colored toys. His pride wouldn't let him. Although they weren't in Japan anymore, he still felt he had an image to uphold. He needed to be calm, clean, and collected, only ever doing his best; not some uncollected, jittery mess.
He did admit that when he couldn't move, he felt like he was holding his breath. It was harder to focus on not fidgeting while doing work than if he was to just fidget with something while fixing up flowers. His work colleagues seem to not have noticed so at least he was able to hide it from them. Truly, they are all very kind, but of course he couldn't hide this habit from his younger brother.
Although Genji was more loose and easy going than Hanzo, he still had quite a watchful eye. The young sparrow wasn't naive. But if Hanzo played it cool, his persona that he prided himself on wouldn't be broken.
-
-
-
-
-
Genji had been scheduled for work on Monday, forcing himself to get out of the warm bed he had cocooned himself into. Once he got to work, he clocked in and ventured to the front to approach a taller man - a dear friend of his. "Hey Cassidy," Genji said while leaning onto the front desk.
"Oh hey Genji, good thing you’re here. I have a client in - give or take 20."
"Yeah, don't sweat it." Genji went behind the counter with Cassidy to help take a few phone calls. A small silence fell in the tattoo parlor, the sound of the buzzing tattoo machine making some good white noise as Oliva was working on a sleeve.
"Hey Cassidy, could I ask you for a favor?"
"Well depends, what typa' favor would you recon?" Cassidy's southern drawl dripped into his voice. His cowboy slang, stronger than usual.
"Did you just watch another cowboy movie?"
"How'd ya know?" Cole gave a hearty laugh. It seems like after he's reminded of the accent, it gets thicker. It’s fresher in his mind.
"Well, I want to get this thing for my brother, but it's more childish. I know he would be self-conscious about using it since it's so brightly colored, so I was wondering if I could come over for a couple of days to paint it and let it cure since you have a backyard." Genji was over-explaining horribly. He could have just said that he wanted to use spray paint, but couldn't because of the fumes. Well cats out of the bag now - there was nothing he could do.
"Sure, what typa’ thing is it? If ya don't mind my askin’, I’mma bit curious now."
"Oh it's just a fidget toy. I thought he'd like to have one since he usually likes to keep his hands busy."
"Alright, I'll wait for you after my shift then." The bell jingled, catching their attention. It was Cassidy's client.
"Well I best be off now, talk to you later Genji." Cole gave him a sturdy pat as he greeted his client.
｡ﾟﾟ*✩‧₊
˚ﾟ*✩‧₊
˚ﾟ*✩‧₊
˚ﾟ*✩‧₊
˚ﾟ*✩‧₊
It was finally Genji's lunch. He scarfed down his sandwich like it would grow feet and run - similarly to him as he made his way to the toy store. He looked at the array of choices, and wanted to go for a compact feel. There was one called a “Twisty” - a hard multicolor string that twisted around.
It wasn't too big, it could fit in your pocket. So he grabbed two. Can't he also enjoy a fidget toy once and a while too? Then he saw another. A cube with a bunch of little buttons. Luckily for him, they had it in solid black. It was perfect.
Genji found a couple more - one dubbed, "Bubble Burst Mini" - some of these names sound so silly. It was a small parrot with a smaller blue circle you could pop back and forth next to something that was essentially the same, but on a keychain.
Lastly, he grabbed a mesh one that had a marble in it. You would simply move it back and forth. The ninja started to brew ideas; he wanted to make the toys look more Hanzo-y. With his prize, Genji ran back to work, excited to finish his shift.
♬‧*˚✧
♬‧*˚✧
♬‧*˚✧
♬‧*˚✧
After Genji's shift, both he and Cole walked to his house. He lived not too far from the shop. Once they got there, they went to the back and Genji quickly got to work; deciding to just paint the “Twisty” black. For the "Bubble Burst Mini," he wanted to paint two blue dragons next to a smaller, green dragon as they were the spirits Genji's family had believed and worshiped.
Their mother used to tell them they were those dragons. Brothers who were always able to come together side by side again no matter what. This was one of the main reasons why Genji loved the color green, and he thinks Hanzo started leaning into blues because of it as well.
The next week was all the same. Genji would finish work and go to Cassidy's house for an hour or so sanding, painting and varnishing; all while making sure the components of the toys still worked. He also got to hang out with Cole as a bonus. But finally, he had finished. They were such small things. He was very proud of himself and couldn't wait to give it to his brother.
His stubbornness will definitely fold since Genji had put so much effort into this. He bought a box, put all the toys in it and placed some ribbon on top. He just had to wait until their schedules matched up so he could finally give his small, but mighty gift.
ﾟ*✩‧₊˚
ﾟ*✩‧₊˚
ﾟ*✩‧₊˚
ﾟ*✩‧₊˚
ﾟ*✩‧₊˚
Finally, it was Sunday. The day Genji and Hanzo both shared a day off. It was still morning so Genji figured he would give it to him during lunch. He was an early bird, choosing to wake up at 7:30 am on his free days. Stretching until he got up, Genji took a shower and then went down to make breakfast.
He made some pancakes - nothing too special - but unlike him, the older Shimada struggled to get out of bed. If he could, he would sleep in till noon. Genji served some pancakes for his brother and knocked on the door before opening it. Without waiting, he turned on the light, hearing a groan come from Hanzo while he covered his eyes with his blanket. The ninja placed down the plate next to him, "Eat it before it gets cold," and with a tired sigh, Hanzo got up by 8:40.
As much as he would let Hanzo sleep in, it was their routine, Genji wanted to make sure his brother got all 3 meals when he could. Hanzo can skip out on eating most meals on the days which opted for work. But instead, a quiet, tired voice called, “Thank you.” Genji gave a thumbs up, and walked out the room. He needed to clean the dishes, his least favorite part.
-
-
-
-
-
It was later in the day when Hanzo truly started getting ready. He took a shower and got on a pair of clean clothes as he started to brush his hair. He spent a couple hours hugging a giant dragon plush while he was on the couch watching movies with Genji.
He had gotten it when his younger brother won it at an arcade with his friends. It was right around lunch time and he decided to make spaghetti. Why? He was simply too lazy to make anything else; he had just worked the closing shift yesterday and was not feeling it. After the food was ready, he called for Genji - who jumped - and looked suspiciously nervous.
Had he broken something? Perhaps done something stupid? Well, when hadn't he? Genji took a seat across from Hanzo and began to eat.
"What did you do?" Genji nearly choked after the question.
"What?"
"You're acting suspicious like you did something." He raised a brow and gave him the stare; something he did when he wanted Genji to spit it out - which worked 85% of the time.
"I don't know what you're talking about," his eyes shifted to the side as he shoved spaghetti in his mouth like his mother never taught him basic manners.
"Uh huh…" giving a skeptical look, he continued eating.
☆≡
ﾟ☆≡
ﾟ☆≡
ﾟ☆≡
Genji was out of his seat before Hanzo finished. Putting his dishes in the sink, and dashing up to his room before Hanzo could scold him for not washing his dishes. Giving a loud sigh, he continued to eat. But right as he finished, he heard Genji rush back down the stairs, box in hand.
"What are you-"
"HERE YOU GO, OH GREAT BROTHER OF MINE!" Genji slammed the box down with the biggest smile on his face. His elder brother looked surprised. Genji would give him a small gift every now and then, but this was a much bigger box.
"Now it's nothing too special, trust me. Please don't get your hopes up, although I think you would like it." Hanzo looked down at the box and undid the ribbon, lifting the lid. There sat the fidget toys he had been looking at. But this time, he could see the brush strokes and hand painted little dragons on one.
-
-
-
-
-
"I know you like to act all cool and stuff, so I painted them to make them cooler-looking. Of course, you don't have to use them. I mean, I get it if-" Genji rambled. He shut himself up when suddenly, he felt his back crack as his brother gave him a sturdy hug.
"Thank you, Genji. They’re wonderful. How did you even paint on such a small scale?"
"Pfft, well I mean it's nothing for the, oh-so-great Genji Shimada." Putting his hands on his hips, he puffed out his chest to look stronger. After a small pause, they bursted out laughing.
"Thank you for thinking of me Genji, truly." He couldn't help but smile, happy that he pleased his brother.
-
-
-
-
-
Hanzo did start to use the fidget toys. The keychain one was really nice to have, only using the dragon-painted one at home. He didn't want the paint to chip even though Genji assured him he used a good sealing agent that would make sure it would stay. He really did like them, and used them often - especially since they were so discreet - he even used them at work in his pocket.