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The first time Cole Cassidy saw Hanzo’s twin dragons, they were a sheer display of power. Massive, ethereal, and deadly. He seriously doubted he would have believed any previous explanation or mentioning of their existence if he had not at first witnessed Genji’s lone dragon from years of fighting at his side during the golden days of Overwatch. Hanzo’s two were far different than Genji’s one though, terrifying as they were, twining together in a dance through the air and cutting down anyone stupid enough to remain in their path.
The second time Cole Cassidy saw Hanzo’s twin dragons and was properly introduced to said dragons was not in the middle of a skirmish with Talon agents. It was during a dreary afternoon in a safe house on the outer edge of London, where the team had decided to lay low as they waited on Lucio and Tracer to return with intel.
Cassidy himself never liked the downtime where hiding was a better course of action than literally anything else, and had been attempting to busy himself with a one man game of Blackjack. He’d offered up the game to Reinhardt and Torbjorn, but apparently, they now refuse to play any sort of card game with him anymore since they’re convinced he cheats somehow. Ah well, perhaps he’d eventually manage to convince Hanzo to play.
The assassin in question was sitting cross-legged on the bed in the corner of the small room they shared, deep in meditation it seemed. He’d been taking tips from Zenyatta, and even Genji, on mediation in hopes that it would help him mellow out a little and give him time to deal with the things he’d done. The Shimada brothers’ relationship was improving little by little each day at least. Hanzo no longer avoided Genji entirely as he had done when he had first shown up to their little ragtag attempt to get Overwatch back in some sort of working order, and Genji was just enjoying having his brother back for what he hoped was for good.
Cassidy snuck a glance over to Hanzo, perhaps admiring him a little too closely, but that’s just what you do when you’re a lovestruck fool. The assassin seemed to be relatively at peace, the furrow that usually marred his brow, while still there, had lessened considerably. It was in the middle of him studying Hanzo’s face when Cassidy noticed a shiver of movement near Hanzo’s side. It was then he actually noticed the small and slender serpentine form curled around the sake gourd Hanzo had tied to his side. A small, slender, and glowing serpentine form to be exact.
It took a while for Cassidy to register the sight he was seeing as he watched the tiny creature move, the thing seemingly attempting to pull the cork from the mouth of the bottle. Very slowly. Like the thing, whatever it was, was trying to be sneaky about it.
“Uh… Hanzo, Darlin’?”
He was answered by a twitch to Hanzo’s mouth followed by a low humming noise, the assassin’s way of letting him know he’d heard him clearly. He didn't bother opening his eyes though.
“There’s a… ya seem to have a little friend messin’ around with yer sake.”
That made the other man open his eyes, blinking blearily at Cassidy before turning his gaze to the gourd at his side. It also just so happened that the tiny serpentine creature had just managed to pull the cork from the bottle and had wriggled its front halfway into the container just as Hanzo turned his attention to it.
Cassidy had expected more of a reaction out of Hanzo than the exasperated sigh the man did make in response to seeing the tiny creature.
“Soba, get out of there. That is not meant for you.” at the sound of Hanzo’s voice the tiny being seized up it’s wriggling form, and a faint distressed chirp sounded from inside the bottle before the creature backed out of it.
Hanzo moved then, gathering the small creature in his hands as Cassidy watched with eyebrows raised in disbelief to the point where they disappeared under his hat. Hanzo seemed to remember his presence after he re-corked the sake gourd, meeting Cassidy’s stunned gaze briefly, confusion crossing his face before realization followed it.
“Ah, that is right, you have not seen them in this form.” Hanzo nodded in the direction of the small creature currently curled around his forearm where he held it in his lap.
“‘Them’?” Cassidy’s eyes immediately darted around the room, “I only see the one.”
Hanzo only stared at him before he pointedly looked up and above Cassidy’s head to the top of his hat, “I am surprised you have not yet noticed the other. He has taken a liking to your hat.”
“I hope that means he likes me,” Cassidy muttered, carefully moving to pull his hat off in a way that wouldn’t hopefully disturb its apparent inhabitant.
Sure enough, curled around his hat and gnawing at the gold decal while also scrabbling at it with tiny clawed arms was the twin to the other serpent. It only slowed it’s attempt to pry the decoration off the hat when it noticed Cassidy’s accusatory stare, turning its head this way and that to try to fit it’s mouth on the gold piece as one last-ditch effort to take it for its own.
“Udon, cease your attempts to steal from Cole, you are being rude.” was Hanzo’s chastisement for this one, and in one swift motion the creature was unwound from around the hat and soon floating over to join it’s brother in Hanzo’s lap.
“Are those little friends of yers who I think they are?” Cassidy asked, card game long forgotten as he peered with interest and the tiny forms Hanzo was cradling close to his person.
“If that is your way of telling me that you have come to the conclusion that these are my spirit dragons, then yes.” Hanzo adjusted them so Cassidy could see them better, “The calmer of the two is Soba, and Udon is the troublemaker. Not that they do not create enough trouble between the two of them.” Hanzo’s face was still as stoic as ever, but his voice betrayed his fondness, “They have been at my side since birth, and were my playmates before my mother gave birth to Genji.”
Cassidy gave a low whistle, “They’re awful tiny. Last time I saw ‘em was when… well y’know, they were chompin’ down on Talon personnel. It’s hard ta believe they’re one ’n the same.”
“They do not manifest outside of combat often, but when they do they often take this smaller, more delicate form. I never questioned why.”
Cassidy did not miss the way Hanzo had curled the dragons in closer to himself when he spoke of their form as they appeared now, and the brief emotion to flicker across Hanzo’s face could only be described as reverent.
However brief it was, but it was pretty darn cute to see the bond Hanzo had made with his dragons was so important to him.
“Never thought they could do this in the first place,” Cassidy had pulled the chair from the small table he’d used for his card game over to sit in front of Hanzo, “They’re like… long cats.”
That caused Hanzo’s face to pull back into his usual stoic expression, though annoyance flickered in his eyes, accompanied by a terse “Cole”.
Cassidy only chuckled, “The thought hadta had occurred ta ya at least once.” the outlaw extended his human hand to slowly attempt to pet the one that had curled up on his hat, content when the small dragon both leant into the touch and that he was even able to pet it, “What didja say their names were?”
“Soba and Udon.”
It took a moment for the realization to kick in, but when it did it caused a wide grin to split Cassidy’s face and for him to raise his eyebrows at his lover. Hanzo in turn only lifted his chin, indignant and slightly flushed in the face due to his embarrassment.
“I was five when I named them.” Hanzo supplied in his own defense, his face turning redder still as he noticed Cassidy's form start to shake with laughter, “Cole!”
Cassidy could only attempt to suppress his giggle at his lover’s expense.