Chapter Text
Shoving a sheet of paper into someone’s face isn’t exactly the best way to greet them. Especially when that someone is jumpy-ass Jesse McCree, all hopped up on caffeine since he’d had to pull an all-nighter to study for the midterm in that very class.
In hindsight, he should have gotten his studying in at a way earlier date, but if Jesse was anything, he was a master procrastinator. Like, an absolute professional at putting things off. It was godlike, almost. That didn’t mean, though, that he didn’t feel like a complete moron for barely being conscious at the grace of a few coffee beans and several shots of 5-hour energy.
“Jack,” Jesse growled, batting the Indiana farm boy’s hand out of his face perhaps a bit too roughly, eyes shooting daggers, “the hell is this? You tryin’ to give me test answers or somethin’?” Jesse shook his head, beginning to wag his finger in semi-mock disapproval before he paused. “Wait a second, you ain’t even in this cla— “
Jack flashed his stupid, charming country boy smile at the surly junior and waved the paper in his hand more insistently. “It’s an invitation,” he drawled, smacking the paper face-up onto Jesse’s desk. “I’m having a party, and I want you to come.”
Jesse peered down at the paper warily. He’d been to Jack Morrison’s “parties” before, and they hadn’t really been parties so much as a group of teenagers sitting in the Morrison’s living room drinking juice boxes and eating healthy snacks while the Carpenters played in the background. Snore.
He wasn’t sure what would possess Jack to throw another party following his previous history of monotonous social gatherings that people only attended out of kindness, but he decided to humor the poor guy. It was Jack’s last year in high school, and thus his last year as acting Den Mother of their ragtag group of misfits. He began to read it aloud.
“PARTY. FIRST SATURDAY OF SPRING BREAK. 2334 SOMBRA DRIVE. Really?”
He snorted. It looked like Jack had written it with crayon. “You took the time t’ write out each individual invitation? Unless it’s that kinda party,” he put air quotations around party, “and you’re only invitin’ little ol’ me..” Jesse grinned and wiggled his eyebrows, earning an elbow in the side courtesy of the upperclassman.
“Cut it out,” Jack murmured, though if one looked closer they’d notice that he was a bit flushed. “I’m also inviting Gabe—”
“Ah, so it is that kind of party.”
Jack narrowed his eyes and punched Jesse in the shoulder, reddening even more at the mention of Gabriel Reyes’s name. “Quit foolin’ around! You didn’t let me finish. I’m inviting everybody, you ain’t special , and it certainly is not goin’ to be whatever the hell you had in mind, you... pervert.” Jack scratched his chin. “Ain’t you and Hanzo… y’know, anyway?”
Pfft . He wishes. To tell the truth, Jesse wasn’t too sure what with going on with Hanzo. They held hands, slept curled up next to each other, hell, they’d even been on outings that could qualify as dates , but both boys had yet to actually confront the other on what their relationship was. Jesse was waiting for Hanzo to make the first move, but he supposed that Hanzo was also doing that. Eventually he’d have to get to the bottom of it, but for now, he was content with lingering touches and fond glances from across the classroom from time to time. It was certainly more than most others could say they’ve ever done with Hanzo; most of their group hadn’t even managed to hold a full conversation with the standoffish archery team captain yet. Jack was one of those people, which was probably why he had assumed that the two were already dating due to their closeness.
“Not sure, actually,” Jesse finally answered. “I’ll have to get back t’ ya on that. Anyway, I’ll come, but please, Jack, tell me there’ll at least be beer this time.”
Jack’s eyes shined. “Oh, you bet your ass there’ll be beer. Parents are gonna be out of town all break, so I’m capitalizin’ on that.” He scratched his jaw nervously as he said this. Of course goody-two-shoes school council president varsity quarterback Jack Morrison was nervous about destroying his parent’s trust and potentially ruining their house. If Jesse hadn’t already earned his reputation as the school’s resident troublemaker (alongside Jamison), he’d probably be equally as antsy about the whole ordeal.
Jack spoke up again. “Uh, but I don’t think I’m going to let the younger kids have more than a few sips. And I’m not going to drink at all.” He laughed sheepishly. “Someone’s gotta keep watch.
Of course, Jack the ever-fatherly was going to be looking after everyone. For this, Jesse was grateful, because he planned on getting totally wasted.
Jesse smirked. “Yeah, yeah, alright, I’m definitely comin’ then. I’ll try draggin’ Hanzo along.” He sighed and tapped his fingers on his desk, suddenly a bit anxious himself. Must be the energy drinks catching up to him. “Don’t think he’s ever been to a real party before.”
“Well, I hope I can give him a good first impression, then,” Jack sighed, gathering up the rest of his papers and turning towards the door. “I’ll see you later, Jesse, I’ve gotta get to class.”
“‘Course ya do. See ya.”
Jesse redirected his attention to the paper that the teacher had just smacked onto his desk. Jeez, he was in for it.
“Woo! Victorious yet again!”
Zarya and Amelie gave Lena high-fives as she zipped past, any trace of sweat on her face completely hidden, if it had even existed at all. Genji and Lúcio came ambling soon after, both looking as if they were about to collapse on the spot. Zarya tsked, folding her massive arms and shaking her head at the two exhausted boys. “Should know better than to try and race Lena. It’s like challenging a monkey to a banana eating contest.”
Genji peered up at the pink-haired girl from underneath his now-messy mop of green hair, scowling. “That’s a pretty weird analogy, Zaryanova.” He groaned, sliding both hands down his sweaty face. Disgusting. He’d have to take, like, three showers to feel fresh again.
Lúcio hummed in agreement, though it sounded more like a whimper. He had just barely beaten Genji in the race, but as a result, his legs felt like jelly. He’d probably have to get Zarya to carry him home, which would have been extremely embarrassing had it not already happened multiple times before. He never really learned his lesson.
“She’s right, though,” Lena gloated, skipping over and pecking Amelie on the cheek, at which the French girl blushed. “Shouldn’t challenge the star of the junior varsity track team. Most likely won’t end well for ya.”
“Whatever.” Genji huffed and stuck out his hand. “Help me up.”
The girl nodded and bent over to grab Genji’s hand, after which the sophomore snickered and tugged her down to the floor with him and Lúcio. He grinned at Lena’s puzzled expression as she hit the floor. “Sike!”
The girl sat up, flabbergasted, eyes narrowed in playful anger. She couldn’t help but smile back; his was infectious.
“Oh! Shimada, I’m going to kick your rump for th— “
Lena was promptly cut off by the younger Shimada brother clapping his hand over her mouth, a wild expression in his eyes. She was about to push him off and give him the beating of a lifetime before she saw what he was staring at and stifled a giggle. All thanks to him muffling her, of course.
Gabriel Reyes in all of his joth glory was making his way towards them, which struck Lena as a bit odd, considering he never really hung out with any of the sophomores or freshmen in their little gang unless Jack or Jesse were there, with the exception of Amelie. Maybe that was why he was heading over? It was still out of the ordinary.
Genji, who everyone else in the group had long ago discovered had a thing for goth jocks named Gabriel Reyes, was ecstatic.
“Hi, Gabriel!” Genji removed his hand from Lena’s mouth and waved at the senior with it, flashing him a grin. He was suddenly extremely aware of the fact that his hair was all over the place and that he was sweating like a pig. It took all of his willpower to not melt on the spot. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”
An amused look from Gabriel. He.. wow! Wow! He was actually smiling back at Genji. And it wasn’t one of his sarcastic smirks, it was actually a legitimate upwards turning of the corners of his mouth.
“I’m just a messenger since Mama Morrison couldn’t show up himself,” Gabriel explained, reaching into his bag and pulling out a wad of papers. “He’s havin’ a party, and he wants all of his kids to come. That means you guys.” He handed each of them Jack’s handwritten— Gabriel had seriously thought Jesse was lying when he had said the dude’d used Crayolas— invitations, stuffing the extra papers into his bag.
Lúcio laughed and studied his invitation. “Did he actually call us his kids?”
That earned one of Gabriel’s smirks. Ah, there it was. Genji’s heart fluttered at the sight.
“No, he didn’t, but that’s basically what you all are to him.” Gabriel looked around, lowering his voice to a loud whisper and cupping the side of his mouth with his hand. “Don’t tell him I told you that, he’ll get all embarrassed. You know how he is.”
Genji giggled, perhaps a bit too loudly, folding his invitation and placing it in his pocket. “You’re going, right, Gabriel? To the party?”
The senior turned his attention to Genji, dark eyes boring into his own. If his cheeks looked as red as they felt, that’d be it. He’d have blown it. Thankfully, if they were, Gabriel didn’t comment on it, instead giving a low laugh, nodding at the younger Shimada brother. “‘Course I am. It ain’t a party without me there.” Genji giggled again, mentally chiding himself for behaving so foolishly in front of an upperclassmen. Crushes be damned. If Hanzo were here, he’d probably be getting an earful about respect and all that.
Gabriel returned his attention to the others, shoving his hands into his pockets and nodding at them. “Well, my job here’s done. Any questions, concerns, talk to the guero . I’m out.”
“See ya, Gabe!”
Genji blushed furiously as he waved at the departing figure, almost wringing his hand off in the process. He was going to party— a real one this time— and Gabriel was going to be there. Gabriel Reyes, the edgy goth kid with the thighs of a god who had effectively stolen Genji’s young, boyish heart with nothing more than a few grunts and lopsided grins. Genji really had it bad, but he surprisingly wasn’t the only one with a crush on Gabriel; any fool could tell that Jack was head over heels for the guy, though no one really acknowledged it. Jack himself probably wasn’t even aware of his own crush.. the dude could be pretty dense, for a straight-A student.
Now that Genji thought about it, actually, he swore he’d seen Jesse salivating one time when Gabriel took his sweat-soaked shirt off after a run, though in the time that Genji was able to blink the expression on Jesse’s face was replaced with a forced neutral one. He swore he’d even witnessed Angela blushing after an extended interaction with Gabriel, though that could likely be attributed to the guy’s habit of getting in a person’s face when he talked to them more than any romantic interest. Genji was pretty sure Angela preferred girls, anyway, if the way she talked to Fareeha was any indication.
Genji was shaken out of his thoughts quite literally by Lena jostling his arm, the playful anger back in her expression. “Get ahold of yourself, loverboy!”
“Wh—” Genji spluttered. “What are you talking about?!”
“Don’t be daft!” Lena narrowed her eyebrows, a devilish grin on her face. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Now get up! We’re going to grab a bite to eat, and you’re coming.”
Genji let himself be pulled up by Lena, wrenching free of her grasp and rubbing his arm. “Fine. It’s your turn to pay this time, though.” Too many times had Lena made some excuse to get him to buy her her lunch, and though his parents were wealthy, he preferred to not spend his allowance on Lena’s gluttony. He had no idea where she put all of the food she ate, though he supposed that all of the excess calories were burnt off at every track practice. Still, though. She should at least look less wiry.
Lena laughed at that. “Of course! I’m only about 20 billion dollars in debt to you, Shimada.”
“It isn’t that much.” Genji crossed his arms and huffed.
“It’s called a hyperbola , Genji,” Lena snickered, drawing out the vowels in the word for emphasis. “If you actually paid attention in English class rather than thinking about Re— “
Amelie interrupted, an amused smile on her otherwise expressionless face. “A hyperbola is a mathematical function. You’re thinking about a hyperbole, cherie .”
Lena blushed at her mistake, earning a laugh from Genji. He ran his hands through his messy hair and sighed, strolling over to where Zarya was currently carrying Lúcio bridal-style. “You guys coming?”
“The little music man’s legs are like jelly,” Zarya professed. “He is not going anywhere. I will take him home.” Lúcio seemed embarrassed at that, though he said nothing. His expression said it all.
“Well, alrighty then.” Tracer zipped over to pat Lúcio on the head. “Hope your legs feel better, love. I’ll eat two extra double cheeseburgers in your honor.”
“Make it three,” Lúcio leveled, grinning. “See ya tomorrow, Oxton.”
With that he and Zarya set off, leaving Amelie, Lena, and Genji lingering by the track. They were silent for a moment before Amelie spoke up, which surprised both Genji and Lena. She hardly ever opened her mouth unless she and Lena were alone, or if Gabriel were there.
“None of us ‘ave a car.” She turned her icy gaze to Genji, though it held no malice. “The nearest fast food establishment is two miles away. I am not walking there.”
Genji put his hand to his chin in thought. Yes, it was true. None of them had cars. While Genji was 16, he had yet to acquire a driver’s license, instead choosing to leech off of his brother whenever he needed a ride. This earned nothing but more ire and lectures about responsibility on Hanzo’s end, though he had yet to be denied passage by his benevolent ferryman.
Genji whipped out his phone.
Hanzo collapsed onto his couch as soon as he got inside of the house, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really hated being his younger brother’s taxi driver, the boy in question skipping into the house after him. And now Jesse was blowing up his phone with god-knows-what, and all he wanted was to take a bath. To relax. He’d spent the entire day taking midterms for half of his classes, and tonight he had to study for the other half, a task that he really, really didn’t want to even approach. Realistically, he’d probably ace everything without even having to go over his books tonight due to the fact that he actually paid attention in class like he was supposed to, but he needed the added insurance. Plus, his mother would kill him if she didn’t see him reading whenever she walked into his room.
He removed his hand from his face and dug it into his pocket, fishing out his phone. 14 new messages.
“Dear god,” he mumbled.
And of course they were all from Jesse. The boy didn’t know what a shift key was, and while Hanzo supposed that his inability to break up texts into paragraphs rather than 10 separate sentences was charming, it was a bit annoying to have his phone go off repeatedly in the span of a minute.
[3:50 PM] cowboy : hey thanks for droppin me off pardner
[3:50 PM] cowboy : owe ya one <3
[3:55 PM] cowboy : you ain’t readin these while you’re drivin right
[3:55 PM] cowboy : oh shoot i guess i shouldn’t be distractin’ ya then
[4:34 PM] cowboy : you should be done by now right
[4:36 PM] cowboy : right
[4:37 PM] cowboy : han you ain’t ignoring me are you
[4:48 PM] cowboy : alright if this is about yesterday at lunch im sorry that i ate your chicken it just looked so damn tasty
[4:53 PM] cowboy : hanzo please
[5:03 PM] cowboy : oh did i tell ya that dad’s havin a party
[5:03 PM] cowboy : not.. my dad i’m talkin about old jack in the crack
[5:04 PM] cowboy : he said he wanted ya to be come and itd make me mighty happy if you did
[5:08 PM] cowboy : amigo if you don’t go i won’t go and we can just set n watch a movie if you like
[5:15 PM] cowboy : but we should go to the party it’ll be a hoot n a holler
Hanzo smiled. Jesse’s penchant for southern lingo extended even to his text conversations, which Hanzo found extremely.. cute. But he kept this to himself. If Jesse found out he’d never hear the end of it, though he supposed that he didn’t really want to.
He chewed the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, considering his options. Did he want to go to a party, where there would likely be nothing but drunk teenagers and bad techno music? Not particularly. Did he want to spend a night alone with Jesse in the comfort of his own home watching a movie? Absolutely.
However, Jesse sounded like he really wanted to go, and that he wanted Hanzo to go with him. Probably as.. probably as his date. Hanzo flushed at the thought, ready to reprimand himself for being such a lovesick teenager, though he quickly realized that he quite literally was a lovesick teenager. He sighed and tapped on the “compose text” box on his screen.
[5:21 PM] Hanzo : if it is what you would like, i will attend this party of morrison’s. i don’t believe he’d appreciate you calling him “jack in the crack”, though. just my guess.
Hanzo wasn’t surprised when his phone buzzed almost immediately. He huffed. Did Jesse ever set that damn thing down?!
[5:21 PM] cowboy : what he don’t know won’t hurt him
[5:21 PM] cowboy : you sure? you don’t gotta if ya dont wanna darlin
[5:21 PM] cowboy : i ain’t gonna force ya
Hanzo snorted.
[5:22 PM] Hanzo : if i didn’t want to go, then i wouldn’t. but i do, so i am. and as if you would be able to force me to do anything.
[5:23 PM] Hanzo : stop calling me darling it’s embarrassing
[5:25 PM] cowboy : and what am i supposed to call you then
[5:25 PM] cowboy : just hanzo?
[5:26 PM] cowboy : BORING
[5:28 PM] Hanzo : is my name boring to you? is that what you’re saying?
[5:29 PM] cowboy : NO
[5:29 PM] cowboy : NO NOT AT ALL
[5:29 PM] cowboy : HANZO IM SORRY
Hanzo laughed softly. It was so easy to rile him up.
[5:30 PM] Hanzo : i’ll see you in the morning, jesse. be ready by the time i arrive at your house. i have to study (as should you…), so i’m staying off of my phone.
[5:30 PM] cowboy : aye aye capn
With that he shoved his phone back into his pocket and got up from the couch, making a beeline for his bedroom. He passed Genji doing god-knows-what with a knife and a ceramic plate in the kitchen and decided to ignore it, reasoning that his parents would reprimand him whenever they got home.
Once he got into his room and sat down at his desk he fully processed the events of the past hour. A party. He had agreed to go to a party. He knew that his parents would allow him, given that he had perfect grades and was well-behaved, but he was still filled with a sort of apprehension. There would certainly be alcohol at this party, and while he was no stranger to beer, he preferred to not be intoxicated in front of a large group of people.
Not that he couldn’t hold his liquor, of course, but once he got going it was a bit difficult to stop him. He’d have to limit his intake, then
Hanzo sighed and opened the nearest textbook. He had a lot to look forward to.