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Genji was a free spirit. Hanzo was not. Genji liked to go out and have fun. Hanzo did not. Genji was adventurous. Hanzo was not. Genji liked to ignore his responsibilities. Hanzo did not.
Genji loved you. Hanzo did not.
At least that’s what you thought. You didn’t know anymore after his father died and Hanzo just… snapped. You could never tell with that man. He was a mystery to the world and it seemed that no one cared. Besides you, of course. You loved Hanzo with all of your heart.
You loved Hanzo when your first met. You loved Hanzo when you walked down the aisle. You even loved Hanzo when he killed Genji. The very same brother who loved you and died with salty tears in his eyes and your name on his lips.
So why didn’t you marry Genji in the first place? He loved you and cherished you and helped you escape reality. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world worked and your father and their father came to an agreement. Their assassin services for your hand in marriage to the heir of the Shimada clan, Hanzo.
Genji was said to be a man who could not be tied down but they did not know him like you did. They did not know what his dreams and passions were. They did not know where he went every night in town. They did not know the feeling of his lips while standing on the altar, just after reading your vows with tears threatening to spill over and stream down your cheeks. Those quiet two words slipping from both of your mouths before sharing a sweet kiss on those soft lips.
But neither did you.
You’ll never know that feeling and you’ve come to accept it.
If you can’t love Genji, then that love will go to Hanzo and it will stay there.
And it will continue to stay when Hanzo called you into his room that fateful night and told you what he did. He killed his very own brother because Genji refused to come back and run the empire with him.
It will stay when he turns around to face you with strikingly similar salty tears running down his red cheeks. When his long hair stuck to his cheeks and neck and Hanzo looked oh so vulnerable. Like a lost child in a grocery store, he cried and cried and cried.
You closed the door behind you and ran to embrace him in a hug. Hanzo pushed you away and sniffled as he pointed at you accusingly. “Why- Why are you still here?!” He yelled in a mess of anger and confusion. You were surprised he could tell who you were through his blurred vision. “I murdered my brother and you’re still here?! Why are you not running away from me?!” His words were loaded with guilt from his actions and disgust. Why would you -the person married to him against your will- come running back to him - the man who just committed the greatest sin he could think of- and try to calm him down?
You weren’t meant to be here, you were meant to live free and marry his brother on your own free will. You weren’t meant to love him. But you did. You loved him with all of your heart.
Maybe that’s why his words struck you deeper than it should have and tears of your own threatened to spill over. “I’m a monster, yet you’re still here! Tell me why!” He yelled again and grabbed your wrists with a bit too much force. But, it just the right amount of force for that steady stream of water to pour from the corners of your eyes.
Your crying caught the distraught man off guard and he immediately let go of your wrists. He looked like he just accidentally knocked over a vase and broke it, causing it to shatter and splinter all over the floor. “Did I hurt you?” He asked softly. His voice cracked and it was a pitch higher than before and his newfound gentleness made you look up at him.
“You could never hurt me, Hanzo Shimada. I love you too much to let that happen.” You said with your own voice betraying you and cracking in the middle of your confession.
Hanzo choked on his sobs as you engulfed him in a comforting hug. His body flinched at the contact but he sniffled and wrapped his arms around your waist. He held you like you were about to die and cradled your wet cheeks in his hands. Trying, hoping, praying that you weren’t going to leave him. Nothing but apologies flooded out of his mouth and you hushed him in a kiss after you had heard enough.
Hanzo kissed back with the most passion you had ever felt and no longer were apologies being said but more rather words of comfort and love.
Hanzo was a tame spirit. Genji was not. Hanzo liked to cook with you and braid your hair. Genji did not. Hanzo was cautious. Genji was not. Hanzo liked everything in order and organized. Genji did not.
Genji did not love you.
He couldn’t. Not anymore.
But that was okay.
Because Hanzo did.