Chapter Text
Hanzo sighed heavily. Everyone took turns performing the chores necessary to keep Gibraltar running smoothly but he truly despised washing dishes. His fingers pruned and food softened from soaking in water was… the height of unpleasantness. Lucio brought him the last of the plates, blessedly scraped of leftovers, and he set to scrubbing with a fury. Fareeha made excellent T a psi, but the clean up on the pots was monstrous. He was able to set aside a healthy portion for McCree, the plate plastic wrapped and safely tucked away behind Lena’s blood pudding, so all was not lost.
Jesse was due back from his mission soon, within the hour, and Hanzo was determined to be finished so he could properly greet his partner. He himself had been prevented from joining the mission when he had a poor reaction to the new type of birth control Angela had him try. It did however halt menstruation entirely, so Hanzo was willing to forgive the adjustment period.
He had only just finished when Athena spoke.“The transport approaching for landing on launch pad number two. All agents accounted for. Med-bay has been prepped to receive patients.”
Hanzo’s heart clenched and he dried his hands before not quite running towards the air bay. There had been no mention of injuries during the mission updates. Visions of blood-stained serapes quickened his steps. He nearly collided with his brother when they both decided to crawl through a window rather than wasting time with hallways. Zenyatta had also been on that mission. Together they ran along the rooftop.
“I am sure they are both well.” Genji murmured even as he sped up. Hanzo gave a wane smile and concentrated on dodging the innumerable satellite dishes that littered the base. The transport was circling the landing pad when they arrived, Mercy on standby with her staff and a hover stretcher, Lucio in full gear next to her. Hanzo swallowed thickly, rocking back on his heels as the bay doors opened. Reinhardt exited first, free of his armor and cradling one of his arms in a sling. Tracer followed, slumping, with Zenyatta on her heels, an orb of harmony bouncing along behind her. Genji breathed a sigh beside him, moving to greet him master. Hana came next, out of her mech and bruised, with Morrison clearly in the middle of a lecture if her desperate attempt at fleeing was any indication. But his cowboy was not to be seen.
Hanzo moved up the ramp quickly, steeling himself for the worst. What he found was his partner struggling to carry his removed chest plate and a serape wrapped bundle while his prosthetic sparked uselessly. Hanzo took a moment to send up a prayer of thanks before grumbling about clumsy cowmen and their inconsiderate lack of phone calls.
“Darlin’! Didn’t see ya there. Mind giving me a hand for a sec. Can’t get a good grip with this dam- this darn thing. Gotta get it to Torb, we took a lot of heat during the fire fight.”
Hanzo moved forward to take the chest plate. Jesse appeared to be wounded, though not severely. “Of course, but perhaps next time you could simply leave your serape behind so you do not have to-”
There was a dozing child wrapped in the red cloth, no older than four. Jesse gave him a tight smile.
“Talon wasn’t too keen on limiting collateral damage. Kid was living in the warehouse they decided ta fight through. No family we could find and we... New Zealand ain’t as bad as Australia, but not by much. Wasn’t no one ta leave him with and the government ain’t got the resources ta take on orphans. Calls himself Oliver.”
An orphan in a war ridden desert. Much like Jesse’s childhood, then. “Is he injured?” The boy was covered in dirt and grit (an explosion?) and there were faint smears of red under it.
“Naw, most o’ that’s mine. Zen already did a scan, mostly malnutrition and about a inch of dirt caked on full-body. Nothing a few weeks with Reinhardt cooking and a bath couldn’t fix. Look, I’m gonna have ta mosey over to the Medbay here pretty soon.” He cleared his throat, shifting the boy closer. “Was hoping ya wouldn’t mind looking after the squirt while I’m busy. I mean, ya don’t have to. Maybe Lucio could or Ana, they-”
Hanzo cut off the babbling. “I am capable of watching him, Jesse.”
“Oh! Good then, uh. Let me just.” McCree cleared his throat again, shifting his weight, before sighing heavily. He looked down at the boy, cradling him close. “Hey, kiddo. I’m gonna need you ta wake up for a minute.” Oliver grumbled, burrowing into Jesse’s neck and the cowboy’s eyes went soft. Hanzo felt a ball of warm affection lodge in his chest. He had seen Jesse tear through Omnics and men with Peacekeeper, gleefully call out kill counts, seen him laugh at death. This was...“C’mon, darlin’. Just for a little while. Wake up now, sweet pea.” As he spoke, Jesse swayed gently in place, both counterproductive and endearing.
Oliver woke, but not without more unhappy sounds. He yawned widely, fisting his small hands in Jesse’s hair, before looking around. When he spotted Hanzo, the boy gasped and made himself as small as possible under the serape. Hanzo’s heart clenched.
“Shh, sweet pea, it’s alright. This here’s Hanzo, he’s my partner. I gotta get myself to a doctor here pretty soon and Hanzo said he’d look after ya while I’m busy. Get ya somethang ta eat and maybe a bath. He’s a real marshmallow, don’t let that face fool ya none.”
Oliver peeked out from his hidey-hole. “Really?”
Hanzo nodded solemnly. “I am, indeed, a marshmallow.”
When the child still looked unsure, McCree leaned down to whisper. “Tell ya what. Imma give you my hat. No one would dare come at ya iffin yer wearing that on account of it’s magic. Had this hat for near on thirty years and it’s always protected me. I’ll carry ya as far as I can too. You look after it and I’ll find ya after I’m done. How’s that sound, kiddo? Can you be brave for me?”
They walked into the base with Jesse running commentary the whole time, though Hanzo occasionally cut in when the stories became too wild. Oliver listened with rapt attention, eyes wide with awe as Jesse spun tale after tale of Overwatch’s daring victories. He was in the middle of a story about Tracer, five Los Muertos gang members, and a banana peel when they finally reached the medbay.
“All right, this here’s my stop. Now you make sure ta listen ta Hanzo, yeah? He’ll take real good care of you while I’m busy. Be back before ya know it, sweet pea.”
Oliver nodded and held out his arms hesitantly to Hanzo. Jesse winced as he handed him over, his ribs? Jesse waved away his concerned look even as he dipped down for a quick kiss. Though he had not held a child in years, the boy settled easily onto his hip, grinning when McCree’s ridiculous hat slid down over his ears. Hanzo and Oliver watched McCree push through the medbay doors, lingering until neither could see his broad form through the windows. Then, an awkward silence fell.
Hanzo cleared his throat. “Would you like food first or a bath?” Oliver flinched and stared up at him. Hanzo softened his voice. “Peace, little one. You are safe here. Would you like a sandwich perhaps? Or maybe we could find some fruit for you instead.”
“Sandwich.”
“As you wish.” He set out for the kitchens, intent on getting there as quickly as possible. The boy was far too light. “Do you eat meat? I believe we have some fresh pork slices that would taste good. If not, there is always peanut butter. Winston will not mind.”
“Who’s Winston?” Oliver fisted his hands in the collar of his kosode, eyes darting around the hallway.
Hanzo smiled. “One of our resident scientists…” He faux whispered. “He is also a gorilla.”
“Nuh uh.”
“It is true. I will introduce you after you have eaten and bathed. Do not offer him a banana, it is rude.”
Oliver squinted at him, but let the subject drop. Hanzo lifted the child onto the counter (he could clean it later) as he prepared food. Oliver decided that a peanut-butter and banana sandwich was the best choice and ate with frightening speed. Hanzo made him a second one and gave him a glass of milk, both of which were polished off quickly as well. Oliver sighed when he finished, thanking the archer quietly. He considered making the boy more, but one look at the distended stomach changed his mind. He grabbed another banana and an apple for a snack when the boy was not so close to bursting.
“Now a bath. I will take you to Jesse’s and my room, if that is acceptable.” A small nod. “Good, I imagine it will be nice to have a hot bath. I despise not being clean myself.”
They walked in silence again, though Oliver did not look quite so panicked. At least until they ran into more of Overwatch. Oliver buried himself into Hanzo’s neck as Mei and Zarya approached, quivering. At their questioning looks, Hanzo shook his head and hurried down the hallway. What could have happened to make the boy fear adults so? His stomach turned and he did not slow his pace until he reached their rooms.
“We are alone now, little one. No one but myself or Jesse can enter here.” Athena could override the doors in an emergency, but he didn’t need to know that. Hanzo entered the bathroom, suddenly immensely grateful that Jesse and himself had invested in a detachable shower head. He kneeled, reached over to turn on the water and paused. “Oliver, may I help you bathe? If you are uncomfortable, we can wait until Jesse returns.”
The boy finally detached himself, gnawing on his lips. “Can we leave the door open?”
“Of course.”
“Okay.” He wiggled and Hanzo set him down. Together, they slowly unwrapped the damaged serape. Hanzo wrinkled his nose at the smell, but it was expected. No child could be expected to care for themselves properly in such conditions. They peeled his pants and underthings off with little issue, but an issue arose.
“No!” Oliver cried when Hanzo tried to remove the hat.
“Little one, you must take it off if we are to get you clean.”
“No, it’s not safe.” He looked on the verge of tears, eyes swimming and his tiny (too thin) body trembling.
Hanzo sat back on his heels. Jesse must have left quite an impression for Oliver to be so thoroughly invested in his stories. It would be unspeakably cruel to take the hat from him, but the boy needed to be bathed desperately. A sponge bath? There was too much filth caked on for that. Perhaps… an exchange.
“I will make you a deal, Oliver-kun. I have my own magic, dragons that come at my call. If I summon them to protect you, will you allow me to remove your hat?”
Oliver frowned. “I’m not stupid, mister. Dragons don’t exist.”
“Hmm, is that so?” Hanzo slowly removed his shirt so Oliver could see his tattoo. He held his arm in front of himself and murmured lowly. “Oh spirit dragons, come to me! Protect us as we cleanse ourselves.” The words were unnecessary, but perhaps Jesse’s showmanship was starting to rub off on him. His tattoo rippled as the twins pulled away from his body. They twisted their long, thin bodies around him, hanging around his neck to chirp greetings.
Oliver’s eyes were huge.
--Why did you call, we were sleeping--
“Look, dragons. This child needs your protection. Will you guard him?” Through their bond, he begged them to be kind. Oliver had been through too much already.
--As you wish-- --Ooh! He’s cute--
Raimei glanced up at him before floating towards Oliver to investigate. Raikou showed little hesitation, launching herself to wrap around the familiar hat, sliding her horned head over the rim to trill at the child. Hanzo waited patiently while Oliver adjusted, cautiously patting Sandā mane. Satisfied, Raimei shoved her face into his neck, making him giggle with each whiskery kiss.
“Okay, I’m ready.” Oliver pulled off Jesse’s hat, Raikou tumbling theatrically before skittering into the tub. Hanzo took it and reverently set it aside before finishing undressing him.
They went slowly, first testing the water and the spray strength. They decided a shower first before a bath, a relief. Hanzo allowed him to choose which shampoos he wanted to use (“Your hair smells nice”) and the soap (“Is this cowboy soap?). When it came time to actually wash, delayed by the twins antics, Hanzo moved achingly slow. He asked before touching any part of Oliver, waited when asked, and focused on being as gentle as possible. It was a long while before the water finally ran clear and Hanzo blinked in surprise. Oliver’s hair was only a shade darker than Jesse’s and just as unruly. His heart thudded, warming in his chest again.
He filled the tub, sternly telling Raikou and Raimei to watch out for the boy while he fetched a shirt. When he returned, Oliver was laughing outright as the two dragons skittered over him playing. Hanzo was struck to the spot, watching as this child tugged on his dragon’s manes and refused to sit still for them to perch on. They had not had such patience since… He swallowed. Since Genji had been a child.
--Hatchling! Hatchling! Look at me!-- --We will protect you, precious treasure--
His heart thudded and he sagged against the door. The dragons poured their emotions through the bond: joy, fierce protectiveness, devotion. Hanzo choked back a cry, already they were accepting Oliver into their world. What would he tell them if the child left?
Shaking, he knelt by the tub again, waiting until Oliver wavered before pulling the plug. He dried Oliver briskly and tugged the shirt (a gift from Hana too small for him) over his head. It sagged off of him, but the twins quickly wrapped themselves around Oliver’s shoulders to ward off any chill.
“You are weary, little one. You can sleep now and I will wake you when Jesse returns.”
Oliver protested through a yawn, holding his arms out to Hanzo. “Don’t wanna sleep. What if the bad men come?”
Hanzo froze before carefully cradling the child closer. “No one bad will come here. And if they do, the dragons will kill them. None shall harm you while I am here.”
“Like with Jesse?”
“Yes.” Hanzo swayed in place, Oliver fighting sleep. So Hanzo began to sing a lullaby. One his mother used to. Raimei chirped lowly, settling her little body in for a nap. He kept his voice soft, but it was rougher than his mother’s ever was. Even so, Oliver began to doze, his body going limp in Hanzo’s arms. He turned to the door to unlock it for Jesse, but was faced with the man himself. The look on his face knocked the air out of Hanzo’s lungs. His prosthetic arm was missing.
“Hey.”
“Hello.” Hanzo shifted his grip. “Your wounds?”
“Be fine in a week, mostly bruises. The arm might take longer, though.” Hanzo nodded. “My hat?”
“In the bathroom. He trusts you greatly.”
Jesse hummed but didn’t look away. “Ya look good holding him.”
“The dragons have already claimed him as their young.” He swallowed. “I… it feels good to care for him.”
“Aw hell.” Jesse strode forward, hesitated, and gently brushed his hand over Oliver’s hair. Hanzo watched the emotions play across his face. “I know we ain’t never talked about kids or nothin’, but I had Athena look into his options. Best we could do is send into fosterin’ and I…” Jesse blinked back tears. “I know most folks are decent, but what if he ends up with people like mine were. That ain’t no life fer a kid. I can’t… Darlin’, could we…”
“Yes.”
Jesse deflated, bumping his forehead to Hanzo’s. Every breath shuddered.
“Really?”
“The dragon’s have already recognized him… as have I.” Hanzo ghosted a kiss over his lover’s lips. “You will make an excellent father, anata.”
Jesse breathed out a chuckle, leading them to their bed. They laid carefully, Oliver between them with the twins untwining and rearranging themselves.“Well, I think you’d be a pretty good daddy yerself.”