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Laughter. Such a common sound. Easily heard nearly anywhere with people. It shouldn’t have attracted the attention of every Overwatch member in the room.
But it had come from Hanzo Shimada – a stoic man, had barely cracked a smile since he let himself be in the organization’s company. Maybe that’s why it was so surprising to see him bellow with amusement. It was something McCree must have said, noting the way he lit up as soon as Hanzo began to chuckle.
“I never seen him laugh,” Lena muttered to Angela, who was glancing at the pair as well. “Jesse must have some talent.”
“They close,” added a passing Lúcio, not surprised enough to part with his headphones. He bounced with their beat as he skated passed them.
“He is not incorrect,” shrugged Angela. “Hanzo has been reserved. But he seems at ease around Jesse. On the surface, they seem to have no similarities. And yet…” Lena listened eagerly, staring up at the doctor. “Perhaps they sense what they have in common. Tragic pasts, don’t discuss it. If they have not talked about it, perhaps it’s unconscious.”
“Looks like they make each other happy,” Lena commented after a pause.
Zieger clicked her tongue. “I hope so. For Jesse’s sake.”
-
The gunslinger approached him, ignoring the tossing in his stomach. It shouldn’t be a big deal, he thinks, but the nerves are there all the same. McCree curses them.
“McCree,” Hanzo huffed, not bothering to face him. He must have heard spurs clicking on the pavement.
“Shimada,” he grunted in return.
“What are you doing up at this hour?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” smirked McCree, daring to sit next to him in front of the ocean. “Saw you out here by your lonesome. Wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Do not concern yourself,” Hanzo stammered. “This is meditation. It is part of my training routine.”
McCree paused. “Nightmares?”
“Yes,” he mumbled.
“‘m sorry. That’s tough.”
“Do not concern yourself,” the archer repeated, this time lacking heat. “You shouldn’t be out here doting on me. You need rest.”
“I can’t sleep neither,” he told him.
“Nightmares?” Hanzo wondered.
“Mmhmm.”
“Curious.”
“Do…” McCree continued, “do y’want me to leave you be?”
“No,” he replied – quickly, McCree notes. “You may stay if you wish.”
“Stars sure look pretty tonight,” Jesse awkwardly commented.
Hanzo hummed.
-
“You be careful out there now,” McCree drawled, placing a hand on Hanzo’s covered shoulder.
“You do the same,” he nodded as McCree’s hand slipped off.
McCree caught up with Pharah; they were to be moving with Reinhart while Hanzo shadowed Lúcio and Genji. He nodded to her, and she failed to hide the smirk on her face. “What?” McCree poked.
“Nothing,” she teased.
“’Reeha. Cut the shit.”
“I was just watching you and your school-boy crush. Cute.”
“’Reeha!”
“You don’t need to be so embarrassed, Jesse,” she laughed.
“I ain’t embarrassed and I ain’t crushin’ like a school boy.”
“Your blush says otherwise.”
“I ain’t-!”
“’Oh y’all be s’careful out yonder, partner,’” Fareeha drawled, tipping an imaginary hat. “’I reckon yer gonna tussle up with some trouble, my prize-winning peach pie Hanz-’”
“Would you be quiet?!” Jesse hissed. “And I don’t sound like that!”
“I’ve been listening to you run at the mouth longer than I can remember,” she snickered. “I’m close.”
“You are not!”
-
Reinhart boomed with laughter as the last enemy was knocked off the ledge. “WE’VE WON!”
McCree saddled Peacekeeper in its hilt. “Perimeter check first, Rein.” Jesse gazed the grounds. Three bodies. Discarded weapons. Fourth body –
Hanzo.
He cursed under his breath, nearly sprinting to his location. McCree skidded on his knees, attempting to get the archer upright.
“Come on now, darlin’. We won! No need to stay back.” He raised his hand from Hanzo’s side to find it red. “Hanzo?” McCree croaked. “No. Come on, Hanzo. Don’t do this to me.”
McCree frantically pressed his fingers to his throat; there had to be a pulse – he wasn’t dead. He wasn’t.
He wasn’t dead. There was a pulse.
“Lúcio!” the gunslinger nearly screeched into the comm. “Hanzo’s wounded; I need you now!”
“Give me your location, ‘Cree!” he responded.
“West of the point!”
He skated over quickly; Lúcio’s rhythm pulsed through them. It had to be working, McCree assured himself, he could feel it rejuvenating himself – it had to be working on Hanzo.
“This can’t do everything he needs,” Lúcio warned, applying pressure to a wound. “We have to move him out of here. Get him to Mercy.”
“I- don’t know if I can carry him-”
“Screw that. Let’s get the big guy. It’s gonna be alright. Promise.”
-
“He better be alright,” Lúcio fidgeted. “I told McCree…”
“Don’t worry, love! The doctor knows what she’s doing.” Tracer offered him a small smile.
“Just look at ‘em, man,” he continued. “He’s barely left Shimada’s side.”
“He’ll wake up,” assured Lena. “Tough man.”
-
Angela’s heels clicked on tile until she reached the bedside. McCree huffed at the sound. “If you’re here to tell me to ‘take care of myself,’ the answer’s still the same. I ain’t leavin’.”
“My point still stands, but no. Not this time,” she claimed. “It’s Fareeha.”
“Is she alright?” The doctor watched a flash of panic run through his eyes.
She frowned. “Yes, she’s alright. I assure you. She just wants to speak with you.”
“Oh.” He repeated, “oh.”
“She’s right outside. Would you like to talk to her while I check Hanzo’s vitals?”
“She won’t take no for an answer anyway.”
“What?” McCree greeted coldly, hands not leaving his pockets.
Fareeha pursed her lips. “Don’t ‘what’ me. We need to talk.”
“If Angela has sent you here to lecture me, I don’t want to hear it.”
“Do not resent Angela for caring, Jesse,” she snapped. “I am not here at her request, anyway. I am here at my own. To check on you.”
“Why do you give a damn?”
Her face fell. “Is it so hard to believe that I want you to be happy, brother?” McCree flinched at her endearment. “Don’t you remember when we were little; when I never stayed in one place like normal kids, because we moved around with Mother? Do you not remember who watched over me?”
“‘Reeha,” he frowned. “That’s not-”
“Jesse,” she interrupted, voice soft. “I know how you feel about him. I cannot sit on my hands while I watch your heart break over this. So please, for once, just talk to me.”
“Sis,” he hiccuped.
She sighed, shaking her head as she pulled him to her, burying her head into his shoulder as she would when they were kids.
“This is my own god damn fault,” he trembled. “I should’a been there, protected him.”
“Wouldn’t that make it just as much my fault? Or Genji’s? Reinhart’s? We were all there.”
“’S not the same, ‘reeha. I could’a done something. Could’ve been there. Just like-” He cut himself off.
Fareeha let go, placing him in front of her. “Just like what?”
“Forget it.”
“– Mother,” she realized. “Just like Mother.”
“If.. if Amari-”
“No. That’s ludicrous. You were nowhere near her. Do not carry that thought on your shoulders.”
“Still wish I could’ve done somethin’.”
“That is in the past,” she coaxed. “Hanzo is here with us. Angela is watching over him. You are making yourself sick worrying about him. You need to sleep. Eat.”
“I can’t leave him, ‘reeha,” he shook. “I can’t sleep. Not when he’s not okay.”
She huffed. “Who does that benefit? Look. I’ll bring you food. Just eat when Angela tells you to. And water. That’s an order.”
“Since when are you barkin’ orders at me, little sis?” he sniffed.
She punched his arm. “Don’t push your luck, cowboy.”
-
The gunslinger jolted from his half-asleep daze with the croaked “Jesse,” and the thumb caressing the top of his hand. McCree must have dozed off holding Hanzo’s hand.
“Hanzo!” he breathed at first, but realized the situation and flushed so hard he could barely breath. “Ah – shit. Sorry.” He slid his hand away.
“It’s.. alright, if you wanted to keep it there,” he smiled weakly.
“You sure?” he blinked.
A nod.
Jesse slipped his hand back between Hanzo’s fingers. “Oh, Hanzo.” McCree raised it to his lips with a soft kiss. “You had me so damn worried, darlin’.”
“Are you alright?” Hanzo asked, trying to distract himself from the blush threatening to appear. “The mission -”
“Are you shittin’ me?” he gawked. “I thought you were gonna die and you ask me if I’m alright?”
“It’s a valid question,” Hanzo claimed. “I don’t remember a conclusion and you look… unwell.”
“That don’t matter. You’re all that matters right now. You lost a shit ton of blood,” he told. “If- if Lúcio wasn’t there…”
“There is no need to worry,” he said hoarsely. “I’m fine.”
“I thought I was going to lose you,” hissed McCree, tightening his grip.
Hanzo studied him. “This troubles you?”
“More than you know,” he quivered. “I thought you were- I don’t-”
“I’m sorry,” mumbled Hanzo. “If… if I mean a fraction of what you do me, I…”
“Pardon?”
“Why are you here, Jesse?”
“Because- hell. ‘Cause I was worried. I couldn’t just leave you.”
“Why, Jesse?” Hanzo frowned. “You didn’t have to. How long were you here?”
“As long as it took,” he stated.
“I do not deserve that. You should not have stayed here.”
“You do deserve that,” McCree said softly.
“I have done nothing. Despite how much I…”
“What?”
“How much I am comforted by your presence.” Hanzo flushed. “I… nothing has been easy. Your company does not trust me after Genji, as they have a right to. But you… you are different. And even if you weren’t different, I…”
“We all got pasts, Shimada,” smiled McCree. “Hell, Overwatch is shitty pasts. But you ain’t your past. I’m happy as hell to be your friend.”
“Oh,” Hanzo shrunk. “Then you… don’t feel the same.”
“Wait- what?” he blinked. “Hold up. What did I skip over?”
“I was about to confess.” The blush in Hanzo’s cheeks deepens, even with the paleness that came with his current state. “How I feel about you. I thought- I’ve noticed. The flirting. So I thought, maybe… But if you don’t-”
“Ah, hell. Shit. I’m as dumb as a box of rocks. Hanzo, listen to me.” He settled on kissing his knuckles again. “I care about you. An awful lot. Drives me mental sometimes. But I’m not good at expressing shit like this.”
“Better than me, clearly,” he mumbled.
“Point is, I do feel the same. Angela doesn’t want me here late. Houndin’ me about not eating and crap. But…” McCree clamped his eyes shut. “You do shit to my heart I can’t explain. I just… I can’t lose you.”
“Jesse,” the archer breathed.
“Don’t do this again, you here?”
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he hushed.
“Once Ziegler fixes you up, I’ll take you somewhere real fine,” promised McCree. “Anywhere you want. Just the two of us.”
“I’d like that,” Hanzo beamed.
“Don’t keep me waiting, now. Y’better get well quick.”