They didn't meet on the best of terms. She was impulsive, loud, and seemed to speak without much thought, in his opinion. He was quiet, snide, and seemed to look down on others, especially to her.

"Hanzo, this is our new scout and diplomat." Genji was smiling behind his mask as he introduced them, pleased with himself,

"It is an honor." Hanzo gave a small nod, trying not to grimace. The things he did for his brother.

"It's nice to meet you too! Man, you weren't kidding, Genji, your brother really is kinda stuck up." She probably didn't mean anything by it, given her wide smile, but that didn't stop her comment from riling the older Shimada brother up.

It took everything he had to simply turn on his heel and walk away, even as Genji's laughter bounced after him.

XxX

Hanzo hated her. She was bright, bubbly, and bouncy. Everything he found annoying. Every time she came around, he could feel a headache starting up just behind his eyes and temples. Why couldn't she be calm for once? Or focus? It was like she had ADHD.

And then there was the fact that she was so close to Genji.

It was only due to his brother that Hanzo put up with her. Really, he didn't like her at all- or those like her.

But her relation with Genji didn't stop him from standing up and leaving the room any time she came in or decided to include herself. If there was an exit, he took it.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Ah, profanity, her favorite, it would seem. Hanzo ignored it, as he always did- though he could almost see his brother's answering shrug to the question she posed every time Hanzo acted as he did.

At least her skills as a scout were acceptable.

XxX

He took off across the rooftops, cursing, leaping the gaps as if they were small jumping stones across a river. Elegant, perfect. Well, almost.

He would be, if he hadn't let himself get cornered.

As a sniper, Hanzo's best defense was staying out of trouble and firing from a distance. But it seemed trouble had found him this time around.

Reaper's creepy, answering laughter floated on the night air after him, bringing out a grimace on Hanzo's face.

Was this really how everything was going to end? After all that had happened? Everyone else was busy and had their hands full- there was no way Hanzo was going to get help before Reaper caught him. It would be all over. He could already feel a stitch threading it's way through his side, and his breathing becoming shorter and shorter.

Hanzo stumbled, and twisted, raising his bow up high. He was out of arrows but he would be damned if he went down without a fight!

Reaper was there. Red eyes shimmering, guns coming up to aim, his claws catching the light of the moon and sending out threatening glares. This was not going to end well- Hanzo could already see that. He was no fool.

But it didn't quite end like he had thought it would.

There was a blur, a flash of light, the sound of a gun going off, and a screech- and suddenly Reaper and one other tumbled off the roof. Startled, Hanzo hesitated only a brief moment before taking off to the side of the building and peering over it.

Reaper had disappeared- but not before dealing his own damage.

"Hold still! I'm coming!"
"Not… going… anywhere…" She choked on her own blood with a gurgling laugh.

Bright and annoyingly cheerful, even when laying in a puddle of her own life liquids.

XxX

He hadn't visited her since she had been admitted into Mercy's care. She tried not to let it bother her. It didn't matter. He was still a dick. Always had been- since day one. It shouldn't bother her. It really shouldn't. He was her teammate, it was expected of her to risk her life for him… right? Yeah. So he shouldn't be obligated to visit.

Even though he should. The dickhead. She groaned and covered her face with one hand, scowling. Her chest throbbed uncomfortably, a warning as to the fact that her injury wasn't quite healed yet.

"You shouldn't move around so much." She nearly jumped from Hanzo's sudden voice beside her.

"Jeezus! Do you really have to be so quiet all the time?!" she scowled at him, laying her hands back down on the bed on either side of her,

"Yes." Hanzo's answer was simple and to the point, as always. But he looked… different. Before, he had always been stoic. Unmoving. Even when he avoided her and made it plainly obvious he wanted nothing to do with her. There was never any emotion.

Now he looked… nervous. Uncomfortable.

She didn't know what to say. They were quiet for some several, long minutes. Quiet; she wasn't used to quiet. It wasn't like her to be quiet. Silence was… scary. She didn't like it.

Finally, Hanzo spoke.

"Thank you. For… back there." He looked away, uncertain, a small frown pulling at his regal features.

"Don't mention it. Accidents happen, right? Just remember to bring extra arrows next time." She laughed it off- as she did with everything.

It was the only way she could even hope to deal with everything.

"Yes." Hanzo's eyes slid to her, without moving his head, a just as small smile replacing the frown.

Perhaps he was one step closer to understanding her. Perhaps he had just begun spinning the rubix cube.

XxX

She recovered quickly. And so did their fledgling friendship. No longer did Hanzo stand and leave whenever she would enter the room. They had come to some sort of… silent agreement. And she had earned his respect.

It felt good, she would admit.

Like she had finally gotten a gold medal after training hard at something. It was the kind of thing that had you feeling like you could walk on air. Like you were on a cloud.

She couldn't get enough of it.

Hell, they had even started joking together! Well, she joked, he just listened with a small smile on his face. Just an ever so slight upturn at the corners of his mouth. Not quite a smile, but she didn't know what else to call it.

Then, she finally cracked a joke that tickled his fancy.

His dark brown eyes widened in surprise. Then, laughter spilled out of him. Snorts, heaves, gales of pure laughter. His eyes crinkled up and squinted, and his hand came up to half cover his mouth in a vain attempt to hold it in. To hide it.

She gaped at him, just soaking in the sound of his joy, before squealing and firing off more of the same kind of jokes. Anything to get him to laugh like that again. He snorted at her and shook his head, quickly shutting that down- or at least attempting to. A faint pink fluster across his face.

Off to the side, Genji smiled secretly behind his mask.

XxX

Several months flew by, and before they knew it, they had settled into a comfortable, enjoyable routine. Nothing necessarily expected from either side, and no judgements.

It was… something Hanzo didn't know he needed.

For all her flaws, she was incredibly accepting, with no hoops to jump through or 'requirements', like his family had had. Honestly, Hanzo felt a bit bad for judging her right after meeting her. She was still a bit annoying, but it was more endearing than anything else. Something he had even taken to looking forward too, to needing in his day to day life.

Hanzo couldn't imagine her leaving. Couldn't imagine trying to get through the day without her.

Then came a diplomatic mission that had the hairs on the back of his arms and neck raise to attention.

This, Hanzo felt, wouldn't end well.

XxX

He was right.

It didn't end well. Not at all.

She had gone in, eager as always to make a difference, and looking forward to making peace with a rather new terrorist group. All they knew about them was that they worked alongside Talon. And, if they could steal help out from under them… well, it wasn't something they could pass up.

But negotiations hadn't gone well. It had been a trap from the start. The first five minutes were deceptively calm and peaceful. Then came the knife swing, the scream, and a few bullets being fired off in her direction.

Rage boiled in Hanzo's veins, and he let his dragons fly from his bow with a cry.

They crashed into the area, hitting their targets with perfect aim, despite the distance, and throwing up dust in the process. She disappeared amid the chaos.

Dimly, Hanzo recalled when she had saved him from Reaper. Now, it was his turn, he felt, to repay the favor.

He wouldn't let her down. They were both walking away from this, alive. Even if he had to carry her.

XxX

Hanzo couldn't find her. He couldn't find her.

He raced along the rooftops, elegantly leaping between them with unrivalled speed, except, perhaps, from his brother.

"Hanzo." speaking of which, Genji's voice filtered through his ear piece, "Go East. I've got eyes on her. I can't reach her though, we have trouble just to the South. Get her out of here."

"Moving." Hanzo informed him, altering his course. The panic that had begun to swell now simply simmered darkly just under the surface.

When this was all over, heads were gonna roll.

XxX

She looked so small like this. Last time, she had been grinning and laughing, completely unbothered. Seeming strong and unmoving, like a great mountain, even in her weakened state.

Now… now was different. And not of the good kind.

Crumpled against a wall, blood flowing from a multitude of wounds, staring past him with glazed eyes, and hair matted. She was a pitiful sight.

And by pitiful, Hanzo meant heartbreaking.

He crouched in front of her, before gently starting to pick her up. There was no way he was getting her to walk in this state. She was far too injured and out of it.

"Hanzo…"

"Hush." He commanded her, "We will get out of here."

"I fucked it up, Hanzo. I fucked it up. There's… there's so much blood…" she sobbed, her small voice cracking and breaking.

He didn't reply, even as he carried her up to the roofs, and then across, to safety. It was clear she was hurting and feeling as though she had failed but… what was he supposed to say to that?

Hanzo didn't know.

XxX

There was so much blood. He couldn't stop the bleeding. He couldn't make it stop.

Hanzo wasn't one for panicking, but he could feel it rising steadily to the surface, regardless. He couldn't help the terrifying feeling that she was going to die here, in his hands.

"Its okay Hanzo. I deserve this." She had been saying such things for a short bit now, her voice getting steadily softer and softer.

"Did I not tell you to be quiet?" There was a slight snap to Hanzo's voice now. Why did she keep saying things like that? It wasn't helping his panic in the slightest.

When a metal hand touched his shoulder, he nearly struck whoever it was, but stopped short at seeing a familiar, green visor.

"Genji. I cannot stop the bleeding." Hanzo urged him, trying to keep pressure on one of her larger wounds,

"Zenyatta is here, Hanzo, let him have a look. We'll be back at base soon." The ninja tried to soothe him.

Hanzo hesitated. His eyes drifted from her weary, battered, bleeding form, to his brother's teacher. He owed the Omnic more than he cared to admit. If he should trust anyone, especially with this, it would have to be Zenyatta or Mercy. And right now, the latter was back at base.

Giving a small nod, Hanzo drew back, allowing Zenyatta to knell and begin healing with his orbs. Once again, he could do nothing but watch.

He was going to ring the neck of every single terrorist involved in this damn group, he swore it.

XxX

He had been doing some thinking.

Not a very dangerous action by itself, for certain, but it turned that way when it was Hanzo doing the thinking. But he had been doing so, regardless. Meditating on everything that had happened, he sought a reason for his turbulent thoughts and emotions.

Hanzo had not seen her since giving her over to Mercy back at base. Since then, a week had passed, and she was on the way to making a full recovery, from what he had heard.

The news both pleased him and had his heart clenching for some strange reason.

Perhaps it was because he felt like he had failed her. He had been stationed on top of a building, just behind and over her shoulder, so that when everything went down, he could protect her.

What a wonderful damn job he had done, Hanzo couldn't help but think sarcastically.

But there was something more than that. Something more there. It was closely attached to the fear he had held, the rage, at what had happened to her.

It was more than what allies would feel for one another, and it was bothering Hanzo far more than he would like to admit.

He had spent the past week trying to figure it out. He wanted to, before going to see her. Hanzo wanted his thoughts and feelings in order before that. Before possibly showing a vulnerability, and walking away burned.

"May I join you?" Hanzo startled out of his thoughts at the voice, realizing he had stopped meditating the correct way for awhile now.

"Zenyatta." He nodded respectfully at the Omnic, Genji's teacher, "Yes."

The mechanical being floated over beside him and settled into his own meditation. Hanzo tried to follow suit, but found his thoughts to be more and more distracting. And his feelings slowly becoming more muddled. He was struggling.

At last, Zenyatta spoke, "Your spirit is in turmoil…"

XxX

She limped down the hall, teeth clenched and seething. Two weeks. Two weeks had gone by, and he had the nerve to not visit! Honestly it pissed her off to no end.

Oh when she got her hands on him!

Therein laid her problem though. She couldn't find him. No matter where she looked, she couldn't find hide nor hair of Hanzo.

It was like he had up and vanished. Disappeared. Frustrating only scratched the surface of what she was feeling. Why? Why was he doing this? She didn't understand. Weren't they friends?

"Hey there." Genji lifted a hand in greeting from where he had emerged from a doorway, before falling into step alongside her, "Didn't Mercy say you needed to take it easy?" he seemed to shoot her injuries a quick, concerned look from behind his visor.

"Well, I would, except your brother is being an ass again." She snapped,

"I thought you were passed this?" surprise colored her friend's voice,

"I thought so too. But two weeks! Two weeks, Genji! And not even a note!" she threw her hands up angrily, almost tripping and falling on her face when her leg gave out.

Genji's arm shot out, catching her easily, as if she weighed nothing.

"I see." He mused, eyeing her curiously as he held her still. She huffed, but didn't fight him, knowing better. Genji hummed, before beginning to pull her along.

"What are you doing?" Her cheeks puffed out as she wiggled slightly in his hold, frustrated,

"Going to see my brother. You two have some stuff to work out." A sense of amusement and determination threaded through his voice.

"What the hell are you on about?!"

Genji didn't answer.

XxX

She should have known he would be here. Maybe she was subconsciously avoiding him or something? It seemed so obvious now, seeing Hanzo. She couldn't help the spike of gratitude she felt towards Genji.

The shit he put up with, honestly.

Hanzo was in his element. Firing arrow after arrow at the target with a focused, almost cold look on his face. She wondered if he knew they were there, then decided it probably didn't matter. She would be announcing their presence, regardless. She opened her mouth to start, but Genji surprised her. Again.

"I think this is yours, brother. I found it wandering the hall against the doctor's orders." Genji teased, drawing a brief, startled look from Hanzo, "I think you two need to talk. I'll leave you to it." cheeky and cheerful, the ninja took off, a spring to his step that hadn't been there before.

"Uhm…" She swallowed. All the things she had planned to say… everything she had thought out… it all vanished. She couldn't even really remember why she had sought him out.

"Why aren't you resting?" Hanzo stepped over to the mutilated target and began retrieving his arrows. Ah, now she remembered. Because he was an asshole.

"Because someone left me alone in the med bay without any visits." She crossed her arms, scowling,

"Hm. And that is reason to hurt yourself further?" His eyes darted over to her for a moment before he returned to gathering the last of his arrows. She flinched, feeling scorned, and clenched her jaw.

"I was actually worried something had happened to you. But, turns out, you just decided to be an asshole again. Big surprise. I'll be around if you feel like finally pulling your head out of your ass." She whipped around, confused, angry, and now finding herself uncertain.

"Wait." Hanzo turned to her fully, arrows clutched just a little tighter in his hand, his knuckles whitening a bit, "That's not what I meant."

"And what did you think I meant?" she came to a stop, as requested, heart twisting in her chest. She refused to look back at him. If she looked back, he would see. He would see how much she cared. How much she needed him.

"...Will you come with me? We need to talk." Hanzo's voice was soft, and now located right beside her right ear. She jumped a foot in the air, breath hitching, and almost knocking the poor man's jaw with her sharp shoulder.

"Jeezus! Do you ALWAYS have to be so quiet?!" She snapped at him, covering up her reaction the best way she knew how, as she always had. Being loud and obnoxious.

The tension eased a little. Hanzo offered her a small smile, his eyes darkening further from what they already were- perhaps with sadness?

As if he could see right through her.

XxX

It was awkward, being in private, with Hanzo. She had never been alone with him, much less in his room. Honestly, she thought she was going to have a heart attack just sitting here with him, before they had even begun to discuss anything!

But… it was nice, all the same.

Hanzo's set of rooms were small, quaint, and traditional looking. Carrying a very strong modern Japanese feel, with hints of the older ways. He hadn't taken her to his bedroom, but instead had settled them into his living room, on either side of a rather nice, low set table. The cushions on either side of said table were uncomfortable, but it offered her something else to think about, rather than him.

And so she was grateful to the slight pain in her healing injuries, knees and shins.

"Tea?" Hanzo was the very epitome of grace, moving around the table, gathering two cups and his teapot for the table. She envied him. Envied his ability to move so easily. It was beautiful, and no doubt the result of his training.
"Sure." The small mumble had him nodding, settling in across the table, and pouring tea for them both. It smelled… unusual. Not bad, but strange. Not like American tea, which she was used to. This was deeper, more calming. Soothing. Like a softly simmering pot, or a mother's embrace. It made her chest clench. Familiar, and not, all at the same time.

She accepted the offered cup, and took a small sip of the hot liquid. Hanzo looked slightly startled, watching her carefully. She hid a smile behind the rim of her cup.

Boiling hot liquids no longer scorched her, after what she had been through.

"It's good." The soft compliment seemed to ease his worry, and the Asian settled back in his seat, watching as she set her cup back down. It was warm, and soft tasting. If serenity and peace could be liquified and bottled, she was certain it would be tea like this. She could already begin to feel the hurt deep within being soothed.

It was relaxing. Wonderful. Like a bandaid was being laid over a seeping wound on her soul.

"I have… something to tell you." Hanzo let the silence settle for several minutes before speaking up softly, his fingers tracing along the rim of his cup- the only hint as to his nervousness. His eyes looked deep within the soft green liquid, seeming to find solace there.

"I'm all ears." She leaned on the table, watching him. Hanzo's entire body expanded before collapsing back in on itself in a heaving sigh. She wondered what was so difficult for him to say, frowning and finding herself shifting in anticipation.

Maybe it would explain why he hadn't visited her.

"I have… had to think things over. I am sorry, I had not realized…" Hanzo shook his head slightly, trailing off, and she wrinkled her nose at how rigid and withdrawn he sounded. Then again, she mused, it was probably the most comfortable way he found to speak, and the best way to tell her. Like a security blanket.

It was what he was used to.

"You…" Hanzo sighed again, closing his eyes tightly and letting his brow crinkle. It was adorable, but she did her best to keep her mouth shut- though a smile did tug at the corner of her mouth. He was trying, after all, and that was what counted.

He murmured her name, hands coming away from his cup to gently, hesitantly hold onto her own. She jolted, staring at him with wide eyes. He had never initiated skin on skin contact. Had never wanted it. But she held still, and let him.

Leaning in, as if seeking even more privacy then they already had, he whispered in her ear. Japanese words, smooth and elegant, spoken with such masterfulness, flowed over her. Her breathing hitched. She didn't necessarily speak it fully, but she did understand some words and phrases, regardless.

She understood what he was saying, and felt her mouth twitch as the pieces fell into place and things finally made so much more sense.

"I love you too."