PoVs/Protagonists/Couples:
Hanzo (character belongs to Blizzard) x Ýri (OC)
Genji (character belongs to Blizzard) x Shizuka (OC)

WARNING:
This story will be a very long one, full of dialogs, drama and violence as well as grammar mistakes because none of the authors is a native English speaker. Some parts are for mature audiences only.

This is only a short chapter, but both of us are currently busy with our master theses. So the next couple of chapters will probably be just as short. We apologize in advance and hope you enjoy them anyway.

Chapter 40: A question

»What is that smell?«, Shizuka asked when she entered their quarters.

Genji blushed. »That would be me trying … or rather failing in making dinner.«

She chuckled. »Again? After you almost burnt down the kitchen the last time?«

He rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet her gaze. »I know, but I wanted to surprise you.«

She smiled and kissed his cheek. »That's sweet of you, love. But next time try flowers instead. I will like them just as much and it will be less of a danger than you trying to cook.«

He returned her smile. »Alright.«

Genji could hardly tell her that he tried so hard to make a decent meal with Angela's help only for Tracer to set it on fire when they hadn't been looking. He still did not know how she managed that with only pink glitter at her disposal.

While he was remembering these horrors, Shizuka sat down on the couch.

»So what's with all that fidgeting? And all the romantic gestures?«, her voice brought him back from his musings. »Wait, did I forget an important date again?«, she asked, now pale.

His smile softened. For a brilliant doctor, his little priestess could be such a scatterbrain.

»No, everything is fine. You didn't forget anything. Our first anniversary is in December and our second is in February.«

She sighed, relieved. »Oh, thank the gods.«

He chuckled and sat down next to her. Their banter calmed him, but as he took her hand his nervousness returned full force.

Shizuka must have sensed the sudden shift in his mood because she put a finger under his chin and made him face her again.

»Genji, what's wrong? You have been acting odd for a while now, I am worried about you«, she said, her concern shining deeply in her blue eyes.

»I am fine, love«, he told her, cupping her cheek in one hand. »There just has been something on my mind lately … «

She leaned into his touch, yet never broke their eye contact. »You know you can talk to me about everything.«

Genji placed a kiss on her forehead. »I know. But if I had, it wouldn't have been a surprise anymore.«

Now she just looked adorably confused. »A surprise? For me?«

He smirked. »Who else? There is only one I would go through all this trouble for.«

»Will you tell me what it is too?«, she asked growing more and more curious.

Genji tightened his hold on her hands and took a deep breath.

»I … well … I … we … you see … «, he stuttered. All the words he had so carefully prepared were now lost to him. He tried to find them again but his mind was like a giant black hole that sucked every coherent thought right in.

A soft chuckle made him finally stop babbling like a fool and look at his mate again.

»There is no need for complicated speeches. Just tell me«, she said with a gentle smile on her face.

Genji blushed. »Shizuka … «, he started and pulled out the ring with only a slight shaking of his hand and showed it to her. »Will you marry me?«

She gasped, staring at the ring with big eyes. Genji stomped down on his nerves and waited with bated breath for her answer.

»I … Yes. Of course, yes!«, she exclaimed and before he knew it, two delicate arms wound themselves around his shoulders as she hugged him tightly.

For a moment he just let it happen, too surprised to register her answer. When he finally did, he pulled her close. He couldn't stop the relieved laugh from bursting out as he leaned down to kiss her passionately. Her hands found their way into his hair when she deepened the kiss. Only when the need for air became too urgent, they parted again.

With newfound confidence, he took her hand and put the ring on. They shared another kiss before she leaned back again with a joyful laugh.

She really is beautiful, Genji thought.

»So that is why you were behaving so odd lately?«

He nodded. All the embarrassment and troubles were worth it, so he could see the smile across her face.

»Yes. I was so worried something would go wrong or you would say no that I just … «, he broke off with a helpless shrug.

»Oh Genji,« she spoke softly, »I never would have said no to you.«

»That's what all the others said too«, he sheepishly responded.

Shizuka raised an eyebrow. »What others? Who knew of this?«

»Well … «, he began counting on his fingers, »Lena, of course. She helped me arranging everything. Jesse, as manly support. Angela too, because she is practically your adopted mother. She was the hardest to convince of my good intentions actually.«

Shizuka chuckled. »I can imagine. She didn't make it easy for you ever since we got back together.«

Genji sighed. »Don't I know it.«

»Who else did you tell?«

»Winston and Torbjörn. We all agreed that we would tell Reinhardt afterwards. The risk of him blurting it out while drunk was just too great.«

She giggled. »That's true. So basically you told almost the whole Overwatch crew.«

He nodded. »They're our family. I thought they had a right to know. Besides, I desperately needed their help with this.«

She leaned close. »They really have become our family. What exactly did they help you with?«

Genji put his arm around her. »You know. We had everything planned out. I was to pick you up from work. Lead you back here, where we would have a wonderful dinner together. Then I would have put on romantic music and delivered a moving albeit sappy speech about us being together that ended with proposing to you. After that I would have escorted you into the bedroom, where we would spend the rest of the night making love.«

Shizuka burst out laughing when he finished. »And Angela was really okay with that last part?«

He joined in with her laugh. »The others and I thought it best for all our sakes not to tell her about it.« When they calmed down, he spoke up again. »Although Lena will be more furious with me, because I messed up her perfect plan.«

She smiled. »I don't care. It was perfect, just the way it was.«

A smirk sneaked its way onto his lips. He leaned down to whisper into her ear. »The night is still young and I am not finished yet.«

He picked her up and made for the bedroom. Opening the door was a challenge, but when he finally managed, her delighted gasp at seeing the room made up for it.

»It's wonderful Genji.«

He gently put her down on the bed. »Wait until you see this«, he said and went to get the huge bowl of strawberries.

»You really thought of everything, love.«, she said when he presented it to her.

»Of course«, he purred with a dragon's pride filling his voice.

»Just wait until you see the other surprise I have prepared for you, my dear«, he said as he closed the bedroom door.

When they entered the main hall the next morning, Genji couldn't stop the spring in his steps.

He held the door open for his little priestess and took a quick look around to see who was there already. Tracer and Winston were having breakfast together like almost every morning. Jesse sat a few chairs away and was busy annihilating a mountain of scrambled eggs. Dr. Ziegler sat together with Reinhardt and Torbjörn over their morning coffee. What made Genji pause though was, when he saw his brother sitting next to Yri.

In that short moment he abandoned all his plans about proudly shouting out their engagement to the group. He still hadn't told Hanzo. No one knew how his brother would react. Genji hoped that he wouldn't make much of a scene …

He resigned to just taking their usual place next to Jesse and quietly tell the others of the happy news.

Sadly, as so often, Lena had other plans. When she spotted them she jumped up so fast, she became a blur.

»There you are, loves!«, she yelled, gaining the attention of the entire hall.

Genji blinked and she was directly in both their faces, her expression almost maniac.

»So? Tell me! Tell me!«, she jumped up and down. »What happened? What did she say? Did it work?«

»Ehhh … «, he stuttered taking a step back.

Shizuka though, was far more used to her best friend's overenthusiastic actions. She just chuckled and held up her hand with the ring now gleaming on it.

»I said yes, of course.«

»OH YES!«, Lena yelled, jumped five feet in the air and then proceeded to hug the life out of them both.

Genji could faintly hear the others surrounding them to give their congratulations and well wishes.

When Lena finally released them, he was too busy getting air back into his lungs to notice his brother standing up as well to approach them.

»What is going on here?«, his deep voice broke through the noise like a sharp knife through flesh.

The entire hall fell silent. Except for Lena of course. With a bright grin she said: »Genji and Shizuka are getting married!«

»They what?!«

Actually Hanzo did not even know what to say or to think. His brother, his little brother, Hanamura's greatest whoreson and the most irresponsible man alive was getting married. To a girl like that: Small, sweet, caring, patient, kind and innocent. Though, Hanzo was sure she was just as innocent as anyone else in that base.

»I guess, congratulations are appropriate.«

»That weren't exactly congratulations, but thanks«, Genji replied.

Hanzo answered with a short nod and left. He couldn't exactly tell why his brother's planned wedding put him so off.

Maybe because I am obviously the last to know? Mhmm … Partly maybe.

He sighed and walked on until he reached the practice range. The ocean view had something calming about it. Hanzo crossed his arms and stared into the waves. It was rather stormy and grey today.

That's just the way Ýri likes it, he thought with a small smile. The warm weather and few rainy days just weren't to her liking. Another heavy sigh escaped him.

Actually Overwatch's base life hadn't been so hard for him to get used to. Though, he hated it, when Ýri was called off to some mission he couldn't join.

The big gorilla simply did not allow »couples« on missions knowing both, Hanzo and Genji or Ýri and Shizuka, would rather screw a mission then to expose their better halves to mortal danger.

If they allow me at a mission at all …

Winston thought it a danger and Hanzo had to admit he had a point with that.

If Talon catches me with Overwatch, they would pass this information on to the Shimada sooner or later. And they will ultimately know where to find me … and Ýri …

But staying put and baby-sitting a wolf pup wasn't his strong suit either. Especially when Hanzo noticed his dragons starting to act more and more wolf-like themselves.

Maybe they are just trying to adjust to my new lifestyle or the pup … or to Ýri and her northern heritage, he thought.

Their newly established relationship had left a mark on the Viking as well. A very visible one, he remembered with a smirk.

Familiar steps distracted his thoughts. »Are you alright?«, Ýri asked next to him.

»Yes, I just … I don't know … « Hanzo paused a moment. »Why didn't he tell me?«

»You have been separated for quite some years. And from what I heard you did not get along too well before either. Just be patient. It needs time«, she replied.

»You are right, of course. But still … «

»Still what? You both have all the time to work it out now«, she said. »Or is there something else?«

»Maybe«, he answered though he did not really know how to explain it to her. »It is just …«, he stopped again. »This marriage … «, he turned to face her.

»What about it? You want to marry now too, or what?«

»Would that be such a bad thing?«

»Seriously, Hanzo?«

»I … « He felt a hot wave flushing down his face over his throat and chest down until his whole body felt as if on fire. »I just want to be closer to you.«

»We already are, Hanzo. We are.« She stepped closer and pressed her body against his. »And we do not need to marry to prove that.«

She kissed him. With one hand in his neck, she draw him closer, gently biting his lower lip. Hanzo hissed at the pain and raised one hand gently stroking over the blue scales marking her neck. She groaned and their kiss got rougher. Hanzo smirked. The wolf awakened.

[Next chapter on 15th July.]