Flashes of blood and grief were all that remained of the dream that had robbed Hanzo of his rest, yet his heart raced as his lungs filled desperately with the stale recycled air that was in no short supply at Watchpoint. He focused on regulating his breaths, tuning out any distractions until he started to feel more like a person and less like an animal consumed by irrational, bone-deep dread.
After glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he let out a heavy sigh, palms pressed against his aching eyes. Athena would be displeased to know that he'd failed to achieve a sufficient amount of sleep. Again.
Another not-quite intervention from Winston about his sleeping habits would be less than desirable.
Knowing from experience that rest would dangle tantalizingly around the edges of his mind until dawn, Hanzo started his daily routine, which involved working lotion into the dry and inflamed skin on the end of his stumps. It warmed as he massaged his thumbs into tender knots and sore muscles, kneading the worst of the discomfort into something more manageable.
Once that was done, he slipped on a pair of compression socks, then finally attached his prosthetics, which produced a mechanical hiss as they adjusted to his residual limb, releasing any unnecessary air pockets and gripping onto the scarred tissue until the connection between flesh and metal was solidified.
More often than not, Hanzo would do his morning workout without the prosthetics, but having them on allowed him to focus on stretching and synchronizing his nerves to ensure there were no delays in response or some minor issue that could prove deadly in the field. After three-hundred squats, two-hundred push-ups, and one-hundred sit-ups, Hanzo, satisfied with the functionality of his false limbs, glanced at his alarm to discover that it was nearly morning, leaving him with enough time to acquire a cup of tea from the kitchen before he was expected to arrive for Soldier 76's briefing.
After a moment's deliberation, he reached into the duffel bag containing the majority of his wardrobe, then pulled out a pair of black sweatpants and put them on. And since he couldn't attend the meeting shirtless, he found a black sweatshirt next and pulled it over his head.
His hand hovered over the handle. Even knowing that most of Overwatch seemed to accept him, for his skills if nothing else, the thought of interacting with his fellow agents never failed to fill him with apprehension.
Forcing a breath out through his teeth, he grabbed the handle –
Ikuzo.
– and yanked the door open, revealing a black kitten with white paws curled up in the middle of the hall. Hanzo stared down at the tiny creature, befuddled, before he knelt and brushed his thumb over the heart-shaped spot on the kitten's forehead. With a disgruntled mew, the kitten stirred, revealing slivers of hazel eyes that regarded Hanzo's presence without fear or curiosity before it returned to sleep.
Hanzo found that he was a little envious of the young feline.
He scooped the young cat up in his palm and deposited it into the front pocket of his sweatshirt, where it squirmed and fussed briefly before the warmth of Hanzo's body heat proved too comfortable to resist and it snuggled closer to him.
Resting a comforting hand over the small lump in his pocket, Hanzo mused, "Where is your mother, little one?" The kitten cried out piteously. It was far too young to be separated from its litter, which meant it was likely hungry as well as tired.
Hanzo decided that he would first stop in the kitchen. Most cats were lactose-intolerant, so it would be difficult to find something for the kitten to eat, but there was plenty of water. As soon as the kitten had its fill, he would go into town to see if there was any kitten formula to be found. It would be better if the kitten was fed from her mother, but for now this was the best Hanzo could do.
Such fragile creatures tended to not survive long on their own.
In the kitchen, he found the resident cowboy leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, brows furrowed as he idly pushed up the brim of his hat. He hadn't changed out of his sleepwear, which meant that he was still wearing cotton pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and he appeared to be waiting for the coffee to brew. The dark circles around his eyes stood out in stark contrast against his tan as his jaw extended in a lengthy yawn.
"Hey, archer," the cowboy greeted Hanzo when he noticed him walking towards the refrigerator. "Glad to see you're bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this mornin'."
Hanzo inclined his head in a gesture of curt acknowledgment. Not much time had passed since he would stubbornly ignore the cowboy's occasional pleasantries, but this proved to be detrimental to their on-the-field teamwork. Genji deserved better than that.
He found a small cup, the type used for dispensing pills, in one of the drawers, filled it with water, then kept his back to the cowboy as he carefully extracted the kitten and let it drink.
The life of an Overwatch agent was hardly suitable for pet-rearing, yet Hanzo couldn't bring himself to consider abandoning the kitten. If the worst came to pass and the mother could not be found, he was sure he could find the kitten a home with one of the many families in Gibraltar.
"You say something, partner?" said the cowboy, cocking his head quizzically.
With his back turned, Hanzo idly scratched the purring kitten on the back of the head. "No."
A nearly inaudible mechanical whir served as a portent to Genji's arrival. He stepped into the kitchen with his arms stretched over his head, dressed in a pink crop top that read "Gamer Grrl" across the front and a pair of light gray sweatpants.
Hanzo's gaze flitted over him like a stone bouncing over the smooth surface of a lake before he turned to the counter to fill a pot with water for his tea.
It'd been a decade yet his poor taste in fashion remained unchanged.
"You look tired, Cassidy," Genji greeted cheekily.
The cowboy jabbed a thumb in Genji's direction. "A regular gumshoe, this one."
"Ridiculous," Genji scoffed as he retrieved a thermos from the cabinet. "I am not wearing shoes."
The cowboy pressed knuckles against his eyes with a scowl. "Don't mess with me, Shimada. It's too early for your nonsense." Somehow, Hanzo knew with certainty that Genji was grinning smugly beneath his protective visor despite his affected guilelessness.
The coffeemaker beeped and the cowboy launched himself at it with the desperation of a drowning man. He slammed the dispense button, waited impatiently for his mug to fill, then he tipped it back against his lips like a shot glass and gulped the scalding beverage.
For a moment, Hanzo watched with silent horror as the cowboy refilled his mug and Genji, unfazed, poured what remained of the coffee into his thermos. This was simply another trial he would need to overcome in order to become a viable asset to Overwatch, he decided, and strained the water he'd boiled through a strainer filled with dried leaves and spices.
As he sipped his tea, he happened to observe that the cowboy was acting strangely. Whenever he believed that Hanzo's attention was elsewhere, the cowboy would partially open a cabinet, peer inside, and mutter a curse under his breath. "I just know there were more of 'em." Genji glanced at him questioningly, but the cowboy shook his head.
They arrived together at the meeting five minutes late, each of them holding their drinks in their hands as the cowboy struggled to tell Soldier 76 with a straight face that the reason he and Genji weren't appropriately dressed was because they hadn't had the time to look more presentable.
"And yet," Soldier 76 said drolly, pointedly ignoring DVa yawning in her seat and Lucio facedown on the table, "you found the time for coffee."
The cowboy looked to Genji for aid, who flashed him a thumbs up. Then he looked to Hanzo.
Against his better judgment, Hanzo took pity on him. "You claimed it was urgent," he reminded 76, his voice low and gruff with the last remnants of sleep. "Should we not begin the briefing?"
He was growing more accustomed to reading the body language of those who conceal their features. Such as it was, he could clearly tell that 76 was irritated by the interruption, but couldn't bring himself to care. He found a spot at the furthest end of the table and sat down stiffly. Not long after, Genji found a seat beside Agents Song and Lucio and subtly nudged them awake.
"The Revolution never sleeps," Lucio mumbled as he roused.
Rubbing her tired eyes, Agent Song groaned. "You can say that again."
When they weren't training or participating in Overwatch missions, they were often interacting with their fanbases, either through music or through streaming. Even their downtime was dedicated to bettering the world.
The briefing was mainly focused on a group of stray cats that had been spotted around Watchpoint.
"I don't want anyone feeding or interacting with them," Soldier 76 said. "The last thing we need is another distraction." As he finished, the crimson strip of his visor seemed to settle on Hanzo.
Soldier 76, along with Dr. Ziegler and Winston, were aware of who Hanzo was and what he'd done. Dr. Ziegler was willing to give him a chance for Genji's sake and Winston believed that Overwatch could use a man like him, but while Soldier 76 had failed to make his opinion known, Hanzo was inclined to believe that the man shared his belief that Genji's attempts to rehabilitate him were inevitably a waste of time.
Genji had never wanted to be a part of the Shimada family, but Hanzo had been bound by duty to inherit the Shimada empire from birth. There was no redemption for men like him.
Despite this, Hanzo met Soldier 76's scrutiny with a sardonic smirk. It didn't matter what he or Hanzo believed so long as Genji wanted him to stay.
The tense stand-off was interrupted when a tiny mew eked out from beneath Hanzo's sweatshirt.
Genji abruptly started coughing, drawing Soldier 76's attention. While he was distracted, Hanzo retrieved the kitten. Agent Song clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her excited outburst when she spotted the black furball while Lucio beamed, brown eyes sparkling with joy.
Hanzo slipped the kitten to the cowboy. "I believe this belongs to you."
The cowboy grabbed the kitten and carefully placed it in his pocket. "How did you– ?"
"You have fur on your serape."
The cowboy considered that, then smirked. "You have good eyes, Shimada. Say, what else are you good at?"
Hanzo stood. "Leaving."
And as he slipped out the door, the cowboy watched his retreating back with a grin, one hand placed over the squirming little one in his pocket. "Guess he can't be all bad if you like him." And he closed the flap and got to his feet. "Meeting's over, right?" He tipped his hat. "I'll just be on my way, then. Be sure to report any cats if I find 'em." Then with a wink, he strode out the door, Soldier 76's blustering hot on his heels as the cowboy debated what to feed the family of cats for breakfast.
The problem with cats was that they're slippery as eels and stubborn as mules. Cassidy had hoped that he could keep them hidden, but ever since one of the kittens had snuck away the rest seemed dead set on doing the same. He'd recruited Genji to help him keep the little critters from getting loose and after the briefing Hana ordered tons of cat food and toys online, but every other day or so Hanzo would seek him out with a kitten hidden in his kyudo-gi and hand it to him.
After the third or fourth time this interaction occurred, Hanzo arched a fine brow at the cowboy. "Are they so difficult to keep track of?"
Cassidy hadn't felt his ears burn since he was a gangly teen. No one could make him feel like a scolded schoolboy quite like Hanzo could. He would have been one hell of a teacher in another life.
"I can't keep my eyes on 'em 24/7," Cassidy admitted. "The others are helping as much as they can, but Hana and Lucio are already running double lives and Genji's as busy as I am."
Hanzo frowned. "Is that so?" He looked down at the kitten rolling in his palm. "Do you have the necessary supplies?"
"Sure do, darlin'."
"In that case, since I am currently serving as a probationary member and thus am not currently participating in missions, I will provide a home for the time being." He paused, as though afraid he'd overstepped. "Until other accommodations are found."
At first, Cassidy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Then he grinned and leaned into Hanzo's space. "You know, the thing about cats is they act all lordly, like they don't give a damn about ya, but they're sweethearts underneath all that fur." Wink. "Not to mention smart as a whip and easy on the eyes."
Hanzo looked at him with suspicion. "Perhaps, you and the animals should spend some time apart."
As Cassidy's expression turned to one of horror as Hanzo walked away from him, "Now, hold on just a second, archer. That's not what I– " A burst of mechanical laughter from down the hall drew him up short. Cassidy whirled towards the sound. "Well, that tears it. You better meditate with one of your eyes wide open, Genji."
Genji stepped into view with a quiet scoff. "I am not afraid of you, Cassidy." He cocked his head, gesturing to the kitten the cowboy was holding in his arms. "And if I was, I certainly would not be now."
Knowing when he was beat, Cassidy swore unholy vengeance on the ninja, then left to the return the kit to its mother before he could become the laughing stock of Watchpoint.
He found his opportunity to get back at Genji while he was meditating on the pavement. It was an overcast day and Zenyatta was visiting Nepal, which meant there was nothing to stop Cassidy from dropping a basketful of cats on Genji's lap.
"What are you doing now, cowboy?" a deep voice called out as Cassidy carried the mother and her kittens outside.
Cassidy stopped in his tracks. He looked up to see Hanzo crouched on the roof, staring down at him with a pronounced frown. "Ah, shucks, darlin'. I was just…"
Hanzo waited a moment for him to finish his thought. Then sighed. "Do what you will. It is no concern of mine," and retreated from sight.
Cassidy shrugged. Kind of a harsh thing to say about your kin, but family was complicated. The archer would come around in his own time, if he ever came around at all.
And with that, he upended the basket of cats onto Genji, letting the mother cat jump nimbly onto Genji's shoulders while the kittens rolled into his lap. For a moment, the cyborg remained still, unfazed as a stone beneath a waterfall. Then he scooped up the kittens, supported the mother cat, and jumped onto the roof where Hanzo was still observing the interaction with mild interest. "Take these," Genji said as he unceremoniously shoved the kittens at Hanzo. "I intend to find out if the cowboy can outrun a dragon."
"Now hang on," Cassidy hollered as quickly increased the distance between them. "You can't get me back for getting you back! We're square!"
He lasted longer against Genji than most humans would, but without firearms there was little he could do to keep Genji from dropping the basket on his head.
At the end of the day, when Agent Lucio and Agent Song had returned to their rooms and the cowboy was attempting to salvage his pride by challenging Genji to a rematch in the training arena, Hanzo remained on the rooftop with the kittens. The sun was sinking below the horizon; vibrant orange and pink hues that settled at the bottom of the sky like sand in an hourglass. His mother had warned him not to look for too long, yet the beauty of such moments had never faded, no matter how much ugliness Hanzo had seen in the world.
He sensed Genji standing behind him. "I had hoped the cowboy would prove to be more of a challenge."
Genji settled beside him with a half-shrug as he plopped a white kitten in his lap. "It was a Mexican stand-off." And turned to the side to reveal a bullet buried deep in his chest carapace. "And it was my loss."
Hanzo turned away from him. That was… impressive.
A kitten scratched at his arm. It was the first kitten he'd found - the black kitten with white paws that reminded him of the strays he'd found when he was a child. The ones he hadn't been allowed to keep.
He carefully stroked the kitten with his finger, feeling Genji's gaze on him.
"I still know you, Hanzo," Genji said quietly. "Even now."
"I am not the one who has changed."
"Yes, you have! Can you not see? The old you would never have come."
Hanzo stiffened. The kitten mewed in protest. "Are you really the best judge of what I would and would not have done?" he hissed. "As I recall, my actions have defied your expectations before."
Such words were a double-edged sword. Hanzo regretted them as soon as they were said, but some things cannot be undone, and so Genji left him to his solitude, "I will see you tomorrow, anija. Rest well," allowing him to ruminate on his choices until the black-furred kitten scratched his leg with unexpectedly sharp claws and Hanzo was forced to take the kitten - Genji must have carried the others away while Hanzo was distracted - back to his quarters for dinner.
While the kitten chewed and licked his glove, Hanzo decided to grant a name worthy of such a persistent nuisance. "Genji."
"This is Genji?" Agent Song cooed over the black-furred kitten, who soaked up the attention with chirps and purrs and a paw thrown over his eyes that reminded Hanzo of Genji's modeling days. "So cute!"
"Thank you," the actual Genji said as he entered the kitchen. He was holding a puffy white kitten in his hands. "This is Hanzo. Go ahead. Ask me why I named him Hanzo."
Hana didn't hesitate. "Why did you-"
The kitten twisted in his grip, scratching furiously at Genji's hands. "Because he's in serious need of an attitude adjustment." Hana cackled.
Since keeping the cats in Hanzo's room wasn't sustainable, they found a shaded area outside where the mother cat and her kittens could stay, though they were regularly checked on and provided with food and water.
Agent Song loved to play with the kittens and Lucio could be spotted working on his music outside with the cats crawling over him as he interacted with fans from all over the world.
Hanzo preferred not to visit while the others were around, content to find new foods for the felines and more toys to keep them entertained since the kitten Genji had dubbed Hanzo had a tendency to chew through anything they gave him, but despite their new arrangements the black-furred kitten with white paws kept appearing outside Hanzo's room, often sneaking into his training bag and quiver.
"You're going to get hurt, little one," Hanzo scolded the kitten as he detached its tiny fangs from his sandal. He carried her into the kitchen, tucked safely in his kyudo-gi, only to discover Genji standing in the corner. He was staring out the window with a melancholic air when Hanzo entered.
HIs visor brightened. "Hello, anija. I see you brought Gen-chan with you."
While Genji fetched a can of tuna, Hanzo muttered, "The kitten has taken a liking to me, I suppose. I fail to understand why."
Genji retrieved an egg from the fridge, as well. "Perhaps he sees something in you that you have missed." He rummaged through a drawer for a can opener, then unsheathed his kunai and used that to peel away the lids, instead.
Hanzo placed the kitten on the counter, allowing him to sniff the can and decide whether he wanted to try the fish or the yolk first. "He does not know me."
Genji placed a hand on his shoulder. It was heavier than Hanzo remembered. "Then give him the chance to learn."
It was an old story.
A man who valued himself so little he risked his life needlessly. Recklessly.
It was a new story.
A man who valued others more than himself, who risked his body and mind and soul to ensure they would live to see another day.
He was cherished. He was loved.
He was an idiot.
Genji paced outside the infirmary where Dr. Ziegler worked tirelessly to remove the shrapnel from Hanzo's wounds. As he moved from one side of the infirmary and back again, Han-chan matched his steps, nudging his calves for attention until Genji carried the kitten to a seat and absently stroked its fur. As the kitten turned its head into his cool palm, Genji tried to imagine what its whiskers might feel like.
"That jerk," Genji muttered. "He didn't have to take the hit for me. My armor would have– "
"You know he don't think like that, Genji." Genji jerked his head up to see Cassidy watching him. "Folks like us tend to act before we think."
"Not Hanzo," Genji countered. "He never lets his emotions get in the way of the mission."
Cassidy crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his arm as he mulled over what Genji had said. "Maybe that's true in most cases." He flashed Genji a rueful grin. "Or maybe you're just special."
Genji twisted to face him with a scowl visible in the set of his shoulders, audible in the harsher way that he breathed. He was in no mood for games.
The door to the clinic opened and Dr. Ziegler stepped outside. Genji jumped to his feet, momentarily forgetting the cat in his lap. "How is he, Dr. Ziegler?"
"He'll pull through," Dr. Ziegler assured him. "However, he suffered substantial blood loss. I'd like to keep him under observation for a few days."
Genji slumped with relief. Then he looked down to see his brother's cat slipping inside the infirmary. "Could I see him?"
With Dr. Ziegler's permission, Genji stepped inside the infirmary. He spotted Hanzo, gray-faced and still, on a cot and moved to his side. The black-furred was scratching at the bed as it tried to climb. Genji patted the kitten on the head. "Now's not a good time, Gen-chan," Genji explained. "Anija needs to rest."
Hanzo stirred. Without opening his eyes, he reached for the distressed kitten. Genji glanced outside to make sure Dr. Ziegler was still speaking to Cassidy, then gently placed the kitten on the cot. It brushed against Hanzo's bandaged chest, purring contentedly as it curled into a ball and settled.
Hanzo's hand came up to rest on the kitten's back and as they both slipped into restful sleep, Genji pulled up a chair, resolved to watch over them until his brother was healed.
Then they would talk.