In the darkness (I will meet my creators)

by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead), Thatbluehead

Summary:

"I’m sorry.” Genji sighs and then looks at Hanzo. “I’ll talk to them. You deserve to be here, brother."
Oh. Hanzo thinks. Of course this is about me. Hanzo almost wants to laugh at the situation. Of course they are wary of the murderer on the base. Before Genji can get up, Hanzo takes his hand.
“Don’t.” He says in Japanese, not really looking at Genji. “Is fine.” Hanzo turns back to his food. “It's not like I don’t deserve their wariness. I’m a murderer."
“Hanzo.” Genji looks at him in disbelief.
“Just let it be, Genji. Please.” Hanzo looks up, glancing quickly at Cole too, who is looking at him with concern. But Hanzo doesn’t care for him, but for his brother, his lost family, all Metal and circuits and silicone and flesh. All his fault. For a moment, Hanzo imagines what the pain was like, how many months, years, of physical therapy? Hanzo gulps, thinking about this happening to his daughter, how the clan could shape her if they knew she exists.

Notes:

So, First things first: English is not my first language and I never formally learned how to write it and how english grammar works. Please bear with me and if anything read weirdly please comment it.
Second: This fanfic was created like, four to five years ago, before the pandemic and when i stopped playeing overwatch because of a whole lot of things that happened in my life. recently I started to play again and I rmemebered how much I like these characters. So read some of the new lore, realized not a lot changed and ralized a lot of BS was added too that I'm choosing to ignore, so this is efectivelly an Alternative universe.
and third: Yes this is An omegaverse with mpreg. Idk why I am teh way I am, I just hope yall enjoy it.

P.S:I'm sorry for being horny on main for Akande. Fun fact: I don't really think either Cole Or Hanzo are particularly atractive, meanwhile akande... I can physically feel hearts turning around my head.

Chapter 1: I’m wasted, losing time

Hanzo is lost. 

That’s a easy way to put the last ten years of Hanzo’s Life. Ever since his treason against his own blood, all Hanzo has ever done was wander and hide in shame, lost inside all of his self hatred, Anger and other feelings too deep for him to actually put names to them. But this time, walking down the streets of Portugal, Hanzo was not only metaphorically lost, but actually lost. He had no idea of where he was. 

To be completely honest, it wasn't Hanzo's fault. The last time Hanzo came here, a week ago, he had a taxi drop him by his destination, now he just wandered aimlessly trying to find the right house. With a frustrated sigh, Hanzo shakes his head and chooses to ask for directions at the closer newspaper stand. 

“Onde?” The newspaper guy, a pretty beta, asks and Hanzo shows the paper, he knows as much of portuguese to get around. The guys recognizes and gives the directions to Hanzo.

Hanzo sighs, and nods, walking the directions the guy gave. His whole body hurts. His torso and arms hurt from the fight a week ago, his feet hurt from walking. 

Now, you may ask, why the hell Hanzo shimada didn't hire a cab? Simple, Hanzo doesn't have any money. Life on the road, getting away from people, trying to be less noticeable as possível. Mainly now, after he found his declared dead alpha brother right in front of him. So Hanzo walks the streets, looking just like a simple omega trying to find his way.

He looks at his cellphone, checking the hour. Not his old one, no that one was compromised by a message the man calling himself Genji. A message, as soon as he got out of the shimada castle popped on his phone. On it a set of coordinates and a message. How “Genji” managed to get to that cellphone is a mistery, but Hanzo soon  tossed the thing away on the sea.

The streets change, and soon Hanzo gets to recognize them. A bodega right around the corner of the street, a small square and soon Hanzo was in front of a house colored soft yellow. He knocked on the door tree times, then one, then tree again. After a minute or two, the door opened, and a elderly asian woman, an omega, looks at him in a impassive way. 

“Good evening, Yumi obasan.” Hanzo bows in respect.

“Hello, Asshole.” Yumi has a cigarette on her mouth, is not lit, but still present. A figure he used to see a lot more when he was small, and Yumi had a respectable place on the shimada gumi. Or course, all ceased when the clan “banned” her. Banned was a strong word that the clan liked to use, but Hanzo knows she managed to get away from that life. He still doesn’t know how, he knows the elders would hide from him and Hanzo himself never thought about it until he was running away. 

“I hope you’re not smoking close to Ako.” Hanzo looks disdainfully at the cigarette.

“ Disgusting ” Udon says. 

“This is my house.” Yumi sneers. 

“And Ako is a three months old baby.” 

“Have you been followed?”

“ Foolish woman.” Soba laughs, or does an approximation of it. 

“Yes, I came here to your hiding place where I’m hiding my own daughter with the yakuza on my tail. ” Hanzo says, getting irritated by the minute. He crosses his arms, and both have a staredown. “Can I get in now?”

“No respect at all. Sounds just like your mother.” Yumi scoffs and opens the passage. Hanzo lets the jab slide, knowing very well his temper came from his mother’s side just like the strong bone structure. Hanzo lets his shoes by the entrance, as the guitar case containing his bow. No weapons beyond that point. “Come with me, she’s asleep now.” 

Hanzo walks to the living room, where he can see his daughter, Ako, sleeping on top of her light baby blankets on the sofa. He feels his heart seize for a moment, a relief he hasn’t been able to get from the last week finally blooms on his chest. He puts the hand on Ako’s back, just to be able to feel her breathing. He was so worried. 

“She missed you.” Yumi says.

“Yeah?” Hanzo says, voice thicker than usual. 

“Yes.” Yumi sighed, massaging her temples. “Screamed a whole lot about it too.”

“She’s a baby, it’s about 50% of what they do.” Hanzo smiles, and cradles Ako on his chest. the baby wiggles a little, making small noises. 

“She’s a pain in my ass, is what she is.” Yumi gets to the kitchen to make tea. 

Ako opens her eyes, a grumpy expression that makes Hanzo’s heart melt on his chest. The signature shimada eyebrows scrunched and she started to make crying noises. 

“Shh,is okay, little Ako.” Hanzo Sing-songs to her, adoration of his voice. For the last three months, Hanzo thought Ako was the only one he had left. He loved her so much ever since he found out he was pregnant with her. He really cherished the moments, and yet, his fierce love for her didn’t erase his own self hatred. Hanzo starts singing a lullaby, one his mother used to sing for him and Genji when they were small.

“Hanzo.” Yumi gives him a streaming cup, and motions for him to sit. Hanzo complies. “It’s Linden Flower tea. Is safe for you.” Hanzo nods and both of them drink the tea, a silence between them. “You know, now that you have her, you really shouldn’t go to the shimada castle again.”

“Yumi-san.” Hanzo sighs, exasperated. That was one of the things that Yumi hasn’t managed to get rid off in the last 20 or so years, she still thinks she can tell Hanzo what is better for his life, and still thinks she can manipulate him into doing it. 

“Look, I know you have on your head that you have to atone for the shit you’ve done,” Yumi gesticulates, takes the cigarette out of her mouth and puts it behind her ear. “And I’m not saying you didn't fuck up, but you have a child now Hanzo. She doesn’t deserve to grow up to a parent that kills for a living, even if it’s killing scumbags. Even if you don't have money, I told you i can help you to hide anywhere you want.” She sighs, tired as the old lady she is. “you could go to Brazil, you know? There is a big japanese community there, and God knows their police system is shit--”

“Genji is alive.” Hanzo interrupts her babbling, voice stronger than he wants it to be. 

Yumi stops. 

Blinks once, then twice. 

“Shut up.” 

“I--”

“No. I said: Shut UP.” She gets up, rustling her hair. In Silence, she gets out of the room, to the kitchen again. Hanzo can hear the cupboards opening and closing in a pretty violent fashion. He knows Genji always was her favorite. He was everyone’s favorite.

When Yumi gets back, she has a bottle of alcoholic drink with her. Is not sake, for the smell that almost makes Hanzo gags. She Drinks way too much before she can even look at Hanzo and asks, harshly. “How?” So Hanzo explains the whole story: he gets to the shimada castle four days after leaving Ako here for protection, the cyborg, the dragons.

“How do you even know it’s him not a lookalike?” Yumi asks the question Hanzo has been making himself after the whole ordeal. Was that man really Genji? Half machine, bruised on a pattern Hanzo clearly remembers. What was left of his little brother. Hanzo felt his core freeze with dread and bile rise up his throat.

“The dragon was a good indication, But, he looked and sounded like the same man. I saw his face, his... His injuries.” Hanzo swallows down. “If it's a plot to get to me, it's really well done. To let a man suffer the exact same injuries as my brother would have…” 

“So, what did he say?”

“That the world is changing and That i should choose a side soon.” 

“Ominous.” Yumi takes another swing of the drink.

“He sent me a message with a set of coordinates.” Hanzo watches as his aunt drinks. “He wants me to join overwatch.” Hanzo could have said it in a better timing, one that wouldn't make his aunt spit all of her drink on the center table, but who would he be if not vindictive for her being rude?

“Okay” she cleans her mouth with the back of her hand. “Now you know this is bullshit. Overwatch is done, young master.” She gave a particular sarcastic emphasis on the last part, one she loved to make to anger Hanzo.

“I thought so too.” He looks at Ako, thinking of the million ways and million reasons why someone would want to have him fooled and captured. It could be talon trying to brainwash him, trying a different approach than before. Could be the shimadas trying to get their hands on him, or Ako. “Until I saw on the news that Gibraltar “monkey sanctuary” suffered a Talon terrorist attack a few weeks ago.” 

“And let me guess, the coordinates direct you to that place.” 

“Yes.” Hanzo says. He thought a lot during the trip from Japan to portugal. Of the chances, of the possibilities. “And I have a request for you.”

“You want to go.” Yummi is in disbelief, like she wants to hit him with the bottle or wants to wipe the alcohol on the table with his face.

“If there is a small possibility of being him, Yumi, If there is a slight chance he is alive?” Hanzo says, frazzled. “I HAVE to go. I tried to atone for my sins for the last decade! I owe him that much.” 

“Hanzo, You have a child!” Yumi fumes. “A fucking tree months old! If you go try and die because of some misguided idea of family--”

“He was the only one I had! And I killed him!”

“So what? You think your father didn't kill a cousin or two who got in his way?”

“I'm not my father.” Hanzo blisters, still keeping his voice low, minding Ako. Yummi signs.

“Yes, you're clearly not!" She sneers. "But what happens to her then?”

“I know!” Hanzo almost screams.

“Do you?” Yummi looks at him, wide eyed. “Because from where I’m sitting, you just said to me you want to go on and possibly kill yourself on a trap! Even if not, you want to join a possibly illegal newly reformed overwatch, doing god knows what in the battlefield with a three month old!”

“That’s why I want you to care for her for some days.” Hanzo stops when Akos starts to babble again, starting to cry out. He quickly bounces her, shushing teh baby gently. After she calms down, Hanzo looks again at his aunt. “Don’t you think I know how dangerous it is for her? For fucks sake, the place suffered a terrorist attack.” Hanzo looks at Ako. “Of everything I still have in my life, Ako is the best of it. No matter the circumstances she was conceived in.” Hanzo tucks the baby closer to his chest. “But Genji deserves to know her. And he deserves the atonement he wants. not the one I want to provide.”

Both have an intense staredown. Hanzo doesn’t falter. Yumi may be an older omega, wiser and probably more dangerous than him, but he needs her to understand how serious he is about it. 

“God, you are such a brat.” Yumi sighs. “ What do you need?”

“Two weeks. I’ll see if it’s safe for me and her to be around the base, then You’ll bring her to me.” Hanzo reasons.

“And if you die?”

“You could make me disappear. Make her too. Do whatever it takes, just make sure the shimadas don't find her.”

A moment of silence.  Hanzo can see Yumi thinking, and thinking hard. 

“Okay.” She gets up. “Two weeks. If you don't make any contact, I swear, not even you could find her.”

“I found you, haven't I?”

“Did you?”

“What?”

“You met me at a park, pregnant and wanting to walk to your own death. You really think it was a coincidence?” She scoffs. “ Hanzo, how do you think I got away? I had eyes on the shimada-gumi for a long time.”

Hanzo remembers. The way those months felt like a haze for him, where he would walk miles, and barely eat and just want everything gone. He remembers hearing about a forgotten shimada who got away from the family. So he searched and found his aunt, drinking tea in a park while reading some book. He should have known, someone like her wouldn't just slip like that. Wary of the situation, Hanzo gets up and takes two steps back. 

“No reason to get all growly on me now. If I wanted to harm you or Ako, I could have done it before." She dismisses. "Look, I'll help you, but you know what I said.”

“You have your own life to live.”

“Yes, young brat. I helped you because you clearly needed it, and I owed you and your brother at least this. But after this? I swear Hanzo, you need to be gone. I don’t want to be involved with either the shimadas or overwatch.” She says, stern. “Now go rest and spend some time with your kid. You can get to Gibraltar fairly easy from here, since you’re not fucking letting this one go.”

Hanzo breathes one time, two, then nods. 

“Okay.” 

The night keps going, with Hanzo taking care of Ako and Yummi getting way more drunk than her age allowed. They turn the television on at some point, first watching an old American TV show about cops, Hanzo wasn't really paying any attention to it, focusing on playing with his daughter, not really realizing the show was over and the news started to play.

“...in other news, the Doomfist gauntlet is still missing from the overwatch museum. Today, Chief of investigation issued the following statement “we are working with the numbani authorities. We hope to soon capture the one responsible for this…”

Hanzo froze for a moment, as he looked at the TV Screen. There was Akande Ogundimu, a blurry photo of him in his White suit, taking the gauntlet. 

Hanzo remembers the alpha trying to recruit him to whatever scheme he was cooking. He met Akande three months after he had found out he was pregnant. He was at a small asian grocery store in King’s Row, trying to satiate his craving for Nattō, of all things, when he realized someone shadowing him. After an uneventful chase, Hanzo was cornered by a small Mexican woman, who took him to an abandoned gallery. Akande waited for him there, to vaguely speak about his future plans, he was accompanied by a woman, who Hanzo later realized was the infamous Moira O’Deorain. 

It looks like his whole plan for the future was terrorism.

Yikes. 

Now Hanzo was grateful for not falling on his charms. The alpha was as dangerous as he was good looking. And Hanzo had no intentions on getting involved in whatever it was that he was planning, especially with Moira there. 

“Good thing we are going to be on overwatch, right, Ako?” Hanzo asks the baby, who makes spit balls. “You're right. At least they seem to be the good guys.”

Soon, tired for the day, Hanzo gets up, covers his aunt with a blanket and goes upstairs. He bathes Ako and changes her into pajamas, nursing and burping her just before putting her to sleep in the middle of the bed. He makes sure to keep pillows on the borders, so she won't fall out of the bed. 

Hanzo looks at her, sighing, he sleeps on the floor, still using his enhanced boots, and scared to hurt Ako if he actually slept on the same bed. He looks at the ceiling, and the familiar knot on his gut starts to form again. 

Genji was alive.

His breath quickens and with a surge Hanzo gets up and goes to the bathroom. There he tries to calm his breath and stop his racing thoughts.

Hanzo looks at himself in the mirror, he looks like hell, eyes bloodshot, dark stains under them, and an unhealthy sheen of sweat on his skin. 

Washing his face, He thought about what he was about to do. It would change all of his life, whatever if it was for better or worse was the question. Before he could finish drying his face with a towel, Ako starts crying, and Hanzo quickly goes to her. 

As he calms her, Hanzo thinks about the bounty hunters, the Shimada assassin who ambushed him before, the clan members seeking revenge for the disgrace Hanzo put his said family to. They would want Ako, to raise her the same way he was raised. Hanzo would never allow that. Overwatch was his best bet now, as he knew that whatever place he went, the clan would find him. At least this way, Ako would be safe and with a good part of the family, Genji. 

Ako coos, snuggling with Hanzo. The omega sings quietly to her, caressing her thick hair. She looks alot like Hanzo, which is a relief for him, considering her father was a bastard. A dead bastard now, but still.

Shaking his head, Hanzo tries not to think about it, not right now. It takes a while for her to sleep, but soon Hanzo can put her down on the bed.

With a racing mind, Hanzo sits down on the floor, back touching the bed.

He doesn't sleep.

Chapter 2: I’m a foolish, fragile spine

Summary:

Hanzo meets Genji and the other 0verwatch agents.

Notes:

First off, hello, I hope y'all like this chapter. Second is: In this Cole is one of the few that treat Hanzo well, partially because he falls in love dick first, but also because I refuse to believe a man with Cole's background would have a black and white vision of the world. He has many more years as an outlaw than on overwatch and even there he was Black ops.

This chapter is brought to you by the song Easy way Out, from Low Roar.

A noise.

Shwack

Mud. Hanzo's feets were stuck on the muddy ground. It was cold and he didn't really know what to do. 

Again the noise. 

This time it was louder. 

Shwack

His hair was damp, clinging to his skin, the lower part of his back. He hasn’t have long hair for a long time, not since…

Shwack

He finally looks ahead. Is dark, but he can see someone ahead of him, digging a hole.

A boy. 

Shwack! 

A boy with a full head of green hair. 

The noise was from the boy digging in the mud.

Shwack

“Should you be here?” Hanzo asks. His feet are cold and aching. He is not using his enchantments. Hanzo feels dread pooling over his stomach like lead. 

“Someone has to dig a grave.”

“Why?”

“You didn't dig it the first time, so someone has to do it now.”

“What?”

“Don't you remember?” And Genji turns to him, half of his everything is torn apart, in pieces. Flesh torn and blood dripping, all mixing with the mud. 

He was so young. 

Too young. 

“ Brother. ”

Hanzo wakes up with a start and too much sweat on his neck. The sound of the train is loud around him, almost deafening if it wasn't for the ringing on his ears. Looking outside, he tries to calm his breathing. 

The dread on his stomach doesn't seem to dissipate. Hanzo checks the train schedule  and realizes it's just 20 minutes to his destination. He yawns, trying not to fall asleep again. Ako has been fussy in the last week and couldn't sleep well without Hanzo's presence. He kept watching her and feeding and changing, it was exhausting. His aunt made sure to never help him, claiming she was just “temporarily housing them”. Not only that, his breasts were sore, and hurt, from not feeding Ako today. Maybe he could find a good place to pump.

The towns pass quickly by, train stations come and go. The dream keeps nagging Hanzo. He can't stop thinking about his brother, not the young man laughing freely, nor the cyborg he saw a few days ago, but the boy he slaughtered at home, the boy bleeding and asking for death. The boy Hanzo left behind, that he abandoned in shame and regret.

Hanzo almost loses his stop, and leaves the train running. He is in a small town before Gibraltar, where he is supposed to meet his brother and, according to Genji, go from there to the base by flying. 

“Safer” Genji had said through the phone.

“Quick death”   Udon whispered in his ear.

It is better than he deserves, if he is being honest. After what he has done to Genji, he deserves nothing more than his death being slow and his body displayed. At this point, Hanzo doesn't know how Genji could forgive him, how he could just go and ask for him to be a hero. The chances of him ending up dead is high, no one would try to ID him in a small town, he would be seen as a John Doe or whatever his name was on the fake id he had on his pocket.

And yet, Hanzo goes. 

Maybe it was for the best. 

If he died.

Hanzo checks again the coordinates sent to him for the meet up. As he puts his phone away, his fingers brush against something. A photo taken in the hospital, oldschool paper photograph. Hanzo was asleep, tired and too worn out, holding Ako by his side. There are tear tracks on his cheeks but he looks happy. The happiest he has been in his life. 

Hanzo smiles. 

A loud noise takes his attention, and Hanzo quickly puts the photo away. Far from the small town, in an abandoned lot close to the forest, almost hidden by vegetation, Hanzo sees a travel orca with the overwatch logo badly hidden behind a hastily done paint job. So much for being discreet. Two people are waiting for him, a beta and an alpha, for their scent. Overwatch agents.

Fear takes over Hanzo for a moment. His dragons stir under his skin, Ako comes to his mind.

Hanzo would protect Ako no matter what, even if this was a trap. He made sure to show his intentions for the dragons. It doesn't help, but he stops for a moment, almost waiting for goons to jump all at the same time from behind the trees. That doesn't happen, and with renewed determination, Hanzo marches, his dragons less agitated, but present. 

As he gets closer, he sees that one person waiting is his brother. The recognition hits him like a brick on his chest. Genji is now wearing casual clothes, Hanzo can see the same colored armor under his shirt, neck and his arm. He has the same haircut, now his natural black color, and Genji’s face is almost impossible for Hanzo not to recognize, even full of scars and with a mechanical jaw.

Oh, God. 

He did this.

He did this. 

He did this he did this he did this

He was worse than a murderer he ruined his brothers life he deserved to die he did this to his own family the only one that mattered he did he did this he did this he did this--

“Brother?” Genji is close. Too close. When has he gotten this close? “Are you okay?”

His breath quickens, eyes burning. Genji puts a hand on his shoulder and there are tears on Hanzo's eyes. 

It's really him, It's the same scent, even if with a new layer of metal, the same boyish face. With horror, Hanzo realizes this is not a lie. 

Please Hanzo asks for whatever god was there, If he is going to kill me, let it be now. He can't face this. His dragons are almost screaming in his ear. 

But Genji doesn't kill him. He just stares at Hanzo, waiting with a strange patience.

“I did-- I didn't-- I’m--” Hanzo chokes out. At that moment he doesn't think about Akande, The Shimada-Gumi or schemes to kill him. He feels his legs get wobbly. He can't breathe, and can't control his expression like he normally would.

Genji hugs him, and if it was anyone else, any other alpha, Hanzo would panic even more, pull away. But this is his brother, and even before, Genji was the only one who Hanzo allowed to see his true feelings. 

“ I’m so sorry. ” Hanzo says in Japanese. And repeats it again. And again. And again, like it's a mantra.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

“You're forgiven brother.” Genji’s voice is calm, and Hanzo can't deal with it. 

“Hey, loves, we should probably run.” The woman shows up out of nowhere, with a trail of Blue left behind her, making the brother separate with a jump. Hanzo is surprised, but refuses to show it. 

“Sure, Tracer.” Genji nods. 

The three of them get on the vehicle and fly off to Gibraltar. 

The trip is calm, and is filled with a different kind of atmosphere, uncomfortable, but with a familiar conversation. Hanzo can't look at Genji, not really, but his brother keeps on talking, and Hanzo responds. What else can he do? The woman doesn't speak to him, and makes sure not to stare so much, even if every look Hanzo catches coming from her is colder than the last. 

Their conversation is not really rich in detail, more about what overwatch will be doing now, that Genji was once blackwatch and that's how he met his best friend. Hanzo doesn’t dare to ask him about his body, and Genji doesn't say anything about the subject.

When it was his time to talk, Hanzo hadn't had too much to say, still wary of his brother and his intentions. He was an assassin for hire, he killed only targets who he was sure were very bad people. And that was it. Hanzo couldn't talk about all the awful things that happened to him, how Genji is now an uncle, as much as he wanted. Not for now. 

When they touch the floor, Hanzo sees how big the base actually is, even if it seems abandoned. He was waiting for a big place, but not as much. The orca stays outside, and agent Tracer is by their side, talking a mile a minute as they enter Watchpoint: Gibraltar.

“Winston will be waiting for you in his lab, love. Is up ahead.” 

Hanzo nods and they walk by the base, soon entering the lab. The place smells like peanut butter, but is filled with technology and computers. He’s amazed at how well the equipment is maintained, even after ten years of overwatch’s fall. Hanzo's attention is caught by the noise on the second floor. There, behind a cracked dark glass wall, Hanzo sees two shadows walking.

“The gun is good the way it is, big guy.” The first say, walking towards the stairs. The voice is deep and hoarse, but what Hanzo can't believe is that he is seeing an honest to god Cowboy, a Handsome one at that. The man’s get up looked like it came from a Clint Eastwood movie. 

Interesting. He can hear Soba whispering in his ear. 

“It would be more effective if you'll let me do the adjustments--” The second walks towards the computer, and walks right in the front of the hole on the glass-- Okay, the cowboy was the least of his worries, there was a big, and he means BIG, talking gorilla on the upper floor, typing something on a computer. 

Danger!!!!! Udon screams, wanting him to go away and run as fast as he can. Soba is quiet, but Hanzo can feel her unease. 

“It shoots and aims fine, it don't need no modifications.” Holy shit, the man even talked like a cowboy. What the hell. 

“Winston, love, the new guy is here.” Tracer interrupts and disappears in a flash of Blue and shows up on the upper floor.

“She's fast.” is the only thing Hanzo can say. Because, honestly, What the fuck. What the actual fuck?

“Is the chest thing.” Genji vaguely points at his own chest. Hanzo almost jumps out of his skin, he had forgotten Genji was with him (or perhaps didn't expect Genji to even walk by his side). "I have no idea how, but I'm sure Winston can explain to you. He invented it.” Genji points at the gorilla and Hanzo nods dumbly and at his brother. 

“I see.” Hanzo obviously can't hide his wariness of the situation well, because Genji is chuckling.

“You better get used to Winston. He is the new commander, he was the one who sent the recall.” Genji gives him a pat on the shoulder, and Hanzo can only dumbly nod.

Okay, so it was a super smart giant gorilla. Hanzo honestly doesn't remember overwatch being such a… let's say colorful, group of people. However, he didn't pay too much attention to the organization back in the day, since they did not pose a threat to the Shimada clan, not until the very end. At least Ako wouldn't be bored here.

Winston stops his chat with the cowboy as tracers zips to his side. The Gorilla listens to her and seems surprised, in a good way. With a leap, Winston gets down to the down level, and stops in front of Hanzo.  

“You must be Shimada Hanzo." Winston smiles, and then surprisingly, bows down, just enough to show he knows about Japanese costumes. “I am Winston, the recent commander. It is good to have you. We need as much support as we can right now.”

“Is a pleasure to be here.” Hanzo bows as well. “Let's hope for a good work relationship.”

“Oh, yes let's.” Hanzo can see that Winston is nervous and the Gorilla nods with enthusiasm.

The man in the cowboy hat gets to their side at some point, looking at Hanzo with caution. A whiff of his scent gets to Hanzo, and he is not surprised the man is an alpha. The alpha gives a lopsided smile as he stops. He is not traditionally beautiful, he has a rugged look, with warm skin and crows feet around his eyes, probably from laughing. 

“Howdy.” The cowboy spins the gun and tips his hat at Hanzo. “Name's Cassidy. But you can call me anything you want, sugar.” It's the most cliché thing ever, Hanzo can't even believe a person in this decade says stuff like that, or that it makes him blush of all things.

“What?” so he tries to keep his face impassive in a show of wariness, but Genji almost bounces in place and laughs. 

“And this is Cole Cassidy.” Genji moves to the cowboy side, slapping a hand on the man's shoulder. His brother almost vibrates in place, the cowboy grumbles something that Hanzo can't really understand. “He’s the one I talked about, my best friend.”

“Oh. Of course.” Hanzo mutters, making Cassidy lift an eyebrow, clearly offended. Of course Genji would make friends with an actual hot cowboy. Hanzo didn’t even think that was a real thing, he thought it was one of those fantasies from romance books. With a sigh, Hanzo greets Agent Cassidy and turns back to Winston. 

“You already met Tracer.” Winston says and the girl forces a smile at him. “And as much as we like to chit chat, I think it's best for us to discuss your time here on overwatch.” Winston says, and with that all move to the upper floor, where they start to chat. With that they all (mainly Winston) explain the housing arrangements, the small set of rules they have, the necessity of files so they could keep track of their agents if injured and the training process and how they are all in charge of fixing and maintaining the new base. 

“We decided that every new recruit would show their abilities first, so we can see what we are working with. It is to assure we can have the best combination on a mission.” Winston says “So, we would like to see you in action. Just a demonstration.”

“I understand.” Hanzo nods, hoping it is not as soon as they finish here. He feels tired. It's not that he wouldn't be able to show what he can do, but it wouldn't be the best of him. Hanzo, strives for perfection, even when pregnant (and a month after the birth) he had kept a light training regimen. 

“Oh, come on now, Big guy, let a guy rest first.” Agent Cassidy interrupts, as if knowing Hanzo's thoughts. 

“Oh, yes, sure!” Winston says, eyes wide. “I didn't mean today, we still have to prepare your file, get you on Athena’s database, and have medical exams.” Winston counts on his fingers. “And you have to actually unpack.” The Gorilla trails off and starts to type on the computer. 

Hanzo nods at the cowboy, grateful. The man just shrugs, as if it wasn’t anything important. They soon start the boring process of creating his profile, with Winston asking him all the basic questions. 

Is a long time before they actually finish the whole process of making Hanzo part of the new overwatch. They gave him the most basic access, a guest account, to which Hanzo could walk around the base from his room to the communal areas like the mess hall and lounge areas, but had to have an agent to go to other rooms like conference room, war room, labs, armory etc etc. He was on a trial period. Smart.

If Hanzo is honest, it was a tiresome business. Not only because Hanzo had to socialize for an extended period of time, but because of the proximity to his brother. Genji’s own shared closeness to those strange people made him feel uncomfortable and drained. So much that he almost jumps out of his skin when a beta blond woman enters the room.

“Hello, Winston. I brought the list of equipment that has to be replaced on the med bay.” She is distracted by the list she has on her hands. “Most of them are easy to replace so we shouldn’t have to spend much money and --” She looks up. “Oh, you're back, Genji.” 

“Yes.” Genji gets up, getting quite literally in between Hanzo and the doctor. Hanzo soon understands why when she takes her eyes away from Genji and looks at him. He hasn’t  seen that much Anger in a long time.

“Genji, what is this?”

“I've told you that my brother may join us, Angela. So here he is.” Genji gestures to Hanzo, and the omega gets up, realizing he and the doctor are almost the same height.

“It's nice to meet you.” Hanzo bows, still wary of the beta. When he gets straight again, Hanzo can see the doctor's nose flare, and Hanzo honestly thinks he is going to be attacked. She obviously liked Genji and felt protective of him. Instead she turns to Winston. 

“Winston, are you okay with this?” She motions in Hanzo's direction.

“He is on a trial period, Dr. Ziegler.” Winston sighs and cleans his glasses. “We need every help we can get.”

“But--”

“Angela, please.” Genji approaches her, Putting his hands on her shoulders. “I want him here.”

Dr. Ziegler purses her lips, but after some time she nods, her shoulders visibly sagging. “If you're sure.” putting her hand over Genji one, the doctor's eyes seem to soften. It shows an intimacy Hanzo finds weird. He looks away discreetly, he feels like he shouldn't be seeing them being so close.

“I am.”

“Okay.” Dr Ziegler nods. “Come on, Shimada. We might as well do your exams now.” The statement is for Hanzo, but she barely looks at him, turning away and walking. Hanzo is lost for a second, not knowing what to do.  

“Go and accompany Mr. Shimada, Tracer.” Winston waves a hand towards the exit, while Tracer nods and it's by the door in a jump of blue light. 

“Chop chop, love. Better not leave the doctor waiting.” 

Hanzo looks at his brother, who nods. The omega sighs and goes along with the two beta women, a dejected air around him. The door closed with a soft click and left the lab with a weird silence.  

“So… That’s your brother.” Cassidy is the first one to break the silence, taking his hat off, combing his hair back with his fingers. Genji confirms with a nod, somehow knowing this talk wasn’t going to be what he expected. “You know if he's single?” And there it is. Genji groans. 

“Agent Cassidy, please." Winston says, exasperated. 

“It ain’t my fault that the good genes obviously went to him.” Cole fans himself with his hat, releasing a long whistle. 

“Okay, I'm not doing this.” Genji hits him hard in the shoulder.  “Stop acting like a pervert, Cassidy. My brother just got here.”

“What?” Cole laughs loudly, massaging where Genji hit him. “I’m just saying.” 

“Weirdo.”

“Y’all think he’ll be okay with Angie?” Cassidy puts a cigarillo on his mouth and goes to light it, but Winston clears his throat and gives him a pointed look. Cole rolls his eyes before putting it back in his pocket. 

“She won't kill him, right?” Genji turns to Cole, who scratches his head, grumbling something. “Winston?” Genji turns to the commander, who looks away. 

“I'm sure Tracer won't let her.” This time it is Cassidy who pats Genji in the arm, but the concern doesn't seem to go away. 

Oh, boy. 

-

Uncomfortable was a small word to describe what Hanzo felt right now. Tracer was cheerful enough, whistling and skipping steps, but the doctor wasn't so amicable. She continued looking straight ahead, ignoring him, which was fine for Hanzo. He wasn't there to make friends, but to atone for his mistake. He was there for Genji and to assure Ako’s safety.

They walk around the base, all the halls look alike, but the place is big and way more open than Hanzo expected. Big antenna towers and pathways between buildings. They pass a big hangar, an enormous ship suspended above them and small boxes of supplies around, catwalks linking everything. Hanzo was not used to seeing what is basically an enormous military base. 

Maybe it's that what makes him so distracted, because he doesn't really expect what Dr. Ziegler says next.

“You know, I rebuilt him. Genji, I mean.” The doctor continues walking, like she didn't really say anything of importance. Hanzo stops in his tracks, taken aback. She stops and just glances at him. A moment is shared, one where Hanzo is frozen, not exactly knowing what he was feeling. 

“Come along. It's right ahead.” Dr. Ziegler says, keeping on and disappearing behind a door. Hanzo follows her, quickly, Tracer stays behind, sitting on the dusty chairs at the waiting room. 

Soon they step into a med bay, it is a sterile and white room like any other doctor's office would be. Hanzo couldn't tell if there was anything not working. A gold staff was perched by one of the beds, together with more medical stuff. 

“Okay, let's do this.” She gestures to the exam table and Hanzo follows. 

Angela moves with elegance and agility, making all the exams needed as quick and painless as possible, asking questions and moving to do the next exam as soon as Hanzo answers. She’s cold, but not cruel. She takes samples of blood, checks his eyes and ears, the whole check up shebang. It's all quick and silent, Hanzo barely notices time passing. Is only then she gets to his legs that she stops. 

“I see you have some scarring and weakness in the leg muscles?” She turns his ankles. He flinches when Angela moves one of his legs open, to see the damage on his inner thighs. “Did I hurt you?”

Hanzo shakes his head. It was a reflex, a memory from months ago. They are weak and hurt a little, but seeing them out of their boots for the first time in months it's weird for Hanzo. It shows how much strain and damage he has on his legs.  “How did this happen?”

“In the… When I battled my brother.” Hanzo looks down to his crippled legs. “His Dragon did less damage to me.” Hanzo clears his throat, looking away. 

“I see.” The doctor's tone is almost amused, Hanzo can almost hear the “good” behind her phrase. “I assume you use Support boots. Are they enhanced in any way?” Hanzo nods. “Do you use them everyday?” Hanzo nods again. “You probably shouldn't, there is tissue damage, even with the use of the compression socks. The boots should be combat only.” She writes something on her file. “We can ask for clutches or a wheelchair, whatever is your preference. I can see the boots are damaged too, we can ask Torbjorn to fix them.”

“I understand, It won't be necessary at the moment. I just need some time to rest.” Hanzo bites his lip. He has been through worse than just walking around and jumping in training. He endured the weight of his pregnant belly on those support boots, he could go on with them for a little longer. “Is this all doctor?” Hanzo asks as he sees Dr. Ziegler turned to put her samples away.

“Yes, you may go.” She waves her hand and Hanzo quickly dresses himself, putting his boots on, he is ready to walk away, when the Doctor calls him again. “Shimada?”

Hanzo turns, and the doctor looks at him, tiredness on her face. 

“Don't make us regret bringing you here.” There is a hint of anger in her tone. “Because if you do, the first shot will come from me.”

Hanzo is surprised, just for a moment, but as soon as his shock passes he nods and moves quickly to get out of the office. Tracer guides him to his room, not bothering to show him where everything is, or worries if he knows the way. As soon as they get there she leaves. 

The room is clean, but smells dusty, probably only recently cleaned. It's spartan at best, with a bed, a nightstand and a small wardrobe. 

With a sigh, Hanzo puts his things by the wardrobe and throws himself at the bed. He should probably take a bath and change, but who cares? He is tired, amongst unfriendly people, sleep-deprived and missing his daughter. He can care about baths and clothes tomorrow. 

-

“So, what do you think of him?” Winston asks Tracer. 

“Shady.” She says. “And very secretive as well. Not easily intimidated, or at least he’s good at hiding it.” Tracer shrugs. 

“Not surprising, He used to be a yakuza.” 

“Yeah.” Tracer crosses her arms over the chronal accelerator. “But he does seem at least regretful. He was crying when Genji met him.”

“I see.”

“But, I still don't know if this is a good idea, Winston.” Lena sighs. “Tears can be faked. And he grew up as a Yakuza.”

“Cassidy was in a gang before Overwatch.” Winston takes his glasses off, cleaning them. “And we need all the help we can get.”

“But a guy who killed his family?” Tracer shakes her head. “Who does that?”

Winston looks at his glasses, the glasses his own father had left behind. He can't imagine why anyone would do what Hazno did, but he hardly knew anything about humans and their motivations.

“We will be careful.”

Notes:

Cole badly flirts with a Hanzo and somehow it works, so now he's is determined to get married by the end of the year. Also, I was doing research with cowboy movies for some reason or another (totally not related to this fanfiction, pfft) and i hadn't realized how much Cole is based off of Clint Eastwood in The good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Tbh, I'd sue Blizzard.

Chapter 3: I want all that is not mine

Summary:

Hanzo spends time at the base, and finds out he's not as lonely as he feels.

Notes:

Hi, how y'all doing? So, a new chapter! Hanzo suffering, Cole flirting, Genji being a little shit, haters hating.
Ah, I need to give y'all a warning, I realized I fucked up on a detail in the first chapter. Hanzo doesn't know Akande is Talon. In this universe Akande was arrested before anyone could associate the name to him or be known as the leader of Talon. The Organization tries to keep the name of the leaders as hidden as possible. It was a minor detail, but it needed to be fixed and it passed my original edit because I wrote the first chapter back in 2019. Also i realized I wrote Moira's name wrong. Blame it on my auto corrector.

This chapter is brought to you by the Song I'll keep comming from Low roar

The morning came with a revenge for Hanzo. First, he wakes up with a jump, courtesy of a nightmare;  He then looks around, searching for Ako. Is only after some seconds of panic, that he realizes where he actually is. It was way warmer than the day before, and Hanzo highly regrets sleeping in his jeans and support boots.

Who even does that? 

Depressed people. Udon taunts him, which makes Hanzo sigh before getting out of bed and despite the wear on his body, he showers and starts his day. Because even if his dragons are ancient wise spirits, they are wrong. Hanzo wasn't depressed. He has anxiety. Or so the Doctor his father hired to “fix him” at 17 years of age has told him, “A product of a lifetime of excruciating lessons to negate his secondary gender and an abusive and neglectful family”.

Of course no one liked that answer at the time and fired the poor woman on the spot.  

Soon he dresses himself in his more traditional blue gi. He would be better like this, his more casual clothes didn't really suit the role he was going to play here (to fight and redeem himself) even if the fabric bothered Hanzo with how stiff it was, and how it became itchy on his sensitive breasts now.

Checking the clock, Hanzo realizes it's later than he would like. He thinks about going to the mess hall for breakfast, but certainly no one would want him there. So he tries to think about the best course of action. Maybe he could use the first hours of the day to go and eat before anyone was awake. He could pump first too, that way avoiding pain. Yes, that would work. 

The plans are ripped away from his hands when Genji knocks on his door, without his faceplate and a smile distorting the scars on his face. Hanzo barely contains his flinch, looking at the mechanical jaw and the scar tissue. 

What kind of brother does that?

“Good morning, brother.” Genji greets him, completely ignoring Hanzo’s reaction. Maybe he had time to get used to being stared at. 

“Morning.” Hanzo bows slightly.

“Would you like to have breakfast with me?” Genji is so eager, there is a shine on his eyes that almost begs Hanzo to say yes. And how can Hanzo deny that after so many years? So he agrees.

The walk to the Mess Hall  is quiet and quick, both brothers not really knowing what to say. When they get there Hanzo can see that, as he imagined, the place was still relatively empty, but more full than he had seen yesterday while passing by on the way to the med bay. He can see Tracer and Angela eating, sitting with them on the round tables, there is a small man with a big braided beard and a mechanical arm like a claw and a korean young woman, who looked too young to be there, playing a pocket game.  He can see Agent Cassidy and the small man are talking, with tracer quipping from time to time.

“Come, brother.” Genji says moving to the kitchen. The place gets quiet as they walk, Hanzo doesn't look at their faces, knowing very well what he will see in it. Instead, he keeps his head up, and shows no uncertainty, only that he was there for his brother and that's what matters.  “You're lucky that we only just got in and didn't sort the kitchen schedule yet.” Genji gestures for Hanzo to pick a plate. 

“It's that so?” Hanzo lifts an eyebrow, curious. 

“Yes, since we are illegal now, everyone will have to cook at some point. And Winston meant everyone.” Genji stresses the last word. “I just hope Angela is not put on the list. If it was for her, we would be eating some dietary shake that tastes like chalk.”

“Really?” Hanzo wrinkles his nose in disgust.

“Yes.” Genji guides Hanzo to a rice cooker, one the end of the tabletops. “We only have some rice and eggs right now. I made Tamagoyaki.” Genji shows him the small rolls of omelet on the plate. Hanzo's mouth waters, it's been some time since he had an actual Japanese breakfast, as Yumi didn't like it, and Hanzo had to make do with whatever was on the fridge (which wasn’t more than booze). “Let's eat.”

Genji quickly stacks rice on his bowl as does Hanzo. Is still steamy and hot and Hanzo can't wait to dig in. They take the plate with the omelets and Genji takes an egg from the freezer. They sit away from the rest of the team, but Hanzo can feel the heated glares on his back. 

As soon as they sit, Hanzo digs in, realizing he is hungrier than he actually thought. It wasn’t a surprise considering he only ate a small lunch and no dinner. What takes Hanzo away from his thoughts is the fact he hears Genji cracking the egg he brought in and pouring on the rice, quickly stirring. Hanzo has an almost overwhelming sense of nostalgia. 

“Just like when we were kids.” Hanzo says out loud, without really meaning to. Genji stops for a moment and looks down.

“I guess I used to eat this a lot, huh?” Genji smiles quickly, looking tentatively at Hanzo, who snorts.

“You ate it all the time. A table full of food, and you wanted eggs with rice or rice porridge.”

“Well, I'm not the one who wanted to eat ice cream mochi for breakfast!” Genji crosses his arms, with a pointed look. Hanzo immediately feels himself blush. 

“I was a kid.”

“You were 20!” Genji says, in good nature. “You only stopped because father wanted you to look more like an alpha.” 

Hanzo feels like ice water was poured on him. That's right, having a sweet tooth was “unalpha”, a habit someone who wanted to look threatening and demanded respect didn't have. Hanzo swallows down, looking at the eggs. For a moment he forgot who he was and what he had done, acting like everything was fine. 

Stupid. 

“Hanzo… I'm sorry, I didn't want to remind us--” Genji purses his lips, worried. 

“Do not worry.” Hanzo forces a smile. “It is the truth, but it doesn’t matter anymore.” He goes back to eating, trying to compose himself. “I'm glad you can still eat what you like, at least.”  

“Yes. Although my jaw had to be rebuilt, my tongue and ability to taste are still almost intact.” Genji clears his throat and Hanzo feels nausea overcome him. 

“Small mercies.” Hanzo mumbles and soon after a dense silence falls. Genji sighs, and they pass most of the meal quietly, Hanzo trying to swallow the food over the lump on his throat. That is until a small ruckus starts on the other end of the mess hall. 

Hanzo turns and he can see that the noise is coming from the table where most of the agents are. Some of the agents (the small man with a big beard and a young asian woman) are arguing with Cassidy. It’s almost impossible to actually hear what they are talking about, Hanzo only knows that there are too many fingers pointing and too many heated stares towards him. The small bearded man says something that makes Cassidy stand up, and Tracer immediately moves in front of him, stopping the action. She says something, and looks, just for a quick second towards Hanzo. 

Agent Cassidy is silent, but flinches back, getting himself away from Tracer. The other agents look at him, as the cowboy gets closer to where Hanzo and Genji are seated. He is exhaling angry alpha pheromones, which makes Hanzo cover his face and nose.

“Sorry ‘bout that, darling.” Cassidy sits down, with a heavy sigh. He gives a cheeky, but lackluster, smile as he tips his hat. 

“Trouble already?” Genji asks, curious.

“Y’know how it is.” Cassidy scratches his brow. “People think they have any say in other people’s business.”

“Let me guess? Blackwatch.”

“That too.” Cassidy takes a cigarillo from his shirt pockets and puts it in his mouth, searching for a lighter in his pockets. “But I just hate when people act all high and mighty when everyone here had a shit past.” He gestures around. Genji goes stiff for a moment, looking down, a lot of emotions pass through his face, anger, indignation and last, resignation. 

“I’m sorry.” Genji sighs and then looks at Hanzo. “I’ll talk to them. You deserve to be here, brother."

Oh. Hanzo thinks. Of course this is about me. Hanzo almost wants to laugh at the situation. Of course they are wary of the murderer on the base. Before Genji can get up, Hanzo holds his wrist.

“Don’t.” He says in Japanese, not really looking at Genji. “Is fine. ” Hanzo turns back to his food. “It's not like I don’t deserve their wariness. I’m a murderer. "

“Hanzo.” Genji looks at him in disbelief. 

“ Just let it be, Genji. Please. ”  Hanzo looks up, glancing quickly at the cowboy, who is looking at him with concern. But Hanzo doesn’t care for him, but for his brother. His lost family. All metal and circuits and silicone and flesh. All his fault. For a moment, Hanzo imagines what the pain was like, how many months, years, of physical therapy? Hanzo gulps, thinking about this happening to his daughter, how the clan could shape her if they knew she exists. 

So, let it be.

He deserves their scorn.

--

Aim, breathe, shoot. 

Three consecutives eliminations. The ai announces. 

Hanzo's gi is too tight. He can't really aim as well as he could with his sleeve down, but he can't really just show his titty like that, damn his tired mind and his forgetfulness to wear an undershirt. He works his way through the training bots. He takes out one, two, tree, four before jumping and scaling the catwalk. 

Seven consecutive eliminations .

From there he takes off the two stationary bots in the center of the simulation. As Hanzo jumps down he shoots a scatter arrow, and takes down two or the moving bots. 

Aim. Breathe. Shoot. 

Eleven consecutive eliminations. Athena informs and Hanzo can hear and woop from the observation room. It was certainly Genji, who always had fun watching Hanzo do tricks with his abilities. The dragons stir under his skin, asking to be out.

Aim. Breathe. Shoot. 

Hanzo takes down one more, but he can feel the wear on his body. He has been training, even after having Ako, but it wasn't nearly as much as before, and it showed, both in his performance and in his appearance. His abs Would probably never return to their former glory.

Aim. Breathe. Shoot.

Hanzo stops under the watching room, where he can see a small group of agents watching him. He feels the adrenaline of it running on his veins. 

“Use the dragons! USE THE DRAGONS !” Genji cheers and in an impulsive move, a muscle memory from the times he and Genji had trained together, Hanzo calls upon his dragons. 

“ Let the dragon consume you! ” 

It just takes seconds for the dragons to destroy the remaining bots in record speed, only when they pass over his head, undulating in a wave of electricity that Hanzo thinks that this may be a bad idea.

Twenty five consecutive eliminations. 

“Shit.” Hanzo mutters as the dragons move around the training area. They go in the direction of the observation room and Hanzo can see every other agent drawing their weapons. 

Fuck, shit, damn. 

“Soba! Udon! STOP!” The dragons don't obey him, they invade the observation area, startled screams are heard and someone shoots several times. 

No no no no. Hanzo runs up the stairs as fast as he can. 

When he gets there, the omega is surprised by the scene he sees. Soba and Udon are above Genji, in their small form, purring and licking him on the face. Genji is laughing and Hanzo feels himself deflate in relief.

“Come on, you guys! Stop that!" Genji laughs and Hanzo can squeeze a smile out of his face. However, that doesn't last much, when he realizes everyone in the room (even Winston) have their guns in hand, and some even pointed at the entrance. At him. Only Cassidy remains in place, hands on his pockets and a crinkled smile on his face, he looks at Genji with humor.  

“What the fuck is wrong with you, mate?” Hanzo expected a lecture from the older small man, even from Winston, but not from Tracer, who to this point seemed wary but not at all angry at him. 

“Is this some kind of game?” Torbjorn asks, lowering his weapon. 

“They weren’t supposed to come here.” Hanzo explains, still taking in huge gulps of air. “The demonstration was only to cover the bots. I'd never--” but Hanzo stops. He knows there is no use in trying to make them understand he'd never endanger them, at least not now. He wants to make this work.

“Guys, please I asked him to use the dragons.” Genji says, sitting cross-legged on the ground. The dragons act like over enthusiastic cats, chirping excitedly. “If anything is my fault--”

“Don't take the blame for something he did.” Mercy says, more severely than Hanzo expects. And for the way the cowboy and D.va look at her, this wasn’t her normal behavior. Genji almost looks sheepish, but he uses the fake happy voice Hanzo used to hear frequently when their father was still alive. 

“Come on, they missed me.” Genji says, taking the two dragons and showing them to her like they were lost kittens he found. 

“Not like the last time.” Torb mutters too loud, he can even hear D.Va suck in a breath. 

“Now, fellas, let's not be like this.” Cassidy says as he helps Genji get up. Udon pokes his head up, letting the cowboy scratch his chin, Soba pushes her brother out of the way, butting her head into the alpha's hand. “Aw, look at it, you wouldn’t hurt anyone, would ya?” The cowboy baby talks to them, receiving chirps in response. Hanzo would be embarrassed if he was younger. 

“That's because you're not the one that had to shoot ghost dragons.” D.Va says, obviously still frazzled about the whole situation. “One of them passed through me.” she shudders.

“Don't worry, if he wanted us dead we would be.” Torbjorn says. Hanzo gulps, looking at him, but he is simply ignoring him. 

“I'm assuming this presentation is over?” Angela asks, turning to Winston who nods. “Then, I'll be going.”

Silently Torbjorn and Tracer accompany her. 

“Yeah. Old man, you scared us.” D.Va puts her gun on the holster, leaving with the others soon after.  “Guess what they said about him is true.” Hanzo hears the young omega saying as she leaves. 

It feels like a lead ball falls on his stomach. Apparently not even this he can do without being seen as a monster. At least they know he'd be ruthless. It's All they need. 

“Are they always this Friendly?” Cassidy asks, an amused expression on his face when the dragons Chirps excitedly one more time.

“Not really.” Hanzo says. “Only with people we are comfortable with.” He says, right as the dragons look at Cassidy and then slither their way into his serape.

“Well, I'll be damned.” Cole smile at the small dragon and maybe Hanzo has his hormones all fucked up, but the way Jesse held the dragons made him think about him holding Ako.

“ You look infatuated, brother.”   Genji says in their language, with his signature shit eating grin.

“ Shut up, idiot .”  Hanzo answers back in Japanese. He's sure Genji is just saying it to annoy him, as he always did. He ignores the fact that, more often than not, his brother was right about his crushes, always managing to get a good read of his emotions. 

“ Ewww you do like him.” Genji teases again, and Hanzo almost goes back to old habits, when they were teens and had brotherly fights over stupid stuff, more weak slaps than anything else. He holds himself back and decides he can be childish for once and blows raspberry at him.

“I do not.”

“Very mature of you.” Genji deadpans. 

Hanzo ignores his brother's jab and decides to turn to Winston, to more serious topics. 

“I am very sorry for the scare, commander.” He gives a small bow, which he almost is sure he can see Winston getting sheepish of being taken seriously. “I assure you that I can in fact control the dragons. This was simply accidental.”

He extends his hands and the dragons come back to him. They do, but refuse to hide away under his skin. No, they decide that the best action is to hide under his clothes, by his chest, making him hold them like babies. Damn Spirit dragons and their way of getting inside his head. 

“Well, I can see that no one was hurt and since there was an explanation corroborated by Genji, I don't see why not let this one slide.” Winston says, obviously trying to keep morale, but Hanzo can see how nervous the Gorilla is. “But they are obviously very dangerous, so please be more careful.”

“I will.” 

“It's darn cute, it's what they are.” Cassidy says, getting closer to Hanzo. 

“They are ancient spirits. Wise beyond any mortal knowledge.” Genji says, quoting their teachers. 

“Sure, that's why they are purring like cats.” Cole point at the dragons and Udon decides to hiss at him, not accepting the joke. Hanzo chuckles and with that the dragons disappear under his skin, pleased to see their host, once so depressed, finally smiling. The fun doesn't last long, since Hanzo feels a pain in his left peck. 

“Shit.” Hanzo quickly puts a hand over breasts. 

“Are you okay?” Genji asks, moving close. “Should we call Angela?” 

“No. It's fine.” Hanzo says as soon as the pain lessens. He has been unable to pump on time ever since he has come to the base. It has been three days and his breasts each day have become more engorged and painful when he doesn't do it on time. “It's just a cramp.” As soon as he takes the hand away he can see that it has milk in it. Goddammit. “I will retire to my room for now, I'm tired.” He cleans his hand in his gi. Turning to Winston and bows again, making the gorilla sheepish. 

“Okay. Brother, come eat with us at dinnertime.” 

“I will try.” Hanzo gives him a sad smile and nods at the other man and the gorilla, quickly leaving. Genji and Cole are not far behind, leaving to the lounging área. 

“Say, Genji, yer brother’s an omega. Right?” Cole asks, a curious expression on his face.

“Don't even think about it.” Genji quickly turns to him, an angry expression in face. “He's a respectable omega, not one of your flings, Cassidy. You're not breaking his heart.”

“Hey, hey, calm down.” Cassidy chuckles.“One: I'm just curious about a thing, two: I ain't like that anymore.” Cole says with an easy slow draw. “Besides, if he wants to have a roll in the hay, who am I to deny the request?” 

“I mean it, Cole.” Genji’s voice is firm on this. “You have no idea what he had gone through as an omega on the shimada-gumi.” 

“I can guess.” Cole remembers the despair of some members of Deadlock when they still didn't know their gender and the whole gang was excited to have an omega to pass around. Cassidy never let the poor things stay if it turned out they were omegas, he'd always stage an escape or was conveniently distracting other members. He personally knew that fear, joining the gang too young and being so scrawny before his puberty hit. 

“Then please don't make a mockery of him, he'll close up even more.” Genji sighs. “If he hasn't changed, and I doubt he has, this is one of the things that he will take seriously. He doesn't do casual, it's either you're all in or not.”

Cassidy couldn’t deny that he was attracted, the man was charming, if too self deprecating, but he had a dry wit and looks that made Cole's legs wobbly. The second day the omega was here, Genji managed to get a smile out of him, one Hanzo quickly covered it with a hand, obviously holding a laugh. Seeing the angry eyebrows and frown soften really made Cole’s heart beat faster.

But the thing that really bothered him is that Cole could smell the man was an omega. He thought the smell was strong, that for sure everyone else smelled it as strongly as him; but when commenting with Hana, the girl seemed surprised by it. It was almost like the standard soaps couldn't mascare his smell properly. Not for Cole. And that wouldn’t worry him too much, if under it there wasn’t the smell of milk and baby powder. It made it seem like Hanzo was pregnant. Pregnant and cagey. 

And that? That worried Cassidy. 

--

Besides the lack of camaraderie from his new colleagues, Hanzo could see that they were amicable enough for him to at least live on the base. Sure, he would have his meals long before everyone cleared from the kitchen, or would train on the simulator well either too early or too late, but Hanzo rather not have to deal with the barbs everyone likes to throw at him. But there were no treats to kill him after that first day, at least. 

It was okay that they treated the bastion unit better than him, by letting it live on the workshop that wasn't watched 24/7. And it was okay that he couldn't even walk to the kitchen by day to get water for his vitamins without everyone shutting up and observing him. Or that when they put him to help clean and fix the base, like every other agent, only Cole and Genji volunteered to stay with him.

To say Hanzo felt lonely, bored and miserable would be a joke. He longed for the comfort of having his daughter again and at least any sort of control over the situation. He is moping. And his brother could see it, but just doesn't know what to do to fix it, unaware of Hanzo's motherly instincts acting out. So, when the work they need to do is done, he leaves him alone, thinking it was for the best.

More often than not, Hanzo spends his time with agent Cassidy.

"Pretty handy with that bow." He had said right before Hanzo managed to get his highest score without the dragons.

"You are not so bad yourself" Hanzo had said, wary about that being a threat. Surprisingly, it wasn't, Cassidy out of all agents seems the one who decided to at least treat him like he was more than a murderer and a kinslayer.

“I've done some bad shit myself, darlin’. And I mean bad bad.” He had said one day. "Who am I to say someone can't have redemption?" A sentiment Hanzo was grateful for. Still, their rapidly growing friendship (and his own growing crush) wasn't enough to stop him from feeling isolated. And Hanzo still felt that dull pain of longing for his daughter on his chest (not to mention his breasts started to actually really hurt, since he pumped so irregularly).

But all of that was okay, because it was lonely, but it was the first time in a long time that Hanzo felt any sort of security. That he could see a future for himself and his daughter. He looked forward to bringing her here, to at least have his brother know her. 

On the start of the second week of him living at the base, on a hot morning day, right after he was cleared to be by himself in more rooms, he bumps into an enormous omnic. He is honestly trying to hide away in the garden, after a spat with the small engineer man (who he now knew was called Torbjorn) and he almost jumps out of his skin. It was way bigger than the bastion unit and it had a bigger gun as well. It looked at him with big slanted eyes, making Hanzo take two steps back, almost falling when he bumps on the steps that lead to the base.

“levels of distress are high. Do you need a hug?" The omnic says, opening their arms, Hanzo almost gives into his instincts to run and hide on one of the big empty crates on the outside of the base.

"Orisa, stop scaring people." A small voice says, and before Hanzo can react, a small black girl jumps from the omnic's back. The omnic, Orisa, was so big she kept the girl hidden behind her massive torso. "See? You are scaring him."

"I am sorry, Efi." The omnic actually looked sorry about it, like a small child that was caught misbehaving.

"Well, is not me you should say it."

"I am sorry." Orisa turns to Hanzo, blinking her big slanted eyes, and he is sure he can see her doing puppy eyes to him. Hanzo can't really resist it.

"Apologies accepted." He nods.

"I am really sorry Mr. Shimada." Effi says as she brings Orisa's arm down, the one without the gun. Hanzo is a little taken aback when the girl calls him by name, but thinking better, the other agents would warn a child from the one hated man on the base. "You see, she is still learning things and how to interact properly. She is just like a child at the moment."

Hanzo snorts, because seeing a child calling an eight foot omnic “a child" is the most fun he had in years. Orisa's guns are almost as big as Efi torso, which doesn't help sane Hanzo's worries from before.

“Isn't she dangerous?"

"Well, yes..." Efi opens Orisa's arm and starts to fix whatever is inside. "But only to bad guys. I rebuilt and reprogrammed her to be docile and protect people."

And it finally clicks. Effi! The genius girl who had a whole exposition planned for her in Numbani but was attacked by Doom Fist.

"You're the Effi." Hanzo says, gobsmacked, for the simple fact he was in the presence of one of the most intelligent people on the planet. He had read about her when he saw doomfist 

"Yes, haha." Effi scratches her head, looking away, suddenly shy.

"Is a honor to be in your presence." Hanzo bows respectfully, because this is what Efi really deserves.

"You as well, Mr. Shimada." A little hesitant, Efi bows, looking at him after some time to see if she did it right. Hanzo smiles and nods. She turns back to Orisa's hand.

A full minute passes before Hanzo starts to feel awkward. He never knew how to interact with children. He never really was one to begin with, but even now he didn't have much interaction with them, considering his past, insecurities, general anxiety and his assassin job (with his baby yes, but babies only sleep, eat and poop, it wasn't difficult to care for her). Hanzo thinks in silence that maybe it's time for him to leave, but the thought of having to even see any other agents right now is anxiety inducing.

“You can go if you want, Mr. Shimada, I won't mind.” Efi gives him a smile Hanzo knows well. The I don't want to be alone, but I know I bother people kind. Hanzo feels a pang on his chest, a protective sort of feeling. He knows no kid should have to learn this smile so soon, not like he had to.

“So…” Hanzo clears his throat. “Can you explain to me how you did the work on Orisa?”

Efi’s eyes go wide. “Really? You're not going to be bored? My parents let me ramble, but other people usually don't like to hear it."

“I'm curious.” Hanzo shrugs. Efi's smile widens and she starts to ramble, explaining exactly what she was working on (apparently Orisa's shield stopped landing in the right spots. Either two far or too close), Hanzo listened intently, sitting on the steps, not wanting to discourage the girl, even if he didn't understand most of it. Hanzo even gets to ask if one could ride Orisa into battle, like a horse, to which both Orisa and Efi laugh about. They pass about half an hour like that, until he hears the door opening. 

“I'll be darned, look what I found.” Agent Cassidy approaches them, Hanzo doesn't even have to turn to actually know. His boots’ high heels make enough sound that he didn't need to hear the spurs to identify him (though they helped).

"Cole!" Efi smiles and jumps down from Orisa.

“Hello Miss Efi. Miss Orisa.” Cassidy tips his hat, making Efi giggle with the cowboy antics, and Orisa waves back. Hanzo looks up when Cole stops by his side. He has to agree with Efi, seeing Cole dressed as an actual cowboy outside training is funny to see. “So, what y'all been up to?”

“Mr Shimada is helping me fix Orisa.”

“Really, now?” Cassidy smiles, looking from Hanzo to Efi. Hanzo shrugs, but Efi nods eagerly. 

“Because he doesn't know too much, I have to explain everything, and that helps me to actually organize my ideas.” She says with a confident smile on her face. Hazno is pretty sure the kid called him an dumb, but he’s not going to dwell on it too much. 

“If it's like that, I'll stay here and help as well.” Cassidy props himself down on the steps of the watchpoint, right beside Hanzo. “I know even less about omnic's and robotics than Hanzo.”

Efi scrutinizes him for a moment. “You can stay.” She nods.“But only if you say the thing.”

“Come on, miss Efi, is not even noon--”

“Please?” Efi grabs her hands together and begs him. "For Orisa?” Cassidy looks from the child to Orisa, and yep, Hanzo can see the puppy eyes on Orisa again. Maybe the kid did program the Omnic with puppy eyes. 

“Please, agent Cassidy?” Orisa says, and Hanzo is not sure how the cowboy can stay serious, because he himself never thought he would feel his heart melt for a gigantic omnic. Cassidy sighs, gets up, puts his hands on his waist, before quickly posing with finger guns at nothing.

“It's high noon.” Cassidy drags his words and Hanzo initially doesn't understand what the hell was that about. Not until Cole makes six gunshot noises with his mouth and Efi and Orisa cheer. “Happy now, Missy?”

“Yes.” She smiles and goes back to fixing Orisa. Cassidy shakes his head, smile crinkling the skin around his eyes, and sits down besides Hanzo. What was Cassidy even doing here? Surely the man had better things to be doing than just sitting here listening to the rambles of a child and the silence of an anxious omega. 

A small bot with a camera passes past them, with his lens pointed straight at him.

Oh.

It was some time before one of them actually broke the awkward silence.

“You don't need to watch me, agent Cassidy.” Hanzo keeps looking straight ahead, past Orisa. “I would never hurt a child.” He actually feels insulted people would think he'd do it. 

“Oh, I'm actually not, Darling.” Cassidy lays half way down on the steps, putting his weight on his elbows. “Winston sent me to look out for Miss Efi. Poor fella almost had a heart attack remembering that the whole base is built on a cliffside with no fencing.” He snorts. “The kid is smart, but is still a Kid.”

A beat.

“Should she really be here?” Hanzo asks. “Children are far too… delicate for a military base.” Hanzo bites his lips, the question weighing on his mind. If the base wasn't safe for an older child, a baby would never be welcomed. 

“Probably not.” Cassidy looks at him and sighs, and Hanzo stills. “Too much planning of death in the same place. But, she needs protection and Phara and Brigitte turned out alright, so what the heck do I know.” Hanzo raises an eyebrow on a silent question. He has no idea of who those two people are. Cassidy seems to catch to it. “Phara, uh, Fareeha, she is just like a sister to me, she's the daughter of one of the overwatch founders, Ana. She works for Helix now, shooting rockets of all things.” Cassidy smiles. “And Brigitte is Torb’s child, so, you might just imagine from there. The kid spent all her life here ever since she was a baby. She'll probably join us soon.”

“I see.” Hanzo nods, slightly worried about how overwatch children tend to become either military or willingly going to an illegal overwatch base to fight against terrorists. He doesn't want his child to become a killer, for her life to be commanded by his choices or by other people's choices. Cassidy seems to pick on his distress, looking at him with a silent question. Hanzo shakes his head. He can't think about that now, so Hanzo decides to go to a safer topic, before being interrupted by Cassidy.

“Oh, hell.”

“What?”

“Just realized Winston is an Overwatch baby as well.” Cole has a confused and worried expression on his face. Hanzo snorts, glad that the alpha tried to fix the atmosphere.

“So.” Hanzo turns to Cassidy, curious. “What was that that you did for Efi?”

“Oh, that?” Cole seems to blush, scratching his chin. “I say that when I use the dead eye.” 

“Yes?” Hanzo encourages, giving him the “go on” eyebrows or whatever was that Genji liked to call his expressions. 

“It's a... I guess a gun trick I use in combat?” Cassidy clears his throat and looks away from Hanzo. “Eight targets. Six shots. Eighth deaths, all headshots.”He turns to Hanzo, as if Hanzo knows what the cowboy is talking about. 

"How does that even work?"

"Well, it's kinda difficult to explain." Cole scratches the back of his head. "But I can show you later."

“See that you do.” Hanzo says, a fake petulance in him. “At least this shows that you actually are a full time sharpshooter and cowboy.” Hanzo looks at the outfit head to toe, finding funny the fact that Cassidy is a walking cliche. Light blue and white plaid shirt, jeans pants and a soft beige sarape.

“Sure am, darling.” He smiles wide. “This whole get up ain't just for show on combat. Grew up in a farm and all.” he gestures to himself, tipping his hat for good measure.

“This get up is at least less flashy than your combat one. Can't see where a red Serape is stealthy.” Hanzo closes his eyes, and tries to keep his smirk from showing. Somehow, it was easy to talk to Cassidy. Almost every time they were together, conversation was easy to follow. It was a relief, really.

“Oh, ho ho.” Cassidy puts his prosthetic hand on his chest, in faux shock. “Tell me more, Mr. Golden ribbon.” He makes a show to get Hanzo's ribbon and throws the ends of it through Hanzo's shoulder. 

“I'm actually very stealthy.” Hanzo turns away, nose in the air. “And I don't take the ribbon on missions, it's too beautiful to be on the battlefield.”

“I think it suits you, even on the battlefield.” Cassidy takes the end of the ribbon in between his thumb and index finger. “Makes putting someone down a real pretty job.” 

Hanzo felt a strong blush creep onto his cheeks. 

“Stupid handsome cowboy.” He mutters in his native language, Cassidy raises one eyebrow and opens his mouth to speak, when a blue blur passes between, making both Hanzo and Efi jump on the spot.

“Hi, love, what are you doing?” It’s Agent Tracer. The beta has stopped by Efi’s side. 

“I'm fixing Orisa’s shield system. Mr.Shimada was helping me.” She points at him and Casiddy, sitting on the ground. 

“Really?” Tracer looks at him, narrowing her eyes. Hanzo just nods, not wanting to cause a scene in front of the child. “That’s so interesting. Efi, why don't you come inside? Winston needs to talk to you.” She gives Hanzo and Cole a stinky look. “And I expected better from you, Cole.”

A silence falls between them, the conversation between Efi and Tracer can be heard echoing through the old corridors of the old watchpoint. Orisa moves away from them, going to rest in the middle of the wild flowers, close to the workshop. 

“Inn’t funny?” Cole asks, lighting another cigarillo. Hanzo looks at him, inquiring. “Buncha murderers pretending the kid is unsafe close to you.” Cole releases smoke from his mouth, the smell of tobacco is soothing to Hanzo. 

“They have the right to be wary.”

“If you saw what I've seen working here, darling, you wouldn't be this open to this bullshit.” Cole sighs. “Sometimes the people you think are the ones protecting you, all might and high, turn out to be the worst of all.”

Hanzo doesn't speak about how this fits his description too. He simply gets up, brushing the dirt off his clothes. 

“Going already?” Cassidy gets up with him. 

“I was going to walk the perimeter.” Hanzo admits, truthfully, not wanting to create suspicion on the only friend he has there.

“I'll walk with you.”

“I'm not going to compromise any part of the base, if it's what you're thinking.” Hanzo starts to walk, an annoyed huff under his breath. “And besides, the place is full of cameras.”

“Ah, no, darling I wasn't thinking that.” Cassidy finally puts out his cigarillo and they start walking. “I enjoy your company, for one. And, besides, I wanted to ask you a question.'' They pass the gardens, then slowly move to the hangar. The place is not in top shape, but is good enough that Hanzo isn't worried about the whole thing falling over him. But Cole was right, the whole base was dangerous to a child. 

“Ask away.” Hanzo says, looking over the open cliff side. The steep fall is totally unguarded, opening to the sea. 

“Pardon my crass question, but you're an omega, right?” 

The question gets Hanzo by surprise. He doesn't go out of his way to hide his status, but he also doesn't enhance it. He uses some soaps and deodorants to make the smell of omega who just had a baby as undetected as possible. 

“Why?”

“Is just, I mean-- gosh, darn it.” Cassidy says, shy of all things. “I'm kinda ashamed to ask it now without sounding like a creep.”

“Ask, anyway. I promise to try not to be offended.” 

“Well, ‘s just you're kinda smelling.” 

“Smelling?” Hanzo is surprised. 

“No, it ain't in a bad way, more like... like milk?” Cassidy cringes as he says it, aware of how creepy he sounds. “And baby powder?” 

“Oh.” Oh, indeed. 

“And I notice your uh- breasts are always hurting not that I spend too much looking at uh- them. They are just there all the time. And you only spend real time with Genji that the - your family's alpha so I was wondering if maybe you… are… pregnant?” Cassidy cringes even more with every word that comes out of his mouth.

Hanzo just looks at him, his heart beating a mile a minute. He's sure neither Genji nor the others have noticed his I just had a baby please cuddle me and protect me smell. In fact, Hanzo was sure that the combination of the soap and the fact he was himself got people as far away from him as possible. 

“Ah, well.” Hanzo is at a loss for words. “I'm not pregnant, I can promise you that.” He clears his throat, feeling awkward. He’s not technically lying. 

“Okay. So I just made this whole thing awkward over nothing.” Cassidy sighs and puts a hand over his face, hiding himself. He always had a way to make himself look like a clown in front of attractive omegas. “Officially put my foot in my mouth.”

Hanzo snorts a laugh, crossing his arms. “And what if I was pregnant?” Cassidy perks from behind his hand. “Would I not be welcomed?”

“I mean. If that was the case I’d understand why you came here.” Cassidy finally relaxes, dropping his hands from his face. “You'd be with your pack, Genji is the family alpha, after all.”

“You don’t get why I’m here?”

“Kinda.” Cole Sighs. “Everyone wants to heal the past. I don’t get why you stayed, with the way people are treating you I’d be gone by noon.” 

Hanzo was quiet after that. He can't really deny that, after all, he did come to overwatch because what was left of his pack was here. “Do you think I'd be more welcomed if I was? Pregnant?” 

“I don't know, Darling.” Cassidy puts a hand on his shoulder, and Hanzo, for once, doesn't run away from contact from another alpha. “I honestly don't know what goes on in these folk's heads. But if Miss Efi can be here, so could another child.” He shrugs the whole hypothetical idea running on his head.

“Thank you” Hanzo nods, “We should go back. It's getting late.” in a slip of his mind, Hanzo links their arms and starts walking with Cole. It's just when they are almost at the base that he realizes the alpha walked too smugly by his side, and the situation he put himself in. He immediately pulls his arm away, feeling a pang of humiliation. 

As touch starved as he was, Hanzo has never done this before, not even with the suitors his family tried to marry him to. “That was not appropriate from me, I apologize, Agent Cassidy.”

“Naw, that's fine, I like feeling like a gentleman.” Cole jokes, waggling his eyebrows. “Especially with such a well educated omega.”

“Don’t mock me.” 

“I’m not mocking.” Cole now genuinely smiles, a soft look on his face. 

Yes, Little one, the suitor is interested. Soba whispers to him. Play coy. If Hanzo could, he would strangle the dragon.  

“This is unfair, you're too handsome for this. I don't know what to say back! ” Hanzo says in japanese, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. The fact is, he knows Cole is infatuated with him, but usually that infatuation goes away after a day or two, when people start to really know him. Most blaming the fact he was a, quote, stuck up bitch.

But apparently not Cole, he just opens a wide smile and says. “‘Sides, I feel like a million bucks with you in my arms.” 

Hanzo can't deal with it, so he uses both of his hands to shut up the cowboy, covering his mouth. “Stop saying nonsense.” He hears Cassidy muffling something under his hand. The cowboy pries his hands away, Holding them up, his expression doesn't change. No actually to Hanzo he looks even more smug and confident. 

“To be nonsense it has to be a lie.”

“You don't need to do this to get in my good graces.” Hanzo argues back.

“So It is working!” Cole winks at him and Hanzo pulls his hand back, ready to snap back. But before he can express any reaction, Genji calls for them, from the steps they were sitting before. 

“What's going on here?” Genji looks suspicious at the two, especially at Cole, who seems sheepish now. 

“Nothing.” Cole takes his hat off. “We were taking a walk.”

“Really?” Genji asks, even more suspicious. 

“Yes, Genji.” Is Hanzo who says it, somehow feeling like a kid who was caught talking to his first crush. 

“I’m being the perfect gentleman, I promise.”

“You better be.” Genji moves to Hanzo and then starts to push his brother to the watchpoint. “Or I will cut your bits off.” Hanzo looks from Cole to his brother, suspicious.

“I told you I ain’t like that anymore.” Cole follows the two, an easy swag to his steps.

“Is he bothering you?” His brother asks, the suspicion intensifying. 

“He keeps me company, Genji. Like you probably asked him to.” Hanzo dismisses his brother’s worry. “ You can tell him to tone it down, I’m not some needy omega that needs attention. ”

“What kind of attention?” Genji asks, worried. “ Is he being respectful?” If his brother wasn’t, well, his brother, Hanzo would think he looks scandalized. 

“ Of course he is, idiot.” The omega huffs. “You know I don’t allow any disrespect.” Hanzo gives him a pointed look, trying to make Genji remember how he made suitors run away. 

“Good, don’t let him be an ass to you because he’s my friend.”

“He’s everything but that, Genji.” Hanzo looks at the cowboy walking some steps behind them. “ He has kept me company and we talk. The cowboy is nice.” Hanzo clears his throat, feeling his cheeks redden. 

“Wait, you actually like him? HIM?” Genji sucks in a breath, flabbergasted. He points at Cole, who is lighting a cigarillo with a lighter that has the phrase “save a horse ride a cowboy” written on it. Hanzo tries to shut Genji’s mouth with his hand, but it quickly turns into a very pathetic slap fight. 

“ Shut up, It’s an infatuation! A crush!” 

“ I freaking knew you watched The good the Bad and The Ugly that many times for a reason!”

“Shut up.” Hanzo manages to grab Genji’s hand, not hard. “And stop hitting me.” Genji blows raspberries at him, and Hanzo releases him. 

“You have terrible taste.” Genji laughs at Hanzo’s distressed face, but he feels relieved. It wasn’t easy, even then to make his older brother open up about his tastes. From an early age he had hidden the books, movies and even the crushes he had, always saying it was all trivial. Unfortunately, now Genji knows he was taught to not care about what he wanted and what he liked. “I’m joking, come on. Also, so you know I didn’t ask him to be your friend, he just likes to be with you.”

Hanzo quickly nods, hiding how giddy he feels. It has been so long since he had any meaningful relationships. A friend. Maybe coming here wasn’t a mistake after all. 

-

There is a hand holding the back of his neck. 

Hanzo can't move. 

Everything is hot and sticky. 

Not like after Genji died, with the paper walls and the wood burning down, drying the blood in his hands. 

No, this is worse. 

He feels pain between his legs and a hot breath against his ear.

“ Stay still, monster.” 

Hanzo wakes up with a start. He's drenched in sweat. 

He wasn't supposed to sleep (He was also not supposed to think about it). He needs to go out, out of the watchpoint.

Hanzo dresses himself, numb. He sneaks out of the watchpoint. He has no idea how they are surveilling him, but apparently is not good enough, because he can easily avoid the cameras and use the blindspots he saw before during his walk. 

So he leaves the watchpoint, wearing his civilian clothes, and walks through Gibraltar. He pays attention to the street names, so he can come back easily. It wouldn't look good for him to be seen coming back in the morning. 

He's far enough he can't see the watchpoint anymore and the only thing accompanying him is the hum of the hotel lights. Hanzo moves to the phone booths outside of the hotel, using some of the last change he had to dial to his aunt.

“Hello.”

“Hello.” 

“ Ah. It's you. ” She doesn’t sound amused. “ So they didn't kill you .”

“No. And they are not a threat.” Hanzo says, not really believing in his words himself. “ Genji is alive. Truly alive .” His voice shakes, he can feel the tears filling his eyes. “I can't believe it. ” 

“Don't cry, it's unbecoming.” 

“Don't play.” Hanzo hits the phone. “I think I want to bring her here.”

“Thinking is not the same as knowing.” Yumi’s voice is hoarse, it makes Hanzo shudder in familiarity with the elders. “Do you want her there?” 

Hanzo really thought about it. He can't stand the fact he's away from his daughter, he feels desperate to get her to himself. Genji also deserves to know her, to know he's not alone just with the murderous brother. He had hope. 

Cassidy's words also ring on his ears, somehow a warm sensation envelopes his gut.

“Yes, please come here. Bring her.” 

“Okay. I'll be there in about a week. Call me at the biggest hotel in the city. I'll bring her if it's safe.”

“Right. I will contact you in a week.” 

“Okay, young master.” Hanzo almost curses her for calling him that before she hangs up. He puts the phone back and finally leaves the booth.

The warm night makes the walk back pleasant, and going through the empty streets alone, thinking about having his child soon. It's no wonder he doesn't realize that someone follows the same path behind him.

Notes:

By the way, how am I doing with the soutern talk? Is too much? too little? I'm watching too much Bonanza?
And yes, I do think cowboys are sexy now.
It's the chaps.

Chapter 4: I want him, but we're not right

Summary:

Hanzo finds himself getting Close to Cole, finds out some pretty serious information abour Akande, and finally tries to bring his daugther to the base.

Notes:

Hi, ya'll. A new chapter. Hope you guys like it! Also, know that I'm pouring all of my Brazilian roots into making Lúcio as Brazilian as possible. And I'm sorry if any names get written wrong, my goddamn autocorrect keeps changing it and I don't know how to fix it.
There is a Atantis the lost kingdom reference there, can you identify it?

This chapter is brough to you by the song The Prophecy by Taylor swift.

The mornings at Gibraltar were quiet and chill, with only the rays of sunshine to warm people. Hanzo knew that better than anyone. His mornings usually were full, it just happened before everyone else's. At 4:30 am Hanzo wakes up, does his morning routine, then pumps, proceeding to throw away the milk he manages to pump and then he goes to the cafeteria, where no one is around and Hanzo can have a wonderful quiet morning. 

Except for today. Today when he gets to the Kitchen area Cassidy is there, flipping pancakes. Hanzo greets him, stopping by his side to brew some tea. When he’s finished the cowboy tells Hanzo that is almost ready and that he should sit down. “I’ve made enough for the two of us.” He does so, going to the mess hall and sitting on the table closest to the kitchen area, too tired to even argue. Cole is good company anyways. 

“Ready for some flapjacks?” Cole says, plating a stack of 3 pancakes for Hanzo. 

“I thought they were pancakes?” Hanzo asks, looking at the delicious stack of pancakes. 

“Darling, they are basically the same thing.” Cole sits down too, giving Hanzo syrup and butter and serving him two turkey sausages. The top of the Omega's ears heat up in embarrassment and he can hear Cole chuckle quietly. 

“Isn't this too sweet for breakfast?” He tries to change the subject.

“No way! This has all the four food groups you need to survive: sugar, meat, coffee and lard.” Cole points at every piece of food, making Hanzo genuinely laugh for the first time in… well he doesn't know how long. 

The alpha's expression changes, it's soft, with a smile on his face and a shine in his eyes. It's not subtle either. 

“What?” Hanzo asks, confused. 

“Not a thing.” He raises his eyebrows, then waggles them. Hanzo shakes his head and digs in, Cole does the same. 

The sweet breakfast really is a blessing to Hanzo, he always had a sweet tooth, but since the start of the pregnancy it became a craving. Even after, when Ako was born, he realized how tiresome and energy consuming nursing is, he craved the quick energy boost sweets provide more often than not. He hasn't been able to get anything of the kind, either before or after getting to overwatch. He didn’t dare to ask for more than what he was eating, even if it wasn’t enough. 

“Hold your horses.” Cole chuckles. “You're gonna choke on the food.”

Hanzo stops himself, “Your cooking abilities are incredible.” He really didn't realize how fast he was eating his food. He takes a breath to chew slowly and appreciate the taste of the pancakes. 

“Not to toot my own horn, but I'm not the worst cook out there.” Cassidy looks proud, but after a moment his expression changes  to a more serious one. “Say, are you eating well here? I don’t see you here at all, besides breakfast, and I know damn well there is barely any leftovers after the animals here finish eating.”

“I eat enough.” He reassures Cole. 

“That ain't the right answer.” Cassidy takes a sip of his coffee. “And drinking only tea in the mornings and plain rice is not the same as eating.”

“It got me by until now.” 

“Well, you're not “getting by” anymore.” Cassidy shakes his head. “At least not if I have anything to say about it.” He grumbles, taking a bite of his food. 

“Why are you awake at this hour anyways?” Hanzo goes back into eating small pieces in between the conversation. 

“Couldn't sleep.” Cassidy admits, and for the first time Hanzo can see the tiredness behind the facade. The hat (now on the table) hid the shadows under Cassidy's puffy eyes and the very tired expression. “Nightmares.”

“Ah.” Hanzo nods. “I know how it is.” He hadn’t expected Cassidy to open up so quickly, even after the several days spent together he expected the other shoe to drop, but it never did. Or maybe the Cowboy was that good of an actor.  

“I can imagine. Two old men with too much trauma to sleep soundly.” The self deprecating humor made Hanzo more at ease, knowing he wasn’t the only one there that found solace in it. 

“Yes.” Hanzo pics at the pancakes now. “And now it is peaceful. I don't need to see others that…” Hate me He doesn’t say. Hanzo doesn't look up, somehow ashamed about opening up, but he knows Cassidy is looking right to him. How pathetic he must think of him.

“I know how it is.” Cole scratches his beard. “When I was at Blackwatch with Genji, I was recruited straight out of a gang. Deadlock.”  He waits a moment to see Hanzo’s reaction when he recognizes the name. When it happens he almost wants to laugh at Hanzo's big eyes. “Yeah, that deadlock. Everyone hated me and they didn't make a show to hide it.”

“That's why you’re doing this? Talking to me. Because of a likeness to your past?” Hanzo sips his tea, somehow disappointed.

“Nope… Or maybe, yes. I just know how shitty it is to be treated like that.” Cassidy takes a sip of his coffee. “This ain't no pity party, honey, as much as I like Genji and Winston, they can't make me do anything I don't want to do.” he winks at him, breaking the heavy atmosphere. “I talk to you because I like to talk to you.” 

“I see.” Hanzo still doesn’t feel like the man is being completely honest with him, but lets it slide.

“Besides, you're one of the few here that are close to my age that I can actually talk to. No one here wants to discuss old men's business anymore.” Cole shakes his head, feigning disappointment.

“Like cigars and booze?” The omega chuckles.

“Exactly! And back pain.” Cassidy laughs quietly, going back to eating. “So much back pain.” 

Hanzo hums, agreeing. Especially after all the time being pregnant. “At least you're not full of white hair.”

“I'd trade it in a minute, sugar.” Cole clears his throat.“‘Sides, you look charming.”

“Hard to believe.” Hanzo says. “Especially being an omega. People have been pestering me about it since it started to show up when I was 20.” He rolls his eyes, remembering everyone and their mothers asking him when he was going to dye his hair. 

“Twenty?” Cole looks at him surprised. 

“Too much stress.” Hanzo sips his tea, realizing now that he's almost finished with his breakfast. He honestly feels like he needs more. It must have shown on his expression, because before he knows another pancake is put on his plate. Hanzo looks up, only to see Cassidy looking a little bit too much at his own mug. 

“Ooohh he likes feeding usssss ” Hanzo hears Soba taunting him, he can feel his cheeks heat up, specially because his own instincts scream the same, feeling like Cassidy is trying to court him. He doesn't let the thought linger. “The cowboy wants to court us.” Udon says, reminding Hanzo that it is not just his instincts he has to worry about, but the two pests he has as spirit dragons. 

But before the situation could get awkward, the kitchen's door opens and Efi enters the room. 

“Good morning.” She says, groggy from sleep. 

“G’morning, miss Efi.” Cassidy greets her in a playful tone. 

“Isn't it too early for you to be up?” Hanzo asks, turning to the small girl. 

“Can't sleep. The building is too loud.” Efi yawns sitting at the table, crossing her arms on the table and letting her head rest in between them. 

“The base does creak a lot at night.” Cassidy says. “It takes time to get used to it, but soon you'll be sleeping like an angel.” 

“Ugh, I doubt it.” Efi sighs, she raises her head and pouts. “Mister Shimada, don't you have some tea to help me sleep?” 

Hanzo is surprised by her request, he thought that maybe after all the warnings from the other agents, Efi would simply avoid him. Color him surprised. 

“I have a tin of chamomile tea, it will help you sleep.” Hanzo says with a small smile. “Do you want to drink it now and sleep some more or rather drink at night before bed?” 

Efi takes some time to think, but ultimately decides she wants to sleep more now. Hanzo agrees and makes her some tea, with warm milk and honey in it. Cassidy decides that he should start cleaning all the mess he did with their breakfast. The silence between them is comfortable and Hanzo almost feels nostalgic for something he hasn't even lived. He feels like this should remind him of his childhood, but it doesn't. 

“Here.” Hanzo gives the tea to the small girl. “It's not too hot, so you can drink it now. Do you want to take it to your room?” She nods, clearly too tired to speak. “Okay, bring the cup back later.” He watches as the young girl goes back to her room, sipping the tea he made. He felt so relieved the small girl wasn't scared of him. He didn't want Efi to fear her own allies, nor to look like a monster to a small kid.

“Didn't think you'd be the motherly type.” Cassidy says, humor in his voice. 

“I'm really not.” Hanzo looks at the table and sees that his forgotten flapjack is still there. He finishes it quickly, not even worrying about sitting down. He needs to clean the plates before everyone else gets here.

After they finish, Hanzo and Cole start walking towards the training grounds. A ruckus is heard on the docking bay and when they go to check it out, Hanzo can see the orca opened, with 4 new recruits walking out of it. An older giant of a man, a tall girl with honey blond hair, a strong woman with pink short hair and the world famous, award winning, platinum disk selling, DJ and freedom fighter Lúcio Correia dos Santos. 

There to receive them are Mercy, Hana and Winston. Hanzo would think that maybe they could pass unnoticed by them, but it’s not how it goes. 

“CASSIDY, MY BOY!” The booming voice startles Hanzo more than anything else. The giant runs to them, quicker than the omega expects for someone so tall, and hugs Cole with all his force. Hanzo almost has a heart attack, quickly backing himself against the wall, protecting the sensitive skin on the back of his neck.

“Hello, Reinhardt.” Cassidy's voice is barely audible. “I can't breathe.” he says tapping Reinhardt's shoulder, the giant man seems to realize what he's doing and puts him down. The smell of overexcited alpha makes the place reek of pheromones and Hanzo almost gags at the over sweetness of it, distressed at the proximity. 

“It's good to see you're in top shape, Cassidy!” Reinhardt, excited as ever, gives a slap on Cassidy’s back, almost making him fall down like a bootleg legos set.

“I was in top shape till now.” Cassidy murmurs to himself, breathless, Hanzo snorts an almost hysterical laugh, the whole situation is absurd.

“And who might this be?” This close Hanzo can see the ugly scar running down Reinheart’s face. For the first time while being here, the omega actually feels that he is in serious danger.

“Hanzo Shimada.” His voice is small, eyes wide and if he wasn’t as scared, his pride would take a hit from showing this much weakness. Hanzo would never allow to be seen like this if he was in a normal situation. His dragons stir and snarl. 

“Ah, Genji’s brother!” He Also gives Hanzo a pat on the shoulder that almost makes his delicate ankles buckle. “It's good to see you trying to make up for your past.” He smiles wide and turns to the other recruits, who are now walking towards them. “It's so good to see new and old friends.” 

Hanzo tries to calm himself, but the situation feels like an out of body experience, Reinheart’s crass reaction almost tipping him over the line of a panic attack. 

“Since we are all here, we might as well introduce everyone.” Winston Says. “This is Cole Cassidy, our resident cowboy and sharpshooter.” Cassidy greets them with a tip of his hat. “And this is Hanzo Shimada, our sniper.”

“Briggite Lindholm.” The blonde girl says. Ah, so Torbjorn’s daughter, probably. Hanzo could see some resemblance, if he squinted. She smells like an omega.

“Aleksandra Zaryanova.” The pink haired lady says, in a thick russian accent, giving a nod to the others. She's an alpha. “Call me Zarya for short.”

“Que maneiro !” Lucio looks at Hana, looking like he was a kid in a toy store. “If you had told me you guys had a cowboy AND a samurai here I’d have come sooner!” Lucio then shakes both Cole’s and Hanzo’s hand, kissing both in their cheeks and leaving in his way a trail of an fruity and citrus scent of omega. 

“I am an archer.” Hanzo blurts out. “And I love your songs.” He immediately hides the lower half of his face, humiliated, face heating up. Apparently he doesn't know how to behave in a situation such as this. Cole Snorts a laugh and Hanzo punches his shoulder.

“Thank you!” Lúcio says, confused, but excited.

“I’ll take my leave.” Hanzo says, shame finally coloring his ears.

“No, no, stay here.” Cole pulls Hanzo back, liking their arms holding the omega there, hand on the alpha's elbow, as the others chit-chat about the base and what being there meant. 

It was much warmer welcoming to them, so much different from his own. Not that Hanzo was expecting any less. It’s only when Winston dismisses everyone and they are almost at the training grounds that Hanzo realizes him and Cole still have their arms linked.

--

The lull of the arrows zipping through the training grounds make Hanzo relax, the banter with Cole keeps him in high spirits. Until his breast hurts again and he has to stop. Goddammit. He forgot to pump yet again. 

“You should really go see Angie about that.” Cassidy says, putting his gun away. The swagger in his step is impossible to not notice as he approaches. 

“It's nothing.” Hanzo pulls his gi back, content with the fact he remembered to wear his undershirt this time. “I'll manage it when I get back to my room. And soon it won't be a problem.” He takes his towel and dabs the sweat out of his brow. 

“Are you sure you're not pregnant?” The alpha jokes. 

“I’m positive.”

“That kind of answer actually means the opposite of not pregnant when you take those tests, darling.” He stops at his side, an easy side smile on his face. 

“Will you stop asking?” Hanzo says, not angry, just frustrated. 

“I’m sorry, pardner.” Cassidy's smile fades a little, “I won’t joke about it anymore.” he looks at the clock on the wall. 

“I’m sorry.” Hanzo massages the bridge of his nose. 

“It’s fine.” Cassidy sights. “I shouldn’t be joking about this kind of shit anyways. Not my place.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Hanzo bites his lower lip, just for a moment, just to sting a little. Differently from what people might think, hes has enough self awareness that he can try to not fuck up his only chance at redemption (or at least he thinks so). 

“We've been in this repetitive shit for a while now, it gets to you.” The cowboy gets close, patting his shoulder again. It seemed like everytime they were together Cole found a way to touch him. 

“It shouldn’t get to me.” Hanzo insists, looking up at the alpha. Instead of anger or annoyance, Cole’s expression is reassuring and soft. Oh , Hanzo realizes. I really want to kiss him , he thinks, caught by surprise. He hasn’t thought about relationships in a long while, much more with an alpha. 

“It's around lunch time, how about we stop here and go eat?” Cassidy uses his hat to fan himself, the day was hot as hell, making the scent of the alpha drift a little towards him. Hanzo hesitates for a moment, the man seemingly lets the argument go. He'd rather not eat in the mess hall, but he knows he can't avoid it forever. Maybe with Cassidy by his side it would be better. 

“Yes. Let's go.” Hanzo nods, holding in the urge to hold Cassidy's elbow as a way to feel secure again. The alpha was a source of security to him, even more so than Genji. It made his whole heart ache in sadness with the realization. He knows he shouldn't get this close. Everything he touches ends up mutilated, and Hanzo is damned if he ruins yet another good thing in Genji's life. And if he’s honest, he knows Cole will probably not want someone like him. Not only right now, because of his everything, but once he realizes he already has a daughter, how she was conceived. Yes, he seemed concerned he was pregnant, but Hanzo has no illusion that it’s out of concern for himself, but for Genji and the newly reformed overwatch. 

He suddenly feels himself overwhelmingly missing his daughter.  

When they get to the mess hall, the place is full. Hanzo sees for the first time everyone that answered the call. Mercy, Genji, Winston, Torbjorn, Zarya, Brigitte, Reinhardt, Tracer, Efi, all sitting on different tables, eating and talking between themselves, there was enough space that the groups keps separated. Hana and Lucio are by the serving table, discussing something. 

Thankfully most didn’t pay them any mind, so both went to the pots and pans, finding that lunch was some kind of black bean stew, rice, what looked like braised greens, oranges, and a small plate with some grilled chicken. 

“No, Hana, you put the beans first and then the rice over it, the other stuff goes on the side!” Lúcio tells her, pointing at his own plate. 

“That doesn’t make any sense. You should put the rice and beans one beside the other, so you can have the perfect ratio of beans AND rice.” Hana says and Hanzo has to silently agree to her. As they are still arguing, Hanzo takes a plate and serves himself the beans and the rice, just like Hana has said, with the greens on the side. The bean stew has several cuts of meat in it, so much so Hanzo doesn’t even think he needs to get the other cooked meats on display.

“HA! See?” Hana says, pointing at Hanzo’s plate, with a smug expression. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but please tell me there is no pork in the beans.” Cole looks at Lúcio with a suffering expression. 

“I’m sorry, It’s filled with it.” Lucio looks apologetic. “Feijoada is just like that. I made some without it for you, but it's not the same! it's just Black beans seasoned.” He points at a small pan at the end of the table. 

“Thank god!” Cole serves himself some rice, greens, two pieces of chicken, and to Hana and Lúcio’s surprise, the bean stew on top of the rice. 

Lúcio gasps in mock horror. “Heretic!” He clutches his own shirt and Cole laughs about it. As they search for a table to sit, Hanzo can hear Hana mumble about not thinking about that possibility. 

They find a table far away from the others and sit. Once they start eating Hanzo asks, “So, you can’t eat pork?” before taking a bite of what he thinks is cured pork meat, covered in stew. It was salty and delicious and Hanzo will probably crave it later on. Cassidy makes a disgusted expression. 

“Sugar, I worked at a meat processing plant. We only did pork meat.” Cassidy actually shudders. “You ain’t never seen what goes on a hotdog, and believe me, you don’t wanna know.” 

“I understand how it is. When I was alone for the first time after… After, I didn’t know how to properly store cooked food. I spent a month not eating rice because of an incident with a lidless pan, piece of meat and maggots.” 

“Yikes.” Cassidy makes another disgusted face, before taking a bite of his chicken. 

“A hard month eating only store bought noodles.” Hanzo chuckles, going back to eating. The easy silence makes him think about those first days alone, truly alone, after his injuries healed. He knew how to operate the basic utensils because Genji (who ran away from home more times Hanzo could have counted) had teached him to, but after the first tries leaving him with bland rice and badly cooked meat (that was later swarmed by flies), Hazno has used the small amount of money he stole from the clan to eat cheap ramen every day. 

“Hm.”

“What?” Cassidy looks at him.

“I just realized I was very dependent on the Clan, before…” Hazno remembered how he needed help to do basic things, like how to pay a light bill, use a bank, how to even do groceries. “They hadn’t teached me anything useful.”

“Well, looks like they manipulated you, darling.” Cassidy says, while mixing the rice and beans together. Hanzo lifts an eyebrow, silently asking for him to continue. 

“Nice gifts, nice food, nice life, always rewarding you when you do “the right thing”, so you crave their attention and love, but they hit you enough to be angry all the time. The Isolation makes you think there is nothing outside of that.” Cassidy doesn’t look at Hazno, but he knows the omega is looking at him with wide eyes, silenced, stunned. “That's what they did to me, honey. On DeadLock…” Cassidy looks at him, really looks. “And I bet this was done to you and Genji, too… maybe even your dad. Create the perfect people to control." He can see in Cole's eyes a tiredness, in his way of speech a loneliness he has only seen in people like him, like them. “That's why you can't have people telling you what to do.” 

Hanzo gulps. He has never seen someone read him as easily as Cole just had. The man seemed to see through him like he was made out of ice, like the murk frozen in him was easy to decipher.

“Here.” Cole takes his second piece of chicken and gives it to Hanzo.

“I got enough food.” He protests.

“I told you you’re not “getting by” anymore.” Cole points the fork at him, with intent.

Future mate loves providing for ussss Soba says again and Hanzo honestly wants her to shut the fuck up. 

“You don’t tell me what to do, cowboy.” Hanzo banters back, pointing at him with his own fork. 

“No, but I can do this.” Cassidy takes the piece of chicken and smothers it with the bean stew on Hanzo’s plate. “Now I can’t eat it. And you wouldn't let this perfectly good piece of chicken go to waste, would you?” He crosses his arms, a satisfied grin on his face. 

Hanzo narrows his eyes, he can hear both Soba and Udon laughing in his head, because Cassidy is right. He wouldn't dare let the food go to waste, not only because he spent the last 10 years struggling, but he wouldn't dare throw it away with everyone looking. So Hanzo sighs, defeated, and eats the chicken. The fact Cole did this made not only the dragons purr, content, it also It makes his own instincts run wild, a warm sensation setting on his chest. 

When they are close to finishing their meal, Lúcio sits on the table with them, a curious expression on his face. “So, I need to ask a question, if it’s not weird.” He looks at Hanzo specifically. 

“Ask away.” Hanzo is tense, but he knew this could be one of the directions of the agents. Morbid curiosity. 

“So, Hana told me the whole, eh, fofoca ?” he snaps his fingers, trying to remember the word. “Gossip! About you, and you know it’s none of my business. I just want to know if the whole magic dragon thing is real?” He looks at Hanzo with wide, hopeful eyes. The omega blinks once and then twice, then nods. 

“Caraca , this is so cool! Hana told me they can get tiny and cute like cats?” Lúcio vibrates on his chair. Looking past him, Hanzo can see Hana hiding her face under her hands, almost melting into the chair in shame. 

“You want to see them?” Hazno asks, and doesn’t know if he's more surprised he asked or that Lúcio answered yes in excitement. He’d never do this for anyone, but maybe he was a little star struck with the DJ. it’s not everyday you meet someone famous.

“This is gonna be good.” Cole says and the dragons materialize again, small and animated as ever. They walk around, exploring the utensils at the table. Udon goes to the plates and snags a piece of the chicken from Hazno’s plate, munching on it. Meanwhile, Soba goes to Cassidy, licking his hand. “Hi.” Cole says and Soba chirps animated. 

“They are so cute.” Lúcio says, too emotional. “Pspspspsps come here.” He says in a baby voice. Hanzo honestly never thought he'd see the day his dragons are treated like small pets by a world famous musician. Soba goes to Lúcio, sniffing his hand and giving his finger a bite. 

“Ouch.”

“Soba.” Hanzo says, stern. The dragon turns to the omega, showing his tongue and then going back to Cassidy, climbing his arm and resting herself on the alpha's shoulder again, pressing her head on his beard. “She's not that bad, usually.” 

“So she's a lady?” Cassidy turns to the dragon, giving it scratches on her head. 

“And that's?” Lúcio points at the dragon standing shy, closer to Hanzo. 

“Udon.” He encourages the other dragon to go closer. He lets Lúcio pat his head and body, but soon goes back to Hanzo's side. 

“And the green one?” 

Hanzo blinks, turns and sees Genji's dragon, standing on the table, bigger than he remembered, but there.  

“Ichigo.” Hanzo says, amazed at the fact the dragon was even there to begin with. He had expected grace from his brother, that he'd treat him well, but he never expected to see his dragon again outside of a fight. 

“Actually his name is Kamen Rider Ichigo, thank you very much.” Genji says, sitting down at their table. “That 's my dragon.” he says, proud. Yeah, he isn't the only one start stuck. 

Hanzo extends his hand, and Ichigo sniffs Hanzo's index finger, letting the man scratch his head, no hesitation at all, just once before going to the other dragons. He gives Udon a head bonk, before moving to Soba on Cassidy's shoulder. Ichigo gives a tackle to the other dragon, making both roll on the ground, playful chirps filling the mess hall. Udon joins them soon after. "Woah, there." Cole says.

“You named your dragon after a children's show?” Lucio says, laughing. The dragons are running around now, zipping under people’s feet. Hanzo can feel their euphoria for meeting their brother again. 

“Yes I did.” Genji looks proud of himself. “And he likes it.” 

“He was nine when he named his dragon.” Hanzo has a smile on his face. Lucio shakes his head. Ichigo runs under Angela’s leg, intertwining himself there. The doctor gives him a pat on the head and Soba and Udon stop, not wanting to get any closer, but Angela doesn’t something uncharacteristic and pats Soba and Udon's head, smiling at them. Soba hisses going back to the table, followed by the other dragons. Angela chuckles, shaking her head.

“At least he's not named after food.” Genji blows raspberries at Hanzo, who can't help but do the same. Ichigo decides to go back into Genji’s skin, leaving sparkles of energy behind. 

“Oh my god, you two, act like adults.” Hana says, joking, close to Lucio's side. They didn't realize when she had come closer to their table. “Hi.” She waves to Udon, who quickly goes back to Hanzo's arm, disappearing. “Aw.” She says, sad. 

“He's shy.” Hanzo says, calling for Soba with an extended arm. The petulant thing does go back, but with an attitude to it. She looks at Hana and Lúcio, almost in disdain, before disappearing too. 

“Aw, Hana, you scared them!” Lúcio says.

“I did not!” The younger two start to bicker and Hanzo shakes his head. Looking at Cassidy, who has the same stupidly warm expression on his face.

It's not perfect, but it's enough for Hanzo to feel content for the day. 

--

The floor is sticky. 

He's howling, but not because of physical pain.

He saw the employers taking Genji's body away. Hanzo was clawing on the ground, but someone dragged him back by his kimono. 

They all deserve death! Soba screams.

“Well done.” A pat on his back.

“What about his legs?”

“Won't be needing them.”

He felt a hand on the back of his neck. He’s not in the castle anymore. His hands are tied,  he’s howling in pain. It hurts so much. 

Kill them all!

Hanzo wakes up again, the recruiting dream shaking him more than before. He lays on his pillow, trying to make the gruesome images away. Think about something else, Hanzo. Something good . So he thinks about the cowboy, about their day together. He feels his heart beating fast, first out of despair then in something else. The way the cowboy cared, he never allowed anyone to get as close as the alpha has come to.

When he finally calms down, he leaves the watchpoint again. The omega thinks about Cole, about the touches, about the flirting, how easy it is to just be with him. When he uses the same phone booth to call his aunt, he's still thinking of the cowboys deep voice. His aunt confirms to him, she's here, It’s exactly like how they have planned. Tomorrow night, Hanzo will leave, take his daughter and her belongings and finally introduce her to his brother. 

He just hopes it all goes well. 

--

The next day, Hanzo has an appointment with Dr. Ziegler. 

“I see you haven't followed my advice to stop wearing these boots all the time.” She says, looking at Hanzo's file.

“Sorry.” Hanzo says. Angela hums, but doesn't comment on it, too used to old men and their bad habits. 

“Just don't let it get too bad, okay?” She sighs. “Look. Besides your legs, the only thing that worries me is that your hormone levels are not regulated, specially your prolactin is high, as is your cortisol levels.” Angela looks at him, inquiring. Hanzo doesn’t say anything, just nods away. 

“I will rest more, doctor.” 

For a moment, Angela looks at him, really looks. “Agent Cassidy has approached me about you feeling chest pain?” 

Oh, he's going to have some words with the cowboy. The traitor. “It’s nothing with my heart, I assure you doctor. It's just the breast area.”

“Yes, my tests don’t seem to point out any cardiovascular diseases or any indication of tumors, but it is still worrisome that you're feeling breast pain. And I noticed you're lactating too. Is there something you want to disclose?”

Hanzo gulps and looks down. He could tell her, would she understand? “No.” He blinks, thinking about Ako, eyes stinging with tears wanting to come out, but he doesn't let them. Is okay, is okay, tonight he’ll get her. He doesn’t realize he has put a hand on his abdomen. 

“Hanzo,” Angela sits down on her chair. “You know, it doesn’t matter my opinion of you, I'm still a doctor. Your doctor. I swore to take care of patients and keep their privacy.”

“I know, doctor, and I am grateful. But this is nothing you could help me with.” Hanzo looks at the scenery outside of the window, the sea and the salty breeze relaxing him. He remembers last year, how the anniversary of Genji’s death was always so close to his heat. White walls, scratchy sheets, bound hands, mental agony. 

“Did something happen to you?” Her voice takes Hanzo away from the memory. 

“No.” He insists. He doesn’t need her to know, he doesn’t want her also telling him it was his own fault, that he deserved it. 

Angela presses her lips on a thin line, frustrated. She gets up, writing something on her computer. “I'm preparing a prescription for you. It's to help balance your hormones.” The prescription is printed and he goes to take the medication from her locker. She comes back after a minute. “Here.”

“Thank you, Dr. Ziegler.” Hanzo gets up from his chair and bows, with no intention of taking the medication. 

“Hanzo, I don't know what happened to you, but know that you're not alone.” It sounds hollow to him. 

Hanzo nods and goes out. When he opens the door he sees an older man he's never seen before. He's bigger than Hanzo and has milky eyes, as if he was losing his sight, white hair and a jacket (that looked like it belonged to someone 20 years younger) with a 76 written on the sides. The synthetic smell of soap covers his original scent. 

The man looks at him, squinting. 

“Angela.” He passes Hanzo, hitting his shoulder on the way in. Hanzo doesn't linger on the interaction, too many people to keep track of, but he also has a bigger fish to fry. The door closes with a quiet click. Hanzo stalks to the waiting room where Cassidy is, the alpha is righting his own clothes, as if he was in an altercation just now. 

“You told Dr. Ziegler.” Hanzo is direct to the point, even getting into Cole's face. The cowboy blinks at him and then looks baffled.

“About your chest pain? Yes, I told her since you decided it is not an issue.” Cassidy puts a cigarillo on his mouth and shakes his head. “Damn Angela, what a snitch.” he pats his pockets looking for his lighter. 

“It was not your place to tell my business to her.” Hanzo points the finger on Cassidy's chest and pushes him. 

“Oh, ho ho, I'm sorry I got worried about your health, what a bad person I am.” Cassidy says, anger flaring now. “Next time I will just let you suffer in silence forever.” 

“You alphas always do this.” Hanzo shakes his head and starts walking. 

“Do we, now?” Cole scoffs. 

“Everybody seems to think what's better for me, except no one seems to think of what I want .” Hanzo fumes, the moves pass Cole, stomping away. “ Always the same bullshit.”

“Hey, now.” Cassidy catches his arm, it's not hard, but firm. He doesn't sound mad. “‘m sorry. ‘m sorry.” He brings Hanzo back. The omega turns, and wants to snarl and scream at the frustrating cowboy, but he doesn’t do any of that. “I am worried about you. You're real important to Genji and I happen to like your companionship a lot. I got worried.”

“Have you ever thought that maybe I have a reason not to tell Dr. Ziegler those things?” The omega shakes his head. “That maybe this is personal and that I don’t want to discuss it to someone that hates my guts?” 

“Angela can be professional about those things.”

“Not when it comes to me.” Hanzo almost screams, but manages to keep his voice low. “I don't understand why you care that much.” Hanzo is searching the cowboy’s face, trying to find any answer that makes sense to him.

“Difficult not to care, with you bein’ you.” Cole is frustrated, but soon the anger bleeds out of his body, replaced by a deep tiredness. He massages the bridge of his nose, sighing. “You don’t eat, you barely socialize, you seem to like to be in pain and uncomfortable all the damn time, and for what Genji told me you’re taking too much shit from everyone here.”

“I cannot mess this up.” Hanzo admits. “I just can’t. It's not just about honor. I have to be perfect, for me and for what is left of my family.”

“I get it, I do.” Cole puts his hands on Hanzo's shoulders. “But you can't just kill yourself to prove you're worth Genji's time. He wants you here, flaws and all.”

“That's not--” Hanzo’s shoulders drop. He doesn’t know why Genji decided to forgive him, but he knows that’s not because he was a good person, someone deserving of forgiveness. And even if Genji wants him here, the others didn’t. “You know that's not true.” He was a monster.

“You can't believe this.” Cassidy looks at him, searching. “You're not a monster.” Oh, has Hanzo spoken it out loud? The alpha brings the omega into a hug. Hanzo wants to trash, to be released, to run away, to stop this charade. 

“I'm not worthy of this. Forgiveness, Genji or you. In any way.” Hanzo wants to cry, but he can't. Not in front of the cowboy, not in front of anyone. “Release me.”

“Sorry.” Cassidy does as the omega asks, he wants to brush the hair away from Hanzo's face, but the omega does it first, muttering about messing up his own appearance. 

“I'm the one to apologize.” Hanzo looks away, eyes hollow. “My posture is not the most professional.”

“As if I'm better.” Cole takes his hat off.  “‘S not an excuse, but Morrison is here, speaking bullshit.” Cassidy says, shaking his head. “We have always butted heads.” 

“Is he that man?” Hanzo sniffs, patting his own cheeks.

“Yes. The most bullheaded omega I've even met. He's almost as bad as you.” Cassidy side smiles, taking Hanzo’s hand and putting it on his elbow, linking their arms. “He never liked me, told everyone I wasn't fit for blackwatch. I was always too flashy, too much this, too much that. If I’m honest, the feelin' is mutual.” They start walking, Hanzo doesn't mind their linked arms, the touch grounding him.

“He wasn't fond of your spurs?” Hanzo asks, trying to take away the focus of what happened. 

“Keep laughing, but you'll had to see me back then, I wore this all black get up-- “

--

“He's Lying, you know?” Jack tells Angela, a serious expression on his face. He puts his glasses on again. 

“Who?” Angela asks, taking off her latex gloves and discarding it.

“Shimada.”

“I know.” She taps the pen on the paper pad she always used to write notes. “Jack, he doesn't trust us, and we don't trust him. But we need to trust Genji’s judgment.”

“He could be Talon.”

“We would know. He has been surveilled, we watch him all the time.” Angela says. “Winston keeps a camera on the outside of his room.”

“You all are not surveying him well enough. When I arrived here I saw him on the outside, in the nearby hotel” Jack says matter of fact.“He is talking to someone on a public phone, in a hushed tone.”

“That is strange. But it could be anything, normal people do form bonds and form proper packs and families, you know? I left the base in the first weeks too, to call my own mother.” She writes Jack's prescriptions too. It seems like all she does these days, eye drops for ones, heat and rut suppressant for others, Vaccines, painkillers, salves, pomades and health biotics. So Much to do. 

Jack shakes his head. “He went out of the base this morning again. Same business. He said something about tonight.”

“Talk to Winston, then.” Angela looks up from her pad, annoyed. “We don’t know if he asked to leave the base.”

“Why are you being so protective?”

“He’s not as bad as we thought he was. He's working hard, and Genji is happy he’s here.” Angela brings the pen to her lips. “Hanzo is too emotional to be Talon, anyways. Remember Amélie?”

“Yes, I do.” Jack crosses his arms. “And I still don’t like this.” 

“Don't do anything harsh, Jack. We only know him for a small period of time and I have health concerns with him. Both physically and mentally. We can't afford to lose an agent because you have a hunch and two phone calls.” She hands him his glasses, eye drops and heat suppressants. “And may I remind you you're not the commander anymore.”

Jack looks at her and shakes his head. He leaves the room, stuffing his medication in his pockets. Angela can't help but feel a cold uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach that she tries to ignore the rest of the day. 

--

“So, I'm glad to see everyone is here.” Winston speaks from the center of the conference room, Tracer by his side. “I know it's a little crowded here right now, but this is an important meeting.” 

Crowded is a way to say it. The small conference room couldn't hold all the people that answered the recall, so there is no space in between the agents. Reinhardt actually is taking most of the space and somehow Lúcio ended up on Hana's lap, sitting in one of the few chairs available, with Torbjorn, Jack and Zarya (who was sitting because Hanzo refuses to admit his legs hurt from standing up all day). Everyone else is just in various stages of standing uncomfortably closer to everyone else. 

“First, we are here to give a presentation to you all.” A collective groan is heard. “To make everyone know who our enemies are.” Winston stresses out the last words.

“This is going to be boring as hell.” Cole whispers to Hanzo, who agrees silently. Genji whispers something to Angela too, his elbow poking Hanzo right on his arm. The omega tries to move his arms away, shrinking from the cold contact. Cole huffs. “Come on, honey, at least lean on me. This is smaller than a tin can.” He grumbles.

Yesss the cowboy wants us close. Hanzo presses his lips in a thin line, but relents. He stands closer to Cole, bringing one of the alpha’s hands to his waist. The Cowboy shudders a little, standing close, but not completely behind Hanzo, but they do get more comfortable. 

“--that's why Talon would be our biggest threat. But there are other organizations we should be aware of, like extremist anti omnic groups, the Null Sector and gangs like Deadlock, Shimada-gumi, the Hashimotos and the Junkers that offer assets that could work with Talon.” Several photos appear on the screen, showing the members of the several gangs. Hanzo is surprised to see their distant cousin in the photos, meeting with the Hashimoto clan leader.

“Yusuke really thinks he can run the business?” Genji half turns to his brother, whispering. 

“Run to the ground, perhaps.” Hanzo says back, his teachings coming back on the forefront of his mind. “Making deals with the Hashimotos? After everything?”  He scowls, remembering how them killing their father was the catalyst of everything. “He's placing a fox inside the chicken coop .”

“I heard they've gotten bigger, but there is another gang going against them.” Genji fully turns, stops and looks down. “And what is this?” he points at Hanzo and Cassidy, a wicked shit eating grin on his face. 

“It's too crowded.” Hanzo felt his cheeks getting hotter with the attention. 

“And you two had to buddy up?” Genji waggles his eyebrows, making HAnzo huff in anger. The cyborg sing-songs low. “Cole and Hanzo sitting on a tree K-I-S-S” Hanzo pulls back from Cole's side and quickly shuts his brother with his hand, Genji continues his muffled singing.

“Shh, you two.” Jack calls from the front, making the others look in their direction. Genji pushes Hanzo's face away, making the older brother release him. They right themselves, standing at each other's side and going back to listening to the boring presentation. 

“You're embarrassing me.” Hanzo whispers to his brother, angry. 

“You're embarrassing yourself with your crush.” Genji snorts a quiet laugh. “I thought you said it was a infatuation.”

“It is and it will pass.” Hanzo puts a hand on the lowest side of his face. “And the cowboy barely knows me. It will be like the others, he will forget about it soon.”

“But you don't want him to forget about it.” Genji says, matter of fact. Hazno looks at his brother, expecting a shit eating grin, but what he gets is an understanding look.

“No, I don't.” Hanzo felt the hand on his waist bringing him closer to Cassidy's warm body, standing by his side, but still touching.

“Shh, sugar, or Jack will beat our asses.” The cowboy whispers to him, low and almost inaudible, breath tickling his ear. Hanzo feels a shiver down his spine. Damn the cowboy! Did he know how it was affecting him? He didn't want to be seen like that in front of others. 

“And now we can pay attention to the main threats to our survival.” Winston shows the picture of a woman, dressed in a purple catsuit and blue skin. “Amelié Lacroix, aka Widowmaker. Their sniper. She has an almost supernatural aim and has no mercy. I know some of us knew her in the past, but if anyone meets her on the battlefield, don’t hesitate.”

The gorilla shows them a picture of a masked man in a black cape and white mask. The man looked like an owl. “Reaper. Identity unknown.” Hanzo feels Cole tense by his side. “We know that he's difficult to kill and to keep dead, he uses double shotguns and, like many here, He has an special ability, he turns into smoke. And before asking, no I don't know how, but I have an idea of who did this to him.” Winston passes the slide. 

“Moira O’Deorain. I'm sure most here are familiar with her work.” The gorilla rights his glasses. Hanzo tenses looking at her, remembering an encounter months ago. Has she moved on from working with Akande?  “She has biotic abilities, healing and damage. We believe that she's working with Talon to further her research. So we need to make sure to not be captured.” 

“And finally, their leader, Doomfist.” If Hanzo was stressed from seeing Moira there, Akande showing up on the screen makes his whole body freeze, tipping him into the brink of a panic attack. Leader? Akande was Talon’s leader? No, that wasn’t right, Hanzo remembers another man being Doomfist before. Winston’s words seem distant and Hanzo's world tilts on its axes. Oh gods. “--as you all know, he escaped prison months ago, we still haven’t figured out where he is staying, we just know he probably has the Doomfist Gauntlet and that he is recruiting people--”

“ I need air.” Hanzo Lets go off Cassidy and moves to the door, the hot oppressing atmosphere of the room making him even more out of breath. He thanks the gods he is close to the door, so he can hopefully exit without people noticing him. 

The corridor is much colder. A shudder crosses Hanzo’s body. his heart ThumpingThumpingThumping. What now? What now? It’s worse than Hanzo had imagined. Akande wasn’t just a charming alpha trying to recruit him into whatever shady business he was doing. He was Talon. THEIR. FUCKING. LEADER. He knew Moira being there was bad news, but not this kind of bad. 

“Hanzo?” Genji puts a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. The omega doesn't slap the hand away, but he does shrink into himself. “What is it?”

“That’s Doomfist?” Hanzo asks, not realizing he's been hunched over, one hand touching the wall, another clutching his chest. Genji looks at him, worried. He nods, answering Hanzo’s questions then looks at Cassidy. 

“What is it, brother?”

“I know him.” Hanzo blurts out, out of breath. “I know him.” The proximity to Genji and Cole makes his panic start to lower, but the notion of the danger he has been before doesn't fade away, Hanzo is still frazzled. Cassidy and Genji look at each other, worried.

“How do you know him?” Jack asks. All three look back, at the direction the meeting room is. Jack has followed them too, hes looking at them with a cold expression. Hanzo then realizes he hasn’t just given a few steps, but walked about five meters before stopping, almost sprinting out of the room before he got out of breath.

“Jack.” Cole stands in front of Genji and Hanzo, stopping Jack as he approaches. “Calm down, he just had a panic attack, for God's sake.” Jack looks at him, face unchanging. 

“Take him back to the room. Me and Winston have questions.” Jack turns his back. “Now, Cassidy.” He goes back to the room, where, Hanzo supposes, the meeting is ending. The cowboy grumbles something, making fun of Jack’s way of speaking.

“Are you okay?” Genji helps Hanzo to stand, a hand on his back. God, he's trembling.

“Yes, I was just surprised.” Hanzo nods, and then follows the two alphas back to the meeting room. Most of the agents start to empty the room they were in before, most ignoring Hanzo, but some eyes lingering. 

The atmosphere in the room is what someone like Miss Song would call rancid. The conversation with Jack and Winston is worse, somehow, specially because Jack loves to undo whatever trust Winston managed to get from Hanzo in the past weeks with his direct questions.

“He approached me months ago, commander, at King’s row. He had a woman i’ve never met before follow me and then take me to meet him.” Hanzo looks at Winston, making sure Jack knows he's talking to the Gorilla. “Akande made me an offer to join him, in exchange for my work. He made promises, things I wasn’t interested in. ” He says, dismissively. “He had O'Deorain with him, so I knew it wasn’t anything good or safe for myself.” 

“You recognized her?” Jacks asks, crossing his arms. 

“I remember from years ago when it blew up she was doing the unethical experiments. “the Modern Mengele” they called her.” Hanzo answers. “I never thought I’d cross paths with her.”

Cassidy has a look of horror on his face. “Did she do anything to you? Touched you in any way?”

Hanzo shakes his head. “She didn’t touch me, but seemed… interested in the dragons, how they worked.” Hanzo feels a chill run down his spine, remembering the fact Moira had immediately become interested when Akande mentioned that Hazno was not only an Omega, but pregnant. 

“Fucking Christ.” Cole takes off his hat, scratiching his head, angry. Hanzo Looks at Genji, not understanding. 

“Moira used to be a blackwatch agent.” Genji crosses his arms, a distant angry look on his face. “She was our medic.”

“What?” Hanzo is surprised. He vaguely remembers the news cycle when her experiments were exposed, they focused more on the horrors of what she did and the victims than any of her associations. 

“In fact she’s one of the responsibles for the destruction of Black watch.” Cassidy says, a bitter tone to his voice. “She experimented on our commander, tried to do it to us too.”  

Hanzo’s mouth opens, he's baffled with the information.

“Maybe that’s why they went after you, she knew about the dragons.” Genji says, Hanzo nods, a deep worry settles on his stomach. He was right about Moira, most people do not care about the legends surrounding the Shimada clan, most don’t even get to see the dragon in or out of action, her interest in his dragon seemed scarily accurate at the time. 

He was afraid then of what she could do to him, now he's even more worried about Ako. Talon managed to find him easily, they would find her too. The Shimadas are not his own worries. He needs to bring Ako here, to protect her. 

“Why didn't you tell us?” Genji asks in an understanding tone, touching Hanzo’s arm. 

“I didn’t think it was important to tell, since Akande never mentioned Talon.” Hanzo crosses his arms, defensive. He feels judged by the people there, seen as naive or stupid for the first time in years. “In the years after the Shimadas fell, a lot of other shady organizations have tried to get me to be their pawn. I imagined he wanted to build another drug empire like the Shimada-gumi was, at least that’s what it sounded like when he spoke about it.” he tries to justify, tries to make the suspicion on Winston’s eyes go away. 

“He told you his plans?” Winston asks, curious. 

“Vaguely.” Hanzo shakes his head. “I didn't stay enough. Like I said, I wasn't interested in what he was offering.”

“And you expect us to believe you?” Jack raises one eyebrow.

“I am here, aren't I? And every shimada that mattered is dead.” Hanzo turns to the old man, angered now. “If I wanted that wretched legacy I'd have stayed and managed the stupid thing myself, not let the operation fall on the hands of someone like talon, or worse, Yosuke.”

“Yosuke really is an idiot.” Genji shrugs, Hanzo points at Genji as if to say See? even Genji gets it! . “Wouldn’t even be hard for Talon to take the clan from him now, from what I've seen.” 

“You're not helping.” Hanzo says, angry that his brother doesn’t realize how his phrase makes him look even guiltier. 

“Okay, Damn.”

“What organizations have tried to hire you?” Jack asks.

“At first rival clans like the Hashimoto, but later on organizations like small gangs, and so on.” Hanzo dismisses, clearing his throat, not wanting to disclose how many of these organizations wanted to hire him for assassin jobs. 

“Names.”

Hanzo looks at the commanders, to Cole and to his brother. This will be embarrassing. “The hashimoto gang, Los muertos, Viskhar, Helix, the Junkers, the Wastelanders, Brazilian Drug cartels, Mexical gun cartels, some small gangs in the USA, the--”

“Is there any nefarious organization that hasn’t contacted you?” Winston asks, not unkindly, but he does seem especially tired.

“The shimada were known for their skill as assassins.” The omega feels like shrinking into himself, but he doesnt. Cole looks pained enough for them both, knowing too how badly it sounded.   

“We were really good.” Genji says. Hanzo sends him another pointed glare, which makes the ninja lift his hand in surrender.

“I haven’t accepted any of their offers. My main focus was ending the clan.” Hanzo says, trying to make the situation better. “I tried to take only jobs that felt… righteous.” 

“I see.” The gorilla sits back on his chair. “Is there any more we should know?” He asks, looking at the brothers. Hanzo shakes his head, and sees the Gorilla thinking. He sighs and massages the bridge of his nose. “Fine. All of you are dismissed for now. I have much to think about.”

The three of them couldn’t be out of there faster, with Cole basically dragging Hanzo away. 

“He's still hidding something.” Jack says. 

“I know.” Winston sighs. “But we have few agents and one sniper. Let's dig deeper and see where we go from here.”

“We can’t afford to make the same mistakes, Winston.”

“I know, Jack.” Wisnton looks at the dossies on his tablet, Amelié’s face shines back at him, casting doubt over his decisions. “I know.”

-- 

“So, what did he offer?” Cassidy asks as they walk in the direction of the one clean lounge room. 

“Akande?” Hanzo turns to him, a puzzled expression on his face. He still feels raw from the whole thing, doesn't want to speak, but does so, if only to take his mind off of things. “The Shimada-gumi empire, money, power, even greater than my father's.” A home to come back to, he remembers Akande’s soft voice, explaining to him the plans. “Everything he thought I wanted. Only If I joined them.”

“And it wasn't even a ‘lil tempting?” Cassidy asks and Hanzo looks at him, searching his face. He's honestly a little offended at the question. 

“Perhaps the future mate is threatened.” To Hanzo’s surprise, this time it is Udon that says it. “Tell him! tell him how inadequate the other alphas are!!!”  What is surprising is that Udon is actually worse than Soba when it comes to voicing Hanzo’s own thoughts.  

“No. It's like you said, I was tired of people telling me what to do. With him would be the same. Perhaps worse.” Hanzo thinks for a moment, it is enough of an explanation that his brother and Cassidy would let it rest, but he cannot contain himself from saying: “And as charming as he was. He's not my type.” and seeing Cole's reaction. 

“Really?” Cassidy turns his head so fast, his hat almost flies out of it. 

“I've always been fond of rugged men.” Hanzo says in Japanese, looking straight at Cassidy, knowing the man wouldn't be Able to understand him. The look he send him by itself makes the alpha's cheeks color. 

“Hanzoooo you're killing me.”  Genji says, dismayed. “I cannot deal with the two of you flirting like this.”  

“One would think you’d be happy I’m not, what you used to call me?” Hanzo pretended to search in his mind for the answer. “Ah, right a “stuck up frigid bitch”, anymore?” He ends a pointed look at his brother. 

“Come on, I was an idiot back then!” Genji frowns, remembering his past. “I’m really sorry I spoke like that with you, then.” He sounds sad and genuinely sorry about it. Hanzo could never be mad at him for too long.  

“Is in the past. You don’t need to apologize.” Hanzo gives Genji a side hug. 

“I feel like I do need to, It wasn't right, the way they-- that I treated you. It feels like we lived in the dark ages or something.” Genji frowns remembering their teen and young adult years, the difference between how they treated him and Hanzo. What his brother never seemed to be enough, and Genji knew that, even took advantage of it himself. 

“It wasn’t right the way both of us were raised.”  

“Oh my god, let me apologize to you.” Genji takes his brother’s shoulders and shakes him. “Not everything has to be a penitence for you, brother.”  He has a sad smile on his face, and Hanzo doesn’t know how to deal with it. “ Besides, maybe you can make the cowboy an honest alpha after all.”

“The cowboy is already a good man.” Hanzo takes offense at how Genji speaks about Cassidy. The man was good. “And I told you he's just infatuated.”

“It wasn't what I saw there.”  Genji points back at the conference room with his thumb. “The cowboy wants to date you! And I, as your brother, cannot stand this disgrace.” He says, in a mocking tone, imitating one of the elders who loved to point out Hanzo was a disgrace and whore. 

“Shut up. First off, I'm an adult, I can date whoever I fancy, even him!” Hanzo huffs, angry. Then he deflates a little, remembering. “Besides, the cowboy does not want me.”

“The cowboy is right here.” Cole says Japanese, in a heavy southern accent, but Japanese indeed. “You guys shouldn’t talk about a man behind his back.”

They all stop on their tracks. 

Hanzo slowly turns to the cowboy and feels his mouth open, jaw on the floor, shame coloring  his cheeks. Cole knows japanes. He can hear Genji laughing hysterically, asking how long Cassidy has known Japanese, and Hanzo absolutely does not want to stay there to know. 

The amount of times he has spoken things he would absolutely NOT tell Cassidy out loud if he knew the alpha knew Japanese were far too many. So Hanzo turns around, with the sole intention of sprinting  away and hiding in his room until tonight, when he'll get his child from his aunt and leave forever to an isolated island. Fuck his previous plans of staying. 

“NO! Stay! Stay!” Genji stops Hanzo, holding his shoulders. “This is the greatest thing that has happened to me.”

“Please, let me die of shame in peace.”  Hanzo hides his face under both his hands. He can’t believe he made such a fool of himself. 

“No can do, sugar.” Cassidy approaches, standing in front of him, taking one of the hands away from Hanzo’s face and holding it in his. 

“Your accent is terrible.” 

“I do it on purpose, it's my charm.” He winks at him. “D’you like it?”

Hanzo can’t help but nod, still hidden under his other hand. 

“Ew, this is somehow worse.” Genji releases Hanzo’s shoulders, patting him on the head. “As much as I love seeing you two being all over one another,” He says, sarcastically, “I will take my leave. Master Zenyatta will call me today so we can plan a day for his arrival here.” Genji turns to Cassidy, bringing him close by the shirt, with a threatening glare. “Remember what I told you, Cole Cassidy. And Remember my aim is really good. I could stick shurikens in places you don’t even know exist.” 

“Genji…” Hazno cringes at his brother’s threats. He’d never imagine Genji (or anyone) being that protective of him now.

“And you Hanzo.” Genji turns to him, a soft expression. “He's like family to me, please be good to him.” 

Hanzo doesn’t react, he cannot promise that, being the haunted person he is. They watch Genji walk away and disappear on the next turn of the corridor, happier than he should be.

“So, you really think I’m handsome?” Cassidy now takes both of Hanzo's hands, kissing one, then the other.

Hanzo turns his face away. “I’m sorry about my inappropriate behavior.”

“Be as inappropriate as you want. I don’t know if you noticed with the whole protective thing, the touching you thing and the feeding you thing, I am very interested.” Cole gives Hanzo one of his cocky smiles. 

“You don’t want someone like me.” Hanzo says, watching Cole’s smile fade a little. “Everything about me is… Difficult.” He looks down, at their linked hands. The cowboy’s prosthetic hand is cold against his own rough ones. His heart is thumping loud, a mix of anxiety and hope. 

“If I wanted something simple I’d change my name and live in a shack in the middle of bum fuck nowhere.” Cole scoffs. 

“I’m a murderer.” Hanzo argues back. 

“So am I.” Cassidy tells him, matter of fact. “And I smoke like a chimney, I'm a drunk, I swear a lot, I eat like shit, I used to run with the wrong crowd. Fuck, I was arrested five times.” Cassidy brings Hanzo close, touching foreheads. “Genji told me everything about you. The good and the bad.”

“He doesn’t know everything. Neither do you.” Hanzo begs for Cole to see, to understand how tainted and cursed he is. 

“I don’t need to know everything now.” Cassidy insists. He noses the side of Hanzo's face, releasing his hands in favor of hugging the omega closer. “You can tell me about it, later.” Cole caresses Hanzo's hair. “I know you don't do casual relationships, but I don't want casual either. I've never met anyone like you, that I was so compatible with.”

“You barely know me.” His argument sunds weak, with how Hanzo himself already feels about Cole. 

“So what? We can start slow and see where this goes.” Cole kisses his temple. “I really like you.”

Hanzo looks at the cowboy. That's the first time I ages that he wanted something that wasn't related to his honor, family and the tragedy of his past. Maybe this time is different. 

He nods and sees the Alpha’s face light up, with a beautiful smile. He gets on the tips of his toes, wanting to kiss him, but stops. He remembers his daugther, his past, a year ago. He almost cries, thinking on how it will change Cole's view of him.“After tomorrow.” Hanzo says, thinking about his aunt, already in the hotel, waiting to hand him his daughter. “After tomorrow you can tell me if you have the same feelings as now.”

“Okay.” Cassidy searches his face. “But I won’t.” he promises. But Hanzo doesnt know if the alpha can keep it.

--

The emergency lights on the watchpoint makes the whole place look eerie. Hanzo is used to it, now with most of the base memorized on his head. The night is cold and he hopes that his aunt Yumi at least put some warm blankets over Ako. He looks at the photo, the paper one he always carries on himself and nods. 

Everything will be different. 

He hopes his aunt doesn’t mind the walk back to the Watchpoint. Or that Winston doesn’t mind that he had left the base. Surely he would understand his reasoning, right? After all the threats, the barbs thrown at him, the fights. He knows Talon has an eye on him. He will understand it, right? 

As he turns another corridor, Hanzo stops. Something is happening. The dragons stir under his skin, buzzing with energy. 

There is danger, little one. Soba hisses. 

Hanzo wants to make a run for the door, but doesn’t, something stops him in his tracks and he starts a calm, but cautious walk. 

A noise. He turns and when he looks up, an energy field traps him under its dome shape. Soba and Udon want to manifest, but Hazno holds them back.

“I told you, Winston.” Jack turns the corner, weapon in hand, his stance tense and exactly one of a soldier on the battlefield. Winston shows up too, jumping from one of the catwalks, with Tracer on his tracks. 

Hanzo turns to the door that exits the watchpoint, the feeling of despair filling his lungs.

Notes:

If your question is "X, what was exactly Hanzo thought would happen if he showed up out of nowhere with a baby on the base after not telling anyone about it?" Your answer is that my boy can't think for shit, paranoia eats away all his braincells. But, hey, is not all bad! See? Hanzo almost kissed Cole. :)

Chapter 5: In the darkness I will meet my creators

Summary:

Hanzo gets his daughter back.

Notes:

So, hi! How y'all doing! A new chapter! I hope you guys like it.
The response from last chapter was amazing! I'm so glad so many people like this. Anyways, I'm getting this one earlier because you guys are amazing and I'm having a busy week. If I don't do thsi today I'd probably post it on sunday, and we don't want that.
This chapter is brought to you by Asylums For The Feeling from Silent Poets feat. Leila Adu. Yeah, aparently I love the Death Stranding soundtrack, sue me.

“What in the whole hell is wrong with y’all?” Cassidy looks at the camera feed, seeing Hanzo inside one of the cells they have for prisoners. The omega is pacing, a worried, agonizing expression on his face. 

Cole was woken up in the middle of night by a message on his comm, “Urgent meeting” it said. He, honestly too tired to even ask what was going on, went to the meeting room, only to be greeted by Morrison, Winston and Lena watching Hanzo in the camera feed, inside one of their goddamn jail cells. 

“I've told you, Cassidy, there are suspicious activities.” Jack says, stern. 

“No, what you told me is that you listened to some conversation he had on the phone, outside of the base.” Cassidy points at the man. “So what? Didn’t Angela do the same?”

“No. And what do you mean “so what”? Are you this blind? His whole past is already a reason why we should be wary of him, but that topped with the talon offers?” Jack says. “He talked on the phone about how we are not a threat, about our base, the agents . Asked something to be delivered today.”

“Show me the records, then!” Cole angrily asks. “Your Japanese is shoddy at best, Commander” He taunts, speaking the last word in japanese. “ since you never thought you needed to properly learn shit.”

“He has a point, Cassidy.” Winston tries to calm the group. “He did meet with Talon agents before, with doomfist. Not only that, his reaction to the whole presentation this evening was concerning.”

“So He's under suspicion ‘cause he was truthful with us? ‘cause he told us Talon approached him? If He had hidden it from us, then what? At some point we would have figured it out, then what?” Cassidy couldn't believe he was called here because of that. “Wouldn't it be worse?”

“Love, I know you are close to him, but please think straight for a minute,” Lena says. 

“Stop thinking with your knot, Cassidy.” Jack crosses his arms. 

“Don't do that. This has nothing to do with the fact we are close.” Cole points at Lena, then at Jack.  

“We know that's not true.” Jack lifts an eyebrow, glasses shining under the low light in the room. “We all saw that little display in the conference room today.”

“As if you were any better. Do I have to remind you about you and Gabriel?” Cole sees the expression on Jack face change for one of hate, but it’s soon gone. 

“And you saw what happened at the end.” Jack sounds angry, but also regretful. Cole wants to take the argument further, wants this to get ugly, to hurt, but Lena doesn't let it, zipping and  standing between the two. 

“He was in a trial period and he failed.” Lena emphasizes the last word, looking at Cole. “We all know his past and that he was a hired assassin after that.”

“So was I!”

“That's different.” Winston says. “You were a bounty hunter and only accepted targets that you knew were bad people.”

“So did Hanzo! Y’all saw Genji's information about him!” Cole can't believe they are doing this. It was a new level of paranoia. In his eyes, Hanzo had proved himself reliable. If he wanted to kill them, it would already have happened.

“We thought we knew everything about Amelie too.” Jack says. 

“No, that was on y’all.” Cole points at Jack, anger filling his words. “You all let her be taken for God knows how long and then when we rescued her you refused to let people see her state after.” He remembers how Amelie was released to her husband's care after two days in the infirmary, looking too happy and normal for someone who was kidnapped for weeks. 

“Exactly, that's why I'm not taking any chances with this one.” Jack snarls back. 

“Oh, for heaven's sake, the man hasn't been alone for a minute this whole fuckin’ time. He had ample opportunity to kill all of us.” Cole shakes his head, searching for his hat and not finding it. Oh yes, it’s too damn late in the night for this bullshit. “Also, if I told y’all that Reaper came after me two years ago to offer me a place at Talon, would Y'all treat me the same?”

“Cole, thats not--” Winston starts, but Jack interrupts him.

“He did what?” Jack faces Casiddy, impassive. 

Genji choses that time to show up, fuming, with anger in his eyes. He's not wearing his face mask or casual clothes, his synthetic body on display. They all look away, except Cassidy, used to it from the time on Blackwatch. 

He walks to the Tv and just watches the feed. He sees his brother, once so proud, sitting, hunched over himself, he's frazzled, worried, biting his nails, Genji can even see the beginning of a panic attack forming. He has seen his brother like that only twice before. Scared.

Genji flares his nose, angry pheromones stinking the place. 

“If you enter that cell I will consider you a liability too.” Jack threatens. “And I won't hesitate in shooting you.”

Genji doesn't answer, just looks at the feed again, then turns to Winston. “He is my brother.” He pleads.

“I am sorry, Genji. But Talon has attacked us before. We can't afford to have another incident.” 

Genji's eyes narrow, and Cassidy can see the cyborg work the mechanical bits of his jaw, the real and synthetic teeth make an awful noise in the silent room as they grind against one another. Genji exits the room in silence, with Cole following soon after. In the way they see that Angela is marching to the meeting room, also in her pajamas, also looking angry to be there. “Did you know about this?” Genji asks, abruptly. 

Angela stops, then her shoulders drop. “Jack told me his reservation. I told him to speak with Winston, but I discouraged him severely from doing anything drastic like this. Especially with Hanzo's health.'' The doctor massages her temples.

“His health?” Genji searches her face. “What do you mean by his health?” he looks at Cole, pissed as all hell. 

“Listen.” Angela takes his attention from Cole. “I'm only telling you this because you're his brother and technically you're his current alpha and handler, as archaic as it sounds. In any other circumstance I wouldn't be disclosing this.” She scratches her brow bone, an anxious habit. “I'm worried. He only has properly eaten these last few days with Cole, he refuses to use proper walking aids and I can see it’s hurting his legs. He works himself to the bone, and it’s worrying. But there is something else.” Angela lowers her voice. She looks at Genji and then Cassidy, not far behind. 

“What is it?” Genji urges her to speak.

“He has physical and hormonal signs that something… really bad happened to him.” She looks at Genji, trying to make her point. “He won't tell me, and I understand that he doesn't trust us, but I cannot treat him if he doesn't tell me what happened.” Angela is stern, very used to dealing with Genji. “I’m worried this kind of intervention will tip him over the edge.”

The implications of what she said settles on Genji’s and Cole’s mind. 

“Did you tell Winston that? Or Jack?”

“Of course I did, he's my patient, I have to care for his health too. I advised them not to arrest him, to investigate more and to talk to him. You know how his mental health is, better than anyone here.” Angela huffs, offended by the mere notion she would break her vow because of her personal feelings.

“Thank you, Angela.” Genji nods and starts walking again, almost running. 

“Thanks, doc.” Cole says, trying to catch up with him. "Wait up, Genji."

“No.” Genji says. 

“You need a plan.” Cole stops him with a hand on his shoulder. “You can't just go there and free him.”

“Yes I can, I'm a literal Ninja.” Genji releases his shoulder from the other alpha’s grip with a pull. “I can sneak him out of the base in under two minutes if I wanted to.”

“Jack will shoot you and your brother as soon as y'all start moving out of that cell.” Cole wants to rip his own hair off. God damnit old paranoid soldiers and god dammit Shimadas and their bullheaded attitude. “This whole place is surveilled.” he whispers, shaking his head. 

“So What do I do?” The ninja is frustrated, voice trembling, he feels like the patience and years and years of learning under the Shambali monks are suddenly lost.

“We need a distraction.” Cole looks around. “You haven't been arrested there, I have. More than once actually, Reyes loved to put me there when I misbehaved. Remember, at the start?” Cole asks and Genji nods. “So, I can go there and between you and me, you're the most reasonable one, all zen and shit now, right?” he whispers.“Go there. Pretend you saw the “light of the Iris” or whatever y'all monks do.” He turns the alpha around and directs him to the room. “I'll go and see what this is about with Hanzo. Make sure I know his side of the story.”

“You doubt him?” 

“No I don't, but I think there is more to it.” Cole sighs. “Hanzo told me that if after tomorrow, well, today I still had feelings for him we could talk.”

“That is weird.”

“Yeah. And with all that Angie said, I have a feeling she’s right. I want to know what happened and why.”

-- 

Hanzo vision is blurry. He has one more hour to go find Yumi or she's gone, taking his daughter away from him. He knows he's silently crying or having a panic attack, he can't pay attention to which is the one he's having. He knows it is useless to try to explain, because the people here wouldn't believe him anyways. 

He should have called from the base. 

No, that’d be worse.

He shouldn't have come here. 

What if Talon finds Ako? What if his family does? (oh, Gods, please no)

This was a mistake. He shouldn't have come here, he should have confirmed it was Genji and then just showed his little Ako, and fucked off to whatever country he could disappear to forever. 

Now he'll never see her again. Oh Gods. 

What if the Shimadas find her? What if she presents as an omega while on the Clan? 

No no no. Yumi wouldn't let that happen. She hated their family more than she hated him, right?

Does Genji think he's Talon? Does Cole? He hopes they don't. He can't be alone again. 

Not again. 

Not again.

Not again. 

They didn't even let him explain himself. They just put him in the cell, assuming he was a Talon agent. 

He thought that maybe being forward about his past would be best. To rip the band-aid open, make sure they know he's trying. Was he such a despicable thing that they didn't even think about listening to his side? 

Ah, that's right, he was a monster.

Maybe that's what monsters deserved. Loneliness.

Monster monster monster monster monster monster 

“Hey, sugar.” The phrase snaps Hanzo away from his inner turmoil, looking up. He stands up, slowly and wary, looking at the open door, where Cassidy is leaning on. The cells had analog doors, to avoid any hacking.

“Co-”

“Shhhh.” Cole brings his finger to his lips, then points at the cameras. “This is a blind spot. Get closer, sugar and don’t look suspicious.” he whispers.

Hanzo does, pretending to be pacing. 

“Do you think I'm Talon too?” He spats, putting a closed fist over his mouth, actually chewing on his nails  

“No.” Cole smiles. “I think yer an Idiot.” 

Hanzo holds himself from snarling back and shakes his head. “Why are you here, then?”

“Now, maybe I can't take you out of here without having my hide turned into a rug, but I can ask you questions.”

“Like?”

“Like, why wouldn't I want you after today, honey?” Cole crosses his arms, looking at Hanzo with a puzzled expression. 

Hanzo blinks once, feeling his eyebrow involuntary raise in surprise. “This is what you're worried about?” 

“Well, of course.” Cassidy tells him, as if it was that easy. “I'm also pretty sure all of this is related. I'm not going to beat ‘round the bush, I'm very confused about this whole thing. You don't look like you fucked up this elaborated Talon plan, but you also look two steps close to a full blown panic attack.”

Hanzo opens and closes his mouth, not knowing where to begin. He swallows down, and takes it then, from his pocket, the picture of Ako, and shows it to Cassidy. 

The alpha looks at it in awe, then at Hanzo, he can see the image Cassidy had of him changing then and there. But it's not the bad outcome he expected. He doesn't look at him like he's a whore, like he's this tainted thing. No, he looks worried, sad and like he finally found the missing piece of a puzzle. 

“ Is she okay?”  He asks in japanese. “ Has something happened to her? That's why you need help?” 

Oh. Hanzo thinks. Oh. 

“Stupid, kind cowboy.” Hanzo wants to cry. He then explains to him, all of it, a speech he had memorized to tell Genji. He has a baby named Ako, he's scared to death that the Shimadas will get her, he's scared Talon will experiment on her and he's scared being here will make his aunt take Ako away forever. 

“ And why didn’t you tell us ?” Cassidy asks, frustrated. “Me and Genji could've helped you.” He looks two steps away from strangling him.

“ I had to be sure none of you would want to hand me and her back to the shimada on a plate.”  Hanzo explains. “ I can’t let them get her.”

“ You wound me, thinking that way.”

“Not… not you, specifically.” Hanzo looks down. “ I was scared. And would anyone think any differently, be any less suspicious if I'd shown them this?”

Cole thinks for a moment, scratching his head. Maybe it wouldn’t be, maybe people would see it as a trick, maybe they would have looked at Hanzo with more sympathy than now. Doesn't matter now. “Don't worry. We can fix this.” He says, a determined look on his face. “I'll get her, bring her here and all will be fine.” The alpha nods. “This is a good plan, I think.”  He says more to reassure himself than anything else. He goes to run, but Hanzo stops him. 

“Wait. Yumi is suspicious.” The omega takes his ribbon off of his hair and ties it around Cassidy's hand, bringing the alpha close to scent him, neck to neck. He can feel the cowboy shuddering. Soba materializes and stands on Cassidy's shoulder. 

“Maybe just the dragon and ribbon was enough, don’t you think, sugar?”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t like it.” Hazno lifts an eyebrow, feeling a relief flood his system with the closeness with the alpha. Cole snorts, nods and runs. 

He doesn't stop at the room with Winston and the others, he just takes his flip flops off and wears his boots over his pajama pants, his serape, shoots a “going out. Back in 30 minutes” message to Genji and runs. He looks like a mad man, his spurs giggling like crazy on the silent corridors of the watch point, then on the almost empty streets of gibraltar, while the few people enjoy the nightlife around him. 

He only stops when he sees there, in the main square, close to the tourist center, a Japanese woman in her mid 60s with Ako on her arms. The baby looks older, chubby and with a set of angry eyebrows that makes Cassidy be sure that is her. 

“ Miss Yumi?” Cole asks, aproaching, out of breath. She looks at him up and down, her eyes linger on the ribbon and then at Soba, when the small dragon pokes her head out of the serape.  

“ Typical.” She says, shaking her head.

--

“ You too, Genji?” Hanzo is sitting in the bed-that-felt-like-an-bench on the cell, the tiredness of the hour made him groggy. He needs sleep. Guess it was his own fault. 

“I'm stalling for the cowboy.” It has been around half an hour since Cassidy has left. And in the conference room the cyborg had discussed, snarled, fought and no one had realized Cassidy was missing. After several discussions and Angela’s insistence, It was Winston's idea to attend the doctor’s request to at least hear Hanzo's side of the story and “let her examine him, for christ’s sake!”. 

“Should I snarl at you?” Hanzo asks, unimpressed.

“No, we are trying to make your case better, not worse.”

“Hm, Hanzo I assure you we are not happy to have to have you here, being interrogated. But there are some things we need to clear up.” Winston fixes his glasses. Tracer is behind him, back touching the wall, guns in hand. Jack is close by the door, gun in hand too. Was that really necessary? Hanzo doesn’t think so. He is one man after all.

“It's okay, commander, you're only doing your job.” Hanzo understands, he really did. Winston was new to this whole commander thing,. 

“ Smooth.” Genji crosses his arms. 

“ Don't start.” Hanzo sighs, tired. He looks at his brother, the photo weighing on his pocket. “Can I please speak with my brother alone?” He tries again. When Genji entered the room before anyone else, Hanzo thought that maybe he could have shown him his niece. He deserved to know. 

“Again, No.” Tracer says, rolling her eyes. Hanzo presses his mouth in a thin line, to avoid the frown on his face to be shown.

“Well, first we need to know more about your meeting with Doomfist.” Winston swipes some on his tablet, then taps on something. “Can you tell us again how they contacted you?”

Hanzo breathes out. If he knew that this is what being truthful was going to bring him he'd lie better. 

“Like I said before, that stange woman found and cornered me. She took me to the spot where Akande was waiting, It was an abandoned gallery.”

“What were you doing?” Jack asks. 

“Buying natto.”

“Ew, I thought you hated that!” Genji says, disgusted, Hanzo shrugs. “ Your taste in food is worse than your taste in men.”

“Genji.” Jack warns. “English.” The ninja lifts his hands in surrender.

“So, Hanzo,” Winston tries to bring the attention back to the actual issue. “Can you detail more about what they said about their plans?” 

Hanzo tries to remember exactly what Akande had told him. “It was more in general. He was trying to lure me in.” The omega bites his lips. “He spoke of how he has plans to make the world change, he babbled nonsensical philosophies about conflict and evolution. He told me that I should stay with someone who could provide us-- me security.” Hanzo clears his throat, but can see the slip wasn't unnoticed. Shit. “That I couldn't run forever, so why not get the old family business back. That I could reshape it the way I saw fit.” He all but spits the last part. “As I said, I refused.”

“And then?” The gorilla asks, an understanding tone to him. 

“Doctor O’Doerian asked me if it was true that the Shimadas were born with spirit dragons. If every one of my “offsprings'' would have one.” Hanzo looks away. “I knew why they wanted me, then.” Hanzo unconsciously puts a hand on his lower abdomen. He stares at Jack's eyes, unwavering, refusing to look away. 

“Hanzo...” Genji says, full of emotion. Hanzo shakes his head, giving him a sad smile. 

“Who do you mean when you said “provide us with security.” Jack asks and Hanzo just looks at him, deciding to do the funniest thing ever.

“Slip on the tongue. English is not my first language, after all.” Hanzo makes sure to make his accent super thick, which makes Genji immediately hide a laugh with a coughing fit, turning away from the other agents. Jack lifts an eyebrow not liking the joke.“I know you don't trust me, but there is a reason why I acted the way I did.” Hanzo made sure to look at Tracer too, who didn't seem too miffed about it. 

“Well, if you could explain to us, at least we could stop this whole mess.” Winston says, very non confrontational. It was a good move and Hanzo honestly wants to know who teached the Gorilla his interrogation techniques. 

“Can I at least speak to my brother alone first? It's a personal matter.” Hanzo insists again. He will not reveal his daughter to anyone else before his brother. It was a question of honor now.  

Winston opens his mouth, but at that point Angela enters the room, she has almost the whole Medbay with her, besides her staff. 

“Move move move I have a patient to attend to.” The doctors push the agents away, making even Winston move out of her way. Ha, one of the things Hanzo learned early on, never make the medic of the team mad. “So, how are you feeling?” She looks at him, then at Genji with a pointed look. Ah, he hooked the Doctor in Cassidy's plan too. 

“I'm sore and tired, A little depressed.” Hanzo answers, deadpan, letting the woman poke and prod at him.

“That's normal, with the circumstances.” Angela takes her stethoscope, listening to his heart. “Are you taking the medication?”

“I can't.” Hanzo looks at her, eyebrows lifted. 

“And there is a reason why you're not taking the medication?” She huffs, annoyed. “You already don't follow my recommendation for the boots, now this?”

“I’m nursing.” He snaps, low and trought his teeth, just for her to hear. He's honestly irritated already with her insistence, giving her a look. He regrets his temper soon after, seeing the way she looks at him when understanding dawns on her.

“Oh.” She says with a weird expression a mix of genuine happiness with confusion and stress. “Congratulations? What- where is-- who is-- Have you told your brother?” 

“I'm trying to.”

“Wait wait. Go back.” Winston shakes his head in confusion. “What is going on here?” 

“Brother?”

Hanzo motions Genji to come closer and the alpha does, not without the protests of every other person there. When he's by his side, Hanzo pulls the photo and shows it to Genji. 

The reaction is not like Cassidy who just looked amazed and sad, Genji had a sequence of reactions that went like this: confusion, understanding, grief, pity and then happiness. 

“I'm an uncle?” He asks with the highest pitch of voice he has even heard his brother manage and so much emotion Hanzo feels his mouth wobble. 

“ Yes.”  

“Brother!” Genji starts crying and hugs him. Hanzo pats his back, a gentle motion. “ The father?” Hanzo shakes his head. Not wanting to think about it right now. “ Then, fuck them!” He separates from his brother and cleans the snot off his face. “Why didn't you tell me?”  

“ I was scared.” 

“Of me?”

“Scared you were a ploy to get me by the shimada-gumi. They don't know about her, but if they knew… it seemed more likely than you being alive.” Hanzo explains, patting the top of Genji's head. The otehr agents look at them confused, with the quick japanese they are using, only someone that spends time training would understand it. 

“Is this what Cole is doing?” Genji laughs, wetly.

“Yes.”

“Stop, Genji.” Jack approaches. “Tell me right now what's going on. How is Cassidy involved in this?”

“Now that you mentioned it, where is Cassidy?” Winston turns, looking at the door, as if he expected to see Cassidy there. Tracer only shrugs. 

“Morrison, is not what you all think.” Genji gets up, cleaning his face. “He's not Talon or anything else. He just wants protection from them.”

Hanzo turns to them, face blank. “I have a daughter, Morrison.” He would pay a million dollars to have someone immortalize Jack's face on a painting for him. That with the way that Winton's jaw drops in the background and tracer's eyes as big as plates. A good oil painting, big too, called “Fuck all of you”. 

Everyone’s comms ping with a notification. Cole has sent them a message. Geji is the only one to look at it.

>Hey y'all, I’m back! Come meet me at the entrance. Don’t make a ruckus. 

Commander Winston, two unknown civilians have entered the base. Athena warns them at the same time.

Hanzo can't even describe the flurry of movement that is the next few seconds. Jack is running, Winston gathering his files and notes to follow them, Tracer had disappeared in a blue blur as soon as Athena had finished the phase. The only ones that stay on the cell were Genji, Angela and Hanzo, who sat on the bed/bench, tired. 

“I better not have any appointments tomorrow.” Angela yawls, scratching her eyelids. When she opens her eyes again, Hanzo offers her the photo. “Oh?” And Angela looks at the image. Hanzo looks horrible in it, if she's honest. He looks thin, tired, like he had been crying, but he looks happy. 

“A girl?” She asks and Hanzo nods back. “How old is she?” 

“Three months.” Hanzo sees the cogs on Genji's brain turn and he looks at his older brother, confused. He must have done the math, realizing when Ako was conceived. He looks like he wants to ask, but doesn't. “Akande knew I was pregnant when he met me. He could smell me after I ran from the other woman, my scent blocker washed away in the rain.” Angela gives the photo back, and Hanzo sighs, hiding it again. “He thought it was an advantage for him.”

“He thought it would be easier to sway you into joining a terrorist group with a kid on the way?” Genji scoffs. 

“He’s smart, but he's still an alpha.” Hanzo finally relaxes. “They usually underestimate omegas and female betas. He thought he could sway me with pretty words and promisses.”

Genji nods and they all sigh, feeling the tiredness in their bones, one only a night like this could give them.

“How did you bring her here?” Genji tries to ask, but it's interrupted by the door opening and Cassidy and a small middle aged woman by his side, a baby in her arms. 

“I told y'all I wasn't crazy!” Cassidy enters the room, a nursing bag on one shoulder and aunt Yumi by his side, with Ako in her arms and the other agents right behind him. Jack still has his gun in hand, as does tracer. 

Hanzo stands up, jittery with anticipation. He doesn’t want her daughter so close to the weapons. 

“ Is that aunt Yumi?” Genji asks, confused and the woman marches towards Genji.

“ Little sparrow?”  She approaches him, patting his face. She looks horrified as Genji nods. “ What has he done to you?” She sounds desperate.

“ Aunt, please, is in the past. You know how the clan was.” Genji explains, but Yumi's face closes off, and she shakes her head in disappointment. “ Don’t blame him. Please.” He begs. 

She smiles, kindly, for just a moment, then turns to Hanzo, marching towards him. She stops in front of the omega and slaps his face so hard the sound echoes. Hanzo can hear sharp breaths, but he doesn't move, feeling the taste of copper on his mouth, he has bitten his cheek. 

“Don't even put me in this situation again, you hear me? You ungrateful brat.” She says, in plain english, as a way to shame him. 

“ I'm sorry, Aunt Yumi. ” Hanzo opens his eyes, then bows, quickly enough to show respect. He then lifts his arms, asking for the baby. “Can I have her now?” 

“Here.” She passes Ako unceremoniously to Hanzo, a relieved expression on her face. “Tell your cowboy to not speak that horrible Japanese close to her.” Yumi turns to Genji, a pitiful expression on her face. “I don’t want you to contact me again, Hanzo.” She spats. “It was a mistake to help you.” She looks again at Genji and seems to turn green, with either disgust or horror. “ If you were serious about ending the Shimada you would have stayed dead years ago, like you wanted to.” 

Hanzo doesn't dare to look at her, paying attention to his daughter. The words ring in his head, but he tries to not pay attention. He has to care for Ako. He has not gained weight and it's absolutely touch deprived, whining and resting her head on his chest, searching for contact. 

“I thank you for helping me, Yumi.” Hanzo says, flatly, letting go of the honorifics. “ And I’m sorry I'm a disappointment, but I’m not a coward and I’m not running or hiding from my past.” Yumi looks at him with clear disgust.

“Whoever is the responsible person here, take me back to the city.” She turns to Jack, who points at the gorilla. 

“Well, miss, we can’t let you out before knowing if there was a security risk.” Winston awkwardly smiles. Yumi seems to take a deep breath, but goes to him. 

“Listen, monkey, I don't care about whatever bullshit you all are doing here. I’ve escaped the Shimadas for fifteen years. You think this small get-together is anything to me?” She scoffs. “Take me back to the city now.”

Winston gives a long suffering sigh and motions her to outside of the cell. “Please, follow me, we need to talk.”

Hanzo doesn't care about her now, doesn't even pay attention to her retreating footsteps, he only cares about little Ako, here in his arms after all. The baby cries, and Hanzo brings her close to his neck, scenting her. He missed her so much he could cry.

“Shhh, little Ako.” Hanzo mutters. His cheek sting, but he can’t find it in himself to care.

“Are you okay?” Cassidy puts a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder, turning him away from the others. Hanzo nods, showing his baby to the Alpha, feeling proud of the daughter he has. 

“She has your eyebrows.” Cole says as the baby looks at him, then frowns. “And the scowl.” Hanzo rolls his eyes, scowling just like the babe, and Cassidy laughs. Ako looks at him and opens a toothless smile too. “See, someone here likes my jokes.” he caresses the baby's cheek.

Ako turns away, mouthing Hanzo's shirt. “She's hungry.” Hanzo automatically unzips his jacket, but stops, noticing the shuffle from the others. He had forgotten he's in a jail cell with at least five other people, and suddenly feels self conscious. 

“I'll see with Winston to get you out of here so you can have some privacy.” Mercy says, nodding, walking to the door. “And I want you to bring her to do a check up! And vaccines! Oh god I need to order children vaccines!” She seems stressed, but in a weirdly animated way. Jack stops her, holding her arm. “What?”

“We will need to see if this story checks out.” 

“Jack, there is a literal baby here!” Angela seems absolutely baffled by the man. 

“I don't care.” Jack looks at Hanzo, Genji and Cassidy, “Let's go.” before turning away and leaving the room. Tracer follows them too, looking back and then zipping off. 

Hanzo shakes his head and sits down, unzipping his coat and pulling up his shirt. Only Cassidy and Genji are with him now, the room is silent, with the hum of the lights filling the silence. 

“Fucking Jack Morrison.” Cole says, stopping at Hanzo’s side, the omega can almost see a red glow in his right eye. 

“Doesn't matter.” He caresses Ako’s hair, as she nurses. He has been away from her for so long it almost feels like she'll break at any moment. She coos as she nurses and Hanzo almost cries. He feels a heavy cloth cover him, partially hiding Ako’s face and his chest. Cole’s Serape.

“For the cameras.” Cole coughs, making sure not to look in his direction. “I don't think you'd want your things showing on a video feed.”

“My things?” Hanzo snorts, seeing the cowboy getting shy all of sudden. 

“I'm being respectful.” He grumbles, but takes one of Hanzo's hands, giving it a kiss. “You don’t know what kind of perverts live in this base.”

“I know one.” Genji grumbles, crossing his arms. 

“I'm the perfect gentleman. Ask Hanzo.” Cassidy huffs at Genji and then looks at Hanzo with that same soft stare from days before. “So you know, if it’s not really clear, I'm still interested. If you are.” 

Hanzo looks at him, thinking about the last weeks. The omega doesn't think he'd ever met anyone that just understood him on this level, that could see him behind the mask of impassiveness, his own egocentrism. There was no one like that before Cole.

“I am, cowboy.” Hanzo keeps their hands intertwined. This time Genji doesn't make a joke about it, thankfully, but Hanzo knows it is not just because of his sake (his brother loved every chance he got to be a pest in his life). They are trying to listen to the voices on the other side of the wall. “I don't know how you can be interested after all I've made you go through.” Hanzo looks up at Cole. “The two of you.” He looks at Genji too. 

“Hanzo, you were scared, I get it.” Genji sighs. “When I was at the Shambali monastery, they teached me about putting myself in other people's shoes. How to be empathetic. And if I was in your shoes, I'd be scared.” he picks at the scratchy bedsheets on the bed. “The world is still a scary place for omegas.”

Hanzo thought about himself. His whole life. “Yes, yes it is.” 

“And I’d probably go through this same thing if you weren't here, anyways.” Cole says, resting his back to the wall. “If I'm honest, sugar, this ain't the job for me. I hate being a soldier and the black and white way of thinking. Bad guys. Good guys. It ain't that simple.”

“Besides, people on Overwatch didn't really like us to begin with.” Genji awkward laughs. “We are really lucky that the people that responded to the recall are our friends.”

“Only the crazy ones did respond, though.” Cole chuckles. 

Hanzo, noticing that Ako has finished with one breast, burps her and then moves to the other breast, but she doesn't seem intersted.

“Seeing you like this is so weird.” Genji admits. “Say, Hanzo, how is her name written?” Genji approaches and sits beside him, but doesn’t show his face to the baby. 

“Ako, written as “Beautiful” and “Heart”.” 

“You’re so sappy.” Genji laughs as he sees Hanzo burps Ako one more time, pulling his shirt down. 

“Here, hold her.” Hanzo hands her to Genji. 

“No no no.” But before Genji knows Hanzo has given him Ako. He looks absolutely uncomfortable and scared, looking at the baby in his arms. “Hanzo, no, she'll see me and cry.” He whines, but holds her perfectly well. 

“She won't.” Hanzo gestures for Cassidy to pass him his nursing bag, he takes some cotton and does the hygiene for his breasts, using the cover of the serape to have some semblance of privacy. 

“She will.” Genji looks down at the kid, apprehensive. She scents the air and little and looks at Genji, smiling, then turns to sleep, resting her head on his chest, the flesh side of it. The cyborg doesn't get it, but his heart melts down when the baby doesn't cry. “Why isn't she crying?”

“You're her uncle.” Hanzo says matter of fact. “She can feel you’re here to protect her.” 

“I'm going to cry.” Genji sniffs, caressing the fine soft hair in her head.

“Who's the sap now?” Cole chuckles. Hanzo smiles, but gets up, giving the cowboy the serape back.

“Thank you for keeping my honor intact.” He says, looking up at Cole.  

“Anytime, sugar.” Cole chuckles, holding Hanzo by his waist, bringing him close, nosing his face, then the scent gland on his neck. 

Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate! Both dragons chant under his skin, and Hanzo wants to snort a laugh. At least with that he agreed with his dragons, Cole was an excellent candidate for a mate. When they break apart from scenting, He kisses the cowboy, slow and sweet, the cowboy kisses back, with more fire than Hanzo expects. 

As they separate, Hanzo realizes the voices outside are quiet now. The two others must have realized the same, because they seemed tense now. 

“Too quiet.” Genji says. 

“Maybe Morrison is creeping on us with the camera.” Cole points at the camera and gives it a wink. 

“You think they will kick us out?” Genji doesn't seem to be as worried as Hanzo thought he should be. Cole does the fuck if I know shrug. 

“I created this whole mess, you two should not pay for it.” Hanzo says, feeling like a lead ball was dropped on his chest.

“Hanzo.” Cole says, incredulous.

“You and her need protection." Genji insisists. 

“I know. But In the big scheme of things, Overwatch is more important.” Hanzo looks down at Ako. "I've avoided the clan for ten years... I'll find a way." He always did. He could change his name, change hers. Be on the run again. He'll find a way. Hanzo just mourns the fact he will lose this.

“Don’t say it like you’re already out.” Genji protests.

“Genji.” 

"No, You always think about the worst scenarios.”

“Because it's always what happens, Genji.” Hanzo says, feeling defeated, angry that Genji couldn’t see it. “Every time the worst happens. Can’t you see? Dad, the Elders, you! The worst happened and I lost everything. And it's always my fault. Even with Ako--” He stops himself, regretting opening his mouth to begin with.

“ Brother.”  Genji gestures for Hanzo to sit down again, which he does. Then side hugs his brother, it's awkward, but Hanzo is glad he can have moments like this. “ What happened to you? After everything?”

“Nothing I didn't deserve.” The omega says, remembering his legs, the years of solitude, his last heat. The pain, the agony.

“Shut up.” Genji says, stern. “ Don’t say that. You don’t deserve bad things to happen to you.” He releases Hanzo, patting his face. Cole approaches and puts a hand on his shoulder, lightly stroking his skin. 

“Is more than I expected.” Hanzo admits, feeling suddenly tired. Too tired.

“What, this shitshow?” Cole asks, smiling. Hanzo smiles back, thankful for the Cowboy’s humor.

“Acceptance.” Hanzo looks at his baby brother. He has his facemask off, the scars cover his face as if lightning has ran under there, silicon, metal and skin misshapen his face, once so alike his own. “I came here thinking that maybe this was a trap, a ruse to either capture me or kill me. And I thought that, if it was really you, maybe at least I’d see my brother again, before someone… killed me or I did so myself.”

When the understanding of what Hanzo has said dawns on Genji, the cyborg doesn't have words, he faces away from Hanzo, mouth trembling, curling onto himself and around Ako, tears dripping down face, hiccups leaving his mouth. Hanzo embraces his baby brother, apologies dropping from his mouth like prayers. It seems that all he does ends up hurting him.

“I want you here.”

“I know.”

“ Don’t leave please, I need my older brother. ” 

“ I’m not leaving, sparrow. ” Hanzo promises, “I’m not leaving.” This time he'll do everything to keep this promise.

Notes:

See, I'm not so bad! Hanzo is finally back with his baby, has kissed Cole and told his brother he's a lil bit suicidal. Two out of tree is not so bad, right?
Also, when I started writting this story, back in 2019, I was very depressed and I wanted to externalize these feelings. This was supposed to be really dark, but now I don't feel so hopeless, and I want Hanzo to not feel as hopeless too.

Chapter 6: And they will all agree, that I'm a suffocator

Summary:

The old overwatch members have another meeting to decide if Hanzo stays of leaves.

Notes:

Hi, how y'all doing? Here's a new chapter. A day earlier too, who could've guessed?
Btw, everytime I read more of the lore from overwatch, more I think the writers have lost their minds. It doesn't even make sense anymore. Especially the ages. How is Brigitte 25?
Also i do not believe Hanzo is 178cm. mayhaps a 175cm. Also he's a scorpio aparently (it makes sense, so i'm keeping that in).
BTW i accidentally uploaded thsi chapter twice, so ignore that.

And this chapter is brought to you by the song Paris, Texas from Lana del Rey.

It is the next morning and Cole feels the tiredness that only comes from not sleeping in a bed settling on his bones. During the night, as Winston investigated Hanzo's last months, Cole had refused to move from Hanzo's side. Genji himself wasn't better, pacing from one side to the other of the cell. The interactions from the night before leaving them all exhausted and anxious.

At some point, Hanzo had cradled Ako in his arms and started to drift into sleep. Cassidy couldn’t take it, seeing the omega trying to stay awake and failing. So he sat down by his side, letting Hanzo lay his head on his torso, his back to Cole’s torso.

“I don't know how they can think this is fake.” Genji whispers to Cole, not wanting to wake his brother. “I know they don't like Hanzo, but where would he get a whole child?”

“Especially one that looks like the spittin’ image of him.” Cole sighs, resting his back on the wall. The hard bed made it difficult to rest properly, but that wasn't on Cole's mind. He has slept in worse places. “They could at least let us stay in his room. Not like they can’t lock us in there.” Cassidy caresses Hanzo's stubborn lock of hair, pulling it behind his ear. 

He looks down at the baby, Cole is supporting Hanzo’s arm, basically holding her by proxy. Ako is asleep now, chubby cheeks pressed against Hanzo’s dark shirt. She coos a little, scrunching her face before sighing and going back to sleep. She’s so dang cute Cole might cry a little, especially remembering Hanzo’s words from last night. 

The shimada-gumi, Talon, Moira. The implications of what kind of things she’d have done to Hanzo had Talon got him. The things Hanzo told him he knows the clan would do to them. 

The cell door opens and Angela greets them. “Hi.” She enters the room, looking at Hanzo's sleeping form. “I convinced them to let him back to his room. But Winston wants to have a meeting.”

“Another one?” Cassidy massages the bridge of his nose, tired and angry.  

“Yes, and this time only the old Overwatch members.” She looks as pleased as he is with the whole thing. 

Cole sighs heavily. They gently wake Hanzo up, taking him to his own room at a calm pace. The chilly morning air makes Hanzo's skin prickle with the cold, bringing Ako close to himself. Cole can’t help himself and gives the omega his serape again.  

When they get to his room, Hanzo lets Ako on the bed, and takes his boots off.

“I'll take those.” She gets the boots away from Hanzo, a stern tone to her voice. Right, the omega thinks, of course they wouldn’t let him stay with it. “You and Ako need rest.” She says, then relaxing. “Tomorrow I’ll give them back to you. You used them every day for I don't know how long, I can’t in my right mind allow you to use them today.”

Oh. Hanzo nods, too tired to argue. He wants to sleep more, to rest until he's kicked out again, has to run off again. Maybe he really can change his name and go live nearby, keep in contact. He drifts, eyes closing. A shuffling on his side makes him remember Ako is with him. 

“Can't sleep on the bed.” Hanzo mumbles, getting up. “I will smother her.” He massages his eyelids, trying to stay awake. 

“We can stay and look after her.” Cole says, taking the baby from the bed. Genji approaches too, looking at Ako's sleeping face. 

“Are you sure?” Hanzo lies back down, tired. 

“Of course.” Cassidy smiles, bringing Ako close to his chest, mindful of her head and neck.

“Winston wants every agent there.” Angela argues.

“You can tell them they already know my opinion.” Cassidy bounces the baby. 

Angela sighs, pressing a cold hand against her cheeks. What a mess. “We need to make a case for Hanzo.”

“Can’t leave him here all alone.” Cassidy shakes his head. His instincts are screaming at him to stay, to keep the omega and the baby safe.  

“I’ll go.” Genji nods at Cole. “Brother, I will go there and I will make sure they understand.”

“Thank you, Genji.” Hanzo closes his eyes and drifts into sleep, trying to memorize the soft bed, the smell of smoke the cowboy is exhaling, the faint smell of earth and apples. Maybe the memory of it would be enough.

--

“I've done as much research as possible, first based on what Genji has provided us before Hanzo arrived.” Winston says to the room full of people. There, in the same meeting room as they were yesterday, Torbjorn, Angela, Genji, Reinhart, Jack and Tracer are sitting down by the big table, looking at the hard light screen. The Gorilla scratches his brow bone. “Then, me and Athena have tracked his passports and facial recognition, the places he’s been on.” 

He shows photos of Hanzo all around the world, there aren't as many, but some people can see Hanzo is heavily pregnant. He looks like hell in some of them, thin, despite the big belly, lost eyes. Some of them are at portugal. “His pregnancy, at least, is real. He also doesn’t seem to be working with any nefarious organization, despite the invitations.”

“I told you guys.” Genji points at the images. 

“You didn't even know he had a kid, Genji, for God's sake.” Torbjorn interrupts, shaking his head.

“If he could trust us, I'd know it sooner.” The cyborg argues back, voice cold. “If you guys treated him like a human being he would have come forward to us first!”

“Oh, I'm sorry if I'm wary of an ex-yakuza, who has been lying to us for weeks.” Torbjorn says back. Genji's nose flares, and he opens his mouth to speak, when Lena interrupts them.

“Will you two stop?” Lena stands up. They two shut up, Genji crossing his arms and looking away. “What about the Talon encounter, Winston?” 

“The only thing I could dig out it's this.” Winston's types on his tablet and a blurry security recording of Hanzo leaving the abandoned gallery starts playing. It's only 10 seconds long, he doesn't look too pregnant, but he looks scared, walking fast under the rain of king's row. A thin figure steps out of the front door, red hair slicked back. Moira. Hanzo looks back, eyes wide and scared. The recording suffers a purple glitch before turning off. 

“I don't know what to make of this.” Reinhardt says, scratching his beard.

“Don’t know what to-- what? He's obviously scared.” Genji speaks, looking at the team mates, then to Winston, standing up again. “Hanzo never runs away like this. Never. ” He stands up. 

“He ran from your family.” Jack says, matter of fact. 

“You know he didn’t run away.” Is Angela who says it, voice serene as ever, eyes on the still image of Hanzo, a calm expression on her face. The others turn to her. “Let's not pretend we were the only reason the Shimada empire fell. The castle incident was already enough to make a significant dent on their operation.” She puts a hand on Genji’s arm, pulling him to sit down again.

“That's beside the point!” Torb throws his hands up. “We don't know if this was a business meeting. Someone like him would join Talon easily.”

“Hanzo would never! We were teached to be honorable since childhood. Not even our father wanted to get involved with an organization like Talon.” Genji stresses out. “Besides, he'd never run like this. He was teached from young to not show weakness, to be a strong figure even in danger.” 

“It's been ten years, you don't know that he's still like that.”

“He didn’t run from any of you, even with all the threats!” Genji points at the image. “Look at him! Athena, can you zoom on Hanzo’s face?” He asks and the AI does so. Hanzo has bags under his wide eyes, his body is half turned, hand on his belly, almost as an unconscious act, mouth opened, as if he was breathing hard. He looks scared, desperate. “That's not the look of someone that just made a deal of a lifetime.” 

“When was this?” Tracer questions. Winston looks at his datapad for a moment, before telling her the approximate date, and her face falls. 

“He was pregnant then.” Angela mentions, making a note on her tablet. 

“That’s why Doomfist tried to recruit him.” Genji adds. “Hanzo thought he was alone and he was being hunted down by what was left of the clan. Akande saw him as an easy prey.”

“Why not accept, then? It is his “birthright” or whatever, right? ” Tracer asks.  “He could regrow the drug trade if he wanted to. Since your cousin is an idiot, apparently. ”

Genji points at the bottom of the recording, where the lanky figure is standing. “That's Moira, isn't it?” He asks, everyone nods, recognizing the woman. “She was always too interested in the dragons. The bond of the Shimada with the dragons can only be passed down on the direct bloodline.” 

Silence falls as they all remember Moira’s unethical acts, how she experimented on several overwatch prisoners and soldiers. Hanzo’s words from last night echo between them.

“Oh, heavens.” Winston says. “That’s what he meant last night. Egg harvesting?”

“If not worse.” Genji comments. 

“She wouldn't. Right?” Angela looks at Genji, jittery now. “Genji, experimenting on fetuses, pregnant omegas, babies! That is low even for her.”

“She has done worse.” Jack mutters, tired. Angela shakes her head, angry. “The files we got from her, Angela… Most of it is kept out of the public eye for a reason.”

“The elders were only interested in the fact he could give them heirs, ones that could use the dragons.” Genji looks down, ashamed. “Once, If it weren’t for me…” He starts, but stops, feeling nauseous at the memory. He doesn’t want to speak of it, doesn’t feel like he has the right to, so he looks at everyone there. “Do you understand now why he was afraid?”

--

The sound of the waves made the whole room feel calmer. Cole is sitting by the window, thinking about the whole situation. 

From the start, he has refused to single out Hanzo. It wasn’t just because he thought the man was the most attractive omega he's ever seen in his life, or that they obviously had chemistry, but from the start, Cole knew he and Hanzo were more alike than anyone expected. 

He and Genji were close since the cyborg was recruited on Black watch. For the first months as colleagues, he had a bad image about the older brother. A cold, severe man, trained to be the leader of a drug operation, that cared too much about honor and tradition and not enough about his brother. But Genji was as transparent as he was angry, and as time passed and Genji spoke more and more about his brother, often in anger, but much more in grief, Cole started to understand their dynamic and the tragedy of the Shimada family. 

Hanzo and Genji grew up with their father, in a very abusive and isolated environment that asked for perfection and nothing else. Both responded to it in different ways, Genji by rebelling and Hanzo by shutting himself in, accepting the mistreatment. The omega, of course, was the main focus of it, his secondary gender seen as a flaw by his father and an asset by the elders. 

“He only trained and worked after our father died. Didn't care about anything else.” Genji had said once, not realizing how parentified Hanzo had been to him. The boys’ father was present in figure, as a teacher, as a leader, as the ruler of the house, but never as a father. No amount of wise stories about burning fields of flowers would compensate for the fact the brothers grew up only having themselves to care for each other. 

And that was clear by how Genji spoke about what he did while growing up and what Hanzo did. Cole never mentioned it, not wanting to disrespect the memories Genji had, but Sojiro always seemed like he was trying to compensate for the fact his first born was an omega. In fact, the man seemed to hate the idea altogether. 

Genji, however, as the alpha brother, was let loose. As a kid he played around, was more relaxed with his studies. As a teen and young adult he did drugs, slept around, did anything the cliche rich asshole did. Meanwhile Hanzo stayed under the Clan’s thumb, without a single out. 

“How was I supposed to know they punished him for what I did?” The Ninja had spat out, after a particularly difficult fitting for new limbs, still in pain. “He never told me anything! I would've--” He said in anger, tears in his eyes, maybe out of anger, maybe out of pain. 

Cole knew what it was like, being the scapegoat, the responsible one, the one that always had to take the blame, the beatings. That's why he ran away from his foster home. He can’t imagine having to endure in silence, or what he’d become if he had never left when he did. In his life, both before, during and after Blackwatch, he has never had the luxury to be a good man. He tried, he really did try his hardest, but the sins of his past still followed him.

He’s taken away from his thoughts when Ako decides to wake up, whining and crying. Cole shushes her, patting her back. 

“Howdy, miss Ako, are you awake now?” he looks at the small baby, she's kicking and fussing. “So What do you need? Food or a diaper change?” Cole smells her. “Yeah definitely a diaper change.” He makes a face. 

Hanzo sits up on the bed, Ako’s crying waking him from his sleep. He tries to get up, managing to stand for a moment, but gives up in a second, feeling the pain and weakness on his legs. He searches for his boots before remembering Angela has taken them away. “Is she awake?” He mumbles, groggy. 

“Don't you worry. She just needs changing.” Cole reassures him. “I can help you if you want.” he says, seeing that the omega would need help.

“Do you know how?” Hanzo lifts an eyebrow, still sleepy and confused. Cole takes the baby blanket from the bag, covering the bed, laying Ako on it. 

“Spend enough time around babies as a kid.” 

“Okay.” Hanzo nods. Cole observes the omega working and helps where he can, passing him pomades, wipes and the new diaper. The omega does a quick job on changing her, quickly putting her back on her onesie and cleaning everything up. Cole helps him with moving things around and throwing things away in the trash can.

“You have experience.” Hanzo nods, putting Ako belly down on the blanket.

“A shitty foster family will do that to an older kid.” Cole shrugs, not wanting to linger on the memory too much. He chuckles as Ako puts all her force into supporting her head and torso, looking around. She looks at him with her big eyes, laughing at him. 

Hanzo hums, taking a toy from the bag and giggles in front of her. She looks at it, excited and kicks her little feet. They play more with her, the sound of the toy filling the air. Soon the baby gets tired of it, paying attention to Cole's red serape, holding the cloth on her little fist. Hanzo chuckles and brings her to his arms again, holding her against his chest. 

“How long until she's walking?” The alpha asks, seeing the baby kicking her legs, excited. 

“It will be some time.” Hanzo combs the baby's hair with his fingers, enjoying the sensation. “I can't barely manage her as she is.” 

“You got our help now.” Cassidy dismisses his worries. Being a single mom was difficult as an omega, Cole knew that very well. He was determined to help Hanzo any way he could. Hanzo looks up at him, shaking his head with a tired smile. “What?”

“You.” Hanzo gives Ako her toy and she immediately gets it and sticks it in her mouth, chewing on it. “You're speaking about it like I'm not going to get kicked out of here today. As if everything hasn’t changed.”

“You can't expect me to let you go after all of this, sugar. Listen, I wasn’t lying when I told you I was serious ‘bout you.” Cole says, easily. “Even if this thing in between the two of us doesn't work, I'm still Genji's best friend and you're his brother. We will always be linked, somehow.” He smiles.

Hanzo nods, weirded out by Cole's way of thinking. In his experience, Alphas who were interested in him wanted to either fuck him or control him, the later ones didn’t take well when Hanzo rejected them. But Cole spoke about it as if it was that simple. Maybe it was and he was the weirdo.

“Don't you want to take off the compression socks?” Cole asks, looking at his legs. 

“Already trying to undress me?” Hanzo jokes. 

“Always, Darling.” Cole waggles his eyebrows again, making Hanzo silently laugh. He then puts Ako down and takes off his socks, showing the scar tissue there, the badly healed cuts and torn muscles. His left leg has worse damage than the right one. He didn’t like looking at them, not because of the scars, but because of the memories it brought back. It was a relief to have his skin breathe for a moment, but he was scared that maybe Cole would look at them and have the same reaction as Angela, like he deserved it.

It's not what he gets. Cole just looks at him with a calm face, not even mentioning his legs. The alpha always surprised him, somehow. 

“Do you wanna eat?” He asks, pointing at the door. “Angela left forearm crutches when you were asleep. We could go get some grub.” Standing up, Cole goes to the door and retrieves the walking aids. He helps the omega to get up. 

“I thought I was supposed to stay here.” Hanzo puts his arm on it, having a feel for how to use them. He watches as Cole takes Ako from the blanket and carries her, bringing the baby close to his chest. 

“Honey, you’re worried about the rules now?”

--

“Could he be unstable?” Tracer pulls her legs up, criss crossing them on the chair. “We saw what happened on the training grounds.”

“Oh my god, I told you guys I asked to see the dragons and they wanted to see me!” Genji almost screams from frustration. 

“He clearly has control over when they manifest.” Winston says. “We all saw one of them on Cole's shoulder when he came back. So I think that's not an issue. Dr. Ziegler might have a better assessment of his mental state.”

“He's not a danger to us.” Angela says, looking at her records. “He has as many issues as anyone here, but he doesn't seem to be getting worse. Actually...” Angela thought about the last weeks, how the archer seemed more at ease around her brother and Cole, letting the alpha touch him without flinching, even seeking it. “I've seen the recordings of him in the last weeks with his brother and the other agents, he seems to be improving.”

“So, that's solved.” Genji smiles, satisfied. 

“Isn't it dangerous for him to be here with a baby anyways?” Torbjorn asks, sketching something on a piece of paper. 

“Look who’s talking.” Genji crosses his arms, scoffing.

“Torbjorn is right, the base is built on a cliffside with no fencing.” Reinhardt says, matter of fact. “What if the wee one falls down?” He says, in horror, eyes tearing up.

“And my daughter had passed the toddler stage when she started to frequent the base.”

“This child and this base, you mean.” Angela says. “Because I remember both seeing your family spend weeks on base and me babysitting several of your kids before.”

“We could install some kid safety fences.” Winston takes some notes. “Especially if Efi will stay here for some periods of time too. And I did see Agent Song dare agent Lúcio to use his skates to climb the cliffside, so we are killing two birds with one stone.” He types something else on his data pad too, humming. 

“And one of the old rooms could be converted into a playroom.” Genji says, looking suspiciously blasé about it. “We did have a program to keep families together.”

“Yeah, and I can’t really keep asking every omega to use heat suppressants,” Winston nods, making another note. “The long term effects are well studied now and other kinds of birth control exist! It’s only a matter of time--” the gorilla starts to preach, this point being something he honestly found barbaric on the old overwatch. 

“We are sidetracking again.” Jack Interrupts the discussion, looking at Genji, squinting. “The question is if Hanzo Shimada is a security risk or not.”

Genji frowns at the man, knowing his plan to sidetrack the conversation had failed.

“Ah, Yes! Back to the subject.” Winston clears his throat and goes to the next slide, making Genji wonder when the Gorilla has time to make those. “So, crossing the information we have, we found out that about three months ago he went to a hospital in Portugal for labor pains. His daughter is registered as a Portuguese citizen, Ako Shimada. Mother: Hanzo Shimada, Father: not informed. ”

“Did he go to the other appointments?” Jack asks. 

“There are no medical records for him around the world during this time, except…” Winston looks at his tablet for a moment, before typing something. “That reminds me, Angela, I need to speak to you in particular later on.” Angela nods. “Moving on, all the records check out. his papertrail checks out, and most important, his movements don't seem to correlate with the one of Talon. Actually he seems to be accidentally going against them for a long time.”

“How so?” Tracer asks. 

“Hanzo has er- eliminated several members of his family that have done deals with Talon.” Winston goes to the next slide, showing several big names on the shimada family and the causes of death. Some are more gruesome than others. “Either willingly or not, he has dismantled several chances of the Shimada to restart their operation in other countries like Switzerland, America, Mexico, Brazil and so on, effectively hindering Talon's efforts as well. ” 

“That's why there was only Yusuke left.” Genji says, impressed. The others look at him, questioning. “What? No one would even think of putting that idiot in charge! He was just the only one left! Only the Iris knows how he survived.”

“You two really hate that guy, huh?” Torbjorn asks, weirded out. 

“Yeah, our weird uncle wanted Hanzo to marry him at some point.” he makes a face, disgusted. “Hanzo immediately shut it down. He looked so insulted.” Genji remembers how Yusuke had torn the most expensive tapestry they had in the house to pieces because of the way Hanzo had rejected him. 

“Your family is fucked up.” 

“You don’t know half of it.”

--

Hanzo feels extremely uncomfortable entering the mess hall. He had to let Cole still hold Ako on the way there, as he uses the crutches to walk. He didn’t like for people to see him so vulnerable. He trusts the alpha enough, but he feels too on edge not having Ako close. Thankfully when they get there only Lúcio and Hana are awake. 

“We were gaming until now.” Hana mentions, which explains why both used the sunglasses (Hana’s being a round fashionable one, and Lúcio a sporty one, seemingly vintage) and were resting their head on the table. “You had to see the amount of people that got wild seeing Lúcio here on the stream! I'm definitely getting a good check this month.” She says, sighing. 

“Can you believe we had to cook breakfast too?” Lúcio complains, lifting his head from the table. Apparently the younger recruits didn't know about the meeting and Hanzo’s imminent fate. 

“What an injustice.” Hanzo comments, seeing that the two recruits actually did the bare minimum, with a single giant plate of scrambled eggs and sausages. Hana herself is eating cereal. Probably too tired, he thinks, since they still hadn't realized that the bundle on Cole’s arms is a baby. 

He sits down, leaving his clutches beside himself. The young duo doesn’t even bat an eye to him using the walking aids, but as soon as Cassidy hands him his daughter (in favor to get them food), they start to pay attention. When Ako looks around, examining the new environment, Lúcios eyes get as big as plates. 

“Oh my god, is that a baby?” He asks, voice high pitched, excited. Ako looks at him, eyes wide in wonder at Lúcio’s colorful clothes and hair. She makes a grabby hands motion, interested in the glasses. 

“Yes, This is Ako, my daughter.” Hanzo Says. He turns his body slightly, bringing her up and proudly showing her off.

“I knew it!” Hana says, pointing at Cassidy, who is scooping food on a plate. “I knew you two were a thing! A lot of people here owe me money!” She fist bumps the air. 

“Hold your horses. We have been a thing since last night, missy.” Cassidy comes back with a big plate with eggs, turkey sausages, and two mugs, one with tea and one with coffee. 

“The baby begs to disagree.” She takes a bite from her rather colorful cereal, pointing at Ako. 

“I… Cole is not her father.” Hanzo says, uncomfortable. “She’s just mine.” Hana looks at him and Lúcio sucks in some air through his teeth, making a face. 

“Nice one, Hana.” Lúcio snorts. 

“Yikes, I’m sorry.” Hana’s cheeks redden. “You two are always together, and Cole is so sappy with you, so thought that maybe the smell of babypowder was --” Hana stops, getting more and more red. “I’m going to stop talking, because I’m just being an ass now.”

“It’s fine.” Hanzo reassures her. Cassidy, being the asshole he is, forks a piece of sausage and eggs and goes to feed Hanzo.

“Here, sugarplum.” He says in an overly sappy voice. Hanzo pushes the cowboy’s face away from him, chuckling.

“Stop being a pest and hold her.” He huffs, passing the baby and going for the food. Cassidy chuckles looking at the Baby. Ako, now sitting closer to Lucio, is making even more grabby hands towards Lúcio’s glasses. 

The DJ takes his glasses off and hands them to Ako. “Be careful, Ako, these are Oakley Juliets reproductions.” He says, with intent, Ako just babbles back, putting the glasses on her mouth. Lúcio only laughs, patting her head.  “Must have been difficult to choose to bring her here.” 

“Yes, I don’t want her to grow in danger, but the base is the safest she’ll ever be.” Hanzo says, looking at Cole and then at the two recruits. "My family is here and there are good people on the base." God, he hopes Genjji can convince them, show that he’s not a threat, to give him a chance. 

“I can Imagine.” Lúcio nods. “My mom also raised me in the middle of a violent zone. Told me that If I got pregnant before I finished college she'd beat my ass.” He makes a face, but Hanzo nods, understanding the protectiveness over a child. “She wanted me out of there.” He says wistfully. 

“Hey, leave some to me.” Cassidy interrupts, seeing that Hanzo was eating all of the food. He takes a fork for himself and starts fighting Hanzo’s own fork.

“Stop stealing my food.” Hanzo fights Cole’s fork, and loses once the cowboy takes the rest of the sausage and eats it in one bite, making Hanzo look at him in disbelief.

“Blame these two.” Cole points at Hana, still chewing. “They are the ones that cooked too little.”

“I’m delivering your bounty to the cops and using the money to buy food.” Hanzo frowns, joking just a little about it. Hana almost spit her cereal, not expecting the quip. 

“That was a horrible joke.” She says. Hanzo doesn’t think so, considering Cole is chuckling. “No wonder you two are a thing.” 

At that moment, the other agents Zarya, Brigitte and Effi show up to have breakfast, Hanzo feels his shoulder stiffen and he quickly takes Ako in his arms. The other tree realizes his change in mood, and looks at him in understanding. 

“Good morning!” Brigitte greets them, stops, turns and looks straight at Ako. “That's our new agent?” She asks, an easy smile on her face. Hanzo can’t help but laugh. 

--

“I Don’t know what to tell you guys more to convince you he's not a risk.” Genji looks around. “Everything he said checks out. He's not a risk for us and he's obviously not Talon.” he crosses his arms. “He's a good asset too, he's a good strategist, he's a hell of a fighter!” 

“I know Genji, but…” Tracer starts, but Genji interrupts her. 

“He needs help.” Genji insists. “We helped Efi away from Talon's violence! Why can't we help my brother too?” He begs, looking around.

“Maybe we should eat something?” Angela looks at her watch. “We have been awake for god knows how long."

“Yes, maybe with more time to contemplate and with full bellies we can come to an agreement.” Winston says. “Let’s come back after breakfast.”

Everyone agrees and they walk to the mess hall. It’s all silent, a tense atmosphere between them. Genji keeps on the front, grumbling about going to get food for his brother. Opening the doors they all hear laughter. There by the table farthest from the door, is Brigitte, holding Hanzo's baby in one hand. 

“Please please please hold her like she's a hotdog and you're going to eat it.” Lucio asks, phone ready to take a photo. 

“That's a great idea!” She says.

“Be careful with her head.” Hanzo asks, an amused smile on his face. Brigitte reassures him, and does what Lucio told her. 

“She looks so tiny in your hand.” Hana laughs, taking a picture too. 

“Jesus Christ, guys, try not to drop her.” Cole asks, one leg bouncing on the ground and he looks ready to pounce if the baby falls.

“You're too worked for someone that met this baby yesterday.” Hana mumbles, saving another photo.

“Here.” Brigitte laughs as she hands Hanzo the baby back. “See, Mr. Cassidy? Your baby is fine.” She smiles at the two.

The cowboy grumbles, face red and Hanzo pokes him with an elbow. Efi, who is sitting beside him looks at Ako in amazement, asking questions they can't hear from afar. Hanzo nods, smiling as he explains something for the small girl. 

Genji looks at the others behind him, a shit eating grin on his face, saying, “See?” he shakes his head and approaches his brother.

“Morrison, why didn't you tell us she looked exactly like Shimada?” Torbjorn turns around, looking at the other man, who just shrugs. Angela follows Genji, leaving the other to go eat. 

“So, how is it going for me?” Hanzo asks looking up at his brother. 

“Better than expected.” Angela says it, to his surprise. She has a reassuring smile on her face, and pats his shoulder.  “And I hope No one is taking this baby in their hands like it's a basketball before she gets all of her shots.” 

“Oops, that's my call to leave.” Brigitte says, moving away to sit with Zarya. Angela pats Genji's back and goes to get food.

“Be truthful.” Hanzo asks. 

“It's going fine.” Genji says, in a very calming and zen tone. 

Hanzo nods, he knows that tone. Genji always used it when they were in trouble and his dad was about to yell and punish them (or rather punish Hanzo). He looks at Cole and says. “I'm being kicked out.” Cole bursts out laughing and Genji protests, telling Hanzo to believe more in his own brother. When Angela comes back with two trays they stop the banter.

“Are you leaving, Mr Shimada?” Efi asks, eating her breakfast. 

“No, He's not.” Genji says, a reassuring smile on his face. He looks at Hanzo and Ako, an eager look on his face. The omega smiles at him sadly, passing Ako so his brother can hold her again.

“Hello.” Genji says. Ako looks at him and starts babbling. “Yes I know, the base is gigantic, no?” he says in a baby voice. 

Angela looks at the baby too, a soft smile on her face. “She's so small.” She says, hand on her mouth, not handling how cute Ako is. The baby yawns, opening her arms and making small fists with her hands. 

“She was born small.” Hanzo says. “I tried my best to eat as much as I could, but still.” He shrugs, not wanting to talk about the times where the pregnancy felt like a curse to him, how just after the Talon incident he finally understood fully that he wanted to have his baby. 

“The curse of our family, small babies.” Genji gives Ako back, realizing she started her I'm hungry cry. 

“Don't worry, she'll catch up.” Cole reassures, bringing Hanzo close to give him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Aw, man, she's almost cute enough to make me want to have kids.” Hana says, doing something on her phone. 

Hanzo pulls his shirt and Cassidy quickly covers him and Ako with his serape, more worried than the omega actually was. He has nursed her in front of others without issues or shame before coming to overwatch, but he decides that for everyone else’s peace of mind he’ll relent.

Looking around Hanzo watches the peaceful atmosphere the base has in the mornings. He would miss that. He would miss Cole’s sweet breakfast. He hopes the man will visit him enough times after he’s kicked out, that he won't just disappear and forget him. 

When Ako finishes, Hanzo brings her to his shoulder to be burped, but as his life is never easy, Ako pukes on Cassidy's serape. 

“Ew.” Hana makes a face, disgusted. “Maybe an aunt, actually.” Lúcio hands him a bunch of napkins, laughing at the situation. 

“I'm sorry about your Serape.” Hanzo quickly cleans Ako’s face, before pulling the serape to his lap, trying to absorb the puke on with the napkins, but even after he manages to soak it all, the big stain still stays there. “Looks like it will need to be washed.” He sighs, even more tired. Gods, why can't he have a single tender moment?

“A lil’ baby puke is nothing compared to all the shit this serape has gone through. You had to see it last time I ate a bad enchilada.” Cole laughs, kissing Hanzo's brow. “Let's just wash it, right, miss?” Cole gets the baby, asking her. Ako frowns, and the alpha can’t help but laugh at how similar she is to Hanzo. He gets up, patting the baby’s back. Hanzo folds the serape on his shoulder, getting his crutches and follows the alpha. 

They leave the mess hall in silence, feeling the stares of others on their backs. Hanzo ignores it, more worried about his own predicament than anything else. 

“Is that baby safe close to the Archer?” Zarya asks, looking at the older Overwatch members sitting at her desk. They all watch as the couple move away in silence. Tracer stops at their table, sitting down too. 

“It is his baby, no?” Brigitte looks at her dad. Torbjorn sighs heavily, nodding. “It's just like the old days, then, right, Dad?”

“I mean, I don’t remember getting you this young inside an active base.” The smaller alpha argues, looking at his own coffee. 

“I do.” Reinhardt says. Torbjorn lifts his real arm, ready to start another argument, when Zarya interrupts them. 

“I don’t trust anyone that turns their family into half Omnic.” Zarya says, looking at Genji. Everyone in the desk tenses with her words, some surprised with the comment, some surprised with the hatred she said the last word.  

“Listen, we are still deciding if he’ll stay or not.” Tracer reassures everyone on the table. 

“Besides, even if he stays, he’ll be here for his skills and only that.” Jack sips his coffee, surprised that it didn’t taste bad.

“Yeah, no one is asking to like the guy or be friends with him. You listened, girl?” Torbjorn says, pointing at Brigitte. “He’s here to work.”

“He’s not so bad, Dad.” Brigitte pouts.

“I don’t care.” Torbj argues back.

 “We did let the Bastion and Orisa stay.” Reinhardt interrupts the conversation. 

“That is different.” Tracer shakes her head. “Orisa acts like a child and Bastion is a sweet angel.”

“I highly doubt that.” Zarya takes her plate off the desk and walks to the kitchen to wash it, leaving the others behind. 

“Let’s not be cruel, friends.” The giant alpha sighs. “Besides, He needs protection. We all saw how Talon was interested in him and the Baby. We can’t let them have their hands on him.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Lena sighs, thinking deeply. 

“And a playroom would be a good idea.” Reinhardt says, drinking his coffee with an appreciative hum. “Kids always brighten the day.”

“Not you too.” Jack massages his temples. 

“Rein, please.” Torb sighs. 

“Ah, my friend, we cannot ignore the facts of nature.” He pats Torbjorn in the back. “Soon it will be miss Song, or Lúcio's child. Maybe even Brigitte right here.” Reinhart says, joking. 

“Uncle Rein!” Brigitte protests, embarrassed. 

“Don't say that, my kid is still a baby.” Torbjorn points at the giant alpha, angry. 

“And we are not a preschool.” Jack says.

“We are not even a proper organization!” Reinhart laughs out loud. After he finishes he looks at the others, a wide knowing smile on his face. “And these two remind me of some love sick people at this table.”

“Don’t look at me.” Tracer says, forking some food. 

“I know we’ve seen too much death and disgrace.” Rein says, a solemn attitude to him now. “But let's try not to make the same mistakes of the past.”

Jack looks at him, and sighs. He looks at the toast with jam on his plate and remembers the past. Not long ago when Jack was also fast in love, which was ruined by secrecy and bitterness caused by politics. 

He gets up, abandoning his food with the excuse of not being hungry. 

--

Hanzo closes the lid of the washing machine, letting it do its thing on the soft cycle. 

“It's no problem to wash it this way, right?” He rests his hip on the other unused washing machine. The laundry room was deserted right now, and the sound of water filling it was the only thing keeping them company. The place had older models, older even for the time overwatch was deactivated, the sea breeze making parts of it rust.

“It's fine, Hanzo. I can find one of my serapes that I don't use a lot and give it to you and miss Ako. Right?” Cole looks at Ako on his arms. The girl whines, looking at Hanzo. 

Feeling antsy to get her back, Hanzo asks Cole to help him up, so he can sit on top of the unplugged washing machine. The alpha does so, and moves the girl to Hanzo’s arm. 

“Thank you.” The omega intertwines their finges. “You're too understanding.”

“I'm really not, I just have common sense, sugar.” Cole says, knowing very well that’s not the case. 

“I hope I can at least get the boots back soon.” He sighs thinking about how tiresome it is to use the clutches, not used to it. He thinks that maybe he should have got those sooner. “They were expensive, I don’t know if I can get another pair so soon. I’ll need them once I leave.”

“You're not leaving.” Cole emphasizes. Hanzo nods, letting the argument go. “And I'll steal them back for you.” The alpha jokes. “Finally put my past as a bank robber to good use.”

“I wouldn’t want to make your bounty bigger.” Hanzo gives him a quick, sad smile. 

“That’s a shame, because I plan to steal your heart.” Cole waggles his eyebrows, cornering Hanzo against the machine, scenting his neck. 

Hanzo smiles, letting the man do it for a moment, before he pushes Cole’s face away, pointing at him. “You’re terrible.”

“I'm wonderful, actually.” Cole brings a hand up, caressing his cheek. “Can I kiss you?” Hanzo almost snorts at the question, but nods. 

Cole kisses him sweetly, licking his bottom lip, holding his face with a tender touch, as if Hanzo would break if not handled with care. He kisses back, feeling a little overwhelmed by how someone can treat him like he's precious.

Ako interrupts them, patting his face, making Hanzo separate from Cole. The alpha chuckles, patting Hanzo’s hip with a smile on his face. “I'll get you a chair.” He winks and leaves.

Hanzo takes a deep breath, feeling his cheeks redden. He takes his hands up to hide the bottom half of his face, giddy over the stupidly handsome cowboy. Get it together, Hanzo . He thinks to himself, but he feels the dragons purr in satisfaction, not only with the fact Cole was a sweet Alpha, but especially because they were right all along. He looks at his daughter, shaking his head.

He doesn't notice at first, when Jack enters the laundry room. It’s Ako that looks at the other man and makes a loud noise, not out of fear, just recognizing him. Hanzo tenses. He's alone here and the man clearly didn't like him.

“Agent Morrison.” Hanzo greets. 

“Shimada.” Jack walks towards him, stopping right in front of Hanzo. Here in the laundry room, the younger omega can smell the faint scent of an Mated omega. “So you do know english.”

“Genji thought it was a good joke.” He looks away. 

“Yes, he did…”

A tense silence is held. Ako fusses a little, and Hanzo quiets her, caressing her cheek. 

“Shimada, I need to ask you one question. And I want you to be truthful about it.” Jack rests his hip on another washing machine. Hanzo looks up, expecting the worst. “Why come here? If you thought this was a trap?” Ah, so they did watch the conversation on the cell.

The question weighs on Hanzo. He was a private man, knowing these people that don’t know him but of him are analyzing his actions and his past irritates him. But he gets it, Hanzo has never wanted to make excuses for his past. Cole might say he was manipulated, Genji might say it was their family clouding his judgment, but the omega blames himself still. Perhaps Jack Morrison saw that too. 

“Imagine if you could repent for the biggest mistake you ever made, the one that haunts you to this day? Wouldn’t you take the chance? Even if it kills you?” Hanzo explains simply. He looks at a spot on the ground, feeling like a raw exposed wound. “Genji and Ako are all I have left as a family.” He looks up.

“Because you killed most of them.” Jack’s face is impossible to read, the man had no tells, no signs of weakness. Hanzo recognized that posture, he’d lived it once too. 

“You know what my family, as you call them, did after our fight?” Hanzo asks, eyes lost in the memories. “They congratulated me.” Hanzo laughs, a little hysterical, remembering that night, the anger, the despair, the duel going off the rails. He remembers both using their dragons at the same time, the pain on his legs. The realization of what he had done. The desperation then, crawling towards Genji, screaming for him to not sleep, he was so sorry, he was going to fix it he really was . 

And then the hand on his shoulder, telling him how he has done a good job. 

“I wasn’t supposed to-- The duel wasn’t supposed to go that way.” he frowns, the image of Genji, limbs dilacerated, tendons impossibly stretched, torn and mangled. The blood. All the blood. He tried to say something to Hanzo, but his jaw was already gone. He was sure he asked to die. “I heard them whispering, when they pried me away from Genji-- they spoke about how it went better than they imagined. A dead alpha son and cripled Omega. My Handler” He says the word through his teeth “ was dead, so they could use me as a birth mare without any restrictions.” Hanzo spats, blinking rapidly. He's not crying. No, he was lost again. “They took everything away from me.”

“You just returned the favor?”

“Wouldn’t you? Tear to pieces the ones that destroyed your world?” 

The sounds of the washing machine turning the clothes fills the silence, the repetitiveness of it helps Hazno’s pounding heart to slow to its normal rhythm, getting away from the memories. It was the first time he'd ever spoken about it, that he revealed to anyone outside of the Shimadas the depths of cruelty inside that organization, the side everyone decided to ignore in favor of the beauty of it’s aesthetic, castles and flowers, the romanticized yakuza life. 

Jack looks at him for a long moment. 

Then nods, just once, and walks out of the room, leaving Hanzo behind.

As he turns the corridors he sees Cassidy struggling to open a folding chair as he walks, the alpha obviously flustered as he tries to get back to Hanzo. Jack almost bumps into him. The alpha looks at him, first surprised to see him there, then in anger. 

“Whatever you where doing there you better--”

“Shut up, Cassidy.” Jack sighs, taking the chair out of Cassidy’s hand, opening it and carrying it to the door of the laundry room. “Here.” Cole follows and stops in front of him, expression still closed. “And don’t disrespect me, Coño .” He flicks Cole's forehead, taking the man by surprise, and leaves, not waiting for his answer. 

“Your Spanish is still terrible.” Cole taunts.

“Complain to Gabriel.” Jack quips back. 

Cole feels anger rise, but smothers the sentiment when he hears Ako babbling. He gets the chair and goes to Hanzo, trying not to think about Jack, Gabriel, Ana or the family that left him behind. 

--

It was later in the day when the meeting was finally over. Winston looked ready to start ripping off his fur from the amount of talking they had done. Everyone was tired, moody, feeling like they needed to just get this whole thing done with. Genji had become non verbal at some point, too overwhelmed, tired from lack of sleep. 

“We should vote.” Winston massages his eyelids, tired. “Since Cole isn’t here we are marking it as an abstention.” 

“Come on, he told us what he thinks!” Genji complains, finding energy to get up. 

“Genji, we agreed when we started the recall. No votes by proxy from the older members.” Winston doesn’t even bother to look up from his datapad. 

“Well, mine is for him to stay too. Hanzo has come far in his journey, as did I. He needs Our help and I need him here. Also, he’s reliable, he’s a good strategist and fighter and is honorable with his responsibilities. Not having him with us would be a mistake.” Genji is angry and tired, completely feeling like he’s having a tantrum. 

“I agree.” Angela says next. “You all know my opinions of Hanzo.” She explains, matter of fact. “But none of the exams I did show any kind of programming or brainwashing. And he needs us. I can’t in my right mind let him go if Moira has any chance of getting her hands on him and Ako.”

Winston nods, a solemn look on his face. 

“Sorry love, I don’t agree.” Tracer looks apologetic. “I’m not opposed to him living close, visiting Genji or Cole here, but I don’t know if I trust him to be an agent, to have access to our files and missions.” She crosses her arms. “I feel for him but we could let him stay in the city, you know?”

“I’ll have to agree.” Torb finishes whatever it is he’s sketching, then folds it and puts it in his pocket.

“Friends, I do not agree.” Reinhart says, patting his own chest. “He’s more of a liability outside, where our enemies can snatch him and the little one away.” The giant alpha says in a dramatic tone. “I vote for him to stay.” 

“Reinhart, don’t be like this.” Torbjorn sighs, massaging his eyelids. 

“That is my vote.”

“Well, my vote is no.” Winston says, looking apologetic to Genji. “Tracer has already brought up a lot of good points, so I’m not going to extend this more than it needs to. I don’t like that he has lied to us for so long too.” Genji sits down, feeling the weight on his chest. “What about you, Jack?” Winston looks up from his tablet, already expecting his answer. 

Jack is by the door, back resting on the wall and arms crossed over his chest. “Let him stay.” He says, for everyone’s surprise. He sees the other agents turn to him. 

“What?” Torb lifts his eyebrows, surprised, as are the other ones. “Weren’t you the one that wanted him out of this place to begin with, you asshole?”

“I changed my mind.”

“Morrison!” Genji jumps from his seat, running to him and hugging the man. “Thank you.”

“Stop hugging me.” Jack says, pushing the alpha away. 

“Well, it's a surprise.”  Winston scratches his head. “But we agreed to make decisions with popular votes. That’s democracy for you.” Winston massages his temples, as if trying to make a headache go away. “It’s settled then.” he nods, suddenly tired, thinking about how he’s probably too old for this.

“Thank you!” Genji fist bumps the air.

“But, Genji, warn him he’s still not off the hook and still is in the testing phase. We will be needing his weapon to stay in the weapon’s locker. Bring him here so we can discuss ways to make him and the others feel safer in this base.” He sighs. “Let’s hope we are not making a mistake.”

“I cannot thank you enough!” Genji gives Jack another quick hug and runs away, probably to tell Hanzo the news.

The meeting ends pretty quickly after that, with everyone dispersing quickly to either rest or work. Angela was especially cranky, telling everyone that if they got hurt in the next 24 hours she was going to finish killing them, personally. That left only Reinhardt and Jack, walking back together to one of the lounge rooms.

“What changed your mind, Jack?” The giant Alpha inquires. The omega stays quiet for a while, but takes his glasses off, massaging his eyelids. 

“I talked to him.” He says, shaking his head. “And I remembered the operation in Hanamura. Have you read the dossier about it?”

“No, I haven't.”

“The Shimadas were bad people, Reinhadrt, they really were. They ruled Hanamura for a reason… They did horrible things.” Jack sighs, putting his glasses back on. “I just realized some of those horrible things were done against those boys.” 

“I see.”

“You remember the castle don’t you? We couldn't let that out of the news.” Jack asks and Reinhardt nods. The alpha remembers the news about the old Shimada castle, the jewel of Hanamura, the fire that destroyed it. Faulty wiring, the news said. The rumors about a single room left untouched, with a body waiting for rescue. “He did that. I thought it was out of cruelty, but now…” Jack dismisses it, with a wave of his hand. “You said to not make the same mistakes as before. I’m trying to do that.”

Reinhardt nods, putting a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Well, I guess it's true, what they say. ” He says. 

“Here it comes.” Jack sighs, massaging his temples. “What?”

“A mother’s heart always has space for one more. Well, I guess two, since Agent Hanzo brought his daughter with him.” The tall alpha smiles, remembering the jokes he used to make about Jack mothering his team after Cole had accidentally called him mom. 

“Oh, God in heaven.” Jack cringes. “Don’t say that, if those were my kids I’d kill myself.”

Reinhardt’s laugh fills the halls of the watchpoint.

Notes:

As incredible as it sounds, Winston is doing a better job than the older overwatch. Also, Brigitte holding Ako as a hotdof is inpired by a photo of Chris Hemsworth holding his on baby with one hand like a hotdog.
Also, have any of you ever thought on how is a Gorilla keeping a operation like overwatch going? Where does the money come from?
My personal headcanon is that it's a ponzi scheme keeping the whole thing alive. I don't want to know the canon lore about this. It's a ponzi scheme keeping the thing afloat now.

Chapter 7: I Should go now, quietly

Summary:

Hanzo starts his new routine at the watchpoint.

Notes:

Hi, How y'all doing? Hanzo had some pretty rought chapters didn't he?
This one is a easier one, people start to open up to him, treat him better, some training, some friends are made.
Also, I kinda hate the new ages of Overwatch, I remember Angela being much older, so I'm making her around 40, Hanzo is 35 and Cole is 34, Genji is 32, because followig the official lore is or loooooosers.
Also, this chapter is brought to you by the Shape of Water Soundtrack: Underwater Kiss.

The next few days were weird, if Hanzo is honest with himself. He was surprised to see that he was allowed to stay, And even weirder was finding out it was Jack who had the tiebreaker vote. 

“What did you tell him?” Cassidy scratched his head, confused. Hanzo had shrugged, feeling lost too. He'd thought that if anything the talk they had in the laundry room would make Jack want him as far away from the base as possible, the last nail on the coffing, as they say. 

And even weirder was that when, two days later, after trying to navigate the weird atmosphere, he found a small crib, the size of a laundry basket, made out of wood, a firm mattress with a light pink cover, waiting for him by his door. 

A trap, little one. Soba had said, protective. Udon actually manifested in his small form, wary, smelling the crib and walking on the mattress, inspecting it. He seemed to think it was good enough before running back to Hanzo’s arm. 

When Angela showed up to give him his boots back (and lecture him about his overuse of it and eating habits as a nursing omega) he'd asked her who had left the crib there. She held a laugh and said it was Torbjorn’s work. 

“I don't get it.” He had said. “The man hates me.” Angela shrugged, not understanding it either. She then did a quick check up on Ako, examining her and deeming her in good shape, no signs of mistreatment, no sign of malnutrition or abuse. He knew she was only doing her job, but he's offended they think he'd do that to his own daughter.

But then again, what brother would do what he did?

After that, when Cole visited him, he had helped him to install the crib properly. Commenting on how people from the original overwatch were old now and had soft hearts for kids. 

“Torb is at the “grandfather age”, he'll probably do worse with the gifts, you'll just never know it was him.” He had said, pushing the crib on the corner, closer to the end of Hanzo’s bed. “That or Reinhart nagged him to make the crib and Torb did it just to stop him from bothering.” 

The giant man seemed very happy to let Hanzo and the baby stay, even going out of his way to say it was the proper thing to do for an omega in need. The poor man was so sad when he waved at Ako and the baby cried at him (Hanzo felt so bad he let the alpha hold her, just a little, once she stopped).

The cowboy had also used the opportunity to gift him a beautiful blue and green serape, soft like nothing else Hanzo had felt before. He had immediately wrapped Ako with it, and he could see how it made the baby content and Cole happy.

If Hanzo was honest with himself, having Cole’s scent wrapped around him and Ako all the time made him relax. He’d seen ridiculous discussions in the media of what an Alpha should smell like, most alphas trying to masquerade their real scent with overpowering musky colognes. But with Cole, underneath the smell of tobacco from his smoking and the leather from his accessories, the omega could feel his real scent. He smelled like an apple orchard, sweet and earthy. 

It made him giddy. And Ako sleeps better, so of course he used the excuse to keep the serape close. 

With the crib in his room, Hanzo at least managed to sleep the whole night now, since Ako finally started to do the same. He remembers the first month, despite being in Yumi’s house he didn't have any help at all. He wonders how he didn't end up back in the hospital then. 

But, even with those blissful nights, Hanzo still had to keep up with the schedule of the Base (that was quickly becoming fuller with chores, meetings and the fixing up the base) plus caring for Ako. And a week after, more often than not, Hanzo found himself drifting into sleep during meetings and even eating hours, he still felt extremely protective of Ako and refused to let anyone even hold her for long, only making exceptions for Dr Ziegler, Cole and Genji.

He also had looked into his score in the training grounds in the last few days and realized how steep the drop was on his performance. Not only that, but Lúcio and Hana found themselves joining Cole and slipping him something to eat here and there, seeing he still refused to eat more than before. It felt frustrating, especially because he did manage the two months prior to this by himself and didn’t have as many issues and he is having now. It was worse, then too, with Ako waking all night to eat.

And that leads now, with him finishing his group training session. 

He was used to an early, but calm morning, filled with whatever Cole cooked them, feeding his daughter in peace, then a target practicing before moving to his chores. Not whatever it is that they are doing the last few days. He wakes up, has a quick cereal bar, barely any time to nurse Ako and goes get dressed to fight against bots in a training simulation.

He was paired with D.Va and Mercy today. Hanzo was quick to learn their tells and fighting style, getting into their rhythm. The bots have been programmed to attack them without any restraint (even if the shots didn’t do any real damage). The omega jumps around the training grounds, covering for his colleagues, eliminating bot after bot. He feels the wear of having to hold Ako every day, straining his arms and the grip on his bow. 

At some point, it doesn't matter how much healing and strength Angela gives him, his range keeps getting shorter and shorter, jumps sloppier and his legs give out after a particular high jump. The sound of his back hitting the metal floor is loud and he can hear Ako crying in the watch room, being startled by it. D.Va immediately flies to him, activating her shield, protecting his form. 

“Okay, that's enough.” Winston announces, stopping the simulation. “Thank you all.”

Hanzo is breathless, a deep shame runs through his core, making an ugly sentiment of Inadequacy show itself again. He hasn’t felt it this strongly for ten years now.  

“Are you okay, dude?” Hana asks, opening the mecha’s cabin and jumping down. 

“Yes, I'm sorry for this.” Hanzo sighs, sitting up. Thankfully he didn't hit his head on anything. As he sits up and feels his hair slipping from his ponytail. He goes to put it up again, but as he's alway so lucky, his hair elastic decides to break and shoot itself beyond the protective nets Winston had hastily installed and into the sea that lays beside the training grounds.

“It's bound to happen on the battlefield.” Angela floats to them, the staff on her hand, ready to heal his wounds. Her healing is like using a balm on a dislocated bone. It helps with the soreness, but he still had to put the bone back in place. 

“Totally.” Hana helps him to get up. He sways in place for a moment, before managing to right himself. 

“It won't happen again.” Hanzo feels his hair tickle his face, he tries to at least fix it more, passing a hand through it. 

“It's fine. Just don't break a hip bone or something, oldman.” Hana enters her robot, pressing several buttons to activate it again. 

“I'm younger than Doctor Ziegler.” 

“Oh.” Hana looks at him with a sour expression he doesn't want to deal with right now. He just shakes his head and sees the girl fly off to stash her robot away. 

Hanzo makes quick work and goes back to the watch room, taking Ako is his arms and sitting down on the back, close to Cassidy (on Angela’s insistence since he “wasn't going to listen to her about not wearing the boots all day you'll sit down!”) and watch Zarya’s and Lucio's turn. 

Well, watching it's a strong word, considering Hanzo drifts off as soon as he sits down and wakes up in the middle of their training. Sitting up he makes sure Ako is securely held. Cole is standing by his side, watching the whole thing happen on one of the monitors.

“Slept well?” Cole whispers. 

“How long did I sleep?” Hanzo clears his throat, still feeling groggy.

“Some minutes. No one noticed, don't worry.” He passes his fingers on Hanzo's hair. “You look mighty pretty with your hair down.”  

Hanzo feels his cheeks reddening as Cole gives him one of his cheeky smiles. He isn't used to people calling him pretty, at least not as sincerely as the alpha did. He knows he has the severe face his mother had, and that the decade hunting his family didn’t do him any favors. He was used to people flirting to get a one night stand or, in the past, to get on his graces to become the mate of the next leader of the Shimada-gumi. Cole, somehow, manages to be neither of that. 

“Thank you.” Hanzo clears his throat, getting up. Ako was chewing the colorful toy Hanzo had bought for her when she was born. 

“ Vamo esculachar! ” They hear Lucio scream, jumping up, pointing his gun to the ground. A sound wave hits everyone in the radius around him, including the watching room. It's not loud or hurtful, Hanzo can see that his sound technology creates a barrier around them, a faint green glow in their skin. He almost sighs in relief with the sensation it gives.

“Very interesting.” Winston says, taking notes. 

“This is incredible!” Zarya says, taking shots from the bots and seeing they are getting absorbed. “A music shield. The bullets tickle.” she laughs. 

“Now you get it!” Lucio zooms past her, his healing song relaxing her muscles. 

“That's enough, Lucio, Zarya. Thank you very much.” Winston says, pleased with the demonstration. 

Lucio gives a thumbs up and turns off his music, making the healing effects stop. Hanzo's arms almost give out, Cole holds him and Ako, reflexes quick enough to stop them from falling. 

“Woah, sugar.” Cole holds him and Hanzo feels his cheeks reddening even more in humiliation. “You're okay?” 

“I didn't realize how tired I actually am.” 

“You want me to hold her?” Coles asks, already taking Ako in his arms. Hanzo nods, massaging his tired eyelids. Gods, his eyes feel like they have sand on them.

“I'm a mess.” He feels the same sentiment of inadequacy bloom again, apparently he couldn't do it all. He felt jittery not having Ako on his arms, anxiety of something happening to her making him paranoid. He knows Cole will hold her without issue, he has seen it before, doesn’t mean the sentiment won’t stop. 

“You just had a couple of rough days, just that.” Cole assures him, but it doesn’t feel like that to Hanzo. 

“So, that’s all.” Winston says, getting up from his chair and calling for everyone’s attention. The gorilla starts to explain to them the advantages of all these exercises, making Hanzo’s eyes drift shut again, the repetitive sound lulling him. Cole holds him by the waist, awakening him again and stopping him from sliding down to the ground.

“This is embarrassing.” He whispers to Cole. 

“You can get some shut eye after lunch, I can watch her.” Cole offers. 

“No, I have to take her to Angela to get her vaccines.” Hanzo blinks the sleep away.

“I’ll go with you.” Cole says, smiling at him. Hanzo can’t help but feel a surge of a warm feeling on his chest. He touches his head to Cole’s shoulder. There, in the back, away from everyone, they could have a moment to themselves, tender and soft. 

As the whole thing is over, they walk to the mess hall to have lunch. When Hanzo thinks about it, he and Cole haven’t had any time to actually do the things normal couples do. Cole was with him most of the time, enjoying each other’s company, but they were restrained to hand holding, sweet chaste kisses and Cole’s terrible flirting (he doesn't count the two times they were caught in laundry room while Ako slept in his room, doesn't matter what Genji called it, they where just kissing). 

Lunch thankfully went as normal as it could be, with the colorful array of agents. Loud voices, jokes and the usual with Cole getting more food on Hanzo’s plate when the omega wasn’t looking. It was also, usually that time when Ako decided she wanted to eat yet again, So when she starts to whine, Hanzo is quick to cover himself and just get to it. He also wasn’t used to finishing his meal before running off to whatever he needed to do, avoiding being late to his chores.

“You know, maybe we should have lunch earlier too.” Cole wanders out loud. “So you can actually eat properly.”

“I don’t want to bother the other agents and make them start cooking earlier.” Hanzo sighs, he still isn’t allowed to help with the food, considering he’s still in the (new) trial period. “Maybe you could feed me.” Hanzo jokes, tiredly, thinking about last week's joke with Cole. But the alpha looks at him like it was the most obvious answer ever and goes to do just that. Hanzo tries to bat his hand away, feeling nervous about the other agents seeing this and making fun of him. Even so, with the cowboys insistence (and the promises of not calling him sugarplum again) he relents and lets Cole feed him. “This is embarrassing.”

“Why don’t you just let this idiot feed her?” Jack asks, forking a piece of broccoli. “You do have a pump, since you didn’t get an infection from not nursing, just store some milk in the freezer and get a bottle.” He points at the two, then eats the broccoli, making a face at the taste. “Who the hell cooked today?”

“It is a good idea.” Hana puts her portable game on the table, quickly forking food before the next screen loads up. “At least you could have some time to rest. At this point your tits will fall off.” She says, mouth full and goes back to playing. Lúcio has to spit out the juice he was drinking back into his cup to laugh. 

“Stop speaking about my partner’s breasts” Cole whispers the last word. “in the middle of the mess hall.”

“Hey, you're the one alpha in a table full of omegas, not our fault.” Lúcio says, taking a gulp of air, laughing more. Jack agrees and Cole lifts his hand to start another argument, but Hanzo quickly burps Ako and passes the baby to him, using the magical baby effect to stop once again another stupid argument. 

When they finish eating they move to the med bay, where Angela is expecting him. Or rather them.

“Don’t you think it is a little crowded here?” Angela looks at the three men there, Hanzo, Cole and Genji (who insisted on coming too). With them all there, the place felt crowded and small, considering this was a separate room for omega care.

“Come on, doc, you can’t expect us to not be here.” Cole grumbles, crossing his arms. “‘Sides, Hanzo is bone tired. We're here to help him after.”

“And she’s my niece, I should be here.” Genji says from the door. 

Angela looks at Hanzo, who sighs and looks back at her in a “what can you do” shrug. 

“Let’s see, little Ako.” Angela says, taking the baby in her arms. “Let’s weigh you, hm?” She smiles at her and puts the baby on the balance. 

“Careful.” Hanzo puts a hand cose to his mouth, chewing on his nails. Angela dismisses him, giving the baby a light pinch on the cheek and writing the numbers on the balance on her datapad. 

“She’s a little under the recommended weight, so I’d recommend you to nurse her as much as possible.” She hums, checking Ako’s eyes and ears. Hanzo nods, thinking about how if he nurses her any more he’ll just wither away and die in a dry husk, considering he feels like he's always feeding Ako. “Now here we go.” Angela gives her back to Hanzo, who picks her and smiles at the baby. 

“See, it wasn’t scary, was it?” Hanzo asks Ako, caressing her face. He quickly looks at Genji and Cole, both close by the door, and he can see Genji is looking adoringly at Angela, probably daydreaming about something. 

Oh. Hanzo smirks. His brother was in love with the doctor. 

“You have a lovesick face, brother.”  He taunts Genji, who’s jaw, metaphorically, hits the floor. Cole snorts a laugh, patting the cyborg in the shoulder.

“Now we need to collect some blood and give her vaccines.” Angela brings a tray with vials and syringes. Hanzo turns to her and sits down, holding the baby in his arms. “Are you two sure you want to be here?” She asks the alphas in the room. 

“Don’t worry, doc.” Cole says, confident. Angela mutters something about having a good laugh later on, as he ready the syringes and explains what she'll be doing, which shots are which and when was he supposed to bring Ako back to take the booster shots. Hanzo nods, and holds Ako’s back against his torso. Angela then cleans and prickles the baby’s left heel, collecting blood. She fusses, whining in pain.

“That’s okay, little Ako.” Hanzo reassures her, kissing Ako’s head. Angela cleans her heel, applying a round band aid to it. He hears a hiccup, turning to the door he can see Cole has turned away, agony in his body language, a hand over his eyes. Genji looked like he was ready to pass out. Angela then takes one of the syringes and applies the vaccine on one of Ako’s legs, making the baby cry with the pain of it.  

“Now the other leg.” Angela takes the next syringe.

“Oh, god I can’t do this.” Genji leaves to the waiting room, sitting down, looking pale.

“Are you two being serious?” Hanzo asks as Angela applies the other vaccine, making Ako cry even louder. 

“This is torture, sugar.” Cole says, turning back to Hanzo and the omega can see he was honestly crying. “Listen how she’s crying.”

“Told you you’d have a good laugh.” Angela finishes her work putting a round bandaid on each of Ako’s legs, discarding the material used and putting the card with the blood drops safely away. 

“Do you need to sit down?” Hanzo lifts an eyebrow to Cole, who is finishing crying. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Cole fans himself with his hat and sits beside Hanzo, sniffing. Hanzo rolls his eyes, as he consoles Ako.

“She might have a little bit of a fever, but nothing too serious. If it doesn't go away, come talk to me.” Angela writes a note again. Sitting down at the desk. “Now, I know this might be uncomfortable, but I need to ask some personal questions. If you want you can be alone.”

Hanzo nods, looking at Cassidy. “That’s fine.” Hanzo looks at his cowboy, who was frowning and petting Ako’s head, the action making her calm down. “Can… Can you leave?” Cole looks up at him, nods then leaves the room, closing the door with a click. 

“So, I already have an idea about your side of the family, genetically speaking, but I need to know about her father. Do you know if he has any illnesses or diseases we should be on the lookout for?” She asks very matter of fact.

Oh, Hanzo thinks, a heavy weight dropping on his stomach. He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to even remember that man, the touches that felt like poison on his skin and memories that gave him so much agony. 

“No. I don’t.” 

“Do you know any ways to get his medical records?”

“No.” He feels his skin prickling, hairs standing up. “I… I didn’t know his name… And he’s dead now.” Hanzo looks down, not wanting to see whatever expression Angela has on her face, whether it is pity or judgment. Hanzo feels himself clamming up. He forgot that one of the jobs of a doctor was to ask questions. 

“That’s fine. We can do the standard tests, then.” A moment of silence. “Hanzo, I need you to be honest with me. I don’t want to assume anything, okay? I’ve been wrong before, and I don’t want to risk your health or Ako’s health. Whatever you say here stays here, between you and me.” Hanzo looks up, but he doesn’t find what he was expecting. Angela has a serious expression, he can see she’s making annotations on a paper notebook, not on the standard datapad like before. 

“Okay.” He nods.

“When was your last heat?” She asks and Hanzo answers. She nods, humming. “Was the heat sharing consensual?” Hanzo shakes his head and Angela makes an annotation, very matter of fact. “Winston found a record of you entering an omega's health clinic, some weeks after your heat, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“I assume it was to get the standard post heat tests? STDs and such.”

He gives her a small nod, chewing inside of his cheek. He remembers it was one of the few doctor visits he made, after he recuperated. In a small clinic in another country, worried about what that man could have infected him with. “They all came negative. I can send the copies I have to you.” The same tests came back indicating he was pregnant too. 

“That would be perfect.” She takes a moment. “Did you go to any other doctor’s appointment after that for prenatal care?”

“No.” Hanzo doesn’t want to speak about the shame he felt at the start, but how protective and paranoid he felt after he realized it was his child. His, no one else's. 

“Not ideal, but that’s okay.” She stops, then rests a hand on her face. “Should we worry about Phantom Bonding Sickness?” This time she asks with kindness.

“I’d never let him wild bite me.” Hanzo snaps, a surge of anger. “It was bad enough--” He lets it slip out, but swallows the rest of the phrase back, not meaning to say it. It's almost like he can’t keep it inside himself. Ako stirs on his lap, the acrid smell of anger making her unsettled. His temper quickly washes away, his focus now directed at calming Ako. 

Angela looks at him, not in pity, but with empathy. She taps the pen on the notebook for a moment, thinking deeply, before asking. “Did you seek medical care for injuries related to your last heat?”

Hanzo feels his eyes prickling, but he holds himself. “I cared for them myself.” He feels small, like when he was in the presence of his father, like when the elders whispered in his ear, like when he left that damned hotel room, soaked in blood and body fluids, hurt beyond what he thought he could be hurt.

“Okay.” She says, writing something else, then closing the notebook. “I would like to do a more detailed exam on you when you’re ready, if that's okay?”

Hanzo blinks at her, surprised she's asking him if she can examine him. What? That didn’t even make any sense! As far as he knew, she was her superior, she could do whatever she wanted. “Yes, that’s fine.”

“Wonderful, just send me a message when.” She smiles at him. “Now, that’s all. Ako seems strong and healthy. If anything comes up on her tests I will tell you, but is it likely that she’ll be okay.” 

Hanzo nods and gets up, moving to the door, Angela does the same. Before he leaves, he turns to the doctor, thinking about how this is the first time he’s ever felt not judged by what happened to him. “Thank you.” 

“Don’t mention it.”

As they exit the room, they see Cole waiting for him, back to the wall and a worried expression. The last time they were here they had a fight after all. The alpha approaches him and Hanzo nods, tired, but relieved somehow. 

Putting a hand on his lower back, Cole gives him a quick kiss on his temple and Hanzo is glad for the silent understanding. As they go to the waiting room, he sees Genji sitting in the waiting area, looking very green and can’t help but silently laugh at the reaction. 

“See, she didn't die.” Hanzo says, showing Ako to Genji, who sniffs and gets up.

“Poor thing, the doctor was so mean to you.” Genji says to the baby, Angela throws the pen at his head, hitting it perfectly. Hanzo scoffs, shaking his head.

“I want to see the cry baby you'll be once you have a child.” Hanzo taunts him.

“I will be an amazing father, thank you very much.” Genji huffs, then when Hanzo shows him Ako's heel with the band aid Genji starts crying again. “I can't. Oh, god.” 

Hanzo smiles and pats his brother on the back, before they all start walking to the lounge room. When they get there, they can see Hana and Lúcio sitting on the ground, playing cards. Lúcio actually had one phone in one of his ears, hearing something.

“Well, color me surprised.” Cole says, looking at them. “You two playing a plain old card game?”

“The internet is out.” Hana says, throwing a card on the table, making Lúcio frown at his own hand. “Winston is trying to fix it.”  

“Can you believe I have to listen to my futebol game on the radio? I feel like those old alphas tios .” Lúcio grumbles, “Wait wait!” then stops a moment, adjusting the hand on the phone, in expectation of something. Apparently what he expected didn’t happen, because he groans in disappointment and goes back to his game, complaining about the referee being bought out. 

So the base was basically offline, most of it being connected to internal networks, like datapads and the doors probably worked, but a lot of it depended on external connections. The only places Hanzo knew were analog were the cells and the kitchen, which still worked with a old gas stove. Then a question pops up in his head, something he hadn’t thought about until now. 

“How do we even have internet?” He asks, looking down at Ako. 

“Almost a hundred years ago Ava Gardner created the system for wireless communication--” Genji starts, walking to the two omegas, sitting by their side and asking to be in the next game.

“I mean here at the base, I know how the internet works.” Hanzo snaps back. “How do we pay for it?” Hanzo looks at Genji, then at the others. 

“Beats me, sugar. ” He shrugs. “Also, it was Miss Hedy Lamarr who created the wave thing.” Cole sits at the table with Hana and Lucio, who look at him surprised. “What, I had an education. Next round I'm in.” 

“Ask Winston.” Genji shrugs and Hanzo makes a face, not wanting to bother the gorilla with such a frivolous question. 

Hanzo decides to use this time to read on the couch. He would usually train, but even the firing range used the internet connections. The lounge room at the watchpoint had several physical books, most likely from ten years ago, before the whole operation was deactivated, ranging from things like fantasy and romance to more technical ones about mathematics and historical facts. 

Usually Hanzo would try to read non fiction, but he couldn't resist getting one of the books in the small romance collection. The book has on the cover Bold letters, in the background a horse, running loose on a big green field. 

He relaxes on the couch, with Ako asleep on his chest and starts reading. And to his surprise, it’s a harlequin romance book about an omega prince, promised to a cruel king, that falls in love with, and Hanzo is not joking, an alpha cowboy. He does want to put the book away (or throw it out in the ocean), ashamed to even be seen reading something considered trashy, but the story gets to him in so many ways he can't put the book down. He hopes Genji doesn’t realize what he's reading. 

The sound of his colleagues playing and the words on the page make his body relax, and he must have slept, because when he comes back to himself, the light on the room has shifted and, with a startle, Hanzo realizes Ako is not on his arms anymore. He sits up and frantically looks around, searching for her. 

Turning to the table, he finds her there, being held by Cole, with a card in her small chubby hands. He immediately relaxes, and starts to watch them, listening to the banter. Brigitte has joined them at some point, too. 

“And as y’all see, with this card here.” Coole turns Ako’s small hand, showing an ace. “I have a royal flush.”

“Come on!” Lúcio throws his cards on the table, frustrated.

“You must be counting cards!” Hana huffs, crossing her arms, probably not used to losing a game. 

“Yeah, I don’t believe you have this much luck.” Brigitte says, taking everyone’s cards and looking at them, scrutinizing it. Genji laughs, shaking his head. 

“It’s just this little miss right here making me lucky.” Cole gives Ako a small kiss on her head. Hanzo’s heart melts a little as he gets up, forgetting his book on the sofa and finally feeling rested. 

“Already teaching her how to cheat on poker?” Hanzo approaches, arms crossed, but a smile on his face. 

“Yep, by six we’ll get her to vegas, no one will mind a cute lil’ baby stealing at poker.”

“Come on, she needs a bath.” Hanzo takes Ako on his arms, putting the card back to the table. She audibly babbles, angry that her new toy was taken away. “Don’t be like this, You’ll be asleep in half an hour, anyway.” he tells her in a playful, but reproachful tone, the baby grumbles and rests her head on his shoulder. 

“And that’s my cue, folks.” He says, getting up and tipping his hat. And as they move away, he can hear Brigitte saying to one of the others there “I don’t get why people don't like him, he’s not so bad.” He feels proud about the somewhat good impression made. 

Hanzo and Cole walk back to his room, where Hanzo bathes Ako in one of the big plastic bowls he stole from the kitchen, as Cole separates a set of clothes for her. 

“Y’know, sugar, we might want to buy more supplies for her.” Cole shows up on the door, as Hanzo is already finishing drying her. “We’re low on everything.”

“Shit, I forgot about it.” Hanzo groans, wrapping Ako on a towel and moving to the room. As he dresses her, he can see that Cole was right, he was low on almost everything and even the clothes she had for her are starting to get small. He feels the usual pang of anxiety eating him away. It always has been like this for the last ten years when it was about spending  the money that he frankly didn’t have anymore. “When are we getting paid?” He turns to Cole, who blinks a little.

“Shit, not for another week.” Cole scratches the back on his head. “Don’t you have any money left?”

Hanzo shakes his head. “The last I had I used for her to get here.”

“If you wanna, I can go with you to the town and pay for it.”

“I can’t ask you this.” Hanzo scratches his forehead. “These things are expensive.”

“I know, this is why I'm offering.” Cole smiles. “Also, I’m sure you can just ask Wisnton about it, he’s running the whole thing, I think the big guy would understand.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Hanzo puts Ako down on her crib, seeing that the baby is already half asleep. It was around four in the afternoon, so Hanzo had an hour until she's back up again. 

Cole pulls him to his arms, “I always am.” and kisses him, Hanzo doesn’t hesitate on kissing back, enjoying the pleasant sensation, Cole’s alpha scent, his hands roaming his back. Hanzo gives a startled moan when the cowboy squeezes one of his butt cheeks, chuckling at his reaction. The omega weakly slaps his arm. 

“Behave, Ako is asleep in the room.” 

“Don’t worry, I know. No funny business.” He scents his necks, a deep hum leaving his throat. “You just drive me crazy.”

Hanzo feels a pleasant chill down his spine, then does something uncharacteristic and nips on Cole’s scent gland. The alpha holds him closer, bodies flush against one another, a deep rumble leaving his chest. Hanzo can feel the alpha stiffening under his jeans. He feels the blood running to his navel, tingling sensation making him hard and his hole slick, just a little. 

God, Cole smells so good. He makes Hanzo feel excited, makes him want, feel horny, thrilled about having hands on skin again.  

“Careful.” Cole separates from Hanzo, looking him in the eyes. His pupils are blown wide. “No action below the belt.” He points his index finger to the omega's nose. “Come on, let's rest some more.” Cole pulls him to the bed, kicking his cowboy boots off. Hanzo follows him, taking his own support boots off and laying down, letting Cole rest his head on his chest.  

“I’m sorry we haven’t been able to do any more than just this.” Hanzo caresses Cole's hair, the locks feeling softer than he imagined.  

“‘S all good.” Cole sighs, blissful. “It's too early. Like I said, let’s take it as slow as you need it.”

“Don’t you want to do things normal couples do? Go on dates and such? having sex?” He wanted to be good for him. He knows alphas like sex and Cole obviously seemed interested enough. The weird thing was that he just doesn’t seem demanding about it, not acting on his needs. 

“We can do that later on.” Cassidy says, relaxing more and more. “I just like bein’ with you.” He mumbles. 

Moments pass, and Hanzo continues to caress Cole’s hair, the sweet earthy scent of content alpha filling the room. “I’m scared the more you know me, the more you’ll hate me.” He whispers, but Cole doesn’t answer back, asleep already.

--

Later on, right when Ako is about to wake up, Hanzo hears someone knocking on the door. “Hanzo?” It was Genji. He carefully gets up, trying to not wake Cole. 

Opening the door, his brother once again waiting for him behind it, smiling widely. “Hello brother.” This time when Hanzo sees him he doesn’t flinch, he actually feels glad for him to be there.

“ Shh, Cole and Ako are asleep.” Hanzo whispers in Japanese, annoyed. 

“Sharing rooms already?” Genji taunts, not mean, but enough to make Hanzo blister, suddenly shy. 

“Stop being a pest.” Hanzo huffs. “What do you need?” He asks, suddenly feeling nostalgic. He remembers their teenage years, when his brother time and time again wanted to ask him for something late at night, hidden from their father.

“I came just to tell you I will be traveling the next morning to bring my master here.” Genji says. “I'll probably be gone for four days.” 

“Oh, Zenyatta, right?” Hanzo blinks, surprised. “I'm surprised he will join us.”

“Yes. He had his life threatened recently.” Genji looks suddenly tired, his demeanor showing his age. “He will come because I insisted he do so.”

“Why?” 

“I have no idea, but he was close to Mondata.” He says, sighing. Hanzo is surprised, he had heard of the assassination of the monk, a figure too important to keep the peace between humans and Omnics. But he would never guess the Omnic that helped Genji so much was that close to the deceased monk. “I'm worried.”

“It will be fine, brother.” Hanzo assures him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “We will protect him.” Genji nods and Hanzo decides to pull him into a hug. It feels awkward at first, but Genji reciprocates the hug. When they separate Hanzo pats his back. 

“Thank you.” Genji nods, Then he immediately opens a shit eating grin and starts walking away. “By the way, you forgot your romance cowboy book in the lounge room.” He says it loud enough for anyone walking around to hear him. 

“His what?” Cole asks from the bed, apparently awake already.

“It's not my book, you asshole!” Hanzo exclaims, seeing his brother fast walking away. He shakes his head, but smiles. 

--

The next day moves quickly, Hanzo barely has time to say goodbye to his brother before he is running around again. He decided to take the day off to actually buy Ako's things, considering the internet was still down. After breakfast, he goes searching for Winston. He might as well rip the band-aid off. 

“Winston?” Hanzo enters the Commander's room. Looking around he can see that the gorilla is at the top floor, messing with some cables and grumbling a whole bunch. “Commander?” Hanzo calls his attention again, which makes the gorilla finally look in his direction.

“Ah, Agent Shimada, and little Ako!” He goes down, cleaning his hand of whatever it was he was messing with. Ako does a little dance, getting excited seeing the commander so close. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to buy basic hygiene items for my daughter, like diapers.” Hanzo says, feeling bad for not having the funds necessary to get her what she needs and even worse to ask for money. “I know I should have prepared better, but I used the last of my funds to bring her here, and--”

“Oh, that's it?” Winston laughs, walking to the big desk with an even bigger computer on the corner. “Here.” He takes from one of the locked drawers a money chip, handing it to him. “Since we don’t have any other important things this evening, and it’s an emergency, I’m granting you permission to go to the city, but you'll have to take two agents to drive you. Maybe Cole and Jack.” He says in high spirits. 

Hanzo takes it, looking at the thing in wonder. “What is my budget?”

“Whatever the number is at the back of the card.” Winston gestures at it and Hanzo turns the thing around, almost choking on his own spit. “So, that’s it, go get ready.” He motions Hanzo away. “Ah, We’ll have a supply run in two weeks, so, write it down on the board there whatever you need next and I'll order it.” He points at the white board on the other side of the room.

“Okay, thank you.” He blinks a few times, before going back to his room to put on more casual clothes, still not believing the amount on the card. And Hanzo thinks again, how the fuck are they affording this?

--

The first stop is at the grocery store. Hanzo is not surprised the prices are salty, but Cole and Jack seem more offended than him (Jack more so, considering he was basically dragged here).

“Now, why in God’s good earth would this be this expensive?” Cole takes one of the pomades for rashes, frowning at the prices.

“Capitalists hate omegas.” Jack Grumbles, taking a baby bottle, made out of glass and handing it to Hanzo. “And since babies need all of this it is easy to overcharge.”

“That indeed, is true.” Hanzo reads the labels in the bottle, deeming it appropriate to use. 

Cole looks at the different brands of pomades, then gets a generic one, slowly putting the brand name one away on the back of the shelf. “Is this any good?”

“That's fine.” Hanzo takes three big packages of diapers, making sure to put the money that Winston gave them to good use. Ako keeps looking around the grocery store, the colorful displays calling her attention. 

“Shit. Look at the prices of those.” Cole scratches the back of his head looking at tags. 

“Still want to pay for half of it?” Hanzo quips, putting the packages on the shopping cart. 

“Might have to go back to my old ways and rob another bank.” Cole pushes the cart a little more, finding the small grocery store didn’t really have that much stuff in it, just the essentials. 

“We will need to go somewhere else to get her clothes.” Hanzo groans. “The baby shops are even worse.” Looking around he shakes his head. It’s either that or find another big grocery store god knows how far. 

Finishing the grocery run without any problems, they decide to see if they can find a baby store nearby in a tourist town. Not unsurprisingly, the only baby shop they find is the most clichê thing in the world. Full of pastel tones, expensive clothes and over-priced wooden toys and a “dad zone” where most of the fathers stayed, watching Tv that was switched on a sports channel. 

It wasn’t ugly, and Hanzo appreciated the calm atmosphere, what he didn’t like was the rancid Stepford wives energy from the staff and clients. One of the handsome lady alphas in the dad zone looks at him up and down, scoffing. Saying that his group looked out of place would be a kind comment. 

“Yeah, this is goin’ to be a good experience, I feel like.” He says, as one omega walks by him, in a beautifully expensive maternity dress, looking at his whole get up. Cole tips his hat, but the omega makes a face and turns to whatever it is that she’s looking at. 

“Don’t worry, they'll just try to make you feel inadequate so you’ll buy me more unnecessary products.” Hanzo puts the money chip in Cole’s pocket, then links their arms. 

“Just that?” Cole lifts one eyebrow, not impressed. “Can’t they just ignore us?”

“That’s actually how they get to you.” Hanzo moves them to the clothing rack, searching for neutral clothes that would fit Ako for a while. 

Hanzo makes Jack hold Ako for a moment, making the grumpy omega awkwardly stand while he puts the clothes over her body, seeing which looks better. Was he doing it as a small payback to the older omega? Maybe. He’s a little petty, so sue him. They had a lot of dresses, a lot of clothing sets, and a lot, and he means a LOT of ugly expensive clothes that had children’s movie characters on them. Hanzo decides on 3 sets in dark colors, blue, black and green, and a thick fluffy one for the cold.

Cole, who had wandered in the store at some point, comes back then, a onesie in hand with the phrase “new to the world” and a small baby lamb on it. It was a semi realistic drawing, in a light beige color. “Aw, sugar, look at this.” He says, enthusiastic.

“It is a little big, but she'll grow into it.” The omega puts the onesie over her, showing how big it would be on her. “See.”

“And it has a hat.” He puts a wide brim beige hat on her head. “Now we matchin’.” He has the stupidest happiest grin on his face, making Hanzo smile too. 

“She doesn't even go under the sun.” Jack grumbles, obviously tired of the whole thing. 

Hanzo thinks it is adorable, even if Jack thinks it is unnecessary. “You only think that ‘cause you hate havin’ fun.” Cole says, grumbling, he pulls a cigarillo, putting it in his mouth before realizing where they are and putting it back in his pocket. 

Hanzo decides that they should get going, they spent too much time there already. The rancid vibes (as Hana would call it) were getting to him, soon he was going to start spending money just so they’d stop looking at his alpha like that. So they go to the cashier, waiting for the whole thing to be over. 

“Good morning.” The cashier says, scanning the items. Hanzo hums, not wanting to engage in small talk with a random man, but Cole greets him, southern politeness coming through. “You kid is so cute.” he tries again and Hanzo nods, looking around he sees that Jack is at one of the racks, looking at something. Before Hanzo can call him, the cashier tells the total, and Hanzo almost flinches. 

“Here, sugar.” Cole gives Hanzo the money chip. They did have enough, since Winston apparently had no concept of how money worked, but it still felt bad to spend that much money on so little. Hanzo gets out of his comfort zone and thanks him with a small kiss, which makes Cole blush with the easy show of affection.

He quickly pays for it, taking the unnecessary amount of bags they gave them and passing it to Cole. Thankfully, the other things were already on the deathtrap Winston called a car. The thing, like everything else, was at least ten years old and consumed ethanol like crazy. 

“It’s so good to have a strong alpha to take care of you, isn’t it?” The cashier sighs, delighted, typing something on the computer. 

“Excuse me?” Hanzo blinks several times, not expecting the man to say anything but what he needed to. But of course, he would think that the polite answer Cole gave him would be an invitation to conversation. He will strangle the politeness out of the alpha later on. 

“You know, It's so nice to see a proper family together.” He says, a too happy smile on. Hanzo has a pretty good idea where this is going and he doesn’t like it. “So many omegas come here with betas as partners, or even worse as solo mothers.” He sighs, shaking his head. And there it was! YIKES. “It’s so good to see a proper alpha and omega couple. None of that omega and omega thing or even Alphas together, can you imagine? I myself --” And he starts to ramble on bullshit, at times even worse than what he has heard from the clan. Hanzo is thinking that maybe a bomb being set off in the store would be better than this. 

“We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.” Hanzo mumbles to Cole, seeing the cashier still running with his rant. “Or I'm going to commit murder again.”

That’s when Jack shows up, bringing with him a package with 4 sets of baby socks, all in soft colors and with animals. “Might want this too for the winter.” He grumbles, tossing it to Cole. “Place is cold as fuck.”

Cole catches the package in the air. “These are really good.” He nods in approval. 

“Of course they are, I choose it.” Jack deadpans. Cole opens his mouth to respond, but the cashier interrupts them. 

“Ah, and you brought the Nana too.” He sounds excited. “You don’t see a lot of alphas bringing their mothers with them to this kind of thing.”

“I beg your pardon?” “Excuse me?” Jack and Cole ask at the same time. Hanzo almost burst into laughter then and there.  

“Here, let's pay it up. We really need to go.” Hanzo decides that that look on Jack’s face is already payment enough. Somehow he feels a smile creeping on his face.   

Cole quickly pays for the socks and pulls the two omegas from there, not wanting to see where this was going. They enter the car, Jack driving it (on his insistence and Cole’s protest) with Cole and Hanzo on the backseat. 

“Don’t speed, memaw, we're already getting a ticket for not having a kid's carseat on this joint.” Cole comments, sarcastic, as he sees Hanzo putting the seatbelt on and holding Ako firmly against his chest. 

“Call me that again and I’ll cut your other hand off.” 

“Does this car even have a car plate to get a ticket?” Hanzo asks again, the several questions on how overwatch is even running to begin with still hammering on his mind.

“Ask Winston.” Jack and Cole speak at the same time. Hanzo puts a hand over his mouth, hiding the smile on his face. Jack grunts again, speeding the car out of the store. “Can’t believe they thought I was this idiot’s mom.” He grumbles, massaging his temple. 

Hanzo wants to hold a laugh. Of all the absurd things happening to him in the last ten years, somehow this is the one that takes the cake. 

“I should be the one offended.” Cole huffs. “Hanzo, I need you to tell me something, and be truthful about it.” The alpha looks at him and is absolutely serious, as if the next question will change the whole meaning of the world. “Do I look white?”

And he can't take it. Hanzo lets out a laugh, tears gathering on the corners of his eyes. 

He can’t help it.

Notes:

Me, looking at Cole: So, you're italian or? What color are you, anyways?
Also, the question of money got me thinking on the fact that the people on overwatch are probably getting paid, right? Like, it's normal to think is not just a sense os justice getting them from one mission to the other, right? Am I overthinking it? Maybe... Winston is still getting money from a ponzi scheme, tho. I'm like a dog with a bone with this stupid headcanon.

Chapter 8: For my bones to find a place to lie down and sleep

Summary:

Words have consequences.

Notes:

Ya'll are going to want to fucking kill me for this one lol. I'm asking for forgiviness already.
And this is gigantic, but it's because y'all are lucky. this was supposed to be a cliffhanger too, but I decided not to be mean.
This chapter is brought to you by Gotta Knock a Little Harder from The Seatbealts.
Hanzo just has to break through that door.

AND JUST A TRIGGER WARNING: In this chapter Hanzo overworks himself as a form of self harm. He doesn't realizes he does that, but it is what happens. Please, thread lightly if you have any triggers relating to that.

Eleven consecutive eliminations. Athena says, as Hanzo feels the strain on his body. He moves around, aiming for the moving bots, taking down one, two, three. Before he can draw the last arrow the simulation stops. He looks down at his score on the screen, a frustrated growl leaving him. Lower than 16 again. 

Cole gives a long whistle, entering the firing range, Ako in his arms. “That was amazing, sugar.” 

“I could go higher.” Hanzo says, taking deep breaths, he was sweating. He looks, displeased, at his scores from the last week. 

“So could everyone else.” Cole says, but Hanzo feels even more frustrated with the comment. Cassidy doesn’t get it. 

“I need to get my score back up.” Hanzo takes his towel, drying the sweat off of his neck and face. “I can’t get the same score as before.”

“Hanzo, honey.” Cole gets closer. “Not one soul keeps score of those.” He laughs, shaking his head. 

“I'm sure Winston keeps an eye on it.” Hanzo mutters, taking Ako from Cole's arms “And I can't fall short.” He needs to show he’s a good fit for overwatch. 

Cole shakes his head, looking up, asking for patience. “Come on, Genji will be back today.” He laces their hands together and moves to the sleeping quarters. Hanzo quickly changes his clothes to a more casual look, seeing this was his last clean gi and he wasn't going to wear it stinking of sweat. He takes this time to change Ako out of her sleeping clothes and into the clothes he had bought her. 

As he exits to the corridor, he sees Cole getting out of his own room and approaching, holding something in his hand.  

“Torbjorn just dropped this with me.” He hands Hanzo a baby knitted hat, with a wide brim and a white and purple color scheme. “Said his wife knitted it for you and sent it.”

Hanzo hums, putting it on Ako's head. “They insist on making the two of you match.”

“Can't say I look any good in purple.” Cole chuckles. 

“I'm just glad they don't extend their ill feelings about me towards her.” Hanzo brings the baby close to his scent gland on his neck, caressing her head. “I confess this was a fear I had.”

“That'd be too cruel, honey.” Cole this time offers Hanzo his elbow. The omega rolls his eyes and takes it, he doesn't want to seem clingy, but Cole doesn't seem to mind it. “Genji is right, you need to stop expecting the worst of people.” 

Hanzo hums, not wanting to start that argument again, just enjoying the proximity and touch. And he liked to touch Cole so much . Not just the stolen moments they have to kiss each other, but the handholding, the cuddling, the alpha letting Hanzo rest his head on his shoulder, Cole's own preference of sleeping on his chest. It felt like heaven and he was so desperate for it, craved it so much, that any moment he could touch Cole, he would, trying to scare off the years of loneliness he lived.

They quickly arrive at the docking bay, where Winston is waiting with Hana and Lucio, both with their respective weapons, but wearing very very casual looks. 

“Why are you wearing flip flops?” Hanzo asks as he approaches, looking at Lucio's feet. 

“The question is why are you all using shoes inside.” Lucio is wearing shorts, a football shirt and flip flops. Not that Hana was any better than him with the pajama shorts and an oversized shirt. 

“To be able to walk?” Hanzo says as if it was obvious. “Also, shoes are a sure way to avoid accidents.” 

“Once one of my uncles almost died because of a brown spider inside of his shoe.” Lúcio says, nodding. “Have you seen the size of the spiders here?”

“Wait ‘till you hear about snakes and cowboy boots, that’ll make you scared for life.” Cole jokes. The orca finally comes into view, as the landing bay door opens. Hanzo hadn't realized before how noisy the Orca actually is, not until now with Ako jumping in place, startled with the noise. She starts crying immediately.

Hanzo quickly covers her ears, bringing her face flush to his chest, but it doesn't help, she's already bawling and scared. Hanzo turns around, trying to block the noise with his body, as the orca finishes landing. Cole even tries to comfort her by caressing her hair, but it doesn't work. 

The doors open and from there Genji, Lena and an Ominic floating in a lotus position start to exit. Tracer is the first one to acknowledge Hanzo, a sour expression on her face, just for a moment, before ignoring him and moving to Winston. Both Zenyatta and Genji greet the commander and the others, having a small talk, before moving to Hanzo and Cole. 

“Hello, brother.” Genji greets them.

“You’re late.” Hanzo quips back, playful. Genji was gone for a whole week instead of the four days he had promised. 

“The shambali monks kept us busy.” Genji approaches, patting Ako’s head. “ Aw, what is it, little Ako? ”

“The sound of the orca scared her.” Hanzo Makes small circles on her back, gently shushing her. An orb floats to him, stopping right above Ako's head, the glow of biotic healing enveloping the baby and calming her down. Hanzo looks back and sees that the omnic has approached them. 

“Hanzo, this is my master, Zenyatta.” Genji smiles. The omnic had an extremely calm energy to him, something Hanzo has never seen before in a single being. For once his dragons don't feel uneasy meeting someone new. Huh. 

“Hello.” Zenyatta greets them. “Let's travel this new path together.” 

Hanzo then bows, as low as he can go with Ako on his arms. “Thank you, for caring for my brother.” 

“It was my pleasure.” The omnic bows too. When Hanzo comes back up the orb returns to Zenyatta. “And It's nice to meet someone my student spoke so much about.”

Hanzo feels his throat closing. He forces a candid smile, not realizing Cole notices the fake smile on his face. Tracer, Lúcio and Hana approach them, inquiring to Genji about the travel, and to Zenyatta about his life, the monks, the monastery.

As the day goes on, Hanzo feels like he’s in a haze, as people seem to crowd around Zenyatta and his brother at all times: while he's being introduced, when creating his profiles, when he shows his abilities on the battlefield, when he shows his biotic healing. The omnic’s naturally pleasant personality makes it easy for people to crowd around him.

Hanzo spends the day around them, craving the company of his brother, and yet not managing to even keep the conversation going. He feels like an intruder in the group, even more than usual. Apparently large crowds are still an issue for him.

When evening rolls around, he decides to nurse Ako in the mess hall, away from everyone else. He feels overwhelmed and chastises himself for feeling that way. He’s been around these people for long enough, he should be used to it by now. 

Zarya is the one to find him there, a displeased expression on her face. Thinking about it, he hasn’t seen her much the whole day. 

“Hiding away?” She asks, moving to the fridge in the kitchen. She takes a water bottle from it. 

“More or less.” Hanzo detaches Ako, and brings her to his shoulder to burp her. Zarya hums, drinking her water and scratching the buzzed parts of her short hair.

“I’m hiding too.” She says, approaching him. “I don’t like this many omnics in the base. The other two are already enough, now this.” 

Hanzo is surprised by that. He hadn’t seen the alpha talking or interacting with the resident omnics, but he didn’t think she was wary of them. Authought he doesn’t know a lot about her. 

“They have been nothing but well behaved, Zarya.” 

“I’ve been fighting these things for a long time.” She spats. And okay, Hanzo wasn’t expecting that at all. “Now I have to live with them? It's idiotic.” she scoffs. Oh, yikes , he thinks. Maybe he needed to interact more with the people at the base and know their opinion on certain topics. 

“I don’t think they are a danger.” He says, defensively, remembering how earlier in the week Orisa and Bastion had gathered flowers to decorate the workshop Efi, Torb and Brigitte worked so often. “They feel more childlike than anything. Especially Orisa.” 

“A death machine is a death machine, doesn’t matter how cute it is. You and your brother should learn that.” Her face is impassive, anger clearly shown on her face.  “It doesn't matter how close he comes to those things, they’ll always betray him in the end.”

“Do not speak of what you don’t know.” Hanzo snaps at her, staring at her with a frown on his face. “I don't know where my brother would be, without the help of those “Things”, as you call them.”

She crosses her arms, making a show of her muscles, posturing. “Maybe if you didn’t turn him into a half machine he wouldn’t feel compelled to find brotherhood in between the omnics.” She spats and puts her cup on the sink, Hanzo opens his mouth, but she marches away, Bumping into Cole at the kitchen’s door.

“Everything okay?” Cole looks behind himself, seeing Zarya stomp away. 

“Yes.” Hanzo fumes, pursing his lips. He wishes he could hurt Zarya the same way she’d done to him, but he could not. Cole approaches, standing by his side, resting his hip on the sink. 

“That’s why you’re stinkin’ up the whole place?” Cole moves the lock of hair that insisted on not being tied down from Hazno’s face. 

“It’s just agent Zaryanova being unreasonable.” He clears his throat, looking up at Cole. He can feel his nose is flaring, that he’s angry and probably is smelling of burnt sugar. He doesn’t want to bother the alpha with something so small as a spat between colleagues. 

“Ah, that.” Cole fixes his hat. “Like I told ya, too much hypocrisy ‘round here.” 

Hanzo nods, righting the hat on Ako's head. She blows raspberries at him. He shows her his tongue, making a face. Ako squeals, copying him, down to the scrunched eyebrows and nose. He smiles, tired, remembering she’ll be four months old in a day or two. 

“You sure are quiet today.” Cole says. Hanzo rests his head on the alpha's shoulder, feeling like he wanted to sleep for a month or maybe forever. 

“Just tired.” Hanzo says, voice small.

“Maybe if you let me help you more you wouldn't be this tired.” He takes Hanzo's hair tie and lets his hair fall free, massaging his scalp. The omega could feel himself relaxing. “And stopped caring so much about your score.” 

“Don't start.” Hanzo looks at Cole from under his eyelashes, more angry than anything. 

“God, you're so damn pretty.” Cole breathes out. The compliment makes his anger dissipate. Hanzo looks him up and down, appreciating the man's physique. 

“You're not so bad yourself.” He says, turning up his nose, an air of false arrogance to his teasing. 

“I'm not, huh?” Cole brings the hat off of his head, hiding their faces so he could kiss Hanzo, deeply and passionately as he wanted. Hanzo lets the man bring him close by the waist, resting a hand against his chest.

“How the hell the two of you got even clingier since I traveled? I was out for a week.” Genji's voice startles them, making Hanzo jump, separating from Cole and pushing the hat on the alpha's face. Ako squeals, laughing at the motion. Cole grumbles,taking the hat off of his face.

“And in front of the kid of all things.” Genji tuts, disapproving. He approaches and takes Ako from Hanzo's arms. Behind him the other agents follow, ready to eat. 

“Had to see the two in town, might as well have been a honeymoon.” Jack says, passing by them, giving Ako a pat on her head. 

“Don't complain, Memaw, or next time we will be taking you to a retirement home.” Cole calls, putting the hat back on his head. 

“Memaw?” Genji asks and Hanzo rejoices on the fact he can finally tell Genji the stupidest story from last week. By the end of it, Genji was rolling on the ground laughing at the situation, with Zenyatta chuckling too. Both Cole and Jack grumble about it. 

--

Hands take the body of his brother away. 

His hair sticks to his body, part of it was chopped off. When? When? When? Genji's sword cut part of it off, didn’t it? He's walking through the castle. 

His legs hurt. It feels like at every step it is like his legs are being dilacerated. He feels like lightning runs under his skin, running on the ground, burning everything. 

The dragons are raging.

OUR BROTHER! 

BURN EVERYTHING, LITTLE ONE! BURN IT!

“ Monster. We released a monster”

“Hanzo?” 

He opens his eyes. His heart is accelerated, a chill runs down his arms and legs, the dragons are unsettled. Turning, he can see Cole's silhouette against the light emanating from outside. His hair is a mess. He can swear he sees his face scrunched in concern. 

“What?” 

“You were having a night terror os somethin’.” He caresses Hanzo’s hair, soothing him.

“Did I hurt you?” The omega looks around, confused. 

“No, you were crying.” The silence that follows allows Hanzo to feel the dampness on his face. Sweat and tears. “You want to talk about it?” 

“No.” Hanzo shakes his head, turning and burying his head in his boyfriend's chest for once. 

“You probably should.” Cole says, half asleep. “Everyone needs to talk about their bad dream to someone.” He caresses his lower back.

Ako fusses on her crib and Hanzo tries to get up, but is held by Cole.

“Wait a minute.” He brings Hanzo close to his body. “Sometimes it's just a dream and she'll go back to sleep.” 

Hanzo lets Cole hold him. But if he was honest it’s torture, to be held down, to have to wait, even if the alpha is right and after mere seconds Ako sighs and goes back into sleep profoundly. Hanzo swallows down, realizing how dry his throat is. 

“See?” He mumbles, almost inaudible, then soon goes back to sleep. Hanzo can’t find sleep that night.  

--

The next few days were much the same. Hanzo does his morning routine, takes care of Ako, chores, goes to the shooting range, sees that he failed to get his high score again, eats, goes to a meeting, feeds Ako again, trains again, eats and then goes to sleep. Cole keeps him company, taking any free time as a time to spend with one another. 

On the fourth day of that routine, Genji asks Hanzo to meet him and Zenyatta, alone, for meditation. Hanzo accepts, with Cole’s insistence and reassurance, that he’d take care of Ako while he is away. 

“It’s just an hour, honey.” Cole had said. 

So now, he’s on the cliffside, close to the neglected garden that Bastion and Orisa loved so much, sitting in the lotus position, trying to “free his mind of every last thought”, as zenyatta said. But he honestly can’t. 

“You need to free your mind, Hanzo.” The omnic says. “Release your worries into the iris.” The calm voice does the opposite to Hanzo, irritating him. 

“Try to relax, brother.” Genji insists, voice relaxed.  

“I am trying.” Hanzo says through his teeth, feeling a twitch on his left eye. Hanzo wants to snap at them, speak about how he shouldn't be here, wasting his time meditating! He has chores to attend. Today they were starting to install the barriers on the cliffside, and he needs to help.

“Perhaps we should try something different.” Zenyatta touches down on the ground, he extends his legs on the grass. “Maybe talking about what is bothering you.” He offers.

Hanzo makes a face, the idea seeming even worse to him than the meditation, especially to his brother and the Monk. He uncrosses his legs and brings them close to his body, hugging one of them. 

“You can tell us.” Genji reassures, but Hanzo shakes his head. “I noticed you’ve been… training a lot.”

“There is nothing bothering me.” Hanzo takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and going back to his lotus position. “I promised I’d stay here, Genji, I’m just doing everything I can to keep that promise.”

“You look tired.”

“I've been tired since I was twenty.”

Genji still looks at him, a concerned expression on his face, but he lets it go. When the time is up, Hanzo gets up, respectfully bowing to Zenyatta and then he leaves, looking more tired than before. He always looks so tired now.

“I don’t know if this will help him, master.” Genji sighs, scratching his arm. 

“Every person has different ways to deal with Trauma.”  

“I know. It’s almost like…” Like ten years ago, he thinks, but doesn’t speak it out loud. “I know my brother, he’s trying to show he's competent.”

“Perhaps he feels insecure, or thinks that is too good to be true.” Zenyatta agrees. “The sense of belonging is one of the strongest things that keeps people going.”

“But he’s here now, with me, Cole and Ako. The older Overwatch agents agreed to let him stay.” Genji rips a chunk of grass from the ground, opening in his palm, letting them fall. “I don’t understand why he can't relax.”

“The only place he had was snatched from him years ago, because more powerful people decided his, and your, fate.” Zennyata floats up, standing straight for a moment, feet touching the ground. Genji follows suit. “It is important to remember that.”

Genji nods, thinking deeply now. He bows to his master, moving back to the base, passing the bastion unit. The omnic whistles a hi, that Genji reciprocates. As Zenyatta approaches, the omnic asks him what’s going on?

“Humans, my dear friend, are complicated.”

--

Installing the fences is a group effort. Different from the safety nets that could only be put in place by Winston and the agents that had armors with propulsors, these are plexiglass panels. It's tall enough to avoid anyone from slipping and falling, hitting Hanzo and Cole around their chest. 

All agents were helping, wheeling in parts, taking the plexiglass out of its boxes, pre-building everything that could be done before they started the actual installation of it, with Lena zipping from one size to the other, taking tools, screws and other things from one side to the other. 

Winston and Torbjorn seemed to be butting heads on how to properly install the damn thing, numbering terrible scenarios each time they disagreed with something. it was stressing Hanzo out even more.

“If we install it with the foot it will create a gap and the kid could fall down the cliff!” Torbjorn insists, using his hands to point out the giant rocks under the watchpoint. 

“It’s a five centimeters gap!” Winston insists again.

“You don’t have kids, you have no idea how they can sneak away once they start crawling!” Torbjorn crosses his arms. “Besides looking at her size, she can sneak under it for sure.”

Well, now that wasn’t true. Hanzo has been feeding Ako like he was some kind of milk cow and she has gained a substantial amount of weight. 

“Angela has told us she will be at least twice the size she’s now once she starts crawling.” Winston sighs. “If we take the feet we will make it smaller, which is bad for Efi!”

“The fence is tall enough!” Torbjorn says. “And different from the literal baby, Efi has common sense!”

The arguments were as redundant as this one, leading them in circles. So Hanzo gladly tunes them out, going further back to the workshop. The team had decided that he wasn’t to help them install the panels. He was to be close to the workshop, separating and helping Efi to assemble the smaller pieces. 

He didn’t complain about the fact he was to be away from the tall cliffside while holding Ako. He just felt he could be doing more. Even the Efi kept walking round the grounds, helping everyone else in one thing or another.

“I'm all stove up. The way this is going I’m gonna throw out my back.” Cole says at some point, standing up and stretching “I have no idea how you do this shit holdin’ her all the time, sugar.” Cole looks at him, watching how Hanzo has Ako on one arm and is separating the pieces with his other hand. 

“The pregnancy was worse.” Hanzo says, looking up quickly. “Besides I’m not walking around the cliffside, that’s much more tiresome.” 

“I dunno, sugar you look pretty tired to me.” Cole mentions, approaching Hanzo. He looks at the man’s eye bags, the tired stance, how his skin looked paler. “Maybe you should rest a little.” Cole strokes the omega’s cheek with his thumb. 

He tried to help Hanzo as best as he could, caring for Ako when the archer allowed it, tried to pry him away from the training grounds, tried to take more of the load from the chores they shared, but it seemed never to be enough. The archer was stubborn like a mule. 

“I can’t.” Hanzo sighs. “All of this is because of me anyways, I have to help.” 

Cole looks at him, worried. He licks his own teeth, worried, before nodding. Hanzo knows the alpha is bothered by something, but won't talk about it. So, he kisses the man, quickly, just so he knows Hanzo is not angry, nor wants him to be worried. 

The cowboy chuckles, pulling Hanzo by the waist, hugging him close. “Maybe we need to get out of here.” He opens one of his cocky smiles and waggles his eyebrows, completely unserious about the whole thing. Hanzo presses his lips on a thin line, trying not to smile. 

“Hey, you two, stop making out!” Trace zips into the workshop, scolding them playfully. 

“Ew.” Efi makes a face, entering the workshop then, holding a handful of tools. 

Hanzo covers the lower half of face, trying to hide the blush rising up to his cheeks. Cole laughs, kissing his brow, letting him go. “Okay, Okay, we’ll leave space for Jesus.” The cowboy rolls his eyes.

“You two better. There are kids here.” Tracer jokes, shaking her head. Efi however shakes her head, saying she has too much work to worry about, leaving the room with more of the pieces they had built. 

Hanzo can't help but laugh at the girl's demeanor, how she quickly started to mimic Torbjorn. Ako then looks at Hanzo, she smacks her lips, whining. 

“Oh, she’s hungry?” Lena asks. Hanzo looks at her, surprised. 

“Ah, yes.” He nods. “I should probably--”

“Go sit down, Honey.” Cole kisses his brow again, and Hanzo nods, moving to the back of the workshop. 

He finds a chair, taking it to the corridor outside of the workshop, sitting down on it. He pulls his gi open and his undershirt up. It takes some time to fiddle around with his clothes and find some comfortable position, with Ako even complaining louder about the time it is taking. “Calm down, little Ako .”  He brings her up to his boob, caressing her hair as she latches. It’s tiresome and uncomfortable, but he doesn’t have maternity clothes.  

“Man, stalling this shit is tiresome.” He hears Cole saying, from afar, talking to someone. 

“It's what we get, bringing kids to the base.” It's Torbjorn who says it, entering the workshop again. 

“Yeah, look who’s talkin’.” 

“You stay quiet.” The small alpha chuckles. “But you know, maybe it’s better like this. I don’t think that boy can take care of her by himself.”

“Lindholm.” Cole warns him.

“We all know about the trip to the city, Cole. The money Winston gave him.” Torbjorn sighs. “And we all have eyes too.” There is a moment of heavy silence. Hanzo feels anger rise on his chest. He would have found a way to care for Ako, he did have a plan that didn’t involve overwatch before all of this. 

His aunt, as much hatred as she had for him, promised to help as a thank you for effectively killing off the Clan. She welcomed him, at least until he could get a job and a house, far away. He wasn’t planning to run away forever. 

And he could care for Ako, the baby was always fed, cared for, clean, he spent all his free time with her, making sure she wouldn’t grow into the emotionally repressed person he was. 

Tracer comments something he can’t hear and Cole snaps back at her. “Y’all could take some time to actually know him, you know?” He sounds mad. 

“I’m trying.” The beta says.

“Try harder, then.” 

“You two calm down.” Torb says. “Listen, It’s hard taking care of kids, since he’s here we might as well help.”

“That's why you gave him that crib?” Cole asks. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Torb says, voice getting lower. He’s probably moving away. “Besides, he clearly needed it.”

Hanzo hears Tracer saying something else, she sounds apologetic, after zipping away. He bites his bottom lip, just enough to make it sting.

It’s fine. It’s fine. 

He can be useful and show he can take care of Ako. 

He can. He won’t make the same mistakes as before.

So it’s all fine. 

--

The fence takes five days to be installed. And it's as organized as any group effort from people that barely know one another could be. Jack and Cole butt heads, Zarya refuses to work with the omnics, Hana and Lúcio at some point let a panel fall on the ocean after the girl had slipped on a rock. The incident left people so frazzled Hanzo and Efi were prohibited to get anywhere close to the grounds until the whole thing was properly installed. 

That left Hanzo mostly alone. So he does his and the other agents' chores (not that he discloses it to anyone else), cares for Ako and trains once Ako is asleep, asking for Athena to warn him when she wakes up. Cole sneaks in when he can, kissing him deeply, asking him to rest, to go read a book, to sleep some more. Hanzo just smiles, shutting the man with a kiss.

He can do it, he can show he’s a good fit for overwatch. That the money spent is worth it, that he isn’t useless.  

The only moment he stops is when he tries to meditate with his brother and Zenyatta.

It still doesn't work. 

His mind wanders to his score, to Ako, to the money chip he used last week, to what Zarya said, to himself. To his dream. 

He keeps having the dream again and again. 

Monster monster monster  

On the last day he tries to meditate, Zenyatta is alone. Hanzo is surprised, but still does as his brother asked and sits down, trying to meditate. He ends up sleeping, for just a moment, and wakes up with a start.

“I'm sorry.” Hanzo shakes his head, sighing. 

“It's all right. Resting is also important.” Zenyatta says, folding his hands and floating down. 

“I'm not sleeping well.” Hanzo sighs, feeling too tired. He knows he looks rough, he feels a little frayed under the omnic stare, like an old ragdoll. 

“That's what's bothering you?” 

“There is--” Hanzo tries to deny, but seeing that it is only Zenyatta there, he frowns. He feels his mouth trembling. He can't say it, opening his mouth will make him cry. 

“Nothing wrong with you, as you always say.” Zenyatta sounds amused. Somehow that makes Hanzo blister.

“I --” He stops, controlling his temper. “I Can't burden you, of all people, with that.” He sighs, covering his eyes, centering himself, trying to forget the emotions, the dreams, the blood.

“Hanzo.”

“This was a mistake.” Hanzo stands up, stumbling. He takes a deep breath and Bows to the monk. “I'm sorry for wasting your time.” Then he walks back inside, leaving the omnic behind. 

Zenyatta sighs, letting his orbs float down to the ground, making a circle around himself. He sees the other agents moving around the base, waking up early, cheering for the fact that they don’t have any more work to be done with the fence.

Lena, spotting him from afar, zips to his side. 

“Good morning, Zenyatta.” Tracer says, nodding to him. The monk greets her back, glad to see the pilot. “How is your morning going?”

“It’s going fine, even with the challenges presented.” The omnic says, getting up. 

“Ah, you were meditating with Hanzo, right?” She crosses her arms. “He’s a difficult person.”

“Yes. Despiste it, he seems to have made friends.” Zenyatta turns to her, curious. “You seem to be one of the few that don’t interact with him. Why is that?” 

Lena sighs, scratching the back of her head. “It’s just hard to see beyond what he did to Genji. I worked with him back then, when they transferred him from Blackwatch to overwatch. He was always so angry, especially at his brother.” Lena tsks. “And after what he did to the rest of his family… I don’t know, I’m sure you understand.” She kicks a small rock. Saying her worries to Zenyatta is always easy. 

“Yes, and no.” Zennyata says, his serene voice losing itself with the waves of the sea. He gently floats above the grass. Lena looks at him, eyebrows lifted. “He did what he was teached to do since birth. Honored his Brother, did penitence, the only way he knew how to.”

“But killing his own family? Even cousins and uncles?” 

“In a viper’s pit, only the most poisonous one can survive. I can understand his reasons, despite not agreeing with them.” Zenyatta chuckles, amused at the woman's surprised face. “And despite what the Soldier may think, I am not a pacifist. There is a time and place for everything.” 

“Now that’s a new one, a violent monk.” She smiles and Zenyatta chuckles again. 

“You know he’s been doing the chores on the whole base.”

“Is he insane?” Tracer asks, surprised. “We share it all for a reason!” The beta scoffs, surprised the man could even do that amount of work without passing out.

“He’s showing he’s… What did Genji call it?” He brings a hand to his chin. “AH, competent. So he’s able to stay.”

“We already let him stay.” She huffs.

“The Shimada family has always had conditions attached.” The monk looks at the sea. “And a tool will only be a tool, unless you show it can be something else.”

Zenyatta stands up, stretching his legs, wanting to walk around a bit. Lena looks at him, deep in thought. She sighs, before walking with the Omnics back to the base.

--

The days go back to normal. However, two days later, Mercy had discovered about him taking in the chores from the others and forbade him from doing anything at all for at least a week (especially since he wasn’t even supposed to be walking around certain areas by himself, as Wisnton chastised him). 

So Hanzo begrudgingly accepted, taking Ako in his arms, walking around the base trying to find something else to do. Staying still that much makes him on edge, too jittery. Looking at one of the wall clocks, he realizes it is almost time for (yet another) scheduled meeting. At least this time Winston wanted to discuss their first missions and not some trivial thing or another. He guesses he could try to train later on. 

He searches for Cole, finding him in the kitchen, speaking to Tracer. He looks too handsome. Instead of his usual plaid, the man is wearing a whole black get up and Black hat, black chaps and everything. Hanzo has never seen someone as attractive as Cole is now. He honestly feels himself blush at the visage. He must be doing it on purpose. 

Hanzo approaches, dampening his own desire for the alpha, but quickly sneaking a hand on his elbow.

“Hi, sugar.” Cole smiles at him. Somehow the alpha’s infamous lighter comes to Hanzo’s mind. “And you, little Ako?” He brings the baby to his arms. Ako does the same motion with her mouth as before, smacking her lips, signaling she wants to eat again. Hanzo thinks he may actually whiter away and die. “You hungry? Let’s get you a bottle.” He says, taking the baby with him and searching in the fridge for the milk Hanzo has stored before. 

Watching Cole move around, warming the milk, feeding Ako with such care and love makes Hanzo’s heart surge and his stomach do a somersault. The sweetness of the Alpha dealing with his daughter makes a warm, overwhelming  sentiment grow in his chest. Hanzo lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. 

“Uh-oh, love.” Lena takes him out of his stupor. Hanzo looks at her, surprised, he forgot the beta was by his side. “I know that look.” She chuckles.

“I--” Hanzo feels his face heat up to his ears. He looks away, trying to not look at Lena as best as he can. “I don’t know what you mean.” He whispers back, afraid Cole will listen to it. He doesn't need her mocking him for his affection too.

“Don’t worry, lad, I’m not telling him.” She winks at him, animated, like she’s sharing a secret with him. “I know the look because I had it once too.” It completely weirds Hanzo out. 

Cole approaches them again, making Hanzo sigh in relief. “How is she?” He looks at Ako, the baby looking up at him, but not interested in letting the bottle go. 

“Pretty good.” Cole answers, smiling. 

“She’s such a cutie, love.” Lena says to Hanzo, surprisingly. 

“Ah, thank you.” Hanzo blinks, nodding. They stay put as Ako finishes her bottle and Cole burps her, like he has done it for ages now. 

The beta looks at the clock and surprises herself. “Look at the time. Chop chop, loves, the meeting will start soon.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know why there are so many meetings, anyways.” She disappears in a blue blur, leaving Hanzo and Cole looking at one another. 

“What was that?” Hanzo is so confused. Cole shakes his head, not knowing too.

“I don’t know what kind of kool aid Zenyatta has been feedin’ people here, but it’s working.” Cole scratches his head. “You know what showed up today in the mess hall? A high chair.” the alpha whispers, as if it was the most weird scandalous thing ever. 

“Torbjorn again?” Hanzo lifts his eyebrows in surprise. They start their walk to the meeting areas. 

“No, this is from the store. Bunny themed.” Cole scoffs. “I was gonna get her one that has lil horses in it.” He grumbles and Hanzo holds a laugh not wanting to mock his partner’s commitment to the aesthetic. 

They walk to the meeting rooms, Hanzo taking Ako in his arms. Getting there, he honestly wants to ask Wisnton if they don’t need more help to clean and fix the watchpoint because the other conference rooms are still not ready to go and they are still in the stuffy, small, hot as hell room. They are lucky the two giant omnics could receive the briefings later on. 

When everyone gets there, Winston explains their first three official missions to the newly remade overwatch. They are disguising themselves as a security company, to avoid detection from the UN. And these were simple escorting missions, all on different days. Winston took into consideration Lena was the only one there that knew how to fly the orca and Hana was still fixing the Aurora Jet. 

Maybe that was how they got their money? Hanzo doubts it, especially because Winston explained they only took the jobs that had actual threats of being affected by a Talon or a Null sector attack, no matter how profitable they were.

“That’s the general idea.” Winston explains. “Since these are our first missions, I’ll be sending teams of three agents.” Hanzo felt a pang of anxiety in his gut, on one side he wanted to be chosen, to be able to show his abilities in action, but on the other the mere idea of leaving Ako back makes him nervous. 

“The first mission is in Australia. The government needs to move cargo and they will be passing close to the outback and New Junk City.” Everyone groans. “Yes, yes, I know, but it’s what we have at the moment. We have bills to pay.” The Gorilla shakes his head. “Reinhardt, Lúcio and Jack, you three will be going on this mission.” 

He then explains the other missions, One in Busan with the team being D.va, Zenyatta and Tornjorn. The third being in France, the team being Zarya, Angela and Orisa. The meeting ends with people slowly leaving the room, Hanzo Cole and Lúcio stay behind, waiting for everyone to leave first. They don’t notice Zarya moving to speak to Winston. 

“Good luck.” Cole pats Lúcio in the back. “Last time I was in Junkertown someone stole my good prosthetic arm.”

“Don’t worry, I’m Brazilian, I am the danger there.” The omega gives him a genial smile that makes Hanzo chuckle with the cheeky confidence. A ruckus starts, taking their attention from the conversation. 

“I am NOT going on the field with that thing.” Zarya almost screams. Hanzo jumps with the booming of her voice. Ako startles too, making a cooing noise, not understanding the situation.

Danger, little one. Soba says, wary. Hanzo immediately wraps another hand around Ako.

“Zarya!” Tracer says, indignant. 

“Stand down, Agent Zaryanova.” Jack says, crossing his arms. 

“Now, friend, let's not start a fight over something so small.” Reinheardt says, trying to calm the other alpha, but he can see it’s not working. 

The smell of angry alpha pheromones makes Hanzo uneasy. He brings a hand up to his nose and mouth, trying to keep his gag reflex at bay, ever since he got pregnant the smell of angry alpha sets him off. It makes him edgy, wanting to run and hide. Ako is fussing too. He shushes her. 

Danger danger danger 

“Agent, the mission asks for a stronger team with more shield power. Everyone there is reliable, and we need you there as a second tank.” Winston says, no nonsense. That’s when it dawns on Hanzo that she’s speaking about Orisa. 

“Then switch me with Reinhardt.” she insists. 

“No.” Winston turns, now angry, It’s the first time Hanzo has seen him like that. It is frightening. “Every team was chosen that way for a reason. You have more mobility and firepower than Reinhardt.”

“I’m not putting my life in danger with that warbot.” She spats. Hanzo can't believe she called Orisa that, how dare she?

“Don’t call her that.” Hanzo says. Cole holds his forearm, stopping the omega from getting close. 

“That’s what that tin can is.” She doesn’t budge. “Let anyone else in that thing’s place! The cowboy or even the archer can come instead.” She points at them.

“You know why they can’t go.” Winston emphasizes.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of monster it is as long as it kills, right?” She says, matter of fact. “At least the archer is human.”

“The fuck did you just say?” Cole asks. The smell of anger fills the air, Hanzo gags under his hand. Ako starts crying. He can see a red shine on Cole’s eye. 

“What is your problem?” Genji, who was quietly looking in from the corridor, enters the room. 

“It’s what everyone here thinks.” Zarya turns to the others. A heavy silence fills the place. ““No one needs to like the guy”, isn't that right?”

“Zarya.” Is Torbjorn who says it. “Calm down, you're upset.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “People can choose to not be paired with him, but I can't choose not to work with the bots?”

Oh. Hanzo thinks. That's why he can't go. No one trusts him. 

Run, little one.

Oh. He is trembling.

Is Ako crying? Did she hurt her? No, no he wouldn't do that. 

Hanzo’s breath is heavy.

“That's not true.” Lúcio says, shaking his head. “Thats is fucked up what you just said. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, but we’ve been here for weeks--” The small omega is ready to start another fight, but Hanzo puts a hand on his shoulder. Lúcio turns to Hanzo, who shakes his head. 

“I’ve abandoned my homeland to fight with you.” Zarya says, looking around. “People there are dying because of Omnics, and you think they can be allies? To move stupid payloads?” Her voice is wet. “I cannot stay here if you all think this is what overwatch should be doing.”

She leaves the conference room and no one stops her. Hanzo hears everything as if it’s underwater. 

“What the hell did she think Orisa and Bastion were doing here?” Hana says, somewhere to his left. “And we are fighting Talon!”

Hide, little one. Udon begs. 

Hanzo thinks about the dream haunting him. Monster.

“Maybe she is not the best fit for overwatch.” Winston sighs, massaging his temples.

“Not everyone can overcome their prejudices easily.” Zenyatta says, entering the room, this time walking. 

“Her loss.” Cole puts a hand on Hanzo's shoulder, too close to the back of his neck. It's not sudden, but somehow the action takes him by surprise and Hanzo simply reacts, grabbing Cole’s wrists hard and pulling it away from him. 

“Ouch, Han!” 

Hanzo immediately releases his hand, taking it a harsh breath. He sees I'm the corner of his eyes, the other people looking at him. 

He didn't mean to. 

He didn't. 

Monster  

“I'm sorry.” Hanzo bows and leaves. 

--

He couldn't breathe. 

He hurt Cole.

He hurt Cole he hurt Cole he hurt Cole oh god oh god 

Hanzo is sitting on one of the catwalks, back to the wall, outside, the chill of the quickly approaching night makes the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Luckily he has Cole's serape holding Ako, maintaining her warm. The smell of the alpha mixed with the soft scent of his baby making the omega slowly get back from his panic attack. 

“I'm sorry little Ako.” He whispers, caressing her soft cheek. “I’m not a very good person, am I?” The baby looks at him, a smile on her face.

Time passes, Hanzo doesn't know how much. The breeze of the ocean makes him shudder.

A door opens, and Hanzo hides himself in the shadows.

“Let's search around here.” It's Reinhardt.

“He's fast for someone holding a baby.” Torbjorn is with him. The two alphas walk around, making small talk as they search in the empty rooms. “Let's hope he hasn't hurt himself or the kid.” He sounds disappointed. Hanzo feels like he has been shot in the chest. Hurt Ako? Do they think he’d really do that? 

“You know he wouldn't do that.” It's Dr. Ziegler. 

“I know, I know. What a mess.” Torb says, the alpha sighs. “That girl and her big mouth. I didn't mean to sound like that. And that was weeks ago.”

“I know. She's just upset.” Angela sighs. 

“She needs to control her temper. You don't see Hana or Reinhart acting this way.”

“I'm an old fool, friend, too forgiving for my own good.” 

“And who of us isn't?” Angela says, voice farther away from Hanzo. “He's not here.” She sighs. 

“He'll show up when he's ready.” A moment of silence and then Hanzo hears the door closing. 

He waits an hour and takes the already sleeping Ako to his room. Putting His baby in the crib, folding the serape and leaving it on the wardrobe. 

Then he leaves. 

--

End of simulation. 12 consecutive eliminations. 

Reestart the simulation. 

Breath, aim, shoot. 

Hanzo feels the frustration building in him. The anger of the whole week seemingly impossible to control. 

End of simulation, 10 consecutive eliminations. 

Restart the simulation. Breath, aim, shoot.

The whole time he thought he was doing fine, that the agents started to warm up to him.

End of simulation, 14 consecutive  eliminations. 

Restart the simulation, breath aim shoot.

For weeks he had been doing fine, he behaved, he was gracious, he tried to socialize, even making talk with people like Jack and Hana and Lucio. He hasn't snapped, he showed he was reliable, he trained, he did his chores, he barely left his room when he wasn’t supposed to. He thought he has proven he's not a danger. 

End of simulation, 7 Consecutive eliminations.

Restart breath aim shoot

But Torbjorn is right. He just needs to be of use to them. And then they'll let him and Ako stay. He can’t be alone anymore, not now that he has seen what it is like to have people surround you with warmth. Not when he has security and his family back. Not when he has Cole with him. 

9 consecutive eliminations 

Restart breath aim shoot. 

He made a promise to Genji and he was fulfilling it. Doesn't matter what everyone else thought. He just needs to prove he's good enough to be here. That he and Ako don't need to be kicked out. 

11 consecutive eliminations 

God, Torbjorn was right, he can’t care for Ako alone.

breath, aim, shoot. breath, aim, shoot. breath, aim, shoot. Restart the simulation breath, aim, shoot.

He's staying. 

Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot.

He's staying. 

Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot. Breath, aim, shoot.

“Brother?” 

The bowstring snaps, hitting Hanzo’s hand, cutting the skin.

“Fuck.” He exclaims. 

“Finally, I found you.” Genji approaches, looking around the grounds. There are several arrows littering the floor, some on the bots. It reminds Genji of when their father died, of Hanamura. “What are you doing here?” 

“Training.” Hanzo snaps back. He looks at the broken string, the rope has uncoiled, ends frazzled where it snapped. 

“And where is Ako?” Genji crosses his arms.

“Asleep.” The questions are getting to him. The undershirt feels scratchy against his chest. His hair feels greasy, filthy with sweat.

“Shouldn't you be with her?” 

“I don't need to, apparently.” There is no saving it, the bow is useless now. “I’m not good for anything else but killing, am I?” He takes a deep breath. 

“You know that's not true.” Genji says, crossing his arms, he's not irritated, he's sad.

“What do you want , Genji?” 

There is a heavy silence between them.

“I wanted to spend some time with my brother and my master, to bond with you and show you another important person in my life.” Genji approaches, frustrated. “I wanted my brother to enjoy his life a little more. Maybe date a little…” He smiles, sad. Why is he so sad? Hanzo thinks. There is nothing to be sad about. “Why are you here again?”

“I need to get my performance back to normal.” Hanzo marches to the weapon's locker, to see if he can find a replacement string, but Genji stops him in the middle of the way, holding his shoulder. 

“You're hurting yourself.” He brings Hanzo's hands up, showing how damaged they are. He hadn't realized he had other bruises from drawing the string. “Hanzo, you have to rest.” 

“I can't.” Hanzo feels the anxiety and overwhelming feelings from before flowing out of him, all the repressed emotions finally letting loose. “I'm barely allowed here as it is, I can't slack off.”

“You're not slacking off, you're resting.” Genji says, angry. “And they are not kicking you out.” 

“That's not what it sounded like. They don’t need--” Me, Hanzo doesn’t say. Instead he frowns and shakes his head. “They want a killer, they will have it.”

“No they WON'T.” Genji says, with authority. “You are not that Hanzo. You've proven that you're not a danger.” He holds his brother's hand.

“Not enough.” Hanzo pulls his hands away from Genji. “I can do anything properly! I can't take care of my own daughter if it wasn't for here. I can't be a good fighter because every training session I do I fuck up. I'm barely a brother as it is!” Hanzo blows up. “And now I can't even do what I've come here to do.”

“That's not true.” Genji insists. “You're a great mom! And you're the most dedicated person here. Brother, you're taking this more seriously than anyone else! What was said there was uncalled for. You have to see that.” He begs. 

“Was it?”

“Yes it was.” Genji is breathing hard. “You're not a monster, you're not a thing.”

Silence.

“Did the cowboy tell you that I said that?” Hanzo sniffs, remembering the day he accidentally blurted out how he feels about himself to Cole. 

“No. But I know you.” He exclaims, frustrated. “Please let us help you! It's normal to need help!” Genji says, desperate. 

“Not me.”

“Yes you! You're not at Hanamura anymore, Hanzo!”

The phrase hits the omega like a bucket of ice water. 

“You don't need to be perfect.” His brother assures.

Hanzo stops, realization of what he is doing, the habits he was falling back to dawning on him. Tears gather in his eyes, and Hanzo drops the bow like it's made out of fire. 

“I’m sorry.” Hanzo says, breathing heavily.

“You're allowed to rest.” Genji puts a hand on his shoulder. “You're allowed to ask for help. Hanzo, I want you here so we can get better together.”

“You don't deserve this kind of bullshit.” Hanzo says, cleaning a teardrop from his cheek. 

“No I don't.” Genji says, straightening up. “But you're worse with yourself, aniki .”

“I'm really sorry.” Hanzo says, looking at the firing range. “I thought I left this idea of perfection behind me.”

“Maybe this is what you should be working on with master Zenyatta. Being less perfect.” Genji says.

“Maybe.” Hanzo nods. He takes Storm Bow off the floor and goes to gather his arrows from the training grounds. When he gets back, Genji is expecting him. “Let's go.” the omega says and he and Genji walk in silence back to the housing areas. 

Getting to his room, Hanzo turns to his brother. “Can you watch Ako tomorrow? I don’t feel--” He asks. Hanzo wanted to follow Genji's idea and start relaxing. Maybe tomorrow he can rest and recuperate. 

“Yes!” Genji's face absolutely lights up in happiness and he eagerly nods.

“Thank you.” he pauses for a moment. “Tell… Tell Zenyatta I can meditate with him tomorrow. The same hour.”

“I will! Tomorrow really early I'll be here!” He almost vibrates in place. “I'm going to show her how cool I am as an uncle.” 

Hanzo nods, smiling tired. They bid each other goodnight as Hanzo enters his room. Opening the door he can see Cole is in there, walking from side to side, he looks upset, his hat is off of his head, a nervous jitter on his step. 

“Hi.” Hanzo whispers into the quiet room. Cole immediately snaps out of his worried pacing and approaches.

“Hanzo.” He touches the omega's face. “You're cold as hell. Where were you?” Cole looks at his face, searching something. Maybe a bruise, maybe answers. 

“Falling back on bad habits.” Hanzo looks down. 

“Where are you at the training grounds again?”  Cole’s tone is serious. Hanzo nods, resting his head on Cole's chest. “You're hurt.” The alpha takes one of Hanzo’s hands, looking at their state.

“It will heal.” He whispers. 

“Don't do that again. I mean it, Hanzo, you scared the living hell out of me disappearing like that.” He chokes out. 

“I hurt you.” Hanzo’s voice is hoarse, weak. “I’m sorry.”

“Got me by surprise, is all.” He reassures Hanzo.

“No.” Hanzo shakes his head. “Don’t brush it off.”

“You got scared…”

“Stop it, Cole.” 

Cassidy stops for a moment, hugging Hanzo. He moves his hand to the omega’s neck, unconsciously, and sees Hanzo tensing. “Okay.” Cole brings his hand lower, to the middle of Hanzo’s shoulder blades. “It’s your neck, right?” Hanzo nods. “Okay. I didn’t know.”

“I haven’t told you not to touch it there.” Hanzo hugs him impossibly close. “Can you forgive me?”

“Yeah… I forgive you.” Cole kisses his temple, holding him like a lifeline. “Of course I forgive you.”

Hanzo nods, and that’s when the floodgates open. He sobs. 

“Here.” Cole covers them with his Serape. “Let it all out.” He caresses Hanzo's head and Back, letting the omega finally, finally, release his emotions.

For the first time in years Hanzo properly cries. Not the tears he shed looking at Genji for the first time in years, not the one tear that leaves him once in a while, when he’s deep in thought. He cries loud, like a child, hiccupping, face contorted in pain. 

After what feels like hours, he gradually stops, hiccuping. Cole kisses his face, tenderly, his eyelids and cheeks, then his mouth. Cleaning his tears with the back of his real hand. 

“Been a long time since ya got a good cry, huh?” He makes circles in the Omega's cheeks with his thumb. Hanzo can't even answer him, just nods. “Come on, take a bath and let's sleep.”

Hanzo does so, numb, the warm water soothing away the pain, both physical and emotional. Coming back to the room, Hanzo changes and slips in the bed, he feels Cole laying on the bed too, hugging him, this time letting the archer rest his head on his chest. 

“Ako?” The omega asks, voice hoarse. 

“She’s out like a light.” Cole answers, Hanzo nods, grateful, leaving the room in silence. 

“Zarya, shouldn't’ve said that.” Cole breaks the silence of the darkened room. “And most of it isn't true. Lucio, Hana, your brother, even Jack want you here.” Brings Hanzo's hand up. “And Torb even made you a crib and his wife did the hat. People here see you as a person, Han.”

Hanzo feels Cole's hands comb through his hair. “It's hard to believe it.” The things the cowboy said echoes in his mind. So Hanzo, even after the mentally tiresome evening talks. “I’m scared, Cole.” He looks through the window, to the vast stars, the blackness of the night. “I’m scared that when it’s all said and done, I’m still not enough to be here. That I’ll be left alone again.” He thinks about that night, when Genji traveled and Cole first slept in his room. “I’m scared you and Genji will see me for what I am and decide that is not worth the time.”

“Hanzo, when I met you I already knew most of the nasty things you’ve done.” Cole says, looking outside too. “And I chose to go after you, still. There is not much you could do to make me hate ya.”

“I don’t believe you.” Hanzo looks up.

“Then you’ll just have to trust me.” Cole smiles down at him. “Tell me what you've done in the past, I can promise you I've done it too.”

“Don’t joke, cowboy.” Hanzo sniffs, hiding his face on Cole’s chest. He’s tired now.

“I’m being serious, Honey.” Cole chuckles. “Didn’t I tell you I ran with the wrong crowd? Ask away.” He looks at Hanzo, an easy smile on his face. Hanzo takes the bait, wanting to let the cowboy’s easy humor wash his own worries away. 

“Drug Trading.” He mumbles. 

“Done it.” Cole says, easily.

“Money laundering.” Hanzo yawns, closing his eyes. 

“Yep.”

“Bounty hunting?” He can feel himself drifting away into sleep.

“More than you for sure.” Cole looks down, caressing Hanzo’s hair. The omega mumbles something else, but slips off into sleep. Cole kisses his head. 

--

When morning comes, Hanzo is woken by Ako fussing and crying on her bed. He's groggy and has a killing headache, worse than the one on his first day here. 

“‘S a hungry cry?” Cole asks, face half buried on the pillow. Hanzo nods, sitting up. “Stay in bed.” The alpha mumbles and gets up, walking to the crib and taking Ako in his arms. He comes back to bed, handing the baby to Hanzo. He climbs back in the bed,  “C'mere.” He says, pulling Hanzo to his lap. He rests his nose on the omega’s hair, as he nurses his daughter. 

“You can sleep.” Hanzo yawns. “Genji will take her today.”

“Really?” Cole asks, kissing his temple and Hanzo nods. “That's new.”

“I'm letting people help.” He says, closing his eyes. “I’m resting.” His body is aching.

“Don't train that hard again.” Cole asks. “I mean it last night, when I said it scared me. I know you told me to stay outta your business, but I really can’t. Should've talked to you, stopped you from getting to this point.”

Silence.

“Maybe the two of us need to communicate better. ” Hanzo opens a sad smile at Cole. “I never really knew how to.”

“Let’s make it a deal then.” Cole says. “No bullshitting, no beatin’ around the bush, when we have something to say we say it.”

“That’s fine.” Hanzo sighs, then turns to Cole, kissing him tenderly. 

A knock comes to their door. “Open up, I came here to take my niece!” It's Genji, knocking insistently on it. Hanzo rolls his eyes and Cole gets up to open the door. His brother greets him and enters the room. “Argh, my eyes!” He says, seeing that Hanzo still has Ako nursing and his shirt up, not bothering to cover himself. 

“Shut up.” Hanzo scoffs. “You were there when they tattooed my breast.” He gets one of his crutches and tries to hit his brother’s shin.  

“Doesn’t mean I like looking at it.” Genji bats the crutch away. “I was there so no one could do any funny business, like the cowboy over there.”

“I’ll show you the funny business I was doing to Hanzo last night.” Cole says moving to the bathroom. 

“Ew.” Genji makes a face. “Don’t you have a room, cowboy?”

“Nothing interesting to see there.” He waggles his eyebrows at him before closing the door. 

Before Genji could answer back the banter, Hanzo asks to help him choose what clothes Ako should use that day. He, unsurprisingly choses a green set, talking about how they will be matching. 

As he’s changing Ako, Genji asks how he's doing. Hanzo can only give him a weak smile. His brother gives him a heartfelt hug that Hanzo could only reciprocate. He missed hugging his brother.

Hanzo hands him his pup and the nursing bag, probably fuller than it needs to be. “You know how to properly change her diapers, right?” 

“Yes, and how to feed her, and clean the bottles and play with her.” Genji holds Ako closer to himself. “I've seen you doing it a billion times.” He starts moving to the door, Ako babbles seriously at him, making a small fist, as if she’s complaining. “Yes, You’ll have way more fun today, won't you?” He says to the baby.

Hanzo rubs his eyelids, trying to get rid of his sleepiness. “Okay. If you need anything, come find me for help.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Genji dismisses him and goes out the door. Hanzo watches Genji take Ako away, as the baby babbles and his brother tenderly talks to her. Going back inside He sees Cole has taken the opportunity to start dressing himself. 

Hanzo decides to start his day too, doing his morning routine and dressing in soft black pants and a gray shirt that had a graphic print of a dragon in it. He looks at his support boots and decides that he wouldn't use them today, wearing, of all, things, flip flops.

“Lúcio will love the shoes.” Cole gives him a half smile. 

“Ha ha.” Hanzo mocks. Then last night's conversation comes back to his head. “Hey, what about murder for hire?”

“Hm?” Cole blinks and then it dawns on him what he's talking about. “What kind of people?”

“Criminals, gang leaders, Omega traffickers and some pimps.”

“Sorry, sugar, done it all too.” He shrugs and Hanzo huffs, annoyed.

--

When Hanzo and Cole go to the mess hall, most people have left already. The only ones still there were Hana, who looked tired and worried, Lúcio and Tracer. Lúcio is the one to spot him and approaches with open arms. 

“Oh, man, are you okay?” He hugs Hanzo so tight it actually surprises the older omega. “We got scared last night!”  Lúcio looks so sad it makes him a little emotional.

“Yes, I am okay now.” He smiles. They approach the others, Hana gives him a hug and Tracer greets him.

“Don’t go disappearing on us, old man. I happen to like your company.” Hana lightly punches him in the shoulder. 

“I’m sorry for yesterday.” Lena says, quietly. Hanzo is taken aback by it. 

“It wasn’t your fault. Zarya…”

“It was partially my fault. She was just repeating things said out of frustration.” She sighs, scratching the back of her head. “It’s like Reinhart says, we should not make the same mistakes as before and that’s what I was doing.” She looks down at her feet, then nods, huffing. 

“It's not like I didn’t make a mess the first two weeks here.”

“Yeah, but you're trying.” She pats his shoulder. “And if you can’t change you can’t move on, right?” 

Hanzo nods, “Apologies accepted.” He says. “And I’m sorry about all the mess I brought with myself.”

“Oh, love, you had to see us back then.” Lena starts to tell tales of old Overwatch, speaking about times where Reinhardt had put them in danger over his boisterous personality or how Jack and Reyes had been in trouble more than once because of their tumultuous relationship. Hanzo can feel Cole bringing him close, hugging his middle, a faint smell of sadness in his scent. It's soon gone, when Hanzo kisses his jaw tenderly. 

After Hanzo and Cole finish their breakfast, Winston stops them to talk. They are on the way to finish cleaning a storage unit assigned to Cole and Lúcio (Hanzo is not supposed to be there, but he wants to stay close to Cole and away from the other agents).

“Ah, Agent Shimada.” He says, a smile on his face. “It's good to see you’re okay.” Hanzo nods, feeling bad for the mess he made once again. “I wanted to speak with you, Hanzo.” He calls him close, and the man goes, leaving the other agents behind, feeling anxious of what will be said to him. 

“Yes, commander.” 

“Firstly, I talked with Zarya and asked for formal apologies towards fellow omnic agents, and towards you.”

“That won’t be nece--”

“I insist.” Winston lifts one hand. “I’ve come to realize that overwatch should be more than what it was. The recall is for second chances, after all.” He smiles. “And I wanted to make something clear: You and agent Cassidy are not going on missions because of Ako.” 

“Oh.” Hanzo says, looking up. “I thought…”

“I decide who goes on missions and no one can dispute that.” He says, with a genial confident smile, something he rarely saw in the gorilla. “And no one has asked to not be paired with you. You’ve already shown you’re a great strategist and fighter, everyone here knows that.” 

Hanzo blinks some, baffled that Winston is there reassuring him. He nods, weirded out once again that a superior is treating him like… Like a human being. 

“I see, commander. Thank you.” Hanzo bows, because he feels like this should thank the commander for going out of his way to reassure him. 

“Now, please take the week to rest as Dr. Ziegler has advised you to do so.” Winston pleads. “We don’t want her to be angry.” 

Hanzo nods, pressing his lips on a thin line, trying again not to smile at the commander's awkwardness. He joins back with the other agents and they walk away to the storage unit.

It was mostly clean, only needing to get rid of cardboard boxes filled with more cardboard boxes, and the work was light. Still, Cole sits Hanzo on a chair, crutches resting on the wall, giving him time to actually rest. They have a few scares with big spiders, Lúcio killing them with a snap of his flip flops, boasting about how it is the “superior footwear”. 

It’s almost three in the afternoon when Lena’s head pops up at the door. 

“Hi, loves, is this room ready?” They all nod, disposing of the last of the cardboard boxes. “Good, we need the storage space.” She seems thankful and disappears for a moment, just to come back wheeling boxes and boxes of supplies. Most were things that would last a long time, like hygiene supplies. Hanzo sees that one of the pallet jacks Lena brings has bundles and more bundles of diapers, baby wipes, pomades, baby powder, baby shampoos and soaps.

“ Eita !” Lúcio says, eyes comically large as he looks at the things. “You’re having more kids or what?” He jokes, looking at Hanzo. The archer feels his face flush. This is absurd!

“Han, how much did you ask Winston?” Cole asks, surprised at the quantity. 

“I didn’t specify it.” Hanzo takes his crutches and approaches it, a look of horror in his face. He doesn’t even want to start thinking about the money spent there. “I thought he was going to get a month’s supply or something, not the whole store.”

“Well, damn.” The cowboy fixes the hat on his head, huffing at the comically large bundles of baby supplies.

“Miss Oxton, how is Winston even paying for this?” Hanzo asks, still not believing what he's seeing.

Lena stops a moment and looks at Hanzo, as if that was the first time she thought about it. 

“Now you really got me there, luv.” She scratches her head, blinking. 

--

The breeze of the ocean makes Hanzo's hair messy. He sat beside Zenyatta, trying to open up to the omnic, not knowing if it was working in any way. The conversation went to various topics, finally stopping at the topic of his regret over Genji's injuries. 

“We all have done things we regret.” Zenyatta says, sitting down on the grass. “Even I.”

“I think that’s impossible.” Hanzo brings his knee up, looking at the sea.

“My biggest regret is not being able to help my brother.” Zenyatta says, looking at the sea too. Hanzo turns to him.

“You have a brother?” He asks and the omnic nods, sighing. 

“I have.” He brings a hand to his face. “I'm afraid the work we have done on the monastery hasn't helped him at all. He's always so… angry.” 

“I know how it is.” Hanzo clears his throat.

“Perhaps we can help each other, then.” 

“Perhaps.” 

When they finish, Hanzo feels lighter. The more relaxed day shows how much his muscles were hurting, how his hands suffered with the impact of his reckless training.

“Mr. Shimada?” Efi calls him from the workshop. Hanzo stops not realizing he was passing close to it. He tracks back, entering the place for the first time. This part of the base was usually out of his “allowed áreas”, but Hanzo let himself slip just this time. 

“Hello Efi, Orisa.” He greets them, seeing Orisa is sitting on the floor making company to Efi. “What can I help you with?”

“Is not related to work, I wanted to give you something!” She says, excited. “I told my parents that you had a baby, so they sent you this.” She then goes to the back of the shop, bringing back a long red piece of cloth. “You can make a sling with it, to be hands free!” 

“It's beautiful.” Hanzo is honestly amazed at it. He's seen it before and it looked like a really easy, affordable way to hold a baby. “Thank you, Efi. This is very thoughtful. I have to send your parents a thank you.” 

“My idea was to make you a floating stroller with anti grav propulsors. But my parents told me that it is banned everywhere for a reason.” She rolls her eyes, the first signs of a pre teen mood showing. Hanzo chuckles, thanking her for the gift.

“I should go now, commander Winston won't like me roaming around while still on trial period.”

“That still?” She whines.

“Don't whine. It's for the best.” He pats the girl's head. He quickly thanks her again and moves to his room, he wants to test the sling and he misses his daughter like crazy. But first he needs to put his boots back. 

Turning the corner to his corridor, Hanzo can see something resting by the door. Getting closer he realizes it is new support boots. Taking them in his hands he sees that they are black, seem more resistant, but lighter than the ones he has. 

Turning one he can see a note attached to it.

“Angela says your boots are damaged. Here are some new ones. Bring your old boots to the workshop when you can, so I can fix them. -T” 

He thinks maybe Cole was right about Torbjorn. 

Hanzo enters his room and tries the boots on for the first time. 

It's a perfect fit.

Notes:

Cut to me on my computer trying to figure out what are slurs against omnics so Zarya can be prejudiced against them lol. Also NO I DO NOT hate her, I like her actually. I won a funko pop of her when I started playing (I had pink hair too) I just feel like someone like Zarya who has In game lines being prejudiced even against Genji wouldn't agree to be on overwatch fighting side by side with Orisa and actually be really mad that Genji is “half machine” or whatever.
Also, I just fucking larned you can write shouldn't’ve and it’s technically correct. Yee-fucking-haw motherfuckers.
I’ll still find a way to use Y'all'd've in this story.

Chapter 9: Where all my layers can become reeds

Summary:

Hanzo is horny and somehow that's everyone's problem now.

Notes:

Me, looking at the beach skin that Cole has on overwatch: why are you shaved?
I will not stand for the fact that they shaved my boy! They massacred him! Any man with that much arm hair also has chest hair! JUSTICE for my boy. I will never forget then made him skinnier too. That's not my boy!!!
This chapter is brought to you by Cinnamon Girl by Lana del Rey.

ALSO MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING for a flashback Hanzo has about his assault. I’ll mark it it these *** at the beginning and the end, so y’all can avoid it.

--

Hanzo is horny. 

Okay, let's start from the beginning. Hanzo had asked Cole to finally show him his “shooting trick”, because as much as they had trained together, he had never seen it in action, not even in group training. “Too dangerous” the alpha had said. So, Cole decides to show it to him one morning, when the omega had given Ako to Genji to care for.

The alpha is a sharpshooter indeed, he had seen it before. The precision wasn't as accurate as his own, but Hanzo could see how dangerous and powerful Peacemaker is. 

And it got Hanzo going. The way the alpha leaned back a little to shoot, maybe an unconscious action, the muscles of his wide back shifting under the plaid shirt, the way he could take the recoil from the shots as if it was nothing. The belt buckle made Hanzo’s eyes linger on the man's thick and soft waist, on the hard blue jeans he uses. And the chaps! He has to be doing it on purpose. 

You made a good choice, little one. Soba whispers in his ear. Will give us good pups. He tries to ignore her, but he can't. The worst is that Hanzo cannot stop thinking about the chaps, it emphasized just the right places. Soba and Udon laugh in his head.

“Draw.” Cole says, his hoarse voice echoing somehow. Hanzo can see the red glow in his eye intensifying. He has the same feeling from when he saw his dragons the first time, like he has seen something he shouldn't. 

He looks at the bots. Six shots, eight eliminated bots, all headshots. Hanzo always thought of guns as simple things, too easy to use to kill. But he could see the appeal of it now, in Cole's hands. 

“Impressive.” Hanzo says, cleaning his throat as the target bots float back to be fixed. “What is that?” 

“Deadeye.” Cole puts the peacemaker back to the holster and then uses the back of his hand to clean his right eye. “I dunno how to explain to you, honey.”

“I have spirit dragons, Cowboy.” Hanzo approaches, snaking his arm on Cole's waist, holding him close. “Try me.” 

“Guess it could be described as something similar.” Cole scratches his beard. “I have had this even before Deadlock, I don't know since when.” Hanzo hums in understanding and Cole continues. “One day, when I was a stupid kid, I had stolen a rickety bike. Thing didn't even float properly. But the owner and his friends didn't like it.” He laughs, eyes lost in the memory. “I thought I could outrun them, but they had me cornered. Almost killed me.”

“Over an old bike?” Hanzo asks, surprised. 

“I've seen people do much worse for less.” Cole grumbles, putting a cigarillo on his mouth. “Anyways, I got my gun up and I saw it all red. It was almost like I could control the bullets.” He lifts his hand, making the shape of a gun, closing one eye. “I have no idea how it happened, just that it did.” Cole blinks the irritation in his eye away, but Hanzo can see that the red veins around it made the brown color look more golden than it actually was. 

“Maybe you were born with it?” Hanzo asks, thinking about his own dragons, the way they were always present, but hidden away. Cole shrugs, bringing a hand to the Omega's lower back. 

“Don't know. Maybe.” The alpha says, solemnly. “Never had anyone there to explain shit about my real family. Some big ol’ name on Deadlock saw it, the rest is history.” He shrugs, false indifference in his posture. It bothers Hanzo, to see the man like that, the confidence gone, the bravado hidden away. 

“I've never seen something like it.” Hanzo whispers, looking up at Cole. He doesn't know what the alpha sees in his expression, but a smile forms on his face. With a chuckle he says.

“Frisky today, arencha?” Cole lifts his eyebrows and Hanzo feels like a deer in headlights. Was he so obvious in his desire? Was he stinking the room with pheromones? He still used his own soaps to avoid overwhelming anyone with his scent, but apparently from the start Cole could smell past it.

“Ah, sorry.” He releases the alpha like he's made out of fire, taking a step back. 

“I didn't say I didn't like it.” Cole rests his hip against the long desk separating the bots from the shooters. “You just like the hugs and the cuddling, you never really initiate this sort of thing. I was surprised, that's all.” Cole pats the space beside him, calling for Hanzo to sit down. 

“Are you disappointed?” Hanzo asks, as he sits by Cole’s side, feelings awkward, all of the sudden.

“About?” Cole laces their fingers. 

“That we don't have enough intimacy?” Hanzo doesn't look at Cole’s face, he feels ashamed. A memory, from long ago when he just presented, surfaces, with his more sassy omega servants joking to him about how to“meet an alpha’s needs”. It really made an impression on him, then.

“Hm, I wouldn't be opposed to having more of it.” Cole fixes his hat. “Not that we should be discussing this in a place where there are cameras.” He points at the camera on the corner. Hanzo looks at it, feeling his cheeks reddening his spine standing straight with the realization. 

“You're right. We shouldn't be acting this way.” He clears his throat, quickly moving off the grounds and to the watch room. 

“Come on, Hanzo. It was a joke.” Cole chuckles, following him.

Hanzo turns. “It’s embarrassing.” He scowls at Cole, cheeks heating up. He hated being seen as a fool. 

“Honey, no. Come on. Is normal to show affection in public.” The alpha is surprised at the reaction. Hanzo actually looked really bothered by it. “I didn’t know it bothered you that much.”

“It’s unbecoming.” Hanzo says. His mannerism shows the kind of high education the omega has had growing up, something Cole has seen in others before. It honestly angered him in other people who used it to humiliate and belittle him, but in Hanzo it seemed something he just slipped back into unconsciously.

“Don't know anything about unbecoming.” Cole says. “ ‘Sides, you don't need to be serious all the time. No one's judging you for hugging your boyfriend.” He shrugs and sees Hanzo’s shoulders rise, tense.

“Don't say boyfriend, it feels juvenile.” Hanzo hides the lower half of his face with his hand, flushing.

“Would you rather I call you “lover”?” The alpha pulls Hanzo close, hugging his waist. 

“ Shut up!” Hanzo closes Cole's mouth with his hand. 

The alpha takes Hanzo's hand off his mouth and kisses it. “I love seeing you flushing. You're pretty as a peach.” 

“Stop it.” He snaps and flushes even redder, making the alpha laugh more.

“I'm sorry. I just like seeing you like this.” Cole caresses Hanzo's face. “I won't do it again in the common areas, so people can’t see how unbecoming you can be, how ‘bout that?” 

“That's fine.” Hanzo let’s Cassidy get closer, kissing the cowboy. As much as he felt ashamed to be seen like this, so vulnerable in front of others, Hanzo couldn’t resist Cole’s charms. His touch was like a warm blanket on his body after a cold day. He longed for the wandering hands, to taste his mouth, to be engulfed by the man who seemed to understand him fully, so completely.

And this is why he’s so horny all the time. 

“Can I enter the room or are you two naked?” Hana asks from the entrance of the room, making the two agents jump apart. Her back is resting on the doorframe, an expression of not surprise, but mild annoyance on her face.

Hanzo hides his face under both his hands, hitting Cole in the chest when the cowboy chuckles, telling her that they are, in fact, decent.

“We need to give you two a separate training room, every time I get here you two are all over each other.” 

“That ain't true, missy.” Cole says, resting his hand on Hanzo's lower back.

“The way you two are going, Ako will have a brother sooner than later.”

“Don’t be crass.” Hanzo huffs, crossing his arms. Hana moves to the weapon’s locker, taking her gun from the standing place. 

“Don’t bang on every surface and I won't.” She talks back, and Hanzo can’t help but think how badly behaved the young omega is. “By the way, did your bow get fixed? I don’t see it here.” Hana turns to him, a concerned expression in her face.

“It did.” He clears his throat, indignation going away. “Agent Brigitte handed me back two days ago, I’m still getting used to the new string. It’s resting on the desk.” He motions with his chin to the shooting range. He even forgot to get his own bow, oh Gods.

Hana nods and opens her mouth to speak more, but the sound of an airship taking off makes them all look outside of the window. There they see the Aurora lift off (The jet Hanzo had seen in stand by on the docking bay) and quickly disappear into the sky. 

“I thought the first mission was in a few days?” Hanzo asks, confused. 

“Yeah, this is Zarya.” Hana crosses her arms, huffing. “She's leaving.”

“Has Winston not talked to her?” The omega turns to her, in time to see Torbjorn and Lena enter the room, followed by Lúcio. They all greet them good morning, before going to the weapon’s locker and taking their own weapons.

“Yes he did, but he couldn't convince her.” She sighs, looking up. “Look. I can understand being wary of Omnics. I’ve seen the destruction created. But it's not their fault. The Omniums are at fault.” 

Hanzo nods. His own opinion of Omnics is neutral, he never understood the hatred of them, but he wouldn't go out of his way to get involved in the social issues involving them. To him they were like any other person, they could be bad or good.  

“The conversation asks for nuance.” Hanzo says, sagely. 

“It asks for people not to be knotheads.” Hana quickly takes a hair tie and puts her hair into a ponytail. She's again using a loose shirt and leggings, something he'd never thought he'd see her using, considering her whole D.va persona. 

If anything, Hanzo would think she and her colleagues from her team at Meka were an idol group rather than soldiers, with the way they kept their media presence. She was very different from what was shown. Gone was the sweet and cute D.va, enters bad mouthed, crass, over confident Hana Song, who bragged about her accomplishments and was bad at losing.

“Maybe it is better this way.” Cole shakes his head. What a mess. “‘Sides I'm still mad about the way she spoke to you.” He says, looking at Hanzo. 

Before Hanzo could answer Cole about it being in the past, his brother enters the room with a fussing and crying Ako in his arms. 

“Here is your daughter.” Genji puts the baby in Hanzo's arms. “She has colic, according to Angela.” 

“Couldn't you medicate her?” Hanzo pats Ako's back, seeing she's fussy and cranky. The baby whines, resting her head on his chest. He looks in disbelief at his brother.

“I'm just a simple uncle.” Genji releases a long suffering sigh, putting a hand on his chest. 

“He got scared of giving the wrong dosage.” Angela says as she enters the room, her staff in one hand and a medicine vial in another.

“I did not.” Genji protests, while Angela hands Hanzo the vial. 

“He cried a little.” Angela checks her staff, seeing the biotic supply inside of it. 

“You'll definitely be a great dad.” Hanzo smiles at his brother then, who huffs, shaking his head. 

--

The ocean breeze refreshed Hanzo’s damp skin. He was sitting in the same place he and Zenyatta always sat, meditating. The omnic gently floats by his side, the serene atmosphere relaxing them both. 

“I think I'm in love.” Hanzo blurts out, opening his eyes, thinking he may explode if he doesn't speak about it. 

“Love is a great thing to experience.” Zenyatta says. “One would be lucky to love in their lifetime, and be loved in return. It changes people.”

“It's too early…” Hanzo groans, looking at the sea. Always too foolish, Hanzo thinks to himself. “I don't like the way it makes me act.” The omega says, frowning.

“And why is that?”

“It’s unbecoming.” Hanzo looks at his own hands. “I keep letting my own desires get to me.”

“Why is that bad?” Zenyatta turns to Hanzo, curious now. 

“Because people will see how foolish it is.” Hanzo says finally, frustrated at the Omnic’s stupid questions. “And I don’t like being seen as a fool.”

A moment of silence.

“Ah, you fear humiliation.” Zenyatta nods, bringing a hand to his face, holding his chin, thinking. 

“I--” Hanzo blisters, but takes a deep breath. Zenyatta is right, actually. “Yes. It’s terrible to not be taken seriously. Especially being an Omega.” Hanzo remembers the times his father snapped at him for his ideas or speaking out of turn. The elders never took his commands seriously, not even on the small time frame he was the leader. 

He was just a foolish omega to them. 

“I don’t think love makes one look foolish. I think it makes one look happy.” Zenyatta sounds happy, his body language light. “And isn’t that the greatest thing ever?”

Hanzo opens his mouth, but soon shuts it with a click. He doesn’t have anything to counter what Zenyatta has said. 

--

Later that day, Winston asks Hanzo for a meeting. 

Hanzo goes, worried. He knows his trial period is finally over and if he is being honest he still got scared of what would happen. He knew his weapon was fixed days before Briggite had handed it to him; he had seen it when he left his old boots in the workshop. And he knew his training time was only allowed for no more than half an hour, the whole thing shutting down even if he tried to enter other people’s training. 

He huffs, wondering if he has fucked up, once again, by taking things too far. If they won’t let him stay because they deemed him as unstable. 

Entering the commander’s room, Hanzo can see that they have finally changed the broken glass. Ako was still fussy, even now sleeping on the sling that Efi had given him. Her noises alerts Winston, who is on his computer. 

“Ah, come up Agent Shimada.” He calls. 

Hanzo does so, noticing that the smaller computer in that room had several places being surveyed, different kinds of news sites and broadcasts up, chatrooms, forums and a map with several pins in place. 

“Hello, commander.” Hanzo bows, respectfully. Ako decides to wake up and make herself known by whining, scrunching her face. 

“Poor thing.” Winston says, a pained expression. “Is she sick?” He waves at the baby, who doesn't seem amused by Winston. 

“Just colic, it's normal for babies.” Hanzo assures, patting the baby's back reassuringly. “Right, little Ako?”

“Are the supplies for her enough for the next month?”

“More than, commander.” Hanzo answers, feeling sheepish. “I should've specified the amount. I don't want us to be a bigger burden than we need to be.”

“It's no Burden at all. Hardly any work.” Winston dismisses it, as if money is worthless and grows on trees. Maybe the gorilla has one of those ponzi schemes created to steal from stupid rich people. That’d be funny.

“Are there any issues then?” Hanzo asks.

“Ah, yes, no.” He says, confusingly. “I wanted to tell you that the trial period is over. Your account has been updated to one of an agent.” He nods. “You don't need Cassidy glued on your hip all the time now.”

Okay. Now that was maybe uncalled for, they can't restrict his access, only allowing him in places on the base with an “responsible agent” and then complain he is with Cole all the time. 

“I understand. Thank you, Winston.”

“We just need to update your accounts, password and biometrics.” The Gorilla counts on his fingers. They move to do the said things, scanning Hanzo’s digitals, facial features and voice. 

“Now you also will be put on the roster for missions too, but we will work around so we can have someone you trust to babysit Ako.” Winston reassures him. He can’t help but feel thankful for that. 

Looking at Winston’s desk, he can see the Gorilla has several kinds of documents he recognizes. There are notes in there. In the computer he sees some windows are open too, with the same kind. Finances! Finally, finally he can find out how the Gorilla is maintaining Overwatch! 

“I couldn't help but notice that you're trying to manage the money.” He pounces at the opportunity, a little too eager. 

“Yes, I'm trying to make these expenses look as legitimate as possible. Since overwatch is illegal and all.” Winston looks sheepish, something very weird to see in a giant Gorilla. Especially one trying to literally launder money.

“Can I see it?” Hanzo asks. “I used to see my father dealing with the Clan’s finances. We had to make the drug money look like it was from selling orchids.”

“Why orchids?” Winston seems confused by the choice. 

“Easy to overcharge.” Hanzo says. “Can I?”

“Well, why not.” He opens different windows on the computer, showing the money flow that comes from an honest to god ponzi scheme. Hanzo almost punches the air in vindication. This is the third best day of his life.

“You see, we can't have all of them look like donations for the monkey sanctuary, it's too dangerous… We could set up a fake online shop to explain where the biggest amounts of money come from. Selling “art” would be the easiest way.” Hanzo hums, scratching his own goatee.

“Wouldn't that be too on the nose?” The gorilla asks. “Like buying those paintings done by elephants?”

“We could also have a very expensive merch store.” Hanzo says. “This is a “monkey sanctuary” after all, having expensive merch to keep it working wouldn't be out of the ordinary.”

“Would we need a small stock with the merch wouldn't we?”

Hanzo and Winston get so lost in the discussion of how to deal with the money and what they could do to avoid detection from the authorities (and especially the UN), that they don't realize they lost an hour and a half speaking. 

“WINSTON!” Cole enters the room on a rush. He looks flushed and out of breath, as if he has been running around the base. “HAVE YOU SEEN HANZO?” 

Hanzo jumps with Cole's sudden appearance, shushing Ako who woke up with the noise. 

“Agent Cassidy.” Winston greets him, cheerfully. “Mr Shimada was just helping me with the finances.” The gorilla types away on his computer, not seeing how Cole deflates in relief, putting a hand on his chest and dragging himself to the stairs. He sits in the steps, taking his hat off and fanning himself with it. He looks tired, sweaty but relieved. 

“Are you okay?” Hanzo looks from the top of the stairs. 

“Yes yes.” The alpha takes huge gulps of air, then relaxes against the steps. “Thought you got hurt.”

Hanzo lifts up one eyebrow and scoffs. “Didn’t you know I was here?”

Cole shakes his head. “You don't have a communicator, I couldn't speak to you.”

“Oh, that reminds me, with your new agent status you have a communicator.” Winston hands him a square thing that looks like a compact phone, with an attachment to clip it to his clothes. “You can speak to everyone on the base, access the new overwatch database, do research online, all the things.” 

Hanzo takes it and opens it with his password. The thing has the contact of the other agents' communicators, and Hanzo can see the other apps, including a library, a camera and a chatroom. Hanzo closes it, nodding in thanks to Winston. He knows he would just use it for professional matters. His own phone was discarded after he realized he was safe at the base.

“Please keep it professional, I still have access to it for maintenance, so I can see some of your search history and messages.”

“You do?” Cole asks from the bottom of the stairs and Hanzo feels himself hold a laugh by pressing his lips on a thin line.

“Maybe it's time for you to go back to your day, Agent Shimada.” Winston nods, tired of the cowboy’s antics. Hanzo agrees, going down the stairs and standing beside Cole. 

“Come.” Hanzo opens his hand, and Cole takes it, using it as leverage to get up. They leave Winston’s room in silence, with Cole still out of breath. “Maybe you need more cardio.” 

“Run all over the base like a mad man and you'll see how good your lungs are.” 

“Why on earth were you running around the base searching for me?” Hanzo can see the skin on the back of Cole's neck damp with sweat. He looks so good flushed like this, Hanzo thinks, cursing his horniness.

“I told you, I thought you got hurt. I couldn't find you all over the base and no one knew where you were.” Cole says, in an almost childish way. “I got scared.”

“I know I frightened you that day, but I promised I wouldn't do that again.” Hanzo stops Cole, putting one hand on his chest. “And I do keep my promises.”

“I know.” Cole clears his throat, shaking his head. As if getting out of a mood. “I'm sorry, sugar, I just--”

“Freaked out?”

“I reckon I did.” They walk a little more, hand in hand, ending up in the garden again. The Omnics are not there today, preparing for their own missions soon. So they sit on the stairs, one beside the other.

“You know, after that day what your aunt said, it got to my head.” Cole confesses, looking away.

“What she said?” Hanzo asks, surprised. Then he remembers what was said that night when her aunt showed up at the base, realizing Cole heard her say that he had tried to kill himself once, a long time ago. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Cole's voice is wet with emotion. The comfortable silence disappears, being substituted by an uncomfortable one.

“Yumi has a problem with the whole family.” Hanzo says, trying to dismiss the whole idea, but he knows that he can't. “She resents everyone, me more so. She can't forgive me for what I have done.”

“I gathered that.” He croaks out.

“She thinks that because she could get away from the family, that everyone else could have. That we all had the same chances she had.” Hanzo looks down, remembering when she left, disappearing into the world, the murmur that ran in between the family, the disgrace and shame that fell on her parents. He remembers wishing she had stolen him away. “And that we all endured the same kind of treatment from the elders.”

“It's still scary.”

“It was years ago.” He smiles at Cole. “I'm not leaving.” Hanzo says, passing a hand through the alpha’s hair, massaging his scalp. “I want to stay.” 

“Promise?”

Hanzo turns to Cole, a deep blooming feeling settling inside him. He brings Cole's head to his shoulder, kissing his head. Oh Gods, he thinks, I think I really love him.

“Yes. Also, you're the only one I can talk to about booze and back pain.”

Cole laughs, waking up Ako in the process. “I'm sorry. Miss Ako.” He says.

The workshop door opens with a loud noise, both Bastion and Orisa are being moved out of there. “Now the two of you go rest and get ready. Tomorrow we will see if these new upgrades are working.” The two Omnics agree, Bastion whistling happily and moving to his favorite spot in the garden. 

Orisa follows the other omnic, but decides to approach Hanzo and Cole, spotting the couple close.

“Hello, Agent Shimada. Agent cassidy.”

“Hello, Orisa.”

“Afternoon.” Cole greets her.

“Agent Shimada, Agent Tornjorn has told me you can't ride me into battle.” Orisa says, blinking her giant eyes. Hanzo hides his face away under his hand. He had forgotten about that talk.

“What now?” Cole looks at him with the biggest smile he can muster, blinking away the unshed tears. 

“Please don't ask.” Hanzo still doesn't take his hand away from his face, Ako coos patting his hand anyways. 

Before Cole can mock him more, Efi approaches him. “Mister Shimada!” 

“Hello, Efi.” 

“Hi, Ako.” She greets the baby, letting Ako grab her finger. “She's getting strong.”  Efi smiles. “Can I let Orisa see her?” she asks, all excited. HAnzo thinks for a moment, and he doesn’t see the harm in it.

“Yes you may.” Hanzo gets up, approaching Orisa. Cole follows suit, putting his hat back on his head. 

“See, Orisa? This is a baby.” Efi says, pointing at Ako. Hanzo turns his body slowly, making the baby and the omnic face each other.

“Hello.” The omnic lifts his hand, waving. Ako looks at Orisa, her face contorts in fear and she starts crying. “Levels of distress high, do you need a hug, baby?” 

“Shhh, little Ako.” Hanzo pats her back.

“Did I do something wrong?” Orisa asks, clearly sad. 

“No, Orisa, she's just scared of new faces.” Hanzo says, reassuring the Omnic. “She cried the first time she met Winston too.” 

“And Reinhart.” Cole adds. “The fella looked like we kicked his grandma or something.”

“She is also cranky.” Hanzo says, trying to calm down the baby, which only seems to make the baby scream even more. 

“What a set of lungs.” Torbjorn comments, getting close, Brigitte is right behind him, holding what looks to be his boots. “Colic?” 

“Yes.” 

“Can I hold her for a minute?” 

Hanzo feels wary, his dragons want to manifest, but he holds them back. Deciding to give a show of trust, he hands Torbjorn his daughter. The small Alpha takes the baby, holding her across his mechanical arm and then massaging Ako's back. Surprisingly, the baby starts to calm down, the cries diminishing until it's just some cooing. 

“I'll be damned.” Cole says, scratching his head.

“That's amazing, Mr. Lindholm.” Efi says, surprised. 

“Here.” Torbjorn says, handing Ako back to Hanzo. 

“Thank you.” Hanzo takes his daughter, holding her just like Torbjorn had done, the sling forgotten, but still wrapped around his body. “She's been complaining since this morning, it was starting to worry me.” 

“No, that's normal.” Torb dismisses the whole ordeal. “Your kid is not that bad, this one here used to keep me and her mom awake the whole night because of gas.” he says pointing at Brigitte. 

“Dad!” Brigitte protests, face heating up. “Stop embarrassing me.” 

Hanzo can't help but press his lips on a thin line again, trying to keep his chuckle at bay. He seems to be doing this a lot lately.

“I can say whatever I want. I raised you.”

“These are my coworkers!” 

“And I can gloat about raising a fine engineer to them!” He says, full of pride in his voice even if it's disguised under the joking tone.

Hanzo feels a weird sensation on his chest. As if it's a little hollow, just a small part of it. That's what a proud father looks like?

“Ugh, here Agent Shimada.” She hands him his boots. “We fixed it.”

“She fixed it.” Torb interrupts. “And upgraded it.” 

“I'm thankful, agent Lindholm.” Hanzo bows to her.

“You're welcome. They are a relic, it's been some time since I've seen this model.” 

“You should test it.” Cole offers. Hanzo nods. Handing him his daughter. 

The omega sits down, changing the new boots for the older ones. They feel excellent, like they are new. He does jumps, runs and exercises with them, even climbs the rock. Cole looks amazed at his omega.

“Look, Ako, is your mamma.” He whispers to the kid, pointing at Hanzo.

“The others are right, the two of you are disgustingly sweet.” Torbjorn says. 

“You too?” Cole makes a face, looking at the engineer. “Hana said the same thing to us.” 

“Because it's true. It's like seeing a tacky romance movie.” 

“I think it is sweet.” Brigitte says, a hopeful expression on her face. “It's cute to see that love can bloom for everyone.” 

Love. The word reverberates on Cole's head over and over and over again. It's been two months since he and Hanzo met. And he has never felt this kind of light, happy feeling with anyone else. He has slept around, he had unserious dates, but with the omega it was different from the start. 

Things don’t feel forced, like he needs to call attention, to ask for love. Hanzo just gives it to him, for free. It feels easy, like they just click together. He wants to make this work so much. 

He remembers when the omega disappeared a few days ago, how desperate he got. Just thinking about it makes him sick. 

Was it obvious he was already in love with Hanzo? Looking at the omega running around and testing the jumping capabilities of the boots while Efi cheers, he can't help but think that maybe that was true. 

“Can you at least not look at him like he's a piece of meat?” 

“Jesus Christ, Dad.” Brigitte says.

--

“Genji, I might be in a pickle.” Cassidy says a few days later as both of them are outside. The orca had lifted off that morning with the team for the first mission, leaving everyone else jittery and with a feeling that the future of overwatch lays on the success of that mission. 

So everyone is in a mood and on stand by, expecting to be called if needed. Cassidy and Genji sit by the cliffside, the cowboy smoking a cigarillo and Genji using the time to meditate. 

“If it is about your searching history I cannot do anything about it.” Genji comments, not even opening his eyes. 

“Okay, despite what y'all think my search history is not shameful, I was raised better than that!” Cole huffs, shaking his head. 

“Then what is it?”

Cole feels anxiety rise inside himself. The idea of telling anyone how he feels, how deeply he is feeling the,, even after a small period of time, makes him want to jump off the cliffside they were sitting close by.

“I think I'm in love with Hanzo.” He says looking out at the sea, he waits for Genji to inquire the whys and how's but he doesn't. Actually, when Cole turns to his best friend, he sees an expression of disbelief. 

“You're joking, right?” Genji gets out of his lotus position, assuming a new more relaxed posture. “Did you really ask to talk in private to tell me something I already know? The two of you are always all over each other.”

“Now, hold on.” Cole crosses his arms. “Y'all need to stop this joke. I'm very proper with him, if you’d like to know.”

“How can I, when it is the truth?” Genji throws his hands in the air. “Everyone gets super uncomfortable with you two fucking around the base.”

“Hey we haven't--” Cole protests, then realizes what he's saying and lowers his voice. “We haven't done anything like that.”

“One: I don't want to know. Second: HOW? Every time someone gets into a room you two are all over each other!” 

“We’re just kissing! And we just don't have the time.” Cole shrugs. “With the baby, fixing the base, training and everything else we have barely time to sleep.”

“Maybe that's why every room you two are in reeks of frustration.” Genji wanders. Cole squawks, trying to justify himself to Genji, who just dismisses the whole ordeal. “But I have to say, if you're scared the feelings aren't mutual don't be. It's the first time I see him love sick.”

“Don't joke about this, Genji.” Cole huffs, shaking his head.

“I’m being serious! He really didn't used to be like this.” Genji tells Cole. “He used to be cold and when the suitors tried to get close, he'd even be cruel to them.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. See, there was this game the servants did, betting on how long it would take for Hanzo to reject the suitor and if they would cry or break a vase in anger. He was notorious about it, especially because father didn’t want him mated until he became the next leader.” Genji scratches his head. “It's honestly a relief to see him like this, showing more emotions.”

Cole thinks about the first time Hanzo got to the base, the way his face was impassive, but always a blank canvas. He can Imagine, a younger Hanzo, distant from everyone. “Guess no one really got to him then.” He thinks also about the smile, the blush, the angry scowl in his face when he gets embarrassed. 

“ No one was a cowboy, more like it. ” Genji grimaces. 

“ I'd like to think it's more than the get up.” Cole scoffs, crossing his arms. 

“You're wearing chaps, you cannot tell me you're not doing this on purpose!” 

“Hey, It's part of my style! And it has a purpose!” 

“I'm sure it has.” Genji grumbles. “That's why Hanzo has been looking at you like you're made out of his favorite dessert.” 

“Looking like ice cream mochi is not a good thing, you know?” Cole mumbles.

“See? You even know his favorite food already.” Genji says, crossing his arms. “You know. The same I haven't seen him as in love I haven't seen you like this before.” 

“I've never met someone like him before.” Cole looks at his own hand, looking at the bruises on it. He licks his own teeth, contemplating his past, the way he had never found people he belonged to, people that stayed. “It feels like we get each other. Like I belong with him.”

“You two really sound like those tacky romance books.” Genji makes a face. “No wonder Hanzo reads that shit.”

“Ha, as if you're any better mister “ten years of longing stares at my doctor”, don't think we don't see that shit.” Cole scoffs, right his hat on his head.

“This is why I don't tell you anything, you're the worst.” Genji crosses his arms, huffing, a red tint on his face. 

“I'm very emotionally mature, thank you very much.” he scoffs, going to lay back, but the sound of the door opening stops.

“Oh, here comes your beau.” Genji motions with his chin, Cole looks behind himself.

Hanzo is marching to them, a weird expression on his face, as if he was really excited about something. 

“I forgot to tell you, It really is a Ponzi scheme!” Hanzo says, resting a hand on Cole’s shoulder, slightly shaking the man. There is a cheer on his face that Genji has never seen before. “Winston created a ponzi scheme to fund overwatch!”

“What?”

“I was right all along!” He has a confident smile on his face. 

“That was what you were doing that day? Setting a Ponzi scheme?”

“No, I was helping him laundry the money.” He scoffs and pulls Cole's hat down on his face. Quickly leaving them behind to do whatever it was that he was doing.

“See, he would never do that in the past.”

Cole rights his hat, a lovesick sigh leaving him.

--

Finally, Hanzo was on the rotation to cook. Despite what his brother may say, he knows how to do it. 

It just happens to taste not that excellent. 

“Now I get why you think Cassidy's cooking is good.” Torbjorn had said after taking a bite of his food. Hanzo didn't think it was fair to compare, considering most people from overwatch had parents and grandparents that had teached them the secrets of cooking. And Hanzo honestly felt like after his first disastrous meal being alone, he was better off buying take out. Yes, he did occasionally cook, it wasn't anything special, but he did!

And that leads to now, where they only allowed Hanzo in the kitchen if he had Cole with him, stopping the omega from creating weird flavors. Of all the things that frustrated Hanzo throughout his life, cooking wasn't one he was expecting to be most frustrated about. A thing that seemed so easy for Cole and extremely difficult to Hanzo. 

“You just need time to get used to it, sugar.” Cole kisses his cheek, trying to make the frown on Hanzo's face disappear. 

“That's easy for you. Your cooking is good.” Hanzo grumbles, cleaning to perfection the utensils and surfaces they had used.

“At least you're clean. I saw Hana take a fork off the ground and put it back on the pot.” Cole makes a face, shaking his head as he puts the peach cobbler to rest. “See if they are finished already, the cobbler will take some time to cool off.”

Hanzo puts his head out, seeing the mess hall filled with people still eating, but more than anything talking and arguing.

“The gym will be finished when it's finished!” Torb says, crossing his arms. 

“And I'm saying that the training we have is not enough!” Angela says back, angry. 

“You try to fix gym equipment that it's older than my daughter.” Torb points a for at her, Angela crosses her arms, ready to argue back. 

“It's just some weights.” Genji interrupts, scoffing. He scoops pasta on his fork and hands it to Ako. 

“No!” “DO NOT give her food!” Angela and Hanzo exclaim at the same time, making Genji jump in place. Genji looks sheepish, putting the fork down.

“ I wouldn't let her eat you food anyways.” Genji quips back at Hanzo, who huffs, getting inside the kitchen again, grumbling. He’d give a lecture about giving real food to a baby that’s not even six months old, but Hanzo can already hear Angela doing so. 

“Don't grumble.” Cole brings Hanzo close, kissing his temple. 

“You should let me eat the whole desert.” Hanzo grumbles against Cole's chest.

“Really?” He links his hands on Hanzo’s lower back. 

“For their insolence.” Hanzo puts his hands on Cole's back pockets. They sway a little, and the calm atmosphere with the chatter outside relaxes Hanzo. The omega gives into his desire, taking his hand off of Cole's pockets and squeezing the alphas butt. 

“Woah, sugar.” Cole chuckles. “Don't do this unless you're ready for a ride.” Cole corners Hanzo against the sink, a serious look on his face. “What happened to not on the common areas?”

“Maybe I like seeing someone work so well with their hands.” Hanzo says, taunting him. 

“I'll show you how good I can be working with my hands.” The alpha snakes his hand under Hanzo's shirt. Hanzo chuckles at first, but then stops.

“Someone will see.” Hanzo whispers, nervous, then moans when Cole's hand pinches his nipple, just for a moment. The alpha lifts Hanzo and puts him seated on the sink.

“Hm, let them see. Might teach them to leave us alone for more time.” He nudges Hanzo's legs open, staying in the middle of them. “One of them might even offer to babysit.” He rolls his hips, making Hanzo quickly move a hand to his mouth, hiding a moan. Cole chuckles, kissing his neck. 

Of course they don’t hear Lúcio entering the kitchen with a plate on his hand, catching them in the act. “ Ah, Cara, não! Not in the kitchen!” 

--

“I'm giving the two of you a day off.” Winston says, looking at them unimpressed. “So you two can date, go to a movie, do whatever couples do.”

“Now, boss, I'm sorry, but it ain't our fault people walked on us this time.”

“Multiple times.” Winston says. 

“The last time was the only time we were doing anything.” Hanzo provides, immediately feeling like he shouldn't have said that.

“You're not helping.” Cole whispers to him. 

“No. I am being a good boss to the two of you. You can go out, have a nice day together so you can get it out of your system, as they say.” Wisnton dismisses their complaints. “You two are dismissed and have half an hour to get out of this base. I want to see the two of you come back at night. Better yet, Tomorrow.”

So in less than half an hour, Hanzo and Cole are dropped off in the tourists center of Gibraltar, both hastily dressed and with a money chip Winston gave them. They watch as the rickety car drives away, leaving them both looking at each other. 

“The fuck we are gong to go?” Cole scratches his head. They move into the building, looking at the pamphlets and fliers about the things they could do there. 

“I don’t know, I didn’t think our first date would go like this.” Hanzo is looking at the pamphlets, an annoyed energy around him. 

Cole is taken aback by it, but if he's being real, that’s true, it is their first date. “Yeah, I wish I could have planned it. Or at least used a clean shirt.” He sighs. “Ah, look, there is a McDonalds here. Thought all were destroyed in the crisis.” he’s amused by the fact the building is even up to begin with. 

“We should go to the museum.” Hanzo points at the Museum close to where they are. Cole nods, putting the flier on his pocket. 

They walk around the city, hand in hand, the atmosphere of the town it making it an enjoyable walk. The fact the city was clearly full of tourists allows both of them to disappear in the crowd. They stop at the museum, taking in the natural history, looking at the archeological exhibitions. Hanzo, realizing that no one is interrupting them, brings Cole closer, letting the alpha snake his hand on his waist. They walk with their sides almost glued to each other’s, taking advantage of the crowd to steal kisses here and there. 

They walk around the streets some more, looking at shops, talking, not buying anything and commenting on how something or another is ugly or too expensive. Later they walk to the beach, bare feet, enjoying the sounds of the sea, as the day starts to pass and the beach starts to get emptier. At some point, when the sun is already down and it's only them at the beach, Hanzo pulls Cole closer, kissing him deeply. 

Someone far away whistles at them, making Hanzo huff, annoyed. When they decide to go back to town, it's already late in the afternoon and the couple stops at a restaurant, drinking tea and coffee and eating something sweet. 

“I’ll have to admit, their reason was stupid, but the folks at the base were right. We needed some time alone.” Cole says, bringing Hanzo’s hand to his mouth, kissing it. 

“Yes.” Hanzo smiles at him, enjoying the time they can share with each other. “If I'm being honest it's a relief to be able to touch you without anyone making a face about it.” 

“They are actually wondering why you chose someone like me.” Cole chuckles, scratching his head. “I'll be honest, I was not a big relationship guy before.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I was too much into one night stands before.” Cole stops looking at the streets through the window.

“That's why my brother had been so adamant about you not “disgracing me”?” Hanzo asks, amused. 

“Yeah, kinda.” Cole feels his face heating up, not proud of his own past and the way he'd just fall on anyone's bed, trying to feel loved, to not feel alone anymore. “I told him, I'm not like that anymore. Haven't been for a long time.”

“I was not really a relationship person either.” Hanzo gives Cole's hand a squeeze. “But for me it was the contrary. I didn't let anyone close to me. It was better to be alone than to have anyone hurt me.”

“What changed?”

“My daughter. My brother. And recently you.” Hanzo takes his eyes away from the people walking around and looks at Cole. “It's almost like you can see through me. Even the ugly things. It doesn't feel as lonely. I… want to be close.” Hanzo takes a sip of his tea. “You?”

“I realized that if I wanted people to not leave me I had to be serious, to show I am serious, to grow… Not to just sleep with anyone that I fancied.” He clears his throat, the topic making him uncomfortable. “That I should just date someone that I really liked and that liked me back in the same way.” Cole shrugs, looking away, feeling a blush blooming under his beard. 

“Luckily for you I feel the same.” Hanzo feels himself blushing too, so he hides half of his face under his hand when a sudden realization hits him. “I’m your first serious relationship, then?” Cole nods and Hanzo can't take it, hiding his face even more. “Mine too.”

“This is ridiculous.” Cole hides his eyes under his prosthetic hand, feeling suddenly shy. “We’re almost 40.”

“I have an excuse. I have been sheltered since I was 13.” Hanzo says. “I don't know how to be a person.”

“I'm here to help you, now.” 

“ How can you be so sweet sometimes?”  

“Because that's your favorite kind of food.” 

“You're terrible.” Hanzo brings Cole closer, pulling him by the shirt and kissing him.

“I'm very handsome, actually.” Cole says, matter of fact, kissing Hanzo back. When they separate, the omega looks at him up and down. 

“ The chaps help.” 

“So you do find it sexy!” 

--

“Should we break the bank and get one of those expensive hotels?” Cole asks as they leave the restaurant. 

“Hm, the commander did say we should “get it out of our system”, didn't he?” Hanzo puts a hand on Cole's back pocket. 

And that's how they end in a 4 stars hotel with a tub. Hanzo almost laughs at the daily fee and decides that yes, maybe Winston should learn not to give money away like that. As they enter the room, they look at the big bed, the expensive bathroom, and there is a living room for god’s sake.  

“Maybe it was too much.” Hanzo wonders.

“Nope. And I’m even stealing one of those robes.” Cole immediately starts to strip, leaving his boots at the door. Hanzo laughs, entering the room. He sees the alpha take off his plaid shirt, showing off the strong back and thick arms. His tan skin is littered with scars, some white, some raised. Hanzo has always admired how Cole had the right amount of muscle and fat, he wasn’t chiseled like the men that spent hours on the gym, but the training and hard life has obviously given him a good shape. 

The cowboy puts the robes over himself, leaving the feets with socks. Hanzo wants to laugh at the image, but doesn’t.

“Here, put it on too.” Cole hands him the other robe, excitedly going to the bathroom and figuring out the bathtub. 

The omega quickly changes, placing his clothes neatly folded besides Cole’s ones, that are thrown on the bed. The robes are soft and comfortable. He sits on the bed, feeling a comfort and luxury that he hasn't felt in more than ten years now. He lays down, feeling relaxed, even letting sleep snake in. 

When Cassidy comes back, sitting by his side, he asks. “Do you want to take a bath first?” 

Hanzo opens his eyes, nodding. Looking at Cole, the tan skin, the chest hair peeking where the robe closes, and decides to be a little forward. “Come with me.”

--

Hanzo lays his back on Cole’s front, feeling the Alpha nosing his temple. He feels his hands palming right under his breast, the soft dick against his butt. It was arousing, but at the same time it was overwhelming.

“This is kinda awkward.” Cole says, relaxing in the tub. He takes one of the small soaps on his side, opens it and uses it on Hanzo's arms.

“I have to agree.” Hanzo tries to get comfortable, not really managing to. 

“Movies lied about this one. This ain't sexy.” 

“You cannot tell me you haven't ever taken a bath with a partner!” Hanzo turns to Cassidy, huffing. 

“People usually just kicked me out of the rooms after we were done.” Cole shrugs, taking a handful of water and washing the soap away. 

Hanzo passes his fingers on his hair, brushing the hairs away. “How impolite of them.” The alpha slides down even more, making Hanzo move too, stranding Cole with his legs. The alpha snorts and kisses his jaw. 

Cole starts to purr, once the warm water and the caress on his head start to relax him, Hanzo lays his head on Cole’s chest, listening to the reverberating sound. He has never heard it before, an Alpha purring in real life. Hanzo can feel his eyes shutting and his consciousness drifting off. 

After several minutes, when the water starts to get cold, Cole says. “We should get out, I feel pruning in places it shouldn't be happening.” 

Hanzo can’t help but laugh. 

Cole moves out of the tub, taking the robes and towels. Hanzo uses his arms and the amount of strength he still has on his legs to lift himself and sit on the edge of the tub. Drying himself, he makes a face thinking about using the boots with damp feet.

“I should have taken my crutches.” Hanzo sighs, cursing the hasty Way the other agents have pushed them out of the watchpoint. 

“Want me to help?” Cole offers a hand. Hanzo takes it, and the alpha helps him up. 

Soon they are laying in bed, looking at whatever movie is going on the television. Hanzo refuses to change into clothes of any kind, letting himself naked under the robe, head on Cole's chest. The alpha does the same, even leaving the robe half open, his hairy chest showing. 

Hanzo can't pay attention to the movie, focusing on Patting Cole's chest. Felling he warm skin. God the man looked good. He can't resist biting the peck, not hard, but the alpha jumps in place, making Hanzo laugh out loud at the reaction. 

“Oh. It's on now, sugar.” Cole rolls over, holding himself over Hanzo, kissing him deeply, licking his bottom lip. The omega welcomes it, kissing him back, opening his mouth, letting the man explore his lips. Cole tastes like his cigars, his body is pleasantly heavy, hips slightly rocking against him. Hanzo lets himself get lost in the sensation, crossing his legs on Cole's back, bringing the man flush to his skin.

When they separate, Cole looks at him, lust blowing his pupils wide. Hanzo can smell his arousal, and can feel the heavy dick against him. “Do you have any condoms?” Cole asks. 

Hanzo blinks, realizing he doesn't. He hasn't had one with him in a long time actually, avoiding getting involved with people at all costs in the last few years. He shakes his head. 

“Well damn.” Cole huffs. 

“Uh I'm, I'm clean.” Hanzo quickly says. “You can ask Doctor Ziegler if you…”

“I trust you, honey. I'm clean too. I'm surprised you trust me enough, actually.” Cole snorts.

“You never lied to me.” Hanzo says, matter of fact. It sounds stupid, but it's the truth.

“It's just you just had a baby.” Cole says. “I don't want you worrying about something like that…”

“Oh.” Hanzo looks at Cole. “I’m still nursing. There is no danger.” Hanzo thought it was common sense to know omegas didn't ovulate or had heats while nursing just when the baby had stopped nursing that the risk of pregnancy was again a thing. 

“Oh. So I can--” Cole says, cock stiffening. Hanzo nods, feeling both arousal and dread over the whole thing. He wants Cole, he really does. Why is he suddenly scared? Irritated with himself, he brings Cole close, kissing him passionately, showing how much he wants the man, trying to forget the scary feeling in his gut.

The alpha holds Hanzo's hands, intertwining their fingers. For a moment he holds it over his head, a playful smile on his face. He knows it's a joke, he can feel that the hold is weak, the alpha doesn't know. He knows he doesn't know. 

“Cole.” Hanzo hastily pulls his hand back, easily freeing himself. “Don't do that.” he scolds softly, feeling scared for a second.

“Sorry.” Cole looks down at him, uncertain. “You're okay?” 

“Yes, let's continue.” Hanzo hugs his neck, trying to get back in the mood.

“Remember about no bullshitting?” Cole says when they separate. 

“Yes.” Hanzo kisses Cole anyways, nipping his bottom lip. “I just don't like when people restrict me.”

“‘kay. But tell me if I'm doing anything wrong.” 

Hanzo nods, rolling his hips, rubbing their dicks together. The alpha lets out a rumble against his ear, and Hanzo feels a thrum of pleasure in his gut. Cole's real hand moves down, holding him, stroking his member, slow and delicious. He feels his hole slick, the alpha's hand making his skin prickling with pleasure. He moans against Cole's neck, rubbing his cheek against his scent gland. He wants to smell like him forever. 

“Relax, sugar.” Cole whispers against his ear and Hanzo really tries to, focusing on the sensations. His shoulders are stiff and he's getting more angry than anything else. Why can't he relax? 

Cole takes his hand away from his member. He holds Hanzo’s waist with his real hand, with his prosthetic one, he grabs Hanzo’s peck, massaging it, pinching the nipple for a moment. Hanzo’s breath hitch, the pleasure of his overly sensitive breast bordering on pain. Cole kisses his jaw, licking his neck. A finger slips in his puckered hole, despite him still being a little tense.

Cole fingers Hanzo, massaging his insides. He’s wet with slick, feeling the pleasure slowly grow, the tingling on his navel building. Dick hard against Cole’s abdomen, the alpha’s weight over him delicious. 

He inserts another finger in, but even so Hanzo is still tense. Cole folds his fingers, hitting the right place for a moment, giving the omega a flash of pleasure. Hanzo moans, breathless and feels a gush of slick leaving him. He digs his nails on the alpha's back. Cole scissors his finger, taking his time, kissing his chest, his neck, nipping the scent gland. 

When Cole inserts the third finger, Hanzo feels overwhelmed already. He grabs the alpha’s hair, lightly pulling his face up. 

“Good?” He asks, with a meaningful look at Hanzo, kissing him tenderly. 

“Yes.” Hanzo whispers in Cole's mouth. “Please.” He traps Cole with his legs, crossing them on his back. “Please, come on.” He wants the alpha to fuck him, he has already prepped him way more than any other person he's been with. Maybe it won't hurt like the last time. 

“Easy.” Cole breathes, kissing him softly. He aligns them, sliding in, slowly. Hanzo can't help but close his eyes, tensing. 

It's not like before, with agony, Hanzo can feel pleasure, and can feel that the alpha's dick settling itself inside him way better than anyone he's been with before. But he’s getting so tense he feels pain. Somehow the last minutes with Cole prepping him are gone and he can only feel the stretch of the alpha entering him. But at least it's not tearing him apart. At least it's not the stuffy room, the hand on the back of his neck, the ties on his wrists--

“Han? Hanzo?” 

Hanzo snaps out of it. Looking at Cassidy with wide eyes, heaving. He was panicking and didn't even realize it. 

“Do you need to stop?” The alpha is breathless, face flushed, but worried.

“No. No, I'm enjoying it.” Hanzo takes Cole's face in his hands and kisses him. “Please continue.” He knows he will feel some kind of pleasure at the end, when he gets to touch himself and cum, so he can handle the discomfort for Cole’s sake. 

Cole hesitates for a moment, before moving. And it hurts again. It must show on his face, because the alpha immediately stops again. 

“Okay, let's stop.” Cole kisses his jaw, slipping out of Hanzo. “You're clearly uncomfortable.” 

“No. Cole, that's normal.” Hanzo holds Cole in a hug, hiding his face away in his chest. 

“That ain't normal, Han.” The alpha sits on the bed, bringing Hanzo up with. The omega releases his neck, looking at a spot on the sheets. The same feeling of inadequacy blooms in his chest again.

“Yes, it is.” Hanzo says, hugging himself. “Everybody knows that. I'm not in heat, it's normal.” He insists. 

“Who the hell told you that?”

“I--” Hanzo looks down, thinking about the years he spent on Hanamura being raised as an alpha.  

The omega servants and his family were forbidden to tell him anything about his gender. Everything felt shameful. Even researching it online was taboo for him, for the times he had done it his father had struck him in the face, warning him to not act like a whore.

“Family doctor.” He remembers his first visit to the doctor, after he presented at 13. It was an older alpha, one that served the family for a long time. Now he realizes maybe the old man didn’t have his health in mind when giving him advice about his body, but his father’s interest.

Even years after that he hadn't had time to learn about it nor money to go to a clinic frequently. Didn't help that he didn't have any friends (omega or otherwise) at that time.

“Oh, sugar. He was full of bullshit.” Cole says, matter of fact. “Listen, you're supposed to feel real good. Even not on heat.” He brings Hanzo close, kissing his face tenderly.

“Now what?” Hanzo asks when they break apart, setting his lips on a thin line, angry at himself, angry at everything. 

“We can try another way. Or stop.” Cole strokes Hanzo's face with his hand, touching their foreheads. “You're clearly not okay.”

“I don't want to stop.” Hanzo feels like he's throwing a tantrum, he feels stupid. “I want this, I initiated it! I want you to fuck me! I've literally been horny all week!” 

“Really? Am I that good?” Hanzo hits him with a pillow. Cole laughs, making the atmosphere lighter. “Hold your horses, I was joking. We just need to try somethin’ else.” 

“You better.” Hanzo points a finger at Cole. 

“Hmm, I love when you're bossy.” He brings Hanzo to his lap, letting the omega strand him with his legs. “I’ll take care of you.” Cole whispers against his jaw, kissing it. Hanzo feels his breath hitching with the promise.

Cole takes his real hand, going back into fingering Hanzo, realizing now, how tense the omega is. He noses his Omega's neck, purring loudly, kissing and licking the skin there. He seems to relax with the actions, letting himself go a little, threading his fingers through Cole's scalp. 

“You're so perfect.” He tells Hanzo and feels the Omega's dick twitch against his stomach. He files that information for later on, when they can have more than now. Hanzo moans loudly when Cole curls his fingers inside him, body contorting in pleasure. The omega covers his mouth, eyes large in surprise. 

“No, no, I like hearing you.” Cole says, taking the Omega's hand in his, kissing the palm. “Come on, look how good you're taking it.” He noses the Omega's scent gland, kissing and licking it. He takes Hanzo’s peck on his hand, kneading it again. The omega tries to rut against his belly, but can't because of the position. “You can touch yourself if you want, sugar.” 

“Want to touch you.” Hanzo pants against his skin. Cole then lays down, bringing the omega to lay beside him. The archer grabs his back, Hiding his face on his chest, holding the alpha like a lifeline. He grinds against Cole, their cocks sliding together, deliciously. Hanzo feels breathless and desperate.

He puts his hand on Cole's dick, he's big, being an alpha brought that, but Cole was certainly bigger than he expected. Hanzo strokes his cock, before squeezing the base of the half full knot once. 

“Shit.” The cowboy curses, he slips the fingers off of Hanzo. He gently lifts the omega's face up, kissing him. Hanzo kisses him back, tongue exploring Cole's mouth, biting the bottom lip. 

When they separate, Hanzo sees Cole closing his eyes, face scrunches in pleasure. Hanzo has an idea, and for a moment takes his hand away, using his fingers on himself, getting them all wet with slick. With the same hand he goes back into stroking Cole, sliding up and down. He looks down, watching the precome beading on the head of the cock, making Hanzo salivate a little.

“Ah, Han.” Cole breathes out, desperate. “Stop stop.” He begs, taking Hanzo's always from him.

Hanzo does so, scared he has hurt cole. “Did I hurt you?” He asks, kissing Cole's chest.

“No, it's just been a while.” He takes deep breaths, hands roaming Hanzo's sides. “This is going to be real fast if you won't stop.” 

Hanzo looks at him, wondering how a simple touch like this can make an alpha so disheveled. “I don't mind.” He says, stroking his face and then his lips. Cole opens them. Just a tad, tasting the pads of his fingers, groaning at the taste of Hanzo's slick. 

“God, you taste so good.” Cole’s hand caresses his back, his butt cheek, making him shiver.

“Shush.” Hanzo feels his cheek reddening and a surge of power with the way the alpha seems to become undone with just his touch. He kisses the cowboy again, he gets a hand around the both of their members, going back to stroking their dicks. 

He looks ast Cole, really looks. His chest glistening with a sheen of sweat, knot almost full, looking at him with so much desire and Hanzo can't resist again, he kisses his neck and chest, biting his peck, this time hard, licking the place after. The alpha buckles his hips, one hand pressing against his back, the other squeezing Hanzo's butt cheek. 

Cole whispers to omega, the dampness of his breath tickling his lips. “God, Han, I'm close.” He says it breathless, is like a prayer, like it's the only thing that keeps him going. Hanzo changes their positions, laying on the bed and pulling the alpha over himself. 

He snakes his legs around Cole's waist. The alpha ruts against his body, pace turning frantic, dick sliding against the curve of his thigh. He holds the headboard, and kisses Hanzo. The omega snakes his hand down, squeezing gently the alpha’s knot before Cole's body seizes, a deep groan leaving his lips as he orgasms. 

Hanzo sees Cole's cock release rope after rope of cum, it falling against his abdomen. He can't help but milk it a little. Fascinated by the quantity of semen. The alpha groans, first in pleasure then in pain and Hanzo releases him. Once the knot is not held anymore it starts to deflate, but Cole’s dick still spams once or twice before it starts to soften.

The alpha has his head rested on Hanzo's shoulder, close to his neck and the mating gland is. Hanzo does get nervous for a moment thinking that maybe he'd get bitten, but Cole only kisses him, trailing down to his clavicle and chest. 

“Holy shit.” He says, laying in between Hanzo's pecs, taking in gulps of air. “I was supposed to take care of you, not the other way ‘round.”

“Maybe I like seeing you come undone too.” Hanzo massages Cole's scalp, making the alpha groan in pleasure. 

“You're mean. That's what you are.” Cole starts trailing kisses down to Hanzo's torso, sucking and leaving marks on his skin. He stops for a moment, then looks up at Hanzo, asking eagerly. “Can I eat you out?” Hanzo almost laughs at the bluntness of the question, but he can see Cole's large pupils, the quick lick of his lips in expectation. 

He nods, “Yes, you can.” Then reassured with words. Cole goes back to his task with gusto, trailing kisses down his body. He stops at his navel, kissing the stretch marks left from his pregnancy. 

“God, you’re so beautiful.” He says, before slipping out of the bed and kneeling on the ground. Hanzo coots down some, letting Cole kiss the inside of his thigh, nipping the sensitive skin there, kissing the scars on his legs. He always tried to cover them, ashamed, but Cole made it feel like it wasn’t a big deal. 

He flinches when Cole licks his member from the base to the tip, oversensitive. Hanzo contorts in pleasurable agony. He moans as Cole swallows down his dick, hollowing his cheeks and moving his head up and down. The pleasure is too much for him. He puts a hand on Cole's hair, grabbing it and pulling his head off.

“You're okay?” The alpha asks, voice hoarse, lips glistering.

Hanzo takes a moment, centering himself before nodding. He brings Hanzo’s legs over his shoulders, holding the thighs firmly. He starts kissing and licking the inside of his thighs, then moves to his hole, tongue sneaking in, tasking the sweet and salty slick. 

The omega feels the pleasure taking over, almost unbearable.  The heating of his skin. The tingling on his navel. Cole's hands holding his thighs firmly up, his metal hand pinch him just enough to me pleasurable. Oh, Gods. He thinks, feeling his orgasms building. Cole's beard scrapes against him. The tongue feels wet and messy. 

No one has done that with him, everyone just fucked him quickly and fast, leaving Hanzo to find pleasure for himself after it was all done. Is no wonder his orgasm hits him by surprise, making his eyes roll back, seeing stars, hands fisting the sheets, body contorting in pleasure. A gush of slick leaves him, as does a weak rope of cum from his dick. He moans loudly, not able to control his volume.

When he comes back, gasping for air he sees Cole’s head trapped in between his legs, squished. The man looks like he's over the moon. 

“Oh, Gods, I'm sorry” Hanzo quickly releases Cole, sitting up on the bed. 

“The only way I'd die happy is crushed in between your legs.” Cole climbs up the bed, hand cleaning his face. He lies beside Hanzo. 

“Don't joke about that.” The omega hits him again with a pillow, making the alpha laugh.

Cole rests his head on the pillows and Hanzo lays on his chest, kissing his skin, seeing the red mark he left in Cole's peck. The silence gets comfortable, with Hanzo making circles on the cowboy’s skin. He can’t help but think of how everytime there is something making him fall back into panic. “I'm sorry I'm so difficult.” He hates that sensation of helplessness it gives him.

“Told you I'm willing to work for this.” Cole looks down at Hanzo.

“It shouldn't be this hard.” Hanzo wants to hide his face away, but he can't.

“There are things that trigger me too.” Cole sighs. “We need to discuss these things beforehand, that's normal.”

Hanzo hums, still frustrated.

“We kinda fucked up on that one today.” He makes a face at Hanzo. “For instance I'd panic hard if anyone tried to choke me.” He shrugs like it’s nothing, like it’s information about the weather or the news. “Dunno what folks find pleasurable about it.” 

“I'll keep that in mind.” 

“Also it really angers me when people spit on me. It's disgusting!” Cole says, making a grand gesture with his hands. 

“Do I have to remind you where your tongue was minutes ago?”

“That's different! Spittin’ also shows disrespect!” Hanzo can't help but chuckle, Cole looks at him with those soft eyes of his. “There ya go. You're way better with a smile on that pretty face of yours.”

Hanzo lets the soft sensation overtake his chest. He brings the cowboy down, kissing him on the mouth once, before they lay again. Cole stands up, muttering about getting them a rag to clean themselves. Hanzo rests his head on the soft pillow, tired, but feeling good.

--

***

“Stop! Stop! ” Hanzo screams. There is a Hand on his neck, holding him belly down, the nails dig on his skin, forcing submission. His hands are tied together to the bed frame, low enough he can’t turn, he can’t move. He kicks back, crying out as hands hold his legs firmly. His boots are on the other side of the room. The man, the alpha, doesn’t speak, he’s silent, only the heavy breathing making itself known in the damp stuffy room. 

How did he get in? Who is this alpha? Hanzo was supposed to be safe. 

Pain pain pain so much pain. It hurts so much. 

He snarls as the alpha tries to bite him. His dragons lend him some strength and he hits him with the back of his head, hearing a CRACK . Udon manifests, weak as he always was when he was in heat, and shocks the man with energy. “ Monster.” He says, before pulling Hanzo’s hips back, entering him with much more force than before, tearing him. 

“ Stay quiet, monster.”

He screams for help. 

***

“Hanzo, wake up.”

Hanzo wakes with a start, sitting up. His hair is everywhere, he’s naked and sweaty. No. no, no, no. He despairs for a moment. But his hands are not tied and the room is cold. Turning around he sees, half sitting by his side, Cole, naked just like him, covered in the soft sheets of the hotel. He reaches a trembling hand towards the alpha, as if to see if he wasn’t dreaming or if Cole was something he imagined in his mind after all. 

“Are you okay?” Cole takes his hand, bringing it to his chest. Hanzo can feel the heart under it, thumping, thumping, thumping. He lies back down, looking at Cole's scarred skin, trying to make himself smaller. “You were crying again, in your sleep.” The alpha says, reaching a hand and brushing the hair away from Hanzo’s face.

It’s late at night, probably too late. He hears the quietness of the city, the hum of the lights outside of the room. 

“I don't know why, I keep dreaming about terrible things. Remembering what I rather forget.” Hanzo whispers in the dark, a deep sadness pouring out of him, like he was so filled with it it couldn’t be contained.

“You want to talk about it?” Cole whispers, and Hanzo can’t help himself.

“It's usually about Genji, about that night. But also about Ako's… ” He can’t say it, he can’t call that man her father. 

“Sperm donor?” Cole supplies easily. Hanzo looks at him, nodding. “You never told me about it, about him.”

“I don’t want to remember, Cole.” The omega says, eyes closing in pain. 

“He hurt you too much?” He whispers the question, and Hanzo can’t take it, can’t take how Cole seems to already know how hurt he was, how beaten and broken he has been time and time again. He nods, hiding his face away.

“Sometimes” He starts. “The dream starts at the castle, that night... Then it changes. I see him doing the horrible things he did to me last year again and again.” He shudders, He feels like there is a lump in his throat, stopping him from speaking. But he still goes on. “The worst is that I can't help but think I deserved it.”

“Don't say that.” Cole’s voice is so sad. 

“How can I, after all I did?” He couldn’t help but feel like everything that happened to him was justified, some sort of divine justice, striking him down for what he had done to his brother, to the rest of his family.

“You didn’t deserves to be raped, Hanzo. No one deserves that.” Cole says simply. “No one.” And it’s the first time Hanzo hears the words that no one, in the year that followed, has told him. Not the alpha that saw him stumbling out of that room, bloody knife in hand. 

Not the pharmacist that sold him painkillers and salves, joking about him “having some rough heat fun, huh?” looking at the handprints on his neck. Not the nurse taking his blood, weeks later. Not his aunt. “You were in an alpha filled place, a week away from your heat, what did you expect to happen?” She had said.

“How can you bear to look at me?” He can’t take the pain, the humiliation, the way it makes him feel. 

“Same way you can look at me and see anything worth a damn.” Cole says, like is simple, like it’s that easy.

Looking at Cole now, laying beside him, a patient expression on his face, Hanzo can't help but think that maybe this, unbecoming or not, was better than whatever it was that he had before. That this is worth it. 

That he is in love and that zenyatta was right. It was truly good. 

-- 

Once morning comes, they eat their breakfast, a little emotionally frayed, but with a calm atmosphere around it. Cole doesn’t release his hand, snakes his arm around Hanzo’s waist, bringing him to his lap, not searching for anything sexual, just there, holding him. By the time they check out, Hanzo feels like a functional human being again and sends a message to Genji, telling him the pick up location. Right now he's waiting alone, Cole telling him he needed to buy a thing he forgot before.  

>I'm on my way. Genji shoots the message. Hanzo prays someone is with him, his brother has never learned how to drive properly. Closing his phone and looking up, he can see that Cole is approaching, carrying an orchid in his hand. 

“For you.” He hands him the flowers. Hanzo's heart almost melts out of his chest. 

“Ah, thank you.” he says, shy, but happy. He can't really look at Cole's face.

“Since it is our first official date, I might as well give you your favorite flowers.” He clears his throat, also shy. 

“Oh, my favorite flowers are actually hydrangeas.” Hanzo looks at the flowers, they are beautiful. A Dancing-lady orchid, if he's not wrong, the yellow and red reminding him of Cole, somehow. Looking at the alpha he can see his face falling and an annoyed expression taking place. 

“Genji will pay for this one.” Cole says, huffing. 

“No, I really like these. I’ll cherish them.” Hanzo says, smiling, kissing the cowboy. “You went to Genji to find out about my favorite flower?”

“‘Course I did. That little shit told me you had orchids in your room all the time in Hanamura, so “It must be his favorites”.” Cole mocks Genji’s voice. 

“I had them because the orchid plantation was a cover up for the drug business.” Hanzo says “After I turned out to be an Omega, the clan elders insisted that the flowers represented me and gave me one every time the harvest bloomed, despite my father's displeasure in the action.” He rolls his eyes. “I tried to care for the first one they gave me, but one day I went back and they had replaced it with a new one.”

“That’s sad.”

“Yes, especially because I had researched how to care for them.” The omega holds the orchids close to himself. “I have the chance to put that knowledge to the test now. Thank you.” Hanzo lances their hands, bringing Cole close and kissing him.

“One day I’ll plant Hydrangeas for you.” Cole grumbles, hugging Hanzo close.

“So romantic.” Hanzo kisses his jaw, feeling the tickle of the alpha’s beard on his lips. 

“A whole garden of them.” 

“Now you're trying to seduce me.” Hanzo says and Cole chuckles too. They keep close, in a half hug, enjoying each other’s presence. 

To Hanzo's demise, it's Genji that parks the car on the other side of the street annoyingly honking the horn at them. He rolls his eyes and they again take the car back into the Gibraltar base, His brother bantering with him about how everyone seemed to not appreciate his babysitting skills. 

As they enter the base and move to the mess hall, Hanzo can hear Ako crying and looks at his brother, angry and concerned. 

“Don't look at me, I was driving you two, she was fine when I left!” Genji raises his hands in surrender. Getting to the mess Hall, Hanzo sees Angela has Ako in her arms, trying to soothe her. Zenyatta is also by her side a orb of harmony floating in Ako’s direction and Hana is dangling a toy in front of her. Hanzo can’t help but almost run towards her. 

“Oh, Hi, you’re back.” The doctor says, handing the baby back to Hanzo. “Here you go.” 

“ What is it, little Ako?” He asks, nervous. The baby seems to calm down when held by Hanzo. “Is she okay?” Cole approaches, putting a hand on his lower back, a worried expression in his face. 

“You won’t even believe it.” Hana says, smiling. 

“We figured it out. She did have colic, but there is more.” Angela says, smilling. “She's teething.” 

“Really?” Hanzo gently opens Ako's mouth. There is the small point of a tooth. “Oh.” She's growing up too fast. Hanzo thinks, emotional. That's when Ako decides to close her mouth hard and clamp down her gums on Hanzo's finger. He looks at her surprised, it doesn't hurt, but it's more the fact it happened. 

“What the fuck.” Hana asks. “Did she just try to bite you?

“That's normal.” Angela chuckles. “The gums get itchy, so he will try to bite a lot. Even when nursing.”

“That's how you know she's yours.” Genji pats his brother in the back. “You always liked to bite people when we were kids.” His brother says, just out of nowhere, as if he hasn’t embarrassed Hanzo enough in front of other agents. 

“I DID NOT.” Hanzo feels his cheeks warming up.

“Everyone had at least one bite mark--”

“Stop lying!” Hanzo closes Genji’s mouth with his free hands. 

“That explains a lot about last night.” Cole mumbles, not low enough, because the reactions  are almost immediate. 

“ARGH I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS!” 

“TMI DUDE!” 

“CASSIDY!”

Notes:

You know that photo of Rihanna looking up as Asap Rock? That’s how Hanzo was looking at Cole.
Anyways, Hanzo doesn't seem to realize his inner thoughts of "eh, maybe if i died right now it would be okay" are also suicidal thougths. Poor dude.
And I actually had to open a gibraltar map to see what they have there, because I wanted to know if you can go to a museum to a beach by walking. I live in a city that my closest cinema is 30 minutes away by car, so... there's that.
Anyways, Did I do a good job with the smut? It's the first time I actually publish smut like this, I tried my best. I hope yall liked it.

Chapter 10: All my limbs can become trees

Summary:

Hanzo goes to a mission. It's chaotic. Cole helps him after.

Notes:

Hi, Y'all! How are y'all doing?
Here is a mission chapter. Don't worry nothing too bad happens.
I'm really proud of this chapter. Idk why, I liked making this a lot.

This chapter is brought to you by Pushing the Sky By the Seatbelts and Religion by Lana del Rey >:) ehehehehehhehe

Hanzo would think that a military plane would be much more covert, but the orca was noisy when flying. It didn’t help that the thing was old as all hell and took turbulence horribly. He can’t understand how Hana can sleep through all of it, or how Brigitte managed to read. Hanzo feels nervous. It is his first mission, after all. 

He, Hana and Brigitte were assigned to work with other security companies to maintain the safety of a festival. Something in the US that has too much booze, partying and loud music for him to pay any attention to what it was about. The request showed up after their first missions had succeeded. 

The festival had the presence of several celebrities, singers and Djs, but the big “problem” as the request described, was a big Beta actress that openly advocated for Omnics rights called Joy. She was attending the festival with her omnic girlfriend, Elisabeth. Winston had shown them several hastily printed pages of a dossier showing that anti-omnic extremists wanted to make the celebrity and her girlfriend “examples” with death threats.

“I honestly don't know what they think will happen.” Hana said, laying down on the seats of the orca as they lifted off. “It’s not like people will stop dating Omnics.”

“People are just bigots.” Brigitte said, bouncing her leg, nervous. Hanzo nodded, biting his thumb nail.

“Hate groups are mostly filled with cowards with weak minds. Herd behavior.” He had commented. “The problem is when they have a dog guiding them.” And Talon could be that dog. Hanzo could imagine the groups gathering together, raising money, just to pay for a mercenary to do what they don't have the courage to. 

“I hope it is a false alarm. Would be easy money.” Brigitte sighed, nervous. 

Now, as the trip goes by the three omegas get fidgety, Brigitte closes her book, voicing her nervousness of her first mission ever on the field. Hanzo doesn’t feel like he can tell them how he’s scared with the idea of staying in the crowd surrounded by strange people, strange Alphas. So he texts Cole. his phone pings again with a new message. 

>Do you like strawberries or chocolate more? 

Cole sends the question. It takes Hanzo by surprise, but he answers anyway. 

<Depends. By itself Chocolate, on sweets I prefer strawberries. Why?

 Hanzo sees the next answers come up way too quickly. 

>No reason. 

That was suspicious. Hanzo narrows his eyes at his communicator wondering what the cowboy is doing now. 

“Five more minutes, loves.” Tracer calls from the cabin. 

Hanzo stands up, gently waking Hana, who was asleep. She sits up, yawning. His communicator chirps with a message, when he opens it he can see Cole sending a heart emoji. Hanzo tells him they are landing and the cowboy shoots him a photo of Ako with another crocheted wide brim hat on. The cowboy had taken the baby’s hand, making her do a thumbs up, he sent the photo with a ‘good luck’ under it. 

>Thank you. 

Hanzo types back. And with a hasty motion adds a single heart emoji to it before sending it. 

“Awww that's cute.” Hana says, peering over his shoulder. Hanzo quickly hides his comm away, temper blistering at the intrusion.

“You shouldn't look into people's private conversation.” Hanzo quips back. 

“You should relax more.” She gets up, going to her mecha. “Not like I’m going to see a knot pic or something.” Hanzo rolls his eyes as he hears Brigitte laugh loudly (he wonders if she got the habit from watching her godfather).  

The bright bubblegum pink of her robot contrasted with her uniform. They are all already dressed in their clothes, all mostly black, per Winston’s idea. A way to show how serious they are. The commander had even given them pins with their “logo” so they could identify as a group. It was just the overwatch logo with a different color to it. “ At least it is something.” Hanzo had whispered to Cole.

“Maybe we need one of those fancy graphic designers.” The alpha said, when he looked at the thing for the first time, making a face at it. 

Once they land, Lena tells them goodbye, going to hide the orca nearby. The hustle and bustle of the festival already makes Hanzo antsy. It's too early in the day and they can see people lining up on the opening “gates”, talking, screaming, singing. Hanzo is already tired.

They all turn the channel on their comms on, pinning them to their clothes, and Hana to the inside of her cabin, and move to the meeting place. Hana's mecha calls attention to them as they walk by. Some people on the gates seem to cheer looking at her, maybe recognizing the young omega from the internet.

The place is a vast grass field, with several stages built on it, each bigger than the other. As they are moving to the tent where security is, they can see the food court with overpriced sweets and quick meals. There are several other constructions. VIP sections Hanzo supposes, each is more extravagant than the other, brands trying to outdo each other.

Their comms crackle with static and Tracer speaks to them. “Hello, dears. The Orca safely landed.” She says in her normal cheering tone. “Now, Hana knows the drill, but for first timers: Me and Winston are on stand-by and I will be checking in every hour, since this is your first mission. If anything happens, you know what channel I’m on. I’m just a few minutes away from you guys. Cheers.” And she turns it off. 

Hanzo turns to the other omega, nodding.

Getting to the security tent, Hanzo can see that despite him thinking they were obvious about their cover, most of the security teams there actually have an inspired look on old overwatch. Same blue/gray/orange color scheme, similar uniforms, similar everything. Even the stupid berets are apparently a thing. It was ironic how they were the ones standing out, actually, with the dark clothes that weren't tactical gears and overcoats. 

“This is awkward.” Hana mutters to Hanzo. “We look like clowns.”

“Indeed.” Hanzo crosses his arms, trying to look more serious and intimidating. They all managed to stay on the back of the room, backs to the tarp, observing everyone there. No one seems too out of character to him. The organizers of the festival show briefly after, greeting everyone and showing the security protocols and the planning of how things should be going. 

“This seems too cliche.” Brigitte mutters to the other two. “There is too little security for a festival this size.” She squints. “And shouldn't they be more prepared?”

Hanzo nods, looking around, before muttering. “Especially if they knew about this threat beforehand. Winston said there are legitimate reasons to be worried about this.”

“Have you guys noticed the police cars and the ambulances outside or the gates?” Hana slightly turns her head to them, speaking low. “I’ve seen Gaming conventions with more backup than that.”

Hanzo nods. 

Something’s wrong.

“And I suppose the weirdos on the back are from “The watch”?” The main organizer (a beta woman with dyed red hair) interrupts them, looking at his group with scrutiny. Hanzo almost groans at the stupid obvious name, hopefully it only shows as a frown on his face. 

“Yes, That’d be us.” Hanzo says, face still closed off. 

“Okay, You guys have an easy job.” Hanzo nods at the woman, acting like their figurehead. “You will make the security for the VIP section on the main stage, the “carnaval area”. There is a float there, which will have a lot of celebs inside. Your job is to stop any creeps trying to get into the float.” she looks at them, then rolls her eyes, sighing. “At least people will think you are part of the whole decor.” She mutters, to Hanzo’s displeasure. “Now, let's all go.”

Hanzo scratches his brow, worry setting deep inside his guts. Everyone leaves the room, each company leaving to their own posts. The omega can't stop thinking about how odd everything seems.

They stand close to the tent. Here they are closer to the VIP sections, each built with so many flashing lights Hanzo cannot imagine how someone would pay more to be inside it. 

“Is that a whole club?” Brigitte asks, pointing. Hanzo looks at the installation, and can see that a soda brand honest to god built a club at the festival. 3 stories high with big lights. 

“Rich people are dumb enough to spend money on stupid shit.” Hana says, making a face at the building. “No offense.” She turns to Hanzo. 

“None taken.” Hanzo says, making sure all of his arrows are accounted for in his quiver. 

“Ah. Hey, you guys!” One of the organizers, an alpha called something like Miller (was it Matt? Hanzo hadn't paid that much attention) approaches them, a big smile on his face. “So can I speak to you for a moment?”

All of them look at Miller nodding at him in acknowledgment (He’s sure his name wasn’t that. Maybe Marty?). 

“I'm the head of security here! So, I wanted to thank you guys for coming. Your company was so kind to send an all omega team like Miss Joy asked for.” He says in a patronizing way. Hanzo looks at Hana, and he gives him that one knowing look every omega knows. “That kind of initiative is so important, you know?” he says, as if he really really cares about omegas jobs. Hanzo almost wants to see if he could strangle the man with his bare hands. 

Hanzo tries to open a smile as he nods, trying to do like Cole and show some politeness, but he's sure it looks like a badly disguised grimace. “Yes, it's amazing.” He says in between his teeth. The alpha shows mild disgust looking at his face, before clapping his hands together and smiling again at Hana and Brigitte. 

“Yes. See you, amazing omegas, once she gets here.” He dismisses them and moves to whatever place the organizers go once festivals start. 

“Oh, it is so important, you cute wittle omegas.” Hana mocks as she climbs inside her mecha. “Those initiatives are soooo important! Not like we have worked since forever. Noooo our dear alphas allowed us to work.” She grumbles, flicking and pressing buttons. The mecha comes to life and they start moving.

“Can you imagine where we would be without them?” Brigitte deadpans. Hanzo chuckles at their mood as they walk to their post. He was used to that kind of treatment, at this point not even caring about bigoted alphas and their opinions, but it was good to see the fire on the new generation.

The gates open and the people start to fill in. Music plays on the speakers, first low but then gradually getting louder.

“Keep the focus, the loud music will be distracting.” Hanzo says to his communicator. The people there are all wearing bright colors, alternative outfits, and masks. Shit. Hanzo sees at least three people walking around with painted blue skin and purple clothes. His dragons stir, making him antsy. 

Be careful. Udon whispers in his ear. There is danger around.

“Winston wasn't joking about this not being an easy mission.” Brigitte says, looking around. Hanzo cannot agree more. He is not happy with his position. On the ground he couldn’t survey the whole place. 

They stay on strategic points outside of the float that still remain empty. The thing is far back  to the main stage, in the back of the main crowd area, a metal barrier separating it from the general public, a weird place for people that paid so much to be there. 

As the day moves on, the three see the mob start to form, Tracer keeps checking on them from time to time. They can see a diverse amount of people walking around enjoying the music and the overpriced food. Hanzo sees that it’s a festival celebrating Human-omnic relations and peace. He hadn’t realized it before, but now he sees that most installations and stages are themed like that. 

“Kind of sad we still have to have festivals like these to accept people that are different.” Hana says from the mecha, after directing someone else back to the main stage. Brigitte agrees.

“Years ago not even same sex couples were accepted.” Hanzo mentions. “Male omegas were seen as lesser than, and Female alphas were seen as a freak accident of nature.” Hanzo is still looking around, surveying the place. “Some places still think like that.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.” Brigitte says, shaking her head. Hanzo nods, and then he can see, far away, a group of the celebrities getting close in the separated pathway. They wave to their fans, and Hanzo can see several small singers, Tv actors and people he had no idea who they were. 

“Ugh, sub-celebrities.” Hana comments, making a face. 

Hanzo can finally understand why they needed extra security. The crowd was already wild when the small celebrities got there. Several times they had to move people trying to invade the areas, authought Hanzo didn’t see anyone that was too far away from the usual crazed fan. 

When Joy arrives the whole thing changes. 

The crowd gets loud, omnics and their partners waving to her, people extending their hands to try to touch her as she passes by. Time and time again, they have to escort people back into the crowd, with Hanzo even having to haul one over his shoulder to stop the advance. 

As lunch time ticks by, the crowd starts to get less rowdy, with several people moving to the food stands. Hanzo feels his stomach grumble, mouth watering at the smells waffling down from the food court. 

“We really should have eaten before they got here.” Hana says, sighing dreamily at the smell of food.

“I’m contemplating cannibalism.” Hanzo deadpans, making Hana and Brigitte laugh. Looking at the time he could see it was close to 3 p.m.

“I’ll go get us some food.” Brigitte says, leaving her flail on the ground close to the Float. Hanzo stands close to the weapon, eyes still roaming the crowds. 

Tracer checks in once again, with Hanzo as Hana answering how they are famished but everything seems okay. Thus far, no extremists. 

He doesn’t know if it's hunger or the fact there are so many people around, but Hanzo has a gut feeling. His dragons are stirring. Looking around he starts to see something weird. He remembers how many people they had on the security teams, and it wasn’t a lot, But now he can see it in the crowd, several people wearing the same color garment. Gray, white and Overwatch blue ©.

When Brigitte comes back, she has a box of donuts with her and Hanzo almost wants to laugh at how clichê it is. Before she can reach them, a ruckus starts. Turning they can see a big fight has started in the crowd, the swaying of bodies punching and kicking moving the barriers. 

“What the hell?” Hana says, moving the mecha from side to side, trying to see how the whole thing started. “Talon?”

Hanzo looks around, but can’t see anyone matching the files Winston had shown them. It’s all the same people with the overwatch old color scheme. Several of the other security guards jump into the crowd, trying to stop the fight, but somehow the fight keeps getting bigger and bigger. In seconds Hanzo can’t recognize who is what. Then it hits him. “Shit. They are using the same clothes as the security teams.” 

A bottle is thrown in the direction of the float, breaking as it hits the structure, the shards near missing the people there. Quickly, Brigitte leaves the box on a nearby stand and runs to them. The metal barrier goes down, making the crowd and the security fall down with a collective scream.

A panic starts. People are running. Most of the crowd is trying to escape, but the people wearing the color scheme try to climb the float, some even trying to climb the mecha to get into it. Hana moves it from side to side, throwing the people away. 

Brigitte uses her shield to push them back, hitting hard at their legs with her flail, being the most efficient in clearing the way. Hana activates her shield when more bottles, rocks and even a chair is thrown in their direction. Hanzo Punches and kicks the ones getting too close, he doesn’t want to use his arrows and ends up killing someone unintentionally. 

“What's going on?” Joy asks them, panicked, from the float. She has a hand on Her girlfriend’s back, protective. From inside, the celebrities are screaming and crying out. 

“Stay inside!” Hanzo exclaims, as a man tackles him to the ground. He tries to keep him there, but Hanzo punches his face, using his legs (and new boots) to push the man off of him. Pathetic Soba laughs.

Taking a deep breath, Hanzo starts to get up, when he notices the float has wheels on it. The thing is kept locked in with the big bricks stopping the wheels. 

“The float has wheels.” Hanzo says, looking quickly at Hana. “D.va, do you think you can push it with your propulsors?” He says on his comm.

“Of course I can!”

“Briggite, keep them at bay. Hana, help me take the bricks down.” Hana leaves the robot, quickly crawling under the float. Hanzo takes the brick from the wheel closest to him, throwing it away; quickly moving to the other one on the back. As soon as he kicks it away, he can hear Hana confirming she did the same. 

He gets up, seeing that D.va is running back to the mecha. A man pulls her by the arm. She throws a punch, but the man dodges it, punching back, hitting her in the cheek. Hanzo Gets his bow and shoots an arrow to the man’s thigh. Fuck not hurting civilians. 

The man screams in pain, letting go of Hana. She in turn takes her weapon out and hits him in the temple. The man is down and she runs, getting inside the mecha. 

“Thank you, old man.” She says, groaning in pain. She puts the mechas arms on the float and activates the propulsors, moving the float away from the crowd. The celebrities inside scream, swaying and falling on the float’s ground. But Hanzo now can focus on stopping whatever it is that is happening. 

He sees Brigitte moving on the crowd, punching specific people. Hanzo can’t recognize how she’s differentiating one from another. He runs to her side still dodging people and not knowing who to hit. 

“MR. SHIMADA! I figured it out! The people attacking us are using an overwatch t-shirt. It's an old Merch! ” She screams, probably forgetting they have comms clipped to their lapels and an open channel. “See, I had one of those!” She grabs one by the collar, punches the lights out of the man and shows him the shirt, a genial smile on her face. 

Looking around, Hanzo can see that there are at least 30 people, fighting and laying down groaning, around the fighting who have that same shirt. He and Brigitte work fast, containing them. Soon there are sirens and they can see five police vehicles arriving. The remainder of the hate group starts running, but Hana stops them, sending warning shots to the ground as she flies back, stopping in front of them.

“Everybody, hands in the air!” The first policeman says, pointing her pulse weapon at them. He and Brigitte stop, before the event Planner arrives in her hoverbike.  

“Stop, Stop, these are my security staff! You idiots!” She says, calming the people down. The police, to everyone’s surprise, lower their weapons and start doing their actual work.

--

When the police takes over, Hanzo, Brigitte and Hana are cleared out, the main event planner moves them to one of the ambulance areas, so they can get checked. Several of the security staff were badly hurt during the fight, apparently unprepared to deal with an attack like that. They give them mild painkillers and an ice pack for Hana's eye. 

“Can't believe they're still going with the event.” Hana says, putting the ice pack down from her cheek. Brigitte agrees.

“Unfortunately people like money a lot.” Hanzo sits down, doubling over, trying to center himself. “Can anyone give me food?”

“Oh no!” Brigitte says, surprised. “We lost the donuts!” 

Hanzo grumbles, then remembers he should have pumped during the day with the portable pump Angela has given to him. His chest hurt. The EMT gives them a protein bar each and Hanzo wants to bite his hand off. 

“There you guys are!” The head security (Mark? Was it Mark?) shows up, once they finish their protein bars and start heading back to the meeting area. “Come on, Come on! Miss Joy is going to be in the Night Life area now!” He urges them to follow him. They do, being reminded that they were paid for the whole event. 

As they pass the area where the incident happened, they can see the police tapes and the men in the group being put in the back of the police cars. Hanzo puts a hand over his nose, avoiding the overpowering smell of either angry alpha or distressed alpha, as it is the majority of the people there. Some chant command words, strangely cheerful.

There's danger still, little one. Soba whispers and Hanzo keeps his eyes open. 

Getting to the night life área, they find out it's the stupid fake club. Entering it, they see that it's not as full as one would expect, but it was slightly difficult to move around. The structure imitated the look of a nightclub, but the two other floors were just glorified catwalks and were empty now. Who the hell pays for this kind of thing? He thinks to himself. 

“Let's mingle a little.” Hana says. 

Hanzo nods, looking around for the stairs to the other floors. “I'm going up. If anything happens we’ll have eyes everywhere.”

Hana and Brigitte nod, each moving to a different place. Hanzo quickly goes up to the catwalk, moving to the second floor. Half an hour passes and looking at the time on his comm, he can see the whole event is almost over. He also sees he has an unread message.

>Good luck, sugar. 💖💞💘

Hanzo snorts at the message and the silly overuse of emojis from the cowboy. 

“There you are.” The main event planner shows up, getting to the catwalk with a nervous alpha by her side, who Hanzo supposes is her assistant. 

“Hello.” Hanzo nods to her.

“Thank you for the good job.” She says, cheerful, scratching her head. “You guys didn't need to do all you did.” She has a corporate smile on her face, which makes Hanzo suspicious. “Can you tell your boss we'll be sending you all a very generous bonus?”

“That is… acceptable.” Hanzo says, crossing his arms. Wondering where this is going. 

She sighs, then puts her hands on her hips. “Listen, I'll be straightforward with you. We had an issue with the security firm we usually use. I trusted Manson to hire good replacements and extras because of the bullshit Joy keeps pulling. Apparently he can't even do that, because only you guys managed to do your job!” She grabs the railing, angry, looking down at the crowd.

“I see.” Hanzo nods, only managing to think about the fact the Security head was named after a cult leader. 

“So please, don't sue us!” She almost begs. Oh, that's what this was about. “It's already bad enough that the threats were real. But guys are all omegas, it really looks bad on us seeing omegas being punched in the face at our festival.” She sighs.

Wait, what?

“Why let Joy ask for an all omega team, then?” Hanzo inquires, looking at the woman. “Since it's an “issue”.?

“She didn’t ask for an all omega team.” The beta looks at him, curious. “Miss Joy had her own team. You saw them being wheeled away, after the attack. You guys are just general security, like I told you before.” She scratches her own head, a confused look on her face. 

“Your head of security told us otherwise.”

“What? That wasn’t what we agreed on.”

He feels like a lead ball has fallen on his chest, Hanzo looks down at the dancefloor, the head of security is in the middle of it, still as people, humans and omnics, jump around in the grass. Right by his side are Joy and Elizabeth. He lifts his hand from his inner pocket. There is a military grade EMP on his hand. 

Fuck. 

He looks at Hana, who is already running in their direction, the ice pack forgotten, pistol in her hand. He can hear her screaming “Move move move!” to the crowd, pushing people away.

“Scatter the crowd!” Hanzo says on his comm, desperately looking for a fire alarm, anything. He can hear Brigitte doing the same on the bottom floor.

“What’s going o--” Before the event planner can ask, shots are fired. The crowd starts to scream and scatter around, leaving the dancefloor in mass. Hanzo turns and sees that it came from Hana’s weapon. The girl has shot up, scaring people away. 

The man presses the button on the EMP right before Joy and Elizabeth know what's going on. The wave hits everyone. The music stops. Elizabeth goes down, as do the few omnics left behind and the electronics device in the area. 

“Brigitte--” Hanzo says, but can’t hear anything, the comm has stopped working. “BRIGITTE! Protect the targets!” he shouts, seeing the alpha, Manson, standing up and taking a weapon out of his holster inside his suit.

“What the hell?” The event planner exclaims. 

“Come on.” Hanzo says, moving the organizers away from the edge and to the stairs. 

“What the fuck is wrong with Manson?” She asks for the other alpha on her side, who shakes his head. The alpha’s name being Manson makes a lot more sense now.

“YOU WARBOTS ARE DONE!” Mason screams from the dance floor. “HUMANS ABOVE ALL!!” 

“He’s an attacker? A FUCKING TERRORIST?” She shouts, a vein popping up on her forehead. 

“Calm down.” Hanzo says. He hears a shot. “Go somewhere safe, We’ll deal with this.”

“Oh you sure fucking will.” She demands, looking at the alpha, while going down the stairs. “Who the fuck let a human supremacist on a festival about diversity?”

“Well, it's not as bad.” The nervous alpha tries to reason. “He’s outsourced.”

“The man was the CHIEF OF SECURITY! HE planned the whole thing with us, you--” she takes a deep breath. “Do you know how much money we will lose with this stupid stunt he did? Do you?” She massages the bridge of her nose, an anger red tinting her face. “Go snatch him. Tie that bitch to a pole or something, I need to call our PR team!” She points at Hanzo before going downstairs and leaving through a side door.

Hanzo scoffs at their priorities, but does so. Looking down from the pathway he can see on the dancefloor that Joy is trying to shake her girlfriend awake. The Alpha is going on a rant about something he doesn’t care about, pointing the gun at the two targets. 

“Shit.” He says and runs on the catwalk, searching for a vantage point. 

He sees Brigitte running to Joy, but the Alpha fires two shots, landing too close to Elizabeth's head. She stops and Mason pulls Elisabeth’s limp body flush to him, a gun pointed at her head, just as the omnic is awakening. He moves away from Brigitte, walking backwards.

“Liz!” Joy screams. Brigitte quickly moves and kneels down, pulling Joy in between her body and her shield. The dance floor is empty now, only them are there. Hanzo readies his bow, he could try to take him, single head shot, but not without taking Elisabeth with. The man was smart enough to use her as a shield. Manson starts his tirade again, waving the pulse gun around like it is nothing. Hana leaves the mecha, gun pointed at the man. 

Elizabeth wakes up. She looks around and immediately starts to panic, seeing the predicament she is in. The few omnics around them affected by the EMP do the same, running in panic. Shit, is even worse to try a shot now.

Hanzo snarls in frustration and puts his bow down and around himself. He climbs on the metal railing, turning his body out. He folds his knees, feet resting against the railing. Time to see how good these new boots are. He puts all his strength on pushing his body out and down as he jumps. He braces himself, hitting the ground with his back, sliding on the grass. He stops exactly where he wants, right beside Manson’s legs. 

“What the fu--” Before the man can even understand what was going on, Hanzo takes one of the arrows from his quiver and stabs the man’s shin, right where he knows the nerves will be damaged. The man howls in pain, falling to the ground and releasing the Omnics in the process.

“Here!” Brigitte calls and Elizabeth runs to her, standing beside Joy.

“You bitch!” The alpha sits with difficulty, pointing the gun at Hanzo, who quickly rolls out of the way of the shot. Hana comes running, hitting Mason in the temple hard with the butt of her gun. He goes down disoriented. 

Hanzo gets up, breathing hard. They wait for a moment, expecting another attack. But it doesn’t come. He walks around, searching for anything to tie the man with, finding zip ties under the counter in the receptionist area. He gets three and tosses the bag to Hana. 

When the alpha opens his eyes, Hanzo has already tied his hands and Hana was finishing the legs. 

“You cunt!” The man slurs out, trashings around. “We are going to fucking kill you all whores, and your tin cans!” Hana stands up, cleaning her hands, and kicks the man on the stomach. “You can’t do this!”

“I’m not a policeman, you idiot.” Hana sneers at him, kicking the man on the crotch. Hanzo wants to chuckle at the Girl’s actions, the omega reminding him of Cole. Autought, the girl would be absolutely offended by it.

“I think we finished here.” Hanzo says, relaxing. 

“Thank you.” Joy says from behind the shield. “You saved our lives.” Joy looks at Liz, smiling.

“How did he get that EMP?” Brigitte asks. “I’ve only seen that model used in the military.” A powerful shot zips through the air, hitting on Brigitte’s shoulder, bending the armor. Brigitte screams, but shields the two targets with her body. 

“Sniper!” Hana screams. Both dive away from the line of fire, Hana to behind her mecha and Hanzo behind a big decoration. 

Hanzo looks up, a purple shine taking his attention. He shoots a scanning arrow, the vibrations point to someone standing there. He sees the characteristic seven red glow from her hemet in the distance. 

“Talon.” He says, looking at the woman's shadow. “Get them somewhere safe.” They quickly move to where the bar is, leaving the targets under the counter, another shot zipping between them. Turning, Hanzo quickly shoots 3 consecutive arrows in her direction. Widowmaker jumps back, avoiding them. 

Hanzo then takes the chance, scaling the railing, jumping up and to the catwalks where Widowmaker is. He feels two more shots near miss his back. When he gets there, kneels down and shoots an arrow. it hits her helmet, damaging it. She hastily throws it away. 

With a snarl she uses her grappling gun to get too close. She sends one spider-like device at him. Hanzo dodges it with a roll, using the momentum to attack her. He throws one, two, three punches. Widowmaker moves like a madwoman, dodging his hits, like she's not even human. 

Hanzo tries to hit her with the point of his arrow, but Widow punches his hand away. She backs him against the wall and holds the nozzle of the rifle against his jaw, bringing his chin up. 

“How is your little one?” The cold smile on her face chills Hanzo for a moment, before he hits her on the leg with his feet, making her buckle. 

She screams. Hanzo uses the point of his bow to hit her side, hard. Amelie rolls away. She puts a hand on her wound, seeing she’s bleeding. Hanzo takes the opportunity to get as far away as he can. She aims, opening fire, grazing his arm. 

Hanzo screams, crouching in pain. Widowmaker uses the moment of distraction to point the gun at her targets. 

“Get behind me!” He hears Hana activating her shields just in time. Two bullets are shot. Hana sends her small missiles, making Widow duck. Several parts of the metal structure above fall down, making the catwalk sway. Hanzo launches himself towards her direction and snakes his arms around her neck, squeezing it. 

She trashes around, hitting Hanzo's face repeatedly. Punch! Punch! PUNCH! She hits his eye, the sharp pain making him falter. Hanzo squeezes her neck harder. In despair, she takes one of his hands in hers, pulling his finger and dislocating his thumb. But Hanzo doesn't release her. He's been through worse, was trained from infancy to take worse.

In a desperate move, she sticks him with the same spider-shaped device from before. It imbeds itself on his arm, injecting him with something before falling off.

Hanzo screams in pain, the poison making his arm spasm. He falls to the ground, his arrows scatter around him. He feels the poison taking effect, weakening his muscles, making him spasm.

“B-BRIGITTE.” He chokes, feeling himself seizing.

“I'M ON MY WAY.” She screams, the heavy footsteps echo as she gets up. Hanzo is just hopeful she'll get here soon. 

Widowmaker approaches him, rifle pointed down at his face. She has the facade of indifference, but Hanzo can see that this is not her normal, she's not used to a hand to hand fight. A mist-like shadow materializes behind her. 

Hanzo has never seen something like that, a man comes out of it. He smells sweet, like rotten fruit and mated alpha. 

He smells like Jack. 

“Stop.” The man says in a gravelly voice. “Doomfist wants us to fall back.”

“Let me just kill this pest.” She sneers at him, the thick blood beading on her brow and lips.

“The mission is already considered a failure.” He commands. “Let's not make him mad by killing his favorite candidate.” 

Her nose flares for a moment, showing her real feelings about the situation, her anger, but it's soon over and her blank expression comes back. She walks away, a limp on her step, Hanzo hears the grappling gun going off. 

The shadow knells down beside him. 

“Tell Jack to stop following me. I don’t want him here.”

Hanzo looks at him in anger. He hears Brigitte finally getting to their level, the catwalk even swaying a little as she steps on it.

“And Akande sends a message: the offer is still up.” The masked face tilts as if it is an owl’s head. “Tell Cole the same is valid to him.”

“STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” Brigitte screams.

“You can even bring the little one. Wouldn't it be nice? Playing house with us a little?” 

Hanzo feels a surge of anger, his dragons trash around, lending him strength. With all the strength he has, Hanzo snatches one of the arrows close to his hand and spears it through Reaper’s jaw up to his eye. The point of the arrow exits through the hole on the man's mask, dripping blood and a weirdly black body fluid. 

He's unflinching and Hanzo can't believe it, he can't believe this didn't kill him. His dragons hiss under his skin. 

“O-our a-ansswer-r.” He manages in between trembling and seizing, a scow on his face.

“I see.” He gets up. “I'll send the message.” And then he's gone. As if he was never there to Begin with. What was that? He knows it is Reaper, but what was that thing? That wasn’t a man, an alpha. But it smelled like one, like it was dying and it was sending a message to his mate. Follow my scent. Find me. He wants to puke with the potency of it. 

Brigitte quickly runs to his side, kneeling and injecting him with anti-poison and biotics. “You're going to be okay.” She reassures Hanzo, he can see the girl is frazzled, a little sloppy.

“Tracer, we need help.” Hana tries again, the communicator still picking up static from outside. It's only when Hanzo is already feeling the effects of the healing that they can hear Trace's communicator. 

“--KING ANSWER ME TEAM! Bollocks, Winston, I'm going in.”

“Tracer!” Hana manages, relieved. “We need some help over here!” 

“Finally! I'm on my way, loves.” They hear the comm shut down. 

Hanzo sits up with Brigitte's help, he can feel the toxin start to wear out of his body. 

“The biotics will help, but you'll probably still have a black eye for a day or two.” She says

“I've had worse.” He says, taking deep breaths, centering himself. It's true. He has been in worse situations, by the clan’s hand and after. It was a relief to have help rather than having to deal with it himself. His thumb stings, but he doesn't dare to put it back by himself, from how badly out of place it looks. 

“Are you guys okay?” Hana asks from the dance floor. Brigitte goes to the railing, giving her a thumbs up. “Same here. What about you, old man?”

“Yes. I'm fine.” Hanzo breathes out. 

Brigitte helps him to get down to the dance floor. There he can see Hana has Joy and her partner hidden, behind the mech, both trembling. 

There are sirens approaching.

--

After several hours of explanations given to the police, a dislocated thumb put back in place (and into a brace) and handshakes exchanged with Joy and the two other organizers of the event, the trio is back to the orca. Hanzo is tired and wants to pass out on the seats of the orca.

“Jesus Christ.” Brigitte says, taking off part of her armor and sitting down on the ground as the orca lifts off. Hanzo grumbles, resting his face on his hands.

“You know, we really were badass back there.” Hana says, a tired sigh leaving her. She sounds like she's about to pass out.

“Widowmaker was limping.” Hanzo laughs tired.

“Did you see the way the arrow speared through Reaper’s face?” Brigitte laughs, hysterical. “It was horrible.” She makes a face like she’s about to cry. 

“I hope I got it all recorded.” Hana mumbles.

“I forgot to pump.” Hanzo says, more out of it than he expected. Maybe Cole made him too used to big meals, he wants to eat a whole tray of food. 

“You know what’s funny?” Brigitte asks. Hanzo makes a noise, acknowledging her. “I’m still sad about the donuts.” She says, frowning and laying down on the ground. 

--

When they finally land down, Hanzo is ready to pass out. Waiting for them are Lúcio, Angela, Cole, Winston and Torbjorn. Cole looks beside himself, his leg can’t stop bouncing, the spurts making an annoying giggling sound. Torbjorn doesn’t look any better. Both alphas  almost run to them once they leave the orca. 

“Holy shit, sugar, look at you.” Cole says, concerned. He lifts Hanzo’s face with his hands, turning to see the already fading black eye. The alpha strokes his cheek and the side of his eye, where Hanzo supposes is still a greenish hue.

“Hello to you too, dear.” Hanzo says. “Tell me there is food ready.” 

Cole snorts a laugh, hugging him.

“You're in luck.” Torbjorn says, after finishing hugging his daughter. “This one there was so concerned he stressed baked the whole day.”

Cole squeaks, embarrassed about the whole thing. Hanzo just hugs the embarrassed alpha close, mumbling a thank you against his skin. As they move to the kitchen to hopefully eat something, Hanzo can’t help but laugh seeing that Cole had baked a strawberry cake and several cupcakes. There they find Zenyatta and Genji playing with Ako, who has a chewing toy on her hand. 

“Greetings.” Zenyatta says, handing him Ako and a orb of harmony. 

“Thank you.” Hanzo sighs, feeling reinvigorated with the biotics of the orb. He scents the baby, hugging her close. He puts her weight on the arm with the hand less hurt. He missed his baby.

The omega and his team eat it with gusto, before moving to debrief with Winston and Jack. Hana shows them the video she recorded on her mecha. The agents gathered around the table in a (thankfully bigger) reunion room, to watch Talon in action as a first hand account. The whole thing looks so quick, now that Hanzo is just watching it, he can't help but scrutinize his performance. 

When Reaper appears on Hana’s video is when the atmosphere shifts. From Hana’s angle they could see the top half of his body, talking to Widowmaker. Cole pulls Hanzo closer once Reaper kneels down by his side. He can smell how worried the alpha is now. When the shadow stands and they see the arrow speared through his head, everyone seems to take in a breath in horror. 

Cole whistles looking at the image. “Damn, darlin’, that's cruel.” 

“It was justifiable.” He answers, patting Ako’s back.  

“What did he say to you, Hanzo?” Genji turns to him, worried. 

“He sent a message for me and Cole.” Hanzo looks around and feels the Alpha tense by his side. “Akande says that the offer is still up. That we could take Ako with and “play house” with them.” Hanzo says, angry. He strokes his daughter's cheeks, seeing her smiling towards him. 

“Cole?” Winston asks. 

He turns to Cole, who looks angry, but not at him, more like at the whole situation.

The alpha takes his hat off, scratching his head. “Shit.” He says, sighing. “Okay. That thing showed up after I had a run with Los muertos. Knew too fucking much about me. Asked me to join them, same ol’ bullshit about money ‘n power. Told him to fuck off.” Cole puts his hat back, crossing his arms. “I’m glad I did.”

“Did he say anything else?” Jack asks, too eager. 

“No.” Cole looks at him, suspicious. 

“There was something weird he said to me.” Hanzo turns to them. “He stopped Widowmaker from killing me. Said I was someone’s “Favorite candidate”... ” 

“For what?” Winston asks, puzzled. 

Hanzo shakes his head, as confused as them. He stops for a moment, thinking if he should do this here, but looking Jack in the eyes, he says, knowing one way or another people will find out. “He also said to Jack to stop following him. That he doesn’t want him there.” 

Silence falls. 

Jack takes in several deep breaths, his face doesn’t change, but in minutes the room is reeking of distressed omega. Hanzo has never felt a scent so strong like he is now, It matches Reaper’s perfectly. Jack nods, leaving the room without saying anything. Angela Follows him, leaving everyone confused.

“What was that about?” Hana asks Cole, who shrugs.

“Let him be.” Winston says. “Let's move on.” 

--

After the meeting, when Hanzo can get away from Cole's hold for a moment, he searches for Jack. He finds the man outside of Winston's office, sitting on the ground. 

“Jack?” Hanzo asks, approaching the other omega. He stands beside the man, looking out to the ocean. Ako is on his arms, cooing. “I wanted to tell you something else.”

“What?”

“He’s your mate, right?” Hanzo sees Jack tense, his hands trembling as he rests his head on one of them. 

“Yes.” Jack sounds like saying it is the worst and the best thing that could have happened to him. A wet laugh leaves his lips, sad and low. “Yes, he is. Can you believe it?” He stops. 

“I see.” Hanzo nods, not in understanding, but with empathy. 

“He wasn’t always like this, he was good once.” Jack sighs, massaging his neck, where the mating bite probably is. 

“He… He said for you to stop. But he smelled differently.” Hanzo says, feeling awkward. 

“You think?”

“Yes. My nose became sensitive once I got pregnant.” Hanzo brings Ako close, smelling her hair. The scent of the baby calms his nerves. “He smelled like he was dying, but also like he was desperately calling for you.”

Jack stays quiet for a moment. “A dying Alpha calling for their mate.” 

“Yes.”

“... Don't tell Cole about it.” Jack takes the glasses off and Hanzo can see the man is crying. “It will upset him more.”

Hanzo nods. When Jack doesn't say anything else to him, he moves back inside. 

--

As soon as the whole thing is over, Hana immediately goes to her room as does Brigitte. And as much as Hanzo wants to stay with his daughter he's bone tired. He leaves Ako with Genji and leaves to his own room, Cole accompanying him. On the way, the alpha takes Hanzo in his arms.

“You don't need to do this.” Hanzo says, resting his head on Cole's shoulder. He's tired but he's not falling to the ground tired. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Hush, sugar.” Cole says, kissing his head. “No one’s lookin’.” When they get to their room, the cowboy puts Hanzo on the bed.

“Stay.” He pulls Cole over himself. “Help me shower.” he pulls a leg over the alpha's hip, bringing him close. After their first night together the two have only shared small fleeting moments of intimacy. Hanzo craved the man's touch, but they were lucky if they got five minutes to themselves. 

“No funny business, you're too tired.” Cole brings his hurt hand up, kissing it. “And hurt.”

“I'm not.” Hanzo brings Cole into a Kiss, a deep one, nipping the man's lower lip. He pushes their hips together, rolling it. The alpha closes his eyes, resting his head on Hanzo's chest. 

Cole rumbles low, then sighs. “Okay, but really, no funny business. You're taking a real shower. And you're pumping before, I know you forgot about it.” 

Hanzo pouts, but does as Cole asks, pumping and then giving the breast milk for Cole to store on the fridge in the kitchen after. Hanzo decides to start his shower, undressing himself and getting his crutches. He's lucky enough that the bathroom they gave him was adapted. 

The water relaxes his muscles, making it easier to handle the tiredness. When he leaves the bath, with a towel around himself, he feels better, more energetic. Cole is back, sitting on the bed with a closed off expression on his face. 

“You're worried.” Hanzo approaches him, hair dripping water.

“Yep.” Cole fixes his hat, then takes it out of his head all together. “I'm also real angry that Widowmaker did this to you.” He says, scratching his brow in worry. 

“Don't worry, I hit as much as I received.” Hanzo goes to his wardrobe, taking from it a pair of soft lounge pants and a black t-shirt. Looking at it he realizes it is actually Cole's shirt. He slips in the hand brace and goes back to Cole, leaving the clothes on the bed, sitting on his lap. 

“Yeah I saw it.” Cole brings Hanzo close, scenting his neck. Hanzo uses his good hand to caress his hair.

“You have no need to worry.” He smiles, kissing Cole. “Now how about you take advantage that I’m naked on your lap and we have some time for ourselves?” He says, matter of fact. 

“I don’t wanna hurt ya.” Cale says, kissing his chest, kneading the boob. He moves up, trailing kisses on Hanzo’s neck, sucking the skin there. 

“You won’t.” Hanzo brings the alpha’s hand to his member, making sure he knows how hard and wet he is. 

“Ah, shit.” Cole groans, taking a deep breath. “No bullshit.” He says and Hanzo nods. “No belly down. No restraining. No hand on the back of the neck.” He counts, remembering the discussion they had after their first night together about boundaries durings sex and the boundaries Hanzo put up. 

“No choking, no spitting.” Hanzo says, remembering too. Cole nods, kissing Hanzo sweetly. The omega sighs in relief as Cole wraps the gloved hand around his cock, moving up and down slowly. Hanzo stutters a breath, the new sensation surprising him of how good it feels. 

“You looked like a damn dream fighting.” He whispers against the omega’s skin. Looking down Hanzo can see the way he looks at him, so serious, desire so palpable it makes Hanzo breath hitch. He uses his prosthetic hand to bring Hanzo close. The omega flinches slightly at the cold metal on his skin, and Cole chuckles. “Easy.”

“Cole, please.” He begs, almost whispering, just for Cole to hear. The omega moans, snaking his hand under Cole’s shirt, trying to take the whole thing off. The alpha quickly pulls his shirt up, leaving just his white tank top. Hanzo palms Cole's dick through the denim, kissing the man desperately. He couldn't stop thinking about their first night together. 

He opens the alpha’s pants, throwing the ridiculous buckle off, slipping a hand inside his underwear. The alpha takes his glove off with his teeth. He moves his hand down, teasing Hanzo’s hole with the tips of his fingers. He’s already wet, so he easily slips a finger in, massaging his walls. Hanzo moans, kissing his neck, nipping the skin, licking the scent gland. 

“Fuck.” Cole whispers, looking at his omega, naked and so beautiful. He takes his hand away and scoots them back on the bed, laying his back on the headboard. He pushes his jeans and boots off. He pats his thigh, “Come here.” Hanzo does so, sitting on his lap and stranding his hips. He puts his hands on his omega’s hips, feeling the skin there, the soft curve of his tights.

They kiss, exploring each other's mouths. Hanzo can feel Cole rolling his hips, slow. The alpha’s hands caress his body, bringing a hand up, massaging his pec. Hanzo moans at the sensation, nipples oversensitive, a gush of slick leaving his hole. They separate for air, and Cole says. “Roll your hips, sugar.” He positions Hanzo better. “Just the way you like. I know you’ve done it before, all alone, come on.” 

He feels an embarrassing flush heat up his cheeks. Cole’s words make his stomach do a somersault. He decides to me a little mean too and separates them. Pushing Cole down, rolling his hips with more gusto, like he used to do when the first time he had a real heat and the only thing he had was a pillow. 

Cole holds his waist again, helping to ground him. He takes his real hand and starts to pump Hanzo’s dick, passing his thumb on the head, making the omega’s breath hitch. 

Hanzo looks down, still amazed at how it’s him that leaves his alpha like that. He looks disheveled, cheeks red with arousal, a sheen of sweat on his tan skin. He starts moving, rolling his hips quicker, the friction against the alpha’s underwear deliciously rough. Just doing this for Cole, watching the alpha match his rhythm, mouth slightly open, breathless is enough to get him going. 

He feels himself getting lost in the sensations again. The teasing on Cole’s dick against his hole, the hand stroking him, the cold metal hand on his hip just tight enough, the soft noise the alpha makes. He bends down, kissing Cole as he feels his orgasm start to build up. 

“More.” He demands, moaning inside Cole’s mouth, then begs feeling desperate for release. “Please.” 

“I got you.” Cole says, pulling the hand from Hanzo's waist. He goes back into fingering him, easily slipping two fingers in, finding the spot that makes the omega moan loud and contort in pleasure. “My perfect omega.” 

Hanzo moans against Cole’s neck, the praise making his feet curl. His alpha slips a third finger in and he can't help but move his hips, rubbing his dick against Cole’s soft abdomen, trying to chase his own orgasm. 

“Come on, sugar, you can come.” The alpha whispers in his ear, low and growly. “You're so so good, can't you do this for me?” He sucks Hanzo's neck, right above his mating gland.  His vision whites out, body tensing as he cums, a mess of slick and cum leaving him, his body clamping down, expecting a knot to slide in. 

As he gets down from his high, he can feel Cole peppering kisses on his face. The gentle motions centering him. He opens his eyes looking at his lover, kissing his jaw. He spends some time like this, body relaxed. But he can feel Cole’s hard cock against his belly.

“Now you.” Hanzo kisses him, then sits up, still feeling a light from the orgasm. He kisses Cole's neck, trailing a hand down to his abdomen. When he starts to kiss Cole’s chest, moving down to his abdomen, the alpha stops him. 

“Sugar.” He brings Hanzo up again. “You don’t need to do that.” He sits straighter. “I'm already too close, I can do it--”

“I want to.” Hanzo says. “I’m not some virginal--”

“I know.” Cole interrupts him, kissing his cheek. He touches their foreheads. “I just don’t want you to think you have to do something just because I did it on you.” 

“I just…” Hanzo feels frustration get to him for a second, just to wash away and be replaced by defeat. “I want to make you feel good too.” 

Cole looks at him and thinks for a moment, before agreeing with a nod. “‘Kay.” He says, giving him a peck on the lips. “Don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with, okay?”

Hanzo nods and goes back to kissing the alpha’s torso. He goes down, He pulls Cole’s underwear, freeing the alpha’s member. 

Hanzo kisses the man’s lower abdomen, taking the cock in his non-injured hand. Cole Groans, as Hanzo licks the side of his cock, kissing the head when he gets to the top, and squeezes lightly the half formed knot in the base. He feels a taste of precum on his tongue, the coarse hair under his hand.

He swallows the head, slowly going down. The taste of it making his mouth water, he hears Cole hissing above him, moaning. The omega could get addicted to that sound easily. A hand caressing his hair, he looks up at Cole through his lashes. 

He had thought about it before, giving blowjobs. But no alpha has even just laid back and let him take over. They always wanted him kneeling down, submissive, to grab the back of head. 

But not Cole. Cole lays back, one hand holding the headboard and the other the sheets, squirming under him, but not moving or shoving anything. When he gets half way, he swallows down, feeling the weight of the cock on his mouth. 

“Okay, fuck. Sugar, wait, I’m--” He caresses his cheek and Hanzo takes his mouth off of Cole’s member, looking up at him, stroking it one more time before the man cums, face scrunched up in pleasure. He moans loud, hand holding the headboard tight. The heavy load hit the side of Hanzo’s cheek and torso. He always gets surprised on how much alphas cum. 

When it finishes, Hanzo releases Cole, leaving the knot to deflate slowly, the dick softening against the alpha's abdomen.

“I’m sorry, honey,” He says through deep breaths. “Should’ve warned you sooner.” Cole takes his hand and pulls the omega up, gently resting Hanzo against his chest. He takes his discarded shirt, cleaning Hanzo’s face and his own abdomen.

“It’s fine.” Hanzo clears his throat. “I liked it.” He admits, a blush rising in his face. Cole makes a noise, nuzzling his face. “And I liked the other thing you said too.” He hides his face away, kissing the other man's clavicle, ashamed of admitting how much he likes the praises.

“What did I say?” Cole asks, amused. Hanzo refuses to speak, shaking his head. He can’t say it, can’t admit how the praise made him feel.  “Guess we’ll never know.” 

“Don’t mock me.” Hanzo frowns. Cole caresses his tattooed arm, chuckling easily. 

“I’m not. I just need to hear from you, sugar. I can’t know what you won’t tell me.” 

“That I was-- The omega thing! You know!” Hanzo lightly hits Cole in the chest, angry now.

“That you’re soooo good for me, my perfect omega?” Cole whispers in his ear, making Hanzo shrink on himself, goosebumps running up his arm, feeling shy all of the sudden. 

“Enough! I'm kicking you out!” Hanzo pushes Cole’s face away, feeling even his ears getting hot. Cole laughs, hugging him close and scenting his neck. 

“The betrayal!” Cole Brings them down, laying side to side on the bed, chuckling. He spends some time just looking at Hanzo’s face, caressing his cheek, where he knows there is a greenish hue from the black eye from before. “Now we both need baths.” He comments, helping Hanzo to sit up.

They both take a shower together, with Cole then changing and taking their clothes and the sheets to the laundry room, not wanting to let dried slick and cum stain the things. When he comes back, Hanzo is already dressed in his comfortable clothes, sleeping. Cole can’t help but feel a possessive thrum overtake him, just for a moment. He kisses his omega’s cheek, leaving the room.

Hanzo then sleeps for four hours straight. He wakes up alone, but the smell of his alpha surrounds him. It’s dark and almost after dinner, so he gets up and goes to the kitchen, wanting to eat whatever leftover there was. 

When he gets there Lúcio is eating another piece of cake in the near dark. Hanzo almost has a heart attack.

“Sorry.” Lúcio laughs. “I wasn't expecting anyone here.”

“It's Fine.” Hanzo nods, calming his heart. He goes to the fridge, getting whatever food that looks edible in the fridge. He sits down, eagerly eating. 

“I always eat too much close to my heats.” Lucio says, trying to justify his own eating habits. Hanzo dismisses him with a wave, not even thinking about judging. 

“In the last ten years my pre-heat meals have been a steady supply of cakes.” Hanzo yawns, then rubs his eyes. 

“At least now you have a personal baker.” 

“That's the only reason I got him.” 

“Hey. Y'all can't speak about a man behind his back like that.” Cole says from the kitchen’s door. He has Ako in his arms, the baby turns around, making grabby hands to Hanzo. He cannot help but oblige. “There, go to your mama.” Cole says, passing the baby. 

“How was she while I was asleep?” Hanzo asks, as he watches Cole sit by his side.  

“Good, good. She was playing with Zenyatta, the fella has mystified her.” Cole pats Ako’s hair on her head. Her hair was getting fuller. “She missed you a whole lot.”

“ Poor Ako, was the cowboy not fun to stay with ?”

“ I’ll have you know I was a perfect caretaker.” Cole rests his face on his head, looking at Hanzo with that soft stare of his. “ Missed you a whole lot too.”

“Me too.” Hanzo brings Cole to a sweet quick kiss.

“It’s always weird to see you speak Japanese like this. Looks like you two are speaking two different languages.” Lúcio says.

“We understand each other because we speak the language of love.” Cole waggles his eyebrows at Lúcio, Hanzo rolls his eyes, snorting a laugh at the ridiculousness of the cowboy.

“I’m definitely using that one on a song.” Lúcio laughs, covering his mouth. 

“I’ll get them copyrights, right?” 

The conversation flows, with Hanzo feeling more rested, but still tired and groggy from the mission. Some agents enter and leave the kitchen, some washing their plates, some searching for anything to eat. At some point, Lúcio leaves the kitchen and Genji, Zenyatta, Reinhart and Torbjorn get there, drinking coffee after dinner. 

When Ako starts smacking her lips he realizes she’s hungry. Too tired to even think about what he's doing, Hanzo pulls his shirt up, making the whole room suddenly burst into panic. 

“ Aniki!” Genji says, quickly moving to stand in front of Hanzo.

“Woah, there.” Cole takes his hat off, covering his breast and Ako with it. 

“It's not like anyone here hasn’t seen a breast.” He complains, eyes closed as Ako latches and starts to nurse. He’s too tired to deal with puritan views. 

“No one is interested, Cassidy, don’t worry.” Torb says, but he still doesn’t look up from his data pad. Reinhardt is literally covering his eyes with one hand.

“It’s a question of respect!” Cole says, pointing a finger at them.

“I think It’s such an interesting thing, being ashamed of seeing something so natural for humans.” Zanyatta comments, amused.

“That’s because it is not your personal bits being shown.”

“You're really tired if you’re not caring about your appearance.” Genji comments, sitting down. 

“Widowmaker’s poison really got to me.” Hanzo says. Then looking down at Ako nursing an idea starts to nag him. “Should she be nursing?” he asks. Cole turns to him, questioning. “Should she be nursing when I was infected with poison early in the day?” Hanzo feels his nerves getting to him, making him panic. Cole, not helping that much, just looks at him for a minute. It takes a moment for him to digest the question and panic takes over him.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, ANGIE!” The alpha stands up, running to another room in a panic. Hanzo looks at Torbjorn, the only person there that has had a child before. 

“Don’t look at me, my wife was never in this situation.” He drinks his coffee, peacefully. Hanzo, antsy, waits for exactly five seconds before running after Cole, Ako still nursing on his breast. 

Genji rests his hip on the counter, crossing his arms. “Should they be this anxious about it? I thought the biotics made poison leave the body after like, minutes.” he scratches his head, confused.

“First time parents.” Torb says, shaking his head. “Wait until you get yours.”

--

After several reassurances from Angela that yes, Hanzo the baby is fine, yes, Cole the poison has left the body, no, Hanzo it will not affect your milk supply. “Please go to sleep! I have other things to worry about!” So they move back to their room, tired and still worried. 

Once they put her on the crib, Hanzo still can’t find himself to rest. He sits on the bed, leg bouncing. He stands up, watching her sleep, making sure she was still there, breathing. 

“Come on sleep, Han.” Cole puts his hands on Hanzo’s shoulders, after the 50th time he stands up to watch her, guiding the omega to the bed. “Angie said she’ll be fine.” They lay down, with Hanzo resting his head on Cole’s shoulder. He can’t help but stay awake, looking at the direction of the crib. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch her.”

“I’m always worried about her.” He whispers, remembering his mission. “Do you think they know we are together? Talon, I mean.” Hanzo asks, Reaper’s message repeating itself on his head. A shudder leaves his body, the image of the mask turning, the arrow speared through his eye. 

“I don’t see how they could.” Cole says, but he has an uncertainty to his voice, he’s lost in thought, as if searching for something in his mind. “But they knew an awful lot about us, didn’t they?” 

“Yes.” Hanzo remembers the conversation with Akande, the way he promised they could solve his “issue” one way or another. “They knew about Ako. That’s what they promised me, then. Security. I could go back home.” Cole hums, caressing Hanzo’s shoulder. 

“You don’t wanna go back?”

“No. Hanamura was never my home, not really.” Hanzo says. He takes a moment, but decides that Cole should know. “There is something else.” Cole turns to him, waiting patiently for his explanation. Hanzo sits up, opening the communicator and searching for news on the Atlas NEWS Japanese website. When he finds what he wants, he shows it to Cole. “They knew about this.”

“ALPHA FOUND DEAD IN HEAT HOTEL ROOM

City officials believe the gruesome murder of an unidentified man last night is gang related. Witnesses say otherwise.”

The headline says. 

Sliding down the news site, Cole can see more about the murder, witness detailing about distressed cries coming from the room and how there was several cases of sexual violence in that specific area. 

“That’s Ako’s… you know.” He looks away. “I did this.”

Silence. Hanzo can smell the acrid scent of anger Cole exhales, the way his hand holds the communicator hard. But he’s not scared of the alpha, he dreads something else. 

Hanzo bites his lips. “When Genji-- I was close to my heat. Too close.” He sighs. “I always got defensive and paranoid during them and our father had just died. The elders used that to… frighten me into a fight with Genji.” Hanzo brings his knees up, hugging his legs.

“Yeah he… he told me about that.” Cole says, low, almost inaudible, a hand caressing Hanzo's side. Hanzo feels his heart seize and he closes his eyes. He tries to leave the whole thing behind, Cole has told him he knows all Genji knows about him. He wants, maybe needs, the cowboy to know everything. 

“After I realized what I had done, I lost control. I couldn't deal with what happened, what I had done. I burned the whole place with my dragons, I let them loose. And a week later I went into the worst heat I've ever had.” Hanzo is breathing loudly. “I always had a heat after I paid my respects, but it always hit me a week after.”

“It didn't last year?” 

“No.” Hanzo purses his lips, nose flaring in anger. “I almost went into heat in that cursed castle.” He spats out. “I went into a heat hotel, thinking I was safe…” He feels his face betray him, scrunching in pain and grief, mouth trembling. “I thought the biggest pain I've ever experienced was brought by my own family. But that's not true, it was by a stranger, someone I didn't even know.”

Silence. Cole brings him close, nosing his temple.

“People think because we are in heat we can't remember what happens to us. But we do.” Hanzo looks at Cole, trying to make him understand. He’s trembling, but it was not just out of fear, but out of rage. “I remembered it, once the heat broke. And I made him pay for all of it.” He looks away, feeling lost and dirty. 

Cole, for a moment, just looks at Hanzo and the tragedy of his life, puzzle pieces fitting on the picture he is. Hanzo looks at him, waiting for Cole to walk away, to look at him in disgust, for this to be the last straw. 

“You made the world a little better, killin’ that one.” Cole gives the communicator back, clearing his throat. “I hope you made it hurt.” He says. And Hanzo feels relief flood his system.

“I did.” Hanzo takes one, two, three deep breaths. “I really did.”

Cole brings Hanzo to his lap, looking at the bruise on his face, stroking the place lightly, and Hanzo nuzzles the alpha's hand, kissing it. He takes the omega’s hand, examining the brace the EMT has given him. The hand has a dull ache to it, nothing he can't handle, but Cole's expression turns sour. 

Hanzo caresses his hair and brings the man close, scent marking him. Cole clings to him again, like Hanzo will disappear if he doesn't hold him.

“I won't let anything happen to you again.” Cole says, face hidden away on Hanzo's neck, scenting him too. 

They sleep like that, in each other’s arms.

Notes:

See, Hanzo didn't die! i'm not bad all the time with him.
Also, I’ve seen some of the VIP sections and installations brands have on festivals (due to my line of work), and let me tell you, it is ridiculous as I described here.

Chapter 11: All my children can become me

Summary:

Cole gets overprotective. Hanzo reacts.

Notes:

Have you guys seen the little bra the men in soccer use? I know it is not a bra but a top to monitor their vital signs, but let me tell you: It is slutty. Go to google right now and look for GpSports bra and you’ll get what I mean.

This chapter is brought to you by Tear you appart by She wants revenge. I really this the obsessive nature of the song fits with this chapter.

The next weeks moved as normal, the nagging feeling of the mission slowly leaving Hanzo as the chores of the days filled his schedule. Cole seemed equally as nervous, spending way more time with Hanzo than before. It wasn't news that they basically lived in the same room, with Cassidy not moving in just because there wasn't enough space. They always spent time together, sure. But now it felt like the Alpha couldn't spend time away from him. 

As before Cole would spend time with other agents, either playing cards, doing chores or simply talking while smoking, now he had rearranged his whole schedule to stay close to Hanzo all the time.

It didn't bother the omega much at the start, he enjoyed the company of the alpha. And it did help with the healing of his thumb, since the cowboy also wanted to hold Ako all the time too. It gave him time to do other things, like reading a book while being held on Cole’s lap. And watching a movie while being held beside Cole. Or making his arrows while Cole stood beside him, just watching, while holding Ako.

“Don’t you get tired of that?” Tracer had asked one day, pointing at Cole’s hand holding his  shirt. It wouldn't be a problem if the alpha wasn’t sitting on the floor, Ako on his lap while helping Efi to solve a jigsaw puzzle and Hanzo was standing up, trying to have a conversation with Tracer. 

Hanzo shrugged. He honestly didn’t mind, he craved being touched by the alpha. 

He minded the fact he couldn’t have a moment to himself to talk to Genji or his friends. But that was all mitigated with the sweet kisses, scenting and fleeting touches.

The problem arrived once their missions started to fill out more. Since their success on their first missions defending payloads and more specifically defending people against terrorists, the requests started to pile up. More often than not the base had people missing for a day or two because of it, that included him and Cole too. Always running around trying to stop Talon’s grip on society.

Most of the time they found one or two agents of Talon, and rarely the top ranks like Hanzo has. But it felt like it was everything building to something bigger. And everytime he was back from a mission, Cole seemed to get even clingier. Always worried about a small bruise, always kissing him deeply as if he'd disappear, touching and grabbing him and always grumpy that the healers of the team “didn't do enough” (Not that he told them that, he knew better than to irritate the people that kept them alive).

That brings it to now. They are at the docking bay and Cole is leaving for his next mission in a few minutes. The man is antsy. 

“I don't know why I can't stay here with you.” Cole grumbles, putting a cigarillo on his mouth, not lighting it yet, mindful of Ako. 

“It's two days.” Hanzo chuckles at the man's bad mood. 

“Talon could do another attack to the base!” Cole tries, but Hanzo argues how unlikely it was to happen. 

And so, Hanzo says his goodbyes to Cole, holding Ako on his lap waving to him. The man looks like a kicked puppy, but Hanzo doesn't let it affect him. As the orca starts closing he sees the cowboy turning to Angela and Orisa, the former looking amused at the cowboys demeanor. 

Moving back inside, Hanzo goes to his own room, wanting to get his sling so he could be hands free while finishing the last of the work they have on the base. Turning the corridor on the base, Hanzo sees agent Torbjorn and Reinhardt in front of his room, discussing something. 

“It’s the last time I get you to convince me to build anything.” Torb complains, adjusting something in front of him. Hanzo stops where he is, curious to see where this is going.

“Ah, friend, Isn’t this nice? We are all helping!” The tall alpha says. “Besides, I just gave the idea for the design. You’re the one that kept perfecting it.” 

“There are guidelines to follow!” Torb stresses out. “I can’t make something that will end up pinching a baby's finger off!” He says.

“In any case, I still think we should give it to him in person instead of just letting it in front of his room.” 

“It worked the other times. He’ll get it.” The smaller man dismisses and walks away. Reinhardt shakes his head and follows Torbjorn, not realizing Hanzo is on the other side of the corridor. After they leave, Hanzo approaches, and sees a stroller. In the same design style as the crib. 

Huh . He thinks to himself. Kool-aid indeed.  

--

When Hanzo gets to the garden, he sees Zenyatta gently floating near the tree they always meditated on. He approaches, leaving the stroller closer, the flat ground making it easy to park it. Ako babbles on the Stroller, playing with a toy toad Lúcio has bought her days ago. 

“Greetings, friend.” 

“Greetings.” Hanzo bows to the monk, then sits in the lotus position. 

“Let's start our meditation, shall we?” He nods, floating down, sitting on the ground. Hanzo closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. The grass is dry, the heatwave hitting Gibraltar hard. Hanzo was used to the erratic weather, as it has always been like this, but he has heard that before the weather used to be mild and floods, droughts, heatwaves and severe blizzards being something rare to see.

He remembers how he and Genji used to play around the castle when the blizzards fell down hard, stranding people in their homes. The castle always looked so beautiful, blanketed in white. He remembers the last time he played with the snow. His father was so proud he had won the snowball fight. “You'll be a good and strong Alpha for the clan, my dear boy.” It was the last time they could play like that, right before his first heat at the end of the year, close to his birthday. He frowns, the memory tainted. 

“Let every memory come to you and let them go, Hanzo.” Zenyatta says. “Just like water.”

He shakes his head, trying to forget the memory. He relaxes his shoulders, taking a deep breath, the oceans breezes filling his senses. He always loved the beach, the sea. He remembers how the trips to the beach were rare for him, always being just himself, his brother and father, surrounded by beta bodyguards. Later on, when Genji went to a private high-school, he went on trips with his friends, while Hanzo was left at home, being home schooled by a number of teachers. 

“Maybe today is not a good day for meditation.” Hanzo opens his eyes, shaking his head.

“We could speak, if you wish to do so. I find our conversations enlightening.” Zenyatta says, tone serene but happy, turning to him. “What ails you, today?”

Hanzo looks down at the ocean, the waves crashing on the rocks, on the beach nearby. The sound of people working inside the base brings him a sense of nostalgia. 

“I keep remembering my past.” Hanzo says. “My childhood.” He brings his knees up, hugging them. One would think this was his meditative position, since Hanzo more often than not found himself like that, sitting like a child beside Zenyatta. 

“And that disturbs you?” 

“Now it does.” Hanzo says, bitter. “Sometimes I see how the other omegas here speak about their parents, how agent Lindholm treats his daughter. I can’t help but look back and wonder why did our father act the way he did?” He swallows down a lump on his throat. He won’t cry because of such a cruel man.

“Everyone has reasons why they hurt others.” Zenyatta says. “Whatever is justifiable or not comes to common sense and our own understanding of the world.”

“Cole has said something that makes me wonder.” Hanzo says, turning to Zenyatta, who waits patiently for him to speak again. “He said I was manipulated, since I was a kid, to make it easy to bend me. That Genji and my father were probably too. I wonder if…” 

“If it justifies your father's actions?” Zenyatta asks, and Hanzo nods. The omnic contemplates for a moment, bringing a hand to his chin. “Do you think your upbringing justifies your wrongdoings?”

Hanzo looks at the Omnic with wide eyes, then shakes his head, looking away in shame and horror. He doesn't think anything could justify his sins. 

“Then you already have your answer.” 

They spend the rest of the time in a serene silence. 

Hanzo can’t stop thinking about it. 

--

Later in the morning, as they are in the lounge area, they all receive a message on their comms from Winston about the fact that the gym is (finally) finished. They also receive a personalized list of exercises they should do and the frequency of it. 

It was smart of Angela to do so as she was away on a mission considering everyone seemed to have an issue with the intensity of their workouts. 

“My legs are going to fall off with this routine!” Lúcio says, frowning at the amount of leg workout he’s going to have to do. 

Hanzo looked at his own schedule, at how easy it was. It felt almost like physical therapy, considering most focused on him strengthening his legs muscles with light repetitive work. A little bit of low intensity cardio and some weight lifting.

“This must be wrong.” He mentions, looking at it again. He’s sitting on the floor, with a blanket extended by his side and Ako on his lap, playing with wooden toys he had bought her. 

“Ah, no, that’s right.” Genji says, looking at Hanzo’s comm. “She did the same thing with me after I got my prosthetics.” He's sitting by his side, coffee mug in his hand (Hanzo has promised not to tell Angela about him drinking it if Genji promised not to tell her about the fact he ate the rest of the chocolate bar by himself). 

“But this is nothing.” Hanzo huffs, looking at it. 

“Didn't you just have a baby like, months ago? You have to take things nice and slow. ” Lúcio says it from the couch as he watches Hana play a racing game, the younger omega cursing the other players.

“ And most of what we did as training on back home was too strong, anyways. It did more harm than good. You’ll see, she knows what she’s doing. It looks too little now, wait until you try it.” Genji mutters on his coffee mug. “ Did you maintain that regimen after?”

Hanzo looks at his brother, thinking about the last ten years. “ For some time.” He says, remembering how after he managed to heal his legs and got money for the boots he went back to it. Almost passing out the first time he did it. He couldn't keep up after he decided to hunt down his own clan. “ It wasn’t doable on the run. But I kept some of it.”

“That’s why you're a little soft in the middle there.” Genji taunts him, pointing at his stomach, like when they were kids. Hanzo knows is not in bad faith. 

“I just had a child!” Hanzo huffs, but his own protest is shadowed by Hana and Lucio's own. 

“Not cool Genji!” “He’s soft in the middle because he’s an omega!” They say at the same time, in his direction. 

“Okay, geez.” Genji grumbles, crossing his arms. “I Can’t even tease my own brother.”

“You know,” Hana stops her game and puts the controller down. “Omegas are not supposed to have abs, it means they’re malnourished and have issues like delayed heats-” the small omega starts her rant, making Genji shrink on himself even more.

“ This is what you get.” He says, a pleased smile on his face. Genji only scoffs at him, shaking his head. 

--

The next day Hanzo decides to go to the newly done gym after he had eaten his breakfast, leaving Ako with Zenyatta, expecting peace and quiet for the next 40 minutes. The problem is that everyone else wanted to do the same before eating their breakfast. So the gym was full. 

Hanzo sighs in defeat, the overpowering smell of sweat and over excited alphas bothering him. But he decides to power through it. He can do it. 

Moving to the first exercises, Hanzo takes one of the floomats and places it close to the big window, far away from the other agents. He takes off his combat boots and starts the light exercises, laying down and trying to focus on the repetitive movements. 

As time passes, the heatwave starts to get to Hanzo. The smell of other alphas, the sweat, his legs are burning up, even if it's small exercises. When he gives up, resting his legs down, Genji looks at him and says:

“Told you she knew what she was doing.” Genji takes on a new weight, sitting down and working on his real arm. “Wait until tomorrow, then you'll feel the burn.” Genji laughs.

“ Tell Angela I hate her. ” Hanzo takes two deep breaths, before covering his nose.

“Uh-oh, don't puke, old man.” Hana says from one of the rickety treadmills close to him.

“You all stink.” He says, sitting up. He puts his boots on and moves to the window, opening it. He hangs half of his body out, breathing the wonderful, fresh air of the sea.

“Excuse me?” Genji says, scoffing.

“It's “mother's nose”.” Torbjorn says, finishing his sets and putting the weights back on their racks. “Nose gets too sensitive and most alphas smell really bad.”

“My mom had that.” Hana says. “Couldn’t get anywhere close to an alpha that wasn't my father or my family until I was ten.”

“Wait, can you have that?” Brigitte asks, surprised.

“Yep, she said everyone smelled as if gym socks and roadkill had a baby.” Hana makes a face. 

Hanzo groans in dismay, thinking of having to endure this for ten more years. He doesn't want to linger on the implications that the only alphas he can stay close to without thinking they stink are his brother (who is his literal family) and Cole Cassidy. 

Holy shit, he really was screwed with that one.

“Now, stop scaring him.” Torbjorn says, shaking his head. “It lasts two years at most.” 

“It's still too long.” Hanzo says, putting his head back inside, still dizzy. Lúcio, who is close by, pats him on the shoulder, reassuring. He doesn't close the windows, but decides to roll his floor mat and stuff it back into place. He takes the small weights and moves to do the upper body workout sets beside the younger omega.

When it gets to the end of the workout Lúcio takes his shirt off, using it to clean the sweat off of his neck and face. Hanzo can see all of the alphas stop for a second and then turn their backs, with Reinhardt even covering his eyes. 

Hanzo finds it amusing, since Lúcio has a sports bra under his clothes, but it's almost worse than if he wasn't using anything at all. The top is tight and small, with straps that cross over his chest and in a dynamic but sexy way. The long shorts he's using also don’t help much, emphasizing his waist and hips.

He can see his brother in the mirror, he looks at Lucio's direction, his mouth opens wide and he lets the weight fall on his own knee. “Oh shit!” He says, looking at the bent piece. 

“Woah, Mama!” Is Hana who catcalls from the treadmill. Lúcio seems to realize what's going on and quickly puts his shirt back. 

“It’s a sports bra, come on!” Lúcio shakes his head, suddenly shy. “Hanzo and Brigitte are using one and no one is complaining!”

“Hanzo has a full top, and my daughter’s top doesn't show her--” Torbjorn gesticulates, somehow unable to finish the phrase.  

“Her personal things?” Hanzo says in the best country accent he can muster, imitating Cole. He can hear Genji laughing out loud in the back. The undershirt he is using is in fact an undergarment made for sportswear. It looked like a thigh shirt, going up to his neck and almost to his hips. Brigitte had something similar, but it was cropped and sleeveless. 

“This is a perfectly normal and acceptable sports bra!” Lúcio Crosses his arms, huffing at them.“You guys think this is bad, wait until you see Brazilian bikinis.” He grumbles, cheeks red. 

Hanzo suddenly remembers his teenage years, when he was taken away from school in favor of homeschooling. His father had prohibited him from going, complaining once again about the high school uniforms. At that age, at 15, most had their first heats and ruts and were clothed accordingly.

He remembers waiting outside of the principal’s office as his father spoke (or rather screamed) at the staff, looking at his knees peeking under the uniform skirt.  

“ He has been wearing the pants uniform without any issues.”

“That’s because he was in middle school. He wasn’t even supposed to present at that age.”

“I think it is acceptable.” Hanzo says, without really thinking about why he said it. He sees the other looking at him, but he doesn’t linger on it, using his towel to clean his sweat. “We are all adults here.” He hears Hana and Lúcio agreeing. 

“And we have a heatwave!” Lúcio argues.

“It's just surprising for us, friend.” Reinhardt says, one hand still covering his eye and the other lifting weights. “We are not used to seeing--”

“Boobs. Breasts. Tits. Bahoogas. Melons.” Hana says, finishing her exercise. Reinhardt wants to argue back, babbling, cheeks reddening with Hana’s crass words. “Besides, Genji is wearing just booty shorts.”

“Don’t involve me, I'm an alpha and I have nothing to do with this.” Genji puts his weights down. “And it’s not my fault I was rebuilt sexy.” 

The discussion starts to get bigger and bigger, but Hanzo doesn’t want to stay and see where it goes. 

“I’m leaving before you all make me puke.” He says, taking his things in his arms. Genji gets up too, following Hanzo. 

“I loved the bit of chaos you created there.” Genji comments. Hanzo looks at him with an amused smile. 

“It wasn’t on purpose.” He says. “I honestly think there is nothing wrong with Lúcio’s clothes.”

--

After he showers and gets Ako with Zenyatta, Hanzo receives a message on his comm from Winston, warning that he's been put on another mission. Single day, this time smaller, to move a payload from a manufacturer building to the distribution center. Truthfully, Hanzo and the other agents would be there to investigate a shady business deal going down that could involve Talon.

He spends the free time he has in the rest of the day studying his mission, memorizing what he needs to do and getting ready to fight alongside Reinhardt and Zenyatta. In the afternoon, The three of them train together, trying to make the whole thing work. 

Right before dinner time, Hanzo is feeding Ako. He’s sitting in the lounge room, the serape covering himself, but he’s honestly regretting the decision. The heatwave is too strong, he’s sweating under it, as is Ako, who is whining as she nurses. He looks around, realizing he's alone and decides to take his undergarment off, staying only with his gi and the serape covering his naked breast. He wonders when Cole will come back, missing the cowboy dearly. 

After Ako finishes, Lúcio enters the room, wearing the same sports bra and baggy jeans shorts. The Brazilian looks at him, then asks. “Aren’t you hot with this over you?” 

“Yes, but Cole's scent soothes Ako.” Hanzo scratches his brow, feeling the oily sweat there. “And you decided to keep the shirt off?”

“This is a protest!” Lúcio says, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. 

“Is it, now?” Hanzo snorts. 

“Yes, I have the right to not feel the heatwave just like every other person out here!” Lúcio frowns. “And I'm close to my heat, I can't handle how hot it is.” He says throwing himself on the couch facedown. “I want to die. Or be fucked to death.” 

Hanzo shakes his head, amused at the younger Omega's antics. He liked seeing how the younger Omega's were carefree, with more liberties than he ever had. Ako demands his attention, biting his breast painfully. 

“ARGH.” He exclaims, looking down at his child. He takes in a deep breath and does what Angela has shown him, quickly detaching and holding her up. She grumbles, kicking her legs. Hanzo shakes his head, bringing her close again.

When night time starts to creep on them, Hanzo starts to worry about Cole and the rest of the team. They should be home already. 

Their comm receives a notification. Opening it he sees a message warning them that Cole's payload was stranded in the middle of the way, they would be back at the base by morning.

Attached to it is a photo of the truck they were protecting, hood opened and Orisa, holding Cole upside down, half of his body hidden on the motor of the thing.

“Shimada.” Jack asks from the doorway. Looking up, Hanzo sees that the man is approaching, wearing a thin white tank top that looks older than Lúcio. 

“See, I'm not the only one!” Lucio points at Jack. The older man just looks at him, not amused. “Ah, you don't know about the whole debate.” Lúcio says, sitting up. “Tell me, is this inappropriate?” He gestures to his own torso. 

“I honestly do not care.” Jack turns to Hanzo. “Shimada, you saw the message?” He asks and Hanzo nods. “Winston asked me to get a list of who you'd like to leave Ako with in case Cole gets stuck there for more days.” 

“Is Genji leaving on a mission too?” He asks and Jack nods. Oh, Hanzo thinks. He hadn't realized it, but he would have to trust more than just Genji and Cole to care for Ako. Nervousness engulfs him.

“Couldn't Winston ask that via comm?” Lúcio asks, confused. 

“He wants me to “socialize” more.” Jack grumbles, making air quotes. “Also, the aurora jet is fixed, I’ll be driving it tomorrow. Winston wanted me to “warn you” for some reason.”

“If agent Lindholm agrees, he could be in the list too.” Hanzo says, thinking about Torbjorn’s unashamed pride over his own daughter and the ways he has helped him with Ako before. And as much as he likes Lucio, Hana and Brigitte, he doesn’t trust any of them with a child. 

“Sure.” Jack says, sending a message from his comm, showing that yes, the irritating gorilla could have just messaged Hanzo about it.

At that moment, Hana enters the room, also wearing a small sports bra with the phrase “sun's out, tits out” in it. She stops looking at all of them. 

“So we are all just showing our tits, huh?” She asks, pointing at everyone. 

“I'm wearing a tank top!” Morrison says, as if he is repeating an argument he had before. 

“I literally can see your nipples from here.” She motions at Jack's general direction. The older man scoffs, but crosses his arms over his chest. “Not even Hanzo is dressed properly.” 

Hanzo looks down at himself, seeing that his gi is half open, as he forgot to tie back properly after feeding Ako. He quickly closes it, cleaning his throat with a dignified huff. 

-- 

The next day has barely any time to meet with Cole before he's running off to his next mission. They meet in the corridor, with Cole looking tired and dirty with oil and Hanzo running very late (since Ako decided to puke on his other gi) to the docking bay.

“Han!” Cole’s face opens with a wide smile when he sees the omega. He stops the man, pulling him into a hug. 

“Cole.” He lets himself be hugged close, he sighs at the sensation. When they separate he kisses the cowboy tenderly, smiling at him. 

Cole looks at him and to his bow, face falling a little. “You're leavin’ on a mission? The orca just landed.” He takes a step back, but doesn’t release Hanzo. 

“Yes. Jack is driving us on the Aurora.”

“Wait, Jack is half blind!” Cole exclaims, looking worried, absolutely baffled and bamboozled. “What about Ako? Is Genji still here?” 

“Yes he's leaving later. Don't worry Is--”

“SHIMADA.” Jack calls from the door of the docking bay, making him jump in place. 

“I have to go.”

“Wait.” Cole brings Hanzo close, scenting him so hard it makes the omega shudder and slick a little. They separate with Hanzo looking at Cole's needy puppy eyes. 

“I'll be back later, I promise.” He says, nodding at Cole one more time before running to the docking bay. He quickly enters the jet that is ready to take off. He doesn't see the nervous bounce on his alpha's leg or realizes the way his scent sours in worry. 

The mission should be easy after all, Hanzo thinks, nothing to worry about. 

--

The mission was a disaster. 

Not because of a Talon attack, extremists or the Null sector. No. Securing the payload was the easy part! They got there, met with the driver and easily followed the truck. Hanzo on the buildings around it, Reinhardt and Zenyatta on the ground. They even chat with the drivers, a duo of an old female Alpha and an old male beta that kept chatting with them about her kids. It was amusing and calming, something far away from his own old jobs. 

The problems started once they got into the warehouse. First they couldn't really get close enough to where the two people negotiating the deal were, so they couldn't hear the conversation properly, making the trip basically useless. Second, the men doing the security on the warehouse looked an awful lot like they were part of a gang. And third, one man on their “security team” insisted that Hanzo was “so into him”. Which led to an altercation, as the man would call it. Hanzo would say it was self defense. 

“You didn't have to hit him that hard.” Reinhardt says as they leave on the smaller Jet back home. Hanzo crosses his arms, turning his face away. 

“Peace and patience have their time and place, as does strength and ferocity.”  Zenyatta says, floating peacefully in front of Hanzo. 

“In the end, violence is the answer.” Jack says, as the Aurora takes off. He engages the autopilot and turns to the three agents. “So, who's going to tell Winston?”

Hanzo shrinks into the seat, frowning the whole way back. It wasn’t his fault some wannabe beta wanted to act tough and got beaten by him. He’s still frowning when they debrief and when Winston inquires about the main problem. 

“Is one going to explain what happened to me?” Winston asks. Jack, Reinhardt and Zenyatta all look at Hanzo, who sighs and rolls his eyes. 

“I was doing my job, the man kept talking, I told him to fuck off an he got angry.” Hanzo says, not wanting to extend himself. “He touched me, I broke his nose.”

“They sent the recording of what happened, you can look at it.” Jack motions at the computer with his chin, and if Hanzo wasn’t so confident the man didn’t like him at all, he’d say that Jack sounded amused. Winston sighs, and plays the recording for everyone. 

The video shows Hanzo on the catwalk of the warehouse, bow in his hand, back rigid in expectation of any danger. Beside him there was a man, who kept talking, and talking, and talking. They are too far away to be heard, but the mumble of the man’s voice is present as background noise. At some point, Hanzo turns to the man, and speaks something. It's low enough that no one can hear it, but they can see the man’s face fall as Hanzo turns and walks away. 

The man's expression changes to one of anger before he stalks behind Hanzo, grabbing his shoulder and the sleeve of his gi, pulling him back. The gi opens with the motion, showing Hanzo's full breast to everyone. The omega’s reactions are quick, punching the man's face with the butt of his hand (the cracking sound it did was terrible, even on the recording) before he closes hi gi with a dignified huff.

“Ouch.” Winston says. 

“Broke his nose.” Jack says, honestly smiling like a proud parent. Winston massages the bridge of his nose, But Hanzo can’t find himself to care that much.

When he’s finally dismissed, he moves to his room, leaving his bow and things there. He takes a quick shower before moving to meet his daughter and his cowboy. 

“Oh, thank god, you're here!” Is Angela who greets him first as he turns a corridor. She looks like she’s ready to kill someone. “For the love of every god out there, go to Cassidy!”

“What happened?” Hanzo asks, nervous. “Is he hurt?”

“No, but I might try to strangle him to death!” She makes a squeezing motion with her hands, looking at Hanzo with anger. “He’s on the porch outside the lounge room.” She stomps away. Hanzo doesn’t lose time getting to said room, trying to figure out what was going on. Entering there, he sees everyone there turn to him and cheer. 

“Finally!” Torbjorn says, shaking his head. 

“ Brigada, SENHOR!!” Lúcio puts his hands in the air. Hanzo looks around, confused.

Hana approaches him with a tired expression on her face. “Listen. Your cowboy has been an ass the whole day. I only got 3 hours of sleep because I was working last night. Did you know that? Is not just haha fun and games! I have to make sure Tokki is in working condition! And I do work A LOT!” She rambles, angry, putting a hand on his shoulder and moving him to the porch.  “He’s grumpy, he’s snapping at people and won’t let anyone close to your kid! Go fix him.” She opens the door and kicks Hanzo outside, snapping the door shut. 

Stumbling a little, Hanzo looks at the porch that leads to the garden. He sees Cole is sitting on the ground there, back resting on the wall, legs extended and Ako rests on his chest. His hat is tilted and covers half of his face. 

“What is it?” He snaps, turning to Hanzo a nasty scowl on his face. When he sees who is standing there his face completely lights up. “Hanzo, You’re back!” He fixes the hat on his head, crosses his legs and sits up.

“Yes, I am.” Hanzo approaches the alpha, sitting down by his side, taking Ako on his lap. Cole takes his face in his hand, kissing him like he hasn’t seen Hanzo in ages. Hanzo kisses back, mindful of Ako. When they separate, Cole sighs, putting his head on his shoulder, scenting his neck. 

“I hear you’re… grumpy.” He takes the Cowboy's hat off, resting it down beside them, passing his fingers through his hair. 

“Not anymore.” Cole says. “Missed you.”

“I missed you too.” The omega admits. Here alone, in the quiet of the night, he can be soft. It was as if the man managed to open a space, a void where only they could stay and talk and no one would judge them for it. 

“How’s the mission?” He breaks apart from Hanzo. The omega looks at the man’s face and  decides that he doesn’t need to worry about the stupidity of the mission.

“It was okay.” He opens a smile. 

“Winston is sendin’ you to too many missions.”

“Everyone needs to pull their weight.” Hanzo says, laying his head on Cole’s chest. 

“Not you.” Cole grumbles and Hanzo kisses his jaw, reassuring the alpha. 

“Yes, me.” He sighs, closing his eyes. “It's a tough week, we will be back to the normal schedule soon. Don’t worry.” He turns to Ako, who got her hands on Cole’s hat as was munching on it. “Now, don’t put that in your mouth.” He laughs, taking the hat away and for some reason it makes Ako so dismayed she starts crying. She sounds so hurt that Hanzo can’t help but bring her close to his scent gland, shushing her.

Cole brings him close, holding Hanzo by his midsection. He noses his temples, the smell of worry tainting the alpha's scent slightly. 

--

“You broke some dude’s nose?” Cole asks him later on the day, as they are cleaning up after dinner. Hanzo turns to him, and sees how the Alpha is looking at him, in worry and annoyance. He sighs, cursing Reinhardt’s stupid big mouth in his head. 

“Yes. I did.” Hanzo closes the door of the Kitchen cabinet. He crosses his arm, looking at Cole. “Why?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The alpha dries his hands, then takes the hat off his head, passing the fingers through his hair. He’s nervous, Hanzo realizes. 

“Because it didn’t matter.” Hanzo turns away, wanting to leave the kitchen and get to Ako. He doesn’t want to linger on the topic. Cole approaches the omega, putting a hand on his waist, stopping him from leaving and turning Hanzo to him.

“I saw the video. He pulled your clothes, Hanzo. You didn't have your under garment thing.” Cole whispers the last part. “Showed your breast for anyone to see, he could've--”

“Don't be an idiot.” Hanzo almost snarls at him. “I didn't have my undershirt on because Ako puked on it!” 

“I don't mean it like that.” Cole tries to explain himself. “It's not your fault. That idiot put his hands where it didn't belong in the first place!”

“And I broke his nose!” He says matter of fact, irritated with the whole situation. He doesn't even get why the alpha is so worried about it. “It was nothing, I solved the situation!”

“Are you okay?” And Cole looks at him so worried, so full of guilt. 

“Yes. This is normal.” Hanzo says through his teeth, looking at the sink. “I’ve dealt with worse. I’m sure Genji has told you about how I dealt with… Suitors sent by the elders and other clans. I've done it since I presented, it's fine .”

“It ain’t right, Hanzo.” Cole brings their foreheads together. Hanzo's anger starts to dissipate. “I don’t like these kinds of things happenin’ to you.”

“I don’t like it either.” Hanzo pats Cole's face, kissing him once, before moving back to the kitchen area searching for the next item he needed to wash. “But That’s how things are. I’m fine, there is nothing to worry about.” He says, trying to dismiss his alpha’s worries.

“It shouldn't be like this.” He says, quietly. Hanzo nods and feels Cole pulling his hand from the sink, to kiss it.

Somehow Hanzo remembers the deeply annoyed and reproachful look his father had once he saw him in the highschool uniform. 

--

Hanzo opens his eyes. It's late at night, looking at the clock he can see it's 3am. Sitting upon the bed he tries to understand what woke him. He didn't have a nightmare and Ako is asleep.

“No…” Cole moans beside him. Hanzo turns seeing the alpha's face scrunched, body moving around. “Don't …” His face has a pained expression. 

“Cole.” Hanzo touches the alpha's face, caressing his brow. “Cole, wake up. You're dreaming.” The alpha's eyes open with a start. He looks around for a moment, disoriented. “Hey. Is okay.” The omega says, and Cole uses his real hand to touch Hanzo's face, his arm, to grab his hand. 

“You're really here?” Cole asks. 

“Yes.” Hanzo reassures him, kissing his hand. “See?” 

Cole nods and relaxes, understanding of where he is finally dawning on him. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Hanzo asks, and Cole looks at the ceiling, eyes wide and haunted. 

“I dreamed about my mama again. Day she left me.” Cole closes his eyes, trying to not let the memory affect him. “I don't even fuckin’ know if it's a real--” He frowns, a tear leaving his right eye. He remembers the desert, how hot it was when they started walking, how she reassured she'd be right back. 

“Is okay.” Hanzo brings the alpha's head to his chest, letting the man rest there. He doesn't know what to tell him, how to reassure the man further.

“Left me close to a gas station.” He smiles without any humor to it. “Been alone ever since.” He says, tired, almost back to sleep. 

“Cole.” Hanzo sits up a little, looking at the man. “You’re not alone.” He says. “Do you understand?”

Cole nods, but doesn't answer Hanzo, he only rests his head on his chest. He has drifted back to sleep already.  

--

The thing is that the next week was again a tornado of missions, most involving threats made by the several factions at the same time. They had missions to stop extremist attacks, protect places from being fallen into Talon’s hand, stop Vishkar from subjugating more small communities, and so on and so forth. Winston even had to start intel gathering missions, sending two agents on the field at a time. 

But, Hanzo wasn't put on any of them, making the others scramble to fill his and Lúcio’s place, since the younger omega started his heat. 

He sees the mission rotation time and time again showing up without his name on it. Meanwhile Cole seems to be doubling the missions, almost as if he was standing in for him. One time he was even put on the team, only to be quickly replaced by Cole. Which also leads to Hanzo and Ako not seeing Cole at all for almost a whole week. 

In the middle of the second week of it, Hanzo marches to Winston's office, Ako in his arms and fumming like a train. Genji is at the base and tries to hold him back, knowing very well how his temper worked.

“Well, you do have a baby to take care of.” Winston fixes his glasses, strategically looking at his computer and not at Hanzo. The omega could catch anyone on a lie, especially Winston, who seemed even more anxious than he was. 

“And I can go on a single day mission once or twice a week.” Hanzo squints at him. “Or am I in timeout because of that man's nose?”

“No, agent Shimada, you're not in “timeout”.” He makes air quotes.

“I'll be honest, it was justified.” Genji says, huffing. 

“Yes, it was.” Winston, to Hanzo’s surprise, agrees.  

“So what is it?” 

“Like I said, I'm taking into consideration the fact that you have a child and these are more dangerous missions. The threat of Talon or Null Sector attacks are even more prominent, so I’m avoiding sending you to the field.” Winston explains. Hanzo relaxes a little. He guesses it's okay if that was the reason, it is a justifiable answer. “And I'm taking into consideration couples requests for less work. Since you and Cole asked to be put in less missions, I’m attending the request.” The gorilla opens a smile, proud of himself. 

“Me and Cole?”

“Yes, He put in a request last week. It’s a pity the missions got so crazy we had to put him back into action. I’m sorry about that one.” Winston nods, apologetically, fixing his glasses.

“I see.” Hanzo squints, pressing his lips in a thin line. He realizes what this is about. The cowboy, yet again, going over Hanzo’s own wishes. He stalks away from the room.

“Uh-oh.” Genji strands straighter. “That's not a good expression.” He quickly starts to follow Hanzo. “ Aniki , calm down please.” 

The omega marches outside, gets his comm, chooses Cole’s profile and makes a call. When it doesn't get through, Hanzo snarls at it, then leaves a very lengthy voice message to the cowboy, making sure that he knows how mad at the cowboy he is. When he turns back, Genji is waiting for him at the door, cringing. 

“Should I prepare for the funeral?”

“Yes.” He says, walking back inside. “And you better not have known about this beforehand.” he points at him, nose flaring in anger. Ako looks at Genji, scrunches her face like Hanzo and babbles something angrily. 

“She does have your temper.” Genji comments, making a face back to the baby, trying to make his brother’s foul mood go away. Ako squeals, delighted at Genji’s silly faces. 

“Don’t change the subject.” Hanzo says, calming down. He looks at Ako, who smiles back at him. He hopes she doesn’t take his temper. He hopes she can be happy and laugh in ways he never could. He hopes she sees Genji's foolishness and Cole’s ability to let things go and learn from them. 

“In my defense, I didn’t know you wanted to go on more missions.” Genji crosses his arms, like a petulant child. “I just thought you two got to an agreement!”

“And what agreement would make sense that he leaves and I cannot?” 

“I don't know man, you have a baby!” Genji says it like it is obvious, pointing at Ako. “Makes sense you want to be with her all the time!” 

“He doesn't get to decide for me!” 

“Well, sometimes you do make dumb decisions, aniki .”

“Yes. But they are mine to make.” Hanzo frowns, looking at the ground. 

“You two should talk about it. It's not just you alone anymore, you know?” 

Hanzo does know, doesn't mean he’s any less angry about it. So when Cole gets back, Hanzo is waiting for him outside of their room, a nasty scowl on his face. 

“Someone's sleeping in the dog house today.” Torbjorn comments, patting Cole I'm the back and leaving quickly to his own room.

Cole looks at Hanzo. The omega expects a joke, a scrambled justification for what he has done, but he doesn’t get either of that. The alpha looks serious, somber, as if he was going to tell Hanzo someone just died. 

“Talk.” Hanzo demands. 

Cole takes in a breath, removing the hat out of his head. He passes his fingers through his hair. “Han, please I just got back from the mission--” 

“That you weren't supposed to be at.” Hanzo interrupts, tapping the floor with the tip on his feet.

“I know.” 

Silence. 

“Why did you tell Winston to stop putting me on missions?” He approaches, a slow menacing walk that makes Cole shudder. “You know I can deal with one day missions.”

“I don't want you on these missions.”

“I want to go.”

“We- You have a baby.” 

“That could be looked after by you if you stopped standing in for me on every mission!” 

“I can't let you go again on a mission, it's too dangerous!” Cole says, crossing his arms, face closed in a scowl. And that's the wrong answer, because Hanzo's face changes to something nasty. 

“You're not my handler. You don't tell me what I can and cannot do. You can't LET ME do anything.”

“You don't understand, Hanzo. I can't protect you if you're on a mission God knows where and I'm on the other side of the world!” Cole argues back.

“I don't need you to protect me!” Hanzo exclaims. 

“I need to! You got injured on missions. Some guy puts his hands on you!” Cole says, angry.

“I dealt with it!” 

“You have no idea what Talon is capable of!”

“Of course I know! I've seen the files! I fought Widowmaker!” 

“And you got hurt!”

“Didn’t you lose your stupid arm to Talon?” Hanzo holds Cole's prosthetic hand, emphasizing his point. 

“It's different!” Cole pulls his hand back.

“It is not! You-- ARGH!” Hanzo wants to rip the hair off of his head. “You're treating me like im-- like I'm some kind of--!”

“Of what?” Cole snaps. 

“Of omega!” Hanzo says, frustrated. “Like I'm some frail thing that will break with one blow!” 

“Yer an omega, Hanzo!” Cole exclaims, hands in the air. 

“I KNOW THAT!” Hanzo pulls Cole by his shirt, getting nose to nose with him. “I've been reminded of that since I was fucking 13! I've been treated like it was an illness that made me a whore and a porcelain doll for most of my life!” He takes a deep breath, then another. Cole looks at him with wide eyes, anger gone. “I thought you would be the one to treat me like I was a person.” He releases him and walks away. 

“Hanzo!” Cole stalks behind him. “Come back.” He asks, pleads to him. “Can we talk?”

“I'm talking. You’re the one not listening!” The omega turns to him, frustrated and angry. “We are done with this conversation.” He enters his room, Cole tries to enter too, but the omega stops him with a hand on his chest. “No.” 

“Han.”

“No, when you’re more rational we can speak.” He takes a deep breath. “It's best if you sleep in your room today.”

Cole looks at him like he has been gutted, but licks his lips and nods, bringing the hat down, obscuring his face. He walks to his room in silence, hands in his pockets. Hanzo feels his heart bleed, seeing the man dejected like that, but he won’t falter on that. Cole cannot treat him like he’s a caged bird. He won’t accept that anymore. 

He doesn’t sleep well at night and the next day, Hanzo is awake when Cole knocks at his door. 

“Han. I'm leaving for the next mission in a minute.” His voice is muffled by the door. The omega gets up, Ako on his lap. God, he can’t believe the cowboy is leaving again! “Can I at least see you two before leaving?”

Hanzo sighs, but relents, opening the door. He thought he looked bad from not sleeping, but The alpha doesn’t look any better. He looks tired, but also is using the same clothes from last night, his hair is all over the place, as if he rolled on his bed the whole night. Cole moves his hand up to touch Hanzo’s face, but hesitates, letting it fall down. Hanzo craves the touch, but craves more that Cole understands what he wants. 

“Can we talk after I come back?” Cole asks, low, almost inaudible. 

“Of course we can.” Hanzo says, resting his head on the doorframe. Cole nods, biting his lip. He briefly touches Ako’s cheek, smiling at the baby. She smiles back, patting Cole’s hand, then holding it.

He nods again, puts the hat on his head and leaves. The quiet corridor makes the sound of the boots and the spurs echo. Hanzo sighs, as he sees his cowboy disappear on the next curve of the corridor. 

Shit. 

The rest of the day is a daze. Hanzo is emotionally and physically drained and overwhelmed. He wants to stay in his own room, cooped up and feeling sorry for himself. But he doesn’t, he can’t afford that. He has a daughter, he has responsibilities, and a lover’s spat is not reason to not attend to them. Doesn’t mean he can’t feel like shit while doing it and it doesn’t matter that the other agents avoid him and his mood during the day, as they leave the base to their own missions. 

“First big fight, huh?” Reinhardt asks, as they are finishing cleaning the training room. Hanzo grunts, not wanting to answer it. “Ah, I remember those.” 

“I just…” Hanzo says, feeling sad and cursed. “I hoped he wouldn't try to do exactly what people have done to me all my life.”

“That is?”

“Trap me.”

A moment of silence.

“Love on the battlefield makes us alpha stupid.” The giant man pokes at his own temple. “We feel like we can stop everything bad from happening to our partners by keeping them close.” He sweeps away rubble, a sad expression on his own face. 

“I’ve been alone for 10 years, taking care of myself.” Hanzo says, looking down at Ako, strapped on his chest with Efi’s gift. “I did several missions now.”

“Yes, but you're also very dear to him. And you have been through a lot in the last months.” Reinhardt sighs. “Just because you were alone taking care of yourself for that long, doesn’t mean you can’t afford to let people take more care of you, right?”

“Yes, but he can’t make decisions for me. He can’t take away my agency.” Hanzo picks one of the bot’s arms, putting it in the metal box with “for fixing” written on it. 

“I agree.” Reinhardt nods, then puts a hand on his chin. “Love feels fleeting, my friend, especially for us, who saw so many fall down by our side. It makes us feel scared. Being alone is truly a curse.”

Hanzo knows that. He's been alone for most of his life, either because of isolation brought by his clan or the self imposed isolation after he tried to kill Genji. 

Hanzo thinks about what Reinhardt said for the whole day. He can't stop thinking about Cole's dream too. He imagines it, a kid, lost in the desert, waiting for his mom to come back. He thinks about Cole’s past lovers, all one night stands, all not staying. Even Blackwatch was dismantled after everything and only Genji stayed back, didn’t he? Did he stay alone on the road, all those years too? Occasionally listening from Genji or Angela. Did anyone send him messages? Keep in touch?

“Never had no one to tell me shit about my real family.”

“They usually kicked me out soon after we were done.”

“With you it doesn't feel lonely.”

“Been alone ever since.”

Hanzo understood his side, he really did. He didn't want to be alone again too, he feared every time his alpha left for a mission. But he never doubted his abilities and the fact he would come back to him. And Cole needs to know that too about him too, that Hanzo is competent enough to come back. 

Time ticks by, and Hanzo looks at his comm. Cole should have already come back. This was a mission just for gathering Intel in Junkertown about the possibility of the new Junker Queen teaming up with Talon. He wasn't supposed to take this long, especially with Jack with him. 

At night his worry is so potent it stinks the whole room he is in, upsetting Ako “Don't cry, little Ako.” he says, but it doesn't soothe either of them. Only Cole’s serape and the shirt Hanzo has stolen from him seems to soothe his worries. He looks at the Dancing lady orchid on his window, the flowers have already wilted away. 

When morning comes, Hanzo can't help but pace around. Worry eating on him. He's about to Storm off again to Winston's office when he sees the message sent to all team members.

Mission 034-2 

Current status: in progress. 

> Communication lost with Agent: Soldier 76 

> Communication lost with Agent: Cole Cassidy. 

> Meeting in session to elaborate rescue mission.

Notes:

Aparently people at the watchpoint are not as progressive as they think they are lol. What is a little bit of tit? A boobage being shown? A little bit of a bra strap? Let Lúcio show his bahoogas!

I know This kind of cliffhangger is a cliche, but I'm a sucker for those. Mhuahahaha. Don't worry I'm not killing anyone, Jesus. I don't leave that kind of thing untagged.

Chapter 12: What a Mess i'd leave

Summary:

Cole loses his arm in the desert _(ツ)_/¯

Notes:

Hi ya'll, How y'all doing? Did you know that this is actually me quoting a tiktok meme? Yeah.
Anyways, this chapter was very fun to write, I honestly hope you guys like it.
This chapter is brought to you by the Mad Max fury road score (obviously), Which is the first part. Then California by Lana del Rey on the second part. Sorry, I’m a fan, apparently, yuck.

“You’re acting exactly like Gabriel.” Jack says, sitting by Cole’s side. 

Their hands are tied to their backs with god knows what, on a pole, in a shack in the middle of Junkertown. 

Two junkers had ambushed them in the middle of their investigation the day before. A small skinny blond alpha that looked like if a rat went into a trash compactor and came back rebuilt with parts of a robot and a tall corpulent omega that walked around with a gas mask and a belt buckle with “road rage” written on it. Cole wants to know where to get one belt buckle like that. 

“About?” Cole asks, trying once again to pull his arms off of the bounds. He hisses as he does so, yesterday his leg has been hit by shrapnel from one of the bombs the stupid blond alpha threw at them like it was candy on Halloween. 

It has stopped bleeding, but Jack didn't have enough time to activate a biotic field close to him. So now it was open, dirty, and with pus oozing out of it. He doesn't have a fever yet, but he will pretty soon, especially because the hunger has made him weak.

“About Shimada… Hanzo. ” the older omega sighs, looking at the rusted pieces of metal they call the payload with literal kilos of gold coins in it. This wasn't even the mission, they weren't supposed to steal this back, like the two junkers thought.

“That bad, huh?” Cole asks, resting his head on his knees. 

“Not like in the end.” Jack licks his lips. “Before that, when he and I got together.” He sighs, tired. “He was always so scared that I'd get hurt on missions, he always asked to be paired with me when he could.” Jack chuckles, reliving the past, lost is the tenderness of the memory. “Our supervisors at the UN hated that.”

“This has nothing to do with that.” Cole looks at his spurs, but remembers they are his cheap ones, they are not sharpened. “You two were supersoldiers, he wasn’t justified for stopping you from goin on missions.”

“And it is with Shimada?” Jack honest to god laughs. “Did you see what he did to that guy's nose? To Widowmaker?” 

“Yes I saw and that's what scares me!” Cole insists. Why didn't anyone see he was trying to protect his omega and their baby? Wait. “Oh.” He says, the realization dawning on him.

“What?” 

“No, I just… I just realized somethin’.” 

“Very unlike you.”

“Will you stop?” Cole says, angry. “Y'all keep speaking like I’m dumb, like-- like I don't know what the hell I'm doin’! Is driving me nuts!” 

“Because you alphas don't know what you're doing. Do you know what made me and Gabriel fight so much?” Cole grumbles a non answer. Jack continues anyway. “He started to try to make decisions for me. Kept things hidden away that he shouldn't have, which made me keep things away from him.” 

“‘S not the same.”

“It is, Cole--”

“I can't fucking lose him too, Jack!” Cole snaps, looking at the man, a desperate feeling overtaking him. “What if Talon takes him? Fuckin’ brainwash him like they did Amélie? They are interested in him and me, they are interested in our baby! And I can't protect them!” 

A moment of silence.  

“Interesting choice of words.” Jack says amused. 

Cole feels his cheeks heating up, realizing what he has said. He and Hanzo have been together for more than four months now and he couldn't help the way he feels. 

Too fast. Always too fast. That's why no one stays. He thinks. 

“That's really tough, mate.” A voice says in front of them. Turning, both Cole and Jack see the small blond alpha sitting cross legged in front of them, looking at them in pity. “Imagine, experimenting on a wee baby? Right Roadie?” He turns to the giant omega, who nods. 

“Yeah. That's usually what y’all from Talon do.” Cole says, sitting back, a mean scowl on his face. 

“Oh, we're not that, mate!” He laughs a little. “We're just here for a little mayhem!”

“And the money.” The giant omega says. He starts coughing, scratchy and raspy, as if his lungs are damaged by something. He brings a device to his face, breathing in what Cole thinks is biotics. 

“That too!” He laughs more. “The purple lady paid us to attack the queen with those robots of hers, but they looked so weak that we made these neat bombs with them.” Taking something from his pocket, the alpha shows them a round and shiny bomb that really looks like it's made of spare parts. “So we are exploding the whole damn thing and taking the queen with it! And OUR money back.”

Cole looks at Jack, an understanding between them. Widowmaker was here. Keep them talking. 

“That's a great plan, but wouldn't it be better to follow the, uh, purple lady's plans since she paid you two?” Cole asks, confused at the logic of the weirdly jittery man. 

“Nah, it's our wedding anniversary, we need to commemorate it!” The thin alpha takes two pictures out of his pants pocket and shows it to them. 

One is him and the omega, in front of what looks like a destroyed church. Under it is written our wedding - Mako & Jamison dated five years ago . The alpha is wearing a wedding  veil that is partially on fire. The second one is the two of them in front of a turned over truck with several pieces of tech fallen on the desert floor. Under it is written Our honeymoon. 

He gets up, moving to Roadie. “Right, Roadie?” He smiles and kisses the Omega's cheeks. 

“This is kinda cute, you'll have to admit.” Cole looks at Jack, who shrugs.

“Yes. And we are celebrating in great style!” He starts walking away, to the big black board on the other side of the room, with their “plan” written on it. Rodie follows him, looking at them one more time before stopping right beside the other man.

Cole sighs and goes back into trying to release his hands, cursing when he can’t. He finally gives up, letting his body relax. What Jack said repeats in his head, making him think about the last few weeks. “What do I do, then?”

“Stop being a knot head, first. It’s unlike you.” Jack says, not stopping when Cole grumbles. “Remember when we prepared for the raid on Hanamura? The info we had about them?”

“I remember it looking like a goddamn cult.” Cole says, reminded of how every dossier he got the whole thing looked less and less like the yakuza dealing drugs and more like an ultra conservative group that sold drugs on the side. He was left out of the whole operation due to his, then, recently lost arm, so he didn’t know much more than that.

“Yes. And from what we saw when we got there, it was worse than we expected.” Jack sighs, remembering seeing the castle from far away, engulfed in flames, blue sparkles erupting in the sky. He remembers the Roars. “There was almost nothing left.” Nothing but the room where Genji was taken, pristine, only the bloody sheet over his body tainting it. 

“He told me that.”

“So maybe think about the things he tells you before acting like an idiot.” Jack says, stern. “That boy was so abused that he burned everything. You can't trap him because you’re scared. You can talk to him, maybe have an agreement so you two can have more missions together, but you can't stop him.”

Cole sighs, remembering the argument he had with Hanzo. The exact words the omega had used. He had asked him so much to open up, to tell him when things got bad, to trust him, just to turn around and act like the people that repeatedly hurt him from infancy. 

“I fucked up.” He says, resting his head on the pole they were tied to. He doesn’t want to end up like Gabe, dead and with a mate left behind grieving the fights they didn’t forget nor resolved. Looking at Jack, the alpha remembers the weeks after Gabriel died, how Jack was in so much pain he kept crying, insisting that the man was alive, that he still could feel him. 

“Yes, you did.” Jack says, a tired sigh leaving him. Minutes pass in silence. “Can’t you take your arm off?”

“I have to use the other hand to detach it.” Cole says, sweat beading up on his forehead. He feels a chill run up his spine. “‘Sides, I still need it to do quickshots. As cute as the photos are, these two are still blowin’ up the dome.” 

Cole looks up, seeing the duo coming back. He shuts up, trying to think of how to get away from this situation and stop the two. 

“You know what, the sob story really got to me. Me and Mako here talked, and it’s our birthday, we’re already blowing up the queen.” Jamison says, stopping not too far from where they were before. “If you give me that arm and the visor I will let you two go.” He crosses his arms, as if it’s just a small thing. Cole and Jack look at one another, ready to take the deal. 

“No you two will not.” A female voice says and seemingly out of thin air a beta woman, dressed in black and purple, appears. Cole looks at her, not recognizing the woman from any of the dossiers Winston has given them. 

“Ah, purple lady!” Jamison says in cheerful surprise. So it wasn't Widowmaker after all. 

“That wasn't the deal, Junkrat.” She spats, crossing her arms, an automatic gun in her hands. Holy shit, if they were in danger before now Cole thinks they might be dead dead now. “Where are the bots?”

“See, things change!” He says, shrugging. The man, apparently nicknamed Junkrat, takes his grenade launcher, pointing at her. “We’re decided to go in a different direction, right Roadhog?” He looks at Roadhog, and the man nods. 

“No, you idiots. You have to attack them with the bots!”

“Those things are so weak it won’t even make a dent on the Queen!” Junkrat says, irritated at her. “This is much better.” He shows her the handmade grenades made out of the bots she has given to them.  

“That's the whole point, Coño !” She massages her temples, as if nursing away a headache. 

“Wait, we are not killing the queen?” The atmosphere changes, the menacing vibes from the tall omega makes Cole shudder in fear. 

“Of course-- You know what, nevermind. I have to do everything by myself.” She says, opening her arms. A skull symbol shows up in hard light. A wave hits them, it feels very much like being hit by an EMP and Cole can see Jack’s full face visor shutting off. His hand goes limp, the nerve receptors shutting down. 

Junkrat doesn’t seem affected, pointing the gun at the woman and shooting, the gun must be completely analog. She throws something up, disappearing and reappearing in front of Cole and Jack. What in the hell. He thinks. 

Before Junkrat can do anything, Roadhog starts another coughing fit, this time being a really bad one. He brings the device back to his face again, but it has stopped working. It’s probably a standard inhaler they stole from someone, and those have become filled with electronics in the last few years. Junkrat throws his gun away, turning to Roadhog, trying to stop the coughing fit. 

“Hola, Hermano .” She looks at Cole with a wide neon purple smile on her face. “Again on a mission? You're having an awful lot of those recently. ”

“How in the hell do you know that?” Cole watches her gun, trying to anticipate her moves. 

“I have eyes everywhere, querido .” She chuckles. “So, You're still not here to accept Reaper’s Invitation?” She moves her fingers around the air, as if she's typing and an image shows up in her hand, as if it’s floating, showing Reaper cornering Cole on a back alley in Dorado.  

“I lack the constitution for terrorism.”

“What, too little maternity leave?” She mocks, making a fake sad face. The image blinks in a purple distortion, showing Cole, Hanzo and Jack in the baby shop, months ago. Ako is in Hanzo's arms as the omega kisses him.

“If you touch them I will kill y’all with my own fucking hands!” Cole snarls, lunging at Sombra, being only stopped by the fact he was trapped. The woman jumps back, a scared expression on her face, just for a moment before is gone. 

“So that’s what deadeye is.” She smiles, crouching down, looking at Cole's right eye. She lifts her hand up, typing again, lines come from her fingertips to his eyes, but nothing happens. “What?” She tries (and fails) again. “ Madre de Dios ¿qué diablos eres?” She stands up, looking at Cole in fear and amazement. 

“Cole, what happened?” Jack asks, his visor still not operating. 

“Aw, my EMP got to you too?” She walks in front of the omega, taking his visor off and letting it fall on the ground. Jack looks at her, unable to see her features properly. “Didn’t Reaper tell you to stop?”

“I never will.” He snaps at her. “Not until I get him back.”

“Gabriel is dead.” She sounds sad, honest to God, sad. “You should accept that.” She stands up, looking at the Junker duo. Junkrat patting Roadhog’s back. “Plan B it is.” She shakes her head, typing something in the air again. A rumble is heard, loud enough to make the building shake.  “ Hasta Luego, try not to die.” She waves her goodbyes, then disappears, as if she pulled some cloaking device over her. 

“Hey, Mako, breathe. Try to breathe.” Junkrat says, desperate.  

“Hey, the two of you!” Jack says. Junkrat looks at him, worried. “I have one last biotic emitter here. Release us and you can have it.” 

“Can’t you see It doesn't work, mate?” Junkrat says, desperate, a hand on Roadhog's back. 

“Mine are analog! Like your gun!” He insists. “My kid is hurt too, Come on!” 

Junkrat looks at them and takes little time thinking. He, in despair, runs and releases their hands, gun pointed at Jack.

Jack quickly moves to the other omega, takes his Biotic emitter and plants it on the ground. Cole follows, but Junkrat points the gun at him, keeping the alpha standing right on the edge of the field. His arm is still limp, leg wound oozing.

“Let him in the field.” Jack asks, through his teeth, almost pleading, but Junkrat doesn’t move.

“Shut up.” He says, watching Cole. Shit, he’s so fucked. 

The rumbling gets closer.

After Roadhog is finally breathing again, they all move to the windows, seeing a hoard of bots passing in between the shacks outside of the dome, invading the town. They look like omnics, but Cole is sure it can’t be, with the mindless way they walk.

The hoard takes the streets, passing over everything in their way. They see them blowing the gates of the main entrance of the dome, Cole can’t even believe it. In the megaphone of Junkertown, the queen rages for her bodyguards and citizens to attack the “Omnics scum”. 

“We’re fucked.” Cole says, breathing hard, shivering. It's too cold. “We need to leave.” He looks around, looking for where in the hell their weapons are. Maybe they could get one of the scrap metal the Junkers call vehicles and run from there?

Junkrat clears his throat, standing in front of the box where their weapons are. He opens his hand, demanding his part of the deal. He already had Jack’s visor and the empty biotic healing on their hands. Cole sighs, detaching his arm with a hiss of pain and handling it to them. Once again, losing a good prosthetic arm to the junkers. 

Junkrat and Roadhogs hand them their weapons, swearing to get revenge on the purple woman. Cole cannot stop thinking about who the hell that woman even is. The duo leaves the Shack, entering their motorcycle and moving away from the shack, passing through the bots and into the vast desert. 

Cole and Jack leave too, trying to make way in between the rubble created by the bots and the other junkers rolling in and out of the dome, shooting whatever they see in their way. They have to duck down and hide under a set of stairs. The noise is horrible, Junkers screaming in pain and exhilaration, metal being bent and blown, the Motorcycles and hovercycles  bumping on buildings. It takes half an hour before the whole thing is over and the noise dies down. 

“This was a total failure.” Jack says, reaching for a wall. Cole nods, thinking on how they are going to communicate to the base without their comms and how they are leaving there without his freaking arm and fucked up leg and a severe fever. Jack also puts a hand on his shoulder, guiding himself. Goddamn, he forgot the man was in fact half blind. 

Once they leave their hiding spot, they start walking through the shacks and houses, looking at the mess and for anything that they could use to communicate. But the only places that probably had any of that are the ones inside the dome, and they refuse to do so as they listen to the Junker Queen activating the shredder and dropping bots on it. Junkers are not welcoming to outsiders.

“D’you think they know they are bots?” Cole asks, already knowing the answer. “I don't get it.” He says, sitting down under the sun, trying to get warm. His body is shivering. “The Missions where Talon shows up are all over the place.” He takes his hat off, breathing hard. “Fuckin’ stupid shit.”

“I never really understood their purpose.” Jack takes his jacket off, the heat getting to him. “First I thought they were some kind of mercenaries, but now I don't even know what they are doing. Doomfist reasons are murky at best.” 

They stay silent for a while. 

“Say, what'd ya mean back then? About Gabe.” Cole asks. “Are you still suffering from the Phantom Bond?”

“It's not Phantom Bond.” Jack insists, more tired than anything. “I know he's alive.” He looks down, hands over his eyes, sheltering them from the harsh sun.

“That's why you came back to overwatch?” Cole sighs. “You think Talon has him?”

“It wasn't your winning personality that made me come back.” Despite the snark, Cole laughs it off. He stops for a moment. 

“I miss him too.” He says, thinking about the man that was like a father figure to him, that became so unhinged at the end. 

“Don't do what he did, Cole.” The omega says. “It really fucking hurts when someone you love treats you like that.”

Cole nods, sighing, looking at the stump on his arm. “If I don't die in this goddamn wasteland I'm going to fix things with Hanzo.” if Hanzo will ever have him back. What an idiot he is, always ruining the good things he has. 

A faint sound far away makes Cole look up. In the heat distortion in the ground he sees several hoverbikes and fuel vehicles, approaching quickly. 

“Uh-oh. Trouble.” he sees them getting closer and closer to their location.

“Let's move. Wastelanders are unpredictable.” Jack says, not putting his Jacket on. “Let's hope they are not traffickers.”

They start the walk to the opposite direction, but one of them seems to spot them, revving his hovercycles, speeding to them. “FRESH MEAT, BOYS!” The others follow him, the vehicles spreading in formation. Fuck. Definitely traffickers. Without the Junkers in the city, the small village outside of the dome was an open plate to the scavengers. 

“Fuck.” Cole exclaims as they start running (and in Cole’s case limping), getting in between the buildings, using the narrow pathways to hide from them. The wastelanders start to scream, taunting them. He and Jack make a turn on the alleway, then another, a Wastelander stops at the other end of the alleway, cornering them. One throws a chain from behind them, missing Jack by a hair. 

They are surrounded, trapped in between buildings. 

“Up!” Jack says, jumping up into the walkway above, linking the houses. Cole follows him, struggling to get up. Two of the men dismount their bikes, following them on the alleway, trying to reach Cole’s feet. The alpha takes Peacemaker, shooting the two men in straight in the head and chest. 

Two down. A fuck ton more to go. 

They start running, covering themselves behind the rusted wall of the junk city, ducking from several chains being thrown in their direction. 

They jump from one shack to the other, but Cole’s leg falters for a moment, missing the ledge. He falls to the ground, right on his injury, hitting his head on dirt. He’s disoriented for a moment. A chain is thrown in his direction, lassoing his leg, Cole screams in agony as his injured leg is being pulled.

“An alpha like this one will make us a pretty penny, boys!” The man, a beta from the scent, laughs bringing Cole close. The alpha takes the peacemaker, shoots four more times. He hits the beta on the chest armor. Fuck. Fuck. He scrambles to get the bullets inside the barrel, his hands are jittery, he feels weak, the beta pulling his legs making it difficult. 

“LET HIM GO!” Jack screams, from the pathway of the house he’s in, lifts his gun and shoots at the man, the bullets hitting the ground then his chest and neck. He’s down in a second, hand on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding, gurgling something. Jack jumps down and runs to Cole, taking the chain off his leg. The alpha screams with the pain, shit it is probably broken. Jack pulls Cole behind himself, protecting him.

A deafening sound is heard above them. Looking up, they see the orca flying low, zipping through the sky, quicker than they could ever expect. The door opens, and Hana's mecha is deployed. 

“Game on!” She hoots launching her missiles to the wastelanders' directions. They all scramble away. She uses her propulsors to soften her fall as she lands beside them. “Did anyone ask for a ride?” 

“Right on time.” Cole wheezes, Jack helps him to get up and they limp towards Hana. 

“Hold onto me.” She screams. Cole and Jack do so, holding onto the legs of the mecha. They see the wastelanders circling back, getting close. Hana shoots at them, but they scatter, surrounding them again. 

“Lena, get down. I’m moving in. ” They hear Genji saying from the mechas communication system.

“Don't!” Cole pants out. “If they get you they are sending you to the shredder!” He can't stop hearing the sound of that thing destroying the bots being played on the speakers. 

Jack shoots at several of the men, but his shots don't land as well without the visor. Still he and Hana take several of the wastelanders out. The leader of the wastelander whistles a musical note and they all change the formation then, all behind the man, giving the chance for Hana to move away. 

“Strap in!” She exclaims, turning away from them and in the direction of the orca. Cole, holding for dear life to one of the Mecha’s legs, sees one of the wastelanders pulling a rotating bomb, setting it off as soon as Hana activates her propulsors.

Fuck, they are dying here, he realizes. God, he hopes Hanzo doesn't get too mad at him. 

He will miss that smile.

“ Apagando las luces !” The woman blinks into view, the EMP wave hitting them again, turning the hoverbikes and Hana's mecha off, the rotating bomb falls limp to the ground, disarmed and useless. The hover vehicles in the front turn off, rolling in the dirt, making the others scatter. She shoots them, automatic rifle hitting and killing several of the wastelanders.

“What in the--” Cole sees the woman looking at him and then disappears again, a laugh left behind. The wastelanders on the back rev their fuel bikes, accelerating. 

“Time to test our new configuration! Analog mode activated.” Hana screams, pressing several buttons. Her mecha turns back up, black smoke churning out of an exhaust pipe on the top. “Hold tight!” She activates the propulsors, moving the robot up and to the sky, to where the orca is waiting for them with the door open. 

“Come right up, loves, the orca can take it!” He hears Lena through Hana's speakers. 

Several of the wastelanders shoot at them as they go. He sees one of them get a rifle up, the scope shining under the sun. They are hit with a well aimed Shot, making the mecha sway. 

Cole turns, holding the leg of the mecha with his own legs for dear life, facing the men. He aims and calls for deadeye. Everything turns red. 

Eleven targets. Too many. 

Come on. He thinks.

He can see their skulls, blinking red under their skin. They are hit by the rifle shots again and again, making the pieces of the mecha fly away. 

Come on, you fucking wastelanders .  

Eleven targets. Six bullets. He closes his right eye, waiting for the right time. 

Come on. GET IN LINE! He thinks. 

“I'm taking too many hits!” 

COME ON!

Jack shoots, hitting the front of the convoy with his rockets. He doesn’t take anyone down, but all the Vehicles left align perfectly.

Eleven skulls. Six bullets. 

“DRAW.”

Ten targets down. 

The bikes roll in the dirt, making a wall of sand stand up obscuring the way. Cole's eye stings. His head feels woozy. He has never held deadeye for that long. 

Shit. 

He swears he sees in the middle of the dirt clouds, a red figure, laughing. He feels his strength giving away and he almost falls down, but Jack holds him back. 

“IHUL!” Hana cheers as the mecha flies back to the orca. 

The landing is everything but soft. Hana enters the orca, hitting the other wall with force. Cole falls to the ground hitting his injured leg first, Jack rolls on the ground, stopping some feet from the mecha. Mercy is on them in a second with her staff. 

“Don't worry I got you.” She says.

But on the cold floor of the orca, Cole can only think of Hanzo. Of how he himself almost just died. Of how that woman knows him, them, images of the two, his daughter. He thought maybe reaper and doomfist were interested in him because of his bounty, his deadeye, and his infamous acts. Now he's not so sure. 

Why did that woman save them? 

Genji approaches him. “You look like shit.”

“I feel like it too.” He opens a smile, lifting his arm to give a thumbs up, but then re realizes that oh, yeah, his arm was taken away. “Aw, not again.” He rolls over, staying on his back, looking at the Orca’s ceiling. Suddenly he thinks about how he doesn't want Hanzo to be alone anymore either. “Is Hanzo okay?” Cole feels feverish, he thinks he may have heatstroke. He can't think straight. 

“His wound is infected. He has a fever.” Mercy says. Tough luck , Cole thinks. “What happened to his eye?” she asks someone on his right. 

He doesn't hear the answer, his head feels five times its size, it's not a headache, but he feels like he’s not entirely there any more. He shouldn’t have used deadeye for that long, it always made him weird. 

“Hanzo was two steps away from driving the aurora here himself and rescue you.” Genji reassures, and Cole feels he’s a little drunk. 

He makes a face, scrunching it in sadness. His right eye starts to water like crazy. 

“Oh, no, he's crying.” Hana says leaving the mecha, a little annoyed. 

“I love him so much.” Cole says, unable to control himself. “Can you tell him that? I think I’m about to die.” He says, looking around. His eye hurts like a bitch. Is it bleeding? He feels like he's going to pass out or his eye will pop like a balloon.

“You’re not dying.” Mercy says, angry. 

“Oh, this is pathetic.” Genji mutters. “Hanzo will love this.”

“He also has heatstroke.” Mercy says, sighing. “Couldn't you two stay in the shadow for five minutes?” She turns to Jack, who she notices now, is turning red from burning his skin under the sun. 

“We were busy.”

“I wanna be like those Junkers, you know Genji?” Cole tries to get up, only to be stopped by Mercy. “They got my arm but that's okay because they have been married for five years! JACk saw them, it was cute…” He grumbles feeling himself slip into sleep, before shaking himself awake once again. He can’t sleep, he thinks he may die if he does so. “I would steal a convoy for Hanzo too.” He stands up, looking at Genji. “Can you gimme your blessing?” He grabs Genji’s hand,

“Yes, I do, go to sleep now.” Genji shakes his head, grumbling about his brother’s bad taste in alphas. 

“Is he here?” Cole asks, closing his eyes and laying back down, still holding Genji’s hand. “Hanzo I love you even if I’m ugly and you’re so handsome.”

“Okay that's enough.” Genji says. “Can’t you sedate him? He won’t stop moving.”

“Yes I can, bring the medical stretcher.” Mercy says. “We will need to put him on fluids too and send him straight to the med bay when we land.”

“Noooo Hanzo, they are trying to silence meeee.” Cole Mumbles, not sleeping but also not fully awake. 

“By the Iris, he will love that one.” Genji says, excited, despite the dangers of what they just lived. 

--

Hanzo is pacing on the docking bay. Forty minutes ago, Genji warned him that they had rescued Cole and Jack and they are “Mostly okay”. The “mostly” was what bothered him. Genji had the horrible habit of downplaying injuries suffered by him or his friends. Nevermind that Hanzo did the same, but he wasn’t going to try to understand the whys of it, he was worried about Cole, after all.  

In fact, after he was informed about the rescue mission, Hanzo barged in the meeting, Ako in hand, and demanded the whys and the hows. Why send only Cole and Jack? Why not send backup! Why wasn’t Lena there with them? How could they do this? Even after all the explanations about gathering intel, undercover missions and seemingly low level threats, Hanzo still wasn’t satisfied. He demanded he’d go together!

“Absolutely not.” Wintson had said. Apparently he was “too emotionally invested” in this to not end up putting the rest of the team in danger. Hanzo had marched away, with Genji once again following him. 

“Brother, don’t try to do this by yourself.”

“I am not.” Hanzo had said. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't. He couldn’t drive the orca or the Aurora (who now was somewhere in Sweden with another team), he couldn’t just sneak out and go rogue. He has a daughter, he has a team, a hierarchy to follow. 

So he went to Cole's room, and locked himself and Ako in there. Genji has tried to make him leave, but couldn't.

“ Aniki, don't worry.” Genji said from the other side of the door. “I’ll make sure he comes back.” Then he left. 

Hanzo looked around the room, realizing that that day Cole wasn’t lying when he said there wasn’t too much to look at in his room. The place wasn’t decorated, the few clothes that were on the dresser were the ones he hardly used. The room was more like storage than anything else. The place didn’t even smell like the alpha. 

Distressed with the view, Hanzo couldn’t stand to stay in the room. So he takes off to the shooting range. He didn’t even realize he had Ako with him until she coos at him. Realizing what he was doing, he deflated, anger leaving his body. He turned his back to the training grounds, walking to the garden. 

He wanted to drink. But he didn’t, he just sat on the grass. 

His mind was filled with stupid thoughts. About how it was all his fault. If he didn’t hurt himself on the training grounds, if he had just taken widowmaker out before she could hit him, if he could just act like a normal omega. No, that’s not true. 

Hanzo has seen what normal omegas are like, they are not what his father thought they were, they weren’t frail things only abused and used for breeding. His father was wrong. Cole was wrong. 

And he knows he’s being unfair. Cole isn’t like his father. Thankfully, nobody was like his father. 

What Cole is, is stupid. He’s an stupid alpha that went to die in the desert, where I can’t save him! Hanzo had thought, a surge of helplessness filling his chest. Maybe he is a stupid frail Omega that couldn’t even go rescue his own fucking alpha without putting everyone in danger. He stood up and marched back to his room, to feel miserable away from the few people still at the base. 

When he got to his room, he couldn’t help but look at the door of Cole’s room. He decided then, that if Cole wanted protective he would show him protective.  

He opened the door with the code for the room and took every article of clothing, every boot, serape, hat, every book and trinket and moved in into his own. Even the dragons manifested, bringing the shirts with them in their mouths. 

At some point Lúcio and Efi (the only ones at the base beside himself and Winston) even showed up at the corridors of the housing section, trying to understand what he was doing. 

“Don’t bother, Efi, this is a grown up’s business.” Lúcio had shaked his head, leading the girl away from the mess he was doing. 

He dumped all the clothes in his bed, and laid on top of it, his daughter strapped to his chest. Ako seemed to love the idea, wiggling out of the sling and into the clothes, rubbing her face on them. 

Hanzo had laid his hand on Ako’s back, caressing it. She babbled something, grabbing a plaid shirt. Stupid fucking alpha. Hanzo thought as he waited. Once Ako drifts asleep, she puts her back on the crib, taking the shirt away from her hand. Ako whines a little, missing the close scent of the alpha. Stupid alpha. He thought again. 

Half an hour later he received the message from his brother, took Ako, and ran to the docking bay. What brings him to now. 

He must look disheveled, because Winston and Lúcio look at him with understanding and compassion. He hates it. He wants to strangle Cole and kiss him until he can’t talk for a week. 

When the orca lands and the door opens, he almost has a heart attack looking at Cole being wheeled in on a stretcher. Hanzo runs to them as soon as everyone is out on the ground, anger forgotten.

“I told you I was going to take him back!” Genji says, a wide smile on his face.

“Excuse me, I got them both back by myself!” Hana complains, hitting Genji on his metal arm.

“Is he okay?” He stops at Cole's side, looking at Angela and then, angrily, at his brother. “You told me he was okay!”

“I said "Mostly okay", and you know what that means." His brother says matter of fact. Hanzo huffs, angry, but lets it go, realizing how futile it is to be angry at his brother at the moment. 

“He is not 100% okay, but he will be fine soon.” She says, staff sending a constant stream of healing biotics to Cole and Jack, who looked red as a tomato. 

“So, I’ll assume that the mission wasn’t successful?” Winston and Lúcio approach them. 

Jack nods at him. “I’ll explain everything later, but Talon wasn’t just surveilling the place Winston, they attacked the dome.” 

Winston scratches his chin, thinking deeply, before they can further the discussion, Cole seems to wake up. 

“Han!” He gaps. “They are trying to silence me!” Cole babbles, more sleepy than anything else. qase, opening his eyes, finally. “Fucking junkers got m’ arm, honeybee.” 

“Didn't you sedate him?” Genji turns to Mercy, confused. 

“I did!” Angela insists, shaking her head. 

“That shit don't work! I used a lot of drugs as a kid.” Cole slurs looking at Hanzo, “God you're so beautiful.” Then he looks at Ako. “ Hello, little Ako .” He slurs, his accent so thick it almost sounds like a caricature. “How am I gonna hold her with one arm?” He scrunches his face again sobbing, and Hana mutters about not “wanting to see him cry again”.

Hanzo can't help but smile at the idiot. He touches the side of his head, caressing the hair there. Cole groans, rubbing his head on it. 

“Why is he acting like this?” He asks, looking at Cole's right eye, It's so red that he's scared of it going blind. The iris looks shiny, like it's made out of copper. 

“He has a fever due to a badly infected shrapnel injury, heatstroke and a sprained leg.” Mercy explains, stressed out about the whole deal. 

“Used deadeye for too damn long, sugar.” He closes his eyes, flinching at the sensation. He rubs his head on Hanzo's hand. “Fucking wastelanders wanted my body. I told ‘em no! I belong to my love Hanzo!” He almost screams. 

“Wastelanders?” Hanzo looks at Jack, narrowing his eyes. “Were you chased by wastelanders?”

“Don’t be mad.” Cole mumbles again. Hanzo wants to argue how they wouldn’t be in that situation if it wasn't for Jack and Winston in the first place, sending them on a mission all by themselves. “Jack saved me, right mom?” the cowboy turns to Jack, his hat getting on the way. 

They are all taken aback by Cole’s statement, and okay, maybe Hanzo will forgive Cole just for this alone. Especially because Jack’s skin seems to get even redder as he mumbles about how he should’ve left Cole to the wastelanders.

Hanzo snorts a laugh, then kisses Cole's forehead. “Sleep, Cowboy.”

“Nooooo I need t’ apologize.” He sighs, bringing Hanzo even Closer, so they are face to face. “HAn, I need to talk to ya.”  

“We’ll talk later. After you're rested.” The omega brings Cole's head to his scent gland on his neck, letting the man nose it. The alpha starts purring, slowly closing his eyes and finally drifting into sleep.

“Oh, wow.” Hana says, impressed.

“Finally.” Mercy sighs in relief. 

“Wastelanders!” Hanzo turns to Winston, anger in his face. “You’re not sending him on those missions again!” He growls. The gorilla blinks, absolutely not impressed.

“Fight later, I need to heal a patient now!” Angela starts wheeling him away, and Hanzo can't help but follow right beside them. 

Genji looks at the scene and comments. “Two peas in a pod.” Hana nods. Winston shakes his head, bringing everyone to debrief.

--

Cole opens his eyes. His head is killing him. Ako is complaining about something. He brings his hand up, trying to massage his temple, but he realizes it's missing. Ah, right. The married junkers took it. The memory of the whole ordeal comes back to him, and he remembers how much of an ass he was on the trip back. He is so ashamed of it. 

Opening his eyes, he realizes he's laying down on the med bay, wearing the usual paper gown. Looking around he sees Hanzo talking to Ako. He is standing up, his back to him, whispering something to the baby in soft japanese. The alpha lets the scene wash over him, feeling at peace. He'd do anything for them. 

“Did I give you too much trouble?” He asks, trying to sit up. 

Hanzo turns to him, eyes wide. “You're awake.” The omega goes to him, a hand Stretched out, seeking for him. Cole laces their fingers bringing Hanzo close, touching their foreheads. For a moment they just stand there, breathing in each other’s scent. 

Ako makes herself known, reaching for Cole with her chubby arms. Hanzo puts the baby on the alpha's chest. She lifts her head, giving an almost toothless smile to him, before resting her head on his chest, listening to his heart. 

“Oh.” He says, too emotional, seeing the baby cooing.

“You idiot.” Hanzo says sternly. Cole takes his eyes from Ako, looking startled at Hanzo.  “How dare you? HUH? How dare you strand me here and go get chased by wastelanders? With no backup? ” Hanzo is angry, face severe, the way he thinks Genji was scolded before, when he got into trouble.

“Jack was there.” Cole says and flinches when Hanzo snarls at him.

“So he can go with you and I can't?” Cole expects Hanzo to hit him, to end their relationship then and there. But his chin wobbles and he breathes heavily, tears gathering in his eyes. “You almost died-- I couldn't even go and rescue you!”

“‘M sorry.” Cole whispers. Hanzo rests his head on his shoulder, hugging the man impossibly close.

“You're not allowed to die.” The omega's voice is wet.

“‘M sorry.” he says again, like it is a prayer, like it's all he knows to say. He thinks of Jack. He thinks of Gabriel. “I'm so sorry, Hanzo. For everything. I didn't mean to make you cry.”

“Well you did.” They break apart for a moment, Hanzo frowns at him. “You knothead. Fucking idiot.” 

“I guess I deserve that.” 

“You do.”

A moment pass and Cole feels a knot on his throat.

“I'm scared.” Cole finally admits, the bravado, the jokes, the well crafted facade falling. He feels, for the first time in years, unable to keep his brave face on. “I'm so fucking scared I'm going to lose you and her.” and he's crying, holding Hanzo's torso. 

“Don't you think I am too?” Hanzo blinks at him. Before Cole can answer, the door opens and Angela enters the room. The omega releases his hand, taking Ako in his arms, but staying close, a hand on Cole’s arm. 

“Good afternoon. It's good to see you're awake, Cassidy.” The doctor greets them with a warm smile. Cole uses his hand to clean his face and Hanzo looks down. He’s glad she doesn’t acknowledge their state. 

“Hi, doc. Sorry about all the trouble.” Cole hides his face under his hand, embarrassed about the whole thing. 

“You had a fever.” She chuckles as she puts on gloves and starts to examine his eyes. “I’ve seen worse than just love declarations to a partner.” 

Hanzo tenses beside him, looking away from Cole with wide eyes. The alpha makes a show to not look at his partner, a heavy blush on his cheeks. They obviously had planned to not talk about it. The doctor seems to be satisfied with what she sees, and moves on to Cole’s leg. 

“Your eye seems fine now.” She pulls the covers off of him, looking at the wound. It has now fully closed, leaving behind a scabbing scar. “You slept for two days and I don’t see any more signs of infections or inflammation. Can you sit?” She asks. When Cole does so without flinching, she asks him to jump, stand on his legs and move his feet and toes. Nodding, she checks something on her tablet. “Fortunately, your leg wasn’t broken by the wastelander’s chain too. As incredible as it sounds, your chaps saved it from getting pierced by the hook.”

“I told y’all it has a purpose.” Cole crosses his arms over the gown, a cocky smile on his face. 

“Yes.” Angela rolls her eyes. “As you are fine right now, I will release you into Hanzo’s care. You’ll need rest and fluids, and no strenuous activities.” She says matter of fact, but it makes Hanzo and Cole blush with the implications. “If you feel anything in the next few days, come back. I’ll let you get dressed.” She leaves to her office, leaving the two of them alone. 

For a moment, it’s awkward, as if they are out of sync, trying to find the same wavelength. But Hanzo moves to the close chair and hands Cole a bundle of clothes with a hat over it. He puts the clothes on, realizing that the boots and the serape are the ones that he kept in his room, hidden away. When he starts to struggle to button up his shirt, Hanzo sits Ako on the bed and helps him, idle hands methodically putting the buttons inside the holes. 

Cole just looks at him, observes the crease on the middle of Hanzo’s eyebrows, his sharp dark eyes, eyelashes short but thick. He touches the side of his face, caressing his cheek, the touch so light he's scared Hanzo won't feel it. The omega nuzzles his hand, kissing his palm, the touch exhilarating. 

Hanzo looks at him, full of love, cheeks red from crying. Cole sniffs a little and Hanzo cleans the tears that have almost dried on his face. 

Ah, there it is. They found each other again. 

“We need to talk.” Cole says, and Hanzo nods. 

--

They go to one of the pathways outside of the observatory, leaving Ako in Genji's care. Sitting on the metal floor, they look at the horizon, smelling the cold breeze coming from the ocean. The weather was already starting to turn. 

“No bullshitting.” Hanzo says. Cole nods, sighing. 

Cole starts first, after minutes of them sitting in silence. He feels like he should be the one starting this conversation. “I’m sorry.” He looks at his hand, now without the glove, so rough and bruised with the years of wear. “For taking you out of the missions without talking to you… And acting the way I did after.” He says, really regretting how everything turned out. “I really am.” 

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Hanzo brings his knees up, resting his chin on them. “You're not my handler. No one is.” 

“I didn't mean to act like I was that, like I could control you. Don't even think I can.” Cole snorts, non comically. “I thought I was protecting you and Ako.” He looks up, desperate for Hanzo to understand. 

“You weren’t.”

Silence. Cole swallows down.

“All these bad things keep happenin’ to you and I’m supposed to stop ‘em. When I saw how that man touched you I-- Wanted to kill him.” Cole says, face closing in disgust, remembering the recording. “But the way you dealt with it, like it was nothing. You didn’t tell me…”

“I told you I'm used to it ever since I presen--”

“Well you shouldn't be used to it.” Cole interrupts. “‘specially since 13! ” He frowns frowns. “That ain't right, you should’ve had people care for you. Not letting you fight away some creep all by yourself.”

“I don’t need that.” He argues. “I know how to fight, I--”

“I know you do!” Cole says, taking Hanzo’s hand. “But that doesn't stop shit from happening to you. Han, You're an omega--”

“I’m not weak.”

“I didn’t say you were.” Cole argues back. “You're an omega, my omega. I’m a lousy excuse of an Alpha if I can’t even protect you from one man putting his hands on you.”

Hanzo looks at him, stunned. Cole turns his face away, expression closed off. Oh, Hanzo thinks to himself. And he thinks about what Renhardt has told him. About how he felt when Cole was injured and he thinks about all he revealed to the Alpha in the last few months, how he must have felt.

“You’re not a bad alpha because of that. You can’t be with me all the time.” Hanzo looks away. “You’re an idiot for not listening to me.”

“I don’t know what to do, Hanzo.” He admits.

He gets closer to the alpha. “Listen to me, then.” Hanzo bites his lip for a moment, before lacing their fingers tighter. “I'm not used to having people care for me, I'm used to dealing with everything by myself. Even before when people told me they were protecting me they were just keeping me locked away.” 

“And I did just that.” Cole looks down, licking his own lips, feeling the guilt eating at him. “I’m so stupid.”

“Yes, but…” Hanzo takes a breath. “I like when you are protective. No--not this, but the other ways you do it.”

“I don’t get it…” Cole asks, voice wet and Hanzo snorts. 

“You've been doing it since I got here, Cole.” He can’t believe how stupid the alpha is being, or that he couldn’t see how transparent his protective nature was. “You fought your own friends and coworkers for me, you made me eat more, you went with me to the doctor afraid that I was sick. I can barely walk without having your hands on me one way or the other.” Hanzo can’t help but feel amused as Cole's face gets redder. “I like it when you do it. I’m angry you went behind my back and tried to control what I do.” He explains.

Cole looks at him and nods.

“I was stupid.”

“Yes.”

Cole sighs.“I get it… I just spent most of my life alone.” He turns his face away from Hanzo, not wanting to show how weak he felt, how open he was being. “Most people died, the ones that remained up and left when I wasn't of use anymore. You, Ako. Genji. Even Jack’s stupid ass is back. So I’m just…” scared. He can’t say it again. 

And then Hanzo understands it. Cole was always used by others, seen as an asset, a weapon. Just like he was. 

“There is no role you need to play to be with me.” Hanzo scoots closer to Cole. “I want you for you, not because you’re an Alpha. And I’m staying here, with you and Genji.” He says, restring his head on Cole’s shoulder, looking at the sea. “You told me to trust you, remember? When I said I couldn't believe you could want me.” The alpha nods. “Then trust me when I say that I can protect myself. That I'll come back to you.”

“It's just hard.” Cole croaks. He swallows the lump on his throat. “It's the first time in my life that I have a-” He struggles to say it. “Ah, fuck it. A family. A pack.” Hanzo nods, understanding him. “And when I saw Reaper… And now in Junkertown, there was a woman from Talon. She had an image of us in that weird baby store. You know the one.” He says, worried, head hanging low. He doesn't see Hanzo's worried expression. “What if they get you or our-- to Ako?” 

Hanzo takes both of his hands and lifts Cole’s head, looking at him with fierce eyes. “If they ever think of putting their hand on her we will bring them hell.” And Cole has never seen so much determination in someone’s eyes. Cole could almost taste the electricity of the dragons.

“Okay.” He says, breathless. He feels his right eye sting, a droplet of tear dripping from it. 

“We can protect her. You and me.” Hanzo looks down, resting his head on Cole’s shoulder again. “She has me and you and Genji. Our family.” He remembers the first day after he introduced him to Ako. “Even if we don't work out, we will always be linked. You said so yourself, did you lie, then?”

“No.” Cole shakes his head. “No, I didn’t!” Somehow the reassurance they are a family, they are on this together makes his worries slowly dwindle. 

His family. 

Finally. 

“Besides, you’re not going on missions like that again without me. I will kill the gorilla before I let you.” The omega says, expression changing to one of determination. 

“Han.” Cole snorts at the reaction and hypocrisy. 

“No.” Hanzo insists, looking at his alpha, angry. “I was so worried when I saw we lost communication with you. Ako missed you! Even with all the missions you went to, we barely saw you. You were hurt and were chased by wastelanders traffickers! If you need to protect me then I need to protect you too. No more back to back missions. No more missions without backup.” 

He looks at his omega, so angry, bullheaded, impossible to control. So beautiful under the sun, hair wild with the breeze. 

“‘Kay.” Cole looks at Hanzo, eyes soft and understanding. “But only if you promise to ask for help if things like that happen to you again. Either me or someone else on the team.”

Hanzo looks at Cole and takes a deep annoyed breath. “Okay.” He hated people seeing him as weak, but he could compromise. 

“And tell me when upsetting things happen. Or anything that upsets you.” He palms the Omega's face, and sees Hanzo opening his mouth. Before he can argue back, Cole interrupts him. “Knowing them is not a burden. I know you can take care of yourself, I just want you to share your problems with me.”

“Fine. If you do the same too. If you had asked me we could have come to an agreement.” Hanzo relents, remembering what Genji said. It’s not just him, and it’s not just Cole. He can do that. “Maybe our burdens can feel less heavy if we share them.” He can let the alpha care for him a little. Just a little.

“Deal.” He feels Cole pulling him to his lap, holding the omega close by the waist, resting his head on his chest. Hanzo lets him, chuckling at the neediness of the alpha. The cold winds coming on the horizon don’t bother them, the touch of their skin is warming enough. 

He looks down at the man he loves, the man he calls his alpha in his head so often. “I love you too. You know that, right?” He says, taking Cole's face in his hand, stroking his cheek with his thumb. 

The alpha’s mouth opens, jaw on the floor. He looks at him with so much love, so much vulnerability Hanzo can't help but kiss him, sweet and chaste. When they break apart, the alpha hugs him like the omega is his lifeline. “I love you.” His voice is muffled, face squished on the omega’s chest. “You have no idea how much.” 

Without the standard soap of the base, Cole’s scent is more potent, intoxicating. Hanzo feels himself relaxing, the earthy scent mixed with apples invading his nose. “You smell like an orchard of apples.” Hanzo snuggles close, trying to memorize it, to store it so deep inside his mind he could never forget it. Cole grumbles something like a question, the omega doesn't understand it, but says. “What?”

“You smell like dessert.” He rumbles, making Hanzo shudder. God, he wanted Cole to scent mark him again so much.

Ask him, little one… Soba whispers, probably missing the cowboy too. 

“You know.” He starts. “Since you feel so protective, perhaps you can scent mark me more to avoid any--” before Hanzo can say anything more the alpha is already all over him. Scenting his neck. Hanzo hides a chuckle, hugging the alpha's neck close. 

“I love you.” Cole says, sighing. He looks up at Hanzo, a hopeful expression in his face.

“I love you too.” Hanzo kisses Cole, soft and tender, full of love, the way that he deserved to be kissed. God, what did he do to deserve such a loving man? 

The alpha sighs, content with the touch. “My alpha.” He says on Cole lips, and he shudders under him, bringing the omega impossibly close. Hanzo can smell the arousal in his scent, the hardening of his dick under the denim, but better yet, he can see how bashful Cole looks. Pleased with the reaction, he says it again on his alpha’s ear. “My alpha.”

“Yours.” Cole groans from under him, needy. “My omega, my omega, my omega.” He sounds almost as if he was feral, voice low and growly. The alpha licks the side of his neck, where the mating gland is. Hanzo shudders in pleasure, but lets the man do so. “Missed you so much on missions.” 

“I missed you too.” He lets the man kiss him, taking his breath away. 

“Cole? Hanzo?” Lucio asks, from the stairs, but the pair doesn't let it distract them from their moment. They hear steps. A moment of silence. “Nevermind. They are banging on the catwalk!” Lucio screams back, going back the way he came from. “ Meu bom , is really every surface. I’ll have to clean the base with bleach now.”

Hanzo chuckles into Cole’s mouth. 

--

Sombra materializes in the small room. 

She has just come back from talking with Doomfist, showing the mission was a success. The alpha looked pleased and praised her, not realizing she wasn't one of his puppets, nor one of his lackeys. He was a smart man, but Sombra was just smarter. After she had stored all the information she gathered away safely, she went to see Reaper, hacking every camera in her way. 

The man is hunched over on his bed, his hood obscuring his face, mask off. She could see something oozing from under there to the ground, then turning into dust so small and fine it almost looked like smoke.

“Your face is still melting off, hermano .” She greets. Reaper grunts. “I don’t think Moira is helping you heal whatever that is.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He says. “ Why Are you here, Olivia? ” He says, speaking in spanish and puts his mask back, looking at the woman. 

“ Don’t call me that, Gabriel.” She spats, emphasizing the name. “ I came here because your beau was again on the battlefield.” She types in the air and a hard light image of Jack, bound on the pole beside Cassidy, shows up. She shows it to Reaper.

“Stubborn.” Reaper reaches to the image, to Jack’s face, but his gloves fingers pass through it. He looked old, milky eyes and marked face. But he still looked like his Jack. Handsome, stubborn Jack. “ Was Moira there?”

“Fortunately, no. But your cub was there. Still doesn’t accept the deal. I don't know why you keep offering if you know he won’t take it.” She shrugs, unable to understand the alpha’s motivations. No, not really, she knows why Reaper acted the way he did, she just couldn’t understand why he was so stubborn about it, even ten years after. 

“I just have to keep offering.” Gabriel shakes his head. “That will distract Akande long enough.”

“Sure… By the way, I have no idea what the fuck that eye is, Gabe.” She moves to the window.  “Both almost got kidnapped by wastelanders.” She laughs. Reaper snarls at her, but she’s not fazed. “Don’t worry, they are fine. I saved the day, as always.”

“What a couple of idiots.” Reaper says, sighing. He feels part of his face getting rebuilt. Cole’s goddamn boyfriend did some damage to his eye and the bones of his skull, it’s taking longer than usual to heal. 

“You know, Jack is not stopping.” She turns the photo off. “You probably should ask the doc to break that bond of yours.”

“It’s already broken.” Gabriel lies. It’s best that everyone thought he had taken all the meds and concoctions to separate him from Jack. 

“If you say so.” She dismisses, moving to the door. “Just so you know, Doomfist and Moira are still really interested in the wonder couple.” She looks away, remembering the documents she downloaded from the doctor’s computer, detailing Cassidy’s and Shimada’s past, going back almost two decades, and each experiment she’d do to break them, to tame their “gifts”. “I don’t think a simple “no” will stop them.”

“As long as they think Cole can still come willingly, it's fine.”

“And the archer?” She lifts an eyebrow. 

“Can take care of himself.” Gabriel feels his eye finishing being rebuilt, he could almost completely see through it.

“You think this will work, Gabe?” Sombra sighs, tired. “You know, there is only so long you can lead them away from your cub.”

“She'll find someone else to experiment on soon enough.” Reaper says, growling at the idea of Cole or Jack being experimented on. “I'm not letting them do to him what they did to Amelie.” 

“Yeah, right.” Sombra says, a scowl on her face. She may have had business with Talon, but she despises Moira’s work. Money is money, however it makes her stomach turn just thinking about Grabriel’s face. “Take care, Gabriel. And go see a real doctor about your issue there.” She pulls her cloaking over herself, throwing the teleporter far. As she disappears the electronics come back online. 

Gabriel looks down at his hand, the black substance still dripping on it. It will all be worth it in the end. He can keep Moira away from Cole and Jack.

He knows he can.

Notes:

Have you guys ever seen those videos os cats dragging blankets on the ground? That's how the dragons dragged Cole's shirt. Jokes aside, I hope y'all liked this and that it did make sense. I’m so tacky doing these kinds of stories and I can't stand conflict between lovers. I really like the idea of “us against the world” more than anything else. Btw, did yall like that ending? Dan dan dan! Surprise I do have the semblance of a plot in this story. It’s not all just emotional shit. Who could’ve told that?
Also Soba is the perverted side of Hanzo, actually. Bitch was like “I’m not getting involved in this emotional shit, Oh, wait, you’re on his lap again? Let me just give you one advice.”

Chapter 13: To follow (to follow)

Summary:

Hanzo gets some quality time with the other omegas and meets somone new.

Notes:

N/A: BTW, since overwatch’s lore doesn’t make sense, Phara is not basically Cole’s age, especially because I distinctly remember a photo of her looking like a tween and Cole looking like he’s in his 20’s. So she's in her late 20's now.
And this chapter is brought to you by Enjoy the Silence by Depeche mode

“When did we get a stroller?” Cole looks at the thing, thinking he may be hallucinating. It’s been a week after Cole was rescued from the wastelanders and fortunately, the amount of missions seemed to have dwindled back into the normal schedule. The base was full of people again. 

However, Cole still remained without one arm. He needs to wait for Torbjorn to come back from his last mission, as Brigitte and Efi don’t feel confident enough to install it without damaging any nerves. He was grumpy about it, of course, but Hanzo also noticed it was something else keeping his bad mood going.

Cole wasn’t sleeping well.  

Most didn’t realize it, Cole was used to hiding his tiredness from people. But Hanzo knew. He saw how the alpha barely slept, reading some book or another until high hours of the night. Sometimes he’d feel him stir while having a nightmare. Hanzo would kiss him awake and hug him close. 

During the day, he’d let Cole take a nap when he could, trying to catch up. But the cowboy would never do it for long, asking to be awakened after fifteen minutes or less. And that’s why he didn’t realize the stroller was in their room.

Hanzo finishes dressing Ako, this time on the “New to the world” onesie they had bought her and looks at the thing. The stroller.

“Agent Lindholm and Reinhardt left it here last week.” He says. “We just carry Ako so much I forgot about it.” He lies, approaching and looking at the thing. More often than not, Soba and Udon used it to sleep, rather than Ako.

“Well, I'll be damned if you get any more back pain.” He takes Ako from the bed and moves her to the stroller. The baby wiggles around, face closed, unused with the new environment. “See, perfectly happy.”

Hanzo bounces his leg, bothered by seeing Ako on the stroller. “I don't think she's comfortable.” He looks at Cole, nervous. Truthfully he had forgotten about the stroller after he deemed it unworthy of Ako, since she stayed too far away from him. That’s the other reason why Cole hadn’t realized they have a stroller now.

“It's fine, Han. She'll get used to it.” Cole unlocks the wheels and pushes her. Hanzo's dragons can't help themselves and manifest, going straight to where Ako is seated, snuggling close to her. 

They leave to start the day, but the image of the cowboy wheeling the baby is honestly so ridiculous that Hanzo wants to take a picture of it. 

They separate as Hanzo needs to get his workout done and Cole is going to meet Brigitte and help Efi pack her tools in the workshop. The small girl was leaving to go live in town with her parents again. Winston had finally managed to sneak them out of Numbani and into the city, giving them residence there.

Hanzo was sad to see the girl go, he enjoyed the moments they interacted, but he was relieved she was getting a proper house again with her parents.

“Besides, I'm going to come on the weekends to make sure Orisa is fine!” She had said and he had nodded. 

Hanzo goes to the gym, and unfortunately he hadn't found a single time without people there. There was always someone and Hanzo always had to stand close to the windows, because apparently no matter how much they opened the windows, recycled the air and used the air conditioning to its maximum capacity, the gym always smelled like smelly alphas and sweat. 

But Hanzo powered through it anyway. He did his exercises, felt his legs burning, cursed Angela in his mind, then left to have his shower back into his room and away from the, newly fixed, but fungus littered communal showers. Yes he knew that Winston said it was clean and they managed to find what was stuck on the pipes (a dead rat). He's still not putting his dainty feet on that floor. 

On the way back to his room, Hanzo finds Cole. The cowboy holds a crying Ako in his arms, bouncing and shushing her. He approaches quickly, thinking maybe she got hurt or something worse.

“Your mama is here now, come on, don’t cry.” Cole says, handing her to Hanzo. 

“What is it?” Hanzo looks at the baby, 

“Beats me, sugar, she started crying outta nowhere.” The cowboy scratches his head, a frown on his face. “She’s not warm, so I don't know.” He looks dismayed as if the thought of the girl being in pain gave him pain.

“Maybe it's a growing spur?” Hanzo asks more to himself than to Cole. He brings the girls close to his scent gland, trying to make her calm down, but she turns her face away, small fists hitting his chest. “Oh.” He frowns, feeling rejected. 

“It’s because you’re smelling like the gym.” Cole makes a face too. “Jesus H christ, are people there rollin’ in a pig pen or something?” Cole brings a hand to his nose, apparently being the only other person at the base that felt how rancid the smell was. 

“I keep saying the same thing!” Hanzo holds Cole’s shirt, excited that someone else is as bothered with the smell as he was. “And it clings to the skin!”

“I reckon. Come on, let's get you into a shower.” Cole pulls Hanzo close, still keeping his hand on his nose. “I thought the communal ones were already fixed.” Hanzo turns to him, starting his new tirade about how he uses boots the whole day and he will not increase the chances of getting mycosis on his feet. Cole can only laugh at it.

--

When they finally move to the mess hall, Ako has already calmed down, crying diminished to a quiet grumble and occasional whining. Hanzo knows she’s upset, but has no idea what it could be. She’s not sick, she doesn’t have a fever, she’s not hungry or has to change her diaper, he doesn’t have colic. 

Why couldn’t he figure out why she was upset was beyond him. Cole was no help too, the alpha even tried to give her the serape he was using, instead of the blue and green one he had given them before, thinking his scent might calm her. It was no use, she was still grumpy, face red from the crying before. Somehow Hanzo thinks it is the stroller’s fault, even if that felt irrational. 

The only thing that seemed to take her attention from her bad mood was the boiled eggs Hanzo had cut and given to her. Now that she was on her seventh month, Angela had urged Hanzo to introduce new foods. Eggs and watermelons seemed to be her favorites at the moment. 

“At least she has calmed down.” Hana comments, bags under her eyes from her late night streams. “She can be a heavy metal singer in the future.” She sips her coffee. Hanzo looks at her plate, realizing the girl has a plate fit for two or three people. Oh, right, Hanzo remembers seeing in the mission roster that the girl asked for time off next week, due to her heat. 

“This little one has a set of lungs for sure.” Reinhardt says, nodding sagely. “Shows she’s a strong baby.” the alpha goes to eat his equally big plate of breakfast food. No wonder the Gorilla needs a ponzi scheme to keep the operation going, Hanzo thinks. 

“I just hope she’s not sick.” Hanzo ponders, looking at the baby, trying to understand what was going on, his own breakfast plate forgotten. 

“Hey, why didn’t you use the plate set I got her?” She asks, offended. 

“The what?” Cole asks, looking from Ako on the high chair to Hana. The baby had already destroyed the eggs with her chubby hands and was shoving the pieces in her mouth. Hana rolls her eyes, getting up and to the kitchen. When she comes back she has a silicone baby plate set on her hands, with a small fork and spoon and everything. All bunny themed. 

“Ah, this is amazing!” Reinhardt says, tears in his eyes. “It's so miniscule.”

“So the high chair was your doing?” Hanzo asks, smug. Everyone kept their lips sealed when both Cole and Hanzo tried to figure out who gave the chair, trying to pay back the money for it. Especially because the chair showed up on a search they did online, while they looked for more shoes for Ako. They knew it wasn’t something cheap, but Hanzo felt bad about using it and staining it with food after he saw the steep price. 

“Argh, stop it! Everyone pitched in to buy it for you guys!” Hana huffs, handing him the set and sitting down. “Since you two have less than two pennies in your name.”

“Hey, now, I ain’t living in high cotton, but I do have money!” Cole huffs, taking the hat out of the table and putting it on his head. 

“He does, but the chaps are expensive to keep.” Hanzo deadpans. He doesn’t want to disclose the fact he was, in fact, penniless, (despite what his aunt thought) ever since the elders have locked him out of his own accounts and funds. He remembers trying to log into his online banking account only to be met with an error message and hours of despair realizing he was poor. 

“Yes, and with how you just love ‘em so much, sugar, I can’t in my right mind throw them away, especially the black one--” Cole banters back, prompting Hanzo to quickly cover the man’s mouth with his hand. The alpha laughs under Hanzo’s hand, making the archer press his lips in a thin line, trying not to strangle the cowboy.

After finishing breakfast, Reinhardt asks Cole to follow him, since apparently he and Lúcio managed to open the old rusted lockers and found a 12 string guitar that apparently belonged to Cole way back when.

“You play the guitar?” Hanzo asks.  

“Calling it playing would be an insult to actual musicians.” Cole snorts. “My old boss… Reyes gifted it to me.”

“So you do play?”

“I know how to strum it.” He shrugs.

Hanzo snorts at that, imagining a young Cole trying and failing to play the guitar. From what he told him, he was always impatient as a young man, so he would be too frustrated to properly learn it.

“Maybe you can try it again now.” Hanzo says, but Cole looks at him unimpressed. He doesn’t understand the reaction until he realizes that, oh yes, his cowboy still doesn’t have his prosthetic arm back. “I am sorry, I forgot.” He covers his face with his hand, hiding the shame away. 

But Cole only chuckles, kissing him before leaving the kitchen to follow Reinhardt. 

Hanzo takes Ako to the kitchen, looking for a cloth to clean her mouth and face and everything she stained. Angela is there, finishing cleaning her own plate. They greet each other and stand in silence as they do their own things.

“So, how is Cole doing? Unfortunately I don't trust him when it comes to updating me about pain.” 

“Well enough.” Hanzo says, seating Ako on the counter, close to the sink. “He doesn't have any pain from the leg wound. His eye is fine.”

“Is he having any struggles?” She asks. Hanzo shakes his head, wondering where this is going. Is not that the doctor has never talked to him outside of training or medical issues, this just felt… weird. Like, Genji trying to prank him weird. And he didn’t like that sensation. “I'm surprised to see him using the plaid shirts. Last time he lost his prosthetic arm he spent the whole week in the same tank top and pajama pants.” She chuckles.

“You know how he is with his plaid shirts.” Hanzo clears his throat. “ I just button them for him.” He looks at a stain on Ako's clothes, trying not to let out the fact that it is always him who pulls the shirts from their (now almost bursting) closet. Or how now the whole base knew about his stunt when Cole was Awol thanks to Lúcio’s tendency to gossip. 

“Surely he has t-shirts and tops without buttons, no?” She looks at him with the same kind of know-it-all look Genji gives him, as if she already knows the answer. 

“I wouldn't know.” Hanzo clears his throat, pulling his chin up.

“Does the chaps also get difficult to put on by himself?” She asks in a very plain voice, as if she was asking him to pass him the salt. 

He looks at her, trying to find a clever answer, but can't. She looks at him with a knowing smile. Somehow, Hanzo thinks that maybe the doctor’s sense of humor was closer to Genji’s than he imagined. So he does what he has always done best and changes the subject, asking her when agent Lindholm would come back. 

They chichat for a while, Hanzo still feeling the easy atmosphere wash over him. Months ago he couldn't imagine having this sort of conversation with anyone on the base, much less someone as protective of Genji as Angela was. He doesn’t know what changed and why, but he’s happy it did.

“Oh, before I forget! Stay here.” Angela says, leaving the kitchen for a minute, soon coming back with a bundle. She hands it to Hanzo. 

The omega blinks, but takes it, looking at the powder blue wrapping. “It's a gift. For Ako.” She says, weirdly excited. 

Hanzo opens it, taking care to not rip the paper completely. Inside there is a beautiful small coat, made out of a thick and fluffy material, a round peter pan collar, buttons covered in cloth and a soft delicate lace decorating the hem. It looked extremely expensive.

“Dr. Ziegler, I can't accept it.” He says, touching the garment. It was the softest thing he has touched in the last ten years of his life. He looks up at the doctor with wide eyes. 

“Yes, you can!” She smiles at him. 

“It's too much.” He understood the handmade gifts, the onesies and socks, he even understood the mysterious high chair because everyone pitched in to buy it. But this was an expensive coat that Ako would use a few times before she overgrew it.

“No it isn't. I have plenty of money and It will be cold soon, she'll need something stylish when she goes out.” Angela looks down, cheeks warming, tinting her face red. “Besides, she's my niece now too.” 

There is a moment of silence where Hanzo digests what she just said.

“You don't tell me my brother--” He turns to her, surprised. He thought on the first days here that Genji and Angela were in a relationship already, with the longing stares and the tension between them, but it wasn't so.

“We have talked these last few days and with all the close calls we had… you know, it puts things into perspective.” She sighs, a dopey smile on her face. Apparently all it took was his cowboy to almost die to make people realize that life was fleeting. 

“Yes. It does.” Hanzo nods. “I hope he makes you happy.” He says, meaning it. He knows his brother and had known him in his worst and now, apparently, in his best. He hopes his bad habits from before have died at the Shambali monastery. 

“Oh, he already does.” She puts a hand on her cheek, the image of bliss. Ako bangs her plastic spoon on the counter, loudly babbling, calling for Hanzo's attention. “oh, yes, Ako. Let's see how the coat fits you?”

“We need to clean your face first.” Hanzo takes a soft cloth, cleaning the mess Ako has done eating the boiled eggs he gave her earlier. She takes the opportunity to bite his hand again, this time hard, making Hanzo flinch in pain. “Ouch, Ako! Don't do that!" He snaps at her, tone sharp and stern.

The baby notices the reaction and looks at him startled, mouth trembling. Immediately Hanzo regrets snapping at her, gutted at seeing her face. He didn't scream at her, he knew he didn't, but her reaction broke his heart all the same. Old memories coming back to the forefront of his mind. “Oh, I'm sorry.” He brings her to his arms, nuzzling her hair. “I'm sorry.” 

“Hanzo, is okay. She was just startled.” Angela puts a hand on his shoulder. Hanzo looks at her, wanting to cry. He feels like such a horrible parent. The baby pats his face, when Hanzo looks at her she opens a smile, showing her small front tooth. Hanzo can't resist kissing her cheeks and forehead, making her squeal in joy. 

“See, she's fine.” Angela reassures. Hanzo really hopes Genji makes the doctor happy.

Fortunately for Hanzo, his brother enters the kitchen at that moment, taking the attention away from how bad he’s feeling about being a terrible parent and focusing on how good his own joke will be in a few minutes. He leaves Ako on the counter again, approaches his brother, a serious look on his face and puts a hand on his shoulder. 

“I give you my blessing to date Angela.” Hanzo bows sagely. “Please treat her well.”

Genji takes a second to understand what’s going on, before he scoffs. “First of all, I don’t need your blessing.” He points a finger to Hanzo. “Second, shouldn’t it be the other way around? I’m your brother.”

“You're a menace to society and she is a Nobel winning doctor.” Hanzo says with a wistful tone. “It's amazing she's even with you.” 

“Shut up, you commanded a gang!” Genji swats Hanzo’s hand away, laughing. “Besides, you're dating a cowboy who is a pervert and a criminal. I’m clearly winning here.” 

“Don’t call Cole that, you’ve done worse things! ” Hanzo and Genji start the weak slap fight, with Genji holding Hanzo’s hands in the end. “I will tell Angela about your escapades from before. That one time at Club Delirium when you--”

“Don’t you dare!” Genji puts his real hand over Hanzo’s mouth, a look of despair on his face. Hanzo can’t help but feel smug about finally getting back at his brother. And better yet, how easy and light it felt. He opens his mouth, going for a bite, before the ninja quickly snatches his hand away, leaving Hanzo to bite the air. “This is why your kid keeps biting others!” 

Hanzo makes a face at Genji, sticking his tongue out to him. 

“See, little Ako , I can’t even escape away from the others without having my own brother judging me!” Genji moves past his brother, taking Ako in his arms and holding her close, feigning distress.

Hanzo shakes his head, as does Angela. Genji frowns at her, then she snorts, kissing the ninja with a quick, if shy, kiss. Hanzo couldn't help but feel pure relief that his brother managed to find peace and love, amidst the battlefield and after the hate and the horror that was their upbringing. The horror he was once too. 

Ako’s starts to whine again, a low, but hurt type of cry that hurts Hanzo’s heart. 

“Uh-oh, Here you go.” Genji almost runs to Hanzo, handing him the baby. 

“Again?” Angela asks approaching them. 

“She’s been like this since this morning.” Hanzo bounces his legs, distressed. “I have tried scenting her, but she refused.” He massages the baby's back, reassuring her. 

“What is with all the ruckus here?” Jack asks, entering the room, groggy. The older omega came back from a mission half an hour ago, and was more grumpy than normal. He pats Ako’s head as he passes Angela and Hanzo, fixing the new glasses Winston has done for him to replace the previous visor. “Hi, kid. Is there coffee?”

“Lucio made a giant pot in the morning. You should try it.” Angela says, dismissing Jack with a wave. “Have you tried kids tylenol?” She asks. 

“Wouldn't It be bad to give her medication all the time?”

“Are you giving the kid a whole bottle of Tylenol?” Jack asks, sipping his coffee. 

“I'm giving her the appropriate amount, must you know.” Hanzo snarks back. 

“Hanzo, it's fine as long as you're not over medicating her.” Angela says, reassuring. “You don't need to worry about that.”

“Just follow Angela's recommendation and it will be fine.” Genji says, making Hanzo grumble. He can't ask the doctor to take care of Ako's simple discomforts all the time. Ako is not her daughter! He needs to know those things. Thankfully for his own sake, the other omegas enter the kitchen. Lucio and Hana talking, followed by Brigitte. 

“You're still not used to it?” Lucio asks, as they both enter the kitchen area. 

“I told you I'm a late bloomer! I just got it last year! I'm going through my 4th one now! Ugh, I hate it.” Hana says, marching to one of the cabinets and taking one giant bag of chips from her hidden stash. “Pre-heat makes me eat like I'm some kind of animal.” She opens the bag, munching on the chips aggressively. “And what's with the horniness? Weren't we supposed to feel that just DURING heat?” 

“This is that conversation I cannot bear to witness.” Genji says, wisely, looking at Angela and Hanzo.“I am out.” He bows and quickly leaves the room.

“And then I am the prude.” Hanzo shakes his head, patting Ako back. Angela can only chuckle at the situation. 

“Let him be, this is 'omegas and doctor's only' kind of business, anyways!” Lucio dismisses the whole thing. “Hana is in her second year of heats and she is still not used to them.”

Oh, Hanzo thought, surprised at the news. Then again, the girl was such a firecracker that Hanzo could see how her wings were not clipped too soon. 

“You know, the whole pre-heat thing is to ease you into it. So you know what is happening and you can prepare.” Brigitte says. 

“Usually the arousal is to help the choosing of a suitable partner.” Angela says, as if reciting it from a book. 

“Is a pain in the ass, what it is.” Jack shakes his head, pouring another cup of coffee for himself. “The cramps are the worst.”

“Yeah, I get really bad hot flashes too.” Lúcio points out. “That's why I was wearing the top that day, to be honest.”

“Heh, as if you weren't showing off.” Hana taunts him, wagging her eyebrows. “I saw the way you looked at Reinhardt.”

“Ah. Jesus, please let's not.” Lucio hides his face under his hands, too embarrassed about the whole ordeal. “It's not my fault he's charming and gentle and I’m needy!” He whines, embarrassed by the whole ordeal.

“I'm sure if you asked he would be willing to help.” Hanzo jabs, smirking, enjoying the playful atmosphere. This was something he had never had before, too hidden away from the Omega's in the family by his father to have any meaningful bonding with them, then too full of self hate to let anyone close. 

“The scandal!” Brigitte says, opening a smile, hand on her chest clutching the metaphorical pearls. 

“Stop! It was the heat brain!” Lúcio hunches over the counter, hiding his face away from the others. They all laugh for a moment, before he stands back, looking at Hana. “Man, it's so weird to see someone having heats so late. Mine were so normal, I got them at 16 like everyone else.” 

“Same.” Brigitte says, drinking her morning coffee. “And you Mr Morrison?” She asks, curious. 

“17. Came up right as I was helping my father with the farm. He forbade me to go to the military like I wanted to.” Morrison shrugs. “Though luck for him, I went anyway.”

They all look at Hanzo, expecting him to give them the information too. He tries to ignore them for a while, calming Ako down with a hummed lullaby. He soon relents, knowing the reaction he will get. 

“13.” He looks down at his daughter. The silence that follows is deafening and Hanzo wants to be swallowed by a hole in the ground. Looking up he can see everyone staring at him with wide eyes, horrified. Even Morrison was baffled by the information, mouth open.

“What?” Brigitte says, confused. 

Jack even puts his coffee down. “That is extremely young.” 

“I am aware.” Hanzo clears his throat, hating the attention on him. 

“But how?” Lúcio asks, seemingly getting out of his stupor. “I didn't think it was even possible.”

“I don't know.” Hanzo insists, nose flaring in anger. He doesn't want to talk about it. 

“Please, let's not speculate. Sometimes it happens for a variety of reasons.” Angela says, patting Hanzo in the shoulder. “You just need to put the child on dampeners until the appropriate age, right?” She turns to him. 

“I…” Hanzo starts, but clicks his mouth shut. He stays quiet, mouth pressed on a thin line.

He hates talking about it. Hates remembering the shame it was for his father, not only for him to be an omega but to present so young. He barely knew what was going on with himself, he just knew that 3 times a year he felt pain and confusion. He remembers begging to the spirits and to the gods to make his father listen to his teachers and give him the dampeners. But as much as his father hated his secondary gender, he respected the council of elders more. And the elders were just so excited he was an omega.

“Oh, Hanzo.” Angela looks at him with so much pity he cannot bear it. 

“I rather not talk about it.” he says, leaving the kitchen to the mess hall and then to outside. The other omegas stay silent for a while, some things Genji has said before reverberating on their heads. 

“That's fucked up.” Lúcio says, shaking his head. “I thought things like these were like, lies created by those pastors preaching about morality.”

“I’ve only seen that in conflict zones. Tweens get their presentations early under stress, as a way to keep the family hierarchy. They have false heats and ruts until the reproductive organs are fully developed.” Angela says.

“Poor guy.” Hana says, a haunted look in her face, but Hanzo doesn't hear it, he’s already outside.

He walks to the garden, expecting to find Orisa and Bastion roaming around, but neither omnics are there. He sighs, sitting at the spot he and Zenyatta usually talk. The other omnic is resting right now too. Hanzo looks at the overgrown weeds and wildflowers in the garden. No one has found time to care for it yet, most worried about their own things. 

Maybe Hanzo could care for it, make it a proper garden and ask for Orisa to help him install a bench, a pathway between the flowerbeds. The flowers grow so wild, sticking their buds and petals to the sky, yellow, red and purple. Coloring everything. It enchanted Hanzo sometimes. Then again the spiders, frogs and mice jumping around worried him. 

He doesn’t want to think about his father. He doesn’t want to remember the day he presented. Going to his father with so much pain in his lower belly he could barely walk. How Genji looked so afraid in the car ride to the hospital, asking for him not to die. The disgusted way his father looked at him once the doctor confirmed he was an omega and was having his first heat.

No, he wanted to think about the sun warming his skin, calming his daughter slowly, and how the morning air was now cold, preluding the winter to come. 

A noise takes his mind off of things. Propulsors. Looking up, Hanzo can see something, or rather someone flying in a suit above them, getting close to the base. Quickly Hanzo holds Ako close, running back to the base and opening his communicator. 

“Winston, there is someone flying above the base!” He sends the message to everyone, a flurry of movement is heard and an alarm starts to blare. Ako starts to cry, this time loud and desperate, the loud noise scaring her, Hanzo has no time to run to get Ako to safety before he’s face to face with Cole. The man touches his shoulder, peacemaker in hand already. 

“Get her to our room.” He says. Hanzo nods, mentally making the path he needs to do to leave her in their room and to take his bow from the weapon’s locker, but he hears the pilot landing and a woman speaking.

“Is all this mess just for me?” The pilot of the suit laughs, taking off her helmet. Hanzo turns and sees that it’s a tall woman, with brown skin and a tattoo around her eye. 

“Fareeha?” Cole asks, lowering his weapon. Hanzo looks at his alpha, then at the woman. He sees her face opening with a big smile. Jack is leaving the mess hall area through the door, Angela and Genji right behind him. 

“Hello, Cassidy.” She walks towards the team, looking at everyone there. “So it is true, Winston really did the recall.”

--

The next moments are a flurry of loud noises, hugs and handshakes from new and old people. Fareeha, was outgoing, had an extrovert personality, but different from Zenyatta, She was a loud and boisterous alpha, even flirting with the other omegas of the base. Her scent is strong, either because she doesn't use scent dampening products or she sweated it off.

They all move to the lounge room, meeting Winston and all the other agents in the way. The gorilla offers to store her raptor suit while she is there. She accepts, coming back wearing jeans, t-shirt, a leather jacket and aviators. 

Hanzo kept his distance, not just because Ako couldn’t stop whimpering and complaining, but because he didn’t want to stay close to an unknown alpha who was as over confident as she was. 

Cole stays by his side, letting them on the outside of the circle of conversation, still close, but far enough to make Hanzo comfortable. 

“Come on, she’s just like a lil’ sister to me.” Cole says, bringing Hanzo close with a hand on his lower back. “I want the two of you to know each other.” Hanzo nods, relenting, even if meeting new people is tiresome to him. 

“Just so you know, Winston, the word on the grapevine is that overwatch is back.” Fareeha says to the gorilla, resting her back to the wall. “Everyone who needs to know, knows.” She looks round the room, looking at the new agents.

“I’m sorry, Fareeha, this is a security firm.” Winston shrugs, nodding. “I don’t know anything about overwatch or recalls.” He stirs the peanut butter jar on his hand with a spoon, as if it was coffee. 

“Right, so the UN’s security council doesn’t need to worry about your “security firm” acting in events where talon has been spotted?” 

“Yes.” Winston puts a hand on his chest, feigning offense. “I only did this because me and my old friends needed some work. Poor Cassidy here had to bounty hunt to keep himself afloat.”

“Hey!” 

“Winston, I mean it.” She crosses her arms, serious now. “I’ve been sent to assess the situation. They want the whole operation shut down if it is true. Overwatch cannot be reinstated.”

The silence that follows is heavy, the agents looking at one another in apprehension. Winston looks extremely nervous and scared. It’s the first time Hanzo sees him like that.

“Amari, look around.” Is Jack who starts. “Does anyone here look like a soldier to you?” He motions around. And looking at them, Hanzo realizes he's right, they didn’t look anything like a military operation or how overwatch was in its former days. Most agents wore their lounging or casual attires, none of them had proper name tags, standard hair styles, hell, Efi had her homework and school books in her arms.

“We’re a bunch of losers, ex soldiers and bounty hunters trying to make a penny. There are two kids here, for God’s sake.” He huffs and Hanzo wants to strangle him for involving Ako and Efi in the situation. 

“That’s exactly why I’m here.” She says, huffing. looking around, she sees that Hana and Brigitte weren’t older than 20. “Don’t you see how dangerous this is? Bringing children, a baby into this?” She points at Hanzo. The omega is ready to start another argument, before Cole stops him.

“Phara, calm down.” Cole says, butting into the conversation. “Listen, Miss Efi here is leaving soon, she doesn’t even stay on the base. Her parents are our friends and asked us to care for her while they moved houses.” He pats the girl’s arm and straight up lies at her, Hanzo keeps his face as neutral as he can. 

“Yes, Miss Amari, I will leave tomorrow.” Efi nods. 

“And me and my sugarplum need money for the baby! You know I can’t find a job with a bounty like mine!” The alpha hugs Hanzo Close. “She needs shoes for the winter!” Fareeha looks at him, then at Ako. Hanzo pinches his lips into a thin line, holding a laugh, but also holding his wants to punch Cole on the shoulder for calling him sugarplum again. 

“Stop bullshitting me.” She pulls the aviators up, leaving it on the top of her head. “And don't think I don't know where your pulse rifle comes from, Morrison. Helix property shouldn’t be in the hands of a mercenary.”

“As if Helix is any better.” Jack fixes his glasses, scowling at her. “And I’m losing my eyesight. I can't shoot anything even if it was right in front of me.” He looks at his own nails. “I have glaucoma.” Somehow Hanzo thinks that maybe Cole and Jack are more alike than they think. 

“You’re expecting me to believe Winston sent that message just to get a bunch of random people to do low level security jobs?” She asks, narrowing her eyes.

“It’s a living.” Hana shrugs.

“And coincidentally you guys keep bumping into Talon?”

“Fareeha, in our first missi-- jobs, we were successful in protecting a high level celebrity against extremists. Do you remember the incident at the Connections Festival?” the gorilla asks, and the woman nods. “That was us. People just keep seeking us because of that.” 

“Yes, it’s not our fault we are excellent at our jobs!” Reinhardt says, proudly. 

Hanzo sees the woman look at Winston for a moment, before looking at everyone else, especially at Efi. She then sighs, massaging her temples.  

“Fine.” She looks up, as if asking for patience. “But if there is any illegal activity I’ll have to report to the UN. You guys realize that, don’t you?” She points a finger to everyone in the room. Cole feels like maybe she’s just putting a show. “So I better not see anything.” 

Everyone nods. 

She rolls her eyes, before moving to Casidy, patting his back. “Now, come on, cowboy, you need to update me about your life.” Hanzo goes to follow him, until Fareeha turns back saying “In particular.” then pulling Cole with her to the kitchen area. 

“Tell them to stop sending me emails, too.” Winston screams after her, waking Ako again, making everyone groan as the baby starts crying. 

--

“The omegas here do like their skimpy clothes, huh.” She comments, Looking at Hana as he passes them, getting some of the leftover pineapple cake he made some days ago. Cole hadn’t realized but the omega was using tiny pajama shorts, a sweatshirt and headphones on, loud music blasting from it. 

“I wouldn’t notice.” He says, being honest. It wasn’t just the fact he was just interested in Hanzo, but most of the other omegas were too young for him and the other one was Jack, who was like family to him. He could never look at those kids and find them attractive. 

“Yeah I realized you apparently got hitched?” She pats his shoulder. “That's new for you.” she smiles, resting her face in her hand. 

“Yeah.” Cole sighs, dreamily. “Hanzo is so amazing, Pharah.” He gushes to her, wanting to tell her all about his new relationship. “Can you believe that my flirting actually worked on him?”

“Okay, I call bullshit.” She snorts.

“You can bet on it.” He hits his tight, tiredness forgotten.

“Apparently.” She chuckles. “Now, Tell me more about this Hanzo.” 

“Fuck, Phara, I dont even know where to start.” He opens a smile. “He's hardworking and loyal to a fault, you know? But he's also so loving, he doesn't even realize it. He has a temper, ohh boy.”

“And you never fight?” 

“Yeah, we do, but he gets me. You know? It's not hard to talk to him and just say shit that I feel.”

Phara looks at him, impressed. “Wow. That's a change for you, Mr. Hide your feelings away until you die.” She puts her mug down. “Where does this miracle omega come from, anyways?” 

“He’s…” Cole hesitates for a second. He knows what kind of reaction he will get, but it’s better to take the bandaid off right now so that he can protect Hanzo’s image than someone else do it. “He’s Genji’s brother.” He drums the fingers on the center counter, not looking up.  

There is a moment of silence before Phara starts to stink at the place with her anger. 

“Him?” She whispers and looks at him with wide eyes. “Of all people?”

“Hey, don’t judge, you don’t know what he’s been through.” Cole protests, feeling like this will be one of those conversations that will make him want to smoke a cigar after. 

“I know what Genji has been through.” She crosses her arms. “That should be enough.”

“Well, it ain't.” He looks at her, with all the seriousness he can muster. Fareeha then examines him, then her eyebrows shoot up, as if she figured it all out. 

“That must be some bomb sex that you’re having, then.” She sips her coffee, smirking into the mug.

“It's nothing like that.” He cringes, remembering how the Girl had only seen him when he was at his worst during blackwatch. Hana approaches him, taking her phones off.

“Hey, Hanzo asked me to tell you he’ll be with me in the lounge room. He’s watching me play a game. Maybe the colors and sounds can calm Ako down.” She nods at him, before turning to the other Fareeha. “It was nice meeting you… Eh, I didn’t get your name.”

“My name is Fareeha, but you can call me anything you want, babe.” She brings her aviator's glasses up, winking at Hana. The omega looks at her for a second, then bursts into laughter, even holding her own belly and doubling over. Fareeha looks at her in disbelief, but Hana can't stop. Cole hides his silent laugh behind his hand, seeing how ridiculous his flirting actually is in real life. 

“She really is like your younger sister.” The young omega takes a deep breath, fanning herself. “She even copies your dumb flirting.” Hana pats his back as he leaves the kitchen, still chuckling. 

“You know, I should stop using your tips. They never work.” Fareeha shakes her head, finishing her coffee. “I’ve had more luck catching a cold than any omegas.”

“Hey, now, my flirting worked enough times.” He points at the woman.  

“By that you mean it worked once and it was with an emotionally stunted omega.” She looks at him with mild disgust and pity. “You could do much better.”

“Hey, don’t say that about him.” He frowns at the way the woman is acting. “And no I couldn't. He’s amazing. I wonder why he’s with me, actually.” Cole sighs, remembering how they acted after the fright. 

It wasn't all flowers and lovely kisses, but they managed to get into sync again. Cole went to Winston asking to put Hanzo back in the mission roster, doing a mea culpa and listening to an earful from the commander. In the end he agreed to let them go together on some missions.

“Some.” He said, stern. Deciding that Cole’s embarrassment when he was feverish was enough for him.

They talked before and after Hanzo went on the following missions, reassuring each other. Cole had to stay put, arm lost and all. He put his mind on caring for Ako and baking when the worry got too much. 

Once Hanzo came back, they would hug each other, mumbling nonsense. Then, they would go back to their own routine. Cole left Hanzo to do his own thing at peace. More often than not, however, they found themselves gravitating to each other. But it didn’t feel like before, Like Cole was desperate, clinging to him. 

It felt almost easy. And it was all the small things.

In the mornings, he’d wake up from a bad night of sleep with Hanzo clinging to him, hands roaming his soft belly. Hanzo buttoned up his shirts since he lost his arm. It was an excuse to touch the alpha, surely, considering Cole is ambidextrous (he had to learn when he lost his arm), but it felt good to be pampered. 

They cuddled together as they watched a movie alone in the lounge room. The omega whispered to Cole something or another when he’d play card games with the others, helping him to hold the cards. He found out Hanzo counted cards better than him, actually, so they were forbidden to play together again.

Cole sometimes wakes up at night, scared and sweaty and the omega lets him whisper the nightmare he had to him, caressing his hair. And he was so so glad about it. 

Sometimes Hanzo would ask to be alone when he felt too much. So Cole would take Ako in his arms and let him be, even if all he wanted to do was sweep his boyfriend off of his feet and run away to a place where he could never be hurt again. 

He held himself and his stupid alpha instincts back, because that hurt Hanzo. And he’d never want to do that again.

Fareeha snorts, looking at him in disbelief. “Are you kidding?” 

“Nope.”

“Cole, it's Genji's brother.” She whispers, like it is obvious. “You know what he did to him! He cannot be that good in bed that you ignore it.” 

“I told you it is not like that. I'm not with him because of sex.” Cole shakes his head at the other alpha. He hoped the girl wouldn't follow the bullshit he used to pull as a blackwatch, but guess an impressionable mind and years with dudebros from Helix will do that. “‘Sides, their situation is more complicated than just that. Genji forgave him, who the hell am I to hold a grudge that ain't mine?”

Fareeha looks at him, scrutinizing what he said. “Is that kid really yours?”

“In sentiment, yes.”

“Did you wild bite him or something?”

“Of course not, how can you ask me that?” Cole sits straight, angry she’d ever imply he’d do that to anyone. “I'd never wild bite anyone.”

“Then why are you with him?” She insists, agitated with the whole idea. 

“I'm in love.” He says, easily. “He's amazing and sweet.”

Hanzo choses that moment to stomp his way into the kitchen, a crying Ako in one hand and a pillow in the other. He goes to Cole, “Hold her.” He carefully hands the baby to the alpha. Cole takes her, putting the baby sitting on the counter beside him, her hiccups filling the air. Hanzo nods, moves outside, calm as he can, puts his face on the pillow and screams for a minute straight.

Cole just watches it, caressing the baby's hair, trying to make her calm down. When Hanzo finishes he pulls his face away from the pillow, takes a deep breath and moves back inside, as if it never happened. He goes to Cole, takes his face in his hands and kisses the alpha. 

“Thank you.” he looks at Cole with soft eyes and a small smile.

“Anytime, sugar.” Cole pecks his lip one more time. “Want to leave her here? See if I can figure out why she's crying?” 

“No, no. It's fine.” Hanzo sighs, tired. “I've given her some Tylenol, but it doesn't seem to be working today.” He almost whines but Cole can see that the man is holding himself because of Fareeha. 

“Maybe it is a cold? The weather is turning.” He says, worried. And he can see it was the wrong thing to say because now he sees the idea festering, and Hanzo brings a hand to his mouth, biting the nails, eyes lost. “Hey.” He takes the Omega's hand in his, making Hanzo look at him. “It's fine. She’s fine.” 

“Yes.” Hanzo nods. “Okay, it's fine. I’m sure Angela can help us if it comes to that.” Cole opens a smile with the archer finally using Angela's first name. Hanzo whispers another thank you, kissing Cole one more time before taking Ako back and moving to whatever it is that he was doing. 

Watching the man walk away, Cole lets a love sick sigh leave his chest. 

“Damn. That was something.” Fareeha comments. “I don't know about sweet, but he does like you.”

“I told you.” He gives her a smug smile, resting his hand on his hip. Proud of his omega. 

“At least we know it's not for your money, since you have none.” She raises her eyebrows. 

“Now, not everyone can work with legalized mercenaries, but I do have money!” Cole huffs, again angry that people are calling him poor and think he apparently can’t provide for his own boyfriend and kid.

“Sure.” She snorts. Then she looks through the window. “You know, mom wouldn’t want you to get with the first person that showed you affection.”

“Hush your mouth.” Cole says, angry now. “He ain't the first to show me affection, but he’s the first to seriously want me.” He puts his hat back on his head, huffing. “Me, Phara, not my shooting skills, not my Deadeye, not my knot. Me.” 

“Cole…”

“And you know, If your mama wanted so much to inquire in my life, she shouldn’t have gone up and died.” He says, letting his meaner side get to him. 

He’s not usually like that anymore, the years softening his temper, but he’s tired. Especially because his own goddamn said family seems to not want to see him happy. Fareeha’s face doesn’t drop, she doesn’t even cry like he expects to, the woman just looks regretful. He shakes his head and walks away. 

“Wait, I have something to tell you.” Fareeha follows Cole, who just turns to her, hands up. 

“Look, I’m sorry Fareeha, Shouldn't have said that-- The baby is feeling poorly, I have to fit my arm, you know what a bitch that is. I can’t do this right now.” He dismisses, still angry but regretting his words. “Listen, go talk to Winston and the others, we’ll talk later.”

Then, he leaves. 

--

Later on in the day, Torbjorn gets back from his mission with Zenyatta and Orisa. The man cries looking at Fareeha, speaking about how much alike her mother she looked. The alpha had hugged her with a lot of enthusiasm, asking if she had come to join them. Despite the mishap, the woman doesn’t seem to inquire anymore about their activities, not even when Cole, Hanzo, Reinhardt and Angela are called to the meeting room for a “job”. 

Winston called them because Lucio had an “very small issue” as he sheepishly called. He needed protection at an event. 

“Apparently Vishkar is still not happy he has “borrowed” their sound technology and is not giving up on showing how they can deal with the situation swiftly.”

“They have sent me death threats.” Lúcio dead pans. “And I know it is them and not my crazy stalker because the e-mails mention the fact I'm doing missions here.” He crosses his arms, huffing. Winston shows them the emails. Despite the many many detours by VPNs and encryption, Athena had managed to track their origin, most coming from Vishkar’s employees. 

“Can’t you just not go?” Cole asks, skimming the dossier of the mission. “It’s some bullshit celebrity’s masked ball after all.”

“Do you have seventy-five thousand dollars?” Lúcio asks him. 

“Jesus. Not even if I delivered myself to the cops I could get that amount of money.” Cole makes a face at him, what kind of celebrity get-together has to have that much money thrown at it?

“I thought so. Besides, it’s for charity… And I have to keep my celebrity persona. People don't know I'm doing this.” Lúcio argues, crossing his arms. Winston explains to them the plan to pose as Lúcio's bodyguards, avoiding any threats to his life and any “other incidents”, as Lucio had said. 

Hanzo didn’t understand at the time, but after, when he meets Hana in the lounge room (to continue to watch her play some silly game of hers) she makes a face when he mentions the mission. 

“He's going to be paired with Patrick McRoth.” Her face contorts in disgust. “He's some actor/producer dude trying to clean his act. Lúcio's agent must have been paid a pretty penny to get them on the same photos.”

“What kind of name is that?” Hanzo asks, annoyed at the fact the man seemed to have the worst name ever created on the face of earth. What is up with bad people and their names? 

“I don't know, but I know that he was caught groping his makeup artists.” 

“And Lúcio agreed to do it?” He asks, surprised. 

“He can't refuse. That's exactly why I left MEKA, they pulled shit like this all the time.” She says, logging on to her console and starting some farm game with soft songs. The soft vibes kept Ako calm enough that she soon drifted into an exhausted sleep. “She stopped?”

“Too tired.” Hanzo comments, frowning. “I don't know if I can go to the next mission with her being like this.”

Hana hums, stuffing her face with some expensive popcorn she has ordered from the internet. “Don't worry dude, we got you. I’ll care for her!” She says, before curling on herself with a cramp. “God. Fuck heats.” Hanzo can only pat her back, trying to reassure her the best he can. She sighs, tired and sore, going back to her game.

Cole then enters the room, a grumpy expression on his face. He's massagings the stump on his arm, like it was sore. He sits beside Hanzo on the couch, body tense, a deep frown on his face and hat down, obscuring his face. 

“What is it?” Hanzo whispers to his alpha, eyeing Cole, watching the man's sour temper. This time the alpha controls his temper enough that he's not releasing pheromones around, but it still upsets Hanzo. Actually it upsets him a lot.  

“It's nothing.” The alpha says. 

“Then why are you angry?” Hanzo insists, linking his hand to Cole's flesh one. He turns to him, a soft look on his eyes. “ You can tell me. ” The alpha seems to relax with the touch, shoulders dropping. He looks at the omega, then at their linked hands. 

“I just got my arm fitted. It pinched me so bad it almost drew blood. Is hurting like a bitch.” He hisses, showing Hanzo the red skin on his stump. It did look very painful. “And I had an argument with Phara earlier, ‘s all. Both said some shit we shouldn't’ve.” He mumbles. 

Hanzo takes Cole's hat off of his head, bringing his face up and massaging his scalp. Hanzo has never seen such a somber look on the alpha's face. 

“ My poor alpha.” He opens a smile when the cowboy’s face changes to one of bashfulness. Ah, Hanzo liked that so much, the way the alpha’s cheeks reddened, how he looked away suddenly shy. He understands now why Cole likes making him blush too. “I'm sure you two will solve the issue soon.”

“Maybe.” Cole kisses Hanzo, soft and quickly enough just to get a taste of his mouth. “It just got to me.” He rests his head on Omega's shoulder, closing his eyes, enjoying the fingers massaging his scalp. He feels tired and still upset with how Fareeha didn't seem happy for him to finally have found someone. 

Some minutes pass before Hana curls over herself again, hissing. Hanzo stands straighter, looking at her in worry. 

“Oh god, I think my heat has hit early.” Hana is sweating profusely. Hanzo’s nose flares, smelling the air. Realizing that it's true, the young woman is releasing the sticky, salty and sweet scent of omega in heat.

“Shit, kid.” Cole stands straight, fixing the hat on his head. “You need to get to your room.” Hanzo hands Ako to him. 

“Hold her, I'm getting agent Song to her room.” He and Cole nod to one another. “Alert the other alpha's to not get close to her room. And if they do, I'll kill them.” He points a finger to Cole's nose and the alpha nods again. 

They stand up, Cole moving out of the room and probably to Winston’s office and Hanzo to get Hana up, passing her hand over his shoulder. 

They quickly move to her room, with the older omega making sure to take the quickest route possible. When they get there, she punches her code, before the door slides open and Hanzo leads her to her nest. The thing was big and fluffy, with several colorful pillows, blankets and shirts from her family and friends.

“I'm sorry.” She says, face red as Hanzo sits her on the bed. “This is mortifying.”  Hanzo can see that her legs are weaker now, probably from the cramps of the first days, there is slick running down them too. 

“Is nothing, Hana.” He covers the girl with a blanket and looks around, seeing if she has everything she needs. “Heats will do that.” Too many alpha's around, he thinks. 

“You think it was because of Fareeha? That would be terrible.” She whines from under the blanket, small tears around her eyes. 

“If it was, then it's that alpha's own fault for not using scent blockers.” He gets up, takes a box with a stash of food and another box labeled “heat only do not look inside” and brings them close to the bed.

“Thank you.” She frowns, looking at Hanzo walking around and arranging things so it could be closer to her. “I'm sorry I treated you badly in the first week here.” 

“It's in the past, Hana.” He dismisses it looking around. “Is your room already programmed with the heat room lockdown?” She nods. “Everyone that you put in the list will be here to care for you?” She nods again. “Okay, I'll let you to it.”

“See you in three days, old man.” She says, laying down on her bed. 

“Don't let the alpha's get in here, okay?” He wants to pat her head, but doesn't do it. She dismisses him, making a motion for him to go away. “I mean it.” He stresses out. 

“I know, I know.” She sighs, closing her eyes. 

Hanzo leaves the room, letting it lock itself behind him. Heat room protocol activated. Athena says in a monotone voice. He sees the data pad turning red, then turning to biometric readings only. 

He nods, leaving her behind and goes to threaten the alphas of the base. 

--

It's late at night, right after dinner. Reinhardt and Genji are in the kitchen area, doing the dishes as everyone enjoys the last few warm nights outside in the garden. There wasn't much they could do but stay on the porch and the stairs leading down to it, but it felt calming to do so. Lúcio comments about how they should make a spot for a bonfire. Hanzo couldn’t agree more. 

Ako has finally finished nursing and was playing with some kind of rattle toy Genji has gifted her (for Hanzo’s and Cole’s annoyance). But, Hanzo still was content that at least she was eating, even if she complained a whole lot about it. 

“Hey, can I sit here?” Fareeha asks once he’s alone, already doing so. Hanzo nods, not really having any choice. He looks around, seeing that Cole is talking to Torbjorn and Brigitte, away from him. “So, you’re Cole’s mysterious omega.”

“Yes. I am Hanzo Shimada.” Hanzo says, simply. “And you are Fareeha?” he asks, politely and she nods.

“You're Genji’s brother right?” She seems unassuming, but Hanzo can see behind her facade. Her eyes are sharp, paying attention to every word he says, every reaction he expresses. So he stays impassive, face neutral. 

“Yes.” He clears his throat, taking Ako’s hand with the rattle and shaking it around. The sound is sharp and annoying and he can see everyone around him flinching. Okay, he understood the appeal for Ako now, even if the loud noises annoyed him.

“Must be hard being here with him.” She says. Ah, okay, here we go again. Hanzo sighs. 

“Is actually easier.” Hanzo spills out. “Him and Cole are what made it bearable for me to be here.” He watches as the woman hums, looking ahead of her, at Cole. The alpha, as if he knows he’s being watched, looks at them and waves. Hanzo can’t help but smile, waving back. Fareeha does the same. 

“It’s weird to see him like this, all love sick and acting like a father figure.” She has a side smile. “You know, back in the day he used to sleep around like crazy, and didn't stay with a single person for too long. Must have some kid running around somewhere.”

“I doubt it.” He says. “Even so I’m not one to judge.” Hanzo wonders if the woman thought that maybe Cole’s past would make him angry, drive him away. She snorts, but Hanzo just looks at her, eyes narrowed. “We talk a lot. He knows a lot of what needs to be known about me, and vice versa.”

“So, he told you he’s a criminal?” She shakes her head, not believing him. Hanzo nods, not understanding her point. “That he’s poor?” She asks, resting her arms on her thighs, legs open, stance wide and relaxed. Hanzo nods again. “So, what’s your deal anyways?”

“I don’t follow.” 

“You know, you come here to the base, answer the recall with a baby in your arms, no father in sight. Not a month later you're with Cole.” She scrutinizes Hanzo, looking at him up and down. “Here, this whole thing, is no place for kids, you know?”

“I'm well aware.” Hanzo swallows down his self hatred. He doesn’t want to explain to her how this, Overwatch, is his only way to stay safe at the moment. That even if he doesn't deserve to, he wants Cole. His love, his care, his bad moods, his everything. “As I said, my family is here, miss Amari. And I’m lucky Cole reciprocates my affections.” 

“You know, there are better picks than him out there.” 

“I don’t like what you’re insinuating.” 

“I’m not insinuating anything.” She says, lifting her hands. “I’m just saying. It is weird to see someone that grew up in such a rich environment getting with someone like Cole.” Fareeha smiles, all teeth and confidence. 

And Hanzo HATES that. He hates the assumption he is such a shallow being, that he might want what he had before. Does she think Hanzo is so vain he’d choose anyone because of things like money and status? What a joke. As if his life before didn’t destroy his body, mind and soul. 

“And I suppose you’d think I’d like to live as a trophy omega?” He sneers at her. He can’t imagine himself without the freedom he has now, without his things, his own money (as little as that is). Controlled yet again by another vain rich alpha that seeks perfection.

“It’s just, you know. He would do anything for someone he loves.” She sighs, suddenly tired. “But you shouldn't have high expectations for that sort of thing with him.” She shrugs. “He’s really lonely.”

“And whose fault is that?” Hanzo looks at her, unflinching at the implications she makes. It looks like she feels slightly bad about it, but Hanzo doesn’t care. “I’d like you to stop interrogating me, it doesn’t work as well as you think it does.” 

“I know, Shimada.” She snorts. “Your kind has always been trained not to spill under pressure.”

Hanzo narrows his eyes. Who does this alpha think she is? 

“Yes.” He says, because there is no use in denying it. His father didn’t soften his training because he was an omega. In fact it was the contrary. “But if you must know, I am with your brother because he’s gentle, thoughtful and kind. He’s a proper alpha, who listens to what I’m saying.” Hanzo huffs, standing up, his already sour mood getting worse. “That’s something you’d know if you had spoken to him in the last ten years.”

He gets up, leaving Fareeha behind. He will not take any insults on the way he feels about Cole, nor on the alpha’s own sentiments for him. Lonely! Of course Cole was lonely, but it is Hanzo who doesn’t deserve him.  

He approaches his alpha and Torbjorn, telling him how he’ll get to bed now. It was late and Ako had finally drifted into sleep. Cole decides to stay, and Hanzo is okay with that, wanting him to spend time with his family. He'll get some rest now, forget about the whole difficult day he just had.  

--

The next day, Hanzo, Torbjorn and Winston are the ones that wait with Efi until her parents arrive at the watchpoint’s entrance. Hanzo has Ako on the stroller, a heavy blanket over her due to the cold morning. She wasn’t as grumpy as before, waking up with her normal wiggling and babble. 

When the blue car parks some meters away from the gate, Efi gets antsy, excited to see her parents once again. The couple leaves the vehicle and both run to their daughter. Efi can't hold herself and runs to them too, hugging both. The reunion is sweet, and Hanzo can see Torbjorn cleaning a tear from his eye. Soft hearts indeed. The girl has been away from her parents for too long. 

After heartfelt hugs and embraces, the couple approaches, exchanging handshakes with all three. 

“Ah, you must be Mr Shimada.” Efi’s mother says, looking at him and Ako on the stroller.  Hanzo nods, bowing down a tad to greet them. “Efi has told us a lot about you. And you Mr Lindholm. She says she has learned a lot.” 

“We're grateful that you two could care for her before we got here.” Her father nods, patting her head. Efi clings to his side, a hand holding his shirt. “And thank you for the protection.”

“It was nothing, she needed our help.” Torbjorn says. “She's a great kid, reminds me of my own children.” 

“And a smart roboticist.” Hanzo smiles at them, reminding of the changes the girl has made to Orisa. “Orisa is a marvel.”

“Ah, thank you.” She waves her hand, dismissing the whole thing. 

“We need to get going. Did you get all your things, Efi?” Her father asks, looking down. The girl nods. “Okay. I’ll take her to the car? Don’t forget about the thing we talked about.” He says, turning and walking Efi to the car. An uncomfortable silence hovers in the air, making both Winston and Hanzo fidget. 

“What is it that you need to discuss?” The gorilla asks, fixinging the glasses on his face.

“We… we don't want her coming here so often.” She says, a sad but determined look on her face. 

“Oh.” Winston blinks, surprised.

“We are grateful for the time spent on her, but I don't think a child should be here. It's too dangerous.” She explains, looking at Hanzo, then at Ako. “I'm sure you all understand.” 

Hanzo feels a lump forming on his throat. 

“Well, of course we will accept whatever ideas you have, you are Efi’s parents after all.” Winston reassures the beta, nodding. 

“Thank you for being understanding.” She smiles, relieved. “We were thinking maybe once or twice a month, to keep Orisa in check.”

“That will be okay for us.” 

“She'll start school again soon anyways, I'm sure she will have a lot to think about besides…” She dismisses it, covering her mouth with her hand. “She needs to be a child for once.” 

“We understand, Mrs. Oladele.” Is Hanzo who says it. 

“Thank you. For everything.” She says, looking back at the car, where Efi is already seated, looking at them through the opened window. “We will repay everything back to you.”

“Don't even think about that. She has given us Orisa, It’s already enough payment as it is.” Winston dismissed the whole deal. “Just make sure she studies a lot.”

She nods and walks back to her car. As they leave, Hanzo can’t help but think that Efi won’t show up again. It was for the best, the base wasn’t safe for a child and it was always temporary, to protect the girl from Doomfist and Talon’s violence while her parents fled the country. It is what any good parent would do. He thinks to himself. 

“Well, I just lost an apprentice.” Torbjorn shakes his head. “Come on, let's install that arm on that alpha of yours. He’s for sure going to need you to hold his hand.” He starts walking back to the base. Hanzo follows him, and the worried look on Mrs. Oladele couldn't leave his mind. 

There at the workshop, Cole insisted he didn’t need anyone holding his hand, because according to him, he was an “adult alpha, that could handle a prosthetic installation as anyone else”. So Hanzo just stands back and watches, even as Cole whines and wiggles in pain as the circuits and nerve endings connect to one another. Torb slowly moves the pieces to fit against one another, welding when it's needed, showing Brigitte how to install the pieces properly. 

“Agent Shimada, where is Efi?” Orisa asks, as Hanzo is waiting in the workshop with Cole as his arm is being installed again. “I haven't seen her since this morning.”

“She went home already, Orisa.” Hanzo says, looking at Ako on the stroller Torb has made for him. The baby is asleep now. 

“Home?” 

“Yes, with her parents.”

“Ah, yes, that was today.” She says. “I still can't go with, right?”

“I don't think so.”

“I see.” Orisa sounds sad. Hanzo honestly wants to cry because of it. “Levels of distress high, do you need a hug?” She turns to Hanzo, the same puppy dog eyes from the day they met. 

“No, Orisa.” Hanzo shakes his head. “But do you need one?”

Orisa takes some time to think. Then nods, opening her arms. “Yes, I do.” Hanzo hugs Orisa, snaking his arms around her torso. The giant omnic reciprocating the hug too. Once they separate, Hanzo pats her arm. 

Cole comes back then, face scrunched in pain, but arm put back in place. “I always hate the first day with this shit.” He moves his hand and arm around, testing it. It was sleeker, similar to his old one, with a blue tint to it. He moves to the stroller, taking Ako from it, blanket and all. “Here we go, now we are talking. Hello missy.” Cole takes her in his arms, looking at the baby with such love and adoration, that Hanzo can’t help but wonder how someone can look at this and think it is fake? That is desperation? 

Hanzo rests his chin on Cole’s shoulder, hand touching the sore biceps, looking at Ako from there. Just for a moment.

They move to the training grounds, the alpha wanting to test the weight of his new arm and response to do quickshots. But today, somehow Hanzo can’t find himself able to enter the grounds, even to stay in the watch room, where it is safe. He takes Ako in his arms, stroller forgotten and waits in the corridor, looking ahead of him. 

Cole leaves him to it, a brush of hand against his cheek and a kiss to his temple. The sound of the training grounds are haunting him somehow, each bullet, each pulse shot, the sound of bot parts falling on the ground makes Hanzo close his eyes, flinching. He Holds Ako close, the baby whining again, uncomfortable with something. 

When they are finished, Cole leaves the training ground with a smile on his face and a bounce to his step, boasting about a lighter hand and quicker reflexes. 

“I might even start pickpocketing again.” He snorts a laugh as they start to move to do their chores. Maybe the repetitive nature of them will make Hanzo relax.

The problem is that Ako has other plans. 

It's already late in the afternoon and Hanzo couldn’t do his work because apparently his daughter decides that whatever was wrong with her yesterday, should be even more wrong now, when everyone in the room can look at him and judge him for the fact he can’t make her stop crying. 

He doesn't know where she finds the energy for it, honestly. He tries to take her temperature again, and that's not it. He tries to see if it's another tooth growing, and that's not it. He checks her diaper, and that's not it, he tries to feed her and that's not it. He already has given her medication 

He should know what to do! So he tries to check other things. She doesn't have gas, she doesn't want to scent, there are no bruises, bugs bites or cuts.

He can’t look at the other agents, so at some point he goes outside, trying to see if this time the weak sun rays will help her like yesterday. 

It doesn’t work. 

Somehow he remembers, from months ago when Torbjorn said he couldn’t take care of Ako by himself if he tried. How he had to depend on Winston to afford things for her. He thinks about what his aunt said to him, that she didn’t deserve to be a father that killed others for a living, even if it was scumbags. All of the mistakes he has ever made seem even bigger now. 

Cole finds him there, and tries to do the same, not managing to calm her down. 

“I don’t know what’s going on.” Hanzo says, close to tears. God he's so pathetic. Horrible. Horrible just like his father. Never knew how to care for his own children and he’s just like him. Of course Hanzo is wrong, but he doesn’t know that, does he?

“Let’s get her to Angie.” Cole nods, pulling Hanzo close to his side. When they get back inside, Hana is already walking into the room with Angela.

“Hey, I brought Angela.” She urges them inside. There are other agents in the room, but Hanzo can’t look up. The doctor looks tired, and he knows she has worked the whole night. He feels so bad for interrupting her, especially so close to another mission.

Angela dismisses his worries and examines Ako’s face, turning her chubby cheeks around and then up. “Oh.” She then gets a paper napkin from the table and pinches the baby’s nose with her thumbs and index finger, pulling down a glob of snot off of it. She cleans her hands on a paper napkin and Ako takes in a breath before slowly stopping crying. 

Relief immediately fills Hanzo, making the man almost jump with Joy. 

“You forgot to clean her nose.” Angela says, simple and as if it was nothing. “With the way the weather is now, she'll probably get more stuffy noses or get sick.”

“I don't know why I didn't think of that.” He sniffs. Thinking back, he really had forgotten to clean her nose during the day. Stupid. So stupid. 

“First time parents can forget about small details. Especially if they work too.” Angela reassures. “Besides, I am the doctor and I realized it just now.” 

“Come on, Han. Let’s go back to the room, She’s probably tired.” Cole says. Hanzo nods, his tense shoulders finally dropping.  “Thank you, Doc.” The alpha puts a hand on his back, slowly walking Hanzo back to their room. The omega only looks at his daughter, he can’t bring himself to see what expression the other agents have.

He doesn’t want to be told how horrible he is as a parent. 

“Don't mention it.” She smiles, smiling at them as they leave. 

As they walk, Hanzo says to Cole. “I shouldn't forget about it.” He feels his chin wobbling, he blinks the tears away. Now alone, he can let his emotions out. Stupid. I’m so stupid. He thinks. 

“We'll be on a mission in two days.” Cole says, kissing his head. “Look at all the shit that happens around here, I'm surprised we don't forget to put on shoes in the morning.”

“But she's my daughter.” Hanzo looks at the baby. She yawls, pushing her face on Hanzo's neck, scenting him. Oh , he thinks. She wasn't able to scent him before. He feels a wave of relief flood him as he realizes that Ako hadn't rejected him. She actually clinged to his skin now. 

On the way they bump into Fareeha.

“Everything okay?” She looks at them concerned. 

“Yep.” Cole says, matter of fact. Hanzo knows he looks a mess, but he sniffs, and pushes his chin up. 

“She stopped crying, huh?” She looks at Ako, smiling at the baby’s tired face. “Angela took care of her?”

“Yes.”

“Listen… Can I speak to you?” Fareeha puts her hands on her waist, looking down at her feet. “Alone?”

“I have to take Hanzo back to our room.” Cole says, and Fareeha lifts her eyebrows, seemingly surprised.

“You two share a room?”

“Don’t start.” Cole snaps at her. Hanzo can't stand the tense atmosphere and brings Cole’s hand up, kissing it tenderly. He looks at the man and nods.“Han.”

“It’s fine.” He says, giving him a quick smile. “ She is your family too. Talk to her. ” He whispers to him. The cowboy opens his mouth, trying to say something, but Hanzo is already leaving. 

He’s fine. 

Hanzo takes Ako to their room, putting her on the crib. She whines, waking up and asking to be held again. Hanzo cannot deny the wish. He sits on the bed, looking through the window. He swallows the lump on his throat again, and lets the feeling simmer away and be gone. 

He is fine. 

He is always fine, after all. 

--

Except he’s not and when Cole gets to the room, way later in the night and slips into the bed, Hanzo can’t help but cry on his shoulder. He’s quiet, almost impossible to listen to. 

“It’s fine, Han.” He brings Hanzo’s face up, lightly kissing his tears away. “What is it?”

So Hanzo spills what’s on his mind. He tells him about his first heat, about his disappointed father, him scolding Ako and how not knowing what was going on made him feel horrible. He doesn’t tell him about his fears of being like his father. Not daring to voice that into the world, afraid it would make it become true. 

“No one is judging you, Sugar.” He says, kissing his hair. “You’re a good parent.” 

Hanzo can only close his eyes hard, biting his lip, hiding his face away. He doesn’t say anything about Fareeha, not wanting to be in between them, causing any more bad blood. She’s the last thing on his mind anyways. 

--

“Be straight with me, Winston.” She sits by the window, looking at the gorilla and Torbjorn working. “Is this whole recall thing safe?”

Wintosn looks at her, pressing his lips on a thin line. He sighs, making a face before speaking again. “It is as safe as it could be. We have no affiliations with any governments, we can fund ourselves with donations and… other ways. We just want to make the world better.” 

She nods, biting her lip, scraping the dead skin there. 

“Mom is joining you guys soon.” Fareeha says, looking out of the window of Winston’s lab. The gorilla almost drops the component he has in his hand. Torbjorn looks at her with wide eyes, surprised.

“Ana is alive?” The alpha asks, putting down the mechanical arm he’s fixing.  

“I was surprised too.” Fareeha says. “She showed up months ago, in Egypt, one of my failed missions against Talon. I almost couldn't believe it.” She genuinely opens a smile. “She heard about the recall and wants to come help you guys. She’s been tailing Talon for a long time now.”

“And we have to believe the new UN security team didn’t want her?” Torbjorns says with disdain. Fareeha can’t help but snort a laugh. 

“She’s still officially dead. But even if it wasn’t the issue, she doesn’t care for Helix.” She looks down, tsking. “I don’t know if Jack’s opinion of us is not that far away from reality. I think we have people infiltrated.”

“From Talon?” Winston approaches. 

“From everyone.” She taps the glass with the side of her head. “It feels like everytime there is any sort of attack, we are just a little bit short on everything to stop them. They always seem two steps ahead. It’s just like before.”

“This is why you’re really here?”

“No, they really wanted someone to investigate this mess.” She gets away from the wall, passing a hand through her hair, messing it up. “But the thing is, my mom is in danger every time she gets involved with a Talon attack… I'm here to ask if you can protect her, there on the battlefield.”

“Of course we can!” Torbjorn says, angry at the notion she couldn’t do a simple thing as protecting a fellow teammate. “What a thing to ask.”

“Then I don’t see any overwatch activities here. Just a bunch of losers and ex-military trying to make a penny.” She smiles at them and Winston and Torbjorn chuckle at her. 

They stay in silence for a while, until Winston says. “Cassidy won’t like it.”

“I’m well aware.” Fareeha crosses her arm. “I’ll deal with him once mom gets here.” She gets up, moving close to Torbjorn and Winston.  

“You’re staying?” Torbjorn asks, suddenly animated. 

“No. I have work to do at Helix.” She pats his shoulder. “I’m bringing her here in the next few days, maybe next week.”

“Well get her room ready for her.” Winston smiles. Fareeha pats his back, moving to exit the lab and into the big stairs. 

“I know if there is anyone that I can trust is you guys” She points at them. “Well, maybe not Cole’s new omega.” The alpha makes a face of mild disgust. 

“He's not so bad.” Torbjorn says, to Winston's surprise.  

“Yeah yeah.” She dismisses it, rolling her eyes. “Let’s hope mom doesn’t adopt him too.”

“I highly doubt that she won’t.”

Notes:

Sojiro: I don't see any omegas here, I just see my very real alpha son.
The elders: that's a child bride, actually. Will he marry my 30 y/o son?
Horrible jokes aside, I hope y'all liked this chapter. Phara has her heart on the right place and her brain in the gutter.
She'll get better, I promise, but I always felt like she has a little bit of a toxic dude bro vibe to her? Idk it's her capitain amari skin (i think that's the name) where she has the aviator glasses adn white t-shirt (also heart eyes, because, damn)? And her lines are always so over confident that of course she thinks she knows better than anyone. And she grew up on military bases, come one now.

Edit: Also, because of the nature of my IRL job, it's been hectic, so Im moving to make uploads every two weeks now. Once things calm down I'll come back to the normal schedule

Chapter 14: To follow (to follow)

Summary:

The gang goes to a mascarade

Notes:

So, because os situations beyond my control, I managed to release this a day earlier than expected! YAY!
This is brought to you by the whole Cowboy Bebop’s Knockin on Heaven's Door movie sound track but especially the track “Powder”

There are trigger warning in this episode for: Harassment, Sexual harassment, atempt date raping, mention of cowboy's other name. No one gets trully hurt, but is still worth telling y'all.

“ Repeat again .”

The desert looks infinite. The heat of the sun is burning Cole’s face. 

“My name is Cole Cassidy. I’m six. I am lost, can you help me?” He says, lips chapped with the dry sun. Far away from him, in the horizon, he sees a gaunt red form in the heat distortions of the ground. 

He can’t see what it is. 

But he knows it’s laughing. 

“ That’s right. Don’t forget that, okay? ”

The figure is gone. He nods at his mother, squeezing her hands, they are rough, thick with years or work. There is someone else in the distortion now.

Ana? He opens his mouth to ask, but can’t. 

“That boy has the devil in his eyes, Maria.” Someone whispers in his right ear. “Will get us all killed. Just like his father.”

It was Ana, right? That he just saw?

“Don’t say that.” She screams, angry. 

The red figure is by his side now, walking with Cole and his mother. There is a hand on his shoulder, it’s dripping blood, skinless and wet. 

“Again, Cole.”

“My name is Cole Cassidy. I’m six. I am lost, can you help me?”

“Again, Hijo .” 

“My name is Cole Cassidy…”

The hand moves from his shoulder, grabbing his chin and forcefully moving his face to the side. He doesn’t want to see it again. Please, god, no. He begs. 

“Keep walking, Cole.” His mother says in his ear. “I’ll find you later.”

There is a red skull looking at him.

Cole wakes up with a scream lodged on his throat and a hand caressing his temple. He hastily grabs the hand like it’s a lifeline. Looking up, he sees Hanzo staring at him. 

“You were dreaming.” He whispers, bringing his hand up and kissing it. The smell of fuel and the rocking of the vehicle makes him remember where they are now. Right, stupid masquerade ball Lúcio has to attend to. 

It’s been a week and they are in a hovervan, moving to a hotel room in the middle of Hollywood. The event is today and Lúcio is going to meet with his agent and the stylist that is sponsoring him to go. Sitting up, Cole can see that Jack is on the seat in front of them, paying attention to the traffic outside. He was standing in for Reinhardt, since the giant man was standing in for Hana in another mission.

Mercy is driving the van, quietly. Lucio is seated in the middle of them, a nervous bounce to his feet. They were all, minus Lúcio, wearing dark casual clothes, as again they were trying to blend in with the other personal security. Hanzo’s bow was concealed on the usual guitar case, as was Mercy's staff and Jack’s giant pulse rifle.

“Another bad dream?” Hanzo asks him. The alpha nods, a deep sigh leaving his chest. He hates using deadeye for that long exactly because of this, he dreams a whole lot about that cursed skull and it gets him into “a mood”, as Ana used to call it. 

Hanzo kisses his forehead. The smell of tea and pastries fills Cole's nose, taking his mind away from the horrible images in his head. 

“When is it not?” Cole waits for the tender moment to end before he sits up, taking his head away from Hanzo's lap as he rubs the sleep away from his eyes. Putting a cigarillo on his mouth Cole opens a window before lighting it, so as not to bother the others. He feels like this will be one of those days he'd chainsmoke. 

Outside he sees the city is bustling with people walking around, several of them just normal run of the mill people, but they see clusters of people walking with different sets of clothes, garment bags on their hands, heels clicking on the floor and some clearly part of different fan clubs. 

“This part of town seems more agitated than the rest.” Hanzo comments, looking through the windows too. 

“Most famous people are staying in this hotel, it's close to where the event is happening.” Scooting over, Lúcio looks around. He clearly recognizes the whole scene of what's happening and some of the people walking around. “These are fanclubs, you see the ones using the frog shirts?” He points. “That’s my fanclub. The froggies. Some of them wait for us in the hotels.”

“You think they know how much of a hero you actually are?” Mercy chuckles, passing through the crowded main streets, looking for another place to park. She doesn't want a crowd waiting for them..

“Nah, I'm just a small baby, according to them.” Lúcio turns, pushing the pair of giant glasses that obscured half of his face away, making puppy eyes at Mercy through the rearview mirror. 

Angela only snorts, finally finding the side entrance for the Hotel. “Here, let’s go.” They park the van, tanking all their equipment and enter the hotel, showing badges, name tags and ids to several security personnel waiting for Lúcio to arrive. 

As they move to the lobby, a group of people approach Lúcio, using several frog themed items. They all keep their wits sharp, but Lúcio gives hugs and cheek kisses to them, speaking in portuguese with several of them, taking photos.

Cole can’t help but feel weirded out by the whole idea. He had his own favorite artists (most of them dead or too old to play on radios), but he could never think of traveling that far to just see one of them, and not even on a show, for a few seconds before a stupid ball.

Once the fans leave they go to the reception, finding Lúcios’s agent there waiting for him. The man has a sour look on his face, like he sucked in a lemon.

“So, these are your new bodyguards?” He asks, after exchanging pleasantries. “Only one alpha?” He sizes Cole up and down, judging. He can't tell what his presentation is, but he knows he already doesn’t like the type. 

“You know how it is.” Lúcio shrugs.

“Don’t come complaining again when Pat does something, you hear?” He says, shaking his head and already moving to check them in. Lúcio seems to shrink on himself a little. 

Cole already did not like the man’s attitude before, now he's downright mad about it. He thinks he may have brought too little of his cigarillos to smoke. Hanzo seems to have the same reaction, closing his hand into a tight fist. 

Well, that won't do, will it? The alpha laces their fingers together, relaxing the omega a little. It seems to work marginally to keep Hanzo's temper at bay. He knows very well what a hot temper could do on a mission like this, derailing it for sure. 

He remembers his own first missions, all hot headed, not following orders, being scolded left and right about his brash personality. “Don’t be like this, Gabriel, He’s just a kid.” Ana patted his head, as if he was a stupid child. Cole blushed at the interaction, embarrassed. Especially when he tried to tell her off and Ana laughed, sending him to “play some video games with Phara”, who was a teen at the time.

So he chooses to calm his omega down. 

Hanzo looks at him impassively, with that same angry face he perpetually has. He brings the archers hand up, kissing it, quick enough to be just for them. Hanzo looks down, cheeks slightly reddening. Ah, god he's something, isn’t he? Cole thinks to himself, feeling lucky.

Riding the elevator up and to their room is a non issue. Cole tries to enjoy the fact people have yet to complain he was smoking on an elevator and the presence of his omega by his side. He however can’t stop himself from hearing the stupid chatter from the agent. 

“-- and you know, If he puts a hand on your ass, just discreetly push it up.” Me makes a motion with his hand, as if teaching Lucio how to suffer in silence. “The internet will eat it up if we get in on film. All that boss bitch thing.” He says, typing something on his phone.

“But why did it have to be him?” Lúcio sighs, cheeks puffing up with air. “After what he did to that omega?”

“Don’t frown.” He points at Lucio's face. “Patrick just got a deal with that MUA, the issue will soon be pushed under the rug. And, anyways, he’s producing and starring in his own movie soon, so he needs a clean slate.”

“And I’m just that, right?” Lúcio is angry now. “Not like I have my own reputation to be tainted by just standing beside him.”

“Hush, nothing is free.” He dismisses it. “If you’re good enough we can see if we can get your song in that movie.” 

“I don’t want that.” He says, but the agent dismisses it, rolling his eyes, as if saying “of course you do” before looking at his phone again. 

Cole frowns, finding the whole thing disgusting. He had known about how the celebrity world was ruthless, but this is stupidity. Looking beside him, he sees that Hanzo has his mouth pressed on a thin line, eyes narrowed, arms crossed over his chest. Cole knows that’s not a good expression, at least not for people who are subjected to the rage that comes after. His omega is about to do something about the situation. 

For a moment, he wonders if he should hold Hanzo back again, but he thinks better of it. He’d like to see that fierceness of his again. Before he does so, though, the elevator opens on their floor and the agent (Alex. His name is Alex, Cole tries to remember) sprints out of it, so they have to follow, taking their luggage with them. The alpha mourns the loss of seeing Hanzo chew someone for being an ass. 

The agent leads them to the stylist room, discussing some business with Lúcio some more, telling him how they have no time to relax today, they need to start fitting the clothes, before leaving in a flurry of phone calls. 

“What a puny little man.” Hanzo says as soon as he leaves. “I don’t know why you endure the blabbering.”

Lúcio snorts a non comical laugh.“Because he’s the only one that will work for a poor omega from a slum.” He shakes his head, knocking on the door of the Stylist. “It’s fine. I can deal with it.” He sighs.

The stylist opens the door, greeting everyone with cheek kisses and showing where they can put their things away. He’s a tall, slender beta with eccentric clothes and hair. When questioned about the guitar case, Lúcio dismisses it saying that he always brings it with him in case inspiration strikes. 

Hanzo and Jack stay with Lúcio, as the stylist had pointed at Cole and Mercy saying “Omegas only, dear.” Before leaving them in the other room of the apartment.

As incredible as it sounds, the whole thing is normal. Cole listens to the chatter and at some point one of the assistants comes to them, asking if it was true that Hanzo broke someone's nose once. Cole explains the whole thing, feeling a little bad and a little proud about it. 

“You have to teach us how to do that.” The assistant says to Hanzo, going back to the room. Cole peeks inside a little and sees Hanzo doing the motion he usually does when hitting, the fingers folded on the palm of his hand, like a monkey's paw and showing how to throw the punch. Jack quips in at some point, and Cole can't help but smile before resting his back on the wall again. 

A memory from before, when he got to Blackwatch, surfaces. He was just a stupid teen, thin as a spring bean and Jack had wanted to teach him how to properly punch. He remembers the omega telling Gabriel to stop slacking around and to start teaching “the kid” proper fighting techniques.

“Fuck you! I know how to fight!” He had said, thinking he was tough shit. “I ain't learning from no omega!” 

He also remembers the chewing off he got from both of them about learning to respect others, no matter the secondary sex. At the time he had never seen an Omega like Jack or Ana or any of the others he saw after he got recruited. 

He’d seen housewife omegas, he’d seen abused omegas, poor omegas trying to make a penny working at the diner, at the inn, but mainly, scared defenseless omegas that got into the gang, not knowing they'd be passed around. They were always too thankful that he “accidentally” left a door open, “slept in” while watching them, and left enough money for a bus ride away slip from his pocket.

“So is the cowboy yours or do I have a chance?” One of them asks. Cole feels his cheeks reddening at his mention. Angela rolls her eyes at it, scoffing. If Cole is honest, he’s not used to people calling him handsome or beautiful. He knows he has a rugged look some people like Hanzo found attractive, and he can charm people on the guise of a one night stand, but he was the one doing the chasing for a reason. 

“Nah, I'm not fond of an Agroboy .” Lúcio says, laughing. 

“Yeah, but for that one's face I can see that the cowboy is already taken, dear.” 

“Ah -I” Hanzo stutters, Cole can say he's suddenly feeling shy. “Yes. We are a thing.” 

“A “thing” would be an understatement.” Jack says, stern. Hanzo stutters, something, indignant. Cole snorts at his omega’s sudden awkwardness. 

Maybe it’s too loud because he hears someone humming, questioning. “Oh, let me guess, “It's complicated”?” the same person asks, voice turned to him.

“Not really. He makes things easy, actually.” Hanzo says, voice neutral. “ We are uh… boyfriends.” 

“Oh he's blushing, how cute!” 

There is a collective laugh and cooing. Cole, knowing how much Hanzo hated the attention and to be made a fool, decides to call said attention to himself. 

“Sugar!” He uses the thickest country accent he can muster. “You can't say sumn’ like that and expect me to stay here all by my lonesome self!” Cole pulls the hat off of his head and over his entire face, peeking into the room again. “Come here and gimme some sugar, Sugar!” 

He hears the other omegas laughing loudly and Hanzo huffing. Then his omega walks to him, pulling the hat up for a second. “You're ridiculous.” He says before pecking his lips. Someone makes an “awn” sound.

“I'm a gift, actually.” Cole says, low, just for them. Hanzo looks at him, tender, with those deep sharp eyes of his. Oh, God, the things he’d do for the archer. He’d really steal a convoy for him. A bank if he asked! Even if Genji thought it was a ridiculous thing to promise. 

“Yes, you are. Now go away.” Pulling his hat down, Hanzo pushes Cole away. “This is omega’s only.” He says serious and Cole chuckles, letting the omega push him off of the room.

After his stupid joke, the atmosphere seems to lift, getting warmer and more pleasant. In between the gossip the omegas share, some information lingers. 

“He's such a bitch, I can't believe he canceled all of the sudden too.” 

“They said it was a security issue. Must be his stalker again, you know the one that lived inside his garage for a month?” 

“She's apparently doing this big scientist's look. She's doing a speech.”

“Her plus one is terrible. She keeps telling her MUA how crooked the makeup is. And she's not even famous, she's just some hard light engineer.”

“So many have canceled for this event, I don't even know why.”

Cole files these chitchats in the back of his mind. As much as people thought what omegas did was just mindless gossip, that gossip was one of the most reliable ways to gather information in situations like these. They always knew something.

“You know, Angie, we should mingle when we can.” Cole says, low, just for her to listen. Pushing himself off of the wall, he walks to the big glass window in the living room, trying to identify the places a sniper could stay in. There was a whole fucking lot of it. “Staff likes talkin’ shit about their bosses.” Cole fixes the hat on his head. 

“What’s on your mind?” Angela approaches him, looking outside. Her intelligent eyes searching for something too. 

“I’m just here thinkin’ to myself.” He puts another Cigarillo on his mouth. “That a company like Vishkar wouldn’t make a show of killing Lúcio in public, John Lennon style, you know?”

“Looking from outside, It does seem unlikely.” Mercy hums. “However, Lúcio did say the company called for assassins in the region to deal with him. One even got close to exterminating his family.” 

Cole remembers seeing the whole media circus around an attempt on the Dj’s life, soon before he entered Overwatch. “The voice of Rio is almost silenced”, the headlines said. He also remembers how the whole thing was quickly silenced and swept under the rug.

“But that was there.” Cole sighs, lighting his cigarillo, taking a drag of it, releasing the smoke. “No one would even think twice about it. But now look at this whole thing.” He gestures around himself, at the expensive room, the stylist chattering, the expensive foods. “It’s too much attention. And everyone knows Lúcio has spoken out against Vishkar.”

“That is true…” Angela looks at the plates of food from the stylist, brought in by room service, waiting for them to be eaten. “But an overdose wouldn't be hard to fake.”

“Now you get what I'm saying.”

Angela hums, nodding. “Did you hear that people have canceled their plans to come?”

“A lotta of them, apparently.” 

There is a knock at the door. Cole and Angela look at one another, suspicious. One of the assistants looks through the peephole and sighs, suddenly tired. 

“Patrick is here.” He says. The atmosphere changes, now heavy and uncomfortable. They all hear a collective groan, and Jack asks something quietly. 

“Dear, the rules are “omegas only” for a reason.” The stylist says, sighing. “Let him in, darling, I’m almost finished with Lúcio here, anyways.” 

The assistant does as he is asked to, and the next minutes are as if Cole walked straight into a hurricane. Pat enters the room, already taking strides to get into the bedroom with the Omegas. He speaks about how he’s late, he needs his clothes, he needs his makeup retouched, he needs everything, apparently. The stylist almost has no time to firmly close the door to the bedroom before he tries anything. 

Cole approaches quickly, already hating the man. He’s the usual ex movie heartthrob. Too old to be handsome, nose too full of coke and breath smelling of scotch. His hair is dull and there is an unhealthy sheen under the saggy skin. His assistant is a Surly Alpha that keeps making demands about one thing or another.

“You know the rules, dear, stay outside when we are working on an omega client.” The stylist says, in front of the door to the other room. “We’ll get to you soon.”

“Rules are for losers.” He says, pushing the door open. Cole immediately moves, holding the man by the lapels of his shirt with his prosthetic hand. The thing was much stronger than his older one.

“Come on, now, partner, let the omegas be. They ain’t dececent.” He pulls the other alpha back and can see through the open door that Hanzo has a hand on his face, covering his nose and mouth. Cole wrinkles his nose too, now that he’s close he realizes the man uses those “scent enhancing” alpha colognes, leaving an offending smell of musk entering the air. His omega honestly looks a little green. 

He lets the stylist slip back inside and locks the door, tipping his hat at the omegas inside. 

“And who are you?” Patrick releases himself from Cole’s hold and looks at him up and down in mild disgust. Cole licks his teeth, angry, and shifts his stance, crossing his arms. 

“I’m here to make sure you keep your hands where they belong.” He lifts his eyebrows once, before taking a drag of his cigarillo, looking as menacing as he can. Patrick squints at him, like he’s measuring if he should make a move, but his eyes quickly move to the peacemaker on his belt and the man seems to think better about it, lifting his hands up. 

“I’m not trying anything.” He smiles, the fake teeth shining too white. The assistant brings his attention to something else so the man doesn’t linger on Cole and Mercy too much. 

Cole stands in front of the door, just as a precaution. He keeps the mean scowl on his face. God, he hated shit alphas like Pat, rude as hell and thinking they own the place and every omega in the vicinity. He firmly believes that Alphas like him are the reason why the world is a shittier place now.

“Oh, dear, look at you!” The stylist says from inside the room, taking Angela and Cole’s attention away from Pat. “Go out now, show them my masterpiece.” Lúcio exits the room wearing an off-white and golden clothes. He looks like he is part of royalty.

“I look like some kind of prince.” Lúcio turns around, looking at himself in the hallway mirror. Hanzo and Jack exit the room, looking proudly at the young man. 

“You look amazing, Lúcio.” Mercy says, excited about the whole thing. Lúcio was adorable most of the time, but his usual style was always more sporty. Seeing him all prettied up like that was different.

A long whistle calls their attention. The agents look back, and see Patrick leering at them.“What an entourage.” He looks Lúcio and Hanzo up and down. “Do you choose bodyguards by looks?” Cole can see Hanzo physically trying not to puke with the offending smell of the alpha, so he brings his omega closer. 

“You’re Patrick, right? I’m Lúcio, it’s nice to meet you.” Lúcio says, as polite and professional as he can, extending his hand for a handshake. Patrick takes Lúcio’s gloved hand, kissing it. 

“The pleasure is mine.” He smiles charmingly, or at least tries to. Cole doesn’t think he’s very successful at that. “You and your omega friend should come have dinner with me, after the event is over. I’ll even make place for the blond beta over there.” 

“No.” Angela says, her tone so icy it even chills Cole’s spine. Pat just dismisses her, as if it was nothing.

“Sorry, I can’t stay for the night, I’m leaving as soon as the event is over.” Lúcio says, even more polite than before. This is painful to watch, honestly.

“Ah, come on, I’ll be nice.” He approaches, and Cole shifts his stance. “We can discuss business.” His tone implies something else entirely.

“I really can't. I have recording sessions tomorrow. Maybe next time?” Lúcio excuses himself, all smiles and politeness. It’s so natural that Cole wonders if this is a Lúcio thing or a Brazilian thing.

“Then maybe Just the two of us?” He turns to Hanzo, still not releasing Lúcios hand. The young omega looked increasingly more uncomfortable.

The archer honest to god sneers at the man, looking him up and down before saying. “You’d catch me dead before flocking with trash like you.” Cole wants to swoon, but Pat doesn’t seem like he liked it that much. 

“This one is a spitfire, huh?” He says, the smile widening dangerously, eyes raking over Hanzo’s body. “Ah, just a thing, you’re leaking.” He points at Hanzo’s chest. Looking down in surprise, Hanzo sees that he is in fact, leaking breast milk. “Yeah, I have this effect on omegas.” He says, confident in a way that he doesn't deserve to be. “You can pretend all you want.”

Hanzo snarls at him, turning around, hiding himself. Cole moves in front of his mate, covering Hanzo with his body and moving him away from Pat’s view. He doesn’t realize he’s growling, low and dangerous. 

Yeah, maybe today he’ll let his mood get to him, just this time. He already had enough of rich idiots that didn’t take a hint. Before he can do it, Jack takes the initiative and snatches Patrick’s hand away from Lúcio’s, grabbing his wrist in a bruising hold. 

“Move on.” Jack spats. “Or I’m breaking more than your wrist.”

Pat, who looks pale as a sheet, implication immediately clear as day, snatches his hand back, and goes inside the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind him. Jack grunts, crossing his arms. Cole can’t help but smirk at the way he imitates Reyes’ posturing.

When Jack turns back to them, he looks straight at Cole and his stupid grin and asks, rather angrily. “What?”

“Nothing.” Cole says, feeling kinda proud.

--

As Lúcio is waiting for the makeup artists and the hairdresser, Mercy and Cole share, in hushed tones, their concerns. The team agrees that they should buy food from a nearby food stall, somewhere small enough you could see the person making it in the kitchen. 

Cole and Hanzo go, with the archer complaining that he needs fresh air because according to him “The cursed cologne is clinging to the room”.

They quickly move to the bathroom first, where Hanzo can pump in peace. He dumps the contents of it away, grumbling while cleaning it in the kitchen area, and Cole, protective as he always is, keeps guard on the door, even if Pat is not in the room anymore. If he also keeps a firm hand on Hanzo’s waist once they go get the food it is nobody's business. 

“You're good?” Cole asks as they take the elevator, looking down at Hanzo, who nods, a severe expression on his face. “Should’ve shot him.” He grumbles. The omega nods again, looking deeply upset. 

“You would be doing a favor to the world.” Hanzo says, clipped. Cole is angry too, that someone so sleazy made something Hanzo cherished so much into yet another shameful action. He brings the omega close, nosing his temple.  “I just hate when this happens.” The omega admits. “Seems like it doesn’t matter what I do I keep--” Hanzo shakes his head, dismissing the whole thing. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” He kisses his temple, caressing Hanzo’s arm. The omega sighs, nodding once again. Cole hates seeing him like this. Quiet. Hanzo was a man that was always deep in thought, and spoke openly to few people, but this is not the same. “Here, sugar.” Cole separates them, taking his button down off and giving it to Hanzo. 

The omega gladly pulls it over his other shirt, leaving it open. It did cling on certain places, with Hanzo being as strong as he is, but he seems more animated than before, smelling his Alpha’s scent so close. 

Yeah, It’s going to be fine. 

They find a Mexican place, somewhere with portions big enough to feed a whole army and order “nothing that stains, for god’s sake” as the stylist had asked. Cole orders the food for them, the Spanish flowing easily enough on his tongue. 

He hadn't had enough opportunities to speak it in the later years, so it felt good to use a language so close to his heart. Especially because he feels Hanzo’s hand sneaking into his back pocket, holding him close, the air around him changing from sullen to something else.

Okay, he was filling that one away for later, together with the one mind note about Hanzo’s love for praises and the ones about blowjobs.  

By the time the food is ready and handed to them in a travel container, Hanzo’s stomach has settled already (Authought, he kept his nose close to his shoulder, nosing his undershirt, with the excuse he needed the scent). Cole wasn’t bothered about it, feeling Hanzo’s body close to his was heaven. Interestingly enough, being surrounded by strangers didn’t make Hanzo shy, if anything, it let the man be more relaxed. As if the people around them couldn't judge him.

Getting back to the hotel, they enter the elevators. There is a woman already there, food in her hands too. She uses a blue and golden uniform, hair up on a thigh bun. She doesn’t look at Cole nor at Hanzo.

“Afternoon. “ Cole greets, receiving only a nod in acknowledgement. They enter and Hanzo quickly stands by his alpha’s side, shoulder stiff and hands close to himself. The woman has pressed the number of the floors booked for the people attending the event.  He turns to Hanzo, who gives him the same knowing look. Someone else either doesn’t trust the food at the hotel or someone is a diva. Either way, Cole puts on his southern charm and its showtime.

“I can’t believe the shit these rich folks make us do.” He says to no one in particular. The woman doesn’t acknowledge him, so he turns to Hanzo, “Right, sugar?” The omega gives him an uncertain look before saying. 

“Yes. The hotel food seems perfectly appropriate. ” Hanzo clears his throat, standing straighter. Cole cringes at Hanzo’s stiffness, but he quickly recovers once the woman responds to it.

“I will have to agree.” She discreetly looks at them, before looking ahead again. Cole thanks to all the Gods that the woman is awkward too! 

“We walked two blocks just to get this, can you believe it? Divas are what these folks are!” Cole huffs, Hanzo nods, humming along. 

“Yes. It’s frivolous and pointless.” She clicks her mouth shut, but it seems like she can’t help but say. “Especially for a scientist.”

“Food is food, as they say.” Hanzo says, and it’s torture for Cole. He knows Hanzo is an awkward man, he was his boyfriend after all, but somehow this interaction is painful to watch. He had peeled so many layers from Hanzo that the awkwardness of it was almost laughable for him.

“For sure, Sugar.” Cole smiles. “Names McCree, by the way.” He tips his hat to the woman, smiling. 

“Satya.”

“Pleasure to meet  you, honey. Is the one you’re babysitting an asshole too?” He asks.

“Yes, even if she doesn’t have the right to be, with the kind of work she does.” A quick smile shows on her face, as if she’s mocking someone somehow. He waits some seconds for more info, but it doesn’t come. Well, he will have to give some information to have some information apparently. 

“Yeah, we’re helping this Big Dj, ah, Lúzio, Lumio, I don’t even know how to pronounce his name.” He scoffs, hoping he’s not laying his “prejudiced redneck” persona too thick. “The man is the definition of Diva, lemme tell ya.”

She looks at them, eyes sharp. Hanzo tenses a little, squeezing Cole’s waits, signaling something changed. 

“He shouldn’t have come.” The woman snaps. Hanzo and Cole look at one another, surprised at the reaction. 

“And why’s that, honey?” Cole says, bringing Hanzo closer to himself. He eyes the woman through the mirror of the elevator. 

“It’s bad for the image of the fundraiser to have a troublemaker attending.” She says. “Especially a thief.” 

Cole is about to ask more, but the elevator doors open and she leaves, quickly walking to the room at the end of the hall. Cole ponders following her, but the doors close before he can do that. 

“Her clothes…” Hanzo says, bringing a hand to his chin. “It looks remarkably like a uniform.”

“I reckon it does.” Cole fixes the hat on his head, thinking. There is a moment of silence between them as the elevator goes up another floor.  

“Why the name McCree?” Hanzo asks, lifting an eyebrow. Cole cringes at it, remembering how Reyes gave him the name especially because he hated it. Not the name itself, but the fact he couldn’t use his own name. It was the only thing he had left that linked him to his roots. The idea of people calling him anything else seemed out of this world to him.

“Stupid name Reyes gave me, since apparently my bounty was already too damn high to be hired even by black ops.” It hurt a lot not to be called by his own name for as long as he did. 

“You’re not even Scottish.”

“Don’t I know that.” Cole snorts. “Wait ‘till you see that the first name was Jesse.” Hanzo presses his lips on a thin line, holding a laugh bringing a hand to his mouth. “I'll show you something to laugh about.” The alpha can’t help himself, crowding Hanzo against the elevator walls, bags of food swinging on his forearms. 

He kisses the Omega deeply, just for a moment. He feels Hanzo bring him close by the back of his neck. When they break the kiss apart, Cole doesn’t step back. 

“You're going to drop the food.” Hanzo says into his lips, not separating from Cole at all.

“Hm, what a pity. We'll just have to go out and get more, all by ourselves again.”

Hanzo hums, pulling Cole close again. He hugs the alpha, scratching his hair. They hadn't been able to get close to him ever since Fareeha got on the base. There is always something to do, someone to talk to, the baby to care for. And Hanzo had let Cole spend as much time as he needed with Fereeha as he could, so they could properly apologize to one another and talk. 

It didn’t really work out, considering Phara couldn’t just let it go. 

“Look, I promise not to talk shit about him unless he actually does something shitty, but you know how I am.”

“No I don’t.” He said, because that was and still is the truth. He knew the teen Phara, before she was shipped away to live with her uncles after Ana died. He doesn’t know who adult Phara is. 

“Yeah.” She sighed. “But I don’t want us fighting because of that.”  

Even if Cole couldn’t let it go too, he could at least keep his mouth shut, for everyone else’s sake. Phara wouldn’t talk about Hanzo and their relationship unless there was an actual problem and Cole would watch his mouth and mood. They both acknowledged they went a step too far in their initial talk.

She had left the base today, to do whatever Helix employees did, flying off to the city. He hopes he sees her again soon.

“I like your real name much more.” Hanzo says, kissing him again. “Cole Cassidy.” Cole can't help but open a wide smile. “ My dear alpha. ” Hanzo whispers and he feels his cheeks reddening. He's glad the elevator doors open and they have to leave. At least he didn’t have to blush and become a blubbering mess. Hanzo knew how to capitalize off of his one weakness so well. He gave the man too much power. 

When they get back to the room, Lucio is looking at his phone, a worried expression on his face as the Hairdresser is arranging his hair. Mercy and Jack are by his side. They can see that Pat is in the other room, the door is wide open, with the stylist and his assistants draping clothes and accessories on him. 

“What did we miss?” Cole asks, leaving the food on the end table closest to Lúcio. 

“The band doing this night’s presentation just canceled.” Lúcio says. “They asked if I could stand in for them.” The younger omega looks at them with worry written all over his face. Looking at Jack and Mercy, Cole can see they have the same realization as he is now. Hanzo crosses his arms in worry. 

“Maybe it will be John Lenon style.”

“Cassidy.” Jack snaps at him, and Cole lifts his hands in surrender. 

“I’m just sayin’!” He explains. 

“I'm not doing it anyways, I’m not that dumb.” Lúcio crosses his arms. “If there are so many people canceling then something is clearly wrong.” He sighs, massaging his eyes, for the horror of the makeup artists. 

“You don’t know half of it.” The hairdresser says. 

“Too many people have canceled the event?” Angela is nonchalant about it.

“You have no idea.” The MUA says, sighing and fixing Lúcio’s eye makeup. “This is usually so profitable for me, and now I have just Lúcio and one other client.” He pats his own face, worried. “All my colleagues have said the same.”

“I heard that this year, most of the famous people are not attending.” The Hairdresser says, letting out a breath. “We had planned a whole entourage doing a “Space royalty” story, you know?”

“Patrick wasn’t even supposed to come.” The Makeup artist whispers. “Lúcio was supposed to be with the Band NOVA.” 

Cole lifts his eyebrows and looks at Angela, then at Hanzo. The archer nods, face closed. The insistence of the man to have lunch with Lúcio by himself seemed way more insidious than before. 

After they are finished, the beauty team moves to work on Patrick, leaving them alone. Away from the others, the team shares their concerns and what they got from the whole thing, trying to make sense of the whole situation. 

Maybe it was far-fetched to think Pat would end up hurting Lúcio (in the name of Vishkar at least), but they have seen what happened to Amelie. Vishkar was not beyond working with hired assassins, maybe it wasn’t so far to think that they would work with talon too.  

“Is this all even worth it for Vishkar?” Mercy whispers to them, when Lucio is away, getting the final touches on his clothes. “For what, a stolen sonic weapon?” 

“It’s not just the weapon.” Hanzo says, eyes lost for a minute before he whispers again. “It's the message behind it. ”

“Doesn't matter how long it takes, we'll get you.” Cole nods, realizing that Vishkar was too close to how Deadlock did their own business when people disrespected them.

“They would show that what happened in Rio was a small setback.” Jack nods, clearly worried too.

--

Before they know it, night falls and it's time to go. Cole is surprised by how quick the time went and how quickly they were huddling together in the stylist Van, with Cole and Hanzo in between Lúcio and Patrick and his team, the archer, quite literally, growling at the actor.

They get there at the start of the whole thing, walking in a circle formation with Lúcio in the middle. Cole gets a new respect for celebrity security, because the whole thing is crazy. 

“I told you so.” Hanzo says to him, as they try to keep people from touching and grabbing Lúcio before he walks the red carpet. When he enters it, Patrick immediately pulls the young Omega's arm on his elbow, smiling a whole lot about it. They keep back, Hanzo and Jack barely holding the instinct to pull Lucio away from the disgusting alpha.

The flashes of the cameras makes everyone there nervous, Hanzo has the guitar case sling on his back, scanning the grounds. Cole keeps his holster open, hand close to his waist. Angela has an anxious jitter to her hands, as if she's expecting something to happen. At some point they lose Lúcio’s agent, and can’t really bother to look for him. 

Once they are out of the carpet, they all crowd around Lúcio again, with Jack basically pushing Patrick off to the side. 

Finger food is served, people mingle and everything seems normal. Several people walk around them, the actors, musicians and celebrities that are still in attendance come talk to Lúcio. Mostly to express the displeasure with the whole thing, but with the “what can you do?” attitude to it. 

They take turns in between protecting Lúcio and mingling around. As Cole said the staff loves talking shit about their bosses, and soon they already know a whole lot about people's lives, kinks, affairs and a whole lot of weird shit they do. However the information they get about why people have canceled their presence there is spotty at best. Some speak about extremists, some about long held stalkers, some about crazy fanclubs. One person says it is because of a nearby cult that doesn’t accept genetic studies.

It all feels like excuses.

“They should cancel the whole thing altogether.” One of the cooks says. “With the amount of freaks they brought this time, it is no wonder no one wants to come.” The older Alpha frowns, preparing something in a bowl. 

“Celebrities are an eccentric group, I reckon?” Hanzo asks him. 

“It’s not the celebs you have to worry about.” The chef huffs. “Did you see the scientists they bought over? “The greatest minds of science, right in our hotel”, great minds my ass.” He mocks. “Bunch of butchers is what these people from Oasis are.”

Oasis. Hanzo remembers how controversial the place is, having seen the different discourses and debates on television and conversations about scientific breakthroughs without ethics attached to it. 

“I thought this was a fundraiser for charity.”

“It’s a bunch of knot measuring, pardon my language.” He releases the bowl, then pokes at the desk, angry.  “We host this event every year, no issues! This year?” He shakes his head. “Stupidity all around. I can’t even use my own waiters! Paycheck goes to a third party from God knows where!”

Cole hums once Hanzo tells him. Looking around he doesn’t recognize anyone, he’s not a scientist after all, but mainly there is no one there that had any sort of controversial background, as far as he knows. Just as he’s thinking this, a shiver runs up his arm, and something changes in the atmosphere. He can't tell what it is, but it’s there, a gut feeling of danger. His eye sting, leaking a single tear.

Hanzo looks at him, his own dragons stirring under his skin. “We should go.” He breathes out. 

“What?” Cole asks. He searches for Lúcio, who is by the fountain, a car racer flirts with him. Mercy is by his side, looking bored if anything.

Hanzo shakes his head, looking around, like he doesn't know what to search for. “I don't know.” An omnic waiter bumps on them, and Hanzo has to push him away from him. Cole swears he sees on the periphery of his eye a smear of a skull. Golden and red. For a moment he startles, but Hanzo grabs his arm, pulling him back into reality. 

Jack gets to them, asking where Lúcio is. Hanzo and Cole look in front of them, where Lucio and mercy should've been, but they only see a tail end of Angela's hair leaving to the side corridor, the car racer has already moved on to talk to someone else. 

“Do you feel it too?” Cole asks, but Jack shakes his head, not understanding what he's saying. 

They find Lúcio talking to Patrick and Alex, Lúcio’s agent. The Alpha offers a glass of champagne to Lúcio, who automatically holds it. Mercy, with an annoyed huff, takes the glass aways from him. She turns and sips it, immediately spitting it back on the glass. Her face morphs into one of anger, before she turns and starts a rant. 

As they quickly approach, they start to hear her words. “-- THING IS FULL OF SYRUP!” 

With that they run to Lúcios side, Jack quite literally standing in front of him.

“What?” Lúcio says, confused. “What is Syrup?” He asks, confused.

Hanzo sees red at Mercy’s words. He marches to the alpha, ready to break way more than just his nose. How fucking dare the man try to roofie Lúcio? He’ll take that man’s knot off with his bare hands if he needs to. Hanzo punches the man with all the force he can muster, he even feels the tell tale of the dragon's energy tingling the tips of his fingers. 

Patrick stumbles and Cole Grabs Pat by the arm, twisting it on his back. He pushes the man against the wall. 

“You got a lot to explain, Pat.” Cole says, calm, but there is something mean in his words.

“OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!” The man screams. “Let me go, you crazy man!” 

“What is going on?” Lúcio’s agent asks, confused. Pat looks at him in disbelief and tries to say something, But Cole twists his arm again. 

“Alex, please get out of here and call the police, okay?” Lúcio says, patting his arm. The agent nods, leaving, looking back just once.

“Now you’re answering some questions.” Jack says. They find an unlocked conference room, and drag Patrick inside, kicking and screaming. Isn't it great? When you have loud music and staff that minds their own business in the same place? 

“Tell this troglodyte to release me!” Pat screams, trying to get away from Cole’s grip, unfortunately for him the alpha is using his prosthetic arm again.

“As you wish, partner.” Cole throws the man at a chair, but for good measure takes his peacemaker out of the holster, pointing it at Patrick. 

“What the hell? PUT THE GUN AWAY!” He screams, desperate, sounding like a rat being drowned. Hanzo thinks the voice fits such a low man. 

“Did Vishkar send you?” Jack crosses his arms, looking at the man. 

“What, no! I was going to take Lúcio for a nice night out!” He argues, pointing at the champagne glass on Mercy’s hand. 

“We don't like liars, partner.” Cole huffs.

“I have no idea what you are talking about!” 

“Really now?” Jack asks. The man nods in despair. “Break his thumb, Shimada.” Hanzo couldn’t be happier with the request! Silently he moves beside Patrick, menacing. The omega crunches down by his side, opening a gentle smile, taking his hand and twisting the finger.

“What, no! Stop, you Crazy bitch!” He shakes himself, trying to release his hand from Hanzo’s grip. But Hanzo just keeps twisting. 

“Now, honey, don’t break his thumb just yet.” Cole crouches by Pat’s side, a wry smile on his face. “We gotta talk a little, don’t we?” Patrick is already sweating, makeup smearing a little on the white lapel of his shirt.

“I don’t know, dear.” Hanzo quints at him, twisting the finger more, he’s wondering if he should just break the whole arm already. “I think he deserves more than just a broken finger.”

“Now, listen here, Pat, that’s my omega there with your thumb in his very capable hands.” Cole whispers to him, sitting down on the floor. “And Lúcio there is our dear friend. Hear it?” He points the tip of the gun against the man’s head. Pat nods. “We don't like people trying to rape or kill our friends.”

“I wasn't going to kill him, are you mad?”

“With that much syrup you might have.” Angela says, cold.

“OKAY OKAY!” He screams, almost crying.  “Your fucking agent gave the bottle to me! He told me that you were okay having a night with me!” He tries again to get away from Hanzo, but the omega holds him stronger. “In exchange for me using your song in the new movie!”

“And we’re supposed to believe that one?” Cole chuckles, without any humor to it. 

“Yes! Look at my phone!” He says, trembling. Cole can't help but think about how pathetic he looks. “The messages are there!”

Cole looks at the man, then nods at Hanzo. The archer takes the phone from his pant pocket. After Pat unlocks it, they huddled together, looking at the messages. Lúcio looks deeply troubled by it, seeing at how the agent says that he’ll make sure Lúcio will be “mellow just the way Pat likes it”.

“I can’t believe this.” Lúcio stares at it, hands trembling. 

“I can’t believe you thought I was going to kill him!” Pat says, massaging his thumb. “I’m not that kind of person.”

“No, you're just a damn rapist.” Cole pulls Patrick up, a warning growl leaving his lips. He thinks long and hard about just shooting the damn piece of shit then and there, but he relents. Better not put others in a bad situation because of his temper. He pushes the man away, taking a cigarillo and lighting it, taking a drag. 

“Don’t call me that! I just like omegas with a little something, so they feel good!” He shrugs. “I’m sure you get it.” he points at Cole's lighter. 

Cole looks at him, eyes narrowed. He licks his own teeth, anger filling his chest. He feels his right eye stinging a little, but forces himself to calm down. How fucking dare this good for nothing excuse of a alpha say that about him? He’ll show a little something to him.

“ Can you break his wrist, Honey?” Cole turns to Hanzo, asking in japanese, a cheery smile on his face and happy tone to his voice. 

“ Of course, dearest.” Hanzo takes Pat’s hand, twisting the man's wrist just the way he was taught to. The bone breaking makes a horrible noise, but the sound is muffled by Pat’s loud scream. Hanzo releases Pat, cleaning his hands on his shirt, as if touching him was disgusting. 

Cole takes Hanzo’s hands, kissing them tenderly. “Thank you.”

Jack moves between them, pulling the man up by its lapel, opening the door and pushing outside, letting Pat to fall over his injured hand. “Don’t try this again, or I'll know about it. And I will shoot first.” Jack snarls at him, closing the door on his face. 

Jack is fuming once he gets back into the room. Hanzo is still restless, rubbing the arm with the tattoo. “We still should go.” He says. Cole, now that his anger has simmered down, still feels the same gut feeling as before. 

“What… What is syrup?” Lúcio asks, still hugging himself. 

Mercy looks at him in pain, before saying “A date rape drug. It's expensive and usually undetectable, but for the slight tingling of the tongue. It causes a very fast flash heat. It only affects Omegas.” 

“Ah… I-- I know that.” Lúcio looks down. “Melzinho. We call that melzinho in my country.” his voice trembles a little. Just enough for Hanzo to know the young omega has encountered it before. 

“You're firing your agent.” Jack says it, a deep frown on his face. “I don't care if Winston has to book your shows by himself, I do not want any of my men in danger like this.” 

“I know… ” The younger omega frowns, walking to one of the chairs, sitting down. “I can't believe he'd do that.” He sits down, putting a hand over his face. He’s clearly shaken about the interaction. “I can't believe he'd--”

Jack goes to his side, patting his shoulder. Lucio grabs the older Omega by the midsection, hiding his face in the omega’s belly, silently crying. Jack is taken aback by the action, not used to people touching him lately, but soon the omega relaxes and ends up letting him, patting his head. 

Cole is suddenly flooded with a memory, from long ago. He had been beaten in a fight again, some older guy from Blackwatch didn't like his attitude at a mission and made sure Cole knew about it as soon as they were away from Reyes' eyes. 

At the time he liked to boast about his abilities, how his hard life had shaped him into a fighter, but he knew that in an environment like Blackwatch he was the bottom of the barrel and it did show. People with training could wipe him off the ground like a stain, it didn't help that Cole was a late bloomer. He was a scraggly thing then, from years of malnutrition and drug use. Once he started to eat properly he managed to grow as tall and broad as he is now. 

He was hidden away, smoking and crying out of frustration and wishing that Reyes had never brought him to that cursed place. Jack had found him there and just sat down, waiting for him to talk. Back then the man was much softer around the edges, more mothering too.

“Should've let me die in there.” Cole had said, angry. Remembering how the raid to stop Deadlock killed several of the gangbangers in the fight. He was one of the few left, and Reyes had brought him with, saying how his “freaky ability” could save his life. “Nobody fuckin’ wants me here anyways, at least this shit life would've been over.”

He had the scolding of his life about him having a chance that much didn't have, about being able to be better than he ever was. To have a better life. Jack had insisted he had so much potential. He couldn't believe it, but apparently Jack and Reyes did. At the end of it Cole was feeling so better he had hugged Jack (who was still taller than him at the time).

Remembering it all it's overwhelming. He hadn't thought about those things in a while. His chest fills up with regret, for the fight that made him and Jack fall so apart from each other at the end. 

Cole doesn't know how long Lúcio cries, he just knows that when he stops he looks exhausted. 

“We need to go.” 

They all nod, and Jack gets his comm, sending a message to Winston, telling him they were finishing the mission and to send the orca. They walk back to the ballroom, wanting to get the stylist in the middle of the crowd, so they can all leave, Patrick obviously forgotten. 

They bump into someone. The same woman from the elevator, Satya. She’s wearing a golden and black dress, inspired by art deco and a matching mask resting against her Head. She looks at them like she’s a deer caught in headlights.

“I know you!” Lúcio says, suddenly angry. To everyone’s surprise he says. “You work for Vishkar.” He points at her. 

“You need to leave.” She commands.

“I have the right to be here as much as--”

“No, You need to leave.” She holds Lúcio by his shoulder, shaking him.

“What do you mean?” Hanzo asks, gently pushing her away from Lúcio. 

“Listen, these people will get hurt. I’ve done what I could, but-- ” Satya takes a deep breath. She looks scared, like she shouldn’t be doing what she’s doing. The music swells and she scrunches her face, distressed. “It’s bad, I don’t want people to get hurt.” 

“And you’d know about hurting others, wouldn’t you?” Lúcio spats.

“Leave whatever happened in that slum behind!” Her words are angry and sharp, unforgiving. “They won’t listen to me! They don’t care about threats, about anything! Maybe these people will listen to you!” Then shakes her head and leaves running. Lúcio is taken aback by her blowing him off. 

“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” Mercy asks.  

“Let’s go. We can activate the fire alarm, people will leave then.” Jack says. “Better safe than sorry.”

They find the stylist and the conversation is impossible to hear from where Cole is, surveying the crowd he can see that the place is too full, like it has double the people form before. Suddenly, Jack stills at his side, looking directly at something. Cassidy turns, trying to see what it is, but the older omega starts to fast walk, pushing people away from his path and into the door leading to the rooftop. 

“Jack!” Hanzo calls. 

Cole quickly loses him in the middle of the masked faces. He swears he sees a red and gold skull looking in their direction. He sucks in a breath through his teeth. Eyes wide in horror. The vision disappears in the crowd. 

Behind whatever that was, they see her. A slender figure, red hair slicked back, a half mask covering her face. Moira has an amused smile on her face, like she knows something everyone else doesn’t. Time seems to stop for a moment. Hanzo’s dragons give a surge, raging to come out. He shocks Cole as he touches his arm, a small zap of energy, not enough to hurt. 

“Did you see--?” Cole starts. But he closes his eyes hard, trying to shake the image of the skull off of his head. 

“Moira is here.” Hanzo walks back to Lúcio, holding Cole's real arm, not wanting to turn his back to her. The alpha looks back, for a second his face contorts in rage, before he starts walking with purpose beside Hanzo. 

They get close to Mercy, Hanzo whispering something in her ear.  

“What is she doing here?” Angela asks, angry. “She's scorned in any serious medical circle.” 

The stage lights up, and a man in an ill fitting suit enters it, going to the podium. The song stops. He taps the microphone, making it pop. Their attention is glued to the man somehow.

“Good night! We want to thank everyone that came here today.” He starts. “We'll start the presentations soon, but first, we would like to thank the two major sponsors for this event tonight.” He smiles widely and a spotlight lights up on the floor, right on Moira. “Thanks to the government of Oasis in a partnership with Vishkar, we have raised 15 million to further the new research. It is an unprecedented number.” 

Moira looks at the podium, lifting her glass up. 

“We'd like to call the new ministry of health of Oasis, Moira O'Deorain, to speak on this new and exciting partnership and how it will aid in the research for Alzheimer’s disease.”

People around clap. A murmur is heard under it, people looking at one another, some no doubt finally recognizing her.

“What?” Lucio's breaths get quicker, he looks around, trying to identify any other agent from Vishkar, but he can't recognize anyone under the several masked faces.

“Let’s go.” Mercy says, looking around, pulling Lúcio in between them. They start walking out of the room, pushing people out of the way. 

“Is your agent trying to kill you?” Cole asks. “First Patrick, now this? Why the fuck wouldn't he confirm this was sponsored by Vishkar?”

“I don't know!” Lucio exclaims, distressed. They have left the guitar case on the reception, with the purses and coats. Only Cole had managed to sneak his gun in, by charm alone. 

“I think that woman is telling the truth. There must be something else.” Hanzo shakes his head. “They wouldn't do all of this just for Lúcio.” 

“Where the fuck is Jack?” Cole asks, angry. 

Moira is at the podium doing her speech, but Hanzo doesn't hear it. He's looking around, Attention to every detail, looking for snipers, guns, anything. Cole does the same, trying to understand what this is about. He sees several people mingling, gossiping, some pay attention to Moira, some are leaving with angry strides. 

“You’re leaving too?” One of them, a woman, stops by their side, touching Lúcio’s arm. “We are all doing a walk out too.” They see behind them around ten other celebrities leaving too. 

“Did everyone know about that?” Cole asks, pointing at the podium with his chin. The woman shakes her head.

“Some of us knew a surprise guest was making a speech, but that's it. I doubt most of us would come if we knew it was her.” She says, looking ahead and then moving again. “Come on.” She urges. Cole looks at Hanzo then at Mercy and nods. As they walk, they see the same woman as before, Satya, walking out of the room, her mask obscuring her whole face. 

Cole narrows his eyes, looking around. Hanzo is right, there is something more happening. Then he recognizes it. 

The Omnics waiters, or rather, the bots. 

“The waiters,” He says. “They aren't Omnics. It's bots, the same we saw In Junkertown.” This is not good at all. 

“Jack, we have to go, now.” Angela says on her comm. They receive static from it.

“He's upstairs.” Hanzo says. “I'll get him.”

“No. I'll go. Y'all get out of here.” Cole is already moving from Hanzo, disappearing in the crowd. The three of them start to run to the doors, walking with the other famous people and to the nearest fire alarm. 

They see Moira finishing her speech and leaving the podium. She's coming in their direction, or at least it looks like it. Hanzo starts to panic, he grabs Lúcio's arm, pulling him down, hiding his head as they leave the room. 

As soon as Lúcio is out of the crowd and into the lobby, there is a rumble. They look back and two bots have their cores exploded. Purple orbs flying from it, hitting several people. People scream in pain, some falling down as the orbs fly close to them. 

Mercy pulls the fire alarm lever, making the people around them run. She quickly moves to where the guitar case is stashed away. Opening it she sees their weapons, including Jack’s pulse rifle on it, she takes her staff and runs back inside. 

“Angela!” Lúcio screams, but the crowd makes it difficult to follow her.

“Come on.” Hanzo puts a hand on Lúcio’s shoulder, urging him outside. He closes the guitar case, pulling it on his shoulder and leaves too. Looking back, he hopes the others are fine.

--

Jack pushes the people out of his way,  He follows the red visage in front of him, nothing else matters right now. He pushes the door to the stairs leading to the rooftop, he can see Reaper floating away, in the darkened halls. Jack runs up the stairs jumping two steps at the time.

“REAPER.” He screams. The presence doesn't stop, leaving a trail of wispy smoke behind him. The moment he saw the figure he’d known it was Gabriel. The giant red hat, the golden mask. The scent confirmed to him. He had known then that it was him, Gabriel was always too dramatic to not go full out when it came to those things. 

He couldn't help but follow the man. Talon was involved in this after all, but not only that, he finally found a chance, after so much time, to get Reaper, no Gabriel, alone again. 

The door accessing the rooftop opens and closes. Jack feels his legs burning as he runs up the stairs and pushes it open with his shoulder. He looks ahead of him, seeing the red figure standing there. Jack feels his chest heaving. Shimada was right. Reaper smells like he’s calling out, like he's been screaming for a long time for him to come find him.

“Don’t move.” Reaper says, his voice hoarse and low. Jack shakes his head, approaching cautiously. “Don't come any closer.” 

“No.” He knows he’s unharmed, but he still can fight, the serum makes sure of that for him. He knows he can take Reaper down if it comes to a hand to hand fight. “You’re coming with me.” 

Reaper laughs, looking him up and down. Jack is only using a black shirt and black jeans with combat boots. He doesn’t have his biotics on him, nor his usual weapons. He didn't think properly before following Reaper, scared of losing his track.

“Am I?”

“Yes.” Jack, tired, so tired of running around, following Gabriel, angrily shooting at him, trying to trap him, making him listen, lets his shoulders drop. “Please, Gabriel.”

“You shouldn't have come here, Jack.” Reaper stares at him, shotguns in hand. He doesn’t lift them up, but Jack still stays wary. “I told you to stop following me. I don’t want you here.”

“Stop lying.”

“How many times have I told you that I don’t want you anymore.” He snarls, taking a step in his direction.

“That’s not what you smell like.” He snaps. “I’m not using the visor, Gabriel. I can smell you!” Jack slowly approaches, cautiously stepping close. He’s so close. Maybe if he can just touch him, just feel Gabriel again.

“Don’t do this.” Gabriel shakes his head, the cape flowing in the wind. “Don't come closer.”

“Or what?” Jack asks, taking a step forward. 

Reaper snarls, advancing at him quickly, turning into smoke. Jack lifts his fists, but it's not quick enough. He feels Reaper’s gloved fingers hold his neck pushing him against the wall, body against his, pressing against his own. 

“Are you insane?” Gabriel growls at him, mask close against the side of his face. “Moira is here, you idiot.” His fingers are not hurting him, he realizes it. “And you brought Cole!” Jack could get away if he wanted, could push him away, punch his face. But he doesn't. 

“I don't understand what you’re saying, Gabriel.” The omega says through his teeth, frustrated. He watches Gabriel’s face, his brown eyes hidden away in the mask, the sweet smell of death and the overpowering scent of mate. “Just tell me, goddammit.” God, he missed him so much, why couldn’t Gabriel see that? “Please.” He tentatively brings his hand up, fingers touching the edge of the mask. Reaper stops his hand, grabbing it hard, making Jack flinch and close his eyes. 

The hand moves from his neck, taking away his glasses, letting them fall on the ground. Jack opens his eyes, blinking confused. Gabriel noses the side of his head, smelling his scent.

The alpha brings Jack’s other hand to his face and lets him take away his mask. It slip easily, falling to the ground. Jack can see the faint blurry image of his mate. He can’t make out the details, but he sees his face is heavily scared, there is smoke moving around it, shifting like it’s sand. He can’t help himself and touches it, trying to understand what he’s seeing.

Gabriel pulls Jack close, one hand grabbing his chin the other massaging his mating gland. It makes the omega feel like he is on fire. Jack moans, low, surprised, closing his eyes. The alpha swallows the noise down with a searing kiss, biting Jack’s lip, drawing blood. 

Jack can’t struggle, can’t do anything, not because he's unable to, he just doesn't want to. He just holds his mate with all the strength he has, kissing back with as much violence, as much want and longing as Gabriel has, using his tongue to explore his mouth. 

When they break apart, Gabriel scents his neck, making his omega smell sweet, like home, like decaying flowers and rotten fruit. Jack feels himself slicking and getting hard, he roams his hands around Gabriel’s torso, trying to untie his vest. But Gabriel doesn’t let him, holding both his wrists against the wall. 

“Come with me.” Jack asks. “Let's run.” He repeats the old joke Gabriel did all the time when things got too difficult. In the end, it became more of a plea than a joke. Let’s run away, let’s get out of here and change our names, fuck the UN and the government that treat us like weapons and things. “Please.” He presents his neck to Gabriel. 

The reaction is immediate. The man snarls, lodging himself in between Jack’s legs. He releases his hands in favor of bringing his thighs up and around his waist. 

Jack crosses them on Reaper's back, bringing him flush, feeling the alpha's hard cock against him. Jack tries to stop himself from clinging to him, from allowing the alpha to snake a hand under his shirt, touch his skin, to squeeze his peck and make him moan, rutting against him. But he can't, he wants to die here, hearing Gabriel grunting against his ear, calling his name, tasting him. 

“Run away with me.” Jack begs, chasing his lips. Reaper releases his thighs, letting the omega down. His legs wobble. The alpha touches his face, caressing him just once, before turning into smoke again, stepping back. “No.” Jack extends a hand. His voice is wet with grief and despair. His legs give out.

“Your pup is at the stairs.” Gabriel materializes again. Mournful, he grabs his mask from the ground, putting it on again. He steps on Jack’s glasses, breaking them. “Don’t go back inside.” He takes his shotguns, slowly, then starts moving away to the edge of the building. Cole kicks the door open, looking around frantically. When he sees Jack on the ground, disheveled, mouth stained with blood, he sees red. 

“Jack!” He exclaims, running to kneel in front of him, protecting the older omega. He points peacemaker at Reaper. “Get the fuck away from him!” He shoots three times, hitting his torso dead on.

“What a happy family reunion.” Reaper says, before standing on the ledge, letting himself fall down. Jack sucks in a breath, before he sees the smoke moving away. 

A rumble. 

“Are you okay?” Cole turns to him, worried. “Shit, did he mark you?” He sounds disturbed, smelling the scent of death clinging to Jack. But the omega can’t find it in himself to answer. 

The fire alarm starts blaring. 

“Cole!” His comm activates, it sounds scratchy, like he's just out of earshot. It's Hanzo.  

“I’m here, sugar. I have Jack with me.” Cole says, looking at Jack. The omega trembles, breathing hard. 

“Are you outside?” Hanzo asks. He grunts an affirmation. “Don't get in, we are outside too. I think Moira activated some kind of weapon.”

“Reaper was here too. The motherfucker just left, attacked Jack.” He looks at the ledge. “Wait for us outside of the fire escape.”

“Okay.” Hanzo hangs up. Cole swears, turning to Jack, who is still looking at where Reaper has disappeared to. His eyes fill with tears and the soldier cries, silently, desperate. He lost his fucking mate again, slipped right trough his fingers.  

“It’s okay, ma.” Cole says, the term of endearment slipping out of his mouth accidentally.  He touches the Omega's shoulder. “It’s okay.” This time Jack let's Cole bring him up. He slouches against the younger man's shoulder, clinging to him. The alpha pats his back, reassuring.

“I almost had him.” Jack says, voice wet with grief and regret. 

“Did he do anything?” Cole asks. Jack shakes his head, but Cassidy looks at the other man, a wave of despair taking over him, wondering what happened those minutes away from Jack that made such a hard omega so desperate. “Jack? Ma?” but Jack can only cry. 

It feels like an eternity until he stops, but when he does, Jack turns his face away, ashamed. “Don't call me that.” The omega croaks, then starts righting his clothes, cleaning his face with the back of his hand. 

“You're not the boss of me.” Cole says, just like when he was a kid.

“You always were such a brat.” The omega complains, feeling the chill of the night on his bones. He wishes he was using his jacket. “Nothing happened, he just got me by surprise.” 

Cole licks his teeth, angry, but doesn’t force the issue anymore. He can’t force Jack to say anything to him if he didn’t want to. They use the fire escape to get down, moving slowly, with Jack putting a hand on his shoulder. 

Cole can’t help but think the scent emanating from Jack is familiar. For a moment, it reminds him of Gabriel, but he doesn't linger on the thought. Their scents have always been mixed as long as he knows them, of course he’d think Jack’s scent reminds him of Reyes, even under the smell of rotten fruit over it.

Getting down they see that most of the people have left the hall. There are sirens far away.  Hanzo and Lúcio run to them. 

“Where is Angie?” Cole asks. 

“She’s inside.” Hanzo says. “We couldn't stop her.” He looks upset about it, but moves to Jack. Lúcio is by Jack’s side, he has his sound gun in his hand, he fusses with it a little, before soft music starts playing. Jack sighs in relief, as his bruised lip starts to heal. 

Hanzo sniffs the air, turning to Jack. He approaches the older omega, resting hand on his shoulder. Jack faces him, grief stricken and shakes his head. Cole swallows a lump on his throat, feeling unable to help. 

“I’ll check on Angela.” He walks to the front door of the main hall. 

Inside he sees Angela, she’s walking in the hall. The purple bubbles are slowly dispersing in the air, leaving just a strange residue in the ground. There are people around her, fallen and  seated, heavily hurt. Angela activates the staff, turning it to the maximum setting. She passes the people fallen, the rays of healing biotics touching everyone around it, damage quickly recovered before she goes to the next one. 

Once the whole thing is over, she puts the staff down, helping the people that are still wobbly on their legs to stand up.

The ambulances get there, with paramedics pushing Cole out of the way and entering the place. He can hear Angela telling them orders, exchanging information. Looking at the crowd around him, Cole can see that the EMTs are attentind people outside too and in between them he sees Moira, who seems to have a small cut on her face. 

Cole blisters at the sight. He walks in her direction, he’ll solve this here and now. Moira dismisses the EMT fussing over her, batting his hand away, a deep scowl on her face. When the man walks away, she opens a device that looks like a communicator and turns, walking with purpose into the crowd. In an instant she is gone, in a cloud of purple and black smoke. 

He frowns, looking around, unable to find her again. 

He puts a cigarillo on his mouth, lighting it, and goes back to his pack.

--

Once the risk of contamination is ruled out and everyone is released by the police, the team goes back into the hotel with the stylist. They are bone tired and Lúcio keeps saying how sorry he is he ruined the garment on the whole ruckus.  

“Darling, I already told you, I’m saving this one as an archive piece.” He dismisses, sighing. “Tell your agent it's fine. Next time we will use something that's not white.”

“He’s not my agent anymore.” Lúcio says. The stylist looks at him, pleasantly surprised. He nods, before they enter the room. 

Lúcio changes quickly, wearing his usual sporty get up. The Stylist hugs him tightly, telling to call when he gets back home safely. Lúcio promises to do so. They are waiting for the elevator now. Lúcio keeps trying to make a call to Alex. He huffs angrily once again, before hanging up. 

“What is it, Lúcio?” Jack asks, finally speaking for the first time after they got into the hotel room. 

“I can’t get in contact with Alex.” Lúcio takes the phone off of his ear again. “It says the number is disconnected.” 

They all look at one another, the realization drawing on them at the same time. Quickly, they go to the room where the agent said he was staying. They find the door opened. The room is pristine, like no one was there at all. The only thing they find out of place is a phone chip, snapped in half on the trash and a cellphone smashed to pieces. 

Cole takes the chip pieces, assembling the parts on the table. 

“Would you look at that?” He says. Coming close, they all see the logo for Vishkar on the chip, white against the blue background.  

--

The trip back in the orca is silent. Both Lúcio and Jack are huddled on the corner of the seats the orca has. Jack had seated down, Cole’s black serape (stashed on the Orca for safe keeping) covering him, when Lúcio sat beside him. They slept quickly, Lúcio resting his head on the older omega’s shoulder. 

Cole is close to them, sitting on the floor with Hanzo by his side. Mercy decides to stay with Tracer, updating Winston on what happened. He can’t sleep. Or better, he won't sleep, scared to see the red skull again, scared that this time he’ll see Reaper there.  

“I’m worried about Jack.” He says at some point, lightly hitting the back of his head on the wall. 

“I know.” Hanzo rests his head on Cole’s shoulder, kissing it. “You’ve been fussing and growling about us ever since Pat showed up.”

“Stupid alpha brain.” Cole sighs. He brings Hanzo to his lap, hugging the other impossibly close. “And my nightmares. It puts me in a mood.” He grumbles against Hanzo’s chest. The smell of dessert filling his nose. 

“Is it the same dream as before?” Hanzo combs his hair with his fingers, effectively relaxing Cole. He shakes his head, closing his eyes. 

“It's worse.” The image of the skull flashes on his head, weak now. One more day and he won’t dream about it, he hopes this time he’ll forget about it forever. He looks at Jack, and somehow feels emotional, a little raw around the edges. “Sometimes I’m scared this is the dream, and I’m still stuck in the desert.” He whispers, confessing to Hanzo, because he does mean it. He’s tired, eyes stinging like they are full of sand. 

Hanzo brings his nose close to his neck, and lets the man scent him, lets the hands roam his back, rests his ear on his chest and hears his heart beating. “You’re here, Cole, with me.” They kiss, quick, chaste, just so Cole can feel it, taste Hanzo’s mouth. “You're not alone. I’m not leaving.” 

Somehow, Cole trusts, or rather he knows, that Hanzo is telling the truth. 

So he drifts into sleep.  

--

When they land, Winston is waiting for them, Briggite by his side. He has an air of nervousness around him, and Brigitte is not much better. Is already around 4 a.m, and both Jack and Lúcio acknowledge Winston, before moving to their respective rooms. The gorilla lets them go too, saying that they could debrief tomorrow, since whatever happened wasn’t a mission that they actually had planned. 

“Ah, Hanzo, Cassidy.” Wisnton calls them, he looks sheepish. “We had to leave miss Ako with agent Song.” He cringes a little, seeing Hanzo’s expression change to one of worry, then anger and then horror.

“What?” He asks, loud enough to make Cole snap back from sleep, standing straighter. Wait, was the alpha sleeping while standing? Nevermind, Hanzo turns back to Winston, angry now. “Wasn't Agent Lindholm available?”

“Unfortunately he went to get An--a new recruit.” Winston opens a smile that tells Hanzo he’s lying. He squints at the Gorilla and then at Brigitte, who gives him a thumbs up and forced smile.

“And my brother?”

“With Torbjorn.” He cringes even more. 

Hanzo blisters a little, but takes a deep breath. He is too tired for this, Cole is obviously falling over himself, the day was shitty. “I am choosing peace, today.” He says to himself, reminding of how Zenyatta told him to choose his battles better. 

He leaves Cole in their room, so the cowboy can bathe and change. He goes to Hana’s room and knocks at the door. Athena opens it, and what he sees makes Hanzo regret choosing his battles. 

Hana is seated on a bean bag, playing a game on the computer in her room. She’s talking on her microphone, clearly streaming. 

“Hi, dude.” She lifts her hand quickly, looking at him. On the ground, sleeping on a blanket and with a hollow laundry basket over her, is Ako. Hana has one leg out, with her feet resting over the basket, trapping the baby there.

“Why is my daughter on the floor?” Hanzo quickly moves to his daughter, taking the basket off and Ako in his arms. 

“Dude, look out, I’m streaming!” She points at the camera on the monitor where a webcam is sitting on the top. “If you don’t want to show up to a million people, keep your head down.”

“You didn't answer my question!” He asks, indignant. Hanzo stands up, looking down at her, one hand on his hips.

“Dude, your butt is covering half of the screen!” She huffs, looking at Hanzo, then quickly at the monitor. “No, this is my work friend! Stop being weirdos!” She says to the camera. Looking at the screen he sees a bunch of people flooding the comment in the corner of it with emojis. “He’s old and taken, idiots. No sending love letters to him, his boyfriend is a hillbilly, he’s going to shoot first.” 

“Hana!” Hanzo scolds her. 

“Okay, jeez. I put her there only close to her bedtime, when I started streaming! She’s crawling everywhere, I had to do something! Her crib is too heavy!” She complains, whining at him.

Then the information floods him. Suddenly he feels a hollow pain in his chest and looking down at Ako he can't believe he missed this small step. 

“She started crawling?” He asks, feeling like he might cry. He really looks at her, she's much bigger than before, has started to sit down, started to eat solids, she has small front teeth, her hair is thick and Hana has done two pigtails on the top of her head, looking like antennas. She’s so big now, not the small bean she was when he gave birth.

“Yes!” She looks up. “Oh, please don’t cry, I got it recorded!” She sits straighter, telling him to sit on her bed. He does, looking at his daughter. Hana says goodbyes to her fans, telling them it's late already and she should go. She turns the set up off, sitting by his side, then opens her phone showing Hanzo the video. 

It starts with Hana putting her phone down on the floor and saying. “You're not going to believe this one.” She shows the camera a piece of sliced peach. There is a babbling from outside of the frame and Ako quickly shows up, crawling to Hana. The young omega looks excited at the camera as Ako sits and makes a grabby hand to the peach. Hana hands the peach to the girl, laughing when she starts munching at it. She gets up, turning off the video. 

Hanzo smiles at it, a little wet with unshed tears. He's so emotional when it comes to Ako, his father would think he's a disgrace. 

“Thank you.” Hanzo says, nodding at Hana. 

“I told you we got your back.” She pats his shoulder, reassuringly. God it's so weird to have someone so young acting so mature sometimes. 

He thanks her and gets up, telling her to go to sleep already, it's so late that it’s already morning. Hana makes a non comical sound, stretching, commenting how she'll sleep when she's dead. Hanzo wants to scold her again from speaking like that, but avoids doing it. He's not her father after all. 

Going back to his room, Ako ends up waking, whining. She brings a hand to her mouth, which is uncharacteristic for her, this late at night, but Hanzo haste his steps anyways. Getting inside the room he sees that Cole has bathed and is asleep, face down, only in his underwear, baggy pajama pants mid calf. Hanzo shakes his head, laughing at the cowboy's silliness. 

He puts Ako down on her crib, then takes a quick shower. Just this once he gets back to the room wearing his boots, taking a still awake Ako in his arms and lightly pushing the cowboy until he rolls over, giving him space to sit in the bed, back rested on the bed frame, and let Ako nurse. 

Cole wakes, looking at Hanzo through his hair. He sighs, pulling the omega close by the waist, resting his head on his lap. When Ako finishes and Hanzo has burped her, she's already half asleep and goes out like a light. 

He puts his baby on the crib, takes his boots off, lays beside Cole, hugging him close and finally sleeps. 

--

The next day, when Ako wakes up complaining, it is Cole who gets up saying a sleepy “‘Morning, miss Ako.”. Hanzo stays in bed, hearing him changing her diaper and dressing her. He smiles when he hears the chatter the alpha makes with her. “Nobody likes to be stinky, do they?” And Ako babbles back, making syllables already. Cole hasn't had a bad dream again. 

“Now, let's let your mama sleep for now, hear?” He tells her, as he cleans up the mess and his hands. He comes back, Hanzo opens his eyes more, the image of Cole, sleepy now with his pants on, and Ako, dressed in her “New to the world” onesie is too much for him to bear. He lets a smile take over his face, the problems of the mission forgotten. 

Oh, right, the mission. Ugh. They have to debrief today. Hanzo groans, standing up. 

“Sorry, did I wake you up, sugar?” Cole asks, worried. 

“No.” Hanzo yawns. “Last night's mission woke me up.” he scrunches his face, angry his sleep was disturbed by the memories of Patrick's disgusting behavior. “Fuck Patrick and fuck Vishkar.” Hanzo sighs, massaging his eyelids. 

“I'll drink to that.” Cole says, bouncing Ako, making the girl laugh, delighted. 

They do their morning routines and go eat breakfast with everyone. Hana shows Cole the video of Ako crawling and the cowboy honest to God cries, looking at the baby in the high chair. 

“We lost her first crawling.” Cole takes the baby off the high chair and into his arms, bringing her close to his scent gland. Hana laughs out loud, taking a picture of Cole sniffing, looking at the baby with a sad frown. Hanzo smiles at him, shaking his head, he must look lovesick, because Hana makes a fake retching sound.

Soon Lucio and Jack join them, sitting at the table in silence. The difference is that Jack looks sullen, lost, and Lúcio has a seething anger, his face is not even closed off in a scowl, the energy around him is enough to communicate how angry he is. Hana tries to get a smile out of him, but she really can’t, so she just holds his hand, reassuringly. 

When time comes for them to debrief, they all try to make any sense of what happened together with Mercy and Winston. 

The beta hadn't managed to sleep the whole night, writing about the weapon used on the fundraiser and its effects. They explain to Winston the whole ordeal, Patrick, Vishkar, Satya, Lúcios’s agent Alex, Moira and Reaper. 

Lúcio then explains how he could never expect this from Alex. The man looked as legit as it could get, the omega tells how he made sure he was safe, after all that happened to his family. Winston confirmed that all the information Lúcio had seemed legit on the surface.

With Angela’s information, Winston started to do research, looking at old Vishkar records leaked earlier on the internet by Sombra. Satya was clearly an engineer for them, working as diligent and as perfectly as it was humanly possible. That wasn’t news. What was news was the fact that, when searching for facial recognition, they found a match for Alex, an old name tag with his photo in it.  

“I have to relocate my family.” Lúcio says, deeply upset. “Alex knows where they are.” 

“We’ll help you do it, Lúcio.” Winston reassures. Lúcio nods, biting his lips.

They move to the next issue. Winston shows them an article, released this morning.

TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA? OASIS GOVERNMENT FACES BACKLASH AFTER REVEALING THEIR NEW MINISTER OF GENETICS. 

The tech-forward city faces a wave of criticism from the scientific communities as infamous geneticist Moira O’dorian steps into her new role. 

“The reveal was made by the time she was doing her speech.” Angela says, fixing her glasses. “This was her debut, so to speak.”

“They don’t care if she works with Talon?” Cole asks, scratching his beard. 

“Oasis has always boasted about technological advancements without restraints.” Winston comments. “Unfortunately, Moira fits just right in. Her associations are not an issue to them.”

“And Vishkar has always wanted to have more influence on Oasis, that is a known fact.” Angela sighs. “The cores inside the Bots looked made out of hardlight.” 

“So this was just a quid pro quo.” Hanzo brings his hand to his chin, thinking. 

“Talon helps to kill Lúcio and they can test a weapon at the same time.” Cole nods. “Vishkar gets some influence on Oasis, Moira gets the information she needs from her guinea pigs. What Talon gets?” 

“The bots looked like omnics.” Jack says. Everyone turns to him and Jack looks at them, milky eyes somber. “I saw the news on the comm today, people think that this was an “extremist omnic group”, like the Null sector.”

“But they also helped the anti-omnic extremists.” Lúcio says, confused.

“Without conflict, there is no future for humanity.” Hanzo repeats the phrase, a memory from the encounter with Akande suddenly in the forefront of his mind. “They are playing both sides.” 

“What a damn mess…” Cole says, taking a cigarillo out of his pocket and putting it in his mouth. Winston and Angela look at him, reproachful, before he puts it back. “What I don’t get is why Vishkar wanted Patrick to roofie Lúcio? He was already in the ballroom.”

“Maybe to make sure it was a done deal.” Lúcio looks at the desk in front of him, an angry scowl on his face. “They tried worse, and only two bots exploded.”

“Why just two bots?” Winston asks. “There were at least 20 there, weren't there?”

Then it hits Lúcio. “That engineer. Satya.” He stands up, thinking. “She told us “She did what she could” but people would still get hurt.”

“And Moira looked madder than a wet hen after.” Cole muses. And they all wonder, if the attack was supposed to be bigger, if they were just lucky that the bots somehow malfunctioned or if someone, somewhere inside, didn’t want so much chaos and death. 

The meeting takes a long time to finish, a lot is discussed, and in the end, Lúcio runs back to his room, wanting to get things going quickly to get his family back and move them away, scared of what could happen to them. Jack goes away, still quiet, Winston and Mercy move to the labs to study ways to combat what Moira created. Only Hanzo and Cole stay in the room.

“There’s easier ways to kill Lúcio.” Cole finally puts the cigarillo on his mouth, lighting it. “I still don’t get it.”

“Humiliation.” Hanzo says, taking a deep breath. Cole looks at him, eyebrows lifted. “If we weren’t there, Patrick would have…” He shakes his head, not even wanting to think about it. “We don’t know how long it would take to find his body and in what state it would be found.”

“Angie did say there was enough syrup to kill someone.” He grumbles, mad. “And with the way people are about omegas…” Cole purses his lips, a protective surge taking over him. Lúcio may not be the youngest omega, but he was the most naive one. 

He’s just a kid, trying to do the right thing. Hana had countless battles against omnics already, and Brigitte was Reinhardt’s apprentice, following him around in battles. If their stories are true, she has seen some shit ever since she was 17. With a sniff, Cole realizes Hanzo is also releasing angry pheromones, protective of the young man too. 

“We can protect him now.” He reassures “He’s fine.” He puts a hand on the small of his back, pulling Hanzo close, nuzzling his face. The omega calms down, hugging Cole too.

Once they feel better, they link their hands. They are going to the mess hall, going to get Ako from Hana’s care (where Hanzo begrudgingly left her). As they approach, they hear a ruckus with loud voices and laughter. They exchange looks before entering.

There, in the lounge room, all of the present agents are surrounding Phara and another woman. She’s older, with a head full of white long hair, dark skin like Fareeha and an eyepatch. Over her other eye, he sees a lighter tattoo, that reminded him of Phara’s. She has Ako on her arms, a warm expression on her face. 

Hanzo is about to run and get her daughter away from the strange woman, but Cole’s grip in his hand starts to hurt. Looking at the alpha he sees that he is looking at the woman with wide eyes, pale, as if he’s seeing a ghost. There is a small tremble to his lips. 

“Ana?” He asks. Hanzo turns to the woman, realizing that that’s Captain Amari, pronounced dead for almost a decade, standing in the center of the mess hall. 

The energy in the room shifts, now quiet and uncomfortable. 

Ana looks at Cole and smiles, warm and comforting. “Hello, Jesse.”

“T-that ain't my name.” He says, a slight tremble to his lip.

“Oh, Sorry,  it’s Cassidy now, right?” She approaches them. “This must be your mate.” She smiles at Hanzo, passing his pup back. Hanzo hugs Ako close, holding her against his scent gland. “I’m Ana Amari.” Her presence is warm, but strong, the smell of omega faintly waffling off of her. 

Hanzo smells something he has never smelled before from Cole: utter, gut wrenching, devastating sadness. It’s nauseating, and different from when they fought. Then, Cole was sad, but had a dash of hopefulness to it, knowing that they could handle their issues. Now, his smell made Hanzo want to hug Cole close and snarl at the woman. He looks at his alpha and sees his Chin is wobbling, face contorted in sadness and horror. 

Cole releases Hanzo’s hand, shaking his head and stomps away. 

“Cole!” Hanzo calls, but looking outside, the cowboy has already ran away.

Notes:

Lúcio is polite because Brazilian have this issue where we eitehr are polite to a fault no are so misbehaved it's painfukl to be around us. there is no middle ground.

Btw have I mentioned I have horrible nightmares and sleep paralysis? That’s why I like describing horrible dreams so much. I sometimes think everyone has them like I do.
Also,The names of the artists are stupid for a reason, because if you think about it, stage names are always ridiculous. And yes, Patrick’s name has a double meaning. And I made the scent enhancing perfumes bad because i have a bad reaction to perfumes so all perfumes are evil.

Also, fun fact, my two favorite movies are The phantom of the Opera and Bhram Stoker's Dracula. Any similarity with any scenes is purely coincidental, he he.

Chapter 15: In the darkness I will meet my creators

Summary:

Ana comes back.

Notes:

Hi, how y'all doing? So, my work life is still hectic, so I'm doing my best for the stress not put me down or make me go trought a writter's block. I hope you guys like this chapter.
This chapter is brought to you by the song Wildflower Wildfire by Lana del Rey. I know I KNOW. The song is good, come on.

Cole runs. Hanzo calls to him, but it's like he hears it underwater. His heart is beating a mile a minute. He feels out of breath. He doesn't want to be there. 

Ana is alive. 

Ana is alive!

In flesh and blood in front of him. Not a dream, a drunken hallucination.

She is alive and apparently everyone fucking knew about it except for him.

The only person that told him it wasn’t stupid to see Jack and Gabriel as his new family. That she and Phara could be that too. Who let him stay over when Gabriel and Jack were out of town and he had no other places to go to in between missions. The one that could break through his walls in ways others couldn’t, convincing him that he shouldn’t hide his struggles with the addiction, because they all cared and wanted him to be better. That they weren’t lying.

Yeah, right. He thinks.

They all cared enough to straighten him to be a good soldier, not a troublemaker anymore. But once again, as soon as he wasn’t of use anymore he was thrown away. Cole couldn’t understand why that kept happening.

He runs to the one catwalk, hidden away from everyone. One he's sure only he and two other people know of. When he gets to it, Jack is already there, seated and sulking. Somehow that angers him even more.

“Did you know it? ” He demands, almost screaming. “About Ana?” Jack turns to him, startled at first, but then relaxes a little.

“That she's alive?” He asks, deep in though.

“Yes, that's she's fuckin' alive!”

“Only recently.” He sighs, staring at the ocean, then closes his eyes and massages his eyelids. He’s probably in pain. 

“Ok, so I’m really the only one that didn’t fuckin’ knew about it.” Shaking his head, Cole feels the corner of his lips turning down. He takes one cigarillo out of his pocket, lightning it. It doesn't serve to calm him. “Good to know.”

“You know, not everything is about you, Cassidy.” He snaps at the alpha. 

“Yeah, I got that one loud n’ clear.” He takes a shaky and deep breath, turning his back to walk away. He’ll find some place else to digest the information. Or maybe to smoke until his lungs give out and he dies or something like that. 

“Stop, idiot . Come here, sit down.” Jack takes in a breath, anger leaving his body. Cole chews on his cigarillo, but relents and goes to sit down beside Jack. There is an uncomfortable silence between them, before Jack says. “You know, that's why no one tells you things, you always react this way.”

“How do you expect me to react?” He turns to Jack, nose flaring in anger. “After ten fucking years, not one message from any of y’all. Thinking half of my fam--friends has died away, the ones that stayed not even botherin’ to contact me. Then outta nowhere y’all show up, as if nothin’ happened. And I’m supposed to do what? Be fine and dandy about it?” 

“I thought you didn’t want me to talk to you.” Jack’s tone is slightly poisonous, reminding Cole of their last fight. 

It was some time after the attack. Reyes had died, Jack was hurt, eyes damaged by the explosion in the swiss headquarters, suffering from Phantom Bond Syndrome. It was so bad that in the next weeks, the older omega kept crying, telling Cole how they needed to get out of there, to go rescue Gabriel. That Talon had him. Angela had recommended him to lay down, to rest, But Jack didn’t hear her. 

He kept telling him about Moira’s experiments, of what they found in her lab. Jack didn't give details, but the mission to clean the mess was so hush hush that it couldn't be good. “She experimented on me, Cole. She’s killing Gabriel, we need to go!” He had told him. Cole had tried to reassure Jack, to make him calm down, Moira wasn’t there anymore! But he never managed to.  

The last time he saw Jack, was at Gabriel’s service. After the casket was laid down and a flag given to the omega, everyone patted Jack on the back, saying how much of a loss it was. Cole knew the man was already feeling horribly sad about it, but as everyone left, he had tried to console the man and told him that he needed to rest. 

The fight broke then, at the cemetery. It was ugly, with both of them raw and full of grief. For Overwatch, for Gabriel and Ana, lost a year before, for the countless losses. Cole doesn’t even remember how it started, but it escalated to something ugly, with words that stung like a bullet. 

“Don’t touch me.” Jack had said, once he tried to put a hand on the older omega’s shoulder. “Of course you’re not going to help me. You don’t give a shit.” Cole was surprised at the time, with the swearing, the way the omega snapped at him like he had never done before.

“Fuck you!” Cole shouted back. “You’re the one that wasn’t there for him!” He pushed Jack away, making the man stumble. “You cared more about the rules than him!”

“I wasn't there for him? I was with him from day one! ” He laughed, mean and mocking. “You have no idea what it was like trying to stop him from killing himself by breaking those rules.” The omega had sneered at him, anger palpable. “And what the hell do you know anyways? Half of the time he was cleaning your messes!”

“I was doing my job!”

“So was I!” 

“He’s dead, Jack! There is no going back from that! He's dead! Because of you and your stupid politics!” 

They looked at each other, in heavy silence. 

“I guess you don’t need to follow us like a lost puppy now, then.” He said, exhausted and turned, walking away. “You’re just some ganbanger Gabriel took under his wing out of pity. Of course you don't care.”

“Don’t fucking call me when you start crying over your stupid dead mate again!” Cole shouted, feeling angry tears gathering in his eyes as he watched the man leave. 

He regretted his words immediately after he spoke them, of course. He was hurt, but so was Jack.

He didn’t expect Jack to run away, to steal the visor and disappear. Jack was in pain, both mentally and physically. Cole should've let it go, but back then he never could. Phantom Bond sickness was no joke, it lead people to bounds of depression, anxiety, burst of anger and even, in the worst cases, suicide.

Cole honestly thought Jack was dead for a while. Sometimes he found himself lost on the roads of whatever country he was in, thinking about him and regretting. He wondered where the man he thought of as a parent before was, he even sent messages to him once. He waited for some communication via comm back, but it never came.

If it wasn't for the fact that once he saw, in his old comm, the icon of Jack Morison with a small green dot on it, indicating he was online, he'd still think he was dead. Looking at it, he saw that whoever activated it was walking around an old deactivated overwatch base. He could never forget the relief he felt, then.

“I didn’t mean what I said back then.” Cole says, quietly, feeling dread over the interaction. He regretted so much of what was said back then. “I was angry.”

“I didn’t mean it, either.” Jack blinks, then closes his eyes. “I was frustrated no one believed me.” He rests the back of his head on the railing, sighing deeply.

“Hard to believe when you have a whole service.” 

“His body wasn’t recovered.” Jack says, and Cole knows that. That’s why it took so long to pronounce Reyes dead and have his funeral. Maybe if they did it in the beginning, Jack wouldn’t be like he is now. “He’s alive, kid. And I’m getting him back.”

He lets the argument go, because he knows Jack is stubborn to a fault and he doesn’t want to make the man upset again. Not after last night. There is a moment of silence between them and Cole feels his chin wobble, out of frustration, out of anger. “Why couldn’t she tell me, though?” He croaks, tears gathering in his eyes. 

“You’ll have to ask her. What I know is that she's been hurt and has been trying to fight against Talon for a long time now.” Jack turns to him, he looks tired and still smells like the pungent sweet scent of death. Cole doesn’t understand why he can’t just take a bath. “Isn't it better that she's still alive?” Jack asks, still sullen.

“Yeah, so much better.” Cole looks down, his cigarillo has already burned almost to a stub. “Nobody fucking dies, everyone just leaves. It just means she's another person that decided fuck off to do whatever and--” I wasn’t important enough to be told about it . He thinks, but doesn’t say it. Cole massages his eyes, feeling raw. “Her death devastated us.”

“I remember.” He really does, He remembers how Ana dying was the beginning of the end. The investigation launched on her death found out the corruption on overwatch, running so deep Jack felt like he couldn’t trust anyone besides his inner circle.

Cole takes a deep breath, shaking his head. It’s cold today, he realizes. The weather has already turned and the cold wave is bringing howling winds, whistling through the rocks. 

Jack stands up then, and so does Cole.

“You should listen to what she has to say.”

“I don’t know if I want to see her now.” He frowns. Then, Jack does something he hadn’t done in god knows how long, and hugs Cole. It’s so quick, the alpha barely has time to reciprocate it before the other man is separating and walking away. He smells of Reaper. Like death. 

The memories of last night come back to him, and suddenly Cole  has forgotten all about Ana. “Are you okay, from last night? Did he do anything? Did he bite you?” He moves quickly towards Jack, stopping by his side. 

“You don’t need to worry.” He dismisses. 

“Of course I nee--” 

“No you don’t.” Jack snaps at him, angry. Cole is taken aback by it. He thought maybe they started to move back into how it was. But looking at Jack’s impassive face he knows it was just a stupid idea. He nods, swallowing down and Jack starts to walk away. 

“You need a bath.” Cole jabs at him, wrinkling his nose.

“You need a better nose.” He says, walking away. “And you, Shimada, need to be more stealthy.” He exclaims before disappearing on the curve on the stairs. Cole blinks, then a noise calls his attention. Looking behind himself, he sees Hanzo climbing the fence on the other side of the catwalk, where the omega could only have been if he climbed the rocks behind it.

“Spying on me?” Cole asks, snorting at Hanzo’s pinched face. 

“I followed your scent. You were upset.” He doesn’t look at him, ashamed that he was listening to his conversation. “By the time you two started to talk I already had climbed the fence, It would've been… Awkward to make my presence known.” He clears his throat and Cole laughs at his boyfriend’s awkwardness. Hanzo approaches him, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t be an ass.” he still has the same pinched expression as before. 

“‘M sorry.” He chuckles a little. His laugh dies down and a cold feeling blooms on his chest.

“Are you okay?” Hanzo asks, worried. Cole takes a deep breath, shaking his head. He really isn’t okay. “Come here.” Hanzo snakes his arms around his torso, bringing the alpha into a hug, a proper one that Cole could reciprocate and hide his face down in the curve of his neck. 

“I don’t understand.” He mutters against Hanzo’s neck. “I could’ve helped her.”

“I'm sure she has her reasons.” The omega says, reassuringly. But Cole can’t stop thinking if he was of use to her, she’d have contacted him. Maybe if he was less of a mess, if he followed orders more, showed he was a good asset, maybe he’d know. But then again, no one besides Genji contacted him during those ten long years. 

Hanzo pats his face, caressing his cheek, looking at him adoringly.

“Cassidy?” Fareeha asks, walking up the pathways and into the catwalk. What the hell, did everyone know about his secret place now? “Ah, there you are.”

Cole's face closes off. “What do you want?”

“Mom is looking for you. She wants to talk.” She crosses her arms, lifting her eyebrows at him. “You know, this is not the reception she hoped for.”

“Did she expect me to leap with joy?” He snaps back.

“Everyone else did.” She gestures around with her hands, as if it was obviously the right way to react. 

“Everyone else knew she was alive!” Cole flares his nose. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried, but you got all pissy about--” She looks down at Hanzo and rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “Look, I’m her daughter, Cole. If anyone has the right to be angry at her it is me. And let me tell you, I got pissed. But it passed.” She huffs, gesturing at the omega. “I think you’d understand that one.”

“Now, you don’t bring Hanzo into this.” Cole brings Hanzo flush to himself, squishing the man against his chest, protective to a fault.

“This is unnecessary.” Hanzo says, separating their bodies. Cole looks at him, pained. Hanzo huffs, taking one of the alpha's hands and kissing it, sending Cole a meaningful look, asking him to behave. 

“Listen, I'm leaving tomorrow. She just wants to see you.” Fareeha smiles, sad and tired. Everyone on overwatch seemed to have that one smile hidden away inside them. “Don't let her wait. She missed you.” 

Should have talked to me then, Cole wants to say, but doesn't. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head. “Later. I just need to calm down.” He goes to pull another cigarillo from his pocket, only to realize he’s out of them. Fuck. 

“What you need is to bone” Fareeha says, amused, trying to lift the mood.

“Don't be crass.” Hanzo says, angry. 

“I'm just saying. Maybe your mood would improve a little.” She takes her sunglasses off and sends them a pointed look, before turning her back and leaving. 

“Are all younger siblings pests?” Hanzo asks, frowning and squinting at Fareeha’s retreating back. What an impertinent alpha, he thinks. Cole chuckles and looks down at Hanzo. 

“This place is mostly unknown, you know?” He wiggles his eyebrows, joking.

“I'm not having sex in the catwalk.” Hanzo says through his teeth. Then brings Cole close by his neck, whispering. “Besides there are cameras around.”

“Not much for giving a show?” Cole chuckles as Hanzo’s cheeks get red. 

“Perhaps if it was more secluded.” Hanzo kisses his jaw, making the man shudder. If Cole knew that Hanzo would be so much of a tease he'd have said I love you from the moment he felt the sentiment bloom on his chest. He hums, looking down at his omega, deciding that maybe he should give back as much as he takes. 

“So it’s just for me?” He asks, with an easy smile on his face, approaching Hanzo and crowding him against the rock wall that held the end of the catwalk. “My perfect omega?” He whispers, nosing Hanzo’s face, making the omega immediately get red in the face and smell like slick and arousal. 

Hanzo looks at him in indignation and Cole gives him a cheeky smile, knowing how it made his omega feel to be praised and threatened like he was precious. “What?”

“If you get my bow I can get rid of the cameras.” Hanzo says, frowning, but his nose is flared and cheeks are red like tomatoes. “No one will know.” Cole can’t help but laugh at the obvious joke and at the way Hanzo looks at him amused, but pleased that his mood has increased. 

--

They walk back inside together, finding Hana and Genji seated on the mess hall floor, dangling peach pieces in the air, calling for Ako, who is seated far away from them. 

“She’s going to crawl, I swear. I got it recorded yesterday. ” Hana says. “Hey, Ako, come on!” She calls her like she's calling a dog or something. 

“I saw her doing it too.” Genji assures, nodding.

“Are you sure? She looks pretty tired.” Rein says, looking at the kid, not impressed. 

“Maybe your ugly face is scaring her.” Torb jabs at his friend, who just laughs and shakes his head. In Fact Ako wasn’t scared of the tall man anymore, and even liked being with him from time to time. 

“Or maybe y’all need to stop acting like she’s a dog?” Cole scoffs, as they approach the scene, hands on his waist. Ako turns her face to them, the voice and the smell of her caretakers calling her attention. She babbles loudly, excited, then turns and starts crawling to them, faster than either Hanzo or Cole expected. 

“Oh, lord, she’s fast.” Cole says, surprised. 

Hanzo kneels down, extremely emotional and happy that she crawled to them once they entered the room. She squeals as Hanzo takes her in his arms, kissing her cheek. Ako pats his face, babbling. 

“Yes, little Ako . These people have no idea what they are doing, huh?” He asks, and she, to everyone’s amusement, nods, showing him a smile. Hanzo then realizes a second tooth is starting to grow. 

“Hey, it worked yesterday.” Hana stands up, eating the piece of peach. Ako then turns to Cole, stretching her body and asking to be held by the alpha. Hanzo passes the baby to him, with Cole giving her a small kiss on her head. She gives a heavy sigh, then rests her head on his shoulder and starts sleeping. 

“With how fast she is, that kid has been crawling for a long time.” Jack says, eyebrows raised. Hanzo rolls his eyes, knowing it’s not true. 

“She is from a family of trained ninjas.” He says, pointed. “We were always too fast with reflexes.”

“Yes. I was scaling furniture before I could talk! ” His brother nods, proud of himself. “But I did split my head open one time when I was 8, didn't I?” Genji looks like he’s searching for a memory in the past. Hanzo is about to make a joke about it, when a voice interrupts them. 

“Morrisson!” Ana says, as she enters the kitchen. There is a wide smile on her face, she’s now wearing more casual clothes, a coat shrugged over her shoulders. Jack startles a little seeing her, but an easy smile opens in his face and he approaches her to exchange a very heartfelt hug. 

“Ana.” He releases her, patting her shoulder. “How have you been?”

“Better now.” She smiles, then scents the air. She looks at him surprised, then asks. “Is he…?” Jack shakes his head, and Ana looks at him in pain. 

Hanzo can feel his alpha tensing by his side, a smell of sadness faintly filling the air, something only he would be able to smell now. Hanzo turns to him and sees the man bringing his hat down, clearing his throat. 

“I’m going to put her down for a nap.” Cole says and Hanzo nods, squeezing his hand lightly, before letting the Alpha go. He gets away from them by using one of the other doors to the mess hall, taking the long way to the housing section of the base. Hanzo sighs, watching him go. 

“He’s in one of his moods, isn't he?” She asks. Hanzo jumps a little and looks at her, surprised at her quick and silent steps. 

“He’s quite upset.” He says, blinking. “I’m Hanzo Shimada.” He bows deeply. He feels like he should show her at least some kind of respect, differently from Jack or even Torbjorn and Reinhart, she seems like a more serious agent. But not just that. Foul mood aside, Cole always spoke highly of her. He clearly missed the woman dearly.

“You can call me Ana.” She smiles. “Genji told me a lot about you on the trip back here, Hanzo.” Ana doesn't have a mean tone to her voice, she speaks as if she's someone seeing a wound healing, like she's glad to see the progress happening. “Now tell me, is that small bean everyone keeps fretting over yours?”

“Ah, yes.” Hanzo says, realizing she’s talking about Ako. “She’s my daughter.”

“She’s adorable. And this is such a good age, right, Lindholm? All they do is play, eat, sleep.” She turns to Torbjorn, suddenly nostalgic. “Remember when Pharah was that age?”

“I don’t even remember mine when they were that age.” The small alpha says, moving to the counter to find some coffee. 

“Of course you don’t, you had eight kids.” Ana rolls her eyes. “You’ll see, when they get to their teen years is when it’s the worst. Phara was terrible, especially when she paired with Jesse--” She tsks. “with Cole.” She huffs, shaking her head. “Gave Jack and Gabriel more white hairs than any missions we had.”

“Really?” Hanzo looks from Ana to Jack, who has a sour expression on his face. The older omega grumbles something impossible to understand.

“Yes. He was barely an adult when he got here, now you can imagine what kind trouble he got in.” Ana opens a very fond smile. “The two adopted Cole right away.” She chuckles and Jack growls before taking a cup of coffee and quickly retreating from the kitchen. Ana hums a little.

“He's so grumpy now.” Ana shakes her head.

“Was he not like that before?” Hana asks from where she has seated, very curious in their conversation. 

“No. Reyes was the grumpy one.” Genji says, remembering the past. “Morrison was passionate, but more mellow with people.”

“You had to see how he mothered everyone, in his own way.” Ana puts a hand over her mouth, as if sharing a secret with Hanzo.

“Ah, yes!” Reinhardt says, laughing loudly. “Once Cassidy even called Jack “mom” and the nickname stuck.”

“That’s why the recruits called him that?” Torbjorn takes a sip out of his mug. Reinhardt nods, chuckling. “I thought it was them being bigoted.”

“Guess we can’t do that now.” Hana says, remembering how grumpy the other omega is. 

“Losing a mate is not easy, Gabriel’s loss hit them both hard.” Reinhardt says, with Torbjorn nodding along. Ana’s face pinches, and Hanzo feels his shoulders tense. 

The memory of last night comes to mind, and Hanzo feels suddenly tired. Jack smelled like Reaper, this time potent and almost strong enough to make him want to puke again. He knows Cole has felt it too and has noticed the unusual behavior. 

And then, this combined with the conversation with Jack and the countless stories told about Gabriel, makes an idea nag at the back of Hanzo’s mind.

Is Reaper Gabriel Reyes?

Suddenly, that idea worried Hanzo even more than he is now. As much as Cole pretended, he and Jack had a parent/child relationship. The few times he spoke about it, about Jack and Gabriel, he had a found smile, like he missed the time when things were easier. Hanzo thinks of how bad it will be once he realizes Reaper is Gabriel.

The chatter soon changes, with Fareeha entering the room to discuss something with Ana. Hanzo decides to take that time and walk back to his room, to see how Cole is faring. 

Getting there, he sees that Ako is already asleep, wearing her warmer onesie. His alpha is in the bed, laid down with his boots still on, hat covering his face, pretending to be asleep. Hanzo pokes his legs with his own feet, trying to make the cowboy move. 

“Boots off the bed, cowboy.” He says, not mean or chastising. But Cole takes a deep breath and kicks his boots out, without moving too much else. 

Nooooo mate is upset! Udon almost screams in his ear, dismayed. Hanzo rolls his eyes at the dragon, but still sits on the bed beside Cole, resting his back on the headboard. He offers his hand to Cole, but the alpha doesn't take it. Instead he does like he did last night, hugging Hanzo’s middle, hiding his face on the omega’s belly, much like Lúcio had done with Jack.

Somehow he feels like a child again, soon after his mother had died and Genji went to him for comfort. Hanzo didn’t know what to do then, so he cried with his brother too. 

But Cole doesn’t cry. 

He doesn’t cry when they have to get up because Ako has awakened from her nap. Or when they go to eat. At the shooting range, he even smiles and banters with Genji. He looks close to normal when Lúcio asks them for help to figure out how to protect his family again after dinner. 

Hanzo only hears Cole crying once it is late at night and he can’t really sleep. He doesn’t really know what to do first, because Cole has never hidden away his emotions like this, so he just turns and puts a hand on his shoulder, waiting. When Cole doesn’t lash out, Hanzo snakes his hands around the alpha, hugging him impossibly close. 

It’s what he wanted someone to do once, months, years ago. 

“This is what it felt like?” The cowboy asks, voice small and hoarse. Somehow Hanzo knows he’s asking about when he saw Genji again, after ten years of thinking he murdered his own brother. 

“Yes.” Hanzo says, simply because it’s the truth. 

Cole brings him close, hugging him so tight, it’s almost like he’s contorting in agony. Hanzo can only kiss his brow and caress his hair.

--

The next few days Cole kept the same dance around Ana. First he avoided any rooms that she was frequenting. When that didn't work, because they all had to train and eat, he started to frequent the places at times he knew Ana wouldn't be there. Which means they were almost the same schedule from when Hanzo got on the base, since Ana was not shy to be around people.

He also was clingier than usual. Which was somewhat a new record for the alpha, considering. It wasn't like before, trying to protect Hanzo and Ako, but it was like the man just needed them close as a way to cope, to have comfort. So Hanzo did the oh, so difficult job of having to endure the hugs and kisses. 

Hanzo however was quickly finding himself in rooms with the eldest Amari more often than not, almost like she wanted to talk to him. She traded sniper secrets with him at the training grounds, shared tea with him after dinner and better yet, traded secrets of how to care for Ako. 

Of course there was Angela, who knew the basics of pediatric care and Torbjorn, who was a father, but it was relieving to have someone that actually understood what he was going through. Ana had tips of how to care about himself, talking about stretch marks and how to avoid the nipple fissures, things he was ashamed of or though it was stupid to ask about. 

She was a delight, truthfully. But Ana had the same cunning eyes and ways of talking that Hanzo has seen on Fareeha. So he has suspicion that she is interrogating him, watching his reaction, but was just better at it than the others. At least Hanzo thought so. But it was so easy to forget that. 

Jack wasn't any better than Cole. He sulked, he grumbled, and was generally being an ass, If Hanzo is honest about it. He’s tired of it. Winston seems to be tired of it too, sending Jack and Cole once again to the city with Hana so they don’t bother anyone else.

“I have to unload the P.O. box I have here.” Hana says, as she he takes one of the mini trucks, hopping on the driver’s seat. Jack is on the back, while Cole sits beside her, on the passenger seat. “The people there are sending me messages complaining about how it’s overloading the Post office.” She rolls her eyes, sighing. “Do you have anything to get from the Base’s PO box?”

“Just the tea and the clothes I got for Ako.” Hanzo nods, looking up, watching as Cole hops up in the truck and fiddles around with his legs, trying to fit them inside it. 

“Ah, and I have to get the--” The cowboy says, but seems to catch himself and stops mid sentence, pressing his mouth in a thin line. Hanzo lifts an eyebrow, looking at him curious. “Nothing.” Cole's cheeks heat up.

“I don’t know if I want to know what you two have been ordering online.” Hana says, making a disgusted face at them. 

“Now, listen here missy, I’m very much a proper gentleman.” Cole says, fixing the hat on his head. “I ain’t buying anything nasty online.” He huffs crossing his arms.

“Whatever you say, I’m not the one asking people how to clean the internet history.” Hana starts the car.

“It was ‘cause I had cacti in my food, Jesus H Chist!” Cole says, embarrassed and Hanzo almost wants to burst into laughter, but refrains. Not as gracious, Hana doesn’t have the same restraint, laughing out loud. Hanzo can swear he hears Jack silently chuckling on the backseat too. 

The cowboy huffs turning down to Hanzo, pushing his face trought the opened window, puckering his lips. “Can I have some sugar, sugar?” Hanzo rolls his eyes, pecking his lips, quickly. Cole opens a dopey smile, and, maybe feeling lucky, says. “Love ya.” 

Hanzo purses his lips, pulling the cowboy’s hat down. He mumbles a quick “I Love you too.” before turning and walking quickly back inside, not wanting to see the other’s reactions. He hears Hana making a comment, maybe that it was cute or maybe mocking, Hanzo didn’t care much.  

When he gets back inside he sees his brother talking to Ana, Ako is his arms. He has easy body language with her, laughing at something she's saying. He goes to them, and gets Ako back into his arms. 

Ana smiles at him. “Is he still in a mood?” She inquires, easily. 

“Yes.” Hanzo nods. “Just a little.” 

“I thought he had mellowed out his temper with age.” She looks at Genji who just shrugs. 

“You know how he is.” Genji says. “Always passionate about the things that he cares about.” he looks at Hanzo and Ako and smirks that shit eating grin of his that always gives Hanzo a headache. “Have you noticed he smells mated?” 

“Genji.” Hanzo warns through his teeth, angry that his brother keeps embarrassing him in front of others. 

“I'm just saying!” He raises his hands, in surrender. “Listen, she's staying, she's bound to see you two all over each other around the base.” Genji makes a face, pushing his tongue out in disgust. Ako giggles at him. 

“I assure you that that is not true mrs. Amari!” He says, suddenly feeling like a child again, when Genji decided that a way to get back at him for being such a stick in the mud (Genji's words, not his) would be by embarrassing him. She laughs, making Hanzo’s face heat up in shame. 

“Ah, Habibi , it is so good to see you two are mending your relationship.” She puts a hand on his shoulder and one in Genji's, looking amused and nostalgic. “And you” She takes her hands away, pointing at Genji. “Wasn't any better back then.” 

“I sure was!” Genji scoffs, crossing his arms. “I wasn't banging people around the base.”

“No, you usually snuck out and found yourself in danger.” 

“I've changed my ways.” Genji puts his nose in the air, crossing his arms, just like Hanzo would at some point.

“I highly doubt it, you were a menace. There are so many stories to tell.”

“Don't you say, Mrs. Amari?” Hanzo opens a wicked smile. “You could tell me more about those amusing escapades of his?” He looks at Genji. 

“ Brother, don't you dare.” Genji says.  

“ Well, well, well, seems like I will have more material to gather to tell the good doctor.” Hanzo says simply. “Would you like some tea?” He turns to Ana, the image of a proper gentleman.

“Of course, I have a tin of wonderful lavender tea, I think you will enjoy it.” They walk side by side, and Hanzo finally feels how wonderful it is to be a pest in someone else’s life. Genji makes a fuss about it, but at the end lets them be, following Zenyatta to the training grounds.

Ana makes them her tea, and they both walk to sit outside, close to the tree Zenyatta loves so much. Ako seems interested in the colorful mug he’s using, trying to touch it, but brings her hand away when she feels how hot it is. He sits her down on a blanket, giving her the infernal rattle Genji has bought her.

They talk, Ana telling him the several adventures Genji went through as a young adult in Blackwatch. She sounds amused by it, but Hanzo can’t help but be sad. He sounded angry, taking his frustration on everything he could. 

When she inevitably tells him about Cole’s past, it's the same as Genji. Even slightly worse, with Ana mentioning how he struggled with keeping himself clean, having people use him for sex, always scruffed away because of some fight or another. This, of course, was in the start, newly recruited from Deadlock, obviously a troubled young man too. 

Hanzo then understands the gentle nature of the alpha towards him when he got recruited.

“Don’t worry, Habibi , he has obviously changed a lot.” She says, smiling, looking at his worried expression. “And he has always kept faithfull, even if his partners didn’t.”

“I don’t worry about that. I trust him.” Hanzo looks at his mug, the small amount of tea in it, already cold. 

“It is sad to see wasted potential?” She asks.

“It’s difficult to hear about it… ” Hanzo sighs, thinking about how most of the anger Genji had was his own fault. And when it came to Cole, he sounded lost and confused. It’s sad to hear how much happened to him.

Then, he notices something. 

The rattle has stopped. Looking around he realizes he has been so involved in Ana’s stories that they hadn’t realized Ako wasn't by his side anymore. “Ako?” He looks around, frantic. Standing up he sees she has crawled away right past the garden and is inside the workshop. 

He starts walking, realizing she grabbed a piece of an oil stained cloth, hanging from the short table where Torbjorn worked from. She’s pulling it with force, dragging with it several  wrenches and the open tool box full of pointy screwdrivers and tips in the direction of her soft head and Oh MY GODS Fuck fuck fuck fuck!!! 

Hanzo gasps and runs to her, panic overtaking him. He gets to her quickly, using his boots to jump closer, kneeling down violently on the ground, he scoops her up, quickly. Making the tools box fall behind them as he slides over. Ako laughs at the motion, thinking this is him playing with her again.

Sitting up, Hanzo takes in deep breaths, looking down at her. The baby is looking at him, confused, but laughing. He swallows down, feeling his eyes fill up with tears. “Don’t do that.” He tells her, dismayed, as if he might understand him. She just looks at him, smiling, as if this wasn’t the scariest moment in Hazno’s life.

With wobbly legs, he stands up, hugging her tightly. Hanzo is shaking. He walks back up the hill, Ana meets him halfway, a worried look on her face.

“Is she okay?” She asks. Hanzo nods, closing his eyes. “Here, let’s sit inside.” She pats his cheek, then grabs his arm and moves them to the mess hall. 

Hanzo sits down on the table closest to the window, Ana brings him a cup of water, sitting by his side. He looks down at his child. Her hands and knees are dirty, onesie stained with the red earth that permeated the watchpoint. Her face is stained too. Oh, god, has he eaten earth? Oh no. 

“It's hard to care for a child on a base, isn’t it?” Ana sits in front of him, looking with all the understanding in the world. 

“Yes.” Hanzo nods, again feeling like a child. He uses the hem of his shirt and wets it in the cup, cleaning Ako’s face and hands. The baby scrunches her face annoyed with the actions.

“I know how it is.” She says. “Fareeha was a small devil as a child. Once she hid herself inside the laundry room and slept there. We searched around for three hours before we found her.” She chuckles. Hanzo smiles a little, finally calming down, the adrenaline leaving his body. 

“Do You have any plans for when this is all over?” She asks, unpretentious and Hanzo is so tired of hearing that question. He had a plan, before. It wasn’t a very good one, looking back, but he had one.

But now he craves more. 

He wants to stop killing people for a living. A calm life, away from all the things that make him want to scratch his skin off of his bones. For Ako to grow up free, running around, having friends and being a child. Her only worries are about scraped knees and mean friends. Where his brother visits him without having to be about terrorists. To Talk about frugal things and cook food with Cole, watching stupid cowboy movies and melodramatic romances and read badly written books. He wants a small house, with his alpha waking up on his side and hugging him close, nosing his mating bite. 

Oh. He thinks. 

“Yes.” Hanzo says, realizing what he is thinking about. “I have.” He turns to her, a little scared about how much he wants that future.

Ana looks at him, curious, but helps him to wash the baby’s face. She walks with him to his room, helping Hanzo to change Ako from her onesie. Thankfully, she doesn’t comment on the fact all of Cole’s things are in the room too.

When Cole comes back with Hana, Hanzo almost thinks this was another supply run, if most of the packaging didn’t have Hana’s name on it. 

“These brands keep sending things as if I’m some kind of influencer.” Hana complains looking at the boxes and boxes of frivolous stuff. “But do you see any of them being from a hardware brand?” She turns to Hanzo, as if it was his fault somehow. “Nooo, Little cutesy Hana doesn’t do fixes on her Mecha! Her mechanic does.” She mocks, huffing. “I’m the mechanic!”

Cole chuckles at that, grabbing one of the colorful boxes. “There is enough moisturizer to make Torbjorn go back to his 20’s.” He comments, a smile on his face. Hanzo snorts, but helps them unload the things and to wheel it to the storage units. 

Hana separates some of the better things, saying that she’ll distribute it to the others “It’s too much just for me.” She shrugs. Hana gives them some items Hanzo hasn't used in ages, worried about his appearance but never having the money to splurge on them. After that she takes the nano cola items and the other stuff, wheeling it to her room since she’s still advertising it in her lives.

Once is all done, Cole stops him. “Here.” he hands Hanzo his tin of tea, the clothes he has bought and, surprisingly, a plushie of a longhorn cow. “For Ako.” The cowboy looks away, suddenly shy. 

Hanzo thinks it is the cutest thing someone has ever bought in his life. “Couldn’t find one that looked like the dragons and didn't cost an arm and a leg, so…” He dismisses it. Hanzo brings him into a searing loving kiss. 

When they separate, Hanzo looks at him, flushed and a little lightheaded. “It’s acceptable.” He smirks, joking. Cole snorts. 

“I’ll show you what is acceptable.” He brings the omega Close, kissing him deeply.

When they separate Hanzo looks at Cole, stroking his temple with his thumb, admiring the deep skin, the hidden freckles, the line of his nose and his lips, hidden under the beard. He was so handsome, so thoughtful. 

“What?” The cowboy asks, an easy smile on his face.

Hanzo shakes his head.

Tell him, little one. Soba says. Hanzo ponders on the idea for a second and then decides that he deserves to know. “ You're very handsome, alpha. ” 

The cowboy’s face changes from confidence to utter bashfulness. Even his ears get red. Hanzo can’t help but laugh. The man was so confident with his flirting and the swag on his step, he’d think he knows how attractive he is.

“You don’t have to say that.” He clears his throat. 

“Yes, I do.” He smiles. Seeing Cole turn his face away, smiling.

Yes, he does see a future with him, where they can rest together and Cole can look at him like this, everyday. 

Cole looks at him for a moment, then says. “You smell like Ana.”

Hanzo blinks for a moment, before answering. “She was with me today. Ako crawled to the workshop and it gave me a scare.” 

“Is she okay?”

“Yes. Ana helped me after.”

Cole looks at him and nods. He hugs the omega close. Hanzo can’t say what he is thinking, but the alpha gives a hum, deep in thought. 

--

By the end of the week, Hazno has had enough of the dancing around the base and decides to take the issue in his own hands, so to say. He asks both Jack and Ana to help him to tackle one of the few things that were left to fix at the base, the garden. Ana seemed happy to do so when Hanzo asked, Jack not so much.

“I understand why he’s mad.” Hanzo says, after some time, as he swipes away the cut leaves they have cleaned earlier. Ako is strapped on his chest, playing with a stick she had found earlier. 

“Who?” Jack asks. Ana just looks up at them, curious. 

“Cole.” He answers. 

“This again.” Jack grumbles, taking a particularly difficult weed off of the ground. 

“Let him talk.” Ana is digging holes on the ground and planting seeds of native flowers there. 

“He thinks he's been abandoned, you know?” Hanzo puts the dead leaves and plants in a dustpan, taking it to a big bag on the corner of the garden. “And I can't say he is that far from reality.”

“No one abandoned him, Shimada.” Jack says and Hanzo just knows he’s rolling his eyes. 

“Really? Spending ten years away from him without talking is not abandoning?” Hanzo looks at Jack then at Ana. They honestly look ashamed, and Hanzo thinks that it serves them right! 

“I had my reasons.” 

And Hanzo blisters at that and decides to take a leap of faith.

“Do you have reasons for not telling him about Reaper?” Hanzo asks, feeling emboldened by the whole conversation, suddenly he’s not afraid of their reactions. They can scream at him, they can curse, even hit him, but he won’t just stand by and see Cole suffering. JAck looks at him and Ana too, scrutinizing him. 

“Don't go there Shimada.” Jack snaps back, angry. “And he knows enough already.” He looks down, his new glasses shining on the dawning sun. 

“Does he know that he’s Gabriel?” Hanzo whispers angrily, staring at Jack.  

“No.” He sighs. “And he doesn't need to.” Jack looks down, pursing his lips on a thin line. 

“Hanzo.” Ana stands up, with some effort. “Please try to understand it. We have known him for a long time now. When he got here he was just a child, and we saw him grow up. This will only hurt him.” 

“That’s exactly what you two are doing now.” Hanzo tries to make them understand. “I understand the reasons why my brother has not talked to me for a decade. But is there anything as despicable, as impossible to forgive that Cole has done to any of you that you couldn't have talked to him? Does he not deserve to know about Reaper?”

There is a moment of silence. 

“You all could be a little less selfish.” Hanzo looks down, pursing his lips. He then takes the dustpan and the broom, shaking his head. “Ako needs her bath. I should go.” He says, before moving inside. He leaves them to think about what he just said. 

Ana follows him inside, entering the lounge room, and stops him with a hand on his arm. 

“I'd like for you to not butt into family issues.” She says kindly, but stern. 

“Uh-oh, time for us to go.” Torbjorn says, pushing Hana, Zenyatta and Lucio away and out of the lounge Room. 

Hanzo doesn’t pay attention to them, he’s too busy being indignant at Ana.

“I will intervene if it's hurting Cole.” He says, pulling his hand away. 

“He doesn't need your help in these matters, child. We are his family, he can come and talk to us about it at any time himself.” She says. “He doesn't need a carrier pigeon.” And that hurts more than he expects to.

He had forgotten she’s not a mother figure to him. That she, just like everyone that meets him, is testing to where they can poke him. What they can do that will show them his true self, the wounded side that will make him lash out. That will show how terrible and unworthy he is of Cole.

“Do not treat me like a child.” He snaps, flaring his nose in anger, but his voice is low, controlled. He will not lose control, especially when it comes to this. Hanzo is as much of Cole’s family as she was, the alpha said so himself. 

Ako looks at them both, confused with everything that is happening. 

“You throw tantrums like one.” She says, calm and collected. “All of this for a man you have known for a few months now.”

“I know him enough.” He snaps back.

“Do you?” She is not sarcastic, she just sounds worried, as if Hanzo is this stupid little thing that doesn’t know what he’s got himself into. “You sounded pretty surprised with all the things I’ve told you about him.”

“Of course I know him, I told you that we talk!” Hanzo grits out, without realizing he's confusing her with Fareeha. “I just--”

“Was angry? Disgusted?” She interrupts him.

“I was sad!” Hanzo exclaims, letting the truth slip out of his mouth. Ana looks at him with surprise. “He doesn’t deserve all of the bad things that happened to him!” He's angry. Angry that she would think he’d think anything of the sort.

“Do you love him?” She asks, suddenly and making Hanzo blink in confusion. Wasn't it obvious? 

“Of course.” He answers quickly, not measuring his words. 

“And you see your future with him? How do I know you won’t leave him?”

“Cole is far too good for me. He deserves much more than I can actually give, but I could never give up my alpha like that!” He says to her, indignant that she even questions his intention. “And I will intervene and I will protect my mate every time he gets hurt! Even by you or Jack or anyone!” He says, his words final and angry.

Ana is right, he does feel like a manchild, someone throwing a tantrum. But he cannot stand her thinking so little of him. It’s like Fareeha, but ten times worse, because he actually thought Ana liked him.

There is a moment of silence, where only Hanzo's deep breaths are heard in the lounge room. He expects her to lash out again, but she doesn’t. 

“Well, that really makes me glad.” She says, face relaxing with a smile. As she pats his shoulder, Hanzo can't really understand what just happened. “Welcome to the family.”

“Wha--” Hanzo is a little confused and feels himself deflate. For a second he just looks at her. And then he realizes the older woman used his own anger and frustration at her and Jack to make him admit his intentions towards Cole. He’s been tricked. Duped. Bamboozled, even.

“Now let me see my granddaughter.” She makes grabby hands at Ako, and Hanzo lets her. Because, believe it or not, he needs to sit down. So sit downs he does.

There is a noise at the door. Looking behind himself, Hanzo sees Cole entering the room, a worried expression on his face.

“Howdy. Torbjorn sent me here ‘cause of a ‘situation’.” He makes air quotes, asking more to Hanzo than Ana. “Everythin’ okay?” They both answer with a nod, Ana smiling wide and Hanzo still dazed. 

“Your mate and I are talking.” She says, patting Ako’s back. “He told me a lot of interesting things.”

Cole seems to recognize something about the situation, maybe her posture or way of talking, because his face drops from the slight frown he has to a very very worried expression. “Are you really okay?” He turns to Hanzo, frazzled. “You can tell me.”

“Yes I really am.” Hanzo reassures. His heart is beating a mile a minute, but he really is, confusion and whiplash aside.

“Of course he is.” Ana rolls his eyes. “Right, dear?” She asks Ako, who just coos.

“‘Kay.” He squints at them, still suspicious. “I'm leaving then.” He pulls the hat down and turns to walk away. 

“Now, Cole Cassidy, don’t leave just yet.” She calls before Cole can run away again, full of motherly authority. She passes Ako back to Hanzo and walks to the cowboy. Cole stops, turning to her, but his hat is still down. She tsks, shaking her head and pulls the hat off, Looking at him with an eyebrow lifted up. “Aren’t you going to say hi to me, habibi ?”

The alpha looks down at Ana, his eyes so sad, a frown to his face. “Howdy.” He croaks, almost inaudible, then swallows down a lump on his throat. 

“There you are. You have grown up so much.” She smiles at him, nostalgic. “And still smoking those nasty cigars of yours. I don’t know how your mate deals with it.” She wrinkles her nose, making a face.

“Ana, I--” Cole tries again, but he really can’t. His chin wobbles and he starts crying, bringing her close on a bone crushing hug. Ana pats his back, hugging him back. 

“It’s okay, Cole.” She reassures him.

--

After Cole managed to stop crying, Ana brings him out of the lounge room, and to the fencing, close to the cliffside. Both stand by it, hands resting on the railing, looking at the sea. 

“Didn’t have to interrogate him.” Cole sniffs looking down. 

“I had to see what kind of intentions he has towards you.” She chuckles. “If he wasn’t like the other ones.” See points at him, accusatory. 

“Jesus, Ana, it’s been ten years, I know how to pick someone to date now.” he snaps at her. An uncomfortable silence pairs in the air and Ana looks down. Neither speak for a while. “He ain’t like anyone I ever met before.” Cole says. 

Cole stays silent for a minute, pondering on the fact that this feels like before. The older woman even treats him like an inconsequential child. If he’s honest he feels like one now. But everything is different, and Ana doesn’t know that, because she chose to stay away. 

He feels a deep hole in his chest and a shiver running up his arm. 

“I Could’ve been useful to you, you know?” Cole says, pressing his lips on a thin line. “You didn’t need to keep me away.”

“You were a kid.” She says, remembering how Cole was so young when she was declared dead. 

“I was a goddamn adult.”

“No, Jesse--” 

“My name is Cole.” He says through his teeth, tears gathering on the corners of his eyes. Why can't she get that? 

Silence. Ana looks at him, full of regret and grief.

“I was ashamed, Cole.”

“Of what?” He asks, pained, confused. He doesn’t understand what in the world could make her be ashamed.

“When Amélie hit me, I was badly injured.” Ana says. “I was put in a coma for six months. When I came back, I lost part of my memories.”

“Ana…” Cole sucks in a breath, startled with the information.

“Let me tell my story, Je-- Cole.” She sighs. “I knew why I was there, that I worked for the UN, But I couldn’t remember everything. Then, when the memories started to come back I was horrified. Of the things I’ve seen and the things I’ve done.” She looks at her hands. “The blood on my hands was enough to make me sick, but when I started to remember what I put Fareeha thought… Of what we put you through.” She shakes her head, blinking away tears.

“You guys saved me.”

“Did we?” She asks, pained, looking him in the eyes. “Cole, you were 18 when we recruited you, barely an adult, killing for us. For a cause that wasn’t yours.” She looks angry now. “Then, when all fell down they used you as a scapegoat.” 

She remembers, when her memories flooded back to her, reading the information about Overwatch, trying to understand what happened. Reading about the corruption, the Blackwatch scandal, the even bigger scandal of the secret missions after they were deactivated by the UN. And the Petras act soon after.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Cole sighs, remembering the mess back then. When they stopped Blackwatch he expected to be put on the overwatch payroll, to fight beside Genji and Reyes and Jack. He wasn’t so lucky. Apparently all the good he did wasn’t enough for the UN to forgive him for his crimes. So he was back on the road. “And I was a druggie that walked with Deadlock thinking I was tough shit. If Reyes hadn’t recruited me I’d be dead.” He at least has that to thank them.

“There were better ways to help you.” She huffs, angry too. People think Reyes was the only one with a temper, but back then Ana had that silent anger about her, hidden under the easy smile and pleasant personality. “You know, Fareeha was angry when she found out too.” Ana says, releasing a deep breath. “Snarled a lot at me.” 

“I'm sorry. She learned the worst from me.” Cole fixes his hat, putting a cigarillo on his mouth. “I was a mess back then.” He tries to find his lighter, realizing it’s not with him anymore. He sighs, giving up and putting the cigarillo back in his pocket. “Sometimes I still am…”

“No, you taught her how to have fun, despite everything. She learned her worst from her uncle and people from Helix. Of all the things I regret the most, not being there for Fareeha is the biggest one.” Ana says, looking at him. 

“She has time to unlearn it.” Cole nods, looking at the garden. “If I can change, so can she. And her chances are much higher.” He sniffs. 

“Yes, I saw it, you’re all affectionate with Hanzo and Ako.” She chuckles. “Your mate is a delight. And very smart.” 

“He's really somethin’” Cole smiles, dopey, looking down, the skin around his eyes crinkling with the years of sun damage. “But, uh, he… he ain't my mate yet.” he feels himself suddenly shy and stupid with love. 

“Yet is the key word.” She takes his hand, rubbing them with her own hands. But then she takes in a breath, worried. “Fareeha tells me you two have been together for some months.”

“Yeah.”

“Don't you think it is a little fast?” 

Ah, that again. 

“Oh god, first Fareeha now you?” He shakes his head. 

“Because we are worried.” Ana says. “You always fall in love too fast.”

“That ain't true.” Cole shakes his head. “I was always with someone. But never like this. This is different. He is different.” He frowns down, not liking that no one trusted him enough to know he was in love, that Hanzo was right for him. 

“How so?” Ana sighs, exasperated. 

“It's like…” he takes his time thinking. “I don't feel lost anymore.” He doesn't feel like he's lost in the desert, that he'll end up there again, with the skull laughing down at him. “I don't have to make him want to spend time with me, to talk to me or love me. He just does. He listened to me ramble about belt buckles the other day.” He says, baffled. 

“Really?” She asks, amused.

“Yes!” He says, loud and incredulous. He takes some time, feeling a kind of scary happiness in his chest, something he couldn’t control if he wanted to. Then he looks at Ana. “Have you ever got home,” He starts. “and looked around and relaxed?” 

She hums.

“Do you think he could be your true mate?” Ana asks, suddenly serious.

“God, Ana, yes.” He admits, taking deep breaths, suddenly scared. “When he got here, no one even could smell him. He used those good masking soaps, right? But I could smell him and I knew his scent was like…” He blinks the memory away.

“Home.” She doesn’t ask, because she knows that feeling very well. She had felt it before, even if she had lost it due to the war. Cole nods, realizing she understands him.

“I knew he either was pregnant or something and it got me so worried with the fact he was even here to begin with.” Cole smiles, just for a moment, remembering the beginning. “And when I held Ako for the first time… It was like it all made sense, you get me?”

“A lot of people are not okay with raising another alpha’s pup.” She says, meaning that a lot of alphas didn’t like it. 

“Well, she ain’t another alpha’s anything.” Cole says, fidgeting with his glove. “She's Hanzo's daughter and… And if he’ll agree she’ll be mine too, one day.” The alpha feels his cheeks coloring. Ana smiles at him, overwhelmed. 

“You really turned out to be a fine young man.” She approached him, patting his face. “What a good kid you are.”

“I’m an adult.” He says, in pain for being called a child. 

“Just a kid.” She fixes his hat, smiling. Then, amused, she chuckles and says. “He’s quite beautiful, isn't he?”

“Can you believe that he wants me?” Cole laughs. “He thinks I’m handsome!” he points at himself, shaking his head.

“You are handsome.”

“That’s you being nice.”

They talk for the rest of the night, until it is late and everyone on the base is asleep. At some point, Hanzo brings them a mug of hot tea, kissing Cole's cheek, before going back inside. Cole fidgets a little and Ana, recognizing the eagerness to follow, tells him they should go back inside, they have to start the day early anyways. Cole nods and the older Omega watches, amused as he almost runs back inside, following Hanzo like a lost puppy. 

She can’t help but smile. 

--

Reaper left the conference room with a sour expression on his face. 

The next steps for Akande’s plans were laid that evening with the details of who’s and what’s and when’s. He watched the whole thing, focusing more on the next target and what he had gone through. Experiments with gravity gone wrong, his body seemingly bending the laws of physics at will. Cole would look at this and say it’s magic, Jack would joke about super powers. 

“Simple forced evolution.” Moira had said. 

But Reaper doubted that. The focus on the Shimada brothers and Cole proved that Akande was searching for that something more. Gabriel sneered when he saw that the Shimada brothers were still on the list of people that they were trying to bring to their side (and he uses the term “their side” loosely). 

It’s nothing with the brothers per say. It's just that Hanzo Shimada seemed to be a priority, more than his brother, more than Cole, more than even Jack and whoever Dr. de Kuiper was. The boy was lost for ten years, disappeared from the radar only to pop up on his brother’s death anniversary to show his respects. Any other time of the year, he was less than a ghost. 

For some time, Gabriel wondered if that wasn’t the case, if it wasn’t for Shimada’s appearance changing over time and the death of the rest of old farts who ruled the Shimada-gumi once. 

Each time that Hanzo slipped through the guards fingers, it made Akande progressively frustrated. He wondered why he still tried to leave the capturing of the boy in the Shimada-gumi’s hands, considering their ever dwindling power and capacities. 

But any search for him was always on the backburner, with the realization they couldn’t find him outside of that one day and that one location.

After Olivia found out about the rape, Akande pounced at the chance, thinking that desperation and grief could drive the boy closer to them. Their leader just didn't expect Genji to still want this brother to be by his side. 

Now, he wasn’t only away from Talon’s and Akande’s grasp, he was with Overwatch and Cole. 

He knows what it feels like to be obsessed with an omega. He is still obsessed with Jack, thinking about his mate anytime he could, bending at his will, giving in with a simple touch and a plea. But his own weakness wasn’t an issue right now, since no one knew about his escapade. Or at least he hoped so.

The issue was the fact that the mixture of Akande’s obsession with conflict and the fact he was an Alpha who clearly was attracted to the eldest Shimada was dangerous. He knows damn well it is not just because the omega could become a good weapon. It made Akande difficult to read.

At least it serves a purpose. While Akande kept his focus on Hanzo, Jack and Cole were almost forgotten, if it wasn’t for Moira’s reminder about it. 

He hated the fact the kid, Hanzo’s baby, was involved in it too. Moira seemed to almost drool at the idea of having a young “moldable” subject in her claws. Gabriel shudders at what could happen to her. 

He tries not to think of the photo Sombra showed of his kid ( not my kid, He thinks, His name is Cole Cassidy. You lost the right to call him your kid. ) together with them at the baby store and how they looked happy.

Walking towards the outside of the base, Gabriel thinks. He ponders about what Sombra had said to him, how he can’t fool Akande and Moira for longer. Deep down, he knows it’s true. 

Earlier on the month, after Moira tried another one of her experiments on him, this time weird little purple orbs that hurt like hell and made him pass out for hours, Akande had cornered him.

“I see you still haven’t managed to convince the cowboy to join us.” He looked at him unimpressed. “In fact, he has joined overwatch.” 

Reaper imagines that Akande thought he was scared of him, but he wasn’t. There are few things Reaper is scared of, threats from his so-called leader are not on that list. 

“Cassidy is moved by either money or his knot.” He said easily, watching Doomfists reactions cautiously. He knows that Akande has seen the image on that baby shop too.“He is there because of the Archer. Once he tires of him and the money dries out, he’ll come towards us.”

Of course he’s lying, his kid has a sense of justice worse than Jack’s and is smitten. But lying to Talon is easy, he’s been doing it for a long time now. ‘I am committed to the cause. I abandoned Jack. My bond is broken.’ and most of all during the years ‘I don’t know where Cole Cassidy is residing’.

“If he’s unwilling to come, maybe we should try another avenue. It’s bad enough you haven’t managed to convince Hanzo to come the last time you found him.”

Gabriel was furious at that, but managed to contain himself. Thankfully the perpetual smell of death that clings to his body hides his emotions well. Who could tell, the real way to mask your emotions and status is to just have your cells regenerate and die to an extreme degree.

When he opens the door, he walks for some time, stolling in between the trees, trying to find a quiet place in the forest that surrounds the building. It doesn’t take time to realize there is someone following him. Turning he sees that is that hard light engineer from before, the one he saw with the bots. Satya. 

The girl is looking at him with wide eyes, probably not expecting to be found out, but soon relaxes. 

“Following me?” Reaper asks, crossing his arms. The woman shakes his head at him, but doesn’t speak. It takes some time of uncomfortable silence before she opens her mouth again.

“You saw me… With the bots.”

“Worried I was going to tell on you, then?” He can’t give two fuck about it, if he’s honest. He doesn’t think Moira is “changing the status quo” by killing people with her weird experiments.

“It’s what someone loyal would do.” She says, eyes going slightly to the left of Gabriel’s masked face.

“Someone loyal wouldn't sabotage their boss's work.”

“I don’t like hurting people.” She says, remembering the fires that happened at Paraiso. The girl with her face burned by it. “Vishkar was created to help people.”

“Are you sure about that?” He wonders if this woman is that naïve. She rubs her hands, pressing her lips in a thin line. 

There is a moment of deep silence in between them, where the only sounds are the distant sorrowful cicadas and the shootings and commands from the nearby training grounds can be heard.

“I don’t know anymore.” She confesses. 

That makes Reaper look at her, trying to understand the girl. 

“You shouldn’t be here then.” The warning is more for her sake than for Talon's or Vishkar. This confused woman deserves more than to be wielded as a weapon. No one deserves to be what he is now. 

“I can’t leave.” She says. 

Somehow, Reaper understands what she means.

“I see. Maybe you should do something about it, then.” He says, moving back inside the building. For some reason, he can hear in the back of his mind, Jack’s voice telling him his heart is made out of butter.

Notes:

I hope you guys liked it!

Chapter 16: And they’ll all agree, that I’m a suffocator

Summary:

Cole is in rut. Hanzo helps.

Notes:

SO, I'm sorry this is late. I had a complicated last 15 days. While my work has finally started to slow down, there is a possibility my cat has a tumor in her chest and we are running to see what we can do for her. She's elderly, so there is the possibility there is nothing we can do about it. So I'm very sad and running around like a maniac with exams for her.
Luckilly I had most fo this written already, so I'm sorry if this has any mistakes and errors.
I hope you guys like it.

Hanzo wakes up with an unnatural feeling. First he feels the unusual lack of weight from his boyfriend, Cole Cassidy, on his chest. Second he feels the heat of the bed. Cole's side is still warm, despite the cold wind coming from the opened window. Third he feels the smell.

It’s like the apple orchard smell is ten times more potent. It’s mouth watering. Hanzo brings the pillow close to his face, burying his face on it. He hugs the sheets close to himself, in between his legs. Groaning, he pulls the blanket up and sees a big stain of what he assumes is pre-cum. Standing up, Hanzo realizes two things: Cole is not asleep in their own room. And he’s not sleeping there because his alpha is in rut. 

Hastily, Hanzo gets up, puts his support boots on and pulling the bedding off of the bed, running to the laundry room. Ako thankfully is still asleep, so he has time to put the sheets on the soft cycle in the washing machine and run back to his room to try to find his alpha. The fact he wasn't in their room nor in their bathroom already worried him, seeing that the box Cole had for his ruts is still hidden away in their last drawer made him even more worried. 

So he sends a message to Cole. 

>Cole, are you okay? I can smell you’re in rut, did you get any food or water?

It takes more than Hanzo wants to for Cole to answer him. 

< I’m in my room.

That made sense. They couldn't have ruts or heats with Ako in their room, anyways. It would be better for Cole to be in a separate room. Hanzo could visit him during the day. 

> That is fine. I’m going there right now.

There is no answer, but Hanzo stands up and goes to the room that was (still) designated to Cassidy and sees the pad locked into the biometric only readings. Now it’s too late to ask if he wants to share it with Hanzo, but he can at least care for him during it. Being alone during this time, with no one to care for you is terrible and Hanzo doesn’t want Cole to have to go through that.

“Cole?” Hanzo asks, knocking on the door. He hears a groan coming from the inside and it's definitely his alpha. “Can you open the door? I want to see if you're okay first.” He asks, not wanting to barge inside the room. He knows how uncomfortable this time can be. 

“Leave, Hanzo.” Cole sounds pained, breathless, his voice is low and growly. 

What? Why?

AAAAAHHHHH MATE HAS REJECTED US!!! Soba screams under his skin. He feels like she might be thrashing around in agony, in full tantrum mode. Hanzo ignores her in favor of reasoning with his alpha.

“Did you even get food? Or water?” He asks and Cole only growls at him. “Answer me.” he demands. There are some seconds of silence before he hears noise coming from inside that sounds a lot like a body falling down. “Cole? Are you okay?” No answer. Shit, what if he has fallen down? What if he had hit his head? “Insufferable alpha! Answer me! Did you hit your head?” He asks again, and again there is no answer. 

Open the door, little one! Udon urges him. 

DESTROY THIS DOOR!!! Soba cries out.

Hanzo ignores them and looks up. “Athena, is Cole okay inside the room?”

“Agent Cassidy has fallen from his bed and is on the floor.” The AI says, in her monotone voice. 

He knew it! Hanzo puts his hand on the reader, hoping that he is at least on the list of people that can enter in case of an emergency. The door opens just a smidge, before Cole quickly exclaims.

“Athena, stop the door!” The door stops midway. Hanzo is hit with the same smell as before, but ten times better and stronger. He hears the heavy thuds of Cole standing up.

“Are you okay? Do you have the supplies you need?” Hanzo looks inside the room and sees that Cole is up and behind the door, looking straight at him through the opening. There is enough space for the alpha to put his torso out if he wanted too.

“‘m fine, Han.” Cole says, looking at him, pupils blown impossibly wide, his eyes linger on Hanzo's lips, them down and down and down. 

“Why didn't you wake me up?” Hanzo crosses his arms, feeling a little naked under the cowboy’s stare. He shifts uncomfortably, not because of the look, but how it makes him feel. He slicks, feeling the known thrum of arousal in his gut. 

“I-uh-” Cole's nose flares. He swallows down, closing his eyes and licking his lips. “What?” 

“Why didn't you wake me?” He says more forcefully through his teeth. 

“I'm in rut.” He wheezes, then reaches with his hand and grabs Hanzo’s body, bringing the omega close to the door, resting a nose on his jaw. “God, ya smell so fuckin' good.” He uses his thumb to massage Hanzo's lips.

Hanzo takes in a stuttering breath, feeling the hand on his lips electrifying and the touch makes him shudder and whimper. Then, Cole realizes what he's doing and releases the omega like he's made out of fire, gently pushing him away. 

“Shit fuck goddammit! Hanzo, leave. I don’t want you here.”

Oh , Hanzo thinks, feeling an unpleasant chill on his body and a heavy weight on his chest. 

“I'm sorry.” Hanzo steps away. “I just wanted to know if you had food and water. I will leave.” He says, clearing his throat. The frustration and the rejection weighs his own feelings, making him irrational. He knows he’s not ready to take a knot, especially during a rut, when it will be that much more intense, restless deal, but Hanzo doesn’t even want that, he just wants to make sure Cole is okay, take care of him during the rut.

If he doesn’t want him here, he’ll leave. It just hurts like hell to be rejected like this.

“It ain't that, honey.” Cole takes a deep breath. “God, I want you here, but I don't think I can control myself if you get in. You're not ready for this and he haven't discussed a thing about sharin’--”

“If you had warned me we would have discussed it.” He interrupts the man, snapping at him. Why wouldn't Cole ask him to care for him during the rut?

“I forgot!” Cole looks embarrassed and miserable. Hanzo blinks once, before realizing what the alpha had just said. He's seen people that have irregular circles, but never someone that simply forgot about it. “I don't wanna lose control with you…”

Oh, So that’s what this is about. He reaches inside the room, pulling Cole close by his hand. 

“ My poor alpha .” Hanzo says, honestly. He thinks about the last weeks and realizes how busy everything has been for them. Cole whines, like he's been hurt. “You won't lose control, okay?” He insists, caressing the back of Cole’s hand with his thumb.  

“You don’t know that.” Cole pants, still miserable. “Don't wanna hurt you.” 

“You won't.” Hanzo reassures. He knows he won’t because he used to kick Genji Back to his room when his brother was in Rut. He knows alphas, despite still being stronger, are not irrational or violent during ruts. He can’t understand why Cole thinks that is the case. “I’m not staying if you don’t want me to, but can I at least bring you your things? You have nothing inside that room.” 

Cole looks at him reluctant, but nods. Hanzo nods reassuringly. He watches as the alpha goes back inside and closes the door. 

He then decides the plan of action and goes back to his room, gets dressed and goes to the storage rooms. There he takes a fuck ton of water and several light snacks that were shared by everyone on the base, avoiding any ones with bacon or pork taste in it. 

As he leaves he finds Lucio, walking with Reinhardt and Hana by his side. They make small talk before Lucio can’t hide his poorly concealed curiosity and asks:

“You're going through heat?” He looks down at the box, confused. “I thought nursing omegas didn't have that.”

“Cole's rut hit before expected.” Hanzo says, the small lie slipping easily from his mouth. 

“Oof, that’s harsh.” Hana makes a face. “We can take care of Ako until you're back.” She says, and Hanzo shakes his head.

“He's not sharing it with me.” He says, nonchalant, hoping it will make people drop the subject. Hanzo doesn’t realize the grave mistake he just made, by telling Lúcio and Reinhardt of all people about his predicament.

“Oh.” Hana says and Lucio hisses in air through his teeth again, making a face. 

“It's fine. We agreed that I have to care for Ako anyways.” He says, clearing his throat, trying to not show how hurt it made him feel. He tries to focus on the supplies he gathered, trying to make the feeling of rejection go away. No one says anything until Hanzo separates from them. He hears a mumble from Reinhardt, but Hanzo doesn't want to pay attention to what he said. 

Despite what people keep saying about them, Cole and Hanzo are simply too affectionate to one another. Rarely did they have time to do anything else, with Ako sleeping in their room. And when they had time alone, those things were quick handjobs and Cole fingering him, with a blowjob here and there. Things that, yes, were sex, but not SEX sex. 

His own fears did frustrate him, he wanted his alpha just as much as Cole wanted him. Especially when the chaps hugged Cole's butt so well. Sometimes his mind wanders to certain scenarios, ideas that go beyond what they have done. 

He imagines the man pushing inside him, fucking him deep and so so good, standing the alpha’s hips again, and ridding him like-- Goddamnit, he thinks shaking his head, the smell of Cole’s rut is getting to him. 

Dampening his own desires, Hanzo moves back to his room. Ako still has not awakened, so he takes Cole's rut box from the closet and opens it. It's funny, Hanzo thinks. How everyone is taught since they present to keep a box secured with things they would need for their heats or ruts, like toys and things that gave them comfort.

His own, in the past, was well hidden away from everyone at Hanamura, first when he was a kid he kept things like family's clothes for his nest and some stuffed animals that still smelled like his mother. After he turned 16, when his internal organs finally fully developed, was when he started to need things. Genji, more often than not, was the one that helped him to sneak out to buy them. He was so ashamed the first time he bought the first fake knot, but the woman at the Omega's shop was so nice to him, perhaps seeing how lost he felt.

“Remember, just because you can share the heats doesn't mean you have to. Don't let anyone get inside your room without your permission.” She had said with a cheeky wink at him. 

Hanzo shakes his head, coming back to the present and looks down at Cole's box. He doesn’t find fake omega silicone channels (like a vagina or asshole) or any other sex toys like he expected, instead he finds inside comfort items. 

There is a serape that looks like it has been worn for decades, there is a beautiful scarf that smells like Ana, a shirt smelling like Morrison and a beanie, smelling familiar too. Hanzo takes one of their duvet, a lighter one they were going to wash this weekend. There he gets the shirt he has stolen from Cole (and slept in almost every day) and Ako's hat, in hope that Cole will accept it as comfort items too.

He takes all the things and moves to Cole’s old room, knocking at the door. Cole lets him in, asking Athena to open the door. But as Hanzo enters and the door closes behind himself, he can see the cowboy is on the other side of the room, plastering himself against the wall closest to the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” Hanzo asks. 

“Stayin’ far away, where I belong.” Cole breathes out, voice still low and growly. Hanzo huffs, before asking. 

“Where do you want those?” Hanzo shows him the rut box and the food. 

“You can leave it on the ground with the food.” He takes a deep breath, but his face contorts like he just made a grave mistake. Hanzo puts the food and the box down, then he turns his back to Cole, arranging the duvet, so the alpha can have some comfort. “Please leave.” The pleading in his voice takes him by surprise and Hanzo turns. 

Cole looks pained, like the clear hardness against his boxers is hurting him. Hanzo wants to help, but he doesn’t know any other ways besides what he’s doing, not without breaking the boundaries Cole has settled. 

“You’re not going to hurt me.” Hanzo sighs and approaches Cole. He is honestly not scared. Cole has had ample opportunity to hurt him, where he was much more vulnerable and unable to get help from someone like, for instance, his very protective Alpha brother who was just a few doors down. “You’re not even touching me. It’s fine.” 

“I don’t know, sugar,” Cole says, crowding him against the wall, nosing the side of Hanzo’s face. “All I keep thinkin’ about is how right now I could fuck you so good against this wall it would make you sing like a bird.” His voice is a whisper, more growl than anything else.

Hanzo feels himself blush, but more than anything he feels the thrum of arousal pools down his gut, making him slick even more.“Oh, I-- Gods, Cole.” Hanzo hides the lower half of his face, baffled, but he giggles, like he’s a little drunk on the scent. The idea actually doesn’t seem that bad for Hanzo if he’s honest.

“I’m sorry.” The alpha puts a hand over his eyes, slouching against the other wall. Ako decides to wake up, babbling aloud, calling for them. “Please, go take care of our baby.” He says it like it pains him to send Hanzo away.

“Okay.” Hanzo turns, then looks back at Cole. “Please eat and drink something.” He walks away. As the automatic door locks in, Hanzo takes a deep breath, drinking the amazing smell that is emanating from the room before going to take care of Ako.

He doesn’t even realize that Cole has called Ako his child too. 

--

Later in the day, Hanzo feels antsy. He has done all his duties as always, had lunch and kept his mind busy with caring for Ako and training. But he can’t help but keep thinking if Cole has eaten the whole day. 

“You shouldn’t worry too much.” Genji had told him on his way to have flying lessons on the simulator with Tracer (Why would anyone let Genji of all people have lessons to drive the orca is a mystery on its own), when he brought the issue with him. “He always isolated himself like this when he had ruts, it’s normal for him.” 

Hanzo just shook his head. This is not normal. Everyone that could, had someone to care for them during heats even if they hadn’t a partner. Either a beta or someone of the same secondary gender to make sure they didn’t starve to death. Heat and Rut hotels were exactly made for that purpose, a safe place. Or at least they should be. 

By the time he’s sitting down in the lounge room, watching Ako playing on the playpen (that also mysteriously showed up two days ago) he’s beside himself. He feels rejected, stressed if Cole has eaten properly and angry with the whole situation. Angela, sitting by his side as she’s reading yet another science magazine, asks him what's going on. When he tells her, she simply answers.

“Usually pampering and heavy cuddling will take the edge off enough that they'll just start posturing.” Angela says, looking up from the page she’s reading. “It’s a myth that Alphas lose control and are ‘sex crazed’ during ruts, he’s probably just too… Aroused. I’m surprised he actually is that bad, the way you two are.”

There is a moment of awkward silence.

“Can I be frank?” Hanzo whispers. He feels uncomfortable, even if they are alone in the room, but he just needs to vent to someone. She nods, looking at him. “We haven’t done… All of it.” He cringes at the way he says it. It feels juvenile. He can’t have these conversations in public like normal. To him it’s awkward to ask about it. It always has been. And even more awkward to be speaking about it with Angela, new status of being his sister in law aside. 

“Ah, I see.” She takes her glasses off, but doesn’t seem like she truly believes him. “Are you having any pain, discomfort?”

“Yes, but not because of any injuries or him… I get… Tense.” Hanzo says, looking down, ashamed. As far as he knows, omegas were made for this. Their bodies are built for sex to be easy. But it always felt uncomfortable, with both alphas and betas moving too fast, too hard. “And alphas are just so…” He tries to end the phrase, but honestly can’t.

“Big?” Angela says, for the first time looking uncomfortable too. Hanzo nods, feeling even more uncomfortable now. He kind of hates this if he’s being honest and he hates himself for even bringing it up in the first place.

“This conversation suddenly became unbearable.” Hanzo massages the bridge of his nose. He came here to find ways to help Cole without having to cross his boundaries, but somehow it became this. Angela just chuckles, shaking her head. 

“You and Genji are so alike.” She puts the paper down. “Leave something that smells like you with him, it will help.” She then puts a hand over her mouth and her cheek reddens some. “It’s a pity, I was going to ask you for advice, but…” she dismisses the whole ordeal, looking away.

Hanzo looks at her and realizes that yes, his brother was in fact her alpha. Yikes.“Please let’s not go there.” He doesn’t want to think about either Genji or Angela doing anything at all. 

--

“You could build a fake nest for him.” Jack says to him, in the afternoon, as they are finally finishing the garden. 

Hanzo looks at him confused. Then he realizes what this is all about and that, regretfully, the whole base probably already knows about his predicaments by now, considering that Lúcio and Reinhardt are terrible gossips. “You know, alphas posture and protect during the heat, a fake nest will calm him enough.”

“He doesn't want me in the room.” Hanzo mumbles and starts to water the flowerbeds, a tired sigh leaving him. It really fucking stings for your alpha to reject you like that. 

A memory from before comes to mind. When he was 20, his father had him and Genji follow the rigorous training everyday. He was strong, of course his muscles were not as defined as an alphas, but he was stronger than he is now, for sure. He was hidden in a nook in the garden, a place behind two benches that he could hide himself in, trying to find a moment of peace, when he heard the elders commenting about him.

“ Sojiro is a fool. ” One had said. He couldn’t see who it was. “Having such a beautiful omega just to misshape him like that.”

“ The number of suitors has already gone down. ” The other said, huffing. “ A pity, we could have had pretty heirs out of him. ” 

“He hates ruts.” Jack says, taking Hanzo’s attention away from the memory. The older Omega fixes his glasses. “He grew up around Route 66, you know that.” Hanzo nods. “The towns the route passes through are infested with gangs, the worst of the worst. The rate of wild bites there is too high.”

“So he thinks he will force me into something I don't want to?” Hanzo found the whole idea stupid. Ruts and heats don’t make people attack others, their own characters did. Hanzo knows that enough. 

“Yep.” Jack starts to sweep away the dead leaves falling from the trees close to the garden. “Reyes… Gabriel tried to talk to him about it, but it didn’t work. He always isolated himself far away from the base when the ruts hit him.”

“I doubt he would use his rut as an excuse to do anything unsavory. He’s not that kind of alpha.”

“I know that.” He shrugs. “But Deadlock recruited him when he was too young. You can imagine what he saw growing up.” Jack frowns then, shaking his head. “It’s hard to take these things out of your head, even as an adult.”

Hanzo nods, knowing very well that feeling. He fights himself to challenge the clan’s and his father’s views even today. 

Cole has disclosed little about his childhood, but the things he knows about aren’t good. While Hanzo’s young years have been of solitude, repression and silent cruelty, Cole seems to have lived the opposite. A loud loneliness filled with violence, surrounded by people, but never belonging to or with them. 

Sometimes, his cowboy is so sweet that Hanzo forgets he was in a gang. Not any gang, the Deadlock Rebels have been around for decades, going back almost 50 years, dominating the dessert of the United States and imposing their own law as they saw fit. Not even the Overwatch raid years ago has made an impact on it. Last time he heard about it, the gang was as strong, and as cruel, as ever. 

He wonders what Cole has seen when he was a child.

--

And he was completely right assuming the whole base knows about it. 

Torbjorn stops him to advise Hanzo to do the same as Jack said. Since his wife is a beta, she doesn’t make a real nest, so it worked pretty well to calm him down. Hanzo doesn’t believe him, considering the man has eighth children.

Lúcio tells him to watch Cole’s favorite movie with him, eat some junk food and share scent. Maybe wear something sexy? Hanzo immediately walked out of that conversation. 

Genji, the pest, sends him an article with the title “10 best positions to help your alpha during rut” just to fuck with him and ruin his impeccable internet history. He decides then that, actually, Angela should know what happened at Club Delirium, years ago. It’s a small payback.

--

When night time hits, Ana (dragging Jack with her) pries Ako away from his arms, telling him how “The child needs time with her grandparents. Go check on your alpha.” and Hanzo decides to try the tips given by Angela and the others (very unsolicited) advice. 

He knocks on the door, carrying several of the things he’d use for his own nest. Cole lets him in, again at the far wall in the room. This time with his hand on the bathroom door, as if at any moment he could open it and lock himself in. But Hanzo doesn’t antagonize him this time. 

He just looks around, realizing Cole has barely eaten or drank anything. And for the amount of sweat in his skin, Hanzo is sure he’s in need of it. Tutting, Hanzo releases the mountain of fluffy and comfortable clothes, duvets and pillows he’d use and starts building a nest on the bed.

As he starts to mess with things, He sees on the bedside table that Cole had arranged his comfort items neatly, one beside the other, close to where his head would rest. Ako’s hats is there, along with the beanie and the other items. Hanzo’s shirt is on the pillow, covering it and he can see it was already wrinkled from Cole sleeping on it.  How cute , he thinks, going back to his task. 

“What are you doing?” The alpha asks. 

“Building my nest.” Hanzo says, after finishing rearranging the things just the way he likes it. He looks down at his fake nest, pondering. Hanzo has never done this with someone else, so he hopes that the results are acceptable for Cole. “Why, don’t you like it?”

“Is not that, I ain’t ever seen one before.” He admits. Hanzo is taken aback, and turns to Cole, confused. In the years of relationships and one night stands, Cole has never shared someone’s heat? “What?” He frowns.

“Nothing.” Hanzo says, letting the issue go. He then sits down on the bed, arms crossed. “Come sit.” He pats the bed beside him. Cole shakes his head, looking spooked. “I'm not touching you unless you want to, I just want to talk.” 

Cole closes his eyes, but gingerly starts approaching, swallowing down. He takes some time, but does sit down on Hanzo's side, back straight and tense. Hanzo feels himself relax a little, and takes a moment to start the conversation. 

“Can you protect my nest?” Hanzo asks, side eyeing Cole. 

“I-uh- yes.” Cole shakes his head, not understanding. “You don't have to be here.”

“I know, but this is still my nest. I won't be here because of Ako, so you have to protect it. Understand? ” Cole looks down at the nest and nods, eagerly. Okay, one thing down. “You may enter it too, if you want.” Hanzo sees the alpha looking down and then immediately burying himself in Hanzo's nest and his scent. He does a cocoon with all the blankets and releases a pleased rumble from inside it.

Hanzo smiles, amused at the alpha. He was so different from Genji when he was in rut. The youngest Shimada usually would eat like a maniac and pace around the castle, fighting, having to be hauled into his room and often locked away for everyone's safety. Not that any of the Omega's servants were in danger, but Genji managed to seduce anyone he wanted (alpha, beta, omega or omnic) quite easily, making Hanzo have to deal with the aftermath of it. 

Meanwhile, Cole seems to prefer isolation and to be as far away from an omega as possible, Even if it's his own. 

Oh, Hanzo realizes. 

He thinks of himself as Cole Cassidy’s omega. 

That’s something he’ll have to bury on the back of his mind for a day or two and revisit when he’s not so preoccupied. 

Hanzo clears his throat. “Can I comb your hair?” He asks, without any implications in his tone. Cole groans, needy. “Cole?”

“Yes.” He mumbles. “Please.” 

Hanzo uses his hand to comb Cole's hair back, massaging his scalp. The cowboy groans, rubbing his face in it. He lets the man do so, enjoying the sensation. 

Retreating his hand away, Hanzo goes to the food crate. He pops another water bottle open and takes a snack bar, one of the high protein ones Angela has bossed Winston around to buy for them. He takes a small piece of the snack bar and offers it to Cole. 

Angela had told him to pamper so pampering he will do.

The man sniffs the air and opens his eyes. For a moment he's taken aback by what Hanzo is doing. But he opens his mouth, letting the omega feed him, slowly chewing the food. It's far from sexy, but it makes Hanzo hum, pleased with the cowboy. Somehow that translates to Cole, who seems to preen because of it. He uses it to his advantage and makes the cowboy eat another three snack bars.

Hanzo gives him the small water bottle, making Cole sit up and drink all of it. When he finishes he opens another one and leaves it beside his comfort items. 

“Can you lay beside me?” Cole asks. Surprised, Hanzo turns to the alpha and sees him instantly regretting it. “Forget I asked.” He lays down again, covering himself and whining. “I'm gonna hurt you.”

“I have been here for 20 minutes. If you were to hurt me you would already have done so.” Hanzo argues. “I trust you.” He reaches Cole's hand, holding it close, kissing it. 

“I don't wanna be like--” like those alphas he saw so much growing up. Like the man who hurt you, like the man who beat me so much. He thinks, but he doesn’t say it, he just scrunches his face.

“You're not.” Hanzo reassures. “And your biggest flaw is that you can't see that.” How can such a sweet alpha like him think so low of himself. 

Cole nods, scooting back. Hanzo climbs the bed and lays down beside the cowboy, bringing the man to lay in between his legs and his nose to his neck. He's not afraid he'll bite, Cole would never do that without his permission. 

Caressing Cole’s back, Hanzo lets the man cling to him, strong arms holding him close. The alpha’s hands don’t wander, and Hanzo doesn’t feel the hard cock against his belly anymore. He just feels the alpha breathing in his scent, a comfortable silence between them. 

“See?” Hanzo says, stroking Cole’s cheek. 

“What if I wanna do things to you?” He mumbles against his neck, not on the side of his mating gland, but the implications are already enough. Hanzo shudders with it. What an impertinent alpha, trying to sway him into thinking he’s a bad person. 

“Cole.” Hanzo looks down at him. “You have already done “things” to me. Your head is in between my legs more often than not.” 

“Don't remind me, my boner is down if you keep sayin’ stuff like this it will come right back up.” He says, taking in a deep comforting breath out of Hanzo's neck. “Don’t wanna spook you away. Don’t wanna be like the man that hurt you.” 

Hanzo blinks, surprised. He grabs Cole's face and lifts it up, looking him in the eyes. “The alpha who attacked me wasn't in rut. He was cruel.” Hanzo says. “And you're not cruel.”

He doesn’t know what it is, But Cole looks at him like he might cry.

“I ain't a good man, Hanzo.” Cole whines, hiding his face away in his chest. And for a moment, Hanzo thinks back on what Jack has told him. The crimes Cole has told about himself. And the omega wonders how big is the weight on his shoulders.

“Of course you are.” Hanzo kisses the top of his head, trying to make the man understand he's a good person, the best Hanzo could ever ask for. “Come, on, scent me, I know you’re dying to do so.” He demands. Cole goans, but gives in and aggressively scents him. His nose and face rub against Hanzo’s neck, giving him a beard rash. The omega holds himself back, separating their groins, so the alpha doesn't feel his own hard on. 

After a while, it seems that it works, and Cole starts drifting into sleep. Hanzo sits up. “I need to get to Ako and eat dinner. I'm coming back later on, before bed, is that fine?” 

“Yes.” Cole nods, sighing. 

“Call me via comm if you need me.”

“Even if it's just to cuddle?” Cole asks from inside the cocoon, half asleep. Hanzo smiles and nods, kissing his forehead. The alpha then drifts into sleep, purring loudly, he’s probably only going to wake up by the time it is already dark. Hanzo lets his dragons manifest in their small forms, leaving them to cuddle Cole’s neck. They look too pleased to do so. 

Going back to their room, Hanzo locks himself in the bathroom and takes a shower. He masturbates, coming so hard he feels his ears ringing. He can't help himself, Cole's scent, the weight of him holding him down, is just too good for him right now.

--

The next three days pass like that, with Hanzo sharing his attention in between Cole, Ako, training and his chores. He barely had time to spend with his alpha during the day, but he thankfully started to eat and hydrate properly, so he didn’t have to worry too much. 

Hanzo only managed to stay with him at night, before sleeping. On the end of the fourth day, Cole’s rut is virtually over, simmering down to something just on the back of his head. At this point, he asks to see Ako, restless to see if the puppy is actually okay. 

So Hanzo does bring the baby to the door of Cole’s old room. Ako reaches for him as soon as she sees the alpha. The cowboy, fully clothed now, holds Ako with all the love he can. He hugs her close, purring loudly, protective of the baby.

The omega’s heart could melt out of his chest, if he’s honest. 

When it’s all over, Cole lays by his side, head resting on his chest, explaining how he has only seen Alphas using the rut as an excuse to be violent, to be assholes and abuse omegas. Bonding with them against their wills. He saw it on Deadlock, on Blackwatch and after that, alone while running from the law and being a gunslinger. 

“I don’t wanna be like them.” He grits out, nose flaring in anger.

“Did you hurt me there? Or Ako?” Hanzo asks. Cole shakes his head. “Just the fact you left the room as soon as it hit you is enough to show you’re not like them.”

“That simple, huh?” He asks, and the omega nods. Because that's the truth. A more inconsiderate alpha would have taken advantage, fucking him in the bed ass soon as the rut hit him. Stories like that float around, from mouths of saddened omegas and cocky alphas.“I’m sorry for making you feel rejected.”

“There is no need to apologize.” Hanzo reassures. “I should have been more understanding.” Cole hums against his chest. 

With that, Hanzo expects everything to go back to normal. Cole is back to his loving self, the laundry is done and Hanzo has forgotten about the feeling of rejection that hurt him badly before. Cole is more skittish about being out of the room in the next couple of days, but nothing really serious about it. So it was all really fine. 

Except everyone else thinks they are not fine.

Lúcio and Hana look at him like he’s a wounded animal, taking his usual silence and tiredness as him being sad. And Cole’s unwillingness to be out of their room as him being somehow mad (he also doesn’t understand where they got that one from). They even pull him to a movie night, making him watch some weird cartoon about something sentimental like sharing feelings. 

Ana keeps offering to care for Ako so he and Cole could “Talk it out.” as she says it. He has to assure her, time and time again, they are in fact, fine. Jack at some point even pats his shoulder, telling him to “hang in there, kid”, as if he and Cole are going through this big fight. 

And poor Cole has to deal with every goddamn alpha on the base pulling him aside to “have a talk” once he’s finally out of the room. He doesn’t know what they talk about, he just knows Cole is very grumpy after all of it. 

Zenyatta even offers himself to counsel if they ever need to, one day when they are meditating. 

“Sometimes an outsider can put things into perspective.” He says, all sunshine and rainbows. Which makes Hanzo want to hurl himself into the sun, because they already have put things into perspective.

No one seems to realize that they are actually fine. And not “Hanzo fine” as Hana calls it, but actually fine. Hanzo understood why Cole did what he did and is glad about it for both of their sakes, and Cole was glad his fears of hurting Hanzo during the rut was challenged and proven wrong. He even asked if in the next one Hanzo can care for him the same way! Which Hanzo nods, extremely pleased.

But, Still, people go on. 

“Does everyone in this goddamn base know about my rut?” Cole asks, frustrated, one morning. He’s putting his shirt on, buttoning it angrily. 

“Blame Reinhardt.” Hanzo says, putting his hair on a ponytail. “The man has no brain to mouth filter.”

“Can’t do shit around here without folks knowin’ about it.” He grumbles, grumpy. Hanzo approaches him, kissing his cheeks and his mouth, thinking how that’s actually true. 

Later, when Cole is pulled, yet again, for another talk, this time with Ana, Tracer turns to Hanzo with a suffering expression on her face.

“I swear, if you ask me about Cole’s rut I will--” He grits out through his teeth. They are seated in the mess hall after lunch, and he is trying to introduce Ako to apples. She seems to be indifferent about it, seated on her high chair, toothing the slices he has cut for her.  

“I’m not asking anything.” She lifts her hands, laughing. Hanzo takes a calming breath, relaxing his shoulders. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just. It has been stressful.” He admits, tired.  

“I’ll be honest with you, bruv, I think people here meddle too much.” She snorts. “You know, Emily didn’t want to share a heat with me for the first two years when we got together.” She lifts two fingers, then smiles. “Never saw the issue in it. I’d leave her in the heat hotel and that’d be fine.”

“I shouldn’t have told Reinhardt about it.” Hanzo massages his temples, feeling a headache forming.

“This is why I keep personal business off base.” She drums her fingers on the table, thinking. “You know, there are quarters here that are adjoined. They are closed off right now, but they are a little farther down the hall. Could have made the whole thing a lot easier.”

Hanzo hums, taking in a deep breath. “It could be a temporary solution.”

“Everything about this is temporary.” She takes a sip of her soda. “Once we stop Talon and the Null Sector we can finally rest, and you can find a good place for this cutie to grow up.” Lena pats Ako’s head. Ako looks at her and offers one of her apple slices to Lena, who accepts it.

Hanzo thinks about how they can only be safe once Moira is gone. The last mission had scared him, when he saw the woman just standing there, with an easy smile, literally on the spotlight and no one did anything to arrest her. Now, not only a citizen, but a politician of Oasis, she had a lot more leverage than before. 

Every country wanted whatever technology or scientific advancements Oasis promised years ago when the city-state was funded. All sealing deals with them for immunity of diplomats, politicians and citizens, exchange of tech and scientific discoveries, not knowing the place would become a cesspool for unethical experiments. Some countries did retreat the immunity once certain information and characters ruling Oasis came to light, but it’s still too little.  

“I just hope it can be sooner rather than later.” He says, suddenly tired. He knows that Talon has their location. His worries from when Fareeha visited surfaced again, making him distressed. 

Before he could let the thoughts fester again, Cole opens the sliding door, stomping inside. He sees that Torbjorn and Renhairdt are outside too, standing with Ana. Oh, so they all cornered him? That's not good. 

Hanzo watches as Cole marches to where he is seated. He points at Lena, saying.  “You! Take care of Ako for the next half an hour.” He says, huffing and puffing, he turns to Hanzo and pulls him off of the chair, bridal style and starts walking away. 

“Unhand me, Cole!” Hanzo pushes Cole’s face away, fidgeting around to release himself. Cole knows he hates these kinds of displays in public, what is he doing?  “Foolish alpha!”

“Play along.” Cole mumbles to him, raising his eyebrows. “I won’t! You ‘n me are gonna talk!” He says loudly, face closed in a comical frown as he walks away, spurs giggling loud on the corridors. Hanzo crosses his arms, face closed into a scowl. He looks over Cole’s shoulder, seeing Tracer looking at them, amused and waving. Ako waves too, copying the beta.

Once they are out of earshot from everyone else and on the way to the housing location, Cole puts him down. Then he released a deep breath, fixing his hat and grumbling a whole lot. 

“What is this all about?” Hanzo asks, unimpressed. 

Cole licks his teeth, then seems to blister with anger before calming down. “Y’know, I keep sayin’ we’re fine. We are fine! These folks don’t believe me!” He says, irritated, his accent getting stronger. “So, I reckon a lil’ roleplaying won’t hurt.” He shrugs. “The old macho hillbilly act always seems to work when you have a cowboy hat on.” 

Hanzo looks at him, then puts a hand over his mouth, trying to contain a chuckle. “I’m sorry, this is so stupid.” He takes a deep breath. “We are not even fighting.” 

“Yesterday, Reinhardt tried to teach me how to “take care” of an Omega.” Cole says, and Hanzo’s chuckle turns into a laugh, just imagining how uncomfortable the situation was. “Tried to show me them diagrams online.” Hanzo can’t help but laugh out loud. Cole opens a smile too, eyes soft. 

Hanzo hugs Cole close, still laughing. “My poor alpha.” He says, between laughs and tries to say he’s sorry about laughing again, but can’t. When Hanzo stops, he cleans the tears gathered on his eyes. Hanzo chuckles a little still, seeing the way Cole is looking at him, all sappy. “What?” 

“Not a single thing.” He smirks at him. “You know, we really should use the half hour we have alone for something useful.” He waggles his eyebrows, slouching on the wall. 

“I don’t follow.” Hanzo closes his eyes, turning his nose up in the air, petulant. He can’t keep a smile out of his face. Cole growls, grabbing him and lifting Hanzo up in the air again. The omega snakes his legs around the alpha’s waist. 

Going back to their room felt like they were stupid teens hiding from their parents that they were having sex, full of giggle and secrecy. He hopes no one sees them, realizing the ruse. 

As soon as the door closes Cole is onto him, cornering the omega against the wall. He doesn't lose time kissing Hanzo, exploring his mouth with  his tongue. 

“You have no idea how much I wanted you during my rut.” He whispers against his lips, a serious look on his face. Hanzo doesn’t know how to deal with the feeling of when his alpha looks at him like that, like he's a man desperate, deep desire in his eyes, making his legs wobbly. 

“Really?” Hanzo breathes out as Cole grips him harder, squeezing Hanzo’s butt, bringing their crotches flush to one another. Hanzo’s boots dig on his back, but Cole can handle it, even welcomes the slight pain of it.

“You have no idea how you look, do you?” Cole rolls his hips, the friction is delicious even clothed. The omega wants more, needs more. “Oh, the things I’d like to do with you…”

“Off.” Hanzo pulls Cole’s shirt, wishing that the cursed garment was not full of buttons. 

“Hold your horses.” The alpha separates from him a little, looking  at the omega seriously. “No bullshitting.” He says and Hanzo nods. “No belly down, no tying, no hand on the back of the neck.”

“No choking, no spitting” Hanzo takes a breath. 

“You can bite again if you wanna.” He waggles his eyebrow again and Hanzo lightly hits his shoulder.

Cole laughs, but kisses him again with gusto. He carries Hanzo to their bed, laying him on the mattress. Looking up, the omega sees that Cole is removing his plaid shirt. Hanzo is quick to take off his own t-shirt and pants, struggling when it comes to the boots. The damn thing has more difficult closures than his old ones. 

Once he gets it off, he pushes the boots away, taking his compression socks and staying only in his underwear. He watches as Cole pulls his shirt off, furry chest on display. His pupils are wide, as he looks Hanzo’s body up and down, eyes lingering on Hanzo’s chest, for a moment. Hanzo lays down, taking his hands away from his body, displaying himself for Cole. Only for him. 

The alpha’s nose flares, Hanzo is sure he hears a rumble leaving the man’s chest. The omega rubs his legs together, feeling a gush of slick wetting his underwear. Cole takes a deep breath, trying and failing to calm himself, and goes back into undressing. “Goddamn chaps.” Cole says struggling to take off his own belt. Hanzo chuckles at the display.

“Come here cowboy, let me help you.” He motions and Cole gets closer. When the cowboy stops by the bed, Hanzo sits up. His idle hands work fast, taking the belt off and opening the button of his jeans. The omega salivates seeing the outline of Cole's hard cock. 

Taking the underwear down, Hanzo lets Cole’s dick free, already half hard. He takes the member in his hand, stroking it. Cole groans using his hand to caress Hanzo’s hair. The omega licks the side of the alpha’s member, tasting the skin. He kisses the head when he gets to the top, tasting the precum.

He slides the cock into his mouth, getting used to the weight on his tongue, putting a hand on the base of the member, feeling the coarse hair there. 

The swallows down, hollowing his cheeks, bobbing his head to half of the length. Cole seems to be enjoying it, by the sounds of it.  He gets lost in the sensations, feeling Cole’s hand on his hair, the gush of slick leaving his hole, the feeling of the knot swelling under his hand.

“Oh, Jesus, hold back a little, honey.” Cole asks, an almost pained sound leaving him. Hanzo does so, cleaning the spit off of his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“Was it not good?” Hanzo asks, kissing Cole’s abdomen. He hopes this is not the case, this is one of the few things he can still find himself craving while having intimacy with Cole. 

“The opposite darling.” Cole puts his flesh hand on his jaw, turning his face up. What Hanzo sees is far from disappointment. He is taking deep breaths, a sheen of sweat on his tan skin. “I’m holding myself the best I can to not hurt you.” He inserts a finger on Hanzo’s mouth, just for a moment, just to feel the omega’s tongue.

Hanzo lets him, sucking his thumb. When Cole retreats his hands, Hanzo says. “I won’t break.” 

“Oh, I know, darlin’. I’m scared you’ll break me.” Cole climbs the bed, making HAnzo lays down with him, hovering over his omega. He looks at him like the omega is some kind of prey he wants to chase down. Hanzo pulls Cole into a kiss, his metal hand snakes under his underwear, making Hanzo jump with the cold fingers. “Easy.” The alpha chuckles in his ear. 

God, Hanzo wants Cole to fuck him so much.

Hanzo looks at his alpha. “Cole.” He calls. The alpha hums in acknowledgment. “I want to try again.” He says. “I want you inside of me.” 

Cole looks at him, startled. 

“Han, you don't need to do this just for me.” The alpha searches his face. “During the rut it was more about my issues than--”

“I know.” He kisses the alpha’s lips, just a peck, to stop him from talking. “It’s not about the rut… I want to.” Hanzo then looks down. “Not the full knotting. But I really want to try again.” He doesn't want to say how he really has been thinking about it for a while now. How he fantasized about it during the rut and before that.

Cole searches his face again, but nods. “Okay, but tell me if it hurts.” 

“I will.” Hanzo reassure and he will do it this time. He brings Cole close, kisses him, licking his lips, exploring his mouth, nails racking on his alpha’s back. He pulls one hand up, massaging Cole’s scalp, pulling the hair a little bit. Cole groans in Hanzo's mouth, separating them. 

The alpha moves his body down, kissing Hanzo’s chest. Massaging the full chest, Cole flickers the nipple there, making Hanzo moan in pleasure and agony. 

“Nggh hurts.” Hanzo says, hiding his face under his arm. 

“Sorry. Did I hurt you, darling?” Cole looks up, moving his hand away and kissing the omega’s skin. Hanzo nods and Cole moves past it, using his flesh hand kneads his thigh, moving his legs more open. 

Sitting back, Cole brings Hanzo’s leg up and over his shoulder. He trails kisses on thigh, nibbling and licking the inside of it. When he gets to his crotch, he kisses the junction in between Hanzo's hips and thighs, lapping at the skin. He sneaks his mouth down and laps at his hole, drinking his slick, hand stroking his member.

It feels amazing every time Cole does it. Hanzo's body always sings with it, making his insides burn with desire. He looks down, watches Cole's head moving and he's his hand to massage his hair again, fingers scratching his scalp.

“I can’t get enough of you.” Cole says once he separates, a thin line of slick connecting to his mouth. The first finger slips in easily and Cole massages Hanzo's walls. The omega is so aroused that it doesn't have any resistance. It doesn't take time for Cole to use the second finger or the third. “You're so wet.” Cole kisses his stomach, kissing and sucking his stretch marks. “You're so perfect Hanzo. You take me so well. God, if you could see how beautiful you are.”

Hanzo wiggles, feeling a heat on his gut and his cheeks heating up. “Please.” He whines, pulling Cole close with his legs. 

He can't believe that this alpha, this wonderful man reduces him to this, a pleading mess. A younger version of himself would look at this and curse in shame, repeating his father’s words. But Hanzo can't see how this is bad. Cole doesn't make it shameful, to feel this way, to burn when he tells Hanzo that he's good, that he's worthy of love and care. 

The alpha chuckles, and moves up, kissing Hanzo, making the omega taste himself on his tongue. When they separate he hums, kissing his neck. 

“Please what?” 

“I need you inside of me.” Hanzo demands, the idea of it makes him anxious, but also sends a thrill down his spine that makes him wonder if it will feel like the fake knot he uses on heat. If so, oh Gods.

Cole aligns them. “You with me?” he looks at Hanzo, meanfully.

“Yes.” He nods and Cole starts to slide in slowly. This time Hanzo is relaxed and only tenses for a moment before the alpha starts kissing his neck, licking his scent gland. It’s overwhelming, he had forgotten how big Cole is. The head slips in, passing the first ring of muscles easily and Hanzo shudders with the sensation, toes curling.

“Are you okay?”

“Keep going.” He moans. Cole was right on their first night together. It feels good. It feels amazing. The alpha slowly slides in all the way, breathing hard. When Cole's member is settled in, he just stands there, letting Hanzo get used to his big cock, stretching him perfectly. 

Hanzo feels so full and so so good. 

“Fuck, darling.” The alpha whispers in his ear, massaging Hanzo’s left ass cheek. “God, you feel so good. I can’t believe I found such a good omega.” Cole whispers in his ear. Hanzo moans, a gush of slick leaving his hole. He whines, needing more. 

“Move.” He demands, hugging Cole's neck, breathing hard. 

The alpha nods, kissing him slowly, sensual. Cole starts rolling his hips, holding Hanzo’s waist. The pace is agonizingly slow for Hanzo, the alpha can see that, but won’t change it until the omega asks him to. 

“Is this good?” He asks, seeing Hanzo wiggling under him, breath hard, desperate. The cock sliding in and out of him is torture, it makes his nerves fire up. He nods, feeling overwhelmed. “I need to hear words.”

“Yes! Move!” Hanzo demands, then breathlessly, he begs. “I need more. Please.” And Cole is only happy to oblige, increasing the pace. Hanzo holds Cole against him, feeling the strong back, the weight of the alpha against him, his belly rubbing against his dick.. The alpha is hitting him so good, filling him up. His body is singing, he’s almost there. 

He has never felt this kind of pleasure with a partner. It was mostly hard and fast, one night stands scattered around the last ten years, with Hanzo trying to find his way back into humanity. It felt somewhat good most of the time, but no one took care of him like this. Caressing his skin, taking time for him to actually feel pleasure. 

It is so different from when he fingered himself, when he used a fake knot. He feels so full, breath hitching with every thrust.

“Darling, I need you to breathe for me.” Cole says. Hanzo takes a moment to center himself, taking in deep breaths, not realizing he was holding it in the first place. “There you go. Are you okay?” He asks and when Hanzo says a breathy yes, he moves his flesh hand down to Hanzo's member, stroking him languidly. “You're taking me perfectly, Hanzo. My sweet omega.”

Feeling embarrassed by how the praise makes him feel, Hanzo bites Cole's shoulder hard, making the alpha buckle his hips. He gives three strong thrusts, making Hanzo moan loud with each one.

“Ah, Jesus.” Cole at him. “Do that again and this will be over real soon.” He’s breathless, and closes his eyes for a moment, trying to center himself, dick twitching inside of Hanzo. So the cowboy was being truthful about the bite. 

“I can't promise anything.” The omega breathes out, shows him a feral smile and Cole laughs, kissing him.

 “Now, you're being mean.” He mumbles against his lips, going back to the slow pace from before. Hanzo grunts impatiently, and plants his feet on the bed, trying to quicken the pace, moving his hips, but he doesn’t have the strength to do so. He's so close.

He starts to get desperate for release, whining. “Please.” He begs.

“What do you want, sugar?” Cole asks, cheeky. Hanzo shakes his head. “I don't wanna hurt you, I need to know what you need.” 

Hanzo grunts, rolling his hips, grounding against his alpha. “ Not hurt. ” Snaking his arms around Cole’s neck, he kisses his jaw, licking his scent gland, making the alpha shudder, trying to make him do something.  “Not hurt. Please please.” He begs, lips on Cole's skin, dampening it with his breath, he feels incoherent. He moves his hips at an uncoordinated pace, desperate and needy. “Please alpha, fuck me, please. I’ll be good.” It slips from his lips with ease. 

Cole releases a rumble on his chest, and his pace quickens, pounding into him. 

“God, it’s like you’re made just for me.”

“ Just you, Alpha.” Hanzo moans with every roll of hip, orgasm building. The alpha holds his waist, pushing his legs up, almost folding Hanzo in half and it hits just right. Hanzo’s legs cross over Cole’s back and he can’t control his voice moaning loudly with every thrust, feeling the knot hitting, so close to slipping inside. 

“Your moan is so pretty.” Cole whispers, looking directly at him. “You're being so good. Such a good omega.” 

Hanzo turns his face away, hiding half of it with one arm, embarrassed. His alpha kisses his cheek, taking the arms away and back around his neck. “No, Sugar, I wanna see you cumming.” 

Opening his eyes Hanzo sees Cole looking at him, with that serious look full of desire. The alpha’s hand moves from his back to pump Hanzo's member, fast and hard. It’s too much. His vision whites out, making him see stars, ears ringing. He comes holding his boyfriend in a tight hug, nails digging on his back, toes curling, clamping down at him. Cole swears on his ear, making Hanzo want to see what face he is doing.

The rush starts to die down, and Hanzo takes huge gulps of air, feeling like his body is made out of jello. The sound of blood rushing through his ears starts to dissipate and he opens his eyes. Cole is looking at him, pleased and cocky as hell, skin glistening with sweat.

“What?” Hanzo breathes out, chest heaving, arms slipping from Cole's back to rest on the bed.

“Told you I'd make you sing like a bird.” he says, breathy and a little desperate too. He starts moving again, pace frantic now. The stimulation borders on too much, but Hanzo likes it. It's not unpleasant, it doesn't hurt, he just feels good. Cole then pulls out of him, and starts to stroke himself. Hanzo uses his own hand to help him (not that he can move his hand that fast right now, he thinks his blood pressure might have dropped) bringing Cole down for a kiss.

Hanzo squeezes his knot, and Cole groans, body seizing in pleasurable agony as he comes. He watches his alpha’s face contort, dick releasing rope after rope of cum on his chest and belly. Cole moans too, not as loud as him, but he wouldn't want to share this sound to anyone else.

When it's over, Hanzo releases Cole's member, not wanting to hurt the man. The alpha lays down on top of him then rolls to the side, Hanzo can't help but pass a hand on his hairy chest, resting his head on the curve of his neck. 

“You're okay?” Cole mumbles, caressing his hair. Hanzo nods, breathing in a content sigh. “You're not hurt?” 

“I’m amazing.” He whispers, because again, is the truth. Hanzo smiles at Cole, and the Cowboy has a relieved and loving look on his face. 

Cole spends the next minutes cleaning his skin with a wet cloth, caressing his hair, kissing his face, almost worshiping him. They cuddle, enjoying each other’s touch and Hanzo almost wants to live in this feeling of satisfaction forever. When it’s time for them to go back to the real world, Hanzo almost feels like a petulant child, hugging Cole close, not wanting the man to get away from him. 

But he relents, they bathe and change, going back to their chores. If they spend the rest of the day with wide smiles on their faces and a nice glow to their skin it is no one's business.

Notes:

Cole: You see, I'll never wild bit anyone cause I'm never sharing heats or ruts with anyone. Problem solved.
Poor dude.
Also, I do believe in headcanon that Hanzo likes to give up power during sex. And I wanted to explore more of Cole’s past, but this time through Hanzo’s view.
I hope you guys liked this chapter. Again, any mistakes, please warn me.

Chapter 17: Suffocator, suffocator

Summary:

Hanzo has a good week.

Notes:

Hanzo has a good week because I'm having a horrible few weeks.
Also, there ius a jab in this for Talon's badly written reason to exist.
Like, I'm sorry, but "Conflict" is not good enough to create a villain organization.
I hope y'all like it.

“Here.” Winston tells Hanzo a few days later, handing him two codes. He is accompanying Genji for maintenance on his prosthetic limbs on the bigger lab in the base, where usually Winston worked on his projects. He’s on the far side of the room, watching as Angela and Torbjorn work together to fit pieces, check levels, and keep medication going. 

With a lump on his throat, Hanzo watches them fit the whole prosthetic legs, a full one and a half one, fitter under his left thigh. He looked at the scars on his brother’s chest, looking at the ports and synthetic pieces fit there. The left half of his torso was all scar tissue and bionic organs and synthetic skin, while the right was almost completely human.

He remembers when his dragon destroyed those parts of him.

The whole thing made his stomach turn, but Genji had asked him to come with. And Hanzo couldn’t say no. Not only because he’s at fault for it and he thinks he has to see what he has done, how difficult it is to care for Genji’s body now. But it's his little brother, and he sounded scared when he asked, as if he still needed his older brother tehre, to help him.

So Hanzo goes and he watches, unflinching, holding Genji’s hand when he needs him to. 

“What is this?” Hanzo asks, looking at it.

“Yours and agent Cassidy's access code to the new room.” The gorilla says, a fake smile on his face. 

“We didn’t ask for a new room.” He squints at the commander, confused. “Is there a problem with the ones we are using?” He has talked about it with Tracer, but he doubts the woman would just ask Winston for something like this on his behalf. He hasn’t even talked about it with Cole.

Winston takes a deep breath as massages the bridge of his nose. “It has come to my attention, by other agents, that the two of you may need more space.” He tries to be as professional as he can. “The adjoined room can be used to make a room for little Ako. And the two of you can have some… Privacy.” He swears he sees a blush rising on the gorilla’s cheeks. 

“ You and the cowboy are too noisy !” Is Genji who screams angrily at them from where he is laying. Hanzo’s cheeks get red and he turns to his brother, lips pursed in anger. 

“ Weren’t you all who wanted us to talk?” He snaps, crossing his arms, indignant. 

“I didn’t want anything!” Genji says, matter of fact. “ And what I heard wasn’t talking.”

“You didn’t hear a thing!” Hanzo scoffs. He knows he was a little loud some days ago, but he doubts the whole base heard him. 

“The whole base heard you two going at it!” Genji laughs, making Hanzo’s whole face heat up. “Ask Angela about it.”

“I will do no such thing!” Hanzo looks at his brother, then a wicked idea pops into his head. He opens a shit eating grin, and says. “I will, however, tell her about that one amazing story Ana has told me about the Sushi place in Paris and the omnic--.”

“LA LA LA LA LA ANGELA DON’T LISTEN TO HIM!” Genji turns to her, shaking his head. “He’s a liar and a deceiver!” Angela only chuckles and Torbjorn complains about him being too loud and to stop moving. 

Hanzo smiles, satisfied and turns back to Winston. “I am sorry for any inconvenience. It wasn’t mine, or Cole’s, intention.” He bows, honestly feeling bad for the other people and a deep shame seeping into his chest. “We will accept the room.”

“Thank god.” Torbjorn says. “It was either that or spend a lot of money on noise canceling headphones.” He grumbles and Hanzo wants the floor to swallow him.

--

Cole, for Hanzo’s dismay, actually laughs about the whole thing. “This is why Reinhardt can’t look at me straight in the face?” He fans himself with his hat. Ako looks at Cole laughing and starts laughing too, which only fuels Cole to laugh more. 

They are with Ako in the lounge room, helping her to play with gouache paints. That is to say they are mostly trying to avoid the splashes of paint from falling out of the plastic sheet they put on the floor as Ako finger paints the paper. 

“It’s what he gets.” Hanzo deadpans. “That will show him not to meddle.” 

“Oh god, that explains why Genji keeps lookin’ at me like he wants to kill me.” Cole laughs so much he chokes on his own spit. Hanzo has to pat his back so Cole is able to breathe properly again. Ako gets so excited about the whole thing that she cheers and pats her paint covered hands on Cole’s light washed jeans several times, leaving handprints on it. 

Hanzo immediately tenses, pulling Ako’s hands away. But the damage is done and the pants are now stained with a deep and ugly purple color. 

“I’m sorry!” He looks up. “ Fuck, Its my fault.” He brings Ako close to himself, almost shielding her away and gets one of the paper napkins close to them, blotting the jeans away. “We can save it yet! It won’t stain!” Fuck, he’s so stupid. Why didn't he pay any attention towards what Ako was doing? This was a fairly new pair of jeans too. God’s he’s so stupid, stupid, stupidstupidsutpid--

“Han.” Cole holds his hands, stopping him. With trembling fear, Hanzo looks up. What he sees is his alpha looking deeply worried at him. He’s not annoyed, not angry. Worried. “It’s okay, it’s just a pair of jeans.” 

His shoulders drop. 

“Are you not angry?” Hanzo searches his face, blinking. Just a pair of jeans? These are new, and Hanzo knows how careful Cole is with all of his things, taking time to polish his boots, neatly fold his clothes and keep his hats where they won’t crease. 

“What for?” Cole questions and Hanzo has no answer for that. So he just shakes his head. The cowboy then pulls Ako close to himself again, taking the napkins and cleaning her hands carefully. When he’s finished, Cole kisses her head and lets the girl take his hat, waving it around. 

Hanzo bites his lips. What did he think was going to happen? That Cole would yell at her? Pinch her arm painfully? He feels horrible for even thinking that, but it was also more of a reflex. A deep fear, he realizes.

When they go back into painting, and Ako is rubbing her hands all over the paper, splashing the paints round, Hanzo relaxes. Bringing the paper up, Cole nods, pretending to be impressed. 

“Now, miss Ako, I ain’t an art critic, but this?” He nods at the girl, pointing at the paper. “This is somethin’ special, alright.”

Ako giggles at Cole’s tone and comical expressions. The cowboy messes her hair and puts the paper away to dry. 

Hanzo feels a soft and relieved smile opening in his face. 

--

When they open the room later, it's dusty and smelling like mildew. They open the tinted windows, seeing that this room is closer to the cliffside, being able to look at the garden and hear the sound of the ocean better. He felt it relaxed him, his head flooding with memories of spending time on the beach with Genji. 

Soba and Udon manifest then, but don’t walk around inspecting the room, instead they lie on the window, giving deep satisfied sighs each. Hanzo realizes he never stopped to really listen to the waves crashing here. 

Looking at the room, it was very similar to the other one they had. A bed for one, an arguably bigger wardrobe, a desk. This one, however, has a small bookshelf and a door leading to the adjoined room. Opening the door, the other room is the same, but in a better situation, smelling just of dust. Ako sneezes with the smell and Hanzo decides to leave her with Genji as they clean the room.

Just the dusting of the surfaces takes longer than they expect. Each agent was supposed to care for their own room, so they clean it without the other’s help. The thought of having mildew or mold in Ako’s room or close to her is enough to move Hanzo to clean everything with harsh products. 

They swipe dust off of the floor, mop everything, clean the drawers and the wardrobe, take the mattresses, leaving them in the sun to take the smell away.

Then comes the moving in. They start with undoing the bed in Ako's new room, making space for her crib. Both take the pieces and move them to a storage room, even breaking one one the way. 

“What Winston doesn’t know can’t hurt ‘im.” Cole says, hastily taking the broken pieces and stuffing deep into a pile or broken bot parts he knows Torbjorn will not touch for at least six months.

They push the crib in, thankful that it was small enough to pass the doors. Ako’s clothes fit on one of the drawers of her wardrobe, her blankets, hats and shoes fit on another. At the end he even has space to leave the diaper packages in the wardrobe.  They bring in her stuffed cow and leave it on top of the half bookshelf. Hanzo gets some of the toys people have bought her and leaves it there, cleaning the mess around the base. 

They bring in all of their things then, but soon realize that with the bigger room, that they both actually don’t have a whole lot. Hanzo still has the same sets of gi, and few sets of casual clothes from before and his (now two) sets of boots. Cole isn’t much better, he has his clothes, his boots and hats. But even with his fancy coats and pants, his 12 string guitar and the armor he uses in the field, they don't fill the bigger wardrobe. Hanzo’s orchid looks lonely, perched on the window. 

Even Ako's new room looks… Sad. The few things she has contrast with the spartan look of the room. Hanzo feels like he wants to cry. She has no decoration, no happy colors on the walls, no rugs, there isn't a chair there so Hanzo or Cole can sit with her at night to read for her.

Looking at Cole he sees the man has the same expression as him. This sad acceptance of their situation. Huh , He thinks. Their situation. This is going on the back of his mind again with the one about him being Cole's omega and the slip when Ana interrogated him.

At night, when the room is already aired out and clean, they get Ako in the room. She looks around, finding the new room, without any familiar scent of her parents, weird and scary. She fusses and doesn't try to crawl away when Hanzo puts her down on a blanket on the floor, she just hugs the cow plushie close and motions to be held. 

Genji is the one to actually comment on how sad the room looks, when he comes to see it the next day. 

“I know.” Hanzo looks around as he caresses Ako's hair. The baby is at her crib now, seated.

“We could paint it.” His brother comments looking at the walls. “What colors would you want her room to be?” 

Hanzo shakes his head. Long ago, when he accepted he was pregnant and he was having this child and protecting her from everything bad in the world, he had thought of a nursery. At the time it seemed far away, when Hanzo stopped getting assassin jobs, living off of the few funds he had.

So he explains how he imagines something with soft blue walls and details of white flowers, like hydrangeas or daisies, with dark green leaves. Furniture in soft colors, and a plush rug to keep the room warm. Nothing too garnishing colorful, but also not dull and devoid of life and happiness. 

“Very tasteful for someone like you.” Genji nods, looking around, as if he’s trying to visualize it.

“I have an exquisite taste!” Hanzo says, baffled that Genji even implies he hasn't. 

“Your choice of partner aside, you have a pair of jeans that has a golden dragon on the butt.” Genji lifts his eyebrows, making a point. 

“They are cool jeans!” He argues back. 

“This is why you had to rebel when we were teenagers!” Genji huffs, shaking his head, obviously joking. “You're an adult, next you'll get a piercing.” 

Hanzo clicks his mouth shut, looking away. 

“Don't tell me you have one?” Genji looks too excited and scandalized at the same time. “Wait, I don't want to know if it's in a weird place!” He lifts his hand up, making  a disgusted face. 

“No, I don't have one.” Hanzo rolls his eyes, annoyed. “I was going to get one, but then I got pregnant.” 

“You have to tell me about it now!” 

“Bridge of my nose.” He clears his throat, showing where with his finger, somehow feeling childish now. After he got his ears pierced and everything went fine, he finally felt confident enough to go and do the one piercing he had wanted since he was a teen. He had also wanted an undercut, too, but now it all seemed childish.  “It was foolish.”

“No it isn't!” Genji says. “I was going to ask about the earrings, but that's normal for omegas.” He gestures at him, pointing at Hanzo’s ears. “You know I only poke fun at you because I'm your brother, right? I want you to do things that make you happy.”

“I know. It just feels…” Hanzo sighs. “Stupid to do those things now.”

“If not now, when?” Genji looks at him, urging him. “Brother, look at our lives! It's crazy and full of battles. We need to do things we want to and enjoy while we can.” He smiles. “This is why I use my fashionable clothes even if I don't need to.” He poses, flamboyant as he used to be before. Hanzo rolls his eyes.

“I don't know…” 

“Brother, please have nice things. Allow yourself that.” Genji jumps in place, excited. “After you stop nursing we will get you that piercing!” 

“I don't feel like I deserve to.” 

“Well you do. I'm telling you that you do!” Genji huffs. “Now, when are we painting this room? With everyone's help I bet we can do it in an afternoon.”

Hanzo shakes his head. “No, it's fine. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone with it. Me and Cole can do that later.” 

“Hanzo.” Genji deflates.

“This is only until we can be safe, until Talon and the null sector is over and Akande and Moira are stopped…” Either arrested or dead. Hanzo preferred the last of the options, especially with how much they seemed interested in Ako in their first and only conversation. He looks down at his daughter, sitting on her crib, playing with her plushie.

“Doesn't mean it can't be nice to live in.” Genji says. “Besides, we don't know how long that will take. Moira has been running for almost a decade, and now… Doomfist managed Talon from the inside of the jail he was in.”

“I know.” Hanzo scratches his forehead, worried. “But, Genji, what happens when she grows up and needs to go to school? Make friends?” Hanzo asks, somehow feeling emotional. Gods, he has been so emotional lately. “I can't just isolate her like our father did because I’m scared Talon will get her.”

“Well, first of all, you're nothing like our father.”

“I'm aware.” Hanzo still feels the pang of hurt when people say that, even with all the realization his father was a cruel man, it still felt belittling. It was so often used to humiliate him after an argument, a lost fight, for the elders to bend him to their will.

“Which is good since our dad was a psychopath.” Genji says, angry now. “You're aware that you are a much better parent than he ever was, right?” He scoffs when Hanzo grimaces. “You've always been.” He turns to the window, looking outside. 

“Genji.” 

“No, you know very well that you were the only one caring for me! You weren't even supposed to.” Genji frowns, picking at something on the window’s ledge. “And no one cared for you.”

“You were a child, my brother. Of course I cared for you.” He reasons. “And I didn't need any of that, I was fine.” Hanzo says, his father's voice echoing on his head. He was older. He was supposed to be an alpha. He was supposed to be able to handle the training and the beatings and the mind games. 

“You were a child too!” Genji says, distressed. Hanzo doesn't understand why. Did his brother see him as weak when they were younger? “Hanzo, he let people beat us! Torture us! Let them train us until we had our hands bleeding and broken bones! I had joint issues at sixteen because of it. And no one did anything!” 

There is a tense silence in between them. Hanzo feels his eyes sting, remembering the past. How their father made them both train like they were going to a war. Genji was so small, then, when his training started. They were trained to be perfect on the battlefield, mastering hiding pain, enduring torture, tiredness, to keep going to the maximum until the end. 

“I'm sorry I couldn't do more to stop it.” He purses his lips.  

“It wasn't your job! We were children!” Genji insists, face turning red in anger. He is tearing up, Hanzo realizes. “I don't care if our family was powerful, someone had to do something! If they cared they would have at least left and contacted someone!” He takes a deep breath. “And you know what?” His voice slips back into his angry growl from years ago, the one he always had when he started an argument with their father or even with Hanzo himself. “May Zenyatta not hear me, but I'm fucking glad you killed everyone there.” He says through his gritted teeth. 

Hanzo sharply turns to him. “Stop.” He snaps, angry now. He can't have Genji justifying what he did. “What I did was monstrous! So stop making excuses--”

“I will not! They let him and the elders do all those horrible things to us. To you!” Genji is angry now, he just doesn't scream because he knows it will startle his niece. “The suitors! Who lets a tween omega fend off suitors by himself?”

“I managed.”

“Until you didn't!” 

Silence. Hanzo’s nose flares. In anger and in disgust at himself.

“Nothing happened that day.” His teeth grind against each other. 

“Because I didn't let it happen.” Genji emphasizes. “You were in pre-heat! That creep had no business in trying to sneak his way into the same room as you!”

Hanzo turns away, angry, unable to face Genji. His face is hot with a deep flush of humiliation. He wants to scream at Genji, to tell him to stop this! Stop stirring the past, stop opening old wounds even wider, stop, stop STOP! When his mouth opens however, nothing comes out of it except a hitched breath, remembering that day. 

He had left his room to get more snacks before his heat hit him later in the day. He would have asked for a servant to do so, but they were forbidden to even acknowledge him during his heat. He went to the pantry, got his snack and on the way back saw a man, well over his 30’s, standing in front of his room. He had flowers in his hands. A suitor. 

Hanzo had swallowed down, nervous. Suitors never came visiting close to his heat, his father had strictly forbidden it for obvious reasons. But Hanzo, with all the confidence he had in his training, pulled his shoulders back, posturing like an alpha, and started walking. With a push to his shoulder and a threat he told the man to leave. When he didn't and started to flirt and touch his hand and arm, Hanzo said something rude about either his scent, his appearance or status, he doesn't remember well. 

What he does remember is that the man sniffed the air and grabbed his chin hard, asking if he was in heat. Hanzo had slapped the hand away, but the suitor didn't seem phased. He only leered over Hanzo and crowded him against the door, pushing it open, advancing on him. They fell to the ground, the suitor holding his hand with force. 

Hanzo remembers well the fear that engulfed him. He remembers that the only thing on his mind was the fact wild bites were legalized in Japan two years prior.

The kunai showed up quickly to the suitor’s neck, and Genji, who had presented just months before, threatened the man with the promise to slice his knot like it was deli meat. The man was scared off easily with the presence of an alpha, but Genji had chastised him about “unlocking his door to any alpha that showed up” before closing his door firmly and leaving.

Much later, after his heats broke and his father had beaten him as a punishment for “behaving like a whore”, he had learned that it was one of the elder’s heirs, trying to weasel his way into the main blood line. 

“I'm sorry for what I said that day, after.” Genji approaches, pulling Hanzo into a hug, just like when they were children. “I was an ass, I knew you didn’t open the door for him.” Hanzo holds him too, and can only nod, because he does forgive Genji for that. He was a teen, a stupid teen defending his brother, when his father should've been the one doing so. 

“I never thanked you for that.” Hanzo says, chin wobblings. He has never thanked Genji for his companionship, his help, his brotherly love.

“You don't need to. Family is supposed to protect each other.” He says and Hanzo can tell, by his tone of voice, that he is crying. “I never thanked you for protecting me from them.” Genji regrets not telling Hanzo how thankful he was.

Genji regrets their upbringing, his words, and what the clan eldest shaped them into. Even with all Hanzo did to protect him, they couldn’t escape and were turned into glorified child soldiers for a war they lost before it even began. Afraid of everything, angry at the world, seeing no escape for their suffering besides bad coping mechanisms that would lead them to death eventually. With Hanzo folding and breaking each day more and more, and him rebelling in worse ways, both longing for a life they couldn't have.

So he cries. 

And it's as if the years of tears unshed under the clan's thumbs finally have the opportunity to fall down. 

“You will never be like our father. And I'm glad for that. Ako will have a wonderful life.” Genji sniffs, separating from his brother. “Now, when are we painting this fucking room?” He pats Hanzo's shoulder, trying to laugh.

Hanzo smiles, wet and full of tears.

Cole is in the adjoined room, his back resting against the wall right beside the door, hoping that the brothers don't realize he's here. He doesn't want to get in and ruin the moment. It wasn't his intention to eavesdrop, after all. Like Hanzo on the catwalk, he smelled the scent of his distressed omega and came to look. Pushing himself off of the wall, he decides that he should leave, actually. Hanzo wasn’t ready to tell him those things so it's better he pretend it didn't happen. 

“You can enter too, cowboy.” Hanzo calls, voice ragged. Cole rolls his eyes, forgetting he's dealing with ninjas and that his damn spurs are on.

“Sorry about the eavesdropping.” He says, sniffing a little. He keeps his head down, not wanting to show that he has tears on his eyes too.

“Come here.” Hanzo calls extending an arm. Cole crosses the room with two strides, grabbing Hanzo close into a thigh hug, lifting him from the grounds for a second. He mumbles how sorry he is on Hanzo's shoulder, but there is nothing the cowboy can do. People that had done these things to him are at fault, and they are all dead now.

There is nothing else to be done. 

--

Winston has called them for a general meeting the next morning. Everyone attended to it, with Jack and Ana in the front with him. He has gathered everyone to update people with the information gathered on the last few months during missions. A big overview of everything. It was a more concise and faster way to do so without having to make everyone read every little report for the missions.

Hanzo kept at the back, holding Ako on his hip and Cole by his side.

Winston goes over several things. 

“As we feared, Talon and Vishkar have become allies now.” Winston says, serious. “We kept an eye on them in the last few weeks, and they keep the endorsement towards Oasis and Moira.” 

“We assume they are working together as a way to exchange information.” Morrison crosses his arms. “We also have to take care with missions we will take on Oasis, we don’t know what kind of experiments they are doing there, but if Moira is involved it cannot be good.”

“And with her as a politician now, she has immunity in several countries, so, please, don’t just shoot her, we don’t want to cause an international disaster or the fourth world war. We are independant now, but we still abide by laws of the countries that we are having the mission in.” Winston says.

Both Hanzo and Cole lift their hands at the same time. 

“Yes, I will send a list of countries where we can arrest her and send her to authorities.” Cole and Hanzo pull their hands down. “After what happened, we are relocating Agent Lúcio’s family as soon as possible to an undisclosed location.”

They show some of the diagrams Angela has drawn of the Bots used on the last attack. She shows the inside with the hard light installations and the components that were left of the weird purple orbs released by them. 

“These bots are similar to the ones used by the null sector, so we have to assume they have also officially aligned themselves with Talon.”

“I don’t get why.”  Tracer says it, frowning. “Talon has killed Mondata, and tried to kill at least another two well known omnic and monica right activists.”

“As far as we know Talon seems to be working with some philosophical purpose in mind.” Ana says then, a serious tone to her voice. “Hanzo and I have come into contact with inside info about their reasoning, even if by different methods.” She says and everyone looks at him. Hanzo wants to shrink into himself, realizing that not everyone knew about his encounter with Akande. Cole actually pulls him closer, kissing his temple, reassuring him. 

“So it is something religious, or?” Torbjorn asks. 

“Conflict.” Jack says, looking around. “Doomfist seems to have some philosophy about conflict shaping the world.”

“Well, this sounds stupid and vague.” Torbjorn says, making a face. 

“Don't I know about it.” Cole grumbles. 

“And they are recruiting.” Winston calls attention back to the front of the room. “There is at least one new big name we need to worry about.” Winston passes the slide to a new one, with a sketch of a woman, the one Cole has seen in Junkertown. “Genji helped to draw the portrait with Casiddy’s help. We assume this is Sombra.”

Hanzo startles looking at her. He knows this woman. 

“I know her.” Hanzo says, taking a step forward, eyes wide and mouth open in surprise. “This is the woman that followed me on King’s Row.”

Winston scratches his chin. “So it means Sombra has been working for them longer than we imagined.”

“Wait, wait. You mean this is THE Sombra?” Hana asks, confused and absolutely baffled. “Like. Super hacker impossible to find Sombra?”

“Yes.” 

“Didn't she leak the Vishkar information?” Brigitte asks. “Some years ago, you know?” 

“Also yes.” Winston says. “This includes the Vishkar documents we used to identify Satya and Alex.” 

“She had information about Cassidy, Hanzo and the kid.” Jack says. “We have to assume she has information about everyone. We need to be wary of what we share online and to avoid cameras when we can. Especially you, Song.”

“I don't share anything important online!” She scoffs, lying. Not because she's being deceiving, Hana honestly thinks she is not sharing anything of importance online, despite doing lives on her channel constantly.

“I’m not starting this argument again, just be careful.” Jack points at the girl. 

“Let’s all calm down.” Winston appeases them. “Sombra has worked to corner Hanzo, but also saved Jack and Cole from wastelanders in Junkertown. We assume it's because either Vishkar or Talon is interested in Jack and Cassidy too.”

They all nod, worried now. 

“We warned Efi and her family and we are taking measures to make them safe too.” Winston says. “And we are installing new security protocols in baby Ako's room. We all know Talon has shown interest in the dragons and she is the most vulnerable Shimada at the moment.” They all nod and Hanzo holds Ako closer, nervous about the whole thing.

They move on, showing the new characters they found in their missions so they could pay attention to them in the future. Including Satya, Alex, the Junker Duo and the minor people like extremist leaders and supposed members of the null sector. Winston also discusses the fact they have gathered enough funds to start independent missions, without the need of a security job to make them happen. 

He also talks about the possibility of infiltration inside Helix and the UN. But without any word from Phara’s investigations, they don't really have anything to go on.

After it's all over, Winston calls Hanzo to stay back.

“Don't worry, it's nothing bad.” Winston says, maybe recognizing how bad a request to stay back can be to someone as anxious as Hanzo. “I'm just handing you the new security protocols of Ako's room.” He calls Hanzo close. Ako gets excited, waving at the gorilla. She has become fond of him in the last few months, always jumping around when she sees him. 

The commander explains to him the protocols and what to type on the pad and asks for Athena to activate them. From the lightest one (a simple locking of the door) to the harshest one (the panic room protocol).

“...And once it's locked, Athena will send a distress signal to every agent and lock into biometric only reading.”

“I see.” Hanzo nods, patting Ako's back. “Thank you, again, Commander.” Once again he bows, thanking Winston for the thoughtful actions.

“Of course, Hanzo.” Winston smiles. “We can't have our agents in danger. And little Ako, of course. We can't have her falling into Talon's hands. Right?” He turns to the baby, who flails her hands. “We have to protect our own.”

Hanzo nods. “I’m assuming I will be put on more missions from now on, then.” He asks, looking at the commander. He honestly doesn't want to, knowing that his daughter will be more alone and he'll lose the other big steps. But everything came with a price, and all he could offer was his skills as a killer. 

“Well, I was thinking of asking you to help with the strategies. Agent Lúcio brought to my attention that I sometimes have a ‘tunnel vision’.” He makes air quotes.“ But do you want to go on more missions?” 

Hanzo looks at Winston, confused. He was never aware that he had a choice to go on more or less missions. 

“No.” He says. “If it's acceptable I'd like to stay in the mission roster the way it is now. And help you.”

“That will be fine.” Winston nods. “I suppose Cassidy will be happy with that one.” He chuckles, typing something on his computer. 

“I'll try to make him less growly around the base.”

“You do that.” Winston then dismisses him with a wave. “Ah, no wait!” He says, getting up from his chair and grabbing something from under the desk. It's a pair of baby monitors and a monkey onesie, of all things. “A gift!” He smiles, open and full of happiness. 

Hanzo looks at it and presses his lips on a thin line, trying to not smile wide. He accepts the gift and leaves.

--

The good thing about days without missions was that he could spend them close to his baby and alpha. Hanzo hadn’t realized how much work they were doing the last few months. 

Today, in particular, a cold wave seemed to hit the watchpoint with full force. The forecast shows it will be at least a few weeks of cold mornings and chilly winds. Hanzo was glad that the base had some form of insulation and that he had anticipated it, buying Ako clothes for the cold. 

She looks adorable on the socks Jack had bought her. The older omega didn’t say anything when he saw it, but he did help Hanzo by holding the baby for him while he was in the kitchen, cleaning the mess from lunch with Torbjorn. He could swear he even heard the older man talking to her (like she was an adult, not the baby talk everyone likes to use with her).

He spends part of the afternoon with Ana, caring for the garden with Bastion and Orisa. It was a chore they all took for themselves, coming to a silent understanding that it was their garden. Ana planted some herbs a few days ago, not anticipating the hard weather so soon. But she dismisses his worries, commenting on the hardiness of Rosemary and Mint.

Cole seems to enjoy the calmer days too, even accompanying him to the garden, trying to avoid Ako from eating dirt again. Hanzo watches the whole thing with a smile on his face. Cole is sitting down on the dirt, holding Ako close to himself, watching as she squeezes the soil and concentrating. He has a soft smile on his face, making the crows feet around his eyes more prominent.

He was so relieved that Cole cared for Ako so well. It wasn't his duty to do so. 

Most alphas hated the simple idea of caring for another’s child. Nothing to do with biology, humans have instincts, but there was nothing that stopped alphas from bonding with adopted pups. It was usually the simple societal idea of not carrying the “bloodline” that kept knotheads from it. 

(And look at how well it worked from the Shimadas). 

But not Cole. 

Cole was always patient with Ako, always cheering when she did something smart. Always sitting down beside Hanzo when he was playing with her. He didn’t care when she stained his shirt with dirt just now or food or the gouache paints Lúcio had bought her. Doing stupid dances just to see her laugh and lightly scolded her when she did something wrong. 

He looked relaxed. 

He looked like a proper father.

Hanzo looks away, trying not to dwell on the idea. 

Mate is not bad, little one. Soba whispers to him. 

Mate wants to be family. Udon reassures. 

And Hanzo knows that, he really does. He had said so himself, they are family. But, first of all, Cole is not his mate. And being his boyfriend and being a father for his daughter are two different things. Self consciousness and anxiety eats at him.

Mate wants TO BE FAMILYYYY!!! Soba insists, whining like a child. But Hanzo ignores her. Looking up, he sees Ana staring at him with a knowing look. He feels his cheeks reddening remembering how he just blurted out his inner thoughts to her. 

Ana was a scary woman. 

When night comes and after they finish dinner, Cole pulls Hanzo to watch some silly badly made horror movie with him in the lounge room. He holds a sleeping Ako in his arms and Hanzo huddles together with him, enjoying the warmth of his partner.

Usually the agents on the base rarely had time to spend together, each one having their own jobs to care for, either inside or outside of the base. Today, however, as the movie starts, people slowly gather around. 

First it’s Genji, promptly sitting beside them and spoiling the movie to Hanzo, like the pest he is. Lúcio joins too, commenting on how he needs to watch something to clear his head. Then Hana joins him, sitting on the same beanbag as Lúcio. Torbjorn enters the room with Brigitte (who promptly sits down on a chair with a wide smile on her face) and starts to watch it standing up, saying he’ll leave in a moment, hands folded behind his back.

Soon everyone stopped to watch it too, some jumping in place with the bad jumpscares and some laughing about it. Angela clings to Genji’s side, but more out of clinginess than fear. Ana, the weirdo she is, laughs the whole time, commenting about how movies used to be better at capturing ‘true gore’. Hanzo swears that he sees a sheen of nervous sweat on Jack’s face, even if the older omega hides his jumps well, every time a jumscare comes up. 

Thankfully the movie is not so loud that it wakes Ako, but Hanzo has to keep reminding Reinhardt and Lúcio to be quiet and to stop interrupting the movie with their giggles and comments.

When the movie ends, with the clichê virgin omega surviving the horrors to see another day, Hana stretches, commenting how they should do this more times. 

“And next time with some popcorn!” Lúcio says, excited. “Listen, I know how to make one with condensed milk and, ah, merda, qual o nome mesmo? ” He snaps his fingers. “Powdered milk! You guys will love it.” He stands up Reinhardt nods, excited with the idea of bonding time with the team. Hanzo agrees and turns to Cole, but looking at his alpha, Hanzo sees that he’s just as asleep as Ako. 

He takes it as a signal to go to sleep, so that’s what he does, waking Cole up. They walk in a comfortable silence. In Ako's room, Hanzo puts her down on the crib and lets the door close with a soft click, new baby monitor on the side of her crib. She’s tired of the full day she just had.

He slips into bed with Cole, resting his head on the alpha's shoulder. They look at one another after some time, with the alpha commenting. “You know, there is time for funny business now.” He caresses Hanzo's arm, fingers tracing the tattoo. Hanzo hums, looking up at him with a smirk. 

Cole shifts his body, rolling over Hanzo, kissing him, exploring his mouth eagerly. The omega pulls a leg up and around his alpha's hip.

The newfound freedom of having a room for themselves sounds thrilling. The room made it feel real now. His presence on the base, his and Cole’s relationship, his friendships with the other agents. Genji and him are brothers again, despíte the small fights. But not only that, the room made it possible for Hanzo and Cole to explore their sex lives more frequently. The archer was honestly excited about it and wanted to make sure to enjoy as much as they could. 

However, despite all of the new excitement, they soon fall asleep mid kiss.

--

Hanzo wakes up with a serene calm washing over him. Cole has a hand on his waist, holding him close. The alpha's head rests on his chest and his boner against his thing. The omega opens his eyes and stretches, with a happy sigh he checks the time. It's early, but not as early as they usually wake up. He thinks about going to sleep again, but there is no use. Soon Ako will wake up anyway. 

He turns to the bedside table, seeing that the baby monitor is still silent. He realizes then that they can, in fact, have morning sex now if they want to.

Pleased with the idea, he turns and holds Cole close, massaging his scalp and kissing his forehead. The alpha groans, mumbling a good morning. He kisses Hanzo’s chest, slightly rubbing his hardness against his thigh. The omega smiles and looks out of the window, wanting to enjoy the morning sun shining on his face. 

That's when he sees Zenyatta looking inside their room through the opened window. “Greetings.” He says. Hanzo scares so badly he literally jumps off the bed, falling down. Cole gets dragged with him, half of his body falling too, legs still tangled on the bedsheets. “We have come to paint baby Ako’s room.”

“What in Jesus name…?” Cole grumbles, trying to stand up, but not managing to do so. He falls out of the bed entirely. “Gawd--dang it.” He sits up, looking around, still sleepy and confused, eyes closed.

“Good morning, Cassidy.” Zenyatta greets, and Hanzo swears he sees a smile on the omnic’s face. Hanzo sighs, laying on the ground, contemplating his life. He hears the omnic turning away and shouting back. “They are awake, already.”

Cole sighs, as they hear Genji shouting something to the omnic. 

“Maybe letting my brother paint the room wasn't a good idea.” Hanzo says. Remembering how his brother was always a menace when doing something he was excited about. “Help me up.” he asks, extending an arm. 

Cole stands up, and walks to Hanzo. He puts a hand under his knees and on his back, lifting him bridal style. Hanzo makes a startled noise, holding Cole's neck. 

“Cole!” Hanzo snarls. 

“This is much easier.” He says, sighing. He walks back to bed, gently resting Hanzo seated on it. The archer pulls his crutches and goes to the bathroom to start his morning routine. Cole promptly lays down again, face first, sleeping.

Genji, to Hanzo's dismay, opens the door that leads to Ako's room, and looks at them. 

“Come on! Let's wake up! Everyone is already waiting!” He exclaims. 

Cole makes a rude motion with his arm from the bed, and Hanzo pokes his head from the bathroom, still brushing his teeth. He spits the foam on his mouth in the sink and looks back at Genji. His brother is wearing a painter's overalls (that Hanzo has no idea where it came from) and is carrying a tin of the exact blue paint Hanzo wanted for Ako’s room. 

He wonders if Winston showed his search history to Genji just to make the ninja shut up and stop bothering him. He hopes not. There is no explanation for why he has so many romance books bookmarked on his shopping list.

“How did you get in?” He asks, using a towel to dry his face. 

“I used the emergency code, now please get this baby out of here so we can paint her room!” Genji jumps in place, from one foot to the other, buzzing with energy. Hanzo sighs, pulling Cole up. The cowboy grumbles but does get up, walking to the bathroom. The omega pulls his boots on and dresses himself, moving inside Ako’s room. The baby is waking up, whining with the noise of his brother bothering her. 

“Come on, bruv, let them wake up properly at least.” Lena says from outside of the room. She's also wearing a painter’s overalls too, as is Brigitte, Zenyatta, Hana and Lúcio. 

“Did you wake everyone early just to paint her room?” Hanzo turns to Genji as he takes Ako and starts to change her.

“Yes.” His brother nods. “It will teach discipline.” He says, crossing his arms.  

“We were all already awake.” Hana scoffs.

“That doesn’t matter, you two get out of this room, take this baby away and we can get to painting!”

“What are y’all talking about?” Cole enters the room, already dressed (albeit in mismatching clothes), but still sleepy. 

“By the iris, just leave!” Genji barely waits until Hanzo puts Ako in warm clothing before he's dragging them out of the room. “Don't come back until I send you a message.” He says, before going back inside.

Lúcio and Hana enter the room, Shaking their heads and giving Hanzo an apologetic look. Brigitte just snorts a laugh.

“At least the bloke is excited.” Lena shrugs, smiling, then zipping into the room. 

--

Cole and Hanzo have their breakfast, finishing it quickly. Today, like the other calm days, they have no meetings and no missions. They try to come back and help with the painting, but everytime they try to enter the room, Genji stops them, even threatening to stain Hanzo's (very cool) jeans with white paint. So they take some of the agent's chores, as a thank you for what they are doing. 

“You know, we should buy her some things.” Cole comments, as they are checking the food inventory. They leave Ako close by, sleeping in her stroller. She was tired after trying the incredible new taste of tomatoes during lunch.

“I know.” Hanzo sighs, resting a head on the shelf.

“A nice nursing chair and that rug you want.” Cole smiles, a dreamy look on his face. 

“She needs more toys too.” Hanzo remembers the amount of things given to him. Still it's not enough. “And clothes and shoes.” 

“She already outgrew everythin’ huh?” 

“Most of it. Thankfully I bought her winter clothes recently.” Hanzo thinks about the amount of money he'll have to spend on her clothes in the next few months, with her rapidly growing up.

He had money to spend, Winston made sure that everyone had a, let’s say symbolic, salary, knowing people didn’t just put their lives at risk for the sake of justice only. Not only that, the gorilla knew that they had to have saved money for when this was all over. No one at the base had the illusion that this was a long term thing, fearing the authorities raining on them at any point.

Again he can't help but think about the comments made about him not being able to care for Ako by himself. “Do you think…” Hanzo starts, but stops himself, blinking. He needs to stop blurting out everything he’s thinking to Cole.

“What is it?” Cole turns to him as he punches the number of rice packages on the data pad. 

“No, it's nothing.” Hanzo shakes his head. “Or rather, is idiotic.” He starts counting the bags of dry grains they have, making notes on his comm as he goes. 

“Well, ain't no stupid questions, as they say.”

“Do you think it was a mistake for me to… have Ako?” Hanzo immediately regrets asking the question. During the first days he found out he was pregnant he had contemplated terminating the pregnancy. He was well within his rights to do so, and even with the insistence of the Clan and his carefully chosen teachers, Hanzo's views of abortions was far from the old alpha's in his family. But in the end, he couldn't do it. He wanted his daughter, he wanted a family. Almost desperately so. 

“Look at that, we found a stupid question.” Cole turns to him, disbelieving what he just said. “Now, why would I think that?”

“I told you it was idiotic.” Hanzo sighs, resting his forehead on the shelf in front of him, closing his eyes. 

“Someone told you something stupid again, hmm?” Cole says, an angry frown distorting his face.  

“Not recently... But it's not just that. I don’t regret having her.” Hanzo has no desire to think of what ifs, but his head cannot agree with him, making his thoughts linger, fester in his mind. “Sometimes it just feels like maybe Ako would be better off…” without me. He finishes it in his head. 

“Don’t go there, sugar.” Cole strokes his cheeks, just for a moment. “It does you no good to let this kind of thought fester.”

“Efi left the base.” Hanzo says. “Here, all of this, is too dangerous for kids. With the weapons and the cliffside and Talon--”

“It's dangerous for you two out there! Where talon or your folks can get you two.” Cole points at one of the windows of the storage room.  “Coming here might have saved you from a worse situation. If half of what Genji told me is true, then… ” he shakes his head. 

“Yes.” Hanzo reminds himself of the threats of Talon, of how his clan was weakened, but still alive. The memories of his childhood make a chill run up his arm, but soon is gone, forgotten until another day. He doesn’t want to think about Moira and Akande and their plans for Ako. “But maybe I was selfish. What kind of life could I give her by myself?”

“The best you could've.” Cole sighs, putting a hand on his hip. “The way you are, you probably had a plan already in that smart head of yours.”

“Of course I did, don't be foolish.” He always tries to plan ahead, his anxiety over the future taking over him. “It's just, looking at it now, it doesn’t seem that everything I had planned was enough. I wouldn't have enough.” 

“Like?” 

“Like money and time. I was utterly alone, Cole. My aunt would have me only until I found a house, if she didn’t kick me out before that.” Hanzo sighs. “Like I said. I don’t have the money from my clan anymore. I would have to leave her to find work or some place I could--” He starts to feel frazzled, irritated, a lump forming on his throat. The feeling from weeks ago making it itself known. 

“Han.” Cole holds his hand, the touch bringing him back to reality. Hanzo looks at him, the emotions of the last months finally surfacing.

“Torbjorn is right.” He says, voice rough and feeling completely defeated. “I can't take care of her on my own.” Sniffing, he feels like a failure. A fraud.

Cole looks at him, then chews on his lip. “You heard that too, huh?” he looks at the supplies, sighing.

“Yes.” He nods. “And the countless other times people have commented about it.” He swallows down, feeling his eyes sting. “I know I'm… flawed. But I’d never--” He closes his eyes hard. “I’d never do anything to hurt her.”

“I know that.” Cole reassures. “And you know, you should tell people to fuck off, from time to time.” The alpha says, easily and Hanzo scoffs at him. “Second, everyone needs help raising a baby. That shit ain’t easy.”

“That is not true.” Hanzo rests his head on Cole’s shoulder. 

“Believe me, I know how hard it is to take care of babies. Needing help doesn’t mean people think you’re a bad parent.” Cole shrugs and Hanzo nods, even if he doesn’t really believe in it now. “Sometimes I think about these things too, you know?” 

“Really?” 

“Yep. And it scares the hell outta me. Sometimes I look at you and her and think about how it will be once this whole thing is over. Fuck, Honey, It honestly made me think about robbing a bank again.”

Hanzo chuckles at the man.  

“And all the money you receive you spend on her, somehow. Yer always buying toys, books and socks. You'd probably spend it on her clothes then use it to feed yourself.”

“It's not like it's much.”

“It never was, honey. We didn't make much money back then either.” He looks at Hanzo. “Listen. Torbjorn is the most hypocrite on this base, he had eight, E-I-G-H-T, children and kept them around the base all the fucking time.” Cole even remembers people calling all of  of the kids Torbjorn 01 to 08, because nobody fucking knew who was who. “If there is anyone who should worry about you two is me.” Cole stops what he’s doing, turning to Hanzo, releasing the omega and resting his elbow on the empty space on the shelf. “There are better options out there, as everyone keeps reminding me.” He huffs. “Folks here think I’m squeezing pennies from a sock or somethin’.”

“I told you you don’t need to play a role with me.” 

“I don’t know, everyone keeps giving things for Ako, I feel like I should be doing more than  just a stuffed cow.” He pouts and Hanzo finds it so endearing. Such a hard worn man, ex-criminal, ex-black ops, pouting over gifts.

Hanzo takes Cole's face in his hands. “I haven't lived in “high cotton” as you say, for a long time, nor I want to.” He brings Cole's face closer. Kissing his cheek, then his mouth. “The others give us things that are either handmade or because they do have work outside of this whole operation.” He reassures Cole, stroking the cowboy’s cheek with his thumb. 

“Still, I told you I was serious about you.” He turns his face, looking at a particular spot on a bag of flour. “We can’t just stay here forever. She’ll need a bigger room once she gets older…” He pokes at a hole in the bag, picking at it. Hanzo lets the implication of what the man said wash over him. Then turns his head quickly he wonders how he didn't pull a muscle. Did he hear it right? 

“I-- we-- I mean--” Hanzo stutters, being caught off guard. Was the Alpha being serious? Did he want the same as Hanzo? 

“‘M sorry, forget I said anything.” The cowboy turns away, clearing his throat. 

“No, I won't.” Hanzo says, swallowing down the lump that has been on his throat for weeks. He tries to make the cowboy turn to him, pulling his shoulder, but it’s useless, so he maneuvers around him and stands right in front of Cole, taking his hat off and holding it in his hand. “Cole Cassidy, talk to me.”

Cole doesn't look up, instead he takes several deep breaths, shaking his head. “I’m always moving too fast, ain’t I?” He presses his lips on a thin line, eyes still not looking at Hanzo.

“Do you want that? With me of all people?” Hanzo asks, feeling his hands and arms tingle with how rushed his heart is beating. He wants to burst into flames, to have his body thrown into the sun. He can't deal with all these emotions at the same time.

“‘Course.” Cole finally looks at Hanzo, face pinched in worry. His voice is small. “Do you? With me, after you two are safe?”

What a stupid Cowboy. Would he want to live with him? Live with an Alpha that didn't treat him like the disgrace he was? That loved him despite the monster he is? A place for his pup to grow that is not filled with weapons and violence like Hanamura was?

“I did say we are family.” Hanzo lets it slip out of his mouth, looking at Cole with wide eyes. 

“I know, but you know what I mean.” Cole says. “Just, to be more than this.”

“I do.” Hanzo nods. “We are technically already living together.” 

“It's the base.”

“You had your own room before.” They look at each other, realizing that, yes that’s technically true. “I've moved you in actually.” Hanzo feels himself flush deeply, remembering his stunt. Genji had made fun of him for days for that. 

“The room was bursting out from all the shit in it, wasn't it?” Cole says, remembering the mess in their room when he entered it after he was AWOL. The clothes everywhere, his good boots thrown on the corner close to the other footwear, his second hat on the desk. The room looked like a bomb exploded in it. 

“That’s because you have too many chaps.” Hanzo jokes. 

“I’ll throw some away.” Cole says it back. 

“Don’t you dare.” 

A moment of silence. They look at each other, then Hanzo chuckles at the awkwardness of the situation. 

“We are so damn awkward.” Cole chuckles too, then uses his new hand to massage the bridge of his nose. 

“I think Lúcio would call us, how did he say it?”.

“ Emocionados.” Cole repeats, remembering how Lúcio complained about their whole thing. 

“ Yes.” Hanzo cleanses the laugh tears in his eyes. He pulls Cole by his neck, holding the man close. He feels his alpha’s hand sneaking under his shirt, bringing Hanzo flush to him. “You know I don’t need fancy things, don’t you?”

“So I don’t need to rob a bank to buy you one of those mansions?” Cole teases. 

“We could rent one.” Hanzo deadpans, and Cole snorts a laugh. “And you know, you do give me gifts.” 

“Really?” 

“The baking.” Hanzo says. “I was always fond of homemade pastries.”

“Learned it just for you.” Cole mutters. 

“I knew it.” Hanzo laughs, patting his head. “You know, people here are wrong. I don't think there is anyone better than you.” Hanzo whispers. The Alpha takes his hat back and uses it to hide his face away from him. “ My dear alpha.”   He pulls Cole closer. 

“Stop.” Cole says from under his hat, voice muffled, but embarrassed. Hanzo holds a smile, getting close to his ear and whispering. 

“My alpha.” 

“You’re mean.” He whines.

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it.” Hanzo smiles, satisfied. It was so endearing to see how the alpha got flushed with something so simple as this.

That’s when Ako decides to wake up with a small yawn. They break apart, with Cole moving to the kid, bringing her up in his arms. 

Later, when Genji calls them back, Hanzo is in awe with the room. It was like he had imagined. The soft, grayish blue, the small flowers on the walls and dark green leaves around it. 

Genji looks at him with a wide smile, part of his armor and face stained with paint. The other agents around him are happy with the end result too, Hana even pats her own back, saying she deserves a round of applause for the good work. 

“Hey, I painted the flowers! You just painted the wall blue!” Genji complains, pointing at the small details scattered around one of the walls. He was always the one with the artistic vein for painting, to the elder’s displeasure.

“And I painted it super well!” She argues. Lucio comments on how at least the walls are not streaky anymore. Zenyatta agrees, even if he was the one that had to even out the color.

Hanzo side hugs his brother, feeling emotional about the whole thing. The latex paint has already dried to the touch and it will be at least another day so Ako can actually sleep inside the room, but Hanzo doesn't care about that. They'll put the crib temporarily in their room until then. 

“I don't know how we can repay it.” Hanzo says, turning to them.

“You don't need to, love.” Tracer smiles at them.

“Now, don't be like this, at least let me cook something for y'all.” Cole insists.

“Well, since you offered it.” Genji says, and Hanzo scoffs at his fake sheepishness. 

With the promise of cupcakes (and to get whatever Zenyatta wishes in exchange), Hanzo looks around again and a sense of calm washes over him. Ako rests her face on his shoulder, babbling something to him. She’s looking around the room, in awe with the colors and the flowers. 

For the first time in a long time, he thinks he made the right choice.

Notes:

So, I'm sorry this is so late. My cat has a lymphoma. It's big and in it's late stages. She's dying. I'm super sad about it, since I have her for more than ten years now. So with the vet visits and the paleative care I have less time than I wished to to write and edit this.
Again, if you find any errors or anything that read weirdly please warn me, because I'll fix it.

Chapter 18: Oh, love

Summary:

There is something in the desert

Notes:

You know, This chapter kicked my ass, just like October did. Again, sorry about the delay, but there is so much happening right now that is almost ridiculous.
So, first fo all I have beef with the Deadlock Lore on the game. I like that Ashe runs it, I just hate that they made it from a serious and huge gang taht comes from decades ago to this small thing where five people start it and steal train and banks. It alçmost feels liek they didn't want to actually commit to a rought past for Cassidy. So... There is that;
Also, I'm not super known in the whole southern of the united states thing, but the game is in the future where there is a train going trough it because of how violent route 66 is, so I hope that what I wrote is like, far removed enough that I don't offend anyone (which is never my intention).

This Chapter is brought to you by Far from any road by the handsome family. The song has that flavor of southern Gothic that makes my brain go BRRRRRRRRRRR.

The car is broken.  

Of course the car would overheat and break, because cars like these are made to hover in cities, where people can park them in the shade to have the delicate motors cool down. They are not made to take the overbearing heat of the New Mexico desert. 

When Winston gave them money to get a car for the mission, it wasn't enough to get a newer model. Maybe it was because the commander realized the value of money, having to care for the finances of the base so often. Hanzo thinks it’s retribution from when he and Cassidy used the money on the four star hotel. But that was fine. Really. The problem is that the car is a relic. Something that should’ve been in a junkyard years ago.

“Come on, sugar, this thing is sturdy.” Cassidy had said, hitting the hood of the car with a smile when they rented it.

“Yes, brother, you shouldn't worry that much.” Genji assured him.

Hanzo wants to strangle Cassidy and his brother.

The commander had received a warning from Athena. The AI managed to intercept communications between military bases about increasing the security of “Subject Sigma” due to a Talon attack. Winston described to them that the subject was highly protected and possibly a weapon of some sort, so they couldn’t let Talon get their hands on it.

The location of the base was, officially, undisclosed, but Winston managed to find it anyways (Hanzo is sure the words “leaked”, “insider intel” and “government satellite” were in his explanation. But if officially asked, Hanzo doesn't know english) and uploaded the coordinations to their comms. 

So they traced the path, which had a stretch of it that passed through route 66. He watched Cole grimacing in displeasure looking at it. The alpha grumbled he didn't like the idea and Hanzo assured him that, It would be for a relatively small amount of time, with them soon leaving it and going off-road. Better yet, they would be far away from Arizona and the Deadlock Gorge, he’d be safe from the Deadlock gang.

“Is not what I’m worried about.” He had said. 

He understood Cole’s reluctance. The 66 was closed decades ago, due to the violence of the gangs roaming around it. Or at least in the southern states where the route passed through. How it got to that point it’s too complicated, even for Hanzo to understand. He tried to in the past, when he started to study how most of the gangs came to be and where they originated. 

There was something about armed conflict, destruction of the government, a void in power and the reluctance of armed forces to step in. Small towns and villages started to form around the highway. People that didn’t have anywhere else to go, that became impoverished after all of it, huddled together, trying to survive.

After the omnic crisis, the violence and crime all just got worse and when the government decided to step in, it was far too late. Deadlock and the other gangs became stronger than ever. They ruled the shops, the small family farms that supplied the towns with food, even the water and electricity was in their hands. They killed anyone that didn’t abide by their rules or joined in their never ending war.

The new west, people called it. 

“It’s just a nice name so people don’t know how awful it all is.” Cole told him, once he finished reading the briefing. According to Cole and Jack, the government always promised to deal with the ‘issue’, but It never worked. 

Now, Officially, if you had to cross the country, you had to use the hastily built train system. It didn’t mean that people didn’t use the highway to travel, still. People without any money and thrill chasers used it all the time.

The road trip started well, taking the big stretches of road with an animated energy, leaving one of the big towns away from the 66. Everything away from it seemed to grow and prosper.

“Of course they do, Sugar.” Cole said, stepping into the car. “Y’think the leader of Deadlock lives in a dusty shit hole in the middle of the desert?” As Hanzo seated beside him, he realized Cole was right. He himself lived in a castle in the past, after all. 

First one to drive was Genji (because no one listens to Hanzo), who was promptly forbidden to drive after fifteen minutes of absolute chaos and reckless driving. Then Ana took his place, making the trip way more pleasant.

But, of course the car would break in the middle of road 66, stranding them on their way to a mission. And the issue wasn’t just that the car was broken, but the fact that the Orca couldn’t fly over the New Mexico skies, due to being a “foreigner aircraft without the right permit”. Hanzo thinks they could just make a forgery, but apparently it wasn’t that simple. 

Stupid United stated and stupid state to state law. 

So now, cranky and bored, Hanzo wonders if the entirety of the south of the United States is always this hot. Or maybe the car is too hot (it is a tin can after all). Ana and Cassidy are on the front, hood of the car open, looking at the motor, both with a puzzled expression on their faces. He doesn't know what they think they can do, they don't have any tools to fix the stupid car. 

Looking outside of the window, Hanzo watches the New Mexican desert, almost endless, disappearing on the horizon. The underbrush, the mountains and the megafarm, far away, are the only things that spot the landscape.

“We could walk to the next town.” Genji says, rather loudly, from his spot lying down on the backseat. “We could get a tow truck.”

“There’s nothin’ around here, Genji.” Cole grumbles. 

“You grew up around here, right, Habibi ?” Ana asks . “Don't you know any towns close by?” Ana says, looking ahead of them. 

Cole grumbles something, closing the hood with too much force. Hanzo almost flinches with it.

“Don't want y'all in these places.” He and Ana go back inside the car. “‘Specially Hanzo and Ana.” He closes the door with too much force too, now making Hanzo flinch. 

“Get out of your mood.” Ana says, entering the car too, shooing Genji up and to the other side of the backseat. She closes the door with much less force. 

“We can take care of ourselves.” Hanzo crosses his arms, looking at the man. 

“Y’all never been here.” Cole huffs, trying to start the car again. “It’s too dangerous for Omegas.”

“May I remind you that Mrs Amari is the most skilled sniper on the planet.” Hanzo turns to Cole, annoyed now. “And I’m a trained ninja with spirit dragons.” Hanzo deadpans and to demonstrate his point the dragons materialize on the car. Soba, the infuriating thing, decides to march her way into Cole’s lap and snuggles against his stomach. 

“Believe me, around here it ain't enough.” Cole scratches Soba’s head, listening to the dragon purr in pleasure. He sighs as the car definitely doesn't start again. Their comms are on and have signals, but there is no use in calling either Tracer or Winston. The aurora is away in another mission and Lena would take hours to drive to them. 

Soba licks Cole's hand once, before diving back into Hanzo's arm. 

“Where are we on the route?” The alpha asks. Bringing his comm up, Hanzo shows it to him. Cole licks his teeth. Okay he's angry now and stinking the whole place. 

“What is it?” Hanzo asks, worried.

“I know this place.” He scratches the back of his head, taking the hat off of his head after. His hair is too long now, it needs to be trimmed. “Ana is right, I fuckin’ grew up around here before Deadlock recruited me.”

They leave the car. There is nothing around them, only the desert, the highway and the sun. Hanzo can only think about the story of the hoverbike and the words wild bite.

“There is a gas station nearby.” Ana says, looking at her comm. Cole nods looking ahead of them and releasing a heavy breath. 

“Listen to me.” Cole turns to them, tone serious, more serious than he has ever been before. “We’ll go there, but if this place is anywhere close to what it was, I need y’all to stay close and not wander off. I'm serious.” He looks at each one’s faces. “Genji, I want you to keep Ana close to you. Literally give her your arm and let her be there and do not release her.” 

“Cole--” Ana starts, stern, but Cole stops her. 

“No.” He snaps. “You two are unmated omegas, people don’t give two fucks if someone bites y’all without your consent. Alphas here are shitbags, they’ll get you distracted and do it without any remorse.” 

Hanzo feels a chill run up his spine. He has never seen Cole like this. Angry yes, but not this. He’s frazzled, with a mix of negative emotions that make his smell strong and unpleasant. His speech almost sounds like a plea. He remembers what Jack has told him, what Cole has told him. 

 “What do you need us to do?” He says with every intention of following what Cole has to say to a T. In the past, Hanzo knew how to navigate the minefield that was Hanamura. What to say, how to act, how to react so he wouldn’t end up hurt and suffering. He trusts Cole when it comes to this.

“With luck this is just a small thing and we can just stay inside the gas station.” He nods. They take their weapons from the car, not bothering to conceal them at all. Wouldn’t do them any good to look unarmed here. Cole drapes his serape over Hanzo, mixing their scents, and offers his elbow. Hanzo takes it, watching as Ana does the same with Genji. 

They start walking.

--

The gas station is deserted. It has a distinct purposeful americana style to it. Even broken and full of the red dust of the desert, it gives the idea of a welcoming place. Hanzo wants to know how many people have passed through here just to be robbed or slain by the gangs that run around the 66. On the window, there are several signs warning them that omnics are welcomed, to keep the shirts and shoes on and the omegas collared. 

“What in the--” Cole approaches the window, looking at the last sign. “Who the fuck allowed this?” He looks around, displeased, as if the person responsible for this would be around right now. 

“Shit.” Genji says. He has taken his faceplate off a while back, hiding it in his sweatshirt’s pocket. “What now?”

“I’m not wearing a collar.” Hanzo says through his teeth, giving Cole a sharp look. He can accept the clinginess and protection, he will not be treated as less than.

“I know that. None of you are wearin’ a damn collar.” Cole pats Hanzo’s hand. “Your necks are covered. It’s probably fine.” He says, more to convince himself than to convince Hanzo. He pushes the door open, and they walk inside. 

The place is as deserted as outside, there is old merchandising, old magazines, snacks, canned food, and to Hanzo’s disgust, the counter has a display, showing several collars. There are the cheapest ones, flimsy, done with synthetic threading and cute designs over them. And there are the expensive ones, sturdy, thick, done with real leather.  

Hanzo wants to destroy the whole place. 

Cole and Hanzo approach the display, with Ana and Genji staying behind, close to the door, to an escape route.

“Howdy.” Cole greets, politely. “Anyone there?”

“Hey, Sugar, It’ll just be a minute.” The voice of the woman comes from somewhere on the back of the store. Cole must recognize her, because his face instantly lights up and his eyes start searching. When she emerges, Hanzo sees she’s a woman well in her 70’s, she’s chubby, wearing an apron over her worn clothes. “What can I do for y’all today?” She smiles at them.

Hanzo can smell she’s an omega. In fact, it seems like she has taken no steps to dampen her scent, like most people do. She has a thick collar on her neck, an expensive one in a soft pink dyed leather. Cole takes a moment to just look at her, before he puts on his persona.

“Howdy Darlin’, me n’ my mate here are in a bit of a pickle.” He smiles, super polite and all sunshine and rainbows. “Our car just broke down on the highway over there, we just need a mechanic to take a look at it.”

“Sure, Honey. Gimme a moment and I’ll call Joe up. He’s the best mechanic in town.” She picks up a phone, dialing in a number. As the phone rings, she looks at them. Cole tries to keep his head down, pretending to look at the collars. Hanzo keeps his gaze down too, not wanting her to memorize his face. When the other side of the line picks up, she chats with whoever Joe is, asking for the mechanic to get there ASAP. “He’ll be here in a moment. Y’all can stay and look around.”

“Thank you kindly, ma’am.” He tips his hat and turns away, effectively hiding Hanzo from her. He looks at the snacks on the shelf nearby, pretending to pay attention to that. 

“Don’t mention it, Sugar.” She says, squinting for a moment. Cole tenses, just a little. She looks at Genji and Ana at the back of the store, scrutinizing them. “Are you travelin’ with the family?” 

“Sure am.” He smiles quickly and very fake. The woman hums, a knowing look on her face. Okay, there is something wrong and Hanzo does not like it.

“ Cole, I think we need to go.” He whispers to him in Japanese, concerned.

“ I know her, she’s harmless.” Cole whispers back, looking at the woman and nodding. He turns his back. “ It's her alpha we have to be careful with.”

Still, Hanzo looks at the woman. She rests her face on the back of her hand, looking at him with a sweet smile. It creeps Hanzo out. Somehow he feels like he’s in one of those classic horror movies. 

“ Does he have a chainsaw and a mask made out of skin?” Hanzo asks, remembering when Genji made him watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as a teen, trying to make him scared. He thinks his brother may have succeeded, he’s very wary right now. Not scared, wary. Cole bursts out a laugh, making Hanzo jump with how sudden it is.

“ Sorry, darling, that was too much.” He says, and Hanzo rolls his eyes. He thinks he’s justified in his fears, with how wary Cole is of the place.

“And since when does Cole Cassidy knows anything but english?” The woman asks. 

“I'll have you know, Maribelle, That I have learned it whe--” Cole turns to her, angry that someone is, yet again, surprised by his intelligence. He stops midway his answer, eye widening with his slip. Hanzo tenses by his side, but the woman cackles from behind the counter. 

“Now, don’t look like that, boy.” She laughs more, cleaning her hands on her apron and walking around the counter. She approaches Cole, patting his shoulder with delight. “You really think I’d forget your face? I have known you since you were six.”

Cole relents, shoulders dropping. There is no use in pretending anymore. The woman was always too smart for this place anyways. 

“It's been a long time, Mrs. Maribelle. Last time you saw me I was just a teen.” He says, giving her an unimpressed look. Maribelle puts her hands on her hips, indignant. 

“You hardly changed at all!” She dismisses it, but points at his gut. “I mean, you did put on some good weight, though. That omega of your is doing you good!” She winks at Hanzo.

Hanzo blushes, but  doesn’t have the heart to tell her his food is not that good and the healthy weight Cole has is solely his own doing. 

“Yes he does.” Cole looks down at him and smiles. Hanzo snorts, lightly pushing his face away.

“Let me see him.” She takes Hanzo's face in her hands, maneuvering it around, sniffing the air close to his face, like she's looking at a prized horse. Hanzo snatches his face away, quickly, before Cole can intervene.

“Don't do that Maribelle, he doesn't like being touched by strangers.”

“Nonsense, every omega likes to be touched.” She scoffs, and Hanzo blisters at the phrase. 

She calls Genji and Ana all up to the counter, urging them to come close and talk. Cole nods, reassuring them that is okay. He introduces everyone, with the guise of doing an actual family road trip and Maribelle doesn't seem to question their weapons or the family parentage.

“But isn't such a long trip bad for you, Honey?” Maribelle turns to Hanzo, concerned. 

“Thank you. But you don't need to worry.” Hanzo assures her, not understanding the sudden concerns about him. “I'm perfectly fine.” He’s not a delicate omega, by any means, he’s sure the woman could see that. Or, maybe, she’s one of those people who think being fragile is a condition of being an omega.

“No no, in such a state you'll need to rest.” She urges him towards the small round table on the corner. Cole immediately follows with, being scolded by the older woman. “You're so reckless, making your pregnant omega walk under all of this sun.” She comments and Hanzo tenses as he sits down. 

Smelling the air, Cole can feel that Hanzo’s wonderful scent of dessert, cinnamon and milk is very strong now, but especially the smell of baby powder. The scent of “new mom” is almost overpowering to him, actually. Usually only he was able to smell it under the strong layer of scent blocking soaps and deodorants, but now he's sure everyone can too. The sun is too strong here, people sweat off these things. With the smell and no baby, well, the conclusion is obvious, isn't it?

“Oh, was it a secret?” She shakes her head, patting her mouth. “Me and my big mouth.”

“That's not…” Hanzo starts, but closes his mouth, not wanting to give more information than he needs to.

“No, no.” Cole says, laying a hand on Hanzo's shoulder. “We are just a little wary, you know how it is around these parts.” 

“Yes and you should know not to come back with that bounty to your head!” She shakes her head. “With a pregnant omega, of all things. Could've at least changed your name, stupid boy.” Before Cole can say anything about it, Genji interrupts him. 

“He didn't want us to stop here, actually.” Genji comments, smiling at her. 

“He got all growly about it.” Ana jokes, a certain fake politeness clinging to her words. Hanzo knows, then, that she’s as wary of the situation as he is. He may have relaxed a little, with Maribelle fussing around Cole, but he still has his defenses up. Especially because Cole still has his shoulders held in a tense line. 

“Of course he did, all he did as a kid was growl and complain.” She shakes her head, making stupid “rawl” sounds. Hanzo can’t help but laugh, imagining a small Cole running around trying to fight everyone.

“Bell.” Cole sighs. The woman just laughs.

“He wasn't much better as a young man.” Ana chuckles and Cole feels like this isn't a good idea, you know? to have the two older women talk to one another. In fact he feels like maybe this is a really bad idea.

“I bet.” Mirabelle says. “But if he managed to bite such a good and well mannered omega, I think he might have become a better man.”

Hanzo wants to scoff at that. He knows he hasn't been a well mannered omega in ages, truly he never was. Maybe Maribelle thinks his silence and lack of interaction is just that, an Omega who knows “his place”. Genji actually scoffs at that.

The tow truck stops at the gas station before anyone can actually say something about it. A man leaves the vehicle, and Hanzo almost wants to snort at how clichê he looks. Joe is an old and thin male alpha, long salt and pepper hair pulled in a ponytail and a big mustache. He walks inside the store complaining about outsiders and their stupid dainty cars. 

The pungent smell hits Hanzo immediately and almost makes him folds with the wave of nausea that rolls on his stomach. Gods, no one here masked their scents at all?

“Now, Maribelle, where is that car you wanna me to take a look at?” He stops, looks at them. For a moment he doesn’t speak anything, he just scrutinizes the outsiders. Then a wide smile opens on his face as he recognizes Cole. “Cole Cassidy, you son of a bitch , you're alive!” He drops his toolbox and walks to the cowboy. “I cannot believe it!” He pats his arms with a strong hit. 

“Fuckin’ Christ, Joe.” Cole massages his shoulder. “Stop hitting me, you old fool.” He doesn’t sound amused. Actually it sounds like Cole was used to asking for the man to stop hitting him.

“Look at how tall you are!” He looks at him in awe. “I told ya the drugs was making him scrawly! Look how big he is!” He turns to Maribelle, waving a finger at her, like it is her fault. “And fat too!”

“That again!” She huffs. “I told you a million times, It ain't my fault Theodo--”

“Ah, Shut up!” He interrupts, harshly, making Hanzo startle a little. He usually wouldn't be startled by something like that, but this place makes him wary. “Don't start again, omega. Always blabbering about that shit mate of yours. He's DEAD. D-E-A-D.”

“Don't shout, Cole's mate is pregnant!” She doesn't look fazed by how harshly the man has cursed her. A deep uncomfortable feeling lodges itself on Hanzo’s gut, one he was used to dealing with when he was younger. His father made him feel like this too, even before his mother’s death. Looking at Cole, Hanzo sees he’s as uncomfortable, shifting from one foot to the next, hands clenching and unclenching. 

“Mate?” He exclaims, eyes widening, almost comically. 

“Yes! He did manage to bite a good one!” Maribelle points at Hanzo with a smug smile and Cole flinches at what she said. The older alpha looks at Hanzo and whistles, long and low. He nods approvingly, and then takes a deep breath, drinking in the omega’s scent. It's deeply uncomfortable for Hanzo and Cole caresses his shoulder, trying to make him feel better as Joe nods in approval. 

“Mirabelle, you old hag, take those cigars you keep around, I'm buying him one! This boy finally grew some balls and bit an omega for himself.” He pats Cole with even more force, pulling him away from their group to congratulate him. His alpha looks back, as if asking for help. Or maybe being away from his omega in this situation was truly terrifying for him, be it for Hanzo's sake or his own. 

“It's like I'm in some clichê tv show.” Genji mutters to Hanzo, standing beside him. “Or a horror movie.”

“I'm more inclined to believe the latter option.” Hanzo says to him, hiding his mouth under his hand. “What place keeps omegas collated like it's the middle ages?” His tone is angry and hushed. He looks at Genji, who has the same pinched expression as him. His brother is probably regretting the fact he suggested they come.

“Did you see how he talked to that omega?” Ana approaches them, sitting beside Hanzo, voice soft and low. Hanzo and Genji nod, the verbal abuse was already enough to make him want to high tail out of there. He doesn’t want to be here anymore.

This place, despite all the visual differences, reminds him of Hanamura. He realizes that Jack and Cole actually didn’t disclose half of the bad shit that could happen here.

“She said he “managed” to bite you.” His brother says, face morphing into something like disgust. 

He looks at Cole, being patted on the back, a cigar shoved in his hand. He looks pained, like whatever it is that Joe is saying makes him sick. The older alpha shakes his hand one more time before going outside to do something with Maribelle.

These are the people that Cole was in contact with from infancy. An omega that freely sells and uses collars like its normal and an alpha that thinks Cole would wild bite him. He cannot imagine people thinking such violence, such an abhorrent act, would be normal.

It's a marvel Cole Cassidy ended up the way he did.

Walking back to them, Cole has a tired and apologetic expression on his face. “Maybe callin’ Lena ain't a bad idea.” He says, putting the cigar in his shirt pocket, sighing. He looks like he wants to smoke, but he doesn't. “I'm real sorry for all of this, I hoped that I had changed enough that no one would even recognize me.” He kisses Ana’s head, then Hanzo's, a small gesture that he can't help but lean on.

“It's not your fault.” Ana reassures. 

“I distinctly remember you warning us against coming here.” Genji crosses his arms. “And believe me, we” He motions towards Hanzo and himself. “have experience with shit like this.” Cole lifts an eyebrow at that. 

“Bigotry was something common in Hanamura.” Hanzo says, slumping against the chair, massaging his face. 

“Father and the elders just disguised it better.” Genji grimaces. “They made it sound like it was something pretty and… how could I describe it?” He brings a hand to his chin, humming.

“Honorable.” Hanzo completes. 

“It was an honor to be treated like shit?” Cole snorts, shaking his head, not believing them. “Did he also ask y'all to thank him for it too?”

The brothers exchange a look and Genji scratches the back of his head, shrugging and making a stupid face that says ‘what can you do?’. Hanzo only grimaces, trying to forget how their father made sure early on that they understood that nothing that they had was, in fact, actually theirs. Everything was either the clan's or his father's and they should be thankful that they were allowed to have it. 

That’s why Hanzo left everything behind when he burned the place down. He only hugged Stormbow and his arrows, the one thing he carved and built himself, close to his body as he crawled out of the burning castle. He still regrets the fact he didn't get any of the gifts Genji had given to him during the years.

“Aw, Jesus, we are all kinda fucked up, aren't we?” Cole says, grimacing. 

“I think most of you are well adjusted for what you all went through.” Ana reassures, standing up. Hanzo knows the “mostly” is for him.

“Hey, at least I’m not a druggie anymore.” Cole says, but looks down at himself, somehow self conscious. 

“At least that.” Ana says. 

The door rings again when Joe enters the convenience store one more time. “Come one now, Cassidy, bring those omegas of yours. We cleaned the backseat.” He waves his hand, calling them outside. 

They all climb up on the backseat of the tow truck. Strangely, Maribelle is left behind. She says a quick goodbye and asks them to stop by before leaving, waving at them as the tow truck pulls out of the gas station. 

“You shouldn't leave Maribelle all alone at the store.” Cole comments, bringing the hat’s hem down, hiding his eyes. Hanzo laces their fingers, trying to make the alpha’s foul mood go away. 

“Ain’t no one interested in used goods like her.” Joe says, then fixes the mirrors on the truck, looking at Ana. “Most of us are not interested in pretty shiny new things.”

“Stop saying stupid shit like that, Joe.” Cole snaps at him, the corners of his mouth turning down. “Fucks wrong with you?”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” The old alpha dismisses it, but Cole can’t let it go. 

“No, not whatever. You fucking will respect my omega and my family.” Cole’s nose flares in anger. “You can't treat them like trash. I won’t let you.”

There is a moment of tense silence, where only the sound of the car going on the highway fills the air. The man is not angry, actually he looks amused, even if Cole is stinking the place.  

“Ah, you’re still soft, huh?” The old man laughs. “Told Bell, “That boy’s a sissy, what he is.”, guess I was wrong, baby n’ all.” He laughs and Cole growls in anger, it doesn’t seem to phase Joe. “But, you’re still soft as mud, aren’t you?” He shakes his head, patting the outside of the car door. “I remember you pissed yourself the first time you killed someone. Don’t know how Theo let you run with his folks.”

“More like he forced me there.”

“Oh, shut up, you ain’t no omega. No one forced you to do shit.” Joe says, but then smiles at Cole. “The way you are, you probably let this omega boss you around.” He laughs. 

Hanzo narrows his eyes at the alpha. What an insufferable, nasty man. Cole, perhaps, seeing his mood souring, brings his hand to his lips and kisses it, not that it works. Hanzo is seething, and everyone else is not much better. Hanzo can smell Genji’s angry scent, something so rare lately that it surprises him he even remembers it. Ana’s is more subdued, maybe because of her layers, but still enough for Hanzo’s sensitive nose.

They get to the car quickly, for everyone’s relief. Cole sighs in annoyance when Joe leaves the truck and calls for him to follow. “Stay in the car.” He asks them, a pleading look on his face, and leaves.

Joe opens the hood, looking around a bit, hooking cords here and there, running diagnosis. Cole prays this will be the case of a simple overheating. When Joe grunts in displeasure after the diagnosis is done, Cole knows it’s fruitless. They are probably going to be stranded here, he’s sure of it. 

“So…” Joe starts, as he fiddles around the motor. Cole closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, asking for strength. He can’t take the stupid questions anymore. Never could with Joe. The man didn't like him at all, but since Maribelle kept him around the gas station Cole always had to deal with it. “How have you been? Last time I saw you, you were running with Deadlock again. Then, poof, gone.” He’s unassuming, but Cole knows better than to just spill his life to Joe. “Theo came here and almost tore everything up.”

“Was Mirabelle okay?” Cole redirects the conversation. He doesn’t want to talk about Hanzo or Ako to him. They are not close to the Deadlock Gorge, but he knows the gang will be running up and down the 66. 

“Yeah, yeah. Fucker died soon after anyways.” Joe laughs, mean and nasty. “Imagine, run from overwatch just to be shot by a gang member.”

Cole gets surprised by that. Theodore was the man who ran the gang for… well, Cole doesn’t even know how long, but if he considers his age, it was at least twenty years before he was apparently murdered. Made the whole operation get so big it came to overwatch’s radar. And now he’s dead. Not by Reyes’ or Jack’s hand, Theo abandoned everyone the moment the raid started, but someone else’s.

“Yeah. I managed to get away.” Cole clears his throat, pulling a cigarillo from his pocket and on his mouth. “I straightened my act.”

“I can see that.” He tsks, looking down at the motor. “How did you trick an omega that pretty, Boy?” With his thumb he points at Hanzo on the tow truck.

“I didn’t trick anyone. I’m not some--” Cole says through his teeth, then catches himself. “He let me bite him.” He lies. No one around here messes with mated omegas. Joe looks at him for a moment then laughs out loud. Actually, he laughs so loud it starts to irritate Cole.

“Sorry!” The old man starts to cough. “Fucking Christ, that was a good one.” Cole rolls his eyes. 

“He likes me.” Cole argues. 

“Come on, boy, look at you and look at him.” He shakes his head. “‘Sides, I doubt he knows the kind of fucked up shit you did. All the killing, hurting and stealin’? All the nasty details?”

Cole chews on his cigarillo and sighs, again hiding away the truth. Hanzo knows part of his past. He doesn’t know the gruesome part of it, the nasty details, as Joe calls them.  He doesn’t think Hanzo would judge him for it, with his family and all (and if Genji is truthful, the things the Shimadas did are nasty). But still.

“Yeah, I thought so.” Joe smirks at him. “If you wanna advice” Cole didn't. “You’d keep all of that hidden away. Bury that shit real deep and never tell him. Creature as pretty as him will run off as soon as you open that big mouth of yours.” 

Crossing his arms, Cole looks away, hiding a smirk. If Joe knew who Hanzo was and what family he belonged to. 

“Are there scouts here?”

“Scared?”

“My family is here, Joe.” Cole reasons, but the oldman just chuckles.

“They don’t stay in town anymore. They aren’t supposed to come here ‘til monday.” Joe says, easily. 

So things have changed a lot. Before, Theo kept the towns around the 66 riddled with the gang members, ready to keep people in line and the power structures created by him in place.

“But who the fuck knows, sometimes they come early just to have some fun with us.” He says, lifting his hand, showing that one of his hands has a finger bandaged. Broken, most likely.

“Shit, Joe.” Cole’s eyes go wide, he didn't realize the hand was hurt.

“Stop with the sentimental bullshit.” Joe dismisses it. Cole presses his lips in a thin line. Joe was old now, older than anyone ever managed to survive around him. Despite the terrible treatment, Cole can’t help but feel worried. The old alpha huffs, annoyed at Cole’s whole demeanor. “Don’t start crying again, for fucks sake. We had enough of that when you were a kid.” 

Cole swallows down and shakes his head, annoyed. “I'm going back to the truck. You can figure this alone.” He sneers at the old man, then stomps back to the car. When he stops at the door, he tries to open it, but can’t. Looking up he sees Hanzo is at the window, looking down at him. 

He pouts at Hanzo, anger sizzling to a minimum. “You won't let me in?” Cole asks, easily. 

“Absolutely not.” Hanzo shakes his head and Cole smiles, amused. Damn, Joe is right, he’s whipped. But if he’s honest, he’d much prefer this to whatever this old town thinks is a healthy relationship. “You're stinking the place.” Hanzo wrinkles his nose. 

“I thought you liked my scent.” Cole jabs at him.

“Not when you're angry.” 

“That's gonna be a real tough day, then, sugar.” He brushes the strand off of Hanzo’s face, stroking his cheek. “This place makes me angry all the time.” He rests his hand on the door, smiling sadly at him. 

“Stay close to me, then.” Hanzo says, matter of fact. “I'll stab people for you.” 

“My hero.” Cole smiles, standing on tiptoes, giving him a quick kiss. 

“Oh my god. You two are too much.” Genji makes a gagging noise. Hanzo quickly turns around, saying something to Genji in Japanese that Cole can’t hear. Ana chuckles with mirth. Cole takes the opportunity to finally open the door and get into the car. 

As soon as he sits down, Hanzo sits on Cole’s lap, bringing his head to his neck, letting the alpha scent him. It’s for both of their sakes, if he’s being honest.

“So…” Genji asks, cautiously. “Was that like, your foster dad or…?” 

“No.” Cole says, baffled. Closing his eyes, he enjoys Hanzo’s scent for a moment before he releases him. “Maribelle was the one that found me, when…” He dismisses it, shaking his head. “I just used to run around here a lot as a kid. Joe was here all the time before. My foster family was up west, on the small farms there.” He massages the bridge of his nose, grumbling something.

“What?” Hanzo asks, not understanding what Cole had said.  

“Believe it or not Joe and Maribelle are few of the good folks here.” Cole repeats himself. Hanzo’s eyes go wide at that.

“Him?” He asks, doubtful. “He’s horrible.”

“Yep.” Cole rests against the seat, sliding down a little, making Hanzo loose balance for a second. “People there may say less shit than him, but it’s all the same kind of ideas.” He shifts, uncomfortable. He takes a moment to think. “The collar thing.” He starts. “Maybe it is ‘cause of the new Deadlock leader.”

Ana hums. “I remember now. The raid didn’t work as well as Jack wanted to back then, right?”

“Yep, Theo ran away like a rat when Reyes and the team rained down on us.” He licks his teeth, a bad feeling settling in his gut. His eye sting a little. Shit. “Someone killed him. Probably been running the gang ever since.”

“With luck it won’t be our problem.” Genji comments. As much as they wanted to, sometimes the issues in a place cannot be solved with guns and violence. Places like this, where everything is commanded by the gangs, where poverty and violence is ingrained on the very fabric of the town, the issues are more complex, more out of reach than a simple raid can do. Choose your battles, Zenyatta would say. 

Joe comes back then, speaking with them from the opened window. “Y’all stranded here at least ‘till tomorrow.” He pats the truck's door twice. “I’ll have to tow this to my garage to fix it. Y’all can get a room at the inn and spend the night.”

As they watch Joe pull the hook to tow their car, they can’t help but feel an uneasy feeling settling in. 

--

Strangely, when they walk into the town, everything feels almost too calm. They see some old businesses, old houses, but most of all, people walking around calmly. There is a tense air all around, almost as suffocating as the heat, and everyone keeps looking at them, the strangers entering the towns, making Cole hug Hanzo even closer, keeping their heads down. 

The omegas all have collars in their necks and an alpha to their side. Joe doesn’t seem too bothered by the people staring, probably too used to bringing travelers to fix their ‘dainty cars’ as he liked to call it. But the eyes linger and Hanzo sweats in fear, making the air around them smell like rancid milk. Cole looks confused at everything, probably not used to the changes in the small town. 

The Lodge they stop is small, run by a thin beta that doesn’t give them too much attention. He just says the amount for a room and asks them to sign in a paper notebook, like old times. Joe tells them that the car would be fixed by tomorrow, at lunch time. He explains the issues to them and Hanzo pretends to actually understand what he meant. 

They take the key, and inside the room they call Tracer and Winston. The commander chastised them for spending so little on the car, as if it wasn’t his fault they were stranded to begin with. Unfortunately it’s the only option they have, since apparently the gorilla was fine with a ponzi scheme AND money laundering, but not a little forgery. So Winston leaves them to it. It’s already afternoon anyways, there is no reason to try to leave here. 

“What can one do?” Ana hangs up the call. 

“We’re still stranded here.” Cole grumbles.

Hanzo takes the opportunity to pump some breast milk in the bathroom. He sighs, with the amount of milk being thrown away. But Ana is right, what can he do? He cleans the pump after he’s done, grumbling about how he needs to disinfect it later. 

“The facility will still be there tomorrow.” Hanzo reassures, leaving the bathroom and extending a small towel on the bedside table, leaving the portable pump to dry. He still doesn't relax, he just rests his back to the wall, facing the door. Ana still has her weapon slinged on her back too.

“I don’t like being here, that’s the thing.” Cole says. 

“We also don’t like it here, Cole.” Genji comments. “Believe it or not, I don’t like being reminded that people are still bigots.”

“I told y’all I was sorry about that.” He pinches his mouth in annoyance. He knows the cyborg had his love and sex life littered with alphas, omegas, betas, omnics and every combination of it and was never ashamed of it. Cole had to unlearn some pretty nasty things he’d learned here. Fortunately, when he met Genji, he had already grown a lot. 

“I know.” Genji pats his shoulder, reassuring. “It’s just frustrating.”

“Don’t I know that?” 

When night falls, they watch the town come to life. The place is small, but far from charming and picturesque. The houses around are small, hastily built and run down, everything has a faint layer of red desert dust over it, just like the gas station. The shops are mostly empty, most selling propane and supplies like food and water. They can see, from the lodge windows, that far away there are farm houses, most small compared to the mega farm looming over the horizon. 

Hanzo wonders which one Cole grew up in.

There are two bars in town and a dinner. All three are lit up, music rolling from them, a mix of old vintage country songs and what Hanzo can only describe as “racist rock”. Cole chuckles when he comments on it, but agrees with his assertion. Even so, after the long day and trip, hunger gets to them. The four agents walk together to the dinner, per Cole’s recommendation.

Hanzo makes a face as soon as the doors open. There are a myriad of smells that almost suffocate him, the room is stuffy and hot. The dinner is packed full. Hanzo, for some reason, expects it to be like those old wild west movies, but it’s not. 

The diner has that same americana theme, but looks like it used to be from a chain of restaurants, with the waitresses (most omegas, by the collars) wearing thigh dusty pink and white uniforms. The dinner is not in much better condition than the others, but he can see how someone would stop here to eat if they are passing through. 

It almost makes the small town look normal. 

They keep close and walk to the counter, watching as all of the tables are in fact full, most people observing them. They stand out as newcomers, with the clients dressing like Cole. In fact, even Cole looks out of place too. They hadn’t bothered to dress in civilian clothes before taking the car, thinking they would be in the stupid secret base by now. 

“Are you okay?” Cole asks, seeing his face. Hanzo shakes his head. He thought he was getting better at withstanding the smell of overexcited alphas, but this is too much. People use scent dampening products as a courtesy to others. But not here apparently. He feels dizzy. 

“Just order quickly.” He asks, briskly, bringing Cole’s serape to his face. “Or I’ll stay outside with Genji.” He closes his eyes. Gods, he might actually puke. 

“Of course, sugar. ” Cole nods and calls Genji close, urging them outside. When they get there, Hanzo sits on the steps, Cole’s serape covering his face. Genji is seated by his side, patting his back as he takes deep breaths. 

“It was that bad, inside?” Genji asks and Hanzo nods.

“I don’t know how you all can stand it.” Hanzo swallows down, blinking. He takes in the hot air of the night, it feels heavy and like he can’t breathe it in properly. He barely notices a hoverbike parking close to them and the alpha dismounting it. If it wasn’t for the irritatingly artificial loud noise of the motor, Hanzo wouldn't even have looked up. But when he does, he freezes.

The man is wearing dark jeans and a leather jacket. There is a retrô style shotgun strapped on his back and the symbol of the Deadlock Rebels on his hand. Hanzo scowls, but tries to make sure the man doesn’t realize he’s staring. Genji keeps his face down, but his hand stills, he’s paying attention too. 

Hanzo keeps the mantra ‘Not their circus, not their clown’ repeating on his head over and over. 

They exchange a knowing look for a second, hearing the heavy combat boot taking the steps two at the time. The door of the dinner squeaks open and shut. 

“I want to know what kind of God we pissed off when we were young to have this kind of bad luck.” Genji looks back, irritated. It had to be today, of all days for a Deadlock Rebels member to show up in the town, no?

“I’m pretty sure it’s a familial curse.” Hanzo deadpans, making Genji snort at his joke. They wait for some time, ears open to any suspicious noises, but none come. Soon Cole and Ana come out, a bag with sandwiches and drinks in their hands. On the walk back, they comment about the Deadlock alpha. 

“That’s just a scout. He’s going there to collect the money from the business owners around the town and to see if there are any bounties…” Cole takes the hat off of his head, fanning himself. “With luck he didn’t notice us.”

Hanzo hopes that's the case. 

Back in their room they eat the greasy food, brush their teeth and go to bed. The shitty television doesn’t have anything good on, even if it shows color. They settle for one of these channels that broadcasts old time movies, something called Magic Mike that has a lot more alphas showing buttcheeks than not a single actual magic trick happening.

“No, no, leave it on.” Ana says, when Cole tries to turn the tv off, laying on the bed. Hanzo chuckles as Cole rolls his eyes. They keep their clothes and armor on, weapons close to the beds.

Hanzo and Cole are sharing a bed as always, with Ana and Genji using the bunker. They start to drift off, the hot weather and the murmur of the television lulling them to sleep. 

--

It's late at night. Hanzo wakes up with a whisper of Udon in his ear. Wake up, there is danger. He stands up with a jolt, breathing hard. A cold metal hand holds his arm. Looking down he sees Cole is already awake too, the alpha brings his index finger in front of his mouth, asking for silence. 

Looking around the room, they see that Ana is already awake and up, gun pointed at the door. She has probably not slept at all. On the bed beside them, they see Genji sitting up, taking his sword from the wall where it was resting, unsheathing it.

A noise is heard from the corridor. The door handle giggles. Ana looks at them, motioning with her head for them to move.

Cole and Genji stand up, silently shuffling to the door. Cole has a peacemaker on his hand, Hanzo quickly takes his bow and arrows, using the rugs to muffle his steps and looks outside through the window. There is no one outside. Whoever it is, is alone. He mouths “Only one.” To the others, lifting a finger. 

They nod, taking place. Cole and Genji are now each standing beside the door, weapons ready. The lock finally gives in and the door opens slowly. Whoever is outside steps in. Genji punches the man’s face, taking him by surprise. Cole moves quickly, then, pulling the man inside by the arm, he uses the momentum to push him on the floor, peacemaker held against his head. Genji quickly closes the door, turning the key and locking whoever it is inside with them. 

“Gotcha.” Cole snarls.

Ana turns the light on and the Deadlock member from before is on the ground, looking at Cole with scared wide eyes. Or rather, looking at him right now, Hanzo realizes it’s a child. A jittery kid with zits on his face still. From the smell of him, he just presented.

Ana mutters something in Arabic, like a curse. “It’s just a kid.” 

Cole hums at her words, but keeps his hand firm, gun still pointed at the scout. “Come on, you’re outnumbered. Give up the gun.” He says, gesturing to Hanzo with his head. Hanzo lowers his bow and walks close, opening his hand, asking for the shotgun. 

The kid frowns, looking around. He gives up the gun, cheek reddening with shame. Maybe Hanzo has become soft with the fact he’s a parent now, but he feels bad for him. Maybe that's why they sent him to begin with, he thinks as he puts the shotgun away. 

“Up.” Cole orders and the kid obeys. He takes the kid’s wrist and turns the hand around, looking at the tattoo there. “Bounty or orders?” he asks, and the kid flattens his lips in a thin line, as if he’s reminding himself not to rat out. “OUT WITH IT!” He shouts, making everyone in the room flinch. 

“Both!” The kid squeals out, angry and scared, voice cracking. “You're Cole Cassidy! The boss wants your head!”

Cole lifts an eyebrow and looks at him up and down in disdain. “And they sent a scout here?” He’s very unimpressed. 

“There is a bounty on you! She’s paying a fuck ton of money for whoever brings you in!” He frowns, angry, putting on a brave face. Hanzo almost laughs at it. Maybe he thinks he’s doing a good job intimidating Cole. 

“Always money, ain’t it?” The alpha shakes his head, huffing. He takes the kid by the scruff of the leather jacket and pulls him up and him against the wall, Pacemaker pointed at his chest. “Look kid, what's your name?”

The kid looks at him, confused, but says it anyway. “Billy.”

“Billy, of course it's Billy…” Cole closes his eyes hard, face scrunching with maybe anger, maybe annoyance. “Do yourself a favor ‘n get out of that shit gang before it kills you.” He sighs, putting the peacemaker on his holster. He’s not killing a stupid kid. 

Cole starts to unlock the door, with all the intention of letting the kid go with a warning. But Billy, thinking maybe that he has a chance of taking Cole out in hand to hand combat (he doesn’t, the kid is scrawly, probably weighs less than Hana on a good day), lifts his hand, preparing for an attack. 

Hanzo doesn’t know what he’s planning, but he’ll stop it anyways. With a quick shot, he pins the Gang memeber’s hand on the wall, the arrow sticking right in the center of his palm. He screams in pain, voice cracking, crying a little. 

“Do not touch my mate.” Hanzo says, easily. He moves to the kid. Cole opens a smile as Hanzo stands by his side and pulls the arrow from Billy's hand. He looks at the tip of it in displeasure, thinking about how he’ll have to wash it later. 

“You heard ‘im.” Cole smirks. Looking back, he sees Ana loading a dart on her weapon. Ah, okay, she’s putting the kid to sleep. “Now, when you wake up, make sure to tell your boss to leave us be. Whoever you think I am, I’m not.”

“What?” The kid asks before Ana hits him with a tranquilizing dart. “I-but-?” And he’s out like a light. Cole lets the kid fall down, and shakes his head, tsking. 

“Poor kid.” He sighs, not feeling that bad. 

“He’ll have nerve damage.” Ana says, approaching and kicking the kid’s hand. “Did you have to shoot him?”

“Life is full of harsh lessons.” Hanzo says, sagely. 

“Come on, he won’t have nerve damage. I took one of those from my teacher and I was fine.” Genji comments, scoffing. 

Cole rolls his eyes and holds the kid by the scruff again. “I’m putting this bird brain somewhere. Lock the door and don’t open it until I’m back.” 

He drags the kid outside, even stopping on the front desk, asking where he can leave the gang member. It’s an alpha on the desk now, looking at him unimpressed, telling him to just leave him in steps of the dinner. Cole groans thinking about the distance he’ll have to drag the kid to, and that maybe he should be doing the exercises Angela nags him about.

He doesn’t see that inside the house in front of the lodge, two figures, a hulking tall one and a smaller one, watch him.

--

When Cole has come back and they decide to take turns watching out for danger. Cole has taken the first turn, staying seated on the bed, back to the headboard, Hanzo’s head resting on his shoulder. The whole thing made him edgy and Hanzo couldn't sleep even if he wanted to. Even with the dragons, he can’t help but try to keep his eyes open. 

“Just go to sleep, sugar.” Cole whispers to him, caressing his arm.

“I can’t.” Hanzo says. “That child was looking for you, it means that more will come later.” 

“More reason for you to get some shut eye.” Cole reasons, but Hanzo shakes his head. He has gone longer without sleep, he can be alert now. The alpha snorts a small laugh, before kissing him. “Stubborn.” 

“I have to protect you.” Hanzo looks up. Cole hums, amused, then snuggles up to Hanzo, smelling his hair.

“Joe is right, I do let you boss me around.”

“That’s because you like it.”

“Sure do.” He smiles, kissing Hanzo on the lips, quick and sweet. There is a moment of silence, where Hanzo just looks at him. 

“That's what he was laughing about? Earlier.” He asks, voice low, almost inaudible. He lays a hand on Cole's head, caressing his hair. 

“No.” Cole whispers. He takes a moment to decide if he should tell the omega about it. In the end he does so. “He doesn’t believe you’d let me bite you. That I could only be your mate if I forced it on you.”

“Why would he think that?” Hanzo asks, curiosity taking over him.

“You hear what he thinks of me. Most people thought the same, back then. For a long time they thought I was gonna be an omega, you know?” Cole closes his eyes. He thinks about what Joe has told him, the stupid advice and looks around, Both Ana and Genji are seemingly deep asleep. 

He decides then that Hanzo needs to know all of it. All of the nasty details. Not the vague mentions he does, not the illusion that what he was before Blackwacth never existed. The truth will set you free, they say. 

“I was young when I got recruited. Fourteen.” He says and Hanzo nods, looking at him with intent. “That’s how Theo liked it.”

Hanzo swallows down. Most gangs, the Shimadas included, looked to recruit young and desperate people. Desperate for money, for power, for influence on the streets. Some were desperate to find someone they could release their anger on without having to worry about consequences. 

“You start as a scout. You get money, you scare people. When you present, you turn into a soldier or one of Theo’s omega’s.” Cole looks up at the ceiling, whispering to Hanzo. 

“Sex workers?”

“And his personal ones if you were particularly pretty.” Cole sighs. “So I worked hard, ‘cause he told me that if I did everythin’ right, if I was the best, maybe he wouldn't just pass me around too.” He licks his lips, remembering those times. 

“For the longest time, I was scared they were right and I’d end up being one of his omegas… I told you how they treat omegas here in town. On Deadlock it was worse.”  Cole quickly looks at hanzo, just to watch his expression distort in silent horror. He swallows down, dread filling his core. “By the time I was sixteen, I hadn’t presented yet, but I was so good with the gun that Theo opened an exception. Lucky me, right?” He scoffs. 

“So I got used to bein’ a soldier and did all he told me to do. I Broke some fingers, tortured people… Every heist, bank and train robbery was successful, every enemy we killed was easy.” Cole shakes his head, squinting at the dark. “It was like deadeye thrived off of that. I killed so many, without any regard. I didn’t care about them.”

“When we did a particularly good job, he’d give us gifts. A nice belt buckle, drugs, a shiny new weapon.” He says, face distorting with disgust at the memories. “And when you presented, a night with the omegas’.”

He feels Hanzo nodding at him. But Cole can’t look at his boyfriend right now, ashamed of where he grew up, of people he called friends. He doesn’t feel like the few omegas he helped get away are enough to free him from the guilt of the ones that stayed.

“I saw the state the omegas were in after… I promised I’d never be like them. So I refused every time, even after I presented.” He looks down at Hanzo, pleading for him to believe him. “Didn’t help my case at all. He got so mad that I refused the ‘merchandise’, and called me every name in the book. Even tried to send some poor omegas to my room when I got my second rut.” He doesn't see disgust or rage on his omega’s face directed at him, just sadness. “Luckily I had locked myself in the hotel on the other side of town.” Cole looks away, closing his eyes. “Bell told me after that he got mad about it. Hit her like it was her fault, tellin’ she coddled me .”

“So, If you weren’t an abuser you were considered weak?”

“Pretty much.” Cole wants to smoke, but he doesn’t, mindful of the others. “I think he tried to prove somethin’ with that. That his goons were ‘proper alphas’... Doesn’t look good to have your best gunslinger to be too soft on the omegas.”

There is a moment of silence.

“I tried to get some Omegas away, when I could.” The alpha sighs. “Only managed to ‘cause I was too valuable and Bell helped me… She was his favorite omega. So Theo just beat the shit outta me when he found out, instead of putting a bullet through my head. ” Cole closes his eyes and he can almost see it, could almost feel the blood running down his face and the cold nozzle of the gun in his forehead. “The only time he ever beat me. Almost died anyways.”

“That’s terrible.” He says, angry. 

“Doesn't matter anymore.”

“It does to me.” Hanzo shakes his head. How couldn't Cole see it? “You didn’t deserve this to happen.”

“But I did…”

“Cole.”

“You know, I tried to quit this stupid gang all the time.” He croaks, voice wet. “‘Specially when I got older, but no work stuck. No one was allowed to give ex-members jobs in the town, so I tried in other places far away. You know the ones I told you about. But it never stuck, I always fucked it up somehow.” 

“Couldn’t you go back to your foster family?”

“No.” Cole smiles a little. “You’ve seen my back, right?” Hanzo nods and Cole looks away. “So you know why I couldn’t.” The implication is already enough for Hanzo to understand it. 

“I always needed money and Deadlock always seemed to have it. Theo handed it to me easily, as if it grew on trees. Always had to come back here. Until Reyes showed up.”

Hanzo nods. 

“He showed up, pretending to be a new guy in the gang. Don’t know what he saw in me, but he saved me.” He smiles, weakly. “He and Jack really helped me.” There is silence, Hanzo doesn’t know what to say, so he holds Cole’s hand. Then, he pulls Cole to him by his arms, hugging him hard, trying to show him that he was there for him, that he wouldn’t let anyone do anything to him anymore. 

“I told ya it wasn't a good man.” Cole says, pained, hiding his face on Hanzo’s chest, hoping that his past won’t drive the man away, that he won’t be disgusted with him. He hopes Hanzo doesn’t realize the kind of trash he thinks he is. 

Hanzo brings him a hug. “And I told you that you are.” He kisses the man’s head, voice hoarse.

“Sugar.” He interjects. 

“You are.” Hanzo says, feeling a single tear dropping down his eye. “I get to decide that, do you understand?” He lifts Cole’s face up, looking at him seriously. “Do you?”

“‘Kay.” Cole swallows down the lump on his throat. “That's okay.” He nods. 

Hanzo lays back down, bringing Cole with him, resting the alpha’s head on his chest. “Sleep, now.” he says, caressing his hair, holding him as close as he can. It doesn’t matter that the armor is digging at his skin. What is important is that the smell of distress on Cole’s scent is slowly dissipating. Cole sleeps then, mentally tired.

Hanzo watches his face, slack and relaxed. Marked with the years of stress. A decision sets in his gut then. He’s never letting this man suffer again. He won’t let him be alone, to think he is the same as the horrible alphas and betas and omegas in this place. That he isn’t loved. He’ll care for Cole, doesn’t matter how or why.

“Did he sleep?” Genji asks, quietly, almost inaudible from his bed. Hanzo looks at him and sees that Genji has a closed off and sad expression on his face. He nods.

Ana sits up on her bed too, cleaning her face. She’s surely crying. Hanzo is sure Cole didn’t want any of them to hear him, about this past, but he’s glad they did. 

--

Next morning, they rise early. He brings Cole closer, when he wakes up, looking him in the eyes.

“Morning.” he mumbles, against Hanzo’s skin. The omega kisses his head, bidding him good morning too. Cole opens his eyes and for a moment he doesn’t remember where he is or what he’s doing, but the smell of heated dust and the stuffy air remind him. He sighs, looking up at Hanzo, expecting the worst. 

The omega looks at him adoringly, then litters his face with kisses, like Cole has done before with him. He brings the alpha close, tangling their legs, holding him firmly close. The alpha feels a deep relief flood him. A wonderful want to cry fills his chest. Hanzo still loves him. 

“Stop making out and wake up.” Genji grumbles from his bed, yawning. Cole takes a pillow and throws at the ninja, hitting him on the face. “Ana, Cole is hitting me.” He whines.

“Not true.” Cole grumbles back, just as childish as Genji. Hanzo snorts when Ana tells them to sort their own petty fights, dropping from the bunk bed, already awake from her own shift. He’s glad for the easy atmosphere the other two have brought in. 

They get ready for the day, Hanzo having to pump yet again as the others do their morning routine. Cole is the first to finish, stopping by his side and kissing his temple. When they are all ready, they get the few things they have brought with them for the mission and their weapons and go back to the diner. 

They walk to get some breakfast. The town is not awake yet, the streets are deserted, even more than the day before. Only the diner keeps open, the 24 hours neon sign blinks weakly at them. 

Hanzo’s dragons haven’t been able to rest since yesterday, but seeing that the boy is not lying on the steps makes him take a second to consider. He looks behind at Ana, who has the same thoughtful expression too. He knows those darts are powerful, they can even put Reinhardt to sleep depending on the dose, so there is no way the boy was awake already.

They open the door, and the atmosphere is very different from before. There is almost no one there, just some two people and a family, seated far back from the door. The smells are faint, but linger on the chairs and desks. Luckily enough time has passed that it doesn’t make Hanzo nauseous anymore. 

An omega waitress stops by and they all order something also greasy and sweet (in Hanzo’s case). The waitress coos at Hanzo, commenting about babies and mates before running away to the kitchen. Maybe Hanzo is too on edge, but he looked almost regretful while saying it.

“You're going to end up developing diabetes at this rate.” Genji comments, shuddering at Hanzo's order.

“Don’t you know I’m pregnant?” Hanzo deadpans, looking at the worn out menu. Genji mocks him, repeating his phrase, making a face. 

“Besides, that ain’t how diabetes works.” Cole looks at the menu on Hanzo’s hands too, arm around the omega’s waist, hand resting on his hip. 

Someone shouts something, calling their attention to the back of the dinner. Away from them, they see an old man telling off a child. Looking from here, Hanzo can see that the girl by his side is pleading something. She’s probably the boy’s teen sister, an omega by the collar on her neck, and the man is their grandfather. 

The kids answer back, face morphed into a scowl. The man’s expression turns sour and he puts a hand on the boy’s junction between shoulder and neck, gripping firm. Hanzo knows this tactic, the man is using his thumb to press the boy’s neck, choking him without making it obvious.

Hanzo’s nose flares, angry. Cole, beside him tenses, the room smelling like angry alpha, powerful like ozone, but also fear and terror. The boy flails around, releasing the hold on his neck and runs away. The old alpha tries to stand up, but can’t, he doesn’t have enough strength. 

“I’ll run away! AND YOU’LL BE ALL ALONE ON THAT DAMN FARM!” Screaming, the kid runs at them, grabbing into Ana’s arm. He hides his face on the older omega’s arm, crying.

“Oh, dear.” Ana smiles at him “What is it, child?” She asks, seeing the kid crying. He won’t stop, hiccupping and sniffing. “It’s all right.” She caresses his hair. The boy takes his face away from her arm, cleaning his face.

“Hey, kid. Come here.” Cole encourages, looking at him. “I won’t hurt you.” The boy looks at him wary, but approaches. The alpha turns the boy's face, bringing the kid’s shirt collar down a little. There are marks littering his neck, all black and blue. “That old man is hurting you, right?” 

The boy nods, crying again. Hanzo takes paper napkins from the table, bending over Cole to reach the other side and cleans the boy’s face. 

Hanzo looks up at the older man on that table, already angry. The old man is manhandling the girl too and for a moment, when he grabs her face, Hanzo is scared he'll force a kiss on her mouth. The old man seems to reconsider, maybe because they are in public, maybe he's just scaring her, but he drops her face. Hanzo just prays the man gives him an opportunity, just something for him to react.

Cole by his side is not much better. He has venom in his eyes. Those two are probably all alone in the world. He can’t let Hanzo kill the old fucker, but he can do one thing. 

“Listen, kid.” Cole turns to the child, smiling openly. He looks like he’s around 10 years old, but Hanzo can’t tell. He’s too skinny and small for a kid his age. “You know how to get to the train station, don’t you?” The kid nods. 

“The road by the gas station.” 

“Yes, you’re smart.”

The waiter brings them their food, interrupting them. Cole thanks him, tipping his hat. 

“Here. Should be enough for two tickets.” Cole takes one of the money chips in his pocket, one of his own, for sure, handing it to the kid as stealthy as he can. “Give this to your sister, tell her to get there once old Tucker has taken his liquor. She’ll know what I mean.” 

Hanzo turns to Cole, surprised the man is intervening. The omega takes one of the waffles from his plate, giving it to the boy, trying to disguise what Cole is doing. “Come on, now, eat.” He says and the boy nibbles at the food. 

“Understand?” Cole asks. The child nods, but he looks back, scared as the old man calls him back. He trembles a little, putting the chip in his front pocket. 

“It’s okay to be scared.” Hanzo says, patting the boy's head. The kid looks up. “But, just this once, you have to be brave.” The boy nods, looking at all of them. His eyes linger on Genji for a moment, looking at him in awe. The cyborg gives him a thumbs up, and the boy’s eyes widen with wonder.

The old man stands up, grumbling, moving slowly to the bathroom. The boy looks back, and they all quietly usher him. He nods, running to his sister’s side. When the old man is already out of sight, the boy shows his sister the money chip, talking to her.

She gasps, mouth opened, looking at them. Her mouth wobbles and she nods, thankful. Quickly she stuffs the chip on her bra, before the older man gets back. 

Cole relaxes a little, sighing. Maybe they’ll have a chance.

Hanzo grabs his hand. “Thank you.” He says, closing his eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I did.” Cole looks at his food, suddenly not hungry. “Something good has to come out of this, you know?” He relaxes a little against the bench. “Also…” He says, looking at Hanzo with mirth. “Don’t like the idea of us getting in trouble ‘cause you strangled an old man to death.”

“It would be justifiable.” Hanzo turns his face away, picking at the food on his table. They all start to eat their breakfast in silence. The family at some point leaves the dinner, the girl and the boy looking back at them from the window outside. 

There is hope in their eyes. 

As they finish the breakfast and stack the plates, all four agents notice something. 

The dinner is silent. Eerie silent. There are no sounds of the kitchen working, no sound of forks and knives hitting plates from the two people sitting down and no chatter in between the workers of the dinner. The waitresses have not come from behind the counter to offer any coffee or ask if they need anything else. In fact he looks down, terrified.

Hanzo’s dragons give a surge out of nowhere and he looks up at Genji. His brother has the same expression as him. Tense, eyes sharp. Cole, beside him, rolls his shoulders, bothered. 

“We should go.” Ana is the one to say it. They all nod. 

Ana stands up and Genji follows. One of the men at the dinner, the one sitting father away from them, does the same, getting in between them and the door. They all tense up.

The man has the same visual as the teen from yesterday. Worn Out leather jacket, jeans, chains, heavy boots, aviator glasses.  He’s much older than the kid and has a gun in his hand. The most clichê a fucker like him could be.

“Shit.” Cole’s whole demeanor changes. With the kid attacking them he looked like a teacher trying to discipline a child. Now, the whole air around him is mean, like it’s filled with angry energy. He takes the peacemaker out of the holster and rests it on the desk. A warning to the man.

From where Hanzo is sitting, he can’t use his bow properly. There is no space for it, his back is hitting the wall, but if needed he could snake his way out jumping the chairs and benches.

“ Can you two try to get to the kitchen? There is an exit through there.” He turns to Genji, asking in a low whisper. The Ninja nods, bringing Ana close to himself. Cole doesn’t even try to ask Hanzo to go with, he knows the omega won’t leave his side. 

“Come on, Ana, let’s go to the bathroom.” His brother says loudly. They walk calmly, not calling attention, and the man seems to relax, seeing that Ana and Genji are moving to the bathroom. The gang member sits back down, crossing his arms. So his job is to keep them holed up here. 

“Oh, dear.” Ana says. Turning back, Hanzo sees that the other person inside the diner has stood up, pointing a gun at Ana and Genji.

Hanzo snarls, standing up, climbing up the booth to get to Genji. But Cole puts a hand on his waist, pulling him down to his lap. 

“Calm down, Han.” Cole whispers to him. Hanzo is seething, patience finally running completely out. He takes in a deep breath, centering himself. Cole is right, if he lash out now either of them could be hurt. 

But his dragons snarl under his skin, zapping Cole's arm when he touches it.

Genji looks at him, shaking his head. He is hugging Ana close, but also he is using the position to conceal her weapon.

There is a moment of silence where Cole just looks at the man. The fucker opens a smile to him, nasty and full of teeth, as if to say he knows they are not getting away from here. And that, of all the fucked up shit that happened and that they saw, is what takes the fucking cake for him.

“Sugar, get your bow, I think we should get going.” He says, patting  Hanzo’s leg and smiling at his omega. Lifting his hand, Cole calls for the bill, and the omega waitress looks terrified, but goes nonetheless. They pay the bill calmly, Cole even tips well and makes idle chat, which goes unanswered.

When they finish the waitress runs to the kitchen to hide and when he passes the other gang member, the poor omega is swatted in the butt as he passes him. The man by the door, the one with the nasty smirk, punches the window twice. 

The dinner door opens, and nine other alphas enter the room. Hanzo knows for the horrible overexcited sweetness reeking out of them. He brings the serape to his nose, shielding the offending scents. Looking up he sees there are female and male alphas there, most with the same kind of look full of leather, chains and hard jeans. Their weapons are diverse, shotguns, rifles, revolvers. Hanzo thinks there are too many weapons and bullets on display, the look borders on ridiculousness instead of badass. One of the female alpha has a grenade on her hand, for fucks sake.

In the middle of them, there is a woman. Blond straight hair. Her clothes are made out of spotless, shiny leather, a big hat on her head. She's beautiful, with sharp features and a look of superiority. 

“Back again, Cassidy?” She says, looking down at them.

God fucking dammit. Cole thinks. 

“Howdy, Ashe.” Cole tips his hat, seemingly unbothered. Taking a cigarillo from his pocket and putting it in his mouth. He realizes that he doesn’t have his lighter. “How’s Bob?”

“He’s good. He wants to have a chat with you.”

“Though luck.” He says. “I can't make time to see him. Me ‘n my folks are just passing through.” 

“Really?” She hums. “I really do not believe that.” She sighs, as if this is really ruining her day. Cole doesn't give her a reaction, he just keeps a hand on the pacemaker, the other on Hanzo's hip. “Which one of your friends gave my scout the nerve damage?” 

Ana snorts from where she is, whispering something to Genji, probably a “I told you so.”

“SHUT IT!” Ashe shouts, making all the gang members jump. She whistles a melodic note and the man from the desk gets up, taking his revolver with him. She motions with her head towards Genji and Ana.

The man smiles and goes to them. For a moment Hanzo wants to react, but he and his brother share a look. He has never seen Genji on a mission. But he knows how well he can fight. So he looks back, and sees the barrel of a rifle pointed at his face. One of the alphas approached them without his knowing. Hanzo feels a headache forming because of the scent.

“I knew you'd come back with your tail between your legs.” The smirk on the woman's lips is infuriating to Hanzo. “You can try to quit The DeadLock Rebels as much as you want, but this is forever, Cassidy.” 

“I ain't back, Ashe.” Cole sneers at her, his hold gets tighter on Hanzo’s waist, pulling him closer on his lap. 

“Sure you’re not, it’s just a coincidence you’re here just as we stopped by the town.” She chuckles, dragging a chair away from a desk and positioning close to Hanzo and Cole. “What do you need now, Cassidy? Coke, or is it money again?” Her tone is light and professional, and as she sits down, Hanzo has the distinct feeling that he is in a business meeting with some rich CEO.

“I don't need or want nothing from you or whoever’s running this shit show.” Cole lifts his eyebrows once. A dangerous smile opens on her face, then. 

“Oh, you don't know, do you? ” She looks up, pretending to be remembering things. “Ah, I remember! You ran away before it could happen.” She hums, looking at the female alpha beside her. “All this time away and couldn't even keep up with the news. Can you believe it?” Ashe asks her.

“No, boss, I can’t.” 

She sighs. “I’m running the gang.”

That gets a reaction out of Cole, but it's not the one Hanzo thought. He looks surprised, but also confused. 

“Why--” But he closes his mouth with a click. 

“I guess both of us got what we wanted outta that raid.” She smiles, professional. And it dawns on Cole. She was the one that shot Theo after everything. Now that’s some news. She looks at him up and down, and lifts an eyebrow, amused. “I rule the 66 and you…” She dismisses. 

Hanzo then realizes that she has the same kind of mannerism that he has seen time and time again when he was at the clan, accompanying his father in business meetings with foreigners and their children. Ashe is not the same as the people around here. She has an air of demand, like someone that was used to having everything handed to her. Like a rich spoiled person.

But for a moment, Hanzo smells something else. In between the overly sweet scent of alphas, he can feel very very faint, flowery and delicate. The scent of an omega. It’s hidden under the chemical smell of a scent patch, something forbidden by law almost everywhere. 

Hanzo decides, then, that he can fuck around a little bit. He makes a show to sniff the air, extending his neck, closing his eyes and turning to Ashe. He opens his eyes, blinking twice, as if he’s surprised with something. He turns to Cole.

“ Did you know she’s an omega?” He asks, making sure to use the English word for Omega. 

“ Omega, you say?” Cole looks up at Ashe. “ Now I'm even more confused.”

Hanzo hums, turning to her. He loves playing coy sometimes. She finally pays attention to him, seeing his bow and quiver swung over his shoulder. “It was you, right?”Ashe glares at him, bringing her hat up. 

Hanzo looks up and down at her, same air of superiority. He doesn’t flinch when she points her short barrel shotgun at him or when Cole starts growling, low and threatening. The grip on hips is almost painful. She opens a cynical smile, seeing Cole’s reaction.

“Woah, Jesus. Calm down.” Ashe says, sarcastic, putting the gun down. “Apparently what you got was the American dream.” She bends a little closer to them, sniffing the air. “Even got a kid outta of it.” She nods, impressed. “Who could tell, everyone was wrong, your knot does work after all. Congratulations.” She turns to her goons. “Come on guys, congratulate him, he’ll be a father soon.”

There is a weak mumble of congratulations from the alphas around them. The one closer to them even pats Cole’s shoulder. Ashe is looking at her own well manicured nails. “Who are we to ruin it, right Pete?” She looks up. 

“Yes, boss.” Pete says.

“But, you know, I'm still angry about the last time we saw each other, Cole. You did get a better deal than all of us with that weirdo from overwatch.” She nods, pats her legs and stands up. “And you know, the aftermath wasn’t fun at all to deal with. But I still did it.” Calmly, she puts the chair back on its place and starts walking away. “Kill ‘em.” She tells Pete. “Y’all can do whatever you want with those meek omegas, as long as Cassidy's head is on my desk at the end of the day.” 

There is a second of silence. Until the alpha closes to Hanzo uses the nozzle of the rifle to lift his face up. “You know, omegas are supposed to be collared. You'll make a dang good fuck hole, won't you?” There is a nasty smirk on his lips. “After I kill this idiot, I can show you a real good time.” He approaches the two of them. 

The scent of sweat, unkempt leather and aroused unknown alpha makes Hanzo gag. The omega puts a hand over his mouth, making a retching sound. He’s overplaying it? Yes. But he thinks it is justifiable. The man frowns, deep and mean. 

“You bitch.” He takes a step forward, getting closer and putting the nozzle of the rifle down and away from his face, just like Hanzo wanted. Cole, reflexes as sharp as ever, takes the opportunity to grab the peacemaker and holds it point blank under the man's chin. 

“Don't even think about it, I'll put a bullet through your head myself.” He looks from under his hat to the man, pulling the hammer down with a click. 

“Fuck.” The man closest to Ana and Genji swears. Ana has used the distraction to hit the Alpha’s face with the side of her rifle. He staggers back, nose bleeding, eyes closed. Blindly, he quickly draws his gun, shooting twice. Genji pulls Ana back by her clothes. Unsheathing his sword, he deflects the two shots away. 

One of the bullets hits back on the guy, right on shoulder. He stumbles. Genji takes the opportunity. The sound of the sword slashing his throat is sharp. A spray of red gushes from his throat, the blood staining the light blue walls. He’s down like a pile of rocks.

The female alpha who was closest to Ashe takes a step closer. Ana aims quickly and hits her with a shot in the tight. She’s out like a light, just like the teen the night before. 

Ashe stops. She sighs and looks back, unfazed. Two men down in less than ten seconds. “Are you all stupid?” She asks, low and threatening. “Stop standing around and shoot them!”

Hanzo, really fucking tired of the posturing and the bullshit talk, does something reckless. He pushes the man closest to them away, making him stumble and off of Cole’s nozzle. He kicks him in the shin, with enough force to make him buckle. 

Hanzo grabs the nozzle of the rifle with his two hands, quickly pushing it back, hitting the butt of the old rifle on the man’s chin. Pete instantly falls, releasing his grip enough that Hanzo can pull the rifle off of his hands. 

Cole takes the opportunity to punch the man with his prosthetic hand, taking him down. Hanzo spins the gun up, taking aim at Ashe. “Do not move.” He says, looking through the visor of the rifle. 

“Try it.” Ashe doesn't seem surprised, or at least Hanzo thinks she knows how to hide well. “You won't get out of here alive.” She takes her own rifle off  of her back, slowly loading the bullets from her belt in it.

“Well, see, that ain't true, Ashe.” Cole smiles. The same wry smile he gave Pat weeks ago. Predatory and full of teeth. “There is, what, eight of you now? Six bullets are more than enough.” He spins the peacemaker, tipping his hat. There is a moment of silence. Maybe one where Ashe remembers the past, on why the late boss kept asking her to just Go get Cassidy. I don't care how much it costs. Just get him back here !

“I can put a bullet in your teeth before that eye of yours can get us. I’ve seen how that shit works, Cassidy.”

“Really?” Hanzo asks. He calls for the dragons and electricity runs on his arms and to his hand, so strong it makes the iron from the rifle buzz and crackle. It’s hot, burning him, but Hanzo has endured more. He can use the dragon with guns, but it is more difficult and it usually destroys them in the process.

She looks at him, seeing the lightning buzzing under his skin and the smell of ozone in the air. “Of course it would be a freak like you, wouldn't it, Cassidy?” She shakes her head, sneering at him. At the back of the diner Genji has already summoned Ichigo. Hanzo’s own dragons stir to be released, to fight again beside their brother.

Let us out, little one. Soba says.

Let us dance in between their corpses. Udon purrs. And Hanzo is so so tempted. 

“Yeah. And there are two more of my freaky family ‘round this room, pointing their own weapons at you. So, How about you just let me and my folks go?” Cole reasons, taking his cigarillo and touching the tip of it against the rifle on Hanzo’s hand. The iron is so hot it lights the cigarillo up. Cole looks pleasantly surprised that it worked. 

He puts the cigarillo on his mouth, taking a long drag, before releasing the smoke in the air. What a shit day.

Ashe sneers at him, like what she's seeing under her is disgusting, unacceptable. But, as if a switch flickers up, she opens a smile. “Why not? You're just passin’ through, anyways." Unlike Theodore, Ashe knows when to quit. 

“Yes, we're just passin’ through.” He says. “You don't want something weird to happen, do you?” 

She snarls at them, but motions for her goons to lower their weapons.

They get up silently. Cole puts a hand on Hanzo’s waist, making the man stay close. Ana and Genji have already stealthily walked to the kitchen, with the ninja holding the door open. They walk calmly, but backwards, Hanzo with the weapon pointed, not wanting to show their back to the gang.

Once they enter the kitchen, Hanzo releases the weapon that promptly disassembles, hot iron and smoldering wood falling down on the ground. Outside, they see several more gang members, waiting for them, in the back alley. Hanzo pulls Cole behind himself and they sprint to the main street. They don’t even look back, listening to the heavy boots behind them. 

They hear more of the people following them. Some hooting, some screaming, some shooting to the sky. 

The main streets are almost desert, but for an omnic sitting on a shaded porch. 

“BOB!” Ashe screams, leaving the dinner through the front door. The Giant Omnic, Bob, stands up and starts walking calmly to the middle of the street. “GET IN THERE!” They all stop in their tracks, as the big omnic lifts his arm and starts shooting at them. 

“Jesus fuckin’--” Cole says, pulling Hanzo with him to hide in between two houses. Genji quickly moves Ana out of the way too, lifting her up in her arms and running. They don’t wait for Bob to stop shooting, getting in between the buildings, running away. They hear Ashe scream something else. Bob stops and they start to hear the hoverbikes revving. The sound is almost deafening. 

How many people are even here? How the fuck did they kept hidden?

“Let’s get out of here.” Genji urges them, putting Ana down.

“Follow me.” Cole nods, leading them on the adjacent streets. All houses are shut thigh, the shops are all closed down. When they woke up, Hanzo thought that maybe they were too early, but now he knows that they were set up. Fuck. 

Turning a corner, they see Maribell on the sidewalk, walking from one side to the other. When she sees them, she urges them to come closer, running to her house, opening the door. As they approach, shots are fired somewhere behind them, so they quickly dive inside the house. 

She closes the door with a soft click, not wanting to call attention. “Stay down.” She whispers. They do so, but they have their guns drawn, attention firmly on the streets. The hoverbikes zip by them, whoever is guiding them shoots several times to the sky. 

Maribelle looks through the window as the convoy leaves. She sighs in relief. 

“Are Y’all okay?” She asks. They all nod. “Okay, come on.” She motions for them to follow her. They are all put on the behind of a big old hovervan. Maribelle covers them with tarp and they are off to the streets. 

They spend some time driving, hearing the sound of gunshots in the distance. Genji, Hanzo and Ana are quiet, but Cole can’t help himself.

“Is this safe for you, Bell?” Cole asks, from under the tarp. 

“Oh, you know.” She says, no taking her eyes off the road. “I’m just an old silly omega. No one will suspect me.” Chuckling, she turns on a street. They hear the hoverbikes stopping right beside the van and everyone shuts up, freezing. 

“Good morning, Honey.” Maribelle greets. 

“You’re not supposed to be out.”

“I need to restock the ice cream fridge. You know how bad the next heat wave will hit us.”

There is a moment of silence. Hanzo and Cole share a look, nervous their cover has been blown. 

“You have those strawberry ones?”

“Sure I do.” She says, happy. “I’ll save some for you.” 

They hear the man speaking to someone beside him, it’s impossible to distinguish what they are talking about. The man then gives them a pass, whispering a thank you to Maribelle. They drive in silence for some time.

“See?” She says, once they are far away from the bikes. 

They drive some more, before Cole can’t take anymore and he asks point blank, no bullshitting. “Why is Ashe running Deadlock now?” 

“Oh, dear, she killed Theo.” Maribelle looks at him through the rearview mirror. “Sent a bullet right through his brain. Everyone just followed her after that.” She tuts, like what Ashe did was just a prank of a misbehaving child. 

“And why the fuck is she allowing the collars?” Cole almost sits up, but Hanzo pulls him back. “She hated how Theo treated omegas.”

“She isn’t treatin’ us like Theo did.” She says, easily. “This is protection, honey.” 

“It’s bullshit.”

“You expect Ashe to kill every alpha in this town that mistreated an Omega, don't you?” She shakes her head, already knowing Cole’s answer. “Now what would that leave us with, when the other gangs attack us?”

“It ain’t right.” Cole argues back. 

“What do you know, Cole Cassidy?” She now turns to him, huffing. “Maybe you forgot how it was in here, in whatever fancy place you’re living now, but for now at least the collars stop the bites!” She stops the car abruptly, making everyone roll or fall down, with the sudden stop. “We are here.”

She leaves the car, opening the back doors. They all get off and Maribelle urges them inside. 

“I asked Joe to bring the car here. I’lll get the tank full so y’all can leave.” She says, levading to actually refill the ice cream fridge.

As she works, They all sit around, hidden at the back, waiting for Joe to show up. Hanzo sits with Cole, the alpha rests his back against the omega’s chest. 

“ She’s wrong.” Hanzo whispers to him, caressing his hair. “ The collars are not protection, they are a prison.”

“ I know. ” Cole closes his eyes. “ They deserve better than this. ”

“ They do…” Hanzo nods. 

“Can’t change everyone’s mind…” Cole turns to Hanzo and brings his hand up, caressing the omega’s cheek. Hanzo kisses him, getting a firmer hold on his alpha, scenting his neck. “Oof, you’re squeezing me too tight, sugar.” He wheezes out, but his omega doesn’t release him, just holds him stronger. 

“ Aniki , you’re going to make him pop like a balloon.” Genji jabs at him. Hanzo sticks his tongue out, making a face to Genji, childish.

“‘S fine.” Cole pats Hanzo’s forearm. He closes his eyes, sighing content. “‘S all fine.”

--

It takes two hours for Joe to show up. It’s not close to lunchtime, but the car looks good. The old Alpha shows Cole how to keep the car going in the heat, avoiding the issues that made it crash in the first place. Something about coolant and not overworking it doing “stunts”. Hanzo is sure the last part was because of Genji’s bad driving skills.

Maribelle stops at Hanzo’s side, looking at the others. 

“I hoped I’d never see him again ‘round here, you know?” She sighs, a hand on her cheek, worried. “This place is not good for anyone, but especially for him.”

“I understand.” Hanzo nods. “The things he has gone through here…” He shakes his head, crossing his arms.

There are some seconds of awkward silence, before Maribelle says again. “You know, I was the one that found him. I’m sure he has told you about his childhood.” She lifts her eyebrows. “Showed up outta nowhere on the road, walking from there.” She points ahead of them, into the desert. “He was the cutest little bug, but the poor thing was all alone and dirty.”

“He has told me a little about it.”

“He used to spend time here, waiting for his mama.” She sighs. “Used to insist she’d come get him. But she never did.”

Hanzo looks around, realizing this is the place Cole has talked about. His dream. He looks at the direction Maribelle has pointed and his dragons slither awake. He, for some reason, knows there is something there, lost in the desert. 

“I’m happy he has found a family.” Maribelle takes Hanzo away from his trance. He turns to her, blinking, not realizing his eyes are stinging with sand. “I never thought I’d see him like this.” She smiles, happy.

“I’m happy too.” Hanzo says, truthfully. “He is…” there are not even many words that Hanzo could describe how he feels for Cole “Wonderful.” He then decides to say something reckless, something that will maybe make her happy. “He didn’t wild bite me. He- he hasn’t bitten me at all, even when he had the chance.”

Maribelle looks at him in surprise. Then she nods, blinking a little, tears gathering in her eyes. “He’s a good boy, isn't he?” She takes his hand, squeezing it tight.

“He is.” Hanzo pats their joined hands. 

They close the hood of the car and Maribelle fills the tank with ethanol. After she hugs Cole close, patting his face. 

“Don’t come back, Cole.” She says. “Live your life.”

Cole can only nod. 

“Y’all should really be going.” Joe looks back. Far away, coming from the town, a convoy of hovercycles is coming, they can see Bob’s massive frame on one of them. In front of him, Ashe is leading it.  

“Let’s skedaddle.” Cole rushes them, tipping his hat at Maribelle and Joe. They all jump back into the car. The alpha turns the car on, flooring it. They leave Maribelle and Joe behind, with only the hope that they will be okay. 

They don’t even have time to get their bearings before a shot zips through the rear window, puncturing a hole in it. Everyone instinctively goes down for a second. 

“Fuck.” Cole curses. Looking through the passengers window, Hanzo sees Ashe has her rifle pointed at them. She shoots two more times. It hits their back light and Hanzo barely has time to pull himself back inside before the next shot hits the wing mirror. 

They hear Ashe screaming something, and the hovercycles rev. Three of the gang members  get too close, shooting a hail of bullets at them. The rear window has gone to shit. Ana punches the glass off, it falls in one big mangled piece to the road and behind them, making the bikes dodge and accelerate. 

Ana aims. Two shots. A man falls off the hovercycle, asleep. 

Genji is not as gentle. His mechanical arms open up, he releases three shuriken. One hits the neck of the closest alpha. Another one hits the other’s headlight and then the anti grav device in the front. The hovercycle overturns, rolling around, sending the alpha to the ground. 

The convoy passes right above the fallen gang members, leaving their bodies on the highway. Cole speeds up. A shot from ashe hits their windshield, too close to Cole’s head. The car skids, Ana tries to keep her position, pointing her gun at the front of the convoy, right at Ashe. 

“A little help there!” Cole complains. 

The hovercycles on her side speed up, getting in the way of Ana's shot. 

“Keep the car firm.” Ana talks back, shooting one more time. Another hovercycle goes down. She sees Ashe snarls in frustration through her scope. 

The woman screams something and the Giant omnic stands up, and launches himself. His propulsors sends him flying above them. He lands in front of the car, lifting his arm. 

“LOOK OUT!” Hanzo exclaims. 

Bob starts shooting. Cole takes turns the steering wheel lefts and right, making the car zig zag. Bob’s bullets still hit them. Hanzo looks at one of the small lights on the panel, shining orange. “We have to slow down, the car will overheat!” He shouts above the sound of the shots.

Cole grunts, but slows down. He pulls the wheel to the right. The car swerves right in front of Bob, stopping. Genji takes the opportunity. In a second he sends several shurikens towards the omnic, hitting his body. It doesn't seem to phase him, until one of the metal stars hits his eye, injuring him. The omnic stops shooting, holding his face.

Genji shoots three more shurikens, right in the middle of the crevices of Bob’s hand, jamming his gun. It fizzles and cracks when the omnic tries again.

The hovercycles are closer now, Hanzo sees one of the female alpha's swing a chain like it's a lasso. Cole changes gears and speeds out of the highway and into the desert, kicking smoke. Bob tries, in vain, to hit their car with a punch, but they are already too far and he only manages to dents the back, making the car sway a little as it speeds away.

“Get in!” Ashe yells at Bob, stopping for just enough to let the omnic get on her bike. 

The alpha with the chains speeds up, running right beside them. She hits the passenger side with the chain, breaking the window. Hanzo crouches down, protecting his face and back of neck.

Cole draws his weapon and aims. He shoots twice, hitting the woman on the chest and then on the face. More two roll around, one on each side of the car. 

The first one, by the driver’s side, uses Cole's distraction to elbow him in the face. He hits once. Twice. The crack of it makes Hanzo look up. Cole's face is bleeding, nose red with the impact. “Shit.” He says, a little out of it. The omega snarls, reaching over to hold the gangbanger's jacket thigh to the car. 

“GENJI!” he shouts. His brother, from the opened backseat window, pierces through the man's torso with his sword, twisting it and cutting the man all the way up. Hanzo releases his body, letting the Hoverbike drive away, rolling in the dirt.

The alpha on Hanzo's side grabs his left leg and pulls him. In a surge of panic Hanzo screams, turning his body desperately kicking as hard as he can. One, two, three times. Hitting the man's hand, breaking it to pieces. The man roars in pain. 

Hanzo takes an arrow from his quiver and jumps, half of his body hanging out of the car. The dragons lend him strength, and he jabs it through the man's neck. 

He quickly goes back inside, feeling the gunshots zipping in the air. He sits down, backing away from the window. He takes in huge gulps of air and feels Cole's arm snaking on his torso, bringing him close. Hanzo holds his alpha's hand like it is a life line.

“How are you, Cole?” Ana asks, shooting again. 

“That fucker got my eye.” Cole brings a hand to his face, looking back ahead. “I think my nose is broken.”  

Hanzo turns around looking at his face. He takes the hand away, assessing the damage done. “His nose is bleeding.” He turns to Ana.

“Grab a biotic pod in my pouch!” She shots again, sending another one down. Hanzo does so, but looking at the convoy tailing them, he sees there are too many still. They don't have enough firepower to take them all down, this was supposed to be a stealth mission.

He jabs Cole with the biotics, making the man flinch with the pain. He kisses his cheek, quickly, before an idea comes to his head.

“Hold me.” Hanzo says, getting his bow ready. 

“What?” Cole turns to him, surprised.

“I said hold me.” Hanzo climbs on the window. He turns his body, sitting on the opened window. He looks back, taking an arrow out of the quiver. 

The car zig zags a little. “Jesus fuckin’ crist, Genji hold the wheel!” Cole shouts, grabbing Hanzo's gi with his prosthetic hand. Genji quickly moves to the front seat as he scoots over, holding Hanzo as best as he can.

Two men fall down in quick succession, courtesy of Ana. Ashe shoots again, focusing on the older omega and occasionally Cole. 

“Recharging.” Ana shouts, getting down pulling new darts on her gun. Genji swerves and zigzags on the desert, kicking up dust, making it hard for Ashe to actually hit them. 

Hanzo calls upon the dragons. Soba laughs. Udon shakes in anticipation. 

Breathe. Aim. Shoot. 

“ Let the dragons consume you!” He shouts.

The twins are released in full force, giant, cracking with energy. They look beautiful against the red desert, dancing around, opening their mouths, transforming the sand into glass, leaving a shiny path behind them.

Ashe immediately pulls her hover cycles out of the way, rolling on the dirt. Bob holds her, shielding the woman from getting hurt on the rough ground. Some of her goons do the same, all rolling, looking at the dragons not believing in what they are seeing. 

Soba and Udon still manage to kill the ones at the back, before crackling away, disappearing into the air, leaving a smear of blood and guts on the ground. He feels their energy slithering back into his body. 

The car speeds away and Cole pulls Hanzo back inside. The omega lets him, feeling the buzz of adrenaline coursing through his body. Looking back, they see Ashe standing up and shooting more, but they all fall on the dirt behind them. They are too far away. 

The convoy and the city start to disappear in the background and they all sigh in relief. 

--

“Should we follow?” One of the scouts asks, pulling his hovercycle up. 

“Let ‘em go.” Ashe takes a deep frustrated breath. Looking at the direction Cole and his folks have gone. 

“Boss--”

“I said let ‘em go, didn't you fucking hear it?” She grits through her teeth. “They are dead anyways.”

“If that thing in the abandoned town doesn't get to them the feds will.” One of her gang members comments, making the sign of the cross. 

She fixes the hat on her head, going to help Bob. As Bob stands up, she pats her own neck, feeling the collar hidden under her turtleneck still firmly put in place. That fucking omega and his stupid nose knew she was one too.

Bob, the calm omnic he has always been, walks to their hovercycle, putting the thing back up. As he does it, Ashe can't stop thinking about how the motherfucker actually did it. He got out of this shit hole and got the straight up job, the omega and the kid he always wanted.

What a waste of potential.

Bob calls her, and Ashe walks to him. She mounts the hovercycle, turning it on and away from the desert. 

“Let's go, you idiots.” She commands, flooring it back to the 66. Her friend needs patching and she needs to kill the last contrabandist that sold her the scent patches.

Ashe doesn't look back into the desert. She’ll send more scouts to get the fallen vehicles back, see if whatever those dragons where did too much damage. And Cassidy? She has a feeling that, in one way or another, Cassidy won't be getting back here.

--

They drive for a good 15 minutes before they actually stop for the car to cool down. Checking their map, they try to figure out where the target is from where they are now. So they take a moment to assess the situation of the car.

“It's drivin’, still.” Cole says, looking at all the bent, broken and torn pieces. 

“It will be at least two hours until we get there.” Ana comments, showing the road. 

They take a breather, Hanzo brings Cole's face up, looking at the cut on his face. His eye is swollen shut, despite the biotics used. “Do I still look handsome?”

“Always.” The omega kisses him once, before cleaning the blood away. 

“Thankfully his nose isn’t broken.” Ana administers another dose of biotic to him and Hanzo can see the wound scabbing quicker and the eye slowly going back to normal, leaving a ugly bruise behind.

Winston and Lena decide to check in then, and despite the injuries and the banged car, the agents assure the commander that they can still do their mission. Ana takes the driver's seat, with Genji by her side, telling him directions. Cole and Hanzo rest on the backseat for now.

They drive.

And drive.

And drive some more. 

At some point, they see, in the distance, a small set of houses appearing. A town. It’s different from the ones littering the edge of the 66. 

“This isn't on the map.” Ana looks out of the broken window. Most of the time, the towns around the route were identified as ‘danger zones’, but here there is nothing.  “Are we in the right direction?” 

“Yes we are.” Genji looks at the map then at their GPS location. They continue forwards, passing right in the middle of the town. 

It's abandoned, probably for a long time now. The few houses that are standing are the ones that don't have gunshots in them. Even so, all the rotten wood, the cement, the plaques on the side of what probably were shops and houses on a commercial center, the sidewalks, are all stained with a dark and warm splatter. 

Old rotten blood. 

“What is this place?” Genji asks, voice trembling, breaking the heavy silence in between them. Ana swears something in Arabic again, her hands shake slightly on the steering wheel as she slowly drives by.

They stop the car, and for a moment just listen to the stillness of it. The town smells of death and disgrace. It leaves Soba and Udon restless. 

Ana opens the door and leaves the car. 

“Ana, no.” Hanzo whispers to her. Genji tries to hold her arm, but can’t. Walking around, she tries to find some sort of sign of life around the town, but there isn’t any. She enters a building, something that looked to be a small corner shop at some point, and there is nothing there. Everything is run down and has a layer of grime and sand on him. In the back of her mind, Ana expects to see bodies or at least old bones. 

But there is nothing in the town. 

“Ana!” She turns and sees that the others have left the vehicle. Genji approaches her running, Cole and Hanzo are walking with a more careful step. “We really should leave.” He says, voice trembling. 

“Don’t worry, habibi , there is nothing here.” She reassures him. There is a feeling in her gut, something telling her that they shouldn’t be there. It’s faint and easy to ignore, so she does so. 

“I don’t know if that’s true.” Genji shakes his head and looks around.

“Genji is right.” Hanzo says. His attention is suddenly pulled to the side. There. Udon says and Hanzo follows, through the road and into the main square of the town. It’s almost like something telling him where to go. 

In between two small shops, one for propane and the other a clothes store, there is a house. Small and with the worst of the damage. The door is open and broken, full of shots, the hinges blown off. The stains here are worse than anywhere else. 

There is darkness inside of it, so deep it almost dances under his stare. His dragons hiss and wiggle around, but can’t decide if they want to leave or not.

Pain Soba whines. So much pain!

A massacre Udon hisses, angry, and Hanzo needs to see what's inside. 

“No.” Cole stops him with a hand on his shoulder. Hanzo blinks, as if awakened from a trance.  He turns back, silently questioning the cowboy, but the alpha just shakes his head, tense. 

“Have you been here before?” Hanzo asks.

“No… I-- I don’t know…” Cole swallows down, looking round, confused. “But there is nothing good here.” There are tears gathering on his uninjured eye, the one from Deadeye. The cowboy blinks as if his eye is irritated.

Ana passes by them and goes to the main square. The small town is not much bigger than that, it almost feels like an old western movie, with the abandoned town and ruffians waiting to corner them, hidden away somewhere. Walking to the corner of the main square, she looks to the left and sees the endless desert. A shiver runs down her spine and she squints. 

Not that far away, she can see something odd. 

A giant hole in the ground, square, deep, much like a grave. 

There are rocks stacked close to it.

“What is that?” She asks. 

“Please, Ana.” Genji begs. She almost wants to go and see what is that, but maybe taken by the desperate plea of the young man, maybe because they still have a mission to finish, Ana nods and starts walking back to the car. They all board it again and watch as Ana prepares to leave.

Ana turns the key once. Twice. Three times. 

“Did it overheat again?” Hanzo asks, but Ana shakes her head. The whole car won’t turn on.

Wind blows through the desert, kicking up sand and making them all protect their faces and close their eyes. The sound of it it’s almost deafening and somewhere in the lost town, a weather vane spins fast, creaking loudly. It almost sounds like laughter. When Hanzo opens his eyes he sees that Cole is looking through the window.

“Are you--” He asks, pointing to the desert. “Are you seeing it too?” his voice trembles. Hanzo scoots over, looking at the direction Cole is pointing at. The desert is vast. There are trembling waves of heat leaving the ground, distorting the view. Hanzo almost sees something in there. 

Just for a moment. 

A blur of vivid Red. 

Eyes… and a grin.

His breath stops for a second and he feels like a deer caught in the headlights, as if he won’t move, he’ll die mangled and bloody. He instinctively covers Cole's eyes, bringing him away from the window. “Don't look.” He says, holding Cole down, body folded.

Ana finally manages to make the car start.

“Go, Ana.” He says. The older omega doesn't wait any more and accelerates, kicking dust as they run.

He looks back at the distortion. His dragons manifest, coiling around Cole, protecting him. NOT HIM. Soba snarls. He's ours. Udon hisses. And Cole holds Hanzo’s hand in a death grip, covering the cowboy’s eyes.

“You can't have him. ” Hanzo looks at the distortion, challenging it with a whisper. “ You can't have him. ”

“Stop, aniki. Look down.” Genji says, looking straight ahead. “ Don’t look at it .”

Hanzo closes his eyes, bringing Cole even closer. Hanzo swears he hears a cackle, far away, iced with the wind. He ignores it, whispering to his alpha to pay attention to his voice. 

“I’m here. You're here. You're here with me.” He whispers again and again. 

They are out of the town in less than ten minutes, but it feels like it takes a lifetime. Once they are out, Cole lets out a sob. 

--

They don't say anything else on the rest of the trip. There is nothing there to stop them. In the middle of some rock formations, they spot the government facility. They don't make a show to hide it very well, anyone that passes by it would know what that is. But after everything, Hanzo honestly doubts anyone normal could even get closer to where this place is located. 

Ana stops the can behind one of the big rocks, and they all leave the car. She takes the scope out of her weapon, looking through it. 

“We’re late.” She says, passing the scope to Genji. He looks at it for some time before passing it to Cole and then to Hanzo. 

The government jeeps around the base are all ruined, smashed to pieces. There are bodies and gunshots everywhere, smashed windows and blood. 

So much for the facility still being there. 

They get back in the car and approach. There is no alarm, no cars approach them warning them off, no warning shots. 

The door is opened, it looks like it has been blown to pieces. Entering it, they see the bodies of soldiers littering the halls. The smell is unbearable and lingering. Hanzo brings the serape up to his nose, but it's unsuccessful in shielding the smell away. 

“It’s been a week at least.” Cole says, looking at the state of decay of one body. The maggots have already got to it, eating them away. “Even if we got here yesterday, it’d be no use.”

Genji uses the tip of the sword to examine a body. “Moira was here.”It has the same injuries as the people on Lúcio’s ball. They feel on the ground, lifeless, the same purple residue as before over their skin.

Hanzo looks at one of the doors. It’s forced open. The dents on it almost look like they were made by big hands, as big as Reinhardt’s. “Whoever else did this, we should be wary of.” He looks around, The shots on the walls are repetitive and even. A machine gun was used, maybe two. Some corpses have their necks broken, from someone with so much force their heads bend in impossible angles. 

They walk around, investigating the place. The silence following death has infected every room. Everyone is either dead or has run away. All the cameras are shut down, fried to pieces. Genji goes to the computer in the security room, looking for the last recording. The computer is useless, turning on and Sombra’s purple skull blinking on it, before it shuts down again.

Deep inside the facility, they find the room they were looking for, hidden under an undisclosed door. Subject Sigma. Or they think it is by how destroyed the place is. 

The tiles on the wall have been ripped away. There is a stretcher in the middle of the room, bent backwards, the ties in there are ripped off. Broken glass and twisted pieces of metal litter the floor. 

The bodies of the soldiers and scientists are crumpled. As if they were paper balls. There are cuffs on the ground, as there is a muzzle. Cole picks all of them, turning the muzzle around. They leave the cursed room, and do one last look. 

To their surprise, in one of the rooms not attacked, they find something Sombra couldn’t get to. Paper files. A small cabinet of it. They take all of them, moving to the trunk of the car. 

Hanzo takes the wheel now, starting the car. He finds the next highway soon, going away from the 66. It doesn’t take long for them to get to Colorado. Tracer lands down with the orca, helping them move the files inside. The car is ditched.

“Good thing I used my fake name.” Cassidy chuckles, looking at the car for the last time. The orca flies through the skies. All four agents sigh in relief, relaxing against the cushioned seats.

Cole looks through the orca’s door, facing the desert. Hanzo gets to him, pulling the alpha away from the window and to his side.

They have spent too much time lost in this dessert. 

--

“Ouch! Hija de puta! ” Sombra pulls her arms away from the doctor’s grasp. “Are you sure you’re taking my stitches off or trying to get a sample tissue?”

“I’m merely doing my job.” Moira says, opening an easy (and very creepy, in Sombra’s opinion) smile. Sombra grumbles, frowning at the way the doctor pulls her arm and snips the threat too close to her skin for comfort. 

The hacker much rather be doing this with any of the other medical staff Talon has in their ranks, but apparently since she is now considered one of the “elite members” of Talon, she needs to check herself with Moira. And she hates it. 

Moira’s lab seems to get worse every time she enters it. It’s not messy or disgusting, no, the problem is that it’s full of her experiments. Some shipped from the labs at Oasis, some done here. Most are fetuses, most are not viable to sustain life, due to the mutations done to them. Sombra doesn’t know what she does with them now. Probably more tests. 

She turns and watches the freezer on her left, looking at the last of her experiments, preserved in a small jar. Poor things didn’t even look human, with the snout and the hard layer or scales on his skin. Sombra opens her mouth to ask if this was one of Gabe’s, but she stops herself. 

The knowledge of what she’s doing with Gabriel’s genetic material is more important to be used later on, when she’s tired of this bullshit. 

Moira finishes taking her stitches off. 

“Try not to get on Mauga’s way next time.” She pats Sombra’s cheek and chuckles, as if she has just told the funniest joke in the world. Sombra shivers, getting down from the medical bed.

As she starts walking away,  she notices, on the far side of Moira’s lab, Gabriel, lying on a bed, scared face closed off in pain. He’s not on any pain medication as far as she can see, but there is a iv dripping down on his arm. The man is not releasing the perpetual “smoke” that always seems to float around him now, he’s more solid than she has even seen him before. 

However, she’s sure that if she went to talk to him now, he wouldn’t be able to answer her, maybe not even recognize her. He never could when he felt this kind of pain. 

She pulls her head down, trying to ignore his erratic breathing and small grunts of pain. Now is not the time to show weakness. Moira is here.

She walks out of the lab (because that’s what that place is, a lab, not a med bay) and to the corridor. Akande has called for her earlier, wanting to chat with her to give her some kind of job. 

She passes through the room where Sigma is, his door is opened, and the man is looking down as a line of ants walk in and out of his room through the door. He looks up, waving at her, humming a senseless melody. Sombra has to swallow down, trying to not puke remembering the kind of wreckage the man created when they freed him. 

She walks fast, not using her cloaking in here. She knows she’s being watched. 

When she gets to the conference room, Akande is alone, looking through the window. The big desk in the middle of the room has several piles of papers on them. Sombra thinks that they could be a little less on the nose with the whole villainous look. The purple and black clothing already makes them stand out too much.

“You wanted to see me, jefe ?” She asks. 

“Yes, Olivia.” He turns to her. Akande is using one of his suits today, probably going to travel to make one of his deals with whoever. “I need you to do surveillance on these targets.” he motions to the stack of papers. Sombra rolls her eyes, taking them and opening the files. 

She looks at the targets shown on it. Some people he was interested in recruiting, some people he wanted to make business with like the people running Arbalest Arms Company, some targets like Vernand Sainclair and a Rat inside a giant round robot, The Junker queen’s bodyguard. She tried not to question why Akande did what he did, but this palace was turning into a circus really fast.

“You could have emailed me those.” She jokes, opening a smile to him. Akande is not impressed by it. “Okay, I know, safety first. I’ll get to those and I’ll have all their little secrets on your desk  next week.” She closes the file. “Not that Seth even does something with it, anyways. He just uses the locations to send his soldiers to explode them with rockets, anyways. Anything else?”

“Yes, I need you to prepare something else for me.” He approaches the desk, towering over Sombra. “Overwatch has been a little pebble inside our shoes recently, haven’t they?”

Sombra looks up at the man, swallowing down in fear. Her stunt at Junkertown suddenly comes to the forefront of her mind. She’s sure she has no recordings of helping those two idiots. But one could never be sure with Akande. 

“Well, what did you expect, jefe ?” She questions, pretending sarcasm. “They keep recruiting some pretty big names.” 

“Yes, I am aware. And I want it to stop.” He fixes his tie, walking to the door. “I need them disbanded. I want Jack Morrison, Cole Cassidy and Hanzo Shimada desperate.”

“I don’t know, our maternity leave is shitty.” Sombra sits on one of the comfortable chairs. She remembers the last image she found of the eldest Shimada online, a flash of image on one of D.va’s streams (the girl really was reckless at times). His baby was big now, he looked less gaunt and tired. His tits were huge now too, she can understand why the cowboy snatched him as soon as he could.

Akande looks at her, completely unimpressed by her joke. 

“Don’t you think it is better to focus on someone else?” She tries again. “I don’t think they’ll come willingly.”

“You don’t understand the power of these three, do you? The sheer impossibility of Jack Morisson’s whole being, the Shimada Dragons or that death skull on that ridiculous man’s eyes.” He shakes his head. “Is more than the simple technology you know of, girl.” 

And that Sombra can’t swallow. She has no idea what Shimada and Cassidy use, if it's hard light, bionic or some kind of technology in the ink of the archer’s skin, but she sure as shit won’t believe in magic now. So she just hums. 

“We’ve been promised those abilities a long time ago.” He says. “And your job is to do as I say, not to question.”

Sombra doesn’t feel the same chill on her spine as before, now she feels something else, akin of despair. “Jeez, okay.” Sombra huffs, looking at Akande. She takes the last folder, one he hands her with care. She knows that whatever it is that he asks her to do, she will not like it.

Notes:

Dan dan dan. I told yall I had a semblance of a plot in there somewhere. Also the gang faces cosmic horror beyond human comprehension.
By the way, a lot of the way that Deadlock works was based off of some gang activities in my country and how they dominate certain parts of the country. So, yeah.
Also, Cole gets a bruised nose and face because I managed to almost break my nose on my nightstand a few days ago and let me tell you, That shit hurts so much. Man, I’m sorry, who the fuck can receives a punch in the nose and walks away? I literally had to lay down from the pain and it wasn't even that bad! Hollywood is lying to y’all!!
I hope you liked it. Again, any mistakes tell me and I'll fix it.

Chapter 19: I'm sorry if I smothered you

Summary:

The aftermath

Notes:

Did you guys know that the smell of putrified corpses can linger on your skin? It’s horrible. How do I know that? A morbid curiosity and access to the internet too early in my life.

This chapter is brought to you by Come into my arm, by November Ultra.

When they get back to the base, Brigitte and Angela are expecting them with a fussing Ako on the doctor’s arms. Seeing his daughter makes Hanzo take a deep breath, relieved at last. They are home again, safe and sound. 

He moves quickly to get his daughter, holding her against his neck and chest. “Thank you, Angela.” He says, looking down. Ako makes a face, smelling his skin.

“It's nothing.” She says, but also closes her eyes, blinking rapidly. 

“Oh, Jesus, You guys stink.” Brigitte makes a face, pinching her nose and turning away. 

“Try rollin’ around in the desert with a bunch of nasty alphas and see if you’d leave it smelling of flowers.” Cole mumbles, standing right beside Hanzo, Brigitte looks at his face, hissing. 

“Ouch.” The young woman points at his eye and nose, in sympathy.

“Yeah, yeah.” He dismisses it, caressing Ako’s head with his hand. The baby turns around to him, but startles looking at the alpha's face. She starts crying immediately, seeking comfort by holding Hanzo’s neck. Cole faces falls. 

“Your face is still swollen, silly alpha. ” Hanzo reassures Cole, shaking his head. He pats Ako's back, trying to calm the baby down. Cole still looks dejected.

“Actually, you two smell like death.” Angela says, also pinching her nose. “As in actual corpses.” Cole and Hanzo look at one another, the memory of the lab fresh on their minds. 

“Thank you two for the help, by the way.” Genji interrupts, carrying with difficulty the documents in his arms. He hands the box to Brigitte, who takes it with ease.

“It is just some papers.” Hanzo scoffs, rolling his eyes. His brother shakes his head and approaches Angela, giving her a peck on the lips. The doctor, however, makes a face of disgust at him too.

“Okay. You all are smelling like corpses.” She actually turns away, waving the air in front of her. “What happened?”

They don't even know where to start. 

“The military base was destroyed.” Ana says, leaving the aircraft, she has a binder on her hand, one she has been reading on the flight back. She approaches them, handing it to Angela. “But we got some information about who Sigma is.”

--

Before they can debrief, Angela sends them all to take a very thorough bath and to burn their clothes. “Believe me, the smell won't come off.” She sends them a pointed look, before she takes the files to Winston, Ako held in her hip. 

Hanzo sighs, but does as she says. He and Cole take the time to bathe together only to save time. They scrub themselves raw, until the water is a murky reddish brown and they have to pull the plug and refill it so they can soak in. The alpha is so tired, emotionally and physically that he ends up sleeping on the tub, resting against Hanzo’s naked chest as the omega lathers his hair.

As he’s scrubbing Cole’s hair, Hanzo’s eyes linger on the alpha’s back. Before, Hanzo had noticed the scars and assumed it was mostly from the field. After all, people like them always had scars from knives, gunshot wounds, etc. But now, looking closely, Hanzo sees that some cannot be from that alone. 

On the high part of his back, there are retangular scars, distorted by time. Tracing them, the omega realizes it looks like the shape of a belt buckle. 

There are far too many of those. 

Hanzo’s eye sting with unshed tears and he blinks it away. There is no time for this. He goes back to his task and starts to rinse the shampoo away and brings Cole chin up, trying to not make the soapy water run down his face and eyes. But when he touches Cole’s neck, the cowboy immediately snaps awake, holding Hanzo’s hand with a death grip and turning, harshly, to him. 

He’s scared, eyes wide in terror. 

When he realizes where he is and who he is with, Cole relaxes. Hanzo is taken aback by the reaction, but controls his expression. His fear must show somehow, because Cole’s face falls again.

“Sorry, Hanzo.” He whispers, taking in a deep breath and turning away.

The omega can see his eyes are wide still, stare lost somewhere, maybe in his memories. He remembers the interaction with the kid in the morning. Old Tucker and his liquor. The way the boy had marks of hands in his neck, how the old man grabbed the young girl’s face.  

“It’s fine.” Hanzo reassures, kissing the alpha’s shoulder after. “It was a hard day.” He takes a second but seeing Cole hasn’t answered, says. “See, you didn’t hurt me.” Hanzo lifts his hand, showing it to him. The situation feels so familiar, just months before, he was at his mate’s place. 

Cole nods, a slight tremble to his lips. Hanzo wants to ask about it. About Ashe, about that cursed town, about Tucker and the girl and Maribelle, to know everything about his alpha that there is to know. But he waits. The same way Cole waits for him. 

He feels Cole trembling in his arms. A sob leaves his mouth. He quickly covers his face, muffling the sound. The alpha brings his knees up, folding himself on a thigh ball, hiding away. Hanzo can’t let him get away and snakes his hands around Cole’s chest, holding him firmly against his chest, slightly swaying back and forth. 

“The old man--” Cole says, in between sobs. He can’t finish the phase, words lost in between his hitched breaths. Hanzo shushes him, kindly. 

They stay like that until the water runs cold and Cole has no tears to cry anymore. Hanzo simply caresses him, at some point he starts to hum, trying to be as reassuring as he can. When Cole finally stops, they are both shivering with cold. 

“Come.” Hanzo says, leaving the tub and using his crutches to stand up. The alpha goes too, swaying a little as he stands up, tired to even speak. The omega opens the shower head, rinsing them with warm water, trying to make their fingers look less pale from the cold.

Back in their room, they put on soft and warm clothes and Hanzo decides to use his boots for the sake of convenience now. Cole sits on the bed and pulls Hanzo to his lap, hiding his face on his chest. Hanzo lets him, stroking the alpha’s hair. 

“I'm sorry for all of that.” Cole mumbles against his skin. 

“Stop saying nonsense.” Hanzo kisses the top of Cole's head. “There is nothing to apologize for.”

“I should be stronger about this.” He mumbles, feeling a little hollow inside.

Hanzo brings Cole's face up, looking him in the eyes. “You already are.” He lets the man hold him tightly and scent his neck. “Remember about sharing burdens.” he whispers against his shoulder. He turns his face, kissing the alpha’s neck, not trying to initiate anything, just wanting to share touch.

“I thought I was past all of that. That town… The people there.” Cole says and Hanzo hums in understanding. “I'm a goddamn adult, I shouldn’t be affected by it.” The alpha frowns.

“It upset me too.” Hanzo looks down, remembering the collar, the alphas, the girl. That poor girl. He really hopes she and her brother have run away. He hopes she’s in one of the bigger towns, away from the 66 and that she found safety.

“It was your first time there, I grew up on that--” He cuts himself off, taking a deep breath. Trying to get out of his “mood” as Ana calls it. Being mad right now won’t help anyone or make the situation any better. “--town.” He finishes, deflating. 

“I think it is good that you are bothered by all that happened.” Hanzo says. “It shows you're not like the alpha's there. You don’t accept what happens there as normal.”

There is a moment of silence. 

“You know what’s funny? I was scared of him, the man at the dinner.” Cole sighs.  “Tucker. He’s an old, frail man now, I’m twice his size, and I still got scared that he’d recognize me.”

Hanzo hums, nodding, watching as Cole’s face clouds with anger. “I understand how that feels.” He gives Cole a sad and quick smile. “Time and time again I see myself being reminded of my past. My father, the elders.” Hanzo gives Cole’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I still fear them, even knowing most are dead or close to it.”

“We’re a mess.” the alpha comments and Hanzo nods, chuckling a little. Cole caresses Hanzo’s leg, opens his mouth once, then closes it. He wants Hanzo to know about his past, his childhood. Even if he’d much rather forget about it entirely. “Old Tucker… His farm is the one place they dump you when nobody wants you as a kid.”

“So he was your “foster parent”?” 

“If you can call him that.” Cole huffs, angry. “I only call him that ‘cause it is too hard to try to explain the whole thing. We were more like… Labor. We did everything on the farm, cared for the small crops, cleaned, tended the animals, cared for the younger kids.”

A realization hits him, then, something from months ago comes back into mind. The day after Ako was brought into the base. “You took care of the other kids.”

“Yep.” Cole nods, patting Hanzo’s leg. “Cared for the babies they left there, tried my best so they could behave, make sure they wouldn’t get hurt by the oldman. Took a whole lot of blame. Did it ‘till I couldn’t take it anymore.” He sighs. “Deadlock found me soon after. You know the, uh, the motorcycle thing. Was tryin’ to run away.  And the rest is history.” He lays down, taking Hanzo with him.

Laying sideways, he looks at the cowboy. Hanzo caresses the man’s face with the back of his hand and scratches the beard. Cole hums, pleased with the touch,a lost purring at it. ‘Turning into mush’, he’d say. The cowboy was always hiding a soft and fragile interior under his bravado and jokes. 

“You knew their leader, too.” Hanzo asks, curious. “Ashe, was it?” He wants to know more about the omega that hid herself so well that no one realized what she was.

“Hm?” Cole opens his eyes. “Yeah.” He looks at the ceiling, frowning. “She got on the gang after, when I was older. She was my friend back then, even if she was the worst at makin’ fun of me.” He tells, remembering the past. Two stupid kids, Cole trying to survive, Ashe trying to show to her parents she was tough and didn’t need them. “Guess she made it to the top, like she wanted to.”

Hanzo hums in acknowledgment. 

“She acts…” Hanzo starts, but presses his lips on a thin line, not knowing how to explain without sounding crass. Cole looks at him, an eyebrow lifted and an easy smile shows up on his lips.

“Rich?”

Hanzo snorts. “Yes.” He props his head on the back of his hand. “She has the same mannerism as the sons and daughters of people my father used to meet with.”

“Wouldn't be surprised if you two have met before.” Cole shakes his head, damp hair sticking to his forehead. “Her folks are rich. Old money rich. Her full name is Elizabeth Caledonia, but everyone calls her Ashe.” He looks at Hanzo, waiting for him to recognize the name. 

“You don’t mean Caledonia as in “owners of the Arbalest Arms Company”, do you?” Hanzo squints at the cowboy, thinking he might be joking. He alpha just nods, a knowing smile on his face. “Why is she there, then?” Hanzo asks, even more curious about the whole story.

Cole chuckles at his eagerness and then starts to tell him the whole story about Ashe and Bob, her parents, the lost inheritance due to her erratic behavior, how she got on the gang by stealing rifles from her own family and delivering them to Theo. 

“Really sucks that she’s the one continuing the bullshit Theo did.” Cole closes his eyes. “Especially bein’ an omega too. Go figure…” Hanzo hums in agreement. He rests his face on his alpha’s chest, just watching him. 

“Thank you.” Looking at him right now, Hanzo feels lucky. Lucky that Cole feels enough confidence in him to share those things, to tell him what most don’t know. “For telling me.”

“Of course.” Cole kisses Hanzo’s forehead, giving his waist a light squeeze. The gestures make Hanzo’s heart beat faster. He can’t believe someone would trust him that much, above all Cole, who seems to want to keep the past buried away. There is a moment of silence where they can enjoy the time together, Hanzo wants to stay like this forever. 

The thing is, the stench on their discarded clothes is honestly so strong it ruins the mood. Hanzo has to roll away from the bed, shove them inside a plastic bag, and then that bag inside another plastic bag, just to make sure the smell could be contained. 

“I hadn’t realized how bad the smell was.” Cole closes his eyes, pinching his nose.

“Maybe nose blindness is an actual thing.” Hanzo actually gags a little. How didn’t he notice it? Maybe Hana was right and he was only sensitive to Alpha's smells. He stands up, bringing the bag with him, with all the intention of burning them, maybe with gasoline. Fuck global warming, this is a hazard bigger than that.

“Hey.” Genji says, opening their window with a startling loud noise. “You two want me to burn your clothes too?” It makes Hanzo and Cole jump in place. Hanzo, out of pure reflex, immediately goes into fight mode and throws the plastic bag at Genji, hitting him straight in the face, making his brother fall back on the ground. “ARGH, ANIKI! DISGUSTING!” He screams. 

Hanzo marches to the window and looking through it he sees Genji is on the floor. The ninja is wearing, of all things, short shorts and a sweatshirt. The clothes he used on the mission are already burning on a pile in an empty paint can. Far away he’s soaking the parts of his body armor that could detach in water and what looks like industrial detergent. The thing has so much lye in it that Hanzo is sure he saw Torbjorn use it to strip paint from one of his turrets. 

“Why are you opening our window like that?”

“I’m making sure the two of you don’t traumatize anyone else at the base again.” Genji says, turning his nose up and crossing his arms. Hanzo squints at him, wondering if he should try to strangle his brother.

“I'm bricking this goddamn window.” Cole grumbles, massaging his eyes. He stands up going to the window too. He looks down at Genji’s get up. “Ain't you cold?”

“I turned the feeling on my legs off. It's a ninja thing.” Genji says, making a face at the bag Hanzo has thrown at him. He gets up, hastily putting it on the fire. Hanzo sighs, he really liked his black gi. 

No more than a minute later, Ana opens the sliding door on the far side of the garden, stepping out of the mess hall. She waves at Cole and Hanzo from where she is.

“Angela has told me we are all burning out clothes here.” She lifts a bag with her clothes in it too. 

“Yeah, this is a ‘fuck Deadlock in particular’ bonfire now.” Genji nods, calling Ana to get close too. She dumps her clothes on the fire. Hanzo nods, climbing the window and out to the garden in a swift and elegant movement.

“What in the--” Cole says, looking out of the window. 

“Come, cowboy.” Hanzo lifts his hand. “It's fairly easy.” He taunts. Cole huffs, annoyed, but follows. As incredible as it sounds, his long legs actually make the feat of climbing the window harder. He gets a cramp on his leg, cursing a whole lot as he almost rolls out of the window and into the garden, even getting the feet stuck.

 The day is already over, the sun setting on the horizon, but the sky is gray with the low clouds. They watch their clothes burning, and Genji comments how Lúcio is right. They should make a place for a bonfire.

“Can, Uh, Can I ask y’all somethin’?” Cole crosses his arms, trying to warm himself under the serape. Everyone makes a sound in acknowledgement. “Did y’all see it too, right? In the desert?” 

A chill runs up everyone's spine at the mention of whatever that was that they saw in the nameless town.

“Can we please not talk about it?” Genji begs, holding his hands together in front of himself. “That skeleton really scared me.” He closes his eyes hard, a miserable expression on his face.

“That's what it was?” Ana crosses her arms. Genji nods, sniffing a little. Is he crying out of fear for real? Hanzo wants to snort at the reaction, but he was in fact even more scared than Genji back then. Ana says something in Arabic, as if she is blessing herself. 

“So y'all did see it.” He swallows down, throat dry. He sees everyone nodding. “ Least I know I'm not crazy. Don’t know if that’s better or not.” 

“I couldn't see it, exactly, Habibi .” She closes her eyes. “But I felt it.” She shudders at the memory. 

“I saw the cursed thing's grin.” Hanzo says, feeling a small thread of despair coiling on his stomach. Cole brings him close, trying to make the feeling go away. It works marginally. “What was that?” He turns to his alpha, trying to decipher whatever expression he has on his face.

“I think it is Deadeye.” Cole shakes slightly, thinking about it.  “Or whatever gave Deadeye to me.” He doesn’t want to think about the implications of that, of what could be in his eye.

There is a moment of silence. Where everyone just tries to process what Cole just told them. Hanzo was no newbie when it came to the matter of the spirit realm. He and Genji have had their spirit dragons since they were kids, they had teachers who showed them how to communicate with the beings, to have a bond. Open the pathways to the other world. They would even at times see ghosts when the energies were stronger. Genji was always more scared of them than Hanzo. 

He just has never seen whatever the hell that thing in the desert was. 

“It is magic then!” Genji suddenly says, turning to Cole with a murderous stare. “You lied to me, Cassidy!” The ninja points an accusing finger at him. “You told me you had a natural talent for sharpshooting!”

“I'm my defense up ‘till today I didn't know that thing was real!” Cole holds his hands up, in surrender. 

“What did you think a demon skull was?”

“Drug induced hallucinations?” Cole reasons. “That looked more likely than being possessed!” 

“You're not possessed.” Hanzo reassures him, patting his arm.

“And how do y’know that?”

“I haven't seen you levitating in bed.” Hanzo deadpans, which makes Cole snort an ugly laugh. Ana chuckles at his stupid joke, but Genji only shakes his head, still pouting and mad. Cole holds Hanzo's hand, glad that he and his brother managed to lift the mood again.

He doesn't feel as raw as before, like he was fresh roadkill on the side of the road. Instead, he feels something deep settling in his gut. He remembers what Maribelle has told him. To live his life. 

He looks at Hanzo and he thinks of Ako. He wants that, to spend the rest of his life not thinking of the past and the last two days.

Hanzo feels a shudder on his body, trembling all over. 

“Woah, there.” Cole laughs and Hanzo punches his shoulder lightly, annoyed. Cole pulls him close, resting his omega under chin, warming him up with a hug.

The sound of the sliding door takes them away from the moment. “Ah, you guys are still here.” Angela says. She has Ako in her arms. “Come on, Winston wants to speak to you all.” She calls. 

Hanzo quickly goes to her, getting Ako in his arms. This time the baby rests on Hanzo's chest, babbling a lot to him. Hanzo speaks to her in soft Japanese, caressing her cheek. 

Cole approaches too, keeping out of Ako’s line of sight. The baby has his old serape bundled around her. The smell of him, Hanzo and the baby mixed makes Cole’s heart swell with a terribly strong feeling. 

He recognizes it, when Hanzo looks at him with his dark eyes and a smile that it’s only on his lips when directed at Cole. 

Hope. 

--

The debriefing is not quick. They have to explain the whole story. From the start when they bought the car to the end when they found the papers. It takes a long time, Hanzo even has to stop at some point to nurse Ako, feeling some relief since the whole mess today didn’t allow him to pump properly. 

No wonder Angela keeps chastising him and warnings about mastitis when he does his (and Ako’s) check ups, but he’s always too busy. 

After they have explained how the lab was found. The broken tiles, the bent pieces, the horrified way the bodies were found, Winston nods, deep in thought. 

“Thankfully, the paranoia of the American government has worked in our favor.” Winston says, opening one of the files they have gathered. “It made the whole operation worth it.”

“That's cause it wasn't your face beaten to shit.” Cole complains, still sours about the whole situation. 

“Consequences of a well done job .” Winston nods, as if it was a great sacrifice that Cole has done in favor of the New overwatch. 

“Do we at least know what subject sigma is?” Genji asks, crossing his arms, lounging against the chair. Winston looks at them, pursing his lips for a moment, as if wondering if he should proceed. He nods. 

“This is subject Sigma.” Winston says, showing the projection of a photo. “Dr. Siebren de Kuiper.” There is a man there, bald, pointy nose and a haunted look on his face. The muzzle is firmly shut on his mouth and his hands are held by the cuffs Cole got from the facility. “He was a renowned scientist in the field of anti gravitational studies. He created the devices that make our cars work.” The gorilla looks at the photo. “He was a friend of my father, one of the most brilliant omegas of his field. Everyone thought he was dead because of an accident in his lab.” he says, sorrowful. 

Winston and Angela then explain to the agents what the few files they read had to say. Dr Kuiper hadn't died in the accident, his mind was fractured and in between his ramblings about music, gravity seemed to act differently around the man. There are even files questioning if Dr Kuiper could actually control gravity as he wishes. 

“His mind seems too delicate for him to be the one behind the escape.” Angela says, looking at the files on her hand.

“Yeah, I reckon that even with his freaky gravity powers he couldn't just waltz away through the front door.” Cole fixes the hat on his head, cigarillo unlit on his mouth. 

“We know one of the attackers was Moira, and the other Sombra.” Ana says. 

“But we don't know who else was there. Reaper or Doomfist couldn't do what we saw there.” Genji hums. “We have seen what they can do. And it is not this.”

“It's far too brutal.” Hanzo says, remembering the marks on the door, the bent necks. “Like a child hitting a dog and laughing.” Looking at it, Hanzo felt the same kind of sinking feeling deep in his chest, the one where you see cruelty for the sake of cruelty. He had seen it before in the clan, accompanying his father when they had business to attend.

“Fucker did outta fun.” Cole completes Hanzo’s line of thought. Teh cowboy has probably seen the same kind of thing too. 

“Maybe it was that giant Omnic you spoke about.” Winston inquires. But Cole shakes his head.

“Bob likes guns. He would hate getting his hands dirty with blood.” Cole mumbles, looking at the information on their comms. “It stains his plating too much.”

“I'll be on the lookout for anyone new to Talon's ranks, then.” Winston says. “It’s hard to hide someone like this for a long time.”

“They seem to get stronger everytime we fight them.” Angela puts the files on her hand down, sighing. Hanzo wonders too, the several missions they had, most were successful, with the agents having to only get in contact with the elite agents of Talon here and there. However, when they lost, they lost in ugly ways. 

“And now they have a literal super villain with them.” Genji comments, frowning.

“Well, we don't know if he's really a Talon ally or if he was captured.” Winston sighs, looking at the photo of Dr. Kuiper. The man honestly looks scared, like he doesn’t understand what is going on around him. “Maybe he just…”

“Needs help.” Hanzo completes. He shudders to think of what an omega like him will have to face at Talon’s hands. 

“Yes.” Winston looks at him, nodding, thankful. “We’ll be digitizing the archives and I'll be updating the comms database with his information soon.”

When it's all over everyone is exhausted. Even Ako is half asleep in Hanzo's arms, face resting against his chest. 

They eat at the mess hall once Winston has dismissed them, having an early supper. The base is almost full now, with the other agents greeting them. Only Lúcio, Hana and Jack are gone, all to help Lúcio to relocate his family. Unfortunately for Cole, everyone seems to be focused on how badly smashed in his face is. 

The biotics have done the heavy duty, but according to Mercy, now he needs to wait for his face to finish healing on his own. And the thing is, unlike Hanzo, who had a small green mark on his face for some days, Cole's case is different. His left eye and nose have huge black and blue marks and discoloration. 

That wouldn't be a problem to Hanzo, his alpha is healing, that's what matters to him. The cowboy keeps quiet during the entire evening. He lets him be, knowing how emotionally draining everything was. But apparently the ogling irritates Cole a lot.

“Jesus fuckin’ christ, I know I look like shit!” Cole throws his hands in the air, frustrated. “Stop staring!” He points his fork at Reinhardt.

“Sorry, It’s just weird seeing you like this, friend!” The old knight reasons, eating from his huge plate of food. “We rarely see you coming back this visibly hurt from missions.” He gestures around Cole’s face. Cole grunts, looking down, picking at his food. 

“The other day I came back without an arm and an infected leg!” He grumbles.

“He means that we rarely see your face beaten in.” Torbjorn makes a face, as if looking at Cole’s everything gave him pain. “Whoever did this got you good.” 

“Had to see the other guy.” Cole grumbles. Hanzo smiles a little as he feeds Ako pieces of cooked chicken meat, remembering how the gang member was slashed and is probably rotting away in the desert. 

Serves him right.

“Don’t worry, it will be just a few days until the discoloration goes down. It looks worse than it is.” Angela dismisses, not even looking up from the files on her hand. She has been focused on it ever since Winston released them from the debriefing.

“You do not look like shit.” Hanzo mumbles to him. Cole scoffs at the comment, but Hanzo is not joking. The swelling has gone down, his nose thankfully is not broken, the only things left are the marks. An idea hits him, then. He passes Ako’s small plate to Cole. “Here, feed her, I’m starving.” He says, going straight to his own food. 

“Ah, no, sugar. She’ll cry again.” The alpha protests, but Hanzo looks at him sharply, as a warning to not test him. Cole sighs, defeated. 

They usually took turns feeding her, always did ever since he bought the baby bottle. Today, however, he seemed to hesitate even when sitting down to eat by their side. Hanzo had to forcefully pull the alpha down by the back of his shirt, to sit the chair beside him and Ako before they started to eat.

Cole shakes his head. “I really am whipped.” He huffs, going on with his task. Hanzo opens a satisfied and knowing smile, eating with gusto. 

When the cowboy offers Ako the food she eats without any problem. She even looks at him, opening her two teeth smile. She was startled at first, but now with Hanzo’s and Cole’s usual scent surrounding her, the baby feels safe and happy.

Cole caresses her head, laughing at the way her hair stands up. Ako soon yawns and Cole lightly pinches her cheek. She makes grabby hands, asking for him to hold her. The alpha smiles, swallowing a lump on his throat. Hanzo can see his eyes are a little damp as he gathers the baby in his arms, lulling her to sleep.

Hanzo thinks that Joe was right, back then in the desert. 

Cole is soft. 

Soft and gentle, and everything he has ever wanted.

--

There is something squeezing Hanzo’s neck. 

He feels the hot wind and air of the desert surround him. 

There is a cough. 

Beside him, Cole is on the ground, face washed in red. His breath is shallow, wheezing as if his lung was punctured. Hanzo tries to reach for Cole, but whatever is in his neck stops him from going forward, choking him, chafing his skin. 

A low cackle echoes around him, carried by the wind. 

Hanzo in a moment of despair feels his neck. It hurts. There is a collar there. A collar with a leash. Taking his hand away he sees blood. Blood mixed with saliva.

Someone pulls the leash, making Hanzo fall face first into the ground. He sees bony feet, stained with red approaching Cole. 

No! You can’t have him! He tries to scream, but a hand grabs to the back of his neck, nails digging on his skin, scruffing him. Looking up he sees him. The man from the heat hotel.

He opens a smile to him. 

His teeth are red with blood. 

Hanzo wakes up with a jolt and a sob escaping his mouth. Looking round he sees that Cole is by his side, staring at him with wide scared eyes. He's sitting up on the bed, the only light on the room coming from the comm in his hand. 

“Are you okay?” 

Hanzo barely listens to the question, quickly reaching for his own neck, feeling only his warm damp skin there. No collar, no fresh bite, no hand on his neck. He’s sweating, hand shaking with terror. He turns to Cole and pushes the comm closer to his face and only sees the bruises. No blood, no wheezing sound. 

Once he realizes what he had was a dream, he relaxes some, anxiety still coursing through his body.

The alpha puts the device down. “Can I touch you?” He asks and Hanzo nods quickly. Is all he wants now. As soon as Cole touches a hand on his shoulder, Hanzo is launching himself on his arms, shuddering a breath. “You’re here with me.” He says and Hanzo nods. “Another nightmare?”

Hanzo nods again. He hadn’t realized how upset the whole day had made him. He looks At Cole, feeling his face, trying to ground himself. His breath is erratic. 

“Was it the same nightmare?” Cole asks. Hanzo shakes his head. 

“I dreamed he bit me.” Hanzo wheezes out. “And you were dead.” he grinds his teeth, panic overtaking him. It has been some time since he panicked this hard about a nightmare. Somehow, everything that happened during the day comes crashing down on him, the cool and collected facade starts to crack.

Ever since that day when he tried to kill Genji, Hanzo could never maintain the same cold facade for long. He could never manage his feelings like before, repressing them deep inside his chest, dampening everything with duty, training and work. He really tries, but more often than not, Hanzo finds himself overwhelmed. 

Cole hugs him, much like Hanzo has done earlier. He takes the omega’s hand, resting it on his chest. 

“Breathe with me.” He starts to breathe slowly. Hanzo, in between the tears and the despair, follows his lead, feeling Cole’s heart beating under his palm, the rumbling purr on his chest. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out.

When the omega finally calms down, Cole looks at him, a small sad smile on his face. “Sorry.” Hanzo croaks. He’s used to having night terror and Cole helping him. But it was never this strong and desperate before. 

“‘S fine. I was awake.” Cole kisses his brow bone. The omega snuggles closer. He doesn’t want to tell Cole how bad he feels for being a burden to the man after everything. “‘Sides, I told you I’d take care of you too.” He caresses Hanzo's face, stroking the omega’s temple with his thumb.

Hanzo nods and lets the alpha tuck him on his chest. “Sleep.” Cole caresses his arm. They stay like that for a while, but he can’t fall back into sleep. It’s already close to morning, and as much as he wants to, Cole being awake and looking at his comm doesn’t help.

He peeks at what Cole is looking at, wanting to see what he’s so eagerly scrolling through. In the small screen of the comm, he sees what he thinks is a page for an online shop. He opens his bleary eyes, trying to see what his alpha is looking at, but his head movement startles Cole, making him immediately jump in place and shut down his comm, hiding it under himself. 

“What--” He mumbles.

“Nothing.” The alpha looks at him, eyes wide. “You didn’t see anything, did you?” He questions, looking intently at Hanzo. 

The omega shakes his head, denying it. Maybe he's looking into another gift for Ako or something like that. He closes his eyes, hugging Cole close. “Come sleep.” 

Cole huffs, but relaxes, scooting down the bed. They drift in and out of sleep, soon waking up fully when it’s time. Hanzo forgets about the thing once his day starts. 

--

The next few days go as normal. There is one more mission that the other agents go to, leaving the watchpoint almost empty. He's sitting with Ako in the garden, reading to her. He wanted something in Japanese, so he could get her used to listening to the language, but beggars can't be choosers, as they say.

Cole, to Hanzo’s surprise, is at the gym, because he “Figured I start the workout Angie keeps naggin’ me about.”, complaining about how running apparently is making him windy. “Almost had the wind knocked outta me carrying that scout!” Cole shook his head. “He couldn’t be heavier than Hana!” He was apparently very mad about it, grumbling about being out of shape. 

Hanzo thought the cowboy was in a perfect and delicious shape and that he shouldn’t do more than he needed to. But watching Cole getting sweaty and red in the face after the workouts did make his day better, just a little. 

“ Your daddy is silly, little Ako.” He whispers to her, caressing the soft hair in her head. Ako only coos on his lap, babbling a sting of syllable, looking at the figures on the book in front of her. 

He huffs at himself. In the last few days, he has been unconsciously (yes, unconsciously, don’t laugh) calling Cole her father, when he’s alone or with someone that can’t understand Japanese. Of course it’s stupid, he and Cole have not spoken about it and he can't impose on him, but he can pretend a little, can't he?

The door opens and Lucio enters the garden. “ Aí, Caraca, why is it so cold?” Lucio asks, rubbing his arms with vigor. The day is not that cold, actually. Hanzo himself is using a simple sweatshirt and pants and Ako snuggles happily on her monkey onesie Winston has given her, a blanket around her. 

“Welcome back.” Hanzo greets him. Ako, on his lap loudly cheers, opening her eyes wide, always excited to see Lúcio. “I didn’t hear the Orca landing.” Hanzo wonders if the rattle Genji has given Ako is making his hearing go out of if it was the amount of shots he heard a few days ago.

“We didn’t come back with the Orca. Winston did some crazy route so people couldn’t track us.” Lúcio goe to sit down beside Hanzo. “Morisson drove us from the airport.” He makes a face, then pretends to be holding a steering wheel, turning it around erratically. He stops then, turning to Hanzo. “Did you know he drives like a madman?”

“I’m familiar with that.” Hanzo nods, remembering the one and only  time he experienced Jack’s reckless driving. It wasn’t that he was bad at it, like Genji is, it was that the man thought every road should be open to him, and only him, for use.

“Man, how do you manage to stand this cold?” Lúcio rubs his arms again. “ Frio do cacete .” 

“I’ve had enough hot days for a lifetime.” Hanzo says, looking away, remembering the stifling heat of the desert. Lúcio lifts his eyebrows, silently questioning, but Hanzo shakes his head. He doesn't have the will nor the patience to explain the whole mission again.

“It’s Lúcio who is too used to Brazil.” Hana says, stepping out of the mess hall to the garden. Hanzo can see the girl has a nice tan on her skin, she looks flushed. “You had to go with us, the weather was amazing!”

“Yeah, It was really good. And we managed to relocate my family easily.” Lúcio smiles. “Now there is no way Vishkar can get to them.” The young omega sighs in relief. Hanzo smiles just for a second. He can’t imagine what it is like, having to leave his whole family behind to do the right thing.

“And Lúcio wasn’t joking about the bikinis.” Hana makes a face, getting redder on her cheeks.

“Oh, I brought gifts, too! Remind me to give them to you later on.” Lúcio says. Hana stands beside him and they start to tell him about the mission to relocate the Dj’s family. Apparently it was easy, and Vishkar hadn’t made any moves on them, and there were no suspicious activities. Still Lúcio was wary, Alex also didn’t show any signs he was dangerous until he needed to finish the job.

“I mean, what if one of my mom’s church friends is Vishkar? What if it is one of our neighbors?” He waves his hands around, nervous and stressed. “And I can’t move them all to Gibraltar, they already hate that we had to move out of Rio.” He deflates, passing  hand over his face.

Hana rests a hand on Lúcio’s shoulder. Hanzo does the same, trying to reassure his friend. 

The door slides open again and when Jack steps out, Hanzo almost bursts into laughter. Hana and Lúcio may have a nice tan to their skin, but the man is absolutely red all over. Hanzo can even see the mark left on his face by the glasses.

“Why are you out in the cold with the kid?” He asks, as grumpy as ever. “Come back inside.” Hanzo rolls his eyes, but stands up with Lúcio’s help. It’s no use being here if people will nag him for getting his very bundled up daughter out on a mildly cold day.

“Don’t mind him, he’s grumpy because my mom tried to set him up.” Lúcio rolls his eyes as they enter back on the watchpoint. 

“Imagine a tiny Brazilian omega manhandling Morisson around.” Hana points a thumb at Jack who Hanzo knows is rolling his eyes behind the glasses. “He was super awkward.” 

Hanzo presses his lips on a thin line again, not wanting to laugh out loud imagining the situation. He has to admit the idea sounds pretty funny. 

“Come on, I almost had him as my uncle, can you imagine?” Lúcio laughs, then brings up his phone, showing the photos of the trip. It’s his family, at some sort of celebration on the beach. They are all enjoying it, eating food, with cans of beers and soft drinks in their hands. 

Oh, those are the Brazilian bikinis. Hanzo feels his cheeks redden. What surprises him is not that they are small, but that all the omegas are wearing them, no matter the body type. All apparently very comfortable around each other and in public.

He spots Morrison on the back of one photo, in the background wearing, of all things, a floral shirt, khaki shorts, sandals and SOCKS. There is an attractive black man by his side, who he supposes is Lúcio’s uncle. Morrison looks absolutely awkward as all hell, red not just from the sun.

Jack just grumbles something, sitting down at one of the tables. At this point, Hanzo is sure that Cole’s habit of mumbling things comes from spending too much time with Jack and not Gabriel as people keep telling him.

“Can’t hear you, old man.” Hana says, as badly mannered as ever. 

“I told you, I’m already mated.” Jack says it again, louder, frustrated. Lúcio, who was passing right behind him, flinches at the assertion, face scrunching, as if he forgot that Jack had told him that before. 

“Sorry, man.” He says. “I tried to explain it to my mom, but you saw how she is.” Lúcio tries to explain. 

“It’s fine.” Jack sighs, a miserable cloud of sadness floating around him. Hanzo knows it's not okay, especially with all he knows about Reaper. With the way Jack reacted after the last encounter, it is no wonder he smells like sad, depressed, rejected omega. It stinks the whole mess hall, on top of that there is the rancid smell that Reaper marked him with. 

Hana, who is also behind Jack, makes a face at Hanzo, urging him to quickly change the subject.

“We-uh just came back from a mission too. We passed through route 66.” Hanzo says and Jack looks up at him. Okay, maybe he can change the subject and tell them all about the nightmare scenario they all lived. 

“I heard the place is thought.” Lúcio sits down by Jack’s side, encouraging Hanzo to keep talking.

“That place is terrible.” Jack sighs, fixing the glasses on his face. 

Hanzo nods and goes into the tale of the things that happened. He starts with the rickety car they bought. Somehow telling them is easier than telling Winston and Angela. Here, with the people Hanzo has come to call friends, he can tell the story with all his actual thoughts about it. 

Of course he doesn’t realize, in between Lúcio’s worried comments and Hana’s snark, that Jack is fuming by the time he gets to explain how Cole held half of his body outside of the window and the dragons snaked their way into the desert. 

“And Cole agreed to go?” The older omega asks, working his jaw muscles. He’s sure the man is grinding his teeth. 

“I wasn’t aware we could refuse missions.” 

“Wait, can we?” Hana turns to Jack, surprised. 

“If there is a threat-- ” He says through his teeth and Hanzo wonders if they have insurance for dental work. Actually do they even have insurance at all? Probably not, but it’s good to ask. “--to an agent's life, then yes.” 

“Yes, he agreed to go, but he did not want us to use the road--” Before Hanzo can finish though, Jack stands up, the chair feet screeching on the ground, making Ako whine and Lúcio flinch. The man stomps out of the mess hall, coming face to face with Cole as the alpha enters the room. He has a fresh shirt and his hair is damp, probably from taking a quick shower after the gym.

Jack just stares at him for a moment. 

“Uh-oh.” Cole says, before he’s snatched by the back of his collar and Jack is pulling him to the corridor. 

Hana, Lúcio and Hanzo look at one another. They stand up, getting close to the door and hear raised voices arguing. Jack’s voice is louder, and obviously more angry than Cole’s, who sounds more like a chastised child. They can’t distinguish what they are talking about, but it’s soon over when Cole exclaims something else. 

Cole enters the room pushing the door with too much force. The three omegas hastily turn back, pretending to be talking to each other. Hanzo pointedly doesn’t look up from Ako, humming a nonsensical melody to her. 

“Did you have to tell him about the mission?” Cole stops by his side, fixing his hat. Lúcio and Hana look at him and the former actually makes a face of pain. Cole rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, get outta of your systems, I look like shit.”

Hana opens her mouth, but quickly closes it, holding back some snarky comment about Cole. 

“I told you that you do not look like shit.” Hanzo huffs and massages the bridge of his nose. “And how was I supposed to know he’d be angry about it?” He asks Cole, now angry. 

“I don’t know, sugar! You two talk more than me n’ him.” Cole reasons. Hanzo rolls his eyes, knowing it's not true at all. “I don’t know what came over him now, he’s grumpier than normal.”

Hana and Lúcio look at one another, a nervous energy in between them. They exchange a series of gestures and looks, silently having an argument, one that Lúcio seems to lose.

“Can’t you go see if he’s okay, Hanzo?” Lúcio turns to him, puppy eyes in full force. “He was super upset on the trip.”

“Really?” Cole turns to the Dj, now obviously worried. 

“Yes.” Hana now sounds serious, voice low and worried. “He wouldn’t tell us, but his phantom bond acted up.” She crosses her arms, looking down. “He was in pain when we landed in Rio.”

Cole and Hanzo share a look. The alpha licks his teeth, obviously worried for the older omega. Could it truly be Phantom Bound Syndrome? Hanzo had felt the putrid smell of death on Gabriel the one time he met him, and on Jack ever since that masquerade ball. He was alive, after all… Wasn’t he?

The alpha purses his lips, bringing the hat down a little. Hanzo scrunches his face, feeling guilty. 

“Fine.” Hanzo relents, dropping his shoulders. Why he, of all people, needs to be the one to ask the man about an illness he knows he doesn’t have. 

He holds his daughter firmly against his chest, and gives himself a mental pep talk, before stalking out of the mess hall and into the corridor. To his luck, the man is still on the corridor, on the way to the housing units. 

“Agent Morrisson.” Hanzo calls. The man turns to him, frown deepening on his face. Well, now that’s uncalled for. Hanzo approaches, feeling absolutely awkward about it. “Please wait.”

“What do you want, Shimada?” He snaps. Okay, now that’s even more uncalled for. “Has Cole sent you to try to make his case--”

“No.” Hanzo interrupts him, lifting one hand in surrender. Besides the very apparent sunburn on his skin, Hanzo can see the man looks tired and haggard. “Cole did not want us to even go to route 66. He wanted us to take another route, but it would take longer. Winston insisted on it.”

And that’s again the wrong thing to say, because Jack blisters even more. “What was Winston even thinking?” Jack paces around the corridor, angry, yes, but more than anything worried. Maybe that's why the gorilla sent the man to an easier mission with paradisiacal beaches when Cole was sent to the mission. 

“We didn't expect Deadlock to be that far from Arizona.” Hanzo looks at the man walking up and down the corridor, getting more annoyed that he, of everyone that went to the mission, is the one getting a lecture.

“They are all over the 66!” 

“Tell Winston that!” Hanzo snaps, then takes a moment to realize what he has done. Jack looks at him with raised eyebrows. “I apologize.” He clears his throat. “It was hard for everyone to be there, we are all a little frazzled still.”

Despite his strange newfound proximity with the old commander they still kept a healthy distance between them (Hanzo likes to call it that, Ana jokes they are just too awkward and grumpy to have a normal conversation).

“Of course.” Jack takes his glasses off, massaging his eyes. “I’m going to kill Winston.” He grumbles, feeling tired. Hanzo knows the feeling. He waits a minute in awkward silence. He wants to beg to be dismissed so he can go back into doing his own things. 

“Come on. I need to ask you something. ” Jack turns his back, walking away. Hanzo looks down at Ako, sighing, wanting to scream to the void. Jack walks them into one of the empty conference rooms. 

When Hanzo closes the door, Jack asks point blank. “Do I still smell mated?” 

Hanzo blinks, taken aback by the question. Jack looks down, arms crossed. His expression doesn't show anything, glasses making it difficult for Hanzo to get a read of him. But he relents, taking a whiff of the air. The older omega’s scent is still the same old sweet lavender, but in the middle of it, Hanzo still smells the rotten fruit and decay. Tangy and sweet, like Reaper. 

Hanzo makes a face, nodding, feeling sick. 

“Okay.” He swallows down. “Thank you.” Jack's face is still the same cold impassive one, but his voice still trembles, betraying the fear in him. He puts a hand on the junction between the shoulder and neck, on his bond bite. “I got…” he shakes his head, pressing his lips on a thin line. 

Hanzo doesn't know what to say, so he just pats Jack's shoulder, awkwardly. Jack snorts at the gesture, but finally relaxes.

“I felt… I felt pain, through the bond.” He confesses. Like this, Jack looks fragile, not like the soldier, the ex-commander, the badass leader of overwatch. No, he looks like a omega who needs help and a friend. 

So despite Hanzo's wariness he asks. “Do you still feel him?” He watches as Jack nods. 

“Could be a phantom bond. He could've…” Jack opens his mouth again, but closes it with a click, like he didn't mean to say it. He bites his lower lip, chin wobbling as if he might cry.  Ako makes a fuss about it, the smell of distressed omega upsetting her. Jack laughs, wet and sad and messes her hair. He sniffs and cleans his nose, watching the baby giggle. 

“I don't think it is.” Hanzo says, not trying to reassure, but because he knows the man is alive by smell alone. “You reek of him.” He covers his nose and mouth, trying to make the scent go away.  

Jack's scent was usually subdued, he doesn't know what the omega does or if it’s the serum but he rarely smelt it, even when the soaps and deodorants wore off. Before, reaper’s scent was also very subdued, it was just a detail on Jack’s scent, an afterthought, the old smell of an alpha long gone. A small rancid smell at the end. Now that Reaper has scent marked him again, it was strong and mixed with Jack’s scent, as if to announce to the world that YES JACK MORISSON IS TAKEN! And when it came to the smell reaper left behind, it was particularly bad. 

“Is it that bad?” 

Hanzo wants to say it's the worst scent he has ever felt in his entire life, rivaling the smell of the corpses they found at the facility. But he doesn't say it, not wanting to be disrespectful. Even if it's Reapers the one he'd be offending, it feels wrong to kick a dog when he's down. 

“You can't smell it?”

“I can.” He crosses his arms, as if waiting for Hanzo to explain to him. Okay, nose blindness is an actual thing, because there is no way, absolutely no fucking way Jack doesn’t know how bad the smell is. Or maybe it is that theory that true mates will find each other’s smell pleasant no matter what. 

“Right.” Hanzo opens a tight smile, hoping the older man will release him of this absolutely awful interaction. “Was this all?”

“No.” He says, to Hanzo’s dismay. AHHHHHHH he thinks. Can’t this man release him from awkward interactions? Did he like to see Hanzo squirm? Do people here actually hate him that much? “Is Cole okay?” Jack turns to him, sounding genuinely worried.

Ah. 

Okay, then.

“He is now.” Hanzo clears his throat. It feels weird to be one one asked about when it comes to Cole’s mental state, but he guesses that he brought it into himself, with the display in the garden some time ago. It was different from when Angela asked it, the woman was doing her job and using it to annoy him after all. 

“Good.” Jack nods, looking down. “He always hated doing any missions close to the 66. I know it weighs on him…”

“You should ask him about it yourself, since it is so important.” Hanzo says, hating being used as a carrier pigeon. 

“Cole and I don’t talk like that anymore.” Jack shakes his head, a deep tiredness radiating off of him.  “But, thank you.” He moves to the door, but before he can leave the room, Hanzo stops him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Maybe you two should talk again.” Hanzo clears his throat. “And he deserves to know more about you. And about Reyes.”

“Shimada…”

“He cares deeply about you two.” Hanzo insists. “Just tell him.”

Jack looks at him for a moment, before sighing and shaking his head, opening the door and leaving in silence. 

Hanzo sighs. Both Cole and Jack are too stubborn to properly talk with one another. The last conversation he (unintentionally) heard from them showed how strong their relationship was and still is. 

Somehow, now he thinks that maybe the “butting heads” Cole has mentioned before was the alpha’s memories tainted by hurt feelings.

He could see Jack deeply cared about Cole and vice versa. Tired, Hanzo goes back to the mess hall. He watches Hana trying to convince Cole to appear on her stream so she can show people how “good she is with camouflage makeup”. Hanzo wants to laugh about it, but he is still in deep thought. 

He stops by the counter and Cole sends him a questioning look. Hanzo nods, reassuring that everything is fine, even if it isn’t. He wonders what are Jack’s plans about Reaper. Why Reyes left his mate behind, suffering like this. Why didn't he just cut the bond and leave? 

 With a sigh, Hanzo looks up and pays attention to Cole. 

The way he laughs out loud with whatever it is that Lúcios is saying, the twinkle in his eyes, the way he looks at him when he realizes Hanzo is staring and how it makes the feeling of love swell on his chest.

And he wonders how can either Jack or Reaper bear it?

--

“What were the two of you talkin’ about back then?” Cole asks as he brings Hanzo close. They are in their room now, both sitting on the bed. Hanzo is reading, while Cole did whatever he was so interested to watch on his comm.

“Nothing of importance.” Hanzo reassures him, but Cole doesn't bite it.

“Really?” He asks, as unimpressed as he could ever be. Hanzo sighs, again getting angry he’s being used as a carrier pigeon. 

“You should talk to him.” Hanzo sighs. 

“About?”

Hanzo hesitates a little, but still says it. One way or the other Cole needs to know it. “His mate.”

The alpha stills at his side and looks at Hanzo. He takes a deep breath, and he takes the hat off, to scratch his hair. There is something stirring in his mind, worrying him, he knows that. He lets the man marinate on the thought for a while as he reads his book. 

He managed to find, tucked away in the corner of the bookshelf, the continuation of the (not his, shut up Genji) Cowboy romance. This time it focused on the couple running away from the kingdom of the cruel alpha prince, hiding away and dodging difficult situations. He couldn't help but get swept into it, as trashy as it was. Thankfully he managed to find one of those cloth book covers to hide the cover so he could read in peace, away from Genji and his mockery. 

“You really like these books.” Cole looks over his shoulder, reading exactly the page where the terms “big knot” and “cowboy” are used way too many times. “You got to the rowdy Part, huh?” Cole asks, amused and Hanzo immediately closes the book with way too much force and throws it under the bed. Cole chuckles, but Hanzo turns to him, an irritated look on his face, cheeks red with shame. 

“Hold your horses, I'm not making fun of you.” He pats Hanzo's hip. 

“Then what?” He snaps. 

“I'm just wondering if you'd like something like that as a gift?”

“Why would I want this as a gift?” Hanzo shakes his head. He reaches down the bed, trying to feel where the book has fallen to without making himself fall from the bed. When he manages to reach for the book he sits up, cleaning the small amount of dust in it.

“Your birthday.” Cole says, as if it's obvious. Hanzo blinks, looking at his alpha. He had completely forgotten.

“Is it almost November?” Hanzo looks at his own comm. There he sees that yes, they are just a week and a half away from november. He was so focused on everything else he forgot his birthday was close. “Oh.”

“Yeah, you’d like something like this book?” 

“Ah, no, is…” Hanzo dismisses. “Stupid.” He puts the book away on the bedside table, feeling self conscious about reading it now. 

Hanzo is a trained ninja, a serious omega, raised from his pre teens like an alpha, with a severe face and hard muscles and rough hands. Reading this kind of foolish romance, with soft carrying alphas and even softer delicate omegas always felt stupid for him. Something he was looking at, longing for, but never would be allowed to be or to have.

Well, maybe he did manage to find  the soft carrying alpha. 

“Ain't no such a thing as a stupid book.” Cole says, as if he’s reciting from memory. 

“It is foolish, then.” Hanzo purses his lips, trying to make Cole forget about it.

“Come on, sugar, you like ‘em don’t you?” He gets the book, taking the cloth cover off and looking at the marked page. “You’ve read almost all of it already.” 

Thankfully the cover wasn’t the common oil painting of a shirtless alpha holding an omega with a flowy dress against his naked chest. Like the fist book, this was simple, the name written in bold letters at the top, instead of an open field it was a dark forest now and two horses, one white and one black, hidden away on the foliage. 

“You don’t need to buy me anything.” He tries to change from making it about the books, to make it about the gifts altogether. “I didn’t buy you a gift for yours, so…”

“Genji ratted on me, huh?” Cole huffs, turning the book, looking at the description behind it and at the author's name. He’s for sure buying either the 3rd book from Hanzo or another one from the same writer. 

“He told me when I asked what he wanted as a birthday gift.” The omega crosses his arms. “And you wouldn't tell me.”

“Don’t like birthdays.” He says, easily. Hanzo relaxes then, and nods. Okay, no birthdays then. Cole gives the book back, laying down. 

Hanzo lays beside him and thinks about going back to his book, but he puts it on the side again, feeling self conscious now. He’s used to hiding the things he likes to consume and just doing whatever other people wanted him to. 

He has done it since he was little, his father gave him a very sturdy allowance once he turned 15, for him to spend with whatever he liked online. Or so he thought it was. His first buy was a simple eyeliner pencil. Something he used to watch his mother apply everyday when he was little, the pencil gliding over her eyelids, enhancing her features. 

He didn’t know that his account was linked to his father’s. He learned quickly that day to not buy anything that was too omegan for himself.

So he ended up buying whatever reading material his father and teachers approved or rented the documentaries about business and the movies about the art of war®. Sometimes they let him indulge in something that was too famous and unavoidable, if his brother insisted on watching or reading it with Hanzo (although it was more for Genji than himself).

However, he learned quickly that his father didn’t seem to care about the money he gave to his brother. Genji’s allowance was smaller than his, per the Elder’s request, and he wanted things that every teenager wanted. So he used Genji’s freedom to his advantage, asking him to sneak in small things, for a price of course.

His father and the elder’s saw it as him being a virtuous person. Genji would laugh at that. He also learned quickly that his brother’s other payment for the favor was to mock him. The makeup and trinkets were fine, but his brother loved making fun of him for his tastes, his books, his movies. 

He kept it all hidden deeply inside his closet, under the only place his father wouldn’t even acknowledge it existed, his heatbox. So he tried to keep the buying to a minimum, just re-reading or rewatching whatever he already had or what Genji had.

On certain nights, when both Hanzo and Genji were too upset to sleep, his brother would want to watch a horror movie together and he'd sneak into Genji’s room and watch something horrible that he had rented or bought on a disk. 

They watched all the classics from the golden age, like the slashers, the exorcism movies, the weird ones, the Italian ones, the trashy ones (he still thinks about the original Evil Dead to this day) the more intellectual ones, even if Genji slept right away when there wasn’t a chainsaw cutting someone or a zombie jumping on the screen. 

On rare occasions, Genji would give him something. Some gifts as jokes, some genuine like the carving tools so he’d make wood charms. Sometimes he’d let Hanzo have the movies he didn’t like to watch from his library.

Those his father let him keep.

That's why he had watched the dollars trilogy so much. It had nothing to do with Clint Eastwood's charming smile. He swears. 

So he’s used to it. He doesn’t need anything. He’s entertained enough inside the base and he didn’t mind. Most of the time at the base the television in the lounge room played the news or one of the sports the alphas (and Lúcio, apparently) liked to watch so much. The books were enough, even if most were non fiction. 

He was too busy to do anything of the sort anyways.

The baby monitor crackles, showing that Ako is awake, making Hanzo sit up. Cole pulls Hanzo back, grabbing him by the waistband of his pants. “Stay, I’ll get her.” He stands up. “I need to go talk to Jack anyways.”

“Stop using Ako as a shield.” Hanzo lays on the bed again, holding his book close. 

“‘S not my fault it works.” He shrugs, opening the door to the baby’s room. “Hello, Ako-chan.” The alpha approaches the crib, seeing the baby seated up. She babbles, waving at him. “I’m tellin’ you, she’s so cute we could rob a train with her and no one would even mind.” He grabs the baby, bridging her in his arms. “Then we could get that mansion, right, Ako?” He asks at her and Ako nods, probably not even understanding him. 

“I told you we could rent it.” Hanzo deadpans, going back to reading his book. Cole snorts, shaking his head and leaving the room. Fortunately, Ako didn’t need any change right now and didn’t seem hungry. Even so, he could warm some milk from the fridge for her if she got hungry. 

He walks around the base, Ako yawning on his arm. Brigitte points him to where Jack is, leading to the shooting range. Cole waits for him to finish on the outside, back resting on the wall. By now the place is completely empty saving for the older man. 

When the shooting stops, he enters. He can see the older man is looking at his own score, deep in thought. Jack looks up in his direction, the noise of his spurs calling his attention. Cole uses Ako’s hand to wave a hello to him. Jack shakes his head, and he knows the man is rolling his eyes at him.

“What do you want?”

“Well damn, what a way to greet someone.” He shakes his head. “I came here to see how you’re doin’. Lúcio told me you had some issues in your mission.” Cole asks, looking down at Ako, just to not face Jack. 

The commander looks at him unimpressed, and then asks. “Shimada-- Hanzo has told you to come here, hasn't he?” Jack checks his gun, pressing the safety on. Cole massages his eyelids, hating how well the older omega was able to read him. 

“Okay, yes, sorry.” He relents, annoyed. “But I am worried about you. He told me to come talk to you about… About Gabe.” He takes in a deep breath, looking away.

“That’s why you have the kid?” He gestures towards Ako, who looks at him with a sleepy, disinterested gaze. 

“It works for Hanzo!” The cowboy argues, fixing his hold on the baby. Jack walks to the weapon's locker, putting his pulse rifle away. There are minutes of silence where Cole just waits for Jack to lock the door and come back and talk to him properly. 

“There is nothing to say.” Jack goes back to Cole, fixing the glasses on his face. “You already know what you need to know.”

That again, Always a non answer, always dodging the questions. Cole is honestly sick of it. It was the same after Lúcio’s masked ball, he realizes now. Jack hasn't really spoken about the encounter with Reaper and what that was. No, he knows the man was assaulted, with the way that he found the man, the way he was scent marked. 

“You never actually answered me if…” He starts, blinking a little. His eyes are stinging, he realizes. It's not Deadeye, no, Cole is afraid of the answer he'll get once he asks his next question. “If Reaper has bitten you.” 

Jack is taken aback by the question again. He thought that Cole would have forgotten about it. He looks a little pale about it and brings a hand to his neck, where the mating bonds usually are. It's an automatic reaction at this point for Jack, to feel their bond, reassuring himself that it is still there. Cole immediately gets angry looking at the reaction, assuming that Jack really was bitten. 

“I’m gonna kill that motherfucker myself!” He snarls. Ako whimpers on his arms, face scrunching with the smell of angry alpha. “How fucking dare he?” Cole bounces the baby, trying to make her stop whining, but also calm himself. He apologizes to her, but is still fuming, grumbling about ripping the Reaper apart.

Jack just chuckles, suddenly remembering the past. How he always was too protective over him and Ana, always snarling around. Cole blisters at it. Why is Jack laughing about it? “What?”

“No, no, I’m sorry, kid.” Jack takes his glasses off, cleaning his eyes. “It just reminded me of before.” 

Cole lifts his eyebrows, surprised at Jack’s reaction with the whole situation. He feels a wave of righteous anger filling him.“I know you never liked me, but I do care about you!” He snaps at the man. Why is he acting that way? 

“I never liked you?” Jack asks, incredulous, posture open, almost mocking. 

“Yes!”

“Kid, you spent more time with me and Gabriel than on the base. You had dinner at our house several times, and did house sitting for us.” Jack scoffs. “I let you borrow my books many, many times.”

“That was Gabriel.”

“Most books were mine. And if I didn’t like you I wouldn’t let him do all of that.” Jack scoffs. “You think I let him bring just anyone from Blackwatch home?”

“I don’t know!” Cole argues back, feeling somehow stupid.

“No, I didn’t. Most people on Blackwatch didn’t even respect me, because I was an omega, you know that.” He huffs, looking away. “You’re the one that learned fast.”

“After the scoldings you gave me all the time, I had to.” Cole grumbles, feeling the overwhelming want to smoke. He hates talking to Jack like this, it only leads to emotional turmoil and stirring of memories that he’d rather forget. Cole almost reaches for a cigarillo in his pocket, but doesn't, remembering Ako is on his lap.

“I scolded you because I wanted you to be better than the mercenaries there. You deserved better than that.” 

Cole swallows down, looking at Ako. “Yeah. Kinda worked.” He thinks about how Jack was the one who said he was too smart to be just a black ops soldier. He was cleared to be in the library quickly too, he’d always thought it was something Gabriel did for him. But now, looking back, Reyes never had that much authority outside of Blackwatch. 

He faces the man, how pale he looks, how sad and angry he always is. Desperately searching for his mate that’s probably not even alive anymore. There was no body, just body parts. They don’t even know if it was really him. 

“You deserve better too, Ma.” Cole croaks. “Maybe it’s time to move on.” 

There is a moment of silence in between them.

“Gabriel’s bite is still here.” Jack whispers, almost inaudible, hand massaging the bound. Cole is surprised by it. He gets closer and Jack brings the collar of his shirt down. And there it is, clear as day, Gabriel’s the bite, just as he remembered.

He remembers the day Gabriel told Jack to show him his bite mark. The image seared itself in his brain, it was the first time Cole had seen not just a bite given with consent, but one that was mutual. Gabriel had Jack’s on his own neck and he was proud of it.

And there it was. Not faded at all. 

“How?” Cole looks up. His voice is thick and wet with sadness.

“I told you he’s alive.” He sounds hopeful, a small smile on his face. But it’s soon gone, replaced by a lost stare. 

“Are you sure?”

“I… He is…” he starts, opening his mouth. He wishes he had the courage to just say it, to tell Cole that Gabriel is Reaper. He almost does it, but his voice is stuck on his throat. 

He can't. 

He can't let Cole know that. It's not the time, above everything Cole has gone though lately with Ana, with Deadlock, with him. He shakes his head, then he pats Cole’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about Reaper.” No. That can wait some more. 

“How can’t I? He marked you that day!” Cole motions to him, anger filling his lungs. “You were a wreck, Jack. I don’t even know what he did to you.”

“I know how to deal with him.” Jack argues back, temper flaring. 

“Jack.”

“I'll deal with it. Don't start with your macho alpha bulllshit.” He looks at the alpha, not wavering, in a tone he hasn't used in a long time, almost… motherly. Cole actually looks down, like a chastised child. 

“It ain't bullshit.” He grumbles. 

“Ba-ba ba!” Ako protests too, making an angry face, looking exactly like Hanzo once he's angry. Cole can't feel angry when she is close, apparently so couldn't Jack, considering he snorts a laugh.

The baby shield does work!

Jack pokes Ako's cheek, making her open a smile. And then, out of nowhere, he steals Cole's hat, messing up his hair. 

“Hey. Stop!” he protests, trying to get his hat back. He hates this prank. Jack used to do it all the time before, as payback for the time he accidentally called him mom. It was one time and he was recently recruited! Jack gives the hat back, chuckling as Cole grumbles, putting the hat firmly on his head again. “The disrespect.”

“It's not disrespectful when I'm the older one.” He says, taking Ako from Cole's arm. “Come on, kid, I’ll teach you how to aim properly.” He looks at Ako, who just blows raspberries at him, making spit bubbles. “The kid is just like you, no respect for authority.” Cole snorts out a laugh.

“Don't get her close to a weapon, Hanzo will actually kill me.”

“I’ll obviously get her a toy one.” Jack dismisses him and Cole snorts at the joke. He always knew Jack to be a goody two shoes back then, always taking his duty and the politics seriously, doing things by the book. Now he’s very different. He knows Hanzo will be mad as hell if the man gives her a toy gun, but hopefully the anger will be directed at Jack and not him. 

Ako turns to Cole smacking her lips, making a disgruntled noise. 

“Let's go, I have to feed her.” Cole takes his daughter back. “Right, little Ako? ” They walk in silence towards the kitchen area. The alpha plays with Ako on the way, letting the baby hold onto his finger, singing some nonsense to her.

Jack remembers the talk with Hanzo earlier that day. “Are you okay?” He asks in the middle of the way. 

“Me?” Cole turns a questioning look to the older omega.

“Yes, you.” He rolls his eyes. “Winston sent you to route 66 even if I expressly told him not to.” 

Oh. That.

“I am.” Cole reassures. “Hanzo helped me to deal with all the bullshit that came after.” he'd much rather forget about the whole thing and the way he just fell down into tears in the bathroom. He's grateful Hanzo did so, it has been a long time since he had this kind of panicked cry.

Last time it really happened was when the UN put everyone on Blackwatch in a “suspension” right before it all went to shit. He kept thinking he was either going back to jail or back to the 66. He didn't have anyone with him. His colleagues left as soon as they could, Genji was recruited on Overwatch, Gabriel and Jack were dealing with the whole bullshit, so he had to panic in his room alone, while he tried his best to gather the few things he had. He was too proud at the time too, to even think about showing what he saw as weakness.

So. Yeah. He is really glad he has Hanzo now, someone he could not just show this side of him, but that accepted it and didn't judge him for it.

Jack hums, looking at him with a weird expression. 

“What?” 

“Just wondering.” He says, an amused smile on his face. “About the two of you.”

Ah, This again?

“Not you too, Ana and Fareeha already told me I'm moving too fast with him and--”

“I was actually wondering how you haven't proposed a bond yet.” Jack interrupts his ramble, looking at him straight in the face. Cole stops. He digests what Jack has said. He turns, face as red as a beet.

“Now, listen, just ‘cause you and gabe got hitched quickly doesn't mean everyone will!” he feels his face getting hotter with every word said. “People can date and get married without having to bond and--”

“Oh, you’re thinking of proposing already?”

“Yes-No, I mean!” Cole says, frustrated. “We bareilly even talked about moving in--”

“Ah, you two are thinking of getting a house.” Jack nods in approval.

“Please stop!” Cole covers his whole face with his hand, hating the attention. He doesn’t want to tell Jack how he is so emotional about this whole thing he has already even thought about what ring works for Hanzo.

“Is he skittish about it? You know, sometimes discussing it with him on a date--” 

“I’m not discussing this with you”” Cole fixes the hat on his head again, marching away from Jack and his stupid questions. The older omega chuckles, he always managed to make the cowboy spill his secrets, even as a young angry man. 

Now, Cole is so different from before. He’s still angry and has his moods, but Jack rarely sees the young man who used to fight over the smallest things and was ashamed to tell people he liked to read Romances and Noir novels. Maybe it was that first talk they had on the catwalk, or the years alone have mellowed out the man. 

Either way, Jack is thankful. 

--

Two days pass. Hanzo goes into town to help bring in the mail for everyone, because once again, the post office is calling and begging for them to empty it. Getting there is actually fine. The problem is when they go to the back, where the mail actually is stored it becomes very clear that most of the boxes there are for them. Or better yet, for Hana. He's glad about his muscles and training now, because while most of the boxes are light they soon become too much and the ones that are heavy are HEAVY. 

Unfortunately the gift for Genji’s birthday still hasn’t arrived yet.

On the way back, Tracer stops the truck at a market, rambling about getting more tea for herself. Hanzo accompanies her, looking around. The place is not that big, but it has some variety. Nothing that he'd be interested in for himself. He sees some interesting books, but they are expensive and Hanzo is saving up for when Ako needs her new summer wardrobe. 

However, looking around he finds it in the very small baby section they have there, a blanket, one that was made especially for kids and has pink flowers over it. That reminded him of Hanamura, how the flowers bloomed. 

He puts it in the basket, even if it’s expensive and Hanzo has at least some months until he can let her use it in her crib. It’s getting cold anyways, she’ll need to be covered as they walk around in the garden. 

He finds another package with 4 pairs of socks and a pair of baby shoes that look like small miniature sneakers in dark blue. He can’t stop himself from buying them, even if  he flinches a little seeing the price of it in the end. Tracer asks if he won’t get anything for himself. 

He just shakes his head. “I don’t need anything else.” 

They go back to the watchpoint. At some point someone stops at the side of the car when they are waiting for the traffic light, asking if the monkey sanctuary will ever open for visitation. Tracer looks a little pained and talks about the monkeys having anxiety.

Hanzo bursts into laughter once the truck starts moving again and Tracer can’t help but follow.

When they get home, they are welcomed by D.va (with an actual utility dolly in her hands) and some of the others coming to gather their mail. Once Hana has taken all of the stuff away and distributed the rest of the loot to the others, they all get their own stuff.. 

“Ah, it's here!” Cole says, opening a genial smile as he finds a big package with his name on it.

“What is it?” Hanzo gets close. Cole passes Ako's stroller to him before getting the big box in his hands and smiling even wider. 

“Our freedom.” 

They move quickly to their quarters, Hanzo almost not being able to keep up with Cole’s irritatingly long legs. The alpha asks for him to stay put in Ako's room and Hanzo does so, a little amused at the alpha’s eagerness. He tries on the shoes on Ako's feet. They are a little big, but that's good. She'll surely outgrown them in some months but it will be at least less months than her first small wardrobe.

“You can come in now.” Cole says. Hanzo does so, taking Ako in his arms. Getting inside, he sees that in the window of their room there are curtains. Soft beige and heavy looking, making the room dimmer and impossible to see through. 

Hanzo nods in approval, touching the cloth, feeling how soft it was. “These are good.”

“Now, even better. If anyone tries to open the window without us knowing.” Cole says, opening the curtains. He shows Hanzo a small lock that he installed in the window. “Ta-da.” 

“Privacy at last.” Hanzo says, looking at Cole. The cowboy waggles his eyebrows at him and the omega couldn't help but laugh at the action. 

“Now we just need to put some sound proofing and we’re--” Cole doesn’t finish, because Hanzo hits him hard on his arm. He just laughs at his stupid joke and Hanzo huffs, rolling his eyes, letting the alpha bring him close. Ako babbles something and when come get her, Cole notices the small shoes on her feet and coos at her, holding her feet up. 

“Do you think they make tiny cowboy boots too?” He looks hopefully at Hanzo, who only laughs at him.

--

Much later on that night, after dinner, Ana finds Jack alone in one of the isolated catwalks for the watchpoint. 

“Everyone seems to want to talk to me this week.” Jack hums as she stops by his side. 

“I could be here to appreciate the night.” Ana says, but Jack snorts at her. 

“I know you.” He says, pointedly. 

“Then you know what I came here to talk about.” She sighs, suddenly tired. Tired of fighting, tired of the difficulties in her life, tired of everything. 

“I'm not telling him about Reaper.”

“He deserves to know, Jack.” She shakes her head. “He won’t tell you, but he has always seen you and Gabriel as parental figures. You know that, right?” She looks from the sea and into the base, observing the garden and the kitchen and the lounge room. Some of the lights are still on and she can see the shadows of people walking around and doing things. 

The place feels lived in, like this. The muffled chatter coming through the walls, somewhere she can hear music, something the young DJ certainly is showing the other members. Reinhardt laughs out loud, making Ana open a small smile.  

“I know.” Jack massages his eyes. He remembers when Gabriel introduced his “new recruit” and seeing the thin kid with a black cowboy hat and the smallest uniforms they had, almost too big to fit his frame. He looked ridiculous, like an angry kitten trying to look intimidating. 

Later the same night he grumbled to Gabriel that if he wanted to adopt a teen he should have told him beforehand. Gabriel could only laugh, telling him to “Not even think about it.” kissing him tenderly. 

The days after Jack could only feel protective over the younger man, of how people treated him because he was Deadlock. He tried to help, give advice, but of course Cole always saw it as him bossing him around. And Jack never truly knew how to be motherly. 

“I can’t do that with him, Ana. It will break him.” He picks at the grown cuticles on his nails, frowning at it.  

“What are you doing, then?” She scoffs, looking at him in disbelief. “Are you just going to just bring Reaper--” She whispers the name, looking pointedly at him. “--here and then what? You saw how he reacted to me.” 

Jack presses his lips on a thin line. When he was alone, when he first started to follow Talon around, searching for Gabriel, he hoped to find him or rather what was left of his body. He thought that maybe it was just a part of him in a coma, kept alive for some experiment. He was so determined to save him no matter what that cost and kill Reaper and Akande in the way if needed to.

Then he met Reaper up close in real life and knew that it wasn’t that simple. Nothing ever was. He wanted to save Gabriel still, he just didn’t know if he could.

Now, here on overwatch? He can’t risk getting the man close to the base. Everyone here wanted to do good, they didn’t need to worry about an ex Talon agent here. Reaper, one of the most dangerous ones. Besides, he doesn’t know if Reaper… Gabriel wants that. 

He can't risk Cole, Hanzo and Ako. God, he can’t risk the child. With so much grief, he thinks about how Gabriel would have loved Ako. He can imagine him playing the grandfather role.

“I’m not bringing him here. The price to pay is too high.” Jack swallows down, looking at the ocean. “We don’t know what Talon has done to him, what he could do.”

“You think he’s been brainwashed?”

“He must have. What else explains this, Ana?” Jack frowns. “But that day… He looked at me like before, you know? Not like Reaper. It was him again. I think I can help him back.”

“And if he’s not brainwashed?”

“I don’t know.” 

“What are you ever going to do if you, by some miracle, manage to convince him to leave Talon, dear? Run away and hide, living like a ghost again?”

Jack turns to her. His face is obscured by the shadows of the night and his glasses. He doesn’t answer, he doesn’t need to. 

“Don’t do this to Cole.” Ana says, angry now. “Don’t make him lose you two a second time.”

“He has you.” Jack gives her a sad smile. “And his own family. Is… It’ll be fine.” He opens a reassuring smile, the one he used on his soldiers while he gave pep talks. Ana can’t face him, shaking her head. “I’d be a lousy mother anyways. Have been ever since Gabe was…”

“Could you stop self sabotaging for once in your life?” Her tone is angry, she beats her hands on the railing. “You have something good here, Jack.”

“I can't drag him into this, Ana. I don't even know if I can save Gabriel. Maybe I can’t do anything about it and all I can do is… ” Kill him and Cry. He thinks.

“We already dragged him into this, Jack. He's an adult now, you can't just keep protecting him by hiding things. It will be worse.” She takes in a deep breath and shakes her head. “Hanzo is right. We are being selfish.” 

“He’s all that I have left.” Ana doesn’t know who he is talking about. Maybe neither does Jack.

“That's a lie. You know that. These last ten years have been full of regret for me, Jack.” Ana looks at the garden and closes her eyes, hard. “Think about that.” Then she walks back into the warm interior of the building.

Jack watches her, and shivers with the cold wind. 

--

Fareeha walks around the Helix base with purpose. The lights on the base seem stronger today, making her head pound. 

Today, she received another dossier for the ever growing number of vigilantes and assassins they were supposed to keep and eye out and arrest on sight. This time, the target came with the suggestion that they should kill the target, if given the possibility.

A long list of people killed accompanied the file, with names  from Helix’s soldiers and several soldiers from branches of the Iraqi armies stationed in Oasis. 

She finally arrives where she needs to, the small administration room in the far end of the base, hidden away in a maze of corridors to make it especially difficult for scatterbrained soldiers to find it.

“Hi, anyone there?” Pharah knocks at the opened door, looking at the mostly omega staff in the small room, dealing with the day-to-day paperwork. A small blond omega looks up, and waves at her. 

“I’ll be with you in a minute.” She says, smiling. 

Pharah nods and waits for her outside, back resting against the wall. She taps her foot on the ground, a nervous jitter to her whole demeanor. She sighs, closing her eyes with force. His head hurts more with the action. She should look for the doctor. Should have before running here. But then again, he can’t really think properly. She’s too angry because of it. 

Maybe that’s what made her have such a strong headache. The stress, adrenaline and the anger filling her.

“Hey.” Phara opens her eyes, looking at the woman in front of her. Her name is Harper, a cute omega that became her friend months ago.

“Hi, Harper.” She clears her throat, massaging her temples. “How are you doing?”

“You know, same as ever. Boring paperwork.” She smiles. “Problems with alphas…”

“Is your dumbass ex still bothering you?” She asks, smiling easily. Harper blushes a little, remembering that they became friends when one of Pharah’s colleagues told her that she needed help. Her stupid ex wouldn’t let her get her things after the breakup, Pharah simply helped him see her side. Harper was glad and they kept in touch. 

She was very much Pharah’s type, cute, smart, small, but she realized that Harper needed time for herself. They worked well as friends, anyways. 

“No, you don’t need to worry about it. Your threats made him too scared to even come closer to my house.” She snorts a laugh, but looks thankful. “So, I assume you didn’t come here just to know about my love life.”

“No.” She takes the dossier and shows it to Harper. “Can you tell me who compiled this? And, if you can, who ordered the hit?”

“Well, sure.” She takes the file in her hands and opens it, looking through it. She hums, looking at the details, stamps and official papers. “I’ll look into the database. Why do you need it?”

“There are some mistakes on it.” She looks at Harper and shrugs. “Ah, I was in one of the incidents and some of the details are wrong. So I need to talk to whoever made this.” 

“Yikes. Must have been an intern.” She tuts, shaking her head. “I’ll definitely look into it. Can’t guarantee when I can give you back, I'm all full of work.”

“No problem. As long as you can look it up.” Parah nods, crossing her arms. “I owe you one.” 

“You could pay me by joining my D&D group, we need a new barbarian.” She smiles. 

“I’m not joining your nerd game.” Pharah rolls her eyes and Harper laughs. But Pharah looks down, worried. “Thank you.” She says, meaning it.

Harper nods and smiles. Pharah nods and watches as Fareeha walks away, her shoulders tense and her walk brisk and strong. She goes back inside and sits on her desk, opening the file. 

“Another soldier asking for a favor.” 

“Come on, Jie, it’s Captain Amari.” She rolls her eyes at the jab, huffing. 

“Oooohhhh, She came asking for a favor?” The woman sits beside her. “Was she dashing today, too?”

“Please, don’t start.” She sighs, opening the files. She can’t handle her meddling coworkers trying to set her up with Pharah of all people. They are friends and just that. “It’s work related.” She opens the file again and starts searching for whoever is the one that created it. 

“Another vigilante hunt?” Jie asks, taking the file in her hand. She leafs through the file, examining it. 

“Apparently there are some mistakes on it.”

“It can’t be, this one was made by someone high ranking.” Jie says, standing up, looking at the stamps. “See, I recognize these stamps. I’m sure it's probably someone even above Captain Amari, like a Major.” 

“That doesn’t sound right.” Harper is taken aback, no one that high rank would ever make mistakes in the files. 

“She’s under Seth’s command, isn’t she?” Jie asks and Harper nods. “That explains it.” She gigglers a little. 

Harper sighs, massaging her temples. Seth was the commander for the Raptor division and he was… Something else. His ideas and way of working were unconventional at best, extremely unethical at worst. More often than not people would call him a loose cannon and he made them, the poor administrative staff, to deal with the paperwork when the UN got involved. But he did deliver results, so people simply gave him a slap on the wrist for it. 

Well, maybe this one thing will finally take the dick off of his high horse. No one liked people that lied and left a paper trail. 

She opens the file and looks at it.

“Let me see. File #2211356-8.” She hums, typing the name on the computer. “B-A-S-T-E-T.”

Notes:

So, look, more plot! Nice, isn’t it? Especially considering I have a vague idea of what I’m doing and my brain is like scrambled eggs at the moment.
Lemme tell you, Life ain't easy. My nose is finally almost healed (it still hurts if I press to hard on it) but writting this keeps me going trought the worst moments of my life. SOmetimes I'm havibng a bad day and just opening the file for this fanfic and putting words on text soolves it a little bit.
I hope you guys liked it. Again, any mistakes, warn me and tell what you all think.

Chapter 20: (I'm sorry if I smothered you)

Chapter by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead)

Summary:

Hanzo experiences panic, shame, calmness and love

Notes:

So, my cat died. She passed away in my arms as we where getting her to the vet to give her goodbye. I'm still devastated about it and can't really relax, but I'm managing. So here it is a easier chapter cause I can't deal with plot for now.
This chapter is brought to you by the song Day of the river, by Joe hisahi. Yes, spirited away, BABEY!

Soon it’s the weekend. Not that it made any difference to them, if Overwatch had to work they had to work. But apparently, fueled by their first movie session in the lounge room, Lúcio had decided that Saturdays were for movie nights, no matter what! Some agents had missions tomorrow (including Cole), but some relaxation before it wouldn’t hurt, at least Winston said so. So the young Dj went around the base asking everyone what they wanted to watch. 

As they didn’t want to watch 14 hours straight of movies, they decided to vote on what movies to give a chance. Some people chose a new spy action movie with too many people in catsuits, a classic comedy movie and a romcom. Hanzo wasn’t familiar with any of the movies and he honestly thought that if he asked to watch any movie of The Dollars Trilogy people would make fun of him, so he relented and voted for whatever Genji had shosen too. 

Lúcio had asked him to help make the famous popcorn he had talked about at the time. And despite everyone’s protest, Hanzo goes because he knows how to make popcorn, thank you very much! He can pop some kernels without burning the whole kitchen.

So he helps to pop the kernels and stands awkwardly as he watches Lúcio cover the popcorn with caramel and then with powdered milk. Which takes a long time, considering almost everyone is at the base watching the movies (minus Lena, who has decided to go spend time off of the base with her girlfriend). 

After they are finished and everyone has a bowl of popcorn with them, Torbjorn starts the movies. They start with a comedy movie called Some Like it Hot (which is apparently what inspired the new movie with Omnic actors), which is funny, if a little crass. Hanzo actually laughs when the “Nobody’s perfect” line is delivered at the end of it.

The romcom is honestly boring and very unrealistic. The main characters who are supposed to be love interests fight all the time, have zero chemistry and The main alpha is so insufferable that he has to literally save an orphan child form a church catching on fire for anyone to see him as redeemable. 

That’s how bad the movie is. 

Everyone is not impressed, and even Brigitte watches the movie with a tired and disappointed sigh. Hanzo is honestly so bored by it that he sleeps at some point, waking up when Cole shifts to stack the popcorn bucket with the other empty ones. He blinks, bleary eyed, trying to see what’s going on. Cole just pats his arm, pulling his legs over his lap, so the alpha is sitting sideways on the loveseat and Hanzo and Ako can lay on him. 

“That was something.” Angela says, sighing. 

“I’m never letting you all choose the movies again.” Lúcio comments. “Who even chose this?” He looks at the description on the TV. 

Reinhardt lifts his hand, a bashful expression on his face. “It looked romantic at first glance.” He shrugs and points at the screen. “And it has four stars!”

“These ones are probably bought reviews.” Winston comments, nodding, dipping a banana on peanut butter. “You know, these streaming websites have bad habit of buying reviews and people just follow along--”

“Maybe people liked to see a strong sweaty alpha carrying an orphan child through the fire.” Genji reasons.

“This is religious propaganda.” Hanzo interrupts, because no one else realized it but him. Cole actually burst into laughter and Ako follows, giggling with him. Reinhardt protests, saying how that’s not true at all, but Hanzo knows better. 

They pause the marathon for a moment and some people leave to go to the bathroom and to stretch their legs, just walking around before they start the last movie. Hanzo takes the opportunity to nurse Ako and the chatter and the low light makes him sleepy. He suddenly awakes when Ako starts trying to bite him again, realizing he’s covered with the Serape. 

He yawns and pats Ako’s back, burping her. Once everyone is back, they go back into the last movie: The action one about spies!

The problem is: the movie is bad. And not just Tom Cruise doing the twelfth Mission Impossible movie bad, but Vin Diesel in xXx bad. There is the whole shebang: a cocky main alpha character with the perfect face and sculpted dehydrated abs, a funny fat sidekick, gadgets that don’t make any scientific sense (yes Winston, we know! We KNOW!). And a myriad of omegas throughout the movie that seem to just fall into the main character’s charms. 

It is like if a James Bond movie was written by a horny 20 year old that ranted on the internet about how omegas are “too masculine” in movies now.

And that would be fine and dandy, everyone was laughing at the absurdity of everything. Genji had tears in his eyes once the main character used a cigarette and a bottle of whiskey to explode a plane. 

That all would be fine, if Patrick McRoth didn’t make a surprise cameo in the movie as the real villain. 

The atmosphere of the room drops. Lúcio immediately tenses, and a faint smell of distress starts to fill the room. Cole snatches the remote from the side of the sofa and stops the movie, immediately blocking it from showing on the list again and then turning the tv off. There is a moment of awkward heavy silence, where Cole releases angry pheromones and Lúcio looks down. 

“I’ll take those to the kitchen.” Lúcio clears his throat, quickly standing up and taking the empty buckets of popcorn away. Hana and Hanzo immediately stand up, following him. Hanzo can hear someone saying something, but he doesn’t pay any attention. 

Hana gets in the kitchen before him. She’s already hugging Lúcio close, patting his back in a reassuring way. As they separate she asks something low and the Dj nods, giving her a watery smile. 

“Are you okay?” Hanzo asks, fixing his hold on Ako. 

The Dj nods, but his face is still sad. “I ruined the movie night.” He sniffs, looking down.

“It’s fine.” Hanzo reassures him.

“Pat is an asshole.” Hana’s face is closed in a scowl. She doesn’t have any jabs, any jokes or sarcastic bits to say. She has only grief. “I can’t believe people still worship him after everything.”

“Yeah.” Lúcio sniffs. “I have an event on Circuit Royale next month and I’m honestly scared he’ll be there.” 

“We'll protect you.” Hana pats his back. “I’ll get Reinhardt on the team, that will make him stay away.”

“I don't know why I'm scared of him, Nothing even happened that day really, it’s just…” Lúcio says, but it’s interrupted by Jack, at the entrance of the kitchen area. The noise of him opening the door calls their attention. 

“Something did happen.” The older man says, he has his own still half full bucket of popcorn in hand. He approaches, patting Lúcios shoulder. “Don’t think that his whole behavior that day was normal.”

“I know, but--”

“That was an order, actually.” The young Dj snorts, massaging his face with his hands. Jack crosses his arms, looking at Lúcio with a lifted eyebrow. “Don’t think alphas just act like that.”  Hanzo is thankful for the attempt at making the mood less sour. They stay like that for a while, before Lúcio takes his hand away from his face 

“You know, it was really scary when Angela found out the champagne had syrup in it.” Lúcio says, shivering. Hana nods, pressing her lips on a thin line. “I--” He looks up at them before quickly averting his gaze. “I know how syrup works, it's… It’s not fun, the next day.”

Hanzo feels his face involuntarily twist in sadness and anger. He brings Lúcio’s hands close to himself, giving it a quick squeeze before he releases it.

“If you need to talk, kid.” Jack clears his throat. “I'm here… Getting into the military as an omega wasn’t easy. ”

“Thank you.” He rests his head on Hana’s shoulder. “It's just hard to talk about these kind of thing, especially when you went through it.” 

“I know.” It slips out of Hanzo’s mouth without him even realizing it. Lucio looks up at him, but Hanzo doesn't see it, because he’s already looking away and at Ako. 

He wonders if people at the base have questions about Ako, about her father. If they think it was a one night stand, if they think he's a whore, if he chose an alpha poorly and the man will show up trying to find Ako, enraged. 

He doesn't want to think about the implications of them finding out the truth. They don't want pitying stares. More than anything, he doesn't want the others looking at him just as he confirms their initial fears. That he's still a murderer. A monster. Tainted in every way. 

Thankfully, Angela and Cole haven't talked about it with anyone else, and his brother hasn't asked further. He much rather keep it that way.

Hanzo looks up and, in an attempt to be more nurturing towards others, he pats Lúcio’s shoulder. Before he can process what is really happening, Lucio is hugging him, squishing Ako in between them. Hanzo doesn't know what to do, but pats his back anyways.

He feels Hana snake her arms around them both too, hugging them close. He's so surprised actually that he stands still, wide eyed. This is too much.

“Maaah!” Ako squeals, finding it funny to be hugged by many people.

Genji enters the kitchen, empty bucket of popcorn in hand. Hanzo looks at him in despair, wanting his brother to stop this nonsense. Despite what people think, Hanzo only likes Cole to touch him.

“Oh, are we hugging?” Genji asks, leaving the popcorn bucket on the sink and approaching Jack with open arms.

“Don’t even think about it.” Jack threatens. Genji frowns before redirecting to the omega pile on the other side of the room.

“ Don't you dare. ” Hanzo says and Genji laughs before hugging the three of them, lifting them off the ground for a second. Hanzo exclaims in pain, feeling uncomfortably squished, but Ako laughs, delighted.

“Argh. This is terrible.” Hana says as Genji releases them all, a satisfied grin on his face. Lucio pats himself, face flushed. 

“What is going on?” Reinhardt enters the kitchen, looking at all of them. 

“Nothing!” Hanzo says it quickly, remembering the knight’s propensity for hugs and the fact he was extremely strong. He doesn't want to have his spine snapped in half, thank you very much. Genji opens his mouth, but Hanzo turns to him, angry, a pointed finger stopping him from talking. “ If you make him hug me I will leave this base.” he says harshly. 

Genji deflates, sighing. “ You're no fun.” He pouts. 

Hanzo frowns, looking at Ako who is still giggling. “Traitor.” He says to her, who just giggles more.

“Hey, y'all, Torb just changed the movie.” Cole shows up on the door to the kitchen. He has a discontent expression on his face. Hanzo wonders what kind of movies Torbjorn likes to watch that made Cole feel like this. 

They all move back into the lounge room and feeling much lighter than before, Patric McRoth forgotten on the back of their heads. Cole stops Lúcio, once everyone is already a little away, to ask if he's alright. The young omega nods, smiling and Cole murmurs something to him that makes the Dj snort a laugh.

As they enter the room Hanzo hears a familiar whistle and melody, followed by shots being fired. 

“Oh, no. Did you put on one of those old cowboy movies?” Hana complains, groaning in dismay. 

“It's a good movie!” Torb argues.

“A classic.” Angela agrees, nodding.

What it is, in fact, is the worst day of Hanzo's life because Torbjorn has put on A Fistful of Dollars. He immediately tenses, spine standing up straight. He can just feel the absolutely terrible shit eating grin coming from Genji behind him. The energy of it by itself radiates from him in waves. Looking at the people sitting around he sees that Angela is looking at him, an easy and calm smile on her face. 

He takes it all back, Angela is worse than Genji, actually. That woman wants to kill him via shame. 

Cole is suspiciously silent and nonchalant as they sit on the loveseat, taking Ako on his arms. And as the opening credits finally finish and the screen shows a cowboy with a green serape, much like the one Cole is using today, watches a child run from one house to the other, he can feel the stares falling on them. Hanzo makes sure to just look at Ako, fixing the pigtails on her head.

As Clint Eastwood drinks water and walks around the deserted town, Hanzo thinks that maybe Genji won't be a pest in his life. That he'll just let him enjoy one of his favorite movies in peace and not comment on the closeness of Cole's everything with the main character.

It's not how it goes. 

When Clint Eastwood enters the abandoned saloon, asks for a drink and puts a cigar in his mouth, Brigitte, Oh, sweet innocent Brigitte who has never done anything wrong in her life, says. “That’s funny, the main character looks like you, Mr. Cassidy.” She opens a genuine smile, not knowing she just activated the worst sort of trap.

“Don’t start.” Cole groans, massaging the bridge of his nose. “I had enough people callin’ me Eastwood for a lifetime.” He messes the hair of his head. “I was raised on an actual farm! I was an actual cowboy!”

“Shhh, the movie is playing.” Reinhardt says.

“Yeah, come on, let’s watch it.” Lúcio, now sitting beside Reinhardt, nods. “I never watched it, it sounds cool.” 

Hanzo hopes that Athena is hacked, that the whole base stops working all together. Please god, make it rain or snow so hard that the energy can just go out! Let it be that someone forgot the gas stove lit and it will explode the whole base.

But none of that happens and Hanzo tenses even more as the main character starts to talk to the bandits in town, rambling about his horse being hurt by gunshot and not realizing the bandits were joking. 

When Clint Eastwood throws the Serape over his shoulder and unloads the hammer, Is Hana who says “Wow, that’s uncanny! Did you copy him?”

“Jesus H Crist, No! I didn’t even have a color TV where I grew up!” Cole blisters, turning to Jack. “Tell ‘em, didn’t I know that trick when I came here?”

“I don’t remember that.” Jack deadpans and Cole scoffs. Ana, at Jack’s side, just laughs. 

“I ain’t copying anyone!” Cole shakes his head, turning back to the television. Hanzo kisses the man’s jaw, trying to appease his temper. He got weirded out when Lúcio thought he was some kind of caricature of his own culture too, even if he really really liked this movie. 

He doesn’t realize his mistake of showing affection. Because Genji pounces at the opportunity.

“You know, this is one of Hanzo’s favorite movies.” He says. “When he was a teen he had a MAJOR crush on Eastw--” Genji can't even finish the phrase before Hanzo jumps from the couch and is beside his brother, holding a hand over his mouth. 

“Shut up! Stop telling lies!” He says through clenched teeth, looking at his brother in wide eyed anger, face pink with shame. Genji is laughing under his hand. There is a moment of silence before Hana starts laughing so loud it actually startles Hanzo. 

“Dude, I'm so sorry.” She says between laughs. Some other agents chuckle too. “I can't believe your favorite movie is a spaghetti western!”

“Not surprising, look who he's dating.” Torbjorn says, chuckling too. 

Hanzo feels that same cold feeling on his chest like before, when Genji used to make fun of him for his frivolous tastes. He takes his hands off of Genji's face and swallows down.

“Come on, aniki, sit down, the movie is rolling!” Genji pats his arm away. Hanzo nods, pressing his lips on a thin line.

Hanzo feels a hand on his waist and lets himself be pulled to Cole's side. He feels a knot of his throat, deep shame pooling in him as he brings his legs up, trying to hide himself on the crook of Cole’s shoulder. He can't pay attention to the movie, he doesn't need to really. He knows every line. But it would be nice to see it once after ten years without the tainting of shame to it.

Is okay, it's fine. It's in good nature. They are all laughing with you, not of you! See? Haha it's funny, come on, open a smile. 

Everyone is chuckling and Hanzo looks down, he chastises himself for his over reaction to it. If he had just sat back and said that it wasn't true people wouldn’t even think twice, taking it as Genji jesting about the fact he and Cole are together. 

Always a foolish omega . The voice that sounds like his father’s tells him. Hanzo brings Ako to his arms, blinking. Always foolish.

The movie moves on, showing the ways the main character manipulates the families, all the killing, the bright red blood, how the main character saves the woman being held against her will, a prisoner in a big house full of cruel man and has to runs from the town in a coffin after being tortured for it.

When the final duel starts, Hanzo has already forgotten about the whole joke and has his eyes glued on the screen. 

He watches as Eastwood receives shot after shot on his hidden plate. He had forgotten about it until now, remembering more about the next scene. The stand still and then the five shots, taking everyone out and the owner of the saloon killing the evil brother hidden with his shotgun. As the movie ends, everyone stretches out gathering the bowls and the cups, turning the vacuuming robots on and putting the bean bags and couches back in their original places. 

It's already late at night and Ako is asleep in Hanzo's arms. He hopes that because the movie is very good and everyone is tired and going in separate ways to their own room, that people will forget about the whole embarrassing moment Hanzo just had.

Because his life is not easy and he's probably getting punished for being a horrible brother, Lúcio comments about the movie, as he, Genji, Cole, Hana and Hanzo are walking on the same way to their rooms. 

“It was a really good movie!” Lucio joins his hands on the back of his head. “I can see why you watched it a lot.”

“Of course, I have very good taste.” Hanzo nods, looking pointedly at Genji. Who just rolls his eyes. 

“I kind of understand why you had a crush on the main character.” Hana says, nodding. “The actor is very charming.”

“Man, I can't believe you managed to find someone just like Eastwood.” Lucio says, pointing at Cole.

“Except I'm better ‘cause I’m the real deal.” Cole winks, smiling. Hanzo thinks it's extremely charming. 

“You're more like the bootleg version of him.” Hana laughs, but the archer frowns, because that's not true at all! He hugs Cole’s arm closer.

“Hey now, Hanzo thinks I’m handsome.”

“And I didn't have a crush on Clint Eastwood.” Hanzo sighs, massaging his temple. “I watched these movies merely because it was part of the few things I was allowed to watch!” 

There is a moment of awkward silence and Genji flinches at his phrase.

“Hanzo, I'm asking this honestly.” Lucio stops in his tracks, making the others stop too. “Were you one of those sheltered kids that couldn't play video games because your dad thought it was satanic?” he asks, making Hanzo double takes. 

“Don't be foolish.” Hanzo shakes his head.

“Yes, Father wasn't catholic.” Genji nods, crossing his arms. “But he did tell me that if I watched Sentai Force I'd turn dumb.” Lucio snorts as Hanzo nods, because he does remember that one too. They go back into walking and soon they all scatter to their own rooms. Genji hugs Hanzo. The omega is glad that his brother has diverted the attention away from him, even if Genji was the one to be blamed in the first place.

They all say their good nights, Hanzo puts Ako to sleep in her crib, and then follows Cole so they can follow their night routine.

When they are in their pajamas, teeth brushed and ready for bed, Cole says. “Every time you say somethin’ about your childhood it's always sad.” he comments as he watches Hanzo taking his boots off. His knees hurt and he'll probably need to not use them tomorrow. 

“Our childhood was sad.” Hanzo massages his calf, rotating his ankle, trying to loosen up some tension. 

“I know, Genji has told me about it, it's just sometimes yours seem to be ten times worse than his.” Cole turns the light off and sits by Hanzo's side, resting a hand on his waist. “He told me some happy stories. You always seem to remind the sad ones.”

“That's because Genji was also sheltered from most of the harm.” Hanzo swallows down. “I bore all I could for the both of us. It wasn't enough, but...” he dismisses. 

Cole feels a surge of a horrible feeling in his chest, a kind of pain he has felt a few times in his life. A kind of sadness that made him want to sob in despair. 

“Sometimes I wonder how you kept alive at all.” He croaks, feeling his eyes sting with tears. He pulls Hanzo’s face up, his hair cascading around his face. Loose and all over the place from being pulled up all day.

“I managed.” Hanzo smiles at him, as if it didn't matter at all. 

“You say it like it was easy.”

“It wasn't.” He sighs. “But after some time I wasn’t exactly numb… I felt it, the emotions of it, but it didn't matter anymore.” Hanzo stretches, laying down in bed. “It was my duty, so I did what I had to do.” 

Until he couldn't anymore, and the consequences were terrible. Soba and Udon shiver with the memory, but Hanzo pushes it to the back of his mind, shaking his head and getting under the bedsheets. Cole follows suit, hugging him close. They stay in silence for a while, before Cole says.

“You looked upset back there.”

“I wasn't.” Hanzo says, clipped, not angry, but just… tired. 

“Yeah, right.” He scoffs.

“I was upset then, I'm not now, it's fine.” Hanzo says, sighing. He knows he needs to stop feeling so ashamed of his own tastes and to just take it easy when his brother and friends decide to make jokes.

“I know you.” Cole kisses his face. Hanzo huffs at the alpha, but yeah, apparently he knows him better than the omega expected. “You should tell ‘em to stop it, you know, If it upsets you.”

“It would ruin the mood.” He mumbles, closing his eyes. 

“Fuck the mood, then.” Cole kisses Hanzo’s shoulder. The omega snorts, kissing him tenderly.

“Don't be unreasonable.” Hanzo scratches Cole's beard, then his hair. “It was a silly jab.” He gives a small kiss, chuckling at the protectiveness of the cowboy. This was something he may never be able to change on him, but it honestly felt good to have someone validate his feelings. 

“Can I ask you a thing?” Cole asks and Hanzo hums a non answer to him. “You really have a thing for cowboys?” The omega opens his eyes and sees that the alpha has a weird look on his face, something like self consciousness and a pout. The laugh tumbles from Hanzo’s mouth before he knows it, of all the things to ask, he wasn’t expecting this. 

“No I don’t!” Hanzo says in between laughs. “Genji was being a pest again.”

“Well, I don’t know, sugar, Genji keeps joking about it ‘n we got together pretty fast--” He tries to explain himself. 

Hanzo puts a hand over Cole’s mouth, blinking away the tears in his eyes from laughing. He chuckles some more before clearing his throat, kissing the other man’s jaw. “I have ‘a thing' for you.” 

“I know I'm no Eastwood.” Cole grumbles. Hanzo hums, hugging the man close, bringing them flush to one another.

“One would think you know how handsome you are, with the way Genji described your “reputation” from before.” He pulls his leg up and over the cowboy’s hip. 

“People liked me because most of the alphas in blackwatch were jackasses.”

“And the omegas wanted a soft alpha?” Hanzo asks, watching as the cowboy pouts.

“Am I soft?” 

Hanzo hums in agreement and puts a hand under Cole's shirt, feeling his strong back. The alpha chuckles and kisses him, tasting the freshness of his breath. The alpha sighs in contentment, rolling his hip, snaking a hand down to Hanzo’s butt, squeezing it, massaging the muscle through the layers of clothes. Hanzo moans low, trying to stop himself from being loud. 

Cole growls, kissing him. He turns over, body hovering over Hanzo. The alpha kisses the skin  of his neck and chest tenderly and caresses his body like he's precious. Hanzo doesn't think he's a romantic omega, he's too much of everything to be that, but he feels like ever since they got those curtains their sex life has been softer. Like they are making love. And the thought, more than the caresses and the heated touches, it's what makes him blush. 

Before they did what they could with the time they could. It felt rushed and desperate. Now, Hanzo lays down as Cole turns him into pliable mush with his finger and his mouth and his-- “ Ah, fuck .” Hanzo curses as Cole sucks the skin on his navel, pulling his soft pajama pants and underwear down. 

He lets the man squeeze his thighs and lick his skin, sucking dark hickeys on it. Cole moves down, down until he's kissing the inside of Hanzo’s thighs and his tongue is snaking inside, lapping at his entrance. He massages the cowboys scalp as he does so, moaning. 

He kisses Cole when he comes back up, tasting his own slick on his tongue. The omega sucks his neck and his scent gland, scraping his teeth on it, roams his hands around the chest, raking his nails on the hairy abdomen, following his happy trail, stroking his alpha’s cock. 

And when Cole enters him, Hanzo is already blissed out. His breath hitches with every thrust. He can’t believe how perfect he feels like this and can't help but moan loudly when Cole reverts their position, making Hanzo ride him, reaching deep inside. 

“Jesus, Sugar.” Cole says, bringing his hand up and massaging Hanzo’s pecs. He’s so oversensitive that he can’t help but quicke his pace. Cole, under him, looks beautiful with his messy hair and wide satisfied smile. “You look like a damn dream like this.” He says, bringing his hand up, massaging Hanzo’s lip. 

Hanzo can feel the half formed knot hitting against his hole, almost slipping inside. For a moment, the control over what happens next is exhilarating. He could let Cole knot him if he wanted to, just guide his own hip down, accommodating all of the alpha. He'd be so full. The idea is so tempting, that it makes his breath hitch. But he won't, and his sweet alpha won't do it until he's ready.

His legs get tired and Hanzo whines for Cole to turn them back to the original position.

“So demanding.” Cole sits up, kissing his neck and sucking his mating glands. Hanzo’s breath hitches at the action, he lets out a sound, low and needy. He lets his alpha maneuver his body around and hold him impossibly close, thrusting hard and fast into him, filling him up. He wonders, if he feels full now, how it will be when Cole finally knots him. 

Hanzo cums with just that thought in mind, biting Cole's shoulder. His alpha cums after, with Hanzo’s hand around his knot, the omega's mouth nipping his neck, aiming for his abdomen and chest.

After, when the high dies down, Cole kisses his skin, telling him how good he was. Hanzo sighs, content as Cole cleans the cum in him with a wet paper towel. 

“We really should buy condoms.” Hanzo mumbles, sleepy. “Avoid the mess.”

“I like pamperin’ you after.” Cole kisses his shoulder before getting up and throwing the paper towel on the bathroom trash. He brings Hanzo one of the water bottles they leave on the bedside table, helping him to take sips from it. 

“Too much work.”

“Now that's some bullshit right there.” Cole slips into bed, getting under the warm blanket and resting his head on Hanzo's chest, hugging him close, kissing his skin. “It ain’t work if I like doing it.” Hanzo hums, closing his eyes. He sleeps with his lips resting on Cole's forehead.

The next day, he wakes up with Cole already dressing himself. 

Hanzo sits up, watching the man finish buttoning his shirts. He’s with the all black getup again, and Hanzo wants to climb him like a tree and ride him again. 

“Morning.” The alpha approaches him, sitting on the bed and pecking his lips. Hanzo pulls him into a hug, sighing in contentment. There is a warm blooming feeling on his chest, so strong. 

He likes being in love. And he likes being loved back.

Hanzo wakes up fully, standing up to do his morning routine. Cole insists that they use the countless cosmetics Hana has given them, if only to avoid wasting the products. The alpha doesn't even know what most of them are for and Hanzo laughs when he asks why would anyone use a balm to wash their faces and not soap. 

Cole helps Hanzo to get Ako to the mess hall, before leaving already, kissing his temple and messing the kid’s hair. 

The other agents are also running around, Tracer has flown back to the base by morning and is running around the kitchen with three cereal bars on her hand and a cup of tea in the other. Reinhardt and Brigitte also leave in a hurry, both saying their goodbyes to Hanzo, patting his shoulder with force. 

Bastion on the outside does the same, whistling something to him, Ako and then to Ganimedes (the bird that apparently is his pet? And has been living in the garden this whole time? Why people don’t tell him these kinds of things is beyond him) before rolling to the docking bay too. 

It all feels weirdly domestic.

It’s not like Hanamura. There the silence lingered too much, heavy and tense. The chatter was carried by the servants, who kept their voices down when he passed. He was always in a state of tension and anxiety. In his ten years alone, silence meant solitude, loneliness and noise meant danger.

Despite their jabs, the petty fights and the small misunderstandings, people at the base coexist in peace. Yes, they butt heads and fight, but Hanzo doesn’t think he has ever lived in such a weird calm state before.

This is a hectic pleasant noise, followed by a weird calm. 

Not silence. Calm.

He puts Ako in her sling and decides to finish his book. He hadn't found any time to actually read it lately. Hanzo felt embarrassed now that Cole knew what kind of things were written on the pages. So, with his cloth book cover and wearing his boots (he knows he shouldn’t) he moves to the one place he knows no one will bother him: the garden outside of the workshop.

As incredible as it sounded, people didn’t like the mechanical sound of Brigitte, Torbjorn and even Hana working. Hanzo, however, loves it. The chatter filled the day and the silence. This time he keeps a hand on Ako’s back as he reads, eyes going from his book to her from time to time. Thankfully, the colder day makes her cling to him. She climbs him, babbling for him to pay attention to her.

Hanzo snorts, leaving his book beside himself. He didn’t manage to read as much as he liked to, but he relents anyway, kissing Ako’s face and hugging her. For some reason he remembers his mother. She used to spend time painting in the garden with him or Genji in her lap. He remembers the smell of paint thinner and the way the colors filled the canvas. 

That is until he ended up staining her clothes bright red and blue. His mother had laughed at it, saying he had a real talent for design. His father didn’t receive the idea so well.

In the end he couldn't bring himself to sit with her and paint again. 

The metal doors of the workshop open and Hanzo hears a familiar voice. Looking up quickly he sees Efi leaving the room. Her mother is with her, the young girl and Hana are discussing something. Orisa goes outside, followed by Torbjorn walks out, patting Orisa’s leg. He says something to Efi before she rolls her eyes and then explains something else. 

Hanzo wants to say hello to the girl, missing her when she wasn’t around, but feels like he’d be intruding in their talk. 

Orisa looks up, then waves at him, walking to his direction. Well, there goes his reading session. He gets up, fixing his hold on Ako.

“Hello, Agent Shimada. Hello, Baby Ako.” Orisa greets them.

“Hello, Orisa.” He greets, bowing slightly. Ako babbles, waving a closed fist at the giant omnic. 

“MR. SHIMADA!” The girl screams while she runs at him. 

“Don’t run!” Her mother warns her from her spot in the workshop, tone stern and expression severe in warning. Efi stops and rolls her eyes, Hanzo decides to approach them, instead.

“Hello, Efi.” He bows to her too, showing more respect. 

“Hello!” She bows quickly and looks at Ako, gasping, loud and excited. “She’s so big!”

“Yes.” He turns ako to face Efi. The baby recognizes the girl by scent alone and waves at her too, eye wided. “She's been growing up fast.”

“Can I hold her?” Efi opens and closes her hands, antsy. Hanzo thinks for a moment, but decides that Efi is responsible enough for that, handing her Ako for a moment. 

“Hey, why can she hold Ako and I can’t?” Hana asks from the door of the workshop.

“She’s a responsible individual.” Hanzo deadpans, looking at the pilot. 

“Dude, I put her in the laundry basket ONCE!” She shakes her head, before turning back to torbjorn, complaining.

“Hi, baby.” Efi greets her. Ako babbles, wiggling around, excited to play. The young scientist sings to her a melody, something in a language Hanzo doesn’t understand, but it’s happy and animated. Then her arms start to drop. “She’s heavy now.” She frowns, looking up at Hanzo in dismay. 

The omega chuckles, taking the baby back. Ako snuggles up to Hanzo, and he pulls the Serape from his arm and around her. Ako nuzzles it, sighing. 

“ You're missing your daddy, aren’t you ?” Looking down at the baby, he lightly strokes her cheeks. She looks at him, but then she sneezes, a blob of snot leaving her nose and worse yet, the snap of red electricity zapping Hanzo’s arms. “Ouch.”

“EW.” Efi makes a disgusted face, recoiling from the sight.

“That’s disgusting.” Hana grimaces. Hanzo rolls his eyes and takes a soft cloth from this pocket, cleaning the poor baby’s nose and face. The baby sniffs and coughs, grunting in discomfort.

“Is she getting sick?” Hana asks, approaching. 

“Let’s hope not.” He brings the baby closer, feeling her face with the back of his hand, but she doesn’t look sick. 

Zenyatta walks out of the kitchen and I to the garden together with Ana. She has a potted plant on her hands. The two approach them, introducing Ana and Efi to one another. The girl immediately takes on the older omega, clinging to her side as she starts to ramble about the exciting things in her school and the cool robots she’s been building. Hanzo chuckles at her excited state and listens to her like she did on the first day. 

“You haven’t seen the garden yet, have you, Efi?” Zenyatta gently asks. 

“No! But Orisa told me about it!” The girl nods and they all walk. They show her their herbs and the plants still dormant in the cold winter. She gets super invested in them, eagerly hearing everything Ana has to say. 

With Efi away, her mother stops by Hanzo’s side and looks at the baby, then at Hanzo. They exchange pleasantries and a quick easy chatter. 

“Can I ask you something?” She looks at Hanzo, face serious. The omega nods, trying to anticipate where this will go. “Efi told us your mate is also an agent here, right?”

Hanzo is taken aback by the question. Not because it's surprising that Efi's mother is asking him, but that she thinks that Cole is his mate. He probably should clean the mistake and tell her and Efi that he and Cole aren’t that. But he doesn’t do that, he just answers the question, wanting to know where this was going.  “Yes, he is.”

“How do you keep from worrying?” She looks at Efi. Ana is teaching her how to cut the rosemary. The girl follows her steps the right away, looking at Ana with every snip of the garden scissors. 

“I don’t.” He says, honestly. “We worry about each other a lot, but I have to trust he’ll come back to me.” Hanzo turns away feeling a creeping sensation of bashfulness in his chest. “Why?”

“Efi keeps talking about being an Overwatch agent when she gets older.” She snorts, shaking her head. 

“I see.” Hanzo nods, understanding the worry. He also had the same issue when he came here first. “It may pass as she grows up.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She sighs. “I don't know if I have the heart to tell her this is illegal and may not be here next year.”

“She’ll understand it.” Hanzo looks ahead of himself. The air around them was cold and crisp. “Children know more than we think.”

“I just get so worried.”

“I do too, with Ako.” He holds the baby closer to himself. She coos, patting his face. He turns to her and she grabs his cheek, pinching it. “ Don’t pinch me, little Ako. ” He chastises her, grabbing her hand and taking it off of his face. 

“She really looks a lot more like you than the cowboy.” She chuckles and Hanzo nods, not having the heart to tell her Cole is not her ‘real’ father. He can pretend, just a little bit, can’t he? 

When it's dinner time, everyone asks for Efi and her mother to stay and they agree to it. Her mother is seated in the mess hall, talking to Jack and Winston. 

“Mom told me to help too.” The girl approaches him as he's preparing dinner. Genji is helping him, but he has gone to the pantry to get the garlic. Efi asks if she can help with anything, so Hanzo directs her to an easy job, stirring the tomato sauce.

“Mr Shimada, is it scary being an omega?”  She asks while helping to stir the pot.

Hanzo stops cutting the chicken and looks at Efi. The question is a surprise for him. The girl didn't seem any interested in secondary genders or what she would be in the future before, and someone her age probably is more worried about school and friends. Efi is pointedly not looking at him, face closed in a sad pout and a bad feeling lodges itself on Hanzo’s gut. 

“Sometimes.” He admits, thinking about all of the bad things that have happened to him, but not wanting to scare the girl. “Why?” 

“I'm… mom told me I'm an omega too.” She says quietly, like it's a shameful secret. 

Hanzo feels his heart drop, a cold chill runs up his arm and into his back as dread overtakes him. “How does she know that?” He asks, as calmly as he can.

“We went to the hospital.” She sniffs and Hanzo's heart is beating a mile a minute. “And they did some exams. I don't know how, but a week later mom told me that the test showed I'm an omega.” 

Hanzo feels relief flooding him, the realization the girl has not gone through the hell he has gone through making his hands shake. He's so glad, so fucking glad that he might actually cry.

“That is wonderful, Efi.” And it really is, now at least the girl knows what to expect in the future.

“What if I can’t build robots anymore?” She looks at him, scared, hands clutching the spoon. She looks so frightened, Hanzo can’t deal with it.

“You will be able to.” Hanzo reassures her. Going back to cutting the chicken. “Look at all the Omegas at the base. Hana, Brigitte, Lucio, Miss Amari, Jack…”

“Mr. Morrison?” Her eyes get as wide as plates, then looks back, through the opened kitchen door and at Jack.

Hanzo blinks. Realizing that no, Efi wouldn't know that Jack is an omega, considering the fact the soap and deodorants of the base were strong as hell and Jack's scent was already too light. He turns, looking to the mess hall towards where Jack is standing. He watches as the man is holding Ako on his side by the belly like she's a sack of potatoes. The older man looks at them, as if realizing he's being watched and waves. 

“Yes he is.” He whispers to her. “And he and the other omegas do amazing things. And so will you.” He reassures, but a pang of self consciousness fills him, remembering how difficult it is for omegas. The laws trying to control everything, from if they could work to if they could have simple bodily autonomy. He thinks about Lúcio and what Jack had said about his experience in the military, and his own story. The collars at the 66. “If you have good people around you, it's less scary. People that take care of you.”

She nods, looking into the pot again. Genji enters the kitchen five minutes later, head of garlic in hand. “Did you burn the water already?” 

“I know how to make simple spaghetti and grilled chicken!” He huffs. 

“I'm still watching over you.” He points at Hanzo, standing in the middle of the kitchen. “We can't eat your mushy spaghetti like last time.”

“It turned out like that because Winston bought cheap pasta!” 

They argue about how pasta had to be cooked, Genji purposely irritating Hanzo, to the point he gets so frustrated he gives the boxes of pasta to his brother and demands him to cook it then, if he knows so much. His brother does so as he begrudgingly goes to cook the chicken (that ends up very tasty thank you very much). Efi laughs at their antics, watching as Hanzo bosses Genji around. 

They eat in peace, or as peaceful as it can be with everyone there, but Efi has a new sort of look as she watches them. She looks at the other omegas with a shine on her eyes. Watching them interact with each other and especially the alphas. Hanzo hopes she doesn't end up taking too much from Hana, the girl is crass, badly behaved and bad-mouthed. Then again, He really does hope she learns to be carefree and strong like her. 

Later, when the Oladeles leave, Hanzo is on the porch, looking at the sea. Ako is on his lap and Genji and Angela are by his side. He tells them about Efi's predicament. 

“It must have given you a scare.” Genji says. Hanzo only nods.

“I didn’t know you could find out the secondary gender beforehand.” Hanzo turns to Angela, curious. 

“Well, It’s not an exact science.” Angela rests her head on Genji’s shoulder. “The technology has existed since the late 20’s and it has to do with genes, too difficult to explain now, but it's not 100% accurate. And it’s very expensive in countries that don’t have universal healthcare.” 

“Good thing they had access to it now.”

There is a moment of silence as they digest the information.

“Do you think father knew?” Hanzo asks, closing his eyes. Sometimes he thinks about when his mother was alive. Even then, his father already mistreated him.

“I don’t think it matters.” Genji looks at the sea, flesh hand caressing Angela’s arm. “Father was cruel with us, not because of what we came to be, but because of what he was.” 

Hanzo looks down at Ako, sleeping on his chest. He can’t imagine doing what his father did with them to his kid. The beatings, the humiliation, the long stretches of silence before the storm rained down on them. The simple idea of it makes him sick. 

So maybe Genji was right and their father was like that because he was a monster. 

No. 

His father wasn’t a monster, he was just a man, who wouldn’t control the fact he hated his children, that he cared more about what the elders thought, what others saw than their own safety and happiness. 

If he knew, his father would surely have done worse to him. 

So maybe Genji is right. 

And maybe he blamed himself too much for things he couldn’t control. 

--

Hanzo has forgotten about his birthday. 

It's not that he had just forgotten that Cole wanted to give him the stupid steamy books. The shame of his cowboy knowing what kind of bullshit he reads was already enough to linger on his mind for days (He decided to never touch a book again in his entire life when someone is around. Better yet, he'd unlearn how to read. Yes, that was a good idea for sure. Of course the promise didn’t last). 

But he was so focused on everything else, that he forgot about how focused on his comm Cole seemed on the last week, and the page he hastily hid from Hanzo’s gaze. So his birthday came and went and he didn’t notice. 

Well, not exactly. 

He was on a mission when it happened, too worried about not dying and being chased by  Talon soldiers to care about it. And when he came back he had to nurse Ako and let Cole hug him close to make sure he was still alive and well. So when he saw that it was already the 4th of November, he just shrugged and let it go. 

Cole didn’t want to celebrate his own birthday, it was silly to expect him to celebrate Hanzo’s.  And he did say he didn’t want Cole to buy him the books. 

So he didn’t question when Cole hastily offered to go with Tracer to get the mail on the PO box this morning.

Just now, after lunch, he realized that Cole is missing. And yes, it was because he was close to finishing his own book and he needed to know if the main characters would flee from the ambush created by the cruel prince. But that doesn’t really matter right now, he knows they’ll survive, the last page had the name and art for the next book in the series already. 

So he gets up from the grounds outside of the workshop, rights the hold of Ako in his arms and bids Orisa goodbye. He walks to his room to hide his book away from Genji before he goes to look for his boyfriend. Ako is already tired, so he’ll just put her to sleep on her crib while he searches. 

But when he opens the door what he finds in his daughter’s room is a mess of tools, drills, wrenches and a hammer on the ground. Looking up he finds Cole and Torbjorn arguing over what looks to be several spare pieces while standing beside a plush and comfortable nursing chair. 

“They send the spare part in case you lose the other ones!” Torbjorn points at the screws on his hand. “They are small!”

“I’m just sayin’ that we could reinforce it more!” Cole takes the hat off of his head. “What if it falls down?”

“If you didn’t trust it could stand on its own, why did you buy it?”

“It was what I could afford!” Cole lifts his hands in the air, frustrated at the engineer.

“I could have made one for you!”

“It's not the same thing!”

“You bought the chair I wanted?” Hanzo interrupts them, feeling emotional all of sudden. He takes a step into the room and Cole turns so fast it’s actually comical. 

“NO! DON'T LOOK!” Cole crosses the room in three strides. Covering Hanzo's eyes with his hand. 

“He's already seen it, idiot.” Torbjorn shakes his head. 

Hanzo chuckles, bringing Cole's hands away from his eyes. Looking at the alpha he sees he has a deep frown on his face, again sad.

“It was supposed to be a surprise.” 

“It is a surprise.” Hanzo says. Looking at it, he sees that the nursing chair is very similar to the one he described to Genji a while ago. Approaching it, Hanzo puts his hand on the material of the chair and feels it. It’s plush and comfortable and just the right color. Ako looks at it with curiosity.

“Go on, sit.” Cole urges him, an anxious jitter to his step. Hanzo does so, and he almost melts in it. He sits comfortably at it, easily getting into a comfortable position that doesn’t make his arms strain. Pulling his legs up, he fixes Ako’s hold and Hanzo realizes that he doesn’t need his boots to nurse her at night now. But better than that, he can read to her in here, and can just enjoy his time alone with her as she naps. No more strain on his knees.

He opens his eyes, looking at Cole. He loves it. 

“It’s acceptable.” He says. The alpha chuckles and shakes his head, already knowing Hanzo’s sense of humor. He kneels down beside it and kisses his temple, nosing his hair.

“I’m happy you liked it.” He smiles. Ako coos, pulling Cole’s beard. “You too, miss Ako.” 

“Well, I’m leaving now.” Torbjiorn says, gathering his things. 

“Thank you for the help, Lindhom.” Cole says, honest. 

“Ah, this was child’s play.” Torbjorn dismisses him.

“Thank you, anyways.” Hanzo says. Torbjorn sighs and then scratches his head, a flush on his face. Ah, that's why the man hates giving gifts, he doesn’t know how to respond to people thanking him.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, happy birthday.” He says, going out of the room. Hanzo chuckles at the man's odd behavior. 

He gets up, putting the Ako to rest on the crib, already half asleep. Hanzo then pulls Cole close by his shirt, kissing him with all the love he has. He lets the alpha lift him up on his lap, snaking his legs around his waist, and carry him to the room. 

“Thank you for the gift.” Hanzo says as they separate for air. 

“This ain't your gift.” The cowboy says, putting him down. Hanzo blinks and Cole points to the bed, showing that sitting on it, there are whole series of the books of his cowboy and prince series. All five of them. 

There is a card above it and Hanzo takes it, before opening it. Inside the phrase “Happy Birthday for the one person who completed my heart” is written, in beautiful flowy letters, handwritten with a black fountain pen. 

Hanzo covers his face, feeling a flush covering his cheeks. “Oh.” He says. He's glad he really is, considering they didn't have the other books in the library here and he wasn't about to buy them and have Winston (and possibly his brother) know he's been reading them. He feels bashful and so happy he can’t face Cole.

“You don't like it?” He asks, face falling. “I guess I could return them.” He sighs, scratching the back of his head.

“No.” He says, quickly, taking one of the books and holding it close to his chest. “They are mine!” He almost hisses, feeling his ears heating up now. Cole chuckles, mood lifting seeing how Hanzo is clinging to his gift.

“I’m glad you like them.” He kisses his temple. “Why did you react like that?

“It is… embarrassing.” Hanzo admits, looking at the books. The covers are new, more modern, with beautiful lettering and hardcover.  “They are trashy romance.” 

“So?”

“It's unbecoming.” He reasons. An agent, a soldier, shouldn’t be reading these books, Hanzo wants to argue. He should be studying for the missions, reading things that would help them in whatever way they could. Not this.

“I've read ‘em before.”

Somehow that's worse for Hanzo. He groans, hiding his face behind the book. “Why?”

“I used to read whatever I got my hand into when I became Blackwatch. Didn’t have much to read before I got here, so…” He shrugs. “They are fun. A little trashy, true but I don't know. I kinda liked it when I saw the uh, cowboy character. He's nice.”

Hanzo takes his hands away from his face, looking at Cole. “Really?” 

He had never thought about it that way. The main characters were clichê at best. The cowboy was an ex ruffian who worked as a bodyguard to the cruel prince. He was bad-mouthed and crass, always making fun of the main omega and his puritan views, he didn't intervene in situations that didn't involve him. The omega was a proud little thing, angry with everyone and everything, always shouting with his servants for the smallest things. Once the alpha is put as the bodyguard of the prince they slowly fall in love and through trials and tribulations they better each other, growing together.  

“Yeah.” Cole nods, a small smile on his face. 

“You stole Angela’s pens to write this too?” He picks the card up. 

“She almost had a fit.” Cole chuckles and Hanzo looks at the book, feeling that same swell of overwhelmingly good emotion on his chest. God, he loves his own cowboy so much.

“Thank you.” He kisses his jaw hugging the book closer. He opens the plastic covering it and looks for the page he was last in. The new book is very well made, with soft cream pages and small details on the perimeters of the pages. Cole looks at the parts of the story he's in and chuckles a little. “What?” 

“Nothin’.” He licks his lips. “Just maybe read the next pages, if I remember well you'll like it.” 

Hanzo blinks, then quickly opens the book again and starts reading, not even sitting down to do so. He finally gets to the part he thinks Cole is talking about, because it’s the plot twist. The cowboy was actually a spy from another reign, trying to bring down the tyrant prince and his family that had stolen the throne away from the rightful king and his consort. 

Hanzo's eyes go wide as he looks up at Cole. 

“Told ya.” He chuckles and brings Hanzo to sit on the bed with him so he can finish the book in peace.

Later, when Genji is back from his mission, he hands Hanzo a box of DVDs with the dollars Trilogy. He wants to groan, but he soon realizes it is not a gag gift. He doesn’t jab at him, doesn’t make fun of him, just hands the packaging, smiling.

His brother honestly gave him his favorite movies. 

Hanzo smiles, but asks for him to wait a minute. He goes to his room, gabbing the box that finally came in with the last mail run. He hands his brother a watercolor kit, with twelve colors, two high end brushes and sturdy watercolor paper. 

It's not expensive, nothing like what they had in Hanamura, but Genji loves it all the same. 

--

“So, I have a surprise for you, amigo.” Sombra opens a smile, stopping beside Reaper and handing him a printed file.

“It’s not another file full of photos of fat cats, is it?”

“Aw, I thought you liked it when I showed you those.” Sombra feels legitimately hurt by that jab at her. That was one of the best practical jokes she ever did with Gabriel.

“I’m more of a dog person.” Reaper sneers at her, sighing deeply. Whatever Moira has infected him with, is leaving his body, but it did a number on him.

“Whatever.” Sombra sits back, looking at Gabriel. “You want to see it or not?” She asks and Gabriel closes his eyes, searching for strength. Despite her selfish nature, Olivia was a caring person. She showed it in the most strange of times and in the most strange ways possible, but still… 

“Fine.” He says, sitting up on the bed. So Sombra hands him the file, with black and yellow branding, the Helix logo shining on the cover. 

Inside he finds chat logs, sending an order to their man inside Helix, coming directly from Akande. 

An order to kill captain Fareeha Amari.

There are paragraphs describing how she and another Helix employee have been snooping around where they don’t belong. Hope she’s communicating with Overwatch and leaking information. The last message has the order for Seth himself to deal with it. 

Fuck, he thought that he had teached these kids to be more careful.

His lips tremble, feeling a cold sweat form on his forehead.  It’s been a long time since he has seen Fareeha. The photos of her are recent, several of her in the Raptor suit, some with her civilian clothes. 

She looks just like Ana at her age. 

“They will send you to supervise the hit, just so you know.” Sombra sits back, observing his reactions. “I don’t think even them trust Seth.”

“No. This is Akande’s fucked up way of knowing if I’m still loyal.” 

“Could be.” She shrugs. “It’s not like the brainwashing thing works on you anymore, and you’ve been...” She gestures in his direction. 

Gabriel grunts and Sombra just watches him for a while. His face doesn’t betray anything of what he’s thinking, and she doesn’t know if he’ll just pretend to be sick and unable to go to the field again or if he’ll take matters into his own hands. His breathing is harsh and tired, Sombra can see that his body is trying to regenerate again and again, going into overdrive with whatever was used on him.

She wants him out. Has wanted it ever since she has put her hands on Moira’s files on the experiments done on him. There are things there that Gabe has no idea she has done to him, whole chunks of time he has lost and doesn’t remember. She knows he’s here in a fucked up attempt to protect Jack and Cole, to mislead and keep Talon away. 

But Sombra can see it’s not working. It hasn’t been for a while now, not since Cassidy and Jack came back to the light with Overwatch reforming. Before it was easy to disappear with recordings of Cole tailing a bounty or a still image of Morrison hidden in shadows. But now? Now they are everywhere and Sombra can't hide them anymore.

So maybe he needs a push.

“Have you ever wondered what Moira does with the DNA samples she gets from you?” She asks.

“I know what she does with it.” 

Sombra blinks, surprised. What the fuck?

“Well… That’s grimm.” She scoffs.

“It’s not like it will lead her anywhere.” Gabriel sits back, tired. 

“ Didn’t know you’d be okay with that. ”

“ I’m not .” Gabriel looks at her. “ But it’s the only way to keep her away from Jack. ”

“ You know their words are not reliable, right?” She asks, not believing Gabriel is that stupid. When Gabriel doesn’t answer anything else, she tries again. “Because that's not what Akande wants. He’s actively finding ways to capture Jack and your pup. ”

“What do you think?” He snaps and gestures at himself. “ Look at me. You think I signed up for this when Akande showed up and made his offer? You know what Moira did when she was Blackwatch. ” He says through gritted teeth. Sombra scoffs at him and Gabriel shakes his head. 

“I don’t know, it’s not my business what people do with their bodies.” She says. “I know a dude who wants a tail.” Gabriel just snarls at her and Sombra lifts her hands in surrender. 

“I didn’t want any of this. This is not what they promised me. ” Gabriel sighs. “ And I have an advantage, as long as I’m here. On the inside. ”

“And as long as we’re friends.” Sombra smiles at him.

“If we can even call this friendship.” 

“You hurt my feelings like this.” She pouts. 

“Boohoo.” He says and looks at her. Something chimes on Sombras arm, making the girl sigh. “What is it?” Gabriel asks, curious. 

“ That Vishkar girl you sent my way is nagging me again. ” Sombra looks at the messages and shakes her head. “ It’s the last time I let you rope me into one of your plans. It’s not enough you keep sending me Information to leak now she wants me to do the same for Vishkar. ”

“I thought you liked her.” Gabriel says, smirking.

“Yeah, She’s lucky she’s cute.” Sombra rolls her eyes. A sound calls her attention and Olivia stands up. “Gotta go, oldman. Don’t let Moira infect you with this virus anymore, you almost melted to the floor.”

“As if I have a choice.” Reaper answers her, but Sombra is already translocating away, getting all the cameras back to the normal live feed instead of the looping footage of Gabriel sleeping.

Notes:

Pat McRoth is like Jared Leto, a plague to my existence.
Also, The first part of this chapter only exists because I rewatched For a Fistful of Dollars and got embarrassed by the fact my own family was like “did they copy this character and put it in your game?” Lol.
So, again, tell me what y'all thik nad if there is any mistakes of something you can't undertsand, let me know.

Chapter 21: Sometime i wish I’d stayed inside

Summary:

Cole gets a haircut, Hanzo is reminded that he's still an omega after all and the gang stop some bigots from dying, unfortunately :/

Notes:

So, part of this chapter exists because I used the young Hanzo skin and I was reminded that he looks like he's wearing makeup and I live for that. Like, bitch, work.
And also I love Cole with the Riverboat skin. God I love mustaches. If you're a cowboy with a mustache just hit me up, I'm all available.

This chapter is brought to you by the song Daugther by Beyoncé. Because the idea for certain scenes came from listening tho that song, the vibes combines even if the lyrics dont.

There is a strange man in his room. He's wearing a wide brimmed hat, blue overcoat, a burgundy coat, slacks and a really, really attractive mustache. 

For a moment Hanzo thought that it was Cole, the scent was the same and it was their room, after all. That is until he saw the lack of hair, well… everywhere. No beard, freshly cut and combed back hair, well fitted tailored suit. Cole's suit, in fact. 

The man turned to him and opened a charming smile and Hanzo did what he was always teached to do. He grabbed the closest thing (a package of baby wipes he thought he’d lost two days ago), threw it at the strange man, hugged his daughter close and ran into the bathroom, locking himself on it. 

“Ouch! Han!” The man exclaims as he locks the door. Taking a deep breath, Hanzo sends a desperate message to Cole. 

> Strange man inside the room. Stole your clothes. Send help.

He hears the chime of the comm outside of the bathroom door and Cole chuckling. “It's me, Sugar. Open the door, please.”

Gingerly, Hanzo opens the door, staring at the man. And looking at the straight nose, the hidden freckles and the warm eyes surrounded by the crows feet that make him so charming he realizes oh, it really is Cole. 

“Why?” He asks, because he can’t really properly form a thought now.

“Doesn't it look good?” Cole takes the hat off, and it is worse than he thinks. His hair is cut shorter than it has ever been. Luckily it still has the attractive longer waves in the front. “Hana said it looked good for the mission. A glow up or whatever she called it.”

Oh. Yes. The mission. 

Winston had called them all yesterday to talk about their next big mission. It was for a single day, covering a party that was to happen in Italy, after a conference on the building next door. Apparently the more radical conservative politicians and celebrities around the world wanted to mingle and rub elbows. Winston didn’t know exactly why, the ideas beside it were murky at best, but he knew it was nothing good.

What he had confirmed, per the guest list he “managed to acquire” from a “anonymous source”, was that a lot of politicians and unsavory characters were confirmed to be there. Most very much against omnic's rights and at least two famous politicians that were also potential targets for the null sector. The word on the grapevine was that there was going to be something big happening there. “something that would make people really look and listen”. 

How Wisnton got to that information, Hanzo simply ignored it. Plausible deniability will take you a long way. 

Everyone groaned at the idea of having to defend those people, with Lúcio even commenting on how the two Politicians mentioned, both alphas, voted against omegas rights most of the time.

“That one wanted to make wild bites legal!” he pointed at one man, old, white, thin hair combed back. The distinct look of an old politician that couldn't let the chair and the benefits that came with it go.  

“We are not exactly protecting them.” Winston had assured them. “What we are doing in an undercover mission to avoid the escalation of violence between two conflicting factions.”

And that leads to an undercover mission, funded by overwatch itself (aka Winston’s ponzi scheme). They just needed to stop the attack from happening. So they are to be there as staff. Hanzo, Brigitte and Hana are supposed to be waiters, while Cole is the substitute for the guitarist in the band that always played on the restaurant. 

“Not that I'm any good at it.” Cole had said and Winston had argued that he was the only one that knew how to, besides Lúcio (who couldn’t go because he was booked to another mission). Hanzo honestly was curious to see Cole finally playing the guitar, the alpha didn’t have much time to practice lately.

With that set, everyone had to change their appearance somehow. Hanzo himself moved to the room today to shave his small goatee away (since apparently it wasn’t acceptable to have facial hair as a male omega server), but he was curious to see how the others will do.

“It is good.” He says. Cole looks at him with an unimpressed look. “It is!” Cole looks good. He does. Hanzo just liked the rugged look better. 

“What? Do I have a weak chin or something?” He jokes. 

“No.” And that's the biggest joke, Cole doesn't have a weak chin under the beard. He has a strong square jaw. Hanzo could say it was even softened by his beard. “I’m not used to it, that’s all.” He rests a hand on the alpha’s face, feeling Cole’s soft cheek. It was so weird, but looking closer, he can’t complain. 

He still has the same somewhat rugged look on him, the same charming smile. The mustache is a little too big, almost ridiculous, but he can pull it off. Especially because of the five o’ clock shadow left by the amount of hair Cole has gives him a distinct and strong look. The well tailored coat makes his figure stand out, broader and more commanding than before. 

It was attractive. 

It must show on his face, because Cole smirks at him, then rolls the tip of his stupid mustache, waggling his eyebrows at Hanzo. 

“Come here often, Honeybee?” He asks, leaning into the doorframe. “My Pa runs this town, you know? We have the biggest farm upstate, if you wanna I can take you for a ride on my fancy truck.” The cowboy says, full of innuendo. Hanzo laughs out loud, pulling Cole’s hat down. The alpha can only chuckle too, before fixing the accessory.

Hanzo leaves the bathroom and Ako in his arms finally looks at Cole. Hanzo watches as she sniffs the air and then makes a face, frowning, not recognizing Cole.

“Come on, Little Ako, you know him.” Hanzo says and then hands her to Cole, who accepts it easily. 

“ Afternoon, Ako-chan. Don’t be too scared, I just shaved away the forest on my face.” He says and she looks at him, eyebrows scrunching a little. 

“ Come on, Ako-chan, is your daddy. You know him.” Hanzo shakes his head, not even realizing his slip, too used to the way he speaks to her when no one is looking. 

The alpha stops for a second, wondering if he heard it right. Maybe he got the words confused. But no, there is no mistake, he knows the word for Dad in japanese. His heart swells with emotion and he looks at Hanzo, eyes wide and a small smile spreading on his face, all soft and full of love. 

“What?” Hanzo asks. 

“Not a single thing.” Cole smiles down at Ako, bouncing the baby, singing to her. After some minutes she gets used to his new appearance. She doesn’t cry, Cole’s scent being enough to make her relax. Hanzo nods and tells Cole to stay with her while he prepares for the mission.

“ Did you listen, nene? ” He holds the baby’s hand, whispering to her in spanish. Waving it around like she's dancing. “ I'm your dad now. Your mama said so .” God, he really really hopes Hanzo means it. He hugs the baby, leaving her head in his chest. “ I'm going to take care of you and him, I promise .” 

Cole sings to her and at some point Ako reaches for his mustache, trying to pull it. He quickly moves his face away and the baby frowns, scrutinizing him. Cole burst out laughing at that. 

When Hanzo comes back, the cowboy almost has a heart attack. The man is clean shaved, eyebrows trimmed and plucked from the excess of hair around it, shaped neatly. His face is even sharper than before, beautiful under the light of the room. His hair is down, now, the back is spiked up. 

Cole whistles long and low. 

“Ain't that a vision?” He says and Hanzo blushes at the compliment. The alpha gets up and approaches him, giving him a peck on the lips. 

For a moment Hanzo feels self conscious. People like omegas clean shaved well, everywhere. Not that he had much body hair to begin with, but he did shave his legs and armpits, trimming his public hair from time to time. 

“Do you like this more?” He clears his throat. 

“I like the goatee too.” He strokes Hanzo's cheek. “Gives you a comandin’ look. Like you're the one in charge here. ”

Hanzo snorts at that. “I am the one in charge here.” He smiles confident at the alpha chuckles. 

Yeah, he could get used to this, even if Cole keeps making jokes about “pa’s farm” and innuendos about trucks and tractors.

--

The wait to leave is longer than the trip probably will be. Everyone is running late and apparently Genji and Zenyatta are coming too. The omnic was a healing backup, but Genji is driving the orca for the first time with a crew. 

“Please, tell Angela to take care of Ako in case my brother flies us into a mountain.” Hanzo says to Torbjorn, only partially joking.

After the engineer laughs it off and takes his daughter away, Hana shows up running, makeup bag in hand, dawning a realistic strawberry blond wig and glasses, which Hanzo supposed would make her less recognizable. Hanzo and Brigitte were the only ones that didn’t change much, since they didn’t have a bounty on their head nor were famous military pilots. 

Once Genji takes off, Hana opens her bag and starts “putting her face on” as one says. Hanzo tries not to pay attention to it or watch her doing it. As much as he liked the whole makeup thing he didn't want to look creepy. It has been years since he did anything anyways, either too busy running away or too hateful of himself to allow this kind of thing. But once they are halfway through, the young girl says to him and Brigitte. 

“You two know that the place demand “mandatory makeup use” for omega waiters, don't you?” She brings a mirror close to her face, looking if her eye makeup looks even.

“What? Really?” Brigitte whines. 

“Yep.”

Hanzo huffs, annoyed by it. He likes makeup. He hates being told he needs to use it. But, he extends his hand so Hana can hand him some products.

“Take anything that's unopened.” She says, making a face as she beats a damp sponge on her cheeks, spreading the foundation. “And choose well, because you're keeping it. I'm not putting you guy's germs on my precious eyes.”

When he and Brigitte get to it, Hanzo feels his cheeks reddening as he starts to apply the makeup, a flood of memories coming back to him. The idea of him knowing what to do is embarrassing, but nobody seems to think the same. 

Cole sits by his side, playing cards with Zenyatta (Hanzo is sure the Omnic is stealing, but he doesn't want to accuse a monk), both not even paying attention to them. It was expected for omegas to know how to apply makeup, at least a little bit of it. He just thinks people would find it silly that he knows how to do it. 

“I don't know why we have to use makeup as waiters.” He grumbles, using a brush instead of a sponge to apply the orange concealer on his face, trying to hide his eyebags and the bluish tint on his chin. If he's doing this he's doing it right. 

“Some stupid shit about the “right image”.” Hana grumbles, but she still applies the eyeliner with expertise. Hanzo hums and decides to steal one of the eyeliner pencils, a dark brown one. 

“You don’t like makeup, Mr. Shimada?” Brigitte asks.

“The makeup industry was created to steal money from unsuspecting omegas.” He says, opening the pencil packaging and applying it on his eyelids. 

“That is father talking. I remember you having a hidden stash of makeup inside your closet.” Genji screams from the pilot seat up top. 

“And I remember you stealing it from me!” Hanzo snaps at him, only to hear a loud laugh coming from the cabin. 

“I had zits! You couldn't let me live like that!” He argues. “Besides I was the one that had to sneak them in, it was payment!”

Hanzo only shakes his head. He hears a shuffle of movement from the cabin “Autopilot on” Atena says and soon Genji is descending the stairs, stopping by their side. He just stands there for a moment, watching them. Hanzo is choosing to do what he has always done before: a simple natural look that enhances his features and didn't look like he was wearing anything for the unsuspecting eye.

“Remember when father found out about me wearing eyeliner?” Genji crosses his arms, resting his shoulder on the wall, a smile on his face.

“Yes.” Hanzo occupies his time taking a big fluffy brush and spreading a soft sheen of blush on his cheek. Just a touch. 

“No son of mine will walk around like a degenerate!” Genji says, voice low, imitating their father's tone. “Why don't you follow Hanzo's example?” He waves a finger around, then falls into giggles remembering the situation.

“He didn't seem to realize I was wearing makeup too.” Hanzo closes his eyes, setting his base with powder and a powder puff. He feels Cole’s hand stop on his knees, trying to reassure him. 

“That's weird to say. Why would you be a degenerate for using makeup?” Brigitte asks, already finishing her face. Hanzo is a little taken aback by her question and how easily she just thinks their father was the weird one, not the other way around. Genji sighs, scratching his real arm awkwardly.

“Father was very conservative.” Hanzo answers it, feeling that Genji has become uncomfortable about the situation. “He didn’t want his sons using makeup at all.” He puts the brush down, taking the mascara hoping that the orca doesn't sway that much as he's applying it and ruins the work he has already done. 

Cole’s hand moves from his knee to sneak itself around Hanzo’s waist, pulling him flush to his side. The omega is grateful for that, since Cole knows the kind of bullshit he and Genji have been through. 

“I can understand him getting mad at Genji. But at you?” Hana huffs, shaking her head. “I thought the conservative types liked when omegas were traditional, the whole makeup and collars.” 

“He was a little too traditional.” Genji mumbles. 

Hana makes a noise, not understanding it all together. 

“He didn't like that his first born was a male omega.” Hanzo says. “He pretended what I am, wasn't real. And that I was simply a very delicate Alpha.”

There is a moment of uncomfortable silence. Cole’s thumb strokes his waist with more care, but he can feel the other's stare on his face.

He needs to stop doing this, he decides. Opening up to people led to them acknowledging his past and that made everyone uncomfortable. At least they still don't know about the way they were trained. He can just feel Hana will become a beacon of anger once she knows about it.

“Your dad sucked.” Hana says, putting the finishing touches on her face, smacking her lips with the gloss. Genji gestures at Hana, as if to silently tell Hanzo ‘See? I told you so’. Hanzo rolls his eyes and finishes the look. Looking at himself in the handheld mirror, he feels stupid. It's not ugly or ridiculous, but he just feels… stupid.

It’s weird. Before he used to like it so much. The simple act of waking up, usually before everyone else and sneaking his box out and into the bathroom, doing the makeup as the last step of his morning routine. It felt different from now, like something he did to remind himself that he was still an omega, despite his father’s actions.

Now, here, it feels silly. He never liked people watching him applying it. The rare moments when Genji caught him in the middle of doing makeup always made him self conscious. It wasn’t the teasing about “putting his face on”, but because of the fact he was seeing it at all. It felt shameful for someone to see it.

“And I thought you couldn’t get any prettier.” Cole says, taking Hanzo’s mind away from the past and into the mortifying ordeal of being flirted with in public. He wants to hide away, but Hanzo puts the mirror down and kisses Cole’s mouth, just a quick peck.

“I’m going to have cavities.” Hana says, making a face. 

“You say that until it’s you going around smooching people.” Cole says, then he shows his cards to Zenyatta, with a satisfied smirk. “This one here is quiet ‘cause I spotted him and the Doc groping each other in the lounge room.” He points at Genji with his thumb.

“It was a very respectable cuddle!” Genji says, in an air of superiority. “Different from someone I know who actually keeps groping my brother in front of other people.” 

Hanzo opens his mouth to tell Genji that no, Cole didn't grope him anywhere in front of people, thank you very much, but Hana interrupts him. 

“I’ll be dead before being this overly sweet with anyone.” She scoffs and starts packing her things, leaving whatever he and Brigitte used in separate pockets.

“Keep tellin’ yourself that.” Cole chuckles. 

“I think I might have won.” Zenyatta says, showing his cards. Lo and behold, the omnic has won once again. 

--

Surprisingly, when Genji takes back control of the Orca for the rest of the trip, he doesn’t fly them into a mountain, nor does he kill everyone by diving into the sea. 

“Of course I didn’t, asshole.” He scoffs and parks the vehicle as close as he can to the hotel where the whole deal is happening.  

Once they land, It’s hectic. They all run, gather their weapons, dawn the uniforms, check the signal on their hidden comms and new earpieces, put the weapons hidden on the guitar case (now with Cole’s guitar in it) and off they go. 

Of course, once they get there the whole thing is rather boring. They are greeted by the staff, thanked that the agency could send them in such short notice and quickly sent to help with putting everything in place for tonight. The whole band seems to poke fun at the cowboy’s get up, but the alpha takes it in stride.

The ballroom is gigantic. It has an imposing staircase that forks in two paths and leads to a second floor where there are more tables being set, a bar and another dance floor. From it, it was possible to see everything on the bottom floor. Hanzo could only think about Widowmaker, hidden behind one of the curtains or the pillars or worse, the giant skylight in the middle of the glass ceiling.

This place was terrible for a mission. 

As the band rehearses, Hanzo, Hana and Brigitte go to work, checking the outside, every corridor and nooks, the skylight, the rooftop access, emergency exit. Nothing. Hanoz manages to sneak into the vents. Nothing too. They see some people passing unsavory pamphlets, for the nearby meeting, but nothing serious. They chat with the other waitresses to see if there was anything weird that happened in the days for the preparation of the event. 

Weirdly enough, there wasn’t. They didn’t see anyone with the description of the Talon agents (one even laughed about kids these days being weird and painting their skin blue), no one was there besides the organizers and some security firm doing their actual job. 

“I'm not going to say that maybe it is a false alarm because last time it jinxed us.” Brigitte says, and Hana scoffs at that, once they stop to eat lunch away from the others.  

“That’s bullshit, you’re not going to jinx us.”

“What, there ain't no such a thing as bad luck?” Cole takes a bite of his food. Hanzo is by his side, trying to pump milk and eat at the same time, since the staff supervisor only gave him five minutes to do so after lunch.

“Yep.” She nods. 

“Just like there are no spirit dragons or a demon skeleton on Cassidy’s eyes.” Genji says, viocu coming on their new earpieces.

“Demon skeleton?” Hana turns to Cole who just rolls his eyes.

“The communication lines have to be free, Genji.” Hanzo chastises him, speaking directly on the microphone in his lapel, but he chuckles at the ribbing. 

“I am chiming in for a field report.” He argues back. 

“There is absolutely nothing different until now.” Hanzo says. “It’s weirdly calm.” He takes the pump away from one breast to the other, not wanting to waste time, the snug button down he's wearing holding the pump in place. 

They talk some more, some of the other waitresses and band members joining them, talking shit about their job and how badly they are paid. Hanzo wants to say how good they have it, since none of them are putting their lives at risk, but he doesn't. He knows how tiresome these jobs can be.

Instead he moves to the kitchen and dumps the milk away, sighing as he cleans the pump, dries with paper towels and puts it back on the guitar case. Then he goes back to work. 

The day passes as normal, even Hanzo's dragons are calm. 

“Wouldn't be the first time a mission didn't go anywhere.” Genji tells him. That was true. But the fact is, those are getting much rarer now, so it would be weird for nothing to happen.

But even so, the day goes on and Hanzo even manages to sneak in a quick kiss with Cole here and there, when they are hidden away from everyone else. It’s all so mundane and calm, so different from their usual missions, that Hanzo can relax a little. 

Like now, with them hidden away on the back, close to the kitchen, they kiss each other, Cole's mustache tickling his face as he explores Hanzo's mouth. He thinks about another universe, one where this is their lives, a waiter and a guitar player in a small band. They would certainly need to leave Ako at Genji's and Angela's care for the nights they worked together.

A wolf whistle and a hoot makes them jump apart. For a moment he expects Hana or Genji to be the ones there, making fun of him again, but it's the two other band members. 

“Got lucky there, Tombstone?” The blond band member approaches them, a wide smile on his face, arms crossed. He's the keyboard player, the other one is maybe the lead singer. He's quiet, but he's looking at them, specifically at Hanzo, with a reproachful look.

“Come on, we don't have time for distractions. We're needed on the stage in 15 minutes.” The lead singer puts his hands on his hips, tone of voice worried as if this was Rock in Rio and not a small party with a bunch of bigots. “You can get your knot wet later.”

“A little respect here, fellas.” Cole fixes his coat and shirt, standing slightly in front of Hanzo. “It ain't right to speak like that in front of omegas.”

“Ah, come on, don't be mad.” The blond one leers over Hanzo. “Maybe I'll get lucky tonight too.” His laugh dies down once he looks at Hanzo’s disgusted face. He leans into the wall.

“Your bravado and bad flirting will not make up for your limp knot.” Hanzo says, looking the blond alpha up and down, with an icy cold stare. The man snorts at him, disbelieving. He turns to Cole. “I'll see you later.” He looks at him with half lidded eyes, a small almost imperceptible smirk on his face. He walks behind Cole, swatting the man's butt as he walks away.

“Gawd damn, Sugar.” He says, hissing. Looking back, Hanzo can see that Cole is massaging his left butt cheek. The omega presses his lips in a thin line, holding in a laugh. Maybe he did hit him a little too hard. He turns and runs to go meet the other waitresses, and hear something being said, but don't pay too much attention to it. 

--

The party starts, the sound of people walking and talking start to fill the room. They are with the waitresses, standing by to start service. Brigitte and Hana talk to one another, a nervous energy in between them, this being their first undercover mission. Hanzo’s dragons start to get restless as they always get when he’s surrounded by people,stirring around and whining to go back to Cole. 

They hear the sound of someone doing an opening speech, face turning in mild disgust when they hear the muffled words about the celebration of the rightful place of the alpha and the omega, how they hope that today is a day to further connections and make their plans for a “better future” without the “threat of omnics and the non human agenda” develop further. 

Of course every omega waiter and waitress (which were a lot) looked at each other with that one knowing look™, trying to just ignore the whole thing and go back to do their jobs. “What a bunch of horse shit.” Cole whispers as the rest of the band get to the stage then. The soft and melodic song fills the hall, dampening the sound of chattering and conversation.

The service starts and off they go, walking around the place, looking for the threat. The room is hotter than outside, the usual for a place full of people mingling and talking. It bothers Hanzo, the sensation of a hot room but cold sweat under his clothes. The smell of alphas everywhere makes him dizzy, having to take a moment to walk out and breathe from time to time. 

Soba and Udon stir, whispering for him to leave, to go back. But hanzo refuses to do so. It makes him uneasy, it makes him remember bad things, but he won’t let it stop him.

They are all on the ground floor, and nothing seems out of the ordinary. 

“I think I recognize some people here.” Hana says via the comm line. Hanzo hums in acknowledgment. He recognizes some people here too, sees some japanese politicians, some celebrities impossible to avoid knowing about. He comments about it, receiving the same perceptions from the others.

“Father would be right at home.” Genji comments and Hanzo hums in agreement. Some presences there are more surprising than the others (he really hopes that Lúcio doesn’t get too sad when they tell him about his favorite musician shaking hands with the same politicians he was so mad about earlier), but it’s nothing that could make him take a double take. 

When it gets close to midnight, close to the end, they take a break, hiding away in a corridor closest to the kitchen.

“You can say it now.” Hana smirks at Brigitte, who just laughs out loud, before quickly covering her mouth, afraid of being caught. 

“Maybe it’s a false alarm.” She shrugs. “It’s just a shame that we’ll be losing money, not gaining any.”

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Hanzo crosses his arms. Hana makes the movement of ‘more or less’ with her hand, which only makes him roll his eyes. What an impossible girl. 

The supervisor shows up, urging them to go back to work. Hanzo almost rolls his eyes at him, but follows suit anyway. It’s not like these old people will miss one cup of champagne or whiskey. 

“You.” He says, holding Hanzo’s arm. He stops and looks at the beta with curiosity, pulling his arms away from touch. “You’re going upstairs now. Our more important guests are there and a desk asked you to serve it.”

Hanzo lifts an eyebrow at the request. As far as he knows the service here was general, buffet style, waitresses offering food, appetizers and drinks as they are finished by the kitchen staff.  His dragons stir more with the request, the whole thing not making any sense. 

“I know.” The man looks around and seeing that Hana and Brigitte are still close, whispers to him, covering his mouth from them. “The organizer of the event demanded it. You know Miss Bianca, right?” When Hanzo shakes his head the supervisor sighs. “Very rich and powerful, we can't make her mad.” He gesticulates with his hands. “So please, do a good job and if someone asks for a blowjob or a lapdance just say we are not this kind of establishment.”

Hanzo takes a deep breath, but nods. The supervisor almost jumps with joy, handing him a platter with drinks. If he’s lucky this will be over in around two hours, maybe even less. He explains the whole thing to Hana and Brigitte. 

“Keep you comm turned on, Aniki .” Genji says, worried. 

“If something happens, just holler.” He hears Cole muttering, the sound of the guitar being played as background noise. 

“Yes, I’ll be upstairs in seconds.” Hana says, confident. Brigitte nods.

“I’ll be fine.” He says, finding it ridiculous that everyone seems worried about him all of the sudden. 

Soba stirs. He knows it’s only because of the fact he’s being bumped into as he walks on the second floor, surrounded by so many unknown alphas trying to out-posture each other. He was like this the last times he was around that many people, right?

Nothing is going to happen. The security staff lets him in, looking at his badge with a fake name on it. They share a look, smirking, and Hanzo sighs knowing damn well where this is going.

There is danger.

Go back to our mate. Udon begs him, but he just ignores the dragon. He has been on several missions, he doesn’t need to go back to Cole just because he’s mildly scared of some rich alpha who wanted to squeeze his butt. He’s not actually working for the business, he can just punch the guy if it ever gets to that. 

Hanzo looks around, searching for the table on the dimly lit floor. Here things felt more cozy, for lack of better word. The lights are low and yellowed, the music is not as loud here too, only serving as a background noise for the low chatter going around. When he finds the table, he avert his eyes to the floor and walks there.

“What can I do for you tonight?” He asks, stopping beside the table.

“I knew it was you, Shimada.” 

Hanzo freezes as soon as he hears the voice. Looking up from the number on the table, he comes face to face with Moira, wearing a formal suit and tie. He hears Soba snapping under his skin, wanting to attack the woman. 

“See, Akande, I was right.” She says turning to her side, that same knowing smile stamping her face. 

With wide eyes, Hanzo follows Moira’s gaze. Akande is seated beside her. He is an imposing figure, wearing a sharp white suit, dark shirt, all pristine and well pressed. A single red rose in his lapel, breaking the monochromatic look. 

To his right he can see Widowmaker, or at least Hanzo thinks it’s her. Her skin is not blue as it was before and she’s wearing a beautiful dress with a plunging neckline. Her eyes are particularly glazed today, different from the sharp indifference from before. 

“Indeed.” Akande rests a hand on his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. “What a strange situation to find you in, my dragon.” Through the communicator, Cole's twelve-string guitar stops abruptly on an out-of-tune note. They all can hear him growl on the line, a dangerous and low rumble coming from his alpha. “Those fools at overwatch have already discarded you?” He lifts his eyebrows, the question lingering in the air.

Hanzo then realizes that only his cover was blown, Moira probably recognized him because she has seen him up close before, but not anyone else. That or they are testing him. Either way this is bad.

“Wait a minute. Don’t do anything stupid.” Hana's voice is calm, directed at Cole, but Hanzo can hear the edge of something nervous in it.

“Hanzo, are you okay?” Genji asks on the comm line.

He schools his features into the cold facade he trained so hard to keep up, it slips into place easily. “Yes.” He says, answering both questions. His heart is beating a mile a minute, cold sweat forming on the back of his neck.

“Ah, what a shame.” Moira delicately takes a flute of champagne from his tray. “Even the cowboy? You two looked very…” She looks up, a finger on her chin, as if looking for a word. “Cozy together.” She takes a sip from her glass, tutting disapprovingly after, probably finding the drink lacking. 

“A very happy relationship, may I say.” Akande takes the glass of whiskey too. “Sad to see it end.”

“Keep them talking.” Genji says. “Remember what father told us about egocentric enemies? Maybe we can find information about what they are doing here.” 

Hanzo ignores Akande’s quip or the fact they know anything about him and Cole and asks with only a twitch of his eyebrow. “Again, what can I do for you tonight?” Keep calm, keep calm. 

“A sore subject, I gather.” Moira shakes her head. 

“Join us.” Akande says, pulling a chair. “Let us talk.” Hanzo is sure that if he sits down at that table, he wouldn’t be just agreeing for a chat.

“I am working.” He says flatly, not giving in. He knows alphas like Akande, he liked the chase. Giving in could be too suspicious.

“Your talents were wasted on Overwatch, now they are wasted in such a low pink collar job.” Akande takes his free hand forcefully, pushing the cuff of his shirt up, showing his tattoo.

“There is much we could do with those dragons of yours.” Moira rests a hand on her chin, her long nails are painted a deep purple color, almost black. She's wearing weird half gloves, one of her hands has a purple discoloration to it, as if it's a limb lacking blood. Was it like this before?

“I’m not interested in becoming one of your walking corpses.” He spats at her. Moira just dismisses him with the wave of her unblemished hand, seemingly unbothered. But Akande Chuckles at him.

“This is the fire I am looking for.” He says, kissing Hanzo’s hand. The omega tries to pull his hand away, but his wrist is still being held by Doomfist in an iron grip. “The things we could do with you at our side.” 

“Creep.” Cole says on the comm line. Udon hisses in agreement. 

Hanzo tries to slip away from his grasp, but Akande's hand is unrelenting. “If you all are here, then I do need to leave soon. I remember the damage you did last time you were at a ball.” He looks straight at Moira, face with a cold sneer.  

“That whole ordeal you, the foolish doctor and Cassidy hindered.” She squints at him. “I still wonder how you managed to do that so well. It almost felt like an inside job.” She lifts her visible eyebrow. “Perhaps you can enlighten us.”

Hanzo purses his lips. 

“Still loyal. So foolish.” Moira says.“Or maybe his cowboy has followed with.” 

Akande nods and then brings his wrist close, slightly scenting it, nodding. “Ah, you’re right.” He smiles, as if he has won the lottery. “Where is he now?”

“Doing grunt work, no doubt.” Moira says, easily, as if she knows Cole. Hanzo’s sneers deepen and Moia chuckles. Shit, he needs to school his features. He can’t let his feelings bleed out.

“Do not worry. Overwatch may not see the worth in both of your loyalty, but I do.” Akande turns Hanzo’s hand, massaging the middle of his palm with his thumb. The alpha is trying to soothe him, Hanzo realizes. What an arrogant man. 

“Anything else?” Hanzo says trought his teeth, forcefully putting the tray on the table.

“A dance?” Akande stands up, fixing his suit.  “Maybe we can discuss your future with us in private, away from the Doctor.” He takes a step into Hanzo's personal space, making the omega take a step back. “Since she scares you so much.” 

“I’m on my way.” Cole immediately says. 

“Don’t--” Hanzo says to Cole, but stops himself. He swallows down, seeing that the Talon agents are all looking at him.“-- Try to convince me.” 

“Hanzo.” Cole whispers through gritted teeth. They hear someone chastising him out of the line.

“Calm yourself, Cassidy.” Genji says. “Hanzo, this is up to you. I’m not going to force you to do this.”

Hanzo takes a deep breath, trying to think fast. It would be better if he wouldn’t get too out of view from the others, but then again, he doesn’t know if Akande will ever talk about business in public like this. He could try to manipulate him into telling the information, like he did it when they first met. And yet, Hanzo feels a knot on his throat with the thought of being alone in a room with the alpha. 

“How the mighty have fallen, huh?” Hanzo hears someone by his side, way too close for his comfort. He jumps, quickly turning his face to the right. Beside him stands a woman who Hanzo knows now is Sombra, seemingly appearing out of thin air. She’s wearing a dark purple dress, hair in a side moonhawk. 

That’s the woman who stalked him and had the photo of his daughter.

“Stay away from my child.” Hanzo snaps, lunging at her. His dragons beg to consume her. She only laughs, taking a glass of champagne from the desk and sitting down beside Moira. 

“Stop showing her on streams, amigo .” She smirks at him. “She’s what, nine months now? She must be bigger than when I saw her last. I loved the little antenna pigtails, by the way.” 

“Shit.” Hana mutters on her comm. Hanzo immediately feels as if a cold lead ball has dropped on his chest. And more than anything absolute rage filling him. He growls. 

“Just say the word, sugar.” Cole says, voice full of anger. But Hanzo doesn't want him to be in danger too. He has all the intentions of running downstairs, taking his bow and putting an arrow in between everyone’s heads. 

Let us out. Soba asks. He tries to pull his hand away, but Akande holds him back. 

He has never expected the man to be this strong. The gauntlet enhanced his strength, that was clear. He saw the kind of destruction it created, so he obviously had to have some strength to handle the kickback, but this was ridiculous. Hanzo is a strong man, he has always been, and it feels like he absolutely can’t take his hand off of his grip. 

Hanzo lets Soba manifest, just for a moment and zaps the alpha, immediately making Akande retreat his hand. Akande’s hand twitches then, showing it's a prosthetic. He snarls at the alpha, looking at him with all the rage he has. 

“Ah, Akande. Do we have a problem?” A very tall and blond woman approaches the table, putting a hand on the small of Hanzo’s back. He swats her hand away instantly. Why is everyone touching him today?

“No.” He smiles, taking the woman’s hand in his. “I’m just taking your waiter for a dance before we talk, Bianca.” He kisses her two hands, before releasing it. From her smell she’s a beta, a mated one. So this is the powerful Bianca. He's sure to look at her face intently trying to memorize it so he can show Winston who Talon has been making deals with. 

“Ah, yes! A little pleasure before business.” She says, looking at Hanzo. “Go on now, I’m sure your supervisor will be fine with a dance. Be a good omega, yes?”

“I’m sorry, madam, we are not this kind of establishment.” He says, looking defiant at her. 

She frowns at him.

“Don’t be a troublemaker, omega.” Bianca says. She opens and closes her hands, as if she’s itching to do something, but looking around she just gives up, huffing. “I am very sorry for this.” She turns to Doomfist, angrily pressing her lips on a thin line. 

“It’s not an issue”

“You know, if it was in my hands, we would have this party at one of our states where we could have trained omega staff for our guests to enjoy them freely. A good scruffing would solve these issues.” She shakes her head, as if she is talking about the weather making her day difficult.

Hanzo feels a shiver running up his spine and nausea set on his stomach. This is what she stopped herself from doing. If they were on a more private set, he’d be scruffed right now, his head probably resting against the table.

“But you know how it is after Peter was… accused.” She blinks twice. 

“The small corruption problem?” Akande asks with a warm smile.

“What can one do?” She sighs. “We are being persecuted by those people.” 

Hanzo rolls his eyes at her. 

“Now, you.” She turns to Hanzo. “Be a good omega unless you don't want to find a job in this city for the rest of your life.” 

Hanzo looks at her up and down, with an air of superiority that he hasn’t used in years, then at Akande. “Fine.” He says and the alpha doesn’t smirk at him, but it’s close. He needs to know what is going on around here anyways.

“I don't like this.” Cole says. 

“I’ll see if I can get upstairs.” Hana mumbles. “To keep an eye on things.”

Akande doesn’t need to drag Hanzo, he simply takes his hand and walks him away from the twin staircases, towards where the dancefloor is on the second floor. He sees several people there, dancing and talking to the slow music, but the place is not full, not like downstairs. 

They stop close to the railing, where Hanzo can see everyone on the ground level talking and some dancing in the middle of the floor. He spots Cole in the band, playing the guitar with ease. The songs are melodic and slow, the guitar playing in a rhythmic tone. If this was Cole strumming it, he wonders what he'd do once he actually put some work on it. 

Akande easily gets into position, hand on Hanzo's waist, the grip on the omega's hand is strong. The steps are easy to remember, but Hanzo has to fight the urge to take control, as he has always teached the part of the alpha in dances.

“Stop struggling.” Akande chuckles at his rigid position and steps. “You have to let go of control, my dragon.”

“Stop calling me that.” Hanzo says sharply. “I'm not anyone's anything.”

“Not even the cowboy’s?” He asks, watching Hanzo's expression closely. He must see something in it because he hums a content affirmation. “I see.”

There is whine from Cole, almost too low for anyone but him to hear and Hanzo wants to reassure his alpha.

“Love is not owning.” Hanzo looks away, not in the direction of where Cole or the others are. Hanzo can hear a happy chirp from his comm and he wants to laugh at the cowboys stupid behavior in a moment like this.

“So that's all you want? To be loved?” He asks, twirling Hanzo before bringing him close again. “That seems so small for you.”

Of course Akande doesn't understand. Most people like him, power hungry, never understand. Hanzo then tries to steer the conversation away from him.

“What is small is you being here with these people. Without your power they would treat you like a servant. ” He looks down at the crowd there again. The staff, the band, everyone was a quite diverse lot, but the guests attending the place were a hegemony of white and blond people. 

“Unsavory people will always be part of business. Our goals are bigger than this idiotic political movement, but they help us get there.” 

“Like Bianca.”

“Like all of them. Hatred will get you just so long. You know that don't you?” he grabs Hanzo's chin, forcing his vision up. Hanzo scowls at him but doesn’t pull his face away. 

“Conflict comes from hatred.”

“Yes.” Akande smiles. “But what I seek comes after that. This is why today is a special night.”

“So I really should leave.” Hanzo moves his face away from Akande’s grip.

“I'd like for you to watch and see what we can offer. What humanity can become.”

“I’ve seen what you have to offer.” He snaps, remembering Reaper, the people fallen on the masked ball. “And I'm not interested.” He steps back, taking his hand away, but Akande follows. 

“You do not realize your potential.” He says, lifting his eyebrows, his expression is open and honest. “No one seems to. Not your father, not your elders, and especially not the fools at overwatch.”

“I know what I can do. And I hate it.” He looks up at Akande fiercely. He knows the power of the dragons coursing through his body, manifesting in this world, how they can burn everything in their path, destroy people like they are nothing, bring down the buildings like they are made out of sand. He remembers the screams calling him a monster. “I'd rather die.”

They look at each other for some time. Hanzo is unwavering. This is useless, Hanzo can’t find anything talking to Akande, he hides his intentions on layers of idle talk and poetry. He can find his team, regroup and plan what to do, how to follow them once Akande and Bianca go have their talk.

“I’m going back to work.”

“No, my dear.” He takes his eyes from Hanzo and towards someone behind him. “Finally, I have my hands on you. And I will get what those foolish old men promised to me.”

“What?”

“Sorry, hermano .” Hanzo feels a hand on his shoulder. Looking beside himself he sees Sombra has materialized again. She does a movement with her hands and blows him a kiss, a purple square quickly floats in his direction, hitting him in the face. Hanzo feels a wave of something hitting him, taking away his energies. He groans in dismay, legs suddenly giving in. 

“Hanzo? What's going on?” Genji asks frantically. The song stops and he hears a wave of questions.

“Thank you, Sombra.” Akande says. Hanzo feels like he’s hearing everything like it’s underwater, very far away from him. “Will he sleep soon?” The archer feels himself sway a little. 

“If Moira is right, then yes.” She shrugs. 

“No. NO! Someone go get him!” Genji frantically says.

“I'm on my way.” Cole says, hurried. “I told y'all it was a bad idea!”

“Stop complaining and go get my brother!” Genji almost shouts. 

“Thank you.” Akande holds Hanzo’s body.

“Sure, jefe. ” She turns to Hanzo. “I hope you know it's not personal.” Sombra says, taking the earpiece away. 

“ ANIK --” The earpiece crackles as Sombra smashed it. 

There is someone shouting away from him. 

He thinks he’ll pass out. He feels a hand firmly hold his forearm, pulling him up and walking away. Lifting his gaze he hopes to see Cole by his side, but it’s Akande. He holds his shoulder close, tucking Hanzo into him. 

“Let me through!”

Hanzo looks back, in the direction of the twin staircases and Cole is trying to get into this floor. The two alpha security stop him and Cole pulls one of them by the lapel. “My fucking mate is in there! He's not well! LET ME THROUGH!”

Hanzo is hyperventilating. He looks around, but everyone seems to ignore the situation. What is Akande going to do with him? He feels the alpha dragging him away, towards somewhere. His legs are not working, he can’t get himself up. 

Promised? What the hell did Akande meant ? Despair fills Hanzo’s body. 

“Let go of me.” He pushes against Akande's torso, hitting him until he can slip away and hold onto the railing, breathing hard. He won’t let Akande lead him deeper inside the building. “I'm not going anywhere with you.” He says, more to himself than to the alpha.

“I was taking you to rest. So we could talk.” Akande lifts an eyebrow. “Nothing less.”

“I know what you want!” Hanzo almost shouts, not taking his eyes away from the man. “I'm not letting anyone touch me like that EVER again.”

“Ah. I see.” He nods and approaches again. “You misunderstand me, Hanzo.” He stands right beside the omega. Hanzo tries to step away, but his legs are shaking. There is a ruckus, filling the silence of the room left by the music.

“What do I misunderstand?” Hanzo swallows down, the throat is dry. Hang on. Hang on. He thinks. You can do this, Hanzo. Remember your training. But, what the hell was he infected with? It's like he has been hit by a truck mixed with that one time he almost died of dengue fever.

“You are a beautiful omega indeed, but I have no interest in your body. It surprises me that you'd think I’d do something so crass as rape you, like others have done.” The alpha sighs. “I'm most interested in what your power will bring when you join us. You are special. ”

Hanzo shakes his head. He knows what Talon wants, what everyone has always wanted. Not one of these powerful people seemed to care about him, it's always about his capability to breed out pups. If not Akande, then it will be someone else. He knows it.

Looking at the staircase, Hanzo can see the security guards holding Cole back. He's making a scene. In the middle of it he sees Hana and Brigitte take the opportunity to sneak in. 

“I don't care about power.” he says, the fading memory of Hanamura and his father and the elders suddenly fresh on his mind. It’s there and gone in a second, replaced by his new ones: Winston letting him stay in the watchpoint, doing less mission missions, caring for his daughter despite their staff being so small. Or Hana filming Ako crawling for the first time just so he could see it. How Ana shares the quiet moment with him at the garden. 

Reinhardt, always seeming to have good advice and Lúcio hugging him even when he thinks he doesn’t want to. Torbjorn secret gifts. How Hanzo always seems to be holding a laugh with his friends. 

He thinks about Cole, how he doesn't pinch Ako’s arm when she stains his shirt, cradling her softly against his own chest, singing to her. How he loves her the way a real father should. How he loves him so tenderly, so fiercely that Hanzo can barely comprehend it.

It’s his family, like the Shimadas never were with their hunger for power and blood relations.

“You do not understand.” Akande interrupts his train of thought. He has stopped by his side, almost behind Hanzo. “You are different from these people.”He holds Hanzo's shoulder, pulling him close and turning him to the ballroom. His breath quickens out of fear, Akande’s scent is strong, nauseating like the other alpha’s always are to him now. 

“You are proof that I am right.” He whispers against his ear, close to where the comm is hidden in his lapel. He's so glad Sombra has broken it, he has no desire for people to see him like this. “Something beautiful can rise from the ashes of suffering.” 

Hanzo’s breath catches with the action, more out of surprise than anything else. He can see that Cole is looking at him from the staircase, being pushed against the wall by the security. He watches as Hana and Brigitte are stopped in the middle of the way by Moira. He hasn’t seen any weapons on them but he’s not naive to think they don’t have any other means to attack.  

“Do not touch me.” He said through clenched teeth. Akande searches the area he's looking at and Hanzo averts his eyes from Cole. 

“Ah. The cowboy is here. Moira was right.” The man looks around. “So you still are with overwatc, what a pity.” Akande chuckles as his eyes land on Cole, who is still looking at them with a hateful glare, being manhandled by the security men. “But tell him not to worry, we want him to come too. We want you to be happy, Hanzo. You two, that death skull and your dragons, are the perfect duo. ” 

“You already have our answer.” Hanzo Says coughing and closing his eyes.  

“You'll have your home back, the Shimada empire, your castle for you and your cowboy. A cozy place for your heir to grow up.” He says, wishful. “The girl could become even more powerful than you, with the right training.” He smiles, like that idea is the best he has ever had in his life.

Hanzo’s reaction is so immediate that not even Akande can predict what happened. Hanzo feels a surge of pure rage. His dragons lend him energy and he turns around, slapping the alpha hard in the cheek. The sound of it it's loud and sharp and Hanzo's hand immediately stings, even with all the calluses on them.

Hanzo himself doesn't even know what he's doing. He's scared, he's surrounded by Talon and people that want to do him harm. He's unarmed, poisoned, unable to get to either Genji or Cole or anyone from his team. 

There is a moment of silence, Hanzo even thinks for a second that the people have stopped talking too. But it hasn't. His ears are ringing with the surge of adrenaline. His heart is beating so fast it's going to give him a headache later on. 

“Ouch.” He hears Sombra saying loudly. 

Akande just opens his eyes, calm and slowly faces Hanzo. He's silent, but the omega knows this kind of stare, the ones his father used to give him before a beating. 

“Now.” Doomfist starts, voice calm and level. He rests his hand on Hanzo's junction of shoulder and neck, squeezing it. Akande's fingers rest against the back of his neck and he can feel himself freeze in terror. It’s not scruffing, not in the traditional sense (no one would dare to do that in public) but is hard enough to make him freeze in place and whimper. Can’t no one see this? Does nobody care? “Don't think your role in this is indispensable. Your brother and pup are still viable options.” 

“ Ryuuga wa --” Hanzo starts the call for the dragons, but Akande puts his other hand over his mouth. Still his dragons try to leave, dancing under his skin, cracking the air with energy. 

Hanzo gasps, immediately freezing in place, breath hitching in fear. For a moment the hot air of the ballroom feels like that dark hotel room again and his mind races, he remembers pain and despair.

A shot zips through the air, grazing Akande's shoulder. The alpha hisses, releasing Hanzo in favor to hold off his injury. With eyes filled with rage, he looks in the direction of the shot. Cole has the Pacemaker on his hand, pointing at them, the two security men he had holding him on the ground. The other two security personnel on the end of the other staircase jump on him and a fight breaks out, both trying to contain Cole, who punches and snarls at them.

Most of the few people who were seated at their tables on this floor are standing up, trying to see what’s happening downstairs. Hanzo realizes he's getting surrounded by people and stands up too, using the crowd to hide himself and walk in between them, to move away, towards Brigitte and Hana.

Downstairs some people are gasping and exclaiming to call the police, he hears the distinct sound of a nose breaking. He hopes it is not Cole’s. But Hanzo focuses on moving on, on not bumping into people. Moira has Hana's face in her grasp. The girl’s wig has fallen off already. Brigitte has the guitar case on her hands. 

Focus on getting to them. Step. step. Step. Someone pushes him away. You can do this, Hanzo, come on. 

There is a rumble on the ground floor. Hanzo coughs, feeling the effects of whatever he was infected with taking over. He stumbles and holds to the railing, looking down. He’s about to pass out.  No no no, come on, stand up.

The main door opens, bringing in the cold winds. It feels like heaven on Hanzo’s skin. As he looks down, in between the people, he sees a big Omnic walking towards the middle of the room. He's followed by something. No, not something. It’s a man, floating three feet away from the ground. 

The Omnic starts a speech, something about the freedom of omnics, the genocide of his people. But Hanzo is not paying any attention to it. He watches as Hana hits Moira’s hand away and tries punching the older woman. There is a cloud of purple and black smoke and Moira disappears only to reappear beside Akande. No one seems to pay attention to it. 

One man approaches, touching the Omnic’s chest, telling him off, maybe demanding him to go away, but The omnic holds the man by his expensive suit and throws him to the ground. People gasp, the security guards move from Cole and towards the new threat. 

The security guard runs towards the Omnic, shooting him. Another man takes a weapon from his holster hidden under his suit and shoots him too.

“I will speak to you in the language you understand: violence.” The omnic says and the man beside him rips a piece of the ground, seemingly with his mind, and throws it at the man shooting. He smashes him against the wall, killing him in a splatter of blood guts and broken bones. From the omnic, comes a cloud of something, hurting the people close to him.

There is screaming. The people around him run, pushing against Hanzo. 

“Here we go.” Sombra says, smiling. “Goodbye.” She wiggles her fingers and throws a device up and away, disappearing too. 

Hanzo is pushed hard and he falls to the floor with a thud, hands burning against the ugly carpet. He hears the distinct sound of the orca approaching in between the ringing in his ear, but also something else, a bigger rumble. 

“Hanzo.” Brigitte is by his side in what seems seconds. “Fuck.” he must look like hell if she’s swearing. “Shit shit, calm down, I’ll apply some anti poison and biotics and you’ll be fine. Just like before.” She says, tearing up.

“My bow.” Hanzo is taking shallow breaths. He can feel the sweat gathering on the back of his neck. Akande’s grip was strong and Hanzo still feels the pain of it being squeezed. He closes his eyes, feeling weak. Brigitte nods, opening the guitar case. 

“Are you okay?” Hana asks, dropping down beside him. Hanzo nods, even if he’s not.

The ceiling glass shatters as a horde of bots are dropped into the dancefloor. Brigitte acts fast, activating her shield with her maximum setting, protecting him and Hana.

“What the fuck?” Hana says, looking down in between the metal bars of the railing. Dozens of Bots have dropped into the center of the room. They float away, walking mechanically, working almost as turrets, shooting anything that moves. 

Cole finally gets to them, almost falling on the ground as he approaches and knells down. He takes the omega in his arms, hugging him hard and close, aggressively scenting him. 

“I’m here. You’re here with me. You're safe. You're safe.” He says, almost begging for the idea to get to Hanzo's head. “I’m sorry.” He says. “I’m sorry.” Cole kisses his hair and his face. Hanzo holds him close, scenting him too. He notices the alpha has small cuts on his face and neck, probably hit by some of the broken glass.

“I need his arm.” Brigitte says and Hanzo wiggles his arm out to show it to her. She rips the sleeve and gives him two shots in quick succession. The orca flies above them, deploying the Mecha through the broken ceiling. It lands on the staircase with a heavy noise. 

“I’m going in.” Hana says before running off to the mecha. 

He feels his body slowly getting invigorated. The Biotics are working slowly, but he doesn’t feel as weak as before.

He separates from Cole, even if the alpha obviously doesn’t want to and growls a little when he does so.

He nods to Brigitte, coughing a little. He looks at Cole and grabs his bow on the guitar case. 

Cole puts a hand on his shoulder. “Absolutely not.” Cole says, serious and worried. “You’re not fighting, sugar.”

“Worry later.” He says with all the force he can muster. “We need to stop this attack.” he breathes out, feeling shaky and angry. When Cole still keeps a steady hand grabbing his waist Hanzo brings their foreheads close. “Let me do my work.” 

Cole looks at him, takes in a deep breath and kisses him, just for a moment, after releasing him. “Fine, okay.” He curses, angry and frustrated, before standing up with Hanzo. 

The archer takes his weapon and stands up. Hanzo rolls his shoulders, trying to make the pain go away. He blinks a little, pulling the string of his bow and nods. The muscles of his shoulder and the back of his neck hurt. He flinches a little. He’s not 100%, probably not even a 50% but he can pull his bow and shoot, so he’s well enough to fight. 

“That fucker left.” Cole says. They look at the direction of where Doomsfist and Moira were before, but they have disappeared already. 

The three of them look down and watch as the guests hide themselves under the desks, under the bar and behind columns and whatever place they can find to avoid being shot. The most desperate try to leave the place, but the doors are locked.

“I can’t get all the bots.” Hana screams from the ground floor. “They are too close to the guests!” Hana tries to approach the Omnic and the man in the center, but the former pulls in a barrier stopping her missiles. 

“Get the exits open.” Cole says on his comm. Brigitte nods, before running downstairs to the emergency exits, using her flail and shield to hit the bots on the way. 

Hanzo runs in the opposite direction from where Hana is, flaking the omnic with his arrows. He shoots on two, three times, hitting his target straight on. The omnic hisses in pain, taking the arrows off of his torso, his barrier going down with the distraction. 

Cole takes the opportunity and shoots him too, but it doesn’t seem to affect him much. The bullets seem to always deviate from the target, as if they are directed elsewhere. He shakes his head and goes into shooting the bots.

“The doors are stuck!” Brigitte says, frustrated. She then starts using her shield to try to force it open. She screams when the bots starts attacking her.

“Goddman.” Cole points at the bots on Brigitte's side and calls for Deadeye. He never liked to use it on crowded areas, but fuck it, he doesn’t think any of the guests there dying would be a loss to the world. Seven bots in his aim. “Draw!” Seven bots down. 

“THANK YOU!” She shouts on her comm, making Cole flinch. 

On the other side of the ballroom, Genji crashes through a window, entering it through the ground floor. Some people scream looking at him, confusing him with a bot. Genji doesn’t mind them, he just gets right into action, destroying the horde in his way with his sword and shurikens. 

Suddenly the floating man stops and starts looking around. “This place is beautiful.”He says, modulated voice sounding whishful. “The melody echoes here…” He sounds distant, like someone lost in a dream. 

Genji immediately runs towards him, jumping around and sending shurikens in the floating man’s direction. He hits his helmet. The man’s head snaps back and the protective visor cracks. The orange pieces fall down to the ground. 

On the top floor Hanzo can see its Dr. de Kuiper. 

Subject Sigma. 

The only thing passing through his mind is that they are going to die crushed like bent metal pieces. 

“Well, we’re fucked.” Cole says beside him. He points again towards the bots, killing five of them with well aimed shots. 

The guests have all gathered around the corner Brigitte is in. The girl has stopped trying to open the doors to focus on protecting the people there with her shield. 

Around them, they can hear the windows being broken and the oh, so elegant and mega rich people from the top floor leave through the balconies. 

Hana uses her propulsors to lunge towards Sigma and the omnic, shooting another battery of missiles toward them. Sigma lifts his hand and a black ball of something shows up around it, holding the Mecha in place as if it weighs nothing. He does an elegant movement of his hand, the missiles float up and into the ceiling, exploding somewhere in the sky.

Hanzo takes the opportunity to shoot arrow after arrow toward him. He doesn’t even move and Hanzo’s arrows just simply get redirected down to the ground, smashed to pieces. Normal arrows don't work.

“Do you hear it too?” Sigman looks at Hana, eyes darting around, as if searching for something. “Oh, you don’t.” He shakes his head disapprovingly. Hana screams as the man throws her and her mecha away like it’s made out of paper.

They see the lights of the Mecha dimm down. Hana starts to push and pull the controls, trying to make it go back online. Cole runs to the staircase, getting down some steps. He aims towards the Omnic, unloading the barrel of his gun, hitting him three times. The shots hit the soft silicone parts of his body and the Omnic screams in pain, turning to the cowboy. 

“Suffer as I have.” A low buzz starts around them, the omnic’s metal plates and pieces shift around, body growing bigger and bigger. Hanzo notches an arrow and calls for his dragons. 

“ Ryū ga waga teki o kurau !” He shoults. As he’s releasing his arrow, he feels someone snake an arm around his neck, choking him.

“Not this time.” Widowmaker says, behind him, pulling him back. His aim falters and the dragons are launched up, missing the Omnic entirely. Soba and Udon roar to the sky, but easily redirect, twisting around the air and hitting the omnic just as they are disappearing. It’s not enough to put him down, but udon opens her mouth, taking away the omnics arm.

He shouts, falling to the ground, hand clutching his shoulder. Zenyatta floats from outside, on the window Genji has opened before.

“I told you to stay on the orca!” Genji screams towards Zenyatta, finishing the last of the bots. He has already shot most of them down, but Sigma is still up. 

“You need help.” Zenyatta says, sending a healing orb towards Genji.

“Can’t you hear it? That-- that melody?” Sigma asks, frazzled, blinking several times. “WHAT is it? It’s like! Like--”

“Hanzo!” Cole screams, running in their direction. The omega tries to headbutt Widowmaker, who now had the blue tint slowly enveloping her skin again, but fails. Whatever he was infected with is still coursing through his veins, and Widowmaker can easily grab his head still with her other hand. Her fingers dig on his cheeks, nails scratching him.

“Look out, cowboy!” Sombra materializes in front of Cole, her automatic rifle pointing at his face. 

“Get out of my way.” Cole says, his gun quickly pointed at the beta. 

“Between you and me, I’m the quicker shot here.” She smiles.

“I don’t need to be quick.” He points the gun straight at her. He calls dead eye. His eye shining like a copper coin, watching Sombra’s and Widomaker’s red skull shaking under their skin. Deadeye shouldn't be used more than once in a day, but then again, this is a day full of exceptions. “I just need one good bullet.” 

On the first floor, Genji jumps in Sigma’s direction, unsheathing his sword. 

“It’s like the universe is… SINGING TO ME!” Sigma exclaims, smiling, eyes lost, euphoric. That makes both Widowmaker and Sombra take their attention from Cole and Hanzo and towards Sigma. 

“Ah, damn. Not now, old man.” Sombra says, grimacing. She looks at Cole and then at Sigma, snarls in frustration and throws her teleporter God knows where, gone. Hanzo takes the opportunity and bites Widowmaker’s hand, forcing the woman to release him with a shout.

Cole blinks deadeye away and takes a step towards Hanzo. 

But he feels something different. He doesn’t step on the ground. 

In fact, everyone (their enemies, the guests, the waitresses) and everything in the ballroom is floating up and away, as if they are all in zero gravity.

“What in the goddamn--” Cole screams. Hanzo curses in Japanese, watching all of his arrows floating away from his quiver. The turned off mecha floats close to them, Hana is not trying to make it move anymore, she’s kicking the glass, trying to get off of it. 

Cole turns to sigma, shooting, but the bullet simply floats away too. Looking down, Hanzo sees that they are too high, almost at the ceiling. Widowmaker has stopped trying to get to them and hold for dear life to the broken skylight. 

Hanzo tries to go for Cole, floating in his direction so they can at least hold on to the ledge of the skylight together.

“Cole!” He calls, extending his hand. The alpha turns to him and does his best to reach him. Soon they are interlacing their fingers pulling into each other, holding for dear life. Hanzo tries to float up and to the skylight, but it’s hard without anything to get some impulse.

He hears Genji shouting for his dragon. “ Ryūjin no ken o kurae! ” Ichigo manifests, and different from everything else, Ichigo goes down with purpose. Whatever is happening does not affect him. The dragon snakes around Sigma's hand, squeezing it hard and breaking his arm with an audible CRACK.

The man screams in pain and suddenly everyone feels their stomach dropping. In a second they are falling down. Hanzo holds Cole as hard as he can. We’re going to die. Ako will be alone . Are the only things he can think about. 

“Experience tranquility.” Zenyatta says and the whole ballroom is enveloped in golden light and a warm sensation. 

They fall hard.

There is a second where Hanzo thinks he’s dead. That was it and there was nothing he could do about it. 

Then he opens his eyes. 

Looking down at Cole, he sees that the man turned their bodies as they fell down, cushioning Hanzo with his own body. He reaches to him, turning the man’s face around and his torso. Miraculously he’s unharmed too. Turning around, Hanzo sees that in fact everyone is standing up, unharmed. Or as much as they can be. Zanyatta has saved them from injury with his transcendence. 

“Did we die?” Cole asks. 

“I don’t think so.” Hanzo replies.

“You okay, sugar?” The alpha groans as he opens his eyes. Hanzo nods, dumbfounded. Looking at Zenyatta he sees his light fade away and the omnic approaches one of the people that have fallen down. He touches his arm, helping the man up. The guest just looks at him with wide eyes, amazed. 

Brigitte stands up and runs towards the mecha, helping Hana to open the glass up and finally get out of it. Genji stands up too, close to Sigma, holding the sword on his neck. The old omega is whimpering in pain.

“Is everyone okay?” Cole sits up, massaging his side. All the agents confirm that yes, they are okay. They walk closer to the fallen Talon agents. Zenyatta approaches Genji and then sends an orb towards the older man, helping to ease his pain. 

Hanzo sometimes is amazed at his benevolence. 

“Zenyatta.” The big omnic breathes out, still on the ground. “I thought it was you.”

“Ramattra.” Zenyatta says, surprised. He quickly approaches the other omnic, floating down to his side. “Oh, what have you become?” He touches his face and then the shoulder where his arm was ripped off. There is a heavy sadness in his voice.

“I have become dissatisfied.” He responds. 

“This is not what Mondata would have wanted, brother.”

“He didn’t understand humans.” He sighs. “All they know is violence.”

“That is not true.” Taking Ramattra’s remaining hand on his own, Zenyatta begs. “Please, let me show you.” Ramatta looks at him for a long moment and a sentiment of loss permeates the atmosphere.

“No backtracking now, amigo .” Sombra zaps into their view again. With quick reflexes, Cole lifts his hand, shooting at her. She teleports quickly away and into Zenyatta’s side, typing on the air and purple lines connect with the monk.

“Argh!” He exclaims before shutting down.

“No.” Ramattra holds Zenyatta’s limp body with his remaining arm, pillowing his fall. 

“Master!” Genji Shouts, running towards Sombra. The beta is quicker than everyone expects her to be and does the same with Genji, making the man go down, falling limp to the ground. 

Hanzo takes the first arrow he has closest to him and shots her. But he’s too sloppy, too weak and angry at the vision of his fallen brother, body devoid of light, only his flesh parts moving. 

An idea forms in his mind and the dragons immediately follow through. He pulls the bow, and feels the energy course through his arm and form into arrows. He shoots five in quick succession, hitting the ground three times, but getting Sombra on the arm and shoulder. 

“ Puta madre! ” She swears, falling on the ground, clutching her arm in pain. 

Slowly approaching, Hanzo looks down at her form. “Mediocre.” He pants out, tired and ready to fall down. Sombra shakes her head and plants a device on Ramattra. She smiles and waves at him before both her and Ramattra are gone in a zap of purple distortion. 

Hanzo snarls, but lets her go, running towards his brother and Zenyatta. Cole follows with, slightly limping. They turn Genji around, and the cyborg is breathing hard. 

“It’s okay, Genji.” Hanzo reassures. Cole nods and goes towards Zenyatta.

“It hurts” Genji gasps for air, flesh hand resting on the side of his body that has the synthetic organs. Hanzo feels a surge of despair and turns to call for Brigitte, but the girl is already close to them, medical case in hand, Hana by her side.

“Don’t worry.” She nods, opening the case, clearly shaken by the situation, stumbling a little. “Angela told me what to do so it’s fine!”

“Just get to it!” Hanzo urges her, snapping at the girl.

“Okay okay!” She hurriedly takes a square device, hooks into a port on Genji’s arm and runs a diagnosis. 

“Help me here, kid.” Cole urges Hana as he’s taking Zenyatta from the ground, holding the omnic by his arms and moving him closer to Brigitte. 

The device on Brigitte’s hand bips and her face lights up. 

“It’s not all bad! Your limbs and organs are booting up.” She says. “But It will be painful, so I’m administering a painkiller.” She looks at Hanzo, obviously scared of the situation. Genji nods, groaning in pain. Brigitte takes a vial of her case and a syringe, filling it with the right amount of sedative and applying it on Genji with trembling hands. 

The cyborg takes in deep breaths, then takes Hanzo’s hand, holding it for dear life. It takes some time, but soon he’s relaxing, head resting on the floor.

“Will he be okay?” Cole stops closer to them, looking at the cyborg, now relaxed with the painkillers.

 “Yes, nothing was damaged.” She nods. 

“I’m fine, Aniki .” Genji takes a deep breath and relaxes. “This is some god shit, Brigitte, You should hide it away.” At times like this, Hanzo remembers why he used to always be angry with Genji. His brother didn’t take anything seriously, even now. 

“Thank you, Brigitte.” He nods at the girl, who relaxes. Hanzo takes her hand in his, giving a quick and reassuring squeeze. He feels bad for snapping at her during the whole ordeal.

“What am I going to do with you?” Moira’s cold voice comes from behind them. All of the agents turn at once, starled and they see her standing before Sigma, shaking her head. 

The old man looks up, pleading. 

From her inside pocket, Moira pulls the same device as Sombra has on Ramattra. “Let’s see if this works.” He presses a device on her hand and they both vanish in the same purple distortion. They don't even have time to react to what's happening.

Zenyatta slowly wakes up, lights flashing on his body. They can see on Genji too, the soft green light slowly lighting up. Brigitte sighs with relief and gets Genji in her arms, easily holding him in a bridal style. Genji even holds her neck, joking about damsels in distress, a little woozy from the painkiller. 

“We should leave.” Cole says, looking at the people around them. They hear the noises of the police and fire department getting close. “We shouldn’t even be here anymore.” He pulls a cigarillo from his pocket and puts it in his mouth, lighting it. 

They all nod and move to the window Genji had broken when he invaded the place. They climb it, with the guest following after them. Brigitte moves quickly and Hanzo has to run to keep up with her. Hana goes to her mecha, climbing through the opened window and fiddles with the buttons more. The analogic mode starts and the robot comes back online, just enough for her to fly it through the broken skylight and to the orca  (that is hastily parked on the nearby empty parking lot) . 

“Wait, wait, what the hell just happened here?” One of the guests gets closer to Cole, a male alpha that smells overwhelmingly of fear. He looks like some kind of politician Winston had told them to look out for. 

“I reckon y’all angered someone very strong.” Cole says, looking up and down at the man. The man looks at him in horror, before Cole takes in a drag of his cigarillo and lets the smoke out on the man’s face. “And a bunch of omegas and omnics just saved all y’alls asses.” He puts his index finger on the man’s forehead, pushing him back, making their man stumble. “Should remember that next time you’re passin’ some bullshit law.” He says before walking away. 

--

They have to wait for Tracer to get to them.

Winston has hastily sent Aurora, driven by Jack to drop off  Tracer and Mercy to help. They have at least half an hour until they get there. 

Hanzo is standing beside the medical stretcher. Leg bouncing as he watches Brigitte walks around, methodically hooking Genji on the machine, watching his vitals. The devices linked to his brother are flashing various red and orange lights, beeping away and Hanzo cannot stop watching him. There are so many tubes and monitors that Hanzo can't help but think his brother is dying, even if Brigitte has promised that it is just for monitoring him and Genji is in fact well, just a little woozy and sleepy.

He can't help but blame himself. It’s his fault Genji had to come to help them; 

It doesn't take long for Cole to move from the cabin of the orca and stand beside Hanzo, kissing his temple. He leans on the caress and coughs some more, swaying on his feet. His alpha brings him close, holding Hanzo firmly against his side. 

“I apologize for snapping at you.” Hanzo says to Brigitte. 

“You're forgiven.” She says, nodding towards him and then away, skittish. “It was a mess, back then.”

He nods, resting his face on his hand, tired. “I apologize for ruining the mission.” 

Colle immediately starts growling, a deep rumble on his chest as he pulls Hanzo to face him chest to chest, holding firm on his waist, burying his nose on the omega’s neck.

“I need to see Genji.” He tries to push himself against the alpha to see his brother, but Cole just hugs him closer. 

Hanzo tries again and his alpha huffs, releasing him and going for one of the supply nooks. Fiddling around a bit, he finds a foldable camping stool. The alpha opens it close to Genji, sits down and pulls Hanzo down on his lap. Like this, the archer can look at Genji while he's asleep and Cassidy can keep him close.

“Let me have this, sugar.” He whispers. Hanzo lets himself relax a little, resting his head on Cole's shoulder. “You’re hurt.”

“Is it that bad?” Hanzo asks, remembering Brigitte's reaction to seeing him. 

“You’re pale as a ghost.” His voice is a growl and Hanzo shudders with it. “Doomfist left a mark on your neck.” Cole’s hand twitches, as if he wants to move them, do something, but he holds himself back, squeezing Hanzo’s lower back.

“Should I look at it?” Brigitte asks, nervous. But Hanzo shakes his head, hiding himself on Cole's neck. He hates that every agent saw him like that, panicked, vulnerable. 

“Okay. Maybe when Dr. Ziegler gets here.” She nods, walking towards Hana. The pilot is on the other side of the orca, sitting at the table. She seems unable to look at them, eyes lost somewhere.

“I'm sorry.” Cole whispers to him, mouth brushing against the skin of his collarbone. 

“About what?” 

“I couldn't avoid what happened.” Cole scents him again, a little desperate. 

“You tried to.” Hanzo remembers when he saw Cole literally fighting to get to him. “I was the foolish one. I should have left when I saw it was Talon. I'm s--”

“No. Don't you dare to apologize.” He says. “Not about this.”

“I hindered the mission.”

“It could have been anyone, you know that.”

“That is not true.” He knows Cole is trying to make him feel better, but it’s not true what he's saying. Doomfist was looking for him, specifically. Maybe Cole too, but he seemed adamant to getting him. He almost did. 

“ Aniki , accept when things are not your fault, please.” Genji says, looking up at him, very loopy. “And let me sleep in peace.”

Somehow seeing Genji like this makes Hanzo relax. He reaches out and holds his brother’s hand, grip is hard and unwavering, both trying to feel the other one is alive and well. Brigitte runs towards them, flooding Genji with questions, taking his face plate off and shining a light on his eyes. 

Brigitte runs a diagnosis again, nodding as she sees his level improving. She takes a deep breath of relief and sits down again. Hana pats her arm before looking down again.

They watch as the authorities come in and out of the building, the lights shining away coloring the night. No one comes to search for them, miraculously. Everyone is probably too worried about the whole terrorist attack by the null sector thing. Zenyatta himself is seated by the window, looking outside without talking to anyone. He only moves once Genji is properly awake to go stand beside him, sending a healing orb, hasting his recovery.

Time passes in silence and Hanzo almost sleeps. But soon they see Tracer zipping into the orca, greeting everyone and running to the cabin. Angela walks towards them with purpose, a serious and sour expression in her face as she enters the orca. 

She moves quickly, checking Genji first, taking her time looking at all of his vital signs, the functionality of his limbs and organs and how he’s feeling. 

“It’s everyone ready to fly back home?” Tracer asks. 

“You can go on, Lena.” She says, finishing her work on Genji. “Everything seems normal now.” She sighs. “Thank you Brigitte, you did a great Job.” The girl nods in thanks and Angela moves to attend to the others as the Orca lifts off. Thankfully everyone is in good shape, considering, all needing just mild biotics for cuts and abrasions.

That is until she gets to Hanzo. 

“That’s a big bruise on the back of your neck. Can you open his shirt? I need to bring down the collar.” She comments, touching his shoulder. Hanzo tenses in place and shakes his head no. He’s too tired to speak properly, head resting against Cole. 

He doesn’t know if it’s just the physical because of what he was infected with or the mental distress is helping it to make him miserable. What he knows is that he doesn’t want anyone even looking at the back of his neck now.

“Cassidy has told me that Doomfist scruffed you. I need to see the bruise. You know how sensitive the area is.” She whispers to him, authoritative. Hanzo grinds his teeth and looks at her, face unwavering. He swallows down and shakes his head no.

“Sugar, She’s not touching it, she's just looking right, Doc?” He looks at the Doctor who reluctantly nods.

“Yes.” 

“I’ll be here, okay?” He says, looking at Hanzo. The omega presses his lips in a thin line, and Cole brings his hand up, kissing it, trying to reassure him. 

Hanzo nods and unbuttons the top part of his shirt, shrugging it down a little. Angela tuts in displeasure, shaking her head seeing the giant bruising on Hanzo’s back of the neck and shoulder. 

“Pull your hair away a little.” She asks, not unkindly. He does so, realizing his hair has come down from the spiked style he had put it in at the start of the day. Like this people can see his full tattoo, but also the several scars on his back. His body is littered with them, from his training and from several of the time he was injured in combat. 

She hums. “Is it hurting?” Hanzo shifts his shoulder and realizes that yes, it is still hurting. He has probably furthered the injury with his bow. There is no use in lying, so he nods.

“You’ll need to make a compress on it, but I'd recommend a balm too.” She walks to the supply nooks again, pulling a medical kit down, taking from there a gel pouch, pressing a button in it and walks to Hanzo, handing him the cold pack. He takes it and rests against the bruise, but the weight of it feels terrible.

“If this starts to swell, tell me. I can’t have someone with nerve damage. Now let’s see about whatever Sombra has hit you with. ” She massages the bridge of her nose and examines his complexion, his eyes and asks how he’s feeling. He’s honest about it and she nods, then takes a sample of blood from him. 

Cole, all the time keeps caressing Hanzo’s small back, kissing his temple and whispering sweet nothings to him. Is good, soothing. It makes the whole ordeal easier and when Angela gives him some medication for his symptoms, he’s already feeling a little better. But she comments on how she’ll have to make tests to see what it is and Hanzo nods, feeling his eyes shutting down. 

Angela moves around him and Cole and goes to Genji’s side. She kisses him, caressing Genji’s face looking at the younger Shimada with love and worry. “What am I going to do with you?” She asks, smiling. 

“Heal me.” Genji answers and she kisses him again. Hanzo regrets sitting here now, he feels like he’s intruding a little in their moment. It's a little uncomfortable if he’s being honest. 

“Now I get what others mean about us.” Cole mumbles to him, equally uncomfortable and Hanzo snorts, taking the compress from his neck. 

“Hey, we are not nearly as bad as the two of you!” Genji says, indignant. Angela shakes her head and pat Genji in his cheek, before moving to the cockpit with Tracer. Hanzo can only chuckle before he closes his eyes again. 

“I can't believe he tried to love bomb you.” Genji mumbles, a little out of it

“Who?” Hanzo asks, opening his eyes. 

“Doomfist.” Genji says as if it's obvious. “As if we didn't live with the elders all of our lives. Grandpa did this all the time.”

Hanzo hums, thinking back on the times when his grandfather or the elders would visit him. They always told him and Genji, to some extent, how special they were. First he loved when his grandfather or any of the elders visited. They treated them as aunts and uncles, even if only very few of them were truly related to them at all. They always gave them gifts and special treatment. They all kept telling them how they had the dragons and were destined for greatness, just like their mother was. 

Now, he thinks about how insidious everything was. 

“I've told you. Akande thinks I'm a frivolous omega.” Hanzo sighs. “Impressionable and easy to seduce.”

“Maybe if he had a cowboy hat--” Genji quips.

“ Stop telling people I have a cowboy fetish! ” He groans, angry, but too tired. Cole chuckles, patting Hanzo’s leg. 

“You said it, not me.” Genji smiles. 

“He has a thing just for one cowboy.” Cole kisses Hanzo’s shoulder and the omega huffs a laugh. Genji smiles, but his face falls once he sees Hanzo’s shoulder. The omega pulls his shirt up, feeling the mood shift. He is glad that Genji tries to make the atmosphere easier, but he can feel his worry. They stay silent for a while, the sound of the orca flying filling the air.

Cole looks at Hana and Brigitte. The pilot looks worried still, all her bravado and jokes are forgotten. Zenyatta is by their side now and he can see Hana is talking to him, frazzled and worried. 

“What did Sombra mean about Ako?” Cole asks. Hanzo lifts his head and looks at him. 

“I accidentally showed her on Hana’s stream.” He says, remembering how Hana warned him to be careful not to show her online. He was so worried about her being on the floor that he didn’t think about the implications. “I was careless.” 

“There was no way you’d know she was surveilling that. We didn’t even know who she was back then.” Coel says, but Hanzo wants to argue that he should have known about that, as unreasonable it sounds.

“And they really thought that after that and saying Ako could be trained would convince you.” Genji shakes his head, angry and woozy. “You’d never beat a child!They don't know you at all. ”

Hanzo smiles, but then it dawns on him. How does Genji know about that part of the conversation? Unless the communicator was open and functional after Sombra took his earpiece away. They have all heard him. 

“Did you hear all of the conversation?” He asks. Genji nods. 

“Everyone did.” Cole sighs. “I'm sorry, Han.”

Hanzo closes his eyes with force. That's why Hana can't look at him and Brigitte is so skittish. They all know. 

“ Aniki-”

“ I do not wish to speak about it. ” He snaps. 

There is a moment of silence, but Genji nods after. 

“Okay.” he says. “When you wish to. You can tell me.” 

Hanzo hopes he never has to open his mouth about it again. 

--

They land twenty minutes after the aurora. By then, Genji is already feeling better, but Angela warns him to go to the infirmary for the rest of the day for observation after they are finished with Winston. She goes to her lab to make the tests and the medication they need. Tracer sends them a wave before zipping away too, as Winston has called only the team to debrief. 

It’s not easy.

Hanzo has to deal with the commander asking him about everything that happened all over again in detail. It feels like an interrogation, like when he got here, even if the tone is more worried than anything else. 

But it’s mortifying. The way Winston tries to be calm and professional, but he’s obviously deeply upset and angered. The other agents are deathly silent too, not interrupting. 

He questions why Akande calls him “his dragon”, what he means by the potential he has, the phrase “what he was promised”, if he’s sure that his father didn’t do any business with talon before. He just keeps answering as best as he can, trying to hold back the fact he’s falling over himself. 

“Will you stop?” Cole snaps at some point, nose flaring in anger. “Y’keep asking as if Hanzo wasn't poisoned and almost snatched away.” He huffs, shaking his head.

“Calm down, Cassidy.” Winston says. “We just need to understand why that happened to begin with.”

“Yes.” Genji says. “They don’t seem like they are going to give up on getting the dragons.” 

“Seemed more than that.” Winston comments, cringing. He has listened to the comm recordings and got progressively uncomfortable as Hanzo and Doomfist talked alone. “He seemed more focused on Hanzo specifically.”

Hanzo frowns, looking down. There is a lump on his throat that has lodged itself there ever since Akande had put a hand on the back of his neck. Morrison and Ana enter the room then, both being briefly updated on what happened.

Morrison hums.

“Back then, when we did the raid.” The older omega starts. “We had information that the Shimadas had struck a sort of deal with another powerful crime organization. Talon. ” He turns to Cole, Hanzo and Genji. “You remember that, right?” He weakly gestures towards Cole.

“I didn’t get all the info, I had to leave right at the beginning.” Cole lifts his prosthetic arm, wiggling his fingers. “It was when I lost this one here.”

“Yes. At the time we didn’t know who, it was all too hush hush, but the suspicion was that the Shimadas were going to sneak weapons to Talon.” Morrison crosses his arms. “It was some time after Talon got into Doomfist’s command. They were moving fast with deals all around the world.”

“What?” Hanzo asks, blinking. Morrison turns to him, one eyebrow lifted. “No, we didn’t deal with Talon.” He says.  

“We told you already, our father didn’t like Talon.” Genji also sits straighter, back rigid now. He’s angry now with the implications. “And when Hanzo took over he actually stopped several businesses with these kinds of organizations. It was one of the reasons why they did…” He huffs, nose flaring with anger. “What they did to us.”

“Hm, ethical yakuza.” Morisson actually snorts at the idea.

“It was a business decision.” Hanzo explains. “We couldn’t have ties with terrorist organizations or cults or extremists without calling more attention from the authorities. So I stopped all of it.”

“ Uncle Katsuo didn’t like that one. ” Genji comments.

“ Katsuo is the exact reason why I did it. ” Hanzo says, impatient, remembering how he found out his uncle was supplying a cult with a significant part of their hallucinogens.

“ Yeah, he really liked that sex cult .” Genji nods and sees Cole turn to the brothers, eyes wide an expression of disbelief in his face. Hanzo just dismisses him.

“In English.” Jack asks. 

“We didn’t have any ties with Talon.” Hanzo insists, looking at the others. Morisson looks at Winston and then at Ana. The two oldest agents exchange a knowing look, one that says they will talk more later on. 

The meeting moves to the other elephant in the room: Ramattra and Zenyatta’s connections. 

“He is like a brother to me, yes.” Zenyatta sighs, resting a hand on his face. His voice sounds sad. “He was the one that found me after my awakening and took me to the monastery. Without him I don't know where I’d be.”

“He knew Mondatta, then?” Tracer asks and Zenyatta nods. “But how? The monks preach about peace and understanding.” She asks, shaking her head. 

“He was always dissatisfied with the way we are treated.” The monk looks down. “He was awakened in a battlefield and has seen the worst an omnic could. But I never thought I’d see him doing this, he was a sweet person before. We used to watch the stars together.” Zenyatta insists, as if making a case for him.

“Sounds like more than a brother.” Cole whispers to Genji, who just nods. Hanzo keeps quiet, because he’s not the one to judge others' relationships. 

In the end, they do have more information than before, finally putting a face to the leader of the Null Sector and a new anecdote on Doomfist’s file, even if it is just a  “interested in Hanzo Shimada”, right under “Wants to create conflict (?)”. Fortunately Winston rejects Genji’s idea of putting “creep” on it too.  

But despite all of that, Winston can’t decide if it was a successful mission or not. A person died and several got injured. Fact is, what happened may have “inflamed the two factions” anyway and they couldn’t do what they wanted to do, that was to avoid the attack to begin with.

“We’ll just have to wait and see.” Jack crosses his arms. 

They all go back to their rooms. Hana almost runs towards hers, not looking at anyone else. The girl was quiet during the meeting, not doing a single joke or sarcastic jab. Torbjorn gives him Ako, but Hanzo feels scared of feeding her and ends up using the bottle and some of the last milk he had pumped before they left. 

He regrets not saving some from before this whole mess started, but he wouldn’t have anywhere to store it before they got to the orca. The baby whines, but still clings to him, complaining all the time about it. Ako has the same antennae pigtails on her head and Hanzo can’t help but feel anger. 

Anger at Sombra, at Akande, at his clan and his own selfishness. 

“ I’m sorry, Little Ako. I’ve put you in danger again.” He whispers to her once she finishes eating. She just babbles a string of syllables and Hanzo caresses her hair, taking her to their quarters. He wants to rest. 

He bathes. The water is scalding, hot as he can get it. He uses as much scent dampening soap as he can, scrubbing his skin raw. In the mirror he can see the purple on the back of his neck and shoulders. It’s understanding why people got worried about it. It looks bad. A splatter of purple, green and red staining his skin. It’s big, probably the size of Akande’s hand. Thankfully it’s not swelling. 

He leaves the bathroom, crutches in hand, he sits on the bed dressing in soft clothes that Cole has separated for him. He stands up, and moves to the door of Ako’s room, wanting to sit on his chair, hold his daughter again and forget about this day. When he approaches the half open door, he can hear Cole speaking with Ako. He can’t help but stay quiet and listen to him a little.

“Sometimes I really do get worried about your mama.” He says and Ako babbles to him, animated. “You’re right, little Ako. It’ll be okay.” He whispers to her. “Daddy’s gonna protect both of you, I promise.” 

Hanzo takes in a breath and opens the door with so much haste he can’t even control his force. The door opens with a loud VOUSH as Cole turns to him, a little startled. He’s already changed, using his normal plaid and soft sweatpants, using socks now. The product has already weakened on his hair, leaving the tips to fall, Hanzo realizes that his hair wasn’t that short, but simply combed back in place with gel. 

“What did you just say?” He asks, eager and a little scared. 

“What?”

“Just now? What did you call yourself?”

“I- Im.” Cole puts Ako on her crib and blinks, trying to speak “I said--”

“Come here.” He asks. 

Cole looks at him a little scared. Has he listened wrong in the morning? Did he overstep? Yes, of course he did, Cole decides. He’s always ruining the good things he has, doesn’t he? So of course he just overstepped. He’s not overthinking it at all, pfft. So he approaches Hanzo with a careful step and an apology on his lips, watching as his omega rests his crutches on the door frame, using Cassidy’s shoulder to keep himself up. 

“Listen, Han, I’m sorry, I should’ve talked to you. I just thought--” He doesn’t finish his apology because Hanzo uses the grip on his shoulders to push himself up and snake his legs around his waist, grabbing him like a koala. “OOF.” Cole falls down on the floor, Hanzo scenting his neck so thoroughly that he worries they'll get a rash from rubbing their skin together.

“Stupid kind cowboy.” Hanzo kisses his jaw, his face and his neck. Cole just sits there and enjoys it. The omega pepper kisses around Cole’s face, making the alpha chuckle.

Hanzo is smiling when they separate. He chuckles, laying down beside his alpha, looking at him. For a moment finding silly about how worried he was before.

“I think I just broke my coccyx.” Cole groans, holding Hanzo’s waist. 

"What the hell is a coccyx?” He asks and Cole laughs out loud. Ako laughs too, looking at them from the crib. He feels a chill run up his body, the floor of the watchpoint is colder now that the winter has settled in. 

“We need a rug.” Cole says, feeling his back getting cold.

“Yes, we need a rug for our daughter’s room.” He looks at Cole, eyebrows lifted. The alpha smiles wide, kissing his mouth and his face. He hugs him close, scenting his neck too. It was good to hear Hanzo speaking openly again. Without the weight he was carrying. They lay like that for some time, just resting, feeling bone tired. He sits up, bringing Hanzo with him.

“It’s good to smell just you.” Cole admits. 

“What?” Hanzo asks, confused. 

“Doomfist marked you back then.” He says, angry. “It wasn’t much, but I could still feel it under your scent. I don't think anyone else realized it.”

Hanzo feels like a cold lead ball settled on his gut. He looks at his wrist and the hand Akande held so tightly. He scented him. It was a way that most didn’t use it anymore, because the marking was subtle. “I --”

“I told you to not apologize.” Cole says, face scrunched in pain and despair. “I was right there. Right there.” He bites his lip. Hanzo can see that he’s not angry, not in one of his moods. He’s scared. “And I couldn't do shit.”

Hanzo swallows the lump on his throat. “I told you that that’s not true.” He says, licking his lips. “I saw you fighting with the security men. You shot Doomfist. ” 

“Not enough.” 

“It was.” Hanzo insists. “It gave me enough time to get away and find Brigitte and Hana. You found me after. You did something.” He clings to Cole, hiding his face on the apha’s neck. With his mouth so close to his mating gland, Hanzo almost wants to bite down, bond them then and there. 

But he doesn’t, he just kisses his jaw and bites his bottom lip, just to sting for a moment and sits up. Cole takes in a deep breath and stands up too, helping Hanzo to sit on the nursing chair. 

The alpha takes Ako in his arms and sits on the chair with Hanzo. The chair is not big enough to accommodate all of them, but they maneuver around a little. They end up with Hanzo half sitting on the chair and half sitting on Cole’s lap, externing his legs over the alpha’s and resting his head on his chest. Ako stays seated in between them, playing with the stuffed cow Cole has given her. 

“I was really scared back there.” Cole admits, nosing Hanzo's temple. 

“I was too.” Hanzo admits. “Akande speaks about power. But I know what they want. The dragons can only be passed through direct bloodline.” He looks at Cole, scared. “I don't know if it's an heir that he wants or to let Moira try to replicate it, but…”

“I'm not gonna let him.” Cole growls, hugging Hanzo close, in an overwhelming strong grip. “I’m not.” 

There is a moment of silence, where they enjoy each other’s company, holding Ako in between them. The baby is happy, trying to sneak away from their hold, wanting to go to the ground and play. Hanzo just holds her, trying to not let Akande’s words linger on his mind. 

He won’t let her suffer like he did. He'd rather die.

“Can you promise me something?” 

“Don't start talkin’ like you’re about to die.” He says, irritated. “I heard too much of that in my life.”

“Cole.” Hanzo looks up at him, indignant. 

“If you're gonna ask to take care of our daughter in case they get you, the answer is obviously yes.” He looks at Hanzo, determination filling his chest. “As is the fact I'd search the whole fuckin’ world to get you back.”

Hanzo just hugs him, He pulls his daughter close, trying to make the feeling of squeezing his chest go away. “Thank you. Even if I feel like I don’t deserve it.”

“Of course you do.” Cole insists. “If you can decide I get to be a good person, then I get to decide you deserve this. I told you, you deserve to be protected, you deserve people caring for you.”

Hanzo wants to argue, wants to tell him that he doesn’t deserve all of this devotion. He still feels like a terrible person, a murderer. But truth be told, he wants it. Gods, how he wants it. 

“Okay.” He says, resting his head on his alpha’s chest. 

They spend most of the evening there and at some point Hanzo sleeps, tired to the bone. Cole can’t find it in himself to let him go. 

--

“Winston, do you have access to the old overwatch database?” Jack asks, entering Winston’s lab. It’s already late at night and everyone is asleep. 

“No…” The gorilla shifts his eyes away, trying to focus on the monitor and not on the fact he has a folder in his computer where he made partial copies of the overwatch files before the network was all cut away and stashed somewhere on either some UNor Helix headquarters.

“You know you’re the commander here now, don’t you?” Jack lifts an eyebrow, looking up at Winston, he still manages to look intimidating even towards the Gorilla. “You make the rules now.”

“I know.” Winston sighs, massing the bridge of his nose. “It just feels wrong to show someone who was once my superior that I’m doing something morally dubious.” He says and starts working on the files. It's all in a folder called ‘family photos’. They watch as the files start to load.

The door opens and Ana enters the lab, bringing with her peanut butter sandwiches and tea. Jack snorts at that, shaking his head. 

“Bribing the commander?”

“Bringing sustenance.” She corrects. If Winston was a human, he'd be blushing right now. Ana gets to them then, pointing at the screen.“I see you two are already doing the work.”

“We just started.” Winston grumbles, but takes one of the sandwiches, eating it with gusto.

“Lets do this then.” Jack says, straight to the point. “Can you see if you can find the documents for the missions in Japan? Specifically Hanamura.” Jack asks, giving the commander the dates he should be looking out for.

Winston nods and starts to type away. He accesses the database and with Athena’s help, starts to search for any files about the missions in Japan. He finds some, a lot of them with redacted information and some linking to what Jack knows are Blackwatch, by the way the files numbers are strung together. 

The files they find are all partial, most lacking pages and photos, but it was enough. 

“We should look at the photos first.” Winston suggests and they agree. Clicking on one of the files from Hanamura, they see surveillance photos taken of the castle. It's months worth of images. Some of Genji sneaking in and out, one sequence of photos of Hanzo being escorted with his father to a car. But most are others going in and out of the castle, who Jack supposes are servants and the infamous Elders. Some are together, some have their children, some are accompanied by police officers and Politicians.

There is one that keeps showing up with a young man by their side. 

“Isn’t that Hanzo and Genji’s cousin?” Jack asks, looking at the young man. “The one that tried to marry Hanzo, who has the control of the gang now?”

“He looks like it.” Winston looks at the blurry image. “Yosuke, if I’m not mistaken.” Continuing on the files get more dispersed, several day and even month gaps in between one image and the other. Some show Hanzo after Sojiro was dead, going in and out of the castle, Genji by his side.

They find photos from the last days, a week or so before the whole duel fiasco happened, a single image with all of the elders together entering the castle. In the middle of them, they see someone else, someone they haven’t seen before. A white man in a black and red suit, right beside Yosuke and who they suppose is his father. 

After that there is nothing. Only an article about the castle being burned and a single photo of that night, taken by Jack.

“Go back to the search in Japan.” Ana instructs. “But broaden the search to yakuza in general, not just the shimadas.” 

They do the same steps with similar results. A lot of it led to nowhere, most of the gangs that were smaller at the time simply disappeared after the shimada-gumi fell, either because of internal conflict or absorbed into the bigger ones, like the Hashimotos. 

And remembering them, when they get to the Hashimotos, they see several photos taken from up above, seemingly from a high hotel room. The photos are much the same as the other, with several missing, but they manage to find a sequence of photos that makes the three of them hold their breaths.

A car stops by the building where the Hashimoto leaders had entered with their bodyguards half an hour before. 

The door of the first car opens. 

The same man with the dark slicked back hair leaves the car.

Behind him, Yosuke and his presumed father disembark too. 

From the front seat, a man emerges. Tall, deep brown skin, hair cut short and a fine white suit. 

“Doomfist.” Ana says. They nod. The next sequence of photos shows the men entering the building. The one in subsequence is corrupted, as if the process of copying it wasn’t finished. The last image they can open shows it’s already night and shows the cars driving away. Winston goes back to the photo with all of the four men and opens the one with all of the elders entering the caste.

That confirms it for them. It is the same man. 

“This photo is dated around two months before Sojiro was killed.” Jack points at the photo of Doomfist meeting with Yosuke and his father. 

“How much do you want to bet it was also the time Hanzo rejected his cousin's advances?” Winston scratches his chin. Jack nods. 

“He is rejected and decides to make plans to take over…” Ana asks. “If you don’t succeed the take over once…” 

“Make a deal with someone who can.” Winston says. “Maybe Talon promised Hanzo toYosuke and his father in exchange for the weapons.”

“That would explain why Talon wants him alive and unharmed so badly.” Ana completes. “With Hanzo married off, Yosuke would be in complete control of Hanzo’s bodily autonomy in certain countries.”

“He could make Hanzo have his eggs harvested for them.” Jack crosses his arms, an angry growl leaving his chest. 

“Yes. Talon is known for doing deals like this before.” The gorilla nods. “And, for what I know, the famed elders were traditional, so they couldn’t just void Yosuke’s leadership.”

But Jack thinks differently. “Maybe.” He says. There is something missing. Some piece of the puzzle that doesn’t fit, that doesn’t make sense with Akande’s words. 

He thinks about the image of the castle covered in blue flames and the howling that night. Jack remembers the feeling well. A shiver on his spine, nausea, a sensation he was prey to something he could barely understand. When he saw the recording of Hanzo’s first time on the training grounds, the dragons destroying the bots like they were made out of butter, Jack felt the same thing. 

Something nags at the back of Jack’s mind. 

Why does he feel like he has seen the white man in the black suit before?

Notes:

I hope you all liked it. Tell me if anything is wrong or can't be understood correctly.
Happy hollidays to everyone that celebrates it. Eat some ham or whatever y'all eat for the new years party.
Let's hope for a good 2025.

Chapter 22: Intrelude: And slowly, you come to realize. It’s all as it should be (you can only do so much)

Summary:

An intrelude

Notes:

This chapter is brought to you by For the Love of Life, from David Sylvian. Yep, the monster Soundtrack. Also, please go watch Monster, it is my favorite anime of all times and it’s a very well done story and all the 60+ chapter are free on youtube and in english.

Also, I'm sorry if I don't have any jokes for this, I'm kinda depressed. But I watched Noferatu and I loved it! This is exactly the kind of movie i like.

-- 

“Don’t be mad, Akande.” Moira says, once their vehicle lands at the home base and they are safely inside. She watches as Sigma is being wheeled away by staff, administering anesthetics and rushing him to set his broken bone in place. Later she would have some fun with the old man, when he’s finally quiet. 

“We will hardly have the same opportunity to get them both like that again.” Akande says as they walk to the nearest conference room. This is not a subject to be discussed with the soldiers, after all. Moira watches as Widowmaker walks away and to her quarters, completely uninterested in whatever she, Akande and Sombra have to say. 

Taking a deep breath, Akande sits on the chair in the conference room, quietly stewing in his own rage. He was never one to scream and break things when mad, instead choosing to be silent and to quietly plan the next steps.

“That is true.” Moira hums, closing the door behind them. “Nothing we can do now.”  They could have avoided his whole mess by knocking the omega out and harvesting his eggs, like she suggested the first time they met. But Akande wanted Hanzo Shimada too, and for him to come willingly.

She was never the one to understand the obsession the man had over the omega. 

As much as he pretended it wasn’t his carnal desires, she has never seen him touch anyone like that before, or try to convince any person into their organizations like that. Whatever he couldn’t have, Akande took. And when he couldn’t take, he’d destroy it. She couldn't understand it, for he had made sure to take measures to avoid being affected by such low things as her instincts. 

“They are probably going to be more protective of them now.” Sombra comments, resting her back to the wall. “Mainly Shimada. You saw how everyone got all antsy about it once you two started to dance.” 

Akande stops his deep thinking and looks at her. “Tell me, girl. Did you administer the right dosage of the virus?”

“Yes.” Sombra looks offended at him. In fact, her heart is beating a mile a minute.  “If anything is faulty here is Moira's virus.”

“Hm, not likely.” The geneticist says. “I merely had the wrong test subject.” Moira sighs, remembering how the virus effectively ran through Reaper's body, damaging as much as possible, before she deemed it effective. Perhaps it is the dragons or the training. The younger Shimada also was more resistant to her experiments than others. She always thought it was because of his love for illicit drugs, now she’s almost sure it’s the spirit dragons. But she would need to do more tests to prove it. 

Or it could be that Reaper is just too damaged now.

“Maybe if we had Jack Morris-”

“Not this again.” Sombra rolls her eyes. “What is the obsession with Jack Morrison? You all already have an SEP soldier to toy with.” 

“That’s one of the few things he’s still useful for.” Moira watches as Sombra rolls her eyes. “Maybe if I wasn’t called so much for field missions I could have done the fine tuning I need to with more subjects, instead of just sending in unfinished work.” She says, easily, but angry. “And then, perhaps we could have had your precious Shimada.”

Akande takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knows what kind of interest Moira has on Jack Morrison, he himself  wanted him because of what Moira promised she’d could deliver. After so many years without any success with Reaper alone, be it with cloning him, using his genetic material to create new life or the several failures with the splicing of his genes, she figured they needed the pair to make it all work. 

A theory about their bond and how she could make the soldiers he, and the people who fund this whole operation, wanted to. Only if she could make Morrison’s body work properly for once.

“Enough. He will come to us in the end, soon he will be desperate enough that we will be his only choice.” Akande shakes his head. “Which reminds me,  what is taking so long with what I asked you, Sombra?” He turns towards her. 

“ Jefe, doing these things takes time!” She argues. “Look, I have to gather the intel on each agent, see what damaging thing I can find, edit it. You know how hard it is to find something bad about Angela Ziegler? I have--”

“I do not Care. Do it faster.” He says through gritted teeth. Sombra audibly swallows down, taking a step back. 

“Okay. I’ll focus on that.” She hugs her own arms, looking away.

“Is Reaper well enough?” Akande asks. 

“Yes. He's functional.” Moira answers. 

“Put him back on the field. His mission starts in a few days.” Akande takes a deep breath, moving to leave the room. “This is his last chance.” The whole room smells strongly of rage and frustration. He stops for a moment, turning to Moira. “Doctor, we can do it your way with Morisson. Talk to Linda in IT. She'll set it up for you. ” He smiles briefly and walks away.

Moira sighs, shaking her head as the man leaves the room. So now he sees her ways? What a strange man. 

The silence is unbearable until Akande is finally away from them. 

“He really has the hots for Shimada.” Sombra comments in a whisper.

“Oh, no, dear. It’s for his power, don’t you see.” Moira chuckles as she sarcastically repeats the same argument as Akande, taking her disguised earpiece away. Thankfully it was deactivated now. “He’s going to be a great addition to our ranks.”

“I don’t get why this whole theater and not just brainwash him.” Sombra frowns. 

“Mysteries of one's mind. We must trust Akande knows what he’s doing.” Moira shakes her head, not really believing her own words. 

“But all of this… Love bombing for a single agent?” Sombra looks at her, with sharp eyes. The scientist’s walls are down, this may be time to try to get information she doesn’t have access to. “We don’t even know if it's working.”

“Hanzo Shimada is a damaged, frugal little omega that will hold to anyone who shows him a sliver of love and appreciation. We just need to show him he’s welcome here and… Not anywhere else.”

Sombra shivers.

“That didn’t look like a sliver of anything.” Sombra frowns, remembering the whole scene unfolding before her. “The boss looked… excited.”

“Don’t be too focused on that. Akande wants the cowboy too, didn’t you hear him? Maybe if they come willingly they can live happily ever after with the little one.” Moira actually has to cover her mouth to not laugh.

“Yeah, as if he would deliver on that promise.” Sombra snorts. “Not even the cowboy is stupid enough to believe that one.” She starts to walk away, wanting to visit Gabriel and tell him about the whole thing.

“Luckily we won’t have to. At least not with Morisson. ” Moira smiles at her and Sombra looks at her questioning. “Oh, dear, you don’t know that? Akande must have kept the secret well then.” She chuckles and Sombra frowns, a little startled. “We’ll have a new bounty for the famous Soldier 76.”

“Took him long enough.” Sombra smiles in an awkward  manner to her. Oh, shit, Gabriel will hate that.

“Indeed. But now that we know where he is, it's easier for our own soldiers to snatch him.” She looks at her nails on her rotting hand, the transformation taking place slowly, changing the matter on her little by little. With Morisson she may find the actual solution for this. “I gave you two doses of the virus, didn’t I, Sombra?” Moira brushes lint from her suit. Sombra tries to not show his surprise that Moira realized she didn’t use it on Cassidy. 

“Yeah, I was very preoccupied in using it on Cassidy when that archer shot me with whatever those arrows are!” She scoffs, trying to stop whatever idea Moira has stewing on her head.

“Be happy I managed to cure you quickly. Wounds from the dragon are particularly hard to heal.” 

“Yeah, yeah, thank you, Frankenstein.” She shakes her head and walks away, towards Gabriel’s quarters. He won’t be happy about this. 

“Ah, about Doctor ziegler.” She says. “I may have what you're looking for.”

--

The sound of the chair breaking makes Olivia flinch. 

Reaper is, in fact, not happy about it. 

“Stop.” She says through gritted teeth, looking at the door hastily. “They are going to hear us, idiot.”

“He almost died because of you and that old man!” Gabriel screams at her. 

“Me?” Sombra scoffs. “I did what I had to do, you idiot! You pup was okay, anyways. Akande was laser focused on Hanzo Shimada.”

“And you think anyone deserves what Moira plans for him?” He snarls. “For that CHILD?”

Sombra takes a step back, startled. 

“And you don’t understand. He called the archer his mate.” Gabriel sneers at her. “That means that either they are already mated or it’s only a matter of time until they actually are.” 

“Oh, so that’s what the ring shopping is all about.” She says, looking at her own nails, trying to disperse the heavy feeling on her gut. Gabriel roars at her, throwing the communicator in her direction, making the girl duck. “Do not do that again.” She snaps at him. 

“The moment Akande has his hands on Hanzo shimada or his pup, Cole will come into whatever basement they’ll keep him with Jack in his toe.” He huffs. “Then all I’ve done will be wasted! Because you just have to follow orders.”

Olivia can’t stop the frown from appearing on her face, distorting her features. Oh, she's angry now. 

“I want you to understand something, old man.” She approaches Reaper, poking his chest with a finger. “Everything I do for you is not over some moral obligation of what you think is right or wrong. I do it because I’m your friend and I want to see you alive. These people, overwatch, are a means to an end just like Talon. The moment they stop being useful, I'm out.” Olivia shakes her head, taking a step back. 

“You never cared too much about others.”

“Oh, I do care, perro. ” She takes a deep breath. “But I have my own plans to follow. If Jack Morrison or any of those people you care so much die, it has zero repercussions on that. Even so, I've put my neck on the line, erasing their tracks because you’re a damn coward!” She relaxes then, shaking her shoulders. “Not everyone can misbehave like you and live, Gabriel. I have too much to do.”

“You’d have used the virus on Cole.”

“I would have shot him if it meant keeping my cover.” 

“You’re much like Moira in that aspect.” Gabriel says, to hurt her, sting in every place he knows will hurt. He’s good at this, in showing people the worst part of them, poking in that open wound they don’t even know exists. “We’re just things for you. Information.”

There is a heavy silence that follows. 

“You know, I’m the only one here who actually gives a single fuck about you. And if you want my opinion, you should leave, Gabriel.” Sombra looks at him, seething in anger. “You can't destroy Talon from the inside, not now. You can't protect your mate and your pup anymore. They are about to kill you.” 

“I can't leave.”

“You can. You're Just afraid to.” She spats. It’s true, Gabriel is afraid. Afraid of what will happen once he leaves, when he has no access to information, when he can’t just ask Olivia to delete the photos and videos she finds on Cole and Jack. He’s scared of Jack looking at him in disgust, of being thrown away again, rejected. And yet, this is what he knows will happen, because he made it impossible for anyone to love him again. 

A self made prophecy. 

Why is he surprised anyways?  

“You know Jack would accept you back.” Sombra relaxes, sighing. 

“He’s loyal to a fault.” Reapers puits a hand over his masked face. “He doesn’t deserve this happening to him.” 

“Loyalty is earned, Gabe.” She approaches him. “If he’ll accept you, it's because he still believes in you.”

“I'll ruin everything.”

“You're ruining everything now.” She pats his shoulder. “Leave. First it will be Fareeha, soon you’ll have to choose between this and your family. And we know which you're choosing. I want you to live.” 

Gabriel grunts, but stays silent. 

Sombra shakes her head and pats his shoulder once again, before getting out of the room, turning the cameras back to normal. She opens and closes the door, giving about 3 steps before he's face to face with Widowmaker. 

She jumps back, looking startled at her. 

“ Jesus , you gave me a scare.”

The sniper just hums before turning her back and moving away, in slow deliberate steps, still wearing the same outfit as the one in the gala. 

Sombra just looks at her, worried.

--

Fareeha walks quickly towards the administrative block. The base is buzzing with excitement today, full of people walking around. They received their orders today for a new missions to “stop the vigilantes and extremists threatening the order and safety of the world”. Pharah looked at that whole pep talk with a sneer. 

Helix is a lie. 

In the last few weeks, Harper and Fareeha met on a regular basis to fill her in about the whole Bastet thing. It started as a meeting in Harper's apartment, after the omega quickly found out that Fareeha was lying about the reason she asked for her to investigate. In fact, Fareeha was not in any of the operations where Bastet was present. 

“There is a rat leaking information to Talon.” Fareeha had said once Harper stopped scolding her for lying. “This is confirmation of that. All of this is fabricated.” She tapped her finger on the document. 

“Talon? How do you even know that?” Harper scoffed, crossing her arms. 

“Because on these dates...” Fareeha points at 4 different dates on the paper. “Bastet was with me.”

Harper looked at her with surprise and then pressed her lips on a thin line. 

She shook her head and walked to the counter in her kitchen, taking a stack of papers from a drawer, giving it to the alpha. There it showed more inconsistencies with other missions. Harper had crossed the dates from several of the dossiers with the names of the Helix and UN soldiers. All of them had lies tied to it.

“There is something else.” She brings three of the dossies closer and opens them. “First I thought it was a coincidence, but then it kept happening. You see this?” She showed Pharah several Helix documents with the profile of the “criminal” they were to go looking for. “See the description?” 

Fareeha nodded, reading all of it. Harper then pulled several bounties she had printed on. All of them with the same description, word for word.

“Whoever did this is making us do bounties for them.” She bit her lip, worried. She also pointed out several others that, despite not being extremely similar to the bounties, had errors and different jargons than what they used during the missions. 

“They're not even worried about hiding it.” Fareeha said. These files are of people she arrested, people she killed. 

How many innocent people were killed for the ‘right cause’?

The simple thought of that made her angry, so much so that poor Harper had to open a window and let the air out. 

But now, a few weeks later, she was worried.

Harper had called her last night in a panic, from an unknown number, asking her to meet her early today. 

“You have no idea.” She sounded winded, obviously shaken by what she had found. “It’s worse than you think. Seth is the one.” Her voice trembled. “He’s not just leaking information to outsiders, Pharah… Everything is poisoned.” She said before hanging up.

She wouldn't tell anything else, saying that it wasn't safe. But Fareeha had a good hunch about who he was working with. Unfortunately the mandatory meeting held her and she was running late to find the omega. 

As she’s nearing the room, she sees Jie, Harper’s friend. 

“Have you seen Harper?” Fareeha asks, Stopping Jie by holding her arm. 

“You haven't heard?” Jie looks at her with worry. She looks around, and seeing that they are alone, she whispers. “She was fired. This morning.”

“Fired?” Fareeha’s eyes go wide. “Why?”

“I don’t even know.” Jie says, nervous. “They said it was for cutting costs, but no one else was fired. I tried to talk to her just now, but she won’t tell me what happened. My supervisor told me not to get involved.”

“You talked to her just now?” Jie nods and Fareeha feels relief fill her lungs. At least she’s alive still. Maybe she didn’t know the full scope of what she was researching, not enough information from her to be an actual threat to the high ranks. Thankfully, with them being a private company, at least she wouldn’t be seen as a criminal or a deserter. 

“At least she’s alive.” She says. But a bad feeling settles on her ribs. She has a mission today with Seth. He insisted that she was the one needed. Right on the day she was planning on going to the watchpoint to show the proof she has of his corruption.

“What do you mean by that?” Jie asks, confused and scared. 

“Did Harper say anything about what I asked her to do with you?” Fareeha turns to her and the poor omega nods her head. 

“A-a little…”

“Shit.” She scratches her head. She shouldn't have involved civilians in this mess. “If anyone asks, deny everything. If they start to twist your words, blame it on me, okay? Invent some bullshit story.” 

“You’re scaring me, Captain.”

“Don’t be.” Pharah pats her arm. “You’re okay.” She stops to think for a moment. She could steal one of the suits and fly away. It’s normal for her to dress up before anyone else, It's unlikely that Seth will even be in the locker room. She will have to find a way to get her things later on in her apartment, but that can come later. 

The other pilots start to walk in their direction and Fareeha decides to end the conversation. “So, I’ll see you tonight or what?” She smiles confidently at Jie, who flushes a little, but realizes why Fareeha is doing this. She nods and Fareeha whispers to her. “Stay safe.” before winking and leaving with a false confidence to her steps.  

When she manages to get away, she walks fast towards the dressing room. She’ll get her armor on and run, take off the recording and tracking devices on the helmet and leave. Thankfully, the place is deserted once she gets there. Weirdly, her locker, where she stashes the protective suit that goes under the armor, is open. With haste Fareeha looks around and starts to see if something is missing. 

Weirdly there isn’t, but there is one thing there. An envelope, pink and with some cartoon character from the stupid D&D games Harper likes so much, valentine themed. Inside, Fareeha finds a cheap flash drive. Fuck yeah, Harper. He mentally punches the air with how smart the woman is and quickly starts to dress herself. 

Walking to the pod with her suit, Fareeha takes her helmet and in a quick movement, takes the tracking off and the camera, going as far as to rip the cords apart. Okay, she’ll leave and no one will even notice it. With a sigh she looks at the envelope. She’ll thank Harper later. 

“Amari?” Fareeha jumps in place and looks at Seth. The man already has his armor on and is ready to go. “Having any trouble with your equipment?” 

Fareeha swallows down and for a second she’s scared, but she soon smiles overconfident. “No, commander.” She wears her helmet and smiles at him. “Only trouble I’m having is some love letters and nudes.” She shows the envelope to him. Seth laughs at it and walks towards her. 

“HR wouldn’t like that.” He pats her on the arm. “But, if you share them I won’t tell.” He’s only half joking, Fareeha knows that. 

“Sorry, boss, I guess I’ll have to get a suspension.” She stuffs the envelope on her suit, smiling at him. Seth’s expression changes for a second, but he smiles too and both finally walk to the landing site. Fareeha tries to keep everything going as normal. She winks at the omega who’s supervising their take off, gets told off by her and laughs at the situation. 

As they take off, the Helix communicator crackles. Goddamn, she forgot to take that off.

“Captain Amari, your video feed and tracker are down.” The voice says, annoyed. “Again…”

“Really? Shit.” Fareeha flinches at it. “Maybe the piece got loose again?” She asks. “You know I’m not good with the technical side of these things.” She jokes and the omega on the line sighs in annoyance, commenting for her to be more careful with the company's  toys. 

Their flight towards the location is normal. With the supervisor telling them coordinates and the levels of their suits. Seth keeps talking to her, giving the information of what they need to do. Fareeha doesn’t pay him any mind, focusing on planning how she’ll have to run away and flee to gibraltar. 

“We’re here. This is the location where Bastet is operating from.” Seth says once they land close to Sallum. Fareeha pulls her visor up and looks around. The beach they have landed is deserted now, no one is there, in fact even in the distance she can’t really see anyone. The houses are far away and there is a rock formation nearby. 

The hot wind hits her face and Fareeha swallows down. 

“Amari?” Seth asks, his comm cracking and making his voice muffled. She turns to him, frowning, realizing the man has stopped way closer to him than expected.  “What are you doing?” He asks, worried, bringing a handgun up.

“Seth.” She says, voice strong. “Sir, what are you doing?”

“What is going on?” The supervisor asks, confused. He shoots at Fareeha's head, hitting the side of her helmet. Her communicator starts to malfunction, sizzling and crackling with noise. She screams with the pain of the hit, taking several steps back, shaking her head, disoriented. Fareeha falls to the ground.

“DON’T SHOOT! STAY BACK, THIS IS AN ORDER!” Seth says, pulling a handgun up and walking calmly towards her. Fareeha’s lungs fill with dread as a realization dawns on her as soon as Seth stops in front of her. 

“Seth?” Fareeha looks at the gun touching her, point blank, resting against her shoulder, right on the crevices of her suit. She swallows down. 

He puts the hand up, deactivating his communicator.

“I could say I’m sorry, but I’m really not.” He sighs, pulling the hammer of the gun down. She has her rockets, but she can’t make a shot without hurting herself or damaging her suit. He puts a hand on his ear, activating the communicator again. He starts screaming desperately. “STAND DOWN OR I’LL SHOOT! STAND DOWN!” 

Despair fills her and Fareeha activates her propulsors, but the shot still hits her. She screams in pain, falling down. Her suit starts flashing lights on her helmet, warning about the damage and her vital signs.

She can’t get up. 

Pain. So much pain.

She brings her hand up and realizes she’s bleeding. 

Seth approaches her, a look of disgust in his face. He doesn’t say anything, there is no explanation. Pharah doesn’t need one. He points the gun at her face, but before she can react a shadow materializes beside her ex-commander. 

Reaper is here. 

It’s all the confirmation she needs. 

She’ll die here. 

“I told you I could do this alone.” Seth rages at Reaper. The shadow walks towards Pharah.

“I wanted to make sure.” He says and Pharah closes her eyes. She thinks about her mother, about Cole and how happy they both were, finding family and friends back on the old Gibraltar base, all rusted up. She should have joined Overwatch. 

Opening her eyes, Fareeha looks straight at Reaper. The smell of death and something she recognizes filling her nose. For a moment, she swears he looks sad.

She watches as the man brings his shotguns up, turns and shoots Seth right in his chest. It feels like a million years, but also seconds. Seth falls down, his own raptor suit bent with the impact of the shotgun shells.

“Run, you idiot.” Reaper yells at her. Pharah is stunned for a moment, but as soon as Seth stands up pulls all the force she has and stumbles up. “GO!” Reaper screams and she fires her propulsor, flying through the sky. She looks at her fuel tank and realizes that from where she is now, she can fly to Gibraltar, her propulsors tanks are still almost full.

She just needs to fly. 

Fareeha looks down, seeing Reaper taking shots and fighting with Seth. She turns, focusing on staying conscious and flying away. There is a loud noise. Pharah feels the impact of the rocket on her left propulsor. 

She screams, rolling in the air, but manages to pull the suit up. She’s not failing now, she won’t die on the sea because of Seth of all people. Reaper screams, full of rage and Pharah looks back one last time.

Just fly. Focus on that. Just fly!

Seth is trying to hit Reaper swiping his sharp claws, left right, left, but the other man dodges. Reaper takes his weapons and starts shooting, not stopping his motions. It looks like a dance, a weirdly beautiful ballet of death. He hits Seth several times and she can see half of his face being ripped away by a shot. 

It reminds her of something, but she’s too weak to remember, bareilly conscious to acknowledge anything.

Fly away. Run, idiot.

She takes a ragged breath as she sees Reaper turning towards her, watching her. Her motor sputters, but Pharah flies away. She’ll have time to think about whatever happened once she lands.

--

Reaper only takes his eyes away from the skies once Pharah disappears. He looks down at the man who almost killed her and sneers at him. 

He kicks the man’s body, turning his belly down. There is blood everywhere and he knows the suit has sent a distress signal. He doesn’t have long before there are Helix employees in his location.

He kicks the fuel tank open and lets the liquid flow freely, soaking the man’s body. He points one of his shotguns and shoots the last shot that it has on it, setting the whole thing on fire. He walks away, not minding the flames on his skin. The pain doesn’t bother him anymore, not like this.

Fareeha looks so much like her mother.

His body turns into smoke and he watches as the suit blows when the flames get to the tanks. The body starts to burn and Gabrel walks away. 

He takes him comm and opens it, connecting with Akande. 

“Hello, Reaper. How is the mission going?” Akande asks. 

“The girl has killed your man. He’s barbecue now.”

Akande squints at him. “And you couldn’t do anything?”

“No. When I tried to approach, she had already flown away.”  

“I See.” His face and body language don’t change, it is impossible to read. Reaper also doesn’t change and just watches him. “A pity, but we can work with that. Come back to the base.”

“Yes sir.” Gabriel sneers, closing the communicator with force. He walks away, going to the small vehicle that he used to come here. He sits down and flies off to the skies and back to Talon’s base. 

He thinks about Jack, about the countless images Sombra has shown him. His kid.

He remembers one from the mission at the 66. Hanzo and Cole are seated together at the diner, both talking to a kid. When the kid goes away, Hanzo kisses the cowboy and they look at each other with love. Or The hard light image of months ago, Hanzo and Cole talking to each other. The alpha shows the small onesie to Hanzo and Jack holding the Kid. Ako, he remembers. 

It reminds Gabriel so much of the past that it physically hurts. A past where he and Jack chose nursery colors and onesies too. He could rip his heart out of his chest and still feels less painful than this. He misses his son, he misses Ana and his family.

God he misses his mate. He thinks about his scent, his lips, how his body gave away against him. He thinks about the bounty on his head and how Moira talks about making perfect little soldiers out of them. All that she has planned for him.

He thinks about how his kid found himself a family. 

A mate. 

Once, he thought he could trick these people. Be the perfectly quiet and sturdy test subject so Moira wouldn’t think too much about Jack. Hunting down the people with the abilities Akande was so obsessed with so they could leave Cole alone, pretending that his kid wasn’t accepting because of too little pay. That Sombra was an unconventional ally.

He knows now that tricking them is impossible. He’s just a single man, one that can't fight against all of this alone. 

There is nothing left for him at Talon.

And there is no going back now. 

--

Akande switches the communicator off and looks to the monitor next to him. “Satisfied?” He asks the man watching the whole interaction. 

“Absolutely not.” The man scoffs, looking at him in disbelief. “Fareeha Amari is alive and I still don’t trust Reaper, Akande.” He sneers. “He’s a loose gun.”

“One you gladly chose to wave around and then made it my problem.” Akande says, serious. 

“You should dispose of that thing! I’m sure Dr. O'Deorain could make another like him that we could fully control. Like we did with Amélie.”

Akande scoffs at the man’s audacity. If they were able to replicate Reaper, they would already have done so. Gabriel Reyes was a thorn on his side, a misbehaving small man who couldn’t see beyond his own rage. A problem that was shoved into his hand for him to take care of. 

At least now, with yet again another failure, he knows he can take him off of the field. They would keep him in a pleasant sleep, until Moira was done with him. Hopefully with Jack’s new bounty, they will manage to further their research. 

“For that we would need Jack Morisson, wouldn’t we?” He says, knowing that it will irritate the other. 

“I told you already to leave this alone. Jack Morisson is not to be touched! You have no idea what problems you could bring if this goes south.” The man says, face shining pale with the white light of the monitor. Oh, what a puny man. He thinks he can order him. 

“May I remind you, that what we have here is a partnership. Jack Morison will be captured and this is not up for you to choose.” Akande squints at the man. “You are NOT my boss, nor are you part of this organization.”

“You wouldn’t be where you are, using Talon for your interests without me.” 

“And you wouldn't be in your UN post if it wasn't for me and the dirty work I did bringing Overwatch to an end, hiding your dirty work.” He huffs. “One’s reputation could be destroyed with a single click of a mouse. Remember that you have much more to lose than me.”

The silence that falls is heavy. The man sighs, resting a hand over his brow bone. 

“I understand, Akande.” He sits back. “Please, just make sure Amari doesn’t leak anything to the press.” Ah, so the man sees reason after all. 

“Don’t worry.” Akade appeases the man. “She’ll be marked as a traitor and a threat to global security. Helix will fix this.” He smiles. “Would that be satisfactory?”

“Yes.” He says, defeated. 

“Very well. Don’t forget to transfer the funds at the right time.” The man grunts and disconnects the call, making Akande shake his head. He calls for Sombra, sending her a message to come talk to him. A knock is heard on the door. “Come in.”

Moira enters the room with Widowmaker in tow. Her expression is blank as always, not betraying any emotion. The sessions with Moira always made her more pliable, easy to obey. 

“Hello, Akande.”

“Ah, Doctor. What is it, now? Is there a problem with the bounty?”

“No, everything is set perfectly.” She appeases him and then turns back, putting her hands on Widowmaker's shoulder and bridging the woman closer. “It’s just that Amélie has something interesting to tell us.” 

Notes:

So, now what? A lot of pieces movies, a lot of plot developting? Next chapter will be up probably this week comming in. Maybe next saturday. No promisses tho.
Tell me what you think, if there is any plot holes, anything that can't be understood properly or any grammar os spelling mistakes.

Chapter 23: My mother

Summary:

Hanzo finds that people care about him

Notes:

So a lot in this chapter is about Hanzo trying to find normality after something bad happened to him. So, bear with him for a moment.

Blue flames envelope everything around him. 

There is blood on the floor. 

He crunches something in his hands. 

RELEASE US!!

“Rise, my dragon.” There is a hand on his neck, choking him.

“OUR BROTHER!” The dragons scream through him.

“ANIKI, NO!”

Hanzo opens his eyes. It’s already morning and he’s in his bed. His heart is beating fast, but the memory of the dream is fading away, leaving just a bitter taste on his mouth. Cole is by his side, head buried on his collarbone, snoring lightly.

He coughs, feeling his body heavy and a headache. His nose is completely blocked and he's very very tired. tiredly , Hanzosnuggles close to Cole, trying to steal away some of the heat the cowboy seems to always radiate. He thinks he sleeps again because when he wakes up Cole is putting a hand on his forehead and asking him to wake up. 

“Come on, honey, up you go. I'm calling Angie. You're obviously not okay.” He puts a hand on his shoulder, helping Hanzo to sit. The baby monitor crackers showing that Ako has awakened. 

“Ako is up.” Hanzo says, pulling away from Cole and standing up. Or at least he tries to, because in his foggy mind he manages to forget he needs his crutches. 

“Wait, Sug--Jesus Crist!” Cole says, standing up and holding Hanzo before he can hit the floor. “Lay down, I'll go get her.” Hanzo looks at him, bleary eyed and tired. 

He rests his head on the pillow, pulling the covers around himself, coughing several more times. He’s sick, great. 

When he blinks his eyes open again Angela is in the room, putting a thermometer in his mouth and asking him what he is feeling. He tells her and she nods, humming in understanding. Behind her he can see Cole holding their daughter in his arms. Hanzo smiles, giving a weak thumbs up to him. His alpha snorts at that.

“It seems like Sombra has infected you with a modified virus. The test I'm running will be done in a day or two, so I'll have to treat your symptoms as they come.”

A Hacker that can infect people, that's a new one. Hanzo grumbles about how stupid that sounds and Angela can only shrug at that. He asks if he can nurse Ako and Angela gives him the okay as long as he uses a mask to do so. Hanzo nods, already used to using masks when he's sick. 

“How is Genji?” He asks.

“He’s out of the Infirmary, 100% back to normal.” Angela reassures. “Torb and Winston are going to help me with developing something against Sombra’s hacking.” 

Hanzo nods. She provides some disposable masks for him, the medicine, together with the balm for his hematoma in the back of his neck and the recommendation of rest and plenty of fluids.  He's not feeling well, but now that he is fully awake he makes grabby hands, asking to hold Ako. 

Cole does so, passing him the baby as Hanzo puts his mask on. He leaves Hanzo to it as he goes get them breakfast. He makes sure the baby is comfortable, even if she looks at him with distrust. Hanzo chuckles as she squints at him, he could see why people say she looks exactly like him.

Hanzo gives her one of the chewing toys after nursing, resting his back on the bed frame. Cole gets back with breakfast. He has the same thing he usually eats (the turkey sausages and the eggs) but, probaby knowing Hanzo would be nauseous by the illness, Cole brings him a sweet oats porridge.

He feels himself getting stronger enough with his food and medicine to do his morning routine. He feels marginally better once he has washed his face and brushed his teeth, but even tired, he feels antsy, being in bed for so long. Cole keeps company, pampering him (and Hanzo only uses it for lack of a better word) with kisses and scenting and even brushing his hair down. 

If he was honest with himself, he was a little scared that the alpha would go back into the same overprotective mood as before, but he didn’t. He keeps company until it is time for him to train. He pulls Hanzo’s mask down, kissing him. 

“You’ll get sick.” He grumbles.

“I grew up eating a burger that was called “roadkill”.” Cole jokes, standing up. “Viruses fear me.” He waggles his eyebrows, trying to take Ako away, but Hanzo refuses to let the baby go. “You need rest.” 

“She doesn’t make me tired.” Hanzo lies and Cole just looks at him, unimpressed. Hanzo rolls his eyes and lets Cole take her away. 

“I’ll bring her later on. I just want you to rest some.” 

Hanzo grumbles, but does as Cole asks. The fact is Hanzo is too tired to care for Ako anyways, he takes his mask off and barely closes his eyes before he’s already drifting into sleep. He doesn’t dream, just rests, waking up periodically to drink a lot of water, since he is sweating a lot. 

After what it feels like an hour, he wakes up, needing to relieve himself. He throws the blankets away, feeling too hot and sweaty, stumbling to the bathroom with his crutches. He wonders if he should take a bath, but refuses the idea, thinking on how he’ll sweat more after. After wetting his face again, Hanzo goes back to his bed sitting there.

He sees that in his comm there are messages from the other agents asking how he’s feeling. Hanzo answers them all, but first of all the one from his brother, confirming he’s fine.

“Oh, you’re awake.” 

Hanzo turns and sees Hana is in Ako's room. She is holding the baby in one arm and has what looks like an action figure of a hero in her other hand. Hanzo doesn’t recognize it, but it’s colorful and it looks like something out of a Tokusatsu. 

“Hi.” He says, blinking the feeling of sand from his eyes. “Did Cole send you here to babysit her?”

“Yeah, he needs to train and no one wants her close to the training grounds now that she can crawl. Something about Brigitte once getting hold of a pulse gun when she was two.” Hana smiles a little, but Hanzo can see that it doesn’t reach her eyes. She has bags under her eyes and a tired complexion, not the same kind of when she just had a successful stream.

“Let me hold her a little.” Hanzo asks, and Hana does so. Ako whines as soon as Hanzo takes her, wanting to go back to Hana and play with the action figure some more. The older omega just shakes his head, giving the baby back. 

“No, you don’t need to.” She says, a little dismayed and uncomfortable, but Hanzo just ignores her. Shaking her head, Hana sits on the ground, sitting Ako on her leg. She sighs, giving the doll to Ako. The baby shakes the toy around and Hanzo smiles at it, Hana does too, that is until Ako decides to grab the doll's head and pull up, easily detaching it and immediately putting it on her mouth. 

Hanzo immediately slips from the bed and into the ground, trying to grab the choking hazard from Ako’s hand. 

“NOOO.” Hana is faster than him, quickly taking the piece and throwing it away on the other side of the room, hitting the ground with a low thud. Ako looks at her and starts crying, bawling as if Hana didn’t just possibly save her from choking to death.

“Thank you.” Hanzo rests his back on the bed, sighing in relief. But Hana doesn’t look relieved too, if anything she looks worse. 

“I understand why you won’t let me take care of her.” She frowns, looking at the crying baby. She lifts her, passing Ako to Hanzo, so he can soothe her. Hana brings her knees up, holding them.

“I don’t let you care for her because you’re nineteen, Hana.” Hanzo says. “I don’t expect you to be able to care for a child.” He wants to tell her that not even he and Cole know how to fully care for Ako and have to have help all the time, but she interrupts him.

“Yeah, but it was my fault Sombra saw her online.” She insists, looking up. “I was reckless.”

“She knows about Ako because Ako is my daughter. Talon knows about her before any of you did.” Hanzo shakes his head. “She followed me before, she saw us in the city. Besides, I was the one that showed her on the screen.”

“No, I shouldn't be streaming in the first place.” Hana takes a deep breath. “Jack told us to be more careful. And I wasn't.” she says. Not realizing that up to that point, they didn't know the mysterious woman was Sombra, the worldwide known hacker and everyone was being watched and not just Hanzo and Cole. 

“Hana…”

“I was just so focused, you know? Do streams, get money! We need the money to keep this working. And I want Overwatch to work!” She explains, gesturing her hands around, frazzled. And for the first time, Hanzo sees the weight on her shoulders. “We are doing good things here. Saving people. It’s different from before, with MEKA.”

“How so?” Hanzo asks, confused. He was under the impression that MEKA was a good place, keeping South Korea safe from the omnics controlled by the Omnium that constantly attacked the place. 

“We did save people, but when we weren’t we were more focused on the image we needed to uphold towards the public than training and working on our strategies. It was always: ‘Don't worry, we have it under control, you just have to follow the plan drafted to you. Just follow the orders.’ She says. “But the battles are never like the simulations.” 

“No, they never are.” Hanzo looks down at Ako, who is finally calm again. He sighs, a strong sense of déjà-vu over taking him. “You should not worry about the money, Hana. This is for the adults, for Winston and for us to worry about.” It's not the same, but he feels like he had a similar conversation with Genji before, when they were younger.

“I want to help. And I am an adult and a soldier.” She says, massaging her eyes, tired. Hanzo feels then that Hana has a lot more weight on her shoulders than she lets on.“Can you forgive me? For Ako?” She turns towards him. Hanzo feels a surge of anger on his chest, not at her, but at the fact that another young person’s life was taken away because of a stupid sense of duty. A war that wasn’t hers.

“Of course.” Hanzo reassues. He wasn't even mad at the girl to begin with, he was mad at himself because of his own recklessness. “I can’t forgive you for letting her on the ground stuck in a laundry basket.” He tries to joke.

“Oh my god, dude.” Hana covers her face, laughing a little. “You’ve seen how quick she is!”

“We have a play pen.” Hanzo reasons, not remembering that the playpen appeared after the whole thing happened.

“It doesn’t fit my room!” She groans, rolling her eyes. “I should have bought a smaller one--” She stops, covering her mouth with her hands. 

“So it was you!” Hanzo points at her accusingly. 

“Argh, if you try to give the money back I’m going to hit you!” She huffs, crossing her arms. Hanzo rolls his eyes, sitting Ako on his leg Watching the baby kick her legs. He brushes her hair away from her face and asks for Hana to take the small hair elastics in Ako's room. She does so and when she comes back, he asks her to help him fix the baby’s hair. 

In the end they end up doing 3 pigtails on her head, Hana smiling wide as she finishes they last on in the middle of her head. She looks so silly like that that Hanzo cannot help but laugh out loud.

Ako looks at him, putting a hand on her mouth and patting his chest eagerly. Hanzo lifts his shirt, but just to make sure asks. “Do you mind if I--?”

“Dude, I’ve seen tits. It doesn’t bother me.” Hana dismisses it with a wave of her hand. “Different from every alpha in this base.” She snorts, taking her phone out and checking something in there. “A bunch of prudes, is what they are.”

They spend some time like that, in a calm, with Hanzo sighing tired. He looks at Ako and when she finishes, Hanzo detaches her and burps the baby. 

“Are you okay? From yesterday?” 

For the first time in the day , Hanzo thinks about last night. His shoulder and neck are sore and when he thinks about Akande and his words, the pit of his stomach squeezes with despair. 

“I do not know.” He shakes his head, looking at Ako. He doesn’t want to use the balm that Angela has given him, dreading touching the tender flesh there.

“Doomfist is a creep.” Hana says and Hanzo chuckles. He's relieved the girl is finally looking at him again, even if it is still with a look of pity and pain. but a thought keeps nagging at his head. 

“You don’t need to act like this around me. Cautious.” He says. “I know what Akande said about things done to me was hard to hear. But I am…” Fine, he wants to say, but can’t. He isn't fine. 

“Dude… Listen, whatever happened to you is your business. He shouldn't try to use it to get you in the first place, but again, he's Talon’s leader, so…” She dismisses. 

“I Know, I just… What happened-- The alpha who--” He grunts in annoyance at his own inability to speak about the subject properly. It’s not ready for anyone else to know. He hates this situation. Hanzo didn’t want anyone else to know, the fact Cole and Angela knew what happened was already too much. He avoided talking about it, thinking about it, even if the memories never truly let him be. 

“You don't need to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Hana says, seemingly understanding what he’s talking about. “I'm your friend, but you don’t need to tell me everything.” There is a moment of silence in between them where Hanzo can't think properly about anything at all. 

“You do know what I’m talking about.” He says, looking at Hana. Her tone already implies that she does know what has gone on with him. His words then were just confirmation. 

“I suspected… After the second movie night.” She looks at him not in pity, but in pain. “I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Hanzo sighs, averting his eyes towards his daughter, patting Ako’s head. 

“Still…” She  frowns. “I don't see you any different.” She puts a hand on his forearm, reassuringly. “Some things just make more sense, now, it's just that.” She shrugs, as if it didn't make any difference. 

And maybe it didn't. Lúcio had disclosed his own assault and he didn't see the DJ any differently, he knows Jack must have had a thought career in the military, being an omega. So why did it make him feel so horrible about himself? Hanzo doesn’t understand why. 

“Thank you.” He says. “I didn't want anyone else to know.”

“I don’t think anyone is focusing on it.” She puts her phone down. “Genji is mad, but…”

“Really?” Hanzo asks. It doesn’t matter how much they talk, laugh and interact like they used to, Hanzo still has that nagging feeling on his chest that once Genji knows, truly knows, he will look at him differently. Telling him that is what he deserves.

“Obviously. He put a photo of Akande on the target he practices on.” She snorts. “I think Cole would do the same if he wasn’t too busy making cinnamon rolls.” Hanzo snorts an ugly laugh, only because he just knew Cole was too calm in the morning. Of course he would end up taking out his anger and frustration about what happened in making sweets. 

They spend some time like that before Hana has to go back out and work on her broken mecha. She doesn’t take Ako with her, saying how Cole will probably come barging in at some point, since it is already close to lunch time.

Hanzo rests his back on the headboard and sighs. 

--

Fortunately, his sickness doesn’t spread to anyone else, being more of an issue for Hanzo, who slowly but surely starts to get better. Angela seems pleased by it and by the end of the week, when he’s 100% better, the doctor draws more blood, saying how that will help to develop a serum to counteract Sombra’s virus in the field.

Hanzo is pleased to go back to his normal day. However, the giant bruise on his neck is not so quick to disappear. 

“The place is too sensitive, Hanzo.” Angela said when she examined it a second time. She sighed, further explaining it is a hematoma, not just a normal bruise. Which means that it could take up to a month to heal properly. “You need to use the balm I gave you.” 

Hanzo didn't tell her that he didn’t dare to touch his neck, an irrational dread overtaking him everytime he thought about it. 

He has to use his hair down, because while everyone else seemed to pointedly not look at his neck and avoid any sort of questions about the mission or talking about Talon and Doomfist, Genji would growl every time he saw the bruise. 

And not only that, while his brother didn’t speak about it, he for sure acted like Hanzo was again made out of thin porcelain. His brother has sneakily turned the difficulty of his target practices down, making it extremely easy for Hanzo and whoever was with him to finish the practicing early on. Not only that, he has taken over his chores. 

The infuriating thing is that his brother does it before he can do anything about it, finishing them when Hanzo is eating breakfast with Cole, or nursing Ako or even before he wakes up.

Hanzo decides to pay back with the same energy by picking up Genji's chores and finishing them when he was doing something else. To say his brother got pissed is an understatement. He huffs and puffs and even Zenyatta has to use a rolled up magazine to hit him in the head one day after meditation. 

So the case is serious. 

Deciding to stop this whole thing before it blows out of proportions like it did before with Cole, Hanzo goes to face Genji and tell him, in no uncertain terms, that he needs to stop being an ass. He finds him on the shooting range, the moving targets with Doomfist and Moira’s photos tapped on them. 

His brother doesn’t look at him and Hanzo walks to the computer and immediately stops the simulation, making the bots slouch down. Genji snarls in frustration and turns, ready to yell at whoever ruined his training. When he sees Hanzo, however, he stops. Instead of relaxing, Hanzo can see that the man is more tense than before. 

“Brother.” Genji greets him, a facade of serenity washing over him. That irritates Hanzo more than anything else. “What do you wish to talk about?”

“Stop messing with my simulations!” He snaps, crossing his arms. Genji was never good with hiding his own feelings, so the facade soon slips away, giving place to clear shame and frustration. 

“I’m not the one doing it.” He lies, looking down, pursing his lips. Hanzo lifts an eyebrow, this time actually getting mad.

“I need to keep my skills sharp for the missions.” 

“You’re hurt.” Genji insists, face contorted in anger and sadness.

“I am healed!” He says, pulling his coat closed.The day is very cold now, so fortunately Hanzo has the excuse to use a coat and hide his neck. 

“The bruise on your neck begs to differ, aniki!”

“Will you stop acting like this?” Hanzo snaps at Genji. 

“Acting like what?” Genji snaps back. Angry like he hasn't seen him in a long while. 

“Like an asshole.” Hanzo almost shouts, but stops himself before he does so. It never helped to make people take him more seriously. He takes a calming breath. “You’re growling everywhere and making a fool of yourself!”

“I am angry Hanzo!” Genji starts angry, but soon deflates. He takes in some shaky breaths, now more sad than anything.

“Then control yourself! Do your meditation! Talk to Zenyatta!” He says. His brother looks defeated.“Read the room, Sparrow.”

A minute passes in silence and Genji sits down on the floor, resting his back against the big desk that separates the targets.

They stay like that for a while, the silence filling the room. The smell of gunpowder and the energy used in pulse weapons making their stomach churn. The acrid smell of anger doesn't make it easier. It reminds them about too much of the past. Hanzo walks towards his brother and sits beside him.

“You were fine when we flew back.” Hanzo says. “Why are you like this now?” 

“I wasn’t fine, I was drugged.” He says. “I kept my cool because of you and Cole and everyone else. And now, I just keep reading the report and seeing all of my mistakes and how I endangered the team and you, most of all.” He lets his body slouch down. “I was the senior agent there.”

“Cole was the senior agent.” Hanzo corrects him and Genji massages his eyelids, frustrated. 

“But I was the one supervising it. I put you in that situation.” Genji says, once he calms down. “I put you there and asked you to do something no one on the team was ready for!” He says through gritted teeth, eyes filling with tears. The events of that fateful day finally breaking his resolve. “And I almost lost you again.”

“You gave me a choice, Genji.” Hanzo’s shoulders drop. “I thought I could do it, and it did not work. It was not just your fault.” 

“It feels like it is.” Genji admits. “By the Iris, the way Doomfist talks about you, to you! It worries me what he'll do.”

“I know.” Hanzo sighs, resting the back of his head on the metal that covers the desk. “When he first tried to convince me into joining Talon, he was less forward… But still, the same. Charming and full of promises… But now he talks as if I already belong to him.” 

Akande’s words ring on their head. 

“Do you think…” He starts and Hanzo somehow knows that what comes next won’t be good. “...That Doomfist meant the clan promised you to him?” He frowns. 

And the question lingers in the air. Hanzo just looks at his brother and wonders how he got to that conclusion. 

“Why would  you think that?”

“I keep thinking about what Jack said. What Doomfist said at the ball.” 

“No.” Hanzo shakes his head. “Father wouldn't do that. You know how he was.” When his father was alive, he even forbade him to meet the alphas he found interesting. His very unrequited crush on the alpha that cooked for them on the weekends only resulted in the man being fired and threatened. Even if he was happily married and wasn’t interested at all in a teenager. “Especially if it was for someone from Talon.”

“But the elders would.” 

Silence falls in between them and Hanzo feels his breath hitch for a moment. The implications of it, the simple idea that the elders would do that feels horrible. But it also makes much more sense of what happened then. 

Genji was his legal handler at the time, as Japan still has the presentation system legally in place. As much as the elders wanted to give him to someone, Genji had to agree to it. Differently from his father, Genji wouldn't just obey what the elders asked him to do.

And Genji hated the elders. So much so he'd mess up any of the business they had. 

“That's why they pushed us against each other.” Hanzo realizes. 

“Once I was dead, your… ownership would go towards one of our uncles.” He massages his temples. “If Morisson is right, Maybe the clan hid it from us and maybe it wasn't a traditional weapon they would deal with.”

“The dragons.”

“You.”

They look at each other. Hanzo blinks a little.

“I saw it, Hanzo, when the dragons took over. When you covered me.” 

Hanzo's breath hitches. The memory of that day is seared on his mind. Blood dripping form his hands and lightning running on his arm, he remembers the fire and rage and the twins speaking through his mouth. The scared faces of the elders, the servants, and the satisfaction of hearing them scream. 

He remembers too, once it was all over and everything was burning, that he searched for Genji, finding his body, mangled and so so still. Dead, for all that he knew. He remembers covering him, weeping before the dragons left his body and he stumbled away, further damaging his already hurt legs, his bow firmly held on his hand. 

He managed to walk away from the castle, leaving a trail of blood behind. He thought he'd die that day, he was glad to, actually. Instead he woke up the next day in a hospital, marked as an unknown person. He ran away as quickly as possible, the thought of revenge festering on his mind. 

“No one has ever had dragons like you have them.” Genji smiles weakly, sad. “Not even mother. You have twins! Giant dragons! You understand when they talk to you.”

“You understand Ichigo too.” Hanzo argues, feeling something like despair on his chest.

“I feel what he feels and understand him, but I can't speak to him. Not like you.”

Hanzo brings his knees up, holding his legs in place. A realization dawns on him. They have always seen him as a weapon, something to be chained away. His mother, before him, was the strongest user of the dragons. She had a yellow one, the size of a big dog, as she always had a happy disposition on her, but her dragon was mean, angry and protective of him and Genji. 

The elders were in awe the first time his own dragons showed in his room when he was a child. As big as his room, purring so loud it made the walls shake. 

His mother, however, looked sad. 

“That’s why they spoke about heirs… They sold me off.” Hanzo searches around in his mind. Trying to remember the moments after Genji was presumed dead, what was said. It's been years since he thought about that day, he avoided as much as possible, but now he tries to, for his own sake. 

The conversation was choppy, muffled away by his pain, tears and howls of grief. 

“It went better than we thought--  hoping he'd just cripple that insolent child. He will--.” 

“What about his legs?”

“He won’t be needing them anymore. Not for what he--”

“--back out with him like this? It will heal ugly. -- at least two heirs, you think he'll deliver it for us?”

“He has to. It's w--- Don't worry about his legs, we can-- be easier to restrain him like this.”

In the past he wouldn't want to believe it to be true, once when he thought his uncles, aunts, grandparents, blood related or not, wanted his best. Now he sees how truly blind and manipulated he was.

“Brother?” Genji asks, taking his mind away from the memories. 

“Yes?” Hanzo asks, the corners of his mouth turning down.

“About what Doomfist said…” 

“Genji--” He tries to interrupt his brother, but can’t. The floodgates are open. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He turns towards Hanzo, eyes filling with tears.

“I do not wish to remember.” Hanzo swallows down. There is a moment of uncomfortable silence between them. “Younger siblings are not supposed to be the ones caring for the older brothers. I did not want you to worry.” He reasons, but then, he looks at his brother, at the expression he has, and Hanzo can’t help himself and says. “I was ashamed. Scared…”

“Why?” Genji begs him, face distorting with pain.

“Because I did all of this to you.” He says, looking at his brother, holding his prosthetic hand up. “It’s my fault you spend years hating yourself, full of anger, hurting yourself. It’s my fault you had to spend countless nights in pain! It’s my fault Sombra could hack your body! Anyone would say it’s what I deser--”

“Do NOT say that.” Genji snaps, stopping his rant, making Hanzo flinch back. “Anyone would say that, but I wouldn't!”

There is a moment of heavy silence. 

“I know.” Hanzo croacs. He does know that. The memories of the past, their fights, how they both treated each other at the end, when they were always so full of hatred sometimes tried to obscure who Genji is now. But the truth is, it never did. Genji shines now, brighter than ever. 

“I forgave you.” Genji reassures, not angry, but sad. Everybody seems to always end up sad around him. Sometimes, at night Hanzo wondered if it was him that brought this over everyone. “Why can’t you forgive yourself?”

“I do not know.” And Hanzo doesn't have one single answer for that. It’s all so complicated. Genji brings him into a side hug. It’s awkward with the way they are seated, but he tries his best to make his distress go away. 

“The man that did that, Is he Ako’s…?”

“Sperm donor.” Hanzo says, repeating the term that Cole used before. Genji hums in understanding. “Don’t tell anyone else.” He tries to order, but it sounds more like a plea. He can’t bear the other looking at him differently.

“Of course.” He promises and the omega knows he will stay truthful to that. They spend some time like that, in silence, hugging each other. 

“That’s why you didn’t go visit me when I was sick?” Hanzo separates, sniffing a little. 

“Angela told me my bionic kidneys make me part of the endangered species.” Genji cleans his face. 

“I think you mean people with comorbidities.” Hanzo’s laugh is wet and ugly, but it makes him feel better.  

“Yeah, that.” He nods. He won’t tell Hanzo that he didn’t go because the bruise reminds him too much of the past, of their training and how they grew up. How he felt frozen in place with the way Doomfist talked, with how he spoke like their father, like the elders, as if Hanzo was a thing. 

No, he will smile and joke around. Because Hanzo doesn’t need to know how worried he is. 

--

The conversation solves the issues with Genji. 

It doesn’t solve everything else. 

Genji really wasn’t lying about not changing his simulation; he certainly had a hand on it, as Hanzo finds out later on, but he wasn’t one to blame. The one who did it was Winston. Hanzo finds that out because his training simulations with his colleagues have also turned into something so easy that they all finish the fake missions in less than 10 minutes with the highest scores.

“That ain’t right.” Cole commented, when he looked at his best scores.

When Hanzo asks Winston about it, he finds it’s a group decision by the older overwatch members. A majority vote, not a unanimous, which is good for Cole, since Hanzo won't have to slice his knot away again. 

“I am just following orders to keep your stress levels down as you recover.”  

“I am fine, commander.” He says, crossing his arms, but Winston wouldn’t budge. Hanzo shook his head and stomped out of the room with anger. He does not want pity. 

Hana, Ana and Lucio made sure to still treat him like a normal person, Brigitte however always seems two seconds away from crying while looking at him, as does Reinhardt. The news about the mission certainly got to him through the grapevine. Hanzo is not mad about it, the information about the missions are available to the team after the debriefing is over, after all. 

He's mad that everyone seems to treat him like he'll burst into tears at any point. 

“Don't worry, kid, it will pass.” Jack says, seated down on the chair beside the loveseat where Hanzo is right now. He's holding Ako, making her stand up and kick her legs. She was already able to hold herself up and straight when held, soon she’ll be walking, Or at least Jack says so. “They never dealt with this kind of situation before. They don’t know how to deal with it.”

“And you do?” Hanzo sighs, tired from the day he just had. Going back to training, working out, making arrows, helping winston and doing the chores after being still for so long made him exhausted.

“Old omegas always do.” Jack says. “How’s Cole?”

“Baking like a maniac.” Hanzo sighs, remembering how the Alpha baked a different dessert everyday since the mission. The fridge was full of cakes and cupcakes and pies. 

The alpha held himself back, trying to not bother him with his overprotectiveness. But Hanzo knew. It was on the way that Cole sometimes would nibble on his fingers and purr loudly when Hanzo woke up from a nightmare (it was so loud that Hanzo was scared it would wake up the other agents). He tried to comfort him by holding him close, nose buried deep in his collarbone. 

It was also very clear because of the way he'd pace around the room when Ako wasn't in his or Hanzo's arms.

As if on cue, Cole enters the lounge room, looks at them, but this time he relaxes a little, nodding. He scratches his hair, making his hat almost fall off. Taps his foot on the ground, nervous, making his spur giggle a little. There is a nervous energy radiating from him.  

“Will you stop?” Jack grumbles, releasing Akos’s side so she stays standing up. She does for 3 seconds before she falls seated on Jack's lap, giggling. Cole, however, runs to Jack's side, hands out and a scared look on his face, reaching to grab Ako. Hanzo had the same reaction the first two times Jack did it. 

They look at one another, Jack with an unimpressed stare. “You want to hold her?” he stares. Cole looks at him startled and clearly his throat, straightening up. 

“No, it's fine. I have to…” Cole says, opening and closing his hands. 

“Jesus, take her already.” Jack grumbles, handing the kicking baby to him. Ako giggles, looking at Cole with her two tooth smile. Hanzo only snorts when the cowboy brings the kid close, face closed in a pout. He stands up and moves to Cole's side, kissing his jaw.

Hanzo interlaces their fingers and lets the Cowboy stay close to him for the rest of the evening. The fact was that he knows that Cole is trying to not let the overwhelming want to barricade Hanzo in their room again and never let him out overtake him. It seemed the man was holding himself from falling into bad habits again. And if that didn’t make Hanzo’s heart swell, he didn’t know what could do it. 

So, when they finish dinner, bathe and change Ako, putting the baby to sleep for the night, Hanzo pulls Cole with him into the bath, with all the intentions of making out with his alpha and letting the man ravish him. 

Cole however doesn’t do that. Yes he is enthusiastic at first, grabbing Hanzo’s waist and licking his mouth, scenting his neck. He spends a lot of time like this, so much so Hanzo thinks he'll get a beard burn. But when Hanzo tries to go any further the alpha stops or redirects his caresses, by the end the omega gives up and starts to actually clean himself. He even lets Cole wash his hair for him, enjoying the touch. 

When they leave the shower and are dressed, Hanzo frustratingly starts his night time routine, brushing his teeth and hair. He’s lost in thought, focused on the task at hand, when he feels Cole stopping at his side, doing his nightly routine as well. 

Once they finish, Hanzo spots the cowboy looking at his neck. Looking intensely at it, actually, eyes fixed on the bruise. 

“What?” He asks, looking at Cole through the mirror. The alpha blinks twice, as if being awake from a trance. That’s why he’s not touching him, Hanzo realizes. The cursed bruise.

“Is it still hurtin’?” He touches Hanzo’s shoulder, thumb stroking the skin with care. 

“No, it’s just the mark now.” He clears his throat, feeling the anger slowly dwindle away and turning into rejection. 

“You’re not using the balm Angie gave you, are you?” Cole asks, already knowing the answer. 

Hanzo shakes his head and he opens his mouth to say that he doesn’t want to touch it, that he feels disgusted when he does so, his skin crawling. Not particularly because of the sensitive nerves there or the soft skin that will make any omega shudder every time they are touched, but because he thought about how foolish it was for him to let Akande do that. He felt miserable.

“I can’t reach it.” He lies, diverting his eyes away, not being able to stare at Cole. The other nods and kisses his shoulder, he pulls Hanzo against his chest, hands circling his waist. He kisses Hanzo's head too, and just looks at him through the mirror. 

He knows Hanzo is lying. Of course Cole knows. But he’s not about to let the omega think he’s any of the nasty things that are probably running around on his mind. 

“If you need help, I can do it for you.” He says. “You know that, right?”  Hanzo just looks at him and blinks, nodding. He turns to the cowboy, kissing him tenderly. This time Cole lets himself get lost in the motions, the sensations, deepening the kiss. He pulls the omega close, hands roaming the expanse of his back. 

“Carry me to bed, I’m tired.” Hanzo mumbles against his mouth once they separate. His arm really is getting tired from using his crutches, but it’s an excuse to be held.

“So bossy.” Cole chuckles and lifts him up, bridal style and Hanzo lets himself enjoy it, just for now. No one is looking, after all. The cowboy puts him down and climbs the bed, laying beside Hanzo, looking at the omega. 

Looking at his neck.

“Is the bruise so ugly that you can't touch me?” Hanzo asks.

“Han.” He says, face becoming distressed. “You know that isn’t it. You’re hurt. I don't want to worsen it.” He mumbles, eyes closed and taking control over himself. He’s hard, he has been aroused ever since his omega pulled him into the bathtub, kissing him deeply. But the alpha is hesitant to move, scared of hurting Hanzo. He’s always so scared he’ll go too far. 

“This again.” He tsks, hand caressing the alpha’s jaw and his neck. His beard is slowly growing back, the ridiculous (and handsome) mustache still in his face, tickling Hanzo and scraping his cheek when they scented. “You don’t want to?” He asks. 

“Oh, I do.” Cole sighs. “I’m just worried.” He insists and Hanzo stops, giving up, dropping his head on the pillow and closing his eyes. Cole rests his head on Hanzo’s chest, listening to his heart beating. Thump thump thump. 

Truth be told, Cole held himself back the whole week because his instincts were screaming for him to substitute the bruise on his mate's (not his mate, stop thinking like this, Cole, come on) with his bite. To finally make Hanzo his forever. So he stayed quietly away, avoiding any sort of sexual interactions. It was easy, with pampering Hanzo all week, the want diminished.

It was better now, since Hanzo is not sick anymore, but still, every time he saw the mosaic of purple and greens and yellows on his mate’s neck he’d still feel that pull. 

“I'll do it myself then.” Hanzo sighs, taking his pants off and tossing them away to a corner of the room. He shakes his hand down and inside his underwear, folding one of his knees up. 

“How's that fair?” Cole asks, separating from Hanzo and supporting his head with his hand. 

“It is not supposed to be.” Hanzo smiles wide at him. He palms his own member, stroking it slowly and languidly. Cole hums while looking at him. 

Okay, maybe that's the wrong move, because Hanzo is hyper aware of his alpha’s body standing close to his, almost glued to his side as he starts to masturbate. He looks at Cole and sees that the cowboy is staring at him with half lidded eyes, full of desire, but almost as if he’s appreciating the view. He can feel Cole’s stiff member against his thigh, through the soft cotton of his sweatpants. 

Hanzo feels self conscious all of the sudden. Of all of the things they have done, Cole has never watched him masturbate or prepare himself before they start. It was always the alpha that did it, kneading his muscles and making him pliable and needy. This made Hanzo too aware of himself, his own body and actions.

“Are you not going to do anything?” Hanzo asks, irritated. 

“I don’t know, I think I like this.” Cole smirks at him, looking down at his body. “You look real pretty when you pleasure yourself.” He whispers, making Hanzo feel a thrilling sensation take over his body, making his toes curl, but also he feels just as equally as embarrassed. With a huff, Hanzo takes his hands away from his member and turns towards his alpha, hugging him close and sneakily hiding his own face away. “Embarrassed?”

Hanzo mumbles incoherently and lightly bites Cole’s chest, before releasing it and kissing the place. He feels the alpha’s dick twitch against him, getting even harder, if that was even possible at all. 

But Hanzo doesn't do anything, he waits for Cole to make the first move. 

“I don’t want to scare you away too, like before…” The cowboy admits.

“What do you mean?” The omega opens his eyes, looking up at Cole.

“You said that love ain’t owning.” Cole swallows down. “And I’m scared that if I do all that I want to do to calm my instincts it will scare you away.”

Hanzo sits up, bringing Cole with him. “Well, are you going to trap me again?”

“No, but--”

“Are you going to go over my own wants?”

“No.”

“Are you going to stop me from going on missi--”

“I wanna bite you!” Cole exclaims, frustrated, grabbing Hanzo by the shoulders. Hanzo stops, closing his mouth, wide eyed and surprised. And Cole mistakes his surprise by fear, because he closes his eyes hard and brings their foreheads close, needing the proximity. “I’m sorry.” He says, before starting to get out of the bed. “I’ll just leave.”

“Who told you to leave?” Hanzo holds his wrist, pulling the man to sit back on the bed.

“Han.”

“Cole.” Hanzo crosses his arms, looking at him impassively, waiting for the alpha to say something.

“You're scared.” He argues, weakly.

“Do I look scared?” he scoots closer and Cole nods, not looking up. He grunts, displeased, grabbing his alpha's face and turning it, making Cole finally face him. “Do I?” He asks again. Cole bites his lips, shaking his head.

“It’s different this time.” Cole whispers, quiet in the darkness of the night, kissing the top of his head. “The way Akande marked you, my head is all scrambled up ‘cause of it.” He closes his eyes.

“How many times do we have to go through this until you have it in your head, silly cowboy? You're not biting me without my consent.” Hanzo mumbles. A deep tiredness settles in his bones now. If he thinks about it, it's easier for Hanzo to accidentally bite Cole’s neck than anything else, the way he keeps sucking the man's neck and nibbling it all the time.

“I know you don't want that, so I’m trying to--”

“I want it.” Hanzo corrects him. It makes Cole stop and looks at him with wide eyes. 

“Realy?”

“Yes.” Hanzo looks down. “You’re an amazing alpha. I can’t even count the reason to have your bite on my neck. I’m just… I'm not ready for it yet.” Hanzo says. “But you're not biting me because of that. You're not biting me because you're not the kind of alpha that wild bites omegas.” Hanzo brings his face close.  “You know that. I know that.” 

“I know. Still makes me scared.” Cole remembers how even in the height of his rut, with Hanzo’s neck literally under his mouth, there for him to take if he wanted to, he controlled himself. “Doesn’t make any goddamn sense, does it?”

Hanzo thinks for a moment, then nods. He’s not new when it comes to irrational feelings and fears. It makes sense to him, Cole is scared of losing control the same way Hanzo is scared of touching his neck. They know, in theory, that nothing will happen. That he’s safe and Cole will control himself, because he’s a good man and a good alpha. 

And yet. 

But Hanzo is so tired of being scared, of running and avoiding everything. Being scared is what made all of it, all of the disaster that is his life, to happen. How many people has he hurt because of it? How many have hurt him back?

He decides then that he can't be afraid anymore. He's tired of it, so so tired. With purpose he sits up and reaches for the small bedside table. 

“Han?” Cole asks, but Hanzo just ignores him.

In the drawer there, he finds, in between the small knick knacks, elastic bands and Ako’s toys that get lost in their room, the tin with the medical balm Angela has given him. It’s small, round and shiny, with a handwritten label on it with his name and the directions to use twice a day. 

“Can you help me?” Hanzo turns, offering the tin to Cole. The alpha's eyes get wide, looking at him with a mix of overwhelming worry and confusion. But hanzo just puts the thin on Cole’s hand and turns his back to him, pulling his hair away, fully showing the bruise and one of the most vulnerable places in his body, waiting. 

There is a moment of tense silence in between them. 

“Of course, sugar.” Cole breaks the silence, touching his shoulder blades. Hanzo tenses for a moment. The alpha immediately starts purring loudly, making him relax, shoulders dropping down. He feels the tips of Cole’s fingers touching his shoulders first, wary and tentative. The touch is cold at first, but soon it starts to warm up.

When Hanzo doesn’t flinch away, Cole sighs in relief and goes on. First the alpha starts to pass the balm on the perimeter of his bruise, his touch is light and quick. He doesn't knead the muscle or massage it, scared that any pressure might make his mate change his mind. And Hanzo is thankful about that. When it gets close to the back of his neck, he stops.

“Is it good enough, Han?” His voice is cautious. 

“Please, do all of it.” Hanzo’s voice has a fearful uncertainty to it. But he's adamant, he needs to get over this feeling. He needs to!

“I'm just gonna kiss your shoulder, okay?” Cole’s voice is close now, Hanzo can feel the heat of his body radiating behind himself, the presence strong. He shudders, a mix of anxiety and arousal, but nods. Cole follows thought quickly and sweetly, pecking his shoulder. 

Hanzo immediately relaxes, and they follow like this. The alpha tells him what he's doing and follows to a T. When they get to the sensitive bundle of nerves, Hanzo tenses again, but Cole only quickly passes the balm with care, hands sliding on the back of his neck with ease. He kisses his shoulder, whispers sweet nothings towards him and then he’s finished. 

It’s done. Cole has touched the back of his neck.

“Are you okay, sugar?” He scoots away from Hanzo. “You did really well…”The omega nods, but he realizes his hands are trembling. He couldn't think about anything during the whole ordeal, eyes fixed on the sheets under them, but it also didn’t make him remember. 

It was so different from that man and from Akande. It wasn’t violent. It was sweet and quick and Hanzo could even say that it was pleasant. Turning to Cole, Hanzo climbs on his lap and clinging to him. “Thank you.” He croaks, hiding his face on his alpha’s neck.

The realization that nothing bad happened dawns on him and a giant wave of relief fills Hanzo’s chest. It’s not perfect, but it's the first step. 

“Thank you for trustin’ me, sugar.” The alpha noses Hanzo’s neck, kissing his matting gland after. 

“Of course.” Hanzo mirrors what Cole had told him, back then when he disclosed so much about his upbringing. Of course he’d trust Cole. They go to bed after that, covering themselves with the tick duvet, feeling a little raw, but good. 

The night is calm and without any bad dreams. Hanzo wakes up with Cole’s head still on his chest and a loud purr. Strangely, Hanzo realizes the purr is not coming from his mate, but from his own chest.  

How strange. He thinks, blinking away the bleariness of his eyes. 

He has never done that before. 

--

The rest of the week is the same. Hanzo keeps doing what he needs to do and fortunately, his undershirt hides most of his slowly fading bruises. Angela was right, the balm does help. Is not that people start to treat him like before again, but they surely start to forget about it, with their own missions, training regimens and the threat of Talon hovering above their heads. 

That brings to now, with him and Zenyatta on the training grounds with Reinhardt. They keep failing at it because the giant man refuses to keep on the objective (a fake payload that is marked as a civilian vehicle). Instead, The giant alpha keeps running around, trying to protect either Hanzo when he’s in the ground or Zenyatta.

“You need to protect the targets!” Hanzo crosses his arms, glaring towards Reinhardt.

“But then the robots will hurt you.” 

“They shoot blanks!” Hanzo exclaims for the millionth time. “And Zenyatta will heal me in case this ever happens! I need to kill the bots while you protect the payload!” 

“What if you need more help?” 

“Then I will run to go behind the shield! My boots make me move faster!” He says it again, for the millionth time AGAIN. He takes in a deep breath, calming his nerves. “Agent Reinhardt, remember what you told me about alpha's being dumb in the battlefield?” He massages his own temple, nursing away a headache. 

“Yes.” He says, proudly. 

“You're acting like that!” He watches as the man deflates, seeming to realize what he has been doing. 

“Agent Reinhardt, You need to find it in yourself to trust your fellow agents.” Zenyatta says.

“I am sorry.” The giant man frowns. “It's just so awful what happened to you two, friends.” The man literally starts tearing up, sitting on the floor. Hanzo sighs, looking at him. There is a small squeeze of anxiety on his stomach, the idea of someone like Reinhardt knowing about what happened to him is terrible.

He shares a look with Zenyatta.  

“Knowing a friend is your enemy must be terrible.” Rerinhardt sniffs, looking at Zenyatta. The omnic nods and pats his shoulder, but the alpha pulls him into a heartfelt hug, making the him chuckle. “And you!” He turns to Hanzo.

“I don’t need a hug!” Hanzo quickly says, taking a BIG step back. 

“I will SMITE Doomfist with all of my might for poisoning you, friend! Thinking he could snatch you away!” Hanzo snorts a laugh. He honestly can’t help it. Of course this is how the alpha would react to everything that happened. He was a gentleman and a knight after all. 

But then he blinks. 

“You’re angry about the poisoning?”

“And the scruffing!” Reinharts releases Zenyatta and stands up, cursing in german. “No omega should go through that!” He closes his fist in righteous rage. 

He quickly changes the subject back to the training simulation, putting the information on the back of his mind. At the end, despite the smaller score, they managed to protect the objective and none of the bots marked as civilians inside the payload ended up eliminated. And to Reinhardts happiness, they are all safe and sound without any injuries. 

After, he goes to the laundry room, where he knows there is no one at this moment and hides in one of the nooks he found there recently. In between the two laundry machines in the right corner, there is a space, just like the ones he used to hide in when he was younger. So he speaks inside it and opens his comm, looking for the mission dossier and report. 

Hanzo has a moment where he freezes, swallowing down. But then  he remembers that he doesn’t want to stay afraid. Opening up, he doesn’t find the files for the recordings of the conversations, just a transcript. 

That's weird. 

There are their conversations. Hanzo even finds a transcript of when he and Cole snuck away to make out. He even laughs reading the phrase ‘Agent Shimada appears to have swatted Agent’s Cassidy's buttlocks.’. He flies away on his head to turn off the microphone when they inevitably do that again. 

When it comes to when Hanzo is poisoned and manages to free himself, there is no mention of Doomfist speaking about his assault. Hanzo reads it all back again twice, trying to understand what happened. He knows it did happen, he knows Doomfist spoke about him bein raped. He didn’t hallucinate and the typed out description of the other agents' reactions are enough to confirm it. 

Hana’s conversation on the day after is enough to confirm that everyone that was there knows and heard it. But apparently, no one else does. 

No one else knows.

A wave of relief washes over him. 

He reads the rest of the transcript and the reports. Now he can see why everyone is acting the way they are acting now. The way his interactions are described by the others, it makes the situation sound jarring. Grabbing, forcing, pulling, leering, scruffing, are all words used to describe what happened. 

It feels like he was…

Hanzo stands up from the ground and walks towards Winston’s office. He finds the gorilla on the computer, doing research. They exchange pleasantries and talk some more about something or the other.

“You edited the transcript from the mission.” He says, crossing his arms and looking down to the ground, unable to face Winston. The commander keeps quiet for a moment, before clicking some windows on the computer close. He turns towards Hanzo.

“Yes, I did.” He intertwines his own fingers, resting his back better on the chair. 

Hanzo looks away. “Why?” There was no practical reason to keep it hidden on the transcript or the report. 

“Some things are better kept private, don’t you think?” Winston smiles at him, kindly. “Something terrible has happened to you, Hanzo. Last night and before that. Scruffing is very frowned upon with humans, isn’t it?”

“He didn’t…” He blisters at first, but stops, seeing how Winston has an air of no nonsense around him. Akande may not have done the usual motion for scruffing, grabbing the back of the neck with a pinching motion and squeezing it with, but he put pressure on it just right, making him freeze. 

“That is already a trauma in itself. You don’t need scrutiny over other matters. More so from your fellow agents.”

It was funny, but in the months he has been here, he watched the Gorilla evolve from an anxious reluctant commander towards a very mature and thoughtful person. Hanzo nods again, feeling something he can’t really describe. A cocktail of emotions that he’ll take time to digest. 

He nods, and says weakly.  “Thank you.” Before excusing himself and walking away. His colleagues are not looking down on him because of what happened almost two years ago, they are trying to avoid any more trauma for him because of the last mission. 

They do not pity him. They are worried.

The realization feels dizzying and he walks towards the garden, wanting to clear his head. He finds Cole in the way, talking with Jack about something in the corridor, while Ako is in his arms. When he spots Hanzo, he pulls the omega close to a hug.

“What is it, sugar?” He asks, worried. “You have that deep thinking expression on your face.”

“Nothing.” He answers, still confused. “It’s just… Glad.” it slips out of his mouth almost unconsciously. He takes Ako in his arms, rubbing her back and rocking her a little. The motions are more about his own sake than hers, there is a weird feeling in his chest. Cole looks at him, satisfied and kisses his temple, tucking Hanzo’s head under his chin.

He spends some time like that, but soon moves to the garden. Ana is there, watering the plants, now mostly barren, but still alive. The new one, planted the day Efi visited, still has the foliage in it. 

Ana tells him to get close. Once Hanzo approaches, he asks about the plant. He has never seen it before.

“It’s Myrrh.” She smiles. “I have had this one for six years now.” She passes both of her hands on a branch and the leaves. “Try it.” She smells her hands and encourages him to do the same. Hanzo does so, feeling the soft and slightly fuzzy texture of the leaves. When he brings his hands up to his nose, he feels a sweet and light scent on it.

“Sweet.”

“Yes. Myrrh has been used for millennia as perfume, incense and anointing oil.” She explains, watering the plant. “It represents rebirth and purification, and various other things.”

“Why plant it here?” Hanzo asks. The place isn’t supposed to last. He could understand the herbs and the native flowers. But this is obviously a tree that will grow big and live long, setting deep roots on the ground.

“I want a chance for it to grow freely.” She explains, taking in a deep breath and standing up, patting the dirt away from her clothes. 

And Hanzo thinks. 

He knows, in theory, that these are good people, that despite everything, he is part of a team and that after all this time he earned their friendship. But still, it is surprising. Hana and Winston’s words. Brigitte was sad because she saw something bad happen to him, she wasn’t thinking he's a fragile thing.  He feels his eyes water a little. 

“Are you okay, Habibi?”

“Yes.” And he feels, maybe for a long time now, that it’s the truth. He’s still hurt, maybe he’ll never get fully well, but he’s okay. 

They spend the rest of the evening like that, in the garden, talking, with Hanzo helping her to move things around and cleaning the stuff she doesn’t have the strength for. Orisa joins them, helping too, happy to see the whole garden still alive and well.  He tells her about Reinhardts behavior and Ana laughs it off, speaking about alphas with soft hearts.

“And Cole? He’s in that overprotective mood of his?”

“Not anymore.” He dismisses it, she hums, pleased about it. Hanzo takes the bag of fertilizer and moves it to the wheelbarrow, so they can put it away after. Cleaning his hands, he remembers something, and decides to ask Ana, seeing if the nagging feeling will go away. “Did you ever purr, Ana?”

Na looks at him, questioning. “Yes, of course. But not for a long while now.” She’s amused at his question and Hanzo feels his cheeks heating up. He feels embarrassed that he hasn’t purred or done the usual Omega things for most of his life. 

“Why not?”

“Being on the run for so long, I never felt safe enough.” She shrugs. “I used to, when I was at home with my mate and Fareeha.”

“I see.” Hanzo clears his throat and thinks about how Cole reacted when he was first infected. Calling him his mate. He wants to scream to the skies with the way it's making him feel about it. The simple idea of it, of having his bite on his neck, makes Hanzo's legs a little wobbly. 

He feels embarrassed, even if no one knows about it. Actually he wants to run around the base and train until he falls to the ground with the way this whole day is making him feel. He’s too full of restless energy.

“Agent Hanzo, your heartbeat seems too fast, do you need assistance?” Orisa asks, blinking. Hanzo feels himself blush as Ana laughs at his expense, probably knowing very well what he’s been thinking about. Cole calling him his mate is on the dossier after all, the both of them reaching for each other floating in the air during the fight too, thanks to Hana’s wonderful recording system. 

Maybe he’ll spend some more time on the shooting range to make the embarrassment go away.

Alert: Unknown objects approaching the garden area in T-minus 5 minutes. Athena warn rings through the whole base.

Hanzo and Ana look at one another and then, above. What they see is something flying towards them, a ball of smoking blue and golden armor hovering in the sky, spluttering as it falls. 

It’s Phara in her raptor suit. The whole thing is smoking, the flames cover one of the propulsors on her back. 

“FAREEHA!” Ana screams in Horror. The alarm starts blaring. In haste, Hanzo takes Ana in his arms running inside with her, instincts to protect the woman overtaking him. There he finds Torbjörn and Brigitte.

“What is going on?” Torb stops him. 

“It’s Pharah!” Ana says in dismay.

“Her Suit is in flames, she’s falling.” Hanzo says, desperate. There are seconds of horror passing through their faces before Torb is taking his comm. 

“All healers to the gardens! It’s an emergency!” He all but screams on his comm. “It’s Pharah, Her suit is on fire!”

Hanzo runs outside again and sees that Pharah is trying to fly again, one of her propulsor still sputtering to stay in the air.

Alert:Unknown objects approaching the garden area in T-minus 3 minutes.  

Hanzo tries to think. Hana can’t help her, Tokki is still in its final stages of getting fixed, Angela can fly on her own and she's too weak to hold Pharah. It's not quick enough. Before he can say anything, her propulsor blows and she falls.

Hanzo runs to the edge of the cliff, stopping at the railing. Beside him Orisa has approached and they watch as Fareeha falls on the nets installed beside the cliffside. 

Jack quickly runs outside with a fire extinguisher in his hands. Angela and the other healers are on them in a minute, Lucio and Brigitte have the stretcher on their hands. Without even thinking about it, Jack jumps over the railing, climbing down the sharp rocks on the cliffside and to the safety net. He uses the fire extinguisher on Pharah as Mercy quickly follows him, staff in hand. 

“Torb, do we have ropes? Cables, anything?” Lúcio asks, running to the workshop. Torbjörn throws everything around and after a moment finds the old ropes, used to transport his turrets. The Dj comes back, frantically telling people to do knots on the handles of the stretcher.

“She is bleeding!” Mercy screams.

Winston joins them as they are lowering the stretcher. He and Orisa help to bring Pharah up, pulling the ropes carefully after Angela straps her in. 

They all manage to pull her into the grass, and the healers all ask for everyone to stand back. Hanzo does so, feeling his hands trembling and his heart beating a mile a minute. He watches as Mercy quickly climbs back to the garden with Jack behind her.

Cole finally enters the kitchen, he has a crying Ako in his arms, and a haunted look on his face. Ana stands up, but Hanzo walks back inside, holding her back. She’s clearly too shaken to help in any way. Cole moves to the window, and watches, face closed in a ugly, worried scowl. 

The next moments feel like a blur. They watch as they pull the raptor suit off of Pharah and put her on the stretcher and, in haste, wheel her to the infirmary, with Mercy screaming left and right. Ana follows them, and now Hanzo lets her. 

Cole doesn’t follow. He watches, frozen in place, holding his daughter close to his chest. Hanzo moves to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder. The alpha just hugs him close. 

--

It has been almost an hour since Angela got Pharah into the infirmary.  Hanzo, Cole and Jack huddle together with Ana, waiting. No one asks anything, no one tries to speculate about what happened in front of Ana, trying to avoid any more distress on the older woman. So they just stand there, in silence. 

At some point Genji stops by too, pacing around the room with a jitter to his step.

“Sit down, kid.” Jack orders. Genji opens his mouth, but decides not to argue, sitting beside Hanzo, leg bouncing.

When Mercy leaves the room, everyone stands up. She walks towards Ana and smiles. “She’ll be fine. The wound was deep, a gunshot, but it avoided any major organs and arteries. Her suit saved her.  ”

There is a collective sigh of relief. 

“When will she wake up?” Ana asks, eyes full of tears. 

“Probably tomorrow. She’s more tired than anything else. ” The doctor takes Ana’s hands in hers, smiling. “We are moving her to the infirmary so you can stay with her now if you want to.”

Ana nods, hugging her close. Cole moves to her side, hugging her shoulder and walking her towards the infirmary. Jack follows too, but Genji and Hanzo stay behind, not wanting to overcrowd the place, but also not wanting to intrude. 

Hanzo doesn't think Fareeha would want him there. And Genji only knew her for a short time before Ana was presumed dead and Fareeha was shipped away. 

They weren't like Cole. 

Hanzo smells Ako's hair, kissing her forehead. They both sit back down, but Genji can't stay quiet. He taps his foot on the ground, he huffs, stands up and walks around. 

“First you, now Pharah.” Genji says, angry. 

Hanzo sighs in annoyance, closing his eyes. “I am fine, I’ve told you.”

“You’re fine now.” Genji frowns at him, shaking his head. “Why does this shit keep happening?”

“One would say that without painful moments there would be no happy ones.”

“Come on, Aniki.” Genji turns to him sharply. “Though times should be about cars breaking or getting sick on a weekend! Not this!”

“Is what we chose.”

“We didn’t choose this.” Genjis sits by his side, the nervous energy spilling around him, making Hanzo and Ako unsettled. “I never wanted to die in battle, Hanzo. Would you have chosen this if you could? All of this?”

Hanzo looks away. “No.” He doesn’t know what he’d do, given the choice, but he knows that he wouldn't want to be here, on the battlefield, his life and his family’s life in danger. “But that's all we know.”

There is a moment of heavy silence in between them. 

“I wanted to be an art teacher.” Genji says, frowning.

Hanzo is surprised by that, with Genji’s easy going personality and his past, he never thought that Genji would want such a normal and difficult job. 

“You can still be one.” Hanzo says, but Genji scoffs. “I think that students would find your trick with the sword and the mini pumpkins funny.” He smiles at Genji and his brother massages his face. 

“I don’t have the discipline for that.” Genji smiles sadly at him and Hanzo nods, sad too. 

“Fareeha is going to be fine.” Hanzo says.

“I know.” Genji sighs. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”

They hear the jiggling of Cole's boots as he approaches them. 

“What y'all still doing here?” He stops some steps away from them, crossing his arms, a worried frown on his face. The brothers look up at the same time and Cole’s shoulders drop. He walks towards them and stops in front of Hanzo. “Come on, now, Ana and Jack are waiting for us.”

Genji cleans his face with his prosthetic hand. He stands, holding his brother’s hand with his own, helping him up too. They hug for a second and it's almost uncomfortable, but the omega lets it happen. Genji releases him, with a small and quick sad smile on his face, before he starts to walk towards the infirmary.

Cole lifts an eyebrow, silently questioning the behavior. Hanzo links his arms with Cole’s, whispering to him. “I told him. About The man who hurt me, some days ago.” Hanzo wets his lips. “He is still angry about it.” 

The alpha just looks at him for a long time, face soft and sad. 

“I’m proud of you.” He whispers back. Hanzo nods, but doesn’t feel the same as his mate. He fixes the hold on Ako. The baby complains, resting her head on his chest, surely tired of everything.

“Thank you.” He tucks himself on the cowboy’s shoulder, hand sneaking on the alpha’s waist, holding it firmly as they walk behind Genji. 

--

The rest of the afternoon and evening are spent in quiet conversation. Ana is relieved, but also very worried still, and keeps fiddling with Fareeha. She brushes the hair away from her face, holds her hand, kissing her fingers. She covers the woman and talks to her in Arabic. They allstays by her side, making sure that the older omega stays firm. They bring her water and food, making sure that she stays seated down and resting, that she drinks some water and even brings something for her to eat. 

Lúcio and Brigitte enter the room from time to time, making sure everything is in order, with the DJ supervising the younger girl. When it starts to get too late, Reinhardt is the one that manages to convince Ana to go to her room and get some sleep.

“Come, you need to rest.” Reinhardt takes her hand on his, patting it with care. “She's in good hands.” He looks at Lúcio. 

“Count on me, Tia Ana. I will take care of her.” He gives a thumbs up to her and Reinhardt. Ana just smiles, shaking her head at the young Omega's mood. Even as tired as Lucio is, he’s always very cheerful.

“Thank you.” She lets Reinhard take her. 

Genji prompts himself to watch over Fareeha during the night, even if he has to fight about it with Cole. 

“By the iris, stop!” Genji shakes Cole by his shoulders. “Lucio is here, Angela is in her office 2 minutes away, even Jack is here! Go rest and take care of my brother and my niece. If she wakes up I can call you.” He almost pushes Cole out of the room and Jack only chuckles, sitting beside Genji. 

Hanzo follows the cowboy, who has that same closed off expression as before, but he seems less stressed. They walk hand in hand to their room. Hanzo bathes Ako and changes her, she whines a little once he finishes nursing her in his chair, but it's out like a light once he puts her in her crib, belly full, warm and comfortable. 

Cole has already changed and bathed, separating a change of clothes for Hanzo. The archer will do that later, now he sits down beside Cole and holds his hand. 

“What do you think happened?” Cole turns to him, face closed in a deep frown. He can see him licking his teeth in anger. 

“I don’t know.” He sighs. “But if she came back here that hurt instead of going back to Helix…” Hanzo shakes his head, trying not to make any assumptions. He doesn’t know the whole situation, just what Cole and Ana told him, that Fareeha was worried. 

“I’ve been thinking the same.” Cole massages the bridge of his nose. “You think she’ll be fine?” He turns to Hanzo, worried. 

“Yes.” Hanzo opens a pained smile, before bringing Cole’s head to his shoulder, caressing his hair. He hopes he’s right. 

--

Their sleep is fitful, With Hanzo and Cole waking up several times at night. At Some point Cole wakes up with a surge and breath hitching, the start of a panic attack settling in. Hanzo brings him down, shushing him, making sure the man breathes together with him, matching his breath. A routine the alpha sometimes did with Hanzo himself.  

The morning passes in a daze, both eating and caring for Ako, but Hanzo can see that Cole is not really paying attention. When they are alone, walking towards the infirmary, Hanzo stops him and brings his face down to kiss Cole’s temple. 

When they get to the infirmary they hear loud voices. Entering the room they see Ana hugging Fareeha, who looks like he has just awakened. Cole immediately opens a smile as Ana turns to him.

“She is awake!” Ana brings Fareeha’s hand close. Genji by her side is smiling too, even if he’s tired. Jack looks like he has just awakened from sleeping on the chairs close by. 

“Tristy…” Fareeha says. 

“I’ll go get some water!” Cole runs outside immediately, leaving Hanzo to approach them all by himself. Fareeha nods at Hanzo, waving at the baby in his arms, sighing tired and closing her eyes. “‘M HERE!” Cole runs back inside, water sloshing a little from his paper cup as he does so. He offers her the straw so she can drink the water. 

“Thank you.” She says, opening her eyes she looks at Cole. She takes a second looking at him, as if trying to understand what she’s looking at then and laughs out loud. 

“The Anesthetics must still be making her woozy.” Jack says, crossing his arms.

“I’ll call Angela, maybe it’s a side effect.” Cole turns to Hanzo and Ana, scratching his hair.

“Poor thing.” Ana says, caressing Fareeha’s face with the back of her hand.

“YOUR MUSTACHE!” She laughs more, until she groans in pain, grabbing her shoulder. Ako stretches her neck to look at Fareeha laughing, curious. 

“Stop laughing, idiot.” Cole presses his lips on a thin line. “You'll open your stitches!” He puts the cup on the bedside table, shaking his head.

“I'm so sorry. This is ridiculous.” She rests her head on the pillow, laughing some more. “You look like a porn star.” Hanzo snorts at that, hiding an ugly laugh under his hand, surprised by the comparison. 

“Pharah.” Ana puts her hands on her waist, tone disapproving. Genji and Jack chuckle too at Pharah’s comparison, but Hanzo can’t stop laughing at the stupid joke.

“See, even your omega agrees.” She smirks at him, motioning at Hanzo with her chin, but immediately flinches in pain. “Shit.” She grits out. 

Angela chooses that moment to enter the room, Lúcio on her tail, shooing everyone to the other side of the room, with the exception of Ana. Hanzo actually has to sit Ako down in one of the beds to stop laughing. Cole stops by his side, looking at him unimpressed. 

“I’m sorry.” He actually has tears in his eyes.

“You said you liked it.” Cole crosses his arms. 

“I do like it, you look handsome.” He sniffs a little, cleaning his face, chuckling the last of his laugh. “I’m sorry, I think the stress got to me.” He takes a deep breath, calming himself. 

“Hanzo has the worst sense of humor, actually.” Genji comments from the wall he’s resting his back against. The archer wants to argue back, but decides to let it go and pulls Cole close to kiss his jaw, the alpha still short beard scratching his face. 

They wait some more, observing as Angela and Lúcio check on Fareeha. Angela nods in satisfaction, smiling widely. She speaks to Lúcio, explaining something to him as he writes down on a datapad. Fareeha calls her attention and Angela dismisses Lúcio. 

There is a moment of quiet conversation in between the three, before the doctor’s expression changes to one of surprise. Ana looks at Fareeha, surprised too as Angela takes her comm and shoots a message. 

Some minutes pass in silence before the door opens. “Ah, I see everyone is here.” Hanzo looks up, seeing Winston has arrived.

“Howdy, Winston.” Cole says, tipping his hat. “You came here to see how Fareeha’s doin’?”

“Yes. Dr Ziegler has messaged me that she’s awake. ” He fixes the glasses, a little self-conscious. “I couldn’t come yesterday, As you see I’m not fit for places with small spaces.” He opens an awkward smile, and Hanzo would believe that if they didn’t spend three months huddling in small conference rooms for meetings.

Angela calls them close. They all approach again and the atmosphere of the room is heavy now, Fareeha looks tired, but determined. 

“Okay, everyone is here.” She says, nodding. “Pharah has something to tell us.” She turns towards the woman, who sits up. 

“I came to join you.” She says, serious. 

“Your help is very welcomed here, Pharah.” Winston opens a smile, but realizing her expression hasn’t changed, asks. “We are happy you’re with us, but can you explain what happened?”

“Helix is compromised.” She sighs. “I was investigating why Talon has been so difficult to beat, like I’ve told you” She shakes her head, angry. “I thought I’d find a rat, someone leaking something or the other to Talon, but it’s worse than I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean Talon has infiltrated it. My commander is… was involved. Can you believe it?” She smiles, without any humor. “He was sending us on missions arresting and killing people for Talon. Always faking documents about their crimes.” 

“Can you tell us how you know that?” Winston asks.

“He wanted us to kill my mom. Had a whole lot of documents showing she was an assassin that killed UN soldiers.” She turns to Ana, eye watering with quiet rage. “He was so confident that he didn’t even hide it well.”  Fareeha grabs Ana’s hands, squeezing it, searching for strength.

“Do you have any confirmation of that?”

“Yes. There must have been a flash drive with me.” She looked  around and Angela perk up, going to grab it in her office. Fareeha nods, seeing that it is safe. “The information is all there. But I had another confirmation.” She says. “Reaper was with him. Seth, my commander. ” She says. 

Jack immediately tenses, Ana looks at him with a weird calmness, and like that Hanzo knows that this is not all there is to know. 

“Him again.” Cole scoffs, crossing his arms in anger. “What the fuck did that piece of shit do now?”

“You guys won’t believe me, but he saved me.”

 

Notes:

I have myrrh in my house and planted several branches on other potts and let me tell you. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing it grow big on the ground. The smell is so sweet too. If you guys have any chance to do so, have myrrh in your house. Also, It's a metaphor. SOmething something fridnship will help heal you.

Chapter 24: Never to come out

Summary:

It's December, Fareeha gets better and there is a party!

Notes:

So, a Christmas chapter 2 months after Christmas is... A choice. Just for real, I had this planned since November and a lot happened, so j couldn't really write and edit it in time for Christmas.
Well, anyways, here it is. I hope y'all like it.

December finally arrives with its cold days, severe winds and with Fareeha getting stronger. She was released after two days in the infirmary, to Ana's happiness, and went with Winston to have the footage of her helmet downloaded and processed.

Watching the whole unedited footage feelt weird. They watched the start of the mission, Pharah flirting with the omega supervisor, she and Seth talking as they flew towards the fake objective. Knowing what they know now makes the whole thing feel more insidious, everything seems to have a double meaning.

When he shoots Pharah, Ana hides her face, tucking herself into Cole.

Reaper shows up on screen, looking down at her, speaking to the man. He shoots Seth. He saves Fareeha and she flies off to the skies, Reaper urging her to run. For some time they see open skies and then the rocking of her rocket exploding. As she turns, they all watch Reaper dancing around with his shotguns.

Hanzo could see a smirk forming Jack's lips as he watches the footage, as if proud of his mate. He had never seen him like this and swore the man even had a blush on his face. The older omega covered the lower half of his face, trying to hide his giddy behavior.

Cole for his part looked at the recording with a frown, chewing the end of his cigarillo. Hanzo wondered then, if the alpha had recognized anything there, in his weirdly elegant movements that Reaper made.

They all left Winston's office a little more confused than before.

Jack looked at Ana with a knowing soft of expression, one that could only mean a ‘I told you so.’ and kept the rest of the week with a smile on his face and the sunny disposition that everyone seemed to remember so much.

Cole kept silent and in deep deep thought. He kept looking at Jack from time to time and grumbling left and right. At times, when they are alone, Hanzo would feel Cole bring his hand close, kissing it and nibbling on his fingers. So deep in worry he hardly notices that he's doing it.

“This is weird as hell.” Cole comments, looking at Jack smiling at Hana as he and the girl talk. “I have never seen him this happy, at least not lately.” The alpha crosses his arms, squinting at the whole scene. When Jack laughs out loud about something Hana says, Cole turns his face away, expression sour.

“At least he’s not acting like an asshole anymore.” Fareeha shrugs, as she makes faces at Ako, making the girl die of laughter.

“Yeah, but It’s weird, isn’t it?” Cole blinks at the other alpha’s dismissal. “You just got shot and your arm is out of commission and he’s acting like he just won the lottery.”

“Maybe he’s just glad I’m alive?”

“No, that can’t be it.” Cole says and Hanzo snorts at the unintentional jab.

“Who’s being the asshole now?” Fareeha lifts an eyebrow at him.

“You know what I mean. He’s just not like that anymore.” Cole sighs. “The only time he gets like this is when we speak about Gabe…” He closes his mouth with a click and Hanzo can almost see the gears moving on his head. There is a long stretch of silence and Fareeha looks at him curiously, waiting for him to continue.

“Cole?” Hanzo asks and the cowboy looks up at him, opens his mouth, as if to ask something, but then closes it.

“It’s nothing. I’m just wondering about something.” He clears his throat and Hanzo pointedly looks away. The whole thing almost gets Hanzo by surprise, if he didn’t know how smart his mate actually is. He knows it's only a matter of time until he figures it out.

--

That afternoon, Hanzo corners Jack as they are finishing revising the strategies for the next missions. 

“If you do not tell him, I will.” He frowns at Jack. “Despite what everyone thinks, he’s not dumb. He’ll find out soon.” He says, worried about the repercussions of Cole not knowing it from Jack’s own lips. 

The older omega just looks at him, unimpressed.

“Don’t worry kid.” Jack looks back at the document on his hand. 

“Morris--”

“Leave it be.” Jack snaps. “This is between me and him. I will tell when the timing is right.” His tone is final and Hanzo wants to push further, but Wisnton comes back inside the room, holding another jar of peanut butter in his hand.  

When they are finished, Hanzo tries to follow Jack again, but the old soldier simply sprints away, leaving him frustrated. 

--

A few days later, Winston and Fareeha have gathered everyone and explain the Helix infiltration and how they need to be careful with everything.

What harper had discovered and put on the thumbdrive, was that Seth wasn't a man that got corrupted with time and the money sent by Talon. He was infiltrated. The man had links to Talon, deep ones that he didn’t even bother to hide. 

“It’s impossible that the people that hired him didn’t know.” Fareeha says. 

“This goes way deeper than we thought.” Winston sighs.

“We don’t know who else will try to come for us. We have to assume everyone is a threat, even the ones we thought were our allies once.” Fareeha says, nodding at everyone, a commanding tone in her voice. “As much as we tried to hide it, people know Overwatch is back and they don’t want us here where they can't control us.”

“So, please, from now on lets all be careful when on missions and when traveling for personal matters.” Winston says. "We still don't know Reaper's motivations for saving Pharah."

"Maybe it's a conflict between Helix and Talon." Genji says. "Happens a lot with gangs."

Cole nods. "One minute they're all buddy buddy, the next, they are using the information shared to attack the others."

"Maybe Pharah’s death wasn’t planned and Helix has gone rogue." Hanzo proposes, but Ana looks at him with a hopeful expression. Jack doesn't even comment on anything, just happily smiles.

"All valid reasons and we will be looking into it. Pharah still has some contacts she trusts, but we have to be extra careful outside of teh base." Hana and Lúcio lift their hands and Winston appeases them. “That reminds me...” He clips his pen on his notebook, looking at it. “Yes, I am still granting the requests to travel for the end of year, so you can see your family. I know some have been away for a long time now.”

Hana cheers from her seat. “Thank you, Winston!” She and Lúcio high five each other.

“But” He interrupts them. “As a reminder, this is just because few people have asked and most agents will spend the end of the year here. We cannot afford the base to be entirely empty at this moment. Remember to discuss security measures with your family and friends and to please, tell them to not speak of any of this if they know.”

They all agree, with their lives in danger like this, spending time in the base is a must. They discuss some other issues, such as the new fixes the base needs in the garden areas, how Fareeha will be put on the rotation for the group training sessions as soon as her shoulder heals.

They all leave with a weird atmosphere around them. Torbjorn and Brigitte are excited to go back home after such a long time, as are Hana and Lúcio. But as much as they try to keep the morale up, the jokes end up falling flat, the realization that they are more at risk now is even sharper.

If Helix is infiltrated, what other places could have been and for how long?

He looks at his child and he thinks about what Doomfist said. A terrible thought starts to take over, something he doesn't even dare to form properly before banishing to the back of his mind, that he hopes it’s just an unfounded fear.

Is there a bounty for his daughter?

He passes the whole day thinking about it, fretting and worried. Cole doesn’t realize that he’s feeling like that. First because he hides it well and second because Fareeha steals him away every free time that the man has. And Hanzo lets them. Because, even with all of their arguments, Pharah is still Cole’s sister.

They end the night with the agents in the lounge room, a gloomy mood settling over them. The TV is tuned to a random news channel in a low volume as usual, but no one is really watching it. Hanzo and Cole are again seated in the middle of the ground and playing with Ako as the others are doing their own thing.

The cowboy seems to have the same lost stare as him, playing with Ako, but not really matching the same energy as before. He has been like this since he saw the footage. Truthfully, they haven't seen Reaper in action in the field most of the time. The "elite" Talon soldiers, as they call them, are usually used in very rare occasions and Reaper was the one that more often than not just showed up to shoot people and leave.

“We could have an “end of the year” party.” Lúcio says in between the conversation he’s having on the table where he, Reinhardt, Brigitte and Fareeha are playing poker. “No decorations, no gift giving, just food and drinks and some music!”

“Ooooh That’d be cool.” Hana says, sitting up on the couch, playing a game on her mobile console. “It could work to lift the mood.” She smiles, looking around.

“I reckon we could celebrate a little.” Cole nods. “We made this far with a ponzi scheme and sheer force of will, so…” He shrugs, pulling Ako up and doing the same as Jack before, letting the baby stand up and releasing her side, hands hovering right beside her. She stands up for longer, but in the end, still falls on her butt on the soft blanket under her, laughing in delight.

“Kind of like a “hooray we didn’t die” Party?” Genji asks, back resting against the couch. He’s seated on the ground, closest to Hanzo. He’s not really doing anything, but the mood seemed to make him want to be close to his family.

“That sounds a little jarring.” Brigitte says and Hanzo nods, agreeing.

“A Ponzi scheme?” Fareeha puts her cards down and looks at Cole and Hanzo.

“Maam!” Ako turns towards Hanzo, crawling and climbing on his lap, reaching the toy Hanzo is holding in his hand.

“Did she just speak?” Genji sits straighter.

“No.” Hanzo rolls his eyes, patting her back. Ako has been stinging syllables for a while now, but she hasn't still managed to say any words with any meaning. Hanzo doesn't expect her to until she's at least a year old in March. “She's not that precocious.”

“She could be. I started speaking when I was 9 months old.” Genji crosses his arms, self assured. That was a tale told by most people in the clan, but Hanzo was very sure that their mother lied about that one to counter the idea Genji was a ‘very dumb child’ (according to the elders).

“And apparently you never stopped.” Hanzo mumbles to himself, massaging his own temples. Genji hits him with one of the pillows, taking his breath away, making Ako laugh even more as she looks at Hanzo’s surprised face.

“Don't be an ass.” He chuckles. Hanzo rolls his eyes and gives the toy to Ako, who immediately throws it away, laughing again. The omega groans, thinking about the fact he'll have to stand up and again go fetch her toy.

Cole even makes the motion to stand up too, but Hanzo is already halfway up. He gets the toy that has fallen close to Lucio. As he stands up, he notices the young omega's hand and it's actually a really bad hand, yikes.

But Hanzo, knowing Poker is more about lying than it is about playing well, decides to be a pest. He makes his eyes go wide and his eyebrows go up, he even nods a little, pretending to be impressed before moving away. He hopes his acting wasn't as bad as Cole has told him it was.

“I fold.” Reinhardt says, falling for Hanzo's ruse. The others follow, only leaving Lucio and Fareeha staring at each other in challenge.

“I double.” Lucio says, voice wavering a little. Hanzo wants to slap his own face, the boy was worse than he was with lying. Fareeha looks away from Lúcio and squints in Hanzo’s direction. The omega makes sure to not pay too much attention, holding Ako straight up and playing with her.

Fareeha looks at Lucio then and sighs. “I fold.” She throws her cards on the desk and Lucio cheers, showing his card to everyone. “Oh, Come on!” She complains loudly.

“I can't believe I won!” Lucio laughs, taking all the cookies on the table onto his plate.

“Well played.” Cole comments to Hanzo, who just shrugs.

“I told you I could do it.” Hanzo pulls his nose in the air. Lucio stands up saying goodbye to the others, since he has some things he needs to work on with Angela. He stops at Hanzo’s side and gives him five of his cookies. A very pleasant surprise that he accepts with enthusiasm.

“You just needed the right incentive. I reckon?” Cole asks. Hanzo nods, taking a bite of his treats.

“New rule, Hanzo can't come close to the table once we are playing.” Fareeha stands up, writing on the board with the rules of the games, right under the item that says Cole and Hanzo can't play together and Hanzo can’t shuffle cards anymore.

“Ban him from all games already.” Genji says. “He knows how to cheat on most card games.”

“That is simply not true.” Hanzo lies.

“You know how to cheat on Uno!”

“Uno is a game that deserves to be cheated.” He frowns, remembering how that god forsaken game always made him angry. “And you used fake rules on it when we were young!” Hanzo accuses, knowing very well his brother used to cheat with rules he and his friends made up to win from him every time.

“Pshh, you’re just a sore loser.” Genji dismisses and Hanzo does something childish again, blowing raspberries at his brother. Ako looks at him doing it and starts to imitate Hanzo, blowing raspberries and spitting everywhere. He sighs and takes the soft cloth he carries around and cleans her. She grimaces as he does so, hating the action and how Hanzo rubs her face.

“Don’t be badly behaved, little Ako .” Hanzo shakes his head, chuckling at his daughter.

He tries to go back into talking to Genji, but Ako keeps patting his arm, calling his attention, shaking the toy around. Hanzo tries to keep attention on her and when Genji keeps calling his attention away, he passes Ako to Cole, so his alpha can play with her, singing the songs and silly dances she likes so much. The girl rolls from her father’s lap and to the ground, landing softly and crawling towards Hanzo again.

“Y’all weren’t joking about the ninja reflexes.” Cole chuckles and watches and Ako climbs on Hanzo’s lap again, using all the force she has.

“MAM!” She exclaims, patting his arm, indignant.

“What is it?” Hanzo asks, kindly, but irritated and brings her up in his arms. She babbles, obviously angry at something. What it could be is the question Hanzo can’t answer. He gives her her toy back, but this time she flails it around, making a face at him, frustrated. She starts crying, this time shrill and loud. Okay, a tantrum.

“Ouch.” Hana says, covering her ear that was closest to them. Hanzo stands up again, sighing, feeling the strain on his legs and walks outside. Cole follows him and stands beside his mate, doing what Angela has told them to do in case this happened.

“ That’s fine, let it out. ” Hanzo shushes Ako, patting her back, patiently waiting as his baby angrily finishes throwing a tantrum. He remembers Zenyatta’s saying that in life “One should act and not react”. It takes some time, some bouncing and some walking up and down the corridors in both his and Cole’s arms, but soon she’s finished and is sniffing, hiccuping a little.

“Feeling better?” Cole asks, looking down at her, pained about the whole situation. Hanzo’s heart hurts too. Every time she gets upset and hurt, the only thing Hanzo wants to do is to find the source of the distress and throw it away on the sea. But he suspects the girl is simply tired and wants to sleep, as she just hides her face away on Hanzo’s neck, sniffing some more and scenting him for comfort.

When they come back inside Genji is seated at the table, taking the UNO cards from the box and explaining to the others the (obviously fake) rules yet again.

Hana asks him if Ako is okay and Hanzo nods, sitting beside the girl. He soon has to maneuver around, because Cole, the clingy man that he is, wants to sit so close Hanzo is basically on his lap, passing him the baby.

“Oh my god, you two!” Groaning, Hana sits up, huffing about the fact they took her away from her comfortable position.

“This sofa has four spots, missy, it ain’t a bed!” Cole rolls his eyes. The girl mocks his accent, before going back to her game. Ako sighs, but soon closes her eyes, going to sleep. When he looks up, he sees that Fareeha is looking at them. She has an indescribable expression on her face, but Hanzo doesn’t want to dwell on it too much.

--

To their surprise Winston and Jack agree to Lúcio’s idea. The commander because he thinks it will build morale and Jack because he’s still in that weirdly happy mood of his.

None of the missions that follow until the day of the get together is dangerous. Actually, most of them since that night at the gala seemed to be like that. Quiet, as if both the null sector and Talon kept down, not striking even when their chances for creating conflict was obvious. They spend the better half of the cold December like that.

It made everyone’s moods lift some and the excitement for the party to fill their resolve. Everyone except Pharah.

Her shoulder wouldn't get the same range of motion for some time. Even with all the medical technology that Mercy has invented and the non lethal wound, she would be at least a month or two away from being back on the field.

Which means she spends most of the time at the base. That showed a different side of the alpha to both Cole and Hanzo. When they were alone at the base, even with all of the animosity on their first meeting, Pharah was cordial and Hanzo reciprocated it. Of course she wouldn’t joke or chitchat when they were alone in the common area, but she knew how to keep the atmosphere light and would leave him be and he was glad for it.

More often than not, he saw Fareeha in the meeting room studying their missions, discussing strategies with Winston, talking with Torbjorn as he fixed her raptor suit and most of all, working out.

The first night they found her in the gym, Cole got so mad he gave the girl an earful. She, as always, took it in stride and Hanzo, waiting for Cole outside, watched as the interaction developed.

“You’ll hurt yourself.” Cole crossed his arms, taking the weights away from Phara’s hands and putting them away. “I know damn well Angie didn’t release you for this kind of rough workout.”

“Yes, but I’m fine and the workout she has planned is too soft.” She huffs, using the towel nearby to clean her neck.

“She does them like that for a reason.” Cole puts his hands on his waist, much like Ana does too. It almost makes Hanzo laugh. “You can’t overwork yourself to the bone. She did the same for Hanzo and for me too when we got hurt.”

“Is this why you're still…?” She takes a sip of water, looking from Cole’s face to his midsection, scrutinizing him.

“Excuse me?” The alpha’s tone became high pitched. “I’m in good shape, thank you very much.”

“You got a little bit of a beer gut going for you.”

“I can kick your ass at any time, kid.” He scoffed, crossing his arms. Hanzo interfered in the situation before it could escalate more.

Hanzo honestly thought that they should lock her out of the room, since she didn’t seem to be following Angela’s orders. But he didn’t say anything. After all, he was just one agent, and despite their worries, she seemed fine.

“That’s what I’m worried about, honey. That she’s hiding that she's in pain.” Cole told him, sighing. Hanzo could understand why. Yet, days go by, Pharah pulls back on the workouts (or hides it better, Hanzo doesn’t know) and soon the day of the party comes and everyone is running around the base to prepare the dishes, drinks and desserts.

Ana makes something called Basbousa, leaving a big batch ready and in the freezer the night before the party even starts. It’s sweet and delicious and the older omega has to hide it away from Hanzo after he eats 3 slices of it. Which is good for her, since the kitchen on the next day is hectic.

Cole is running around doing two pies, Reinhardt insists on making a roast as does Lúcio who is also making something called Salpicão, a cold salad with chicken, mayo, potato, raisins and a whole lot of other things that most don’t seem too found of, even after trying it. Hanzo thinks it is delightful. Hana is making a Tteokbokki dish and so on and so forth with everyone else.

Hanzo honestly loses track of the names of the dishes. There aren’t even that many people for the amount of food they are making.

Hanzo decides early on, when Cole starts to fight with Zenyatta (of all people) about the correct ratio of butter to be used in the pie crust, that he should stay away from the whole ordeal. He decides that everyone is right and he can’t cook, actually.

Strapping Ako on his chest with the sling, he goes on to help set the tables and the cutlery with Orisa and Bastion. Winston and Lena help clean everything, the pilot zipping around the room with a broom and putting the chairs in place.

At some point they are interrupted by Fareeha entering the room. “Cole has kicked me out of the room and sent me to buy even more stuff and I can’t drive.” She shows the paper list in her hand. “So, who is driving me to town?”

And that someone is Hanzo. And Ana, thankfully, because he doesn’t know if he can actually be in the same car as Fareeha without the tension growing exponentially bigger. Especially because he knows she has been kicked out for being a general menace in the kitchen. So he puts Ako in her warmest coat, the beautiful one Mercy has gifted her, and they all go out.

The market they go to is not that full, considering it is not Christmas yet. They try to find a good strategy to get everything that they need (which is a lot considering a lot of the specific spices and ingredients weren’t present at the Watchpoint) in the least amount of time. They soon separate.

Hanzo puts Ako on the seat of the cart, hoping his daughter is not too uncomfortable and off he goes. Ako keeps reaching for things, mostly because of the bright colors in the packaging and Hanzo smiles at her, showing the bright objects, before putting them back on the shelves. Sometimes she whines when he does so, but he’s trying to build her resistance towards frustration.

What he doesn’t like is the amount of cameras in the place. Hanzo has been hyper aware of them ever since that last encounter with Sombra. Not that he ever had the impression he was 100% safe going out of the Watchpoint for the missions, but it’s different when he’s with Ako. He makes sure to hide her face well with the beanie Torbjörn's wife has gifted them.

At some point, Hanzo sees a leather polishing kit and can’t help but get it for Cole. He had noticed that the alpha’s tools are old and worn out now, and luckily for him, this was also the brand of paste he liked. It was on the more expensive side, but it would be a good gift, wouldn’t it? He knows that everyone promised not to get gifts, but still…

He ends up getting it.  

“Hey.” Fareeha approaches him. “Can you read what Cole wrote here?” She brings the paper up and points at an item on the list. There are several handwritings on it, mostly because people started to write on it as the day developed.

“This is not his handwriting.” Hanzo brings the paper closer, trying to understand the chicken scratch Fareeha is pointing at. “He has asked for Vanilla ice cream.” He points at the beautiful writing on the bottom of the list that he recognizes as Cole’s.

“What?” Fareeha looks at it, grimacing. “I thought this was either Hana’s or Brigitte’s.”

“Why the surprise?” He's much more inclined to believe that the chicken scratch is from one of the girls, actually. Hana only wrote in beautiful writing when she autographed merch to bid online, more worried about getting things on paper fast.

“I don’t know, It’s just weird for an Alpha to have flowery handwriting.” She shrugs, but starts walking away. Well, what a weird standard to have, huh?

Entering the soft drinks aisle, Hanzo gets several of the juices and sparkling water Lúcio has asked to make mocktails. Pushing the cart some more, he realizes there is a man on the same aisle as him. Graphic t-shirt, short dark hair, jeans, rancid alpha smell, nothing too remarkable about him.

But something is off, Hanzo just knows that. It's the way he quickly looks at him and then pretends to be choosing an orange juice when he realizes Hanzo is looking back. Or maybe in the way he looks at Hanzo. Analyzing his movements. Or how when Hanzo starts to walk away, stopping at the display for sweets. The man follows, and quickly looks away once Hanzo looks at him again.

That same pattern follows three more times.

Paranoia immediately starts to settle on Hanzo’s mind.

Talon wouldn’t be so careless to send someone so obvious to bring him in, would they? Hanzo doesn’t think so. They know their base is in Gibraltar, everybody knows that, attacking them here now, with all the other agents merely 20 minutes away would be stupidity. Even so, Akande seemed more interested in him going willingly than anything else.

Or has the last remnants of his clan sent someone to find him? Have they discovered that he had his child and finally decided they wanted to have her, the dragons back? Without Genji and Hanzo, no one in the family could keep the power of the dragons going.

They shouldn’t have separated. He looks at Ako and visualizes how he’ll have to take her and knock the man down and run to Ana and Pharah. He shouldn't have separated, he shouldn't have been alone.

“She’s so cute, what is her name?” The man asks, right beside him. Hanzo, taken by surprise, acts on instinct and punches the man right on his nose. It’s not hard enough to break it, but the man curses, holding his face with his hands. “What the fuck?” His screams are muffled under his hands. Hanzo quickly turns his cart away and starts wheeling it out of the aisle.

“Hey, Shimada help me here, will you?” Fareeha enters the aisle with several bottles of liquor in her uninjured arm and stops, looking at the scene. “What happened here?” She walks towards the cart and observes the man slouched against the shelves of sweets.

“This bitch broke my nose.” The man pulls his head up, as if trying to stop a nosebleed that is clearly not there.

“It’s not broken.” Hanzo sneers at him. “This man was following me.” and crosses his arms, looking at the man with anger.

“I wasn’t! I just asked the kid’s name!” He says, blinking hard, removing the hand from his face. Fareeha looks at him, a mixture of mild disgust and unimpressed apathy. She puts the bottles on the carts and pinches Ako’s cheek.

“You do know this doesn’t make your case any better, don’t you?” She stops at his side, arms crossed in front of her. “An alpha stalking an omega and then showing interest in their baby?”

“I wasn’t stalking! I was trying to make conversation!”

“Maybe don’t do that next time, man. It’s creepy.” Fareeha pats him hard on the shoulder, then returns to Hanzo. “Come on, Your mate will be mad if we take longer.” She sends Hanzo a pointed look and takes the cart, walks towards the freezer sections, where Ana is right now.

Hanzo follows beside her, the silence laying heavily on them. Thoughts stew on his head, their first conversation coming to the forefront of his mind.

“I thought he was a bounty hunter.” Hanzo takes Ako from the cart and into his arms, trying to use the baby shield again.

“I didn’t say anything. But that was a nice punch.” Shrugging, she smiles at him, a shit eating grin on her face, much too similar to Genji’s. “I guess everyone is a little wound up about the things that happened recently.”

“Too much at the same time.” He nods, agreeing.

“Yeah, and you have a kid. I get it, you’re worried.” Her tone is tired. “Even if that dude was clearly trying to hit on you.”

“Nonsense.” Hanzo huffs.

“I’m not joking. You must have been doused in honey, everyone wants a piece of you. That guy, Doomfist…” She jokes, not knowing how the phrase weighs more on Hanzo now. The memory of Akande's hands on his neck and midsection suddenly fresh on his mind. “I don't know why. You're cute, but you know…” She shrugs

“I don't look like a traditional omega.” He says and Fareeha makes a face.

“I was going to say you’re not my type.” She jokes, but Hanzo feels his mood sours.

He knows very well that he's not what an omega should look like. From a practical standpoint, he knows he’s attractive. But it’s not the same. Omegas are supposed to have doe eyes and soft features like Lúcio, petite frames like Hana. Even Brigitte, under all the armor, has a softened quality to her.

Not his strong large shoulders, hard muscles, sharp features and rough hands. There was a reason why it was easy to pretend to others that he was an Alpha. He could only find camaraderie with Jack, even though that is a recent development. He has seen pictures of the ex commander in the past. The dimpled smile and handsome face made Hanzo want to fly himself into the sun.

In comparison, he finds his own appearance lacking. He knew he was somewhat attractive, but people always went for him because he smelled like an omega (most thinking that he was an easy omega that was probably desperate for attention, looking like he does) not because he looked like one.

“It's the prerogative of being an omega.” Hanzo’s tone is sarcastic and he looks away. “Being bothered by alphas. Some do it all of the time indiscriminately.” He pointedly looks at Fareeha. Seeming to understand what he's implying, Pharah looks absolutely offended by it.

“Okay, Mr snarky.” She scoffs. “I flirt a lot, but at least I am not creepy like that guy there.” she points back.

“Not by much. You flirted with Hana.” He says and Fareeha scoffs at him.

“And I stopped once I realized she was nineteen!” She lifts her eyebrows, trying to make her point. "How was I supposed to know she's that young, she was in the military!"

"She's famous."

"Yeah, and I don't follow the whole K-pop/military pilot thing." She shakes her head and Hanzo can only roll his eyes as they walk and finally meet Ana. They quickly pay, running off to the car, not wanting to stay on the market and see if that alpha would complain to one of the security guards.

“He could have been a bounty hunter.” Ana reassures him once he explains the situation, patting his arm.

“A very shitty one.” Fareeha says, sitting on the backseat of the car.

“Ann Mah!” Ako says, waving at the alpha from the front seat of the car.

“See, she agrees.” She laughs. “Shouldn't we have a child's seat on this tin can?” She pulls the door closed several times, before it actually locks in.

“This isn’t even considered a vehicle anymore.” That was actually true, Hanzo had checked it. However Pharah thinks it is a joke and laughs out loud, boisterous. It makes Hanzo question if everyone that grew up as a 'Overwatch baby' got the worst traits from Reinhardt.

The rest of the day moves quickly after they get back to the base.

Everyone mobs around them, gathering their own items and running off. Emily, Tracer’s omega girlfriend, greets them, having arrived not long before they got back from the market. Soon the plates are all set, Lucio is pulling his speaker and putting the party playlist on and food is being brought to the table.

Efi and her family join them at dawn, with a regional dish of their own.

The evening is pleasant. They eat, everyone dances and drinks mocktails. They give Ako some new and safe foods cut in small pieces. She seems super happy with the pie Cole has made, hitting her plastic fork on the chair and loudly babbling for more once she finishes her small piece. The alpha preens on it, satisfied that his food is 100% Ako approved.

That prompts everyone to give her at least one small piece of what they did. Which makes Hanzo worry, afraid she’ll end up throwing up after eating too much or choking.

“Don’t worry, this will make her grow big and strong.” Reinhardt reassures, showing his biceps, as if it was an example.

“If she starts to eat like you we will need to deliver Cassidy to the authorities to keep up the food stocks.” Torbjörn shakes his head, pointing at the other alpha, who is currently helping Hanzo to feed Ako with a piece of some sort of meatball (Hanzo has lost track of what dish belongs to who).

“Hey, now, why does it have to be mine? I’m sure Talon has a bounty on everyone here!”

“Yours is the biggest one for sure.” Torb reasons.

“It can’t be me, I’m the kid's father for God’s--”

Cole stops, flinching and closing his eyes with force.

“Ah-HA!” Hana interrupts the conversation. “I called it! He admitted it before christmas! Everyone, pay up!”

He and Hanzo had decided to not tell anyone about the new development until later on, just so no one bothered them so much about it. Cole, because he's tired of people questioning his decision and how fast he's moving and Hanzo because he didn't want to deal with people cornering and threatening him in case he broke Cole's heart.

Opening his eyes, Cole looks apologetically at Hanzo, who has his lips pressed on a thin line, unimpressed.

The next moments are a flurry of cheers, cooing, bets being paid off and pats on Cole’s back, congratulating him on the now official path of fatherhood. Ana just rolls her eyes at the whole thing, sharing a knowing look with Hanzo, who has his face red with embarrassment. This is precisely why he didn’t want to tell anyone so soon.

“We all knew it would happen, you guys just made it official.” Jack deadpans, but still hugs Cole close, for longer than he or the older man expect it to be. “Gabe would be proud of you.” The older omega’s voice is wet and full of emotion. “I’m proud of you.” He pats his back.

“Thank you.” Cole feels his eyes sting with tears, but holds them back. When they separate, Jack nods and goes to disappear away somewhere. Pharah pats his arms, joking about his belt buckle being actually true now. For that she receives a swat on the arm from his mother and the resolve from Hanzo to throw the belt buckle on the recycling bin.

“Just a reminder that I still haven't given you my blessings to marry my brother!” Genji approaches him, an accusing finger pointed at his face. Cole rolls his eyes

“Yeah, yeah, One day we’ll go to Vegas and get hitched and you’ll be the last one to know about it.” Cole jokes. Efi, seated close, looks at Cole then at Hanzo with wide eyes.

“Are you two getting married?” Efi turns to Hanzo, excited with the idea. Which makes the omega want to hit Cole even more for opening his mouth.

At some point in Lúcio's very diverse playlist, it plays a vintage country song that, to no one’s surprise, Cole knows. The alpha does a line dance, with Lúcio following the steps on his side. Hanzo chuckles at the ridiculousness of it until his mate is pulling him to the dance floor, forcing him to dance some elaborate couple’s dance.

Of course Hanzo is terrible at it.

“Just follow my lead, sugar.” Cole says, once Hanzo’s frustration starts to show on his face.

“I apologize. I was always taught to lead instead of following.” Hanzo looks at Cole's feet. Trying to understand the tempo of the song and what the hell a ‘back slide’ even is.

“‘S all about trust.” The alpha whispers to him, being nose to nose with Hanzo. He tries to look at Cole, a hard sentiment of inadequacy filling his chest again. He's a lousy omega, isn't he? Can't cook, can't dance with his mate, he can't even really look like a proper omega. Of course Hanzo's sentiments are just his insecurity taking over his brain and trying to self sabotage, yet again.

Taken by surprise, Hanzo actually screams once the alpha turns and dips him. He instinctively holds his neck with force, closing his eyes. Once he opens his eyes he sees Cole is looking at him, amused.

“See? You got it, sugar.” Cole laughs.

“Insufferable alpha.” Hanzo says, lips pressing in a thin line. Hana catcalls them from where she is and Hanzo wants to hide his face away in shame as the alpha brings him back up, but he doesn't. Instead, he keeps his chin high, fixes his hold on Cole’s shoulder and kisses his cheek.

“But I’m your insufferable alpha.”

“Yes.” He says, because even though he was a lousy omega, his mate wants him. And that’s all that matters.

Mate , Hanzo thinks.

Mate! Mate! Mate! Soba and Udon chant. Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh He thinks even more, feeling himself getting flustered about it. He hadn't had the time to try and process the feelings about the whole mate thing and stop being a blubbering and blushing mess just thinking about it.

“Tone it down a notch, there are children here.” Genji says as he passes by their side with Ako on his arms, shielding the baby’s eyes.

Efi and her family leave by eight. It was a Friday, but the girl had extra curricular activities to attend to, as she excitedly told anyone that would listen to her. Which prompts Lúcio and Hana to start making the actual cocktails. That didn’t bother Hanzo, he kept to the glorified juice they called mocktails.

He did miss alcohol, but hasn’t touched it for a long time now, ever since he knew he was pregnant. If he’s honest, a lot of the time, the buzz of it was just a way to cope. He knew it then and knows it now, having to deal with his issues face on, as to not harm Ako. If it wasn’t for her, he thinks he’d be already drunk by now. But it was fine. The mocktail is deliciously sweet and he’s having fun, feeling a little loose even.

Hanzo needs to ask Lúcio how he made it taste like actual booze.

--

Hanzo is acting weird.

And not his normal weirdness, this is different. Cole knows that because the omega is acting very open right now. He’s laughing openly at Hana’s jokes, he has hugged his brother, sung with everyone when We are the Champions started to play and right now is flirting with Cole, an empty glass on his hands.

“You are very handsome.” He says, an open and beautiful smile on his face. Okay, he’s attempting to flirt with Cole, crowding him against the corner of the room. “I would like to kiss your handsome mouth.” His words are a little slurred and Cole finally gets it.

“Sugar, are you drunk?” He asks, taking the cup from Hanzo’s hand and sniffing it. Yep, definitely alcoholic.

“No, this is a mocktail.” Hanzo points at the cowboy’s face. “I can be your sugar if you want me to.” He slouches over Cole, hugging him by the neck, shame completely forgotten.

“We are already together.”

“Really?” Hanzo blinks, suspicious.

“Yeah, how many did you drink?”

“Four!” Hanzo puts four fingers up. Cole wants to laugh at him, but he gathers that someone that spent so much time without drinking would get drunk easily. Not because of the time itself, but because Lúcio is a maniac that only knows how to make strong, yet sweet, drinks.

“Okay, let's get you seated so you can rest and drink some water.” He huffs a laugh and walks with Hanzo, sitting him at the table. Cole goes to the kitchen, taking a large cup of water with him.

On the way back he passes by the table where they are making the cocktails and realizes the stirrers are all over the place, instead of color coordinated as Lúcio planned to make. Red for the cocktails and green for the mocktails. That’s probably because everyone is already a little buzzed and doing their own concoctions (He saw Jack dawning a bright pink drink that Hana made with six different types of alcohol as if it was nothing. He’s honestly very afraid).

Walking back to Hanzo he realizes someone has given him Ako, and their daughter is already deep asleep on his chest. His mate is looking at the baby with scrutiny.

“Are you okay, sugar?” Cole asks, resting the cup on the table. The omega blinks some and now, with the light shining on him, it's clear that Hanzo’s face is very VERY red.

“Is this Genji?” He turns to Cole, obviously very drunk and very confused.

“No, That’s our daughter.” He chuckles.

“ Really? ” Hanzo looks back at the baby, mouth opened in surprise. Cole hums in agreement, amused. “ Are we married? ” He looks at his hand, finding it bare of rings.

“Not yet.” Cole scratches the back on his head, feeling self conscious now. Maybe he should buy those rings he was looking at earlier that month.

“I see.” Hanzo frowns, closing his eyes with force. Ako rubs her face against his chest, sighing, she coos a little. It’s the cutest thing Cole has ever seen in his life. Hanzo looks down at her too and his eyes fill with tears. The omega pulls her closer, nuzzling her hair, feeling too full of emotions.

“Oh, Sugar, no…” He says, sitting down beside his mate, rubbing his back. Maybe denying they are married was the wrong thing to say, after all. He has never seen his mate drunk, so he doesn’t know how he would act.

“This is the best day of my life.” He sniffs. “ We made her .” He cries more. “ She looks cute like a doll. ” He starts actually crying. “Can we get married?”

“Well…”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Genji approaches, very worried, noticing his brother has started crying.

“ Look, sparrow. ” Hanzo stands up suddenly, stumbling a little. “I made this.” He smiles widely, showing Ako to Genji, eyes still full of tears. “Isn’t she amazing?”

“Yes, she is.”

“And CUTE too? Can you believe I did this??? and with that cowboy?” He puts a hand on Genji's shoulder and shakes him. “We are getting married!”

“Hanzo.” Cole stands up too, realizing the man must be more drunk than he thought.

“And you'll be my bridesmaid!” He hugs Genji close again. “I know you're an alpha but you're all that I have.”

“What about Lucio and Hana? And Jack?”

“ Ah, yes. I do have friends now. I forgot. ” He realizes, mood suddenly lifting. He starts walking around the room. “I’m going to show her to them. Hey you! Look what I made!!” Hanzo approaches Jack, showing Ako to him too.

“I will go get him.” Genji laughs. This is honestly on the list of best days of his life. He remembers that Hanzo was usually a sad drunk. Always finding something to cry when his inhibitions were lowered. Either their father, the elders and burdens as the heir. But today he seems like a happy drunk, crying because of too much happiness. Even with everything hanging over their heads.

Genji thinks, now, that maybe this is what true happiness and peace feels like. He has come to terms with his past. He has a girlfriend by his side that loves and cherishes him the same way he does her. And his brother has found happiness, something he thought he would never see in his life.

He goes towards Hanzo and manages to pry him away from Lucio.

“He was supposed to be drinking the mocktails!” Lucio groans as he sees that Hanzo has drunk several cups of caipirinha . He used a strong cachaça to make them, but he guesses the sugar and lemon juice made it too similar to the taste of the mocktails.

“He used to hold his liquor better.”

“Don't worry, there is always someone like this at parties in my family.” Lúcio chuckles, helping Genji to sit his brother down at a table. “We call it ‘ dar vexame ’.” He chuckles. “I'll go get him some coconut water.” He says as they seat him beside Cole, passing Ako to the alpha.

Cole makes sure that the omega is drinking his coconut water, holding Ako against his chest, so Hanzo doesn’t accidentally drop her.

“You know there is a saying?” Hanzo rests his head on Cole's shoulder, looking at the man adoringly.

“Yeah?” He asks.

“It says--” he looks from Cole to Ako. And then moves to cover the baby's ear. Which is useless since she doesn't understand what is being said anyways. “It says save a horse, ride a cowboy.” Hanzo waggles his eyebrows. “We should try it out sometime.”

Cole bursts out laughing and Hanzo looks at him pleased.

“I want to see what your mustache feels like against my--”

“Okay. That’s enough. We are getting you more water and we’re getting to our room.”

“Just like I plan-Planted.” Hanzo slurs out, winking with both eyes towards Cole and doing a finger gun. Cole shakes his head and walks to the kitchen. Fareeha stops by him, gathering the cups on the table to be washed later on.

“Are you okay?” She asks. Hanzo nods, suddenly feeling tired and sad. Fareeha doesn’t like him that much, he knows that already.

“You don’t like me.” So Hanzo tells her. The woman looks at him with an eyebrow lifted.

“Maybe you had too much to drink.” She nods, looking at him up and down.

“This is a mocktail.” Hanzo smiles, showing the cup of coconut water towards her. “Even if it was a alchoockilic It would not be enough to make me drunk! I have been drinking for yeARS!” Hanzo points at himself, self assured. And it was true, he always drank when he had too much on his mind. At least before he got pregnant. “BUt then I got pregante and I stopped it.” he motions to his own belly, because even drunk he worried about what these people would think of him.

“You’re slurring your words.” Fareeha laughs at him.

“‘S okay that you don’t like me.” He crosses his arms on the table and rests his head on them “I don’t need it.” He sighs, feeling a little sad, actually.

“Really?” She asks.

“Yes!” He mumbles. “I have my Brother! And friends and Cole and our child!” He stands up. “She is amazing and cute. I made her!”

“Yes you did.” Pharah rolls her eyes.

“With Cole and not that… That horrible man.” He frowns and sniffs, but turns to her. “Your brother is theeeee most handsome alpha I've ever met.” Hanzo sits down again, sighing, remembering Cole’s face. The mustache really was attractive. Fareeha hums. “I know you think I'm leaving him someday. But let me tell you something.” He grabs the alpha by her shoulders and looks at her in the eyes. “Not even death can pry me away from his kind smile.”

Fareeha is a little taken aback by the intensity of the Omega's stare.

“Where is Ako?” He stands up, walking towards Genji and asking to hold Ako again. They argue a little and Genji insists he sit down. Hanzo does so and next she watches as Cole brings him another cup of cold coconut water.

Fareeha snorts at that and sees how adoringly Hanzo looks at Cole as soon as he realizes the man is sitting by his side. He opens wide smiles and whispers something in the cowboy’s ear that immediately makes Cole's whole face turn red. The alpha even searches for pen and paper, taking notes of what Hanzo is whispering to him.

Ew . She thinks. The archer looks so satisfied once he finishes and looks at Cole with heated eyes, but the alpha just gives him more of the water. As she can see them looking softly at one another and Hanzo whispers an “I love you” to Cole. It's so clear Pharah is sure she almost heard it in between the noise and music.

After the third cup of water and a dash to the bathroom to pee, Hanzo finds himself sobering some, but also remembering everything. He decides to hide his shame in the excuse to go to sleep. Thankfully the party is almost at its end, with people already putting the leftovers on the fridge and the plates on the sink to be washed tomorrow by the ones that didn't cook.

Cole has to guide him as Hanzo really is very sleepy and tired (and not drunk, “I’m sobering up, cowboy!”). But it's a good kind of tired, like when exercising or when you work in the garden all morning to see the results at the end of the day.

So when he stumbles into Ako's room, kissing her head after Cole puts her in her crib, he doesn't mind that he made a fool of himself in front of the others.

He feels content.

--

Despite what Hanzo thought that would happen, the next day there were more people hungover than he thought. Jack even passed out on the lounge room couch. Apparently after they went to sleep everyone decided to get even looser. So no one jokes about his own drunkenness on the night before, because most don’t even remember it or have done worse. Except Cole, who shows him the crass things Hanzo has told him at some point as a joke.

“I’d like to try the third one. I just have to find my black chaps we can--” Hanzo promptly hit him with a pillow so he’d shut up.

Days pass and Hana and Lucio go to travel back to their homes to visit their families, Brigitte, Torbjorn and Reinhardt go after. They sent photos of their big families as Christmas day approached. And Hanzo actually has to double take seeing the amount of people in Brigitte's photo, losing count in between his 8 omega daughters, their children and partners, friends and extended family.

Lúcio sends photos of his own family on Christmas eve, the big table with all the food he has told them about, the gift giving and the fireworks when midnight hits. Hana doesn't celebrate Christmas, but sends them photos of her and her father and friends going out and enjoying themselves.

At the base, they don't celebrate Christmas, which is not something that bothers anyone there. The party was already enough and the only things that remind them of the time of year are the old christmas movies on the public TV and Lena insisting on using matching ugly sweaters with Emily as the couple makes things like eggnog and Christmas cookies.

Of course she has to give everyone ugly matching sweaters too, all fluffy and warm and perfect for the time of year. Hanzo wears his with Ako, because it is the first thing that someone gave them that matches.

“You don't need it ‘cause she already has your face, sugar.” Cole chuckled once Hanzo commented about it.

When day 25 came in, Hanzo opened the door of their quarters and found a pile of boxes delivered to it. Confused by the whole deal, he brought them in, realizing all were for Ako. Most people got her small things like a knitted sweater, hair clips, socks. Angela, yet again, bought her a beautiful dress, in soft green color (no doubt per Genji’s idea). Genji got her a warm hat and Cole got her, of all things, the tiny cowboy boots.

Despite them agreeing to not buy anything for each other, Hanzo can’t help but give Cole the polishing kit bought while shopping for the diner. And that’s good because the insufferable man decides to surprise him with a new ribbon for his hair.

New years pass and they spend it looking at the fireworks, with both Ako and Jack with cotton balls stuffed in their ears, muffling the sharp sounds and the TV showing how the whole world has been celebrating, sharing kisses and wishes for a better year.

When it’s so late that it’s early, Angela makes them take a picture, before everyone goes to sleep. A new one for her to frame with her older ones. They fiddle around, trying to fit everyone in the frame.

In the end they manage to do it while squeezing everyone on the couch in the lounge room. Ako ends up front and center of the photo, sleeping soundly, with Cole and Hanzo holding her. Jack sits beside Cole, arms crossed and face serious. Ana sits on the arm of the sofa, leaving a space as if someone was missing. Winston is behind everyone, Lena and Emily on his left. Pharah and Zenyatta on his right. Genji and Angela sit beside Hanzo, smiling widely.

Hanzo is not smiling like Cole, but he has a serene expression on his face.

With a soft smile Angela promises to print a copy for everyone.

--

The agents come back soon after the festivities and like that, and the days and weeks pass in a somewhat stillness. The missions are good, the talon agents they find are few and far in between, there is no null sector attack, no supremacists, no surprises on stealth missions and when they go gather information they manage to do it with relatively ease.

And that makes Hanzo even more antsy. Zenyatta is also not faring well, even at the parties he seemed lost in thought and worried.

“The memory of my brother has been tainted.” He sighs. They are seated on their meditation spot again, this time with Genji by their side, as they agreed that sharing this time could be beneficial for the brothers now. “It saddens me to see how he is now.”

Hanzo doesn't have any advice for how to deal with that. So he leaves the meditation early, with an excuse that he needs to care for his child, sure that his presence will not be beneficial for Zenyatta right now.

Pharah has finally healed enough to demonstrate her abilities flying the, now repaired, raptor suit to everyone. Her strategy seems to be “blow everything as much as possible until there is nothing left”. Well, that is not true, there is a strategy to it, Hanzo can see it in the way she calculates the timing of her propulsors and the aim of her rockets.

 It’s just that in the end she ends up blowing everything.

But the team still watches the whole presentation in awe and horror as the bot parts go flying around, the training grounds ending up with simmering flames. Especially when she releases all of the rockets at the same time, eliminating several bots and Athena has to activate the fire extinguisher protocols, filling the floor with foam and water. Ako actually cheers and laughs watching the whole pyrotechnic show, clapping at it.

In the end Hanzo and Reinhardt are the ones that have to deal with the whole mess, as it was their day to clean the training grounds. Hanzo puts all of his antsy energy on cleaning into it.

Despite everything, Pharah seems to warm up to him. Maybe it's the fact her mother keeps chastising her over some of her assholish behaviors, maybe it's the less toxic environment of the base. But she's… Surprisingly nice. Hanzo even heard from Hana that she apologized for flirting with her so much in the past.

“I mean, I thought she was joking.” Hana scoffed. “She’s not that good at it.”

So she continued her pattern of serious work and training. To the point people felt a little bit inadequate for being too slack about the whole thing.

One time he and Cole find her working out late at night at the gym again. Even after Cole’s warning for her to not overwork herself, the woman still had the same mindset as she has during her time in Helix, Hanzo supposes.

“You're going to end up hurtin’ yourself.” Cole crosses his arms, shaking his head at her. The alpha brought her away from Hanzo and towards the

“Don't start with that. We have to be in top shape in case anything happens.” She sighs, putting the weights down.

“Angela plans our workout routines like that for a reason, you need to recover.”

“I have recovered.”

“Angie told you that?” He crosses his arms, lifting an eyebrow. Phara closes her eyes, frustrated. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“Cassidy.”

“No.” He says, pointing his finger at her, using all of his authority, either as a senior or as her older adoptive brother. “If you won’t stop I’ll make Athena lock you out of the gym. And I’m telling your mama.”

“You wouldn’t.” She looks offended by the ideas he would.

“Try me.” He look at her up and down and then relaxes. “Fa, I’m worried about you.” They look at each other for some time and Pharah finally blows a heavy sighs, making an ugly sound as she does so.

“Okay.” She gives up, throwing her towel over her shoulder and getting her things from the floor. “Don’t say anything to mom, you know how she will get."

They walk together towards the housing units and at some point Torbjörn calls Cole to discuss with him some details of a new kind of stun grenade he wants Cole to test on the field. Pharah waits with Hanzo, back resting against the walls.

“There is nothing for him to worry about.” She says after some time, massaging her eyelids.

“If you don’t trust Cole, trust Angela.” Hanzo sighs and moves to cleans Ako’s face. The girl manages to get paint on her cheeks again and Hanzo only realized it now. Ako pats his face again, calling his attention. Hanzo pulls his face away and takes in a deep breath, calming himself. Once she opens a smile with her two teeth, his heart immediately melts. He can’t be mad at Ako. He kisses her face, making Ako laugh.

“I know myself enough to know when to stop.” Phara crosses her arms and Hanzo hums, looking at her unimpressed. “Don’t look at me like that.” she sighs.

“He has experience with this.” Hanzo says, fixing the hold on Ako.

“Meddling?”

“With people he loves overworking themselves.” He turns to her. “I did the same when I got here.” He admits. Opening up is not easy to Hanzo, but he knows, from the stories the agents who have experience with the military have told, that it’s not a healthy place to be in. So he’ll do this just once, for Fareeha. Because, even after all that happened, Hanzo realizes that, yes, he cares for her and is worried too.

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” He nods. “They locked me out of the training grounds and the shooting range for weeks.”

She scoffs.

“What did you do? Sprained your wrist?”

Hanzo rolls his eyes, but can see why she would dismiss him. Most of the time, Hanzo is running around caring for Ako. He did all of the training, the simulations and the workouts needed to keep him in shape for the missions and his reflexes sharp, but it wasn’t as rigorous as he had done once before. Or even as rigorous as some of the other agents.

And said missions aren’t easy by any means, he finds himself in danger more often than not, running up on walls, shooting bots down and fighting Talon soldiers. But they were all one day missions.

He can see how, from the outside, someone would think he has it easy. Especially someone like Pharah.

“I had a mental breakdown and hurt myself with my weapon.” He turns towards her, watching her reaction. Her eyes get wide and she automatically looks at his hands. He still has the faint mark on his hand from when the bow string snapped on it. Is white now, but still apparent. “People here aren’t looking for perfect soldiers or weapons. But for good will and hard work.” Hanzo turns his eyes to the ground, not being able to look at Phara for longer than that.

He doesn’t want to remember that time, when he thought of himself as an asset, as a weapon.

“What do you mean?”

“This is not the military. No one expects you to behave like it is. Much less your family.”

There is a moment of silence between them. Not uncomfortable, like he expects it to be, but an easy one, with something like understanding dawning between them.

“You're different from what I expected you to be.”

“I must admit that I changed after coming here. I once thought too that I needed to prove I was a good weapon.” Hanzo quickly looks at her and then feels himself getting uncomfortable. “Everyone helped me.”

“Power of love and shit?” She crosses her arms, looking at Hanzo.

“Perhaps.” He smiles down at Ako, who is asleep in his arms. “The world is a dark place, sometimes people close to us can become a lifeline.”

She hums, but nods. Away from them, Ana and Jack are leaving the kitchen. Ana has a cup of lavender tea in her hands. The older omega stops at Cole's side and says something to him. They talk some more and Hanzo can feel Pharah getting tenser with the way Ana’s face and posture changes and how Jack starts to get progressively disappointed.

“Ah, crap, Cole ratted me out!” She sucks a breath through her teeth, worried. “I’m going to mitigate the danger before I get my ass beaten. Mom, whatever he’s saying is a lie!” She pushes herself off of the wall and quickly walks towards Ana.

Hanzo chuckles at her and honestly doubts Ana (or Jack) would ever hit Pharah in any way, but the fear of being scolded, even as an adult, feels funny for him. He wonders if Ako will feel the same one day, if she’ll just look at the way he crosses his arms and tap his foot on the ground that he’s angry or disappointed at her.

Cole walks back to him with a satisfied grin, as Ana is chastising Pharah. The alpha scoffs and talks back, receiving an even bigger scolding from Jack. Pharah relaxes and seems to relent, hugging her mother after she says something in a heartfelt way.

Hanzo feels like he’s invading a private moment, even if Torbjörn is close to them and obviously jokes about the situation.

“Now we can go.” Cole smirks at him, fixing the hat on his head.

“Ratting on your sister?”

“When in doubt, go to the parent that gives scholdings.” He chuckles and Hanzo shakes his head. He and Genji didn’t use to do this as children, after their mother died and they were alone. As time progressed, their father went from scolding to shouting and into beating. And they didn’t like that.

They link their hands and walk away. Hanzo looks back a little, watching as Jack and Ana drag Pharah into the kitchen for a talk (that's a harsh way of saying it, of course, Ana has put Fareeha’s hand on her elbow and walked with her into the kitchen).

He hopes Ako one day will not be afraid of being angry at him or to tell him how she truly feels about things or complain about a time out. He hopes she’s never afraid of him at all.

And meanwhile, Fareeha being scolded by Jack about her health and following doctor’s orders, is most of all, relieved. Her brother found himself a good omega this time around.

--

“Do I look fat?”

“Are you honestly bothering with such nonsensical things now?” Hanzo lifts one eyebrow, questioning his partner.

“I don't know, it's the second time someone has commented on it. About the gut.”

“And?” Cole grumbles a non answer and Hanzo rolls over, resting half of his body over his alpha. “I cannot understand you, insufferable alpha.”

“You look in shape.”

“Not for a typical omega.” Hanzo pecks Cole's lips. “and I like the gut.” He moves his hips side to side, rubbing his dick against Cole's thigh. The alpha looks at him surprised. “And your strong arms and long legs.” Biting his lower lip, Hanzo snakes a hand under Cole's t-shirt, caressing his belly. “You look handsome.”

“I feel like you'd like me even if I was some zombie without half of my face rotten.”

“That's because every version of you is attractive.” Hanzo remembers the first time he was shown Cole in his Blackwatch days, when he and Genji met, both in their mid 20’s. He was an attractive man then and he's an attractive man now. More so now, Hanzo would argue, when his face isn’t as baby soft, the crows feet around his eyes look charming.

“Even with the big mustache?” He asks and Hanzo nods, rolling his hips with purpose now.

“Are you happy with your body?”

“I don't even think about it, if I'm honest. Not ‘till recently.” Cole admits.

“Then don't change if you don't want to change.” Hanzo sighs. “Especially because of what you assume I would like to see.”

“So you don't mind?”

“Does it look like I don't like it?” Hanzo makes sure to grind more against Cole. “If I wanted a man with a hard cut physique I would go for Reinhardt.” The growl that leaves his alpha's chest is amusing. It makes Hanzo chuckle. “Jealous?”

“Always.” The cowboy holds his waist, using his thumbs to massage his skin, guiding Hanzo’s movements. Cole sits up straighter and pulls Hanzo close, kissing him tenderly, snaking his tongue inside his mouth.

So Hanzo decides to do something for him instead. He separates and uses the position he is in right now and starts trailing down kisses on Cole’s face and neck, sucking the skin of his collarbone and his scent gland.

“What are you doin’, sugar?” The alpha asks, once Hanzo gets to his pecks, nibblin at them, scraping his teeth on the skin the way he knows his mate loves it.

“I think it’s clear.” Hanzo moves down still, licking a trail on Cole's muscles and his soft belly, raking his nails on his happy trail. Hanzo could clearly see tha man was strong, but the soft layer of fat over his muscles hid it somewhat. But he could never be mad at it or find it ugly, actually he thinks it makes him even more attractive.

Cole pulls him back up, kissing him deeply and with all the love he has. Hanzo snakes his hands on his alpha’s torso, kneading his muscles and pinching his love handles, kissing his skin and sucking, making him moan low. He spends a long time like this, just caressing, and kissing, bitting, rubbing and worshiping the man he loves so much.

When he sneaks a hand on the cowboy’s pajama pants, he’s already hard and Hanzo strokes his member with languid movements. They separate and he watches as his alpha closes his eyes, resting his head on the pillow, face flushed red and his mouth slacking as he moans. He holds Hanzo close, hands squeezing the muscles of his butt with force.

Cole turns them around, rolling over. The omega holds his mate close, flush to him.

“My alpha.” He whispers on his ear, feeling Cole dry humping him, a desperate whine leaving his lips. “My handsome, beautiful Alpha.” His pace becomes frantic and Cole just looks at him, eyes pleading. Hm, so it’s not just him who loves the praises. Good to know.

“Yours.” He moans, face scrunching. God, Hanzo needs Cole inside of him. With desperate moves, the omega separates from Cole and pulls his pants and underwear off, throwing them away and to somewhere in the room.

“Come on.” Biting his lips, he looks up at Cole as he pulls the alpha’s sweatpants and underwear down, cock bobbing out, full mast.

“I didn’t prepare you.” Cole mumbles against his neck. With frustration, Hanzo pulls Cole’s hand from his waist and to his hole, making him feel how wet and open he already is. “Jesus, Han.”

“Just for you.” He breathes out. Their eyes meet and Cole kisses him, heated, full of desire. It makes Hanzo’s head spin. Still, Cole slips two fingers in, massaging him, the infuriatingly caring man. Once they separate, Hanzo begs. “Please, I need--” He closes his eyes, moaning when Cole folds his fingers, making his body contort with pleasure.

Cole kisses his jaw, pulling his finger away, fixing the hold on Hanzo and aligning his member with Hanzo’s hole. The stretch of the alpha entering him is amazing. Hanzo breathes out, kissing him with fervor.

The cowboy tries to keep a slow pace, but Hanzo can see he’s been driven to the brink. Hanzo pulls his legs up, snaking them around Cole’s waist, pulling him impossibly deep, moving his hips in a fast and steady pace.

“Shit.” Cole swears and Hanzo bites his lips, the pace becomes frantic and he thrusts hard against Hanzo’s hole.

“Mine.” Hanzo pulls him close, he has no intentions of letting him go. “Mine.” He scrapes his teeth against Cole’s shoulder, away from the mating gland, and bites down hard. The alpha's body seizes, tensing, but at the last minute, he pulls his own body down, avoiding the knot to slip and lock in place. Still, his cock stays inside, because Hanzo holds him with all the strength he still has on his legs.

A delightful shiver runs up on Hanzo’s spine, feeling the twitch of Cole’s dick as his mate fills him. The simple idea of the amount of cum Cole’s always releases painting his insides, brings Hanzo over the edge. He realizes that he’s disappointed that his mate has pulled back and didn’t knot him at all. The thought of how full it will make him feel, he could come with just that and Cole’s praises.

Oh...

OH! He thinks, surprised. Cole’s dick slips from Hanzo’s hole, he feels the sperm leaking from him and a desperation he has never felt before takes over him. God, he wants, he needs to cum. He pulls his mate close, grounding against him.

“Easy, Sugar.” The cowboy says, hand on his lower back, holding Hanzo close. He hold Hanzo’s dick and pumps it just the way he knows it makes him disheveled and desperate, making him come so hard that his toes curl and his ears ring.

When Hanzo finally catches his breath and looks beside him, Cole has a worried look on his face.

“‘M sorry.” He says, closing his eyes full of regret.

“What for?”

“I almost knotted you.” Cole swallows down and sits up, looking away. Before Hanzo can say anything, he stands up and walks to the bathroom, coming back with a damp washcloth.

With caution, he cleans Hanzo’s body. Touching him like he’s a precious thing, delicate, as if he’d break. His eyes focus on the omega’s skin, his tattoo, the mark left on his body by their lovemaking.

“I want you to.” Hanzo says, looking at Cole from the pillow he’s resting in. The alpha looks at him surprised. “To knot me.”

“Since when?” The question slips from Cole's mouth almost accidentally. Hanzo shrugs, not really knowing when this desire really started to come up in his mind. There were times when they were making love that he thought about it, was tempted to just let it happen, but in the end didn’t. Either for fear or for how cautious Cole always was with him.

But now, Hanzo realizes, he’s not just ready for it, he wants it.

“You really want this, sugar?” He brushes Hanzo’s cheeks with his thumb, looking at him with care.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while.” Hanzo admits, looking down and then away, feeling embarrassed about asking something that should be natural for omegas. “Shouldn’t you be glad about it?”

“Well, I sure am.” Cole says, laying down beside Hanzo. “I just don’t want you to take a step you’re not ready for . ”

“I know you will not hurt me.” He snuggles closer to the alpha, hiding his face away on his chest. He feels like one of those omegas in badly written books, wanting the alpha to ravish him and make him incoherent with pleasure.

“Okay.” Cole brings his face up, kissing him tenderly and Hanzo lets him.

--

Morning comes with a calm atmosphere, and the first thing Hanzo notices when he opens his eyes is that it’s snowing, the white snowflakes falling in the air outside. What he notices next is that he is hugged against Cole, his back plastered against the alpha’s chest. He feels his mate’s breath against him, nose buried deep on the back of his neck.

Hanzo tenses. But after a moment, he realizes that Cole isn’t doing anything. The hands are loose against his frame, not holding him down. His breath is deep and the mouth against his skin is slack. He has drifted into the position in his sleep, most likely.

Surprisingly, the omega relaxes.

There is nothing to be afraid of with Cole, he realizes. There is a deep relief filling his chest, something he wasn’t able to feel for a long while. He nuzzles against the arm under his head, realizing he too must have done the same.

Cole stirs behind him and wakes up. There is a moment where Hanzo pretends to be asleep, not wanting to make Cole uncomfortable, but also realizing that he wants to see how Cole will react.

“Shit.” The alpha whispers to himself and gently pulls his arm from around Hanzo. “Get it together, Cole.” He huffs, shaking his head. Hanzo moves quickly, tangling their fingers and pulling his alpha closer before he can run away from him.

“Stay.” He whispers, still sleepy.

Cole hesitates for a moment, but then comes back to his original position. The smile on the cowboy’s lips tickle against’s Hanzo’s skin, He doesn’t know what it was, the fact the alpha helped him to apply the balm everyday to make his bruise disappear or their natural proximity, maybe it's Hanzo’s resolve to stop being afraid, facing everything head on, but he isn’t afraid anymore.

Doesn’t matter what brought this in, Hanzo knows that wants to be lost in the tender moment and the feeling of being at home.

--

“You could learn to be a little more subtle.” Sombra says to Reaper, once they are leaving the main Talon Base. Akande seemed happy about the whole mission they just came back from, but was still obviously suspicious of Reaper, probably because of that stupid stunt on the Helix mission.

“I don’t need advice from you.” Reaper sneers at her (or at least she thinks he does). They start to walk off of the base and to the undercover ship, so they can finally move back to the HQ.

“That's fine, just don’t be surprised when the boss tries to kill you because of your stunts.” She shrugs. Gabriel doesn’t answer, so she rolls her eyes. “You know, You’re lucky I have access to the Helix database or you'd be a pile of goo in Moira's lab right now.”

“I am aware of that.” He says. Olivia looks at him surprised at the nonchalant nature of the man over being killed because of what he did.

“Whatever, it’s your life.”

They start walking and as they get closer to the ship, they see Satya, waiting for them.

“How are you holding up, kid?” Gabriel asks and Satya looks briefly at him, nodding. “You did good at the mission.”

“Thank you.” She nods. “I wanted to speak to you two. It’s about the last time we spoke. I have more of the --”

Sombra quickly covers the other beta’s mouth, looking at her with frustration.

“I told you: not close to the base, chiquita. ” Sombra smiles at the woman, booping her on the nose. “How about we do this over dinner? At that restaurant you like?”

“It would be acceptable.” She turns to Sombra and Reaper.

“I can’t go.” Reaper starts walking again. “Sombra can fill you in with the news.”

“That is fine.” Satya turns to Sombra and looks at her up and down. “You’re paying for it.” She says with a smile and then walks away to wait for the car that is sending her back to the hotel room she was in.

The hacker sighs.

“Talk about subtlety.” Gabriel chuckles.

“I don't think she knows I’m flirting.” She says, dejected.

“I think she just likes to see you squirm.”

There is a moment of silence.

“Gabe?”

“Yes.”

“You saw that Akande put bounties on their heads, right? that it's valid even for our own crew?”

Silence.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

More silence.

“I mean it.” She says, angry now. “Next time it won't be me there with you, so think about how you will act. ” She huffs. Looking at the time she's shaking her head. “I'm leaving for my date. Take care Gabe.”

From inside the base, Akande watches as the trio leaves the grounds to do whatever they did in their free time. Reaper, as always, starts walking trough the forest. The heavy snows is falling now and he wonder if the shadow feels the chill of the winder, the snowflakes melting on his skin, or anything at all.

Someone knocks on his door. Akande allows whoever it is to come in, and he realizes that it's one of their secretaries. Moira's secretary, in fact. The young omega greets him, perfectly poised and well behaved, putting the documents on his desk.

Akande takes them, realizing it's Moira's next plans for Gabriel and Jack. All written by hand, as to not tip their friendly hacker. Reaper may have run his course when it comes to being useful, a failure of an experiment, but not Sombra. The girl, despite her fondness towards Reaper, was still a good asset. Akande is no fool to think she's with them because she believes in their cause, but whatever her plans are, still align with his own.

He'll just have to show her who is in charge. And the danger she's really in for disobeying.

"Thank you." He says to the secretary, after finishing reading the documents. "Tell Moira these are approved and that the funding will be transferred to her soon. And that we just have another two missions with Reaper and then, he's hers to take." He puts the documents on a drawer on the desk. Unfortunately, the traitor was still useful for the next couple of missions, all planned before Reaper was in fact shown to be more than a stubborn torn on his side.

"Certainly." The omega says. The secretary smiles and starts to leave the room, before Akande stops him.

"Before you go. Tell Hugh to call Mauga. I'll be needing him."

Notes:

So how do you say "festa da firma" in english? Anyways, I did this this way, without a actual christmas party and gift giving, because I was questioning how many OW characters are even christian to begin with. And like, how many would even care at all about Christmas.
And I hope you liked the calm atmosphere... It won't last :)
Anyways, I hope y'all liked it.

Chapter 25: Heard you called my name, while I’m passing out

Summary:

The storm arrives

Notes:

So, sorry about the delay. Work is hectic, life is full of bad choices and i'm super tired and busy. I wish I had money and could only write fanfic everyday.
Also, I'm working on the next chapters and I have a rought draft of them, but the story is making me a little... idk, I'm satified, but also not. But, I'll keep working on it, because I think is heading into a cool direction.
This chapter is brought to you by the song Humanity pt.1, by Morricone. It’s about the last part of the chapter. If you want you can listen to it as you read it. Also, Yes Morricone is the dude that did the dollars trilogy music. That's why ppl used his name as a Cassidy Alias ;)

The next mission is a shitshow.

Not that it’s anyone’s fault, there is a weird disconnect with the way the team is working today. 

Well, first it started with the fact they needed to do surveillance in a building Winston suspected it was Vishkar base working for Talon. What was supposed to be a day mission, turned into a three day mission. They (Hanzo, Tracer, Ana, Torbjorn and Reinhardt) spent the days on the building next to it, watching people walk around, entering and leaving the building. According to Winston, there was information there being carried by a Vishar employee (the one they have met before, Satya) and she was about to deliver it to Talon agents. Plans for the next invasion.

So they sat down, they waited, got bored, watched the miserably muggy and rainy days go by and Hanzo pumped milk. It was an uncomfortable affair, with both alphas on the team making sure not to ever look at Hanzo's direction once he had a tit out. It wasn’t all the time, of course. Ako is close to being one, so Hanzo has already started the process of making her only nurse in the mornings and before bedtime. Not that he needed any help, considering everyone loved giving her all sorts of foods ever since the end of the year party was a success with her.

Hanzo even had to chastise some of the choices made by the other agents, like the time Hana tried to feed her chips with the excuse that “She wanted to eat one. Like, how can I refuse this face.” she said while holding Ako’s face in her hand, as if it justified it. There was also the time she almost took a sip from Jack’s beer when the older omega wasn’t looking.

But back to the mission, the agents kept their eye on the people coming and going, expecting Satya to show up at any time. It was boring, everyone was cranky and on edge, the food choices were questionable at best. Hanzo’s legs already hurt from using his boots all day long. He was used to it before, but now the almost one year at the base made him realize how damaging that was.

And on the night of the third day, right as Hanzo started to pump the milk again, they saw her. Satya walked in the building, spent around 10 minutes there before leaving it with a briefcase.

“Very cliché.” Ana says, looking at the girl walking until she gets to the crosswalk.

“It could be a distraction.” Hanzo looks at the briefcase for a moment, taking the pump away from his breast and quickly dressing himself. The briefcase is pristine and clean, almost as if new. The agents agreed and they moved out.

They are all using civilian clothing, and despite Reinhardt's gigantic height, they blend in nicely as they follow the woman. Hanzo keeps an eye on her from the top of the buildings, fire escapes and catwalks, while the others scattered around, following her by foot.

Only when she enters an empty parking lot, it becomes obvious that they are following her. Reinhardt’s boldness aside, most on the team didn’t do any good work with stealth beside Ana and Hanzo (He had suggested to Winston to use Cole or Genji again, but Cole was away on a mission and wouldn’t be back in time for this one and Genji was taking care of Ako).

So, now, they corner the woman, Ana with her small sleep gun pointing at her and Tracer at her side. Hanzo keeps his eyes on the Target, watching and listening while they talk. Reinhardt is in front of one of the exits, while Torbjorn is in the other, turret ready to go.

“You two are overwatch agents.” Satya says. Tracer shrugs, a little sheepish, but Ana just keeps still.

“Overwatch is dead.” Ana says and Tracer actually cringes at her own reaction. Hanzo sighs at it, trying to keep an eye on the target. The thing is, Hanzo’s breasts hurt. They are leaking because of too much liquid stored on them. The sansation is unpleasant, making Hanzo press his lips in a thin line, trying to not let distressing sensation get to him.

“... Hand me the information we need.” Ana says, gun pointed at Satya. Hanzo realizes he has been distracted and snaps back into reality. The woman is looking at them both with wide eyes. She takes a deep breath before looking down, turning to the exit and then, when Hanzo shifts his stance, up at him. Frowning, she puts the briefcase down and slowly starts to walk back.

“Thank you.” Ana smiles. “But we want the real one.” She fixes the hold on the gun in her hand.

“Come on, you know you can’t get out of here. Just hand us the drive.” Tracer takes a step forwards and Satya’s frown deepens, but she relents, pulling from her pocket a small thumb drive. She slowly extends her hand and Tracer zips in front of her, taking the small object in her hand.

“Got you now, cariño .” They hear her first, before Sombra reveals herself with a pink and purple distortion. She quickly moves her fingers, lines connecting to Lena. The pilot quickly moves away, zipping out of the hacker’s grasp. “Argh! You’re no fun.” She pouts.

Ana reacts quickly, pointing her sleeping darts on her, but she’s not as lucky as Lena and is quickly incapacitated by sombra’s virus. Hanzo pulls his bow, releasing a scatter arrow towards Sombra. She quickly translocates and Hanzo’s arrows only ricochet from the wall, almost hitting Renhardt in the way.

“Hey!” The giant man says, ducking down. “Look out with the arrows, friend!”

Sombra shows up behind Torbjorn and hacks his turrets by his side. Tracer zips to them, trying to keep the woman away, but ends up with her foot stuck in the hacked turret.

Hanzo decides to get down. The place he is in right now is too high to jump without him hurting his legs in the process. He runs to the staircases, ready to parkour his way out of here. But when he leaves the floor and to the opened corridor, Reaper is waiting for him, the drizzle of rain falling on his overcoat.

Without any hesitation, Hanzo pulls his storm arrows and sends several in the shadow's direction. The alpha dissipates into a mist of whatever the fuck he is made out of and his arrow ricochet on the walls, making them leave a trail of energy behind. When he materializes back, Hanzo jumps forward, attacking Reaper with full force.

Punch, punch, once, twice, three times. Hanzo is relentless, hitting every punch even if Reaper keeps moving and transforming into mist, making Hanzo always hit the air. Getting close to the stairs, Hanzo decides to focus on moving down, instead of going one on one against a ghost.

He feels the drizzle of the stop, as they get to the covered staircase. Hanzo dives into a punch, taking advantage of the momentum, he passes through Reaper and rolls closer to the stairs. he pulls an arrow from his quiver and sends three of them in Reaper’s direction, knowing it’s useless anyway.

And something strange happens.

Reaper stops, letting the arrows get stuck on his body.

He folds on the floor, holding his abdomen and hissing in pain.

Hanzo hesitates for a second, but doesn’t waste the opportunity, running past him quickly. He looks behind himself, but Reaper doesn't move again. There is a muffled noise coming from what hanzo supposes is his communicator, but he doesn’t pay too much attention. When he gets to the ground level, Hanzo looks back up and can see the smoke going around, but Reaper doesn't come down.

“Reaper is down.” He says on the comm, without any response from the team.

He runs towards the parking lot, just in time to see Ana injecting herself with the serum Angela has created to combat Sombra’s virus. She takes deep breaths and soon stands up. On the far exit, he sees Torbjorn trying to take out Sombra, sending smoldering nails towards her direction. She keeps translocating from one side to another, avoiding his hits. She hacks his weapon and laughs before going for Ana again.

Hanzo snarls. There. Soba says and in a quick movement manages to guess where she will show up. Hanzo sends arrows after arrow towards Sombra, making her back away. She shakes her head and goes for Reinhardt as Hanzo runs to protect Ana.

Satya makes an elaborate movement with her hands. What looks like two portals materialize at the same time, one in her front and one outside. Before Hanzo can shoot and destroy the teleporter, Satya steps into it and in a matter of seconds it's all gone.

Sombra tries the same hacking trick with Reinhardt, but with his weapons being just ‘giant hammer’ that he just swings around, it’s useless. Reinhardt manages to grab Sombra by the arm before she can teleport again.

“Got you!” He says, smiling wide. Sombra smiles and hacks something on the alpha’s armor, Hanzo can’t see what, before sending a virus towards his face, making Reinhardt shake his head once, grip loosening on her frame. Once she's somewhat free, she throws her translocator and teleports away.

Tracer follows her, and with her speed she blinks right where Sombra’s translocator has landed.

“Hi, love.” She says, pulling Sombra's glove away from her hand, making it impossible for the woman to hack her. She punches the hacker on the face, making the woman stumble and shake her head, blinking hard.

Ana quickly moves to Reinhardt, injecting him with the same serum. Hanzo stands beside Tracer, as does Torbjorn, both pointing their weapons at her.

“You're outnumbered.” Hanzo says, aiming at her. Sombra's face closes off and she snarls, bringing her weapon up. She then looks behind him and smiles.

“Really?”

“Fall back, Sombra.” A grave voice calls from behind them. Hanzo turns, surprised and watches as Reaper pulls the arrows from his body. The hacker chuckles and disappears in a distortion of purple light.

Ana, from the place where she's in beside Reinhardt, points her dart gun and shoots it in Reaper's direction. The man turns into the cloud of smoke and disappears.

They all fall back into position, expecting them to come back into the fight, trying to get the flash drive, but after some minutes nothing comes.

Tracer is the first one to relax and look around, confused. Hanzo lowers his bow and relaxes too. As incredible as it sounds, Everything is quiet. There are no sounds of hard light energy, shotguns or footsteps. Just the sound of the city in motion.

“Now what?” Torbjorn asks, confused.

“Seems like we won this round.” Reinhardt smiles widely, nodding.

“I doubt that.” Hanzo says. This is not normal.

The walk back to the Orca, both flash drive and briefcase in hand. Hanzo wonders, as everyone takes their seats and Tracer lifts off, what the hell just happened. They were doing badly, being played by Sombra left and right. Not only that, Satya ran away so easily it's laughable.

Why have they fallen back? Why has Reaper pretended to be hurt by his arrows and just let him through? Hanzo sighs and once they are back on the air he walks to the cockpit, to make some company with Tracer, so she wouldn’t be alone. Ana and Reinhardt are obviously tired. Despite the application of the serum, the virus did some damage. He knows what it did to him, he can’t imagine how damaging it can be on someone older.

“Man, this mission was a stinker wasn’t it?” Tracer sighs deeply, then turns towards him.

“We seem to be more out of sync than usual.” Hanzo agrees.

“You could have asked for help with Reaper. Maybe we could have managed to capture him.”

“It was all too fast. I regret to say that he got me by surprise.” Hanzo says truthfully as he crosses his arms and looks to the sky outside. “I don’t understand how he can survive three arrows in his torso.”

Lena hums in agreement. “One was on his heart, no?” Hanzo nods and the beta shivers, but lets it go, paying attention to the flight ahead. It’s better not to dwell on things they can’t even start to understand.

When they land, Hanzo quickly debriefs with the others. It’s messy to say the least.

“And then this one here let Reaper run away.” Torbjörn points at him, which makes Hanzo blisters.

“How am I supposed to know an arrow through his heart wouldn’t kill him?” Hanzo frowns, looking at Torbjörn.

“I don’t know, you sent an arrow through his brains once!” Torbjörn throws his hands in the air in frustration.

“Wait, what exactly happened?” Jack asks, uncrossing hsi arms. Hanzo looks at him with an indignant huff. Of course the man would ask about it.

“I was hidden, Reaper cornered me, we fought, I hit him with arrows, he fell down and I went to the ground floor because he looked dead.” Hanzo says and sees Jack’s facade break, just a little, a small smile on his face.

“So he let you go?” Jack clears his throat and blinks.

“How would I know?” Hanzo huffs, starting at the older omega. He hates the smugness of his face.

“Come on, lad, we were all bad in the mission.” Tracer says. “Sombra got us good.” She says, sheepish to Winston.

“They are learning our movements.” Ana says, sagely and sends a pointed look at Jack. “We need to change our strategies.”

“Well, at least we managed to get what we needed to. But if Sombra was there, we need to be careful with these.” The Gorilla nods, looking at the flashdrive and the briefcase. “Let's see what's inside.” They all watch with tension as Winston opens the suitcase, the digital lock device unlocking easily, without the need of any passcode. 

Inside it there is nothing and Hanzo mentally punches the air with the fact he was right all along.

“Very heavy for something empty.” Ana comments and Tracer nods. Winston shrugs at it, commenting on how it wouldn't be unusual for them to put weight on it to mislead them. With that, and despite the complaints and the finger being pointed, they finish the debriefing soon.

Hanzo stops briefly in the mess hall, asking for Genji, only to be pointed back to the conference areas. Apparently, Cole and Genji went there to look through some information they got on Cole’s mission.

Opening the door to the conference room, Hanzo realizes the place is empty, but for Genji, who looks down in worry, and Cole, who is seated on the floor, looking under one of the shelves in the lab. One that had a bottom gap that everyone thought was far too small for Ako to crawl under and hide (again, no one listened to him when he told people that they needed to block all the nooks and crannies).

“Now, miss Ako, you need to get out of there or we are going to have a problem.” The cowboy says, rather stern. There is a loud babble coming from under it and Cole huffs, scratching his head.

“Hanzo will be so mad at us.” Genji says, feet tapping nervously on the ground. “You know How he gets when it comes to Ako getting her clothes dirty.”

Hanzo approaches silently and stands behind them, just watching the whole stupid scene unfold for a moment.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.” Cole lays down sideways, looking at her. “If you don’t come out we will have to get Winston to move this shelf here and you’ll get scared n’ cry, and then y’know what will happen?” He says, pointing a finger at her. “Your mama will have my hide, it’s what will happen.” The answer is another loud babble and a laugh. 

“Having trouble?” Hanzo asks and Cole jumps in place, yelping. Genji actually jumps, turning to Hanzo with three shurikens in hand. The watches unimpressed as Genji deflates from his fight position and the cowboy rolls to his back and looks from the floor and up to him, startled.

“Jesus H Crist, sugar.” He says, taking in a deep breath and resting a hand on his chest. “You gave me a scare.”

“Did I?” He asks and Ako babbles from where she is, more animated than before. He looks at Cole and then at Genji, face unreadable. It was a neat trick to make his brother squirm sometimes.

“Aniki, it isn’t my fault, I was reading a file and she climbed the playpen walls!” Genji lifts his hands, as if calming Hanzo down. “It’s Cole’s fault, actually.” He points at the other alpha.

“Hey, come on now!” Cole huffs. Hanzo harrumphs and kneels on the ground.

“ Ako, time to get out of there. ” He says, calm, but firm. Ako chirps from under the shelf and soon crawls out of it, looking at Hanzo with a smile. Her clothes are all dirty with the heavy dust under the unused shelf. Oh, Gods, there are cobwebs on her hair? Oh no.

“Maaa!” She coos and quickly crawls to him. Hanzo tuts at her, cleaning the dirt from her hair and clothes.

“Now, what kind of ninja sorcery do you use?” Cole shakes his head standing up. “We have been trying to get her out of there for half an hour now.”

“She thinks you two are playing with her.” Hanzo smiles, kissing Ako’s face. “ Right, Little Ako? ” He asks her and the baby looks at him, nodding, as if she understood what he said. Hanzo feels himself relaxing. Ako could always make his day better.

Cole stands up, cleaning his clothes and then approaches him, handing Hanzo a hand so the omega can stand up too. The alpha caresses his face, and Hanzo leans into it and they share a quick kiss.

“Ew.” Genji says.

“ Stop being a child. ” Hanzo rolls his eyes and then Ako sneezes, with all the dust kicked tickling her nose, making again a small red zap of energy leave her body, shocking both Hanzo and Cole at the same time. The cowboy jumps back with a yelp.

“What was that?” He asks, massaging his arm where the bolt of energy zapped him.

“Her dragon, probably.” Hanzo says, hissing in pain.

“This is so exciting!” Genji says, jumping in place and approaching. He looks extremely proud, as if he was the one that made Ako manifest her dragon for a second.

“Isn’t that a little early for her?” Cole looks at their daughter with worry. The baby sniffs, making a face, before she coughs a little.

“The dragons accompany us from birth until the moment of our last breath.” Hanzo recites the teachings. “It takes time for us to create a bond and for them to manifest in the physical world, but they show glimpses of themselves to us even as young children.” He says and Cole hums and nods, putting hand on his chin in understanding. “Until their bond sets, her dragon will do some of these…” Hanzo tries to find the word for it in English, but it has left his mind.

“Mishaps.” Genji says, nodding.

“Yes.” Hanzo pats Ako’s back and sighs with tiredness.

“You don’t look happy with it.” Cole crosses his arms.

“Because the connections with the dragons bring consequences and dangers.” Hanzo fixes the hold on Ako. “I was hoping her gift was weak and that she would have more peace than us. Her Dragon manifesting now means she’ll be strong.” He hoped that she would be like the people before him and Genji, but that wasn’t the case.

“Is that even possible?” Cole frowns.

“It’s rare for them to be like ours-- mine and Genji’s.” Hanzo explains.

“Our grandfather’s dragon was the size of a small cat.” Genji nods, crossing his arms. “The biggest one until ours was our mother's… it was like the size of a big dog.”

“Now that's something I'd like to see, I bet it was cute.” He chuckles.

Hanzo smiles awkwardly, remembering that his mother had the nastiest dragon he has ever come across. It’s demeanor was calm, and it kept just observing around when she manifested it. It never bit him nor Genji, but it would be violent with everyone else, growling, snarling and biting at anyone that came closer to them. Some elders refused to even enter rooms when it was in the real world.

Hanzo now thinks that the dragon was onto something.

“More or less.” Hanzo shakes his head.

“So you two are really a marvel, huh?” Cole nods in approval.

“More like Hanzo is.” Genji grumbles. “He’s the first one to have twin dragons.”

“That is a way to see it.” Hanzo doesn’t want to tell Cole nor Genji how it felt like they were cursed most of the time. His pride and the dragons couldn’t take that. “Controlling them takes patience and discipline.” No matter, he’ll have to teach her how to talk to her dragons and how to keep the connection strong and controlled, so nothing bad ever happens to her. “The teachings can be rough.”

“Well, she ain’t in Hanamura anymore, so I reckon she’ll have a better experience than you two.” Cole caresses Hanzo’s arm and smiles at him. The omega nods, thinking that he may be right.

“That’s right.” Genji says, taking Ako in his arms. “I will train her and she’ll be the best ninja out there!” He smiles at her. Ako decides, then, to do the funniest thing ever, by coughing right on Genji’s face, making the ninja flitch his face away and quickly handing the girl back to Hanzo, who laughs at him, cradling the baby in his arms.

He takes the baby to take a bath, changing her clothes into the warm small sweatpants he has brought for her, wrapping Ako on the flowery blanket. Hanzo realizes then, that she doesn’t have any heavy coats to stay at home with. 

“Why don't we put her on this?” Cole asks, pulling the coat Angela has brought for her months ago. It would still fit Ako.

“Oh, no, that's for when she goes out.” He approaches taking the coat in his hands. He feels the material of it and the idea of Ako staining it with some kind of paint or dirt breaks his heart. It's not a kind of sentiment he used to have with his clothes. 

Most were given by his father, so he had simply the duty to keep them clean, maintain a certain image. There was no sentimental attachment to his clothes before. He was to use the ill fitting alpha clothes and that was that. 

Looking at the pristine coat right now, Hanzo feels a weird sort of jealousy. As if he made Ako use it will end up ruining it and with that it will ruin the little of good faith he had with others.

Cole hums, looking at the coat.

“What is it?”

“Just realized we haven't gone out much as a family.” The alpha says, scratching the back of his head. “You know, to have fun.”

Hanzo blinks, surprised at the fact. In truth they barely had time for anything else that is not work and stopping terrorist attacks and the end of the world. But again, Hanzo thinks about the talk he had with Genji. Ako will become one year old next month and she needs to socialize with other kids, learn to share, and how to behave in public with people she doesn't know. And there is the fact she'll need to go to daycare once she’s old enough.

Suddenly, the idea makes his heart squeeze with fear and anxiety. His last visit to the local market is fresh in his mind.

“Your mind is far away.” Cole comments and Hanzo shakes his head.

“You're right.” Hanzo sighs, massaging his face, trying to forget the whole ordeal. “I promised to not isolate her like my father did with me and yet…” He looks at Ako, the baby has some of the gifts everyone got her for Christmas with her. Right now she's playing with one sensory table that has holes to insert forms into, wheels to turn and things to interact with. 

“Well, she's barely one year old… it ain't your fault.” Cole hugs Hanzo close, resting the Omega's back to his front, hands resting against the omega’s belly. “Life is hectic here. And we should go out with her more.”

Hanzo nods and they spend some time watching Ako playing. She even stands up a little while holding on the toy.

“What do normal parents even do?” Hanzo asks, honestly confused about it. “My childhood was not the most… common, as you know.” Being the son of the biggest Yakuza leader made him very sheltered. Even simple things like festivals and the beach trips were filled with bodyguards and a set schedule. He didn't go to a daycare, and only went to primary school because it was mandatory and his Grandfather insisted on it.

“ How do you expect him to learn how to deal with the others while being isolated inside here?” She had said, shaking her head disapprovingly at his father. But by that time he was already an emotionally stunted little thing, with every other parent not allowing neither him nor Genji to be close to their kids, since his father was who he was.

Of course Genji knew how to go past that and by the time he was ten, he’d already understood what their name meant and why he shouldn’t tell others who he was.

“Go to the park?” Cole asks, confused too. “You know that I don't remember a whole lot about anything before Bell found me, and you know how that went down after…” Cole scratches his head, having no idea what to do. “It's not like I played much with the other kids back at the farm too, I was always running around either cleaning or feedin’ them.” And he had to learn fast, since the others hated to care for the babies and they ended up hurt or illif he didn’t.

“Maybe bubbles?” Hanzo remembers that despite everything, at least some part of this childhood was good. He and Genji at least spent a lot of time playing in the garden with bubbles, catch, and soccer.

“And hopscotch?” Cole says, shrugging.

“She cannot walk yet.” Hanzo rolls his eyes.

“We could make her hop around by holding her hands.” Cole chuckles, thinking of the image. Hanzo smiles too and leans in, pecking Cole on the lips.

“May I be honest?” He asks and Cole nods. “I am afraid to leave here with her.” Hanzo sighs. “The idea that Sombra is watching outside of the base, that anyone from Talon or my family could come and get her…”

“I get it.” He has his own fears like that, scared she will somehow disappear if he won't lock her away in her room. “But we can't be afraid of everything.” He kisses Hanzo's cheek. “‘Sides I'm putting a tracker on her.”

Hanzo burst out laughing.

“Just as a baby! At least until we can give her a comm once she learns how to use it.” The alpha pouts, obviously joking about the whole thing. Hanzo shakes his head, pecking Cole on the lips.

“Perhaps I'll allow it.” He smiles at Cole. "She's almost a year old now."

"You're right." Cole remembers. "So, I was thinking for her birthday, how about we get a giant bouncing castle and some of those magicians from Vegas to do trick--" Hanzo immediately puts a hand over his mouth, making him chuckle.

"Keep it simple." Hanzo orders, shaking his head, amused. "It's her birthday. Should be about her and not about our ego..." He turns to put the coat away, but Cole sees the same kind of lingering sadness that always holds into Hanzo when he's not telling him something, a part of his past that will come up later, but that he keeps hidden. One day he’ll tell him, Cole is sure of it.

Hanzo closes the closet door and walks to Ako, just in time to see the girl standing holding on to the toy in wobbly legs.

“ Come on, little Ako.” Hanzo calls and the baby turns to him. Recognizing her name. “ Let's go to bed.”

“Na!” Ako answers, shaking her head and smiling at Hanzo. The omega smiles at her and moves to approach, but Cole holds him back by the arm.

“Wait a minute. Sugar, I think she'll--” just as Cole says it, Ako releases the toy and walks to them. Five wonderful wobbly steps, with her hands raised up, asking to be held by her parents. Hanzo gasps and immediately kneels down so he can extend his arms and Ako can walk to him.

As soon as the baby gets to his arms, Hanzo hugs her close, engulfing the girl in love. He always thinks that he'll never be as proud and as full of love for her as he is at the moment, but she keeps surprising him.

“ I am so proud of you!” The omega says, unable to contain his emotions. There are tears gathering in his eyes as he stands up and Ako giggles. “Do you think we can make her walk again to film it?” Hanzo turns to Cole, who actually looks worse than him. The alpha is fully crying, face blotchy, hidden under his hand. “Cole?”

“She's so smart!” He cleans his face, getting close and hugging them both. “I'm so proud of you, kid.” he sobs and Hanzo can only smile at the alpha, whose heart is so soft and warm. Like butter.

“I guess now we can play hopscotch with her--” Before Hanzo can finish what he's saying Cole starts sobbing again. Hanzo chuckles and just stands there, perfectly content.

--

On the day after Ako learned to walk, Hanzo and Cole made sure to show off her new ability and somehow everyone spent any free time they had trying to make Ako walk towards them. She, of course, only walks towards two more people, that is Lúcio and Jack.

“Of course, I teached her how to walk.” Jack scoffs as he hands her the water gun he bought her for Christmas. Hanzo blisters a little, but decides to not antagonize him too much simply because it is the truth. Jack spent a lot of the past few weeks prior making sure she learned how to stand up alone.

And Lucio, well, she adores him and he's too likable and his clothes are colorful. Not that it did anything to mitigate how the others felt about it.

“But I'm her cool uncle!” Genji pouts, once they sit down to eat.

“She walked a few times in her life.” Hanzo shakes his head. “She'll surely find time for you.”

“She found time for Lúcio.” Genji sighs, resting his head on the table, arms stretched out.

“She hasn’t walked towards Cole and he’s not mad about it.” Hanzo says, remembering how Cole was always the one holding her hand and giving her the push to go forward. Genji grumbles, still mad about it, so Hanzo decides to give him a small gift. “ He did cry about it, the first time she walked. Snot and all. ” Hanzo admits and Genji can’t help but push himself up and laugh out loud about it.

“ Please, don’t ever stop giving me material to make fun of him! ” Genji cleans the tears from his eyes and Hanzo snorts at the idea. “Now he can’t make fun of me for crying over her.” He says, proud.

Hanzo looks at his daughter and thinks. She has eaten all of the strawberries he has given her, but not any of the savory food.

“ Ako, you must eat all of the food.” Hanzo shakes his head. He tries again to offer the fish and the peas, but she makes a face, turning away.

“Heh, just like you, Aniki . All for the sweets.” Genji comments, noticing it too. Shaking his head, Hanzo lets her be for now. Later in the day, when she’s hungry again, he’ll offer more. He pulls the plate and eats the remaining food, not wanting to waste it.

Some minutes pass in silence and Hanzo is in deep thought.

“You’re worried.” Genji asks. “She will eat more veggies as she grows up.”

“That’s now what I am thinking about.” He dismisses and Genji looks at him, confused. “Sometimes she does something, acts in a way that reminds me of us. Our childhood.” Hanzo says, remembering how Genji only ate tamago rice for a whole year as a child, while Ako still loves boiled eggs first and foremost. How she keeps gravitating to the fruits and the sweet pastries Cole bakes, just like him.

“And?”

“And she’s easy to love.” Hanzo pushes the plate away, thinking about the past. Hanzo knows their father must have loved them, despite everything. But the more time he spent remembering, the more he wondered if it was him just hoping and seeing love where there were just harsh expectations. There were moments he genuinely cherished, but most of the time, especially after Hanzo presented, Sojiro was more annoyed with his presence than anything else.

“Yes.” Genji drums his fingers on the table. “It’s a weird feeling, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“Realizing we deserved better.”

Hanzo looks at Genji, pained by what he said. 

It’s hard, indeed.

--

Meanwhile, Cole is away on his mission. They all had to go back to the schedule for the base and the missions started to pile up one after the other. That makes Cole ask himself about when the hell are they going to start recruiting more people? It seemed like, all of the sudden a spike in activity started to happen all over again. Talon and the null sector acting as one.

“Even bad guys like to spend time with their families on Christmas.” Lena commented, after he grumbled about the surge, shrugging.

“Yeah. Not every villain is some lone creep.” Genji said, eating the ramen he and Hanzo made for lunch. “Our father liked to spend Holidays with the family, for instance.” Hanzo only rolled his eyes and swatted his brother in the arm.

No wonder they are being stupid on missions. Hanzo told him the shit show that his last one was, and when Cole told him and Winston that they all were actually too tired, it all made sense.

“I guess after the few easy weeks we had it makes sense we are having difficulties to jump back into it.” Winston said, sheepish. Hanzo looked guilty as hell with that, a sour expression taking over his features the rest of the week. But in truth, everyone is tired from having mission after mission, sometimes even one after the other. 

He sighs, putting his comm back.

“Marital issues?” The driver asks, cheerful, looking back at them. “Sleeping in the couch today?” Cole rolls his eyes, but Brigitte only laughs.

“On the contrary. Agent Cassidy has a very happy relationship.” Orisa says, from the outside of the cart. Cole massages his face, feeling his cheek heat up as the driver laughs out loud at Orisa’s innocent comment.

“It's a work issue.” Cole says. “It’s getting sort of hard for me n’ my omega to work and care for our daughter at the same time.” 

“Ah, I see.” He nods, now serious. “It’s your first?” Cole nods. “I have three. All girls, two alphas and one omega. I remember when they were children.” He gives a hearty laugh “Oof, absolute madness. I don’t know how we survived.”

“So we’re not the only ones ripping our hair out?” Cole asks, good natured and The man chuckles, chatting away as they go through the motions. At some point the path is so calm Cole manages to sleep a little. He relaxes a little with the whole conversation. Maybe if they had normal jobs, a normal life, it would be easier… 

Of course that doesn’t last long. Goddamn Talon shows up, cornering them left and right. This time, Reaper and Widowmaker show up too, followed by more than a dozen of Talon soldiers in the middle of the fight. Cole, Brigitte and Orisa have to jump from the cart and fight for their lives to keep whatever is being moved safe.

They unfortunately fail miserably at that. The cart gets stolen and Orisa has to run to get it back and ends up being mobbed by the talon soldiers, while Cole and Brigitte can’t approach her because Widowmaker has a clean shot from where she's at. Also, Cole just saw Reaper materialize on the other side, waiting to flank them.

If he could just take a look at them, he could activate Deadeye and make it worth a shot, but there is no use. He’s not letting Lindholm’s child get caught up in the middle of the mess and end up hurt. So they keep down and they keep quiet.

“I can activate my shield and we can move to the next place.” Brigitte says, but Cole shakes his head. “I met her before, remember? My armor can take her shots. If we get to Orisa you can use your trick to clear the space!” She says, animated.

“Fine.” He grumbles, putting a cigarillo on his mouth. “But keep your shield coverin’ your head. Don't worry about me.” He says, taking one of his stun grenades from his belt. Brigitte nods and pulls her shield up and they start the walk towards Orisa.

Cole keeps at Brigitte's back, shooting the soldiers trying to flank them, keeping an eye on Reaper.

They go against the soldiers, Brigitte pushing forward and Cole behind her, shooting whoever tries to flank them. A shot zips through the air from time to time, hitting the shield. Cole has to thank Torbjorn and Renhardt for how sturdy it is. Even so, the shield still has its limits and soon it started to fall into pieces.

“The shield is falling!” Brigitte says, looking at the cracks forming.

“You know what time it is, Miss Brigitte?” Cole asks, smirking at her. Brigitte smiles and pulls the shield down to be regenerated and dives into hiding.

Cole calls Deadeye.

“It's high noon.” He pulls his gun. Five skulls shining in a haze of red. “Draw!” Five corpses hit the floor. The other four men look at him in fear. Cole throws the flash bang, stunning them. He sees Brigitte running towards Orisa and the cart and he dives right into cover inside a building.

He runs up the stairs, in hopes to find a path to the walkway, but he only finds a room with a small veranda outside. No way out.

Pulling the bullets from his belt, Cole quickly reloads, and prepares to shoot. Deadeye will have to work today. Heavy boots go up the stairs and Cole turns the corner, and calls for deadeye again.

“Step right in, folks.” He says.

He shoots.

He hits bullseye.

A soldier pulls his shield up at the last second, stopping all five bullets.

Fuck!

A soldier runs towards him, punching Cole in the face, disorienting him. Someone else pulls him into a headlock. 

He despairs.

Not this! not this! He thinks, desperate to free from the hold. One of the soldiers uses the butt of his pulse gun to hit Cole on the stomach. His vision blurs. The hold on his neck gets tighter. 

You little shit! You can’t follow a simple order!

Cole tries to breathe. His heart beats wildly. No way out, there is no way out. Old man Tucker holds his neck in a deathgrip, Cole begs him to stop, kicking his legs in the air. Someone screams. 

Please, stop! I’ll behave.

Tears fall down his face. He can’t breathe. 

He's losing consciousness. He can't breathe. Oh, god I'm gonna die here. Cole trashes our, the panic attack fully settling on him. 

“Just hit him! We can figure it out later!” Cole is going to pass out.

“Don't they have a bounty on him?”

His vision is spotty, turning black around the edges. 

Hanzo…

There is a shout. The soldier releases him. Someone pulls him by the lapel of his shirt and he’s thrown to the ground. Cole coughs, head feeling like a lead balloon. Breathe! He takes a huge gulp of air. Breathe! Someone is shouting. There is an argument, but Cole hears it as if he’s under water. 

“--ave to capture him alive. Ogundmu has asked specifically for him.”

“I'll take him.” 

“Sorry, sir, orders are for us to take him and nobody else.” 

“You're contradicting my orders ?” The growly voice says. “Do you think you have any say in what happens during this operation, Soldier?” Reyes? Cole Opens his eyes, hopeful that it will be him. What he sees is not Gabriel, it's Reaper. 

The shadow looks at the soldier and points his guns down and Cole feels his heart beat, adrenaline coursing through his body. He takes the opportunity and shakily moves to get the remaining bullets from his belt (the ones everyone thinks are for decoration only) and loads the peacemaker up.

Don't look down. He thinks as he takes Peacemaker out of the holster with a shaky hand. Bits and pieces of the argument folding in front of him come to his attention, but Cole is well focused on loading his weapon and praying for them to not look down. 

“These are Ogundmu’s direct orders, sir.” The soldier brings his weapon up. 

Don't look down. 

His hands are shaking too much.

“You take orders from me!”

“--warned us about you! And to intervene if you--” 

Breathe, Cole, breathe. Reload your goddamn gun. Don’t think of anything else.

Cole puts the last little bullet on the gun.

“--magine you’re a traitor!”

“Do any of you think you have what it takes to go against me?” 

BREATHE GODDAMMIT! 

“I will goddam kill you if I need to, pendejo !”

Cole pushes the hammer back into the weapon and pulls his hand up. 

A shot rings through the air. It's not from his Peacemaker. It’s the sound of the sniper rifle going off.  Widowmaker. Someone screams in pain. He flinches and looks up, realizing it’s Reaper who was shot. What the fuck? The remaining soldiers point their guns at him.

“Get down, you idiot!” Reaper screams at him, snatching him by teh back of his lapel and throwing him to the veranda. 

Cole quickly pulls his body into a ball, protecting the back of his neck. 

There is more screaming, a ruckus and then, a hail of butters start. Cole opens his eyes for a single second, and for a moment he thinks he’s seeing Death Blossoms again. A shot lands right before him and Cole protects himself again.

Suddenly he’s in the desert again and can feel the touch of the skull, the grip of his mother holding him as they run away, bullets flying in their direction. 

And then… 

Silence. 

And in the middle of the silence, haggard breathing. 

“Don’t say I never did anything for you, son.”

Deadeye activates by itself when he opens his eyes. Reaper stumbles to the ground and his body bleeds away in a cloud of smoke. 

Cole slowly uncurls from his protective pose. With shaky hands, he sits up and looks at the carnage with wide eyes. 

Reaper saved him. 

Why?

He stands up with wobbly legs and looks around. There is a familiarity to what he’s looking at, and for a second, he’s reminded of a mission, the last one he did, when Gabriel became mean and unpredictable. How he spoke to him. He thinks of the desert, not the one he was born in, but Junkertown.

“Didn’t Reaper tell you to stop?”

“I never will.” Jack snaps at Sombra. “Not until I get him back.”

Why is he thinking about this now?

“Tell Jack to stop following me.”

Shaking his head, Cole looks at the bullet holes on the walls and on the Talon soldier’s bodies. Shotguns. Except one. When he looks out of the window, he can see the purple and blue blur of Widowmaker's silhouette, flying away with a grappling gun.

She deliberately shot Reaper.

“I told you he’s alive.” 

“Are you sure?”

He stumbles outside and sees Reaper’s body materializing on the floor on the battlefield. He stays up for a moment before falling, the small number of soldiers still alive take him, all falling back to the Talon ship, whenever that is stationed.

After a while he realizes they are alone now. 

When he finds Orisa and Brigitte, both are unharmed and both have dealt with the Talon soldiers swiftly.

“That was a good one, Mr. Cassidy!” Brigitte smiles widely at him. “You took Reaper out good!” She nods. “Next time we’ll get him!”

Cole looks up, confused for a moment. “Oh. Yeah.” He nods and goes to the cart, getting on it. The driver is hiding in the back, thankfully unharmed, so they follow the remaining path without any issues.

--

When he gets home, Hanzo greets him with a serious and worried expression. Cole walks towards him and, in a trance, lets Hanzo assess the damage to his neck, lets the omega kiss his temple and guide him to the infirmary to have biotics implanted on his arm, a cold pack for his neck. 

Why did Widowmaker shot him?

Jack said he is alive, didn't he?  

In the debriefing, when Cole tells of what happened, Winston looks at him confused. “Three for three now.” The commander says, scratching his head and Cole nods. He feels like he should talk to Jack, but the omega isn’t here.

Back inside his own room, Cole thinks as Hanzo holds an ice pack on his neck (He’d snort and the reversal of roles and make a joke about his own injuries, but his mind is too full). Ako is already asleep, peacefully, not a worry in the world. 

“In your mission, he saved you too, didn’t he?” Cole asks.

“Not saved, he just let me go.” Hanzo answers. 

“And he didn’t say anything weird to you?” 

“No. He let himself be hit by the arrows and just… let me leave.”

Cole looks at a spot on the floor, confused. He flinches when Hanzo moves the ice pack and holds Hanzo’s hand, as if in instinct. They look at one another for a second, before the alpha releases his hand, sighing. 

“Do you need to talk?” Hanzo asks, not disturbed by his reaction. 

“No, It's just…” Cole points at his own neck. “This whole thing…” He sighs and realizes that, yes, he does need to talk. “I had a flashback, when the Talon soldiers choked me. About the old man… Tucker.”

“The cruel man with the farm.”

“Yeah, him.” Cole clears his throat. His voice is rough from the choking. “He did this when I became older. Punishment. Once ‘cause I was feeding the kids instead of cleaning up his mess. Almost died the second time. Third time he tried was when I left.”

Hanzo looks at him. His eyes clouded with anger and sadness. 

“I wonder why anyone would leave children to the care of such a dishonorable man.”  Hanzo caresses his mate’s cheek with his thumb, making soft circles in his skin. It’s true, Hanzo could understand, on a logical level, that his father managed to keep them in an abusive place because he had money and connections. But he can’t understand why anyone would deliberately leave children to suffer with a man like Tucker. 

“You’d have to ask my mama that, Sugar.” Cole smiles at him, full of sadness and with empty eyes. Hanzo kisses his temple tenderly then, trying to make him forget about it. 

When they lay down to sleep, Hanzo brings him close, caressing his hair and his back. But Cole can’t really rest. His head is too full. The thoughts reels on his head, confused, out of order. He feels like there is something he should know.

He looks at the room where his baby is asleep and tries to forget the whole Reaper thing, at least until tomorrow. 

No need to think about ghosts.

--

A distress signal reaches the watchpoint after two days.

The comms all light up in unison as Hana’s message gets to them.

It’s harrowing to watch.

“Watchpoint, this is agent Song! We need extraction ASAP!” Her voice is desperate. “The Aurora is down! We need help t--” her microphone clicks off. Static. Then the image comes back. “GENJI IS HURT! And Jack they--” The video jumps. “I repeat they captured-” More static and when the feed comes back up, Hana is swearing, her mecha already in the analog mode, flashing lights like it’s a christmas tree. There is blood on her face. “I CAN’T HOLD-- YMORE-- THAT MAN IS TOO --”

They immediately move after hearing Hana activating the self destruction sequence and the sound of an explosion rings on the halls of the watchpoint, effectively ending the transmission. Winston himself runs to prepare the Orca, with Brigitte, Torbjorn and Fareeha, leaving for the others to organize the emergency protocols alone.

It’s not more tumultuous because there are few people on Base. Reinhardt and Lúcio are the only other people there, with most of the others on missions or outside of the base.

Hanzo insists he’d go with. The commander tries to stop him, but he points out the hypocrisy, considering him and Cole a liability, but the Gorilla and Fareeha can go rescue Tracer and Ana without any issues.

So they go, leaving Ako with Lúcio.

The trip is silent, with Winston driving the Orca as fast as he can. Hanzo understands now why he didn’t drive the vehicles more times, he looks huge against the small seat and the tinny buttons. The whole flight is rocky, with them all having to stay secured on the emergency seats.

When they get to the location, at the Lijiang Towers, the place is wrecked to shit.

He's here. Udon says. Hanzo feels the hairs on the back of his head stand up.

Hurry, little one! They need help! As soon as the door of the orca opens, Hanzo is out. The garden is a mess, rocks, blood, earth and pieces of the building torn to pieces. Everything has bullet holes on them.

Bastion is the first one they find, several pieces of his body shot and burnt scattered around. Waving, he whistles a sad noise to them. Torbjörn sighs and starts to gather him in a wheelbarrow, mumbling angrily about savagery.

“Hi lads, could you--” Tracer zaps close to them, disappearing soon after. “--lling too well.” She shows up again, only to zap back to their sides. “--help me? I’m not fee--” Winston manages to hold her and quickly puts a device on her chronal accelerator, pushing a button in the middle.

Instantly, the woman relaxes. They can see her chronal accelerator is ruined, smashed to pieces, zapping with energy, but Lena is finally stable.

Brigitte helps to stabilize them, but Hanzo and Cole start searching more with Fareeha by their side. Inside it’s not much better. The center of the room is blown to pieces, Hanzo sees several pieces of pink metal scattered around and blood.

A lot of blood.

For a moment he has the terrible realization that Hana might be dead.

No, little one. The small rabbit is hidden away. Soba whispers. They frantically search for her and find the pilot huddled in a nook under one the stairs. She’s bleeding heavily, and is hugging a device on her chest.

“Hana.” Hanzo says, reaching for the girl.

“Hi, dude.” She opens her eyes. “I got the intel.” She shows the device to Hanzo and he can see that her whole body is trembling. Her leg is broken too from the weird way it’s bending.

“She's in shock.” Cole says as Hanzo pulls her from under the stairs. The cowboy takes his serape off of his body and covers her.

“Let’s go.” He pulls her into his arms, realizing how light she is. Fixing the hold on the girl, Hanzo stands up. “Don’t sleep.” He warns her and quickly runs towards Fareeha. Cole stays behind, looking for the others.

“Sorry, I don’t think I can.” She groans.

“Don’t pick this time to be badly behaved.” He says, looking at Fareeha. “Come on, Take her, I’ll find the others.”

“My mother.”

“I’ll find her.” Hanzo nods, and Fareeha takes Hana in her arms.

“I’ll take care of you.” She says to the younger omega and Hana mumbles weakly, but sarcastic ‘My hero’. And that of all things, makes Hanzo relax a little. He watches as the pilot flies away back to the orca and how Brigitte immediately takes Hana out of his arms and into a stretcher. She starts the first aid care right there, pulling Iv bags, blood transfusions from the medical fridge. Hanzo is glad that they take time to donate frequently.

Quick!

The mother.

“Ana.” Hanzo runs from the Orca, following the dragon's direction, like intuition coiling on his gut. He runs and runs.

She’s weak. Udon says, Hanzo swallows down, throat closing in despair. On a higher passage, one in between two buildings, he sees her. She has a hand over her arm, face pale, lips almost purple.

Hanzo stops in front of her.

“Ana. Are you okay?” There is no sign of any injuries besides the one on her arm, but the purple residue is all over the place. Moira was here.

“Just weak.” She smiles, patting his face. “Don’t worry, habibi , I had it worse.” She smiles weakly, but Hanzo shakes his head, taking her in his arms and running.

“I’m taking you to the Orca. Brigitte is there.” He says and Ana just nods. He uses his boot to go faster. Jumping and climbing over things without any issues. When he gets to the Orca, he sees that only Torbjörn is there.

“Where are the others?” Hanzo asks and Torbjörn looks at him with so much grief that Hanzo’s heart seizes.

Our brother, where is our brother?

He’s fading.

We can barely feel him.

Hanzo puts Ana down on the medical stretcher and runs. He goes to the garden area, the main square. Finally, he sees a glow, coming from a hidden place, close to small shops that sell food there. That is Zenyatta’s transcendence glowing.

Brother, stay!

Don't leave us again!

No. No.

Turning a corner he finds them.

Somehow, the first thing he notices is that Brigitte is frantically moving, injecting things, running diagnoses. Cole is pressing his shirts against a wound on Genji’s side, the ones with all the bionic limbs, stopping the bleeding. Or rather no, that’s not just blood seeping out of him. There is a strange liquid oozing from his injuries, his mechanical arm is smashed to pieces and looks like someone just crumpled it like it was an aluminum can.

NO .

BROTHER!

His head is resting against Zenyatta’s body, or what remains of it, He’s sure that if he could float he would. Fareeha is holding him. He realizes Zenyatta’s legs and part of his lower hips are ripped away. It’s almost as if mirrored Genji's wounds.

“Hello, Hanzo.” Zenyatta says, sighing. He’s clearly in pain and Hanzo’s chin wobbles. The others turn hastily at him.

“Is--?” He starts to ask but feels himself shutting down. The memories of the duel enter his mind and suddenly, Hanzo can't say anything. He feels rooted in place.

Udon retreats back, hidden away somewhere. Soba is thrashing around, screaming in his mind. There is a buzzing in his ear, the smell of ozone.

“Don’t look, Sugar!” Cole urges. “Pharah!”

Fareeha quickly puts Zenyatta down and walks to Hanzo, turning him away and walking.

“Come on, go back to the Orca.” She says and Hanzo turns his face back, trying to understand what is going on. Somehow his mind can’t compute it. He’s alive, right? They wouldn't be trying to save him if he wasn’t. He holds to that notion. He’s alive.

They walk together back to the Orca and Hanzo hears something on the comms, calling Pharah back. She speaks to someone inside, quickly hugging her mother before she flies away, leaving Hanzo by the ramp.

“Come on, Shimada, come here, I need help with Ana.” Torb asks, kindly and Hanzo blinks, walking back inside. He feels weird, like he’s not really there. He helps Torbjörn to give Ana the biotics she needs, opening one of the instant biotic cans Jack usually uses, allowing a perimeter of spray to wash over them. They speak, but Hanzo doesn’t really pay any attention to it.

It feels like ages before he hears the footsteps approaching.

Looking at the entrance Hanzo watches as Brigitte is running to their direction with Genji in her arms. Fareeha is right behind her, carrying Zenyatta, now without his transcendence. He watches in a daze as Brigitte moves around, cursing and asking for help to stabilize Genji. Fareeha puts Zenyatta down with Torbjorn.

“Don’t look.” Cole says as he approaches, pulling Hanzo’s face away from Genji and Zenyatta and into his chest. But it’s already too late, he’s seen Genji, the mangled pieces and the torn synthetic ligaments, the damage he caused. Part of his major organs are bionic, all smashed like they were nothing. He smells the blood, of the the fluid used to make his limbs operate.

Hanzo looks at Cole’s chest, eyes wide. He’s wearing a black undershirt. Hanzo wonders if he’s feeling cold too… He himself is trembling. He turns his face and can see that Tracer is on the seats of the Orca, her forms slightly shifting, not quite out of the timeline, but not really there either. 

“Is he alive?” He hears someone asking and his breath becomes erratic.

“He's breathing.” Brigitte answers. There is a shuffle and the sharp sounds of metal and medical utensils being used, biotics needles being jabbed, the ping ping ping of a heart monitor after being turned on.

“You too?” Hanzo hears Torbjörn ask, far away from the noise. He focuses on that.

“It's good to see you too.” Zenyatta says. Bastion whistles something that sounds like a sarcastic comment.

“If you can be snarky you’re not in that bad of shape.” He points a wrench at him and Hanzo has the feeling that Zenyatta rolls his eyes at Torbjörn.

Pulling himself away a little, Hanzo sees that Winston is waking back back inside with the core pieces of the Mecha.

Everyone is here, except Jack.

“Come on, we have to find Jack.” Cole nods to Fareeha and looks back.

“Th-there is no use.” Hana manages to speak in between shaking, from under a reflective blanket. “They g-got him. Tal-lon has Jack.”

“What?”

Notes:

So, I'm evil and I love to over complicate everything. I hope y'all liked the new chapter, again, any mistakes, weird grammar, phrases or anything, you can tell me, I'll fix it.
Tell me what y'all thought of it. :)

Chapter 26: The mistake I've made, It can't be turned around

Chapter by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead)

Summary:

The eye of the hurracane

Notes:

So, I wrote this and then I rewrote it. ANd then I restarted it, then I frankenteined it back together. I Had a lot of dificulty with this, because I wrote the draft for this right after my cat died and a lot of other bad things happened, so going back to it was difficult. But, now, I'm happy with it.
This chapter is brought to you by Come Home from the Newton Brothers. It's from the haunting of Hillhouse.

Also Trigger Warning: Mentions of past drug addiction, heavy alcohol comsumption, fighting, screaming, medical torture, atempted brainwashing, suicidal thoughts, brainwashing, hallucination and the usual violence.

Don't worry, everything will be fine.

Cole is unconsolable. 

First he asks Hana what she meant by that and the pilot cried to him, telling how they couldn't do anything.

“He r-ran off to g-go face Re-Reaper.” She takes a deep breath. “Wh-When we realized it, that man M-mauga already had Jack in his hold.” Hana sniffs, clearly shaken. 

“Can't be, I just saw Reaper getting shot by Widowmaker two days ago!” Cole looks at her, wide eyed.

“It was just too quick.” Hana's whole body trembles and her stare gets lost in the horizon. “ He was so strong.”

Cole focuses on the fact Hana hadn't heard the vehicle taking off and that Talon and their forces could still be there. Their ship is hidden away somewhere, right?

“Right?!” He turns towards Winston who has an apologetic look on his face. “Winston? Pharah?” Hanzo touches his shoulder, but Cole shrugs it off, shaking his head. He stomps out of the Orca. “Fine! I’ll find him myself if I need to!” He takes his weapon off of the holster and starts walking.

Hanzo runs and stops the Cowboy when he’s already outside, but Cole turns to him, angry, expecting a fight. Instead he sees a pleading look.

“ Please… Genji is… ” It's all he can muster, voice hoarse and small. Cole shakes his head, desperate. Hanzo pulls his mate into a hug, holding him fiercely. The alpha’s knees give out and they slowly crouch on the ground, folded together in a mess of limbs and sadness.

His cry is desperate and full of anger and regret, that one that comes deeply from inside your guts, but it’s also silent. Contained in shaky sniff and sobs.

“ I’m here. ” Hanzo wants to say, desperate for Cole to understand him, but he can't. He too is trying to keep himself from falling apart. 

Cole cries himself hoarse, face hidden on Hanzo's chest, sobbing desperately. The dragons materialize without Hanzo having to ask them to and soon are off, bigger than normal, fast, reckless and thirsty for blood.

They hit walls, run through corridors, destroying more of the building. But there is no use.

There is no one here, little one. Soba says, regretful, when she comes back. Her voice booms in his mind and her body more electricity than anything else.

They have all left. Udon shakes his head, disappearing. 

They only go back inside because Hanzo pulls Cole up. When they take off they see that really there is no other vehicle close.

It's just them.

--

Hanzo feels like he's about to puke and pass out at the same time. The smell of biotics, medicine and blood is nauseating, worse than the smell of any unknown alpha would ever be for him. But he keeps strong, for everyone else’s sake. Cole holds his hand, seated on the benches, eyes lost in the ground and Hanzo can hear a small whine leaving his chest, not high enough for anyone but him to listen to.

“How many were here?” Winston's question seems out of place in the tense room.

“Five.” Zenyatta’s voice is calm and tired. “Reaper, Moira, two soldiers we didn’t know and someone they called Mauga. He did most of the damage.”

“I-it was-s like nothing w-we did could hurt him.” Hana shakes, even with the reflective blanket over her body. “Moira and one of the s-soldiers kept healing h-him.”

“A biotic spray.” Zenyatta says. “And a field. It protected him.”

Their conversation is hushed but Cole can still hear them anyways, and it makes the man fold over himself, angry and worry and sadness radiating off of him. Hanzo stands by his side, lost, unable to go to Genji, Ana or Hana. Brigitte is still with them, making sure the respirator is still going, that the blood transfusion is working, the IV bag is dripping on the right time.

Hanzo can't stop looking at his brother, in a kind of dazed state. He doesn't want to see it, but he also can't look away. The dragons manifest on their own, Soba coils himself on Cole's shoulder, looking like a ball of lightning, hiding her face on his beard and Udon tries to get to Genji, but can't in the flurry of movements. 

Their voices are a mess on his head and Hanzo can’t understand them. Gibberish mixed with cries.

Hana slowly gets the color back on her face and Hanzo walks Cole towards her, so they can at least stay close to someone that they care about. To make sure she's alive, that not everything really is all lost. 

Hanzo calls for the dragons to come back, but they don't. They refuse to, or so he thinks (He can’t concentrate on them, much less understand them). Is not until Ana wakes up that they slowly disappear.

“Rest, mom, please.” Fareeha touches her pale face, brushing away the sweat on her brow.

“Is Jack okay?” She asks, tired. “Did he talk to Gabriel?” Fareeha looks at her in confusion, but soon after she closes her eyes again.

Cole folds over himself, crying in silence.

Hanzo can only watch.

--

Thankfully, once they land, Angela has already come back from the supply run and is waiting for them with Lúcio. Reinhardt is on the far side of the room, looking at them, Ako held in his massive hands.

They have gone through the protocols enough during the endless meetings and training sessions, that all of them had it memorized. Lúcio has the stretchers and medical items ready to go and once Brigitte moves the patients to Mercy, it’s all hectic. She is ordering left and right, running to the surgery room, yet again.

Hanzo doesn’t even realize he is up and following them until Cole stops him and pulls him back.

“Let ‘em do their work . ” Cole says, voice hoarse.

“Let me-- ” He pulls his shoulder away, but stops, watching the tail end of Angela's ponytail disappearing on the curve of the corridor, wheeling them away. Hanzo's eyes sting and he groans in pain, closing his eyes with force. He tries to ignore Soba lamenting on the back of his mind, her ever present murmurs muddling Hanzo's thoughts.

Our family She cries, sniffing. He can sense Udon is snarling around, angry that they couldn’t be there with Genji, protecting him from Talon. That they should be protecting Hana and Ana and Jack. Oh, Gods. Hanzo thinks. Jack. Captured by Talon, to do God knows what to him. 

He doesn’t know how much of it is the dragon’s emotions and how much of it is his own.

Cole pulls him away, ignoring the tears in his own eye and how every blink seems to bring the red haze, with Deadeye trying to find the danger making him stressed.

Hanzo’s breath hitches and the omega sways a little. They walk to the nearest chairs and sit down. Reinhardt approaches them, giving such a sorrowful look that Cole can’t face him. The giant alpha hands little Ako into Hanzo's arms, and in that second, he realizes that they may be the last of the Shimadas.

Tracer approaches them, blinking in and out of existence slightly. “Lads, don’t-- ll be fine.” She smiles, sad. “Angela knows--” She zips into five steps back, and Winston holds her arm. They can see the device on her chest is snapping again. “cry, It wi--”

“Come, Lena. The stabilizer is wearing off, we need to run to the lab.”

“Yes. Thank--inston.” She sighs, tired, letting herself be guided away. Torbjorn passes through them with Bastion and Zenyatta in a wheelbarrow. Bastion whistles sadly, waving at them. Ako waves back.

--

For the first hour back there is silence. 

The surgery is taking forever.

Everyone is running around to deal with the damage. 

Hanzo, Cole and Fareeha are seated in the waiting room. Fareeha offers to hold Ako for them, but Hanzo can't release his child, not now. 

As the second hour passes, he ignores the comm messages showing they are having a stupid meeting to deal with the whole thing. Pharah is called by Winston then, and it’s when Torbjörn shows up to stay with them for a while and bring the spare pieces Angela needs.

He explains all about how it will be fine, because he’s seen Angela work miracles before. But Hanzo knows that this wasn't like Fareeha, who was lucky or even when Genji got caught on Sombra’s hacking fingers. This is his brother's limbs torn up, his insides smashed, bleeding fluid like an omnic and blood like a human. 

Gods, he saw the bionic part of his body folded like paper. 

Hanzo is so stressed about the whole thing that he has a headache. There is a lump on his throat and a sensation that he will die at any time. His heart is beating a mile a minute and he feels like he's about to pass out. But he endures it. 

Dealing with the edge of the panic attack is something he's used to for years now. He has mastered the act of being functional while panicking. Right? Right. Yes. He changes Ako when she needs to, taking the opportunity to use the bathroom too. When he leaves, Hanzo can only look at his own reflection as he washed his hand, heart beating ThumpThumpThump, blood rushing to his ears.

It doesn't help that Cole is a wreck beside him too. The initial fear and gut wrenching sadness for losing Jack has finally settled and has become a vile anger. Maybe with the realization that he wasn’t dead, but captured, maybe in a worse predicament than everyone is, even now.

By the third hour, others have passed and asked how things are faring and they have to tell that they don’t know.

“Winston wants to see you.” Tracer says at some point, after asking how they are doing. It's already almost noon now and Hanzo couldn't leave this place if he wanted to. But Cole stands up, fixing the hat on his head and exhales an annoyed breath.

“You can go.” Hanzo says, eyes lost in details of the walls as he caresses Ako's hair. “I'll stay.”

“Yeah, right.” He scoffs, shaking his head. “I ain’t leaving you here all alone waiting for news.”

“The surgery will take more time.” Tracer says. “This is really important, it is about Jack.”

Hanzo relents, then. There is nothing really he could do here but wait.

--

Gabriel wakes up in Moira's lab with Sombra looking at him with anger. The lab is cold as ever, the smell of chemicals and the fluid the scientist uses to preserve her samples and experiments burns his nose. He doesn't know how it doesn’t bother Olivia. Maybe the girl was just too used to the smell of death to care.

“ Had fun playing white knight? ” She asks. 

“ What happened? ” He asks, sitting up. He is maskless and only in his underwear. Moira was probably testing some bullshit healing serum of hers again. How long did he sleep this time? All he remembers was saving Cole and then being shot.

“ Widowmaker.” She shot him. “I’ll kill her…” He says. There is a flash of memory after that, but he can’t remember it.

“No you won’t. You can't.” Sombra mocks him. Gabriel opens his mouth to ask whatever she means by that, but she doesn’t let him speak again. “ Wanna see what else they did? ” Sombra sneers at him and pushes herself off of the wall, walking. Reaper does as she says and follows along.

He sees on the far side of the room, through the window, Jack laying there one of the stretches. He’s almost naked, only using his boy shorts. Moira didn't even have the decency to cover his chest. There is an Iv on his strapped arm, with a liquid Gabriel doesn’t recognize. Reaper growls, nails digging on his palms.

“What is he doing here?” He turns towards Sombra, who looks appalled to even be asked the question.

“ You tell me, idiot. ” Sombra says in spanish, all snark. “ It wasn’t me he was following around like a lost puppy.”

“ I didn't cause this!”

“ Didn’t you?” Sombra scoffs. “ All of the stunts you did caused this! The information leaks! Playing dead with the Archer. ” She approaches and pokes him in the chest. “ Saving that girl’s life! The cowboy?” Reaper turns to her, surprised she knows about those. “ You forgot the body cameras? ” She shakes her head. “What do you think that would do when your beau saw Fareeha’s recording? ”

Gabriel doesn’t have an answer to that. He didn’t expect Jack to see it. Actually, long ago, he expected that his mate would stay away and finally retire after everything that happened, maybe he’d break the bond and find someone else. That sometimes he could pass through the town he was residing in and just watch. He’d want that for Jack, an idyllic life, maybe being visited by Cole from time to time.

That didn’t happen.

He forgot, in all the sweet memories he had, that Jack is stubborn to a fault. That when the man wants something, he will have it.

“ You need to leave.” She looks at Gabriel. “ This is not about my opinion, they--”

The digital lock beeps, turning green and granting access to whoever is coming in. The door of the lab opens and Gabriel turns towards it. 

It’s Moira. 

The doctor stops in her tracks and squints at him, confused and, dare Reaper say, scared. As if there is something wrong. 

“You're awake.” She says, and then opens an easy fake smile. “Looking at our prey?” She is amused, and turning back, he sees that Sombra has already left.He keeps quiet, taking in deep breaths to calm himself. 

“Why am I here?”

“You needed healing and I need to do more tests.” She says as if it is obvious, taking latex gloves from one of the boxes.

“Why?”

There is a moment of silence, enough for Gabriel to notice hesitance. 

“Seems like your bite is still on Morisson’s neck.” She points at the glass. Gabriel looks closely, and realizes that yes, his bite is still very much there, as deep as before. Somehow, that's what shakes him the most. “I need to see if the bond is still working.”

“I told you it IS broken.” He says through his teeth.

“Wouldn't hurt to check.” She chuckles, knowing that it will in fact, hurt a lot. Just not on her.

But Gabriel stays quiet. There is no use in trying to challenge her now and he knows all of the next steps. If he can endure the test and make the pain go away quickly by healing fast, maybe he can find a way to release Jack before Moira gets to do anything with the omega.

“Come on.” She opens the door of the cell lab and walks in. Reaper follows and as soon as he enters he is hit by the smell of Jack's scent. The sweet lavender scent mixed with his own fills Gabriel’s lungs. But it’s more than that, It feels like it fills his everything, his whole being.

It’s like he's drinking a cup of water after a long hot day, like he's at home. It almost seems like the dull perpetual pain he’s always in is dampened. He tries to not demonstrate it and goes to sit on the steel table, waiting for Moira to do whatever she needs to.

She moves to the test. She cuts, snips away, takes samples of blood and Gabriel tries to heal himself as quickly as possible. 

“Shall we see your enhancements?” Moira asks, already moving forwards to take the instrument necessary. Gabriel turns, letting her look at his back. 

It’s excruciating. Moira is not gentle while unscrewing the metal pieces from his back, sending shockwaves of pain, radiating it all to all of his limbs. She changes the fluid there, checking how well integrated it was to his spine and ribs. He feels something poking him, a needle being inserted. He doesn’t know if something is being taken in or out of him.

If there was anything on his stomach, he would have puked. 

Gabriel can see that Jack is in pain, but even in his sleep, it is almost impossible to tell. Their bond is already weaker. The only moment Jack reacts more is when Moira accidentally pinches his neck with tweezers, where the mating bite is. He flinches a little. It's not enough for her to notice (since Gabriel tries to heal himself as quickly as possible) and soon Jack sighs, sleeping away. But Gabriel knows he felt the tell tale of the pain. Thankfully his own body and skin is so marred that his bond bite is hidden away in a mess of scars.

Moira hums after everything, curious, but disappointed.

“It seems like he has moved on since then.” She says amused, searching for his reaction. He doesn’t budge, he has said time and time again to her that he doesn’t care about Jack, so he acts like it.

“And how does that affect me?” Reaper sneers at her. She pulls his arms, injecting him with one more thing, before nodding.

“It doesn't.” She takes her gloves off, throwing them away in the hazard disposing bin, and walks to a locker in the other room. “I’ll bring your clothes and mask. I’m sure you want to hide… all of that.” Her tone is of mild disgust, as if she wasn't the one that made him like this.

He grunts and stands up. He knows his body and face are mangled and deformed to the point no one wants to even look at it. What he finds funny is that someone like Moira, who was so used to the monstrosities she creates, is displeased seeing the results of it.

“Will that be all?” He asks, unbothered.

“For now. You’re dismissed.” She says, walking towards Jack with a cold certainty that she finally got the subject she wanted all along. “I have other projects to tackle.”

Gabriel sees red. Jack is so close, too close. He can’t let him here. Won’t, even if it kills him. Quickly, he turns towards Moira, ready to do something stupid. He steadies his body to turn into smoke, but as soon as he does so, he screams in agony. Pain shoots from his spine to every limb, every vein and atom of his body. His vision sways. 

“Finally.” Moira turns to him, watching as he stumbles in place and falls kneeling to the ground, taking with him several pieces of medical equipment. 

“What did you DO?” He asks, shaking. He tries to stand up, but can’t. The pain is too great.

“It’s a new feature in your enhancements. ” She looks at him, not angry, just mildly annoyed. “I may not fully understand your biology yet, but there are ways around it.” Gabriel shakes, snarling. “Or do you think your treason wouldn’t go unanswered? That Akande wouldn't find out?” She huffs, shaking her head. “All of this for an Omega you’re not even bonded to anymore. For an ingrate without perspective like Cassidy?” She tuts, looking disappointed. 

“Release him!” He breathes out and watches as the world turns black around the edges. “I’ll kill you! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!”

“You won’t do anything, Gabriel.” She sneers at him, calm. She can’t help but think about what a pathetic view that man has become, wriggling on the floor in pain.

“Who did it? Sombra?” He asks in between the madness of his pain, limbs shaking. “Mauga?”

An easy smile forms on her face. “You brought Jack to me.”

Gabriel looks up at her, wide eyed. No. 

He brainwashed him again? How? HOW? They can't, they can't, he knows it! It doesn't last, it can't last. 

“You'd be surprised at what a little anesthetic does to someone’s awareness.” Moira answers. Did Gabriel speak his mind without realizing? “You may want to rest now, we have a long way to go.” She stands up and Gabriel can’t keep his eyes open. “The future is bright. And you and Morrison will be at the center of it. Just like old times.”

No. Gabriel’s heart beats a mile a minute. Not again. 

“Funny how things work.” She says. 

He can hear Moira’s shoes tapping as she walks around the room with purpose. Heavy boots enter the lab and Gabriel is manhandled again on the stretcher. Before he knows it, someone is restraining his hands and feet.

He tries again to fade, but again screams in pain, body undoing in smoke and quickly going back to normal. Something pinches his arm. The world becomes a jumbled mess. Steps. Boots coming in and out of the room. 

“Take him to the other lab.”

The squeak of badly kept wheels. But he’s not the one moving. Doors open and close. 

“Don’t be scared, he’ll be sedated from now on.” Moira says, far away. Some voices speak, muffled. A brief discussion. “No! Use the analog lock!” Moira snaps. “Stupidity is not a right and I will not have it ruining my experiments!”

Hes tired.

There is the distant sound of a door closing. 

Gabriel feels so tired. 

“What a bitch.” one of the soldiers says. The other responds something in a dismissive tone, but Reaper can't really understand it. There is a polyphonic sound and a click on the lock. 

Then, there is only silence and pain.

Tired. 

So, so tired.

Sombra pulls her cloaking device, showing herself. She quickly moves to take the restraints away, cutting them with a scalpel and helps the alpha up and to sit in the bed. 

“Fuck.” Gabriel curses, breathing hard. 

“I told you! I told you this was going to happen!” She whispers to him, looking back at the closed door. She quickly approaches it and sighs in relief, seeing that the guards are stupid enough to not obey Moira. 

“Help me.” Gabriel breathes out, tired and feeling like he’ll pass out at any moment. 

“Stay still. I’ll get the antidote.”

“No. Not with this.” Gabriel closes his eyes, concentrating. “Jack… With Jack. I have to get him out of here--”

“Are you worried about this now?”

“Help me save him and I’ll leave you be.” A gasp. “You won’t hear about me--”

“Because you’d be dead! I couldn't predict this! They hid this even from me! They know everything! You need to run! If we try to save Jack and they find out, they are going to kill you!”

“THEN LET THEM KILL ME!”

Sombra takes a step back, watching as Gabriel's form starts to become smoke and melt into the air, almost intangible. He agonizes, body contorting in pain. She wonders, not for the first time, what else Moira has done to Reaper? What is there that she doesn’t know?

“He's my mate, Sombra. I can’t let him live this hell!” He says, painful, body becoming tangible again, folding into a ball. “Nothing else matters but his and Cole’s wellbeing.” He shudders.

Olivia almost wants to cry. But all she feels is anger. Anger that someone would sacrifice himself for another person, that he thinks about Jack, oh, dear Jack and poor poor Cole first before himself, that he, like many people Olivia saw fall, cares too much to the point of self flagellation. 

And maybe, she’s angry and scared that he’s making her care too.

“Okay.” She says, looking at Gabriel. “First you need to wake you up.” She nods. “But I can’t do anything about the pain.” 

Gabriel nods and Sombra walks around the lab, taking what she needs to help Gabriel wake up. It will do a number to him for a moment, but he’ll slowly get better. She injects him, watching as the old alpha starts to wake up fully. He trembles and looks around, realizing hes still in the same lab. Jack was the one they moved. 

“I can't stay here.” Gabriel says.

“Obviously.” Sombra tries to think quickly. Gabriel won’t move out unless Jack comes too. “Look, they probably moved him to the other lab. It's going to be full of security there. We won’t be able to take them away from there unless--”

“Something really big happens.” Gabriel looks at her, mind already tracing a plan. Sombra looks at him, amused. 

“What are you thinking?”

“Zurich.” Reaper smiles at her.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Now, that would be bold. 

“Okay. I can work with that.” She nods, taking a deep breath. “But Gabe, after this, you're on your own.”

“I know.” Gabriel limps to the locker, pulling his clothes out of it and on his body. His movements are weak. Too much pain.too much damage.

Sombra frowns at him but moves on. She knows what to do to make this whole place look like a mess. The fact that Akande wasn’t here right now would benefit them a lot, making it easier to disrupt the whole operation.

“Get ready.” Sombra brings her gloves up, looking at the hard light screens.“My cloaking device barely fits two. So once I take the guards out, we need to move fast and in silence.” She checks her hacks, seeing that everything is in place, all the cameras are looping footage. 

Gabriel nods, approaching. 

Time to go.

She moves quickly, hacking the lock. The guards don't expect her, can't, really. So when the door opens on its own, they turn to it, scared. They start to react, but Sombra sends them the vírus immediately, making the two guards fall down, limp. 

Shit, the Shimadas really were sturdier than anyone imagined. With Gabriel’s help, she brings them inside, quickly hacking the camera in the corridor to change the loop of the image of the guards. 

She hugs Gabriel close and pulls the cloaking device over them. They move silently away from the labs and to the arsenal. Sombra knows perfectly well where to stay hidden and what to use.

It will be a blast.

--

Meanwhile, Moira is in her office, revising the work ahead of herself. She feels frustrated by the last development. 

Gabriel wasn’t supposed to be up again. 

The alpha was supposed to be asleep until it was time to use him again, for field work, for experiments and the other myriad of things she's planning. For a second, after she saw him looking through that window, she was scared of what he could do. The memory of when he first awoke after the Zurich explosion fresh on her mind. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?”

She puts a hand on her neck, remembering how the man tried to strangle her to death with rope made out of a pillowcase.

“GIVE HIM BACK OR I’LL KILL HER!”  

She sighs, tired. Gabriel was, after all, one of her greatest achievements, flaws and all. But he was volatile and unpredictable, a result of the failure in brainwashing him. 

His bond is broken, he’s isolated, doesn’t have friends or family, even less a pack. The only real connection he even has is with Sombra, and it could barely be called anything but professional camaraderie. And yet, the simple view of his former mate and abandoned pup made him break the programming. 

Maintaining him asleep helped, but she can see that, even without a bond, his connections were still strong.

She’ll need to put the study of broken bonds on her list next. Especially from true mates. With the shake of her head, Moira also makes a note to increase the dosage on Reaper’s medication. Apparently, now he has algo gained more resistance towards the anesthetic too. 

What a mess. What a waste. 

No matter, she expects Reaper to be passed out in her lab in the next few minutes and as long as Sombra is kept away from him, he won’t be a problem anymore. After all, the girl cared more about money and information than anything else. In time she’ll forget about him. 

Now with Jack in their ranks, she can finally start her new studies. Without a bond and a pack, he’s perfect for her experiments. Become a new weapon that will not be the problem that Gabriel is now.

She looks at her own arm and moves to the mirror in the far side of her office. Unbuttoning her shirt, Moira watches the purplish blue discoloration on her arm. It has grown again, now reaching her breast. Turning, she checks the ports on her back, and thankfully they are fine. The last fight didn’t damage any of it. She’ll need the biotic tank later in the day. 

Sighing, Moira closes her shirt and walks away to grab the material she needs for her new project, locking her office in the way. It took her long arduous ten years of incessant searching, but she managed it. She got her hands on the subject she always wanted. 

She suspects (no, she knows it) that Jack, together with Gabriel, are secret to understanding it. The cycle of birth and destruction and the forced evolution that comes with it. They are the key to understanding the Shimada and Kamori families. Cassidy and every alpha in his family before him. Even people in their own ranks, like Doomfist, Mauga and Lacroix. 

She’ll finally understand what opens the doors to their strange abilities and how she can apply it on a large scale. 

Humanity will thrive.

Bringing Mauga in was a good idea. She hopes he and his healer like the reward. 

Really, it’s funny how things work out in the end. 

--

When they get to the meeting room Winston, Fareeha and Ana are waiting for them. The younger alpha looks at the screen with a deeply worried expression. Beside her, her mother is seated, drinking some water and eating an energy bar, looking way better than before. 

“I called you here because Morrison seems to be closer to you.” Wisnton says, pointing at the screen. “Do any of you understand this?” He presses play.

The recording downloaded from Hana's cloud is harrowing to watch. Winston cut the worst parts and just shows them what is necessary, but still what they see is horrible.

Mauga is a giant of a man, bigger than Reinhard, twice as strong. He's holding equally big machine guns in both of his arms. Hanzo can barely understand how someone is able to do that, the guns are massive and look as heavy as Orisa’s weapon. And yet the man attacks everyone like he's a child on a playground, laughing out loud, running, like he’s having fun.

His throat gets dry when he sees the marbling on the ground and the marks Mauga’s hands leave on the buildings, making Hanzo remember the military lab, months ago.

He has no doubt now that he is the one used to release Sigma from his enclosure. And what makes it more troubling is the fact the man doesn’t seem like Sigma, confused, crazed. No, he looks completely sane.

“They took out mom and Zen first.” Pharah mentions, pointing at the footage. “After that, it was all downhill.” 

Moira keeps away from them, healing Mauga, sending not only the purple orbs, but also what seems to be biotic orbs. Healing her allies and damaging their foes. One of the soldiers they don’t know launches projectiles full of biotics, healing his team and at times sending the field, making everyone inside it become almost immortal. 

But that's not what Winston wants to show them in particular. What he shows to them is just a small clip he cut.

When the fight it's in its height, a mess of shots, punches, biotic cans and rockets, Reaper shows up. 

His body materializes, getting involved in the fight without a single issue. But weirdly enough, it’s not the same as when he fought before. He doesn’t fade into a cloud of smoke, doesn’t have the same mannerism, the tactics they know him for. He walks around as if he was a robot. Shoot shoot, walk walk, shoot shoot, walk walk. There is no flanking, no tricks with smoke. Nothing. 

The only moment he reacts is when Moira says something and he relocates.

Jack runs off, then, following Reaper, leaving the team behind. The recording cuts and when Hana is flying to save Genji from Mauga’s grasp, they see far back on the field on the top of the stairs, Jack grabs Reaper’s hand, pulling him close.

His pulse rifle is pointing down and they look like he’s shouting. Reaper pulls his hand away and Jack tries again, giving a step forward and cradling his face with one hand. Reaper’s whole demeanor changes. His shoulders drop, his hands shake. He kneels down to the ground, holding his head in between his hands and Jack goes with him, gabbing the man by his shoulders and shaking him desperately, shouting something.

Jack looks around, as if searching for someone, asking for help. Reaper looks unconsolable, scratching his own mask with his claws. A purple orbs floats in their direction. 

Hanzo gasps, watching in horror as it hits jack straight on and the omega falls to the ground, unconscious. Reaper hits the ground hard, Jack being the only thing holding him up. His body shakes violently, convulsing. 

Before long, he too stops moving. 

It all takes less than five minutes to end and Hanzo can see how Hana and the other team members couldn't understand what happened.

“According to Cole, Reaper was severely injured in the last fight. And yet, somehow they managed to heal him from a fatal wound in less than two days.” Winston says, pausing the video. He's worried and angry, Hanzo can tell. “But that’s not all. What I want to know is why Jack reacted that way with Reaper.”

“We’re as confused as you, big guy.” Cole shakes his head, looking at the paused footage. Hanzo swallows down, feeling his whole body freeze. He looks at Ana, furious that Jack hasn't told Cole shit. Ako, asleep on his chest, complains, whining distressed with the scent of anger.

“Ana?” Winston turns to her, following Hanzo’s gaze. 

“Can you two leave the room, Hanzo, Fareeha?” She asks and Hanzo moves to do so, desperate to be left out of the whole thing, but Winston stops him, lifting his hand. 

“Why would they need to leave?” He asks, serious. Fareeha looks at her mother, crossing her arms, not moving at all from where she is standing.

“It's a family matter.”

“Then they have all the right to be here.” Cole grabs Hanzo's hand. Hanzo wants, more than anything, to just leave and let it all be. But looking back, he sees that under all the anger, Cole has a saddened expression on his face.“Can you? Stay?”

Looking at Cole’s whole frame, the ways he’s holding himself, the almost imperceptible trembling on his lips, Hanzo nods. Cole stood by his side when he needed the most, so Hanzo will do the same.

Ana sighs.

“It’s complicated.” She starts, and the silence that follows is deafening. 

“How so?” Winston laces his own fingers, resting his linked hands on the table. Ana looks pained.

“Jack should be the one telling you this.”

Hanzo’s patience runs thin.

“If you don't tell them I will.” He snaps. 

“What?” Cole turns to him. 

“Hanzo.” Ana chastises him.

“No.” Hanzo shakes his head, feeling adrenaline coursing through his veins. “I've told you and Jack to speak about this from the start!”

“Speak about what?” Cole asks and Hanzo turns to him. The man looks at him, confused and betrayed. The omega frowns, realizing what he has done, the sensation that he has passed the point of no return settling on his ribs.

“Agent Shimada?” Winston demands and Hanzo looks down, then at Ana. The older woman closes her eyes, as if accepting defeat. 

“Gabriel Reyes is alive.” She says. Hanzo can see Winston’s eyes go wide, jaw slacked in surprise.

“Jack is right?” Cole breathes out, but he blinks, searching his mind. Something suddenly clicks on his head, he feels like he knows what will come next, how the question will be answered. He quickly turns to the monitor, watching the scenes of Jack caressing Reaper’s face looping again and again. 

“What the hell are you on, Mom?” Fareeha asks and Hanzo presses his mouth in a thin line, looking down, trying to be as less involved as possible.

“You all know why he was here to begin with.” She takes a deep breath. “He's been looking for Gabriel for a long time.” 

“Doesn't explain why he went straight to--”

“It's Gabriel, isn't it?” Cole asks, eyes glued to the image on the monitor. A myriad of  things start to click on his mind. Things said, things he saw, the way Reaper spoke to him back in Dorado ad Numbani. Of course is him. Cole has the distinct feeling that he already knew that, but just didn’t want to admit to himself. 

Of course. 

“Reaper, I mean. Gabriel is Reaper.”

He shares a look with Ana, an indescribable one, full of anger and regret. Hard eyes, as are the ones of people who had an unforgiving life. 

Ana nods, silently.

Fareeha scoffs. “Bullshit. Reaper is a monster.”

“Don’t say that.” Ana turns to her. “He saved you all.” She looks at Fareeha, at Hanzo and then at Cole. 

“Doesn’t mean it’s him.” Fareeha uncrosses her arms. “He’s Talon, you know, they could have trained him to imitate Gabe. Or have cloned him, or whatever Moira does in her lab!” Her voice gets louder and louder as he speaks.

“I think he saved me using Death Blossoms.” Cole searches his memory. The time Numbani, placement of the bullets on the walls. What he said before disappearing. Suddenly he feels nauseous.

“Bull-shit!” Fareeha snaps. “You were barely awake.”

“I saw the same bullet hole pattern.”

“Well…” Winston starts. “As far as I’m aware, the Death Blossoms can only be done by a complicated combination of knowledge of ballet, the SEP experiments making a body more sturdy. Not anyone can do what Reye--”

“Not you too.” Fareeha massages her face. “He’s dead. Come on, we were all at that funeral! I was there. I understand Jack thinking that because he has Phantom Bond--”

“His bite is still there.” Cole insists, numb.

“It’s a scar, Cole, of course there would be some kind of mark--” Fareeha rolls her eyes.

“It looks fresh, goddammit!” He shouts, making Hanzo close his eyes. 

“Ten years is too long for bond marks to disappear. Even with Phantom Bond.” Winston reasons.

“Cole's right.” Ana interrupts the commander and the silence falls, deafening. “He didn’t explain you anything, right?” She asks Cole, already knowing the answer.

“Of course not I just found out.” Cole scoffs. “You and Jack won’t tell me shit.” He smiles, without any humor to it, putting his hands on his hips.

“Please, don’t judge him.” Ana approaches. “Jack has lost enough already.” Cole takes a step back, shaking his head at what Ana said. She speaks as if Jack hadn’t found even more here with them.

“I still don’t believe it.” Fareeha says. “Talon is sneaky, they create these kinds of schemes all of the time. And I’m not falling for it.”

Ana sighs. “I’ve seen it myself.”

“Well, maybe you and Jack are mistaken.” She says.

“They are not.” Hanzo says, the words tumbling out of his mouth, not being able to take it anymore, to keep the knowledge inside himself. “Reaper’s scent is mixed with Jack’s and it lingers on him like the plague.” Hanzo grimaces, remembering the rotten smell. His eyes almost sting with the memory of it. He looks up at Cole and sees that he has a careful blank expression on his face, and somehow that is worse than if he was mad at him.

“Oh, what a mess.” Winston says, shaking his head.

“When were you going to tell me?” Cole asks, foot tapping on the ground insistently.

“It’s not my secret to tell.” Hanzo answers.

“It is when it puts my mother and the whole team in danger.” Fareeha flares her nose and takes a step forward.

“Calm down.” Ana says, holding her shoulder, but Fareeha still fuming at them and pulls her shoulder away.

“Don't do that, Pharah.” Cole steps in, pushing himself on between Fareeha and Hanzo. “You have no right to be mad.”

“No. Look at what happened to everyone! Everyone got hurt! Genji is in surgery right now because you,” She turns to her mother. “Jack and Cole’s stupid boyfriend thought--”

“You cannot blame this on me!” Hanzo exclaims, surprised with his own anger. It was almost like he was awakened from his dazed state. Ako, held in his arms, wails. He feels a lump form on his throat, of anger and of fear. “I insisted from day one that he'd tell Cole! I told him time and time again how selfish it was to keep that information to himself.” He takes a deep shaky breath. “Do NOT blame this on me.”

“Let's all calm down.” Winston says, hands in the air, appeasing them. “This is not an issue of blame. Or secrets.” He says, stern. Then, the commander takes a deep breath. “Whether we knew about Reaper or not, Mauga is still the one responsible for all of the harm done. This, what happened today, could have happened when we tried to find Sigma, or at any of our other missions. We already know they are interested in Hanzo and have suspected they wanted Cole AND Jack. So there is no use for us to point fingers.”

Silence falls and Hanzo feels himself shaking. He bounces Ako, calming the girl down.

“I knew perfectly well the dangers of these missions, Fareeha.” Ana says to her daughter, stern, but kind. “And I knew what Jack's goal was. I should have come forward about it.” She looks regretful. “If anything is all my fault.”

Cole snorts a humorless laugh.

Fareeha shakes her head. “I’m out of here.” She says, stomping out of the room. 

The silence that follows is deafening. Hanzo is breathing hard, looking at a fixed point on the floor, heart thundering. He hates this kind of silence, it always means bad news. He knows they won't give them the same punishments as his father or the clan did, and yet, he still fears. He feels the adrenaline of the whole ordeal still coursing through his veins.

“She’s just angry.” Ana looks apologetic at Hanzo and Cole.

“Tough luck.” Cole says, frowning. 

“She'll calm down and apologize later. She has always done it like that.”

“She better.” Cole says, huffing, crossing his arms in anger. Hanzo opens his mouth to speak, but Cole lifts his hand, signaling they'll talk later. Hanzo’s heart freezes.

“Let's keep this in-between us right now.” The commander says, looking at them with worry. “We don’t need any more confusion right now.” He sighs. “We need to focus on getting Agent Morisson back.”

Once they are out, Cole starts walking away leaving Ana and Hanzo behind, almost running with those long legs of his. Hanzo can barely follow him, but he can see that his mate is surrounded by a cloud of negative emotions, smelling so strongly of anger that Hanzo gags with it, rocking a little on his feet.

He has never felt his scent like this, so unpleasant, almost unbearable. The closest was at that town on route 66, and still, it was ten times better than this. Ako fully wakes now, flailing around and crying a little.

“Cole.” He calls, but the alpha doesn't answer. Cole keeps walking, keeps growling and Hanzo doesn't know if he should follow. But he does anyway, leaving Ako in Ana’s care for the moment and running after his mate. “Cole!” Hanzo calls again, reaching for his shoulder.

He turns to him and Hanzo stops.

He’s angry, breathing hard, but there are tears in his eyes. Hanzo hesitates, scared for a second of how Cole will react to his treason. He knows he’s not like that, won’t do anything to hurt him. He knows it. But in his mind is a treacherous thing, full of small moments where his doubts whisper: But what if you made him become like that? 

“I ain't good company right now, sugar.” Despite his anger, his tone is wobbly and sad. When he looks at Hanzo there is a distinct look of betrayal. Cole shakes his head, a humorless smile on his face. He says. “I guess I just can’t believe it, you know?”

“I told them to tell you.” Hanzo says. Somehow it feels like it’s not enough. He knows he fucked up, he knows that.

“Yeah. The icing on the cake, they told you and not me.” He gestures towards Hanzo, tired. 

“It’s not my place to tell.”

“I deserved to know Gabriel is alive, I deserved to know he is a Goddamn member of Talon! That he helped people to hurt and threaten my fucking family!” He walks back and forth,  face red and blotchy, tears gathering in his eye, but he refuses to cry. He refuses to. 

Hanzo walks towards his mate and stops him, touching his face, trying to calm him down in his own panicked state.

“Don’t.” Cole pulls his face away. Hanzo feels a lead ball falling on his stomach. 

“I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you.” He says, feeling every ounce of that statement, desperate. “But I couldn’t.” Cole shakes his head.

“Since when do you know?” Cole asks and Hanzo hesitates, wide eyed. It makes Hanzo swallow down.“The mission at 66? Before that?” Cole searches his face and Hanzo’s resolve cracks, he nods slightly. Cole nods too, face contorting in sadness. “I can't be here.” he croaks, separating from Hanzo and taking two steps back. 

“I--” The Omega's first instincts are to follow him, to cradle him against his chest and purr loudly until he’s relaxed and all is well, but Cole shakes his head and stops the archer from following him.

“No.” His tone is final. “You have o idea what it is like, Hanzo. To be used as a weapon and then discarded like I was trash when I wasn't useful anymore.” Cole takes a shaky breath. “Fuck! I really mean shit to them, don't I?” 

Hanzo wants to insist on it, to tell him he may think others don't care, but he means something to Hanzo. His instincts tell him to throw Cole over his shoulder and run into their room and stop all the bad things in the world to get to him. To run away from the base to where they could be alone, just their family. So he wouldn't think of Gabriel, or Jack or Ana and the way they hid everything from him. 

Hanzo wants to go back in time and never confront anyone about it, to quietly pretend, like he was so used to when he was younger.

But then, a realization hits him.

That's how Cole felt about him before, when he got hurt and the alpha tried everything to keep him cooped up, away from the world and its harms. More so, he realizes that he did the one thing he promised to not do. He hurt his alpha, the man he promised himself to cherish, protect and to care for. To share burdens. Intentionally or not.

“I understand.” Hanzo nods, but refuses to look down. He will not make Cole feel bad about this, about being angry and sad and hurt. “I will be in the infirmary.” He says. Cole searches his face for a moment and nods, sniffing.

Before Hanzo turns his back, the alpha brings him close, hands on his face and kisses his forehead, then his cheek and mouth. It’s tender and sweet, it confuses Hanzo completely, but he’s left alone as Cole walks away.

Hanzo wants to scream until his lungs stop working. He wants to go with him. But he just stays back, watching him disappear on the turn of the corridor, listening to the tap tap tap tap of his boots on the floor and the giggling of his spurs, even if it breaks his heart.

--

The next hours are torture. Hanzo keeps in the same waiting room as before, but now he's alone. There is a hole in his chest, one that is empty and foul and big. He honestly regrets not forcing the issue anymore with Jack. The older omega had plenty of time, plenty of moments, opportunities and reasons to tell Cole!

Why hasn't he?

Why leave this to Ana and him?

Why didn’t you tell him?  A voice suspiciously like his father’s asks. Your duty is with your alpha, you wretched omega.

But Hanzo couldn't just tell Cole! What good would it do? It wasn’t his secret to tell. And that may be a selfish reason, but he would hate it if anyone spoke his secrets to someone else just because they thought they knew better. He already hates that there are few people who know about his assault, about Doomfist obsession, about the scruffing. 

He hates that he had to speak about it with Genji before he was ready to. 

How does one even go about this kind of thing anyways? ‘Hey Cole, remember your adoptive  father that you loved so much? So he's not only alive but also is part of the enemy terrorist organization with shady and nebulous ideals!” Hanzo shakes his head at the idea.

He can't imagine what a wreck it would do if Hanzo told Cole before. But maybe, just maybe, it would have been better than this.

Cole is right.

He brings his feet up, folding his legs on the uncomfortable chair, shifting his body to the side and resting his feet on the armrest. Hanzo rests Ako’s back against his thighs, making her look directly at him. He plays peekaboo with his baby, trying to keep both occupied, but his mind is still reeling. 

It's incredible how he always manages to sabotage his own happiness, even when he doesn't mean to.

When he gets to the one hour and twenty minutes mark and Cole hasn’t come back yet, Hanzo wonders if he should follow him or not. But again, he decides not to.

He just hopes that Cole can forgive him.

Somehow, despite it not being his fault, Hanzo still feels like it is. There is a chain of poorly made choices, secrets and neglectful behavior that lead to this outcome, one where Hanzo is but a small blimp to it, the last drop per say. And yet, he still puts the weight of the choices on his shoulders. A string of ifs and maybes that make his head reel, his stomach hurt with anxiety.

He thinks about his brother, still in surgery, members pulled away. There is so much Mercy could do without it crossing the ethical line like Moira. He prays that his brother will be alive and well (even if the surgery has gone for almost six hours now).

After a while he realizes that Ako needs changing and decides to do so, going to her room. By the hour soon it would be her bedtime, anyways.

The walk is quiet. Her room too. 

Cole isn’t here.

Hanzo goes to clean Ako and change her into her pajamas. The baby plays around with her toys, unaware of everything that has happened around her. Hanzo bundles her with the serape Cole has gifted her. 

He wonders if he'll want it back. 

When he returns to the waiting room, Lúcio is there, sitting and tired, easting a energy bar. Hanzo runs to him, eager.

“Is he okay?” he asks, anxious. Lúcio looks tired and for a moment, he is worried that the DJ also looks saddened. Has something bad happened?

But Lúcio looks up at him and gives him a thumbs up. “He’s going to be fine. It was a hard surgery, but Angela is amazing. You had to see her.” He breathes out, eyes a little lost.

Hanzo relaxes and almost collapses on the seat beside Lúcio, Ako heavy in his arms.

“Where’s your agroboy ?” The Dj asks and Hanzo shakes his head. Lúcio opens his mouth to ask something, but doesn’t. He stops and looks at Hanzo, his haggard expression. “Okay.” He nods. “Listen, You can’t really see Genji right now, since he's still in the ICU. But I can let you see Hana.”

Hanzo nods. He’d like that.

Inside the infirmary he finds Hana asleep. There is a portable console beside her on the bed, her mouth is open as she is in deep sleep, leg on a cast.

“Sit down.” He motions to the chair. “She will be asleep for some time.” He says before checking her vital signs.

“Is she okay?” Hanzo sits down, fixing his hold on Ako and the baby babbles, wanting to be held by Lúcio.

“Yes, she lost a lot of blood, but now she's fine.” He says. “That Mauga guy did a lot of damage.” He scratches his arms, antsy.

“I saw it.” Hanzo sits on the chair beside Hana’s bed.

“They showed you? Aí, Credo.” Lúcio makes a face, queasy, and sits beside him, seeing that everything with Hana is fine now. “People here are cold, man.”

“Not all of it, just parts to help rescue Jack.” Hanzo rolls his eyes. But Lúcio still looks pained. He probably knows the extent of damage better than him.

“Still.”

They spend around half an hour like this, and Angela at some point shows up, saying that Brigitte has arrived at the infirmary and that Lúcio can go rest. He’s apologetic to Hanzo, but the omega just shushes him away. Angela tells him Genji will be able to receive visitors tomorrow and Hanzo nods at that.

“He’ll be fine.” She nods with tears in her eyes and Hanzo can’t help but shuffle from one foot to the other, not knowing what to do. He puts a hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring and the doctor can only laugh at his attempt. She hugs him and pats his back.

After all, it's not just his life that was positively affected by Genji's presence.

“Do you need me to get you anything?” He asks, but she shakes her head. The doctor sits by his side, on the uncomfortable chair for a moment, and stays silent, looking at the empty space. Hanzo just sits there too, not talking, only the noises of Ako playing with her toy filling the room. At some point he wonders if she has slept, but Angela stands up and smiles at him thankful and leaves.

After that, it takes 15 minutes for Hana to wake up, yawning. She greets him, asking if he brought her any food.

“No.” He says, scoffing that it’s the first thing she asks and not acknowledging he came to visit her. “I haven't been able to eat anything myself…” He realizes. It was normal for him to be nauseated when he was nervous, so usually he wouldn't notice it.

“What a bummer.” She huffs, annoyed, but goes back into her game. Hanzo can see she has an IV drip on her arm, so she shouldn't feel hungry for a while. If he’s honest, he understands the want for pampering when you’re hurt. Cole made him feel very cherished when he was sick.

The memory of it makes his heart squeeze painfully.

“Where is your worst half?” She asks, bringing her console close, turning it on with a melodic sound.

“You shouldn’t call Cole that.” Hanzo shakes his head, sitting back. Ako is quiet on his lap, already tired from the day. “He needs some time alone.”

She hums and looks at him, unimpressed.

“He's being an ass again. Isn't he?”

“He has the right to be upset this time.” Hanzo sighs.

“I don't know man, he can be pretty unreasonable.” Hana sinsongs, playing her game. The sounds fill the room, he thinks maybe she shouldn't be playing it so soon, but who is she to take this small thing away from her?

“He has found something horrible about his mentor. And I knew about it before him.” He looks through the window of the infirmary. It’s still cold, not as much as the month before, but still, the murky weather of February makes Hanzo frown. “Accidentally, but still.”

“That sucks. Was it something really bad?” She asks and Hanzo nods. “Ooof.”

“And it’s not something simple.” Hanzo says. “I broke his trust. I hid something that he deserved to know. Repeated the same mistakes that those who have abandoned did.” Hana looks up from her game and at him.

“Like Jack? Or miss Amari?” She asks, nonchalant. Hanzo looks at her, surprised at the girl's observation skills. Hana just tsks when she realizes he’s staring. “Come on, dude, everyone sees how he gets when the family drama starts.” She scoffs.

“Family drama?” Hanzo lifts one eyebrow.

“You know very well what I mean.” She shakes her head. “He’s always arguing with either Jack or Mrs. Amari or Pharah.”

“If you knew what he's been through, you'd understand why.” Hanzo justifies it, but Hana scoffs.

“Don't need to, it is pretty obvious he has some serious abandonment issues with the way he’s clingy.” She looks at the screen and pauses the game. Hanzo releases a heavy sigh, massaging his face, deeply tired at the girl's words. “Every time we comment about our families, all he has to talk about is the people in the base. He doesn’t seem to have anything outside of here.” Hana looks to the ceiling, thinking.

“He has been alone for a long time.” Hanzo fixes Ako’s hair, remembering the last months. The town at 66, the way Joe and Maribelle talked about and to Cole, the way he talked about Gabriel.

“No wonder he's always holding onto you, then.” Hana shrugs and Hanzo again looks in awe at her. How can she notice these small details? “Maybe you two should go to therapy. I was on it before coming here and it helped with my insensitivity and my other issues.”

Hanzo scoffs at that. Not at the therapy part, but because somehow this is a better, more mindful version of Hana.

“Just talk it out with him. You seem genuinely sorry.” She groans at her game. “Man, my stats stinks today! Ugh. Anyways, you two are always talking and being clingy to one another, so I’m sure he’ll understand your reasons.” She puts the game down.

“You’re too optimistic.”

“And you’re pessimistic.” She says back, easily, Hanzo can only shake his head. “And look, there are secrets me and Lucio know about each other that we are taking to the grave. And there are other people involved and we promised each other to not speak, not even under torture.” Hanzo laughs. “I'm serious. Some of the things he knows about me are state secrets.” She smiles at him, but is soon serious again. “What I mean is. Sometimes it really isn’t your place to tell, even when it’s for a good cause.”

Hanzo sighs. 

“Still… I know I am wrong.”

Ako chirps at them once, stretching her body to go with Hana. He sits the baby by Hana’s side and the young omega puts the game down in favor of playing a little with Ako. She makes the baby laugh as she uses Ako’s toy to tell a story, lifting the mood.

It feels better, lighter. Like a small cold breeze on a hot day.

Brigitte interrupts them, opening the door of the infirmary with a greeting. She approaches and talks some with them until she’s called to help in the intensive care room. Hana tries to stay awake, but soon sleeps again, too tired and holding Ako to her side. Hanzo lets them be for a moment, enjoying the small bubble of peace, before looking at the time and pulling Ako into his arms.

He stands up, taking a good look at Hana for one last time before going back to their room. There is no use staying here now. He passes the corridors of the base, ignoring the mess hall. He doesn't have an appetite, even if he’s tired and weak, so he ignores it.

Back in his room, Hanzo feeds Ako one more time and realizes, both by the drowsiness of the child and the silence of the whole base, that it’s already late at night now. Everyone is probably asleep. He sighs, checks Ako’s diaper and then puts the baby to sleep.

He sits on the chair, taking his boots off, Hanzo realizes that they are dirty with grime and blood. As are his clothes and some of his skin. He forgot to bathe.

With an anguished noise, Hanzo curls into a ball, hoping it’s not from Genji or Hana’s blood. It would be better for him to take a shower and change, and sleep on their bed. But then, it’s their room, and Hanzo, despite everything, doesn’t like the idea of a silent room, not when Cole is angry.

He stays on the chair, worrying, stress eating at him.

Eventually, exhaustion wins over and Hanzo sleeps. 

--

“You shouldn’t be drinking here.” Ana says, walking to the pathway Cole has always thought it was hidden from everyone else. Now at night, the pathway is too dark, barely any light hits the place. It was why Cole liked it at first, nobody could find him here. The cowboy is hunching over the railing, looking at the sea with a half filled bottle of whiskey in his hand. Cole doesn’t answer, just takes another swing of the drink. “You will fall down on the sea.” 

“The net will get me.” Cole grumbles.

“What if you hit your head and die on the way down?” She waits for an answer that doesn’t come. “Why aren’t you with your mate and your daughter?”

“I need to think.”

“This is not thinking, child.” She stops by his side, looking at him with pain and regret. “You’re hurting yourself again.”

“Leave me alone.” He turns to her, sneering. She shakes her head, but doesn’t speak. When she doesn’t answer he massages his face, sighing in frustration. “Why do you care, anyways?”

“Of course I care.” Ana says, angry that Cole would even imply that she doesn't. “We both do. Me and Jack.”

“You have a weird way to show it.” Cole huffs.

“You can be mad at me and your-- at Jack.” She says. “But don't be mad at Hanzo. He didn’t tell you out of respect for us.” She says and Cole snaps his head in her direction. He wants to tell her off but shakes his head. 

“He at least tried to force y’all to tell me.” He grumbles.

“Yes, de did. Hanzo was very angry at us for keeping this secret. Has actually screamed at us about it. With Jack several times.” She chuckles when Cole looks at her surprised. It’s not because Hanzo has fought with them, he knows the personality his omega has, but he’s surprised that he fought with Ana and Jack about him. For him. Knowing how much he respects hierarchy. “Told we were being selfish.”

“You were.”

“I know. And Jack knows, but…” She sighs, massaging her eyelids. “Their story, Jack and Gabriel's, is too complicated… Overwatch’s fall happened intertwined with the decline of their marriage. All the politics, corruption and deception. All of that combined with what Moira was doing to Gabriel.”

“More reason for him to tell us.” Cole huffs. “We’re all involved in this.”

“I know. But you know how Jack is, a one man’s army… Always trying to prove something.” Ana looks down, smiling sadly. “Jack still thinks he can save him.”

Cole looks at her, chin wobbling, not being able to believe her words. “Ana, look at all of the shit Gabriel did.”

“He saved Pharah. And Hanzo.”

“So what? He saved me too!” Cole exclaims, turning to Ana. “It’s not enough.” He huffs, angry and turns away, taking another swing of the drink.

“Jack thinks it is. Or that at least it shows Gabriel, our Gabriel, is still there.”

“This actually makes me wonder if he was ever there to begin with.” Cole shakes his head, grabbing the railing with force. “Who the hell knows how long he has been lying to us? Was any of the bullshit he has ever said real?”

The silence stretches out.

“I asked myself this too.” Ana says, her heart heavy. “But I keep thinking that, if given the chance, I’d do the same to save my own mate. And I know you’d do it too.” She looks at Cole and sees the man pull a cigarillo from his pocket to put in his mouth. From the smell he has been chain smoking here too. “I know you feel the same pull, habibi . I saw how you acted in that last undercover mission with Hanzo. You abandoned everything to go get him. You were ready to put your omega before everyone else there.”

“Is not the same. I’m supposed to protect him.” Cole says, lighting the cigarillo and taking a drag. “Gabriel was supposed to protect Jack, not the other way ‘round.”

“How do you know he’s not?”

“How is joinin’ a terrorist organization helping to protect anyone? ” The alpha turns to her, confused. “He’s helpin’ the people that want to kill us, to capture Jack, to harm my mate and my child, Ana. You’ve seen what Doomfist spoke about Ako. About Hanzo! Do you have any idea of what they could do with him?”

“I know.” She says, remembering Lacroix. The poor girl. “We know Amélie is brainwashed. We don’t know what could have happened to Gabriel.”

“Maybe we could have if Jack told me, us, about it.” Cole says. “This place is full of scientists and smart people, I'm sure we could have figured some shit out.”

“We don’t know how they would react. You know how they acted when Hanzo got here.”

“Come on, don’t start with the hypocrisy again. Jack was the first one to suspect Hanzo. You did it too.” Cole’s nose flares. “And after that, you two chose, repeatedly, not to tell me. Not only that but forbid Hanzo to speak about it!”

“Maybe it's not a black and white issue, Cole. You, of all people, know that.” Ana says, stern, making Cole flinch a little. “Have you ever thought that maybe this is why Jack didn’t tell you? Because he knew this is how you would react?”

Cole feels his face heat with anger.

“I’m always the goddamn problem, ain't I?” He scoffs, feeling a lump on his throat. But he doesn’t let it take over him, swallowing it down, blinking away tears. “It’s always: my mood is too harsh, I am too clingy, I am too much of a loose gun, I’m too stupid to even know to choose a good mate. Now it’s this, I don’t react the way I should. I can’t be fuckin’ angry about anything, can I? Unbelievable.” He shakes his head. “You expect me to understand and to accept everythin’, every mistake, every explanation, while you can’t accept a single thing from me.”

“Cassidy!”

“If y’all didn’t want me to be close to you guys, you just had to tell me n’ I’d stop giving a damn!”

“You know that’s not how we feel!”

“Isn't it?” Cole turns, smiling sadly at her. “Come on, Ana. At every chance you all got to get rid of me, you did.”

“You don’t need all of this mess in your life! We were protecting you!”

“From what? I have a goddamn demon skull in my eye! I have killed more as a teen than any of y'all in your whole goddamn life!” He almost shouts, turning to her with a pointed finger. “And you know damn well you could've called me and I'd help. Jack could've called me and I'd help! I kept the same fucking comm for years! Waiting for a single message!”

Ana looks at him, startled. “You eye, habibi .”

“Fuck.” Cole stops, turning away, quickly. 

He hadn’t even noticed that deadeye activated on its own again, Ana’s skull shining red. He takes deep breaths and deflates, with a tired and shaky sigh.

“I'm tired of being left behind, Mrs. Amari.” He covers his eye with his hand.

Ana looks at him, stunned, the weight of what Cole said settling over her, like dirt being poured over a casket. The wave of regret washes over her and she looks at the sea again. The waves look much more angry today, the sound of it hitting against the rocks almost deafening.

“I’m sorry, habibi .” She approaches Cole, patting his cheek. “I really am. I hope you can forgive us one day.” Ana reaches for his hand and gives it a squeeze, before nodding and walking back inside.

Cole spends the next few minutes in angry silence. He takes deep and harsh angry breaths. He wants to scream and rage and drink until he's so out of it he won't wake up for a week. 

Gabriel is Reaper. The man he respected, the man that rescued him, that showed Cole how to be an alpha. That he could be more, much more, that he should want more. He didn’t laugh when Cole told him he wanted someday to just sit down and relax, a mate by his side.

“ No kids? ” He had asked and Cole frowned. That day he confessed he was scared that one day he’d become like old Tucker. Bitter and violent, a man that only exploited kids. “ Well, hijo, the fact you’re putting the safety of a child that doesn’t even exist before your desire to be a father shows you’re better than that man.” Gabriel smiled at him, patting his shoulder.

And that had stuck with Cole. The numerous lessons that he said, the nights they spent as family, him, Ana, Fareeha, Jack and Gabe. 

What does it even mean now?

“Gabriel would be proud of you.”

“ You can even bring the little one. Wouldn't it be nice? Playing house with us a little? ”

He cries, as the overwhelming want to relapse washes over him. He could just leave the base, he knows where he could find it, the people around town that will supply him, as easy as buying gum.

His hands shake.

He looks at the bottle of scotch he’s holding and thinks about bad coping mechanisms and his child. He thinks about the past and old Tucker with a hand on his neck, choking him until he passed out and hitting him with the belt to the point he bled. About Theodore holding Bell’s arm until it broke. 

How he used to need to drink himself to sleep, use any drug he could to keep his mind away, too lost in the memories and in the solitude that the desert brought him.

On the road, after Blackwatch ended, he felt alone. Truly alone. The touch of someone else’s skin started to feel itchy, even when he needed desperately to remind himself he was still alive and going. After some time, he ended those encounters feeling emptier than before and he came to the realization that he couldn’t do that anymore. It wasn’t fun, anymore. Not when he wanted more.

Sometimes, when he was on a particularly deserted highway, he heard in the wind, what he thinks is the call of that skull. A low and distant cackle, the whisper in his ear, telling him to come back home, shining red in the heat waves.

At night he would look at the scars on his skin and remember that he had no home to come back to.

It was all destroyed, wherever he went. When he was six, then at fourteen, eighteen, twenty four and now this…

But then, he’d go to one of his PO boxes, held under one of his stupid aliases, and he’d find a letter from Genji. The ninja would tell him of his reflection while traveling and how he was growing and finding his place in the world. His words often calmed him and gave him a reminder that at least someone remembered. That someone still cared.

And that made him hope that maybe he’d find his place, someday. He had to keep himself straight, to do right by others, and kept his hands away from trouble.

When he came back here, he had hoped to find something. Maybe not his place, but some kind of solace in the fact at least Genji and some of his colleagues were still here. Maybe they would remember him.

And then he met Hanzo.

He thinks about the omega caressing his face the first time he saw Cole have a night terror, how they huddle together at any free moment they have and the promises they had for one another. He could speak to him, open up easily, joke about the bad things that happened to him. Not only that, the omega easily opened up to him, trusted him.

Hanzo even paid enough attention to know what kind of polishing paste he liked to use on his boots, for God's sake.

He saw the scars, his overprotective side, his stupid alpha brain, all the nasty bits of his past and still stayed. Said he loved him, trusted him enough about his own past. Not only that but he wasn’t afraid to tell him when he was wrong, being a knothead.

Somehow, Cole was never too much for Hanzo.

“ If you need to protect me then I need to protect you too. ”

The memory of Jack and Gabriel in the past, before it all got weird and toxic, comes back to the forefront of his mind. Then, he thinks about them now. Jack looked so desperate running towards Gabriel. He remembers the hopeful expression on his face when he saved Pharah, the cheery disposition the whole month after. How he opened a big smile when he found out Gabriel saved Hanzo. 

It really was inevitable for this tragedy to happen.

Cole doesn't want him and Hanzo to become what Jack and Gabriel are now.

He thinks about how much he loves Hanzo, his smile, his kisses, his resilience, his fragile side, always hidden away, his bad jokes. And Ako. Their daughter, filling his heart with so much love, that sometimes he couldn't believe this, his family, is real. 

He remembers Hanzo’s behavior after that night, when Doomfist scruffed him. How he reacted when everyone there learned about his assault, how he hid away the bruise on his neck, angry everytime Genji treated him like he was fragile. And then, how it took him courage to speak about it to Genji, his own brother.

Stupid alpha brain. Cole thinks. Of course he wouldn’t tell me.

And he remembers Hanzo’s scared face when he saw Genji, the dazed and shocked state he was in when they came back. And still, the omega held him.

And he left him all alone in that wanting room.

Waiting for news of his almost dead brother.

Fuck . He thinks. Fuck! No wonder I'm always alone. Massaging his face, Cole sighs.

He looks ahead of himself, at the the murky weather and extends his arm out, letting the bottle slip from his hand and fall on the ocean. He knows he shouldn’t, but he doesn't care. Resting his face on the palm of his hand, Cole feels frustration built at him. He doesn’t want neither Hanzo's nor Ako to see him like this, for his anger to affect his family now, especially not when Genji is in surgery and almost dead.

They are both hurt. And Cole doesn’t want to cope by using drugs again, drinking. Nothing good ever happens when a father acts like this.

With a deep sigh, Cole looks at the ocean. The waves are angry, but somehow the noise relaxes him.

Nodding, he decides to go back inside. He needs to sober up.

--

Hanzo is woken up by a hand on his body and someone pulling him from the chair. There is a surge of adrenaline and he wakes up with a jump, trashing harshly, ready to slaughter whoever has entered his child’s room. He looks up, eyes furious.

It’s Cole, looking at him surprised. He couldn't recognize him under the smell of booze. There is an angry rumble of a growl in the air, but Hanzo realizes it coming from him. Surprised, he sits straighter and relaxes.

“You can’t sleep here, Hanzo. Let me take you back to our room.” Cole says, whispering to him. Hanzo gingerly nods, his body relaxing against the alpha, heart beating a mile a minute. Cole puts him in their bed and Hanzo sits up, fixing his posture.

Cole stands up to take away his hoster, his hat and boots, putting them all away before sitting on the bed. 

“Any word from Genji?” The alpha asks.

“He is out of surgery, but in observation.”

“That’s good.” Cole nods.

The atmosphere is tense and awkward. Hanzo looks quickly at him, before averting his eyes. 

“You've been crying.” He says and Cole looks at the mirror on the other side of the room, above the dresser. Despite drinking water to sober up, he forgot to wash his face. There are tear tracks on his face.

He nods. He opens his mouth to say something, but Hanzo beats him to the punch. 

“I am sorry.” His voice is low, mindful not to disturb Ako. He licks his lips, nervous, before talking. “It was selfish of me to keep the secret to myself. We promised to share burdens and to be there for one another, and I didn’t do that for you.” Hanzo sighs. “Reyes was important to you.”

“Thank you.” Cole says. There is a moment of deep awkward silence between them before Cole asks him again, voice wobbly. “How did you find out?”

“I knew Morrison was mated, but I thought his situation was… difficult. Different.” Hanzo hugs himself, frowning, trying to self soothe. “He had a bite on his neck and Reaper smelled like him. He explained some of the situation, but not all and asked me to not speak about it with you. I thought that maybe--”

“He was wild bitten?”

“No.” A pause. “Maybe.” Hanzo shakes his head, confused at what he thought at the time. “Mostly I just knew it was complicated and that I didn’t have the right to pry. Only later, I realized Reaper and Reyes were the same person.”

“You figured it out by yourself?” Cole looks at him, surprised. 

Hanzo shrugs. 

“I had a hunch. When I confronted him and Ana later, that's when I knew for certain.” He looks at Cole's face briefly again, before looking away, ashamed. And That breaks Cole’s heart. “I told them how selfish they were for keeping this from you. You deserved to know.” At least this one thing he can say he has done right. 

“Ana told me you yelled at them.” Cole asks, a small smile opening on his face. Hanzo nods, clearing his throat, clearly embarrassed by the lack of decorum. “Several times?”

“Perhaps I did.” Hanzo presses his lips in a thin line, indignation written all over this body language. “And they deserved it!” He turns to him, crossing his arms, proud of his own anger and indignation. “I spoke with them over and over about how you would be hurt by their actions!”

And doesn’t that warms Cole's heart? The alpha hides the bottom half of his face, chuckling a little. Hanzo feels his cheeks reddening in shame. 

“Sorry, just… I’m not used to people doing those things for me.”

Hanzo deflates, looking at Cole. His sad eyes and smile and the strong smell of cigars and booze. 

“Of course I would. You're my ma--” Hanzo stops himself, covering his mouth, his expression changes and he looks down. This is not the time nor the place to let Cole know he thinks the same, that he considers the alpha his mate too. Cole, however, only lets his smile widen, realizing the slip. Hanzo clears his throat. “I didn’t tell you because I knew it would hurt more if you knew from me.”

“You think so?”

“It isn’t so?” Hanzo looks at him and Cole ponders for a second. Hanzo is right, it hurts more. If Jack had told him about Reaper months, years ago… this whole thing would be very very different. So he nods. “I tried to tell them to just speak to you. But Jack is so…” Hanzo says, frustrated and flustered about the whole thing. He passes his hand over his hair and feels the shorts strands on the side of his face stand back in place again. Hanzo closes his eyes, angry at the older omega.

“Stubborn?”

“Yes.” Hanzo rests a hand over his brow bone. “He told me he would tell you in time. Now I see I should have insisted more.” Hanzo sighs heavily. “I do not blame you for being mad at them or me. It is deserved.”

Cole blinks, taken aback. He had never had someone justify his anger before. He was always considered  a hot headed, moody person. As a teen he was always scolded for it by Maribelle and Joe, his file as a young agent in Blackwatch was full of warnings for the times he got himself into fights. Even now, he's always seen as too emotional.

And yet, Hanzo sits here, telling him that he understands it. Even accepts it. And he knows he means it, because if Cole was wrong, Hanzo would say it. 

“Really?” 

“Yes.” 

Looking at Hanzo in awe, Cole realizes that, of all people, he was the one that understood him. It's like before. He sees all the murky bits and doesn't see it as a flaw. 

“Thank you.” Cole feels something on his chest, something weird and that usually doesn’t happen too often. He can’t quite place it. Relief? Something else too. “I’m not really mad at you.” He says and Hanzo looks up at him in surprise.

“I do not understand.” Hanzo blinks, a little startled. He fidgets, uncomfortable with the interaction.

“I was mad, but that you knew it and I didn’t. I felt betrayed.” Cole scratches his scalp. “And I get why you didn’t say anything.” He sighs. “There’s a lot of baggage that the others don’t need to know. I’d hate for someone to spill a secret about me or about you. Hell, I did the same with Genji and your personal things. You do the same for me.” Cole sends him a quick and sad smile. “Can’t say I wouldn't keep it a secret if Jack told me sooner. ”

Hanzo feels extremely relieved. He was so glad Cole understood his side.  It was easier to accept the blame for something that wasn’t entirely his fault. Maybe a bad habit of his, probably brought over from when he was younger and Genji used to sneak away or do something bad. At the end of the day, things were blamed on him, so why would this be different? 

But apparently it was.

“Doesn't mean I’m less angry about it.”

“That is fair.” Hanzo nods. 

“Not at you. None of this is your fault, really. It’s just so goddamn frustrating to see people you considered family for a long time treating you like shit.” He looks down, embarrassed. He feels his eyes prickle with tears. “Goddmit, I saw Reyes as a father. And Jack--” He shakes his head sniffing. The same feeling of shame from the first and only time he publicly called Jack mom by accident lodging on his chest. Would Hanzo think differently for him because of that? Would he make fun of him like the people at Blackwatch and overwatch did.

But Hanzo holds his hand, silently asking him to go on, an understanding look on his face.

“He and Gabriel treated me like… like Ana treats Fareeha.” He sighs, the found memories of the past almost tangible to him. But looking back now, he finds them tainted. He turns to Hanzo. “But apparently I got it confused, ‘cause I can see now that none of them ever really thought of me like that.”

Hanzo sits back. “It is not your fault.”

That makes him think about the last conversation he and Jack had before they disappeared into the world. Each following their own path. ‘Don't come crying’ he said and Jack had listened to it.

He may be less of a dick now and their relationship seemed to be rebuilding and turning back into something better than it was. But he knows these sorts of things linger on the mind.

“It kinda is.” The alpha sits, touching his back on the bed’s headboard. “I said stupid things to him too, before. And I know we talked, but sometimes it ain’t enough to change shit.” Cole sits back, putting his prosthetic hand over his mouth. Maybe this is why he’s so mad too.

“He could have started the conversation.”

“I could’ve too.” Cole shrugs. “It’s just hard. ‘Specially then.”

“I know the feeling.” Hanzo says, knowing how hurtful it is to have not just fights against your family, but also to have massive fights that destroy them. Especially with people that you love because of circumstances that made both sides clash. 

“For a while I thought he was wild bitten, y’know? That Reaper just went and…” Cole makes movement with his hands, dismissing it. “But now it all makes sense. I just wish he’d told me.” He takes a deep breath. “In the end, Jack trusted you more than he ever trusted me.”

And isn't that fucking cruel?

“That’s not the case.” Hanzo reassures him and Cole hums a non answer. “He does not respect or trust me more. I am a stranger to him. It is easy to tell your problems to strangers. Their opinions do not matter.”

“Hm, I'm not so sure about that one. He was closer to us now.” Cole scratches his beard. “I’m pretty sure I heard him call himself Nana at some point while babysitting Ako.” He says and Hanzo snorts at the absurdity of the idea, but it's soon gone, the humor of it all souring. 

“Tell me how to remedy it?” Hanzo asks, remembering their conversation that day on the rooftop. 

Cole squeezes his hand, interlacing their fingers. 

“Just, don’t let me out of the loop again. I can't be left in the dark, not knowing about the important things.” He says. “I need you to be on the same page as me, Han. I need to trust you.” The cowboy says and Hanzo nods.

“I will do better.” He says. “I promise.”

“Okay.” Cole nods, knowing that Hanzo will. The mood shifts and the alpha pushes Hanzo's hair away from his face.  “How are you feeling?” 

Hanzo bites his lip, feeling his chin wobble a little. Suddenly everything that happened crashes down on him and he feels like crying again. Ana, Zenyatta, Bastion, Hana, Jack. Genji. Oh, Gods, Genji!

“I am fine.” Hanzo says, but his voice falters at the end, barely a whisper. Hiding his face away with a hand, the omega tries to compose himself. Come on , he thinks, control yourself, Hanzo. His father used to tell him this was the one thing he couldn't master, the control of his emotions.

“No, you’re not. Come ‘ere.” Cole says, pulling Hanzo into his lap. “I got so worked up about Gabriel I forgot about everything else.” He kisses his forehead. “I’m sorry for leaving you alone waiting. There ain’t no excuse for that.”

“It's fine.” Hanzo croaks, passing his arms around Cole’s shoulders, hiding his face on the crook of his neck. “You were upset.” He feels childish. 

“No it isn’t.” Cole says, burying his face on his mate’s neck. “We share burdens, don’t we?” His voice is muffled, but the omega hears it all the same.

Hanzo swallows down and closes his eyes hard, nodding. “Yes, we do.” He says, almost impossible to hear. Shuddering, he swallows down the lump on his throat. When the couple separates, Cole brings his hand up and caresses Hanzo’s face, the omega opens his eyes and looks at his mate.

Genji is right, they do deserve better.

“ I don’t like fighting .” Hanzo says in Japanese.

“ Me neither .” Cole nuzzles him, resting his head on Hanzo's chest. A slow purring noise fills the room then and the alpha opens his eyes in surprise. He looks up and sees Hanzo looking at him equally surprised.

Hanzo feels safe with him. Even after the fight and the tears, he still feels safe enough, loved enough that he purrs. Cole looks like he might cry and kisses his neck and rests his head on his mate’s chest. They spent some time like this, trying to enjoy the small moment of silence and peace in between them.

“I can’t believe it’s him, you know?” Cole says at some point, eyes lost in a memory. “He was bad in the end, but he would never hurt Jack. I can’t believe he’d join…”

“Talon?”

“Yes.” Cole sighs. He looks at Hanzo then at Ako. “He always told me stories about how he wanted to retire and have kids with Jack, but they never had time. And now…” He caresses Hanzo's arm, making small and soft movements. “I can’t understand. Talon has put Ako’s and Efi’s lives in danger. This doesn’t look like him.”

“Maybe there is something more.” Hanzo says. “I think he let me go, not only in the last mission, but before, when I first met him.”

“Really?” Cole asks and Hanzo nods. The alpha huffs, remembering the last mission. “He saved me, last time I saw him.” Cole sighs, Ana’s words ringing on his head. “But Honestly, I can’t tell what the hell he thinks he’s doing.”

Hanzo nods and a loud growl leaves his stomach. They look at each other and the omega feels his cheek redden, but Cole doesn’t chuckle at the interruption. Actually he looks pissed.

“Gosh darn it, you haven't eaten the whole day, have you? You can’t do that, Sugar. It’s bad for you.” He says, angry.

“Do not speak about me.” Hanzo sits back on Cole’s tights and crosses his arms. “You’re the one reeking of cheap booze.”

“Hey, now, I can hold my liquor quite well.” Cole argues back.

“The base is built on a cliffside, you insufferable cowboy!” Hanzo presses his lips on a thin line, lightly pulling Cole's beard. “What would I do if you fell?” The cowboy grumbles and massages where Hanzo pulled it, but relents. Drinking wasn't a good way to deal with shit, he knew it.

“Ana was with me.” Cole appeases him. He’s glad now that Ana was with him then, even if it didn’t help the situation or how he felt about her, she was right. He was hurting himself. “And drinking never worked quite well, anyways…” He says, with a humorless smile, voice failing him too. Hanzo’s shoulders drop down and he caresses Cole's face, combing his hair back and away from his face. He brings the alpha's face close again, pecking him on the lips.

“You reek.” He complains, feeling the bitter taste of the cheap alcohol on his lips.

“And you stink.” Cole scrunches his nose and Hanzo pinches his gut for that, making the alpha jump in place. He can just snort and pat his omega’s tight.

“Come on, now, let's eat.” He stands and gets Hanzo’s crutches, helping the omega to stand up. “A full belly always makes everything better.” Cole takes Ako and they walk to the mess hall. Funnily enough, they find the place full. They are greeted by every member of the team, ready to eat a (very very) late dinner. Or rather, Dinner is a bunch of boxes of pizza Winston bought for them from a 24 hour pizzeria.

“No one has the right mind to cook right now.” The commander says, nodding.

Hanzo realizes that they were probably all in meetings until a few moments ago, planning the next moves. He wonders if everyone knows now and that’s why they refrain from speaking too much about it as they eat or if watching the whole thing unfold was too much for them too. It’s a probability, since they are all eating small portions.

They receive pats on their backs from the teammates and Reinhardt barely refrains from crying, proclaiming that he will personally rescue Jack himself. Only with Torbjörn’s words to calm him that he holds it together. Lúcio is stacking food in plates so he can get some for Angela, Brigitte and Hana. Tracer and Reinhardt offer to help, and off they go.

Fareeha enters the room then and she stops, just staring at them. With a sigh she approaches and stops in front of the couple. She looks tired and sad.

“Hey.” She whispers to them.

“Calmed down already?” Cole asks and she rolls her eyes but nods.

“I need to apologize.” She opens a sad humorless smile at them. “I lost my cool back there. It wasn’t cool to blame you for this.” She scratches her brow, worried and then looks at Hanzo. With a deep and tired sigh, she looks away, lost in her thoughts. “It's all just too much.”

“You are forgiven. I understand.” Hanzo says, because it is too much and all at the same time. “It is all overwhelming.”

“I can’t believe we just had this massive loss.” She shakes her head. “I’m so used to being captain, not being able to do anything about it, It’s just…”

“Hard.” Hanzo completes and she nods. Hanzo knows it well, the feeling of helplessness over something you once had control over.

“Yes. It’s one thing after another. So, I’m sorry. Really.” She pats his arm, smiling apologetic and then looks at Cole, who is squinting at her.

“Your mama asked you to do that?” he asks and Fareeha curses in Arabic.

“You know, I’m an adult, I’m perfectly capable of knowing when I’m wrong.”

“I honestly doubt that one.” Cole looks away and Fareeha moves to play fight with a light punch to his arm, but stops seeing that Cole is holding Ako. She huffs, annoyed at Cole. “Baby shield.” He chuckles as Fareeha deflates.

“It was my choice to apologize.” She shakes her head. “I’m more mad that Mom and Jack just think we are still stupid kids.” Fareeha sighs.

Hanzo nods, because there is no use in having a grudge against Fareeha, at least not with this and not now.

She starts moving away. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

When they get their own plates, Ako wakes up smelling the food, Hanzo and Cole can't help but chuckle at it. People around them smile at it too, watching the girl eagerly making grabby hands towards a piece of pizza.

Hanzo lets her eat more of his own slice than he does. His appetite hasn’t returned yet.

“She's learning from Cole.” Fareeha chuckles. “He used to go on the line to repeat the meal three times when he got here.” Smiling, she takes a bite of the pizza.

“Come on now, don't embarrass me in front of my sugarplum. I was growing up!” Cole pouts and Hanzo rolls his eyes. Cole and Fereeha make fun of eachother for a while, but the mood is still somber. The absence of almost half of the team is already felt enough, the silence can’t be filled.

Dinner ends and they feel less like raw meat left under the sun. When they go to their room they prepare Ako for bed, cleaning her face and changing her diaper, brushing her gums with the tutti-frutti flavored toothpaste. She laughs, she cheers and she plays, walking away from them multiple times, making Cole chase her around the room.

It takes their mind away from things.

When they are alone in their room, Cole looks sad and haggard. Hanzo doesn’t feel any more good than him, Ako brings joy to their lives, but everything else is still shit.

They shower, change and lay in bed in silence, backs facing each other. Hanzo realizes, then, that Efi was right. The base is noisy. The sound of the metal creaking, the wind coming inside under the cracks of doors, the sound of the giant ships slowly swaying in the docking bay, making time pass by. Hanzo finds that it almost sounds like music. 

He closes his eyes, trying to focus on the noises, not letting the thoughts about death and loneliness fill his head.

After a while, In the middle of all the small noises of the base, Hanzo hears sniffing, followed by a hiccup. Hanzo sits up abruptly and looks at Cole. He sees his body shake as he cries in silence.

“Dear.” Hanzo touches his shoulder and the alpha turns to him. 

“I'm sorry.” Cole sobs, more desperate than before, the full emotions of the day finally catching up to him.

“Do not apologize.” Hanzo pulls him into a hug, holding Cole tightly. His whole frame shakes with the force of his sobs and Hanzo can only hold onto him. “ I'm not leaving. ” Hanzo reassures, kissing Cole's head. “ I promise you. ” he purrs, trying to calm Cole down. The alpha snakes his arms around Hanzo, pulling him so close, it feels like they’d merge together if they could. 

They spend the rest of the night like this. Cole sleeps when exhaustion gets to him, resting his head on Hanzo's chest, listening to he purrs and the beating of his heart.

--

Jack wakes up, It’s already dawn out and the air is frigid cold. It must be night, because he can’t see very well the room he is strapped in. He knows he’s at a lab. Memories of what happened before he passed out come back. The fight, That giant man, finding Gabriel on the field, watching him tremble again, brainwashed. Moira.

He was captured.

Moving his hands, Jack tries to pull the straps keeping him in place, but they don’t budge. He doesn’t feel pain anywhere, but he feels woozy and weak, he really can’t move much. Looking up he can see that there is a Iv on his arm, but looking far back in the room, he sees a figure by the door.

“Subject has awakened.” The voice of the figure says, and immediately Jack feels his body freezing. Moira turns the light on and approaches the bed he’s strapped in. She brings a recording device to her lips, an old fashioned one. “He looks to be in good shape and fully recuperated. The full day of enclosure was enough to heal all wounds and as I thought, the serum used on the SEP makes the reactions different on a less mangled body.” Jack tries to free himself, but feels heavy, like his skin and muscles are made of lead and rock.

She stops the recording and walks towards her cabinet. He watches in shock as she takes her tools off of it..

“n…N…no” He tries to say, but his body won't move.

Neatly arranging her tolls on the table, Moira moves into writing something on the vials and the petri dish, marking them with time, name and date. Jack starts swaying his body from left to right, pulling at the binds, trying, in any way shape or form to leave.

Moira just turns and silently observes him. She takes the recording device and brings it to her mouth. “The paralyzing agent is taking more time to leave his body than in subject 24. This could be due to the years of experiments or the enhancements in subject 24.” Moira continues.

Still Jack starts to weakly kick his legs. When that doesn’t work, he plants his feet on the bed,  pushing himself up. How did he get here? Was his team alive? Was Gabriel? He’s so focused on the questions on his mind and in trying to free himself that he doesn’t realize Moira has stopped beside him.

“Don’t make me strap your legs.” She says, eyeing him with an eerie calm. “It will make taking samples more painful.” With a smile she goes back to her desk, doing the idle work she needs to before starting whatever it is that she’s doing with him.

The next half an hour is terrible.

Moira starts taking samples, swabbing, cutting his skin in several places, drawing blood, taking even a sample of his scalp and inner cheek. For a moment, he’s scared that she’ll end up taking any samples from his insides, his omega channel, but she thankfully doesn’t. Not right now at least, from what she’s speaking, egg harvesting is in the future of her tests.

She gives him a brief look and goes off to her desk. Not bothering to take care of the injuries left behind.

Time passes like this, but Jack can’t really pay attention to how much. Every time Moira comes back to his side to take or inject something, Jack flinches away. She doesn’t seem bothered by it. But he feels panic welling up on his chest every time. Especially when she finishes examining his blood sample and inspects his mating gland, saying. “Subject’s hormonal levels are elevated. His scent gland is swollen.” She sniffs the air. “The pheromone cloud has already started to form, indicating he is close to heat. We’ll start conditioning before it hits in its full force, since we can’t stop it now that it has started. I wonder if proximity with his former mate will affect him in any way?”

Gabriel is here? So he is at a Talon base. He tries to look through the window and wonders what country he is in now. With how Moira seems un-bothered about everything, patiently taking samples and neatly writing her notes, he guesses they are either in Oasis or somewhere isolated enough that she doesn’t have any worries.

A day.

He’s been here for a whole day and close to his heat. How many alphas are here?

He needs to leave. 

If his team hasn’t found him yet, it means his comm is inactive and Winston can’t find him. Talon probably has signal scramblers anyway.

He closes his eyes, tired, it seems brief, but it isn’t. When he opens them back up, the light has shifted around the room and there is a dull ache on his arm, as if he was injected with something on his muscles. Jack knows that feeling well.

He tries to think, but whatever Moira has injected him, be it before or now, is making it impossible to do so. He feels exhausted, but can’t really sleep. Moira finishes her work, putting things back in place, typing something in her computer and then, she walks towards him, looking.

Her face looks weird. As if there is something uncanny to it. After a second looking at him, she smiles, satisfied and just leaves. She doesn’t acknowledge him, doesn’t say anything cruel like he expects her to.

To her, he’s just something to be tested on.

He stays in the dark again. He wonders if she’ll release him at some point. He starts to hear a noise. A small noise, coming from somewhere in the room. Is that a radio? No, it’s a voice.

He never loved you

Useless omega

He abandoned you

Nobody loves you

Jack’s heart accelerates. Not out of fear, something else. The voice gets louder, saying to him horrible things, how Gabriel abandoned him, how he was never truly loved by him. Is the person saying these things here? What is going on here? Why is he hearing this? He doesn’t know how long he stays like this, but it’s enough. His fingers tingle, his head feels twice its size and he starts to see shadows and lights moving around him.

Is he still in the same lab as before?

Where is he?

He never loved you

Gabe. He needs to find Gabriel and leave.

Useless omega

Where is he?

He feels confused.

On the far side of the room, he sees a shadow in the form of a human being. Jack breathes hard, panicking, this almost feels like when he has sleep paralysis. But this time he knows it’s real. When the shadows walks, Jack closes his eyes, praying it will all stop soon.

Then the noise stops.

When he opens his eyes again, he looks around and sees that the lights outside of the room have turned off. There is the sound of an alarm going off, but soon it dies down. Several footsteps pass through the room he’s in, all hurrying, some shouting for people to get ready.

They are being attacked.

There is another explosion somewhere and Jack starts panicking. He doesn’t understand what is going on? Is Overwatch being attacked? His body won’t move. Where is Gabriel? Ana? Cole, is Cole safe? Oh god, please let him be safe. Let his son be safe. For the first time in a long time, he feels genuinely scared.

There is the scent of something. Like overripe fruit and dead flowers. He opens his eyes and sees the shadow approaching, but he knows it is Gabriel. He whines. The white mask slips into view, the lights from outside reflecting on the surface of it. It shifts, as if something is making it act like wet clay and as if there are a million of small white ants under it. Jack closes his eyes, hard.

He doesn’t see Gabriel using the claws of his gloves to cut the bounds.

“Come on, Jackie, time to stand up.” Gabriel then slips a gloved hand under Jack’s back, bringing the man up, sitting him. The omega opens his eyes and looks at his mate and slips arm around his neck.

“I found you.” He mumbles, mouth slack and weak, eyes shut hard.

“You did.” Gabriel says, knowing that with Jack it is better to agree with him. He helps the omega up and puts the clothes on the bed. “You need to leave.” But Jack stumbles, legs weak from being on the bed for too long. Gabriel holds him by his midsection and Jack plasters his body onto his.

“Leave with me.” He slurs out and Reyes shakes his head. What a shit show. He pulls the omega close and starts helping him to pull the clothes back on Jack’s body. The Omega, in his altered state, keeps his nose buried on Gabriel's neck, not caressing, just feeling him, as if he’s making sure Gabriel isn't a hallucination too. And Gabriel likes it so much, he sighs and lets himself get lost on it.

The thundering footsteps take him away from the fantasy.

“Stop it.” He snarls and Jack looks scared for a moment, before relaxing and smiling at him. Gabriel huffs and helps Jack to put his stupid jacket on. He pushes the glasses on the omega’s face, but that seems to be the wrong move, because Jack seems to become even more disoriented. He looks at a point in the room and starts backing away, shaking his head, panicking.

There is nothing there, Gabriel realizes. He looks at the medical stretcher and realizes it has a speaker under it. So Moira is trying to brainwash Jack like she did Amélie and him? What a stupid move. She knows it won’t work. Jack has bonds that are too strong. Ana and Cole, most people on overwatch. They keep him grounded so why bother trying? Or does she think differently?

Of course, Moira was never good at human interactions. 

They leave the room together, hand in hand. More like, Jack’s front almost glued to Reaper’s back as the man pulls him along. The omega is looking around, confused and dazed, flinching at things and hiding himself away. He has never seen Jack like this before. Scared? Yes, but not hidden away from danger. They move, sneaking into room when the cluster of soldiers pass them, making sure to take advantage of the hustle from his attack to the base.

After many years working as a military force, Talon started to get predictable. That and Olivia’s soft heart make it easy to leave the base they are now. To find the right, hidden path towards the less used exit door, where Gabriel has left his hovercycle waiting for them. There are cameras here, but Gabriel doesn’t care about them.

He walks with Jack to his hovercycle and helps Jack to hop in, but he’s too clumsy, arms like jello.

“Stay seated.” Reaper snarls and gets out of the hovercycle to pull Jack up and sit the omega in front of him. He feels Jack wiggles close, plastering his body on Gabriel. Jack grabs his gloved hand and gives it a kiss. He growls, irritated.

Once Jack is sober, he’ll want to kill him. So it’s better not to enjoy this too much, he’s tired of missing the things he cannot have.

They start to move and Gabriel takes advantage of the ruckus. But they are not so lucky. As they are leaving the garage, a dozen or so Talon soldiers storm inside the room, immediately shooting at them. He pulls Jack down, protecting him with his body.

Once the shooting stops, he stands up, and runs in their direction, shooting left and right. When he gets in the middle of them, Gabriel unloads his shotguns, aiming at everything he sees moving. They fight back, shots zip around him, and in an unlucky moment one gets on his shoulder. The impact takes Gabriel’s breath away.

He swipes his claws at the man, scratching his face, blinding him in the process. He shoots at the last two of them, before moving back to the hovercycle. He mounts it and speeds away, getting into the weird and hidden pathways, indie the snow covered forest he knows so well by now. It’s enough for the remaining soldiers to lose his trail, leaving the muffled sounds of the bombs going off behind them.

He thought it was a good idea to make the whole left side of the base blow up to pieces. They would be either ditching it or fixing the building for the next few days. Reaper will have delivered Jack back to Overwatch by then. 

He tries to heal himself, concentrating hard. But this time, it hurts so much he can’t do it. The pain is too strong, making his vision sway. Even this is impossible now. He needs to get these enhancements OFF.

Goddammit.

With a snarl, Gabriel keeps going, moving in the snow. They are probably already moving the troops to search for him. No, to try to kill him. And they will probably succeed, now that he can’t heal himself properly. 

And maybe that’s a good thing, Gabriel thinks.

That way, the memory of what he was will be the only thing left. Reaper will be a blink in his existence, something that haunted the world for a terrible moment and then was gone. And then everyone else can move on and the world will be a less shitty place.

So maybe, that was better.

Notes:

See, everything is fine. Mostly. I know, I'm evil. But think about it like this: opens skies always come after the storm.
Again, any mistakes, bad grammar, phrases impossible to udnerstand, please warn me because I'm iliterate and can't really find the mistakes I write.
Thank you for reading.

Chapter 27: I took the easy way out (oh...)

Chapter by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead)

Summary:

A Snowstorm. Thunder aproaches and a secret is revealed.

Notes:

Hi, y'all, how yall doing?
So, I'm back to my bullshit with a chapter for you guys. I fiddled with it a LOT because I'm not so used to writting Reaper 76, I hope I gave y'all a good chapter.
I'm still Working on that "hurt" part of the "hurt and comfort" tag. DOn't worry, tho. Comfort will come soon.

This chapter is brought to you by Bang Bang (my baby shot me down) by Nancy Sinatra

The hall of the talon base is empty now. Moira walks on them at a calm pace. They, the other agents, have abandoned the building the moment the bombs started to blow. She prepared to be raided by Overwatch, in an ill attempt to take Jack Morrison back.

As she ran to her lab, she found that Morrison wasn’t there anymore. Not only that, but Reaper was also missing.

She raged and wished to destroy her lab, but stopped, running to make sure her samples were stored properly. She cursed as she watched Reaper’s samples rot away and disappear in a cloud of smoke as she opened her medical freezer. She cursed every Overwatch member, Cursed Reyes. 

But as dust settled and the emergency team started to evacuate the people around her, her mind cleared.

Overwatch didn’t do this. They didn’t run covert operations, couldn’t with all the flare they had. With The ruckus created, she knows for sure that they would have seen at least one of them. But no one saw anything. 

Moira knows who did it. The corpses on the garage floor confirmed it, after all. 

She always wondered how Overwatch seamlessly stopped them time and time again. How can an organization so messy, with no funding, commanded by a Gorilla and old decrepit agents make these kinds of moves on them? found about invasions, missions, bases, that were always secret. 

She walks around the base, looking at the places where the bombs exploded. All too well placed, as if the one that put it in place knew the structure well enough to plan where to put every explosive. And that would be impossible to anyone outside of here.

She looks at the video feed, taken down just a few seconds before everything started to explode. The locking mechanism in her lab, hacked and useless.

And dear Olivia Colombar thought she was always smarter than anyone else, didn’t she? 

She moves to her lab and doesn't find anything out of the ordinary, just a bigger amount of the dead cells that floated around Reaper during his rapid regenerative state.

“Ah.” She says, amused. She was sure to have filters that recycled the air in the lab at all times. This could only mean that Reyes was here after the energy was shut off. What a smart little man.

Of course Sombra somehow helped Reyes to escape. And of course she ran after to pretend nothing ever happened at all, taht she wasn’t even here to begin with.

Great, besides a rogue agent running away with her precious subject they also have a rat. Lacroix is absolutely right. 

Stupid girl. 

But what a curious case Gabriel Reyes was.

All of this for an old flame? 

No.

She sniffs the air, now stale from the lack of filtration and finally she can smell it. For her, It’s faint, almost impossible to interpret. Almost.

Their scents are still mixed. Nit like Shimada and Cassidy, by proximity, but mixed. Entangled together.

She tries to calm herself.

Ten years of experiments, medication and tests done to him, and Gabriel still managed to hide that one little secret from everyone else. From her, of all people! All for something as silly and superficial as a mate. 

Where could they have run off to? It had not been long enough for them to run away and leave back into society, not with the amount of snow and Jack Morisson in heat. She takes her comm and opens it.

“Akande, be a dear and send me some troops. Amélie was right after all. And you need to prepare two new bounties.” She sends the message and closes the comm with a click. Sighing, she suddenly feels tired. It was amusing for a second, thinking about Reaper and his insubordination, but the implications of what that could lead to made her angry.

Years worth of experiments, thrown in the trash. She can’t imagine how much of her work is tainted by his antics. All of her results are impossible to be verified now. Not only that, what was he planning now? Maybe Reaper has some foolish ideas of running away with Jack? Nowhere people would accept him the way he is now, something barely human.

Or maybe, he’d deliver Morrison back to Overwatch where he will be useless? Couldn’t he see how an omega like him could make their power grow? Humanity thrive, finally? That studying Morrison's body, an untainted SEP subject, could further her research? Make it possible for them to create the perfect soldiers from scratch? The future of warfare - of humanity was in their hands, for a brief moment. Imagine what they could have done now that she has all the time, resources and funds she needs. 

No ordering her, trying to tell her what was ethical or not. Just, pure progress. 

With an angry huff, she looks at the forest surrounding the base. And then she thinks. Morrison is already in his heat, she’s sure of that. they couldn’t have gone far. Certainly one of the small houses littered around the base, the ones abandoned once the project of progress cities was left behind.

After all, Reaper loves to stroll around that forest.

She turns and starts to walk away, the tap tap tap of her shoes filling the silent halls of the facility.

--

A weak cramp makes Jack contort in pain, suddenly stirring him from sleep. 

As the pain fades, he notices other things around himself. The sheets he’s laying on are scratchy and old. His body aches, the pain of heat settling in. The room he is in right now is dark and stuffy. Cold, with a dampness to it, as if the window was left open for a moment and small droplets of water entered it. Sitting up, he can see that the place is run down, a layer of dust over it.

Jack immediately takes his jacket off, wanting to strip, to get away from the unbearable feeling of his scratchy clothes on his sensitive skin, but he stops, the memory of before flooding back to him. For a moment, lost in the daze of his heat, he forgot he had been captured. He must be somewhere inside or close to the Talon base, surely being watched. 

But his skin crawls at the idea of putting his clothes back on.

He sighs and the smell of sweet dead flowers and overripe oranges fills his nose. It smells of his mate. Gabriel.

Pulling the blanket over his body, Jack cocoons himself and walks around the room, trying to understand where he is. He tries the light switch, but is no use, the room keeps dark. Still, in the dim light coming from the window, Jack can see that the place has a bed, a chair close to it, a bedside table and nothing else. There is a draft coming through the holes in the walls, and with a frown, he realizes the place is made out of old and broken wood.

Looking outside of the window, he realizes that the sun is going down and it's getting dark. There is a forest surrounding the house, covered in snow. It doesn’t look anywhere near like the lab he was in before. Not that he could see the outside anyways, but he doesn't hear the same background noises from the Talon base, the taps of the boots, the chatter of the employees and soldiers. No, here there is only silence.

So, in an attempt to see how far this will go, Jack tries the door and it opens. Hm, weird. He takes careful steps into the corridor, looking around. There is no one there, but the faint smell of his mate lingers and Jack follows.

For a moment, he wonders if this is a trap, if Moira is watching him, seeing how he reacts. Writing on that notebook of hers the small little details of his heat. He can already see it.

The time between the subject's heat waves has decreased with the addition of its mate’s scent. Cramps have increased and signs of Rejection Sickness have settled. Or would she take notes of how many times cries during the heat, unable to be close to his own mate? Would she look into how many times he whines for Gabriel? Begging to be bred?

He remembers the doctor having a weird mixture of fascination with how genetics had an effect on alphas and omegas reproduction and disgust at the base instincts when heats and ruts got into the conversation.

He remembers the lab.

Well, fuck that. Jack decides that he's going to rip every surveillance device from the walls, be as much of a nuisance as he can be. That may put him in danger, but at least he won’t be complacent. A quiet victim of her experiments again.

But there is nothing. As he moves around, he finds no weird small blinking lights of hidden cameras, no microphones, no displaced electronics. Actually, no electronics at all, no furniture either. He even looks at the sockets and the nook and crannies, but there is nothing there but cut electric cords.

Has someone rescued him and left him here alone, to endure his heat by himself? The scent of his mate makes him hope that it was Gabriel.

He explores the house for a while, but it’s no use, it’s empty. And he means it quite literally. The house has a bed in the bedroom, a chair and a cupboard in the kitchen, so run down that probably came with the house. The ceiling has holes in it. He walks back into the bedroom, checking all the windows and doors to see if they are firmly closed and hastily boarded up.

Only the front door opens, and Jack uses it to go out. There is heavy snow around him, but despite his trembling, he feels hot. Hotter than any other normal heat he has ever had. He manages to get a whiff of Gabriel's scent in the sea of the sharp smell of ice and pine.

Weakly, he checks the perimeter. The house is small. Beside it, there is a water tank, with a small fire under it, probably keeping the water from freezing and only that. In the ceiling there is a space where a solar panel would have been. This is a crisis house. Born out of the fear that the war against omnics brought. Why is it so abandoned?

Jack walks some more, and can see, far far away in the horizon, a big building, slowly releasing smoke. The style reminds him a lot about the ones Vishkar has built in Oasis. Would it be a mega farm? No, he doesn’t remember any of that being done like that.

It takes twice as long as he would want to, but soon Jack realizes that there is no one here with him. Hes alone. It's the end of January, so there is no way there is any animal awake or alive at this moment. No one would try to get into these woods by themselves without help from a hover vehicle.

He walks back inside and slips back into bed and covers himself. For a second, he hopes that it was Gabriel that rescued him. But its unlikely; It's more probable that Moira is testing him, that he's in an isolated location where no soldiers could barge in and try to claim him, tainting her precious experiment, fucking him before she could collect any of his remaining eggs again.

But the scent, despite not being too strong, is intoxicating, it already makes him rub his legs together, feeling the slick dripping down his hole and into his thighs. What would Gabriel do if he ever saw him like this? Needy and ready to be taken? Would he push him against the wall and ravish him? Bite his lips and his neck? Or would he be the caring lover from before?

Would he recognize him like that day at the ball or just push him away like all the other times?

The memory of when they shared heats and ruts comes back to him, as it often does when he's in heat. When Gabe would fuck him so deep and so good he’d spend the next day of his heat with wobbly legs.

He imagines what the new gloves he uses feel like against his skin, scraping his waits, the heavy jeans would rub against his tights, giving him a burn, the cold mask touching his back when Reaper slips inside of him. 

God he wants it so badly. 

A fantasy so normal now, that Jack doesn’t find it strange anymore. 

The first time he had it, even before he recognized Gabriel on the battlefield, he was confused. He imagined that it was a weird crossing of wire on his brain, confusing hate for Reaper with lust. Now? Well… The omega whines, the idea of it.

Jack moves his hands down to finger himself and massage his own member, but a cramp hits him, this time sharp and painful.

“Argh.” He curls over himself, ears ringing. Ever since Gabriel left, it has been like this. Rejection sickness. Heavy cramps, body pain, dehydration, either too much slick or too little. Nothing makes his heat better. Not medication, over the counter or prescribed, not the teas Ana has given him, not the more alternative things like the Heat underwear that warms up and swore it would make his cramps better.

When it’s over, Jack is shaking.

He pulls the blanket around himself  and closes his eyes hard. It smells more like dust than Gabriel, so he probably wasn’t here for long. Maybe he wasn’t here at all. So he’ll stay miserable and suffer with rejection sickness until it all stops.

If Gabriel was here this wouldn’t be happening.

He left him alone again.

Why, why does he keep doing this to himself? Hasn't Gabriel told him time and time again that he doesn't want to see him? That he wants to be left alone? But Jack knows it must not be true. From the way he speaks to him when they meet, to the fact he saved several agents. His scent. His scent was calling to him, almost begging for Jack to come back, to meet him halfway. Almost as desperate as he is.

He just doesn't understand why he's so stubborn.

Suddenly, it all becomes too hot and he throws the blanket away from himself. Goddamn hot flashes.

He needs to cool his body temperature. With a groan, Jack takes all the force he can muster and stands up. His abdominal muscles still feel sore and he wants to curl into a ball and disappear, but he goes to the bathroom. Thankfully, there is still enough water running, as he suspected it would.

Jack lets the water run for some time, to wash away the dust from the bottom of the tub. When it is somewhat cleaner, he lets the tub fill halfway, pulls his clothes and underwear off, sitting there, letting the lukewarm water calm his hot flashes.

He is so tired. Feeling hot and unwell.

There is something wrong with him.

Moira did inject him with something, didn’t she? Oh, well , he thinks, feeling the water getting cold, stinging against his skin. He must have slept, because when he opens his eyes, he’s being shaken awake by a gloved hand. 

“Are you crazy?” The cloaked figure asks, angry. Jack wants to lash out, but when he looks up he realizes it is Gabriel. “Your lips are turning blue, get out of there!” He says, and Jack whines again as the figure pulls him from out of the tub. The pins and needles against his skin were better than the agony of not being touched.

Gabriel carries him, bridal style, back into the room. His gloves poke Jack’s back and his legs, but it doesn’t bother him. The alpha quickly puts him seated on the bed and covers him with a blanket. “Come on, dry yourself, you need to get warm.” He says, going around the room with angry huffs, searching for more to cover him with.

Jack starts doing it at a sluggish pace. He wants to go faster, but he feels weak. Weaker than before. Maybe he's hungry? He can't tell. Gabriel grunts, displeased and grabs the blanket and dries him all up.

Surprised, Jack looks at him, without his glasses it’s difficult to see, but is he worried? After a moment sniffing the air, and looking at Gabriel’s body language, he realizes that yes, he is.

He jumps in place when Gabriel dries his legs and his hands touch his thighs, whining and fidgeting in place, heat pooling in his navel. He feels a rush of slick dripping from his hole, and his body shakes.

They look at one another for a second before Gabriel stands up with difficulty. He finches and Jack realizes that his mate is favoring his left shoulder.

“What's wrong?” Jack asks, teeth shattering. In a lack of judgment, he pulls Gabriel down, so he can face his mate.

“Don't --” he gasps, folding in pain, bearing his weight on the bed. Jack sits up, scared of what he did and tries to reach for Gabriel's shoulder. The alpha grabs Jack by the wrist, stopping him from touching.

“Let me help you!” He insists. The alpha looks at him and slowly releases his hand. He takes deep breaths, centering himself and sits on the bed, almost falling. Scared, Jack pulls Reaper’s trench coat and shirt open, just enough to see his shoulder.

In that small piece of skin, Jack can see that Gabriel's body is heavily scarred. Cobwebs of light and dark scar tissue, deep healed gashes, pulling his skin in different directions. He has scars from samples, gunshots, stitches from the countless times he was probably stitched back together. His shoulder has a wound, a deep one, surrounded by the smoke, but still oozing blood.

“Fuck. It's fine. You'll be fine. Where are my glasses?” Jack turns, patting the bedside table, hands shaking from the cold. Shit, his glasses are in the bathroom. He tries to stand up, swaying in place, but Gabriel holds him back.

“Gabriel.” Jack tries, calling his name. The alpha looks back at him, breathing hard. 

"I am fine." He pants, pulling his trench coat closed. "You need rest." He stands up, facing away from Jack. 

“When did you get hurt?” He asks and Gabriel only grunts in pain. “Stop being stubborn.” He says again, but Gabriel only chuckles at the irony of him saying that, raspy and low, not the voice Jack was used to before.

"Because you really care." Gabriel says, sarcastic. It’s almost an automatic response at this point. Nobody cares, not really. Maybe not even Jack. 

"I do." Jack looks at him, incredulous. “Of course I do.” Reaper's mask is unwavering, white with the black socket looking at him.

“I don’t know what kind of vanity project you think this is, Jackie, but you need to stop.” Reaper’s voice is snappy.

“Stop speaking like that.” Jack sets his lips on a thin line. “It’s ugly when you do that.”

Gabriel feels a sense of familiarity wash over himself. Jack always used to say that at the end, when he started to lose track of time, of emotions, or reality. Spending days and days in a mist of feeling absolutely nothing, only to have his mate smile at him, warmth of the action washing over him like the sun. Or when his son -- no, Cole -- made a joke or did something stupid, making it all rush back. The happiness, the love, the anger. 

Usually the anger lingered the most. 

“A day.” Gabriel relents and Jack despairs. It should be fully closed, not the mangled half cured flesh that it is now.

“We nee d biotics.” He says and realizes that they don’t have any of that. They are alone in the middle of the woods in god knows where.

“What we need is to get out of here.” Gabriel starts walking, but Jack pulls him back by the back of the coat.

“At least share some scent with me!” Jack puts his wrist out, offering it to Grabriel. “You know it will help!” He insists, shaking his hand, wrist out.

Gabriel, maybe out of weakness, maybe out of something else, takes Jack's wrist and noses it, drinking in the sweet lavender scent. He tries to be gentle, not hurt his omega. It doesn't take his pain away, but it helps him relax. To Cope.

Jack shudders with it, the touch of his mate again, to feel him. It's been months now and he has been as thirsty for it as before. The last ten years without anything made him subdued, he didn't feel the need for anything outside of his heats because he was too focused on finding Gabriel, on fighting Talon. But the last months, after feeling his mate's lips, his touch on his skin, his scent, Jack found himself wanting, longing for it.

The heat doesn't help and Gabriel must be affected too, because Jack smells the potent scent of arousal coming from him. He takes a chance and comes closer, resting his forehead on Gabriel’s uninjured Shoulder.

“Stop.” He says and Jack does so, getting away, looking at Gabriel, the pain of rejection blooming on his chest again. A cramp hits him, this time is weak. He relents. Brainwashing , he remembers. Gabe may have been brainwashed . He closes his eyes hard and takes a deep breath, focusing.

“Do you have a medical kit?” Jack asks, opening his eyes, staring at the owl mask. “This is a safe house of yours, right? You must have something here.” He says and Gabriel sighs, tired. The alpha stands up and moves somewhere in the house.

Jack rests back against the headboard and takes a deep, shuddering breath, worry making his stomach churn. He closes his eyes for a moment, body shaking, trying to understand the myriad of conflicting feelings on his chest and ends up dozing off for a second, until Gabriel shakes him awake again. It must have been a while, because when he looks through the window, he realizes it’s already night and his body is warmer.

“Dress yourself.” He says, handing Jack his clothes. "Come to the living room after." He leaves.

Jack does as he says. When he enters the living room, he sees that Gabriel has lit up the old portable furnace. Jack hasn’t seen one of those since he was a young man. There are several branches on the floor by its side. So that’s what he was doing? The medical kit is on the floor, right beside an opened can of peas with a plastic fork inside it. They sit down and the fire slowly starts to make Jack warm up again.

He’s hungry, Jack realizes as soon as he sees the peas. But he ignores it and turns to face Gabriel. The alpha is already without his gloves and the cloat is shrugged off, trying to treat the wound by himself. Jack stops him with a gentle touch and takes the cotton ball from his hand. 

With great care, Jack starts cleaning the wound. It’s not infected or has any inflammation or pus, showing that Gabriel did care for it and the SEP serum running through his body is still effective. But his mate flinches and trembles with the pain of it.

It’s so unnatural to see this, especially after ten years watching Gabriel fight as Reaper. Jack has seen him regenerate his body so quickly that he must not even felt the pain to begin with. He knows the wounds shouldn't be like this still, open and in the first stages of healing. He doesn't have any potential for infection now, but still, it's too slow. 

Jack stops for a second and just looks, really looks at Gabriel. Besides the body littered with scars, he realizes that Gabriel’s scalp is not any better. There are pathways of scars zigzagging through his scalp, making ways on his coarse and short dark hair.

Observing better, he realizes that he was right and Gabriel has small and large circular scars on his body, samples taken from his skin and tissue. He is being experimented on, in pain all of the time. The dull ache he feels is not his imagination, it’s their bond, showing how much Gabriel is hurting.

Jack touches the edge of his pectoral, finger lightly tracing over one rounded scar. Gabriel flinches away. 

“What happened?” He asks, hands shaking with much more than cold as he finishes cleaning the wound. He looks for any kind of gauze or anything to cover it, but there are none. The old bottles of medicine are also mostly empty too. “Why aren't we at the Talon base anymore?”

“You're in heat and any degenerate could enter that room and do God knows what to you.” Gabriel says, looking away. Jack opens his mouth to try to ask another question, but is interuped. “Eat. We’re leaving in half an hour.” He holds Jack's hand, bringing it away from his body and pushes the can on Jack’s hand again. 

“Where to?”

“As far away from Talon as we can.”

Jack perks at the mention and looks up. 

“So we are close to a Talon base?” He asks, looking outside through the window. “The building.”

“Yes.” Gabriel sighs. 

“We are still too close.”

“I couldn't run farther with a bad shoulder and an omega in heat, could I?” He says, all snark. Jack swallows down the lump on his throat and frowns, taking a spoonful of peas as Reaper walks to the furnace. The peas are old, but not rancid or expired, so he eats more, not looking at Gabriel as the alpha dresses himself and starts the fire.

There is a moment of silence and Jack pulls the blanket closer to his body, looking at the fire burning, hearing the crackling of the wood. There is a flash of memory in his mind and Jack blinks. Him in the lab, the experiments, the noises, the shadow rescuing him, holding into him and being pushed down as the bullets zip around him.

“You rescued me.” Jack asks and receives a grunt as an answer. “You did.” There is no answer to that, but Jack feels a sliver of hope. “Gabe.” He calls but his mate doesn’t answer. Jack puts the peas down and approaches, sitting by his side. “Why?”

There is a moment of silence.

“I told you to stop following me.” He says.

“Don't change the subject.”

“You were captured!” Gabriel shakes his head. “Because you tried to follow me like--”

“How could I not?!” Jack frowns at him. “You’re my mate.”

“Not anymore.”

“We never broke our bond.”

“Finish eating.” Gabriel snaps, forcefully, and abruptly leaves the room. Jack feels a surge of anger inside his chest and stands up, walking towards Gabriel in wobbly feet.

“Gabriel!” He calls, walking inside the kitchen. “Talk to me. Why save Fareeha? Hanzo? me?”

“There is nothing to be said.” Gabriel keeps walking, going to the back door. Jack follows, hobbling through the corridor. He grabs Gabriel's hand, stopping him. 

“Moira is experimenting on you, isn’t she?” His breath is erratic. “I’ve seen your scars, they are hurting you!” Jack continues, desperate.

“Release me.” Gabriel pulls his hand, but Jack is relentless. 

“Are they blackmailing you?” He tries again, walking closer. “What do they have against you?I’m sure I can help!”

“Stop it --”

“Or are they doing what they did to Amelie? Forcing you into this, somehow? Brainwashing you?” Jack puts a hand on Gabriel’s neck, holding him in place. “I can help, Gabriel. If you just --”  Before he knows it, Jack is pinned against the wall, Gabriel’s arms caging him, their faces mere centimeters apart. 

They look at one another for a moment. The sweet and salty scent of slick fills the air, so thick Gabriel can almost taste it. God, what would he do? What would he do to have his omega again with him?

Amelie’s face flashes in his mind. Before it all happened, when she was discharged from the med bay. A small smile on her face as she clung to Gérard. He remembers Cole’s worry about her, telling how he thought that there was no way she could be okay.

“You brought him here, Gabriel.”

He can’t risk it. Not when he doesn’t know the effects of the brainwashing. Not with Talon on his tail. 

“No one is forcing me into anything.”  He says, calm. “I joined Talon willingly.” He watches as Jack’s expression crumbles. 

“What?” Jack searches his face, confused. “No, Gabe--”

“I’m not one of your pet projects, Morrison. You owe me nothing . You are nothing to me. I don’t CARE about you. If you’re here, it's because it gets you out of my way.” Jack is about to cry, he knows that. He wants to caress his cheek and kiss him tenderly, but he can't. 

Not when death follows him everywhere. Gabriel is not dragging Jack down with him. Not when he can’t know what they’ll make him do.

He’s doomed anyway.

Jack looks at him shocked. His eyes are wide, mouth opening and closing, without reaction. There is no way he could react to the cruel words. Gabriel leaves before the omega can think properly, see deeper inside the statement, the inconsistencies and the small lies that don’t match with reality. 

The door opens and closes with a loud bang. 

Jack slowly slides down to the floor. 

Oh. Is all Jack can think.

So he's been wrong this whole time.

His hands shake. His heart beats a mile a minute and Jack feels his bond hurt with the rejection. He expects at any moment for the bond to break, but it doesn't. 

But, of course he was wrong about this. 

His vision was clouded by love and hope, tunnel vision so narrow that he ignored everything else. So of course he wouldn't believe it. He couldn't imagine, in any way, shape or form, that Gabriel, his Gabriel, was willingly working with Talon. 

Ten years. 

Lost. 

With regret, Jack covers his face. In the darkened room, he lets himself cry. 

--

It's been three days.

Three days and they still don’t know where Jack could be. Winston had assured Cole that he was working on it. He knows that’s true because the cowboy wasn't satisfied with the way things were going and spent the last two days in the gorilla’s office searching too. With the help of Athena and Phara’s military knowledge and some favors being called in, the work was moving, even if slowly.

Still, it was tiresome and slow and each day not finding Jack makes everyone think about what could be happening to him. Cole tries to not to think about it too much, focusing on the work and what he’ll say to Jack once he comes back. Pacing around and grumbling, even when they are off duty.

The missions still happening also didn’t help, but they needed to keep going.

“The show must go on, as they say.” Cole had said, once when they laid in bed, tired, but too stressed to sleep. People need help and they must attend to it. Even with his brother still being asleep, Hanzo was sent to the next two missions, since there were few people to even go with. For Hanzo that was… Okay.

Winston seemed very apologetic about it, but Hanzo knows that he doesn’t have that much of a choice. Angela had to be on the base to care for Hana and especially Genji, Lúcio was in the role as nurse too, since he was the only other person that had any medical training at all, so he also couldn't be out. Bastion and Zenyatta were out of commission, being rebuilt by Torbjörn. That left an even smaller number of people and combinations of agents for the missions.

The elimination of bots was easy, with the mindless ways they walked and any foot soldier from Talon was stupid enough to not be any worry for him. He still kept his mind on Genji. Yesterday they had a scare with him, with Angela running towards the infirmary, having to quickly medicate and stabilize him.

Hanzo kept outside of the room, walking up and down the corridor.

Waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Cole had hugged him close and kissed his forehead once the alpha came back from his mission. Trying to make his worries go away, but in truth he was as much of a mess as Hanzo. They tried to sleep at night, but couldn't, only drifting off when exhaustion took over. Sometimes, when Hanzo woke up, startled from another nightmare, he’d heard Cole sniffing and crying. On times like that, he’d pull him close and kiss his shoulder.

Angela offered some sleeping medication, but Cole refused to. Hanzo didn't trust himself with any sleeping medications at all, not with his history with them. Ana tentatively offered them a tea mix of lavender, melissa and passion fruit flower. Lúcio swore by it.

Cole maintained a distant relation with Ana, still angry at her. Hanzo understood and let the cowboy work on the issue at his own pace. As much as he and Ana wanted to, the whole air around them was still murky and tainted with distrust, the cowboy even stopped letting Ana take care of Ako. 

So Hanzo accepted the tin of loose leaf tea and took it when he was ready to pass out from stress. It helped marginally.

Amidst all of that, a small relief was that Hana was feeling fine now, after a few days of rest and some good food she felt better.

“I’m built like a bull.” She said this morning, trying and failing to use the wheelchair. Cole rolled his eyes and helped to wheel her towards the workshop to start the rebuild of her mecha. Hanzo could only snort a laugh at her bravado. There in the workshop, they saw that Bastion was being rebuilt and that fortunately nothing on his core was damaged. Zenyatta was there too, but his case was even more complex, since it wasn't Torbjorn the one who invented his frame. Hanzo would stop by from time to time, to tell the monk about Genji's progress, as he did everyday.

With any luck, soon they would be ready for another mission. 

Unfortunately, not the one Hanzo is in now.

They are in Dorado, escorting something towards another something (it’s not important, Hanzo couldn't really pay any attention to the briefing) and Hanzo is following through the buildings around it. Ana and Reinhardt were by the truck’s side, trying to avoid any attacks from Los Muertos.

It was uneventful until it wasn’t and when the gang attacked, it became increasingly clear that their operation had grown significantly larger since the last time they encountered them. Still, it wasn’t enough to stop them. Reinhardt and Orisa defended the payload and Hanzo kept his aim sharp, knocking the people left and right, protecting his teammates from the highest peaks. Los Muertos weren’t joking around and so wasn’t Hanzo.

A shot zips through the air, hitting the building Hanzo is hiding behind right now. The archer snarls and releases a sonic arrow, looking around, trying to see where they are.

The dragons pulls his face right. There . Soba warns. The twins lend him strength and he pulls the empty bow, notching the storm arrows again, releasing several of them in a row. They ricochet in the walls, putting the two gang members down. One is already on the floor, bleeding heavily and the other beside the man who just fell down points a shotgun at him. To his luck, Ana sends a sleeping dart and knocks him down.

“Behind you!” Reinhardt screams from his post and Hanzo turns around, seeing that two of the gang members have used the stairs of the house to get to him on the rooftop. There is screaming from inside.

Hanzo runs towards them, using his bow to hit the first man on the face. He screams, but the omega is relentless and keeps hitting until the man is down. He feels the telltale electricity of the dragons wanting to be released. The other points a gun at him. Hanzo thinks about jumping back and running away, but Udon recklessly pushes him towards the goon, pulling the man close and giving him a headbutt. The gang member groans and falls down, unconscious.

Hanzo’s vision blurs.

He rests his shoulder against the wall, taking ragged breaths. Looking at his arm he sees the blue sparkles of energy. The omega touches his forehead, swaying a little and taking his hand away. The sparkles are not only on his arm, but also his face, connecting with the ones in his hands. His tattoo is glowing.

It’s not a concussion, he knows those well. This is something else. He closes his eyes, concentrating. His dragons are suspiciously silent right now.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Focus.

Clean your mind.

He takes deep breaths, closing his eyes with force.

.

“--zo? Hanzo?” The comm cracks, it’s Reinhardt. “Hanzo, are you injured?”

Opening his eyes, Hanzo finds himself seated away from where he was just now, his body back to normal. He feels relieved but the uneasy rumble of the dragons makes him fear it wasn't so. “No. I’m going back now.” Relieved, he quickly goes to the ledge, jumping down, landing softly on the floor.

He runs towards Reinhardt, quickly standing behind his shield. Looking around them, Hanzo sees that most of the gang members are either down or leaving, probably realizing that even with more firepower, they still can't go against overwatch. He watches other Los Muertos members, cursing at them from a rooftop. Hanzo notches another arrow and sends it their way, effectively making them scramble.

He huffs and shakes his head.

“Let’s go.” He turns to the others and climbs the back on the truck. “We need to finish the mission.” and go back home, where he can wait for his brother to wake up. What Hanzo doesn’t see it's the ways that the others look in between themselves, worried. Ana sighs and shakes her head.

The last few days have been rough on everyone, but that was very apparent how what happened weighed on Hanzo and Cole even more. It’s difficult to have the ones that keep us at bay drifting away, or at least Ana thinks so.

They keep at a steady pace and the Los Muertos don’t try anything again. Soon they are delivering the power turbine to LumeriCo ( ah, this is what we are doing, okay . Hanzo thinks absently minded). The employee receiving the turbine seems so glad they managed to surpass Los muertos and thank them time and time again.

After that, they have to wait for the Orca close to the patio. The recently retrieved aurora was out of commission for now, even with Tracer working on it, there just wasn’t enough of anything to fix it. So they had to wait for the orca to come get them. 

There wasn’t anyone to drive the aurora anyways.

Hanzo keeps bouncing his leg as they wait, his patience running thin. He keeps his mouth shut and his back resting on the wall, away from the others, arms crossed in annoyance. He knows his mood is foul at the moment and it's not anyone's fault.

“Should we find a place to eat and rest? I know there is wonderful cuisine around here.” Reinhardt asks, looking at the sky too, worried about the delay.

“No. We need to stay here.” Hanzo snaps sternly, with no patience for Reinhardt’s antics. The silence that follows is heavy and he immediately regrets his sour mood. He sighs, and covers his eyes, ashamed of his reaction. “I'm sorry, Agent Reinhardt. We probably should rest.” If not for himself, for the others.

“You are forgiven, friend.” Reinhardt stands up. “Everyone wants to go back quickly too and search for Jack, but at this rate, I don't know if we can make it.” He shakes his head. Hanzo is thankful for the laid back attitude. Reinhardt probably had seen worse attitudes from fellow soldiers and Cruzaders than an ill tempered omega.

“I understand that we need to do these missions.” Hanzo starts, pushing himself from the wall. “But it feels like we are not fully prepared for them now.”

“That isn't it.” Ana walks closer. “We all feel we should be doing more at home, instead of…”

“Being here.” Hanzo says. “Delivering cargo to a multimillionaire company.” he crosses his arms, wondering, for a moment, if Zarya was right after all. Are they doing the right thing? Even if overwatch is, is Hanzo on the right path? It sometimes seems like his presence creates more bad than good.

“The country needs the turbine to keep their lights on.” Reinhardt reasons. And Hanzo almost flinches at it and how selfish he sounds, whining about going on missions that clearly were for the greater good.

“Yes I know.” Winston wouldn't have sent them if there wasn't a real threat. “I'm merely  tired.” he closes his eyes. Now that they are outside of the battle, Soba and Udon retreat to the back of his mind, unusually quiet. Their voices have been dwindling since everything happened.

“Much more reason for us to eat!” Renhardt lights up and Hanzo relents. Before they can, the sound of the orca approaching calls their attention. The ship drops down and once inside they realize they are not the only ones there. The other team, with Phara, Brigitte and Torbjörn are there too.

“Sorry about the delay, loves, I had to do a quick stop.” Tracer zips into view, looking tired, but smiling anyways.

“Perfect! The more the merrier!” Reinhardt says, opening a wide smile and going towards Brigitte, talking to the young woman.

“Can the Orca fly this many agents?” Hanzo turns to tracer, worried as they all enter the ship.

“That's what we're trying to find out.” Tracer shrugs and zips to the cockpit again.

The door to the orca closes and as it rocks up into the sky, Hanzo wonders if he should send a message of goodbye to Cole. Ultimately he sits down on the floor and opens his comm, looking at the messages. The ship thankfully flies up to their destination without any issues.

Cole has sent him messages with an update about the progress in finding Jack, telling him how the search is going, and apparently they managed to find some satellite images. Mostly, Cole sent him pictures of Ako being silly.

Despite all the work and stress of doing missions and searching for Jack in his free time, Cole still insisted on dragging the playpen from the lounge room to Winston's lab, so Ako could stay with him the whole day when Hanzo was off to the missions. Which was a necessity, since Ako decided that walking away and hiding in small nooks was the funniest thing ever, for the distress of her overworked parents. 

Just like right now, Hanzo sees a photo that Cole has gotten of Ako, hidden inside a toolbox that Winston had laying around. Smiling at her father. It helped a lot with the mood.

Pharah sits beside him.

“How was the mission?” She asks, relaxing a little.

“Good.” Hanzo says back.

“Okay…” She turns to him, unimpressed at his lackluster answer. “My mom asked me to ask you how are you doing.” Hanzo rolls his eyes at her, closing the comm and putting it back in his pocket. “Reinhardt told us you were a little… off during the mission?”

Hanzo takes a deep, calming breath. “Could he not gossip for once?” crossing his arms, he rests against the wall.

“He's just worried.” She reasons. “Believe it or not, people like you enough to worry about your health.”

“I just need to go back to my brother.” He closes his eyes, feeling himself drift. “Help Cole to find Jack.”

“I know.” She sighs, whispering. “I can't believe Jack was stupid enough to keep all of that from us.”

“Yes.”

“But this is what he does.” Pharah shakes her head. Hanzo looks at her, confused. “Maybe mom and Cassidy can’t see it because, you know…” She shrugs. “But when I was young he and Gabe used to do this all the time. Kept me, Cassidy and even mom out of the loop, thinking we were better off not knowing what they thought they could fix by themselves.” She whispers to him. Not that there was anyone close now, but he feels like she wants to keep this in between them. “Felt frustrating at times, even as a child.”

“I understand. It’s difficult to be left in the dark.” Hanzo nods, but doesn’t have anything more to say about it. At Hanamura he lived in a weird state of knowing too much and too little at the same time, not ever knowing what was manipulations and what was the truth told to his face. His case was very different from Pharah’s and Cole’s, but he understood the frustration of it, of not knowing.

She stays beside him, waiting for the flight to be over, her clunky armor making noise as it hits the walls of the Orca. Nobody bothers them and neither Hanzo nor Pharah have too much to say.

When they land, Hanzo debriefs in silence as the others replay the mission. Nobody mentions his mishap while fighting the agents and Hanzo is thankful for that. It may be coddling, considering everything that has happened, maybe they just don’t want to see him have another mental breakdown. Nonetheless, Hanzo is still thankful he’s left alone.

When it’s all finished, he moves to the lab where Winston is usually working. There he finds Cole searching through what looks to be surveillance images. He has Ako playing on his feet, using blocks to build towers and then smashing them, throwing it all to the ground with a laugh. Cole chuckles at her and pats her head, making the girl smile at him.

Hanzo sighs in relief. Recently, seeing his family, even if they are lacking one member, always made him relax. He approaches and touches Cole's arm, making the alpha look up. The cowboy laces their fingers together, bringing him into a hug in a silent greeting. 

He hides his face on Hanzo's midsection, grumbling a little. They spend some time like that, in silence, with Hanzo caressing Cole's head, fingers passing through the slightly oily hair. Despite everything, with the fight and the whole mess that was with Hanzo keeping Jack’s secret, he and Cole found strength in each other. 

“How is the search going?” Hanzo asks, noticing the images in one of the computers.

“Is going.” He sighs, separating. “There are some images here, I just don't know what to make of it.” Cole stands up to get the printed images and show them to Hanzo.

“ Hello, Little Ako, I'm back home.” He turns to Ako and kneels on the ground, calling the girl to walk to him.

She babbles an exclamation, noticing Hanzo. He watches in awe as she stands up with some difficulty and pats her feet towards him with her small cowboy boots, arms stretched. She's always like this. Always reaching for him. Hanzo notices that her clothes also include a printed shirt with horseshoes and farm animals, dark brown pants and her wide brimmed hat gifted from Torbjörn. Hanzo wants to laugh at the sights. Of course Cole would dress her like this.

“Did you get her a lasso, too?” Hanzo asks, taking Ako in his arms and standing up. He watches as the alpha stares at him confused for a moment until he realizes how he has dressed the girl for the day and his cheeks immediately redden.

“Now, you leave my princess alone.” Cole pouts, walking towards Hanzo, hands resting on his waist. “She looks cute like this.”

Hanzo presses his lips on a thin line, trying not to smile at Cole. The alpha lightly pinches Ako’s face, making her giggle. 

The alpha smiles a little before focusing back on the issue at hand. He pulls the photos and shows them to Hanzo.

There are several surveillance images from around the world. Most of them have a cloaked figure on it, someone on an airport, a faire, a parking lot, a subway, walking on the streets. But most of them don't even come closer to who they are looking for.

“Not very promising.” Hanzo says and Cole nods, But the same time hands Hanzo the last two photos.

“I thought the same until I saw these ones.” Cole points at the last shot and Hanzo looks at it finally. 

The photo is taken from a surveillance camera, a backroad somewhere Hanzo doesn’t recognize much. There is what seems to be a hovercycle running through the forest in the back. The place is surrounded by trees and snow, and it's clearly isolated. A figure cloaked in a dark hood sits on it and he can see how it could be Reaper. What seals the deal for Hanzo is the blond man seated in front of him, being held by Reaper, a blur of red and blue in his jacket.

“It looks to be them.”

Hanzo moves the next one and squints at it. It seems to be the hovercycle, but it's too far to even try to understand it. The hovercycle is in the middle of the woods and the quality of the image is not the best, but enough to see them.

“Yep.” Cole nods. “Athena got into a public database. It's from two days ago. We tried to get more recent images, but y’know how that goes, even with Athena the whole thing takes time. Seems to be somewhere in Canada.”

“Canada?” Hanzo says, looking at Cole disbelieving. “That’s the last place I’d think Talon would operate from. Maybe in Oasis, since Moira is there.”

“Too obvious. Easy to find.” The cowboy frowns. “We're trying to see where he could've gone to, but all the maps for the area are post crisis and show no roads there.” He shows Hanzo the digital maps. “Can't get a good reading of this without getting my hands on a really old map.”

“There must be a hideout there.” Hanzo lifts an eyebrow. “Or maybe a Talon base.”

“It’s what I’m guessing, but I can access any satellite image of the area. All come with a ‘private property’ warning and we can’t access it. Wisnton is working on it.” Cole sighs. “Which reminds me of: You see what I see?” He scratches his beard, pointing and the first image with his prosthetic hand.

“Yes.” Hanzo answers. “There are no guards or soldiers surrounding them. No bounds.” Jack is free, only being firmly held against Reaper’s chest.

“Doesn’t make any sense, does it?” The cowboy says. “Go through all of this trouble to capture Jack only to move him ‘round like this? Alone, in the woods, knowing how strong he is?”

“Rey-- Reaper could go hand in hand with Jack, in the past?”

“Yep. They used to spar all the time. Not, you know, the real deal, but training. The board for wins was always in a draw. They had very similar strength, unless Jack was in pre-heat.”

They share a look. Hanzo hastily takes his own comm and looks into the schedule for missions and chores before everything goes to shit. Jack wasn’t on any of them, not even training. His photo has a pink border around it, indicating that he would be taking the week off for his heat.

Oh, no.

Hanzo approaches and looks at the first image. “He looks out of it.” He has never seen Jack like this, he’s almost limp, He can’t properly see his face, but his posture is all wrong. Cole bites his lips and nods, worried. “Do you think Reaper…?”

“I don’t wanna think of what Talon could be doing with Jack right now.” Cole says, frowning. Even if he doubts (more like hopes) that Gabriel wouldn't do anything like that to Jack, he can’t trust that anyone at Talon would lose the opportunity to take advantage of Jack’s weakened state. Hanzo nods, biting his lip; he doesn’t want to think about it too. 

“I’ll talk with Winston later. Maybe we can find more information and it will make this make sense.” Cole massages his nose bridge. “Have you eaten yet?” He looks at Hanzo, who shakes his head. He huffs and hugs Hanzo to his side.

“No, but I want to see Genji first.” He says because he knows there is no use in lying to Cole. The cowboy looks at him and sighs, but walks with him and Ako to the infirmary where Genji is still asleep.

That's what Hanzo likes to call it, because thinking about it as a coma is too much for him to handle. Too close to death and what that could entail. So he sits with Ako on the chair and watches as Genji sleeps.

“I haven’t eaten either. I’ll get us some grub.” He points at him, winking and Hanzo huffs. He doesn’t have an appetite and he can go longer without food, he knows that. The first year of running away, he had times of need in between jobs. Assassinations, rightful or not, didn’t come by easily. It paid well, but never at a rate that could make his life comfortable.

“Thank you.” He nods and sits on the chair, accommodating Ako in his lap. Cole’s presence made his anxiety better, therefore it made his appetite better. He watches as the cowboy goes to the kitchen and then turns to Genji. After the scare he was brought to the infirmary, and Hanzo didn’t leave his side in the free time he had. At first he was silent, but soon couldn't bear it and started talking.

He spoke about anything and everything. First he spoke about what was happening on the base, with Hana recuperating and Bastion being rebuilt. He told Genji about how the search for Jack is going and the missions.

“I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time for dinner. ” He starts. “What was I discussing last time? Ah, the beach here. I only went once with Cole, but we should all go at some point.” He says, but Genji doesn’t respond, only the beeping of the heart monitor keeps the room from being silent. “I think you would like it here. But it’s very different from the one in Hanamura…” He sighs.

A memory of the past floods back to his mind.

“Do you remember when we went to the beach?” He asks, smiling slightly. “There was one time where the day was sunny, but the danger of black rain was strong.” He smiles, remembering the past. “We played a lot and when we started to eat you got food in my hair.”

The sky was black because of smoke, coming from a fire in the forests nearby. The summer storm was brewing too, so they had to be quick and start to pack up early. But he and Genji went to gather shells on the far side of the beach, wanting to see who could find the most of them before going home.

“And then those tourists showed up, remember? They didn't know the beach was private and started talking to us.” Hanzo snorts. He and Genji went to gather shells on the other side of the beach and the teens had shown up out of nowhere. Genji, like always, made friends with them easily and Hanzo, even in his stunted silence could relax.

One was as young as Genji, only 11, the other was closer to Hanzo’s age, 14. Their parents were with them and asked about the beach. They were lost, but Genji thought it was a good idea for them to stay with them. Sojiro found them playing in the sea with the other children. Nothing to it.

But their father was angry, screaming at them to come back. After they hastily got inside the car, he screamed about how reckless that was and how these people could have been there to get back to him, To the clan! How could Hanzo have been that stupid and not called one of the bodyguards?

“Nevermind that.”

Hanzo tries to remember any other time. Something happy to wash the bitter taste from his mouth. He looks at Ako and the small cartoon puppy in between the farm animals of her shirt reminds him of something.

“Remember when you snuck a puppy into the Hanamura? We tried to keep him hidden away.” Hanzo chuckles, remembering that time, trying to conceal the small dog from everyone and obviously failing miserably at it. “Father and the elders found out and trained the puppy to become a guard dog, remember? He really was well behaved.”

They were just children and thought they could care for him by themselves. Of course the employees found out and their father decided to make the dog at least serve a purpose, since Genji cried a lot at the idea of it being thrown away in the streets. Their mother asking for the dog to stay also helped. He was a good guard dog and kept in the family for years.

“It really saddens me that…” Hanzo says, thinking of his last memory of the dog, who died of poisoning when one rival gang wanted to kidnap him and Genji. He swallows down and looks at Ako.

Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

“Are all of our memories like this?” He asks.

But there is no answer from Genji. He just hears the beeping of the monitors and the slow hissing of the oxygen being fed to him. Grabbing his brother’s flesh hand, Hanzo caresses the back of it, feeling the warmth with his thumb.

Genji is still alive, he has to remember that.

He hears a whisper, far away. It sounds like It’s Udon.

… other side… calls our brothe…. Yes, it is Udon. The Dragon finally said something outside of the battlefield.

Wake up. Soba urges, her voice stronger. Don't leave us alone again.

Hanzo quickly stands up and leaves the room, heart thundering on his chest. He tries to calm himself, to avoid the panic attack to build until it is unbearable. Not in front of Ako, not with her in his arms.

Walking in the corridors of the watchpoint, he feels lost, somehow. The walls are empty, same repeating gray walls. He feels like he’s walking aimlessly, without a direction.

He has a sense of déjà-vu, as if this has happened before.

He thinks about how he may have lost his brother soon after finding him again. Worse, he lost him in the battlefield, the only way Genji never wanted to die. It’s not his fault, everyone says so, but he can’t help but let the thought they are somehow cursed linger on his mind. 

Maybe the centuries of his family killing everyone in their path for greed was catching up to him. Or maybe all of this is what he deserves. That could only be it, Right? His brother doesn't deserve that. Cole surely doesn't either. So that could only mean…

..stop…

...not let it fester…

… can’t lose our little one too... He hears, weak like a whisper. He can’t discern who spoke that, Soba or Udon.

.

“-anzo?” Someone grabs his arm. Hanzo blinks and looks up. Cole is holding his arm, looking at him worried. He has in his hands a tray with rice, glazed and cooked chicken with potatoes and a glass of water. “You’re okay?”

He blinks a few times and nods. He brings Ako closer to his chest and shakes his head, confused. How did he get close to the kitchen so fast?

“Yes.” He clears his throat.

“You’re sure?” He approaches, caressing Hanzo’s arms, but the omega just shakes his head.

“I’m fine.” He says, not believing that. “Let's eat.” He pats Ako’s back and realizes her hair is sticking up, as if there is static in the air. 

--

When Reaper comes back, it is already the shed is empty. 

He panics, releasing the broken branches he got to keep them warm on the next safe house on the floor, searching everywhere for a sign that there was an attack, any blood, bullet holes in the walls. 

There is nothing but the lingering smell of heat and the footsteps making a path leading far away to the south of the cabin. Gabriel doesn’t think twice and starts running against the white snow letting the scent lead him.  

He finds Jack stumbling in the middle of the snow. The omega stops, bracing himself against a tree and his body folds in pain, hand over his stomach, face contorting in agony. What is this idiot doing all alone, in heat in the middle of the forest?

“What are you doing?” Gabriel asks as he approaches Jack. He grabs Jack’s arm, pulling it around his shoulder, but the omega pulls himself away with a snarl.

“Let me be.” Jack pants, pulling his jacket and closing over his torso. 

“You’ll kill yourself alone in the snow.” Gabriel says, but Jack continues walking.

“You made yourself clear, Gabriel, I was just too stupid to understand it sooner.” He spats. “I’ll find my way back to overwatch myself.”

“You're in HEAT!”

“I have done this before in way worse conditions.”

“You’ll freeze to death!”

“I don’t care.” The omega says, swallowing down a lump on his throat. He will not cry again because of Gabriel.

“You don’t, but Cole does!”

And that gets a reaction.

“Don’t say his name!” The omega turns to him and stalks back towards Gabriel, pulling him by the lapel of his coat and pushing the alpha against a three. Gabriel flinches, feeling the pain of his injured shoulder radiate to his body. “Don’t you dare say my son’s name!” He screams at him. 

“Don’t I dare? You walked away from him ten years ago!”

“SHUT UP!” 

“Is that what you want from him now? For you to die in the middle of the snow? Your son is waiting for you!” Gabriel snarls, taking deep breaths to center himself. “How the hell is he going to feel if you die here?”

Silence.

“You really want him to have just me left?”

Jack looks at him with a hard expression.

“Fuck you.” He releases him and stumbles away from Gabriel. He’s weak, whatever Moira did to him, made his heat ten times worse than normal. “How could you?” The alpha follows, Hand stretched so he can stop Jack from falling over. 

“You’ll hurt yourself.” Gabriel pulls him close, avoiding Jack from falling to the ground.

“All this time I was running after you like an idiot! Thinking you were forced to go to Talon! Brainwashed! That they made you forget me! Our family!” Jack tries to pull himself away, but his mate doesn’t let it. Gabriel has always been stronger than him during his heats. So Jack hits his chest, pushes him away, but he's unwavering. 

“You chose to believe that!" Gabriel says, feeling a heavy sadness settle on his chest.

“Do you know how many times I cried because of you? How many times Cole did?” Jack’s body tenses, now knowing how to react to the distress and the rejection. “And you went with them willingly!” 

“It’s not that simple!” 

“How is it not that simple? You hurt me! You hurt our kid!” Jack slaps his masked face, hurting more his own hands than anything else. It's the first time ever he has landed a hit on Gabriel to hurt him. “Why?” He asks one last time, finally letting the angry tears run down his face, crying in front of Gabriel. 

He cries on Gabriel's chest, gabbing at his coat, cursing how, even now after everything, he still loves the man. 

“We kept the same comms, waiting for you.” He whispers, voice hoarse. Gabriel lifts his hands and for a moment, he hesitates.

He should tell him. 

He touches Jack’s back, making small circles on his skin. Gabriel brings the omega close, into a hug. He lies to himself, saying it’s because his mate is weak, that he's avoiding the man from falling to the snowy ground. But it's not true. 

A shot rings through the air. 

A sharp pain makes Jack flinch as the bullet grazes the side of his hip, the omega fold on the ground, screaming in pain.

Gabriel turns around and before he knows it, two Talon hunters descend on them like a pack of wild vultures. The hit to his head is too quick for him to defend himself and Gabriel barely understands what is happening before falling to the ground, head pounding. The other man stops beside Jack, putting a heavy foot over his torso. The omega tries to free himself, but can’t, too weak to do so.

“We found the traitor.” The older soldier says, sneering at Gabriel. He sniffs the air, looking at Jack. “And his fuck toy.” He and the other man laugh, pointing their guns at them. 

Jack looks at his mate, realizing his mask is broken, revealing his right eye to the world, there is blood seeping from under it.

He has to do something.

Jack grabs the man’s shin, but is kicked in the face for it. He feels the barrel of the gun resting against his own cheek, cold, bruising.

“Don’t fucking touch me.” The younger of the twosdays, pressing the gun harder on Jack’s cheek. Jack looks up at him, rage and anger in his eyes. His instincts scream at him to hide and to attack. Kill the man threatening his mate, rip them apart. Gabriel tries to stand up, but receives a boot to the stomach, kicking him so hard he wheezes in pain.

“Nobody thought that you had the balls to go against Akande, Reaper.” The old man looks at Gabriel, opening the glass visor of his helmet. Reyes only looks at him, breathing hard, hatred in his visible eye. “And for an omega, eh?” He says, looking appreciative at Jack. “At the end of the day, an Alpha is an Alpha. Can’t resist a good hole, can you?”

GAbriel growls.

“Aren’t you going to turn to smoke? Attack us?” The younger taunts. 

The old man turns Gabriel’s body with the point of his boot. He snorts, amused. Gabriel snarls at him. His body starts to smoke, but as soon as he does so, pain lashes through all of his body, agonizing. Jack sucks in a breath, feeling his body tingle with pain too, radiating from his bond. 

He looks at Reaper, surprised at how strong the feeling is, stronger than he has ever felt before. Is this the kind of pain he’s been enduring for years?

“You can’t, eh?” He shakes his head, not impressed at all with Gabriel’ attempt to attack back. “Can’t so shit without the doctor, can you?” He shakes his head and pulls Gabriel up, shaking him.

Jack pats around himself, feeling for anything he can use as a weapon, a branch, a rock. 

Gabriel mumbles something, almost impossible to understand and the older man gets closer.

“Wha--?” the man doesn't finish. In a instant, Gabriel headbutts him with all the force he has. CRACK. The hard material of the mask hits with full force, breaking the man's nose. He falls back, but Gabriel doesn't stop, he pulls the man close by the collar of his shirt. He trashes around, but Gabriel goes for the usual hits, grabbing the man's face and pushing his thumbs into his eye sockets, the pointed fingers of his gloves poking his eyes, making it bleed. 

The man screams, but Gabriel doesn't stop. He grabs the soldier by the throat, pushing him against the nearby tree, gloves sinking to his latinx, squeezing it until the pointy ends of his claws pass though the flesh and meet in the middle. With all the force he has, Gabriel pulls his fist away, taking the chunk of meat off the man's neck. 

“I said I don't need help to defend my mate.” He says through his gritted teeth, voice tainted with anger. He turns to the other man, watches him scramble to get the weapon up. 

Gabriel lunges at him. The soldier gets himself ready to shoot. A rock and a bunch of snow hits his face. The man snarls and turns to Jack, but the omega surprises him, tackling the soldier to the ground. 

They roll on the snow. He ends up on top of the soldier, and with a quick movement Jack grabs the knife in the soldier’s utility pocket. There is a struggle, the soldier grabbing his wrist and his face, pushing Jack away. He can’t reach him, and realizing that, Jack stabs the man in the arm. He screams and hits Jack's temple with a fist, making him roll.

Jack breathes hard, looking up at the soldier. The barrel of the gun points straight at his face, and Jack can see the white snow reflecting off of it.

A shot rings through the forest.

The soldier screams as his leg gives out, knee blown to pieces. Gabriel slowly approaches, the other soldier's weapon in his hand, the acrid scent of pure unadulterated rage emanates from him. 

The bond sings, alive finally, after so long, was whispering to Jack Protected. Mate is protecting us. Protect mate. He watches as Gabriel grabs the couched soldier by his collar and puts him against the trees.

“DO NOT TOUCH MY MATE.” He screams at him, breath erratic. The man babbles something, but Gabriel is faster, shooting him again in the chest. 

Is not long before he's dead. 

Gabriel breathes hard, slowly calming down. 

“I know you’re seeing this Akande.” Gabriel’s voice is calmer now, almost serene. He looks straight at the camera he knows is installed on the dead soldier’s helmet. He knows Akande and Moira will see his eye this close, shining red with rage. “I don’t care what it takes. You two will never put your hands on him again.” He points the shotgun at the soldier’s head and pulls the trigger, blowing a hole in his skull, splattering all over the trees.

He didn’t need to do that, he knows it.

He walks to Jack and extends a hand to him, bringing the omega up and to his arms. They starts walking stops beside the old soldier's body. Jack uses his feet to turn his head towards him. He pats his hands around, searching for the weapon in Gabriel’s hand. He tries to hold it, but his hands falter.

Gabriel’s hands come to his side, holding his form against him, taking part of his weight. It's just like before. Being each other's rock, the solid foundation their lives depended upon to keep going. Without it, it was meaningless. 

He holds Jack’s arms, guiding it into position. Both hold the gun together and Jack smiles at the small shining light on the helmet, taunting it. Taunting Moira and Akande. Don’t you see? He thinks, feeling Gabriel’s breath on his neck, his arms around his frame.

Jack and Gabriel pull the trigger. 

The light on the camera turns off. 

--

“They called you a traitor.” Jack says, more a mumble than anything else. Gabriel keeps silent, but Jack presses on. “You betrayed not only talon, but Akande and Moira…”

“We had different professional views, so we ended our partnership.” Reaper says, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“That isn’t all of it.”

Gabriel sighs.

“Moira is not fond of people that steal her favorite test subjects.” Gabriel fixes the hold on Jack’s arm around his shoulder, feeling the omega’s weight against him. They both limp back to the cabin. The path is dark as it's already night, but Gabriel can see the way perfectly. 

“That’s why you can’t turn into smoke?”

“What else would it be?”

Once they get to the small house, Gabriel leaves Jack seated close to the furnace. He walks around the rundown house for a while before bringing some food. He hands Jack a beef jerky and motions for him to approach, so he can look at the wound.

With hesitation, Jack takes his pants off, showing the wound in his hip. The bullet grazed it, but it took a piece of flesh with it.

Gabriel cleans it with care, using the last of their supply of medical kit. Jack watches him and he munches on the cheap beef jerky. He has had worse, but this is not what he would call good by any means. 

“Not good?” Gabriel asks and Jack realizes he must have made a disgusted face. 

“It’s fine.” Jack finishes it and sighs.

“You won’t need stitches, thankfully. Or we would have to move much faster.” 

“Whatm, you don't have a needle and thread here?” Jack jabs, a little incredulous, but Gabriel looks at him with a no nonsense attitude. Oh, he really doesn't. “Why?” He looks around. “Why is your safehouse so…” Lacking. Without any medication. Missing almost everything.

“It’s the furthest I could go without passing out.” Gabriel explains and Jack clicks his mouth shut. “They probably knew where we were because of your scent.” He comments, using the peroxide on Jack’s leg. The wound is not big, but even so, the rest of the fight gave the omega several bruises and he was feeling them deeply.

“I guess the shouting helped, didn't it?” Jack answers, sarcastic. Gabriel only huffs at that. “Next time I'll pack absorbent heat panties and my scent dampening soap, before your coworkers can kidnap me.”

“Moira is not my coworker.” Gabe says. He grabs Jack's leg, holding it still as he tries to clear the wound as best as he can. His touch is gentle and Jack only flinches a little when he starts to clean it.

“Then what is she?”

“My handler.” He looks up at Jack and smiles. The omega scoffs at the idea, shaking his head. “It is true. Don’t you know? I’m a loose gun.” 

Jack looks away, ashamed. It’s what they used to say about Gabriel, about his behavior. He’s unhinged, dangerous. Sometimes, Jack’s superiors would even have the audacity of asking if he was being abused. 

“I never said you were that.” Jack sighs, tired and sad. 

“No, you just let Petras say it.” Gabriel holds 

“You know I couldn't stop that. He was our superior, if I went against him we’d be out of job and then…” Jack presses his lips in a thin line, tired of the old argument. “I defended you everytime. You only kept your job because I insisted on it.”

“You really think that that was you?” Gabriel looks at him, amazed that he still doesn’t know. 

“What else would it be?”

Gabriel scoffs. Funny, so funny. Even now, ten years later, with his pseudo investigations, Jack doesn’t understand what is right under his nose.

“I know you defended me.” He admits. “Stay still.” He holds Jack better and the omega moans, feeling the pressure of Gabriel's fingers digging on the soft inside of his tight. 

“Stop it.” Gabriel says, looking at Jack's thighs and the shining trail of slick dripping from him. 

 “I can't help it!” Jack snarls. “It's already hard to keep myself normal without your doing all of--”

“Of what?” 

“This!” Jack motions at their position. Gabriel is seated on the floor, in between Jack’s legs. He hadn't noticed, but he pulled the Omega's hips almost fished to his own. He releases Jack and the omega sits away from him, frowning. 

“I don't get you.” Jack turns away, pulling his pants on. “You say you don't care about our family anymore, but keep saving us. You don’t want to be with me, but you keep touching me as if you do! As if you still cared. You call me your mate!” He exclaims, voice getting louder.

But Gabriel doesn't answer. 

God, he’s going to cry again.

What a pathetic omega he is.

“I just don't understand why didn't You break this stupid bond then--”

“I'm not dragging you down with me!” Gabriel snaps, patience finally running thin. 

“Drag me down?” Jack deflates.

There is a moment where they only look at each other. Gabriel feels like he might just open his mouth and spill it all out. Would it be easy, wouldn't it? He looks outside, where the sky is already dark and small snowflakes have started to fall. A blizzard will fall during the night, and they are stranded, hurt, in his least prepared safehouse. Jack is sweating through his clothes, pheromones heavy in the air. 

What is the point of keeping the lie? Is he protecting Jack or simply protecting himself from the hurt and the humiliation it will bring? The look Jack will give to a pitiful thing like him, thinking how stupid and disgusting he is?

“Gabe, talk to me, dammit. ” Jack calls and when Gabriel looks back, Jack has approached. He touches Gabriel’s masked face, fingers slowly tracing the broken edges of it. “When did we become like this?”

Gabriel feels his heart squeezing.

When, indeed.

“It’s more complicated than you think.” he takes Jack’s hands on his. The alpha’s body starts to relax, feeling his mate close, the bond singing as they maintain contact.

“We are stuck in the middle of the snow for God knows how long being chased by Talon, so I have time.”

“Does it matter so much to you?” Gabriel sighs.

“Yes. We may die here.” Jack looks at him in disbelief. “Ten years. I’ve been searching for you, trying to get you back to my side. I deserve to know, Gabe. I am your mate, your spouse, I need to know why. I have to understand what is going on.”

Gabriel closes his eyes hard. Suddenly his mask feels claustrophobic, hard to be confined to. But he can’t take it off. It would only prove to Jack what kind of monster he has become.

Jack shakes his head at Gabirel’s silence.

“Nobody deserves to be in Moira’s hands.” Gabriel says, finally, facing away from Jack, making his hands slip away. “You suffered enough with what she did to us back on Blackwatch. I can’t let her put her hands on you again.” Gabriel brings his hand up, he wants to caress Jack’s face, but holds himself back. He has tainted him enough.

Jack looks away, a wave of Rage overtaking him. He frowns at the memory of the lab. They found several hastily destroyed experiments, the incinerator burning up, papers shredded on the ground, impossible to reconstruct. And worse, what Moira didn’t manage to destroy. 

“So you joined the same people that did this to us?” Jack’s voice cracks. The sadness overtaking him, eyes filling with tears.

“No. I joined the side that told me they’d stop the testing.”

“Liar.”

“Am I?” Gabriel shakes his head. “You can’t see it even now, can’t you? Your blinders were always too big. You said you wanted me back at your side? Your side started this!” Gabriel watches as Jack shakes his head. “Moira wasn't infiltrated. She was following orders.”

“What?”

“Overwatch did this to me.” He says, looking at Jack. “To us.”

Notes:

Well, even I got surprised with that last line.
And you know, Reaper will eventually be less of a dick... He has his heart in the right place, but can't seem to learn how to externalize it. Yeah, yeah, yell at me, but, don't worry, this is a ship that will have a happy ending. Even if it kills me.
But, as you guys know me, I just like torturing the characters a little bit :)
Oh, and Hanzo? Eh, is probably nothing to worry about, right? Right.
Hope y'all liked it. Any mistakes, tell me and I will fix it.

Chapter 28: I went one for one, Before casting out

Chapter by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead)

Summary:

Revelations.

Notes:

So, I hope yall paid attention to the small details thrown here and there during the other chapters. Things are starting to convert into a plot.
This chapter is brought to you by the song I’m still loving you from Scorpions. Yes, I whipped out all of my dad rock for this.
Enjoy!

Also, TW: Mentions of miscarriages, mentions of experiments on fetuses, mentions of experiments on pregnant people, mentions of denial for an abortion and mentions of medical neglect.

Gabriel stands up and walks to the furnace, throwing the pieces of broken and old woods at it. It takes some time to get them to light up, due to the cold, but he doesn’t bother much about it.

“What do you mean?” Jack asks and Gabriel takes deep breaths, he's shaking in rage now. Jack can smell it. Acrid, stinging his eyes. It's been a while since he felt that kind of scent coming from him.

“As if you don't know they wanted to make more of us.” Gabriel sneers at him.

“No one wanted to even touch on the SEP with a ten foot pole after everything.” Jack looks baffled at his mate, completely confused. “Nobody would ever allow it.”

The SEP program was shut down right after the crisis ended. It was all deemed too controversial, too dangerous, considering the 2% success rate of it. Most of the people used as subjects died or are in a vegetative state right now. There was talk of furthering the research, but as it happened, every human rights organization didn’t like what they saw. The words Inhumane and Torture were thrown around a lot.

“You never found it strange?” Gabriel turns to him. “The way the suppressants failed all the time? How most doctors treated us? How they mistreated you? We were always woken up from emergency surgeries with pain where it shouldn’t be! There was always something else that stopped us from quitting.”

Jack looks at him, startled, but shakes his head.

“Talon wanted SEP soldiers!” He insists, chest squeezing with fear. “ They stole our genetic material for that. Overwatch would never use us as--”

“Breeding stock?” Gabriel asks and Jack stops, breathing hard. “You saw what was in that lab.”

Of course Jack remembers. 

He remembers entering the lab after the door was busted open, the myriad of jars, pots, flasks thrown around, the heavy smell of chemicals and burning flesh. The lights were off and the medical waste incinerator was burning so hot it made the room almost unbearable to be in. 

Moira was trying to burn it all down. Get rid of the evidence.

After someone turned the incinerator off, Jack walked around, looking at the scattered papers left behind, the spotty reports on her horrific experiments. He found the pages about Gabriel’s changes, his volatile humor, the smoke that came out of him when he was angry, done by her. The ones that eventually leaked to the press. 

Subject 24, everyone called him. 

And then, he went to the back, where the cryogenic tanks stood. He saw several samples of biological material taken from prisoners and their own soldiers. Blood, skin, sperm and more that he didn’t recognize at the time. All dated, named, with specific experiments names in them. 

Later they'd find that not a single one of them agreed to the experiments, but only because once he opened to check the last tank, to his surprise, he saw an empty container for harvested eggs with a label.

“Subject 76.” 

His soldier number, the one that was kept throughout his whole military and overwatch career. 

He frantically searched the lab, looked at the files, but could never find anything about him, specifically. There was information about failed experiments done to pregnant omega prisoners brutally experimented on, about misshapen fetuses, deaths caused by her. The miscarriages and abnormal pregnancies that killed the “hosts” as Moira called them, because they wanted to maintain the person pregnant as long as possible. 

But never something about him, directly. Jack wondered in the following years, how many of the experiments, the fetuses being burned, came from him? How long have those things gone for and he just didn't know about it? Were his failed pregnancies a result of those experiments?

“I know.” Jack looks away. “I was there.” He remembers how Gabriel had to move him away from the files, holding him back as Jack raged, tears in his eyes.

The higher ups immediately took over and made a task force to investigate the whole thing because he and Gabriel were Moira’s victims. They quickly came to the conclusion she worked for Talon, infiltrated their ranks to have access to their ‘soldiers with unique abilities’.

“Sell the tech. Try to replicate it and improve it. ” they said. 

Knowing that his superiors could be involved in this? The people that swore they were on the same side, people that patted his back and told him Gabriel’s loss was felt by everyone. The same doctors who would look at him in sympathy every time he had a miscarriage in the past, telling him that the serum didn’t allow for it.

But also, most didn’t allow him to get an abortion when he was done suffering. Always adjusting his suppressants, his birth control, telling him normal medication didn’t cut for him.

How much of that was the truth? How many were involved?

Was he that blind?

But then, again, knowing what he knows now about Lumerico, Vishkar, Helix… would it be so out of the realm of possibility? 

“That’s why I wanted us to leave.” Gabriel sighs. “You thought you could save Overwatch and needed to deliver one of those useless reports to Petras.” He spats at the name. “But I knew better. That's why I insisted we go.”

“At Zurich?” Jack blinks, trying to remember. “That’s why you were there?” He asks and Gabriel turns away.

That day, Gabriel showed up out of nowhere, to talk to him. Jack was already with his nerves on edge, due to the fact he was being stonewalled by Petras. He was trying to show him how they were infiltrated by traitors that allowed Moira’s experiments on Gabriel, that Ana’s death wasn't a simple accident. That something was happening, that they weren't at fault, that they needed help.

Petras used every little thing to not listen to him. From minuscule details about his finds, to his parental relationship with Cole, even his omega status and the fact he was mated with Gabriel.

It Didn’t matter what he brought in, it was never enough to prove anything. His judgment was ‘always clouded’ and he was ‘too involved to be objective, to see it clearly”.

He thought it was people he knew were corrupt who kept whispering in Petras's ear and stopping him, that maybe he could show how Overwatch was being targeted, that he’d reconsider. 

And when Gabriel showed up, they had an argument, like they always did at the time. Jack stormed out of the room, but before he could get too far, his room exploded to pieces, just like every important room on the Zürich watchpoint.

The loss was immense. Impossible to count.

“That day, we weren’t even supposed to be there. We were to leave together and meet Akande. Be finally free from being used.” Gabriel shakes his head. 

“Akande?” Jack scoffs, unimpressed.

“Yes. I was tired of it, all of it… so we struck a deal, Akande and I." He stops for a second. “Do you remember when we first arrested him, right? How he talked about challenging the status quo, showing us the problems with overwatch.” Gabriel laughs, without any humor. “As if we didn't know how we changed from before. How they changed us.” Taking a deep breath, he sits down, beside Jack.

He knows he should stop talking, maybe go to sleep, but he can’t. It was always easy, with Jack, to just let everything flow. To talk to him and tell him his frustrations. And he’s tired. So tired. There is no happy ending for Reaper, he knows that. So there is no use for secrecy anymore. Jack deserves to know.

“I remember that.” Jack nods. “I also remember thinking it was all bullshit. Same as you.”

“Of course it was.” The alpha looks at the fire, remembering the past. “But one day when I went to interrogate him again he told me it was much worse than the black ops and the richest countries using us to kill for their interest. That night, an exchange of letters showed up at my desk, right before I left for the day. You know what was in there?” Jack shakes his head, but makes a noise, urging him to continue. “Official overwatch documents of people discussing experimenting on us. Everything Moira did and more.” 

“Just like that?” Jack questions. Gabriel scoffs. 

“Of course I investigated it. I couldn’t point out who were the people on top, no matter how much I tried to. Every Time I got too close, I got stonewalled, even threatened.” Gabriel sits back, relaxing his shoulder. Goddammit, it's hurting so much. “What I know is that there was no Talon involved in it. Despite what Overwatch said at the time, it all came from inside. And a lot of people knew about what was going on behind the scenes. Moira was just the fall guy.”

“Poor her.” Jack rolls his eyes and Gabriel snorts.

“That's when I met Akande again.” He sighs. "He told me we were just things, weapons for them, an investment. And that they wanted to expand the research to other soldiers with ‘remarcable one of a kind abilities.’”

Jack looks at him surprised, wide eyed. “Cole…”

“And Genji.” Gabriel huffs. “He promised me that I could protect you and Cole from further experiments. That I could pay back for what they did.”

“The explosion.” Jack gasps. “You knew about it.” He accuses, enraged.

“No!” Gabriel snarls. “Or I’d never even let you step foot in there.” He shakes his head, disbelieving that Jack would think so. “That was clean up, plain and simple.”

“Then what?”

“I just needed to let Talon study what was already done to me. Just me.” He looks quickly at Jack, before looking away.

“You accepted it.” Jack searches his face, confused. 

“Of course I did. I was already a lab rat, a little more testing would be nothing…” Gabriel closes his eyes hard, feeling dread overtake him. The weak fire on the furnace makes small noises, not enough to be distracting. 

He expects Jack to say something, but the omega doesn't. 

“For some time after, when I was recovering, I thought Overwatch used Talon as a scapegoat. Antagonizing and building propaganda against someone who was doing a better job than us.” He takes a deep breath. “Then, when I started to work for them, I quickly realized that they all lied to me too. Overwatch, Talon, Helix… it's all the same.” he sneers. “And she was there.”

“Moira. ” Jack says and Gabriel nods. “She continued her experiments.”

“Not only that, they were worse.” He massages his face. “Overwatch may have been over, but everyone wanted a little SEP soldier for themselves. It was luck that they got their paws on one remaining soldier, right? Imagine what they could do with the other one, the omega, if they manage to find him.”

Silence fills the air again and Jack shudders. A heavy weight lands on his shoulders. Why hadn’t Gabriel trusted him enough in the past to share this?

“If you had told me, we could have left all of it behind, together.” Jack says, decided. He's shaking, of too many emotions, of fear and anger and all of it.

“It was all too fast before it all went to hell.” Gabriel presses his lips in a thin line. “ Besides, I tried, but you and your hero complex made it impossible for us to leave.”

Jack opens his mouth to argue, but stops. It's true. He tried and tried and tried again to stop the fall from happening, to keep the peace they knew for long. He saw, before anyone else, the crack in the armor of overwatch. The media piling up against them, distorted news about their missions, hidden truths leaked from their database being shown to the public. The reports about Gabriel being dangerous. Of Cole.

He saw the family he built with so much effort, after so much loss and pain, crumbling down right before his eyes. And Gabriel warned him time and time again, that they should leave it all behind, to restart again. And yet, Jack ignored him.

No wonder the man hates him.

“I wanted things to go back to normal.” Jack looks away. “Ana died and then Fareeha and Cole got sent away and you…”

“I went crazy.”

“Don't say that.” Jack turns towards him, angry. “It wasn't your fault. Moira messed with your head, you know that. I wanted to show them that! That I was right, that it wasn't our fault everything went to shit!”

A heavy silence falls over them, with only Jack’s heavy breathing filling it.

“It was never going to work.” Gabriel says, voice soft and calm now.  “Your team was full of rats. A lot of them went to Talon after the fall for a reason.” He looks at Jack and sees the omega pressing his lips on a thin line. “We were trapped. And by then I was so paranoid because of Moira’s experiment that Talon seemed like the only way out. And Akande promised…” He snorts at the idea and then dismisses the memory.

“A lot?” Jack asks, remembering how Akande talked to Hanzo, the promises made to him.

“Yes.” He turns to Jack, full of regret. “When I woke up, after the explosion, I demanded all he owed me. It never came.” He remembers those first days, when he finally woke up, covered in bandages, face quickly reconstructing in a mangladed mess. He remembers how much he raged at them asking where Jack was, breaking everything in his way. “They told me you were dead. Suicide and I had Phantom bond. I could only find things about how you went missing after my funeral.” He sighs, massaging his face. “I was stupid to believe him.”

Jack only stays silent for a moment, because he doesn't think the same. “You’re not stupid.” He says, finally. he has always thought that Gabriel was too smart for this, to be manipulated in the past and still be manipulated like that now.

“I was about this. I let myself believe we could have it all.” He swallows down. “By the time I figured it all out, I was already… This.” Something that haunts people’s dreams, that makes people shudder with the mere idea of it being alive, he thinks. A nightmare.

“You were idealistic.” Jack says.

“I learned it from you.” Gabriel jabs back.

Jack opens and closes his mouth, trying to speak something, but his voice won’t come out. There is a lump, stopping him from doing so, one that will make him cry himself to sleep, so he just looks away. 

Through the hole in the wall a cold wind rushes inside the cabin, bringing in the snowflakes. Jack shivers with it, feeling the day, week, years he has had finally catching up with him. His eyes start drooping with tiredness. 

Away from them, in the middle of the quiet night, they can hear a small ship crossing the sky. Jack and Gabriel jump in place, and the alpha moves, looking through the slits of the hasty boarded window. 

“We need to move.” He says, watching as Jack wobbly stands up. He looks at the omega’s flushed face and can smell the sweet and salty scent of heat, almost taste in the air. Jack is about to start a stronger wave in a moment. He’s limping too and the injury will only get better tomorrow, and only if Jack can sleep enough. “But not today.” 

“I can walk.”

“You can barely stand on your own.” Gabriel huffs. “Sleep some. It will be our death if we go into the snow like this.” He places Jack’s arms around his neck and guides him back into the bedroom.

The closeness is a comfort for the two of them. A calming balm on a burn. Jack sighs, almost content.

As they approach the room, Jack stumbles, injured leg faltering. Gabriel quickly pulls him back, holding the omega flushed to his own body. Their faces are mere centimeters apart, nose to nose, and Gabriel can feel Jack's body close to him. His hands are finally able to hold the Omega by the waist like he used to before. Jack’s hand’s hold firmly against Gabriel’s neck, mouth slightly opened, as if he's waiting for something. The alpha feels blood going south, cock hardening as his thumbs make circles on Jack's skin. 

It’s maddening. The heat. His scent. Gabriel wants to see Jack's body, taste him, grab his thighs and fill him so completely that his mate will forget his own name.

Jack’s face gets closer, but his hands move, holding Gabriel’s injured shoulder. The alpha flinches, groaning with the pain radiating from the bullet hole. The omega quickly releases him, pushing his own body against the wall and away. He takes deep breaths, looking startled.

Scared. 

Oh . He thinks, sadly. Of course.

Gabriel forgets what he looks like now. Jack saw a sliver of that, under the cracked mask, under his clothes.

“I’m fine.” Gabriel reassures and they walk back to the room. The alpha watches as Jack slips into bed and helps the omega, pulling the cover into place so it protects Jack's full body. He doesn't dare to touch him any further. 

The omega snorts at the whole thing, but doesn't complain when Gabriel takes the glasses off of his face, resting them on the nightstand and sits it beside the bed.

“Why didn’t you leave Talon? After.” Jack pulls the blanket closer to himself. 

Gabriel spends some long minutes just sitting still. Sombra’s words ring on his head. Coward. He's a coward. A self loathing coward that can't even face his own mate. 

Maybe it’s time to change.

“For a while I thought I was doing the right thing.” Gabriel sighs. “I believed them when they said that Overwatch killed you and when they spoke of corruption and how the only way to stop it was by force. That we were doing the actual good work. Saving people.” He licks his lips. They are dry now, like this throat. “I soon started to see the cracks, even before I saw you on the battlefield. And when I started to question, they stabbed me in the back and tried to make me forget, tried to brainwash me, to change the story. Suddenly you weren’t dead anymore, but you betrayed me. And then, after that, you run away, and then you’re working for someone else like Helix, and then…”

“Gabe.”

“But they would have never made me forget about you. Our bond is too strong.” He looks away, mask shining in the night light. “I  know what they are planning for you. And for Cole, and the Shimada Brothers.” He continues, not allowing Jack to interrupt him. “None of it is good. I needed to make sure they weren’t getting anywhere near you and our son-- sorry, to Cole. I needed to stay inside.”

Gabriel remembers the first time he saw Sombra had found Jack’s location. The security footage of him walking on abandoned Overwatch bases, looking for something. Cole was better at it, It took a long time for them to find him, and even then, Gabriel had the images erased. Every time, he’d pay for Sombra to erase it, make it disappear.

“But now you’re here. As a traitor.”

“I think they figured out I was leaking our plans, messing with the missions, saving you.” He says, brushing Jack’s white hair from his forehead. It’s damp with sweat and his skin is hot to the touch. “I wanted to make them pay, and now I have, even if just a little by delivering you back to Overwatch.”

“You could have died.”

“I don’t care, not if I kept you two safe.” He presses his lips on a thin line. Jack doesn’t say anything, stunned by what he had said. “I’m not the same man as before. I don’t expect you to forgive me or accept any of these excuses.”

There is a long silence after that, one where Jack just looks at him. He’s conflicted, confused. Too much information at once, making his head swim in a haze of sadness, rejection sickness and heat.

So Jack says.

“I will need confirmation of what you told me.” He can't just take what Gabriel says at face value. Not after all of that he has done. “Moira, Overwatch experimenting on us. Everything.”

“Do you think you can handle the truth?” Gabriel asks, suddenly very very tired. It's one thing to hear a general idea of what happened. It's another to see the horrid details.

“I can.” Jack nods, self assured.

“There is another safe house, deep in the woods. I’ll show you the proof.”

“Good.” Jack feels his eyes dropping, God he’s so tired. “We can go there tomorrow.” He mumbles. He wants to ask more to know more, but his eyes feel like they have sand on them, his thought process is jumbled. There is a wave of want filling him, the heat making his body have goosebumps.

“Sleep.” Gabriel says, so Jack closes his eyes, resting but not yet asleep. Some minutes pass and Jack feels himself drifting into that state in between being sleep and being awake, mouth going slack.

The omega feels a touch to his face, light as a feather and cold. 

“I couldn't face you or Cole after everything that happened. Everything I did.” Gabriel’s voice is low, a whisper in the silent night. It wavers as he speaks, the regret almost palpable in his words. “I’m sorry, cariño. I keep ruining everything. You don't deserve a monster as a mate.”

Jack laces their fingers together, just for a moment. “Not a monster.” He mumbles and takes a deep breath, body getting strung up as a new wave of heart starts to hit him. “Lay with me.” He scoots over, making space for the alpha.

“I can't…”

“Just to ease the heat. Please.” Jack shudders, folding slightly in pain as another wave hits him, hands over his navel. He opens his eyes and looks at Gabriel, vision blurred by his bad eyesight and the sleepiness. “Do you despise me so much that you can't at least hug me?” 

“No.” Gabriel shakes his head. God, when could he ever say no to those baby blues? “I could never hate you.” He admits, breath shuddering.

“Then lay with me.” Jack closes his eyes, waiting. 

He thinks maybe he has spooked Gabriel away, but after what seems like a lifetime, Jack feels the weight dipping the old and dusty mattress. Finally, the scent of his mate washing over him makes Jack so drowsy that he barely notices when their limbs entwine, his arms coming around Gabriel's back. He feels the warm sensation of Gabriel's nose touching the top of his own nose. 

He has taken the mask off.

“Don't look.” Jack feels like this would have been an order if Gabriel's voice didn't have such a pleading tone to it. 

“I won't.” Jack's mumble is almost inaudible, but soon he's asleep. 

And the shadow doesn’t, simply watching him as much as he can.

--

“I told you, boss, I let them get the device, just like you told us to do.” Mauga says, shrugging at Doomsfist. Sombra is seated away from him, lounging on one of the plush chairs in the conference room. 

That evening it had been four days since Morrison was captured and then freed. She did everything she could to avoid being even seen at the base, running away as soon as she finished setting everything up and explaining to Gabe what he needed to do. Thankfully, for what she heard and saw, it went as well as it could have gone, even better, because according to everyone, Gabe was still alive and running away. Killed two agents on his way And no one even knew she was involved. 

She was planning on laying low, doing what she’s told and pretending she and Gabe didn’t even like each other at all. That’s why, when Akande called them to have a chat about the devices they planted on Overwatch in the last weeks, she felt an uneasy feeling building on her stomach. She looks at Widowmaker at the corner of the room, not too far away from them, but close enough to be a threat. 

Anxiety fills Olivia in a way that she has never felt before. 

“You didn’t damage it, did you?” Akande asks, lifting one eyebrow at Mauga. The man was battle driven and more brawn than brains, but he is by no means stupid. Akande has to space for stupidity in his ranks.

“I did exactly what you asked. Didn’t even touch it after putting it down.” Mauga pulls his hand up, shielding his face against Sombra. “It's that one you should be worried about.” he says in a semi joking tone.

“ Ay, perro! ” Olivia says, standing up. “Do not blame me if the device was damaged by your meat hands! My work is delicate.” She walks towards him and Mauga just smirks at her, opening a wide cynical smile. He knows she poses almost no threat to him. Almost.

“Enough. We need this to work.” Akande says, calmly. He turns to Sombra, annoyed and at his limit. She has seen him like this before and she knows what comes after. “Can you activate it remotely?”

“Not really, I told you that they could track it back to our base. The most I can do is receive the signal when it’s activated.” She lies. “Once the two other devices are in the same room as the comm, it will activate.” Akande nods, tired. 

She knows that what she does is rotten work. The blackmail, the threats and the information gathering. But there are things that she hates doing for the sake of her work. Humiliating omegas is one of them. Especially with the things she has on Hanzo Shimada and Jack Morrison. She had deleted as much footage as possible when Gabe paid her to, but in the end, something always bleeds into Akande’s grasp.

Having cameras all around the world, recording everything was a blessing and a curse at the same time. She could hack any of them and find anyone she wanted to. And that’s the real issue. If she didn’t have the recording destroyed, chances are that if someone really really wanted to, they could find it somewhere else. 

She just hopes that the lengths she went to make everything so convoluted and overcomplicated will stop Akande’s plan.

“It's been days.” The alpha says. 

“Maybe they are too busy attacking our bases looking for Morrison.” Sombra shrugs. “You know how they act all mushy about each other.” She makes an honest expression of disgust at the idea. She can't imagine acting the way she had seen everyone at Overwatch act about their colleagues. Well, maybe with Gabriel, but that’s another thing. “Besides, with so many null sector attacks at the same time, I bet they are busy.”

“No matter.” Akande massages his face, with the slight sensation he’s losing control. Taking a deep breath, he looks down at the documents on his desk. There is one thing he can control. “As you mentioned, one of our main bases has been attacked by Overwatch days ago and two of our assets have been stolen.” He sighs and stands up, fixing his suit as he does so. “Moira has requested you, Mauga, to go to her and aid in the search for them.”

Olivia swallows down, eyes going wide in fear, just for a second.

Shit, goddammit, Gabriel is going to die! 

“Count me in.” Mauga smiles easily.

“And you.” Akande turns to her. Sombra feels her body tingle with adrenaline. “Sit down. We need to talk.”

“Sure, jefe .” Sombra nods, sitting back on the chair, faux bravado at display. “About what?”

Akande looks at some papers on his desk, arranging them in order. Mauga is still there, waiting, hands clasped in front of himself, with a smile on his face. Blocking the way to the door.

“You do know how we deal with traitors here, right? You carried some of the hits yourself.”

She nods, a little too eager, feeling the sweat gathering on the back of her neck. This is not going to go well. 

“And you said to yourself… Loyalty is earned, isn’t it?” He asks and Sombra looks at him, wide eyed. Realization dawns on her as her eyes move straight at Widowmaker. 

That bitch! 

Sombra immediately throws the translocator in the air, more instinct than anything else. But Mauga, quick as she has never seen before, catches it in the air, breaking it in his powerful hands. Akande looks at her, unimpressed. 

Her heart sinks, pounding with fear. She hastily stands up, takes a step back, ready to pull her cloaking device, but Mauga grabs her by the arms in a bruising hold. Her mods fry a little, zapping and sinking into her skin where the giant alpha holds her.

Akande sighs and approaches her with a slow pace. 

“Now, girl, do not be afraid. I just want to know why you helped him.” 

Yeah, right. 

“Who?”

“Do not play with me, Olivia.” He snaps and Mauga holds her arms in a stronger grip, making her groan in agony, the circuits embedded on her body sinking deeper and deeper, flesh squeezing in agony. She closes her eyes, trying to keep herself calm.

The hold gets looser.

It takes some time for her to regain composure. 

“I felt pity.” She says, between deep breaths.

“Pity?”

“He’s… He’s pathetic.” She makes a point to grimace, to contort her face in anger. “Always crying and moaning about Morrison and Cassidy, how they didn’t like him anymore, how they wouldn’t take him anymore. It irritated me! ” She scoffs. “I told him he was a coward, if he didn’t like it here maybe go crawl back to Jackie.” Her tone is mocking, mean in a way she knows it would hurt Gabriel. 

Akande looks at her with a certain understanding, her distorted words probably matching whatever bits and pieces of their conversation Amélie has told him.  

“I hacked the cameras because I didn’t think he’d manage to actually do anything! I thought he’d just run away like the coward he is.” Sombra spats before smiling at Akande with humor. “I thought he could manage to hold back a decrepit old omega in heat and a corpse. Maybe you need to upgrade your protocols.”

And that gets a reaction. 

Akande looks at her and then at Widowmaker. The woman doesn’t hesitate and approaches Sombra with quick and long strides, hitting her in the face with a well aimed blow. Sombra doesn’t have time to prepare for it, pain blooms on her face, sharp and almost unbearable. The inside of her cheek bleeds.

“Or maybe we need to stop having you snooping around.” Akande says. Sombra takes deep shaky breaths and looks at Widowmaker, expecting to see something, maybe some sympathy, but what she sees is her cold unblinking eyes and an expression as blank as she has ever seen it. So they reinforced her brainwashing for this… 

“ Jefe, I swear--”

“I do not need empty words, girl, I need LOYALTY ! ” He grabs Sombra’s face, thumb pressing the injured side right against her teeth. “If you cannot offer me that, then you are useless to me.”

Sombra’s breath hitches, but she takes a deep breath, calming herself down. Akande is not joking, but if he was serious about killing her he would have already done it. Probably so silently that Olivia wouldn’t notice it before she was bleeding on the floor. She has even seen how he carries the hits on traitors: silent, without any flare to it. Someone eats the wrong thing and dies of a stomach infection, another in a robbery gone wrong, run over on a busy street, and the ones nobody cares about, simply disappeared. 

He still needs her. This is a threat of harm. He still needs her. 

Of course he does. There is no one better than her.

“I can be loyal.” She nods. 

Akande looks at her for a second and then smiles. “I'm afraid you’ll have to prove it.” He nods and takes steps back, rounding the table. “And I warn you, If you betray us again, there will be more consequences than just a hurt arm.”

She wants to say there is nothing he can do to harm her, that she knows much more about them, could expose them to hell and back, make their lives miserable and end Talon with a single email sent. 

But what comes next is what makes her know that Talon and the other organizations they work with are too powerful, even for her. 

“Your next assignment.” He says and turns his back. Mauga releases her and Sombra takes theft files on her hand. 

The file has the photo and a name of an old man on it, one she knows very well. And different from a lot of the people she investigated, she knows he’s clean. Squeaky clean, in fact. But that's not what surprises her, what makes her is what is asked to be done. She’s supposed to implicate this old man, the only man she was sure that never would harm anyone much less a child, into a child abuse case. A horrific one. Use her skills to do what she does best: shift the narrative, take away context, muddle the waters, create what was never there.

A man that helped her to grow up in the streets of Mexico when she, too, was an orphan.

How the fuck they know? There is no way they could have found out about her past. She scrubbed it. Everything, every data, photo, everything is gone!

“Prove yourself to be useful. Or you’re out.” He warns. Olivia nods, knowing what it means.“Do not disappoint me, Olivia.”

“When did I ever?” She smiles, cheeky, but without any energy to it.

As she’s dismissed and starts walking the corridors of the base, she wants to snarl and hit something, to kill Mauga and Akande and Widowmaker. Suddenly, she understands what Gabriel has gone through and his foul mood. 

“Hey, what got your attention so much in this file?” Mauga asks, trying to snatch the files away from her hand. Sombra pulls herself back, taking two steps behind her. 

“Do not get into my business, perro. ” She snarls at him.

“You are no fun.” Mauga says, all smiles. “Well, I’m off.” He starts walking away, making Sombra relax. When he’s almost turning the next corridor, Mauga stops. “Oh, right. I have a message.” He makes sure to walk all the way back, slow and carefree. 

Olivia rolls her eyes, urging him. “Come on, I don’t have the whole day.” 

He stops in front of her, looking straight at Sombra’s face. His whole demeanor changes. The easy smile is gone, face a blank slate, looking at her seriously. There is something about this, when Mauga puts the whole cherry dumb facade down and is serious, eyes almost blank of emotions, that makes Sombra shudder. “It’s from Moira. She said that she has upgrades for your body mods. Told me I could drop you off at her lab at any time for it.” And Then he smiles.

Sombra feels her body tingling at that. Fear engulfing all of her being at the idea of becoming Moira’s subject. Not only that, Mauga being the one delivering the news is not a coincidence either. The message is loud and clear: Behave or we can make your life as miserable as Gabriel’s.

She snorts at him, crossing her arms, pretending indifference. “Tell her I don’t need her help.” Her tone is sarcastic. “My body mods are done by professionals.”

Mauga laughs at that, loud and boisterous, making her jump in place. 

“I hope you can survive all of this, you’re funny.” Shaking his head, he smiles again, turning his back and walking away. Sombra snorts a laugh, feeling hysterical, not believing this is the reaction she gets from the giant man. 

Olivia then starts to move back to her quarters, not activating her cloaking device just yet. She needs to be careful now.

Looking at her bruised arms, she sighs, but anger and determination fill her body. 

Her work is not done yet.

--

Jack wakes up with a shiver running down his spine. It's not just the cold weather, but something else. The light coming from the window is partially covered, heavy breathing fills the silence, he can sense a presence. There is someone in the room. Looking at him. Jack quickly rolls over the bed, crouching down, making himself as small as possible.

He takes a deep breath and looks at the chair. Gabriel isn't there. Fuck. FUCK! What happened? He thinks, scared. 

Swallowing down, he gets ready for what is going to come. An attack, someone trying to capture him. But nothing happens. When he peeks above the old mattress, he finds that the one looking at him is Gabriel. 

Standing up. Quiet. Looking at the bed where he was. The visible eye, under the cracked mask, is unmovable.

“Gabe?” Jack asks, but there is no answer. The omega stands up slowly and approaches, he touches his face and Gabriel seems to wake up with a start.

“What?” His eye darts around, then stops at the window. “Is morning already?” He touches his forehead, feeling the cracked edges of the broken mask. 

“You were standing in the middle of the room, looking at me. When did you put the mask on again?” Jack asks and Gabriel looks at him, questioning, but the alpha doesn’t give him an answer, just shakes his head. “You don’t remember it?”

“I--” And Gabriel feels his chest get thigh. He closes his eyes and shakes his head more, sitting on the bed. Confused, he feels so confused. What the hell happened?

Jack touches his face again. He moves to remove his mask, but Gabriel holds his hand in a firm grip.

“No.” 

Jack presses his lip on a thin line, but turns Gabriel's face towards the morning light. Even under the mask, the omega can see his eyes. The whites are blackened now, his brown eyes look reddish on the sun, but the pupils are normal, contracting with the light. however Jack can see the irises slightly shake from time to time, trembling and rolling back.

“What did they do to you?” The omega asks.

“I'm fine.” He says, taking his face away from Jack’s rough hands. “We need to get going. We weren’t supposed to sleep until now.” Stumbling, Gabriel continues to the bathroom. Jack sighs, tired, but lets him be. Gabriel is a different man now, he knows that, but seeing how averse to him, to touch and everything else, makes his heart hurt. 

They get ready, doing an improvised morning routine and cleaning themselves with whatever water was left on the water tank, trying to dampen their scents as much as possible. Gabriel brings them a small bag with provisions: dehydrated vegetable chips and beef jerky. They share the meager meal, with Jack realizing that the alpha is leaving most of it for him to eat. 

They put the rest of the small packaged provisions away and before they are off, Gabriel pulls Jack closer, putting his trenchcoat over the omega.

“So they won’t smell your scent.” Gabriel says, closing the coat firmly. But Jack is doubtful that that is really the reason for the whole display, considering that by now, the alpha’s scent is also as strong as his. Being his mate meant that during the heats his scent would become stronger, as a way to protect the omega in heat.

“They’ll smell you.” Jack says, but Gabriel doesn’t answer, rolling his eyes. Amused, Jack smiles at him and finally gets an actual reaction from the alpha. He wants to pull him close and kiss him. 

“We’ll have to stop somewhere first.” Gabriel says, looking at the sky, trying to understand what hour of the day it is. Soon they are off, walking through the heavily snowed forest.

Their pacing is slow and careful, trying to avoid any slippery stones covered in black ice. Jack feels the waves of heat hit him. The scent on Gabriel’s coat makes it easier, the touch on his skin during the night too, but they still have to stop from time. He feels his body getting weak, hot all over and an overwhelming sensation of being empty, alone and dejected falls over him, but Jack pulls through.

He always did, in the end, didn't he? He's a strong omega, he always pulls through. 

But Jack feels feverish. Gabriel’s scent is intoxicating. The want burns in his loins, the longing to be in his arms making him desperate. His head fills with images, memories, of Gabriel sucking marks on his neck, his hands on his hair, teeth against his earlobe. Yesterday, Jack felt the hardness of his cock against him.

When they have to stop yet again, Jack can barely stand and has to crouch down, feeling the slick cooling against his leg and a cramp hitting him at full force. He feels so empty, so needy and alone. When Gabriel touches his forehead to see his state, he keens, rubbing his face on the alpha’s palm.

“You're burning up.” Gabriel says, worried. 

“Hurts…” Jack whines, pushing himself close to the alpha, letting his thumb press against his slightly opened lips. “Please.” He begs, head falling forward and resting against Gabriel’s uninjured shoulder. He looks up at the alpha, eyes full of desire, glazed with the heat. “God, fuck me, please I need you.” He pulls his mate close, making the alpha falter in his steps. 

Gabriel grunts as he falls, knees deep in the snow, hands planted at each side of Jack’s head. After a moment he pushes his body up, and hovers over Jack's body, in between his legs. The omega’s face is flushed, the slick rushing out of him and making his skin shiver as it cools against his thighs. The snow is wet and cold, a small relief. But Jack, more than anything, wants for Gabriel to rip his clothes away and fuck him then and there.

“It hurts so much!” He pants, mind completely hazed, toes curling inside his boots, pain unbearable. “Fill me up, alpha.”He pushes his hips up, trying to chase friction, but Gabriel moves away. “Please!” Jack holds the alpha close, face scrunching with pain, hiding against Gabriel’s chest. 

But all the alpha does is to sit them back up, taking Jack's face on his hands and kissing the Omega's forehead, making him whine, desperate.

“That's your heat brain talking.” Gabriel says, caressing his cheek with his thumb.

“Not how it works.” Jack insists, panting. “...Can’t make me do what I don’t want to…” Normally, that would be true. Despite what the media portray about heats being this uncontrollable hurricane of sex and deliriousness, an omega can consent and withdraw consent during his heat. 

But this is not a normal heat.

“That may have been true before. I don't know what Moira gave you.” He says. “I don't want you to regret anything.” 

“I will not! I promise! I'll be so good for you.” Jack reassures, eager, crawling to Gabriel's lap, hands caressing his torso. BUt teh alpha doesn’t Budge. He had seen the omega come back from battle in heat and not display it to anyone else. Only Gabe would know.

He didn't like it, but Jack's heats were so unpredictable that it became the new normal for them.

People thought they argued about something or another when it happened, brushing it all off to them having a lovers spat, but in fact, it was more of a dance. Jack knew how to incite him, slightly moving his face, exposing his neck to him as they ate in the cafeteria, arguing back answers that he knew would irritate Gabriel.

Ana would always joke about how disgusting they were for flirting in front of everyone. People would scoff at her, but the moment they had privacy, Gabriel would grab Jack by high thighs and fuck him the way he liked. Deep and slow, making the omega feel every inch of him. 

Jack used to joke he was being rewarded for bad behavior, but for Gabriel, it was the total opposite. He saw the side of Jack was just an omega that wanted to be hugged and taken care of. The sweet and gentle one, under the hard facade, that other people weren’t allowed to see.  Their first years like that allowed Jack to open up to him, to cry in front of him every time something bad happened and they needed him to be strong. 

And this? This wasn’t that. This wasn’t Jack’s deliberate showing his neck on that masked ball so Gabe would scent him. It’s not like one of the times they met each other on the battlefield and Jack was almost in heat, when he let Gabriel hold him against a wall and slightly opened his legs, The alpha could feel the heat in his eyes, demanding, challenging him, offering himself. 

No. This is desperation. He can't do that. Jack is in the height of his heat now, with Moira having something injected into him. He deserves a place to stay and just be, to rest and then think.

“The next safehouse is close, come on.” He says, taking Jack’s hands on his. “We’ll take care of your heat there, for the day.”

“Why not here?” Jack asks, directing Gabriel’s hand to his peck, kissing his jaw, the tip of his tongue slightly touching the skin there, tasting it. “You don’t need to look at me, we can--”

“Stop it.” Immediately, he interrupts Jack. No. This isn’t right. “It’s unsafe, wet and cold.” He stands up.“Come on, Jackie. When we're safe we can share scent.” And that makes the omega perk up, chirping at him. He stands up quickly, hissing in pain with the cramps.

As they walk more, with Jack almost glued to his side. The heat wave starts to dwindle and Jack starts to become more coherent. 

After half an hour of walking, the omega starts to feel miserable and cold. The slick gathering on his legs is uncomfortable now. Jack looks around, and a sense of familiarity washes over him, a memory coming back, not exactly the same, but too similar to forget.

“This reminds me of our first mission.” He whispers against Gabriel’s shoulder after a while. The alpha turns to him, confused and Jack rolls his eyes. “The one before we got together.”

Ah. Gabriel remembers that. They were in the academy, training and having the SEP experiments done on them. Back then, the other recruits didn't know Jack was an omega, just the superiors and him. The reconnaissance mission their team was sent for went for too long, a week more than planned and Jack ended up having his heat. They would find out later that the normal suppressant stopped working for Jack.

“I remember you swallowing down suppressant pills to keep going.” Gabriel smiles, remembering the past. “Was this the one where you kicked Johnson’s ass?”

“Yes.” Jack chuckles. “Remember his face when he hit the ground?”

“Idiot couldn’t believe he got his ass handed by a omega.” Gabriel smirks, Jonshon’s stupid face flashing on his mind. He was a little older than them and spent the whole of their first year and a half mercilessly poking fun at Jack for enlisting so late. “I told him to not mess with you.” 

On the mission when the whole team found out Jack’s well kept secret, he became a different breed of asshole. Could never keep Jack well alone. Luckily he had to leave the program early, with side effects from the serum making him too weak. 

“I remember your face when I hit him.” Jack pokes fun at him, because the alpha looked at him like he has just hanged the moon. Absolutely smitten, some would say. 

The alpha knew, before anyone else, that Jack was an omega, caught him taking his suppressants one day and recognized it, the pale pink pills exactly like the ones his uncle used to take. When he saw the symptoms of heat on that mission, he was ready to jump and fight anyone that approached Jack. He wasn’t just a fellow soldier to him, not just a friend, but there was already a tentative flirting with them. Sharing looks and brushing fingers, hidden away from the view of their commanders. 

Seeing Jack throwing Johnson on the ground sealed the deal for Gabriel. Even with the display, for the rest of the mission, he made sure to keep himself in between Jack and the other alphas and betas. He said it was to avoid any issues with the commanders. In fact, he already had thought on how to ask Jack to be his mate without sounding like an asshole. 

The funny thing was that Jack was the one who asked him out. The omega cornered him two days after the mission ended, demanding to know when he was going to stop flirting and start actually kissing him. Gabriel told a joke about fraternization not being allowed, before Jack pulled him close and kissed him senseless.

Soon after, when their superiors told them they needed to split up, Gabriel and Jack mated and married in secret. 

“Yeah...” Gabriel smiles and then closes his eyes. God, if he had just left with Jack then, pulled him away from the fight and both just stayed home… but they couldn’t. The right thing to do and all of that bullshit. And Fuck whoever gets caught in the middle of the conflict, right? 

Ahead of them, a small cottage can be seen. Gabriel puts a hand on Jack’s chest, stopping the omega. He points and feels Jack’s whole frame relax, expectation of resting and having some peace making his already strong scent sweet. They take two steps ahead before a noise makes them stop.

The door opens and four talon members leave the building. One of them walks around the house and drives a hover car to the front of it. The others are taking away all they can from inside. Food, pillows, a shabby cover.

“Shit.” Gabriel looks at them and shakes his head. That was his best safe house. It was in good shape, with its walls and ceiling intact, the water heater worked well and the only thing that was missing was the electric wiring connecting the solar panel to the house's electricity. It also had the biggest amount of supplies with food and the location wasn’t obvious at all. 

How the fuck have they found this?

“There are only four of them, maybe he can take them all down.” Jack reassures, but as soon as the words leave his mouth another hover vehicle comes from the opposite direction and stops close to the house, from inside of the van at least five other soldier's leave. 

“You were saying?” 

“Shut up.” Jack says, before Gabriel can say anything else. The alpha turns to him, amused to find the omega almost pouting? No, it is a grimace, but Gabriel can see Jack's bottom lip protruding.

Ah... He remembers that. Gabriel pinches Jack's cheek, closer to his lower lip in between his thumb and index finger, out of habit, more than anything else. For a second he expects the same banter: ‘Don’t pout, it gives you wrinkles’, ‘You give me wrinkles’. But Jack turns to him, cheeks red with embarrassment, startled, disbelieving that Gabriel would still do this.

Right.

The alpha pulls his hand back, releasing Jack’s face, quickly walking away from the safehouse. The omega hastily follows him, almost in a daze. 

“We should try taking the soldiers down.” Jack says, limping. “They’ll find the evidence.”

“The evidence is in my last safehouse.” Gabriel sighs, tired. “That’s at least another day and a half away. I was hoping to stay on that one so we could eat and rest. Make sure your heat is gone before we move.”

Jack opens his mouth to speak, but a cold wind rushes through them and several snowflakes hit his skin. Looking up, he realizes the sky is full with heavy clouds and another snowstorm is about to hit. 

“We need to run.” Gabriel holds Jack’s hand. “Do not release me.”

And run they do. The blizzard starts. The path is difficult, the winds so strong that it makes Jack stumble and take deep shuddering breaths to keep going. His body is freezing and burning hot like lava at the same time. He can't see in front of himself that well, but he holds Gabriel’s hand like it’s the last thing between him and certain death. And maybe it is. 

When they get to another house, Jack can barely understand what is happening next. He trembles as Gabriel moves him around, seating him on the ground in front of the fireplace, body snaking with the cold winds and the blizzard falling. He opens his eyes, looking around. 

The house they are now is worse than the one they were before. The walls are made out of logs and are still standing somehow, but wind passes through them. The ceiling has hole on it, the water tank is gone, as are the other appliances. This was ransacked before it was left behind to rot.

Gabriel frantically walks around, taking old rotten wood that is laying around and piling it up where Jack supposed was the fireplace. He shaves parts of the old soft wood with the claws on his gloves, making a bundle of long spirals to position under the wood. He fires it up with a lighter. 

The fire starts meager, with Gabriel only managing to keep on going by fanning it with the bottom of his trenchcoat. Jack snorts at the scene before him and the alpha turns to him, huffing. 

“You do it, then.” 

“Can’t.” Jack answers. “I’m too weak to do that.” He says, feeling his stomach hurt. He’s been hungry since midday, the breakfast not being enough to satiate his body in the peak of the heat.

“I’m sorry. Here, eat the rest.” Gabriel sits close to him, taking the rest of the dehydrated vegetable chips and beef jerky from his pocket and offering it to Jack. The amount of so little the omega actually feels bad for eating it. “I should have prepared more.” Gabriels says. 

Jack doesn’t have anything to say about that, because how does one even prepare enough for this specific scenario? Which reminds him. 

“Why are there so many houses to begin with?” Jack eats the vegetables at a slow pace, trying to savory as much as possible, but also trying to trick his brain into thinking he’s eating more than the small portion. 

“Thi is what Vishkar tried before creating Utopea.” Gabriel pulls his knees up, resting his forearms on them. He watches the fire burning, getting stronger and stronger. Jack looks at him surprised. “You know how it goes. They created a problem for the population, once enough people ‘accidentally’ died they started to buy the land for cheap. The ones who don’t leave are displaced by force. ”

“Why not destroy the houses then?”

“Because it didn’t work.” Gabriel chuckles, remembering the first time Sombra told him the story of this place and how the Talon base came to be. “The hard light machines couldn’t stand the cold, back then.” It was always amusing to him, the fact that the consequences of those companies actions, the progress without any restraint, leads to their own demise.

“That's when Talon got their hands on it?”

“No, this is recent.” Gabriel admits and Jack nods, realizing this base is probably part of the agreement they made way back last year, between Moira, Vishkar and the Oasis government. He wonders what kind of bullshit they are creating on those labs of theirs.

“Still, all of the houses just left here.”

“Less expensive to let it all rot.”

Jack looks at him and finally understands it. Of course. Let it rot away until some other investment comes and makes it more valuable. An investment.

He wants to ask if that's why they let Gabriel be so hurt? If they experiment on him because it is less expensive than just trying to recreate another soldier? If expenses and investments done in the past were just too much? How much did they cost the American government?

How much did their skin cost? their blood and bones? Jack's eggs? Gabriel's semen? The baby they could make with that? 

Jack shudders, feeling a pang of sadness get to him. Gabriel's words weigh on him now, but he doesn't want to think about it. That it was all planned. The simple idea that the amount of times he got pregnant by accident was planned, the dread he felt every time he saw that positive sign, knowing that he'd have to go through the pain of it all over again.

“How’s your heat?” 

“Better.” Jack answers. “Thank you for stopping back then. I wasn’t in my right mind.”

Gabriel grunts.

“But I think whatever Moira gave me is finally leaving my body. I'm feeling more present.” Jack closes his eyes, resting his head on Gabriel's uninjured shoulder. “Your shoulder?” 

“It’s fine.” Gabriel’s shoulder was, in fact, not fine. The wounded area was hot to the touch and despite the thin coagulated blood turning into scabs, the alpha could see small pockets of pus forming around it. If they didn’t get to biotics soon, he’d be in trouble. 

“Your face?”

Gabriel looks at him, unimpressed. 

“I saw you bleeding last night. There is dried blood on your clothes.” Jack huffs, turning his face away and to the small fire, trying to keep himself warm. Gabriel feels his stomach coil with the idea of Jack seeing his face. His everything. 

“I’m fine.” He says. 

Jack smiles at him. “Liar.” His voice falters and he grabs Gabriel’s hand, lacing their fingers. He can tell the other is shaking, can see the way his legs faltered when he sat down and tried to stand up, the shortness of his breath. 

Silence falls over them. Gabriel closes his eyes and rests his head together with Jack’s, touching his temple. The overwhelming want to kiss him, to see him washes over him. But he ignores it. 

“What do you expect to see?”

“You.” Jack answers, fingertips brushing on Gabriel’s palms “Just you.”

It makes him hesitate. 

What really does he have to lose? 

The only person that still sees you as a human being. His traitor brain supplies. 

But he’s already losing him. 

He redirects Jack’s hand to his face, touching his fingers to the cold mask and watches as the omega’s expression opens up, surprised and eager. Jack moves, sitting better, in front of Gabriel and slowly pulls the mask away. Gabriel closes his eyes firmly shut. 

Jack will realize he’s not the same. He’ll see what a monster he is, inside and out. 

When the cold air hits his face, Gabriel can finally breathe. He forgot how cold the air always is, that he isn't supposed to feel trapped all of the time. He feels naked like this, unprotected, raw.

A touch, caressing his face. He wonders what Jack sees, because much like his body and his head, Gabriel’s face is full of scars. 

His nose is now crooked, the gentle curve of it is gone, the bone of his bridge flatter than Jack remembers, probably smashed over and over again. There is a big and deep scar running diagonally on his face from his right temple to his left cheek, as if his head was split in half. The scars there pull the skin of his cheeks in, making it look sunken. There is a slit on Gabriel's mouth, a cut that healed wrong, leaving a gap, showing his left teeth, the fangs. Part of his skin has healed burn scars to it, discoloration darker than his tone littering his face. 

Jack can see the cut on Gabriel’s forehead, from last night, and there is dried blood around his nostrils and mouth.

Jack realizes, then, that it’s not just the scars. Gabriel has changes on his body that couldn’t be just from accidents. He knows the alpha’s eyes are blackened out, the gap on his lips show a mouth with two sets of sharp canines, the smoke leaves his body constantly.

“Oh, Gabe.” Jack says, caressing his marred cheek. Gabriel opens his eyes, what he sees isn’t fear or disgust. Jack’s expression is soft and sad.

 “I’m sorry.” He pulls the other close, firmly hugging the alpha, hands going around Gabriel’s neck, stuffing his nose on his scent gland. Gabriel sucks in a breath, confused and shaking. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” The omega mumbles, voice shaking, tears falling down his face. 

Gabriel relaxes, finally giving in and bringing Jack into his lap, holding him with all the force he still has.

“Don’t cry.” He closes his eyes hard, stuffing his face on Jack's scent glands too. Even now, his smell is very sweet and not strong. “I didn’t want you to suffer with me. I wanted you to have a good life. One where you could rest and stay away from all of this.”

“And I wanted you with me!” Jack shakes his head, hiccupping, angry. “You didn't need to go through this alone.”

“Where could I go?”

“Back to me, you moron!” Jack says, separating them for a moment. He looks at Gabriel with fire in his eyes, a certainty on it that makes his heart beat again, makes him want to have hope. Oh, Gabriel hates that Sombra was right. “We could have had help. Angela--”

“Ziegler would have shot me down.”

“Her call sign is Mercy for a reason.” Jack jokes, but knowing that this is the truth. Gabriel cradles his face, touching their foreheads together, grimacing. 

“You deserve more than this mess.”

“I really do not.” Jack pulls himself closer, stranding Gabriel's hips. The alpha caresses his back, hands stopping at the omega’s waist, holding firmly, rubbing his thumbs against his body. Jack whimpers, eyes searching Gabriel’s face. “When are you going to kiss me?” He asks.

Gabriel looks at him, eyes wide. The memory of the first time they kissed coming back to him like a violent wave. He can see the same boyish charm Jack had back then, even if it's stained by time and hurt. The confident smile is strained, a shine on his dull eyes, the love in his touch so desperate. But it is there. 

The alpha gently pulls Jack close, touching their lips.

Kissing Jack is everything he remembers it was. The omega’s lips are chapped, but his whole everything is soft. His lips separate easily, tongue pliant, exploring his mouth, his skin, even with the beard growing, feels gente. 

When they separate, Jack brings him close, resting Gabriel's head on his chest. He shudders, arms holding Jack in a tight hug, hands almost desperate to just feel him. The omega kisses his forehead, tracing his scars with his lips, caressing his tender skin like he's fragile. Rough fingers feel like heaven and Gabriel looks up at him, pleading for more.

God, how long has it been since someone touched him with care? 

It makes his whole body shiver, an agonizing sensation, nerve endings firing up every time Jack caresses him. If he didn’t know better, he’d say he’s on a rut, with every small kiss to his skin making Gabriel shiver and want to ask for more. 

Jack doesn’t need to hear the request to kiss Gabriel again, to ground his hips on the alpha’s lap. A shiver runs up his back, and Jack trembles all over, from the cold and from the want. Another heat wave is about to hit him, but this time Jack can sense it is weaker than before, less synthetic, less man made. 

Gabriel feels it too, smells it in the air.

“I can’t.” He says against Jack’s lips, desperate, tears in his eyes. “You'll regret it.” He knows it. How could Jack not regret it after his heat has passed, mind sharp, the mistakes Gabriel made fresh in his mind?

Jack shakes his head. “I love you.” He kisses Gabriel one more time, but the alpha separates them. 

“You're drugged.” Gabriel takes deep breaths, hiding his face under his hand. “You don't want this. You can't want this.”

Jack's temper flares up.

“Who are you to tell me what I want or not?”

“I can't bear it!” Gabriel holds Jack's hand in his hands, looking at him in despair. “I can't bear it for you to look at me after all of this and regret it. To look at me in disgust and realize I tied you down again!” 

“It has always been you, Gabe. I will never regret being with you. Ever.” 

“Look at me! I'm a monster, Jack.” Gabriel pulls Jack close, breath shaking. “Look.”

“I am looking!” Jack’s voice doesn't shake. It's determined and strong. “I knew you would be different, Gabe. I've seen Moira's work, I've seen what she does to people.” be shakes his head. “I don't see a monster. I can't see a monster.”

“I…” 

Jack rolls his hips again, looking at his mate, eyes full of desire. “Make love to me.” 

Gabriel can’t help but surrender, hips bucking up, meeting Jack’s rolling motions. He moans, rough and broken, the friction of Jack’s butt and his jeans enticing but not enough. Sneaking his hands under Jack’s clothes, he takes his time to help Jack slip his Jacket and shirt off, trench coat also discarded on the floor. 

And what a sight he is. The flush is not only on Jack’s face, but down his neck and breasts. His nipples are perky, the cold making his skin be covered in goosebumps. Gabriel caresses Jack’s sides, palms sliding up to his peck. He massages the omega’s nipple with his thumb, and he can see the omega shivering with the sharp ends of his gloves scratching his skin. 

Desperately, he sits back and takes his gloves off, throwing them at the other end of the room. He needs to touch, to feel! Jack takes the opportunity to do the same with his boots and Pants, kicking them out of the way. 

When Gabriel looks back at him, Jack can see his eyes darkening. He wonders what he looks like. His body is strong, but still older than the last time they saw each other, full of scars, hardened by time and grief. But he feels dishevelled, his boy shorts almost translucent with the amount of slick he’s been producing, cheeks flushed. 

The alpha brings him into his lap. His touch is cold and Jack whimpers when the alpha cup his dick through the boyshort panties, moving his hand up and down through the soft fabric, squeezing slightly. His head falls back, moaning Gabriel’s name like it’s a prayer.  

He sits back, and sneaks his hand under Jack’s underwear, fingertips trace the swell of his ass and tease his hole. 

The omega gasps when Gabriel inserts the first finger, moving it in and out, enough to see that Jack is loose and drooling, heat making him pliant to the touch. Gabriel’s shoulder hurts, but he chooses to ignore it, holding back the hissing when he inserts a second finger and feels his shoulder straining with the repetitive motion of scissoring Jack’s hole.

“Stop teasing.” Jack begs, hands travelling down on Gabriel’s torso and to his pants. He pops the button open, fingers sneaking under the alpha’s underwear. Gabriel pulls his hands away from him, helping to push his own pants and underwear down as much as he could, freeing his already hard cock. 

Jack’s touch is warm, making Gabriel hiss when he touches his cock, stroking him with languid movement, fist twisting slightly. Gabriel can’t stop watching, can’t stop feeling how Jack’s hands feel like an electric current, making him wiggle under him, breathing hard, forehead touching.

When Gabriel looks up, he sees that Jack is watching him, his face, his reactions, with a satisfied smile, eyes full of lust. For him, of all being in the world. With a snarl, he pulls Jack close, kissing him hard, tongue exploring his mouth. Jack releases him, arms going around his neck. Gabriel’s teeth nip at Jack’s mouth, coppery feeling of the small cut filling his mouth. 

“Sorry.” He says in Spanish, and Jack can only give him a nonverbal answer, sucking the Alpha’s bottom lip into his mouth, touching their temples. He ruts against Gabriel, making their dicks slide together, the friction of their two bodies too much and yet not enough.

“Gabe, please.” Jack whines into his mouth, eyes closed, face flushed. Gabriel nods, pulling Jack’s hips up and aligning them. 

When the alpha enters him, it feels like heaven. The head on his cock slowly slips inside, stretching him, inch by inch. Gabriel stops once he’s in, caressing Jack’s face with his thumb, waiting for Jack to feel used to it. But Jack is impatient, hips moving down and fully bottoming Gabriel's cock inside of him, searching for the release he so desperately needs.

He moans, feeling impossibly full.

When he’s fully inside, Gabriel grunts, resting his head on Jack’s chest, breathing hard. He pushes the omega down, laying him on the discarded trench coat. God, he looks beautiful like this. Mouth open, breathing hard, skin shining with sweat. Jack pulls his hand, lacing their fingers together, looking at him with such love that Gabriel can hardly understand it. 

Gabriel thrusts start slow and shallow, but It all becomes messy and hard quickly. He kisses under Jack’s jaw, hips rolling up with force. And Jack loves every second of it. His breath hitches and he moans with every push, his mate's cock hitting him in every right place. 

“I… ah! I love you.” Jack says, pulling his mate close, arm going around his neck. 

Gabriel shifts his hips, pulling one of Jack’s legs up. His cock hits him perfectly and Jack watches the alpha’s face contorting in pleasure. Jack feels close now, orgasm building. The alpha feels almost drunk, like life has been breathed inside of him again and he can see colors and taste again.

“Te amo, carinõ.” Gabriel says and Jack moans, moving his hips to meet his mate’s movements. 

“I love you.” Jack repeats, feeling desperate, movements becoming sloppy. “I love you, I love you!” He moans louder, voice pitched as he feels Gabriel's knot forming, slipping in and out of him. “Please knot me please, alpha, I--” The orgasm hits him like a truck. 

His body tenses, legs bringing Gabriel impossibly close, squeezing his cock. A gush of slick leaves his hole, dick squirting a small rope of sum. He can feel the knot popping and slipping inside. The sound Gabriel makes is strangled, like he’s been gut punched. 

“Fuck.” Gabriel says, breathing heavily, feeling his s dick release rope after rope of cum inside Jack. When the high dies down, they both relax. Gabriel staying on top of Jack. 

He doesn’t look up for a while, but feels Jack’s hands caressing his head, fingers stroking the old and new scars there. Gabriel looks up at him, scared of what he’ll see, but also desperate to do so. 

Jack is smiling at him. Eyes soft, but sharp and present, no haze of drugs. If anything, lovesick. There is a purr sound, very low, very unused in the last ten years. His own, Gabriel realizes. Jack’s smile gets wider.

“You need a nest.” Gabriel says, caressing the omega’s cheek. His purring gets lost in the broken walls of the shack, sound disappearing in the wind outside.

“We need to survive this first.” Jack pulls Gabriel close, caressing his face. The alpha looks terribly beautiful. Raw and hurt, yes, but beautiful still. He can’t believe how much he loves this man, how close he got to losing him. 

He feels a wave of emotion get to him, making his eyes sting and chin wobble. Gabriel immediately reacts, looking scared. 

“What is it?” His voice is soft, hands patting Jack’s body. “Are you hurt?” 

“No.” Jack’s voice is nothing more than a whisper. He sniffs, feeling overwhelmed. It’s for sure the goddamn heat making him emotional again, not the years spent looking for Gabriel, fighting, begging everyday to whoever was out there commanding this whole shithsow that he would come back to him.

“What is it, then?” Gabriel sounds scared, too scared. 

“Please don’t leave again.” He begs, closing his eyes, feeling weak and pathetic. 

Gabriel swallows down and touches the omega’s face. Finally seeing again that same sensibility, that tender side Jack didn’t allow anyone else to see. His chest gets thigh, just thinking the fact he was the one that made him cry. Again and again he made him cry, and still, Jack stayed and wanted him. 

“I won’t.” He promises. They shift, with Gabriel pulling Jack close so the omega doesn’t lay on the ground.

They kiss again, this time softer. Gabriel pulls the trench coat over Jack’s body, thinking on how they would survive this. Their chances are slim, and yet, Gabriel feels hopeful. 

Looking down at Jack’s flushed and teary face, Somehow, Gabriel thinks he’ll manage to keep this promise.

Notes:

OW: Oh, my god, the horrors Jack must be witnessin right now!
Jack: PLEASE FUCK ME PLEASE IM LITERERALLY BEGGING YOU!!!!
Also, I hope this was satisfactory. I was thinking on letting them smash just on the next chapter, but I realizes I tortured yall long enough.
And did yall like the plot? The relevations? The mistery finally being unvealled?
Anyways, poor Jack. And poor Gabe. And thsi chapter doesn't Have our main couple because I realiuzes things got too long.
Please tell me if you see any mistakes or if i should tag anything else, because I didn't properly beta this.

Chapter 29: The mistake I've make, it's can't be turned around

Chapter by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead)

Summary:

Jack and Gabe find the last safehouse. Hanzo discover that his dizzy spells are not just that and old and new names are introduced.

Notes:

Hey, y'all! You y'all doing? I'm back again by popular demand!
Here is a new chapter, One to explore the chaos and instability that Jack's kidnapping can do to a team illegaç and barely able to maintain hemsleves liek the newly reformed OW. Also one to explain some plot points too and give you all some sweet sweet angst.

So, I was going to post this on Saturday, but I forgot that we had a holiday her ein my state on the middle fo teh week, so I got to edit the chapter for you guys adn here it is!
Funny thing: I was inspired to create this fanfiction after I started playing Death Stranding WAy back when in 2019. You can see some of the influence on this chapters. and the name of the chapters are lyrics from a Song in the game.

This chapter is brought to you by: Time after time by Cyndi Lauper and Mina /Dracula, from the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula. You'll know when.

When they get to five days since Jack was kidnapped, things get to the boiling point for Hanzo.

The missions get messier and messier, with Talon and the null sector invading and scheming the whole week. It was almost like they did on purpose, to make them all scramble around.

And this one mission is no different. The team has to keep separated from one another due to the number of enemies attacking them. Brigitte can’t keep them all healed, Torbjorn’s turrets keep getting destroyed by the Talon soldiers, because there is no one there to defend them, Orisa tries to hold the fort alone and Hanzo, in the rooftops, gets so focused on the rapid firing and the task of killing people and destroying bots that he starts to go nonverbal.

He sends arrow after arrow, trying to keep up with the chase.

“Shimada, get those in the back!” He hears Torbjörn command on the comm. Hanzo grunts and looks in the direction of the payload. He jumps from the building he is in and to a platform nearby. He needs to finish this and go back home.

-- nish them . Udon whispers in his mind.

He aims one of his storm arrows and watches as they ricochet from the walls around the soldiers, putting two of them down. He aims again, focusing on the next target. One arrow released, one man down. He does it again and again. His arms strain, making his hold weak and his head hurt from hunger.

He was unable to sleep last night. And the night before. And the night before that one. Not just because he kept having nightmares or spent his time either with Genji or filling in for the other agents who were out of commission. 

Ako got sick. A throat infection brought on by a cold that had him and Cole run to a very tired and cranky Angela to have the issue solved. She wasn't happy at all, looking at Ako's file and muttering to herself about dusty bases, bronchitis and how one listens to her about the air filtering having to be always turned on.

“This is what I warned about when I told people to keep the base clean and warm!” She had said, taking the medication on a nebulizer and handing it to them. “At this point everyone will die of lung failure! Especially you with those cigars!” She muttered, looking at Cole with a deep frown on her face, angrier and meaner than she has ever been before.

Cole had started a whole argument with her about how he'd never smoke close to people who had lung illnesses, but Hanzo simply ignored all of it. He felt his shoulders tensing, somehow wondering if it was his fault after all that Ako got so sick. Was he negligent? Did he pay enough attention? Did he leave her without a blanket? After all, he always seems to hurt people around him.

They spent half an hour at the med bay, making sure AKo took her medication and watching as she slowly got better. Angela stayed with them the whole time, looking exhausted and ready to topple over. But she wouldn't go to sleep, not even when Lúcio showed up to help, she just moved to the infirmary to look over Genji.

Ako slept well the whole night after, but Hanzo was paranoid. So, instead of sleeping, he spent the night awake, seated on the nursing chair and looking at her chest rising and falling. Cole insisted he should go to sleep, but Hanzo slipped away from his hold. Somehow there was a nagging thought in his mind that she was in as much danger as Genji right now. He got the irrational fear that she would never wake up and he was at fault for it.

When his eyes inevitably closed during the night, all he saw was the image of Genji. This time he wasn’t digging his own grave, but he was laid on the wooden floor of Hanamura, appearing like he is today, cyborg body pulled in different directions. All he heard was his breathing, and the hissing of his body when it wanted to cooldown. A groan left his throat as he tried to speak.

Genji didn’t deserve this. He wasn’t a monster.

He'd look down at his arms and see Ako there, still as a corpse would be. He remembers begging for them both to wake up and someone telling him not to worry, they could make more of her in the future, as weapons were disposable. In his dream he felt a looming presence, as if something was about to get him, before someone grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him away. He felt hands grabbing his hips, pain, fire licking his skin. 

He woke up sweating, took his crutches and limped to Ako’s crib, watching her as the baby slept peacefully.

He felt useless, powerless. Even with his dragons and all the power he has, he can’t avoid any of the bad things that happen. He wants all to just stop, for everything bad to stop happening. He can’t do this anymore. He’s useless. His dragons are useless.

His head sways and suddenly he feels strange. His vision blurs at the edges, the warm touch of the dragons suddenly feel present on his mind.

Do n--lie to yourself, stup-- Udon says, rumbling away, in a voice so distant Hanzo can barely hear it.

Hanzo ignores him, trying to focus. He just needs to go home, to rest and care for his baby. To be useful somehow.

We --show you.

.

“-MADA!”

Hanzo sucks in a desperate breath, like he has just been out of water.

“Shimada, answer us! What the hell is wrong with that omega?” The voice in the comm says, more static than anything else. The communicator crackles painfully, making Hanzo cover his ear. “Hanzo!” It's Torbjörn. Hanzo looks around himself and realizes that the fight is over and every soldier is now down. There is blood everywhere. The sun is lower than he remembers.

“I'm here.” Hanzo says on the comm, not understanding what just happened. Was he lost in the haze of the battle that he hadn't realized where he was and how long he walked? Maybe he disassociated, but that hasn’t happened in a long while now.

“Finally!” Brigitte says through the comm. “Come on. Where are you? We need to fall back now!”

“I am…” Hanzo looks around and realizes he doesn't know where he is. “I am close. I will meet the team in a minute.” He tries to situate himself and follows the path left by the fallen soldiers. He quickly moves in between the buildings and finds himself surprised on how much he has walked. How the fuck hasn't he realized it?

Analyzing the ground, he finds that the grass is burned, as if the steps he took left a mark on them.

He has seen this before, ten years ago. Charred wood, the footsteps in the pristine yard, burning as he walked on the grass, legs giving in as soon as he had set foot outside of the castle walls.

Hanzo shakes his head, feeling like a lead ball has dropped on his stomach.

No.

No, no, nonONO!

That happened once, over a decade ago, and it's not going to happen again now. He is controlled and disciplined enough that the possibility of losing control over the dragons is null. He must have been tired and anxious and just forgot. Yeah, that’s it.

That’s it.

When he gets to the meeting point, the team is less than happy to see him. Once they enter the Orca, he’s lectured heavily by Torbjörn about communication and teamwork. The worst is that he can’t even defend himself over it. There is no excuse for what he has done that won’t pull him from the mission roster.

“Everyone here is tired. You don't have a pass because Genji is hurt.”

Hanzo just looks at Torbjörn, incredulous at what the older alpha had said. Is this what he thinks he's doing? Throwing a tantrum over the fact that his brother is in a coma? Trying to sneak away from the job? He hoped that, after so many months, they would think better of him.

“I would never do such a thing!” Hanzo snaps, angry at the implication. With a huff he turns away, not allowing Torbjörn to keep speaking nonsense. He's tired, too tired to have another argument.

“Hey!” The small says, loudly, but Hanzo doesn't look back.

“It won't happen again.” He says in between his teeth. Because in his long years, he has learned that in situations like these, where everyone is in a bad mood, it's easier to walk away before something worse happens. It will only make people angrier if the fight goes further and Hanzo has no intentions of losing time on stupidity.

Especially because he doesn't even know what happened to begin with.

“Dad, come on, this mission was bad for all of us.” Brigitte says, crossing her arms. Torbjörn just grumbles a non-answer and moves to sit down by the table in the corner of the room.

Hanzo sighs and massages the bridge of his nose, sitting on the steps that led to the cockpit. He doesn’t want to be around anyone right now. Brigitte walks around the orca, seeing if anyone needs help or to patch up. Lastly, she stops by his side.

“And you?”

“I am fine.” Hanzo reassures, kinder this time. But Brigitte scrutinizes him for a moment. He hasn’t looked at himself in the mirror, but he’s probably littered with bruises.

“Well, those bruises and the cut on your cheek says otherwise.” She says and gives Hanzo a biotics shot. Her expression changes as she takes his arm, the one with the tattoo, in her hand and turns it. “Has your tattoo always been this big?”

Hanzo tenses and looks at his own hand, seeing that Brigitte is right. The tattoo has grown from his wrist and into part of the back and palm of his hand. Funnily enough it seems to be slowly crawling back into place, as if it was bigger before.

“Oh. This is weird.” Brigitte watches it. “It's special ink?”

Hanzo pulls his hand away, slightly trembling. “Y-yes.” He says, without much conviction. Brigitte seems to accept the answer and moves back to sit beside his father.

Closing his eyes hard, Hanzo tries to remember what happened. It all comes in small flashes, jumbled images of the violent fight. Him jumping from a roof, sending storm arrows, using his bow to fight the soldiers on his own. Lightning running under his skin.

He feels Udon’s pleased rumble in his head. The message about not being useless vaguely drifts in his mind.

Quiet! Hanzo snaps pressing his lips on a thin line, teeth scraping against the inside of his mouth. Udon chuckles, mean as he always is.

He's probably just tired, Hanzo tries to reason with himself. He’s just tired. It’s fine.

Hanzo barely pays attention to what is going on during the trip back, deep in thinking, leg bouncing nervously, breath short. He starts chewing on his nails, teeth picking on the cuticles. How could this happen again? Last time he let them out , accepted their request to take over and do this one thing for him: To save him from the disgrace happening in front of him, the horrible future that awaited him, and then… Well, the Hanamura castle is a pile of ashes now for a reason.

The twins have never taken control over his body on their own. There isn’t a possibility that it is happening. It shouldn't be possible at all. He is stressed and tired, worried to the point he can’t eat or sleep properly, but he has gone through worse than this. 

He knows he can take it.

What happened inside the castle will not happen here.

Shouldn't be possible in the first place.

He wasn't a monster anymore.

Right?

When they land, Hanzo moves through the debriefing like he’s underwater, going through the motions, listening to how the team is way snappier than they should be. Truthfully, no one wanted to go on missions right now, much less with him. But they all do the work that needs to be done.

Hanzo leaves the debriefing feeling antsy and full of anxiety, marching towards the kitchen, heart beating a mile a minute. This is getting out of control. He needs to speak with Cole. 

--

“No.” Cole grimaces as he looks around the room. Winston and Fareeha are looking at him and Ana with tired expressions. The room they are in now is a mess of food containers, printed papers, photos and information. The same photos he had gathered before are projected on the wall behind them, with the addition of new ones.

They had finally pinpointed the most likely location for Jack and Gabriel to be in, but somehow, that became an issue. Because of one single blurry photo.

“It is something we need to consider.” Winston massages his eyelids, tired.

“Maybe Gabriel was a goddamn liar, but not Jack. He. is. Not. Talon.” He pushes his index finger on the table forcefully. “He’s fighting against them this whole time, y’all can’t doubt him now.”

“We are not just doubting for the sake of it, agent Cassidy.” Winston reassures. “Even if it's a small possibility, we must think about the fact that he and Reaper are working together. That maybe he has been changed, or worse, has been Talon this whole time.”

“And we all saw Amélie and how perfectly brainwashed she is. Jack could be one of those. We don't know what happened to him after he disappeared.” Fareeha tries to reason.

“No.” Cole shakes his head and stands up. “He wasn't acting when he was here!”

“Cassidy…” Winston looks at him with a mixture of pity and annoyance. Cole feels despair grow on his chest in ways he cannot really understand, it makes his hands shaky.

“Are y’all at least going to rescue him still?” He asks, looking around, scared of the answer he’ll get. The look on Fareeha’s face, that hard expression, tells him everything he needs to know.

“Of course we are, Agent Cassidy.” Winston says his voice stern. Cole looks at him, breathing hard.

“Then what the hell are we still doin’ here?” He slams his hand on the table, looking at the others, desperate. There is a long stretch of silence before Cole shakes his head. “We know the goddamn location! He needs us!”

“We need more time to prepare. As far as we know they may as well be close to a Talon base!” Fareeha says for the fifth time.

Winston sighs. Ana, who hasn’t spoken until now, opens her mouth and then shuts it, looking away.

“We are just asking for you to be realistic about the state we could find him in.”

Cole swallows down and looks away, anger filling his body. His throat closes, nose flaring in anger. The room fills with the acrid smell of anger. He needs to leave before he says something stupid again.

“I need to start the food.” He manages to say, stomping his way out of the conference room. He faintly hears Ana's voice calling him, but that only makes Cole angrier. Too angry to stay close to anyone now.

It has been almost a week. A WEEK since Jack went missing. For a moment they thought that maybe they were on the wrong track. That Canada was a diversion or maybe they were being too hopeful, too naive and that they couldn’t find them anymore.

However, they had an answer from Fareeha’s contact, and beyond the traffic cameras images, she found some reports of forest rangers who had spotted a cloaked figure walking around the Canadian woods. Reports that went back months. The last few days, there were reports of gunshots being fired and a ruckus.

It was all too deep in the forest and in places too out of reach with anything but a drone.

“This place is off limits to everyone, including rangers.” The message from Harper, Fareeha’s contact, explained. “Apparently this is private property, but every time I try to get to know who owns it, I end up at a wall or going in circles with different companies. But I managed to pull some favors, and I found this.”

It was the images. All blurry and taken from a public drone used to monitor wildlife (the only thing that could go a little bit further into the forest without being detected). The photo had two figures, far away. Their clothes were dark, but there was a flash of blue under one of the figures' coats. Ghosts, walking side by side, leaning on each other. A white mask, almost bleeding on the white background.

Jack didn’t look afraid. He wasn't restrained. His head rested against Gabriel, almost as a comfort. 

The idea that Jack was there willingly was born then. They argued that he could be a sleeper agent like Amélie, that maybe he went to Reaper that day because he finished his work, or maybe something went wrong with Talon’s plans. Maybe his job was to gather information and not just finish off everyone.

But Cole didn’t accept that. Or maybe he joust couldn’t.

“ Gabriel would be proud of you. ”

Cole closes his eyes, hard. He tries to forget, to not care, but he can't. He can't. Jack isn’t a traitor, nobody can spend a year as an informant or a sleeper agent, pretending so well. Jack ISN'T a goddamn traitor. What Cole can believe is that he was a hypocrite, went on and on about Hanzo and the dangers of him being a Talon agent only to be the one running after Reaper.

But not a traitor. No. Jack would never.

He stops by Reinhardt and takes Ako in his arms, feeling more protective than ever. He can’t deal with the whole thing right now. He needs to cook something. He's itching to just move, make something that will make others happy and satisfied for a while. So, cook something he does.

He puts Ako on her highchair and starts to gather all the ingredients, giving her some from time to time so she can taste and experience them. He likes to point out all the things he’s doing to his daughter, showing her how much garlic to put on, and the ways to blanch the vegetables just right. It all almost makes his mind clear, the anger to bleed away, occupies the parts of it that are muddled by pain.

He almost can’t hear Hanzo stopping at the kitchen entrance. He just gathers Ako in his arms and still talks to her.

“Now hear, missy, this is why you cannot just put cilantro on everythin’ without asking others. Even if it makes everything taste better.” He says, shifting from one foot to the other. “You see, Gabe had… Has that cilantro gene that makes it taste like soap. But if you ask me? I think he lied so he wouldn't hurt Jack’s feelings.” Ako babbles, whining a little. “I know, pumpkin.” Cole kisses her head, caressing Ako's back. “We miss him too. You'll see, we will get him back soon.”

Ako coughs right on Cole’s face, making the man flinch back. Hanzo smiles a little, holding back a chuckle.

“Don’t be nasty, missy.” He sighs, tired and takes a napkin from the counter, cleaning the baby’s face. “It ain’t polite to cough on other people’s faces.”

Hanzo rests his shoulder on the doorway, observing his mate. Cole looks tired, his posture is hunched, and he keeps shuffling from one foot to the other. There are eye bags under his eyes, and his beard and hair, even if clean, look disheveled.

He forgot that, as good as he was as a gunslinger, Cole was a damn good tracker, probably the best one in the team. That came with being a bounty hunter, the alpha had years and years to sharpen his attention to detail and make his thought process work in such a way that Hanzo couldn't follow. His pattern recognition became too confusing at times for Hanzo to follow the logic. He doubts they would have been as far in the investigation without him.

Hanzo approaches his alpha and hugs his waist, pulling Cole close to his chest, burying his nose on his neck. He wants to forget about what happened on the mission.

“Woah, Han.” Cole turns, surprised at the sudden touch. “Now that's a way to greet a man.” He fully faces the omega and pulls him into a hug. The alpha smiles at him, but his expression soon fades, looking at Hanzo’s expression. “Was the mission not good?”

Hanzo just buries his face on Cole's chest and grumbles something, hugging his waist. He feels weak, maybe from lack of sleep, maybe it’s the fact he’s not eating well, food rolling on his mouth and tasting like ash. 

“That bad, huh.” He kisses Hanzo temple.

“Yes.” Hanzo says, breathing in his alpha's scent and the smell of baby shampoo coming from Ako. “I…” He starts but suddenly feels trapped, chest getting thight. Like if he says what happened will prove something, that he is the monster everyone always thought he was.

But Cole caresses the back of his head softly, thumb moving in circles to make him more relaxed. The alpha noses his temple, slightly swaying. A comfort Hanzo can only find with him.

“You can tell me.” Cole says, smiling down at him. “So, I know whose ass I need to kick.”

Hanzo looks up, smiling a little, remembering the talk they had after Jack was captured. He dreads the mere thought of telling Cole. Shaking at the idea that he’s this horrible beast, after all. Unlovable and impossible to control.

But he can’t let Cole in the dark. Not again and not after everything that happened.

“Later.” He promises. “I wish to speak in private.”

“Okay.” Cole hugs him tighter, nuzzling his face. “After we eat, I know damn well you're not eating properly.” And Hanzo, with that, lets himself relax. He's been so tired for the last few days that he doesn't even realize how badly he needed a hug. “Ain't this heaven? My two favorite people in my arms.” Cole’s voice falters and Hanzo can tell the alpha is not in any better state than he is.

So, Hanzo kisses Cole's jaw, trying to show him the love he feels deep down.

Soon enough Ako starts complaining, being squished in between them. Hanzo snorts a laugh and pulls away, taking his daughter with him and relieving Cole from the weight. He receives another cough right on his face, which makes Cole laugh at him.

Hanzo swats at his mate's arm and caresses Ako’s back.

“How was she today?” Hanzo watches as Cole starts to put the pots used into the sink and then sighs.

“Better, but the cough won’t go away.” Cole 

“You are tired.” 

“Don’t mind me, Sugar. I just had a long and stupid conversation.” Cole doesn’t look up. eyes focused on stirring the pot on the stove.

“About?”

Cole stops, resting his gloved hand on the sink, shoulders tense. He licks his teeth, tongue stopping on his canine for a moment. “They think Jack is Talon.” He says and Hanzo scoffs at that. The alpha nods and massages his face.

“Jack is the first one to be paranoid about Talon associations. He’s been on their tail for a decade! It doesn’t make any sense.” Hanzo pats Ako’s back, shushing her. 

“They think it is a 'The lady doth protest too much’ situation.” The alpha fixes the hat on his head. “That maybe he wasn’t here to kill us, just to gather info.”

“That would be too much work, too convoluted. Even for Akande.” Hanzo starts tapping his foot on the ground and brings his thumb nail to his mouth, scraping his teeth on it. “Why would they ever think that?”

“The photos. The last one we found.” Cole sighs. “They think ‘cause he's not restrained that he's just… Left with Reaper. And y’know, the whole secret identity thing and ruining the last mission didn’t help.”

His tone is impassive, and Hanzo can see he’s agitated, too agitated for the conversation about Jack being Talon to have been only a suggestion, a small theory.

“Physical bounds aren't the only way to keep someone a prisoner.” Hanzo rests his hip against the kitchen counter.

“Don't I know that?” Cole shakes his head. There is a long moment of silence, one where Cole looks away in deep thought. “What if they are right, Han?” the alpha puts a hand over his mouth, a deep sadness washing over him. “All this time here, with us, with Ako… What if he was pretending? What if he gave away information to Talon?”

Hanzo pulls him close, touching their foreheads. “Then, you’ll still have me.” The omega caresses Cole's cheeks with his thumb. “And our daughter, Genji and Pharah and Ana.”

“It's just…”

“Not the same.” Hanzo says, knowing it's not the same. He too lost his father, long before the Hashimotos killed him. When he realized that he couldn't count on Sojiro to look out for him, that his interests were beyond his children and Hanzo was just a trading coin to keep the elders at ease.

He grieved the loss of his father long before he was assassinated. So, Hanzo understands, to a level, what it is like to lose a parent that is not dead.

“And you know what’s worse? I still hope that-- shit…” Cole Stops himself but can’t keep it inside anymore. “I still hope that they’ll have a good reason to have done this. I still hope that Reyes will come back and say this is some elaborate stupid plan...” He says, voice hoarse. He’s so tired, too tired to even think properly, to even cry. His eyes feel raw from all the crying.

“I know.” He lets Cole hug him close and scent his neck, trying to find solace in the touch and the proximity.

The mess hall starts to fill up and Hanzo hears people talking with each other. Somehow, he feels trapped, like the first few weeks here. He knows that everyone in the mission probably doesn't care about what happened anymore. The debriefing was done and the complaints made to Winston, and the commander will take any action if he thinks it needs to be done. Still, Hanzo feels like he may have crossed a line somewhere.

He feels like everyone knows he’s losing it. Looking, leering and searching for the cracked that is leaking his true form.

He takes a small piece of the lasagna and mostly feeds it to Ako, as his appetite hasn't come back yet. They finish everything, all tired and keeping to themselves. Not even Hana and Lúcio have the energy to play around like they used to. Hana is clearly falling over herself from lack of sleep, rebuilding her mecha as quickly as possible, and Lúcio eats fast so he can go back into monitoring Genji.

When they finish, Cole drags him to their room so they can sleep for once. He has a plate with more food for him that he insists he’d eat before going to bed.

“You didn’t eat, Hanzo. I told you before you ain’t just getting by now.” And Hanzo agrees, if just not to make Cole upset. He needs a bath, and he needs to at least lay down in bed and have a moment for himself where he just doesn’t think at all. Since it was so late, he'll visit Genji before going to bed.

In Ako’s room, they bathe her, change her into a horseshoe patterned pajamas (which wasn’t Hanzo’s first choice, but Cole made such a pleading face when they saw it online that he couldn’t not let him buy it) and decided to read for her before putting the baby to bed.

“Go on and take a bath, I can read it for her. You were on a mission.” Cole reassures him, sitting on the chair with Ako in his arms. “We can talk later.” Hanzo agrees, doing just that.

While in the bath, he lets the warm water relax his muscles, trying to take away the strain of the battle. Looking down at his torso, Hanzo realizes he has bruises forming on it, littering his skin. His eyebrows knit together as Hanzo looks at his arms and chest.

A memory floods back to his mind. Someone climbing where he was snipping from, jumping on him. The man took him by surprise and punched him on his torso and belly, making Hanzo double over. The dragons had already taken over and Soba snarled as she used Hanzo’s hands to stop the soldier, holding his fist, making an elaborated movement and pushing him down, suffocating the man until he was dead.

Hanzo sits up, eyes dancing around as he remembers. Water splashes to the floor of the bathroom.

-- Helped . Soba says, pleased, rumbling like a cat who was recently fed a whole chicken.

The memory of the whole battle comes back, and Hanzo suddenly feels his breath hitch.

Hunted. Udon says. Hanzo watches the memories in horror as his hands break a neck, an arm. He stabs the other soldier with an arrow, pushing him against the near wall. He pulls the arrow from his neck, stabbing again and again until there is nothing but a gaping hole in his flesh. When he's finished with them, Udon takes over and looks to the patio far away. To Hanzo's horror, he starts hunting the other soldiers.

Stop it. Hanzo thinks.

Blood. His hands breaking bones.

We ate. Soba purrs, content.

The smell of burning flesh.

No.

We ate so you could--

Stop it! Hanzo thinks, bringing a hand to his face. He almost opens his mouth to scream at them but stops. I didn’t ask for this! You’re not allowed to do this!

The memories seize abruptly.

The dragons are silent now. More silent than they have ever been.

He swallows down and shakily hugs himself. Hanzo feels lost, not knowing how to deal with them in this situation. If he snaps at the Dragons again it will only make them angrier. Reasoning is usually what works, but they are as stubborn as he is, and when they put something in their mind, there is nothing that can be done to stop them.

Maybe he just needs to just concentrate, meditate more and rest. Once he’s back in that mindset and Genji wakes up, it will be all back to normal. Yes, that's it! He’s just… Tired and unfocused.

As Hanzo finishes his bath and is seated on the rim of the tub, dressing himself so he could just slip into bed after, he hears Ako babbling on the other side of the door. How the hell did she get out of the-- Ah… Ninja skills…

He sighs and waits to hear Cole’s voice as he gets her, but what he hears instead is a loud snoring, coming from the other side of the room.

A heavier sigh.

“Athena, open the door.” He asks, finishing dressing himself by putting his pajama shirt on. The door opens and Ako is seated on the floor of their bedroom. She coos and stands up, walks to him, wobbly, but animated as ever. Hanzo closes his eyes hard, dreading how he will have to reach for his crutches to walk into the room then wear his boot so THEN he can put Ako to sleep. 

“Cole!” He calls, but the alpha keeps snoring. The alpha is usually so good with this.

Ako stops by him, holding his pajama pants and tries to keep herself from falling, even if for some seconds, before actually falling seated on the floor. She laughs, overjoyed, but coughing a little. Hanzo smiles at her and brings the pup in his arms. Kissing her forehead, he realizes how big, yet small she is now, resting against his chest.

She coos, babbling something impossible to understand. She’s so delicate. His baby, that he loves so much. He can’t help but overthink all the choices he made during his time pregnant. The cold nights spent on less-than-ideal shelters, times where he didn’t have money to buy vitamins and how he never could find time or money to go to the hospital to do his prenatal care.

It’s a wonder she’s healthy at all.

Ako coughs again, rough and wet, making Hanzo’s body tense with the intensity of it. He shudders and brings her close, comforting his child and hoping that this is nothing serious, that this is just a simple infection that she won’t get hurt or worse. With a thought full of dread, he realizes that he can’t stop all the harm that will come to her. There are things out of his control, things that are so outside of his reach that he could barely plan for them ahead of time.

He closes his eyes hard, trying not to think on what the infections could--

.

“Hanzo?”

Hanzo startles, turning sharply around. In a second, he realizes he’s slouched over the door frame leading to the bathroom. His legs hurt like hell. Cole is looking at him from the middle of the room, his expression is worried, he has his hands stretched as if he’s ready to catch something in mid air at any moment. 

The omega is confused for a second. He quickly looks down at Ako, who is already asleep in his arms. What? His legs buckle. With a grunt, Hanzo stumbles sideways and away from the doorframe, his legs losing all strength. 

His thought process is fast enough for Hanzo to turn his body, protecting Ako from the impact as he falls. Pain blooms on his shoulder as he hits the door, making him shout.

“Jesus fucking Christ!” Cole runs, catching Hanzo before he completely falls down. 

There is a moment of silence where Hanzo keeps his eyes firmly shut. When he opens them, he looks at his daughter.

The baby is fine, just awake and confused at the sudden movement.  

“You’re, okay?” The cowboy asks, and Hanzo nods, shaking. He looks down at his legs, realizing he’s not using his boots. Turning around, he sees that his crutches are still where he left them, close to the bathtub. There is a faint shimmer or electricity leaving his body.

“Yes.” He swallows down.

“What happened?”

“I don’t--” Hanzo sits up and immediately his legs hurt, right knee giving a sharp pain like a needle being poked inside his bone. “Shit!” 

“Goddammit, wait a second here.” The alpha hurriedly stands up, worried. He pulls Ako from Hanzo’s arms, taking the baby to her room. Hanzo watches him go and in the minutes that follow, he starts to feel the anxiety of the whole week coiling on his chest again, ready to spill out.

He almost hurt Ako. 

Desperation makes his mind reel and Hanzo’s eyes fix on the floor.

He almost hurt Ako. His baby, he almost hurt his baby. 

Memories of that time in Hanamura surface, slouched on castle walls, the twins screaming as he stumbled around, killing anyone that came close to him. Nails on flesh. Fire. Blood. So much blood. He’s so lost in his memories that Hanzo barely notices as Cole pulls him from the ground, and he groans in pain as he’s pulled into the alpha’s arms bridal style. 

He buries his face on Cole’s chest, ashamed. He’s unable to look at his mate. 

Dangerous. 

I could have hurt her, just like I did Genji.

Monster. 

Monster. 

He hisses as Cole puts him down on the bed, his knees hurting badly from the strain, muscle pulling tightly. The alpha caresses his arm, trying to calm him down. The pain subsides a little. Still, when they separate, Cole looks at him, clearly disturbed by whatever happened.

“What were you thinking, walking around without your crutches?” Cole asks, his tone sharp and angry, cutting Hanzo like a knife. The omega can’t help but snap back.

“I didn't! You know I can’t take more than five steps without those cursed things!” Hanzo snaps, pointing at the crutches. “I’m not stupid! I just--”

“I never said that.” The alpha’s tone is disappointed and Hanzo can’t help but look away, avoiding eye contact. 

“You know I would never put her in danger.” His voice is all but a whisper. He feels desperate to make the alpha understand that he isn't trying to be reckless, that he isn’t a danger to their daughter. He closes his eyes hard, taking a shuddering breath. He needs to calm down. Calm down.  

“Then what's going on? You were glowing, Sugar. Like when your dragons get out, but this time not just your arm.” Cole insists. He takes a moment to look at Hanzo. He knows he has been worried, frazzled and running around like a madman, trying to keep everything together. “What happened to telling me the important stuff?”

“I'm trying.” Hanzo looks down at his arm and realizes that the tattoo has grown again, tinting half of his hand in a grayish blue and red tint.

Oh, Gods. The thought of what could have happened to Ako shakes him to his core.

“I need to leave.” Hanzo whispers, voice trembling with fear. The realization he’s a danger even for his own daughter dawns on him.

“What?” The alpha asks, voice rising an octave, searching his face. “Now, hold your horses and explain it to me from the start.” Hanzo looks up and he can’t take it. He’s scared. Scared to tell Cole he’s losing it, that everyone was right from the start and his dragons could kill everyone in this base. In the end, he was wrong and maybe he cannot change after all. 

A monster is always a monster. right?

Hanzo hugs himself, folding over.

“I am losing control.” Hanzo swallows down, trying to clean his dry throat, forehead touching his knees. “I will hurt someone. That's all I know how to do.” He looks at Ako’s room and dread fills his body. “First Genji and then you and now--” Closing his eyes, Hanzo tries to calm himself down but can't. “ Monster. I'm a monster.” Oh, gods he could have hurt Ako, could have squished her too strong, zapped her with energy. Suddenly the image of his dream comes back to his mind, breaking her small bones, he could have killed her--

NO! Udon shouts.

WE’D NEVER HARM OUR BABY! Soba snarls at him and Hanzo pulls himself into a ball, covering his ears. It doesn’t work to shut the roar of the dragons in his head. Hanzo feels the tingling on his arms again and he starts to hyperventilate, chest squeezing tightly. He feels his body being moved, the warmth of Cole’s body against him and a hand caressing his back.

Hanzo tries to work through his panic attack, through the haze of desperation, fear and that dark, dark feeling that grips you by the chest, making the world dark around the edges. He can hear in the distance, Cole telling him to match their breathings. Hanzo tries to, following the rise and fall of his mate’s chest, the thudding of his heart.

Slowly the world starts to come back into focus, and despite the racing heart and the adrenaline on his body, Hanzo starts to calm down again. He realizes that he is gripping Cole’s torso with his arm, heads resting against the alpha’s chest, breathing hard.

“Ssshhhh, I’m here.” Cole passes his fingers through Hanzo’s hair, voice calm and leveled. “I'm here, sugar. Come back…”

Hanzo takes a deep breath and separates, feeling shame pooling on his stomach. It's been months since he has had a panic attack this severe. He lets his hair pool around his face, hiding it in shame.

“I am sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Cole brings his hand up and brushes the hair out of Hanzo’s face. He scoots closer to the omega, putting a hand on his shoulder and the other cupping Hanzo’s face, turning it up towards him. “There you are.”

Hanzo might cry.

“It is too much.” He looks at Cole, eyes full of pain. He has always been too much. Now he can't even take care of his own child without putting her in danger.

Cole just looks at him unimpressed and then pulls him close, resting Hanzo’s head against his shoulder. The omega doesn’t try to stop him but again hides his face away.

“You're never too much for me.” Cole kisses Hanzo’s forehead before sitting back. He observes the Omega's face and neck and realizes there are marks in his collarbone.

Pulling the collar of his shirt down, Cole sees the marks are part of the tattoo, it seems to have traveled and expanded more on his chest and neck. Hanzo must have realized it too, because the first thing he does is to hastily pull his body away, looking at him startled.

Cole even flinches back a little with the sudden movement and watches flabbergasted as Hanzo pulls the collar of his shirt up, covering his neck. The omega looks at him like a startled animal, ready to bolt.

“Lemme see it.” Cole says, gentle but also worried. His tone is firm. Hanzo shakes his head, but Cole is insistent. “Hanzo, let me see it.” He says one more time, more forceful.

Gingerly, the omega lowers his hands and lets the loose collar of his shirt ride down. Cole scoots over and touches Hanzo’s face, moving it around, humming in curiosity. The marks are blue, not really like the tattoo at all, but like Hanzo’s whole skin is becoming blue with red details all over.

Hanzo opens and closes his mouth, scared. But then again, he promised that he wouldn't hide anything away from Cole. It was his plan to tell him, wasn't it? So, he swallows his fears down, looking at the gray cold walls as Cole’s fingertips touch his neck.

“I-I lost time.” Hanzo admits, heart still hammering on his chest. “On the mission today.” Cole releases him, and the omega looks back, searching his face. “I was there, shooting the enemies. And then, it was over. I believe the dragons… They took over.”

Hanzo waits for Cole to understand what he means by it. And when his face shifts in understanding, Hanzo expects it to be followed by anger, fear and disgust. To see the man get scared for their daughter and demand him to leave. But what he sees is worry.

“Took over?” Cole asks and Hanzo nods. “You sure you didn’t just pass out after calling ‘em? I know you're not eating properly.” Cole looks at him pointedly, lips pressed in a thin line.

Hanzo shakes his head.

“The memory came back as I bathed.”

Silence.

“It is like when you and Genji…?”

“Yes.” Hanzo says, quickly, not wanting to hear the rest of the phrase. “But this is different. In the past they asked for permission. I'm not allowing them to come to this world through my body.” Hanzo closes his hands into a fist, breathing hard. “They are doing it on their own accord. I did not ask for this!”

“Well, shit.” Cole says, putting a hand on Hanzo’s knee and caressing it with his thumb. Hanzo is expecting to be reprimanded, to have Cole agree that he should leave to make everyone safe, to isolate and center himself before coming back. Control himself. He doesn't expect Cole to look up from his state of deep thinking and ask: “What can I do to help?”

Hanzo double takes and blinks, stunned. Is this his only reaction? Too ask what he can do? No lectures about his slipping control? About being dangerous?

“Are you not worried?” Hanzo looks at him, confused.

“Of course I'm worried about you.” Cole shakes his head, saying it as if it's obvious. “Sugar, I've been worried about you ever since Genji went into a coma.”

Oh. Hanzo thinks, feeling his whole frame shake. Now, that's a different sentiment he'll have to learn how to deal with: being loved by someone so completely that the first worry is his well being not how much of a burden he is.

“No. I meant about everyone else. That I will hurt them.”

“What? No!” Cole sits straighter. “Why would I be worried about that?”

“The last time something like this happened I killed everyone in the castle.” Hanzo insists. “I did not enjoy killing them, but the twins…”

“I know, they loved it.” Cole says, knowing well what it’s like to have a supernatural something inside himself that craved death.

Hanzo closes his eyes, wanting to forget the memory of the Dragon's satisfaction. Their smile that stretched on his lips, almost tender, looking at the servant being killed.

Cole looks at him and holds Hanzo's hand.

“As far as I am aware,” He starts. “Everyone in that God forsaken castle had it comin’. Those people abused you and Genji.”

“Not everyone did.”

“Well, if they didn’t, they stood by and watched you and Genji being beaten to shit.” Cole fixes the hat on his head. It’s the truth. Anyone that had stomach enough to stay, averted their eyes so they wouldn’t see it. “You have friends here and haven't hurt them until now. And if anything, I'm scared you're going to hurt yourself even more.” Hanzo looks at the cowboy, questioning and Cole shakes his head. “You didn’t realize you’re doing it again, did you?”

“Again?”

“You’re not eating properly, you barely sleep. Did you even cry this week?” Cole looks at him, already knowing the answer. “This is hurtin’ yourself too, Sugar.”

“I'm not--” But then Hanzo stops. He realizes that it's almost like when he had his mental breakdown, worried that he wasn’t enough to stay. Cole is right. “I do not know what to do, I feel lost.” He admits.

“Maybe we should speak to Angie?” Cole suggests, but Hanzo shakes his head.

“Everyone has enough on their plates without me and my dragons throwing tantrums.” He grimaces, remembering how angry Torbjörn was and how he snapped at Reinhardt without reason.

“This ain't a tantrum.” Cole folds his arm. “This is serious, Hanzo. It could hurt you.”

“It only happened twice.” Hanzo hugs himself, hands coming to his own arms to self soothe. “It could get better once…” Once Genji wakes up, once everyone starts getting along again, once Ako gets better, once Jack comes back and the smell of angry alpha leaves Cole’s whole being and Hanzo doesn’t feel like a million pieces of broken wood.

“What if it doesn't?”

It takes a moment for Hanzo to answer. “I do not know.”

Silence falls over them and Cole pulls Hanzo close, touching their foreheads.

“Don’t worry...” The alpha nods, reassuring. But his tone is shaky. “We’ll figure it out.” He caresses Hanzo’s head once more before standing up from the bed.

Hanzo is not so sure about it. He watches as Cole walks around the room, searching for something in their drawers, until he comes back with a balm for sore muscles in his hand.

The alpha sits down on the bed and holds Hanzo’s thigh, hands careful. “Where does it hurt?” he looks up at him, determined.

Hanzo opens his mouth to say he doesn’t need to, that he doesn’t want to burden Cole with this one more thing on top of everything else, but the cowboy stops him, as if he knows what he’s going to say.

“I can’t fix this whole thing with the dragons, but I can at least do this.” Cole sighs. “Please.” And the cowboy looks at him with such a pleading look, that Hanzo just sits back and shows where is hurting.

“The knee joint too. But there is nothing to do about the pain there.” He says, knowing that the hard pain will take time to go away and he’ll need some strong painkillers to dull it.

Cole hums, pulling Hanzo’s leg on his lap and massaging the muscles, they feel tight with him using the boots every day. but the pain of the dragons walking makes him remember the past. The kneading helps, but Hanzo’s mind is still in turmoil.

“How do the dragons even do this?” Cole asks, confused. He hesitates for a moment before proceeding. “I didn’t think you could walk without the crutches.”

“I do not know.” He looks up at Cole and then away. “During our battle, Genji and I used the dragons at the same time. Ichigo damaged my legs and Soba and Udon…” Hanzo blinks the memory away and looks to the side, wanting to forget. “I told you what happened after, and they still managed to make me walk in the inferno they created, even with the pain.”

Hanzo remembers it every time he pulls the compression sock over his shins, when his knee hurts, and muscles go tight, when he sees the Lichtenberg figures running up and down Genji’s body and face.

Cole's thumb presses against Hanzo’s thigh, making the omega grunt, flinching a little with the pressure.

“Am I hurting you?” Seeing Hanzo’s reaction, Cole pulls his hands away quickly.

“No. It’s just overwhelming. Last time I felt pain like this was when I was in the hospital, recovering from the fire. The weeks after, when I ran away, the pain stayed even with the painkillers I stole.” The omega shakes his head, not really wanting to remember the past. The weeks walking around aimlessly on the streets of Japan with a stole wheelchair and a pain that wouldn’t let him even sleep. “I fear it is because they used my body that it hurts so much.”

“They don’t know when to stop.” Coles supplies, kneading Hanzo's thighs. The omega hums in relief, biting his lip when Cole hits a particularly tense muscle. Once he finishes, he moves up the bed and pulls Hanzo with him, resting his head on his chest. The cowboy snakes his arms around Hanzo’s frame, trapping the other.

“You're holding too tight, you infuriating cowboy.” Hanzo says, voice strained by the firm hold, but the alpha only pulls him close, stuffing his face on Hanzo’s chest. The omega takes Cole's hat and throws the hat away, expecting Cole to react, but that only made the alpha look up at him.

“I know damn well you can free yourself from this.” Cole mumbles and Hanzo, even tired, pulls the other in his arms and turns their bodies, standing his alpha under him. The alpha makes a ‘oof’ sound, winded by the sudden movement. As soon as he recuperates, he looks at Hanzo with so much love and care that the omega can't deal with it.

“See?” Cole says, smiling easily, but his expression changes after it, to one of worry. Bringing a hand up, he touches Hanzo’s face. “Don't go on the next mission.”

“I cannot refuse.” Hanzo sighs and slips into bed, right beside Cole. “There aren't enough agents for full missions.”

“Let Winston figure it out. We did missions with two and three people before. He doesn't need you to be there all the time.” Cole props his head down his hand, looking at him with worry, “You've been away the whole week, mission after mission. I don't know how you're handling it.”

“I am managing.” Hanzo says.

“‘Till you can't manage anymore. I know how you work, Sugar, and it pains me to see you like this.” He says and Hanzo nods, biting his lip. His scent sours as he realizes Cole has seen under his facade. “Hey.” The alpha calls, caressing Hanzo's face. “I mean it when I say I am not worried about you hurtin’ us. I don't know if you noticed, but Deadeye also acts up.”

“Your eye tearing up is different from this.” 

“Yeah, sure, but that's only a part of it. Sometimes when I'm angry it ‘activates’ on its own.” He makes air quotes. “I'm sure you've seen the red glow.” Hanzo nods, remembering the times he has seen it. Their colleagues also commented on how weird it was. Every time Dead eye activated, people felt that small feeling in their gut, the one when you’re at home alone and suddenly you feel like there is something that shouldn’t be there. And it’s looking at you.

“If my trigger finger was looser, like before, I bet even Jack would've been shot by now.” The omega remembers that the first week he was here, when he was in prison cell, he saw Cole’s eye glowing at Jack for a second.

“You have never lost control.” Hanzo frowns and the other hums, looking up at the ceiling.

“Ain’t that worse?” The alpha asks. “Everybody I killed was ‘cause I wanted to.” He smiles at Hanzo, and Hanzo doesn’t quite understand what it is that he’s feeling. He swallows down, nervous.

“We are both dangerous, then.”

“We’re a menace to society.” Cole chuckles and Hanzo shakes his head.

“How can you joke about this? I could end up --” His chest squeezing tight under his ribs, but Cole stops him with a kiss to his forehead.

“I joke ‘cause I know you need to smile and laugh.” Cole cradles his face and looks into his eyes.

Hanzo wonders how the Cowboy can make things like this so easy and effortless. Acceptance of a bad situation as if it was nothing, as if there is a way out and not the suffocating reality surrounding them. Acceptance of him, as he is, problems and all. Before, he would keep all this inside and end up exploding in a river of emotions. People usually couldn't understand his reasoning, his ways of thinking. Not even Genji, as much as he tried to. But Cole, despite everything Hanzo is, tries and manages to understand him.

It makes Hanzo’s throat close with emotion.

“Can you help me?” the omega asks, voice low and hoarse from emotion.

“Sure can.” Cole gives him a sad smile. “And we should begin with you stopping callin’ yourself a monster.” He speaks. “I thought we've been through that one before.”

Hanzo nods, closing his eyes. “It’s difficult not to go back to those thoughts when I'm… me.”

“Well, I don’t give a damn if you have Satan himself inside you, You ain’t no monster.” Cole says with intent. “I’ve seen monsters, Hanzo. I’ve seen them my whole miserable life. I’d know.”

Hanzo's chin wobbles and he brings Cole close. He hides his face under the cowboy’s chin, holding the alpha by his soft shirt. He shudders, thinking he may cry, but he’s unable to.

Ako starts crying again and Cole stands up, going to her, bringing her inside their room once he realizes his daughter is hungry. Once the baby is in Hanzo’s arms, Cole sits on the bed, back on the headboard and pulls his mate close and in between his own legs, enveloping him and Ako in a hug.

As he caresses his omega’s belly and enjoys being snuggled with them, Cole releases a tired sigh. Once Ako finishes, Hanzo eats the forgotten lasagna left on the bedside table by Cole. The alpha watches his mate eat, relieved that at least these small things he can fix.

It seems like everything is happening all at once, a bad thing after another bad thing, piling up one on top of another.

There are small victories, like Zenyatta being slowly rebuilt and Hana’s leg healing fast. Genji is slowly recuperating and according to Mercy he’ll be awake soon. They are closer and closer to finding where Jack is being kept. With luck, the stubborn omega had already run away from whenever Talon and Gabriel were keeping him.

Gabriel... Those traffic images flash on his mind. Reaper holding Jack firmly against him. No military grade car or other Talon members or soldiers escorting them and the way they are moving, hidden away in between the Canadian wilderness.

He tries not to think about it, not to linger.

But Cole can’t help but have hope.

--

The trip to the last safe house is hell.

Not only because the cold winds sneak under their clothes or the fact both Gabriel and Jack feel hungry and weak. But Jack’s heat is still lingering, stubbornly holding onto him as they walk in inches and inches of snow. It’s almost like the years of weak heats came back to bite Jack in the ass, making his life as miserable as possible in the worst moment possible.

His feet hurt, blistering as the miles and miles pass.

And Gabriel is not any better. He stumbles, steps becoming sloppy and more than once he has to stop against a three to catch his breath. He can feel the fever taking over his body, the weakness in his knees.

Now, as they make way in the forest, sweat beads against Gabriel's face, dripping down his flushed cheeks. He feels, more than sees, Jack pulling his arm around his neck, sustaining the alpha’s weight, trying as hard as he can to reach their destination.

This morning, Gabriel had woken up in the middle of the snow, sucking in a startled breath, suddenly coming back into himself. The sensations around him felt disorienting, the word spinning in its axes. The wind was too cold, the snow around him was bright and painful on his eyes. The mask, constricting.

He hadn’t even realized he had put the mask back on.

And Jack, dear Jack, cupped his face whispering a hushed. “Here, I’m here.” Hands hastily going to his face and neck, feeling the alpha’s pulse. Gabriel hadn’t even realized that the omega had run from the dilapidated house they slept at night with nothing but the trench coat and pants, torso naked with the boots hastily put on, not properly tied.

“Hey, hey. Look at me.” He urged, and Gabriel grunted, pulling the cursed mask from his face and throwing it away. He watched as it sank in the snow, blending away with the scenery. A sudden fear overtook him then, making the alpha’s heartbeat fast. When did this happen? 

What the hell has Moira done to him?

He had asked why Jack was naked in the middle of the snow, more confused than angry.

“I’m following you!” He answered, angry. “I woke up and you were gone. Again.” He was hurt, needy.

Gabriel knows the omega feels like that for the lack of everything around him. No nest, no comfort items, barely an alpha bedside him to do the bare minimum that is sexual gratification.

“Tell me what they did to you.” Jack asked, expression open and pleading.

“I don’t know.” Gabriel answered, because it’s the truth. He knows what happened to Widowmaker, what kinds of procedures she has gone and goes through, but this is not it. So, he doesn’t have a real answer for that question, or at least not one that would satisfy either of them.

“Let's go back. You’re burning up.” Jack pulled Gabriel by his arm, making him hiss, closing his eyes with the pain radiating from his shoulder.

On the walk back to the cabin Gabriel kept quiet and Jack also didn't ask. He expected the omega to demand an answer when they finally got back inside the house. But Jack didn't. Not when they got dressed, boiled snow to drink or when they shared scent, seeking comfort and release from the tension a heat always brought.

Before going back into the wild, however, Jack stops him. “You need rest.” He echoes what Gabriel himself said two days ago.

“We can’t stay.” The alpha blinks away the dizziness from his eyes and squares his shoulders, feeling his whole left side burn.

“Gabe. How long have you been there in the snow?”

Gabriel couldn't tell.

They spend the whole day walking in the forest, in between pathways and weird trails that Jack could barely see or understand. It made him wonder how much time Gabriel spent there. Has he memorized all the nooks and crannies of these woods, every tree that has fallen and abandoned house?

A rustle calls Jack's attention.

He stops, looking back.

Very far away, he can hear, in the middle of the snow, someone moving. There is the revving of hover vehicles, so low that no one would be able to hear it if the woods weren’t so silent, allowing the sounds to sneak in between the trees.

But there is something else. Someone closer. Jack uses a trembling hand to stop Gabriel. His fingers are cold against his mate's heated wrist. The alpha looks at him, confused, hood pulled over his head.

“Do you hear it?” He asks, eyes darting around. Gabriel's mouth turns down, listening to the vehicles coming closer.

He grabs Jack's hands and starts running. He walks in between the denser threes, gloved hands etching a small scratch on the three as he passes. In an instant, they are somewhere else, under where they walked by just now, sneaking beneath a rock formation.

“How...?” Jack looks around, confused. Gabriel pulls him back. The hover vehicles pass above them in a rush, making a deafening noise. The omega puts a hand over his mouth, scared they’ll hear him. Gabriel holds him close, bringing Jack’s head on his scent gland to calm the omega down.

When the noise ends and the smell of the ethanol dissipates, Jack finally relaxes and separates from Gabriel, resting his back against the cold earth. Looking ahead, he finds himself surprised with what he sees.

They have walked farther than he thought and now stand on elevated ground. Here, he can finally see everything. The trees extend themselves for a long expansion of land. It’s almost endless. The talon building stands imposing in the background, broken houses litter the forest, small and with the native vegetation growing around and over them. Jack can almost see the city that once was, the planning for where streets would have run. But it’s all too damaged with decay now.

“What is that?” Jack asks, eyeing the small building far away. He takes two steps forward, to look better at it. It's smaller than the Talon base, but somehow the structure seems familiar to him.

“Deactivated Ecopoint.” He answers. The omega turns to him, confused.

“It can't be one. We didn't have that in Canada.” Jack says and Gabriel opens an unhappy smile at him.

“There is a lot you don't know.” He breathes out, brushing the sweat off his skin. Jack purses his lips and looks back at the building. He squints, trying to see better. Even with the glasses the damage done to his eyes is far too bad, but he can see that it’s not finished, just the bare bones of the building.

He feels a rush of anger take over him. What else doesn’t he know? His scent sours, acrid and unpleasant. Jack wants to throw a rock, maybe find a way to destroy the building, maybe a way to go back in time and run away with Gabriel when they had the time.

Gabriel’s hand sneaks on his waist, turning him away from the building.

“Let’s go.” The alpha says close to Jack’s neck, making him have a full body shiver. He slicks, moaning low.

“You're doing it on purpose.” He says, turning back and hears a chuckle.

“I don't know what you're talking about.” Gabriel says, before starting the walk again.

They travel in silence, the trees becoming a blur around them. The trip is long, and it does affect Jack, but not enough for him to become a sweaty mess from the day before. At times, he would hear something in the distance. A hovercycle, running, a warning shot.

When they stop and sit down to rest, Jack sees the big Talon ship in the distance. It hovers over the base, touching down on the floor nearby it. It's not close enough to be an issue, but it's big enough to mean trouble.

He wants to ask why Talon has a base close to an ecopoint, but they don't have time. He turns, fanning himself with his hands. He's feeling too hot now, face flushed with blood running to his cheeks. The goddamn end of heat is making him have hot flashes.

He goes back to Gabriel.

“How long until we get there?” He asks, stopping beside the alpha.

“Another hour at least.” Gabriel sighs and looks around, searching for landmarks he would recognize. They have been walking for the entire day and still have more to go. When he finishes it, he looks back at Jack with a slightly smug smirk. “Can you handle it?”

“Of course I can, you asshole.” Jack scoffs, slightly pushing Gabriel, making him rock in place.

The alpha chuckles and when they stop both share a look. A ‘romantic moment’, someone sappy like Reinhardt would say. One where their eyes meet and Jack takes a step closer, hands gently resting against Gabriel’s jaw. Jack kisses him gently, brushing a thumb on his face.

“Can you handle the rest of the journey?” Jack asks, honestly worried about the alpha.

“Sure.” He smiles at Jack, easily and open but his eyes are dazed. The omega frowns and watches as Gabriel’s eyes roll back a little, before the alpha closes his eyes and leans on him. And that is what raises all the alarms on Jack's head. He pushes the hood away from Gabriel’s face and opens the coat and his shirt.

The wound is infected.

And not just infected, but badly so. The skin is shiny, and puffy, the area around it is red and discolored. A pocket of yellow pus has formed. Jack pulls Gabriel's face up, touching their cheeks together, feeling how hot the skin of his mate actually is.

“When did this happen?”

Gabriel doesn’t respond.

Fuck. Fuck! Fuck!

“Gabriel, why didn’t you tell me?”

But Gabriel looks at him with a mixture of feelings and emotions Jack cannot decipher. The alpha hugs him closer, hands roaming his back, head resting against his chest. It feels like he is hugging Jack as if he’ll never see him again in the future. As if he’s a mirage, ready to disappear in his hands.

But Jack stays this time, tangible in his arms. He shifts and his arm spasms with pain. He’s been forcing it on the trip.

He’s dying here, isn’t he? Gabriel can’t help but think. Suddenly he feels dizzy, images foggy in his mind.

Jack pulls his body straighter, a sense of desperation filling his chest like water. He won’t let it happen! He refuses to! “Come on, Gabe, we need to go.” He pulls the alpha’s arm around his neck and starts walking. “Tell me where to go.” Gabriel does as Jack asks and gives him the directions and soon the two are walking again.

Gabriel feels himself getting slower, weaker. Is this how he’s going to die? In the middle of the storm just after reconciling with Jack? Is fate that cruel?

For a moment he wonders how he had become so bad so suddenly? He’s sure that if Ana was here she would say something about infections being dangerous. Sepsis is a sneaky little thing that likes to surprise people, she would have said.

Ah, he misses Ana. And little Fareeha and his son. He misses his son so badly. 

He closes his eyes, just for a moment, then feels himself being shaken awake.

“Don't do that, Gabe! Talk to me.” Jack’s voice is desperate.

“I'm not going to die. Tried to… Can’t.” Gabriel mumbles, voice is low and hard to hear. “We hav... Biotics on the house...”

“Keep talking anyway!” Jack insists. The house, he has to trust that Gabriel is right and the last safe house is still standing and that they haven't been ransacked there too.  

“I don’t have much to say.” He lies. Ahead of him, through his foggy vision, Gabriel sees far away, like a dot in the middle of the snow, The last safe house. The place is wrecked to shit, walls run down, ceiling caved in. Barely a place to even take shelter on. But it is what's under the house that matters.

Maybe they can pull through this.

“Is the Shimada boy treating Cole well?” Gabriel asks, trying to stay awake, focusing on something he’s eager to learn about.

“He is.” Jack breathes out, a smile opening on his face for a second. “The kid is an asshole and very traumatized. There isn't a week that we don't go by without finding something fucked up his father or family did to him and Genji. We butt heads often. He’s always hiding things and worrying people.” The omega huffs. “But to Cole? He's an angel. And you need to see the adoration he has for his daughter..."

“Yeah?” Gabriel asks and Jack nods.

“Yeah.” Jack presses his lips on a thin line, thinking on what Hanzo said, all those months he kept this secret about Gabriel.

“And the baby? Ako. Is Cole good with her?”

“I don’t know how she doesn’t call him mom.” Jack jokes and Gabriel laughs weakly. They stop for a second, the omega blinking away tears.

“I wanted to... Jesus, I want you to come back home. To see Cole again, meet Hanzo and Ako. You'd really like them."

“I doubt Shimada would agree with you.”

“He reminds me of you, actually.” Jack says and Gabriel snorts a laugh. He hopes to God that that is not the truth. A booming sound echoes behind them and Jack snaps his head, turning to it. They can see the black and purple ship lifting off the ground of the Talon base.

Shit. Jack firms his grip on Gabriel and starts walking as fast as he can. It isn’t long until they get to the place. The omega makes a face at it, sending a questioning look at Gabriel.

“Here?” He asks, confused. “We can’t even use it as shelter!” But Gabriel only points to the entrance to a basement. They enter easily, walking down the stairs with difficulty until they get to an honest to God bunker.

The place is stuffy, with stagnant air and is not in the best of conditions. The room is dusty and moldy, with run down bunk beds. There are small boxes stashed on the far wall, passing the bathroom. They check the batteries attached to the solar panels, both have degenerated with time and when Gabriel turns on the energy, it has barely enough to keep the lights on.

Gabriel grumbles something, but Jack ignores him in favor of finding what they need.

“Where are the med kits?” Jack asks and Gabriel points him towards a stash of boxes. Jack limps toward it and finds three kits inside an old cooler, most of them already passed the expiration date, meaning the biotics are half the strength now, but is enough. On the box behind it, he finds other things: six bottles of water, scattered kits of mini hygiene products, some MREs. They are old too, but not too much like the peas and dehydrated meat and vegetables.

When he comes back, Gabriel is seated on the bed, head resting on the palms of his hands, shaking. Jack rushes towards him, leaving half of the provision to fall from his hands. He feels the sting of the injury on his hip as he lays the alpha down. His leg almost gives in in the end. He gingerly puts the med kits down, opening it and realizing it's well stocked. Three cans of biotics, gauze, absorbent dressing, antibacterial balm. Not everything he needs, but enough.

“The documents…” The alpha mumbles, pointing at a wall on the other side of the bunker.

“Nevermind that.” Pulling Gabriel’s clothes open, Jack watches and the alpha writhe in pain.

“Fuck!” Gabriel pulls away, but Jack pushes forward. First thing he does is to clean up the pus. Using the gauze, Jack drains the injury as best as he can, feeling weak on the knees. Not because of the hunger he’s feeling, or weakness of his lingering heat or even for having to do the cleaning (he has patched wounds worse than those all the time in the years in the field after all). The shaking on his hands, the ways he fumbles opening the peroxide and how he finds it difficult to get the damn packages of dressing to open are just because Gabriel starts to go quiet.

His breath is shallow, eyes lost in the ceiling. 

“Keep talking, Gabe.” But Gabriel doesn’t talk. Desperate, Jack pulls the cap of the biotics, realizing these are injectable and not the biotic fields he’s used to work with. He injects Gabriel carefully, close to the wound like they learned to do in the academy during their training.

“You’ll need more...” Gabriel mumbles, eyes closed. Jack turns and does as he says, opening another and administering one more biotic injection. There is a small whisper of worry in the back of his mind, telling him it’s too much, too fast, he’ll die, but he ignores it.

Jack watches with bated breath as Gabriel takes in a weak breath and finally relaxes. The omega himself feels his body doing the same, the faint dull pain that ran though his body now finally fading to the back of his mind.

For a minute, Jack sits on the cold floor and watches Gabriel as the biotics work and the redness and swelling of the wound goes down.

He reaches for the bottle of water fallen nearby and pops it open. He brings it to Gabriel’s lips. “Here.” Jack cups the back of the alpha’s head and lifts it, making the man drink it in small sips, trying to avoid him from choking on the water.

When he’s finished, Jack stands up, to get the MRE’s. But as soon as he takes a step, he suddenly falls, feeling his legs falter.

“ Carinõ...” Gabriel mumbles.

“I’m fine.” Jack reassures, but rests himself against the bunk bed, vision blurring. The adrenaline of the fear he felt before finally has left his body, making it heavy, difficult to walk. His feet are probably bleeding by now. A weak wave of heat passes him, uncomfortable more than anything. Gabriel reacts to that, making a small noise, nose twitching. “I’m fine…” he says. 

He’s always fine, isn’t he? Surviving his backwards town, the military, the SEP, after all that Overwatch and the ten years in search for his mate. He has always been fine. He endured. So, he will endure now.

Jack swallows down and breathes evenly, gathering himself. With all the strength he has left, he stands up and takes the two MRE from the ground, sitting back on the bed Gabriel is sleeping and opening one up. Jack is surprised when he sees the inside of it. Box of matches, a small metal stand, alcohol and charcoal to create a fire, a package with the food to be heated and some energy powders to be mixed with water. Better than he expected.

Who could tell, Talon takes care of their soldiers, after all. 

What a joke.

He doesn’t make a fire, at least not yet. The fact is, the place they are now has small vents, no windows, no chimney. The room is insulated enough that it’s not too cold. He opens the MRE and mixes the energy powder with the rest of the water, eating and drinking it all cold, making a face at the thing.

The only sound in the room is from Jack chewing the meat and grains. It feels like a feast after the week he had. When he has finished half of it, Jack starts to feel better, feeling the energy lost in the last days getting restored to his body. He looks at the med kit and uses half of the third biotic injection on his arm. He wonders if he should use more, like Gabe, but in the end he doesn’t. He’s scared Gabriel may need the last of it later.

With a tired sigh, Jack spends the next minutes just looking at his mate. His face is flushed, breath shallow. His scars seem to pop against the weak light of the room, sweat shining. He tries not to think of what they were supposed to do next. Of how they are supposed to survive this nightmare scenario.

Jack stands up and moves towards the wall Gabriel pointed earlier. He searches, patting around the furniture, then the hollow insulated walls. He finds the loose panel easily. Inside the hole, he finds a stack of documents, smelling that distinct scent of dust and old paper. When Jack opens them, he finds that they have stains from time, oil from fingertips, water droplets. The papers are torn in the edges, from being folded and unfolded several times during the years and years of being here.

And yet, Jack can still see the overmatch watermark on the envelope. These documents are stashed, a torn holographic seal with “for your eyes only” written on it. The official stamps showing the path made in their mailing route.

His hands shake. Jack feels dizzy looking at these memories of the past, when he used to open and send several of those daily. He looks at the ink used, the way it’s formatted, the stamp design.

It could be a forgery. A really, REALLY good forgery.

He closes his eyes hard, putting the documents on the old desk. What wretched things may have been written there?

Could he read these by himself?

The lights flicker, dimming in and out. A cold harsh wind sweeps outside, whistling.

With resignation, Jack sits back, takes a calming breath and opens the files.

Reading the documents is tiresome. He doesn’t know how much time passes after he starts it. They are not just correspondence, but also official reports of experiments.

The papers extend for a long time, the dates are scattered, sometimes months, years between one letter and the other. One from the tail end of the Omnic crisis, some from the start of Overwatch, when he and Gabriel had to be hospitalized often. Three pages describe small experiments, things they were aware that the military and the medical team in overwatch would do: experimenting with new biotics, compounds and tech. Things that would improve their chances on the field. Make the missions easier.

All the medical jargon, aliases, the detailed explanations of the results make it hard to absorb everything. But Jack presses on.

Then, something starts to change after the crisis officially ends. Reports about their performance failing to pass tests they didn’t even know they were supposed to pass. Gabriel’s body took too long to heal, Jack’s speed started to diminish. Their peak is already gone by the time peace starts to settle.

It makes whoever was in charge scramble around, desperate to prove the SEP program was a long-term success. That they were the perfect military weaponry. But that wasn’t the case. Jack and Gabriel were getting old, their joints too hurt, aim faltering. And worse: They started to question things.

They were still too human.

And that makes whoever was ordering all of it start to push. 

Jack reads, horrified, as the documents describe how Gabriel’s change was gradual. Enhancements here and there that made him more. More strong, The experiments to keep him going are more reckless, treating him like he wasn’t even human at times. 

Jack was experimented on too. But he became something else very quick.

The people in charge realized that maybe it was futile to keep them alive. Too much money thrown at two subjects that weren’t guaranteed to be loyal to them. After all, at the end of the day, everyone knew Jack and Gabriel would choose each other every time.

So, they start to change their goals. Not to maintain but to reproduce the same results of the SEP, this time on a large scale. They did it once, they could do it again. It’s like Gabriel said. They urged the head scientist to find a way to prove they could do it, secure the funds needed to keep everything going. To keep Overwatch going, its funding depends on it.

Several letters are sent describing the SEP serum is still too volatile for humans and they can’t afford to experiment on soldiers again so soon. Not with the amount of surveillance they had now. If someone found out it would be the doctors head, their reputation. They were on thin ice already with what they did to Gabriel. 

But they keep pushing it. And the head scientist keeps refusing, even if the enhancements on them keeps going.

And then, the name signing on the bottom of the letters change. Not to an alias, like the person before, but a full name. Moira O'Deorain. Written almost as if she was proud of it, unafraid of what would happen.

A new proposition comes: They can’t use soldiers. They can’t use human subjects. Nothing said they couldn't try to make their own from scratch. Reproducing the enhanced soldiers from birth.

The documents that come next are different. Detailed.

He recognizes all of it. These are his medical records, there is no mistake. Could they have been faked? No, not they are too accurate, describing things only the doctors knew, that Jack kept hidden even from Gabriel. He knows, reading this now, that the suppressants didn’t fail because of the serum, but because they were sugar pills. That every time he fell pregnant in the start wasn’t because they were lucky. Or later, when they tried to avoid it, they weren’t reckless or stupid.

It was all very deliberate.

Superovulation. Harvesting. Implantation. Then, observation and tests for the next weeks of pain and bleeding and sickness. Serums and concoctions shot on his bloodstream. Lose everything. Start again.

Done time and time again, without his consent, during heats when he was alone at the base, sedated and transferred somewhere. Because apparently, he’s the only one who could withstand how anything created with their genetic material did to a pregnant body.

He saw names there, from people that he thought were his friends, people that would help, that saw him getting hurt. These people that he trusted were the same that made sure he was sedated, that his genetic material arrived in good condition, that he was kept under anesthetics for long enough. People that furthered the studies, that made things possible, unknowingly or not.

The lights go out before he can finish reading all of it, but he has seen enough to be convinced Gabriel is telling the truth.

He stays silent for a long time in the dark.

Suddenly, it all feels like too much. His breath quickens and before Jack knows it, he’s hastily limping to the mental door. The clunky sound of the rusty metal turning makes him flinch at how loud it is. The wind that hits his face is cold, making his skin prickle with how badly prepared for the weather he is. 

His feet slip on the frozen steps leading out of the basement, making Jack fall, hitting his arm in the process. He screams, hissing at the impact. He kneels down and stays like that, feeling the snowflakes fall on his face, melting and running down his skin. He folds into a ball, hands coming to his face. 

He screams, from deep inside his chest. Because nothing else makes sense.

Everything he thought he knew is a lie.

All of this, the fight for the “good guys”, the idea that they were doing the right thing? All smoke and mirrors. He thought that Overwatch had a problem with some few bad apples, but apparently the tree came poisoned from the roots, the soil tainted from the start.

He was just a puppet. A weapon, to be copied and used as an incubator. An actual term used to describe him. “Subject 76”. Perfect in every way for it, they said. Obedient, head full enough of propaganda to keep him blind, submissive in ways he couldn’t realize.

What else did they do? How much more harm was done for the sake of what? Fighting omnics? Keeping power into someone’s hands? Why?

He doesn’t know how much time he spends there, just lying on the cold steps, crying like the stupid naive omega he is. Someone calls his name. The voice is rough and weak, but Jack doesn’t look up. 

A hand comes to his shoulder and Jack lets himself be guided. He feels Gabriel tuck him under his chin. The sobs make his stomach hurt. His chest feels thigh.

Why? Why him?

“I don’t know.” Gabriel answers, weakly. “I don’t know.”

Jack pulls Gabriel close, hands holding to his shirt with all of the force he has.

“It’s going to be okay.” The reassurance sounds hollow, in a way Jack knows is just to make him feel better.

Gabriel closes his eyes hard, grieving. He wanted Jack to know the whole thing, he did. See the bigger picture, understand why Gabriel is how he is today, why the alpha expects everyone to turn on him, to hurt, to make him bleed. How he transformed into someone that trusts no one.

He just forgot, a long time ago, in between the anger and the want for revenge, that it would hurt his mate worse than anything else would. The betrayal, the deception, the way those people talked about them. How they treated him as if he was a thing. The life robbed from them.

“ You're shaking. ” He touches his lips on Jack's forehead. The white hair feels oily against the corner of his mouth. 

“Hold me, please...” Jack says in between sobs, voice sounding small. So, Gabriel does. He doesn’t know for how long.

They go back inside huddled together and lay on the bed. The winds and the sound of distant revving engines fill the night, making it impossible for them to relax. Jack hugs himself and buries his face on the mattress, shuddering.

Gabriel caresses the side on Jack’s face, making the omega look back at him. The sob that leaves the omega’s throat is heartbreaking, and the alpha can’t help but kiss his tear-stained cheeks, his lips and jaw. Jack pulls him into a bone crushing hug, hiding his face on Gabriel’s shoulder in shame.

Shame for not seeing it sooner, the play, the theater that was his life with both him and Gabriel mere puppets. There was never a choice, never a way out. Shame because he let himself be a victim, that he let people manipulate him.

Of course, if Gabriel knew what he was thinking, he would say how much bullshit it was to blame themselves over it. In the end, they didn’t have any voice in the matter. 

Still, guilt will always consume them. 

So the alpha ignores the pain, the feverish shivers running on his skin and caresses Jack’s hair, trying to give consolation for something he knows, now, he can’t fix alone.

--

Hanzo is startled from his meditation by the sound of the orca roaring above the base.

Okay, not really. Hanzo was awakened by the sound of the orca. Since the harsher days of winter started to get colder and colder, it became almost impossible to stay outside, so he tried to meditate in the gym (as it was often empty this week). Hanzo tried as best as he could, to clean his mind and concentrate, needing to speak with the dragons and see if he could communicate with them.

But he couldn't get anything. 

Not the murmurs and laments of Soba, not Udon’s nasty remarks. He couldn't concentrate properly. His knees hurt on his support boots, he’s tired and too stressed to make a connection. 

And worse yet, he knows on a fundamental level that they are there, stubborn and quiet. Not answering him simply because they didn’t think they needed to attend any of his demands. And Hanzo has asked and tried again and again to reach their souls, talk as he did when he was a child.

But since last night with Cole, it's only silence he hears. No whispers, no loose words. If it wasn't for the fact he can feel them in his heart and soul, he would say that they have left him entirely.

Oh, how ironic would that be, wouldn't it? The first Shimada to have powerful twin dragons only to have them leave him.

So, in the middle of the meditation, Hanzo fell asleep. Too tired from the latest mission, from last night’s injury, Cole’s trashing in his sleep and Ako whining the whole night, unable to sleep properly with her cough. Cole helped, as he also woke up after a nightmare, but Hanzo still was unable to sleep. 

He felt his eyes slowly drift shut until the noise of the Orca woke him up, making Hanzo realize he was resting against the wall of the gym and not on the mat as he was previously seated on.

With a shaky breath, he calms his beating heart and limps carefully to the windows. He can see the orca slowly descending into the base and docking. It can’t be another team coming back from a mission, can it? Or are they to leave so soon again?

Hanzo pulls his comm and waits, frustrated, as the irritating thing takes ages to boot up and open the mission list. The damned thing has been malfunctioning since Jack went missing and, apparently, in between saving the world by stopping invasion, terrorist attacks and delivering cargo Winston had no time to do maintenance on them.

Best to leave it be , Hanzo thought, trying to become less annoyed at everything, as he too was also too busy and in pain to try to care about anything else. 

As to prove a point, several messages come then, asking for Hanzo to go to the garage and help Hana with something or another. He leaves the room, thinking if he should first find Cole and Ako, but the fear of hurting her still lingers on Hanzo's mind. So, he just slowly walks there, wondering if he should at least ask Angela for a wheelchair. His boots don’t help with the pain at all.

The whole base is silent now, only the humming and creaks of the old building filling the air, making the constant dread Hanzo has been feeling now, even stronger. He tries his hardest to not to think about it too much, ignore the way the base seems lifeless without his brother, how this reminds him of the past.

When Hanzo enters the room, he finds Torbjorn helping Zenyatta to stand up. By the looks of it, the omnic has a good part of his body reconstructed, so much so that he can stand up and walk. Torbjörn sighs, muttering something and makes the omnics sit again, taking a wrench and tinkering with the omnic’s pieces again.

“Dude, finally!” Hana says, wheeling herself towards Hanzo. “Help me out here.” She pulls the omega away and into the corner where she’s rebuilding the mecha’s control panels. The whole place seems like it was hit by a hurricane, but Hanzo tries not to dwell too much, he just joins and keeps handling the tools Hana needs. After all, everyone has been filling in where they can, trying to go back to a somewhat normal state as quickly as possible.

They stand in near silence, with Torbjörn tinkering here and there in Zenyatta’s frame, annoyed huffs and sighs leaving his lips. Hana is not much better, muttering angrily at whatever piece she has in her hands.

Hanzo doesn’t like it. Especially with how ill-tempered everyone seems. He eyes the two, Hana and Torbjörn and feels the heavy atmosphere around them. 

Well, at least he can do this sitting down.

“See? It may not be the ones you got from the factory, but it’s just as good.” Torbjorn says and Hanzo turns his face to his direction. His voice has a fatherly, yet tired, tone; one Hanzo has only heard the small alpha use when he’s with Brigitte. Bastions whistles something from the fixing platform he’s still resting on, his body partially built.

“I miss my flip flops.” Zenyatta says, and Hanzo is sure he can almost see a pout on his face.

“I did not spend the whole week working on your legs for you to complain about not having toes!” Torbjorn looks at the tall omnic with indignation. Hanzo can’t help himself and chuckles, not too loud, but enough for Zenyatta to realize he’s there and turn to him, waving. Torbjorn looks at him and shakes his head, but Hanzo ignores him. It’s no wonder that the alpha is so cranky, if it’s true that he’s been awake the whole night.

Torbjorn releases Zenyatta’s hands and he manages to stay upright. The Omnic nods and pulls his legs up, folding them and hovering in the air.

“Huh.” Torbjorn says, scratching his head confused. “Did you fix his propulsors during the night, girl? I told you not to touch him without me in the room.” He turns to Hana, annoyed. “Especially when you’re this sleep deprived!”

“I didn't touch anything!” Hana grumbles, her mood already too sour for the time of day. Hanzo feels his shoulders tense with the whole thing. There was never any animosity between the two of them, but it seems like the past week wasn't just hard on Hanzo and his relationship with the others. “Pass me that drill head.” She asks, extending her hand and the omega obliges.

“Oh no, agent Lindholm. I don’t have any propulsors.” Zenyatta says, cheerfully. Hanzo watches, amused, as Torbjorn blinks in confusion.

“You know what. I'm just going to go to sleep.” He sighs, gives up and walks back inside. “You take care of him!” He points at D.Va and the girl groans loudly, making an ugly noise. She gives an answer that Hanzo can't make out, but he’s sure she’s cursing the old man in Korean.

Still, she goes to the omnic and starts testing Zenyatta. She makes the omnic test his basic functions, making his orbs float, walking and jumping around, before she deems him fit to finally leave the workshop.

“You’re finally free from this torment!” She gives him a thumbs up and Hanzo lifts an eyebrow at her, surprised at her bad mood.

The Omnic floats to Hanzo, hovering beside the omega. “It’s been some time since we talked, no?” He asks and Hanzo nods, feeling his shoulders tense. “Shall we?”

“Will you still need my assistance, Hana?” He asks, because after all he was here to help her.

“No, I mean, yes, but you can go now, I can deal with this by myself.” She says, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. “Better to be in silence anyway.”

“Are you certain?” Hanzo crosses his arms, worried for the girl.

“Ugh, yes, go!” She says, irritated. “If I don’t do this, the mecha will take even longer to be rebuilt and then I can’t go on any missions for like, almost two months. I need this to be stronger than before.”

“You cannot go on missions, your leg is still broken.” Hanzo says sternly, but she just ignores him. “How long have you been here?” Hanzo looks at her with pursed lips, hands going to his waits, but she doesn’t respond. What a stubborn girl.

Examining her better, Hanzo realizes she’s wearing the same clothes from yesterday (maye even before then), her hair is a mess and her desk is full of empty packages of instant food and sugary drinks. Hana sighs, massaging her forehead with her hands, frustrated with the work she’s doing.

“If you keep doing this, you'll end up full of wrinkles like me.” Hanzo deadpans in an effort to lift her mood. Hana snorts at him but doesn’t budge.

“Your mind is in turmoil.” The Omnic says, approaching Hana and putting a hand on her shoulder. The young omega sighs and nods, finally putting the tools down and turning her wheelchair to them.

“I’m just...” She stutters, before pressing her lips on a thin like. A second pass, and Hanzo thinks they may not be able to get anything from her but in a second, Hana seems to catch herself and says, almost professionally. “I need to be ready for when we rescue Jack. ” Looking down, Hana starts picking at one hole on her wheelchair.

Hanzo and Zenyatta share a look, worried about the girl and her misplaced guilt. The ball of anxiety on Hanzo’s stomach seems to get bigger and bigger. He opens and closes his mouth to tell her that no, it wasn’t her fault at all, but Talon and Jack’s inability to speak brought them here.

“It was my fault, after all. I know I can drive with my leg broken, I just need some good cushioning.”

That does it for him.

“Morrison would have been gone no matter what team members were there.” He crosses his arms, frowning at her. His tone is stern, but he tried to be gentle in his delivery.

“But I'm the tank!” She closes her hand into a fist, frowning. “I’m supposed to be able to take damage and protect the others on the team! And I just fell down like it was nothing!  Reinhardt would at least have tried to save Jack.”

“And he might have been killed then.” Hanzo snaps, looking at her, expression hard. Can’t the girl see how impossible it was for them to even survive what happened that day? How lucky they all were? “We are lucky that almost everybody that came back is recovering. We are lucky that you only have an injured leg.” and not the mangled mess my brother has become. He wants to say but doesn’t. Hana understands it anyway.

“That’s not what I meant.” Hana says, distressed. She turns to Zenyatta, desperate. “You know what I meant!”

“Yes, we know. There is no one at fault but Talon.” The omnic says. Hanzo disagrees, obviously. “But there is no use dwelling on the past. The only path now is forward.” Zenyatta reassures her, sending an orb of harmony to float above Hana’s head. The young omega sighs.

“Do you...” She starts but stops. She looks at Hanzo and finally spills. “Ever since that day at that ball I keep wondering how prepared we actually are to face all of this.”

And Hanzo doesn’t know what to tell her. He turns his face away, ashamed of snapping at the girl, seeing how burdened she is by all of that has happened too. He feels his eyes sting, thinking about Genji and Jack.

“Doubts are normal. You cannot let fear fester and take over your life.” Zenyatta’s tone is serene. “Choices made out of fear can lead to one-way roads.”

Hanzo tenses with the phrase, realizing how fitting it is for the moment. D.Va nods, still pouting, chin wobbling. And Hanzo can’t deal with this, can’t bear the fact he might have hurt her feelings.

“I apologize.” Hanzo sighs, tired. He doesn’t make any excuses, as he knows it will not matter. He touches the girl’s arm, making her look at him. “Do not blame yourself. It will eat at you.” The girl nods, sniffing and Hanzo wants to hug her close. He doesn’t go as far, but brings her close in a half hug, his head touching hers. “I do not wish you to be hurt.” He whispers, feeling too emotional. 

“Don’t get too emotional on me, old man.” She says, patting his arm and Hanzo snorts a laugh, releasing her.

“Maybe you should play one of your silly games.” Hanzo tries again, parroting Hana’s words to him when they started being friendly with each other. “So, you won't be so grumpy.” Hana immediately rolls her eyes but smiles, taking one of her portable consoles.

“Happy now?” She asks and Hanzo nods, satisfied. He makes a motion for the girl to go rest close to Bastion, who enjoyed the polyphonic sound of her old games.

“And do not forget to eat!”

“You’re not my mother!” she says and Hanzo snorts, shaking his head. Of course, he’s not and he’ll never attempt to be that for the girl. But Hanzo is still worried and the idea of the girl putting all that weight on her shoulders over something she could never predict is hard.

Zenyatta and Hanzo leave the Garage then, stopping right outside of it and by the chairs that are always on that corridor. The same atmosphere as before settling back, the uneasy silence that has infected the base now more tangible than anything.

“Your thoughts are very loud today.” Zenyatta looks at him, questioning.

“I gather that's obvious.” Hanzo says, not unkind, but tired. He closes his eyes, hands coming to the bridge of his nose, massaging it.

“I am happy to see you again after a week.” The omnic says, looking at Hanzo with a knowing air around himself.

“I did not want to get in the way of your rebuilding.” The omega lies. He’s sure that Zenyatta sees right through him, but even so Hanzo can’t really tell the truth. Seeing Zenyatta like that, it only reminded Hanzo of Genji and his own sins.

“Agent Lindholm is quite the character when he's sleep deprived.”

“And when he's sleeping well.” Hanzo shakes his head.

“Sometimes too much of everything spoils the experience.” Zenyatta says. “Including having so many missions together.” He turns, amused at Hanzo’s bad mood.

“Agent Lindholm does not like me to begin with. It's best if we are kept away from one another at the base.” Hanzo sighs and shakes his head. Zenyatta only chuckles and floats down to sit on one of the chairs. Hanzo follows his lead, fidgeting, knowing why the monk is with him and not anywhere else. “We could go see him. If you wish to.” He says, turning slightly at Zenyatta. “I know my reports of Genji’s health are not the best ones.”

In fact, Hanzo avoided speaking about Genji at all. People asked, people prodded and questioned about his health, but he couldn’t really find his voice to speak about him. No matter how well meaning everyone was, how they all patted his arm and gave him pitying looks. Hanzo couldn’t speak about Genji, laying there so still and pale.

“Everyone is dealing with their own set of issues right now.” Zenyatta says, easily.

“It feels more like a never-ending storm.” Hanzo comments, feeling a little numb. He wants everything to end, to sleep and wake up when everything is finally back to normal.

“Nothing is forever.” Zenyatta smiles. “And once the storm passes, we can all rebuild and learn from it.”

And that’s when the chime of their comms interrupts them. A shrill distorted polyphonic noise making both agents jump in place.

Both share a look and stand up. Hanzo opens the device, watching as another message opens urging Hanzo to come to the meeting room 4. They hear bastion whistling in the garage and peek inside, watching as the omnic frantically beeps and bops to Hana, pointing at his own comm.

“Sorry, dude, I can't really wheel you.” Hana says, pointing at her own leg with a pained look. Bastions whistles sadly on the wheelbarrow.

“We are going to the meeting room 4. We can take you, if you wish to.” Zenyatta says, cheerful. Bastion whistles and Zenyatta looks at him, surprised. “Winston called you and Orisa there too? That is curious.”

Bastion whistles and Orisa nods. The walk to the meeting room is quick, but awkward. Hanzo can’t help but feel like there is an air of tension around everyone, the heavy atmosphere only being alleviated by Orisa and Bastion’s chit-chat.

They are surprised by what they see once they open the door to the meeting room. Zarya is seated by the desk, talking to Winston and Ana. She hasn’t noticed them yet. Hanzo can see, by her body language, that she’s nervous. Leg bouncing under the table, hands closed together into fists; There is a small Asian woman by her side, all bundled up with winter clothes, far too many for the weather they are having now.

When they notice their presence, Zarya stands up abruptly, brushing her clothes for dirt that is not there, fidgeting. Her hair is longer now, held in a ponytail, still with a shaved undercut to it. Hanzo feels his insides chill with a mixture of anticipation and loathing.

A myriad of bad feelings flood back into Hanzo’s chest, and he presses his lips on a thin line. As if his life needed any more trouble, any more people to sit there and point at his flaws.

“Ah, the people I wanted to see.” Winston says, standing up with a warm smile on his face. “Come, come.” He motions them to come over and Hanzo and the others approach cautiously. The commander looks at Ana, as if needing permission (or maybe he is just having a pep talk from the other agent) before turning back to the others.

“So, as you all know, the last week, or rather last weeks, have been difficult for us to keep track of the missions. And we do need more hands-on deck, so I went and released another statement that we needed help and then-- You know, it was very difficult to make it, so people knew overwatch was calling for recruits without our enemies getting a hold of the--”

“We came to help you.” Zarya says, interrupting Winston’s anxiety-filled rant.

“With one condition!” He says, quickly, as if to explain himself, hands in the air to appease them. Which it’s funny for Hanzo. He is still not used to a commander that takes their feelings into consideration.

Zarya uncrosses her arms and nods, taking a step forward. “I want to apologize. For the things I said that day before leaving.” She looks down, a sign of submission.

Hanzo blinks and double takes at that. What? Bastion whistles something from the wheelbarrow, questioning.

“It was wrong of me to assume the worst about you all.” She says, clearing her throat. “And To call you… those names.” She says, scratching her head, clearly ashamed. What a strange change. She looks at all of them and then at Hanzo. “I was raised in a way that made me hate omnics, see the worst of your kind. But in the last year, I came to realize… You all are not monsters.” She shakes her head and briefly looks back at the small Asian woman behind her.

Hanzo sniffs the air slightly and realizes the woman is an Omega too. One that had a thin layer of Zarya’s pheromones rubbed in her skin. Oh, Hanzo thinks. Maybe this is the start to a… how Genji called it? Ah, right, Situationship . Hanzo wants to smirk in amusement, but doesn't, instead he looks at Ana, sharing a knowing look ™ with her.

Bastion is the first one to whistle something and Zarya lights up, a smile opening on her face. Wait. Did she understand Bastion? What the fuck.

“Learning is a hard experience. As is the path to forgiveness.” Zenyatta says. “The most important thing is to take the first step. And I welcome yours.” He slightly bows at her, in respect. Zarya nods and looks at Hanzo, like she is a kicked pup waiting to be forgiven for destroying a piece of furniture. The omega sighs and just nods at her.

In truth, Hanzo doesn't really want to forgive her like this, easily and without any repercussions for how much her words hurt him. In fact, in the past, he'd always wished that the people who wronged him would humiliate themselves before he'd even considered forgiveness. He remembers, in the rare cases when people’s insults to him also tainted his father's reputation, how pleasing it felt to watch them bow deeply, forehead on the floor, asking not for his, but his father's forgiveness.

Because after all, despite Sojiro’s wish to keep Hanzo’s secondary gender under wraps, by the second week after his first heat everyone knew his presentation. And no one asked for an Omega's forgiveness on the Shimada-Gumi.

For the short period of time he became Kumicho, Hanzo didn't have the need to. Anyone outside of the elders were scared enough to never even look in his direction. Even the servants would look away, afraid that he’d remember their transgressions.

Later, when he was killing his own kin for revenge, Hanzo found out that no one believed he’d truly become the heir. They believed Sojiro would obey the elders, as he always did and let Hanzo marry the next Kumicho, one of their choosing and give them beautiful dragon users as heirs. Ones that weren't failures like him.

But Hanzo is not that anymore, and forgiveness is something he learned. He had to. Besides, his own feelings about Zarya shouldn't matter right now, but the fact they need more people in their ranks do.

Doesn’t matter that even looking at her gives him horrible anxiety and her words still ring on his head from time to time. Or the fact he’s close to losing it. Her being on the base won't make him even more unstable, for sure. Nah, it will be fine, right? Right. He can deal with it, for sure.

Yeah.

He can always avoid her as much as possible. He has other issues to worry about.

“I don't know if I can forgive you that easily.” Orisa says, honest as she ever is. She looks at Zenyatta and Hanzo. And then at Bastion. “But I can accept you here with us.”

Zarya dares to look hurt by that, but nods in acceptance.

“The path for forgiveness can be tough. But we can work on it together.” Zenyatta says, putting a hand on Orisa's arm. Zarya smiles slightly at that and Bastion whistles something. “Ah, yes, there are more people to meet, no?” Zenyatta turns to Winston who nods and moves away, showing the small scientist.

“My name is Dr. Mei Ling Zhou.” She smiles at them. She goes to explain she is, or rather was, a scientist on one of the eco points, she doesn't elaborate more on her story about it and Hanzo doesn't ask for more, even if he's curious.

The introductions go well, with Hanzo finding the other omega’s personality easy to get used to.

“Now you can finally meet the others.” The commander says, smiling. “You may find some you already know.”

The doctor smiles at that, but Hanzo can see it's a little strained, as if there is something else she’s keeping away. They speak some more and start to walk to the mess hall, where Winston will introduce them. Bastion whistles something and Hanzo dreads the idea of wheeling him the other direction.

“I’ll do it.” Zarya approaches and takes the wheelbarrow, wheeling it away. Bastion whistles something and Zarya laughs, as if she understood what he said. “Do not worry, you are not that heavy.” She smirks as she and Winston leave.

Hanzo sighs in relief and starts walking. Orisa walks side by side with Zenyatta, to discuss something about forgiveness, surely. That leaves him to stay behind with Mei.

“Hanzo, right?” She asks, once they start walking towards the mess hall. Hanzo nods, looking at the woman. She has a soft and round face, with kind eyes and brunette hair. “Are we the only omegas here?” She whispers, as if it’s a secret.

“No, there are many more.” Hanzo says and she looks surprised at that.

“Can I ask where I can get the suppressants?” She’s still whispering, cheeks tinting pink with shame. Hanzo blinks, confused. It's been at least ten years since he heard anyone even talking about suppressants (considering how unsafe they are for regular long term use) much less at the base where people usually got their heats and ruts quietly (with some small slips here and there).

“You’d have to speak with Dr. Ziegler. She has been busy recently, but I’m sure she can talk to you about it.” When Hanzo finishes, he can see that Mei’s face lights up in recognition.

“Angela is here?” She asks and Hanzo nods, a little taken aback by her cheery nature. “I’m so glad to see someone I actually worked with before.” Her smile soon fades into something a little sadder. “It’s been a long time since I've seen any known faces.” She shakes her head and thanks Hanzo, walking faster and stopping by Zarya’s side.

What a curious woman. Hanzo thinks. She seems very young for someone who is Angela’s age, but he wonders if she too is one of those prodigy children.

--

The re-introduction of Zarya to the team doesn’t go as smoothly as Winston (or Zarya, probably) expected it to be. Everybody seemed to have an opinion about if it was okay to bring her back or not. Some people argue, some people argue back, Lúcio and Hana are the ones that seem to be the most against it. Both only stopped when the Omnics told them it was fine. Still, they remained on the back of the room, frowning at the whole thing.

“I know everyone is very tense and that we all might have animosity, but we need all the help we can get now.” The commander looks at the agents, a pleading expression on his face.

The agents quiet down and, in the end, the omnics' opinions and the need for more agents prevail above anything else. When Mei is introduced, both Angela and Tracer run to her, exchanging heartfelt hugs and spending time speaking to one another.

“I don’t like it.” Cole grumbles by his side, eyeing Zarya as he chews on the end of his unlit cigarillo. Hanzo (who is more worried at the fact Ako is walking around like a lost puppy than anything else) looks at him in confusion. Cole huffs and shakes his head. “It wasn’t just the omnics she offended that day.”

“ I am fine.” Hanzo says and squeezes Cole’s hand in reassurance, even if Zarya’s words reenter his mind once again. He tries not to think about it, he doesn't need to be reminded that someone else saw how monstrous he is.

“ Really?” Cole asks in Japanese, unimpressed.

“ The team having more backup is more important than my feelings.” He whispers back, still looking at Ako.

“ It shouldn’t be.” Cole grumbles, pulling his hand up and kissing it.

“Eugh, Genji is right, you two are too much.” Pharah says, making a face. Cole immediately starts arguing with her, calling her out for ruining the moment. Hanzo can only roll his eyes, watching as Ako runs towards Mei’s legs, hugging her. “Ako.” He warns, not angry, but the baby quickly looks back, confused.

“Aw, and who are you?” Mei asks, taking the baby in her arms. Hanzo tenses and almost takes a step forward, ready to take Ako away from her arms.

“Ah, малышка!” Zarya approaches too. “She has grown so much. Little Ako has become a very strong baby.” She nods and examines Ako, picking her up and even going as far as taking one of her small arms and making a fake flexing motion. Ako scowls at the two of them, not used to their presence and scent.

“Ah, I think I know who you belong to.” Mei chuckles, poking in between Ako’s eyebrows and scowl. Zarya puts the baby on the ground, directing her towards Hanzo.

“Maaa!” Ako runs to him, scared and Hanzo picks her up, patting her back, cooing at her.

“ Come on, little Ako.” He says, but the baby hides her face away. “ Let's stay close. ” He whispers to her, smiling. Being honest, he’s glad Ako got scared of unknown faces. When he looks at Cole, he sees that he and Zarya are locking eyes and the cowboy makes an ‘I have my eyes on you’ gesture with his hands, which makes Hanzo facepalm. Oh, Gods.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he hears something, like a blimp of Soba preening at the interaction. Hanzo has a feeling it is about mates and protection.

“I didn’t know they allowed agents to have families on overwatch now.” Mei approaches them, looking straight at Cole and Hanzo with a happy smile on. “We weren't allowed to fraternize before.”

“What gave us away?” Cole asks and Mei gestures at the fact that Cole has an arm around Hanzo’s waist, bodies almost glued to one another. “Ah, right.” He clears his throat, looking away, cheeks quickly getting red.

“I guess the baby's cowboy clothes also helped it.” Mei points at Ako and Hanzo looks down, realizing once again, Ako has overalls with cacti and cowboy hats printed all over it. When does Cole even have the time to buy those things?

“Gosh dang it, you got me.” Cole pretends to be surprised, a strange politeness to him that Hanzo knows is staged. “I’m Cassidy. Pleased to meet you, ma'am.” He tips his hat, and Mei looks at him puzzled.

“Don’t I know you?” She asks, curious.

“I did spend a week at the Antarctica ecopoint doing security work.” Cole says, fixing his hat and Mei recognizes him.

“Right! I remember you because you were the only cowboy there. You almost froze your toes off because you refused to wear our protective boots! It was right before the…” She stops and bites her lips, eyes looking haunted. She shakes her head. “Weren’t your name Jesse?” her smile is forced now, as if trying to get a sense of normalcy.

“It was back then, aliases n’ all. It ain’t that anymore.” The alpha smiles painfully at her. Mei nods, and turns to Fareeha, extending her hand.

“Hi. I’m Meiling Zhou.” She introduces herself. Fareeha takes her hand and honest to God smolders at her.

“And I am your next date.” She says, kissing Mei’s hand. “Fareeha Amari.” Mei blushes at her and covers her mouth, chuckling. Hanzo, sharp as ever, looks straight at Zarya, seeing the alpha squint at the interaction, face closing off. Hanzo finally understands why Genji is the way he is, because this is extremely amusing to watch.

He watches as Zarya finishes speaking to Reinhardt and Lúcio and approaches Mei. They speak some of what Hanzo thinks is Russian. The alpha makes a display to put a hand on Mei’s shoulder, smiling reassuringly at her.

This should be interesting.

“You have some competition.” Cole says, elbowing Pharah in the ribs.

“I’ll be honest, if that one was an omega, I’d give her a chance too.” Pharah says, looking at Zarya as the russian walks away to the corner of the room. She even nods a little, impressed.

“Stop drooling.” Cole scoffs.

As Winston finishes the welcoming and introductions, he goes on to discuss the next topics of the meeting, after all it wasn’t just one to make sure the other agents knew their new recruits. He speaks mostly of recruitment, but also of the next planned missions, team arrangements and such.

Hanzo feels himself getting tense as the meeting goes on and on. The way Winston speaks is as if Jack is not coming back. Team members are moved around to make sure the gap Jack left behind is being filled, going forward months.

By the time Winston finally broaches the subject, Cole is seething beside him, arms crossed and a mean expression on his face. His leg bounces, spurs giggling.

“We believe Talon is moving so erratically because they are trying to keep us from rescuing Morrison. The information we have is scarce and we may know where he is, but it’s difficult to be sure. We don’t know if he has been moved or what state Talon has left him in.” Winston presses his lips on a thin line. "Which brings me to our last point: I have been in contact with Vivian Chase.”

The reaction is immediate. The chatter in the room stops and Cole's scent gets stronger, making Hanzo flinch at his anger. Suddenly everyone starts to speak and shout at the same time, old and new overwatch members alike arguing with Winston, making the room so noisy and impossible to be in. Hanzo starts to feel his hands become clammy, heart accelerating, breath short. Ako, already grumpy from her illness, whines, hiding her face under Hanzo's chin.

Too much . Hanzo thinks, closing his eyes. Too much shouting . Too many mixed scents with anger and confusion and much more. His vision sways and Hanzo turns to Cole, not understanding the uproar. The cowboys must see something in his face, or perhaps his scent becoming sour with fear, that he just pulls Hanzo close and they march outside.

The air outside feels cold against Hanzo's skin, the sweat cooling and prickling against his skin, but at least it was something to focus on. Ako cries in his arms and Hanzo shakily sings to her. 

“Who is Vivian Chase?” Hanzo asks, once Ako calms down, holding her close to his chest.

“She’s the one that hit the last nail on the coffin for overwatch.” Cole signs, massaging the bridge of his nose. “She testified against us when the UN was deciding if we should stay or go... ‘Fore that she was also the one who replaced Jack.” He mutters, furiously patting his pockets for his lighter. The alpha only stops when Ako’s whines and starts crying again.

Cole deflates then, looking at Hanzo’s tense shoulders and expression. He realizes his scent is making the whole corridor reek. It's scaring Hanzo. Calming down, he approaches Hanzo as the omega cradles Ako against his own neck, trying to make her stop crying.

“‘M sorry.” He mumbles, pulling Hanzo close. He kisses the omega's hair, pulling him under his chin. “I’m sorry, pumpkin, did I scare you?” Cole pats Ako’s head, but the child simply hiccups. He hates seeing his kid crying, especially because of him. Fuck.

“Replaced him?” Hanzo asks, looking up, taking Cole’s mind away from his thoughts. The alpha nods, taking a step back and fixing the hat on his head.

“After everything, Ana, Hanamura, all the shit they leaked, the higher ups took Jack away from command. Not officially, you know. But they started to eat away any power that he had. After Moira… Before Gabe’s funeral, they said something about it all making him volatile.” The alpha crosses his arms. “He wasn’t well, but not like that. After he was gone everyone just assumed he was dead, so replacing him with the alpha who was already technically in his place wasn’t hard.” He spats the last part, irritated.

“You don’t suppose they are doing the same?” Hanzo looks at him surprised that his mate would think that.

“What else could it be?” Cole shakes his head, tired. “They are leaving him there and getting someone else to substitute him.”

“We're not doing that.” Pharah’s voice cuts their conversation, making them look back. She looks pained at both of them, her hands closed into fists beside her body. Her expression is hard to read. She’s angry, but her eyes are conflicted.

“Then why Sojourn?”

She hesitates before speaking. She looks back quickly before approaching Cole and speaking in a rushed tone.

“You know she was the only one that can go toe to toe with them. We need her help in case...”

“In case what?” He looks at her, teeth grinding against each other. “In case Talon has brainwashed him? So, we’re just doing the same thing we did to Amélie?”

“Stay quiet.” Fareeha whispers angrily.

Cole looks at her and shakes his head.

“You know damn well they didn’t go looking for him back then ‘cause they had a better replacement for him!” Cole frowns at her, a tight sensation on his chest, a feeling that this is the past repeating itself again. “And you all are doing it again! It ain’t right!” He says, pacing from one side to the other of the corridor.

“I know she testified against us, but I spoke to her. She wants to help.” Fareeha insists.

“This has nothin’ to do with that damn hearing!” Cole shakes his head, prosthetic hand coming to his face, the cold fingers hurting his skin. “We would’ve been gone whenever she was there or not.” Cole knows bullshit when he sees it, and the whole reasoning for why overwatch was being shut down smelled bad. Even he could see how well orchestrated it all was. The propaganda against them, the way everything happened all at once, not letting them breathe, barely letting them think before acting.

He feels like that now.

“Have you ever thought that if we had listened to him none of this would've happened?” He mumbles, defeated.

“Of course I do.” Fareeha puts a hand on her own arm, looking down. “I know there was nothing I could have done back then, but still…” There is a trembling on her lips as she speaks, mixed with deep tiredness. “If we kept together, if they had listened to Jack, maybe Uncle Gabe could've been here with us.” She crosses her arms, looking away

Hanzo looks at her, examining Fareeha’s body language. It's the first time he has seen her in this state, vulnerable, confidence gone and replaced with fear. For the first time, he can see clearly, a younger sibling talking to their older brother, the uncertainty of an important choice to be made hanging over them a secret hidden under her tone.

Hanzo knows for a fact there are people here that could take Jack out. Maybe not Gabriel as he is now, but he knows for sure that Him, Cole, Pharah, Zarya, even Lúcio could take Jack down. They have done it before in mock missions and hand to hand training, so why do they need Vivian Chase?

Realization dawns on him then. For some reason, he remembers the last days of the clan, the whispers about a divide. How people managed to manipulate him into believing Genji was monstrous like everyone else. How his uncles spoke about killing him like they were just discussing taking away a stubborn weed.

“We’re not leaving him there.” Cole says, his tone final. “If I have to bring him in myself I will.” He grumbles, anger flaring up again.

“Cole, we are going to bring him back, We just need time. ”

“He doesn’t have that.” Cole shakes his head. “You can play indifference, professionalism, or whatever you wanna call it, but I can’t do that. I can’t just let him rot away in Talon's hands. Not when he’s my...” He looks down, putting his hands on his hips, taking deep breaths. “Just, he needed us back then too. Shouldn't we do better now?”

Pharah opens and closes her mouth, but she has no answer. Cole huffs, fixing his hat before nodding and turning.

“I’m going to see Genji.” He says, taking Hanzo’s hand on his. “Are you coming, sugar?” Hanzo looks at him with a small and sad smile.

“In a second.” He passes Ako from his arms to Cole’s. “I have to speak with Captain Amari.” The alpha looks at him questioningly, but Hanzo nods, reassuring him that he’s fine. Cole doesn’t really believe him, but he lets it go. He kisses the omega’s fingers before walking away.

Hanzo waits around two minutes after he sees Cole’s back disappearing on the turn of the corridor before he finally asks.

“There are people here that could defeat Jack in combat.” He doesn’t turn to face Pharah. He fears what face she will make to answer his next question. “But no one here could kill him, right?” Hanzo swallows down, closing his eyes. If they are ready to kill Jack for even the possibility of him working for Talon, what will they do to him when they find out he’s been out of control? Somehow the memory of his dog, thrashing on the ground, poisoned and unable to do anything about it comes back to his mind. His last moments were violent and full of pain.

“Is that really what you’re planning for Jack?” Hanzo closes his hands on fists, trying to stop the shaking on his arms. He turns to her, expecting to see a sad, guilt ridden expression on her face. What he gets is fury.

“We’re not killing him! We do NOT do that to our own.” Pharah says, indignation and anger clear in her voice, as if she’s angry someone would even think of the idea. “I’m going to pretend you never even asked that.” She searches his face, trying to understand what would even bring this kind of thought process to his mind? What terrible things has Hanzo seen and lived that the first thing he thinks when betrayal happens is that the normal punishment was death?

She huffs and looks away, nose flaring. 

“But you're right with one thing, we are speaking with her because she is not emotionally invested in this. We need someone from outside in case Jack is brainwashed. To know when we need to just let it go and pass the care to someone else."

Hanzo can understand it, considering how Jack's obsession with taking Reyes back has led them to this. But it all felt so impersonal, a business decision. He supposes that in the end it is.

“You saw him in that recording, Hanzo.” Fareeha finally looks away. She closes her eyes hard, biting her lips. Then she seems to compose herself and look straight at Hanzo, a professional stance making her shoulders stiff. That seems to happen a lot this past week. “I’m sure Cole showed you the photos too. The new ones.”

“I saw a desperate omega trying to find his mate. Someone that needs help!” He can’t help but look back at her disapprovingly. “We can’t just abandon him like he’s a sick dog.”

“Do you think I like this?” She shakes her head, walking to the near wall and resting her back to it. “I don’t. But it's all we have with the information we have. I can’t put all of you in danger because Jack is at minimum stupid and at most a Talon agent.”

“What if it’s the opposite?” Hanzo argues. Pharah looks at him confused. “What if Reyes is the traitor for Talon?” He asks, Cole’s words making their way to his head. Hoping against hope that they were right. 

She doesn’t scoff at him like before, as if this is such an idiotic idea that no one should even try to suggest it. She looks conflicted by it, shaking her head, but taking in a shaky breath. Hanzo expects her to say something, to make a comment, anything. Instead, she says.

“The rescue mission is tomorrow morning. My contact showed there was a burst of activity in the north of the area where we think the Talon base is located. We suspect Jack may have ” 

Hanzo looks at her, mouth opening in surprise. 

“I will inform Cole." He Says, suspicious, pushing his shoulders back. He feels tense, muscles hurting. 

“He's not going.” She doesn’t look up. “Don’t tell him.” She orders, tone final and sharp.

Hanzo can’t help but snarl.

“This whole thing happened because me and Jack refused to tell anyone, to tell Cole, the truth.” Hanzo feels his hands shaking violently in anger, his voice wavering even more than before. “Is this what we want to do again ?”

“It’s not my choice.” She says in between her teeth. “ Winston doesn’t want him there. My mother thinks it is too dangerous. Cole is a liability as he is now. Too emotionally invested.”

“This is exactly why he should go.” Hanzo argues.

“He could die trying to defend Jack!” Fareeha snaps. “Or worse, Ga-- Reaper! It could kill him!”

Hanzo stops, breathing hard. Her words shake him, a deep fear lodging itself under Hanzo’s ribs, so deep inside that he feels the start of a panic attack forming. The memory of when the alpha was lost in Junktown comes back to the forefront of his mind, making his vision blur so hard Hanzo can barely contain the electric feeling under his skin. 

Fareeha puts a hand on his shoulder, suddenly bringing him back from the brink of loosing it. He looks up, afraid of what he’ll see. 

“Calm down.” She says, not at all afraid of him. She is actually concerned. “Look, I tried to convince Winston and Ana, I even told them we would keep him in check, but you know how that went after the whole thing with him storming off last week."

“Keeping this from your brother will not make the situation less difficult.” Hanzo takes deep breaths, hiding the bottom half of his face. “It will only hurt even more everyone involved.” 

“I know.” She sighs, feeling defeated. “I’m trying to keep this whole thing from blowing over our heads. It’s already hard to keep our concern about Jack and Reaper's identity from the others.” 

She scratches her head, looking back at the door leading to the meeting room. But Hanzo doesn’t want to hear. This whole thing is stupid, so he turns and starts stomping away,  before he says or does something stupid. 

“Hey!” Fareeha calls, but Hanzo doesn’t turn. “I mean it, do not tell him.” She orders, voice more hopeful than anything else. Hanzo looks back at her with raised eyebrows, confused at her stunt. He simply pokes his nose up in the air and walks away.

Fareeha watches him go, the heavy feeling of the lie weighing on her chest.

--

“I can't believe they are hiding it from me again." Cole's body slides down on the chair he has been sitting on. He licks his teeth, hiding half of his face under his hand, trying to calm himself, but his angry scent fills the med bay, making both Hanzo and Ako scrunch their faces in discomfort. 

“Apparently they are scared of you getting hurt." Hanzo says, not exactly lying about it. 

"Yeah, right. Tell me the truth, they think I’m too emotional for this, huh?" He asks, impatient  and Hanzo grunts and non-answer. “That’s bullshit.”

Hanzo hums and looks ahead, where Zenyatta is talking to Genji. When they got to the med bay, they found the omnic already there, having not even gone to the meeting Brigitte was there with him, keeping an eye on Genji's delicate condition. He had called them both to see Genji and talk to him, and while he let Cole do so, this time Hanzo chose to stay quietly away, observing his brother from a distance. 

The turmoil of the dragons under his skin is worse when he gets close to Genji, he quickly realized. The nightmare flashed in his mind, and the fogginess of his thoughts got worse. Somehow memories from the duel and guilt from before and now mix together in his head, making Hanzo get lost in them. As if he’s floating in space, looking down at his own body looking at Genji.

So he kept his distance as Cole spoke with Genji, joking about him needing to come back to kick Jack’s ass. When the cowboy came back, teary eyes, Hanzo took the opportunity to tell Cole what he found from Pharah. There wasn’t ever a right moment to do that, so Hanzo just spilled what he needed to. Because if he didn’t, he felt like he was going to go insane from it.

“I am scared too.” Hanzo admits. His eyes move from Genji’s still body to Ako, who is patting her feet around the floor. Her breathing did get better, but still, Hanzo worried. 

“You know I’m not some dumb--” Cole starts, but Hanzo sends him a look that dares him to continue that phrase. The alpha relaxes, knowing damn well the last person that would doubt him is Hanzo. “Sorry.”

“I have seen you fighting enough times to know you’re more than capable of handling this mission.” Hanzo sighs, resting his head on Cole’s shoulder, nosing his shirt. “But Reyes is your father… He could use that sentiment to hurt you.”

He looks at Cole, watching as the alpha's frown deepens. He knows very well how it feels to be hurt again and again by your parents and hope and then hoping against hope that they will change and that they will stop it. That this time is different. And how it hurts to be slashed open again by the cruel words and abuse.

And if that happens to Cole, Hanzo would never be able to forgive himself. He'd never be able to see Cole again, because of a stupid sense of duty. 

“I know what I told you yesterday, but I ain’t letting that motherfucker mess with my head.” Cole reassures Hanzo.

“I do not want you even more hurt.” Hanzo admits, closing his eyes for a second. 

“I know.” Cole smiles sadly at his omega, nosing his hair and feeling the scent of milk and dessert coming from him. There is a bitter note to it now, one of fear and regret, almost like burnt candy. 

Ako approaches them, asking to be held again. Her nose is runny and Hanzo has to laugh when she sneezes and a small bubble of snot forms and then pops.

“Ew, missy!” Cole says, making a face at his daughter, pulling her on his lap. Hanzo laughs even more, pulling a baby cloth from his pocket. 

“ Little Ako , you need better manners.” He chuckles, cleaning her nose. She tries to pull her face away, whining. “ Maybe we need to go see Aunt Angela again, right?” He asks her and Ako frowns at the mention of Angela’s name. The baby shakes her head no, maybe associating Angela with the med bay. “Perhaps we can even have a bite of the cupcakes your Daddy saved for us in the fridge after.” He chuckles as Ako’s eyes get wide, excited with the mention of the word cupcake. 

Hanzo smiles, satisfied at the idea. He wants to keep Ako’s day relatively normal, even with everything happening. It’s good to see that at least she has not lost her appetite. 

He hears a sniff and startled, Hanzo looks up at Cole. The alpha is looking at him with a mixture of emotions. His eyes are glassy, but there is a smile on his face, once that almost looks like a frown. 

“Cole…” Hanzo searches his face, confused about what just happened.

“I’m fine.” The alpha says, cleaning his face quickly. “Just… You know, you don’t need to worry. I’m not doin’ anything stupid. I have too much to live for.” He smiles down at Hanzo and Ako. Cole has more responsibilities now, more than just wanting to save a man that betrayed them. He has a family, one he needs to care for, that loves him enough as he is. The omega nods, relieved. 

Zenyatta approaches them with a sorrowful air around himself.

“You should talk to him.” The omnic whispers to him, nodding. 

Hanzo looks at Cole, uncertain, but both stand up and walk to the bed and stop by his brother’s side. Cole stays some steps back, holding Ako. 

Zenyatta takes Genji’s hand on his and speaks to him in a soft tone, an orb of harmony hovering over his still body. He wants to speak to Genji too, but it’s like there is something stuck on his throat, making it impossible to say something.

Mostly he wants the exhaustion he’s feeling, the anxiety and the stress coursing through his veins to stop. He wants the feeling that his brother will die at any moment to leave him, for that to be over, for things to be peaceful again. He can’t deal with this. He can’t.

Hanzo feels himself swaying. Quickly, he holds Cole’s bicep, calling his attention.

“It is…” Cole turns quickly to check if Zenyatta is paying any attention to them, but the omnic is more concerned about Genji. “...An episode?” he asks and cringes at his own words. Hanzo simply nods, feeling his mind slipping away.

“It’s better if I stay outside.” He says, but his vision blurs and Hanzo covers his face with his hand.

He feels the hands of his mate hugging his back and Cole brings him close. Resting Hanzo’s face on the crook of his neck, allowing Hanzo to scent him, whispering a low. “Shhh, I’m here. You’re here with me. ”

The omega tries to focus on the feelings he can distinguish. The notes on Cole’s scent, of apple and earth, the feeling of his soft plaid against Hanzo’s cheek. His mind tries to go somewhere else, but he keeps reminding himself that he’s here and that his brother is alive. They saved him.

With some work, Hanzo comes back to normal, his head feeling less like a balloon, floating away in the wind.

“You’re with me?” Cole asks and Hanzo nods. The alpha pushes Hanzo’s strand of hair away from his face, looking at the omega with concern. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” the cowboy looks back at Genji, sighing.

But Hanzo shakes his head, separating from Cole and approaching Genji. He wants to see his brother, but he loathes the idea all the same. To memorize Genji's features, so his face won't disappear from his memory. He hadn't noticed it before, but his head is full of white hairs too, in the roots. Ah, he dyes it, doesn’t he? Hanzo smiles at him, sadly. Always too frivolous. 

He’s so quiet now. Genji was never quiet. He cried too much as a baby, or so he was told. Their mother always told people how they kept nights awake because of him. He screamed when they ran around the castle playing, laughed loudly with his friends when they left or came back from parties.

He was never like this. Still. Calm, yes, but never still.

“Tell him a story of your childhood.” Zenyatta encourages. “He has always loved to tsslk about it.”

At that Hanzo looks pained and surprised at the omnic. Genji’s childhood was better than his, but still involved too much violence and abuse. Things that hurt to remember. 

“It’s best not.” Hanzo says. “All the things I have to say for him end up being sad.” He pulls the covers over Genji’s torso, hiding his frame away. How could he ever have a good memory of those times?

“Well, not everythin’ can be sad.” Cole says. “You must have some nice stories to tell 'im.”

“The clan was ruthless.” Hanzo shakes his head, regretful. He takes his brother’s hand on his and turns to Cole. “Most of our memories are not happy ones. We barely had time to be children.”

“ festi…vals…” A voice cuts through the beeping of the heart monitor. For a moment Hanzo wonders if it’s the dragons. But he feels Genji’s flesh hand squeezing his own. He gasps and turns quickly to his brother, eyes wide.

There he is, eyes barely opened, but conscious. His cheeks are flushed and his mouth isn’t slack anymore.

“Genji!” Hanzo almost buckles down looking at him.

“Sweet Jesus, Brigitte!” Cole runs off to Angela’s office.

“ Festivals… were… fun… ”

“ Do not speak! ” Hanzo turns, searching for Brigitte. The young omega comes back running with Cole right behind her she has her comm in hand, calling Angela to come to the infirmary.

“Don’t move too much, Genji.” She says, checking his vitals.

Genji turns to Zenyatta and Cole, who looks at him, misty eyed.

“He… used t… win… prizes…” Genji takes a deep breath. “And exchange it with me… for candy…” He coughs, hard and dry. Brigitte comes with a cup of water and a disposable straw, offering it to Genji. The ninja drinks eagerly from it.

“Don’t speak--.” Hanzo shakes his head. He feels the corners of his lips going down, chin trembling.  “You’ll--” He tries again, but suddenly he can’t anymore, feeling his whole face contorting. The knot on his throat undoes and the flood of tears finally streams down his face. 

He cries, resting his head on the bed beside Genji.

He feels Genji’s hold becoming stronger. Cole gently pats his back, trying to comfort him, but Hanzo can’t stop the tears from falling down.

--

Gabriel doesn’t wake up in the middle of the snow like before. 

He’s also not standing up in the middle of the room staring at Jack, but laying down on a hard bed, feeling warm fingers comb through his short hair. He opens his bleary eyes, searching for his mate. The Omega is already sitting up, a damp bandage brushing against Gabriel’s skin.

“Is it morning?” Gabriel mumbles, his voice even more rough from misuse. His body feels heavier than usual. When he tries to stand up, he is stopped by Jack’s gentle hands pushing him down.

“Stay down. You need rest.” The omega brushes the pad of his thumb against Gabriel’s forehead, finger gently tracing the big scar there. Jack looks more tired than usual. The air smell stale, the sweet salty smell of heat old and almost dissipated now. 

The heat is over. And with that the sugar coated love that comes with it.

Gabriel wonders if Jack has already regretted being here. If he sighed in relief when he realized they didn’t renew the bond.

“You didn’t sleep.” It's not a question. Jack grunts an answer anyways, turning his body away, eyes fixed on the ground. For a second he squints at whatever patch he’s looking at the wall, face contorting in anger, but it's gone as soon as it appeared. It radiates from him in waves and Gabriel would almost gag on the scent if he wasn’t so happy to at least be able to smell Jack’s scent after so long. 

With a sigh, Gabriel shifts on the bed, looking towards the table closest to the bunk bed, where the documents were hidden. He sees the pages scattered there, all out of order, as if Jack spent the whole night reading them.

“You should have waited to read those with me.”

“I know.”

Gabriel expects him to say anything else, but nothing comes.

“If I knew it was going to affect you so much--”

“No.” Jack interrupts him. “ I would rather know it than be kept in the dark. I was blind for too long.” He gives Gabriel a quick smile that looks more like a grimace than anything else. A way to reassure his mate. It doesn’t work.

There is a long stretch of silence, falling over them like the heavy snow covering the exterior of the dilapidated house. 

“Did I give you too much trouble?” He has to ask.

“No, your fever broke during the night. The infection is gone, but still, it's a bullet wound…” He stops for a second. “You didn’t sleepwalk, if that’s what you’re asking.” The omega crosses his arms, biting his lower lip for an anxious moment before looking at Gabriel’s face. “It’s the bond, isn’t it?” Jack asks, hand resting against the junction of his own neck and shoulder, where the bond mark is. “You said that before they couldn't make you forget because our bond was too strong. Whatever Moira did to us, is making it weaker.”  

“Probably.” He says, taking a deep breath. Jack’s scent sours for a second, before he gives Gabriel an uncertain nod, deep in thought. They stay like that for a while, and Gabriel wants to ask what is on his mind. Jack, however, just stands up and walks around the room, taking a med kit and small hygiene products that are left and handing them to Gabriel. 

“Come on, up.” He approaches, taking Gabriel’s arm and passing around his shoulder. The alpha hisses, but stands up with Jack’s help, stumbling a little. 

They move to the bathroom. The water supply is so small, soon they are without and have to use the water bottles to wash their mouths and clean their faces. Gabriel may not feel weak like yesterday, but he’s still shivering, eyes closing down from time to time as he slips into quick naps.

He’s quickly awakened by the sound of a hovercycle passing too close to the cabin. 

When they are back in the room, Jack sits him down and takes another one of the med kits. He puts the things down beside Gabriel as he opens the bandage on his shoulder, cleaning the wound. It hurts, the rough cotton, the ointment used, a needle injected carelessly on the puffy skin. But Gabriel doesn’t flinch. He has gone through worse after all.

He just keeps watching Jack as he moves. Trying to be gentle, soothing him every time he sees blood dripping and skin lifting, the black smoke making Gabriel’s body ache. The lights on the room reflect against his head, making his white hair shine. It isn’t so bad, after all, is it?

When he’s finished, Jack puts everything that is left away on the cooler.  He’s limping. It’s not too noticeable, but Gabriel can see the discomfort on the way he walks, the bad humor and how tired he is. His face also has bruises from the fight two days ago, now purple and green. 

Too much walking. 

Too much hurt. His mind supplies.

There is a part of him that wants to ask Jack what he wants to do now. How will they proceed? Wait it out, stuffed in this dilapidated shelter? Run through the snow and endless woods until someone, anyone finds them? Face Talon head on and risk dying soon after? 

Another part of him, the one that feels his bones hurt, wants to stay silent and let the quiet morning keep going. To let the time run and never discuss anything. That way maybe there won’t ever be a time where Jack will look at him and realize the mistake he has made. Maybe never speak about this again and pretend that they can come back where they stopped. 

“If you feel strong enough we’ll leave tonight.” Jack picks the supplies and starts to sort them out. “The Hovercycles stopped at night, I think we can run for it and find another shelter, closer to the city.” By the way they are all arranged in small piles, Gabriel assumes that Jack has been preparing to go since they woke up. Maybe he has never slept to begin with. The omega stands up again and pulls an old duffel bag, groaning as he puts weight on his injured leg and on his feet. Jack stops for a second, closing his eyes. 

“Jack.” Gabriel calls, but the other doesn’t listen to him. He watches as the omega walks around with a jittery and angry energy around him. The scent of burnt lavender fills the room. “Jackie.” 

He doesn’t answer and pulls the duffel over his shoulder, walking towards Gabriel. As he puts the bag on the bed, right beside Gabriel’s legs, he sways in place. Gabriel can see the man is close to toppling over. 

“For Christ sake, Stop!” Gabriel grabs Jack’s wrist, not hard, but enough to make the omega pull his hand away. 

“We need to be ready to go when they stop doing rounds.” Jack breathes hard, nose flaring in anger. “I’m taking us out of here. I’m getting you to Angela.” Jack insists.

“Jack...” He lets out a deep and annoyed breath, tired. The omega snarls, before getting up and turning away. 

“Cariño.” He calls, but there is no answer for a while. That is until Jack comes back and shoves a MRE on his hands, mumbling for him to eat. Gabriel huffs and opens the food, digging straight in. It’s some kind of cubed chicken in a creamy sauce, beans and rice. It’s good and Gabriel is distracted by how hungry he suddenly feels.

Jack waits until Gabriel is almost finished up and with a plastic spork halfway into his mouth to ask his question. 

“Why not?”

Gabriel looks at him unimpressed. 

“I don’t think acts of terrorism are welcomed in the newly reformed Overwatch.” He says in between his teeth, dripping with sarcasm.

“The bastion Unit is there.” He argues. “And me, and Hanzo, and Cole and--”

“It’s not the same.”

“The hell it isn't!” Jack hits the desk with a closed fist. “Anyone that sees these documents will know why you left! Why you couldn’t come back!”

“It doesn’t justify the ten years after.” Gabriel shakes his head, massaging the bridge of his nose. Suddenly he feels irritated by Jack’s stupid hopeful optimism. “Or the times I killed people for Talon, the orders I followed.” He looks away, ashamed. 

There are no excuses for what he did, no way outs, no “ifs” and “buts”, no justification. Only the truth exists and the consequences of that. He can’t run from it, can’t pretend it never happened. And Jack can't forgive him for it, not after so many got injured, so many had their lives ruined by Talon. By his own actions.

“I hurt the agents there… I hurt Cole and his mate. You.” He grimaces, closing his eyes in anger. 

“And you saved us all the same. You leaked information, you told me yourself.”

“I can’t trust overwatch!” He says it with a finality that makes Jack stop. “You saw the names on those documents.”

“Not everyone knew the truth behind the research they were doing…” Jack purses his lips. “Angela helped us before.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He looks up. “But how long until the people that did this to us force themselves on the new overwatch? Until they appoint someone to ‘take care’ of us? Naughton? The ones that kept the Antarctica research going? Or worse, Petras?” He spats the last name, anger rising as he thinks of that man. 

“Winston will not let it. It’s not like before.” Jack scratches the back on his head. He sighs, defeated. “He is actually a good commander.”

Gabriel scoffs. “You were a good commander.” He takes the last sporkful of food, sighing and still feeling hungry. Jack makes a non comical noise. 

“I think your opinion is biased.” 

“Of course I am, You’re my mate.” Gabriel grumbles, poking inside the insulated package to see if there is any more food. Jack snorts a laugh and stands up, groaning in pain. He limps to him, giving the alpha the rest of his food. “Are you sure?” He asks and Jack just gives him the food, rolling his eyes.

He sits beside Gabriel, pulling his feet up on the bed. It’s cramped and they have to shift around to make space. There it is again, that silence that unsettles the alpha so much. The rage under Jack’s skin that seems to affect everything he does.

Gabriel has wished for so much better for Jack. 

“Talon will not let me go. They’ll send someone else. Amélie… Maybe Mauga if Akande wants a bloodbath… And there is also my sleepwalking. I don't know what they did to me. I don't know how it works, if Akande will snap a finger and I'm just going to hurt you again.” His voice falters at the end. “I can't. Not again.” 

Jack looks at him for a long while, milk eyes lost on his face. He touches Gabriel’s cheek before he moves again. He sits up, crawling around the bed until he sits right in front of his mate.

“Okay.” The omega pulls his jacket open and the collar of his shirt down, showing his neck to Gabriel. “Let's do this then.”

“What are you doing? I just said--” Gabriel gently grabs him by the shoulder and turns the omega’s face towards him. 

“We’ll bond again. This will help against brainwashing, won’t it?”

“Yes, but that is not the poi--”

“That is the point.” Jack interrupts him before Gabriel can start the self flagellation again. “I spent ten years trying to find you. I did it and now I’m not letting Talon have any piece of you again!” Crossing his arms, Jack watches as Gabriel looks at him in disbelief. “We’ll go somewhere else! I don’t care.” 

How could he ever doubt him?

“I want to make them pay, Gabe.” Jack’s tone is fierce now. “Everyone took everything from us. They took our agency, our chance of having a normal life! They mutilated us.” Tears wheel on Jack's angry eyes, making the omega close them hard. It stings. He hastily clears his face with the back of his hand. There is so much grief, so much despair the omega can't handle it. He feels his unshed tears finally overflowing. 

Lifting his hand, Gabriel cups Jack’s cheek with his hand. The omega buries his face in it, breath shaky. The sensation of his lips against his palm seem to sear itself on the alphas skin, making him shudder.

“Even if, by some miracle, we leave here alive it will be hard. I can’t walk in cities like a normal person, I don't even know if I can stay alive without whatever bullshit Moira injects in me.” He says through his teeth.

“I don’t care.”

“I don't want a bond like mine to hurt you.” 

“I’ve been hurting for ten years.”  

Gabriel closes his eyes and touches their foreheads. He doesn’t understand. Jack is out of his heat, he shouldn't be so attached. It cannot be this easy, can it? 

“You can't just forgive what I have done, Jack.”

“No, I can't.” Jack agrees. There is so much bad and wrong that Gabriel has done, innocents killed and suffered because of him. But now he knows it's not that simple. “But I can love you.”

“Love is not enough.”

“It's a start, isn’t it?” 

Gabriel doesn’t know what to say against that. 

“Even if I’m this disfigured mess?”

“I have you know I find you handsome still.” He says, coughing, cheeks getting red with bashfulness. The alpha grunts, still not believing his mate’s words. “I want you.” He presses their foreheads together. “For as little time as we still have left.”

“And Cole?”

Jack’s expression shifts, his eyes are downcast now and he breathes heavily. 

“Me and Cole are not in the best place.” The omega cleans his throat, turning away.

“I figured.” Gabriel closes his eyes. “Two stubborn mules butting heads.”

“He’s better off without me, anyways.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It's true.” 

It isn’t. Cole was always a man too attached to everything, everyone he loved. He loved people deeply, cared for them even more. Even the ones that didn’t deserve it. He doesn’t do well alone.

“Shimada--Hanzo told me he feels abandoned. I got so angry when he told me, but I know he’s right about it. I… I was the one who pushed him away after you disappeared. I was just so angry that no one believed me. That he, of all people, didn't.” Jack admits, resting his head on Gabriel's uninjured shoulder. He can’t look at the alpha.

Silence.

“We really messed up with him. Didn't we?”

“Yes.” He sniffs, feeling a lump forming on his throat. “There is so much I regret.”

“Me too, Cariño.” Gabriel sighs. “Does he know about me?” 

“Hanzo must have told him at this point. The way he is, he couldn't hide it for too long…” A pause. “Cole probably already hates me even more now.” He sniffs, tears finally flowing. 

“ Cariño…” Gabriel tries to comfort him, but Jack just ignores him. 

“It’s fine.” He grimaces, finding that nothing is fine at all. “I told you I would make a lousy mother…”

The looks he gives breaks Gabriel’s heart. A memory from the past reemerging. Hands held together as they talked under the cold light of the kitchen lamp. The decision to not try again, because Jack had almost died. Driving the baby clothes and toys to donate to the nearest shelter. 

Gabriel brings him close, resting Jack’s nose on his scent gland. The alpha closes his eyes hard, ignoring the pain on his shoulder.

“No. That boy could never hate you.” He shakes his head, kissing Jack’s temple. “You're the one who insisted we should have adopted him in the first place.” He says and Jack laughs, wet and full of tears.

A hover vehicle rushes close to the cabin, making them look up, startled.

Something settles on Gabriel's chest as he looks at Jack’s tear stained face. Something strong and fierce that the alpha can’t fight, that he doesn’t want to fight. A feeling he hasn’t felt for years and years now. He wants something for himself. He wants to stay with Jack, to protect him. To finally give him the rest, the calm and companionship he deserves.

Gabriel doesn’t dare to say it’s hope or love, because he knows that if he even acknowledges it, he’ll jixx it. So he thinks about it in a different way, and rationalizes it.

In Gabriel's mind, he tries to tell himself that he can’t really go back to Talon and can’t run away forever by himself, he’s a monster after all. Giving Jack back to Overwatch would be better, but his mate has shown that he doesn't want to stay far away from him, at least not for now. So they’ll stay together and they’ll run. Gabriel will make sure that they stay close to the deactivated Watchpoints, and when he’s inevitably killed, at least Jack will have a chance.

The part Gabriel doesn’t want to admit, is that he honestly hopes they can make it. That, not even deep inside, but just hidden away in a thin layer of denial, he hopes they can just… Live.

Maybe Jack taught him much more than just being optimistic. 

“Okay.” He says. Jack looks up at him, questioning.  “Let’s renew our bond.”

“Really?” Jack widens his eyes, “Don’t joke, Gabe.”

“I’m not.” He pulls Jack's face close and nuzzles it. “Let's do it.” Jack hugs him close.

The omega sits back, opening his jacket and bringing it down. Gabriel can’t help but touch his neck, fingers tracing the scar much like Jack had done to him. And how Jack preens on it, displaying  his neck and bonding bite with pride. 

Swallowing down, Gabriel noses Jack’s neck, lips barely brushing the skin. He takes a deep breath and his mate’s scent fills his lungs. He can see how their mixed scents are now slowly separating, leaving  only the leftover saccharine Heat smell mixed with lavender. He hadn’t even noticed it, had he?

Gabriel wants to taste him, so he does it, kissing his neck. Gabriel’s lips are slightly parted with the tip of his tongue touching Jack’s neck, before he closes his mouth and sucks a mark there. Jack moans, surprised, hands fisting against the back of his shirt. 

Biting Jack, mating him again, it was never a choice. He found that the world seems brighter like this, with his teeth sunk into Jack’s neck. The omega moans with the pain, but gasps in pleasure, hands desperately reaching for his back and pulling Gabriel impossibly close.  

The omega unconsciously thrusts his hips slowly against him, moaning when Gabriel releases his skin and laps at the new wound. When they separate, Gabriel admires the red bond mark for a second before looking back at his mate. He looks devastatingly beautiful. Eyes full of lust, a pleased smile stretching on his flushed face. 

“Come on, Jackie.” He says, displaying his neck to Jack, smiling at him. The omega’s glazed stare becomes heated, mouth opening in almost a snarl. Before Gabriel can even prepare himself, Jack is on him, biting his neck with force, pushing their bodies down and laying on the bed with force.

Gabriel almost shouts, but contains himself, taking a deep breath. The rush of adrenaline, lust, love, pain and endorphins hits him like a truck. The bond leaves them euphoric. There is no sound but their breathing, no smell but their scent mixing, no taste but the iron on Jack's blood lingering in his mouth. He feels the bonds solidifying again between them. The pain feedback suddenly feels stronger, and Jack cries out. 

“Is it like this all the time?” The omega asks, face contorting. He had felt his pain before, when it was too much, but never imagined that it was this constant thing.

“Yes.” Gabriel shudders, feeling the dull pain on his hip. He touches their foreheads together, breathing hard. “I’m sorry.” 

“It's okay.” He pants. “I want to feel you.” The omega’s lips find his easily, sucking them, tongue slipping inside his mouth and tasting the copper in it. Gabriel moves his hand down, caressing Jack’s sides, slipping under his shirt. They share a look, the alpha asking for permission and Jack nods, kissing him deeply.

With his uninjured arm, Gabriel gently grabs Jack’s breast, massaging it, using the pad of his thumb to roll the nub of his nipple. His mate moans against his lips, deft fingers slipping inside his pants and underwear. He strokes Gabriel’s cock, looking at his face as he does so, eager to see his mate’s face contorted in pleasure. 

But when Gabriel rolls them around, he flinches with pain, suddenly pulling away. 

“Shit.” Jack says, releasing Gabriel too, feeling the pain radiate from his own left shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” He reaches for Gabriel’s face, kissing his face gently. 

“I’m used to it."

“You shouldn't be.” 

Gabriel looks at him with pain. He brings his hand up, brushing his thumb against the omega’s cheek. With the mood properly soured, Jack rests his head against Gabriel. He lances their fingers together, feeling somehow like when they were young and mated for the first time.

In the dim light of the bunker, Jack admires Gabriel’s body. He lightly presses his fingertips on the crevices of the scars on his neck, feeling them. It’s a weird, but good feeling, to explore the different textures, the forms on his body. He looks at the renewed matting bite and feels his chest swelling with love. 

“Having any regrets?” Gabriel asks, noticing the omega is looking at their bond mark intently.

“Only that it took me so long to find you again.” Jack looks up at Gabriel. He uses his fingers to feel his face, but Gabriel pulls his hand again and kisses the palm of Jack’s hand. 

After that, Jack stands up, walking around and preparing the things again. Gabriel ends up slipping back into sleep, he couldn’t keep his eyes open even if he wanted to. But it’s alright for Jack, as he wants the alpha to regain as much strength as he can. After making sure everything is fine, he moves back to the bed, laying down beside Gabriel. 

“I love you.” He whispers, almost inaudible. His mate doesn’t answer and Jack decides that he too, should slip back into sleep. 

His eyes slip shut as he looks at the stack of papers on the desk. 

--

Hanzo massages his eyelids, feeling the tiredness of the early morning getting to him. It is almost 4am now, and he is impatiently waiting for the crew of his next mission to arrive on the docking bay. So much for punctuality, huh? 

He just came from his room, after he, Cole and Zenyatta had spent the whole night with Genji, watching the young alpha slowly recover. He was more animated and energetic than Hanzo expected.

He was a little loopy from the medication and kept babbling about holding Ako and how Cole looked like shit. Mercy had told him off, her tone not stern at all, but with a familiarity that Hanzo knows is from a woman that has been in this situation more often than not. 

It was amusing to see her shifting into the Doctor role, considering mere minutes before Mercy came running back to the med bay, opening the door with a harsh movement, her eyes wide and full of tears. 

“Oh, Genji!” She ran, hugging the alpha with too much force, making him groan in pain. She quickly released him, scared of hurting Genji in the process. After that, it was all chaos even bigger than before. A mess of tears, laughter and medical equipment. Once it all became too much, Angela kicked everyone out to actually check on Genji’s vital signs.

She didn’t really allow anyone to go back inside until Genji was finally strong enough to at least speak. And by that time, It was already two in the morning. Hanzo, even with the secret mission weighing on him, still waited with Cole by his side. 

“It’s good to see you’re back with us.” Cole said, smiling at Genji. 

“It’s everyone okay?” Genji questioned, looking at Zenyatta then at Hanzo. He urged them to approach and whispered to them once they did so. “Angela is avoiding speaking about it.”

The omnic reassured him, explaining how almost everyone was back, but his tone was strained. Genji looked at him, face contorted in anger, as if he was remembering something. But it was soon gone, replaced with a deep breath and a smile after he centered himself.

“I’m glad you’re okay, master.” 

He even joked about how when he “said he wanted to be manhandled by a big buff alpha, it wasn’t that what he meant” making everyone groan and Angela chastise him fro joking about his serious injuries. 

“Do not joke about that, sparrow!”

“Hey, there are kids here!” Cole half joked, laughing wetly at the cyborg. “Guess you’re not that bad after all, if you’re joking like that.”

“It’s good to see your sense of humor has not faded.” Angela rested a hand over Genji’s face, kissing his forehead. “Even if it’s not really the moment to do so.” She gave him a slightly judgmental look.

“I can’t even joke about my own injuries.” He pouted like the petulant child he is.

“Kinda hard, when you almost died ‘cause of it.” Cole patted him in the arm, making him flinch yet again. “See?” The cowboy made a pained face at him, apologetic.

The chatter continued for a while, with everyone trying to keep the heavy atmosphere out of the room. But Hanzo soon realized that the young alpha had noticed that something wasn’t right. His eyes lingered too much on Hanzo’s tired face or Cole’s jittery leg and angry scowl. Zenyatta’s heavy silence and Angela’s frustrations and short temper also didn’t help. It wasn’t not surprising for Hanzo that the moment they were left alone, Genji pulled him close.

“What the hell happened?” He whispered, frantic. “Why is everyone acting like someone died?”

Hanzo sighed, and wondered for a second if he should speak of what happened so soon after Genji woke up. But he had such a pleading face that Hanzo just opened up. He told Genji, in a hushed tone, a brief summary of what happened, explaining the incident with Mauga, how they were all injured in the process and the fact that maybe Jack is not dead, but in a worse predicament. 

He kept Reaper's identity out of it, simply saying he and Cole had a fight. The dragons are kept out of it too. Those two things somehow are the ones he can’t manage to tell him, especially because Genji was the only person who saw his monstrous form before.

If that made any of it any better, Hanzo doesn’t know, because Genji spent a while silent, a frown deepening on his face.

“I’m gonna kick your ass.” Genji had said as soon as the cowboy opened the door to the med bay.

“Hey, now! What the hell did I do?” Cole fixed the hat on his head, putting Ako on the ground so the baby could pad around towards Hanzo. 

“I told you that if you made him cry I’d beat your ass!” He pointed at the cowboy, lifting his other arm, ready to attack Cole with one of his shurikens. Only to realize his prosthetic isn’t the normal ones he usually uses.

“ Please, don’t start.” Hanzo sighed, taking Ako in his arms. The baby babbled again and, to put his mind away from the matter, Hanzo tickled the girl, making her laugh out loud.

“I’m your alpha brother, I have to defend your honor.” Genji grumbled, more serious than Hanzo expected him to be. 

“Then you don’t have that much to defend.” Hanzo looked at him, serious. Usually, he would say that as a joke. A way to make Genji relax and Hanzo not to think how it was really the truth. But his tone is tired, snappier than usual and frustrated. It made Genji press his lips on a thin line and deflate, looking at him worried.

“Hey, now, don’t say that. I’m a gentleman, I'm keeping your honor intact.” Cole kissed the top of Hanzo’s head, surprising the omega with the sudden touch. Hanzo could only huff a laugh, looking up at the alpha. He kisses his jaw, feeling the bread tickle his lips. “‘Sides, we already apologized to each other.”

That was enough at the moment to appease Genji, but he could see that he still had a suspicious look. Especially because Cole left the room soon after, speaking about the mission to rescue Jack. 

“Already? They didn't even let you sleep?” He asked and Hanzo could only nod, pressing his lips on a thin line, so he would not speak any more than necessary. In the end Genji could not bear to stay awake and slipped quickly into sleep. The omega left then, bidding Angela and Zenyatta goodbye. He insisted on leaving Ako with Hana, who was the only person right now who Hanzo trusted to care for Ako with so little sleep. He insisted for the girl to at least sleep on the nursing chair and rest too. 

Hana had looked at him confused, asking where he was going at this hour. Hanzo realized, then, as he opened his glitchy comm, that the mission wasn’t just a secret to Cole, but a secret to everyone else on the base. There was no mention of it anywhere. Not in the mission roster, not in the inputs for the new missions, not in their individual profiles. 

With a half assed excuse about an emergency mission in Suravasa, he quickly dressed in his black gi and got his bow and quiver. Hana handed him a can of Nano-Cola, swearing that it helped her to stay awake during the streams. He drank it all in one go and marched to the docking bay, jittery from the lack of sleep and sugar high. And now he was here, waiting for the others to arrive. 

He wondered where Cole was and what his plans were now that he knows. 

“There you are.” Pharah’s voice startles Hanzo out of his dazed state. He looks at the back of the corridor, where the pilot, Winston and Ana are walking towards him. Finally! “We thought we would have to go without you.”

“I’ve been waiting for half an hour now.” He lifts his eyebrows at her, bothered by her words. 

“Do you ever check your comm?” Pharah scoffs at him and Hanzo frowns. Does he ever check his comm? What a joke, his record of answering messages is impeccable (Except when it’s not, but that is not important right now)!

Hanzo’s eyebrows knit together in confusion and he angry reaches for the comm clipped on his lapel, opening it with intent. Suddenly a flood of messages come all at the same time, making everyone flinch at the shrill sound. When it's over, he looks at them, unimpressed. 

“I’ll get to fix those once we come back.” Winston scratches the back of his head, visibly uncomfortable at the fact everything seems to be malfunctioning on the base right now. 

“We should go, Tracer is already waiting for us.” Ana says, shaking her head. They all nod, walking inside.

The big lights on the Docking bay light up automatically as soon as the four of them walk in the room. It takes some seconds for their eyes to get used to the sudden brightness. There is a giggling sound of metal hitting metal and chatter. Hanzo almost laughs out loud when he looks at the Orca, seeing Cole leisurely seated on the opened ramp, listening to Tracer’s rapid fire babble.

“What took y’all so long?” Cole turns slowly, throwing one of his flashbangs in the air, looking at the others with an unimpressed stare. Winston and Anna look back at Pharah and Hanzo, staring at them the same way a teacher would look at a misbehaving child. 

“I didn’t tell him anything.” Pharah looks back at Hanzo and the omega pushes his nose in the air, walking towards the Orca with intent. He doesn’t think he needs to explain himself. 

“I told you they were just late.” Tracer perks up, winking at Cole. 

“You’re right.” He laughs, putting a cigarrillo in his mouth and lighting it up. Hanzo could smell the strong scent of tobacco from where he was. Cole has been chain smoking, probably ever since he left Hanzo and Ako in the med bay half an hour ago. It also hid the scent of his anger, a courtesy to his anxious mate, Hanzo is sure of that. “Y’know, I thought I would have to go rescue Jack by my lonesome myself.” He flickers the lighter close. Then lights it up again. He does it two more times before putting the lighter in his shirt pocket.

Tracer makes a “Pffft” sound, blowing raspberries at Cole, finding absolutely stupid Cole would have to do that.“Don’t be dramatic.” 

Hanzo approaches him and Cole takes the cigarrillo out of his mouth to kiss his hand, nuzzling it for a second.

“Behave.” Hanzo whispers, smiling down at him. 

“When don’t I?” The alpha scent marks Hanzo’s wrist, just a second, making Hanzo shiver and perk up, feeling himself slick for a second. Cole looks at him, surprised. Hanzo, clearly ashamed of how touch starved he is right now, clears his throat and enters the orca in a rush, ignoring Cole’s stare burning his back.  

Tracer rolls her eyes before zipping towards Wisnton. “You guys are lucky Cole brought the navigation maps early. Or else, It would have been at least another half an hour before we could go.” She smiles brightly. “I know it is a secret mission, but I think not having them on the system is a little too far, no?”

Winston looks at her with confusion. 

“They are supposed to be in the system already.” Wisnton takes his own comm, frantically searching for the information he needs, only to find that it's nowhere in the system. 

Only the history of it exists, the data showing that yes, at some point Winston uploaded three copies to the systems. One for the general public, accessible via a code only he and Lena knew, and two more, directly on his own comm. Well, color him surprised when he finds that at some point a half an hour ago it was all downloaded to a single agent’s comm. 

Cole Cassidy’s communicator.

“Well, I couldn’t find it.” Lena crosses her arms. 

“Good thing I have the backups, huh?” Cole smiles at them, easily, but also cynical. 

Somehow, Winston wonders if a little over an hour ago Cassidy had walked into the room, spoken to Lena and somehow, under his charming persona, he managed to get the password from her. The commander massages the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. He takes a deep breath and takes his glasses away, looking to the sky, asking for patience. 

“Well. No use in letting him out of the mission now.” He sighs and looks at Ana and Fareeha. Both nod, realizing that it was useless anyways. Somehow they knew Cole would find a way to join them. Whenever it was because Hanzo told him or Fareeha was also a babblemouth. 

With all the calm he has learned to cultivate over time, Winston decides to approach the Orca.

Cole stands up, looking at them all.

“Cole.” Ana says, looking at him in pain.

“Save it.” The cowboy pulls his hat down, chewing at his cigarrillo. “It’s clear that y’all don’t trust me. I just wanna rescue Jack and come back. Nothin’ more than that.” He wants to be angry at them, to lash out and make them understand how much he has been hurt too. But he’s so tired.

So Cole just walks to the seats, sitting down besides Hanzo and crosses his arms, body sliding down. 

God, he hopes he is right. He hopes that all the time he spent looking at those pictures and searching GPS images and matching road signs and landmarks served a purpose. He hopes he isn’t dead. He hopes he’s not somehow worse.  

Hanzo lifts the hem of his hat, looking at Cole with worry. The alpha simply smiles at him and pulls his partner close, hands resting against his omega’s back, thumb making small circles there.

“Don’t worry.” Cole whispers in his horribly accented Japanese, smiling at Hanzo with the plastic smile he knows his omega hates so much. “I can handle this.”

“I simply wish you wouldn’t have to do so.” Hanzo’s expression is hard, eyebrows knit together, frown meaner than he has ever seen before.

And ain’t that the sweetest thing he has ever heard his mate say? Well, not really, but right now it sounds like it. Cole can only nod, because it is what he wants to. Not revenge, not to be angry, not to have to deal with all of those sentiments brewing on his chest. He simply wished to not deal with any of it at all. 

He sits back, closing his eyes. The chatter, directions and information about the mission keep him awake, making it impossible to sleep. But Cole tries to do so. 

He just hopes he doesn’t dream of the desert and the skull again this time. 

That has always meant trouble.

--

They walk for the whole night, hidden in the underbrush and the darkness, listening to the Talon airship making circles around them. Once they hit two in the morning, the sound of the vehicles on the ground starts getting closer and Jack realizes how wrong he was about there being no vehicles searching for them at night. Because of course he was. Fuck. 

It quickly becomes a game of cat and mouse. The smaller and quieter ships Talon uses in the night are quick, but so are Jack and Gabriel. Run, duck, hide away in silence from the brightness of a flashlight. Slip on a patch of snow, on a rock covered in black ice. Try to breathe through the pain, ignore it all together and move on.

They don’t speak during the trip, being as silent and stealthy as they can. But the bond does the job for them just fine, singing their hard pains and deep feelings. That’s why they know to stop when Gabriel’s wound starts bleeding badly again or to take a break when his healing starts to hurt too much, making his body contort in agony. Or When Jack can barely stand on his feet because his soles are raw and full of blisters.

And when the first rays of sun hit the morning, they see the edge of the road peeking between the trees not too far away from them, all they can think of is hope. Gabriel can barely believe it. They may actually make it after all. They share a look, one that tells them that maybe they'll be fine. 

Maybe that’s why when the shot hits Jack’s arm it is so shocking. 

He shouts and falls with a muted thump on the ground, blood tinting the snow red.

“Jack!” Gabriel cries out, kneeling beside his mate. He holds the omega close, watching down as Jack hisses in agony. His hand shakes, coming back from the wound dirty with blood. He’s scared. Jack wants to tell him not to be, but there is so much blood.

The attack hits the two hard. The men circle them with mere seconds, four, a Talon captain and three mercenaries. JAck watches as Gabriel stands up into a defensive stance, waiting for one of them to start babbling about loyalty to Talon and Akande, or even money so he can just end this for good. But there is no taunting this time. 

“Keep the omega alive.” The Talon Captain makes a gesture with his hands and the other three move to attack them. Gabriel barely has time to grab Jack and duck before one of the men runs towards them with their Hovers. They circle Gabe and Jack, making it impossible to run. One slashes into his arm, the other kicks his leg and Gabriel suddenly is down, facing the dirty snow. 

The soldier closest to him points at Gabriel’s head, pulse rifle reloading.

“No!” He pushes Gabriel away from the bullet’s path. They roll around the snow and Jack frantically pulls Gabriel with him. A fierce growl leaves the omega’s chest. Suddenly the edges of reason start to blur, all Jack sees is enemies. All pointing guns at him. At his mate, his family. 

Threat. His inner omega whispers, enraged. 

The soldiers pull their hovers around, accelerating and getting close fast. 

Kill them.  

Jack doesn’t feel pain, doesn’t feel much of anything besides anger and the need to protect. 

“Stop it! You’re going feral!” Maybe it is Gabriel who says it, but the omega can’t hear him anymore. In his half feral state, all he hears, all he thinks is to kill all of those motherfuckers.

Getting to kill the first one is easy. Jack only has to wait until the timing is right for him to strike. When the bounty hunter lunges towards him, he jumps, taking the man off of his hovercycle with a swift movement. There is no time to think, hesitation means the other has time to counter his moves. So Jack pulls the rifle out of the bounty hunter’s hand and uses the butt of it to hit him in the neck. The noise he makes is strangled and Jack takes the opportunity to shoot, feeling the recoil hurt his good arm.

He dies with a hole in his neck and a gurgling hollow noise leaving his throat. 

“What the fuck?” The second bounty hunter says, lifting his visor, looking incredulous at the whole scene. “You told us they were injured!”

“Stay sharp.” The Talon captain snaps. Gabriel uses their distraction to move. He takes Jack’s hands and pulls him. The omega lunges towards the bounty closest to them, but Gabriel can’t have that. This is their chance.  

Jack breathes hard, slowly looking up and facing the other three soldiers. He points the rifle at them, good arm shaking from adrenaline. “You’ll go back in a casket!” He snarls, voice growly.

“Enough…” Gabriel puts a hand on Jack's shoulder, breathing erratically. “We have to run.”

Jack breathes hard, then stands walking backwards with Gabriel, pointing his gun at the other two. His arms are stained with blood and flesh. They run and mount the hovercycle, accelerating as fast as they can. Gabriel weakly guides them through the wood, his hold wobbly and weak, making the vehicle shake.

The soldier says something on his comm, before following them. 

They hear the other three hovercycles following them. Jack turns, trying to aim and shoot at them. But there is no use, his aim is horrible, arm shot to shit and almost unusable. It is enough to at least make the soldier dodge the shots, having them move to other pathways. Jack feels his frame rattle, heart accelerating. 

The deafening sound of engines roars around them. A purple Talon ship approaches, zipping above them. Gabriel pulls the vehicle right, almost hitting a three, trying to enter the denser wood. Jack holds on to him as best as he can. The branches hurt them, hitting their heads and arms. A hail of gunfire rains at them from above, the ship shooting ahead. 

Jack shouts and Gabriel moves the hovercycle in zigzag. The shots continue, and Gabriel has to change his path yet again to save them from being killed. The talon ship makes another maneuver, circling around, disappearing on the trees. They hear the muffled thud of something heavy falling on the ground. Then several quick and rhythmic THUMP THUMP THUMP.

When Gabriel looks beside them, he sees a dark and big shape approaching them at high speed. Faster than he could ever expect, he sees Mauga is running beside them. Jack pulls the weapon up and shots at him. It grazes his shoulder, but the giant alpha barely feels the hit and smiles at them, elated by the challenge. Jack aims again, but Mauga jumps, diving in front of them. The floor cracks as he lands.

Jack snarls, hands digging on Gabriel’s torso. 

Gabriel stays firm, accelerating. 

Mauga doesn’t move, barely flinching. In the last second, Gabriel pulls the Hovercycle right. 

Mauga laughs. 

They roll on the snow. The hovercycle tumbles, and slides away. Gabriel and Jack hold each other. 

For a second, the world feels like it’s turning. Vision blurry, ears ringing.They try to stand up, but the Talon ship rolls around again, this time deploying soldiers. They scramble up, limping away as fast as they can. 

Another hail of gunfire. Gabriel screams, falling down as they hide behind a tree. 

“They shot my leg.” Gabriel hisses when he tries to move his foot. Jacks pulls his legs up, seeing the wound bleeding heavily. 

“ARGH!” The omega says, hands shaking. “Don’t move!” Jack opens the duffel bag and gets the last half shot of Biotics, quickly injecting Gabriel. His moves are sloppy, pressing the needle with too much force. It’s not enough. Has it even been enough? His semi feral mind keeps fighting against reason, telling him to rip every soldier’s throat off or die trying. 

“You remember the way back to the shelter?”

“Stop!” Jack tries to search for something, anything to help Gabriel, but flinches into hiding when gunshots start again. “I’ll carry you!”

“I'll handle Mauga. You can go there and--” He sighs, tired. “And wait for everything to blow over. Walk to the ecopoint…”

“Don't say it like you're going to die.” Jack snarls at him, eyes wide and shinning with the ferocity of a beast.

“I am.”

“Shut up.” Jack says, closing his mouth with his hands, there are tears in his eyes. Gabriel gently takes his hands on his and smiles.

“It’s okay. It's okay, I got to be with you.” He caresses Jack's face. Gabriel shakes his head. “I deserve whatever comes to me, and it's not redemption. It's for the better, like this…”

“I won't let it happen.” Jack shakes his head and pulls Gabriel to his feet, screaming at the pain in his arm. “Come on, we can do this. I can get us to the next town and we’ll find a way to contact Hana. She has a channel online, we can talk to --”

The deafening sound of an airship passing above them interrupts Jack. He and Gabriel crouch down, protecting themselves from the sonic boom and the wind brought by the turbines. When Jack stands up, he sees not too far away from them, several Talon foot soldiers approaching and behind them, a lanky and elegant figure  materializing in a cloud of purple smoke.

Moira is here.

Notes:

Next Chapter: THE RESCUE! Yes, I'm not leaving my boys to die, don't worry, old man yaoi lives on. Also, I love to make characters fight, idk why. I love some drama.
Also, this is extra long as treat and because part of it was supposed to be on the last chapter. Maybe one day I'll get to edit this again and make it rigth.
Again, tell me your opinions, but be gentle lol.
bye.

Chapter 30: I took the easy way out

Chapter by Cuexfilesmusic (Thatbluehead)

Summary:

The rescue.

Notes:

Hi y'all, how y'all doing? So, I know it ahs been a WHILE now. and I left y'all on a cliffhanger, but, I have my reasons (guess who has two jobs now :(? )And some personal things have been happening in my house. also, Im in a soft writters block, you know? But I'm powering trought it (I have a firm belief that writters blocks are simply anxieties and can be won by resting and doing the writting anyway).

Also, As a lot of you have mentioned, I KNOW my writting has a lot of grammar mistakes, but I will go back and fix it once I finish (or I am close to fiishing) the story to fix those. I do edit before posting, but I feel like I must have some sort of attention deficit because there is NO way I let thsi amount of mistakes pass.

Thsi chapter is brought to you by "Who will know (24 bigslow)" by Shiro Sagisu. Also, if you press play on this song when the phrase "Reaper runs to the middle of the soldiers." appears it sinks with my text! :D It wasn't intentional at first, but I finally watched Shin Godzilla and the music fit so well that I had to make this one silly thing.

TRIGGER WARNING: descriptions of medical experimentations on pregnant people, descriptions of denial for an abortion, descriptions of miscarriages.

Blood. Gunfire. A bullet passes right by Cole’s head, zipping against his ear. His mother’s nails hurt against his arm. 

“ What did you do, Caleb? You condemned us all!”

Cole puts hands over his ears, closing his eyes firmly. People scream.

He’s in the sand now, the ghost of his mother’s touch leaving his skin.

He watches as the Hovercycles circle the forgotten town in the desert. In the middle of them, close to the town center he sees two figures, distorted in the heat of the desert. 

He walks.

It’s too hot. Too dry. He’ll die here.

“What do you wish for, boy?” A croaky voice whispers against his ear. He sees a red skeletal hand extending towards him.

Cole wakes up with a jump. 

He chokes on air, face clammy with sweat, trying to regain control. Looking up, Cole tries to understand where he is, to gain a sense of reality. Hanzo, who is looking at the hologram of the map spínning in the table, turns to him quickly, face closed in worry. Cole simply holds his hand up, taking deep breaths.

He knows it doesn't reassure Hanzo, but the omega doesn’t approach him. 

“‘M fine.” Cole massages his face. He stays like that for a moment, just breathing out and trying to not think on that damned skull. Ignore what it could mean. Standing up, Cole walks to Hanzo, standing beside him, resting a hand on the low of the omega’s back. He feels his mate relaxing with his presence, shoulders dropping for the first time that week.

He wants to kiss his face and hug him close, but doesn’t.

Hanzo shouldn't be here. 

He should be at home, resting and taking care of himself. Relaxing while Cole took care of him and their child. He tries to squash away those overprotective sentiments on his chest, knowing Hanzo hates it. But he can’t help it, not after what he saw in that room yesterday. A shinny vision, almost white eyes, the way his skin glowed, sharp canines and double voice singing to Ako.

He shakes his head, trying to dissipate the fear in his gut. Because, make no mistake, Cole is afraid. Not of Hanzo, but for Hanzo.

Genji has never spoken about any of that to him. Hanzo had told him that he had used the dragons to burn the castle, but Cole had never imagined anything like this. His mind conjured an image of Soba and Udon running on the corridors like when they searched for Jack. What Hanzo described was almost too fantastical.

Looking at his mate now, his tired eyes and shaky hands, Cole can’t help but wonder if their fight, on top of everything else, brought this in. If he should’ve been more understandable then. Hanzo had said he had the right to be angry, that he understood. And yet Cole can’t help but feel guilty.

“Are you sure it’s around here?” Fareeha asks again, looking from the map’s hologram to Cole, questioning.

“I’m sure of it.” The alpha grumbles, scrubbing the sand away from his eyes. He points at the map, bringing the whole thing closer. He had memorized everything on the map. He can't take any chances on losing Jack and Reaper’s trails. But when he looks outside, the vast, almost endless trees extending miles away, he doubts his own abilities. 

“We’re getting close, loves.” Tracer says from the cockpit.

“I hope we are right about this.” Ana looks intently at the tag on the map, chewing at her thumbnail.

“We did everything we could. If this doesn't work, we at least will know they moved him to another location.” Winston nods, solemn. 

“We can’t be wrong.” Cole says, crossing his arms, They just can’t, Gabriel and Jack depend on them. 

“With luck we will manage to find them before a blizzard hits.” Hanzo says wishful, looking outside. The sky was gray and horrible to fly in. The visibility is low, but it at least serves a purpose to hide the Orca for longer. He can only be amazed at the fact Tracer manages to fly at all.

A movement in between the clouds calls his attention and Hanzo squints. He sees, rushing on the white sky, the flash of something big, black and purple. 

“Commander.” Hanzo approaches the window. Now, as they quickly fly closer, Hanzo can see the giant Talon ship rushing through the sky. It circles around a single place, close to where they have traced their path and it deployed several soldiers.

“I’ve seen it already.” The commander nods. “Tracer, have they detected us?”

“If we have seen them, they have seen us” Tracer pulls her aviators up. Just as she finishes her sentence, the Talon ship accelerates and maneuvers around. In just seconds, several rockets are sent in their direction. “Told ya! Hold on your seats, loves!” She starts clicking on several buttons and everyone gets to the emergency seat, putting the seatbelts on.

Lena flies the orca ahead, deflecting the rockets. Making everyone rock around. Cole holds Hanzo’s hand in a deathgrip.

“Lena, get as close as we can.” Winston, the only one not strapped in, says. “The ship is hovering in circles, the talon soldiers are on the ground.”

“On it, commander.” Trace pulls the wheel, accelerating. The ship sends two more rockets in their direction and Tracer fires two flares into the sky, making them redirect and explode in the air.

A third rocket comes right after, too fast for Tracer to keep up with.

“Bollocks!” She swears, pulling the Orca sideways. Cole’s teeth rattle on his head. He feels Hanzo s grip on his hand becoming so strong he’s scared the omega will break his fingers. When the cowboy opens his eyes again, he watches Winston climbing towards the door, using the momentum of the rotation to land on the entrance of the ship. 

Once the ship is right side up again, Fareeha clips her seatbelt open and approaches Tracer. Through the window she can see in the middle of the snow and tree, a flash of black, blue and red shining with the light. It’s Jack and Reaper, hidden away behind a tree as the man they now know as Mauga and several Talon soldiers circle them.

“They are up ahead!” She points to them both. Moira materializes on the ground, posture light and very unbothered. Jack stands up and pulls Reaper with him, limping away. The sound of Machine guns fill the air.

“What the hell?” Lena says, lifting an eyebrow at the scene. “Why is Jack saving Reaper?”

“Later. Get us as close as we can, I’m going in.” Fareeha says.

Lena confirms and accelerates, the Orca engine’s shaking their frames. Fareeha walks to the door, putting her helmet on and opening the hatch. She and Winston share a look and a nod before she jumps, firing her rockets.

“If you need to, strike that ship from the air.” Winston screams to Lena, the cold wind making his voice muffled. He fixes the hold on his tesla gun and clicks his comm on, activating it with a shrill noise. Cole clicks his seatbelt off and quickly stands up. Hanzo and Ana follow, reading their weapons. “We came here to save our friend. We are coming out of this alive and with them, understand?”

“And Reaper?” Cole asks, finishing loading the peacemaker. 

Winston takes a breath, deep in thought just for a moment, before saying.“You are all authorized to defend yourself against any threat.” He nods. 

Cole puts a cigarrillo on his mouth and lights it up. Somehow that doesn’t reassure him at all.

“Here we go!” Lena screams as she lowers the ship down enough that everyone can jump safely. Everyone does so and the orca is gone as quick as it came, making a maneuver around, Talon ship right on its tail. 

Cole looks ahead of himself, into the woods and the gunfire. He’s not going back without Jack. 

--

Hanzo feels the wet snow on his hands and the cold chill of the morning snaking into his clothes. A thrum of adrenaline runs on his body. In the back of his mind, his dragons wake up, the thrill of the fight finally giving him a signal that they are still there. He just prays that this isn’t the day for them to misbehave. There is a whisper of something in his mind, much like Udon, probably taunting him, but he can’t understand it.

Ignoring it, Hanzo pays attention to the present. Winston nods at them too and takes impulse, diving through the trees. Ana runs into the forest, simply disappearing in the shadows like a ghost. 

Cole looks at him, his face is set and hard, but Hanzo can see the gleaming of fear in his eyes. An uncertainty that has been persistent the whole week. Hanzo brings him close, kissing the bridge of his nose tenderly.

“You still have me.” He says, looking intently at his mate, reassuring him. Cole takes deep breaths, face finally betraying his fear, if only for a second. He closes his eyes and touches their foreheads, before they separate and are running.

Hanzo takes impulse and jumps, climbing the nearby pine tree, holding onto the body of it. The cold wind rushes through him and he follows the noise. He takes one arrow out of his quiver and notches it, observing ahead. 

He can see, far away, Jack and Gabriel trying to run in the middle of dormant tall grass covered in the inches of snow. There is blood on their clothes and a red trail is left behind. Reaper doesn’t move like before. The old man is maskless and hobbling beside Jack, barely awake. 

Is he hurt? How?

Suddenly, he sees a hulking man come running from the trees. Mauga. The distinct feeling of dread pools on Hanzo's chest. The memories of that horrible military base in the desert come to the forefront of his mind.

Mauga passes the troops, going from the backline straight to the front. He dives in and passes Jack and Gabriel, jumping and breaking the ground in front of them. He stands up slowly, an easy smile on his face, big machine guns pointed at the targets.

Jack and Gabriel stop in place. The giant man has effectively become a wall in front of the pair. How is a man of that stature that fast? How is that possible?

From the middle of the trees, Moira approaches them at a calm pace. She has her hands folded behind her back and an easy smile on her face. She strolls around, as if this is just another Friday. 

His heart accelerates and Hanzo snarls. Soba and Udon awaken fully, making his skin buzz with energy. He looks up, seeing that Ana and Cole are still too far away, but Fareeha and Winston are closer. He just needs to buy them time. 

A noise calls his attention, then. 

“STAY BACK!” Jack shouts, pulling a rifle up, one that was hidden in his hand under the tall grass. He pulls the trigger, but it's empty. Gabriel kneels down, breathing hard and Jack tries to keep the man up, hugging him with all the strength he has. Moira tells them something that Hanzo can’t understand.

Hanzo doesn’t wait anymore and releases a scatter arrow, aiming it at a rock.

The arrow does exactly as he wants to. It passes Winston through his second jump, the trees and foliage and hits the rock, ricocheting and splintering in ten other projectiles. It hits the bulk of the Talon soldiers, killing and injuring several in the process. Moira, in her quick reflexes, moves away in a ball of smoke.

The Talon soldiers all become disoriented and start to search where the shot has come from. And in their desorientation, they can’t spot Cole walking through the trees, flanking them and dwindling their numbers with well aimed shots. They turn, and Cole throws his flashbang at them, blinding the soldiers. 

“It’s high noon!” 

Six shots.

Nine men down. 

Hanzo quickly relocates, jumping to the ground. He runs, aiming and shooting another scattered arrow. The projectiles hit a tree, ricocheting on it and hitting other three soldiers. 

Shit. Hanzo thinks, making a frustrated noise. Ana, in her hidden place, shoots dart after dart, making the rest of the soldiers fall down. At the same moment, Winston dives in, landing right behind Jack and Gabriel.

“Winston?” Jack looks up, confused, almost not believing what he’s seeing.

“We came to help!” Winston smiles at him, activating his shield.

“How?”

“We don’t leave our own behind!” Jack opens his mouth, but before he can say anything a rail of bullets hit the shield, making it start to crack. “Stay here! Fareeha, cover for us!” Winston quickly runs towards Mauga, activating his Telas gun on the way.

“DON’T STAND AROUND! ‘OPEN FIRE!” The soldier in the front commands and the others follow, Getting in formation and firing the shield. Hanzo watches as Jack crouches down, holding Reaper close to himself and protecting the man with his body.

“No, you don't!” Fareeha, from above, fires her rockets, hitting the man in the front. Several get wounded, some fly away with the force of the shot. The others scatter, hiding on the trees. Moira, from her point, way back in the fight, sends a purple orb of poison in Fareeha’s direction. 

Hanzo runs, sends an arrow in Moira's direction. It zips through the air, but the strong wind makes it lose the original trajectory, only nipping her in the calf. Moira shouts in pain, crouching down. But the arrow serves its original purpose and Moira’s aim changes, sending the purple orb flying into the woods.

After a second she sends a spray of biotics to her own wound and looks in his direction. Hanzo lowers his weapon and looks at her, face set into a serious frown, challenging her. 

Moria shakes her head and disappears into smoke again. Hanzo snarls at her and relocates, eyes darting around, trying to see where she has gone.

Hanzo hears Udon's low angry whisper, something about following her, but he shakes his head. There are more important things to worry about now. He stays low on the ground, running, eyes darting from the place where Moira was to Mauga’s location. 

Hanzo sends arrow after arrow, hitting the soldiers in the neck and where he can’t find any sort of weakness in their armor. Some of the soldiers turn to him, shooting. Hanzo takes advantage of his stature and agility and runs, hiding himself in between the small frozen grass, his white gi helping to keep disguised.

The sharp leaves hurt him, cutting Hanzo's cheeks when he runs through it. He pulls another scatter arrow, wanting to dwindle their numbers even more. But, startled, Hanzo realizes two of the Talon soldiers have approached him without his knowledge, stopping right in front of him.

What? Why haven't the dragons warned him?

Hanzo uses his bow to strike the soldier in the abdomen and watches as he doubles down. He pulls an arrow from his quiver and spears it through the soldier’s head, using the soft junction of the neck armor to do so.

The next one attacks him, but Hanzo uses a Judo move to strike the man down. With a quick movement he kicks the man’s calf, breaking his leg and making the man agonize around on the floor. The soldier shouts in pain, but Hanzo doesn’t stay for long, running straight to Jack and Gabriel.

He’s close to them, but there is no time. The barrier is almost down, cracking with the intensity of the shots. Hanzo pulls his arrow towards the soldiers and calls for the dragons.

“ Ryuu ga waga teki wo kurau !” He shouts.

But there is nothing. Not the buzz of energy, not the rush of the dragons leaving his body, not even an answer. He looks at his own hands, confused. But he doesn’t have time, as some of the soldiers shoot in his direction.

Shit.

Hanzo dives back and resumes running.

“Draw!” Hanzo hears Cole's voice echoing and the soldiers on his back all fall down.

“Thank you.” Hanzo says on his comm.

“Don't mention it, Sugar.” Comes Cole’s staticky answer. The alpha also runs, long legs passing the remaining soldiers easily, his armor deflecting the bullets.  He turns and shoot. One. Two. Three down. 

The barrier goes down. Hanzo runs faster and dives to the ground, using the slippery snow to slide and stop right before Jack and Gabriel.

“Hanzo!” Jack says. He looks at Jack and nods, by his side, Gabriel is still trying to take a deep breath, this time he’s not wearing his owl mask, showing a disfigured face under it. “Help me, he’s hurt!” He pleads. Shots interrupt them.

They hear Peacemaker shooting, and once again, Cole uses the deadeye. The alpha finally stops by their side. He looks down, horrified at Gabriel. Not at his face, no, at his leg, where the shot is still heavily bleeding.

“What happened?” Cole asks, face becoming pale.

“We need medical help.” He pleads and Cole can only nod, eyes wide with horror. He kneels down and can see blood seeping into the snow. “His healing is not working.”

“Goddammit.” Cole says and a shot zips right past him, hitting Gabriel in the leg. For a second they despair, but when they look down, they see that it is one of Ana’s darts. She sends two more, but misses the last one.

“F--eeha? I need to get closer, can you do that?” Hanzo hears Ana ask on the comms.

“The soldiers are too c--se, I’ll end -- hu---ng them.” She answers back.

“Switch with me!” Winston screams and they hear the sound of strong and heavy footsteps nearing them.

“On it!” Fareeha pushes herself higher into the sky, in the direction of Mauga. Hanzo checks his quiver, realizing he only has two more scatter arrows besides the normal ones. Shit, he should have made more. No time for this. He turns and releases more arrows, putting some of the men down. Cole points the peacemaker up and kills six more soldiers with Deadeye before Hanzo can intervene.

“ You’ll hurt yourself, insufferable cowboy! ”Hanzo snaps, pulling Cole’s hand down with a  harsh tug. Cole’s eye is already red around the iris.

“It’s better to go blind than losing y’all.” He says and Hanzo doesn’t have time to digest the phrase. A shadow passes above them. It's Winston, running into the soldiers, Tesla gun forgotten and just his fists swinging around. In his rage, the Gorilla knocks (and absolutely kills) several soldiers, leaving them to scatter around and run back into the woods.

Hanzo turns to Jack and Gabriel. He realizes quickly that they look like hell. Dehydrated, absolutely exhausted. There are wounds everywhere, not just cuts and shots, but hematomas. Jack’s eyes are dazed, not from heat (as the smell is just lingering now), but the dangerous shine of a semi feral omega. 

Hanzo’s body shakes. 

They should have brought Angela with them. Should have prepared for the worst situation.

“Come on.” Hanzo says, grabbing Jack to help him up. Cole crouches beside Gabriel and pulls the hood off of his face. 

“Take him, son.” Gabriel says, voice slurred.

“No!” Jack says, pulling himself away from Hanzo. “I’m not going without him! I'd rather die here!” He hugs the alpha’s body close to himself, protective.

“Cole, take him and go.” Gabriel insists.

“Shut up!” Jack exclaims, tears filling his eyes.

Hanzo almost rips his hair out from frustration. What the fuck is wrong with people??????

“ SHUT UP, You GODDAMN BASTARD ! Stop being so goddamn dramatic!” Cole shouts at Gabriel. Hanzo stops in place, eyes going wide as he watches Cole pull the old alpha up, by the collar of his cloak and sneers at him. “You ain’t getting outta this easily, you hear?” Gabriel laughs weakly and Cole passes the older man’s arm around his own shoulders, carrying him. “Come on. You’re answering for all the bullshit you made us go through.” He says through gritted teeth, anger radiating from him in waves. 

It makes Hanzo gag. He takes in a deep breath and tries to center himself. Pulling Jack’s arm back into his shoulder, Hanzo looks at the older omega. “ I hate you! ” He turns to Jack and then to Gabriel. “ Both of you! ”

“Curse me later.” Jack says and they start to limp away. Behind them they can hear Fareeha and Mauga fighting. Pharah sends rockets in his direction. Mauga’s guns manage to hit her, but she's too far away to be truly hurt, his shots only denting her armor.

“Se se'i koikiiki!” They hear the man scream and a huge hard light cage materializes, chains leaving the device thrown on the ground.

Fareeha shoots several times, but two Chains grab her legs, pulling her down. Hanzo stops, putting Jack seated on the ground for a second and shoots several arrows towards the barrier. It starts to crack, but it’s not enough.

Winston huffs for a moment, getting down from the rage state. Realizing Pharah is stuck with Mauga, he quickly gets his Tesla gun and runs towards the giant man. He turns it on, the electricity hitting the barrier with full force.

The shield goes down. Hanzo pulls his empty bow, asking for Soba and Udon to help. The storm arrows he releases are weak and barely pinch Mauga's body. A yellow orb starts to float in their direction and connects to Mauga, making the alpha sigh in satisfaction.

“Thanks, doc.” Mauga says, turning to where Moira probably is. Immediately, the giant alpha is hit with three consecutive shots, Ana, somewhere making him flinch with pain.

Hanzo pulls a sonic arrow, sending it in their direction. It easily passes Mauga, making the man scoff at his aim. But Hanzo didn't want to get him.

His sonic arrow emits a low hum. He sees Moira's form.

Aim. Breathe.

Go on, little one . Soba whispers.

Shoot.

The storm arrow violently zips in the air and hits something. A scream rings through the trees and Hanzo watches Moira’s form retreating away.

Cole stops in his tracks and turns around, grabbing Peacemaker and shooting Mauga several times. It's just the giant alpha now against them, but the shots seem almost ineffective. Fareeha keeps shooting at Mauga’s direction. She watches as he activates a biotic field round himself and takes all the hits, sending more and more fire in her direction.

Ana shots a biotic dart on her neck and Pharah sighs in relief.

“Thanks, mom.” She says in the comm, then she shoots up on the air. She pushes the raptor suit up, getting rid of the hard light chain. “Run to the orca, we can hold him back!”

“Go, we’ll catch up!” Winston screams. “Tracer, get the Orca ready.”

“On it!” The communicator crackles.

“AAH, fuck it!” Cole says, pulling Gabriel over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes.

They all sprint as fast as they can. The remaining soldiers follow them, shooting sporadically. Once they get back into the forest, it becomes more difficult to see where they are going. The team keeps a loose formation, trying to keep the soldiers out of their backs. This is not the time to fight back, but to run as fast as they can.

They hear the boom of the Orca’s rockets crossing the air and moving ahead of them. The talon ship follows, trying to get their ship down.

As soon as Hanzo sees the ship in the sky, he feels invigorated. He’ll get Jack inside and back to the watchpoint no matter what. Cole is running just ahead of them, being the one with the longer legs made it easier for him, even with the weight of Gabriel on his shoulder.

Just as Hanzo and Jack are approaching where the Orca will land, a purple orb passes him, taking most of his and Jack’s energy out. Hanzo’s legs falter and Jack immediately passes out, already too exhausted. He pulls himself up and watches as Ana stops beside him.

“Need help?” She asks, already injecting him with biotics.

“I am fine.” He says, feeling the dart making its desired effects. Not enough for him to actually be in top shape, but enough for him to stand up. “Let's go.” He tries to stand up and get Jack, but Ana is quicker. She grabs Jack in a fireman's hold and starts running. Hanzo follows in a weaker pace, staying behind the other team mates. His legs are heavy, breath hard, but he can do it.

He's the last one in the formation now and can see others getting way ahead of him. Why can’t he go faster? Why can’t his legs work? He needs to climb up on a tree or something, his boots would make it easier to get impulse there and just jump as hard as he could.

Something slams against his body, taking his breath away. 

One of the remaining soldiers, from the ones that hid in the forest before, throws him on the ground.

His ears ring as he falls. The soldier holds the omega's arms on his back. There is a surge of adrenaline, dread fills Hanzo's lungs. He snarls and tries to get back up, thrashing around, trying to push the man away from him. 

“Stay down!” The Talon soldier says. With all the force he has, Hanzo hits the back of his head with the soldier's face. The helmet hurts him more than the soldier, he’s sure of it, but it makes the hold falter on his wrists. He takes the opportunity to try to get up and run.

Something hits Hanzo hard on his shins, damaging his boots in the process. He falls. Before he can get his bearings, the soldier puts a knee on his back and pulls his hands together. A hand slam against the back of his neck.

“ NO! ”He and Soba scream. Hanzo feels a surge of power inside himself. He pulls his arms free and hits the man with his elbow. The soldier stumbles and falls on the ground. With a growl Hanzo dives in and hits the man’s face with the point of his bow until the visor cracks open. Hanzo keeps hitting, listening to the whispers of Soba in his ear.

Hit. Crack.

Threatening alpha! Threatening alpha!

Blood seeps into snow.

Kill him, Sister! KILL HIM! Udon encourages.

By the time he’s done, the soldier's nose, his face, his eyes are bloody and torn and the man has passed out.

A second soldier shows up, stopping for a second and looking at the scene before him. With wide eyes, he dives in to hurt Hanzo. 

You won't hurt our boy! Soba says through Hanzo’s mouth, throwing the bow away. The omega waits for the right moment for the man to come close enough. Hanzo grabs the barrel of the pulse gun, pulling it from his hand. He hits the man’s throat  with the butt of it, making him choke. When he stumbles down to his knees, Hanzo takes the opportunity.

He climbs the man and puts his hands around the man's neck, pushing him down, his thumbs pressing his larynx until he feels it start to break. The soldier trashes around, but Hanzo pulls him up and slams his body on the ground, finding strength that he didn't know he had. Lightning courses through his veins, crackling in the air.

Take your revenge, little one. The twins say and Hanzo watches in horror as the soldier takes his last breath, neck breaking under his hands. As easy as the power of his dragons came, it's gone and Hanzo realizes, to his horror, that he's smiling. Quickly he pulls his hands away, throwing himself to the ground, pushing himself far away as possible from the body.

He was awake now, just as the time in Hanamura, ten years ago.

Moira materializes in front of him, looking at the body of the Talon soldier with an annoyed stare.

“What a mess you all made.” She tuts, like a school teacher telling children they misbehaved. “Well, no matter.” She calmly approaches Hanzo.

Hanzo pulls himself up, but stumbles, falling back down, realizing his boots are in fact, badly damaged.

“I’m fascinated with what you can do, Shimada. Seeing it in person even more so.” Moira crouches down and grabs Hanzo’s face, turning it. “Akande was right, you are the perfect candidate.” She smiles at him.

--

“Where is Hanzo?” Cole asks, looking around. He watches as Ana and Jack pass him. When he doesn't see Hanzo coming too, Cole immediately feels a cold rush over his limbs, fear and adrenaline making him move. “Ana, Where is Hanzo?”

“He was right behind us.” She says, looking back. The orca is still in the sky, trying to land. “Hanzo, come in.” She tries her comm, tuning Hanzo’s channel. There is only heavy static from it. “Hanzo!” She screams, but the comms only tick and pops.

“Get him to the ship.” He says, putting Gabriel on the ground close to Ana, before running off.

“What?” She asks, confused. “Cole! DON’T GO ALONE!” She shouts.

“I ain't leaving my mate behind!” He sprints. An explosion makes them all flinch and look up to the sky. The Talon ship is hit and starts to go down, in the direction where Cole is going.

“Sorry, loves, I was sidetracked for a second!” Tracer says on the comms.

After the orca lands, Ana puts Jack down and walks to the ship.

“Tracer, get them inside the orca. Start first aid.” She says as soon as the ship’s doors are open. Tracer gets out of the pilot seat and looks around. She pulls her guns up, realizing Reaper is there with them, but Ana stops her. Tracer looks at her surprised, but the omega shakes her head. “I know. But you have to trust me, it’s okay.”

They both put both JAck and Reaper back on the Orca, laying them down on the floor. Jack is almost unconscious, Gabriel’s breath is erratic. Ana’s biotics are not enough, but Tracer soon gather the med kits, patching them as best as possible. The pilot squints at Gabriel's face. 

“I’m going back and helping Cassidy.” Ana says, standing up.

Gabriel tries to stand up too, body hunching over. 

“Stop, Gabriel.” Ana puts a hand on his shoulder. “You need rest!”

“It's Mauga.” He snarls at her. “He'll kill them all with one hand if I don't help! Or worse, they'll get captured. I need to stop him.”

“I'll go with you.” Jack mumbles from where he is laying, eyes closed. He tries to stand up, but his arms are shaking, he can barely roll around. Tracer goes to him, supporting his back.

“You will not.” Gabriel tries to command, but Jack shakes his head.

“You’re not going back there alone…” A deep breath. “You’ll… die…”

“ You're trembling from head to toe! You can't do anything! ” Gabriel says in Spanish.

“And you can?” Ana asks and Gabriel turns back to her. “Gabriel, look at you.”

“I had worse.” 

“And yet, you’re still not going.”

“Give one of your healing darts.”

And in the past, when Ana had more patience and more respect for Gabriel, she would probably lose time arguing with him. Making sure he knew the consequences of his actions, the people he would be leaving behind with his reckless behavior. Now, older and more wise, she knows better strategies. 

“Okay.” She says and watches as Jack growls at her.

“No!” Jack pulls his mate down by the shirt, pulling him down, face contorting in grief. “You promised!” He cries, face contorted in anger. “You promised to go back with me, you bastard.”

“I’m sorry.” He says, cradling his face, making small circles on his cheek. 

“I am not.” Ana says. Gabriel feels a pressure on his leg, then pain. When he looks down, he realizes is a dart. Not a healing one. A second one hits Jack straight on his arm. 

“An…” Jack falls on the ground, passed out. Gabriel tries to turn to her, but can’t, his eyes roll back and he’s out cold. 

Shots are heard.

Ana nods. “Keep them inside, habibi.” She orders and Tracer looks at her, confused. 

“Ana, you called him Gabriel… As in Reyes?”

“I will explain later. Just make sure they are safe and don’t let them go out of the ship. I don’t think Cassidy will be able to handle the pain if they die here.” She smiles at her, more of a grimace than anything else. Tracer nods to her, looking back at the two old soldiers on the floor of her ship. “ Watch them, I'm saving the rest of our family.”

She turns and starts running.

Tracer shakes her head, but zips away, getting more medical equipment. She first starts patching up Jack, using strong Biotics and the medical stapler to close the wound on his arm. It takes some time, but when she’s satisfied with her work, she goes to Gabriel, cutting part of his pant’s leg open and looking at the shot. Thankfully it’s not anywhere near an artery, but still it's a bad injury.

She patches him as best as she can, using her training for first aid. She knows it's not enough, but she can see that the biotics take the pain away, making Gabriel relax. She shakes her head, baffled. 

Gabriel Reyes. Alive. 

She looks at his clothes, finding the small Talon insignia on the zipper and on the breast of his shirt. The smoke slowly lifts from his body. Closing her eyes, Tracer tries not to think of the implications. She just moves along, trying to save the life of a friend she thought she had lost a long time ago. 

When she finishes, Tracer runs to the cockpit, pulling the Orca from the ground, waiting. She doesn’t see Gabriel's eyes fluttering open, as the tired alpha looks outside of the ship.

--

Hanzo snarls, lunging at her, but Moira ducks away in time, escaping his attack. As she materializes away, Hanzo feels a shiver run up his body and ozone fills the air. His arms start to get surrounded with energy, lighting running down his fingers, cracking against the ground.

“ Stop it.” Hanzo closes his eyes, grabbing at his tattooed arm. “That is enough!” He says through gritted teeth. There is a rumble and Hanzo feels his mind coming back to him. When he looks up again, Moira is looking at him in amusement. “WHAT?”

“What do you think will happen once they learn what you can really do?” She asks, hand openings as she motions to the carnage around them.

“Shut up, witch!” Hanzo swallows down and pulls his empty bow, the storm arrows materializing up on them, this time they are wild, throwing lightning around.

“Do you really think they’ll accept you?” She scoffs. “Look what they did to poor Reyes.”

“ You did that to him.”

“Yes. I made him stronger, the perfect soldier like my superiors at overwatch wanted. And they discarded him, even before the whole operation fell. Used me and him as escape goats.” Moira shakes her head, grimacing. Overwatch? Hanzo blinks, hesitating. “Have you noticed a trend with the ones left behind? Special unexplainable abilities, used and abused by overwatch until they are deemed useless and then thrown away.” She smiles, approaching him. “It is only a matter of time until they let you go too.”

“Liar.”

“Ask your commander about what happened with Cassidy, Reyes, Soujorn… Me. ” Moira smiles kindly at him, no malice in her features. Just a genuine kind smile. What a strange thing to see. 

Hanzo doesn’t answer, taking deep breaths. Cole's words from days ago come back to his mind, about how he was abandoned by everyone.

He hates to think that, but Moira is not entirely wrong.

“People have tried to change your nature, Shimada. Whipping you into shape, like a misbehaved monster. But imagine what we can do if you embrace your power?” Moira brings her hand to her own chin, the one Hanzo saw the same discoloration from before. Now it has purple veins running all over it. It feels like Hanzo is looking at a corpse.

“Then I'd become one of your mindless beasts. ” Hanzo throws a storm arrow, but the ball of lightning fizzes away before it can hit her. “I will belong to no one.”

“Maybe I can show you then, how we can offer you more.” Moira seems to have run out of patience. “It’s not what Akande wants, but we are not entitled to patience, are we? Your lot ruined the chances of finishing with 76, we might as well rush to our next assignment.” She opens her hand and purple streaks appear, connecting to Hanzo.

There is a soft click in the air. Moira feels the cold barrel of a gun against the back of her head.

“Hey, Moira.” Cole says, behind her, breathing hard. “Been a long time since I've seen you, huh?” His tone is sympathetic, but Hanzo knows is full of sarcasm.

“Cassidy.” She huffs. “What a joy to see you here.” She rolls her eyes.

“You look good, for someone rotting away.” He says, looking at Moira’s arm. She scoffs and in a swift movement she ducks from his aim. Cole shoots twice, but Moira strikes his hand hard, making Cole shout in pain, releasing Peacemaker.

“Same saccharine tone, same empty head.” She grabs Cole by the throat, nails digging on his neck as she SQUEEZING it. “But it’s good to have both of you here. It saves me time.” She pulls her left hand up, the purple energy tendrils leaving her hands and taking away the energy from Cole. The Alpha looks at her with despair, breath erratic, thrashing around. His energy is being drained, he can’t think straight. Panic takes over him.

“RELEASE HIM!” Hanzo shouts, feeling rage overtake him. The dragon takes over for a second and a wave of uncontrollable energy shoots from Hanzo’s arm. Moira releases Cole, startled. She dives away. Cole falls down, hitting the ground hard and Hanzo desperately stumbles and crawls to his alpha, the dragons fading away. He can only think of defending his mate, defending his family.

When he gets beside Cole, he pats his cheek, making the man wake up gasping for air. Hanzo realizes his eye is already red, iris shining gold, the start of a panic attack settling into the cowboy’s chest as his eyes glaze with a flashback.

“ Cole. Match my breathing.” He says, pulling Cole's hand to his chest. The alpha wheezes, eyes lost. “ I'm here! You're here! Come back. ”

The Talon airship passes above them, falling from the sky. Several soldiers eject from it, activating their propulsors as they land far away from them and where Wisnton and Pharah are still fighting with Mauga.

Moira looks at them with a mixture of fascination and mild disgust. These two seem to be even more compatible than Jack and Gabriel. Perhaps she managed to stumble over true mates yet again.

“What is it about Overwatch that calls for compatible monstrosities to huddle together?” Her tone is genuinely curious.

Hanzo looks up, confused.

She takes a step forward. Hanzo holds his breath. A shadow comes out of the treeline, and Hanzo watches as Ana stops in front of them, dart weapon held up and pointing straight at Moira. 

“It’s better you give up now, O’Deorain.” Ana’s tone is icy, her stance firm, eyes never leaving Moira’s form. 

“Amari.” She eyes at the old soldier with an unimpressed stare. “It has been long since we’ve seen each other.”

“Less time than I wanted to.” She says, firm. “I will not let you take my family from me again. You're outnumbered.” Ana insists through gritted teeth. “Walk. Away.”

“Am I? Outnumbered?” She asks. The sound of the soldiers approaching fills the air. Ana, however, doesn’t let it stop her. She shoots one, two darts and Moira moves in the ball of smoke. She activates her gloves, purple tendrils moving towards Ana. The old omega runs towards Moira instead of running away, using her riffle to try and strike the Geneticist. 

Moira is fast. Faster Than Hanzo expects for a scientist. Her long limbs dance around as she exchanges punches and sends orbs in Ana’s direction. Hanzo pulls his last two scatter arrows. 

“Take cover!” He screams and Ana dives behind the three. He sends the arrows and Moira disappears in the darkness of the woods. 

Hanzo looks around, the silence of the woods only being cut by the relentless sounds of gunfire and the sound of heavy bodies being thrown around. Ana hasn’t left the shadows again. 

Moira jumps, materializing mid air. She opens her hand, gloves releasing the purple shine. Hanzo pulls his bow up. One, two, three darts hit Moira midair. The geneticist screams in pain, and falls to the ground, clutching her arm in pain. The veins around the dart start to become purple. She faces Hanzo now, angry with a snarl on her face. 

“Tell Ziegler…” She starts, but shakes her head, eyes dropping. “Her research on reviving dead cells gave fruit.” Smiling, Moira tries to get up, but can’t. “The results are remarkable.” Hanzo realizes she has been hit with one of Ana’s sleeping darts. Before she passes out, she disappears, leaving only the purple residue behind her. 

What the actual fuck? 

Ana leaves her hiding spot, falling down from the tree. Snow falls with her and Hanzo wonders how silent the woman can be, after all?

“Are you two okay?” She crouches down beside Hanzo, examining his injuries. Prying Cole’s eye open, she tsks, shaking her head at the cowboy’s recklessness. 

“I am fine.” Hanzo swallows down and hopes that Ana hasn’t seen what happened before Moira showed up. She pulls his arm close and gives him two biotics shots and Hanzo sighs in relief, feeling his body tingle with the medicine. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Amari.” Cole nods at her as she injects biotic on him too. Moira’s attack did a number on him, and Hanzo watches as the cowboy stumbles to stand up. 

“Your comm was down again.” Ana’s tone is stern and she lifts an eyebrow at Hanzo.

“The dragons, they must be interfering with it.” Hanzo breathes out, but Ana stares at him with a suspicious look. She looks behind her and frowns at where Moira disappeared to. 

“We should move.”

They help Hanzo to stand up, the Omega already feeling the sleepless night and stress catching up to him. Always the worst time, isn’t it? Cole isn't much of a help, with Moira’s attack making significant damage to him on top of the choking. Both use each other to stand up. 

The sound of Pharah’s rockets calls their attention. They hear the machine guns approaching. Turning back, the fight becomes clearer. Winston is fighting against Mauga one on one, throwing fists. Right, left, a hook. Where is Wisnton’s Tesla gun? Hanzo’s eyes dart around the woods, trying to find it, but can’t. 

His eyes turn back to the fight. Wisnton is sloppy, but his brute force is enough to make Mauga feel it. 

Around them, the remaining Talon soldiers try to interfere. One, using a white and red uniform, sends what Hanzo thinks are healing grenades towards Mauga. It makes Winston’s punches insignificant. Pharah hits him from above, sending the healer flying. Mauga looks at the direction of the fallen soldier and his expression darkens, just for a second, before he charges against Wisnton.

“Let’s skedaddle from here.” Cole grabs Hanzo’s arm and pulls it around his neck.

“Commander, 76 and Reaper are safe on the ship!” Ana shouts on her comm.

“Pharah, le-- run!” They hear Wisnton say. “Get back t-- -he orca, all of you!” He orders and they all nod. Cole pulls Hanzo up and both start walking with difficulty.

“Just a second.” Ana says, pulling her dart gun and loads with something. “Angela gave me to test it out.” She smiles and grabs Cole’s arm, injecting him with something. Cole's ears ring, heart accelerating like he’s full of adrenaline.

“Jesus H. Christ, Mrs. Amari.” He shakes his head and after a second, throws Hanzo over his shoulder, holding him like a sack of potatoes.

“COLE CASSIDY!” Hanzo exclaims.

“Beembarasselater!” He turns to Ana, offering to do the same, before the older omega gives him a stern look of disapproval. 

They start running.

Like this, Hanzo can see the fight perfectly. He watches as Winston fights with Mauga, separating them from the soldiers. Pharah fires her rockets again and goes as far in the sky as she can.

“Justice rains from above!” She shouts the voice command and every latch on her suit opens up. All of her rockets are sent at the same time in Mauga’s direction. Wisnton throws his bubble shield on the ground, protecting himself from the multiple blasts.

When the smoke from the rockets stop, the giant man finally laughs tiredly and then falls to the ground, passed out, but not dead. 

“I’m out of ammo!” Pharah screams. 

“FALL BACK!” 

Pharah and Wisnton join the rest of the team and run to the orca again.

The medic approaches running, throwing a device in the air where Mauga is, a shield of some sort is activated and he runs towards the giant man, administering biotic to him.

“They are healing him!” Hanzo warns, horrified as he watches the Giant man waking up patting the medic’s cheek, with what Hanzo weirdly thinks is a caress, before standing. The deployed Talon soldiers appear running from the shadows of the forest behind them, weapons up and ready. 

In desperation, Hanzo tries, once again, to call for Soba and Udon. Try to concentrate, stretching his arm as much as he can. Mentally, he begs for them to come and end these soldiers. But it’s no use. They don’t respond.

Shots are fired in their direction, one of them grazing Wisnton’s fur. Another takes Cole’s hat completely off of his head. They are tired, hurt, Hanzo can see that the effects of the stimulants are starting to run off. Too weak. He can see Cole’s legs are faltering, his speed is diminishing. 

Pharah passes past them, rocket in full blast. She grabs Ana and shoots to the sky, taking her mother to the ship.

Winston comes running in their direction and grabs both Cole and Hanzo in his arm before jumping on the three, holding onto a branch and using the impulse to redirect his trajectory. He dives.

By some miracle, they manage to reach the Orca. 

The ship is already two feet up in the air with the door open, waiting for them. Winston lands inside, right after Pharah and Ana do too. The whole ship rocks in place. 

“Lena, get us out of here as quickly as possible.” Wisnton puts Hanzo and Cole on the ground, running to the cockpit. 

Coles stumbles, the stimulant wearing off entirely. He tries to keep himself up, but can’t and ultimately drops to the ground, right beside Hanzo. They scramble away hiding from the shots. When Cole looks up, he sees that Gabriel is awake too, huddled away with a barely awake Jack.

“Leave it to me!” 

Tracer clicks several buttons, the ship accelerates and starts flying, closing the door. 

A sudden jolt stops them. Everyone shakes in place. The orca’s door creaks, shaking. 

There is something stopping it from closing. 

Coles pulls himself up and walks to the door. The cold wind cuts against his skin. When the alpha opens his eyes again, he sees that Mauga has planted his hardlight device on the ground again, its chains stuck against the Orca’s door.

Mauga pulls. The ship rocks. 

Cole points his peacemaker, shooting twice, only to realize the same shield from before is surrounding him. Shit. He reloads and shots at the chains, barely making any dent to it. A healing grenade is thrown at Mauga, healing him. 

The remaining soldiers finally catch up. They point their weapons up, shooting at the Orca.

Cole pulls Peacemaker up.

He could take the soldiers at least, can’t he? It’s only fifteen. He can do it. 

Mauga pulls again. Cole stumbles, feet slipping. A Hand pulls him black by his lapel. Cole falls back into the ship, ass hitting the floor hard.

“¡Chico estúpido! ¿Qué estás haciendo?” Gabriel snarls at him, holding himself against the wall.

“I can take them all down! You know damn well I can.” Cole screams. 

“I told you to never try that again!”

When the men reload, Ana and Hanzo take the opportunity to shoot, Ana standing and Hanzo crouched on the ground. Mauga takes his machine guns, pointing at them. Before they can do anything, both omegas are diving back into safety.

“It’s too much!” Hanzo says, watching the bullets make holes on the Orca’s fuselage and the items inside. An oxygen tank is hit, making it fizz and fall to the ground. Wisnton runs back, pulling another bubble shield on the door. The rain of bullets is enough to start cracking it in mere seconds.

“Lena!” Wisnton turns to her. 

“I CAN’T LIFT IT!” Lena screams, looking at the monitor and the lights flashing red and yellow. Hanzo feels his whole body shaking with dread, the image of Hana on that video coming back to the forefront of his mind. He looks from the cockpit to Cole. 

Maybe he can’t do something, but the dragons can.

It will be his end, his demise. But it will save them all. He did it once, ten years ago, maybe he can do it again. 

He closes his eyes, concentrating. 

“No!” Cole screams.

Hanzo opens his eyes, startled, thinking his alpha is talking to him. But it isn't so. Looking up, he watches as Gabriel pulls the peacemaker from Cole’s hand and stumbles out of the ship.

Cole scrambles up, to try and follow, but Hanzo doesn’t let him. He Snakes his arms around his mate’s torso, pulling him back with his body weight.

No! He’s ours! Udon says, lending him strength. 

Gabriel falls hard and without any grace in the snow, struggling to keep himself even seated up. A soldier attacks him, but he shoots him with the Peacemaker. Again and again. One, two, three times, until the soldiers fall down. The gun clicks, empty. The alpha pulls it safely away somewhere in the many pockets on his clothes and pulls the soldier’s shotgun from his dead hands. He points at the chains and shoots.

The whole thing cracks away, chains disappearing. 

Tracer pulls the big ship up in the air.

“REYES!” Cole shouts, desperate. 

-

Gabriel looks at the sky, watching as the giant Orca flies in a circle around them. He breathes out, relieved. They are safe. He saw the way Cole was holding himself up in the ship. How Hanzo pulled him back, desperate to never let him get hurt or snatched away. How hurt Jack is. And he remembers what is planned for them.

He closes his eyes, and for a second he can see it on his head. Cole, happy, with his daughter in his arms. The omega that actually cares for him by his side. He sees Jack, lulling Ako back to sleep.

Unlike Gabriel, his kid has a future, a real one. 

When he opens his eyes to the white hell he’s been in, it almost hurts.

A shot passes by his head. Gabriel looks up, The soldiers are moving in his direction. He braces himself to be hit by the bullets, but it never comes. A Bubble shield appears around him. What? He thinks, confused. 

Something falls on the ground in the middle of the soldiers, glass breaking against a rock. The fumes from it float in the air, slightly burning Gabriel's nose. Several soldiers fall down. He looks up, seeing Ana on the door of the Orca, pointing her rifle at the soldiers. Winston is right beside her, barking orders to someone inside. 

Ana puts a blue dart on her gun and points it at him, nodding. When it hits him, Gabriel feels the rush of adrenaline take over. He looks ahead and doesn't feel pain anymore, nor fear. His leg wound, his shoulder, it doesn’t matter. He takes the shotguns from the next fallen soldiers and runs. When the shield falls down, Gabriel ducks, moving like a mad man, running towards the middle where the soldiers are more concentrated. 

He’ll end this one way or the other. 

--

Reaper runs to the middle of the soldiers. The moment of surprise is what gets him the advantage, Hanzo thinks as he watches in amazement and horror. The men around him don’t start turning until Gabriel has started shooting, all surprised by the hail of bullets coming from everywhere. Nobody expected Gabriel to be able to do any of that still.

“Die! Die! Die! Die!” Gabriel screams as he starts killing every foot soldier around him. His body moves in a weird mixture of elegant and stiff movements, as if his body can’t abide by the request of being soft.

They are right, Hanzo thinks, it looks like a dance. A dance of beauty and death.

It takes mere seconds, and it's all over. Around Gabriel, there is only carnage. Guts, brains and blood on the snow. Red glowing so hard it almost looks supernatural. Tendrils of black smoke lift from the soldiers, seeping into Gabriel’s body. 

He falls to the ground, tired, breathing hard.

Mauga walks to Reaper, stopping in front of him. Gabriel holds his guns up, arms trembling, body crumbling on the ground. The giant alpha doesn’t look amused anymore, the smile gone from his face. He holds Gabriel by his arm, lifting him as easily as a child lifts a doll.

Cole screams for them to go back. Hanzo remembered the necks of the people in that military facility.

“Tracer, get closer!” Winston turns, voice commanding.

“No, I’ll go!” Pharah quickly approaches, checking her fuel. “I'm getting him back to the ship. Catch me in midair, Tracer.” She orders. Tracer agrees and pulls the orca around.

Fareeha uses all the power she has to go towards Mauga. But when she approaches, she doesn’t see Gabriel’s body on the ground, mangled and dead like she expects it. There is nothing there but the corpses of the Talon soldiers and Mauga. For a second, she thinks she sees a shadow moving away and into the trees.

Before she can approach Mauga turns his guns towards her, shooting. Fareeha dodges the bullets wildly, and dives back into the forest. She passes close to Mauga, avoiding to hit him by a hair, only scaring the man. He laughs, but she ignores him.

All her eyes are focused on the red puddles in the snow and the shadows. Her suit flashes a warning for low fuel. Fareeha presses on.

She finds Gabriel fallen on the ground, more smoke than man.

“Open the door! I'm coming in!” Fareeha screams as she catches Gabriel, pulling from the snow and into her arms. All she can think, as she flies back, is that Gabriel is lighter than he should have been. “You’re not getting away from this!” She screams to his limp form as she flies into the air. “DO YOU HEAR ME UNCLE GABE?” She tries again, but he doesn’t respond. “DON'T DIE, YOU IDIOT!” He’s limp, mouth open, but still breathing.

The landing inside the Orca is rough. Fareeha tumbles down as she lands inside, she and Gabriel rolling around on the ground.

“Come on, loves, let's leg it!” Tracer says. She pushes a lever down and the Orca propulsors fire into action. The door shuts, They all roll around the ship, hitting their backs to walls and holding on chairs, knees buckling.

There are shots, there is turbulence. But before they know it, they are up in the air, flying away.  

--

“Get the med kit!” Fareeha wheezes out once she manages to sit up. The next minutes are a mess, with Ana running to gather supplies and starting medical procedures. When she turns to Fareeha, she shakes her head. “I’m fine, the blood is Gabriel's.”

Winston helps to sit Gabriel up and holds the man in place, so Ana can inject him with a biotic needle. Cole tries to stand up, but his knees give out, the adrenaline making him crash.

“Saved us… He saved us.” Cole whispers that over and over, head slightly shaking, as if he can’t believe it.

Hanzo starts to feel his body shake. He takes a trembling breath and folds over himself. Too much to process.

Why? WHY didn’t the dragons come when he needed them? Why did they only show up to make him do horrible things?

He covers his face, but his nails dig on the soft skin of his cheek.

Hanzo pulls his hands back.

Horrifyingly, he realizes that his tattoo has grown again, his nails are longer like claws. Moira’s words ring on his head, repeating over and over again. 

Dangerous. 

Killer. 

Monster!  

With one of his hands, he shakily starts breaking the nails of his other hand, making them snap painfully. 

Cole quickly grabs his hand and looks at him. “Stop. Stop! You’re okay, Sugar.” He says, swallowing down. “You’re okay.” His mouth is dry from the stimulant given by Ana, head woozy from using Deadeye more times than necessary. The fine dust from Moira’s weapon lifts off of his clothes, floating in the air. “She’s wrong, Moira.” He whispers, resting their forehead together. “She’s wrong. I ain’t letting you go, hear me? You go, I go.” He squeezes Hanzo’s hands. 

It’s reassuring, it makes Hanzo take a deep, shuddering breath.

Ana and Winston finish securing Gabriel on the stretcher, putting on handcuffs on his wrists. She puts a hand on his forehead and curses about how they should have gotten a real doctor on this mission.

“Is this really going to hold him?” Pharah asks, cleaning the sweat from her brow. 

“Who knows.” Winston sighs, walking to Jack to also start the healing process. The old omega is now laying on the seats by the table, his bondmark is obvious. The commander shakes his head at the inflamed mark. He prays this was consensual and that they are not walking into a situation with an alpha using his status to control Jack. Doesn’t matter who Reaper is, its been ten years.

“Is that really--?” Tracer asks, once she puts the ship in auto pilot, approaching Gabriel. She makes a face looking at him, not of disgust, but pity.

“That is Reyes.” Winston sighs, nodding at her.

“That’s a whole new can of worms we’ll have to open.” Lena scratches the back of her head.

“Yes, I know.” Winston massages the bridge of his nose.

“Is… You know who--” Lena not so discreetly points at Cole. “--okay with that?”

“You don’t know half of it.” Winston huffs, even more annoyed.

“I can hear you perfectly well, y’all know that, right?” Cole asks, trying to stand up. Tracer grimaces at him, apologetic.

“Sit down, you're not well.” Fareeha approaches, pushing Cole down to an emergency seat. Cole sits back, almost comically falling to the seat. He grumbles something impossible to understand, but still extends his hand, helping to pull Hanzo up and into the seat beside him.

The commander just approaches Jack putting a set of cuffs on him. A precaution, he says, but Cole can’t help but frown at the action.

Hanzo stays quiet, observing them as Ana assesses his situation, putting IV bags, blood transfusions and medication to action on both. Jack seems to take the first aid well, his whole body looking better already. Gabriel is another story. He looks pale and there is something interfering with the healing process. 

She sighs, tired and moves to Jack. The omega is dehydrated and a fever is settling, a heavy one coming from the bond mark on his neck. As she opens his jacket to put the catheter and hooks him on an IV bag, a folder falls from iside of it.

Fareeha takes it with haste, so the pages don’t fly away or spread on the ground. She opens them and sits down, skimming over the small letters printed and written on it, face becoming more and more concerned as each page turns. 

Jack wakes up slowly and groggy as Ana is finishing everything.

“Gabe?” He asks and Ana puts a hand over his forehead.

“Rest Jack.” Ana whispers to him.

“He’s hurt.” Jack mumbles to her. He holds her hand in a strong grip, bringing her close. “Please Ana, help him.” he says, urgently. “Hurt… I can't lose him again.”

Ana reassures him, but Jack seems out of it, begging for Ana to help Gabriel. Hanzo has never heard the older omega so desperate before with tears in his eyes, breath erratic. Cole whimpers, swallowing down a lump on his throat. He blinks away the tears and can't help but frown.

Hanzo looks at the interaction and he feels something weird. A sadness he has never felt before, one that makes his heart beat fast and cortisol run on his body, making him tense. He feels nauseous. 

“Where is Cole?” Jack asks.

Cole bites his lips, eyes watering. The alpha stands up with Tracer’s help, walking to Jack. Hanzo holds his hand until he can’t anymore, watches Cole’s hand fall back to his side and close into a fist. 

“‘M here.” He says and Jack immediately reaches for him, holding his hand in a firm grip. He babbles something Cole can’t really make out, agitated. “Calm down, you're going to have a panic attack like this.” Cole says stern, but Jack shakes his head.

“He’s going to die, son.” He whines, voice rough with grief. His breathing is quick and the old omega closes his eyes hard. 

“He's not.” Cole shakes his head, reassuringly. “He’s here. See?” He moves away from Jack's line of sight, showing Gabriel. “Pharah saved him.” He turns to Pharah, who is a little away from them. The woman nods, not really paying attention to him. “Can you feel your bond?” At that Jack nods, tired and shaking. “See? He’s fine.” And he doesn't know if this is a good thing or not. Cole can see that whatever happened on those last days, it shook Jack to its core.

Jack turns to Cole, a dazed and tired look on his face. “I told you I was going to bring him back.”

The air turns sour immediately. Cole swallows down, grimacing at Jack. The older Omega closes his eyes, slipping back into a tired sleep. Cole pulls the brim of his hat down and silently walks back to sit beside Hanzo. They hold each other’s hand in a thigh grip.

“This is honestly depressing to see.” Tracer comments, once Ana leaves Jack to sleep peacefully.

“They renewed the bond.” Ana turns to her voice low and clipped. “This is a high stress situation. Jack is bound to act like this. We’re lucky Gabriel isn’t awake, or it would be a mess.” But Tracer just shakes her head, grunting.

“Mom. Come here.” Fareeha urges Ana to come closer. As the older omega does so, Pharah hands her the pages she already read. Ana reads it fast, face turning pale. When Winston approaches them, Fareeha passes the files to him with shaky hands.

“Dear heavens.” Winston looks at the files with horror and disgust.

“What?” Cole asks. “Pharah, what is it?”

Winston looks at Ana and she nods.

When Winston hands him the files, he has an expression on his face that is impossible to read. Cole opens it and he and Hanzo read it together.

These are documents. Several of them detailing the requests for budget, samples being sent, dates of medical procedures and surgeries and most of all, reports. 

“It's Moira’s experiments.” Cole says, turning the pages and giving it to Hanzo when he’s done. “The one she did on Reyes and more…” He says and Hanzo nods.

Subject is deteriorating at a rapid rate. [...] Disregard the last conclusion, He’s simply regenerating. [...]No, his body is melting into gas. No, into nanites. He’s merged with the tech! [...] He hasn’t merged with the tech, he has vomited all of the machines today. The smoke is dead cells.

He has absorbed someone’s energy to stay alive. These are not the nanites alone. We are on the cusp of something else. The next step. If I just managed to get my hands on a better subject…”

Hanzo doesn’t think even Moira does understand what happened to Gabriel Reyes’ body over time with the experimentations, considering the amount of speculation and guessing she did.

The documents are all mixed, as if someone tried to make a more cohesive narrative. As if someone, maybe Reyes, organized it like that. The details are somewhat like the ones that were in the press years before, but they can see that there was much much more to it. 

In the media, it was never revealed who Moira’s victims were, trying to preserve their identities so they weren’t harassed. But Hanzo remembers when the team told about her, he found out she was not only working for Blackwatch before, but also experimented on Reyes.

For a second Cole stops at one page, hands shaking, face distorted in horror and rage. Hanzo pulls his hand down a little and starts reading the page he has in hands. It describes the harvesting of genetic material from both subjects in question. All done in the moment where they were sedated (in a coma, unconscious when abc from missions and even purposefully sedated) when Jack or Gabriel couldn’t even know what was being done to them.

Hanzo squints at the descriptions. These are not just skin grafts and blood samples. It’s egg and semen harvesting.

“When…?” Cole asks, reading the pages fast.

“By the dates, a little before the crisis ended.” Ana sits down, hands over her mouth. “When she was hired by us.”

Cole looks back, reading the documents. At several points, there is mail, actual written letters, between doctors. Overwatch Doctors under aliases. It shows the frustration of Moira’s superiors at their failures of duplicating the success of the SEP soldiers.

Apparently, nothing seemed to work. Too much deterioration, growths and tumors, deaths, people mangled in the process. Unsustainable in the long run.

The photos are horrible.

The next document describes all the budget asked for serums, mysterious compounds, experiments and even secret surgeries done on Jack and Gabriel to regain the fertility they seemingly lost during the SEP process. Moira also asks for the budget to deal with the side effects of every method used, every reaction, medical problems and complications.

It seems agonizing.

Hanzo’s eyes linger on a page in specific. It’s one of the doctors sending a report to Moira.

… fetal development is going better than expected for eight weeks showing more promise than the other ones. I have asked the commander to come to the office at least once every two weeks, to monitor it closely. Fortunately, this time it isn’t an ectopic pregnancy and we may go forward.

The work done by the Antarctica team is marvelous, we can finally maintain Subject 24 material alive for long enough to be able to inseminate… 

Hanzo’s heart thunders on his chest.

…I have to inform you that he asked for a termination, as quickly as possible, so“no one would know”. I explained to him why we couldn’t, legally speaking. After he threatened to go to someone else, I reminded him that I was obligated to report him to the authorities in case it happened and of the consequences. He seemed to calm down after that and accepted the two weeks consultation…

His hands shake.

Please, Dr. O’Dorain, warn the medics on the other Watchpoints not attend his request in case he does so anyway. The…

Some more paragraphs go on, describing how the fetus was developing badly, but still viable. At some point, Moira describes how it was more likely that the fetus would die soon after birth, but it would still be more progress than she has ever made before. The pain Jack was in, vomiting, the complications, even bleeding and passing out, seemed to be an afterthought. Moira kept going, and her bosses seemed happy about it.

“... Subject 76 was rushed to the emergency room this morning. That insolent doctor has gone behind your back and destroyed the experiment! The fetus showed no signs of heartbeat and both subject 76 and subject 24 are recuperating with Doctor Ziegler. Thank you for sending the team here, they worked quickly and recovered the discarded material discreetly. I’m sure we can manage to study it in time. 

I will deal with Ziegler myself. Make sure she is held responsible for this.”

The next one makes Hanzo want to puke. Seems to be the last one. The nail on the coffin.

Regardless of that setback, Insemination was done successfully, but the fact he’s away from his mate for too long could become a problem for us. As told before, this egg in particular is very sensible. Thankfully, Dr. Ziegler’s work has helped us to further the longevity of it. At least she’s worth something.

A page is missing in the middle, maybe on someone else’s hands, but regardless, the end of it its the same.  

No, I cannot try the other methods, as they show to not sustain the fetus as well as Subject 76 could. This was already discussed. You will have to deal with Gabriel Reyes at your own risk. If he asks for the termination of this new pregnancy, I will have to attend. He still is his handler, there is nothing we can do, legally speaking.

More pages missing.

We Urge you to put a hold on the experiments on Subject 76 for the time being. We have orders to start Project Reaper. Subject 24 has become a “loose gun”, and our higher ups have requested for it. It’s important to prove it will work to show that control of the Subjects after fully developed is possible. 

You can try the methods shared with you. He has shown great success with his last subject, I'm sure you’ve heard of Amelie Lacroix? If so, please make sure to follow his methods to a T. The breaking of the bond is the most crucial part of it.”

Hanzo turns to Cole and sees he’s holding several printed photos on pages. He gives it to Hanzo and when he takes them, the omega sees several photos and images of Jack’s tests. Some show him asleep, some show the marks, injuries and the aftereffects of all of the failed experiments.

“Winston?” Cole looks up, horrified and the commander nods.

“These… These seem to be from us.” He confirms and Hanzo hastily looks at the details of the documents. Timbré paper, there are holographic symbols, stamps of approval, signatures and several other security marks on it.

“Angela’s name is on this…” Tracer says, reading the documents too. 

“I know.”

“We… we did this?” Cole looks up, face pale, his eyes are haunted by the simple idea. The whole room reeks of anger and frustration. Hanzo feels like an iron ball has dropped into his stomach, The silence on the plane is only filled by Gabriel’s deep and erratic breathing.

“What are we doing once we land, commander?” Fareeha asks.

Winston looks at them, more serious than Hanzo has even seen him before.

“We heal and wait for them to wake up. And we ask.” Winston says. “I want to understand where he got those Documents from.”

“And then?”

Winston shakes his head. “I do not know.”

They all sit around, in a deathly silence.

Hanzo feels his body tingle, his mind reeling, confused. Cole brings him close, holding his hand for dear life.“You’re with me.” He whispers and Hanzo nods. With a squeezing feeling on his chest, Hanzo spends the remainder of the trip looking to the floor.

Moira’s words ring on his head.

--

To say Angela is not happy when they arrive is an understatement. First she's angry about the fact they left without her. Then she's angry at the fact Hanzo was hurt, yet again, during a fight. When she sees Cole, red eyed and almost falling over himself from the stimulant crash, she's ready to strangle everyone there.

And then, when Fareeha and Ana wheel Jack and Gabriel, Angela gasps a hand quickly moving to cover her mouth. 

For about a minute, she just looks at them, their necks, eyes searching Jack’s face, trying to understand. After, when she finally seems to snap out of it, Angela turns to Winston, angrier than Hanzo has ever seen her. Ranting about letting Jack be wild bitten and bringing a stranger into their base.

But Wisnton doesn’t budge. He pulls a hand up, making Angela stop talking.

“Do you know what these are?” The gorilla simply gives her the files and Angela’s face scrunches. She reads them quickly and shakes her head, hands trembling.

“What is this?” She asks, horrified. Winston talks quietly to her and he looks up, shocked. “How dare you ask me if I have any involvement in this!” She almost screams at him, tears gathering on the corner of her eyes. Not for sadness, but anger. Hanzo shudders at the mere idea of being the subject of Angela's rage. He remembers her cold eyes and the demeanor when he arrived. “I was the only one there that actually listened to Jack! I HELPED him when no one else would. I got suspended for A MONTH because of it!”

Winston quietly speaks something else to her and Angela nods, they can’t hear it well. She shakes her head and in silence, hands coming to her mouth. Hanzo has never seen her this shaken. She asks something and Wisnton nods, motioning for Ana to approach. After a brief discussion, Angela fiddles with her staff to the right setting and asks Ana and Fareeha to help her wheel them to the med bay.

Tracer helps Hanzo and Cole to leave the orca, leaving them on the seats nearby. Hanzo sits down, but Cole stays standing, shifting from one leg to the other. “I'll call for Lucio and Brigitte, don't worry, Loves.” She whispers, before straightening her posture and zips away, disappearing into the base.

Winston sighs, walking to them with a disappointed, defeated look.

“What a mess.” He scratches his head. “Are you two okay?” The gorilla turns to them worried. Hanzo nods, but Cole only lifts his hand up. “I'll be back in a moment. I need to… Figure it out.” he huffs, massaging the bridge of his nose. He walks away leaving Cole and Hanzo behind.

The silence that fills the air seems thick. Hanzo can faintly hear in the distance, in the other rooms of the base, the noises of people working, walking, the faint laughter of someone. 

But here and now, in the docking bay, they are alone.

The alpha looks at him, a distressed expression on his face, swallowing down. Hanzo doesn’t hesitate and grabs Cole’s hand, pulling him into a hug. The cowboy stumbles down into his arms, face pressing tightly against his chest. His hat falls from his head, hitting the ground with a low thud. Pushing his face against Hanzo's lap, Cole takes in a shuddering breath, hiccuping a dry sob. 

Hanzo caresses his back, soothing him.

“We are alone now.” He mumbles against Cole's skin. “You can cry if you wish to.”

So crying he does.

Not for long, but it’s painful enough that Hanzo feels his own eyes prickle with tears, unable to handle the pain his partner is feeling. Cole hiccups and sniffs, body shaking as the grief of these last few days finally settles in. His scent, now potent with the scent dampening soaps finally wearing off, smell like a mixture of anger and fear and happiness. An overwhelming combination that makes Hanzo want to absorb all the bad things Cole is feeling, just so his mate wouldn't feel them again.

Cole pulls him close, making Hanzo open his legs so he can slot himself in the middle, snaking his arms around the omega's torso. The alpha buries his face under Hanzo’s chin, holding him so hard it takes his breath away. Still, Hanzo caresses his back, touching his cheek on Cole’s head, letting his own tears fall as he bites his bottom lip. 

It takes some time until Cole calms down. When they separate, the alpha stays crouched on the ground, eyes downcast.

“Why did you stop me?” He asks, cleaning his nose with the back on his hand. “BAck at the ship.”

Hanzo blinks and stays in silence for a minute. He bites his lips, suddenly afraid that the alpha is angry at him again. But Cole doesn’t look angry, not like that day or earlier in the mission, when he shouted at Reyes. So Hanzo opens his mouth, hesitating just a second, before speaking. 

“I don’t want the same to happen to us.” He croaks out, voice small and almost silent. Cole looks back at him, eyes wide with confusion. “I don’t want your sacrifice. I want you here with me. Safe.”

Cole’s breath quickens. He eyes Hanzo, searching his face for something. A lie? Deception? No. Truth is what he wants to see. And he finds it, in the trembling of Hanzo’s bottom lip and the scared shine on his eyes. The way the omega’s fingers dig on his arm. 

How can someone care about him like that? Feeling his eyes fill with tears again, Cole brings their foreheads close, touching them. He closes his eyes hard, breathing Hanzo’s scent, then kisses his omega’s eyelids, his cheek and then his mouth, cradling his neck tenderly. 

Somehow, Hanzo remembers the beginning of this disastrous week, with Cole kissing him after the truth was revealed, after their fight. He didn’t really understand the gesture at the time, but now, he figures it meant that despite everything, they’ll be okay. He looks at Cole and releases a laugh that sounds more like a sob, wet and hurt. 

The alpha caresses Hanzo's cheek. “What are you cryin’ for?” He asks, voice is hoarse and sad.

“For you.” Hanzo feels his chin wobble and tears, the ones he wasn’t able to shed in the last week or so, finally falling. “ And everything else .” He hiccups, cleaning his face with the back of his hand.

“Oh, sweet baby Jesus, we are a mess.” Cole laughs, wet and full of tears and brings Hanzo into another hug. He can only nod and let the alpha envelop him again, hiding his face on Cole's neck.

They spend a long time like that, in each other's arms, just breathing. The world seems to come back into focus, gears moving so they are in sync again. 

Once they separate, Cole rests his head on Hanzo’s lap.

“Thank you.” He sniffs, closing his eyes. Hanzo can only caress his hair and grunt a non answer. “Lemme see you.” Cole sits back, worried, checking on Hanzo. He cups and turns his face, moving his body, checking his arm and then his legs. The omega almost wants to bat his hands away, over-stimulated by the whole ordeal.

The tattoo has grown again, but this time it doesn’t show any signs of going back to normal.

“It was a mishap.” Hanzo says and Cole grunts, displeased with the description. 

“That wasn’t just a mishap. I saw you when Moira grabbed me.” Cole releases his hand and brings his feet up, taking one of the boots and the compression socks off. Hanzo can see there are bruises forming on it now, where he was hit with the butt of the rifle. Cole presses his lips on a thin line, nose flaring in anger. “I should've stayed with you. Should’ve…” His fingers dig lightly into Hanzo's calf, pressing the taut muscle. “Oh, God…” his tone is desperate.

“You hurt yourself too.” He pulls the alpha's face up, taking as he sees his eye almost all red.  It's still tearing up, even after Cole has stopped crying. Comparing his two eyes, Hanzo can see that yes, it looks more gold than usual, almost shinning. 

“This is nothing.” Cole flinches as he closes his eyes and Hanzo shakes his head. 

“We should go to Angela--” Hanzo starts, but then stops, pressing his lips on a thin line. Cole nods, swallowing down. 

“Those documents…” He shudders.

“I know.” Hanzo says and they both can’t seem to be able to release each other.

“I'd carry you to the med bay, but I don't think I can walk, Sugar.” He says, trying to stand up, but failing. “The fuck was on that stimulant?” He asks and Hanzo chuckles, a little hysterical. Cole looks at him and starts laughing too, resting his head on Hanzo’s tight. 

Brigitte and Lúcio find them like this, laughing hysterically, not because they are happy. But because they needed an escape from the feelings building up on their chests. 

--

“You know, Sugar.” Cole says, being held in Brigitte's arms, bridal style. “You're right, this is humiliating.” He looks at the omega from over Brigitte's shoulder. Hanzo is being taken by Lucio in a wheelchair. “Why does he get a wheelchair and I don't?”

“Omega's privilege.” Hanzo mumbles, opening his eyes to look at Cole with a satisfied smile. The cowboy looks back and snorts a laugh, shaking his head.

“No!!! We only have three and the other one is with Genji.” Lucio looks at him, apologetic.

“Did we sell the other ones for money?” Cole asks, confused.

“I could give you a piggyback, if you want, Mr. Cassidy.” Briggite says, rather sheepish. “But I don't think you can hold onto me very well.”

“How is that less humiliating?” He asks, feeling his eyes dropping. Hanzo only smiles at the cowboy’s antics, making him laugh at inappropriate times.

“At least your arm is still attached. I don't think Angela would have liked that one again on top of everything.” Lúcio says and Cole grunts, mood souring. Both healers look at each other, worried. Hanzo had realized that both were fidgety from the start. “We just saw Angela run to the med bay with Jack. He looked awful.” Lúcio looks at them, confused. “Was the rescue mission that bad? Is he okay?”

“And who was that alpha with them?” Briggite asks too. Cole opens his mouth but shares a look with Hanzo, full of doubt of what to do next. Hanzo shakes his head slightly. Lúcio notices it, still.

“You should probably talk to Winston ‘bout it.” Cole clears his throat, closing his eyes. Brigitte and Lúcio share a distrustful look. “I'm actually ready to topple over.” Cole slowly closes his eyes, feeling himself drifting into sleep.

Well fuck it if he's about to have at least one good night of sleep, may that be over a stimulant drop. Cole sighs, closing his eyes, letting sleep wash over him. Before losing consciousness again, he hears, faintly, the cackle of the skull.

“Hes already asleep!” Brigitte exclaims, confused and amazed.

Hanzo nods. “It was a rather hard mission.” He sighs, feeling his whole body ache from the fight. “We wouldn't have survived if…” he stops himself. Looking up, he realizes the two young agents are looking at him with eager eyes, wanting to know anything and everything about the mission. “If we weren't lucky enough.”

Brigitte and Lucio exchange looks, showing that his deflection wasn't as effective as he wished to. Thankfully, they let it go for the moment, simply delivering Hanzo and Cole to the med bay. Cole is out cold on one of the beds and Hanzo is helped into a stretcher.

Angela and Ana barely notice them, hidden away on the ICU. Nor do the others. They are too busy making sure Gabriel and Jack are cared for, scrambling around and discussing in hushed tones.

Lucio and Brigitte medicate them as best as possible. But Hanzo can see their attention is somewhere else, trying to catch anything slipping from the commanders and the older agents. 

“They brought Jack handcuffed.”

“Man, who’s that with him?” Lúcio asks and Hanzo just shakes his head. There is frustration on Lúcio’s face, but he doesn’t particularly care at this moment. Hanzo is too tired, his head too full of information to do the job Wisnton or Ana or Fareeha are supposed to be doing. 

Only when Lucio is finished that Fareeha notices them there. She pats Winston's arm and points at them with her chin. The commander says something to tracer, who nods, zipping to their sides in a second.

“Hi, Loves.” She says with a forced smile. “Thank you for taking care of Hanzo and Cole, but we'll need some privacy right now.” She starts to push them away, grabbing their shoulders and walking both healers to the door. It doesn’t really work, considering they peek inside the ICU as seen as they pass the closed door, looking inside through the window on the door. 

Hanzo can see the exact moment Lúcio recognizes Reaper. 

Maybe it’s smoke, or the ever present black uniform with the talon insignia embroided on it, or maybe it's his scent of overripe oranges and Dead roses (now with the distinct undertone of lavender), but Lúcio’s eyes widen. 

“IS that REAPER?” His voice raises an octave, making Hanzo flinch. Brigitte looks back too, just as surprised and scared. Tracer and Winston rush with them outside, closing the door with a firm click. Voices are raised, but Hanzo watches everything unfold, tired and suffering from lack of sleep, lethargic. At least with the IV bag he can stay hydrated and feel some energy coming back. He stands up, rattling the medical equipment beside him and the bed. The others look back at him, scared for a second before relaxing back. They soon ignore Hanzo as the omega slips into Cole’s bed and his alpha snuggles close. Hanzo can finally relax. 

He doesn’t listen when Wisnton and Tracer come back. The ticking of the clock and the beating of Cole’s heart under his ear make it easy to let himself go, leaving Hanzo to drift into a dreamless sleep. 

The voices are what wake him up, they are not loud, but it’s enough chatter that Hanzo can’t slip back into sleep. Hanzo simply observes them from afar, watching as they talk and gesture around. He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but it must have been a significant amount, because the lights are on now. 

“... because It is bad.” Angela says to Winston. “Jack is malnourished and very dehydrated. He has several abrasions and cuts, not to mention the bullet wounds. He will probably sleep for a long time before recuperating.” She pulls her gloves off and discarts them in the medical trash. “This is if we don’t count the bite on his neck.” She purses her lips and sighs before continuing.. “And Gabriel… His vitals are all over the place and I can’t get a clear reading of anything.” She shakes her head, frustrated. “What we can do is wait and see how they react to the medication. I honestly haven’t seen anything like it before.” She looks back at Gabriel, watching as his form shivers and becomes intangible on the edges, fingertips turning into smoke before he becomes solid again. 

“We may have some solution for that on these files” Fareeha says, bringing the papers up to read them. She leaves through them quickly. “I remember seeing something about Gabriel going through cell regeneration.”

Angela’s shoulders become stiff.

“Doctor Ziegler…” Wisnton starts.

“I know.” She interrupts him, massaging the bridge of her nose. “They somehow used my work.” Angela shakes her head. “This research It’s why they hired me in the first place, but it was all theory. They cut my funding after it all proved ineffective. Dead cells are just that. I can bring people from the brink of it, but it was the closest I’ve ever come to it.” 

“Moira said otherwise.” Hanzo sits up, grunting a little. He blinks the sleep away from his eyes, then massages his eyelids, fully awake now. When he looks up again at the others, he realizes all of them are all looking at him, various expressions ranging from puzzled to downright suspicious coloring their faces. 

What must that look like to them? Hanzo, the person Talon has come to try and grab time and time again, with a message from Moira. He wonders, looking at Angela’s strained face, if Moira is right. Cole snuggles closer to him, his breath suspiciously less deep now. 

“That’s right, she was speaking to you and Cole…” Ana approaches, urging him to keep going. 

“She said that your cell reviving research gave fruits and… A lot more.” 

Angela’s eyes go wide, eyebrows shooting up. Winston approaches, urging him to keep talking and Hanzo sits properly, retelling the horrible things Moira has said to him. He keeps the secret of the dragon hidden away, but he figures that his dragons and his past would make it easy for them to believe Moira would call him a monster. When he finishes the whole story, silence hangs over them, heavy and uncomfortable.   

“It’s impossible." Angela shakes her head again, as if denying something. “My research cannot ‘give fruits’, it damages tissue and cells to a molecular level when there are attempts at reviving them.”

“Maybe she’s lying…” Ana thinks. 

“It wouldn't be the first time Talon has lied about something to get what they want.” Hanzo says, remembering the first time he met Akande and the deceptive manipulation of his words. 

“‘Cept this wasn’t goddamn Talon.” Cole’s voice rings on the med bay, making everyone jump in place. “This was us.” He pulls the hat from his head and yawls, using the heel of his hand to scratch the sleep away from his eye. Hanzo pulls his hand away, looking at the still red eye.   

 “I have to agree, It doesn’t make sense to fabricate such a thing.” Winston crosses his arms.

Ana stays silent for a minute, deep in thought, before speaking. “Someone clearly wanted Overwatch gone.”

“And our superiors didn’t like Reyes, and not just because of his personality.” Mercy points out. “Jack was put on the spot of commander because he had ‘the right look’. Despite his presentation never being really hidden, they avoided speaking about it. When the public found out he and Gabriel were mates it became an ‘issue’.” She uses air quotes.

“By tricking Gabriel with these and tipping him over the edge, they would discredit not only one commanded, but also Jack by proxy. It became easy to destroy Overwatch after the three founders died or became disgraced.” Ana nods, scratching her chin.

“That’s all well and good, but we know the experiments happened.” Cole sits up looking at the others. “We all saw the public files n’ investigation on Blackwatch. We all saw the files on the prisoners and soldiers Moira experimented on, we saw the results.” He lifts an eyebrow, looking at everyone there. “Or only I read the papers at the time?” 

The cowboy looks around with bleary eyes, seeing that everyone is looking back at him very, very uncomfortable. 

“That would mean it wasn’t just her involved, but the medical board, the staff, the directors, people funding it.” Ana reasons, shaking her head. “It wouldn’t be just corruption.”  

“We need to make sure the documents are real to begin with.” Pharah crosses her arms, looking at Cole. “This could be an elaborate plan for Ga-- Reaper to sneak here.”

“‘Cause Overwatch has never kept a secret and has never done anything shady in the past.” Cole rests his back on the pillow, looking unimpressed at everyone around him. “Y’all forget quite easily what me, Genji and Reyes had to do under the shadows, don’t you?”

“Please, Cassidy.” Wisnton asks, voice soft and hurt. Hanzo feels bad about it, considering Wisnton was such a believer in the cause. The tense moment passes and Cole relaxes back.    

“It wouldn't surprise me.” Ana hums, crossing her arms. “Jack had found out about our own employees leaking information to other agencies like Talon. He was at Zurich to prove my death wasn’t just an operation gone wrong.” She reaches Fareeha and takes the files, looking at it. “If anything, the rapid way Overwatch fell shows that maybe, the corruption ran too deep.”

“Maybe seeing the whole thing for what it is.” Cole says, frowning deeply. “Some old rich men using good people for their own interest. SEP, Overwatch, Blackwatch. Maybe everythin’ has always been this bad.” He looks towards the ICU. The beeping of Gabriel’s heart monitor is erratic, at times going up at rapid pace and the low, almost stopping. Hanzo can see, through the window, that the man is grunting, breathing erratically. Sweat drips down his face,

“Let’s not rush to judgment.” Winston says, very uncomfortable with the idea.

“Yes, let's not, but…. I always wondered how Moira got away with so much.” Mercy looks back to the ICU, eyes searching for Gabriel. 

“Meanin’?”

“Meaning that she would have needed a lot to make her experiments.” She turns to Cole. “You all remember how airtight the security was. We held government secrets for at least ten of the major global players. We developed research, cures and tech together.”

“Ah, right. One of the reasons they changed my name.” Cole says. “Nobody wanted to deal with the consequences of hiring a fuck up…” Hanzo holds his hand in a firm grip, trying to take Cole away from the depressing thoughts of the past. 

“You see, she would need Specific tools, devices, chemicals, items that we needed to report daily when we used it. Things she would have imported, material to be transported in specific conditions. And we could not enter the labs or leave back home with anything on us, not even a pen.” Sighing, Angela rests her face on the palm of her hands. “And most importantly, she would have needed a team to help her with moving, anesthesia and faking medical files. There is no way at least one supervisor didn't know.”

A heavy silence falls over them. Hanzo opens his mouth to say something, but shuts it quickly. He was never paying too much attention while Overwatch fell, only being worried about it as it was a threat to the clan. After the duel with Genji, everything they did seemed irrelevant, but still, he heard people talking.

“Hanzo?” Winston asks, motioning him to go on.

“I rarely paid any attention to whatever happened to Overwatch after everything happened between me and my clan.” He says. “But when the topic came, people always wondered how it all could happen without anyone's knowledge.”

And yeah, that’s a way to kill the mood even more. Ooof. Hanzo watches as everyone’s face turns away, maybe in shame, maybe in regret. Cole and Ana are the only ones that nod in understanding, years of a hard life making them not surprised things aren’t always what they seem to be. 

“But, experimenting on the commander? Both of the founding members?” Fareeha’s eyebrows knit together, a frown deep on her face.

“He’s an omega.” Hanzo says, Not really paying attention to the others as he does so. So when nobody answers, he looks up again he realizes that the mood soured considerably more. It only makes Hanzo flare his nose and look away, realizing that most there didn’t understand how hard it was being an omega, how it was a fundamentally different experience. The Controlling of their bodies, autonomy, existence. 

“Hanzo is right. Despite what the press and our posters said, Omegas weren’t any more free under Overwatch... It was still better than most places, but still, there were a lot of times I had to--” Mercy pulls a hand over her mouth, as if she spoke out of line. Cole sends her a questioning look and Angela shakes her head, dismissing the whole thing. “In any way, Moira could have used my thesis as a starting point for her own work.” Angela says, face contorting as if she’s almost in pain. 

“They also mention the Antarctica team. Maybe Dr. Zhou knows something about it. I wonder if they used the cryogenic studies developed there.” Winston scratches his chin, curious. There is a shine on his eyes Hanzo knows is because he’s having an idea he wants to pursue, but he shakes his head at the last minute. “Nevermind that. The most important thing is to figure out what we will do next with this information. Doctor, we may need some of your research and documentation from that time, so we can compare notes we have.”

“That will be fine.” She paces around the room a little. “I have been using notebooks to make notes on patients and research for a while. I’m afraid to say that Torbjörn’s distrust of relying on technology only made me afraid to keep the files only in digital data.” She stops for a second, looking down a little sheepish. “I have everything from my work in overwatch stashed away at home. I just need to ask my mother to get the boxes. It will probably be a few days of traveling, but it will be fine.”

“I will go.” Fareeha says, interrupting her. The doctor looks at her, distraught. “You know why we need to do that without you.” She says and Angela purses her lips, nodding. 

“It’s just a precaution.” Winston says, trying to be reassuring, but Angela’s expression doesn’t change. 

“I will arrange it.” She says, finally. 

“Meanwhile, I think it is best for Ana to continue to assist you.” Wisnton looks at her, before looking down, disappointed and very, very tired. Hanzo lays back down, watching as Angela agrees. The agents disperse, with Tracer, Fareeha and Wisnton flocking to one side of the med bay, sorting the documents and examining it. 

Angela walks back to Hanzo and Cole. She smiles slightly at them before looking at his chart. When she approaches to touch Hanzo's leg, he pulls it back slightly. It’s instinct, mostly. The fight, Moira’s words, the documents, watching Jack almost die and Reaper sacrifice himself. It’s too much. It makes Hanzo’s nerves fried and sensitive. But still Mercy looks at him, distraught.   

Before he can say that he still trusts her, that there is no reason for him to suspect her, especially after the year they spend on the base the door of the med bay opens and Genji rushes in with Zenyatta pushing his wheelchair. Or better yet, Zenyatta is holding the wheelchair as Genji speeds inside the med bay with Ako strapped on his lap. The baby laughs as her uncle brings the wheelchair to a stop with a screech, turning a sharp curve.

“Ako wants to see Hanzo?!” He exclaims, looking at everyone with wide eyes. He holds the baby up in the air, offering Ako to whoever is closest to him. 

“Genji, you shouldn’t be carrying weight!” “What are you doing holding Ako like that?” Hanzo and Angela speak at the same time. They look at each other and Hanzo almost wants to laugh at their synchronism and the absurdity of it at this moment. 

“I don’t know what to do! She's been crying all day!” Genji says, in the worst example of acting Hanzo has ever seen in his life since Pat McRoth. Genji is not a particularly bad liar, except in cases like these, where he doesn’t have time to actually plan his lie. And it's not only because his acting is not convincing at all, the ninja keeps stretching his whole torso to try to see whatever is happening in the ICU. Ako, with the most amazing display of comedic timing, squeals, claps her hands and then climbs out of Genji’s laps and into the floor, babbling as she crawls around the room.

Hanzo massages his face, suddenly exhausted. Cole just shakes his head, standing up from the bed with a tired sigh. Ako crawls to him and then sits on the floor, stretching her arms so Cole can pick her up. 

“Really, You’ve been crying all day, nene ?” He asks, fixing his hold on Ako. The baby babbles, patting his face with force, before looking around and scrunching her nose. Cole pulls his face away and sends Genji an unimpressed stare.

“I told you they would not believe you.” Zenyatta whispers too loudly at Genji, who shushes him with a wave of his hand. 

Wisnton and Tracer once again move to kick the two out of the med bay, but before they can do so, the door opens again with a loud noise. This time Torbjörn and Reinhardt show up.

“Now, what is this that I heard about Reaper being in the base?” Torbjörn asks, putting both hands on his waist, not even trying to be a little discreet about it. “Fist you all leave without any warning and now you come back with Jack and reaper on your toe--”

“If that is the truth, I will SMITE him!” Reinhardt interrupts the other, showing up behind the small alpha, closing his hand on a fist. 

“Please, everyone, calm down. We need to go outside, there are injured agents here.” Winston tries to calm everyone down, realizing that the situation could quickly get out of control. “We will be able to talk--” Just then, Hana shows up, being wheeled by Lúcio. 

“So, I need a refill for my pain medication…” She says, shaking a half full bottle of painkillers. Hanzo scoffs at the display, realizing that the two didn’t even try hard at all to pretend they came here for another reason. She stops and looks around. “Okay, so everyone came here to see if Lúcio isn’t lying.”

“ Qual é , I’m not lying!” Lúcio looks baffled at Hana, probably being angry at the insinuation that he's a liar. A gossip, maybe, but never a liar.

“Why does Morrison smell mated?” Torbjörn asks no one in particular, scenting the air.

“MATED?” Reinhardt screams, making everyone jump.

“ EVERYBODY OUT! ” Wisnton exclaims, his face becoming red with anger. 

The room empties in seconds.

Only Jack, Reaper, Hanzo and Cole (with Ako in his arms) remain inside, together with Ana and Angela. Cole sits on the bed, making sure Ako is comfortable in his arms. 

Ana watches from afar, as Angela goes back to work. As she examines his legs, Hanzo feels Cole’s hand clutching on his side, the metal bruising his skin. His legs hurt badly and Hanzo wonders if Angela will recommend the wheelchair for him after all.

“You’ll need rest for the next week, maybe more.” She touches his legs, turning them. “Your leg-- knee is swollen and I can see damage from the boots.” Her voice trembles a little. “We can give you a wheelchair for the next few days, b-but crutches will be fine as long as you spend the majority of the time sittin--” 

The beeping of the heart monitor coming from the ICU gets quicker, almost deafening in the med bay and Angela closes her eyes, opening and closing her mouth to say something. Nothing comes. Hanzo feels his own heart accelerating, the sound of it reminding him of listening to Genji's heartbeat. His panic suddenly comes back in full force. 

The scent of thunder suddenly invades the med bay, becoming overwhelming and Hanzo has to pull a hand over his nose and mouth. He looks up at Cole, trying to understand it, but the alpha is much the same, his nose scrunched, he hastily puts a hand over Ako’s nose. Hanzo looks back and realizes it's coming from Angela.

The beta shakes her head and tries to calm down. Tears wheel up in her eyes, but not out of sadness, but anger. “I am sorry, Hanzo. I'm just--”

He puts a hand over her mouth and turns away, walking to the bedside table. Hanzo feels that, on a fundamental level, this is wrong to see. The doctor, so professional, many times cold, now an angry mess of emotions. 

“ How could they have used it to harm Jack and Gabriel?” She punches the bedside table with a closed fist, rattling the things over it. Hanzo jumps in place and Ana shifts her stance, dart gun ready. Cole immediately pulls Hanzo back, almost out of the medical bed. 

But Angela doesn't move, she just stays still, trembling in rage. She takes a shuddering breath and clutches her expensive pen in a deathening grip. “I joined to help people! They told me that was what I was going to do!” Her voice is distressed, but neither Hanzo nor Cole or Ana know what to say to her.  

Hanzo has never seen this: a beta so enraged that their pheromones made the air thick. She shakily moves to sit down on the chair beside the bed and Hanzo can’t help but feel a sort of understanding for her. 

So he reaches for her shoulder, pulling himself from Cole’s death grip. Angela grabs his hand instead, clutching it like it is a lifeline. When Angela finally sits down, she folds over herself, as if the knowledge of what her medical finds were used for physically pains her to the core.

She cries. And Hanzo  has no idea what to tell her.

--

“Continue searching!” The commander tells the soldiers. Sombra, hidden under her cloaking device, flinches with the shout. She’s been hidden away on the ship that sailed from the Talon headquarters in Havana, watching as they started the search for Gabriel Reyes. When they managed to get to the Canadian woods, Sombra quickly exited using her translocator and followed closely. 

“He has to be here.” Moira insists, sitting on the ramp on ship as she takes medication for her headache. “Are you positive of what you’ve seen?” She angrily turns to Mauga. Whatever she was hit with, made her mood sour. Of course, Sombra doesn’t know if it's because of the poison, or the humiliation of being passed out before she was found by the foot soldiers.

“Yep.” Mauga says, crossing his arms. “At one point I had his neck in my hands, then poof, gone in a cloud of smoke.” He squeezes his hand into a fist, before opening it, wiggling his fingers.

“And you didn’t see where the smoke went?” She asks, even more angry.

“Yep. That Helix girl took my attention away.” Mauga shrugs. “I don’t know why you even care, he must be a corpse by now.”

“I NEED that corpse to do my research!” She screams at him, hair getting out of place, dishevelled as Sombra has never seen her before. “How will we advance my work when we have NOTHING?” She stands up and marches at him. “We don’t have Gabriel Reyes, we don’t have Morrison, WE DO NOT HAVE SHIMADA! EVEN CASSIDY WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD CHOICE!”

“You still have the old man.” 

“HA! I need YEARS of studying Sigma’s genes to even attempt to create an offspring!”

“Don’t you have a bunch of samples from Reyes-?”

“They rotted away in mere minutes without the cryogenic tank you absolute--”

Sombra takes advantage of the fight and starts running, following the trail of blood. They may have not found Gabriel yet, but if she’s not fast enough they will for sure. She runs as far away from the team as she can, and activates her gloves. He types some more and in a second a hard light projection appears, with a map of the woods around her. 

She needs to hurry.

She runs, feet sinking into the snow. The place is cold, colder than she has ever liked, but still, she keeps going. After she passes several fallen and rotten trees, she finally sees it. A spot, in the middle of the woods, hidden away. 

She sprints to him and knells down beside Gabriel. So happy, she’s so happy. 

“Gabe, wake up!” She says, sinking to the ground, uncloaking. But what she finds is just his coat and marks of blood.

No.

Did he really die?

A light shines in her direction. Olivia turns quickly, gun pointed at whoever is behind her.

The medic is looking at her. Quickly, Olivia tries to remember who he is. Short hair, dreadlocks, the standard medic suit, smelling of mated omega.

Ah. Baptiste. Mauga’s mate.

“Found anything, Bap?” Mauga asks, his hulking form appearing behind him. Baptiste looks panicked for a second. He turns, pulling the light away from Sombra. 

“No. I thought I saw something, but it’s just a fox.” Sombra almost laughs at the comparison.

Mauga hums and looks into the woods, lifting an eyebrow. For a moment, Sombra almost thinks he can see her. His piercing eyes watching her in the dark. But, it isn't so, and he just laughs and touches Baptiste’s cheek. A rare tender gesture from someone like Mauga.

The other soldier says something that Sombra can’t properly hear. Baptiste turns his light off and waits for the others to pass. He turns towards Sombra and really looks at her. His eyes linger on her arms, and before anything else can happen, he throws a med kit at her.

She looks at it and then up at him, questioning, but Baptiste is already walking away. Sombra scrambles to get the med kit. She activates her cloaking device and throws her translocator away. She can’t come back right now, not with all of this mess happening.

Goddamit, Gabe ruined everything.

But it’s fine. She can fix this, at least for herself. In the next town over, there is a small place, hidden from the ‘proper society’ where some of her… acquaintances hang around. She has favors to cash in and people to bribe. And Hazzard owns her one, after all.

A few feet away, Mauga brings Baptiste closer to himself, looking at the place where Sombra has disappeared to. What a funny woman she is.

“You’re not one to let prey run away.” Mauga says, turning to Baptiste with a questioning look. The omega doesn’t look at him, but his expression turns stormy. The alpha holds his chin, turning his face up, gentle, but firm.

The omega frowns and pulls his face away, pulling his comm and switching it off. Mauga looks at him, curious, but shrugs and does the same. When Baptiste does that, it’s always because he has something important to say. 

“Aren’t you tired of it?” Baptiste walks a few steps ahead, separating from Mauga and crossing his arms. They can see, in the dark horizon, the lanterns and lights of the rescue team looking for Gabriel Reyes. The damaged man they called their main human weapon.  “All the damage we’ve done?”

And Mauga can’t really answer that. He doesn’t think too much about it, not in the way his mate does. Morality is something created by men, shaped by their lives, their environments. Someone could see them as a simple terrorist organization hidden under the face of a security firm, others as a necessary evil to reach something bigger. The means to an end.

And yet, Mauga does not care about any of that.

“You could have killed that creep before Amari showed up.” Baptistes turns to him, a hopeful expression on his face. The alpha makes a dismissive motion. Baptiste is right. He could have killed him, but he wasn't lying when he said Reaper turned into smoke and disappeared in between his fingers. 

The truth is that he was an easy target, like almost everything he does nowadays is. And maybe Mauga isn’t tired of this. 

He’s just bored. 

Unlike Baptiste, who sees the consequences of what they do and weeps, Mauga can’t. Not really. Not because he doesn't feel empathy or can’t see how hurt those people are. It's just that Mauga is used to it. 

“Jean.” He says, approaching Baptiste. The omega looks at him, eyes glimmering with something Mauga can’t decipher. He brings Baptiste closer, scent marking him by touching their necks. Baptiste shudders against him, but they separate quickly, listening to the sound of the other soldiers approaching. Not one of them would comment about their relationship, at least not to Mauga’s face. “Whatever you do next, warn me first. I don’t want to be the one dragging you back.” 

Baptiste looks up at Mauga and presses his lips on a thin line, sighing. With a shake of his head, he turns his comm on again and starts walking, pretending to look for Reaper.

Notes:

You know, sometimes, the easy way out isn't really admitting you were wrong and all you did hurt the people around you, but sacrificing yourself lol. But everything went okay, in the end. Mostly.

And, if there is any tag or trigger warning you guys want me to tag, please tell me and I'll do it.