I Felt Like Writing Something For Genji. I Went With Blackwatch Genji For This One. It’s Not Much But

oof

Short fluffy Venom comic I recently drew! Ideas came from a talk with @glasspunkart, @sleepyoceanprince and Liza on the symbrock discord. Drunk Eddie being cute was toooo fun to not draw it!! [click on it for better resolution! Or look at it here on AO3]

Rubble (Genji x Reader)

Hey guys! This is my first ever oneshot on Tumblr so I'm nervous and excited lol. I'm used to Wattpad and Ao3(for people who know I actually started on Wit LOL) so I apologize if the formatting is a bit weird/off. I hope you enjoy! (Also I wrote this a long time ago before McCree's name was changed) This was first uploaded on my Ao3, so if you enjoy consider checking me out here

As the aircraft was slowly making its approach to the ground, you grew more and more nervous. Biting your fingernails, you glanced around at the heroes who you happened to befriend. There was Zenyatta, you and him didn't talk much but he seemed very calm and collected in battle. Then Mercy, or Angela as she was most commonly called, was always a wonderful person to talk to however whenever she was treating a patient you knew to never disturb her. Next there was McCree, he had a much more "rough n' tough" exterior but whenever you guys were off duty he was a bit of a charmer, though you never fell for it. Orisa followed you around a lot, mostly because she was programmed to protect others but she also genuinely enjoyed your company, or at least, you thought it was genuine. It's hard to tell with robots.

Now there was Sigma, a bit of a newer addition to the crew but he was a strong fighter and an interesting person to be around. Despite his seemingly split personalities, you two have managed to have very pleasant conversations when everyone else is asleep. Finally..Genji. Genji was the hero everyone strived to be, or that's how you saw him. He was fun and goofy whenever you guys were off the job yet calculated and passionate when in the midst of a fight, but one trait persisted on and off the battlefield: his flirty-ness. McCree was a charmer, more "old fashioned" in his wits but Genji was a lot more audacious and up-front in his advances. Unfortunately, time doesn't stop for your daydreams so by the time you got to thinking about Genji the aircraft came to a particularly rough landing, jostling you around where you so happen to fall onto none other than: the cyborg ninja himself. It took you a second to fully realize what happened, as you were so busy in thought you disconnected from the outside world. That was, until you heard Genji's robotic yet endearing voice emit from behind the mask.

"Y/N, I know you're falling for me but you don't have to be so literal about it~" He teased, holding you up so you wouldn't hit the floor. Your face went hot, you still haven't quite gotten used to his banter yet. You quickly stood up properly, removing your arms from his hands. He chuckled spotting your reaction, he had a habit of doing that. "Relax Y/N, you know I'm just teasing."

That was true, but you still couldn't help but wonder..'No, now is not the time Y/N, you're about to go into battle for f×cks sake.' You put on a smile, shaking your head lightly in a playful manner. "Really Genji? Do you ever stop?"

"No Y/N, no he does not." The cowboy spoke up, chuckling lightly as he flicked his cigar, sending light sparks on the floor. "He won't stop talking 'bout ya eithe-"

"Jesse! What did I tell you about the smoking?!" Angela spoke up, quite literally a guardian angel in this moment as she distracted McCree from spilling all of Genji's secrets. The two went on to bicker, however the aircraft broke out in silence when the doors started to open slowly. You took a deep breath, knowing that this could possibly be your last mission. Though this was the case with every mission. Hanamura…Where Genji grew up. It was truly beautiful. Y'know..despite the smoke and fire from a battle that seemingly had already begun. After another deep breath, you and your team jumped off the aircraft. As you jumped, you looked over and made eye contact with Genji. He seemed to smile, giving you a thumbs up for good luck.

You were grateful your team was victorious. You were terrified of what could go wrong, of the people they could harm. Luckily, everybody was safe. Well, everybody but you. Currently, you were buried underneath the rubble, a wound on your head and you were 90% sure you broke your foot or perhaps your whole leg. You had tried calling out for your teammates, but the oxygen was getting thin. You weren't even panicking, because you knew your team had won the battle. That's all that mattered. That everyone else was safe. You closed your eyes, blood dripping down from the wound in your head. You let out a sigh, and everything stopped. Things went black, you felt numb. You were sure this was it. Until you heard a voice that was all too familiar.

"Y/N!!" The cyborg ran towards you in full distress. Fighting the calming blackness that over took you, you opened your eyes.

After coughing, you called out. "Genji…I-I'm here.." It was soft, and you weren't even sure if he could hear you. Hearing how panicked Genji was, was enough reason for you to keep fighting. He ran over to you, his enhanced robot hearing helping him greatly.

"Y/N!" He called out once more. "Y/N I'm here." He kept muttering random words, thanking the heavens you were alive, saying how stupid you were to go on your own, and then scolding himself because he was just so happy you were still here. He did all that as he moved the rubble off of you with ease. Genji relaxed greatly when he finally saw your face. Gently, he picked you up. You shuddered a bit against the cold metallic suit but quickly relaxed, your strength being all gone. "You're safe, Y/N. I promise, nothing bad will happen to you again." You nodded your head gently before closing your eyes once more, grateful for your savior.

When you finally awoke, the hiss of metal disconnecting was the first thing you heard. You stirred a little as you slowly gained back all your senses. You were laying on some kind of bed, and you were holding someone's hand. You could immediately tell who's it was though, the metallic fingers gently caressing your knuckles. You couldn't help the smile that etched on your face. You also felt some tubes run through your arm. 'Must be an IV..' Regarding your leg, it already had a cast on it and was elevated. Angela must have cared for you. After a moment, slowly, you opened your eyes while turning to look at Genji. You were a bit surprised though, when you saw he had taken his mask off. His face was scar ridden, but that never made him less attractive to you. Really you only saw him like this when he was injured, or sleeping. He was looking down, tears in his eyes. You tried reaching your other hand out to cup his face but he was a bit too far away. "Genji..C'mere.." You said softly. He immediately shot up, looking at you. The tears finally fell and he squeezed your hand.

"Y/N!! You're okay!" He smiled, tears still coming down. He leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss to your hand that he was holding. The action made you flush, yet you continued to look at the ninja in front of you. You gently cupped his face in your other hand. You couldn't tell if it was because you were weak or if you had just grown more confident, but you weren't as shy as normal. "Y/N, I am so so so sorry for letting anything bad happen to you. I promise I'll protect you now, with all my being." You smiled sadly, you didn't like the fact that Genji blamed himself and yet you were grateful for his future protection.

"Genji, none of this is your fault. I wandered off on my own, it's alright. I'm safe now with you." You rubbed your thumb softly against his rough cheek. He kissed the side of your hand that was cupping his face, and yet again you flushed. He's never done anything like that; he's never kissed any part of you before. So, a part of you couldn't help but wonder why he did it. Was it just from a place of protectiveness? Or did he truly have feelings for you? "What's important is that everyone else is safe, we saved the city." You spoke up after a moment.

The cyborg merely chuckled weakly, giving your hand yet another kiss. "Y/N, I would let a thousand cities burn to the ground as long as you were safe." He smiled softly, looking at your flustered face. "Sure it's great that we saved everyone…But if you weren't okay, I couldn't live with myself." He explained, but it seemed like he was holding himself back from…what? His cold knuckles rubbed against yours, giving you butterflies.

You smiled as well, and squeezed Genji's hand softly. "Hey..Don't worry about that." You coughed, your torso raising from the bed with the movement. The cyborg's face immediately filled with worry. "I'm safe, you're safe..the people are safe." You reassured him, laying back against the slightly elevated hospital bed.

"Yes but-" He started, but then sooner than he had started, gave up. He shook his head, and with his free hand grabbed the missing part to his helmet. "Get some rest, Y/N. I'll be back, I have some paperwork Jack needs me to fill."

I roll my eyes at the mention, but understand regardless. "Go ahead, I know how strict he can be." You gave a weak chuckle and the ninja before you slowly let go of your hand, as if it pained him to do so. You closed your eyes, falling asleep to the soft hiss of Genji's metallic helmet connecting.

After an hour or so, you woke up to the sound of the door opening. "Genji? Is that you?" You called out quietly, head still feeling groggy from your nap. You heard a feminine laugh, and immediately recognized it as Angela's. You slowly opened your eyes and watched as she put her rubber gloves on.

"Sorry to disappoint, but no, it's not Genji. Just your resident doctor." She smiled, walking over the to monitor you were connected to, looking it over.

You blushed lightly and shook your head. "I didn't mean to look disappointed, he just…said he'll be back." You said, feeling a bit stupid for expecting him to be back this soon. "He's probably busy still.." You mumbled, trying to make yourself feel better.

Angela looked down on you and checked your head wound, smiling softly. "Don't worry Y/N, he'll be back. Jack is..upset that he ran off to find you." You tilted your head a bit. "No- No don't do that please, I need to make sure your wound isn't infected." You moved your head back, but still had many questions.

"I don't understand, why would Jack be upset at that? Doesn't he always want to save as many people as possible?" You asked, confused. You saw Angela take a deep breath out of the corner of your eye before she seemingly made up her mind.

"When we couldn't find you, we all assumed you were dead. We were given direct orders to report straight back, as there was word that there was an emergency somewhere else. Luckily some other agents were free so they got there in time, but Genji insisted on staying and looking for you. We were all heartbroken, really, but Genji…He really didn't seem like he'd live without you." She confessed, turning back to her counter with medical supplies. "Young love, right?" She joked, trying to lighten the mood.

You were stunned, and didn't say a word. 'Young love?' You thought. 'Does he..really care about me like that?' You asked yourself, thinking it was way too good to be true. But how could you ignore the obvious signs any longer? As you were overthinking your crush on the cyborg, Angela had some good news.

"You should be able to leave tomorrow. Of course you won't be able to walk, and you can't go on any missions with us, but you won't be confined to this 'hospital' for long." She smiled. "Genji has already volunteered to be your personal nurse, seems to think he can do a better job than me, but I'm sure you'll be fine on your own. We all know you're a fighter, Y/N."

You thanked her and appreciated the compliments, but you were obviously preoccupied. By mere coincidence, someone knocked on the door about five minutes after Angela knocked. "Come in!" You called, flicking through the channels of the T.V in the room. Genji emerged from the door, holding a small bouquet of flowers. You smiled seeing him, along with the nice gift. "Aww Genji, you didn't have to." You said.

His robotic chuckle emerged from the mask, and he closed the door behind him. "I've wanted to give them to you for a while, actually. So yes, it was very necessary." You couldn't see him, but from his tone of voice you can tell that he smiled. He sat back down on the chair next to your bed, putting the flowers on a nearby table. You two sat in silence for a bit before you spoke up.

"Genji..You've been really sweet to me today. First with saving me-" You started.

"Technically that was yesterday." He chimed in.

You rolled your eyes with a smile. "Oh hush, you know what I mean. What I'm trying to say- Or ask, rather is…Do you..have feelings for me? Maybe I'm reading this all wrong but you kept kissing my hands and got me flowers and-" You started going on a nervous ramble, hoping that something made sense and if you were wrong Genji didn't hate you. You were so nervous, in fact, that you didn't hear his helmet disconnect. In a moment's notice, Genji was mere inches from your face.

He smiled, and nodded his head. One of his hands grabbed your own, while the other tucked your hair behind your ear. "Of course I do, Y/N. How could I not? I really do care for you, and want to have a relationship with you." He kissed your forehead softly. "I'm sorry I waited this long to tell you, I just didn't want to ruin things. I thought maybe you had someone else.."

At that you chuckled, and shook your head. "No, Genji, nobody else. Nobody else but you." You leaned your face closer to the other, neither of you connecting your lips yet.

"May I kiss you?" Genji asked, voice a whisper as if he's scared that he'll ruin the mood.

"Of course you may." You answered, and just melted feeling Genji's lips on yours. There were a few scars around his mouth, but you knew that and it felt surprisingly nice. It was like a perfect moment, one that the two of you were dreaming about forever. After a moment you pulled away, wrapping your arms around Genji. "I love you, so much Genji." You admitted with the biggest smile on your face.

"I love you too, Y/N." He said, with an equally big smile on his face.

2 bros chillin at a farm 5 feet apart cause they’re not gay

GENJIS HC'S PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE 🙏🙏 SFW AND NSFW IF YOURE COMFORTABLE 🙏🙏

SFW

he doesn't like cuddling until he realises he's okay with his body again

he loves music and soft clothing/blankets

when he is meditating he prefers to be in the presence

besides the letters he writes he likes to sketch random things to help his mind calm in other ways

he doesn't accept gifts often but if its an assortment of coloured pencils or markers he may have been looking at he'll smile toward his feet and thank the gifter vigorously

prefers to listen to people rather than talking himself

NSFW

prefers to be in control so he can make sure he doesn't hurt himself or whoever he's spending this time with

he's gentle almost too gentle

it's aggravating sometimes but he just wants to keep you safe

it has to be in a comfortable spot otherwise he refuses

"is this okay? if there is any sort of discomfort i will stop"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I LOVE GENJI SO MUCH

Human on the inside

Cayde x reader

Summary: he may be all lights and metal but he’s human on the inside.

Warnings: none really

Sorry about my daryl fest like its a bad obession 😂 xD

A hunter always alone working in the wilds living for that rush. You werent like the other classes you felt out of place odd one from the pack. The other hunters seemed just fine but you were always quiet and discrete. Heading to the vangaurds Cayde had a mission for you.

“Cayde?” Youasked quietly as he spun around.

“Ah y/n yes right oh come with me” you frowned following your teacher. He led you to the ships landing as you both got inside a ship and he flew off.

“Cayde where are we going?” Your ghost asked.

Somewhere" he said playfull making you roll your eyes. You always liked the Exo but always shoved feelings deep inside you knowing it wouldn’t do you any good. You dont know where he was taking you somewhere knew on earth. You both dropped out the ship going to land you frowned seeing a white stag.

“Why did you bring me here?” You asked. You frowned seeing more stags around it, it was the odd one out.

“You know when i see you, your always off to one side never worling with anyone unless you have to, like i know hunters do that i mean look at me, but your different” he sais as you sighed was it really that noticable.

“Im sorry” you said he turned to you shaking his head.

“Dont be” he said.

“I come here sometimes to think ya know i know crazy right even for me, anyway you see the big boy over there white as snow” you nodded.

“That’s what i see when i see you you may be different but your special” he added as you felt a small blush creeping to your face.

“Cayde what are you getting at?” You pushed your ghost away as Cayde chuckled.

“Your not different in anyway y/n honestly your one of the best hunters I’ve seen maybe better then me, but your light shines brighter then the rest and strike me down but hell, im in love with you” you were frozen by his confession staring at his face.

“Hello?” He asked.

“Still with me?” You nodded as he sighed in relief.

“I know crazy right a Vangaurd falling for a guardian i mean just kill me now like seri-” you shut him up embracing him tightly as he froze.

“Well that was unexpected” he said.

“Don’t ruin it” you muttered.

“Right sorry” he hugged you back a smile on your face as you kissed his horn.

“Did you just kiss my horn?” He asked you nodded giggling.

“So im going to take that as you return my feelings” you nodded as his face lit up picking you up and spinning you around making you laugh.

“Ah man best day ever” he said triumphantly you rolled your eyes.

“Sorry I’ll shut up” you smiled shaking your head.

“I love you to Cayde” you said he stared at you with awe.

“Thank you for bringing me here” you said he fumbled nodding.

“Yeah i mean like no problem and yeah” you chuckled again as his ghost talked.

“He’s an idiot” you laughed at his ghost as he face palmed.

“I swear you come in at the worst times” he muttered.

“Cayde look at me” he snapped his head to you seeing your calm soft face.

“I love you Cayde-6 nothing’s going to change that i just hope we can work this out” you said.

“I will make it work i make everything work” you laughed again giving him a hug as hw sighed embracing you. It would work out.

genji overwatch hcs???

Hii wasn't sure if you wanted sfw or nsfw so I'll do both 😋

Genji Shimada SFW & NSFW H/Cs

SFW

Has trust issues, so if you were to befriend him it would take awhile, trying to date him would take even longer (and some convincing)

But once the two of you start dating, you both would become a power couple

Loves to hold your hand, knowing that you're right next to him makes him feel safe and happy

Animal lover 100%, you bought him a puppy for his birthday and he just wouldn't stay away from it, he wouldn't even let you hold it

A big fan of cheek kisses, say if you're going to work and you give him a small kiss on the cheek, he would be blushing profusely

A music lover also, say if you're in the car and the radio was on, he'd be humming every tune that came on

If it's Valentine's Day he'd sneak into your (shared) house and surprise you with chocolate and flowers

Hear me out, fruit garden, Y'ALL HAVE A FRUIT GARDEN

Whenever the both of you sleep together, he always has to squish his face into your chest

Although he is a grown man, hes still childish as hell

NSFW

He. Is. Loud. So loud that one time your neighbors came over to make sure you weren't murdering someone

Loves to get gagged, whether it's you face-fucking him with your strap or just simply your fingers, gagging him alone might be enough to make him cum, no touching his cock needed

My boy, is 1000% a crier, especially when you overstimulate him, poor baby will be crying for you to stop, but when you do he whines and tells you "no! no! please don't s-stop!"

Although he does like having you fuck him with your strap, he prefers your fingers, he doesn't really know why, but they seem to work better

A big fan of collars, especially green, white and black ones

Will literally crumble in your hands if you call him a good boy or babyboy, if you call him either he will be on his knees ready for any request you give him

Not the biggest fan of titles, bit if it's a good day he'll call you either Mistress or Ma'am

Aftercare is a must, especially if it's over 3 or more rounds, shove him into the shower, clean him up, and back under the blanket, be sure to give praise as well!!

A/N: There's not a alot here, so take it with a grain of salt

TFP: Elita-One

So here is a long long bio for Elita-1 and my story for her in my AU !

Formerly Ariel, she was once a council worker on Cybertron, specializing in supervision of all sorts of workers from mid and lower castes. She could have done far greater, as she had been gifted by the Well of AllSparks with the ability to change her form not just twice but three times total, to walk on legs, wheels or fly.

Yet she still chose to work where she did. Grunt work, in comparison to the great Senators and other somewhat rulers of Cybertronian society but…Ariel loved her line of work. It kept her humble, in comparison to great many of her councilmen and women who did otherwise.

So, Ariel spent many many times seeing how they worked, as well as going to the record halls, studying what she could to ensure she did her work correctly. That was how she met, then Orion Pax.

The two were close, as he often fetched her the necessary data of her work, and would speak with her about all kinds of things. Be it speaking of the caste system, history, myth, legends and so much more. It was only natural thus that she fell for him, and he for her.

Of course, then all changed as Megatronus and Orion crossed paths, and tensions rose, when Orion was deemed worthy of a Prime by the council. Ariel, who had sided with Orion, made it clear to the council that this caste system was by no means a benefit to anyone, made her voice heard and…paid the price dearly for it. If she wanted to advocate for the lower caste, then she would live as lower caste.

Sentenced to the docks, she was. Made to toil in them day and night, as rebellions stirred further and further…till Megatron came to be, and Optimus Prime was reborn. When alliances came to be, factions decided and each parted from one another.

Ariel, found by the Autobots after an attack on the docks, was heavily damaged. Awakening to a medbay, she was delighted and saddened to be reunited with Orion,now Optimus. Had they lived another life, perhaps things would be different. So, that night, Ariel died. In name and frame, she was remade and rebuilt by the medics, and chose a new name for herself. If the council thought herself so elite, then she would take that name. Elita-1.

She rose the autobot ranks, using her knowledge from her former line of work to coordinate attacks, recruit and train soldiers of all kinds.

Then came the grand Exodus, and Elita-1 was forced apart from her Conjunx, having only committed themselves to each other a week before. He had given her the coordinates for Earth, to follow him, but she couldn't follow aboard his ship, as she and the last of her team would forge a distraction till they made it out.

And when that was secured, and she was the only one left standing, she boarded a ship of her own, broken as it was, but it was something still. The damage was substancial, especially as Cons found her, and alone, she could do nothing but chart her course…and jump into a cryo-stasis pod, and wish that Primus would keep her safe. That she would make it to this new planet in one piece…and that maybe, Optimus would be there when she made it.

Happy Dragon Age Day y’all!!!

Hello 😊, I saw that you are accepting orders so I thought I would send one. Overwatch Genji x reader, where they have known each other and been friends since Genji joined Overwatch, so they are already well in tune with each other's feelings. Reader has a backstory like Captain America's Winter Soldier, where they killed and hurt a lot of people while in control of Talon, some of these people even being from Reader's own family, the request would basically be for Reader to be feeling down and slowly becoming isolating, a hurt & comfort where Genji goes to reader to help and at some point in their conversation reader lets go ❛ i'm scared of ending up alone. ❜. As I already said, hurt & comfort with a happy ending, Genji and Reader's relationship can be both romantic or platonic, it's up to you. (Sorry for bad english, it's not my first language)

kindred | genji shimada x gn!reader

In your second chance at living, you learn that someone cares.

✦ CONTENT: Angst with a happy/hopeful ending, hurt/comfort, blood, assassinations and violence, near-death experiences, developing relationship. ~1,7k words

✧ NOTES: Hi anon, your English is great, no worries (it’s not my first language either ehe)! Sorry this was so short TT I hope you enjoy regardless! Thank you for the request!!

AO3 | Masterlist | Requests | @houseofsolisoccasum @interstellar-inn

Having lived in the undercity of King’s Row for most of your life, you were far more accustomed to the dark than anyone should be. Light became unfamiliar when you were recruited into Talon; in just a short amount of time, you went from a thief to an assassin. Lurk, strike, then leave without a trace—that was how you were taught to carry out your missions. That was what your commanders expected of you. A swift slash from your blade then you’re back in the shadows, prowling the night from the rooftops.

Though you were also taught not to form any attachment or bonds, it was difficult to ignore how alone you were.

There was no camaraderie in Talon. All you had was yourself, and even then, you didn’t always trust your intuition. You couldn’t rely on Doomfist and Reyes out of fear, and you couldn’t rely on Widowmaker because she’d grown cold over the years. You had no one, and that was exacerbated in your last mission when you were presumed dead and thus abandoned.

You’d never felt more alone.

You supposed that was a fitting punishment for you. After all, you’d done the same thing to others countless of times, even those that were meant to be your loved ones. Where those people had hopes and dreams and love, the only thing you had was duty. With your failure in the last, there was nothing left. Bleeding out on the ground, you’d accepted that this was your retribution.

Dying alone, uncared for, unfound. 

You were within arm’s reach away from Death itself, but when you woke, you were no longer in the rubble. Instead, you were in what seemed to be a hospital room, all cleaned and bandaged up with countless tubes and wires attached to your body. And when she stepped in, you finally realised where you were—within the territory of those you were meant to eliminate.

Dr. Angela Ziegler had stepped in with a smile, pleased to see that you were conscious. You’d been out for weeks, she said. When you asked her if she knew who you were, she replied that she did, the smile never leaving her face. It confused you. Why would she go lengths to save an enemy? A threat?

Of course, you weren’t going to be let go that easily. Soldier: 76 came to interrogate you as soon as you were able to speak again. You had nothing left to lose. You were dead to Talon, and Overwatch could grant you the mercy that is death the moment you stopped being useful.

And just like that time amid the destruction, it never came. 

They’d given you a choice. A chance to live your own life, away and unaware from it all, or to join their ranks in helping the vulnerable. Neither was a good option. Even if you were freed, you didn’t have a place to go, or a place to call home. You thought you’d only be a burden as their agent as well. You weren’t trained for doing good. You were trained to kill, be a dog on a leash, not save the world. But there was a glimmer of hope deep within your chest. This was your chance of atonement.

After an arduous silence, you took it.

They had you start small, do light work while your body recovered. You assisted Mercy and Winston in the laboratory, helped Pharah take care of the firearms. Then, when the pain finally eased, you moved on to more strenuous tasks—aim training with D.Va, close combat with Brigitte. It frightened you how easily you seemed to fit into Overwatch, overwhelmingly so, and instinctively, you closed yourself off. You were expendable, just like you were to Talon. It was for your own good not to get close to anyone, no matter how friendly some of them were to you.

A part of you craved to be one of them. You wanted to return Tracer’s cheery smiles. You wanted to spend hours at the arcade with the younger agents. You craved for a semblance of friendship and normalcy, but that was a luxury you thought yourself undeserving of.

It was a quiet night, much like it had been on your last mission. The glow from the holograms illuminated the path as you made it to the training range. The headquarters was mostly asleep, but you weren’t one of them. Phantom pains in your chest kept you awake and hot flashes kept you from relaxing. You thought you could take your mind off of it if you were shooting at something. The moment of solitude didn’t last long; the cyborg ninja—Genji—slipped into the room, nearly scaring you out of your skin.

“You couldn’t sleep?”

“What do you think?” you replied dryly, cocking the gun again. “People like me aren’t meant to rest.”

He approached you, quietly watching you shoot down another target. 

“If it’s restitution or closure you want, you’re looking for the wrong person,” you stated. “I can’t help you get in touch with Reyes. I’m dead to them.”

“That is not what I’m here for.” He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “You… are different.”

You blinked, putting down the gun as you tried to process his words in confusion.

“There is much on your shoulders.”

“Not sure how that makes me different. Everyone has their own baggage.”

“You were made into a weapon, just like I was,” Genji said. “If it is atonement you seek—”

“Let’s spar,” you interrupted, wanting to divert the topic off of you. “You can’t sleep either, can you?”

He seemed surprised—as surprised as he could look, what with the metal plating on his entire body—at your offer. Loosening his shoulders, he nodded. There wasn’t much talking after that; only grunts and the sounds of movement could be heard, but your fists spoke more than a thousand words.

Things seemed to change for you after that. You felt less stiff, more… free. You felt lighter. Suddenly participating in group activities didn’t feel as daunting as it used to. You started to welcome the playful banter from other agents. Training with Genji also became a part of your routine. You weren’t the only one with burdens, you knew just from one look at him. It seemed to be a temporary solution—a refuge—for both of you. You found yourself letting your guard down around him, finding yourself more talkative than you used to be. 

He felt familiar. Where everyone was a stranger in Talon, those in Overwatch felt like a friend, even a family. You were veering into unfamiliar territory and it scared you witless. You could lose it all at any second. People like you were meant to be alone and someone else’s to command, but somehow, it felt different with them—with him.

You were friendlier to the other agents, sometimes more willing to tag along in D.Va’s antics, but Genji was something else. It was as if he understood you to your core, able to empathise with you easily. He’d only told you a little bit about his life, about the fateful duel between him and his brother, about his reconstruction. About how it had taken him a long time to be able to accept himself as he was and how you reminded him of who he was in the past.

In turn, you felt you were understanding him better as well. Eventually your time spent with Genji wasn’t limited to only sparring. You spent your time off sitting in comfortable silence with him as he polished his armour. Fighting alongside him was fun, exhilarating, and you felt more and more drawn to his presence.

A positive outcome would usually scare you. What if you lost everything right now? What if they all left you for dead, just like your previous comrades did? You told yourself it was an irrational concern and that you shouldn’t worry about the outcome, but the anxiety in your stomach kept growing. Still, it all seemed to melt away when you were with him. He was a kindred spirit, in a way. You felt seen and heard, like someone truly saw you for who you were instead of what, and it was more relieving than you’d expected.

You plopped yourself down on the floor, chest heaving as you tried to catch your breath. Genji, on the other hand, looked unaffected by the hours of sparring, leisurely standing in his spot.

“It’s so unfair,” you complained lightheartedly, “you’re more durable than I am. I feel like I’m running several marathons.”

He chuckled. “Perhaps we should train your endurance next.”

“You mean what Brigitte and Zarya are putting me through isn’t enough?” You raised your eyebrows. “Way to treat your friends, Genji.”

“We’re friends?”

Your blood ran cold and you paled. Were you moving too fast? You parted your lips, stammering for a bit. “Well, I mean… sorry, I just assumed—”

“I am happy to be your friend.”

“What?”

You could hear the smile in his voice. “It’s nice to see you be carefree. I was afraid you would break me when we first met.”

“You? Afraid?” You laughed and elbowed him softly. Relaxing your shoulders, you glanced back outside the window where the sky was painted in hues of blue and orange. “I don’t know. I guess it just feels new. You guys treat me like a person, not an asset. I didn’t get that treatment with Talon. For most of my life, I always thought I’d end up alone… Dying alone like I almost did that day.”

As he fell silent, you continued, “Thanks for being patient with me, Genji. You didn’t have to, but… You did, and I won’t forget that.”

“I feel we are more similar than we expected,” he said. “It was difficult for me to accept others’ kindness too, but it’s important for us.”

“Yeah,” you agreed quietly. “It really does change you, doesn’t it? I don’t remember the last time I felt this… comfortable with someone.” You glanced at him. “Do you really think I’ll absolve myself one day?”

“I do.” He turned his head towards you. “I myself am doing the same thing. We can walk down this path together.”

You smiled softly. “Yeah. We will.”