Archive of Our Own

Despite his looks, Cole Cassidy prided himself on his self-control. He was cavalier and unflappable. He was a straight shooter who hid his competency behind casual foolhardiness. His roguish gunslinger persona was carefully maintained over two decades to create distance between himself and others. Cassidy had been burned before, he knew now that he could never reveal how much he cared. Control was essential to ensuring he never said too much or showed his hand too far. In addition to having a reputation to maintain, the gunslinger knew a lack of self control could push him into an early grave. 

Once upon time, Cassidy gave into his more base impulses and ran wild with arrogance. He didn’t think too far beyond the barrel of his gun and never considered anything but living another day. It was only until Blackwatch gave him that infamous ultimatum did he realize that maybe a little discipline wouldn’t hurt. Cassidy learned that restraint could pay off dividends if deployed strategically. 

Over a long career of kicking ass and taking names, the gunslinger decided the best way to get the job done was to conceal how hard he was truly trying. If people thought everything came to him through audacious confidence and fool’s luck, he could use their preconceived conceptions of him to his advantage. He rarely lost his relaxed composure while shooting bad guys and blowing up evil lairs. Cole Cassidy the Bounty Hunter was more myth than man at this point and it was all thanks to the cowboy’s measured cool. The world saw what they wanted from him because he was in control. This did not change after taking up the call from Winston and tentatively rejoining the new Overwatch. 

After two years of missions across the globe, Cassidy was confident their renewed team was on the right path. The new roster was a hodge podge of old agents and new additions that came together with unexpected ease. The work was exciting and it was a breath of fresh air to have a team watching his back again when adrenaline ran high. The recalled Overwatch had its issues, old wounds could still bleed when scratched the wrong way, but the gunslinger felt hopeful that they could actually create lasting change. A shrewd part of him was still suspicious of how well everything was going overall; Cassidy had long learned that the grass could only stay green for so long. 

However, today provided little time to think about how things could go to shit on a grand scale in the future when things were actively under attack on a small scale right now in front of him. The current mission to stop a weapons transfer between Talon and Null Sector resulted in a fire fight against both groups. The six man team consisted of himself, Hanzo, Ana. Lifeweaver, Winston, and D.va. The quickest route to success was to take out the limited Talon operatives and force the omnic extremist group back into the abandoned metro system underground. Despite Null Sector’s home field advantage, their team was holding their own against the onslaught after securing the weapon shipment. Their team was making headway as the crowd of enemy combatants began to thin. 

“You are getting sloppy.” The voice, low and hard through the comms, was music to the cowboy's ears. Before he could respond, two Talon agents Cassidy hadn’t seen dropped like sacks of sand on his left flank. Both bodies were pierced with a single arrow to the back. 

“I had it handled!” Cassidy laughed before rolling behind a converted telephone booth for cover.

Hanzo’s journey with Overwatch started off complicated. His history with Genji but reluctant acceptance of the call made it hard for the archer to fully settle into the team at first. However, the last year and a half proved to ultimately be healing for the older Shimada. Hanzo slowly dropped pieces of his hardened exterior and cemented himself as a valuable asset to the team and a pretty good friend. 

Or at least Cassidy thought the other man was a good friend, all things considered. 

They’d grown closer over drinks and competitive training sessions. Hanzo was a terror on the field and that energy pushed the cowboy to bring his best every time. It was invigorating to have someone who could not only keep up with him, but surpass him if Cassidy wasn’t careful. Still, the gunslinger didn't want to take too much liberty by defining their relationship as anything beyond a professional acquaintanceship. 

Over Hanzo’s eighteen month tenure with Overwatch, Cassidy learned that the ex-yakuza was a secret softie. He’d never said that fact out loud, Hanzo might actually kill him before he finished the thought, but the truth of it was plain. He was a hard ass because he expected nothing but excellence from himself and the other agents. The archer cared deeply about his brother and the wider team. He was quick to offer help during training simulations or fix things up around Watchpoint. The cowboy watched as Hanzo allowed himself to be pulled into the silliness of the other agents despite his usually serious demeanor. He carved figurines out of wood for Mei just because she asked and always humored Reinhardt’s meandering stories. Cassidy never saw Hanzo flinch while fighting, not even when there was a gun pressed to his forehead, but saw him stutter and flush at the idea of their teammates liking his cooking. He was still reserved and aloof but there was a sweetness to him if you could get past the initial bitter first bite. 

It also didn’t help that the older Shimada was easy on the eyes but, again, that wasn’t something for Cassidy to share aloud. 

“Of course you did.” Hanzo replied. The archer rapidly fired six glowing arrows into a Null Sector tank as it charged towards the gunslinger. 

Cassidy knew better than to look up towards the Kings Row rooftops to catch a glimpse of the archer. Instead, he fanned the hammer directly into the side panelling of the omnic Hanzo had weakened before flashbanging a Talon foot soldier who was aiming a shitty pulse rifle at his head. While stunned, Cassidy was able to quickly reload and take out the grunt with a double tap to the chest and head. 

“Real easy to act high ‘n mighty when yer that far from the fray.” Cassidy shot back playfully and Hanzo didn’t dignify his quip with a response. 

Cassidy looked back at the objective some twenty yards away. The gunslinger had decided to clear out the alleyways to prevent Talon agents from fully regrouping and, despite his comment, was thankful Hanzo was watching his back from so far away. Towards the objective with the secured weapons, D.va’s mech zoomed overhead as she fired missiles into the shield of a lumbering Null Sector tank. Winston dropped his own projected shield around himself and Lifeweaver as the botanist healed the scientist with delicate hard light petals. 

“Are you implying snipers are not a part of ‘the fray’, Cassidy?” Ana asked, her wizened voice light and raspy. “I’ll remember that the next time you need help.” The older sniper was perched on a balcony over the objective, doling out healing and damaging shots in equal measure. 

“Would never dream of it ma’am. We’re all clear on the alleyways, heading back to y’all now.” Cassidy reported as he raced back towards his teammates. 

Before the cowboy could fully round the corner to the objective, he felt a sharp pain rip through his lower back. 

“Shit!” The cowboy grunted. A small Null Sector droid got him good and he crumpled to the ground. 

“Cassidy!” Hanzo called out as the enemy advanced on the gunslinger. The sleeker, smaller omnic was able to weave between the barrage of arrows but thankfully, Cassidy was down but not out yet. One of Hanzo’s shots caught the bot in its mechanical leg, causing it to stumble, and that was all the opening the injured man needed. Despite the pain, the cowboy rolled over onto his back and buried six bullets into the robot’s smooth face. 

The omnic sputtered and sparked before ultimately collapsing between Cassidy’s legs. The cowboy let out a wet sigh as he tried to press at his wound to slow the bleeding. 

“Cassidy’s down.” Hanzo called out. Was that panic in his voice, Cassidy pondered as he tried to focus on staying conscious. While the care was appreciated, the cowboy decided he didn’t want the archer to be too worried. He tried to say something comforting and clever but talking required more energy than he could muster at this point. 

“This will help!” Ana shouted and it didn’t take long before Cassidy was washed in the healing glow of her biotic grenade.

He’d been hit with that grenade more times than he could count and was familiar with the fast acting splash of medicine used to quickly repair battlefield injuries. Although he felt his flesh slowly piece itself back together, there was something different about the fast acting medical intervention this time around. He was engulfed in a weird floral aroma and the taste of something vegetative coated the back of his throat. 

“I have you!” Lifeweaver used his forceful grip to pull the healing cowboy towards himself and the objective. The magnetic force of Lifeweaver’s grasp jerked Cassidy’s stomach and made him nauseous as he landed roughly on the cobble stone at the botanist’s feet. 

“I hate when ya do that.” Cassidy snapped, his eyes going wide at Niran’s shock. 

That definitely wasn’t the thanks he meant to say. 

“Oh my apologies, Agent Cassidy. I just wanted–”

“Nah, I get it. Just that shit always gives me vertigo and messes up my whole mental positionin’. Just ain’t the kind of manhandling I like.”  Cassidy interrupted, his mouth moving before his mind could process everything. Lifeweaver flushed a bit at his blunt tone. 

“Woah Cass, did you hit your head or something?” D.va said after overhearing the gunslinger’s critiques from the comms. 

The battle seemed to be over after she and Winston cleared the last of the Talon agents. Null Sector made their retreat but with the weapons secured on the payload, the mission was a success. Instead of deflecting the question about his condition by congratulating the team on a job well done, Cassidy continued speaking without a second thought. 

“Didn’t need to hit my head. I got shot in the gotdamn back by a fuckin’ bot, partner, it hurts like hell.” 

Despite the biotic grenade’s serum loosening his muscles, Cassidy’s throat still felt thick with that plant matter taste. He groaned from his place on the floor as the team slowly started to gather around him. Ana dropped down from her perch on high to examine whatever was clearly wrong with the cowboy. 

“Habibi, is everything alright?” 

Cassidy’s mindless tirade apparently wasn’t over because he sat up with another groan and let it all loose. 

“No it’s not ‘cause again, I got shot! Thank ya for the healin’, Ana, really appreciate it but why didn’t you contact me sooner after Widow took yer eye? You had to know I was lookin’ for ya and then you had me come back empty handed like a damn fool. I promised Reeha I’d bring you home ifin’ you were alive and you made a liar outta me for what? To fuck off to Anubis? Everyone always gets on me for goin’ off lone wolf style but look where I must have learned it from!” 

Cassidy smacked a metal hand hard over his damned mouth after he finished speaking. His eyes were blown wide with shock and more than a bit of fear. The gunslinger thought he was at peace with Ana’s decision to stay hidden, that he accepted her apologies and understood how she came to her decision despite the pain it caused him and the others. He vowed that he’d never let her know how much it cut that she, maybe the one person he trusted more than Gabe, abandoned him. 

The old strike commander was also shocked at the confession, her usually sharp eye wide with disbelief at the harshness. 

Cassidy never talked to anyone like that. 

Winston finally came ambling back to the objective with Hanzo as the team crowded around the cowboy. He remained on the floor feeling a strange mix of petulance, anger, fear, and the dull ache of that stupid repairing wound at his back. 

“Something is wrong.” Ana said after a moment. Her strong yet small hand grabbed Cassidy’s jaw to examine his dilated pupils. 

“No shit.” The cowboy grunted as he smacked her hand away. He finally gathered the strength to get back on his feet. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s going on and it’s freaking me out.” Cassidy admitted before cursing at the honesty. 

“Okay, we’ve secured the weapons and the enemy combatants have been cleared out. I think it might be best to go back to Watchpoint and regroup.” Winston concluded with a huge paw on his chin. He was examining Cassidy as well as he thought through next steps for the team. 

“Winston, you really took to the whole leadership thing much better than I thought you would. I was surprised, thought you’d be a lil too socially inept to get the job done because you really don’t know shit about people sometimes.” Cassidy said unprompted through his fingers. 

“Uhh…thanks?” Winston replied awkwardly at the backhanded compliment. The gorilla readjusted his glasses. “I’m gonna signal for the Orca.”

Cassidy could hear his blood rushing in his ears and his face felt hot in embarrassment. Something was clearly wrong with Ana’s grenade and now he was losing his ability to think straight. Hana, Ana, Niran, and Hanzo watched him carefully and Cassidy felt distinctly like a wild animal caught in a trap it was too stupid to avoid. 

“How are you feeling?” The older Shimada asked with an air of hesitancy. The gunslinger locked eyes with Hanzo for a second and he prayed his mouth wouldn’t betray him–

“Much better with you so close. It’s nice hearin’ you worry about me though. Real nice to hear that you care. Reckon everythin’ you say is real nice to hear. I like hearin’ yer laugh the most, I suppose, ya got a real nice laugh. And a real nice ass too but that’s neither here nor there. Reckon you already know yer ass is nice but it could stand to be said more. By me. I could stand to say yer ass is real nice more often instead of just catchin’ a peak every now and then. A respectful peak—I swear. I don’t think anyone could blame me. It’s a nice ass and yer runnin’ shorts are real short, Han. Down right sinful but actually Ana, if you ever cared about me ‘spite the whole abandonment thing, I’d appreciate a dart to the face right about no–”

Cassidy barely felt the needle of her sleep dart prick his skin but was so thankful for the blackness that consumed him.  

Cassidy woke up slowly with his mouth tasting like weeds in fresh soil. The sterile whiteness of the med bay overhead lights was familiar, as was the woozy headache resulting from sleep dart. 

“What the fuck is going on with my idiot mouth?” The words tumbled out as soon as he fully regained his bearings. 

Ana, Winston, Angie, and Niran looked up from their blue screens to regard him with…

Sadness?

Pity?

Guilt?

“Someone start talkin’ fast before I get Peacekeeper involved.” The cowboy threatened with a regretful wince. “Know that’s stupid to say. Each one of y'all could take me down in a different way before I could blink twice but I hate not knowing what’s goin’ on and my go to way to solve somethin’ is to just start shootin’.”

It was a rapid stream of consciousness that landed like clods of dirt in Cassidy’s lap as he sat up. 

“Cassidy, I know this is disconcerting.” Ana answered. Her voice was steady and focused as she turned the display screen so the cowboy could read whatever they were looking at. The display was a mix of numbers and short notes about some type of plant side by side with a chemical breakdown of Ana’s biotic grenade. “I’ll explain quickly. Niran and I have been working to enhance the healing power of my grenades by combining biotic technology with Niran’s research into the Datura stramonium plant. It seems that there was some unforeseen consequences–”

“Ain’t that how it always goes? You scientists are always fuckin’ around and creatin’ whatever concations all willy nilly without knowin’ all the downsides. This is really fuckin’ annoyin’! So what, you mixed a plant with the grenade now I can’t keep a damn thought to myself?” Cassidy interrupted, his voice hot and angry at their carelessness. 

The scientists at least had the humility to look repentant at the mistake. 

“Agent Cassidy, we really do apologize. This must feel like a breach of your autonomy and that was never intended.” Niran replied. He was smiling sweetly and clearly trying to calm the gunslinger down as if Cassidy was some bucking bronco that needed soothing after being spooked by the wind. 

“You can’t just use that pretty face of yers to get out of every problem, partner. Ain’t just a ‘breach of my autonomy’, this fuckin’ sucks and none of what ya said sounds like a solution so skip the therapy speak and tell me how long this is going to last.” Cassidy snapped. 

To Niran’s credit, the botanist did not look overly offended. Instead of checking the cowboy on his tone, he nodded sympathetically and continued. 

“Of course, we still need to do further tests to understand how the Datura stramonium is interacting with both your body’s chemistry and the active chemical agents in the biotic formula.”

“But!” Angie interjected before Cassidy could continue tearing into the hard light engineer. “This should not be permanent. The serum should work through your system over the course of a few days like normal as your body fully metabolizes the biotic grenade as usual.”

“But that’s just a hypothesis. Y’all ain’t too sure about it?” Cassidy said suspiciously. “This really fuckin’ sucks.”

Winston nodded in understanding. 

“We hear the frustrations, Cassidy. We are working around the clock to see if we can create a kind of counter antidote to–”

“Yeah, no. I don’t want to be shot up with nothin’ else. I ain’t some guinea pig and I already hate bein’ here. It smells like bleach and I can’t even smoke in here.” 

Ana, despite the situation, let out a huff of laughter. 

“No more injections but this is a great opportunity for us to test what could effectively be a truth serum. It would be helpful to see how we might be able to repurpose the compound. Would you be willing to help us gather some more data on what actually is happening to you? Bear with us for a few more questions and you can smoke a whole pack of the Cuban cigars I’ve been saving for your birthday.” 

The older sniper’s offer was tempting and actually placated the cowboy a bit. Cassidy scrunched up his face in a pout because he couldn’t be anything but honest. 

“I wanna be insulted that you think I can be brought so easily but we both know I’m pretty cheap. I appreciate the thought of you gettin’ me a present too. That’s real sweet and you always do sweet shit like that. Lil things, which is why I missed ya so much when you were gone. I only ever get birthday presents when I’m in Overwatch, ain’t that a shame? I think it gotta be a lil bit. I used to act like it ain’t bother me much but sometimes you just want a gift! That’s pathetic, shit I’m pathetic but whatever. I know y’all ain’t mean any harm by all this but you gotta understand I hate feeling like I ain’t in control but it can’t be helped. Get me the cigars and I’ll answer whatever ya need. No more shots and no more needles but we can talk as long as everyone forgets what I said when this is all over.”

Cassidy let out a long sigh at the rant. The other agents looked at him as if he was a mutt too pathetic not to let into the warm house for the night. Ana smiled, wistful and warm, and left to get the cigars. 

“Thank you, Cole. I know this isn’t easy for you.” Angie said with a small smile of her own. 

“I used to think you knew everythin’. When you and Mina would talk and talk, I could listen for hours. Smart, pretty, and strong, an angel on earth.  But now I know yer just real good at controlling a whole hell of a lot at once. Easier to look like yer perfect when yer that calculatin’, right? If you ever decided to go bad, we’d never stand a chance.” 

The doctor’s smile faltered at Cassidy’s words but she tried to gather herself. She cleared her throat at the comment and looked down to her clip board to hide the heat of her pale cheeks.

“This is going to be interesting….” She muttered to Winston and Niran. 

Since Cassidy wanted to chain smoke Ana’s gifted cigars like a degenerate, the small scientific team brought the cowboy to a seating area in the outdoor training facilities.  The gunslinger allowed himself to be hooked up to a neuroimaging machine as well as an EKG. He reclined back in his seat against the table and answered questions with the first thoughts that came to mind. 

“We will start off easy. Can you tell us your name?” Niran asked, holopad in hand to take notes. 

“Cole Cassidy.”

“Where are we right now?”

“Gibratlar, Spain. Is it Spain? Ain’t it like a British outpost but we are in Spain, right?” 

“It’s a British Overseas Territory located in the Iberian Peninsula.” Angie corrected. Cassidy nodded, pulling in rich tobacco through the cigar at his lips. Ana didn’t smoke but she certainly had good taste. 

“Ain’t that somethin’. Ana, these are mighty fine cigars.” 

The older sniper smiled at the admission but said nothing. She wasn’t a scientist in the same way Mercy and Lifeweaver were but she knew her own biotic grenades better than anyone. 

“Cole, we are going to try to have you not answer the question or at least answer dishonestly if you can help it. How are you feeling right now?” 

Cassidy grunted at the effort to keep his mouth shut around the cigar. That vegetal taste grew stronger at the back of his throat, coating his tongue, and suffocating him from the inside out until he spoke up. 

“It starts tastin’ bad if I don’t say something but I’ve been worse but definitely been a whole lot better. I don’t like this.” Cassidy repeated, pulling the cigar from his lips so he could get everything out. “I kinda feel naked, exposed, and my back still hurts. And my bad arm is aching’.” 

“Your prosthetic? What’s wrong with your arm?” Angela asked as her focus switched from the brain wave monitor to Cassidy’s mechanical hand.

“Nothin’, it just gets like that every now and then. Can’t be helped, I reckon.” Cassidy mumbled as he took another puff of the cigar. 

Angela tsked at him. 

“You should really have Torbjorn look over it more regularly.” Angela admonished. 

“If I have him look too often, it would just prove I can’t take care of things on my own. I’ll look weak and useless so I won’t be doing that even though yer probably right.” 

Niran, seeing whatever pitiful look the cowboy must have on his face, redirected the questions back to the test. 

“You mentioned before that it ‘tastes bad’ if you do not start talking. Can you say a bit more about that?”

“Since I got hit by that damn grenade, I’ve been tastin’ nothin but dirt and grass and when I try to hold it back, it feels like I’m a cow in the pasture that ate too much hay. It makes my stomach sick and I hate bein’ sick.” 

“Oh, of course. That could be the Datura stramonium being amplified by biotic nanotechnology. That must be very unpleasant.” 

“No shit.”  Cassidy huffed. Again, Niran did not take offense at his harshness but continued jotting down notes.

The questions continued. While the medical team tried not to ask anything too personal, Cassidy was a book pried open and nailed down to keep from shutting close. They learned that the nausea caused by the Datura stramonium would force him to throw up and cramp painfully if he did not respond directly. The modified biotic grenade was less of a straightforward truth serum and more of an impulse control inhibitor. The gunslinger didn’t need to respond completely honestly but instead needed to reply with the first thing that came to his mind. After some experimentation, Cassidy found that he could meander around a truthful answer by just letting out a torrential downpour of racing thoughts. After two hours and as many cigars, Angela, Ana, and Niran were confident they had what they needed. 

“We took some blood samples earlier at the lab after they brought you back from Kings Row. That combined with the data here should be more than enough to come up with an antidote.” Angela concluded as she removed the nodes from Cassidy’s temples. 

“No more needles.” Cassidy grumbled. 

“No more needles.” The doctor agreed. 

It was early morning the next day and the fatigue from the mission and all the testing had finally caught up with him. 

“If we’re done here, I’m going to drink myself into a coma and hope when I wake up all this will be over.” Cassidy admitted as he stood to stalk off back to his room. 

Angie sighed at his confession but Ana was the one to speak up. 

“Please take it easy, habibi. I know you value your ability to keep a secret and I’m sorry for putting you in a situation like this but remember it is only temporary. You have a team you can rely on now and you know you can trust us.”

“Trustin’ people too much can get you killed.” Cassidy replied without a second thought. “But being on a team again is nice. It will be fine. I’m bein’ dramatic because I feel helpless right now but I do trust y’all. Even though it’s hard.” 

Ana smiled and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Get some rest, agent.” 

Cassidy looked back at Ana and Niran for a moment and realized they must be as tired as him. 

“You guys too. We all just got back from Kings Row  and you’ve been so busy tryna figure out what’s wrong with me– even though you kinda caused it but maybe I shouldn’t’ve got shot. Y’all should still get some rest instead of worryin’ about me. I’m really not worth all the effort. I’m gonna lock myself in my room until this blows over and everything will be fine.”

Niran, who still stood by the neuroimaging machine, smiled for the first time since Cassidy laid into him about his pretty face. 

“Do not worry, Agent Cassidy. It’s our responsibility to ensure you are safe and cared for. Especially because we are partially at fault.”

“Yer a good man, Niran. I don’t mean to bite yer head off, I really don’t.” The cowboy confessed. It wasn’t an apology but the words seem to resonate with the botanist all the same. 

“And you as well. Get some rest. Oh, hello Genji, Hanzo.” The healer waved at the two new additions.

Cassidy turned around again to see the Shimada brothers walk into the training facility. Both were dressed in athletic gear and ready to get started on their morning workout together. Cassidy bit his tongue, choking back that grassy taste and blood, to stop himself from saying anything stupid in front of the archer again. Hanzo looked down right delicious in his tight athletic wear. 

Before either could start speaking, Angela cut in with professional sternness. 

“We will be sending out a full team report shortly but Agent Cassidy is experiencing side effects from a modified biotic grenade and is not fully in control of his speech at the moment. It would be helpful if everyone on base avoided asking him direct questions and used discretion when speaking with him.” Angela instructed firmly. 

Both Genji and Hanzo nodded but Cassidy was too busy swallowing around verdant blood. The cyborg ninja, face mask on, tilted his head as he examined his friend. 

“I did hear that there were unexpected complications in Kings Row.” The ninja said, voice tinny but even. 

“You should really wear your face mask less, Genj. Know it’s a big deal for ya but yer easier to read with it off. More human. Not that you ain’t human with it on but yer more comfortable when it’s off nowadays.” Cassidy spat out the words with no venom, just vulnerability. 

The cyborg was quiet for a moment before he shook his head. He reached up and unlocked the face mask’s hidden latches and removed it. Genji’s face was scarred but still symmetrical and pleasant to Cassidy. The younger Shimada was smiling but his eyes were calculating. 

“If you want to see my beautiful face, you only need to ask.” He joked with a smirk. 

“Oh come off it, yer such an ass but yes, yer face ain’t half bad. Scars and all.” Cassidy laughed, relieved that he hadn’t said anything about Hanzo. But now the older Shimada was top of mind and staring at him with those dark eyes and that nasty rush of green at his throat urged him to keep talking. 

“But yer brother really got the lion share of the looks. Even before you were murdered ‘n all that, I’ve seen the pictures. Yer brother was a looker back then too but definitely think ya aged like fine wine, Han, if you ask me. Which you didn’t but like Doc said, I’m experiencing some side effects and I’m talkin’ too much which is ironic I reckon because you’ve already told me I talk too much but oh boy. Ya really ain’t see nothin’ yet. Seriously darlin’ I could go on all day.”

The flurry of words left everyone quiet for an incredibly awkward moment. 

Hanzo, beautifully stoic as usual, looked not at Cassidy but back towards the medical team behind him. 

“How long is he going to be like this?” The archer asked with an arched, thick eyebrow. 

“We aren’t entirely sure but it should be only a few days once the biotic serum is fully metabolized. We’ll be monitoring his condition as it progresses though.” Angela replied. 

Hanzo nodded, still not looking at the cowboy. Genji was watching the gunslinger with barely concealed glee. 

“This is an interesting development. What’s wrong with you, just forced to say whatever lies come to mind because there’s no way you actually think Hanzo looked better than me in my prime.”  Genji said with fake outrage. His smirk was wide and proud and there was no way the gunslinger would live any of this down. 

His mouth moved fast in a weak attempt to remove that sickly green from the back of his throat. 

“Easily, it’s not even close and I’m not lyin’, I just say whatever is runnin’ through my head at the moment. Ain’t got a proper filter right now so I’m flying fast and loose. It sucks Genj, I am really makin’ an ass out of myself here.”

The cyborg barked a sharp laugh, holding onto his brother’s shoulder for support.

“And what is top of mind for you is how much hotter my brother is compared to me?” Genji snickered. Switching to Japanese to address Hanzo once again, Genji whispered loudly. “See, brother? Who would’ve thought anyone could see past your resting bitch face.”

“You know it’s rude as all hell for y’all to just have yer lil sidebars in Japanese right? It’s poor manners, what if I just spoke Spanish to say whatever? And ain’t that an idea though….I, for one, like the resting bitch face. It’s hot.” Cassidy finished in Spanish.

The gunslinger turned back to the healers and pointed at his stupid mouth. 

“That’s an idea!” He said in rapid fire Spanish. “Okay this is a strategy, I just have to think in another language and go from there.”

Angela and Niran were writing notes quickly at the development and Ana just chuckled. 

“I agree with Cassidy, it’s a bit rude but one of the understandable perks of being multilingual.” The older sniper shook her head at the two brothers before turning back to the cowboy. “I thought you were tired?”

“I can’t help it, Han wakes me like nothin’ else.” Cassidy replied in smooth Spanish. The switch to the other language in his mind was easy enough and it created a new found freedom. He learned both languages simultaneously growing up and he was pretty sure only one other agent on base spoke Spanish fluently. 

Maybe this whole thing could be managed. 

Hanzo was looking at him again and wasn’t that just nice. That now familiar flavor was building once again and Cassidy was man enough to say he needed to run, newly constructed language barrier be damned. 

“I’m such an idiot, don’t look at me like that sweetheart or I’ll get the wrong idea and we’ll really have a problem. What a problem to have though right? I’m leaving now, this sucks shit and honestly I think maybe we should just see if Doc could surgically remove my tongue before I say something really, really stupid.” Cassidy’s long legs moved faster than his mouth as he made a tactical retreat to the dorms. 

While he could feel all their eyes on his back, Cassidy felt blessed that no one followed him in. 

True to his word, Cassidy drank himself stupid until he passed out on his stomach. He woke up to a dark room tasting nothing but green and dried whiskey. The events of the last day came back to him in a lucid instance and there was nothing the cowboy could do but scream into his pillow. 

Every confession, every old wound held open for examination, every cutting remark that was too brutally honest to be appreciated rang through his skull. 

“I’m an idiot.” He groaned as he flipped onto his back to stare at the ceiling. The motion whipped up his own stink and he cringed at the smell of sweat and battle grime. “A smelly idiot.”

He pulled himself up from his messy bed and peeled out of the clothes he’d been wearing since last night’s mission. Cassidy easily navigated in the dark to the bathroom and got a searing shower going, praying the heat would melt his skin off and end this here and now. 

Under the water, the gunslinger called out into nothing. 

“Athena, could you let me know what time it is?”

“It’s currently 6:24 pm, Agent Cassidy.” The AI provided seamlessly. 

He’d been out cold for over twelve hours then. His body, soaking up the steam and the hard thump of water from the shower head, hummed from neglect. 

“I’m hungry and this still sucks. I can’t go into the common area, that will be hell but if I don’t eat, I might have to gnaw my good arm off.” He mumbled to himself. 

Cassidy was hungry but the idea of facing the other agents like this was terrifying. He’d already embarrassed himself enough, the gunslinger didn’t know if he could take anymore. He’d basically told Hanzo everything he’d thought about the archer to his face. Things Cassidy was previously content with never sharing were out in the open to not only the older Shimada, but half the active roster as well.  A swell of shame now accompanied the embarrassment. Grass tickled his tongue despite the lack of an audience. 

“And I basically harassed him twice now with every stupid thought that came to mind. They’re gonna take me to HR by the end of this, do we even have a human resource office now? Athena, do we have a HR department?” 

“Any interpersonal complaints can be addressed with the current strike commander, Agent Cassidy.” 

The cowboy snorted at the idea. 

“Yeah, I’m sure Winston would love to talk through every dirty thought I’ve ever had about my teammate.” 

The heat of the stall was comforting but as soon as the word ‘dirty’ left his mouth, Cassidy’s mind helpfully supplied him with a few more thoughts that were downright filthy. Blood rushed south so fast the gunslinger felt dizzy. 

“Like I’m a fuckin’ teenager.” Cassidy muttered. He was equal parts pissed at and aroused by his own debaucherous mind.

He never usually talked much while masturbating but that verdant tang forced him to vocalize every fantasy. His good hand shot to his hard cock and he moaned against the shower tiles. 

“Wish you could be here, what would you do if I had you?” 

Cassidy’s voice was foreign to his own ears but he could so clearly imagine Hanzo, dark grey eyes blown wide with lust, looking up at him. The older Shimada was far too proud to fall to his knees for anyone but maybe for Cassidy, he’d make an exception. 

“You’d look so fucking pretty on yer knees…No, let me take care of your Han, I’d be good for you. Anything you’d want, any way you’d have me.” The gunslinger could imagine the two of them in a variety of positions, Cassidy wasn’t too picky. He gasped around that thick grass taste as his hand moved furiously up and down his shaft. 

“I want to fuck you. Goddamn, let me fuck you, Han. I’d fuck you nice and slow, work you open with my fingers, my mouth. My stupid fuckin’ mouth, I’d show you what it’s really made for.”

The imagery of sucking Hanzo dry was enticing but it didn’t fully encapsulate what he wanted to do to the older Shimada. 

His mind wandered to a random late night drinking session he spent with the archer some months back. Hanzo had been more than a little tipsy, his limbs were pliant and carefree in a way Cassidy rarely got to see. He was talking animatedly about…something. Something about the philosophies of classical artists in Europe compared to Japan. Cassidy couldn’t follow tail nor head of the exact details but he loved hearing the archer speak so passionately. He was so earnest in his assertion that the artstyle of Sumi-e was deceptive in its simplicity. 

Yes, Hanzo had been gorgeous under the moonlight but Cassidy focused on how happy the other man was. Happy to spend time with Cassidy. The gunslinger, in his infinite stupidity, could only reply with a short story on how he once robbed an art museum in southern California. The archer blinked up at him, dark eyes gleaming black like the night sky, and laughed. 

He laughed and laughed before promising the cowboy that they could go to a gallery together so he could gain some cultural refinement.

“As long as you keep your hands in your pockets, I can show you some of my favorite pieces from Sesshu.” 

Cassidy remembered Hanzo inviting him out like it was nothing. The archer’s smile was small and private and just for the cowboy. The memory punched him in the chest because didn’t Hanzo have the most beautiful smile? 

“I wanna make love to you, Han, until all ya know how to do is fuckin’ smile. Just. Like. That. Fuck!” 

His orgasm moved through him like the firm and fluid brushstroke of black ink on rice paper. 

Cassidy struggled to recapture his breath. His forehead was pressed hard against the slick stall tiles and his hand kept squeezing his length despite the overstimulation. The realization of what he just verbalized came with more thick vegetal sickness. 

“Holy shit, I think I might be in love with Hanzo. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!” Cassidy knocked his forehead against the wall none too gently, as if he could beat the truth out of that thought. 

Apparently even his secrets had secrets because the idea of being in love with Hanzo was news to him. The feeling, which had remained nameless and undisturbed under mental floorboards, was now hanging exposed in the heated air of his bathroom. 

“This is terrible. I’m hungry and in love and everythin’ is fucking terrible.” Cassidy turned off the water with a deep sigh. 

He brushed his teeth and looked over the messages he’d missed from the last twelve hours on his comm. Mercy, true to her word, had sent out a short mass missive that morning urging all agents to use discretion when speaking with Agent Cassidy in light of recent complications with Ana’s biotic grenade. There were a few other updates about the other active missions and only one new debrief detailing their fight in Kings Row. 

The cowboy had three personal direct messages from his teammates. The newest one was from Fareeha who just told him that she made enough dinner for him. The second was from Genji. It contained a photo of himself and his brother from over a decade ago, clearly snatched from the Overwatch Archives. The cyborg’s message was short: Have Dr. Ziegler check your eyes, Cass. I looked GOOD.  

The last and oldest message was from Hanzo himself, likely sent right after they landed back at Watchpoint from Kings Row.  

“I’m not openin’ that.” The gunslinger mumbled around foaming toothpaste. He tossed his comm back on the counter and spat. 

By the time he finished getting dressed for the day, it was just after 7 pm. 

Cassidy was left with two options. He could stay in his room for a few more hours, head to the communal kitchen when everyone was asleep, and scavenge around for leftovers. Conversely, he could brave the potential embarrassment, head to the kitchen now, remember to think in nothing but Spanish, and hope for the best. 

“I could also bring a gun and just shoot myself in the foot if I say somethin’ stupid. I really am hungry though…”

A hard knock on the door interrupted his one-sided debate. 

“Cole, you gotta come out now. You can’t hide forever.” Fareeha yelled into the room’s intercom from the other side of his door. “I know you’re probably hungry.” 

The gunslinger moved to the entrance before he could reason through why that was a bad idea. He opened the door to give Fareeha a piece of his mind. 

“I am hungry but I’d rather starve than leave.” Cassidy replied loudly. 

“Stop being a coward, you baby!” The security officer shot back. 

“I ain’t no coward! Or a baby! You’d hate to be in my shoes right now, Reeha. It sucks. Everything that pops into my head is just out in the open, do you know how much I keep to myself? It’s purposeful! This is ruinin’ my image.” Cassidy knew he sounded childish but he couldn’t help it. 

Fareeha looked at him with a smirk. They were basically eye to eye nowadays, something that took the cowboy a minute to get used to a few years ago. She wasn’t the gangly teenager he once knew.  

“You’ve really grown so much, Reeha. Breaks my heart you ain’t that lil knobby kneed squirt anymore. Ugh, I feel so uncool right now.” 

Her brown eyes went wide before she let out a whistle, long and loud, at his pitiful state. 

“Angela wasn’t kidding: You really can’t stop yourself.”  Cassidy could only pout and Fareeha continued laughing. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to abuse this. Well, not too much. I already knew you were a big sap who wouldn’t know what being cool was if it bit you in the saddle.”  

“I’m super cool, Reeha, and you know it.” Cassidy retorted.

“You’re only cool to people who don’t actually know you. Your bounties see you for a couple of hours at most. Try living with you for a week and the whole world would see what a dork the great Cole Cassidy truly is.” 

“I’m down right offended. Yer lucky I’m hungry ‘cause I’m so hurt you’d even say that. I’d like to think my ego is pretty healthy but damn, you used to think I was the coolest thing back then.” The cowboy pushed past the young woman with a huff. 

Reeha at thirteen had more height than she knew what to do with and a smart mouth honed from a childhood spent hanging with soldiers. She was confident and headstrong, just like her mother, and it was fun for Cassidy to pretend that they were something like family. The familiar itch of green bile tickled at his esophagus. 

“It’s so stupid to think of you as a sister, but I do. I don’t deserve that. I’m a stupid, sentimental idiot who can’t even protect you anymore. Not that you need protectin’ but what else am I good for it not shootin’ and fightin’? Maybe coming back to Overwatch was a mistake because everyone is seeing how lame I am. I’m hungry and this really fuckin’ sucks.” Cassidy ranted in Spanish, stomping down the hallways towards the kitchen and dining area. 

Fareeha was fast enough to keep up with the cowboy any day of the week. She was still laughing but was able to catch up and fall into stride with the muttering gunslinger. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll lay off you. Angela did stress discretion. This is hard for you, I’m sorry. Just…I was worried, okay? So keep yelling at me, I don’t care, but you can’t sulk in your room until this wears off. So, no more teasing until you’re better.” The security officer stated promised.

Cassidy narrowed his eyes but couldn’t deny he felt a bit comforted by her words. 

“Thank you kindly.” The gunslinger replied with an air of exasperation in English. “I am hungry, what’d you make?”

“Oh just chilli con carne with cilantro rice.” The young woman dangled the prospect of a beloved meal like a treat above Cassidy’s head. 

“Wow, did you make that for me?” Fareeha nodded, smiling wider. “Ain’t you just the nicest? Hopefully it tastes better than last time you tried to cook but I’d wolf down grizzle and Appalachian oysters at this point. Are there people still in the kitchen? I just want to eat in peace.”

“One, rude. My cooking is amazing.”

“Yer cooking is two steps above edible on a good day.”

“I will ignore that because you aren’t in your right state of mind. And two, you should be fine. Most people had an early dinner and headed off to do their own thing a while ago.” 

Cassidy gave a sigh of relief. He couldn’t afford to be embarrassed in front of too many people again. 

The two agents walked into the kitchen and Cassidy couldn’t deny that the room did smell pretty good. 

“Reeha, I’m actually surprised. This don’t smell half—“

The cowboy stopped in his tracks when he saw the others. 

“Headed off my ass.” Cassidy groaned, hand on his face in a weak attempt to hide from his teammate’s scrutiny. 

Lucio, Hana, Mei, Genji, and Venture were trying their best to look inconspicuous and nonchalant at the large dining table. The DJ was literally twiddling his thumbs and whistling. 

“Y’all ain’t slick.”

Cassidy made a beeline to the simmering pots on the stove and tried his best to ignore his friends. 

“It’s okay Cass, we all know this is a…sensitive time for you.” Genji stated. His facemask was off again and he was dressed in baggy bright green leisurewear. 

“Sensitive my ass, y’all are just gonna take advantage of the situation to poke fun at me.” The cowboy scooped a big helping of rice before ladling the chili on top. 

“Don’t worry Cassidy! We won’t ask you anything you don’t want to answer. We just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Mei added shyly. The ecologist was always so gentle and that familiar sick was back again as Cassidy sat down with his meal. 

“Mei, yer really too much of a sweetie pie to be roughin’ it with us. Too sweet really, you’d be better off in a lab somewhere instead of knockin’ out goons but I reckon you fight too well to go back to all that now, huh?”

The scientist blushed at his honesty and smiled over the rim of her tea cup. 

“What happened to the Spanish plan?” Genji asked, eyeing him carefully.  

“I gotta remember to think in Spanish first, don’t come naturally at this point.” Cassidy grumbled. He shoved a spoonful of chili into his mouth and wow, that wasn’t too bad. 

“Reeha, this actually tastes amazin’. I’ve had better but this is pretty good.” 

The security officer, who had taken a seat to the cowboy’s right, rolled her eyes as she leaned against the table. 

“Gee, thanks. You sure know how to make a guy feel special.”

“I try to. Don’t like you not knowin’ yer worth but also would greatly appreciate just sittin’ here and eatin’ if y’all don’t mind.”

The other agents nodded and gave a few murmured appeasements. Cassidy ate quietly but fought the urge to relax entirely. It didn’t take long before Lucio was fidgeting again from across the table.

“I’m sorry, I gotta ask, this is the only time I’ll get a straight answer: what do you actually think of my music?” 

The other agents groaned at the musician’s antics. 

“Lucio! You couldn’t even wait five minutes?” Hana complained, swatting his shoulder in punishment. 

“I had to! Cass never gives a straight answer when I ask. You can tell he’s always trying not to hurt my feelings.”

Moss and grass started to build in the gunslinger’s throat again as he fought the urge to speak his thoughts freely. Lucio smiled reassuringly at the cowboy. 

“It’s okay dude, you can be honest with me.” 

The words were forced out before Cassidy could regain his composure. 

“It’s beep boop music to me. It’s got base but just for the sake of havin’ it. It can be jarrin’ and it’s not just because I prefer rock and country, I can listen to most things but I guess I prefer songs with lyrics? I’m not a fan of the thrashin’ sound from the last album too. I just don’t vibe with techno but I can tell yer talented. I could see how it be good to just get high and mosh to yer more experimental stuff but other than that, it ain’t really for me. And that’s okay! Yer early work wasn’t half bad too. More traditional sounds I guess. I never wanted to say all this because again, yer talented and what the fuck do I know about music? But if yer askin’ me, you should lean into the more political stuff that came from yer second album. That was probably my favorite.”

The constructive criticism dropped into the room like lead on hardwood. 

“You asked.” The cowboy offered. 

“So you listened to my whole catalog? Even though you didn’t like it?” Lucio asked in astonishment. 

“Of course, it’s what friends do, right? Is that weird, yer lookin’ at me like it’s weird.”

“No, it’s just…wow.” The musician seemed flustered at the unexpected response. 

“Yeah, even I couldn’t get past the first EP.” Hana replied. The meka pilot was clearly choosing her next words carefully. “Does that mean you’ve watched my movies, too?”

“Sure— fuckin’ hell. I said I just wanted to eat in peace! Yes, I watched Hero of My Storm. It was good! Lots of action and explosions and yer a good actor, even if yer character was just you in movie form. It felt like the whole plot was circling around the celebrity cameo of it all but yeah, it was good. Anyone else got any questions since y’all got me captive here? I really should have just eaten in my room but I do enjoy the company, eatin’ alone gets borin’ after a while. Now that we’re all back like old times, I get lonely quicker than ever. If I’m by myself for a long time, I can turn that part off but it’s been two years and now I can’t seem to go back to bein’ alone like that. Ain’t that just assume? Pathetic even.”

Cassidy sighed at the admission. It could be so much worse but damn did it not feel good. He glared at the table  and tapped his fork on all the rim of his bowl in frustration. 

The table was silent for a while before Mei spoke up. 

“It’s not pathetic, Cassidy, I don’t like eating alone either. We’re sorry, we aren’t trying to trap you here.”

“Ain’t yer fault.” He sighed again. The hunger pains mixed with the nausea of the compound in his system urged him to finish at least one meal before making his escape. 

“Yea, it’s hard to know what you’re thinking so maybe we were just excited for a peek into that inscrutable mind of yours.” Venture said, speaking up for the first time. The archeologist had a crooked grin and boundless enthusiasm. “But don’t be sad! Okay, why do chili peppers make terrible secret keepers?”

Cassidy shook his head with a huff of laughter. 

“Because they’re always spilling the beans?” The cowboy replied with the punchline, much to Venture’s chagrin. 

“Ugh, so you’d heard that one before. Okay, what about this? Why was the chili pepper always in trouble?”

“Because it always gets jalapeño business.”

The archeologist cursed and the rest of the table groaned. 

“They’re gonna be like this all night if we let them.” Fareeha muttered. 

“Maybe the two of them will get stuck in a bad joke feedback loop.” The professional gamer suggested. 

“No no no! I got it, I swear.” Venture exclaimed. “Speaking of movies, what’s a chili pepper’s favorite type of film?”

“Spice-fi.”

“Damn it!”

Cassidy couldn’t help but laugh at their frustration. The banter and jokes lightened the mood and the cowboy felt comfortable enough to finish his meal. 

Everything was fine. 

He hadn’t embarrassed himself beyond repair and the chili was so good, he scarfed down a second bowl with a glass of water. 

Things couldn’t get better given the circumstances. 

No, that wasn’t true. Things could get better if a certain archer was here by his side. After the first year of working together, it wasn’t strange for the two to share a meal every now and again. It was nice, Hanzo made for good company when he wasn’t brooding and taking himself too seriously.  The archer could cook to boot. They always said the easiest way to a man’s heart was through his stomach so it made sense that Cassidy was in lo—

“Ain’t that a bitch.” Cassidy spat out to escape the mounting grassy sickness. “This is stupid, I’m an idiot. I literally can’t even eat a stupid meal without thinking about him. I actually hate this a lot, someone put me down like Old Yeller. This ain’t right. Maybe you can do it Genji, feels fittin’. You’d give me a clean death. You’d do it right.” 

The outburst, which shifted the tone of the conversation, was met again with limp silence. The cyborg in question gazed at him with curious, oddly sympathetic eyes. 

“I heard my name, what’s wrong?” The young Shimada asked. 

“I’m just the biggest idiot in the world. It’s fine.” Cassidy finished in Spanish. “If y'all ever need to kill me, have Genj do it.”

“How morbid.” Mei said with a chill. 

“Yeah, why does Genji get to kill you? What if I wanted to kill you?” Fareeha interjected. 

“He’d do it clean and leave me with my dignity at least. Reckon if I wanted to explode, you could do it Reeha.”

“Hey! I can blow you up better than Pharah.” Hana complained. 

“Then y’all can battle it out for the right to send me to kingdom come.”

“Okay but who would get the $60 mill?” Venture asked, wide eyed and inquisitive. “That much money could pay for a lot of excavation equipment.”

“If I can get the bounty, I’d like to put my hat in the ring. I can give you a clean death Cass. Especially now that I know how you honestly feel about my music. The second album is my favorite too, so because of your good tastes, I’ll make sure it won’t hurt at all.” Lucio joked. 

“Why does anyone need to kill Cassidy?” The ecologist whined sadly. “We’re teammates, we shouldn’t be hurting each other!” 

“Because I’m an idiot. Would prefer if I’m put down nice and easy. Just a straight shot to the dome ‘cause I can’t go on like this.”

“A single shot to the head for $60 million dollars? I’ve done more for less.” A deep voice came from somewhere behind the cowboy. 

Shit. 

“Shit.”

“Get in line, Shimada.” The security officer replied. “If anyone is going to kill Cole in cold blood, it’s going to be me.”

“Oh, what if I killed you in Cole-blood? Get it?” Venture was tickled pink at their own joke and Cassidy couldn’t help the bubble of laughter. 

“No, that one was pretty good! Ya crack me up kid, seriously.” Cassidy confessed. 

“Either way, Cassidy asked me to do it so the bickering is unnecessary. I would honor our friendship with a quick death but would forgo the money. I would do it simply out of respect for you,  my friend.” Genji said with faux solemnity. 

The archer was still out of his field of vision but the gunslinger was hyper aware of his presence. Green and dirt filled his mouth but he tried to clamp down hard on his cursed tongue. His full stomach twisted under the effort to keep everything in against the sick. 

Hanzo sat down in the free seat at Cassidy’s left side. The cowboy hated that he couldn’t help but sneak a look at the older Shimada. 

Hanzo was dressed in that skin tight sleeveless turtleneck he’d taken to wearing more recently. His hair wasn’t in its usual topknot but instead was pulled back in a loose ponytail, the fresh shave of his undercut tidy as always. His face was passive but beautifully relaxed. 

The other man had the gull to smirk when they made eye contact. 

“Cassidy, if you must die, let me kill you.”

A wave of queasiness rolled through his gut as the cowboy fought the urge to throw up everything onto the table. He took a few deep breaths and gritted his jaw. 

“Sure, Han can do it.” He replied slowly and deliberately through clenched teeth. Speaking that small bit of truth did not satiate the verdant nausea so he continued glaring at the dirty bowl in front of him like it insulted his hat. 

“What, Hanzo gets to do it now just because he asked? That’s not fair.” Fareeha reasoned with a smirk.

Of course.  

Hanzo could ask him to fetch the moon and Cassidy would do his best to bring that rock down from space. The double knots in his stomach and throat were too much now. The gunslinger spat out his truth coated in leafy regret. 

“He could ask me to bark like a dog and I’d do it.” 

Now, the dining area was as quiet as the dead. 

The confession relieved some of the twisting pressure but apparently his body was not satisfied until he was completely and thoroughly shamed. Cassidy stood up abruptly, mouth moving a mile a minute as raced out of the room. 

“And ain’t that seriously pathetic, I’ve really made a fool out of myself. I think I’m actually going to just have to off myself because this is maybe the worst thing that’s happened to me in a minute. And terrible things happen to me all the time. I think this is up there with losing my arm though, holy shit. I’m so fucking anger right now. Not at you, darlin’, don’t think I could ever be too mad at you but wow what happened to Spanish? Oh I guess it doesn’t matter now, but holy shit. I’m such an idiot but can you blame me? I ain’t felt like this since Mina and we all saw how that went because I can’t do anything right, I can’t protect anyone that actually matters and this is really not how I imagined this conversation going. Reckon I never wanted to have this conversation but because of that stupid biotic grenade, here I am babblin’ like an idiot all day long. Maybe Ana should have let me bleed out the other night. That would be preferable to this and actually, come to think of it, I can blame you a bit, Hanzo. You called in my injury because you were worried about me, ain’t that a bitch? Why in the ever livin’ fuck would you waste yer time caring about me? Now my head’s full of ya and everything in my head is out in the open. I’m gonna take a long walk off Gibraltar’s shortest cliff and just really be done with this.”

Cassidy rambled all the way back to his room, the sickness finally unfurling as he let everything out. The gunslinger slammed the door behind him as he slid down the wall to the floor of the entrance. He was grateful no one followed him as he sank into the darkness of his dorm. 

“I might have to resign.” Cassidy said to no one. 

While he talked about ending it all to save himself from the shame of being seen so clearly by not only his friends but the object of his secret affections, he didn’t want to die. Not really, he just wanted to run and never look back. 

Running was good. 

Cassidy knew how to abandon ship whenever things got hot. It was his self preservation skills, his fight or flight. What was one more burned bridge? He’d head back west, maybe to Canada? He could hitch a ride in Gibraltar proper and be in Morocco by tomorrow afternoon. He’d have to lie low until the biotic serum was truly metabolized and from there, he could pick up a couple of odd jobs in order to fund his trip back to North America. Cole Cassidy had some money left over from his mercenary work but a few of his other aliases would need time to replenish their bank accounts.  

His escape plan was really coming together when his train of thought was again interrupted with a knock at the door. 

“Go away.” Cassidy whispered, far too low to be heard through the thick walls. “I don’t want to look at anyone right now. I’m catching the next flight out of here while I still got some dignity left.”

“Cassidy, open the door.” Hanzo, the last person the gunslinger wanted to see right now, ordered through the intercom. 

"Gotdamn it.” The cowboy groaned. The archer was likely offended and had come to make good on his promise to end him. 

More insistent knocking and another buzz of the intercom. 

“I know you are in there and I know you can hear me. Open the door.” There was a moment of quiet that dragged out slowly as Cassidy refused to move. For a moment, the gunslinger thought the archer got the hint and left. 

Instead, he knocked again. 

“Open the door please.”

How often did Hanzo ask him for something with that kind of voice? Cassidy was left with no other choice but to abide by the command. 

The door opened and the two men were face to face. 

Hanzo was shorter than him so he had to look up through his thick eyelashes to maintain eye contact. The sight always managed to knock Cassidy’s breath from his lungs. The dreaded sickness started up again. 

“Han, I’d really like to be alone right now before I embarrass myself further if you don’t mind.” Cassidy all but begged. 

The archer seemed unmoved by his pathetic condition and maintained eye contact.

“Can I come in?”

“You know damn well I want you to come in but I don’t really trust myself right now.” Cassidy admitted lowly. His eyes dragged down from Hanzo’s face across his muscular figure. 

His thick arms were incredible, one decorated with that beautifully elaborate tattoo and the other marked with the ouroboros brand that was burned into his skin by that shitty family. Cassidy couldn’t help but reach out and trace the healed scar with metal fingertips. Hanzo was warm and firm under his light touch. 

“Well trust that I can handle myself.”  The older Shimada did not flinch away from Cassidy’s petting and the cowboy reluctantly stepped back to let the other man in. 

Once the door was closed behind them, Cassidy turned on the low lights so they weren’t in total darkness. His bed was unmade and his mission uniform was still on the floor but the state of his dorm was generally acceptable. Hanzo didn’t seem to mind either way and simply sat on the floor in front of his bed. 

“Do you have anything left to drink or did you finish everything this morning?” The archer asked. Hanzo always had that refined haughtiness about him and it drove Cassidy crazy. 

“Yer here for a second and already act like you own the place but yes, I should have a lil’ somethin’ left over.”  

The gunslinger went back towards the shelves in his closet to look through what alcohol was left. He did overdo it this morning but his stash was pretty deep. He looked through the remaining bottles and stopped at an opaque green glass with an elongated neck. Another wave of grassy sick and he couldn’t bear to face the other man as he spoke. 

“I got this for you. You said it was yer favorite brand a while back so I just went and ordered it. Took a while to get here because I sent it to a PO Box off base ‘cause I couldn’t risk you findin’ out. I just wanted to see what kinda face you’d make if I managed to hit you with somethin’ completely out of left field. Thought I’d surprise you with it when you managed to beat my record in Simulation 47. I was so damn excited when I got it because I thought you might be excited to have it and this is exactly why I didn’t want you in here.”

Cassidy grabbed the bottle and walked back towards his bed. He tried his best not to look at Hanzo because at the end of the day, he’d always been a coward. He plopped down next to the other man with a grunt before unscrewing the top of the sake. He took a swig before passing it to Hanzo. 

The archer took the bottle and said nothing. Cassidy could hear him swallow in one long, smooth motion. 

“Thank you, then. I am still working on that training simulation so I haven’t even earned this yet.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually, you always do.”

“You have such faith in my abilities.” Hanzo chuckled fondly. 

That lovely sound pulled Cassidy’s attention like the babble of fresh water after trudging through drought-stricken grasslands.

“I love that sound.” The cowboy stated, eyes meeting Hanzo’s once again. 

“So you’ve said.” 

“What are you doin’ here, Han?” Cassidy demanded.

“I wanted to talk while you could not lie or dodge the question or redirect the conversation.” Hanzo answered honestly as if he too had that weedy force at his throat. 

“Well that’s a cheap trick: question a man who don’t got any other choice but to speak under threat of bodily harm? I’m basically drugged, that don’t sound too honorable.” 

Hanzo laughed again. 

“I am not as good of a man as you hold me up to be. Traditionally, I’ve already taken a finger by this point in the interrogation. Consider yourself lucky.”

The gunslinger couldn’t do anything but laugh as well. 

“Then I guess I’ll count my blessings. Reckon I don’t got too many fingers to spare. It’s still not fair that I gotta be honest and you can lie all you want.”

“When have I ever lied to you?”

Hanzo observed him closely. His eyes cut sharper than knives and jeez, Cassidy could get used to the other man looking at him like that for the rest of his life. 

“Yer gonna give a man the wrong idea if you keep that shit up.” Cassidy murmured before turning back to stare at the wall. “You wanted to talk so get to talkin’.”

“I do not take the weight of your honesty lightly. I know this condition is not easy for a man who prides himself on maintaining a certain image. If I was forced into a similar situation, I do not think I’d be fairing any better. Probably worse.”

“Definitely worse. You’d’ve cut yer tongue out by now.” 

“Most likely.” He agreed, still watching Cassidy with those dark eyes. “I know you aren’t always easy to read and you prefer it that way but…would you have ever voiced any of this?”

“Voiced what?” Cassidy said, stalling the tickle of green. 

“Would you ever tell me how much you look at my ass or that you think my resting bitch face is attractive?” 

“Probably never. No, not never, just not like that. I mean why would I? I like my body arrow-free, thank you very much. And wait a damn minute, how’d you know I liked yer bitchy face? I said that in Spanish.” 

Cassidy's eyes were back on said bitchy face. The archer did not waver and smirked. 

“I have encountered many different languages in my travels. I am by no means fluent, especially not in the dialect you speak, but I know enough.”

Cassidy turned hot at the revelation. So Hanzo knew enough to hear…

“Why didn’t you fuckin’ say anything? Hanzo, yer really full of surprises. Why in the hell did you not tell me you ‘know enough’ Spanish?” 

“Just like you never told me you understood Japanese.” Hanzo countered with a shrug. 

“Fair point.” The cowboy relented. “ “Thought Genji might have mentioned it.”

“I don’t think he fully understands how much you remember.”

“He thinks his intuition is flawless. Even if he don’t got all the facts, he acts. Just so confident in his abilities though he’s too at peace to admit to still havin’ an ego a mile wide.”

“Genji can be shortsighted.” Hanzo hummed noncommittally. 

“Not like his hot older brother. Naw, that guy will wait and wait till the cows come home. Rain or shine, he will wait to pull the trigger till the last perfect moment.”

Hanzo hummed again. 

“Is that so?”

“Yup,” Cassidy popped the p in the affirmation. “That’s why you gotta understand why I couldn’t say anythin’. Things weren’t perfect yet. I’m not perfect, never will be. It be downright foolish to get my hopes up like that. He’s outta my league for sure. I’m not good enough.”

The cowboy’s rant was tired, almost bashful, in its simplicity. As if Cassidy was painfully outlining the obvious facts of the case for a man too smart to play this dumb. 

Hanzo, for all his talk of Cassidy’s poker face, stared back at him blankly. He digested the presented truth silently for several long moments before responding. 

“Is that what you think? That I am too good for you?” The archer’s voice was incredulous and more than a little angry. The gunslinger was taken aback by the tone. 

“Uhh yeah, I think that’s pretty obvious, Han.” Cassidy retorted. Green muck filled his lungs and he could only think fuck it, why not let it all out on the table without remorse?

“I’m an idiot and the only things I’m good at are shootin’ and shootin’ adjacent things. I mean I’ve always been a pretty good agent but not good enough to save Overwatch the first time around. Not good enough to keep most of the people I’ve loved from slippin’ through my fingers and wouldn’t that be a damn shame if me lovin’ you got you hurt. I couldn’t live with that. I was happy just clingin’ to the little pieces I had. I learned a long time ago how to be happy with next to nothin’. I was fine with just being yer friend or teammate or acquaintance, swear to god. All of this has been such a kick in the teeth and now I’m worried about you filin’ an HR complaint because I keep talkin’ about yer tight ass. Did you know we don’t technically got a HR department? Guess our operation ain’t what it used to be, no fancy UN funding, but if you wanted to make a complaint you’d have to talk to Winston.”

Cassidy had run out of breath by the time he finished speaking. 

There. 

It was all out in the open and he was man enough to do it while looking into those dark, cutting eyes. 

Hanzo was almost unblinking in the face of Cassidy’s verbal downpour. The older Shimada sighed before replying. 

“I would never talk to Winston about something like this.” Hanzo stated bluntly. 

“I wouldn’t either.”

Another beat of silence and Hanzo turned to take a long, hard pull from the nearly forgotten sake bottle. 

“I do not know how low you thought of yourself.” 

The gunslinger shrugged. 

“Ain’t a question of self-esteem, just a matter of fact.”

“Bullshit.” Hanzo spat sharply. “I read medical staff’s notes on the interaction between you and the modified biotic formula. You are suffering from a lack of impulse control and regulation. You’re compelled to say the first thoughts that come to your head.”

“If that wasn’t obvious already.”

“That’s not a truth serum or just stating facts. It’s an unfiltered presentation of your true self without any of the flowery words and metaphors you usually hide behind.”

“What are you gettin’ at, partner?” The gunslinger muttered.  

“I am getting at the fact that what you’re saying is true only to you and how you see things. It is not my truth.”

Hanzo’s eyes were soft and open. Had they always been sitting this close? Cassidy felt like there wasn’t any space between them and fought the urge to reach out again to confirm the archer was really there. 

“What’s yer truth then, Mr. Know-it-all?”

Hanzo’s gaze flickered down to Cassidy’s lips before looking back up. The move, subtle and barely there, stopped the cowboy’s heart. The gunslinger’s inaction seemed to inspire the archer to decide for them both. The short gap between them was closed and Hanzo’s soft lips were on his. 

Their first kiss was sweet by all accounts. 

Hanzo was insistent, craning his neck perfectly to easily open up for Cassidy. The cowboy’s flesh hand came up to gently cradle the archer’s cheek. It was chastise but damn it did make his head swirl with the potential possibilities for more. They kissed until the green nausea forced Cassidy to pull back and throw up exactly what he was thinking. 

“That was great, real great. We should do it again. Actually, we could do better. We should do it again so I could do better because that was pretty great but I swear, that’s only a small taste. Reckon I can do better if you’d let me try again.” He was babbling but the gunslinger couldn’t find an ounce of shame. 

“Cassidy?” The archer said softly. His pupils were blown wide and his cheeks were dusted pink. His glare was serious. 

“Yes, darlin’? You gotta stop lookin’ at me like that, it gets my blood hot. Just about everythin’ you do makes me hot under the collar, I mean look at you, Han, yer gorgeous. Not that I’m just enamored with yer pretty face— that definitely makes it easier — but I just like you for you. The surprising sweetness you try to hide, the way you show you care, yer mind. Christ, Han yer real smart too, could listen to you talk for hours if ya let me but I get it if I’m bein’ too forward—“

Hanzo’s calloused hand shot up to grab roughly at Cassidy’s jaw. His grip was strong and unrelenting, forcing Cassidy silent. He kept glaring and the gunslinger couldn’t quite figure out what the problem was.

“Cassidy, I need you to stop talking and listen carefully. Can you do that?” The cowboy couldn’t form a single word around the tight clench of Hanzo’s hand so he just nodded obediently. 

“Good. Your feelings are not too forward nor unwelcomed. I do not understand how you could think you do not deserve me or whatever other inane nonsense you were prattling on about. Cassidy, have you seen yourself?  You are quite the catch. You’re handsome, charismatic, you know how to talk to people and make them feel good. You are more than competent at your job, far more capable than I initially gave you credit for. You have this…way about you. You bring people together so easily, it looks effortless when you do it. You are smarter than people think and you do that on purpose to gain the upper hand. You’re cunning and strong. And you’re brave, braver than I could ever be because you actually want to save the world. Not out of a bid for honor or because you’re repenting for past wrongs, though I know you have your fair share of regrets. You do it because it is right. You make it seem like doing right, helping people, is just the simple thing to do and that is admirable. You are a good man, Cole Cassidy, and I am appalled that everyone but you can see that.”

The older Shimada held his jaw for a moment longer before letting go. Cassidy immediately missed the warmth of his fingers. 

“You may speak now.” Hanzo finished. 

“You think I’m handsome?” 

The archer rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. 

“That is what you choose to focus on? Yes, Cassidy. I think you are very handsome.”

The vegetal sickness Cassidy’s been struggling with for the last twenty four hours doesn’t creep through his digestive tract. The cowboy’s mind is utterly empty in the face of a genuine compliment from Hanzo.  

“Oh.”

“Oh?”  The older Shimada arched a well groomed eyebrow in skepticism. 

“Yeah…just oh. I don’t know what to say.”

The two kept staring at each other under dim light. That familiar green itch finally bubbled at the back of the gunslinger’s throat. 

“That’s not true, I do know what to say. Can I kiss you again? Well for the first time since I think you kissed me last time. Which is totally fine, no complaints here just wanted to—“

Hanzo, the angel he was, put the cowboy out of his misery. 

Their second kiss was a lot less tame as the archer pushed into Cassidy’s personal space. His strong hands pulled the gunslinger in with a firm grasp on his neck. Hanzo crawled into the other man’s lap, shameless and unrestrained in his desires. 

And hot damn, Cassidy could feel that burning desire grind into his own as Hanzo settled into his lap. Verdance and arousal mixed together as they part for air. The archer wastes no time kissing along the tanned tendons of his neck and Cassidy’s mixed matched hands find their way to that gloriously firm ass. 

“Fuck Han. I should get poisoned with truth serum more often…” The cowboy gasped as Hanzo’s mouth worried away at a spot under his jaw. There’s a steady roll of their hips together and Cassidy felt like he might explode with green honesty. 

“Can you wear headphones while we do this? I’m over the moon right now and it will definitely be a turn off to hear a constant stream of bullshit. I’d suggest a gag but I think I’d throw up my dinner and choke if I couldn’t get out all my thoughts. And dinner was pretty good goin’ in but it probably wouldn’t taste too good comin’ up.” 

Hanzo pulled back from the bruise he was sucking into Cassidy’s skin with a long swipe of tongue. His dark grey eyes were hooded and more than a little unfocused. 

“You liked the chili? I’ve never made that dish before but Pharah said she’s previously seen you eat stew from a Route 66 gas station so it couldn’t be worse than that.” 

Cassidy sobered up from his lustful daze. 

“You made chili con carne? For me?” 

Now it was Hanzo’s turn to be bashful. He looked off somewhere behind Cassidy’s head in an attempt to hide his blush. 

“If you liked it, then yes I did. If you didn’t, then Pharah did most of the work.” 

The gunslinger laughed, flexing his fingers around the lovely ass that’s been tempting him for months. 

“It was delicious, marvelous, really the best con carne I’ve ever had.”  

Hanzo rolled his hips again and toyed with the stray hairs at the base of Cassidy’s neck. 

“I could do better. I will make it again but take charge from start to finish.” 

“I’m gettin’ concerned for my waistline already.” Cassidy dragged his good hand up Hanzo’s back to his hair. The black stands were thick and silky against his fingers as he buried his hand against his scalp. The gunslinger turned Hanzo’s head where he wanted it to recapture his lips. 

The archer allowed himself to be moved. He eagerly licked into the back of Cassidy’s mouth with a devious tongue. They kissed, lips and tongue and teeth teasing and testing to find what the other responded to best. Cassidy’s beard dragged against Hanzo’s goatee in a delightful rug burn. It was wet and passionate and Cassidy was floating somewhere green above cloud nine. 

“This is incredible, way better than my imagination.” Cassidy confessed with his lips still connected with Hanzo’s. “Because obviously I’ve thought about this a lot. We should get on the bed but I’m not picky, we could do it on the floor it ya want. But the bed seems more romantic? Ah damn, we’re doin’ this out of order. Ain’t even buy you dinner first.”

Hanzo pulled back enough to pant hotly against the cowboy’s lips. 

“I made you dinner and you got me a drink, I feel like that’s more than enough. However, a bed would be preferable.” The archer replied. His eyes roamed Cassidy’s face as if to take in every detail of what he looked like when kissed stupid. 

“Okay. Yup. That’s— perfect. More than perfect actually.” The gunslinger rambled as the archer went back to sucking bruises on his neck. Neither were in a position to part enough to make it to the bed and Hanzo was a solid weight against his thighs. The older Shimada continued to grind into Cassidy’s crotch and it was hard to think straight with that delicious pressure. 

The only logical conclusion to both keep Hanzo close and get to the bed immediately was for Cassidy to gather the other man more securely in his arms and get his knees under him. 

“Wait, Cassidy—“ 

But this wasn’t the first time the cowboy had to deadlift another body from the ground up with his hands full. The motion was practiced and fluid. Cassidy grunted as Hanzo’s shorter legs wrapped around his waist once he was at full height. 

The cowboy stood still for a moment, readjusting his hold on the archer’s muscled thighs. God, Hanzo felt good in his arms. 

“God, you feel good in my arms.” Cassidy murmured the vocalized thought into the nape of the other man’s neck. 

Hanzo was holding onto Cassidy’s shoulders firmly to steel himself, as if the gunslinger would ever drop him. A swell of primitive ego ballooned with grassy impulses at the back of his throat.  

“I got you, Han. I bench 280 easy on a bad day.”

Hanzo laughed, his grip tightening on the broad shoulders beneath him.

“Are you boasting in an attempt to impress me?”

“Why? Is it workin’?” 

The older Shimada buried his laughter into Cassidy’s mouth as he brought their lips together again. He yanked at his shaggy brown locks and Cassidy got the picture. The cowboy turned around to gingerly climb into his bed and lay the archer down lightly amongst the jumbled sheets and pillows. 

They broke apart so Cassidy could take in the perfect image of Shimada Hanzo in his bed. 

His skin was flushed along his sharp cheekbones.  His lips were glossy with spit and kissed red. His usually tidy hair was mused from Cassidy’s searching fingers. Hanzo was heaving slightly, his chest rising and falling in soft huffs. His legs were spread to accommodate Cassidy’s bulk and his sporty leggings left nothing to the imagination. His cock was hard and barely contained by the thin athletic fabric. It was one thing to feel that dick pressed against him while necking. It was another thing to see it up close. 

Grass twisted in his guts. 

“Let me suck you off darlin’. Please. Not that I have to beg but I would if you wanted me to.”

“You are shameless.”

“And yer drivin’ me crazy, look at you. Let me get my mouth on you. I’ll blow yer mind while blowin’ you. Fuck, Hanzo, saw the word. Let me get a taste, just a lil taste. Or more than a lil from the looks of it, I bet it’s pretty too, just like the rest of you. Can I take yer pants off and suck you off, please?” Cassidy ranted, eyes wide and zeroed in on Hanzo’s crotch. 

His hands stayed in place on the other man’s bent knees because he was a gentleman and Hanzo deserved nothing less. Hanzo had thrown an arm across his face in a feeble attempt to calm down. Green sick forced the gunslinger to continue. 

“Han, I need to hear you say I can suck you off. I need you to look at me, tell me to choke on yer cock, and watch me swallow every last drop. I’m sorry, I usually try to be a lil more thoughtful with the dirty talk but I can’t think of anythin’ else to say but the honest to god truth. I need you to say how much you want me to lick ya up. I need you to want me like how I want you.”

All the cowboy can taste is vegetation and he was sick of it. Hanzo would taste so much better, he knew it. 

The other man in question let out a shaky sigh before revealing his face again. His irises were completely black and he was glaring back at the cowboy. 

“You were right. I was not prepared for how much you could truly talk. And here I thought you were a man of action.”

“Well then stop bein’ a smart ass and tell me what I need to hear.” 

The archer bit at his lip and shifted under the heavy weight of the cowboy’s lecherous gaze. Cassidy flexed his fingers around the other man’s legs and waited despite that sickly green running up his gullet like kudzu on brick. 

“You…are ridiculous. I clearly want you to…just…” He bucked his hips enticingly, his still trapped cock tenting the stretchy fabric. Being completely naked would have been less obscene but Cassidy was stubborn. 

“Say it.”

Hanzo glared harder and fidgeted in frustration. 

“Cassidy, if you do not get your terrible mouth on me now, I will make you bark like a damned dog.” 

The cowboy blushed at the reminder of his own unfiltered thoughts and shook his head. 

“Don’t hold that against me darlin’.” He was already shrugging out of his flannel down to his undershirt so he could get his terrible, awful mouth on Hanzo. 

The gunslinger didn’t have the wherewithal to pull those stupid leggings and the short briefs underneath all the way off. He pushed their hems down low enough to free Hanzo’s weeping cock and bare ass. 

“Got damn…” Cassidy buried his face into the inner hinge between Hanzo’s leg and groin. He inhaled deeply and sighed at the musky scent. Hanzo’s strong hands were back tugging on Cassidy’s hair to guide him properly to his cock. 

“Stop toying with me and get to it.” Hanzo panted, voice cracking with the pressure to maintain control. 

“Yer always so disciplined, Han. It makes me want to mess with ya a bit. See how long until you snap. ” Cassidy breathed into the neatly trimmed pubes under his nose. He opened his mouth to huff along the base of Hanzo’s pretty dick. Uncut and well proportioned, his member stood tall, proud, and red. 

One taste wouldn't hurt. 

Cassidy’s metal hand held the other man’s hip while his good hand came to stroke the lovely cock in front of him. Hanzo thrashed underneath him but his metal hand was firm. The hands in Cassidy’s hair stiffened and yanked hard. The gunslinger mouthed at the base of his cock, licking up salt from the taut skin. 

“You will be the death of me.” Hanzo gritted out. He bit his lip again and watched Cassidy’s every move with rapt attention. 

The older Shimada angled the cowboy’s head up so they could make direct eye count. The pulsing cock in his hand was still within licking distance so Cassidy darted his tongue out to catch a bead of precum from its leaking head. The move caused Hanzo to shudder and twist under his prosthetic hold. 

“Fine, you win. Cassidy, I give you permission to suck my cock. Just get to it already.” His breath was rugged with desperation. “Please.”

Cassidy’s smile was satisfied and languid. 

“See, was that so hard? It would be my pleasure.” 

The cowboy pumped the other man’s shaft until it was slick all over. Cassidy could feel his mouth water at the sight and he was nothing but a man of his word. 

There was no need to draw things out further; Cassidy got to work with a long drag of his flattened tongue along Hanzo’s dripping head. His cum wasn’t overly bitter despite the unmistakable salty tang of arousal. 

Greed came naturally to the gunslinger. 

One taste was all it took for him to get hooked and hungry. There was no green sickness creeping up his throat, not when his mouth was full of the archer’s taste. His id and ego were in perfect alignment for the task at hand. The first lick led to another then another and it wasn’t long before Cassidy was swirling his tongue around Hanzo’s cockhead as he began to swallow the length down. 

The archer was a shaking mess under him, in him. Cassidy groaned and sunk lower down his shaft. The hands in his hair were insistent and unyielding. How could the cowboy do anything but bob his head up and down that pretty, pretty cock and suck hard? Hanzo bucked down his throat and cursed his name. 

How far could he take it? Surely, every inch…there was only one way to find out. Cassidy relaxed the muscles at the back of his throat in order to take in Hanzo’s entire length. His nose was pressed into that precisely maintained treasure trail. When the gunslinger breathed in, all he could smell was Hanzo. 

He swallowed and gagged around his girth and Cassidy can’t remember the last time he was this hard. 

Hanzo held Cassidy in place for only a few seconds before he was pulled back toward the tip. The cowboy suckled hard and long at that gushing slit, tongue flicking at his foreskin. He repeated the action: Cassidy swallowed Hanzo whole before pulling off to the tip in order to lavish his head with persistent sucks and swirls of tongue. He did it over and over again in a steady rhythm until Hanzo was visibly shaking and covered in sweat. 

Cassidy’s own erection was pinned down to the mattress but he was too focused on giving the older Shimada the best head of his life to pay it too much attention. He mindlessly humped against the blankets and moaned around the dick in his mouth. The gunslinger was a glutton for punishment and couldn’t help but look up to admire the view. 

The archer had buried himself to the hilt in the wet heat of Cassidy’s throat. The grip on his hair became almost unbearable as Hanzo arched off the bed in one elegant curve. Cassidy took the intrusion in stride, swallowing once, twice, before—

“Fuck!” Hanzo groaned loudly in his native tongue as he came in fat spurts. 

Cassidy sucked him dry, just as promised, before pulling off the older Shimada in one last torturous drag. His face and beard were wet with stray spit and dribbles of cum. His jaw ached pleasantly as he watched Hanzo shake and pant with the echoes of his orgasm. The hands in his hair finally went limp before falling down to the bed. Cassidy sat up fully again as he surveyed the wreckage he created. 

Hanzo hadn’t even taken off his tight shirt so the cowboy couldn’t completely follow the pink of his skin all the way down. His cock, soft and wet from spit and his spend, flopped back onto his stomach. His pants were still caught just under the swell of his ass. Both of them had too many clothes on. That needed to change…

Lush grass and soft dirt mixed with the taste of Hanzo in his mouth.

“We ain’t even naked yet. Can I take off yer shirt? I’m going to take off my shirt and you should take off yers.” The gunslinger tugged off his undershirt to expose his bare chest and waited for Hanzo to do the same. 

The archer was too pliant and loose, eyes glazed over as he stared at the ceiling. He regelated his breathing as his muscles twitched involuntarily. After a moment, Hanzo shook his head. 

“Do as you must. Just let me…recover.” The archer murmured, still struggling to regain his composure.

“Can I?” 

Cassidy’s hands were on the other man’s hips again, grabbing at those stretchy leggings. Hanzo merely nodded as the gunslinger peeled him out of his clothes fully. Hanzo’s legs were toned, pale, and lightly dusted with fine black hair. His muscles were firm and sturdy under Cassidy’s petting. He dragged his good hand up Hanzo’s shin, across his thigh, and up to the edges of his sleeveless top. It didn’t take much for the cowboy to push up the shirt and slowly reveal chiseled abs and full pecs. 

Green sick and Cassidy couldn’t help himself if he tried. 

“I miss yer old getup.” He said as he removed the top all the way. Hanzo allowed himself to be undressed without a fight, his glassy eyes narrowed now on Cassidy. “Not that yer new look’s bad. I like the undercut and the piercings but the kimono with yer left side out? Gotdamn, I miss it. Almost lost my head a time or two gettin’ distracted.” 

Hanzo lifted a hand up to Cassidy who took it without a second thought. The archer brought him back down over him for another kiss. Their bare chests pressed against each other and their fingers laced together.

With the turtleneck off, Cassidy could suck a few hickies of his own into Hanzo’s neck. He bit along Hanzo’s jugular and nudged his hard on along his hip bone. 

“Only one other person has said they prefer my traditional attire.” Hanzo replied as his free hand traced along the gunslinger’s shoulder blades. Cassidy stopped his nibbling.  

“Who?”

“Niran said it suited me better.” There was no fondness or disdain in Hanzo’s voice, just conversational neutrality. No hidden affection…

“He flirts with you all the time.” Cassidy stated, words green with more than the biotic grassy taste. “You don’t flirt back but you don’t shut it down directly and shit on a shingle, I’m jealous. I’ve been jealous of Niran because I think he’d actually have a better shot with you. Wow, this is really somethin’. I’m sorry that’s weird right? I ain’t been too kind to him so that explains why. Huh, ain’t that—“

“Cassidy.”

“Somethin’ because honestly I’ve been snippin’ at him like a viper, that ain’t nice. He didn’t do a thing—“

“Cassidy.”

“To me. If anything’ he was rightfully sorry for his part in all this. And really, it ain’t his fault he got a face like that. Just never thought I’d be the type to fuss over somethin’ like this. I ain’t a jealous man, darlin’ I swear, you got sense in yer head. If you wanted to-“

“Cole!” Hanzo jerked Cassidy’s head sharply upright. The cowboy’s mouth snapped shut despite the vegetal taste.  

“I am in your bed, after you’ve stripped me naked and swallowed me whole, and you are telling me it is okay if I flirt back with our romantically capricious teammate?” Hanzo asked with a slightly crazed laugh. 

“I mean I’d hate it. Obviously want you right where yer at now but I couldn’t control you if I tried.”

“You are a strange man, Cole Cassidy. I would have never expected you’d be this self-sacrificing. It’s your hero complex. You’re too ready to die on your sword.” That tight hold on his hair led him back up toward Hanzo’s lips. The archer kissed the green out of his mouth and rolled his hip up into Cassidy’s hardness. Hanzo bit at his bottom lip as they parted. “I’d tell you to be more selfish but I suspect you get off on the altruism.”

Before the gunslinger could argue, the older Shimada had a knee under his sternum and easily flipped their positions. Cassidy was no slouch in hand to hand but he was no match for the archer this close with no gun. Hanzo moved like ink on paper. He pressed a rigid forearm across Cassidy’s clavicles and had his hips pinned between powerful thighs and his full body weight. 

“Just tryin’ to be fair.” Cassidy replied breathlessly, the unexpected slam onto the mattress having knocked the air from his lungs. 

Dark eyes locked with his and the cowboy squirmed like king salmon hooked at the end of a line. His cock was unbelievably hard in his sweatpants and the show of strength from the other man reignited the lulled fire under his skin. 

“So virtuous.” Hanzo rolled his hips again and leaned his weight forward. “But I suppose eyeing me up when you think I am not looking is more courteous than just verbalizing your affections.”

“I was trying to be subtle until I worked up the courage to do it right.” Cassidy blurted out. He couldn’t look anywhere but at Hanzo. 

“You wouldn’t know subtly if it dropped into your lap apparently.”

“And if yer so good at pickin’ up on my obvious interest, what's yer excuse for not speakin’ up?” Cassidy shot back. 

Due to the amazing body above him, the green vulnerability blended with hot arousal in the most frustrating way.  His comment made Hanzo pause for a moment. 

“I thought you must have had a good reason to not voice your desires.” The older Shimada replied after some thought. “That you saw something I did not and that explained why we couldn’t…But no, it was really just fear stopping you from acting.” Hanzo’s voice was not mocking nor angry. He sounded a bit…disappointed?

“I never seen you afraid of anything.”

Cassidy let out a huff of disbelief at that. 

“Yer a scary son of a bitch, Han.”

The archer scoffed and rolled his eyes while grinding tortuous circles with his hips. His bare cock was starting to stiffen in interest again as it spilled drops of pre onto Cassidy’s clothed groin. 

“Are you actually mad at me? Because what, I didn’t work up the nerve sooner?”

“Technically you never did. We are here because you are effectively drugged and can not stop talking. How much time have we wasted with needless caution? We could have been doing this months ago.”

Months. 

Now that was an interesting thing to say. Green lapped at his throat and he fidgeted under Hanzo. 

“Ain’t no way you knew for months. You never gave any signs I was barkin’ up the right tree!” 

Hanzo kissed under his five ol’ clock shadow and kept humping his cock along the growing mess on Cassidy’s lower stomach. 

“I invited you out to a romantic getaway to an art museum three months ago.”

The gunslinger felt his face flush at the memory for the second time that day. 

“You were drunk! I didn’t think ya meant it like that!”

The archer looked up to send him a skeptical look. 

“Convenient.” Hanzo went back to peppering his lips across his stubbled jaw. 

The new information illuminated memories like that night in a completely different light. Hanzo’s insistence to join him during supply runs or seeking him out specifically to run drills. Late nights spent over drinks, alcohol or coffee and tea, talking or sitting in silence till the sun came up. Their banter during missions was down right playful by the archer’s standards. The worry in Hanzo’s voice when he called out that Cassidy was shot. 

Oh.

Cassidy was an idiot. 

“I’m an idiot.” 

“Not an idiot but perhaps a bit oblivious.” Hanzo amended. 

The older Shimada’s body was hot and heavy against the gunslinger’s. Cassidy’s cock, which had been patiently waiting in his sweatpants despite its own furious stiffness, was dying to prove itself. The cowboy had no reason to fight the familiar taste of grass. 

“Okay, I was a lil more than a bit oblivious but we’re here now so I’ll cut to the chase. I’d really like to fuck ya properly if that’s all right. Reckon I got months worth of time to make up for but I’d really like to open you up and  just fuck you stupid. I was thinkin’ about just that in the shower earlier today. ‘Bout yer smile and how nice it be to make love to you, especially since I’m in love with you. So cards out on the table, I’ll do all the work and make sure you can’t walk straight for a week. Respectfully, of course.”

The older Shimada recaptured Cassidy’s lips in a hungry pounce. The arm pinning the gunslinger down shifted to anchor Hanzo to the mattress. The continuous wave of his hips grew almost frantic in its urgency.

“Like that idea?” Cassidy whispered against Hanzo’s mouth. 

“It’s one of your more brilliant proposals.” The archer panted back. 

Hanzo placed one last bruising kiss on the other man before he pulled back. Naked and unabashed, Hanzo was gorgeous as he stretched above Cassidy. 

“Where are your supplies?” 

“There’s a lil nook on the left side of the headboard. Just press against that— perfect. Everything should be in there…” 

Hanzo easily found the hidden compartment, smirking as he appraised its contents once the hinged door opened. 

“You are adventurous.” 

“So I’ve been told.”

Soon a bottle of lube and condoms were unceremoniously dropped onto Cassidy’s chest. Hanzo slid off of the cowboy to the side. 

“How would you like me?”

The simple question shorted out the circuitry of Cassidy’s brain. He needed to get out of his pants immediately. The gunslinger scrambled off the bed to properly kick off the soiled sweats. The archer made himself comfortable against the pillows with his legs spread wide. Hanzo grabbed hold of his hardened member and stroked himself slowly. From his angle, Cassidy could only see a hint of the pink clench of his opening. 

“Fuck, Han. Flip over will you?” 

The cowboy started to stroke himself to bring some relief. Dark eyes followed the motion with hungry focus and Hanzo bit his bottom lip. The archer nodded and obeyed willingly. 

“Fuck fuck fuck.” Cassidy was left without higher thought as he watched Hanzo offer up his glorious ass. The man was compacted muscle and sinewy lines. From his broad back to those thighs that could snap an oak trunk in half, Hanzo was perfect. The curve of his back accentuated his firm cheeks, his hole waiting to be filled.

“Yer killin’ me, sweetness.”

“You gave me permission to kill you.” 

And ain’t that the truth? 

Cassidy couldn’t wait another second. Both hands grabbed at the ass before him and kneaded to his heart's content. The older Shimada muffled a moan into the pillow as Cassidy’s thumbs pried his crack a part. The cowboy rubbed long slow circles against its furled edges. 

“I’m gonna make this so good for you.” His metal thumb pressed into the opening, testing the rim with a light touch. “I’m gonna be so good for you. Won’t want anythin’ else.”

The cowboy reluctantly pulled back to pour too much lube on his flesh hand. He rubbed the silky liquid between his fingers to warm it with his body heat. His metal hand recaptured one cheek and he oh so slowly pressed in.

Cassidy almost shot off far too early at the yielding heat around his thick pointer finger. Green reached up from deep in his gut and out through his teeth. 

“Han, I could come right now. Ain’t a two pump chump but holy hell, look at you. Yer opening’ up so beautifully for me.” 

That single finger curved along Hanzo’s soft inner walls. The archer panted as he adjusted to the shallow thrusting. He kept a steady pace and no force on this earth could turn the gunslinger’s gaze away from the sight of his finger disappearing into Hanzo. 

But it wasn’t enough so Cassidy added another. Two fingers allowed him to reach deeper and scissor the archer open. Hanzo pushed back to meet Cassidy’s thrusts, mouth pressed into the bedding to muffle short moans. Cassidy hooked his fingers and pressed firmly where he thought that special spot should be. 

“Ah!” Hanzo gasped sharply and Cassidy was grinning like a fool. 

“Like that?” Cassidy asked rhetorically. He buried his fingers as deep as they could on each push forward. The other man’s legs spread impossibly further as he pushed his ass up into the air for Cassidy’s access. 

“Cass…do not stop.” Hanzo moaned as the cowboy thoroughly finger fucked him. He was clearly enjoying himself and maybe Cassidy had been wrong; Hanzo’s laugh had nothing on his breathy moans. 

The gunslinger hunched forward to press open mouth kisses to the archer’s lower back. His hand never stopped, how could he when Hanzo was begging for him to continue?

“Darlin’, ‘m two fingers deep searchin’ for gold. Think you can call me Cole.” 

He pressed hard on Hanzo’s tender prostate with two fingers on the inside and his thumb on the outside. The shorter man convulsed under him and groaned at the stimulation. Cole leaned back just enough to pour more lube on the junction between his fingertips and Hanzo’s rim before teasing in a third finger.  

He roughly pushed in once with three, just to feel Hanzo stretch and clench around him, before pulling out almost completely. To archer tried to fuck back onto thick fingers but his prosthetic hand was strong and kept him in place. 

“Say my name, darlin’. Say it real sweet for me.” He mouthed along the vast expanse of Hanzo's back. His words were smeared with verdant love as he kissed every inch of skin he could reach. “I feel like I’m goin’ crazy. I got you, ass in the air, moanin’ and squirmin’. How’d I get so lucky? I should get shot more often ifin’ this is the reward.”

Cole couldn’t help himself, he worked all three fingers so he could feel Hanzo buck and shake. He fucked his fingers in and out to thoroughly stretch the opening. He thumbed at the laxed rim and twisted hard and fast. 

“Just— fuck.” Hanzo tried again to push back and bury Cole’s fingers deeper but it was to no avail. The mechanical grip was unmoved and the cowboy bit at the archer’s spine in reprimand. 

“You know what I want to hear darlin’, you only call me Cole when I'm in trouble. Let me hear you say it when I’m bein’ good. You really messed up ‘cause now I know yer into me. You think I lacked subtlety before? Buckle up, baby, it’s all down hill from here. I’m gonna spoil you rotten and give you what you need, every damn day. So stop being stubborn and gimme what I want.”

The older Shimada had a death grip on a pillow. His shoulders were tense and trembling. Hanzo let out a frustrated groan as Cole set a sickeningly slow pace. Each drag of his fingers was tortuous and Cole could feel the other man struggle to keep it together. 

Hanzo looked over his shoulder in a feeble attempt to look Cole in the eyes. 

“Cole…shut up and fuck me properly.” Another sharp twist of his hand and Hanzo was rolling his hips again. His cock was rock hard and steadily dripping. “Please.”

And who was Cole to ignore a direct order?

The gunslinger worked his fingers in deep thrusts and reached for the condoms with the other hand. He grabbed the foil and tore it open with his teeth, desperate to get this show on the road. He slid the rubber on with some fuss one handed, taking care not to rip the thin lining.

With a final flex of his fingers, Cole pulled his hand away. Hanzo sagged onto the mattress. His hole fluttered wetly, still seeking to be filled again immediately.

“Can you turn over for me again? I wanna see yer face while we’re makin’ love. If that’s all right.”

The older Shimada took in a deep breath before rolling over as requested. 

“Ain’t you as pretty as a picture.” Cole remarked, awed by Hanzo’s sweaty and flushed face. The cowboy pushed the archer’s legs further apart as he grabbed his own condom covered cock. “Han, I’m fit to pop. I gotta get my dick in you ‘fore I lose my mind. I know I ain’t small but I’ll be gentle. Can I please fuck—“

Hanzo pulled Cole forward with harsh, shaking hands. Their bodies met again in a mouthwatering slide, Hanzo’s pulsing cock trapped between their stomachs while Cole’s dick nudged between Hanzo’s lubed crack. 

“You are the one losing your mind? You’ve been sucking and licking and fingering me to oblivion and back, teasing me endlessly, spilling filth into my ears, and you are the one going insane? Cole, I’m not asking you. I am telling you: Fuck me.”

“Yessir, I can do that. Let me just—“

Cole lined up the fat head of his cock against Hanzo’s hole, talking the whole way through. He pressed insistently until he finally managed to pop the first inch in. The older Shimada gasped again and Cole felt as though he might honestly die. 

“Shit. Shit. Shit. Yer so fuckin’ tight.”  The cowboy watched Hanzo swallow him bit by bit. He hiked the archer’s leg up and over his shoulder for better access. Both men sobbed as the gunslinger bottomed out. 

Finally, they were face to face and connected in the most intimate way possible. Cole trembled with the weight of keeping his body still. His cock was thrilled to be embedded deep into the archer’s clenching heat. 

“Can I move, Han? I gotta move, you feel so good. So perfect, yer takin’ me so well, just like I knew you would. I gotta fuck you good so you don’t forget the shape of me.” Cole slurred, kissing at the pale knee over his shoulder. 

Hanzo’s eyes were wide and his breath rugged. His hands were still grabbing at Cole’s arm, silently trying to urge him forward. 

“Move. Now.” Hanzo, ever demanding, tried to fuck back onto the thick cock inside him. While the position on his back offered little leverage, the roll of his hips was intoxicating. 

Cole cursed under his breath. He really couldn’t bust as soon as he sheathed himself in the velvet heat. He pulled out a few inches before rocking back in. The squelch of lube had no right to sound so erotic so Cole did it again. Hanzo panted and tried to meet the motion by canting  his hips up. 

“Cole, please. You need to—“ 

The sentence was cut off with a firm thrust. The low moan ripped from the archer’s chest was fuel enough to do it again and again until Cole set a brutal pace. 

The bed rocked under them as Cole fucked Hanzo into the bedding. The gunslinger had one hand on the knee over his shoulder and the other groped at the older Shimada’s sculpted chest. Blunt nails dragged down Cole’s torso urging him to go faster, harder. Their bodies rutted against each other until the only thing Cole knew was Hanzo. 

Greenery, lush and thick on the cowboy’s tongue, pushed every thought out of his mind. 

“God, yer perfect. Let me hear you, darlin’. Can’t believe I could’d’ve been doin’ this ages ago, we needa make up for lost time. If I knew you’d be so damn ready for it, I would’ve asked to fuck you day one. I’m never bitin’ my tongue again, closed mouths don’t get fed and all that. But I like this better. Fuckin’ feels better when yer in love I reckon and sweetheart, it’s so easy to fall for a man like you. Fuck… look at you. I could watch you like this for hours.”

Cole’s consistent confessional was offset by the hard slap of their bodies and Hanzo’s frantic groans. 

“Cole…Cole, please…” The archer was reaching out for something he couldn’t quite articulate. His hands stroked Cole’s beard and the cowboy turned to kiss at his sweaty palm. 

“What do you want, baby? Tell me and I’ll do it. Just say the word.” Cole was speaking too fast, his words barely understandable as they tumbled out to starve off vegetation. 

“Keep talking.” 

The older Shimada demanded as he traced his thumb along Cole’s lips. He pressed his thumb along that wicked tongue and Cole sucked it in greedily. He dropped Hanzo’s leg from his shoulder and grabbed at the other leg to fold the archer in half and slam home at a new, deeper angle. The two men groaned at the shift in position and Hanzo slipped his thumb out of Cole’s mouth to grab ahold of his messy brown locks again.

They both realized in that moment Cole could never deny Hanzo anything. 

“Goddamn, Hanzo, look how deep you can take me. I gotta install more mirrors, you gotta see how you look when I stuff ya to the brim. You take me so well, better than anyone else. Like you were made for this: swallowing my cock in one go like a fuckin’ champ. What can’t you do? You make me feel so good.”

“I do?” The archer whispered, choked up on pleasure and urgency. Hanzo’s other hand tried to force its way between their bodies to rub at his cock. Cole wasn’t having that, Hanzo’s every orgasm  belonged to him. The cowboy snaked his flesh hand to gasp at the archer’s leaking cock and tugged in time with his thrusts.  

“Oh absolutely, I could die a happy man with nothin’ but yer pretty cock in my mouth. But holy shit, Han, yer a dream. You are so good for me, the best, you take such good care of me. Cooked me a meal and came all this way to check in on me, I feel so loved by you Han. And yer not even tryin’. Shit, I sound so damn cheesy but I can’t help it. Next time we do this, let me fuck raw. I really wanna fill you with my cum and plug you up with somethin’ hefty so nothing gets out. I’ll suck you off all day long, really take my time— I could go for hours. Once yer balls are empty of everythin’ they got, I’ll unplug ya and eat you out nice and slow until there ain’t nothin’ left but to do it again. Fuck, Han, I can’t— I can’t— Shit!”

Cole’s brain short circuited again as he unloaded everything he had into Hanzo. The cock in his hand jumped and it wasn’t long before Hanzo was shooting off again, long ropes of pearly cum decorating the scant space between them. 

The cowboy panted hard, blinking sweat from his eyes, as he collapsed onto the other man fully. Both of them were quiet as they struggled to catch their breath. 

After a few long moments, Cole rolled off the archer with a breathy sigh. He stared up at the ceiling for a bit and counted the chips in the paint.

As the cowboy’s heartbeat finally slowed to a calmer pace, the familiar verdant tang became pressing and the serenity of post-coital silence was interrupted. 

“Good? It was good for me, real good, but wanna make sure I didn’t go too far. You told me to talk and I just said whatever.”

Cole finally turned his head to look at the other man who was staring back with storming eyes. 

“You consistently exceed expectations.” The cowboy laughed a bit at the frank assessment. 

“So you had expectations?” 

Hanzo smirked and closed his eyes. From this angle, Cole could see a bloom of purple forming along his neck. 

“I’ve seen you in the showers. You have a lot to be proud of and I was curious what one has to do to earn the title ‘BAMF’. The talking…was not a problem. I…” He paused for a moment, mouth pursing as he tried to ground himself. “I like your voice. It’s…attractive.”

Hanzo finally opened his eyes again and smiled that small private smile that was only for Cole. 

“You like my voice?” The cowboy’s face felt hot again as if he hadn’t just admitted to wanting to eat his own seed out of Hanzo’s stretched hole. 

“I surely can not be the first to tell you this. You have a way with words and the accent…helps.” Cole couldn’t figure out if the flush of pink on the archer’s skin was from embarrassment or the still fresh rush of their fucking.  

“Naw, people usually appreciate the accent but I didn’t know you were one of those people. It’s nice. Having you is nice. So uh thanks? For lettin’ me in yer bed. Or you in my bed. Whatever, either way, I ain’t got a single complaint so thanks.” Cole finished lamely. 

Hanzo’s smile only grew despite the fumbling ramble. 

“Anytime.” 

The archer reached out to Cole’s good hand and interlocked their fingers. The cowboy could feel rough callouses and couldn’t help but trace lazy shapes against their edges. 

“Anytime? How about ten…maybe fifteen minutes from now? In the shower? Reckon it be nice to clean up. Showerin’ together is good for savin’ water.”

Hanzo snickered at the transparency in the request.

“How prudent of you. Fifteen minutes should be enough time for me to feel my toes again. Or you can carry me, if you wish.”

“Han, I’d carry you to hell and back if you asked.” The words were green and automatic. Cole brought up the other man’s hand to kiss at sharp knuckles. 

“You and your grand statements.”

“And I mean every word.” 

Hanzo’s gaze turned impossibly softer as he watched Cole kiss along the bones of his hands. 

“I’ve never done this before.”

“Have sex?”

“No, make love.” 

The implications of his reply were layered. There was a difference between meaningless sex and making love. What did that say about the life Hanzo had led up to this point? While Cole verbally bared his heart under weedy duress, Hanzo had stubbornly opened up because he needed Cole to hear him as well. 

Hanzo was right before, when had he ever lied to the cowboy?

The only appropriate response was to pull the older Shimada back in for a kiss. It was slow and unrushed because they had forever to figure out next steps. When they pulled apart again, Cole smiled. 

“You don’t need to push yerself. I came in hot but we can take it slow, Han. I just…don’t wanna waste anymore time kickin’ myself for not at least tryin’.”

The archer was quiet, searching eyes attempting to identify every emotion buried in Cole’s honeyed irises. 

“I am difficult.”

“And I like a challenge.”

“Our teammates will talk.”

“They’ll have their opinions either way.”

“I will let you down.”

“Reckon it would be the best fall of my life.” 

“You really are a charmer.” Hanzo chuckled and rolled his eyes. 

“Only for you.”

“Only for me.” 

Hanzo seemed to have found whatever it was he was looking for on Cole’s face because he sat up, resolute in his conclusion. The archer held on strong to Cole’s flesh hand and kissed each fingernail. 

“I have a few thoughts on some of you more…comprehensive ideas. Let’s take a shower and discuss them in more detail.”

The shorter man slipped out of the ruined bed with slightly unsteady feet and Cole had just enough sense to follow eagerly. 

Cole woke up to the shrill ring of his communicator left abandoned in the bathroom. He opened his eyes at the sound with an angry mutter and quickly realized he wasn’t alone in his bed. 

Hanzo. 

That sickly green taste taking over his body from his gut up. 

Dirty confessions and declarations of love. 

The tight heat on his cock and that thick length choking off verdant sick. 

Oh. 

The loud ringtone continued persistently and the other man in question slapped sleepily at the cowboy’s chest. 

“Answer it.” Hanzo grumbled from under the blanket. 

“Let it go to voicemail.” Cole shifted to recapture the space made while they slept. He kissed along the outer shell of Hanzo’s ear and rubbed circles along his lower back. Despite the hours they spent last night mapping every inch of each other's bodies, the idea of morning sex sounded lovely. 

But the comm didn’t quiet down. The ringing redoubled its efforts and rattled the device against the counter noisily. 

“Just answer it and tell them you’re busy.” Hanzo insisted with a smirk. The older Shimada turned his head to kiss the cowboy on the cheek before pushing him firmly towards the edge of the bed. 

“Alright, alright, I’ll go.” The gunslinger huffed as he reluctantly dragged himself to the bathroom.  

He didn’t bother checking the caller ID as pressed the comm to his ear. 

“The base better be on fire.” Cole said as he answered. 

“Good morning to you too, habibi.” Ana replied. 

“Good mornin’, Ana. What can I do you for?”

“You haven’t answered any of Angela’s requests for check-ins since you left yesterday morning. I wanted to make sure you weren’t dead.”

“Oh, Ang called?”

“Yes, she stopped trying after Athena informed her that you were okay but indisposed for the foreseeable future.”

Cole laughed at the AI’s helpful framing. 

“Yeah, indisposed is a good word for it. I’m alright.”

“Just alright?” The older sniper’s suspicions were palpable. 

“Yeah, fine even.”

A moment of silence and Cole turned to catch a peak of the still naked man back in his bed. Hanzo was watching him with lazy interest. The blankets were pushed down enough to reveal the jut of his hipbones and the reddy head of his half hard cock. The archer smirked and grabbed himself firmly while watching the way Cole’s own dick twitched involuntarily at the sight. 

“Cole?”

“Hmm? Oh sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you are still tasting the Datura stramonium.”

“The what—oh yeah the plant taste. Actually, come to think of it, no. I really feel fine. No nausea or anything. Guess y’all were right about the whole thing being temporary.”

Ana breathed a sigh of relief on the other line. 

“Okay, good. Biotic grenades usually take around thirty-six hours to run through someone’s system but we were unsure how the Datura stramonium’s chemical make up might alter that further. This is in line with Angela’s hypothesis.”

Hanzo had pulled the sheets off him completely to reveal his entire length. He was stroking himself in earnest now, his storm grey eyes never leaving Cole’s. Everything felt too tight and the cowboy desperately wanted to go back to bed. 

“Yup, suppose so.”

“You sound distracted. Am I interrupting something?”

The gunslinger really was free from that grassy sickness. He did not feel the need to recount exactly what the old strike commander was distracting from under threat of painful cramps. Instead he steadied his voice and continued casually. 

“Naw, this is important. Are there any next steps the med team wants from me? Do I gotta give more blood or somethin’?”

“Angela and Niran would like you to stop by the med bay today before lunch. They want to run similar tests again to compare with your original results.”

“Okay sounds good. I’ll head over in a few.”

“Great.”

More silence but neither made a move to end the call first. 

“Habibi—“

“Ana—“ Both spoke at the same time.  “Sorry, you go.”

“I just wanted to apologize again for what happened and acknowledge what you said back in Kings Row. I…I did not know, or rather selfishly ignored, how my actions may have negatively impacted you. You have grown so much from that troubled young man and sometimes I forget that you can still need reassurance of how much you mean to people. To the team. To me.”

Ana’s words were sweet in their hesitant honesty but it was hard to focus on that when Hanzo was spreading his legs and circling his own rim. 

Cole mouthed ‘cut it out’ but that only made the archer laugh soundlessly while pushing his middle finger in slowly. The gunslinger turned around from the shameless display and forced his voice to remain even. 

“I uh-appreciate that Ana. I do, it means a lot. We should talk. After I get poked and prodded by you healers, let’s grab a drink and talk. I sorta learned that sometimes it’s better to just risk lookin’ like a dumbass than to leave things unsaid.”

Ana hummed in agreement at his reply. 

“You have always been wiser than you look, Cole. Okay, I’ll leave you to your fun and will see you later today. Tell Agent Shimada I said hello.”

Cole smacked a hand to his face and groaned. 

“That obvious?”

“You aren’t one for subtly.”

“So I’ve been told. Goodbye Ana.”

“Goodbye Cole.” 

The call ended and Cole sighed as he walked back to his bed. Hanzo had sat up fully now, earlier teasing abandoned to greet the cowboy’s return with a kiss. 

“Reckon the whole base knows now.” Cole muttered as he settled back into the mattress. 

Hanzo shrugged and kissed the corner of Cole’s mouth. 

“I told you they would talk. You said you’d bark like a dog if I asked you to in front of Mei. I think she might have fainted at the imagery.”

Cole groaned in embarrassment again, hiding his face in the curve of Hanzo’s bruised neck. 

“I’m never livin’ any of this down.” 

“That is very likely. What did Ana say?”

“She told me to head to medbay ‘fore lunch for a follow up and said she’d like to talk. She also said hi.”

“And you are actually feeling okay? No longer drugged and eager to spew whatever filth floats across your mind?” Hanzo asked as he leaned into the mess of the cowboy’s hair and inhaled. 

“Filth? This comin’ from a man that fingered himself while I was on the phone, tryin’ to distract a poor cowpoke like me?”

Hanzo laughed deeply and self-satisfied. If that sickness still pulsed through his throat, Cole would tell him he loved that sound again. 

“I suppose so. We will have to learn some self-control, lest we scandalize the whole of Overwatch with our debauchery.” The older Shimada joked. 

The weight of the other man’s warmth was addictive and Cole couldn’t do anything but pull them both down to the mattress and snuggle closer. 

“Self-control is overrated. If yer happy, I’m happy, and that’s all that matters.”

Cole rolled over onto the archer to rest his chin on that plush chest and look up at that beautiful bitchy face. Hanzo looked back at him as if Cole was too good to be true, as if the gunslinger would melt into a dreamy puddle if the archer did not reach out and take immediately. 

“And if you are happy, I am happy.” Hanzo whispered as he closed the gap between their lips. 

Cole Cassidy was a man of measured restraint honed by a carefully curated persona but all that disciplined cool flew out the window whenever Hanzo was around, verdant sick or not. The cowboy couldn’t find it in him to care though. 

If being an embarrassing, sappy idiot was the price to pay to love Shimada Hanzo without restraint, well then Cole would pay that cost and then some every damn day.