Same Coin
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
it's here! i finished it! bapweaver and yeehan fans rejoice.
summary: hanzo and cole go on a double date with baptiste and niran. they start chatting.
warnings: none
a/n: nothing special, really. a bit of fluff. lots of dialogue. it's all written from hanzo's perspective so...um...there's that.
When Cole had first approached him with the idea, heâd thought he was joking. But now as he looked at himself in the mirror, Hanzo couldnât help the scowl that was forming on his face.
He was worried that he wouldnât find something to wear as it had been a long time since he and Cole had gone out on a ârealâ date. They had outings, sure, but neither of them really felt the need to have the whole âsit down fancy dinner and a movieâ thing. Time spent together was more than enough.
So why, at his age, was he even entertaining the idea of something as frivolous and juvenile as a double date?
âBecause,â Cole answered at this very question as he straightened his tie. Hanzo hadn't even thought Cole owned ties let alone knew how to wear them, âyou needa make friends, darlinâ. No manâs an island anâ all that.â Once he was done adjusting his own tie he placed a hand on Hanzoâs shoulder. Hanzo couldnât help but notice that it was still crooked. ââSides, me anâ Baptiste go way back. Heâs tryna make up for past mistakes.â
What was left unsaid resonated with Hanzo more than heâd like to admit. Cole was hoping theyâd connect over the heaviness they felt, that Hanzo would feel as though he wasnât truly alone when it came to feeling guilt. stillâŠ
âThere are better ways to make friends than double dates,â Hanzo said gruffly as he readjusted Coleâs tie.
âPerhaps,â the cowboy said knowingly, âbut Niran said heâd already made reservations for four.â
Heâd made reservations before he even talked to Cole? The new member of Overwatch was as impulsive as he was brilliant it seemed.
âDidnât anyone tell you if you frowned for too long your faceâd get stuck that way?â Cole enquired now with the slightest smile.
âNo.â
âWell, this is me, tellinâ you.â Cole gently pried Hanzoâs hands away from his tie. âDarlinâ if you keep frowninâ like that, your faceâll get stuck that way.â
Hanzo could feel his face beginning to blush furiously and he had to look away so Cole wouldnât see. Even after all this time, his silliness still had an effect on him.
Cole chuckled and gave Hanzo a kiss on the temple.
âItâll be alright. Youâll see.â
-0O0-
The fantastic restaurant Lifeweaver, sorry, Niran had called it was a Thai restaurant that overlooked the ocean. Hanzo had to admit the view was pretty, amazing even, but he couldnât shake the feeling that he was out of place. He and Cole didnât really frequent places like this, after all. Being at home was far more par for the course for them.
âYou made it!â Niran said with a bright smile on his face. His long, white hair was done up in a bun, immaculately tied without a strand out of place. His usual attire was replaced with a soft white button-down dress shirt (with a respectable amount of buttons undone, Hanzo thought now). His pants were a baby pink with roses that you could just see if you squinted, made of the finest material. He looked like a fashion model.
Baptiste was next to him and looked just as handsome in his black suit and orange tie. His beard was well groomed and soft looking, and Hanzo couldnât help but realise this was probably the first time he saw him without his visor.
The two made for an attractive couple. Hanzo couldnât help but feel a little out of place and he discreetly adjusted his tie.
âWouldnât miss it for the world,â Cole said, voice like honey. âThanks for the invitation, Niran.â
âPlease, the pleasure is all mine,â Niran said, waving his hand softly before interlocking his arm with Baptisteâs. âJean and I had wanted to get to know the both of you more, especially after he told me that you gave him a chance despite theâŠuhâŠunfortunate circumstances of his previous employment.â
âThink nothing of it,â Cole said. âHe ainât the first Iâve come across who wants to atone for past mistakes, and Iâll be damned if heâs the last.â
âWelcome to the Pink Lotus,â said a woman as they approached the front desk. She was pretty, Hanzo thought, and must have been the hostess. âMay I have your name?â
âPruksaManee, Niran,â said the newest member of Overwatch.
A look of recognition crossed the hostessâs face. âMr. PruksaManee! Right this way.â
It was a minuscule movement, so subtle that were he any other man he wouldnât have noticed, but Hanzo saw Niranâs eye twitch ever so slightly at her tone. The sentiment was somewhat a familiar one, though it wasnât really one heâd felt in years.
They got to their table, a four-seater that overlooked the horizon, with a white card sitting atop a gilded silver, flower-shaped stand with the word Reservation written in cursive across it. There was a panel behind them that offered privacy.
They sat down as the waiter offered them the wine menu, something that Hanzo found a bit pretentious (nothing was better than sake in his mind), but he didnât think it was the time to say anything. Indeed, he hadnât uttered a word besides the simple introduction heâd made when he and Cassidy first arrived. It was a gruff one, mainly because he still thought that this entire affair was silly, but he kept that opinion close to his chest for his partnerâs sake.
Once all the food and drinks had been ordered, Niran leant forward in his chair and placed his chin on interlocked knuckles as he gave a dashing smile to the two men on the opposite side of the table. âI must thank you again for accepting my invitation. Truth be told, I was worried youâd think a double date to be too silly to join.â
Hanzo felt Cole give his hand a knowing squeeze and he nearly grumbled at it. âSilly? Us? Never.â
Niran laughed. âIt is silly. Perhaps a little juvenile, some might even say childish. But I fully believe that we should embrace our inner child, what with the way the world is currently and all.â He paused as he tilted his head to the side. âThereâs beauty in whimsy. We should nurture it.â
âWhimsy leads to carelessness,â Hanzo said, far quicker than he could stop himself.
Niran blinked at him, but if he was offended Hanzo couldnât tell. âPerhaps. But Iâm tired of hearing that carelessness can only be bad.â
âForgive Hanzo, heâs had a day,â Cole interrupted quickly, before shooting Hanzo a look that said Please donât scare away potential friends.
Niran shook his head. âNo, forgive me. Philosophy is hardly a topic to be discussed in a casual meeting like this. I should stop before I begin to get ahead of myself. What brought you to Overwatch, Mr. Shimada?â
Hanzo was never comfortable with talking about the reasons for his joining the group. âI came for a debt that needed to be repaid.â I remained for Cole, he thought to himself. A thought that he would never admit out loud, not even to Cole himself, though he knew that Cole knew.
âDid you do it?â Baptiste inquired. âRepay the debt, I mean.â
Hanzo chuckled humourlessly. âIt is not so simple. It was forgiven far before I even joined, and yetâŠâ He sighed and trailed off.
âWhat about you?â Cole asked quickly now, knowing that Hanzo desperately needed an out.
Niran took a moment to respond, as though considering his words very carefully. âIâm wanted in seventeen countries because Vishkar wants my technology, my biolight. I wanted to join a cause where I know it can be used for good.â
âDidnât ya study at Vishkar?â
âYou could say I grew up there,â he said with a smile. âI never cared for it, all the rules and schedules and dress codes⊠My dear Satya thrived in that environment, but I just felt stifled. When I left, I didnât look backâŠÂ Well, not unless I thought I was being followed. One thing led to another, I found Dr Zhouâs blog entries and as a fan of her work I only thought it prudent that I join her.â
âDr Zhou? You mean Mei?â
Niran nodded. âI have a special interest in environmentalism and climatology. I stayed up past curfew reading her papers when I was still in university.â
Wow. Hanzo would never have guessed it from looking at him, but Niran was a huge nerd.
âOverwatch gives me something to do with my technology, and with the resources here I can do more research without having to worry about Vishkar punching down my door. Thatâs happened more times than Iâd like to admitâŠMost of them were my own fault but the science excites me so much.â
âDidnât strike me as a person whoâd be into nerds, Baptiste,â Cole said with a teasing smile.
Baptiste rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. âHis enthusiasm is contagious. I find myself caring far more for the environment than I did before. Not that thereâs a lack of passion for anything in overwatch, mind you.â
âHow did the two of you meet?â
There was a pause, then a nervous laugh from both medics. âThe first time or the second time?â
Hanzo found Niranâs question odd. âHow can you meet someone twice?â
âYouâd be surprised,â Baptiste said with a chuckle. âWe met last year while I was in Nepal after matching on a dating app.â
âWhat were you both doing in Nepal?â
âHiding,â they both said in unison, and that brought a chuckle from the whole table.
âWe met once,â Niran continued. âIn person, I mean. But Jean said he needed to leave the country quickly and who was I to say anything? One year later, I came to Watchpoint planning to join overwatch and imagine my surprise when I saw him in the med bay with Miss Ziegler.â
âWell, ainât that a stroke of luck.â
âLuck, fate, coincidence, whatever it you might call it, Iâm just glad that it happened.â When Baptiste said this, he had a smile on his face that could light up the whole room.
Hanzo couldnât see because it was obscured by the table but he just knew that the two of them were holding hands. He and Cole rarely held hands with each other, and he wondered whether they should.
âWhat about you two?â Niran asked.
âOh itâs not half as exciting as your story,â Cole said.
âMy brother introduced us,â Hanzo said. âHe tried to kill me.â
âVery glad I didnât.â
The two of them didnât elaborate on that and neither Niran nor Baptiste seemed to want to know the particulars of that story. Or maybe they did but knew not to pry. Either way, there was an awkward silence filled only by the soft chatter of the patrons around them and the classical music from the live band that was currently on the outdoor stage.
To his credit, Niran drank some of the water that a waiter had brought and he gulped it down to fill the silence and exclaimed. âRefreshing! Thereâs nothing quite like a sip of water to quench thirst, right darling?â
Hanzo was certain that the water couldnât possibly taste that good, but he gave the scientist points for trying. Baptiste nodded and took a drink. âAh, that certainly hits the spot.â
âAnd this orchestra is simply magnificent,â he said. âMy mother always wanted me to play the violin, but I hated the lessons. Couldnât sit still, you see. I much preferred the drums. Did you play any instruments Hanzo?â
Hanzo thought for a moment, wondering whether he should share his childhood memories with a man he barely knew. But then he saw the look on Coleâs face, the look he knew just couldnât resist and he sighed and said, âI played the flute. I was in a child orchestra in middle school.â
There was a pregnant pause at this, and Hanzo willed himself not to let the soft blush of embarrassment dust his face before he heard a burst of musical laughter from Niran.
âIsnât that just precious,â he said just said, just a bit loudly. âOh, the things rich parents make their children go through.â
While normally Hanzo would find it uncouth that he laughed so loudly in a setting like this, he couldnât help the bubble of amusement from rising inside of him. âI admit, I did hate it,â he said with a soft chuckle. âEspecially considering Genji wasnât forced into lessons like I was.â
âAh, the youngest is coddled while the eldest is put through a trial by fire,â Baptiste said. âA tale as old as time.â
âOne could say itâs a song as old as rhyme.â
Baptiste snorted as the waiter handed them their entrees. âNo, this is not the time for you to reference those corny old Disney movies of yours.:â
âItâs always the time,â Niran said playfully. âBut alright, if you want to be boring. Why, thank you.â He accepted the plate from the waiter with an almost enviable grace. It was clear that while he wasâŠwhat was the word? Goofy? He certainly came from an esteemed background. But his politeness wasnât the fake politeness that Hanzo was used to. No, it was genuine. Like he was actually grateful to be given the food.
 âBy the way,â Cole enquired as he picked up his fork and knife, âhow did you get reservations here? Iâve heard thereâs a waiting list here thatâs about a year long.â
There was a seemingly uncharacteristic silence from Niran as he looked down at his plate and twirled his own fork. âMy parents had a reservation for me for what feels like ages. They wanted me to use it to smooth things over with VishkarâŠI decided to do this instead.â He stopped and grinned up at them. âTheyâre going to be so mad when they find out.â
Though the tone of the way he said that last part was a playful one, Hanzo couldnât help but notice the way he gripped his fork now. It seemed his relationship with his parents was a complicated one, a feeling that Hanzo related to all too well.
It was strange, how much the two of them had in common. For the rest of the evening, the conversation was pleasant with Niran leading it mostly. He had a lot to say and got really excited when Hanzo enquired about his biolight. To the point that he was standing by the rail to demonstrate and was animatedly using his hands to explain the technology with words far too big for Hanzo to comprehend, but with an energy that was almost hauntingly sirenlike. He couldnât look away, and he immediately understood what Baptiste meant earlier about his infectious enthusiasm.
âOh, excuse me. Iâm rambling again, arenât I?â Niran asked as the waiters brought in the check.
âNo⊠I mean, yes but we donât mind,â Cole reassured. âAinât that right, Han?â
Hanzo shook his head. âIt wasâŠenlightening.â
âSatya always said I used ten words where I could use one,â he said with a chuckle. âThe night is still young, do the two of you fancy a walk?â
-0o0-
It was warm outside as it was the beginning of summer, so Hanzo held Coleâs coat as the four gentlemen walked about a park that was a few blocks away. The sound of the ocean could be heard and the wind was pleasant as it ruffled their clothes.
Niran and Baptiste had their hands delicately interwoven together as they chatted together ahead of the two of them. It was endearing to see them enjoying themselves so genuinely.
âMr. Shimada, is that a smile I see forming on those lips?â Cole asked, and indeed there was as Hanzo didnât realise that his lips had curled upwards. âIf I didnât know any better Iâd say you enjoyed yourself this evening.â
âIt was a pleasant one,â he said.
One of Coleâs eyebrows tilted playfully upward. âIs that right?â
He waited expectantly and Hanzo rolled his eyes. âFine, you were right. I had a good time.â
âAnd?â
 âI wouldnât mind meeting them again.â He paused. âNiran is not what I expected. IâŠ.relate to him a lot.â
âI figured you would. Two of you are two sides of the same coin.â






















