Valentines Day (Genji x Reader)
A/N~ I literally spent all day on this, its to the point now my eyes and fingertips are bleeding fanfiction, so please excuse the quality. It’s been a while since I’ve really written anything, nor have I completed something in such a short time frame. Without further ado I hope yall enjoy this anxious romance fest.
The halls of Gibraltar’s watchpoint had never looked so-- pink, to say the least.
After Overwatch’s recent recall, the old watchpoint had become not only your home, but the home of many other agents past and present. You remember waking up at the beginning of the week to see the halls swathed in pink and red streamers; paper hearts littered the walls, stuck on with see through tape.
Flecks of shimmery plastic still stuck to your clothes from leaving your room this morning. On every door hangs a festive homemade decoration worthy of the holiday, sporting more glitter then the glue could hold, and the room’s resident’s name printed in curly red letters. As you pass door after door you admire the care and effort that went into each one. Jesse McCree, Angela Ziegler, Reinhardt Wilhelm, Fareeha Amari, and a name you don’t recognize. McCree’s had a little cowboy hat doodled on the side, where as Angela’s showed angel wings, and Reinhard’s a lion crest. How long must it have taken her to make them? Assuming from the peanut butter smudge you saw on one, she had help.
Your steps echo down the halls, a lonely sound compared to the usual bustle on Watchpoint. Most agents had chosen to spend the holiday off base with loved ones or, as you had done, sleep in. You caught sight of the beach through an observation window overlooking a cliff side. The sun shone warm light on the sand below, as waves licked at the shore. A puff of air leaves your lips fogging the glass for a singular moment, just enough time to think; had you made the wrong choice? The card in your hands felt heavy now, as your thumb traces over the cheap cardstock. You could be out with friends at a picnic on the sea side, but-- no. You clutched the card to your chest heaving a sigh in attempt to quell your thoughts. It’s now or never.
The rest of the walk was easy. You’d made the trip to his room so many times, you're sure you could make it blindfolded at this point. Cringing at yourself, you stare at the surface of his door, one hand raised to knock.
You’ve got this, you’ve got this.
But you still you hesitated, like magnets pushing off one another you couldn't bring your fist to meet the door. The shimmery green dragon on his name tag decoration seemed to laugh at your frozen figure. Just knock.
You took one last deep breath, filling your lungs with air as if you could draw your courage from the space around you. Squeezing your eyes shut, you finally made contact with the door. The action stung your knuckles, making you flex your fingers to soothe the ache.
This was a bad idea, two seconds pass and no answer; he’s probably not even in. Turning to leave the way you came, it's almost comical how much easier it is to talk yourself down. You’ll go back to your room, crack open that ice cream youve been saving, and watch one of those cheesy holovids that’ll most likely make you cry. Now that's what you’d call a Valentine’s day well spe--
Fuck. You stopped in your tracks, turning on your heels with your fakest smile. Genji Shimada stood in the doorframe, his usual armor replaced with loose fitting sweats and a t-shirt. That's something most agents forget about him. Though his body is cybernetic, he’s still human; and what human can deny the comfort of a nice pair of sweatpants?
“Hey, um--” your mind ran a mile a minute, your gaze moving from him to the new sound of Lena’s giggle coming down the hall. How are you going to get yourself out of this now? “I was just, um- just checking in on you. You know with it being a holiday and all.” You hold the card low against your thigh, praying he’d miss it.
Genji perked at the word ‘holiday’ “It is, isn't it.” he said. His voice smooth without the robotic filtering of his mask. “It’s been a long time since I’ve celebrated, such a day.”
Somehow hearing that was a relief but made your task no less daunting. “Yeah…” You grasped for something else to say, his stare was like that of a white hot spotlight. Every passing second made your blatant awkwardness even more apparent.
“Would you like to come in?” Genii asked, saving you from your floundering and stepping aside to provide enough room for you to pass through.
That was one of the last things you wanted right now. Once inside there’d be no going back. Down the hall you heard another sunny laugh as Lena came into view. She smiled wide, with a look of surprise, her pace quickened as she made her way towards you.
Oh no. She’d have your secrets blurted out in three seconds flat, and you’d much rather take your time warming Genji up to your confession. “Okay.” You quickly slipped past him and into his simplistic quarters.
Genji closed the door behind you, the hiss of the door sliding shut felt almost like the sealing of a tomb. “I’m surprised you're not out with the others.” he says, crossing the room to pull back the curtains. “I’s a beautiful day.”
The view outside his window almost matched the one from the overlook.
“Well,” You shrugged from the middle of his room, absentmindedly digging the tip of your shoe into the carpet. “There’d be no one around to pester you if I left.”
That earned you a laugh, his lips pulling into a smile on his scared face. A light feeling warmed your insides at the sight of his cheery expression; is that hope, or something else? You couldn't tell.
The room fell into a comfortable silence as he leaned against the window, following the path of a seagull in flight. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” he says, voice barely above a whisper.
Thank god he wasn't looking at you, or he’d see the unmistakable blush staining your cheeks. Your fingers tightened around the card at your side.
“Genji I--” the words died on your tongue when he turned his attention towards you. He had a way of making you weak, and you groaned internally at your inability to finish a sentence in one go.
He looked at you expectantly, one leg crossed in front of the other from his laxed position against the wall.
“I actually came here to tell you how much I appreciate you.” you tore your eyes off of him and focused them anywhere else. You looked down at your feet where your shoe had made a faint mark in the rug. Damn, you’d have to apologize for that later. “I made you this card.”
Genji’s own feet came into your view, standing toe to toe with yours, and gently he took the card from your grasp. You glanced up as he opened it, his dark eyes moving across the paper taking in every sickeningly sweet profession of your love.
What little confidence you had vanished, and you wondered if you could escape from his room before he can catch you. You scoffed quietly at your own idea; of course not, he’s a ninja.
“I know it’s not much, but Winston didn't have any assorted chocolates in storage so--” You forced a laugh, trying your best to make it sound natural.
Genji folded the card, setting it gently on a table beside his bed before returning to you. “It’s beautiful. Do you-- you really feel this way?”
You thought back to what you’d said. Despite how mushy the contents of your card may be there's not a single thing in there you’d take back. “I do.” you clasped your hands together nervously, tightening your grip as you readied to speak again. “It may be too much of me to ask, but I’m hoping you might feel the same?”
The look in Genji’s eyes as he gazed at you held nothing but warmth, and something you recognized from the way you look at him. He reached out to you in the way one might regard a frightened kitten, taking your clasped hands between his own; one robotic, and one warm and human. He stood inches from you now, the space between alight with a passion no longer repressed.
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