it’s a nice concept, friendship. sometimes genji looks at those he knows here — reyes, mccree, even those such as oxton or wilhelm ( when they are not utterly overwhelming, at least ) — and he thinks that maybe,maybe, that is attainable for him. that he can keep it. friendship. but he knows it will not, cannot last. everything will end one day, and that is why oxton’s answer irritates him.
“ that should not stop you. ”
his voice is quiet, and it does not waver. there is a sincerity behind his words, something unusual for genji ; there is meaning behind what he tells lena now, in this moment. he does not elaborate, but merely lets the silence hang there for a beat, a breath, a step.
he takes another step towards lena. his eyes bore into hers, the red glow of them a warning more than ever. “ friendship means nothing, ” he continues, still quiet, “ it is not tangible. it is not a weapon. if you hesitated, towards me, towards anyone, you would be dead. so — — if i turned on you, would you fight me ? ”
Hope had been something long missing from the sunken brown eyes of the rescued woman. Insanity, starved off through long hours of therapy and the endless loop of the track, haunted her expression as Lena regarded Genji. She didn’t believe him a monster, ignored the way the fellow cadets peered frightfully at the scars that fused man and machine.
After all, Lena didn’t look too different under the tight hug of leather and dry-wick.
Dark eyes level with his, consistent. Unwavering. “I’m not afraid of you harming us. Harming me. That makes us allies, at least, and if not, then friends.” Something that came in rather short supply these days. It was best to hold on to friends when you could. A small, genuine smile appeared, brightening the harsh lines of her face.
“Besides. I think I could still outpace, even with your speed.”
Lena combed her fingers through messy, unwashed hair. “You’re not going to turn on me, Genji, I trust you.” It was unlikely that she would answer his question with a clear answer, either for lack of trying or knowledge of the truth. “We can be friends.”
