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Based on @zenamiarts au where Hanzo failed to kill Genji, and Genji killed his brother in self-defence + the Dragons short.
Spoiler alert: there’s significantly less fighting and significantly more crying.
“Whatever they’re paying you,” Genji called, “it’s not worth it.”
He was addressing the assassin approaching from behind. He turned to see what looks like an Omnic light up the shadows and stand, blue cloth covering half of their faceplate. He didn’t expect the assassin to run because of his warning and they don’t, but it had been worth a shot.
“Why break into an old museum like this?” the assassin asked, arrow notched but not drawn. Blue and black, he’d blend into the darkness if not for those lights. He didn’t seem aggressive for now, so Genji stood and replied.
“Didn’t your masters tell you? I used to live here.” He smiled, and the assassin tilted his head.
“With your brother.”
Genji’s smile dropped.
The assassin approached slowly. Genji didn’t bother to be intimidated. He could draw his blade and deflect the arrow before it landed, and strike before the assassin could fire again.
“Every year, you return here,” the assassin muttered, and Genji got the feeling he’s partially talking to himself. “To honour a man who would’ve murdered you.”
The assassin blocked his strike with the bow, the blade chipping the metal.
Genji felt his face twist into a snarl, and made a conscious effort to relax. “Don’t pretend like you know anything about what happened,” he said casually, only the slightest warning audible in his voice.
“I know you could’ve died that night,” the assassin said, and Genji doesn’t understand why he sounds so... sad.
“But I didn’t,” Genji replied, looking past the bow and the sword, into the assassin’s visor. He could discern almost nothing from the metal, but some of the mannerisms seem human. “Who are you?”
“...It was foolish to think you’d recognise me,” the assassin said, stepping back. Genji kept his sword up, now having absolutely no idea where this interaction was heading. Or if the assassin was truly an assassin. “It has been a long time, brother.”
The assassin -the omnic -the stranger is forced back by the strength of Genji’s strike, another chip in the bow’s body.
“Don’t you dare call me that!” Genji yelled -loud enough that if the guards didn’t know they were there before, they did now. Not that he and the stranger would be bothered. Only a fool would try and interrupt. “Who the hell are you?”
Again, the stranger stepped back, wary of another blow. Slowly he lowered his bow and then removed the cloth covering half his visor. He hesitated, and Genji relaxed his stance, only a bit -could see in the sudden insecurity in the stranger’s stance that he was not looking for a fight.
When the stranger removed his visor, Genji’s sword clattered to the ground.
His face was covered in scars, wounds consistent, Genji realised dimly, with the ones he’d inflicted years ago, and many times since then. But that was not what froze him to the spot, eyes wide and helpless to do anything but stare. The other man could have taken his time, drawn the bow and aimed it at his head, and still Genji wouldn’t have been able to move.
Because of those eyes. Genji knew them, even if the rest of the face was unfamiliar -even if the fear in them was unfamiliar.
“Hanzo?” he whispered.
Hanzo relaxed, any trace of fear gone. The bow was placed gently next to the dropped sword. “Genji,” he said, and it sound like the start of a long, prepared speech -but before he could say anything else he suddenly found himself enveloped in a crushing hug.
Hanzo staggered back, adjusting to the weight before hesitantly returning the hug. This... wasn’t how he expected things to go. He was fully prepared for Genji to yell at him, curse him, demand to know why he did what he did.
But even if he hadn’t expected it, the hug was... nice.
For a second, it was like the past ten years hadn’t happened. Their fight hadn’t happened, and neither had all the stupid arguments leading up to it.
And then it is ruined.
“I’m sorry,” Genji choked out, and Hanzo wondered if he was hiding tears like he used to when they were far younger, trying to be stoic after falling in the koi pond. “I’m so, so sorry, I-”
“No,” Hanzo interrupted, tried to keep his voice even -failed. “No, Genji- none of this is your fault-”
“I killed you!” Genji yelled, pulling back -still gripping onto Hanzo tight enough for the sensors in the synthetic limbs to start sending warning signals, but no longer burying his face in his brother’s shoulder. “I- I killed you, I- I-”
“Genji,” Hanzo said, helpless -his little brother was well and truly crying now, little sobs nearly silent but shaking his whole body. Years of guilt were bubbling to the present, and Hanzo didn’t understand -it was never Genji’s fault, this was infinitely preferable to the alternative, if he would just blame Hanzo he’d feel so much better. Genji had always been the more emotional of the two, and Hanzo couldn’t help but feel that if their positions were reversed he’d know what to do.
Hanzo had gotten better, though, with the help of Mondatta and Jesse and the rest, and even with ten years of separation he knew his little brother.
Hanzo drew him back into a hug. “You didn’t kill me, Genji,” he murmured.
The only response he got was a muffled sob, but that was okay. There would be time to talk later.
Right now, Hanzo just wanted to be safe in the knowledge that he hadn’t made his brother hate him -that he was safe, and that there was something to rebuild.
A/N: Some headcanons I have for this AU.
-After Genji’s through with them, there’s no one to claim leadership of the Shimadas, and the remaining remnants of the clan scatter in an attempt to escape. The castle is now pretty much just a tourist attraction -the temple is closed off to visitors, though.
-Genji’s not as formal/stoic as Hanzo. He banters with his opponents and jokes around a lot. It’s honestly mostly a coping mechanism. Once the jokes stop, that’s when you’re in real trouble.
-Just... let me have an AU where the brothers can hug. Please. I need it.
I've been waiting for a home to hang these wonderful posters in. I could only hang two of the four right now, so I picked my two favorites. They've helped me through a lot and I love them just as much as the day I saw them. Thank you so much, zenamiarts, for what you’ve given me. Here are the promised photos of them hanging on the walls of my new home.
