Chapter Text
There are few things in life that can combat a hot summer’s day, and sweet tea, thought Jesse chewing on his straw, goes undefeated. Though, most folks attending Overwatch University London preferred their tea hot, even on the rare days the temperature peaked above 95. He’d resorted to making his own simple syrup at home so he could enjoy tea the right way.
9:45, he was cutting it close, but Professor Winston was used to Jesse showing up late to lecture. It was his fault anyway for scheduling a required course before noon, not that Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops wouldn’t wake him right up. His eyes started to glaze over just thinking about the famous epics that were Prof. Winston’s slide sets.
Buzz. McCree glanced at his phone and grinned.
Angie: Hi Jesse! Do you want to meet for lunch later? Would love to catch up on what you did this summer.
Jesse began to tap back with the thumb not preoccupied by his sweet nectar.
Jesse: fuq yeah, what time u thin-
McCree let out a grunt as his shoulder bumped against another student. His sweet tea tumbled to the ground, crashing, watering the sidewalk.
“Pardon, didn’t see you there.”
The student, who had already started to leave without even offering a helping hand, turned and glared at Jesse.
“Watch where you walk.”
Slack jawed, McCree watched the student strut away, plowing through the stream of students that parted before him.
“Well I never,” he mumbled, picking up his empty cup, now a tragic loss. He glanced at his watch. “Shit.”
The sugar sank to the bottom of McCree’s cup as he attempted to stir the sugar packets into his iced tea. He knew it was a fruitless effort from the beginning, but still he let out a sigh.
“Something wrong?” smiled Angie. The radiant med student sat across the table next to Fareeha, an aeronautical engineer, ROTC student, and Angie’s ogling magnet for the past three years.
“Aw nothing much, shoulda learned by now that they don’t know how to make sweet tea right here. What about you Angie, you have any sweet tea recently?” he asked wiggling his eyebrows and glancing over at Fareeha. Jesse chuckled as Angie’s face flushed a rosy pink.
“Are you okay, Angie?” asked Fareeha, glancing over.
“Are you excited for your new roommate, Jesse?” asked Mei.
“Da, Genji mentioned his brother is taking the extra room?” said Zarya.
“His stuff all got to the apartment this morning, but Genji said he’d probably spend the night at a hotel so he could go to classes today.”
“After flying from Tokyo? That’s a tough pull,” said Fareeha.
“What about your summer? You had an internship, right?” asked Angie.
“Got that right, did soil samples and crop management at a local farm. Lotsa time rollin’ in the dirt.”
“I see you picked up quite the tan, I hope you wore at least a little sunscreen?”
“Naw, it’d spoil the samples.”
“Jesse.”
“Oh, I almost forgot to ask!” said Mei. “You guys are still okay with helping this weekend right?”
“Do we know how many freshman are supposed to show?” asked Zarya.
“In past years I think it was around 50.”
The four women chatted away about logistics of the event. Typically Genji would join the group for lunch, but he was either helping his brother settle in or hadn’t bothered to roll out of bed yet. Jesse and Genji had moved in together the previous semester even though Genji was a year younger. The duo had struggled to find a roommate to fill the final room of the apartment. Genji was a good roommate. Messy, sure. Left dishes in the sink all the time. Jesse had lost count of the times he’d forgotten to replace the toilet paper. But he let Jesse do the same and any spats were settled after a good night of drinking and video games.
As the months pressed on, paying rent on an apartment with an empty room started to strain their wallets. They both went to school on scholarships and had to work part time on campus for money. Jesse really didn’t want to lose the place, the fridge had an ice maker for god’s sake. When Genji suggested his brother, who was transferring to Overwatch University, it seemed like the perfect miracle, but now that he was going to meet the fella soon, Jesse was getting cold feet. He knew there’d been some sort of drama between the brothers in the past that had apparently worked itself out. Still, Genji hadn’t mentioned his brother for the first few years Jesse knew him. There was radio silence any time the conversation turned to family. McCree wasn’t one to push, so the matter remained a mystery. Over the past few months there were a few more conversations of the past; McCree assumed it probably had to do with Genji starting yoga.
“Oh shit, I’m going to be late.” Jesse gathered his things into his bag. “Sorry folks, I’ve got a meeting with Professor Amari to find out if I have a future or not.”
“Say hi to mom for me!” grinned Fareeha.
Warm sunlight filtered through the window into the dusty office. An aromatic mix of chai tea and old books wafted through the room. When McCree knocked at the open door, Professor Amari looked up from one of the open photography books stacked around her desk. The walls were packed with war photos, her pieces from her time as a photojournalist.
“You’re late.”
“And here I was hoping I’d made it just in the nick of time.”
She smiled. “Tell me about your summer while I find your academic report, cowboy.”
“I worked an internship this summer at a farm over yonder, takin’ soil samples, helping with the animals a bit, sweatin’ away my youth under the hot sun.”
Amari smiled. “Did you take any pictures?”
Jesse grinned. “‘Course I did.” He pulled a manilla folder out of his bag.
“You should really learn to store your pictures better or maybe switch to digital.”
“Old dogs, new tricks and such.”
“Oh, hush.” She laid out the photos across her desk. They consisted mostly of golden fields, old barns collapsing in on themselves, and small streams hidden in the woods. It was intimidating, watching her scrutinize each piece. She was an award-winning photographer looking over shots he’d taken during his weekend walks and developed in his bathroom.
“You’ve got a good eye cowboy, you know when to take the shot.” She smiled. “I still think you’ve got a career in this; you have the talent, you practically have the degree with how many art classes you’ve taken as electives.”
“Aw you know, it’s just a hobby. It’s much easier to find a job in agriculture right now and I can always keep photography as a hobby.”
“It’s your decision,” said Amari. “This is definitely your best shot out of the bunch.” She tapped the picture of one of his coworkers mid-swing with a grubber glistening in the sunlight. Dirt flew in the air. It was his favorite too.
“Now, let’s talk about your classes, you’re tracking to graduate on time. Looks like you only have two classes you need to take next semester, and I see you’re already signed up for my class this semester.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“I was serious before about getting double degrees, you’re three courses away from filling the requirements for a B.A. in Photography.”
“Is one of them a history class? You know how I am with names and dates, plus all the readings.”
“Just think about it this semester. You have the talent and the drive, Jesse. I don’t want you to just leave this school with a job, I want you to leave with a career. I see too many students sucked into jobs that drain their passion, and I don’t want the same to happen to you.” She said with a solicitous smile.
“Not your most uplifting speech, professor, but speaking of draining passions I have Rangeland Ecology and Management in 10.”
“Go, go don’t be late, though I’m sure somehow you’ll manage anyway. I’ll see you in class tomorrow?”
“Peacekeeper and I will be there ready to rumble.”
“Of course. And Jesse?”
“Yessum?”
“Please do think about it.”
“Will do, will do.”
The craving for sweet tea lingered through the rest of Jesse’s class. He could hear the pitcher he’d made that weekend calling out to him from the fridge as he dug for his keys. The apartment was on the second story of the building. Each flat took up a floor of the three story complex above a divey bar. It was a bit odd at first getting into the building through a side door in the alley, but the path had become habit.
A cool wave of AC hit McCree as he opened the door. He let the stress of the day slide off his shoulders as he ditched his boots. One of the few rules Genji had laid out as roommates was absolutely no shoes in the house. The apartment had an open layout with a bar separating the kitchen from the living room. McCree dropped his bag on the counter and made a beeline straight for the fridge, pouring a tall glass of tea. He took a long sip. Perfect. He glanced around the living room as he drank and noticed a distinct lack of boxes. The brother must’ve arrived and moved his stuff to his room. Cool.
He dug through one of the junk drawers in the kitchen, fishing out a cigarette and placing it behind his ear. As he opened the patio door he heard bickering in Japanese and stomping down the hallway. Genji’s bright green head of hair rounded the corner first. He was sporting one of his classic ironic cropped anime shirts and jean shorts showing off his scarred stomach and synthetic legs.
Jesse wasn’t sure on the details, but he knew that Genji had been in some sort of accident a few years back and lost both his legs and one of his arms, plus scarring up a good amount of the rest of his body. The prosthetics were something they’d bounded over when they first met when Genji had commented on Jesse’s “sick af arm”. The topic of the accident was never broached, or mentioned except in vague passing. He had a feeling it was something that still ate him up and Jesse knew not to push it. Genji was not one to keep quiet about something when he wanted to talk about it.
The man following behind Genji struck a stark contrast to his younger brother. He wore his dark hair long and tied back, revealing an undercut. Black jeans cuffed, black short sleeve button up, and an intense tattoo that Jesse couldn’t quite make out. He definitely goes to the gym , he thought doing a quick scan. There was a slight familiarity about him.
Genji looked relieved to see Jesse and interrupted his brother who sounded as if he was in the middle of some scold.
“Jesse’s here! Now you guys can actually meet. Jesse, this is my brother Hanzo. Hanzo, this is my friend Jesse.”
Hanzo turned his attention from Genji and glared at Jesse. It clicked. Jesse scowled for a brief moment.
“Hello, it is nice to meet you,” recited Hanzo.
“Howdy, we actually met earlier today.”
“I do not remember.”
“Hmmph.”
“Allllright. Well introductions done, are you okay with Thai food tonight, Jesse?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Cool, I’ll go ahead and order and maybe you can finish unpacking, Hanzo?”
Hanzo glanced to McCree and said something to Genji in Japanese, but Genji waved him away muttering something back. With one last glare at Jesse, he returned back down the hallway to his room.
“Well,” said Jesse when he heard the door close. “He’s a bit intense.”
“Yeah, he’s just like I remember him; I thought the past few years would’ve softened him up a little bit. I swear he’s chill once you get to know him, he just doesn’t do great in new situations where he doesn’t have his footing yet.”
“Hmmph.”
“You said you met earlier today?”
“Sure did, was walking to class and he bumped into me and knocked my tea to the ground.”
“I don’t suppose he apologized?”
“Nah, said I should watch where I walk.”
Genji squished his cheeks, letting out a long sigh.
“I promise he’s not a terrible person. I’ll have a talk with him later tonight, but he’ll still take a bit to warm up to.”
“A bit? Genji your brother’s colder than a witch’s tit.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah he is. Can I cash in all my friendship points I’ve ever earned for you to try to get along with him?”
Jesse took another long sip from his tea. “Well I can’t refuse friendship points, can I? I’m sure he’s just grouchy from the long plane ride. Everyone breaks down eventually to the Jesse McCree charm.” he said with a wink.
“You have them swooning from every direction, cowboy,” Genji chuckled. “Thank you.”
“No problemo, partner.”
“Thai food?”
“Thai food.”
Dinner was awkward at best. Genji did his best to strike up conversation between the trio, asking McCree and Hanzo about their classes so far. Hanzo responded with what Jesse counted a max of five words. After they’d finished their take out boxes, Hanzo excused himself to his room. Jesse hoped it was to sleep off his grouchiness.
Genji and McCree fell into their normal routine of sitting on the couch, Jesse on his computer and Genji playing Persona 5 on the TV. They cracked open a few beers through the evening, gossiping about their friend group and when Angie and Fareeha would get together. Genji turned in early since all of his lectures were the next day. He said it was “totally worth” to have two extra weekend days.
In spite of the long day, Jesse still felt energized. Probably drinking so much tea in the afternoon , he thought. He dove into the backlog of digital photos he’d accumulated over the summer. Though he prefered traditional film, he hadn’t set up his makeshift blackroom yet.He’d have to make a trek back to campus if he wanted to develop his other rolls, and it was a bit late for that. There was a soft beeping from his arm, time to charge. He carefully removed the prosthetic and moved over to the counter so he could plug it in. He worked through a few photos, fixing lighting, color correcting and such when he heard a light tapping coming into the kitchen. McCree looked up from his computer expecting to see Genji who’s prosthetics he’d heard tapping up and down the hall in the past, but instead was confronted with a shirtless Hanzo, who looked equally surprised to see Jesse awake.
He glanced at the clock, 2am. Looks like he’d lost track of time again. Hanzo glared at him for a moment before rustling through the kitchen cabinets.
“You looking for something in particular, partner?”
Hanzo sent a chilling look his direction.
“Tea.”
“Here, let me grab it for you.” Jesse rounded the counter next to Hanzo, opening a tall cabinet. The older Shimada crossed his arms. He didn’t look to be much taller than Genji, a good few inches shorter than himself. He wore black sweatpants and with no shirt Jesse could see the tattoo crawling up his arm. Two blue dragons swallowing his shoulder. It was intricate. McCree could only begin to imagine how long it would’ve taken to complete and with all the shading how much it would’ve hurt.
“What kind ya want?”
“Chamomile.”
“Fresh out, but if you’re lookin’ for something to help you sleep we got valerian.”
“Fine.”
Jesse handed the box to Hanzo, “Genji’s got his electric kettle over there and mugs are in this cabinet.” He looked back to Hanzo who continued to glare at him. Was that a bridge piercing?
“Thank you.”
“Y-yeah. No problem. For future reference, we’ve got a step ladder next to the fridge that Genji uses to get to some of the taller shelves if you need it.”
“Hmmph.”
Hanzo filled the kettle with water, turning on the electric blue glow. His back was broad and strong. He obviously took care of himself, not putting on the 10 pounds McCree had somehow accumulated during his time at school. When Angie questioned him about his eating habits he’d always tell her the weight was just the knowledge he was gaining. Hanzo’s hair was still tied up in a bun away from his face. Even in the dim light he could make out the sharp cheekbones.
“Righttt. Well, I should go ahead and hit the sack.”
Silence.
Jesse gathered up his arm and laptop and started down the hallway.
“Ya know,” he said coming back around the corner. “I don’t know if it’s jet lag or if you’re just a general grump, but Genji wants us to get along. He cashed in all his friendship points for it, so I’ll be damned if I won’t make an effort. Plus, we’ll be living together for the next year. I’m not asking to be best friends, but I’d at least like to be friendly, buds perhaps?”
Hanzo glanced from his mug of tea with dark brown eyes. A pang shot through Jesse’s chest. If he wasn’t radiating indignation, one might even find them comforting.
“Understood.”
“Okay, cool. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He dumped his computer onto his chair and stripped down for bed. He wondered how such pretty eyes could belong to such a total ass.