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As long as you had known him, Genji Shimada had been a very contradicting person.
He could be drawn to festivals of bright lights, exciting displays and thrived under pressure. Genji was the sort who sought adventure in every corner of the world, who had seen more than most would in a lifetime. And yet still, he would look for more stones unturned, more obstacles to be challenged.
Yet here he sat as he had for hours. At least, you guessed it had been hours. Genji was still as stone. He became an installment of this place in his meditation. This wasn't an uncommon sight for you. Though, in the mountains of Nepal, you wondered how he didn't simply freeze over like that.
You were both alone as far as you knew. After all you had just returned to the temple from a walk and had passed by Zenyatta and the other Shambali monks heading further inside. When you didn't see Genji with them, though, you went out to find him yourself. He was never hard to find. The ninja gravitated toward his room and find the ideal spots to look out and take in the views Nepal had to offer. Thankfully, he had chosen not to perch high up where you couldn't get to him this time.
Too many times had he taken advantage of your oversights and startled you from behind. Why did he have to have such quiet footsteps?
As you watched Genji's ribbon billow in the wind, a small smile started to creep upon your lips. Maybe, just maybe, you could catch him off-guard while his mind was elsewhere. He could appreciate payback, right?
You took one step, and then another. Each footfall was silent and you expertly avoided the spots in the wood floor you knew would creak. Genji was almost within arm's reach and you couldn't even hear yourself breathe!
"You are very obvious."
You stumbled. Your hands, in a panic, fell over the cyborg's visor as you had planned to do all along, but now too late. A calm metallic hand reached up and gingerly lifted one of your hands off.
"Dammit." You bit your lip but couldn't manage to take your hands away just yet. A retreat would be too embarrassing. "How long. . ?"
"I had noticed you the moment you started to spy on me," he chided with a soft laugh. Genji's head turned and the edge of his green visor glowed softly. "You are not very sneaky, (name). You have been here so long, yet you have learned so little."
"That isn't fair, you know. You have years on me, here!"
He tsked and shook his head lightly. Your other hand was soon taken off his visor. You let them slip in defeat and pouted at him.
"My years shall always surpass yours." He chuckled. "You will have to do better to catch me off guard."
"Challenge accepted." Sitting on your knees, you leaned your upper body forward quickly and put both hands up onto the man's shoulders. Your lips gently pressed against the side of his mask. Leaning back swiftly, you prepared for a counter. Except, Genji had frozen.
This time you laughed. It was out of surprise, really. You could never get over how easily affection derailed his confidence. You idly grabbed hold of his ribbon and wove it between your fingers, gentle as can be.
At least, until the cyborg suddenly fell over, backwards onto you.
You let out a small surprised noise and let go. His head used your lap as a rest and his arms casually went back over his head, hands clasping your arms.
"Ack, I have been bested," he joked. "I cannot go on! My lights are. . fading."
The cyborg put on a show then. Genji's green visor and lit designs across his body turned 'off', and his hands slowly slipped off your arms.
You gently shook him and grabbed both his wrists. No response. You sighed, but there was no fighting the grin creeping on your face. You bent your head down and touched your forehead down to his mask, eyes staring down into his visor. You shut your eyes.
"Get up, silly. How am I supposed to kiss a dead man?" You paused, then opened your eyes. "And how do I explain to your mentor that you lost so easily?"
You mustered the best stern look you could and searched for any trace of his eyes. When his lights came back, you squinted and moved your head back instinctively. Genji lifted himself off of you, shifting only enough so he could sit up before you and meet his forehead with yours.
"You are so beautiful." Genji's hand gently touched the side of your face and drifted up into your hair. He paused while the blush rose over your features. "You kill me and bring me back to life in an instance. How cruel."
You had to shut your eyes and laugh. Damn him. Damn him for talking so sweetly, yet also being equally cheesy. Quiet, calm and calculated warrior turned to out of touch flirt in an instant.
"How come you've been all alone today?" you asked, changing gears. You lifted one hand to the side of his face in return, trapping him there. So you thought. Despite your touch, his hand slipped away from your face and he gently pulled away, putting space between you both. His head turned and he looked out into the mountains once more.
His hand wrapped around your wrist but did not move it. He just held it there in silent debate.
". . If something's bothering you, I could listen. I could also get Zenyatta and maybe he could--"
"Not necessary. I have already spoken to my Master - I needed to dwell on this more on my own."
You wove your fingers in between his metallic ones and brought your hands down into your lap. You waited, staring over his features carefully. A few silent moments passed where you just looked over every detail of his torso. You didn't realize your other hand began to trace them until Genji's head turned and your hand had paused over the glowing symbol in the center of his chest.
"Tell me?" You wished that had come out less hesitant. But his silences worried you. Genji was fairly touchy about some things. And you weren't sure how long it would take him to be fully open around you.
"When I came here, I was not at peace with myself." Genji removed his hands from you and stood up. Your hands fell as well and you turned as the agile cyborg began to pace as he spoke. "I have told you this much, (name). By the time you met me I believed I was content. I feel whole. I am both man and machine."
You nodded, rising to your feet now.
"But what I haven't told you is that, in my youth, I was no stranger to love." He paused and looked you up and down. "I was only human. It came naturally to me. But in this body, with someone such as yourself -- it feels new. My experience tells me nothing now."
You smile. Before he can begin pacing again you walk up to meet him and put both hands over his mask. You place another kiss on his mask, this time on the helm above his visor.
"I love you, Genji Shimada. Inside and out from your heart to your cool glowy parts."
A startled chuckle escaped him.
"Now who is the silly one?" he chided. "'Glowy parts'. That could almost be considered offensive."
"Almost." You give him a wide smile and go in for another kiss. But he holds up a hand to stop you. Gently your hands are removed, and his lift to the back of his head. A click and a hiss of air later, his mask starts to detach.
Your heart swells and catches in your throat. Genji rarely takes his mask off. There are a few, rare times you have seen the face beyond his protective gear, but every time it still takes your breath away. Both for the lovely golden shade of his eyes, and, more importantly, the immense trust he places in you in that moment. You're eager. Once you see underneath and the mask is cleared. you kiss him and your hands fly back up to embrace him. You're kissed back and arms rest around your waist. You shut your eyes and melt into the other. The cold no longer factors for you. When you're with him, especially like this, little catches your attention.
Genji lets out a hiss of pain.
That, however, does get your attention. You pull back alarmed.
"I'm sorry!" you blurt out. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Genji's eyes are full of amusement, not pain. "You fall for that every time."
"That's just rude. Isn't it against a ninja's code to be rude to their lover?" you give him another stern look - an attempt - and go in for another kiss as revenge. The ninja staggers backward, unprepared for your affection. After your assault of kisses ends, you pull back just enough to see a wave of sheepish emotions cross his face. Embarrassment, uncertainty, flustered happiness -- all of it blends together and you laugh, unable to contain it.
"You are so cute." You kiss him again. Baffled, Genji scoffs.
"That's my line," he retorts.
"No," you correct. "You already called me beautiful. You, however, are cute."
The two of you exchange another kiss.
"I love you, Beautiful," he whispers.
"I love you too, Cute," you reply. Your forehead rests against the helm once more, now able to see his eyes staring back at you.
"Did I help?"
Genji chuckles and cups your face in his hands.
"You did. You also continue to overwhelm me." He sighs. "Though I cannot pretend I'll always be confident with you, (name)."
"That's okay. Just have some trust in me."
Genji nods, his hand starting to weave in your hair once more. His eyes shut and he breathes in, content. A smile creeps up your face again and the mischief is clear to him once his eyes open.
"And trust me when I saw your eyes are the prettiest eyes I've ever seen."
That does it. The ninja pulls away just enough to turn his face away in sheepish defeat. At the least the smile is apparent on his face, in his eyes -- and you smile back. Genji Shimada is a private man -- but you're sure you're getting through to his core, little by little.
A shiver shoots up your spine and you lean against him.
"Can we go inside, though?" you ask. "It's kind of cold out here."
Genji laughs. He carefully replaces the mask piece over his face as it clicks into place. With a quick motion, he's scooped you up into his arms and pulled you into a ball against his chest.
"Hang in there, fragile one. I'll warm you up."
The two of you head inside, your face warm and flushed, but you press it against his chest anyway. There is no where you'd rather be than here, cradled by Genji into the warmth of the temple. And while beautiful, nothing in Nepal can compare to Genji when he's truly happy.