Someone suggested that the off-mission agents put together a birthday party for Efi for her twelfth birthday. The general consensus that she should enjoy her childhood as much as possible before becoming any of the scarred and hardened pre-fall Overwatch agents.
The party went off without a hitch until Orisa insisted, for safety reasons, that she cut the cake. The door slammed shut, and everyone turned around to find Reinhardt was missing.
She froze, holding the long, sharp kitchen knife above the cake. “Is he alright? Is he sick?”
You were loathed to leave an opportunity for cake behind, but you excused yourself to go check on him. You checked his quarters, but Reinhardt wasn’t there. You went to your room, doubting he was there. But he was.
You found Reinhardt sitting on your bed, facing away from the door. His back a hunched over, ball of muscle. He trembled silently, hot tears crawling down his cheek out of his good eye.
“Reinhardt? Do you want to talk?”
“No,” He sniffed. “But I should explain.” He turned around to look at you and patted the space on the bed next to him.
You sat on the bed and leaned into the large man, instantly feeling safer. Reinhardt left the tears on his cheek and went on to tell you about how Orisa holding the knife brought up old feelings. He recognized them from when his mentor, Balderich, died when Reinhardt was young.
“Seeing her, standing there with a weapon…the knife, I mean. I started to feel…”
Reinhardt shook his head, and you waited for him to continue.
“I don’t even know why. I thought I was going to lose you. Like I lost my old friend.”
“It’s okay, Reinhardt.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly. He took a breath and looked down at you. “You are not going to lose me,” he said earnestly.
You pet his white hair, brushing it back from his face.
“I know. Do you think I’m worried about that?” you asked, squinting at him.
“Of course! I could die on any mission. Every time I go.”
“I know this,” you said. “Sometimes I think about it. But I can’t do anything about it.”
You took your hand from hair and pushed gently into his lap. He let you on and wrapped his arms around you. His warm, soft pectoral muscled pressed into your back. He laid his cheek against your hair. You were secure surrounded by the strong, caring man, but that wasn’t why you were here.
“I’m sorry,” he said, uncharacteristically quiet.
His warm breath blew gently into your hair. He seemed to be apologizing for who he was, and you wouldn’t stand for it.
“No, no, no,” you protested, turning to look up at Reinhardt, and he loosened his hold. “I know what you do. I knew that from the start. It’s obvious what kind of man you are.” You placed your hand on his shoulder. “And I love that about you. I feel like I always know what’s in your heart.”
“You are in my heart,” he said, poking his chest with his pointer finger. “I worry. Always.”
You smirked. “That’s not what Brigitte tells me. She said you have no worries about charging into a pile of enemies. I had to ask her to stop telling me about the reckless stuff you do!”
“Well…” Reinhardt’s cheeks darkened, and he rubbed the back of his neck.
“It’s not perfect, but that’s okay. We deal with it.”
“You are right,” he said. Reinhardt was closer to the smile you normally saw when he looked at you. He hugged you tighter and tighter until you squeaked, and he laughed.