Back! Genji messaged you.
You sent back ten crying emojis.
🙂 ❤ There, there, he replied. Btw, I made an appointment with Angela. I want to hear this from her myself. She is obliging us with an appointment immediately, My Lovely Glowing Mate.
You met him at the landing pad with a hand on your belly and an ache in both your feet. Which was probably only going to get worse as time went on. Genji arrived with another stuffed animal, but he wrapped his arms around your body first. You gave him your tightest hug, pressing his armour into the thick, rubbery synthetic skin underneath.
“I’m sorry,” you told him.
“Me, too,” he said. “Sorry that you are lonely.”
He asked how you were doing, you mentioned your hurting feet, and he insisted on carrying you to the appointment. In your lap were his face plates and a new stuffed gecko.
“Honey, I love you. But bring me food next time,” you requested politely. “Angela is on my case for not gaining enough weight.”
You waved your cell phone to add emphasis. You had been chatting with her several times a day, any time you needed. Then you tucked the phone back into your bra.
“What are you eating?”
“Don’t tell Winston, but,” you lowered your voice to a whisper, “I’m stealing his peanut butter.”
“Is that it?”
You could not hide from Genji’s disappointed frown.
“It’s the only thing my stomach will accept,” you admittedly quietly.
He sighed out of his nose.
“Then what do want me to bring you?”
“Umm…chocolate?”
Genji rumbled in frustration. “You cannot just eat peanut butter and chocolate.”
This time the doctor had lines between her brows while she took your measurements and readings. She was professional. You lay again on the exam table to receive the scan. She brought over a holopad that had an image of the scan. Two vaguely-baby shaped blotches appeared on the screen.
“Here is what I know,” she said. She pointed to the larger mass. “Child one is healthy, the older child. A girl. Child two,” she said, pointing to the second mass, “is smaller, less developed by two or three weeks. Seems to be a boy. Its tail has not receded yet.”
You immediately looked to Genji. “Do you think?”
“Yes,” he said, turning to Angela. “Does the boy have cat ears?”
“Yes, I wanted to ask about this before I jumped to conclusions. As for the ears…it’s hard to tell. We might be able to tell when you’re further along.”
“Hanzo will be pleased to hear this,” Genji said.
“I thought he didn’t like the idea of my ‘brats’ having his tiger power,” you said.
“He didn’t, but he is also one of those from the clan who believes the power is being diluted. That every new generation of marrying outside the family, there is less of a chance of it being passed on.” Genji lowered his chin and the volume of his voice. “There is a small history of inbreeding in my family.”
You recoiled in shock. “Oh. Shit.”
“Well, there is nothing wrong with this family,” Angela cut in. “That I can assure you! I’ll make sure of it.”
“Yes, because you noticed a whole second kitten inside her belly,” Genji said sarcastically, without any real bite.
“We were gossiping! Stress relief is important…” Angela waved her hands dismissively. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get some coffee so I can look over the data.”
Angela left the two of you alone in the exam room. You found yourself just staring at each other.
“Are you alright?” Genji asked.
You sighed and gazed down at your bulging stomach with knotted brows. Two babies?
“No. This is crazy.”
“I know,” he said. He worked his fingers in between yours and held your hand. “But I will be here.”
You intended to mask your true feelings when you looked back at him, but he knew you better by now. You never wanted to see Genji unhappy, that downward curve of his mouth, but you couldn’t lie, either.
“Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“It feels like you’re never here. But,” you were quick to add, “I know why you need to go away. It just sucks, is all. I miss you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this was upsetting you?”
“I don’t want to bother you. You’re busy as it is, supporting me and working.”
“It is not a bother,” Genji said, gently shaking your hand, “You know I can call you during longer missions. That is what the secure channels are for.”
“Okay,” was all you said. The issue seemed to be have been settled. Now was a good time to change the subject. “So…you gonna tell Hanzo?”
“Yes, after I put you down for your nap.”
He tightened his grip on the hand he held so you couldn’t smack him. You just made angry noises at him.
“He may be doubly angry for double the kittens.”
“God, I hope not. I’m too pregnant to care about his feelings right now.”
“Don’t you worry about that,” he said.
“But that’s all I got. Time!”
“What else do you do?”
“A lot of nothing,” you admitted.
“Nothing? No wonder you get lonely. Can’t you aide Winston?”
“He said he doesn’t need anything.”
“What about Angela?”
“I don’t want to bother her more than I am now.”
“It’s not a bother. Head back to our room, and I will meet you there.”
He has known her longer than you, so you trusted his judgement and continued on. Half an hour later, you rolled over in bed to find a waiting notification on your phone. It was Genji, asking if he could come back a bit later. He was going to tell Hanzo the news in person. He promised he wasn’t leaving for two more days.
Okay, but you’re not leaving this bed when you come back, you replied.
“That’s impressive!” exclaimed Hanzo, bro-punching Genji in the shoulder.
It was the only friendly physical contact he’d had from Hanzo in years, so the cyborg dodged it. He froze mid-dodge, fearing he made the atmosphere awkward and expecting Hanzo to hit him for real this time. Genji started to laugh, pointing at Hanzo with both pointer fingers. He went with it, with a smile that would melt the most frigid ice cap. His dark brown eyes sparkled between two sets of black eyelashes. Genji was proud in this moment to be the brother of an extremely attractive and capable man that Hanzo grew up to be. The emotion that expanded in his chest threatened to spill forth as tears. He blinked and wet his eyelashes with them, unable to wipe them away beneath his mask.
Thinking quickly, he said, “Why don’t we celebrate?”
To Genji’s never-ending amazement, his brother agreed. Their options were few. As agents of the illegal Overwatch, they had to keep a low profile at all times, so going out was out of the question. Genji excitedly messaged you that he and Hanzo were going to spend some time on the roof of the watchpoint, sharing a cheap bottle of something dark-coloured that Genji stole from McCree (he would apologize later and replace it with something better).
After Hanzo spat out a vehement insult at McCree for his taste in whiskey, the brothers traded remember-when’s, laughing, for a good, long while. They had been meaning to watch the stars as well, but the clouds only allowed them occasional peeks.
“Did you find out if either of your kittens will have the power of the tiger?”
“No.”
Hanzo’s hand swung up to whap Genji on the back of the head, but the cyborg blocked it with his forearm. He was faster.
“You know that would be important,” Hanzo stated.
Genji rotated his arm and grabbed Hanzo’s wrist.
“The kittens are healthy,” Genji said. “That is what is important.”
Hanzo ripped his arm from Genji’s grasp and brooded for a few moments.
“I hope your kittens have a better future than we did,” Hanzo concluded somberly.
Genji had to agree.
In the meantime, Angela had some concerning advice for you regarding your pregnancy. You ended up going to sleep before Genji go back. You woke up to his happy face. You were reluctant to tell Genji the advice, so you let him chatter to you about his night with his brother. How they had connected in the way he had longed for. He was only ever more excited when he spoke of what he wanted to show and teach his kittens.
“But I must not come on too strong, in case he gets scared away,” Genji concluded.
“So you’re going to approach him cautiously, like you would a cat?”
Genji let the silence stretch before answering, while you grinned obnoxiously.
“That isn’t funny.”
“It is,” you insisted, still showing teeth, “You just don’t think so.”
Genji sighed at you. “You are lucky I love you.”
You changed the subject. Tentatively explained that Angela said she didn’t know why the second baby appeared. And until she understood better what happened, she advised that it was best that you and he refrain from vaginal sex. To avoid adding a third. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that has happened to Overwatch agents.
Your words were met with dead silence. Oh, shit.