Chapter Text
The clock ticks on the wall as moonlight streams through the window, illuminating the two pilots where they lay on the cots. Hanzo taps his fingers against the bed as he stares up at the ceiling, listening to the sound of Kuai Liang’s deep even breaths. His fingers tap faster as he turns to look out the window, body thrumming with energy as his mind races.
‘Just relax,’ He chides himself, ‘Sleep will come eventually.’
The sound of the clock echoes through the still room, the spaces between seconds seeming to last for an eternity. Hanzo sits up with a sigh, abandoning sleep for the night and turning to watch the rise and fall of Kuai Liang’s chest.
“I can hear you thinking,” Kuai Liang teases, his voice rough with sleep. He turns to look at the other pilot, “Are you alright?”
“I do not enjoy being in medical overnight,” Hanzo admits.
Kuai Liang nods and sits up, standing from the cot and grabbing the pile of clothes on the chair nearby, tossing a set to Hanzo.
“I have an idea,” Kuai Liang says, a small smile on his face as he pulls his clothes on.
Hanzo freezes for a moment as he watches the other, eyes tracing the planes of his back before quickly turning his gaze to the clothes in his own hands, cheeks burning as he swallows thickly.
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Footsteps echo softly off of the walls as the two pilots approach the locked training room, Hanzo watching in bewilderment as the other drops to his knees in front of the door, pulling a set of lockpicks from his pocket. After a moment, the door clicks open under Kuai Liang’s clever hands, Hanzo’s eyes widening in surprise.
“Where did you learn to pick locks?” Hanzo asks as he follows his co-pilot into the training room, locking the door behind him.
Kuai Liang walks over to the rack and picks up two staffs, tossing one to Hanzo.
“Lin Kuei training is quite harsh,” Kuai Liang says nonchalantly.
“I had heard rumors,” Hanzo replies, his tone careful, “It was shut down for abuse and negligence, wasn’t it?”
Kuai Liang nods, “They would lock us in our bunks whenever we were not at training.”
Hanzo’s shoulders tense as dread opens up a pit in his stomach.
“We were not allowed to socialize, and food was kept locked away. If you did not excel, you did not eat,” He explains as he begins to move through his stretches, “But eight year olds are resourceful, so I learned to pick locks in order to sneak into the kitchen at night and share what I had stolen with Tomas and Cyrax.”
Fury boils Hanzo’s blood as the image of an eight year old Kuai Liang, bruised and hungry flashes through his mind.
“You were eight?” Hanzo whispers in horror.
Kuai Liang nods again, “Our father worked there. One day he woke us up in the middle of the night and told us to get in the car. We did not understand what he was doing until it was too late.”
Kuai Liang taps his staff against the ground, avoiding Hanzo’s gaze as he remembers that night, his eyes shining.
“I don’t know why he-,” Kuai Liang slams his eyes shut and takes a deep deliberate breath, opening them once more as he continues, “I never saw my mother again.”
The admission punches the breath out of Hanzo, and he walks forward slowly to stand in front of Kuai Liang, reaching his hand out to tangle their fingers together.
“I think she knew it was coming,” Kuai Liang admits, “She kept telling us to stay evergreen.”
“Evergreen?” Hanzo prods, his voice soft as the other still refuses to meet his gaze.
“It was her nickname for us,” Kuai Liang’s voice feels tight in his throat. This is the first time he has spoken of this in years, he had almost forgotten how much it hurt to remember, “It was meant to remind us that no matter how harsh the winter turned, it could not break us.”
A small, sad smile pulls at Hanzo’s mouth, “She sounds like an incredible woman.”
Kuai Liang swallows around the lump in his throat, “She was.”
“Have you looked for her?” Hanzo asks carefully.
Kuai Liang shakes his head, “I am afraid of what I might find.”
Hanzo squeezes Kuai Liang’s hand between his own in sympathy.
“Tomas and I had promised to help each other find our families one day,” He continues, “I might have looked by now, if he had lived, but the idea of doing it without him was…it was more than I could bear.”
“What happened to him?”
“He and Cyrax died fighting Copperhead two years ago.”
Hanzo sucks in a sharp breath, remembering the attack. It was worse than anything he had seen in years, and recovery efforts were still underway.
“I am sorry you lost them,” He says quietly, heart aching for the man in front of him.
‘You have lost too much,’ Hanzo thinks as he rubs a thumb across the other ranger’s knuckles, ‘Far, far too much.’
Kuai Liang shrugs, “They went together, and they went fighting. It is what they would have wanted.”
A tear rolls down Kuai Liang’s cheek and Hanzo immediately raises a gentle hand to brush it away, marveling at how the other leans into the contact.
“But you still lost them,” Hanzo reminds, “And it still hurts.”
Kuai Liang pushes into the hand against his cheek, eyes closing as he savors the contact for a moment before stepping back. He wipes a hand across his eyes before tossing a staff over to Hanzo, who catches it deftly.
“Are you asking me to spar with you?” Hanzo teases, the fragile moment easing back into the familiar camaraderie.
“I believe it would benefit us both,” Kuai Liang responds, a small smile beginning to pull at the edge of his mouth, “You can never be too prepared.”
“I am fairly certain that Dr. Li will kill us if she finds out.”
Kuai Liang tilts his head, considering this as his smile spreads wider.
“Dr. Li swore the Hippocratic oath,” He argues, his tone full of mischief, “I believe we shall be fine.”
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The two pilots lie panting on the mats, their heads next to one another as their feet dangle off the edge of the gray padding beneath them, staffs forgotten somewhere on the floor. Kuai Liang reaches a hand up between the two of them, intertwining his fingers with Hanzo’s as the silence stretches comfortably between them.
Kuai Liang’s shoulders begin to shake against the mat, tremors traveling down his arm to Hanzo, who turns over in concern. Hanzo looks down to see Kuai Liang grinning as he holds back laughter.
“Is something amusing?” He drawls, eyebrow raised as he grins back.
“I am simply beginning to question Kenshi’s qualifications,” Kuai Liang responds between peals of laughter.
Hanzo’s eyes scrunch in confusion.
“All of this began because he believed us to be the least compatible pair of individuals in the Shatterdome,” Kuai Liang points out.
Hanzo’s eyebrows raise up as he stares down at Kuai Liang in disbelief. A breathless laugh leaves him and he presses his forehead to his co-pilot’s, both their shoulders shaking with the force of their laughter as it echoes throughout the room.
