After their confession, the pair decided to chance it. Each day was a blessing to them and whilst neither would admit to being as sentimental, they both felt it. Jesse found himself only getting more attached. At this stage, he was certain if Hanzo asked him to jump he would grit his teeth and ask how high.

As they held each other close, both lying together on Jesse's bed, Hanzo let out a sigh.

"Ya alright darlin'?"

"They are shipping me out again."

"Why didn't ya tell me?"

"I was afraid that you would cut it off."

"Ain't never gonna do that. Means too much to me."

Pulling Hanzo closer, he rested his forehead against the other mans. Sweet nothings escaped his mouth, as he gently placed kisses on his face. His cheeks became pink, and a sour expression appeared on his face but deep down he knew he enjoyed it. Scrunching his nose up, Jesse let out a light laugh that held in the air for a few seconds.

"I love ya more than anythin'. It'd take me a lifetime and a half to list all the reasons, yer so damn perfect to me."

Hanzo was pretty sure his heart stopped beating, every barrier he'd put up in a bid to avoid this smashed down. Pressing himself into Jesse's chest, he felt him rub circles against the small of his back.

"I love you."

"Love you too darlin'."

The bed felt emptier the next morning, and it didn't take long for Jesse to realise what had happened. Slamming his eyes shut, he began to hope it was just a dream. His Hanzo would be right there next to him, and they'd hold each other close until he needed to leave for his appointment or some of that training. They'd walk there together, Jesse with an arm around his waist. Some would glare, but he would always feel on top of the world.

"They are glaring at us, I do not know if I can do this."

"Darlin', they're just jealous ya have someone that loves ya as much as I do."

"I do not believe you."

"Dya trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then ya can do it. Aight? I believe in ya."

And they'd get there, Angela would just smile when she saw the pair walk in. She mentioned once she had a girlfriend like that, and the three of them had spent a while just talking about the woes of their world. But no matter what, Jesse was there every time he was needed.

Looking out the small windows of the aircraft, Hanzo felt a yearning in his chest he had never felt before. It was leaving him feeling immense regret, for all of this. For stupidly deciding to be noble all that time ago. It seemed like another world, where neither of them were broken in this way, where everything was ok and he wasn't like this.

"Good luck men, you're gonna need it."

Yelled the man before them, and that's when he knew his time had come. They threw themselves out systematically and before he knew it he was falling, flying. Pulling the cable, he spotted explosions and robots before them. Yells of anguish, screams of agony.

"If you're gonna do this, do it well. Don't y'know... die or anythin'."

"Of course. I shall not just give up and let myself die. There is more to this world than the war I shall be fighting, and I wish to see it."

The sun was beginning to set, an array of colours filling his vision. But he couldn't enjoy it, there was no reason to. He'd gone soft, there was no denying it, but alas he continued to fight this battle. Pulling out the bow he had been blessed with, he began to fire arrows. They flew through the air, gliding and knocking down the enemy before he'd even reached the floor. Tearing the pack off his back, he took off.

Running for cover, running for the one safe haven they had. The trenches were their only release from the war outside their door. Men and women dove in, Hanzo followed, only to see the disorder that he had grown accustomed to yet again. It was familiar, nostalgia washed over him in waves and his breath caught in his throat again.

And with that began the months of battle, explosions surrounding him constantly as wave after wave of men went down. He did however find comfort in the letters he and Jesse exchanged. The lazy scrawls, the stupid jokes and the rambling all became extremely endearing. Hanzo would just smile, trace his fingers over the ink and begin to write back, blissfully unaware of what was happening.

However, as time went on he became close with one of the commanders. Jack, or seventy-six as he was called on the field. His boyfriend was in one of the other trenches, too far for him to be able to go. They seemed to hit it off, each silently understanding the others pain. The sense of companionship it provided seemed adequate, and Hanzo found himself getting pushed further and further up the ranks. And soon enough, he found himself becoming a part of Jack's elite team. He was hoping that it was on the basis of talent instead of favouritism.

Both had been set to guard one of the entrances to the trenches on yet another evening, and as the pair retrieved their weapons and pulled themselves above ground, the cold air began to bite at their skin. Sitting down on the floor, torches thrown to the side, Jack began to speak.

"You ever wonder what's gonna happen after the war?"

He asked curiously, and Hanzo pondered for a few seconds before responding tiredly.

"Daily. Why do you ask?"

"Just, I feel there's more out there. Like, a world where we don't have to hide from ourselves, a world where we don't have to communicate by damn letters."

"I do not doubt that there is more to this world. Unlike you, I was fortunate enough to have grown up with Jesse and I feel that in the end you and Gabriel will feel the fighting was worth it. I only hope that the same can be said for Jesse and I."

With a frustrated sigh, Jack leant back and looked up to the stars. Hanzo was tempted to follow suit, however was unwilling to risk it.

"He hasn't sent anything in days, I have no idea where he is."

"Surely you would have heard if it had been him?"

"There have been more men killed out here than there are stars in the sky. And every morning I worry that it's gonna have been him. Nobody knows, I don't know who's dead or alive any more that's how screwed up this war is. I want to run. I want to run from this war and take every innocent soldier with me. But... I don't know if he's that innocent anymore."

"What makes you think that?"

"His last letter. He seems to be enjoying the murder, he refers to them as bastards, moving targets. Even as the enemy, they deserve more than that. They have names and stories, just like us. Started joking about how he was the reaper, and he seems so fixated on death. And I wonder, deep down if he's really the man I fell in love with."

Silence fell upon the pair yet again; no words could escape Hanzo's lips. Hearing footsteps from the right, he grabbed his bow and aimed it towards the sound. Hastily standing up, he headed over slowly with Jack close behind.

"Jack-"

"Gabi?"

Stepping back, the two men stared at each other, though he was unsure whether it was in shock or awe. The notorious Gabriel Reyes, the self-declared reaper of this war was here, and Hanzo had no idea how to feel.

"How are you here-"

"Hitched a ride the entire way here, courtesy of a few seniors I'm joining your unit."

"Oh my gosh."

Jack murmured, wrapping his arms around the taller man as the pair rocked gently back and forth. It was bittersweet. Hearing quiet sobs from Jack, and the muffled comforting words of Gabriel, he moved away. His heart stung, and as he headed back to his perch, he let out a frustrated sigh. He didn't want Jesse on the front lines, but at the same time he needed him there. Not just in letters, he needed to hold him and tell him he was never going to leave again.

The shift continued without incident, though Gabriel and Jack were hardly helpful. Holding each other close, it only made his heart burn. He hated to admit quite how jealous he was of the man, but at the same time he'd never seen him so absolutely happy. He was on top of the world, huddled into the side of the man that only mere minutes before he had been convinced was a murderous sonofabitch.

The sight that did it for him was the two young men heading for next watch. They looked far younger than eighteen, and the thought terrified him. Children, throwing themselves into a battle for the sake of the world they were supposed to thrive in. Shooting them a sympathetic look, he began to head back in, bow clutched between his hands. Entering the makeshift dorm he was privileged enough to have, he placed it on the ground.

He could almost feel Jesse's hands around his waist, tracing the battle scars that had been left, getting dangerously low before he would turn around and jokingly insult him. Feel his breath on his neck, kisses being planted on every revealed inch of the body he had been taught to love by him. And he wouldn't deny him that, though he'd continue to undress. It would never escalate further, because frankly Hanzo was scared. But as soon as he found himself lying in bed beside him, the world would melt away and the world would feel a little better in his eyes.

A choked sob found itself caught in his throat, and crumpling to the ground in a heap he felt the first wave of tears come on since he had been deployed. Fumbling around for the stash of letters, he pulled them out. Scattering them across the floor, he pulled them out of the envelope.

"I love you."

"I miss you."

"Stay safe."

"Do your best."

"Come back alive, please come back alive. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I miss you Jesse."

He whimpered, though he knew he couldn't hear him and his undeniable pleas for him to come back. The dragon and the wolf were strong as one, but when separated the rage that came with it was terrifying and unstoppable.

He wasn't sure how he ended up in his bed the next morning, but the tearstains on the pillow showed it wasn't just a dream and was in fact more real than anything he had seen in the past few months. But one thought overwhelmed him as he traipsed through his morning routine, heading out to fight yet again to protect.

Not everything is as it seems.