I'm Burning Inside And We Both Know Why

Hanzo grit his teeth as Kuai approached, watching as the cryomancer placed the bowl of water on the bedside cabinet. He wasn't sure why he was being so stubborn about this. He turned and looked away as Kuai sat next to him. Kuai reached for his hand, placing it on his lap before reaching to soak a rag into the bowl of water.

"Hanzo, please," Kuai practically begged, squeezing Hanzo's hand. "I know you sometimes let your anger get the better of you, but I don't understand why you punched that man."

Hanzo didn't reply, just hissed slightly as he felt the cold wet rag brush against his knuckles. Explaining why he had reacted the way he did would require him to admit the truth, and he wasn't about to do that right now. No, he wasn't ready to admit he was developing feelings of a romantic nature for Kuai, and that someone having the nerve to insult the object of his affections made him want to kill the offending party.

He heard Kuai sigh. "You can't just smack someone like that when we're out as civilians. We're lucky Sonya managed to sweet talk you out of any charges." Hanzo clenched his fist and ripped it from Kuai's grasp. Granted, he had a point but... you didn't hear what he said. "Can you say something?"

"What exactly do you expect me to say?" Hanzo finally snapped causing Kuai to visibly flinch. He let out a breath, trying to calm himself. "Sorry, I'm not angry at you. I just don't know what I can say."

"I mean, an explanation as to why you hit him would be a good start," Kuai said softly, reaching for Hanzo's hand again. Hanzo let him take it, finally managing to wipe the last bits of dried blood from his knuckles. "Hanzo, please try to see this from my perspective. All I know is we were at a bar, having a nice time and next thing I know theres a man on the floor with a broken nose."

Kuai finished cleaning the grazes on Hanzo's knuckles, reaching for the padding and gauze. Hanzo understood why Kuai was so frustrated with him. Kuai had never been on a night out before, his restricted lifestyle had never afforded him something so simple. It was meant to be a fun night, Kuai finally having a taste of what normality was like. Hanzo had ruined it by letting someone else get under his skin.

"He said something that I couldn't let stand," Hanzo grumbled, watching as Kuai gently placed the padding on his knuckles. Kuai gave him a skeptical look. Hanzo sighed, closing his eyes and letting himself admit, "it was something about you."

Kuai stopped what he was doing, mouth tight as he warily looked at Hanzo. "What?"

"He uh... He made a scathing remark about your scar and appearance in general," Hanzo explained. He couldn't remember the exact words used, but he did remember they definitely weren't ones he was going to repeat. There were some things better left unsaid. "And then he laughed about it." Hanzo rubbed his eyes with the hand that wasn't being bandaged up by Kuai. "Absolute bastard."

Kuai exhaled sharply, "you know, I am quite used to people saying uncouth things about my appearance." He finished his work, but didn't release Hanzo's hand, gently holding it in his own. "You don't have to punch people whenever they say something rude about me."

Hanzo couldn't see why anyone would be dismissive about Kuai Liang's appearance. He was, quite frankly, stunning, and that was not the bias of his silly crush on the other man. No, that was a fact and he would punch as many people as it took to make that fact known.

"You shouldn't have to just put up with things like that," Hanzo muttered, tightening his grip on Kuai's hand.

"If someone is judging me by my appearance alone, they are not worthy of my energy." Kuai reached and placed his hand under Hanzo's chin. "Those comments do not bother me, so please, don't let them bother you either."

He wanted to argue that Kuai shouldn't feel obligated to turn a blind eye to people being rude but at the end of the day, if this was how Kuai wanted to deal with it, Hanzo would respect those wishes. And he supposed he couldn't blame the man for just wanting to ignore it. Still it showed the different in temperament between the two men. Hanzo sometimes wondered if he was a bad person, but next to Kuai he was the devil himself. He could never hope to reach the level of purity Kuai Liang embodied.

He knew Kuai did not see it that way. Kuai Liang as told by himself was a bad man trying to make amends for his past sins. Hanzo held a similar opinion of himself. Was this why Hanzo was so drawn to Kuai? They were the same, all be it with very different ways of atonement.

Those pale blue eyes were staring into his soul, beckoning him to act in some way. Without thinking, Hanzo closed his eyes and lent forward, pressing his lips against Kuai's. The cryomancer gasped at the sudden action and Hanzo came back to his senses. Hanzo pulled away, his face going so hot he was almost convinced he'd set himself on fire. Kuai looked at him with wide eyes, cheeks red all the way up to his ears.

"I- I'm sorry," Hanzo stuttered, embarrassed and unsure what to say to make up for his actions. "I should't have done that."

"Was... Was that why you... uh... why you took the insult against me so... personally?" Kuai had completely lost his composure it seemed, sentence unsure and testing.

"Yes. You are beautiful Kuai Liang, inside and out." He pulled away and looked to the floor. "And I'm sorry I did that, because you deserve better than me."

"I don't think it's fair for you to decide that for me," Kuai announced. Hanzo looked at him. His expression was one Hanzo was familiar with, the one filled with determination and letting nothing stand in his way. "I think I can decide for myself who is worthy of my affection."

Hanzo stared blankly. There was silence between them, before Kuai sighed and lent in close.

"You are more than worthy, Hanzo Hasashi. You always have been and you always will be." Kuai shuffled over, and Hanzo couldn't stop the alarmed yelp he made when Kuai suddenly straddled his lap. "I believe this is the part where you kiss me again."

Hanzo snorted, snapping from his disbelief and placing his hands on Kuai's hips. Kuai's arms wrapped around his neck, and Hanzo lent forward to kiss the man again. Chaste at first, but slowly they got more hungry and full of desire. Kuai opened his mouth, inviting Hanzo to slip his tongue inside. He slowed down, not wanting to rush and things to end too quickly. He wished to savour the moment. Kuai pulled away first, looking at Hanzo with a small smile.

Hanzo cleared his throat, "I didn't realise you felt the same."

"Hanzo, I've been flirting with you for the last year, how have you not noticed this?" Kuai tilted his head as he spoke. Hanzo gave him a quizzical look.

Now that he looked back at it, that piece of information made a lot of Kuai's behaviour suddenly make sense. The little touches, like how Kuai would place a hand on his shoulder, stroke his arms and biceps, or do something like brush Hanzo's hair from his face. The way Kuai would often mention how good Hanzo looked in certain outfits. Small compliments like how his hair looked good in a bun and how nice his beard was. The sneaky little glances at Hanzo when Kuai believed no one was looking. That one time they were drunk and Kuai defiantly sat in Hanzo's lap. Oh wait, this actually explains so much.

Kuai chuckled, "ah, the penny drops."

"Alright, I get it, I'm an idiot," Hanzo shook his head. He looked at the man sat on his lap, wondering for a moment how someone like Kuai could be attracted to someone like him. But Kuai was right, Hanzo had no right to dictate his feelings. Well, if Kuai wanted to be with him, Hanzo had no objections to that. "And I believe you have made your point about you making that choice for yourself."

"Hm, I'm not sure I have," Kuai purred, "I can think of another way to get it through your thick skull." Kuai rolled his hips, grinding himself down against Hanzo's crotch. Hanzo groaned, immediately understanding where this was going. "Allow me to show you how worthy you are Grandmaster Hasashi. I wish to worship you and only you."

Fuck. There was no way in hell he'd say no to a request like that.

"I believe that would help to erase my remaining skepticism."

Kuai smirked again, kissing Hanzo once more and pushing him slightly to guide him downward. Hanzo let himself be positioned back onto the bed. He was more than happy to let Kuai take the reigns, to show and prove to Hanzo that what was said was truth.

As their clothes were shed, the only remnants of how this had started was the slight throb from Hanzo's scuffed and bruised knuckles.

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