" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

viii | show off

yuanfen.
act six, chapter eight.
"show off"

_

AS SOON AS DAHLIA arrived at the medbay the following day, she was assigned by Dr. Ziegler to oversee a training session for some of the recruits. Studying and taking notes on each recruit's movement and abilities was part of their usual monthly physicals. Usually Dr. Ziegler did this, though Dahlia happily accepted the assignment to allow the doctor a well-earned day off. Dr. Ziegler had been more than thankful, making it clear that she was going to spend the day doing nothing but sipping coffee and reading a book that she'd been wanting to finish.

The hot sun beat down on the back of Dahlia's neck. She squinted against the bright light, a thin layer of sweat coating her tan skin. Because she spent most of her time in the comfort of the air-conditioned headquarters, she wasn't exactly used to being out in the heat, and the bleachers she sat on offered zero shade. Wiping a bead of sweat off of her forehead, she did her best to focus on the training session happening in front of her.

Dahlia had taken mental notes of every recruit that stepped up to spar. She had yet to see anyone whose movements were concerning. Many were sloppy and in desperate need of some practice, though none seemed to be held back by any medical issues. There was even one recruit with a prosthetic leg who moved better than all the others out there. Dahlia was especially impressed with her, and she enjoyed watching the recruit outsmart her opponent after being underestimated because of her disability.

As the morning stretched on, Dahlia did her best to ignore the familiar cyborg who was also overseeing the training. Lately, he seemed to be everywhere that she was. Genji stood beside McCree, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Though she knew that his attention wasn't on the recruits who were busy sparring for the third time that week. She felt his gaze on her, and it took all her effort not to steal a glance in his direction. She had still yet to talk to him since their conversation the morning after their intimacy, yet it seemed as if he knew exactly what he was doing. The longer she spent around him, the harder it became for her to stay away from him. She longed for his company and the temporary feeling of bliss that surely came with his soft touch.

"What are you doing?" Dahlia jumped, slightly startled as she was pulled out of her thoughts, when Genji's sharp voice met her ears. She finally looked towards him, expecting him to be speaking to her, though his attention was now on a recruit named William. She recalled McCree telling her about how this recruit managed to beat Genji in a spar the day before.

"What?" William seemed confused. He stood frozen in the middle of the training area, a female recruit waiting impatiently in front of him. "I was going for a roundhouse kick."

"That looked pathetic," Genji said with a scoff. Dahlia could imagine him rolling his eyes beneath his visor. The ninja stepped into the training area, his broad shoulders tense as he stood beside William. Then, without warning, he leaped off the ground. Dahlia watched in awe as he spun weightlessly through the air, swinging his foot around so that it flew by William's face with only an inch or two to spare. He twisted around and landed on the ground with his feet planted firmly in the dirt. A few recruits clapped at the demonstration, but then the girl with fiery red hair who'd been sparring William raised her hand.

"Do we have to do a flip like that?"

No one answered at first. Genji relaxed from his battle stance, glancing in Dahlia's direction as he did so. It was as if he was making sure that she had watched the entire demonstration. She quickly looked away, hoping that he didn't notice her staring.

"Nah, the ninja just likes to show off," McCree finally said, realizing that Genji wasn't going to answer the question. "He's trying to impress someone, I reckon."

The ninja said nothing, only nudging McCree with his shoulder as he passed him, which only confirmed the cowboy's suspicions. McCree shot Genji a knowing look and smirked, then called for the recruits to continue their training. Dahlia knew that she should've been continuing her diligent note taking, but she suddenly found something else much more interesting. The way that Genji had spun through the air as if he weighed no more than a feather amazed her; the tightness of the artificial muscles in his cybernetic arm as he landed on the ground only made her long for his touch once more.

"It's rude to stare, you know."

Dahlia was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that someone had joined her on the bleachers. Hana now sat beside her, and as Dahlia turned to look at her friend, she noticed the smirk that she wore on her face. Dahlia inwardly groaned. She hated that she had just been caught staring at Genji. She still wasn't sure if her "relationship" with the ninja was the newest topic of gossip around the base or not. She had received plenty of looks and heard lots of whispers over the last few days, but nothing to confirm her fear. It wouldn't surprise her; after all, those around the base loved gossip, and a well-respected senior Overwatch agent getting involved with the traitor would surely be a controversial topic of conversation.

"I'm not staring," Dahlia lied. She mentally cursed herself as she felt heat rising to her cheeks in embarrassment.

"You so were!" Hana barked out a laugh. A few recruits that stood nearby turned to look at the pair in curiosity. They were surely going to try and eavesdrop on their conversation, which only made Dahlia all the more flustered. "You were looking at him like he's Brad Pitt or something!"

Dahlia grimaced. "Ew, Hana, he would've been, like, a hundred years old by now!"

"Yeah, but he was still good looking when he was younger," Hana said with a shrug.

A laugh fell from Dahlia's lips as she rolled her eyes. She was thankful that Hana showed up when she did, for even though the topic of conversation was the ninja that she had been trying to keep her mind off of, her friend still managed to keep her distracted. And she enjoyed her company, no matter how odd her taste in men was.

"You're a weirdo."

Hana gasped dramatically, earning yet another confused look by the nearby group of recruits. She held a hand over her chest in feign hurt. "Excuse me! I'm not the one staring at Genji's ass while he does fancy flips in the air," she said, loud enough for the eavesdroppers to overhear.

Dahlia groaned and threw her head back. She stole a glance in the direction of the recruits, cursing as she noticed that they were already staring. It was obvious that they overheard. "I was not-!"

"What about my ass?"

Dahlia's heart plummeted to her feet as his voice met her ears. She froze, eyes widening. She shot Hana a death glare, who then proceeded to laugh loudly, before turning to look at Genji over her shoulder. "It's flat. You need to work out more," she deadpanned.

Genji seemed taken aback by her sudden answer, crossing his arms over his chest. "It is not flat. The pants I wear make it seem that way," he defended, and Dahlia was surprised by how offended he sounded. Behind her, Hana was in hysterics. She was doubled over and held her stomach as she gasped for breath. Dahlia shot her friend another glare, though her laughter was contagious, and she had to fight to hold back her own.

"Don't you have more recruits to humiliate?" She then asked Genji.

The ninja shook his head. "No, only William. Besides, when I hear my name being spoken, it is only fair that I get curious."

"We were talking shit," Dahlia said with a shrug.

Hana, who was finally gaining control over her laughing fit, nodded. "Yeah, major shit," she agreed, and her shoulders shook with another short giggle.

Genji seemed unamused, saying nothing. Then, he surprised Dahlia by reaching out and resting a hand on her shoulder. He leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. "Talk to me later. Please."

The feeling of his touch on her shoulder combined with his sudden closeness caused Dahlia's words to get caught in her throat. She met his glowing gaze for a split second before she looked away, and she could do nothing but nod. Genji hummed in satisfaction, pulling away from her. Without another word, he left the pair and returned to the training session. Dahlia relaxed as soon as he was gone, and she let out a shaky breath. Beside her, Hana wore a smirk on her face, which only made Dahlia roll her eyes.

"Don't you dare say anything, Song."