" YUANFEN " genji shimada.

ix | a glimpse

yuanfen.
act seven, chapter nine.
"a glimpse"

_

DAHLIA WELCOMED THE FAMILIAR comfort of her own dormitory with open arms. As soon as her back hit the mattress of her bed, she let out a sigh of content. Sinking into the sheets, her lips curled into a small smile and her eyes fluttered shut. Genji entered her bedroom soon after her, lingering near the doorway and watching her in silence. Dahlia opened her eyes and shot him a questioning look. She didn't miss the tenseness of his shoulders and the way that his fist flexed repeatedly by his side.

    "What's wrong?" She asked him.

    Genji didn't respond right away. His glowing gaze remained glued to her for a moment longer. "How are you feeling?"

    "I'm okay," Dahlia assured him, leaning up on her elbows. It was a question that she had been asked countless times over the past several days. She appreciated the concern, but she showed no signs of her previous injury from the moment she regained consciousness; the question was beginning to grow redundant. "You don't have to worry so much."

    "I cannot help it," Genji said with a shrug. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his sweatpants, but Dahlia could see the twitching of his fingers through the fabric. He was obviously on edge. She reached down and patted the empty mattress beside her.

    "Come," she requested softly, though she frowned when the ninja didn't move from his spot. "Please?"

    He took a step forward, then paused. His shoulders heaved as he sighed. "Kitsune, if I get into that bed with you, I will not be able to leave."

    "Is that a bad thing?" Dahlia questioned with a cheeky grin.

    "I must help McCree train after lunch."

    Dahlia glanced over at the clock that sat on her bedside table; there was still an hour left of the recruits' lunch break. Turning back to Genji, she patted the mattress once again. "You have time."

    Genji mumbled something in Japanese beneath his breath before he crossed the room to her bedside. He sat on the bed beside her, his back resting against the headboard and his arm immediately finding its way around her frame. Dahlia grinned up at him, curling into his side. She felt his hold around her tighten, and she heard him sigh as he pressed his faceplate to her forehead. He stayed like that for several moments, the metal of his visor cool against her warm skin. His cybernetics whirred softly with each breath he took, and she could hear the faint rhythmic beating of his heart somewhere within his metallic chest. Dahlia's chest tightened fondly at his actions, and she was unable to stop her smile from growing.

    It was a feeling that she wasn't familiar with, one that left her terrified yet longing for more at the same time. She often wondered if she'd ever been in love before, and she once believed that she had been, but she now knew that she'd never experienced such strong yet comforting emotions towards another being. It was all so new, but she welcomed it with open arms.

    Slowly, Dahlia pulled herself out of Genji's arms. She sat up in the bed, legs crossing over one another, and took a moment to admire him. She met his gaze, her eyes narrowing as she searched for any glimpse of the man that remained hidden behind the glow of his visor. She could sense his confusion as his head tilted ever-so-slightly to the side.

    "When can I see you?" She asked him, her voice small.

    Genji's shoulder shook as a soft laugh rumbled through his chest. "You are looking at me, Kitsune."