Chapter Text
“Open your heart
To eternal dimension.
Open your heart
For love and affection.”
Mornings in the town of Hanamura begin a bit after the sun rises. Businessmen rushing for the train station, while children gather in groups, kicking up swirls of cherry blossom petals as they head to school. The elderly on their daily walks acknowledge each other with a nod and a smile, as the housewives stop to greet with gossip. Shops lift their gates and unlock their doors to begin the day and the streets fill with both sweet and savory airs from the patisseries, the ramen shops, and food stalls that dot the town. The sounds of construction and hammering are relatively new, ‘Hero Arcade Coming Soon!’ proudly displayed across from the restaurants, much to the excitement of every gamer for miles.
At the edge of Hanamura, however, within the walls of Shimada Castle, mornings begin before the sun even touches the horizon. Six-year old Genji Shimada, stifling a yawn, follows his big brother, nine-year old Hanzo Shimada, to the family dojo.
Okay, maybe not so much ‘follows’ as ‘half-dragged along,’ Hanzo keeping a firm grip on his little brother’s hand to guide his half-asleep form through the twisting hallways. He knows the route by heart; he’d been taking it ever since he could walk. But, Genji had yet to memorize it. He never really went unless he knew Hanzo was going, and even then, not always successful at rousing himself out of bed. And yet, today was the first time he’d ever woken up before Hanzo, albeit still rather sluggishly. Maybe Genji was ready to stick to morning training sessions.
Another yawn. Or not. “Niisan??”
“Almost there, Genji.” Hanzo smiles a little, tilting his head back to him. “Are you sure you would rather not go back to sleep?”
“N-no way! I finally woke up first!”
The elder boy chuckles, turning off the flashlight as he sees their goal at the end of their turn. “Otousan says it’s a good habit to have, otouto. What was it that woke you?”
Genji’s abrupt stop causes Hanzo to accidentally let go, pausing to turn all the way around to look at his little brother. In the faint light from the open doorway, he can see the wide-awake confusion on the younger’s face. The uncertain shifting from foot to foot.
“I... don’t know. I just thought.... I should wake up...?”
Hanzo waits a moment longer, and when there is no further explanation, shrugs, before gesturing for them to move along. The sun will be rising soon, and they will need to prepare for school not long after. But, first! Morning practice!
Together, they bow as they enter the empty room, before starting their routine.
Warm-ups and stretches, jogging, kata, but no sparring- not unless a shihan or Papa was there to help them. Left side, right side. Punches, kicks, blocking. Hanzo making the occasional pause to correct Genji's stance, or to chide him gently for moving too quickly in to the next move. With purpose, as Father taught them, and together, as Mama reminds. Discipline, power, honor- be like the Dragon Brothers, but near the end of their fairytales.
The morning stretches on, Genji’s fidgeting and both their hunger starting to slow their movements enough that Hanzo decides to call an end to their exercise. As the sun starts to lift high enough to see, the elder pulls the younger in to a sitting position beside him before the scroll at the back of the room. Breathes in deep as he lights a stick of incense, and settles in. Genji does his utmost to imitate this silent meditation, though hard wooden floor pinches and when he inhales, his tummy grumbles again. The scent of breakfast breaks in over the sweet smoke, the rest of the compound echoing with more voices and footsteps, though none of them come near.
Genji forces himself to concentrate. Ignore all distractions. Reach within...
His eyes snap open.
... oh!!
Genji has played with water balloons before. In the middle of summer when it’s too hot to practice forms and stances, and their Papa has one of those rare occasions he wasn’t busy working, he secretly squirrels him and Hanzo out of their lessons. Helped fill the balloons in the gardens with the watering hose, practically to bursting, so that they almost always explode on contact when he and Hanzo lob them at each other. And, occasionally, at Papa (and if Mama caught them, argue such exercise was good for their health and improving their aim. Before running away, because her aim was best out of all of them.)
It is always fun, watching water splash everywhere when he managed to get his targets. Also fun when he got hit with one, too, the liquid refreshing and cool under the Hanamura sun.
But, this... instead of the sensation in his hands or on his head, it feels like it’s in his chest; instead of cool and refreshing, it’s warmth and comfort, blooming in his heart. Like that first sip of hot chocolate after playing out on a snow day, with half-melted marshmallows, sweet and soft. It’s the first spring sun, melting the last of the chill of winter away. It leaves him feeling happy, peaceful. A gentleness within so sudden, that he simply stays still and lets the strange flutters roll through him.
This is what prompts Hanzo to stir out of his meditative trance, eyes shifting over to his little brother in concern. The constant aura of buzzing energy usually surrounding the child is gone, replaced with an uncharacteristic hush that leaves Hanzo confused. Normally it takes an era to get Genji to sit quietly, never mind this near-absolute silence; he’d almost think he was alone in the room the way the six-year old was currently carrying on.
Worried, Hanzo leans towards him, trying to catch Genji’s attention without shifting too much. Not wanting to disturb whatever this atmosphere was. “Genji? Genji, are you alright?”
“...Yeah... I’m... niisan...” Whispering, instead of shouting. Awe in his words instead of strained effort. “I’m just... I feel...”
“...Feel what?”
“I feel... kinda funny.” A scrunched nose, and a tilted head are his only movements. “Like... it’s warm... really, really warm. And my chest feels weird.”
Words that, Genji thinks later, don’t sound good, but he doesn’t really have the chance to explain what he means any further. With a surge of panic, Hanzo twists around completely over to press his hand to Genji’s forehead, searching for a fever. There is none, but now that he’s completely facing his brother, he can see... something on his neck...
Lines. Lines in a multitude of colors, weaving and slowly etching something on the skin of his brother’s throat.
Hanzo yells for their parents.
Hanzo never yells.
It’s not even half an hour later after Hanzo’s frantic cries stirs their parents that sees Genji whisked away to one of the smaller, private rooms deeper in the compound. Bundled on a couch with his favorite blanket wrapped around him, and a sparrow plush tucked in to one arm. Hanzo sits beside him, hand gripping tight on Genji’s free one as he turns to the occupants sitting across from them.
“Okaasan, is Genji going to be alright?”
“He will be fine, my little wolf, give Hino-sensei but a moment.”
Akiko Shimada is a graceful figure. Even rushed out of bed at the yells of her eldest son, she still strikes an impeccable form in her bathrobe, dark hair pulled in to a hasty bun, and amber eyes hard as diamonds. Her hands are clasped in her lap, fingers twisting, but she never once lets her attention falter from her boys, even when the palm of Sojiro Shimada, her husband and head of the Shimada Clan, covers hers in comfort.
He twines his fingers with Akiko’s, pressing his shoulder to hers and un-heeding of the wrinkles forming on the sleeve of his Armani suit. Sojiro cuts an imposing sight beside his wife, hair slicked back, glasses pushed up on the bridge of his nose as the summons of his eldest and heir had not given him time to impart his contacts. His dark stare is intense, face impassive, as he watches over the room.
None of this bothers the fifth occupant, a young man with wild dark blue hair falling over his eyes and impeccably wrinkled white coat over thrown over a wrinkled shirt and trousers. Hino-sensei keeps his focus trained on the little boy as he examines the marks on Genji’s neck. Giving the young boy a reassuring nod, he murmurs instructions as he reaches over to grip Genji’s chin.
Genji gulps quietly, allowing Hino-sensei to gently tilt his head back to get a look at his throat. Not that he doesn’t know Hino-sensei. Hino-sensei is a stern man who was always looked messy and never seemed to take his Mama’s chiding seriously. But, mama and papa also said he was the best doctor they could have, and he always made sure he and Hanzo were well. Yes, he was a little scary, because he always seemed to never smile, but he always had candies on hand for when he and his niisan would see him. Whenever they were sick, Hino-sensei helped make them better faster. So, seeing Hino-sensei wasn’t always a bad thing.
But, Genji knows that there were very few reasons for Hino-sensei to show up, especially wearing that white coat- the white coat usually meant something was wrong, and he was here to fix it.
He grips his niisan’s hand a little tighter, thankful that, despite their mama’s coaxing, Hanzo doesn’t budge from his place beside him, and that Hino-sensei doesn’t seem to be mad about it. The look on the man’s face is calm, actually, and that lets Genji hope that the warmth that sits in his chest and on his neck not as bad as his brother thinks.
After a stretch of silence, the man hums under his breath, and gives him a considering look.
“Genji-kun.” The little boy’s eyes widen, turning his full attention to the man as his chin is let go, his little fingers clasping tighter on the support of his brother. Hanzo squeezes back. “You’re not hearing any music at all, are you?”
At the question, he blinks, tilting his head to the side for a moment. Listens, but all he hears is the wind rustling the trees outside, the creaks of the house, and the muffled hustle of the servants going about their day. That feeling in his chest, though, flutters and tickles a little, like it’s laughing and it makes him want to smile. “No... no music. Am I suppose to?”
“If not, that is perfectly fine.” Another hum, but Hino-sensei rolls back on his heels, putting more space between him and Genji. “What about a nice smell? Anything that sticks out?”
A moment to think, followed with Genji sniffing a bit. Mama’s flowery perfume, the scent of the cherry blossoms, papa’s smoky smells, but it’s all things he recognizes as home. “No...”
“Hmmm... What about... how do you feel?”
At that question, the little boy freezes up, and scrunches up his nose in thought. “Feel?”
“You said to your brother that you felt ‘warm.’”
“I do... Right here.” He focuses inward, using his sparrow toy to pat at his chest, right where his heart is, where the fluttering is. Genji thinks it hears him, though, as it suddenly feels like it’s wrapping gently around him, so happy so happy so playful that he can’t help the giggle that escapes. The sound shocks his parents and his brother, but Hino-sensei only seems to quirk a little smirk at the sound.
Whatever anxieties were left in the six year old seemed to vanish as the sensation filled him with comfort, and gave him the courage to meet Hino-sensei’s eyes with a firm gaze.
“I feel warm, but it’s not... like when we’ve been sick. It’s nice, soft, light... like flying, like fluttering... I’m scared, but it’s... um... it’s helping, even though it feels so far away?” Genji thinks on the feeling, as it seems like it wants to dance and he smiles a little, tilting his head. “It’s like hot chocolate.”
Hanzo squeezes his hand encouragingly, relief on his face and he’s smiling too, but after a moment, the focus on the younger’s face dissipates in to disappointment. “Oh, I... think it stopped?”
“Ahh, don’t worry, Genji-kun. It happens.” There’s another hum, this one of assurance as the doctor straightens, patting the both of them on the head. He produces two lollypops, handing one each of the boys, before turning to their parents with a gentle smirk. “Shimada-sama, Akiko-sama. It would appear that a SoulMate has just arrived in the world for Genji.”
There is a heartbeat of silence, before Akiko clasps her hands together excitedly with a squeal, jumping to her feet. She moves to pick up her youngest, out of his cocoon and away from his brother’s hold and his plush bird. She’s laughing joyously, much to Genji’s confusion and Hanzo’s relief as she hugs him tightly.
“Do you hear that, my little sparrow? A SoulMate!” All decorum lost, she twirls a bit, squeezing his cheeks as she clutches him to her. Hanzo and Sojiro both watch in amusement and exasperation as the Lady of the Shimada Clan dances about the room. “This is so wonderful! Hino-sensei! It has been some time since my family has had this- is there anything we must do?”
“For now? No. The link will take a bit of time to establish itself.” Hino-sensei chuckles, crossing an arm over his chest, while the other gives Genji’s hair a gentle ruffle. “Once it has settled, his Mate’s symbol will show and we can discuss things further. Say... about a week or so?”
“That sounds ideal.” Another giggle, but a glance at Genji turns her smile in to a concerned frown. He’s turning to each of them with baffled look on his face. “Are you alright, Genji?”
“Mama...” Genji blushes under the scrutiny, having drawn the attention of the others in the room. A moment of hesitation, but another brush against his heart, a flittering in his chest gives him strength to ask; “What... what’s a SoulMate?
“Oh!” Her delight calms. She glances at Hanzo, who shrugs. The way he tilts his head is just as curious, unspoken his seconding of his little brother’s question. “Well, I suppose that’s not something normally addressed at school...”
Their mother gives the thought paused, before grinning and twirling back to face both men. “I think this calls for pancakes- would you care to join us, Hino-sensei?”
The doctor shakes his head, shrugging off his white coat and draping it over his arm. “My apologies, Akiko-sama, but I would like to request a moment of Shimada-sama’s time to discuss some business matters.”
Even at the unusual request, her smile stays, narrowed eyes turning to her husband. Sojiro’s eyebrow is lifted, at Hino-sensei, not her, but the man gives nothing away.
Hanzo stands, reaching up for his brother’s hand and attention by passing him the sparrow plush he had left on their couch, and bundling up the blanket. More silence, before the Head of the clan shakes his head with a sigh, giving his family a calm smile.
“Go on without me, love. I’ll be in meetings till dinner.”
Akiko gives them both a considering look, before breaking in to a sigh and a bow. “Of course, dear. We’ll see you tonight. Thank you so much, Hino-sensei. Boys?”
“Thank you, Hino-sensei.” Hanzo complies, bowing gracefully even with the burden in his arms.
“Yes, thank you!” Genji crows, before turning to Akiko. “Pancakes, mama?”
“Yes, pancakes, for both of you. And I’ll let you skip school just this once.”
“YOSH!!”
Sojiro Shimada waits. His wife’s voice carries when she desires it, insisting the guards escort them to the dining room and to leave her husband to his check-up. It’s only at the echoes of, “Hai, Ane-san!” and the fading footfalls walking away does the clan head turn to the other man.
In contrast to his wife, Sojiro’s reaction is considerably more subdued. He moves toward the liquor cabinet in the corner, reaching for a pair of cups and a bottle of sake that Hino-sensei could only guess at the price. He holds one out for his companion to take. “This is extremely fortuitous news. Our sincerest thanks, Hino-sensei.”
“No thanks needed, Shimada-sama, merely doing my duty.” The doctor accepts, dropping his coat on to the free couch before following down himself. He keeps his hand steady, allowing Sojiro to fill it to the brim. “Despite this... auspicious event, however, I would advise... extreme discretion.”
Sojiro pauses the pouring of his own, before he hums in acknowledgement, putting the bottle on the table between them. He settles in to his spot, offering a soft toast. “Is that so? Anything particular coming to mind, my friend?”
There's a measure of hesitation, before Hino-sensei brings his cup forward with a clack of porcelain.
“Your niece has summoned a dragon.”
Slowly, the clan head drags his hand up in a second, solo, silent toast. Brings it down to his lips and takes a sip a bit too hard, a bit too fast, numbing the growing ache behind his closed eyes.
He exhales slowly, breathing through the burn, before turning his sharp gaze to his companion. The smile Sojiro wears borders on saccharine. “Ichiro told you this?”
A nod, the doctor’s first sip more cautious, but the alcohol still singes his throat. “cough …in...indeed. Happened near on a week ago, Shimada cough -sama”
“He has not informed me.”
“...No.”
The cup is empty, so Hino-sensei reaches over for the bottle this time, and pours the man another. The liquid is gone almost as soon as it is filled, Sojiro bringing the fingers of his free hand to press against his temple. “Of course not. I am only Head of the Shimada Clan, after all. What business is it of mine to know of my dear niece’s accomplishment.”
Hino-sensei offers no answer, only another generous helping from the bottle he had yet to let go of. Stopping only when Sojiro brings a hand up does he place it back down between them. The two of them sit for a moment in silence, one still nursing his first cupful and the other not moving to remedy his third.
Hand still against his head, Sojiro lets out a deep, put-out sigh.
“You may speak freely, Shin.”
Hino-sensei straightens, dropping his voice’s volume to a near-whisper. “With Akiko-sama, the uproar in your family was palpable that even the civilians of Hanamura caught wind of it. But, in the grand scheme of things... that is family, isn’t it. That is Shimada Clan. Dragons are, for the most part, expected of the main family, even... if it’s not everyone or who you think it would be. SoulMates, however?”
A breath, a sip. He doesn’t cough this time.
“In light of keeping peace, at the very least, I would delay. Delay, and not let anyone find out exactly when the Mark appeared.”
He downs the rest, and this time, he sputters. Hino-sensei still goes in for a second pour, leaving Sojiro to ponder over his third.
It truly is a beautiful time for celebrations. Akiko was possibly already plotting something to... mark the occasion. A joyous moment, he would not deny that. And were things so straightforward, he could almost believe that he could relax and allow things to play as they would.
But, he is the Head of a Ninja clan... of Yakuza. Of the Shimada.
And for him, for his family, for his sons... things will never be so simple.
It’s a week later, when the SoulMark finishes layering its magic that, this time, it’s Genji’s despairing cry that echoes throughout the compound.
“Why is it a butterfly?!?”
“Open your heart
Your every emotion.
Open your heart
For tears and rejection.”
“Open Your Heart” + Yuki Kajiura