It was such as small action, but it said so much.

Jesse couldn't help but notice whenever he hit on Hanzo, the archer would flinch. It usually happened when he snuck up on him or tried to touch him. At first it didn't bother him much, it was an understandable reaction.

But when the Shimada admitted he had feelings for him, these flinches became rather troublesome for the cowboy. They started happening less and less, but it still worried him.

He didn't address it until they had their first kiss. The two men were sitting on the edge of a building, stargazing. McCree glanced over at him, a faint smile on his face. "Hey, Han?"

"Hm?"

He grew a little nervous "Can... Can I kiss you?"

The ravenet nodded and turned to face him. Things started going downhill when the southerner lightly grabbed his chin.

Hanzo's eyes flashed with fear and he jerked away from him. The brunet gave him a confused look and he started cursing under his breath. "Shit, I'm sorry, I should've - That wasn't - Ugh." He hid his face in his hands, clearly embarrassed. "Just - Don't grab me there, please."

Jesse's expression immediately softened and he grabbed the Asian's hand. "Sorry about that..." he mumbled, squeezing it reassuringly. "Jus'... Can I ask you a question 'bout it?"

He tensed up a bit, then relaxed with a sigh. "Yes, but... Word it carefully."

"Alright. Did... Somethin' bad to you in the past?"

The archer laughed drily. "You're gonna have to be more specific."

"Like... We're you... Y'know..."

"Abused?" The Shimada finished for him. He didn't look at the cowboy. "Yes. Both by my father and an ex of mine. Happy?"

McCree opened his mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Slowly, he took his hat off and held it against his chest. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Han..."

"Don't be," he said too quickly. "You didn't know." Without thinking, Hanzo let his story spill out. "My father mentally abused me by conditioning me to believe in our Empire. You know how that story goes. My ex, though..."

He licks his lips and lets his feet hang off the edge. "He physically abused me. I'm not gonna get too much into it, but I was young, stupid, lonely, and in love. I thought he was the only one who actually cared about me..."

At this point, tears had started to well up in his eyes. Instinctively, McCree reaches over to wipe them away. The ravenet flinches, but let him. "And that's why I flinch. I haven't loved anyone in so long, I almost forgot what it's like..."

He was cut short when the brunet pressed their lips together. He couldn't help but melt into it and kiss back, letting his toxic memories fade away and be replaced by the ones he had made with his new lover.

The gunslinger pulled away with a sad smile. "Don't worry, darlin'. As long as I'm with you, I ain't gonna let anythin' like that happen to you, ya hear?"

Hanzo laughed softly and wiped his tears away with a nod.

After that night, Hanzo rarely flinched. And after that night, the two showed more PDA than you can imagine.