Wired (Gencio)

Chapter Three

A/N: Forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but Zen is human. Carry on.

•~•

Class ended sooner than Genji had hoped. As soon as it ended, he saw Zenyatta making his way over and a feeling of dread washed over him.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "They close in a few hours, so we better hurry."

"Ready as I'll ever be," the Asian answered quietly. He watched his friend nod and start walking to the parking lot. He followed close behind. "Is the place good? People keep talking about it, so I assume it is."

"Very good," Zen chirped, his keys in his hands. "I've been once. It's one of the few things the medical students and the programming students actually agree on." He spared a glance back at the green-haired male. "It's great, trust me."

The Shimada always found it hard to question the peaceful programmer's judgement, and this was no exception. Living with and getting tutored by a sophomore makes it impossible to ignore their advice - or anything they say, for that matter. And as much as he'd hate to admit it, he'd grown attached to Tekhartha. So, of course, he was going to take his word on this.

The car ride was short, but unbearable. Zen had a weird, meditation podcast playing as they drove, and Genji just could not get into it. His mind was too busy racing, thinking about the lectures he was missing thanks to his broken headphones. He never was a good student - it's a miracle he even made it into a university. Hearing the lecture back was one of the few things that actually worked for him, and now he was falling behind on it for the thousandth time this semester. With a frustrated sigh, he forced those thoughts aside and stared out the window.

They turned a couple corners, and then the building came into view. The neon colors painted on the outside shone in brightly on the sun beckoning people to come inside and have a peek. The Japanese man audible gasped at the sight.

He heard the either laugh quietly. "What did I tell you? It's marvelous."

The car was parked in front of it and they stepped out of the car. Zenyatta took the lead, a bounce in his step. He pushed the door of the shop open and a bell jingled above it. They walked inside and Genji took it all in. The walls and shelves were all wooden and polished, gleaming in the light. The shelves were decked out with modern instruments and replacement parts. Nylon and steel strings, picks, reeds, and more were set up in the front, and in the back were the actually instruments. Blacklights separated the two areas and made the store glow. He was in awe, to say the least.

"Sorry for the delay," he heard someone say from behind him. "I'm trying to paint my office. What can I getcha?"

The Shimada turned around, and that's when he saw him.

The man seemed to glow, as if the blacklights floated around around him. He was wearing designer clothes of some sort, and his hair was done up in beautiful, green and purple dreads. His skin was an ebony color, and it made him both fit in and stand out with the store's aesthetic. He had Genji mesmerized, to say the least.

The man noticed him staring and laughing softly. "Take a picture, it'll last longer. I'll even sign it if you'd like." He said the last part with a wink.

Flustered, the Shimada looked away. Faintly, he heard the cute guy and Zen talking about wireless Bluetooth headphones. He tried to busy himself by looking looking around the store.

"Genji, is it?"

His head spun towards the voice. He briefly froze when he realized Zenyatta wasn't in sight. "Yes?"

"Name's Lucio." A small smile appeared on his face as he spoke. "I've been told you need some new headphones - preferably wireless."

"Well, it wasn't my preference, but..."

"Relax, man. They're cost-friendly." Again, that tiny, upbeat smile grazed his lips. It made Genji's heart soar. "Follow me."

Lucio made his way through the aisles in smooth, confident strides. The other couldn't help but notice how he seemed to glide across the floor. It was only then did he realize he was wearing what he could only assume to be Heelies. He blinked a few times before trailing after him.

"So what can I interest you in? SkullCandy? Beats? AirPods?" He spun around so he faced his customer. He rolled backwards, slowly and carefully. "What's your style, G?"

Genji winced at the awful nickname. "My... Style? What do you mean?"

"Well..." The upbeat male spun around again, scanning the shelves a few times. The college student couldn't help but notice how much shorter he was. "Black and white looks good with anything."

He suddenly reached up and pulled off a pair of wireless earbuds connected by a strap. "These aren't brand-named, but they work great." He tossed the box lightly in the air and caught it. "I should know, I used these when I was younger."

His phone buzzed loudly and he quickly checked it. Genji watched as he slid his finger across the screen and tapped it a few times, a grown appearing on his face. A moment later, he put his phone away and flashed the other a grin. "Let's get you ringed up."