Everyone did it differently. Everyone took it at their own pace. Some a little at a time and some not at all. For Genji, falling in love with Angela had been a long process. One which he did not realize was happening until it already happened.
He was never one to be tip-toeing about the topic of dating and asking someone out. At least not in his younger days at the very least. But it was arguable that perhaps he had never really been in love with everyone before Angela. To him, she was much too different from any other woman for him to even think about using the same technique as he did with others.
She was an elegant doctor who worked with confidence and without rest, one with so much selflessness that he couldn't possibly think about trying to influence. After all, how could he make someone like her confess her feelings to him? She was much too considerate and too sweet to put him in such a situation. Or well, that was what he thought anyway.
Genji wondered if she ever thought the same things as he did, that if she confessed he might reject her and ruin their friendship. It was a thought that constantly ran through his mind whenever he thought about her and his confession. It was only now that he truly recognized and marveled at the audacity and confidence of his playboy self.
He consulted many people. Despite how cool he may appear on the outside, he was a nervous wreck. Never before in his life has a single confession been so difficult. He supposed that in the past, any girl that he went after did not matter too much to him. Sometimes he may misjudge them and be rejected, but it was of no consequence to him. He simply moved on to the next.
But Angela was not just another nondescript girl that he could just toss aside. He knew that if he messed up, he could never find anyone quite like her ever again.
She was more than just a doctor to him. Well, of course, she was the one ultimately responsible for the fact that he was even alive. Though he had once hated her for that very fact, he had grown very grateful. Even when he had pushed her away and hurt her on more than one occasion and in more ways than he could recall, she was always there for him. Healing the reopened wounds that he paid no regards to. Fixed his body when he carelessly injured himself. Stopping him from critically wounding himself. Chastise him during his reckless times and sat through every moment of his anger.
Even when it meant that she must take the pain herself.
Genji knew not how she could bear it all. To smile despite all the hate-filled words he threw her way, even when he pushed her out of the way with his shoulder and slapped her tender hand away. He knew not how she did it but he did know that it was why he fell in love with her.
There wasn't anything he could possibly do that could let him repay her. At least, he wanted to make her happy. He wanted to give her everything she wanted and more.
But alas, he never found the courage or chance. As much as he loved how hard she worked, it came at a cost of the opportunity to spend time with her. He visited her lab and brought her coffee among many other items. They were small things and did no justice to what he wanted to say and do for her. But they will have to do.
Her work on the battlefield was as beautiful as her work in the lab. Well, beauty was in the eye of the beholder as people liked to say. To Genji, many things about her could be considered beautiful. Her voice, hair, body, and smile. Especially her laughter, though all too often it was filled with tiredness despite how sincere she was. But even her research, the tables filled with important documents and tablet, and the lives that she saved.
Every moment she spent working to help others, always so selfless and so much unlike himself. While his master Zenyatta had definitely led him through the path of healing for him to get to the point where he was at this day, Mercy was the one who laid the foundation. From his body and life to rebuilding his trust and inner comfort, she had done everything she could for him. It would be an understatement to call her a healer, doctor, or researcher. She was all that and more. A miracle worker, quite literally at times.
Genji made sure to stay by her side during missions, or at the very least finish his job quickly and return there. His task often involved infiltration and things that required more finesse, sometimes with Tracer. He couldn't help but worry about her at times, despite the extremely competent team of veterans that usually accompanied her on more dangerous missions.
The missions were usually not too dangerous, either dealing with small groups of bandits or Talon mercenaries. Aside from that, data gathering was nothing to be worried about. Genji still volunteered to follow Mercy whenever she allowed of course, though he had to wonder whether he annoyed her. She was much too nice to refuse his offer probably.
As such, it was during one of these missions when the group of 4 split in half that Genji asked her the question. Well, it was not a confession or anything of the sort. After many sleepless nights, which made little difference compared to the short sleep he was accustomed to, he had come to accept that perhaps he was never meant to be with her. He knew not how to approach her nor how to make her happy. Hell, she barely had time to rest for herself, let alone spend time with him.
And besides, how was he to charm a woman like her?
It frustrated him, all these thoughts that he wanted to disprove but stood true regardless of the ideas he thought up. In the end, he had resigned himself to his fate. His playboy days were over, and with them went the tact and charm that he had once been so proud of.
"Being a close friend of a wonderful doctor wasn't so bad," Genji lied to himself, "even if it meant I couldn't say her pretty name out loud."
In truth, many people called her by her first name. As for him, well he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. She was not only older than him, but she was also someone he deeply respected. Much like how he only referred to Zenyatta as Master, despite the many times that he was told that he did not need to do so. Such was a part of growing up in a Japanese household he supposed.
As such, he simply asked the question. It was the first time he ever asked her about her opinion of something related to him. Though they felt quite close now, he never really shared much about himself. She knew enough from his records and the way he acted. But just this once, he had a question that would make their walk a bit less quiet.
"Does it bother you when I volunteer to come along on missions with you, Doctor Ziegler?"
Angela seemed to snap out of her thoughts, blinking a few times at him before smiling at him apologetically. Genji met her gaze, making a semi-incredulous expression behind the cover of his stoic faceplate, before repeating himself without waiting for her to ask for him to do so.
Well, it was one of the traits he adored about her. Always so deep in thought, even if it came at the expense of noticing other things around her. Though he would be hesitant to admit it, the expression she made whenever it happened was quite cute. It was not the first time he had seen it and he surely hoped that it wouldn't be the last.
Still, she did it rather often. He just hoped that she never sees his reaction directly. He couldn't help it. There was something about the way she smiled at him so apologetically yet so sheepishly that caught him off guard. She knew she did it often too, which only added to the hilarity of it all.
"I was wondering whether I bother you when I come on these missions with you, Doctor Ziegler. Do you really not mind or are you afraid that you would hurt my feelings by denying my offer when I volunteer?"
Angela pursed her lips and formulated her response, gazing at him meanwhile before turning her eyes toward their path once more. Genji continued to watch her, as he always did, while he waited for her response.
"Hrm~ I suppose I don't really mind. Having a trustworthy companion is always nice of course." She looked over and seemed to search his face for a reaction, but of course finding none on his visor. While it definitely pleased him to hear it, it was definitely not enough to make him flustered. Not that he would let on to her any of these things, he'd never hear the end of it if he did so. Especially if Lena somehow hears about it.
Angela looked forward once more, spotting the research base camp in the near distance. As they continued walking, she continued speaking, "That being said, I'll have you know I am rather picky about who I judge to be capable of going on a mission. You know, since I have to patch them up and all should something go wrong. Take that as you will."
Genji finally broke his gaze from her after a nod of acknowledgment, accepting her answer and facing forward again. Behind his visor, his mind was in turmoil. What was he supposed to take that answer as?
All that she told him was that he was trustworthy and trained well enough to be fit for the missions. Did she enjoy his company? Did she mind that it was him instead of someone else? She answered none of these things. But he surely can't ask again and prod for more. That would just be impolite of him.
Realizing her sly way of avoiding his question, he turned his head toward her with a frown only to catch a glimpse of the smile on her lips. However, that smile quickly faded away and his head turned forward once more.
After all, the sound of gunfire was not something that they could smile at.
The pair quickly arrived at the camp, jogging to conserve their stamina but not wasting as little time as possible to arrive. Though a minor research camp, it did have valuable data about a new mineral that had been found here. As such, they had to make sure that it was safe along with the inhabitants of the place of course.
All other thoughts were aside now as the two engaged. Mercy had her Caduceus Pistol out to provide supporting fire for Genji, whose shurikens were already in the air once he identified the first target. There were many already injured on the ground, though Mercy knew she couldn't help them just yet. There was simply too much danger for them to extract safely.
They had already called for reinforcement of course, but as fast as Overwatch may be, they were not fast enough to prevent more deaths if the pair did not intervene. As such, they fought as fast and efficiently as they could. One eye on the enemy and one eye on the civilians around them. And of course, the third eye in their heart that watched each other.
He had never realized it but through the many missions he had gone through with her, he seemed to know her every move and whenever she needed assistance. For Mercy, it was the same. It was almost as if they were linked somehow, though neither realized the fact. They always seemed to appear by the other's side exactly when they are needed, sending a bullet or shuriken just in the right place and the right time to help the other.
In their mind, neither was the protector nor needed protection. The only one they had to watch out for were those who were not on their team. Genji dashed toward a lone researcher at the mercy of the gun pointed at his face, cutting down the assailant with his wakizashi smoothly drawn from behind his back. Genji winced as a bullet bit into his side, unable to see the attacker nor the worried and angry expression on Mercy's face.
As he turned around to deflect the incoming rounds undoubtedly aimed at him, he found the body of his attacker already crumpling to the ground, chest smoldering with three spherical holes. He turned toward Mercy as she lowered her pistol momentarily and gave her a small salute to thank her. Oh, how he would have loved to take his mask off to smile at her to assure her that he was ok. But as it was, they still had work to do.
They swept through the camp, cutting the mercenaries down one by one, allowing the camp's medics and other personnel to move through and help the injured. They did not stop, no matter the injuries they received. The wound Genji had received did not bother him, not after feeling the warm glow of Mercy's Caduceus Staff. Nor did the scratch that Mercy received across her arm from a bullet grazing her smooth skin, coming from an attacker that found himself the host of three brand new shurikens.
There were guards on site helping them in the fight too. Those who were not injured in the initial defense came out from their defensive positions in the buildings to assist in the fight. Soon, the majority of the bullets flew not toward the camp and its researchers but toward the attackers. Even non-combatant, regardless of whether they were male or female, took up arms if possible and assisted. Those who couldn't simply be carried the injured and tended to those in the medical tent. And within a few minutes after that, the battle was over as the last of the enemy retreated, leaving only a camp littered with various bodies and coated with blood.
Genji retracted his shuriken and removed his visor to take a deep breath to calm his breathing. His vents closed after a few moments, its cooling function complete, as he walked back to Angela's side. She gave him a tired but reassuring smile as she wiped the blood off her arm and wrapped it with a bandage. She watched with the same gentle smile as Genji wordlessly tied off the ends. When he was finished, their gaze met.
Despite all the scars on his face, Angela had never found him to be ugly. In fact, he was one of the most handsome men she had ever met. But right then, his eyes held her attention away from everything else. It pulled her in, much like her endless work but with a warmth and tenderness that she would not have expected from such a deadly cyborg ninja.
Their moment was interrupted by a loud, happy shout came from nearby. The pair looked over to see a young woman jump into the arms of her male companion in relief after the battle. There was a lot of loss and sadness in war, but there were those few moments when true happiness came. This was one of them.
They watched as they held each other and gazed at each other fondly. They watched wordlessly, a smile on their lips as the young man took a step back to the girl's surprise, taking her hand as he kneeled down in front of her. They gazed fondly as he confessed his love to her, how he had always cared and cherished her through all the time they had been working together.
They watched as the young woman covered her mouth and nodded with tears in her eyes, pulling the young man up and pulling him into a passionate kiss much to the joy of everyone in the area.
Genji found Angela next to him as the new couple broke from their kiss only to be surrounded by their peers and close friends. They were doubtlessly being congratulated and teased at the same time for their publicity stunt, though everyone was happy for them. In a few short moments, the morale and mood of the camp had turned on its head.
Genji looked over at his side, at the young doctor that stood by him with a gentle smile on her lips. As much as she saved people's lives and helped them, she probably never got to see these moments often. She never got to see the thankful expressions on people's face when their loved ones turn out alive and safe. She never felt the love and the sincerity of their gratitude of her.
She probably never even had time to feel what it was like to be on the receiving end of such a pure emotion.
Genji gazed at her for a moment longer before she finally noticed his gaze and met his eyes inquisitively. Now it was his turn to smile, looking away from her and toward the departing couple holding each other's hand, before speaking.
"We should do something like that."
After a moment, Genji looked back at Angela only to find her frowning at him furiously. He blinked twice and took a step backward, giving her just enough space to place her hands on her hips and leaning forward to replace the distance that he had created.
"That's how you're going to ask me out? Do you really have no tact at all, Genji? I can't believe you!"
With that, she stomped off angrily, leaving behind a frozen cybernetic heap of confusion and shock. What she made sure he did not see was the wide smile on her face, the smile that threatened to make her want to happily skip or worse, run right back into his arms.
Oh, what was she ever going to do with this hopeless cyborg that she loved so much?