Thank you all so much for your support! Any feedback is much appreciated! xoxo
Mercy kept her head lowered toward the sink, unflinching even as the bathroom door squeaked open from its neglected hinges. The sound of rushing water draining into the sink had left her in a calming trance. She hadn't even noticed that someone was standing beside her, analyzing her slumped figure. A hand reached out toward the troubled doctor. Mercy jumped at the touch, letting out a little yelp.
"I'm sorry, child, I didn't mean to frighten you!"
Mercy relaxed when she realized Ana was standing before her, her hands help up in a defensive stance. Ana smiled softly as Mercy caught her breath from being startled.
"That's quite alright, I was just... taking a break. The crowds were starting to get to me," Mercy explained weakly, her voice faltered. She could tell that Ana had detected the uncertainty of her words; she averted her eyes under Ana's knowing stare. Mercy was about to add something quickly to deter the old woman, but Ana spoke first.
"What's bothering you?"
Mercy forced a chuckled, still trying to hide the fact that she was feeling down. "It's just all so overwhelming - Overwatch has reunited, seeing old friends, and the mob of people coming to see us," Mercy replied, her voice a little too shrill to sound natural.
Ana rose an eyebrow, unconvinced, but she didn't pry. She let Mercy fidget and ramble awkwardly. Mercy couldn't handle being under Ana's scrutiny much longer, she was about to excuse herself when Ana's wise voice interjected.
"Is it about someone in particular?"
"What?" Mercy's voice came out low and mechanical. She hated how she sounded at this moment. She wasn't a person who usually blundered this badly, she had always been a poised and graceful person, able to openly communicate and tackle any task given to her. Her current emotions she found infuriating and humiliating. She couldn't grasp while Genji made her feel this way lately (well she knew love made people do strange things, but she never understood the severity of it until recently). She knew acting coy didn't fool the old sniper, but she was grateful that Ana wasn't pushing her to reveal her secret. Ana softened again as she noticed Mercy struggling.
"You should confide in whoever is causing you so much distress," Ana advised, her tone gentle.
Mercy hesitated at the door a moment, working her jaw in thought as she weighed Ana's words. She left the bathroom without saying another word. Right as Mercy opened the door, she nearly ran into a pair of women. She recognized the women as the ones who were hanging out with the redhead earlier. Seeing them apart immediately made Mercy suspicious. The women walked past Mercy, chatting idly amongst themselves. Her panic started to settle into the pit of her stomach again. Genji and that woman were alone together, that realization made her feel sick. Mercy rushed away, looking for another place to either blend in or hide herself.
Day one was starting to wind down. People were already dismissing themselves in preparation for day two. Mercy spent the last couple hours talking to the hungry group of medical students. They mobbed her down to bombard her with questions, but it kept her busy and her mind off of Genji and the redhead. She tried her absolute best to answer questions as swiftly as she could, masking her real emotions from her friends and others that surrounded her. Ana had seen through her farce earlier, and she was determined not to have that happen again. No one could find out, not while she was feeling so conflicted, and not while Genji was vulnerable with his new skin. Maybe not as vulnerable as she originally perceived, considering how he and the redhead had gotten friendly with each other.
Das reicht! Stop being so petty, Angela! Genji is allowed to be interested in whoever he likes! Wasn't this why you wanted to reconstruct his body? So he could feel human again? Well, this is him feeling human! You knew about his lifestyle before... this shouldn't come as a shock...
Mercy sat on the steps of the lobby at Gibraltar, her elbows digging into her knees, her face resting on the palms of her hands. As she wrestled with her thoughts Pharah came to see her. She stood hesitantly at bay for a moment, noticing that Mercy didn't look like she wanted to be disturbed.
"Winston said the training floor is empty, want to practice some staff?" Pharah offered her troubled friend.
Mercy's eyes flitted and landed on her friend, standing idly in front of the stairwell.
"I'm sorry, Fareeha, I'm not in the mood to spar," Mercy sighed.
Pharah sat beside the doctor, shifting awkwardly from her bulky armor, "something on your mind?"
"Yes but I'm not sure if I'm ready to admit it," Mercy said, surprised that she had even opened up that much.
Pharah pondered this for a minute, staring out toward the lobby of Gibraltar. She didn't say anything at first, waiting for Mercy to open up when she was comfortable. Mercy was already tired of not talking about what was bothering her. Opening up to her friend might actually be a good thing with a positive outcome.
"Have you ever gotten jealous before?"
Pharah made a face, "of course, who hasn't in their lifetime?"
"I mean... gotten jealous over someone because another is attracted to them," Mercy dared herself to glance over at Pharah.
Pharah kept staring out at the lobby, putting the pieces together. Pharah looked back at Mercy, her expression suddenly becoming serious.
"This is about Genji, isn't it?"
Mercy felt her face go crimson, astonished that Pharah had guessed it so quickly. Pharah kept the same hardened expression, still deciding what the best course of action would be. Pharah was always too analytical for her own good. Mercy bit her lip, letting herself wallow in the uncomfortable silence for a moment. Mercy didn't have to answer, Pharah already knew.
"Is Genji interested in someone else?" Pharah finally asked after a long pause.
"I believe so," Mercy answered meekly.
"Have you told anyone else about this?"
Mercy shook her head, "your mother tried to find out but I couldn't confide in anyone." Despite her melancholy mood, Mercy chuckled. "You're the only person I felt comfortable confiding in." Mercy sighed again, "what am I going to do, Fareeha?"
"There's no other way around it, you're going to have to tell him, Angela."
"But what if he rejects me? Or if my confession ruins our friendship? I don't think I could live with myself if that happens."
"Sometimes you need to take the risk. I can tell both of you care deeply for each other, so I doubt it will ruin your bond. You're strong, you would be able to handle whatever happens, and the world will keep turning," Pharah concluded.
Mercy gulped, standing up on the staircase. She knew Pharah was right. If she held it in any longer surely she'd go mad, at least that's how she was feeling lately.
She thanked Pharah for lending an ear and for the advice, and proceeded upstairs to where the personal quarters were. It was still early so she knew Genji wouldn't retire to his room yet, especially since the event was still going on, even if it was slowly dwindling. She decided to wait for him, watching the brilliant sunset through the dome ceilings. She appeared calm on the outside, but her heart hammered relentlessly in her chest, so much so she was almost convinced it could physically be seen under her skin. Mercy rehearsed what she was going to say over and over again in her head. She didn't comprehend how long she had sat waiting, even after the sky began to grow dark she was still lost in her own mind. Genji had returned, nearly startling her out of her wits.
"What is it, Angela?" Genji asked curiously.
Mercy held her breath a moment, gathering all the courage she could muster. "I need to talk to you."
"Oh, is everything okay?"
"Do you mind if we speak in private?"
Genji invited her in, watching her as she walked by. She could feel his eyes on her, trying to figure out what was 'wrong.' Mercy's earlier rehearsed conversation had evaporated as he stood before her, waiting patiently for her to speak. She took note that there were no physical signs of intimacy on his person, she felt ridiculous thinking that but it did put her slightly at ease. There was a lot Mercy wanted to confess, so she decided to start right at the beginning.
"Do you... resent me for what I did to you?" Mercy's words came out low and weak. This was a thought that had always haunted her, despite his reassurance. It ate away at her some nights, and she knew she couldn't confess her feelings until she knew if he still was angry at her for making him a cyborg.
"What?" Genji was aghast.
Mercy started to wring her hands together as she spoke. "When you first woke up from comatose and worked for Overwatch, you commented on your distaste of your body and what I had done to you. It's bothered me for years. I made-"
Genji placed a hand on her shoulder. "Where did this come from? I am grateful to you for giving me a second chance."
Mercy glanced down at his right arm, at the slots that allowed shurikens to sprout out of.
"I made you into a weapon, Genji. Instead of reconstructing you to your former self, I followed orders and turned you into a cyborg. And what I did to Gabriel... The worst part is, part of me wanted to show off to Overwatch and the world. I... I-" Mercy could already feel herself getting worked up. "Some of the medical students here today brought this up, I'm sorry. I don't want to reopen old wounds. They praised me for being a mad scientist without questioning the ethics of what I done..."
She paused, catching her breath. She couldn't bear to look at Genji, even though his hand still rested on her shoulder. She wasn't sure what she was getting at, and she wasn't even at the hardest part of the confession yet. She took a deep breath and carried on.
"I couldn't help but feel guilty and question my own motives. I value you as a friend, Genji, not an asset to Overwatch. I see you as human, always have. I admit that this was one of my motivations toward the STEM cell research. I want to make all of it up to you."
"Angela, you have nothing to be sorry about," Genji soothed. "You are a good person and a good doctor. I know you put others welfare first. Is that what has been on your mind today? I noticed you have been distant."
Mercy had opened the floodgates now, there was no going back.
"All I want for you is to be happy," she whispered. "Hearing you say that lifts a great weight off my chest. I still want to make it up to you, I want you to feel like you used to, like you did socializing with those women today. But once again I have to admit that seeing you with them made me feel... conflicted." She hated herself for saying that, but Genji deserved to know the truth.
When her eyes met Genji's he knew. He'd seen that look many times in the past, but not as sincere as Mercy's was right now. He understood everything now, her hesitance around him, her sudden passion toward changing his appearance, how she had avoided him and everyone else today. Genji softened before her, letting her vent to clear her conscience, although he didn't blame her for anything.
Das reicht - enough
Thanks for the help with the German translation, Anny!
