The day of the mission had come, and the Egyptian sun was no more forgiving than she'd imagined. What was worse was that Mei was in little condition to fight, her mind completely elsewhere as she and the rest of her teammates were transported to the mission location.
She sat in the back of the clunky armored van, cradling Snowball in her hands, turning him from side to side and back again as though examining him for damage.
Her tiny robotic friend was doing his own survey of her as well- the stormy look in her typically warm brown eyes was cause for concern. It beeped low and hush, rolling into the softness of her palm in a pseudo-hug.
Lucio, who sat next to her, took notice of her gloom, and raised a hand to gently touch her back.
"Hey, you okay Mei? You're lookin' pretty down."
When she turns, his earthy, cheerful eyes are as sweet as always as he speaks, and it makes her guilt-laden ribs feel even heavier. Lucio had always been a force of positivity, no matter who he was teamed up with.
Mei only wished she had the inner spark that he had, always shining, always encouraging.
Instead, she had hurt someone who had only just started to consider fighting for good.
She offers him a deflated smile, scooting her fallen bangs out of her face.
"I'm….okay, Lucio. Really."
He lifts a brow, pursing his lips in a teasing show of doubt. He always tried to get a smile or a laugh out of people, even when they were sad.
"Lying isn't cool, Mei. I can see it on your face- you're totally out of step! Now, what's wrong?"
The hand on her back gives an encouraging pat, and his open smile shines gently in its place.
She supposed it would be nice to talk about it a bit, especially to clear her head before the mission. She sighed, letting the weight in her chest budge a little.
"I…messed up, Lucio. I made assumptions about someone who I didn't even know, and while trying to protect myself and my friends, I only wound up hurting someone who didn't deserve it."
"Aaah..,", he nods, making his locs sway softly, "I think I get what you mean."
He turns to face her then, putting his other hand on her unoccupied shoulder.
"Listen, Mei- sometimes we do bad stuff we think is right because we're scared. It's no secret that Overwatch is made of all different types, and that not all of us are gonna get along at first. But you know what?"
His eyes sparkle with meaning, and he gives her arms a gentle squeeze.
"Somehow, we're all here, fighting for the same cause. And it's a good one, I believe that. So don't let all the details get to your head, Mei- the past is long gone. What matters is what we're doing now."
She smiles, her heart swelling once more with hope. Lucio was so wise and so kind. It kind of betrayed his baby-face. Gosh, she was getting old! The thought made her giggle.
"Aww, hey, there you go!", he beams, physically brightening at the sound of her laughter. "You just gotta remember- we're in this together, for better or worse."
She grins in turn, nodding with him. Her eyes glance up to see Junkrat, snoozing in a drooly pile a few seats away on his partner's round belly.
She would make things right.
"For better or for worse."
The transport vehicle rumbled to a stop, unloading its first passengers at their designated station. Lucio looked to Mei, who had fallen into a tiny doze of her own against his shoulder. He smiles softly, patting her gently awake.
"Heeeey, Mei. I gotta go now, okay? See you on the other side."
She stirs, blinking a few times before jumping to attention. She can feel her cheeks begin to glow rosy- how embarrassing!
"O-Of course, Lucio! See you on the field!"
He nods to her before giving her a salute, hopping gracefully out into the world beyond.
As the door slides closed, she notices Junkrat clambering noisily out onto the sandy earth. Part of her wonders how he'll fair in the sand with his metal peg leg.
"Jeezums, Roadie! Ya sweat like a fuckin' beast!"
His partner delivers a thunk to his head, making him squeal. At second glance, they seemed more like a late-night comedy duo than partners in crime.
Her thoughts grind to a halt, however, when she notices he's caught her staring, their eyes locking for a brief moment. Neither of them move, both trying to decipher what the other would do next.
She blinks, blush roaring back to life on her cheeks before she grounds herself, mustering all her courage to act. She had to be brave.
She waves- Once, twice. He blinks dumbly as she places her hands on either side of her mouth- was she talking to him?
"G-O-O-D. L-U-C-K.", she mouths, giving him a shy wave before the door closes completely, leaving him both sandy AND confused. He scratches his head, turning toward his giant of a partner and thumping his belly with the back of his hand.
"Oy, 'hog. Chick's actin' weird again. What say you?"
Roadhog hums with interest under his heavy mask, a grumbling sort of sound.
"I say your ass is luckier than you deserve."
A/N: LORD. OF. MOSES. I have not touched this poor little story in EONS. I sort of fell out of the Overwatch loop for quite a while due to work, college, and a surprise surgery! Still though, I've been getting your sweet messages and reviews, and each of them have tugged on my heart. So, though it might be a little ooc now, I will see this fic to the end 3. It's totally not canon-compliant, and my Overwatch knowledge is definitely a little dated, but you guys deserve an ending 3.