Title: Just a Scratch
Category: F/F
Fandom: Overwatch (video game)
Language: English
Notes: Writing prompt from Tumblr. Use of 8-point story arc.
Summary: Part 4 - The Conclusion.
Angela couldn't move. A strong arm circled her back and snaked around her waist, trapping her against a firm body. She stiffened, the last thing she remembered was sitting on the edge of Fareeha's bed, telling the comatose woman of her day. At one point she had leaned forward and rested her head on Fareeha's shoulder. After that, it all became a bit fuzzy. Angela relaxed, she had probably just fallen asleep next to the Egyptian.
Not wanting to open her eyes and dispel the magic of the moment, Angela moved closer to Fareeha's warm body, resting her head more firmly in the crook of Fareeha's neck. She ran her hand across the woman's waist, pulling herself flush against her side. She really should move. As a doctor, this was beyond improper but Angela wanted to savor this moment before reality came crashing back down.
Angela let a contented sigh slip from her as the warm hand on her side began rubbing soothing circles beneath her night shirt. She stifled a groan when that same hand moved to her lower back and began massaging. She bit her lip when a moan slipped from her lips. Then she stiffened, terror and excitement making her freeze. Her eyes shot open and she leaned up on her elbow, causing the woman next to her to grunt when she accidently hit her ribs.
"Fareeha! You're awake?" Angela leaned over until she was half on the bed and half on top of the other woman and gently grasped the Egyptian's chin. She forced the woman to look at her. Sleep dazed but bright eyes looked back at her.
"Is this how you treat all your patients, Dr. Ziegler?" Fareeha smirked and Angela gently shook the woman's head as she still held her chin.
"Only the stubborn ones."
"In that case, I can only be thankful for waking up to an Angel in my arms. If only I were so lucky every morning." Angela had the decency to blush, partly from embarrassment at having accosted her own patient and partly because she loved feeling Fareeha next to her and now underneath her. It was a unique and pleasurable experience. She went to move off of Fareeha only to have the arm around her waist tighten in a vice-like grip.
"Stay."
"I really shouldn't. Now that you're awake I need to follow up with your scans and -" Fareeha brought her other hand up and laid her fingers against Angela's lips and she fell silent.
"Stay. All of that can be taken care of later. Right now I just want to get my bearings before the whole team comes crashing into the medbay." Fareeha then did the unexpected and gently pushed Angela's head back down onto her chest. Angela could do nothing to resist and found herself snuggled firmly next to Fareeha again. Fareeha laid her head on Angela's and asked her to catch her up on everything that happened.
Relief flooded Angela's chest and she choked back the tears and sobs that wanted to tear from her. That could wait until later when she was alone. She focused on Fareeha. Her scent, her touch and her strength as she tried to compose herself lest she worry the Egyptian. Fareeha's hand resumed its gentle ministrations on her lower back which helped Angela as she began to recount the whole horrid story.
To her credit, Fareeha simply listened and continued to soothe Angela as her hand began tracing a path up and down Angela's back. A delicious shiver rippled through her body and settled firmly in the pit of Angela's stomach. Fareeha, unaware of the effect she had on her, had asked if she was alright. Blushing furiously and glad that Fareeha could not see her face, she quickly rattled off a lame excuse about the coldness of the room. Fareeha had gathered her closer at that and Angela cursed both her good fortune and rotten luck. Much longer of this treatment and she wouldn't be able to hide the physical reaction she was having to the soldier.
"That's the whole tale. I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't recover." Angela's fingers had started tracing small circles on Fareeha's waist.
"I'm tougher than I look. That and I trusted you wouldn't let me die." Angela frowned. She was both pleased with the Egyptian's trust in her and annoyed that she would ever risk her life like that.
"Don't ever do that again, Fareeha. I swear if you ever pull something like that, I'll bring you back to life just so I can strangle the life out of you." For emphasis, she pinched a tinder bit of skin on the woman's waistline and yelped. She chuckled and grabbing Angela's hand, brought it up and trapped it against her chest.
"It needed to be done. We had no way of knowing what state the others were in and they needed you. From what you've told me, Reinhardt would be dead without your help." The gravity of the truth settled in her stomach like a lead weight. If something like this happened again, she would never be able to save them all.
"I know but you could have died. You did die, Fareeha. You needed me and I just left!" Angela tucked her head into the Egyptian's neck and cursed herself when tears began to run down her cheeks.
"It's not your fault, Angela. This is a risk we face because of what we do. We put our lives on the line every day. That won't change tomorrow. All we can do is try and do better, and watch out for each other." Fareeha kissed the top of her head and the hand on her back splayed wide to gather her closer.
"Fareeha, you flatlined. You were gone and I almost couldn't get you back. I never want to experience that again." A warm hand cupped her face and turned it upwards so the soldier could look into Angela's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Angela. I'm sorry I ever put you through that." Fareeha's thumb gently wiped the tears from her face.
"Promise me you won't ever do that again. Promise me, schatz."
"Angela, you know I can't. All I can do is promise to try. When I saw you flying off, all I could think was how lucky I was that you would be the last thing I saw before I die. I know it's a morbid thought but I knew what I was getting into when I joined the Army and again when I joined Overwatch." Fareeha brought Angela's hand up and kissed her palm, pleasure and warmth spread from the spot, and down her arm.
"You and your stubborn nature will be the death of me." Angela could feel Fareeha's lips spread into a smile against the skin of her palm and she had the urge to pinch the cheeky woman once more. Fareeha's brow drew together in consternation. Angela arched her own in question.
"What does 'schatz' mean?"
A blush spread from her chest, up her neck and to her face. She fumbled for a response as she extricated herself from the bed and began looking for an escape.
"Angela, what- is that my shirt?" Angela was sure Fareeha could read the embarrassment and guilt on her face like a book. The Egyptian tossed the covers back and unsteadily sat up, long legs dangling from the edge of the bed. Like a hawk tracking prey, her eyes never left Angela's. She was torn between wanting to run away from the intense gaze that would surely see the truth and wanting to rush to the woman's side and help her.
Luckily, she was saved from answering when Lena burst into the medbay. Her loud and boisterous nature only grew when she realized that Fareeha was awake. It wasn't long before the rest of the team had gathered in the medbay, all excitedly hovering around the Egyptian and trying to catch her up on the latest news going around the base.
Angela took the opportunity to slink away and she admitted that, yes, she was slinking away to avoid having to face the truth. She had put off doing laundry and Fareeha would soon discover the extent of her crime when she looked through her drawers and found them mostly empty.
Angela would have to face her sooner or later but that didn't mean that old habits died easily. Thinking back to how it felt to be held by the woman she loved, she was hopeful. Then again, what if Fareeha didn't feel the same? Angela was sure that what they had went beyond friendship but what they did have also didn't equate to being in a relationship.
What exactly were they and how was she going to begin broaching the subject with the object of her affection? Looking down at the stolen shirt she was wearing and the questions Fareeha had asked, she was certain that she would soon have to answer to it all. Angela would speak to her about it but not this morning.
Yes, it was best to let Fareeha recover and get acclimated to a routine before speaking to her. That could take a few days, maybe a week. By then, Angela would have worked up the courage to speak with the Egyptian. Angela cursed under her breath.
"Der Drückeberger!"
Note: Thank you for reading. This is the conclusion to Just a Scratch. I hoped you enjoyed the story. I don't know if I'll write a continuation of this but I'm keeping it in mind.