#Pharmercy Fic

[parchmentknight]

forgot about cole cassidy guys.... he was so Eye-Catching to young me (2016)..... he is literally Cowboy..... i wish i was him so bad

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

Do you ever autism so intensely about a video game that you end up on AO3 scrounging for fics like a raccoon in the garbage?

[euhemeria]

Time (Escapes Me) - Oneshot No.7

“Limestone is extremely slippery when it’s wet,” she feels compelled to point out. Even if few of the routes in the area are pure slab, most of them have some element of it, and a fall could be very painful.

“Better grip hard,” Aleks says, still entirely too nonchalant about this.

“I’ll remind you that you said that when you cheese grater.”

Fandom: Overwatch Rating: T Characters: Fareeha, Zarya Warnings: None A gift for @binarylazarus, for her bday! Fareeha and Zarya go climbing, because Emilia and I are both climbers 😂 Also on ao3. This is Chapter 7 of a one-shot collection.

As an officer, Fareeha prides herself on the ability to formulate and execute a plan.  Wars are won and lost by logistics, and she keeps that always in her mind, is careful not to let any little thing fall by the wayside.  She trusts the people under her—she has to, in the field—but still, she never feels safer than when she has gone over everything herself.

Obviously, in Overwatch this is not always feasible.  Some things are outside of her scope of knowledge, and running an entire organization is very different than a squad, even if the number of people involved are similar, because logistically, there is so much more to handle, but still, she tries.  It keeps her busy, at the ending of every quarter, and she finds that this past week has been no exception.  Everyone on base was very busy, and as a result there were quite a few hastily thrown together dinners, and a lunch or two missed entirely.

Occupied as she was, then, by the matter of running their organization, it is perhaps no surprise that her preparation for her weekend excursion, climbing in El Chorro with Aleks, is less well executed than she might like. 

The trouble begins when they are still approaching the crag, the familiar feeling of mud beneath her shoes.

“Aleks?” asks she.  “Did you check the forecast?”  She should have, herself, but with everything going on, she really considers herself fortunate just to have finished with everything in time to go on this trip.

“All clear,” says Aleks, cheerfully oblivious.  “Some rain last night, but today?  Beautiful.”

Shit.  “Rain yesterday?” 

“Yes,” Aleks confirms.  “A little drizzle.  Nothing serious.”

“It’s limestone,” Fareeha points out, stepping carefully around a puddle on the trail.  She and Aleks have very different definitions of a little drizzle it seems.

“Better than sandstone.  Nothing should break.”

That is all well and good—no one wants to break a hold, after all—but, “Limestone is extremely slippery when it’s wet,” she feels compelled to point out.  Aleks has less experience climbing outdoors than she, and almost all of it has been, to Fareeha’s knowledge, bouldering overhung problems on granite, which is much safer when wet than a sport climb on limestone slab.  Even if few of the routes in the area are pure slab, most of them have some element of it, and a fall could be very painful.

“Better grip hard,” Aleks says, still entirely too nonchalant about this.

“I’ll remind you that you said that when you cheese grater.”

At that, Aleks laughs—and Fareeha does, too.  As unpleasant as that would be, and as seriously as they take risk when they are actually on a route, it does feel a bit silly to belabor this sort of thing when they are so often shot at in the course of their work.

In relatively good spirits, they make their way to the base of the crag, passing only a handful of hikers, and no other climbers.  The latter is not, Fareeha admits, a good sign.  No one likes a crowded crag, but an empty one often indicates bad conditions, even if El Chorro is nowhere near as popular as it was seventy years previously.  Fareeha tries not to worry about it too much, but before she left, Angela had asked her very seriously to Be careful, and expressed displeasure at Fareeha’s affinity for dangerous recreational activities.  It was not an admonishment, exactly, was just concern, but the sincerity of it got under Fareeha’s skin, and she finds herself a bit more cautious than she might ordinarily be, as a result.

(She knows she does not need to be, not really.  While she may not be as risk averse as Angela is, likes things like riding motorcycles and hang-gliding, she always takes appropriate precautions, never acts carelessly.  There are many people on base who are more in need of this sort of speech than she.)

When they get to their destination, Fareeha is relieved to find two other groups of climbers, one of which is already on the second pitch of a multipitch route.  Given the number of people one might normally expect to find at La Escalera Árabe, Fareeha thinks she might have been a little overcautious.  The temperature is right, the bikers she was told to watch out for on the trail were nowhere to be seen, and the rock, when she touches it, does not feel nearly so slick as she feared. 

But then she asks Aleks, “What route were you hoping to climb, again?”

And Aleks tells her, “Coming on Strong!”  She flexes a little, jokingly, adds, “7a+.  Should be a good warm-up for you.”

7a+ is decidedly out of warm-up range for Fareeha, and is pushing it for Aleks in the gym, let alone as a warm-up outdoors on slippery rock.

“Are you sure about that?” 

“We’ll warm-up first,” Aleks suggests.  She looks towards the route, though, points out its features, “There, see?  Tough overhung start, easy slab the rest of the way… my kind of climb.”

And decidedly not Fareeha’s.  Although she is, she knows, more technically skilled than Aleks, overhang requires a lot of upper body strength, and Fareeha is not ashamed to admit that her limit is lower on overhung routes than slabs.  Most overhangs Aleks leads, Fareeha can follow, but as she discovered on the drive up, Aleks only owns three quickdraws, and she is not letting Aleks lead on borrowed gear, even if she herself is the person Aleks would borrow it from.

At the gym, all the routes have draws already attached, and so she did not realize until this morning that Aleks had so little experience clipping them to the bolt.  As much as she trusts Aleks, on the field, this is not a good place to practice clipping to bolts, and it would be negligent of her to allow it.  The downside to that, however, is that they are limited to the routes Fareeha can lead.  Aleks understood, when she explained, did not push back, even if she was a bit disappointed; she may bluster, and her braggadocious demeanor makes it seem as if she does not consider herself vulnerable to injury, but she is sensible when she needs to be, is more calculated in her risk taking than she likes to let on.

(At least when it comes to her safety, the safety of others.  In other matters, she can still be incautious, tried to convince Fareeha to climb Heavy Gravity despite the fact that it is on Cerro Cristo, a crag that has been illegal to climb for nearly six decades.  They will not be doing so, are very carefully set up on a crag that is an hour’s hike from there, because Fareeha has no interest in flouting the law in full view of a very popular hiking trail.  That is foolishness, and the route is illegal for a reason.)

“Let’s warm-up on something easy and see how you feel,” Fareeha says.  “Maybe Zeig mir deine Muskeln?  It’s a 6a.”

“Muskeln,” Aleks repeats.  “Muscles?”

“Show me your muscles.”  Fareeha is pretty sure, anyway, and suggested the route in part because of the name, thinking Aleks might be more agreeable.

“Quick answer.”  For a moment, Aleks studies her, as if looking for something to be given away in her face, but then she returns to her usual jesting tone, “You have German girls telling you that often?”  She bumps up against Fareeha, a suggestion.

“Mum was stationed in Switzerland when I was a teenager,” Fareeha says, feeling a bit on the defensive.  “I learned a few things.”

(Fewer than she would care to admit, but that is neither here nor there.)

“So you and Swiss women have a history!”

“I didn’t say that,” says she, but even to her own ears, she sounds a bit too insistent.  She really did mean that she learned the language—and her girlfriend at the time was another international student, from Eritrea—but Aleks’ implication hits a little too close to home.

(Cole told her Angela is straight, but he does not see the way Angela looks at her, when the two of them are alone, has not felt the way Angela touches her fingers lightly on one of Fareeha’s knees.  Maybe Fareeha is deluding herself, but she thinks surely there must be something there, hopes that there is.)

“Your puppy eyes are not subtle,” Aleks tells her. 

A pause, in which Fareeha does not defend herself.  Maybe Aleks is right about that.

Realizing a response is not coming, Aleks asks more seriously, “Are you going to move?  Do you need me to be your wingwoman?”

“What I need,” Fareeha says, sitting on her rope bag for a moment in order to switch into climbing shoes, “Is for you to belay me.” 

“Yes, yes,” Aleks reaches into her own bag, retrieves her harness.  “Easy.  Like your climb.  But if you want to do something harder…”

“If I want to do something harder,” Fareeha says, “I’ll climb Hockey Night in Canada.”  It is a 7a+, so it would be a new highest tick for her, outdoors, but the style is better suited to her than Coming on Strong.

But maybe Aleks is right.  Maybe she does need to get out of her comfort zone, a little.

It is something to think about.  But for now—for now, she will stick to the plan. 

Coming on Strong can wait.

[circesoracle]

Witch of the Woods - Pharah/Mercy

It took strength to suppress the curse of her bloodline. It took courage to deny the raw power of the wolf. It took will to defend the very village which would turn on her - had turned on her mother - for what she might become. It took every breath Fareeha Amari had to keep herself sharp and sane in a world which seemed to have gone mad beneath the moon.

It took far more to deny that what she felt to look at the witch she harboured was love.

Read Here

[hurtbyancientghosts]

Reunited at Last (Whumptober 2023)

[pandagomas]

me omw to write for a fandom that probably doesnt have a fanfic readerbase after sm yrs only 2 make one of my first works a pharmercy fic bcs they r my luvs

[mercy-mercie-mercymorn]

ice bears/zarmei sci-fi AU fic: february made me shiver

i'm not sure how people typically post abt ao3 on here so i apologize in advance

Zarya is a part of a squad of intergalactic soldiers---The Knights---who go from planet to planet at the whim of their parent organization. When a distress call comes from an abandoned research outpost on a far-off ice planet, the Knights (Pharah, Mercy, Echo, and Ashe [+ Bob]) go where they're needed. Shit happens.

(Mei will appear eventually I swear)

[callalily314159]

More Info on each:

Overwatch: So many fics guy, so many aus, but as far as ships we got Yeehan, Genyattacio, Symweaver, Pharmercy, Reaper76, Anahardt and a few other minor ones

Danganronpa: Mostly one large non-despair au focusing on DR2 cast and a bit of DRV3 cast with appearances of DR1 cast. Main ships are komahina and saioma

Ace Attorney: Wrightworth/narumitsu fic

Dead by Daylight: renabriel au fic and a more canon-like fic with several ships Dwight/Leon most prominently

Fire Emblem 3 Houses: one canonish fic focused on Sylvix and a modern au with a ton of different ships, but a big focus on Sylvix and Claude/Byleth/Yuri

Fire Emblem Engage: Short fic about Fogado/Alcryst and another about Yunaka/Merrin

League of Legends(Heartsteel): A bunch of Heartsteel/Riot Records AU fics and a series of fics about the Heartsteel boys in og canon. Ships are Ezkayn, Settphel, kyone and a little bit of timebomb

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic/Shadow and Rouge/Knuckles. I will not apologize

Veronica Mars: An out there one i know but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Retelling of the storyline, Veronica/Logan

[wildissylupus]

I agree that Yeehan fans on TikTok are often toxic. But to be honest, I'm becoming pretty unhappy with the Yeehan fandom in general, because I see them engage in a lot of stereotyping of both gay and Asian men. :/ I don't think they all do that, and I don't think it's always very overt, but it feels normalized by the community. For example, people will say Hanzo is gay, and their 'reason' for it is something about him that isn't traditionally masculine.

I've been wanting to talk about this but I wanted to wait for an ask like this to do it.

I used to be a Yeehan shipper, like full blown that was my OTP, back when Overwatch was first popular. I still ship them today but my like for the ship has slowly deteriorated over time and it's not because of the ship itself, I think it has a lot of potential.

My problem with it is how oversaturated it's become, how flanderised it's become. Cassidy isn't just a flirtatious cowboy and Hanzo isn't just an emotionally constipated archer. At least Hanzo has fics that explore his dynamic with Genji, Cassidy just has fics where he's either pining over Hanzo or in a relationship with Hanzo. Where are the fics focusing on his relationship with Pharah? With Ana?

Not only that but at least with other popular ships, other ships get explored too. Like even though it's still a big margin, Pharmercy has over 2000 fics on ao3 while Gency has over 900. Now that may seem like a big margin but....

Yeehan has over 7000 fics meanwhile Spuriken has over 2000 and Cashe has under 200 (and don't get me started on Bapssidy). That's a big gap compared to the other ships I see. I wouldn't have a problem with this if it wasn't for the constantly repeating plot points, I know the dynamic is popular but at least spice it up a bit-

This is why I avoid posting about Yeehan on my page, there is already so much Yeehan content floating around. I want to give attention to other ships and relationships that go unexplored.

Now with the stereotyping that also puts me off the ship. I swear every time Hanzo calls Cassidy "cowman" I loose braincells, also people dumbing down Cassidy, I know he wouldn't be that smart academically but he isn't the dumb American stereotype. As Cassidy says himself "I'm a cowboy, not a clique".

I also absolutely agree with the stereotyping of sexualities thing. Personally I headcannon Hanzo as unlabeled, I don't think he'd know exactly what sexuality he is but he'd know at the very least he isn't straight. As for Cassidy I think he'd either be Bi or Demi, for me it seems that he'd seem to get to know someone before he started liking them romantically.

But as you see I have reasoning that go beyond the characters outward aesthetics. Also saying that Hanzo is gay just because of how he looks is ignoring the fact that Hanzo is an archer he needs lose fitting clothing. I once saw someone who does archery comment on Hanzo's design and they said that was one of the more ideal designs for an archer that they have seen. (I don't have an explination for him having his left tit out though, I think that might just be a Shimada thing-)

Anyway, I do still like this ship. I wouldn't have posted my headcannons or even discuss them on my page otherwise. It's a ship with a lot of story potential but a lot of that potential is ignored in favor of just repeating the same plot line over and over again with the same tropes and cliques. It get tiring to read and tiring to look at.

[callalily-writes]

I have completely outlined my mirrorwatch pharmercy fic, i'm hoping i'll get it written by the end of the week as it's not that long of a fic

[innamorament0]

20 questions game

Thank you, @luthordamnvers, for the tag <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

At this moment 9, though most of them are on hold and 1 is an art

2. What’s your total AO3 words count?

206 916 at the moment

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Exclusively Supercorp with a dash of Dansen, Brainia and Rojarias as side pairings. No other pair had this much grip over me, so I would start writing fics for them. =D

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

how to interrupt the spellcasting (Explicit, smut 1 shot) When you move, I'm moved (Explicit, Ice Dance AU, non-trad a/b/o, multichapter, ongoing) Cold never bothered me anyway (Explicit, smut 1 shot) When those walls come tumbling down (Mature (for now) post-season 6 canon compliant, my first work that I intend to rewrite because it's a mess) I hope you're the end of my story (Mature (for now) Cowboy Kara AU, non-trad a/b/o, on hold now, but I will finish it!)

yeah.... people like smut XD

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always reply! It may take me a day or two especially when I am busy at work but I read them and try to answer something more or less meaningful <3

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I am terrible at writing angst and all my fics ends well because I am a fluff-loving bitch =D

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

All of them have happy endings, but I think, the most satisfying is in I slithered here from Eden . Or I am just biased. But it's most domestic and hopeful.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Got some nasty comments, from some famous haters in a SC fandom

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

oh yes, that's my speciality XD Most of my fic contains explicit smut.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Nope, not yet but I never say never!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so? I am not so popular too

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not officially, no, but I ran fics through the translator to read it many years ago when my English was worse.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Not in the full meaning of this word, but I count my Beta as my co-writer because he does a lot of work to make it readable, because English is not my native language and the raw text is... terrifying not gonna lie.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

Supercorp, I think they overshade all my previous favourite ships. But I can't say I love my other ships less, so <3 you Xena/Gabrielle, Sylvaina and Pharmercy!

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I want to finish all my WIP's, I had a writing draught for a year because of an illness and now coming back to it and focusing on one/two at a time with the occasional 1-shot in the middle

16. What are your writing strengths?

I guess I am good at writing adventures ( thus I focus on action-heavy AU's) and smut. To be honest I needed to write smut first but I try not to seem too thirsty XD

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Angst. Idk, I just don't have a mental capacity for it I guess

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

If we dismiss the fact that English is not my first or even second language, yes, I thought that when I will write Red Daughter I would write her dialogue in Russian ( which is another language I freely speak)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I never wrote for fandoms before, so my first texts were about my OC's

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I would say that it is From Eden . First of all it is full of action and I love writing combat scenes and adventures, second of all it was for SCBB and I never participated in anything like that so it added to the fun. And last - it is my only finished long work so I am kinda sorta proud of it =D

I think all writers I know are already tagged so I spread it to anyone who wants to fill it up! <3

[runicmagitek]

stole this from @wingsyouburn because why not! Not going to tag anyone, but if you'd like to fill this out yourself, consider yourself tagged!!

How many works do you have on AO3? 384 :')

What's your total AO3 word count? 1,836,435

What fandoms do you write for? Yes.

Ok but real answer? Current active ones are FF, Fire Emblem, and 13 Sentinels. I'll bounce around tho, depending on what inspires me. Like I always dip in and out of any video game fandom.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1) Sweet Dreams (Witch from Mercury, sulemio) 2) Finally, Beautiful Stranger (FFVII, aerti) 3) Wings of Valor and Compassion (Overwatch, pharmercy) 4) Give Them Something to Talk About (TLOU2, Dina/Ellie) 5) No Safety in Desire (BotW, Urbosa/Zelda)

It does please me that my top fics are all femslash HSKDJAJD

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I definitely try my best to!! Unless it's very rude or makes me uncomfortable in some way, then I either don't comment on those specific bits or just ignore it altogether. I've had a handful of people make very backhanded remarks and I try to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it's really awkward when an absolute stranger treats me with too much familiarity just bc we share the same ship.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Probably Limbo? It does not have a happy ending and ends on a very horrifying note. What Becomes of Practice also comes to mind, seeing that the main character goes through hell and ends up dying, though IS reunited with her father in the afterlife 😭

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? God I really don't know. I'm more of an angst writer, so a lot of those happy endings are prefaced with a lot of pain lolsob so I feel pretty much any of my angst with a happy ending fics can qualify for this!! Tho I have received a ton of comments about how fluffy and cozy Finally, Beautiful Stranger's ending was, so I'll pick that one!!

Do you get hate on fics? Not regularly, but it has happened. I've gotten "ew this is gross" remarks on just writing about gay people. I've gotten weird comments about a brief nightmare scene in a fix-it fic, despite tagging for it, bc "she's suffered enough, why would you do this". And more recently, I've gotten some "this doesn't make sense, why would this character ever be depressed/angry" bc I guess female characters who are conveyed as bubbly in the source material aren't allowed to experience any range emotion outside of that and shame on me for wanting to explore darker themes, like recovering from trauma and depression. Bonus points when the male pov character does way more fucked up stuff and no readers call him out on it (sorry, I'm still very bitter about this)

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Hell yeah! All my smut, even my attempts at pwp, always incorporate feelings and more often than not gain a plot along the way. I can't help it. I love the build-up and tension leading to the main event. I need to give my readers blue balls, I guess fjlahdskdh

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? Not really. I'm more of an AU person than anything. Even going through my fics, the only proper crossover I've written was If You Had Life Eternal, but even that is like, reimagining Warcraft characters in the Diablo universe and that's kinda it.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? SADLY YES >:/ thankfully, it was removed from FFN, but I really hated that someone copy-pasted my fic and just changed the character names to fit their ship.

Have you ever had a fic translated? I have!! Several times!

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Nope. The closest I've come is like, sharing ideas on a single continuity with someone else and then writing it out on my own. I do like collaborative stuff with people I trust, but I don't want to co-write anything lolsob

What's your all-time favorite ship? EVER????? It varies from fandom to fandom, even year to year. Celes/Setzer will always have a special place in my heart, even if I don't write for them as often anymore. But right now, keinatsu is dominating my life and I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? God, so many. I have my one Setzer fic that I posted the first chapter, managed to write the second one two years later, and then…. did fuck all with it. Also remembering the Darill/Maria/Setzer longfic I wrote and even did an initial editing pass, but that's now rotting on my laptop. It got a bit too personal at one point and I don't know if I'll ever share it :/ oh and that one Overwatch longfic I got 80k~ into and then abandoned bc the fandom was shitty and I didn't want to invest any more time in it

What are your writing strengths? Dialogue, describing scenery, evoking all kinds of emotions.

What are your writing weaknesses? jfc I'm incapable of shutting up and keeping things short

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I guess it depends? Like I used French in Darkness/Starlight for Jidoorian and the only times Setzer spoke in that was when he was open about his feelings, but didn't want Celes to know. But if the reader translated those parts, they could get more insight as to where his headspace was at. But normally, I would want things written out in a way that's understandable to the audience. If there's a phrase or whatever in a different language, I try to italicize it, but that's it.

First fandom you wrote for? Vividly remember writing about my self-insert OC in a post-canon FFVII/Sailor Moon crossover that lived in spiral-bound notebooks at the age of 11. But the first fandom I actually posted something for online was Metal Gear Solid back in like… 2001???? It was forever ago lolsob

Favorite fic you've ever written? This changes over time, but I'm still very proud of What Leads You Here. I put a lot of work into it and am so happy I could share it with the fandom and even happier that a ton of folks enjoyed it!!

[camomile-t]

i am officially a uni student. sorry for delay in posting and writing and generally existing online. very much grateful for those of u who stuck around. content otw i promise <3 pharmercy fic currently at 8k, butterfly soup at 4, and bumbleby at 5 :)

[euhemeria]

As If Anything Could Escape This Wind

Angela wraps an arm around her, then, tucks her head against Fareeha’s shoulder. “You know I’m no good at goodbyes.” An understatement, if ever there were. “Is this one?” She has to ask. “No,” says Angela. “Not yet.”

Fandom: Overwatch Rating: G Characters: Fareeha, Angela Category: F/F Warnings: N/A A little thing about yearning, and the goodbye Fareeha didn't get. AKA Happy Lesbian Pharah Day to all who celebrate! On ao3.

Some people are at ease with quiet, with stillness, but Fareeha much prefers to fill silent moments, when she can. Often, new acquaintances mistake it for unease; that is not so, she simply has enough silence in her life already, the quiet of her empty apartment when she comes home, the long hours, mostly uneventful, guarding Anubis, the waiting, between assignments, when everything is still. She has time enough for introspection—it is not, as some assume, anathema to her, is not counter to her open nature—and prefers to enjoy what time she has with others to the fullest.

The same cannot be said for Angela, sitting across from her at the low table in her living room, pensive. Even after two years in Cairo, half of what Angela owns remains in boxes, but Fareeha is over for tea often enough that this room, at least, is properly furnished, two chairs, a couch, a table, a teacup for them each. Tonight, ‘ahmar, sugar in Fareeha’s and a liqueur in Angela’s. The former is customary, the latter reserved for only the most stressful days.

Normally, Fareeha would ask why—would offer an ear, or a shoulder to cry on, if need be. Tonight, she knows.

“The recall,” she says. They both got it. A surprise, and an unwelcome one; even if Fareeha appreciates that Winston called her back as an agent and not merely an asset, like her mother kept her relegated to for years, the invitation reminds her of that familiar disappointment, the rejection. She thought she was over it, has built a healthy, happy life for herself here, at home, one free from her mother’s meddling, and in a job she can fully call her own, but it still stings, a little, to think about, opened back up a well of anger that she thought had long since run dry.

Winston invited all of the agents back, but why would she go back to somewhere she was never truly welcome?

“You too?” That draws Angela out of her brooding, at least for a moment. Her eyes are focused again, sharp as they find Fareeha’s face.

“Yes,” Fareeha confirms. “Meant for me, not Mum.” It feels an important thing to clarify, somehow, brings back a little of the old defensiveness, she is good enough. “Not that she would have answered it.”

If it were anyone else, Fareeha might have said it differently, might have made it clear that she means that it is because Ana is ‘dead,’ but Angela knows otherwise, has been here for Fareeha as she has grappled with the pain of knowing that her mother is alive, still, and will not speak to her directly, the grief, the second loss. Another rejection—and Angela has supported her throughout it as the pain turned to anger, to resignation.

Likely, Angela would say supported is overstating things. Interpersonal issues, particularly familial ones, are not Angela’s forte, but she does righteous indignance well, and serves good tea, so she listened quietly, when Fareeha needed her to, nodded and put a comforting hand on her knee, was angry on Fareeha’s behalf, when she needed someone to tell her that what her mother did was Not okay, and was there to hold Fareeha, when she cried, pulled Fareeha in close to her chest and rubbed soothing circles on her back until she quieted. For Fareeha, that was more than enough, even if Angela never quite has the right words to say, she always has tea to drink and makes time to listen. Few other people can say the same.

In fact, Fareeha is relatively certain that no one else in her life can, not in the way that Angela does. Somewhere along the line, she passed from being a friend to one of the most important people in Fareeha's life—and is certainly the most important positive relationship Fareeha has, her most significant support system, the person she wants to celebrate her accomplishments with and to whom she can complain about drawbacks. With how much time they spend together, it feels, often, like more than a friendship.

But that is a dangerous thought.

It would be easy, too easy, to slip into fantasy, to read too far into all the little habits Angela has, to imagine that the way she curls into Fareeha, on the good, easy nights is an affectionate gesture, and not just a familiar one, to tell herself that their role as confidantes is proof that she, too, is the most important of Angela’s friends, to let herself imagine, when Angela tells her it is too late to walk home, and insists Fareeha sleep in her bed, that she wants it to be an invitation, but is too afraid to say as much.

That is ridiculous, though. Angela is never, ever afraid to speak her mind—sometimes to her own detriment. If she wanted Fareeha, Fareeha would know, because Angela would have said something by now, surely. She knows Fareeha is a lesbian, has for years, and was more than aware of Fareeha’s crush, when they both were younger, even if she does not know that it lingers, still, has deepened into something else, has been tempered by their friendship not into familial fondness but to love. If she wanted Fareeha, she could have her.

But she does not—at least, she has not said as much, and to Fareeha, that is as good as the same. The only reason Angela has for not voicing her feelings, if she has any, would be that she does not want to pursue them, because Angela is not much one for discretion, or tact.

Fareeha finds that charming, most of the time.

“Maybe it’s for the best,” Angela says, cutting through Fareeha’s reverie, words spoken as she sets down her cup, careful hands always gentle as they need to be with the porcelain, even when the rest of her motions are sharp, forceful.

“That they sent the recall notice to me?”

A shake of Angela’s head. “That your mother wouldn’t answer it.”

Fareeha can agree, but, “Do you not think I should go?” She has no plans to, is at home here, in her life, has her job, has her friends, has her little interludes in Angela’s perpetually box filled apartment. She does good work, she helps good people, she is more than content, and finally, finally is starting to be recognized as her own woman. Why would she go back to Overwatch, to the organization that allowed her mother to sideline her for all those years?

A pause, a purse of Angela’s lips, “I didn’t say that.”

“That’s not ‘No,’” and if Angela meant No, she would say it.

“It isn’t you,” Angela is quick to reassure. “I don’t think that anyone…” She trails off. “You know how I feel.” She looks down at her hands.

“I do.” There is no use retreading it. When it comes to Overwatch, Angela’s ambivalence is well established, and it is too easy for her to get in the weeds about it. Fareeha has no interest in another two hours of hand-wringing about the right thing, when they both know that there are only less-wrong choices. Not tonight.

Angela does not seem to want to go into it either, not this time, and for a minute, two, they lapse back into silence, Angela contemplating and Fareeha finishing her own tea. If Angela has not spoken by the end of the cup, then she will say something, but for all that she prefers conversation to quiet, she knows, too, the value in giving people time to think. It is clear from Angela’s posture that she is considering something, eyes fixed on her lap as one hand picks at a loose thread on her trousers. There is no use rushing her, at least not yet.

And, selfishly, Fareeha is a little afraid of what comes at the end of this silence. Is Angela considering leaving? If she is, what will Fareeha say? What could she? I’ll miss you does not cover it, but she cannot begin to say what Angela has meant to her, these past few years, not without acknowledging this thing that hangs in the air between them, and she is afraid that, if she says it, if Angela does not feel it too—what would she do then? It is not worth the risk, shattering their delicate peace. She could not bear to lose this.

So she lets it linger, just a little longer, whatever Angela is thinking, even after she finishes her cup.

And, for once, Angela moves first, looks at her sidelong, a little anxious, maybe, to be ask the question, “Are you going?”

“No,” Fareeha says, and she hopes that is the answer Angela wanted to hear, hopes that Angela is staying, too.

“Good,” Angela says, wraps an arm around her, then, tucks her head against Fareeha’s shoulder. “You know I’m no good at goodbyes.”

An understatement, if ever there were.

“Is this one?” She has to ask.

“No,” says Angela. “Not yet.”

Maybe later, is the implication, but Fareeha is okay with that, okay with Not yet, because for now, at least, she is content to wait, to sit in this in between time with Angela, to just be. For now, the quiet is a comfort, is a gentle blanket draping over them, is a shield against the words Fareeha wants to say—and their consequences.

“Good,” is all Fareeha can say, “Good.”

Let the silence linger. She is not ready for goodbye either.

[itshiiiiiiiiightide]

Ships

My ships that you'll find in most of these: yeehan, genyattacio, pharmercy, symweaver, anahardt, reaper76, zarmei, brigiko, oriVa, probably more idk

Fantasy AU

We got werewolves, vampires, fairies, mermaids, magic and more

Family AU

Single dad Gabe with his sons Cole and Genji and single dad Jack with his daughters Angela and Lena

Maritime AU

We got pirates, navy crews, you know the works

Modern Fantasy AU

Genji is a cat. That's it that's the premise

Yakuza AU

Hanzo barely refrained from killing Genji and both remained in the Shimada Clan

Cupid AU

Cupid Hanzo finds an unwitting partner in matchmaking and mischief in one Cole Cassidy

Figure Skater AU

Satya and Niran are figure skaters that become roommates. Lots of references to the Wicked musical

Illari fic

Not an au exactly, just a short fic about Illari with Overwatch

Pathfinder

There's already a chapter of this up on my ao3 called Overwatch Plays Pathfinder, check it out if you're interested

[pyrusinc]

the unparalleled agony of being a rabid pharmercy shipper and yet being obsessed with a moicy fic....damn you Ethical Healing... why did you have to give me these brainworms it has been WEEKS since i read you and yet,,, i check for an update every day,,