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Fareeha eased down onto a fallen log, grimacing as the movement twisted her already broken bones. Angela helped her find the most comfortable position she could, hands hovering over scratched and crumpled bits of the Raptora as she worried her lip between her teeth.
“I can hear your mind whirring from here, Angela.” Fareeha said through a groan as she swiped the muddy moss stuck to her palm onto her torn flight suit. She gave the log a reproachful glare as if it had intentionally dirtied her hand. “You’re hurt too, sit down.”
Angela stood for a moment more, wringing the cloth panel of her Valkyrie in her hands. “My nan-” She was interrupted by a challenging glare from the banged up pilot. With a sigh, she sat on the log next to Fareeha. “My nanites,” she started again with a slight pout. “Have already healed my injuries but you’re left to suffer. So I’m allowed to fret.”
“You can fret while sitting.”
Angela shot Fareeha a sideways glare. “Can I fret while finding some firewood?”
Fareeha chuckled and her face contorted with pain as a rib was jostled. “I suppose. Did your sidearm survive the fall?” Dark eyes glanced at the shattered staff next to a pile of ruined Raptora bits.
Angela followed her gaze with a frown. “It did, but that’s about all that made it through unscathed.”
“And the charge?”
At Fareeha’s question, Angela pulled her pistol from its holster and gave it a quick glance, a grimace twisting her brow. “Less than half.”
Fareeha nodded and pulled her combat knife from its place on her thigh. She held it out to Angela. “Take this then.” Angela made to argue but Fareeha nudged the grip into the doctor’s palm. “Take it. Save your pistol in case someone followed our trail.”
Angela sighed and gripped the handle. “I’ll be back soon.” They sat for a moment, eyes locked, the grip in Angela’s hand and the blade in Fareeha’s. “Stay safe.”
“You too.” The words were quiet, nearly swallowed up by the breeze. After another moment, Fareeha released the knife and watched as Angela disappeared through the trees. She stretched out her left leg, careful to keep her right leg still.
The fight had been nearly over by the time the sniper landed a shot on Mercy as she flew up to fix the minor scratches on the pilot. The sound of it all still echoed in Fareeha’s mind, the crack of the rifle, the hollow thunk of the bullet meeting flesh, the pained cry as Mercy began to fall. Pharah had cut her hover thrusters and dove, catching up to Mercy in a heartbeat. As soon as she’d wrapped an arm around the injured doctor, the sniper took another shot and Pharah’s main thruster was gone, sending them both careening to the ground.
They’d run and hidden as well as they could with Fareeha hobbling on one leg and Angela rambling out apologies; both of them were shaking from the adrenaline loss and pain. By the time they’d found this small clearing in the forests of Germany, Fareeha was barely able to stand.
The pilot flexed her left foot, stretching out the tired muscles as she looked around their new campsite. A frown pulled at her lips as she took in the pile of mangled metal, the blue of her Raptora and the black and gold of the Caduceus and halo array.
If I would have dropped down in the first place, Angela would have never been hit. The thought brought with it a growl of frustration, fingers curling against the log. She glanced in the direction the blonde had gone. If anything happens to her… because of me… She shook her head, ending the thought before she could follow it through. This is why I can’t tell her.
The pair of them had been playing at flirting ever since the recall, dancing around each other and making excuses to stop by the other’s favorite haunts. Late nights, cold mugs of coffee and a handful of near kisses and yet neither of them had spoken up about their feelings or hopes for more.
This near-death experience cemented it— anything more would only complicate missions. Fareeha nodded to herself, resolute in her conclusion.
Or having someone to fight for would make you even more terrifying in battle. The thought whispered into her mind and Fareeha nearly scoffed. It was much too easy to imagine her mother saying it as she smirked over a steaming cup of tea.
So tell her or not? Fareeha thought, sighing as she began to weigh the options.
-
The sun had fallen a bit further in the sky by the time Angela returned to see Fareeha still on the log but looking noticeably more pale. She dropped the wood at her feet before rushing to the woman’s side, fingers already reaching for a pulsepoint.
“I’m fine, the pain’s starting to override the adrenaline is all.” Fareeha explained, doing her best to give a reassuring smile. “I’ve just been thinking, trying to distract myself.”
Finding her heart rate to be a bit elevated, but well within the normal range for someone in such pain, Angela relaxed. “You should be resting, not stressing yourself.”
Fareeha opened her mouth to respond but a giggling Angela made her pause and rethink what was said. Dark eyes narrowed playfully. “Thinking isn’t strenuous, Doctor. ”
“For some.”
Fareeha sucked her teeth. “Rude.”
Angela laughed as she moved to sit more comfortably on the log. “Really though, what’s on your mind?”
Silence stretched between them, long enough that Angela stood and began to pile up the wood properly for a fire. She was sitting on her knees next to it, trying to work out the best way to start it burning when Fareeha finally spoke.
“I was trying to decide if I should tell you how I feel about you.”
Angela froze, bundle of dried leaves in her hand, her back to the soldier. “...and?”
“I’ve finally decided, I think.” Quiet, reserved.
Angela tucked the leaves against the dry wood in her makeshift fire pit before turning to face Fareeha. “And?” Nervous.
Fareeha reached out a scraped-up hand to sweep blonde hair behind a pale ear. Her thumb brushed over Angela’s cheekbone, eyes clouded with both pain and uncertainty. Fareeha took a steadying breath. “And I’m pretty much falling for you.”
Everything stilled. Angela’s breath caught in her throat and even the birds above them silenced their songs. Just as doubt began to creep over Fareeha’s face, Angela’s hand joined Fareeha’s on her own cheek. She raised up on her knees, bringing herself to eye level with the Egyptian. “That’ll make this much less awkward.” Angela mused.
“Make wh-” Fareeha began but was interrupted by soft lips on her own. Gentle pecks transitioned to longer presses of lips and tongues, fingers curling into hair and quiet whimpers from both of them. Happy giggles were dappled between deep kisses and deeper looks.
“-rah, Mercy, come in.” Angela pulled away with a gasp, joy-filled blue eyes wide at the tinny British voice coming from the communicator still stuck to Fareeha’s throat. Fareeha took a steadying breath before reaching up to activate the comms device.
“We read you.” In the silence that followed, Fareeha tugged Angela closer and directed her to sit beside her, arm tucked around the blonde’s waist.
“Oh it’s about time!” Lena responded, exasperation and happiness clear in her voice. “Your locators are busted so we’ve been flying around trying to find you on local channels. Send up a flare and we’ll come get you.”
Lena had barely finished speaking before Angela was digging into the compartment on Fareeha’s thigh armor for said flare.
“It’s up, Lena, keep an eye out.” Fareeha responded as Angela fired it into the air.
“Roger! Let’s bring ya home!”
Angela smiled at Fareeha, gentle and warm and full of hope and love. She snuggled into Fareeha’s side, wary of the broken and bruised bits and sighed happily as Fareeha dropped a gentle kiss to the top of her head.
“And that was terrible phrasing.” Angela mused quietly, tired grin on her lips. “‘Falling for you?’”
At her side, Fareeha grunted, nearly lulled to sleep by the warm presence at her side. “She has jokes…” Silence pooled between them once more. Fareeha slumped against Angela a bit more and the blonde smiled softly to herself, glad that the pilot was able to get even a bit of rest. She snuggled deeper into the warmth of her sleeping soldier and was nearly asleep herself, when Fareeha spoke.
“You should really respect the
gravity
of the situation.”