Archive of Our Own ^beta

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, honey."

Your father is a scientist in the Horizon Lunar Colony. Once a year, the staff are allowed to bring someone from Earth for one month, whether they are a relative or friend. Children under four years and seniors over ninety-two aren't allowed, unless that senior is in perfect condition. Your father felt you were old enough to travel up there, and since you both grew tired of video contact and missed each other very much, he quickly arranged your flight to space. Your mother was against it at first, but your father assured her that everything was going to be fine.

You were excited, nervous, and all too curious on what was in store for you on the moon. Once there, you were immediately embraced by your dad and greeted by his co-workers, all wearing lab coats.

A man stands in front of you; the sides of his head have shades of white hair. "Hi there, (Y/N). I'm Dr. Winston. But you can just call me Harold. It's a pleasure to meet you," he states with a smile.

He offers his hand to match your height. You shyly shake it with a small grin. He speaks again.

"And how old are you, young lady?"

"Seven," you reply in a soft, yet confident tone.

Your father chimes in. "My little girl. Growing up so fast."

He then ruffles the top of your head while the others chuckle at your cute demeanor.

"Well," Harold began. "You're older than our friends here in the colony. But I'm sure you'll get along. Would you like to meet them?"

You nod quickly. Your father had told you of baby gorillas and chimps living here. He said something about them being genetic or smart... or whatever. You just wanted to see monkeys! Holding your dad's hand, he and the doctor guided you throughout the massive station and into a mini obstacle course. On the walls were handholds and footholds to grip on, along with tire swings hanging from the ceiling. It looked fun, but difficult to play for a human kid.

// Don't mind Genji's hand, lol. It was the only clear picture I could find.

"Where are the monkeys?" you ask, letting go of your father's hand before walking to the middle of the floor.

Your dad steps behind you, looking around. "I'm not sure, dear. Maybe they're in their rooms today..."

Harold stood in place with his hands on his hips, wondering where the primates could be hiding elsewhere. Once they were informed of someone new arriving to the colony, some showed signs of slight fear, while others showed signs of indifference.

"Hm."

He looked around some more until he spotted movement high up on the left wall. Squinting, he noticed one of the animals was gripping onto a handhold while trying to cover themselves with a blanket resembling the color of the playground: an orange-yellow. He chuckled lowly, shaking his head. He knew exactly who it was.

With a calm voice, the man said, "I can see you, Winston. You can come down now. It'd be rude not to greet our guest."

You looked up, confused on where to examine before seeing the blanket move. A low whine could be heard as the animal slowly reveals himself by removing the blanket from his face. He's wearing glasses. You gasp in awe, pulling at your father's pants.

Harold signals the small ape with a finger and in a few seconds, he climbs down with ease. Your exaggerated stare frightens him however, and he scurries behind the doctor's leg, peeking out with one eye.

"Winston. Meet (Y/N). She's Dr. (L/N)'s daughter."

You look up to your dad in worry. You sort of figured out that the gorilla was afraid of you, but why? You weren't doing anything wrong. Your dad grants you a comforting grin, nudging you to step closer. Harold does his part by grabbing Winston's hand to pull him out from behind his leg.

"C'mon, little guy. She's not gonna bite you," your father says.

You cover more distance, and to your relief, the primate cautiously walks on all fours to you. His anxious eyes slowly calm down as he studies you from head to toe. The both of you are now in front of each other, eyes staring with curiosity.

"Hi," you softly say, a warm smile on your face.

A good five seconds of silence are endured before he responds with a faint,"... Hi."

...

Dad's co-workers were cool. They showed you around and demonstrated how the equipment worked. And the view from space was way better than the movies. The only real let down was the nasty food. That was when you realized you missed your mother's cooking. Besides that, you eventually were able to meet all of the other animals in less than two weeks. Most were nervous at first; however, it all came to pass, and you found yourself quickly making some friends.

You and Winston had formed the closest friendship since the first day you arrived. He didn't talk a lot, but he would respond with short sentences every now and then. He was more of a listener. His eyes would light up when you told stories of Earth -- school, the movies, restaurants, amusement parks. You'd also mention about Overwatch and how they're saving the world every day.

You both were sitting on the floor in his room.

"I kinda want to be a scientist like my dad," you say. "But a lot of this stuff is boring. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I want... to be a hero," he said softly, looking at you with a serious but friendly expression.

You tilt your head, impressed with his answer. "Really?" He gives you a nod and you tap your finger on your chin. "Like Superman?"

"N-No... like in Overwatch."

"Oh," you respond, tapping the floor with your palms as you think it over. "... You think monkeys are allowed to do that?"

He shrugged his shoulders with an idunno sound.

"Hmm. Maybe I'll join Overwatch too so we can see each other all the time!" you nearly shout. "We'll beat up all the bad guys together and the omnics will be our friends and, and then we'll become the greatest heroes in the whole world!"

You throw your hands up in the air as you finish your small rant. Your eyes were shut while you grinned widely. You can hear Winston giggle as he looks at you with an adorable simper on his face. When your eyes open, he's staring right at you, as if he was waiting to make eye contact.

Then, you offer your smallest finger. "Pinky swear that we're going to be best friends forever?"

The ape examines your hand in confusion before looking back at you. You roll your eyes, snatching his own hand to intertwine his pinky with yours.

You explain with, "This is a vow. Do you want to be my friend forever and ever?" You quickly receive a nod. "Okay. So I, (Y/N), and you, Winston, promise that we will be best friends forever. To infinity. Even after we die and go to Heaven."

You held onto each other's pinkies for a bit, smiling proudly.

...

Your father was now starting to regret having you aboard the station at a young age. He was happy that you made friends, but he didn't think it was going to affect you this bad. It was very emotional during your last day. You were begging him for you to stay another month, but to no success.

Winston was a bit more stable, but he too, was crying. It hurt having you go, but the sight of your sobbing face caused more inner pain. How he wished he could travel alongside you.

"Harold, I think I'm gonna have to fly back wi-"

"O-Of course," the doctor interrupted worriedly, holding your father's shoulder. "She needs support. Take all the time you need, (F/N). I'll manage your office until you get back."

"Thank you."

After you and your father's departure, Harold tried his best to comfort Winston. He wiped the little gorilla's tears away before saying, "Dr. (L/N) says that she'll be back next year. Until then, stay strong. Okay, kiddo?"

With watery eyes, Winston nodded.

...

Half a year.

It's been half a year since you left.

For children, it felt like a decade.

Winston has gotten used to your absence, but he still daydreams of when you were here -- your crazy rants, your funny stories, your odd mannerisms, your kind smile, your pretty eyes...

His birthday passed and he was now five. Despite his incredibly young age, he was already growing slightly taller. He thought about how much you might've grown, if at all.

Your father and him were already companions before you visited, and their relationship only grew into that of an uncle and nephew.

"You know," your dad began. "We video chat once a week. You can talk to her if you'd like."

"Thanks. But I... I want to see her in person," Winston replied. "I'm just waiting."

(F/N) patted his back and respected the furry child's decision. "She told me the same thing."

Winston looked up at the man and smiled. They remained seated, viewing the latest episode of the Overwatch cartoon.

Harold was cooped up in his office, taking notes on recent X-ray photos of the animals. He was so occupied in his work that he did not hear one of his co-workers walk in.

"Sorry, Harold. But I figured you couldn't hear me again, so I just let myself in," an older woman said with an apologetic grin. She was holding a notebook in her hands.

"No worries, Mrs. Rhed. I've been at this for two hours... I think. I suppose it's time I took a break," Dr. Winston replied, rising up from his desk to walk towards his coffee machine. "Anything new?"

Mrs. Rhed was smart enough to be a scientist herself, but instead, she applied for the teaching position here in the colony. Who knew animals behaved better than high school students? Plus, Horizon paid way more.

"... Uh, as a matter of fact, I'm here to talk about Winston."

"Oh?" the doctor answered, seeming surprised. His brows rose higher as he took a sip of his hot drink. "He's not... misbehaving, is he?"

The woman quickly shook her head. "No, no, no. Winston is my sweetest student. I, heh... I don't really know how to start."

She kept glancing at the man and the floor back and forth. Harold, as patient as he was, even he anticipated for any fast progress towards the subject at hand -- Winston, who was practically his son.

The teacher swallowed and stepped forward, handing over the notebook. Once it was in his hands, Harold realized it was Winston's.

She said, "His test results remain superb, but he's not focused during class. Open to the more recent pages and you'll understand."

Perplexed out of his mind, the doctor did as he was told. He flipped through it until he halted to notes taken a week ago. Everything looked fine until he glanced at the corner of the page. A small heart was drawn with W + (F/L) inside of it. He turned to the next page, and it appeared again. He could only giggle.

"I guess Winston has a crush on one of the others, huh?" he asked, skimming through the pages to continuously spot the same heart and initials. "Who do you think it is?"

"None of them."

The woman's tone was low. Harold looked up with some concern but remained quiet.

Mrs. Rhed placed her hands behind her back. "Turn to the last pages."

The middle-aged man felt nearly lost. A part of him was excited about knowing that the little guy was growing up fine. But another part of him was nervous. Was this too personal? As he was pondering, his hands were already flipping the book to the very end. And in a blink, he had already processed everything.

He gazed upon drawings of Winston holding hands with a human girl.

You.

'Oh. That's what the (F/L) stands for,' he thought.

The first few doodles were simple -- stick figures and little detail; however, as he turned backwards to the next page, some improvement was seen. You were given the most attention it seemed, as you were drawn with more features and less mistakes. Even hypothetical adult versions were created in a scenario where you and Winston joined Overwatch together.

Harold could only imagine the discomfort Mrs. Rhed was experiencing when she saw this. But him? Nah. A parent can only see their children's drawings as magical... in most circumstances. He softly snickered, closing the notebook to hand it back.

"Well, hehe. He draws nicely," he said.

The teacher frowned. "What are we going to do? Should we tell (F/N) to stop bringing her here?"

Waving his hand, Harold answered with, "Absolutely not. Even if everyone agreed to keep her out, we legally can't refuse an employee's visitor unless they posed a threat to the station." He walked back towards his work and leaned on his desk, shaking his head. "Winston's just a child, Mrs. Rhed. Him liking someone was bound to happen."

"Yes, but not with a human. He needs to understand that his kind are different. That he's not the same like us."

"He is like us," the man snapped back. "He differs more from his own species than humans."

Harold straightened his posture in defense. Winston was human in an animal's body. Gorilla or not, that was his son they were talking about. The teacher was reminded of that with a stern expression from the doctor. Her eyelids lowered in defeat. The man realized his harsh reaction and sighed.

"My apologies," he said.

The woman kindly brushed it away. "It's okay. We'll... just have to keep a close eye on this. Can we at least agree on that?"

"Yes. I'll talk with him."

"Very well," Mrs. Rhed replied, taking in a breath of relief. "Shall I inform (F/N)?"

Harold shook his head. "Leave that to me. I'm having lunch with him tomorrow. I'm sure it'll make an interesting discussion," he said with a smirk.

Mrs. Rhed seemed unsure, but she humbly agreed. "Alright then."

...

"This view never gets old," you stated lowly, staring at Earth through a vast window.

You were sitting on the floor in the giant, telescope room of the colony. You were now fourteen and on your first week of your yearly visit.

Winston, now eleven, was sitting right next to you. He was already much bigger than you, but he still had not reached his full growth. He gazed upon the world with a tint of sadness.

In a slightly deep voice, or at least deeper than a few years ago, he said, "I agree."

You turn your head to him and in a second, he does the same. "Let's convince Harold to let you come back with me."

The idea felt magnificent, but you both knew it was impossible until further notice. The ape's eyes became upset, and he looked away. "You know that's out of the question, (Y/N). My skeletal structure will most likely suffer severe health issues and-"

"Yeah, I get it," you interrupt, becoming annoyed and glaring at the ground. But Winston knew not to take it personally. You were just exhausted of the same explanation over and over again. "Therapy this. Supplements that. Whatever."

You tuck your knees near your chest. Then, you cross your arms over them and bury your head. The gorilla sighs despairingly, studying you for a moment before looking back at Earth. The soft sounds of equipment are everywhere. An occasional announcement is made on the intercom. Other than that, there was depressing silence between the two of you.

As you're sulking, Winston thinks of a topic to hopefully cheer up the mood. "... We're receiving a new member next week."

You pick your head up with a less angry face. "Really? Another gorilla?"

"An infant hamster. He was born two days before you arrived. He'll be flying in Lucheng's latest ship model for deliveries."

"Aw," you say, expressing a more colorful look. Seems like Winston said the right thing. "Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see him."

The primate chuckled. "Neither can I. It's going to be quite an adventure having a baby brother around."

You smiled at this, obtaining that loving feeling you usually got around him. There was something very admirable about Winston calling any species his family. Yet sometimes, you wondered what you meant to him besides a best friend. A cousin? A sister? You wouldn't mind, but in the end, there was something more in your heart that you couldn't really explain. Was it wrong to feel this way?

Winston's voice broke you out of your thoughts. "Dr. (L/N) is going to be in charge of him. In essence, he'll be certified to actually be your brother," he states, another chuckle being released. "He'll also be located next to my room." He softly huffs. "I'll finally have someone to talk to late at night. Besides you, well, when you're not here."

"Heh, that's good."

You have a grin, but your tone of voice doesn't match. He notices and slowly brings his hand to hold yours. It still amazed you how much he's grown in just seven years; his hand is huge compared to your own.

"Promise me you won't become jealous?" he asks jokingly.

You didn't expect that, so you snorted. "Of course not. You kidding me? No one can steal you from me, little guy. Best friends forever and ever, right?"

"Yes, haha!"

He laughed with glee, and you gladly returned it.

...

Sadly, being a scientist was not in your future plans. You finished ROTC in high school, and very soon, you'd be joining Overwatch's junior program. Your father, and especially Winston, were super excited. He hoped for the day when he'd get his chance to unite with you and the team of heroes.

On the moon, it was a year before Horizon would be overthrown by the apes. Currently, there was high tension between one of them named Simon and the scientists. Your father insisted you remain home this year, but you did not care one bit. Now seventeen, you held your head up with your arm leaning on a large desk with a computer and scattered blueprints. You gazed happily at a three-year-old Hammond building a little gadget of sorts. Even with the schematics right in front of you, you still had no clue what the heck he was creating.

Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing to type. He wasn't able to speak, so (F/N) made him a tiny keyboard and speaker. It connected to him like a vest.

He spells, "Get me a snack," and the speaker reads it out loud.

"What's the magic word?" you ask with a raised eyebrow.

"Now."

You give him an offended reaction. "Hammond. Don't make me throw you in the toilet."

The little hamster snickers and wobbles closer to you. He types, "Okay. You win. Please."

"That's more like it."

You give a lopsided smile before standing. You walk over to the door, and as it slides open, you bump into a giant, warm torso.

"O-Oh! Sorry, (Y/N)!" a fourteen-year-old Winston states worriedly, holding you as he softly separates you from himself. "Are you okay?"

You blinked with a grin, placing your palms against his chest. You look up to see his golden eyes staring right at you. "I am now."

He huffs with a pleased look. You're expecting him to let go of your arms, but he just keeps his hands in place.

'This is fine too, I guess,' you think to yourself.

"I'm not a very patient hamster."

You wiggle your head and reluctantly push yourself off of him. "I'm gonna go get Hammond some snacks. You want anything?"

It took a little longer for Winston to shake himself from his thoughts, but he eventually came back to reality. "No, no thank you."

You both awkwardly stare at each other before you waddle out of the room. The ape looks towards your direction until the door fully closes, then at the floor with a long exhale. This was no longer just a childhood crush, now was it?

"You guys are gross," Hammond types, glancing at his much bigger friend. "You're almost as bad as those romantic comedies that (F/N) watches."

Winston blinks in shock, but he has to admit, the little one was right. He releases a breathy chortle, walking on all fours to stand in front of the desk the hamster was working on.

"You'll understand when you find someone who makes you feel the same way (Y/N) makes me feel," the gorilla responds.

"Feelings are pointless and stupid."

The young ape shakes his head, giggling. "No, they're not. Feelings are what makes us have long, lasting connections. Feelings show what's right. And what's wrong. They are what makes you grow a family. Like you and me."

"You carry some validation, I suppose," Hammond's speaker says as he glances downward. He then looks back at the gorilla, giving him a face of bewilderment. "But, if you have these differing feelings for her, then why do you stay silent?"

It turns quiet for an instant.

"B-Because," Winston gently starts. "... Feelings are also complicated. She's my best friend. A-Almost like a sister. But I would like something else. I'm not... I'm not sure if she feels the same. And I'd rather hide my feelings than potentially lose a cherished friend." He blinks slowly as a frown grows on his face. "... Being of two different species also raises some concern. Dr. Winston told me years ago that I was more human than ape, but what would the others think? A beautiful girl with a hideous animal."

The hamster rubbed his chubby chin before typing on his keyboard. "While I do agree that you are hideous, and you may not be as smart as me, you're still smart. And the nicest mammal I know. Emotionally, you're not an animal, Winston. Far from it. But you're an idiot if you can't tell that (Y/N) likes you back."

Grumbles could be heard by the gorilla while he timidly glares to the side. An offensively supportive baby hamster was quite difficult to listen to, but helpful, nonetheless.

"Sooo... I guess you're implying that I might have a shot with her?" Winston asks lowly.

"Yep. I'm often right, you know."

The gorilla could only groan as he rolls his eyes in irritation. But he changes as soon as he hears the door slide open, and he turns around to see you coming in with a tray of goodies. Most of the treats are Hammond's favorites, but Winston immediately spots a jar of that creamy, buttery goodness.

"I thought I'd get you a little something anyway," you say cheekily, placing the tray down next to the hamster. He doesn't let a second pass before he digs in. You offer Winston his and he humbly takes it. You also brought them lots of water. After the primate thanks you, the little devil wipes his mouth with his arm and smirks at him, then at you. Unfortunately, he begins to type.

"And Winston has a little something to say to you," the speaker says, and the younger teen's eyes nearly shoot out from his sockets. "Don't you, Winston?"

You giggle in confusion at the small rodent, then turn to face the gorilla. He's practically gulping down his beverage.

"Uh. Uh. N-Not at the moment, n-no," he states, avoiding eye contact with you as he takes another drink.

Hammond makes plenty of squeaks, indicating that he's laughing. If the monkey won't say it, then someone else has to. "He wishes to make lip contact with you."

Your eyebrows furrow with shock but an awkward smile builds up, all while hearing Winston loudly spit out his water from behind you. Gradually, your face heats up as you giggle. "... Oh. Is that so?" you softly ask the hamster, and he quickly nods.

Shakenly, the ape tries to defend himself. "D-Don't listen to him, (Y/N). He's j-just in one of those moods where he wants to bother us. And specifically, me."

"I know, I know," you reply, rolling your eyes and pretending to be on his side. Honestly, you were waiting for a moment like this. You were always afraid of flirting because you didn't want to ever make him feel uncomfortable. And yet, thanks to Hammond already setting the tone, maybe this was a sign to take a chance. Some teasing would be a nice change of pace, right? "But... are you saying, well, hehe, that you don't want to kiss me?"

Winston's eyes go blank before he begins to fumble his words. 'Did she really just ask me that?'

"Uhhh... " he says out loud, struggling to answer.

You look to see the hamster roll on his back, laughing hysterically at his older friend's reaction. This little guy sure was a troublemaker.

Momentarily, everything feels wonderful. You were with your strange, yet beautiful family; enjoying the limited time you had together. You think it over, crossing your arms as you plan your next course of action. As the oldest one here, you had some control over the situation. You look at Winston, who has been glancing at you, afraid to say anything foolish. You give him a tender smile however, slowly stepping closer to him before touching his chest again. Because of him, you never had a normal crush back at school. There were some cute guys here and there, but none of them had what Winston has. Why go for boys who barely care for you when you had the kindest of them all waiting for you at the moon? Even more so, he already knew your father.

"(Y/N)?" he asks quietly, his vibrating pupils captured by your elegant eyes.

You ignore him, gently pressing your lips on his bottom lip for some seconds before pulling away. He huffs, blinking innocently at you. His tongue is tied with a multitude of emotions, but there's mostly happiness.

"Again, I am often right."

The moment sort of gets lost and you glance at Hammond with a bemused laugh. Winston eases up a bit too, letting out a small, annoyed chuckle before looking at you again.

"I... I don't know what to say."

"Then at least answer me this: do you have feelings for me?" you ask in a sad, but hopeful tone.

His heart is pounding. He really is speechless, but somehow, he understands what he must do. He holds his breath before closing in on your lips with his, engaging the kiss for longer until he detaches and exhales through his nose. He feels accomplished as he notices you weren't ready to separate just yet.

"Does that answer your question?"

Your eyes blink open. "... Yeah." You pause, still trying to collect your thoughts. "I guess this kinda breaks our pinky promise, huh?"

You make him process that. He fixes his glasses, giving you a loving smile. "Not... necessarily. We'll always be best friends. Just... closer now."

A small grin develops on your face. You liked the sound of that.

Little squeaks come from Hammond before he jumps off from the table to climb up Winston's arm and onto his shoulder. He quickly types, "Due to human rules, you'll have to wait until he turns eighteen to advance to the next step."

The gorilla clears his throat in embarrassment. You feel disturbed, but not because of what was said but who said it. "Hammond, who told you about that stuff? You're too young for that."

"I learned it myself. Big sis, if I can build machines at three, then I can obviously read holobooks. dUUhHh! Just wait until they give me access to the internet," his speaker states.

Winston loses his patience and just grabs him. "Okay, that's enough from you. You're on a timeout."

Trapped by the primate's grip, the hamster cannot type. He squeaks loudly, but Winston can still sort of understand him.

"Unhand me, you mindless ape!"

"Not until you apologize to (Y/N)."

"Never!"

Hammond has no choice but to force himself free, biting Winston's thumb.

"Ow!" the gorilla yelps, unintentionally releasing the little rodent to the ground. In a flash, Hammond makes a run for the door. "Hey! Come back here!"

Like Tom and Jerry, a wild goose chase begins outside of the room and onto the living area of the station. Some of the other apes and scientists watch in awe and confusion, but automatically side with Hammond, cheering him on. You remain where you are, taking a seat before releasing a long exhale. You'll be needing a long rest after today.

Especially after kissing your long-time crush.

...

"Ai, schweety," he says with a full mouth, walking up to you and ruffling your hair.

You grin at his gesture. "Hey, dad."

He crumbles up the wrapper and chucks it in a small garbage bin next to his desk. He looks at his chest before dusting off some crumbs.

"I got good news," he starts, and you look at him with anticipation. "My request for vacation was greenlit. I'll be heading back with you and staying for two months."

"That's awesome," you reply, getting up from your chair to gift him a hug. "Did you tell mom?"

After you let go of each other, he holds your hands. "Not yet. I think it'll be better if we surprise her."

You chuckle, nodding your head in agreement. But naturally, you think of the other two -- the furry side of the family. Your eyes slide downward to the floor, and you wonder if you should even bring them up.

"... If only Winston and Hammond could come along too," you say, almost in a whisper.

Your father exhales through his nose. Sympathetically, he answers with, "I know, honey. I know. And you know if it were up to me, I would've brought them a long time ago."

You don't say anything, but he knows that you believe him. He softly holds your cheek and continues to speak.

"But we're closer than ever. Harold estimates that in possibly two to three years, all of the animals will be able to safely visit Earth and return here with minimum, perhaps even no side effects. It'll be revolutionary."

Your eyes light up and your frown begins to fade away. "Really?"

"Yes! And to think the best part will be you showing off to your friends that your dad was a part of it," he jokingly gloats, and you groan with a grin on your face.

"Dad, I don't need to shove it in people's faces to show that I'm beyond proud of you."

Little did you know how much that really meant to him. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. For a moment, his eyes become watery, but he hides it by embracing you tightly. You return the hold, rubbing his back.

"Thanks, dear."

"Any time."

The hug lasts longer than you expected. You're coming to the conclusion that he's crying tears of joy, but you don't hear anything. Suddenly, he talks with a calm voice.

"Hammond told me that you and Winston kissed."

If you were sleepy then, you were wide awake now. Your eyes are trying to escape from your head as you stare into a bookshelf. You keep yourself still in his arms, nearly afraid to look at him.

'Where did that even come from?' you ask yourself.

Externally, you persist on remaining quiet. You have no earthly idea on how to respond to such a bomb of a statement. Who even says something like that?

Your father is smirking on the other side. "Your silence suggests he wasn't lying. And we all know that little rascal lies as a hobby."

"... He was lying?" you state, but it comes out almost like a question. At this point, you can't think of anything to use for protest.

What if he brought this up because he didn't approve of it? Your mind is eating itself, and before you realize it, he's slowly releasing his hold on you. He's looking at you, but to your surprise, he doesn't seem angry. His hands are on your shoulders.

"Don't worry," he begins, his face demonstrating an expression of understanding. "I've known about you two for a long time. Harold and Mrs. Rhed too."

You're flustered with discomfort, but you can't appreciate enough how well your father is handling this.

"You're seriously okay with me and him?"

He nods. "Winston's always been a good kid. Seeing him grow up and knowing he has a bright future ahead, makes him a great candidate for my little girl."

You gradually build up a big smile. Now, it's your turn to hide your teary eyes as you go in for another tight hug.

"Thank you so much."

"Any time, honey."

end?

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

A small rant:

Winston (29) and Hammond (14) are 15 years apart, so Hammond wouldn't be born until Winston became 15. I try to stick with canon, but yeah. But then there's artwork and sprays in the game that feature baby Winston and Hammond together. That's inaccurate since by around 12-15, gorillas reach their full size (yes, I have to look up monkey facts to write monkey fanfiction, help me). But, "Winston's not like real-life gorillas," I often say.

My own words bite me back. ;-;

Lots of sprays are for fun and non-canon, but they use this image below in the Zero Hour cinematic. You can barely see it during the video, but it's behind Winston. You see it better when he sticks the picture of the team on the wall or whatever.

This is literally one of my favorite official pictures, but it messes up the timeline.

Another timeline issue I have is not knowing when Winston joins Overwatch. He hasn't been a member long enough like the original five, but it seems he's been around possibly a little longer than Tracer since she was a pilot first, and after he built the chronic exterminator for her, she then joins Overwatch. He also met Pharah when she was a kid... but, she's older than him, and he'd have to be really young to escape the moon. He's fully grown when he leaves the colony, and Pharah would already be a teen, so another mishap.

Oh, Overwatch lore. I love you. But you also suck.  What do you expect from a small, indie company like Blizzard, amirite?

*Insert laugh track*