Sounds Gay... I'm in

About Bloody Time

A/N Shoutout to @starryrain-, the creator of the universe this is set in. Hope you like it Veda, sorry if I got stuff wrong  

Mercy sighed through her nose. Why did she always have to go picking fights with the one person she actually cared about in this world?

Andhera had been gone for hours. What if something had happened to her?

Mercy glowered at the wall in her bedroom, debating if it was worth going after Andhera. Gods knew the girl could handle herself... but what if? What if she'd been hurt? What if she'd been drugged? What if she'd been found by the law?

Mercy sighed again. God, Andhera made her crazy. But she loved her all the same, and couldn't just sit here not knowing if she was safe. 

That settled it then. She stood up and grabbed her dagger from her bedside table, slipping it into her boot for safe keeping. Then she walked out into the front room of the warehouse, grabbing her satchel and packing a few handfuls of berries for the road. As she was reaching into the bowl of berries on the table, she noticed something that made her blood run cold. 

Glinting in the early afternoon sunlight coming in through an open window was Death, Andhera's prized blade. There was no way she would have left home without it. 

She snatched up the blade and strapped it to her hip. If Andhera was in trouble, she'd need it. 

Mercy hurried out the door, immediately being engulfed by a swarm of sweaty bodies. Of course, this was just her luck; the markets were on. Now it would be even more difficult to find Andhera. 

She pushed and shoved her way through the crowd, searching every face on the off chance it might be the one she was looking for. 

If she was Andhera, where would she go after a fight?

Probably to the armoury, she decided. If Andhera was anything like Mercy remembered, then she'd go somewhere she felt control. A room full of weapons she knew how to use would be the perfect place. 

She quickly made her way there, not caring when she accidentally shoved people around her. 

When she arrived at the armoury, there was no Andhera in sight. 

She went up to the shopkeeper, demanding, "Did a young woman come in here? Tall, bronze skin, a scar across her nose?"

The man frowned as if trying to remember, "Scary woman dressed in armour even though it's the height of summer? She tried to steal a blade, then threatened to slit my throat with it if I stopped her."

A small smile played at Mercy's lips. That sounded like Andhera. 

She thanked the man and left, starting in the direction he said Andhera had gone. 

She walked all through Ruination, but there was no sign of Andhera anywhere. The sun was sinking low in the sky, and Mercy was beginning to really worry. It wasn't unlike Andhera to disappear for long amounts of time without explanation, but something felt... wrong. 

Eventually, when the sun had completely vanished and the moon was shining merrily on the streets of Ruination, Mercy decided that she had to go back to the warehouse. Maybe Andhera was already there, and all this fretting had been for nothing. Unlikely, but Mercy had to hope.

She trudged back to the warehouse, worry weighing down every step. She was staring at the ground as she walked, so she didn't notice someone was standing in front of her until she walked into them. 

Her gaze snapped up, ready to yell at the person to watch where they were going, but froze when she recognised the face. After the whole afternoon of searching, here was Andhera, alive and well. 

Relief made Mercy's shoulders slump, and she hissed, "Where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick, thinking something might have happened to you-"

Andhera cut her off by placing a gloved finger to Mercy's lips. A gentle smile graced her own lips, softening her entire face. It was the most beautiful thing Mercy had ever seen. Internally, she vowed to try and make Andhera smile at her like this as often as possible.      

Andhera took her hand away from Mercy's lips and instead laced her fingers through Mercy's. She whispered, "I have a surprise for you. Follow me." Then she placed her other hand over Mercy's eyes, rendering her blind. But she trusted Andhera. So she followed, allowing the assassin to lead her blindly through the streets of Ruination. 

Soon enough, Andhera whispered in her ear, "Okay, we're here." Then she removed her hand, and Mercy gasped with delight. This was what Andhera had been doing all day?

They stood in a small grove of trees, golden fairy lights hanging from the branches and wrapped around the trunks. A small, wrought-iron table held a vase of flowers-- orchids, Mercy's favourite-- and two lit candles. Plates of beef stir-fry and buttered bread sat steaming on the table, and the pleasant aroma filled Mercy's nose. 

She glanced over at Andhera, who was already looking at her with that same soft smile. 

She gestured for Mercy to sit down at the table and sat across from her, still grasping her hand on top of the table's surface. Andhera opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it as though thinking better of it. Finally, she blurted, "Look, I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with. I'm... stubborn and arrogant and not good at sharing my feelings. But.. I want to be better. For you. Because I... Ugh, this is harder than I thought it would be." She looked down at her lap, her cheeks flaring red. She blew out a frustrated breath and whispered, "Because I love you. It scares me, but it's true. I love you, Mercy."

Mercy stared at the woman across from her in stunned silence. She felt like she was seeing Andhera for the first time. Because this couldn't be the Andhera she knew; daring, brave, harsh. This Andhera was shy, embarrassed, vulnerable. Mercy couldn't believe how lucky she was to be allowed to see Andhera like this. 

A grin broke out on her face and she leaned over the table, heedless of the meal she was probably ruining, and pressed her lips to Andhera's in a featherlight kiss. 

The world seemed to spin around her, and she gripped Andhera's hand tighter to ground herself. The kiss was soft and sweet and absolutely perfect.

When they pulled away, they were both breathless. Mercy's smile was so big it hurt. She whispered, "I love you too, Andhera."

They enjoyed their meal in the beautiful atmosphere, then walked home hand in hand. 

When they reached the warehouse and walked inside, Kali and Surya took one look at their joined hands and cackled gleefully.

"About bloody time!" Kali howled.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!