2043
Moira O’Deorain wasn’t popular, she was far from it. An awkward, gangly teenager that only wore loose fitting button downs and slacks wasn’t exactly what people in high school found attractive. Sure, she cared more about her science classes than ever making friends, but it’s not like she was bad. She never once got in trouble with the principal, and her teachers adored her dedicated work ethic.
Yet, for some reason, she was always at the center of everyone’s gossip. Questions about her sexuality, her gender, hell even her morality. Usually she would brush the comments off, ignore the people saying things and be on her merry way. That is, until it shifted from being verbal bullying to physical.
It was after her gym class, when she was getting changed in the locker room when an obnoxious girl approached her. She wore far too much makeup, making her skin look more orange than it should be, eyebrows blocky and slightly uneven. If Moira wasn’t terrified of human interaction maybe she would have commented on it. The girl snatched her shirt from her hands, and laughed right in her face.
“Why do you wear this shit? It’s like you want people to call you a dyke.” Moira wanted nothing more than to get out of the situation. All eyes were on her, and she felt uncomfortably small despite her height.
“If it is what I am comfortable in, then who cares?” Moira’s voice was stern, yet quiet. She never really spoke back when people talked to her, most of her classmates had probably only heard her voice when she was answering questions in class.
“You should dress like a girl.” Another voice chimed in from behind her, and before she knew it the girls were cornering her. They all looked at her as if she were garbage, and Moira hated the feeling.
“May I have my clothes? I would prefer not to be late to class.” That only seemed to anger the girls even more, their evil looking grins turning into scowls.
“You think you’re better than us because you’re smart. You’re a freak. No one wants you here.” Moira simply blinked in response, urging herself not to take the insults to heart. She could care less about what these people thought of her, they would see one day.
“I don’t think I’m better, I know I am.” Those certainly weren’t the right words to say, because she felt a hand connecting with her cheek as a deafening slap echoed throughout the locker room. The shirt was shoved against her chest as the girls stormed off, and Moira wasn’t sure if she could consider this a victory or a loss.
Moira O’Deorain wasn’t popular, but that didn’t bother her. She would rather be unliked and brilliant than turn out like the other girls in her grade.
2063
Moira’s first day at the Overwatch base was something she never thought she would experience. After her paper had been published, her career essentially ruined because of people’s closed minds, she thought she would never be able to work again. Yet here she stood, being guided around the Gibraltar base by the infamous Jack Morrison.
The base itself wasn’t anything to fawn over. It had plain white walls, an Overwatch symbol making an appearance in every hallway with small signs to guide newcomers around. Jack had already shown her to the most important parts, the cafeteria, her own personal room, and finally, the labs where she would be working.
The lab itself was something out of her dreams. She knew that Overwatch had the latest technology, considering that most of their scientists developed it themselves. But, she wasn’t expecting it to be this breathtaking. The room was decorated with machines, ones Moira itched to touch and get to work on. It was rather large, much bigger than any lab she had studied in.
Much to her dismay, she would have to share. Jack had broke the news over the phone a few weeks before, though he assured her that her partner was extraordinary and would be able to keep up with her. She doubted it, but she wasn’t going to cast aside the other scientist before she knew her.
That’s how she found herself standing in front of the small, blonde haired doctor. She was young, much younger than Moira had anticipated. She thought briefly that she would have to train her, yet those thoughts squashed themselves when she began to speak.
“Hello. I am Angela Ziegler.” She introduced herself behind a heavy German accent, and Moira found herself enjoying the way her tongue curled around every word. “I have some base rules when it comes to my lab.”
With a heavy pat on the shoulder, Jack left the two to their own devices. Angela lectured her on basic lab safety, despite the fact that Moira was an esteemed scientist. She knew where to put things, and she was never careless in her research, unless it called for her to be.
“And those are the basics.” Angela turned with a bright smile, after explaining where everything was situated and that she expected it to stay there.
“Are you always so welcoming to your coworkers?” Moira finally spoke, accent just as thick as Angela’s. It was obvious she was being sarcastic as that smug smirk made its way onto her lips.
“Just establishing a proper workspace.” Angela gave a small nod, before returning to the paperwork she had been working on before Moira interrupted. With a soft tut, Moira began to settle herself into her new home.
2065
“Moira!” The loud shriek brought Moira back to her senses. She must have fallen asleep in the lab, yet again. Rolling her shoulders with a satisfying pop, she stood and slowly walked over to where Angela was fuming.
“Explain this to me.” The doctors voice lowered, and that’s when Moira knew she was in trouble. The room had been left a mess after a particular experiment, one that went awfully wrong and had caused Moira to lash out in a fit of rage. She threw any papers she could find, breaking a few beakers in the process. Her desk was nearly overturned, and before she could even clean everything up she had passed out.
“I got upset.” Her voice was lower than usual, thanks to the sleepiness in it, and she could have sworn she saw Angela flush when she spoke. The blondes eyes narrowed, showing barely any sympathy in them for once.
“I come back and my lab is a mess! We have talked about this time and time again!” Angela began to pace around the room, hair bouncing wildly in its little ponytail. Moira watched with glassy eyes, clearly in her own world. That is, until Angela grabbed her tie, pulling her down to meet her height.
Moira blinked in surprise when she found herself inches from the doctors face. Heat had begun to rise to her cheeks, and she cursed her pale complexion in return. Angela looked angry, and that only fueled Moira to continue her teasings.
“I will clean it up, my dear.” Her voice, despite already being low, had dropped even further. “Though, you’re going to have to control yourself, unless you want to make an even bigger mess.”
Angela, despite her great restraint she had shown, seemed to finally give in. Without a second thought, she pulled the Irish woman the few inches closer, pressing her lips firmly against Moira’s.
Moira was shocked, she hadn’t thought Angela thought of her in such a way at all. Sure, they had some unresolved sexual tension, but Moira thought it was because of her own constant flirting. She didn’t have the time to think about it before Angela was pulling away, stammering over her words.
“I-I’m sorry, that was highly unprofessional and I should not have done it. I understand if you want to report me for breaching protocol-“ Her voice caught in her throat as Moira placed a hand behind her head, drawing her into another kiss.
This one was much slower, and Moira allowed her emotions to slip through. She cradled Angela’s face in her hands as she kissed her, eyes slipping closed as she enjoyed the moment that she had created. Pulling back, a smug smirk painted itself across her lips and Angela groaned.
“What an interesting development, Angela.” They had plenty to talk about, but Moira was happy to let that wait as Angela kissed her again.
2066
Holding the small envelope in her hands, Moira frowned. Her high school reunion, something she thought she would never even experience. Her high school life is something she shoved out of her memory, and no one would believe her if she told them what it was actually like.
She had grown into herself since then, become more snarky and mean when people teased her. She wasn’t the same quiet girl that just took everyone’s words and said nothing back, that was long behind her. Now she was the Moira that would snap at you if you so much as looked at her the wrong way.
A wicked smirk came onto her lips as she thought about her high school class seeing her now. The esteemed Overwatch scientist, the woman who was at the forefront of changing the way humans lived. And they all made fun of her for dressing slightly more masculine.
Then her mind drifted to her partner. All throughout high school her sexuality was at the center of most discussions about her. When she was young she pushed the thought away, there was no way she was gay. Yet, as she got older, more comfortable with herself, she found that she quite enjoyed the presence of a woman instead of a man.
She could imagine the looks on their faces when she waltzed in there with Angela on her arm, introducing her as her girlfriend as Angela politely smiled at the people who had tormented her. Standing with her in the crowded gym of her former high school, listening to people chat about how boring their lives were now.
Practically skipping down the hall to the labs, Moira threw the door open before scooping Angela up into her arms with a laugh. She really should not be as excited as she was, but people usually described her as petty and she took it with pride.
“Moira?” Angela said between light giggles. “What has gotten into you? Are you sick? Let me take your temperature.” She was finally placed back onto her feet, looking up at her red haired girlfriend.
“Go to my high school reunion with me.” Moira kept her hands on Angela’s hips, rubbing small circles into the exposed skin where her shirt had ridden up.
“What? Really?” Angela’s eyes lit up, and a smile pulled at her lips. “I get to meet the people that got to grow up with the infamous Moira O’Deorain.”
“You will be surprised with how they treated me.” She shrugged, though she wasn’t going to let the past ruin her good mood. She was going to show those bastards what she had become.
“Of course I’ll go with you, just tell me the dress code and I’ll be ready when you need me.” Angela leaned up to press a quick kiss onto Moira’s lips, as Moira began to explain her high school life to her.
———
A few months later, Moira found herself back in Dublin, Angela by her side as they drove to her high school building. Moira has dressed herself in a crisp black suit, accompanied by a gold tie to match Angela’s dress. She would be easily recognizable to her classmates, her style really didn’t change since she has seen them.
Angela looked absolutely stunning. She had a gold dress on, hugging her hips perfectly as it fell loosely down the rest of her body. She knew that Angela would be the center of attention if left alone, so she made a mental note to not leave her side.
Once the two had arrived at the school, Moira stepped out of the car, rounding it to let Angela out.
“How gentlemanly.” Angela laughed, as she hooked her arm with Moira’s. Taking a deep breath, the pair approached the gym doors, Moira flew one of them opened as the eyes shifted to the pair.
A wave of nostalgia hit Moira as her classmates stared at her. She stood up tall, easily towering over most of the people in the room. A girl she barely recognized approached them, eyeing Angela up and down before shifting her gaze to Moira.
“Moira?” Her voice was soft, and she could have sworn no one had ever spoken to her so nicely when she was young.
“That would be I, yes.” Moira’s voice was much different than it had been when she was in high school. She spoke confidently this time, she knew that she was better than all of these people and she would not cower down to them. “And this is my girlfriend, Angela Ziegler.”
Angela held a hand out for the girl, flashing a bright smile. “It is so nice to meet you! Moira does not talk about her younger days at work.” The girl was taken aback by Angela’s accent, and Moira smirked.
“Where do you work?” A crowd had begun to form around Moira, and that only boosted her ego. Angela nearly groaned.
“Overwatch. We both do.” There were a few murmurs among the crowd, and Moira knew coming wasn’t a mistake. “I am a scientist and researcher, Angela is a doctor and field medic.”
“Oh, now you are complimenting me?” Angela pouted, leaning into Moira’s strong touch. “She is just gloating, I mostly stay away from the fight and heal wounded soldiers.”
“That is..” Another girl, one that had actively teased her during her gym classes, spoke up. “You really have changed, Moira.”
“Oh, you mean that I am successful and most of you are leading boring, insignificant lives?” Moira could barely help the snark that escaped her lips.
Angela slapped her shoulder, glaring up at her. “Moira!”
“It’s true. Besides, I do recall that all you did-“ Moira pointed a long finger in the girls direction. “Was tease me for the way that I dress.”
“We were teenagers..” The girl shrunk under Moira's lingering gaze.
“Yes, and how far did your social status get you when you were a teenager? Perhaps if you studied instead of making out with every football player you would be just as successful as I.”
With that Angela pulled her away, a scowl on her face as they stopped near the drinks table. “What are you doing? Even if this is a personal matter, you do have to uphold Overwatch’s name. Don’t be such a…”
“Bitch? To the people that made my teenage years a living hell?” Moira snarked back, a finger forcing Angela to look up at her. “My dear angel, you are too kind.”
Angela squinted at her, turning on her heel and grabbing a cup, filling it up with whatever was in the punch bowl and downing it. “You are insufferable. Come dance with me.” Angela grabbed her hand, and Moira flushed. Dancing in front of her old classmates? She wasn’t so sure about that.
“Angela-” She scanned the crowd. “I don’t know. Everyone is looking.” She stumbled as Angela tugged on her hand, pouting up at her.
“When have you ever cared about others opinions.” She supposed that Angela was right, as usual. She gave in, joining her girlfriend on the dance floor as the song changed to something more slow. Moira’s hands wrapped around Angela’s waist, and the two swayed together.
“I can practically feel their eyes on us.” Moira whispered into Angela’s ears, pulling the woman flush against her chest.
“Let them watch then.” Moira locked eyes with a rather gruff looking guy staring daggers at them, and with a smirk she placed gentle kisses onto Angela’s neck before nibbling on the sensitive skin, never breaking eye contact,
“Moira-” The words were breathless as Angela spoke, and she put a hand onto Moira’s chest, pushing her back slightly. “We are in public.”
“Right, sorry my love. I just don’t like when others look at you.” She gave a soft smile, leaning down to press a quick kiss onto her lovers lips. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“Of course.” Angela smiled back, playing with the small hairs at the back of Moira’s neck as they danced. The night passed by quickly, and Moira was glad that she didn’t have to face her high school reunion alone.