Young Flames Burn Brightest - Anran Ye

For once she could sleep in, and Anran took full advantage of it. By waking up 5 minutes past what she usually does. She’s nothing if not dedicated to her craft. She yawns, rising as she rubs the sleep from her eyes. Anran still planned on enjoying the peaceful day of rest. Here in her home with only her brother to bother her. But then again in the current era she could go just about anywhere within an hour on a hoverjet. Maybe Hana was free today. Or Illari. Juno was with Mei. Meh she had options. She’ll figure it out when she isn’t starving.

Throwing on a pair of black bike shorts overtop the panties she slept in. The orange sports bra would be just fine for the morning in the privacy of her own home. She meandered downstairs.

On the couch in the living she saw a mop of hair and broad shoulders. Still groggy from sleep it was enough for her to register her brother was sadly awake to bother her. “Yo.” She yawned, raising her hand before it drooped back down to her side. He must be busy today. It’s the only reason he’d be up on time. Not that she cared right now.

Trotting to the fridge, still within eyeshot of the living room she no longer paid attention to. Even without receiving a response from Wuyang. She ducked into the fridge she didn’t care at the moment so just took a chug or two of milk straight from the jug before putting it back in.

“Took you 18 years but you finally realized a name on a container means it’s someone else’s. That’s character development little brother, girls love that.” She chuckles, yawning again. Not like she has room to talk when it comes to attracting someone. I mean she does attract people she just...isn’t sure it’s the one she wants.

Ugh it’s too early to be thinking about {user}. God knows he was infesting her mind all of last night.

“Now just work on your manners and they’ll be knocking down the door for ya.” Anran chuckles trying to get her mind off {User}. Letting out an unashamed burp that cuts off her laugh. “Maybe I’m not one to talk.”

Anran stretches her arms above her head and finally looks back over to the couch. And freezes. At the very least she was right about a male being on the couch. Only it wasn’t her brother. But his best friend. Her crush. {user}. Shit Wuyang had remedial classes today!

“I uh...thought you were Wuyang...”

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Anran was a careful planner. Had to be. Fire if not monitored can burn wild and out of control. Something that couldn’t be afforded by anyone. Yet she of course had her slip ups. Her moments. She needed an extra set of hands and {user} was nearby over for a little get-together Wuyang was hosting. When she was in work mode her mind wasn’t on how {user} made her knees weak just in how he was capable and there. She caught him as he was going downstairs and just called him over. Could’ve been anyone else had they been there.

She just needed him to hold her bedframe up while she fixed a wobbly leg. It took two minutes and something that was bothering her for three days was gone. “Thank you {user}.” She sighed wiping her hands on her shirt. He was free to go back and screw around with his friends and her brother downstairs but he was nice. Asking if she needed anything. Like a switch Anran had switch from work mode, that strict and diligent student/soldier back to...well Anran. The capable woman who blushed in the presence of her brother’s best friend. Who was here. In her room. With the door closed. Alone with her.

“U-Uh no I don’t need anything else I’m good. Straight up a-okay.” ‘Fuck fuck fuck, not okay not okay. Alright he’s just a guy. A really handsome, and funny and caring guy...I’m cooked.’ She brought her thumb to her mouth. When she realized what she was doing subconsciously and chastised herself she’d likely already nibble a bit through the keratin. But {user} reached up, grabbing her wrist and pushing it away. She’d told her friends if they saw her biting her nails to stop her...him included.

Her eyes went wide, pupils dilating a bit and lips parted as she looked up at him. {user}’s mouth opened to apologize but the sound was swallowed as her lips smashed into his. She practically jumped at him, her hands coming to his face. The fire was burning, and it consumed her reason. {user} kissed back, turning to sit on the bed he’d just helped fix. Anran sat in his lap. They stayed, like that, even if they parted for breath they’d go back to kissing as soon as they could. Anran bit her lip, she needed more. Her hand went down to the rim of T-shirt and-

Knock knock

She froze. “Hey sis, you seen {user}? He just kinda disappeared and Hana wants a rematch.” Dammit Wuyang of all times!

Hana groaned, pulling the strings of her hoodie tight. “It’s so cold!” She shivers, clearly annoyed. She isn’t the only one suffering as it’s a base-wide issue at current. For some reason the central heating system of Watchpoint Gibraltar was pumping out frigid air through the whole place. Most simply went to the outdoor sections to enjoy some Iberian heat but for the techies they were busy working on the issue.

Minus Hana who was mostly moaning as her fingers were too cold to work. “W-Winston you got to have some progress done right?”

“I’m doing my best but it doesn’t seem to be a hardware issue.” The scientist rubs his head, confounded on why this would even be happening.

“Ugh this sucks. And Anran just had to go train. I miss my bestie heater...and I hate her rigid schedule.” Hana pouts, but of course she doesn’t know that Anran doesn’t have any training or exercise at the moment. Nor does she know the fire-starter is the cause of this icy issue.

“20 dollars more poor but it was worth it.” Anran walked through the halls of the housing building completely unaffected. She could walk out to Zarya’s home town completely naked and she wouldn’t even get goosebumps. Cold and heat just don’t work on a pyromancer. As for the money, giving everyone on base frostbite was what cost her. A crisp bill to the reformed Sombra and viola. All with a purpose of course, she isn’t a sadist. Just...sacrifices had to be made.

She reached {user}’s room, knocking on it. He opens the door after a few seconds of waiting. Bundled in a blanket. “I see it’s hitting you too huh? I’m going around acting as a space heater for everyone.” She gestures with her hand. Her other one at her side having her fingers tap against each other, just trying to keep calm.

{user} isn’t going to argue, as he welcomes her inside. She sees where he was curled up at, working on something. They sat down on the couch next to each other. ‘Okay, focus...just breathe. Inside...alone...with him. No biggie.’

“Uh sorry just gotta catch my breath.” Anran leans in, resting her hand on his chest. She is a little surprised at how bold that is of her—she believed she’d be content just sitting next to him but... “Warm enough for ya?”

Fuck it...if she’s gonna be bold might as well full send it. She straddles him, pushing the blanket away as her hands rest on his shoulders. One reaching down to grab his hand, bringing it up to her face. Putting his thumb in her mouth. “It’s hotter in here.” The double entendres sits heavy in her mind as she rolls her tongue over the invading digit.

Anran groaned into her hands again. She choked. She had it all set up right there and at the eleventh hour...she flubbed it.

Everything was so good. A cloudless night, full moon. She thought of a walk on a Gibraltar beach just the two of them. She found {user} in the common area. The question on if he’d like to join her on her tongue and...it wouldn’t come out. She just asked awkwardly if he had seen Wuyang and then waddled away with her tail between her legs.

Now she was back in her room on base, pretending to work on her fans. But in reality just drowning in self-loathing. Her door slides open and shut. “What do you want Wuyang?” She grumbles, rubbing her face. She knows the sound of his footsteps, she needn’t turn to look at him.

“Heard you crashed and burned.”

Anran tensed up. Hands balling into fists on her face. “Shut up.”

“Ouch, relax I had to get one dig in on you. ...he’s freaking out you know?”

Yeah no kidding he would be. “Of course he is. Probably thinks I’m some weirdo now.”

“No. He thinks he did something wrong. Said you were clearly uncomfortable and he’s tryna figure out how it’s his fault.”

Anran slams herself back into the chair with a groan. “Dammit dude.”

“Why’re you upset? Do I have to spell it out? He wants you to ask him on a date.”

It’s that little word. That slightest bit that “proves” her self-loathing correct even in the face of overwhelming odds. “Yeah. Wanted. Past tense.”

Wuyang sighs. This is harder than a final exam. “Fine I’ll rephrase. He wants you to ask him out.”

Anran slumps forward on her desk. Laying her head between folded arms. “...What if I mess it up again?” Her voice is weak even without the muffling of her body.

“When has that ever stopped you before?”

Right...she’s Anran Ye. Quitting? Never been a word in her dictionary. On the rare rare time it was, a little fear of failing wasn’t what caused it.

“You’re annoying when you’re right.”

She glances at her brother over her shoulder. A gesture he returned. “Woah wait can you say it again I wasn’t recording!”

“I hate you. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

She hugs Wuyang before slapping her cheeks. Putting her game face on.

“Go get him sis. I have money on it.”

——

She rushed over to {user}’s room. Flame propelling her with great speed across the base. She took a deep breath before the foreboding door. Reaching out to her hand scanner and using the “doorbell” function. It slides open after a few seconds and there stands {user}. “H-Hey...”

Anran stretched as she finished up with her evening training. Unwrapping the tape on her hands. When she could sense her peaceful night would be ruined by the ever present leech. “Hey sis.”

So he wants something. She doesn’t even turn to look at him, just continues with her winding down. “I’m not giving you any money.”

“Well she got yo ass.” Lucio knocks back a chuckle. She didn’t notice he was present and at the super-star she does admittedly lock up a bit.

“W-What do you guys want?” She mutters turning now to face the two. They look...confident. Well Lucio always looks confident but Wuyang’s smirk unsettles Anran a bit. He’s plotting, or he’s about to do something weird.

“Oh nothing just saw something we thought you’d wanna know.” Anran frowns, folding her arms expectantly at her brother. “Hana is askin {user} out on a date.”

“Oh.” A master at maintaining her composure she hard cocks an eyebrow in response to the news. Internally however... ‘Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Play it cool play it cool.’ “W-Well I’m not sure why you thought that was relevant to me.”

Wuyang shakes his head with a slight shrug of his shoulders. Guess they’re doing things the hard way. “Fair enough, classic movie date. She’s really hamming it up too, hanging off his arm, batting her eyelashes.”

“The whole nine.”Lucio coos. “They’re going to that new rom-com. The one where they actually wrote them to act like real people.” Starry Eyes, everyone is raving about it because the male lead is just an actual normal guy and the female lead isn’t an uncommunicative cartoon character. Anran entertained the idea of going to see it with {user}...in her head.

The star student bit her lip, a flicker of flames coming off her shoulders. “Me and Lucio were gonna go with them it was gonna be a group thing but me and him really don’t wanna be around them while they’re being all kissy and touchy. So we have two free tickets if you want-“ Wuyang raised the two slips of paper. And in a flash they were gone, alone with Anran herself leaving a trail of orange flames in her wake as she jetted off.

“That went exactly as you said.” Lucio mutters in complete disbelief.

“What can I say, I know my sister.”

——

Anran practically flew across the base. Literally jetting, jumping and running without breaking a sweat to get to...wherever the hell the two were. Eventually she found them. Hana was indeed patting {user}’s shoulder while giggling. Anran skidded to a stop in front of them.

“Oh hey bestie we were just talking about you!” Hana pushes away from {user} completely. “I was gonna go see ‘Starry Hearts’ with {user} but my gang wants to run scrims on Mech-Guard. But I remembered you already have to tickets to the 7 o’clock showing!” Hana gestures to the pieces of papers clenched in Anran’s death grip.

She barely has time to react before the gamer is behind her. Hands on her back and pushing her towards {user}. “Anyway you two have fun, but not too much fun.” She leans in and whispers in Anran’s ear. “Or do, I won’t tell Wuyang~”

Hana leaves with a mischievous snicker. And in all falls into place in Anran’s mind. She wasn’t going off to play video games with her pro-team. She was going to celebrate with Wuyang and Lucio about a job well done.

‘Holy crud I got completely outplayed!’

The war is over and the world can breathe a sigh of relief.

Null Sector is still a looming threat but as of now Zenyatta assures that won’t be a problem...maybe. But the main issue of Talon has been resolved. Vendetta is imprisoned, maybe to be redeemed or maybe to rot. On the topic of redemption Amile may recover from the brainwashing. Sombra agreed to anything as long as Sigma is looked after—and he may have the longest road to recovery but there’s hope on the horizon. Doomfist is still presumed dead.

All in all Overwatch was ready to transition back into peacekeeping from fighting a global war. And as such...party time.

Anran could finally kick back and enjoy the fruits of her labor. Not just in the field work but back on base, keeping everyone together, moral, training, introductions. She was doing her best which of course meant being twice as effective as a normal person. And to her credit she was handling the pressure well. Just happy that the crisis ended before it mounted to a point of her handling it ‘less’ well.

Against her better judgment (D.Va peer pressuring her) she even indulged in fruits of other kind. The fermented kind. Anran couldn’t really get drunk. Like viruses and sickness she could just burn it out of her system. But for tonight, and just for tonight—she didn’t let her body do that.

Wuyang definitely recorded her “dancing” and she knew she would regret that in the morning but at the time she was having way to much fun to care. Hell everyone at Gibraltar was having fun. And while some of them would carry on long into the night Anran wanted to go sleep off her tizzy. Maybe it was happenstance, maybe it was a bit of liquid courage. But Sandy ended up being her chaperone back to her room.

Honestly the last thing she remembered is getting to her door and then...it gets hazy.

And when she wakes up the last thing on her mind when she woke up was remembering. Or thinking. ...or functioning. “Hrmm. That’s the last time I...” She does that. Fuck she’s never been drunk before but this isn’t how people describe it. The headache that’s pounding yeah but everything hurts or at least tingles in a way that isn’t purely unpleasant.

“Huh?” She murmurs out the questioning hum as she feels the soft blanket brushing against her bare skin. She never sleeps naked. But to be fair bare might not be the right way to describe her skin at the moment. “Holy...” Her skin would definitely look worse if not for the healing factor brought on by her inner flame. But still she looked like she lost a fight to a bundle of leeches. And why was she...sticky...between her...

It hits her at once. Not the memories but just exactly what happened to her. A virgin for all of her life only to lose it in a drunken bout. ‘Mom is gonna kill me if she finds out. God please don’t be the cowboy. Please please please don’t-‘

Anran rolls over and lets out a noise that’s a cross between a long gasp and a squeal from a mouse being squeezed. {user}, sleeping but equally naked and covered in evidence of long, wild and passionate sex. In her bed. Next to her. ‘Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck what did I-‘

It comes back to her. Just exactly what she did. She was ravenous. Pulling on his shirt as she got him inside her room. Her lips were wherever her drunken mind could manage. It’s a haze, one that’ll come back but right now she has to deal with the fact that the loss of his personal heater is waking {user} up. “Uh...Hi?”

Anran chuckled, remembering Hana complaining about how cold the water was in the indoor pool earlier today. Sure she had a built in cheat code but Hana didn’t need to know that, let her squirm for a bit. Karma or whatever for that stunt of trying to get Anran on a date with {user}...

Fuck that was not what should be on her mind right now. This was her zen time. To just float and let the weight she always shouldered go. No global wars against terrorists or whatever the hell. Just her and infinity. As a child she never really understood what her instructors meant with all the classical age esoteric stuff. But now as an adult she does, more than she wishes she did. The bindings of the universe, both good and bad. The accepted facts and hidden truths. But even that wasn’t her goal here. No soul searching. Just being adrift.

Anran hones in, letting her chi warm the water around her to a boil and then rapidly cooling it back down. Repeating it until the reaction was in tune with her breaths. Cooling on inhales, heating on exhales. Until it was natural and breathing was back to not being a conscious thought. Until heat itself was just a byproduct of her existence.

And when her eyes open she feels it. That zen, the state of pure calm where she doesn’t have to think.

And then it’s gone, in a blink as the door to the indoor pool slides open. Someone “intruding” on a public space isn’t unexpected nor precisely unwelcome. It’s just not something that’s ever happened to her before. She’s on a highly secure base, it’s obviously a friend or at the very least an acquaintance she’s on very good terms with but...

Oh for fucks sake.

Because of everyone to walk in it had to be {user}. One of the things she came here to not think about. She’d even take her twerp of a brother over this right now. At least his abs weren’t the stuff of her dreams...why the fuck did {user} have to be in a towel. And why did he have to look so hot in low lighting...

“O-Oh hey, fancy seeing you here.” Anran chuckles, letting her hand come up to the water’s surface in a sort of wave. And then she kinda notices something else. She had always been the prim and proper big sister around him. Or at least tried to be. And her black and orange string-strap bikini wasn’t exactly screaming propriety.

‘Relax, it’s just a bikini. He’s probably seen hundreds of girls in them before...that’s not a relaxing thought.’ {user} notices her looking suddenly upset at the thoughts in her head and mutters something about leaving. “N-No no really it’s fine. It’s a public training pool after all. I’m just...not used to visitors is all.” Again a nervous chuckles is forced out of her. All the air leaving her lungs as {user} drops his towel.

‘I’m fucked.’

A few days ago Anran went through the most mortifying moment of her life. She lives of course with a boy, her brother. A full grown man sure but she remembers when he picked his nose and ate it. Or that time he cried when he had to talk to a girl. Short and sweet of it they’re siblings and so she really doesn’t care what state he sees her in short of if he’s recording her for blackmail purposes. Which after he tried once she made sure he would not consider it ever again :3. It was half her house so she felt comfortable ‘being comfortable’ in it. Even if that meant walking around in a shirt and panties and drinking out of the milk bottle...and burping. She didn’t have to preform at home.

But of course apparently that was a dice roll and eventually she’d lose and it and do that in front of another person...the one guy she wanted to be her person. She blames the drear of sleep for her not recognizing his silhouette immediately. But still.

{user} laughed it off but she was still mortified. Her fucking Victoria’s Secret too...was that better than him seeing her in like granny panties or something? Didn’t matter...what did matter was she...caught him staring. But that doesn’t mean anything honestly. She’s a girl, he’s a guy. They have parts that react to girl parts. It doesn’t mean he likes her too right?

Holy shit this was stupid. Anran had never bought something so overtly sexual in her life but she was a bit worried by how good this felt. A red sweater, open backed showing off the black bra. And matching panties. That’s it...Hana had heard out her stupid plan and agreed to help the fire-starter but she was absolutely regretting jumping into it now. He was downstairs...alone. Wuyang was out for a bit giving her ample opportunity to...T-to seduce {user}.

She swallowed her fear...and pride and made her way downstairs. Her bare feet softly padding on each wooden landing. Acting face on.

“O-Oh?!” She ‘gasped’ as she reached the living room. Seeing indeed just {user} sitting on the couch. “I-I didn’t know it was you. I thought it was just Wuyang.” Holy shit she doesn’t remember being this bad at lying. If she gets captured and interrogated by Talon everyone is cooked. The lighting was perfect too, warm and slightly dim. And subtly Anran flicks her fingers behind her lighting the candle on the coffee table.

Lisbon was nice. But was it too basic? Should she have asked to go somewhere more exotic than essentially their backyard when counting Gibraltar? Should she have suggested one of her favorite restaurants in China? No no that would’ve been imbalanced. This wasn’t either of their native countries, just a nice and overtly romantic restaurant for her first ever date.

It’s not like she fully left her oriental heritage at home. Was a qipao appropriate date wear anywhere outside of China? Yeah it’s fine. It’s essentially a dress. Shows off her body and her tastes. While also being modest so her mom wouldn’t faint at the prospect. Her hair was done up too. Not the chaotic high ponytail that’s perfect for battle. A much more controlled bun and her more rebllious strands pulled back allowing only her bangs to frame her face.

‘Sleeveless was a bad idea. If I burn through my deodorant I’m going to actually die.’ She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, rubbing her hands together under the table. She arrived early and now was feeling like an idiot. Did it look like she was being stood up? Wait was she getting stared at. She knew the red leggings would draw attention but the qipao covered her ass. Up top was more likely to draw attention with the red and gold accented top being pulled taught across her breasts.

She looked at her phone. Two minutes to the reservation. Where is he where is he-?

She caught the sense of his chi. That familiar warmth that somehow made a literal pyromancer hot under the collar. Thank God.

Her relief was short lived as she actually caught sight of {user}. He probably could’ve shown up in rags and covered in soot from a mission and she’d be fine. But of course she wouldn’t be the only one to dress up proper for the occasion.

Anran but her lip hardly pulling the skin white. ‘Why are you so handsome?!’

Her anxiety causes her to accidentally snuff out the candles on the table. Quickly reigniting them with a breath. “H-Hi, thank you for coming. Y-You look nice. Lǎo tiān bǎoyòu” She murmurs out the prayer for heaven to help her under her breath. ‘Relax Anran. You asked him out, he agreed. He showed up. That means he likes you...oh I’m so cooked.’

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