Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters Capcom does. I'm just borrowing them for my own and possible the amusement of other fans. No money is being made so please don't sue me.
Notes: I've all ways found Ryu and Ken's relationship fascinating. They can go for long periods of time without seeing each other but they still consider themselves best friends and almost brothers. Then I got thinking about Ken's wife and wonder how she'd see their relationship.
I am not overly thrilled with this fic-let but I wanted the idea out of my head and this is the result.
The Rival
Eliza Masters turned over in bed to feel the spot where her husband should be. A glance at the clock confirmed she hadn't over slept. They were both by nature early risers and tended to be up and about by six at the latest. She frowned for a second and then remembered that Ryu was visiting and assumed her husband was already up and playing around in his dojo with his best friend. She fought down her irritation as she climbed out of bed. She reminded herself that in the five years she and Ken had been together this was only the other man's second visit. Still it was irritating that Ken seemed to become a different person when his friend was around.
She got up and headed into the shower she'd be glad when the other man left in a few days. She had her suspicions about the fact she was late but didn't want to confirm them until after the other man had gone. She knew if she was right then Ken would automatically include his friend in the celebrations and she didn't want to share that happy moment with anyone but her husband. She felt slightly guilty about that and admonished herself that she'd known all about his strange friendship with the other man when she married him. Still she couldn't help but think of him as a rival for her husband's time. If Ryu was around her husband spent far more time around him than he did around her and it was irritating.
Once she was done getting ready she headed downstairs hoping to see her husband for breakfast at least. She arrived to find the cook had prepared an excellent breakfast as usual but her husband wasn't anywhere to be found. "Has Ken already eaten?" She asked as she settled herself at the table.
"Yes, he and his friend have already eaten," the cook said. "He told me to tell you that they were heading into town and would be back later." She fought down her irritation and reminded herself it was just another day or two and then Ryu would be gone from their life for a while.
She ate her breakfast slowly having lost her appetite the moment she realized her husband had taken off with his friend again and left her alone. To make matters worse she had no one to talk to about how she felt. She had tried talking to her friends about it during the last visit by the other man a few years ago and it hadn't gone well. They'd either thought she was crazy to be so jealous or became convinced Ken was secretly in love with his best friend.
She had always dismissed those theories of some of her friends as the nonsense they were. She had no doubt that if Ken had ever been involved in any type of sexual relationship with Ryu he'd have told her. She finished eating and decided to settle down with a good book and put her dislike of the other man out of her head. She could pretend for her husband's sake that she didn't want her rival gone from their lives.
The End...