Disclaimer: I do not own KOF or related characters. All is the property of SNK. I'm just borrowing them for some non-profit entertainment.

The Sweet Far Thing

Chapter Eight: Nominal Congress

"What the Hell is this!?"

Terry released Mai and took a step back. He had realized only an instant after Andy had arrived how this scene might appear to his little brother. His relationship with Mai was on shaky ground and then to walk in on his older brother kissing her, albeit on the forehead and very chastely at that, but distinctions like that would be lost on the impetuous ninja in the shock of the moment. At the moment all he would see would be a friend, a brother attempting to seduce his woman. And the worst part of it was that any explanation Terry could give at this very moment would sound like nothing more than an excuse.

"Andy, I…" But that didn't mean he wasn't go to try and explain.

"Outside!" The younger man cut him off vehemently. Terry sputtered at a loss. Was he being kicked out of the Shiranui dojo? But the dojo was Mai's; Andy didn't have the authority to kick someone out, did he? Luckily, Terry didn't stay confused for long because upon seeing his brother's lack of movement Andy repeated, "You, me, outside now!"

"Now hold on just a-" Mai's interjected protest was silenced with a look. An odd mixture of anger and betrayal with hints of melancholy played over Andy's features and gave Mai reason to pause.

Terry followed his brother out of the room and through the kitchen door into the snow-covered courtyard outside. He wanted to explain to him what he had just seen, but he knew his brother and knew that he wouldn't listen until he had burned off his initial shock and anger, and so remained tactfully silent.

All that being said, it still hurt like a bitch when Andy turned around suddenly and socked him hard in the jaw. Terry staggered backwards, one hand going up to cradle his lower mandible while his tong felt around to figure out what was suddenly rolling around loose in his mouth. The Lone Wolf spat out one of his back molar teeth, it left a bloody stain on the pure white snow where it landed.

"You back-stabbing, home-wrecking son of a bitch!" Andy roared.

"You've got the wrong idea." Terry insisted.

Of course Andy didn't listen, wasn't listening. All he knew was what he saw and what he saw was his brother kiss the woman that was his, kiss her after telling her how he was going to fight to have her. Well, Andy was going to make it as arduous and gruesome a fight as he could! Mai was his, his woman, his lover, his match and he wasn't going to loose her to anyone, especially not the man that he'd been spending the past few years training his hardest to beat.

"Zan-ei Ken!" The American ninja dashed forward, his elbow outstretched like a lance.

Terry blocked the hit but did not return the blow; he was going to keep his defenses up. If Andy wanted to fight, if Andy needed a fight, then he would let him fight. But Terry was not about to get his little brother all bloodied-up over a silly misunderstanding. Andy had always been too emotional for his own good; Terry knew this better than anyone (except maybe for Mai). Once his brother was calm they could talk, until then Terry would let him vent as much as he needed.

"Andy stop!" Mai had followed them out. She knelt on the porch edge pulling a pair of shoes onto her feet. "What has gotten into you?"

Andy ignored her, so focused was he on his enemy. Not his opponent, this fight was not recreational, this fight was to defend his mate and territory from a usurping and lonely Wolf. In this fight Terry was not an opponent but an enemy. The blond ninja flipped backwards into a sort of handstand before launching himself through the air at his enemy.

"Kuuha Dan!"

Terry blocked the move as he had the Zan-ei Ken but once again did not take advantage of his brother being left wide open and off balanced by the failed attack. He knew that if he were to continue this way it would only make Andy even angrier but the Lone Wolf wanted his brother to burn off just a little more of his rage before he began fighting back in any sort of serious sense. There was something bothering him about the way Andy was fighting and Terry needed to observe his offensive a bit longer before he could figure out what it was.

Andy was using all the same moves he usually did. It wasn't the technique he was using that was strange, but rather the way in which he was using it, the way he was fighting. Andy's Shiranui-ryu and Kouppojitsu taught him to measure his movements. They taught him to make every attack fast, precise and carful, to do the maximum amount of damage with minimal force. But now… now he seemed to be throwing his entire body into them with little to no restraint.

"Both of you stop!" Mai had finished putting on her shoes and was now trying her damnedest to separate them. "What in the Hell is going on with you two?"

Andy grabbed her arm and gently but forcefully moved her to the side and out of the way. The only explanation he bothered to give was a deep rumbling growl, "You're mine."

He set his feet in a solid stance to build his ki, pushing it to the max before bringing his hands together and launching a ball of pure blue fighting spirit at Terry. "Hishou-ken!"

Instead of blocking Terry jumped over the attack, any attempt to block that would have resulted in second and possibly third degree burns and the Lone Wolf really didn't feel like dealing with that tonight.

Mai, sick of being ignored or pushed to the side, rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Andy's waist and locked her hands around her wrists so that he couldn't escape. But more importantly, so that he couldn't move or fight anymore.

"Will you just stop!" Needless to say she was very annoyed by this point. "You get home and suddenly want to kill Terry. What in the Hell is going on?"

"Don't defend him." Andy hissed and tried to struggle out of her grip but she held firm and refused to release him.

"He's your brother."

"He can't have you!" The blond ninja roared. "You're mine and he can't have you! I won't let him. He has everything else! He's the better fighter, he's more widely respected, more renowned, the better man. But you, you're mine; you're all I've got and I won't let him take you from me too!"

"What in the Hell are you talking about?" She asked disbelieving. "Terry's not trying to take me from you, you idiot."

"Yeah, I don't want her." Terry chipped in. "No offence, Mai."

"None taken." Terry was nice, but she didn't want him either and wasn't at all insulted by his statement. She rested her cheek on Andy's shoulder. "Now what's this about?"

"Don't play dumb!" He snapped. "I saw you, I heard him say that he was going to fight so he could have you and keep you because you're worth it and then he kissed you!"

"Wha, is that it?" Mai almost giggled but luckily was able to hold it in. "Oh, Andy, he was talking about you! He said you would fight to keep me you great idiot." She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and hugged him tighter, the action causing her breasts to press themselves against the solid wall of his back. "You're such a dunce."

"But he kissed you!"

"Like kissing a sister." Terry supplied.

Andy sputtered for a few moments before taking a deep calming breath and let their words sink in. Perhaps he had overreacted. Had he seen his brother kiss Mai like that at any other time he probably wouldn't have thought anything of it, but now… The way he and Mai had been acting towards one another, how distant she's been these past few months… Andy had been in doubt of her love for him. He felt ashamed of how easily he had jumped to the conclusion that he had.

"Let me go, Mai." Andy sighed. "I'm calm."

She reluctantly withdrew her arms from around his waist and pulled away. Mai took a step or two back from Andy to give him his space but he grabbed her hand at the last minuet, making her pause.

"Thank you." He said.

"For what?" She blinked in abject confusion. She hadn't done all that much.

Andy lifted her hand to his lips and placed a chase kiss upon it. "Just for being you."

Mai didn't quite know how to respond to that. Andy just about never said pretty things to her. He was not the romantic type. All those years she had been showering him with affection he'd never shown any in return (aside from sleeping with her that is). What made him suddenly start now? Was it because he had thought that he might have lost her just now? Or maybe because of how distant she'd been over the last few months…

Terry made an odd croaking sound that might have been surprised, or perhaps shocked or maybe utter dumbfoundedness. Andy never showed affection toward Mai! Oh sure he showed his affection for the spunky red ninja in other way, actions that he wasn't aware he did but spoke volumes to those who knew him and those around him. But never anything strait forward, never to her face; he never showed his affection to her publically.

And yet, Terry had just witnessed him do exactly that.

Mai blushed slightly, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. How was she supposed to respond to that? 'Thank you for being you'? What was that even supposed to mean? Luckily she didn't have to formulate a response, she was saved by Rock, with Hokutomaru close behind, dashing out to see what was going on.

"I heard shouting." The teen explained. "Y'all alright?"

"Just fine." Andy crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from the concerned teen.

"Just a little surprise-spar." Terry explained with a smile. He bent down and retrieved his discarded tooth from the snow.

"Hn." Andy once again took Mai by the hand and, brushing past the Howard boy and Hokutomaru, went back inside.

Rock watched Andy lead Mai back inside, something was off with that picture. Wasn't it usually supposed to be Mai leading Andy? He turned his attention back to his legal guardian. "Surprise-spar, huh?"

"Yeah." Terry popped his tooth back in his mouth and attempted to maneuver it back into its socket with his tong. After a few moments of this, he realized it was a pointless endeavor and spat the tooth back out, this time leaving it in the snow where it dropped.

"What's a 'surprise-spar'?" Hokutomaru asked, blinking in confusion while glancing between Rock and Terry.

"We'll talk." Rock patted the younger boy on the shoulder.

Once they were inside Mai disentangled herself from Andy's firm grasp and turned to him. "I can't believe you thought that me and Terry…!"

"I thought…" Andy tried to explain but faltered. "Never mind what I thought. You know what I thought."

Mai shook her head. She reached out her hand, touching his cheek and turning him to face her. "Andy…" She said gently then her demeanor changed. "With Terry!? Really? Go ahead and set me up with the kid from Mighty Max, why don't ya? Ugh!"

"Mai, I… The kid from Mighty Max?" He paused, as his mind finally possessed her mid-90s reference. He snorted and had to cover his nose and mouth with his hand to keep from spraying mucus on her. "Oh, man! He is the kid from Mighty Max! Especially back when he used to wear that cap all the time…"

Mai smiled. It was good to see Andy laugh again. She hadn't seen him laugh in over three months and she found that her own spirits were lifted by it. The red-ninja allowed herself to indulge in it as well.

"I haven't heard you laugh in a long time." Mai finally said.

"I haven't had a reason to." He answered.

"Neither of us have." She took his hand in hers again and looked him directly in there eyes. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

She shrugged her shoulders elegantly making her breasts bounce with the motion. "For nothing in particular, for everything, for not telling you, for the misunderstanding just now. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too." Andy pulled her closer to him, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other still held her hand. "I'm sorry for being a selfish ass, I'm sorry for putting you second to my own wants and desires, for everything that I have or haven't done for you, I'm sorry."

Mai rested her head on his chest. "So, what now? Are we fine then? Is everything between us as it was?"

"No." He disentangled his hand from her and reached up to stroke her air. "But we're better. We're far better than we have been these past few months."

Andy thought momentarily about moving the hand he had around her wais down to her ass. It had been so very long since he'd been aloud the privilege of touching the more intimate parts of her body and he felt that he deserved some reparation for the shock to his system she and Terry had given him. Ideally he'd prefer some long and sweaty make-up sex but he knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. He decided to be aggressive but not lewd.

Instead of grouping her ass, the hand that was stroking her hair pulled out the ribbon that was holding her pony-tail. Her thick umber and sienna main came tumbling down her back and around her shoulders in elegant waves. She pulled away in sudden confusion.

"What are you-?"

Her question was cut off when he pulled her back to him and pressed his lips against hers. As much as he wanted to just pin her up against the nearest wall and just take her, he also knew that it would just cause them more problems later on. He erred on the side of caution and began with a kiss. A soft affectionate kiss, nothing demanding or intruding. His lips were parted slightly so she knew that she was welcome to deepen it but Andy did not press the issue.

Mai's tong darted out experimentally and he took it as a good sign, holding her closer to him and pressing his pelvis, pressing his erection against her inner thigh. That was when she ended the kiss and pulled away, pushing against his chest to try and break the iron embrace in which he held her.

"I'm sorry, Andy." Mai turned her back to him, unable to watch his disappointment. "I can't. I just… I'm sorry."

Disappointment was an understatement. He was here now; he was staying at the dojo rather than going to train elsewhere for her. She knew that. She knew that he needed some form of release; she had walked in on him. She knew that he wanted her, and yet… She still denied him. Andy's patience was beginning to wear thin. After the evening's little misunderstanding he would have thought that she'd be more willing… he'd take apology sex, though he would prefer make-up sex, and finally have their relationship back the way it was. Why was she being so stubborn? He knew it wasn't because she was frigid; Shiranui Mai was anything but frigid.

"Mai…" Andy stepped forward and wrapped his arms about her shoulders and resisted the almost instinctual urge to grope at her breasts. He trailed kisses from her neck, just below her earlobe, down to the junction between shoulder and neck (only because the collar of her robe prevented him from going further). "I want you." He whispered to her collarbone.

"Andy, I…"

One hand reached up to pull the collar of her kimono away just enough to give him access to her shoulder while the other hand drifted downward to slither between the folds of her robe, seeking entry. Andy sucked on the smooth, evenly tanned skin of her exposed shoulder while his hand sough the juncture between her thighs. She leaned back into him when his fingers brushed against the outside of her panties. Her soft moan at the touch was as much permission as he needed.

Andy pulled the material of her underwear aside to better tease the sensitive bud that resided there. A slight wave of wetness was his reward and only encouraged him further.

"You're still so sensitive." He muttered, nibbling on her ear.

"Andy…" She breathed and tried to pull away, but he held her fast, refusing to let go. "Andy, we're in the middle of the hall!"

He paused in his ministrations; they were in a rather public part of the house. It wouldn't due to have Terry or the Howard boy walk in on them in the midst of fucking up against a wall. Not to mention that Hokutomaru had enough emotional trauma as it was after the death of his family and having to survive on his own out in the wild, he didn't need to witness them humping in the middle of the hallway like gorillas. Andy sighed.

"You're right, of course."

He let Mai go, but as she was pulling her kimono back into place he seized her again, lifting her up and carrying her bridal style into the master bedroom. He had been pent-up for a while and wanted release and was tired of all the excuses and everything else that always seemed to keep getting in the way. Opening the sliding door was awkward with her in his arms but the blond ninja managed.

"Andy, what are you…?"

She struggled out of his grip only after they were safely inside her bedroom.

Andy shut the door behind them and leaned against the shouji frame, admiring her disheveled appearance. Her hair, wiled and tossed, hung around her shoulders and framed her face, one stray strand falling forward to curl between her breasts. Her kimono hung louse about her shoulders, threatening to reveal her round succulent breasts. She was beautiful!

Andy stalked towards her with the slow deliberate swagger of a predator and Mai found herself longing to be devoured by him. It had been so long and she loved him so much… Her body hummed with the desire to feel him once more, to take him inside her and ride him, pushing them both to a gasping and sweaty climax. But her desire battled with her uncertainty and insecurities. She had promised herself that she wouldn't give in to her base nature ever again, not unless he agreed to marry her. They were still not married.

"Mai…" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, crushing her body against the solid wall that was his own. "… I need you."

She wanted to give in at that moment, to lean in and accept the kiss that he was about to bestow upon her lips, to pull him down with her onto the futon and make love as they had in the past. But she couldn't, she wouldn't. Instead Mai turned her back toward him for a second time that evening.

"I'm sorry, Andy." She said. "I just… its still to soon."

"Three months is a long time for a man to go without sex, Mai."

"Bullshit! You've gone longer, I know." She hissed back at him. His extended training journeys lasted far longer than three months, some even lasting as long as a year and often averaging on six months.

"Longer away from you, yes." He agreed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close in an undemanding hug. "But here, with you… with the sight of your body, the sound of your voice, the scent of your hair…" he breathed deeply and nuzzled her head, "… with knowing that you're here and that you're mine but never being able to touch you, to have you… Six months lived like that, Mai, is torture."

She wanted to shoot back with something jibe and witty but nothing came to mind. Truth be told, she knew how he felt. She had also gone just as long without sex on his long and extended absences. But here, now, with him living at the dojo and her not touching him, feeling him, having him… it was torture. Women have needs too and Mai had been denying hers these past three months for fear of once again finding herself pregnant and abandoned. That fear still held strong but that didn't mean that she didn't want some form of sexual relief from him.

Mai placed her hands on his shoulders and lightly pushed him down, not violently, just enough so that he would take the hint. Andy looked a little confused for a second but obediently sank to his knees. The kunoichi had to sigh and shake her head, she took sunk to her knees and pushed Andy the rest of the way down so that he lay on his back with half his body hanging off the futon.

"Like this, moron." She muttered.

"Sorry."

She started to undo the belt of the kaki slacks he'd worn out shopping, unfastening the buckle before unbuttoning and unzipping the pants the rest of the way. She pulled the material off his hips and left it bunched up around his knees. She then ran her hand over his crotch, teasing the sizable bulge beneath his tighty-whiteies.

"Now then…" She said, gently stroking his still contained erection. "What do you want from me?"

Andy's answer was to reach out and try to pull the bow out of her obi, effectively undressing her as well, but Mai batted his hand away.

"Use your words."

"You…" The frustrated blond ninja groaned. "I want you."

"I'm right here." She gave a coy but evil smile while she continued to stroke his stiff and quivering member through the material of his underwear. That smile made him think of her mouth and how good it would feel around his cock.

"Please, Mai…"

"'Please' what?"

Her hand felt so good, but it was a cruel teasing sort of good. The kind that promised more to come but didn't deliver. The kind that showed a man how good a woman could feel and made him crave more. He wanted more than just her hand. He wanted her mouth, her breast, he wanted her whole body.

"Suck me?" He pleaded.

Another coy/evil smile. God her lips were beautiful! He wanted to shove his dick between those lips and blow his load down her throat. And then she spoke again: "What are you gonna do for me?"

"Fuck you." He promised.

"Mmm, that's what you want." She rested her head on his hip, her mouth so very close to his cock that he could feel her breath on him through the material of his underwear. If only he weren't wearing underwear he could just shift his position and be in her mouth… "I don't want that just yet."

Andy let out an uncharacteristic whimper. He was so horney and frustrated. This was one side of Mai that he did not miss, the evil tease. Her aggressive and domineering tenancies were quirky and fun (and sometimes a little scary) but that was what made he so exiting. But this part of her, the irritating teas, that cruel, evil, seductress... But if he refused to play along, tried to take control and assert his dominance, she'd just restrain him some how and start all over again. So he had no choice but to play along.

"What do you want?"

"Hm, well…" Mai held his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. She pulled his hand over to her mouth and sucked on his middle finger as if it were a penis, running circles around it with her tong. It made him want her to suck his actual organ all the more. "You're so skilled with your hands…"

She released his hand and waited. He knew what to do; she loved his fingers (almost as much as his actual cock).

"Swing your ass around." Andy muttered. She wanted him laying down so she should be the one to move and give him better access for what she wanted him to do for her.

Mai was more than happy to oblige. Un-straddling his legs, she swung around so that her tail-section was facing him. Not exactly a 69, Andy refused to do 69s if he was the one on bottom. Mai had the particular talent and/or rare ability of being able to cum like a faucet. Whoever said female ejaculation was a myth was either inexperienced, an idiot, or just plain lying.

Andy bunched up the material of her kimono, pushing it up as far out of the way as her obi would allow before sliding his hand back down between her legs. The moment Mai felt his hand on her she pulled away the restrictive material of his underwear and licked him experimentally.

The blond ninja sighed when he felt her warm, wet tong on him, content that he was at last going to get the relief that he so desperately craved. Andy teased the delicate bud of her clit, causing a fresh wave of warm wetness to trickle down her legs before slipping his middle finger inside her. He was rewarded by a soft moan and her mouth closing around his stiff member.

She was so warm and wet and oddly tight around his finger. He wiggled the digit forward and back causing another wet wave that began to pool around her knees. She gave another moan of appreciation; the action causing his cock to feel almost like it was vibrating inside her mouth.

Mai ran circles around his shaft with her tong while her lips massaged his base; he was so deep in her throat… She felt so good around his cock, she felt so tight around his finger. Andy imagined how good she'd feel if he could enter her properly. If he could slip inside her warm and receptive body, she was already drooling to have him and he wanted her so much…

"Mai..." Forming complete sentences was always a challenge when they were together like this. It was like that portion of his brain shut off and all his mind wanted to focus on was how good she felt and how good she was making him feel.

Upon hearing her name muttered so softly in a labored voice she assumed that he was close to his climax and intensified her attentions to his member. Quickening her pace while also adding an up and down motion that he always seemed to enjoy. His body tensed beneither her, his hand inside her pausing distractedly in its ministrations while his other hand gripped the side of the futon on which he was only partially laying.

"M-mai…" This time it was a gasping sigh. Andy's clinched fist gripping the side of the futon tightened till his knuckles were almost white before relaxing again as a wave of pleasure washed over his entire body, emanating from his loins and traveling up his stomach, his spine, through out his whole body. He relaxed back onto the bed, completely spent and happy.

Mai spat out his thick and sticky load. That was the part of giving fellatio that she hated the most, the moment when he would cum. Not only was it thick and sticky like snot, but it tasted terrible! Pre-cum was okay, pre-cum tasted fine, but his actual ejaculate was awful! She spat the offensive substance out on the floor and used the sleeve of her kimono to wipe her tong in a vain attempt to rid herself of the vile aftertaste.

"Sorry…" Andy muttered in a sleepy voice.

Mai didn't care much for his apologies. His hand's motions inside her had stopped and she was left unsatisfied with a bad taste in her mouth.

Andy sat up, expending most of his reserve energy to do so and wrapped an arm around Mai's exposed shoulders. He pulled her back down with him so that they were both laying half on the bed and half off.

"Lay with me." He whispered into her ear.

Mai laid there with him, the little spoon to his big spoon and lamented her lack of an orgasm. She shouldn't have pushed him to his climax so soon. Once he came everything was over and that sucked major donkey balls. It was so not fair!

"Thank you." Andy nuzzled her hair affectionately.

She wanted to respond with something along the lines of, 'If you were really thankful you'd make me cum in return, bitch!' But she didn't. Instead she just laid there and wondered if he would be insulted if she started fingering herself next to him. He probably would.

Andy snaked one arm be neither her shoulder, holding her closer to him while his hand groped at her breast and the other wrapped around her hip looking to resume its earlier ministrations. Mai was more than willing to accommodate him and parted her legs enough for him to slip his finger back inside, two fingers this time.

He fluttered his fingers back and forth in a "butterfly" motion that he knew drove her mad and was pleased when she moaned low and deep from the back of her throat. More warm wetness flowed out from between her legs and pooled on the futon between them, staining her kimono and what little bit of his pants he still wore.

Andy intensified his motion, slipping a third finger inside her and quickening his motions. The hand that gripped her breast traveled downward to massage her exited clit while his other hand still worked inside her. The double stimulus was almost to much and Mai couldn't help but let out a small gasping moan that bordered on a scream as he pushed her to a shuddering climax, her pleasure flowing out from between her legs and soaking the part of the futon on which they were laying as well as part of the hardwood floor.

Mai's body relaxed and she leaned against Andy in contentment.