After the Battle-Nesting With You

by Cosmic Sky

Chun-Li showing up at his door wasn't something that Xander expected, but he wasn't going to turn down her company. Hers was one that he wasn't sure he'd ever turn down, even at the expense of hunting JP. While she wanted to talk to him about that, Xander himself was who she wanted to see. There was still more to his journey, and more to their relationship than either of them knew.

Hello, everyone. After realizing how much I wanted to do it, I'm finally here, writing my first Street Fighter story. Also my first Street Fighter lemon featuring the first lady of fighting games, Chun-Li herself. I had a few ideas that I wanted to try out before Street Fighter 6 dropped and gave me something more palpable to work with. This is going to be a short series like my Sheikah Intimacy series featuring Link and the Sheikah ladies of the Legend of Zelda. The main character will be Chun-Li and this version of 6's customizable fighter; for this story (and series) his name will be Xander Roth. As indicated by the title, this story takes place after the game's storyline. With all that setup, I hope you all enjoy this story!

I do not own anything.

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After the Battle-Nesting with You

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"I'm coming!" Chun-Li tried not to focus on the slight flutter her heart went into hearing the voice behind the door. Sure, she was happy to see one of her students, but there had to be a limit to it. That didn't include the level of excitement she felt at the thought of seeing him again. It's not like it'd been months or years since they'd seen one another. At best it'd been barely a few weeks, two at most. But then again, quite a lot had happened in those two weeks.

She wouldn't have known that upon hearing the door unlock and turn open to reveal the young man who'd came to her as one of her newest students. He'd came to her like countless others, albeit with a modicum more experience thanks to having trained with some of the other World Warriors. It wasn't like Chun-Li wanted to proclaim herself the best amongst them or that her training was particularly hellish compared to theirs, but it had called for certain qualities that were either lacking or polar opposite of some of the others. Going from their fighting styles to hers was challenging.

Xander Roth had risen to that challenge though, much to her internal joy. That same joy showed on her face as her warm brown eyes met his sea-green orbs. To see them ignite with joyful excitement made her smile wider than she intended to. Further fueling the smile was the quick sweep of his overall body that she did in the second that followed.

The first time she laid eyes on him, his red hair was immediately striking. It wasn't like she hadn't taught redheads before, but there was just something about his scarlet-colored hair that simply stood out to her. Maybe it was the resemblance to Ken's iconic red gi that drew her attention. Like Ken, he'd came to her with a fire in his eyes, something that she admired. She also quickly came to admire his physical strength, which was visible in the muscles on display thanks to his t-shirt. Xander was young, but he had some well-defined muscles to him. He'd grown up fighting, and it showed in his arms and broad shoulders. At five-foot ten and a half, he easily towered over her, something that was made readily obvious as he stepped out the door frame toward her, gaping at her like he couldn't believe she was real. It made Chun-Li smile all the brighter, especially since she saw no outward injuries or deformities on his body,

He took another step forward before remembering his manners. "It's…I…it's great to see you again." The greeting came with a bow, one that she cheerily returned, even while holding the bag in her hands.

"Likewise." She began. The words were genuine, yet Chun-Li knew that looks could be deceiving. She especially knew that sometimes people could be quite good at hiding whatever it was that was bothering them. Xander was most likely no exception. All that said, there was only one way for her to find out for sure, and it was a way that filled her with a nervous excitement she hadn't felt in ages. "Xander, would it be alright if I come in? I…brought you some snacks in case you're hungry."

"You know, you didn't have to butter me up with food to come in, not that I'm complaining about it." He humorously remarked while stepping aside to invite her in.

"Oh, I know, but sometimes it's hard to turn away a good meal. Especially if it's good company." That was a lesson she'd learned growing up. First with her father…and then with the wonderful people-the friends-she made in trying to avenge him. After them came Li-Fen, and now Xander.

Stepping inside, she did a quick analysis of his apartment. It was her first time seeing it for herself so Chun-Li would say that she was curious. Another part of it might have also been the old policewoman in her.

It was a nice place. A short hallway that opened-up into the living room, as atypical of a junior four apartment. Xander had a pretty good one, having a balcony and apparently a second bedroom to the left while his was to the right. The kitchen was rather decent-sized, and well-used from what Chun-Li could see of it. Especially the dishes in the sink. At least they weren't piled up to the point of forming a leaning tower, nor was there garbage strown all over the place. Not just the kitchen, the living room and dining room table, the entire apartment was well kept. That immediately appealed to her as one of her pet peeves were messes. Rather hypocritically, she'd sometimes created a few herself back during her work with Interpol.

From the living room she could see the TV, the news playing. Chun-Li breathed an internal sigh of relief that nothing involving Nayshall. The news cycle had seemingly moved on, for better or worse. Casting a quick glance at Xander by the table, she settled on it being for the better.

Joining him there, she set the bag down before reaching in and pulling out its contents. His green eyes lit up like Christmas lights once he laid eyes on the freshly baked chocolate goods she'd came with. Chun-Li had to admit, there was something she found so cute in his expression, he was practically drooling at the sight of the brownies. Not that she blamed him, having tasted them for herself, she knew just how good they were. "I heard you had a successful job so I decided maybe one of your teachers could come by and give you something good for it."

"I…I…I appreciate the thought. Truth is you're actually the second of my teachers to do that. Luke was the first." He corrected with a sheepish smile. Admittedly, hearing that did disappoint her a little, but Chun-Li was confident that her gift beat out whatever Luke had given Xander. She internally chided herself on feeling slightly competitive over something like this. "That said, he didn't get me anything as delicious as these." Hearing that was a nice stroking to her ego, which she didn't know she needed, or wanted.

"What did he get you?" She questioned letting her curiosity show.

"A new punching bag." He answered with a smirk. "Custom so I can push myself."

"That sounds quite like him I can think of several who'd love to have such a gift themselves." She remarked with a laugh.

"It actually came from the company. Luke put in a special request for one, and it was approved. On both his account…and mine." The redhead clarified. There was a somewhat sheepish tone to his voice toward the end, a clear sign of his humility.

"From what I've heard, you've proven yourself to be quite an asset to the company. They want you to keep growing just as much as I do." Once she started teaching, Buckler Security came to her with a request to train some of their operatives. Chun-Li was more than willing to take some of them on without the rather sizable paycheck they offered her, though she certainly wasn't complaining about that. She had herself, Li-Fen, and her school to support. From that job had her obtaining some eyes and ears in the company. As of recently she'd been using them to keep an eye on Xander. He hadn't been her sole focus at first, but she'd taken a shine to him that kept her interested in his development, and his well-being.

Not that she could let him know that. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was doting on him like she did Li-Fen. Or worse, that she was…stalking him. Chun-Li steadfast rejected that interpretation of her actions, and she'd gladly do so against any that accused her of it. Including Xander herself.

Thankfully, he knew absolutely none of this; Chun-Li just hoped she could keep it that way as to hold onto the bond that they'd formed. A bond that was strengthened over the delicious, freshly baked brownies that they were now sharing.

Like her former student, she let out a deep, satisfied moan as she bit into the chocolaty morsel. Though she had a taste for her native sweets she was always hope to trying delicious treats from anywhere. "I think I was about six or seven when I tried my first brownie." She absent-mindedly said. Once she saw Xander's green eyes move to her, she knew she had to elaborate. Chun-Li actually wanted to. "It's kind of funny to think about, but I'd never had a brownie until that afternoon. I think my father told me it'd be something different and wanted to see if I'd like them."

"Considering that look on your face, I'm guessing you did come to like them." He playfully guessed.

Chun-Li was certain that she had crumbs on her face. She'd been somewhat ravenous in devouring her brownie, so good was it that she wanted to get in as many bites as she could despite there being plenty for the both of them. "It was chocolate, not to mention quite nicely made. Soft, crunchy, and absolutely delicious. Just like all the other sweets I'd eaten. That's when he told me about what sorts of desserts came from the west." A momentary giggle broke her eating. "I asked him what other kinds of sweets they had in the west, and he answered many. It got my imagination going in all sorts of ways,"

"Did it leave you wanting to see what the west was like?"

"A little bit. What about you, Xander? You mentioned how growing up you wanted to see China after seeing a kung-fu movie." She chuckled at his sheepish blush. "Not something to be ashamed of." Chun-Li offered. "If I remember right, you told me that it was Fei Long's movies."

"Fury of the Fist," he clarified with a whimsical grin. It took on a sadden quality as he further elaborated. "Even with the ending, it still struck me. Despite giving up so much, a part of me always thought what his character fought for was worthwhile. I mean, I'm sure his master wouldn't have wanted him to go through so much and give up so much to avenge him, but…"

"Love can be a strong force, a force that fuels fury the likes of which can't be quelled." She hoped she didn't sound too…sage-like. Chun-Li wasn't trying to be, but she subconsciously felt like the quality was seeping into her voice. After all, she had deeply personal experience in losing a loved one and letting that grief fuel one's actions. "Fei Long once said that he'd have done the exact same thing as Liu Sheng." His green eyes fell on her, his body language that of a listener ready to hear the story behind her statement. Chun-Li smiled, feeling a touch of joy return to her as she recounted her tell. "As I'm sure you've heard, Fei Long liked to sneak away to underground fight rings to seek out worthy opponents. During one of his little escapades, I'd been with Ryu, and we happened to run into each other. Upon meeting me, Fei Long wanted to know how strong I was since I'd begun to build up a reputation for myself by then."

Xander leaned forward, practically bouncing in his seat. "So, who won?" He excitedly asked.

"Any willingness to guess at it?" She playfully jabbed.

He brought his curiosity to heel for a moment to think it over. "…Was it Fei Long?"

She saw him wait for her response, no, brace for it. Chun-Li let out a sweet, humor-filled laugh. "Yes, he did. His abilities weren't movie magic; Fei Long was indeed quite the fighter as I discovered. I also learned why he was a fighter that Ryu respected, and vice versa. Of course, I put up a good enough fight that he gained a bit of respect for me as well."

"Naturally." Xander added with a grin. Contrary to how he could have said it, his words were totally genuine. His respect for her indeed ran deep. "Did you two ever have a rematch where you beat him?"

"Yes, we fought a few more times. Our current score actually has us tied. I imagine he'd be interested in having a tie breaker match…especially if his daughter were watching."

"Would you want the same for Li-Fen?"

They shared a chuckle at the thought of the two young girls being spectators for the fight. They'd both be rooting for their parents, maybe squabbling with each other, or maybe becoming friends along the way. Actually, Chun-Li had a feeling that fighting over rather she or Fei Long was the better fighter might actually become the basis for a good rivalry between them. "I'll admit, having her there cheering me on would be great. What about you, Xander, who would you be rooting for? Your shifu, or your movie idol?"

"You know, that's not an easy question to answer. I mean, both of you are incredible in my eyes." She half-expected him to look away, embarrassment reigning supreme. To her silent joy, he kept his focus on her, courage being mustered up within him. The courage was put into words that made her heart dance with joy. "Ultimately, I think I'd end up rooting for you a little more since I…know you on a more personal level. I have a feeling that the same might have happened if I were to study under Fei Long, but I'm glad that I got to know more about you, Chun-Li."

His cheeks had a slightly red tinge to them. Chun-Li felt her heart doing flips at the sight of it. Her gut told her that there was a lot more he wanted to say to her. She wondered what it would take to coax those thoughts out of him, perhaps more than the brownies she'd brought. What else… The thought crossed her mind with shocking ease, as did the willpower to act on whatever she thought of. At least until her sense of restraint kicked in to remind her that there were boundaries.

"If you don't mind me asking, did you ever think about becoming a movie star?" Xander questioned.

"No, being a martial artist was always an interest of mine. Martial arts, and being a pursuer of justice just like him."

"Chun-Li," Came Xander's concern-filled voice.

"It's okay." She quickly soothed. Xander's concern was appreciated. Her father's death at Shadaloo's hands was common knowledge in some circles. Part of that was because of her-her blatant vendetta against the terrorist organization and its megalomaniacal leader. "My father was my hero, and still is. During my time with Interpol, I want to believe I honored his work as a police officer. Now, I'm doing my best to honor him as a teacher of martial arts." She felt the beat of her own heart as she looked away from her hands to his face. His gaze held nothing but the utmost sympathy for her. As nice as that was, Chun-Li didn't want clouding his response to her next question. "Do you think I've done a good job of that, Xander?"

His lips curved into a beaming smile. "You know, I'm pretty sure I'm just one of the dozens of people who'd tell you that you have. I'll go a step further and say you've been a downright incredible teacher." Wearing a proud grin, he turned in his seat and lifted his right leg straight up. Chun-Li burst into laughter at the gesture, her hand going to her lips in a failing attempt to stimmy her laugh. "Your training left my legs feeling sorer than I ever thought imaginable, but damn, was it all worth it!"

Her laughter grew. He practically sounded like a little kid showing off what he could do. Chun-Li had to admit, a lot of her students tended to do the same; they had good reason to look rather smug. Her training wasn't easy, but she was proud that many found the results worth it.

Speaking of which… The idea that crossed her mind was tempting, but she immediately became aware of the risks of it. Not to mention it was overly a little bit on the foolish side. Chief amongst the reasons for the foolishness was the fact that this was Xander's home. If anything went wrong, she'd be at fault. I'll…I'll accept whatever outcome there is. And pay for it, it's not like I'm lacking the money to. With the shaly yet resolute resolve she'd mustered, she spoke. "Show me how great your balance is then, Xander." As she expected, his eyes widened, though she saw a spark of determination in response to her challenge. Her next words fanned it. "Step forward and show me what my training has wrought."

Chun-Li's voice was quiet but commanding, befitting that of the role of a teacher. Like an obedient, and slightly eager student, Xander obeyed. Wearing a slight smile on his face he stood up and walked over. Just a few feet away from her, he lifted his left up again, once again showing the great flexibility that her training had bestowed upon him. She smiled at the sight, admiring his honed form. It was undoubtedly impressive.

And in the next breath, Chun-Li took a swipe at his left foot, resting firmly on the ground.

In the next breath, it still was, having seemingly never moved. Chun-Li's foot had though. It'd completed the low sweep that she'd made; the kick had never connected with its target. A proud smile grew on the Chinese woman's face as she seemingly pulled her leg back in.

"You trained me well, shifu." The American grinned.

Chun-Li smiled, then took another swipe at him. Again, seemingly nothing changed save for the position of her leg. She made two more attacks.

Xander's footing finally changed-his left foot came to rest against the floor while his right was the one that was now stretched up. There wasn't a single wobble in the change or afterward.

Chun-Li's smile broadened. "That I have, Xander."

Again, something about his smile excited her, something particularly special about it. The feeling almost made her forgo her last attempt to test him. Almost.

She saw the change in Xander's eyes immediately. It was a shift from joviality to seriousness-the awakening and usage of his honed instincts. His foot once again lifted itself off the ground allowing hers to pass beneath it, again. Once it did, the seriousness faded like a flash of lightning; if she struck again, it'd return though just as fast.

Thankfully, she had no intention of giving it reason to return. "Sorry about that." Were her first words. They immediately lightened the tension that she'd created with her sudden testing of his skills. His expression immediately turned calmer, and yet…Chun-Li could have sworn she saw a modicum of tension remaining in his eyes. Not just in his eyes but all over his body. He was still bracing himself for another surprise attack. "Xander, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to put you so on edge."

"I-I…don't worry about it. It's just a result of my training. You and some of my other masters seriously put me through the grinder. Cammy for instance wanted to make sure I could respond to any threat from anywhere immediately."

She hid her lingering concern behind a chuckle of amusement. "That certainly sounds like Cammy. She did it because she cares about you."

"She certainly does. I could show you the number calls she's made to show how much she does." He jubilantly affirmed. Brief as it might have been, she saw his gaze move back to the kitchen counter where his phone lay. Chun-Li was sure that he was half-expecting a call to come from it.

Instead, the call that came for Xander came from the balcony. Her eyes widened recognizing the familiar chirping of birds. Xander recognized it as well and quickly rushed to answer it.

Curious, she followed him out to the balcony and was greeted to the sight of him extending his arm out to several birds. They came to rest on his fingers and arms. He launched into a stream of light apologies to them that had Chun-Li blinking in surprise. Could he…understand them? Her eyes eventually wondered to the left where she noticed a bird cage hanging from the rafter. It was already occupied as several birds had flown in and already made themselves at home; it was clear that the bird cage was their home, or perhaps a nice little place for them to rest. Either way, they liked this place, and they certainly liked Xander, even if some of them currently weren't too happy with him.

Between listening to him and looking at the bird cage, she realized why.

"Alright, alright, just wait right here and I'll be right back with your lunch!" Amazingly, the birds listened. If they weren't officially his then they'd still been somewhat tamed. Chun-Li looked between Xander's retreating backside and the birds, comfortably resting on the railing. She noticed that attached to them were some feeding containers. It was like an open food market, albeit one that was empty, thus the bird's displeasure.

As delicately as she could Chun-Li walked toward the birds. While they may have seemed comfortable around Xander she wasn't sure that acceptance extended to all humans. She wasn't like some of her compatriots who could be at one with nature. Ryu had begun to enter that circle, which wasn't surprising in retrospect.

One of the birds, a seemingly common black bird, took notice of her. Giving it the best smile she could she gently stretched out her finger fingers. After a moment of examination, the bird fly onto her finger. "It's nice to meet you, little one." She whispered. The bird chirped in response, a greeting that she had a feeling was just as pleasant as hers. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but I'm glad that you little guys have been keeping Xander company." The little bird again gave a joy-laced chirp. Chun-Li wasn't about to declared that the bird understood her, but she felt like this little one and the others deserved a bit of thanks for giving Xander something else to think about.

At least, that's how it was before he returned to the balcony holding a bag of bird seed. His apologetic smile told her all she needed to know before he even opened his mouth.

"Uh, hehe, sorry guys. I'm running a little low. I've still got some of your favorite left over, so it'll have to do until I can get some more. Hope you guys don't mind sharing." He poured a little into feeding cups. The small amount caused an immediate squabbling amongst the birds. "Hey, hey, I promise, you guys, I'll have some more Kallas Seed by tomorrow! Just be a little patient!" Xander called. Two of the five that had arrived simply chose to fly away.

"I certainly hope they'll be back." Chun-Li remarked watching them go. She had to admit, there was something rather amusing in their behavior.

"They will, provided I give them good reason to. Which, I should probably do today. I've…finally got some free time, and I can think of a good way to put it to use." Turning to him, she saw him innocently wave the box of bird seed in front of her. She assumed it must have been tasty since the birds came by to feed on it, and seemed to have grown fond of Xander in the process. As she walked over, he handed the box to her letting her examine it. "The market I bought it from is a favorite of mine. Here's hoping they-"

"Where is it? What else do you need?" Chun-Li immediately questioned. His green eyes blinked at her in confusion. That blinking told Chun-Li she'd acted before thinking, again. "I-I mean that's good to hear. Some people, even animals can get somewhat irritable. when denied their favorite meal."

"Speaking from experience?" The young martial artist asked with a slight smile.

She happily returned it with one of her own. "Yes, both proudly and somewhat ashamedly." He crossed his arms and looked out toward the horizon, still wearing that light smile. "Hey, I'm not one of those types of people."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, shifu." He feinted.

With a playful roll of her eyes, she joined him in looking out over the balcony. He was six floors up on this eleven story apartment complex, high enough that he had a decent enough view of part of the city. Overall, Chun-Li would say that he had a pretty good view of the park and further out the ocean. It was a distant, shimmering blue line that sparkled bright on a clear day like today.

It was a beautiful day to be out, something that she wanted Xander to do. Be out enjoying, not fighting, not…

Sensing a gaze on her, she looked to her left and found him staring at her. His green eyes cackled with awe, which quickly morphed into embarrassment as he looked away. Chun-Li couldn't help but smile, especially at the light pink tinge on his cheeks. No doubt in a bid to play it off, he held out his arm allowing some of the remaining birds to hop onto it. Even those who hadn't eaten seemed more than happy to stay and talk with him.

She supposed seeing that reminded her of the differences between him and Ken. While both had attractive looks, Xander had a certain calmness to him that Ken didn't in his younger days. That calmness reminded her of Ryu, especially as of recently. Chun-Li was happy to see the traits of two of her oldest and closest friends in this young fighter. What saddened her though was that she could also see the wearing and tearing of his soul as the two Shotokan Karate users had experienced, particularly Ken.

As the birds flew away, Xander's eyes focused on the horizon. The joyful light vanished from them like the setting of the sun. In accordance, darkness rose up in its place.

"What else are you out of?" The response was impulsive, spurred on by the desire to keep that darkness at bay. Given the confusion that temporarily marred Xander's face, Chun-Li wanted to think she'd succeeded. "Besides bird feed, what else are you out of? It's been a while since you've been back home, so surely there's a few things you're out of or need to replace." If she were younger, she'd have outright turned around and gone to his kitchen to survey it for herself. Thankfully, that was one impulse she was able to curb.

"I…um…well, a few things. Actually, there were a couple of things I actually had to throw out." He admitted.

Hearing that came as a relief to Chun-Li. "Tell me what it was, I may be able to help with replacing it. And maybe helping you expand your taste buds."

"Well…thanks to a certain someone I have rapidly expanded my appreciate for Chinese cuisine. Maybe I'll also be able to help you do the same, shifu."

Chun-Li felt her heart thumping with delight at the prospect of spending more time with Xander. Her gut told her that this little grocery trip was going to take up the rest of her afternoon, and she honestly couldn't have been happier for it. That same gut feeling also told her that Xander felt the same; she was actually downright sure of it.

Another thing was sure of was that Xander perhaps needed this time out and about doing something casual and enjoyable. As he changed out of his "workout" clothes into something more casual she spotted the tense look that crossed his face when he looked down at his phone. She didn't know if he was expecting a call or message, or if one already came. Either way, she knew that a part of his mind was elsewhere-concerned, focused.

"Xander," she called out getting his attention. Realizing he'd been letting his emotions show he quickly stuffed his phone back into his pocket. Before he could give an apology, or an excuse, she reached out and touched his shoulder. His body went slack, relaxing in a way that it hadn't quite before. Chun-Li guessed that it was due to her physical touch. "Ready to go?" she asked in a kindly voice.

The smile that spread over his face was different. Somehow, it felt brighter than his previous ones. "Yeah, I am. I know where to go, and I'll be trusting in your guidance, Chun-Li."

"Good, then I promise I won't lead you astray." Her hand slid down, and in doing so she realized she wanted to take hold of his hand. With a blink, Chun-Li realized that she'd almost done exactly that. With a light blush, she quickly pulled her hand away and turned toward the door. "Come on!" She called, quickly walking out with Xander following close behind her after locking the door. In a matter of minutes, they were down the elevator and out on the streets, enjoying the mid-summer sun, feeling it beating down on their faces. Whenever Chun-Li looked to her side, she saw it shining down on Xander, who smiled back at it alongside her. He smiled at her, not bothering to hide how happy he was to be able to spend time with her. She returned the sentiment with her own joyful smile.

---

Xander remembered Ryu lightly warning him about going shopping with Chun-Li.

"She certainly knows her stuff when it comes to fashion. It's just she can get…pretty into it."

He'd experienced a taste of that during his training with her. Xander remembered how he'd internally jumped when she asked if he was willing to spend some time out shopping with Chun-Li and Li-Fen. It'd been the latter's idea after warming up to him. He hadn't exactly planned it out, he and the young girl had just happened to form a friendship amidst their shared training. That friendship had led him to his instructor, amongst other means such as personally impressing her.

She in turn impressed him with the worldly knowledge she freely dished out, along with the fashion-based wisdom that she'd built up. He couldn't say that either surprised him. First off, she was amongst the most famous of the World Warriors, having competed in several of the World Warrior Tournaments and had thus seen more than most people could imagine. And that was before getting into what she'd seen as an Interpol officer. Ironically, those two things were partial reasons why her fashion sense came as a bit of a surprise. Fighting and law enforcement usually didn't go together with being fashionable.

At least, that's what most people would have thought.

"Are you ready to come out and show me?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" With a deep breath, he grabbed the doorknob and pushed it open, his feet carrying him the short distance out of the fitting room. Waiting for him on one of the nearby benches sat Chun-Li. Beside her the dozen or so things they'd bought over the last hour. While bird seed had been among them, it'd quickly grown to be far from the only thing.

Based on the way her eyes lit up with joy, Xander had a strong feeling that this button up Hawaiian shirt was going to be added to the list. So too were the shorts, his third set since he'd been keeping track. They may have been in the last quarter of summer, but that wasn't slowing some people down. Plus, all this meant was that he'd have a nice seasonal wardrobe for next summer. Hell, he could say that he was going to have several thanks to Chun-Li. The Chinese woman playfully clapped her hands as she praised the green and white-colored shirt she'd picked up.

"So, what's next?" He asked after giving her a decent view of the shirt from front to back. That mischievous yet excitable light flickered in her eyes.

"Since you asked…" She grabbed a pile of clothes and handed them to him.

"Just couldn't stay still, could you?"

"No," she affirmed with a giggle. A second later her face became slightly apologetic. "You can not try them on if you want, Xander. I don't want it to feel like I'm forcing you into this."

"Chun-Li, I'm doing this because I want to." Came his soothing response. It was one-hundred-percent truthful, though not entirely for reasons he was willing to say. "If my mom or sister were here, they'd be applauding you for getting me to spend so much time in a dressing room. More than I think I ever did before." That got another short laugh out of her which made Xander's heart do a little dance. "Alright, I'll give these a whirl and see how they look." He already knew that he was going to come out looking good, Chun-Li undoubtedly had an eye for fashion that seemed to be on par with her fighting ability.

"You know, I'm pretty sure if she wanted to she could be a fashion model. I'm sure you've seen her in some magazines."

"Well, I…um, Li-Fen-"

"Hehehe, you have! Come on, don't try to hide it! She told me she really didn't want to do some of those modeling gigs, but she's happy that she ended up doing them."

"She's not the only one."

"See!"

"H-H-Hey! Keep it down, she's in the next room over!"

"Relax, it's not like she's going to throw you out! She talks to plenty of people about some of the modeling shots she took during the tournaments. People learn pretty quick that she's more than just a pretty face, for some people it actually makes them stick around; I'm sure that includes you too, Xander."

She'd been right of course, albeit he hadn't came to Chun-Li expecting her to just be a pretty face. She'd always been more than that. She was the strongest woman in the world, a title that he still felt she deserved even after meeting a good deal of other strong women, some of whom Chun-Li had fought and defeated. Cammy had been quite honest in acknowledging Chun-Li as the stronger between them-she was also more than happy to acknowledge her as one of the people she respected and trusted most in the world. And then there was Juri who'd been nearly completely the opposite. The maniacal woman had hidden it extremely well, but Xander had been able to glean the begrudging respect she had for her former enemy. Hidden in it he'd also suspected a bit of envy.

Stepping out of the dressing room back in his original shorts and t-shirt, he immediately spotted the array of clothes that Chun-Li had tucked in her right arm. His mouth split open and his cheeks turned red as he looked up to her face. She was blushing too.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll go-"

"No, no! I mean, I'd be more than happy to give you some feedback. Y-Y-You did the same for me, so it's only fair that I…I…" Xander was certain that his face was as red as a tomato by now. He'd have given anything to be able to stop it, or turn back time.

Again, that damn giggle, that damn smile. "Thank you, Xander. I promise, this won't take long."

"Take as long as you'd like." He dumbfoundedly offered. His heart did a little dance as he found himself taking a seat while she went into one of the dressing rooms. Man, here I am living the dream. Thought the twenty-four-year-old. In no way had he expected this was how his day would go waking up. His awakening had been gorgy-the result of pulling another all-nighter. Xander had woken up with another heavy heart and heavy mind. He expected neither would be particularly lightened, but when he saw Chun-Li at the door, that expectation was shattered. Like a great blue bird, she'd lifted that heaviness from him.

And now, here he was out shopping with her. A trip to find some bird feed had turned into a…into a…

"Date." He whispered to himself while his lips curled into an excitable smile. "I'm on a date with Chun-Li." The whisper repeated. Xander knew how he felt deep down, but he wondered how Chun-Li felt about this. Did she consider this a date? Was she having as much fun as him? Everything about her outward demeanor seemed to point to that. He hoped she was having fun, as much as he was having. Thinking on that made him lean back against the wall, one leg stretched out. "I probably-"

Ring! Ring! Ring!

His head shot to his pocket and pulled out his phone. Upon seeing the caller ID, his eyes widened. The blood in his veins turned to ice, freezing his heart in the process.

While his body was frozen, his mind was still functional, or at least certain parts of it. Just had to go and jinx it.

The relaxed posture he'd slipped into a second ago was gone. Hunched over, his green eyes stared at the phone as it continued to ring.

After a deep sigh, he finally swept his finger across the screen. "Lenore,"

"I take it you're back in Metro City?" Said the slightly accented voice.

"You wouldn't happen to be spying on me, would you?" Xander had no idea how many cameras he'd walked in front of on his way here. Any of them could have been used by the German woman.

"Well, you know me. Keeping my eyes and ears open is part of my job, not to mention it's the root of our partnership. I did get word that you're back in Metro City, and I'm glad for that. It…almost made me reluctant to call you."

Xander's breathed in then out through his nose. He was calm, nearly at peace with the direction things were going. "So, you picked up another lead?"

"Wasn't easy, but…I did. I…I know you just got back, but you told me any lead I got you wanted to know about." The reluctancy in her voice was obvious, but Xander could feel the eagerness as well. It was clear this was a lead she was somewhat excited on following up on. That made him somewhat eager to hear it.

"I did say that." He didn't regret making that request, it was part of their partnership. "Alright, let's hear it."

Xander sensed the pause on the other end. "I believe I tracked down another one of Amnesia's money laundering skims. It's another financier company, this one based in South Korea." He knew hoping for this lead to be somewhere in the States would be a stretch. Naturally, it had to be on the other side of the planet. "As usual, I had to do a lot of digging to verify this as a solid lead." That was code for Lenore had likely spend several long nights without sleep. Xander knew that once he followed this lead, he'd be doing the same.

More importantly, if he followed this lead, he'd be leaving Metro City and everyone in it for days, if not weeks on end. Again.

Before, he'd been able to accept that with some quiet dismay, but things had changed. Now, more than before, he felt his stomach twist itself into a knot at the thought of leaving Metro City. The friends he'd made, including his pet birds, and finally Chun-Li. Xander remembered the joy of opening the door and seeing her face there in front of her, welcoming her in, and the blissful relaxation of talking with her. Those feelings had only grown as they'd spent the day together, right up until a few minutes ago when Lenore's call came through. He'd been looking forward to spending the rest of the day with her, and maybe seeing if she wanted to hang out again beyond today. If he said yes to chasing down this lead then all that would go away.

But if he turned down this lead, he may miss another chance to find JP and…

"Just…please, don't kill yourself chasing him. I'm sure Basch would have wanted JP to be brought to justice, but…I'm certain he wouldn't want it coming at the cost of your life. I don't want it to either."

"Xander…please, just remember to live life beyond seeking out JP. I'm certain that your paths will cross again, and when that day comes you will have your chance to bring him down. Before that, don't give him anymore of your life."

Yua had gripped his hand with such vigor when she made that plea. It was clear she was just as scared of him leaving her as she was of Basch. She'd already lost her brother, but she wasn't going to stand by and let him throw his life away, especially not in a way that JP criticized his death for.

Pulling his right hand away, he watched the tendrils of supernatural purple manifest and wrap around his fingers. Xander's gaze darkened at the sight. He truly wondered if the Psycho Power that JP had bestowed upon him was truly his or belonged to the Slavic villain. Obviously, he'd get a kick out of seeing Xander like this, sensing the reaction of the Psycho Power to his resentment to him. Hell, he'd enjoyed it when Xander used the power in his battle against him. It was nothing compared to his own, but he'd been amused none the less. He'd known that they would more than likely become enemies.

His fingers flexed out, the dark energy seemingly flaring up before it was extinguished as he formed a fist. Alongside his negative emotions, the dark power dissipated.

Chun-Li's words were a heartfelt plea to him as well. Something told him that she would cross paths with JP, just like him. And just like him, she'd find him to be a threat to herself, her family, and the entire world. Despite knowing that, she wasn't like him; he was certain that was because she'd been in his position before.

"Xander, you still there?" Lenore asked as he brought the phone back up to his ear.

"Yeah, I'm still here." Came his answer. "Lenore, look…I…appreciate what you did for me, again. But I…I'm going to take some time off."

Half of him waited for the blowback, the outrage at letting a man responsible for such pain slip by. That made him surprised when he heard a happy, even relieved sigh from the other end.

"Got it. I'll file this one away. JP's own just recently gotten his hands onto this company, so he'll ride it out for a little while-perhaps a couple of months since it seems like a good investment. It's not like North and South Korea are going to magically bury the hatchet any time soon."

He gave a brief chuckle at that sad but all too true statement. Even though he turned down the opportunity he took note of Lenore's words. This company seemed to have some ties to North Korea, probably some sort of smuggling of goods or even people across the border. Xander was pretty sure saying yes would have meant he'd end up seeing the northern half of Korea for himself; not at all a pretty sight, and certainly not one he wanted to trade time back home for. Time he could spend with-

His ears perked up hearing the sound of a second relieved breath. Feeling his heart slam against his chest, he followed the sound and looked up. His green eyes stared into the wide-eyed, shocked brown of Chun-Li. She was standing there, right in front of him dressed in a somewhat revealing sports bra with jogging pants. His eyes only did a quick scan of her body, what he saw flaring up his arousal, but it was secondary to the look on her face. Relief, no doubt at what she'd just heard, and shock that she'd been discovered.

"Chun-Li," he whispered, blind to the pink tint on his cheeks.

She quickly looked away, her own cheeks sporting slight coloration. "X-Xander, I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your call."

Sensing a further stream of apologies coming, he stood up, attempting to wave her off. "N-No, i-it was nothing important! It was just-"

"Xander," her usage of her name was hard and precise. She looked to him with harden eyes, silencing his own stream of excuses. "I know that call was about JP and Amnesia."

"Busted, eh?" Came Lenore's audibly amused voice. Xander looked down at the phone with a sweat drop realizing that the call was still ongoing. Chun-Li looked to it as well, realizing the same. Video chat may not have been on, but it wasn't needed for Lenore to have an idea of what was going on. Luckily, she was able to read the atmosphere. "Like I said, I'll file this one away for when you want to pick it up again. In the meantime, enjoy your date, Xander!"

"Lenore!" he cried indignant. If his cheeks were pink before, Xander was certain they'd turned scarlet now. He didn't dare look in Chun-Li's direction, fearful of what his contact's words had on her. "Lenore! Lenore! T-T-That's not what this is! Seriously it's just a…it's just a…" Realizing the line was dead, he hung his head in defeat. "Dammit."

Hearing laughter coming from the same place as before, he looked in his shifu's direction. Instead of being angry, she was laughing. Hell, she looked like she'd just witnessed a moment of comedic gold; maybe his bumbling was just that funny to her.

"I'm sorry about that." He finally said with a defeated sigh.

"Don't apologize, Xander. You don't need to."

"I just-"

He nearly jumped feeling her wrap her and around his. Actually, he nearly dropped his phone. Xander felt his legs go wobbly as he looked straight down into her warm eyes. The rush of embarrassment that had seemingly swept him away was halted, calming winds drying him off at record speed. "Like I said," she repeated. "Don't worry about it. Remember, I'm the one who owes you an apology. After all, I was eavesdropping on a private conversation, something I must admit I'm guilt of doing multiple times."

"W-W-Well, you were a cop, I'm pretty sure that's excusable." He offered.

As she laughed, Xander stole a peek at her. He felt his cheeks redden even more at the sight of her already beautiful face made prettier by her laughter. Unfortunately, his eyes couldn't help but wonder further down to her chest. Had it been her intention to pick one out that offered a window to the top part of her breasts between the front and the neck straps? How many of those types of clothes had she tried on? Why was she trying them on?

"Xander," Chun-Li called again. She sat beside on the bench wearing a calm, relieved even, expression on her face. It brightened as she looked to him with a slight smile. "I'm…glad that you turned down that lead. I'm sorry if I come off as rude or uncaring for saying that, but…that's just how I feel."

"I'm not angry with you, Chun-Li. You have a right to your opinion." He replied. "Truth is, hearing you say that…kind of makes me a little happy."

Chun-Li gave a short laugh. "Well, you're welcome. I'm…also somewhat speaking on behalf of several, including Luke." Hearing that made him look to her. She could tell he wasn't surprised. "He already lost one student to JP, and he doesn't want to lose another, even if he's trying to be respectful of your independence. I've…tried to be the same."

Xander didn't blame either of them for their actions, especially Chun-Li. "I'm sorry if I'm bringing up bad memories for you."

"It's not your fault, Xander. It's no one's but JP's." Her gaze traveled downward, to his hands lazily resting atop his knees. Seeing that, he raised his right hand up, already knowing what she was thinking. Gently, she wrapped her hand around it. "Xander, did he…"

"He offered it…and I took it. Guess you could say I was weak because on some level, Chun-Li, I was curious. I wanted to know what Psycho Power felt like after hearing about it." Even without looking, he felt her tense up in anxiety. It was hard to blame her. "Well, like the evil 'fair godfather' he is, JP granted my wish. Didn't have a problem when I used it amongst other things to defeat him."

"He does seem to be an entirely different sort than Bison despite possessing the same vile power, and the same wickedness in his soul." It was like night and day hearing her talk about the evil dictator compared to JP. The latter had spoken of him in a neutral tone that belayed the surprisingly positive relationship they shared. There was no such thing with Chun-Li, and for good reason. When she moved her hand to his cheek, turning his face to hers, he was surprised at how calm she looked. Calm, resolute, soothing, Chun-Li's face was all these things, and those feelings were all aimed at him. He was left at a loss for words at the trio of strong emotions, and the naked beauty that they brought out of the already stunning warrior woman. "Like Bison, one day JP will be stopped, Xander. It may come at your hand or another's…but I know he will be defeated one day."

Her voice was simultaneously gentle yet firm, a balance that Xander was utterly amazed that could be reached. Well, maybe it wasn't so surprising given this was Chun-Li. If there was anyone who could walk manage that balance, it was her. It was one of the reasons why Xander had fallen for her.

"While I'm sure that day will come, I beg of you, don't rush to you by sweeping aside everything else in your life. Especially the people in it." She continued, her voice surprisingly growing more passionate. The transformation piqued his interest, which may have played a part in his widening eyes. Against his right cheek he felt Chun-Li's fingers curl; her touch still carried the soothing warmth of a bonfire. Soothing and he'd say arousing, the fire growing stronger by the second as they continued to hold each other's gaze. "I know you want to avenge the dead, but…please, don't let that desire make you forget about the living, especially living your life."

Living my life…living my life. Those words echoed in his head while his heart make its solitary beats. Each one brought back memories of a woman who'd spoken those words before. Like Chun-Li, she had an air of wisdom to her that Xander respected and admired. He loved her, but in a platonic way. That wasn't how he felt about Chun-Li. Maybe that was why the echoing of them felt different…potentially stronger.

"You're good at helping people."

"Particularly by fighting?" Some manner of self-awareness broke through. Awareness or perhaps it could be called restraint, cautioning him against capitalizing on the short distance between their faces.

Thankfully deaf to his inner thoughts, Chun-Li gave yet another gentle laugh at his words. "Yes, there's that. You're certainly good at that. What I'd say makes you so good is that when you fight, it's with conviction. On behalf of yourself and others." Chun-Li's hands drifted down from his cheek to his hands. Xander immediately gripped them, still feeling his heart racing hundreds of miles a minute. "The latter are happy to have you around town, and I'm sure beyond."

Despite already knowing the answer in his heart, Xander couldn't help but ask the question. "Does that include you, Chun-Li?"

Regret at opening his mouth immediately died as she gave him a sweet smile. "Yes, absolutely yes."

Finally, the redhead smiled. His heart beat even faster, feeling like it was on the verge of exploding-it probably would if he and his kung-fu teacher kept on smiling at each other. Neither of them seemed set on stopping.

So, that probably made what happened next somewhat inevitable, or at leas that's how Xander's mind would frame it.

He felt her lips on his; their cherry taste made it hard for him to break the kiss, even as he became increasingly aware of it. Chun-Li didn't seem to be eager to break the kiss either. That was good in his half-closed eyes, this was way too good to end so quickly.

His hand moved to wrap around Chun-Li's waist. It surprised her as evident by the gasp she made against his lips. While his consciousness began to wake up and call for an end, his heart urged him to continue. That urging was strength as he felt her lips against his-she was kissing him. Kissing him and leaning into his embrace.

Everything else fell away in that moment. Everything he'd though before, it all vanished. He focused solely on the woman in front of him, the woman he was kissing with vigor. Xander would have been happy to remain that way for who knew how long, but the outside world sent a messenger.

"Ahem, you know, you two, the fitting room is the place for that kind of thing, especially if you want to get friskier."

They broke apart immediately, panting and blushing like tomatoes. In unison, they looked one way, finding a pair of blushing women staring at them.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Shouted the normally cool and composed woman. Her gaze swiftly looked between them and Xander, her frantic eyes lingering on him for several seconds before she bolted back into the fitting room.

Woah…guess she's…got a weak spot when it comes to romance. Not that I can blame her. Once more, he was pulled out of his thoughts by the giggling of the women female onlookers. Looking their way, he saw them do the exact same, their faces beat red.

"Um, by any chance…you and that woman wouldn't happen to be-" One of them asked, a redhead like himself, albeit her hair was a shade darker.

"Katie!" her friend, a blonde shouted. She looked back at him, her face reddening even more. "S-S-S-Sorry about that! W-We didn't mean to interrupt you two!"

"N-N-No, i-it's our fault. I-I-I mean it's my fault!" The apologies stammered out of his mouth like a broken dame. All he hoped was that he could salvage the situation somehow.

The redhead, Katie, got a glint in her eyes as she eyed him. Particularly she eyed his lower half. At first, Xander was a little confused as to why she'd do so, but the answer slowly revealed itself.

N-N-No. No! You've got to be fucking kidding me!

Thankfully, the blonde came to his rescue. "Like I said, sorry. We didn't mean to disturb you two. W-W-We can wait a little longer." Grabbing her friend's head, she quickly turned around and marched away, dragging the girl known as Katie along.

She didn't go quietly. "Oh, come on, Rachel! At least let me take a shot with him! You saw that tent! He's-"

"Can't you see the two of them already together!" The other woman shouted back.

"Can't I at least fight her for a date with that guy!" Katie whined.

Xander could almost picture the blonde, Rachel, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, sure. You fighting Chun-Li so you can steal her boyfriend. I'm sure that'll go over well."

Listening to them thankfully gave him a way to alleviate his embarrassment. Not to mention bring his…pressure down. He'd blinked several times before daring to look down. Xander breathed out a sigh of relief before sitting back on his seat. This time, he kept his legs closed out of conscious desire to not have another incident. Despite that effort, his mind was still racing with thoughts.

Had Chun-Li seen his erection?

What had she thought of it?

Had she felt it when they kissed? He knew that he was certainly hard when he finally kissed the woman he'd been crushing on for years.

What had she thought of the kiss itself?

What were the odds she'd just tell him to take his things and go? He wouldn't blame her.

The winds of his self-doubt grew, yet a single, sky-blue ray of light cut through it swiftly. As swiftly as a kick would rend the air. "Xander, are you…still out there?"

His heart skipped a beat, even as he answered her. "Yeah, Chun-Li. I'm still there." By the next beat, he'd miraculously gathered enough confidence he could speak clearly. "I'm not going anywhere, Chun-Li."

Though he couldn't see her face, something in Xander's gut told him she was smiling-she was happy, relieved even. That feeling was affirmed when she next spoke.

"Thank you."

Hearing that caused a wave of relaxation and elation to slam into him like a tidal wave. It pushed him back in a relaxing manner. Xander's mood had been improving since Chun-Li showed up at his door, but this…it felt like this was the pinnacle. This was yet another moment he never wanted to end.

The door opened and the brunette stepped out dressed in a more concealing yet still very attractive cream-colored turtleneck. Jet-black plants covered her mighty legs, hugging her thighs in a way that emphasized their grandeur. She may not have been showing much skin, but she was still striking.

"How do I look?" Came her question, a sparkling glint in her eyes.

Uncaring about anything else but her, Xander gave her his honest answer. "Stunning, just like always."

---

When they left his apartment complex, it'd be midday. Blue skies and white puffy clouds. A perfectly fine, normal day. Having that replaced with a dark sky, barely-visible clouds, and the glitter of distant stars showed just how much time had passed since then. Xander was silently in awe of the fact he'd spent that entire time with Chun-Li.

The fact that he was returning to his apartment with her still beside him was the only thing that exceeded that awe.

Their hands were heavy with shopping bags, clothes and food, the latter of which weren't entirely for him. That said, plenty of it was for him, and her.

He could already picture his sisters and parents jumping for joy as he flipped on the lights and for the second time welcomed a girl into his home. Particularly, he could see the former's faces damn near splitting apart thanks to their shit-eating grins. He could also picture them speaking in perfect unison, "Don't screw this up, Xander! It's not everyday you bring home the world's strongest woman!"

Yeah, you two, I know. Thanks for the reminder.

Once he put his things down, he checked his phone and was glad to see he'd gotten a text message from one of them, Wendy.

"How's she doing?" Chun-Li called from a few feet away. She'd yet to leave, and she wasn't leaving until after dinner, at least. Given she was the one who'd be cooking, one could question how long that was going to be.

"Wendy," he clarified without being asked. "Great! Her band just wrapped up a gig that got some great reviews and is another step to them going big time."

"One sister pursuing music and the other science. You've got two little sisters to be proud of." She offered.

"Yeah, believe me, I know. I can't wait to see either of them when I get the chance to. Knowing Wendy, she'll probably invite me to another concert, I'd love to go see her." He felt a lump quickly develop in the back of his throat before he swallowed it down. His gaze found Chun-Li's; she immediately sensed something and made a questioning face. "If you want…maybe…you could come with me, and bring Li-Fen along."

Her curiosity quickly morphed into excitement. "We'd love that! Especially Li-Fen, you know she loves Wendy's music. She'd even help her out with digital advertising." Xander crossed his arms and leaned back, a wistful look on his face. Chun-Li seized on her opportunity to tease him. "You're a little bit worried about the two of them hitting it off? What, are you worried she'll spill some embarrassing secrets about your training?"

"No!" He immediately defended, albeit Chun-Li wasn't entirely convinced. It just made her laugh, and before too long Xander joined her.

"You know," he said between laughs. "Stories about your cooking could come up. Wendy's actually a pretty good cook, and I'm sure it'll come up in a conversation between the two of them."

"Xander!" She cried. Despite her attempt to sound angry, she wasn't, she was happy. Sure, her pride shuddered at the potential scenario, but she still founds herself enjoying the thought all the same. "Much like, stories of failure will be counterbalanced by stories of success."

"Really?" The dynamics had shifted. Chun-Li didn't mind it at all, rather she found amusement in it.

"I'll admit, my cooking is several leagues below my fighting, but like anything, practice makes perfect. After all, I stand before an incredible testament to that concept."

The smile that grew on his face wasn't big enough to embody the enormous pride and joy her words induced. Regardless, Xander felt like Chun-Li had a vague idea. She smiled back at him with equal radiance.

He wasn't sure how long they'd spent smiling at each other before he found his voice again. "Come on, let's get your cooking lessons started."

"By all means…my teacher." They spent another few seconds grinning at each other, enjoying the reversal of their normal dynamic. Neither said it aloud but they had a feeling tonight wouldn't be the only time this reversal would be in play. That was a thought that filled them with silent glee.

Chun-Li had chosen Italian, likely influenced by Xander recounting her of stories of his training with Marisa. She'd always had something of a leaning interest in Italian food, now she had the chance to invest in that interest. It was coming about in an unexpected way, but Chun-Li would have happily taken Xander over even a professional cook.

And not because he was lenient of the numerous mistakes she made in preparing their lasagna. Her shortcomings in cooking became evident, but that didn't slow Xander down; his encouragement made Chun-Li more determined to keep at it.

She knew in her heart it wasn't just the desire to succeed in a general sense. Chun-Li knew she wanted to create a splendid meal specifically for Xander. She was genuinely cooking for him. Whenever she tried to picture Li-Fen's face, a voice reminded her that she was staying at a friend's house, eating dinner with someone else. The thought didn't bother her, not in the slightest. Chun-Li supposed this was what it meant to be a mother at ease; it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, but…the circumstances quietly gnawed at her. It grew stronger whenever she'd turn and look to Xander.

His face was that of relaxed concentration. Despite his obvious focus, he still possessed an air of relaxation to him that she found enticing. Chun-Li would even say attractive. Xander's good looks seemed to be on further display. It was hard to believe that he'd gotten into dozens of fights when he was younger.

"It drove them both crazy, but I think dad was the first one to realize that I had my reasons. That and fighting was just…part of me. Heh, he called me a fighter, even telling me that wasn't a bad thing."

"He was right. While it can undoubtedly be brutal, fighting can sometimes lead us down the path of self-discovery and gratification."

"Took mom a while longer to realize that, mostly because she wasn't so hot on me bleeding like a stuck pig and having every bone in my body broken."

"She was also right in her own way. No mother would ever desire to see their child in such a state, even if they get some enjoyment out of it."

Listening to him talk about his parents' gradual acceptance of his drive to fight had been oddly enlightening. She'd realized on some level she was bracing herself for when Li-Fen experienced the same. She was even her adoptive daughter just as Xander's own parents were adoptive. None of them may have been related by blood, but the familial bonds they'd forged were very bit as genuine.

In thinking about that, Chun-Li found herself thinking about the bond she and Xander shared. It'd been struck up when he came to her for training, and furthered when he stuck around a little while longer after his training was completed. She'd seen him off when he took his training overseas, and been there to welcome him back.

Now, here she was indulging in a little piece of what he learned overseas.

He'd came back. He'd came back to her.

Stop it. You're getting way, way too ahead of yourself. H-He's at least twenty years your-

"Here it comes, the moment of truth."

Chun-Li's muscles tensed like she was in the middle of an intense battle with the climax finally arriving. She'd given it her all and now was the make-or-break moment. The excitement and anticipation immediately sunk their fangs. As composed as she liked to believe she was Chun-Li felt her hands lace together as Xander took hold of a fork and knife, intent on cutting off the first piece of the freshly prepared lasagna. She quietly noted how it at least looked decent.

The piece of Italian cuisine disappeared into his mouth in a second. Chun-Li felt the tension within grew with every motion his mouth made right down to him swallowing it. At least it didn't look like he was forcing it down. And then it looked like he wasn't forcing himself to enjoy it.

"Do you…like it?" Even she realized how timid her voice sounded, and Chun-Li wished she could redo it. At least no one was watching her.

"I do, Chun-Li. Your first crack at making lasagna tastes great!" He declared with a grinning wink.

The winning blow declared Chun-Li pumped her fists in the air in juvenile excitement. "Yes! Yes, I did it!" Her eyes immediately zeroed in on him, her already bursting joy intensifying. In the next second she threw herself into the younger man's embrace, nearly knocking him off his feet. He certainly dropping his knife and fork, not that he seemed to mind as he immediately wrapped his arms around the brunette. "And I did it thanks to you, Xander." She whispered into his ear. She could practically feel the tingling rush her words invoked racing up his body. It wasn't like Chun-Li was intentionally trying to get him off, though she…wasn't exactly complaining.

She certainly wasn't complaining about how he kept his arms wrapped around her as she pulled her head away-her own were still wrapped around his neck.

The heat between them wasn't the lasagna, no way in hell. She knew that and so did Xander. The kiss was still fresh in their minds even if they hadn't talked about it. They'd practically done everything in their power to avoid talking about it.

How long could they keep doing that? Until midway through dinner? Through dessert? To the end of the night?

Chun-Li could feel another heartfelt impulse rising within her, steering her toward Xander's lips for the second time. She remembered the taste of them; her hold on them had been short but it'd proven addictive. Her intuition told her it was the same for her lips and Xander.

I and this and so does he…so…why am I…why am I hesitating? Chun-Li internally asked. A quick inhalation and she stepped away, breaking out of the embrace. She saw the disappointment on Xander's face, and she was sure there was some on her own. "L-L-L-Like I said, t-t-thank you, Xander. Now then…let's enjoy the meal."

His smile wasn't entirely genuine, but it wasn't entirely lacking in honesty. Xander really was hungry, it just wasn't entirely for food. Chun-Li honestly felt the same.

-O-

For some people, it took multiple tries to learn how to cook, even get to a level of decency. Xander's father had apparently been like that; he found it hard to believe the man that could prepare some pretty great roasts, homemade tocos, and soups once struggled to cook. He'd told him that everyone had to start from somewhere to get good at something. Some people started from a high point while others nothing. The "takeoff" could also vary from person to person. Some crash and burned while others soared.

He wasn't surprised that Chun-Li was the latter, albeit she told him it was only thanks to his help that she soared. It might have been his imagination, but he could have sworn she batted her eyelashes at him when telling him that. Admittedly, it did go along with the mood of their dinner date.

His subconscious had been calling it that, and about half-way through the lasagna he realized that's what his consciousness was calling it. Here he was having dinner with Chun-Li, eating and laughing about everything from martial arts to life experiences. She had quite a lot to share, and he was more than happy to hear about it. She'd lived out several of his own a few times over, something that didn't go unnoticed by him.

"It makes you excited, doesn't it? The thought of going out on another adventure to meet other fighters and further push yourself." She kindly yet sharply deduced.

Almost all his lasagna had been devoured, though there was still about half of it left over. He stared at it with a lackadaisical smile. "Guilty. Heading out on my own…I keep thinking back to what Luke told me-this journey really doesn't have an end.: The easiness of his smile dissipated as he looked down. "I…I don't want it to end with JP. Not with me having lost myself taking him down. Maybe…not even with me doing it in a right way." A deep breath and he looked up to Chun-Li; her eyes were wide yet focused, on him. "If anything, I…want to be a little like you, Chun-Li."

"Xander," she murmured looking a little taken back. "I…I'm not sure I'm a role model to go by. After all, I wasn't the one who defeated Bison for good."

"Do you wish that you were?" He'd never asked the question before. Xander had always tried to be as respectful regarding the issue as possible. Now, as their relationship moved in a…unexpected direction he felt like pushing the boundaries. He hoped with all his fiber he didn't push things too far.

Chun-Li's hands lay clasped together on the table, a deeply thoughtful look on her face. "Some part of me does. After spending so much of my life pursuing him, hating him for what he'd done, a part of me did genuinely wish to be the one who finally defeated him." As she looked up, her face was one of absolute calmness-it left Xander a little speechless. "That said, I'm perfectly fine with Ryu being the one to do it. Bison had hounded him for years, and he had every right to be the one to stop him just as much as me. In some ways, he had to in order to show that the strength he'd discovered was indeed the right one."

"The power to…move forward." Xander whispered.

She looked back at him with affection in her eyes. "Yes, a strength worth far more valuable than Psycho Power or the Dark Hado could ever be. It's a type of strength that I'm sure you could one day come to acquire."

Xander's awe intensified, but it quickly morphed into a hearty smile. "The same kind of strength wielded by Ryu…now that sounds awesome." They shared a bout of jubilant laughter that rose above the TV in the living room. It returned to prominence as their laughter died down. Xander looked within himself, wondering if he should take another breaching step. "Chun-Li…would you be…willing to help me achieve that strength? Or at least…do you…think I could, one day?"

His question was fired, and after a few seconds of tense silence, it received an answer. "Yes, I would, on both accounts. A-A-Any way I…possibly can. At the end of your training, I told you that it was up to you to decided if you'd reached your ceiling or if you had further to go. Personally, I felt you were the latter, Xander. You…there was something about you that stood out to me, something about you that made me eager to teach you. Something about you that…that…kept you on my mind."

"Even during the…" He asked but couldn't quite finish. She simply nodded, her eyes heavy with sadness.

"As you know, I've been in quite a few tournaments, many of which had ulterior motives. I'm just glad you made it out alive and…whole." She explained.

Hearing that triggered something in Xander. The words bounced around in his head, stirring his heart. "Chun-Li," he called standing up. "Come here, there's something I want you to see."

Her face set, she followed him. She was bracing herself for whatever he had to show her, whatever it might be. Xander wanted to believe it wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't like he was hiding some hideous deformity or had something as ghastly as a corpse tucked away in his apartment.

Unlocking the sole locked door in the place, he pushed it open and welcomed her inside.

Being a former Interpol officer, she wasn't at all surprised by his "study room", Xander had a strong feeling she had one of her own. Or several. It was poetic that they were more than likely dedicated to Bison and Shadaloo while his was dedicated to Amnesia and JP, the "children" of the former.

"Well, you work fast, incredibly fast." The remark was incredibly casual. She scoured the mountains of files and chests that decorated the office with analytical yet calm eyes. That calmness turned to joy as she turned to him with a smile. "Not bad."

Xander casually shrugged his shoulders, smiling himself. "I was motivated after Nayshall. Eventually, I realized I…maybe needed a little bit of space from this."

"You made the right decision." Turning around, she full faced him, her brown eyes warm and serene. "I won't deny the importance of this, to you and potentially countless others. But your life can be more than this."

"Do you want it to be more?" The redhead point-blank asked. It had the obvious effect of temporarily shocking her into silence.

"I-I-I…X-X-Xander…I…" She took a quick breath like he'd done several times. "Yes, I personally do. I've been down this road before. I know it can get…intense, dark, frustrating, and I want you to have more than that."

Xander felt the intensifying of his heartbeat. They'd been in this atmosphere before, and they knew where it'd lead. "A happy life."

She nodded. "Yes, and there are…many…components of a happy life. Some of which I've obtained for myself, but…some which have…eluded me."

"Chun-Li," he called.

"Even though you were my student, I wasn't blind to how handsome you were. How you still are." That brought a smile to his face, one that made Chun-Li giggle in amusement. "As I'm sure you know, I've been hit on by many, which has…flattered me. What I look for in a man though is more than just physical. What's important is the inner self just as much as the other." She felt his arms slowly rising, wrapping around her waist. Chun-Li felt that spark of excitement race through her like a bolt of lightning. "I…Xander, we're twenty-years apart and I-!"

He supposed he'd heard all he needed to. The gape between them disappeared, after hours apart their lips found each other again. Thankfully, they were alone this time, all by themselves in his home. As their lips melded together, Xander's home blended into "their" home.

The Chinese woman's arms wrapped around the younger American's neck, deepening the kiss. It'd far eclipsed the passion of their previous kiss, continuing to grow as the seconds turned to minutes. How many passed, neither of them knew-there was no point in counting.

This latest kiss was ended via the lack of oxygen. Neither of them was happy about it, but at least they didn't' have an audience watching them, an audience that had been the reason they stopped. Looking deep into one another's eyes, they acknowledged the fact that there was no stopping this.

"I was…happy when you told me you were staying in town." The older of the two confessed, a deep blush on her face. "I wanted you to stay, but I…wanted to respect your choices."

"Like I said," Xander whispered. "I had reasons to stay, someone to remind me that I needed to take a break and be myself. Enjoy the things I have in life…particularly the people." Despite the slight nervousness that all of this was somehow a dream, Xander reached over and grasped the door to his "Amnesia Room". Chun-Li looked back as he closed it; once it was shut, she looked back at him, hope and desire blazing in her eyes. He knew felt the same, and he acted on those growing feelings. His aggressive kiss pushed her against the door. Chun-Li's legs rose up, wrapping around his waist just as her arms had around his neck; they left no doubt she wanted this as much as he did. The kiss quickly skyrocketed to met their previous one in terms of intimacy.

With that in mind, Xander felt the rising of his mast between his legs. This time, he wasn't ashamed of it, and this time, Chun-Li had no reason to play dumb regarding it.

The kiss was broken by the former's groans. The deep, masculine sounds he made as the latter sensually grinded her hips against his waist. Xander looked at her, knowing what she was doing. Chun-Li knew it perfectly well too, and enjoyed it as evident by the grin on her face.

"Bedroom, Xander." She whispered in a slightly commanding voice.

His immediate impulse was to obey, and he did, at least until he saw the dinner table. "Um, uh…let me put the food up first? It'd be a shame to waste the other half of your big meal. Not to mention it'll give us something to eat for tomorrow."

A little embarrassed, she nodded. "T-T-True. S-S-Sorry I got a little carried away. I-I-I-It's just, it's-"

He silenced her with a quick but tender kiss. "It's fine, Chun-Li. Just give me a second." He wasn't kidding. It felt like the wrapping up and storing of the leftover lasagna literally took no more than second. Xander wasn't sure if it was the excitement pumping through his veins or if it was just a result of his own abilities. It sort of felt like the former bled into the latter. Turning away from the kitchen he found Chun-Li patiently waiting for him.

She looked so…nervous. Not nervous in a way that made him think she was forcing herself to do this, but more…nervous in a way resembling someone about to be intimate for the first time. Xander quickly realized in her case, it was more like intimacy for the first time in a long time.

That was why he gently approached her, stroking her cheek. "It's…been a while for me too."

"I'm sorry, this is just…I…I'm a cougar. Falling for you makes me-"

"So what?" One arm wrapped around her waist while the other remained on her cheek. The squishing of their bodies caused their already blushing cheeks to brighten even more. "I don't care about age, and I never will. All I'll care about is you, Chun-Li."

"Then I'll do the same." Maybe there would be more to it. Once they stepped out together, word would no doubt spread, especially amongst her students. Still, it wasn't like Xander was some teenager or lower in age, he was in his early twenties with a respectable job as private security. He had a rising reputation that would no doubt only grow in time, especially as he held onto his sense of self. Xander would no doubt become even more attractive to the ladies he met.

They'd just have to accept that he was already taken, just as those two girls from the mall did.

Chun-Li lifted her legs up to wrap them around Xander's waist again. She shuddered feeling his hands sliding to her bottom. It was a further addition to the rare privilege that very few men had-several had even fought for the right that she'd given the redheaded American. She kept her focus entirely on him while he carried her to his room. Namely, she kept his lips occupied with hers. Chun-Li's right hand rose to claw at the back of his head, caressing the scarlet locks while she continued to have her way with his mouth.

The feeling of something soft and solid only mildly registered in her mind. Eventually, she felt the whole of Xander's body atop of hers, a feeling she deeply relished. That was when the thought of having something beneath her came into play, and actually meant something. Chun-Li felt herself sandwiched between the bed and Xander's body; the position set off a bomb of white-hot desire that quickly swept through her, scorching her nerves. The flames continued to sweep through her, reaching to the core of her very soul. Chun-Li never wanted the blaze to end, she wanted to burn forever, a feeling that she'd only ever felt in the heat of battle. She knew the presence of this feeling meant that Xander was different from the exceptionally small group of men she'd slept with. In making her feel this way, he'd already elevated himself above the others.

Actually, he'd already elevated himself above most of the men she knew, rising to stand on a special level, and now more than never, he occupied a special place all his own. Chun-Li likewise knew she now occupied a similar place, one that she'd always secretly longed to fill in a man's life.

"O-O-Ohhh~! Aaaah~" Her line of thought was broken by the rattling pleasure that broke out across her chest, like a snake slithering across it. That slithering quickly transformed into a sensual yet iron hold that had her further crying out in bliss. Her arms and legs flailed about, the latter briefly unwrapping around Xander's chest. Mere seconds later they reaffirmed their hold on his waist. It was a domino effect-the hold on his breasts intensified causing Chun-Li to cry out in ecstasy again; not only were her breasts being groped but she could feel his erection pressing against her loins. Finally, just as she managed to force her eyes open she saw Xander's face rapidly descending toward hers. Chun-Li immediately reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, adding further fuel to the steamy kiss that ensued.

Their joint, muffled moans completely filled the bedroom, along with the faint ruffling of their erotic thrusting. In the back of their minds, they were faintly aware of the clothes they still had on, the clothes that they were seriously running the risk of ruining. Given how focused they were on grinding against one another, that didn't seem to be a concern for them.

Xander had a strong feeling he was probably going to cum in his pants. Not only was he making out with Chun-Li, he was groping her as well, and she was enjoying it. To do so had always been a long time fantasy of his, but actually realizing it was something he wrote off as never likely to happen. Words couldn't describe how good it felt to be wrong, or how good Chun-Li's breasts felt.

But they could be better, oh so much better. Rumbled the husky voice of his inner self. Rather than refute it, Xander knew it was right. As great as this was, it could be better. This could be so much better if they lost the clothes they wore.

Xander's eyes moved to the top of the qipao she wore. She looked stunning in it, but he couldn't deny the outright burning desire to see her without it. It was a desire that he moved his hand to act on.

"W-W-Wait, X-X-Xander!" And the cry of her voice stopped him. He immediately wrapped a chain around his raging desires, doing his best to haul them back into the cage. That meant pulling away from the brunette that he'd been kissing and groping a second ago. Seeing that, she responded, "N-N-No! T-T-That's not what I meant! I-I…I-!" Chun-Li pulled him back down, smashing their limps together. Her legs grinded against his hips, reenergizing the erection that he'd been trying to depower. He could feel it roaring back to life stronger than ever. They eventually separated, panting from the unexpected but intense kiss. "I…I want to do this, but I…I…I want to pleasure you first, Xander." The confusion was laced with erotic hunger that sent a shiver up his spine comparable to a lightning strike.

"M-M-Me first?" To quickly get her point across, she rolled her hips against his, making Xander shake with glee. "A-Aaaahhh!" He felt like his cock was going to burst then and there, it definitely provided incentive to let her start. As much as a verbal acceptance was on his lips, Xander managed to stop himself and get his focus on her. "C-Chun-Li," he whispered. "Are you sure you want this?"

Her hands fell on both of his cheeks, holding them with immense tenderness. "Absolutely, Xander. Consider it…consider it a reward for being such a good student…and such a good teacher."

His cheeks grew redder at her wordplay, which he knew was very much intentional. "Damn…I…never knew you could be this-"

"Seductive?" She answered for him. With a somewhat embarrassment gulp, he nodded. "Heh, most people would be surprised. Seduction has never exactly been my thing, but…I know a thing or two." With a gentle push, she rolled them over. He lay on his back while she was the one on top-it was the most erotic sight Xander had ever seen. "More importantly…when I'm motivated for the sake of someone else, I can dig deep as well."

Did she know he was facing the window in turning him to the edge of the bed. Xander briefly stared at his reflection in the half-concealed window before looking straight down. Chun-Li's hands were already at work undoing his belt with one goal in mind. Xander's cheeks were aflame as he realized what was about to happen. Still, he dumbfoundedly lifted his legs up in doing his best to make the removal easier. One could argue it certainly helped.

His pants and boxers, the latter on the verge of being sullied, were removed in one swift move. He gasped as his manhood sprung forth, tasting fresh air after hours of confinement.

"O-O-O-Oh!"

For his part, Xander was somewhat proud of his cock. Eight strong inches, always enough to completely fill up a woman, and he more than often had the strength to put it to good use. Every fiber of his body screamed for him to make that the case now. No, to go above and beyond for this was the woman that he believed to be the strongest and most beautiful in the world. The woman that Xander felt like wanted to be his for life.

"Y-Y-You're…X-X-Xander…you're…w-w-well, y-y-you're…certainly quite…well endowed." The broken-up statement got a laugh out of him. "I-I mean, y-you're-"

"Chun-Li," he called. "You've…stared at my cock a few times, haven't you?" She went silent thus answering his question. Gripping his sheets, he felt himself grow more aroused at the slowly revealing perverted side of his kung-fu teacher. "More than a few times, including today, I got hard looking at you and watching you. Man, I prayed you didn't notice, but apparently you did…and you liked what you saw, didn't you?"

Her breathing had grown faster, turning into deep pants. She wanted to slabber her lips all over his member, but she was restraining herself. Barely. "I…I-I didn't mean to the first time. I-I-It was when y-you came to me for training. M-M-My eyes wondered and it…it…it reminded me that it's…been so long since I've been with a man."

Hearing that spurned him to act. His hand shot out, grabbing her hand. It was a bold move that under other circumstances would have gotten his hand, arm, and likely all the bones in his body broken. In this case, no. "Well, your dry spell is over with, baby."

The blatant term of endearment drew a smile to her face. In the next breath, that smile became a hole which his cock was inserted int.

"Aaaaaah~! H-H-Holy shiiit!"

"Mmmm~! Mmmm~!"

The second her lips fastened around his cock, Xander came. It'd been building up for a while, and once the strong beauty took him into her mouth, all the restraint came undone. He gripped the bedsheets as his penis intentionally erupted, shooting thick ropes of semen into the older woman's mouth. Her moans of unapologetic bliss turned that intentional into intention. In seconds, he made a decision and began consciously thrusting his hips forward. Chun-Li wanted his cock and he was going to give it to her.

"Mmmm~! Mmmm~!" She continued to moan as his bursting dick was pushed in and out of her mouth. The sloppy orgasm had turned into a sloppy, yet utterly enjoyable blowjob. No doubt that ahd been Chun-Li's original intent; her plan had succeeded beyond her wildest dreams.

God…yes~! He tastes amazing~! The moment she'd seen Xander's cock, Chun-Li had to admit she'd been awestruck. Seeing the masculine blade in all its glory was different than seeing it obscured by clothing-it was far better. While she was no prude, it had indeed been a while since she'd been with a man. Four years to be exact. It was indeed a hell of a dry spell, but now it was over. Xander's sweet, delicious juices flooded her mouth bringing life to the once barren plain.

Slowly, her hands rose to rest on Xander's strong legs, giving herself some support as she took him into her mouth. She took and received him as the young fighter wasn't idle. How could he be?

Their voices melded into an erotic cacophony that gave no illusion to what was going on. Xander's grunts rose and fell, the former coming at the end of particularly deep thrusts into his former teacher's mouth. The Strongest Woman in the world looked completely submissive, sitting on her knees and so eagerly taking in the eight-inch cock of her former student. Not only taking it in but aggressively sucking and licking it.

Despite the initial eruption of cum, Xander's cock was far from finished. As Chun-Li felt with her tongue and hands, he was still hard as still. She was fascinated with that hardness, ironically finding something deliciously addictive to it. Her tongue dragged along the masculine beam, audibly moans marking every second. Her hands eventually joined in, greedily stroking and gripping not just Xander's cock but his balls as well. He couldn't help but occasional scream out in unrestraint ecstasy. Chun-Li enjoyed hearing those screams, something about it tickled her feminine pride.

Old memories resurfaced, albeit briefly. They were the reason why she was feeling this way, and why she might just be more open about showing off her newfound relationship with Xander. He was quite a man, just like those girls in the dressing room had remarked. The blonde one had been right though.

Xander was hers.

"Aaaaaahh! C-C-Chun-Li, o-oh God, Chun-Liii~!" He screamed as she deepthroated him. Taking the whole of his cock into her mouth wasn't easy, but good heavens, was it also amazingly enjoyable. "OOOOHHH!"

"MMMMMMHH~!" Never in her life had she enjoyed having something so big and hard in her mouth. Chun-Li could actually feel the ecstasy from her mouth trickling downward, to between her legs. To have this thing inside of me…pumping in and out of me…She thought in a self-admitted lewd tone. Her own lewd slurping rung in her ears; it was growing louder as she was speeding up. Xander was going to cum again, and when he did, she knew it was going to be a massive burst. She shuddered in anticipation at the thought.

Her mind chatted for it over and over again as she continued to blow him. One hand was on her head while the other was likely gripping the edge of the bed. She faintly heard the sound of it shaking as they sped closer and closer to the climax.

Chun-Li managed to open her eyes and look up. Xander sensed her gaze and looked down, straight at a sight that he knew most men would have fought, bled, and even killed for.

The kind and honorable Chun-Li had her lips fastened around his cock, eagerly sucking it as he pushed it deeper into her mouth. Her lovely shadowed eyes glistened with erotic lust the likes of which she'd been looked at by dozens of men. Few if any had been looked at that way by her though, until now. The Chinese woman affectionately batted her eyes at him, her tongue dragging itself across his tip.

Xander squeezed his eyes shut, threw back his head, and howled. "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

His orgasm was bigger than the previous one, surging forth and bursting through his tip. One shot equaled two or three of his previous ones, and Chun-Li took it all. She happily took it all.

For a woman who'd been on something of a dry spell, she was amazingly good at swallowing cum. Xander looked on through the tears of bliss to see her eagerly gulping down the thick shots of semen he blasted into her mouth. It made him unload even more. The feeling of primal, sexual gratification was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It almost felt like what he'd heard some guys say, how they discovered who "the one" was based solely on sexual intercourse. He always brushed that kind of stuff off, but in this moment, he felt like a believer.

And so too did Chun-Li.

So…good! So…good! Good! Delicious! Absolutely delicious~! Her mind sang, sounding like a broken record. Maybe some part of her mind had broken. Where she should have been disgusted with such a notion, she wasn't. Chun-Li instead felt glad; deep in the darkest depths of her soul, this was something she'd been curious about.

To have a man so thoroughly take her that she lost all sense and reason, becoming little better than some screaming prostitute. Oh, how her friends, colleagues, and her adoptive daughter would have looked at her to know of such desire.

That desire had been fulfilled, and by a man almost twenty years her junior of all people.

She looked up to him with affection, and he looked down to her with the same feeling. Chun-Li swallowed the cum that had leaked from her mouth. Her legs felt wobbly and her pussy felt moist, wet-it was howling for attention that wasn't simply her fingers.

Suddenly, Xander gripped her by the shoulders and pulled her up. It was a good thing since she didn't feel much strength in her legs. The intense kiss that followed might not have helped either, but damn was it enjoyable. Once more, she wrapped her arms around his neck as she submersed herself into the kiss. It was ravenous and thirsty, like the mind-shattering blowjob she'd just given him never happened. Ultimately, he was just greedy; that was fine as she was the same.

Amidst their kissing, they rolled over in the bed, him ending up on top and her on the bottom. His soaked yet semi-hard member pressed against her waist. Chun-Li had never realized how tight her leggings were until now, nor had she ever possessed such a strong desire to get them off. That desire was somewhat lost in her lustful clawing and kissing of Xander. Somewhere in it, she managed to get his shirt off, or he threw it off on his own.

When he'd came to her, he was already physically fit, but the months of training and fighting had made him even more so. Her mouth salivated at the sight of his Greek god-like body. And he was still so young at that.

Oh, for Pete's sake, how much of a cougar do you want to sound like? A sliver of rationality chastised.

Who cares! Shouted back the now dominant, erotic, and emotionally side of her.

Xander's naked body lay beneath her, her hands running over his abs. His hands continuously groped her buttocks as his cock grinded against her loins. It was back at full hardness, and this time Chun-Li knew it was going into one special hole. She could hardly wait.

Fortunately for Chun-Li, her wait wasn't long.

"O-O-Omph! X-X-Xander! X-Xan..der?" She lay on her back, staring up at his predatory eyes. It'd be a lie to say she wasn't the least bit excited.

"It's my turn now, Chun-Li." He whispered before grabbing at the collar of her qipao. The cautionary warning to him not to tear it never left her lips, it was off in seconds with her leggings following suit. In what seemed to be instantaneously, she was in nothing but her white bra and undies, the latter of which had a massive stain in the middle of them.

They didn't go unnoticed.

"Woah," Xander mumbled.

"I-I-I've…I've never…you're the first person to get me like this in a long time." She offered. It sounded more like a whimper-what Xander's touch had reduced her to do. His smirk sent a jolt through her. Where the lightning struck fire was born and began to spread, especially as Xander crawled his way toward her face. She was half-ready when his lips met hers. The kiss was loving and gentle, a total contrast to their states of undress. That gradually changed as she felt a hand slither beneath her undies and a pair of fingers brushing against her vagina. "A-A-Ahhh~ Aaahhh~"

"I'm going to be the only one from here on out, Chun-Li." The confident declaration excited her. Her legs rose, toes curling as those fingers pushed into her. Their kiss was broken by a short but deep howl.

"Y-Y-Yes,"

"Have you touched yourself, Chun-Li?" He asked with quiet determination intermixed with curiosity. It was a bold question, but one entirely befitting of their current situation, and arguably their newfound relationship.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, semi-anchoring her while she rocked her hips against his hand. "Y-Y-Yes. I-I've…had…urgings. S-S-Sometimes even the…o-o-occasional wet dream."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of." He chuckled.

"I-I-I know that! B-B-But it's not something you w-w-want people to know about. E-E-Especially one in a p-p-position l-l-like mine." She retorted, complete with cheeks that could outshine cherries.

Xander again chuckled. He loved her proud and proper demeanor, but he couldn't deny there was something deeply enjoyable about breaking it down. He knew she was human like everyone (or almost) everyone else, but seeing it in a more…explicit manner was a treat few could savor.

He broke the kiss to lift himself up, even removing his fingers from her pussy. She actually moaned in disappointment at the loss. It turned into a gasp as he swiftly removed her bra, letting it join the rest of her clothes on the floor. Like him, her chest lay exposed.

That reveal brought an intense blush to the older woman's face, but she pushed past whatever embarrassment she might have felt. Her painted nails grasped the soft flesh of her twin mounds, which she pushed forward. "G-G-Go on," Came her whisper. "T-They're…they're almost as impressive as my legs."

"I know." Xander replied. He wasted no time in latching onto them, squeezing them, fondling them. The kung-fu mistress shut her eyes and moaned as she felt his tongue and fingers assail her nipples. Her masturbation included nipple play? It was a lewd question that hung in the air before being swept away by the sultry storm that he was whipping up.

"A-Aaaahhh~! Aaaggghhh~! Aaaaaggghhh~! Xan-Xander~! Xander, God, yesss~! Keep going~! Keep…going~!" Yelled the kung-fu master. Her brain was further overloading on bliss. How much more it could take she didn't know, but she knew the rest of the night was going to be discovered finding out. It'd already felt like she'd reached a major breaking point she took Xander into her mouth. Now it was her right nipple in his mouth, suckling it, licking it, once again driving her to the depths of carnal insanity.

The young fighter savored pushing her every inch, hellbent on plunging her into the swirling erotic insanity that she and he craved. With every scream, she further succumbed to it. Xander himself channeled it as he tried to keep track of how long he kept on her right breast with his mouth. His right hand gave moderate attention to her left, but it was nothing compared to what his tongue would bring it.

When the swop came, he tried to make it as quick and seamless as possible. Evidently, it worked as Chun-Li kept on moaning all the same. His tongue quickly fell on the harden nipple with the fury of a storm. Like thunder, his whole mouth came down, his teeth gently biting into the sweat-coated flesh. Hundreds of jolts of ecstasy raced up not just her spine but Xander's as well. It was a continuation of the rush that came with kissing her, groping her, and orally fucking her to his heart's content.

He had his complete way with her chest, all willingly. Xander pulled away, his mark definitively left on her ample mounds. As he'd affirmed, her legs may have been well-known, but Chun-Li was no slouch in the chest department. Absolutely not. All that said, it was time he moved on to his girlfriend's lower region.

His acute hearing picked up Chun-Li's intensified breathing as he moved lower. She spread her legs out, sweat rolling down the powerful yet enchanting weapons.

"X-X-Xander," that voice tinged with concern was arousing, yet he calmed himself enough to listen. "I-I don't want you to stop. I-I-It's just…w-well…my legs are…my legs are…"

He laughed at how the source of her great pride now turned into something of embarrassment. "Trust me, I know how strong these things are. They could crush my head like a grape, and maybe I'd enjoy it."

"X-X-Xander!" The brunette cried.

"Kidding! At least half-kidding!" he explained. Xander's eyes softened as he kissed both thighs, a move that brought an intense blush to the Chinese woman's already redden face. "I trust you won't crush me…but I won't deny that I want these things wrapped around my head, squeezing it. I want to feel them and know that they, like the rest of you, Chun-Li, are mine."

She'd never expected such a declaration from Xander, and Chun-Li hadn't expected it to leave her feeling so light-headed, aroused, excited, and eager. She gawked at her student-turned-boyfriend, amazed that he had this determined yet loving side to him in the bedroom.

"O-Oh…okay." She closed her legs, allowing him to grip and slide off her panties. With their removal she spread them out, exposing her nude, dripping pussy. She internally sighed in relief at remembering to shave her pussy leaving behind only a small tuff of brown hair. "X-X-Xander…Xan-aaaaahhh~!"

Like her, he gripped the side of her legs to steady himself while he had his way with her cunt. Chun-Li shut her eyes and screamed. There was no prior inhalation, just a loud scream as her cunt was penetrated by a foreign object-by a man. Xander's tongue was a sword, stabbing into the depths of her core before changing to a whip. All sides of her vaginal walls were assailed by his tongue, and with it came continuous waves of ecstasy.

"Haaaaahhh~! Aaaaaahhh~! Xaaander~! AAAAAAGGHHHH~!"

As he predicted, as he knew, her legs closed around his head. It was like having a pair of sweet, soft cinderblocks sandwiching him. His cock twitched in representation of the ecstasy the act gave him. He pushed his tongue in deeper, showing Chun-Li her fears had been alleviated. Although given her lewd screaming, she might not have fully comprehended that. Xander kept his hold on her thighs while pushing deeper into her pussy. Her walls tightened around his tongue as he probed ever deeper.

Inevitably, the deeper he went, the tighter Chun-Li's legs became. Still, he wasn't detoured, Xander took it as a sign he was doing what he had to do-pleasuring his girlfriend. Her constant screams grew louder as the vaginal walls around his tongue tightened.

"A-Aaahh, X-X-Xander, X-X-Xander, I'm…g-g-g-going to…I'm going to…" It felt like she was about to explode, which given the buildup within her pussy, wasn't too far off. Xander might have heard her words, he might not have. His tongue continued to thrash about inside her pussy, feeding the building fireball that erupted a heartbeat later. "HAAAAAAHHH~!"

Her cum exploded from her loins right into his face. Unlike his Chinese lover, Xander couldn't take it all into his mouth. Still, he did take in as much as he could, which was quite a lot. The gallon's worth of love nectar tasted absolutely heavenly, just as he expected from the strongest woman in the world. The strongest woman that he'd proclaimed to be his woman.

That's how he looked at her when he lifted his head up several minutes later. Cum and sweat dripped from his face as he gazed at her. Arms spread out, her face blushing and coated in sweat, her eyes haze and glazed over. Naked as the day she was born with the only piece of clothing arguably being the ribbons holding her hair buns in place. It was a state of being that few would have ever imagined Chun-Li obtaining, especially at the hand (and tongue) of one of her students.

Her deep brown eyes eventually focused on him, her mouth moving in a weakened attempt to form words.

Xander didn't try to make out what she said, he only looked down. "Chun-Li, I'm…I'm going to fuck you now." The declaration came as he gripped his cock, now back to previous hardness, perhaps more so.

"Please…do it." The whisper reached his ears causing the blood to further swell within his penis. His green eyes moved from it to Chun-Li's face. "I'm ready…I'm…ready for you to take me. Make me yours. Truly…make me your woman."

"I'll be your man then. I'll be whatever you need me to be." The quiet yet tender declaration made her heart jump, higher than even her legs could carry her. "I love you, Chun-Li."

Her own response was cut-off by the swift penetration of her pussy. "HHHHAAAAAA~!"

"Fuck, fuck! It's hotter and tighter than I imagined!" He screamed. Xander's hips were already at work, his cock pushing in and out of her vagina. Chun-Li's boobs bounced while he held onto her sides. "Aaaahhh, it feels like you're getting hotter by the second…shifu."

"Aaaaahhh…mmmmaaaaahh~! Oooohhh…aaaaahh…I-I…ooooohhhh~!" She knew this was going to happen. Four years without a cock in her, then comes Xander and his…his…his spear that could give even the legendary Guan Yu's blade competition. Every second that passed Chun-Li felt coherent speech become more impossible. Instead of steeling herself and rising to reclaim it, she surrendered it. Her voice became little more than screams and moans that shook the room, especially as she felt a pair of hot, tender lips on her neck. "AAAAAGGHHH~! AAAYYYYY~!"

"Making you scream like that…I…I sometimes dreamed about it." His whispering confession reached her ears. "Despite being older than me, despite being a mother, despite being my teacher…"

"I'm still a woman, Xander." She replied while raising her arms up and looping them around his neck. Their eyes met as their faces aligned. "Your woman now, Xander." Chun-Li pressed their lips together beginning a new kiss. Their tongues pushed and grinded against each other while he continued to thrust his cock into her. All the bliss she'd felt earlier was totally eclipsed by this moment, by their forbidden yet delightful union. "Mmmmmm~"

With her words, her affirmation, Xander felt a subconscious lock lifted on him. He went harder by the second, thrusting deeper and deeper until he felt like he was hitting her core. Grunts were half-muffled by her lips, which never strayed far from hers even when they had to break for air. It was wild, passionate, devoted, things that they normally tried to keep in moderation, but now there was no need for that. He went full force, and she took it all.

"UGH~! AAAAAHHH~! X-X-XANDER, I-I'M GOING TO-"

"ME TOO! DIRECTLY INSIDE OF YOU, CHUN-LI! I'M CUMMING STRAIGHT INSIDE OF YOU!"

Hearing that made her tighten her hold on him, from her arms to her legs to her pussy. All of it like a boa constrictor, but Xander kept on going, he kept on fucking her. As they kissed, she saw the raw determination still burning bright in his eyes. With her tight hold, she thrusted her hips forward, feeling his tip slam into her core. That was the final blow.

"CHUN-LI~!"

"XANDER~!"

His cock erupted for the third time, his load this time being shot straight into her womb. Chun-Li felt her eyes roll back into her head even while her pussy went through an eruption of its own. From all sides her lover's member was blasted with her feminine juices, which mixed with his own and spilled forth from her overstuffed pussy. His cock, their juices, it was all too much with the excess spilling forth onto the bed. It went unnoticed by both fighters, still too wrapped up in each other. Lips meddled together and tongues pushed and slathered against each other.

Those passionate and needy kisses were how their rode out their orgasm. After the final one, the couple separated, both breathing hard with sweat rolling down their bodies.

Chun-Li laid flat against the bed as Xander loomed above her, his green eyes still ablaze with desire. With surprisingly weakened arms, she pushed herself up, holding his gaze. "X-X-Xander-"

"He quickly took hold of her neck, slamming their lips together. She felt the slip of his cock from her cunt, but their lip lock more than made up for it. At least until it ended and his gaze darkened. "One more time, Chun-Li."

"O-O-ka-" Once more, he moved fast, practically like lightning. Normally, she'd have been right there with him, but the aftermath of her first orgasm in years had her slacking off. Then there was the new position they found themselves in. "X-X-Xa-Xander! W-W-What are you-"

With a firm grip on her hips, he answered, "I've always wanted to do this, especially to you." So far, she'd been pretty accepting of everything, but Xander knew he was somewhat pushing it with this one. Doggy style was…well, he'd heard some women hated while others loved it. He was taking a gamble Chun-Li was one of the latter.

She looked back at him with wide eyes. Wide eyes, but she still wasn't saying no, or verbally telling him to stop.

So he didn't.

"OOOOOOOHHHH~! X-X-XANDER~! OH MY GOD, X-X-ANDER~!" She grabbed at the pillows, holding onto them for dear life as her boyfriend brought forth the same masculine strength he used to pound her with before. As he showed her, he still had plenty of it left. "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH~!"

"You're screaming so much louder, and you're even tighter!" The younger fighter remarked. His face was split by the prideful grin he wore as he ruthlessly pounded his teacher. "So, you like being fucked this way, huh? Who'd have thought!"

Tears of joy immediately manifested in her eyes as her body shook from the fierce fucking. M-My…mind's going…hazy, like never before! I-I'm…I'm actually enjoying this more than before. Holding onto the pillow, she pushed herself up as best she could and looked back. Her words died in her throat as she drunk in the sight of Xander thrusting his cock into her from behind, each one bringing her to the brink of orgasming. Such a dreamy sight, and with such thrusts she felt her brain on the verge of liquifying while her heart exploded.

Catching him looking back at her, his grin grew broader. What came next was another fierce thrust.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY~! XANDER~!"

"LIKED THAT, DIDN'T YOU!"

"YES, GOD, YESSSSS~! AGAIN, DO IT AGAIN!"

"GLADLY!" He roared while following through on his response. Even as he continued his primal taking of her, the redhead leaned over, his right hand rising and falling over Chun-Li's. Locking in on her hair buns, she grabbed at the ribs with his teeth and pulled them away. Without them, her lush, dark brown hair fell behind her back like a waterfall. "I love you, Chun-Li." He whispered.

She could feel her next orgasm approaching her, speeding toward her like a tiger toward its prey. With what time she had left, she pushed herself up. She turned her head and gazed into his sea-green eyes, seeing the heartfelt honesty and love behind his words. Her left hand was lifted, wrapping around his neck, and bringing him into a kiss just before she whispered, "I love you too, Xander."

One final kiss preceded the last thrust, the thrust that ended the match. It was a mutual victory for the both of them, one they celebrated with a joint howl that they were sure woke the neighbors if their previous screams hadn't.

This is…yes. Without a doubt. I don't care what anyone will say…Xander, you are my…you are mine, and I am indeed yours.

Cum shot into the woman's pussy overloading it for the second time. It was a wonderful feeling, perhaps better than the first time. Sure, it came with a sense of exhaustion, but in the master's eyes, it was all worth it.

She laid flat on her stomach, her grip on the pillow loosened. Xander had a grip on her, holding her waist. Chun-Li giggled as he nuzzled her neck, which he'd left a considerable number of hickeys on.

"Guess you're staying the night, huh?" He whispered turning them over. Xander removed his cock from her, knowing that the bed was going to have a bit of a mess on it. He didn't mind it though. Rather tenderly, he turned her over so that they were lying on their sides, face to face.

"Yes, I will," she replied with a giggle. "I don't think this'll be the last time I'll be staying over." His cheeks brightened as he did hers. For both, it might have had something to do with the slight rising between his legs. Chu-Li lazily raised her leg up and used it to brush against his. "Xander," her voice took on a slightly more serious tone. "I want this relationship to continue, but…well…we'll have to tell Li-Fen. I…don't know how she'll react."

"I think she'll take it rather well."

"Really?"

"Really, and I assure you, it's not just optimism talking." It really wasn't. The young computer whiz had outright told him she'd be fully supportive of her teacher and mother getting a boyfriend. In fact, she hoped for it in some ways. What he wasn't so sure on was how she'd feel about said boyfriend being someone younger (but not too young).

Chun-Li laughed while cuddling up to him. "Alright then, I guess we'll see how solid your optimism is. Regardless of whatever happens…regardless of whatever we face,"

His arms rose, wrapping around her. "We'll stand strong, and we will win."

With a final kiss, they crawled beneath the covers then allowed sleep to take them, warmly wrapped up in each other's arms. It was a far cry from the lonely and contemplative nights they'd individually experienced. Some more like those nights may have lay ahead of them, but they would be equaled and likely outnumbered by nights like these. Nights that they'd eagerly look forward to.

---

Way too much procrastination kept me from finishing this one, but finally I got it done. Since I've developed a teacher-student kink, this one came to me a bit more easily, although some of the finer details still alluded me. Luke and Jamie were originally supposed to show up and get schooled by Chun-Li, either by herself or in a tag match with Xander, but I wasn't able to squeeze that in. In a sequel story I might be able to though, particularly one where Xander and Chun-Li are out on a more official date.

What I wanted to focus on with this story was Xander potentially following the same path as Chun-Li since he's more or less left in the same position as her by the end of Vi, something she's acutely aware of. Rather fitting considering the latter's the former's teacher. Another character I wanted to somewhat reference was Ken, who's undoubtedly at his lowest in VI curtesy of JP. I found it interesting how he was thoroughly beaten, but as he boasted, defeating him in a fight did absolutely nothing except show he's not the strongest fighter around. Speaking of him, I slightly rearranged things so JP gifted Xander with Psycho Power before their fight; in future Chun-Li stories I might revisit it since I like the prospect of Xander having to balance it and it essentially becoming the Satsui no Hado. He's very much in a position to become Xander's Master Bison, or even his Akuma, but unlike Ryu or Chun-Li herself, Xander doesn't get swept up in opposing them.

On Chun-Li's end, I tried to balance her wanting to be in a relationship and still wanting to remain professional or at least on amicable terms with Xander, with the former desire winning out. For this story, I leaned into the idea of her being a little self-conscious of her lack of romance and some part of her wanting to change that. Obviously, she certainly has and future stories will likely involve her and Xander going forward. Including breaking the news to Li-Fen, whom I also thought of including in the fight scene with Luke and Jamie.

I hope you all enjoyed my first Street Fighter story! As usual, more will eventually come so be on the lookout! Until next time, stay safe, readers!