Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

Festive Spirits and Silly Rivalry

"I still can't fully wrap my head around that Cammy and Juri are actually married."

Mai turned over to her girlfriend, a playful smile on her face. "Really?"

"Don't give me that look," Chun-Li told her, pouting as she did. "I'm not against it or anything since Juri isn't out of control anymore, but for Cammy to marry her? If someone had told me they would eventually get together I would've laughed."

Mai then giggled softly and shrugged her shoulders. It was gently snowing as the couple walked down the sidewalk to Cammy's and Juri's house just up ahead, and the breeze was mild. It looked to be a gentle Christmas Eve. "They make a curious couple, certainly, but look at us; who would've thought you and I would've ended up together?"

"Hmm…Fair enough."

"I mean, I never would've guessed that Chun-Li, star officer of Interpol, would eventually beg me to forget about Andy and go out with her? Such a passionate speech—"

"Huh? I do not recall anything about begging anyone, thank you very much!" Chun-Li then retorted, unamused, and pointed sharply at Mai. "It was however you who pursued me because Mr. Bogard made it clear once and for all he wanted nothing to do with you, and so you asked me out because a fellow beauty such as you deserve someone equal or even more beautiful."

"While I absolutely adore and respect your shining beauty, I think you're getting old sweetie. Your memories are getting foggy."

"Who are you calling old, my dear? I'm literally younger than you."

Mai smirked. "Don't think I haven't noticed the slightest of wrinkles you're trying to deny."

"And you think your crow's feet are hidden with only that thin layer of makeup?" Chun-Li smiled back, meeting Mai's gaze confidently before they both burst out giggling and came to a stop by a lamppost. "We are such a pair, aren't we?"

"A couple of gorgeous beauties if I say so myself," Mai added and met her girlfriend halfway for a soft, warm kiss. "Only the best for the best wouldn't you say?"

"Oh who am I to argue," Chun-Li said playfully and kissed Mai again. "Honestly, I suppose we were both stubborn about asking each other out. In hindsight we must've looked foolish."

"Perhaps," Mai admitted as they resumed walking. "But it's better to not dwell on the past. We have each other." She tenderly squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "And we should focus on outshining our hostesses."

Chun-Li chuckled. "How childish. They're have an appeal of their own, loathe as I am to admit it about Juri. And Sakura and Karin have both grown into fine young women too."

"Oh? Should I be worried?" Mai teased with a playful nudge with her shoulder against Chun-Li's and the latter chuckled before she nudged back.

"Stop it. Jealousy doesn't suit you. You've got me and I don't see that changing in the future."

Mai's smile, though it didn't lose its playfulness, became affectionate. "And you've got me too. Not like I was worried or anything, but—"

"I know. I know." Chun gave her hand a squeeze. "Oh! We're here!"

They rang the doorbell and waited. It would be the first time since Cammy and Juri married that Chun-Li had visited their new house, she noted, and from the outside it appeared fairly humble yet inviting.

The door clicked open to reveal not the blonde agent, but Karin clad in a red bodycon dress and an emerald bolero. Her hair was donned up in a bun with few thin bangs framing her face, which lit up upon seeing the couple.

"Chun-Li! Ms. Shiranui! Welcome, come on in!" She cheerfully greeted with a proffered hug to them both as they stepped inside. "Cammy! Our last guests have arrived!"

"One moment!" Cammy shouted back from – judging by the clattering – the kitchen. Karin graciously helped the couple with their jackets; Chun-Li had opted for a festive qipao dress in red with yellow accents, and a pair of green stockings and silver bell earrings, while Mai had gone for a white kimono top with crimson accents and a matching skirt with its hem reaching down just above her knees, and red stockings.

Just as the jackets had been hung up and shoes put away, Cammy rounded the corner into the hallway, beaming upon eye-contact. With her black slacks and turtleneck she looked rather dashing if Chun-Li were to be honest, but then she had always acknowledged that.

"Welcome! Took you two long enough," Cammy joked as she pulled Chun-Li into a hug. "It's been a while."

"Too long," the Interpol officer admitted. "Life has been hectic, but I wouldn't miss this for the world. I like your new haircut, it suits you."

Cammy smiled. "Heh. Thank you! I thought it was time for a change so I went for it."

"Well you certainly rock it as they say! We brought some wine for the occasion, but our Christmas gift is our lovely company," Mai commented once she received her hug. Cammy chuckled.

"It's a wonderful gift, thank you. Make yourselves at home, dinner should be ready in a little bit. I think Sakura is setting up the games in the meantime for afterwards too."

"I do like games," Mai said with a smirk. "I assume we're talking about fighting games?"

"And board-games!" Someone shouted enthusiastically to everyone's amusement.

"You heard her," Cammy commented with a light chuckle. "Make yourselves at home, I need to pop back into the kitchen or else my wife might just burn something."

"It was ONE time!"

"And here I thought Chun was bad with cooking," Mai commented and earned herself a playful punch in the arm, at which she laughed.

Chun-Li rolled her eyes, but couldn't stifle the smile that nonetheless pulled at the corners of her mouth. "You make it sound like I'm constantly messing up. I've gotten a lot better and you know it."

"If that's the case," Karin chimed in as she circled the pair as they walked into the house proper, her interest piqued. "I'd love to try your cooking sometime. Because according to Sakura-"

I'm suuure it has gotten a lot better so don't quote me!" Sakura intervened as she skipped her way over to the group; she wore a pair of black jeans and a red shirt underneath a black waistcoat vest, with a yellow tie. The tomboy swept Karin into a pirouette and ended it with a deep kiss before she turned to the other couple. "Heya! It's so good to see you two again!"

"Hello Sakura," Chun-Li greeted and hugged the approaching younger woman. "It's good to see you too. How have you been? Is the arcane doing well?"

Sakura smirked and puffed out her chest. "Never better! People of all ages keep coming in every day! No single machine is left untouched for more than a few minutes and our venue's upgrades and refurbishing has really helped out." She glanced over at Karin. "Thanks to a certain backer that is."

"Ohoho! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I couldn't help you out a little?" Karin then replied with a fairly smug look on her face – one that lasted for but a moment before Sakura kissed her again and the smugness softened greatly.

Mai and Chun-Li turned to each other and softly laughed. "Sounds like you've got a lot going on then, Sakura. Good thing you could come tonight though."

"I couldn't miss out on a get-together like this," the tomboy claimed ad wrapped an arm around Karin's waist. "Both Karin and I make sure to set time aside for ourselves, be it together or otherwise. It's important to have time for other stuff so you don't burn out."

"Exactly! For example, we're having a double date with both of Mrs. Kazama-Rochefort's before New Years eve—OH!" The blond clicked her fingers. "You two did get the invites for Cammy's New Year party I assume?"

"Of course," Chun-Li confirmed. Mai nodded. "We have the time off so we could enjoy occasions such as this. But I'm glad to hear you're not getting too caught up with work. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to take some time off for yourself," Chun admitted rather sheepishly.

"All work and no play makes you as dull as Doll-Face," Juri then suddenly chimed in as she stepped out of the kitchen, clad in a blend of traditional and new, modern hanbok – with a much shorter hem and sleeves – in black and purple. Her hair was styled similar to Cammy's old hairstyle; an odd fit, but neither Chun nor Mai were about to tell her that. As if having read their minds Juri grinned and offered a small wave. "Glad you could make it."

"We're happy to be here," Chun-Li replied as she accepted an awkward hug. While things were relatively peaceful between Juri and practically everybody it still felt, to Chun, weird to be casually friendly with someone like Juri. "Thank you for inviting us."

Juri shrugged her shoulders. "Thank my wife. I'm just here because I live here," she then replied with a snarky inflection and then laughed. "Nah, it's good to see you. Moderately."

Chun-Li rolled her eyes. "…Thank you. Likewise."

"Behave yourself, darling," Cammy softly reprimanded before kissing her wife on the cheek. "Dinner is just about ready, by the way. Juri, could you grab the drinks?"

"Sure, sure."

The couple headed back into the kitchen, teasing each other playfully along the way with fleeting touches. Over in the dining room Chun-Li noticed that Sakura and Karin had slipped away joyfully set up whatever console the former had brought with her while Karin merely watched her affectionately from the side-line. To think they used to be rivals once upon a time who bickered every so often.

"Hey." A little nudge snapped Chun out of her absentminded trance and she turned to Mai. "What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing. I think." Chun took a deep breath. The noise from the other couples was heard throughout the house; Juri and Cammy playfully bickered and flirted, and Karin and Sakura simply sweet-talked each other. "I don't know. Perhaps it's just a silly jealousy."

"Huh? Jealousy? What for?" Mai asked and draped an arm over Chun-Li's shoulders. "Their relationships?"

"I…guess? I don't know, it's just silly. Cammy and Juri being married; Sakura and Karin really hitting it off. It feels like it was only yesterday the four of them were like oil and water to one another and yet here we are about to have a Christmas dinner together. Honestly even being able to call you my lover feels so surreal." She then shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I'm just feeling a dumb rivalry because you and I only just started dating not too long ago."

Mai gingerly squeezed her shoulder before lightly laughing. "Is that what it is? That's indeed silly darling. They have their own lovey-dovey lives…" She then cupped Chun-Li's chin ever so carefully and turned her towards herself. "It's not a competition. We have each other and our own journey ahead of us."

Chun-Li's breath hitched as her cheeks grew hot. "Mai…"

"But if it was a competition we would be the most beautiful and flirty couple in the vicinity."

Chun-Li then chuckled. "Only in the vicinity?"

"I don't want to be too vain now do I?"

"You're silly. But that's charming." She leaned into Mai and softly kissed her lips as she hugged her just as tenderly and quietly hummed when Mai reciprocated kindly.

With a sneaky, brief grab of Chun-Li's buttocks and a playful slap on the cheek, the two joined Cammy and Juri as the married couple carried food and drink to the dinner table where they all eventually sat down and celebrated being together.

A/N: This was meant to incorporate the New Years dinner too, but that'll have to be a separate fic. There was no real point or story to this, I just wanted to write a little something.

I hope everyone had a Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Years!