Garden Delights Ch. 2
By Mayumi H

Chun-Li narrowed her eyes at Vega. She leaned across the table. "Just what did you mean by that?"

Vega looked at her cordially. "What did I mean by what?" he asked, innocently enough, taking another sip of wine.

"What exactly do you know about me?"

Vega shook his head. "Those are business matters. I do not wish to discuss business tonight. The night--and you--are too beautiful to waste time on such trivialities." He smiled at her. "You have not touched your wine. Perhaps you would like a walk, instead?"

Chun-Li watched him get up from the table in one fluid motion, and for a moment she was struck by how agile and graceful he was for a man. Despite her better judgment, she stood up, as well.

Vega proferred his arm, and though Chun-Li remained skeptical, she did take it. He reached down to the table and picked up the rose that had lain between them, and he handed it to her with a gallant smile. "Come. I shall show you this island's less mundane beauties."

They passed out of the patio restaurant with little fanfare, except for a brief, wordless exchange between Vega and the maitre'd. Chun-Li noticed the subtle nods but decided she would be better off keeping an eye on Vega outside rather than inside the restaurant. She didn't know Shad very well, and she had no idea just what he had in mind for their little tour.

Vega led her from the restaurant into the tended garden that the patio overlooked. It had looked much smaller from their table, and soon Chun-Li found herself nearly lost in the expanse of flora, except for the glaring lights from the commercial district. She wondered how such a place could remain untouched while so close to Bison's stronghold.

As Chun-Li studied their surroundings, Vega studied her, his eyes narrowed to memorize her face. She had many of the traits common to her ancestry, but also a singular beauty that had captivated him since seeing her at the arena. He hadn't known when he'd made their dinner date that she was the fierce fighter who had fought and won her way through the ranks of many Grand Fight contenders. He had ended up spending most of the afternoon and early evening studying her fighting technique from tapes of the preliminary rounds, to the point where he nearly couldn't wait to face her one-on-one. She couldn't beat him, of course, but it would be an interesting battle. On one hand, she seemed very delicate, like a doll from her homeland. But he had seen her pummel men much larger than her into whining children. Interesting, indeed.

He reached up and plucked a blossom from one of the branches that hung over the little path they were on. "Beauty flourishes even amid the ugliness of such commonness." He brought it to his nose, closing his eyes as he savored the fragrance.

Chun-Li chuckled. "You seem to have a trained eye for it."

Vega opened his eyes and regarded her quizzically. "Beauty?" he asked.

Chun-Li nodded. "Even in the darkness, nothing beautiful escapes you."

Vega stopped and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Of course not. Not even you." His hand ventured from her shoulder to her chin, and he lifted her face.

Chun-Li faltered for a moment, wondering for the life of her just why her strength and resolve had suddenly left her. She could only stare into his pale eyes; she felt herself drowning in those green depths. Her heartbeat had begun to speed up, and she was starting to feel a little lightheaded. But when he leaned in closer to her, she managed to put a hand on his chest and take a determined step away from him. "I think you presume too much, Senor Vega."

Vega pulled back, but not nearly as far as he had been when they had begun their conversation. He smirked at her indignance. "I think not. I think you do not know your own mind."

Chun-Li flared. "How dare you presume-?!"

Vega cocked one thin eyebrow, looking down his nose at her. "How dare you retreat?"

That did it. Chun-Li liked to consider herself as being a cautious InterPol agent, but she never, never retreated, especially from an arrogant blowhard. Time to see if Vega was as good on ordinary ground as he was in the arena. She clenched her fists and moved her feet into a fighting stance. "I...don't...retreat!" And with that, she swung one of her powerful legs in a roundhouse arc.

Vega backed away quickly, his designer shoes slipping slightly in the damp grass. A grin started to creep over his face. "Lovely and spirited! Ah, a woman after my own heart." He unbuttoned his suit coat and slipped it from his shoulders in one supple move, catching the collar in one outstretched hand. He pulled the material taut with his other hand, turning it into an impromptu snare. It was not his claw, but it would have to do. Besides, he wanted to see what kind of mettle this girl was made of.

He leapt at her suddenly, snaring one of her arms, but his feet failed to plant sufficiently in the grass, and he ended up skating along the turf. The only way he didn't lose his balance was by breaking his speed by doing a quick flip. Unfortunately, that also meant letting go of his makeshift snare.

Chun-Li unraveled his coat from her arm and swung it quickly, wrapping it about his leg just as he came out of his flip. She was about to pull his feet out from under him when he kicked his long leg into the air, yanking her towards him. He swung it high, nearly over her head (for a moment, she was stunned and impressed by his incredible control), then brought it down, stomping into the grass. The force of his maneuver succeeded in unbalancing her, wrapping her in her own whip, and bringing her down to the ground.

Vega crouched over her, his elbows on his bent knees. "It appears that I win this round, mi hermosa flor."

Chun-Li squinted. "Not yet," she muttered. She flipped her legs up and locked them around his neck, throwing him off of her and onto his back in a wrestling-type move. She bounded to her feet, once more at the ready. "From where I'm standing, it looks more like I win."

Vega lay there, stunned. Then, he began to laugh. He propped himself up on one arm, a relaxed and amused look on his face. "Very good. You are every bit the fighter they said you were."

"So are you," she replied, as a tiny smile began to creep over her lips. She relaxed, but only slightly.

Vega shook his head, all formality suddenly gone. "Ah, surely I am a sight." But he chuckled nonetheless, resigned to his appearance; for once, he didn't seem so concerned about his looks.

Chun-Li couldn't help smiling now, seeing his pristine facade shattered. "The tousled look better suits a fighter."

Vega brushed his pants, succeeding only partially. "Perhaps you are correct." He looked at her, and his smile faded. "Oh. But your lovely dress...it is ruined." He touched her arm gently.

Chun-Li looked to where his hand touched her skin. Indeed, the short sleeve was ripped along the seam; she had probably burst it when he had yanked her. And her dress was sufficiently grass-stained from her fall. In the half-light, and against the dark tones of his suit, it was hardly noticeable, but her white dress showed the splotches boldly. It was hardly ruined, but it would take an awful lot of work to restore it. She sighed. "Oh, well."

"Let me fix it," Vega said suddenly. "The tailors at my hacienda can work wonders."

Chun-Li shook her head. "That's not necessary."

"Please. I insist." He indicated a set of lights in the distance. "It is not far."

Chun-Li wavered. "I'm not sure..."

Vega moved up closer to her, moving his hand to her neck, rubbing his thumb over the line of her jaw. "You can stay for the evening."

She found herself looking into those eyes again, but this time the strength to look away wasn't there anymore. She swallowed back the anxious lump in her throat. "I guess...there's no harm in that."

He shook his head slightly, murmuring, "No harm at all." Then, very slowly, he bent his head down and kissed her.

And Chun-Li realized that she'd lost to him.