Note: ---...--- means lyrics of a song.
Whatever coherent disclaimer will work: I don稚 own Street Fighters or the lyrics to the song. Don稚 sue me, etc...

The Hardest Thing I'll Ever Have to Do (Part 1)
By Ring-chan

It was a night brimming with life. There was life in the way the dance club was packed full of energetic young men and women. Life in the vivacious musical rhythm that embraced the dance floor almost as the single unified heartbeat of a body in motion. And life in the happiness.
This was a happiness, a peace that she has not experienced for over 10 years. All that time, she痴 been plagued with the memory of a single death that had so frighteningly become a oppressive obsession. But...
It痴 over now...
All thanks to him...

The light angelic touch of a smile spread over her lips as she saw him tread back from across the room.
"Here, Chun Li," Ryu handed her a glass. "I got us some drinks."
"Aww, thanks."
Flashing him another grateful grin, she accepted the tall drink glass, giggling with delight as she plucked the tiny umbrella garnish from around the icy rim.
"You got the Tropic Mango Cocktail for me?" She sighed in reminiscence. "Do you remember the first time we were here together 2 months ago? This was what you got for me then too."
"Yeah, I remember." Ryu smiled his demure smile and chuckled.
It was these 2 months after the Street Fighter tournament that Chun Li had managed to convince him to temporarily settle in Hong Kong. And over that time...
She痴 reached him somehow, and changed him like no woman had ever come remotely close to achieving. She痴 somehow assimilated him into this world that was hers. He痴 now apart of her life, as she is such a large part of his.
Ryu suddenly frowned as the memory of a recent letter hit him with the shrill emotional force of which equaled the physical momentum of his blazing Shoryuken.
Ken痴 letter, which had just arrive the day before, carried with it news that completely shattered his world. News of a solitary death that he knew would take away his present joyous life.
And tonight was the night that he had to end everything that has become his world... He has to break the bonds that has woven themselves so deeply in his heart...
"Ryu? Earth to Ryu?"
"Huh?"
"Thinking about something?" Chun Li took a sip of her drink and smiled up at him.
He didn稚 answer, but just smiled back at her, taking in the cherished beauty that was Chun Li. These last moments with her, he wanted to etch them in his mind and treasure them forever.
Chun Li痴 ears suddenly caught the tune of a melody drifting from the dance floor. "Oh, I love this song!!" She set the drink down and grabbed Ryu痴 hand. "Come on, we have to dance."
Ryu stared blankly at her for a moment, as if not completely comprehending what she was saying. It was not that he did not want to dance. It was rather something he had come to enjoy in the company of Chun Li over the time they致e spent together. But this particular evening was not meant for dancing, but for goodbyes. "Umm... I壇 rather not dance tonight."
"Huh?" Chun Li looked back at him in surprise.
"Uhh... I don't really feel like dancing... I... I'm sorry." Ryu replied meekly.
"Oh, I guess that's alright. Are you okay? You seem so uneasy. Not like your usual self..."
Her set of dark, mysterious, yet gentle eyes peered up at him through a veil of lush lashes, concern written over her every delicate feature. It was enough to break his warrior heart.
"I知 fine," he managed to croak out through a hoarse voice. Then he quickly cleared his throat. "Chun Li... can I ask something?"
"Sure."
She eyed him not without a hint of curiosity.
"Family is very important to you right?"
"Well, of course, Ryu."
The Japanese warrior cleared his throat yet again. "And justice? Retribution? Those are important too right?"
"Yes..." Chun Li replied with uncertainty. "Where exactly is this going?"
"Okay," Ryu nervously recalled her answers. "So... family, justice are important... so you値l understand if I..."
"I値l understand what? You池e not making any sense, Ryu." Chun Li痴 eyes grew wide as a realization hit her. "Is this about my father痴 revenge again? Ryu, I told you, Bison痴 dead and I知 over it now..."
"No no, Chun Li," Ryu quickly placed his hands on her shoulders to reassured her. "No, it痴 not that."
He took a deep breath to steady himself. This was not going to be easy.
"Chun Li, there痴 something I have to do... and I値l be going away..."
His mouth abruptly went dry. Word failed his mind. All that his eyes could focus on was her earnest face.
No. He can稚 say it.
"I値l be going away... over to the DJ, but I値l be right back." He sputtered out.
"Oh... okay."
Chun Li questioningly gazed after Ryu as he walked away.
Something was wrong.
Vehemently fighting the urge to kick himself, Ryu took step after deliberate slow step towards the DJ booth.
Second doubts were clouding up his meticulously thought-out plan. Why couldn稚 things just go as he had arranged?
"Tell her the truth?" he whispered to himself.
No, absolutely unacceptable. If she knew where he was going, she壇 worry herself sick. He himself knew how dangerous this was going to be.
Should anything happen to him... should he not return... that would utter shatter her heart.
What they both really needed was a clean break here and now. She shouldn稚 have to wait for him... she deserves better.
Ryu took another deep breath. He was going to have to do this. Somehow he値l find the courage. Somehow he値l garner the strength.
It was rather ironic, actually.
As a warrior, he had always been prepared to fight, to break his opponent in two... every bone... every last skeletal component...
Yet as an admirer, he dared not cause the slightest bit of harm to Chun Li痴 heart. He壇 sooner stab himself in the heart than hurt her. But he has no choice now...

"Hey, Ryu," Chun Li smiled as she saw him return. "What took you so long? I was starting to worry."
"I went to request a song for you."
"Oh," a tint of red blossomed on her cheek and she blushed. "That痴 very sweet of you."
Then without warning, without instigation, and without hesitation, Ryu leaned over and gently kissed her on the lips. He tried to lose himself in that instant, savoring the moment as their lips brushed lightly against each other, knowing this just might be the last time.
Flustered and yet pleased, Chun Li blushed again. "What was that for?"
"For everything that you mean to me."
His hand slipped out to tenderly touch her hair, fingertips gently saying their last farewell to those silky strands.
Doubts flooded his mind. He couldn稚 help wondering if what he was about to do was... right.
"I値l miss you..." he murmured.
"Hmm? Ryu, what did you just say?"
"Oh... umm... nothing... I..." His heart jumped to his throat and his voice promptly died away.
Where was his courage now? Where was his strength?
Then a low and soft melody of a love song floated to their ears from the music speakers.
"Chun Li, there痴 the song I requested. May I have this dance?"
She answered with a silent smile and hand in hand they made it onto the dance floor. Then with her hands on his shoulders and his hands on her hips, they danced to the soothing tempo of the slow song.
---We both know I shouldn稚 be here, this is wrong... It痴 killing me, it痴 killing you, both of you trying to be strong.---
"Oh, Ryu. I love this song," she looked up at him.
Ryu痴 smile faded. How was he going to tell her? He stared deep into the depths of her dark ebony eyes. Can he really bear to see those beautiful black pearls cry?
Chun Li noticed his changed in expression. One solitary thought ran through her mind, "Something痴 wrong..."
It was almost as if he was trying to tell her something by the sorrowful look in his eyes... but what is he trying to say?
---I致e got somewhere else to be. Promises to keep...---
"I... I..." Ryu choked on his words. He can稚 say it... Why can稚 he just say it? "I値l miss you..."
"Huh?" Chun Li stared blankly back at him.
Miss her?
Something was definitely wrong... terribly wrong.
---It痴 the hardest thing I値l ever have to do... to look you in the eye and tell you I don稚 love you.---
The song lyrics combined with the deep, doleful expression of Ryu痴 eyes finally drove the thought home. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks, crushing her heart in the painful fraction of a second.
"You..." she stood utter dumbstruck. "You池e saying..."
That痴 why he痴 been acting weird all night. He was getting ready to dump her?
"Ryu, is this really what you mean?"
His mouth went dry again, opening only to let out a silent statement that she would never hear.
Chun Li choked back a sob, as she stumbled back away from his embrace. After staring at him with an utter horrified expression, she turned and ran away through the crowded dance floor.
"No! Chun Li wait!"
She didn稚. She ran.