Here Beside Me

Like Other Girls

"I've seen happier princesses," Mu said as Shang laid out a map in front of them.

"That's the least of our problems." As he tired to lay it out, it ripped by the edge. "There's a mountain pass between here and Qui Gong. It takes us through bandits country, but it's the only way." He got up, still holding the map.

"Why not just follow the river?" Y/n asked, pointing.

"Because the river's not on the map," Mu told her patiently.

"It's bound to go past a town and where there's a town, there's a road."

"There's no town on the map," he repeated, taking the map from Shang to look at it himself.

"Well then, maybe we should just forget the map and wing it." She gave him a determined look, positive she could find a way to get to Qui Gong without risking themselves.

"We can't wing it," Shang argued. "We need a new plan. We have three days. What if we get lost?"

"Then we pull over and all directions."

"We don't need to pull over and ask directions. We have a map!" Mu let out, releasing his growing frustration.

Hands on her hips, Y/n asked with a dry laugh, "What is it with men and asking directions?"

Leaning in aggressively, Mu yelled back, "What is it with women and maps?!"

"Oh, you're saying women can't read maps?"

"I'm saying that women will ask directions, but they won't follow directions because they refuse...!"

"Men will follow directions even when there are no directions...!"

While they argued, Shang backed away, trying to get a word in. "Guys, it's fine, we'll just...guys? Guys! Can I just..."

"General, Captain, I -"

They all stopped trying to yell over one another when they saw Yao awkwardly standing there.

"Oh...am I interrupting something?"

Shang looked at Y/n and Mu, who nodded, then asked, "What is it, Yao?"

"Scout report. I found a village and a path to it through the forest."

"A...forest path?" Y/n and Mu asked at the same time, looking at each other in embarrassment.

Shang tried to save them from the awkwardness. "Great. Show us."

He brought them to the edge of a cliff and pushed aside a few bushes, showing a small town just below them. "See? If it were a snake, it would have bit you."

"There's bound to be a road down there they will lead us to Qui Gong," Y/n cheered.

"Nice work, Yao," Shang complimented.

He bowed to him. "Thank you, sir."

Shang went back to the map to plan out a new course, reading it while heading back to camp. Mu took a few steps to look out at the town and Y/n turned her back to him, looking at her feet. Slowly, she lifted her head and looked behind her and took a few steps towards him. "Mu, I'm sorry. You and Shang are in charge of the mission."

"No, I'm the one who's sorry," he admitted. "A good leader is open to new ideas. Forgive me?" He held out his hand for Y/n to take.

"There's nothing to forgive." She hugged around his waist, letting the captain hold her close. When they pulled apart, they noticed their yin and yang necklaces tied together and laughed it off, untangling them before joining hands.