This one shot is set the spring after Mulan's return. This is before her engagement to Shang, during a period of emotional tension between the two, as they're friends, but not anything else... yet. This will switch points of view every so often, but it's still in third person.
It's corny, I know
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- Appleh xoxo
Mulan sat on her favorite bench, underneath the cherry trees, that her father loved so much. She fiddled with her plain skirt, thinking. She swallowed and brushed her hair out of her face, though it kept falling into her eyes. Her hair was growing out, but was still just past her shoulders. The battle scars on her arms and shoulders were fading, but the one on her side still hadn't.
The matchmaker had said that no man wanted a woman with battle scars, even if she was the hero of China. The only men beside her father that would talk to her were Ling, Yao, Chien-Po. and Shang, whenever she saw them. Shang visited her more often then the others, at least once a month, but as of late thier meetings had been uncomfortable and tense. They'd exhuasted the subject of the war, the new peace, Shang's new position as a General, and what was happening with everyone else from thier unit. Now they had nothing to talk about, which was probably why he hadn't come to see her in two months.
Mulan looked up at the sky as it started raining, but didn't go inside. She walked farther away from her house, stepping into the little creek, and crossing. She walked through the foliage on the other side, enjoying the cool drizzle of the rain on her skin.
Shang walked out of Mulan's stable as it started to rain. He sighed, waiting a minute to see if Mulan would head inside, as her grandmother had said she was out in the garden. When he didn't see her, he walked after her. He saw her walk into the foliage across the little steam in her garden.
Shang walked after her, pushing branches aside behind her, hearing her hum softly.
"Mulan." Shang called softly. Mulan whipped around sharply, gasping. Shang swallowed, seeing the way her hair framed her face and her eyes shone with the rain, like the water had polished them.
"General!" Mulan said, her eyes widening. She bowed and Shang's heart dropped into his stomach. Had his absence made her forget his friendship? Did she only see him as a soldier?
"Don't call me that." Shang whispered. Mulan blinked, her lips parted, unable to speak. "Don't call me General or Li Shang. Call me Shang." He blinked, his eyelashes getting caught together with the rain.
"Okay." Mulan said softly. She stared steadily at him. She's seen him in many lights, but never this one. She'd seen his face tanned from the hot sun, sunburned from the snow in the mountains, shining from the light of the lanterns at the Emporer's palace, but she'd never seen him cloaked in twilight and rain and soft light like this.
"I was afraid." Shang whispered, "Afraid that you'd gotten married while I was gone." His eyes traced her face, which shone in the moonlight. She wasn't like the woman he'd expected to fall in love with. She was too opinionated, too strong, too intellegent, and far too beautiful, especially in the moonlight. He wanted to touch her face, to run a hand through her hair, to kiss her.
"No man wanted a woman with battle scars, even if she was the hero of China." Mulan whispered, looking away.
"I do." Shang said, not realising he had spoken.
Mulan took in a sharp breath and looked away. "Yeah, but not me." She said, shrugging. She turned and walked deeper into the trees. She seemed slightly dissapointed, but not sad. She seemed to be taking it like she hadn't taken so many other things: she was resigned to it. Shang reached out to grab her arm, to hold her there and explain, but she walked faster and faster.
"Mulan!" Shang walked after her, breaking into a run when she sped up. He didn't understand how she could run in those pinching girl's shoes, but she seemed to be doing okay. He saw a flash of her dress dissapear further into the trees to his left as she turned.
"Mulan!" Shang's foot caught on a root and he fell into the dust. He pushed up and ran after her again, without caring that his clothes were muddy; only caring that Mulan was still ahead of him, he ran. He found her, leaning against a tree, her eyes closed. He'd often seen her like this in camp, but he'd never comforted her, like he'd wanted to. That had been when she was Ping, not Mulan. She had been a man to everyone, including him. He hadn't loved her like he did now, but he hadn't understood Ping- er, Mulan. He still didn't understand her, but at least now he could plead 'She's a woman'.
"Mulan," Shang whispered, "Please don't... I...I just... Ugh! I'm not good at this stuff!" He said, remembering his 'You fight good' after Mulan had just been given probably the greatest honor anyone could recieve. He wasn't a words person. He was a person of action and strength and not letting people see him be vulnerable or weak.
"No, you're not." Mulan whispered, laughing at his frustration. She blew out a puff of air, trying to get her hair out of her face. Shang reached out and, not really knowing what he was doing, brushed it behind her ear. He let his hand cup her face and stared down at her.
Deciding to be blunt, he swallowed his fear and said what he'd wanted to say for months, "I want you. I don't care what anyone else says, I want you."
Mulan closed her eyes for a moment. Shang swallowed, cupping her face and looking down at her. It took him a moment to realise her face was wet. He'd never seen her cry.
"I thought you didn't want me. I thought you were avoiding me because you were tired of me." Mulan whispered.
"I avoided you because I was afraid, but I'm not anymore." Shang said softly, letting her go and stepping back,. "I don't want to hurt you by accident."
"You won't." Mulan said firmly, stepping closer. She watched Shang steadily as he looked away. She reached out and turned his face to make him look at her. "Shang. You've kicked my butt, blacked my eye, and left me in the mountains to fend for myself," He flinched at that one, "but I promise, you won't hurt me. If none of that hurt me, there's nothing you can do."
"But what if I-" Shang was cut off when Mulan kissed him.
Mulan was shocked by her own daring. She'd never kissed anyone or been kissed by anyone before. Shang froze for a moment, then cupped her face again and kissed her back. Mulan felt everything around her suddenly. She felt the rain on her skin, Shang's fingertips, protruding from his gloves, on her bare skin, the rough bark of the tree pressing against her back as Shang leaned her against it, and the soft ground beneath her feet.
"What am I going to tell your father?" Shang asked softly.
"Tell my grandmother first," Mulan teased, "She'll get him to see it's okay. It doesn't help that you're a sucessful general and you saved my life."
"Okay." Shang said, nodding. "Do you... Do you want to go inside?" He asked softly.
"No." Mulan said. "I want to stay here just a little longer." She said.
"Okay, I guess I'll-" Shang broke off when Mulan pulled him closer to her, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I want to stay out here with you." Mulan corrected.
"Okay," Shang said softly. "I'll stay with out."
"Always?" Mulan whispered.
"Always." Shang murmured in her ear.
I accidentally deleted it, but I managed to find it.
