Mulan pulled out her phone for the fifth time that night and went to her contacts. Her thumb hovered anxiously over her moms number but then she sighed in and gave up, putting her phone back in her pocket. Now that marriage was allowed for all couples and legal in America she's been seeing her friends get happily married one after the other, old and young celebrated the day enthusiastically and were no doubt busy that night after the court made its decision public. One less shackle limiting them and were happy to finally call their boy/girl friend their husband or wife but it wasn't like Mulan was in any rush to get married, she was only 23. It was just after attending so many weddings she couldn't get the image of the reassuring smiles on the couples parents out of her head. She had never told her parents she liked boys and girls, her parents would no doubt freak out and she wasn't sure her grandma's heart could take it. Her parents expected her to marry a nice, responsible, preferably male with a doctors degree. Her grandmother was positively smitten with Shang. They did date for a few months but it didn't work out mostly because the lack of trust and work.
She pulled out her phone again and groaned, squeezing her eyes shut till she could see red, maybe she could beat out her frustrations on Mordred tomorrow.
"Mulan, what are you doing out here?" She turned her head to see Phillip a good friend and past crush leaving her apartment and closing the door behind him. He shivered at the cold night air.
"Holy swan its cold! How long have you been out here its almost 12," she frowned.
"Just wanted to enjoy the cold before I came in. I thought Aurora said you would be sleeping over. What are you doing sneaking out?" She shot back. He puffed out hot air making a short lived cloud.
"The damn cricket won't shut up and we're in the third floor. I won't be subjected to this!" She laughed, Aurora complained about the noise too but it did the opposite to Mulan and helped her sleep.
"Now its your turn to be honest, you looked really lost in thought. Come on," he slung his arm over her shoulder and gave her his best prince smile, "talk to doctor Phillip," she hesitated and looked away to the city.
"You won't tell Aurora?"
"I swear even if I go under deep torture I won't tell her."
She felt she would regret this but Phillip's always been there for her.
"I was thinking about confessing to my parents about dating Aurora," they were good friends as far as her family knew.
"...Thats a big step," he said staring at the city with her. " Are you ready for it?" You don't always receive good blessings from your family and peers.
"Truthfully, no," she smiled painfully, "my aunts and uncles already think I'm a cross dressing weirdo because of that one time and I know it embarrasses my parents. I don't want to shame my family anymore but I hate lying to them. It was much easier back then when I was studying because my dad didn't want me to date and focus on my studies but now I'm done and they..." she sighed heavily and played with the tips of her hair. Phillip coughed in the back of his hand.
"Ahh, I think our dear Aurora has been having similar thoughts. She REALLY wants to post pictures of you two together and tag it girlfriend," Mulan laughed and thanked her lucky stars her parents weren't good with computers. She would let Aurora do it except Mulan's younger cousins would find out immediately. Phillip smiled but grew serious and scratched his growing beard.
"I'm not sure if it'll be easier for her than you, we're caucasian and pretty rich not to brag," he said. Mulan tugged at her hair thoughtfully but shook her head.
"I've met them, they'll love her in whatever way she comes. Maybe in the beginning it'll be hard but they'll be fine with us. Besides thinking on the last barbecue we were invited to and the lovely conversation I had with her mom I think they already know or just the mother," Phillip thought about the party recalling Mulan being pulled to the kitchen by his aunt and then Mulan coming back a bit shaken but smiling and going back to Aurora's side. His aunt was great but it still might have been an awkward talk.
"True love always wins that's our families motto."
She scoffed,"That would work in a fairy tale Phillip but this is true harsh reality. Love for your other or the love for your blood," Mulan said aloud. "What's more important?"
"Hey! I don't think you have to sacrifice one to have the other," he said back.
"But sometimes you have to choose, whether you want to or not. I don't want to hide but..." she thought of her family and how she would do anything to protect them but likewise she would march into hell for Aurora. How could someone be equally dedicated to different things.
"Hey, Aurora wouldn't force you to do anything you'd hate and I'm not sure about your parents but I think they'll love you even if you were a cross dressing homosexual"
"Either way both loves can really aggravate me," Phillip laughed at that. Many are the days Mulan is stuck talking to her grandmother of being unlucky and charms to protect herself with. He was sure it drove Mulan crazy when Aurora pulled out her ridiculous stunts with Ruby and Mordred. But she always spoke about her family and heart with affection and soft words.
"There, there Mulan," Phillip said aiding the winds in messing up Mulan's hair further, " its not like you have to decide now. Your still young but if you wait till your 30 I'm sure your parents will start coming up with crazy theories or want to set you up in dates."
"Regardless of what I think this is seriously something you should talk about with Aurora," his cousin would probably want to know what Mulan was thinking.
"Maybe," Mulan couldn't help but think every time she shared her thoughts, it would come back to bite her. She glanced at his stern face and then back at the sky. He sighed, he wasn't going to push her about it.
"Phillip are you leaving because the cricket or because some beautiful maiden texted you to warm her bed?" She asked smirking.
He waved goodbye and Mulan decided to stop delaying and go inside before she became a popsicle. She took out her phone again. One day, she thought to herself and went inside locking the door behind her. She entered their room and quickly undressed. Aurora moved and groggily opened her eyes to see a blurry Mulan getting under the covers.
"Hey," she said yawning.
"Hey," Mulan smiled at Aurora's scrunched face and pecked her lips.
"I didn't hear you coming in.
"I didn't want to wake you," Mulan admitted. Aurora moved closer but flinched when she felt Mulan's cold skin.
"Your freezing!" Aurora whined.
"Sorry..." Aurora bordering close to sleep bravely snuggled closer to Mulan despite the cold, Mulan responded by wrapping an arm over her and smiling.
"I don't mind. Lets have eggs tomorrow," she muttered and Mulan raised a brow curious.
"Eggs?"
"Eggs... and waffles... I was dreaming about..." she didn't finish.
Mulan happily accepted Aurora's body heat. It would be nice if they woke up in the future where loving another girl wouldn't make a father frown in disapproval but who knew how long that would take.
She decided she wasn't going to tell her parents by phone but face to face someday, at the right time and hope for the best. She didn't want to give up on Aurora but she didn't want heavy air from her parents. She fell asleep her thoughts eventually leading to thinking about Frankie and Grace.
Aurora tried to untangle herself from Mulan. She's been told before that she's the one who snuggles up to Mulan in the night but Mulan's the one who refuses to let go and keeps a steel grip in the morning. Finally, she did it and too soon, before her foot could rest on the floor arms pulled her back.
"Where are you going?" A hoarse voice questioned. Mulan yawned and with one hand rubbed her eyes while the other was securely trapping Aurora to her.
"To get ready," Aurora answered looking back at Mulan.
"...Its Saturday."
"I hate sleeping for too long," Mulan sighed and let go.
"Fine," she said looking up at Aurora. Aurora shook her head.
"Uh-uh I have morning breath," she looked at Mulan closely, "Did you wash your teeth last night."
"Yes, I'm not a kid honey," Mulan said lying and putting her face on her pillow. Aurora didn't really believe her but she went to check on Phillip to find him gone and then went to take a shower. After a nice cold back when she exited Mulan was still on the bed.
"What time did you go to bed last night?" Mulan was usually up by now.
"Err, I don't remember."
"I'm leaving soon," that was enough to rouse Mulan from dream land and she looked at her girlfriend in alarm, " Mary Margaret wants to talk to me." Aurora explained drying her hair but noticed Mulan's pouting face.
"But, but waffles," she said on her hands and knees staring at her imploringly.
"What?" Aurora said not understanding.
"I... we were... waffles...and taste... I need you here!"
"Mulan, love, you're not making sense," she walked up to the bed and put her hand on Mulan forehead. "Are you feeling alright?"
"NO! I'm rather disappointed really."
"Huh?"
Mulan sighed and looked at Aurora's naked body then back up at Aurora's blue worried eyes. How to make her understand. Abruptly, making Aurora yelp in surprise, she pulled her by the waist, back to the bed and on top of her. Aurora still didn't understand until she felt Mulan's kisses on her neck.
"Oh no," she said trying to push Mulan back, " I have to go."
"Please!" Mulan pleaded with warm brown eyes, " I'll be quick. Just a taste." Aurora didn't buy it but Mulan's hand were already running over her legs.
To no ones surprise Aurora was late to Mary's house and she abashedly apologized to her at the front door. Meanwhile Mulan was lazily sprawled on their disarrayed bed.
A/N: I've been dying to write another sleeping warrior fanfic but have had no flash of inspiration to draw from. This is the best I could come up with, sorry. Why do I love Mordred so much! I'll finish this another day. Tumblr has been distracting me lately.
