Boys will always be boys. Even when they are "men". Some boys will always stay immature, while some grow up a little, but stay the same boy they once were. Was Shang the exception? Yes, he was. Shang was always serious and mature, most of the time. Mulan would not get into detail about when he was not because you would probably giggle.
Yes Shang was mature and Mulan absolutely loved that, but one thing he never stopped doing, was being overly macho. Sure Shang was strong and brave, but he was also quite conceited and macho. And it would always show whenever Mulan and Shang would train for fun.
Mulan would stay in the back yard often tending the garden, feeding the animals, or rarely just sitting by the lake. Shang would surprise her by hugging her from behind or often tackling her into whatever she was doing. Then he would pick her up in his arms and drop her in their "training area", which was often near the wheat fields.
Shang would then get into his fighting stance and wink at Mulan, as if he was teasing her. Mulan would then sigh and get into her fighting stance. She was good, very good, especially at fighting and strategies. Shang knew that, but he still liked to challenge his wife, especially after she beat him at camp. Mulan never let him ever forget that, and that was probably one reason why Shang was always overly macho. But she was a girl, and she had bragging rights, especially to something like that.
For a while, Mulan would beat him with that same move she used in camp, and after a while she got bored and impatient with his determination to beat her. One time she actually let Shang beat her, and he got very angry with her after that. Mulan knew she either had to act better at being beat, or just allow him to hit her in a subtle way. Eventually Shang did beat her and without Mulan having to allow him to win. Then everything changed from there.
"Hey Mulan," Shang called out to her from the back door step. She was sitting underneath the beautiful cherry blossom tree. Shang and Mulan had planted a beautiful magnolia tree near the cherry blossom tree, because that was Mulan's favorite flower. Shang's was the cherry blossom for several sentimental reasons.
"Yes?" she smiled and turned to face him after admiring the beautiful magnolias. In her mind she thought about bathing in those flowers later. She knew exactly how much Shang loved the scent on her.
"Would you like to train today? Or actually I would like to ask, would you like to fight with me?" Shang asked as he walked over to her. He was shirtless and wearing the same pants he wore at camp.
Mulan laughed. "You're the one always starting the arguments!" She got up when he neared her.
Shang smirked. "Well you give me reasons to get angry!" He laughed and so did Mulan. She got closer to him and hugged him tightly, leaning her head on his chest. Mulan lightly traced his abs with her hands.
Mulan looked and saw a couple of girls who were their neighbors giggling at the sight of Shang. She glared at them and they immediately ducked down. Mulan rolled her eyes and sighed. Why didn't they look at their own husbands instead of hers?
Shang noticed the anger Mulan had and laughed. He grabbed her hand and led her to the wheat fields. "What's so funny?" Mulan asked glumly.
"Jealous?" Shang asked with a smirk.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Mulan asked and turned back to see if the girls were watching. She then turned back and saw Shang laughing even harder. Mulan scowled.
"I'm sorry, but you don't have to be jealous, I married you remember?" He laughed. "I love you, not them. Besides, you get to kiss me and touch this, not them," he gestured to his body and smirked.
Mulan laughed, "You are too conceited. Let's see what you say after I beat you." They finally reached the wheat fields.
Shang chuckled. "That is, if you beat me. You haven't beaten me in a while, if I do recall?" He smirked.
Mulan walked from Shang and faced him, "Talk is cheap sweetheart, but I bought all your words."
Shang opened his mouth in shock but then grinned as if he had a trick up his sleeve. He immediately started to charge at her. Mulan immediately flipped backwards to avoid his punch, and Shang just watched in awe as she did that. "Where did you learn that?" he asked in shock.
"Can't say," She smirked and zipped up her lips, "plus you're not very honorable to attack an opponent unaware of the fight."
In a quick movement, she jumped on his shoulders and brought him down. Shang immediately got up to fight her, but she tripped him in the same way she did with Shan Yu. She then grabbed both his hands as Shang did with Shan Yu also. She held both of his hands and stood with one foot over Shang as if she conquered him. "What do you say now General?" she smirked.
He angrily pushed her off and got up. Shang dusted his shorts of the dirt from the ground. He scowled at Mulan and muttered, "You won because you cheated. I'm the strongest and best. I won."
"No you didn't!" she retorted, "I won fair and square! Why are you so angry? It was just a battle!" But by now Shang had walked off. He scoffed and threw his hands up in exasperation. Mulan growled. She got up from the ground, since Shang was not sportsmanlike enough to help her. Mulan turned and faced the direction in which he was walking away. She screamed back at him, "I hate it when you act overly macho!"
