AN: First of all thank you to all of those patiently waiting for an update. Second, sorry it took me so long.
Chapter Two
Shang stood outside the Fa household as he looked towards the shrine for the ancestors. This definitely did seem like an average Chinese home and yet it seemed so beautiful when he considered that this was the place where Mulan had grown up. He remembered the girls he knew when he was growing up and could imagine a tiny Mulan playing, laughing, rolling around. He smiled. He definitely didn't feel worthy of such a woman but he could tell that she liked him. He didn't know how to deal with girls but he had had more than his fair share of admirers.
As Shang watched how the sunlight went through the trees at sunset, he heard the sound of barking and looked to his foot where a little dog was pawing at his leg. He carefully got down on one knee to pet the dog. "Hello there," he said as he saw the dog roll onto his back, "who are you then?"
"Little Brother," Mulan said as she stood behind Shang who blinked and turned to her. "I mean, that's his name."
"Quite a unique name," Shang said as he pet the dog and Little Brother ran to Mulan who gave him a dish of food. She ruffled the fur on the top of his head. She really had missed being home. She had missed the garden and the animals but most of all she had missed her family and her father. Most fathers would be displeased by her actions, they would consider her crazy and not right in the head. Her own father didn't seem to hold those thoughts against her.
"Well, he's quite a unique dog," Mulan winked at him and then stood, she went over to the entrance way where she had a tray with two cups of tea and saucers on there. "I don't suppose you're thirsty, are you?" she asked and he chuckled.
"I could drink, yeah," he said. Shang rubbed the back of his neck before he gestured to a bench underneath a tree. "How about we sit down? Did you want to spend a little more time here before we set off, I don't want to take you away from here when you've done so much."
Mulan smiled and sighed, she looked at the cup she was holding and turned it. "Would it be selfish to ask to spend a couple more days with my family, I guess that the matchmaker would disapprove of my outspokenness. That's why they thought that I would never be married." She laughed and drank a sip of the tea, "Maybe I made a better soldier than I do a woman."
"Given the strict rules they make woman follow, maybe anyone would," Shang laughed and Mulan smiled, blushing a little. She didn't think that she would really be here and feel so special and honored. She had fallen for him when she had been disguised as Ping but she wasn't disguised here. She wasn't dressed like a male soldier as she had been when they had first met. She wasn't wearing heavy makeup and traditional garb like when she had met with the matchmaker. She was just her honest self and he seemed to like that about her.
"Shang," Mulan said as she put the cup down and turned to face him more directly. "I am never going to be like the other women. I don't know how to. I think I grew up with stubbornness on one should and the inability to listen and heed caution on the other. I don't think that I would be received well in high society as -"
"The girl who is a shining example of a hero," he laughed, "or heroine. If you are not received then those people are not worthy of my time, of our time. I really do lo-appreciate you," Shang said but Mulan still caught the first syllable of what it was he had really wanted to say. She saw his unease and smiled to him playfully. She might be able to tease him later but right now she just wanted to enjoy the small moments.
"Shang," Mulan said as she leaned forwards and rested her chin in her hand. She could tell by his breathing, by his facial expression, by the way he was only glancing over to her occasionally that he was nervous. It was actually quite sweet in her mind. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"
"A walk?" Shang asked, "Down to the shops?"
"Well, the center square and probably back as well," Mulan paused as she looked him over. She hadn't been able to ask him before but now one thing kept triggering in her mind. Shang didn't say where he was spending the night. She didn't want to sound as if she were being forward but sometimes he didn't think ahead outside of a battle. "Shang, do you have anywhere to stay for tonight?"
"I was going to look around for somewh—" Shang began but was cut off by Grandmother Fa shouting in the distance.
"You can stay here for ever!" she yelled out and Mulan blushed.
"Would you like to spend the night? We have a guest room," she said and Shang nodded.
"If that isn't too intrusive on you. I would deeply appreciate the invitation," he told her and Mulan nodded. She started to walk off but found Shang to grab her hand, she looked down at where their hands were touching and blushed again. He squeezed her hand lightly.
"I'm not usually lucky," he told her and Mulan tilted her head to the side, listening to him. "Well, I wasn't until you came into my camp," he said and Mulan chuckled to herself. She turned a deep red as Shang lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. She was glad that Mushu wasn't with her at that time, he'd definitely have a lot of comments to make even about an action that was that small.
MuShMuSh
Even though she had seen her home so many times in so many different ways, the way in which Mulan viewed it now was the most different, the change was the most significant. She had definitely grown up and matured because of her decision. She still wasn't sure how to quite be a lady and fit into society in that way but she did know herself, she did feel honor in being herself. It was refreshing and gave her confidence but she still felt as if she were missing something important.
She stepped forwards as Shang watched her and turned to the different shops where they were closing and putting away their wares for the following days. She gestured to a few of them as Shang nodded, his attention mainly on Mulan. Mulan then turned to a different building. "That is…"
"Well, I would want to go there immediately if I were you," a woman said as she walked towards the two of them. Mulan rolled her eyes and shook her head as the girl moved past her. She didn't pay attention to the Fa family daughter, not that she would have cared about Mulan's opinion. She walked up to Shang. "You should execute that prisoner," the girl said.
Shang's eyes widened in alarm and he took a step back, "Execute?" he asked before turning to Mulan. "Do you know her?" he asked before coming closer to Mulan and whispered to her, "Is she crazy?"
"This is Wu Chunhua," Mulan gestured. She looked at the other women. Chunhua was Mulan's age but unlike the heroic warrior, she had the grace, beauty, and elegance that you might expect a woman who only existed in a beautiful art piece to have. She had been the most popular and sought after woman in the district. She always entertained suitors and was said that she didn't need to try, she would get a good man with good wealth and a good life. She had been raised to act flawlessly in front of the matchmaker. What she lacked was character or rather any good character.
"Nice to meet you," Shang said as he looked between the two women.
"I heard that you were a dishonor to your family," Chunhua said and Mulan knew that people here would not have heard about her great deeds just yet. As important as it was that she saved the emperor, her home was far away from the main city and so it might be a few days or few weeks until they knew exactly what had happened. She had only arrived back and she had come straight away…Shang must have quickly followed after her. "To even show your face here again. Your disgusting face. And your hair, it makes you look like a hog."
Mulan rolled her eyes but was surprised when Shang placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Excuse me but I don't like what you're saying about Fa Mulan," he told her and Mulan watched between the two of them. She tried to hide a smile of excitement. Apart from her father who did it in a very respectful manner, no man had ever stood up for her before. Now she was seeing the man she was attracted to on all levels doing so.
"And who is Fa Mulan to you?" Chunhua asked and Shang lifted his chin proudly.
"The woman that I love," he told her and Mulan smiled, bowing her head shyly as those words went through her mind. She felt like a silly schoolgirl again. Would Shang become disillusioned if he learned that about her.
"Well then," Chunhua replied as she looked at Mulan as if she were a chicken with ugly feathers and a bad leg, she then turned back to Shang. "You are a fool."
End of Chapter Two
Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated
Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter One
Admiral809, ElsaAnnaSnowQueen, icy-rain499, Kagome Avalon, kotoko-98, Liz, Lvdmadeon,
