snarky_panda (snarky_panda) wrote in mulanficspace, @ 2007-07-21 00:43:00 |
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Current mood: | content |
Current music: | Kim Possible |
Entry tags: | 30_kisses |
30 Kisses: Mulan and Shang, Part Five
Written for the 30_kisses challenge.
Title: At Sunrise
Author: snarky_panda
Fandom: Mulan
Pairing: Li Shang/Fa Mulan
Theme: #12, in a good mood
Disclaimer: All characters, etc. from the Disney movie belong to Disney.
“Mulan.”
She groaned and pulled the blanket over her head, attempting to tune out Shang’s voice as he continued to call her. It didn’t even appear to be that light out yet. What was he in such a good mood about at such an hour anyway? He sounded downright perky this morning and it was more than she could take. At any other time a perky Shang would be jarring; now, early in the morning and before she was ready to wake up, it was surreal.
“Come on. Up, Mulan.”
Refusing to answer, she flipped onto her stomach abruptly and buried her head in her arms. She lifted it back up just as suddenly when she heard the rustle of material to her right. Two lumps were pushing in the side of the tent and she realized that it was Shang’s fingers, attempting to poke her through it.
“Mu-la-an,” he sing-songed and nearly sent her into a fit of giggles, despite her irritation at his rousing her so early and his bizarre behavior.
Had he been drinking? It wasn’t like him, especially not in the morning. But she’d never seen him this way. Maybe she didn’t know him as well as she thought.
There was a rustling sound at her feet now as the flaps of her tent fluttered and she stiffened. No, he wouldn’t dare open them and come in there. The tent was too small for him and it would not at all be proper. And Shang was a man of rules and tradition.
“I know you’re awake by now, Mulan.”
His voice was soft and teasing as he crooned her name. Her lips pursed together as she bit back her laughter and stubbornly decided that she would not budge an inch with him annoying her in this way. She heard what sounded like dirt being kicked around and vaguely wondered what he was doing. A moment later she screamed in surprise as her shelter caved in, dropping on top of her. He’d taken the wooden stakes out of the ground and had collapsed the tent, now laughing somewhere on the other side of the material. A part of her felt like laughing with him; she’d never seen this cute, playful, even immature side of him and it delighted her. But she’d never let him know it. Not yet.
With difficulty she scrambled out of the tangled covering of canvas and silk, cursing and threatening him. Freeing her head, she crawled out on her belly and swung her legs out from under the mass. Forcing herself not to smile, she sat up and glared at Shang, who was grinning from where he was crouched down in front of the tent entrance; or where it would have been had it still been standing.
“What’s wrong with you?” she demanded irritably. “Have you been dipping into the rice wine this morning?”
He laughed at her and she sent her bare foot flying at his exposed shin in a well-directed kick. Catching it as it came toward him, he seized her ankle and pinned it against his thigh. She shrieked as he began to tickle the bottom of her foot, writhing in agony and trying desperately to yank it away. Her sides were beginning to ache from laughing so hard and he took pity on her, letting up and releasing his grasp.
“Shh, you’re going to wake up every creature out here.”
“Good,” she retorted through her laughter, sitting up and composing herself again. “If I have to be up, so does everyone else. What are you in such a good mood about anyway?”
He shrugged and scrambled over to sit beside her. “It’s going to be another beautiful day today.”
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow quizzically. He was staring off into the distance and she turned and followed his gaze to see what he was looking at so fixedly. It was at that moment that she realized that dawn was just beginning. She gasped, completely taken aback as she beheld the beauty of the gradually changing sky. The sun was starting to peek out from behind its hiding place on the horizon and to begin its ascent.
“I bet you’ve never even seen a sunrise,” he teased gently as the soft glow of orange rose higher, slowly brightening the sky.
“Yes I have. At Wu Zhong.”
“Oh, yes,” he laughed. “Only you didn’t get up for it. As I remember it, you were still up from the night before.”
“Shh, I want to watch,” she whispered to him.
It was the most beautiful sunrise she’d ever seen and she was shocked and moved that Shang had gone to such lengths, and methods, to share it with her. Or maybe he just wanted to torture her, making her get up hours earlier than she usually did.
They sat together in comfortable silence until the sun had risen.
“See? Wasn’t that worth waking up for?” he commented smugly, as the light of day spread over them.
Mulan wasn’t sure whether she wanted to hit him for his smugness and for waking her up so early or kiss him for his sweet intentions. She had no idea what had made him decide that she absolutely had to watch the sunrise with him; but it was a surprisingly romantic gesture and something she hadn’t expected Shang to be capable of. He would never admit that this was his reason and his method of rousing her left something to be desired, an attempt to mask his true intention. But she knew it and opted for the second choice, leaning in and giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.
It was the quickest, most chaste kiss ever, but she blushed at her own boldness nonetheless, especially when she pulled back and saw the astonished expression on Shang’s face.
Not wanting to think about how shameful he must have thought her for such inappropriate behavior, she recovered quickly from her discomfort by hauling off and socking him in the arm.
“But don’t you ever wake me up like that, ever again!”
An expression of complete confusion had clouded his handsome visage now, but he quickly regained his composure and rubbed his upper arm, grinning.
“Wow, that’s quite a punch you pack.”
“Oh, shut up.”
The fact that she’d had to get up so early still needled her, as did his commenting on the punch and complete refusal to acknowledge the kiss. Well, not refusal. He just hadn’t said a word about it.
“Mulan.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry I woke you up so early and in such a rude manner,” he apologized, but there was mirth underneath his words.
He reached out and took her hand.
“Really, I am. Forgive me?”
“I’ll think about it,” she answered obstinately, schooling her face into a serious mask.
Rich, warm laughter rumbled out of him. It made her want to laugh again too. In her heart she already forgave him, deeply touched that he’d wanted her to be awake to watch the sunrise with him. But she didn’t want to let him know it yet; and he deserved just a little bit of guilt for rousing her at such an ungodly hour.
To her great shock and pleasure, he leaned in now and kissed her tenderly on the lips. As he pulled back again she turned away to hide the blush and broad smile on her face so he wouldn’t see it just yet.
(Link here to continue)