snarky_panda (snarky_panda) wrote in mulanficspace, @ 2007-07-21 00:32:00 |
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Current mood: | content |
Current music: | Kim Possible |
30 Kisses: Mulan and Shang, Part Three
Written for the 30_kisses challenge.
Title: Waiting
Author: snarky_panda
Fandom: Mulan
Pairing: Li Shang/Fa Mulan
Theme: #27, overflow
Disclaimer: All characters, etc. from the Disney movie belong to Disney.
Her lips curved into a smile as she watched him stride off toward the stream. Why he decided to swim again was beyond her, especially when they were supposed to be moving on toward their destination. He was up before the sun rose every morning, finished with his workouts, bath and everything else long before she even stirred.
Well, he did seem to be in an odd mood today.
She leaned back and rested on her elbows, closing her eyes against the high afternoon glare. Turning her face up to the sun she allowed the warm rays to bathe her face. Her hair would dry in no time.
Her thoughts returned to Shang and his odd behavior moments before. He’d just woken up and he was probably merely out of it. But he seemed to be staring at her with the oddest expression on his face. Did he return her feelings, as she hoped he would?
With a sigh, she shook her head at her own foolishness. It was wishful thinking on her part.
Still, after spending more time with her strong, dignified former captain she’d had the opportunity to observe many other facets of him, even his vulnerabilities. She recalled their parting in the Imperial City and the first time he came to her home to return her father’s helmet. How nervous and tongue-tied he’d been then, barely managing to fumble out a few foolish words. So different from the Shang she knew who was composed, in control, with a commanding presence that had mesmerized her when she was first acquainted with him.
Then again, she’d been nervous and flustered at that first dinner too, pouring too much tea into his cup in her distraction. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she thought of it. At the time she’d been mortified as the hot liquid spilled over the sides of the teacup, forming a messy pool as it dripped onto the table. The incident had brought back painful memories of her failed session with the matchmaker and the heat from her deep blush remained in her cheeks for a long while, even after the tea had been cleaned up and they’d returned to their meal.
But the fiasco had broken the ice. They both relaxed visibly, even managing to sneak glances at one another. At first they had both nervously avoided looking at each other. His reason for that was probably genuine uneasiness. Hers was the fear that if she met his gaze she wouldn’t be able to look away. And gawking into Shang’s eyes would not have been appropriate behavior for the family dinner table.
A couple of months had passed since the dinner. He’d returned to their home to visit on many occasions in that time and they’d become comfortable and at ease with each other, like old, dear friends. Outside of military camp she’d found Shang to be surprisingly laid back and easy to talk to. He was smart and he had a sense of humor. Their mutual teasing of each other was fun, almost flirtatious at times. She couldn’t deny how much she enjoyed ribbing him, a feeling that she couldn’t define bubbling up inside of her when she got the upper hand and saw his reactions, apparent in the expressions that flitted across his face before he finally retaliated. Their dance of verbal sparring somehow made her feel closer to him, and he took her jibes well. Of course he could turn the tables on her as easily as she could do it to him, often astonishing her with his deft responses.
But she took that in stride. No one could be the victor all the time; and she could take a joke as well as he could.
Although she knew she would miss her family she’d been delighted when he’d arrived this last time with a summons from the Emperor. A mission. She’d been thrilled at the chance it presented for her to spend more time with him, at least on the journey to Chang’an. She didn’t know what would happen after they reached the Imperial City. But she relished the time she had with him now, even though she wasn’t sure what she expected, or hoped, would develop between them.
The soft sound of his footsteps in the grass interrupted her thoughts and she opened her eyes, sitting up. Her heart began to flutter and her breath quickened when she took in the sight of his bare bronze chest and arms as he walked toward her, his tunic slung casually over his shoulder. Smooth sun-kissed skin and hard, defined muscles like bands, as if he were custom-made by a sculptor. He was the first and only man that she’d ever seen bare-backed. And what a treat it was that first day of camp and every view she had after that. Broad, statuesque and muscular, she couldn’t take her eyes off of him when he demonstrated martial arts moves and fighting techniques for the untrained recruits, always shirtless to her great delight. Probably one of the reasons she didn’t catch on as quickly as she would have liked.
She blinked rapidly, breathless as she noted the way he strutted as he walked toward her on thick, powerful legs. So confident in himself.
He probably knows how handsome and well-built he is.
Stray drops of water dotted his skin, glinting in the sunlight. Pushing away the thought, she stood up as his shadow fell over her. A blush crept to her cheeks as she wondered if he’d noticed the way her eyes were glued to him and she suddenly felt vulnerable. She quickly turned and moved toward Khan, busying herself with her departure preparations and allowing the heat in her face to dissipate.
“I’m almost ready.”
She glanced at him. His tunic was on now and he was standing by his own stallion.
“I’m going to make you wait now,” he remarked with a grin.
He fixed her with a quizzical look when she didn’t respond, wondering at her failure to tease him back, she realized. But her mind was too flustered at the moment to come up with a good retort.
Maybe later she would return the favor.
(Link here to continue)