snarky_panda (snarky_panda) wrote in mulanficspace, @ 2007-07-21 01:34:00 |
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Current mood: | content |
Current music: | Psyche |
Entry tags: | 30_kisses |
30 Kisses: Mulan and Shang, Part Eighteen
Written for the 30_kisses challenge.
Title: Unforeseen Events, Part 4: Home
Author: snarky_panda
Fandom: Mulan
Pairing: Li Shang/Fa Mulan
Theme: #20, the road home
Disclaimer: All characters, etc. from the Disney movie belong to Disney.
Shang sighed contentedly as they finished off the rest of the rabbit meat that Mulan had managed to stew over the fire along with the berries and nuts that she’d gathered. She looked up upon hearing his sigh and grinned.
“See? It was worth it, wasn’t it?” she poked at him teasingly.
“I’m still annoyed that you didn’t listen to me,” he growled angrily, but he was biting back a belly laugh that simmered just underneath the surface. “You risked your life to go traipsing out there to find this stuff.”
“And you risked your life going out and running down a rabbit in this.”
“Always have to have the last word, don’t you?”
She reached out and stroked his cheek gently.
“You know you don’t have to be such a worry-wart with me, Shang. I can take care of myself as well as you.”
He reached up and covered her hand with his own, pressing it against his cheek, closing his eyes and sighing. The snow was still coming down, though not as heavily, and they had settled down nicely in old master’s hut, now their temporary home.
After they had rested and warmed themselves up, they’d gathered enough energy to take a look around the place, finding a few pots and pans in the abandoned cupboard, dusted with cobwebs but otherwise no worse for wear.
“We can live on spiders if we need to,” Shang had remarked, half in jest, as he brushed at the coating on one of the pans.
“Eww,” Mulan had groaned, making a face.
Amused by her response, he continued to tease her.
“Well, if we’re desperate. Spiders and insects are meat, really.”
With a look that told him she was not amused, she turned away and went to rummage through the rest of the hut.
They had eaten from their supply of rations for the first couple of days. As the snow fell more lightly and the visibility improved, Shang ventured out to catch a rabbit. Remembering the hut and his training with old master, he was familiar with the terrain and where to find food. He’d casually mentioned it to Mulan, suggesting that after he got them some meat he could go out and gather other sources of food. Instead, she’d gone to the places that he’d spoken about and gathered it herself. He’d returned to find the hut empty. And when she came back, he whirled on her in anger and relief.
“The horses needed to be fed, too,” she’d told him. “The snow is covering everything that they can graze on.”
They remained in the decrepit shelter together, sharing a good meal, warmed by the roaring fire in the hearth. When the snow let up, they would leave. He knew where he was now and could blindly lead them back to the main path, down the mountain and back to the road home. But he would wait until the snow finally ceased and it was safer. They had nearly frozen to death and he wasn’t about to tempt fate twice for either of them.
And right now he was content, even in this humble place, with just the two of them. Mulan was by his side and they were living a simple life away from family complications, away from his responsibilities as an officer of the Emperor. It wasn’t a bad life, really.
Shang opened his eyes and focused on her. She was gazing at him intently and he smiled, closing his hand around hers. He removed it from his cheek and lowered it back to the table, squeezing it gently.
“It was a delicious stew.”
Mulan leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“Almost makes you want to stay here, doesn’t it?” she murmured softly.
“Old master spent his life here,” Shang sighed wistfully. “And he lived to a very old age. It is possible to survive up here.”
“I suppose. But I’m sure we’d miss civilization eventually.”
“Probably.”
Pushing his bowl away, he stood up and took her hands, lifting her to her feet.
“Besides, I wouldn’t want my family thinking that we disappeared after going on a simple hiking trip.”
She draped her arms around his neck and he snaked his arms around her waist, locking them in an embrace.
“I guess we should have planned better.”
“No,” he answered, leaning down and kissing her lips softly. “It’s early for a snow storm such as this, even in the mountains. We couldn’t have known this would happen. But it’s alright. Once the weather has cleared I’ll be able to lead us back home.”
“I’m just glad that you’re alright,” she whispered. “I was really worried about you.”
He grinned and embraced her tightly.
“There was no need. You know that I can take care of myself as well as you can.”
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