..Continued

Chapter twelve.

Shang looked at Mulan as they walked down through his backyard. Although the night was cold, he felt a sense of warmth flow over his body. They walked along in silence. The silence wasn't awkward- it was just.. natural. They had both come a long was from saving the emperor, and they had discovered that they had a lot in common.

"So, have you met up with the matchmaker yet?" Shang asked her, without a trace of nervousness. It was just like asking a friend if they had seen the sunset the night before. He watched Mulan. She smirked.

"Don’t remind me," she said, smiling. Now that she looked back on it, the experience was rather funny. She giggled to herself.

"Why?" Shang laughed lightly. "What happened?" He smiled that killer smile of his.

"Uhm, heh, well, yeah, I met her- heh, but we didn’t exactly hit it off." She looked at Shang. He was looking at her, interested in what she was going to say next. She went on to tell him the entire story.

"Heh, I can't believe you made her catch on fire!" he laughed, when she was done.

"I know… isn't that weird? I was soo surprised." They smiled at eachother, and kept strolling deeper into Shang's backyard. Neither of them said any more. Now the silence was awkward.

"Let me show you something." Shang told her, changing his direction. Mulan quietly followed him. Shang pushed back a few branches from a bush, and bowed at Mulan, gesturing for her to pass him. She nodded, and did so. Once she got past the bush, she looked around. She was standing on soft grass which extended for quite a ways. In front of her was a small pond, but big enough to hold a certain majestic aura. Her mouth opened slightly, reflecting her awe at the beauty of such a sight. Shang came up next to her. He, too, examined the view. The full moon was clearly reflected off of the pond, and it was so bright that the entire pond had just the slightest hue of blue. The trees across the pond swayed gently in the breeze. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Mulan shivering.

"Are you cold?" He asked, turning to face her.

"No, I'm fine." She replied. Shang gave her a discerning look, He reached up and unfastened his cape. Moving closer to her, he flipped it around her tiny frame, and re-fastened the tie. "Thanks," she said, slightly grinning at him. He sighed, and looked around to his right, observing the peacefulness of the scenery, and then back at Mulan. He always did this when he wanted to say something important to her.

"Mulan- when I saw what happened to you, I couldn't stand the thought that I could have done something like that to you."

"But Shang, that’s why I came here. I wanted to tell you .. you didn’t do it. And don’t tell me you did, because I know you didn’t, and I have proof."

"Proof?" He looked at her strangely.

"Yes. After you left, father and I went into the stable.. and we examined both yours and Shan-Yu's daggers.

Shan-Yu's dagger had my blood on it."

Shang looked at her, wrinkling his forehead. He relaxed it, letting what she was telling him sink in. His eyes glistened, and without thinking, he pulled her close to him, his arms encasing her like a soft, warm blanket. He rested his head on hers. A small tear of relief slid down his face, and dropped onto her hair. Still holding her close, Shang kissed the top of her head. He felt wild tonight, like he couldn’t hold himself back. Against all his will, he spoke.

"I love you, Mulan." He said. He listened to his words, as if someone else was saying them. They sounded nervous, unsure, and childish. He wondered if he did the right thing. He loosened his embrace on Mulan. She moved back to look up at him. He was so strong, and she felt safe with him. But as she looked at him now, he seemed weaker-- like a child, almost. She realized then that she was his vulnerability, his strength, his passion, and like he told her before, his heart.

"And I love you, Shang." She said. He watched her say this in what seemed like slow motion. By the light of the moon, he could see the slightest hint of pink in her cheeks, and the moisture of the pond rested on her head, making it look as if her hair were adorned with diamonds. He drew her close again by the waist with his left hand, and raised her head gently with his right. He closed his eyes, and felt warmth as her lips touched his. His hand left her face, and wrapped neatly around her back. He felt her arms wrap gently around his neck, and then lost himself in the passion of the kiss. And for one perfect moment, Li Shang and Fa Mulan became one.

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