Will you come again?

Ping was sitted by the water, looking at the waterfalls: she didn't even know what she had came back there, nor why she had done it dressed as a woman, with the same green dress that Rose had given to her. She had dressed on her own this time, and she had also thought to the hair and the make up: her look was simpler then the last time, less make up and the hair where simply down on her shoulders, but she still looked beutiful, maybe even more. She sighed: she doubted he would have come, she had waited for long and he hadn't, and she knew why he wouldn't have... she actually didn't think she should have had to see him again, not as 'Mulan', but... a part of her wanted it so desperatly. That experiment was a mistake, she knew, she felt it: she had to get rid of that dress, of that fake identity, but she wanted to enjoy it one last time... Deep inside she knew that it wasn't about the dress but just about Tulio, about been looked by him as a woman one last time: she didn't want to interfere in his relationship, she neither tought that she could have had any chance, but... still, she wanted at least to keep that glance in her memory. She sighed again and looked at the water: Tulio was right, it was so inviting... She get out of her shoes and, raising the dress a bit higher then her knees, she sitted by the water with her feet and her legs in the water, moving them a bit and looking at the movements of the water...

Tulio walked with a dreamy expression towards the waterfalls, smelling a flower he had picked on his way.
His heart was overcome with joy. Joy because Rose had stayed with him. Joy because he still had her as his.
Joy because everything was perfect and nothing was no more missing in his life.
He finally came out of his trance when he saw the woman sitting by the water. He had all but forgotten about Mulan, and now she was sitting right there. He had forgot he had promised to meet her there, but she just hadn't seemed important. Not compared to Rose at least. She was the only thing that mattered to him. This girl he didn't even know.
He cleared his throat to get her attention, figuring she must have already sensed his presence.
"Mulan, was it?" he asked sweetly and sat down beside her. In all honesty, he wished she hadn't been there, although he didn't let those thoughts show on either his face nor in his voice. He seemed as sweet as always.
But being here felt as if he was betraying Rose, even if he wasn't doing anything..

She felt his presence even before he cleared his troat to have her attention: it surprised her, she didn't aspect to see him. Why was he there? Had he had again problems with Rose? When she turned toward him he didn't seem sad as the last time he had, so it wasn't really probable... so why was he there?
She smiled to him " Hello, Tulio." then, turning again her glance on the water she said with her usual sweet voice and no emotion in particular "I thought you wouldn't have come..."

"Heh," he laughed weakly and rubbed his neck as he looked at her.
"In all honesty, I'd forgotten I was supposed to meet you here," he said honestly, not wanting to lie to her.
He started taking his own shoes off before dipping his own feet in the water.

It hurted just a bit: she already knew that his mind and his heart belonged to Rose, she wasn't surprised, and at least she had had her answer.
She simply nodded in reply, without knowing what to say: she felt so incredibly stupid... what was she doing there?

Her words had gotten to him. And he was finally understanding what they meant.
"Were you... waiting for me?" he asked uncertain. That was the only logical explanation for her presence and her words, but he wasn't sure if asking her would hurt her in any way. She seemed so innocent and fragile..
and so utterly obsessed with him.
It pained him to let her down.

She smiled weakly "Yes and no..." she moved her feet in the water, focused on the little waves that her movement created "I... know that you have a girlfriend. Actually i'm surprised to see you here." it was true. And she didn't think she had said too much: after all everyone at the tree knew that Rose and Tulio were a couple...

"Then why did you come?" he asked again, even if he still found the answer pretty obvious. What other reason was there?
He couldn't deny his surprise however, even if girls tend to want him, it never happened this fast unless they had already heard of his reputation and wanted him for themselves. He had always needed to chase just a little.
So why was he so captivating to this woman? Had she never seen a male before? He couldn't understand her.

She giggled and, smiling to him, she replied laconical "I like the waterfalls." without even giving him a hint if it was true or not. After all it could be, she was there even for their first meeting, and she wasn't there for him. She kept moving her feet and turned back her glance toward the water

He didn't believe her, but didn't judge either. After all, he couldn't know.
"So it had nothing to do with the kiss then," he said almost sarcastically, laughing.
It was obvious he was only teasing her, only joking, but he had been wondering what she felt of it. She had ran off so quickly, and now that he knew she knew of Rose he was even more curious to know her reaction to it.

"If I remember correclty, it was you that kissed me" she replied raising an eyebrow: she didn't want it to sound as an accuse, but it kinda did. She wouldn't have kissed him: the kiss that she gave to him, that didn't count. Even a friend can kiss his friend on the cheek...

"If I remember correctly, you didn't mind," he teased her in a charming, seductive voice as he looked at her.
He immidiatly regretted it though, when he thought of Rose. Sure, he hadn't meant anything by it, it was only a habit he couldn't shake around beautiful women. He would stay faithful this time, but it was hard to stop his mouth.

"And if I remember correctly, you're still engaged, whether i did or not, whether i like you or not, you shouldn't tease me in that way." This time she didn't say it as an accuse, she just smiled softly to him.

"Don't worry," he said and laughed it off, even if he was slightly offended by her words. It was as if she was accussing him of cheating before he had even laid a hand on her.
"The regretful actions of our last encounter shall never be repeated," he laughed softly as he placed a hand on his heart and raised his other arm, as if under oath not to lie.

She smiled again and nodded gently, then she looked again at the water, moving it a bit with her feet: her glance was captured by the waterfalls lightened by the moonlight. She couldn't deny it, it was really enchanting: being there, with him, the one that made her appreciate what was beautiful in the nature... it was so sweet and so painful in the same time, and even if she was smiling, lightened herself by the moonlight, she seemed however really sad...

He smiled himself as he looked out over the waterfalls, and he wanted nothing more than to enjoy the peaceful, beautiful moment of nature, but he could not. Not with the woman beside him, and not when she seemed so...
"Is anything the matter?" he asked, not turning his head from the waterfall. He didn't want to see her dreadful face any more than he did in his peripheral vision. Tonight he only seeked beauty and happiness.

At his question she didn't turn her glance. Only after a few moments of silence she replied waekly "yes" but she didn't give any more explanation. She felt her eyes moisten, but she closed them and kept them closed for a few seconds, when she opened them again they were normal again and she was calm again, even if she didn't feel better...

He finally looked at her with a sigh so soft it wasn't noticable. How could he not try to cheer her up?
"Hey.." he said softly as he smiled at her, laying his hand under her chin to make her look at him.
"I may not seem it, but I can keep a secret," he laughed and winked at her.

She didn't let him notice it, but when he touched her she felt like an electric discharge along the spine, and when she found herself staring into his eyes she felt frateful to her father to have tought her how to not cry.
Why was she feeling those sensations? That was insane! For the thousandth time she repeated to herself that she didn't feel anything but friendship and maybe a little attraction toward Tulio. But that didn't explain her heart beating faster, nor her sadness thinking at him with Rose... if she could have done it, she would have ripped away her own heart to have no more feelings, but she couldn't...
Instead of showing any of her real emotions, she smiled softly "Thanks, but it's nothing you can help me with. Actually, it's nothing that can be solved at all..."

"Nonsense," he laughed and let go of her chin only to mess up her hair. It was something he usually only did with Ping, and he didn't understand why he would do it with Mulan, but it somehow felt right. Besides, the girl needed to be cheered up.
"Anything can be solved, don't you know? Nothing is impossible," he said as he turned his face towards the sky and closed them, breathing in deeply. There was truth in his words, and he believed it with all of his heart.
He opened his eyes only to look back towards the girl and laugh softly as he smiled gently at her.

When he messed up her hair she couldn't help but laugh softly: he didn't even knew it was... her... still he was there trying to cheer her up as always.
But at his phrase she shaked slowly her head and then sighed. She talked again only after a short silence
"No, not anything." with a new sigh, staring at the moon, she kept talking in a low voice with a sad expression "When you've lived in a lie your whole life, you can choose to stay stick in it, or to get rid of it and face the truth. But when the truth is worse then the lie, and the lie makes you feel bad as well, then there's no solution for it." she finished bitter. She had had the courage to say it, to face it herself, just because she wasn't wearing her clothes, just because Tulio didn't know sho she really was. But it was true. It was what she felt: she had pretended it was ok, she had pretended to believe in his father's words when he had told her that she was his son, but now she could face the truth. It was nothing but a lie...

Tulio only laughed at her, not caring how rude this might be.
"The truth can hurt, yes. But sooner than later the pain is replaced by a feeling of freedom."
He couldn't say he spoke from experience, Tulio had never been a man to lie, but yet, he knew it was true. Who could live by a lie and still feel freedom? It was the main reason he chose never to lie.
"I can keep a secret," he laughed and winked at the girl, suggesting he was all ears if she wanted to tell.

She just closed her eyes when he laughed: she wasn't offended, maybe just a bit hurted. And, no, there wasn't any freedom for her... she had on her too many chains: the lies, the family, the army, the duty, the honor... even if she wanted to be free, she wouldn't have turned her back to all of this, it was still everything she had. And also... her body told that she was a woman, but she had lived a lifetime as a man, and barely a few hours as a girl: she didn't even know how she should have had to act! Hos face life as a female... also, her father would have been so disappointed... even what she was doing in that moment was just... wrong... she simply couldn't understand in all this mess what was right...
When he suggested again to tell him her secret... no, she couldn't even think about to tell him... she looked down "maybe... maybe i should go..."

"Do you hate me that much?" he joked, but quickly laid his hand over hers when he realized she was serious.
"Look, if this is about... me.. then I'm sorry," he said softly, finally speaking his mind.
"You're a gorgeous woman, any man would be lucky to have you in his arms, me included," he said as he laughed softly.
"But I will not betray my only true love, I cannot, not a second time," he sighed and let go of her hand.

At his first question she shacked her head with a convinced "No!" before to understand that he was joking. When he put his hand over hers, speaking in that way, she felt a mix of sweetness and sadness: he was so gentle, so sweet... and still she felt a so strong pain toward her heart...
She shacked her head again faking a smile "N-no... it's not about you" it was a lie, she was lying even to herself, but she didn't want to face it.
"A-and it's ok... it's right." No, no it wasn't right... it wasn't right at all... BrianRose was going to have him for her whole lifetime, and she couldn't even kiss him a last time...it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all...