A/N: Happy Easter! This is my first entry and I'm both excited and terrified at the idea, but I hope you guys enjoy it. That said, English isn't my first language, so sorry for any grammar error; point them out to me and I'll be happy to correct them. I am a total amateur but I wish to get better and better. To do so, I need your help: any feedback is appreciated. The second part will be uploaded soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kung Fu Panda nor its characters. This story is inspired by TheyTookMyUsername's fiction "The Qìnglǚ Tournament"; Tùzǐ is hers as well.

Today is a gift

Part one: Close encounters of the dating type

Jade palace, 04.00 AM

It was a fine early morning at the Jade Palace, where a warrior of black and white was peacefully asleep. He was a fighter unlike anything the world had ever seen. And truly he wasn't like anyone expected him to be. But his rest was about to be interrupted. A mechanism designed for that purpose would soon be working his magic.

From a recipient attached to the ceiling, tiny drops of water were falling into a vase (right above the warrior's face), this one attached to a bamboo cane, which had on the other side a weight whose purpose was to balance the system. A balance destined to break at the right time, when the water filling the vase would cause it to tip over. It was not easy to find a container that would fill itself in the right timing; luckily Li Shan, another giant panda and biological father of the warrior in question, helped with his search and after numerous experiments they found just the right one.

It all happened at once; as the last drop went to unite with the rest, it threw the mechanism's balance off, making the receiving recipient spill all his content over the poor soul's face as it overturned; jolting him out of his sleep. Unfortunately the vase, hadn't finished his work. The system took quite the space above the warrior's head thus, when he jumped awake he bumped his forehead against it, making the vase jump into the air and fall on his head. By this time the victim's shock subsided and he started uttering profanities; luckily, and conveniently, the stuck recipient drowned out his outburst enough to (hopefully) not wake anyone in the vicinity (as to say, the whole valley). Once the tiredness had settled again he tried not to freak out (because it wouldn't be hardcore at all) and take in the situation he was. When everything clicked he let out a brood groan.

Po, the giant panda and guardian of the valley of peace, sat up on the edge of his bed and took off the stuck vase with minimal effort, putting it aside. He stretched and yawned, before shooting one paw on his mouth as his eyes wandered around the thin paper walls around him. After he was sure none of the occupants of the surrounding rooms had stirred, the panda freed his muzzle and let out a sigh of relief.

Still groggy, he swiftly went through his morning routine of ablutions and getting dressed. Then as quietly as he could he slid the paper door to his room, slipped out, closed it behind him, and tip-toed his way to the kitchen. His friend Tigress told him in confidence which wooden board wouldn't creak under his weight, having gone through the same predicament during her adolescence.

During the two and a half years he lived at the Jade Palace, Po learned to raise early in the morning; it took him a while, but other than being a heavy sleeper he was also a creature of habits: once one was ingrained into him, he would automatically follow it. Thus it turned less and less of a problem for him and with time he became quite the early riser. It also happened frequently that he would be up much before the morning gong just to prepare everyone's breakfast. Much as he didn't want to be a waiter for life or inherit the noodle shop of his adoptive father, the chinese goose (it's complicated), he loved cooking. It was one of the things that made the bond between him and Mr. Ping so strong. And while he'd been cooking alone in his current home, doing it for his idols and friends was a pleasure all in his own way. Companions, who were more than pleased to benefit from this amazing skill of his. Noted, he still cooked with the old goose from time to time when he helped at his restaurant.

Even after being appointed as new master of the palace -quite recently, he had to add- he still took upon himself to wake up first to personally put together the morning meals (though he still slept in from time to time; consequence from when he tried to re-learn the panda lifestyle), then return to the five's chambers as the gong sounded, just in time to be greeted by his -now- students with a 'good morning, master'. To which he would answer with a 'Morning! Breakfast's ready!'.

Thus they'd proceed to jump, slither, pace and so forth past him, alternating 'oh yeah' and 'this is what I got up for!' Or 'thank you Po' and the occasional bump or pat on his shoulders, arms or back. He would watch them with a big smile of pride and happiness, before hurrying behind them and shouting "Leave me some dumplings, will ya!"

Why was he going through all this trouble then? The answer was coming his way as he approached his destination. Someone had been robbing him of that pleasure lately. He didn't hold a grudge against her for that reason though; instead it became a sort of a game between them to see who would beat the other to the kitchen and win the right to cook breakfast.

The two stopped and regarded each other just in front of the kitchen's entrance. They stood there knowing that the first one to move would be the one to lose. It was a duel of wills now.

"Morning, dragon warrior." The little rabbit greeted with a polite bow. She wore her usual violet robe and white sash; her voice sounded a tad croaked due to the lack of sleep, but she hid the tiredness well. That is, until she let out a barely stifled yawn; and an adorable one at that.

"Morning Tùzǐ." The panda bowed back. "My, you look tired. Why don't you go back and rest for a while longer?" The dragon warrior hit first.

"Oh thank you for your concern, Po, but unfortunately I have a lot of things to do." The golden brown bunny dodged and quipped back. "You know, cooking breakfast and such..."She held back a smirk at her own comeback.

"Then please let me be a gentleman and take it upon myself to take care of everything." The panda blocked and verbally pushed his opponent. He was rather enjoying the banter.

"I have to decline; besides, wouldn't it be more gentlemanly to step back and say 'ladies first'?" The shorter chef responded in kind, thinking she had him cornered.

Po chuckled. For all her sweetness, Tùzǐ was also really stubborn. She beat him to the kitchen many times and forced him to wake up earlier; hence the need to resort to the infernal system. Still there she was, at the same time as him. This determined side of her amused him a lot. Despite being a guest in a palace full of employed servants she refused to sit around doing anything all day and insisted to take care of all the meals; she'd been in the palace for a short time but she already directed the staff like a pro and she proved to be a really diligent and hard-working doe. He wasn't going to back away though and so was the bunny, judging by the way she crossed her arms and stared at him with a sleepy, though challenging gaze. Suddenly an idea jumped on his mind and he knew exactly what to say. He placed his paws on his knees and crouched to be more on her eye level; it didn't made up for their height difference, but it was close enough.

"Together, then." Po said softly. Big blue eyes blinked at that, as her paws untangled themselves. Her expression of dazzled stupor turned to one of shyness as the bunny began to fiddle with one of her long ears, now draped on her shoulder. Giving a single nod, she walked into the room trying to hide her blush, followed by a confused panda who didn't thought his words could cause this sort of reaction. After all, it wasn't the first time they'd cook in tandem.

Once she was in front of the stove, though, Tùzǐ shook herself to focus on the task at hand. "What do we make, then?" She asked with a smile directed to the panda, while dotting on her peach colored apron. The big guy responded with a contemplative tone. "Let's see what we're working with, and we'll go from there." He suggested as he wore his own, signature apron from his father's restaurant.

The chefs took out the food- a lot of food- and utensils and began cooking. They moved nimbly around the cramped kitchen, somehow not getting in the way of one another; what's more, they looked perfectly synchronized, cutting, working and adding each ingredient at a perfect pace, moving swiftly to one place to another, maneuvering around each other without any need to speak or meeting eyes. Po amazed at how well they worked together; it took him years of training and fighting side by side to manage this level of teamwork with the five in battle, and with no one but his father, with whom he had cooked all his life, in the kitchen. Maybe it was because they were both experts? Whichever the case, it felt kind of nice, sharing this with someone else, a new friend (he tried to get a few others to cook with him, with disastrous results). His thoughts derailed suddenly; there was a reason why he needed to cook today, and a lot.

Case in point, today Po and Tùzǐ had planned an outing together. Well more like forced into one, but secretly none of them had the intention to complain. The panda did have something in mind already, but he needed to know if the brown bunny was on board. He risked a look in her direction and saw her throwing a timid glance over her shoulder directly at him while chopping vegetables at fast pace, something she could pull off only thanks to the muscle memory acquired by repeating the motion countless times. As if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't, her head jerked back to the task at hand, now cutting with more force than required.

Po felt a bit awkward again. Was she thinking the same things about him? He remembered Mantis' comment about this same behavior and how he normally wasn't labeled as 'cute' or 'handsome' material. Po felt suddenly a bit self conscious and worried. But Tùzǐ seemed to enjoy his company, thus what had he to lose? He just needed to ask her, right?

Unknowingly, Tùzǐ 's line of thought was similar; she grew to enjoy their playful banter, and of course beating him to breakfast (or rather, on making it), and over time they came to be friends of sorts, something she rarely found before. But cooking together with him brought a surge of… something new and strange… in her stomach. And when she looked at him, marveling at how deftly he could work despite his size, that feeling and the warmth inside of her would grow three times, and her cheeks and ears would burn. It made her feel awkward.

And happy.

The two took a pause since for now, they only needed to watch the soup being heated so it wouldn't burn. As she took a stool and placed it close to the cauldron, Po summoned his courage and spoke. "So... about today..." He said, immediately cringing at his bad start. This earned him the rabbit's attention though and he proceeded with his plan… only now he had lost his nerve.

Tùzǐ 's light blue eyes widened once more, remembering the deal. Or maybe she was just freaking out at the thought. "R-right... what about it...". She replied in the same fashion, suddenly finding really difficult to look at him in the eyes.

"I was wondering if... if there was a place you wanted to go for... you know..." The panda said lamely, tapping his claws. Certainly this wasn't going well as he had hoped. In Po's head he wanted to be smooth and charming, yet he felt like his tongue was tangled.

Tùzǐ took a sudden interest in the wooden floor. "Uhm... I don't know the valley so well, plus I'm really new at..." she twirled a paw to the space between them "...this." The little chef said embarrassed. Cooking helped her relaxing, though she couldn't help the urge of stealing some glance at the panda. She didn't know what she found so appealing about him… it was just… Po. But now the thought of the impending… ordeal had her panic return with a vengeance and she swore she could heat up the soup herself with how much her ears were hot; why she had to be so shy!

Po however found it extremely cute, surprising even himself. It wasn't like he had that much experience in the dating department of course -not really. But if like she was implying, the rabbit had totally none -which he honestly found strange- then he would have to be the one in the lead. Instead of scaring him though, the responsibility gave him purpose. "If you want a little privacy then, what do you say we go to a picnic? I know this beautiful place, with a magnificent view."

"Sounds great." Tùzǐ said in earnest, beaming back. Po's sudden confidence eased her mind a little. The soup bubbling as well as its aroma told them it was almost ready. She mounted the stool and took a sip of the soup. Her eyebrows knitted together. "Something's lacking... what do you think?" The rabbit asked as she passed the ladle to Po who took a taste himself. "Uh... I say it needs a bit of..." He trailed off, joined by the bunny in his musing.

"Coriander!" They exclaimed together. Po passed back the ladle before reaching for the spice and threw a pawful in the soup. Tùzǐ proceeded to mix it up, then took a sip. As she hummed her consent the panda took one spoonful of his own. "Mmh! Perfect!" Was his happy response. The two chefs high fived and finished preparing the dishes. As Po focused on the task, content with the outcome of his plan, he fell into a familiar habit of humming an old kitchen tune his father taught him. Surprisingly, Tùzǐ began humming along, throwing a knowing smile over her shoulder at his pleasantly surprised one. Unknowingly to them, the marks glowed.

During all this more than an hour had gone by and the gong's call came without them noticing. And that's how the furious five, plus one grandmaster Shifu, found them absorbed in their strange dance just as the duo finished and masterfully (and awesomely) put the food on each plates and the latter on the table. The two cooks admired their handiwork with their paws on their hips and gave another five without looking at each other.

That's when they found out that they had an audience and awkwardly shuffled out of the kitchen. "Hey guys, do you mind setting the table in the big room? Thank you!" The giant panda said, turning to them briefly as he spoke. Then he and Tùzǐ turned to each other and smiled embarrassed. "I think I need to take a bath. See you in an hour? At the palace's doors?" Po asked. "Yes." She said poking her fingers. "For our d-d-date." Then they parted, without giving a second glance to the furious five, thus missing their shocked expressions.

"Did Po just willingly said he'd take a bath?"Crane asked to no one in particular. "And without eating anything?"Added Viper in turn.

The warriors shook their heads and marched with solemnity to the presented task, convinced by these ominous signs that this would probably be the last day of China.

.o.0.O.o.o.O.0.o.

An hour or so later, the panda-rabbit duo was walking around the palace to a more secluded area. They agreed to have a little walk before heading to the place Po choose. The latter wore an outfit which matched his fur, a white robe that had black trimming, and long, black sleeves trimmed with gold. His appearance was completed by a red sash across his waist, and black pants with white footwear and brown sandals. Initially Po felt a bit overdressed for a picnic (it was custom made after his mystic dragon robe after all, sans hat and cape) but once his eyes settled on his date he felt even a bit inadequate.

Unknown to him was the fact that Tùzǐ's father, Wo Hop, made her promise to put on a NICE dress this time and Mrs. Wéifú (a really helpful weaver sheep) set her goal on making her look perfect, fussing during the entire day before and over the past hour and it showed.

The result was a bell long-sleeved cheongsam fitting her lean figure that flared slightly in an A-line. It was lavender in color with a floral pattern in a more lucid, pinkish hue that almost shined when the light caught it, and with a pearl colored sash. It looked like a modified, more elaborate version of her usual attire that together with the slightest touch of azure shadow, really complimented her light, golden brown fur and big, intelligent light blue eyes, that brightened with glee as she took in the scenery, making her look like she was glowing.

The dragon warrior gulped silently. She was gorgeous.

On the other hand, the rabbit was trying her hardest not to stare at the giant panda. As much as his usual (and strangely distracting) shirtless-with-pants get up fitted his playful and boyish personality, and as much as she agreed with him when he said simple was the best; Po cleaned up nice. His well trimmed, clear fur and sharp attire showed how dignified and charismatic he could be. The fact he hadn't lost the bright, welcoming mirth of his jade eyes only added to his appearance. It all screamed Po, in all his awe-inspiring persona.

They walked for a while occasionally throwing a comment like how the weather was perfect for a picnic or how the garden was well maintained, both quite smitten with the other's appearance and unaware of the other's attention. Po being Po, decided the best course was to talk about his favorite subject: he depicted in bright colors some of his adventures in the valley, which amazed Tùzǐ and made her laugh at the panda's silly jokes and dramatic acting. She looked much more relaxed which in turn built up the master's confidence. Soon the nervousness in the air faded completely.

Suddenly, his stomach growled, asking to be feed. "That was... my inner dragon warrior." Po said sheepishly, watching the rabbit covering her mouth to control her laugh and failing. "Well he sounds hungry!" Commented a still giggling Tùzǐ as he scratched his cheek fur with a lopsided grin. As if on cue, the rabbit's stomach made itself known as well -less noticeable, but enough for the panda to pick on it. She stopped wide eyed, her paws on the growling spot. "Seems like yours has risen too." Po chuckled in response. "W-well we haven't eaten all day after all..." The bunny stuttered shyly, ears positively alight with embarrassment, and Po agreed with a nod. "Right. How about we go then?" Po gestured in the general direction he intended to go and led the way, as she followed him.

"So where are we going?" Asked the rabbit, unable to contain her curiosity. "I think you already saw it. I choose a familiar place so we would be more at ease." Po explained excitedly. Tùzǐ watched him with a smirk. "You really thought this through, didn't you? That's why we cooked all this?" She asked pointing at the basket full of food which was being carried by the panda due to its size. As it was said, they cooked a lot. "That was the plan, yes."The panda confirmed.

"Should I be worried? I mean, after what happened in the kitchen the last time." Tùzǐ asked playfully with a knowing smirk. Po scratched his large stomach and smiled sheepishly. "Yeeeah... sorry about that. I didn't thought it would end up like that. Then those bandits attacked and..." he trailed off, heaving a big sigh. "Anyway, I had this one approved." He tried to reassure, rubbing his paws. Tùzǐ shook her head with an amused, and sweeter, smile.

"Po, I'm joking, don't sweat it. And even if some bandit or warlord does attack and you need to run to defend the village, it will be alright. You ARE the keeper of the peace in the valley, I understand that." Tùzǐ reassured, softly patting his arm as they ascended a familiar set of stony stairs.

Po halted at that; if he had to he would fight, but leaving Tùzǐ alone did NOT felt right; she didn't deserve so. "I really hope that doesn't happen though." He said frowning.

"Me neither. I'm having such a good time." She added timidly poking her fingers, making Po smile.

"And we're just at the beginning." He said offering her a paw just as he came to the end of the stairs. Tùzǐ took it and crossed the last steps as she passed by Po, before being presented one of the most beautiful sights she ever saw.

They were on a small cliff facing the green landscape on all sides, crowned by a peach tree whose petals were being waved by the wind and littered the warm green ground; she could see the entire valley of peace and the surrounding mountains, glowing like gold under the sun rays. She could even see the village bustling with life below. Turning around, she saw Po already placing a large white cloth on the ground under the peach tree which also shielded them from the noon sun.

"You were right. I've been here but I really hadn't any time to see all this." The rabbit confessed as she seated herself beside him. "Yeah. Pretty awesome, isn't it?" Po said as he took the generous treats from the basket. "This is called the 'Peach of heavenly wisdom'... or something like that." He chuckled, letting his gaze travel the beautiful flowers as he recalled fond memories. So many important moments passed here.

When he turned his gaze down he saw Tùzǐ watching him carefully, her head tilted and her ears flopping a bit to the side. She wore a curious expression and wondering smile. Po cleared his throat and put down the rest of their meal.

"Sorry. Got a bit reminiscent here." Po explained with a lopsided grin, his face warming. The rabbit softly shook her head. "I understand. This is a beautiful place." She said taking a dumpling and munching on it. She let out a contended moan.

"Wow, we did really well this time. These are delicious." Stated the panda, who had just gulped down one himself. "Yeah." Agreed the bunny "I didn't think I'd work this well with someone other than my father. We make a great team!" Po didn't reply, picking up another dumpling and mulling over her words. He thought the same thing this morning, but thinking about it… the connection, the complicity was there, though what he felt had been something different from what he usually had with his father, although maybe just as strong?

Tùzǐ began wondering if she had been ... inappropriate in some way, until a warmness in her palm made her look at her mark. A quick glance at the panda had her know he was looking at his own and contemplated it. Then she heard a faint 'yeah' coming from the warrior beside her that for some reason, brought back that strange feeling in her stomach, lingering for a few moments.

Then her eyes widened when Po distractingly ate one of the bigger dumplings (which he called dragon warrior sized) in one chomp. Po turned to her and blinked, suddenly out of his musings, though still chewing. "What? Something on my face?" He joked nervously once he had swallowed. Tùzǐ shook her head and laughed a bit, giving an amused and awkward smile. "Nothing, just… impressed? You sure wolfed that big one down." She commented jokingly as she giggled. "First, that's racist towards wolves…" Po said with a raised finger, feigning indignation. "Second: you eat like a rabbit." He said with a cheeky grin, causing her to laugh more loudly.

"Of course! I am a rabbit!" Tùzǐ defended with her paws on her sides, trying to act annoyed and absolutely failing. "Oh really! I didn't noticed, Ms. Nibble!" The panda continued. Tùzǐ gasped, this time actually managing to look scandalized, though the mirth dancing in her eyes gave away her act. "I do not do that!"

"Nibble- Nibble- Nibble!" Po mimicked. At the sight of the big panda rattling his teeth against the food in an attempt to imitate a rabbit, Tùzǐ couldn't contain herself anymore and almost lost her balance in a burst of giggles. "Oh, really? Then you are like this." She reigned herself a little to pick up a -normal sized- dumpling and gave it a big bite. Then she looked at him, paws on her overstuffed cheeks and mischief in her eyes. "Thif dumpling if fo AWEFOME!" She exclaimed, somehow with sparkles in her eyes before gulping it down. The two fell back in a hearty laugh, knowing how silly they were being, and not caring; they felt at ease.

It took a while for their fit to subside, Tùzǐ was battling tears as she tried to trade her giggles for a bit of air and Po was clenching his sides."Another laugh like that and I'm gonna get iron abdominal!" he exclaimed, slowly managing to put himself in control. The big guy cleaned his throat as he began fidgeting. "Sooo…" The bunny nodded carefully, taking note of his strange behavior, though still giggling from time to time from her previous outburst. "Yes?" she questioned.

"You won your first fight, didn't you?" Po grinned at her. Tùzǐ 's eyes widened a little and she forced a smile in his direction. "Oh it wasn't really that great. I just got lucky, that's it." She replied bashfully.

"It was! For a beginner you were amazing; not to mention, your opponent was an experienced fighter! Yet you totally ruled the duel. If you ask me, it WAS quite awesome." Po cheered, initially thinking she was just being humble like usual, but then her smile dropped a little more. "You're just being nice… I didn't do anything worth of praise..." Tùzǐ turned, trading her smile for a remorseful expression. The panda, realizing something was off, tilted his head to glance at her face.

"Tùzǐ? Is everything alright?" Po questioned, equally confused and worried. Tùzǐ hesitated, seemingly to debate if sharing her worries. "I feel bad for Lu-shi." She finally said with a forlorn look, averting her eyes. Po's expression softened in understanding.

"Don't be; after all no one got hurt. Both you and her had something at stake, and it was a fair fight; you did well." He smiled encouraging, even lightly bumping her shoulder. "I mean it, you really surprised me. I couldn't believe my eyes!" He continued to cheer her up, but it looked like doubts were creeping their way into the young doe's mind.

"I guess… it's just… I can't help but wonder, it's really this how things were supposed to be?" She confessed gloomily.

"Tùzǐ, I can assure you, they are." The warrior said soothingly. He knew what he was talking about , he had felt it; but this was far from her usual behavior and it worried him; he was confused as to what she meant, why she felt that way. Probably she had been cultivating these thoughts for a while.

Tùzǐ herself, didn't know why she was acting like this or why she was so upset; but she had bottled up these emotions for days and it was all spilling out now. "Really so? Don't you think it would be better if Lu-shi had won? You were engaged to her once after all?" She asked suddenly facing him, while tears began to well up. The sight shocked Po and he felt bad for the poor girl. It was clear she didn't know the whole story behind his former engagement, but that wasn't the focus of the conversation either. "What?! Why would I think that?" Po inquired. "Why would YOU think that too?"

Tùzǐ eyes shifted back and forth, unable to meet his, biting the inside of her cheek. She tried taking calming breaths before facing the panda again. "Come on, Po. Look at the other blossoms!" She began gesturing wildly. "Every and each one of them is amazing! Master Tigress is the leader of the furious five, Gaogui descends from an imperial family, Karasu is the chief of an entire clan, and I am.. I am just… me..." She sighed in defeat and dropped her paws. "I don't know what an ordinary person like me is even doing here." The rabbit finished staring miserably to her lap.

Po stared at her tiny form, slouched against the tree. He reached for her and gently tipped her chin up, without linger his touch for too long, but enough so that she raised her gaze to him, her eyes shimmering. "You're right. You're you, and no one else. And that's awesome, Tùzǐ." The rabbit closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "Thank you Po, it really means a lot to hear it from you. But I'm not sure if that's enough." She said wiping her baby blue eyes, doubts still dancing behind them.

They fell silent, Tùzǐ at a loss for words and ears so droopy they almost fell over her face, and Po, thinking about what she just said. His gaze moved from her to the peach. He placed a paw over the trunk. "You know..." at the sound of his voice, the rabbit slightly raised her head to look at him through glossy eyes. "...my first night here -the day I was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior- I almost ate all the peaches of this tree. At once." Tùzǐ nearly snorted despite her gloominess, though she found it very hard not to, having a clear image judging by how many dumplings the panda could stuff in his mouth; Po's voice was playful but he looked like he wanted to convey something.

"What?" She asked, a small smile gracing her lips despite herself as she swiped her still glossy eyes with her sleeves. Po half-smiled, almost successful in raising her spirit.

"Hey, I was upset okay?" The panda said in a mocking hurt tone. "That day I sucked more than anyone in the history of sucking. And I wondered... what is a clumsy fat panda doing in the awesome Jade Palace? I kept comparing me to the furious five -that for the chronicle, hated my guts."

Tùzǐ gaped, her surprised gaze glued to his face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "And then?"

The dragon warrior smiled. "Here it came master Oogway, surprising me in the middle of my… musings. He was a really craz- er, mysterious turtle, always talking in enigmatic sentences. But there was no fooling him; he immediately picked up on my behavior and I ended up pouring my problems out loud. He listened patiently at my ramblings and, in the end, he imparted the first of three important lessons to me." Po recalled affectionately.

"'Give up, or not give up? Noodles, or no noodles?' He said. 'You worry too much about what's been and what will be. There's a saying:..." Po paused for effect, leaning down a bit more, causing Tùzǐ to lean and raise a little her ears towards him. "...Yesterday is history;" He raised a paw "tomorrow is a mystery;" Po continued, raising the other; then brought them together "… but today... is a gift." Smiling he gave a light hit with his elbow to the peach, causing one of the fruits to fall into his waiting palm. "That is why it's called present." He finished, tossing it to the captivated bunny, who caught it with both paws.

Tùzǐ looked back at the eyebrows-wagging, knowingly smiling panda. "Wow... that's... it sounds beautiful. But what does it mean exactly? And what it has to do with all this?" She said pensively, trying to get her head about the hidden meaning of his words, examining the treat and rotating it in her paws like it could tell hidden truths.

Po chuckled. "It means that, we shouldn't let the bad things from the past, nor our doubts about the future, change who we are, or prevent us from doing things; we should instead cherish what we have now for all it's worth." He explained gently.

"So what? I should enjoy my stay while it lasts? That's what you're telling?" She asked with her ears drooping dejected.

"No, not at all!" Po was quick to correct her line of thought. "What I mean was, hesitation will get you nowhere. But!" His expression was cheery but at the same time his voice took a more firm, though still gentle, tone. "As long as you give your best every day, every moment, there will always be a bright future waiting for you." Po put a paw on her shoulder and spoke softer. "And I promise, the best is yet to come." He said with an earnest smile.

Tùzǐ looked at him with teary eyes, gripping the fruit tightly. She hastily wiped them with one of her sleeves and took a bite out of the peach. "Thank you Po." She said after swallowing. She had a grateful and touched smile on her face at his encouraging words, her spirit lifted once more. "I… think I understand what you mean."

Silence fell over them. At first it was a welcomed one, but as Tùzǐ began pouring them both tea, Po began thinking about how to continue their conversation. He also wanted to taste the waters to see if she was still troubled by the subject."So… about my earlier question…" He cleared his throat with a smile that barely contained his excitement.. The bunny blinked, then letting out a 'oh'. "Yes? What about it?" she almost giggled at the repeating of the scene from the morning.

"Well..." he began slowly, then exploded. "How did you felt during the first battle? Where you fired up? Focused? Was it awesome?!" He asked loudly, wildly gesturing his questions.

Tùzǐ giggled timidly as her ears reddened at his unrestricted enthusiasm and attention. "I-i can't really tell, it was my first fight and I was a mess of nerves, but..." she said in a rush; now that the fog of doubt had been lifted from the memory, she found herself caught on the emotions the actual battle brought. "B-but yes... it felt pretty awesome!" She stated barely taking a breath, almost matching his excitement. "I've never done anything like that, I mean, I spent almost all my life learning how to cook, then running the restaurant with my father. Never thought I'd discover to have a knack for martial arts!"

"I get what you mean. Luckily master Shifu, after getting over his first... impression, pushed me to discover my potential." Po said, putting an handful of tofu into his mouth while lost in though.

"Same here. If Zakku hadn't showed me what he referred to as 'something I was always capable of'... He turned out to be a great friend." She said with an affectionate smile. Then she took a small bite as well. Po's eyes widened as something else came to his mind and an impish smile appeared.

"So how's going his... 'training'?" He questioned, a knowing smile on his face which, together with his words, made the bunny groan loudly. "No progresses." Tùzǐ lamented with a pout. "He still won't go anywhere close to a piece of tofu willingly."

The panda couldn't help but laugh again. Tùzǐ rolled her eyes and glared lightly at him."Po, it's not funny. He has a serious problem!"

"I'm sure that having a fear for food is on top of his scale of serious problems. Really Tùzǐ, what's the deal?" He responded light naturedly, before continuing to chomp. "Your 'friends' are the deal; seriously, how mature is to prank someone out of his trauma? Each time we're getting anywhere, it's back to square one." She accused, crossing her paws. "Come on, Monkey and Mantis' jokes are all just in good fun." Po coed, but the rabbit turned to him with an unpleased expression.

"Oh really? Then how about I bring a certain rabbit bully to see your reaction, just for 'good fun'?" She bit back. Po's smile vanished immediately as he fixed his wide eyes on the pouting bunny, seeing a victorious glint in her eyes. "W-who told you-you wouldn't- n-never mind. " The panda crossed his own arms. He already had his suspicions of who the feathered gossiper was. "I'll let you know, that I overcame that fear."

"Thus, you should know how important is to do so, and how hard it's to face one's trauma. No matter how silly it is." She said, eyes closed and chin raised in defiance, as she turned away.

Po spied her posture with one eye, then lost all semblance of pretending and snorted, until a snicker made his way on his muzzle. Tùzǐ glanced at him and broke in giggles as well, covering her muzzle with her paws, eyes closed. His laugh subsiding, Po raised his paws in a surrendering gesture. "Alright, you won. I'll tell them to tone it down... a lot." She pretended to think about it, then gave an over exaggerated nod. "That you'll do, dragon warrior." She replied and brought her paws together and bowed, looking quite satisfied.

"Aye. Thank you for your wisdom, master Tùzǐ Hop, Iron Cook of the Jade Palace!" He said bowing back at her in a fake solemn tone and a big smile, eliciting another round of giggles from the little chef. "My, you're welcome! And do not fear, if the mean bully rabbit comes, this wise master rabbit will protect you." She replied with a teasing voice and a knowing smile. At this Po laughed again, wiping a tear with his digit.

"Oh god, I'd love to see that! In fact, I can't wait to see you fight again, it was awesome the first time! You were so fast, and your moves so cool!" Tùzǐ smiled and blushed at his overexcited cheering. "As I said, without Zak's help I don't think I could have won." She said, playing with one of her ears... one of her most endearing tics. The rabbit's blush became more noticeable at the barrage of compliments.

"Tùzǐ?" Po called, making her look up at him. The panda had a musing look, which turned to puzzlement as he spoke again. "How did you knew that tune from this morning?" Tùzǐ hummed, thinking back as well. "Baba taught me when I was learning how to cook. Said it was an old kitchen song the chefs use to gain a good rhythm, or pace if you prefer, while they cooked. Honestly I was surprised too, didn't think you knew it as well. I thought baba was the only one to still use it." She explained. Po hummed in response. "It makes sense. Dad taught it to me as well; said it was as much a legacy than his recipes were. Must be an important tradition." He mused out loud. "It's strange though, Wo didn't used it when we cooked together at the winter festival. Guess he was preoccupied with other things…"

"Well it's more of a habit, we don't always sing when we cook." Tùzǐ replied, and of course it made sense; Po didn't often intone it as well, just when he felt like it. The bunny continued. "But you mean, that feast were you two met? Can you tell me about it?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, that's a great story too! Well, it all began when…"

The two finished their meal while Po recounted of his first winter festival, when he met the doe's father, obviously leaving out certain details (he doubted Wo Hop's attempts at 'restoring his honor' -aka killing himself- would make for a funny story) although as he soon discovered the bunny girl already knew most of the ordeal, prompting Tùzǐ to cite some stories about her baba's silliness and more.

The afternoon passed in companionable silence, enjoying the scenery with a few jokes and anecdotes here and there, Po could even point at places were some of his stories happened, consuming the surviving treats while both unconsciously got closer to each other the entire time. The atmosphere was so relaxing, by the time evening approached, they were almost dozing off, the bunny resting on the panda's side, paws resting on her lap, while the latter leaned back against the peach, on paw on the ground and one on his stomach, just admiring the scenery.

Speaking of Po's stomach; it grumbled lightly at a certain point, awakening them from their reverie. The sun was mostly set, making for a beautiful view. Tùzǐ slowly detached herself from his soft body, as if suddenly aware –and a bit embarrassed- of their position.

"Should we head back?" Asked the tiny girl. "Yeah. It's almost dinner time." He answered, grinning as he stirred. Tùzǐ giggled as she got up. "Do you ever think about something else?" The rabbit chef asked as she shook her head, while putting away the dishes. "First: I'm a panda, remember?" Po said back while folding the blanket. "Big stomach." He stated playfully patting the large spot, causing a chuckle from the bunny. "Second: you're one to talk".

"What, you're saying I'm fat?" Tùzǐ asked with a dangerous twinkle in her smile.

Po rolled his eyes. "Please, I would be blind. But you do think about food all day as well." He noted, unaware of the bullet he just dodged.

"Well I'm a cook duh. I think about how to prepare food, not consuming it." She hummed, turning her attention at the basket… and storing some of the fruits for later.

"You'd be surprised how the two can coincide... Remember? Monkey told you about it already; I had just thought of a new way to cook rice and…"