For lovers, there is no harder part in this world than being separate from another. Whether it be for the wrong reasons, due to others interferences. Or simply because, their other half went on a journey for business or for personal reasons. One such couple, who resided in the Valley of Peace. You know the two, Po and Master Tigress were facing a small separation from each other of their own. For Po's dad Mr. Ping, asked to take a week-long vacation with his son. Just the two of them, seeing the country side, and seeing all of what nature was offering them outside of their usual and busy lives. As such, being the great son that he was. Po was pretty happy that'd he'd get the chance to spend some time with his dad for once. Gods only know the last time he actually got the chance to spend quality time with his father since becoming the hero the valley knew him as. Yet, as I mentioned above, there was a small problem. That problem being a worried Tigress. Now don't get it mixed up, she was happy her panda was going on a vacation with his father, he deserved it. It was just, well, she wanted to always be there next to him at all times around the clock. Part of it being to keep him safe, and protected from a world she knew wanted to hurt him in some way, or at least, some of the people in it wanted to. The other part being that if she was away from him, especially for a chunk of time, that she would lose him and that he would never come back to her and her lasting love she has for him. On the night however, he was saying his good byes to everyone in the palace, till it was only just him and her standing in the hall of heroes. Where he carried a medium sized back pack on his back along with wearing a straw hat on top of his head, and she, a blue training outfit with black sweats. He had made sure she wouldn't worry, and stress over the week he was gone, and that's where our story begins.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you, dumpling? I can provide lots of protection for you and your father." Tigress stated gently, slowly folding her arms over another while at the same time looking down to the ground in some sorrow.
"I'm sure of it kitten, and I don't doubt for a second you could protect us from all kinds of threats out there. I can to though." Po stated with a small smile on his face, placing his right paw under his tiger's chin. Allowing him to slowly lift Tigress's up head, so that she was no looking down at the ground, but rather, back at him.
"Hey, there's no need to worry about me ok. I know that's stupid thing to say to someone who loves you with all their heart and worries for you. You just got to believe me on this though love, that I'll be ok and make it back to you." Po told her softly, taking his right paw away from under the tiger's chin and instead, placing it on her left cheek. To which he began to gently rub with loving affection. Feeling her panda's touch, along with his soft words he had just spoken to her. Tigress could feel some of her worry ease up a little bit. Which made her want to unfold her arms and place her left paw on top of his right paw, and smile a little, to which she did in mere seconds.
"You have better Po, because who knows what I'd do if you didn't." Her voice somewhat calm if not a little sad with still the thought of losing him. Po then did the one and only thing he knew would make her feel even more calmer, and that was leaning down and giving her a small kiss on the lips, something she greatly accepted from him. As she gripped his right paw tightly, and began pushing as hard as she could against her panda's lips. Though in real time their kiss lasted only about ten seconds, to them, it felt like it lasted so much longer. Then once they pulled away from each other, Po had given Tigress a kiss right in the middle of her forehead, a sign of what she knew he was about to say.
"Dad's waiting for me, I have to get going other wise he'll chew me out." Po said with a small smile on his face. Making Tigress somewhat reluctantly let go of his paw, and once she did, Po had turned around and headed for the palace doors. Yet, when he reached them, he turned back to her with a loving smile.
"It will be ok Tigress, I promise. I love you, and I'll see you in a week." It was then Po slowly walked out of the palace doors and had closed them behind him once he was in the darkness of the outside. Leaving behind a Tigress who had wrapped her arms around herself and who had gritted her teeth hard.
"I love you to my darling Po, and I'll be counting down the days and nights till you return to me." Something that she did down to a tee. Always watching the clock whenever she got the chance to when she wasn't defending the valley from the occasional bandit or was in the hall training with the others. Always wandering how her pandas' trip was going and if he was having fun or if he was in serious trouble. Sometimes it had become so much on her she wanted to dash out of the palace and run on all fours across the country, shouting his name and hearing him reply. Of course, she didn't, thanks to her hard restraint she had built up across the years and to her friends who tried their best to keep her mind on other things if they could. Soon though, the week had gone as well as the day of the ending week. Something that made Tigress flare up in worry and concern, as he had returned during the day, could he be returning the night? She hoped he would, other wise she would go on a search party but before doing something drastic like that, she awaited at the palace doors, dressed in the same attire as of when he left. Almost like she was saying 'I never left this spot'. As more hours passed though, and the darker it got, things weren't looking on the up side.
"Come on Po, why aren't you back yet?" Tigress asked herself in concern, waiting for the palace doors to open and for her to see his face. She had no luck no matter how much she wished for it, and as such, she wanted to pace back and forth in stress. Rather instead of doing such a thing, she had decided to rather sit cross legged on the jaded floor and place her palms together. Trying her best to calm herself from all the bubbling emotions in her and to use her many years of meditation to keep herself in check.
"Calm down Tigress, just calm down. Maybe they are just taking their time, or maybe something like Po is helping his dad unpack. Just, uh, just relax and take some deep breaths." She told herself in a calm manner, taking in a few deep breaths as she instructed herself to do once every five seconds. Until she had inhaled about six deep breaths into her lungs. Once she had, her manner calmed. Making her to solely focus on the palace doors in front of her. Like keeping her eyes locked on the palace doors, and with keeping her ears sharp as possible. Trying to listen for any kind of sound outside. She kept this up for what seemed like hours until she completely lost track of time. Her body seemed to know what kind of time it was though, with how weak it started to feel for her and how bad her eyes wanted close.
"N-no, I got to stay aw-awake, I have to." Tigress tried to tell herself, mustering the strength that was in her body in order to fix what was her now hunched over position. Along with placing her paws back to together which were just hanging in her lap. The more she tried to stay awake though, the tougher it became for the tired tiger until there came a point where she just couldn't handle it any longer. That only being just about ten minutes later.
"I ha-have toooooooooooooo…," Her body then gave in. Her eyes began to slowly close, as her body became hunched over again. Along with her paws coming apart and falling into her lap, while her arms just drooped down. Yet before she could be completely consumed by the tiredness, she could hear a faint noise in front of her, a blotch of white and black, and finally a voice she thought had said "Tigress." Then darkness, not knowing what she had heard or just vaguely seen was what her mind wanted her to hear and see. Either way, she didn't know and it wasn't until the darkness that was brought on by her sleeping body that she would find out. For the darkness was illuminated by a yellow light that was seeping through the hall of warriors.
"M-morning already?" Tigress groaned, opening her eyes slowly to get adjusted to the light and her surroundings once more. It was at that moment, when her eyes became clear and mind no longer feeling cloudy, that she saw that her right paw was being held someone's left paw. A black paw to be exact.
"Is that?" She quickly turned her sight to the right, only to see it was indeed who she thought it was. That what she had heard and saw before she slept wasn't just in her head, rather it was real. For there laying next to her on her right side, was her panda Po. Simply laying on his back with his right paw resting on her belly and his belongings that he had taken with him just above his head.
"Po." Tigress smiled, overwhelmed to see that he was safe and in all in one piece. That his travels had gone without anything bad happening from what she could tell. She wanted nothing more than to hope on him and kiss him, but she didn't want to wake her panda. So, instead, slowly un crossed her legs, still holding his paw and began to lay on her right side. Once doing this, she brought up her left paw and placed it on top of Po's right paw.
"Next time, I'm going with you panda." Tigress whispered softly, placing her head against Po's with a purr. Making the panda smile in his sleep. One could see, he could feel his love against him and her warmth. Being just as happy as she was, that he was back right next to his lovers' side after being gone for a week. Which to some may not seem like a lot. When it comes to love however, a week might as well be years.