"W-what did you just say?" A somewhat distraught and shocked Tigress asked in a quite tone. Whom of which was standing in the Jade palace's lit kitchen and whom was wearing her red training vest with black sweats. For the question and expressions, she had asked/showing was the result of what her close and best friend had just said to her. That said friend being the panda and skilled warrior named Po, who was sitting at the kitchen table straight across from the feline and was dressed in his usual shorts. As he had just said something to the tiger he never thought he would ever have the courage nor the strength to ever say. For he had just told Tigress that he…loved her. That he loved her with all of his heart. Being on the receiving end of such an emotional statement though, is what caused her to be in the state she was in and had made her question what he said. Which in turn made him know he would have to tell her again. To let her know she didn't just hear things. Something that sounded easy, but to him felt like it was just as hard as the first time he had done it.
"I sa-said, I lov-love you." The panda stuttered out softly, while he looked Tigress in her eyes. Red beginning to show greatly and hotly from underneath his furry white cheeks. As he tried his best to keep his composer under control. Yet, was having a hard time doing so thanks from the pure rush of adrenaline his body was receiving. Which was accompanied with the fast-hard beats he was feeling from underneath his chest. It had gotten so overwhelming for him, he had to stand from his seat, place his paws palm down onto the table, and start take in some much-needed calming breaths. Which caused him to turn his sight away from the feline and instead directly down at the table. Making him hunch over the front part of his body over it. While he did this, Tigress just stared at him. Her once distraught and shocked features disappearing from her face and instead began to change into a feature of saddened confusion.
"Wh-why me?" Were all the words that could make their way from her throat and out of her lips onto the pandas' ears. At which point she had raised her right paw from her side, and placed it over the left side of her chest where a now aching confused heart laid underneath. It was then after hearing such a thing from the girl, he had just professed his love to, Po who had now somewhat calmed himself, had slowly lifted his head upwards. His eyes no longer looking at the surface of where they eat on, but back onto Tigress. Where he himself began to show a tad bit of confusion from her question and the demeanor she was now showing him.
"Why you?" He asked softly, taking his paws off the table and positioning himself so he was no longer hunched over the table, but rather standing upright. Once he did this, he just starred at Tigress, whom took her glance away from him and began to stare down at the floor she was standing on.
"Yes Po, why me. Of all people in the valley, of all the girls that you could chose and give your heart to. You choose me of all people? Someone who you know is having troubles with her own heart and who is still figuring out how to deal with things that are in it. Why would you want to trust me with your heart when I don't even know what to do with mine? I mean is this whole thing your way of trying to get back at me for the things I've done to you in the past, for the things I've said to you. If so, you can stop right now and even more so if that's true than I guess you never truly accepted my apology's." Tigress asked in a hurt tone, gripping her chest while she continued to stare down at the ground and away from Po, who couldn't help but widen his mouth and eyes a little from her words. He couldn't believe she would think that, that he was doing this on purpose to mess with her or to even hurt her. He had to prove to her this was no joke or in no way of some revenge, as in that moment he began to slowly make his way around the right side of the table and over to her. Yet as he did, she began to slowly back away from him. Resulting in him to stop dead in his tracks, not wanting to worsen the situation anymore than it was already getting. He knew if this was going to be fixed it wasn't going to be with actions, but with words from his heart and she was definably going to hear them loud and clear due to him stopping when he was only five inches away from her. He had than closed his mouth and softened his eyes.
"Tigress…" He whispered to her, raising his right paw from his side, and placing it over the left side of his chest.
"What I told just moments ago is in no way of me trying to hurt you or get revenge on you in any shape or form. Those apology's you told me long ago were accepted on the spot and I have no hard feelings of what happened between you and me in the past. It's behind us and has been forgiven, so please don't think me saying I love you is me wanting to mess with you or your heart. It's the complete opposite, I told you I love you because I truly love you with all of my heart and being. I know there's a lot of stuff that's in your heart, trust me I do. I have many things in my own that I'm still working on as well, but that's the thing. Whenever something comes out of our hearts the other is there to help with it and help the other come to terms with it. That's one of the many reasons why I fell in love with you Tigress." Po said gently with a warm smile on his face. Trying his best to get her to look at him, which thanks to his words, she slowly began to look back up. Till her eyes were fixated back on him.
"One of the many reasons? Wh-what are the other ones if I may ask." Tigress asked somewhat curiously, easing her grip on her chest. Knowing what the panda had said to her wasn't laced with lies. That he wasn't doing this as a joke or to be mean to her and mess with her emotions. He truly did love her and it became even more apparent when he began to answer her question.
"Well, I could make a list that would be about twenty pages. To name a few though, would be that you're as beautiful like an angel who had just gotten their wings up in the heavens above. That you're as wise and as strong as Master Oogway was. That you're the type of person who would do anything for the people she loved and cared about in this world, and those like I said just to name a few. Best of all Tigress, though there are many girls in the valley, none of them have ever or even compare to you in any way and none of them could ever make me feel the way you make me feel." Po stated in a loving tone, feeling his heart flutter with happiness. Happy to be able to tell Tigress of how much he loves her. To let her know that she is truly loved by him and everything that he holds inside of him. That being said, said tiger couldn't believe the words that were just hitting her ears. Words that made her feel warm inside of her very core, which in turn made her start to blush and for her to show a small smile.
"You really do love me Po hu?" Tigress somewhat stated and asked to the panda. Whom of which nodded his head.
"I do, and to put it in better aspect. Let's just say that time itself can't ever erase such a strong feeling I have come to have for you. That no matter what you say or do, there's no way you're ever goanna shake me, because to me, you'll always be my baby Ti." Po stated softly, taking his right paw off of his chest and instead extended it out to the feline who just looked at it. It was only moments later though, when Tigress took her right paw away from her chest as well and grabbed Po's paw. Once she had, the panda began to gently, yet slowly, pull her towards him. Letting thoughts run on in her head.
"Po…" Tigress thought, feeling her feet move towards him.
"I can't say that I don't have a part of me that doesn't feel the way you do about me. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready for this. When is someone ever ready when it comes to something like love though?" She continued, feeling herself contact with Po's belly. Making her feel the warmness and softness of him, along with feeling his left arm wrap around her, and for her to feel his head be placed on hers.
"All I can do is try my best and give it all that I have for you. You've done it for me by telling me that you love me, and of the many other times you have been there for me. So, I will do my best for you. I will do my best to keep being there for as a friend and now as a mate, just like I know you will and have done for me." She then buried her head in his chest, letting out slight purrs that made Po give her head a gentle lick as well as saying…
"I love you Tigress, and I hope you know you will always be a part of me." Tigress had then let go of Po's right, which was squished between the two of them along with his right paw. When she did let go though, she wrapped both of her arms around him tightly, telling him what he has always wanted to hear from the girl of of his dreams and of his heart. Words being those of…
"I love you to Po, and I hope you know you will always be a part of me."
Inspired by David Cook's cover of Always be my baby.