AN: This takes place after Ornamental Bird
Crane was sleeping, curled up on his mat with his head tucked against his wing. His hat was discarded nearby and should anyone look closely they would notice the absence of his usual blue pants. His feathers twitched and ruffled every so often and he occasionally let his eye flick open. He hadn't seen Tai Lung for a month since he was attacked almost directly after the snow leopard's defeat.
And with his friends ready and willing to protect him, he should have felt safe. But he found himself being restless, even meditation was plagued by a certain pair of golden eyes and a razor-blade grin.
Crane sighed and stood, pulling on his pants and walking out of his room. He made sure to keep his steps silent as he walked into the courtyard. The courtyard was silent, not a soul stirred as the wind rustled the trees. Crane took a deep breath and began to do his fighting practice once more.
White Crane Boxing was a beautiful form, used mostly for close combat and concentrated on complex hand techniques. The natural beauty of the fighting form combined with Crane's own poise and grace made his technique a wonderful sight to behold. Crane sighed as he allowed himself to be lost within the comforting familiar movements. He was a creature of paper movements, fluttering through the air and grounding himself quickly, every movement unwasted in his stance.
"Still as beautiful as I remember." Crane stiffened at the voice, frozen in place on the ground. He listened carefully, picking up the ever so slight sounds of Tai Lung's movements. They were indiscernable for any other creature but Crane and Master Shifu. They had known Tai Lung for years, they could easily track him. The others were young, they had never known the murderous warrior like Crane and Shifu had. They had only known hatred for Tai Lung, never the deep seeded love that the two warriors had known.
"I always wondered how something so beautiful could ever become so deadly." A thick paw caressed Crane's wing, flicking fingers across the long pinion feathers as he pressed his chest to the elegantly curved back.
"Look at yourself… The epitome of poise. Grace. Perfection." Tai Lung's nostrils flared against Crane's neck as he inhaled the bird's scent as if it was the finest perfume.
Crane trembled, trying not to allow himself to show just how much he feared the great cat, or how much he enjoyed the touches.
"Perhaps that is why Master Oogway spared you… It would be a waste for something as beautiful as you to rot in prison by my side." One paw was over Crane's wishbone, fondling the bird's naturally full chest while the other paw slid down his waist to slip into his pants and cup his pelvis. Crane let out a harsh breath, stiffening as his body was kneaded and coaxed, his beak opened and his eyes half-closed in a dull expression of pleasure.
"Look…" Tai Lung nudged Crane's gaze down to his own chest, the bird watching as muscles twitched and trembled, the snow leopard's claws trailing up his chest slowly, heightened senses singing in pleasure as Crane gasped and arched.
"Still so sensitive to my touch…" The snow leopard's chuckle was soft and affectionate. "Delicious…"
"Please, stop." Crane whimpered, head tossing to the side in a shy manner.
"You don't really want that." Tai Lung sighed against the bird's neck, purring in a way that reminded Crane of thunderstorms and landslides.
"Yes I do, Tai Lung, please, stop!" Crane hissed, trying to push the enormous paws away with his wings. Tai Lung merely nuzzled the juncture of the bird's neck and Crane moaned, melting as his neck was nipped and licked while the leopard massaged both sides of his chest.
"I love you…" Tai Lung whispered, licking a line up Crane's neck as he pulled the back of the bird's pants down to his thighs, Crane whimpering and pressing against the leopard desperately. Tai Lung growled at the Crane's Mandarin mumblings, smirking as he sat, pulling Crane into his lap.
"Tai Lung!" Crane arched and cooed as Tai Lung rolled his hips, their pelvis' grinding together firmly. The leopard pulled Crane down to nuzzle and lick his beak, the closest they could get to a kiss, and Crane slumped, defeated and giving in to the pleasure he derived from the leopard's touch.
Crane squawked and bucked when he came, Tai Lung purring and thrusting against Crane's body before he came as well.
They laid like that for a few moments before a light flickered on and voices could be heard. Crane grunted as he was thrown aside and Tai Lung seemed to vanish like smoke on the wind.
"Crane!" Crane barely managed to focus on Po's concerned face. He knew what he must've looked like and shame curled through him. Tears gathered in his eyes and he slowly began to let them fall, a raw sob tearing at his throat as he began to shudder. "Crane, what happened?" Po knelt just as the others came out of the sleeping quarters and Crane tried to curl away from him. "Crane?"
Crane felt his world go black at the edges just as the others arrived. His name was repeated and he slowly lost consciousness, wishing he could die from the shame plaguing him.
It seemed no matter what he did, he was always just a little toy bird to Tai Lung's whims.