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Kung Fu Panda theme, Characters Lord Shen, Po, Shifu, Tigress, Mantice, Monkey, Crane, Ping etc belong to Dreamworks and I do not claim them! However Luli is the lovley lady I have introduced to the story. :) Enjoy!

"Hey guys!"

Shen winced he should have seen this coming. "Have you all met Shen's girlfriend?"

"What?" Viper asked

"He has a girlfriend?" Crane questioned.

"Yeah! Ain't she a beauty?" Po pointed at her. She waved shyly though she tried to hide herself slightly behind Shen.

"Po." he said "you obviously have no idea how to treat a lady." he shook his head. "You must not make the lady feel embarrassed or pressured in any way or crowded." He eyed the five.

"Oh! You want a private dinner?" Po said "Okay guys scram!" Po shoved the others out of the room before he turned to wink at them, "I'll be back with your noodles in a jiffy."

And then he was gone and Shen was in this room alone with this female he knew nothing about.

"Your friend is funny," Luli snickered.

Shen gave a small laugh "But he can be such a pest at times."

She grinned "I see,"

Shen thought it was time to set this right. "Luli," he murmured "you don't have to be here if you don't want to. I didn't mean to let him drag you up here."

"Like I said," she smiled "if it is what you wish Shen."

He was confused. He was about to ask her a question but she spoke first.

"Do you want me here Shen?"

"Yes!" he answered to quickly but she just smiled "I know this is the most informal way of doing this but any male would be a fool to just pass by a lady like you."

Her blue eyes sparkled and her tiny crown stood up. She scoffed quietly to herself. "You don't mean that."

"But i do." he insisted.

She peered up at him not convinced. "You? Lord Shen?" She said sarcastically.

Shen looked away from her. She had nothing to worry about. She was beautiful, but he was not. Not to the average peahen anyway. The darker colors meant strength and good health. A white peacock...was like having a birth defect. Females were not attracted to white peacocks. And to be frank, White was the Chinese color that represented death, something people wore to funerals.

She was studying him so he straightened.

"Seeing you up close..." Luli murmured "It's amazing how easy you are to read."

"What?" he asked and his voice was a bit sharper than he had intended.

"No, I'm sorry," she dipped her head "I'm blabbering again. Like I said I'm just not used to being with other Peafowl."

Shen was curious about that, where was her family?

Then a thought occurred to him; had her parents disowned her from their family too?

About that time Po came back in with their soup. "Here you go you little love birds!"

"Po!" Shen snapped, he was getting very annoyed. "I just met her! We are not..." he drew back his neck, scrunching up his face he shook his head" love birds"

Po glanced at Luli he leaned towards her and whispered "He's just in denial, don't get upset."

"He's not in denial and I'm not upset." Luli said in an even tone that was slightly stern. "We just met."

"So if you don't mind," Shen began

"We'd like to get to know each other a bit Po." she said sweetly.

Po shifted his eyes between them then shrugged his big shoulders "sure no problem. And hey Shen, loosen up huh bud?"

Shen swore his crown feathers were on fire he was so angry.

Luli gasped.

When he looked at her she was staring at him with big blue eyes her beak open in awe.

"What-" Then he noticed in his hindsight, his tail feathers had fanned out in his frustration.

Clearing his throat he pulled his tail together letting it rest back on the floor. He smiled at Luli a little perplexed by the expression on her face. "Forgive me, but as I said, he can become quite the pest. I guess my temper got the best of me." he smiled

Luli suddenly returned to reality. She instantly took up her chopsticks and began nibbling on the noodles.

"On the contrary," Shen said "You are most difficult to read my lady."

One of her eyebrows lifted "Am I?"

Shen decided to eat instead of say something stupid.

She started giggling and he looked up at her.

"You look funny!" she laughed.

Shen blinked putting sticks down.

"Oh no!" she reached her wing across the table "I meant, it was amusing...the look on your face like you were trying to be so proper...eating noodles!" she shook her head snickering. "But in all my life, I've never seen a Peacock like you."

He looked back down at his soup as he gingerly sipped at the last of it. He bet she hadn't.

At least she had the decency to be honest.

"You are very quiet."

Shen was beginning to think this was not going to work. This was starting to remind him of his parents.

"Did I offend you, my Lord?"

"No."

"I don't mind quiet." she smiled "I guess you can tell I talk a lot?"

He cast a feverous glance at the door, "I've experienced much worse."

Then they both laughed.

"I've never really..." she dragged her stick around in the soup. She seemed to recover herself and looked up at him as she said "I like a man that listens."

Shen was shocked. "What are you saying exactly?" he asked.

She blinked softly at him. "That I like you."

Shen was floored. Weather it was female or not...Shen couldn't remember the last time someone told him that.

"It's been a long time since someone told you that hasn't it?"

As if he wasn't already stunned, "How did you-"

"It's in your eyes." She told him, "They are very expressive."

"How long have we known each other?" he asked.

Luli bowed her head "I'm sorry." she stirred her stick in the noodles some more. "I guess this is more than a little awkward for both of us?"

Shen was lost for how to respond.

"I will leave." she stood up

"No please." Shen rose with her "I..." he drew himself up; it was obvious this female was interested in him. He was a Peacock, he was Lord Shen. He was confident. "It won't be awkward." he murmured softly to her and by the look in her eyes and the little catch of breath in her throat he could tell his voice was doing its job. "Once we know each other a little better."

"But we just met." she whispered her voice quivering now.

Shen stepped forward and his heart slammed in his chest so hard that he had to a moment to clear his senses. What was that about?

But Luli was staring up at him as if caught in a spell. He'd worry about whatever was going on inside him later.

He was so close to her, staring deeply into her eyes. "Yes." he told her, "and I'm so glad we did." She couldn't understand how his voice did this to her. Was it just because this was the first peacock she had scene in 32 years? Or was there something...more? Her heart pounded in excitement as he started to widen his tail-

"Hey how's it going you gu- oh."