Chapter 9
"How is he…?"
Tigress looked around to see Lynx peering behind the door frame. "Shouldn't you be outside training…?"
"Master Viper and Master Crane said I could come in for a little to see Felix…" Lynx said, her ears drooping and her tail held low.
Tigress sighed and motioned Lynx to sit next to her. Lynx's ears perked up a little, knowing that Tigress wouldn't throw her out and went over and knelt next to Tigress and Felix.
"How is he?" Lynx asked again.
"Better than when I found him…but considering that was just two days ago…that's really good progress…" Tigress said, dabbing a damp cloth along Felix's face. "He's fever has gone down but not gone."
"That's good…" Lynx smiled, purring slightly.
Tigress gave a small smile and continued to tend to Felix. Tigress leaned against Felix, ear to his chest and listened.
"Master Tigress?" Tigress sat up straight and looked at Lynx "What's it like…?"
"What do you mean…?" Tigress asked, her ears tilted in confusion.
"To be in love." Lynx piped up. "What's it feel like?"
"Huh?!" Tigress looked taken aback and blushed. "W-what makes you say that I'm in love?!"
"Well…you're always in here taking care of Felix…and Master Monkey said you were really really upset that Felix was sick…I mean…" Lynx fiddled with her shirt. "I would too…but…"
Tigress recovered herself and looked curiously at Lynx. "Are you say you don't love Felix?"
It was Lynx's turn to blush and she quickly shook her head. "No! I mean…I do…but…I don't know…he feels more like a big brother or something…I mean…not like my real brothers…they're always doing something mean to me…"
"Brother's can do that…" Tigress said with a nod. She looked at Felix for a moment. "Yes…I do love Felix…very much so…"
"What's it feel like…?" Lynx asked yet again.
"Well…" Tigress struggled for words. To her, love had always been an unexplainable emotion. "Well…I feel really happy when ever he's around, even though recently all I've been doing is yelling at him. And when he's not around…I feel kind of lost…and I would go try and find him. Just being around him makes me happy too, even if he doesn't know it…" Tigress stroked Felix's cheek. She looked at Lynx. "Does that help?"
Lynx's thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Nuh uh…"
Tigress smiled. "Well I'm sure you'll understand it one day…But in the mean time, you should go back to training."
Lynx nodded and bowed to Tigress before leaving.
Tigress turned her attention back to Felix. She figured she should get going too. She's burdened Viper with her student's long enough. She decided to check on Felix one last time. She placed her forehead on Felix's, checking his temperature. She deemed it satisfactory and placed her head to his chest again. Again she seemed to deem it satisfactory before preparing to leave. She grabbed her stuff that she had placed next to the foot of the bed. She looked back a Felix and a thought hit her.
She slowly set her things down and crawled onto the bed. She crawled over Felix until she was at eye level with him. Swallowing nervously, she leaned forward and was inches from his face when Felix's eyes snapped open. Tigress quickly leapt off the bed, blushing furiously.
"T-Tigress…?! W-what are you doing?" Felix asked, sitting up.
"N-nothing…I wasn't doing anything…" Tigress said defensively.
"Yes you were…you were leaning over me…What were you trying to do?"
"I told you! Nothing!" Tigress said, turning her back on Felix.
"…Tigress…" Felix said hesitantly. "W-were you trying to…kiss me…?"
Tigress held her tail low and blushed even more. "…maybe…"
"Why…? I thought…" Felix also looked away. "I thought you hated me…"
"What?!" Tigress spun around. "I could never hate you!"
"But then before…why were you…" Felix looked up at Tigress.
"…I'm sorry Felix…" Tigress looked at her feet. "I was…too stubborn…I thought that nothing good could come out of me loving you…so to accommodate for that…I kept pushing you away…I'm sorry."
"And now…?"
Tigress's ears drooped along with her tail. "It doesn't matter…after the way I've been treating you…I doubt it would make much difference to you…"
Felix carefully got out of Tigress' bed. "Don't say that…it doesn't matter what you did in the past…it's what you feel now that's important…"
Tigress clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, steeling herself up to say what she wanted. "I love you, Felix! I always have! It hurt to push you away like I did and I'm sorry. I wish I hadn't…" Tears started to trickled down her cheeks as she cried slightly.
Felix stood there, stunned at the sudden confession. Then, he walked forward and embraced the crying Tigress. "I love you too…I always will…it's why I couldn't bring myself to leave again…"
Tigress cried harder than ever into Felix's chest as he stroked her back gently.
"…I'll always be there for you…I promise…" Felix said, rubbing her back as he hugged her.
Tigress nodded and clung to Felix's chest as she continued to cry. Felix tilted Tigress' head up with a finger under her chin and kissed her lips gently. Tigress closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Felix's neck and kissed him back. Felix dropped his hand from Tigress' chin and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.
After a while, they broke apart, Tigress leaning her head on Felix's chest, no longer crying. "Please…promise me…you'll never leave me…"
Felix kissed her forehead. "Already done…"
Tigress finally pulled away and wiped her eyes from the remaining tears. "I should get going…I asked Viper to cover my students while I came in and checked up on you…"
"I'll go with you…" Felix started forward but Tigress stopped him with a hand to his chest.
"No…you still need to rest…" Tigress stood on her toes and kissed him deeply, enough to make Felix swear that he felt some tongue. "I'll be back when the class ends…"
"I'll be waiting…" Felix said with a nod.
Tigress held Felix's hand in her own briefly before turning and leaving, closing the door behind her, but only after she took one last glance at Felix.
