Teeth

Don't own Kung Fu Panda

His elbow was propped up on the small dark wooden table while his hand held up his head. He lazily stared at the corners of the kitchen's cabinet, the porcelain plates, and the neatly kept broom closet. His jade eyes glared at the tiger by his right side as she quietly ate her small soy cubes. She gently blew on them as her chopstick held the food close to her lips. "What is it, Po?"

"Huh?"

"What is it? Why are you staring at me?" Tigress asked, annoyed. The panda shook his head awake.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just a little bored."

"Just because the others are on a mission doesn't mean you can lounge around, you know. You still have duties that need to be attended to," Tigress said. "Have you looked over the scrolls?"

"Yes," Po groaned.

"Swept the jade floor?"

"Yes."

"Oiled the Training Hall?"

"Yes."

"And I see you've washed the dishes."

"Yes."

"Did you-"

"Oh come on, Tigress," Po interrupted. "You're not my mom. I'm just a little bored. That's all, okay? Gosh, I can't even be bored in peace?"

"Your boredom tends to cause chaos," Tigress slyly smirked. The panda grumbled up from his chair and looked in the pantry for food, earning a glaring frown from Tigress "Po."

"I'm just looking for some ingredients for dinner. I'm going to try a new recipe my dad made," Po said. The tiger quietly watched while she took another small bit of her soy cubes.

Then, Tigress grunted. Po spun his head and saw the tiger's face squinting as her lips squished together tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"That doesn't sound like fine."

"I just... bit the inside of my lip," Tigress grumbled, caressing her cheek.

"OOhhh, sorry."

"I'm fine Po," Tigress said with a small smile. Po smiled back and returned to his search only to stop and look at her again. The child-like narrowing of his eyes gave the impression he was curious more than angry.

"Doesn't that happen often with you?"

"What?"

Po walked back to his seat beside her. "I mean, you have really really sharp teeth. How do you not bite your own cheeks?"

"I'm very careful when I chew, Po."

"Not always, apparently," the panda smirked. Tigress glared through the corner of her eye while she rose her eyebrow. "I mean... I don't mean that you're clumsy like me. I'm just uh... I'll shut up for now."

"Hm." Everything hung on that 'for now'. A moment of uncomfortable silence later pried her mouth open. "But if you must know, it is hard to deal with my teeth at times. They're prone to dig into my lip."

"Ouch. Is that why you don't talk as much?"

Tigress spun her head and narrowed her eyes, yet the scrunch of her muzzle suggested confusion. "What?"

"I mean, you're very quiet all the time... so I thought..."

"No, no," Tigress paused. "Why do you think I'm quiet?"

"Because you are."

"Explain."

"Oh! Times that Tigress only talks: When something is up, when you're curious about something, when you ask questions, and when you are sharing a personal story, which happens less than a purple moon and you usually summarize it. I mean, you're always sneaking up on me because of your quiet-"

"You're inattentive. I don't sneak up on you."

"The point is that you don't talk much and maybe it's because of the teeth."

"Po, I'm just not as talkative as you... I don't think anyone is."

"Hey!" Po exclaimed with a pout that made Tigress smirk. "I'm not that talkative. Sure I put my foot in my mouth a lot, but I don't talk so much that it makes people's ears bleed. Why do people think I talk too much? I talk just as much as anyone else. Heck, if I didn't talk the room would be dead and-"

"You're proving my point, Po," Tigress said with a shadow of a grin. The panda grumbled from his throat.

"Anyway, I was just curious," Po replied. He glanced at her as she took a sip of water from her opaque glass. His eyes drifted to her mouth as a small smile graced his face. Her pretty lips make up for her sharp teeth.

Pffffttt!

"Wh...what did you say?" Tigress sputtered. Po's cheeks reddened. Did he say that thought out loud?

"Uh... uhh... what I mean is uh..."

"You said my lips were pretty?" Tigress asked. Po slowly and fearfully nodded. The tiger blinked, breathed, and regained composure. "Po, is there a reason why you're so fascinated with my mouth?"

"Please don't say it like that. It sounds like I'm some weirdo."

"You are."

"I just... I've just never had a friend that wasn't a gazelle, pig, goat, or flying bird. So everything about you is new to me."

"So I'm a new experiment for you?"

"No! I was just... dah just forget it."

"No," Tigress said with a neutral face as she crossed her arms. "I want to know. Why the curiosity? And why me?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Why not Viper?"

"Well... Wait! That's a trick question! Viper doesn't have fangs!" Po exclaimed, but he grabbed his chin. "I wonder if it's possible for her to bite her lip if she did. Eeee."

"It's not," Tigress said, shaking her head, "It's mechanically impossible for a fanged creature to bite their lip." Po glanced at her. "I studied a lot, remember?"

"Right."

"What about Monkey?"

"He's the same as me."

"Mantis?"

"Too tiny."

"Crane?"

"He's a bird."

"Shifu."

"Tigress, what are you getting at?"

"Why me?"

"I don't know!" Po shouted. "Maybe I just like... how your...lips... look." The panda slapped his head. "I wasn't supposed to say that." A silent moment passed. Po looked around the room for the nearest hole he could cover up and die in. Maybe there were extra tombs down the village? His eyes slowly drifted to Tigress. He focused on her lips. Her eyes would be too intense for him. It must have been three minutes by now. Maybe two? Why was she taking so long to answer or just punch him already?

Maybe she was sadistic? There were times when he fell she would laugh, but then again he was always clumsy. But it struck him as funny that her beautiful lips would be the last thing he'd see.

"Why are you scared?" Tigress gently asked. Po looked at her eyes. They weren't scowling, just curious. Worried in fact.

"Be-" His voice cracked a bit, "Because you're upset."

"Do I look upset?"

"Not... not yet."

"So you like how my lips look?"

"Y-Yes?" Po stuttered. Tigress darted her eyes to the side as she sat up erect.

"Would you... would you like to see them... closer?"

"Wha..." Po's wide eyes blinked several times before shaking his head. "I... are you sure?"

"Mmmhm," Tigress nodded. Her hands were nearly in her lap. Po gulped, closing the gap between them. What do you focus on in this situation? Her black beautiful lips or her fierce amber eyes that looked like power and passion mixed together. His hand tentatively rested on her cheek. The panda gulped again. "Is... is something wrong?"

"No... just... nervous," Po said with the shakiest grin. Tigress chuckled, resting her palm on his hand.

"Don't be," She smiled warmly. Their eyes locked. Po's heart loudly pumped the blood to his head as heat warmed his body. He saw Tigress swallow hard. Her bottom lip quivered in the slightest pout.

"Your lips are beautiful," Po gruffly said as if something was blocking his airways.

"T-Thanks," Tigress softly replied. Their face was about four inches from each other. She could feel the panda's warm breath on her lips. Was she supposed to be feeling this rush of emotions all tugging at her heart while her body struggled to keep stiff? She balled her hands.

"Am... am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Huh?"

"Your hands are balled up."

"I-I-I'm fine."

"Oh." Po swallowed again, withdrawing from her. "Well, uh... thank you for giving me a look."

"Wha?"

"I was just uh... curious what your lips looked like up close and I uh... yep! I got to do that. Hehehe," Po rubbed the back of his neck. Tigress's face fell. "Well, I should-"

Suddenly, warm hands grabbed the panda's face and turned his head. He saw Tigress's fierce eyes. She even snarled a bit. The tiger wasn't taking no for an answer. Tigress closed the gap and kissed Po on the lips. The panda's eyes widened, trying to process everything that was happening. Tigress was kissing him. Tigress was kissing him. Finally, his brain made a decision:

Kiss back.

Po's eyes fluttered shut as he returned the tiger's fiery kiss as much as he could. "Mmm," Tigress hummed. He could feel her lips spread into a smile against his. Then into a grin.

Uh oh, Po thought. Tigress's lips split into a toothy grin as her teeth lightly nibbled on Po's bottom lip. Panicking, the panda's eyes shot open and met Tigress's low-lidded cheeky amber orbs. He audibly gulped and whimpered.

"Please don't eat me," Po whispered.

Tigress lightly chuckled, "I won't... unless you want me to." Po gulped as she captured his lips again. Her lips were so soft and warm to him. The thrill of his heart felt like he was melting into her. His eyes rolled shut until-

"Hey, guys we're back!"

The two split apart and scrambled to opposite ends of the table as Furious Five and Shifu walked in. Po and Tigress sat with their hands clasped staring straight at each other with wide eyes and clamped lips. "Is... everything okay?" Viper asked.

"Yes!" Tigress and Po said in unision. The others looked at each other. "I need to go." Both the tiger and panda left the room, pressing past their comrades and walking separate ways, leaving the team confused.

Of course, after that Po had to kiss Tigress multiple times. You know, to... understand them better. ;)

The End