There was an argument going on. The voices were muffled. Neither could Tigress identify the voices nor make out the words. She thought of moving closer to the sounds, but couldn't. She scanned her surroundings. She was in the ironwood forest by the palace, and as strange as it was, there was a door among the trees. That's where the voices were coming from. She tried moving again, but instead, her eyes shot open.

Tigress scanned her surroundings again. She was in a room. It wasn't hers, but she recognized it. It was the small clinic in the palace. The room was dimly lit with a few cupboards and a bed to her left.

Tigress's ears perked at voices coming from the other side of the door. Those were real, not a dream. This time, she recognized the voices as Po and Master Shifu. She caught a few words but couldn't make sense of them. To better hear them, she tried getting up to get closer. She wasn't even halfway up when she cried out in pain and fell back down because of the sharp pain in her chest and back. She placed a paw on her chest and noticed that her vest was removed and the bandages around her torso were fresh. That's when she remembered what had happened.

Just then, Po burst into the room with a worried look on his face.

"Are you OK? Where does it hurt?" He said as he sat down next to her.

"It's fine. I was just trying to get up." She replied, quickly pulling the blanket over her chest.

"Yeah. About that." He started nervously. "You are kinda…supposed to stay in bed for a few days until the doctor says it's OK."

"WHAT?" She sat up abruptly, but soon regretted it and let out a pained roar. Before she could lose her balance and fall back, Po quickly steadied her with an arm on her back.

Her anger quickly changed to embarrassment when she noticed the blanket falling. Pulling the blanket over her shoulders, she opened her mouth to say something, but Po beat her to it.

"I-I'll get you some clothes," Po said, looking towards the far end of the room. "Can you maintain your balance?"

When she nodded, Po slowly let her go to get the clothes from her room.

Po returned after a while with a vest similar to the one she usually wore. He handed it to her and turned around. He could hear a few "ouches" and grunts, but before he knew it, she told him she was done. Po then returned to her side.

"So I am bedridden for a few days?" When Po nodded, Tigress scoffed.

"Guess I deserve it." She muttered, looking down at her lap.

Po sighed. "Tigress, can you promise me something?"

"Depends." She said, looking at him with bewilderment.

"Whenever, and I mean anytime, anytime you need to vent or need some comfort, promise me you will come to me... or any of us instead."

Tigress sighed, understanding his concerns. She really had learned the hard way that her coping mechanism was unhealthy, to say the least.

"I will…try," she said, staring at her lap again. Po smiled, understanding that this was new to her-seeking comfort. It will take some time to get used to it. This is why he decided to take the first step and make it easy for her. He spread out his arms, inviting her into an embrace. Tigress raised an eyebrow, confused by his actions.

"Give it a try. A hug helps a lot." Po said, smiling and beckoning her with his fingers.

Tigress still looked reluctant to do what he was asking. Po waited, giving her time to come at her own pace. After a while, she leaned forward, with a smile slowly forming on her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Tigress wouldn't say it, but she would rather show her vulnerable side to him than to anyone else.

Keeping her wounds in mind, Po gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Tigress could feel his warmth, but the hug still felt incomplete; something felt amiss.

"Give me a tight hug." She whispered, nuzzling into his fur and tightening her grip around him. She couldn't quite explain what it was that felt amiss, but that was the only thing that came to mind.

Saying that he was shocked was an understatement, for he didn't expect her to get comfortable so quickly. Nevertheless, he responded by tightening his grip around her.

"No. Not like that." She murmured, moving one of his paws from around her shoulders to her waist. Without uttering a word, Po simply pulled her close, burying his nose in her shoulder.

With his body completely engulfing her, Tigress felt safe and content, as the hug felt perfect and complete.

So that's what a hug feels like.

It was the first time she was hugged like this. Sure, Po had hugged her at the harbor. But this time it was different because there were no prying eyes and neither did it end before she could even process the thought of being hugged. She closed her eyes as she got to fully enjoy it, and before she knew it, she was chuffing.

"Tigress, are you ch-?"

"Yes, and you better keep it to yourself or I'm never allowing you to hug me."

"My lips are sealed. No one will know Tigress can chu-"

"PO!"

"I am gonna shut up now."

"Good."

"Just so you know, I will always be there when you need me," Po whispered. If there were any troubling thoughts left, they vanished when Tigress heard those words. She sighed contently, not wanting to let go. Po was comfortable with the way they were and did not want to pull back either. It's not every day, he got to see Tigress so relaxed and content. There was nothing that could ruin this perfect moment.

"Po. What were you and Master Shifu talking about just now?"

Except for that.

Po's eyes widened and he gulped. He laughed nervously while rubbing his neck and looking away.

"Po?" She leaned back and raised an eyebrow at him. She was getting the feeling that she wouldn't be happy with whatever he was going to say.

"Master Shifu is," he cleared his throat, "angry, to say the least. He..." Po looked at her amber eyes and then shifted his gaze to her paws on his chest. His chest would be the first to experience her wrath. He gulped again. She would not be happy with this.

"I am waiting," Tigress said, with an uninterested look. Po took a deep breath and let it out.

"He wanted to give you a piece of his mind the moment you woke up. I tried my best to reason with him, tried to convince him to let me deal with you instead. After quite an argument, he agreed, but he…" He glanced at her paws again and squeezed his eyes shut, uttering his next words quickly. "Master Shifu has restricted you from kung fu and training for an extra month."

For a minute, Tigress's face remained frozen. She didn't move. Her silence was really starting to scare Po, but then her right eye twitched, her claws unsheathing.

"And you will be keeping me company, right? Dragon Warrior?" Tigress said with an evil grin, which left no room for any arguments.

Po chuckled nervously. "S-sure, Tigress. Anything for you."

With a triumphant smile, she returned to resting on his chest. No sooner did her breathing become even, his warm, comfy body lulling her to sleep.

Po couldn't stop squealing on the inside at the idea of The Tigress falling asleep on his chest. He held her for a while longer until he was sure she was in deep sleep. He carefully laid her down on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.

For a while, he admired her sleeping face. The ferocious Master Tigress looked calm, with the lightest smile on her face. Po made a note to himself that he would do anything to keep that smile.

Po placed a paw on her forehead and smiled.

I will always be there for you.

Sorry for the late update, had a few things to take care of. Hope you enjoyed. Review and let me know your thoughts. Any criticism is welcome.