AN: (Cross-posted on AO3)

Happy Holidays everyone! :D

I've got some more stuff to say in the end notes, but for now, just enjoy the story. :)

POST-KFP3

The blizzard's unrelenting hail smacked against the flimsy roof of Po and Tigress' temporary shelter, and the sound of wood beams creaking accompanied the shrilly winds of the snowstorm. The two had been forced to take refuge in a rundown shed in the middle of their mission; one in which it looked as if it were about to fall apart at any given moment. They'd managed to get a fire going, and had positioned themselves to be leaning against the sturdiest wall of the structure, Tigress to Po's left.

A violent shiver ran down Po's spine, causing him to inhale sharply. He tensed all of his muscles in an attempt to stay still, but unfortunately for himself, it was unsuccessful. The fact that Po was cold was obvious to his best friend, who was sitting in a lotus position beside him.

Both masters were sitting what would normally be dangerously close to the fire, but neither cared. They'd both rather get burned than freeze to death. Po and Tigress held their eyes closed, mostly to shield them from the blazing heat of the fire. The heat was appreciated by their bodies, but their eyes, on the other hand, were none too pleased with it.

"Let yourself shiver, Po," Tigress suddenly muttered. "Don't resist it. The movement is your body trying to make itself warmer."

"That's the fire's job." Po responded in a monotone voice. It was an uncommon occurrence that Po spoke in this tone, but whenever he did, it was when he was tired. Not as in ready to fall asleep, as in exhausted; both emotionally and physically.

"I don't want to be here either." Tigress said. "I want to be back home, celebrating the holiday just as much as you do."

"I doubt it." Po breathed, half hoping that she hadn't heard him.

"Excuse me?" Tigress opened her eyes, glaring angrily at the panda. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Po felt a tinge of fear creep its way into his chest as he felt her staring at him, but he managed to ignore the feeling. "It means that you're always so distant. Even if we were back at the palace right now, you would probably be being angry at everybody in a corner or something."

"You've got to be kidding." Tigress told him. "When have I done that?"

"I don't know." Po laughed humorlessly, opening his jade eyes slightly. "Seems like something you would do."

Tigress was about to reply with some sort of snide remark, something that she'd most likely regret later. She swallowed the words that were about to leave her mouth, however, and sighed instead. She had a feeling that this wasn't like their usual playful banter. His eyes looked darker tonight. They didn't have their regular shine of happiness, nor their typical glint of contentedness. Her almost daily study of his eyes now came in handy, as she was now able to know if he were feeling like himself or not.

"Po." Tigress said, her voice hardly above a whisper. "What's wrong?"

His half-lidded eyes opened wider slightly, and he said, "What makes you think that something's wrong?"

"I can tell." Tigress stated simply. They were intently staring into each other's eyes, trying to figure out what the other was thinking. "There's no point in trying to deny it, Po, you know that I'll find out one way or another."

"I'm not denying anything!" Po suddenly said. His tone was defensive, and his voice had gotten louder than he'd expected it to. It greatly surprised not only his best friend, but also himself. His eyes widened at his own behavior, and he sighed heavily. He reached for Tigress' right hand, but she pulled it away. "Tigress, I'm-"

"Don't apologize." She interrupted, her eyes now glued to the glowing fire. "It's fine."

"No," Po shook his head, and he moved himself closer to Tigress; significantly closer. Their shoulders were almost touching. "It's not fine. You're just trying to help. I'm sorry, okay?"

"Well, you just confirmed my theory." Tigress had a light, yet somewhat smug smile on her face. "Something's wrong."

Po only sighed in response, looking away from Tigress, who was looking sort of amused. She loved having the upper hand. Their previous positions were now switched; Tigress was now looking at him, and Po was now focused on the fire.

"I also think that I know what it is." She remarked, leaning forward slightly, attempting to make eye contact. The light smile had left her face, and her expression was now a serious one. "This is your first holiday with your biological father." Po held his breath at her words, and she nodded. "I'm sorry, Po." She put a hand of sympathy on his shoulder, a hint of a smile on her face.

Po let out a light chuckle, and patted her hand with his, giving her his signature crooked grin while doing so. "It's alright. He'll understand, I'm sure." It was obvious to both of them that he was faking his optimism, but neither wanted to address it. Maybe it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.

Tigress tore her gaze from Po, who was still staring at the fire. His blank face was proving to be somewhat unnerving. She, too, decided to look at the fire. Upon observing the flame for a few moments, she mindlessly removed her hand from Po's shoulder, hugging herself with both of her arms in an attempt to stay warm. Tigress'd momentarily forgotten about the biting cold, but all good things must come to an end, she supposed.

Po's shoulder was immediately struck with the chilling winds of the blizzard. He flinched slightly, hunching his shoulders. As if on cue, another gust of wind passed the shack, whipping through the large spaces that were in between the wooden planks that made up the walls of the shed. Tiny bits of ice entered the space as well, pelting the dirt floor of the shack.

Out of the corner of his eye, Po saw Tigress shudder. "Okay, c'mere." He muttered in a low, affectionate tone.

Before Tigress could respond, he wrapped his left arm around her slim waist, pulling her into his side. He'd half expected her to say something or protest, but she was silent and still. He could feel her muscles tensing underneath his grip, but she hadn't made any indication that she wasn't okay with what he was doing. In an attempt to make her more comfortable, he scooted closer to her, wrapping his other arm loosely around her as well. She could very well have pulled away from him if she pleased.

Slowly but surely, Tigress slowly began to relax under his touch, and her breathing slowed. After an hour of the close contact, Po opened his green eyes to a pair of arms wrapping around his upper torso, hugging him closer to her. He smiled widely at the action, readjusting his chin to be resting on Tigress' head. He felt her press into him slightly, and his heart fluttered a bit. Her breath was hot on his neck, and for a fleeting moment, he felt that this position was too intimate for their friendship. However, he decided against moving after peering at her content, peaceful expression.

Po wasn't sure what was making him so warm and seemingly impervious to the blizzard's chill; it certainly wasn't the fire, because the flame was starting to grow smaller by the minute, succumbing to the wrath of the freezing air. He supposed that it could've been his nervousness, seeing as he'd never been this close to a woman before. Or maybe it was the hot and fuzzy feeling that was spreading through his chest; a feeling that kept a smile on his face, despite the circumstances. He mindlessly hugged Tigress a little tighter, and he felt Tigress do the same after a few moments. In that moment, it almost seemed as if the rest of the world didn't matter. Nothing could hurt him, and everything and everyone was at peace. It was a hard feeling to describe. He felt safe, yet what he was feeling went beyond safe somehow.

How he would perceive Tigress' and his actions the next day was unknown, but maybe this was a time in which one should live in the moment.

AN: (This is so corny, oh my gosh...)

I know that there's only a mention of the holiday season, and I could've made this much more festive, but I got too involved with the whole "huddling for warmth" and "cuddling" aspect that I couldn't resist continuing with it. I hope y'all don't mind too much. :)

I finished this at around 12 AM a few days ago, and I was tired as heck, but did I care? No! I had a lot of fun while writing this, and multiple Twitch streamers kept me company while I wrote. :)

Before I go, I'd like to thank everyone who's supported me. Whether you've given me kudos, favorited, bookmarked, followed, left a review or comment, or even simply took the time to read my work, I appreciate you! My level of confidence has gone up a bit, and I'm feeling more comfortable in stepping outside of my comfort zone; putting myself out there to be critiqued is, admittedly, pretty scary. However, all of you amazing people have made me feel like I'm actually good at something. (Even if I'm not SUPER good. Just somewhat good is good enough for me.)

I hope that y'all have an awesome holiday break, and (as corny as this is, I can't resist) I'll see you next year! XD

Again, have a marvelous holiday and a terrific transition into 2021! :D