RekonNairu's: Secret
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A/N: For RekonNairu, one of my best friends, who suggested this pairing. Lots of fun to be had with it!
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Warmth all around me, comfortable and safe, kind and loving, warm. Something cool sat upon my brow, stray drips of water trickling across my face, pooling in my ears. I twitched them once, flicking the water out of them, then continued to lay there, completely content to just stay there, ignoring the memories of the battle I had just lost.
Yes, I had just lost a battle to a big, fat panda. Yes, I had just discovered my lifelong ambition was nothing but a bad philosophical joke. Yes, I had just managed to survive the WuXi finger hold. You could have told me all of that and I still wouldn't have cared.
It was warm.
I hadn't been somewhere warm and comfortable and peaceful as this in over twenty years, and the rest of the world could kiss my ass. I wasn't moving.
I twitched slightly as I heard footsteps approaching me. Crap, I really didn't want to move.
"Good, you're awake. Can you sit up?" a soft voice questioned. I groaned as I glanced over to see an elder goose with a tray in his wings waddling towards me.
"Where am I?" I inquired, struggling to sit up, only to fall back down on the comfortable bed.
The goose sighed as he laid the tray on a table beside me, and then helped me to turn so that my back was propped against a wall.
"You are in my restaurant. This used to be my son's room, but he isn't here, so you may use it," he explained, lifting a teapot from the tray and pouring some of the sweet smelling liquid into a small cup, handing it to me to drink.
I looked dubiously at him, and he seemed to know what I was thinking.
"Of course I know who you are, Tai Lung. I also know what you've done, but you are injured and I would rather maintain my honor by helping you than ruin it by leaving you. Of course, what happens after you are healed is that you should leave the Valley," he exclaimed, and I accepted it. Honor was a big thing around here.
Taking a sip of the drink in my paw, I nearly choked. Not out of disgust, no, but the fact the tea I was drinking I recognized. That brand of tea cost more than most of the villagers made in their lifetimes.
"That's my own blend, a spin off on Emperor's Gin (a type of tea). Is it really that bad?" he asked, clearly concerned, soft, brown eyes shimmering in the gentle sunlight.
"No, it's amazing. How did you make it?" I replied, taking another sip of what I was certain could pass as ambrosia.
He smiled widely as he responded, "That's a secret! But I'm sure you are hungry, would you like something to eat?"
He indicated the soup bowl and I greedily grabbed it off the tray, downing the entire bowl in three gulps. Delicious! For someone who had been well fed all their life, it would seem above acceptable, but for someone who hadn't had a meal in over a month, the guards at Chor Gom had grown wretchedly lazy, it was heaven.
I groaned as my stomach protested to the sudden presence within it, shutting my eyes to keep out the nausea, and winced as I felt something hard hit my shoulder.
Opening my eyes, I found the old goose to be standing there, holding a wooden spoon, looking rather annoyed as he ranted, "I was going to say you should eat slowly because your body may not be ready to accept it, yet! You silly, silly cat!"
Giving me a bucket just in time, I emptied my stomach's contents into it, along with my dignity.
Dear gods, was this what I had been reduced to? Looking to peasants for help? Perhaps it would be better and save me whatever remained of my dignity to just die then and there.
Hearing a sigh, I looked up. The goose was putting what looked like mint leaves into the teapot, mixing it all together before pouring me another cup.
"Here, this should help settle your stomach," he handed me the cup and I drank it slowly, washing away the acidic taste of vomit as he took the bucket out of the room.
As I watched him waddle out of the room, a stray thought in my mind noticed how cute his bum was. Delirium. I had delirium. I was certain of it. There was no other explanation as to why I was having these thoughts about a male goose that, by the looks of him, was nearly twice my age.
No, it was just that I wanted to know the secret to the tea. That was all. I was just excited that there was a new secret to pursue. Of course, ha! How could I have ever thought I was in love with a goose? He was going to tell me, whether he wanted to or not!
When he returned, I demanded, "You're going to tell me the secret to this tea."
He looked at me with a serious smile and said, "Not a chance, it's a family secret."
"What's your name, anyway?" I inquired, trying to think of a way to get a kiss – the recipe! I meant the recipe!
"Tzu Ping. And no, I'm still not telling you," he replied.
"Oh yeah?" I questioned, and before I could stop myself, I had kneeled in front of him and smashed our faces together, savoring the flatness of the front of his beak, how smooth his feathers were as I ran my hands down his sturdy old wings, and the way he completely slacked as I licked the front of his beak.
"Tell me," I demanded, giving his beak a quick nip.
"No," he responded, shutting his eyes as a smile flashed across his face.
I was certain I had lost my mind, but, hey, not like anyone would care, anyway, so I let the next sentence fall freely from my lips.
"I love you."
Tzu pulled away, opening his eyes as he spoke.
"You do know I'm Po's father, right?" he breathed, looking straight at me.
"Are you married?" I asked, pausing in my assault of his beak.
"Well, no, but-" he protested, but I cut him off.
"Do you object to this?" I questioned, licking the underside of his beak.
"No, but –" I pressed my lips against the front of his round beak, sliding my tongue between the top and bottom to taste him.
"Then shut up," I commanded, resuming my exploration of his mouth.
Feeling a light smack to my bottom with what I quickly identified as a spoon, I smiled against his mouth. Feeling him smile in return, I carried him to the bed, intent on prying that 'secret recipe' out of him by any means necessary.