Chapter 3 is here. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own KFP

Chapter 3: Reflection and Affection

Tigress opened her eyes, rubbing them as she sat up on her mat, the familiar scent of Po's noodles hanging in the air. Looking around the circle, she saw that Mantis, Crane, and Monkey were still asleep, not seeing Viper anywhere. She looked over to the panda, surprised to see that he was not only up before her but also preparing breakfast in full swing. She watched as the panda hummed contently, moving around his makeshift kitchen gracefully, throwing food every which way almost as if he were dancing.

She couldn't help but smile as she thought over the night before. The massive splash fight the group had gotten into was probably the most fun she had had since she was a child. She wondered how such a ludicrous game could bring her so much happiness; thinking back over her life so far, she realized how dull and monotonous it had really been.

But that all changed when the panda had arrived at the Jade Palace on that fateful day. She remembered the rage she felt, the feeling of being cheated out of all her hard work; how harshly she treated him, not even willing to give him a chance to prove himself, now feeling a pang of guilt and regret fire through her. It wasn't until after he had defeated Tai Lung that she even took him seriously, much less tolerated his presence.

Yet the panda had brought something the palace was in dire need of. What she was in dire need of. Emotion. He had single-handedly brought the palace to life, breaking down the walls between the masters and showing them all that there was more to life than just Kung Fu; that it was okay to rest every once in a while, to sit back and take in all that life had to offer. For this, she was grateful.

However, she was also somewhat concerned. If she was now willing to partake in such stupid activities, how long would it be before she stooped to his level of general laziness? His discipline had improved, there was no doubt about that, but at his core he was still the lethargic, fun-loving panda he had always been. If his attitude towards training continued to spread to each of the other masters, including her, would they all soon be alongside the panda, moaning every morning when the time to train came?

No, of course not. She loved training, and there was nothing that could change that. She decided to put the thought aside before another crept into her mind. What about emotional attachments?

Tigress had never thought of herself as an emotional person, in fact quite the opposite; she once took pride in her absolute calmness and the cold demeanor with which she carried herself, dismissing such attachments as pointless and weakening.

But now, things were changing. She found herself lightening up much more often, allowing herself to feel happiness and to show it, too. Yet it was usually only in the presence of Po that she let her emotions run free; this connection caused the warm feeling to return as her heart rate picked up.

Another waft of noodle-scented air graced her nose and she felt a grumble in her stomach, prompting her to stand up and approach the panda.

"How's it coming?" she inquired; the panda was obviously unaware of her presence, nearly throwing the ladle across the camp as he jumped and spun around.

"Ah! Oh, uhh…good morning, Tigress…" His reaction made the tiger smile. "…it's comin' along, should be done soon…" he placed the ladle back into the pot, retrieving a sample and testing it before adding a little more salt. "Wanna try some?"

He held the ladle up, beckoning for her to come over. The tiger shrugged and complied, taking a cautious sip out of the ladle as the panda had done. Her eyes lit up as she ran the broth through her mouth.

"Po, this is…amazing…" she was stunned. Po's soup was always good, but this was better than the usual by far. "What did you put in this?"

Po grinned smugly before replying. "I found some herbs around the place and thought I'd try them out, y'know…see what I can do with them." Their eyes connected for a moment, the panda's eyelids falling into a dreamy gaze as he casually leaned an arm on the rickety foldable table upon which the dishes rested. He was so focused on her eyes that he didn't notice the table was wobbling before it was too late; it slipped out from under his weight, causing him to tumble to the ground while the dishes went everywhere.

The clattering of the bowls as they fell was loud enough to wake up the rest of the masters; the three males groaned as they sat up, their ears met with the same strange sound they had yet to get used to: Tigress was giggling again as the panda hastily stood up and brushed himself off in embarrassment.

Po's cheeks were on fire as he chuckled nervously, the awkward smile back on his face as he looked away from the tiger, scratching the back of his head. "Heh…heh…whoops…"

He turned to start cleaning up the mess he made and Tigress helped; luckily nothing was broken and the dishes were still clean. The three males were too busy rolling up their mats to notice.

"So, where's Viper?" Tigress asked, stacking the bowls back onto the table.

"Oh, she went over to the nearby village to get supplies and stuff," Po explained. "She should be back soon-"

As if on cue, Viper rounded the bend in the road near their campsite, pulling a small cart behind her full of groceries. She approached the group excitedly, a smile across her face.

"Guys, I found this really nice restaurant in town! We should totally check it out!" she exclaimed, then turned to the panda. "You could use a break anyway, Po."

The panda didn't know what to do other than shrug and nod in agreement. Though he did love cooking, it could really get tiring after a while.

The rest of the group murmured amongst themselves as Po walked over to the pot of noodles he had prepared, stirred it a bit, and tested it again, nodding to himself. He turned back to the group.

"Alright, but it'll have to wait until lunch. Breakfast is served!"

Po had just finished cleaning up after breakfast and was rummaging through the pack, looking for something to do when he felt a paw on his shoulder. He turned to its owner, who was once again Tigress.

"Po, come with me…" she turned and began to walk, leading him to a clearing a ways away from the campsite and the rest of the masters, who were busy enjoying themselves in the hot springs.

"What is it? What are we-" His words were halted when Tigress spun around a few feet away from him, getting into her ready stance, a small smile on her face.

"We haven't sparred in a while…even though we are on vacation, we always need to be ready," she explained.

"Yeah, I suppose…" he replied, looking a little disappointed before smiling and looking back up at her through narrowed eyes. "I guess it has been a while since I've kicked your butt…"

Tigress smirked. "Po, you've never kicked my butt."

"Oh. Right. Well…" he wound up and got ready to charge. "There's a first time for every-AAAHH-Oof!"

Po looked up, dazed as Tigress stood over him, snickering. As soon as he had charged she had spun him around and directed his momentum right into the ground. He spun around on his back and got back to his feet, returning to his ready stance as she did likewise.

"Get ready to feel the THUNDER!" Po taunted, this time approaching her much more cautiously. Their eyes never left one another; it was almost as if the many blows each were delivering and blocking weren't happening at all.

Tigress realized that she had never felt this focused before in her life. Never before had she felt so alive. It was as if nothing else in the world mattered, other than the panda in front of her. She admired his skill and grace; he had definitely improved, he could now hold his own against her. This was going to be a long fight, not that she would have it any other way.

She continued to deflect his blows, delivering a swipe kick to his feet that he dodged and used as momentum for another strike. For the first time in her life, she wanted nothing more than to remain in the company of another for as long as possible. She wanted nothing else than to have this panda's companionship, and that he might have hers. For the first time in her life, she was truly happy.

As the sun once again reached the crown of the sky, the masters finished packing their things away. Po hoisted the large pack onto his back, and the group set out for the nearby village for lunch.

It was a fairly short walk; in only a mile or so the group rounded a hill and entered a quiet village resembling that of the Valley of Peace. Other than the occasional gasp or bow from the passing townsfolk, the atmosphere remained calm as a gentle breeze swept through the streets, carrying the scent of fine food to the noses of the hungry masters.

"Mmmmm…" Po let his nose guide the group, and before they knew it they were standing in front of a fine establishment that was bustling with customers. "Huh, looks sorta like my dad's place…" Po commented.

"I hope they've got something other than noodles…" Crane said, before looking to the panda. "Not that there's anything wrong with noodles, it's just…that's all we've had in a while…"

Everyone agreed and shuffled inside, eager to see what the restaurant had to offer. A small goat lady approached them as they admired the fancy interior.

"Good afternoon. A table for six?"

The masters nodded and followed the goat to a corner table. Po laid down the large pack out of the way against a wall. She handed out six menus to them before leaving to fetch tea.

"Wow…this is the weirdest salad I've ever seen…" Po said, leaning over to show it to Monkey.

"Po, you're holding it upside down."

"Oh, right…" Turning the menu right-side up, the salad suddenly looked much more appetizing.

The table fell silent as everyone scanned their menus. The waitress returned with tea, pouring each of them a cup and taking everyone's orders. She then collected the menus and turned to deliver their orders to the kitchen.

"This place is pretty nice, Viper," Mantis observed. "Glad you found it."

"I know, right? It's always nice to have a change of scenery…" the snake replied.

About ten minutes of idle conversation later, the waitress returned with six delectable meals. As soon as Po's bowl of rice and vegetables was slid in front of him, he immediately dug in, devouring its contents like it was the last meal he would ever have. The other masters did likewise, but with much more restraint.

After he was done eating, Po's hand began to search for a napkin on the table; as it happened, Tigress was going for the same napkin as Po, and his hand landed on hers.

For a moment both masters stared at the connection their hands made over the napkin. Both felt the fuzzy feeling well up inside of them and their hearts beating fast as they made eye contact.

They were interrupted by snickers from across the table as Mantis and Monkey looked on, smirks plastered across their faces. Viper's tail whipped them both from behind, shutting them up.

The tiger and the panda both withdrew their hands, nervously looking away from each other. The waitress approached the table and began to collect their empty dishes. Po shifted towards his pack, digging through it and pulling out the sack of money his father had lent him.

"Oh, don't worry about paying," the waitress said. When Po looked at her quizzically, she explained. "It is a great honor to have the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior in our restaurant. This meal is on the house."

She smiled and bowed, carrying the dishes away. Po just shrugged and packed his bag back up, slinging it onto his back again and leading the rest of the masters out of the restaurant.

He looked down to his hand, opening and closing it while deep in thought, recalling the feeling of her paw in his.

The rest of the afternoon at the springs was fairly uneventful. The masters each spent the time alone; Tigress meditated, Viper wandered around the surrounding fields and picked bouquets of flowers, Crane explored the skies, Monkey enjoyed the hot springs on his own, Po took a nap, and Mantis practiced some new moves he had been trying on a nearby tree.

Tigress found herself looking over to the panda many times as he rested against a rock, basking in the sunlight. She was now sure that what she felt for him was more than just friendship; she had known deep down for quite a while now, but had never admitted it to herself. She wondered if he felt the same way about her. Well, he does act pretty weird around me, so perhaps…

A spark of hope ignited in her stomach at the thought, the possibility that he cared for her as much as she did for him. She hoped he felt the same warm feeling for her as she felt; that she was not alone in the titillation she experienced every time they gazed upon one another.

With this hope, she found herself much more at peace and able to concentrate for the rest of the afternoon. She was so deep in meditation by the time the sun began to set that she hadn't noticed the rest of the masters return and Po setting up for dinner. It wasn't until the ever-familiar scent of his noodles once again found its way to her nose that she opened her eyes.

The sun was already below the horizon, its last bit of light reflecting off of the few clouds in the sky. She made her way to the circle the group sat in. Po turned his head to her as she approached.

"Oh, hey Tigress. Where've you been?" he asked, still stirring the noodles.

"Just…meditating." She wasn't really in the mood for talking right now; she just wanted to get dinner over with and relax in the hot springs.

"Oh. Cool." Po could tell she didn't want to talk, and decided not to pester her.

The panda tested the soup as usual, and decided it was done.

"Alright, it's ready. Let's eat."

The masters lined up, Po serving them as they passed by. Po made sure to avoid Tigress' eyes as she stepped in front of him with her bowl, still not trusting himself after what happened the day before.

The group ate rather quietly; quieter than usual, prompting Viper to speak up.

"Po, is something wrong? Usually you can't stop talking when we eat," she pointed out, facing the panda as he ate his food slowly.

"What? Oh, no…" the panda looked like he was shaken from some deep thought. "…I just feel kinda sluggish after taking that nap." he chuckled, a hint of anxiety evident. "That, and…I've just been thinking…"

Tigress perked up after just finishing the last of her noodles, wondering just what it was that Po was so deep in thought over. About what?

Unintentionally, her thoughts became words as she asked the same thought out loud. "About what?"

"Mostly about what we're gonna do tomorrow, I guess…" the panda replied, shoving some noodles into his mouth.

"…Oh…" The tiger's heart sank. She stood up to place her bowl on the table for washing and left the circle for the springs. Po noticed how dejected she looked as she walked away, hurriedly gobbling up the rest of his noodles and placing his bowl next to hers before taking off after her.

Viper turned to the three males still sitting next to her.

"Guess that means you guys have cleanup duty," she chimed, before following the panda and the tiger. They all groaned, but did not protest as they knew it was their turn.

Po approached the springs, seeing the tiger's form sitting in the water with her back to him. The light of the full moon poured down from the sky, illuminating the scene and setting an almost somber tone. He saw her clothes strewn across the ground, and reluctantly removed his pants, stripping to his under wear like she had before slipping into the water beside her in a most awkward fashion.

She didn't turn to face him; as he gazed upon her face, he could tell something was bothering her, but he wasn't sure if he should say anything or not. Before he got the chance to decide, he heard Viper slither up behind them.

"Is everything okay?" she questioned in a soft tone.

"Yes, everything is fine. I…just need some time to relax," the tiger responded.

Viper sighed, before gazing up at the moon. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah..." Po realized he was still staring at Tigress' face when he answered. He was leaning on one arm that had subconsciously moved slightly behind her back; he jumped when he realized what Viper was referring to, directing his gaze to the sky. "Um-yeah, yeah…it is…"

Viper smiled, giggling inwardly.

Po shifted away from Tigress nervously and cleared his throat, before finally looking back at her.

"Are you sure everything is fine? You can always tell me whatever it is that's bothering you, y'know…"

She knew it was true; if there was anyone in the world that she could open up to and share her problems with, it was Po. A small smile began at the ends of her lips as she turned to make eye contact. Po returned the smile, but she soon turned away and looked down at the water, hers disappearing. She breathed in to speak.

"I've just been…confused, lately…" she started. "You've brought us all closer together, Po. You've helped us come out of our shells, and really live…" she sighed, closing her eyes. "I just don't know how to deal with it all, I've never really been good with…emotions…"

Po looked behind them and saw that Viper was now gone; they were alone. In her place lay a small bouquet of flowers that she had picked earlier.

Po knew he was crazy when he reached back and grabbed a lotus out of the batch, but he did it anyway. He did it because it just felt…right. He reached around her head and placed the flower behind her ear.

She blushed, instinctively reaching up and feeling it with her paw before smiling and turning to him. Her heart began to beat faster, as did his, as they made eye contact. She snuggled up against him in the water, and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Po froze, unsure what to do; his heart was racing, his body full of the warm, tingly feeling once again. He thought about what Viper had said that morning, that he would know when the time was right to tell her how he felt. He considered it, but decided against it. No, I need to give it more time…I need to be sure…

So he laid back a bit, putting his arms behind his head and gazing up into the night sky along with her, content with just having her company for the time being.

These two are certainly warming up to each other. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 4 will be out ASAP.