Author's Note: This is a sequel to my other fic The Sick Tigress, which you can find in my archive. You can still read this one as a stand alone. Also they are dating in this~ Prepare for senseless fluff~ also practice getting into Po's POV, I hope I accomplished him alright. He's difficult to write~

In a hoarse voice from under the blankets

He really hadn't thought he would fall ill taking care of Tigress. Po prided himself in his self assurance of his iron clad immune system. The panda master couldn't recall a time when he ever was severely sick outside of the occasional stomach bug [which he admitted was him overeating nine out of ten times in his youth].

Now though here he was with a stuffy nose that made him breathe from his gaping mouth, his chest burned and it was like his airways were thin straws.

He made a fool of himself when his body suddenly gave out, too sick to carry on. The irony of it all was just two weeks ago it was Tigress who'd been in that situation! Just a tickle in the chest they both insisted stubbornly, it's nothing each master added.

HA!

If only!

Then suddenly... timber! They were both falling and face planting into the snow gasping for life. Did he forget the bridal style carrying up basically thousands of unnecessary steps as well?

At least being tucked in and spoiled with tenderness by the significant other was worth it, even if he forgot what breathing really felt like after only two days later. He always knew Tigress was nurturing in her own way, especially after watching how she took care of the tottering little Lei Lei. Heck, he was throughly convinced that the tiger master adopted the little cub.

That was a thought for another time however, when he didn't feel like he was teetering close to death's door. Okay maybe he was being a touch dramatic but what else could Po really call it?

Bundled beneath heavy quilts to keep out the winter chill, Po rolled onto his side to cuddle deeper into his blankets. He'd never felt so cold before despite the hot sensation spreading forth in his skull. Wheezing into his arm, his ears perked at the sound of his paper doors sliding open.

"My, how is our favorite patient?"

"About to cross over into the Spirit Realm," Po lamented in a weak chuckle, big green eyes turned to the tigress.

She smiled her sympathy at him, understanding all too well of his unfortunate position. Tigress padded her way across the floor, a bowl of warm rice in one paw and what appeared to be tea in the other. Crouching, she offered the food to him.

"I thought you might be hungry," Tigress said.

Po picked himself up slowly, muffling his muzzle with his paws when he felt the familiar arrival of a coughing fit. Wiping his germy paws along his blanket, Tigress poorly hid her disgust with an arched brow of 'really?' at the blatant display of disregard for sanitation. Po smiled meekly, shrugging.

"Um, thanks Tigress," he offered lamely, taking the rice. His belly rumbled and he didn't hesitate to dig his chopsticks into its contents. When he tried the tea, he smacked his lips thoughtfully at the uncharacteristically sweetness of the beverage. Tigress smirked.

"Hot chocolate," the female said with amusement as his eyes grew round in awe, he took another swig eagerly. "A treat here and there never hurts..."

"Hey, that's something I would say," Po remarked with a chocolate mustache patterned across his upper lip. He returned to the rice, humming his delight.

"Is it? I suppose I've hung around you much too long," Tigress remarked, sounding wistful and playful.

"Five years is hardly too long," Po insisted with cheeks imploded with rice. His face was dotted with sauce covered bits of the brown grain. "I want to add at least another ten, no, thirty."

"Is forever enough to ask?" She mused. Po stopped eating to look at her. His wide grin was contagious as it quickly spread across the tigress' white maws. Eyes softly meeting, he felt as if their very souls were touching during the exchange.

"Still not long enough for me," the giant panda replied, tone carrying a tenderness to them. Sharing another fond smile, Po returned to his meal and soon was dismayed to find he'd licked the bowl basically clean. "Mhm, got to say, you're getting better at this." He set it aside on the ground.

She looked surprised with her expressive and pretty golden eyes. "How did you know I even made that?"

Po arched his brows. "You did? Well, uh I meant the whole soft thing but the food was great too!"

"Well, thank you Dragon Warrior, I seem to have had a good teacher," Tigress told him, leaning her elbow on her knee from where she was crouched.

"Is he awesome?"

"Very much so."

"I'm jealous of this awesome teacher."

"Would you even be more so if I added he's quite handsome?"

Po furrowed his blocky brows suddenly in thought, lips turning south into a exaggerated pout of worry. Handsome? "We are talking about me, right?" Po suddenly said, scratching at the folds of skin on his large neck.

"Po," she began flatly.

"Yeah?"

Her eyes were practically twinkling in mirth. "You're ruining it." She gently patted his plump face with her other paw, which rewarded her with a melting panda into her calloused palm.

"Okay, okay, shutting up now."

"Don't get any ideas," Tigress suddenly said, some light snark dusting the words. "I just got over being sick, I plan on being rational."

"Didn't stop you from kissing my forehead though," Po said with a pout.

"Is your forehead coughing up god knows what, Panda?"

"Well, I guess not but that'd be severely weird. I don't want to imagine that!"

Tigress tickled his chin with a claw lightly, shaking her head. "Then don't. Your mind is strange."

Po pricked his black ears. "Can I get a cuddle at least?"

"Po there's hardly space...!"

Without giving her any further thoughts to question, Po wrapped his arms around the tiger's lean stomach to pull her over into the bed with him. Rolling over, they were pressed at the bellies and Tigress found her jawline filled with soft, smiling panda face.

Tigress huffed at him though let her paws rest on his arms. "Ridiculous," she stated to the panda.

"I'm great at improvising," Po proudly proclaimed, nuzzling his snout into her striped neck. He breathed a sigh of utter bliss, reaching a palm up to hold the back of her head. He clutched her like an oversized doll.

"Po, Shifu will have a fit if he finds us like this," she warned him much like all those weeks ago.

"The key word here Ti is if!" He mumbled, pressing his cheek snugly at her collarbone. "You worry too much about what what's and what will be," Po added, smirking when he heard her repress a laugh.

"Stop channeling your inner Oogway please, that hardly fits with the situation here," the tiger said, she sounded amused despite the initial scoff.

"Oogway said I'm his successor so I can quote any Oogway words I want now," he playfully exclaimed, pulling his face away to smile at her. She shook her head slowly but smiled lightly alongside him.

"You are too much."

"I'm a panda, I can't help being too much." His eyes shot to his large belly and Tigress made a indigent sound.

Her eyes rolling, Tigress spoke. "That is not at all what I meant Po."

He grinned at her. "So serious..."

"One of us has to be."

"Now on that note, today is a gift and I'm gonna spend it cuddled up here."

"Tomorrow will not be a mystery and you want to know why, my Dragon Warrior?" Tigress began, speaking in light and airy tones as if she were discussing with a child. "Because... Shifu will skewer you with his staff for breaking a palace rule."

"He can bring his meanest!" Po dared to say. "Hey, why would you get off scot free?"

"Our master knows that it would have been your idea Po, that is why."

Po kissed her forehead suddenly, chuckling into her soft fur. "Man you're direct." Pressing another gentle kiss to her temple, he reluctantly began to release her. Tigress, to his surprise, was slow to leave him as well.

Once she was free, Po had felt the need to sleep overwhelm him. Exhaustion hit him like a cannonball to the stomach, his jade eyes began to droop and the panda gave a huge yawn. Tigress placed her palms beside his face, staring down at her dopey panda. Po smiled at her, Tigress chuffed softly her fondness of him.

"I'll leave you to rest, Little Lotus," she hummed, leaning towards him to press her lips to his burning brow.

He answered her in a yawn, stretching out before feeling Tigress pull the blankets up to his chin. She straightened up, beginning to make her way from him only to feel his gentle fingers grab at her paw. She turned to him, his eyes were shut.

"I love you," he whispered, voice like sandpaper from his ailment. Tigress felt a familiar swell of warmth in her heart and squeezing his hand, she answered back just as quietly.

"I love you too."