A/N: Hi guys! This is the beginning of a short, possibly two chapter-long arc about the Chinese Lantern Festival. Just keep in mind that I haven't read as much up on it as I probably should have, so if you know anything about this festival, which I may or may not get wrong here, please leave it ina review. But yeah, here's the first part, inspired by one of my favorite songs, You Wanna Teach me to Dance by Tina Dickow. Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! :D

"You have got to be kidding me," Shifu murmured to himself. He and Junjie were in the Sacred Hall of Warriors, looking through some of the countless Scrolls of Kung Fu. And Shifu had just realized what day it was in two days.

"What's wrong?" Junjie asked in a teasing chuckle. "It's just another festival – just like those that occur annually, my little friend."

"I'm not little," Shifu said, though a slight blush crept across his face… Junjie and his usual teasing… Of course Shifu had noticed that the villagers had started decorating earlier that day, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. "But this is not just any festival – it's the… Lantern Festival."

"Yes, obviousl," Junjie said, crossing his arms as he nodded towards one of the few paper lanterns that had also been used to decorate the Hall of Warriors – just for tradition. More would surely be added later. "But what's the problem?"

"For one… The… entire concept of the festival itself," Shifu said, muttering the last part.

"The concept?" Junjie asked.

"Yes, you know, going into the streets at night and…" Shifu stopped and sighed. "I just can't."

"Why not?" Junjie teased. "Nervous?"

"I guess," Shifu said. Shifu had never really seen himself as attractive or anything and he certainly hadn't been very much around girls, so he wouldn't quite know what to say or do for that matter.

"Not any other reasons?" Junjie chuckled.

Shifu shook his head.

"No, not… Wait, what are you hinting at?" he somewhat growled once he picked up the teasing tone in Junjie's voice.

"Nothing." Junjie got up and put the scroll he had been reading back on the shelf. "Nothing at all, my little friend."

Chuckling to himself, Junjie left Shifu in the hall, a very dull expression on the latter's face. Shifu sighed to himself. Junjie had been teasing him a lot lately – a bit more than usual.
Also, Shifu couldn't help but wonder if Junjie would be going out tonight, just like most other young people their age. Why would he not, Shifu thought. He's smart, talented, talkative, charming, good-look-…

Shifu stopped and blushed as he realized what last two adjective he had used were. Nervously Shifu coughed to himself and kept reading. It had been bothering Shifu quite a bit since he realized it – the thing with finding a significant other.

Shifu hadn't given this much thought, but… He was now fourteen (Junjie was fifteen) and it would only seem natural that he would be searching for a significant other at this age.

Granted, it wasn't quite a subject that neither Shifu nor Junjie had ever talked to Master Oogway about. In fact Shifu didn't even know if it was anything he should be doing. As devoted as he was to his training, wouldn't this interfere with it?

Shifu found Junjie in the barracks. The red fox was sitting on Shifu's bed, as if he had been waiting for him. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing, I was just waiting for you," Junjie replied, a somewhat sly smile on his face.

"So… what did you want?" Shifu asked curiously as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"I thought I might help you," Junjie said. At first Shifu didn't understand and simply frowned in response. "You know, help you find a girl."

"You…" Shifu blushed. Honestly he was speechless. Junjie really wanted to help him? Genuinely help him? "But… why?"

"I thought I might – you're my friend right?" Junjie's face had a friendly smile on it, but also a tone of… something else… Shifu didn't quite know what it was.

"T-… thanks," Shifu said, still surprised.

"Alright," Junjie said after a while. "We should start with dancing – girls love when men can do that."

"Dance? But…" Shifu knew this would most likely require close body-contact and he immediately grew more nervous. Shifu stopped, feeling nervous all of sudden. "But…" But before he could continue, he felt one of Junjie's hands on his back. Before he knew it, Junjie had pulled him in and Shifu felt even more nervous than before – if that was even possible.

"Just do as I show you," Junjie said. There was a slightly different tone to his voice – a soft one – which Shifu couldn't recall he'd ever heard before. Junjie then took a hold of Shifu's hands and started moving. Shifu just watched his friend of a moment, but eventually tried to mimic what Junjie was doing.

"Like… Like this?" Shifu asked somewhat shyly. Junjie nodded softly and the two continued their little dancing session. Shifu didn't know why, but he felt so pathetic and weak with Junjie holding onto his hands… Yet, he felt so safe and confident.

Suddenly Junjie briefly let go of Shifu's hands, both at the same time. At first Shifu thought that the red fox was going to stop, but suddenly Junjie grabbed his hands again… though differently this time.

This time Junjie held onto Shifu so that their fingers were intertwined with each other. Shifu blushed out of control and he felt as if he had butterflies in his stomach. This sensation only grew stronger when he looked up and his light blue eyes met Junjie's orange ones. Shifu had never felt like this before.

Shifu then noticed the look in Junjie's eyes. It was the same one as before, only this time Shifu was able to figure out what the look in Junjie's eyes was. It was affection… Just… affection.

Shifu didn't quite understand… He would normally find it utterly wrong for one man to be dancing with each other unless it was just a lesson. It had been so at first, but now… now it was genuinely something they did for the enjoyment of it.

Junjie had to admit that he felt as if he had butterflies flying around his stomach as well. He had succeeded in intertwining the two's fingers, so he felt more encouraged. Thus, the red fox took yet another chance; he pulled Shifu closer.

Only a little bit – about two centimeters – and it seemed to make Shifu blush. The red panda didn't seem to mind though.

Finally letting go of each other after a few minutes of them dancing, the two students both blushed madly, Shifu's blush being more apparent than Junjie's.

"And… that is… how you do it," Junjie told Shifu. Shifu was still blushing, but suddenly he stepped closer to Junjie. Junjie was a little surprised at first when Shifu suddenly caught him in a hug.

"Thanks," Shifu said, sounding somewhat childish and young. Junjie simply smiled and returned the hug.

"You're welcome, my little Shifu."