Closer Than You Think

"Lillia seems to be very distant from you, Maz," Po mentioned. Maz sighed as he shrugged. The two were walking to the kitchen. "Does it bother you?"

"Not really. It's only been a day since she's started being distant and I think I know why she's doing it. Plus, I'm used to it."

"How?"

"Zora had a very complicated and hurt past that made her very unpredictable and sometimes unstable. Not in a violent way, but in a trusting way. She was given to my brother as a prize from one of the villages my uncle destroyed. She was about 12 when she first came into the palace."

"I thought that the emperor enslaved all the people. How did he get people to continue destroying villages?" Po asked.

"Oh, the village people didn't actually fight. It was the soldiers," Maz explained.

"Oh. You said that you knew the reason why she was being distant. What is it?" Po asked. Maz was silent for a minute.

"She was talking about being too attached to us, especially me. If she were to be too attached and something happened to us because of her, she probably would feel guilty for the rest of her life," Maz replied.

"But-" Po was about to say that all of them were warriors. They could easily handle themselves including Po. Plus, they have been in situations where the outlook looked bleak and they were still able to get through. But then he remembered Maz. It instantly clicked in his mind. Whether or not Lillia realized it, her concern wasn't for them. It was for Maz. Maz was the only one who was learning how to defend himself and get out of hairy situations. Until he could figure that out, he was very vulnerable. "Nevermind," Po finished. "So, what are you going to do?"

"What can I do? I mean, it does hurt me that she's distant from me, but I understand her reason for it," Maz sighed. They finally got to the kitchen, where Lillia and Tigress were eating. Lillia, upon seeing Maz, finished her food and walked out of the room. Maz simply sighed and ate with Tigress and Po.

"Did you and Lillia talk over the food Tigress?" Po asked. Tigress shook her head.

"She's been silent for a while. She doesn't talk anymore," Tigress said. Maz just sighed again and left the room.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"I lost my appetite," He said leaving the kitchen. Po just shook his head.

"Still believe that my dream will come true?" Po asked. Tigress glared at Po for his doubt.

"Yes," Tigress firmly said. "I won't doubt again. It was doubting that led us to our rough start when we first met. I should have known you were the Dragon Warrior."

"It wasn't your fault. I didn't even know I was the Dragon Warrior," Po sighed. He came behind Tigress, wrapped his arms gently around her neck and shoulders and kissed her head. Though Tigress purred at the touch, she growled out of annoyance.

"Po, stop that," She said, weakly trying to wiggle out of his grip, "Just because we're together, doesn't mean you can be overly affectionate with me. You know I'm not like that."

"Yet you purred," Po smirked. Tigress grumbled. "There is a question I have for you."

"And what's that?" She asked, placing her hand on his protective arms.

"Your belly. Do you like having it rubbed, yes or no?" Po asked. Tigress looked straight ahead. She really hadn't considered it. Not that many people could rub her belly.

"Why do you ask?" She came back.

"It's something I never got the chance to study. Can you imagine if I tried?" Tigress laughed at the idea. All she could see was a panda being literally kicked out of many female tigers' homes.

"I don't know really, but let's wait and find out when we've gotten used to each other for a while. I don't want to rush things," Tigress said.

"Of course not," Po replied. "I was just very curious."

"Yeah, it was your curiosity that caused the bathroom incident," Tigress smirked. Po rolled his eyes and released Tigress from his grip. He took a seat. Just as he was about to eat, Crane came in with some shocking news.

Meanwhile, Lillia was walking down the hall when she saw Maz in his room. The two looked at each other for a while and then Lillia went away. Maz sighed.

"Lillia, wait!" He called out stopping the lamb in her tracks. "Can we talk?"

"I don't want to talk," Lillia said bluntly.

"I promise it's nothing personal," Maz said. Lillia turned around to see the lion right in front of her. "Listen, I know that you've been avoiding me." Lillia looked away from him. "And I understand." Lillia's head snapped up. "You don't want to get attached to me and then someone use me to hurt you. I understand that. I just wanted to let you know you don't have to be so sad about it. I understand you're just trying to protect me." Lillia slowly smiled.

"Thank you for understanding," Lillia replied. She didn't show it, but she was struggling in her head what to say. As Maz smiled back and turned away, she couldn't control it anymore. "That doesn't mean I don't want to." Maz stopped.

"What do you mean?" Maz asked. Incredible. He somehow figured out why she was avoiding him and he couldn't understand what she meant.

"I mean that I don't want to avoid you and... be away from you. You're very... great to hang around. Don't tell Po that, though. I have an image to keep up," Lillia said. Maz chuckled as he stepped closer to her.

"So does that mean we're friends," Maz asked.

"Yes," Lillia whispered because he was so close.

"Does this mean that you finally like me?"

"More than most lions," She quietly smirked. They didn't realize that their heads were coming closer together, or that their eyes began to close, or that Tigress and Po had come into the hall and saw them. But just as their lips were about to connect.

"Hey, guys!" Monkey exclaimed, popping up behind Tigress and Po. Lillia and Maz jumped from each other. Tigress huffed annoyed, but Po was furious.

"Doh! WHAT IS IT MONKEY!" He shouted in a rage that could rival Tigress's anger. The monkey jumped back.

"I was just going to say the planner was already here," Monkey timidly said. Po sighed, calming down.

"Okay, fine," Po replied. With that, Monkey hightailed it out of the panda's sight. Po and Tigress looked back at the blushing lion and lamb.

"I... we... he... she," they stuttered.

"Don't bother coming up with an excuse, we didn't see anything," Po replied still annoyed. "We just came to tell Maz that your brother is going to be coming back." Maz was confused.

"Why, he just came two weeks ago."

"Yes, but something has come up. The Council of the Lions has decided to get him married to show the healed...something or other," Po muttered. Tigress rolled her eyes.

"He means that your brother is having an arranged marriage," Tigress said. Maz's ears sank.

"Oh, wow," He silently said. "I know Zora must be heartbroken," Tigress smirked.

"That's the issue. The marriage has been declared so that the people can see the healed...bond between the lions of Bei-Lang and the other tribes. And your brother has to marry someone from one of these tribes."

"And who did he get?"

"Zora," Tigress said. Maz's eyes widened and then he laughed.

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Maz smiled and sang.

Continued...