College Crush
"Po, Po, PO!"
"Huh?"
"Wake up, you're daydreaming again," said the striped feline as she threw her satchel over her shoulder. The panda stretched his arms and pulled his leather jacket over his body; it was from his rebellious friend back in high school before he moved. The crisp winter air didn't sting as much, but he didn't take chances with the city's wind chill factor. "We're gonna be late for Viper's party."
"Oh awesome! What is it for again?" He asked. The tiger rolled her eyes. "Tigress, I'm not the best when it comes to paying attention or remembering stuff."
"And yet you can somehow remember everything about Chinese history and mythology in Dr. Jun's class."
"It's cool!"
"Well, she's having a party because she got accepted into an internship," Tigress sighed. "I think it's just an excuse for her to have a party in the first place."
"I mean, we haven't had one since we got to college. I mean, we've been busy," Po sighed, throwing his backpack on. The tiger simply nodded as they left the campus library. The two journeyed down a small brown grassy hill to the parking lot where their cars were.
"Let's carpool."
"Wh-what?" Po stuttered. His jaw dropped for a moment. "Uhhh what did you say?"
"I said let's carpool? Is everything alright?"
"Y-Y-Y-Yeah, I-I thought you said... something else," Po chuckled nervously. Tigress stared at him for a moment before getting into the passenger seat. Po threw his backpack into the trunk, taking a breather. "What am I doing? She's gonna figure it out if I don't get it together. Ugh, why did it have to be her? Of all the people, it had to be her. My childhood best friend. UGH!" Po grumbled and shut the trunk. He drove the car down the parking lot and off to Viper's house in the suburbs. "Sorry about the daydreaming," Po said.
"It's alright," Tigress said as she leaned her arm against the window. "Looked like you were thinking."
"Yeah."
"Which has me worried."
"Why?"
"You don't really... think that much."
"HEY!"
"Hehe. You know what I mean."
"No, I don't," Po side-glared until they came to a stop at the red light. Po took a longer look at her. Tigress's bright red football jacket came from a sports event where she won against the quarterback in an arm-wrestling game. Of course, she accidentally broke his arm in the process. Underneath the open jacket was a plain black shirt; Po knew she wasn't into fancy things. Her dark jeans hung beautifully to her long sculptured legs that came from her martial arts training. Her amber eyes held that bored look that Po knew too well. "Why do you want to go to this party? You're not the party type."
"It'll probably be the last time I ever get to see Viper. Hopefully, we'll stay in touch after school."
"You don't look too happy about it."
"I know how this goes," Tigress sighed, "We say we'll be friends forever, lose touch, meet back up again after twenty years and realize that we were never truly friends in the first place."
"Dang," Po mumbled as he drove on. "And you're sure you want to go to this thing?"
"Positive. I just want to get it over with," Tigress sighed.
Po's eyes darted all around the gray chilled sky for an answer. Something to break the wintry silence. "You know," He finally said. "It's a two-way thing. You can always just call in every now and again. I'm sure she'd appreciate that."
Tigress rolled her eyes. "Why should I put in the effort if they won't put in the effort to see me?"
"Because you aren't selfish and because people do things in different ways. I mean, you don't even keep up with me."
Tigress snapped her head to him. "I do."
"When we have to study."
"Po, we've been friends since 7th grade. I'd think I would keep up with my best friend even after college."
"Yeah, best friend," Po sighed under his breath. They finally made it to the large house, parking in the semi-circle driveway with the other cars.
"By the way, what were you daydreaming about?"
"Huh? Oh! I was uh... uhh... daydreaming about... noodles?" Po said. Tigress rose her eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"That lie only works on your dad, not me."
Po sighed, "Alright fine. I was... um... thinking about uh... a girl."
"Oh?" The feline uncrossed her arms and drooped her ears. Her eyes scanned the ground. "Who?"
"Just my latest crush," Po groaned.
"Latest?" Tigress asked as they approached the large doors. "What do you mean?"
"I crush easily. I thought you knew that."
"No. Who is it?"
Before Po could answer, the door opened up to a serpent with a wide smile. "Po, Tigress! You finally came. Please please, come in."
"Do we have to take off our shoes?" Po asked. Viper glanced back with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "What? Just because you guys don't have legs doesn't mean I have to be rude."
"You'll be fine, Po. The others are in the living room," Viper pointed to where the lights and noise came from the cream-colored living room. "I have to help my mom with the food. I'll be right there."
"Well," Po sighed with a smile, fluffing up his jacket. "Time to be social."
"The one thing I loathe," Tigress smirked. The party was small, and a few of their friends were there. Po stood over by the TV, watching with his friends while Tigress sat and listened with Viper when she finally came back and a few other female friends. Po listlessly gazed at the TV screen. It was near Super Bowl time. Po gave fake smiles and waves to his friends who were football jocks, but the history major just couldn't find the joy in it.
He glanced over his shoulder from the cozy beige couch. Tigress seemed to enjoy herself, laughing with Viper and their friends. He smiled widely. Some part of him wanted to tell her the girl of his daydreams, but the other knew that it would jeopardize the entire friendship. Po sighed and stared back at the game. He mentally did the math.
Nine years.
They had known each other for nine years.
As the cup in his hand felt heavier by the moment of his calculation, his brain churned with horrible thoughts of the future. He thought back to what she said. She was right. People drift away and realize that they are two different people. Would the same be true for them?
As much as he wanted to swat the thought away, it buzzed around even as they tasted the food. All Po could really remember was the white plate, eating, and social talking of the party. His mind wasn't there. He wasn't there.
"Po?" Hissed a friendly voice.
Po's head jerked up from his position on the couch and looked at the snake. "Oh! Hey, Viper."
"Why are you over here? Everyone's over there."
"I'm fine. I'm just... not really feeling it today."
Viper tilted her head, narrowing her eyes with a strong look of serious concern. "Are you okay, Po? You're usually the social one. Not Tigress."
"Heh, I know," Po chuckled sadly.
"So... what's the matter?"
The panda stared into the wall for a while before finally sighing after what seemed like two hours. After the two-minute silence, Po finally told someone, for the first time since he got into this situation, the truth. "I... I think I have a crush on Tigress."
Viper slapped the tip of her tail over her mouth. Her eyes were the size of the moon. She froze. "Uh... are you oka-"
"Tell her."
"What?! Are you crazy? I'm not gonna ruin a nine-year friendship just because I have a crush on someone."
"Po, please, tell her."
"Wh-Why are you so passionate about this?"
"Because... because..." Viper bit her lip. "Because... I know that you're a good person for her. I know that... after her past relationships, you've been around for her. You've always been there for her. Always."
"I can't. She'd never say yes."
"Do you know Tigress?" Viper asked.
"I think I do."
"Do you think she'd hate you if you told her?"
Po blinked. He checked over his shoulder. The tiger was smiling, beaming with her friends. He smiled. "No... she wouldn't."
"Then tell her. Please for me."
Po rose an eyebrow. "Why are you eager about this?"
Viper smiled, "I just think you two would make a cute couple."
"Hehe, I don't think I'd say cute." Po said, daydreaming a bit. "More like... awesome... intense...fierce and soft and... why am I talking about this with you?!" He spouted, waking up to reality.
Viper laughed, "Come on, let's go hang out with our friends. I'm sure they'll pick your mood up."
"Sure," Po smiled. So the two talked and laughed with their friends until late into the night when Tigress yawned. Po made one glance at that yawn and said, "We should go. I'm a little tired for tonight."
"Hehe, seems like you're not the only one tired," Viper smirked. "But thank you so much for coming over you two."
"Anytime," Po smiled.
"And Tigress, I promise to stay in touch, okay?"
Tigress showed a small smile. "I'll hold you to that."
Tigress and Po walked back to the car and drove off. The gray clouds had dispersed, and the cool bright moon showed in its beautiful glow. The two drove back to the library in silence. Tigress darted her eyes between the view changing from suburbia to city life and Po's laser stare on the road. "So... what did you and Viper talk about?"
"Uhhh... things."
"Po."
"Just stuff, really."
Tigress rose her eyebrow. "Why aren't you telling me?"
"It's private stuff."
"Does it have anything to do with your crush?"
Tigress expected Po to stutter, but the panda glared hard at her.
"Why did you bring up that?"
Now Tigress stuttered, "It's... it's just we were... talking about your crush and... from the car... I'm... sorry?"
Po kept staring at her through the corner of his eye. They reached their destination at the library parking lot. Po parked the car, turned it off, and rested back in the seat, staring up at the car ceiling. "Po? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"I... I didn't mean to make you upset about your... crush. I just-"
"Tigress?" He said as he turned his whole body towards her. "I... I have a crush on you."
Tigress's eyes dropped open. Her mouth didn't move. Her body didn't move. She sat perfectly still, staring into the panda's jade eyes. Po gulped. Had he made the right call or was this going to destroy their friendship? Po made a long sigh. "I know I-"
He couldn't get the rest of the words out. Two orange-striped hands grabbed his face, careful not to puncture it with their claws, and pulled his head to the tiger's lips. Po's eyes shot out and would've rolled out if he didn't close them.
Her lips were pure and inviting. He forgot about time and space as he brought his hands around her waistline. Her hands moved up, holding his head in place. No one could say that she did things halfway. A slight moan escaped her lips before she finally pulled away. Po let out a small whimper, looking sad only for a moment. But he saw the bright brimming face of the tiger and smiled back.
"I... have a crush on you too," Tigress replied.
"I'd say that's a little more than a crush," Po chuckled shakily.
Her smile only widened. "I didn't think you would like me if I told you. I... I've had this crush on you since 12th grade."
"Really?" Po's eyes blew out of the water. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid of ruining our friendship," Tigress sighed.
"Hehe yeah, I get that."
"The only person I told was Viper."
"Ah," Po said in a very heavy straight-laced manner. All the pieces started to come together now. Po shook himself awake as Tigress rested her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you, Po. For telling me. I... I was afraid that I would never be able to tell you how I feel before the end of the year."
"Heh, well, we're going to the same place to work," Po said. "I guess we can catch up for lost time." The tiger reflected the wide smile the panda had. "Now come on, let's get out of this parking lot before campus police give us tickets."
"You mean, give you tickets."
"It's not my fault that I can't find parking. This school doesn't have enough room and you know that," Po grumbled.
The tiger simply smiled.
The End
A/N: Felt like there needed to be more modern AUs and this was the thing that came straight out of my head. Hope you enjoyed.
