Hello all! This is a request that I got on Ao3 from Bernie1273blue. Just a little Tigress/Po fic.
Tigress watched Po tell the story of what they'd been through to Shifu and the rest of the Five. They had vague memories of what had happened while under Kai's influence, but hearing of Po's incredible teaching journey was news. Shifu looked both proud and irritated, as he so often did with Po. Somehow, the Dragon Warrior had triumphed again. She lived in exciting times, and she knew another legend had just been added to Po's story. It was a true honor to know him. Many would give all they had just to be in her position, friendly with the great Dragon Warrior and honored enough to be a master of kung fu whose stories would be told for centuries afterward. It was an honor. Still…
Turning away, she walked through the panda village, waving at all who recognized her. She was melancholy despite the victory they had won. No, not they. Po. Po had won. Again. No matter how much training she had, she would never be as gifted as Po. His innate skill far surpassed hers, and after many years, she was finally okay with that. It had taken time and life-threatening adventures to get to that point, but it was worth it. Mostly. There was just one thing that bothered her about Po, and it was new and frightening.
She liked Po. Like liked him. She flinched at the ridiculous, childish thought, but she had no other way to say it. She couldn't say the big 'L' word yet. She could still only tell Shifu that she loved him in very rare instances. She couldn't associate that word with Po. Not yet. Maybe not ever. She just wasn't sure.
"Hey, Master Tigress!" a cheery voice called. "A little help?"
Tigress turned to see Mei Mei struggling to balance several trays of drinks. She quickly took two and raised her brow at Mei Mei. "Where are you going with all of this?"
Mei Mei laughed. "I was going to surprise Po with tea and snacks."
Tigress nodded. "He seems to like you," she said, fighting the bitter twist in her gut.
"Who wouldn't?" Mei Mei asked. "I'm fabulous!"
"And Po likes fabulous?" Tigress asked conversationally.
"Po likes awesome," Mei Mei replied. She squinted at Tigress then grinned and leaned close. "Do you have a crush on Po?"
"Absolutely not!"
Tigress had never yelped as far as she could remember, but there were no other words to describe the indignant shock and fear that were contained in those two words. Judging by Mei Mei's gleeful expression, Tigress knew she had just confessed one of the most embarrassing secrets in her heart. Unsure of what to do in such a vulnerable state, Tigress reacted in anger, her natural response. She set aside the tea trays and stormed away without a word, ignoring Mei Mei's call for her to come back, that she wouldn't tell.
Tigress went to a grove that she and Po had often retreated to when they'd needed to rest between training sessions. Settling down, she assessed how she felt. She was ashamed that her feelings were out. Mei Mei wasn't the subtlest of creatures, and Tigress was sure the whole village would be talking about her feelings.
'What will Shifu think?' Tigress wondered, mortified by the thought. He wasn't just her master. He was her father, too, though he'd never been very openly affectionate. She groaned and covered her face with her paws and wondered how far she could get if she just started walking. That would be easier to deal with than her dumb feelings.
"Tigress," Mei Mei said from behind her. She was panting from the climb. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. He is pretty hot."
Tigress let out an embarrassed squeak, and she hunched her back and groaned. "Go away," she begged softly. "Please."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"If you don't tell me, I'll tell Po."
Tigress turned and narrowed her eyes. "You said you wouldn't."
Mei Mei sighed. "I did."
There was a long pause before Tigress turned away again. "I can't like Po," Tigress said.
"Why? Because he's a panda?"
Tigress shook her head. "Because he's the Dragon Warrior, and he deserves the best."
Mei Mei smiled. "Yes. He does. So what's the problem?"
Tigress shrugged, picking at the grass. Mei Mei settled beside her, tapping her fingers. Tigress glanced over and studied Mei Mei. What did Po like about her? Her dress? Her dancing? Just the fact that she was fabulous?
"What do pandas find attractive?" Tigress blurted out. She snapped her mouth shut and curled her tail around her middle. "Never mind."
Mei Mei looked amused. "You want some tips? I can give some."
Tigress hesitated. "If you tell anybody about this. I will eviscerate you," she said. Then she turned to Mei Mei. "Yes please."
Mei Mei's eyes lit up, and she threw her arm across Tigress's shoulders. "What do you want to know?"
"What's attractive to a panda?" Tigress repeated.
Mei Mei looked down at herself. "Well, bright clothes will get anybody's attention. Especially male pandas. They follow shiny."
Tigress looked down at her beautiful robe. "Is this enough?"
"Yellow is not your color," Mei Mei said. "How about purple? My cousin Ting Ting can make you something that will blow him away."
"How long?"
Mei Mei thought about it. "Come on and we'll get her started."
Tigress followed her up into the village, and they went into a bright shop. A female panda looked up from an exquisite gown and grinned. "Hey girl!"
"We have a fashion emergency, Ting," Mei Mei said. "She's in yellow."
"With orange fur?!" Ting Ting gasped. "No no no! Purple, my dear, purple!"
"I knew that purple was it. She has to look fabulous, Ting!" Mei Mei declared.
"What's the occasion?" Ting Ting asked.
Tigress's world narrowed as Mei Mei grinned. She was going to tell. Oh, she was going to tell.
But she didn't, instead, she twirled around, her voice dreamy. "In three days is the harvest moon festival. We shall throw a grand party for the awesome Dragon Warrior for his wise leadership. There will be dances and food and we will celebrate all night! And Tigress has to look fabulous!"
Ting Ting bounced up. "Have you announced this yet?" she asked.
"No. We had to get to you first," Mei Mei said. "It's a desperate situation."
"I know. The robe is gorgeous. But yellow. Ugh. Not for you."
"Shifu says yellow is regal and befitting a master," Tigress said.
"Purple is even more regal," Mei Mei said. "Even the emperor begs for purple."
Tigress glanced down at her silk robe. "Could you make something in purple for me? Price is no object, though I'll have to send it later."
"Girl, are you kidding? Just you wearing my clothes is a gift. I've always wanted people outside the village to see my work."
Tigress smiled. "I appreciate the gift, and I shall offer you a gift in return. I'll bring it by when I come to pick up the robe."
"Robe? No robe for you. A hanfu my dear!"
Tigress had never worn one, and she couldn't imagine herself in something like that. "Will it make me look… fabulous?" she asked Mei Mei cautiously.
"Absolutely eye-catching!" Mei Mei declared.
"Then yes. What must I do?"
Mei Mei beamed. Ting Ting took her measurements then asked to observe how her clothes were tailored. She made notes as Mei Mei chatted about how amazing the party was going to be.
"What would be the best way to… celebrate?" Tigress asked, choosing her words with care.
"Ribbon dances my dear! Ribbon dances! There's a competition, and I come out on top every year."
"Viper would be delighted to ribbon dance," Tigress said. "I'll talk to her. Perhaps you two could talk about technique. There are many differences between your styles of dancing, but you are both very talented."
"Really?" Mei Mei asked. "Oh, you should bring her to my house tomorrow. I can practice my show and you can introduce us. It'll be amazing!"
"I'm sure she'd enjoy that. I'll ask her this evening. We're most likely sharing a room again, so it shouldn't be too hard to talk with her."
"Excellent!" Mei Mei declared.
"What else is involved in the festival that would be a good way to celebrate?"
Ting Ting glanced over, but Mei Mei waved her paw and smiled. "Oh the dancing will be plenty."
Tigress blinked, horror crossing her face. "Dance? You want me to dance? Oh no. No no no. I don't dance."
"Of course you do!" Mei Mei exclaimed. "You danced beautifully today!"
Tigress shook her head. "I don't dance. You're imagining things, Mei Mei."
Mei Mei nodded thoughtfully. "Okay then. But you should do the ribbon dance. It would be fun! Please, Tigress?"
Tigress stared at Mei Mei. "I'm bringing Viper."
"Of course."
After a moment's hesitation, Tigress nodded. Viper was safe. The only girl friend she had ever had, actually. And girls were supposed to stick together.
"Then I will see you tomorrow at noon with Viper."
"Ugh. So early," Mei Mei growled. "Fine. You good, Ting Ting?"
"Perfectly wonderful," Ting Ting said. "Yours is a priority, Tigress, don't you fret. And trust Mei Mei. She's an expert."
Tigress frowned a little, puzzled by the statement. "Thank you."
"You are most welcome. Toodles!" Ting Ting said.
Mei Mei dragged Tigress out of the house and grinned. "There. Now all we have to do is practice for the festival in three days! Isn't that great!"
"Is it?" Tigress asked nervously. Her tail flicked and she brought it under control at once. She hated that it always betrayed her.
"Yes, Tigress. Trust me. This is great. This will work, in one way or another," Mei Mei assured her. "Now act natural. We'll serve tea and Po can brag about all he's done and tomorrow we start to practice. Remember to tell Viper."
"I will," Tigress said.
Things went much as Mei Mei predicted. Po was so excited to detail his fight in the spirit realm, and Tigress was engrossed by the tale. It was fantastic and awesome and profound and geeky in a way that only Po could manage. When the story was over, there was a big dinner then everybody went to bed. Tigress invited Viper to stay with her, and she began walking uphill. As they did, the air got colder, and Viper slowed and shivered. "How high are we going?"
"Not much farther," Tigress assured her. "Here."
She offered Viper her arm, and Viper gratefully slithered up it and huddled around her. Tigress hurried the rest of the way into the house she had been given to stay in. She quickly shuttered the windows and lit a fire, coaxing the flames to life until they crackled merrily. Viper slithered down her body onto the floor and huddled beside it.
"That's better," she sighed.
"The houses are well-insulated. The fire should keep us warm until we wake up," Tigress assured her.
"I'm glad. Cold is too much for me," Viper said.
"It's only natural, Hua," Tigress sighed.
Viper studied her then flicked out her tongue. "Okay, Yue, what do you want to talk about?"
Tigress glanced at her tail and snarled, forcing it to behave again. "Mei Mei has expressed an interest in seeing your ribbon dances."
Viper frowned at her. "Who?"
"She's one of the pandas," Tigress replied. "She's a ribbon dancer herself."
"A panda ribbon dancer?" Viper asked in surprise. "I'll have to see that. What time?"
"Noon."
Viper gave her a look. "Noon is very late."
"Not for a panda."
"Po gets up at dawn."
"Yes. But that's not normal panda behavior."
Viper flicked her tongue again. "How curious. Well, noon it is. What will we do before that?"
"I'm not sure," Tigress said. "The village is quiet until eleven. That's when the early risers start getting up."
"Shifu won't like that," Viper said.
"He won't complain. It's their culture," Tigress said confidently.
"If you say so," Viper said. "I'm so tired, Yue. Is there a place to sleep?"
After a good night's rest, the kung fu warriors were up at sunrise through force of habit. They weren't in any hurry to do anything, so they gathered in Ping's kitchen where he was making noodles. Po joined them, beaming at his friends, and his grin made Tigress's heart squeeze. He was always so happy. She was not. But maybe if she became a bit more panda-like, he'd see her as a romantic option.
They practiced their kung fu, sparring and teasing each other, until the other pandas got up. Mei Mei was awake by noon, and she finally waved at Tigress to join her. Tigress nodded once then easily flipped Po over her shoulder. He landed on the ground with a gasp.
"Nice one," he wheezed. "Two outta three?"
"Mei Mei wants to see Viper ribbon dance," Tigress said. "We have plans."
"Oh. Okay. See you later then," Po said. "Monkey! Wanna spar more after lunch?"
"Lunch?" Li Shan asked, puzzled. "It's breakfast time."
Po laughed. "Not for me. Come on, Dad. Dad's making fresh dumplings." He paused. "Nope. Still not right. Gotta figure out how to talk about you two."
He and the rest of the five headed off with Li while Tigress and Viper met Mei Mei. Mei Mei beamed at the snake.
"Master Viper! It's such an honor. Tigress speaks highly of your ribbon dancing."
"Oh, call me Viper," Viper replied. "This is not a formal occasion. Now, I don't have my ribbon. Is there one I could borrow?"
"Of course. Come take your pick. I tend toward pink, but I have all the colors you could want."
Viper and Mei Mei chatted about ribbons while Tigress perused the colors. She found herself drawn to the red ones. She'd always liked red. She reached out, and there was the flick of movement that caught her eye. She turned and swiped at it automatically, and she found her paw wrapped around a rich green ribbon. Viper giggled.
"Told you," she said to Mei Mei.
"Viper!" Tigress said, scandalized.
"Oh come on, Tigress, it's just as natural as me getting too cold," Viper said.
As true as that was, Tigress was embarrassed by her play instinct. "Traitor," she said coldly.
"Don't be like that," Mei Mei said. "It's fine. Po doesn't mind, does he?"
Tigress considered this, her tail twitching. "No. He seems amused by it."
"Then Viper is right, and there's nothing to worry about. Now pick a color."
"Purple?" she asked.
Mei Mei pointed, and Tigress retrieved them. Viper looked stunned. "You're going to dance?" she asked. "Oh, Tigress! I can't wait! You're going to love it! It's just like kung fu!"
"If you say so," Tigress mumbled to herself.
Once Viper had selected her ribbon, Mei Mei took them to a studio. "This is where we're going to practice," she said, and she began twirling. The ribbon swirled out around her in a mesmerizing display, and Tigress watched with interest.
"Oh, I haven't done this with somebody else in so long!" Viper exclaimed.
Jumping forward, she began to twirl and dance, the ribbon trailing behind her in spirals and waves. Tigress watched both of the ribbon dancers. Though their styles were vastly different, they were both grace in motion. She had never been very good at dancing. Kung fu was natural to her. Dancing was not. She looked down at the ribbon and twirled it a little. Her eyes watched the tip of the ribbon, and she felt a delightful feeling of playfulness fill her. No! She wouldn't give in. She would dance. For Po. Because pandas liked ribbon dancers.
"How do I begin?" Tigress asked.
Mei Mei and Viper stopped dancing and smiled. "First you've got to relax, Yue," Viper said.
"Unlikely, Hua," Tigress said softly. "But I'll try."
"Girl, you've got this," Mei Mei declared.
They practiced all that day, showing Tigress a simple dance for beginners. Viper was puzzled by how awkward Tigress looked trying to dance. She knew it was ridiculous for her to struggle with such a basic dance, but somehow, her kung fu skills didn't translate into ribbon dancing. Mei Mei was unperturbed, and she encouraged Tigress as she learned the steps.
"Okay, good first day!" Mei Mei exclaimed. "We have two days left to prepare, so don't you worry."