Her eyes opened, fluttering at the daylight. Her body refused to move. Why? She heard the soft breathing behind her. Spinning around slightly, she saw the panda slumbering behind her. Memories flooded into her head. That's right, they slept together. Why?
Tigress looked at her clothes, still on. Then she fully remembered.
After they kissed, Po said that he wanted her close to him just to make sure that when he woke up he wasn't dreaming. She agreed. The tiger smiled and snuggled up to him with her back against his side.
Her eyes jolted open again when the panda wrapped his arm around her, turning in his sleep. Tigress didn't mind. She was closer to him.
She must have dozed off. Moments later, Tigress opened her eyes again and noticed Po in front of her. "Where do you think you're going?" The tiger asked catching Po off guard.
"Uhhh well, I just... umm... wanted to get something to eat?" The panda grinned nervously.
"Hmm," Tigress smirked as she lifted herself up, stretching her body. "Ahh. Now we can get breakfast."
"Heh, sorry. Did you... want to go to the village? Since you don't have to hole yourself up anymore?"
"I would like that," Tigress smiled. The two of them walked down the steps, gently holding each other's hand. But soon the tiger saw Po's face turn into a frown. "What's wrong, Po?"
"I'm just wondering. Do we want people to know about us so soon?"
Tigress sighed and released his hand. He was right. They had to keep it secret. At least until Po talked with Master Shifu. "You're right."
"Hey," Po gently grabbed her chin and faced her. "We're still together. I just want to make sure that we stay together, okay? And I don't want you to get hurt too badly."
"Nor I you," Tigress smirked. "Of course, once you have a successor, things will be different."
"Hmm, I wonder if I can't find a successor now."
"Po, you can't simply give up the title just because you want to be with me."
"I'm not technically giving it up... just... sharing?" Po said with a cheesy grin. Tigress shook her head with a smile. They walked into the village, waving and greeting everyone they saw until they made their way into Mr. Ping's shop. The goose and large panda in the kitchen waved.
"Po, Master Tigress. It's good to see you two. Eh, Master Tigress, are you okay? Po said that you were feeling a little sick. Do you want me to make you some soup? It helps with almost anything," Mr. Ping offered.
Tigress rose an eyebrow with a quizzical smirk, "Almost anything?"
"It can't help you with paying the price," Li Shan chuckled.
"Li! Don't tell her that!" Mr. Ping grumbled.
Tigress smiled as she sat and ate the food offered to her. Po decided it was best if they sat away from the two dads to avoid rapid-fire questioning. "I see you told them my condition."
"I left things vague," Po smiled. "Besides, I didn't want word spreading. Could you imagine the amount of suitors you would have?"
Tigress slightly tilted her head while she held the bowl to her lips. "Why would I have suitors?"
"Tigress, do you know the amount of people who want to be with you, let alone just let you look at them?"
"I didn't know I was such a prized commodity."
Po heard the tension in her voice, though he could tell she was teasing by her smirk. He nervously tapped his fingers together as he chuckled shakily. "I mean... well... I prize you."
"I know."
"By the way, I know this isn't the best place to ask but-"
"Then don't."
"Okay, good idea," Po quickly smiled and ate his food. Tigress shook her head as the two ate in peace. After their breakfast, they walked back up the stairs, accompanied by Po's panting and huffing. "Ugh, okay, made it."
"Your stamina has gotten better," Tigress grinned, sauntering over to the courtyard. "Your training has improved."
"Yeah, uh... which reminds me. Um... I wanted to ask you something." Tigress motioned with her head towards the Training Hall. Even though there were very few servants, the tiger still wanted some kind of privacy. Even talking with each other in the open air seemed a little too... scandalous. The doors opened and the two walked in while Po shut the doors back, scanning the room to make sure no one was nearby.
"So... what did you want to ask?" Tigress smirked.
The panda chuckled, "I can't help but notice you've been smiling a lot more."
"I'm with you. You have a calming effect on me. Sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"You do stress us out at times with your... attics."
"Fair enough," Po sighed. "Well, I wanted to ask about your heat."
Tigress narrowed her eyes as her smile disappeared. "What did you have in mind?"
"Just... curious."
"Why?"
"It's just..." Po sighed again, "I don't like seeing you suffer through this. I know things are a little better now that we're together and I know things are new but... I was just wondering if I could help."
Tigress lifted her eyebrow. "Help how?"
"Well, I... learned a lot from the scrolls about... female stuff and... You know what, I shouldn't stoke that fire. What I mean to say is if you're struggling with something, just... come to me, okay? I can help."
Tigress widened her eyes. She gently rubbed her arms. "That's... intimate Po."
The panda closed the gap between them, lightly holding her. "Hey, don't feel forced to do it. It's okay. Please don't think you have to do this for me. I just want to help where I can, given how much you've been struggling." He slowly lifted her head. "If you don't want to, you don't have to."
"The question is should we, Po."
"In either case, I'll stand by you, no matter what," Po smiled. Tigress smiled back. She grabbed a hold of his face and kissed him. She carefully pulled back, smiling widely as they stared at each other.
He could be very helpful.
Tigress bit her bottom lip watching the panda gulp. "Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Bite your bottom lip like that," Po shivered, though not uncomfortably, "It's just... it gets the juices going."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Though by Tigress's sudden perkiness, Po highly doubted that she regretted this. He could see the tiger striving to hold back a devious smirk. "I'll keep that in mind."
"I'm sure you will," Po sighed and smiled. Tigress went to train while the panda stumbled his way back to the courtyard. He was just about to go to the kitchen when he heard a flapping sound in the sky. Looking up, he found a large familiar bird. "Crane! You're back!"
"Not for long. I'm only playing messenger. Master Shifu was impatient. He wants to make sure that you two are alright."
"Hang on, I'll write something down," Po motioned the bird to come with him to the barracks. "So how are things in the providence."
The bird shivered his feather and glared away from Po. "Annoying. It honestly feels like busy work at this time. I'm just glad that I can get away from it."
"How long are you staying there?"
"I don't know. Master Shifu is being very cryptic about it."
Po rose his eyelid higher. He rubbed his chin, piecing together some puzzle in his mind. "Huh, that's weird." As the two ambled to the panda's room, Crane lightly glanced at the tiger's room.
"How are you and Tigress doing?"
"Fine."
"She hasn't kicked you down the mountain yet?" Crane smirked, "She tends to get pretty annoyed around this time."
Po snapped his face to him and narrowed his eyes. "How do you know?"
"Tigress gets a little... vicious around this time. At least when we see her again. Usually, Viper and Tigress stay together during this season. Viper always says that she gets a little... aggressive."
"But you've never seen her go through it?" Crane shook his head. "Huh." Po sat down and started scratching down some words. "Why don't you get some food? I have some leftover-" Before Po could look back, the bird was already gone. The panda shrugged and started writing. "Let's see."
Dear Master Shifu,
Everything is okay. Master Tigress and I are doing okay, though she's gotten over some of her aggression lately. I do have a question. Why didn't you tell me about Tigress's issue'? I don't regret staying and she's doing much better, but why didn't you just tell me?
The Jade Palace is doing fine. No bandits to speak of recently, though I don't think any bandits would dare do anything with Tigress like this.
Sincerely,
Po.
The panda rolled the paper into a scroll and walked to the kitchen to see Tigress smirking at a bird gulping food like a starved man. "Geez, Crane, why the hurry?"
"The food over there is so bad. The others are starving for your homemade food."
Po laughed, "You're going to have too much food in your gut to fly if you're not careful. Why don't you go by my dad's for some rations? I'm sure he'll give it to you."
"With purchase," Crane, Tigress, and Po said. They all laughed as Crane finished his meal. The bird scanned the tiger.
"Hey, Tigress, are you okay? Viper asked about you. She seemed worried."
"Yes, I'm fine. Better than fine actually." A sly smirk came to Tigress's lips while Po drank a glass of water, "Tell her I'm eating well. Though Po has yet to give me any of his... special dumplings."
"ACK ACK ACK ACK!" Po choked on his water, coughing over the sink.
"Are you okay, Po?"
"Never better," Po grunted out, glaring at the smirking tiger. "Anyway, you best be going, Crane. Here's the scroll."
"Thanks, Po. Are you sure there's nothing else?"
"No, but I'm sure that Master Shifu will have you come back here."
"Why don't you stay for the night, Crane?" Tigress suggested.
Crane shook his head. "No, Master Shifu gave me orders to come right back after I delivered the message. But it was nice to stretch my wings for a minute. It's better than sitting through that political mess."
"The fun duties of a warrior," Po laughed. The bird rolled his eyes and headed out the barracks. Po glared at the smug tiger beside him. "I'm getting you back for that."
"How?"
"I'll think of something," Po grunted as they followed Crane outside. Giving the bird one final send-off, Crane flew down into the village, picked up some food from Mr. Ping, and flew away into the setting sun.
The bird flew through the sky, gliding on the high-swelling air currents. Among the skies and clouds, the ground only popped up a few times. It gave him time to wonder what was going on between the panda and tiger, but Crane simply shrugged. "Maybe they're just getting closer together," He mused.
A few hours later, he touched down at the small village near the grand palace for the political officials. It stood on a high bare rock incline, with three sharply hatted green rooftops along the red gates. Crane flew into one of the palace's rooms where an open window was waiting for him. The Furious Five were all laying around the floor with either a bored look or a sleepy stare. Their faces lit up when Crane came back. Shifu turned from his desk and smiled, "Ah, you're back. Does everything seem okay?"
Crane bowed, "Yes Master Shifu. Po and Tigress seem to be doing fine."
"Much better than we are," Monkey murmured from near the window. He sniffed the air. "Wait, did you bring back food?!"
"Yep!" Crane smiled, tossing them the bag that he brought from Mr. Ping's shop. "And Po gave you this scroll, master."
The red panda took the scroll and looked over it. He laughed a bit to himself as he heard the other munching their food away. "Ah, I see he's still oblivious. Crane, I'll need you to return to the Jade Palace tomorrow."
"Great!"
"And don't stop to get Mr. Ping's food this time," Shifu muttered.
"Awww! Master Shifu!" Whined the others. The red panda smirked as he began writing the return letter.