KFP: Here's to the night

KFP: Here's to the night
Fandom: Kung Fu Panda
Summary:   Tigress visits Po in the middle of the night.
Pairing/characters: Po and Tigress, Master Shifu.

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                                   Here's to the night



There wasn't any sound but that of the wind coming from outside.

The night was darker than she was used to and this part of the palace was almost empty.

With a heavy sigh, she pushed open the door and entered the hall to the infirmary. If you were to ask Tigress when she started seeing things under a different light, she would probably tell you she didn't know.

The proudness she felt once towards her own consciousness, her awareness to her own intuitions and feelings was gone. At the moment she felt lost. A tight feeling of dread and sorrow overwhelming her little by little as her legs took her closer and closer to her destiny.

With some hesitation Tigress lift her paw putting it just above the door. She stood there, motionless, only feeling and hearing the beating of her heart. Frowning at her trembling hands. Hating the fact she had never felt as weak as she felt at that moment.

Why was she so scared?

Why did she felt so weak? Not only physically but also emotionally?

Master Tigress lowered her paw and took a step backwards. How could she face the Master behind the door after she failed him?

How could she face him if she almost lost him? After she promised herself she would never let anything happen to him and wasn't able to keep that promise?

Tigress turned around ready to leave the place when the memories of Po's face filled her mind. Po smiling at her as he shared the stolen almond cookies. The Panda giving his best while training with her, never giving up even though Tigress was never soft on him. The ferociousness on Po's features as he fought against the Pirates in their last mission.

But most of all, Tigress remembered how she had almost lose him once again.

She closed her paws tightly, trembling and denying the tears she knew were rolling down her cheeks.

Stupid.

Taking a minute to compose herself the Master of the tiger style turned around and entered Po's room.

It took her a moment to get used to the darkness inside, but once she had done it her eyes went immediately to the panda lying above the only bed in the room. It was obvious he was sleeping peacefully. His left hand was thrown above his head while the other was lying lazily on his stomach. He had bandages all over his chest and head. His leg was wrapped in a cast that was adorned with the signatures of the Furious Five.

All but her.

Tigress gulped guiltily as she remembered how she avoided coming to Po's room when the Panda was awake. No one understood but thankfully no one questioned her.

It was painful to see him like this. More than she care to admit.

Taking a step forward, Tigress noticed some of the bandages had blood stains in them and she couldn't help but wonder what had been the cause. She had heard Viper speak with Mantis about Po's idea of walking just for a little bit only to be put to bed by Master Shifu and Mr. Ping.

Tilting her head Tigress understood why. He wasn't in the right condition to do this kind of exercise yet.

There was another pang of guiltiness spreading all over her chest. Tigress gulped as she closed the distance between her and the sleeping Panda. Looking at his face, Tigress let her hand wandered around like she had done several times before.

There weren't any words she knew that could describe the sense of relief at feeling his solid and tender presence beside her. She couldn't question the warm spreading all over her body as her paw closed around his.

"I'm sorry." Tigress all but whispered the apology as her own face scowled at her own weakness. Her cowardice.

She couldn't do it with Po awake.

Not because she didn't want to. Because she really did.

But his eyes, his smile, his nonchalant attitude towards the circumstances leading him to the recovery room in the Jade Palace was something Tigress couldn't take. It had been her fault after all what led him to this situation. Most of all, she couldn't face him without having a complete breakdown.

With a shake of her head Tigress tried to hold herself together. Denying herself the right to cry. Giving Po a last squeeze on his hand, the feline turned around.

"Don't go." The sudden voice coming from behind her made her stopped dead in her tracks.

She gasped in surprise not daring to turned around she stood there. Waiting.

"Tigress?" Po's voice was husky and filled with sleep. There was some hesitation as he said her name and Tigress couldn't help but closed her eyes while replaying the sound of his voice in her head.

Gods, she was so screw!

The silence was nerve-racking but neither of them tried to break it for a while. The tiger was so tempted to just leave when suddenly, "Please, don't go."

It was the plea in his voice what made her turn. As soon as she did their eyes met and Tigress knew she wouldn't be able to look anywhere but at those jade eyes. He looked tired, confused and rather happy.

His eyes were glimmering with delight while his mouth twitched upwards. "I'm glad this time I woke up before you could leave."

The shock in Tigress face was evident but Po ignored it as he continued talking. "I mean, it is really hard to try and catch you before you leave or even get here. I think you do it at different hours."

"How…How did you..?"

"Know?" Tigress nodded her head as Po merely shrugged, wincing at the movement. He didn't reply right away; instead the Kung Fu Master noticed some embarrassment in his expression.

"Well, you…mmm, there is something about…uh…"

"Po?" his name made him lift his head and see as Tigress raised an eyebrow, her eyes demanding for answers. After all, she thought she had been careful enough to not be caught.

"You smell of lilacs."

Tigress eyebrows lifted impressed as Po gave her an embarrass smile. "I….I see."

"Mm, yeah."

The moment was broke with an awkward silence neither of them knew how to break. There were a lot of things that needed to be address but neither Master wanted to do so.

Finally it was Po who decided to step forward, "I think you're the only one who hasn't sign my cast."

The comment had meant to be humorous and to break the silence. Apparently it was the wrong thing to say as Tigress eyes went to say cast and then her expression turned stoic and devoid of any emotion.

Master Tigress tried to put into words the apology she had meant to offer Po, but words failed her. Lowering her gaze she growled angered at her own incapability to share her feelings.

"It wasn't your fault, Tigress." The feline lift her head, her eyes gleaming dangerously as she snarled out an answer.

"How can you…How dare you say…?"Po was startled not really understanding why she had such a strong reaction.

The Panda knew he was to blame for his current situation. Really, it hadn't been that big of a deal. So why did Tigress keep on avoiding him?

Tigress opened and closed her mouth for a few seconds before she sighed with exasperation. Trust the stupid Panda to blame himself or tried to just downplay his injuries after a really tough fight.

"How can you say it wasn't my fault?" She finally mumbled through gritted teeth. She gazed defiantly at the Dragon Warrior, daring him to say so otherwise. To interrupt her speech.

Po opened and closed his mouth but a twitched on Tigress's right eyebrow stopped him from doing so.

"It was my fault you end here, Dragon Warrior." the sound of his title on her lips made him wince. "If I had been faster, stronger, you wouldn't be here."

Tigress was about to continue but Po's movement and loud groan of pain made her rushed to his side. With some embarrassment she noticed how fast she was at his side, her arms around his back and chest holding him up.

"What the hell are you doing Po?" This time Po tilted his head smiling softly, making Tigress aware of their closeness and her position.

Suddenly two strong and warm arms wrapped around her, hugging her tightly against him. For the second time in her life, Tigress tensed up, shocked by the show of affection from Po. This was the second time the Panda hug her and it felt just as wonderful as the first time.

"I'm sorry." Whispered Po in Tigress ear.

Tigress gasped, trembling as she registered Po's words. Warm tears fell down her cheeks as she buried her face on Po's neck, her own arms moving to wrap around him.

She felt even more miserable than before. He shouldn't be apologizing to her. He hadn't done anything wrong. If anything he was the only one who reacted on time saving her life and putting his at risk.

Po was really confused as Tigress arms tightened their hold on him and the Dragon Warrior felt the wetness of Tigress's tears on his neck. Panicking, he tried to put some distance between them only to be stopped dead in his tracks by Tigress words.

"Don't. Please." Feeling a strange shrill through his body Po nodded holding Tigress tight against himself.

He didn't understand what exactly had happened or why Tigress felt the need to visit him when the others weren't around. He didn't even understand why she was crying or even why she had hugged him back instead of kicking his ass for doing so.

What he did understand was the warm spreading on his chest as he held the one Master that had occupied his thoughts since he was a cub.

He understood right there and then he would do anythig to just keep her safe.


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Master Shifu never expected to encounter the scene before his eyes when he went to visit Po.

He knew the Dragon Warrior was used to be awake early in the morning and, since he was wounded, Master Shifu had thought it would be nice to take to his student a cup of tea and some dumplings.

Blinking a few times he made sure he wasn't seeing things. But the early sunrays from the window only helped his vision to adjust to the reality.

He felt awkward and out of place. Mixed emotions in his face as he took in the scene in front of him.

Po was on his back, sleeping peacefully with a paw above his head the other holding protectively the sleeping figure of Tigress. As if that wasn't enough, Tigress was sleeping curdled up above Po's body. More exactly his stomach. She had her face nested on his neck and her own arm was around the Panda.

Master Shifu felt a twitch on his eyebrow. Coming back to his senses just before the tray of tea and dumplings crashed against the floor. And on time to notice his mouth hanging open in surprise.

The Red Panda could almost hear the voice of his Master inside his head. Master Oogway telling him there weren't any accidents; there weren't good or bad news: only news. Master Oogway telling him bringing this  Panda and training him as the Dragon Warrior was a good idea and would help him find peace.

Since Po had arrived Shifu hadn't felt at peace. Not at all.

Master Shifu opened his mouth ready to scold at the Panda and Tigress for such unfitting sleeping position when he noticed something he didn't before.

What called his attention to it was the soft, almost happy purr coming from Tigress as her features soften a little. He watched as a peace took place on her face. An expression she had almost lost since they brought Po in such a bad shape. It was the first time since the incident Tigress seemed to have slept well.

Once again Master Oogway's (annoyingly convenient) voice reached his memories. And Shifu remembered life in the Jade Palace had changed for the better since Po arrived. And the most notable of those changes were the ones coming from Tigress.

He really hated it when his Master was right. Even in his death he seemed to always be there to advise him from acting like a reckless youngster.

Stepping inside the room and putting the tray on the bedside, Shifu gave the pair a last glance and left them.

He may have never understood the things Po usually did. But, as he told him once, those he did with his heart were always the right thing to do. It was thanks to his heart Tigress was still alive. It was thanks to his hear the tigress he had come to love as a daughter was happy again.

As he went to the courtyard an image of little pandas and tigers; or a combination of both, filled his mind. There was a shiver of dread when he even imagined a little voice calling him 'grandpa'.

Meditation was in order.

He needed Inner Peace and he needed it now!