[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

Evening had begun to set in, which saddened Ari to an extent. She did not want this day to end. Evening meant sleep soon, and their nightly ritual at their spot out in the grasslands. Not that she did not want to go and wanted to avoid Kito and Kweli--she was interested in hearing how their day had gone and obviously, above all else, still was friends with them--but at that point, spending the remainder of the day with Hiroshi, perhaps under the stars, just the two of them for once... that seemed like the best possible scenario.

But they could not do that. Kweli and Kito could not just be stood up or something. There would be other days like this.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Hiroshi quickly dunking her underwater for a brief moment. As she resurfaced, she heard Hiroshi call out again as he pulled himself out of the water and shook himself off clumsily.

Ari leaped out of the water herself, giving herself a quick shake before trotting up to join Hiroshi. "That wasn't very nice, you know," she said with a grin, giving Hiroshi a little bump. "No way to treat such a wonderful lioness as myself. I could've drowned, you know!" she winked.

They walked along, Ari giving herself a few more body shakes so as to rid herself of leftover water. The cool breeze chilled her slightly, though she was still exhilarated from all of the running, jumping and... well, teasing. It had been a very good day.

She gave Hiroshi a tiny nudge under the neck. "So, how do you think Kito and Kweli's day went? Shall we place any bets on whether one or the other will show up tonight with some sort of injury?"

--------

"I did notice it," Kweli was glad Kito seemed to be opening up about his feelings toward Hiroshi and Ari spending more time together. "And I suppose it's clear... but then, I dunno, we don't really know what they do alone. They could just be really close friends is all." Kweli knew this was likely not true at all. But for the sake of conversation, he decided to play devil's advocate.

Kweli listened intently to Kito's next words, a proposal on what exactly to tell Hiroshi and Ari about their day. Kweli, to be fully honest, did not mind leaving out some of the more interesting details. After all, he had a feeling Hiroshi and Ari would be doing the same to them.

"I don't mind playing it off as no big deal--it really wasn't, anyway, aside from my scuffle with the wall. I'm sure all they'll really need to know is that we got 'em."

He winced, though, glancing upward. "Will be a little hard to hide my wounds, though. Maybe they won't notice it in the dark."

Though he kind of hoped they would. He knew it would be undoubtedly hilarious to listen to Ari get on Kito about letting Kweli get hurt, whether it was a big deal or not.

"Well," Kweli spoke again, "There's our spot. No sign of Ari and Hiroshi yet... hope they'll actually decide to come."

[KiarasMate]

Hearing Ari’s comment about his last actions and how she could have drowned, combined with her moist body lightly caressing up against his, Hiroshi was sent into another fit of laughter as he gave his body another quick shake, just to wet his golden furred friend down a little, before replying in a cheeky voice, his muzzle still sporting a wide grin as he spoke to her.

”Well, guess I’d have to perform mouth to mouth on you then if that had happened Ari, cause of course I wouldn’t want to lose such a wonderful lioness such as yourself.”

Returning Ari’s gentle gesture with one of his own as he lightly nuzzled himself against her cheek in a friendly fashion, Hiroshi’s ears perked as he listened to what his friend was asking him next. Pondering over the thought for a moment, pretending to look deep in thought even though he pretty much knew or at least, could take an educated guess in regards to what Kito and Kweli would have done, Hiroshi finally replied to Ari in a confident voice.

”Knowing Kito, he probably got the both of them in trouble and we’ll be lucky if they didn’t get exiled while we were off together Ari. Let’s just hope neither of them sustained any serious injuries, but if I had to place a bet, I’d say that Kito would be the most likeliest to have gotten hurt, probably at the paws of Kweli for some smart ass remark. Looks like we’ll find out very shortly though.”

==========

Internally, Kito gave a sigh of relief that Kweli was willing to tone down the events of the day. The last thing he wanted was to get a tongue lashing from Ari about how irresponsible and self-centered he was, as he always seemed to bring out that motherly side of Ari whenever he happened to pull any stunt that didn’t suit her fancy. Giving an appreciative smile to Kweli, Kito spoke up in a reassuring tone as his eyes drifted back up towards the darkening sky above.

”Sounds like a plan Kweli, and I don’t think you have to worry about that. If worst comes to worst, we’ll just say we were fighting off some of those mangy ass hyenas to save a pretty face. She can’t get mad if we were doing something honorable now could she?”

Hearing Kweli’s next statement, Kito was about to speak up once more when he caught sight of movement in the distance, prompting the observant male to sit up as he grinned, catching sight of both Ari and Hiroshi, who were advancing towards where himself and Kweli were situated. Noting the way both his friend’s fur looked in the fading daylight, Kito couldn’t help himself as he called out to the pair in a humorous tone.

”Well well well, look what the cat dragged in. You two look like hell. Please tell me that’s water in your fur and not some other result from something both Kweli and myself shouldn’t know about?”

Now that they had arrived at their spot, Hiroshi’s ears picked up the sound of Kito’s voice booming over the savannah. Staying quiet, as he knew that Ari would most certainly field Kito’s comment with a witty comment of her own as she never missed an opportunity to put him in his place, Hiroshi padded over to his typical spot, giving Kweli a friendly nod as he passed before laying himself down upon the soft grass, leaving enough room for Ari to squeeze in between where he and Kito were laying. Waiting for everyone to get comfortable and for both Ari and Kito to quell their dialog, Hiroshi spoke up in a pleasant voice as he glanced over towards Kweli.

”Well, today was a really nice day if I do say so myself but why don’t you start things off tonight for us Kweli. Believe me, both Ari and myself are just dying to know how your day with Kito went and we both are sincerely sorry for having left you with such company as Kito.”

[YFWE]

As they walked toward the grasslands, where Kito and Kweli were already situated, Ari heard Kito's taunt and grinned slightly. "Think what you want, Kit, darling. Surely you know all about that sort of thing with all those other lionesses, hm? They are lionesses, right?"

She made her way over to her usual place between Hiroshi and Kito, almost certain she would get some sort of response from him. Not that it mattered much. Not even the most off-color remark from Kito could ruin her day. Things had gone almost perfectly.

She grinned innocently over at Hiroshi as she laid down. She curled her paw toes in between Hiroshi's, as she or he often did. This evening, however, she leaned her head against his slightly, only half-listening to what the others, staring up at the starry night sky.

Kweli's head jerked up a bit when Hiroshi addressed him, willing him to tell of his day first. Glancing over at Kito fleetingly, he looked over at Hiroshi, nodded, and then laid his head back against the ground, scanning the stars. "You know me, Hiro, not much to say. Kito was cool though," he said. "We were able to land some pelts for our den. No big deal there. And we just kinda... laid around the rest of the day."

He certainly had not lied; that really was all they had done. He had just forged about half the details.

Ari came out of her respite for a brief moment, looking over at Kweli. She was used to him being quiet, but not... this quiet. He had not gone into detail about how they had gotten the pelts, though she was grateful for them, and... "Kweli," said Ari, squinting through the darkening evening at him, "is that... blood on your face? What on earth were you guys up to?!"

Kweli reached up quickly, patting his forehead. Damn, he thought. Should've known they weren't fully healed yet. He shrugged, attempting to play it off. "Just a little mishap getting the pelts. Like I said, no big deal. ...right, Kito?" He glanced over at the lion next to him, giving a slight shrug. He had done all he could to mask what had really happened.

[KiarasMate]

Upon hearing Ari’s response, Kito’s face scrunched up as if his head had been stuck up the back side of a hippo. Curling his nose and bearing his teeth at the golden furred lioness, Kito had to all but restrain himself from throwing out a torrent of profanities in regards to her addressing him by his most disliked nickname. Gritting his teeth and not wishing to cause a scene in front of the others however, Kito quickly calmed his nerves as he shot back a sour remark to Ari, his words dripping with sarcasm.

”More lioness than you’ll ever be Tomcat and don’t ever call me that again or I’ll make you look worse than you already do so that even Hiro won’t want to look at ya.”

Seeing that Kweli was about to speak up now, Hiroshi motioned a paw towards Kito, hushing his friend in an instant as both himself and the frazzled up male on the other side of Ari listened intently to Kweli explaining what they had done that day. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, making Kito relax momentarily, up until the point when Ari’s voice chimed in. Shutting his eyes briefly as he knew that she had spotted Kweli’s injury, Kito wasted no time in confirming Kweli’s excuse, still feeling slightly offended by Ari’s statement from before as he did so.

”Chill out Ari, you’re not his mother. He said he’s fine and it was no big deal so don’t get your tail in a knot. Besides, you should be thankful. Once you see the pelts we managed to get our paws on, you’ll be thanking us both by kissing our paws, although I don’t think I particularly want your dirty lips anywhere around my body but still. Speaking of which,” Kito stated, now sporting a toothy grin as he glared at Ari. ”What did you and Hiro do today hmm? Should I cover Kweli’s ears for these details or what?”

Normally, Hiroshi would have stepped in to field the question for the both of them however, having Ari laying exceptionally close to him upon this night and thinking about the days events in his mind, the distracted male stayed mute as his paw gently squeezed Ari’s as their paw toes intertwined. Keeping his gaze at an angle this time around so that he could both watch the stars above that began to dot the night sky, as well as to keep a subtle gaze over Ari’s attractive face, Hiroshi seemed lost in his own little world as his warm breath beat softly against Ari’s ear that was only a few inches away from where his muzzle rested.

[YFWE]

Ari rolled her eyes. "Jeez, Kito, chill out. So what if I'm concerned about my friend's well-being? I'd do the same for you, ass or not," she added. "And I'm sure the pelts look lovely, though I still have to wonder how you two got 'em. I wouldn't want dearest Kit here to go into another fit of rage, so I'll leave it at that."

She paused for a moment, allowing herself to calm down before continuing. The feel of Hiroshi's breath against her ear most certainly helped, and it reminded her of the day that she had had, which was an almost instant relaxant. "Our day was fine, by the way. Hiro and I just went out exploring the Pride Lands, really. Took a walk, talked... ended up in the waterhole before coming here."

Kweli glanced from Kito to Ari. Sometimes it truly frightened him how much animosity there could be between the two, to the point where sometimes he worried they were going to kill each other. He had decided before that only two things could come of their friendship--that either one would kill the other or they would, against all odds, end up falling in love. There was no in-between.

He rubbed his forehead with a paw, attempting to wipe off the secondary drops of blood that had formed there. He felt almost for certain he would be questioned later, either by Hiroshi or by Ari, about how he really got his wounds and probably would be unable to hide the truth then. He felt much braver lying when Kito was around.

Ari turned over her head to find Hiroshi even closer to her than she had thought, startling her for a moment before she began to laugh softly. "That's all I had. Hiro, would you like to add anything to that?" she gave him a squeeze of his paw with her own.

[KiarasMate]

Feeling the fur on the back of his neck standing on end from Ari once more, referring to him by his hated nickname, Kito glared at her with a cold stare before quickly averting his gaze upwards as not to let slip any unsavory retort seeing as Ari had already begun to state what she and Hiroshi had been up to. Only partially paying attention to what the golden furred lioness was saying, as he was rather infuriated by the way she had responded, even though it was nothing new to him, Kito merely laid there, a look of distain plastered upon his face as Ari finished speaking. Had he actually looked over at the pair, Kito might have noticed the way his two friends were reacting to one another’s presence, perhaps giving him a bit more insight to what was going on but maybe it was fortunate for the pair that he wasn’t, as the mood he was in would probably lead him into saying something quite spiteful.

Unlike his friend however, Hiroshi was feeling quite the opposite at this point. Laying closer than usual to Ari and feeling her gentle squeeze around his paw, the dazed male barely caught wind of his golden furred friend’s inquiry. It wasn’t until he noticed that no one was speaking any longer and seeing Ari’s inquisitive stare aimed towards him now, did Hiroshi finally come back down to reality as he managed to stammer.

”Hmm? Oh, right. No, that’s pretty much all we did. Nothing out of the ordinary but a very pleasant day nonetheless.”

Sporting a fond smile as he looked over at Ari for a second before turning his attention back to the other two males, sitting up as he did so, Hiroshi reflected briefly over what had been stated, trying to focus his mind more upon the discussion at paw rather than the mixed feelings that swirled around him in regards to Ari herself. Remembering the part about the pelts now, Hiroshi dawned a smirk as he glanced over at Kweli, speaking in a curious voice as he rose to all fours now, leaving a moist imprint of his body upon the grass below him from the way he was laying and having had damp fur to begin with before he had situated himself in his usual spot.

”Well, just as long as you two didn’t get yourselves into any trouble, I guess that’s all that really matters. I must admit though, sleeping on a comfortable pelt sure sounds a lot better than just sleeping on the cave floor, so I personally thank the both of you for your efforts today, although maybe I should actually see the pelts before I start throwing around praise.”

Grinning innocently just so his words would be taken lightly, Hiroshi gave his body a much needed stretch as he let out a muffled yawn before turning to face Ari, stealing yet another glance at her beautiful features before once more, addressing his band of friends in a pleasant voice.

”Well, shall we head home now? I’m sure we all have lots of things we’ll need to get done tomorrow, right?”

Not even needing a second reminder, Kito hurriedly rose to his paws and took his leave away from Ari, shooting her another sarcastic look before he began to wander back towards the direction of their den. Watching intently, Hiroshi simply shook his head and waited for both Ari and Kweli to join him before he started to make his way after Kito, giving a quick glance down to where Ari had been laying, noticing the way the grass had also conformed to her frame, leaving a temporary image of the two felines, laying together in the grass, connected at the paws, bringing a warm smile to his muzzle as he glanced back over to Kweli, speaking to his friend in a low tone.

”Hey Kweli, I was wondering, if you didn’t have any plans tomorrow, would you like to accompany me upon my patrol? His majesty usually doesn’t mind if I bring along a friend, just as long as it’s not a lioness.”

Typically Hiroshi dragged Kito along for the patrols but after spending the day with Ari and realizing that himself and Kweli hadn’t really had the chance to get to know one another aside from the previous night’s incident, Hiroshi figured that this would be a perfect opportunity to hopefully strengthen their bond of friendship and would give him a chance to show Kweli something as well. Keeping his voice quiet, as he didn’t want to draw attention from Kito, Hiroshi hoped that Kweli wouldn’t mind joining him, although the thought of leaving Ari with Kito, especially in the state the two seemed to be in right now, did bother Hiroshi a tiny bit. The two of them always seemed to be at each other’s throats but their banter always seemed harmless for the most part. Tonight seemed oddly different however, but perhaps this was due in part to the events that had unfolded between Ari and himself. Shrugging this feeling off however, knowing that if worst came to worst, Ari could always just spend the day with her mother and The Hunting Party, Hiroshi figured that there was nothing to worry about as he waited for Kweli’s response.

[YFWE]

The sky was now completely dark, with no traces of the day's prior sunlight existing. It was nearly time to head back to their den, time to turn in for the evening. Ari sighed. She did not want this night to end, not just yet. Alas, when Hiroshi arose finally, she knew it was time. She let out a pronounced yawn as Hiroshi spoke, stretching out her body and managing to aim a kick at Kito's leg herself as she stood.

Kweli heard Hiroshi's comment about the pelts and instantly began to hope that they were actually up to satisfaction. They were the King's pelts after all so he could not see why they would not be, but he had a tendency to worry about this sort of thing, especially when it pertained to his friends. He never wanted to let anyone down. Trying to sound reassuring, he said, "Oh yeah, Hiro, I'd say they're pretty top-notch, best of the best and all that. Kito and I tested them out before we came here. I know I for one liked them."

They all rose and began on their way back to the den, Kito much more quickly than the rest of them. Ari had intended upon walking back with Hiroshi, perhaps talking about a few more things, maybe even asking him if he wanted to go on a moonlight stroll with her, as she was still on edge with excitement from the day's events. She saw Hiroshi making his way over to Kweli, though, and fell silent, grinned, and continued walking toward the den, making it a point to stay a few paces behind Kito, as she felt he was even more perturbed tonight than usual, probably due to his nickname being brought up. Totally worth it, though, Ari thought. Besides... it's just a name.

As he watched Hiroshi approach and begin speaking to him, Kweli fleetingly wondered why he had sought him out instead of walking with Ari, as he usually did. Not that he necessarily minded conversation; it just surprised him. Though as he listened, Hiroshi's motives became much clearer, and he felt obligated to nod in agreement, even if he was not exactly sure what he would be doing. "I'd be up for it," he said. "Why me, though? I mean, don't you usually take Kito?"

Ari listened casually to Hiroshi and Kweli's conversation and, wanting to perhaps get in a little more mischief before the night had ended, trotted up a little closer to Kito. "Hear that, Kito?" she asked, deciding against using the nickname this time around. "Looks like it'll be you and me together tomorrow. Isn't that exciting?!" she said in as sweet a voice as she could muster, knowing it would more than likely annoy Kito to the bone.

[KiarasMate]

”Yeah, I typically do Kweli but it’s always nice to change things up every now and then, isn’t it? Hiroshi stated with a smile, still keeping his voice hushed as he continued. ”Besides, from what Ari’s told me, you’re an excellent advice giver so I figure that I might as well take advantage of that from you buddy, but more on that tomorrow. Thanks for accepting to come along with me though. I can’t promise that it’ll be very exciting, as patrols aren’t usually action packed but who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky.” Glancing over at the side of Kweli’s head, seemingly taking notice of his injury for the first time, Hiroshi couldn’t help but to add in. ”Hmm, or maybe you’ve already had enough action for the time being by the looks of that wound on your head buddy. You know if it starts to bother you, we could always drop by Rafiki’s baobab tree for some medicine. Just a suggestion for you to keep in mind.”

Giving Kweli a friendly nod, Hiroshi fell silent as the two males walked side by side, Hiroshi’s focus drifting back to Ari, who was walking several paces ahead of him and talking with Kito, or so it seemed. Trying his best not to look as though he was as interested in Ari’s hind quarters as he might have been, knowing that Kweli was quite the observant lion when he wanted to be, Hiroshi smiled fondly as he continued along his way back towards their cave.

Keeping up a brisk pace just to stay ahead of his three friends, still sulking from the way Ari had acted, Kito’s ears flicked in annoyance as they picked up the sound of the golden furred lioness’ voice, causing him to slow his strides just so he could make out what she was saying to him, even if he already could have guessed that it would be something he’d rather not want to hear. Turning his head and flashing Ari a smug sneer, Kito replied in a clueless voice, his eyes narrowing defiantly as he did so.

”Now what are you blabbing on about Tomcat?” Swiveling his ears towards where Hiroshi and Kweli were conversing at, picking up bits and pieces of their dialog, Kito quickly figured out what Ari was referring to, causing him to sigh dejectedly as he spoke up again. ”Oh yeah…real exciting Ari. Almost as exciting as having an elephant tusk rammed up your ass, but I think that would be a lot less painful than having to spend the day with the likes of you.”

Lowering his gaze back down to the ground, not really feeling like even trying to match Ari’s quick witted comments as the prospects of having another day spent without the company of his best friend was beginning to weigh heavily upon him, making him a bit more moodier than he typically was, Kito stayed mute till they reached their den, at which point his mood slightly improved, knowing that at least both Hiroshi and Ari would enjoy the fruits of both his and Kweli’s labor, or at least, they better. Pausing at the entrance, Kito casually stepped aside to allow Ari to enter the den first, purposely sticking out one of his fore legs as her hind legs passed in the hopes of tripping her up before he stated in a cocky tone.

”Well, what do you both think, hmm? A lot better than it looked this morning right?”

Entering the cave shortly after Ari had, Hiroshi took sight of the four neatly positioned pelts that adorned the back end of the den. Even though he had seen these pelts many a time, having been in The Main Den on numerous of occasions, Hiroshi wasn’t about to bruise his best friend’s ego if he could help it. Giving an impressed whistle, followed by an appreciative smile towards both Kito and Kweli, Hiroshi responded in a supportive voice.

”Indeed Kito. You really have good taste when it comes to the better things in life, don’t you buddy.”

[YFWE]

Kweli could not help but notice Kito staring at his wounds and was quick to avert his gaze. He really did not know they were that bad... they certainly did not feel as painful as they had before. "We can stop by if you think they look bad, but to be honest, it's not a big deal. I feel fine," said Kweli once Hiroshi had ceased to talk. "I'd be glad to accompany you though... and I'll try to help with things the best I can," he added.

Meanwhile, Ari's grin slowly faded at Kito's comments. Something really seemed to be eating away at him now, and she had a feeling it did not merely have to do with her usage of his nickname. She was nowhere near as good as Kweli at reading this sort of thing, however, so she left it at that, choosing to not even reply to Kito's smug comment as they entered the den.

Having not been paying attention to where she was walking, Ari did not avoid Kito's foreleg and tripped over it, sliding clumsily to the ground. She shook herself off and got to her paws, not saying a word. Once again, sometimes it was good to let Kito win a few battles. Things were a lot better that way, and it seemed like Kito needed a bit of a pick-me-up for his ego.

Kweli entered the den last, his mind still on his time with Hiroshi that was upcoming. Was Hiroshi serious when he said that he might need some advice? That worried Kweli if it was true, for he had a good idea as to what sort of advice he probably needed. Not that he could not handle it, of course; he just did not want to say anything he was not supposed to say.

"Glad you guys like the pelts. I'm exhausted, though, so I'm gonna go pass out," Kweli announced. He laid down on his pelt and was silent almost immediately, though he had not fallen asleep just yet.

"I agree with Hiro. Good job, you two," added Ari, pawing one of the pelts. "Anything's better than the cave floor, but you guys really went all out. It'll be like sleeping in the Main Den!"

Ari turned, eyed the mouth of the cave momentarily, and then addressed Kito and Hiroshi, though mainly the latter. "So you guys ready to turn in, then?"

[KiarasMate]

Assuming that his pelt was the one that was situated next to the pelt that Ari herself had already claimed as her own, Hiroshi casually made his way over to the soft looking furnishing as his paws stepped lightly atop it, instantly being rewarded by it’s smooth and inviting texture, evoking a pleasurable purr to escape his muzzle as he slowly lowered himself further upon the lavish pelt. Hearing Ari’s remark, combined with the wonderful sensation of the soft pelt below him, Hiroshi was quick to respond as he stretched his body out to its full length, still having quite a bit of room left atop his velvety bed as he replied in a euphoric voice.

”Oh jeez, sleeping on something like this, good luck trying to wake me up tomorrow. I’ll be lucky if I’m not late for patrol from not wanting to get off of this cozy pelt.” Glancing over at both Ari and Kweli, who had seemingly situated themselves and were already preparing to turn in for the night, Hiroshi grinned at the golden furred lioness next to him as he continued speaking in a joking fashion. ”If I’m not up before you are Ari, promise me you’ll pull this pelt out from under me so I’ll wake up, kay?”

Even after having succeeded in tripping up Ari, Kito didn’t feel quite as much satisfaction from his antics as he normally would, his mood still being soured from having had to spend the day with Kweli, and now, having to spend the following day with Ari. Trying his best not to play the sympathy card however and doing his best to come off as being normal, Kito waited for Hiroshi to get comfortable and finish speaking before he took the floor, responding to Ari’s inquiry in a nonchalant manner.

”I think I’m going to take a quick walk before turning in. I’ll be back shortly. Don’t bother staying up or anything.” Kito stated, already beginning to make his way out of the cave as he mumbled under his breath. ”Not that any of you would anyways…”

Once outside the den and finally being alone with his thoughts, Kito sighed once more as he started to walk off towards the distant figure of Pride Rock, various thoughts swimming around in his mind as he traveled along silently. Having nothing to really worry about from being alone at this time of night, seeing as most of the pride avoided him anyways and being much more capable to fend off any unwanted attention than either of his friends, Kito knew that he would be fine on his own. Reaching the base of Pride Rock, Kito’s focus was suddenly detoured from voices coming from within The Main Den. Having his curiosity sparked and seeing no one else around, Kito stealthily made his way closer to the mouth of the large den, making sure to use every bit of cover to his advantage, avoiding the pale moonlight that shown down upon the quiet lands as he moved along. Finding a particularly good spot to ease drop from, Kito strained his ears to pick up upon what was being discussed and by whom. Kito’s sharp hearing instantly picked up the familiar voice of Scar, as well as one of his many hyena lackeys, however, it wasn’t the company that held his interest, but rather, the subject to which they were conversing about.