[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

Ari yawned as she patted down her pelt, smoothing it out as best as she could as she grinned at Hiroshi's comments. "Maybe I won't wake you up," she said with a wink. "It'd be fun to see Scar get on your butt about being late."

She attempted to avert her gaze, her head in her paws, as Kito announced his plans to take a walk. She was trying to look uninterested in the development, though internally she was thinking about it--Kito never went on walks like this alone. Sure, he had his moments sometimes, but rarely was he like this, rarely to this extent. She still could not tell what it was, though. She was almost certain it was not just the usage of his nickname, however.

They watched Kito exit the den, and sat in silence for a few moments. Once he was out of earshot, however, Kweli spoke up, "Man... what do you think's eating him?"

Ari shrugged. "I dunno. He'll probably be over it by the morning, though, whatever it is. At least, he'd better if I have to spend the day with him tomorrow."

Kweli was not convinced, staring at the entrance thoughtfully. He slowly rose to all fours.

"What are you doing?" Ari asked, holding back another yawn.

"I dunno... I'm kinda worried about him..." said Kweli. "I think I'm gonna go make sure he's alright, or at least doesn't do something stupid." In private, Kweli wondered if perhaps he could coax out of Kito what was bothering him, even though he had a feeling he knew what the issue was already.

"Will you guys be okay?" he asked as he paused at the entrance, looking out at the dark savanna with slight trepidation.

[KiarasMate]

Continuing to lay where he was as he watched Kito taking his leave from the den, Hiroshi made no effort to stop his best friend, nor did he seem all that interested in following him. Perhaps it was the fact that his mind was still being occupied with the thoughts of Ari and himself, but more likely than not, it was the fact that he knew the best thing whenever Kito got into this type of mood, was to give him his space and eventually he’d get over whatever it was that was bothering him. Whatever the case may have been, Hiroshi didn’t look concerned as he heard Ari and Kweli speaking, causing him to glance over just in time to notice Kweli beginning to make his way towards the entrance of the den, prompting him to speak up in a reassuring voice.

”I’d just let Kito be if I were you Kweli. Whenever he gets this moody, the best thing to do is just let him have his space and to mind our own business. Not to sound too straight forward but I’d hope that I would at least know Kito well enough to know this much. Just give him a bit. He’ll be fine on his own and I’m sure he’ll be back in a bit. Besides, he’d probably cop an attitude towards you if you went after him. Trust me, he’ll be fine buddy. We need our rest for tomorrow’s patrol. There’s going to be a lot of walking involved.”

Letting out another tired yawn, Hiroshi snuggled back down into his sleeping pelt, rolling onto his side so that he was facing Ari now as he dawned a sheepish smile, his hazel eyes meeting with her amber ones briefly before they slowly began to close. Purring quietly to himself, Hiroshi spoke up one last time before sleep finally won him over.

”Night Kweli. Night Ari. See you both in the morning.”

==========

Kito had been listening to the private conversation that had been taking place within The Main Den for a few minutes now, his ears flicking on occasion from specific words that drifted out through the still night air to where he was positioned at. Grimacing by this point at what he had managed to overhear, Kito figured that it was time to bail, as the voices from within started to draw closer, signifying that someone was about to exit the large abode. Being as careful as he could not to make a single sound, Kito swiftly bid a hasty retreat from the scene in front of him, back on a straight course for the den, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran.

Reaching about the half way point from where the cave was situated, Kito slowed his pace and did his best to compose his nerves. Placing a paw over his head and taking a deep breath, Kito glanced up at the night sky before traveling the rest of the way back to where his friends were, entering the den in relative silence. Taking note of Ari as he entered the cave, Kito immediately put forth a false front as he acted like his normal self, flashing her a smug grin before making his way over to where his pelt was, stepping purposely over and slightly on top of her before flopping himself down and turning on his back to face the ceiling of the den. Speaking up in a leisurely voice, maintaining his cool demeanor, Kito stated as he shut his eyes and prepared himself for another nights sleep.

”Nothing like a refreshing walk to clear your mind. Well, night you three.”

[YFWE]

Kweli looked back at his two friends, a hint of concern spread across his muzzle. Ari already appeared to be passed out, and Hiroshi was imploring him not to go out after Kito, that he would be fine. And deep down, Kweli knew he was right. Kito would be fine. Something simply did not feel right about the situation and about how Kito was acting. That and that alone was the reason for Kweli's initial decision to follow Kito, to make sure he was alright.

But Hiroshi's comments had appeased him, and, nodding, he turned back, sauntering over to his pelt and lowering himself onto it, resting his head in his paws. He decided he would at least stay awake long enough to see Kito's return, but at Hiroshi's request would not go out after him. Night, Hiro," responded Kweli to Hiroshi's valediction. "Night, Ari," he added, though he was sure she was already asleep.

Kweli lay in wait, as he listened to both of his friends' slowed, heavy breathing, signifying that they were asleep. He glanced over for a moment, hearing some movement and wondering if Kito had finally returned. But it only been Ari. She had moved closer to Hiroshi and was now on her side, her muzzle facing his, not inches from his body. Kweli grinned slightly. He knew it was only a matter of time now before they officially became mated; it had to be. All signs pointed to it. And as always, Kweli was happy for them. Fleetingly, he began to wonder if the advice Hiroshi required the next day concerned his feelings for Ari.

Though before he could contemplate this fully, another sound of movement echoed from inside the cave, and Kweli averted his gaze to see Kito walking in. He breathed a tiny sigh of relief and, without another thought on the matter, closed his eyes. He could think more on his friends in the morning. For now--Hiroshi was correct, he needed his rest.

Ari jerked slightly when Kito tread on her, and she aimed a small kick at him in return once she came to, though she missed entirely. Completely resigned to this, however, she lowered her hindleg and returned to the warmth of Hiroshi, and dozed off again almost instantly.

Hearing Kito's bidding of goodnight, Kweli perked up slightly, giving a small, whispered, distant "Good night," before finally giving into sleep himself.

[KiarasMate]

Standing at the base of Pride Rock, Kito stared up at the peculiar sight in front of him. Situated comfortably next to one another stood Ari and Scar, both creatures looking quite entranced by each other’s company. Squinting his eyes and twitching his ears to try and detect what was being said between the two felines, Kito seemed puzzled from what was going on in front of him. Suddenly spotting the two distant figures beginning to make their way into the near by cave and feeling a sharp uneasy feeling quelling in his stomach, Kito opened his muzzle to call out to Ari in the hopes of grabbing her attention but to no avail as not a single audible noise left his mouth as he did so.

Becoming a bit more panicked at this point, being unable to vocalize a warning to her, Kito ordered his legs to move as the worried male dashed forward as quickly as he could. Widening his eyes as he could feel his limbs moving below him, yet the distance between where he was and where Scar and Ari were quickly vanishing at, remained the same no matter how hard he tried to get closer. Trying once more to call out to his friend, yet resulting in the same lack of sound, Kito slowed his pace as both Ari and Scar’s silhouettes disappeared within the dark confines of The Main Den, out of sight from where he now stood. Feeling utterly helpless by this point, Kito merely stood idly by as he waited for something to happen, the silence around him seeming almost deafening as his emerald eyes fixated themselves upon the den entrance. Suddenly the stillness was broken by a painful sounding cry which rattled Kito to his very core, causing the startled male to flinch as he knew just who had emitted the agonizing noise. Trying desperately to move once more, Kito found himself glued to the spot as his eyes caught sight of a rather disturbing image. A shallow river of crimson liquid seemed to be sliding down the slope of Pride Rock, on route to where he was now standing. Unable to move and surrounded by a never ending black abyss, Kito could only watch on in horror as the red river flowed past his paws, enveloping them completely. Feeling a chilling sensation from what was happening, Kito lifted one of his fore paws, examining it as the crimson droplets trickled down the length of his fore leg. Shaking uncontrollably by this point, Kito lowered his paw back into the bloody pool below him before stealing a glance back up towards The Main Den. The sight that met his eyes instantly enraged Kito, causing the disturbed male to bear his teeth viciously as his claws ejected, his chest puffing up as he prepared to let out a ear splitting roar.

Waking up with a sudden jolt, the sounds of his nightmare still echoing in his head, Kito panted profusely as his eyes shot down to his fore paws, noticing that he had clawed several deep furrows into the sleeping pelt below him. Glancing over to his left, spotting Ari who was still sleeping peacefully rather close to Hiroshi, Kito’s nerves gradually began to settle as he silently rolled to his paws and made his way towards the entrance to the den. Looking towards the distant horizon, figuring that it was nearing dawn, Kito took one last gaze behind him before setting out towards the cave where The Hunting Party would be found, hoping to bring back a bit of breakfast for his friends, as well as to clear his mind of the horrid dream he had just had.

Unlike his best friend, Hiroshi’s dreams were quite enjoyable, clearly represented from the calm looking smile plastered upon his muzzle as he dozed. It wasn’t until the first rays of light that shown through the den entrance, reflecting their warm glow upon him, did Hiroshi finally begin to stir, his hazel eyes opening to catch sight of Ari, who’s muzzle was mere inches away from his, causing Hiroshi to pull back slightly before letting out a quiet yawn. Giving his chest a quick scratch, Hiroshi leaned in to give Ari a soft nuzzle before rising to all fours and silently making his way over to where Kweli was resting. Gently giving his friend a light nudge with his fore paw, Hiroshi spoke in a low voice, hoping not to disturb Ari’s slumber yet being loud enough to rouse Kweli from his sleep.

”Hey Kweli, time to head out for patrol. You still coming or you want to sleep the day away with Ari here?”

Spotting Kweli’s eyes beginning to part, Hiroshi sported a friendly smile before backing up a few paces, giving Kweli plenty of space to wake himself up at. While waiting for his friend to shake off the sleep, Hiroshi noticed the damage that had been perpetrated to Kito’s sleeping pelt, combined with the absence of his best friend, which wasn’t anything unusual as Kito was typically the first to rise out of the four friends. Gazing back towards Kweli now however and keeping his voice still toned down, Hiroshi addressed his friend as he started to advance towards the mouth of the cave.

”Sorry, there really isn’t any time for breakfast but I’m sure we’ll be able to snag some lunch later. Just can’t keep his royal highness waiting or I’ll never hear the last of it.”

[YFWE]

Kweli felt a soft nudge and was pulled out of his pleasant slumber. Once Kito had finally returned to the den the night before, he had slept rather soundly, aided no doubt by the comfortable pelts he and Kito had been able to obtain the previous day. Having reaped the fruits of his labor to the best of his ability, his eyes fluttered open, beholding Hiroshi standing before him and announcing their plans for the morning.

"Good moooooooorning," said Kweli in the middle of a timely yawn. He got to all fours, stretching and yawning again. He glanced around, noticing Kito's empty pelt and Ari still snoozing soundly. His gaze momentarily dwelled upon the claw marks left in Kito's pelt, but was pulled back into the conversation by Hiroshi, who was noting that breakfast would not be an option that particular morning.

"No worries," he said. "We ate well yesterday, so I'm not too hungry. And I don't want to invoke the King's wrath any more than you do. He doesn't seem like the morning type." He paused. "Though come to think of it, he doesn't seem like the type that enjoys any part of the day."

He joined Hiroshi at the entrance and stepped out into the light of the morning. It was another sunny day, though certainly not too warm. That said, it was still early in the morning, so the more intense heat could still hit them eventually.

"So," started Kweli as he turned back to Hiroshi. "What do you think we'll be doing this morning?"

[KiarasMate]

Pleased in the fact that Kweli seemed eager enough to get the days events underway, Hiroshi stepped out of the den after his friend and proceeded to take lead as he started towards the direction of Pride Rock, making sure to keep a leisurely, yet steady pace to ensure that the pair would arrive in a timely fashion to their desired destination. Hearing Kweli’s inquiry, Hiroshi thought for a moment before speaking up in response in a casual tone.

”Ahh, patrols are pretty laid back Kweli. All that’s really required of us is to scout all the way around the perimeter of The Pride Lands and look for anything out of the ordinary. His majesty seems to be getting a bit more paranoid it seems with each passing season, so he likes to keep a tight shift upon these lands. If we run into any problems along the way, it’s up to us to decide whether or not we can handle the situation on our own, which most of the time, is the case, or if further assistance is needed from the rest of the pride, in which case, one of us would have to go back to inform his royal highness about the trouble at paw, while the other keeps an eye on whatever it is that requires our attention. That’s pretty much the basics of it really and from all my past times patrolling, I assure you that it’s rare to even come across anything that would remotely resemble danger but better safe than sorry I suppose.”

Offering Kweli a reassuring smile as he finished speaking even though he figured that Kweli would be able to hold his own no matter what could potentially take place upon this day, Hiroshi turned his stare back to the looming structure ahead of him as he continued to pad through the moist grass that was lined with the early morning dew. Reaching the base of Pride Rock Shortly there after, Hiroshi motioned for Kweli to stay put as he spoke in a calm voice.

”Wait here Kweli. I’ll let his highness know that we’re off to do the patrol. Shouldn’t take more than a minute. Be right back.”

With this stated, Hiroshi bounded up the slope of the rock formation and disappeared into the mouth of the cave. True to his word, Hiroshi emerged very shortly there after, making his way back down to where he had left his friend. Giving the go ahead to Kweli, Hiroshi once again, took lead before stating in a pleasant tone now that the both of them were pretty much on their own for the remainder of the day.

”Alrighty. Looks like we made it on time, and besides, his majesty’s attention seemed to be preoccupied with Kito’s mom. Please don’t ask me to go into further detail though Kweli. It’s bad enough that I had to walk in on that. Anyways, let’s start out by making our way to The Borderlands. From there, we can give The Outlands a quick scan and we’ll finish off with taking a stroll to The Elephant Graveyard so I can show you that something I made mention to last night. I figure this will give us a chance to talk a bit too while we patrol, that is, if you don’t mind that of course buddy. I sort of feel like I don’t know enough about you, but from what Ari tells me and from what I do know of you so far Kweli, I must say is very pleasing. Like I’ve told you before, you’re a good friend to both Ari and myself, and even Kito for that matter. Ari sure holds you in high regards and knowing her taste in friends, that has to say something for your character buddy.”

==========

Having been quite unsuccessful at retrieving any form of sustenance for himself or his friends as well as failing to even spot his mother in the sleeping quarters of The Hunting Party, Kito reluctantly started to make his way back to his den after briefly conversing with Ari’s mother Nafsi. Feeling a bit disappointed in himself this morning, most likely due to his previous nightmare, Kito completely forgot about the fact that Hiroshi had chosen to do his patrol with Kweli today instead of himself. This fact reentered his mind however once he arrived back at the den and spotted the absence of both Hiroshi and Kweli, only leaving Ari, who seemed to be still snoozing by herself. Letting an annoyed grunt to leave his muzzle, Kito figured that he might as well make the most of his day, even if he did have to spend it with Ari. Grinning to himself as he noticed that Ari was almost laying partially off the side of her sleeping pelt near where Hiroshi’s pelt began, Kito tip-toed his way over to the nearest corner of Ari’s sleeping pelt. Leaning down and taking the end of the pelt into his muzzle, being careful not to damage it in the process, Kito huffed as he roughly pulled the remaining sleeping pelt out from underneath Ari, forcing her onto the rather chilly den floor as he dropped his cargo from his mouth and chuckled deviously before speaking in his usual cocky voice.

”Morning Tomcat. Rise and shine. No amount of beauty sleep is going to help you so might as well face the day.”

Seeing just how annoyed Ari was from his former actions, Kito’s own spirit seemed to lift as he playfully picked up Ari’s sleeping pelt and tossed it over her, blanketing the irritated lioness under its soft texture before taking a seat and giving his side a much needed scratch with his hind leg. Watching in sheer pleasure as Ari freed herself from beneath the pelt, Kito grinned toothily towards his friend as he addressed her once again in a coy voice.

”So, you and Hiro seemed to be sleeping very close to one another last night Ari. What’s that all about, hmm? And don’t tell me it was just for warmth, cause that stupid smile on your face said otherwise.”

[YFWE]

Glad to be out and about as early as he was instead of wasting away the morning sleeping, Kweli walked alongside Hiroshi happily, taking in the inviting sunlight graciously. He was more than happy to be included by Hiroshi in his patrols for the day, as he felt it signified their bond becoming closer. As always, he was happy to simply be included in their little gang.

He listened to Hiroshi explaining the details of what they might encounter on their patrols, nodding intently at certain aspects. His grin widened as he finished his explanation--it appeared to him as if this would be nothing short of simple, which was of course something he always hoped for. After all, he had never been a very action-oriented lion. The less they had to do, they better.

"All that sounds good to me, Hiro," said Kweli as they approached Pride Rock. He watched as Hiroshi climbed up the large rock edifice on his way to meet the King, and sat back on his haunches. As he waited for his friend to return, he thought passingly of Ari and Kito back at the den... if Kito was even back, of course. They had been getting on each others' nerves to no end the previous evening, and he did not want either of them to do anything... well, stupid while alone together.

He saw Hiroshi bounding back down the rock toward him and gave his friend a bright smile. Off they walked, Hiroshi explaining to Kweli what exactly they would be doing. Everything seemed relatively painless to Kweli, as he nodded along to Hiroshi's directions. Sure, they were heading rather far away from Pride Rock, but it was not like he was doing this alone. Hiroshi knew the lands infinitely better than he did, and he felt much safer knowing this.

Kweli blushed at the mention of Ari and the good word she had apparently put in for him. She could be such a great friend, that Ari.

"Well... I'm one to be pretty modest. I don't really do much; I just listen to everyone. I'm a good listener and nothing more," he said with a slight grin. "I'm not very interesting myself, really. All I've got going for me is the fact that people seem to keep me around because they can tell me a secret or two. I mean, look at me," he grimaced as he looked away, "I'm pretty much a runt. I don't know what I'm going to do when I get older."

He stared up at a flock of birds fluttering past, the warm sun beaming down upon them. "So I figured I'd make friends anyway I could, since that's probably all I'll be. I'm glad I found you guys, though," he said. "Anything beats the living standards before this."

Glancing over at Hiroshi, trying to divert the attention away from himself, a question popped into his mind. "So it sounds like you and Ari had a really great time yesterday. She's gonna be a great lioness, don't you think?"

------

Ari had quite simply not been ready to wake up. She had had more than enough sleep through the night, but she had also been in the midst of a particularly pleasant dream that involved her and Hiroshi, and... well, it had begun to get to the good parts.

And so she was rather miffed at Kito for awaking her so abruptly, as one could imagine. The cold stone floor suddenly rubbing against her fur as the pelt she laid upon was stolen from under her, her eyes opened quickly, her mouth agape, as she looked around fervently, trying to figure out what had happened. Her gaze caught Kito, her pelt in her mouth, and her surprised countenance downturned into a look of extreme discontent. Messing with her in the early part of the morning was not a good idea; she thought she had gotten this through to Kito before.

Before she could make any sort of response, Kito had flung the pelt back on top of her. As she struggled to remove it, she heard Kito's mocking tone as he brought up her sleeping position the previous evening. Without warning, she let out a dejected growl and shook the pelt off her, leaping toward Kito and pinning him to the ground as he was in mid-scratch, her fangs bared menacingly.

"How many times have I told you not to mess with me before I'm fully awake?" growled Ari, in full-on pissed-off adolescent female mode. She leaned her head down close to Kito. "And for the record, it's none... of... your... business concerning how I sleep."

Ari looked toward the entrance, the sunlight flowing inside, and her mood picked up slowly. She jumped off Kito and walked toward the entrance, letting the light rays touch her paws and then her head. She grinned, basking in the warm beams. "It was cold," she called back once she'd regained her composure. "I thought we were supposed to huddle for warmth; that seems like the logical action to me."

She turned back to Kito and sauntered over to him. "If it'll make you feel more included, Kit, darling, I can always huddle up against you tonight. Would you enjoy that?"

[KiarasMate]

Listening politely to every word that left Kweli’s muzzle as the two felines strolled together in the relative tranquility of the early morning atmosphere, hiroshi frowned slightly from the way Kweli spoke down upon himself, yet staying quiet and saving his response for when his friend would finish speaking, Hiroshi continued to follow his friend’s dialog carefully. Upon hearing Kweli making a brief mention to his past, Hiroshi felt another question dancing at the tip of his tongue but again, waiting until his friend had finished speaking as not to appear rude, Hiroshi bided his time as Kweli’s final comment seemed to overshadow everything else he had been pondering over previously. Being in the presence of someone other than Kito, Hiroshi felt as though he could be a bit more open in regards to his feelings towards Ari, as it was highly unlikely that Kweli would be the type to mock him for having any sentimental feelings towards Ari herself. Smiling fondly as he gazed up into the clear blue sky above, Hiroshi replied in a thoughtful voice to Kweli’s question.

”Oh, I think that’s a little bit of an understatement buddy. I think Ari is truly destine for greatness. She’s definitely one of a kind and I can’t imagine her making anything less of her life than what everyone expects of her. She’s already an amazing hunter and is probably the youngest member of The Hunting Party to ever be allowed to join the hunt, or from what I know of it at least. Obviously you know that she’s a very sweet and understanding lioness and you couldn’t ask for a better friend than her. She just has this essence about her that makes everything seem perfect. I don’t know what it is or how she does it but every time I’m around her, she never fails to captivate me Kweli, especially yesterday.”

Taking a quick breather to give Kweli a moment to absorb everything he had said, Hiroshi noted that the pair had reached one of the many forks in the path they were traveling upon. Having traveled around the land more times than he could even count, Hiroshi didn’t even need a second glance before choosing the left path, which would lead the two friends to the outer limits of The Pride Lands in a matter of about an hour or so, giving them ample time to continue their discussion. Now that they were on a straight course to their next destination, Hiroshi resumed speaking, picking up where he had left off.

”In all honesty Kweli, the day I spent with Ari yesterday, it has to be one of the most memorable days I’ve had in as long as I can remember. I mean, things didn’t exactly start off perfectly, but by the end of the day, I’m telling you, I was about this close to kissing her, I swear buddy.” Hiroshi stated, lifting a paw and splaying apart two of his paw toes ever so slightly to give a visual indication of what he was comparing his last statement to. ”I didn’t want to do that though Kweli, cause I’m worried that she wouldn’t be ready for that type of thing, not to say that I myself am even ready for a relationship but she just does something to me whenever she’s near. It’s sort of embarrassing really but I find myself almost blushing when she gets too close and if she touches me, it’s like…the best feeling ever.”

Glancing over at Kweli now with a sheepish expression upon his face, Hiroshi fell quiet now, allowing his friend to meld over what he had just revealed to him, his tail swishing thoughtfully behind him as he anticipated what Kweli’s response would be.

==========

Looking quite pleased with himself, Kito continued to scratch himself in a carefree fashion, his eyes averting from Ari for a moment as he did so. It was at that split second, did Kito’s ears pick up the golden furred lioness’ growl, causing him to look up just in time to spot Ari pouncing towards him. Having no time to react from being in a sitting position to begin with, Kito simply braced his body for impact as his back hit the den floor with a muffled thump. Staring up at Ari with a look of both surprise and sarcasm, Kito curled his muzzle lips into a smug smile as he let her words bounce harmlessly off him, knowing that she wouldn’t do anything physical to him, or so he hoped. Feeling Ari dismounting from atop him now, Kito rolled onto his side before rising to all fours, giving his pelt a rough dusting from his fore paws before stating in an a apathetic voice.

”Wow, easy there Tomcat. Don’t want you bursting a blood vessel. You should have told me it was that time of the season for you.”

Suddenly noticing that Ari was making her way to the entrance of the den, looking as though as she were going to leave, Kito hurriedly made his way over to where she was, stepping in front of her to block the path as the vivid memories of his nightmare crept into the back of his mind. Trying not to look as though something was wrong, Kito simply played it off as nothing, speaking to the golden furred feline in a nonchalant voice.

”And where are you going all of a sudden? You aren’t that eager to leave me now, are you Ari? What happened to the whole snuggling together for warmth thing, hmm?”

Sporting a disgusted look as the last words left his muzzle, just so Ari wouldn’t take his comment the wrong way, Kito stayed where he was, making sure Ari wouldn’t leave the den without his company. Taking a seat to further ensure that his actions would be taken innocently, Kito met with Ari’s stare briefly before he had to look away, knowing that if she would suspect anything from him he’d have to come clean with what was truly bothering him.

[YFWE]

The vibrant scenes of the Pride Lands passing by him, Kweli listened with great interest to Hiroshi's account of his day spent with Ari. He was hoping Hiroshi would spill, perhaps, his feelings for the lioness... that way he could be less conflicted when giving Ari herself advice on how to approach the lion. And sure enough, he got the reaction he was looking for.

Kweli could not help but grin as he listened to Hiroshi dote on Ari. For one thing, it diverted the attention off of himself, which was always something to be desired, and for another, it was simply cute to listen to. He could tell that Hiroshi was truly smitten with Ari, and he was glad for him, too, because he knew himself that the feelings were mutual when it came to Ari. Of course, he would not say that directly, as a secret was a secret, but perhaps it could be implied.

Once Hiroshi was done speaking, Kweli gave a small chuckle. Well then, seems to me like someone's a little smitten," said Kweli in his usual quiet voice. "And while I can't speak for Ari obviously, I think she might feel the same way."

He paused for a moment, trying to formulate a good response.

"I want you guys to be sure you're not rushing into anything, whatever you do. I mean, don't ruin a perfectly great friendship by rushing into something without thinking and then ending up hating each other. Make sure all this is for real."

Kweli took a deep breath. "That said... I think maybe you should tell her how you feel. I know it's not my business, but that's my two cents. You guys don't have to be, I dunno, betrothed or anything yet, but I think you should at least let her know how you feel. And then... if things go well, you can build slowly on that, taking the necessary steps when and if you feel ready to."

He glanced over at Hiroshi. "Either way, I think you two would make a great combination. Really happy you two have found each other," he said with a sigh. "I'm glad a love story still exists in times as crazy as these."

------

"What are you doing, Kito?" asked Ari immediately as soon as Kito stepped in front of her, looking at him with an expression of bemusement. She had only planned on stepping outside for a quick assessment of the day's weather... it was not like she was going to run off and ditch him.

Shaking her head at his comments, Ari gave one last brief stare at Kito before returning to her pelt and flopping down upon it. "I think it's a bit warm now for snuggling, don't you think?" Ari could not believe she was having this conversation. He seemed oddly adamant about not letting her leave the den.

And of course, she would have to exploit this. She knew not why exactly why he was acting this way, but she simply could not pass up an opportunity to mess with Kito.

She got to all fours and walked toward the entrance again, squeezing past Kito and darting out into the savanna. "Uh oh, look, I'm outside, Kit, my dear! Whatever shall I do now?"

[KiarasMate]

Finding Kweli’s response to be quite intriguing as he listened to everything that his friend was telling him, Hiroshi couldn’t help but to smile wider at the mentioning of him and Ari being Betrothed. The thought had honestly entered his mind on several occasions, mainly when they were younger however and mostly influenced by talk amongst the adult members of the pride but still, hearing the word being spoken from Kweli, Hiroshi had to all but suppress a chuckle as he thought long and hard about what the smaller male had told him. Taking Kweli’s advice into consideration, Hiroshi spoke up after a moment of silence, a look of uncertainty present within his hazel eyes.

”I don’t know Kweli. I mean, I really do want to tell her how I feel about her but what if, like you said, that ends up ruining our friendship. I couldn’t stand to think of not having Ari in my life, even if it’s just only as a friend. She just means that much to me that I don’t even want to risk jeopardizing our friendship over my feelings. That said however, I honestly don’t know how much longer I can go without actually acting on one of those spur of the moment impulses I get whenever we’re alone together.”

Sighing softly, Hiroshi stayed quiet for a bit, pondering over what exactly he should do in regards to Ari. Noticing the terrain under his paws becoming a lot more dry and brittle, Hiroshi knew that they were nearing The Borderlands now, prompting him to snap out of his own thoughts as he took to being a bit more observant. Giving a thorough scan of the parched lands ahead of him, Hiroshi spoke up once again to his traveling companion as he motioned towards the seemingly never ending landscape ahead of them.

”Looks like there’s nothing out of the ordinary here Kweli, not as though any sane creature would even want to call those lands home, but yeah, I think we can move on, unless you really want to venture further into there. Nothing to see though and it’d be hot as hell so I think we should move on.”

Alternating their course now, Hiroshi started to make his way back towards the much more inviting scenery of The Grasslands as his mind reflected over what Kweli had stated at the beginning of their little journey. Hoping that he wasn’t crossing any unforeseen boundaries with his friend, Hiroshi spoke up in a curious tone as he addressed his friend with a timid smile.

”Say Kweli, I don’t mean to seem like I’m prying into your personal business but thinking about what you said earlier, its kind of got me wondering. What was your past like? You know, before you came to The Pride Lands? You seriously don’t have to answer that question if it’s too personal for you buddy, I’d totally understand and I don’t want you to think I’m being nosey or something but I already know so much about Kito and Ari, that I feel like I should know more about you too, seeing as we’re all friends.”

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Looking quite relieved when Ari made her way back to her sleeping pelt, Kito’s ears perked up from her response to what he had stated about them snuggling together, prompting the arrogant male to pretend to gag as he flashed Ari an obscene look before opening his muzzle to speak. Before any words could leave his mouth however, Kito caught sight of the golden furred lioness making her way back over to where he was. Feeling Ari push her way past where he was seated at the entrance of the cave, Kito looked quite annoyed as he rapidly rose to all fours and bounded out of the den after her, immediately chastising her for her loud remark.

”Damn it Ari, keep your voice down. Are you just trying to draw attention to yourself or what?”

Taking a quick glance around, just to ensure that no one was near by, Kito did his best to try and coax Ari back into the relative safety of their cave while still attempting to maintain his nonchalant attitude, which was becoming harder and harder to do with the way the golden furred feline was acting. Moving over to Ari’s other side, as if to try and block her from going anywhere, even though his efforts were in vein as she could have easily chosen to go in any direction seeing as they were in the open now, Kito lifted both of his fore paws, placing them atop Ari’s back, giving her a light push back towards the den. Unfortunately for Kito, his hind paws lost traction upon the slippery grass below him, resulting in him clumsily falling on top of his friend’s back in a rather compromising fashion. Struggling to his paws and hurriedly moving off of Ari, knowing that his accidental action would probably result in a most unwanted strike from her, Kito placed a paw upon the back of his head as he stated in an apologetic manner.

”Sorry Ari. I didn’t mean to do that. I was just trying to get you back into the den is All. Why do you have to be so stubborn though.”