[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

Kweli rolled his eyes. "Do I like Ari? No thanks, Kito. I don't want to jeopardize my friendship with her by doing something belligerent and regretting it later. And I'm sure I don't have to worry about you doing anything either, eh? Considering how you two seem to always be at each other."

Though deep down, Kweli doubted this. The fact that Kito seemed uncharacteristically interested in Ari's private discussions was odd at best. But for the moment, he chose to ignore it. There were far more important things to think about at that point in time. As long as Kito didn't take this too far, which Kweli figured he wouldn't. Still... it made one wonder.

He joined Ari, who was staring into a den opening that Hiroshi had sauntered into. They took in Hiroshi's announcement, that this was THEIR den... Wait, Kweli thought. OUR den?

Ari bounded forward into the den, dashing about, exploring every tiny nook and cranny. "This is it, Hiro?! The surprise?!" she cried, craning her neck to look back at the lion. "This is... this is GREAT!"

"You mean all four of us get to stay here?! Together?!" Kweli could not hold back his excitement. He normally slept alone.

Ari loped over to Hiroshi and pulled him into a tight hug with her left paw. "Hiro, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! How did you manage this?"

[KiarasMate]

”Are you kidding me Kweli? I’d rather stick my head in The Birdie Boiler than to call Ari my mate. She’s way too much of a lion for my likings. Any lioness who can beat me in a fight isn’t the type I want to live my life with thank you very much.” Kito retorted before the pair arrived at the specified location that Hiroshi was leading them to.

Upon entering the den himself, Kito took a page out of Ari’s book and began to investigate their so called new digs. Making sure to explore the opposite end of the cave that Ari herself was examining, Kito finally reached the area where Kweli and Hiroshi were standing, curling his nose in disgust as he stated in a humorous voice.

”Well, aside from it smelling like verminous hyena, it’s nice. I second the tomcat’s notion Hiro. Way to go buddy.”

Almost grinning from ear to ear from his friends exuberance towards their newly acquired home, aside from Kito’s smug remark which Hiroshi himself was already anticipating, the proud male fielded Ari’s question as he laughed openly to feel her friendly embrace, giving her a playful head bump before he started speaking.

”Well, like I told you guys, His Royal Highness had me doing countless tasks for him and his worthless horde of hyenas, and one of these tasks was to clean out this very den. I’d honestly rather not get into what went on in here but to put it shortly, it was worth all the work in the end, as His Majesty told me that for my efforts, this den was mine, and as you all know well enough by now, what’s mine is ours!”

Nodding his head in an appreciative manner towards Hiroshi, Kito, as expected, was the first to reply as he rubbed his fore paw upon the cave floor, bringing it upwards to inspect just how much dirt had managed to cake to the bottom of his paw before he glanced over at Ari and exclaimed.

”Well, I know Fila won’t have any issue with me staying here from now on. It’s a blessing in disguise for me too, seeing as I won’t have to wake up to her constant bit…erm, nagging.” Kito stated, holding his tongue as he knew that Ari wasn’t very fond of him using such language.

Acknowledging his best friends remark, Hiroshi moved over to where Kweli was standing, placing a friendly fore paw upon his friend’s shoulder as he spoke in a supportive tone, giving Kweli a fond smile as he did so.

”I know you’ll stay for sure, won’t you Kweli? At least this will beat sleeping outside for the both of us, aye bud?” Turning his focus back over to Ari, Hiroshi inquired thoughtfully. ”And I hope Nafsi will let you stay here with us too Ari. It just wouldn’t be home without you after all, that is, if you think you can put up with Kito’s crap.” Hiroshi said, making sure that his last words were taken in jest.

[YFWE]

Kweli looked up at Hiroshi, eyes wide, a grin spread across his face. "Stay here? You bet!" he laughed. "Anything beats sleeping outside night after night." Though he was a slightly smaller lion than the rest of the gang, including Hiroshi, he was able to reach up and pull Hiroshi down into a tight hug. "Thank you," Kweli breathed, "so much. You've been so kind to me. I'll never forget it."

Ari grinned at the scene unfolding before her, of Kweli and Hiroshi sharing their little moment. Originally, Hiroshi had been a little timid in terms of letting Kweli join their already close-knit group, but at Ari's insistence, he soon relented. And now it seemed as if, finally, Hiroshi had fully accepted Kweli into their little gang, and Ari was happy for this. Kweli was a good lion, and sometimes she did not know what she would do without him.

"I don't think mother will mind," Ari said finally. "She might be a little weary at first, but I think she likes you guys, or at least Kweli." She glanced over at Kito. "I dunno though, I might have to leave Kito out of the picture. If she knows he's in there, it might be a bit of a deal breaker, and frankly, I wouldn't blame her."

[KiarasMate]

Laughing from just how appreciative Kweli seemed to be about his previous proposal, Hiroshi happily returned the smaller male’s friendly embrace, hugging him back as he gave Kweli a firm pat on the back before speaking in a kind voice.

”You betcha Kweli. We all need as many friends as we can get and it definitely helps that you’re an easy going lion and you seem to keep our group sane, so you’re a more than welcome addition in my opinion. Besides, I think Ari would have kicked my ass if I didn’t let you stay with us and I can’t have her wasting her energy on me. She needs to save it all for her upcoming hunts and for keeping Kito in line after all.”

Releasing his fore arms from around Kweli now, Hiroshi glanced over to Ari as he listened to her response in regards to what he had mentioned moments before. Upon hearing her remark about Kito, Hiroshi burst into hysterics as he nodded in agreement to what she had said, knowing that Kito himself wouldn’t take any offense to his reaction.

As Ari’s words reached Kito’s ears, the arrogant male pretended to look hurt, lifting a fore paw up to his chest and covering his heart as he looked away from Ari, sniffling rather loudly as he shot back at her in a dramatic fashion.

”Oh, how you hurt me so Ari. I’d hate to think that your mother would be just as delusional as you yourself are, seeing as I’d never in your wildest dreams, lay a paw on you, as the initial thought makes me want to puke quite frankly. If your mom does let you stay with three males though, I guess that does say something about the lionesses in your family.”

Flashing Ari a toothy grin now, Kito started to make his way over to the entrance of the den before pausing in mid stride. Turning to face his fellow friends, the cocky male spoke up once more as he looked over to Hiroshi.

”I should at least inform Fila about where I’ll be, not that she cares or anything but I’m sure after a few weeks or so of me not being around, she’d wonder where I went off to.” Turning his emerald eyes to Ari now, Kito continued. ”If you’re going to tell your mom tonight too Ari, I’ll walk you home if you want. You know how dangerous it is for a lone lioness to be out on her own at this time of night don’t you? Even if you’re not exactly the cream of the crop when it comes to lookers but yeah…”

Even though he had a sense of humor, Kito was actually quite sincere in his words, as he had witnessed many shameful acts that had befallen upon unsuspecting lionesses ever since he had arrived at The Pride Lands with his mother. As much as he toyed with Ari’s emotions and as much as he came off as if he didn’t care about her, the last thing Kito wanted was to see any harm come to Ari herself, since this would lead to Hiroshi falling to pieces most likely and would probably affect Kito as well, although to what degree, he himself wasn’t entirely sure of. No matter though, Kito meant it when he offered to escort Ari home and he probably wouldn’t take no for an answer either way.

[YFWE]

Ari eyed Kito curiously. "Walk me home, eh?" she said with a hint of suspicion. "What, you don't think I can make it back on my own?"

She would need to tell Nafsi about her whereabouts, though--that much was true. Granted, her mother probably would not mind, as long as Ari still visited and socialized with her from time to time. Ari had always possessed a close bond with her mother, which was something she cherished and certainly did not want to give up anytime soon. She had never really had much of a father figure, so she had relied heavily on her mother when she was younger. This had continued into adolescence, and Ari knew it would be hard to leave her mother's side at night. Still, she had been seeing Nafsi less and less these days, since she had been spending more time with Hiroshi, Kito and Kweli. She knew her mom would understand and would relent eventually. Internally, though, Ari wondered if she herself would be able to be away from her mother.

Then again, she still had the daytime. And she still had the times in which she would accompany the lionesses on hunts. It would not be a goodbye... just a slight step away from the security she felt with her mother. But all the same, being with Hiroshi, Kito and Kweli, she knew she'd be safe. Perhaps Hiroshi would even want to lie beside her...

"Ah, I get it, then," said Ari with a smirk. "You're scared to walk alone in the night, Kito. Well, if you insist, I suppose I could hold your paw as we traverse the dark, scaaaaary Pride Lands." She grinned slyly, brushing Kito's face with her tail as she walked past him. "Let's go, then," she said, stealing one last quick glance back at Hiroshi before bounding out of the den.

[KiarasMate]

Opening his muzzle and performing a quick bite just a second after Ari’s tail was just out of reach, his sharp teeth making a loud sounding noise as they came together, Kito sighed hopelessly as he nodded towards both Hiroshi and Kweli as if to signify that the two of them would be back shortly. Turning towards the cave entrance now, Kito bounded off after Ari, catching up with her a few paces outside of the den. Under the cover of darkness, Kito took lead, making sure to keep his pace timed with Ari’s as the pair walked along in mutual silence until Kito’s voice broke through the calm night air as he addressed Ari in a joking fashion.

”You would like it if I let you hold my paw, wouldn’t you Ari and to answer your question from back at the den, I do think you could handle your own if it were maybe against a single hyena, but you know as well as I do that those spineless beasts never act alone. Besides, that wasn’t why I offered to walk you home and it’s not because I like you or anything, so don’t flatter yourself. It’s just…well…never mind.”

Kito’s voice seemed to fade out as the pair passed by the base of Pride Rock. It was as if the two of them knew better not to say anything while being in such close proximity to where Scar was. Stealing a quick glance towards The Main Den, Kito narrowed his eyes from the thoughts that passed through his mind. The things he had seen and the feeling he got whenever he was around this part of the land, it never settled very well with him. Quickening his pace, knowing that Ari would follow closely, the two friends arrived at one of the near by dens that belonged to all the members of the hunting party. Seeing as both their mother’s were active participants within the esteemed ranks of Scar’s hunting party, it made things easier for the pair as Kito once more, spoke quietly to Ari, making sure to keep his voice lowered as not to disturb the lionesses who were already dozing soundly.

”Okay, you go do what you need to. I’ll tell Fila the news and we’ll meet back here in a few and head back to the others, okay? Don’t leave without me Ari. I’m serious about that, you understand?”

==========

Watching his friends depart and chuckling from the way they acted towards one another, Hiroshi took a seat in the center of the cave as he looked over to Kweli with a friendly expression. Never being the type to let an opportunity for conversation to pass him by, Hiroshi spoke up in a pleasant voice to Kweli as he lazily flopped himself upon the den floor with a muffled thud.

”So, you hangin’ in there Kweli? How’s life been treating you since you arrived here at The Pride Lands? I really hope that Kito, Ari and myself have made you feel welcomed amongst us. I really did mean what I said to you about you being a great friend and I’m happy that we all now have a place to call our own.”

Rolling onto his back, peering up at the ceiling of the cave, Hiroshi stayed mute for a minute as he thought about various things, Ari being at the top of the list. Closing his eyes briefly, Hiroshi finally spoke up as he turned his head to face Kweli, his facial expression showing that of gratitude towards the smaller male.

”Thank you Kwelie. Thank you for spending time with Ari and thanks for being there for her. She really needs all the support she can get. She might seem invincible on the outside but she’s actually really vulnerable on the inside. That’s why I feel so horrible whenever I end up having to do mindless work for His Majesty instead of spending time with her, especially if I made a promise to her. She’s such a forgiving lioness though. I just don’t know what I’d do without her, so I truly do thank you for being a part of her life. I know she appreciates it, but probably not as much as I do.”

[YFWE]

Ari rolled her eyes at Kito as they walked around the base of Pride Rock. As much as she would like to believe that Kito was sincere about not wanting her to get into any trouble, she knew she would be fine, and he should know that as well. After all, did she not travel this way every evening? It was not as if it was her first evening in the Pride Lands. What was Kito getting at?

She and Kito found the dens of the hunting party, and before she could set off to find her mother, Ari heard Kito's low warning, and stopped to listen. Upon his finish, she shook her head. "Whatever, Kito, if it means that much to you," she whispered. "I was just joking about that paw thing but maybe I should consider making that a formal offer, jeez."

Ari trotted away, off to the den she knew to be her mother's. She hoped fleetingly that her mother would not already be asleep, as Nafsi could be a bit of a bother to wake up at times.

She found Nafsi dozing near the back of one of the dens. Already asleep, thought Ari. Wonderful. She approached her mother cautiously, finally nudging her with a paw when she had neared her. "Hey... mom, mom... wake up..."


------------------


Kweli's ears perked up as Hiroshi addressed him. He had been in a state of relaxation, his mind still on what had just occurred. It was as if he finally had a family... something he had not had in a long, long time. He simply could not mask his excitement at his situation.

He stood there, trying to formulate a response to Hiroshi's initial question. He often did this; he always wanted to be careful as to say precisely what was on his mind and not leave anything out. But before he could speak, Hiroshi addressed him once more.

Kweli once again could not hide his delight upon hearing what Hiroshi had to say. He was happy to help, that much was certain. Fleetingly, he thought of his talk with Ari earlier that day concerning her feelings for Hiroshi and wondered if, perhaps, he should mention something to him. He advised himself against this, however. After all, Ari had sworn him to secrecy--this including Hiroshi. And besides, would it not be better for Ari herself to tell Hiroshi of her feelings as opposed to an outside party?

Finally, when Hiroshi had finished speaking, Kweli answered, "It's been my pleasure, Hiroshi. She's the one that comes to me, but I do enjoy her company and talking with her. She's been a really great friend to me, just as you have. I don't mind it at all... since I'm not much of a looker myself, I've always just tried to be a good friend to anyone and everyone I meet. I guess I'm doing something right, eh? But don't worry... I'll continue to be there if she needs someone... and you know, Hiro," Kweli added, "if you ever want me to... you know, back off from her or anything, I can. Just say the word."

[KiarasMate]

After hearing Ari’s response and watching her wander off to find her mother, Kito sighed hopelessly before he turned to head in the opposite direction to which his golden furred friend had gone. Kito knew that his worry over Ari’s safety had spawned from what he had witnessed from Scar in the past and even if Ari took his concern for her in the wrong way, he wasn’t about to let the same misfortune fall upon one of his friends if he could help it. After a short while, Kito located his mother and fortunately for him, she was still awake. After hearing an ear full from Fila about how irresponsible he was being and some additionally disturbing news that he would have rather not heard, Kito finally was granted permission to do what he wanted, not as if Kito himself was expecting anything less as his convincing manner always came in handy whenever the situation called for it.

Making his way back to the entrance now, Kito took a seat and waited for Ari to return, assuming Nafsi would be as generous as his own mother had been in regards to allowing her kin to stay with the rest of them. As he waited, Kito’s mind wandered as he reflected over the news that Fila had told him about. Apparently she herself had just recently came back from a nightly visit with Scar himself. This wasn’t anything out of the ordinary to Kito, as he knew his mother had been one of Scar’s favorite lionesses to call upon during the wee hours of the night however, from what Fila had told him tonight, it seemed that Scar’s tastes were growing tiresome of the same old routine, which worried Kito even more so now as the thought of the ruthless tyrant summoning Ari to The Main Den started to fill his thoughts. Hurriedly shaking his head to clear his mind, Kito swallowed hard as he looked around, seemingly impatient as he hoped Ari would hurry things up.

==========

Pleased in the fact that Kweli had taken his praise to heart, Hiroshi continued to listen to what his friend was telling him. As the last sentence left Kweli’s mouth, Hiroshi’s expression had shifted into a slightly befuddled look as he raised a fore paw to his face and gave his chin a light scratch with a paw toe, as if trying to make sense of what his friend had just stated. Drawing a blank at this point however, Hiroshi had no other choice but to retort with a question of his own.

”I’m sorry Kweli but I don’t quite follow you here. Why would I want you to back off if you’re a good friend to Ari? Surely you don’t think that she only needs two friends in her life now do you? Like I just said, I’m really happy that you two have bonded and that she can trust you. It’s probably not my place to say but seeing as her dad died when she was really young, or so she’s told me, it’s hard for her to grow attached to individuals, especially males, so the fact that she confides in you is definitely something I’d never want you to change Kweli. Again, I’m sorry if I’m missing your point here but I don’t see how you being close to Ari would hinder our friendship in any way.”

It was clear that Hiroshi was missing the big picture from his friend’s subtle hint but Hiroshi’s mind just wasn’t in the proper train of thought it seemed. The only thing that mattered to him at this point in time, was that all of his friends were safe and happy together. Hoping to strengthen the bond between them all was the main reason why Hiroshi himself had accepted Scar’s overly generous offer to give him this very den and despite the unsavory things that had occurred within the confines of the very same place the two friends were relaxing at, most of which Hiroshi himself would soon rather forget about than to make mention to at all, Hiroshi knew that it was a step in the right direction and would at least prove to be a safe place that he and his friends could always come to whenever they needede to talk or just to be together.

[YFWE]

Ari excited her mother's den with a triumphant look spread across her muzzle. She had been successful in her quest for approval to join Hiroshi, Kito and Kweli in their new den. That said, it was possible that Nafsi had been so sleep deprived that she did not actually know what she was answering to. Either way, Nafsi had relented, as long as her daughter would still visit her from time to time, which Ari of course accepted. She could not leave her mother completely just yet--in fact, the thought of EVER doing so frightened her.

One tiny detail of their short talk did worry Ari, however. As she had been about to leave, Ari had paused, as Nafsi was sleepily mentioning something else to her. Her mother had mentioned something about Scar... and of how Ari should watch herself. Apparently, the older lionesses were beginning to be shuffled out of Scar's immediate favor in exchange for the much younger lionesses of the Pride. Nafsi doubted she had anything to worry about at the time given Ari's age, but nonetheless, she wanted Ari to stay alert and to be prepared for anything. It had not been a pleasant note to leave on.

Ari had shook her head at the notion, though. No, Scar could not do anything to her, could he? She had a right to resist him. She had her friends. She had Hiroshi. She had nothing to worry about... right?

Kito was already waiting for her by the entrance. As much as she would have liked to use the opportunity to jump out and frighten him, Ari knew she would be reprimanded if she awakened any of the sleeping lionesses. So she instead walked directly past him without a word, sliding out into the night. She gave Kito a quick glance, as if to ask if he was coming, and continued down the path, chuckling to herself at the lion's apparent impatience.


-------------

Kweli had known right off, right after he had added the last claim that he would back off if necessary, that it was the wrong thing to say, and he regretted it immediately. It had not been his place to say such things and it hinted at a possible closer bond between Hiroshi and Ari--which Kweli was certain existed, whether either would admit it or not. Nonetheless, he did not want to reveal anything he should not, and was quick to defend himself.

"Oh no, I'm sorry! I meant... well, you know..." Kweli talked slowly, calculating his response. "...I just know that sometimes friends find that maybe they're... a little closer than they originally thought. And... sometimes, friends want to keep that from happening between other friends because they don't want it to ruin anything between one another. You know what I mean? I'm not saying I like Ari--it's not like that. I was just saying that in case... you know, you thought that maybe that was the case and didn't want us to mess up our friendships. That's all."

Kweli gulped. "I guess next time I have a thought... I'll just let it go, hm?" he said, trying to make light of the situation.

[KiarasMate]

Having his train of thought being broken by the sight of Ari passing by him at the entranceway to the den, Kito immediately trailed after his golden furred friend as he gave one final glance back over towards the looming structure of Pride Rock before he turned his attention back to Ari. Hearing her quiet laughter, Kito rolled his emerald eyes as he quickened his pace so that he was now alongside her once more, before he spoke to her in a hushed voice.

”Keep your voice down will ya Ari. We don’t need to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves now. I take it that Nafsi gave you the go ahead to stay with us, right? You sure did take quite a while to convince her to let you go though. Maybe I should give you some lessons on how to be persuasive.”

Feeling a sudden sharp breeze whipping past him, causing his immature brown mane to rustle from its strong ministrations, Kito shivered slightly as it truly felt like an ominous sign of some sort. Not wishing to look the fool in front of Ari though, the proud male acted as though nothing was wrong, even though his mind still lingered upon the words his mother had told him before he had departed. Hoping to forget about this fact however and seeing that both Ari and himself were now far enough away from Pride Rock so that they no longer had to suppress their voices or actions, Kito did the only thing that he knew, would take his mind off of the unpleasant subject matter of the past as he called out in a playful tone to the golden furred feline next to him, giving her a playfully rough shove into the soft grass below as he darted off quickly, calling back over his shoulder as he high tailed it out of there.

”Race you back to the den Ari! Last one there is Zazu’s mate!”

==========

Hanging on every word Kweli stated in order to try and ease his own confusion, Hiroshi gradually began to understand what his friend was saying now, although the underlying point to why he had stated what he had, still alluded him for the time being. Dawning another friendly smile, Hiroshi chuckled lightheartedly as he replied in a sincere voice while once more, finding a comfortable spot to lie upon the cave floor and turned to face Kweli.

”Ahh, I think I understand what you mean Kweli. You know though, I’m reminded of something my mother once told me. She said that we can’t help those who we have feelings for and trying to deny such a fact is only depriving ourselves of our own happiness. I never really understood that and to be honest, it’s still a little vague to me but I sort of think it refers to friendship too, even though I know she meant it to be in regards to love. In my opinion, friendship and love walk a very similar line to one another. I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you have feelings for Ari, you should just tell her and visa versa. I know I’d want her to tell me if she had feelings for me and I’d like to think I’d do the same too but I’ve heard that love can be a very delicate thing to handle, or so says every one of the older lionesses I’ve talked to who have supposedly been in love with someone else. I just hope when the time comes, Ari will find that special someone for her who will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. She really deserves the best and that’s all I ever wish for her.”

Hiroshi fell silent as the sounds of movement from outside the cave caught his focus, resulting in him rolling back onto all fours as he made his way towards the mouth of the den, only to be almost bowled over by Kito who came thundering into the den with a triumphant cheer, narrowly managing to avoid a head on collision with Hiroshi as he came to a most ungraceful looking stop in the middle of the cave as he exclaimed in a winded tone, a huge grin plastered upon his muzzle.

”Ha! I win as always! Ari ate my dust!”