[Private] Love Will Tear Us Apart

[YFWE]

Kweli stared at the depleted pond, and then at the muddy hill, his muzzle agape as he watched Ari disappear over the side of the edifice. Dashing over quickly to see where she had landed, Kweli took a few steps back after noting that she was okay and that the slide was, in fact, safe for usage by the four friends. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched this display, though he could not put a paw on what it was at first. He understood Ari's intentions, remembering that he had mentioned the mud slide of his old pride to her a few times. It had been one of his favorite places to visit when he was younger. Such distant times, it seemed.

And as he watched Hiroshi take his turn down the slide, Kweli realized that he knew what the feeling was. Put simply, he missed his pride, more than anything in the world. He missed his mother and father. He missed his siblings. He missed Bashasha. For the longest time, he had accepted that they were dead, and that there was nothing on the earth that could bring them back. But all of that had recently changed. After the premonition that he had experienced while in the company of Rafiki, Kweli knew that the possibility now existed that at least his mother and Bashasha were somehow, somewhere, alive. Of course, the lion had no idea where to look for them, but the simple notion that they were still alive captivated Kweli.

Though she did not know it, Ari's birthday gift had not only brought Kweli to near-tears due to not only her generosity but because of the memories it incited. It had led him to decide, finally, that despite the fact that he was living a good life in the Pride Lands, and that he possessed some amazing friends in the form of Ari, Hiroshi and Kito, he would be leaving their company the next day. Though he did not know where he was headed, it was time for him to try to find the remnants of his tattered pride.

Continuing to laugh gleefully as she finally skidded to a halt at the bottom of the muddy hill, Ari surveyed her fur, now covered in a thick film of mud and dirt. Being that she was not paying much attention to anything else at that point, she did not notice Hiroshi sliding toward her until it was too late, the lion's body colliding with hers as they skidded a little further away, finally coming to rest with Hiroshi atop her.

Grinning apologetically up at Hiroshi, she gave him a quick lick on the cheek before sliding out from underneath him. "I'll need to get out of the way, for future reference," she said with a laugh. "Though I didn't much mind the position I was in."

Ari glanced back up toward the top of the hill, where Kweli and Kito still stood. "You guys comin' down or what?!" she called.

Kweli's attention snapped back to the real world as he glanced down the incline. Becoming distinctly aware of what Kito was saying to him, he nodded once to his friend, before abandoning all other pretense and allowing himself to skid down the muddy slide. Laughing uproariously as he reached the bottom, memories of when he did such things when he was younger flooding back to him, he looked once at Ari and Hiroshi and then back at the hill. "Well? What are you two waiting for? Let's do it again!"

As she watched Kweli bound back up the side of the hill, glad that her present to him seemed to have made him happy. Giving Hiroshi another look of pure glee, she sidled up close to him and whispered in his ear, "Come on, you know how I like it when you're dirty." Planting a quick kiss on his cheek, Ari laughed as she bounded away from Hiroshi and back up the hill herself, ready for another turn on the mud slide.

[KiarasMate]

Feeling Ari’s soft lick over his cheek, Hiroshi felt himself blushing from her affectionate display towards him but thankfully this fact was well concealed by the layer of mud over his face. Picking up the sounds of someone else coming down the mudslide, Hiroshi chuckled openly as he sighted Kweli coming to a slushy halt in front of both himself and Ari. Hearing the smaller male’s statement, Hiroshi nodded and turned his attention back to Ari momentarily, just in time to meet her loving kiss. His cheeks burning hot from how suggestive Ari was being, the muddy male darted after the dirty furred lioness as he nearly stumbled from just how much traction had been lost from having his paws caked with mud.

Watching as his friends gallivanted about the muddy terrain, Kito found a peaceful spot directly under one of the nearby trees, which offered ample amount of shade and seemed to be the prime place to take a load off. It wasn’t all that hot out to begin with yet keeping his wounds away from the warmth of the beating sun above seemed like the most logical thing to do. Resting his head upon his fore paws as he relaxed, Kito melded over his thoughts that involved Ari and himself as his emerald orbs spied Ari out of the corner of his eye. She looked so happy and Kito knew that it was because Hiroshi was safe and sound, and had nothing to do with him. Sensing the familiar feeling of jealousy beginning to linger in the back of his stomach, Kito closed his eyes and let out a dejected sounding sigh before opening them again and glancing back over at his company.

By this point, Hiroshi had trudged his way back up to the top of the hill once more. It hadn’t been easy though, as his slippery paws had made travel very difficult to say the least. Spotting Ari, who seemed to be preparing herself to go back down the mucky trail again, Hiroshi grinned mischievously to himself as he casually made his way over to Ari’s back end, acting as though he were getting in line to follow his golden furred friend after she would depart down the mudslide. Flashing Kweli a sly wink, Hiroshi quickly planted both of his fore paws upon Ari’s rear before giving her a playful shove, causing the unsuspecting lioness to be pushed back into the muddy path and back down the side of the hill, his paws leaving a dirty imprint over her rump as Hiroshi burst out laughing. Noticing Ari arriving at the base of the incline now, Hiroshi called out to her in a devious voice.

”I also play dirty too Ari!”

Knowing full well that Ari would try to get even with him, Hiroshi waited nonchalantly for the mud stained lioness to start making her way back up the hill again. Watching her closely, Hiroshi timed his next movement directly after Ari had passed the half way point of the slope, before once more, hurling himself back down the trail, landing on his back this time as he grinned and waved a fore paw to Ari as he went zipping past her. Laughing uncontrollably from just the mere expression upon Ari’s face, Hiroshi struggled to all fours, but lost his balance as he went face first back into the mud, still chuckling like a crazed hyena.

[YFWE]

Kweli had already taken a second speedy trip down the side of the hill while Ari and Hiroshi had been climbing back up its side, his muzzle bright with glee as memories of his cubhood came flooding back to him. He was blissfully unaware of all else by then, delightfully content with his current situation and simply living in the moment. Briefly, the thought of when he would tell his friends that he would soon be leaving them crossed his mind, but he decided to hold off on that--at least until later that evening. Happy, too, that Ari and Hiroshi at least seemed to be enjoying themselves, Kweli bounded back up the side of the hill, observing curiously as he caught Hiroshi's sly gaze.

Still pleased with herself for her rather sultry aura that she was giving off toward Hiroshi, Ari had a rather toothy grin as she readied herself to take a trip down the hill once more. She sensed Hiroshi lining up behind her and was set on making another--perhaps suggestive--comment that would be directed at the lion, but was silenced before she could even form a word. She felt Hiroshi's paws on her rear, and for a brief moment had some rather suggestive thoughts filling her mind in respect to why he had done such a thing, though this, too, was ceased when Hiroshi gave her a quick shove and she found herself sliding uncontrollably down the incline once more.

Her expression was first one of true surprise as she slid through the mud, though she could not help but begin to giggle incessantly as she reached the bottom of the hill, sliding to a stop at its base and, picking herself up onto all fours, sending a devious glare back at Hiroshi as he called to her. Beginning her ascent toward the peak of the hill once more somewhat quickly so that perhaps she would catch her friend before he took his turn once more, though to her slight dismay he decided to take his turn as she was about halfway up the hill, noticing his quick wave as he sped past. Not to be outdone, Ari glanced up once at the top of the hill to make sure Kweli was not about to take his turn, and then leaped back into the muddy incline, pushing off with her paw so that she would get a bit of speed. Rushing down the slide once more, her gaze centered upon Hiroshi, who was laughing maniacally as he stood up and fell back down in the mud, unable to keep his composure.

Ari made one quick leap into the air at the base of the hill, timing it so that she would most certainly land atop Hiroshi without him even hearing a word nor sensing her presence. Crying out finally before she landed upon him, Ari landed atop Hiroshi with a thud, wrapping her forelegs around his thick mane. "Looks like I've got you pinned," she whispered slyly into his ear, also wrapping her hindlegs about him so that he could not escape unless he decided to use the whole of his strength. "Now, what to do now..."

Her paws idly running the length of his torso, Ari leaned in and gave Hiroshi a gentle nip on the neck before slowly licking the side of his cheek. Her paws traveled to his loins and paused there for a moment, but just as it seemed as if Ari would perhaps continue her sultry ritual, she leaped off Hiroshi without notice and once again bounded up the hill, giggling once again to herself as she went. Kweli, meanwhile, had come sliding down the hill once more and, catching a glimpse of Hiroshi's dazed look, put on a mock frown. "You alright, Hiro?" he said, trying to hold back a laugh.

[KiarasMate]

Still attempting to get his footing upon the slippery surface, Hiroshi was blissfully unaware of Ari’s speedy approach. Having gotten a bit of mud in his eyes from falling the way he had previously, Hiroshi had to clear his vision before taking notice of the muddy lioness, who was already airborne. Knowing that it was far too late to escape her grasp, Hiroshi readied himself as Ari’s dirty body made contact with his, sending the two mud coated felines tumbling together once more, this time resulting in Ari landing on top of him in the end.

Pulling his muzzle out from the mud as he felt Ari’s warm frame atop him, Hiroshi’s ears twitched as his friend’s words tickled and teased his senses. From the way Ari had him pinned down, Hiroshi knew that it would be useless to try and stand, especially given the slick terrain beneath his paws already. Hiroshi himself had no intentions on moving however, as Ari’s words, but more importantly, her actions had caused a natural reaction to occur for the immobilized male. Thankfully, he had landed on his stomach, thus preventing Ari from actually knowing just what her seemingly innocent ministrations had done to him. Feeling Ari’s paw coming dangerously close to his nether region, Hiroshi had to close his eyes as he was almost certain that Ari’s paw would discover what he was right now, feeling rather embarrassed about himself if it should explore any further that was. Fortunately for Hiroshi, Ari halted her actions and casually moved herself off of his subdued body. Taking a quick glance over his shoulder as he watched Ari trotting off back up the side of the hill, Hiroshi let out a relieved sounding sigh as he felt the blood leaving his loins now.

Slowly rising to all fours now that everything was back to normal, Hiroshi noticed Kweli coming to a skittish stop a few paces away from where he now stood. Hearing his friend’s inquiry, and seeing the expression upon Kweli’s face, Hiroshi couldn’t help but to smirk indefinitely as he nodded and gave his muddy pelt an awkward looking shake to try and clear some of the excess grime from his fur. Taking a few well timed steps towards the smaller male, Hiroshi responded to his friend’s question in a pleasant tone as his hazel eyes thoughtfully drifted back towards the distant figure of Ari, who was almost at the top of the hill once again by this point.

”Absolutely buddy. I’ve actually never felt better. I must say that this is turning out to be a most enjoyable day, although this is supposed to be your special day Kweli, so I only wish you could feel just as happy as I do right now.”

Taking a moment to give his ears a quick scratch with his hind paw, Hiroshi unknowingly gave his muzzle lips a quick lick out of habit before curling his nose in disgust and spitting out a tiny bit of mud that had coated his tongue in the process. Taking another step towards Kweli, Hiroshi gave the smaller male a friendly pat on the back, once again leaving his muddy paw print upon Kweli’s pelt as he motioned for them to head back up to the top of the hill together. Walking alongside his friend, Hiroshi found himself speaking up in a curious voice as the two lions treaded back up the slope.

”So, is this bringing back some fond memories for you Kweli? Ari planned this day out days ago and she really wanted everything to be perfect for you buddy, cause you really mean so much to all three of us you know.”

Growing tired of simply laying around, Kito finally managed to drag himself out from under the shady tree he had been lounging under. Spotting Ari making her way up to the peak of the hill and seeing that both Kweli and Hiroshi were still at the base of the muddy slide, Kito took the opportunity to at least get a word in with the golden furred lioness while she was relatively alone. Adopting a casual looking smile to ensure that his intentions weren’t taken the wrong way, Kito slowly padded over to where the messy looking lioness was before speaking up to her in a polite voice, figuring that breaking the awkwardness with a joke would be the best way to ease her into a conversation.

”Hmm, that mud really compliments you Ari, especially the brown nose.” Halting a few paces in front of the muddy feline, Kito continued speaking as his smile shifted into a sarcastic looking grin. ”Having fun getting down and dirty with Hiro and Kweli, hmm? Two males, one messy lioness. Whose birthday is this supposed to be again?”

[YFWE]

He had not been aware of the hushed conversations that had been exchanged between Ari and Hiroshi at the bottom of the hill before he had come sliding down, but Kweli had a good feeling that it had been something rather sly and mischievous, given the look that Hiroshi ever-so-slightly retained even after he began to speak to Kweli and began assuring him that he was, in fact, quite alright.

He laughed. "Alright, Hiro, just wanted to make sure," he said with the slightest wink. He glanced back toward the hill, where Ari was already near its top. He had decided to pause for a few moments to catch his breath, as his pace had been rather rapid the previous few moments due to his incessant climbing and sliding. Finally he was brought back to mobility by Hiroshi, who motioned him along, though not before planting a muddy paw against his pelt. Shaking his head, he trotted up to meet Hiroshi in time to hear his query and, after thinking for a moment, gave an answer that he thought was sufficient, though it did not necessarily say all that he was feeling. He would save his future plans for later in the evening.

"Haha, it sure is. This isn't as great as the place back home but it would be hard to match anyway, even if we weren't in the middle of a drought here. I'm pretty glad I decided to tell Ari about the place... she probably wouldn't have thought of anything slide-related whatsoever had I not mentioned anything about it. So I feel incredibly blessed... to have you three."

Kweli had slowed a bit at his last words. All that he had said was true; he DID feel blessed to have Ari, Hiroshi and Kito in his life and truly treasured the friendship they shared. But, as with many things those days, those thoughts also incited thoughts of his mother and of Bashasha, still somewhere in the savanna, still alive. The fact of the matter was that Kweli would be leaving very soon, and though he treasured his friends, he would have to say goodbye. After all, he would never let them follow. This was a journey he would have to take alone.

Ari, still quite pleased with herself for her showy, seductive tease she had accomplished bestowing upon Hiroshi's unsuspecting frame, padded up onto the top of the hill once more and stopped to catch her breath. She decided to stop and lay down for a moment, at least until Hiroshi and Kweli rejoined her atop the hill, resting her somewhat-aching muscles.

Her ears perked up at Kito's voice; she had almost forgot that he was even up there on the hill with them, since he had decided not to partake in the activities (which she somewhat expected, given his injuries). Her head whirling around to meet his gaze, Ari sent the male a small grin and then nodded. "Oh, well thank you, Kito. I'll be sure to never wash myself again so that I can keep this complement to my complexion," she said with a sarcastic laugh. "And of course we're having fun; it's too bad you can't join us, actually. As long as Kweli's enjoying himself, I'm fine; I just wanted him to have a pretty good birthday is all. I won't deny that I'm having fun myself, though."

She shot him a grin, though when her gaze met his she quickly looked away, recalling the rather friendly relations that had been shared between them merely a day before. Ari could not deny that things were still a bit awkward between them since that kiss, especially at that point considering what had finally occurred between herself and Hiroshi. There was something about Kito, though. Something that still drew her to him. And this not only intrigued Ari. It frightened her.

Opting for no more than a quick "well, bye!", Ari bounded over to the edge of the hill once more and disappeared. This occurred for a good while, with Ari, Kweli and Hiroshi receiving multiple turns upon the slide before Kweli finally decided that they could go back; Kito no longer seemed all too thrilled with staying, after all, and he did not want his friend's wounds to get any worse.

"Washing off's going to be a treat," said Kweli, glanced once more at the depleted pond. "Ah well." He slunk down inside, using his paws to splash the small, remaining amount of water onto his fur until, finally, most of the mud was gone. Ari soon followed, though she was far less precise ("I'll wash it off more at the Waterhole," she had said). Seemingly finally ready to go, the group bounded back down the side of the hill, Ari leading the way as they padded quietly toward their home.

[KiarasMate]

Being completely unaware of the broader spectrum of Kweli’s thoughts, Hiroshi listened to his friend’s response which invoked another fond smile to etch over his muzzle. Hiroshi was pleased that Kweli was enjoying his special day, as given the hard times that the four friends had already been put through, a day like today was nothing to take lightly. Once Kweli had finished speaking, Hiroshi, being naive to the smaller male’s mindset, happily spoke up in response as he gave his friend another friendly pat on the shoulder with a fore paw.

”Glad you’re having fun buddy and don’t worry, there will be plenty more birthdays to celebrate together in the future. We’re all still young and times can only get better from here on out, just as long as we stick together like we always do Kweli.”

Dawning a cheeky looking grin as it seemed as though his joke was being well received by Ari herself, Kito was tempted to take his humorous statement one step further, although seeing the way his friend seemed to be avoiding eye contact for the most part, Kito held his tongue as he studied Ari’s expression carefully. Kito was, by no means, the most observant lion when it came to reading others however, it didn’t take a genius to know that Ari probably felt just as uncomfortable around him as he did around her now. Hoping to at least get one of his questions answered however, Kito was right about to speak up, when Ari swiftly dismissed herself and bounded back over the edge of the hill. Narrowing his eyes and curling his paw toes in slight frustration, Kito sighed hopelessly before returning himself back to his shady spot from before. Flopping himself back down upon the cool grass, Kito shut his eyes and simply waited for his friends to tire themselves out so they could leave and get the day over with.

Some time passed as Kweli, Ari and Hiroshi continued to recreate together, enjoying the slippery mudslide for all it was worth. Eventually though, exhaustion and the novelty of what they were doing, finally caught up to the trio as they were just about ready to call it quits. Following both Ari and Kweli back up the hill for the last time, Hiroshi had chosen to partially wash himself off in the stream, although he had made a secretive effort to leave enough mud upon his pelt so that he could join Ari at the waterhole and perhaps steal a little alone time with her in the process. Having put his body through quite a rigorous pace after only being recovered for such a short time, Hiroshi was more than willing to head back by the time his friends were.

Seeing that everyone was now ready to head for home, Kito slumped back onto all fours as he joined his friends before the group, lead by Ari, worked their way back to familiar territory. As they walked, Kito couldn’t help but to keep his focus centered upon Ari. While he didn’t say a single word the whole trip back, Kito’s mind was flooded with endless questions that begged to be answered. Why had things changed so dramatically between himself and Ari? Why did he suddenly harbor such feelings towards the one lioness who would have been the last creature he would have expected to fall for? Why did Ari seem as though she too, also shared his same thoughts? Thinking himself almost to the point of utter madness, Kito barely recognized the fact that they had arrived at one of the last remaining waterholes that was still full enough for a bathing session at least. It wasn’t until Hiroshi’s voice cut through the silence in his mind, did Kito snap out of his mental stupor.

”I guess Ari and I will clean up here and meet you two back at our den once we get the mud off.” Hiroshi stated in a nonchalant tone.

As innocent of a proposal as it was, Kito knew the underlying reason why Hiroshi wanted himself and Kweli to leave. This fact seemed to irk the already bothered male more than it probably should have as Kito couldn’t resist letting an irritated huff to escape his muzzle as he flashed Ari a quick stare before turning to take his leave back towards the direction of their den. Kito wasn’t about to stick around, yet he didn’t want to give Ari the satisfaction of being alone with Hiroshi either, yet not wanting to make a scene over something as trivial as Ari and Hiroshi being alone together, which under normal circumstances, wasn’t anything out of the ordinary to begin with, Kito held his tongue as he simply stated to Kweli in a mocking voice.

”C’mon Kweli, looks like those two want to have a little party of their own.”

[YFWE]

They walked in relative silence back to the den, Kweli shaking his pelt every so often to rid himself of the excess water that soaked his fur after his brief dip in the tiny stream atop the hill. Ari and Kweli mostly chalked up the silence to simply having worn themselves out from all of the strenuous activity they had accomplished that day, though they could not be sure. Nonetheless, it felt good to walk in silence for a while, especially after the particularly trying days that had occurred before then. Sometimes, less was more.

Ari's fur was still caked with mud, not that she really minded that much. She knew full well that there were other, more plentiful waterholes around, and opted rather to wait until they were back nearer Pride Rock. From the look of it, Hiroshi had decided to do the same, mud still striped and spotted across his frame, and Ari of course did not mind a bit. More time spent with Hiroshi was quite alright with her, no matter the situation.

She had been about to suggest that the two of them wash off in a nearby waterhole that had come into view when Hiroshi effectively did this for her, assuring Kito and Kweli that they could move on back to the den and that he and Ari would catch up eventually. Ari could only nod in agreement, glancing over at Kweli, and then to Kito. Kweli appeared to understand at once, going to turn and head back toward the den to dry his pelt a bit more before pausing for a moment at Kito's mocking comment. Laughing once to humor the lion, Kweli piped up at Kito in a small attempt at humor, "Aw, what's the matter Kito, feeling left out? I'm not much but I'm sure I could show you a good time as well..." He smiled at Kito as if his recommendation was to be taken seriously as the two lions treaded back to their den.

Ari watched them go and then turned to Hiroshi, giving him a sweet smile before leaping into the nearby waterhole. The cool water ran up to her neck, which was perfect for some serious cleaning, and Ari got to it almost immediately, rubbing her fur all over, a gray cloud of muddy water surrounding her as she rubbed the dirt off her sleek pelt. "Well?" she glanced up at Hiroshi. "You look rather dirty yourself there, Hiro. Care to join me? Or would you rather stay dirty?" She flashed him a nonchalant grin. "I don't mind either way, you know..."

[KiarasMate]

Watching as both Kito and Kweli left them to their own device, Hiroshi’s attention was soon shifted back to the nearby waterhole as his ears picked up the sound of splashing. Turning to face the pool, the muddy lion stood idly by momentarily as he observed Ari cleaning herself within the clear water. Admiring the way Ari’s fur seemed to transform back to its lustrous golden color as the water removed all the caked on mud from her attractive body, it wasn’t until Ari’s invitation entered his thoughts, did Hiroshi join her in the waterhole. Padding casually into the tepid pool, Hiroshi made his way over to where Ari was, letting the water do its job to cleanse his pelt. Finally having Ari alone and actually having the strength to do whatever came to mind, Hiroshi smiled warmly at the now cleanly lioness before speaking up to her in a soft voice.

”As much as I like you when you’re dirty Ari, I must say that you are stunningly beautiful when you’re clean. That was a really great idea you had for Kweli’s birthday today. Just goes to show how clever and thoughtful of a lioness you are.”

Scooting in closer to Ari until his larger frame gently pressed up against hers beneath the surface of the water, Hiroshi purred quietly as he slowly lifted one of his wet fore paws out from below before lightly tracing it over Ari’s facial features in order to clean away the last remaining amounts of dirt from her countenance, his paw toes caressing her cheeks and muzzle lips in a tender fashion as he worked. Lowering his paw once there was no signs left of their former activities, Hiroshi leaned in to give Ari an affectionate nuzzle, his own muzzle lips slowly coming in closer proximity to Ari’s as the swooning male longed to experience his first true kiss with her, totally oblivious to the fact that it wouldn’t be Ari’s first kiss though.

==========

Merely dawning a half-hearted smirk from Kweli’s remark as the two males departed from the waterhole, Kito seemed to be eager to put as much distance between himself and Ari as he could for the time being. Having no chance to speak with her in private and assuming from her behavior that he had witnessed, that Ari herself didn’t want to even address the topic of what they were really feeling towards each other, Kito felt more lost than he ever had been. Fortunately, being segregated from the root of his worries seemed to ease his tension, at least, for the mean time. Walking a few paces away from Kweli, it dawned upon Hiroshi that the small group hadn’t even eaten anything yet. Assuming that he wouldn’t be the only one who was hungry by this point, seeing as he himself didn’t even do much physical activity throughout the day, aside from walking to and from the chosen location that Ari had brought them to, Kito struck a spontaneous idea. Braking off his direction from Kweli, Kito called out to the smaller male in a casual tone.

”I’ll be right back Kweli. Meet you at the den.”

Keeping a very low profile as he tramped through the grasslands, Kito quickly and quietly made his way towards the spot where Scar’s hidden stash of food was really kept, which happened to be the very same spot that he and Kweli had used several seasons back when they had stolen the sleeping pelts from The Main Den. Scar had discovered the secret entrance and procured it for his own use, typically assigning a chosen hyena to guard the area at all times. Kito knew better than anyone though, how unreliable the hyenas could be and as luck would have it, upon arriving at his desired destination, Kito saw no sign of any hyenas, which was an exceptionally good thing for him, seeing as his last encounter with the spotted devils left a very bitter taste in his muzzle.

Carefully prying away the heavy rock that was used to conceal the goods, Kito was happily rewarded as a fresh looking buffalo haunch fell cleanly out of the passage and onto the dead grass in front of it. Smirking to himself as it was clear that The Hunting Party had gone to extreme lengths today while they had been away, Kito was more than willing to steal this undeserved meal right out from under the nose of his once respected king, now turned public enemy number one in his eyes. Nudging the buffalo haunch away from the opening to the secret storage, Kito couldn’t resist but to add insult to injury as he quaintly relieved himself over the remaining dwindling pile of food that still was held within the narrow passage before placing the slab of rock back in place, making sure to cover his tracks as best he could. Picking up the buffalo haunch atop his back, Kito bolted from the scene, his own laughter filling his head from the prospects of Scar wolfing down a tainted meal. Knowing that his newly acquired prize would surely be enough to fill all four of their bellies for the night, Kito only wished that Ari would realize just how much he did to keep their group fed and satisfied. Arriving back at the den in records time, Kito nonchalantly dropped his hefty cargo in front of Kweli before stating in a coy voice.

”Happy birthday Kweli. A meal fit for a king, yet enjoyed by us!”

[YFWE]

Ari was pleased to find Hiroshi finally joining her in the small pool of water and sent him an adoring smile once he was almost completely submerged. Feeling herself flushing at the lion's amiable comments, she gave him a quick lick on the cheek in thanks. "It was the least I could do for him. Sometimes I feel like he's been getting a little pushed aside lately, especially by me. A lot of my focus has been on you the last few seasons, after all..."

She felt Hiroshi's loving caress against her cheek and found herself purring softly as well. Hurriedly she did the same to him, brushing away the final remnants of dirt and mud that had been splayed across his countenance from earlier. Hiroshi leaned in to nuzzle her and Ari nuzzled back affectionately, closing her eyes in blissful disarray. She felt her muzzle brush up against his and knew what only could be coming next and prepared herself for it. Though it wouldn't be her first kiss, she certainly went about it as if it would be. Kito had certainly helped her out of a tight spot by kissing her earlier, but damn that. It had not actually meant anything... this, this was the real thing. What she had been waiting for for a long time. Kito did not matter. It was all about Hiroshi.

And yet, as she leaned forward and finally touched her lips to his... well, there was most certainly a spark that she felt, and her mind was sent into a tizzy. Nevertheless, something felt... like it was missing. As if though this was right, but it was not fully right. Something was on Ari's mind and she did not know what it was. All she knew was that, for whatever reason, kissing Hiroshi had not been the life-changing experience she had always dreamed it would be.

But she still enjoyed it. Hiroshi was certainly a good kisser; he was not stumbling over himself like a mere adolescent might. And though Ari still felt something missing from their embrace, an unfamiliar warmth had still begun to spread about her entire body, beginning to consume her mind as she lurched forward, losing her balance and footing and falling face-first into the pool of water. She lifted her muzzle from the cool liquid shortly after falling in, glancing sheepishly up at Hiroshi. "...sorry?" she said with a tiny grin.

xXxXxXx

Leaving Ari and Hiroshi to their own designs, Kweli padded off toward the den with Kito, only fleetingly thinking of what Ari and Hiroshi might do in their absence. Whatever it was, it was none of his business, though his curious mind could not help but dwell upon it for a few moments.

The small male was brought back into reality by Kito's voice, as the much larger lion sprinted off away from Kweli, announcing that he would meet him at the den. Kweli had only a chance to nod in affirmation before the lion was out of sight, continuing slowly on his way to the den. He padded into the cool confines of the cave, finding his sleeping pelt nearby and collapsing down onto it, his muscles aching from the physical activity he had experienced. It certainly had not been a relaxing birthday. He did not mind one bit.

Not too long after Kweli had lay down, he heard Kito's maniacal laughter come wafting in from the distance. Kweli opened one eye, his head still resting upon his paws, as he glanced toward the entrance of the den. Sure enough, shortly after, Kito came bounding inside, with him a rather sizable buffalo haunch. Kweli grinned. Kito had certainly outdone himself this time.

Yawning, he got to all fours and looked over the haunch hungrily. "Wow, Kito, I... thanks. Thanks a lot. This is great! I take it the Hunting Party really went for it today, eh?"

He bent down and tore off a piece of flesh. "What was all the laughing about?" he asked curiously, sitting back on his own haunches as he chewed.

[KiarasMate]

Finally! The time had come. The scene was set, the mood was perfect and there was nothing that could possibly ruin the moment, or so Hiroshi thought. His dream of feeling Ari’s soft lips against his own were so close, he could literally taste it. Moving in slowly, his heart perpetually beating in his chest as Ari’s lips lightly connected with his own, sending tiny jolts of electricity coursing through his body. Carefully moving his tongue into her muzzle in the hopes to heighten their tender embrace, Hiroshi’s senses felt like they were on fire as he tasted Ari’s saliva for the first time. Everything seemed right at that given moment, and yet, as intimate of a moment as it should have been, Hiroshi couldn’t help but to feel a sense of uncertainty that subtly emanated from Ari’s being. It wasn’t as if Hiroshi had much experience to base such an assumption off of, yet having known Ari for so long and having shared so many special moments with her in the past, something just felt slightly off. This fact seemed to be proven as Ari lost her footing within the water, causing her to break their first kiss in a rather clumsy display. Unable to resist a lighthearted chuckle from leaving his mouth as he slowly licked over his muzzle lips, Hiroshi spoke up quietly to Ari as he moved back in close to her, wrapping his fore legs around her body and pulling her in towards him as he did so.

”Oh come on Ari. Do I really sweep you off your paws that easily? Is everything alright though? I didn’t overstep my bounds by kissing you, did I Ari?”

Having no idea what was truly on his friend’s mind at the given moment, yet suspecting that perhaps she wasn’t entirely in the exact same mood as he himself was, Hiroshi refrained from attempting a second kiss over Ari’s muzzle lips, instead opting to show his affection towards her in the form of a gentle nuzzle against her newly dampened cheek. Waiting for her reply, Hiroshi’s fore legs continued to cradle the golden furred lioness close to his body as his fore paws started to explore Ari’s frame from beneath the surface of the water, his paw toes caressing through her wet pelt and over her curvaceous belly and back. Trying his best not to cross anymore invisible boundaries with his own actions, Hiroshi made sure to keep his paws where they belonged, despite how tempting it might have been to explore further down his company’s body. Staring deeply into Ari’s amber eyes, Hiroshi patiently waited for her response while the sky above them gradually began to transform into dusk.

==========

Giving Kweli an acknowledging nod from his words of thanks, Kito casually laid himself down in the same corner he had slept in the previous night. Being in no hurry to take his fair share of the buffalo haunch he had just poached from Scar’s secret stash, Kito simply looked on as Kweli started eating. It was, after all, Kweli’s birthday and letting him fill his stomach first was more than fair. Perking up his ears from what Kweli asked him, Kito’s laughter seemed to be refreshed as he chuckled uproariously before replying to his friend in a devious tone.

”Oh, well let’s just say that Scar is going to be extremely pissed after eating his next meal Kweli.” Kito stated, giving a sly looking wink to punctuate his statement.

Letting his laughter die down a bit, Kito took the opportunity to give his wounds a quick examination while he waited for Kweli to have his fill of the savory looking buffalo meat. The herbs that Rafiki had applied to his wounds were already working wonders, although the road to recovery was still going to take a bit of time before his pelt would return back to its former regal appearance. Giving several of his injuries a few quick licks, Kito scowled openly as he spat upon the den floor, the bitter taste of the medicine assaulting his tongue. Hacking a few times to try and rid himself of the unpleasant taste, Kito grumbled as he muttered aloud.

”How the hell am I supposed to keep these wounds clean when these herbs taste worse than year old wildebeest. I swear that damn monkey is just messing with me.”