DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from LG. They belong to their respective creators.
Enjoy!
A/N: I wanted to get in on the purring game. I was inspired to write this after reading an awesome story with a similar storyline called A Purrfect Day! I highly recommend it! VeronicaToon7 is a gifted LG writer!
"A Purrfect Afternoon"
Kion smiled as his eyes opened. The morning sun streamed into the lair, waking the cub easily. Stretching, he stood. The grin grew when he realized what the day held in store. Timon and Pumbaa had taken Bunga on some sort of trip, Beschte was spending time with his Dad and Fuli was off doing her own thing. That meant Kion actually had a day to himself! He loved being leader of the lion guard and spending time with his friends. But following the floods and Kiara's disastrous reign as temporary queen, not to mention the nearly ruined Kupatana celebration, Kion was overdue for some downtime. And he knew exactly who he was going to spend it with. Eating a quick breakfast, he left the lair. Running along a familiar route, he greeted various animals as they awoke to a new day. Arriving at his destination, he took a few minutes to rest. He was early. She would be here soon. Sure enough, a accented voice addressed him from behind a few minutes later.
"Hey Kion!"
"Hey, Jasiri! Are you ready?" he asked.
"Always," she confirmed.
"Great! Follow me!" Kion jumped off the rock and led the way to a small area just beyond the prideland entrance. It was hidden by trees, so the chances of them being discovered were slim. It was a place where the two could play without breaking the law. The two unlikely friends chased each other around for a while and took a swim in a nearby pond. They ate lunch together before heading back to flat ridge rock.
"So how are things in the guard going?" Jasiri ventured.
"Good. Bunga finally realized Rafiki was right about the whole smart animal thing," Kion laughed.
Jasiri giggled.
"I wish I could have been there to see that."
"Me too," Kion sighed. Perking up when he saw what looked like a shortcut, he ran for it.
"Kion, wait! That bridge isn't strong enough to hold either one of us," Jasiri forewarned.
"I'm sure it's fine," Kion glanced at the short bridge of stones. Jumping onto the first one, he made it to the second without a problem. As he hit the third, he felt the rock give way! Before he knew it, he was tumbling down into a weed patch!
"Hevi kabisa!" he growled.
"Kion! Are you okay?" Jasiri called down to him.
"Yeah!" Kion spit out dirt and a few weeds as he looked around for a way out. Spotting an incline, he climbed back to the top.
The minute Jasiri saw his appearance, she giggled uncontrollably as Kion spit out more weeds while shaking his head to get grass out of his fur.
"I…I tried to warn you!" she said in between fits of mirth.
"Yeah, yeah," Kion grumbled. "I'll get you back for this."
"Empty threats," she bluffed. "Besides, this time it wasn't my fault."
"You wait and see," Kion promised.
"Okay," Jasiri stepped back. Timing her move perfectly, she had the leader of the lion guard on his back in seconds.
"Jasiri! What are you…" Kion tried to catch his breath as his friend started tickling him.
"Say I was right," Jasiri commanded, a playful smile crossing her face.
"Siri!" Kion cried again.
"Say it and I'll stop," Jasiri bargained.
"Okay! You were right," he breathed as a tiny rumble started in his chest.
"I don't think I heard you," Jasiri cocked her head to one side.
"You…you were right!" Kion exclaimed through breathless laughter.
"There. Was that so hard?" Jasiri was about to get off of him when she heard a faint rumble. Listening harder, she smiled in realization. "You were purring! You do purr!" she rolled around on the ground, fits of giggles escaping her lips.
"I was not!" Kion shot back even as a blush crept up his neck and face.
"Yes you were. I heard you!" Jasiri insisted. Getting to her feet once again, she grinned. Sprinting away, she called back, "Follow me!"
Kion did so, not knowing what his friend had in mind. As the landscape started becoming familiar, the young cub realized where they were going. Spotting a familiar rock up ahead, he grinned.
Settling herself on flat ridge rock, Jasiri grinned when Kion joined her.
"I wish we could spend every day like this," Kion let the heat of flat ridge rock warm him up.
"Me too," Jasiri licked his ear, eliciting an ewww from the cub.
It was then that a question came to the spotted hyena.
"Do you purr in your sleep too?"
"What! No! What kind of question is that?" Kion could feel the blush returning in earnest.
Jasiri giggled.
"Bunga told me," she explained.
"I'm gonna…no, I don't."
"Are you sure about that?" Jasiri smirked.
"Yeah. I think I would know if I purred."
"Like a few minutes ago," she smirked again.
Kion let out a frustrated growl.
"Okay, okay," Jasiri shrugged.
"Well, it's been fun," with that, Kion got to his feet, "I better get back before my Dad sends a search party."
Jasiri giggled.
"I take it he doesn't know you come here every afternoon?"
Kion shook his head.
"I'd like to keep it that way. Besides, since I'm the leader of the lion guard, I travel all over, so it doesn't matter."
Jasiri nodded. She glanced wistfully at the lush grass of the pride lands.
"Sometimes, I wish I…" she started softly, her happy mood disappearing instantly.
Kion rested a paw on her shoulder.
"I know, Siri. I promise you, I'll make it happen."
"Asante," Jasiri murmured.
"Same time tomorrow?"
"It's a goer," Jasiri confirmed.
Kion grinned. He had just stepped off the rock when a clap of thunder broke the silence. It was quickly followed by a shower of heavy rain.
"Come on," Jasiri turned and headed away from their meeting place.
"Where are we going?" Kion called after her.
"Trust me!" Jasiri called back.
"I do," Kion softly assured her, even though she was too far away to hear him. With that, he bounded after her. They ran for a good ten minutes. Soon, a structure came into view. Sighing in relief when he felt warmth, the leader of the lion guard raced inside. Lying down on a bed of grass, Kion got comfortable.
"We can wait out the storm in here," Jasiri explained, settling down beside her friend.
"What is this place?" Kion glanced around.
"It's where I sleep most nights," the female hyena cub explained. "You're the first one I've shared it with."
Kion let that revelation sink in.
"Asante," he said in awe.
"Sure. Why don't you relax for a while. After the storm passes, I'll walk you home."
"Okay," Kion laid his head down on his front paws. Closing his eyes, he was asleep shortly after that.
Jasiri smiled as she watched her friend rest. This was the most relaxed she had seen him in days. She often thought Kion put too much pressure on himself to be perfect. Listening to the rain outside, the young hyena felt her own body relax. She had always enjoyed the sound. As she continued watching Kion get some well deserved rest, she got an idea. Edging closer, she gently, carefully extended a paw. Resting it underneath his chin, she rubbed in circles. At first, nothing happened. She wasn't about to give up. A few minutes into her experiment, she heard a faint rumble. Smiling to herself, she decided to test further. Gently, she moved her paw down to Kion's chest. Repeating the calming motion, Jasiri's grin grew as the rumbling became louder. The sound soon filled the space between them, making her fight the urge to giggle.
"You don't purr in your sleep, huh?" she shook her head. Giving her friend space, she lie down next to him. As she watched him, she smiled. Closing her own eyes, she too fell asleep.
****** Kion's eyes opened with a start. Jumping to his feet, he glanced around. Not recognizing his surroundings, he assumed an attack position.
"Hey, Ki, it's okay," a familiar accented voice assured him.
Kion relaxed his posture.
"Hey, Siri. I didn't know where I was at first."
"It's okay," Jasiri came over and nuzzled him. "You're safe. The storm passed. We should get you back home. How did you sleep?" she smirked as the question left her mouth.
"Good, really good," he revealed. At the look on her face, he narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Jasiri shook her head.
"Nothing. Come on," she lead the way out of her cave.
"Jasiri!" Kion ran after her. Catching up near flat ridge rock, he almost bumped into her. "Sorry."
"That's okay."
"Why were you smirking at me?" Kion demanded.
"No reason," Jasiri said evasively.
Kion shook his head.
"Was I talking in my sleep or something?"
"Or something. You didn't talk. Though that would have been entertaining to hear," Jasiri conceded with a giggle.
Kion glared at her.
"You wouldn't have asked me that if there wasn't' a—Jasiri!" before he knew it, he was on his back again.
Jasiri giggled as she went in for the attack. Her front right paw found his weak spot in no time.
"Siri, what are you…stop…that feels…" his voice trailed off as a rumble started-small at first, but grew louder as the massage continued. "…feels good…" Kion's voice trailed off in a series of rumbling purrs of pleasure.
Jasiri giggled as she stopped the technique. Stepping back, she grinned.
"You purred a lot louder in your sleep," she informed him with that same smirk from earlier. With that, she jumped over flat ridge rock and headed into the pridelands.
"Siri, wait! What do you mean I purr louder when I sleep! Siri, wait up! You don't know where you're going!" As he ran after his best friend, Kion smiled. Despite his secret being revealed, he wouldn't have traded this time with Jasiri for anything.
"See if you can catch me!" Jasiri's giggles floated back to Kion as she stopped to allow him time to catch up. As she rested on a rock, she grinned. It had truly been a purrfect afternoon. And she wouldn't forget it any time soon.
THE END