Kion felt like he was walking on clouds. Almost skipping along the ground, Kion diverted from the path and into the ruins of a thicket. The long branches became crooked and frightful, and area a lot of the normal Pridelanders stayed cleared of, but it did not dampen his happy mood. He just continued on under the light of a half moon, leaving the Pridelands and entering the Outlands.

Despite how confusing the dead plants were, Kion seemed to know exactly where he was going.

He came upon a single leaf. The leaf then became many, the ground was more lush, until a tiny oasis sprung out around him. A small patch of beauty in the unforgiving land, and, in the center of it all near a small pool of water, a canine friend stood with a smile on her face.

"Kion, I was beginning to worry you were lost."

"Worry? Is Jasiri finding a soft spot for me," Kion smirked as he came closer to her.

"A soft spot for a lion? Now that's a good one," Jasiri laughed and playfully shoved Kion. She looked up at a rock formation that sprouted in the center of the clearing.

"Not afraid of heights, are you," Kion said when he jumped up onto a ledge.

"Afraid of heights? Have you seen the Outlands. I literally live on the edge."

"Bold. All the more reason we are fond of each other," Kion climbed up onto a bigger ledge, one that stood at the entrance of a small, but roomy cave.

"Na-ah-ah. You are the one with the crush on me," Jasiri grinned as she pulled herself up with him, "I just so happen to find your boyish antics to be cute."

"Says the one who just called me cute," Kion laid down at the entrance of the tiny cavern, letting his front paws idly rest of the edge.

"I find your antics cute," Jasiri rested beside him, "You…"

Jasiri cleared her throat when she felt the strength he had just by the gentle brush of his side, "Well, you're not too hard on the eyes, for a lion."

"I'll take it as a compliment."

Jasiri mused and looked back out over the small grass patch. The rock they were on was just high enough to gaze out past the thicket and at the borders of the Pridelands.

"Nice view," she said, "I can not believe there is a small watering hole in the middle of all this."

"We have Ono to thank for this. He spotted it the other day when he was flying back and forward between us. Besides him, nobody else knows of this place," a quiet yawn past Kion's lips, "Sorry, I'm not use to getting up this early."

"It's fine. A little peace does sound appealing. Caring for my clan can get pretty hectic, especially with the twins."

"I can only imagine. I never get a break Protecting the Pridelands, but I still love what I do."

The two laughed with each other, yet, when it died down, a connection between the two was made. It was a moment the two realized they were truly together, and the only one left to disturb them was the rising sun. It felt unreal to Kion. He looked to the horizon and expected something to be there.

Then, a warm feeling rushed through Kion. His cheeks were already tingling, but the brush of affection had added to it. Jasiri had leaned over and licked the side of Kion's face, then turned away coyly before he could act.

"Did you just steal-" Kion's sentence trailed off and became lost with the rest of his senses.

Dumbfounded and wide-eyed, Kion's view was only filled by the hyena before him. Kion's attraction had always been towards her personality. Not once had he took a moment to gaze upon her; not until now, when her personality shown brightest among her physical traits.

She had a mighty radiance from the way she postured herself. Unlike other hyenas that are weighed down by greed, she kept her head high and chest out. A confident, impressive pose that was topped with a hint of mischief. Her rebellious soul glowed in the moonlight through her navy blue eyes with the cocksure way they stared back, almost daring the leader to make a move.

Jasiri could tell Kion was enchanted by her, and if a small tint of a rose color was any indication, she liked his stare, "What's the matter, lion? Hyena got your tongue?"

Kion slowly smiled and answered her dare, licking her cheek back, "Yea, she does."

Jasiri giggled and nuzzled into the curve of his neck, making Kion let out a relaxing sigh. It was perfect to the two, and silently they wished they never have to return home.

"Where have you been?"

Kion cringed at the sound of Kiara's voice. He slowly turned to see the stern eyes of his older sister, "Oh hey, Kiara, why are you up so early?"

"Don't dodge my question," Kiara said and stepped towards him, "Did you think nobody would notice you have been getting up in the middle of the night and leaving the den?"

Kion ran out of ground and bumped into the side of the den. Now, Kiara's face was inches from his and her nose was able to grab a waft of his fur.

"Is that… a hyena," Kiara's expression changed from offensive to worried.

"Uh… I-It's Janja. He tried to sneak in and I had to tussle with him," Kiara raised her eye brow at him followed by his defeated sigh, "That doesn't sound convincing at all,does it?"

"You are a terrible liar, Kion," Kiara kept sniffing his fur knowing it was not the scent of Janja. She had, with displeasure, obtained Janja's scent when she was tricked into the Outlands while she was queen for the day. This was a different smell. It was only a matter of seconds before she figured out the situation.

"You've been seeing your lady hyena friend, haven't you," Kion's blush was more than the answer she needed and prompted a wide grin from Kiara, "I can not believe this. My little brother, the rule-following believer in the Circle of Life, is secretly seeing a hyena behind our father's back. Never thought I would say that."

Kion was displeased by her triumphant tone. He was even more embarrassed when she continued to tease him.

"And by the smell of it, that hyena can hardly keep her paws off of you."

Jasiri tackled Kion to the ground. Jasiri loves to play rough, and her ways of showing affection are no different. Lucky for her, the leader of the Lion Guard is a tough lion who does not even flinch when pinned by the shoulders.

From the moments they meet at their secret watering hole, their inner pup and cub laughs themselves out. They would chase and wrestle each other like young ones.

With Kion trapped under her paws, Jasiri took the opportunity to force him into submission.

A spot right at the base of Kion's jawbone was besieged by an onslaught of sensual licks, sending him into a laughing fit.

"Hahaha! Jasiri! Stop," Kion tried to squirm out, "I'm ticklish there!"

Jasiri giggled and her half lidded eyes showed no signs of mercy, "I know."

She nuzzled the end of her round nose into Kion, something that normally relaxed him had it not been the same vulnerable spot.

"Ok! I give up! You win! I'm no match!"

"And you better not forget it," Jasiri cackled, rolling over and allowing him to get him.

"... When I'm going easy on you," Kion wrestled Jasiri to the ground and the two continued to roll around in amusement. It ended with both flat on their backs, staring up at the stars in laughter.

The melodies of nighttime crickets overtook their sounds and the two laid side by side in each others paws. Kion licked to top of her head, "I wish I could see you more often."

"I think the last thing your family wants to see is you and a hyena together," Jasiri chuckled, but with a small hint of despair.

"I can talk some sense into them, I just know I can."

"We've talked about this several times, Kion," Jasiri sighed, "It's impossible. You say your father has a thicker skull than you do, which is saying something in itself, so I don't see anyway to change his way of thinking… Your family would not accept a hyena."

"They would if it was the one I lo-," Kion paused himself.

Jasiri smirked, her playful spirit returning, "Can't get it out? Am I going to have to be the first on confessing too?"

Kion grinned back at her, "Go ahead then."

The two stared at each other for a few long moments before Jasiri finally backed down, "Alright, you win."

"And you better not forget it," Kion mocked and earned himself an annoyed, yet lighthearted eye roll from Jasiri.

Kion made tried to make soft steps into his den. He stared intensely at the ground, making sure not to step on any loose rocks or breakable sticks. Step by step he inched closer into the den with the red sun behind him. He considered his abilities to sneak are pretty good, but he could not help feel such a large amount of pressure not to make a sound. He focused all his attention to remain quiet that he did not look up, not until a large furry rock appeared in front of him. A rock? No, a paw.

His mother's paw.

Kion tensed up and slowly raised his head up to Nala and Kiara. Nala did not say a word, or even smile. Yet, she did not seem infuriated either.

"Uh. Morning, mom," Kion tried to look convincing. When she did not reply back, he let out a defeated sigh, "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"No, you are not in trouble," Nala finally spoke.

Kion's ear perked up, almost thinking they heard wrong, "I'm not?"

"Kiara told me where you have been going."

Kiara looked away in a bit of shame, "Sorry, Kion. I guess being terrible liars run in the family."

Kion laughed a bit nervously, for he knew too well what being interrogated by their mother felt like, "I understand, Kiara."

"So," Nala laid down, and to Kion's surprise, smiled, "Tell me about this hyena friend of yours."

"... What?"

Nala softly chuckled at Kion's confusion, "I asked you to tell me about your little crush as Kiara calls it."

Kiara snickered and slowly came out into laughter,"Kion, mom caught me up waiting to make sure you got home safely last night and when I told her about you and Jasiri, well, let's just say the only thing she was angry about was that you kept it a secret for so long."

Kion looked back at Nala with a spark of joy in his heart, "You're not mad that I've been seeing a hyena?"

"I could never get mad at you, Kion. You are my son, and I believe your father and I raised you well. I trust your judgment, and if you have feelings for this hyena," Nala stopped a moment to correct herself, "I'm sorry, Jasiri. If you have feeling towards Jasiri, then I know she is a good animal. And she will be a great Pridelander."

"A Pridelander? You mean she can live in the Pridelands," Kion slowly gaped.

"If what Kiara told me about her is true, she and her clan are more than welcome to stay in the Pridelands. Any animal that respects the Circle of Life is more than welcome to live here."

"Hevi Kabisi," Kion slowly tuned to a ecstatic tone, wrapping his paws around her in a hug "Thanks, mom! You have no idea how relieved it is to hear that."

Kiara interrupted by with a small cough, feeling a bit bad for raining on his parade "Except… There is a bit of a problem..."

Jasiri took a deep breath. She's defended her clan from predators like Janja and braved the harshness of the Outlands, and not once has she been nervous. However, the feeling haunts her as if it has been waiting all those years to bring its leg shaking, paw sweating, heart racing power upon her.

"You alright, you seem a little shaken."

Jasiri looked over at Kion and managed a small laugh, "That's the understatement of the year."

Kion grinned and licked the side of her face. Though she was caught of guard, it did take her mind of her nerves.

She smirked back at him, "What was that for?"

"For stealing the first lick from me," Kion replied.

"Only because you took forever to make a move."

"I was getting to it," Kion murmured, "Eventually…"

"It bothers you, doesn't it," realizing it, Jasiri could almost foresee the endless advantage she has over him, "Oh, I'm never going to let you live it down."

Kion laughed a bit, "Don't worry, I'll think of a way to get back at you. Still, you feeling better now?"

"Maybe just a little," Jasiri took another deep breath, "I'm ready."

"Good, because I'm not," Kion admitted with a nervous chuckle

"Encouraging," Jasiri sarcastically said, before brushing up against his side, "We can do this. How hard can it be?"

"You obliviously do not believe me when I say my father has a thicker skull than I do."

(To Be Continued…)