Kion and Fuli walked quietly together under the light of the moon. The pair had travelled far from the lair where the rest of the Lion Guard were currently sleeping. Kion wasn't entirely sure where Fuli was taking him, but he knew her to be a 'no-nonsense' kind of girl. He was sure they were headed somewhere interesting. It was rare that the two of them got to spend much time together one-on-one. Most of their day was spent performing their duties for the Lion Guard. Whatever was thrown their way, they had to be up to the task. Right now, however, Kion was finding it task enough just to keep up with Fuli. Being a cheetah, it wasn't unusual for her to move rather quickly, but he did wish she could slow down just a bit.
Eventually, Kion and Fuli arrived at Hakuna Matata falls; where Timon and Pumbaa lived. Looking around, Kion was surprised at how lit up this place was at night. Moonlight shone softly through the treetops, reflecting on the small pond just below the falls, creating a shimmering and almost mystical effect. Above their heads, fireflies dusted the sky like moving stars. Fuli sat down by the edge of the pond, looking down at her reflection absentmindedly. Standing a few meters away, Kion couldn't help but notice how soft and elegant his friend looked. He quickly pushed such thoughts from his mind, deciding that it must be the moonlight playing tricks on him.
After a few moments, Kion joined his friend by the ponds' edge. Slowly, he sat down next to her, careful not to sit too close as he didn't want to make things awkward. He wondered why it mattered though. It had never occurred to him that things may be 'awkward' between him and Fuli before. The two of them stared at the glistening water, saying nothing to one another. After some time, Fuli turned to look at her friend.
"Kion?" she asked softly, her voice echoing quietly throughout the falls as she did so.
"Yeah?" he replied without looking up from the water. Fuli sighed.
"Are you alright?" she said sounding concerned. "You seem a bit distant"
Kion looked up at her.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine" he blurted out quickly, "I'm just a bit tired, that's all"
Fuli raised an eyebrow at him.
"You're tired?" She said sounding slightly annoyed "You just woke up from a 5 hour nap".
Kion stuttered and blushed a bit.
"Oh yeah, I guess I did" he said awkwardly "I-I don't know why I said that…"
Kion turned away shyly and resumed looking at his distorted reflection in the water. Fuli moved closer to her friend.
"Kion, what's going on?" She insisted. "You're never like this".
Reluctantly, Kion looked at her, finally meeting her gaze. She saw something in his eyes that she had never seen before. He looked nervous, conflicted. Looking at him, almost as if by magic, Fuli began to feel the same way.
"It's amazing how much eyes can communicate." she thought aloud.
Kion blinked a few times, rapidly.
"Well I hope my eyes can tell you how I feel" he said quietly, his ears lowering slightly. "I can't seem to find the words to tell you myself".
Fuli smiled faintly.
"Tell me what, Kion?" she asked in a hushed tone.
Kion continued to look deep into her green eyes. He broke eye contact only briefly as his eyes wandered down Fuli's body. He quickly looked back up at her, visibly embarrassed.
"I-I umm" Kion muttered, unable to get the words out.
Fuli raised her paw and placed it gently on Kion's muzzle, shushing him.
"It's ok, Kion" she said as her smile grew "I think I understand now".
Kion looked surprised.
"Y-You do?" he said timidly.
Fuli nodded, slowly trailing her paw down from Kion's muzzle to his chest.
"It's pretty obvious, really," she said, gaining confidence in her voice. "I'm surprised I didn't see it before. It's as plain as the nose on your face".
Kion stared down at Fuli's paw on his chest. It felt rather uncomfortable, yet pleasurable at the same time.
"You're a very attractive Lion, ya know?" Fuli said abruptly.
Kion gulped.
"T-Thank you, Fuli". He said shyly. He admired Fuli's beautiful figure in front of him.
"You're umm-" He said in a low voice.
"Hot?" Fuli said finishing his sentence for him.
Both giggled softly before once again looking into each other's eyes.
"I was going to say beautiful" Kion said, sounding sincere. "But hot works too".
The pair sat there, admiring the other's beauty for a few moments before Kion spoke.
"So what should we do now?" He asked, feeling quite unsure of himself.
Fuli moved her muzzle within inches of Kion's ear, whispering.
"I have a few ideas".