“ So, we aren't  supposed to be eating everything in the Pridelands?¨ Cheezi asked with a brow raised.

“No. If we were to be successful in eating whatever, there would be  no prey left for us or anyone because we would have killed them all off” Janja explained. “ Then we would starve.¨

“ Oh…” Cheezi said.

“Now, if we follow the circle of life, we will have food and we would be happy.¨ Janja lied on a rock looking down to his hyenas below. They were in the Outlands but not in their territory to be less likely found by skinks.  “ And that's what  we are going to do.¨

The hyenas expressed support of the decision as some hyenas started whispering to each other with their tails wag in excitement. Janja sighed and looked upon his clan. I think I have made the right decision now.

He looked down and looked at the ground with a soft smile on his face. He stayed quiet for a moment before  a sudden hyena broke him from his thoughts. “ So are we going to join Jasiri’s clan?”

Janja swung his head behind him to find Tano looking back at him smirking. “ Uhhh… Well…I was…” Janja started to feel he was getting hotter under his fur. “  I was trying…”

“ Are you too nervous to ask?” Tano laughed a bit. 

“ Well she invited us,” Janja mumbled while looking away.

“ I meant if you’re too nervous to ask her if she felt the same?”

Janja’s ears flattened. “ Well I-I-I did ask her...more or less…”

Tano raised a brow. “ More or less?”

“ I tried to tell her... just indirectly…” 

“Indirectly?” Tano chuckled. 

As Janja looked away, he saw Nne approaching from behind Tano, giggling as well.  “ So what did you say?”

“ I-I-I j-just told her… I had...mixed feelings on our friendship…” 

Nne giggled a bit more. “ What is that supposed to mean? Mixed feelings on friendship?”

“ She could have taken that in a way you might not have intended…” Tano pointed out. “ Maybe you should have just told her?”

“ Yeah, well, she said she was going to share how she felt this evening.” Janja’s fur bristled in nervousness, thinking about his possible rejection.

Nne and Tano exchanged glances with smirks on their faces. Then they turned back to Janja. “ You’re really bad at this,” Nne said. “ If she didn’t get the memo before, you better be direct next time.” Nne continued to giggle along with Tano.  

Janja sighed before trying to relax. He saw as Nne and Tano started to walk away towards the rest of the clan.  “ Good luck with it!” Tano yelled to him as they continued to walk. Janja rolled his eyes before jumping down from the rock to lead his clan back to their territory.

As he walked in front of  his crowd of hyenas, he thought to himself about the evening. I just hope it goes well…

_________________________________________________________________

Janja had started walking towards Jasiri’s territory, with his fur bristling again and his heart pounding, about ready to explode. His walk had slowly turned to swift and nervous trot as he continued to think of what could happen. Would it make things awkward if she didn’t feel the same? Would he regret even asking her in the first place? What if it makes their situation worse? Why does this have to be so important to me? Why does she have to mess with my brain like this? 

Janja arrived to Jasiri’s territory to find her sitting on one of the rocks with her tail shaking. Jasiri smiled as he came into her view. “ Hey Janja!” She jumped from the rocks and trotted over to him. 

“ Hey Jasiri,” Janja replied as he felt his mouth curl up while his heart felt like it was going to break from his chest.  Stop freaking out! 

“ How about we go back to the Pridelands for a little bit?” Jasiri suggest. “ Besides, the Lion Guard know how much you’ve changed.”

“ Why are so keen on going to the Pridelands and yet, you still stay in the Outlands?” Janja asked, still attempting to remain calm and go with the flow.

“ Well, I love my home here in the Outlands. Afterall, kwetu ni kwetu! But, I would have to admit, this place isn’t the most ro-uhhh- friendly place to be…” 

Janja perked up. “ Ro what now?” 

“ I just mixed up my words Janja,” Jasiri giggled. “ No biggie! Let’s go!”

“ Are you going to answer what I was asking before?” Janja started to get impatient as Jasiri seemed to be avoiding her promise. “ You said you would answer me!”

“ I will!” Jasiri suddenly had a smirk on her face. “ You just gotta wait a bit longer.”

Janja groaned and pouted. “ Come on! Stop messing with me!” Jasiri giggled a lot while making her way back into her territory. Janja sighed and rolled his eyes as he started to follow Jasiri back to the Pridelands. “ You’re really are showing your worst side Jasiri.”

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

They went back to their usual hilly place. With the sun making its way down the horizon and the animal grazing on the fields as always, the sight was still as stunning as before. Janja and Jasiri went to sit on one of the hills and looked to the herds. 

Janja started shifting his paws and His ears flattened as it got silent for a moment.  When is she going to answer my question?! Is she trying to make me lose my patience? Janja looked at the herds as they grazed.  Maybe I should start up a conversation so it isn’t painfully silent?

“ So… why exactly do you like to take me here out of all animals?” Janja asked.

“ Well…” Jasiri looked  over to Janja with her head slightly cocked to the side. “ I take you because it’s a beautiful place, and it’s nice to hang out with someone out here.” Jasiri gave a small smile before adding, “ And with the creatures, it’s a good example of the circle of life, you know, and seeing the Pridelands from a different perspective. I think you needed it.”

“ How about now?” Janja asked. “ I’d say I’ve done good with the circle of life.”

“ Really?” Jasiri raised her brows at him as he said so. 

“ Are you doubting me?” Janja’s eyes turned to slits as he looked at Jasiri.

“ Maybe I am,” Jasiri replied. Janja felt a jolt of disappointment. But as he saw Jasiri’s mouth form a smirk, Janja could tell she wasn’t being serious. Jasiri continued to joke around as she said, “ I mean, I wouldn’t have thought that the big bad Janja would listen to worst hyena he knows.” Then she started to giggle.

“ Stop messing with me!” Janja whined. Janja pouted for a moment as Jasiri continued to laugh. Janja rolled his eyes. “ It’s not funny anymore!” 

“ I’m sorry Janja.” Jasiri started to stop laughing as she scooted to the side a little bit so that she and Janja were shoulder to shoulder. “ I just love messing with your head sometimes.” She leaned her head on Janja’s neck, and started to  rub her cheek against him.

“ Uh… Jasiri?” Janja  started to feel warmer than usual. “ What are you… doing…” Janja’s heart started to pound harder and he shivered for second as he became confused on what exactly what he should do. What do I do?! Is this part of her answer to my question…

Jasiri stayed like that for a moment as Janja mentally fell apart. Janja’s head was occupied with thoughts about what he should do in response as Jasiri nudged his leg with her paw. Janja jumped a bit as he snapped from his thoughts. Jasiri smirked as Janja’s eyes widened facing her. 

Jasiri started trotting away before looking back to Janja. “ Let’s take a walk.” 

“Uhh...yeah-um...yeah,” Janja stammered. Janja trotted up to next to her as she started to walk away trot down the hill. As they trotted together into the fields, Janja shivered in nervousness, still a bit anxious about what was to come after this. 

“ Chill out Janja,” Jasiri said as she observed Janja next to her. “ What’s up with you?”

“ Nothing!” Janja exclaimed.

“ Relax a bit, would you?” Jasiri smirked as she said it, as if she had known what she had done to him. 

Janja frowned. “You know exactly what you’re doing to me!”

“ What do you mean?” Jasiri asked while raising a brow. 

“ Well…” 

Before Janja could reply, Jasiri continued. “ Why don’t we do something fun? Like a nice game of…” Her words drifted as she looked at Janja, leaving Janja to perk up in wonder. A game of what exactly? 

They both stopped walking for a moment. Janja froze as Jasiri stayed silent, looking at him with a soft expression. She smiled for a moment and her ears flattened.

Jasiri stepped a bit closer to Janja.Her nose a bit closer to his. Janja’s brain became fizzed in thoughts, becoming the mess he usually is at love. Janja felt himself shiver once again, waking the fur on his spine. “ Uh Jasiri…”

Jasiri moved her nose a bit closer, only around an inch away. Janja felt like he was melting away with nervousness and his whole body became stiff. 

Is she going in for a kiss?

Suddenly Jasiri pressed her paw against his neck.

“ Janja?”

“ Uhh...yeah?”

“ You’re it.”

Jasiri ran off past him suddenly, leaving Janja a second to process what just happened. Janja remained with a gape before he shook his head. She was teasing me! “ Jasiri! Why!” Janja started to chase Jasiri across the field. 

Jasiri started to giggle. “ Are you still a slow poke?!”

Janja groaned. “ I’m going to get you for that!”

“ I’d like to see you try!” 

Janja growled under his breath. He kept chasing Jasiri as she continued to laugh across the field. Janja started to speed up a bit as an attempt to match Jasiri’s speed, but even as he did Jasiri already had a head start, making it all the more challenging.

The herds of the animals perked up at their giggles and shouts, but didn’t really do much. They seemed to understand that they just there to mess around. Some seemed to just be keeping an eye on everything.

After a few minutes Janja was getting tired from running. Janja’s tongue started hang from his mouth and he was panting. Janja’s pacing slowed and he was still nowhere near Jasiri. Janja decided to stop running and decided he needed to take a break.

Jasiri looked at Janja and noticed he had stopped, so she stopped as well. Jasiri sat down and had her back towards Janja. “ Told you couldn’t catch me!”

Janja looked up towards Jasiri as she called out. Janja continued to pant as his brows furrowed. “ It won’t end like this Jasiri,” he mumbled to himself. After a few more seconds, Janja got back up again and started to speed up into a sprint. Janja got to about a few feet behind Jasiri before he jumped to pin Jasiri to the ground. 

But to his surprise, as he leaped through the air, Jasiri ducked and Janja tumbled over and his body rolled for a moment. He had stopped and landed on his back side, leaving to groan in loss of the game. “ I hate you so much Jasiri!” He pouted as Jasiri approached him. 

Jasiri giggled as she looked down on him, looking seeming upside down from Janja’s angle. Janja stuck his tongue at her and Jasiri raised a brow at him. Jasiri rolled her eyes playfully and decided to lay down where she was with Janja’s head in between her paws. Janja can see her chin as he continued to look upward. “ I still hate you now Jasiri!” Janja whined. “ Don’t even try to cuddle with me!”

As he said the last word, Jasiri leaned forward a bit more, getting closer to Janja’s nose. 

For a second Janja swore could feel something on his nose. 

It felt like a quick lick on the nose. 

A small hyena kiss. 

Making his fur bristled.

 Making his heart leap in excitement for a moment.

Making him stop frozen as his mind process what was going on.

But it didn’t last as Jasiri leaned back from his nose and looked back down at Janja. Janja looked back at her as his mouth gaped and his eyes grew in shock. What do I do? Did that just happen? No that’s not possible!

Jasiri just smiled back as if nothing happened. “ I love you too."