The sun was setting over the Pride Lands, and the night scavengers began to awaken. A lonely king cheetah was walking by in disgust, while the night's hunters searched for defenseless, sleeping animals. She didn't want to interfere, though it was her job to keep the savanna safe from danger. Fuli could have easily chased them off, but she didn't want to cause any trouble to come to the point where she had to get help from the rest of The Lion Guard, or more specific their leader. Ever since Kion and Rani announced their relationship, she had been feeling down and hadn't participated in the cheer like her friends had. Now a season had almost passed since they came together, and Fuli felt like her friendship with the lion was slowly breaking apart over. She knew it wasn't his or Rani's fault. Of course, he had to take more notice of Rani than his friends, but whenever she had looked at him, he didn't look cheerful and she didn't understand why. "He is going to be married with a gorgeous lioness, what not to be happy about that," she thought for herself as she walked down to the watering hole to get a drink and afterwards get some sleep on one of the rocks.

It wasn't long after she had fallen asleep, when voices caught her ears and woke her up. She opened one of her eyes to look at who had interrupted her sleep. She couldn't see who it was, but she could hear it was the voice of a female and a male. The shapes stepped out of the grass and revealed themselves as none other than Rani and Kion. The beast inside Fuli's belly purred of pleasure to see the couple had relationship issues, though she quickly felt disgusted by herself. It was perfectly normal for a couple to have problems. She knew it was best to leave, but since she couldn't hear what they were arguing about, she stayed, watching Rani's angry face facing the lion.

"Kion, seriously, how can you still keep this up," Rani hissed.

"Because I have too," the lion said pathetically.

"You're lying to yourself, Kion! The lioness hissed. "You proposed to me weeks ago and I said yes, but still you want to postpone the wedding date. Don't you think I know why."

"What are you talking about?" Kion said nervously, going pink.

"Because you don't love me! Not anymore, and I don't understand why you haven't been honest about it," Rani said, feeling hurt. "Lately you haven't been carrying for me."

"I do love you," Kion said.

"You love me as your friend, Kion," Rani said. "But I can't lie to myself about this relationship. I'm sorry, Kion, but I can't marry someone who don't love me, and I don't care if your father is forcing us to be betrothed, I'm not going to do it!"

The lion looked away. Rani was right. He hadn't been so carrying for her in some time and he knew why. They had dated since they were teens but now, they were both grown, and their love for each other had slowly faded away. Lately he had been growing a need to be together with his cheetah friend more than Rani, but he knew he could never tell he had feelings for her. A little tear rolled down his cheek. The lioness noticed and brushed it away. "I'm sorry," he cried.

"Don't be," Rani comforted. "It was fun as long as it lasted, but it's time for you to tell the one you love what you feel for her instead of hiding it."

Kion looked puzzled on the lioness. "Who are you talking about?"

"Fuli of course," Rani said. "Don't you think I have noticed how you have looked at her lately, wishing you were with her whenever you were together with me."

"That's not true."

"Then why are your cheeks all pink?"

"Because – Because-"

"Because you love her," Rani said. "It's not a big secret. You have strong feelings towards you, and I know she has the same feelings for you."

"What?"

"She hasn't been really happy about our relationship," the lioness confessed. "She likes you too."

The lion began to smile a bit but that was quickly wiped away with what Rani had to say next.

"Okay, so I'll tell your dad about our engagement and you tell Fuli what you feel for her."

"What, no, are you mad!" Kion said frighten. "You can't tell him. He is going to be pissed that we're breaking up three weeks before the weeding and even more when he finds out I'm in love with a cheetah."

"Fine, then I tell Fuli we aren't completing our marriage and you tell your dad yourself," Rani suggested.

"No, none of the options," Kino said even more frighten.

"It's Fuli or your dad, Kion," Rani said, looking sternly into the lion's eye. "Look, I'm your friend, Kion, and I want what's best for you, but I don't want you to be a coward. You have played that role for far too long."

"I'm not a coward."

"Then why did you stayed with me and even proposed when you wanted to be together with her?" Rani asked.

"Because I know I'll never get her," Kion spat. "She is a cheetah, besides, Azaad been interested in her as well. My dad will never accept our relationship. He thinks I'm interested in – in-"

"In lionesses?" Rani said. "Fuli is smart, she is not going to date Azaad after he left her."

"Yeah, but still it's odd I love my friend," the lion sighed.

Rani moved her paw up to his cheek again and caressed it for a bit. "Not if you love her. You just have to stay stronger in your belief that it's possible," she said and walked past him. "Now go, Kion, tell her. She is right over there waiting for you," she added, nodding in the direction of the cheetah.

Kion looked and felt his heart jump. Fuli was in fact right across the lake, sleeping on a rock. This was his chance. He could tell her without anyone hearing him. He turned to look at Rani, but she had disappeared. "Okay, okay," Kion said to himself to calm him. "Here goes nothing."

His hearth began to pick up speed as he slowly approached the sleeping cheetah. He came close enough to notice the cheetah was sleeping with one eye closed, the other lingering on him. Clearly, she had watched him for some time. Kion coughed to let the cheetah now he wanted her attention. "May I join your slumber party?" he questioned, trying to sound funny. He immediately regretted his joke.

"Sure, I guess," Fuli answered carelessly.

Kion jumped elegantly up on the rock and laid himself as close as possible against the cheetah, just enough so it wasn't uncomfortable. Fuli didn't move away. It was a sign of their strong friendship that they respected each other and hadn't any issues with being close to each other. The lion desperately thought of something to talk about, to not make the situation more awkward than it already were. "So, tiering day, hah?" He asked. He immediately regretted his decision again.

Fuli looked at him with an odd expression. "Yeah, I guess so," Fuli replied, giving the lion a curious look. She suddenly cut to the chase. "I saw you and Rani argue before. Is there something wrong between the two of you?"

"No, not at all. She just wanted me to tell you something," Kion said nervously. A pink blush was appearing on his cheeks.

"If she forced you to ask me if I want to be her bridesmaid, the answer is no," Fuli teased. "I'm not going to dress fancy, but I will be by your side when you say yes to her."

The lion looked moodily into the ground. "There won't be a weeding," he confessed.

Fuli's teasing face went from sorrow. "I'm sorry, Kion, I didn't know, what happened."

"Don't apologize, Fuli," the lion sighed. "We just broke-up while you were watching us."

"I wasn't watching," she said. "I couldn't hear a word."

"It's a decision we both agreed in and you be honest I feel relieved," the lion confessed, smiling at the cheetah.

"You're not ready for a relationship?" Fuli questioned, watching the lion stunned. "You still want to live the bachelor life?"

"No, no, I do want to be in a relationship, but with someone I love," Kion said, looking enchantedly at her.

"You don't love Rani?" the cheetah asked puzzled. "But you have been together for so long, what happened."

"We grew up, lost interest in each other and I found out my heart belonged to someone else," the lion confessed.

"Who ever she is, she is lucky," Fuli teased. "How did Rani know?"

"She noticed I wasn't as carrying for her and saw that I had longings eyes on her," the lion told, feeling his heart speedup.

"I'm sorry to be so nosy, Kion, but who is she?" Fuli questioned, feeling her stomach turn.

"It's you," he confessed, looking dreamingly into the emerald eyes.

Fuli's jaw dropped and looked stunned at the lion. He had just told her he had feelings for her. She was a cheetah and he was a lion. It would never work out or be accepted. It had to be a dirty trick. He just wanted to pleasure himself after his argument with Rani and she was an easy target because he maybe knew she had feelings for him, too. "You're fooling me, Kion," Fuli hissed. "I'm not going to play your toy."

"I'm serious," Kion said, feeling relieved and hurt that he was being accused.

"Then just answer me on one thing, Kion!" Fuli hissed. She had got up on her paws. "You and Rani either broke-up tonight, and you want some comfort, or you just want to cheat on her. I didn't thought you were like this!" Fuli hissed out of the overwhelming emotions. "So, why do you creep over to me, like I was some second option to comfort you or be your toy? I'm your friend. I thought I meant more to you than this, so what do the prince of Pride Rock wants me to do with him? Mate? Kiss or should I lick your ass-"

"Wait, Fuli! You can't think like this. I would never want to use you," Kion said. "I care more about you than you think. You're the one that I love, you're the one-"

"You're just doing this to soften me. And you know I'm an easy target because either you know I have feeling for you, or someone told you!" she barked.

Kion looked dumbfounded at her. She had feelings for him, too. "You - you like me?" he asked sheepishly.

Fuli's anger melted away and gave the lion a guilty smile. "Was it not obvious, Kion? I didn't participate in the cheer when you and Rani announced your relationship or marriage. I was jealous on her I suppose. Of all guys I could fell for, it was you. I know it's stupid, how could I have the slightest chance of winning your heart when I'm a cheetah," she sighed.

"You already have," the lion comforted, smiling at her.

Fuli didn't knew why she laid herself down again. Beside the lion. Mostly she wanted to run but she was begging to think of her opportunities. What if the lion really loved her? Then they could be together in secret, but she could also risk it was a trick and break her heart. She shed a tear and Kion brushed it off, but his paw lingered on her cheek, making her go hot. "Please don't touch me Kion!" Fuli half cried.

The lion slowly moved his paw away, not wanting to leave her soft cheek. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm sorry that I didn't said it earlier, but why didn't you either?"

"Because you were in a relationship," Fuli said flabbergasted, like the answer wasn't obvious. "I wasn't going to tempt you to cheat on Rani. Besides, it would never had worked out. I'm a cheetah and you are a handsome lion. Every lioness adores you. Even Tiifu and Zuri gazes at you like mad even though they know you're together with Rani. I lost long before I could confess to you."

"Why do you have to look so much down on yourself?" Kion asked.

"Look down on myself! Kion? I just don't want you to be humiliated, being together with a freaking cheetah!" Fuli said in a serious tone. "I don't want it to look like I'm some cheap slut you abandoned for a queen. She needed you, Kion."

"Maybe once, but she can manage her kingdom on her own and I don't care what the others are going to say if we came together," the lion comforted.

The cheetah looked suspiciously at him. How could they ever be together without being looked down on. "It's best like this," she sighed and got up on her paws, ready to leave, but the lion grabbed her tail, not letting her leave.

"Why are you doing this, Kion?" Fuli asked. "We can't be together."

"Please just listen to me," Kion begged, letting go of her tail. "I want to be together with you, and I know you want the same," the lion said said, making a move closer to the cheetah. He began caressing her cheek but Fuli quickly moved out of his reach. She stared disbelieving at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I thought I was being pathetic, but you're not better yourself, Kion," Fuli mocked. "You're pathetic that you just broke-up with Rani and now you're running over to me, telling me you have feelings for me! Don't you think it's a little pathetic planned?"

"It was Rani who said it," Kion confessed. "Either I talked to you while she said it to my family."

"So now they know you want a freaking cheetah!" she bellowed.

"No, she is telling them we can't complete our marriage," the lion said, trying to calm the cheetah.

"Your father is going to be mad on you, Kion," Fuli said fiercely. "I really hope he gives you what you deserve, because when he finds out you got feelings for me, it surely you're going to be betrothed away to someone else," Fuli said and turned around, jumping elegantly down from the rock and walked away, leaving a miserable lion behind.

it hadn't been Kion's intension to hurt her. "Wait, Fuli! Don't go. We can work this out!" the Lion cried after her, but it was too late. He looked miserably into the water and stared into his own miserable reflection. "Very well done, your big moron."