Amana was dead set on tracking down Enzi for what he did. She asked around to other hyneas and they pointed him out for without hesitation. He was in a den, looking for any leftover bones.
"Enzi! I've heard you've been spying on others!" Amana yelled at the guilty hyena. He let out a scream and stood there in place before turning around to meet her face-to-face. He trembled once again under the gaze of one of the best in the clan.
"Amana! I'm just doing what Janja told me to do, honest!" the hyena yelped as the elite drew closer to him. Amana looked him up and down. As it looked he was already clearing out bones from all the dens. And she was sure he was telling the truth.
"Alright...But don't I better not hear about you doing something like this ever again!" She threatened the cowering hyena. He nodded and she left him to continue his punishment by himself. As she was returning to her friend she hear the conversations and whispers about the new couple. She could hear them occasionally whisper one of our both of their names. She would have hoped the hyenas round her would be better than that but she understood all the same.
She returned to the group and gave the new couple a sly grin. "Well, you guys got really popular really quick."
"Yep, Enzi told everyone about us and now we're the topic of everyone's conversation," Nakala sighed. "But I guess on the bright side we don't have to worry about how we we're eventually let the clan know."
"Well, I guess that is one way to look at it," Amana nodded.
"I think it'll be best if we all just continue on like nothing's changed," Janja suggested.
"If you think that'll work," Nakala sort of agreed. The two left the rest of the group to return to Nakala's den.
"We really gotta come up with a clear cut plan on how we're gonna stick it to the Lion Guard," Janja said to the lion. Nakala himself noticed that as they were walking a few hyenas, mostly girls were giving him a kind of death glare.
"Uh, Janja? You think they're mad at me or something?" Nakala whispered to Janja, gesturing to the leering hyenas.
"Yeah, they pretty much are," Janja explained. "I don't think you know but for the longest time they tried to pair me up with some girl I've never met before. I wouldn't go for it and eventually another one would try. Heck, one time the other elites even tried to hook me up Amana. That went about as well as you expected."
"But you're the clan leader? Couldn't you just choose your mate?" Nakala asked.
"Yeah that's just the thing. I never chose a mate. And I guess others got antsy about it. I don't know if I ever told you this but clan leader ain't something you're chosen to do. It's something you're born into. My mother Shenzi was the leader before me so when I was born I was next in line. When I grew up they wanted to find me a mate to make the next clan leader. But there was a problem with all that: I don't really like girls in that way," Janja continued.
Nakala nodded in understanding. "It kinda reminds of the Pride Lands. But I was the second born so it doesn't really matter what I do."
"But there's another thing about it," Janja sighed. "The whole pairing thing made me feel used."
"Used?" Nakala repeated.
"There's a lot good stuff you get from being the mate of a clan leader. I feel like they don't actually like me, they like what they can get from me," Janja sighed.
"Well, I like you." Nakala smiled at Janja. Nearby hyenas hushed up to watch the moment between the couple. "We kind of have the same thing going on. You're the clan leader and I'm a prince. But I don't care about what you are, I like you for you."
"Same here, but I will consider the prince thing an added bonus," Janja said with a wink to the lion. Nakala laughed and playfully pushed at his shoulder.
The moment between the two was quickly interrupted by the reignited gossip between hyenas around them.
"Did you hear that Janja fell in love with a prince," one hyena said in a dreamy voice.
"Some get all the luck," another hyena responded.
Nakala face-pawed himself and shook his head. Great, now that's out in the air.
"Let's just get out of here," Janja shook his head an continued back to Nakala's den.
Later in the day Nakala was walking to caverns to find any leftover meat. On his way just like before many hyenas were looking directly at him as he passed by. His ears flicked irritably as he heard the whispers start up around him. He wanted to say something about it, but really it would just be better to ignore them and continue along his way. Eventually he found a meal for himself to eat; as he settled down to rip the remaining meat from the antelope carcass. He definitely preferred fresh meat, but he knew that he had to take what he can get. As he was chewing on the flesh he heard some whispering noises that buzzed in his ears.
The lion sighed and tried to ignore the group of three young hyena girls who were watching him. He was used to being looked at differently for many reasons, but the girls were looking at him like he was one of the elites. Every motion he made brought about more whispers and giggling.
"Look at those teeth," he heard one of the hyenas say to the rest.
"No, look at that mane." Nakala heard another hiss. "It's all over the place."
"I know, you'd think a prince would look more....proper" the third one agreed.
Nakala huffed in frustration. He liked the way his mane looked. It was free and wild and rough. Nobody cared about how his mane looked before. What changed? As far as he knew he was still Nakala.
Oh yeah. I'm not just Nakala anymore. I'm the big gay lion prince! Nakala thought to himself.
In that moment Nakala tried to calm himself down and remember when he first joined the clan. The looks and whispers he got then were very similar to the ones he was hearing now. He overcame them back then and he can get over the ones being whispered now.
Janja on the other hand was not bothered at all by the looks and whispers he got from both girls and guys. As the clan leader, eyes were on him all the time and a few more didn't bother him at all. But he was more concerned for Nakala's sake, he could tell the lion wasn't liking all the stares and sudden rise in status. After a short trek around the clan to make sure things were going well he picked up the scent of his new mate. Following it he was treated to the sight of Nakala clearly not enjoying the company of his onlookers who we're now openly voicing their opinions and critiques of the lion.
"Hey!" Janja barked to the girls. "Ain't there something you three should be doing?"
"Well, now that I think about it we have...um..scouting to do. Right girls?" the first hyena asked the other two who nodded quickly. "Right, so we should get back to work.." The three hyenas took off from the scowling Janja.
"Thanks, Janja." Nakala thanked with a downtrodden tone in his voice.
"You could have told them to leave," Janja told him.
"Well, they were just talking..." Nakala huffed.
"I'm serious, Nakala. You're with the clan leader now. If you tell them to leave you alone they'll leave," Janja said with a gentle tone that the lion didn't usually hear.
"Mmm, I'm not hungry anymore. Wanna go for a walk?" the lion asked his mate, standing up.
"Sure," Janja nodded. The two walked out into the open night sky of the Outlands.
"Ugh, I guess we're the new royal couple around here now," Nakala sighed, lowering his head.
"Yeah, I guess so." Janja agreed.
Nakala's stomach rumbled from the lack of food that the lion never got to actually eat. The lion chuckled awkwardly from the resulting sound.
Janja sighed as well, wanting to get something off his chest. He saw this moment of just the two of them as the perfect opportunity.
"You know. I really thought I was gonna go the rest of my life by myself. But then you came along and... What I'm trying to say is.." Janja stammered. He was interrupted by the lion nuzzling against him.
"I love you, too," Nakala purred. Janja sighed in contentment. The lion gave Janja a lick, causing the hyena to blush harder than he ever had.
"Aww, well isn't this an adorable sight?" the pair broke apart to see Amana smirking at them.
"You're never far behind aren't you?" Nakala rolled his eyes playfully.
"Nope, I am the best tracker in the clan," the female hyena boasted. "So, how does it feel to be the stars around here?"
"Not that great. For one we can't get any privacy around here," Nakala groaned.
"Oh, so it's privacy you're after? I get ya." Amana winked at the lion.
The lion groaned again in frustration.
"I'm just kidding. It must be rough, but you gotta understand. Nothing happens around here so when a new pair come together hyenas talk; and when someone like Janja, who we all thought would never pick mate actually found one, they talk even more," Amana advised. "By the way, clan leader, huh? Not bad, Nakala."
"Thanks," Nakala groaned.
"Well, I'd love to stay but I got some things to do," Amana told them walking off.
Janja and Nakala stood outside for a while, talking to one another and watching the stars above. It was getting late and both were not too thrilled about returning to the all the stares and gossiping.
"I guess it's time to head back," Janja said. The lion took a deep breath and followed behind the hyena. The two entered the caverns and braced themselves for more stares. But surprisingly a few hyenas looked at them but continued on with what they were doing.
"Huh." Nakala huffed in surprise. The couple retreated towards the lion's den. They had agreed to share it as Janja's den was not spacious enough for the fully grown lion. As they traveled there just like before some hyenas glanced at them, but ultimately minded their own business. The two finally arrived at the den only to find Amana grinning at them.
"It's much better now isn't it?" Amana grinned.
"Yeah, but I thought—" Nakala asked.
"Don't worry about it. Me and the other elites worked a little bit of our magic. Now for the most part no one should be giving you anymore trouble," Amana explained before simply walking off once again.
"Huh. I didn't know the elites could do something like that. I couldn't even do something like that," Janja thought aloud as the two entered the den.
"Whatever, as long I can eat and train in peace," Nakala's muzzle had a wide, toothy grin spread across it. He flopped onto the den floor and spread out comfortably.
"You know what? You're right." Janja nodded. "But we should really come up with a plan."
"We can do it in the morning," the lion yawned. And Janja actually agreed. He lay next to the lion and found himself growing drowsy.