𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢 🖌 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘨

11

Jisung was amazed by Minho. He'd known that the man was stunning, but who would have thought he could pull off any outfit imaginable? Whether it be a zoo uniform, a black leather jacket, or a Burberry tartan plaid trench coat, Minho looked gorgeous in anything he wore. Jisung especially loved the black turtleneck underneath.
Minho chuckled and released a subtle breath. He moved closer to Jisung as the younger was too dazed to stray from the spot he'd stationed himself at. Minho took the centerpiece of the necklace around Jisung's neck and examined it as it lay in his palm. Jisung just admired Minho's beauty up close while he did so. His eyelashes were long and his eyes were shining from the sun. Jisung swore he felt his heart jump up into his throat when Minho lifted his eyes to his own.
"I didn't think you had a fashion sense but here I am being proven wrong." Jisung tried his best to hold back a smile. He'd taken hours to figure out what to wear and only with Jeongin's help did he come up with what he was wearing in that moment. "You look good in white. The cream cardigan vest is my favorite part. Although, the necklace is very pretty too." Jisung melted at all the compliments. "I guess it's better if I just say you're pretty, isn't it?"
"You woo me too much," Jisung stuttered.
Minho pulled his hand away from Jisung's necklace. "That's the point. The goal of a date is to score a 100 and get you to be my boyfriend."
Jisung ignored him, not because he was trying to be rude, but because he didn't know what to say. "What are we doing at a national park?"
Minho smiled at the response of the boy. "I thought a walk through a forest might inspire you a bit. It's got a lot of colors."
Jisung gave an excited glance to Minho. It was like he perked up as soon as he understood the motive behind the date. Minho bit his lip as he looked over Jisung's expression. He was so cute. He kept telling himself to hold back. He needed to take things slow with Jisung because he was special. You had to treat special things with extra care. But damnit did he just want to grab Jisung by the face and kiss him until he was left breathless.
He snapped out of it when Jisung pulled on his sleeve shyly. He blinked then hummed despite not knowing what Jisung had said. Jisung smiled and released his hold on Minho's jacket, then proceeded to the trail that led into the forest.
"What do you think Cedar would think of this place?" Jisung asked.
Minho looked around for any animals that may be around. "She would like it. Probably. It's like taking your child to the playground. She'll love it for a while but then get tired and want to go home. If I left her alone somewhere she wasn't used to she'd feel abandoned."
Jisung glanced at Minho's side profile as they walked. "I guess Animals and Humans aren't so different when it comes to being abandoned."
A sad smile made its way across Minho's face. "I guess that's one of the only things that makes us question whether we are different than animals. We feel abandonment just the same as they do. But then again, they don't feel love like we do. Love is what makes us exempt from that classification."
Jisung turned toward the leaves that brushed his shoulder. They were pretty. "I guess that makes me an animal since I don't know the difference between human love and the type that a dog feels."
Minho grabbed Jisung's hand, startling the younger into looking at him with wide eyes. "How does this make you feel?" Minho asked. He wore a curious smile as if he were teasing Jisung a bit.
"Fluttery," the artist whispered.
"That's the butterfly effect. You know, the kind of tingling you get when your foot falls asleep or your fingers go numb from overuse. It's like that but in your stomach or chest. It's what we experience when we feel love," Minho explained. "An animal doesn't feel that. Dogs can be happy, mad, and they can want your attention, but if in the grand scheme of things if it comes down to reproduction, it's an instinct."
Jisung tilted his head. "Love isn't just about sex though."
"Not to humans. We can kiss each other and hold hands but dogs don't do that."
"They lick each other," Jisung told him.
"It's not the same thing. Their love is an instinct to keep the species alive. They have no commitment to one other dog. They're promiscuous. If given the chance to be pleasured by more than one dog, they'd take it. On the other hand, humans can be loyal. We can choose one person and stay with them forever if we choose to. Plus, dogs don't get a choice to love the same gender, so it's not really love then, is it? They don't get the choice. They don't fall in love with another dogs personality and flaws."
Jisung unconsciously puffed his cheeks. It was confusing. "And, I mean this as romantic love. Love for a human from a dog is different. They just don't feel romance. They aren't going to bring a rose to see the reaction of their significant other," Minho added. He seemed pretty opinionated on the conversation. Was it because he was a zoo keeper? Minho smiled at Jisung. "So, therefore, you aren't an animal. Animals don't get the butterfly affect."
Jisung furrowed his brow. "But isn't the butterfly effect the idea that small things can have non-linear impacts on a complex system? That's what meteorologist Edward Lorenz said when he coined the expression."
Minho closed his eyes with an exaggerated inhale. "Of course you're a nerd," he stated. He continued with, "That's a different butterfly effect, Jisung. The one I'm talking about is strictly used for topics on love. The fluttery feeling you mentioned. People describe it as butterflies in their stomach."
Jisung pulled his hand away from Minho's and took a few steps forward so he didn't have to show Minho his embarrassed expression. "I knew that," he muttered. He continued through the forest, following the pathway down the hill before them. Minho stayed exactly three steps behind him, admiring the way he smiled brightly at the leaves layering above their heads. The sun filtering through the holes wasn't the only thing blinding him that day simply because of the small detail across Jisung's face. The boy was happy. That was the biggest gift Minho could ask for.
When they reached the end of the path, Jisung made an abrupt move to turn around, resulting in the distance between them to become non-existant. Minho stopped himself from making another step, eyebrows raising as his eyes met Jisung's. The younger's sparkled from the reflection of the sun. Minho felt his heart skip a beat, then flutter for a brief moment. It was silent. Nothing but the sound of the breeze and the birds which chirped and sang.
The usually timid and quiet boy had finally begun sprouting. Sooner or later he would bloom into a full grown flower. One that gave life to the things around it. Minho's lips lifted as he drowned in the eyes of the other. How could someone be so beautiful? Through exterior and interior Jisung had countless of flaws, and yet, every single one was extraordinarily beautiful in the eyes of the zookeeper. Even after everything Jisung went through in life, after suffering for so long, Jisung could still smile. He was smiling after so many months of no expression at all. Was it indreculous to believe that he himself may be the cause of it?
"The wild flowers are pretty-"
"I like you," Minho interrupted.
A pause. Jisung's eyes flicked across Minho's face. The keeper was smiling softly; gently. No one in the world ever looked at Jisung that way. No one stared him in the eyes, scared he'd break beneath their gaze. Or perhaps they didn't care enough to do so at all. But there Minho was, doing the most miniscule things that everyone took advantage of. The things that were expected from others, but gifts for a guy like Jisung.
"I like you too," Jisung said.
Minho seemed hesitent to except his confession. Something about it seemed off. "So If I ask you to be my boyfriend would you say yes?"
Jisung bit into his bottom lip while his eyes widened in pure surprise. He hadn't heard those words in far too long. There was a weird giddy feeling spreading through his chest as the words set in. His smile spread wide across his face, eyes squinting in absolute happiness.
"Yes. However that is a different subject. That is love as you described earlier. Liking someone is how I feel about all my friends. Jeongin, Hyunjin, Felix, and you."
"Let me reword it then. Jisung, I love you." Minho was smitten. He wanted Jisung to look as happy as he did now, everyday. He loved Jisung no matter what, but seeing him happy gained a whole other reaction from him. It was a serotonin boost, to say the least. Jisung's smile was the much needed dopamine in his life. "You look especially like a Quokka right now."
He said it in barely a whisper, capturing Jisung's cheek in the palm of his hand. Minho leaned in and brushed their lips together. Jisung couldn't believe the situation he'd found himself in. About to kiss his crush in the middle of the forest, randomly, and unplanned. Why was it so romantic? Abrupt confessions were wild. The word wild described Jisung's heart in that moment.
His eyes didn't close. He felt extremely awkward. He didn't know how to kiss or why kissing was such an important action in confessing your love to someone. He was more focused on the literal side of things. Why him? What was so special about Jisung that someone as perfect as Minho would fall for him? Why did Jisung trust Minho's feelings so much? Was it because of how Minho acted around him? He always tried to understand. He treated Jisung like everyone else, but also so, so different. He felt special around Minho. That was why he trusted the mans feelings.
Jisung tilted his head to the side, pushing himself up on his tippy-toes so he could deepen the kiss. But, of course, the moment was disrupted when Jisung pulled away with a scared peep. He looked at his shoulder, sighing when he realized it was only a leaf that had fallen onto him. He'd thought it was a spider or something of the sort. Minho chuckled and brushed it off. "Are you that scared of my lips?" Minho joked.
Jisung scrunched his nose in return. A simple protest to the mans words. Minho gave a satisfied hum, wrapping his arms around Jisung's waist to secure him in his embrace. He kissed him again, this time for only a second. "I would have gotten you flowers if I had known I would be kissing you."
Jisung looked around. "You brought me to the flowers instead. We are in a forest," he said, gesturing to the black-eyed susans to the side.
Minho refused to look at them, afraid the moment would pass them by too quickly and he'd never get to gaze into Jisung's eyes again. "Can I hear you say you love me?" Minho asked.
Jisung pursed his lips. "You should at least tell me a few reasons why you love me so much. Then I'll make a decision."
Minho rolled his eyes. "Really?" Jisung gave a nod as he patiently waited for Minho to answer. "Fine. I love how easy going you are, that you relax around me, the smile you show on rare occasions, and your complicated head that is full of ideas. Conversations with you are endearing and fun because of your creative outlook on life. I love how clueless and cute you are. You're someone I want to protect and although I don't have a grand reason for it, I hope you'll let me."
Jisung pressed his hand over Minho's mouth. "You said enough," he told him. His ears were burning.
Minho smirked and pulled his hand away. "So? You love me?"
Jisung moved his arms around Minho's neck. "I thought it was obvious," he said, pressing his lips against Minho's one more time before hiding in his chest. The embarrassment of his actions was finally kicking in. But, weirdly enough, he felt comfortable. More importantly, he felt safe. "I love you too."
The zookeeper placed his chin on top of the artist's. His eyes closed and he breathed in the scent of the boy he knew loved him back with just as much passion as he held for him. He smelled of honey and paint. "Jisung."
"Yes?"
Minho pulled the other closer by the waist. "Will you be my boyfriend?"
Jisung never imagined he'd ever gain himself a boyfriend. He'd always hated the idea of love. Minho was different for whatever reason. "Please take care of me," he whispered just loud enough for Minho to hear.
Minho let out an excited laugh and pulled away from Jisung. "You're so cute. Of course I'll take care of you," he said.
They spent the rest of the day hugging and pecking each other's lips. Jisung didn't think he'd smiled so much in his life. If it were anyone else but Minho he would hate the fluffy feeling in his chest. He was on cloud nine and he wasn't afraid of falling.
The next day Jisung couldn't help himself and headed toward the zoo after lunch. He'd tried his best to stop himself from thinking too much about Minho. It didn't work. Every time he tried to draw he imagined Minho's smile. It was a miracle he even lasted until lunch. He was impatient and needy. Hopefully Minho wouldn't be angry about that.
When he got to the zoo Minho was finishing up with the Quokka's. He spotted Jisung almost immediately. Jisung wondered if Minho always looked at the bench during work. Did he think of Jisung?
"You shouldn't have come to my work place. Now I can't focus," Minho said. He didn't greet with a hello but instead a kiss.
Jisung looked at his feet to try and hide his flushed cheeks. "I tried to keep myself busy but I missed you."
Minho hummed and pulled Jisung close by his hips. "I missed you too." Jisung felt stupid for the sickening grin spreading across his face. "Do you want to go on a date after work?"
"We just went on one yesterday."
"And? I'll take you out everyday this week if you ask me to," Minho replied. Jisung didn't know how to respond so instead he pressed his lips on Minho's. Minho closed his eyes and tightened his grip on the younger pair of hips.
When Jisung pulled away, Minho grabbed his chin and pulled him back in.
"You're going to cause people to stare," Jisung said when Minho finally released him from the kiss.
"Good. They'll know not to flirt with the boy on the bench."
"Minho, I'm the only person that visits the zoo more than once a month."
"Besides the employees," Minho corrected.
"Don't worry. I've only ever seen Felix and I know he won't make a move."
Minho grinned. "Did Hyunjin introduce y'all?" Jisung nodded at the question. "They're cute," Minho whispered. "But I think we'll be cuter."
The artist groaned. "You're gross. Stop being so flirtatious."
Minho stuck his tongue out teasingly. "Can't help it. I'm a natural at it."
Jisung smacked Minho's chest lightly. "Oh yeah, about Felix."
"What about him?" Minho asked, grabbing Jisung's hand so he could play with his fingers.
"He's like us, isn't he?"
Minho quirked a brow. "Like us?"
"A stray."
Minho's smile turned sorrowful. "We're all strays. The zoo employee's have gone through some sort of trauma. Animals are one of the best coping methods. The zoo only hires people that need mental health help. It's difficult for some of the others to go out into the world and work with just anyone. I really only work here because I love animals. Otherwise I would be a dancer or something."
"So Felix works here cause he has no where else to go?"
Minho itched the side of his face. "It's more like Felix stays for Changbin. Felix came for the trauma his mom caused but he stays because Changbin feels safe here. The others I'm close to here stay for there own reasons though. Hyunjin has a hard time being around people. He's attractive but has no interest in people because of sexual assault he went through as a child. Seungmin was bullied severely throughout school so working with others is hard. And my friend Chris lost a close friend of his a few years back. He doesn't let anyone close to him."
"What about Changbin?"
Minho frowned. "His parents exploited him. Kind of like a child slave. Anyway, we've all got trauma."
Jisung tried to recall the day he met Changbin. Felix was very open about his experience. Changbin however had been completely fine-at least he'd looked so on the outside. "Is that why you weren't surprised when I mentioned my brother?"
Minho pulled Jisung closer to him and kissed his forehead. "I can see trauma in people. Maybe because I study animals and their copying techniques. You were left alone for so long that you unintentionally keep yourself at a distance. You hurt yourself unconsciously. Like a squirrel when it's depressed. If it's left alone too long it develops weird habits."
Jisung rested his head against Minho's shoulder. "I'm not a squirrel," he protested.
"You're my squirrel," Minho chuckled.
Jisung pinched the elders side. "Stop knowing me so well. It's creepy."
Minho put his hands up in surrender. "It's not my fault a cute man sat down in front of the exhibit I work at most frequently. I couldn't help but watch you." Jisung wanted to say something but Minho kissed him quickly and backed away with a large grin. "I have to get back to work. Are you going to stay and cause me trouble?"
Jisung huffed. "I should. That way you can feel frustrated and I'll get my payback for you stalking me. I can't though. You get off with a warning this time Lee."
Minho made finger hearts and scrunched up his face, shaking his head as if he were talking to a baby. Jisung rolled his eyes and walked away quickly. People were looking at him because of Minho's dumb self. Damnit he couldn't even insult the man correctly.