He was sitting in front of the monkey habitat, sketch ready and waiting to be coloured, when the zookeeper came in. He had seen the boy before, he quite stood out with his red hair. 

The first time he had seen him was one of the first times he had come here to draw the animals. Jinyoung, being the artist he was, couldn't help but admire his facial features and proportions.

After that he had seen him almost every time he went to the zoo. He would never admit but he liked seeing the boy and his caring nature towards the animals. One time the boy had waved at him, and he had happily waved back, not without feeling his face heat up in the process.

Without hesitating he turned the page of his sketchbook and started sketching out the boy's profile. He had delicate features, although some edges were sharp and manly. In one word, a beautiful person. It took him a while to get his features right and in the end he still wasnt satisfied with his sketch. He sighed and decided to colour the drawing anyways.
--
Mark. That was his name. Today when he went to the zoo, his zookeeper a.k.a Mark had been at the cash register. He had even talked to him. Well if you call the usual 'here is your change' talking. When Jinyoung got in, the first thing he did was draw Mark, only to be dissapointed with his sketch yet again.

He had decided to go to the bird cages to get some different bird sketches. Just when he had found a bird to draw, it flew up. He saw Mark coming into the cage to feed the birds. He pouted, he had just lost his model.

He looked up to see Mark looking at him strangely. Then his face cleared up like he understood something. His face quickly turned into a guilty one and he made an apologizing gesture towards Jinyoung and bowed.

Jinyoung laughed and motioned that it was okay. Mark just smiled and nodded at him and continued feeding the birds. As there was no bird to be seen anymore he decided to just draw Mark again.
--
Today was terrible weather so he and a few employees of the zoo had decided to find shelter in the zoo's cafe. He sat down at a table with some coffee and tried to draw some objects in the cafe.

Suddenly someone sat in front of him. He looked up to see Mark, hair soaked and a bright smile on his face. Surprisingly Jinyoung felt at ease around him, like they'd already known each other for years. He had a feeling that Mark too wasn't someone to step up to someone first.

"Hi I'm Mark, nice to finally properly meet you" he said while putting his coffee down and extending a hand.

"I'm Jinyoung, the pleasure is all mine" Jinyoung replied with a smile. He gently shook Mark's hand but he still felt his face heat up a little.

"I see you around here a lot. You draw right?" Mark asked while sipping his coffee. They ended up having a long conversation about Jinyoung's passion for drawing and Mark's love for the animals and writing.

Soon the conversation switched to school and friends, then to their family and hometown. Jinyoung found out that Mark was from America and had come here to study. He was currently waiting to apply for a literature study and that's why he was working at the zoo now. He also said he loved working there, and Jinyoung could see the internal discussion Mark was having with himself.

"You could keep working here" he suggested. "I could" Mark sighed. "But according to my parents that's not a 'real job' he said making quotation marks with his fingers.

"In the end it's your choice" Jinyoung simply responded.

And that's how a tradition was born.

Almost every day they would meet up in the cafe during Mark's break. They would talk and laugh and share stories, and Jinyoung would draw Mark. If you looked in his sketchbook there were now dozens of drawings of Mark, none of wich he was completely satisfied with. 

He felt comfortable around the older, like he had known him for years. He never had a connection with someone like this and it scared him a little.

Jinyoung had never been comfortable around others easily. Now that he and Mark were friends he was afraid that Mark would finally see how boring he was and lose interest.
--
He was sitting in front of the desert fox habitat. He was trying to draw them but the foxes were all over the place. They were running, jumping, climbing in trees, all together a hyperactive bunch of fur that was impossible to draw.

He looked up to see Mark carefully come into the habitat. The desert foxes immediately ran at him and jumped up to him. Jinyoung saw him laughing.

He stopped sketching and watched Mark taking care of the foxes. He fed them and played with them, always keeping patient, often laughing about their actions. Suddenly Mark got up and started dancing a little. 

Jinyoung heard a new song blasting through the speakers that were situated all over the park. Suddenly Mark turned and saw him. Jinyoung smiled at him and waved. Mark just waved back and continued swaying to the music, now looking at Jinyoung.

Jinyoung swayed left to right from where he sat. Suddenly Mark disappeared. He came running out of the back towards Jinyoung. 

"Hey" he said panting a little.

"Hi" Jinyoung said with a big smile.

"Wanna come in" Mark asked pointing at the habitat.

"Seriously. Are you allowed to do that" he asked. He would love to go in to see the foxes up close, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea.

"No" Mark said grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the back entrance of the habitat.

They went in together Mark's hand still in his. The foxes immediately attacked them again. Jinyoung laughed together with Mark. After having played with them a little, Jinyoung sat down and looked at Mark playing with the foxes. He pulled out his sketchbook and started sketching.
--
Today they were at the horse stable. Mark had again taken him inside, something that had happened more often lately. He was the head of a horse named Storm. 

He was black with some white spots and one of his favourite horses to draw. He did have an attitude, but of course like all animals he got calm around Mark. Surprisingly he was calm around Jinyoung too. 

Mark was in the stable next to him brushing another horse. He left Storm a last carrot and sat down. He grabbed his sketchbook and started drawing Mark. After a while he felt Mark sitting next to him and putting a head on his shoulder. He immediately shut his sketchbook.

"Why did you close it. Can't I see?" Mark asked playfully. Butterflies were swirling in Jinyoung's stomach from Mark's touch.

"No" Jinyoung asnwered softly. He never showed his sketches to anyone, and as most of his sketches were of Mark….. Mark would probably think he was a freak.

"Ah pretty please. Just one" Mark begged pouting cutely. Jinyoung had never thought Mark could be cute, he had always seen him as a mysterious and a little cold person, but now that he knew him a little better he knew Mark was an expert at acting cute.

"Alright. Just one" he said in a threatening way. Of course he couldn't reject Mark when he was acting all cute and making his heart beat at twice its speed.

He handed him the sketchbook opened at the last sketch he was working at. As Mark had been standing with his back towards him he had drawn his back and a part of the horse he had been brushing.

"Is that me" Mark asked.

"No that's someone else I know with red hair that brushes horses when I hang out with them" Jinyoung answered sarcastically, a tiny smile on his face.

"Are you saying you have other friends like me.  Am I not important to you" Mark said fake sad while once again pouting.

"I have dozens of friends, but none like you" Jinyoung answered truthfully.

"Don't lie, you don't have dozens of friends" Mark said while laughing.

"So much for saying something nice" Jinyoung said while laughing too. 

"I never asked, but do you go to art academy" Mark suddenly asked curiously. Jinyoung sighed.

"No. My mom wants me to study for a 'real job' so I'm studying medicine. Honestly I would love to go to art school, but that's just not how it goes" he said sadly.

"Is that why you encouraged me to do what I like, instead of going to another study" Mark said looking at him.

"I guess so. You deserve to do what you love."

"Do I deserve you" Mark asked. Jinyoung looked up at him with big eyes.

"What do you mean" Jinyoung asked carefully. Mark's eyes went big like he just now realized what he had said.

"Oh look at the time, I've got class. Sorry, see you later" Jinyoung said quickly getting up, not noticing he left his sketchbook on the floor.
--
He was back at the zoo. He had been contemplating wether to go the next day or not, but he couldn't go without his sketchbook. It's not like he wanted to see Mark at all.

He went to the desert fox habitat as he knew Mark would be there. They were Mark's favourite animals to play with, and Jinyoung knew he would go there when he was upset. Jinyoung realized how well he actually already knew Mark. 

He immediately walked in from the back. He saw Mark lying on his back with the foxes running around and on top of him. He didn't look up but Jinyoung knew he had heard him coming in.

"You came" Mark said.

"Of course" Jinyoung said.

"Your sketchbook is there" he said while pointing towards his bag. " Don't worry I didn't look inside" he said a little bitterly. Jinyoung realized he was hurt. 

He replayed yesterday's events. Maybe, indirectly, Jinyoung rejected him yesterday. He had left all of a sudden. Mark was hurt, he just needed to assure him that they were fine.

Jinyoung walked towards him and laid next to him. He grabbed Mark's hand and started to play with his fingers, the foxes now running all around him too.

"Thank you" Jinyoung whispered. "My sketchbook means a lot to me. It reflects all my ideas and thoughts in drawings. If you really want to see it you can, I'm just warning you, you might be creeped out" he said with a nervous chuckle.

Mark turned his head towards Jinyoung, he couldn't help but notice that their faces were only inches apart. 

"You'd let me see it" Mark whispered questioningly. Jinyoung nodded. 

He could see the suprise dancing through Mark's eyes with a little trust and admiration laced through it. Mark's face never showed a lot of emotions but his eyes always showed how he was truly feeling. Once you saw it it was like a whole world opening up to you.

Jinyoung slowly got up and grabbed his sketchbook from Mark's bag. He sat back down with Mark and handed him the book. Mark opened it carefully like he could destroy it at any moment. 

Somewhere around the middle of the book Jinyoung covered his face with his hands. Most of his drawings were of Mark from this point on. Mark kept on silently turning the pages, until he had finished the book with the last drawing being the unfinished one from yesterday.

"They're all beautiful" he said looking at Jinyoung. "Hey why are you covering your face. Are you embarrassed" he said while laughing at Jinyoung's actions.

Jinyoung peeked through his fingers. Mark had a big smile on his face and he looked… proud.

"Of course. Most of my drawings are of you, aren't you creeped out. I drew you even before we became friends" he exclaimed "I sound like a creepy stalker" he added.

"Why did you decide to draw me" Mark asked ignoring everything Jinyoung had said.

"You" he hesitated "I just like your face okay" he said annoyed face heating up again. Mark laughed.

"Did you just indirectly call me handsome" he asked.

"No" he paused a little "not indirectly" he added smiling. "You are good looking" he finished.

"Well thank you" Mark said chuckling.
--
After that event everything went back to normal. Jinyoung and Mark would meet up at the zoo, they would go to one of the habitats, Mark would take care of the animals while Jinyoung drew Mark. If anything had changed it would be how open they were to each other. They had gotten even closer, if that was even possible.

One afternoon they were at the desert foxes again. Mark truly loved these little balls of energy and so they would spent most of their time playing with them. Mark was standing in the middle of the habitat with a big group of noisy foxes around him.

Jinyoung had just finished a drawing and he got up to show it to Mark. That had gotten easier too, Mark was now the first person to see all his drawings. While he was walking towards Mark one of the foxes thought it was funny to get in his way.

Of course Jinyoung, being clumsy as he was, tripped over the fox. He closed his eyes waiting for his body to hit the ground, but it never did. Mark caught him, arms around his waist and Jinyoung's arms around his neck.

He looked up at Mark and he saw Mark laughing.

"Hey don't laugh at me, put me back up" Jinyoung said already flustered. When Mark didn't put him back up but only brought their faces closer he got even more flustered.

Suddenly a new song blasted through the speakers. Mark quickly put him back up, but didn't let him go. His arms were still around Jinyoung's waist and Jinyoung's arms were still around his neck. Slowly Mark started swaying from left to right, just like Jinyoung had seen him doing a couple of weeks ago.

"What are you doing" Jinyoung asked while laughing a little at Mark's actions.

"Dancing" Mark said in an isn't-that-obvious tone.

"With me? I'm honoured" he said sarcastically a smile still on his face. Mark smiled back brightly and Jinyoung felt his heart speed up.

"You should be" Mark answered back just as teasingly. Mark pulled him closer and Jinyoung put his head on Mark's shoulder, his arms still around Mark's neck. Mark smelled nice like always and Jinyoung felt safe and peaceful in Mark's arms.

Mark put his head on top of Jinyoung's and pulled him even closer. Her heard Mark sigh contently.

"Mark" Jinyoung said, the sound of his voice muffled on Mark's shoulder. Mark hummed.

"You should stay here" Jinyoung said still softly.

" yeah I know, you already told me, I should do what I love" Mark answered back softly.

"No, you should stay so I can see you here everyday" Jinyoung said so soft Mark could almost not hear it.

"Yeah, that's doing what I love" Mark answered. Jinyoung looked up to him and saw him smiling brightly.

"Cheesy" Jinyoung managed to huff out.

"You started it" Mark said. Jinyoung saw Mark's eyes shift to his lips, unconsciously he bit his lip.

Mark moved his head closer, their noses now almost touching.

"I deserve to do what I love, right." Mark started, he didn't even wait for Jinyoung to answer and continued "So I'll ask again, do I deserve you?" He said it seriously and Jinyoung knew he meant it.

When Mark had said it before Jinyoung though it had been a mistake, a slip of words. Now that he was honestly asking Jinyoung didn't know what to say. If anyone deserved anyone it would be Mark deserving him, but he could never deserve Mark.

"The real question is if I deserve you" Jinyoung answered sadly.

Mark didn't answer back, he just put his lips on Jinyoung's. It was a soft almost questioning kiss. When Jinyoung finally responded it felt like fireworks were exploding in his stomach. Mark pulled back smiling at him.

"You deserve to do what you love" Mark said.
--
"Hey babe" 

"Mark how many times do I have to tell you, stop calling me babe, it sounds stupid." Jinyoung said a fake annoyed look on his face. 

He was sitting outside the cafe at the zoo waiting for Mark. He had been trying to draw Mark again, but no matter how many times he drew Mark it never looked exactly like him. He had found a solution to that now, just spent as much time with Mark as he could.

"Well I think it sounds nice" Mark said plopping down on the bench next to him and swinging his arm around Jinyoung's shoulder. Jinyoung dropped his head on Mark's shoulder and just huffed.

Mark placed a quick kiss on Jinyoung's cheek, and Jinyoung instantly felt his cheeks heat up. They had been together for a week now but he was still not used to all the sneaky kisses. Of course Mark didn't fail to notice.

"Ah look at you, still getting all red" Mark cooed.

"Shut up" Jinyoung said while trying to hide his face in his hands. Mark just pulled him closer.

"It's cute, almost cuter than the foxes" Mark said while smiling mischievously.

"Did you just call the foxes cuter than me" Jinyoung exclaimed. Mark laughed and quickly got up.

"Come here you, I'll teach you" Jinyoung yelled as he chased after Mark.