The beeping of the alarm clock caused the sleeping body on the bed to stir and a hand to search for the machine causing the noise. The man rubbed his eyes and continued to lay on the bed before glancing at the clock to check the time. “,” he cursed to himself as he quickly hopped out of bed and began searching for his camera. He needed to be up early I order to catch his ‘next big break’ walking past his house. Finding his camera on his dresser the man flew down the stairs and past the living room to grab his coat before heading out the door.

     “Donghae,” a voice called from the living room over the sound of the television.

     “What is it hyung? I need to leave.” Donghae answered as he began to open the front door.

     “Pants, Donghae, you need pants.” The man’s voice spoke up before chuckling a little.

     “Son of a…” Donghae ran back up the stairs and grabbed the first pair of pants he seen not caring much if they were dirty. Thinking more than he previously was the photographer grabbed his glasses from his night stand; being far too lazy and in a hurry to put in contacts Donghae decided that it was better to see with his glasses than to not see at all.

     “I’m leaving now, and I have pants so it’s all good.” Donghae shouted to his hyung as he walked out the front door letting slam closed behind him.

     With his camera around his neck and his hands in his pockets Donghae began walking down the road towards the park downtown. He usually didn’t go walking this early in the morning but for the past week long walks in the brisk morning air seemed to be Donghae’s thing. During a morning journey to the corner store for some milk to go with his breakfast something caught the photographer’s eye that had him making the trip on a daily basis. He pulled his phone from his pocket and glanced at the time. It was only 7:43 A.M which meant that this time Donghae’s plan might actually work if he managed to make it to the park on time.

     Donghae smiled to himself and he began to pick up the pace and make for the trees in the middle of the park. In exactly seventeen minutes the photographer’s ‘project’ would be sitting on the park bench across from the trees. “This is going to be prefect.” Donghae said to himself as rubbed his hands together and began to climb. Once situated on a branch he grabbed his camera and aimed it at the bench. “He will never see me up here and I will get such a great angle too.”

     The seventeen minutes past and just as Donghae had hoped the man had come walking by with his coffee in hand and sat on the bench. Donghae focused his camera on the man as he sat his coffee down next to him and pulled some bread from his bag. “Prefect,” Donghae whispered to himself as he zoomed in a little on the man and snapped his first picture.

     The man on the bench sprinkled some bread along the ground and reached into his bag from more when he heard a series of clicks coming from a distance. It was odd enough that the birds were not already flocking to him and the strange clicking in the distance only made it worse.

     “What is he doing?” Donghae muttered to himself as he watched the guy get up from the bench. “Sit back down!” Donghae lowered his camera and tried his best to hide himself as the man moved closer to the tree.

     “Do you mind getting out of the tree?” The man asked. Donghae ignored the man and tried his best to become one with the tree in hopes that the other would go back to what he was doing. “Can you please get out of the tree?” the man asked again. “You are scaring off the birds.”

       “I…” Donghae started before looking down at the man finding him with his arms crossed. “Why should I listen to you exactly? Last time I checked this was a community park and there is no law saying I cannot sit in this tree.”

     “Touché, but there is a law against stalking and taking photos of people without their consent. Now with that said are you going to get out of the tree or am I going to have to climb up there after you?” the man retaliated.

     Donghae sighed before climbing down the tree, sliding down the last part slowly before awkwardly searching for the ground with his foot. “There,” he said as he shrugged, “I’m out of the tree. Are you happy now?”

     “Not until you delete the photos of me.”

     “No way. These photos are the key to my next big project as a photographer and there is no way I am deleting them because… because you told me to.” Donghae replied as he tried to walk away before he was blocked by the man.

     “You are a photographer?” the man asked. “If you are a photographer how come I have never heard of you or seen any of your work?”

     Donghae rolled his eyes, “That’s because I’m a behind the scenes kind of photographer. I take pictures of things and then people see them without knowing that it was me; I thought that was obvious.” Donghae looked everywhere but at the other guy before smiling and attempting to walk past him once more.

     “Uh huh…” the man said as he uncrossed his arms. “You haven’t had one successful picture have you?”

     “Ouch, right in the insecurities.” Donghae replied before holding out his hand. “Lee Donghae, aspiring photographer, and if you’d care to know some of my photos have made it onto the front of postcards. I’m kind of a big deal around the post office.” The other man huffed and lowered his hand at the man’s reaction. “Lighten up will you? The post office thing was a joke.”

     “Hyukjae.” The man said before turning around and heading back to his seat on the bench. “If you are going to continue to follow me around and take pictures of me I at least want to know why, or is it such a secret that I can’t know?” Hyukjae, or so the man called himself, reached into his bag and grabbed another handful of bread and began to break it into pieces. He looked up at the photographer and saw his flustered cheeks and embarrassed face. “Oh that’s right, I knew that you were following me. It’s been almost a week now and it is really hard not to notice someone who is so damn loud; you always scare away the birds.”

     “I know this might sound weird to you but somehow I just feel that you are the perfect focus for my photography breakthrough.” Donghae began explaining as he walked over and sat in the empty spot on the bench. “I come walking around here once in a while and I sometimes see old men feeding the birds while they chat the day away. Its simple elegance at its finest, but when I saw you feeding the birds this light just flickered on and I knew that I found a way to take that simple elegance and form it into a more complex beauty.”

     “Did you just call me beautiful?” Hyukjae asked as he reached for his coffee and sipped it.

     “I didn’t call you beautiful I am calling the potential you have to make a picture… oh forget it.” Donghae said as he stood up. “Your young look and unique appearance would have made my pictures special is all, but since I don’t have your ‘consent’ to take these said pictures then I will be leaving.”

     “Hey wait,” Hyukjae called out and he stood up and grabbed the photographer’s wrist. “What do you mean by unique appearance?”

     “Well I mean your hair style, piercings, and I can see that you have some sort of tattoo. It’s just not the typical kind of appearance for someone who would be feeding birds on a spring morning.” Donghae explained. He was right, the man’s appearance was not typical for someone who woke up early to go feed birds on a nice spring morning. His raven black hair and evidence of a colorful tattoo around his neck were not usually sported by the old men who engage in bird feeding. The triple pierced ear and eyebrow piercing matched the others nose piercing perfectly but it just wasn’t simple. It just wasn’t elegant.

     “So you want to use me to prove an artistic point?” Hyukjae asked. “You want to show others that people like me can still be nice, is that right?”

     “Listen, Hyukjae right? It is way more complex than that.” Donghae replied. “So it is either you trust me and let me take a few pictures of you or tell me to off.”

     Hyukjae bit his lip more a minute in thought as he crossed his arms. “Alright,” he nodded. “I’ll let you take a few pictures of me after you buy me coffee.”

     “Did you just ask me out on a date and demand that I pay?” Donghae questioned. “Because I mean there is nothing wrong with that I just really swing-“

     “No. You spilt my coffee and you are going to buy me another one and in exchange I will let you take some pictures, that’s all.” Hyukjae said as he pointed to the spilt coffee on the ground.

       ~                                  ~                                ~

     Donghae was in awe the moment he sat down at the table in the small coffee shop that Hyukjae dragged him too. For when Hyukjae took off his jacket he revealed a show of colorful body art. Masterpieces of ink and stories to be told showed them self all along the skin of the other and Donghae couldn’t help but reach for his camera.

     “What are you doing?” Hyukjae asked as he saw Donghae reach for his camera instead of his coffee. “I said you could take some pictures of me feeding birds. I never said anything about taking pictures of me doing other things.”

     “Actually,” Donghae started as he focused his camera, “You said that if I bought you coffee you would let me take some pictures. Of what and who those pictures where of was never clarified.” Donghae smiled behind his camera as the other huffed in annoyance. “Don’t move.” Donghae said as Hyukjae brought his cup to his lips and glanced out the window.

     “What? Why?” Hyukjae asked lowering the glass and before staring at the other.

     Donghae lowered his camera and frowned scrunching up is face at the other. “Didn’t you hear what I just said? Drink your coffee and looking longingly out the window again.” Donghae raised his camera as the other man did as he was told. “Beautiful,” Donghae murmured as he snapped the picture before getting up to find a different angle. “Don’t worry I mean the picture, not you.”

     Hyukjae held back a laugh as he continued to drink his coffee and let the other take pictures as he pleased. “Can I ask you something?” Hyukjae asked as Donghae took his seat and sat the camera on the table. “I know I sort of asked this before, but why me? For the picture thing and all that.” He saw the other open his mouth to answer but continued talking regardless. “I mean there are other people out there with tattoos and piercings.”

     Donghae took a sip of his coffee then shrugged. “Because you are different. I’ve been following you for a week trying to get a decent picture of you- and out of all the tattooed, pierced, weird, and creepy looking people in this town you are one of the first I have seen that spends his time feeding birds in the park instead of hiding in bars or smoking some weird substance.”

     “What the hell? Not all people that look like this do that kind of .” Hyukjae said getting flustered and a tad bit angry. “That stereotype is a load of bull.”

     “Bingo.” Donghae said as he smiled and took another sip of his coffee. “That is exactly why I am doing this to show people that stereotypes are a load of bull.”

     “That’s… that’s a really good… thing.” Hyukjae replied. “And here I thought you were just trying to sneak pictures of me to rat me out to my last dealer.” Hyukjae brought his cup to his lips and glanced up to see Donghae’s eyes widen. “ man, I was only joking. Stereotypes and all that after all.”

     “You are such an !” Donghae exclaimed before crossing his arms and staring out the window while Hyukjae laughed.

     After finishing their coffee the photographer followed Hyukjae back into the park and to his bench and watched as the other went back to feeding the birds. Donghae was moving about taking pictures from all sorts of angles before being cursed at for scaring away too many birds. “So…” Donghae said trying to start some conversation after being forced to sit on the bench and not cause any type of disturbance. “Why do you come to the park to feed birds anyway?”

     Hyukjae paid no mind to the question and just continued watching the birds that pecked at the pieces of bread in front of him. “That’s none of your business. You are here to take pictures and that’s all; having coffee with you was interesting but don’t think we are going to get all buddy-buddy after that.”

     “Okay.” Donghae muttered and looked down at the ground. He began digging his foot into the ground and glanced towards the birds that were prancing around the others feet before reaching for his camera. As Donghae was getting ready to take a picture Hyukjae spoke.

     “I used to come here with my dad when I was little and feed the birds in the morning before school.” He said softly. “When I was 16 my father got into a car accident on his way to work and died.” Hyukjae looked at Donghae who lowered his camera and stared at him with saddened eyes. “He used to feed the birds even after I stopped coming with him and one morning I just thought ‘Who is going to feed the birds now?’; I’ve been coming ever since.”

     “I’m sorry.” Donghae said as he placed his camera on the bench. “I would have understood if you didn’t tell me.”

     “I had to tell someone I suppose.” Hyukjae shrugged before looking over at the other. “You know it was shortly after that I got my first tattoo. It’s this big one on my shoulder blade of a bird surrounded by the sky… I mean I’ve added to it since then obviously but you know, it’s still my favorite one.”

     “I have a tattoo, too, you know.” Donghae said.

     Hyukjae gave a light laugh, “No ing way.” He said as he crossed his arms and sat back on the bench.

     “Why do you say that?” Donghae retorted. “Is it because I don’t look like someone who would have a tattoo?” Hyukjae nodded and Donghae continued. “Appearances can be deceptive, Hyukjae, and just because I wear glasses and dress a little on the fashionable side doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have a tattoo.”

     “You’re right.” Hyukjae said. “You do dress a little on the ‘fashionable’ side.”

     After a few more minutes of bickering that managed to scare away the birds Hyukjae decided that it was best to leave for the day. Donghae begged and pleaded with him until he agreed to let the photographer and his camera follow him to his house. “You are not going to take any pictures in here, got it?” Hyukjae said as Donghae closed the front door behind him before following the other into his house. “My house, my privacy, no pictures of it.”

     “But it is so amazing.” Donghae said as he walked over and stood in the middle of the spacious apartment. “You have a weirdly good fashion sense.” The apartment was pretty spacious and the furniture all matched. The paintings hanging on the wall gave the white walls they hung on color and life. “It represents you in so many ways, did you realize that?” Donghae asked. “It looks bland and normal until you see all the colors and stories hanging on the walls; it is like you and your tattoos.”

     “That must mean your house is full of mismatched colors and pictures of random things all over the place.” Hyukjae said as he stood next to the other.

     “Pretty much.” Donghae answered back before taking his camera from around his neck and placing it on the coffee table that was sitting in the middle of the room. “So…”

     “So what?” Hyukjae asked.

     Donghae began walking around the room aimlessly. “Well now that I am here I have no idea what to do.”

     “But you were the one who kept begging me to let you follow me here.” Hyukjae replied. “And oddly enough I let you.”

     “Do you always let strangers follow you home?” Donghae inquired as he walked back over to the other.

     Hyukjae smirked, “Only the cute ones.”

     Donghae blushed and coughed as his face turned red. “, well um, I really don’t know how to reply to that one.”

     “You’re amusing,” Hyukjae said as he watched the other babble on. Hyukjae leaned in and whispered in the others ear trying as hard as he could to hold back a laugh when he felt the other tense up. “I’m joking.”

     “You !” Donghae shouted as he pushed Hyukjae away. “I thought you were going to do something to me!”

     “Why in the world would I want to do something to you?” Hyukjae replied as he sat on the couch still laughing a little.

     Donghae put his hands on his hips and glared at the other. “I don’t know? Because I’m so damn good looking and you can’t resist my in these jeans.”

     “Totally knew there was something funny about you.” Hyukjae said as he watched the other turn clueless in front of him. “It’s hard to find someone like you now-a-days.”

     “What do you mean by that?” Donghae asked.

     Hyukjae just sat on the couch and shrugged. “Show me your tattoo.” He said. “I want to see if you were lying or not.”

     “No!” Donghae defended. “I’m not showing you.”

     “And why not?” Hyukjae said as he sat forward. “My house my rules.” Donghae just shook his head. “Show me your tattoo and I’ll let you take pictures of mine.”

     “Uhh,” Donghae hesitated for a moment, “fine.” Donghae took off his jacket and threw it onto the chair close to where he was standing. “No laughing at me or anything, okay?” Donghae grabbed his shirt by the bottom and slowly lifted it upward revealing the white tattoo that covered his stomach and chest. “I didn’t want something with color so I went with white.” He muttered as he continued to lift his shirt up over his head revealing the rest of the tattoo; a white dragon whose tail resided at the bottom of his stomach and whose body made its way up his chest, its head resting on the front of Donghae’s shoulder. “Can you at least say something? You staring is a lot more awkward than anything you could possibly say right now.”

     “Can I touch it?” Hyukjae whispered as he reached forward.

     “Okay I take that back,” Donghae said quickly, “That is way more awkward than silence. Hey, what are you-“ his words were quickly cut off as Hyukjae’s fingers ran over the tattooed skin.

     “When did you get this?” Hyukjae said as he ran his hand up Donghae’s chest and across the ink. Donghae’s hand went to grab the others’ and allowed his shirt to fall downward before it was pushed back up by Hyukjae’s hand. “Tattoo’s tell stories and this one is a beautiful story.”

     “Yeah well you are not going to hear it.” Donghae said as he quickly put his shirt down and grabbed his camera from the coffee table. “I think it is about time I go.” Before Hyukjae could say anything the photographer was out the door and nowhere to be found.

          ~                       ~                           ~

     The next morning in the park Hyukjae arrived at his bench on time with his coffee in hand and birds at his feet. He smiled and brought out some bread he brought along to feed them and did so for a few minutes enjoying the singing sounds they were making. Slowly his smile faded once he realized that nothing was there to scare away the birds; the annoying click of a camera was nowhere to be heard. “He didn’t come.” Hyukjae said to the birds at his feet. “He really didn’t show up, and here I thought that persistent little would be back to ask for more pictures.”

     He continued to sit quietly on the bench for a little bit before talking to the birds again. “Do you think I scared his off because I felt him up while looking at his tattoo?” he asked the birds and received only chirps in response. “Yeah you’re right, that probably did make me look pretty gay.”

     “You know, son, I’m no expert here but you probably liked more than just his tattoo.” A man’s voice spoke.

     Hyukjae blinked and looked to the side to find an old man sitting next to him. “What the ? D-dad? Is that… you?” Hyukjae rubbed his eyes and blinked a few more times. “No way in hell; I knew I shouldn’t have drank that beer this morning.”

     “Hyukjae, my dear boy, do you really think that I’m just a figure of your imagination?” the man said before resting a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Now listen to me boy, obviously if you miss him it isn’t just because of his tattoo. That boy’s left an impression on you and let’s face it, you haven’t had a girl in ages.”

     “No ing way am I going to have a figment of my imagination sit here and tell me that I am gay for a guy that I have only rally talked to for a few hours.” Hyukjae argued with the man. “I am not listening to this.”

     “You liked his body.” The old man sang before laughing. “Admit it and the rest of your life will be a lot easier.”

     “I did not like his body!” Hyukjae shouted back before pushing the old man’s hand from his shoulder. He sat in silence for a moment thinking to himself before speaking again. “Okay, maybe I did… What? Can’t I be gay? Are you here to haunt me?” he stood up and shouted. The birds flew away and when Hyukjae turned around to look at the man he was gone. “Oh my god, I am going crazy.” He said to himself before looking around. “What the hell are you looking at!” he shouted to the group of old men sitting at the bench down the sidewalk. “Never see anyone talk to themselves before!”

     Hyukjae sighed and sat down on the bench once more before crossing his arms and taking a deep breath. “Oh it.” He told himself before jumping up and taking off down the street towards the house he had seen the photographer leave from before; Donghae’s house.

          ~                           ~                                    ~

     The man sitting on the living room couch of the mix-matched decorated silently swore to himself when he heard a loud knocking at the door. “I’m coming.” He said to himself as he got up from the couch and headed towards the door. “I said I’m coming!” he shouted as the knocking continued. “Can I help-“ he began as he opened the door to find a tattooed covered man standing in his doorway. “Holy what the hell has he done now?” the man said to himself. “Donghae doesn’t own you money or anything does he?” the man asked the other. “I swear to god if he owes you anything we can get it all sorted out; there is no need to do anything hasty. Donghae get your down here now!” the man ended with a shout.

     “What?” Donghae said as he came running down the stairs and came to a dead stop once he saw who was in the doorway. “Hyukjae? How the hell did you know I lived here?”

     “Oh, you know him?” the other man asked. “So you don’t owe him money or anything?”

     “What the hell hyung, no.” Donghae said as he pushed the other man out of the way who shrugged and went back into the living room. “Can I help you?”

     “What was his problem?” Hyukjae asked refereeing the other. “You aim to take pictures to prove that stereotyping is bad yet you live with a guy who automatically thinks I’m part of a gang or something.”

     “Hyung helps motivate my passion to prove other’s wrong.” Donghae said as he crossed his arms and stood his place guarding the door. “Now can I help you because if not you should leave.”

     “Can I talk for just a minute?” Hyukjae asked and Donghae nodded. “Okay now I know this is going to sound a little weird but I was at the park earlier and all of the sudden I saw my dad and he started talking to me about stuff and I thought I was going crazy because he is dead. I tried to ignore him but he kept talking and-“

     “Hyukjae are you high?” Donghae asked quickly as he cupped the others face and looked him in the eye. “You don’t look high or anything. Did you drink anything suspicious?”

     “What, no.” Hyukjae quickly said as he pulled his face free.

     “Are you sure because you just told me you seen your father, your dead father, Hyukjae.” Donghae said as he grabbed the other by the arm and dragged him inside. “I think you better come in a lay down for a bit; you might be running a fever or something.”

     “Lee Donghae, you better shut up and listen to me because I’m only going to say this one time and I am probably going to say it wrong.” Hyukjae said as grabbed Donghae by the shoulders and held him in place. “I think I like you a really awkward and homoually gay way.”

     Donghae’s cheeks turned slightly pink and he began to blabber. “Well that is funny because you totally don’t look like someone who would like guys and really not like someone who would like me out of all the choices out there.” Donghae looked up at Hyukjae whose face began to sadden. “And I mean I know I sometimes give off that flamboyant vibe but I’m not-“

     “Oh my god you’re not gay.” Hyukjae said as he let go of the photographer and began to panic. “I just totally turned gay and confessed my feelings to a guy who is not gay.” Hyukjae looked at Donghae before grabbing the door handle, “I guess appearances and actions really can be deceiving. I’ll just leave now I guess.”

     “Oh my god,” Donghae said laughing. “You are so ing stupid.”

     “W-what?” Hyukjae muttered.

     “I’m joking, stupid.” Donghae smiled before grabbing Hyukjae’s arm. “Anyone normal would have known I felt something for you the way my breath hitched the other day, and even a complete idiot could have realized that something was up when they are being followed for a week.”

     “You mean you did all of that on purpose?” Hyukjae asked surprisingly.

     “Appearances can be deceiving Hyukjae you said it yourself, and you were just deceived by me.” Donghae smirked. “I mean I really am a photographer and I am doing a big project but I just used it to get you to talk to me.”

     “You son of a .” Hyukjae smiled as he grabbed Donghae’s other arm. “I feel like I should have your personality and that you should have mine.”

     “It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside; what matters is on the inside.” Donghae said as Hyukjae moved closer. “That’s what my photographs are about. That’s why I chose you instead of someone else.”

     “How sweet and sneaky of you.” Hyukjae whispered.

     Donghae smiled, “Yeah, yeah… Now shut up and kiss me.”