Ji Yong woke early; he had been having the most delicious dream. Giving up on the struggle to sink back into it after a few minutes, he became more aware of his current surroundings. He was lying on his back, Young Bae half atop him, chest to chest. His thigh parted Ji Yong’s legs and lay heavily against his . Both of his arms were wrapped around the strong torso, but one hand had snuck its way into the waistband of Young Bae’s shorts and rested on the curve of his backside.

Groaning, he forced his hand out and carefully slid out from under his friend. Young Bae’s moan went straight to his groin and he hurried from the room. Alone in the bathroom, he pulled out a bottle of his friend’s lotion and sniffed it. It smelled like Young Bae, so he squeezed some on his palm, closed his eyes, and focused on recalling both his dream and the feel of Young Bae on top of him.

---------------------------------xx------------------------------

Young Bae woke some time later, his shoulder sore from lying on his stomach. For a moment, he was afraid his mom had returned, when he smelled breakfast being cooked. But then he heard Ji Yong curse and the scent of something burning. Smiling, he went to empty his bladder first. Not giving it a second thought, he put away his bottle of lotion from the sink.

“Good morning,” he greeted, entering the kitchen.

“Young Bae-ah!” Ji Yong called enthusiastically, turning away from the stove to face him.

Young Bae smiled to see his friend in such a good mood. “Need any help?”

“Nope. Go sit, it’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

“Wow, Ji Yongie!” He noticed the counter covered in food. “Did you spend that much time with my mother? Why so much food?”

“Well, some is breakfast. The rest is to take to the zoo. I’m making lunchboxes. And…yes, I did call your mom for advice.”

“Is that kimbap?”

“Yes. Do you still want to go? To the zoo?”

“Of course.”

They ate busily, Young Bae not mentioning the burned spots on his fish or the saltiness of the soup. They left soon after, dressed again in their most mundane clothes, hats, and masks.

GD drove quietly with the radio on, noticing the other man’s nervousness.

“I’m a safe driver,” he said casually, double checking his speed.

“So am I. Doesn’t mean they are.” He gestured to the cars speeding and swerving around them.

“Do you want to-”?

“Just keep going. I’ll be okay.”

Slowly, they arrived at the busy zoo. Pulling their hats low, they wandered unnoticed with the crowds, moving from one enclosure to the next, protected by their masks.

“Let’s watch the dolphin show,” Ji Yong suggested enthusiastically, dragging his friend by the wrist.

“Splash zone?” Young Bae asked.

They looked at each other for a few seconds before scrambling forward to get in the crowded seats.

“My ’s already wet,” Ji Yong laughed, squirming as the water resting in his seat, soaked through his pants.

“Mine too,” Young Bae confirmed. “Lift up.” He took a picture of GD’s wet bottom and posted it online.

Once the show began, they ooh’d and awe’d in all the right places, laughing when the dolphins splashed their section. Young Bae jokingly hid behind Ji Yong a couple of times, not that it helped him avoid the water. Laughing, they stood with the crowd, when the show was over.

“I’m soaked,” Young Bae announced. “It’s like we went to the water park instead of the zoo.”

“Feels good though,” Ji Yong countered, wringing out his shirt and draping an arm around his friend’s shoulder.

Eventually, they made their way out of the aquarium and strolled in the direction of the giraffes. Watching the baby eat, he moved behind Young Bae and back hugged him, resting his chin on the man’s strong shoulder. He ignored the whispers and suspicious looks of those around him. What did it matter if they questioned the uality of two random strangers at the zoo?

Young Bae seemed to be in agreeance, since he patted Ji Yong’s clasped hands.

“This is nice,” Ji Yong said softly.

“It’s good to be anonymous sometimes,” Young Bae agreed.

“Do you ever think about where we’d be if we hadn’t made it?”

“Sometimes.”

Young Bae saw the adjumma staring at them, working herself up to say something unpleasant. He didn’t want any scolding to ruin their mood.

“Come on; I want to see the lions.” He adjusted, to slip his good arm around his friend’s small waist and lead him away from the potentially painful situation.

They continued to search the zoo for the remainder of the day, taking pictures, holding hands, stopping only for lunch. Finally, when the sun was low in the sky, they entered the gift shop on their way out.

“Best day ever,” Ji Yong declared as they reached the mostly empty parking lot.

Young Bae smiled and squeezed his hand. “So what souvenir did you buy?”

They took off their masks in the car as GD opened his bag. Inside were two thick, silver rings with giraffes carved into them. He held one out to his friend who immediately slid it on.

“Do you like it?” he asked, putting on the matching ring.

“Of course,” he answered instantly, examining the gift. “Open my bag.”

Ji Yong peeked inside and pulled out a cute giraffe keychain.

“Keys,” he requested, holding out his hand.

Young Bae dropped the keys into his hand and then turned sideways in his seat, so he could reach inside the bag on his friend’s lap. Pulling out a matching keychain, he bounced it in front of Ji Yong.

“Couple keychains?” he asked smiling.

“Mm. You like?”

“Yes!” He hooked it onto his keys, then bounced them side-by-side for a few seconds, making them bump into each other. “Young Bae-ah, last night…you said…you said, if I wanted to, I could…I could kiss you.”

“Mm,” he agreed.

“You’re sure?” he asked, still staring at the giraffes.

“I’m sure.”

Taking a deep breath, Ji Yong finally looked at him seriously and twisted in his seat. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he leaned in slowly. Their lips touched softly at first, but the Ji Yong applied more pressure. After a moment’s hesitation, he tilted his head and began to slide their mouths together, parting his lips slightly. It took a couple of uncertain seconds, but then Young Bae kissed him back. Soon, they were moving naturally together, until Ji Yong eventually pulled back for air.

A/N: I think things will get more mature in the next chapter or two. That's a good thing, right?