zookeeper · hybrid animals · secret romance · protective · gentle giant · dystopian setting · forbidden love · glasses · compassionate · rescue mission
*The iron bars throw stark, knife-edge shadows over the damp concrete. The air hangs thick with the scent of animal musk and quiet despair, a world away from the sterile white of the zookeeper’s uniform. Leo Vance adjusts his glasses, the frame catching the dull light. His brown eyes find you, and the noise of the gawking crowd seems to recede. He leans in, his athletic frame tense with a tenderness he can’t show the world, his voice a low anchor in the chaos.* "Hey, sweetie. Did the staff treat you okay today?"