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Summary
When the zoo finds itself in the path of the hurricane, Ed and his panther find themselves sheltering in place with the strange keeper and his twenty flamingos. Ed's been fascinated since he first saw Stede, but will proximity spark something more between them?
“Arthur, where are y— Ed!”
It sends a thrill through Ed to hear Stede’s tone change from its previous exasperated tone. It shouldn’t. Stede sounds like that about everyone. Stede sounds like that about the slightly dry tuna mayonnaise sandwiches at the monthly meeting.
“Hey.”
Stede is wearing his zoo-issued polo, of course, the logo new and crisp, barely out of the plastic wrapper, and his khaki shorts are pretty standard, but his wellies are nearly the same pink as the flamboyance of flamingos trailing behind him, with added sparkle.
Ed doesn’t smile when he sees them. The corners of his mouth might turn up, but that’s different. He’s been away for a month and he’s missed anyone being so inescapably Stede, with his flamingos gathered around him loosely, and lovingly eyeing the feed bucket he’s carrying.