A/N: Happy belated birthday, Bryony! I'm sorry this is so late. Stuff has just got on top of me, and I had a bit of a block about half way through. You requested a zoo setting, and some fluff, so you have that, along with some sexy times, although it's nothing too heavy.

Hope you enjoy it, hun!

xxxx

It was beautiful outside. The air was crisp, the sky was a brilliant blue, the sun was sitting low, and every available surface was covered in a blanket of pure, white snow; the ground, tree branches, window sills, the fences around the animal enclosures... Everything was still. Everything was peaceful.

Howard sighed, his breath steaming up the window as he looked out of it. The zoo was due to open in just over two hours, and his and Vince's shift started in forty-five minutes. He hoped his friend wouldn't be late today. Howard had come in early to warm up the hut – it was full of portable heaters, all turned up to maximum, and the cold space was slowly but surely beginning to heat up nicely. He moved away from the window and switched the kettle on, then tuned the radio to something which suited his tastes. Humming to himself, he set about making his tea, and didn't even notice Vince had come in until he spun round, mug in hand, and almost bumped right into him. Howard yelped as his tea slopped over the side of his mug and burnt his skin, and he placed it down on the the small kitchen work-top, flapping his hand a bit before pressing the sore part to his mouth.

"Jesus, Vince. Don't sneak up on people like that!"

"Sorry," Vince replied, having the good grace to look apologetic as he glanced at Howard's hand. "Want me to take a look at it?"

"No, thanks."

"Aw, come on, Howard, don't be like that. Look, just run it under the cold tap for a bit." Vince took hold of Howard's hand and guided it towards the sink, but Howard pulled it back quickly, cradling it against his chest.

"Don't touch me."

"All right! I was just trying to help." Vince stood back, folding his arms across his chest as he watched Howard stick his hand under the tap, sulking slightly.

"What you here so early for, anyway?"

Vince perked up. "The snow, Howard! It's genius! Plus, it gave me the perfect opportunity to try out my new wellies."

Howard looked down at Vince's glittery purple boots, and couldn't help but smile slightly. "They look ridiculous."

Vince grinned, catching his friend's smile, knowing he was teasing. "Thanks, Howard." He pulled at the collar of his coat. "Bit warm in here, innit?"

Howard turned off the tap and gently dried his hand. "Oi, I came in early especially to warm the hut up, so you wouldn't be cold. Try taking your coat off."

Vince did as he was told and then flopped onto the sofa, throwing his legs over the arm and hugging a cushion to his chest. "Mmm, that's better. Were you making tea?" he asked, cheekily.

Howard rolled his eyes and flipped the switch on the kettle to re-boil it.

"What were you humming away so happily for?"

"Aren't I allowed to be happy?"

Vince shrugged. "I never hear you hum. You're usually scatting."

"Well, little man, that might be because a certain man has a date with a certain lady tomorrow night."

Vince's eyes nearly fell out of his head. He swung his legs back round, sitting upright. "You've got a date with Mrs Gideon?"

"Um, well, no. But I do have a date with the girl from that old record store on Mill Lane."

"Who, Joanna? The one with all the cats?" Vince said, trying not to laugh.

"Hey! She only has four cats, that's not that many. She's a cat person, Vince, that's all. Anyway, she's nice, and we both like jazz, and she's pretty."

"She's all right. She'd be a lot better if she discovered colour, but then I guess that's why she likes you."

"Haha." Howard finished making Vince's tea and took it over to him, balancing it on the arm of the sofa.

"Cheers," Vince said, threading his fingers through the handle and taking a tentative sip. "So, where are you taking her?"

"Out for dinner. Italian."

"Classy."

"Yeah," Howard said, chewing nervously on the edge of his thumb. He sat down, sighing as he did so. Vince instinctively shuffled closer to him.

"What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing."

"You're a crap liar, Howard."

Howard fiddled with the edge of his zookeeper jacket. "I... It's just..."

"What?"

"I've never..."

Vince put a hand on Howard's arm and stared up at him. "Howard, what?"

Howard hung his head, avoiding Vince's gaze. "I've never... I've never kissed anyone before."

Vince's eyes widened. "You've... What?"

"I was just saving myself for the right person, that's all! Is that so bad?"

"No! No, of course it isn't. So you've... Really?"

"Really."

"So, if you haven't kissed anyone, then that means you also haven't -"

"All right! You don't have to spell it out. I'm a failure."

"What? I never said that!"

"You're thinking it."

"Howard, no. Look, all that stuff doesn't matter. She'll respect that."

Howard slunk further into the sofa, turning fully away from Vince. "Yeah, right."

"Oh, don't be like that. Kissing isn't as scary as it seems, honest. When you do it, it'll just come naturally."

"That's easy for you to say."

"It's true!"

"True for you, you mean. Everything goes right for you, Vince. You don't have to worry about anything. Face it, I'm doomed to failure." Howard stood up and walked towards the door of the hut.

"Where are you going?! You were so happy just now!"

"Yeah, well that was before I'd actually sat down and thought about it." He walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.

Vince sighed heavily and lay back against the sofa, looking miserable. He tapped his fingers against the worn leather, trying to think of what he could do to help his friend, then decided he be able to come up with a better plan if he was doing something constructive. So, he went outside to build a snowman.

xxxx

Vince hadn't seen Howard all day. There was no doubt that he was avoiding him. Every time Vince got a glimpse of the jazzy maverick, Howard somehow knew he'd found him and promptly disappeared again. It was dark now, the stars twinkling brightly high up in the heavens. Vince's breath came out in an icy cloud as he shivered and trudged through the snow towards the hut, which threw a multicoloured glow over him as he approached, courtesy of the fairy lights he had strung up in order to give it a more Christmassy feel, not that the abundance of decorations inside hadn't done that already. He pushed open the door and hurried in, quickly closing it behind him so as not to lose any of the heat. He jumped when he saw Howard sitting glumly on the sofa, cup of tea resting between his hands as he stared down at the floor.

"All right, Howard?" Vince said cheerfully, stamping the snow from his wellies as he shrugged off his coat.

"Mmm."

Vince rolled his eyes at him affectionately and plonked himself down beside him. "Why've you been avoiding me all day?"

Howard took a moment to reply, then said, unconvincingly, "I haven't."

Vince removed his boots and shifted in his seat so his legs were curled underneath him. "Then why did you run away every time I came near you?"

Howard said nothing, instead choosing to take a sip of his tea.

Vince sighed. In the nicest possible way, he wasn't overly surprised by Howard's non-existent experience with women. He was disastrous with them, never knowing what to say and stumbling over his words. How he'd got Joanna to agree to go on a date with him, he had no idea. Although, she was pretty shy and quiet, so maybe she hadn't had much experience either. Or maybe Howard had scared her so much she'd been too frightened to turn him down. Vince smiled slightly. Okay, maybe that wasn't very fair. Howard just got nervous easily. He liked to think he didn't, that he had a certain charm that made women want to fall into his arms, but, of course, Vince knew otherwise. Still, it was about time Howard saw a bit of action and, being the good friend that he was, Vince had fashioned a way of helping him out. It was something he'd spent all day thinking about, at first telling himself there was nothing emotional about it whatsoever, but the more it sunk in that Howard was going on an actual date, the more it made him think otherwise, until the thought of Howard being romantic with someone that wasn't him hit him hard in the chest and left him reeling, the sudden realisation shaking him up so badly he'd had to spend nearly an hour hiding himself away in the small mammal enclosure while he pulled himself together, the little inhabitants peering at him curiously as he sat on his hands and jiggled his legs about.

Vince moved closer to Howard, putting a hand on his arm. He knew what he was about to suggest was risky, and even if Howard did go along with it, there was no guarantee that he would think any differently of him, but he knew he had to try. If it left him dealing with a broken heart, then so be it. Anyway, he'd get over it soon enough.

Wouldn't he?

Howard flinched as Vince's hand made contact with his skin. "Christ, you're freezing!" He seemed to soften a bit, then, and rather than shove Vince away from him, he handed him his mug. "Here, warm yourself on that. I'll go and re-boil the kettle."

"No, Howard," Vince urged, stopping him before he had the chance to rise. "I really need to talk to you about something."

"Look, Vince, if this is about earlier, then I really don't want to talk about it."

"But I have an idea!"

Howard stared at him, frowning suspiciously. "I'm not going to sit here while you make fun of me and -"

"I'm not! Just trust me, okay? I want to help."

"Since when have your offers of help got me anywhere other than in trouble or trapped in an embarrassing situation?"

Vince looked hurt. Genuinely so. Howard sighed.

"All right, what's your idea?"

Vince brightened, a smile spreading across his pretty face. "I'm going to teach you how to kiss."

Howard blinked at him. "You... What?"

"I'll teach you how... to kiss," Vince replied, faltering slightly.

Howard opened and closed his mouth, looking not unlike a goldfish. Vince stared at him nervously.

"I'm not taking the mick, Howard, honestly. I just want to help. You're my best friend; you deserve to be happy." Vince placed the mug on the floor. "I can show you what to do, then Joanna will be well impressed when she gets her hands on you." Vince said that last bit with a knot in his stomach, his heart pounding, but on the outside, he was smiling cheekily.

Howard stood up and started to pace the hut, seemingly thinking. Vince left him to it for a while, until the silence got the better of him and he stood and walked over to him.

"Howard, stop pacing. You don't have to do anything you don't want too – it was just a suggestion."

"All right," Howard said, coming to a stop in front of Vince. "But make it quick."

Vince couldn't help it. He laughed.

"Oh, see?! I knew this was just a game! Get away from me."

"No! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh, it's just, you can't take this sort of thing quickly. A kiss isn't something to be rushed. Especially not a first one. It's exploratory, you have to savour it. Melt into it. It's supposed to be romantic." He closed the gap between him and his nervous friend, reaching up to touch Howard's face briefly. "If you feel uncomfortable at any point, we can stop, I promise."

Howard stood his ground for a moment, then deflated. "Fine."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

Howard nodded.

Vince thought he was going to pass out, so he took a deep breath, focused, and placed his right hand against Howard's cheek, leaning up a bit and bringing his face closer. Howard looked panicked, and Vince was afraid he would pull back and run away. "Okay?" he whispered, inwardly cursing himself for the slight tremble in his voice.

Howard, however, didn't seem to notice. "I'm not sure."

Vince gave Howard's cheek a light squeeze. "You'll be fine. Just follow my lead." Slowly, and trying hard to stop his limbs from wobbling like jelly, Vince gently pressed his lips to Howard's. It was pleasantly warm, that was the first thing he noticed, and it made him tingle all over. However, he pulled away quickly – he was just testing the water for now. "How was that?"

Howard stared at him, looking slightly glazed. He cleared his throat. "F-fine," he stammered, shaking slightly.

Vince looked up at him with impossibly large eyes. "Shall I continue?"

"Yeah."

Howard's voice had dropped several octaves, and it sent a shiver right down Vince's spine. He brought his other hand up so that he was cupping Howard's face, then tilted his head, letting his eyes close just before their lips met again.

Howard's head was spinning. He wasn't quite sure what he had got himself into, but it was impossible to think when Vince's lips were gently caressing his and his hands were moving round to rest on the back of his neck. One moved up into his hair, and he wasn't sure if Vince had even been aware of it, but it felt oddly nice. He opened his eyes briefly. Hang on; nice? He glanced downwards, looking at Vince kissing him, watching in fascination as his mouth moved slowly against his. Then he nearly fell over when Vince startled him by mumbling against his lips:

"Feel free to join in at any time."

Howard felt Vince smile against him, and the gentle teasing made him relax slightly. Cautiously, he began to move his mouth, and he found that it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Vince's lips were soft and warm and slightly moist, but just as he was finding his stride, Vince pulled away again.

"How was that?" Vince asked, his voice slightly husky, pupils dilated. He felt like he was on fire. When Howard had finally kissed him back, he'd thought he'd burst with happiness or start crying or collapse. It sent a surge of electricity around his body, and it was all he could do to stop himself from moaning against him.

"It was... weird."

Vince's face fell. "Oh."

"No! No, I meant 'good' weird. It's just... it's new."

"Oh... good. So, do you want to go up a level?"

Howard swallowed heavily. "There-there's more?"

Vince grinned. "Yep. That all right?"

"Okay. Well, if you think it'll help, you know, if you think it would be what Joanna would want."

At the mention of her name, Vince felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, but he smiled, and didn't let it show, even though a part of him really, really, wanted to curl up on the sofa and sob, because surely that meant his plan hadn't worked. "Right, this might feel a little strange at first, but trust me, if you do it right, it's amazing." For the third time, he moved in to capture Howard's lips. This time, Howard knew what to do, and he kissed back instantly. Vince just wanted to melt in his arms and never surface again. And indeed, Howard's arms had gone round him without hesitation, his warm hands pressing into Vince's back. Slowly, Vince let his tongue dart out and run over Howard's bottom lip, probing gently, until, finally, Howard opened his mouth slightly in response, and he dipped his tongue in, sliding it against Howard's, coaxing him to join him.

Howard could feel every single hair on his body standing on end, like there was a static charge washing over him. Experimentally, he moved his tongue, carefully at first, stroking it over Vince's. Really, he didn't know what he'd been worrying about. It wasn't all that difficult after all. It was just about timing, about being in sync with the person you were kissing, setting a rhythm. If there was one thing Howard was good at, it was timing. He was never late for anything.

Vince decided that now would be a good time to deepen the kiss further, and when he didn't receive any complaint, he told himself that whatever happened, he would savour this moment for as long as he could. Unfortunately, the 'moment' didn't last as long as he would have liked, because he forgot himself so much that he let a small moan slip from his mouth. Horrified, he broke the kiss, stepping back slightly. Breathing heavily, he tried to talk, but ended up just staring at Howard instead, trying to figure out what he would do next. Howard was staring back at him, his breathing just as heavy, his eyes dark and hiding something that Vince couldn't quite decipher. Then, without warning, Howard grabbed his face and kissed him, fully, deeply. Vince gasped in surprise, but quickly returned it, his legs shaking, which Howard had now obviously noticed, because an arm went securely around his waist, holding him upright, holding him close...

"Howard," he murmured against him, running both his hands through the bigger man's hair, which was actually very soft and slid through his fingers like silk.

"Shhh," Howard replied, pulling away only slightly to make the sound before sliding his tongue back into Vince's mouth.

Vince did as he was told, and kissed back feverishly. Howard's thumb was rubbing over his cheek, and then his hand moved downwards, sweeping over the pale skin of his neck and over his right shoulder. He stepped backwards, pulling Howard with him until they fell back onto the sofa. Vince flung his arms around Howard's neck and pressed himself against him, his hands roaming everywhere.

"Howard... Howard... What about your – ungh – date?"

"What. About. It?" Howard replied, punctuating his words with kisses.

"Mmmm, but... Oh, fuck it." Well, Vince was hardly going to push him away, was he? He'd just been trying to make sure it was what Howard really wanted – clearly, it was. Vince couldn't believe that Howard was now kissing him of his own accord, seemingly because he wanted to and not because he was just going along with it.

"Well," Howard said, breathlessly, "I think it would be... beneficial to... extend the lesson... just to make sure I'm – oh – getting it right." He cupped Vince's face and pressed himself even deeper into the kiss, exploring Vince's mouth with a flourish and pushing him back against the sofa cushions.

"Oh, you've got it all right," Vince panted out, his voice muffled by the assault on his mouth.

"No, I don't think so," Howard gasped back.

Vince smiled, giddy and delirious. Howard wanted him. He actually wanted him! He did an internal jump for joy, his stomach flipping, millions of butterflies beating their wings inside him. This was it, he suddenly realised, and he came to a stop, staring at Howard as if he was afraid he'd disappear if he looked away for even a second.

"What's wrong?" Howard asked, his eyes heavy and his face flushed. He looked back at Vince, searching his eyes, then his own seemed to register something, seemed to focus on what was actually going on.

Vince saw it, saw it before Howard probably even felt it, and, worried he was about to jump up and run away, he quickly pressed a small kiss to his mouth, and pulled away smiling. "Nothing. Nothing at all." He ran a hand through Howard's hair and rested their foreheads together.

"Vince?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't think I want to go out tomorrow anymore."

Vince grinned. "That's good. Well, it's not good for Joanna, but it's definitely good for me."

Howard smiled at him softly. "How long have you..."

"Wanted to do that? A very, very long time. I just didn't fully realise it until I thought I was truly going to lose you to someone else."

Howard looked touched.

"What about you?"

"Forever."

There was no hesitation, no pause to think about it. Just one simple, impacting word. Vince could feel his eyes welling up, and he blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay.

"But I never thought you'd... you know? To be honest, I don't think I would have kissed Joanna at all. I mean, I don't even like her like that. I was just trying to force myself out there because I was afraid that if I didn't, I'd spend the rest of my life alone."

Vince frowned. "But you know you'll never be alone."

"No, I meant 'romantically' alone. Anyway, when you offered to show me how to kiss, I realised I couldn't turn it down, no matter how much it might hurt me afterwards. Because it would probably be my only chance to get that close to you, and I was willing to risk it, even if I did end up looking like a complete twat afterwards."

"But you didn't. And I'm impressed. In fact, I'm so impressed, that I think you'll have to do it again, just in case I was so clouded by impressiveness that I missed something vital."

"Clouded by impressiveness?" Howard teased, his tongue peeking out the corner of his mouth, eyes sparkling, curly hair ruffled from Vince's inquisitive fingers.

Vince's eyes swept over him. God, he was handsome. "Just shut up and kiss me again." He grabbed Howard by his collar and pulled him forward, their lips crashing together and moving desperately, sucking and nipping, tongues twirling together in a heated dance. Vince sunk deeper into the sofa, Howard hovering over him, one hand pressed into the cushion, the other stroking Vince's cheek. Vince moaned and pulled Howard closer, unbalancing him so that his entire body fell against his.

Howard shifted slightly so that he wasn't completely crushing the small figure beneath him. He felt empowered, truly alive for the first time in... Well, in forever. And something else was also quickly coming to his attention – the stirring in his groin. He sighed heavily into Vince's mouth, running a hand through his soft, highlighted hair, then down the back of his neck and over his shoulder. Then he felt Vince's hands on him, felt him give him a gentle push. Howard got the message and moved backwards, Vince gaining the upper-hand and straddling him, never once breaking the contact with his mouth.

Vince really didn't have any ulterior motive when he settled himself on Howard – he was enjoying just rolling about and kissing him with abandonment, feeling like a dizzy teenager. But as their crotches came in contact, Vince felt Howard straining against his trousers, and he moaned lustfully, reacting instantly and pressing himself into him. Howard pushed back, his breathing low and heavy. They were soon rocking against each other steadily, but Vince wanted to do more, so he stopped, and looked into Howard's eyes, finding them clouded with desire and something else he couldn't quite work out. But, whatever it was, he liked it.

"Howard," he rasped. "I want to do something for you. Will you let me?"

"What is it?" Howard panted back, his face flushed and slightly sweaty.

Vince slid off him and looked at him seductively. He licked his lips, then smiled lasciviously. "Something you'll enjoy. Something entirely pleasurable. Trust me?"

Howard smiled. How could he not? And how could he refuse Vince when he was looking at him like that?

Vince's smile widened as Howard nodded, and he leant down, tugging at Howard's belt and popping the button on his trousers before pulling down the zip. Howard watched Vince watching him, unable to remove his eyes from his face. He automatically lifted his hips so Vince could pull down his trousers and underwear, freeing his erection. He closed his eyes then, slightly embarrassed at being so exposed. Noticing this, Vince moved back up his body and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Okay?"

Howard swallowed heavily. "Yeah."

"Howard, don't look so self-conscious," Vince whispered, huskily. "You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Believe me."

But rather than calm Howard down, Vince's words just made him blush all the more.

"I'll be gentle," Vince said, moving back down and settling himself between Howard's legs. Then he dipped his head, his fingers digging in Howard's thighs, and pressed a kiss to the tip of his cock, flicking his tongue out and circling the head.

Howard gasped, his head falling back. A million sensations flooded through him all at once, like someone had knocked down the dam that had been surrounding him his entire life. The rush that went through him was incredible, but when Vince's warm, wet mouth and soft lips took him in fully, he was about ready to pass out.

"Oh, God! Oh... Vince..."

Vince slid one of his hands under Howard's balls and cupped him with a firm but gentle grip. Howard thrust upwards, and Vince sucked harder, licking him, savouring him, enjoying the feel of him in his mouth. His own erection began to irritate him, pushing against the tight fabric of his trousers, almost painful as it throbbed and begged for attention. But he didn't want to rush with Howard, didn't want to let him down by hurrying his very first blow job. So he put up with it, forcing down his own needs and concentrate on giving Howard his all.

Howard cried out as Vince gave him a particularly hard suck, his hands getting caught in the smaller man's hair, gently pushing his head down and thrusting up at the same time, needing to feel more of himself inside Vince's glorious mouth. He looked down, watching Vince's head bobbing up and down, his cock sliding in and out of his lips. The sight made him moan obscenely, and he was pretty sure he wouldn't last much longer, especially as he felt a twisting, tightening sensation in his groin, a heat spreading through him that he had no control over.

"Vince, Vince..."

Vince looked up. Howard's eyes were closed and his movements were becoming erratic. He knew he was close, so he swirled his tongue around his length, dragging it up to the tip, a hand taking hold of Howard's shaft and pumping it up and down as he licked and kissed. Then Howard bucked violently, his back arching off the sofa, and Vince swallowed around him as he came hard, shuddering and panting.

There wasn't even time for either of them to get their breath back as Howard, in the heat of the moment, grabbed Vince by the shoulders, startling the smaller man, and flipped him so their positions were reversed.

"Howard... Howard, you don't have too..." Vince breathed, as Howard yanked down his trousers and boxers in one swift motion. He whimpered as his cock was exposed to the air, as he felt Howard kiss up the inside of his right thigh. He threw his head back, his vision swimming, unable to control his desire for the man in front of him. Then Howard's mouth was on him, and he lost all coherent thought, one hand flying up to tangle in Howard's hair, the other gripping the sofa cushion so hard his knuckles were turning white. Howard's inexperienced but increasingly clever tongue worked him quickly up into a frenzy, and having already been turned on to the point where he felt he'd explode at any second, it wasn't long before he was coming himself. He cried out Howard's name, trembling as he rode out his orgasm, strangled sounds catching in his throat. He was vaguely surprised that Howard had swallowed him down without so much as even a splutter at the unfamiliar taste, considering he'd never done it before. To say he was impressed was putting it mildly. He looked down to see Howard gazing up at him, his face a mixture of awe and shock, as what he'd just done began to sink in. Vince smiled at him fondly and pulled him up to sit next to him. He ran a finger down his cheek, the skin hot and sticky, and kissed him softly, tasting himself on Howard's lips. "Enjoy that, did you?"

Howard blushed, and Vince laughed softly.

"It was incredible. Amazing. Both ways. And, you know, feel free to do it again whenever you like."

"What, like if I get the urge in the middle of the street? I can just take you in full view of everyone in London?"

Howard chuckled. "Well, no. Perhaps not then."

"Spoilsport." Vince sat up slightly. "Thank you. You didn't need to return the compliment, but it was definitely worth it. Who knew you had such a filthy mouth, Howard Moon?"

For what must have been the thousandth time that night, Howard turned a rather glorious shade of scarlet.

"You're gorgeous when you blush."

Smiling, Howard relaxed and pulled Vince into his arms. Vince sighed contentedly and snuggled down into the embrace, feeling warm and cosy and deliriously happy. He reached a hand up to the back of the sofa and pulled down the soft throw that was resting there, tucking it around them both. They lay together in silence for a while, letting their breathing and their racing hearts return to normal, the sweat drying on their skin. Then Howard laughed slightly, and Vince twisted in his arms to look up at him. He couldn't help but smile.

"What?"

Howard bit his bottom lip and let it spring away from his teeth. "Nothing, I just... It's still sinking in."

"Maybe this will help." Vince pushed himself up and met Howard's lips, and they shared a long, slow, sweet upside down kiss. "Just like Spiderman," Vince beamed as he pulled away.

Howard frowned. "What?"

"You know, when he kisses Mary-Jane upside down in the alleyway in the rain. Did it help?"

Howard pretended to think. "You know, I really think it was beginning too, but maybe we should have given it a bit longer. Actually, I think if we," he gave Vince a peck on the lips, continuing to do so as he spoke, "just – gave it – another – go... Mmm..."

Vince giggled against him, more than willing to surrender his mouth to the enthusiastic jazz maverick, until, finally, exhaustion caught up with them, and they fell asleep against each other, curled up in each others arms.

Outside, clouds that had gathered across the dark, winter sky burst, covering the zoo in a fresh coating of frozen white. It fell softly, an almost silent rustling sound moving through the icy air. It covered the footprints made by Vince and Howard earlier on, ready for new ones to be imprinted when they stepped back out.

Together.