Nana

Gilbert was in a bind. It was fast approaching the birthday of his husband of five years and he had no idea what to get him. A new polar bear plush toy was out of the question. Their home was already overcrowded with polar bears and yellow birds and other cute things they'd collected over the years. And they didn't need any new kitchen appliances or tools or anything for their car. Their furniture was practically new.

He paced back and forth in his basement study, trying desperately to think of something he could give him. It was hard. Matthew wasn't one to voice what he wanted unless it was something they absolutely needed. It took a lot of reading between the lines and looking hard at the things he showed interest in, which Gilbert was usually really good at, but for some reason he was having difficulties that year.

He tried to think of other people Matthew talked to regularly. Maybe one of them had an idea. There were his hockey buddies who dragged him off every other week from Fall to Spring to play a game and sometimes go drinking. Then there were Matt's office buddies. He could also try Alfred, who was his husband's half brother, but it was unlikely that the spacey man knew of anything. Gilbert figured he'd save him as a last resort.

With a heavy sigh, Gilbert picked up a piece of paper he'd labelled "presents for Matthew". Half a dozen things were crossed and scribbled out, leaving him with nothing to show. He kicked aside a few paper balls littering the floor as he pulled out his chair and sat down at his desk. After a few minutes of staring at the piece of paper, trying and failing to think of anything to add to it, he finally gave in and picked up his cell phone to call a few of his husband's friends.

The first five were a bust. They either didn't answer or had no clue what Matthew might like.

Gilbert hesitated before calling the next person on his list. He really hated the man, but he was Matthew's best friend and if anyone would know what he wanted, it'd be him.

He took a deep breath and hit 'call'.

"Hello, comrade Gilbert. How good of you to call."

Gilbert scowled. "Don't start that shit with me, Braginski."

The other man chuckled. "My apologizes. I've been talking to Alfred lately. Is very much fun to tease him like that."

Gilbert smirked and relaxed in his chair. He and Ivan may not get along very well, but they had more than a few things in common. A love for tormenting Matthew's excessively American brother was one of them.

"So what are you calling me for?" Ivan asked.

"Well, you know Matt's birthday is coming up…" Gilbert hesitated, regretting calling the other man. He was just going to make fun of him for not knowing what gift to get his own husband! It was too late though. He sighed. "I was wondering if you know of anything he would like this year. If there's anything he's mentioned wanting."

Ivan was silent for a moment and Gilbert braced himself for the teasing. "I am guessing this isn't a polar bear year?"

Gilbert laughed uneasily. "No, our collection's getting a bit cluttered. And I want to really surprise him this year."

"I'm getting Matvey a new hockey stick. Maybe you can get him something like that too. Or something from that team he likes so much." Ivan suggested.

"Yeah, I already got him a new Maple Leafs window sticker for the car and a few other things, but I need something else. Something big."

There was another momentary pause. "Something big… I remember something. It was few years ago. Before you got married. We were talking about what kind of pets we wanted once we finished college. Matvey talked about wanting a dog once he got a house and enough money."

"A dog, huh…" Gilbert murmured, mulling over the idea.

It could be nice to have a dog. He'd grown up helping his brother train and care for the stray golden retriever they'd taken in when they were younger. He knew it'd be a lot of work. Dogs weren't easy. It would take a lot of time and energy to train it up and make sure it got enough exercise, but it shouldn't be a huge problem since he worked at home.

The more he thought about it, the better an idea it sounded.

"Did he say what kind?" He asked when he remembered he was still on the phone with Ivan.

"A Newfoundland, I think," Ivan replied. "A big white one. He said it reminds him of polar bears."

Gilbert grinned. That sounded just like Matthew. "That's not a bad idea. Thanks, Braginski."

"Is not problem. I need to go now. I'll see you in a few weeks, yes?"

"Yeah. The party's at six, but you can come early if you want. Elizaveta's arranging the whole thing. I bet she'd love some more help."

"I'll see if I can," Ivan promised before hanging up.

Feeling confident that he'd found the perfect gift, Gilbert shut his phone. He reached for his laptop and booted it up. He had some research to do.

.

.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? A dog is a huge responsibility, Gil. And what if he's changed his mind about wanting one? It's been years since he told that to Ivan," Elizaveta said as she pulled into a long, gravel driveway. She'd hoped to have talked her friend out of it before they'd gotten that far, but she was having a hard time getting through to him. Honestly, what was he thinking, getting a puppy without even consulting his husband about it! She would never do such a thing to Roderich.

"Relax, Veta. I've got it covered," Gilbert tried to reassure her.

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Mentioned that Luddy and Feli might bring their dogs when they visit. Asked him if that's alright. He said yeah, that he loves dogs. I reminded him that there's three of them and they're all big dogs and he laughed and said, 'Gil, I love big dogs. It's fine.' This is a good idea." He grinned when a chain-link fence came into view. Several large dogs ran alongside of it, barking and wagging their tails as they drove up to the house.

"I hope you're right," Elizaveta said with a long suffering sigh. She pulled the car to a stop and put it in park.

Gilbert was out of the mini-van in an instant, hurrying over to greet the scowling blond man who'd walked out of the house to meet them. A girl who looked as though she could be the man's twin hung back in the doorway.

"You're Mr. Williams?" He questioned.

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, Gilbert Williams. You're Vash, right?"

The man gave a brisk nod, his sharp green eyes turning onto Elizaveta as she hopped out of her mini-van and approached them at a sedate pace. "We raise three different breeds of large dog here. I'm in charge of the Bernese Mountain dogs. My associates Damyan and Lucien are in charge of the Saint Bernard's and the Newfoundland's, respectively. The two of you are here for the Newfoundland's, correct?"

"That's right," Gilbert said with a broad smile. "You said there was a litter born a few weeks ago. Guess I lucked out on my timing."

Vash frowned. "Barely. Most of them have already been adopted, we're just waiting until they're old enough to leave their mother. We're more surprised that you're specifically looking for one with a white coat. Everyone else wants one with a recognized coat color so they can put them in dog shows." He looked around the yard until he spotted a blond man wearing a tiny hat. He gestured for him to come over.

"I'm just looking for a family pet," Gilbert explained.

Elizaveta narrowed her eyes, recognizing the man striding towards them. She gently nudged Gilbert. "I'm going to wait in the car. I don't feel like dealing with that jackass."

Gilbert shrugged and let her go. It wasn't until the blond man got a little closer that he recognized him as Lucien Dalca. He and Elizaveta had been fierce rivals all through high school and college. Gilbert thought for sure they'd resolved their issues, but it looked like he was wrong.

Personally, he thought Lucien was a pretty cool guy. A little strange at times, but cool.

"Well if it isn't Gilbert Beilschmidt!" Lucien greeted once he got close enough. His red-orange eyes zeroed in on Elizaveta, who was pointedly looking in the opposite direction. "And Elizaveta too! This must be my lucky day! Though I can't believe the two of you are still together! Some things will never change." He patted Vash on the shoulder. "I'll take it from here, buddy. Don't you worry! C'mon, Gil!" He motioned for Gilbert to follow him and then started to lead the way to one of the pens. "So, how've you been? You and Elizaveta married yet?"

Gilbert shook his head. "We both are, but not to each other. Veta ended up marrying Roderich."

Lucien let out a barking laugh. "Roderich! Not Roderich Edelstein? Oh man, now that's a riot! Never thought I'd see the day she'd fall for some pansy rich-boy."

"That's what I said," Gilbert said with a grin. "She punched me. Right in the eye. I had to go through her wedding with a black eye."

Lucien snorted. "Sounds like her. So what about you? Who'd you end up marrying? Some cute little bird, I bet."

"Yeah," Gilbert said fondly, remembering how, once upon a time, he'd refused to call Matthew anything but 'Birdie'. "I don't suppose you remember Matthew Williams, do you?"

"Not really. What's he got to do with this? He have a cute sister or something?" Lucien asked, puzzled.

"Just an annoying brother. I'm sure you remember Alfred Jones," Gilbert replied.

"I don't think it's possible to forget him." Lucien paused. "You didn't marry Alfred, did you?"

Gilbert's expression turned to one of horror. "What?! No! Of course not! I married Matthew, dumbass! Like I'd ever marry Alfred. I'd kill him in a matter of days. Or we'd kill each other. Point is, neither of us are fond of the other. Though his dislike of me might be because he thinks I corrupted Mattie. I dunno. His words, not mine."

"Didn't you once run through the cafeteria, leap up onto a table, and pronounce yourself 'the awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt, corruptor of all'?" Lucien asked.

"That was a dare," Gilbert said. "By the way, it's Gilbert Williams now. I took Mattie's name. It's easier for kids to pronounce."

Lucien raised an eyebrow. "Kids? You? Never pegged you as one for kids. Ah, well, Newfies are known for being good with them."

Gilbert laughed loudly. "Kids? Fuck that! I just write children's books! Man, me and Matt agreed from the beginning that neither of us want kids. I mean, I'll baby-sit and be the best fucking uncle to whatever rugrats my brother and his husband adopt, but I don't want any of my own. Could you imagine me as a dad? Me, raising a kid? It'd be a disaster!"

"Yeah, dogs are safer," Lucien agreed. "And not nearly as expensive." He stopped at one of the gates and undid the padlock before opening it up and letting Gilbert in. He stepped in behind him, stuffing the padlock in his pocket. Then he turned to look at the enclosed doghouse that took up the entire back of the playpen. "Lucy, you have company!" He called gently.

"Lucy?" Gilbert sniggered.

"Lillie - Vash's sister - thought it was cute," Lucien replied with a roll of his eyes. "You can sit down. Lucy and the pups will be out soon. They've gotten used to company."

It wasn't long before a large, black dog stepped out of the doghouse. She wagged her tail when she spotted Lucien and walked right over to him, nudging his leg for attention. A gaggle of pups followed her, tumbling over one another and landing softly in the grass. They yipped and growled softly before righting themselves and bounding over to Gilbert, greeting him with wet tongues and nips.

He kept his eyes trained on the opening, waiting for a bundle of white fur to come rolling out. His lips split into a wide smile when he saw her, all fluff and floppy ears with a tiny wagging tail. She started for him, only to trip partway. It didn't stop her though. Soon she'd joined the wriggling mass of her siblings and was able to smother him with puppy licks.

Gilbert laughed as they jumped all over him, knocking him backwards. He covered his face with his hands in order to protect himself from their claws. Lucien chuckled and took pity on him after a few minutes, moving the puppies away so he could sit up.

"So, what do you think? She's a cute one, isn't she?" Lucien asked, kneeling down. He nodded to the little white puppy as she rolled over so Gilbert could rub her belly. Lucy padded over and pressed against him and he instantly reached over to pat her on the head.

"It's a girl?" Gilbert asked.

Lucien nodded. "Yeah. One of the two. The black and white one is the other girl."

Gilbert hummed.

He and Lucien continued playing with the puppies until their mother decided it was naptime and retreated back to the doghouse. The pups trailed after her. Gilbert and Lucien stood and quietly exited the pen.

"I guess you've made your decision," Lucien said, recognizing the look on his old friend's face. "Lets go have a talk with Vash and get everything settled. I'm sure he'll have some words of advice for you."

Gilbert nodded. He was more sure than ever that he was making the right choice.

.

.

Over the next few weeks, he found he had to be super careful in his planning in order to keep Matthew from finding out about it. Not only did he have to keep the party Elizaveta was planning a surprise, he also had to get everything the puppy needed without alerting his husband. Thankfully, he had some allies in his mission.

Elizaveta was, for once, not one of them. She had enough on her plate with the party and she still didn't think the puppy was a good idea, so Gilbert elected not to tell her a thing about it. On the other hand, Matthews crazy hockey friends were proving to be the best allies he had ever come across.

Berwald Oxenstierna may have been one of the scariest guys Gilbert had ever met, but he'd known him for long enough to know that the man had a heart of gold and wouldn't lift a hand to hurt anyone off the ice - with the exception being his annoying cousin Matthias Kohler. He was also extremely skilled at building things using wood. Which was why when Gilbert mentioned needing a doghouse built in secret, the giant of a man volunteered to do it for half price.

"Matt's a good guy," he'd mumbled in his thick accent. "'n yer not s'bad either."

And Ivan, pleased that he'd been able to help Gilbert find the perfect gift, offered up his apartment as a hiding place for the toys, food bowls, and other supplies.

"It isn't often Matvey visits me," he explained. "Is safe here. I won't spoil the surprise, but only because it's for Matvey."

Relieved that his friendship with Matthew outweighed his joy at tormenting him, Gilbert happily took him up on the offer, promising to relieve him of all of the bags once Matthew's birthday arrived.

The days crept by slowly. Gilbert spent most of his mornings on the phone with his younger brother, Ludwig, working out a decent training schedule and jotting down important little things to remember. He also talked to Lucien a few times, asking about which veterinarian they used and if he had any recommendations, as well as keeping up with how the puppy was doing.

Afternoons were spent trying to get some work done on his novel, though often he abandoned that in favor of going upstairs to do some cleaning. Other days he went out to do some grocery shopping or sneak out to visit the puppy in person.

Evenings were spent preparing dinner so that it'd be ready when Matthew returned home from work, tired and cranky after a day of dealing with people who couldn't figure out how to use their electronics because they didn't read the manual or because their television had fallen behind the microwave and they couldn't figure out why it was making a strange beeping sound when they tried to use the keypad to change the channel.

"Why would you even put a TV above a microwave?" Matthew had questioned, practically in tears as he recounted his horrific telephone conversation. "And how can you mistake a microwave for a television? I just don't understand, Gil."

It was all Gilbert could do to kiss his husband on the forehead and whisper that he didn't understand it either without bursting into laughter. If only he could write a book about all of the things his love had to deal with at work. It would probably be a best-seller.

At long last July 1st arrived. Matthew had to go to work that morning, so Gilbert drove him, promising to pick him up at noon. Matthew had rolled his eyes at his husband and poked fun of him that morning as he grumbled about having to get up so early, but didn't complain when Gil dropped him off at the front doors with a hug and a kiss goodbye.

He set off for Ivan's in order to pick up all of the toys and food and bowls before the man had to go to work. He quickly gathered everything and put it in his car.

And then Gilbert was rushing off to pick up the puppy, who he was going to drop off at Berwald's for the day, since the man lived just a few minutes away from them as opposed to a half hour's drive. He felt bad about being happy to hear about the man's son falling sick, but it meant he wouldn't be attending the party and could watch the puppy until all of the guests left and he was able to bring her and the doghouse over. (Not to mention, Peter was the one kid who Gilbert wasn't completely annoyed by. The little guy had the potential to be awesome within him.)

Berwald didn't seem too upset. He looked at the puppy with what Gilbert could only assume was fondness (it was hard to tell) and scooped her up once she was finished doing her business in the yard. He carried her to the living room, where poor little Peter was wrapped up in what appeared to be every blanket in the house. The boy sniffled and lifted his head when his papa and Gilbert entered the room.

His blue-green eyes lit up when he saw the small white pup and he struggled to sit up fully.

"Don' do that," Berwald scolded gently. "Yer s'pose to relax."

Thinking quickly, Gilbert came up with an idea that would have everyone happy. "Tell you what, kiddo. If you behave for your dad, then I'll let you come over and play with her whenever you want. Deal?"

Peter's eyes widened. "Really? You'd let me?"

"Sure. So long as it's okay with your dad," Gilbert replied.

Pleading blue-green eyes landed on Berwald. "Papa, can I? Please?"

Berwald nodded. "Yeah. But only if yer good."

Peter smiled broadly and then sneezed violently, snuggling back down in his nest of blankets once he was through. "M'kay. I promise, papa."

Gilbert left soon after that. He still had a lot to do before picking up Matthew. First, he had to pick up the birthday cake and a few extra snacks and drinks from the grocery store. Then he needed to stop by the shop owned by the Peeters siblings to pick up the special fudge he ordered and a bouquet of roses.

At last he was off for home to check up on how Elizaveta's decorating was going and to drop off the food, drinks, and cake. The moment he stepped through the door, his best friend wrangled him into helping out.

"But, Veta-"

"Don't care. Hang this up," she interrupted, piling a banner on top of the cake box in his arms. She flitted off before he could say another word. "Feliks! Not so much pink!"

Gilbert stood there for a moment, taking in the amount of people already crowding up his home. He rolled his eyes and made his way to the kitchen, where he found Francis Bonnefoy hard at work organizing where all of the food was going to go and when it needed to be cooked and served. "Hey, Franny. How've you been?" He asked as he set everything down on the counter.

"I'd be much better if I had some decent help in here," said Francis. "Elizaveta does not appreciate the amount of effort that goes into arranging a decent meal."

Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "It's not like you're making some big, fancy five-course meal. All we need is cookout food."

Francis sighed noisily. "You don't understand either. Just get out of the kitchen and let me handle this." He mumbled something about uncivilized barbarians as he turned his attention back to his list.

Gilbert rolled his eyes and picked up the banner, leaving the kitchen as quickly as he entered. He had some time to kill before he needed to pick up Matthew, so the least he could do was help Elizaveta out. And while he was at it…

"Hey, I think Francis needs some help in the kitchen," he told Arthur Kirkland as he walked past the crabby British man.

A little under an hour later, after hanging up the banner and doing a multitude of other little things his best friend demanded that he do, Gilbert was finally able to unload the pet supplies from the car and stow them away in their storage room. Not long after that, he found himself back in his car and on his way to pick up his husband. The bouquet of roses and box of fudge were in the passengers seat. The lunchtime crowd was out and about, which made it take him a few extra minutes to reach the building where Matthew worked. He found a parking space quickly enough and made sure to grab the flowers and sweet treats next to him before he rushed to meet Matthew at the front door.

He made it just in time.

Right after he positioned himself in the middle of the walkway, Matthew walked through the automatic doors. Gilbert smiled widely at his husband, who shook his head and chuckled.

"You're something else," Matthew said fondly, walking over to Gilbert.

"Happy Birthday, Matt," Gilbert said, leaning forward for a kiss before handing over the simple gifts.

A pretty blush settled over Matthews cheeks. Like he did every year, he gently breathed in the scent of the roses, taking a moment to admire them before looking to see what sort of fudge Gilbert had chosen. Lavender eyes widened in surprise when he saw that it was maple cream fudge - a new specialty of the Peeters siblings. "Gil…!"

Gilbert wrapped an arm across his husband's shoulders and began directing him to the car. "Nothing but the best for my Birdie on his birthday."

"What'd you do this year, Gil? Rent out an entire movie theater? Get the skating rink closed to the public for the afternoon?" Matthew asked teasingly.

Gilbert chuckled. "Nothing so extravagant this year. I promise. I thought you might enjoy a nice, peaceful walk through the park."

An expression of surprise crossed Matthew's face. "Really? That does sound nice…"

Gilbert detached himself from his husband in order to open the passengers side door. He waited until Matthew was safely inside before shutting the door and then walked quickly to take his spot in the drivers seat.

It was only after they shared a piece of fudge that they set off for an afternoon at the park.

.

.

"Surprise!"

Matthew squeaked in surprise and crushed the roses slightly as his half brother jumped out from the closet and set off a party popper right in front of his face. Confetti showered him and Gilbert as Ivan, Matthias, and Elizaveta took that as their cue to set off their own party poppers.

"Happy birthday, bro!" Alfred shouted, plopping a paper crown on his head. He wrapped his arms around Matthew's shoulders and pulled him away from an amused Gilbert and into the party crowd. "Alright, everyone! Make way for the birthday boy! Birthday boy, coming through!"

Gilbert chuckled and shut the door, wondering where Alfred had dug up an old Burger King crown. He quickly decided it didn't matter and instead set out in search of a good beer. He had a few hours to drink a couple and then sober up before he needed to go pick up the puppy. Since Matthew was going to be dragged around by his half brother for most of the evening, Gilbert figured he'd spend his time playing little pranks on people in order to entertain himself.

He managed to do that for a half an hour before Elizaveta found out and threatened him into stopping. (Something about Timo Väinämöinen threatening to bash him in the head with an empty vodka bottle.) He sulked about for a while after that before Matthew detached himself from his brother to make sure he was staying out of trouble.

When Matthew saw that his husband was neither drunk nor getting threatened by one of his friends (at that very moment), he gladly gave him a kiss on the lips. Several of his hockey buddies wolf whistled.

Gilbert wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist and held him there so he couldn't disappear on him again. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

Matthew smiled at him. "For being so awesome."

"I'm always, awesome."

Matthew laughed and kissed him again. "Then it's for being even more awesome than usual. Off the charts, awesome. So awesome that you're into the zone of being super awesome."

"Damn straight, I am," Gilbert agreed. He always loved it when his husband complimented him like that. "Your birthday's awesome too, right?"

"Yeah," Matthew replied.

"Present time!" Elizaveta announced, her voice carrying throughout the house. "Everyone to the living room! And leave space for Matt to unwrap his gifts!"

Gilbert snorted. "What are we, in third grade again?"

Matthew rolled his eyes and nudged Gilbert to get him to let go. "This just means I won't have to make so many phone calls to thank everyone, I can just do it as I open them. Do you think you can keep your thoughts to yourself this time?"

"Can't promise anything, Birdie."

Matthew left it at that, knowing better than to try and force his husband into anything. It only ever ended badly for both of them.

.

.

After what felt like days of making nice with Matthew's friends and more annoying relatives (and being scolded by Elizaveta, who seemed determined to make sure everything went absolutely perfectly), the only guest that was left was Alfred. He'd gotten into a bit of a drinking contest with Ivan and had then made out with the Russian in one of the hallways, but Gilbert was determined to block that mental image from his mind for the rest of forever, if only to preserve his remaining sanity.

At any rate, Matthew had deemed his half brother too drunk to drive himself home safely and had volunteered himself for the job. He kissed Gilbert on the cheek and then left the house, pulling Alfred along with him and scolding his brother for trying to undress himself because he felt the urge to go swimming.

The second Gilbert heard the car cut on, he dialled Berwald's number to tell him it was safe to bring everything over.

While he was waiting, he cleaned up the house a little more and made sure to cut a few pieces of cake for Berwald to take home. Even if the soft-spoken man didn't want any, he was sure Peter would love some.

It wasn't long at all before he heard the loud rumble of a truck pull down the driveway and into the backyard. Gilbert made sure to grab the cake and then eagerly ran outside to greet Berwald and help him unload the doghouse. He'd already picked out the spot he wanted it to go.

Though it took them a few tries, it didn't take too long to get the pieces of the wooden structure settled in the backyard. Berwald set to work on attaching them together and then the two men stood back to see how it looked.

Gilbert grinned broadly. "This is so awesome. Matt's going to be so surprised."

Berwald made a sound of agreement and headed back to his truck. He opened the door and lifted out the puppy, which he handed over to Gilbert, along with a few toys. A bag of puppy chow was also removed and carried over to the back door and set down. He patted the puppy on the head and made sure to grab the cake from the hood of the truck before he left.

Gilbert held up the puppy, who wiggled and tried to lick his face. "I can't wait for Mattie to see you, girl. Wonder what he'll want to name you… Something awesome, of course!"

She barked and wiggled some more, so he put her down in the grass. He watched her romp around in the grass and snap at bugs before she found a place to squat. Then she ran back to him, her tail wagging wildly. Laughing, Gilbert scooped her up and carried her inside to wait for Matthew to return.

He played with her in the living room, tossing toys for her to chase after and bring back to him. She barked and rolled around excitably, taking turns playing with all of her new toys while trying to sneak away to explore the house. Gilbert was careful to draw her back each time and got so caught up in playing with the new pet that he forgot to listen for Matthew's return.

By the time he realized his husband was back, it was too late.

"Gil…?"

Gilbert flinched, twisting to see Matthew standing in the doorway to the living room. He grinned sheepishly. "Uh, happy birthday?"

Matthew stood there for a moment, his lavender eyes wide with shock. He slowly hung up his keys and then joined Gilbert in the living room, carefully sitting down on the carpet and holding out his hand for the puppy to sniff. His surprised expression changed to one of delight as she began licking his fingers.

"She's a Newfoundland," Gilbert said softly.

Matthew gave a little laugh. "She's going to get huge. Do you really think we have enough room for her?"

"Plenty," Gilbert replied. "Wanna see the doghouse?"

"Yeah!" Matthew exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He pulled the puppy into his arms and then stood up. "Does she have a name yet?"

Gilbert stood up as well. "Not yet. I was waiting for you. Got anything in mind?"

Matthew nodded. "I always knew that if I got a boy Newfie, I'd name him Kuma, but if I found a girl instead, I wanted to name her, um, Nana," he admitted, his voice dipping low at the end.

"Nana?" Gilbert repeated, unable to keep himself from grinning at the undeniably cute name. "Like the dog from Peter Pan? That's cute Matt." He opened the back door and stood aside to let his husband step out onto the patio first.

Matthew blushed as he walked outside, though that faded the moment he laid eyes on the brand new structure in their back yard. He recognized it as Berwald's handiwork - the smooth, unpainted wood was a dead giveaway. His friend disliked painting anything he built with bright colors, preferring the natural coloring of the wood. Matthew was sure that if he took a closer look he'd find Berwald's crest imprinted somewhere on the doghouse.

"So, what do you think?" Gilbert asked.

"I love it," Matthew said honestly. "The question is… what does Nana think?"

Gilbert laughed as his love carried the newly christened 'Nana' over to the doghouse to let her check it out. She sniffed around it a bit before deciding Matthew was much more interesting than some wooden thing.

As he watched his huband's face light up with joy, Gilbert knew for certain that he'd made the right choice in getting a puppy.

.

The End

.

I'll admit, I took some massive creative liberty with this. White Newfoundland's are incredibly rare and for one to have a pure white coat is a mutation, which brings along a host of problems (like deafness and blindness, to name two). For the sake of having a happy story, Nana doesn't suffer from any problems brought on by her mutation. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but Nana would be considered an albino Newfoundland. Her nose and the pads of her paws would be pink and her eyes would be a shade of red or pink.)

Newfies are huge. They were bred for hard work - long distance swimming in particular - and originated in Newfoundland, Canada. Recognized coat colors are: black, brown, gray, and black&white. But as big and tough as they look, they're also massive sweethearts and incredibly gentle.

There is a possibility that I might write a sequel to this called "The Adventures of Peter and Nana". I've been playing around with ideas for it from the moment I brought Peter into the story, but I'm not sure if I have enough material. (To tell the truth, I hadn't intended to bring Peter into this, but it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.)

The dog from Peter Pan was, in fact, a Newfoundland. It's either Gilbert's or Matthew's favorite story from childhood (maybe both).