Chapter Text
Joe felt so proud of himself because he had just emptied the last box with his belongings, which meant he had officially moved in with Nicky. Nicky wanted to buy a new, bigger place at first, but after Joe said he would rather stay in the flat they had shared their first night together, Nicky agreed to it, saying it was a very romantic thought. Joe looked around his new home; no, it was his and Nicky's new home, and he felt so at home...
What made Joe forget all about romantic thoughts was when he looked out over the horizon and could see the sky become darker and darker with every passing moment. Quickly he found his mobile phone before he texted Nicky.
Joe texted Nicky: "Should I come running towards you with an umbrella?"
Nicky texted: "We don't even owe an umbrella. I'll be home in 10 minutes, so stay put. Oh, something else. I might have gotten a kiss from a bearded guy named Fernando. I'm bringing him home, so you can tell him it isn't ok to kiss other people's boyfriends."
Joe texted: "Oh, that's a new one. Bring home your lover to your boyfriend. And I who thought our wild days were over."
Nicky texted, "I thought after a year together, I wanted to spice up our life a bit. You know, the dull and boring one our friends complain about."
Joe texted: "I love our dull and boring life. It's the best thing in the world."
Nicky texted: "Me too. Be home soon."
When Joe saw it had started to rain, he decided to find some towels for Nicky. It didn't take long before Nicky stood in the hallway, dripping wet.
"What happened to your face?" Joe asked in shock when he saw all the scratches on Nicky's face. "You look like you have been in a fight with a cat."
Joe dried Nicky's face with one of the towels.
"Thanks," Nicky said. "It wasn't a cat who scratched me; it was a thorn bush."
"Okay," Joe replied. "What does a thorn bush have to do with Fernando, or aren't those things related?"
Suddenly, Nicky's jacket started to move.
"Is that an alien?" Joe joked, "Or is that your tummy growling?"
"I'm hungry, yes," Nicky replied. "But it's Fernando."
Nicky opened his jacket, and a black and grey puppy with a beard appeared. It licked Nicky's face.
"He was sitting under a thorn bush, shaking and wet, looking like he had his life's worst day," Nicky said. "It took me ages to get him out from there."
Joe took the puppy with a smile.
"You are a cute one," Joe said. "And so kind to kiss Nicky's ouchies."
The puppy licked Joe's face.
"Tell me," Joe said. "How do you know his name is Fernando?"
"It said on his collar," Nicky replied as he handed the puppy to Joe. "Could you see if there's someone who is missing him while I'm taking a shower?"
"Of course," Joe replied. "And then I'll clean your scratches."
When Nicky walked into the kitchen fifteen minutes later, Joe was bathing Fernando in the sink. You could only see Fernando's face because the rest of the body was covered in bobbles.
"I found out that Fernando is a Miniature Schnauzer," Joe said with a big smile. "And I also found out that Fernando loves your meatballs."
Nicky laughed.
"What?" Joe asked. "What's wrong?"
"You're making silly faces and noises," Nicky replied with a smile. "Just as you're doing with our nieces."
"I'm not," Joe protested. "Right, you little..."
Joe stopped when he realized that Nicky was right.
"Please ever stop making silly faces," Nicky said. "I love them."
Nicky kissed Joe.
"So," Nicky said. "Did you find an owner?"
"I googled the number on the collar, and it is for the local shelter," Joe replied. "Or jail if you want."
"Not all shelters are like that," Nicky replied. "Some are like a loving family home."
"I know that," Joe replied. "I just don't get why a cute puppy like Fernando ended up there."
Joe wrapped Fernando in a towel before drying the puppy.
"You know, I always wanted a puppy as a child," Joe said. "I imagined us going on big adventures together or eating ice cream until our tummy hurt."
"That does sound lovely," Nicky replied. "Listen, If no one wants to adopt him, we'll adopt him and give him a home. We got room enough."
Joe looked at Fernando and then Nicky.
"You mean it?" Joe asked. "You really mean it?"
"Yes, I do," Nicky replied while scratching the puppy behind its ear. "I also dreamt of a puppy as a child."
Joe kissed Nicky.
"Told you, Fernando," Joe said while looking at the puppy. "Nicky is the kindest man in the world. Not only has he given me a home, but he has room for you too."
Joe had to kiss Nicky again.
"Now, you hold our new fur baby," Joe said. "And I'll find something to clean those scratches on your face."
Nicky took Fernando while Joe looked for the first-aid kit. After cleaning the scratches, they sat down to eat dinner. Because it was late, they ordered pizza. While waiting for the pizza, Joe went down to the kiosk on the corner and bought something for Fernando to eat.
"We should buy a big bed for Fernando with a soft blanket," Joe said while they ate dinner. "And a lot of toys."
Nicky took Joe's hand.
"Joe, I understand what you want to do," Nicky said. "But you need to remember that we don't know if we can keep Fernando."
Joe looked over at Fernando, who was sleeping with its legs in the air. It looked like Fernando was running in its sleep.
"Yeah, I know," Joe replied. "Sorry, I got carried away."
Nicky hugged Joe.
"There is nothing wrong with that," Nicky said. "If we can't keep Fernando, we'll get another puppy."
Joe looked over at Fernando again before he nodded. He really hoped they could keep Fernando because he had already lost his heart to the little puppy.