Tony had just gotten the mail, Dogby barking around his feet as he walked back up from the mail box, when he saw a package sitting on the porch. He picked that up as well, risking getting licked in the face by his corgi as he bent down to collect the box into the crook of his arm. He laughed and shook his head, making his way back inside with the precariously balanced box and his hands full of mostly junk mail.

He put the mail on the coffee table in the living room, sitting down heavily. Dogby bounced beside him, struggling to climb up onto the sofa then giving up and running up her doggy steps that he had gotten for her.

It was really funny and kind of sad, watching her bounce at everything but be unable to climb up. Tony did not have it in him to leave her on the floor when she wanted so badly to be up on the sofa where all her favorite people sat.

Wagging her butt and making herself wobble, she walked up to inspect the box as Tony was trying to open it. He pushed her back a bit, though she refused to take the hint, and managed to get the thing open. It was taped up and marked, but he saw that it was from one of their friends, Lily, and she had sent some souvenirs from her trip to England.

How thoughtful!

"Nathan!" Tony called, noting that there was stuff in the box for him. Where was that boy?

Upstairs, in his room. Nate ignored the yelling, as he always did. He was so good at pretending not to hear people, he actually did not hear them some times. it was a block he had created, where their voices, especially his father's, just failed to register in his ears. It was a nice little defense, though it often resulted in him just yelling louder or actually coming up to the room to say whatever dire and important thing it was he had to say. Like dinner was ready, or he was going to work.

Critical stuff.

Tony kept yelling, though, and Nate put the PS3 controller down at last. Grunting, he got up from his bed and made his way downstairs, just to see what was going on. He saw Tony sitting with a box on his lap, pushing Dogby back and just having her scoot closer each time. It was a never ending game, that. Nathan looked at Dogby and she gave him her puppy dog smile.

"Down," he said, and Dogby hopped off with a heavy thud to the floor. She seemed to listen to Nate, but she was not scared of him. She padded over to him and stood by his feet, hoping to get some pats for being a good dog. Nathan moved to Tony instead, looking at the box.

"What? Is that for me? Why did you open it?"

"Because it's for both of us. There's little things in here, from Lily. You know, you're friend?"

Nate glared at Tony and didn't comment on the fact that he did not need to be reminded who his friends were. Which was good, as Tony would have replied with the fact that Nate didn't have that many to keep track of. This mental argument was enough to put Nathan off the thought of free things, though he imagined he would go and take a look at what was for him when Tony was not around any more. He would go to work the next morning, as he always did, so there was plenty of time. He turned and walked off after that.

The younger Darrow went back upstairs to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He wondered why Lily was sending him stuff, but then he smiled and felt kind of touched, if such a thing were possible. That was usually stuff Tony felt, but Nate did appreciate having a friend that would think of him, and send him something just because she thought it might make him smile or something soppy like that. It was kind of her, and that was a nice thing to have in his life. Even if he did not usually show his appreciation for such things.

Tony watched him go and sighed, thinking that the teenager would never really understand how people were supposed to think of one another and be kind, then looked at the gifts. He pulled out a little gorilla from the box, and smiled at its little heart it was holding. It, apparently, loved the London Zoo. At his side, Dogby whined.

"No, this is not a toy for you," he said, seeing her big, innocent eyes glued on the toy. She shifted her front feet slightly and whimpered again, her lower jaw wibbling as she watched the gorilla. Tony smiled and laughed, then put the Gorilla on the mantle over the fireplace.

As much as he loved his dog, he did not want the toy getting mangled and murdered by the over enthusiastic corgi. She went through toys like most people did toilet paper, and he did not want the poor, cute gorilla to suffer the same fate. He was fond of it already, actually. He would show Kyndall when she got home, not realizing that was another Dogby trait that he might have picked up. Showing off his toys with pride.

Dogby heaved a profound sigh of defeat.

Word Count: 916