A.N.: This originally was going to be part of "All the Flowers Growing Wild" but after writing it (and studying it and staring at it), I decided it bogged the story down. I thought that it worked pretty well for a 3Some story, though, so here it is.
"This doesn't look like the library."
Surprised, Alphonse looked back over his shoulder, spotting Winry and Edward. His brother stood with his arms folded, eyebrows beetled in a suspicious frown. "Hi, Brother, hi, Winry."
"Hi, Al," Winry responded as Edward grunted something that shouldn't have been said in front of a girl. Really, someone would think his brother was raised in a bar, with the language he used.
"Whatever it is, we're not taking it with us." Edward jerked his chin at Alphonse.
"Are you sure, Brother?" Alphonse picked up the puppy, turning his body so he could show it off. "It's little and hungry."
"Aww!" Winry reached out to the puff of spotted fur and Alphonse passed it over to her. She promptly cradled the puppy against her chest, laughing when it licked her chin. "Aren't you cute?"
"We're not taking it with us." Now Winry was the subject of Edward's glare, though Alphonse got a touch of it, too, with a, 'now you've done it' glower added.
The puppy squirmed in Winry's arms, its tail wagging furiously. "But it's so cute, Ed."
"Or it belongs to one of these kids." Edward waved a hand at the children running around the park. "I'd bet it just got away from one of them, like Den used to run away from us."
"I did ask, Brother." Alphonse got to his feet, towering over his brother and their best friend. Winry was busy teasing the puppy with a strand of her hair and the pup was biting at the fringe. "No one knows the puppy."
"We're still not keeping it." Shaking his head firmly, Edward somehow managed to ignore how cute Winry and the puppy were being together. Alphonse thought his brother could be incredibly oblivious, willfully so at times. "Besides, it doesn't look hungry. I'd bet someone's looking for it." He looked at Winry then, his expression softening just a bit though he became stern again when Winry glanced his way. "No. Don't even think it."
"But…Ed." She had this wheedling note in her voice, the same kind she got when she wanted something from Edward. "We can't leave a puppy alone, can we?"
He narrowed his eyes at her.
Alphonse gestured at the little dog, its paws paddling at Winry's fingers. "Brother, you know babies can't take care of themselves."
"It's not a baby!" Edward shot Alphonse a glare.
"He is, too." Winry hugged the puppy closer to her chest. "Just because he's not a human baby doesn't mean he doesn't need someone to take care of him."
Not about to be swayed, Edward waved his hands. "That's not going to be us. We've got things to do."
"Like what, Brother?" Alphonse thought his brother was going to break his neck, the way he whipped around like that. "I mean, Colonel Mustang did send us here on leave." He amended that. "You're on leave. I'm here on vacation. That means if I want to take care of a lost puppy, I can. Right, Winry?"
"Right, Al." She beamed a triumphant smile, chucking the puppy under the chin. "That means you need a name, little guy."
"You're not naming that dog." Edward's voice got louder, as if that might make a difference.
"What do you think, Al, what should we name him?" Winry was just as good at ignoring Edward as his brother was at ignoring her. She held the puppy up to her eye level. "What sort of dog does he look like?"
"No naming that dog! I forbid it." Edward reached out for the puppy but Winry took a step out of his reach.
"Don't listen to him, baby," she crooned to the puppy. Presenting Edward with her shoulder, she nuzzled the dog's head. "Uncle Al and I'll take good care of you."
Grimacing, Edward flung his hands in the air. "Fine, fine, take the damn dog but I bet we get kicked out of the hotel for having it. And if it gets fleas in my bed, somebody is washing everything down with lye soap. By. Hand."
Alphonse couldn't resist, clasping his gauntlets together in plea. "Does that mean since Winry has a puppy, I can have a kitten?"
The puppy barked at Edward's screech. It took Winry almost five minutes to settle him down, after she made Alphonse hustle his brother away. "We're not adopting the puppy." Edward's shoulders hunched as he stomped away from Winry. "We don't have time for a puppy. Or for a kitten. Or even a dog or a cat. Even if we are on some sort of," his hands waved around again, "leave, holiday, vacation! You know we can't," he lowered his voice, sneaking a glance over his shoulder, "can't let something else innocent get involved in this, Al."
"I do know, Brother. But it's little and helpless." Alphonse hesitated, remembering Nina, wondering if Edward would follow his thoughts. "…It needs us."
Shoving his hands deep into his trouser pockets, Edward grumbled something under his breath. Alphonse couldn't quite make it out but it his brother's shoulders slumped and he shrugged in acquiescence. "This is a mistake."
"Ed," Alphonse drew out his brother's name. "It's not a mistake to help those in need, is it?"
"Al, I know what you're thinking." Edward shot a look up at him, his expression miserable. "But you know why we can't take care of a puppy." His mouth turned down sharply. "Hell, we can barely take care of ourselves."
"But we might find a home for the puppy, Ed. Or maybe Winry could take it to Rush Valley. I'd bet she misses Den." Alphonse glanced at Winry, who had set the puppy on the ground, sitting with him and rolling him on his back. "And Winry likes him."
Edward snorted volubly. "She likes everyone."
"Not everyone," Alphonse said quietly and noticed his brother's shoulders stiffen in response.
"No," he muttered, and Alphonse could hear the hydraulics protest as Edward fisted his hands. "Not everyone." His jaw muscle flexed and tensed but, with an effort, Edward relaxed it again, watching Winry as she teased the puppy with a strand of her hair again. "I guess we need to get something for it to eat, huh? It's probably hungry."
"Thanks, Brother." Alphonse hoped his voice was as warm as the smile he wished he could offer Edward. He paused. "It really is a good thing."
"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. You get to walk the mutt when it has to pee at two in the morning." Edward's scowl was exaggerated, as was his gesture for Alphonse to go tell Winry of his decision.
"Softie," Alphonse couldn't help but say as he went to collect Winry and the puppy, ignoring Edward's yelp of indignation.