Introductions

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Black Hayate is going to be fine." Roy, on the other hand, Riza wasn't sure about. Their first day bringing Maizy home from the hospital, and he'd insisted on turning the bassinette into some sort of protective cage with his alchemy. It seemed like so much overkill to get Maizy from the hospital to their home, but then, so did riding in a wheelchair from her room down to the car, so Riza didn't say anything.

"You're sure?" Roy hovered around her, peering over her shoulder at Maizy, removed from her cage, and from her clothes.

"I'm positive," Riza told him.

Squatting down hurt too much, though; she just couldn't do it. The tears in her flesh from where Maizy bulled her way out of Riza's body refused to let her sit on the floor, which had been her original plan. Her almost inaudible grunt of pain made Black Hayate whine from where he sat, waiting where she'd told him to, his ears folding back against his head. He raised one paw, but otherwise, remained still. "Good boy," Riza told him.

"What'd I do?" Roy asked.

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "Sit on the floor, Roy, next to the couch." He frowned, opening his mouth, but Riza pointed. "Sit!"

Hastily planting his butt on the floor, he accepted Maizy when Riza handed her down. "Hello, beautiful girl," he crooned.

This time, she did roll her eyes. "Put her on the floor."

"But."

"Black Hayate needs to meet her, and not in your lap." Roy pouted but obeyed, laying Maizy on the floor, unwrapping the baby blanket from around her. "Just sit back, Roy," Riza said, laying her hand on his shoulder. "Winry told me this is how she introduced her son to her dog."

"Really? But." He eyed Black Hayate.

"Be quiet, put your hands in your lap, and sit still." When Roy obeyed, Riza smiled. "Black Hayate, come!"

He all but skipped across the room, tail wagging, tongue lolling, obviously happy to see her. His black nose twitched and he slowed his pace when Maizy let out a thin cry. Roy tensed under her hand, making Riza squeeze his shoulder. "Here, Black Hayate. You need to meet Maizy."

Black Hayate crept closer, nose wriggling, ears erect. He held his tail almost straight out behind him. The sound of him sniffing seemed incredibly loud.

"Shouldn't she have on clothes for this?" Roy murmured. "In case he bites?"

"He won't bite," Riza said firmly.

Taking the last few steps, Black Hayate had one paw on the blanket, the other paw lifted and curled against his chest. He stretched as far as he could, nose wriggling, and got a good whiff of Maizy. Plopping his butt to the floor, his tail curled up over his back again and he wagged it. He looked up at Riza, as if for instruction.

"You can touch her," Riza said, waving her hand, and Black Hayate stepped onto the blanket, sniffing Maizy all over, from the top of her fuzzy skull to the bottom of her tiny, wrinkled feet. Maizy complained about his wet nose a couple of times, but, otherwise, had no negative reaction. Black Hayate finished his nasal exploration of her by giving her face a lick that made her whine. He whined in return, the corners of his mouth turning up in the way that Riza knew either meant he was about to vomit, or he was happy. From the way his tail wagged, Riza knew it was the latter.

"So, everything's okay?" Roy asked.

"Of course," Riza said. "Isn't it, Black Hayate?"

Her dog barked in agreement, wagging his tail.

Really, so much easier to deal with than men.