Flowers

(For You To Give Me)

((Because It's My Birthday))

"Maddox!"

Maddox barely had time to turn his head toward the sound when Yong Soo tackled him. He clenched his jaw, keeping his expression the same and trying to worm out of Yong Soo's grip at the same time.

"I'm so sorry for missing today! I don't have your present, I mean I do, but it's not in my possession yet. I'll get it to you later, promise."

Slowly, Maddox blinked. "I told you I did not want your television to massage my eyes."

"Not what I got you, honest," Yong Soo grinned up at him, basically hanging off of his shoulder.

Maddox was rather uncomfortable with this, but had stopped trying to get away from the Korean. How come most of the people around him were so clingy? Yong Soo, Yao, Arthur... Maddox wondered if he was a magnet for those people. Just like Vash was a magnet for troublemakers, such as himself. Hopefully he would not turn the wrong way.

"But you remember me talking about Long, right? The woman from the City? That I helped with her drug case?"

"The woman you made up?" Maddox asked blankly.

"Yeah, her! Exactly!" Yong Soo agreed instantly, letting go of him. "She's in Hearth! I have a date with her!"

"Give her my condolences," Maddox said. He was not even certain if that was a joke or not. He had been on a date with Yong Soo once and he certainly wished he had been given some condolences of his own to hang on to. It certainly would have made him feel better about it.

Then he paid more attention to Yong Soo.

The man was nervous. Nervous? Yong Soo?

"What am I supposed to do?"

Maddox took a while in responded, eyes slowly closing and opening once. "Not alienate her, I guess. Can you manage to not do that?" Yong Soo really must like this woman, he was nervous. It was a weird thought.

"Uh... yes?" Yong Soo asked. "You think it will go well?"

"No, but it could be worse. Do not forget the flowers."

"Flowers? Flowers!"

Yong Soo rushed off. Had he really taken that as real advice? Maddox did not know anything about the woman. Well, flowers were often a safe bet. Women liked flowers.

With that in mind, Maddox took some flowers out of Yao's garden before he went to Vash's house.

iMarcus let him in without comment and Maddox figured he would have to thank him later for giving him a silent entrance. Vash made him miss out on scaring him earlier. Maddox was going to make up for it now. Maddox was not a vengeful person, but he thought that Vash would do something for his birthday, if at least just mention it. He did not want anything more. If it could have been any other day that would have been fine.

Maybe he was getting too used to seeing Vash every day.

"Boo."

Vash's first reaction was not what Maddox had been expecting. "Hueresohn!"

He did not know what that meant, but Vash's next move was more of what Maddox had prepared himself for. Vash's fist came around and Maddox ducked, grabbing at Vash's other wrist before he brought out his gun. Maddox nearly pushed him back, realized the stove was on, so pulled Vash forward instead so they both fell to the ground.

Pulling the flowers out of his sleeve, Maddox gently placed them in Vash's hand while the other stared at him. "For me?" Maddox asked plainly. "Thank you." And he took them back.

"I did not show up," Vash said blankly, confusing Maddox.

"At my party? If you did, you did so in secret. You will have to teach me your ways."

Sitting up (on Maddox's thighs), Vash placed his gun back in its holster, still staring down at him. "I meant to... I am sorry. I meant to go, I was going to ask if you wanted to come for dinner."

Vash looked so confused, so worried, that Maddox could no longer pretend it had bothered him at all, if just for the other's sake. He simply stared down his body before looking back up at Vash's face. "The answer is yes. Or are we talking about food?"

They stared at each other and Vash finally realized what it was Maddox was referring to. In an instant he stopped straddling him, getting to his feet and offering Maddox a hand, which he took. Vash was blushing, at least that was normal.

"Are you okay?" he asked before he could stop himself. Vash hesitated and stared at him.

"What sort of question is that?"

"A three worded one," Maddox shrugged.

"Coming from you," Vash countered.

It was too obvious that he was trying to cover up what was wrong. After all, he was not Maddox. Maddox was excellent at covering up what was wrong. "I would hope so, as I thought I had said it. Did someone else ask?" With that Maddox pretended to look around, realizing that iMarcus was still quiet. Vash nodded slowly

"I did not sleep well," he finally said. "My files were disturbed and reorganizing them has been a task. I am sorry."

Another apology? Maddox was not buying the story. Vash's files were disturbed all the time (in the Switz's opinion, if anyone else even looked at them they were out of order) and it never had bothered him this much. Not enough to forget what day it is. Not that Maddox thought his birthday would be special to Vash, but it was the first day of July. Heidi's birthday was this month. That was likely to catch Vash's attention.

The other had gone back to his food, which seemed about done. Maddox picked his pocket to try and find the remote, deciding iMarcus had been put on mute.

"A quiet dinner?" Maddox finally asked, the gravity of it sinking in. A quiet dinner for his birthday?

"I was thinking about hitting you with a cattle prod at some point. Do not sit too comfortably."

And there he was, back to himself. Not that Maddox still believed there was not still something wrong, but knowing Vash was back under control of himself was comforting. Although he rather hoped Vash did not actually have his cattle prod in his pocket. He tried to check for that too.

"Will you get your hands out of my pockets?"

"But Vash, I thought we were closer than this."

Vash glared at him and Maddox easily retracted his hands with no hurt feelings at all.

Despite his concerns (both about Vash and about a quiet dinner at the table) it went rather well. Vash had not kicked him out and Maddox had not had to force himself to eat too much cheese. And his present was rather... well...

"Did you... just snicker?" Vash asked incredulously.

"I thought that was you," Maddox responded immediately, face as straight as ever.

Vash did not believe him and looked like he wanted to press the matter. Thankfully, Vash's own personality restrained him from doing so. He glanced a the clock and at the dishes, coming to a conclusion. "Good night."

"Good morning," Maddox responded.

Vash looked at him quizzically. "It is not morning."

"It will be if you let me spend the night," he explained, though Vash shook his head curtly.

"It would not even be morning then. By the time you wake up, it will be closer to noon."

Maddox almost frowned, but stopped himself. "Unless we stay up all night. Then I can say good morning."

Vash hesitated.

"That is when all the best movies are on," Maddox finished his thought.

There is something really bothering him, Maddox reminded himself again, lazing on the couch with Vash sitting on the other end, Maddox having to slowly slide over to get himself into Vash's lap. Vash gave in without much of a fight. There was something weighing heavily on his mind and Maddox did not know how to ask.

Heidi greeted them with a voice as cheerful as she could muster and Maddox lost Vash to concerned questions about whether she was all right (all the while pushing Maddox off, Vash was so sensitive about what his sister saw). Of which Heidi, as always, answered in the affirmative.

I suppose Natalia never showed up.

Well, he always had the comfort that Vash would not cheat on him.

Notes:

Argh, too much drama lately. I needed this chapter. If anyone wants to know what 'Hueresohn' means, look it up. I assure you that searching for foreign words will do you good.

Maddox's date with Yong Soo was really something to shut up Yao and Arthur who both were worried that he was not going to open up to other people. Neither of them were happy with the choice, but as Maddox was just trying to get them to get off his back, it worked out well for him. And yes, for once Maddox was not insinuating something. Watching television means watching television.

I was going to write: 'Women loved flowers. Ivan loved sunflowers.' Thankfully I stopped myself. Until now. Damn.

I appear to like making jokes questioning characters' masculinity. I wonder why? *coughcharacters/way/tooflawlesslooking/all/ofthemtypicalmangacoughcough* I really need to stop being sexist however. I need to make jokes questioning characters' femininity. Wait a second... why do those jokes never work? Oh yeah: WOMEN DON'T CARE UNLESS SOME THINK THEY ARE BEING TOO GIRLY. What the hell is up with that? Is that just in America? I would really like to know.

On my busy weekend, I am enthused to say that I also got the first season of Hetalia! I watched it all (in Japanese) on the first day I got it. I will be watching it all in English soon, probably next weekend when I have time for the marathon. I got one of the limited edition bandannas too. It is pink, with Japan, Germany, and Italy on it. I find that hilarious, in its own right. Having those first twenty six episodes on a screen bigger than my computer's is fantastic. I suppose soon enough you will all get a rant about my comparisons with the English version, unless I have little to say or if people just do not want to hear it. Hetalia~