Being This Prepared Isn't Always Smart
The entire idea hit Vash rather suddenly as he listened to his sister and Maddox speak the language of photography. It was more than the fact he could not quite follow the conversation as all of the angles and layouts they referred to meant nothing to him when it came to cameras. It was actually because of the fact that the both of them were talking in the first place.
More particularly, the fact that he was letting them.
"Brother... which one of these do you think looks better?" Heidi questioned, sliding the two pictures across the table to where he was sitting. Vash looked up from the shotgun he was cleaning and between the two photographs.
"I like them both," the house said happily. Vash ignored him.
"This one," he pointed at it, before returning to his task.
"That's your 'big picture' focused mind talking," Maddox mentioned blandly. "I notice you pointed here. Probably where you think you could best ambush a criminal at."
Heidi giggled and Vash shook his head, unable to stop a smile. For Heidi, it was funny. To Vash, it was perceptive. And probably why he liked that layout or whatever better than the other picture. Maddox was good at catching things like that.
Despite how much trouble the man was, Vash trusted him. With Heidi. It was a strange thought that he was certain not many other people could amount to. And Heidi certainly liked Maddox. Not that Heidi ever disliked anyone, but other than that...
Which was when it hit him that he would not trust another man with his sister other than Maddox.
The fact he was even considering Heidi like that was surprising. Then again, she was growing up. She was well on her way to going out into the world which kept Vash so paranoid. As much as he did not like that thought Vash knew better than to try and deny it. That would be pointless. Everyone grew up. If they did not, they had died. Between the two, growing up seemed like a much better option.
And for girls, that would include boys. Vash hated the thought, but again knew better than to deny it.
What if Heidi really likes Maddox?
A lot of him squirmed at the idea, but the rest of him beat that half into submission and focused on the positives. If Heidi really liked Maddox... like that. It was better than anyone else in this town.
The most logical path to take from here would be to ask her. Obviously not in front of Maddox.
"I'll ask Antonio about these then," Heidi collected all of her samples together, setting them back in her folder carefully.
"Very immersed in your guns yet?" Maddox asked him. "Or will you protest if I super glue the cabinets at the Vargas' place?"
Vash fought his initial response and found himself saying something very peculiar. "Why don't you take Heidi?"
"Oh," Maddox responded. "You saw through my plan. I am actually going to eat there. Darn."
Vash rolled his eyes. It was as if Maddox did not think he was ever going to start seeing through his dry sarcastic comments. Not that he could do so too often. If he did, Maddox was likely to do what he actually said he was going to do. And then Vash would have to stop him.
He was not dangerous, just strange.
"Would you like to come?" Maddox asked Heidi. Heidi looked over toward Vash.
"Are you certain you don't want to come, Vash?" she asked. Vash nodded.
"I have some paperwork I have to attend to," he said. "Do not concern yourself with me."
Heidi did not look convinced, but she left with Maddox anyway. Would not have been the first time those two had gone out to lunch, but now Vash found his stomache turning.
"Your heart rate has increased like woah," iMarcus commented as Vash went to return his shotgun back on his gun rack. "Something wrong?"
"No."
After all, it was going to happen sooner or later. Vash might as well be prepared for the inevitability.
Notes:
Heidi should be in college, I shall remind you. Which reminds me I should write when Vash and Heidi came to Hearth... And what she and Maddox are discussing are positions and details about wedding pictures. Heidi is very good with her photography. Maddox is very good at very random things, of which photographic angles are one of. So they were both hired in for the wedding photography.
