What He Did Not Know He Did Not Know
On the positive side, it had been forever since Vash had allowed them to simply talk.
On the negative side, they were locked in a house and nothing Maddox had done so far had managed to get himself out. Maddox hated being trapped in places. Hated it with a passion. There were some places he did not mind so much, like the jail cell, because he knew it would not be too long and he could usually convince his jailer to let him out, or at least have the company of him being there.
Maddox might have company now, but being locked up by a house that he usually got along with seemed too ridiculous. Even for him.
"So."
"Yes?"
He looked over at Vash, who looked rather ponderous now for someone who just got locked inside his own house. To tell the truth, he was rather surprised that Vash was staying as calm as he was. Certainly Vash did not often (outwardly) overreact, but he did tend to worry about things. And Vash did not seem as bothered. Maddox would not have been either. He did not mind being here.
But only when he chose to. Maddox had the feeling that this was planned by iMarcus and while he did not know exactly what iMarcus hoped to accomplish by this, he did not like being a part of anything he did not know about.
Maddox had a reputation to uphold. The reputation said that he knew what was going on or at least could pretend to, even if he was not involved.
"We could always trick him to open the door."
"By?" Vash asked, shaking his head. "Do not think you can just ask to play a mahjong game with him and make a bet."
Maddox hid a frown. So Vash knew about their games? Interesting. "I was thinking of something a little less illegal. We are in a policeman's house," he placed a finger against his lips as if to tell Vash to keep his ideas down while in such a place. A corner of Vash's lips quirked upward.
"Then your idea...?"
Maddox bounced up on his toes, then turned and headed into the kitchen with Vash following after. With the both of them quiet, Maddox turned on the gas. Vash looked slightly uncertain, but Maddox shrugged. iMarcus would not allow them to be in danger after all.
"That is not going to work," Vash said quietly.
"Why not?"
"Because–" The power all went off. "–he will just keep you from doing anything."
Maddox frowned, because he felt like doing so and because it was suddenly dark so Vash could not see him do so while their eyes were adjusting to the dark. Kiku really went overboard with these houses' AI. Had he ever thought that this might be trouble, having this much power over everything in the house? "Is this the reason we have not been seeing each other lately?" he asked Vash.
Vash was shifting slightly, but Maddox's eyes had not adjusted yet to tell exactly what Vash was doing. "No. I would not say this happens often. It makes me consider the benefits of moving."
By the way Vash said it, Maddox was not too concerned if he would follow through. Arms across his chest, he slid his hands into his sleeves and thought. "Any interesting crimes lately?"
"I am not giving you any ideas," Vash responded. Maddox rethought the situation. Again.
"I hear I am not the only criminal you are sweet on," Maddox decided to say. There was an affected silence from Vash, so as to help the Switz realize what he meant, Maddox continued. "Natalia is more likely to be contained by cells, so you have made a good choice. May I suggest–"
"That was not–" Vash began indignantly, but then seemed to grab hold of his anger. "Heidi insists that Natalia will be fine." This was where Vash was likely to stop talking. Maddox knew by now he had been given a whole other step into the world of Zwingli, because Vash did not stop talking at the points in the conversation which Maddox knew he would stop while with most other people. "Natalia is not like you. She is dangerous. At least... she has the potential to be dangerous."
"I have the potential to be dangerous," Maddox said simply, knowing that if he was any other sort of actor he would be pretending to pout here.
"Not like Natalia does, you don't," Vash responded, tone clipped. Maddox considered everything he knew about Natalia and everything he knew about Heidi. It was not as if he could not understand Vash's concern, for he could, but he also could think of it from an angle which did not require that the worst was always going to happen.
"Do not worry," he said. "Natalia and Heidi may have a few hobbies in common, but I do not think Natalia is Heidi's type." Heidi's type was Elizaveta, as Maddox knew full well.
"What?"
"Heidi likes her girls confident," Maddox reminded him. Vash worrying about Natalia was not really a good thing, especially when he did not have to worry about it as much. "Natalia is as far from confident as Kiku is (but not Yao). You are always saying that criminals are lacking self-confidence and that is why they are breaking the law. By the way, that hurts my limited range of emotion."
"Heidi... likes girls?"
Maddox opened his mouth to respond with wit. "...yes?" Wait, Vash did not know? "As much as any person does. Girls can be wonderful creatures."
It did not seem to work and Maddox's mind fell into a downward spiral. He did not know? I thought Vash would know. Why would he not know? Heidi has never been secretive about it, has she? It was obvious... she does not hide anything from Vash, so he would know. He knows and is messing with me. I did not say that, did I?
Maddox fidgeted, waiting for Vash to respond, but Vash stayed quiet. Stayed quiet in shock.
Alfred would say something like 'fuck' right now, wouldn't he?
Maddox tried to say something that would break the tension. Maddox did not like tension. There was nothing to say about tension. There was nothing to say to break the tension.
He silently whimpered.
Notes:
Maddox's perspective. Maddox is perceptive. Maddox is a perceptive perpetrator. Maddox has really stuck his foot in it.
