Hank, Madelyn - Thursday evening

[x-madelyn.livejournal.com]

Short bit of date-fluff... Hank and Maddie meet before their date. He is struck speechless, and she is made to smile.



Hank hummed happily, bouncing down the hall to Maddie's door. He was wearing the blue suit she'd expressed approval of at the dance, he'd had a jolly good day, and now he was going to get to spend the evening with Maddie. Maybe he really would get used to this 'happy' thing. He reached her door, straightened his tie, checked the single red rose for loose petals, and tapped lightly on her door. "Maddie?" he called, smiling. "I know I'm early, but I figured, what's the difference between seven-thirty and seven-twenty-eight and twelve seconds between friends?

Madelyn couldn't help smiling at that, even as she finished putting in her earrings, a pair of diamond studs her father got her for her 21st birthday. She'd been flat all afternoon, ever since talking to Nathan, but at least she had something to look forward to. Especially with Hank in such a good mood - explanations suited him, it seemed. Smoothing down the infamous borrowed dress, she took a deep, somewhat-nervous breath. The dress wasn't so daring as to make her feel uncomfortable, but it had had a bit of a build-up... Still, she had to admit, her legs were suited to short skirts. And the dark green suited her Irish colouring well. Opening the door, she struck a pose. "Worth the wait?"

"Hngh," Hank said, eloquence and charm deserting him entirely. The dress was theoretically almost decorous, but the way it clung to Maddie's every curve, and the amount of leg showing, and that scooped neckline that dragged his eyes downward without being unduly revealing... "Madelyn Bartlet, this is positively inhumane. You're a cruel woman. I must thank Alison." He smiled - finally managing to meet her eyes again - and offered her the rose. "And in case I was too subtle there - you look exquisite, in a dreadfully tantalizing way. Worth a much longer wait than that which I endured."

"Ooh," Madelyn said, taking the rose with a pleased smile, lifting it to her nose to inhale its scent. "Thank you, Hank." With an impish grin, she did a little turn, so he could get the full benefit. "I think I'll have to thank Alison myself - making you speechless was well worth the whole clothes trying-on experience." She took his arm and drew him inside, kissing him on the cheek as he came into range. "And you look very handsome yourself, Doctor McCoy. I do like that suit on you."

"Why thank you, my dear." He took advantage of being inside - and hidden from any passing eye - to rest a hand on the small of her back and dip her expertly, kissing her lingeringly before bringing her upright again. "I couldn't help myself," he said solemnly. "Your beauty compelled me. And also I like doing that."

She was giggling as she straightened, her hair loose and tumbling over her shoulders in a mass of red-blonde curls. "You always make me feel like I weigh nothing when you do that," she said, tracing his jawline playfully and gently with the rose. "It's not many men who can literally sweep a girl off her feet."

He shivered just a little... and reminded himself to arm her with more roses, if and when they took things further... as he touched her cheek lightly with a broad fingertip. "Happy to sweep at any time," he said softly. "Especially when it makes you smile like that." He loved making her happy, even if it was only for a minute.

Of course, that prompted another smile. "You make me want to smile," she said, her cheek tingling at the touch. "It's been... a long day. Smiling is good." She looked down at the rose in her hand. "And I'd better put this in water - it won't take a minute," she continued, moving away a little reluctantly - there was part of her that was perfectly willing to forgo dinner and dancing in favour of... other things. But, she reminded herself, getting away from the mansion was a good thing.

"Long day? Nothing serious wrong, I hope." He grinned a little sheepishly. "My day involved using a modified bazooka design to propel green jello at people. It's hard not to enjoy something like that."

"Green jello? And I missed it? Damn." Madelyn filled a slender glass vase with water and put the rose in it, placing it in pride of place on the coffee table before collecting her coat and rejoining him. "Something that came up with the taskforce - nothing precisely life-threatening, just... difficult," she continued. "I'm okay, just a little worn out. I hate giving people hard news."

"I understand." He offered her his arm. "I recommend a pleasant dinner, conversation on interesting intellectual topics far removed from any recent unpleasantness - unless you wish to talk about it, in which case I will be all ears - and then perhaps some dancing." He smiled at her. "And my dessert-and-soda-water Stooge Canon is your dessert-and-soda-water Stooge Canon, my dear, whenever you want to play with it."

"Stooge Cannon? Now this I have to see," Madelyn said with a chuckle, taking his arm and squeezing it gently. "And that sounds like the perfect prescription to me." She grinned, mischievously. "And I'll even let you drive. I feel like being pampered tonight. Besides, I hate driving in heels."

"Pampering I can most certainly do." He grinned. "I mean, it's going to be a terrible hardship, escorting a beautiful woman to a good restaurant, sharing dinner and intelligent conversation,and dancing with her for the rest of the night, but really, I'll do my best to stand it." He winked. "We supertypes are very stoic, you know."