King of Hearts (House of Cards Series 2) [Student/teacher]

Six of Spades

"Thank you for staying behind to assist with this." Mr. Bottomswell thanks her for the third time as they ushered students into shuttles and sent them on their way, trying to keep a running tally of how many were left here and how many should already be there. It would suck to loose a student within minutes of landing.

"I'm just grateful to be here. You might as well take advantage of that while it lasts." Maddison joked with the kind, elderly man. She hadn't really interacted with him while a student, and that actually made it easier to work along side him as an adult.

"It is appreciated, I want to make sure you understand that." Mr. Bottomswell smiled. "Not a lot of young people like yourself are willing to sacrifice a week to babysit unruly teens."

Maddison laughed, hiding her nerves in the sound. She felt bad for lying to him through omission, that by being here she got to be with her lover in paradise. But that was definitely not something to confess to the principal. "It wasn't so long ago that I got to be one of those unruly teens. So hopefully I still remember a thing or two and can anticipate the trouble these hooligans get into."

Eventually all the 'hooligans' were loaded up into shuttles and Maddison caught the last one from the airport to the Iberostar. It was far more exotic than she'd ever guessed. The flamingos in the little resevoir, the iguanas all over, the gekos.... even with 170 students milling about, Maddison could feel like she was alone in the jungle, just by wandering a little farther down the winding path. A very big part of her longed to be able to walk down these paths with West's hand curled into her own.... Maddison shook her head, casting aside the fantasy with a sigh. Maybe they could come back later when he wasn't her student.... Maddison threw her bag into the massive hut she got to herself. One of the perks of being a chaperone, she had a massive king sized bed instead of the twin beds that the students had to use so they could fit 2 people into one hut.

"Mmmm luxury." Maddison sprawled out on her bed for a moment, relishing being in an exotic location and yet not having to have coughed up the moolah to pay for it. Which was good because she could never afford something as deluxe as this!  She listened to the sounds of the students in the same area as she was settle and quiet and realized she had to get back out there to do her job. Grumbling, Maddison kicked off her flying clothes and pulled on something a little more tropical. Gone were the  tshirt and jeans from Canada and in there place she pulled on a yellow, girly dress that she planned on doubling in place of a bathing suit cover. It was goregous against her colouring and she decided to edge it up a little bit by using her leather belt to cinche over the waist. Feeling cute and girly, Maddison decided it was time to go torment West a little.

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Maddison had forgotten just how determined teenagers were to drink themselves stupid. Even with the warning speech from their principal, Mad knew that half these kids wouldn't even remember the night, and maybe only six or seven of them wouldn't have hangovers tomorrow. Her newest friend Alice, the tattooed and traumatized student that was West's best girlfriend, was one of the few who seemed to be smart enough to not get stumbling drunk. Maddison felt bad for the girl though, having heard the rumours about why she needed so many tattoos. West was drinking like he couldn't be touched by a hangover, but Maddison was starting to frown at her boyfriend because maybe he was a little drunk.

Maddison had to wipe the frown off her face when she realized she was obsessing over how West was tucking Alice under his arm instead of his girlfriend. She had just talked herself out of worrying over it when West slapped Alice on the butt. Mad tried really hard to not let it show on her face how much watching that made it feel like she'd had her chest stomped by someone wearing cleats. She looked away the moment Alice looked at her, and felt the building need to leave the party behind. Later she'd hear about how West had chastely kissed Alice on the lips, but she was forever grateful to not have actually witnessed it. That would have compelled a teary response.

Instead Maddison walked away from the party, confident that the principal and Malcolm could handle them for a moment. The thing she hadn't anticipated was that West was more than capable of moving like a ninja and he'd slipped around ahead of her and scared the bejesus out of her when he stepped out right in front of her! She let out a startled squeak and instinctively kicked his shin.

"Son of a b**** Mad! I know you're angry at me but I'm sorry!" West rubbed his shin, sucking in a hiss of pain.

"I'm sorry! Wait, what?" Maddison stopped apologizing, a little confused.

"I'm sorry you were hurt by my fake flirting with Alice. We're just doing that so no one thinks to look for either of us in a teacher's bed." West stepped closer to her once he was sure she wasn't going to kick him again. D*** that hurt.

"No it's not... well yea but... the thing is..." Maddison stumbled over her words, trying to convey what she wanted to say without getting her pesky emotions in the way. West cupped her face and kissed her, killing the word salad spewing out of her. He'd meant it as a sweet brush of lips, but the moment he kissed her, Maddison kissed back like she was poisoned and his lips were the antidote. She jerked back out of his grip, making West frown at her and look confused. Maddison bit her lip and took a couple of steps backwards, a plan suddenly in her mind. "Race you to the beach!" she called out to her boyfriend and started to sprint for the sound of waves. She didn't really try all that hard to get away, but West certainly tried very hard to catch her before she got far.

He startled another squeak out of his Angel, because when he caught her, he simply hoisted her over his shoulder and kept running. Maddison let out a very girly, rather embarassingly high pitched scream when he ran straight out into the water, dropping her in. It wasn't even cold, she just hadn't wanted to soak the dress. Of course, when she said that part out loud, West took it as an invitation to help her get out of the soaking wet garment.

"No no no no... none of that we're out in public!" Maddison swatted West's hands away from the thin straps of her dress. She was flushed and laughing though, having as much fun being on the receiving end as West seemed to be on the flirting end.

"Then I know what I need to do." West stated grandiosly. Maddison raised her eyebrows in mocking disbelief. "I need to get you out of the public. And that dress. Both must go." he stated, voice serious and playful all at once.

West grabbed Maddison and pulled her to him, this time not kissing her, but pressing their foreheads together gently. Maddison forgot about the world not even a step away. She couldn't think of the fact that at any moment they could be found out. They were out in the open, not in the least bit discreet and she just wanted to open her mouth and tell him that she loved him. But she hesitated, a part of her remembering the hurt that those words had brought her once. West pulled her out of the water, keeping her arm hooked with his and they strolled down the moonlit beech, away from prying eyes.

With her dress cold the night air was a little chill and Maddison cuddled against West, her beau not seeming to mind that she was soaking his side with her wet dress. There was a last little beach bench and umbrella, far away from all the rest. A short step away the soft beach reverted to rocky, dangerous turf and West pulled Maddison onto the bench, holding her to his chest for warmth.

She straddled him, ready to say the words and he kissed her. West didn't seem to care that her dress was dripping wet and soaked his pants, making him look like he'd pissed himself. He didn't care, he would walk around in pink tights if it made his Angel laugh. He loved her, he really did. But he needed to make it special to her when he said it. Siobhan had given him the heads up on Maddison's ex, he knew that the moron had broken her heart. Who would ever reject such an amazing gift?

He kissed her as if he could mend the broken pieces of her heart with his lips. Maddison lost any sense of decency and pulled open West's shirt, running her hands over his stomach. Things got a lot less decent after that....

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A/N: Cue the steamy scene! Writing it now!