MHA #2 | Wednesday Evening

[knife_bender]

Diego had been sensitive to the fact that Annie had been pretty insular the last couple of weeks, and that throwing her a huge party for her birthday wouldn't have been a good idea. Even if the tub from the rager was still in the kitchen.

So he decided to keep it low-key this year, taking Annie to Baltimore for a fancy dinner that required him to wear a tie for once. There was little chance that could lead to anything upsetting unless a witchy looking redhead happened to be eating there that night.

Luckily for them, no such thing happened. Everyone made it home in one piece with no triggering of any trauma. Well, except for the tie thing. Diego hated wearing ties.

[For the birthday wife!]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Like karaoke?" Annie prompted, smiling into the kiss. "You know, that video from your bachelor party might be my most prized possession this side of my special action figures."

Partly because he was clearly having so much fun singing in it, too. It was kind of adorable.

[knife_bender]

"Are you making fun of me?" Diego joked, tightening his arms around her waist.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I would never," Annie told him, using his tie to pull him down for another kiss.

But it was a good thing they'd skipped Caritas tonight, considering she might have proposed some kind of birthday duet. (He still wasn't off the hook; if anything, the risk of such a thing would be higher when Annie was feeling a little better.)

[knife_bender]

"You're loving this tie thing," he murmured. No, it wasn't a question. Just a basic fact.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I know you hate wearing it," Annie noted softly, genuinely a little apologetic. "But it's really...fun."

Almost as fun as his straps and everything when he was all tactical'd-out, really.

"Is it bothering you?" And cue Annie sliding a hand to where she could gently trace her fingertips along Diego's neck above his collar, just light and soothing.

[knife_bender]

"Not right now it's not," Diego said. "I'm enjoying myself quite a bit right now, actually."

Funny how that worked, huh?

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie flushed just a little bit, giving Diego a very pleased smile before using a pull of his tie and an arch up on her toes to place a kiss on his neck where her fingers had just been. "Maybe we just need to give you some nice necktie associations," she decided softly, before making her way over to kiss his ear.

She was even getting ideas about what she could do it once it was off him, too.

[knife_bender]

"Ooh good idea," he said. "And I get to pull off your tights like it's the old days? It should be my birthday."

[defenderofdesmoines]

That prompted another little smile, though this one carried a little twinge of -- something. Annie wasn't going to dwell on it.

(She missed her uniform sometimes, that was all. The old days were the old days for good reason, but there was still a little sense that they'd lost something she might never get back.)

"I think we established last year that birthdays are for both of us in this relationship," Annie replied, gently sliding her hands down to push off Diego's jacket. "But don't think I'm not taking mental notes."

She pretty much always did, when it came to things Diego obviously enjoyed.

[knife_bender]

Diego shrugged off his jacket, tossing it aside with the carelessness of a person who had no plans to wear it again anytime soon. "Yeah, but your birthday is better than mine because we're not sharing it with six other people."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Still the absolute strangest thing about the Hargreeves siblings -- and Lila, for that matter -- if you asked Annie. That birthday thing was so weird.

"A party of two is kind of perfect. Not just this year," Annie agreed, already appreciatively eyeing Diego sans jacket. (But especially this year.) "And this year you're not...you know, freshly human again."

Annie's twenty-fourth birthday had certainly been memorable for the fact that she'd been convinced she'd be celebrating it with a cat up until the last minute.

[knife_bender]

"And you didn't spend the previous week cleaning up cat puke," Diego said. "Wow, I could have basically done anything and beat last year, huh?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I also got shot while you were a cat," Annie pointed out, her smile growing just a little more. "So yeah, the bar was pretty low. You still leapt over it, babe."

Similarly, it would have taken real work on Annie's end to do worse than last year's party, particularly in light of the Hargreeves being reunited for their birthday this year. (Even if, like, it was a little confusing to Annie how old everyone actually was, now.)

[knife_bender]

"I can make it even better," Diego said. "I could carry the birthday girl to the bedroom. Dealer's choice on how I do it--fireman carry, princess carry, your legs wrapped around my waist..."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You have to ask?"

That was as much warning as Diego was going to get, since Annie had a definite favorite. That, and how she reluctantly removed her hand from his tie to slide both arms around his neck before jumping up to wrap her legs around his waist.

Not that she wouldn't love it if he just threw her over his shoulder like a caveman one day, but this was both a position with deep roots in their relationship history and it allowed for Annie to do her best to distract him the whole -- you know, however many feet to the bedroom.

[knife_bender]

Diego laughed softly as he caught Annie when she jumped up, settling his hands under her ass. Which was basically his favorite thing. "I ask because it's polite. We both know how much being polite means to me."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Oh yes, that's definitely one of the things you care about the most," Annie decided, just helpfully reaching down to loosen Diego's tie for him a tad once she was settled and sure he had a good grip on her. Maybe some of these buttons could be undone, too. "I've always been a big fan of your politeness."

Honestly, she kind of was, because Diego's manners seemed to be very situationally-dependent, and she usually benefitted from them.

[knife_bender]

And here he was, politely carrying her to the bedroom and impressively not getting distracted while she undid his shirt. "You're a good influence on me."

See, now he was politely squeezing her ass as his legs bumped up against the edge of the bed.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe, but you're a bad influence on me," Annie replied softly, giving his tie another little pull as she moved his collar so she could bite at his neck. There was also the beginnings of a sort of neediness, too, as she shifted in response to that squeeze.

His bad influence was her favorite thing, in case anyone was wondering.

[knife_bender]

"I am a great influence," Diego murmured, placing a knee on the bed so he could gently lie her down. He was following along with her due to the whole tie thing and he was absolutely never going to complain about that.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You're my favorite influence," Annie told him, and while she was making sure to mind that she didn't pull too hard or at an angle that would choke him uncomfortably, she was all about his tie. (And in a way, that was a credit to Diego's influence, too -- a pre-Diego Annie would never think of a tie as much of anything but component of a suit.)

So, as soon as she was on her back, she was using that grip on his tie to tug him down against her, lest Diego get any big ideas about doing anything that wasn't kissing Annie right now.

[knife_bender]

Diego's only idea right now was to kiss Annie. She absolutely did not have to worry about that. He settled himself between her legs, happily going in whatever direction she wanted to lead him.

This was, admittedly, something he hadn't thought of when he put on a tie tonight. What a pleasant surprise.

[defenderofdesmoines]

He'd probably enjoy what she was considering for once she got it off him, too.

"This is almost as good as having your long hair," Annie observed, arching her neck and bossily tugging Diego's tie down to angle him towards where she would like kisses and bites, please. Helpfully. Politely, even!

[knife_bender]

Diego laughed softly, ducking his head down so he could bite at her neck. "It's certainly classier than my long hair."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie sighed happily, tipping her head back and using her grip on his tie to steer him a little more down towards her cleavage. You know, while she had this wonderful little means of exercising control, and all, might as well make the most of it. "You made the hair classy."

Especially once they'd cleaned it up a little, post-asylum-escape.