Vought Tower | Thursday Afternoon

[knife_bender]

What was supposed to be a twenty-four hour visit had somehow turned into a "I guess I'm staying here until the portals start working again" visit. Diego was happy to have the extra time with Annie, even if there was some obvious distance between them at the moment. If anything spending more time with her was the only way to figure out what the issue was.

The bad thing was that he had only packed for a twenty-four hour visit. After much grousing, where Diego tried to convince Annie he could just spend the rest of time in sheets or towels while his one outfit was being washed, he gave in and wore The Seven merchandise that she had managed to get for him. 

He refused to go out in public wearing this stuff, but he was fine hanging around Annie's apartment wearing Queen Maeve merch. The colors suited him, at least.

[Open to the gf and calls/texts. NFB due to distance! And NWS]

Comments

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I do. Orange is still my favorite," Annie confirmed. "I'm gonna spend the rest of our lives getting you back in orange, so help me."

Go big or go home, you know?

[knife_bender]

"You can try, but it'll never happen." Lies.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm willing to negotiate," Annie noted, tiptoeing her fingertips along his arm. She felt a faint flutter of nerves, though the claustrophobic panic from Monday wasn't looming anymore, and instead had been replaced by something much more familiar. "I'm sure there's something you might want, too."

[knife_bender]

He smiled, really appreciating the casual touching right now. It was nice to feel that without any hesitance behind it.

"We could always switch--you can wear the leather and tactical gear."

Although he would find that more adorable than anything.

[defenderofdesmoines]

The three days together, while awkward, had helped Annie regain her confidence a lot. She wasn't back to a hundred percent comfort, no -- she knew she probably wouldn't be for awhile -- but she at least felt absolutely sure right now that she and Diego were solid, and the parts of her brain that had temporarily rewired themselves to respond to touching with anxiety had seemed to find some reconciliation with six months' worth of memories of gentle physical affection.

"And you'd wear my cape?" Annie asked, waggling her brows at him playfully. "Maybe the gauntlets?"

This would possibly be even more amusing to picture in about a week.

[knife_bender]

"Those would probably be the only parts of that outfit I could fit in." Especially since Annie could barely breathe in it.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, we could get you your own gold boots and tights," Annie assured him, still light and playful. "Unless you were picturing me in your leather."

That seemed awfully...you know. Baggy-sounding.

[knife_bender]

"My leather wouldn't fit you," he said, playing lightly with the edge of her skirt. "It would be a tripping hazard."

And, you know, half the fun of someone else wearing leather was how tight it was.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie scooted a little closer, a touch hesitant but clearly, obviously far less jumpy than she'd been the other day.

"I mean, I could roll up the cuffs," she suggested, "but I feel like that kind of defeats the purpose of leather."

Because yeah, as far as Annie was concerned, the purpose of leather seemed to be looking hot in it. She wasn't entirely sure what tactical purpose it served -- durability?

[knife_bender]

It also made you look super intimidating. Especially in the summer. If you could handle the heat wearing that people knew not to mess with you.

"It kind of does," he agreed. "Be a shame to go to all the trouble of wearing leather and have it not show off your...assets."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Leather seems like it's meant to be worn skin-tight for, like, max effectiveness," Annie agreed solemnly, idly playing with the edge of his shirt. "I mean, I'm like, a leather novice, but you know. I've spent the last six months observing."

Observing.

[knife_bender]

"I've noticed you observing," he teased. "Very intently sometimes."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Kind of like how I feel like you're pretty intently observant of my skirt," Annie pointed out, feeling herself flush.

She was still a little unsure of herself, but it was a more pleasant uncertainty, in a way? Less like she felt like she was doing everything wrong, anyway.

[knife_bender]

"It's a nice skirt," he replied, slowly sliding his hand a little under her skirt to rest on her thigh. He wanted to give her the chance to pull back if she wanted to.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie actually shifted a little closer to him in response -- she wasn't quite to the point where she'd confidently drape herself across his lap the way she used to, but between getting re-used to having Diego around and the distance from the thing last week, this was...easier than it had been earlier in the week. More something she actively wanted, rather than something she was psyching herself up to doing.

Of course, there were other differences, too. "Have I mentioned I like these, too?" she asked, shifting to rest a hand on Diego's knee -- which, naturally, was covered in the gray mesh fabric of a pair of Queen Maeve-branded basketball shorts.

[knife_bender]

"You didn't," he said with a grin. "Do not get used to those."

He would never be caught in public wearing basketball shorts.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'll get you some Starlight pants instead," Annie replied, leaning in to kiss his neck. "I'm really kind of glad you got stuck with me for the week, even if the clothes situation is what it is."

It was easier to say if she wasn't looking at him. Both because she was a little shy -- in a good way -- at the moment, but also because up until when they'd actually talked about things, it kind of had felt like 'got stuck' was the right terminology to use.

[knife_bender]

"Me too," he murmured, tilting his neck towards her. This already felt much more natural than it had been the other day, but he was still hesitant to make any big moves. Right now he was content to let her do what she wanted, even if it didn't lead to anything more than this.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie kissed a soft, gentle path up Diego's neck to his ear.

"Can you get my zipper?" she murmured, carefully slipping a hand under his shirt to very lightly trace her fingertips over his skin.

She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to actually say something more substantial about the other day, but Annie knew his ego had been bruised. And while part of her wanted to reassure him over and over that it wasn't him, she also knew that she'd much rather just... try, first. Without pushing herself, or putting pressure on things by saying this time would be different, or any of that.

[knife_bender]

Diego hummed an affirmative, reaching back to get her zipper. Helping her de-Starlight was one of his favorite things, and like this it was easier to duck his head to kiss her.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie kissed him back with no hesitation at all, leaning a little into him and working her arms out of her sleeves when she could. And once her arms were free, she was moving to tug upwards on the edge of Diego's delightful Queen Maeve shirt.

One thing to be said for these clothes was that they certainly were more accessible than the tactical gear.

[knife_bender]

There was that benefit. He lifted up his arms to help with the shirt removal. "I feel like a big nerd wearing this thing."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You're a pretty cute nerd, at least," Annie told him, pushing his shirt off and throwing it vaguely towards her giant windows before leaning in to kiss him again. "Want my autograph?"

Usually guys in Seven gear wanted selfies and such, you see.

[knife_bender]

Diego smiled into the kiss because, yeah, he figured most grown men in Seven merch were fanboys. He slid his hand further up her skirt, allowing himself to get a little more comfortable with the idea of this actually happening right now.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie sighed softly, sliding her arms around his neck to draw herself closer to him. She was still very slow and deliberate in her movements, but it was more a product of how things had gone the last time, rather than due to nervous overthinking or lingering memories.