MHA #2 | Wednesday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

After she wrapped up visiting Summer at the bar (which had not included just the one beer she had been thinking, but she still didn't think God was going to mind), Annie headed across the street to Diego's apartment. Partially because she didn't want to trek all the way across town (it was so far when it was this cold) to her own place, but also because, you know, it had been like a matter of hours since she'd seen him, and she'd been sort of busy today with training and going to church on the mainland, and she was gross like that.

She'd sent a text to let him know she was on her way, but she also called out a cheerful, elongated, "Heeeeey, you," as she let herself in.

[obviously this is for the guy omg.]

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[knife_bender]

"Hey," Diego said from his spot on the couch. He was also drinking a beer but he didn't really need to worry about God's approval about it. "How was the bar?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I had two jello shots," she told him, kicking off her shoes and going to curl right up next to him. "Which isn't like, great for a day about temperance, but they were also really good."

Let's be real, Annie sort of played fast and loose as far as observing the rules of her religion on most days anyway. The main reason she was even giving something up for Lent and observing the day in the first place was a hefty dose of guilt and obligation.

[knife_bender]

"Today's about temperance, huh?" Diego asked, putting an arm around her. "I messed up on that too."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, it is for me," Annie replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. "The next forty days are supposed to be about, like, sacrifice and temperance and atonement. That's the whole point of the giving-stuff-up part." She paused, thoughtful. "Maybe I should've decided to give up jello shots."

Though it might have hurt Summer's feelings, since that was pretty specifically her thing. And really, the thing Annie had decided to give up for Lent was a lot more personal and likely to actually affect her day-to-day life more than jello shots, anyway, which was the point of the exercise.

[knife_bender]

Diego chuckled. "Do you really have jello shots that often?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Just on Wednesdays, usually," Annie mused. "So yeah, it kind of misses the point. You're supposed to give up something you do, like, every day, that you enjoy, and that you'll miss doing a lot."

And she knew perfectly well what she was giving up, but Annie sometimes thought she was funny, so she added, "I was kind of thinking of giving up sex." She made a point of studying her manicure as she said it, because she didn't trust her face to stay straight.

[knife_bender]

There was a long pause as Diego had an internal crisis at hearing those words.

"I mean...if that's what you want." Look at him, trying to be supportive even if the thought of that made him want to cry.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie was actually touched by that support, honestly. Not so touched that she was going to relent yet, but touched all the same. "I mean," she said, twirling one of her rings as she tried to hide a smile, "it'd be a difficult month...and a half-ish." God, Annie, putting it like that was kind of cruel. "But that'd be very in line with the kind of sacrifice I should consider making."

Except for how she wasn't supposed to be having sex with him anyway, if she was really being strict about these things, but see also the whole 'fast and loose with the rules of Catholicism' thing anyway.

[knife_bender]

"You sure there isn't something else you wanted to give up?" he asked casually. Super casually. He wasn't freaking out at all.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Maybe cuddling," Annie suggested, and she wasn't able to hide her smile at all anymore. "Or kissing?"

She was just being a brat, yes, and it might have been made more obvious by the fact that she punctuated that last suggestion with a kiss to his cheek.

[knife_bender]

Diego smiled. "Are you fucking with me?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Yes," Annie confirmed, grinning at him, "but on that note, I think I really am going to try to give up swearing."

Which would be a whole other challenge, and it was most likely to be an issue around Diego more than anyone else anyway.

[knife_bender]

"Thank god," he said, leaning in for a kiss. "Be a shame to have to be all chaste in Hawaii."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I know. Not to mention the other remaining days until Easter," Annie murmured, lingering there a little. Because seriously, they would last...like, a day. "Are you excited? Warm weather, the beach, probably explosions...."

Like, Annie would have happily gone on the trip to Japan and taken Diego with her, but Hawaii -- particularly this version of it -- sounded fantastic.

[knife_bender]

"I am pretty excited about the explosions," he joked. "Do you really think you'll be able to keep from swearing? Even with the explosions?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I can try," Annie decided optimistically, leaning into him. "I mean, it's not like swearing is an intrinsic part of dealing with an explosion."

Annie actually had quite a bit more experience causing explosions than, like, running away from them and avoiding getting exploded herself, which probably contributed to her optimism here.

[knife_bender]

"Okay, I'll give you that," he said. "What about during sex?"

Because that's when he heard her swear the most.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie blushed a little, because yeah, that was likely going to be when this little challenge was most likely to be actually challenging. "I guess I'll just have to get creative."

There were a lot of things she could say during those moments that weren't actually swear words, after all.

[knife_bender]

"Now if I try to get you to swear would that be against the rules or...?" he teased.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"They're not your rules," Annie pointed out, lifting her brows lightly as she lightly tiptoed her fingers along his arm.

Which meant she welcomed the challenge, and also was sort of curious about what trying to get her to swear would look like. Because, honestly, that did not sound like anything she'd really object to.

[knife_bender]

Oh she would definitely not complain about what he had in mind.

"Good point," he said. "Do you give up something every year?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie nodded. "Last year it was chocolate," she shared. Which had been challenging, but not as much as it would have been this year since she had still been living with her mother and sweet stuff had been far less accessible. "I dunno, it kind of makes me appreciate whatever I gave up once I get it back, even aside from, like, the whole religious aspect."

[knife_bender]

"I get that." He still didn't understand the whole religious aspect of it, so that helped put things into perspective. "Can I just say I'm really glad you didn't give up sex?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It was funny though, right?" Annie obviously thought it was hilarious, yes. "You were sweet to go along with it! Like, I love you for trying to be supportive."

[knife_bender]

"Well I would have been an asshole to throw a fit about it considering the reasoning behind it." He was an asshole but he wasn't that much of an asshole.