MHA #2 | Friday Evening

[defenderofdesmoines]

So, given that Annie was planning on throwing a super-early Christmas party here in two weeks and that she and Diego would be gone next week to see her family, it was completely reasonable for the apartment to already be kind of festive, right?

Whatever, Annie said it was and would be taking no questions, thank you. She hadn't gone totally overboard yet (had to save something for when they got back from Iowa, obviously!), but she had totally just adopted the habit of putting Christmas music on when she was home, and burning a Christmas candle (it smelled like wonderful Christmas treats that neither she nor Diego were capable of baking!) and there was totally a little stack in the corner of the living room of deliveries that had already commenced for the party. The return of Christmas kegs!

Right now, she was taking things into her own hands and winding a few strings of lights through each of her several houseplants (now safely inside and off the balcony, where they'd remain for the winter), and taking extra care with the spider plant that she had no reason to think wasn't the original spider plant from last spring.

"You know what," she mused aloud, "I think the lights might need to be a permanent thing, because you guys are looking great."

[for the guy who gets to live in Santa's workshop for the next month and a half.]

Comments

[knife_bender]

"Afraid someone is going to spill their drink on them?" Did alcohol hurt plants?

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Look, just because I'm not doing a keg stand doesn't mean no one else is getting sloppy," Annie pointed out, deciding that the best way to convey this information was by saying it into Diego's neck as she leaned in to press a kiss there. "They can't defend themselves."

Though if they did, one of these days -- well, Annie would be impressed. And Diego would be able to 'I told you so' all over the place.

[knife_bender]

"I'd be more worried about our TV," Diego said softly, sliding his hand further up her leg. "The plants we could probably scoop back up."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, this is also true," Annie noted softly, since last year a TV hadn't really been in the mix. "But I could get us a new TV. The plants are living things and could be killed."

Dramatic.

[knife_bender]

Diego laughed softly. "Your dedication to protecting the weak, even plants, is why you're my favorite superhero."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Well, that's convenient, because you're my favorite superhero," Annie told him, pressing close for another kiss. "Even if you care less about plants."

Just meant he could cover her while she evacuated the weak! Even if 'the weak' were green and leafy, fine.

[knife_bender]

"I'm so grateful you overlook that aspect of my personality," he murmured. "You know, we should probably look over the bedroom. See what kind of holiday spirit is needed in there."

Just the thinnest of excuses. But he was also just asking for her to take him seriously and next thing you know there'll be lights and fake snow in there.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I actually was kind of thinking of putting mistletoe over the bed," Annie told him, in all seriousness. Because come on, like that wouldn't play well?

Even if she was giving him a playful little lift of her brows if she moved enough that they could both get up, at least. "But we can definitely decorate in there more than that."

[knife_bender]

"Well, we can just see if we come up with any ideas in there." Diego got up from the couch, and went to scoop Annie up to carry her as soon as she was off the couch too.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Man, being carried was still Annie's favorite, even a solid year into doing this. (Into doing this, yes. Sweater shopping had been fun for reasons that had nothing to do with sweaters.) She gave a gleeful little yelp, immediately sliding her arms up around Diego's neck to hang onto him.

"We're very creative," she noted, unable to stifle a giggle. "I think being in the bedroom brings out our creativity, really."

[knife_bender]

"I couldn't help but notice that too," he said, smiling. He carried Annie into the bedroom, not letting her down right away, instead turning a little to give her a view of the whole room. "What do you think? Can we improve?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Mistletoe for sure," Annie decided, gesturing over the bed (and just, like, quietly thrilling at still being held. It was never going to get old.) "But maybe also like, candles? They're Christmassy and it's all moody and stuff."

And if they were fake candles Annie could at least turn them off all at once, thus eliminating the annoying blowing-out tedium.

[knife_bender]

"Oooh romantic," he replied, gently letting Annie down once he got to the edge of the bed. "The kind that smell like cookies are kind of a tease though.'

[defenderofdesmoines]

"They are," Annie agreed, already trying to pull him down with her. She couldn't just be on this bed alone, please. "I'll just have to make sure we actually have cookies on hand so you don't live in constant disappointment."

[knife_bender]

Well of course he was going to get up on the bed with her. It'd be absolute insanity not to. "Okay. We can get the cookie candles then...as long as you're confident we won't knock them over."

...they didn't necessarily keep it to the bed all of the time.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I mean, I'm not," Annie had to admit, already trying to draw herself up against him as soon as they were both on the bed. "But we've never knocked a candle over before...."

A lamp, sure. Tons of stuff in a shitty pawn shop bathroom, definitely. But not a candle!

"Maybe we can just be careful?" she suggested, leaning up to kiss him. Because 'careful' was their speed, for sure.

[knife_bender]

"Sure we can." It seemed like an easy enough thing to be confident about now. Diego kissed Annie, moving to settle himself beside her, already nudging one of his legs between hers.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I could always make sure we're careful," Annie murmured, nipping lightly at his lower lip. She slid one hand down along his arm, clearly appreciative but also making herself more obvious when she found a teasing grip on his wrist.

[knife_bender]

"You sure you still have it in you?" he teased. "Might be out of practice..."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Well, saying things like that just meant Annie had to tighten her grip a little -- not enough to hurt, but enough to be noticed -- as she tangled her legs a little more with Diego's. "I could have you pinned before you even knew what happened to you," she assured him softly, contrasting her words and the hold she had on his wrist with a languid, soft kiss.

[knife_bender]

Diego smiled, obviously very much into that idea. Then of course he had to push by rolling to try to pin her to the bed, knowing full well that she'd be able to overpower him.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Which she of course did -- though, really, one of these days Annie's overconfidence was going to backfire in some kind of non-bedroom, non-Diego situation. Even if she did push right back up on him and counter his roll, using one hooked leg to help herself flip Diego onto his back so she could hold him down, some less-charmed but equally-muscled guy could probably get out of this with a little determination.

But that didn't matter right now, clearly.

"Brat," she murmured, leaning down to kiss him. "If you don't watch it, I'm gonna have to find those handcuffs to help me out."

Oh, no. Of all the terrible things.

[knife_bender]

Diego had absolutely no complaints about his current position. He had pretty much asked for it, after all.

"You think I haven't found my way out of a pair of handcuffs?" he joked, leaning up slightly so he could nip at her bottom lip.

[defenderofdesmoines]

He practically had, indeed, asked for it. And Annie was all too happy to oblige, honestly.

"Mmm. I'm sure you have." Annie was clearly pretty into that idea, if the daydreamy quality her voice had taken on was any indication. She pressed down on Diego's wrists a little more, situating her knees at either side of his hips so she could hold him a little more stably and lean down to deepen the kiss.

[knife_bender]

Diego let out a soft moan, more than happy with a deeper kiss. He flexed his wrists against Annie's hold, enjoying the pressure of her holding him down. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of it.