MHA #2 | Tuesday Morning

[defenderofdesmoines]

For those of you playing at home: no, Annie had not yet found her engagement ring.

To be fair to her, she had found nine of the decoy boxes by now, which she thought was pretty damn impressive, thank you. She had them neatly lined up in the guest room, next to the previously well-organized white board that now boasted an increasingly untidy list of the found decoys' locations and of crossed-out rooms she'd searched. Organizing her thoughts had been a good idea, but as the search had worn on, Annie's patience with keeping things neat had frayed a bit.

That was also true in a more literal sense, as their apartment was a disaster by now. She'd pulled bookshelves out from walls, and books off of those shelves. Half of her and Diego's drawers were pulled out of their dressers and counters and sitting on the floor. She'd emptied the bathroom's medicine cabinet and left everything from her backup bottles of conditioner to the first aid kit sitting out, just so she didn't mistakenly retrace her steps.

It didn't help that she'd had pause her search to work yesterday for Memorial Day -- though on the bright side, she'd managed to confer with Maeve (read: whisper frantically at Maeve while they both made wistful faces next to various monuments in DC), and that had led to some untapped ground at her teammate's suggestion.

"Oh my God, I see a box!" Annie yelled from on top of a stepladder in their bedroom, shining an illuminated hand into an air vent. Nine decoys in, and you'd think the excitement would have worn off. And it had a little, in the sense that Annie didn't feel like she might faint every time she found one, at least. (The minute she found a box that made a noise when she shook it, though? Different story.)

[for the guy!]

Comments

[knife_bender]

"It has," he agreed, reaching up to cup her cheek. "Like, things haven't always been easy, but this part of it has."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"And we're so good at the not-easy parts," Annie agreed softly, tilting her head to press a kiss to that hand. "But this has always been really...solid. The you and me stuff."

For the record, she didn't just mean sex (though they had also always been very good at that, too, barring one minor trauma-related blip last spring.) But she had never, ever had to wonder where she stood with Diego. Even when things had been new, she'd always been pretty confident of how he felt. From, 'I think that dude I just threw into a wall is flirting with me?' all the way up to bringing up marriage eight months before actually proposing. The honesty in their relationship was kind of Annie's favorite thing about it (in a long, long list of favorite things.)

[knife_bender]

Diego knew exactly what she meant. From the start this was the one relationship in his life where he knew where he was standing the entire time. Even when things were rough last spring, she had made it clear he hadn't done anything wrong.

He didn't really know how to express how he felt about that more than he already had. So he kissed her again, feeling overwhelmed by everything right now.

He was definitely going to be one of those grooms who cried when he saw the bride for the first time.

[defenderofdesmoines]

That was okay -- Annie was also entirely overwhelmed, and as was often the case, it was feeling increasingly easier to express herself physically. Especially given how much she needed to be touching Diego right now.

Besides, she had to save something for her actual vows. (Everyone would probably cry during those.)

She arched up into the kiss and slid her hand up into Diego's hair, tangling her fingers and finding a light grip at the back of his head.

[knife_bender]

Oh right, vows. That was a thing Diego would have to think about later.

Right now though he was settling himself over Annie again, grinding his hips against hers. The time for sweetness was...well, it was still here. But they could be sweet and dirty at the same time!

[defenderofdesmoines]

Combined sweetness and dirtiness was, like, exactly their speed. Annie had zero objections. Especially since -- like, it was still early in the day. They had all day to talk and daydream about their wedding and be gross at each other and do this several more times.

Annie arched her back to bring her hips up against Diego's -- but also so she could slip her own hand behind her back to undo her bra, since there needed to be way fewer clothes involved in this. Granted, she was a little distracted by the resulting friction to work on their mutual pants problem -- even if that would, you know, feel even better -- but she'd get there.

[knife_bender]

That was an amazing move, Annie. Just an amazing idea. More nudity was completely called for right now. He sat back enough to help her get her bra off, though "helping" in this case was running his fingers along her chest as she did most of the work pulling the clothing in question off.

[defenderofdesmoines]

And look at how she was managing it without having to get up or break apart at all, really! (The pants would be a different story, but they always were.) She tossed her offensive bra off...somewhere -- the room was already a wreck, who cared -- and reached up to mirror Diego's touch and run her own fingertips along his chest, too, though she was also very interested in running her hands along his arms.

Everyone was allowed to have shallow favorites, even when they loved the whole package completely. And Annie was fond of his arms. (And, now, his hair.)

[knife_bender]

Diego spent a lot of time in the gym to get those arms, he appreciated that she appreciated his hard work.

He had his own shallow favorites as well. Her legs, namely. But there was a lot to be said over her reaction when he ducked his head down to mouth at her breasts, especially now that the beard was in play.

Keeping the beard had been the best idea.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Keeping the beard remained the best idea. Even if he someday cut his hair, Annie was getting really attached to the beard. For one thing, he looked really good with it.

But also. There was also this, and Annie was not subtle about showing how much she loved feeling his beard on all that sensitive skin. Between his mouth and the friction of his beard -- like, she'd liked this back when it had just been day-to-day stubble, and now she was kind of getting addicted to the way the beard felt.

And just in case he needed incentive to keep his hair, too, her hand tightened its grip encouragingly as Annie rolled her shoulders back to bring her breasts closer to him. Helpfully. In case he needed the assistance, you know.

[knife_bender]

Diego didn't need the assistance, but it was very much appreciated. Everything about Annie was his favorite thing, but her being so enthusiastic during times like these was his most favorite.

"You feel so good," he murmured, nipping lightly at her breast.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie could not conceive of a time when she would not be brimming with enthusiasm concerning Diego and nudity and bed and beards.

That was even more evident as she squirmed needily under him, unable to stifle a soft moan as she used the hand in his hair to sort of encourage him towards that breast. "So do you. You have no idea."

He probably had some idea. She really hadn't been shy about it.

[knife_bender]

He did have a bit of an idea, but he liked hearing that regardless. He nuzzled his face against her chest for a moment before leaning up to kiss her again. "We need to get our pants off."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"It's like the one thing we're bad at together," Annie noted affectionately, kissing him and sliding her hands down between them to see if she could get his pants off while he was actually on her.

All she was doing was proving her point, really, but at least she tried.

[knife_bender]

"Maybe a resolution for us?" Diego joked, shifting to make that easier on her. "Learn to take our pants off before we get into bed?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"That seems presumptuous," Annie teased, getting his pants undone enough that she could push them down a bit and run her hands appreciatively over his ass. (See, she was helpful getting clothes off, too!) "But hey, if I can't presume that I'm having sex with my fiancé, then...."

Mostly just an excuse to say one of her new favorite words, yeah.

[knife_bender]

"Please keep saying that word," Diego said with a grin. He was already reaching down to help Annie with her pants, ignoring the fact that both of them with pants halfway down was making even more work for themselves.

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Which word?" Annie asked, shifting her hips to help despite how much more helpful it would be for them to just break apart for the ten or so seconds it would take to remove their pants individually. She also gave his ass a squeeze, just for emphasis. "Presume? Sex?"

She was already well aware that he liked it when she used her words in bed, as it was.

[knife_bender]

"I mean, sex is always good," Diego said, hands getting a little clumsy when she squeezed his ass again. It was distracting! "But fiancé is the new one."

[defenderofdesmoines]

Sex was also fairly clinical to use in bed, but Annie blushed just thinking of less clinical ways to put things.

(Give her time and see what desperation could breed, though.)

"My fiancé needs to get my pants off faster, then," Annie replied softly, trying to push his down a little more and wriggling under him to bring a foot up to help with that. It was not graceful, no, but it might actually get the job done.

[knife_bender]

"Oooh, bossy." Bossy and saying fiancé? Really hot. "Hold on--let me actually move."

Siiiiiggggggh. The bane of their existence.

At least when he finally did move he got his pants off quickly and was immediately reaching to get hers off all the way. "Much better."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I can be so much bossier," Annie assured him, which was more about saying so than actually informing him since Diego knew that perfectly well. She lifted her hips to help him, being none too shy about taking in all that glorious nakedness on display, as well. "And I have the hottest fiancé."

To be fair, Annie had been giving herself the award for Hottest Boyfriend for well over a year now, so that tracked.

[knife_bender]

"I don't know about that," Diego said, crawling back onto the bed once both pairs of pants were tossed away. He placed a kiss against the inside of her knee. "My fiancée is pretty hot."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"You can think that," Annie agreed softly, her knee shifting slightly under that kiss. Hello, Diego, way to command even more of her focus. "It has two Es when you say it."

See, loophole! And also, Annie transparently loved hearing that word, too, especially from Diego.

[knife_bender]

Diego would allow that loophole. He'd voice that opinion later, but right now he was busy kissing his way down her thigh. He didn't think there'd be any complaints.