They were edging closer to DiegoāsĀ favouriteĀ part of the show.Ā For the pastĀ tenĀ years, heĀ and Poppy had a rhythm going.Ā TheyādĀ perfected their routine over the years, having spent half their life performing together, and they were a well-oiled machine by now.Ā By the timeĀ theyādĀ made their way to high-budget arena and stadium tours, upscale sizedĀ setsĀ and elaborate stages that they could haveĀ funĀ with,Ā theyādĀ foundĀ newsĀ ways to keep each show exciting and keep their audiences on their toes. WithĀ Henry on keys, he was usually less inclined to bounce around the stage with them, preferring toĀ keep toĀ his stool and the safety of his routine, but thatĀ didnātĀ mean theyĀ didnātĀ find ways to include him.Ā
Lately, Diego had traded crowd work for grilling Henry, creating a new segment that the fans seemed toĀ love.Ā HeādĀ sidle upĀ to their pianist and ask him to play them a tune ā anything that he wanted, no matter how obscure ā and Diego and Poppy would try and riff ofĀ it. Just last week, PoppyĀ had releasedĀ a string of high-notes and improved ā andĀ deeplyĀ nonsensical ā lyrics to the tune ofĀ One Summerās DayĀ fromĀ Spirited Away.Ā
Where Diego had once kneeled in front of Poppy, guitar held up to her base while theyĀ tried to outdo each other, the two of them usually erupting into a fit of giggles as they began dancing and jumping around on the stage; He now pulled that same move on Henry, doing erratic little spins around his keyboard while his boyfriend shook his head fondly, laughing good naturedly when Diego dropped rogue kisses to the top of his head before sprinting down the runway to meet Poppy again.Ā
āIĀ wannaĀ hear you all, loud and clear!ā Diego called out into the mic, riling up the crowd between verses.Ā
Poppyās fingers were expertly plucking at her bass as she bounced around theĀ stage,Ā her solo echoed back to her by thousands of excitable voices. At this point in the show,Ā sheādĀ usually find herself edging down stage and veering closer to Diego.Ā HeādĀ chime in as the two of them sung together, his voice melding perfectly with hers before she soared into his arms, bass clinging to her back, andĀ heādĀ kiss her in front of the crowd.Ā WhenĀ theyādĀ been dating, the kiss had been slow and dramatic, and a littleĀ tooĀ sensual to be simply an act. Over the years, it had grown more playful, with Diego nipping at her jaw and tickling her until the two were laughing into their mics, letting the crowd pick up their slack as they missedĀ half the chorusĀ as a result ofĀ their antics. These days, with Diego committed to Henry and Poppy fooling around with that sewer ratĀ sheādĀ picked up onĀ the side of the road, theyĀ kept itĀ chaste,Ā all smoke-and-mirrors as his lips smattered her jaw and avoided her lips entirely.Ā
āAre yāall ready to make some fucking noise?ā Diego called out, inching closer to the corner of the stage where Henry was positioned. He locked eyes with Poppy, who was beaming with prideĀ and making no effort to cross the runway and join him.Ā
He glanced down at Henry, who seemed blissfully unaware as Diego soundlessly mouthed, āYou ready, baby?āĀ
