Chapter Text
Loki had truly intended to stay out of their lives forever. As rare as honesty is for him, there was no lie when he said he cared greatly for them, and when he said he truly intended to keep them safe - specifically from himself. But temptation is hard to resist when it's staring you right in the face, and Billy had always tempted Loki in the worst ways.
"Loki?" Temptation says, sitting across the table from him.
Loki sinks further into his seat, as if it would swallow him and hide him from the boy before him. It doesn't, and so Loki must face him.
Of all the cafes in New York City, Billy had to choose to show up at the one Loki favorites. It's a small place, and only a few blocks from Loki's apartment, easily a ten minute walk if he was in a hurry, which he usually wasn't. Loki tips well, and knows the staff. They always know what to bring him when he sits down depending on the time of day. On mornings like now: coffee (black, too much sugar), a plate of sunny side up eggs, two blueberry pancakes, sourdough toast, and two servings of bacon. Loki doesn't have to eat so much, but he can and he does.
Loki spends almost as much time here as he does in his own apartment. The free wifi is nice and the atmosphere is welcoming and peaceful. He briefly considers that he might have to find a new place now that he's been found out, but pushes the thought away. He will not be bullied into giving this place up. Besides, the All-Mother doesn't know about it.
"That's my name." Loki says, straightening, feeling betrayed by the seat cushion that refused to hide him.
Billy gives him A Look.
Loki takes a moment to look over the boy. He looks older somehow - though it's barely been two months since he's seen him - and definitely healthier. That's good. He's probably better off now that Loki's no longer a regular part of his life. His hair is still combed over his forehead in an adorable flop and he's wearing a T-Shirt with the Avengers logo on it. Loki thinks this is tacky, considering Billy himself is an Avenger, but he stows a snide comment away for future use.
"You look good." Loki makes it impossible to miss the flirtatious tone in his voice. Maybe the unwanted lechery will make Billy go away. Besides, it's hardly a lie. Billy does look good.
"Ugh." Billy groans, but shows no desire to leave. "Thanks, I guess."
"You're welcome, I guess."
Billy frowns and studies the trickster for a moment. "How are you, Loki? Where have you been? We haven't seen you in months."
Loki shrugs, flinching at the way Billy says we. "I've been around - ask the Avengers about that - and it hasn't been that long."
"You just disappeared! You didn't even say goodbye."
He doesn't mask the shock on his face. "You sounds like you're upset about that."
"Uh, kinda? Why wouldn't I be? You just bailed on us. You didn't even say goodbye!"
"It's for the best. Didn't they tell you why we were in that mess in the first place?"
Billy's look sours. "Yeah, yeah they did. I'm not telling you I'm not pissed at you for it, or that I trust you. But it was fucked up to just leave like that."
Loki opens his mouth but he's interrupted by a large figure at the side of the table. "Billy, I got - Loki?"
Loki doesn't need to look up, he knows who it is immediately. "Hello Teddy."
Billy scoots farther down the bench and Teddy slides in next to him.
Fantastic, Loki thinks, I've been ambushed.
Loki stops Teddy just as he's opening his mouth to talk, "I don't need you yelling at me too, Billy's already given me the third degree."
Teddy's eyes fixate on Loki for a minute, and Loki's meet them. Loki hadn't expected Teddy's stare to be so intense, but he stares right back as if challenging each other.
Teddy is the first to relent when his look softens and he asks, "So what have you been up to, oh god of mischief?"
Loki shrugs. "I live a life full of espionage, sex, and money. You know, nothing too exciting." He doesn't mention that his missions for the All Mother have been few and far between, that he hasn't been laid in weeks, or that he spends a large percent of his money in this very cafe.
Billy raises his eyebrows, caught between questioning how true Loki's statement is and wanting to ask for more details.
"I've been doing missions for the All Mother." Loki explains, to ease the boys' curiosity. "Trying to redeem myself and all. You know the drill." He takes a long sip of his coffee.
"And how's that going for you?" Teddy asks.
Loki thinks it over for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know."
It's the most honest thing he's said all morning, and Billy and Teddy pick up on it. They have grown somewhat wise to Loki's words.
"Are you serious about that? Redemption?"
"Asking the hard questions already. I'm as serious about it as I am about breakfast meats." Loki winks, shoving a bit of bacon into his mouth for emphasis.
He makes the mistake of letting his eyes linger over Teddy. He's as big as ever. Taller than Loki and even taller than Billy. His hair is the perfect tint of gold and the vest he's wearing shows off his muscular arms. Loki almost has to remind himself not to drool.
The pair look almost divine sitting next to each other on the run down bench, hair mussed and faces ruddy. They may have been carved for each other.
Loki's not sure who he's more jealous of.
And then Teddy leans down to give Billy a quick kiss on the cheek, lips lingering ever so briefly on Billy's skin, before turning back to Loki with a smile on his face. That's the exact moment when Loki decides that not giving in to temptation is too difficult, and fuck it, if these beautiful creatures are so interested in keeping him in their lives then they can have him.
Loki has so many questions. How's the team? What has David been up to? Is America going to show up out of nowhere and beat the shit out of him? Have they recovered from the awful things he'd put them through? Why are they so interested in talking to him after everything that he'd done?
He settles for, "And what have you two love birds been up to?" feigning disgust at their public displays of affection.
The boys exchange quick glances at each other and Loki can tell they don't believe he's genuinely interested.
Teddy shrugs. "The team's been taking a bit of a break, again, but we see everyone pretty regularly and we've been working with the Avengers more. Oh, and we're finally moving out of Billy's parents'."
Billy shifts uncomfortably.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Loki asks, "I wouldn't want to live with my parents either."
"Yeah, yeah, it's good." Billy says. "Won't have to put up with my little brothers anymore."
Loki knows that's all he's going to get out of Billy about it. "Well, congrats. I know a thing or two about annoying brothers."
Billy snorts. "But do you know about little brothers?"
"For all his immaturity, Thor might as well be my little brother." He retorts, but doesn't hide the fondness in his voice.
"At least there aren't two of him."
Loki's eyes widen and his face twists into a look of horror and they both laugh. "You've got me there."
"So when are you moving out?" He asks, ducking his head and shoveling a forkful of pancake into his mouth.
"Next week. Teddy's going to be working and going to school part time."
"And you?"
Billy shrugs, "Still looking for a job. My parents are helping us out a bit for a while."
The kid is upset about something, and Loki has to bite his tongue to avoid further questioning. "Do you need any help? Moving in, I mean."
"Why, are you offering?"
"Maybe. I don't have much else to do." Loki says, a small lie. There is plenty he could be doing, but he wants nothing more now than to selfishly worm his way back into the lives of these boys. He's not entirely sure what he expects to get out of it.
"Maybe?"
"Yes." Loki sighs dramatically, "Yes, I am offering. That is what I was getting at."
Billy looks at Teddy who shrugs. "Sure. I guess we're not gonna turn down help."
"How very prudent of you." Loki says, earning another eyeroll, from the both of them. He shovels another bite of pancakes into his mouth, and a breaks off a piece of bacon after that. They wait awkwardly. When he swallows he says, "Hey, I did come here to eat, you know. Not to run into you dorks."
"We were hardly expecting to run into you either."
"Everything went better than expected." Loki says. Billy snorts.
What puzzles Loki is that, despite the jokes and general faux hostility, the two boys actually seem genuinely happy to see him. Probably bad for them, and maybe good for him. He grins at them.
"Have you already started moving in? When do you need my help?"
"We don't need your help, Loki." Billy says.
"We're already packed up, but tomorrow's the big day." Teddy says. "If you could help, that would be great. We didn't really ask anyone else... although I guess we probably should have. We're having a housewarming party in a week or two, if you want to come to that. Everyone will be there."
Billy shifts uncomfortably again and Teddy looks at him. "Oh should I have... not?" He frowns.
Loki laughs. "I'm sure I'd love to see everyone again, probably get beat up by America, yelled at by everyone else. Sounds fun." He says dryly.
"No... no, inviting him was fine, I just wish you had asked me first," Billy mumbles to his boyfriend as if Loki were not sitting right there. To Loki he says,
"Oh come on, you're acting like we hate you. You were with us for months, Loki. I'm sure everyone would be... relatively happy to see you."
Loki smirks. "That's what I thought."
He wonders about them a lot, but he also wonders if seeing them again is even a remotely good idea. Likely not. It would be nice to see David again though... and Kate and Noh-Varr. Hell, he'd even like to see America again, as much as she scares him. He can consider it later. One step at a time.
"If the invitation is serious, I'll think about it." He finishes the last bite of pancakes and the last strip of bacon.
"It is serious." Billy says, "We'd be happy to have you, if you behave."
Loki gives him an incredulous look but says nothing more about it. He looks over the bill the waitress had left him earlier before calling her over.
Loki knows the staff here pretty well, having frequented the place for months. The girl that's been serving him today is new, he'd only met her a few days ago. It's her first job, that much had been apparent to Loki even before talking with her. Her family is friends with the woman that owns the cafe, so getting a job had been easy. Loki'd talked with her at length the day before. She had just finished up high school and didn't know what to do for college. Loki doesn't really understand the education system here, it all seems like too much, but he had listened to her complaints.
She also turns the most adorable shade of red when he flirts with her.
"Irene, can you add whatever these two ordered to my bill, please?" Loki asks with a smile that she happily returns.
"Yeah, I can do that."
"Thanks," Loki says, handing her the bill she'd brought earlier.
He looks back at Billy and Teddy who are staring at him incredulously.
"What?" He asks, feigning offense, "I can be nice sometimes." He shrugs.
"You didn't have to do that." Teddy says.
"Do I have to do anything?"
"Where do you even get money?" Billy asks before saying, "Wait, never mind. I don't think I want to know."
"I already told you I'm working for the All-Mother."
"And she pays you in American money?"
"Well, no."
Billy shakes his head. "Then I still don't want to know."
"Fair enough." Loki really doesn't have an abundance of money, but it's not hard to acquire when he does need it.
After Billy and Teddy order their food, Irene brings Loki their bill, which he pays in cash, ignoring disapproving looks from the other two.
"Thanks." Teddy says when Loki hands the bill and the money to the waitress.
"I should go," Loki says, suddenly feeling very much like being somewhere else.
"Okay, Commander." Teddy mutters.
Loki ignores him. "You still have my number?"
Billy nods.
"Alright, then text me the address to meet you at tomorrow and a time. And I guess I'll... see you then." Loki feels himself flush as he looks over the two boys. He tell himself he doesn't know why and he looks away and covers the redness with a minor glamour. He pulls himself out of his seat and gives them a small wave before walking towards the door. Irene smiles at him as he passes and he tells her to have a good day.
As he's pushing open the door to leave he overhears Billy saying, "Well, that was weird."
The door closes behind Loki and he grins, glancing back at the two boys through the cafe window. Oh what is he getting himself into? Or rather, what is he getting them into? He almost feels bad. But then again, he is far too selfish for that.