Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Donner des Mots de Tristesse
“Don’t forget to stretch today, Lokes. You worked hard.”
“I thought I told you not to call me that.”
“Yeah, but it’s still fun. See you tomorrow.”
“See you, Nat.”
Loki sighed as she hung up the phone and locked the door to the Black Widow Ballet Academy for Teen Girls (or as he affectionately liked to call it, BWAT) and made their way to the bus stop. Her job was fun, but the physical demands always wore him out at the end of the day. They just needed to get home to their apartment and take a nice, long shower, and sleep in her nice bed with the soft sheets, and…
“Loki! Over here!”
Loki tensed, then relaxed when she realized Thor was parked across the street, ready to pick him up. She jogged across the street to meet him, getting in the car just in time to avoid the worst of the rain coming down outside.
“This is a pleasant surprise, brother.”
“I hoped it would be! I noticed it was going to rain, and happened to have some free time, so Bruce suggested I pick you up. How was class?”
“The girls were lovely, as always. Aliyah finally nailed her triple pirouette, and the intermediate class just started dagger training with me. How was yours?”
“My lab partner- yes, I know you know I’m talking about Bruce, no need to roll your eyes- and I started a new project. Professor Howard let us move onto the three body problem before anyone else. Probably because Bruce has been carrying us through the semester, he’s so smart-“
“We all know you’re just as smart as him. There isn’t enough room for two self-deprecating idiots in this car.”
They both laughed, enjoying the peaceful ride home and unloading the stresses of their respective days onto each other’s shoulders. For that 10 minute ride, they were just kids in London again, riding the school bus home and talking about their classes without a care in the world.
“Are we still on for the library tomorrow?”
“Yes, I believe so. Around two, right?”
“Yeah. They just hired a new librarian, Bruce won’t stop raving about him. Apparently he’s the ‘best coworker he’s ever had’.”
“Afraid you’ll be replaced, brother? I thought you were below such insecurities.”
“Pfft! As if! No measly librarian would ever be able to take my Bruce from me. Especially not someone with a name like Mobius.”
“Alright, no need to be all lovey dovey in front of me. I’m fairly certain I’m allergic. And who names their child Mobius, anyways?”
“No clue. Goodnight, Loki.”
“Goodnight, Thor.”
—————————————————————
After a shower and a good nights sleep, Loki packed up their laptop and textbooks and started walking to the on-campus library. It was an uncharacteristically nice day for late March, and Loki stopped for coffee and a croissant at Heimdalls Place, the corner coffee shop by the library. Finishing up her pastry and ordering a second iced coffee to take with them into the library, they smiled upon seeing Val and Yelena walking arm in arm.
“You two seem close. Do I smell a romance budding?”, He cheerfully yelled after them. Laughing slightly fearfully at the daggers they stared at him over their shoulders, she headed into the library positive the day was going to go well.
Heading to his and Thor’s usual table, they were surprised to find a note on top of a book that he had left in Thors car the night before. The note read:
“Sorry I couldn’t stay. Bruce got off early because of the new recruit, and there’s a new astronomy exhibit at the museum in town. Hope you understand. Also, you forgot this in my car last night. Bruce says he likes hamlet better. Signed, Thor”
Sighing, Loki picked up her book and sat in the comfortable armchair next to the table. She was supposed to finish annotating this book in about 2 weeks, but they loved Macbeth so much they decided to start sooner rather than later. About two hours into his reverie, casually noting certain phrases and important plot points on his computer, they heard a cough come from above.
“Uh, mind if I sit? I’m the new librarian around here. I don’t think I’ve seen you around campus before, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen your brother. You’re Loki, right?”
Momentarily shocked by the beauty of the man standing before him, she cleared their throat before speaking.
“The one and only. And you are?”
“Mobius M. Mobius. Funny, I know.”
“I actually find it quite endearing. I’m Loki Odinson, but you already knew that. What does the M stand for, pray tell?”
“…Would it be terrible if I said it was Macbeth?”
“You’ve got to be joking.”
“Not in the slightest. My parents were literature professors. Either that, or they both hated me as a kid. It’s pretty hilarious either way.”
“Our meeting must be fate, then. I’m reading the book dedicated to your namesake that I got from the library you work at. Nothing coincidental about it.”
Mobius smiled, and Loki felt like his heart could implode at the sight. This could definitely become a problem.
“Do you believe in that kind of stuff?”
“Coincidence?”
“Fate.”
“That’s awfully… introspective, for a man I’ve known less than 5 minutes.”
“Well I’m an awfully introspective man. Cons of being a psych major, I guess.” Said Mobius with a smirk.
Oh, yeah. This was definitely going to become a problem.
“I’m debating on wether or not to answer that question honestly.”
“Do you want to answer it honestly?”
“Are you asking as a psych major, or as a friend?”
“A friend. If you’ll let me be one.”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t?”
Mobius paused at that one, seemingly lost in thought. Loki was lost in his eyes, but that’s a story for another time.
“You take me for someone who doesn’t trust all too easily.”
“You take me for someone who’s good at earning peoples trust.”
“Does that mean I’ve earned yours?”
“Not quite, but it does mean I’ll answer your question honestly.” They smiled, finally closing their book and laying it on the table.
“And your answer?”
“I believe everyone was put on this earth for their own glorious purpose. Whatever that purpose may be, is something that’s up to us. Not any higher power.”
Mobius smiled. Loki absolutely did not notice that his teeth were crooked in a somewhat adorable kind of way.
“You’re quite something, Loki Odinson. Quite something indeed. Now if you’ll excuse me, there appears to be a little girl looking for someone to help her find a book. I hope I’ll see you around sometime soon.”
Loki sighed, packing up his things and getting ready to leave. There’s no way she could study with… him around. That insufferable, nosy, witty, genius, beautiful man…
Oh, yeah. Loki Odinson is fucked.