Chapter Text
Loki needed coffee – desperately.
It was 7:30 on a Monday morning, and the rain was coming down in freezing sheets that bounced off the pavement. He had a meeting at 8, and even the most saintly person would require copious amounts of caffeine to deal with Thanos at that time in the morning. His own coffee machine was broken, otherwise he would’ve already had three cups before even leaving his apartment.
Thus – Loki needed coffee. Desperately.
He knew there was a Starbucks a block over from the office; he often saw Gamora arrive with a cup emblazoned with the familiar green logo. However, when he found it, the queue was tailing back to the doorway already, and Loki didn’t exactly want to stand out in the rain while he waited to order. He muttered a curse under his breath, hunching underneath his umbrella as he continued walking. He’d just have to suck it up and drink a cup from the staff room, shitty as it was.
Working at Infinity wasn’t exactly Loki’s dream job. Not anymore, anyway. In the beginning, it had been a reputable print newspaper. However, as their readership had started to dwindle, they’d been forced to adapt and move everything online. In order to try and maintain some kind of relevancy, Infinity had started publishing articles that could only be described as inane and overwhelmingly negative. ‘Top ten businesspeople who’ve been slaying the game so far in 2021’ was hardly the kind of scintillating investigative journalism Loki had been interested in.
But – it was a job. Which Loki needed to keep.
His brother, Thor, was also a journalist. He had his own travel magazine – Asgard – which was focused upon high-energy holidays that combined sightseeing with exercise. Loki wouldn’t say he was jealous per se, but he did envy Thor’s undeniable passion for his job. Loki hadn’t felt that passion in a long time.
He rounded the corner, resigning himself to a cup of boardroom sludge, when a new storefront across the street caught his eye. The sign was a warm beige, with Reali-tea overlaid in curling copper wire. There were flowers in long planters all along the top of the sign, with hanging baskets at either end. More planters were clustered at the front of the shop window, filled with autumnal coloured blooms: peaches and pale pinks, oranges and rich reds.
Perhaps most importantly, it was empty. And looked very much to Loki like a coffee shop, of some description.
Loki checked his watch – 7:36, plenty time – before ducking across the road and into the shop’s porch. He pulled his umbrella down, shaking it out and leaning it against the wall before heading inside. The shop was warm, and the air smelled faintly of vanilla. Loki eyed the décor as he headed to the counter; it had a fairly neutral colour palette, with lots of cushions and throws that added to the cosy vibe. There were flowers and plants everywhere, along with candles burning on every table. Books, too; Loki noticed a small bookshelf towards the back of the shop, crammed with titles.
He turned his attention to the counter; or, more specifically, behind it, where the menu board was. It was written in different colours of ink, the script elegant and sloping. Loki couldn’t read any of it, though, and grumbled as he reached into his pocket for his glasses.
“Oh, hi!” Came a voice from the back of the shop, accompanied by a set of footsteps. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see you there. What can I get you?”
Loki slid his glasses onto his nose as the owner of the voice appeared. The man was older, if his silver hair was anything to go by, with light wrinkles around his eyes. His nose was a little bit crooked, as though it had been broken and not reset properly. He was dressed in what looked like a comfortable sweater, with an apron knotted over the top. A tasteful wooden badge was pinned to his chest, with ‘Mobius’ artfully lasered into it.
“I need coffee,” Loki said, squinting at the menu board behind the man – Mobius, he supposed. “I can’t see coffee up there.”
“Ah,” Mobius laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “No, I’m afraid we don’t sell coffee. We’re a tea shop, you see. Hence the name: Reali-tea. Get it?”
Loki blinked.
“I get it,” He said shortly, running a hand through his hair. “So no coffee?”
“No coffee, sorry,” Mobius shook his head. “Could I interest you in some tea, instead?”
“I have a meeting in,” Loki checked his watch. “Twenty minutes, and my boss is most likely going to be riding my ass about something even though it’s only the first day of the week, and you’re suggesting that tea is going to help me survive that experience?”
“Sure,” Mobius shrugged. “On the house.”
Loki raised an eyebrow. He was planning on declining – he really was! – but the thought of shitty office coffee was enough to make him concede. Mobius’s responding grin was blinding, and he turned away to start preparing Loki’s tea with vigour.
“So, you work around here?” Mobius asked over his shoulder as he set out a glass and a little strainer that was shaped like a cat. Loki bit back a snort at the man’s curiosity, leaning against the counter and watching him instead.
“I do. Just across the street, at Infinity.”
“Ohhh, Infinity.” Mobius said, with a strange kind of mock-reverence. It made Loki frown, and he forced himself to concentrate on Mobius’s hands, lest he say anything rude. The back counter was lined with clear jars, all filled with different coloured ingredients. Loki assumed most of them were tea leaves, although some looked suspiciously like flowers which confused him no end. Mobius reached for a few of the jars, scooping out a small amount of each product and adding it into the strainer.
“What are you making?” Loki asked, leaning against the counter and tucking his hands into his pockets.
“Custom blend,” Mobius flashed a grin over his shoulder before turning back to his work, using a small set of tweezers to add a few tiny white flowers to the strainer. He set the strainer into a glass jar before using a dispenser to pour boiling water over the top of it. “Now, while that steeps, why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Mobius suggested, tidying up the jars he had used before turning to face Loki again.
Loki raised his chin challengingly as he leaned his forearms on the counter. “And why should I do that?”
“Well, I’ve only just opened up,” Mobius explained, sweeping an arm through the air and gesturing at the expanse of the shop. “Might as well get to know the regulars, right?”
“Regulars?” Loki snorted, shaking his head. “Please. What makes you think I’m going to be a regular?”
Mobius raised an eyebrow, giving Loki a calculated look. “You will be.” He said simply, and Loki rolled his eyes.
“You’re confident.”
“You like that?” Mobius asked, the corner of his mouth curling upwards. Loki snorted again, shaking his head as Mobius’s smirk turned into a full-blown grin. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll rein it in.”
Mobius turned away to check on the tea, shifting the strainer a little. Loki took the opportunity to survey him as he did so, letting his gaze travel down the length of Mobius’s body. He was well-dressed – a quality Loki appreciated in anyone – with a pair of slim-fit jeans that were tucked into camel-coloured boots. His apron was knotted neatly at the small of his back, accentuating the taper of his waist.
He was attractive, yes. But the only hot Loki was looking for on this particular morning was a hot drink.
Loki’s reverie was interrupted by – a meow? He frowned, looking down to find a small white and tabby cat curling around his ankles.
“Uhh, there’s a…cat?” Loki blinked up at Mobius, pointing down at the little offender currently chewing on his shoelaces. Mobius placed his hands on the counter and leaned over, chuckling softly as he did so.
“Oh, yeah. That’s Jet,” He smiled fondly, tilting his head up to meet Loki’s eyes. “Are you okay with cats?”
Loki raised an eyebrow. “It is chewing my shoelace.” He said pointedly, and Mobius winced.
“Right. Let me just-” He hurried round the counter, kneeling at Loki’s feet and gently extracting the aglet of Loki’s shoelace from between Jet’s teeth. “Come on, baby girl. We don’t chew on our friends.”
‘Friends?’ Loki mouthed to himself, rubbing a hand over his face. He checked his watch discreetly as Mobius stood up, cooing away to the cat tucked against his chest. 7:43am. He still had time for his daily bathroom pep-talk before the meeting, which mostly consisted of him staring at himself in the mirror and willing himself not to cuss anyone out before midday.
Mobius headed around to the other side of the counter again, removing the strainer from the jar and setting it on a little dish. “I guess you want this to take away?” Mobius asked, adjusting Jet’s paws over his shoulder.
“Yes. As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I do have a job to go to.” Loki drawled, and Mobius let out a humoured exhale as he transferred the tea to a paper cup. He set about adding some finishing touches that Loki couldn’t see, given the fact that he was currently engaged in an intense staring contest with Jet. The cat’s eyes were huge and liquid, and she blinked at Loki slowly. He felt judged and told Mobius as much.
“Oh, don’t mind her,” Mobius grinned, turning around and sliding Loki’s cup over the counter. “She’s a real softie, aren’t you?” He cooed, sliding his hands underneath Jet’s body and lifting her up gently, pressing a kiss to her damp nose. She eyed Loki smugly before butting her head against Mobius’s face, causing him to laugh softly.
Loki cleared his throat, lifting his cup and sniffing the contents through the hole in the lid. It actually smelled rather pleasant; something warm and sweet, with a slightly earthy undertone. “What is this?” He asked, and Mobius tucked Jet’s body against his chest as he answered.
“Periwinkle tea with vanilla and white chocolate. Figured you could use a bit of sweetness.” Mobius grinned, and Loki scoffed.
“As much as I want to hear exactly what you based that assumption on, I have to go.” Loki said, eyeing the street outside. Rain was still coming down in droves, bouncing off the pavement and hitting the windows with fervour.
“Ah, yes. Infinity awaits,” Mobius said with that same mock-reverence from earlier, tucking Jet’s head underneath his chin. “Well, I hope you have a good day…” He paused, one eyebrow raised expectantly, and Loki let him stew for a moment before putting him out of his misery.
“Loki.”
“Loki,” Mobius grinned, tongue curling around every letter. “Loki, Loki, Loki. Well, I hope to see you again.”
“We’ll see, Mobius.” Loki turned on his heel, coat swirling around his ankles as he did so. He swept across the room, acutely aware of two sets of eyes on his back. He looked over his shoulder, throwing Mobius a wink before disappearing through the door and into the porch.
Where he promptly had a meltdown.
“Why the fuck did I do that?” Loki muttered to himself, reaching for his umbrella and fumbling to balance his tea in one hand as he pushed it open with the other. “Why did I wink at him? Why did I tell him my name? Why did I accept a cup of fucking tea? I don’t even like tea!”
Loki had to cut his bathroom pep-talk short by a few minutes that morning, due to the fact that he’d wasted far too much time getting his shoelaces chewed. He slipped into his usual seat in Infinity’s main conference room at a few minutes before 8, giving a brusque yet cordial nod to the others around the table. On Loki’s left was Proxima who, as a former athlete, was in charge of sporting articles. On his right was Ebony; a slimy, smarmy asshole who presided over the culture section. A few others were seated further down the table; Nebula, Thanos’s other daughter, did the technology articles, while Corvus was in charge of politics.
Loki himself tended to write business-related articles, although the content of said articles was always up to Thanos. That was just one of many things that Loki had come to loathe about working at Infinity: no one had any autonomy over their own work. Ideas always came directly from Thanos and were always non-negotiable. Loki knew that much was true; he’d tried to negotiate a few times, pitch his own ideas, but had only been dealt threats of redundancy in response.
Loki leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and – finally – taking a sip of his tea. It was sweet on his tongue – but not overwhelmingly so – and warmed his entire body. He took another sip, his eyes fluttering closed at the delicious taste.
“You bought coffee today?” Proxima asked, poking at Loki’s cup with a long, glossy black fingernail.
“Not that it’s any of your business,” Loki tutted, setting his cup down on the table. “But my coffee machine at home is broken. Hence.” He gestured at the cup with a flourish.
Proxima hummed, tapping her fingernail against the side of the cup. The cup itself was a light cream colour, with Reali-tea written on the side in the same elegant, sloping font as the shop sign. There were flowers dotted all over the cup in muted, pastel shades, curling around one another and climbing high towards the rim.
“This is the new place? Across the road?” She asked, following a swirling vine with the tip of her fingernail. It scratched against the side of the cup in a way that simultaneously unnerved and soothed Loki.
“It is.” Loki nodded, and she hummed.
“Doesn’t seem like your kind of place.” She commented, looking up at him through dark lashes. She raised an eyebrow, tilting her head a little as she eyed Loki calculatedly.
“Well, I needed something to get me through this meeting that wasn’t that shit.” Loki’s lip curled as he pointed to the steaming mug in front of Proxima. He could tell from the colour that it was the office coffee; burnt, bitter, and downright shitty.
“So you got, what?” Proxima popped the lid off Loki’s cup with her nail, leaning over to peer inside. “Flowery water?”
“It’s tea, Proxima. Don’t be fucking stupid.” Loki snapped, snatching his cup protectively and bringing it close to his chest. Proxima pulled a face, flipping Loki the bird before settling back into her chair. She took a sip of her own drink, and Loki felt a smug sense of satisfaction at the way her face crumpled with disgust.
The thing was: Loki really didn’t like tea. Or rather, hadn’t.
He always drank his coffee black, on principle. Rarely – very rarely – he’d indulge in a cappuccino. He couldn’t handle all of that sugary shit that everyone seemed to drink nowadays; frappes piled high with whipped cream and syrup and chocolate shavings or whatever. His sister, Sylvie, was obsessed with them, and would order one every time they went out.
However, there was something different about this cup of tea. Maybe about the tea shop as a whole. Loki wasn’t sure which; all he knew was that he was enjoying this particular cup far more than he had expected to. Given his track record, that was saying something.
Loki took another sip, relishing in the play of flavours across his tongue. He looked down at his cup and noticed that Proxima was right, in a way. It did just look like flowery water, especially considering the fact that Mobius must have snuck a few extra petals into the cup by way of decoration. Loki wasn’t going to complain; they were quite aesthetically pleasing, at the end of the day. He wasn’t sure if he could ingest them but decided not to try just in case he wasn’t supposed to, picking them out gently.
Loki set his cup back into the table, replacing the lid to keep the heat in. The conference room doors swung open as he did so, and Thanos walked in just as the clock struck 8am. Punctual as ever.
His other daughter, Gamora, followed behind him, a pile of folders held close to her chest. She sat at the top of the table, shrugging off her coat and letting it fall over the back of her chair. Thanos took his own place in front of the whiteboard, peeling off his suit jacket and adjusting his cuffs. He was huge, quite frankly, with muscles that bulged and rippled beneath his shirt. His skin was decorated with tattoos, all simple linework done in purple rather than black, and he wore a ring on just about every finger. He was intimidating, to say the least, and a manipulative asshole. Loki hated him, but he couldn’t leave unless he was fired; that was the worst part about idly signing a contract and not reading the fine print.
“Alright, everyone,” Thanos cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I have a very big announcement to make, and I expect everyone to be excited about it.”
On Loki’s right, Ebony was practically salivating. He was clicking his pen in anticipation, and Loki felt his eyelid twitch. He caught Gamora’s eye and sent her a look of sheer exasperation, which she returned. Loki liked her – she was the only sane person in the place, most days.
“Now, have you all heard of Alexander Pierce?” Thanos asked, rolling his sleeves up to expose his forearms. “CEO of HYDRA Security?”
Everyone nodded – who hadn’t heard of Alexander Pierce? He was one of the richest men in America, due to his position as CEO of the biggest security firm in the country. He had been in the news recently after a rather public divorce with his significantly younger husband, one James Buchanan Barnes. Barnes had been a budding engineer before meeting Pierce, after which he’d given up his job to assume his position as trophy husband. Rumour had it that he’d been personally headhunted by Stark Industries, the leading name in eco engineering, which had been a catalyst of their separation.
Loki had a vague recollection of their entertainment editor – a calm, focused individual by the name of Cull – writing a particularly scathing article about the divorce. Loki, on the other hand, wasn’t really sure why anyone cared.
“In light of the negativity surrounding Alexander in the news, he came to me with a little proposition, shall we say,” Thanos explained, his lips curling up into a smirk. “He’s interested in us writing a piece on him; something significantly more positive than the ones that have been doing the rounds.”
“Who’s going to write it?” Nebula asked, folding her arms over her chest. “I know it won’t be me, I’m just wondering which of these idiots you’ve chosen, father?”
Thanos’s lips curled upwards into a smirk as his gaze settled on Loki. “I’m giving you a huge opportunity here, Laufeyson. Don’t waste it.”
Everyone at the table turned to Loki, who blinked and slid downwards in his seat. “I, uh, I won’t let you down.” He said weakly, and Proxima rolled her eyes with a huff.
“See that you don’t.” Thanos said, pausing for dramatic effect before moving onto the rest of the meeting.
Loki didn’t hear another word that was said. He just stared at the side of his cup and wondered what the fuck he was getting himself into. Writing an article that was no doubt the result of a bribe. God, his name would be dragged through the fucking mud. As if working at Infinity wasn’t bad enough for his reputation.
Loki stood up at the end of the meeting and made to follow the others out into the office, but Thanos stopped him before he could leave. Proxima waited by the door and raised an eyebrow, but Loki waved her off.
“I meant what I said,” Thanos said conversationally, shuffling some papers back into a file on the desk. “Don’t let me down, Laufeyson. This is a huge opportunity. Pierce himself pitched the idea for the article.”
“I’ll do my best.” Loki said, holding his jacket and his – now cold – cup to his chest.
“Your best isn’t good enough,” Thanos looked up at Loki momentarily. “You’re going to have to do even better than your best. This article could change things for us,” Thanos drew himself up to his full height, pulling the buttons on his suit jacket closed. “I’ll check in with you at the end of the week.” He dropped a hand onto Loki’s shoulder, squeezing tightly as he passed and slipped out of the glass door. Loki let out a breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding, tension leaking out of his body as his shoulders curled forward.
This was going to be a fucking disaster.
Loki spent the rest of the day doing preliminary research on Pierce. Thanos had wiped his schedule clean, meaning that he had no other articles to write and could instead concentrate on the Pierce one. By the time 5 o’clock rolled around, Loki had a crick in his neck and a burning hatred for the words Alexander, Pierce, and HYDRA. He’d combed through far too many fucking articles and sources and his head was throbbing. Words didn’t even look real anymore.
He packed up his belongings and was out of the door by 5:10. He had no desire to stay in the building any longer than he absolutely had to. The rain had let up over the course of the day, and the sun had begun to peek through the clouds. Weak rays of sunshine spilled down over the city, catching on the residual rainwater and making the pavements glow golden.
Loki began his journey home, glancing over at Reali-tea as he did so. There were a few customers dotted around, and Mobius bustled between them with a huge smile on his face. He looked genuinely happy, and it made something curl in Loki’s gut. He wondered what it felt like – to love your job, and to feel fulfilled at the end of the day.
He sighed, hitching his bag higher onto his shoulder and heading home. His apartment was only a ten-minute walk from the office, and Loki relished the opportunity for fresh air after being stuck inside all day. Ebony had opened a bag of cheese and onion crisps at his desk at lunchtime, and the whole place had smelled fucking disgusting for hours.
Loki picked up some takeout on his way home – Thai, from the little family-owned place a few doors down from his apartment – and ate it on the couch in front of the television. He had planned to do some more research, but he couldn’t bring himself to open his laptop. Alexander Pierce was, quite frankly, a grade A asshole, and the thought of having to write an entire article kissing his ass was enough to turn Loki’s stomach. So, he ignored the work he’d brought home, and crunched on another eggroll as he idly watched an alligator documentary on the discovery channel.
He went to bed a few hours later, not realising that he’d forgotten all about his broken coffee machine.
“Fuck,” Loki muttered, slamming his hand against the coffee machine as it refused to so much as turn on. “Fuck you.”
He knew it was vicious, but he didn’t care. The machine was inanimate; it, unfortunately, had no idea how angry he was at it. He checked his watch – 6:48am – before unplugging the machine from the wall and moving it to the end of the counter. If he took it to work with him, he could drop in somewhere either on his lunch or his way home to get it fixed.
Until then, however, he was stuck with no coffee.
Loki grumbled to himself as he moved around the kitchen, eating a few slices of toast and jam instead. He got dressed with the last slice hanging out of his mouth, pulling on an all-black ensemble of a turtleneck, slacks, and a suit jacket. After painstakingly styling his hair and cleaning his teeth, Loki gave himself a begrudging thumbs up in the mirror.
“Time to go to work.” He sighed, heading for the door and slipping on his shoes. He grabbed his laptop bag and tucked the coffee machine under his arm before leaving his apartment, locking the door behind him. The weather was significantly better than the previous morning; the sunshine had held out and was already shining down on the city as it began to wake up for the day.
Loki resolutely didn’t check the Starbucks line as he passed. He had already decided that he was going to try Reali-tea again, and didn’t want the temptation of an empty coffee shop to lure him in. Loki wasn’t entirely sure when he had decided to visit the tea shop for the second day in a row – especially considering that he had hated tea before this week – but something at the back of his mind was urging him to return. Not only that, but he had to admit that the tea was pretty good. Not good enough to turn him off of coffee completely, but good enough to act as a stand-in until his own machine was fixed.
Mobius was outside when Loki arrived, crouched on the pavement and checking the boxes of plants clustered beneath the front window. His fingers were deft yet tender as he handled the stems, gently pinching off any dead heads and discarding them in an empty cup at his feet.
“Good morning.” Loki said, stopping a few feet away. Mobius turned at the greeting, his face lighting up when he saw Loki.
“Ah, Loki! I knew you’d be back,” He grinned, standing and brushing his hands off on his jeans. He wasn’t wearing his apron yet, giving Loki the perfect view of his shirt: a moss-green button up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, exposing tanned, muscular forearms. “Brought me a gift, have you?” Mobius quipped, gesturing to the coffee machine tucked beneath Loki’s elbow.
“Alas, unfortunately not,” Loki rolled his eyes, patting the top of the machine. “It, uh. It’s broken. I thought I’d take it somewhere to get it fixed, maybe on my lunch or something.”
“I can take a look at it, if you like,” Mobius offered, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. The sunlight caught his hair just so, turning the strands a sparkling silver. “I used to be a mechanic, actually. Jetski mechanic, to be exact, but the principles are kinda the same.”
“I, uh,” Loki blinked. “Jetski mechanic?”
“Yeah,” Mobius shrugged, as if that was the most natural thing in the world. “Used to live on the coast, had a beach house and everything. You want to come inside?” He asked, gesturing towards the shop. Loki nodded, following Mobius through the doorway and across the shop floor to the counter. He laid the coffee machine down, and Mobius ran his hand over the top of it carefully.
“I mean, if you wouldn’t mind taking a look at it, that would be very helpful.”
“Not a problem,” Mobius winked, lifting the machine off the counter and tucking it underneath for the time being. “You can take me to dinner, as a thank you.”
“You’re very forward, aren’t you?” Loki raised an eyebrow, and Mobius laughed.
“Sorry, sorry,” He grinned, not sounding very sorry at all. “I know I said I’d rein it in, and I will. I just can’t help it, you’re prime flirting material.”
“I have no idea what that means, but I suppose I’ll take the compliment.”
“That’s what it was intended as,” Mobius said, reaching for his apron and knotting it around his waist. “Tea?”
“I suppose so,” Loki eyed his watch, noting that he had plenty of time before he had to be at the office. “I actually enjoyed what you gave me yesterday. I wasn’t really a tea fan before but…”
“I’m converting you?” Mobius asked, and Loki chuckled.
“Sure, let’s go with that.”
Mobius’s responding smile was blinding as he turned to the jars of tea once again. Loki watched him idly as he scooped out different amounts from different jars, once again using the same cat shaped strainer as the previous morning.
“Are you making something different?” Loki asked, and Mobius nodded.
“I am indeed. I have to keep it interesting, otherwise you won’t come back.”
Loki scoffed, resting his elbows on the counter as he watched Mobius work. “What I’m getting from that is that you want me to come back?”
“Of course. You’re interesting. As delightful as it is serving mothers and children all day, it can get a bit monotonous. There’s only so many babies I can bounce and so many pots of plain green tea a man can serve, you know?”
“It is just you?” Loki asked, looking around the shop. He spotted Jet napping on an armchair up the back, tucked away next to the book nook, but no other employees.
“No, no. I have two members of staff, but they’re not in until later,” Mobius explained, setting the cup aside and allowing it to steep for a few minutes. “I might end up looking for more, at some point. Just depends how busy this place gets.”
“What made you come here and open up?” Loki asked, leaning his chin against his palm and looking up at Mobius.
“Like I said, I used to be a jetski mechanic. I felt like I was stuck in a rut, y’know? Wanted a change of pace. Don’t get me wrong, it was great, but then every day was the same. I didn’t feel fulfilled anymore, just felt like I was going through the motions. And that confused me, because I was living out on the coast in a house on the beach, getting up each day and spending my time outside in the sun, working on jetskis and surfing and doing all this fun stuff. But I missed the city,” Mobius shrugged, rubbing a hand over the marble countertop. “It was a bit of a risk, coming here and opening up a brand-new shop off my own back. I have enough savings to make it work for a while, but I hope it’ll be a success. I’ve always loved tea, and I love getting to create my own flavours. When I get a chance to, anyway. Way too many people just go for plain, boring shit,” The corner of Mobius’s mouth tipped upwards as he checked the strainer. “Sorry, I know I just rambled a bit, didn’t I. Bad habit.”
“No, I don’t mind,” Loki shook his head, finding that he was, actually, telling the truth. Mobius’s story hadn’t bored him; rather, it had intrigued him. Mobius intrigued him. “Thank you for sharing.”
Mobius swept a hand through the air, waving him off.
“Oh, it’s whatever. At least now you know I’m qualified to look at your coffee machine.”
Loki let out a sharp bark of laughter at that, and Mobius shot him a pleased look before turning away to deal with Loki’s tea. Loki watched as he added a few decorative touches to the cup again before securing the lid and handing it over. Loki accepted it gratefully, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.
“Oh, no. Please,” Mobius shook his head, pressing his fingertips against Loki’s hand and pushing him away when he tried to pay. “On the house, I insist.”
“You’ll never make a profit if you keep giving things away.” Loki teased, and Mobius threw him a smirk.
“Good thing you’re the only one I seem to be giving things away to then, hm?”
Loki rolled his eyes at that and insisted on dropping a few notes into Mobius’s tip jar when the man wasn’t looking.
“What have you given me today, then?” Loki asked, taking a sniff of the proffered cup. It was earthy and spicy, with a hint of that same sweetness from the day before.
“Assam tea with chocolate,” Mobius smiled, folding his arms over his chest. “Again, figured you could use some sweetness.”
“Darling, I’m sweet enough already.” Loki purred, mouth curling into a smirk as a slight flush touched the tips of Mobius’s cheekbones.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” He replied, and Loki felt his smirk collapse into an all-out smile. “Have a good day, Loki.”
“And you. Thanks for the tea.”
“My pleasure.” Mobius assured him as Loki walked backwards towards the door. He waved before ducking out onto the street, taking a few paces away from the shopfront before stopping and tilting his head back.
He was so fucked.