Chapter Text
Loki wasn’t a crowd-lover. He didn’t like the feeling of people pressing up all around him or the thought of breathing in other people’s breath in a shared space. He wasn’t afraid of crowds, he just didn’t like people, which was a real shame considering his job. He knew most of his clients couldn’t stand him but he also knew he was damn good at what he did and he didn’t have to be nice to earn his paycheck. He could just be himself.
And despite his seemingly innate dislike of humanity—except for his elder brother, Thor, for whom he made an exception even if he was dramatic about it—this overcrowded, loud, tiny coffee shop was his absolute favorite place to get work done.
He was a photographer by trade and had a real knack for seeing what others did or could not and then turning it into the most surreal image. His assistant, and one of the few people not put off by his caustic disposition, Peter Parker, had even gone so far as to accuse him of actual magic tricks.
Earlier he had done a photo shoot with a client he genuinely respected—Natasha Romanoff, best-selling author and women’s rights advocate—and now he was here in his favorite hideout to edit and work his magic, as it were.
No one knew about his favorite coffee shop, not Peter and definitely not Thor. He loved his brother but trying to focus on anything when he was around was like trying to do brain surgery while sky-diving. It was simply not an option. So he kept this place to himself.
It was nothing fancy, not very high-end. They didn’t offer complicated concoctions or artisanal baked goods—it was a simple Brooklyn-based establishment Loki had passed one day on a walk to get out of the apartment and away from the sound of his guitarist brother’s latest efforts at composing—and it was now his home away from home.
He looked up from his laptop when his favorite barista who never made small talk with him (ideal) brought him his latte, offering an eyebrow raise in lieu of a smile and getting a nod in return.
He grabbed the mug, sighing internally at the state his nail polish was in, and people-watching as he took his first sips—it was perfect as always, almost velvety.
Loki watched a few people enter the coffee shop and noted that none were leaving. Today was a particularly busy day and soon there would be nowhere left for new patrons to sit and enjoy their drink. Loki smiled happily; his seat was always empty and waiting for him when he arrived. He couldn’t relate to these people’s problems.
He dropped his gaze back down to his laptop, tilting his head to the side as he examined his own work. A lot of Natasha spoke for herself and required no editing. In fact, he hadn’t touched her face or body at all, only little touch-ups to her hair and of course her background.
He fell back into his work, the noise of the coffee shop turning into a gentle hum as his surroundings fell away and left him with only his work.
It was nearly an hour later that he startled, his hands hovering above his keyboard but not moving and slowly his gaze rose above his computer screen to look at the person who had the audacity to sit across from him at his table . This was not a communal table. In fact, it was quite small and the man had to sit with his legs to the side to avoid bumping Loki’s, his coffee only a few inches from Loki’s laptop.
Loki looked him up and down, very good at reading people with just a glance. It was part of his job, after all, to notice the unnoticeable and make connections. Nice shoes, decent quality trousers, expensive-looking shirt, and—
Shit shit shit.
Loki didn’t look away no matter how surprised he was to suddenly be met with a pair of absolutely dazzling blue eyes and a cocky smirk.
Loki narrowed his eyes, huffed, and then looked away but he could still feel the other man’s gaze on him like red hot fire pokers. Apparently it was not enough that this man had invaded Loki’s space without asking, now he had to be creepy?
Loki refused to give in to whatever it was the man was trying to do, focusing again on his work. At this rate, he would be done before he left to head home and would no longer have an excuse to not join Thor and his boyfriend Bruce for whatever they would inevitably end up inviting him to do this evening.
If the cafe weren’t so crowded, he might have asked the man to sit elsewhere seeing as the table was really quite small. Sadly, it was so busy that people had now gathered round the counter to lean and talk while they enjoyed their drinks.
Loki sighed again but softer this time. Fine, he would accept this less than ideal situation but Thor and Bruce would have to listen to him rant about it once he was home.
Loki looked up when a particularly noisy group burst out laughing and he watched them for a moment before his eyes once again landed on the man in front of him who had taken out a book and was holding it in one hand and his sandwich in the other.
Loki saw beautiful people too regularly to be overly taken with anyone’s outward appearance anymore. Though he would admit that this man had the kind of face he most loved photographing. It was stunning but not in a conventionally handsome way. There was no sharp jawline or any overly masculine features even. He was not quite as androgynous-looking as Loki but there was something distinctly different about him.
His face was very angular, his cheekbones deserving to be paid for their services, and his skin was flawless save for a few age lines, which, to Loki, only added character. He had a pale complexion that, paired with his striking eyes and jet-black hair, only enhanced his very unique brand of beauty.
“Take a picture, it’ll last longer,” the man said without looking up, turning a page in his book.
Loki breathed out a laugh, reaching into his bag, and pulling out his phone. He swiped across to the camera, pointed it at the man, and before this stranger could say anything, Loki said, “Good thinking,” and snapped the photo.
He lowered his phone to examine the image, zooming in and moving it around. Yes, it was a very nice face.
In his peripheral vision, Loki saw the man’s mouth open and close twice before he settled on a statement he liked.
“Does it at least look nice?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”
The man smiled.
“The goatee—is that a choice or did you lose a bet?” Loki asked.
The man huffed. “Not a fan?”
Loki looked up then and right into those bafflingly beautiful eyes. How many blue eyes had he seen? How many more had he studied to find the right clothing to suit them? What was it about this pair of eyes that absolutely mesmerized him?
Loki shrugged and looked back down at the photo, keeping his tone indifferent. “Just feels like a shame to cover a face as nice as yours.”
This time when he looked up, he offered the man a flirtatious smirk that was just one rung above mocking. The man saw it for what it was and matched it, leaning back in his chair and resting his book on the table.
“I rather thought it accentuated my features,” he retorted.
Loki tilted his head to the side, studying the man’s face in earnest. He could see what he meant and he had nothing against facial hair, he just had his own preferences. Though… perhaps the beard did bring everything together nicely.
“I suppose,” Loki settled on, noticing the man’s hands for the first time. They were covered in red, angry scar tissue and, even rested atop his book, Loki could see the tremors that ran through them every few seconds.
“Are you always this direct?”
“No, usually more so.”
The man smiled again and this time it reached his eyes, making them almost sparkle. Loki inhaled quietly, frustrated with how attracted he was to this person.
“Strange,” he said, his lips still curled up into a sly grin.
Loki raised a challenging eyebrow. “Now who’s direct?”
“Still you,” he countered. “My name is Stephen. Stephen Strange.”
“Aptly so,” Loki retorted and the man, Stephen, grinned widely, even letting out a soft chuckle.
“And yours?”
“I didn’t ask for your name, so I don’t feel particularly obligated to give you mine.”
“I suppose I just thought it would be nice to know the name of the person with a photo of me on their phone.”
Loki narrowed his eyes. “Loki,” he conceded carefully, used to but still irritated by the flack he often got for his unusual name. “Loki Laufeyson.”
“Well, thank you for sharing your table with me, Loki, and you can keep the picture,” Stephen said with a wink to which Loki made a face. Stephen’s expression only became more playful at Loki’s reaction.
“How kind of you.”
“I try,” he said, standing and gathering his things into a bag that looked about as expensive as the rest of his ensemble. Loki wondered what he did for work.
Stephen offered him one last smile and then left without another word. A part of Loki was cursing himself and his pride for not saying something, calling after him, perhaps even allowing himself to say something as hackneyed as ‘come here often?’
But alas. Perhaps he would see him again here and they could flirt across the room or across a table again. It would be nice. Though if it didn’t happen, Loki wouldn’t fret—beautiful people were a dime a dozen and if he truly needed—
His thoughts came stuttering to a halt as he closed his laptop and his eyes fell on the piece of folded paper lying on the table behind it. He eyed it suspiciously, certain it wasn’t what he thought it could be.
He reached for it and slowly opened it to read: Unless I am mistaken, and I rarely am, here’s my number. Call me sometime - Strange
Loki looked up to make sure Stephen wasn’t still in the room or watching him from outside and then he allowed himself a smile, inputting the number into his phone and setting a reminder to text him later.
“Loki!” Thor thundered the moment he entered their shared apartment. Loki made more than enough to live on his own but a couple years ago when Thor decided to pursue music full time, he’d asked Loki if he could move in and despite Thor’s decently successful career now, neither of them had ever talked about him moving out again.
“Hey, Loki,” Bruce said from the kitchen. Bruce didn’t live there, he had his own apartment across town but he was there often enough that Loki liked to joke about splitting rent three-ways.
“Hello,” Loki said, depositing his laptop bag and coat at the door and going to investigate the heavenly smell coming from the kitchen to find one of Bruce’s signature curries.
“How was your day?” Thor asked as Loki returned to the living room to join his brother on the couch.
“Pleasant,” Loki said, “and yours?”
“Pleasant? What could have happened for this day to earn such high praise from you?”
Loki snorted softly. “I photographed Natasha Romanoff.”
“Well, no wonder. Was she—”
“And a stranger gave me his phone number.”
“—everything—what? A stranger gave you his number? Who? When? Are you going to call him?”
“Maybe.”
“Well, do you like him?”
“I’m intrigued by him.”
“Wow. When’s the wedding?”
Later that night after surviving four games of UNO with Thor and Bruce, Loki, showered and changed, climbed into bed. He sighed, glancing over at his phone on his nightstand. The man was beautiful, sure, but apart from that Loki knew nothing about him. Then again, how was he supposed to if he never texted him?
Loki: Hello
The reply came through immediately and normally Loki would have been turned off by such seemingly desperate behavior but in this case, it had the opposite effect. He wasn’t sure if he just enjoyed being so desired by this man or if this level of confidence was a turn on for him, but regardless it worked in Stephen’s favor.
Stephen: I’m glad you decided to text
Loki: Are you saying there’s a reason why I shouldn’t have?
Stephen: Perhaps but I suppose you’ll have to find out over dinner
Smooth.
Loki: Well let’s test your theory that you’re never wrong. Where would I like to go for dinner?
Stephen: Nepalese
Loki: Oh dear, better luck next time
Stephen: Firstly, there’s no luck involved. Just raw talent.
Loki grinned.
Stephen: Secondly. Not so fast. I can promise you that after you’ve had it, you’ll want to go there again
Loki: That feels like a bit of a cheat, don’t you think?
Stephen: Perhaps, but you can accept my victory now or eat your words later
Loki: I’ll eat my words
Stephen: Friday?
Loki: Friday works
Stephen: I’ll send you a time and an address
Loki: I’ll see you then
Stephen: It’s a date
+
Friday morning Loki woke up feeling differently. It wasn’t necessarily a bad kind of different but rather one Loki had long since grown used to and knew how to handle.
She sat up and stretched her arms up high above her head, yawning as she slowly woke, her toes pointing, and then she relaxed into her bed again, staring out the window at the bright morning sky.
She had spent the rest of the week eagerly anticipating this day even if she had no plans of letting Strange know that. It had been a while since she had been on a date and particularly one with someone so intriguing.
Loki did not normally care to know much about the people she photographed. At least, not beyond their career and perhaps one or two important things about themselves. She found that it made it easier to create a shoot catered to them and who they were but beyond that? No, Loki was definitely not someone interested in small talk or unnecessary details but Stephen?
Her top three questions were: What do you do for work? What’s the story behind your hands? Why did you sit at my table?
She knew the second question was likely a very loaded and sensitive topic and if she didn’t get an answer to that one by some natural flow of the conversation, she wouldn’t pursue it. She had no shortage of her own scars from her childhood that she would not want to be interrogated about. She could respect that of others.
After a few more minutes spent musing over other possible questions, she got out of bed and began to get dressed. She had a few clients today and then a brief, two hour window to herself before the date.
Stephen had texted last night with a time and place: 7:30pm, Williamsburg. Apparently he was sending an Uber to pick Loki up in an attempt to keep the restaurant location a surprise. Loki was very impressed with the effort this complete stranger was going through for a first date.
Apart from their initial messages and last night’s info dump, they had not communicated and now as Loki stared at her reflection in the mirror, she remembered why it had been such a long time since she’d dated anyone.
Her hair was up in a ponytail, a few loose strands falling around her face, framing it. She hadn’t opted for a full face but rather simply filled in her eyebrows and added a touch of mascara and dark lipstick. As she put on her usual jewelry, she continued to stare at herself, wondering how Stephen would react.
Loki was genderfluid and there was no set schedule for when she felt one way or another. Sometimes she’d go weeks identifying as a certain gender, other times it was only a few days before she felt another way. Sometimes she felt completely genderless.
It wasn’t on a whim or simply because she felt like wearing a certain outfit. Rather she let her body decide. Sometimes she woke up and felt comfortable and right in her male designated body. Other times, she hated her flat chest and curve-less figure.
This morning she woke up not feeling like her male-presenting body represented her. She felt feminine and so she added a few extra touches here and there that she normally wouldn’t when she felt more male just to balance the scales and ease her own mind.
Getting dressed she chose a pair of fitted, silky trousers and a blouse, finishing the look off with a pair of brogues. She took one last look in the mirror and then made her way to the kitchen for breakfast where she found Thor, surprisingly, already awake.
“Morning, brother,” she greeted him, heading to the coffee machine.
Thor looked up from his phone and offered Loki a warm, sleepy smile. “Morning, sister,” he said without hesitation.
Loki was not overly fussed with pronouns. She used ‘he/him’ or ‘she/her’ and didn’t mind if people chose to use ‘them/they.’ For the people she was close to, she genuinely did not care which they used because she knew they meant no harm. For others, well, she knew clothes and makeup weren’t gendered but she still liked to dress more masculine or feminine to represent how she felt and help others address her correctly.
Thor, despite being allowed to use whatever he wanted, always did his best to try and figure out which he should use and that little effort on his part never failed to make Loki smile.
“Where is your beloved this morning?”
“Sleeping still. He and Reed have been working extra hard on their project and he seems to have tuckered himself out,” Thor said fondly, looking towards the hallway that led off to his bedroom where Bruce was (hopefully) sleeping soundly. “You look especially nice today. Important occasion?”
“Why thank you,” she said, sipping her coffee and trying to decide on a breakfast food. “Remember? I have a date this evening.”
“You did not tell me that!”
“I did. I… right after I got home on Tuesday.”
“You…” Thor trailed off, his fingers coming up to his chin as he thought, a line appearing between his eyebrows. “Maybe you did. The coffee shop man?”
Loki nodded. “Yes.”
“And we’re sure he’s not a murderer.”
“No. We’re not.”
“Perhaps I should meet him first just to be sure.”
Loki rolled her eyes but smiled. “I can more than handle myself, thank you.”
“I know you can but I’m your big brother. Where is your date tonight? Bruce and I will also eat there.”
Loki scoffed. “As if.” She grabbed an apple and an orange from their fruit bowl and tossed them into her bag, deciding to eat on the way. “I have to go.”
She came over and pressed a kiss to Thor’s forehead.
“Thank you for worrying about me. It’ll be fine. Enjoy your day with Bruce and I’ll see you later. Unless things go terribly right.”
Loki stepped out of the already paid-for Uber to stand in front of a very underwhelming-looking building. As per usual in Williamsburg, the neighborhood was busy. People were out and about heading to dinner or just leaving, laughing and talking loudly. She liked this neighborhood but she wasn’t overly fond of the busy dinner time rush.
She tucked her hair, now out of its high ponytail, behind her ear and looked around for Stephen, suddenly feeling anxious again. What if he had already spotted her but was no longer interested? She had, after all, presented to him as a man when they’d first met and now here she was not just presenting female but being female.
Her genitalia was of no consequence, how she felt was what she was and perhaps Stephen wasn’t interested in her this way. It would hurt but at the same time she could understand—maybe he was gay.
“Hello there,” she heard a deep voice say and turned to see Stephen dressed just as well as he had been at the coffee shop. Again she found herself wondering what it was he did for a living as her eyes swept up and down his body.
She had spent the day photographing three clients who were all undeniably attractive in their own ways and yet none of them did what Stephen did to her. Stephen was handsome in a ‘I’d like to push you against that wall and see if you blush’ kind of way and Loki hadn’t felt that for someone in a while.
Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, she offered him a smile, still waiting for the moment when his eyes would widen and he would call her a liar or whatever else came to mind as had happened before.
But he never did.
Instead he leaned in and hesitated only long enough for Loki to understand and offer her cheek so he could press his lips to it, his beard tickling her face and oh, damn. Now she was wondering how those little prickly hairs would feel against her chest.
“You look fantastic. Shall we?” Stephen said, gesturing towards the entrance.
Loki nodded, wondering when the realization would hit, wondering when Stephen would reject her. She inhaled deeply and decided to enjoy her date until then.
The outside of the restaurant was bland, easily dismissed as possibly being an empty building. Inside was another story. The room was warm and inviting, the ceiling lined with multicolored cloth as a sort of decoration. The tables were modest wooden ones, with cushions on the floor instead of chairs.
The women at the door led them to their seats once Stephen gave his name and reservation time, and Loki realized for the first time that the place was actually packed and that the couple in front of them had been turned away. It might not have looked like much on the outside but inside was another story.
Now she was only left to wonder about the food.
After getting situated, she looked up to find Stephen already watching her, his gaze steady and as intense as it had been at the coffee shop.
“Thoughts?” he asked.
“I’m currently just wondering why Nepalese,” she said, glancing down at the menu in front of her and realizing she wasn’t familiar with the majority of the items. She wondered briefly if Stephen was counting on this to mean she would need to ask his help.
“I spent some time in Nepal and came to quite like the cuisine,” he explained.
“A gap year?” she asked unenthusiastically, hoping she had not ended up on a date with another rich man cliché.
He laughed. “No, nothing like that. I worked with Doctors Without Borders for a time.”
“So you’re a doctor.”
“A surgeon and I was, not anymore,” Stephen said, interrupted by the waiter who came to ask for their food and drink orders.
Before Loki could even glance back down at the menu, Stephen was responding in perfect—what Loki assumed was—Nepalese, not even bothering to look down at the menu. The man nodded happily and disappeared, leaving Loki confused and a bit irritated if she was being honest. She would have liked to have ordered for herself and she hoped that her shift in appearance hadn’t awakened some outdated chivalrous urge in this man.
Stephen turned back to face her. “I come here often.”
“So you know what you like,” she stated flatly.
“Yes, and aren’t I supposed to know what you’d like as well? Wasn’t that our little wager?”
Loki snorted a laugh, having forgotten about that. “That is true.” She relaxed and switched topics. “And I suppose you picked up the language while volunteering there?”
“You suppose correct,” he told her, going back to where he left off. “I was a surgeon and then.” He didn’t finish his sentence, he simply lifted his hands as a means of explaining himself.
“And now? You just hop from coffee shop to coffee shop bothering people?”
He laughed. “I’m a professor at Columbia where I studied and I occasionally consult on surgeries. I was quite good at what I did. But enough about me, tell me: do you always take pictures of strangers?”
Loki smirked. “Actually, yes.”
“Well I guess everyone needs a hobby. Though I was kind of hoping for something slightly less stalker-ish.”
Loki smiled this time, a soft laugh leaving her lips. “I’m a photographer.”
Stephen quirked a disbelieving eyebrow. “Professionally? I’ve never heard of you.”
Loki matched his expression. “Nor I of you.”
“Touché. Have I seen any of your work?”
“Well, I don’t know where all your eyes have looked but if you’ve ever strolled down Madison Avenue you have. Or picked up a copy of the last three editions of GQ or Vogue.”
“So quite accomplished then.”
“I told you the photo of you I took looked nice. I wasn’t only complimenting your appearance.”
“But you were complimenting my appearance?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t thought you were quite handsome.”
“You think physical appeal and attraction is important?”
“Yes, everyone does and those that say it isn’t are either lying to themselves or naive,” Loki said, so used to speaking without filtering her words. It occurred to her then that perhaps she ought to tone it down a bit but then again, her harsh and abrasive self had attracted this man in the first place. And it wasn’t like she thought this was going to turn into anything permanent.
“Agreed,” Stephen said without missing a beat and something about that just felt so right to Loki.
“Really? You’re not just agreeing due to any—” She waved her hand vaguely “—ulterior motives?”
Their drinks arrived and within the same moment, their appetizers were on the table. Stephen explained what everything was and Loki, never having been picky, put a little of everything on her plate.
He chuckled, seeming very amused by that.
“No. Believe me, I don’t agree with anyone for any reason other than them being right. The whole notion of ‘love at first sight’ is predicated on physical attraction. How could you judge a person’s personality without getting to know them and how do you do that without approaching them and why would you approach them if they weren’t appealing to you?”
Loki smiled. Stephen was refreshingly straightforward. She couldn’t remember the last time she had met someone so willing to speak their mind—and what they had to say was not utterly offensive—and, at the same time, not put off by Loki doing the same thing.
“I mean, look at you. You’re absolutely breathtaking.”
“I know,” Loki replied, instead of the expected ‘thank you’ but it didn’t deter Stephen. His lopsided smile only widened.
“And because of that, I did choose your table over the other two that also had one chair free.”
“Oh? So ruining my peaceful afternoon was intentional?”
“How you manage to find peace in a place as loud as that is beyond me.”
“A chainsaw symphony would be quieter than my home.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Your home is also loud?” Loki asked, focused on tearing a piece of bread to dip into her sauce and having misinterpreted Stephen’s statement.
“No, quite the opposite. Almost too quiet. I mean tell me about your home. What makes it loud?”
Loki looked up slowly at Stephen who was watching her intently again and she wanted to say something witty or snarky or both but nothing immediately came to mind.
She narrowed her eyes at him, looking for something, anything, in his expression or posture that would help her understand this odd human.
“What?”
“Are you truly interested?”
“Yes.”
Loki’s suspicious expression shifted to cautious. “Why?”
“Is this your first time on a date? Do you not know how this works?”
Loki chewed the inside of her cheek before smiling and then going on to explain the situation of living with Thor and his composing. Stephen nodded and asked a question here and there. Soon enough Loki was asking some questions of her own about Stephen and the conversation flowed easily as they enjoyed their meal.
Talking to him was easy because there was no need for sugarcoating. Actually, it was discouraged in this situation and it lifted a weight off of Loki’s shoulder that she hadn’t realized was there. At the back of her mind she knew that there was still her worry about his reaction to her gender identity but it was quiet now, so she took advantage of this period of peace.
Stephen was funny. Not in a laugh out loud kind of way but his quick wit partnered with his sarcastic humor was enough to have Loki chuckling to herself throughout their meal. It was also nice talking to a reasonably well-travelled and intelligent man. Loki may have been a photographer now but her parents had always wanted the best for their children. She and Thor had both graduated top of their class at well-respected schools and spent time abroad.
Stephen talked about himself, mentioning his two younger siblings, both having passed early in life due to accidents and those accidents prompted Stephen to pursue medicine. He very briefly mentioned his own car accident that had mangled his hands but brushed over what Loki was sure had to have been a downward spiral before he decided to teach and consult. He had been one of the top surgeons in the country before he turned thirty, that change could not have been easy.
All in all, Loki enjoyed Stephen’s company and found herself relaxing more and more as the night went on, genuinely hoping the night would not end at dinner.
“So,” Stephen began as the waitress cleared the dessert plates, “ready to eat your words?”
“No,” Loki said, a hand on her stomach, “I don’t have room for anything else in here.”
Stephen laughed, his eyes turning into little half moons and that dazzling blue color seemed to also have a hint of green in it in this lighting. Loki wondered if Stephen would just continue to increase in attractiveness the more they got to know one another.
“Fair enough,” Stephen told her, still smiling. “Can I ask you something?”
Loki felt her stomach lurch but not in any kind of positive way. This was it, wasn’t it? This was the moment when Stephen would ask why he had met a man and was on a date with a woman. This was the moment when he asked if Loki could possibly choose to be one or the other, whichever appealed most to him. This was the point where Loki’s dates normally ended and so she braced herself for whatever was coming next, however he would put it because she could only imagine it would be as direct as the rest of his statements.
“Sure,” she said slowly, her tone coming out overly casual and she wondered if he could tell that she was panicking.
“Which pronouns do you prefer?”
Suddenly Loki felt embarrassed, realizing that she, the genderfluid one here, had not even thought to ask Stephen that and she wasn’t sure why. But no one was perfect.
She chewed the inside of her cheek, trying to figure out how best to word it. “At the moment, I’d prefer she/her, but it tends to vary.”
Stephen nodded as if he’d already known that. “Alright. And when I met you?”
“He/him.”
“Ever they/them?”
“Sometimes. I’m generally not fussed about which pronouns someone uses to address me but for the most part, I try to let my appearance speak for me, though I know some view that as regressive.”
“You’re genderfluid?”
Loki nodded. “Sometimes my feeling of who I am can shift in a single day. Sometimes I identify more with a certain gender for weeks. Sometimes no gender at all. Because it’s so inconsistent, I simply accept all pronouns.”
“But there’s nothing you’re most comfortable with? I’d rather not have you be uncomfortable for the sake of convenience.”
Loki shook her head, somewhat dazed by Stephen’s easy acceptance and the way he was asking all the right questions. Perhaps Loki’s dating history was more grim than she realized but her expectations were basically on the floor and now Stephen was showing her better people were out there.
“And yourself?”
“He/him,” Stephen answered.
“So you’re… you’re fine… with this? With me?” Loki asked, wanting to curse herself for sounding so incredibly shocked but she couldn’t help it. Between past attempts at dating and the reaction of some people she’d formerly considered friends, no matter how much good Thor did to restore her faith in humanity, it was still severely lacking.
“Very much so,” Stephen told her, asking for the check.
Loki was conflicted—torn between being happy about how this was going and annoyed at possible heteronormative actions. Not that she didn’t love a free meal.
When the bill was placed in front of Stephen, he spoke, taking out his wallet, “I’m not paying because you’re a woman and I’m a man. I’m paying because I asked you on this date and it’s what I want to do.”
Loki’s eyebrows raised and Stephen looked up, his crooked smile so incredibly attractive that Loki wanted to lean across the table and kiss him right then and there.
She leaned forward but not to kiss him. Instead she asked, “Putting your ‘raw talent’ to the test again, what am I thinking now?”
Stephen handed over the bill and his credit card and then turned his attention to Loki, leaning on the table as well so that if either of them were to push forward just a bit more, their noses might touch, then their lips.
But neither of them did.
He narrowed his eyes, one hand coming up to stroke his facial hair in thought. “Hm, well this one’s a no brainer. You’d obviously love to go out with me again.”
Loki laughed. “Wrong. I’d like to kiss you.”
Stephen shrugged. “That’s basically the same thing.”
Loki rolled her eyes and then closed the gap between them. The kiss was brief and chaste seeing as they were in the middle of a crowded restaurant, but, Loki thought as she pulled away, it was a very nice kiss.
“Up for a stroll?” Stephen asked, his expression much softer than Loki had seen it before, his smile warm.
“I think you already know the answer.”