Work Text:
It's been a rough few weeks for Loki. Rough life would be a more adequate summary but it depends on who you’re talking to. Either way he’s found himself sleeping on Sylvie’s couch the last few weeks and currently hungover after a night of excessive drinking with Sylvie… who seemed absolutely fine and hurriedly opening and closing the kitchen drawers 5ft away from the couch.
“Loki- come on help me look”
“mGnm Sylv it’s like 8am”
“Yes and some people need to work. People being me,”
“How aren’t you hungover, you drank more than me.”
“I’m not a lightweight” she had moved past the kitchen island towards the couch, searching for her key card in the crevices shoving Loki’s limp body around roughly.
“Stop it-”
“Move!”
“Check yesterday's jacket I don’t know.” He felt a pillow being thrown at his head followed by some descending stomps towards away from the couch followed by a small grumble and the door being slammed shut. They quickly fell back to sleep, their face buried in the cushion Sylvie had thrown at him.
Ping.
SYLVIE
Go outside today. We need milk and I don’t want you eating my cereal anymore 10:25
It’s just cereal 10:40
Correction. My cereal. You’re pushing my hospitality by taking up my couch 10:51
Fuck you. Fine 10:57
They checked themselves, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ears before quickly grabbing a pair of Sylvies sunglasses before heading out. Maybe if he was going out with the expectation of meeting someone he would’ve dressed up more than the already wrinkled shirt and slacks he woke up in.
It wasn’t a long walk to the store, maybe 15 minutes or so. Loki wasn’t really counting; he was still pretty out of it and in desperate need of a coffee and something to eat. They eyed the cereals for a short amount of time, a shit cup of coffee he got from the machine in the back.
“That’ll be $6.70”
They patted their pockets briefly before looking up, “I- uh don’t have my wallet.”
“...Okay?”
“Can I just take the coffee and I’ll be back and pay for it and get the milk and cereal.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve got to pay.”
“Come on dude I’m here like every week for this shit coffee, I live around the corner and I’ll be right back.”
“You can go, get your money, come back and have the coffee”
“It’ll be cold. Do you really want to waste a cup of coffee?”
“If you can’t pay, just leave.”
“What if I just take the coffee, what will you do then?”
“I’ll just call the police, you’re on the cameras”
“Come on man it’s just a coffee, I need this,” the man stare at them, beginning to dial 911 on his phone, “...You know what, fuck you. Fuck you and your family. You’re brother? Creepy as shit, your aunt is weird and looks like a raisin fucking a-’
A new voice interrupted them, “Uh- I can just pay for his… stuff”
Life is dull. And Mobius was pretty bored with it all. Ravonna had already given him a small talk on trying to get back out there after mentioning this plans for the break; primarily consisted of being alone, since Ravonna was going out of town, he genuinely had nothing else to do with his time other than grade papers and waste their day sat in front of the TV watching property brothers or something. Though he had brought up the possibility of maybe buying some new plants, Ravonna would always say that it was because he enjoyed having something to care after- though Mobius would never admit it.
The possible outing to buy plants was the last straw for Ravonna before she began to recommend Mobius some dating app he very quickly forgot about, or at least for him to go out and drink rather than sit alone on his couch. Usually he wouldn’t think too much about Ravonnas rants about his impending loneliness, but it was tuesday and when he usually had to go to campus, but now… fuck this wasn’t good.
R-SLAYER
How was the flight? 10:55
Could’ve been worse. 10:59
No crying babies then? 10:59
Nope.
There was some old guy next to me reading my book super close to me though.
Yikes, had that once but I was the old guy.
Come on, you’re not that old.
I’ve got an old soul, that's why I began greying in my 30’s.
Yes and you decided to dye it all grey to match like some weirdo. 11:05
I think it adds charm.
Are you going out today? 11:07
Doubt it. I’m trying to get all my marking done asap. 11:09
And that’s why you’re messaging me?
… Actually, I remembered I have no pretzels. So hope you get settled in alright. Enjoy your time with your secret girlfriend. 11:10
Enjoy your pretzels.
Oh, I will. 11:11
Mobius did live closer to some stores but he always preferred this one place since they sold specific pretzels that Mobius didn’t mind the extra five minute walk. Not like he really had anything else to do that day. He had made a note to mark that one student's extra credit works, something he was quite dreading since he knew it would take a depressing amount of time and Mobius was pushing the time before he would get an email from them asking if he’d marked the work yet.
The store was empty, well except some presumably hungover guy staring rather intensely at the cereals before picking up granola, Mobius chuckled to himself slightly as the person stumbled seemingly over nothing.
“I- uh don’t have my wallet.”
God, poor guy Mobius thought, stalking over to the pretzels slightly further back, the conversation drowning out slightly. Before the cashier's response saying he’d just call the cops made Mobius feel the need to intervene.
“You know what, fuck you. Fuck you and your family. You’re brother? Creepy as shit and your aunt is weird and looks like a raisin fucking a-”
Mobius spoke up softly interrupting Loki even though he was still pretty curious as to what the rest of the simile was going to be, “Uh- I can just pay for his… stuff”
The cashier looked confused before sighing, “Yeah, whatever.” He moved forward to closer to the till placing a soda can and a bag of pretzels haphazardly then pulling out his wallet. Throughout Loki frowned at this stranger and his random act of kindness, noting his dull brown attire and his greyed hair.
“Anything else?” Mobius turned around to Loki as if he was trying to relay the question to them.
“Pack of cigarettes,” Mobius had this amused expression that they found rather disconcerting, “Marlboro.”
“What they said.”
Loki stood outside, pulling out his lighter, going to light a cigarette before noticing Mobius leaving the store holding a blue plastic bag, presumably for Loki’s cereal and milk that were awkwardly balancing on a postbox.
“I’m not crazy- that guy’s an arsehole”
Mobius stared for a moment with an amused look on his face, “sure. Oh and I assumed you could do with a bag.”
“...Thanks, I have money, I can pay you back.”
“It’s fine, it’s on me”
“I like two blocks from here. If you just follow me I can run inside and grab you your money.”
“No- it’s fine honestly. Just uh- have a good day whatnot.”
“Don’t be a fucking hero”
“I wouldn’t dare,” he briefly checked his phone after the quiet ping of an email notification with the subject line Extra-credit essay, Mobius groaned slightly.
“Wife?”
Mobius laughed before realising they were somewhat serious, “Oh- no, just a student. I’m Mobius by the way” he held out a hand that Loki shook briefly.
“Loki.” Mobius mouthed. They stood in silence as Loki smoked, Mobius still not quite sure why he was still there, they put it out, finishing the coffee, “Come back to mine I’ll grab my wallet and pay you.”
“You live nearby?”
“Yeah, like fifteen minutes away, let's go.”
Mobius smiled to himself, “let’s.”
They walked in silence for a while, not that Mobius minded too much. He wasn’t really planning on a conversation that day- though now and again he would glance across at the taller man. God he definitely had to get out more if he was already somewhat swooning for a guy he’d just met. Well maybe swooning was an exaggeration but he couldn’t help letting his glances linger slightly too long.
Mobius moved to the side lingering behind Loki to let this woman with a stroller pass talking on her phone, “I haven’t been sleeping- I just can’t seem to get Tommy to nap-”
He cleared his throat slightly before speaking, “I don’t know if you heard but apparently Tommy hasn’t been napping.”
Loki chuckled, “I did hear that- it’s like ‘fucking Tommy, give your mum a break’”
“Kids these days.” they walked in silence for a while longer before Mobius again broke it, “So what’s up with the sunglasses? Are you just hungover on a Tuesday or is it just a fashion statement?”
“Just hungover. Me and my sister went out last night and I drank the same amount as her but she’s seemingly fine.”
“Maybe you’re just a lightweight.”
Loki looked over Mobius through his sunglasses, conveniently hiding their eyes that checked out the other man. “Have a drink with me and you’ll find out it’s quite the opposite.”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe what?”
“Just maybe.”
“So you’re a teacher?”
“Professor.”
“That’s why you’re so annoying, makes sense.”
“Charming.”
They walked a while longer, entertaining short bursts of conversations before arriving at Loki’s apartment, inviting Mobius to stand awkwardly in the apartment’s hallway by the door- looking around awkwardly at the interior design that seemed to be intent on being nothing other than dark, kind of made sense that Loki lives here.
After a few rather concerning sounds of shit being thrown around a room Loki emerged, “So it seems that I have lost my wallet, but I know where it is- so we can just go there quickly I’ll pick it up and I can give you a lift back to your place?”
Mobius was tempted to insist that it was fine and he didn’t need to be paid back, it’s not like he was skint. There was just something so intriguing about Loki that just made Mobius want to find out more, “Uh- yeah sure.”
As Loki moved to unlock his car Mobius let out a short whistle of appreciation, “Nice car- don’t see many people with vintage cars who also have roommates.”
“What are you implying?”
“Nothing- just a nice car. Yours?”
“You sure you aren’t an undercover cop?”
“Just a simple professor with curious habits.”
Loki gave him a look before opening the car door and taking a seat, muttering under his breath, “you’re simple, alright.” Mobius smiling again to himself hearing the insult from the man who was still practically a stranger, it was always a strange thing for Mobius where he was just one of the worst people to insult since he’d find the experience incredibly amusing. Which was definitely going to annoy Loki some fair amount, but still there was something oddly- and frustratingly- magnetic about him.