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They’d been at the bar for all of ten minutes before someone had approached Sylvie to dance; a girl called Hunter, with braids reaching down to her waist. She’d smiled shyly, had chatted to Sylvie for a few minutes before they’d headed to the dancefloor. They were still there now, half an hour later, dancing and making out amidst the crush of the crowd. Loki watched them idly before turning towards the bartender and signalling for another beer. The bartender nodded at him, sliding a fresh bottle across the counter a few moments later.
Loki took a sip from the mouth of the bottle, leaning his elbow on the counter and resting his chin on his palm. He toyed with the idea of just going home; Sylvie would no doubt go home with Hunter, so he really had no reason to stay. He’d leave once he finished this drink and paid his tab.
Or so he thought.
“Loki? No way, Loki, is that you?”
Loki gritted his teeth at the all-too-familiar voice. He pasted a smile on his face, turning around to find his ex – En Dwi – hovering over his shoulder.
“Hi.”
“Hey!” En Dwi’s smile was huge, and he slipped an arm around Loki’s shoulders. “God, it’s been ages! How are things?”
Loki tensed – this had been the reason they’d broken up. They hadn’t even been together for that long, but En Dwi had always been forward, asking for things that Loki wasn’t ready to give him. Things of a sexual nature, mostly. En Dwi had always complained that his needs weren’t being met, and wouldn’t Loki just put out for him already? His advances had been creepy, and invasive, not to mention non-consensual. Loki had finally broken things off, and not a minute too soon.
“Things are fine,” Loki said, leaning away from En Dwi. He really didn’t want to be in this situation; didn’t want En Dwi hanging all over him, hands flitting over his shoulders. The contact made his skin crawl. “Can you not touch me, please?” Loki asked, trying – and failing – to shrug En Dwi off.
“Oh come on, Loki,” En Dwi scoffed, pressing closer to Loki and the barstool he was sitting on. “Don’t be like that. It’s been so long!”
“Yeah, for good fucking reason.” Loki muttered, hunching down as En Dwi called the bartender for two whiskeys. The bartender – a long-haired dude with rippling muscles and a frankly sick metal arm – obliged, shooting Loki a grimace as he did so.
“Come on,” En Dwi prompted, nudging one of the glasses towards Loki. “Drink with me, come on! Then maybe we can dance?”
“Fuck no,” Loki shook his head, pushing the glass back towards En Dwi. He ducked his head, trying to get out from underneath En Dwi’s arm. “I was just leaving.”
“Loki, baby,” En Dwi purred, setting his glass down and reaching for Loki’s chin instead. “Come home with me.”
Loki’s lip curled, and he went to shove En Dwi’s hand away from his face. He was saved from having to do so, however, by a body muscling in between him and En Dwi, causing the offending limbs to slither away uselessly.
“Hey babe,” Came an unfamiliar voice, from a very unfamiliar yet very welcome man. “Sorry I took so long, there were roadworks.”
The man was older than Loki, although probably ages with En Dwi. His hair shone silver beneath the lights overhead, falling in artful waves around his face. He was dressed in a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, with a pair of dark brown slacks and ankle boots. He was decently attractive, and also a fucking godsend.
En Dwi was looking between them suspiciously, folding his arms over his chest.
“Who are you?” He asked the mystery man, raising his chin and looking down his nose at the newcomer. The man accepted the challenge, holding a hand out for En Dwi to shake.
“Mobius M. Mobius,” He – Mobius? – said, perfunctorily shaking En Dwi’s hand with a firm, warning grip. “Loki’s boyfriend.”
En Dwi barked a laugh, throwing his head back. “You? You’re his boyfriend?” He shook his head, grabbing the second glass of whiskey and drinking it in one gulp. Loki blinked up at Mobius as En Dwi drank, and Mobius grimaced at him.
His gaze was apologetic yet pleading, as if asking Loki to play along. So Loki did, figuring that doing so would get him away from En Dwi quicker, and relatively unscathed. He slipped an arm around Mobius’s waist, tugging him in close.
“You sound surprised.” Loki said blandly, and En Dwi nodded as he set his empty glass down on the bar.
“I am,” He said, looking between Loki and Mobius calculatedly. He was quiet for a few moments, tapping his forefinger against his bottom lip, which was emblazoned with a stripe of blue lipstick. “So how do things work, with the two of you? Does he put out for you?” En Dwi leered, lidded gaze flickering over Loki’s body. Mobius stiffened, laying a protective hand on the small of Loki’s back.
“Don’t talk about him like that,” Mobius said, voice flinty. “It’s none of your business.”
“It was, once,” En Dwi commented idly, leaning against the bar and signalling for another drink. He turned back to the pair, the corner of his mouth curling up into a smirk. “Could still be, you know. If you ever want a third...”
En Dwi went to lay a hand high on Loki’s thigh, but Mobius reached out and gripped his wrist before it could land.
“You don’t want to do that,” Mobius said, shaking his head slightly. “You don’t get to touch people without their permission.”
“Dude’s been touchin’ him without his permission for fuckin’ ages,” The bartender drawled, arms folded over his chest. He turned to En Dwi, one eyebrow raised. “Pay your bill then fuck off, buddy.”
En Dwi looked aghast, looking over at Loki as if expecting him to intervene. Loki just shrugged, letting himself lean against Mobius. Mobius – clearly sinking into his role – pressed a kiss to the top of Loki’s head, rubbing his palm up and down his spine.
“Hey,” The bartender barked. “Don’t look at them. Look at me. Give me the money for your drinks, then get the fuck outta here.”
En Dwi’s lip curled, but he pulled out his wallet and threw a handful of bills onto the counter. The bartender collected them with a smug smirk, heading down the bar towards the register.
“My change?” En Dwi called after him, but the bartender just flipped him off in response. En Dwi sighed, turning to Loki and Mobius again. “I hope you’re happy.” He said, before spinning on his heel and sweeping across the club.
“Is he wearing a cape?” Mobius asked, and Loki snorted.
“Don’t ask,” He rolled his eyes, pulling away slightly to meet Mobius’s gaze. “Thank you for that, by the way. You didn’t have to.”
Mobius waved him off, stepping away and taking a seat across from Loki instead. “It’s okay. Sorry for getting all up in your space, but I figured we had to sell it a bit.”
“Listen,” Loki chuckled. “It’s absolutely fine. I, uh,” He eyed Mobius, a little suggestively. “I didn’t mind.”
Mobius looked at him for a long moment, before getting up off his stool and walking away. Loki frowned, watching him as he paced a few feet away before turning on his heel and walking straight back to Loki.
“Hi there,” He said, holding a hand out towards Loki. “I’m Mobius. Can I buy you a drink?”
Loki looked down at his hand, before breaking into a smile. He shook Mobius’s hand, gesturing towards the stool across from him. “I’m Loki. And yes, you can.”
After a few drinks, Mobius disappeared to the bathroom, touching his fingertips to Loki’s shoulder as he went. Loki ducked his head to check his phone, finding a few messages from Sylvie.
Sylvie:
yo loki wtf en dwi is here??? he just stormed past me and hunter looking angry as fuuuuuuuck
did u do that???? lmfao
is he still wearing that stupid cape hahahaha
omg omg loki who the fuck is that silver fox you’re with????????? he’s hot!!! and so into you omg get itttttt
speaking of getting it, i’m going home with hunter
be safe love you xxxxxxx
Loki chuckled, typing back:
Loki:
hahahahaha yeah that might’ve been me
meet me for lunch tomorrow and I’ll tell you the story
be safe and have fun!!!!!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxx
He tucked his phone away, noticing that the bartender was standing on the other side of the counter. He smiled, noticing a nametag clipped to the man’s apron that read: Bucky.
“Hey,” Loki said. “Thanks for your help, y’know, earlier. With my ex.”
Bucky waved him off. “No problem. Any excuse to flex a little,” He grinned. “This guy’s a way better choice, by the way. Was watching y’all for ages before he intervened. I think he’s fuckin’ smitten. Reminds me of when I first met my boyfriend.” Bucky said, nodding towards Mobius’s empty chair. Loki felt himself flush slightly, and he rolled his eyes in deference.
“Whatever you say.” He said, and Bucky snorted.
“Believe it!” He called over his shoulder as he headed down to the other end of the bar, where a group of women were waiting to order.
Loki smiled to himself while he waited for Mobius to return, which he did after a few minutes. He was smiling, and Loki felt himself smiling back.
“So,” Mobius said, rubbing his hands together. “I was thinking about heading out soon. Do you…would you like to…” He trailed off, looking down at the floor with a nervous chuckle. Loki reached forward, gently laying a hand over Mobius’s own.
“Listen,” He said softly. “I like you, and I really appreciate what you did for me tonight. But I don’t want to rush into anything. Maybe you could walk me home, and we could exchange numbers? See each other again sometime?”
Mobius nodded eagerly. “God, yes. Please. That sounds good to me. As long as,” He swallowed, turning one of his hands over and lacing his fingers between Loki’s. “As long as you want to. I wouldn’t want to pressure you into doing anything-”
“You’re not pressuring me,” Loki interrupted, shaking his head. “I want this, too. Believe me.”
Mobius nodded again, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. He slid his wallet out of his pocket with his free hand, turning and signalling to Bucky that he would pay for their drinks. Bucky came over after a few moments, receipt in hand, and slid it across the bar towards Mobius. Mobius paid promptly, before standing off his stool.
“Do you have a coat or anything?” He asked, and Loki nodded. He pulled his cloakroom ticket from his pocket, and Mobius took it.
“I’ll get it. Meet me outside?”
“Sure,” Loki said with a smile, and Mobius’s answering grin was bright as he slipped away through the crowd. Bucky was still standing on the other side of the bar, watching Loki with a smirk. “Shut up.” Loki muttered at him, rolling his eyes. Bucky just winked, before busying himself with clearing the bar of their empty glasses.
Loki collected himself, heading to the bathroom quickly before joining Mobius outside. The man smiled, holding up Loki’s leather coat and helping him slip it on.
“Where’s your place?” Mobius asked, and Loki nodded down the block.
“Just a few streets over.”
Mobius nodded, falling into step beside Loki as they walked. The backs of their hands brushed slightly, and Loki took the initiative to twine their fingers together. Mobius looked down at their joined hands with a soft smile, squeezing Loki’s fingers lightly. They walked in amicable silence, occasionally sharing anecdotes about the shops they passed, illuminated by the overhead streetlights.
Before too long, they had reached Loki’s apartment. He stopped, tugging lightly on Mobius’s hand until they were face to face.
“This is me,” He said softly, gesturing up towards the apartment block that stretched high into the air beside them. “Thank you for tonight. I thought it was going to be shit, but it ended up being pretty good.”
“Just pretty good?” Mobius quipped, and Loki rolled his eyes.
“Alright, it was great,” He said, reaching for his phone and tugging it out of his pocket. He thrust it towards Mobius, who took it with both hands. “Number, please.”
Mobius smiled as he inputted his number and sent himself a message. His own phone buzzed in his pocket as he handed Loki’s back.
“You better use it,” Mobius said, stepping close and reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Loki’s ear. He trailed his knuckles down Loki’s cheek, stretching his fingers out to cup his jaw and letting his thumb rest on Loki’s bottom lip. “Can I kiss you?”
Loki nodded, and Mobius needed no further encouragement. He leaned in, kissing Loki gently; it was simple and chaste, just a press of lips, but it was still the best kiss of Loki’s life. It felt right.
He curled his fingers around the lapels of Mobius’s jacket, holding him close for a few long, drawn out seconds. He was loathe to pull away but did so after a short while and tipped his forehead against Mobius’s.
“Thanks for saving me from my ex.” He grinned, and Mobius chuckled.
“Thanks for playing along,” Mobius replied, his voice soft and breathy. He stepped away reluctantly, dragging his index finger beneath Loki’s chin before letting his hand drop. “I’d better go. Goodnight, Loki.”
“Goodnight, Mobius,” Loki smiled, relinquishing his grip on Mobius’s jacket and smoothing it out where his fingers had bunched the fabric. “Let me know when you get home?”
“I will,” Mobius nodded. “I’m not too far, it won’t take long.”
He backed away slowly, his eyes never once leaving Loki. Once he reached the corner he blew Loki an exaggerated kiss, which Loki caught with a laugh and pressed his fist against his heart. Mobius’s grin was bright, hair shining beneath the streetlights, before he turned on his heel and disappeared from view.
Loki headed inside, getting ready for bed and smiling when a message from Mobius lit up his phone screen.
Mobius:
I'm home. Thanks again for an amazing night. I’m glad I met you.
Loki sent back a string of emojis before setting his phone on his nightstand. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, dreaming of long silver hair and a now-familiar, beatific grin.