Chapter Text
"I need your help."
Loki stared at the man in the doorway for a good five seconds, lips a thin red line and perfectly groomed black brows arched in curiosity. The man, a neighbor a door or two down the hall, was very tall and handsome, Loki thought, taking the time to look him over, lips turning up in a soft grin.
"Good evening to you, too, 9B."
The man's lashes fluttered as they quickly changed from widened panic to a more relaxed gaze. Norns, his eyes were an impossible blue.
"I can't promise to help, but try me," Loki drawled, taking a casual stance, arms crossing over the chest, body leaning against the door jamb.
"Okay. I know how this will sound, and I swear I'll make it up to you — somehow — but…well…okay. Here goes…" Loki cocked a brow, amused. "I need you to be my boyfriend for one night."
Surprised, and maybe even surprising the neighbor, Loki laughed, a tickled near-giggle, and straightened. "You need me to do what?"
Bucky Barnes pressed his hands, large and nimble-fingered, together as if in prayer. "Come on, you heard me! I have to go to my parents' place for Christmas dinner, they've been on my back about bringing home whoever it is that's been keeping me from visiting this year, and I need your help."
Loki listened, still grinning, and nodded, re-crossing toned arms encased in a form-fitting navy blue sweater. "I see. Am I mistaken, or don't you have a boyfriend?"
"Wha — no. I don't."
Loki aimed a finger down the hall toward Bucky's door. "The man you live with — the tall one, blond, broad shoulders, tiny waist? Wears shirts that are far too tight."
"You mean — no—" Bucky laughed and finally smiled, revealing perfect white teeth, and pinched the bridge of his nose briefly before pushing his hand through his messy brown strands that just brushed the middle of his ears. "Yeah, no, that's Steve. Not my boyfriend; he's my best friend. Normally, I'd take him to distract my Ma, but he went to England for winter break with his girlfriend, so…."
Loki cocked a brow. "Do you mean to tell me that man is straight ? Hmm," Loki hummed, casually leaning against the door jamb again. "Well, that's disappointing."
"Actually, no, he's — wait. Don't change the subject, Loki."
Loki laughed, sounding almost surprised that Bucky remembered the name of a neighbor he'd hardly exchanged a few words with except to return misplaced mail a few times, perhaps, in the entire time they lived in the same building. "All right, fine. I'll bite. Why haven't you visited your parents this year, James?"
"Because I didn't — Jesus, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Bucky?"
"Several. I told you, I refuse."
"Why?"
"Because that is a ridiculous name for a grown man. Now, you. Why?"
Bucky groaned, his whole body tensing with it, his lips curling as he all but growled. "C'mon, Loki."
Loki, feeling generous, threw up a hand, then a finger, nearly shaking it at Bucky. "Now, the way I see it, if I agree to do this, I need to know what I'm getting myself into."
Bucky let out a sharp breath through his nose as Loki gave him a smug look. Loki recognized the look on someone's face when they couldn't decide whether to dole out a hug or a slap. Thor had been giving that look nearly all of Loki's life. "I haven't gone home because they hated the last guy I took home with me, and we fought about it. They kept telling me what bad news he was, and if I go home now, alone , they're going to ask me why. And I will have to tell them that they were right, and, honestly, I'd rather shove bamboo sticks in my eyeballs than admit that to my parents , so I figured maybe if I brought somebody else as my new boyfriend, they wouldn't bring up the old one," he finished then took a breath. "Is that good enough for you?"
Loki's lips pursed, pretending to deliberate. "Perhaps. But, so that you know, mothers will always find a way to talk to you no matter how hard you try to avoid it. But, aside from that, what's in this for me?"
Bucky's brows drew together, and he jerked a shoulder. "Uhh, I dunno, bonus points with Santa?"
Loki scoffed and added a head tilt. "Do I look like a seven-year-old?"
"Well…" Bucky threw his hands up in frustration. "What do you want, Loki? I have no money, and I'm very limited in the skills area."
Loki shifted to stand straight again, giving a shake of the head. "Well, first off, that's absolute bollocks. Don't drag yourself down just because you're desperate." Bucky made a face, and Loki grinned, slyly giving an eye roll. "These aren't exactly thick walls, James. I can hear your piano playing all the time."
Bucky lowered his eyes, blushing lightly, as he all but shuffled his feet. "Oh. Thanks."
"Second, I will do this for you on two conditions."
Bucky's head snapped up. "You will? Okay. Shoot."
"Well, I'm assuming I, at least, get some sort of home-cooked meal out of this?"
Bucky nodded, "Yeah, sure. Pot roast, mashed potatoes, the works."
"Oh, wonderful," Loki straightened again. "So, only the one condition: I will go to your parents' home on Christmas Day," an arm snaked out to tap a finger lightly to Bucky's chest as the words your parents were spoken, "and pretend to be your significant other, if… you go with me on Christmas Eve and pretend to be mine."
Bucky didn't say anything or move for a brief moment. Then he blinked and raised a skeptical brow. "Why?" Loki lifted slim black brows. "Why do you need a pretend boyfriend? I thought you were attached at the hip to that big blond bear that comes hanging around here."
Loki's face went blank at the thought of who Bucky spoke of, then quickly grimaced in disgust. "The blond — ugh, no! That's my brother!"
Bucky's brows shot up even higher over widened blue eyes; his dark pink lips formed a wide 'O.' "Oh, shit. I'm sorry. That's your brother?" Bucky laughed shortly, then laughed again. "You do not look related."
Loki scoffed and replied, "Yes, I know. He takes after Mother and I—" A sound of frustration. "Do we have a deal or not?"
"Why do you need me ?" Bucky stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets, lifting his shoulders when Loki cocked a brow at him. "I mean, I'll do it, no problem. I'm just curious."
Loki sighed softly, slipping long-fingered hands into the back pockets of some very tight jeans. "My parents are out of town this year, so my brother is taking up hosting duties at his house that he shares with his girlfriend. And since it's just us this year, he has invited his friends. Some we grew up with, others are newer."
"So…what? You don't like someone?"
Loki chuckled. "No, I…well, it's not quite the opposite, but…."
"Ohh…oh! An ex?"
"Erm…yes and no."
Bucky cocked a brow and crossed his arms. Arms that, Loki noticed, stretched the material of his long-sleeved shirt to its absolute limits. Norns . "Look, if I'm gonna do this, I need to know what I'm getting myself into."
Loki's lips spread in a wide grin, a muttered, "Touché," slipping out with a small laugh. "He and I never dated formally, nor were we in what you would call a committed relationship. But there were years of…moments. Incidents. And the occasional long weekend."
"Gotcha," Bucky said with a firm nod. "So, what's the deal? What are we going for here? You're trying to make him jealous, win him back, or…?"
Loki's eyes lowered in a rare show of insecurity, contemplating an answer as the jaw muscles anxiously worked. Taking a deep breath before looking at Bucky again, Loki returned to the person Bucky was more familiar with, the one who had an air of self-confidence that some people envied. "I want to show him I can move on, too."
Bucky gazed at Loki for a long moment, grinned slowly, and nodded. "Got it."
"Good. It's not a formal dinner, and my brother's friends will likely be around all day. Do you have a car?"
"In New York? No."
Loki grinned. "Public transit then. But we'll have to leave early. The earlier we get there, the sooner we can leave."
Bucky shrugged. "Oh, okay, cool." Loki stepped back, raising a hand to the door, ready to close it. "Loki. Thanks. I know we don't know each other all that well…."
Loki nodded once. "We'll have to change that on the ride up."
Bucky thought about that for a second, then nodded. "Yep. Just text me the time, and I'll see you then."
"All right. Oh." Loki paused in the middle of closing the door again. "I don't think I have your number."
Bucky held out his hand. "Phone," he demanded when Loki just stared quizzically. Reaching into a back pocket, Loki pulled out a large phone encased in a sleek dark green case and handed it over. Bucky entered his number and sent a text to himself before handing it back. "There. Now you do."
Loki held the phone at chest level and smirked softly. "Thanks."
"See ya tomorrow." Bucky gave a quick wave as he stepped away before slipping back into his apartment.