Hello, dears!

Not much to add here, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: The Avengers are not mine. Also Adele´s song titles are hers, of course.


2

I met a boy

Loki frowns. He´s been reading the same paragraph in the same book for the last ten minutes, and he doesn´t seem to be getting any of it. He looks up at the clock and sighs; ten to seven, which means he has approximately five minutes to grab something from the cafeteria and get to his class.

He knows he should have gotten something to eat much sooner, but his work has stockpiled to unsuspected levels, and he´s nowhere close to finishing any of it. He shoves his stuff in his bag as fast as he can, and flees the library. The last thing he needs right now is to get sick because he neglected eating.

The place is thankfully empty, save for a short guy on a black undershirt paying for something. He makes his way to the register machine when he steps away.

"Is there..."

"We´re closed already." The young woman behind the counter shakes her head.

"But I just saw you selling to that guy."

"That was our last one, the system locks itself automatically at seven p.m. everyday."

Loki feels himself boiling as he checks his phone´s screen."

"It´s still five to seven!" He exclaims, but the girl shrugs and goes through the door to the kitchen.

"I´m going to steal something." He warns loud enough for her to hear.

"Go on." Her voice reaches back from behind the door. "The cams are watching."

"Spiteful witch..." He mutters under his breath, when a hand lands on his forearm and distracts him.

He had thought the guy had left already, but he´d apparently stayed to watch the show. Loki takes him in; short, dark and wild hair, brown eyes, a goatee, toned arms and a led light pendant that projects a blue light circle over the fabric of his undershirt.

"Have a story with the lady, then?" He asks with an ample smile. Loki huffs.

"I might or might not have started the rumor that there were pubes in the food." He whispers with a pinch of pride. That had been one of his finest ones.

"Nice." The guy laughs. "I got the impression that you were on a hurry?"

"I am. I need to be in the Arts building in..." He checks the time again and curses loudly. "Two minutes."

The guy whistles. "You have a bit of running to do." And then he throws something in the air, slowly so that Loki has a good chance of catching it. It´s just a wrapped, generic-brand cinnamon bun, but right then it looks like a roast beef to him. "I didn´t want it anyways, but my friend insisted that I had to consume something other than caffeine."

Loki looks behind him and finds a steaming styrofoam cup resting on a table.

"You sure?" He asks, dubious.

"You look like you need the sugar much more than I do."

Loki grins. "Congratulations, then. You´ve officially made it to my not-kill list. And just because I really like you..." He adds and lowers his voice to a whisper. "There are pubes in the food, stick to packaged goods." He smirks before running away.

He opens the bun as he makes his way through the campus, and he decides it after replaying the scene in his mind and nearly losing his pace when the sugary frosting flavor explodes in his mouth. That guy is really fine.


"You said you were going to get something asides from coffee." Bruce observes, when Tony struts into the lab with the steaming cup in his hands. He takes the time to lock the door behind him, since it´s way past the working hours (your father paying for the University´s lab has its advantages) and shrugs.

"There was a guy that seemed way hungrier than me and that was remarkably late for his class. I gave him my cinnamon bun." He explains, making sure he look at innocent as possible. He likes food as much as the next person, but he´s never been one to take food breaks while working.

"So selfless of you..." Bruce rolls his eyes.

"You know me." He smiles and goes back to his work, wondering briefly if the guy made it to his class.

"I met a guy yesterday night." He comments next morning when he picks Steve up. The blond´s expression becomes slightly amused.

"Now that´s something I want my boyfriend to tell me."

Tony laughs long and hard, speeding past a yellow light. "Yeah, bought him dinner and everything. A night to remember."

Steve laughs at well, with that smile that makes his eyes crinkle at the corners in that way he absolutely loves. "So? What about him?"

"Nothing." Tony shrugs. "We talked because apparently he was starving and had to run to class. He said he had to go to the Arts building and I wondered if you knew him."

"How was he?" Steve asks as Tony pulls up in the parking lot.

"Black hair, green eyes, about your height?"

"Hmm... No one comes to mind... He probably studies at another wing of the building." He says and checks his watch for the fifth time. Tony hates that watch. He´d given it to him for his last birthday, so it was nice and expensive and you really had to remember to take it off before sex, unless you wanted a scrapped everything. They always forgot. "Actually, I have to run too."

"Are we late?" Tony frowns; he´s pretty sure he didn´t sleep in this time.

Steve shakes his head. "We can´t afford a model for figure drawing right now so whoever gets to class later gets to be the model." He explains with an embarrassed smile. Tony smirks and pulls him close for a hug.

"Well, I wouldn´t want to hare you. Run, baby!"

Steve chuckles and kisses him goodbye before sprinting off. Tony watches him grow smaller as he crosses the campus before he takes his portfolio from the backseat and makes his way to the Engineering building


The place is crowded, just like every other day at midday. Loki´s actually glad his last morning class was cancelled, as he´d managed to get into the queue before it had turned obscenely long.

"Hey there." A hand wraps around his forearm and he has a massive sensation of déjà vu. Sure enough, it´s the same guy from last night, grinning up at him. He returns the gesture.

"I figure you want me to repay the favor?" He asks, and the guy answers by grabbing his wrist to drop a bill on his open palm.

"Two packaged sandwiches."

"Sticking to my advice, I see." Loki smirks. "At least entertain me while I wait." He demands when he notices the guy is preparing to head for a table, so he turns back instead.

"Fine. Hey, did you say you had classes at the Arts building?"

"I did, why?"

"My boyfriend has most of them there too, and he didn´t know who you were."

Loki pouts. He´s found out his pouts often bring amazing results. "Boyfriend, huh?"

The guy smirks like he knew what he´d been thinking all along. "Yeah, sorry."

"And here I was hoping we could have pubes soup some other time." He sighs dramatically.

"Not pubes soup, please." The guy seems amused, and then seems to hesitate a bit before adding. "Maybe something else, though. I don´t think he´ll mind."

"Is it an open thing, then?"

That seems to shake him. "No, not really."

Loki shrugs inwardly. If the guy hasn´t made his mind up then there´s not much he can do. "What does he study?"

"Visual Arts."

"Then I surely haven´t crossed him, at least not in a while. Performing Arts is on the other side of the building."

"That would explain it, yes. So you´re an actor?"

"No, I´m actually the only student of the recently inaugurated Circus Skills Faculty." He smirks, and the guy rolls his eyes.

"Ain´t you a charming one?"

Loki blows him a mock kiss and moves forward to order. He finds him again waiting at an empty table.

"There you go." He throws the packaged meals and slips the spare change across the surface. The guy gestures at the free chair across him, but he shakes his head.

"Some other time, I´ve got a guy waiting."

The guy frowns and smiles at the same time, and the look is strangely appealing. He chooses to ignore the voice at the back of his head that tells him that if this particular guy showed up someday in a duck mask he´d secretly start finding them appealing.

"What about the pubes soup?"

Loki half turns, still looking at him and grins his best smile.

"Oh, he´s not invited. That´s you and me only." And leaves immediately after in the way he knows is guaranteed to get him at least a call to the number he´d hastily scribbled on the sandwich wrapper.


"Are you seeing someone right now?"

Bruce looks up at the sound of his friend´s voice and frowns.

"You?"

Tony huffs. "Very funny Bruce, you should get an award."

Bruce smiles. Usually Tony appreciates it when people react with humor, which probably means...

"What´s wrong?" He asks.

His friend stays silent for a moment, before sighing.

"Remember the guy from last night?"

"... Yes?"

He lifts something for him to see. It´s a plastic wrapper with a phone number scribbled in sharpie. He frowns, this time for real.

"Do I look desperate enough to take your leftovers?"

"Of course not, but I thought you might want to loosen up a bit. He´s hot as fuck and from what I understood, he´s looking for a good lay only."

"And you don´t..."

"I said he was hot, didn´t I? But I´m not going to fuck things up with Steve for a couple of pretty eyes and a good ass, I mean I´ve got that with him already and he sticks up through all my shit, so..." He shrugs.

"You should write a book."

"I know." He finally smiles. "Besides, he seemed smart. Or funny at least."

Bruce watches him carefully. "You really did like him, didn´t you?"

Tony shrugs, looking guilty. "Sometimes I do wish I was single for a night only."


Loki plops down on a chair next to his friends and leans in with a smirk that makes Clint roll his eyes.

"Not again."

Natasha smiles. "Someone new on the radar?"

"A good one." He nods. "A bit short, though, I hope he compensates."

"Alpha?"

"Yeah." He rubs his nape, embarrassed. "You see, the thing with Sigyn... Well, that girl is literally too good for this world, and I screwed her up good. Now Omegas remind me of her so I... Stay away from them?"

Clint gifts him with a teasing smile. "Do I detect a note of regret for never giving her a call? Or for cheating on her with her sister?"

Loki pushes him against Natasha. "You would regret it too. She was something else."

"Well, didn´t hold you back much, did it?" asks Natasha and Loki smiles.

"Oh, I feel intensely sorry for her." He starts. "In fact, this is my coping method."

At his insistence, he hands Clint one of the snacks he bought and asks for it back after he´s had a bite. "When are you going to see this guy?"

"I give him two days."

"Well give him three, you have something on Friday."

"Do I, now?" He asks, and even Natasha seems interested.

"We have movie night on Friday. Tony asked me to invite you."

"... Tony?" The name rings no bells.

"You´ve seen him." Clint tries. "When we had the movie night at your house and you were throwing a bitch fit over a bag of chips?"

"Oh."

"You don´t remember?"

"I had much more important things to think of than the bunch of idiots in my living room; I was emotionally dependant on those chips that day."

"Why?"

"The pregnancy scare to rule them all." He admits. He´s not exactly proud, but...

"Svadilfari?" Natasha rolls her eyes at his nod. "Haven´t you heard about condoms? They´re these funny penis sheaths for those occasions in which you want to fuck someone senseless but not have their babies, I´ll get you some."

"The guy had just gotten here!" He exclaims, blushing. "He didn´t speak much English and for practicality´s sake the only words I learnt in his language were `fuck me´, `harder´ and `stop´ "

"Typical..." She sighs and Loki huffs. He hates it when she of all people judges him

"I didn´t even let him knot me, I´m not that stupid."

"Do we have to know that?" Clint mutters through his third snack.

"I listen to bedroom trouble from both of you, of course you have to." He clears his throat. "So? What does this Tony guy want with me?"

"I´m pretty sure he just wants to congratulate you for sleeping with your teacher."

"An admirer, then?"

"A competitor, actually. Or he was a competitor. He´s been with his boyfriend for a year now."

"Ugh, fallen in battle... I´ll give him my condolences." He huffs again. "I really wanted to seethis guy."

"Keep it in your pants for a night, would you?"

"Anything for you, dear Clint." He sighs and forces a smile. If the guy is going to call him (which he is definitively going to do) a day more would do wonders for him. His luck is amazing.


Thor wakes up Friday morning with what Loki called `A feeling that Life is preparing to screw you up´.

Until that very day he´s thought he´s been imagining it. Life forces don´t randomly conjoin to ruin a particular individual.

That same night, he´s sure he'll never doubt Loki´s theory again.

It had started perfectly fine, like any other Friday. They had had a movie night scheduled for days now, and he would enjoy a nice night out after a stressful week.

It´s only after he goes up the stairs to drop his books that he feels something dark and viscous settling at the bottom of his stomach.

"Are you going out?" He asks, poking his head through Loki´s door. His brother doesn´t acknowledge him, busy as he is choosing between two tees.

"Well yes."

"On a date?" He knows, he knows Loki dates others. He doesn´t care, he does his fair share of sleeping around as well. The only difference is that he keeps it to himself.

"Not tonight."

"... But we have a movie night tonight. Clint and Natasha are both coming." He frowns. "Is it with Anansi?"

"No. And I know that. Actually, it was Clint who invited me." He explains, picking up a tee and folding the discarded one to put it back in the drawer.

"Clint invited you to the movie night?" Thor blinks a couple of times, dumbfounded.

"He did."

"And you´re actually coming."

"I am."

"That´s... Great, I guess?" He shrugs. "I´ll wait for you, then." And he makes his way to the living room while the feeling of dread intensifies.

"So... How was your week?" Loki asks as they pull off the driveway. Thor looks quizically at his brother; he´s not usually in this good mood.

"Good. I´m hafway done with my final project and I nearly lost a finger today."

"Your skills are legendary. What´s your project again? A kitchen?"

"A playground." Thor rolls his eyes but smiles as he does so. When most people looked at him he didn´t usually strike them as the designer type, but he was quite good at both physics and manual labor, and his creativity spurted great things more often than not. "How was yours?"

"They held the auditions for the play yesterday. I think I landed a main role." He waves it off. "I met someone."

"You? What a surprise." Thor grins even as he takes Loki´s playful punch to the shoulder. The night is cold, the streets are empty, and the bad feeling he had earlier has already faded away. "Does `someone´ have a name?"

"He surely does. But I didn´t get the time to find out, I just gave him my number."

"Did he call you?"

"He did. Turned out we both had something tonight so we´re meeting for lunch tomorrow."

Thor frowns at that. "Lunch? You don´t do lunch."

Loki pouts. "He can´t really spend a night on a motel all of a sudden... Apparently he´s got a boyfriend."

"Loki..." Thor shakes his head, annoyed, and then something else catches his attention. "So you agreed to have lunch with him? Just lunch, no sex, actual lunch, lunch?"

By the way Loki looks pointedly out the window, it´s a sore spot.

"He was funny." He mutters after a second of uncomfortable silence. "Besides I might get a quickie in the bathroom if I play my cards right."

"You might get a quickie. Which means you don´t actually care if you get it or not. Did you honestly and willingly set up a date knowing you would most likely not have sex?"

"It seems like it, ok?" He snaps back and Thor grins.

"Whoa, you like this guy."

"Of course I don´t. That would be stupid, wouldn´t it? Considering..." And he gestures between the both of them, which erases the smile from Thor´s face.

The engagement.

Silence spreads between them for the rest of the way, until they reach the gate to Tony´s house. Thor pushes the button on the intercom, and Jarvis lets them in immediately, and directs him to park next to Clint´s car. As soon as they get off the car the old butler is waiting for them at the door.

"Welcome Mr. Borson, and I figure this is your brother? Mr. Stark and the rest of your friends are already in the living room."

"Thanks Jarvis, we´ll see ourselves in." Thor thanks him and leads Loki up the familiar set of stairs.

"Classy." His brother mutters. "Stark like the gun brand Stark?"

"Yeah. Don´t mention that."

"Daddy issues?"

"Like you´re one to talk."

"Said the pot to the kettle."

Thor laughs and pushes him, before opening to door to the aforementioned living room. "Hey guys. Are we late?"

Only Bruce and Steve seem mildly puzzled when they see Loki, which means he said the truth and Clint had actually invited him.

"Hey big guy, we´re just warming up." Tony´s voice comes from behind the bar, and when he looks at Loki to introduce him to their host, his words die in his throat.

Loki has always been pale, almost too pale, but this time it´s different; if his face looses a little more color it´ll become translucent. His eyes have widened not so much as to be obvious, but enough so that Thor notices immediately, and his lips have contracted into a tight straight line. Feeling like an abyss opened under his feet, he turns to Tony and finds a mirroring expression.

His mind races to join the loose ends and he wants the ground to open up and swallow him right there.

Loki had actually liked this guy.
This guy who´s Thor´s friend.
This guy who has a boyfriend.
A loving, dedicated boyfriend who is also Thor´s friend.

Maybe it´s association with Loki what causes Life to spit on you, he concludes.

"So you´re the infamous Loki?" Tony makes his way to them, all former hesitation forgotten and extends a hand that Loki shakes.

"In the flesh. Thanks for the invitation, I guess?"

"The more the merrier." Tony answers, not meeting his eyes, and lets go of the other´s hand to return to the bar. Out the corner of his eye Thor sees him pour a generous amount of scotch in a glass.

"You already know Bruce, Loki." He turns to his brother and gestures to his friend. Bruce nods politely in response to Loki´s waving. "And this is Steve. Tony´s boyfriend." He squeezes his brother´s forearm to punctuate the last word. "He studies in our building."

Steve stands up and offers a hand as well. "Pleased to meet you."

"Same. Visual Arts, right?"

Steve frowns in confusion. "Have we met before?"

Thor feels his palms get sweaty, but Loki seems to know what he´s doing. "Barely. My friend Anansi and I modeled for your class last semester."

Steve´s face lightens.

"Right, the face studies! Anansi was the guy with the spider tattoo on his neck, right?" He slaps his forehead. "How could I forget you? I have a sketchbook page filled with your cheekbones and your nose."

"Thank y..."

Tony cuts all conversations by plopping down on the sofa with his glass in hand. "Hey, what are we watching?"

That solves the `newcomer awkwardness´ in less than a second, as everyone shouts their suggestions for the night.

"Are they always this noisy?" Loki whispers.

"They´re toning it down for you." Thor answers and then sighs. "We have to talk, Loki."

His brother´s response is to make his way to Clint and Natasha and sit next to them, and Thor leaves him alone. He isn´t in the mood to discuss the matter either.

As always, a simple thriller is chosen to open the night, and Thor stretches from his place on his favorite beanbag to dim the lights.

He doesn´t miss the way his friend and his brother´s faces turn briefly to each other as soon as darkness settles over them.


"You can´t do it." He says and it makes Loki want to punch him; of course he can´t, he´s engaged to his fucking brother, for god´s sake. But of course that´s not what worries Thor.

"You have never cared about who I sleep with before." He answers coldly. It´s three in the morning and Thor had to chose that very moment to sit him down for a lecture, as soon as they came back from the stupid movie night he should have never agreed to go to in the first place, he has the right to be pissed.

"Because I don´t give a rat´s ass about them! If you sleep with a whole fraternity, no one´s going to come out hurt when we get married." Thor grunts, trying to keep his voice low for their parents´ sake. "These are my friends we´re talking about. Even if you could somehow slip off the engagement I wouldn´t let you because I simply refuse to let Steve suffer just because you can´t keep it in your pants. There´s no happily ever after, and you won´t break them up, am I clear?"

Loki opens his mouth to reply and, much to his surprise, finds out he has nothing. The discovery startles him. He hadn´t even liked Tony that much. He´s hot, of course, but he´s used to good-looking people. Witty? He bedded his smartest, more sarcastic teacher, it doesn´t get much wittier than that. There´s literally no logical reason for him to feel as deflated as he does.

He shakes his head, frustrated and defeated, and watches as Thor´s face softens and there´s only a tired sadness where a moment ago there had been nothing but sternness.

"Look..." He starts, but Loki´s not in the mood to listen to him. He rises from the couch and heads up the stairs, leaving his brother behind.


"Are you coming?" Steve asks, twisting in the sheets to look at Tony.

"Yeah." It takes a moment but he makes his way into the bed. "I had a good time tonight."

Steve smiles. At first it had looked like the addition of Thor´s brother would make things uncomfortable, but both Clint an Natasha had been in their best mood around him, and they had soon forgotten about it.

"It was pretty interesting. Why were you so insistent on inviting Loki?"

Tony shrugs between his arms.

"I wasn´t kidding, I literally heard some rumors and thought I wanted to meet him."

"He does seem like your kind of guy." Steve chuckles, but he stops as he notices Tony has stiffened and turned to face him.

"You are my kind of guy." He says before he straddles him, and if only the tone had been smug instead of stubborn maybe Steve hadn´t felt a bit uneasy.

He mentally shrugs it off, and sets to enjoy the feeling of Tony´s lips and the coarse caress of his beard all over his chest and stomach.


Thanks for reading!