Author's Note: I'll admit up front that I struggled with this one. I've only ever written a quick AU drabble so writing a full length one-shot proved most difficult for me. Anyway, I ended up enjoying where the muses took this one and I hope you do too. Happy Valentine's Day to all of you, especially stralend, who this was written for!

Alpha and Beta love goes to SquarePeg72 and GaeilgeRua. Thank you for being there while I muddled through this one. Any other mistakes you find are my own and I'll find and fix them eventually! Much love, xxDustNight

Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, quotes, and information belongs to Marvel and Marvel Studios, and anyone else that may own any part of it. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

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Coffee Connection
Rated: M
Pairing: Thor/Loki
Summary: After months of playing cat and mouse, Loki and Thor finally have a chance to make a connection one morning at their favorite coffee shoppe.

Written for stralend as part of the Thorki Valentine Exchange 2018 hosted by thorkievents on tumblr. I know this isn't exactly what you asked for but it's the way the muses forced me to write it! I hope you love it anyway! Happy Valentine's Day!

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Coffee Connection

Wiggling his fingers, Loki reached for the door handle of the coffee shoppe he often frequented in the mornings. As his long fingers wrapped around the handle and tugged it forward, he thought about his caffeine consumption and how it had taken an upturn these past few months. As he entered the establishment, he inhaled the scent of freshly made pastries and rich espresso. Honestly, he didn't mind that he had to get up an extra fifteen minutes early or that he had to take a different route on his way to his boring desk job just to make it here before having to clock in at work. After those first few encounters, he'd deemed the effort worth it and even relished the little thrill he got each time he found himself here.

The shoppe was bustling as usual this Friday morning, and Loki strode forward on his long legs to join the back of the queue. There were about seven people ahead of him, and with a quick glance at his pocket watch, he estimated he could linger here for about thirty or so minutes before he ran the risk of being late this morning. Sighing heavily, he raked a hand through his long, dark hair and tried not to appear too impatient or distracted. The truth of it was, though, that he was more than hoping for a change appearance of Mr. Tall, Broad, and Handsome.

It had been a little over a week since the object of his affections had graced the coffee shoppe with his presence, and Loki was more than hoping that today would be the day he broke the dry spell. Of course, Loki knew the man's name, having heard it called out numerous times over the past few months to announce his coffee order was complete. He'd just never had the opportunity to properly talk to him other than the occasional 'Pardon me' or 'Sorry' as they maneuvered through the busy shoppe. More than anything Loki wanted to utter the name aloud.

Thor.

It was exotic, in a way. Unique such as his own name was, and Loki desperately wished to say it aloud, if only once. He knew this was not meant to be, for as he ordered his Macchiato and paid, he was disappointed to find that the burly man was not in the queue behind him. Sighing, Loki stepped aside to await his drink, checking his pocket watch once more to decide if it was even worth lingering after all. Just as he was about to make a decision, and his name was called by the barista, the door opened at the front of the shoppe.

Loki glanced up by chance at the sound of little bell signaling a new arrival, only to catch the gaze of the man he'd just been daydreaming about. Thor, in his perfectly fitted suit and tie, strode through the door just as Loki accepted his coffee. As if feeling his gaze upon him, dazzling blue eyes briefly met Loki's dashing green before a small smile was thrown his way and he joined the queue. Loki merely blinked, entirely taken by surprise by the smile…

Shaking himself from whatever spell the man unknowingly placed upon him, Loki took his coffee and found the only open table by the front window. Settling into the seat, he tried not to think too much on the occurrence. Surely, Thor had only smiled because Loki happened to make eye contact at the exact moment he walked through the door. Yes, that must be it. There was no other explanation to be had. No way in Hell had he been hoping to see Loki this morning. It was simply preposterous.

Pushing these thoughts aside, Loki took a sip of his coffee and then withdrew his laptop from his satchel so he could check his email prior to arriving at work. No reason to sit idly by when he was bound to be late now that he had a reason to linger in the shoppe. Out of the corner of his eye, Loki watched as Thor ordered and paid for his caffeine fix as he booted up the laptop. By the time he was logging into his email account, Thor had received his drink and was glancing around the small shoppe in search of a place to sit and read the newspaper tucked under his left arm.

With a start, Loki realized there were no tables available, and that the occupied ones were all full to capacity. Well, all of them except for his, that was. He still had a single chair available at his. Surely, the man wouldn't come and ask to sit with him. He'd just take his coffee to go. A nervous thrill shivered down his spine as he saw Thor begin to zigzag through the multitude of tables until he was standing right next to Loki.

"Morning," Thor said brightly, drawing Loki's attention away from the list of unopened emails on his computer screen. Once Loki was staring up at him, face devoid of any emotion other than curiosity, Thor continued. "I'm Thor. I see you have an open seat at your table. Would you be bothered if I joined you?"

Mouth suddenly dry, Loki merely shook his head. It took him another second to get his thoughts together so he could properly form a sentence. "I do not mind." He gestured to the chair across from him with one hand.

As Thor smiled brightly and took a seat, Loki wanted to punch himself in the face for acting so shy all of a sudden. Normally, he was brilliant with words. A silver tongue as his mates from college would say. Now, nothing. He merely sat there in silence as Thor settled in and sipped at is coffee. Before Thor could catch his eye, Loki ducked his eyes to stare once more at his computer screen, though he saw nothing at all.

After some time spent avoiding conversation, Thor obviously grew tired of the uncomfortable silence and cleared his throat. This caused Loki to glance up from the email he definitely was not reading to stare into the friendly face. Smiling, Thor nodded toward the computer on the table.

"Hard at work or hardly working?" he asked, sipping his drink and causing Loki's heart to flutter.

"Checking emails," Loki said by way of explanation. He smirked then, adding, "But I will admit to being rather distracted this morning."

"My fault?" Thor inquired, his beard twitching with a grin.

"Indeed," Loki carried on, feeling more confident and at ease with each passing second. When Thor's eyes lit up at the response, he used both hands to shut the lid of his laptop and give his unexpected coffee companion his full attention. After all, isn't this what he'd been wanting for weeks now? "I find your presence entirely distracting, but," he paused holding up a finger, "in a good way."

"I'll tell you, I was rather glad to see your table was the only one with an empty seat." Thor set his coffee cup on the table and played with the lid. "I've been looking for an excuse to talk to you."

Loki's eyebrows crept right up his forehead. "Really? And here I was thinking you had no idea I even existed aside from the occasional greeting while standing in the queue."

Thor let out a booming laugh that made the few tables around them glance their way. Loki allowed his long hair to shield his face from their view, but kept his eyes trained on Thor. Despite being embraced at the attention Thor drew, he wanted to hear that laugh again. Reaching out, he picked up his macchiato and brought it to his lips while inspecting Thor with his emerald eyes.

"I take it that my assumptions were incorrect?" Loki quirked a single eyebrow as he waited for a response.

"You couldn't be further from the truth," Thor admitted. "You command attention anytime you're in this place. That penetrating stare, your air of elegance. My curiosity was piqued the very first time I laid eyes on you."

Tapping the tips of his fingers upon the wooden tabletop, Loki considered this information. He had long hoped that Thor might find him attractive, or rather, that he was, in fact, interested in men to some capacity. It was so difficult to find a proper date these days. Granted, he still had no idea if Thor was interest in that way, but he was starting to feel a little more than hopeful given the way the man's blue eyes kept glancing at his lips.

Time to test the theory.

"So you've been checking me out, hmmm?' he queried playfully, sitting up a tad straighter in his chair so that his expensive suit pulled across his chest. As predicted, Thor's eyes dropped to his chest and then lifted back toward his face, pausing briefly at his lips before meeting his eyes once more.

Ta-da.

Thor wasn't easily ruffled, however. He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms across his broad chest. Now it was Loki's turn to drool. Thor seemed pleased by this and said, "I'll admit you're rather easy on the eyes." Leaning forward, he added in a whisper, "And don't think I haven't noticed the way you stare at me across the crowded shoppe."

Loki found himself rather speechless at that so he reached for his coffee and took a sip, if only to stall for a moment. Collecting his thoughts, he said, "I suppose we've both have been watching the other with keen interest." Here, Loki paused, finishing his coffee and giving Thor some time to drink his. Glancing out the window, Loki figured he might as well take a chance. He may never get another if he let the moment pass by. "Now, it would seem, we need to decide what to do next."

"I think that's easy enough," Thor replied, setting aside his finished drink. "Do you want to meet for lunch one day this week? I know a few restaurants within walking distance. I think it's safe to assume you work in the vicinity just as I do."

"I do work nearby," Loki clarified, gesturing out the window. "I work in the tall building two blocks down the road."

"Perfect," Thor said, clapping his hands together happily. "I'm just three the opposite. So, what do you say? Lunch tomorrow, or perhaps, Friday?" He looked so excited about the prospect, Loki suddenly felt horrible he was about to disappoint the man. As if sensing his hesitation, Thor reached out and took hold of his hand.

Blinking, Loki first looked to their clasped hand and then back up at him. "I do apologize, but I typically don't get enough time to leave the building for lunch," Loki admitted with a frown. Disappointment welled in his chest knowing that he'd probably just turned down his one chance at a proper date with Thor. It was hard to think with Thor's hand holding his own. "I tend to work through lunch to make up for my tardiness."

"How about dinner then? Friday night?" Thor asked, his thumb brushing over the sensitive underside of Loki's wrist and sending shivers up and down his spine. Apparently, he wasn't to be thwarted, eager to find a time when they could get together outside of this coffee shoppe.

Loki's heart leapt at the prospect of a dinner date rather than lunch or yet another morning spent here in the shoppe. Dinner allowed for more time talking and getting to know one another. There would be no rushing to pay the bill and hurry back to their jobs. They could linger over wine and possibly dessert… Yes, Loki thought, dinner was a wonderful option, especially as his heart continued to race and butterflies formed in his stomach the longer Thor held his hand.

How was he supposed to say no when Thor was making him feel such a way? He'd thought it was just a simple coffee shoppe crush, but now he was concerned it was much more than that. They had a connection, that much was evident in the way Loki felt both at ease and electrified in his presence. Hadn't it been only twenty minutes ago he'd thought he'd never have the opportunity to talk to the man let alone be asked to dinner by him? Loki was anything but stupid, knowing when to take advantage of an opportunity.

Taking a deep breath, Loki nodded. "Sure, I'd like that," he answered, allowing a smile to grace his lips. Thor seemed pleased by his response; those blue eyes of his lighting up even further. He further relaxed and inquired, "What time and where?"

"Here," Thor said as he released his hand to dig in his pocket for a scrap of paper. It turned out to be his receipt from his coffee order, Loki noticed as a pen appeared in his other hand. Thor scribbled something down on the tab and handed it over. "That's my mobile number. I'm late for work and I suspect you are too, but shoot me a text later this afternoon and we'll set up the details."

With that, Thor stood and collected both their empty coffee cups. With one last dashing smile, he sauntered to the door. Loki twisted around in his seat to catch his eye one last time as he deposited their trash in the bin and exited the shoppe. He didn't miss the exaggerated wink Thor threw his way as he disappeared in the foot traffic. When he was out of sight, Loki turned back around and simply stared into space for a moment.

What had just happened? He'd hoped to see Thor this morning, sure, but this was unexpected in all the very best of ways. A date. They had a date, and this week no less. Shaking his head at his luck, Loki packed up his laptop and prepared to head to work. His boss would be disappointed in his tardiness, but this time he didn't really care. Stepping outside, Loki frowned and joined the throng of people heading this way and that.

Screw waiting until this afternoon, Loki thought as he dug his mobile out of his pocket. Continuing down the sidewalk, he quickly entered Thor's number and typed a message.

You never asked my name.

Just before he entered the lobby of his building, the mobile chirped, signaling the arrival of a text. Loki paused, a smile lighting his face at the reply. He had to give it to Thor, he was sharper than he'd originally thought.

Coffee cup. Talk to you later, Loki. x

Tucking the mobile away, Loki hurried to the lift, barely making it before the doors closed. As he ascended to his floor, he thought about what a good morning it had been and how the afternoon and evening held the possibility of being just as brilliant.

. . . .

After texting nearly nonstop all week, accompanied by a few calls that lasted for hours, Loki had been more than ready for his dinner date with Thor. It turned out they were more than compatible and Loki was anxious to spend time in his company outside of the coffee shop. Both of them hadn't had the opportunity to stop by again in the morning so they were left with text messages and calls to tide them over until Friday.

In Loki's opinion, it was worth it.

That thought only magnified as Thor's broad body slammed him into the closed door of his flat so he could continue their frantic kissing. Dinner had been a fun affair, some fancy Brazilian restaurant where they brought the tantalizing meats right to the table for your selection. As Thor's mouth left his to trail hot, wet kisses down the column of his neck, Loki was reminded of how distracted he'd been at dinner.

Sure, it was lovely to wine and dine with someone you were thoroughly interested in, but when said person continued to casually brush his hand against your thigh under the table or lean a little too far into your personal space so you could smell his crisp clean scent, well, you became a bit distracted. By the time dessert and the tab had arrived, Loki was worked into such a fit of arousal, he wished he could simply rip a hole in the astral plane and bring them back to his flat.

The Uber ride took entirely too long in his opinion, but he was now rewarded for his patience. He used both hands to slide Thor's suit jacket from his shoulders, hoping the man didn't mind that they were about to leave it in a crumpled heap upon the floor. He'd forgone a jacket, wearing simple black trousers, white button-down, and a accompanying black tie. Thor was currently loosening the knot of said tie as Loki continued to divest the man of his clothes.

Loki had to admit that suspenders really were a magical thing. The way they pulled Thor's trousers so tightly against his arse made him bite his lip to keep from groaning aloud earlier in the night. Now, he simply enjoyed hooking his thumbs in the bands and drawing them slowly down Thor's arms. Pausing, Thor lifted his head from his neck to give him a lopsided grin. Loki returned it with a wolfish one of his own.

"I take it you have no problem with sex on the first date?" the larger man asked, slowly sliding Loki's tie from his collar and allowing it to join his jacket on the floor.

"After an entire week of teasing," Loki said, his voice low and wicked, "I see nothing wrong with you joining me between the sheets. After all, one seems to appear more than eager to do just that."

Thor chuckled, his hands beginning to unbutton his crisp, navy blue shirt. "I dare say that you and I have waited long enough to get to this point, wouldn't you agree?"

"I would," Loki replied, licking his lips as Thor's muscular chest slowly began to come into view. He took both hands and placed them on the man's shoulders before beginning to slowly guide him backwards toward where the bedroom was located. "The wait has been excruciatingly painful."

Again, Thor chuckled. "Good, but I don't want you to think I'm rushing things. I do want to continue getting to know you, Loki. I feel like we have some sort of connection. I don't see you as a simple conquest, a one night stand, if you will."

Loki paused, the two of them now standing just inside his bedroom. To the left, his bed sat waiting for them. He couldn't help hesitating, Thor's words suddenly making him wonder if they actually were rushing into things. They may have frequented the same coffee shoppe for months, but there was a fine line between coffee date and coming back to one's flat after dinner. Loki had mere seconds to decide which way he wanted this to go.

Dropping his hands from Thor's shoulder, he ran nervous fingers through his hair. Exhaling sharply, he met Thor's patient eyes and smiled. "Look, I'll admit that I want more than anything for you to take me to that bed and ravish me endlessly right now…"

"But?" Thor prompted, the corners of his mouth turned upward in a knowing grin.

"But," Loki continued, crossing his arms and trying to gather his thoughts. "I'll hold off if it means we turn this night into something more solid. I haven't been in a long term relationship in quite some time, and I'd like to see where this goes." He gestured between their two bodies, indicating what he meant.

Thor sighed, shaking his head in what Loki could only describe as relief. One larger hand reached out and clasped his neck and pulled him forward. Thor placed a chaste kiss upon his lips, lingering perhaps a tad longer than necessary. When he pulled back, he stared down into Loki's face and murmured, "I think we agree on this matter. What do you say we open a bottle of that wine you told me about and get to know each other better before we fall between the sheets?"

"I think that sounds magnificent," Loki answered, a true smile lighting up his face. He took Thor's hand and led him back out of the bedroom and through to the living room. After setting Thor up on the sofa, he retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses from his kitchen before joining him. "So," he began, uncorking the bottle, "What should we toast to this evening?" He met Thor's eyes as he filled both their glasses.

Smiling warmly, Thor took his glass and swirled the deep red liquid for a moment as he contemplated Loki's question. After a spell, he lifted his glass. "How about, to new beginnings and taking chances?"

"Cheers!" Loki replied, clinking his glass against Thor's before they both took sips of the expensive wine.

Afterward, they eased into a comfortable conversation that lasted until the early hours of the morning. Of course, there was cuddling and kissing involved, but both remained true to their word that they would get to know one another better before taking that next big step. By the time the sun had fully risen in the sky, both were drowsy but still not quite ready to say goodbye.

Together, they decided to walk to their favorite coffee shoppe; after all, that was where they first made their connection. And if they just so happened to return to Loki's flat later that morning and fall asleep in one another's arms, neither of them were about to complain. They had the entire rest of the weekend to finish getting to know one another, as well as forevermore.