metrops | do you still believe in love i wonder?

If you wear one more pair of glittery shorts, you're going to have to change your stage name to Sparkles.

( the implications of this message, appearing randomly one night after thor's show, are twofold: (1) that loki was at said show, and (2) that he's been to many shows previously. the second one, thor already knows, though he might not know just how many loki's actually seen. the first might come as a surprise, since loki didn't tell him he'd be in the audience tonight. )

[ he shouldn't be surprised when loki texts him (this sort of reactionary message is commonplace when loki wants to make known his attendance to thor, and thor has come to assume that loki generally is in the audience somewhere, even if he doesn't say so), but tonight has been a long night and he'd been a bit more distracted by a number of other things, which unfortunately didn't include whether or not loki might text him — of course, if he's honest, more frequently than not he hopes to look at his phone after a show and see loki's name in his notification bar. ]

[ and tonight it is. he finds himself laughing, which seems to relieve some of the tension that had been building up in his shoulders all night, smiling to himself as he reads and rereads you're going to have to change your stage name to sparkles. honestly, it's not a half bad idea, though it doesn't quite have the same ring as thunder from down under. ]

So you were there. Why didn't I see you?

[ the implication being he would have very much liked to have seen him, but he suspects loki didn't want him to, for whatever reason. he's still trying to work out what's going on between them; the only thing he knows for sure is he always puts on a better show when he knows loki is watching. ]

( the first part of the message confirms what loki already suspected ( what he hoped ) was the case: that thor was wondering if he'd been there. the second part makes him think that, not only was thor wondering, but he wanted him to be there. loki smiles to himself, a small, self-satisfied grin. somehow, he's come to know thor well enough by now to know what he's really asking. why didn't you tell me, or why didn't you find me after, which he has done a few times. but he pretends to take the question at face value. )

The throng of rabid women in the front might have had something to do with it.

( it's part of the game of cat-and-mouse they play, though it's not always clear who inhabits which role. loki likes to think he usually has the upper hand, but of all the people he lies to, the person he lies to the most is himself. )

And when has a throng of rabid women ever stopped you before?

[ it's mostly a joke, but also a testament to loki's will. thor knows by now that if loki really wants something (even just to be seen), there isn't a damn thing in the world that would hinder him from getting it. there's always a reason for why loki does what he does, some endgame. thor just isn't sure what that endgame here is. is it him? or is that just wishful thinking? maybe he hadn't made himself known tonight simply so they could have this conversation. ]

[ he doesn't wait for an answer, partly because he doesn't need one, but mostly because he has a better, more pertinent question he needs answered. ]

Can I see you now? Or are you too busy being deterred by more women?

( it's not a loaded question, can i see you now? but, somehow it feels like one. now you see me, now you don't. )

Define 'deterred'. You're not the only one with fans. And you know how demanding they can be.

( it's a blatant lie. while loki does have adoring fans and is occasionally detained by them, that's not the case tonight. tonight, he's not wearing a green cape or leather, aside from his sleek leather shoes. he rather blends in with the crowd at the hotel bar near where thor's show had been. he sips his gin and tonic and sends another text before thor gets a chance to respond. )

Meet me at the bar in ten.

( followed by the name of the hotel. ten minutes gives him enough time to finish his drink and compose himself as if he hasn't been here the whole time. )

[ he's in the middle of typing something like not another one asking you to sign her boobs? when loki sends meet me at the bar in ten and thor immediately deletes any sarcastic response he might have sent. to be honest, he's surprised loki even agreed to see him without significantly more beating around the bush, and he isn't about to take that for granted. ]

In ten. Don't go anywhere.

[ it seems redundant, but loki could always give him the slip, if he wanted. he's done it before. thor likes to think he's worked out loki's tricks by now, yet he still gets played a fool every now and then, and always when they're just about to get close to something they've been skirting for months. ]

[ he finds a change of clothes and heads to the hotel, a fresh aura of cologne masking the scent of dried sweat on his skin. he probably could have showered, but there's something satisfying about meeting loki for drinks when they both know where he just was and what he'd just been doing, the evidence of it still mostly apparent. there's no shame in it, at least, not in vegas. ]

[ when he arrives, he settles onto the stool next to loki and orders a beer before he turns and smiles roguishly. ]

You come here often? [ as if they're total strangers, as if he's just looking for a quick pick me up. he might still be, but with loki he has the nagging suspicion it might actually mean something. ]

( it would be all too easy to leave during those ten minutes. to disappear and text thor later with a convenient lie, or to not text him and let him wonder. he's been testing the limits of thor's patience since day one, but if he's going to cross that line one day, he doesn't want it to be today. it happens occasionally that he's less interested in the game and more interested in seeing thor, and this is one of those occasions. if it has something to do with the show thor just put on, that's between loki and the second drink he orders before thor's arrival.

he's just taken a sip when thor slips onto the stool beside him, and he resists the urge to roll his eyes at the cheesy line. instead, he returns thor's grin with his own sly smirk. )

Only after I've just seen the show next door. ( the smell of thor's cologne is incredibly distracting, and not in a bad way. ) So, not that often.

( it's a blatant lie, one he fully expects thor to see through. )

[ thor arches an eyebrow as if to say oh, really? his expression begs to differ, and yet it remains unspoken. he knows perfectly well that loki is probably one of his most frequent attendees, if only because the girls come and go — it's rarely ever the same women twice because they're only ever here for a girl's night out or a bachelorette or birthday party, coming in from all over the country (sometimes the world) to see one show and then continue on down the strip until they can barely walk straight. he's not even sure if sif has been to more than two of his shows. ]

[ he makes a low humming sound in the back of his throat, taking a sip of his newly arrived beer while still keeping his gaze locked on loki, who always seems to demand his attention even when he's doing little more than sitting. thor readily gives it to him every time. maybe that's been his mistake; he hasn't been making loki work for it. but tonight probably isn't the night to make him start. ]

I'd say often enough. Unless you've hired a very decent impersonator for the past fortnight.

( as he raises his glass, he adopts a thoughtful look, his brow faintly furrowed. ) Hmm. No, that doesn't sound like me.

( he drinks his gin and tonic, then sets it back on the bar. the sly smile tugs at his lips again, giving away the lie before he's had a chance to complete it. it's really more of a tease. some might even call it flirting. ) Your eyes must've been playing tricks on you. ( hiring an impersonator doesn't sound entirely outside the realm of something loki might do, though he'd like to think that he's so singular that no impostor would be convincing enough.

he turns slightly on his stool to face thor better. ) Have you been keeping track? ( of how often loki shows up, that is. )

[ thor shakes his head, laughing to himself. ] Well, you are the trickster among us, so who am I to argue?

[ oh, yes, it's definitely flirting. he can't even blame it on the alcohol, because he's only had a few sips of one beer, which is hardly enough to make him feel warm, let alone loose-lipped. he's simply enjoying himself in loki's company, and he assumes loki is enjoying his if their easy banter is anything to go by. ]

[ he seems to consider the question for longer than he ought to. really, the answer is simple (yes, he has), but there's something somewhat satisfying about leaving loki in suspense, for however long it might last. finally, he smiles, somewhat secretively. ] Let's just say I never forget the nights you do. [ last he counted, it was twelve. ]

( he could blame it on the alcohol, if he wanted to. he's had more drinks than thor, after all, and it would be an easy lie to tell himself, to say that it has nothing to do with thor, and everything to do with his unclear head. but the truth is: his head is still clear, and he knows exactly what he's doing.

and it's not like he's holding his breath while he waits for thor's answer, but something does loosen inside his chest when he finally gets it. his pulse quickens, but he disguises whatever his face might show by raising his glass for another drink. he should probably feel ashamed at having been so obvious, showing up to thor's performances more often than he should, but he's not. )

All those women throwing themselves at you, and you still take care to find me in the crowd.

( it's an observation, but there's a question in there, too. that question is: why? )

[ he shifts to the edge of the stool so he's half standing, finishing off his beer as if he's got somewhere to be. in truth, he has nowhere to be, and is perfectly fine staying here with loki, but it's all about pretense. if he's going to get loki to invite him upstairs, this is how to do it. he probably could just invite loki to his place, but that would be too easy. he's not even sure loki would say yes. but if it's loki's idea, thor has no reason to say no. ]

[ he leans against the bar counter, closer to loki now than when they were sitting, close enough that he could easily close the distance between them. he doesn't, not yet. ]

They all want the same thing. [ him, namely. and sometimes he ends up with one (or two) of them in his bed, but even that, he's noticed, isn't as fulfilling as being here with loki or playing whatever game it is they've been playing. those girls are fun, fleeting, and that's all they are. people don't come to vegas looking for anything serious. he doesn't even know if he wants anything serious. he can't imagine loki does, either, but ... ]

[ he sets a hand over the next glass that slides loki's way before he has time to pick it up, his gaze steady on loki. ] I'm more interested in what you want.

( sometimes, he forgets how big thor actually is until he's standing right next to him. it's not just his height, or the width of his shoulders, or the fact that one of his biceps is nearly the size of loki's head. it's his warm smile, and the boom of his laugh, and the big, empty hole that's left behind whenever he leaves a room. next to thor, loki feels small, insignificant, lost in his shadow. but when thor looks at him, he feels like he can take on the world.

it's a dangerous thing, to let someone have that much power over him. it's part of the reason he plays his games, to feel — even if only for a moment — like he's the one who has power over thor, and not the other way around.

but there are things he wants, things thor seems all too willing to give, if loki just says the word. maybe tonight is the night he'll finally do it. when thor looks at him, he looks right back, unflinching, unreadable. he lays a hand on top of thor's. ) What I want... ( he starts, and then —

he removes thor's hand from his glass. ) ... is my drink, if you don't mind.

[ thor relents, momentarily, letting loki move his hand and take his drink. maybe it's something of a win that their hands touched at all — it couldn't have been only him who felt a spark, like lightning or flint against stone — even if thor hasn't a clue what's going on in loki's head. is he interested? is he not? it's hard to say, really (though most days thor is convinced he is), and perhaps that's just the nature of the game. he'll have to keep playing to find his answers. ]

[ he folds his arms across his chest, more to have somewhere to put his hands than anything else, his eyes still trained on loki, searching for anything that might give his intentions away. he knows a deflection when he sees one, but this isn't some magic trick. it's something ... more complicated than that, he thinks. magic is an art loki has perfected; this is uncharted territory, for both of them, perhaps. ]

And then what? [ there's an invitation there, in the tone of his voice and the corner of his mouth, if only loki would take it. ]

( the spark was real. it's still there, beneath the surface of loki's skin, warm and tingling. it makes him wonder what it would feel like to have thor's hands on him, everywhere. but this is hardly the first time that particular thought has crossed his mind. in fact, he thinks about it a lot while watching thor on stage, and it lingers in the back of his mind for a while after. that's the point of the show, after all.

but the difference between loki and the rest of the frothing masses is that he gets thor to himself after. maybe other fans have gotten the privilege, too, but loki likes to think he's one of the few, if not the only one, that thor keeps coming back to. ( for now, says a treacherous voice inside his head. )

sipping his drink, loki raises an eyebrow coolly. he senses the invitation. of course he does. part of him really wants to take it. but another part, the more dominant part, won't let him. not yet. )

And then, who knows? ( he sets his drink down and turns around on the stool, so that his back rests against the bar, his elbows propped on the edge. ) This is Vegas. Anything can happen.

[ he isn't wrong; loki is, strangely enough, the most consistent part of thor's life outside of work and his friends, the one person he finds himself drawn back to again and again without fail. maybe because, unlike most things in vegas, loki is more than flashy entertainment and easy thrills. even, perhaps, more than a one night stand, should it come to that. as far as thor is concerned, it's only a matter of time. ]

[ anything can happen, loki says, and something about the way he says it — the way the air shifts around them, want practically palpable in the little space that remains — makes thor almost believes in magic. real magic. the kind that permeates the soul and becomes part of who you are. sometimes, he wonders if there's more to loki's tricks than mirrors or sleight of hand, the illusion of magic — but only sometimes. the real magic, he thinks, is in not knowing. ]

[ he extends a hand, open palmed, as if they were anywhere other than a hotel bar and he were asking loki to dance. in a way, they've been dancing around each other for months. and if the invitation wasn't obvious before, it is now, manifested in a gesture that could hardly be called ambiguous. not that thor has any idea where they would go right now (though he does have a few idea of what they could do), but that's what's so great about vegas: the spontaneity. anything could happen. ]

Care to find out?

( there's no such thing as real magic. no one knows that better than a magician. it's all smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand. making the audience look left while secretly going right. but that's what loki always liked about magic: the illusion. the carefully crafted lies and clever tricks. what he does on stage, night after night, isn't magic. it just looks like magic.

loki thought he'd long since lost the sense of wonder that came with seeing magic performed. that was the cost of knowing all the secrets. there was a mechanism behind every mystery, and loki has just about learned them all. when he comes across new ones, it's only a matter of time before he has those figured out, too. there's comfort in the control.

but, when thor holds out his hand, loki remembers what that sense of wonder feels like. he looks from thor's hand to his face, internally denying the inevitable, until he can't any longer. )

Oh, very well then. ( he downs the rest of his gin and tonic in one go, sets the glass on the bar, and places his palm in thor's. that spark returns, traveling up his arm, igniting something inside his chest. ) I'm sure I've made worse gambles.

( thor's entire face lights up, his grin wide and his eyes bright. this is definitely a win. possibly the biggest win he's had since he's known loki. it's almost a bit surreal, the weight of loki's hand in his, the solidness of it, unwavering. his heart beats faster, and surely he thinks loki can feel it, a pulse trapped between fingers. )

So now I'm just a gamble. ( but he's still smiling, his hand squeezing loki's lightly as he tugs him in the direction of the door. ) Have a little faith, would you?

( that this won't be a disaster, namely. maybe thor's being too optimistic, or maybe he just has a good feeling about all of this, based on the fact that loki is here with him at all, going gods know where to do gods know what. sure, they know what the endgame is here, but thor knows better than to expect that outcome immediately. there's still trust to be gained, and fun to be had that may or may not involve their clothes coming off. )

( A PLACEHOLDER. )

( it's a little over a month into their ... arrangement. that's what loki likes to call it, anyway. thor prefers to think of it as a relationship, even if it is technically (supposed to be) fake. he still hasn't completely convinced himself that it is. or isn't. he's not really sure what it is, but doesn't feel as formal as loki probably wants it to be. maybe that's just thor, though. nothing is ever so cut and dry with him; he's always for looking for some deeper meaning, even when it isn't (or shouldn't be) there. he has to keep reminding himself that loki is just ... a friend (are they friends or just business partners?), whom he happens to be sort of not really dating.

and whom he is currently having a study date with. at thor's house, because loki is still weird about thor coming over to his place despite the fact that thor keeps insisting they should be keeping up appearances to loki's parents too now that they've already brought thor's whole family into their lie. which is, ultimately, what this whole thing is. a very complicated lie that keeps snowballing into something considerably more real the longer it goes on. or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

nevertheless, they're in thor's room, books cracked open on thor's bed. loki is actually doing his assigned reading, which thor never does. he'll inevitably ask to look at loki's notes at the last minute and loki may or may not oblige, depending on how pathetic thor can make himself look. right now, he's more interested in his chemistry homework. he could just text bruce about it, but the fact is he doesn't really need help with it — he just wants loki's attention. )

Loki. ( thor nudges loki's book with his foot, nearly knocking it out of his hands. he can already imagine the irritated look gathering on loki's face from behind him, brewing like a stormcloud. thor looks over his shoulder, bright-eyed and totally innocent. ) Help me out with this equation, would you? It's not really a study date if you ignore me for a book the whole time.

( as thor's voice cuts through his concentration, loki wonders — not for the first time — why he agreed to the study date in the first place. it hardly matters what they get up to behind closed doors, as long as they maintain the outward appearance of a relationship. loki reminds himself that it was useful for him to be seen getting into thor's car after school and driving away in the direction of thor's house. and it's useful for loki to build a rapport with thor's family, even if thor's dad is a little intimidating and hela is downright terrifying. ( in fact, if it weren't for thor's mom, loki would begin to question whether thor were adopted. )

and thor does genuinely need help with his schoolwork. no play-acting there. but it's probably dangerous to continue pretending like this is a date when there's no one around to impress. and thor, blessed with a golden heart and good looks, but cursed with a simple mind, could easily become confused if the lines are blurred too much, too often.

loki rolls his eyes and carefully dog-ears his page, setting his own book aside. ) And it's not a study date if I can't actually do any studying. ( he shifts closer to peer at thor's book, and their knees touch. ) I'm sure Jane was all too happy to do the work for you, but that's not part of our arrangement. Now, which equation are you stuck on, exactly?

( thor makes a face, immaturely mimicking loki's chastising where loki can't see it. of course loki actually wants to study. he's completely ridiculous like that.

then loki goes on to mention jane, and thor manages to remember to look affronted, partially because no jane never did his work for him (okay, except that one time), but mostly because loki is still under the impression that thor is doing this to get jane back. maybe he was in the beginning, but now ... he's more willing to accept that it had been a mutual dumping. he's not even sure he misses her that much — or, he doesn't miss being with her? it's complicated. he still wants to be friends, if that's a thing exes can be without it getting weird. especially when the person you happen to be fake dating and your ex can't stand each other. this will require more thought.

for now, thor is more interested in loki's face. he'd rather study the line of his jaw and the shape of his mouth all night than do his science homework. he's acutely aware of their knees touching, the warmth of that simple contact, and he tries not to become too distracted by it. or, really, by loki in general. he points to the equation in his workbook. )

This one. I can't figure out how to balance it.

( maybe jane never actually did thor's work, but thor didn't deny it, and that's as good as an admission in loki's mind. it's odd, but lately whenever he thinks about thor and jane together his chest gets tight in a way it never used to — or at least, in a way it hasn't in a long, long time. he might have had a crush on thor once — who hasn't? — but when it became clear that thor only saw him as a friend, loki extinguished that flame.

was he chagrined when thor chose jane, who was almost as unlikely a fit as loki himself? maybe a little. but he told himself that feeling didn't mean anything. he was just annoyed, as any friend would be, when thor started spending more time with her than with him. and now that the opportunity has presented itself, he's getting back at jane for that and for all of the other slights she's ever inflicted upon him in the years since they'd become rivals.

he looks at the question thor indicates, and his mouth forms a flat line. in all fairness, it is one of the more complicated ones on the page. but loki won't tell thor that. he takes thor's pencil, flips to a blank notebook page, and rewrites the equation. he mouths the numbers and letters as he does so, an unconscious habit.

then, he explains, in the simplest terms possible, how to crack the equation. afterwards, he turns to thor. ) Make sense?

do you still believe in love i wonder?

vegas au – text;

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hogwarts au.

fake dating au.

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