( 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.