All Work and No Play - Loki x Female Reader

One

"You look so tired, you should take a day off."

"Are you ever not working?"

"Don't you have a life beyond your office?"

"Loki, I really wish you would take care of yourself."

The last one had come from his mother and it made him go cold every time he remembered the sad, almost pleading, look in her eyes as she had said it.

He had sighed and nodded, giving her the smallest of smile as he met her gaze after a pregnant pause.

"Okay, I'll book some time off."

When he walked out of the Odinson offices three weeks later on a Friday evening, he already wasn't sure what to do with himself.

He had a week of no work, even email checking had been forbidden under the threat of Thor, his ever rambunctious brother who had assured him that he could deal with all business sides, including those coming in from other realms.

It was Odinson's business to keep other companies in allegiance with one another, working out trade contracts and settling differences between the two and while things had changed over the years and Thor had settled his millennia-old need to cause battles and havoc to get his own way, things were still tense across all realms.

It was an unending fight between everyone, hence why they had set up shop in a realm other than Asgard, in order to keep it from being repeatedly stormed by angry other-realmers who were still stuck in primitive ways.

Now Thor would be in the middle of it all and without Loki there, he couldn't be sure that his brother wouldn't slip into old, Ragnarok starting ways.

The thought made Loki's stomach drop.

Thor was charming and friendly, but sometimes his business head was rather abrasive and Loki could count on five hands instances when he had to step in and mediate a problem that Thor's carelessness had conjured up, luckily few of those instances lead to business being dropped.

How was he supposed to relax with the constant fear of everything being burned down when he got back?

How was he supposed to relax in general?

Sure, he could go home and read but that wasn't anything new for Loki, he needed to do something different, something to pull him out of 'I have work after the weekend' mode.

So that meant no going home to shower, make some tea and sit down to read another few chapters of his current book as he would on any other typical day after work.

No one had any expectations of him but to take some time off and yet, for some reason even he couldn't rationalise, Loki wanted to get out there and do something wholly unlike him, as if he would be showing this hypothetical person that he could be fun.

But what was he to do?

Going out to dinner had lost all its charm since he joined the family business, too many meetings had been held over steaks and fancy champagne.

He could see a movie, but then realised he didn't have a clue what was showing, having not seen a trailer for the longest time.

Loki sighed and ran a hand through his methodically combed hair, letting it fall chaotically around his face once he let go.

Maybe he wasn't much fun after all.

A few shrill giggles came from down the street, the clicking of heels getting closer as a gaggle of women tottered by him, looking ready for a Friday night on the town, each of them talking over one another in a pitch that could only be heard by dogs.

Perhaps that was it.

When was the last time he had had a night on the town?

He frowned in thought, taking a long pause before it hit him, nearly causing him to physically react with a flinch as he realised that he had never actually been out on the town.

Clubs weren't really his thing, surprisingly.

For a man full of charm and wit, one who could pull someone in with a simple smile, he didn't enjoy going out to lose all his inhibitions.

Loki would prefer to sit at home in his own company with a warm drink or some wine, where it was quiet and where he could get some peace from the outside world.

Isolation was his domain and it had been a long time since anyone had been welcomed into his sanctuary, which made the thought of going home to that overly lavish and minimalist apartment all the more unappealing.

He couldn't even remember the last time he had been with anyone romantically, business had taken over everything for as long as he could remember and it was only just now hitting him how much time he had dedicated to the behemoth of a company.

No wonder everyone was so worried about him.

"That'll be it then," he mumbled to himself, giving no one a resolute nod. "Loki Friggason will go clubbing."

Sure, he wasn't dressed for the occasion but his business suit, with the emerald green tie and the sleeves rolled and tucked up at the elbows, would have to do.

He could throw his work gear into his car and then head to the club down the street.

This was it.

He would do as his mother asked and take some time for himself, once the week was over then he could return to work bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Watch out world, Loki was back in (motherly mandated time off) business.