All Work and No Play - Loki x Female Reader

Two

This had been a terrible idea.

Loki took another look around and then turned back to the drink he had clasped in his hand, raising it to take another swig.

He was already on his third drink and found that he hadn't moved from the spot he'd managed to secure at the bar, not managing to find the looseness to fully let go and have fun just yet.

Though looking around, he wasn't entirely sure what he was meant to do.

Sure, others were dancing to the pounding music and flirting up a storm but he didn't understand how, it all sounded like a garbled mess of processed thumps and there was no way, even with leaning in as close as possible, that people could hear one another over the racket.

Not to mention some of the garish outfits the club goers were peacocking in, some of them pulling the weirdest expressions that looked like they were trying to get something off of their lip with how much they were gurning and biting them.

In a couple of the booths he'd noticed others closer to his age, but they looked like the typical rowdy bunch of mums on a night away from the kids and he very much didn't want to put up with that.

Could he have been wrong?

Sure, but he didn't wish to go over and find out, especially if it meant having loud Sharon yelling in his ear while falling out of her dress as she carelessly sloshed her drink over his suit to tell him that she had a friend who is so sweet and lovely and who he would definitely get along with.

It was then that a thought came to him.

A daunting thought that he didn't want to entertain but couldn't push back now that it had reared its ugly head.

"I'm too old for this."

In his mind's eye, if he changed his surroundings from a club to the typical smoky and dreary bar, he could picture himself as the overworked businessman who was hunched over on his stool looking as pathetic as the stereotypical drunk from a movie.

At least he hadn't reached that point in his life, he didn't need to worry about loan sharks hunting him down for money as he drunkenly slumped over the bar counter.

That didn't stop him from feeling entirely out of place.

Much as he had earlier, he let out a long sigh and took stock of his situation.

He could either continue to sit there, gearing up the energy to get up and join the considerably younger, though still very much adult, people on the strangely placed dance floor or he could accept that tonight was not his night, move on and try for something more his scene tomorrow after getting some rest.

Leave.

He definitely had to leave.

With slumped shoulders, he finished the last dregs of his drink and then set the glass down before standing up, plucking his suit jacket off of the stool to shrug it on.

He patted himself down, checking down the usual checklist – keys, wallet, phone – once satisfied that all was there, he prepared to wade through the crowd and turned around only to flinch back as someone stepped directly into his path.

They jumped, looking up at him like a deer caught in headlights.

The two stood there, staring at one another for an uncomfortable moment.

Eventually, Loki snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

"Can I help you?" He yelled, hoping that the music hadn't drowned him out too much.