All Work and No Play - Loki x Female Reader

Seven

After taking her home and helping her carry the bags inside, Loki stuck around for another hour and then decided it was perhaps time to stop lingering before it became too creepy or clingy.

She didn't seem bothered and took his company politely, engaging him in conversation as she went about putting away her shopping, she didn't seem in a rush to get him out of her life.

They found more nonsense to talk about while whittling away time, all meaningless and unimportant but fun and humorous nonetheless.

This was also where he finally learned the snake's name.

"Bates?" He repeated with a tilted head.

"Yeah, my snake upstairs, it's his feeding day."

"I see, interesting name."

"Thanks," she beamed, "it's from Psycho, like Norman Bates."

"Interesting choice."

"I know, but what can I say? I have a thing for monstrous soft boys."

Loki stared at her then chuckled, shaking his head as she laughed and went back to packing the final things away.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Loki raised his eyebrow as she smiled at him, one hand on her cocked hip as she looked at him curiously.

He almost couldn't believe that the offer was a genuine further extension of time than one made of compulsion or a question poised to indicate how long he had stuck around and that it was perhaps time for him to leave.

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I feel that I've taken up too much of your time already."

She shrugged, "I'm sure, it's been fun, though maybe it's wrong to keep you around but I'm not sure how this one-night stand thing works out."

"I suppose it varies for everyone, not all result in a walk of shame."

"I doubt they all involve a session of grocery shopping and dinner after either though," she laughed.

Loki smiled and gave his own one-sided shrug.

"All is variable, but sure, I would love to stay for dinner."

She smiled widely and nodded, grabbing some things from the freshly packed cupboard.

"It won't be much, just a sandwich and some small snacks."

"Anything is fine with me."

After everything, Loki finally left her place just before three in the afternoon with a new contact and the thought that he would definitely plan on calling her and arranging another time out.

Did he intend for it to be another hook-up?

He wasn't entirely sure, the past twenty hours had gone by in such a strange haze that he felt a little lost, adding on top of the fact that he still had the week to get through with nothing planned.

For the first time in a long while, Loki felt uncertain of himself.

Why had he latched onto this stranger?

Was he simply craving attention and she gave it to him easily?

No, it couldn't be something so juvenile.

It had to be more complex than that, something about her in particular that kept him enraptured beyond a simple need for companionship in a week of free time.

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel, his eyes trained on the road as he lost himself in thought while concentrating on his path home.

What was he going to do when he got there?