Salon buddies for @favoriteanalyst

[cuttingremark]

It started about a few months ago. Loki needed to relax after making the mistake of spending his winter holidays with his 'family' (which ended in another spectacular fight with Odin that resulted in one broken window and a lost snow globe Loki has thrown through said broken window), but his normal esthetician was booked solid for the next year and couldn't fit him in outside of his own pre-scheduled appointments no matter how much money he offered to throw at her. Wanda was the best in the city, probably the whole country, so it made sense, but there's still the issue of Loki needing something to relieve his tension so he didn't strangle his paralegals. The thought crossed his mind of setting up a tindr profile for a quick fuck, but he isn't in law school anymore and that was just a disaster waiting to happen.



Wanda saves him from making a bad decision by texting him the information for another technician she helped train. She claims he's new, but very talented, which he figures will do in a pinch. The link she sent him takes him to a rather outdated looking webpage for the "TVA Salon and Spa", an older establishment that apparently started in the 50's as a barber shop, but recent made the jump to full salon under new management. Despite the clunky UI, he's able to schedule an appointment for a basic manicure the very next day with the young man Wanda had told him about.

Casey is a nice young man. Not anywhere as skilled as Wanda, but his nails come out looking acceptable with their basic black polish and the hand massage he gets to begin with is utterly divine. He doesn't go into detail about his family problems, but the other gets the gist that the holidays were strained and is more than willing to play the oh-so-important role of listening ear even if his platitudes do ring a little hollow.

When the appointment is over, Casey hands him a card for a free deep conditioning treatment or 30 minute shoulder massage.

"These are really just for family and friends," he explains, "but you really seem like you need something to help you relax." He thinks about declining, but decides it isn't polite and takes the card anyway before handing the young man a $400 tip.

The stern looking woman at the front desk gives him a serious look as Casey nearly passes out in the background. "I'm going to be checking those to make sure they're real."

"But of course, I would expect nothing less." His usual winning smile does nothing to lighten her glare as she rings him out. She asks if he wants to use the card to schedule something today. Why not? It's a charming establishment and he has some free time coming up.

The masseuse the card is good for, Bee, is apparently booked solid for the next month, but the stylist, Mobius, just had a cancellation in the following week that fit perfectly in his schedule.

That appointment was the beginning of the end for Loki.

So in he walks six months later, having ditched his normal high-end stylist for a middle-aged man who looks like he works in a cubicle rather than a up-and-coming salon. It isn't his normally scheduled appointment, but his cases have been crazy and Thor just left for his "journey of self-discovery" aka backpacking across Europe, so all of Odin's attention is now on his youngest.

Joy.

If Loki were the sentimental type, he'd think it a shame that the lobby area of a salon is more comfortable for him than his childhood home.

Comments

[cuttingremark]

"I'm more of the 'sleep for a whole day' mind as well." He's younger than Mobius, but he isn't that young.

Loki gives a sort of nervous chuckle. "I may have exaggerated in the heat of the moment, but in my defense I was a little taken off guard. I didn't think you'd take that readily to it. Do you have...experience with that sort of thing?"

[favoriteanalyst]

"I don't feel like it takes much experience to lean into smacking some asses. I mean, I've done it before." His raises his eyebrows. "So I shouldn't apologize for egging you on for a little begging?"

[cuttingremark]

"No, it was more than okay. Just don't expect it to be that easy next time. I like making my partners work a bit more before I start singing."

[favoriteanalyst]

"I think neither of us were in the mood for a lot of work. First time probably shouldn't be work. Just fun. But spanking, that's in the future. Got it. Noted. Pinned to a mental wall of Things Loki Enjoys. I imagine it's probably gonna be a long list."

[cuttingremark]

"Oh, I have a very detailed list, but that's something to discuss when we get back to New York."

[favoriteanalyst]

"Oh, it's detailed, huh? Should I be worried? What if I decide all I want in life is a little vanilla sex, huh?" Clearly not exactly the case. But what if.

[cuttingremark]

"You enjoyed spanking me far to much to just be into vanilla sex." Loki teases. "But if that were the case, I suppose I would have to live with vanilla sex for however long you're willing to put up with me."

[favoriteanalyst]

"But it's something we can get into more detail about later. Back home." And after they've had some proper penetrative fucking, he thinks. Presumes. "Lube next time we do something like this, if we got any more vigorous I'll start chaffing."

[cuttingremark]

"Agreed. At least some lotion." Loki chuckles.

"Do you want to stay here tonight, or go back to your room? No pressure, either way." While he would very much like to wake up next to him, Loki still want to assume.

[favoriteanalyst]

"Well. Let's put it this way. We're either getting under these sheets because I'm getting chilly in this room naked as a jaybird, or I'm stealing one of your robes to shuffle a couple feet over to my room."

This would be easier and cozier. Sweeter. Tender. It also feels...big? But, is that any bigger than getting down to what they've been doing?

"I tend to like it when whoever's with me stays for breakfast at least. Don't want to overstay my welcome, though."

[cuttingremark]

"How about you borrow my robe if you'd like to go back to your room to grab anything you'd like to wear to bed while I wash up?" He can feel his eyelids growing heavier by the second, but he refuses to go to bed without at least brushing his teeth.

[favoriteanalyst]

"Mmmmm, okay, deal. I haven't had any complaints about annoying or weird sleep habits, so at least there's that."

It does mean getting out of bed and away from Loki, which uuuugh whyyyy, but he digs out one of the free hotel robes and gathers up a bundle of his clothes. Is it a walk of shame if the walk is less than ten feet and there's no shame? He doesn't imagine he'll bring much. Just himself and a plain tee and boxers, good old bedtime wear. Hm, and his wallet, room keycard naturally, and phone. Just in case. Right. A little hand washing, a little tooth brushing, nightly routine shit, and then he shuffles back over, still be-robed, with a little knock to be let back in.

"We got anywhere we need to be tomorrow? Anything planned?" At least, anything early. "Take me on some tours, get me feeling like a proper Asgardian?"

[cuttingremark]

The lack of warmth as Mobius gets up motivates Loki to get up as well to don his own sleep attire (an oversized Harvard shirt and briefs.) While Mobius gathers his things, he brushes his teeth and begins his nightly skin routine, his face shiny with lotion when he opens the door again to let the other back in.

"I was thinking of taking you to The Longhouse. It served as the old town center of a sort back in the old days, but now it's been converted into a meadery." he calls from the bathroom as he finishes step eight of ten. "There's also a few museums we can go to, if you're in to that sort of thing."

[favoriteanalyst]

"Looking forward to it. I can take in some history and art. And mead." Good lord that's a lot of product on the counter. He tries not to jostle Loki too much when he comes up from behind to get his arms wrapped nice and loose around him.

"You actually go to Harvard for your law studies, or did you steal this off someone?"

[cuttingremark]

Loki gives an over dramatic gasp as he finishes wiping his face. "Excuse me? You take me for some common t-shirt thief? I'm insulted!" Despite the 'insult' he's careful to not jostle Mobius' arms from his middle, using his long arms to their full effect grabbing the night cream from the sink.

"I graduated top of my class from Harvard, thank you very much!"

[favoriteanalyst]

"Mmhm, and yet not smart enough to get a shirt in your size?" Don't mind Mobius having a little fun, nuzzling into Loki's shoulder. "Or is this the part where I make a lewd joke about magna cum laude?"

[cuttingremark]

"Thor got it for me when I got accepted," Loki says, a small smile forming. "He swears he ordered the correct size and the shop just messed up. It's soft, so I went ahead and kept it."

[favoriteanalyst]

"Sounds to me he probably got it in his size and felt bad about it." He's aware that Thor is the muscle of the family and a terribly big mound of man, even without having met him, just from Loki's descriptions. "It is soft. Good choice. And here I thought maybe you're the type to sleep in the nude."

[cuttingremark]

"That does sound like something he'd do." Loki was always sure the shirt was probably Thor's mistake, likely he put the wrong size in by accident. "He was the only one at the time who supported me moving to the States to go to law school. I think he was trying to prove a point."

Night cream applied and massaged in, Loki turns in Mobius' arms. "Bed? Tomorrow's going to be a lot of walking."

[favoriteanalyst]

"Bed," agreed. "If I kiss you, is that going to smudge all the everything you just slathered on?"

[cuttingremark]

Loki grins. "No, the lip mask is a once-a-week thing." It's mostly a joke. He only does lip masks when he's feeling like pampering himself.

[favoriteanalyst]

That means it's Mobius' cue to lean in and give Loki a slow and sweet and sure kiss to the lips. And only once he's satisfied with that does he pull away from the hug enough to tug Loki along.

[cuttingremark]

Loki sleeps deeply that night, Mobius' warm body pressed to his back providing more than just heat. They sleep in the next morning, going out around noon to see the city, including the meadery Loki told Mobius about the night before. They don't stay out too late, however, getting back to the hotel at a reasonable hour where Loki invites Mobius back to his room once more. Though they do makeout a bit, both agree not to take it too far that night as they're both tired from a long day walking, and the gala is the following evening. Loki still sleeps soundly, despite his empty bed.

The day of the gala is a flurry of activity. Loki has a mani-pedi scheduled (which he is able to talk Mobius in to indulging in as well) as well as appointments with a local designer to pick up his own outfit. Then they have to be back to the hotel in time for Loki's hair and makeup appointment. By the time they're actually set to leave for the gala, they haven't seen each other in a few hours.

[favoriteanalyst]

The whole trip has been a whirlwind in various ways. It's going to be a lot to emotionally unpack later, but Mobius tries to make sure that it's for later. The gala day is nice for the spa treatment to indulge in rather than work at, but none of it truly helps to ease his nerves.

Especially since Loki has a lot more going on. Mobius can take care of himself, a little hair routine for the short silver he's got, a fresh shave of the face and trim of the stache, little details like that before throwing the bespoke suit on. Not that complicated. All he has to do is stay quiet and mild, and he'll be invisible.

Does he want to be invisible? Probably for the best. He can't speak the native tongue worth a damn more than some polite phrases. Loki will have some attention but isn't the politician of the hour. Just smile and let Loki do his thing, be nice to the parents, eat and drink and be merry and then kiss his boyfriend silly when they get back to the hotel. Easy.

He tugs at the sleeves, looking at himself in the mirror and adjusting the cufflinks once more needlessly. He looks damn good if he does say so himself. Much better than a suit off the rack. Okay. Breathe. Check the time. Go check on Loki. Breathe. He gives a knock on the door.

[cuttingremark]

Hair and makeup done, outfit on, Loki is just putting his earrings in when Mobius knocks on the door. He opens the door, a smile on his gold painted lips.

"You look amazing."