Loki and Cal - Backdated
Nov. 2nd, 2018 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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ax_mainLoki and Cal don't even know they're working out their dynamics in a world without Duo.
Cal was sprawled in an armchair in one of the unused reading rooms, with Abs sleeping on the floor beside him and one of his fantasy novels in his hands. He'd texted Loki that he'd be here, not for any reason but the fact that he sometimes liked to join Cal. The room was the one Cal regularly used, so he'd left the door closed, since Loki would know where to find him if he wanted to. Opening it would've felt like an invitation to anyone, and Cal didn't want to risk 'anyone' interrupting his quiet time, much as visitors to this floor were few and far between.
Loki’s response generally depended on mood. If he came with a book in hand he wanted to hang out. If he came on paws, he was hopeful Cal would let him snuggle. Never the twain shall meet. With the closed door Loki suspected he’d picked the right option today. He had a stash of books in his messenger bag, which he was fickly flipping between. Paws could could always come later.
Loki tapped before pushing the door open. He stuck a leg in the way so Abs couldn’t dash out. She stirred at his interruption, but didn’t seem inclined to romp. “Greetings dreamers,” he said softly. Loki shut the door behind him and went to flop down next to Abs on the floor. She immediately flopped her head on his lap. Dutifully, he fluffed her fur. “Yes, dear. You’re very cute.” He reached over Abs to fish a graphic novel out of his bag.
"Whatcha reading?" Cal asked curiously, instinctively meeting the quiet tone of Loki's voice.
Loki angled the cover up for Cal. “Getting back into Fables. Someone inspired me.”
Cal smiled at that. "I didn't know you had them. I sent Betsy the scans." Since his own collection was, well, probably ash, given the state of his former house.
“It was an excuse to grab the new edition. Most of my books are home, although I’m considering rotating them out when I travel back and forth.” Loki peered up curiously. “I didn’t realize Betsy was a big reader.”
"I don't actually know if she is," Cal amended, after thinking about it for a second. "But she was curious about Fables, anyway."
“She’s very... sharp. Beautiful, if you’re into that sort of thing. I haven’t really talked to her. Is she good people?”
Sharp and beautiful were both very fit descriptors. But Betsy wasn't the only one they could apply to. Cal shoved that thought aside before his mind could cling to it and start spiraling. "She is," he confirmed, thumbing mechanically at the corner of his book. "She doesn't push." It helped that she'd gone through her fair share of shit, but Cal wasn't going to disclose that.
“Oh dear, so my opposite,” Loki said with a smirk. “I was wondering. Since she’s very,” he gestured at his head. “Silent as the moon. I have few qualms introducing myself, but I have a healthy respect for women that look like they could crush me under a well placed heel.”
Both because that was hot, and Loki would prefer a telepath not picking up on that reaction. Also, he’d has his ass handed to him by more than one competent woman. Aspiring lady knights were fierce as Hel, and tourneys were equal opportunity in Asgard.
Cal was silent for a moment, frowning. "You don't push."
Loki casually glanced down. How did one get around saying you’re special? If Loki pushed Cal he was afraid he’d never get him back again. “It’s different with you,” he admitted hesitantly. “I mean, we can be other things. It makes communicating different.”
Cal wanted to protest that they'd been friends for longer than Loki had offered that Cal mimic him, but he also wanted to know what Loki meant by that. How, exactly, their shapeshifting changed anything about how pushy Loki might be. He watched Loki's profile for a second, then asked, "What do you mean?"
Loki sighed and set the book down. No point in feigning distraction. “Some of your boundaries are loud and clear. But you don’t care as much when I’m a cat, so if I want to touch you I can change, and it’s less of a push and more of an adjustment.”
"Yeah, it's not pushing," Cal confirmed. "You never pushed."
“If I do, would you avoid me?” Loki asked. “Would it jeapordise this comfortable tableau?”
Cal should have seen it coming, the way the conversation turned back around on him. He forced himself not to move, despite the tension in his spine. "Yeah," he admitted. "Probably."
Loki lifted his hand in a distinct ‘voila’ gesture. “I like being near you.” He sank lower, rubbing his hand over Abs’ fur. “Shaun indulges me mostly. He wouldn’t be afraid to push back. You’ll run. So there’s the limit.”
"So you only push with people who'll take it," Cal concluded, the tension slowly beginning to dissipate. He paused for another moment, and then said, quietly, "Thank you."
Loki shrugged. “Take it or give it. Or that I genuinely do not give a fuck about. If I pushed you away... then would pretty much suck.”
Cal smiled a little, trying to shape the expression into something smug and teasing. "So you give a fuck. I'm touched." Of course, he really was, behind the act.
Loki dropped his head back. “You’re going to end up with a raven on your head,” he threatened.
"Don't fuck with my hair," Cal warned Loki, instinctively reaching a hand up to run it through it. He dropped it, hesitated, then offered, "Maybe some day, we can try snuggling as people?" He didn't sound so sure himself; beside his usual issues with touch, the idea challenged what he'd been taught about how boys - men - should behave.
Loki snorted at the hair comment. He offered Cal a hopeful smile. “Hey. I’ll take hands brushing or leaning ever slightly against you from down here as a start. Full body snuggling sounds pretty far down the line.”
"I don't do well when I don't know it's coming," Cal admitted, frowning down at his book. "Hands brushing? Meh." The thought of something frank worked better for him. Something he decided on, and committed to. "But yeah, I wasn't thinking full body," he added, giving Loki a quick half-smile. But there were... options.
“Well, I’ll just float out there. You can pet me in any shape I’m in.” He didn’t change shape because Abs was comfortable on his lap, but his shadow flickered through wolf, cat long winged semi raven, female with long flowing hair, current shape. “Whenever you wanna sieze the day, buddy.” That nickname wasn’t one Loki used often, but it was common enough when Cal was talking to Loki as a fluffy creature.
The nickname made Cal smile slightly in amusement, but he only nodded. "You're on." He'd probably ask first, all the same, when Loki was human-shaped.
Loki nestled back down, cracking his book open, and draping an arm across Abs.
Cal was sprawled in an armchair in one of the unused reading rooms, with Abs sleeping on the floor beside him and one of his fantasy novels in his hands. He'd texted Loki that he'd be here, not for any reason but the fact that he sometimes liked to join Cal. The room was the one Cal regularly used, so he'd left the door closed, since Loki would know where to find him if he wanted to. Opening it would've felt like an invitation to anyone, and Cal didn't want to risk 'anyone' interrupting his quiet time, much as visitors to this floor were few and far between.
Loki’s response generally depended on mood. If he came with a book in hand he wanted to hang out. If he came on paws, he was hopeful Cal would let him snuggle. Never the twain shall meet. With the closed door Loki suspected he’d picked the right option today. He had a stash of books in his messenger bag, which he was fickly flipping between. Paws could could always come later.
Loki tapped before pushing the door open. He stuck a leg in the way so Abs couldn’t dash out. She stirred at his interruption, but didn’t seem inclined to romp. “Greetings dreamers,” he said softly. Loki shut the door behind him and went to flop down next to Abs on the floor. She immediately flopped her head on his lap. Dutifully, he fluffed her fur. “Yes, dear. You’re very cute.” He reached over Abs to fish a graphic novel out of his bag.
"Whatcha reading?" Cal asked curiously, instinctively meeting the quiet tone of Loki's voice.
Loki angled the cover up for Cal. “Getting back into Fables. Someone inspired me.”
Cal smiled at that. "I didn't know you had them. I sent Betsy the scans." Since his own collection was, well, probably ash, given the state of his former house.
“It was an excuse to grab the new edition. Most of my books are home, although I’m considering rotating them out when I travel back and forth.” Loki peered up curiously. “I didn’t realize Betsy was a big reader.”
"I don't actually know if she is," Cal amended, after thinking about it for a second. "But she was curious about Fables, anyway."
“She’s very... sharp. Beautiful, if you’re into that sort of thing. I haven’t really talked to her. Is she good people?”
Sharp and beautiful were both very fit descriptors. But Betsy wasn't the only one they could apply to. Cal shoved that thought aside before his mind could cling to it and start spiraling. "She is," he confirmed, thumbing mechanically at the corner of his book. "She doesn't push." It helped that she'd gone through her fair share of shit, but Cal wasn't going to disclose that.
“Oh dear, so my opposite,” Loki said with a smirk. “I was wondering. Since she’s very,” he gestured at his head. “Silent as the moon. I have few qualms introducing myself, but I have a healthy respect for women that look like they could crush me under a well placed heel.”
Both because that was hot, and Loki would prefer a telepath not picking up on that reaction. Also, he’d has his ass handed to him by more than one competent woman. Aspiring lady knights were fierce as Hel, and tourneys were equal opportunity in Asgard.
Cal was silent for a moment, frowning. "You don't push."
Loki casually glanced down. How did one get around saying you’re special? If Loki pushed Cal he was afraid he’d never get him back again. “It’s different with you,” he admitted hesitantly. “I mean, we can be other things. It makes communicating different.”
Cal wanted to protest that they'd been friends for longer than Loki had offered that Cal mimic him, but he also wanted to know what Loki meant by that. How, exactly, their shapeshifting changed anything about how pushy Loki might be. He watched Loki's profile for a second, then asked, "What do you mean?"
Loki sighed and set the book down. No point in feigning distraction. “Some of your boundaries are loud and clear. But you don’t care as much when I’m a cat, so if I want to touch you I can change, and it’s less of a push and more of an adjustment.”
"Yeah, it's not pushing," Cal confirmed. "You never pushed."
“If I do, would you avoid me?” Loki asked. “Would it jeapordise this comfortable tableau?”
Cal should have seen it coming, the way the conversation turned back around on him. He forced himself not to move, despite the tension in his spine. "Yeah," he admitted. "Probably."
Loki lifted his hand in a distinct ‘voila’ gesture. “I like being near you.” He sank lower, rubbing his hand over Abs’ fur. “Shaun indulges me mostly. He wouldn’t be afraid to push back. You’ll run. So there’s the limit.”
"So you only push with people who'll take it," Cal concluded, the tension slowly beginning to dissipate. He paused for another moment, and then said, quietly, "Thank you."
Loki shrugged. “Take it or give it. Or that I genuinely do not give a fuck about. If I pushed you away... then would pretty much suck.”
Cal smiled a little, trying to shape the expression into something smug and teasing. "So you give a fuck. I'm touched." Of course, he really was, behind the act.
Loki dropped his head back. “You’re going to end up with a raven on your head,” he threatened.
"Don't fuck with my hair," Cal warned Loki, instinctively reaching a hand up to run it through it. He dropped it, hesitated, then offered, "Maybe some day, we can try snuggling as people?" He didn't sound so sure himself; beside his usual issues with touch, the idea challenged what he'd been taught about how boys - men - should behave.
Loki snorted at the hair comment. He offered Cal a hopeful smile. “Hey. I’ll take hands brushing or leaning ever slightly against you from down here as a start. Full body snuggling sounds pretty far down the line.”
"I don't do well when I don't know it's coming," Cal admitted, frowning down at his book. "Hands brushing? Meh." The thought of something frank worked better for him. Something he decided on, and committed to. "But yeah, I wasn't thinking full body," he added, giving Loki a quick half-smile. But there were... options.
“Well, I’ll just float out there. You can pet me in any shape I’m in.” He didn’t change shape because Abs was comfortable on his lap, but his shadow flickered through wolf, cat long winged semi raven, female with long flowing hair, current shape. “Whenever you wanna sieze the day, buddy.” That nickname wasn’t one Loki used often, but it was common enough when Cal was talking to Loki as a fluffy creature.
The nickname made Cal smile slightly in amusement, but he only nodded. "You're on." He'd probably ask first, all the same, when Loki was human-shaped.
Loki nestled back down, cracking his book open, and draping an arm across Abs.
