The Smell Of Books - Loki x Reader

Ten

One of my favourite places to be was Ron's coffee shop. It was a local cafe, an individual one similar to mine and Eva's bookshop meaning that it was oftentimes rather empty, save for the locals.

The street on which mine and Ron's shops resided was full of local independents like ours - there was Toby's Record Shop, the Stevenson's family bakery and Phil's newsagents on the corner, to name a few of the stores I frequented on an almost daily basis.

And it was not uncommon for all of us store holders to bump into each other in Ron's cafe. It was a favourite for anyone who had visited and Ron never forgot a face - he would ask customers he had met merely once about their life story, kids, husbands, wives, school. And people shared because Ron was that kind of person. And, if someone seemed down or having a hard time then Ron was quick to offer them an extra slab of cake or one of his coffee experiments by way of cheering them up.

It was Ron's overwhelming friendliness that had attracted me to buying my little store on River Street.

I sat at my favourite table in Ron's cafe, a chai latte between my hands and a slice of coffee cake in front of me. I had brought a book, as I always did, but I had yet to open it, my mind preoccupied with other things.

Eva things, to be exact.

And Loki. Always Loki.

"You going to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to guess?" Ron asked, easing himself into the seat opposite me. I gave him a smile that I knew I couldn't keep my exhaustion out of and shook my head, letting out a long breath.

"I'm fine, Ron," I promised. "Just tired from all the shop admin." Ron reached his wrinkled hand across the table and grabbed one of mine.

"I know when you're not fine, Y/N," he confided. "It's in your eyes."

"Then my eyes are lying because I'm fine," I insisted.

"Is Loki giving you grief?" He inquired. I looked at him for a moment, hesitating before answering.

"Not in the way you would think," I paused. "Or hope," I added with a laugh. Ron's eyes crinkled with the smile I had grown to know so well over the years.

"You love him?"

"Love is a strong word." I countered.

"And yet..." Ron trailed off, looking at me expectantly.

"And yet," I conceded. Ron nodded sagely.

"I suspected as much," he looked at me hard for another few minutes before shaking his head again. "But that's not what's bothering you," he decided.

"What gave it away?" I laughed.

"Because that's never been the most important thing to you, has it?" Ron blinked a couple of times, clearly expecting me to cut in but I remained in silence, not wanting to admit anything that may make what was on my mind clear. "What's going on with Eva?"

Tears sprung to my eyes at his gentle tone and I turned my gaze to the table to try and hide my expression from the kind old man.

"Are you telepathic or something?" I laughed tearfully, bringing one hand up to cover my mouth. My eyes fell shut and I prayed to every God I knew - Thor and Loki excluded, they didn't need to know what was going on - for my tears to remain unshed.

"I've seen a lot, Y/N, I'm old. I know when you're hurting," Ron confided, his tone was gentle and supporting and I wanted to hug him.

"I don't know how you do it, Ron," I finally said.