What was he thinking? Mobius couldn’t answer.
Maybe it was knowing that he didn’t have kids at home for the weekend because his ex wife wanted to take them on one last vacation before the school year started. Maybe it was the really, really good whiskey the handsome stranger at the bar had ordered for him. Maybe it was that Mobius hadn’t had any action since he’d gotten divorced years ago.
Either way, sleeping with strangers was not something Mobius did. Well, didn’t do often, because he did end up sleeping with the handsome stranger at the bar.
He had woken up alone the next morning, feeling halfway between relieved and disappointed. Mobius couldn’t even remember the man’s name. He had left a note on the pillow beside him, written in beautiful cursive. “Work emergency, had a lovely night, call me if you’re interested in doing it again” and a phone number, signed off with ‘L.L.’ and a winky face.
At least he had a hint as to what the stranger’s name was.
Mobius couldn’t remember much about the man he had met at the bar and subsequently taken home. He could remember black curls that had gotten wilder as the night went on. That his favorite drink was probably island breeze, based on how many he had ordered that night. Vibrant eyes that Mobius couldn’t tell were blue or green.
To be honest, Mobius had forgotten about the note and the phone number that was written on the bottom of it. He had folded it and put it in his wallet, full intentions of at least texting the man, but the chaos of an approaching new school year had completely consumed his free time.
Late at night, though, the man would wander into Mobius’ thoughts. He had washed the sheets since that night, of course, but he swore he could still smell him. Something akin to pine needles and cinnamon. Mobius felt that was fitting, considering what he remembered about the man.
Mobius was ashamed to admit that he was relieved when the first day of school rolled around. He loved his sons dearly, more than anything in the whole world, but they were troublemakers through and through. They had too much free time during the summer, if you asked Mobius.
He’d been through the first day of school enough times to have a somewhat routine down. It was Sean and Kevin, so it wasn’t a perfect science, but the chaos wasn’t as winding and it was a relatively smooth process,
Mobius had dropped Sean off at his class first, silently praying for the teacher he was handing the boy off to. He knew she had been teaching at the school for a long time now, but damn she would still need those prayers.
He held onto Kevin’s backpack as they walked to his new classroom. The teacher’s name was not one he had recognized, and he dreaded it. At least if it was a teacher that once had Sean, they’d have some idea as to what was about to walk in.
Mobius prayed. Those prayers wouldn’t save him from what he was about to face.
There, in the middle of the classroom, was the handsome stranger. Even more dreadfully, he was wearing the same badge as every other staff member at the school.
The handsome stranger, who was in Mobius’ bed mere nights ago, was his son’s teacher.
He didn’t believe in God anyways.
Mobius couldn’t have stopped his jaw from dropping even if he tried. The man’s wild black hair had been tamed a bit, but the curls were still defined. He was wearing something simple, a green henley and black slacks, but damn he looked good. He was in the middle of a conversation with another parent, talking with his hands just like had done at the bar.
Then the handsome stranger’s eyes flickered to the doorway where Mobius stood, still holding onto Kevin’ backpack. He visibly watched the man do a double take, a blush filling his cheek when he had realized who was standing there.
The stranger had politely excused himself from the conversation he was having and walked over to where Mobius and the boy stood. He had looked much more shy than he did when he was walking over to him at the bar.
A smile graced his lips before he began to speak. “I’m Mr. Laufeyson, and you are…?” Kevin introduced himself but all Mobius could think about was ‘yeah, that’s the voice he had heard in his bed’. Mobius was trying to remember how to think straight when he noticed the man, Mr. Laufeyson, was looking right at him, hand extended to shake.
“I-I’m Mobius, Kevin’s dad.” He managed to stutter out, taking the hand in his direction. A more mischievous smile slid onto the man’s face. “Mobius. Quite the peculiar name.” Now Mobius had to remember how to breathe because he had heard those exact words from those lips just days before.
“You can call me Loki.” Loki had said, still holding Mobius’ hand. “But you knew that.” He leaned in to whisper, giving the man a wink as he backed away.
His eyes were blue, Mobius noted to himself.