Author's Note: So umm... blame the lateness on these two bitches, okay? They are impossible.
I only did a single full proofread rather than my usual proofing method so I apologize for its roughness but I just wanted to get it out to you all because I am late in delivering. At least I do not work for Amazon.

Loki changes pronouns a few times in this. I made absolute sure the transitions were separated and happened in stages for readability's sake, but since he is the primary narrator, I felt it was a needed touch on this chapter.
Lastly, oh my God where do they get their bloody stamina from? Do not ask me I haven't the slightest clue, but good for them.

Without further adieu...
(Bring tissues maybe...)

Word Count: 7,499

Warning Tag: Sex in a Church; Sexual Content

Never had Control

Loki would have hugged Sylvie the second he was close enough until he caught sight of Mobius approaching her seconds later. Of course, he would have kissed him stupid and maybe slap him senseless on top of it because he was still so conflicted about everything when it came to Mobius. There was also the strange audience that now caught up to them to consider as well, so Loki just stopped dead in his tracks in front of them and looked between them in near disbelief.

The elated feeling of having familiar faces around didn't last long, however. The ever-threatening cloud of death—Alioth—always lingering in the horizon didn't help, but knowing that there were other dangers potentially lurking about was unsettling as well. The lack of a day and night cycle in the Void made it even more difficult to get a sense of time just like in the TVA, but Loki had long since forgotten to care about it at this point. All he knew was he was tired, so tired, and so done with everything. He wanted to talk to Sylvie about her plan and how she wanted to go about approaching and handling it. He wanted to talk to Mobius about… everything and nothing. It was a conflicted feeling actively wanting to interact with people who actually liked his company, for the most part, and figuring out how to go about it in the process.

Once the group got acquainted with each other, they tracked an energy point and headed for it so Sylvie could use it as an aid to help execute her plan. Loki was worried that she wasn't going to be strong enough to do it regardless of her confidence. Enchanting people is one thing, doing it on a monster of that magnitude was pure insanity. Though, as she so blatantly pointed out, his idea wasn't much better. They managed to find a stable structure to seek temporary refuge in to rest and recover after trekking across the Void for who knows how long looking for the branch point. While everyone else settled around a fire chattering about whatever, Loki looked out at the horizon where the dull grey sky met desolate wasteland. This particular area was empty of wrecked buildings that he woke up to at least, making it easier to spot the neverending storm of Alioth in the distance or potential threats approaching.

He was ansty, mind still reeling over everything that happened and what was going to happen. Right now he was willingly avoiding everyone in a weak attempt to clear his head, but it was proving to be the opposite effect, and instead decided to engage. Loki gently tapped Sylvie's foot with his own when he approached her to get her attention. She looked up at him expectantly, and he tilted his head somewhat in return, silently asking if she'd join him outside before stepping out of the structure. He took great care to not look Mobius' way who he knew was watching him. Sylvie flicked her gaze over to the agent before getting up to follow.

"Mind if we talk?" Loki asked when she came up to him.

He moved near the base of the hill the structure was on to get out of earshot of everyone else. The whipping wind would help with that. Sylvie gave a half-shrug.

"I suppose we could."

Loki took a seat on the ground, gesturing to her to sit beside him. She folded her arms over her, quirking a brow.

"I'd rather sit on the more comfortable rock inside, thank you."

Half-rolling his eyes, Loki smugly conjured a flagstone. She shook her head but sat down on it anyway, giving herself a little wiggle for show.

"Better?" he asked, smirking.

"Smart ass."

The wind whipped around them then and Slyvie shifted ever so slightly toward him in response.

"It's quite cold at the end of time," Loki said after a moment, making a mock shiver.

"Yup," she said.

The silence was awkward, so Loki conjured a blanket to busy wrapping himself in. Sylvie looked over him, scrutinizing.

"Want one?"

She shook her head before looking out at the ruins of what looked like some kind of cathedral not far from them. She bristled when Loki had made it so his blanket wrapped around her shoulders as well. Looking back at him, she gave a half-smile and pulled it close in a silent gesture of thanks. The awkwardness still lingered.

"Did Mobius tell you his theory about the—"

"Nexus Event on Lamentis-1?" Loki interrupted, and was given a stern look.

He shook his head then, looking at his feet. "Uh, no. we uh… didn't exactly have a proper moment to discuss it. What did he tell you?"

Sylvie shrugged, curling her fingers tightly around the blanket and shifting her weight some, clearing her throat. "He thinks it's because we… umm… became close."

Loki raised a brow, looking at her curiously. "You mean like…"

She shivered involuntarily, instinctively moving even closer to Loki. He was sure it was the nerves rather than the wind. "Yeah…"

Loki tilted his head, thinking about their time at the lake on Lamentis-1. They talked about some very deep, personal self-reflection between them, and they held hands and silently accepted their demise while looking at each other rather than the debris impacting the ground in the distance. It certainly was a moment… apparently enough to trigger a Nexus, how else did Mobius find them? Though, he wouldn't really call it romantic in any way, that is just…

She squeezed his hand then, and he looked down at their entwined hands he didn't realize had occurred while stuck in his head.

"Well… it was certainly a… comforting exchange," he said slowly. "But I… I don't think…"

She swallowed hard, looking at him with mixed emotions fluttering over her face, struggling to keep herself contained. "I don't know how to do any of this… I've never… had anyone to share anything with. I don't… I don't know how to process what this is supposed to be."

Loki released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in more to him and rubbing her bicep in comfort.

"I don't even know what this is supposed to be, either…" he assured her.

Whatever it was, he liked the feeling. Apparently it was also obvious enough that Mobius picked up on it to connect the dots, the clever bastard. His thoughts got stuck on Mobius then and how he felt around him before he was pruned. It was conflicted: anger, betrayal, and hurt mixed with… need. Whatever that meant, he just knew he needed Mobius. Needed him to believe him, needed him to listen, to trust him, to…

"Perhaps we can figure it out together? After all is said and done, who knows what lies ahead," Sylvie said, pulling him from his thoughts. "Maybe I'll finally know what rest is…"

She let out a tired breath then, placing her head on his shoulder. He only nodded in agreement, not wanting to think that far ahead right now. The two sat there in a pleasant silence, all awkwardness disappeared between them. Whatever it was this feeling they both felt was, they'd figure it out together.

"Is there something on my neck?" Sylvie asked after a long quiet stretch.

She turned her back to him and pulled her hair up for Loki to check, giving him a chance to get a quick glimpse of Mobius in the background watching, shifting his weight in his seat every few seconds.

"Seems like someone is attempting to kill you with a glare," he said.

"Ah." She made a point to lean into him. "Thought so."

Loki quirked a brow at her when she turned back toward him, smiling. "Then why did you ask?"

She rolled her eyes. "He's so obviously jealous right now, me being out here snuggled under a tablecloth with you." She pulled it closer over her shoulders and tucked herself into his arm for good measure, resuming her previous position with him.

"That's ridiculous," he said quickly, shaking his head. "There's nothing going on between us that warrants jealousy."

Sylvie just looked at him, brows raised, blinking slowly like he was some kind of idiot. "Really? Then he not shut uping about you the entire time we drove around aimlessly is just nothing, then? Interesting."

She let out a breath. Loki shifted some, pulling the blanket to him and moved his arm to curl around her side, liking her closeness.

"What are we doing?"

"Making your prince jealous enough to come rescue you, of course," Sylvie replied smugly.

"He's not—"

"Oh, shut it already." She bumped her shoulder with his, readjusting her hair before resuming her head on his shoulder. "If it's because you two have some unresolved interpersonal issues going on, well… no time like the present to fix it, yeah?"

"I don't think it is any of your business," Loki said curtly. "We were only a weird form of coworkers, I suppose. Nothing to fix…"

"Right…" she stole a glance up the hillside. "You think a kiss would really set him off?"

Loki leaned away suddenly, staring at her with uncertainty. "No? Look…"

Sylvie smirked then, removing the blanket and getting to her feet, stretching as she did. "I think I'll see if the others have any tips that may help with the enchanting. Good luck."

She winked at him, and Loki watched as she headed back toward the structure, placing a light hand on Mobius' arm when they passed each other. Loki slowly got up, vanishing the blanket and regarding Mobius.

"Let's take a walk," he said, doing that hand motion he used whenever he wished for Loki to follow him but was too miffed to touch him.

Loki followed in silence, trailing just behind his handler, unsure of what else to do. He noticed after a moment they were approaching the ruined cathedral, the heavy scorch marks more evident now that he was so close. Mobius stopped by the opening to the inside and turned to face Loki, scratching the back of his head.

"Suppose we are relieved of our contract, considering."

Loki was floored. "That's all you want to talk about? Really?"

He waved his hands outward, making a mock attempt to look around him in the process. "After literally everything else that has since happened?"

Mobius' eyes glinted, that hint of darkness that Loki loved to draw out of him had him drop his arms to his sides.

"Alright, let's talk about you and Sylvie, then," Mobius deadpanned, digging his hands deeply into his pockets.

Loki shook his head, unable to contain his laugh. "Right. Your theory is quite absurd, by the way. We are—"

Mobius simply stared at him, causing him to swallow back his denial.

"So, you two being 'cold'—" he made a motion with his fingers at that word, "—and huddled up together is just nothing. That is one of the lamest lies you've given me yet."

Loki chewed his lip, looking away for a brief second before he regathered his nerve. He decided to play boldly instead to counter the crisp tone Mobius had spoken with.

"Don't wear your jealousy so openly, it doesn't look good on you," he taunted.

Mobius tisked, and Loki could see he was using a lot of restraint right now to keep from exercising the fine print on the contract—correcting disobedience. Mobius shook his head, stilted in his movement.

"What do you see in her, anyway?" Mobius finally asked, gesturing back at the structure as he spoke.

"I don't know—"

"Don't lie," he snapped back.

Loki inclined his head, taking in a sharp breath. "Outwardly, she greatly reminds me of my mother, I suppose. She took on her appearance after…"

He trailed off when Mobius made a very strange face. "What?"

"So… you have an Oedipus effect thing going on? That… certainly is something I didn't expect," Mobius said, letting out a low whistle to emphasize.

"What? No. Don't be so foul, Mobius," he scolded before sighing in exasperation, combing a hand through his hair. Mobius' hand twitched at the gesture but Loki didn't bother to ponder why. "If anything, I'd say… I don't know—she's like a sister, maybe?

"Look, I honestly don't know what it is or how to explain any of this, okay? I don't even know how to explain what it is I feel about you—"

Loki stopped talking suddenly, clipping the last word as he scrambled to recall what he just said. Mobius tilted his head at this as well, a ghost of a smile on his face. Loki swallowed hard again, unsure of what to do from here.

"Right, that's completely fair," Mobius said, taking a few steps toward him. "We are overdue for a proper conversation, after all."

"It isn't exactly the right time for it, now is it?" Loki questioned, wanting to deflect.

Mobius slipped an arm behind him and placed a hand on the small of his back, putting pressure against him to follow. "When is it ever the right time to talk about anything? We're literally at the end of time, if not now then when?"

"Never, preferably," Loki muttered, feeling that familiar yet foreign thing stir in him again as they stepped into the remains of the cathedral.

"You know this is the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral. Caught fire in 2019 by a sheer freak accident. We get one of these every so often and it causes a branch. Shame, really, that it took on so much damage and now is laying waste here," Mobius explained as they walked, taking in the shattered out windows and collapsed ceiling.

Loki looked at him, utterly confused. "Didn't know we were on a tour of Nexus Events."

Mobius stopped in the center of a large room to look up at Loki. "What I am saying is that literally anything can spark a branch. They can be deliberate, accidental, completely random events in history. Why does it happen like that—" he shrugged, "—but you asked why your Cooper stint didn't cause one and I had no answer to it because I honestly don't even know. It just didn't. It's all—"

Loki went in for the kiss then, tired of listening to his rambling about nothing important anymore. He was a tad more rough this time, desperate to shut him up rather than try and convince him to see reason like the one from the film room. Pulling back some, breathless, he cupped Mobius' face in his hands and took in the crystal blue his eyes reflected from the grim grey of their surroundings.

"You talk too much," he half-whispered, smirking at the jab.

Mobius bit his tongue, scanning over Loki's face before taking a step back to inspect him further. Loki was confused and maybe even minutely hurt, but curiosity quickly trumped it when Mobius rubbed the back of his neck.

"Question."

"Yes?" he replied slowly, making sure his confusion was evident.

"Is looking like your mother a mutual thing?"

Loki chuckled then, now realizing where this was going. "As if you could handle me as a woman."

Mobius shrugged, reaching up to graze his fingers against Loki's jawline. "I handled you just fine as you are now…"

"Sharing your fantasies, are we?" Loki prodded, eyes flashing a mischievous look.

"I'm fine with any mold you choose, really," he said, hand sliding across Loki's clavicle. "Mostly curious, is all."

"Playing coy now, I see," he muttered back, moving in to hover his lips just over Mobius'. "Because you already know that answer."

There was that glint in his eyes again and Loki tilted his head at this unsaid challenge, feeling every word resonate through his nerves and lighting that burn of desire… that need. His gender flowed through him like the tide of the ocean, comfortable with going with the flow as he saw fit. His lithe and lean body type was on purpose for a reason as default, after all, just like Sylvie and the others had their own reasons with themselves.

With a quick twitch of a shoulder and closing his eyes, Loki felt the magic flow, shaping and reshaping until eyes flicked back open to see Mobius gaping and eyes scanning everywhere.

She made a point to retain the TVA-issued uniform, but without the suffocating tie no longer wrapped around her neck (who even knows where it was now, actually). Loki made sure a few top buttons were undone, exposing her clavicle and teasing cleavage. Her black hair was braided at the sides where they connected into a larger braid down the center in back that laid over a blanket of loose hair underneath. Usually liking her nails short for convenience sake, they now came to a point and were painted black.

Loki closed what little distance was between Mobius and her, sliding her hands over Mobius' chest and shoulders, tucking them under his jacket to not so subtly push it off his shoulders and arms, discarding it nearby. Loki pressed herself against Mobius, lowering her lips to brush against an earlobe.

"Do I meet your expectations?" Loki whispered, voice a tad higher than before. "Or is the footage better?"

She nipped at his ear then, moving down to the crook of his neck to nuzzle and nibble there as well. Mobius released a heavy breath, it hitching when Loki grinded against his hardening groin. Mobius grabbed Loki by the hips and spun them around, hastily pushing her back until Loki's back slammed against a pillar. She let out a gasp at the impact, digging her fingers deep into his hair as Mobius scraped his teeth roughly against her exposed collarbone. He trailed his hands up her sides, tugging at fabric along the way as if hoping it would just fall off at some point. He captured her lips, probing his tongue against her mouth while letting his hands roam over her body, coaxing a muffled moan from Loki when Mobius found her nipples and pinched them hard, twisting them just so and rolling them between fingers.

Mobius pulled back after a thorough ravishing, leaving Loki panting and breathless. A hand slid down her stomach and between her legs, undoing the zipper and popping the button of the trousers and slipping a few fingers in to stroke against her clit and test the nectar dripping between her thighs. Even in this form she couldn't be bothered with undergarments. Loki hissed out a breath, nipping at a lip that got a little too close, forcing him forward with her fingers still knotted in his hair.

"Are you going to fuck me, Mobius, or simply play?" Loki asked, voice low and hypnotic, staring into those ever darkening blue eyes.

A single finger dipped between her folds then, sliding in deep before surfacing to gently stroke over her pearling flesh.

"Not until I have you exactly where I want you," Mobius whispered against her mouth.

He made another skilled, repeated motion of his digits as he spoke, sending uncontrolled shivers up Loki's back, already wanting to come undone from that quiet, rugged voice already. He continued with this slow, rhythmic massage of her clit and inner folds for several seconds, slicking it with her own desire only to lightly tease right after. Loki couldn't take it and attempted to jerk her hips into him, needing to feel him on her, keeping her hands in his hair. Mobius lightly tapped the tip of Loki's nose then, having her narrow her eyes at him in turn. His free hand started traveling down her front shortly after, catching the buttons on her shirt and working them open as he found them. It didn't take long for Mobius to steal a rough kiss from her and nuzzle his way down her neck to her now exposed breasts, gently licking over a nipple while his hand roamed over the other.

"Bloody tease," Loki growled between pants, squirming under his touch that felt like lightning coursing through her every fiber.

His one hand did not change pace at all, it kept gently probing deep only to retreat and tease her engorged clit with soaked digits with light pets. His tongue and teeth rolled her nipple slowly, breathing hot air over it from Mobius' own heavy breaths, and his other mimicked the action with his fingers but squeezed and twisted every so often. Loki moaned, rolling her head back and fluttering her eyes closed as she finally gave into the burning of her core and choked out a ragged breath as she came undone by all of this alone. She slid her hands from his hair and to his shoulders, digging into them hard.

Mobius collected her mewls with his mouth, kissing her deeply as she rode out her orgasm on his hand. As she finally came down from the high, and he pulled back just enough to feel her labored breaths flutter across his face.

"All to please you, precious," Mobius whispered, slipping two fingers back into her to work Loki back up again.

Of course his fucking gravely voice shot straight into her simmering core, reigniting it once again. The pace was quicker and his thumb stroked and worked her clit, all while he watched Loki tremble and squirm, luling her head over her shoulders as she gasped in air. He pressed against her, scraping tongue and teeth along her jawline and down her throat, across her clavicle, only pausing briefly to speak.

"You deserve to be worshipped properly," he said, continuing down between her cleavage and nipping at each breast before sliding down her stomach and navel. "Allow me to show you…"

Loki already knew Mobius' capability, but it didn't stop her from breathlessly anticipating him. His hands shuffled the trousers down her hips just enough, hooking one of her legs around his arm before firmly planting it back on her hip. Mobius went in open mouthed, tongue curling around her clit and sucking the sensitive flesh. He hummed purposely, the sensation prickled Loki's skin and sent her stuttering for breath. She lulled her head back, deeply scraping her nails over his shoulder blades.

Mobius yanked her hips even closer, allowing him to explore her inner folds and take in her heat. His lips and tongue worked elegantly, dipping in impossibly deep. Loki moaned, her leg shook, struggling to keep upright, so she coiled her one leg around his arm and back for support. She combed her fingers through Mobius' hair, anchoring her hands at the sides of his head to prevent him from pulling away.

"Don't stop," Loki stammered out, feeling that burn growing behind her navel.

He found a rhythm, a pattern that had her hush out incoherent sounds and moans, but it was over far quicker than Loki wanted. Her vision wavered and she felt herself buckling from the unraveling, but Mobius held her firmly against the pillar, riding out the orgasm while she continued to be fucked by his mouth. She had to force him up with her hands after she became aware again, barely staying upright while she fumbled her hands over his chest, yanking his tie forward to catch his glistening lips with hers.

Hands fought with Mobius' zipper and button due to how hard his cock was. Once she got it, she stripped him in one motion and pulled him to her. He managed to pull back, taking in a well needed breath and grinding his now freed cock against her weeping cunt.

"You done?" Loki breathed out, watching him with a hooded gaze.

Mobius slid his tongue slowly across his teeth, Loki eagerly watched the action, wanting to lunge in and consume that sweet tasting mouth of his. He gave a quick shake of his head, sliding a finger down Loki's now flat chest between the shirts opening before finding the curve of their hip again. They looked down briefly before locking eyes with him again. This man had them lose their mind enough to cause their magic to revert back to most of their preferred appearance.

"You said not to stop," Mobius recalled, winking.

"Thieving bastard!" Loki hissed out to hide their tired breathing, not wanting to show their exhaustion and need for more… for him.

Mobius instinctively went to slap them, but Loki caught his wrist and smiled wickedly, pulling his hand to brush across their jaw and to their lips where they nibbled the pads of his fingers.

"Not this time…" Loki whispered against his digits, slipping a couple in their mouth.

He quickly worked his hand free and snaked it back down to Loki's outer thighs. He hoisted them up off their feet, holding onto them firmly while teasing the tip of his dripping cock between their thighs. Loki wasn't going to tolerate the excruciating yet absolutely delicious toying anymore. They wrapped their long legs around Mobius' own hips, pulling him close enough and maneuvering their own body down in order to devour him. They both exchanged strangled moans, Loki was beyond drowning in ecstasy, scrambling to cling onto Mobius as if their life depended on it as he rode her relentlessly. Their back dug into the pillar, occasionally a shoulder impacted it from them moving, but the pain was drowned out immediately.

Mobius was showing some remarkable stamina, but as Loki felt that all too familiar burn in their core growing, they knew that he shouldn't last too much longer, either. His nibbling on the crook of their neck was not helping them stave off the inevitable, so instead they nuzzled his neck back, feeling the pressure start to unravel.

"Mobius…"

The whisper was raspy, intoxicating, enough that they felt that pull from within and Mobius released an unexpected groan into their shoulder where he bit exceptionally hard on. Loki buried their own head in his shoulder, allowing them to just melt into one another as their shared release washed over them like white water cascading over them from above.

Mobius pulled out, feeling Loki trembling from it as a shiver snaked down Mobius' own spine, having him growing weak in the knees from the sudden wave of exhaustion. He slowly started to sink to the floor, still firmly holding Loki and pulling him down and onto his lap in the process. They leaned against the pillar, bodies pressed against each other. Loki stole a stray kiss from Mobius and he combed his hands through his hair, tracing the braids that still remained to the back one where he gently tugged on it, pulling his lips away. Their eyes met, and Loki's eyes flashed with that need again… how could he still muster up the desire to yearn for this man even after he had just made him skillfully lose his mind three damn, glorious times?

His groin said otherwise as it twitched against his thigh, it seemed. At some point his magic completely defaulted back to his preferred outlook, which he was fine with but was left rather impressed by it as well. It didn't take much effort to retain appearances, but he had his limits when it came to consistently maintaining them and adding another element into the mix that would otherwise distract him. His outfit changed back on the train when he overindulged, after all.

Mobius offered a weak, tired smile, leaning in to nuzzle against Loki's shoulder like he always did after. Loki traced a hand along his neckline and combed his fingers through his hair, they simply half sat, half laid against the pillar tangled in each other among the ruins of a cathedral.

"What are we?" Loki whispered, not waiting for a response. "What is this? And why does it feel so…"

Mobius was quiet, pressing a kiss over the bruise forming on Loki's shoulder.

"...It scares me," Loki breathed out, closing his eyes as a heavy feeling settled deep in his chest.

He wanted to curl into Mobius and never let him go, feeling that pain and sadness resonate through him when he thought he lost him once already. This time it was worse, the feeling of dread and uncertainty. If he had a TemPad he would leave with Mobius right then and there, escape to an apocalypse where they could hide out their days together, cheat death as they went, and damn the others because he was allowed to be selfish. It was etched in his very nature to be, after all.

But first he wanted to know. He fluttered his eyes open, focusing on Mobius' steady breath and heartbeat in his ear.

"Love, maybe," Mobius finally said, pulling back to scan his blue eyes over Loki's face. "At least, it is for me."

That answer scared him even more.

Loki looked away first, clearing his throat and moving off of Mobius' lap so he could correct himself and avoid his touch. "We should get back…"

"You were right, by the way," Mobius said suddenly, prompting Loki to look at him, confused. "It was my fault being almost late that first morning… on a technicality you exploited, anyway."

He scoffed despite himself, shaking his head lightly at how completely and utterly random that statement was. "Look at you, confessing your sins to the wrong god here of all places."

Mobius sighed, scratching his head as he contemplated what to say. "I thought… I thought that this wasn't something I had to deal with, either, Loki. But that first night… I knew I was screwed after that and thought deflecting would help… bait you into punishing you... it was stupid."

Loki stared at him, that fear surely etching over his face now based on Mobius' own reaction. He brushed fingers over a cheek, Loki swallowed and turned his face away to avoid the contact yet again.

"It isn't something to be afraid of," he said.

"But it is, Mobius!" he snapped back. "Look at the circumstances that lead to it! Look at where we are now! We are in the middle of Hel and now this…"

His chest heaved and he stood up then, half-fixing his trousers and shaking his head, pacing around aimlessly. Mobius was right there when Loki turned around, and before he could back away, Mobius had a hold of him. Loki stood stiffly in the embrace, resisting the pressure from Mobius' arm being pressed against his back. He had his full strength back, making it far easier to resist and not give into it. Mobius continued to hold him, stroking his hair now, putting gentle pressure on his head each time until Loki felt the tears prick his eyes and he had no other way to hide than to bury his face into his chest. So he did.

Somehow he picked up the faintest of musk there, of the ocean and tropical beaches, and he savored every inhale he could while he focused on keeping his breathing steady.

"I—I can't lose you…" he muttered, half praying Mobius heard him, the other half hoping he didn't. "Not again… That feeling when I thought you were… I couldn't live through it again."

Mobius didn't respond right away, just stroked his hair and rubbed gentle circles on his back. Loki lifted a hand from his side, curling it around the fabric of Mobius' shirt where his heart thrummed against his palm. He closed his eyes, taking in it's sound, committing it to memory that every third beat had a slow, lazy pump to it.

"We can't run forever," Mobius half-whispered. "Especially now."

Loki pulled back, letting teary eyes meet ocean blue. He moved slowly, placing his hand on the side of his face, feeling the stubble scrape against it. Nuzzling his lips against his, he pressed them gently against them, savoring how they molded together so perfectly. Releasing him, hovering so close their breaths were each other's.

"But we can try…"

He slid his body down Mobius' then, moving slowly, allowing hands to roam over him until Loki gracefully knelt before him. He hadn't properly situated his trousers yet, but Loki took advantage of it and slipped his hands in between the waistband and pulled them down some, relishing in the feel of his hands on his arse.

"Loki…" Mobius started to say, but was immediately silenced by a teasing flit of his tongue against the tip of his cock.

"Shh… it's my turn to worship you…"

Loki took him like a sheath and Mobius had nothing to stabilize against properly aside from a hand feebly pressed against the pillar they violated earlier. He pulled back excruciatingly slow, ever so gently brushing teeth against him. A hand quickly found its way into Loki's hair, tangling fingers in and stopping a full descent. He repeated this a few more times, but his hands, still resting greedily on his arse, spread them enough for Loki to graze a finger against Mobius' rim. He hunched over then, struggling to keep upright without risking several injuries. His fingers continued to tease, circling him just as Loki pulled back, dipping in when he slid back down his length. He felt Mobius trembling, and when he made another round he felt his hands clamp the sides of his face and tugged him completely off a very aggravated and beautifully tortured cock.

Mobius was on his knees in a heartbeat, pushing rough lips and teeth against his own and Loki easily overpowered him in his attempt to pin him to the floor, instead he effectively secured Mobius back against the pillar. He struggled with the trousers, in which Loki hastily and crudely magiced them mostly off. Mobius yanked Loki's hips toward him but stalled, concern etching in his eyes.

"Please… I want you," Loki pleaded, feeling Mobius resting against his taint. "I need you."

He has allowed himself to be reduced down to begging because of this bastard.

Mobius nodded and worked himself in gently, Loki didn't waste any time and kissed him with a newfound desperation driving him. Mobius bottomed out, and based on how Loki could feel his cock throbbing with the want of release already, the lack of prep was only going to make the duration even less. Loki let them both settle, savoring the taste of their mouths and the feel of this intimate connection. It felt different… It felt good.

Loki rocked his hips forward and Mobius choked on his tongue that he slipped into his mouth at the same time, allowing to be completely lost in the sensation of it all. After what seemed like an eternity, Loki released Mobius and purred at his caressing touch to the nape of his neck.

"You're going to kill me doing stuff like that," Mobius said, only to moan at Loki swaying his hips slowly in response.

"Something tells me that you'll be just fine," he whispered back.

Raising himself on his knees some, Loki bit at an ear and trailed his teeth down his neck where he nibbled and sucked against the crook of his shoulder, lowering back on him with such excruciating slowness. Loki's own cock wept and twitched eagerly between them, and he took the opportunity to shift in such a way to slide himself under the hem of the shirt and against Mobius's lower stomach.

Mobius placed a hand over it, pressing the fabric around his length.

"I ca-can't—" Mobius tried to speak but was interrupted by Loki devouring his words.

He rocked his hips again slowly, wanting it to last forever. Mobius' free hand clenched at Loki's hip, sliding the other down and pulling up his shirt in order to truly feel and revel in Loki's endowment. Loki panted out a breath at the contact and the roughness of his calloused hand stroking him in rhythm. Each movement was met with whimpering, stuttering breaths as they both fought the ever growing desire wanting to ignite and burn through them both like a wildfire.

"I love you," Mobius whispered against an ear.

They both came undone with those words soaking into them. Loki clung to Mobius like a lifeline as they rode out their orgasms. He fluttered his eyes closed, laying heavily against Mobius in the aftermath of it all, uncaring of the mess he left. Drinking in the faint scent of him while Mobius nuzzled his throat, pressing little kisses over him.

"Oi! You two done making up yet because we're about to be on the move!" Sylvie's voice echoed in from the entryway suddenly.

Mobius turned ten shades of red even though she wasn't even in eyeshot of them. Loki found his embarrassment and general bashfulness strangely endearing. To help spare his feelings of potentially being walked in on while very indecent, Loki fixed their appearances with ease. Even giving Mobius his jacket back he'd discarded several feet away. Slowly getting to his feet, shivering some from the aftershocks, he helped Mobius up but didn't let him go right away.

"I know…" Loki whispered before kissing a temple.

"Only because I told you," Mobius deadpanned, but the smile on his face touched his eyes. "I meant it, too."

"You shouldn't."

He started heading toward the entrance. Mobius on his tail, he grabbed a shoulder and lurched him around.

"I can't, Mobius!" Loki practically yelled, clenching his hands into fists at his sides. "If I allow myself to… I won't let you go. It'd be selfish to not finish what we started, and I know that I need to help Sylvie with this or all of it will be pointless."

He took in a sharp breath, averting his eyes from Mobius' so he wouldn't crumble and change his mind.

"Whatever bond she and I have, I believe it's needed to break the lock that keeps us all from the truth," Loki explained, needing to tell the why, to have Mobius understand. "I… I can't or I'll..."

The hand that still lingered on his shoulder stiffened before it relaxed, giving Loki a gentle pat shortly after. "Well, when you are ready, I'll be waiting."

Loki stood beside everyone on the hillside overlooking Alioth's intimidating presence. A branched energy source was detected to appear soon, giving Sylvie the perfect opportunity to make contact with it for enchantment. He made up his mind when he and Mobius walked back to the others with Sylvie from the cathedral. He was staying behind. She handed him the TemPad, the ticket out of this dreadful place, an invitation to flee, but he couldn't.

"I'm staying with you," Loki said, handing the TemPad over to Mobius.

"Loki… I don't even know if this will work. I couldn't even enchant you," Sylvie said, all the confidence from earlier quickly fading.

"Alone, maybe not." Loki grabbed her hand in his, squeezing it. "But together we may have a good chance."

She offered him a weak smile, returning the squeeze. "What about your prince? You have an opportunity to—"

"He understands," Loki said, interrupting. "Sorry. Forget about that pet peeve of ours."

"So, you're not going with him? Why?"

Loki just shook his head in reply, giving her hand another good squeeze before letting go to bid farewell to the others. Mobius opened a time door then, and for a split second, Loki contemplated stepping through.

"I suppose this is where we say see you later," Mobius said, regarding Sylvie. "Best of luck to you, Sylvie. Don't lose that confidence."

She smiled at him, nodding. "I won't."

Loki felt him shift his attention to him, and every nerve in his body and mind told him to simply take Mobius and abandon everything else because it didn't matter anymore. He could have what he deeply, truly wanted and it stood right in front of him, but he simply couldn't… not now, not yet.

"You be safe," Mobius said simply.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," Sylvie said from behind.

Mobius smiled, but Loki could see it held hints of sadness by it not completely touching his eyes. Loki found himself closing the distance and embracing him tightly, allowing one last intake of the faded tropical waters before pulling away. Closing his eyes to keep the tears trapped and to avoid seeing Mobius leaving, he felt the gentlest kiss fall on his temple.

"I'll be waiting…"

Loki should've known to not blindly trust Sylvie the way he did, it was foolish and stupid and… felt right. It was like his inner compass whirled in every which way now, having him consider more than self-interest, trusting instead of scheming, planning over plotting , and everything else that used to be a part of his genetic make up that made him who he was. He had to tell himself that she wasn't going to see reason no matter what he tried to say, tried to prove to her. She had everything she ever fought for dangling right in front of her. He couldn't say he wouldn't have done the same if he were her. But at least he tried, and he understood.

That part was over now, he needed to refocus. He was in the TVA again, he knew people who were still here, he just had to find them.

Retracing his steps, Loki found himself in the cafeteria… or so he thought anyway. Perhaps he took a wrong turn but didn't think too much about it as he went to Mobius' cubicle. There was something slightly different there, too, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Moving on, he decided the library may be a good spot before looking in the apartment block. He checked every aisle as he briskly walked by them, only barely noticing they seemed more spaced out than he remembered. He heard him speaking just ahead then, and relief washed over his very being.

He ran down to the end of the aisle and looked in the direction of his voice, a smile crept over his face despite the urgency of needing to talk to him. B-15 was there, too. Perfect.

They were talking about the timeline and its branching. The verbiage they used was… odd, like they weren't expecting something like it to happen. Loki didn't process it and instead jumped right into their conversation.

"Mobius! " Loki shouted as he approached, looking straight at him.

He wanted to hug him so badly, use him to help hold himself together, tell him that he loved him and that he never wants to lose him ever again. He shoved all of that out of his mind, there were far more important things to focus on now. Mobius looked at him, stopping mid-sentence.

"Sylvie and I… we made a grave mistake," Loki rushed out. "The one who was in control of this, the TVA, the timeline, everything, is dead and it has unleashed something completely out of our control. We need to prepare for anything… everything that might—will happen right now!"

B-15 looked at him strangely, shifting her position to be more on guard and placed a hand on the baton at her hip. Mobius shared an equally puzzled expression, but he moved his hands over his shoulders and gave them a light squeeze of comfort.

"Okay, alright. Take a breath, slow down a bit, and tell me again?" Mobius said. "I didn't catch your name. You're an analyst, right?"

Loki felt his entire world crumbling around him. "What?"

"Which department are you from? Where are you getting your intel?" Mobius asked.

Loki stopped hearing him then, his world spinning around him as the plummeting truth became known right in front of him. This person was not Mobius—his Mobius.

"No…"

He stumbled into the agent, grabbing his jacket while Mobius caught him by the arms. Loki felt a much firmer hand grab his shoulder but he didn't care, he buried his face into the shell of his Mobius and let the tears sting his eyes. Even his scent was different. It was sharp, a mix of cinnamon and spice with an earthy undertone. It was wrong.

"Let go, sir," B-15 ordered, digging her fingers harshly into his shoulder.

"It's fine, B-15," he heard in his ringing ears. "Hey, it's okay. We can figure this out. I just need to know who you are first."

Loki sucked in a breath in a feeble attempt to recollect himself when he saw it. A single statue of He Who Remains loomed over everything in the center by the elevator shafts where three used to be. He shook his head in disbelief, sinking completely down to the floor before Mobius. The tightness in his chest was suffocating and he struggled to breathe, utter panic and fear overwhelming him. Loki clung to the only familiar thing close to him, resting his forehead against Mobius' outer thigh and wrapped his arms tightly around his leg.

"We need boots on the ground for the library. Floor MW-42. We have an unidentified agent in hysterics over here," B-15 said through her comms.

He was alone…