Loki was positively giddy with excitement, practically bouncing on his toes as he stood before Mobius, his mouth pulled in a mischievous grin.
Loki always had a look like he was up to something but there was something in his eyes that told Mobius Loki definitely had done something.
He first knew something was up when he woke up and Loki wasn't beside him.
They had spent every single night together since their return and it was always Mobius who was out of bed first. Old habits die hard, after all.
For who knows how long, he was used to waking up, getting ready and going to work. Even though there was no more TVA, even though there were no missions to go on, no Variants to hunt, he still found himself going through his routine.
Only now his routine now included coaxing the God of Mischief out of bed.
However when he woke up that day, he awoke to the aroma of already brewing coffee - something he always did himself because Loki didn't drink it - and his bed partner missing.
In fact the little apartment was missing any trace of Loki, save for a, very vague, little handwritten note next to his coffee and breakfast.
He felt a little strange stirring in his gut but it wasn't as if he didn't trust Loki, he trusted him implicitly. He knew Loki would never simply just leave but he was insanely curious about what his partner was up to. With Loki it could have been anything and he really hoped it wouldn't end in some sort of mess.
He had put the thought out of his head as much as he could, though admittedly he did notice Loki's absence.
He had continued on with his day: He sat in Ravonna's old office, their daily task nowadays, as they searched through all of her files, trying to gage some semblance of how she ran the TVA and how they could change it moving forward.
Eventually Loki showed up, popping his head into the office to say hello before he disappeared again before Mobius could even ask where he'd been.
He was half tempted to run after him, follow him, but Loki seemed too happy to be hiding his little secret, so Mobius let him. He knew Loki would tell him eventually but the anticipation was gnawing at him.
It had to have been a couple of hours before Loki showed up again, with a sly grin and a Tempad.
Mobius closed the folder he was looking at, actually a little relieved that the look on Loki's face meant he wouldn't be working any more that day.
He leaned forward, a small smile on his lips and his brow raised inquisitively.
"Where exactly are we going with that?"
He shouldn't have been surprised, and he wasn't really, when Loki shook his head.
"No questions. Just put that all away and come…" Loki extended his hand out toward him, his eyes lit up and inviting.
It wasn't that long ago when he had taken Loki on a surprise visit to see his brother. A visit that had ended very well for them.
He should have expected that Loki might one day return the favor.
His heart leapt in sudden anticipation. He didn't have a Thor and he wondered what Loki may have considered his equivalent to be.
Finding Loki's smile ever infectious, he smiled and walked around the desk, leaving it all behind as he placed his hand into Loki's.
He gave Loki one last questioning look and Loki only winked at him and then opened up a time door.
The first thing that he noticed as they walked through was the smell of seawater. It washed over him and dove deep inside him to bring to the surface the long hidden memories.
Sylvie had shown him who he was before the TVA but he chose not to spend too much time dwelling on the person that he used to be. There was no going back to that life, and as happy as he seemed to be in his old life, he didn't mind where his life was heading.
He stepped completely through the time door and his breath was stolen as he laid eyes on the most beautiful beach he had ever seen.
There seemed to be stretches of sand and crystal clear blue waters for miles, with only the silhouette of mountains in the distance.
The heat hit him instantaneously and it felt familiar and comforting. He closed his eyes and tilted his head up, taking in a deep breath as a gentle, warm breeze whipped past him, bringing with it a salty and somehow sweet aroma.
His lips pulled into a smile without him even realizing it as he tilted his head towards the sun, soaking up the warmth.
He let out a quiet gasp as the clothing that had been covering his arms and legs suddenly disappeared and he felt the sea breeze against his bare skin.
He looked down and found his suit and tie had been replaced with board shorts and a t-shirt. Even his shoes were gone and he felt the warm, soft sand beneath his feet. His toes instinct stretched out into the sand and his smile grew.
He placed his hands on his chest, feeling the new yet nostalgically familiar material. He remembered Standard Timeline Mobius wore many t-shirts and wet shirts, essentially in his younger years.
He then looked over at Loki, who was grinning at him, looking very pleased with himself. Loki himself had also changed and he wondered how in the hell he managed to look so elegant even in swim trunks.
"You couldn't very well be on the beach with a suit on, Mobius." Loki said in a way of explanation. "And I couldn't ask you to change to ruin the surprise."
Mobius hummed with a smirk. "Sure. Just another opportunity to get me out of my clothes."
Loki grinned wickedly and his eyes trailed over Mobius' form.
"Oh that will come later." His voice was a low rumble and his eyes danced in a fiery desire.
Mobius felt strangely undressed which was ridiculous because he had been completely naked in front of Loki, walked around in his underwear in front of Loki, and had done very many things with Loki he had never done with anyone else.
Still he felt a flush burning on his cheeks and cleared his throat, pushing away the familiar stirring deep in his belly.
"What are we doing here Loki?" He asked, changing the subject. "Where is here, anyway?"
"I know you said you didn't want to look back." Loki said, coming up to stand beside him, suddenly serious. "And I respect that. So we are not anywhere near where you might think we are. In fact, this isn't even Earth."
Mobius brow shot up and he looked back out to the blue-green ocean crashing in gentle waves against white sand.
He kneeled down to scoop up a pile of sand into his hand. As it sifted through his fingers he noticed the unnatural softness that no Earth beach he had known had ever had.
"Then where…?" He looked back up.
"Did you know that humans eventually get off their little Rock and explore space?"
"Of course I know that." Mobius remarked. "Former Time Agent?"
Loki ignored him. "And did you know that they found a planet that was almost identical to Earth? And they tried to colonize the planet, and successfully did so for a few hundred years until an apocalyptic event wiped out every last one of them…"
"Apocalyptic event…" Mobius nodded, now knowing exactly how Loki had found this place.
"My speciality." He grinned. "I saw that although human life had been eradicated, the planet itself remained intact. Perfect even!"
Mobius rubbed at his mustache and his eyes scanned the area. "And it's safe? To be here?"
"Would I take you anywhere dangerous?"
Mobius looked back at him with a raised eyebrow and Loki sighed..
"On purpose?" He added and Mobius held back a small laugh but allowed a small smirk and shook his head.
"Yes of course it's safe to be here." Loki assured. "I do rather like you, you know and would prefer to keep you alive."
"That's comforting." Mobius said with a smile.
There was a sudden twinkle of bright light behind Loki that drew his attention. He squinted his eyes against it and then shifted a bit to the right to see behind Loki and his eyes widened and his jaw went slack.
Down the beach sat such a large and beautiful piece of architecture he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before.
Two large golden spires shot up into the sky, glittering in the sun, connected to an equally as magnificent small palace in shining gold and blazes of emerald.
"Do you like it?" Loki's voice was low at his ear and he jumped, startled by how close he was.
He whirled around and Loki quickly dodged getting smacked by his head.
"Did you do that?" He asked in wonder and Loki grinned proudly.
"Oh yes." He flexed out his arms and wiggled his fingers. "I've used magic to create many things but this, by far, has been the most gratifying."
Mobius gaped at him in awe and then stole a glance back to the palace. Modest in size, in comparison to what he could remember from footage of Asgard and what Loki had grown up in, but still very Loki.
It was then he noticed that in front of the palace sat a very modest looking beach house. Something that would have been found on Earth, something he might have lived in had he not deviated from his timeline, and his heart soared.
"You did that too." It wasn't a question and he smiled as he felt Loki's hand on his shoulder.
"I thought we could use a place to get away every once in a while. We can't live solely in the TVA and this…" he used his other hand to gesture to their surroundings.
"Uninhabited by any other beings, just you and me…"
A shiver rolled down Mobius' spine as he felt Loki's breath against his ear and then his mouth brushing a gentle kiss to his neck.
Mobius never pictured himself in a palace- he always had the most boring, mundane life imaginable and that was the way he liked it.
And sometimes he forgot that his Loki was a prince and though many things had changed for Loki, his preference in living had not. The TVA would never have been a sustainable living place for Loki, even if Mobius was there to make it as comfortable for him as possible.
Loki needed this escape, and he had built it, with both of them in mind.
Mobius turned his head to meet his gaze and he hoped Loki could see in his eyes how much he meant his words. "You're amazing, you know that?"
Loki's eyes lit up, for a moment in pure bliss only then to be replaced by his usual smugness. "Of course."
Mobius shook his head with a lazy, affectionate smile and brought his hand to his cheek.
"You truly like it?" Loki asked, clearly proud of his work but longing for Mobius' approval as well.
Mobius' smile widened and he pressed a small, soft kiss to his lips.
"I love it."
The more he stared at it, the more he could picture it - a future there, their future there and his heart warmed.
Mobius took a step toward the house, his interest growing when Loki grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"Before you go in there…" Loki's eyes were alight with delight and he lifted his other arm, motioning towards the water. "There's something else I want to show you."
There was a small dock that stretched out into the ocean from the beach and something tied against it, bobbing in the water.
He squinted against the sun and distance and then his eyes widened in realization.
"A jet ski."
His heart leapt in a child-like excitement he didn't know he could feel anymore. It pooled inside of him and he turned to Loki, a wide smile forming on his lips and a laugh burst from his mouth.
"You got a jet ski."
"I got a jet ski!" Loki said with a proud grin.
Mobius took a moment to process the information and the giddy excitement rolled through him.
Then his more rational mind decided to kick in and he gave an inquisitive look to Loki.
"If we aren't on Earth, where did you get this?"
Loki's grin was wide, mischievous and completely unapologetic. "It's from Earth. I just simply borrowed it."
"You mean you stole it." Mobius raised his brow.
Loki shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure they wouldn't miss one little…"
He was cut off when Mobius squeezed his hand and leaned up, pressing an affectionate kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you."
The answering smile from Loki was worth more than the price of any stolen jet ski.
With a giddy spring in his step, Mobius let go of Loki and headed down towards the dock.
"Wow." He muttered, his eyes wide as he kneeled beside the jet ski. It was exactly as the picture in the magazine had advertised and even more magnificent as it rocked back and forth in the gentle waves of the ocean.
He felt Loki approaching him from behind.
"It is quite a remarkable machine."
Mobius nodded as he continued to stare in awe. "Isn't it though?" He reached out to touch the edge of the handle bar, the only part he could reach from his current position.
His fingers gripped around the edge and a smile split across his face as it fully sunk in that all of it was real.
He pushed himself to his feet and spun around to face Loki, who was watching him
Mobius beamed up at him, glowing not only in joy but also from the sun beating down on them. "I appreciate you doing this for me."
"I care about people sometimes." Loki said off-handedly.
"I think you care about people a lot."
"Some more than others." He answered with a knowing, affectionate twinkle in his eyes, and then he added, "I want you to be happy."
"I am." He assured with a smile, reaching for Loki's hand. "Even without this. But this is definitely a plus."
Loki returned a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Come with me." Mobius said with a grin and tugged at Loki's hand.
Loki chuckled quietly and motioned to himself. "Why else do you think I am dressed in this ridiculous outfit?"
Mobius pursed his lips and raked his gaze over him and the last word he'd use to describe him was ridiculous.
"It's not ridiculous." He countered in exasperation and looked back up at him. "But thank you."
"I don't believe I have ever worn anything like this in my life."
Mobius pressed his brow. "Surely you've gone swimming before."
"Of course I have - the water is a very tranquil and entertaining place to be."
"And you went in fully dressed?" Mobius asked skeptically and he knew Loki's answer by his wicked grin.
"Oh no...I went in fully undressed."
Mobius' chest tightened and that familiar warmth pooled in his belly and he couldn't help his eyes trailing downward, already picturing the tall, beautiful form, naked and lounging in a crystal clear body of water.
His sudden dry mouth had nothing to do with the heat and it was Loki's laugh that reminded him to breathe.
"Later." Loki promised, leaning in to where the lips just barely touched.
He let out a breath following Loki with his head as he pulled away, walking past him towards the jet ski.
Mobius shook off the thoughts with a small shake of his head. He needed to get into the cold water and quickly.
As they stood before the jet ski, Loki waved his hand and Mobius was then surrounded by a snug green life vest.
Mobius looked back up at him and raised his brow expectantly at Loki's lack of one.
Loki rolled his eyes, catching his thoughts without him saying it. "I'm a god Mobius."
Mobius frowned at him and took a step toward him. "One who I've seen bleed far too many times so don't you dare try to claim invincibility."
Loki's lips tightened and his eyes narrowed and Mobius stared back at him.
Loki finally let out a relenting sigh and with a slight roll of his eyes, an identical life jacket suddenly appeared on him.
"Happy?"
Mobius' lips twitched up and he patted Loki's chest, eyes meeting his in amusement. "Extremely."
Loki shook his head. "Ridiculous." He muttered under his breath and Mobius ignored him instead turning to the jet ski with an excited grin.
He carefully maneuvered himself on top of it and placed his hands on the handlebars, gripping onto them and feeling out all the controls.
Loki slid onto the small seat behind Mobius, wrapping his arms around his middle. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Mobius grinned over his shoulder. "Not a clue. Guess we're gonna figure it out."
He had read the magazines, and admittedly a manual or two, but being on one was something else entirely.
He bit his lip, his face scrunching in concentration as he tried to work out how to turn the thing on. He finally spotted the key in the ignition and turned it and the engine roared to life.
"Hang on!" He called to Loki and Loki barely had time to respond before he turned them away from the dock and out into the ocean.
They started off a little slow, as Mobius got a hang of how to steer and control the machine, but soon they were tearing through the water at high speeds.
"Moby...don't you think you should slow down a little bit?"
Loki eyed the approaching wave already starting to foam due to the circles Mobius had them doing.
"Where's the fun in that?" Mobius called back over the roar of the sea and the engines.
"I'm all for fun but I'd also prefer to keep us in one piece!"
"Quit your worrying! I thought you were invincible!"
"Shut up." Loki growled at his ear and Mobius laughed and Loki closed his eyes and pressed his cheek into Mobius' back as they hit the waves and the jet ski went flying through the air.
Mobius let out a whoop of joy and Loki squeezed onto him tightly.
They landed back onto the water with a large splash, water spraying and soaking them both.
The landing had slowed them down a little, Mobius loosening his grip on the gas while they were in the air and was laughing as they sailed through the water.
Loki opened his eyes again, water droplets dripping from his hair, down his face and he released a breath.
"I hate you."
Mobius laughed harder, leaning back against him as they stalled on the water for a minute. "No you don't!"
He turned his head to look back at him, blue eyes bright and lit with joy and Loki's face softened.
"You loved that." Mobius said with a grin.
"It was rather thrilling." Loki agreed and Mobius turned back around, leaning his body forward.
"Good, because we're not done yet."
Their adventure on the water continued for a while, hitting waves, both smiling and laughing with every turn.
Mobius eventually, reluctantly, guided them back to the dock. In theory, he could have been out there all day, but his body could not keep up, and the jet ski could only run for so long.
The smile seemed permanently etched on his face as they pulled back into the dock. Loki was the first one off and then helped him up.
Loki flipped his hair, sending water flying and Mobius flinched as the water droplets hit him across the face.
Despite looking just a little bit like a drowned rat, Mobius couldn't help but admire Loki. His skin was usually pale and looked even more so under the bright sun and his dark wet hair framing his face.
Yet Mobius couldn't stop his gaze from following every drop of water that rolled down his face, down his neck and towards his chest.
"You aren't going to magic yourself dry this time?" Mobius asked, watching him as he discarded the life vest he made him wear, revealing the shirt that was soaked tight to his skin.
Loki combed his wet, messy hair away from his face and flashed him a smile.
"Don't know if you've noticed, Moby, we are at a beach. This is where we are meant to be wet."
Loki stepped toward him and his breath caught. Every once in a whole he was reminded that Loki was an actual God and especially so in that moment as his tall frame sauntered toward him.
He let out the breath he was holding as Loki stopped in front of him and reached out to cradle his head in his hands.
He let out a small moan as Loki's long fingers then combed through his own hair, extracting the excess which rolled down the sides of his face and back.
He had let his hair grow during the war, after all who has time for a haircut through all of that. He had initially planned on cutting it back to his standard style once they were settled but a compliment from Loki on the length of his hair kept him from doing so. He had trimmed it, cutting away all the stragglers but his hair was now longer than he could ever recall it being, and Loki absolutely loved to have his hands in it, and he loved having Loki's hands in it.
"Besides," He shuddered as Loki's hands settled at the base of his neck, securing him in place, "there are better ways to dry off."
His eyes met Loki's for a second and Loki grinned wickedly at him before his lips came down hard upon his and Mobius was lost.
Mobius had his head rested against Loki's shoulder, feeling completely and utterly relaxed.
The air around them had cooled with the setting of the sun but his skin still felt warm and sun-kissed.
A few hours ago, his face buried in TVA nonsense, he couldn't have imagined being so relaxed but Loki had found exactly what he needed.
He turned his head, brushing his lips against Loki's chest in a small gesture of his affection and gratitude.
Loki answered by squeezing him gently, drawing him closer.
If you had told him not too long ago that one day he'd be snuggled on a beach side cottage palace with a Loki variant he would have called you insane.
Yet he couldn't imagine his life any differently now. He had found his place and remarkably found his home in the God of mischief.
Mobius could barely keep his eyes open, between the stress of the decisions about the future of the TVA, the exhausting but increasingly fun excursion on the jet ski and a little more fun on the beach, and then again in the absolutely glorious bedroom Loki had created for them and the absolute feeling of peace that surrounded them.
He started to drift off, his eyes closing as he gave into the relaxing surroundings - the solid form of Loki beneath him, the cool breeze off the ocean, the slight warmth from the sun, and the slightly strange but still calming scent of a non-Earth beach.
He swore he must have fallen asleep and started dreaming because as they sat there, amongst all the sounds, he heard a faint, soft, gentle whisper.
I love you.
"I love you too." An automatic response in his drowsy state and he leaned in closer to Loki's chest.
It was only then he realized that the words had been accompanied by the soft caress of Loki's breath against his hair and the soft rumble of his voice in his chest.
He was suddenly alert and lifted his head to meet Loki's gaze, full of faint trepidation, vulnerability and adoration.
He knew then that it hadn't been a dream and he hadn't imagined it.
His heart skipped a beat. He had not been expecting Loki to say anything, not so soon, and knowing that Loki felt anything at all for him was enough.
A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and Loki instantly responded with a small, relieved smile of his own.
"You once told me that I deserved to be told that I was loved." Loki said, his voice quiet. "You deserve that too."
His expression softened as did his heart and Loki's hand moved to his cheek.
"All of this is entirely new to me." He continued and Mobius watched him with apt attention and adoration. "I've never had it with anyone, never really wanted it with anyone." He moved his hand down to Mobius' chest and leaned in until their foreheads touched. Loki closed his eyes but Mobius kept his open, observing as much as he could of Loki's expressions. He needed to take in every bit of this priceless moment.
"You changed everything." Loki whispered. "You saw me like no one else ever even tried to. You accept me, respect me, love me. For what feels like the first time I can enjoy my life and enjoy being myself."
Mobius remained silent - he knew how difficult it was for Loki and let him talk through his own feelings.
Loki then pulled back to look him in the eyes. "And you," he smiled softly as he shook his head, "dear Mobius, are worth everything to me. Right from the start you knew exactly how to get through to me, and I know how I can be, so stubborn and standoffish and down right cruel sometimes."
Mobiua opened his mouth to refute that with a small shake of his head but he was met with Loki's finger against his lips.
"Don't say anything. I know who I used to be and I know who I am now and who I want to be because of you. You're patient, and understanding and brave and kind and so full of spirit that I admire tremendously. You showed me what love was when it had been so foreign, so out of my grasp and unreachable, unattainable I couldn't even begin to comprehend it, simply by being yourself."
Mobius had thought the day had been perfect and couldn't have been any more perfect but he was wrong. This was his favorite thing to happen that day and many wonderful things had happened that day.
"I'm going to make mistakes, probably really stupid ones, but I never want to hurt you, Mobius. I want to see this smile on your face all of the time…"
Mobius could feel his smile growing and Loki once again touched his cheek and he pressed a feather light kiss to the palm of his hand.
"...and I want to be the one putting it there."
Loki let out a heavy breath, his shoulders heaving like he was relieved of a weight off his chest. Then he scoffed slightly and shook his head, "Forgive this incredibly sentimental speech but I needed you to know."
He raised his hand to cover Loki's. "Hey, you never have to be afraid to talk to me about anything, especially this. If something is on your mind, on your heart, I want to hear it."
Loki's lips twitched up. "Well...as I've said it's not something I am used to doing or have ever been comfortable doing but you make it all so much easier."
"Anything. Anytime." Mobius reiterated, promised, and squeezed Loki's hand.
He leaned in towards Loki, glancing down at his lips but held himself back, allowing Loki to make the move.
And make the move, Loki did. He pulled him in for a gentle but passionate kiss that Mobius felt down to his toes.
"Thank you for opening your heart to me." Mobius whispered against his lips before Loki brought him in again.
The kiss was lazy, languid, gentle, reflecting the atmosphere of their environment.
"Thank you for allowing me in." Loki answered, his voice just as soft.
Mobius pressed one last soft kiss to his lips and then moved downward, resting his cheek over Loki's heart. He could feel it loud and fast against his ear. He covered it physically as he always would metaphorically - he'd guard, protect and care for this man's heart with everything he was, forever.