Chapter Text
Ding!
Loki followed Mobius into the elevator, and this time he had a plan. When the doors closed, he waited patiently until Mobius selected the floor with the cafeteria and the car began to move, and then he pounced. One long stride up to the panel of buttons, shielding them from Mobius with his body and pressing several in combination before stepping back with an expectant look.
“Hey—” The car made an unpleasant noise and stopped abruptly between floors. Mobius sighed. “Loki, did you just break the elevator?”
Loki smiled. “Don’t worry about it.” He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “It’s not broken. Just an old trick I picked up for having more private conversations.”
Mobius watched him as the situation began to sink in. Loki moved even closer, eyes fixed on Mobius’ face. An awkward moment’s pause, and they both spoke at once.
“Would you do it again?”
“Look, Loki, before you ask, I—wait.”
Mobius cut himself off halfway through his statement as he processed what Loki said. Mobius fully expected Loki to question him, to ask why he’d kissed him and then slipped away, why he hadn’t said anything before, why he’d thought he could take the liberty with a god in the first place. He’d expected a barrage of questions, not to be asked for a repeat.
Mobius laughed helplessly, his eyes flicking down to Loki’s mouth. “You don’t want to know why I did it?”
Loki gave him an incredibly skeptical look. “Of course I want to know why. You could have me pruned at any moment, but for some reason you keep putting your neck out for me.” Loki shrugged with an air of calculated nonchalance. “But who am I to complain just when things are getting interesting?”
“I told you, Loki. I need your help.”
“I know.”
“You’re restless. You needed an outlet.”
Loki raised his eyebrows. “That was your solution?”
Mobius looked away, sheepish. “I’ll admit it wasn’t one of my best plans.”
Loki leaned in, a devious grin blooming on his face. “You”—he placed his fingers at the knot of Mobius’ tie, plucking at the silk, once again teasing insubordination—“have a little soft spot for me.”
Mobius tried and failed to keep the color from rising in his face, to keep his eyes off the curve of Loki’s mouth. Loki traced his fingers up Mobius’ throat, and he swallowed audibly.
“Tell me I’m wrong.” In spite of his self-confident smirk, Loki’s eyes were earnest. Mobius could tell he was at the limit of his false confidence, and rejection now would mean the end of this, probably for good. Loki was giving him an out, if Mobius didn’t want it. If Mobius didn’t want him.
“You’re wrong.” Loki instantly looked stricken, his brows scrunching. He started to pull away, but Mobius was faster, placing a warm, strong hand at the small of Loki’s back, pulling him in until their faces were inches apart. “I have a big soft spot for you,” he whispered.
Loki’s eyes went wide for a moment and he laughed, bold and bright, leaning back into Mobius’ solid grip. “What was it you called me—mischievous scamp? If I’m not careful, you’ll take my job, Mobius.”
Mobius’ smile was unspeakably fond. “We can trade.”
“I’d rather do this.”
Loki leaned down, crowding him up against the wall of the elevator and kissing him thoroughly. Loki’s kisses were desperate, hurried, like he needed to take his fill before he was cast aside. Mobius pulled back, his heart aching at the soft whine Loki gave as their lips parted, and he took a moment just to look. Loki was beautiful, his expressive face showing the bloom of color high in his cheeks, his blue eyes bright with emotion and unshed tears. A beautiful, precious thing, to be cherished for all time.
“Let’s take it slow, okay?”
Loki rolled his eyes, obviously unused to waiting unless absolutely made to do so. He licked his lips, and Mobius followed the shining path of his tongue across his kiss-reddened lips, and wasn’t that an idea for a later time. Mobius leaned ever so slightly closer, their noses just brushing, the shared breath intoxicating in its intimacy. He stroked Loki’s cheek, guiding him back into a kiss. Soft lips meeting, slotting together, a tease of tongue and he was licking into Loki’s mouth, tasting the sweetness of fruit and his shuddering sigh of desire as Loki melted into this new pace. Slower this time, more tongue and less teeth. He deepened the kiss, swallowing down each little sound he pulled from Loki’s lips.
What a fool he’d been for waiting so long, what a fool he was for doing this here, now. The elevator, hell, the TVA was no place for this, and yet—Loki was solid and warm and real against him, a being worthy of love and kindness. Mobius held him gently in his arms, smoothing a reassuring hand down his back, and Loki sighed into the kiss, the frantic energy bled out of him at Mobius’ touch.
“Better?” Mobius murmured, their lips barely parting.
Loki pressed on, kissing him again and humming in agreement. “Mmm.”
A few moments, a few kisses later, and Mobius paused again to breathe. “You wanted to know why.”
Loki opened his eyes, watching him with pleased amusement. Mobius smiled. “I know you wanted a reaction, Loki.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “As it turns out, I think you’re super hot.”
As he spoke, Mobius’ hand drifted lower and palmed a handful of ass. Loki laughed again, the sound rumbling deep between them. “I suppose I’ll take that compliment.”
He smoothed his hand down Mobius’ shoulder, shoving his jacket aside and brushing his thumb against the hollow under his collarbone. The hand trailed its way down, tracing the firm muscle and soft flesh of his chest and side, before disappearing behind him. Loki rolled his hips forward in a slow grind, and Mobius could feel through the pressure against his hip just how quickly this could get out of control. More out of control.
“Loki, we should probably take this—ah!—elsewhere.” Mobius gasped as Loki nipped at his throat, a teasing scrape of teeth against delicate skin.
“Have somewhere in mind?” Loki murmured against his jaw. “Back to your place?”
Mobius thought that sounded simultaneously like the best and the worst idea he’d had all day. Loki in his apartment, in his bed—but the piles of work left out would certainly alert others to their extended absence. Loki recognized his pause as indecision and lowered his voice to its most tempting, murmuring directly into his ear. “Those files aren’t going anywhere, Mobius.”
Mobius had to stifle a groan at the sound of his name on Loki’s silver tongue, a shiver racing through him from head to toe, and then Loki pulled away with a wicked grin. He blinked up at Loki, dazed by how little he’d expected that reaction from his own body, and caught Loki’s smirk just as he felt the elevator floor press up against his feet. He had just enough time to tug his jacket back into place, mussed collar and tie be damned, before—
Ding!
The doors slid open, revealing Casey’s round, curious face on one side, and on the other, Mobius and Loki standing side by side, carefully not looking at one another.
“Oh man, did you guys get stuck in the elevator?” Casey asked, confusion plain on his face.
“Uh—” Mobius began, but Loki quickly cut him off, throwing an arm over his shoulders and leading them away down the hall. “Yeah, we sure did. Wouldn’t recommend it. You know what, Casey, you should probably take a different elevator. This one is definitely broken.”
“No wonder it took 30 minutes to get here. Aw man, that means I have to go all the way to the other side of the cafeteria.”
Loki called back over Mobius’ shoulder. “It beats getting stuck in an elevator by yourself. Guy like you? You’d probably die of boredom.”
“Hey…” Casey frowned at what he thought was probably an insult, but didn’t quite know why. It wasn’t until Loki had steered Mobius around the corner and well out of earshot before he realized.
“Wait, you both came out of the elevator. You weren’t by yourself.”