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“You know what a movie is, right?” Mobius had asked one evening while hovering near the stove, stirring a simmering pot of classic Asgardian-style soup. A dish which he knew was one of his partner’s favorites when it came to comfort. Mobius suspected that it reminded him of his mother.
Loki was sitting at the kitchen table with an open book under his nose and a steaming cup of tea to his right. He looked far too elegant for someone dressed in green flannel.
“Of the Midgardian variety? Yes, of course I do.” Loki replied, managing to sound both condescending and distinctly distracted.
Mobius knew that Loki didn’t like to be interrupted from his reading, but the god also didn’t like to cook, which was how they’d fallen into this routine of Mobius preparing dinner while his fellow variant cozied up to a book. Honestly, the very least that Loki could do was tolerate being pulled from whatever was captivating him on page once in a great while.
“Ever watched one?” Mobius asked.
“No.”
“Would you like to?”
“I’d rather be reading.” Loki deadpanned. He’d finally looked up from his book and was staring at Mobius with an expression which clearly read ‘unimpressed’. Mobius just smiled innocently in return, though there was a glint of mischief within his own crystal blue eyes. Part of the fun of living with a Loki was pushing their numerous buttons just to see what might make them tick.
Their doorbell buzzed. “Trick or treat!” Shouted the muffled voices of children from outside.
It was Loki and Mobius’ first Halloween, or rather, their first Halloween since they’d left what remained of the TVA behind less than two months earlier. After regaining his memories, thanks to one god of mischief, and managing to repair what damage had been done to the sacred timeline without destroying the lives of those set loose in the multiverse; a feat which Mobius still can’t quite believe that they’d managed to pull off, the ex-analyst had been ready to call it quits and finally retire. Much to his surprise, Loki had followed.
Mobius loved Loki. When the grudging respect and fondness that he’d felt at first had turned into pure and unbreakable love, he couldn’t quite pinpoint, but he’d honestly never expected for Loki to love him in return. At some point over the course of their long and exhausting journey, however, Mobius’ feelings for the person who he believed was in love with another were actually reciprocated.
After a lengthy chess match of longing stares, glancing touches, and words which hinted at the desire for more than friendship, Loki had been the one to truly initiate.
It was near the end of their journey at the TVA when it first happened, as they were about to head out into the field to enact the most perilous step of their plan to fix the warring universe. What they were about to embark on was a major risk. A risk which both were fully aware could end with both of their lives lost to the cause, but a risk which they had to take.
Loki reached forward to straighten Mobius’ tie, his pale fingers twining around the brown strip of fabric. It seemed incredibly silly at first. There was a good chance that they were about to sacrifice themselves for the safety of the universe.
And Loki... Loki was worried about the state of Mobius’ tie?
But Loki’s grip tightened a fraction and he drew himself closer until their chests were nearly touching. Their eyes locked for a moment, all air within the room seeming to vanish as the god’s gaze moved slightly downward toward the other's mouth. Mobius’ breathing had hitched and there was a tightness in his heart. Time may have stood still, or perhaps it was racing past the point of comprehension, because Loki was suddenly leaning down to press their lips together.
Their connection within that moment had felt natural and safe. Real. Like a dam had broken and washed every mess they’d ever made for themselves away until nothing was left aside from two displaced variants and whatever wonderful thing was happening between them.
That was several months ago. Years? Mobius really couldn’t say. The multiversal war had stretched on and on like an endless hell until very, very suddenly… they’d ended it. It was over. Messily, but blessedly done. They’d since chosen to make a new life for themselves upon the freshly repaired timeline. The timeline in which Loki had died in 2018 and Mobius had lost his own lonely life to a car accident in 1997. Mobius’ nexus event and the reason for his arrest by the TVA, he’d learned, had been surviving.
“Can you get that?” Mobius asked, motioning in the general direction of the door as he turned back toward the soup, giving it a stir. It really wouldn’t have killed him to leave their meal simmering for a few moments just to hand out candy to a few last minute trick-or-treaters, but Loki’s adorably exasperated groan was worth feigning the inability.
Loki slid from the chair, leaving his hardcover of American Gods abandoned on the table, and disappeared into their living room. Mobius could hear the door opening and children saying their thanks as his partner handed out their treats. Shortly after, Loki reappeared in the kitchen with the bowl of candy under one arm and an open chocolate in his other hand.
“I’ve turned off the lights.” Loki said, plopping the bowl on the table and moving over to lean sideways against the counter beside him. “As far as our neighbors are concerned, we’re sleeping.” He smirked, popping what was left of the chocolate into his own mouth. As much as Loki pretended to dislike Halloween, he clearly didn’t dislike every aspect of it.
“You’re gonna ruin your appetite.” Mobius mused with a grin, leaning over to catch his partner’s mouth with his own. A far deeper kiss than their first, and tasting not of ash and desperate fear, but of chocolate and faint traces of spiced tea. Loki hummed against him in reply.
Once they broke apart, Mobius poured their late night dinner into matching blue bowls and carried them to the kitchen table.
If Loki had wanted silence while the meal was prepared, he was the complete opposite now that they sat across from each other. As per usual, the god wouldn’t shut up, and Mobius spent most of the time simply smiling between bites, their feet touching under the table as he nodded or hummed in agreement while wondering how on earth he’d managed to end up here with the god of mischief, prince of Asgard, and the most beautiful person he’d had ever laid eyes on.
“-which, as you know, was only four hundred years ago!” Loki exclaimed. “And look at them now. There was a child dressed as a witch just outside our door.”
“Four hundred years is actually a pretty long time for most people, but go on.” Mobius had commented.
Half an hour later and they’d moved to the sofa. Their television, which was most often left untouched in favor of other less mind numbing activities, had been turned on. Loki wasn’t paying much attention to what was on screen, though. His eyes and his hands were on his partner, which made it a bit difficult for Mobius to remain focused enough to find what he was looking for and press the play button on their remote control. Once he did, however, he leaned back as the opening credits to the film which he selected began to roll.
Loki paused, head turning toward the television. “What’s this?” He asked, eyebrows drawn slightly downward.
“A movie.“ Mobius answered. “A scary one.” He added with a grin.
If anything, Loki’s frown deepened, though he eventually scoffed. “I’m a god and you’ve seen all of existence. You can’t actually believe that a story crafted by mortals could frighten us.”
“Probably not, but I guess we’ll find out.” Mobius drawled, wrapping an arm around his partner’s shoulders and pulling him closer. “Either way, I’ll keep ya’ safe.” He teased, both of them knowing full well that Loki was the protector around here. The ex-analyst had been saved by Loki’s magic more times than he would ever care to admit.
“Oh, will you?” Loki teased in return, but he pressed himself against his partner’s side regardless and kept his eyes on the television with a carefully bored, yet mildly amused expression.
Mobius kept glancing over at him throughout the film, trying to be subtle, but likely failing miserably as he checked for any changes on Loki’s face. Mobius wasn’t about to say it, but he’d actually seen this particular film before, prior to the TVA’s interference in his life. It had frightened him back then, and he was hoping that it might make Loki feel at least some of those good ol’ classic Halloween chills.
Loki pointedly yawned.
“That blood is clearly fake.” He sniffed. “A wound made by that type of blade wouldn't have bled half as much.”
“They’re not gonna actually stab someone for a movie, Loki.” Mobius replied, to which Loki shrugged.
As the film progressed, Loki appeared to grow gradually less bored, though ‘terrified’ wasn’t quite the word to describe him either.
“Are all mortals this idiotic?” The god suddenly groaned. “Why would you go back into the house? Just leave. Go home. You’re not going to accomplish anything aside from getting yourself slaughtered.” He spoke, as if directly to the heroine on screen.
The rest of their movie night progressed in much the same way. The characters would do something decidedly “idiotic” or “unrealistic” and Loki would continue on with his snarky little commentary.
There was a final jump scare, Loki blinked, and the screen went dark. The god hadn’t flinched once, or even so much as grown tense beside him.
“Is that the end?” Loki asked with the raise of one eyebrow.
Mobius shifted to grab the remote. “Yep. That’s the end.” He answered, turning the television off and letting a soft chuckle fall from his lips as Loki immediately turned to face him, straddling him with knees on either side of his thighs.
So, his plan to give Loki a bit of a Halloween scare hadn’t quite gone the way he would’ve liked, but Mobius still couldn’t really complain. Loki’s commentary had been amusing and oddly endearing, and getting to spend the late evening hours with the person he loved was an evening well spent.
Loki was gazing down at him now with a smile on his face, breathtaking as always. “If that’s what humans consider to be frightening, then really Mobius, it’s no wonder-”
There was a sudden knock at the door and Loki jolted in his lap. “Trick or treat!”
His partner’s attention had whipped toward the door, blue eyes growing a bit wide with mortification before he turned them back to Mobius, who was grinning like an idiot.
“You just jumped.”
“I did not.”
“You did!” Mobius exclaimed. “The great and powerful god of mischief just got startled by a bunch of kids!”
“I did not!” Loki repeated more firmly.
Another knock at the door and Loki’s expression turned disgruntled. “We’re out of candy! Go away!” He shouted, to which Mobius could hear the muffled voices of disappointed kids and flustered parents turning away from their porch and hurrying back down their driveway. Who needed their new neighbors to like them, anyway?
Mobius had started snickering, though not unkindly, and his left hand had reached up to rest soothingly against Loki’s lower back. The god’s pale complexion had gone slightly pink in the dim light, but his anger was noticeably fading and he eventually relaxed back within Mobius’ arms.
“I wasn’t afraid. I was only… surprised.” Loki assured with a roll of his eyes, to which Mobius pressed his lips together to stifle his laughter and nodded.
“Sure.” He replied. “Of course.”
They both knew that he knew that Loki was lying, but it didn’t really matter. Nothing mattered, really, and that was the beauty of their existence now. There were no looming threats around each corner. No one was watching their every move, or playing puppet master with their fates. No ‘glorious purpose’ aside from the simple joy of making each other happy and enjoying their blissfully untroubled lives. They were free.
“Happy Halloween, Loki.” Mobius muttered, leaning forward to press his face into Loki’s inner shoulder as his silent snickering finally subsided.
“Norns, you’re insufferable sometimes.” The raven haired variant mused as he wrapped his arms around the man before him.
“But you still love me, right?” Mobius asked, smiling softly.
“I do.” Was Loki’s reply.