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This day had always been special for Mobius.
But today, it wasn't just the fact that it was his birthday that made it special, but the fact that he would be celebrating it with the person who loved him, for the first time. All of his other birthdays he had spent alone, counting down the seconds at midnight until he was a year older, a year older in this universe.
"Mobius?" Loki's voice was still doused with sleep, but Mobius knew he had been awake for a long time.
"Mmm?" Mobius didn't open his eyes, preferring to snuggle closer to the warmth of Loki's body. "You should get up, or we'll be late at the TVA."
Mobius opened his eyes. Was Loki serious? At least he seemed to be. Could it be that he had forgotten?
Mobius felt a wave of sadness wash over him and immediately looked away, biting his lip. He closed his eyes and counted to ten in silence before standing up and heading to the bathroom, forcing a smile on his face.
"Oh and Mobius?" Mobius turned, hopefully, when Loki said with a wink, "Don't take all the warm water."
It didn't take long for him to disappear into the shower and get lost in the hot water jet where he could pretend that it wasn't tears running down his face but the hot water of the shower because really, who would cry just because their lover had forgotten their birthday?
Two hours later, Mobius' mood had completely deteriorated, not a single person had wished him his birthday! Not a single person! C-90, B-15, Sylvie, all his former colleagues, nobody!
The only one who could have still done it was Casey, but he wasn't there today.
Every time he had crossed paths with Loki during the day, he had done everything he could to make sure that he didn't notice anything, hiding his pain behind his smiles, but tonight, as he was going home, alone, all he wanted to do was to go hide under his comforter and sleep to forget this day.
For his part Loki whistled as he put his things away in his locker, the day was finally over and he was looking forward to spending the evening with Mobius.
"Is it Mobius' birthday that makes you so happy? Did you plan a surprise for him? By the way, tell him I was sorry I wasn't there today to wish him."
"What?!" Loki turned to Casey who had just entered the locker room, "My Mobius has his birthday today?!"
"Oh no Loki, don't tell me you forgot."
Loki protested vehemently, "No, no I didn't forget, I just didn't know. You know how unusual our relationship is, we never really exchanged that kind of detail, especially since on Asgard we didn't really care about our birthdays because we are so long-lived. But back to Mobius. What am I going to do? I know my Mobius, something like that must have hurt him and he probably did everything to hide it."
Loki circled around in a panic.
Casey looked at him fondly and stopped him, "Loki, you still have some time to think about something, and then Mobius, when he finds out you didn't know, he'll forgive you. I'm sure he will."
Loki thought silently for a few moments and then exclaimed, "I've got it!" and pulling out his tempad, he opened a time door.
As he walked through it, he turned and looked affectionately at Casey, "I never told you this Casey, but I consider you one of my closest friends here. You've always treated me like a normal person and I never thanked you for that. A mistake I want to make good on today. Thank you... my friend." Loki bowed to a stunned Casey before walking through the time door.
At the same time, Frigga was surprised to see her son arrive through a timedoor while she was having dinner.
Loki rushed to her and exclaimed, " Mother! I need you!"
A few moments later, Loki looked up to see what time it was before he entered the house, and sighed with relief that he was still right on time. When he walked through the door he thought Mobius had not come home because everything was dark. But he saw Mobius' things and was reassured. It was late, so Mobius must have gone to bed alone.
Loki felt even more sorry. His poor love must have gone to bed thinking that Loki had forgotten his birthday.
He put down his jacket, took off his shoes and went straight to their bedroom.
"Mobius?" he said softly in case his lover was asleep.
"Mmm." replied the voice muffled by the comforter.
Loki walked over and knelt down near where he thought Mobius' head was. He turned on the light from the bedside lamp and asked softly, "Would you get your head out from under there?"
After a few seconds, Mobius' head popped out from under the comforter and seeing his face Loki took him in his hands and said in an apologetic tone, "Oh my sweet love, I'm so sorry." and he kissed his reddened eyes.
Mobius shook his head, "No, no, I understand that my birthday is not important. I'm not important."
Loki put a finger over his mouth and said in a firm tone, "Don't ever say that again! You are important! You are the most important person in the entire universe for me and you need to know Mobius, I swear I didn't know it was your birthday! Casey told me that very night. How can you think I would forget the day the universe was graced with your presence? The day the love of my life was born."
He hadn't forgotten, he just didn't know.
Mobius let the wave of relief pass through him and his throat tightened, he couldn't stop a tear from flowing. Loki quickly gathered it with his lips before holding him tightly, whispering a litany of words of love and comfort.
After a few moments, Loki stepped back a little and said, "Mobius...love, I only have a few minutes left before this day ends, so with all my heart, I wish you a happy birthday my love."
Then he captured Mobius' lips and kissed him tenderly, before moving back again. Looking emotional, he resumed, "Mobius, while realizing that it was your birthday, I became acutely aware of the passage of time and I would like to offer you something special for your first birthday with me."
Mobius, touched that in such a short time, Loki had gone to the trouble of finding him a gift, kissed him on the forehead and said softly, "Thank you."
Loki smiled and said, "Don't thank me until you know what it is."
He took Mobius' hand and slipped something round into it, which felt like an... apple?
Not daring to hope, Mobius looked at what was in his hand and it was indeed an apple, but what struck him was its color, golden. He only knew of one sort of apple which has such a color, and looked up at Loki and asked, "Is this... what I think it is?"
Loki nodded and said with a voice full of emotion, "Mobius, for your birthday, I want to give you an eternity, an eternity with me. An eternity of birthdays together. An eternity of love?"
His eyes brimmed with tears as he spoke and Mobius made no attempt to hide his emotion either. When they kissed, their kiss tasted like their tears. When they caught their breath, Mobius moved back and said playfully, "You know that this sounded like a proposal?"
Loki swallowed then replied, a challenging look on his face, "So what?"
But Mobius knew that behind the challenge, the fear of rejection was there and this time it was he who took Loki's face in his hands and said softly but firmly, « So what? So, I say yes, as long as it is to be with you forever."
They both laughed, joy radiating from their faces.
Then Loki leaned towards Mobius again and whispered against his lips, "Happy birthday my love..." then kissed him tenderly.
Before Mobius was completely swept away by the happiness of this moment, he thought that even if he had started badly, it was probably the best birthday of his life.