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It was dark in the TVA, all the lights that simulated daylight had turned off, and the small herds of office workers and Minutemen had cleared for the night, leaving the corridors uncharacteristically barren.
Loki turned off the shower nozzle and thoroughly dried himself. He dressed in the usual beige and whites that seemed to surround him at the TVA, it was bland but at this point, Loki found it to be just another annoying thing to add to the ever-growing pile of mild hinderences.
He opened the door to release the humid air, his hand lingered on the doorknob as he felt a strange feeling overcome him like something wasn't quite right. He peered out into the room. It was dark but everything seemed to be as it should, he brushed the feeling off deciding it was nothing. He looked down, a vibrant color catching his eye and recoiled his hand in terror when he saw the lapis blue color that had taken over his skin.
A million questions and thoughts raced through Loki's brain as he examined his arms, he whipped his head to face the mirror, the steam had dissipated, and those blood-red eyes stared back at him as though a wolf peering at prey through the brush.
His breathing hitched. Why was this happening? This didn't make any sense, why now? Loki couldn't wrap his brain around it.
By instinct he rushed to the sink, turning it to the hottest setting. It scalded his skin and it took everything in him to force his hands still. By God, he felt disguising.
He rubbed his hands together under the faucet, he did so with great force, not easing up on the raised marks that resembled wretched scars.
He lathered his hands in soap in hopes that would help, as though it was just some sickly grime that had settled and could go away with some firm scrubbing.
It didn't take long for the rough scrubbing to gradually turn to Loki clawing at his skin. He was ruthless against himself, not sparing himself an ounce of pain despite the now blood-mixed water that ran off his hands.
He grabbed more soap and continued this twisted ritual of repentance, the soap stung the broken skin which only grew as Loki continued.
________
Mobius wandered the halls back to their apartment, he had just dropped off paperwork that was due and was tying up loose ends before he could have a satisfying end to his night.
He unlocked the door to a seemingly empty flat. He called out to Loki but got no response. Mobius saw that the bathroom door was open and the light that shown through. He walked through their quarters, the closer he got the more he could hear the running water. Mobius thought nothing of it and continued his way to Loki.
The sight that stood before him was not one he thought of being even in the realm of possibilities.
There stood his partner as he had hoped, however the addition of cobalt blue skin was unexpected. Mobius did his best not to gawk at the wonderful sight in front of him and tried to get his attention instead.
He rapped his knuckles against the open door, but Loki's breathing was ragged and he seemed to be in his own little world, too caught up in his head to pay mind to anything else.
Mobius walked over to Loki. "Hey Lokes, you alright? " he glanced down into the bowl of the sink and saw the god's hands scrapped and raw with a steady flow of blood gushing out.
Mobius wasted no time to turn off the now freezing water and pry Loki's hands away from each other gently by his wrists. "Hey, would you cut that out? " Mobius' voice was unintentionally stern by the shock but it seemed it was what Loki needed to come back to his senses.
Loki's eyes shot up at Mobius in surprise then back down to his shaking and assaulted hands. His breathing was erratic and wavered, Mobius moved a hand to his back in hopes of giving him some form of comfort.
"Mobius i-" he glanced up at Mobius then looked back to his hands again, the blood beaded up and slid down to his wrist like condensation on a glass. "I don't understand how this happened. " Loki took a shuddered breath.
Loki found Mobius' expression unreadable but for Mobius, it was merely a front to hide his worried shock. "C'mon walk with me, let me clean that up. " he guided Loki outside the bathroom, (he'll deal with that later he decided) and settled the shaken-up god at the kitchen table while he grabbed supplies.
Mobius seated himself across from Loki. He took a warmly damp rag and wrapped it around his wounds, applying steady pressure to them with his own hands. It stung, and Loki could only watch as his blood defiled the previously pure white cloth.
Silence weighed heavy between them, both of them having things they wanted to say and both being scared to say anything.
To both Mobius and Loki's surprise, it was Loki who broke the silence. "I don't understand how you can bear to look at me in this state. "
"It's very easy actually, " Mobius took the rag off and patted his hands dry with another spare cloth. " I look at you and wanna know what I see? " he glances up at Loki who is concentrated on Mobius' work with his hands.
Mobius opens a box that he had fetched when they first sat down. Taking out vials and various other small containers. "I see exquisite sapphire skin, and fiery ruby eyes, features best suited for a king. " Mobius brought a kiss to Loki's forearm and made a few circular motions with his thumb in the same place.
He looked up again to gauge Loki's reaction, any other time he would practically feel Loki preening at the compliment, but now with Loki's furrowed brows and somber expression Mobius questioned if he had said the wrong thing. However, it didn't escape Mobius that despite it all Loki had a light dusting of flush on him, the tips of his ears and his cheeks a slightly darker blue than the rest of him.
"When my brother and I were young, " Loki began, "Odin would tell us stories of the people of Jotunheim, how they were these big, dastardly creatures fuelled on bloodlust." As Loki continued Mobius dipped his fingers in the ointment and carefully spread it over Loki's wounded skin.
He felt Loki's hand tense under his, it surely stung but they both knew it needed to be done. " Thor reveled in the stories, it excited him terribly, and he often tried to get me to play them out with him. " Mobius listened tentatively to Loki as he began to unravel the bandages for its role.
With much care, Mobius wrapped the gauze between each slot between Loki's fingers, overtop his knuckles, and around his palm. " I turned him down of course, I was well aware of the role I was to have if I joined him, and I was not ready to play the part of the very thing that haunted my nightmares. " Mobius tied the compress, moving to Loki's other hand. Lokis eyes drifted along the bandages and his hand held out in front of him.
"I'm still not I suppose. " He furled his fingers into a fist then brought them back out.
With the same care and attention, Mobius had finished his other hand, tying the knot securely.
Mobius took a moment to gather his thoughts and think of an appropriate response, However, it seemed he took a moment too long as Loki began to speak again.
" I think I understand why Odin was so ashamed of me," a false smile graced his lips against his otherwise rather solemn face. " a revolting monster who fears his own kind truly is a sight to behold. I find myself ashamed as well. Nothing more than Asgard's eyesore. "
"Stop that. Stop beating yourself up. " Mobius took Loki's hand that had been resting on the table, rubbing gentle and soothing motion on the back of his hand. "There's no way you could have known alright? No thanks to Odin keeping you in the dark about it. " Mobius fixated his eyes on their hands, feeling embarrassed already by his next words. "And besides, It's a good look on you, you look very pretty. " he wanted to say more than just that but honestly he often found it very hard to get words like that out.
His eyes flicked up and saw Loki's face turned to the side, a light dusting of darker blue painted his sharp features once again. A genuine smile pressed against Loki's sullen face, and Mobius prided himself at the sight.
"Thank you. " Loki said with an uncharacteristic softness, nearly timid.
It was a horrible conundrum, Mobius found it difficult to give blunt compliments despite how badly he wanted to and Loki had an even harder time accepting them even though it's all he's ever wanted to hear. It was almost laughable.
"C'mon let's get you to bed big blue. " Mobius patted Loki's shoulder after he stood.
It didn't escape Mobius that Loki was if not at least an inch or two taller than usual, a subtle but worth noting, to Mobius, it was at least.
_______
They made it to the bedroom and Mobius lifted the sheets for Loki, after that he did the same for himself on his side of the bed.
They settled and mobius' expression shifted into something more stern and serious. He softly held Lokis's bandaged hand and looked him in the eyes. "Please don't do this again. " there was a soft begging in his voice that tore Loki from the inside.
"I won't I promise, I didn't even mean to- I just felt so... Dirty, " he said for a lack of a better word. A look of sorrow, contemplation, and thought occupied Loki's face.
"Hey," He cupped Loki's face with his free hand, looking deep into those burgundy eyes as they stared back. "Did I ever tell you that blue's my favorite color? " Mobius cracked a smile in hopes to lighten the mood.
Loki smiled back. "No, I don't think you have. " a soft laugh left his lips and Mobius swept his thumb across Loki's cheek.
They looked into each other's eyes for a good moment, absorbing all that was to offer, eating up the sight with rapture all before they slowly connected their lips. A sweet, chaste kiss, so small yet it meant the world to them. They only parted to breathe.
"Well, now you know. "