Archive of Our Own

1. “Burn so pretty”

“Do you have her, B?” Mobius spoke into his tempad quietly, mindful of the hush over the mountainside town in which they stood. A bubbling ornamental fountain stood nearby in the deserted courtyard, and the crunching gravel underfoot as they shifted their feet sounded almost obnoxiously loud in their muted surrounds.

“All good, Mobius. You guys did great.” B-15 sounded legitimately pleased with their work, which gave him an unneeded yet welcome lift.

“We always do,” he replied smugly, and her answering scoff made his grin widen.

“Yeah yeah, you’re amazing. Debrief in fifteen, don’t be late.”

Preparing to make some kind of witty retort, Mobius startled for an instant as he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. He turned to regard Loki, who was wordlessly requesting his attention.

As if he ever needed to ask.

“No problem, see you in a bit,” he replied benignly to B-15 instead, and terminated the call. 

“What’s up, Loki?” Mobius asked, his brow furrowed, “We didn’t forget something important, did we?”

“No no. Nothing like that,” Loki smiled at him warmly, the soft lilt of his voice still very much music to Mobius’ ears — even now, several months after he had miraculously returned to them.

Loki shifted his gaze towards the imposing mountain that loomed over them, a pointed, fierce-looking pinnacle with a ribbon-like waterfall cascading from its top, the foaming torrent almost glowing white in the summer twilight. 

“I saw something here, I think. On the top of that mountain… at the summer solstice, I believe it was.”

His tone was reflective as he engaged in an apparently effortful recollection, and yet again Mobius marvelled at how much Loki must have seen during his self-appointed guardianship; how much knowledge he must now possess, having had the entire multiverse at his fingertips for time immeasurable. 

“You mean, when you were protecting the timelines?” he redundantly clarified.

“Mm. I’m not sure whether this particular event would necessarily occur in every timeline, but… well, would it be alright if we take a brief detour to see?”

“See what?”

Loki’s mouth quirked teasingly. 

“You’ll find out. That is, if I do indeed have the correct location,” he frowned again thoughtfully, once more gazing up at the mountain. 

Mystified but curious, Mobius found the date of the impending solstice on his tempad, funnily enough only several days from their current temporal coordinates. He set the data for a new timedoor.

“The top of the mountain, did you say?” 

Loki replied to the query with a nod, and Mobius summoned the ‘door. 

“Oh. That is breathtaking,” Mobius muttered in awe, oblivious to Loki glancing at him fondly. 

“It gets better,” Loki assured him, “Just wait, and watch.”

They looked on in comfortable silence, observing the townsfolk in the middle distance as they continued lighting their unusually-shaped paper lanterns, a myriad dazzling colours glowing in the darkness. Their actions were formally ceremonial as they sang a beautiful but haunting chant in their native language, setting hundreds of the lanterns onto the glassy surface of the water. 

Their effortless harmonising sent a chill prickling over Loki’s skin, the sensation wonderfully pleasurable. 

The placidness of the water was deceptive; a strong current unseen tugging the lanterns towards the waterfall in the distance. A veritable blanket of stars glittered overhead, complementing the colourful lights as they converged in the narrow gap at the precipice, where the water from the enormous spring by which they stood tumbled down over the rocky cliff face beneath.

As the first lanterns dropped over the edge, disappearing from view, Loki felt Mobius’ questioning eyes upon him.

“Keep watching,” he murmured, his own gaze remaining glued to the spectacle.

The chanting song surged into a magnificent crescendo, the villagers zealous in their enthusiasm, and Loki shivered in reaction. Pressed close enough in their secluded spot that their arms were brushing, he strongly suspected that Mobius had too.

And then…

“Oh. Oh, wow. That’s amazing.”

Mobius was almost whispering as he stared up at the lanterns… which had now taken flight from below, rising up above the peak of the mountain. A sail of sorts had unfurled from the top of each, the heat of the flames within lifting them to soar high overhead.

They continued watching until every last one was aloft, drifting to mingle with the starlight, and very gradually vanishing into the darkness. 

Loki sighed contentedly, relishing the moment. Thousands of times he’d bore witness to the most awe-inspiring sights in the cosmos, across infinite timelines. But it turned out such things were much more spectacular in the flesh… and far more fulfilling, when sharing them with agreeable company.

Tonight had actually been planned by him, in a sense. When this retrieval mission had initially cropped up, or rather, when he’d happened upon the proposal amongst the bulletin of upcoming missions on B-15’s desk (which he was absolutely entitled to flick through, he argued, being the saviour of the Multiverse), Loki had surprisingly recognised the location in the profile images, from the first time he’d witnessed this unique ritual in a more… ethereal capacity. 

At first he didn’t think much of it, it was just one of those random coincidences. He’d seen so much, after all, it only made sense that he’d occasionally come across familiar places, and sometimes even people. 

But the memory had continued to play on his mind for the rest of the day. 

Mobius had been kind of stressed lately. Nothing major, just a bit overworked; a few more demands on his time than was perhaps usual. Loki had been wanting to do something nice for him without making it obvious that’s what he was doing, and this seemed like as good an opportunity as any. So he’d persuaded B-15 to assign the mission to the pair of them, citing his own prior knowledge of the village and its surrounds as the reason they were the obvious choice. Fortunately, B had only been too happy to oblige. If she was at all suspicious about his keenness, she either didn’t let on, or didn’t care. 

Likely the latter.

Then, once they’d completed the very simple mission, Loki just needed to perform his little ‘I think I’ve been here before…’ routine, well knowing that Mobius’ natural curiosity would get the better of him.

He turned to Mobius now, who was still lost in stargazing, and took a moment to appreciate the way the light from the blazing torches arranged about the waterside gleamed warmly in his eyes.

“I suppose we should be getting back,” Loki eventually said quietly, breaking Mobius’ reverie with great reluctance. Mobius breathed in deeply, as though reawakening, and smiled at him.

“Thank you, Loki,” he said sincerely, with utmost appreciation. “I’ve seen and experienced a lot of beautiful things in my time, of course, but this certainly ranks pretty high up there.”

“Indeed?” Loki raised an eyebrow, his interest sparked, “What other kind of things would you rank alongside this? Or higher, even?”

Mobius thought for a long moment, toying with the tempad that he’d drawn from his pocket but had yet to flip open. 

“Hm. The main one that springs to mind is the night sky over a world called Hunresh,” he eventually replied, “That one really stuck with me. Lots of massive neighbouring planets, big fat band of asteroids, five moons of various colours. I almost missed our target that mission, I was too busy staring gobsmacked at the sky.”

Loki snorted, conjuring the mental image of a daydreaming Mobius suddenly torn from awed admiration by a colleague’s agitated yell. 

He could definitely see that. 

Mobius opened a time door, but as he turned towards it, he hesitated and glanced over his shoulder to once more take in the starry sky. 

“We should do more of this,” he said ambiguously, before stepping through the glowing portal.

Loki smiled fondly to himself before following him.

Yes, we really should.

2. “Electric veil”

“They’re definitely striking, I suppose. Maybe even pretty, if one can deign to overlook the frankly devastating artificiality.”

“Come on, they’re no more artificial than those lanterns you showed me.”

That’s a matter of opinion, Loki thought, although technically Mobius wasn’t incorrect. 

“That was a traditional cultural ritual dating back hundreds of years,” Loki attempted to argue, but he could see by the glint in Mobius’ eyes that he was somehow digging himself into a hole.

“And? So are Christmas lights, Loki. It’s just that Midgardians moved on from candles and such to… well, electric.”

“And as a result, you end up with this sort of thing,” Loki gestured about them, the string lights that heavily adorned every tree along the wide road sparkling in the falling darkness, and gaudy arches comprised of glowing, flashing images representing bizarre seasonal customs stretching high over their heads.

“No need for that tone,” Mobius said, but the corner of his mouth had lifted in amusement.

“What tone? I don’t have a tone.”

“Yeah you do,” he insisted cheerily, “Is it really the tackiness of the lights? Or is someone just a little grumpy because they’re feeling a bit too warm?” Mobius teased, his gaze flicking up towards Loki’s forehead, upon which he could feel a light beading of perspiration.

Their current assignment had taken them to the city of Singapore on Midgard, and once they were done, Mobius had offered to jump them forward a few months, suggesting they take a look at the renowned display of festive lights that adorned the famed shopping district of Orchard Road. 

All well and good; Loki of course delighting in the opportunity to take a leisurely stroll with his favourite human against a backdrop of whimsical merriment, however garish it may be. But if one were to twist his arm, he would perhaps reluctantly admit… the humidity was fast becoming a struggle.

Smirking knowingly at his lack of response, Mobius veered off towards a nearby street vendor to purchase a couple of bottles of water, tossing one to Loki as he returned. Loki caught it in one hand, his eyebrow raised, though he wasn’t too proud to crack it open and take a long drink. It wasn’t quite cold enough to be completely satisfying, but he was still grateful, flashing a quick smile at Mobius that he knew would be interpreted as thanks.

“Well go on, then, Mr God-of-Time,” Mobius said, nudging him with his elbow as they carried on walking, “Where would you go if you wanted to see some pretty lights?”

Loki almost laughed, his unfathomably vast knowledge of the cosmos called upon to answer such an unconsciously loaded question.

If Mobius only knew the things that he’d seen.

But, well… there was no harm in starting off small.

Not wanting to get Mobius into hot water over what remained rather stringent rules regarding the abuse of tempad privileges, Loki had sought out Sylvie on her timeline, grovelling until she relented and loaned him her unique wrist-worn device previously owned by He Who Remains. 

“I want it back as soon as possible, Loki,” she’d said, folding her arms as her brow lowered sternly, “I was planning on taking Lyle to see the Pyramids during his vacation time. Which is soon.”

“Yes yes, you have my word,” Loki had huffed, rolling his eyes, “Far be it from me to stand in the way of your romantic conquests,” he added mischievously.

He’d been met by an unimpressed glare.

“Yeah, well, you’d do well to remember how graciously I’m assisting you with yours.”

Though he’d tried very hard to formulate a scathing response, the resultant inarticulate sputtering and flaming cheeks had Loki departing without so much as an answering word, chased through the summoned time door by the potent threat of Sylvie’s devilish grin.

“Where are we?” Mobius asked curiously.

“A world called Alanor,” Loki answered, as they rounded a corner and joined a short queue of people in front of a small kiosk. “I thought you may like to see what a truly spectacular display of ostentatious artificial lights looks like.”

“Trying to one-up me, Loki?” Mobius drawled. 

“Not my intent,” Loki said loftily, “But if you choose to reduce it to such…”

With a snort of humour, Mobius drew nearer to him as they advanced in the line, a family of six boisterous individuals squeezing past them. He didn’t move away again once they were gone, and Loki tried not to pay too much attention to their lingering close proximity.

“So what’s this lining up all about? Are we buying tickets or something?” Mobius asked.

“Yes. For a shuttle craft that will take us to the outskirts of the city.”

“And what will we see when we get there?” Mobius pressed.

“Pretty lights, of course,” he replied enigmatically.

* * *

“Geez Loki, you were not wrong,” Mobius enthused, “Look at this place!”

“Mm, told you,” Loki said with a twist of smugness, but Mobius appeared far too distracted to be bothered retorting.

Every two of their local years, the largest city on Alanor hosted a festival of lights within the forested region surrounding the capital. Taking many months for the designers and organisers to set up, a widespread area of the phenomenally tall trees was bedecked in glittering strands of lights that twinkled and danced in the breeze, in a rainbow of colours and myriad shapes and sizes. Some lights were arranged in intricate patterns, some formed pictorial representations of local fauna, flora and landmarks, and others were simply hung in such abundance that it was impossible to tell where the lights ended and the trees began.

The low-flying shuttle was small, only carrying around ten passengers, but there were several companies that ran tours throughout the festival, each with a fleet of similar craft. As a result, more than a hundred of the flying vehicles coasted above the treetops at any one time throughout the hours of darkness, somehow avoiding perilous encounters with each other.

Mobius seemed suitably impressed by the sheer scale of the installation, and Loki was content to listen to him point and exclaim over the stand-out features as they cruised through the cool night air. After about forty-five minutes, the pilot informed them that they’d be making one final pass high up above, spanning the entirety of the festival grounds so as to take it all in one last time… and even Loki had to admit that from such elevation, it was quite a remarkable sight.

Halfway across, Mobius scooted a little closer as they stood leaning against the railing along the edge of the craft, pressing his shoulder against Loki’s to gain his attention. He glanced at Mobius, meeting his gaze… and was struck by something unnamed. A certain feeling that swept through Loki as Mobius turned awestruck eyes upon him; smile wide and eyes shining, resulting in a fluttering, giddy weakness that took a hold of him. With the benefit of hindsight, he realised it was the same feeling he’d experienced when watching Mobius admire the colourful aerial lanterns up on that mountain top.

Something like pride, possibly? At being able to show a centuries-old being something that evoked such amazement?

No, that’s not exactly right.

Happiness, then, that Mobius was enjoying himself so much?

Closer, but not quite.

Well. Whatever it was, Loki found himself increasingly preoccupied with replicating this frankly addictive affectivity. 

Time and again, if possible.

3. “Chemical reaction”

“What about fireworks?” Loki said, apropos of nothing as they sat nursing much-needed caffeinated beverages in the cafeteria.

“Hm?” Mobius frowned at him, blinking in exhausted confusion. 

They’d just pulled an all-nighter – times two, as a matter of fact – yet still had to muscle through a couple of rather dull and tedious meetings this morning before they were able to go and rest.

“You liked the lights on Alanor, but what about something less static, and more… explosive?” Loki suggested.

“Sure,” Mobius said with a hint of a smile, “There’s some pretty decent New Year’s Eve fireworks displays on Earth. Might be nice to check them out properly one day. Soak up the atmosphere, count down to midnight, all- all that kinda thing…” he trailed off after he faltered almost imperceptibly, face flushing a little. 

Loki was baffled as to the reason, but didn’t think to question it.

“Well then, let’s do it,” he said decisively. “We have some downtime in a couple of days, don’t we?”

By way of response, Mobius toasted him with his half-empty coffee cup, smiling cheerily despite his fatigue.

A cascade of golden sparkles fell from the entire length of Sydney Harbour Bridge, winking out as they hit the water below. The raucous crowd lining Circular Quay cheered even louder as the impressive display reached its crescendo; bold streams of glowing white criss-crossing high over the top of the bridge’s crescent-shaped frame, while bright blossoms in a rainbow of colours burst rapid-fire across the dark sky, reflecting in the water far below, where myriad boats full of inebriated spectators bobbed merrily. 

Loki had offered to take Mobius to an exclusive bar at the top of Sydney Tower so that they may take in the spectacle from one of the most elite vantage points. But Mobius insisted that it wouldn’t be an experience without rubbing shoulders with the general public; be that the drunken youths, the young families carting around overtired children who were grizzling and rubbing their eyes, and the older couples with their folding camp chairs, who had probably staked out their prime positions from very early in the day.

It wasn’t really Loki’s idea of an amazing time, but it was worth it to watch Mobius soaking it all up. And the fireworks themselves were actually very good, at least as far as one could expect of a mere Midgardian effort.

“That was great,” Mobius said happily as the smoke from the final blasts dissipated into nothing. People were already beginning to filter away, and there was a couple nearby who hadn’t stopped kissing since midnight (and that whole tradition… thing was something Loki was completely unprepared for, actually; determinedly feigning nonchalance at Mobius’ far too succinct explanation), oblivious to the jubilant cries and the crackling explosions as they mashed their faces together with almost repulsive vulgarity.

Not that Loki was remotely envious or anything, of course. 

It was starting to feel rather awkward, however, so Loki began to lead Mobius away, weaving around hordes of people as both of them scanned the surrounding area, seeking out somewhere they could summon a time door without being spotted.  

“They weren’t bad,” Loki conceded, “The fireworks. I mean, I suppose there’s only so much they can accomplish with such unsophisticated resources.”

“Pff, like you could do better, even with your myriad PhDs in physics and engineering,” Mobius said jokingly, although there was a note of undisguised pride and awe in his voice, which was usually the case whenever he brought up Loki’s centuries of dedicated study.

“I could actually,” Loki couldn’t help but state matter-of-factly, “Although it would be more a union of science and magic, and I can forgive these Midgardians for not having benefited from the latter.”

“Magical fireworks?” Mobius queried curiously, “Alright Gandalf, you have my attention. Go on, I dare you to blow me away… uh, no pun intended.”

“Gandalf?” Loki’s brow furrowed in confusion.

Mobius snorted.

“Literary reference, don’t worry,” he said dismissively as he guided Loki around the corner of a nearby building. 

Loki activated a time door with the device upon his wrist, and they strode through into the bullpen of the chrono bay, quiet in the latter part of the day-cycle with only a scant few personnel milling about. 

“Okay then. Give me a few days,” Loki said, turning to face Mobius, folding his arms with an easy confidence. “I need to gather some materials, and do some spellwork out on a timeline. But by the time we next have an evening off, I’ll have it all ready to go.”

“Sounds great,” Mobius said with a grin, and somehow the way his eyes twinkled was more captivating than anything Loki had seen in the Sydney summer sky.

Mobius had to admit, Loki wasn't lying about his capability. Well, really, he expected nothing less of a being so powerful, but half of the appeal of the incredible show he was witnessing could only be attributed to the creativity and artistry behind it, so if nothing else, he applauded Loki’s vision. 

After a good fifteen minutes of intense, brilliantly-coloured explosions, which took various forms of everything from Asgardian flowers, to giant animated birds that took flight across the sky, to lightning strikes summoned by a massive Mjolnir (which was then swallowed by a glittering green snake), Mobius could sense the display was reaching its climactic finish. 

He did not expect that to result in him lying on his back on the picnic rug, the ground still warm beneath him from the afternoon sun, laughing heartily at the jumpscare of seeing an enormous Miss Minutes waving at him from the darkness above. 

Gods, good thing Loki chose a world devoid of life for this, he thought jovially, No poor, unsuspecting soul should be subjected to that.

The final feature was a scrawling of ‘For all time, always’ written in perfect cursive by an unseen hand in bold, silvery sparkles across the velvet sky.

Mobius was uncertain whether Loki was simply  trying to be amusing, or if there was a deeper meaning behind it. He couldn’t ask, of course, but he concluded there was no harm in choosing to believe the latter.

The god in question was strolling back to him from where he’d been setting off his creations in the  distance, ensuring that they were exercising all due safety precautions. Mobius grinned up at him as he approached, admiring the unconsciously self-assured air that he affected as soon as he’d glanced up and seen the evident appreciation of his captive audience. 

“Amazing work, Loki,” he said, reaching up to grab Loki’s wrist and tugging him down to sit next to him on the rug.

“You liked it?” Loki’s bearing may have been somewhat cocky, but there was genuine hope in his eyes, and it made Mobius melt a little.

“‘Course I did. What wasn’t to like? It was awesome,” he enthused, as Loki stretched out his legs and leaned back casually on braced arms behind him. “Imaginative, colourful, grand in scale… and very clever in both conception and composition.”

Loki beamed at the praise, and Mobius turned his head to hide a smile. He could be so gods-damned adorable sometimes, and he had absolutely no idea at all. Actually, the obliviousness was even cuter, to be honest.

As Loki launched into an explanation of the magical method required to animate a pictographic firework, Mobius lay back down on the soft blanket, gazing up at the glittering stars above. Loki’s calming voice lulled him into a pleasant daze, and eventually he too lay down, both of them still exhausted from a very busy couple of weeks, and relishing the chance to relax… even better that it was alone together.

Infused with warmth that now had very little to do with the sun-baked surface upon which they were sprawled, Mobius began pointing out constellations of his own imagination on the fly, complete with names that got progressively more ridiculous to the point where Loki was in fits of laughter. 

“‘The Deceased Cockroach?’” he snorted, then erupted into near-delirious giggling… yes, giggling, from an all-powerful god, and wasn’t that something?

“Yeah, look,” Mobius pointed, grinning, “Those stars are its bent legs there, all stickin’ up in the air. That line along there is the carapace, I guess… and the curvy bit at the end is a limp antenna.”

Loki was almost gasping, and Mobius let his head fall to the side to face him, watching him wipe away tears of mirth, and not for the first time feeling like the luckiest person in existence.

“Thanks for my fireworks, Loki,” he said with heartfelt gratitude. It dawned on him that Loki had spent who knows how long putting all of this together, as well as keeping up with work-related duties, all for a few minutes’ worth of amusement specifically for him. 

He knew Loki was a giant show-off, of course; he’d happily take any opportunity to wow someone with his admittedly vast skill set. 

But somehow, this felt like more than that. 

“Oh. It was nothing,” Loki smiled at him somewhat shyly, notably humble in his dismissiveness.

And that… that pretty much cemented it.

4. “The night is alive”

After realising that Mobius seemed to get a kick out of stargazing, even if that did have a lot to do with the fact they were joking and laughing an awful lot, Loki tried to think of some other phenomenon of the night sky that might be even more impressive than mere stars. Mobius had told him of the night sky over Hunresh, but it would feel like a cop out to simply take him back there. There were of course countless other worlds whose skyborne outlook would have assuredly been just as awe-inspiring, or even more so, but again, it felt far too unoriginal. Plus, the sheer number of worlds to research and reconnoiter would be insane, and though Loki was extremely driven in his profound desire to show Mobius all the beautiful things, he only had so much time and energy, even taking into account  his many abilities and resources.

So instead, he considered the possibility of something naturally occurring that was perhaps more remarkable than stars, planets and satellites. He was aware that there were fairly impressive auroras visible at times on Midgard, yet it seemed all too… pedestrian. Loki began entertaining the notion of even better auroras on other worlds. Surely with the multiverse at his fingertips, he’d be able to come up with something so majestic Mobius would be floored?

It was when he’d gotten to the stage where he’d started wondering whether the TVA had heavy-duty space suits that could withstand the deadly radiation of deep space, and the volatile atmospheres of planets that were laughably distant from the capacity of sustaining life, that he realised he’d maybe gone a bit too far in his attempt to find the perfect aurora experience. He was positive that Mobius was less likely to enjoy the view if he was sweating and low-key claustrophobic inside a suit reminiscent of that most despised temporal core monstrosity, which also carried a boatload of traumatic associations… for the both of them, really.

Take it down a notch, Loki, keep it simple.

Simple wasn’t exactly in his nature, but regardless, he felt it best to revert back to the safety and familiarity of the Midgardian experience. 

“Where and when?” Mobius asked with both eagerness and mild amusement, as Loki summoned a time door with Sylvie’s device. 

Loki had told him to wear a sweater and bring a couple of blankets when they met up in his quarters, but it seemed that he’d also brought with him a ready air of anticipation. Which made sense, really, if Mobius had become as accustomed as he to these little… excursions? outings? — whatever one would call them — that Loki had been taking him on. After how much fun they’d had the last time, Loki himself had to admit that he felt an elated thrill at the prospect of again lying at the side of his… beloved friend, and watching him find joy in the beauty of all existence. 

“You’ll see,” Loki smiled, gesturing for Mobius to step through before him.

When he emerged, he found Mobius already staring open-mouthed at the heavens, and with one glance upwards, Loki admitted that the reaction was completely valid.

“An aurora…” Mobius breathed, “But not like any I’ve seen before.”

Loki relieved him of the blankets, spreading one out on the shaggy, unkempt grass underfoot, and setting aside the other in case they needed it later. The temperature was cool but not cold, though the last thing Loki wanted was for tonight to be cut short due to any avoidable discomfort. 

It was incredible how well one could see the landscape around them; the aurora overhead so intense that one could have read from a page of text under its light.

Stepping over to Mobius’ side, Loki joined him in gazing at the multihued sky for a moment. Then, without thinking, he grabbed his hand to gain his attention, leading him over to the waiting blanket. 

“Come, lie here,” Loki insisted, pulling him down next to him, “Much easier on the cervical vertebrae, I’d imagine, and a bit more relaxing.” 

Realising that he was still holding Mobius’ hand even after they sat, he feigned nonchalance as he drew it away, and hoped that the aurora wasn’t so bright that his creeping blush would be obvious. 

But fortunately, as was completely justifiable, Mobius was too focused on the shifting curtains of vivid colour suspended far above them to notice.

Was Loki just holding my hand?

It was the one solitary thought bouncing around in his head, even as he lay back on the soft blanket, mesmerised by one of the prettiest sights he’d ever seen.

The last thing Mobius wanted to do was overthink anything, but what else could be expected, when Loki kept being so- so… yes, romantic. 

It was absolutely doing his head in, to be truthful. All he could do was attempt to distract himself from the sweeping, euphoric feelings that were currently making him feel faintly breathless… and were inevitably stirred up as Loki lay down next to him, almost close enough to be touching.

“Where and when?” he repeated his question from back in Loki’s quarters, a lot softer this time, as called for by the unearthly atmosphere.

He’d fleetingly noticed some ancient ruins nearby, perhaps of an old castle or somesuch, and a sizeable town was spread out below the expansive hilltop they were on, built nearby a large, placid body of water.

“Tønsberg, Norway,” Loki supplied, “On the First of September, 1859.”

“And that’s the…”

“Aurora Borealis, yes,” Loki confirmed, “The most spectacular it ever appeared in recorded history, apparently.”

Something sparked in Mobius’ memory, something he’d read about long ago. 

“The Carrington Event.”

He felt Loki turn his head to look at him. 

“That’s right,” Loki said, sounding mildly impressed. “Yes, a massively intense geomagnetic storm… apparently the auroras in both northern and southern hemispheres could even be seen in near-equatorial locations. At least, that’s what I read when researching, anyway.”

“I’d believe it,” Mobius replied, eyes never leaving the rippling ribbons of light that had now predominantly morphed to a bright emerald green.  “And researching, Loki?” 

It was Mobius’ turn to sound impressed, although his was mockingly exaggerated. Loki huffed as he turned back to the sky, and Mobius grinned, promptly feeling more at ease with the familiarity of teasing. 

“I am capable, you know,” Loki muttered indignantly. “And as much as I’d like to claim that I know everything there is to know upon infinite timelines, some things are beyond even my reach.”

“No,” he responded with a horrified gasp. 

“Oh shut up,” Loki griped. 

“Tønsberg, did you say?”

“… Yeah.” Loki’s voice became subdued, and Mobius didn’t further question this choice. He of course knew that this place was rife with history that related back to Loki in some way. A battle between the Asgardians and Jotuns had been staged here, hundreds of years prior to this night, and Mobius also recalled that it was near here that Odin farewelled his two sons in the sacred timeline future that this Loki didn’t get to live.  

Thankfully, Mobius couldn’t help but think, with acute vehemence. 

It was also the future location of New Asgard, where the refugees that survived Ragnarok would settle, and also where the tesseract had been hidden, only to be stolen by the Red Skull in 1942. 

He doubted Loki wanted to dwell on any such thing, however. Not when it was clear that tonight was actually about him. 

Those stupid butterflies surged forth with a vengeance. 

Above, the aurora seemed to already be growing bolder, and covering even more of the firmament in clouds of prismatic colours. As they lay there in companionable silence, the hues constantly shifting from one to the next, Mobius marvelled not only at the splendour of the naturally occurring phenomenon — as varicoloured as Loki’s fireworks, and even more impressive for that fact — but also at how this aurora was a perfect reflection of Loki himself… multifaceted, with so much range, dynamic and vacillating, and eternally beautiful. 

As though reading his thoughts, Loki made a small sound next to him, but Mobius turned his head to find him blinking a little rapidly. 

“Hey, you okay?” he asked softly, lifting himself onto his elbow to face him. 

Loki cleared his throat quietly and nodded, offering a quick but not overly reassuring smile. Mobius frowned at him pointedly. 

“It’s nothing,” Loki said dismissively. “Just… flashbacks, I suppose.” 

Mobius evidently looked as confused as he felt, because Loki glanced at him again, then sighed resignedly. 

“The colours,” he said, gesturing at the sky, “Some of them paired together bring back… memories.”

He was clearly reluctant to say any more, staring fixedly at the aurora and avoiding Mobius’ gaze. It took Mobius a few moments before realisation struck.

“Your Tree,” he murmured, a hint of empathy seeping into his tone.

Loki nodded wordlessly, barely flicking his eyes towards Mobius. Continuing to watch him for a moment longer, he slowly lay back down again. 

“We don’t have to stay,” Mobius pointed out gently, “If it’s making you upset.”

“Are you enjoying it?” Loki asked.

“Of course I am,” he replied fervently. “It’s gorgeous, Loki.”

“Then that’s enough to entice me to remain,” Loki said plainly, and Mobius wilted inside. “Besides,” he continued, “I’m fairly certain that after tonight, any associations will be… significantly altered for the better.”

Mobius couldn’t help but wonder whether that was  possibly the reason for his selecting this specific location too; consciously or otherwise. 

The shimmering above transitioned from a rare blue-purple, interspersed with the more common emerald that Mobius unsurprisingly found particularly appealing, up to a stunning pink higher in the atmosphere. Beside him, Loki shifted infinitesimally, causing the arms and hands at their sides to barely brush against each other. Breath catching, Mobius found the sensation disproportionately electrifying — a strange sense of intimacy spontaneously triggered. He felt Loki’s hand twitch, and for a heart-stopping moment he expected him to take his once more…

But instead, Loki made a small gesture, and the folded blanket at his side unfurled, spreading over them and effectively eliminating the slight chill of the breeze coming off the distant fjord.

“Couldn’t you have conjured one?” Mobius smirked, attempting to detract from the heightened tension that he wondered whether Loki felt too. With this new element of coziness, it was as though Loki was going out of his way to make this scenario as couple-y as possible, but he genuinely came across as oblivious; merely concerned with Mobius’ comfort.

Which in itself was very sweet and considerate.

Loki grunted in response to his question.

“I’ve been told that my blanket-conjuring leaves a lot to be desired,” he grudgingly admitted, “‘A tablecloth’, I believe Sylvie unflatteringly called my previous effort.”

Mobius snorted and chuckled, and Loki tsked, nudging him sharply in the ribs. But in the unnatural brightness cast from overhead, his amused smile was as plain as day, and an easy warmth settled about them, holding them there until the pre-dawn light spread across the sky.

Vanishing unwillingly, a captive of circumstance; yet continuing to watch over the world as a benevolent presence… in his sleepy musing, the parallels between the aurora and Loki struck Mobius once more.

It wasn’t the first time he’d had such fanciful thoughts.

5. “Incandescent”

A knock at the door had Loki nervously adjusting his collar and brushing down his lapels before breathing deeply to calm himself, and swinging it open. 

As requested, Mobius showed up at Loki’s quarters looking strikingly distinguished in beautifully-tailored formalwear… though his expression was predictably mystified.

Mystification turned to unfettered appreciation, however, as he took in Loki’s appearance. He was dressed similarly to Mobius, courtesy of the wardrobe department (and he was all too aware that he owed Reginald, the head tailor, a fair few favours by now), and if he looked even half as good as Mobius did, then the unspoken compliment of widened, roaming eyes was potentially warranted.

Registering the mildly awkward silence, Mobius snapped his gaze up to Loki’s, his cheeks colouring, and Loki’s insides flipped. 

Norns, get a hold of yourself.

He took another composing breath, and smiled charmingly — at least, that’s what he was trying for — and again opened a time door right there in his living area.

“Where to this time?” Mobius asked, sounding intrigued, with a touch of either excitement or nerves.

Both, if he felt anything like Loki did.

“It’s a surprise.”

Despite the obvious jitters, Mobius snorted and smirked, and Loki gestured for him to go ahead, following him through. 

They emerged on the other side in the middle of a gleaming, technologically advanced city; jaw-dropping skyscrapers towering around them, and all manner of flying and hovering transportation moving in between in perfectly organised and smooth-flowing lines of traffic.

“What world is this?” Mobius asked, looking round interestedly. A couple of pedestrians of an alien race stepped around them as they walked past, glancing at them curiously, though not gawping — the population evidently used to visitors from other places.

“Scemaan, though we won’t be staying here. This is merely a… stepping stone,” Loki replied, intentionally evasive.

He felt Mobius’ eyes upon him as he led him into the nearest building, and they took an elevator to one of the upper floors.

Stepping out into a plush, ostentatiously-decorated lounge and reception area, Loki signalled to Mobius to remain in wait while he went to speak to the being behind the ornate desk. It only took a couple of minutes to check them in, then he returned, beckoning Mobius to follow him through an imposing double door, leading to a…

“Landing platform?” Mobius asked incredulously.

“Of a sort,” Loki said with a smile. The space was enclosed with something like plexiglass, not open-air as one would expect, which is probably why Mobius looked so confused.

As they stood waiting for an attendant, an immaculately dressed couple suddenly materialised upon one of the five metallic disc-like features arranged in a semi-circle around the edge of the platform. They inclined their heads politely to Loki and Mobius as they passed, then began chattering animatedly as they headed inside.

“Ever travelled by teleportation?” Loki asked casually, and Mobius chuckled in surprise.

“Can’t say I have, though I assume it’s not too dissimilar to a time door?”

“Pretty much,” Loki agreed. “The sensation is basically the same, anyway, which is why I knew you’d be okay with it.”

Their attendant exited from another door, and greeted them in the local language, then invited them to step onto one of the discs. Loki immediately obliged, but turned to find Mobius looking vaguely hesitant. Without thinking, he reached forward and took his hand, gently tugging Mobius over to join him. 

Breath hitching a tiny bit — whether at the abrupt movement, the hand-holding, or the close proximity —  Mobius gazed up at him for a moment, and Loki realised they were standing far too close, and gods, he was still grasping his hand, just like in Tønsberg. What was wrong with him?

He let go and drew away just as the attendant was wishing them a pleasant evening, then in an instant, the platform around them was gone, replaced by a similar room elsewhere… though this was entirely circular, and completely enclosed by plain metal walls, no cityscape to be seen.

“Okay, that was somewhat anticlimactic,” Mobius joked, referring to the act of teleporting itself, although admittedly there was nothing special about their surroundings either… not yet, anyway.

Loki ushered him through the lone exit of the room, and they made their way up a softly-lit, richly carpeted corridor, past a large sign informing patrons that up ahead was…

“‘Ne grell falenen?’” Mobius read, “That’s Scemaanian for-”

“‘A nice view’?” Loki grinned, laughter in his voice, allowing his excitement to build now that they had finally arrived. “Yes, well, they’ve never been the most grandiloquent race, it’s true. But their engineers are remarkable, and what they’ve constructed here — on this timeline at least — is frankly astounding. I should mention, too, that the view in question really is very nice indeed.”

“Huh. High praise, coming from Your Majesty,” Mobius drawled, as Loki led him towards the end of the corridor, another sign pointing them to an ‘observation deck’. “I gotta say, you’ve definitely piqued my in…terest…” his voice trailed off feebly after they passed through an automatic door manned by another overdressed Scemaanian attendant, and rounded the corner into an open space.

Mobius froze for a moment, then swallowed dryly, taking hesitant steps closer to the reinforced shielding that enclosed the whole top of the space station they were now on in a broad, transparent bubble. 

“Loki…” he almost whispered, and he reached out blindly to grasp Loki’s shoulder as he moved up next to him, as though in need of physical support. “Is- is that…?”

“Andromeda, yes,” Loki said quietly, “In all her glory.”

The viewing observatory was purpose-built to hover in intergalactic space, set at a perfect distance that patrons could take in the entirety of the Andromeda galaxy in an expansive, panoramic view. Despite having seen this and similar views many times during his guardianship of the timelines, in that moment, Loki found himself stooping to live vicariously through Mobius, who stood speechless beside him in unbridled amazement.

Awe-inspiring though the outlook was, however, Loki was unable to tear his eyes away from Mobius, when he only meant to glance at him to gauge his reaction. His widened eyes were reflecting the cool light generated by the dense conglomeration of billions of stars, and his lips were slightly parted as his expression became lax with wonder. As Loki drank him in, transfixed, he noticed there were tears welling in his eyes, and as one spilled over, it took everything in him to not reach out and gently wipe it away.

Clearly Mobius was appropriately impressed.

A polite clearing of the throat came from behind them, and they both spun around to find a refined-looking host standing a respectful distance away. Mobius quickly dashed a hand over his cheek.

“If you would care to follow me, sirs,” they said in Scemaanian, “I’ll show you to your table.”

Loki smiled graciously and gave them a nod, then very nearly offered Mobius his arm, only barely stopping himself in time.

“Table?” Mobius asked in a muted voice as they followed them, “Is this a restaurant?”

“Restaurant and cocktail bar, yes,” Loki confirmed.

“Where in the worlds did they get the inspiration from, Douglas Adams?”

Loki frowned at him, perplexed. Mobius chuckled, ducking his head a little.

“Another book reference, sorry.”

“I had no idea you were so well-read,” Loki said, lips curving in an intrigued smile as they approached the dining area. 

“Well, believe it or not, there’s probably a fair bit you don’t know about me,” Mobius stated casually, but with an affected air of mystery.

Loki thought it best to save that line of questioning for later, especially as their host had now stopped, gesturing politely for them to take their seats at an opulent setting for two that was perfectly angled to allow for the ultimate stargazing experience, and for intimate conversation. 

“Loki, this is incredible!” Mobius said hushedly, as though straining to retain some dignity in the overly formal environment, “How did you even find out about this place?”

“Bit of prior knowledge, plus a bit of research again,” Loki said dismissively. There was no way he was going to admit that ‘a bit of research’ amounted to hours upon hours of timeline-scanning and subsequent hopping, requiring both a visit to the Multiversal Tree and exhaustive use of Sylvie’s device. 

All to impress Mobius for one evening.

Gods, I am absolutely pathetic.

“Well, you can colour me impressed,” Mobius replied with a smile that lit up his face, pulling in his richly upholstered seat and settling back comfortably. Loki felt that rush of now-familiar elation, and couldn’t help but grin back.

Their host handed them menus that looked as though they belonged in the library of a wealthy aristocrat who purchased beautifully-bound books purely for aesthetic merit. They then gave the pair a short, courteous bow, informing them they would return promptly with a welcome drink.

“Are they safe for humans?” Mobius asked, looking suddenly uneasy, “The beverages, I mean. Actually, come to think of it, the food as well…”

Loki raised an eyebrow, unable to hide his amusement.

“Do you honestly think I’d go to the trouble of finding the Multiverse’s most exquisite dining experience, and not ensure that you weren’t going to end up poisoned?”

“Eh. Wouldn’t put it past you,” Mobius shot at him cheekily, and Loki feigned outraged shock.

“Hmph. Last time I take you anywhere,” he sulked.

“I sure hope not,” Mobius replied, his expression softening a little… and suddenly neither of them were quite sure where to look.

Andromeda seemed like a good enough option… and there was certainly no need to pretend to be enthralled by it.

“Are there people there?” Mobius asked after a minute, nodding towards the view. “My knowledge of the cosmos is mostly geared towards affairs of our own galaxy, and… affiliated mythical realms.”

“There are, yes,” Loki admitted quietly, “Alien beings, at least. Likely looking back at the Milky Way, and wondering the same thing.” 

Mobius shook his head a little, absorbing this.

As promised, the host returned, bearing a tray laden with two colourful, multi-layered cocktails, their luridness somewhat incongruous with the exceptionally elegant surroundings. Accepting his glass rather tentatively, Mobius smiled an uneasy thanks, then warily tasted it.

“Not poison?” Loki queried with a raised eyebrow and a ready smile.

“Nope,” Mobius said with satisfaction, “Not a gold brick in sight.”

Giving him a look as though questioning his sanity — much deserved, in Loki’s opinion — Mobius laughed and launched into an explanation about a Midgardian narrative text about hitchhiking around the galaxy, or somesuch. It sounded rather absurd, but it initiated a lengthy and animated discussion about books and literature, both Midgardian and Asgardian, which easily carried them through both aperitifs and entree – the food and drinks wonderful, but the company infinitely outshining them.

Mobius was correct; there was so much that Loki didn’t know about him, and he couldn’t help congratulating himself on inadvertently finding a way for them to really open up; to talk about things that for whatever reason they’d never allowed themselves to delve into. Nothing deep — they were here to enjoy themselves, after all — but somehow, finding out Mobius’ favourite foods, or the musical composer he most admired, made Loki feel closer to him than any topic more personal or philosophical may have.

After an overwhelmingly delicious dessert consisting of some kind of decadent, chocolate-adjacent baked creation that almost had Mobius in raptures, they decided to prolong their visit to the space station with a stroll to the cocktail bar at the opposite end of the dome. 

“So the Scemaanians of this timeline managed to crack intergalactic traversal?” Mobius asked, taking in the unfathomable genius of the structure currently protecting them from the many and various perils of deep space. “Has anyone else achieved that in any other timeline?”

“A couple, as far as I could tell,” Loki replied, “But as I’ve said before, some things remain unknown, even for the likes of me.”

His intentionally lofty tone made Mobius chuckle, as Loki showed him to a raised, circular table partnered with a pair of padded bar stools. They could still see the view from here, but were also far enough away from any other patrons that they’d be able to retain some privacy. 

Loki went over to the bar to order them a final drink for the evening, and as he waited, found himself leaning his back against the polished counter, gazing at Mobius as he sat staring out at Andromeda once more. A contented smile played about his lips, and his form was haloed by the celestial haze of a trillion stars.

That unnamed feeling stirred inside of him, more powerfully than ever before. 

+1 “Shining light”

After making some crack about seeing Mobius home, causing them both to laugh awkwardly and flush even deeper than that already produced by the alcohol and sumptuous cuisine, Loki couldn’t help himself, quite literally opening a time door in front of the entrance to Mobius’ living quarters; such flexibility one of the many benefits Sylvie’s device afforded the bearer.

Mobius stepped through, stopping short as soon as he recognised his own front door. He turned as Loki appeared behind him, and they found themselves standing face-to-face, and far too close… not that Loki was at all complaining. 

Gazing at each other for a long moment, Loki felt an odd sort of frisson flare inside. Then Mobius cleared his throat and stepped back a little, fumbling for his key card.

“Come in for coffee?” he asked, clearly trying for a casual demeanour, but losing it somewhat in the way it took him twice as long as usual to find his card, then very nearly dropping it.

“Yeah, of course,” Loki replied, wondering if it was just him, or if he came across as overly keen.

Following Mobius inside, Loki went and took his usual seat on the couch as Mobius vanished into the kitchen, discarding his suit jacket over the back of a chair on the way. Loki shrugged his off as well, loosening his tie and undoing his top button in an attempt to dispel a strange tension that seemed to be building within… or without?

Reappearing a couple of minutes later, Mobius carried two standard-issue TVA mugs that Loki already knew to hold the abhorrent, yet at the same time oddly comforting infusion known as instant coffee, that Mobius misguidedly insisted was ‘almost as good as the real deal’.

It was emphatically not, but Loki still took it gratefully, appreciating the familiarity of the moment.

Familiar, yes… but somewhat charged, it had to be said.

They sipped their drinks in silence until Loki could bear it no longer.

“So, what did you think?” he queried a little smugly, “Did tonight’s spectacle outdo any and all of our previous excursions? Did it, by any chance, even surpass your beloved night sky of Hunresh?”

Mobius chuckled, grinning into his coffee.

“Yes, Loki, you exceeded all expectations. It was pretty much the most beautiful and captivating thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. Well done.”

Loki beamed with pleasure… but then it faded as the choice of words registered.

“Wait. ‘Pretty much’?” he sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Oh, come on Mobius. What could possibly be more stunning — shine even brighter — than an entire gods-damned galaxy?”

Looking away, Mobius took a leisurely mouthful from his mug, adopting an air of nonchalance as he swallowed, shrugged a shoulder, then tossed a glance back at him. 

“You.”

One word, and Loki froze like a Jotunheim puddle.

For a fleeting moment, Mobius looked like he wanted to laugh it off, take it back, cover it up… but then he straightened, placing his cup on the coffee table, and turned to look Loki in the eye, brazenly owning it. 

“… I’m sorry?” Loki eventually said, his voice sounding weak even to him.

“You,” Mobius repeated, “Shine brighter than anything else in existence. To me, at least.” He shrugged again, eyes falling to his lap; a bit of nervous fidgeting the only indication that he wasn’t perfectly at ease.

Loki couldn’t speak. He had no words. All he could do was stare wide-eyed at Mobius, head shaking almost imperceptibly.

After a long, weighty silence, Mobius flicked another glance at him from under his brow, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah, I really did just say that, didn’t I,” he muttered sheepishly. 

“Mobius…” Loki finally spoke up, his voice raspy, but trailed off when he realised he still didn’t know what to say.

How does one even respond to such a- a proclamation? 

His insides were running both hot and cold, and he felt like he couldn’t quite get enough air with each breath. 

Something was happening here, something monumentally significant.

“It’s true, though,” Mobius continued, with renewed conviction. He looked up at him properly, now, eyes earnest and bright. “You light up my life, Loki. In countless ways. Every damn day.”

Okay, he could completely forget the concept of breathing. Breathing had left the building. Vacated the premises.

Who needs oxygen, anyway?

“How do you mean?” he managed to choke out on a whisper.

Mobius reached forward, carefully relieving Loki of his mug with its barely-touched contents and placing it next to his, then turning back to him, enveloping Loki’s hands in the warmth of his own.

“You want me to list them?” he asked, and Loki had the impression that he was only barely joking. 

He couldn’t answer, still dumbstruck. 

“Okay, we’re gonna do this,” Mobius insisted resolutely, “Well, first of all, and this is really cheesy, but… the brightness of your smile.” He winced a little at the forewarned sentimentality, but then broke into a fond smile himself, “The way your whole face lights up when you’re happy. The gleam in your eyes, like when I make a stupid joke, or compliment your work. Brighter and more beautiful than any floating lantern.”

Loki swallowed, opening his mouth to attempt a response, but Mobius wasn’t even remotely done, as it happened.

“Your flashes of mischief and fun. You tend to temper that side of you, more recently, but I know it’s still there. And every time you let it show, it enchants me more thoroughly than any electric lights display ever could.

“And then, there’s the brilliance of your mind,” he went on, apparently gaining traction the more he spoke, “Keen, sharp, quick-witted. Not to mention how book-smart you are, especially these days,” he added meaningfully. “I’d go so far to say that there's more sparks firing in here,” and Mobius brought a hand up, touching the side of Loki’s head with a bold caress, fingers brushing through his curls, “Than in any and all fireworks displays throughout history.”

Loki leaned into his touch, almost unconsciously. He could feel that his face was aflame, but Mobius had him under a spell, enthralling him with words that both stunned and bewildered.

“Your magic, too, your seiðr, can’t forget that. Prettier luminescence than any aurora I could ever imagine, and enhanced by the inherent pride you exude whenever you summon it.”

Bringing his hand down slowly, fingertips ghosting over Loki’s cheek, Mobius grasped his hands once more, and Loki squeezed back for a moment, the weak gesture in lieu of a persistently elusive verbal reply. 

Taking this as encouragement, though, Mobius smiled and carried on.

“And then, there’s- there’s your love,” his voice took on a softer quality now, almost reverential, “For your friends, your family. It pulses with a gentle glow, whenever you’re around us — like the light from a distant galaxy, I guess. Consistent. Everpresent. Everlasting. But… if someone is lucky enough to get closer,” and with that, he leaned an inch or two nearer, and Loki’s racing heart skipped a beat, “If they find their way deep to the core?” A tentative hand settled upon his chest. “It’s incandescent.”

Loki stared into Mobius’ eyes, utterly transfixed. There was a knowing twist in his affectionate gaze, possibly in reaction to the incessant thrumming Mobius would most certainly feel under the touch of his palm. 

“You are a shining light, Loki,” he insisted, with surety, “Always have been, always will be.”

Loki’s mind was a whirling maelstrom as he frantically struggled to form a coherent thought. Mobius’ crystal blue eyes searched his, an edge of uncertainty gradually beginning to creep into his expression the longer the silence stretched.

“Please say something,” he whispered fervently, and the hint of desperation Loki detected was inexcusable; having no place in a moment as tender, as intimate… as life-altering as this.

For once, however, he found words were not only impossible, but unnecessary.

A man of action, Mobius himself had once called him, and Loki embraced it. He covered the hand over his heart with his own, gently clasping it, then slowly brought it to his lips; all the while his eyes never leaving Mobius’. Reciprocal feelings that had remained concealed for so long, even from himself – perhaps especially from himself – were at once unhindered, finally laid bare in his overt, unwavering regard. 

Grazing the back of Mobius’ hand with the gentlest kiss, Loki saw him visibly swallow, eyes falling closed for a moment in something akin to relief. Not only at Loki’s receptivity in this moment, he suspected, but also likely at the visceral reprieve brought by the culmination of their journey to this point – long-awaited, and cruelly denied for a time by heartbreaking circumstance; two yearning souls irrevocably acknowledging and accepting their profound connection.

Those captivating eyes blinked open once more as Loki reached up to cup Mobius’ cheek, his thumb coasting over his skin in a featherlight stroke; permission sought wordlessly as their gazes locked with unprecedented intensity.

Feeling the soft puff of Mobius’ shallow breaths as they drew inexorably closer, Loki almost found himself reaching for abilities he no longer had much use for in order to freeze this moment, to savour it… because in a moment, everything was going to change, and they would never again harbour this exhilarating, singular, all-consuming affectivity.

But as their lips met, the brightest blaze shot through him, luminosity awakening his spirit and amplifying the significance of every thought, every feeling, every experience that had led him here, to the arms of someone who apparently cherished him — him! — above all others. And in turn, he found himself caring for little else than what it meant, and how it felt, to finally express his ardent devotion to this incredible human. 

Relishing the fire that ignited within from the tentative touch of a hand again caught in his hair, and another drifting to his waist, Loki deepened the kiss for a prolonged, lasting moment, before the two of them reluctantly pulled away.

Barely separated, they stared at each other in disbelief for a time, panting from the unique exertion generated by nothing more than overwhelming feeling, both in body and mind.

The smiles that followed lit their faces with the radiance of a thousand suns, melting away any residual tension under the glowing warmth of their mutual joy.

Catching his breath, Loki tilted his head as he feigned an inquisitive frown. 

“You still liked Andromeda, though, right?” he murmured once he’d sufficiently recovered, an irrepressible smirk escaping his control.

Mobius burst out laughing, leaning in to eagerly capture his lips once more, and Loki knew then that no matter what Mobius had just said about him, there was no light in the multiverse more scintillating than that which they would create together.

Epilogue

“Gods, Loki, couldn’t you knock or something?”

Sylvie had been peacefully enjoying a solitary dinner on the couch, unwinding from the day as mindless drivel played quietly on the television in the corner. The last thing she’d been expecting was for Loki to show up through a time door unannounced. 

How he was supposed to announce his impending arrival was beside the point.

“What if I’d been walking around naked?” she demanded crossly, setting her bowl aside as he stood there looking marginally dumbfounded at what he likely thought was an unwarranted attack, “What if Lyle was over, and we were-” 

“Alright!” An overstated grimace, and Loki’s eyes screwed shut as his hand shot up in a sharp, halting gesture. “Stop right there. I really do not need to hear any more.”

“… Having a nice romantic dinner, is what I was going to say,” she finished, rolling her eyes. “And speaking of,” she looked at him appraisingly for a long moment, leaning back into the couch cushions and folding her arms, “I can see congratulations are in order.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You see nothing.” Loki’s tone was dismissive, almost bored.

But Sylvie scoffed as she saw right through him.

“Come on, Loki, I’m you. I can tell when you’re ecstatically, exuberantly… nauseatingly in love.”

“And again, you can stop talking. I’m only here to give you back your device.” He slid it off his wrist and handed it to her, and she grabbed for it a little more desperately than she meant to. It felt comforting to have it back again, even though in her time, she’d only been bereft of it for one day. 

“Outrageously successful, was it?” she smirked, “Well, I’m very happy for you.”

Her tone was brusque and purposely lacking conviction, just to piss him off, and she basked in self-satisfaction when Loki predictably said something in Asgardian that Sylvie was sure their mother would have swiped at his wrist over.

“Lovely. Well, I’ll have to come and visit sometime… actually on second thoughts, you two would probably make me throw up.”

Loki rolled his eyes long-sufferingly and drew out an ordinary tempad, summoning a time door. He then hesitated, turning back to her.

“Thank you, Sylvie, really.”

Sylvie said nothing, but she allowed her smug smile to soften a little. She really did want Loki to be happy, and she’d always suspected that Mobius was the best shot at it that he’d ever encountered.

Apparently Loki registered her change in expression, because he returned the smile amiably, then gave a short nod and turned to the time door.

“Tell Mobius I said congratulations!” she intoned, unable to help herself.

“I’ll do no such thing!” Loki threw back over his shoulder as he stepped through, the ‘door fizzing out behind him. 

Finally smiling genuinely, she shook her head as she scooped up her bowl from the couch, taking it into the kitchen. She’d just finished rinsing it when there was a knock at her front door, and she quickly checked that her face was clean and her hair not too dishevelled in the small mirror she passed on her way to answer it.

Arriving right on time, Lyle stood on her porch, a rental VHS in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. 

“Hey Sylvie,” he said with an easy smile as she showed him in, “Hope you’re in the mood for being creeped out.”

He waved the tape in front of her and she smirked. 

“Yeah, we’ll see who scares more easily, won’t we?” Sylvie challenged. “Put it on, I’ll go and get the popcorn.”

The two of them had been in a weird, not-quite-dating sort of limbo for some time now, and Sylvie was keen to step things up. She was almost positive he was too, but they had such an amazing friendship that it was likely he felt the same as her; uncertain about ruining an already good thing. 

She sighed wistfully as she waited for the popcorn to finish, fetching a large bowl from the cupboard. As she set it down, she looked down at her wrist where the familiar weight pressed against her skin… and an absolutely mental idea occurred to her.

But, if it had worked for Loki…

“Lyle,” she began as she entered the living room, plopping down on the couch as she handed him a couple of wine glasses, “You know how you said you wanted to go and see the Pyramids?”

His eyes lit up at the reminder of that particular conversation.

“Yeah, ‘course I do. Lifelong dream, you know that Sylvie.” He then smiled at her in that way, the one which never failed to make her feel warm all over. 

Running a finger over the device, back where it belonged, she nodded, biting her lip thoughtfully. 

“What would you say if I told you we could see them being built?”