Work Text:
“I thought humans didn’t do gifts on New Year's Day?” Loki said.
Mobius pushed the neatly wrapped parcel across the desk towards his partner.
“Call it a new TVA tradition,” Mobius smiled cryptically.
Loki smiled back, rife with suspicion, and picked carefully at the curled emerald green ribbon.
Of course Mobius would have colour coded it for him.
“I don’t have anything for you in return,” Loki said, “Surely this puts you in an elevated position.”
“I can hold it over you later,” Mobius smirked, “Please open it. It’s just a ‘lil something.”
Loki peeled away the ribbon and began to tidily open the brown paper of the little box.
“I’d like it noted as well that the TVA is timeless, so I would have no way of knowing we were celebrating if not for your enthusiasm,” Loki murmured.
“Yeah, yeah,” Mobius rolled his eyes and prodded the package, “Go on and open it.”
Loki grinned at Mobius’s unabashed impatience and pulled the paper away fully from a velveteen green box.
He let his fingers trace over the fine fuzz of the material - if only to irritate his partner further - and then gently opened the case.
On an ivory pillow, a golden broach sat snugly in the plush interior.
It reflected the harsh TVA fluorescence softly, a circular medallion that had a three-dimensional cast of Jörgmungandr the World Serpent.
Loki was familiar with the Norse legends of his children and the serpent that ‘encircled the world’, tail in his mouth, creating an ouroboros.
The beautiful rendition of the mythical child had emerald stones as eyes and was coiled, neck protruding upwards so it appeared to leap from the medallion, sea-serpent fangs bared for the strike.
“Mobius…this is beautiful,” Loki whispered as he prised it carefully from its bed.
Mobius smiled broadly, watching Loki intently as he turned the broach in his nimble fingers.
“I know Jörgmungandr is Midgardian lore, but I thought it would suit you. I had an analytics mission to Norway and this jewellers just twisted my arm when I came in to have a look-“
“Have a look? Oh yes that’s certainly what happened,” Loki smirked tenderly as he cradled his gorgeous gift in his palm.
His chest was booming with the force of his heartbeat.
Mobius had purposefully picked this, especially for its ties to stories of Loki and his rumoured offspring.
Whilst he currently had no children - Jotunn or Asgardian or otherwise - the personalised gift caused his stomach to somersault twice in a fluttering flip.
It was a tender and well thought out present, something designed to elicit emotion and communicate buried feelings.
That was abundantly apparent when Loki looked up and Mobius’s eyes were glittering hopefully.
“I am definitely, absolutely, finding you a worthy gift as well,” Loki said softly.
“No, that’s not why-“
“No arguments," Loki shook his head.
He pinned the broach proudly to his TVA-issued tie and then reached across the desk. As he tangled his fingers with Mobius’s, the analyst’s eyes softened into a gaze of fondness so palpable it felt like a caress across the cheek.
“Thank you,” Loki murmured, “My dear.”
Mobius’s mouth popped open and Loki only smiled in return, sealing his sincerity with a squeeze of Mobius’s hand.