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It was perfectly fine to have your arms wrapped around your coworker. Perfectly friendly and not at all revealing of any deeply concealed and buried feelings.
Loki lay back against Mobius, humming softly as Mobius ran his nails lightly over the back of Loki’s hand.
Mobius’s tempad was humming out a crackling contraband of a podcast he had illegally downloaded during a mission down on Earth.
It was a rambling recount of ancient history, something Mobius had found himself fascinated by of late.
As much as missions to the timeline had shown him the wonders of the ages, hearing the recounts from passionately invested humans was just as rewarding.
When you had seen it first hand, other people’s interpretations could still peak curiosity.
Loki had been mildly intrigued as well, before slumping back comfortably into Mobius’s side.
Mobius had been more thrilled than he cared to admit, seeking out a closer embrace by putting an arm around his beloved friend.
“Comfy there?” Mobius had quipped, to soften the tension as he tried to subdue his feelings.
“Quite,” Loki murmured, none the wiser.
It wasn’t that he was ashamed or opposed to his heart’s pull towards Loki; Mobius didn’t want that burgeoning love for the God of Mischief to crack lines in their friendship.
Loki’s trust was seldom won by anyone, particularly mortals.
Mobius would bury his feelings alive if it meant keeping their friendship safe.
Loki being practically slack with relaxation in his arms was a bonus, a precious nugget of time he could treasure privately and use to soothe the burning that ravaged his heart.
There would be a time he could tackle that fire and shape it into a light fit to reflect however Loki felt for him in return.
For now, Mobius enjoyed their intimacy.
It was all he would ever need, so long as Loki was comfortable.
“You enjoying this or do you want me to skip to the next episode?” Mobius asked, as silence between them stretched and the podcast continued.
He wasn’t sure why he disturbed the comfortable peace with the question.
“Mmm?” Loki hummed, eyes falling closed.
Mobius laughed, the deep chuckle making Loki’s body move slightly.
Loki’s head lolled to the side, slipping under Mobius’s chin and Mobius smiled to himself gratefully.
“I love you,” Loki murmured, voice soft with the influence of sleep.
Mobius froze.
It lasted for a moment, before his body was flushed with a wave of serenity and excitement, the two wrapping around each other in his blood; much like how Loki had curled against him.
That fire nestled in his chest, that burned bright and brilliant for Loki Laufeyson, exploded into fireworks.
Mobius used that kindling to bolster his bravery, gathering Loki closer, running his hand down Loki’s shoulder and leaning into his hair.
“Loki?”
“Mhm?”
“Did you mean to say that?”
“Say what…”
Mobius closed his eyes, nuzzling into Loki’s hair.
“You just told me you love me.”
It was Loki’s turn to lock up, startling awake. Mobius kept close, dragging his hand up over Loki’s shoulder to cup his cheek as fearful eyes met his.
“It’s okay,” Mobius assured.
“I didn’t realise I’d- really? Mobius…”
“If you meant it, then maybe I can say that I feel the same way,” Mobius chuckled awkwardly.
He caressed Loki’s cheek slowly, taking note of the light hairs along his jaw and the feel of his skin.
Loki gazed back at him, perplexed and relieved in beautiful harmony.
How long had he wanted to say that?
Mobius could only speak for himself and knew he had loved Loki since their parting in the void.
It had been a truth that camped in the back of his mind, growing and waiting to mature as the object of his fascination had become a living and breathing person that joked and laughed with him, rather than a flickering figure on a screen.
“You love me?” Loki whispered.
Mobius nodded, “Don’t act so surprised, of course I do.”
Loki exhaled delicately, their eyes locked and Mobius didn’t stray from the tender intimacy of lightly caressing Loki’s skin.
There was the urge to press forward, to capture Loki’s lips with his, but he let the moment marinate.
He didn’t want to shatter it or boil it past a point they might not be ready to plunge into. Loki’s fingers found his, his eyes closing as he turned his face into the cup of Mobius’s palm.
His nose brushed the heartline of Mobius’s hand, slowly tracing it as if it had been designed for this mapping of touch.
The podcast continued in the sanctity of the quiet room, the voice reading aloud the stories of empires long turned to ash and dust, trodden under soldier's feet.
Mobius simply watched as Loki felt him and committed his caress to memory.
His fingers flickered at the brevity of a curious kiss pressed into his palm and he moved accordingly.
Mobius pressed closer into the slim silhouette of Loki’s body; his cheek to Loki’s, his hand slipping from the cupid’s bow of Loki’s lips to slide like wind through leaves, into Loki’s hair.
In the thick of such intimacy, Loki turned, mouth ghosting over Mobius’s cheek before Mobius had a chance to speak first.
“I meant it,” Loki whispered.
Mobius’s heart sprung and snapped back, flushing his system with a dose of elation.
He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to Loki’s temple, feeling him wrap his arms around his waist. Loki hummed peacefully and nudged closer, begging another kiss from Mobius that arrived on the peak of his cheekbone.
In the space of silence between one episode of the podcast ending and another beginning, Loki turned them both to face one another and pressed his lips to Mobius’s.
Time stopped, if only figuratively.
The voice from the tempad faded into obscurity as Mobius softly clutched at the waves of hair falling to Loki’s nape, cradling his head in the palm of his hand.
I love you.
He wasn’t sure how Loki had done it but perhaps it was through the connection of their kiss, gentle and still, that allowed Loki to feed those words straight into Mobius’s mind.
His voice so tender and fully conscious held no tremble, only devoted conviction.
As they parted, Mobius opened his eyes and was met by stirring blue gazing straight back at him.
“I love you too,” Mobius murmured wholeheartedly.