The Great Apartment Hunt
Chapter 14: The Great Apartment Hunt
The next morning he slept right through soundly. He hadn't even stirred when Mobius had slipped out of bed to get ready for the day. What did greet his ears as he opened his eyes around eleven o clock was the slightly firmer tone of his husbands voice. He was using the heavy keys then. A little shiver went up his spine as he finally rubbed at his eyes and opened them fully. "What do you mean it's going to be another two days?! It's been two days already. They said it was only going to take a couple days to get it back to us....where is it now?....Why is it going to Texas?!"
Loki watched as he ran a hand down his face. "We are in Manhattan, New York. Not New York, Texas why would- fine. Fine just...how much longer is it going to take to get his suitcase here?...Fine. I expect a call as soon as it gets there." He said before he hung up.
Loki sighed quietly as he looked over to him. Already dressed in one of those casual shirts he wears so well and a pair of handsome black jeans. "How much longer until my stuff gets here?" He murmured.
Mobius looked over and tried for a smile, but it faltered pretty quickly. "I'm sorry. I don't know why it's so hard for them to figure out. It'll be back in the US later tonight, but they sent it to the wrong New York. It's going to be another two days."
Loki just shrugged as Mobius took a seat on the bed. "Honestly I wouldn't expect anything less. I should have just packed something I could keep with me and just bought whatever I needed once I got here." He muttered. "But there's nothing we can do about it for now. M'hungry...did we order breakfast yet?"
"Actually Sean was wondering about how you would feel about going out to breakfast before we go and look at some apartments."
Loki thought about that, but some of the unease and the anxiety about the city was starting to abate if only a little. Nothing had happened. Even after his little magic show yesterday. Everyone was still here. Everyone was still perfectly fine. No giant green berserker had come crashing through the wall of the penthouse to thrash him around. "I think that sounds like a lovely idea. Maybe on the way back we can go to the store and pick up some stuff for an easy enough meal to make here. The room does have a kitchen after all." He said as he finally pulled himself from the warmth of the blankets to start getting dressed.
***
Over breakfast Sean showed him a couple apartments he wanted to go and look at. A couple of them Loki vetoed for various reasons. Two or three of them due to distance to the tower, one of them because they only had units available on the ground floors and another because he had stumbled across it the evening previous and the current land lord was tied up in a class action law suit from several tennants at the moment. He also showed him a couple of the others he had found last night and Sean picked a couple of them to have a look at as well.
"Why don't you want me on the ground floor though?" Sean asked curiously as he made light work of the french toast he had gotten.
"Higher is better." Mobius said and Loki nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. If the building collapses during a conflict and you're on the lower floors there's going to be little to no chance you get out alive. Even if you do manage to hang on, it would take much to long for emergency services to get to you. Thus higher is better."
"That does make sense. I...didn't really think about it that way before." Sean said.
"Most people don't. They worry that being to high will make it to hard to reach the ground for safety, but the roof can be just as safe as the ground in some situations." Mobius said as he leaned back in his chair and sipped at his coffee.
***
For the rest of the day they hopped from apartment to apartment. Some of them were okay, Loki had liked the third one and the last ones they had toured a lot, because of the amount of security and how high up they had available units. They were also newer buildings which meant they were up to current code, but Sean had yet to really seem drawn to any particular one.
He had seemed kind of disappointed that one of them hadn't just sang to him, but they both assured him that that was why they were going to be here for a little while. He had time to really feel it out and decide on one that would be for him.
The next day it was well into the afternoon and they were on their fifth apartment for the day. Another newer building with a unit available on the eighteenth floor.
Loki trailed behind Sean and Mobius as they were lead down the hall by the land lord and they unlocked the door and pushed it open to let them in before she stepped in after them.
"It's technically a two bedroom, but it comes with a smaller room that could also be turned into a bedroom if you need it to or just extra storage space. Open floor plan."
Sean walked around while Loki made his way over to the windows. They weren't quite as grand as he remembered the penthouse looking through the haze of blue that all the memories of that time had, but they still offered a nice view.
He could hear Mobius asking a couple questions about the amenities and what was included with rent, what the laundry situation was. Sean came back over to him. "I really like this place...but-"
"Do you think this is your place?" Loki asked. Cutting him off before he could say what he was getting at.
Sean hesitated and then nodded. "I...yeah...but-"
Loki pressed a pale finger to his own lips to hush him. "Then you will have it." He said before he made his way over to where Mobius and the Land lord were still talking. To his amusement he was rambling about his favorite subject. Jet skis. "I thought we agreed that this was a vacation. Not time for making more sales." He said as he wrapped his arms around him from behind and laid his head on Mobius's shoulder.
Mobius offered an unashamed smile as he turned his head to peck him on the cheek. "Ah, but then that would be saying I count selling them as work."
Loki laughed a little and shook his head before he looked to the land lord. "Would you allow me to pay for the first year upfront plus security deposit and other fees?"
The woman's eyes bugged out a little, but Loki had kind of expected that. He didn't dress as if he had big money. He didn't like to flaunt something that would put a target on his back. "I uh...yes." She took a deep breath. "Yes that wouldn't be a problem. Does he have any pets?"
"Only a snake and the pet fee only pertains to dogs, cats and birds. So there will be no need to charge for that."
She opened her mouth and to try and argue, but Mobius shook his head. "Don't. You won't win. We've been together for a long time and I can count on one hand the number of arguments I win."
She grudgingly backed off, but then offered a small smile. "Very well. Why don't we go down to my office and get the papers sorted. I'm assuming one of you will be co-signing for him. Will this be his first apartment?"
"Yep. First time leaving home. I'm gonna miss him." Mobius said as he looked over to where Sean was taking some time to appreciate the view as well. "How soon can he move in?"
"Once we have the paper work done and the money clears He can probably move in next week. It's customary that all units get deep cleaned before they're moved into so that's the thing that I'll be waiting on mostly."
Loki gave a hum before he looked back to her. "Don't say the price aloud, just write it down for me or something when it's time for me to pay. He's a little worried about how expensive this place is and I know it will be, but I woulnd't have let him come look at it if I thought it would be out of my price range."
"That's fair." She said as she gathered up her folders and motioned for them to follow.
"Sean!" Mobius called as Loki pulled away from him and instead just slipped his hand in to his.
"Yeah dad?"
"Let's go sign some papers. Make it official."
Sean beamed as he hurried over and they fell into step in front of them as they were lead back through the building.
Once down in the office it was a lot of paperwork and legal jargon that Mobius promised he would go over again with Sean later when he saw the slight confusion at some things. After all it would be important for him to know what everything meant. Loki had always taught the boys to arm themselves with knowledge.
Once all the paperwork had been taken care of Mobius took Sean to head out to the car while Loki handled the financials. He had to place a call to the bank and let them know that a larger transaction than he normally made would be coming through, but that it was him and to please approve it. Once the bank had been called he swiped his card and signed on the dotted line. Keys were handed over along with the promise of a call sometime Tuesday or Wednesday so that he could start moving in.
Loki thanked her before he joined them out in the car and he handed over the keys to Sean to hang onto with the rest of the paperwork. "Now make sure you don't lose the copy of that lease. That's going to be your ticket for anything that they try to pull."
"I won't Loki. I already know where I'm going to keep it." Sean said as Mobius pulled out of the parking spot and joined the throngs of New York's traffic once again.
***
Once they got back to the hotel room that evening Loki sighed as he sank into the bed in their room. He was exhausted. The stress was better, but still. Being out in the city so much the last two days, the hypervigilance had taken it's toll. He was ready to be back in his little town in Ohio.
Mobius and Sean had stayed out in the living room to watch a movie and as much as he had wanted to join them he just needed quiet for a little bit. Calm. His nerves were fazzled they needed a break and knowing Sean, as much as he loved him, the movie was probably something action packed with lots of yelling and explosions. Which he had nothing against. Just not right now.
When Mobius finally joined him in the bedroom he smiled a little. "Did he enjoy the movie?"
"It was alright. Kind of cookie cutter, but most of those action movies are, but it was entertaining at least."
Loki chuckled as he pulled himself from the bed and came up behind him to wrap his arms around him once more. Brushing Mobius's hands away gently from where he was undoing the buttons for his shirt as he let his lips brush his ear. "Mr. Mobius I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to pay my rent this month." He let his hands run down his chest and then the soft yet firm belly he liked so much and then lower still before they traveled back up to resume work on the buttons. "Is there any other form of payment you might accept?"
Mobius groaned quietly as he leaned back against Loki. "I...I think we can come to some sort of an arrangement."
"Oh good." He purred in Mobius's ear as he finished with the last of the buttons for his shirt and then let Mobius pull him to the bed.