An Invite to Dinner
Chapter 26: An Invite to Dinner
"LOKI!! LOKI!! HELP!! PLEASE!!"
"LOKI WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Sweetheart please hurry..."
Loki's lungs burned and his body ached as he continued to run as fast as he could through the maze that never seemed to end. Spurred on by the cries of his family in need. By the screams he could hear in the near distance. "I'm trying!! Where are you?!" He cried out as he stopped for just a second to lean against a wall.
The sound of Kevin's scream jolted him off the wall and spurred his legs back into action. Every time the voices woud get in reach. One more corner to turn or one more door to go through, he would take that turn or go through that door. Nothing. He would spend minutes combing through every last inch of the area with a frantic panic as silence would linger for a couple minutes. Then it would start up again as far as away it started.
"LOKI!!" Sean screamed again.
Loki stopped and desperately tried to listen as he came to three options for ways he could go. In the beginning he had been so sure. He had never doubted his hearing, but as this went on his confidence was lost and he started second guessing every step he took.
This time it was Mobius crying out for him. Having lost the strained calm front he was trying to put on for Loki.
Loki took a step to take the right turn, but then took a step back then thought to maybe go straight ahead, but then stepped back. "I don't know which way to go!!" He cried out in a desperate frustration.
"Loki why did you abandon us?!" That was Sean's voice from so nearby.
Again it made Loki question his direction though. Straight? Left?
"LOKI!! WAKE UP!!!"
Loki jolted awake and on instinct he tried to suck in a breath, but he choked on it when his lungs didn't expand with him. His pillow was wet with his tears. His arms wrapped around his shaking form.
"Sh...honey it was just a bad dream. You're awake now..." Mobius soothed as he reached out and pulled him close to him. "Whatever was happening it wasn't real." He reached out and gently uncurled one of Loki's stiff arms from around him and pressed it to his chest once more over his heart.
Loki looked up at him. Registering the fact that it had just been a dream. That none of it was real. That Mobius was just fine, but once he did register this he let out a quiet sob as he scrabbled to wrap himself around him with an iron grip and buried his face in his shoulder. "I couldn't reach y-you. C-couldn't find you. I could h-hear....hear you and the boys. You were in so much pain. Y-you...you needed me and I couldn't find you a-and...and..."
Mobius rubbed his back with slow soothing strokes. Up and down with both hands. "Shhh....it's okay. Clearly it was just a silly dream. We're all right here and we're just fine. Nobody's hurt. Nobody's in pain. We're not going anywhere." He looked over as there was knock on the door, but he called for them to come in.
Sean pushed the door open. "Is everything okay? I heard yelling..."
Mobius blinked before he checked the clock on the wall. "Everything's alright Sean. Loki just had a bad dream."
"S-sorry..." Loki said in a small voice. "I didn't mean to wake you Sean."
Sean shook his head. "Me and Kevin just got done hanging out. I'm getting ready to go lay down and he's situated on the couch. Loki do you want a cup of tea before I go lay down? I have some of that vanilla chai you like."
Loki did consider it, but he just shook his head. He didn't want to keep Sean up. It was late.
"I think he's okay for now Sean, but thank you for the offer. You go ahead and go on to bed alright?"
Sean nodded before he pulled the door closed again.
"Loki, sweetheart I need you to let me go for just a moment alright?"
Loki whimpered and just clutched to him tighter still. His fingers digging into Mobius's shoulders probably just a little harder than they should have, but to his credit he didn't even so much as wince.
Slowly Mobius did manage to coax him to let go with promises that he wasn't going far and that he would be right back. Loki panicked again as he watched him leave the room and every moment that he was gone felt like an eternity, but finally he came back with a warm washcloth in one hand and a clean pillowcase in the other.
He sat back down on the edge of the bed and Loki moved to latch himself back around him, but Mobius gently held up a hand. "Just a second." He said gently as reached for Loki's pillow. He pulled off the sweat and tear soaked pillow case and set it on the floor next to the bed to be taken care of in the morning and slid the new pillowcase on. He set it back on Loki's little stack of fluffy pillows and then situated himself on his side of the bed before he opened his arms. "Alright come here."
Loki practically threw himself at the man who let out a small grunt at the slight amount of force Loki's weight hit him with. Arms wound around Mobius and legs tangled with his, but once Loki settled Mobius unfolded the warm damp cloth and gently started running it along the back of his neck. His face, wiping away the sweat and tear tracks and then just to help calm him down. It had been some trial and error in the early days to find what worked best to calm him down after he would wake up with one foot still in his dreams, but this method was something he had been using for a couple years now and it never seemed to fail him.
Sure enough without fail the tension in his shoulders eased, his shaking eventually subsided, his breathing regulated and Loki's heart didn't feel like it was trying to beat out of his chest and take up residence in his own chest.
Once the cloth had started to lose some of it's warmth he dropped it to the floor with the pillow case to be tomorrow mornings problem. "Now let's get you back to sleep."
"But-"
"Shh...it's okay. Just close your eyes and listen to me talk."
Loki nodded and let his eyes close. He would always trust Mobius. If he said it would be okay then it would be.
***
The next morning Loki awoke to the sound of laughter filtering out of the kitchen, the door having been left open halfway so that he could hear the goings on around him. He pulled himself from the blankets and looked at the clock as he checked the tie on his robe. The black one with green embroidery. The tie sometimes had a tendency to come loose in his sleep and he never wanted to accidentally flash the boys. It would be awkward enough if it was their father, but even more awkward if it was their step father.
He ran hand through his hair as he made his way out to the kitchen where he found everyone else at the table already. A stack of waffles with a bowl of berries and a bottle of syrup on the table between everyone.
Sean and Kevin were already lost in their plans for the day, but Mobius saw him almost immediately and smiled as he pushed himself up and made his way over to give him a hug. "Morning. How are you feeling?"
Loki returned the hug. "Better." He said quietly. "Thank you."
"Don't have to thank me. Go sit down I'll get you a plate."
Loki was about to protest, but Mobius pointed to the empty chair and he finally smiled a little as he took the seat.
"Morning Loki!" Kevin cheered as he reached for another waffle.
"Did you sleep better last night?" Sean asked with a note of concern.
"Good morning Kevin." Loki said before he nodded towards Sean. "I did. I'm...sorry you had to hear it though."
Sean shook his head. "I'm just glad you're okay."
Loki smiled a bit more before he looked up as a plate containing sausage links and eggs over easy with some hashbrowns and a spare plate for his waffles was set down, followed swiftly by a cup of tea and finished off with a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you again Mobius." He said quietly before he set to work mixing his eggs with his hashbrowns. "So what's on the agenda for today? What would you boys like to do?"
"Coney Island!" They both said almost immediately.
"Coney Island?" Loki echoed.
Sean nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I went with Peter and MJ and Ned and it was so much fun! I want to take Kevin cause he's amazing at all those little games that are supposed to be rigged. and the rides are fun to. It's right on the beach."
Loki chuckled a little. "It sounds like it would be a good time. I don't see why not. Is it far from here?"
Sean shook his head. "Not really. Only like an hour and a half."
The boys were much quicker to finish their breakfasts now in their excitement to get ready for their outing for the day.
Loki watched as they both took their plates to the kitchen. "Oh Sean?"
Sean turned back. "Yeah?"
"I aim to be home around eight tonight. I'm thinking we could stop on the way home and get some really good sandwiches somewhere for dinner. I was think you might give Peter a call and see if he and his Aunt would like to come for a lateish dinner party."
Sean's eyes lit up at that. "Wait really?"
"I don't see why not." Mobius said as he looked over with a smile of his own.
Loki nodded. "It would give us a chance to meet them and it would be nice to have a friend here I could contact if there's ever an emergency and I can't get ahold of you."
Sean pulled out his phone. "I'll go call him right now." He said as he disappeared to his room to get ready and shut the door behind him as he pressed his phone to his ear.
Kevin had found what he wanted to wear for the day in his suitcase. "I'm gonna take a shower before we go." He said before he disappeared to the bathroom.
"I'm proud of you sweetheart. You're doing good."
Loki's cheeks tinted the tiniest bit and he hid it with a sip of his tea. "I'm really trying. The sound of this Coney Island gives me mixed feelings. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet."
Mobius stood and moved to press a kiss to his cheek. "It will be fine. And lots of fun. There's one ride you and I are going on, but it won't be until later."
Loki blinked in suprise. "Mobius...I don't think I will be riding any rides. You know they're a little much for me."
Mobius gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. This one isn't fast. I promise you'll like it, but it's much better to ride it at night. Prettier that way."
Loki nodded slowly. Still hesitant, but once again he trusted Mobius. So he wouldn't immediately object against it. Mobius would never be so cruel as to lie to him and push him into something he knew would make him scared. "Where are you off to?"
Mobius straightened up. "I'm going to go get us a rental while you all get ready. I really want to sit in a cab for an hour and a half."
Loki shook his head. "I really don't want to either. Thank the Gods and the Norns for your charisma. I don't think I've seen a single customer walk away from you empty handed in the times I've popped in. Which always means better commissions.
Mobius winked. "There's a reason they wanted me as an analyst. I'm just happy I get to do something much more rewarding with my skills now. Alright. I'll be back soon." He said with a wave before he stepped out.