Presence
The first time Mobius felt Loki's presence, it was like he'd been struck by lightning.
It was a regular day after work. He'd only just laid down in bed to sleep when the god came to his mind again. There was a moment where he thought he could manage to ignore the thought but he found himself in tears much too soon, wondering if his grief would always be this way. He took some comfort in knowing Loki wasn't dead but had chosen to sacrifice the company of others to save everyone. He was alive somewhere. Perhaps even watching over them like some deities do. Yet, he couldn't help the way he curled into himself, eaten up by the pain, wishing he'd had the guts to tell Loki how deeply and ridiculously loved he was before he'd made the sudden choice to leave.
Mobius padded out into the living room to get a glass of water from his little fridge, startled when he felt the air shift the slightest bit. His head snapped back to a corner of the room, his brows furrowed. He tried to ignore it, knowing it must have been nothing but he sensed the faintest touch of Loki's naturally luxurious fragrance and rushed to the spot. He was met with nothing but air, still standing there a minute longer in the hopes that the mischief-maker would pop out of a portal and surprise him. He'd be glad to see Loki even if he came to end his life, really. Anything was worth seeing him one last time, being able to tell the silly prince that he loved him.
Mobius had known for a long time. There had been hints of it. When he saw Loki and Sylvie together for the first time, raging at the confused man. To be romantically interested with an alternate version of himself seemed strange enough but it wasn't truly that which bothered him. But what could he do with it? Loki might've been older than him but he was also the more younger and prettier looking. He was utterly brilliant and sly and sexy and infuriating in the most wonderful ways. Mobius would have put up with a lifetime of him fixing his ties and bringing his special flair to missions without a fight but this...?
To exist in a world without the god?
Wasn't he supposed to be the first to die? Couldn't he have been given that chance? He doubted Loki would be suffering this same way if they had switched places. He'd never know.
The second time Mobius felt Loki, it was when he'd gone to meet up with Sylvie and her new roommate. They were sharing a place on Earth, bickering as usual. Yet, they seemed happier. B-15 had now let them both know that their name was Bee and they wanted to try she/they pronouns out, so that was what both their friends did. Sylvie looked annoyed as she talked about how many places Bee had dragged her to but she also seemed so, so hopelessly fond of her. Sylvie poked them in the side when she noticed Mobius had spaced out, Bee joining her to arch a brow at him.
"You okay, Moby?"
"Me? Uh... Yeah. Yeah, I'm..."
"Thinking about what Loki would be saying or doing if he were here." The look on Mobius' face told her she'd had the right idea. The Loki variant managed a soft smile tainted with bitterness and mumbled, "probably causing mischief. Drinking himself mad. Highfiving Bee since he also exists beyond the gender binary himself. Teasing me cos of the tattoo I got in his honour. Or perhaps... Flirting with you?"
Mobius went pink, his eyes wide and gaped at her. "What?!"
Bee rolled their eyes and nodded in agreement, leaning her head onto Sylvie's shoulder as she stared blankly at Mobius. "Why do you sound surprised? Anyone who stays around you two long enough, five minutes max, could have seen it. There was an energy between you two. What's so wrong with that?"
"...you sound insane." If anyone had an 'energy', it was them as Sylvie brushed her fingers over Bee's head, the agent hiding their smile as they leaned a bit closer. Slyvie was grinning a bit too, her fond smile as she stared at Bee becoming an amused one as Mobius only got more flustered. He glanced from one to the other, then slapped his hands on the table and got up, ignoring their shocked expressions.
"I... Have to go. Duty calls."
"If it really were work, I'd have gotten the call too-"
"Haha isn't that weird? Bye."
He froze mid-way to the door when he heard Loki's chuckle behind him, swinging himsekf back. He forced his body to move towards the table, face pale as he tapped the women who were too busy chatting to notice he'd returned.
"Mobius? You look a bit... Strange."
"Yeah, Moby, you-"
"Sylvie? Bee? Did you... Have you seen... Have you noticed anything... Strange, recently? Are you... It's been years. So many years. I should be over this, I know I should b-but I just..." He sat down in front of them, burying his head into his arms to hide his face.
To his surprise, both of them moved their chairs over till they were beside him. Bee put their hand on his shoulder while Sylvie took to holding one of his hands, trying to tug him out of his cocoon. He slowly rose his head, looking from one to the other, his resolve melting to the ground when they hugged him from either side. He heard Sylvie sniff beside him and, choked up on the sobbing he was trying to keep at bay, he whispered, "I can't let him go."
"And we don't expect you to force yourself to," Bee mumbled gently. The three stayed in that somewhat uncomfortable position for a little while, breaking up when Mobius apologised for his ridiculousness. Both looked at each other over his head, then shoved him in tandem, laughing together when he shot away and accused them of bullying. They waved him away and he took a soft bow, walking off towards his home.
The TVA wasn't exactly back. Still, with Ouroboros' aid, they'd all decided to keep records of important events in the new timelines in case there was ever a need for it. Mobius had just returned to his, where he lived alone, when he seemed to smell Loki again. It was a bit stronger this time, wafting through the air in his apartment. He couldn't help but sigh in relief, burying his head into his pillow as he asked himself why he couldn't do like those two and find happiness elsewhere.
"For what it's worth? I miss you. So much more than the person I was before you came into my life could've imagined. I was fascinated by you before I met you but once it happened, I could never have been the same. I keep imagining you with me, Loki. How is it that after all this time, I can't forget how you smell? How you sound? What the hell is wrong with me?"
He imagined Loki with him in that moment, wiping his tears for him. But at the moment, all he had was his pillow to hold. Mobius fell asleep in this way, waking in the same position with one major difference.
Loki was in his arms.
Mobius considered panicking. Considered asking a thousand questions or punching this man in the face for what he'd done. He was crying all over again, his heart racing as Loki sent him a wide smile. Had he done anything to deserve that? Such a pretty gaze from such a wonderful being?
His heart was hammering painfully as he drifted his fingers over Loki's cheek. The man shivered in response, joining him to weep even as he kept smiling. Mobius didn't want to speak. He simply stayed as close as he could, both men touching every inch of each other's faces. Loki seemed relieved in this moment. And his scent was so strong, his hair the exact same way it once felt. Was this...?
"Loki."
"Mobius, I-"
"Tell me one thing. Before I lose you again. I need to know if this is real. If you're real."
"...yes and no. In this moment you're with me but I can't leave my work just yet. I'm able to return to our world stronger over time but I've struggled. All I could do was watch you suffer and cry without me, unable to-"
"So this is real?" Loki went silent, nodding gently as he avoided Mobius' eyes. His cheeks seemed to flush as he buried his head into the man's shoulder, brunching up his jacket in his hands like he was afraid he would leave.
"I'm sorry. I should have told you. I doubt you'd be comfortable doing this if you knew it was truly me."
Mobius sighed at his words, carefully brushing his fingers over Loki's jaw as he stared at him. "Good. I'm glad. Because there's something I've needed to ask for a very, very long time. May I kiss you?"
Loki stared at him, eyes wide. Mobius grinned in response, completely open to whatever Loki said. If he refused, he'd take it in his stride, glad he got to hold him even once. If not? He had to give it a chance. Just in case this wasn't real. Just as Loki was about to respond, Mobius found himself staring at the ceiling once again. He clenched his fists tightly, letting go after a moment. He felt too drained to cry, his eyes still burning from going to sleep after all that weeping.
Mobius couldn't bring himself to get up in that moment. Instead, he shut his eyes and tried to return to the moments he'd just shared with the god, whether they'd been real or not. In the silence of his longing, he felt a pair of lips press against his cheek, the ghost of Loki's voice in his ears.
"Soon, Mobius. Soon."