"So you've never experienced New Year's Eve? Midguardians love it," Loki mused, looking Mobius up and down.
The analyst tidied his suit subtly under Loki's consuming gaze and smiled ruefully, "Time doesn't pass like that here in the TVA. So no."
"Unacceptable frankly if you ask me," Loki tutted and before Mobius could protest, Loki had swiped the tempad, prodded a few buttons on the screen and opened a time door in the middle of the archives.
"Oh come on now, we're gonna get caught," Mobius laughed, "We're meant to processing the data on He who remains variant 56-"
Loki yawned rudely, exaggerating the gesture to stretch his arms over his head and rest one neatly around Mobius's shoulders.
"Boring. Far too boring for a special occasion such as today. We have a 17 minute break after all."
Mobius smirkes; the 17 minute rule had long since been abolished.
Loki steered Mobius forward into the orange shine of the door and they stepped out of the TVA into a hall with a small bar and the lounge area flooded with people socialising over flutes of champagne.
A large tv mounted on the wall of the establishment showed the landmark Big Ben from London and crowds were standing in the spitting rain. Mobius didn't notice the time door close and Loki unscrupulously hide the tempad in the jacket of his uniform.
With a quirk of his slender fingers, their TVA uniform transformed quickly into matching smart egg blue shirts, Loki's tie an emerald green and Mobius's a burnt orange.
Dark trousers clothed them and they sported a grey blazer each, Loki's darker in shade.
The business casual attire brought a smile to Mobius's lips that quirked his moustache in a particularly amusing way and Loki smiled fondly at him.
"17 minutes," he promised, although he was lying desparately.
Loki had concocted a sincerely risky yet exciting plan, having saved up weeks of energy and nerve to suggest visiting new years eve.
He was well aware the TVA had no concept of this and had seen as much in the centuries he had spent trying to fix the loom. With that wsll behind him, he now faced the biggest challenge of all.
Conveying hundreds of years worth of feelings into an empassioned new years eve speech at midnight.
It was 2023, dawning 2024 and it was the closest Loki could risk taking them to Mobius's original 2022 timeline.
They were in fact in London of course, to avoid any worries about potentially being recognised as the terror of new york.
Mobius seemed pleased enough, siddling up to the bar, their arms brushing with how close the pair of them stood together.
The gap closed as other patrons wandered to the bar, following the lead of the perculiar couple.
Pressed against one another, Loki and Mobius waited on a whiskey each.
"Finally getting that drink," Mobius sighed gratefully as the bartender placed their orders down.
Loki smiled, finding that his cheeks were going bruise at this rate. Mobius was warm against him, a bright flare compared to the uncomfortable press of a stranger on his other side.
Loki took his whiskey in hand and tipped his head to the screen, "Five minutes to go. Having fun?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Mobius grinned, "Got my drink, got my Loki. Everything's coming up roses."
He wasn't expecting that; Loki huffed a flutered chuckle and cursed himself internally. Mobius making him blush wasn't part of the plan where he was doing the wooing.
The bar clients started to seperate and drift back into their social circles, some standing, other chatting lively in their seats as everyone pivoted to face the television.
Mobius knocked back a hefty swig of whiskey whilst Loki sipped his delicately. They finished the drinks with three minutes to spare and Loki made the first move they had planned for the night.
As Mobius turned with him, Loki put an arm around his waist, similar to how Mobius had once held him in the war room of the TVA. Mobius, attuned to their attention, pressed into his side and Loki's heart soared theatrically at the requited companionship.
His cool palms started to sweat regardless as he looked at the time on Big Ben.
"Are you familiar with the customs of New Year?" Loki murmured.
They were so close together he neednt have whispered so close to Mobius's ear, yet the shudder that visually rocked Mobius was a reward all it's own. The plan was going swimmingly, if a bit overthought. Why he had been so worried, Loki couldn't place.
Everything about the evening was rolling out smoothly.
"As much as missions to various timelines will allow. It varies timeline to timeline, choice to choice what the preferred custom is," Mobius said.
Loki squeezed hisnsude, finding the knowledge intensely endearing.
"Though," Mobius mused, "There is one custom that seems to stay the same wherever you go."
"And that is?"
"Come on now," Mobius smirked, "Surely the Prince of Asgard knows this custom."
"Not whilst you're being cryptic I don't," Loki laughed lightly, "We have a huge many customs."
They bickered aimlessly for a few moments, the light and easy flow of concersation reminding Loki just how gentle life was now he was back where he belonged. Mobius hadn't moved an inch away from him and slowly, as they turned to face the clock, Mobius's hand came to rest at the small of Loki's back, his index finger swirling a small loop at the base of his spine through his jacket and shirt.
Loki instinctively felt the shift in Mobius, a glint in his blue eyes as he watched the clock down.
"Ten..." the crowd started to chant.
Mobius turned to Loki, "The custom that's most common across the timelines is probably something we both should experience, don't you think?"
"Nine..."
"Well if you tell me what it is..."
Loki was readying himself for the moment; he had kept calm and cool up until this moment. They were feeling especially brave and they couldn't fathom messing this up, everything felt too gentle, too sweet. His stomach fluttered with anticipation.
"Eight..."
"I'd rather show you," Mobius said puzzlingly.
What was he up to?
"Seven..."
"Perhaps I have something to show you first," Loki said.
"Six..."
Loki's eyes softened, Mobius was an inch away, eyes not leaving his.
"Well, looks like we're at an impass," Mobius smiled, eyes glancing down to Loki's lips.
"Five..."
"Mobius, you-" Loki started, huffing another laugh, "You're plotting something."
"Four..."
Mobius smiled crookedly, "And you weren't? Loki, I know you better than anyone. You can't hide that scheming smirk from me."
Loki's heart somersaulted.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"Mobius, I-"
"One..."
"Come here, pussycat," Mobius whispered.
His arms came around Loki's waist in full, pulling the God into his arms, pressed flush against his chest.
There was a cheerful roar of "Happy new year!" as Loki met Mobius halfway, their lips meeting passionately.
Mobius wasn't chaste, caressing Loki's lips with his like it was addictive, lost in the want for more. Loki's head was filles with fireworks and the pop of them emanating from the television, Big Ben's booming chime ringing in the new year.
The crafty analyst had been planning exactlt the same thing.
Loki tried to calm the thunder of his heart but he'd been bested, found out and the realisation of how well Mobius did indeed know him was a thrill all it's own. He cupped the back of Mobius's head in his hands, memorising the feel of silver hair running through his fingers.
"A new year's kiss is a well known custom on every timeline," Mobius said, "But this was my first. That I remember of course."
Loki grinned, nose to nose with his best friend, the imprint of the kiss settling on his lips like sunlight warms the skin.
"Happy New Year Mobius," Loki smiled, "You can consider this Loki bested in multiversal knowledge."
"You really thought I didn't know," Mobius grinned, "New Year's kiss, Loki. Only someone as theatrical as you would plan that from a place outside time."
"Clever though, no?"
"Absolutely," Mobius agreed and kissed Loki again as the cheers of the New Year being rung in turned to pleasant music around them, alone in a world all their own.