Yggdrasil
Sylvie is saying something. Mobius can’t hear it. He can’t breathe.
One of his wildly trembling hands cradles Loki’s face, thumb reaching down to get a pulse. He can feel it: thrumming steadily against his own skin. A giant wave of relief envelops him, so much so that he draws back a few inches. His hand never leave’s the God’s face.
“He’s breathing, you idiot.” Sylvie scorns. “I can tell from here.”
”Yeah, but he still needs to wake up.” Mobius replies, as she walks around the tree, looking at the different timelines and their intricate arrangement.
His eyes scan Loki’s unconscious face, and nearly well up with tears. It is when a person is close you that you begin to realise just how much you’ve truly missed them. His thumb trails over Loki’s cheek, his lip quivering.
At last, with a sharp exhale, Loki’s eyes snap open.
”It’s alright.” Mobius whispers quickly. “It’s just me, you’re alright.”
Mobius swallows, watching him look around and regains his senses. When the God’s eyes finally meet his own, a sob that he didn’t even know he was holding back tears from his chest. Loki’s eyes widen impossibly as they bore into his.
And they slam together like pieces of a puzzle.
Loki peels himself off the floor to collapse into Mobius’ arms. Mobius hums in joy. Loki’s touch feels like sunshine, warm against his shivering heart, chasing away the shadows, filling him with joy. All the weight of the past month seeps away as he clutches Loki against his chest. Mobius wraps an arm around the God’s waist, the other cupping the back of his head. It tangles in the smooth raven hair there.
”Loki.” He whispers, turning to press his face into the side of the God’s head.
Loki whimpers and begins to tremble in his grasp. Mobius feels a pool of wetness on his shirt.
His heart breaks. Loki, too, thought he'd never see him again. That he'd never love again.
”Oh, Loki.”
Mobius rocks them gently, feeling Loki relax in his arms. He runs his hand in circles around the small of his back.
"Breathe. I'm here now, Loki."
They stay like that for God knows how long, feasting in each other's embrace, making up for all the lost time. Centuries of it, for Loki.
At long last, Loki pulls away. Mobius rests a hand at the side of his face, eyes roaming over his swollen, red-rimmed eyes, his pale skin, his thin lips.
"Mobius." Loki murmurs hoarsely, looking around. "What just happened?"
"A rogue TVA employee with powers attacked your Tree." Sylvie snaps, and Loki startles a little. He turns to face the Godess, and she steps closer.
"I'm here too, by the way."
"Ah. I see." Loki shakes his head, a sarcastic smile pulling at his lips.
But then his brows furrow. "But the spell- how'd you-"
"I'm a Loki too." Sylvie reminds him. "Our Auras work the same way."
"Oh." His eyes widen again. He groans into his hand. "Great. Now I've got countless Variants of myself to worry about."
The three laugh together, and it seems to pierce through the tension clouding the air.
Sylvie smiles, bending at the knees and placing a hand on Loki's shoulder. She gives it a gentle squeeze. Mobius shifts to accomodate her.
Sylvie pulls herself up, beckoning them to the other end of the Tree. "Look at this."
Mobius stands, and pulls Loki up by the arm. The two stride forward, coming to stand on either side of Sylvie.
Sylvie touches one of the branches, and it begins to glow the same shade of emerald it did when she brought them to the Tree. And then the light begins to exit the branch and enter the real world.
A three dimensional illusion stands before the three, ensuing in a burst of green light. It takes a moment to focus, and Loki gasps at the sight.
A tall, bulky man, with strawberry blonde hair in a crew cut, and a sleek French beard is seen tapping absently in a Tempad. He's wearing a TVA Hunter uniform The image is so vivid Mobius nearly thinks it's real.
Not long after, an orange door appears before him, and the man steps through. Loki, Mobius and Sylvie watch as the man disappears, and the illusion ceases, before another appears of him shooting red light from his fingertips.
He's dressed differently now, in a beige tunic, a brown leather belt and a dark cloak. His hair somehow grew longer, only a few inches shorter than Loki's own. His beard is also more pronounced.
Biting his lip, Loki watches the man impale the Tree, letting out bellows of rage, before seeing the others and quickly scrambling away. The illusion comes to an end, plunging them in silence.
Loki walks closer to Sylvie. "A He Who Remains Variant." He deduces.
"With a Tempad." She adds.
"And powers." Mobius finishes, watching grimly the spot where the illusion stood.
"And for some reason, he's out to get me." Loki mentions, sighing heavily.
Mobius turns to face Loki, his dark eyes boring into Loki's bright green ones. "You're not safe here."
"Mobius-" He begins to protest.
"Loki, this guy attacked you! He could've killed you if we hadn't arrived!" Mobius scolds, holding out his arm in incredulity.
"But the Timelines!" The God grumbles.
"The Timelines will be safe. Didn't you enchant them? You have the guardian spell. You have the Tree." Mobius points out.
"They won't hold forever." Loki huffs.
"Well, just stay at a safe place until we find this guy." Mobius rounds.
Loki opens his mouth to protest, but stops with a sharp turn to the side. Mobius follows his gaze, and his mouth falls open.
Sylvie has her hands looped into the branches, a trail of emerald light lighting them up. Her eyes are closed, her mouth moving in a silent muse. The spell breaks at the sudden silence, and her eyes open slowly. She looks carefully at Loki and Mobius.
"Yggdrasil is growing. It's changing." She whispers.
"What're you talking about?" Loki asks, quirking a brow.
"The Tree. Yggdrasil." Sylvie lets out a calm exhale. "The tree speaks, Loki. Only to us."
"We'll, what's Yggdrasil saying?" Mobius asks gruffly.
"It's evolving." Sylvie remarks. There's a strange sense of relaxation on her face. Mobius has been observing it since they entered. Sylvie looks....different. Whole. Like she's meant to be here.
Mobius shrugs the thought away.
"It's becoming one with the cosmos." Sylvie continues, her eyes glowing. "It's learning to harness control. Loki," she nods to the God. "I think we should let it grow."
"Good." Mobius nods.
"I think all that magic, and the damage, it helped, somehow." Sylvie remarks in wonder.
"How did you...communicate with the Tree?" Loki enquires, genuinely amazed.
"Yggdrasil? I don't know." Sylvie says softly. "It just...happened."
"Right." Loki sighs heavily. "Now, where do I go? I can conjure myself a-"
"There's no need to conjure yourself anything." Mobius interrupts. "You're coming home. With me."
Loki turns to Mobius so quickly it causes his neck to snap. Mobius turns to meet his gaze, looking into those terrified eyes. Loki doesn't say a word, his face shell shocked. Sylvie looks between them in puzzlement.
"Is- is that okay with you?" Mobius enquires, rubbing at his mouth.
"I...it's.." Loki looks down, shaking his head. "I don't know if I want you to bear this inconvenience. Not to mention this guy is after me, and if something happens to you, or your kids-"
"Hey." Mobius interjects, his voice soft. "Nothing will happen to anyone. And besides, we don't even know what this guy is really after. It'll be fine."
"Well...." The look that Loki gives Mobius might be confusing, to many, but Mobius knows it right away. It's the look that says: Don't be so good to me, lest it's all over.
He says nothing, but continues to stare insistently at the God. Loki, sending he needs to speak, opens his mouth with an inhale. "Um...okay. If you want me to."
"Great." Mobius looks at his Lokis, giving them a reassuring smile. "Let's get going, then."
"I'll be at McDonald's, in case ya need to come and hassle me again." Sylvie remarks, stepping forward. "If you do come, which I'm sure you would, just wait till my goddamn break."
She shuffles outside, leaving Loki and Mobius alone in the Tree. Mobius takes a tiny step towards Loki, noticing the parlour tinting the God's skin.
"We have to talk." Loki says, breaking the silence.
"I know we do." Mobius nods. He places a hand on Loki's back. "Let's get you somewhere safe."
The two walk outside, and this time, it's Loki Mobius latches into. Mobius finds his eyes catching Loki's features, how enchanting they look under the green light. He wants to stare at them everyday, map them out with new perspectives, but no matter how much he tries to smile, to believe that everything is fine, he knows he wouldn't. They would get separated again.
Until then, Mobius decides to hold on tight to all the happiness he has.
******
Mobius is a wonder, Loki thinks.
For how many people would brave skin-tearing radiations, the risk of being exposed to a rogue attacker, and a tough guardian spell all to reach one person? And then let him into his home, like a He Who Remains Variant wasn't after him?
He lets the wonder guide him around the modest home, showing him the odd stuff he found in the few months he was there, show off the jetskis in his garage-- it's disarming. And painful.
Painful because he knows it will all end in too short of a time.
He tries not to let it show on his face, though, and joins in on Mobius' enthusiasm as he talks about his job and his kids, how Loki would love them, how troublesome they were.
It was hopeful. Loki didn't like it.
Also, there was the mounting apprehension of the Variant finding him, or entering the Tree-- Yggdrasil, as Sylvie calls it. It's becoming one with the comos.
He didn't know what the near future had in store. And it was too unsettling. The only comfort he had at that moment was, as always, Mobius.
You're wonderful, Loki wants to say, when Mobius gives Loki his own bedroom to sleep in and offers to take the couch. They decide on making the kids sleep in the same room and occupying the remaining two. They're not gonna like that, Mobius remarks. And I don't like you being uncomfortable. Loki replies.
They drink hot cocoa together and make casual conversation, just enjoying each other's presence, but Loki knows the actual conversation will come later. Right now, they're meant to take a well-deserved break from everything.
The Variant. The Timelines. Yggdrasil.
It's an incessant drone in his mind, nearly driving him mad. How can Mobius not feel the fear close in on him? Then again, Loki has hardly ever been as optimistic as the analyst. It leaves him speechless.
Nothing is going right, but why is Mobius acting like everything is?
Loki doesn't know, but he learns he isn't to keen to find out, either.