"Thank you ", the last one left the room and Loki let themself slide down the wall. With their head in their hands, sighing. They were exhausted. It has been a long day and if that wasn't enough, Loki helped out training the new hunters. It was actually C-20's job, but she was sick. So Ravonna asked Loki to do it and Loki, who owed Ravonna something, agreed. They wanted to go to their apartment, which was located a few stores above the training room, but there was still work left.The draft of the report for the last mission was waiting at Loki's cubicle to be written. Knowing it wouldn't help to sit on the cold floor, they got up, sighing for the last time.
Loki changed in the locker room into their normal TVA clothes (not the one they wear on the field): A white shirt with brown pants, and left the locker room behind them. Walking through the long corridors Loki passed many people on their way. It was busier than usual, maybe because it was Monday. Loki didn't know. Loki also didn't know whether it was actually Monday or not. Time passes differently at the TVA. Loki saw the group of trainees they were teaching thirty minutes ago and greeted them politely. The group greeted back before they started to talk again. Loki could hear a few snippets of their conversation: "Loki is so pretty" "I heard they are a talent on the field" "Did you see the hair?" Loki couldn't help but chuckle, the trainees were behaving like teenage girls.
After five minutes they arrived. Loki slumped down in their chair and turned their attention to the stacks of paper on the desk. "Where is it?", they asked themself. After they opened a few drawers, they found it and put it on the desk. They grabbed a pen, removed the cap and started to write.
An hour later the report was finished. A quick look at the orange clock on the wall told Loki that it was 8.30 pm. Ravonna was still in her office. They read the report again and when they couldn't find any mistakes, they stood up with a satisfied smile on their face, making their way to Ravonna's office.
"Lokes", Ravonna was sitting on the couch, when Loki entered the office.
"Don't call me that", they said seriously. "Come on. We have known each other for centuries, I wouldn't mind if you'd give me a nickname either", she said laughing, then when she stopped to laugh and was only smiling,"What brings you here?"
Loki rolled their eyes playfully at Ravonna and waved with the report.
"I have the mission report", they said grinning and put it on the table in front of Ravonna before sitting down on the couch. Ravonna took it and skimmed it. She looked up, directly into Loki's face: "Reliable as always. I'll read it later."
Loki smiled at her: "Thanks"
She smiled back: "Whiskey?"
Loki nodded and watched Ravonna pouring whiskey in two glasses she took from the shelf behind her. She gave one to Loki.
"I also wanted to talk to you", she drank a bit of her whiskey, "about a mission."
Loki took a sip.
"It's a big mission, won't be a problem for you though, you're my best hunter after all."
"Who else will be there?", Loki asked.
"A few hunters with an A-Rank", she replied. Both of them emptied their whiskey.
Loki was already leaving, closing the door, as they heard Ravonna: "How about Vonna?" They chuckled.
Ravonna…
Loki wondered when Ravonna came up with a nickname for the first time.
They couldn't remember.
For the hopefully last time of the day they walked through the endless halls of the TVA. An everyday thing when you were working for the timekeepers. Loki didn't like it.
The brown walls had a soporific effect on them. They looked down trying to avoid the walls. Maybe not the best idea.
Loki walked around a corner as they bumped into someone. The stranger, who had been standing in front of an opened locker, was now on the floor. Their files, they were holding, next to them. Loki, still staring at their feet, studied them.
It was an analyst, they saw him a few times talking to Ravonna in her office. He wore the same clothes Loki did plus a brown jacket. His hair was gray, still he didn't look old. A mustache decorated his face. The nose seemed a bit scrunched up. And the eyes, they were blue. If you'd ask Loki later, they'd describe them as two blue, shining diamonds.
Loki knelt down to collect the files. Apparently the man, who wasn't laying anymore, but kneeling, thought the same.
And when both of them reached out, their hands touched.
Everything around Loki stopped moving for a few seconds.
His hands were warm and hot. When their hands touched Loki's hand felt warm, no hot. It was like their hand was burning.
Loki pulled away, the warmth rose in their cheeks.
Both continued collecting the files, as if nothing happened.
When they finished they stood up and Loki gave him the files: "I'm sorry."
The analyst smiled and took them. He put them into the locker: "No need to apologise. Things happen."
And he stuck out his hand: "I'm Agent Mobius by the way."
Loki blinked for a moment before they took the hand: "Loki Laufeyson, hunter."
He let go of Loki's hand and closed the locker. Loki watched him as he was starting to leave.
After a few steps he stopped and turned around, smiling brightly: "It was an honor to meet you Loki Laufeyson." Then he disappeared behind a corner.
Loki's hand was still burning.
Loki was in the cafeteria, when they saw Sylvie sitting on a table. They made their way through the people with a salad (it was Salad-Saturday) and sat down in front of them.
"Loki", they said, "How is it going?"
Loki put pepper on their salad: "It's okay." "Okay?", Sylvie asked, an eyebrow raised. Loki was irritated: "Yeah, it's okay."
"Okay, okay!", Sylvie was annoyed, "You have a boyfriend now!"
Loki almost choked on their salad: "A what?"
"A boyfriend", Sylvie explained, "B-15 and I saw you two. You were looking at him like a lovestruck teenager."
"Who are you talking about?", Loki whisper-yelled.
Sylvie nodded at something behind Loki. Loki turned around and saw the head of a gray haired person. His back was showing in Loki's direction. They thought about the Agent the whole week, something they would never admit.
Loki turned around facing Sylvie: "He's not my boyfriend. I don't even know him." "Your crush then", Sylvie assumed. Loki blushed slightly and Sylvie saw it immediately.
"Aha", they grinned mischievously, "I was right"
Loki admitted it sheepishly with a small nod.
At least Sylvie would be quiet now.
Both ate their salad in an awkward silence, when Sylvie broke it: "What's his name?"
Loki looked up from their salad.
"Mobius"
They were sitting on their writing the mission report for Ravonnas "big mission". It had been no problem for Loki, just like she said, but it had been longer than most missions and they had to prepare more things than usual.
Someone stepped in their cubicle. Loki turned around. It was C-20. She smiled at them.
"Hey Loki", her eyes fell on the chaos on their desk."Mission report?", she asked. Loki nodded, sighing.
"Yep", and then, "Is there a reason for your visit?"
"Yes", she responded, "I wanted to thank you for taking over my training lesson." "No problem", Loki said.
"And as you know Casey's birthday is next Friday" - No, Loki almost forgot it- "and we decided to celebrate it."
"Who is "we"?", Loki obtained. "D-90, Sylvie, Casey, I, probably you, Ravonna and a friend of hers and Caseys", she gave back in answer.
"Ok", Loki noted the date in their calendar, "I'll be there"
It felt illegal, but it was definitely legal. They checked it the day before.
And now they are here: In the evidence room of the TVA. Rows of shelves, shelves filled with evidence from cases that were solved a long time ago. Ravonna had said it would be okay if Loki would take one of it as a present for Casey.
Loki investigated the room, not knowing where to start ,wondering if something here was from a case Mobius solved. "This is a lot more than expected", they mumbled.
They decided it'd be the best when they'd just start without thinking too much.
After searching for a while, they found something Casey'd like: A book about fish with illustrations and photos.
"8pm, right on time", Loki thought. They were standing in front of Casey's apartment. As soon as they knocked someone opened the door. Casey stood in front of them with a bright smile on his face.
"Loki!", he stepped aside from the door, "Come in"
Loki followed his request and walked through the door. Sylvie, D-40 and C-20 sat on the table, chatting with each other.
It knocked again. While Casey left, Loki sat down next to Sylvie putting Casey's present, now wrapped up in wrapping paper, in front of them on the table.
Casey came back, Ravonna and her friend with him. Loki blushed, when they saw who it was: Mobius. The man looked more handsome than they remembered.
Sylvie poked them in the side, grinning at them like an idiot.
"Hi", Ravonna greeted.
She tilted her head towards Mobius: "This is Mobius."
Everyone had a lot of fun celebrating Casey's birthday. They ate pizza and after that Casey opened the presents everyone brought. Casey loved the book Loki gave him!
They drank a lot of whiskey (Ravonna brought) , even Loki drank and they were not someone who'd get drunk at parties.
And when everyone was at least a bit tipsy, they started to play truth or dare, sitting on the floor. No one cared about the fact that they were a little bit too old for this.
It was revealed that Casey never had his first kiss, Sylvie had sex at a supermarket checkout while being on a mission and C-20 and D-40 once stole the Mona Lisa before resetting the timeline.
They played a few more games but in the end everyone passed out due tiredness or the alcohol.
Not everyone though.
“So everyone is sleeping except you and me", Mobius said.
He sat next to Loki on the couch. His brown jacket laying on a chair, his shirt was not tucked in anymore and his tie was loosened. He looked incredibly hot. "Yeah", Loki let out an awkward laugh. "You're Loki, right? Loki Laufeyson?", he took a sip from his whiskey.
Loki nodded, trying to avoid Mobius' eyes, knowing they'd get lost in them. Mobius got up and put his drink on the table. You could see that he was drunk, but his words were clear.
He got back and sat down. He was sitting closer to Loki than before and his leg was touching Loki's. Loki could swear their heart skipped a beat and their breath hitched, they hoped Mobius couldn't hear it.
"Wanna play two truths and a lie?", he asked with a dorky yet adorable cute smile on his pink lips, "I'll start: I'm left handed, I hate jet skis, aaand I'm in love with someone."
He turned his head to Loki. His nose almost touching theirs.
Loki doesn't know what happend then.
The next thing they remember is that they couldn't hold it back any longer, and closed the gap. Their lips touched.
Mobius' lips were soft and tasted like the whiskey he drank a few minutes ago. Loki felt like they were in heaven, a tickling sensation in their stomach. Blood rose in their cheeks. They wanted to deepen the kiss, to put their hands around his neck, to feel him.
Loki wished this moment could last forever.
But they broke the kiss.
Mobius pulled away.
His blue eyes widened in shock.
He quickly grabbed his jacket, his hand shaking.
Walking to the door, almost running and slamming the door as he left.
Loki was sitting on the couch, tears welling up in their eyes.
They were looking at the door, fearfully.
"What happened", they turned around and saw Sylvie, rubbing their eyes irritated. "Where is Mobius?"
Loki looked in their eyes, fighting the urge to cry: "I messed up!"
Sylvie looked worried at them: "It's gonna be okay. Just talk to him and make up."
Loki took a deep breath and went mentally through their plan.
"You can do this", they told themself. They stepped in the room.
Loki was there to talk to Mobius about the… incident.
But they weren't prepared for what they saw.
It felt like someone punched them in their guts.
Mobius was there, but he wasn't alone.
His arms were wrapped around B-15's waist and he kissed her passionately. He looked at her with so much love in his eyes.
Mobius pulled her on his lap and began a make out session with her.
Between two kisses:" I love you."
Tears welled up in Loki's eyes.
They felt sick in their stomach.
Slowly stumbling backwards they tripped over a trash bin.
Loki sat on the floor.
Their eyes widened in terror, their body shaking violently and tears streaming down their face.
They couldn't breath and gasped for air.
Someone laid a hand on their shoulder.
It was Sylvie, their eyes reddened and their nose running, they had cried. "B-15“, they mouthed.
Lokis mouth escaped sobs.
Sylvie pulled them into a hug.
Loki cried into their shoulder, Sylvie cried into Lokis.
The both of them sitting under a desk,
feeling like they got stabbed in the heart with a dagger, wielded by the person they loved.
Falling for him was a mistake.