Chapter 3- archives
Loki and Mobius sat alone in the library, all the other TVA members seemed to leave as soon as they arrived. Perhaps they weren’t in the mood to overhear yet another argument, or to listen to Loki running about and wreaking havoc.
A pile of folders was stacked in between the pair on the table, but Mobius was the only one who had any interest in them. He leaned back in his chair with a thick file in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. His eyes moved rapidly across the pages, absorbing the information at top speed.
The pair had been tasked with analysing the movements of some variant, as they had been ordered many times before. Mobius found the repetition to be soothing, monotonous work was simple and comfortable.
Loki, however, found it to be tedious.
Upon discovering the different forms a coffee could take (especially those with sweeteners, flavours and cream), they gulped down three cups and promptly fell asleep at the desk.
They hunched forward with their head resting on folded arms, breathing deeply.
Mobius sighed. Despite favouring routine, he was starting to feel bored. There was little information to be found, no pattern to uncover or puzzle to solve. The silence was growing intolerable, so much so, that Mobius even missed the god’s incessant chatter.
He was tempted to wake Loki up. After all, they were both told to look through the files, not just Mobius.
He was about to give the god an "accidental" nudge with his foot when something prevented him. Gazing at their face, he realised how peaceful they looked when sleeping. The laughter lines were smoothed out, their eyebrows no longer furrowed with concentration, just smooth, milky skin with lips slightly parted. Their dark curls tumbled down their cheeks, shiny and silky, framing their sharp cheekbones. They looked fragile, something to be protected and cherished.
A scared little boy.
Beautiful.
Mobius had watched them grow up, watched them laugh and cry, watched as they tried to prove themself. He also watched them try and destroy innocent people in search of power, laughing as they begged them to stop. But right now, all he could see was a misunderstood person, and he was suddenly struck with the feeling of trust.
Loki trusted him.
Trusted him enough to sleep alone in his company, vulnerable and easy to prune. Not that Mobius would do that. Even the thought of doing it made him shiver. But perhaps that was because he trusted them too.
Despite everything he has seen from Loki's past and future, every attempted escape and betrayal, he felt a pull towards the chaotic being in front of him, a desire to let his guard down and spill his darkest thoughts and questions, knowing they'd agree with him. He couldn't help this hunger, it infected his behaviour, telling Loki things he shouldn't, allowing them too many chances and opportunities, when any other prisoner would be reset.
Mobius flicked his stare back to the paper when Loki stirred slightly, mumbling nonsense in their sleep.
They trusted each other. And perhaps that made this Loki even more dangerous than the variant.