Mobius
7. Mobius
They both ended up changing into the ‘recreational attire’ (who came up with these names?) and camping up around the table once again.
- Oh, by the way, trouble or not, the bringing down of the TVA calls for a celebration, so here… - Mobius did a dive under his bed and brought out a bottle. He did another dive and got out two elegant glasses.
- Wine? - Loki raised his eyebrows, which seemed to imply a pleasant surprise
- Yeah, a good one, I hope. To be honest, I have never tried it… - it seemed silly to admit it, but Mobius felt at ease with Loki. You’d think sharing secrets with the god of mischief was the worst possible idea, but it felt right too.
- Really? How come?
- Well, I drank whiskey and I tried beer, but somehow wine was never on the menu. Anyway, I have seen people enjoy it in so many timelines… So over time I took a couple of bottles as, um, souvenirs and just kept them here. Just never had the occasion or the company to try any.
- I see… Shall I open it for you?
- Yeah, please!
Loki peeled off the foil and sighed.
- I’ve got good news and bad news for you, Mobius. The good news is this bottle has a corck, which increases the likelihood of this being a good wine. The bad news is we have nothing to open it with. Unless, of course, you want me to vandalise one of the forks we pilfered from the canteen earlier.
- Do what you must, vandalise away - Mobius chuckled. He found himself getting quite excited.
Watching Loki bend and twist one of the fork’s teeth was fascinating. He knew Loki was generally quite strong, but did not expect the ease with which he was able to bend metal.
Finally, the cork came out with a gentle pop, and Loki gracefully poured the golden liquid into the glasses. As Mobius picked up his glass, Loki raised his:
- To variants! May we make good choices! - they clinked the glasses and drank some. - Well, what do you think?
- Interesting taste… Not what I expected, although I did not really know what to expect, but I like it!
They sipped some more, as Loki seemed to try and gather his thoughts together. Mobius sighed and, surprising himself, suddenly spoke
- I was saving this one for Ravonna…
- Huh? Ah, you two were friends, you said.
- Well, she used to say that. I used to think that… It was always a bit of a game, a half joke, like me trying to be har favourite analyst, and her never denying it, but never confirming it either. I used to bring her all these trophies. You know, just small things. I wasn't the only one of course, but I liked… I liked seeing those things I brought her in her office. Like it was some proof she liked me. It's silly really….
- It's not. It's not silly to want someone to pay attention to you.
- Yeah, well, it was silly cause I thought that maybe one day I would invite her over and surprise her with this wine and, I don't know...
- I'm sorry, Mobius.
They drank in silence a little more.
- Sylvie kissed me - Loki suddenly said quietly
- She did? - something inexplicably sad clenched in Mobius'es chest.
- Yeah, in the citadel, when I told her I did not want the throne. And then pushed me into the portal, so… A Loki falls for a classic betrayal trick, as it seems.
- I’m sorry it turned out like that… - and he was, he really was.
- Well, you did warn me about it. ‘My demented crush’, you called it. And it was, I mean, it was crazy - I should have expected betrayal, much more in character, then allowing myself to open and hope for trust.
- Loki, listen...
- I mean, what even is a ‘crush’? All these labels are so utterly meaningless - you face an end of the world, you let the other see the real you and hope for understanding. Is that a crush? If it is, well, then I have one on you too!
- Oh… - Mobius did not expect any of this conversation, but least of all he expected that last revelation.
A little dazed, Mobius watched Loki get up and start pacing the small space free of furniture in his room.
- Look, you know I have had relationships in the past, flings and stories of passion, all sorts of things. But I have never really had friends. Thor had friends, real friends - they would do things for him not because he was their future king, but because they liked him, they trusted him, they were his friends despite and maybe because of everything he did, including some pretty reckless and stupid things, mind you. But they were never my friends, so… I know how this works in theory, but I am afraid I have very little practice. But even theory is muddled, isn’t it? Take Syth, she was Thor’s friend, but I also know for a fact she was his lover. Not just that, they loved each other. I am sure Thor would have said… would say he loves all of them. So where do you even drive this ridiculous divide between love and friendship? I thought that connection with Sylvie was special, all I wanted was for her to be ok, and to be part of her life. And where did it get me? - Loki finished off his glass in one gulp.
Mobius was getting a bit light-headed. Perhaps it was the wine, perhaps it was Loki’s words, or maybe a mixture of the two.
- Loki, listen...
- No, no, let me finish. This is really good wine, by the way, quite potent, but good. Makes you nicely full. I would have smashed your glass to show it, but I know we are kinda short on glasses at the moment.
- Loki -
- No, no wait, as I was saying… What was I saying?.. Right, the thing is, I called you my friend, and I want you to know I was honest then. And I want to be a part of your life, and you to be a part of mine, but maybe I just don’t know how to show it right. As I said, not very experienced in this whole… real connection thing. -
Mobius finally managed to catch Loki’s hand and pull him to sit beside him.
- I know you were honest saying that, and I know you are honest now. As for love and friendship, I’m no expert here, but I… I do think we have a connection. And I’d be damned if I just let it disappear. - On a whim, Mobius has put his hand around Loki’s shoulder and gave him a gentle squeeze.
They sat a little more in the quiet, side by side.
- Fancy a bit more sleep? To be honest, I am dead-tired and could really use some shut-eye time. - Mobius was starting to feel the weight of the past several days crushing onto him
- Sounds like a good idea. Do you have an extra blanket?
- No, but I’m happy to share, as long as you promise not to kick.
- Sounds fair to me.
Mobius switched off the light and they laid down to get some rest.
- Mobius?
- Mm?
- Thanks for finding me.
Mobius closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Turns out, when someone was lying next to you, you could smell their hair. How has he lived so long and did not know that?