A partner? When did you ever need a partner? In all your thousand..something years..honestly who knows at this point time is weird here and rarely matters until it does. Anyways, back to the point that Mobius was making earlier before you stomped off in frustration.
That man never fails to annoy the daylights out of you at least once every 24 hours or so. He’s great, he really is, you might even call him a true friend. But sometimes. Oh, sometimes he really throws you into the lions den with nothing more then a weapon from the damn Stone Age to keep the beasts at bay.
Your profession you ask? To further make this point of yours make more sense against Mobius. A bounty hunter for the Time Variant Authority. That’s right, and you know what that means?
You work alone. Alone. Do you have to spell the damn word out for him?
Although your old friend/ co-worker with that dumb little mustache of his, has decided for whatever reason that you need a partner. Claiming “it’ll spice things up!” No. You are a lone wolf. Always have been. Always will be.
Who in all the universe could be as amazing as yourself? Right, you can answer that. It’s you!
“Y/N, come on, he’s a rookie and you’re the best person to help guide him.” Protests Mobius as you cross your arms in frustration.
You give him a less then friendly look of dissatisfaction, “My sole job is to hunt down and either kill or bring in variants who fuck with the set timeline. Also, as you are well aware, I do that alone.”
He simply rolls his eyes, “That’s not very opening up to new horizons of you. Remember our bet?” Smirks the irritating man.
“What bet?” You know the bet.
“That in one hundred days you have to make a new friend.”
Shaking your head at the idiocy of this bet, you give him a half-offended look, “And I have!”
Mobius raises a brow, clearly not believing your proclamation “Who then?”
You shrug, “The desk lady from the office. uhh, shit what’s her name?” You ask, snapping your fingers together as your mind searches for a name, “…Uh, oh right! Verona!”
Mobius snorts in amusement as he shakes his head, “Her name is Velarica.”
“That was close.”
“It wasn’t.”
You scoff, setting a hand on your hip as you pick up a dagger from his office desk, “Oh whatever. We could argue about this all day, who cares anyways.” You grumble with a huff before flipping the weapon in your hand, “But fine.”
“But fine, what?” Teases your current source of irritation while he sits there all smug by his desk. You’d like nothing more then to shove one of those square pieces of office party cake right in his stupid conundrum of a face.
“Who’s the new guy then?” You begrudgingly mutter, “Let’s just get this over with so I can go back to hunting variants alone.”
Mobius’ face lights up at this, “Well I’m glad you’ve finally come around Y/N, you’re gonna wanna probably sit for this one…it’s a doozie.”
“oh, really?” You ask with a raised brow. How interesting is this person truly?
——
You’d like to be mad and fueled with rage for the person of the hour whom Mobius has chosen to place you with. But in all honesty, you’re admittedly a bit more intrigued then you’ve ever been to meet anyone.
Who would have thought? The God of Mischief himself, the new recruit, your soon to be partner. You’ve now heard everything you’ve ever wanted to know about him, witnessed his life, and his eventual death. But somehow, with the aid of those Avengers doing that time heist thing you had to sneak in the shadows and witness for research.
Loki. Specifically 2012 Loki. Has gotten himself into a bit of a mess. And now, he works for the TVA. Who would have thought? Honestly?
Standing in Mobius’ office with lack of the man thankfully. You pace back and forth to pass the time as you await your late arrival. Clicking your pen as you try and balance on one foot to help move time along a little faster with your own little self challenge, your ears suddenly prick with the sound of a door opening from behind you.
Standing normal again in an instant, you pocket the writing utensil before turning around to face an unquestionably attractive man with slicked back dark hair. His face appears rather taken aback by yourself just standing there eyeing him up like a curious wolf.
Soon a little smile pulls at the corners of his thin lips as he takes another step forward, “And you must be, the bounty hunter.” Smirks the Asgardian in a sly yet intriguing accent, “The one whom our mutual friend has brought me to.”
“Loki.” You deadpan with as much enthusiasm as a stick. Still not entirely thrilled to be doing this.
“ah, you know my name?” Questions the raven haired man, slightly taken aback that you do in fact know who he is. But of course you do. “Well I guess, forgive me then for I’m not presently aware of yours at the moment since it was not gifted to me..”
“Y/N Y/L/N.”
He nods, “Y/N…..I like it. Very sovereign and powerful.” Says Loki with a dramatic gusto.
Crossing your arms you can’t help but roll your eyes, “Don’t try and flatter me I’d rather have never met you.”
He tilts his head in curiosity, indeed a bit deflated by your lackluster comment, “Well, by the sounds of it from what Mobius was saying, you need me.”
“And you believed him?” You muse, tone light and joking though your intention to make slight fun is palpable.
He pauses for a moment to counter this, “I….I’ll have you know I am well versed in the happenings of the universe and, I don’t need you either if you must know. I could handle this myself just fine.”
“You don’t even know where we’re going.” You add with a smirk, “Or what we’re doing.”
He pauses yet again, this time giving you a once over before mimicking your defensive stance, honestly it’s a bit adorable. Loki purses his lips together, “He told me you’d be like this.”
“Like what?” You snap in irritation, calm and collected aurora flicking off of your vessel in an instant while you squint your eyes at him.
Loki smirks, he’s got you and was almost fruitlessly able to cause a quick reaction out of something so small. “Oh you should know since you apparently don’t need me. Great all-see’r of the TVA.” Mocks the Asgardian with an theatrical half-assed bow. Oh this little shit.
Grimacing at his annoyingly smug face, you hum, “I don’t. There’s nothing you could possibly give me that I don’t already have myself.”
He snorts, “I beg to differ. There’s a whole lot more I can contend to if I must explain for your ears to make any sense of it. I am well past capable of handling the unknown on my own accords.”
You unfold your arms to pick up something off of the desk while he watches you like a hawk. Stuffing the small object in your pocket, you turn around to face him with a bemused expression, “Really? Says the guy who tried to stab Thanos with a pocket knife.”
Loki’s brows furrow before his face shifts into clear annoyance, “How do you know that?”
You smirk before slowly walking up closer to him, “I know who you are, how you got here, and what you’re currently doing.”
“That doesn’t explain…”
“Oh but it does. I’m a bounty hunter for the TVA, my friend is Mobius, and I know everything so shut your swindling little pie-hole and try and keep up.”
Loki blinks, to bewildered by your blatant sass to even form a coherent sentence to rival your choice words so instead does he watch as you practically swagger over to the door, but before you’re able to open it he takes a step to follow, “So you know everything? If that’s the case as you so happen to claim, do you know what’s located in the drawers up at..?”
“Probably some rare trinkets collected throughout the years.” You don’t even let him finish his sentence you already know where this frivolous trickster has been off to.
“Specifically what?” Pressures the agitating Asgardian in that obnoxiously accusatory voice of his.
“Infinity Stones.” You deadpan, not even missing a beat which greatly annoys Loki. How the hell do you know that, wonders the raven haired man.
“Fine.” He grumbles, face falling before his tell tale mischievous smirk yet again plasters itself upon his lips when he thinks up a new question to throw at you, “The name of the office worker in desk A7?”
You twist the golden knob, “Carson.”
Loki quickly follows you out the door and into the hallway, by your side in an instant as he points a finger in the air, “Ha! You my dear are wrong.” Laughs the Asgardian happily, honestly joyful that he’s been able to catch you with something that you don’t have the true answer to for someone claiming to know just about everything.
He chuckles, “It’s actually Casey.”
Taking his hand, you draw it down to his side and away from your face while he continues to smile, “I was close.” You add with a casual shrug.
His brows furrow “You were not. That wasn’t even that close, so Y/N. What do you say to that?”
“I’d say I was close for someone who’s never actually been to that branch of the TVA.” You counter, leaning your face close to his, “I could just feel it.”
He sputters, baffled by your off hand comments, “Casey and Carson are not the same. They don’t even particularly happen to sound that similar.”
Continuing to walk down the long hallway, you side eye Loki, “They do. Use your ears.”
He makes an almost hilariously flabbergasted expression, “I have been! You were just lucky to have guessed a name that happens to sound similar to the actual one.” Counters Loki as he stops you in the hallway to face him, “How the hell do you actually know so much? Granted, even if it’s slightly off?“
Lifting his hand from your shoulder, you pat him on the arm, “I have approximate knowledge of many things.” And with that said do you continue walking down the hallway. Leaving a confused Loki behind before he quietly jogs after you.
This woman, thinks Loki, I’m beginning to like her.
——
This new thing, whatever it is, whatever it could be called or labeled as. It’s surprisingly a wonderful feeling if you’re being truthful, these new feelings that have started to take hold of you in the past weeks that have gone by.
It’s been very conflicting to say the least, your new feelings for the troublesome god of Mischief and his intriguing personality paired with those admittedly dashing looks. You’d said it wouldn’t happen, hell you never planned for it to happen, but how he’s shifted your emotions towards him without even realizing it has set you in a new path into the unknown.
He’s not even technically supposed to be here. Well, it’s too late to go back now so at least he’s stuck with the TVA for quit awhile at this point. But still. Working with him has begun to grow increasingly more difficult and it’s not because of his attitude. Oh no, far from it.
“What’s swirling around in that cantankerous mind of yours?” Asks Loki in his usual velvety voice of his that you could probably listen to all damn day while he pulls up a seat next to you.
Drawing your head up from the piles of paperwork splayed about on Mobius’ desk, your eyes soon find the softly smiling man who stares down at you like you’re the whole entire world. You snort, “Just bats and cobwebs. Maybe some wind chimes.”
Loki gives a light snicker as he pulls up a chair by your side, “Sounds exhilarating.”
“Oh it is. No doubt.”
The Asgardian shares another small grin, curiosity brewing up in his mind as he mindlessly fiddles with a paperweight closely resembling that of an ancient crest from earth, “So, what’s next for us? It’s been a few days..”
You laugh, “Look at you.” His eyes crinkle with amusement as you smirk, “All willing and ready for the hunt. Reminds me of myself, a long time ago of course when my younger self was just starting out. But still, I like it.”
“And what do you like? May I ask?” This little flirt.
Playfully shoving his arm, you scoff, “Your gusto. The drive to get out in the universe and try to do some good. It’s admirable and…considering who you are, surprising.”
“oh?” He raises a brow.
“In a good way.”
“Right. Of course.” Nods Loki just as the doors burst open to reveal a smiling and just about bushy tailed Mobius who gives the two of you a little wave.
“Y/N! Loki! Glad I found you two hound-dogs, I got a good one this time..”
“You always say that.” Remarks Loki as you lean in close to the man in order to whisper in a mock Mobius accent. “Yes. But this one’s a real doozie.” The Asgardian stifles a soft chuckle as the mustached man comes round to his desk.
Mobius seats himself in front of the two of you, “Yeah yeah…well this one’s a real doozie.”
Loki side eyes you while you give him a wink. “Okay, you two. This ones an 83QV, so, you’ll be going to Midgard for this. Target you ask? Some time swindler named, Chess Belnas. All you two gotta accomplish here is bring her in before she’s able to screw up the timeline. Then once she’s back with us, we’ll restart her, thus resetting her timeline to the correct placement that it should be.”
“I get the two daggers this time.”
Rolling your eyes as you stand, you shove Loki back down into his seat while he tries to get up, “In your dreams Houdini.”
He watches as you stand above him before giving you a puzzled look, “And I’m supposed to know who that is?”
You break out into a grin, turning to leave so he can’t see how large your smile has grown, “Let’s go magic man! We don’t got all the time in the world!” You shout over your shoulder just as he quickly rises from his seat to hastily follow your lead.
“Magic man?” He questions, “That’s a new one.” Smirks the god as he watches you practically swagger out the door.
——
Running full sprint across some fair grounds in Bavaria, Germany for Octoberfest 1962, your legs jump over a log as you chase the Variant Chess Belnas across the trampled grass littered here and there with old wrappers and other discarded objects from careless people. No doubt probably drunk.
“Oh shit!” You gasp just as a large hulking lumberjack of a man takes a step into your pathway. Two large beers grasped tightly in his hands while he for some fucking reason decides to stop directly in your pathway to talk to someone off to the side. Imbeciles.
“Fuckin’ move!” You shout before sliding past him just as he squabbles out of the way. These drunken idiots can fall off a bridge for all you care. Almost stumbling on your own two feet from the near death experience, you hear laughter coming from your left in between some vendors.
Pushing your way into the opening that reveals a large field where the days competitive games are being held. You rush past Loki who fails to keep up but does his best nonetheless. Little shit was laughing at you. Ignoring the world around you for the moment and Loki’s assumed laughter, you make haste for the Variant who’s almost within arms reach.
But just as you’re about to launch yourself into her she swerves to the left, doing a 360 turn before throwing a dagger at your head. Eyes going wide, you swiftly dodge this when she then throws a punch for your shoulder.
A sharp pain races up from your right breast at the impact, you stumble. Chess Belnas reveals another dagger and a second later a green flame erupts in her face just as someone knocks you to the ground.
Landing hard onto the grass, the mystery individual’s strong torso lands atop of you, body right between your legs and just about your whole stomach and chest. Opening your eyes, you come face to face with an almost embarrassed Loki as he realizes the compromising position you two happen to be in.
Still laying on your back, you give the pink cheeked Asgardian a little smirk, “Aren’t you supposed to buy me dinner first?”
“Very funny.” Mutters Loki as he quickly scrambles to gets off of you before lending a hand that you instantly accept.
Jumping to your feet, you take notice of the Variant who’s groggily getting up off the ground, “And there’s our prize.” You muse as Chess gives a double take before turning around to sprint in the opposite direction.
“And there she goes.” Adds Loki as he watches her run off towards the tree line.
“Shit.” You mumble before taking three metal playing cards out of your jacket pocket. Loki watches in curiosity as you jog a few feet after her before flicking at top speed the first card. The thin material flies through the air before slicing Chess Belnas on the shoulder, ripping open her leather jacket.
She yelps in surprise, stumbles a bit, and falls to the ground just as you land another card right in the square of her back. She falls at the edge of the woodland like a sack of potatoes while you and Loki jog past some discarded beer bottles.
“Is she dead?” Wonders Loki as you kneel down to meet her level better.
Feeling for a pulse, you nod, “Barely. But it doesn’t matter if Chess here lives to speak with Ravonna, she’s dead already.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s a Variant Loki. Like, a bad fucking no good terrible problem kinda Variant.” You explain, “She’s messed up the timeline too much, she’s not supposed to be here. So, she’ll be restarted.”
Loki mouths a small o in reply as he watches you take out the white playing card, it’s slick with blood when it reveals itself to the outside world from within the leather clothing. You then clean it with the leather before feeling around in her pocket for something.
Taking out a dark blue gem, you appear rather relived as you then stand once again. This time you pull out a small earpiece and turn it on, “Unit 9, we’ve captured the Variant.” Some muffled reply. “No…..No medical team required.”
More muffled words are said on the other line as you take a step back from the half-dead woman slowly bleeding out into the grass. Soon a square portal of various oranges and yellows is opened and three TVA guards walk out.
The two bend down to take the limb Variant while the last TVA guard gives you a low nod. This isn’t the first time a scene like this has happened between the two of you. What will transpire next will be the three of them leaving with the Variant, then more TVA agents will arrive within the fair and do their thing to make sure no one remembers a single part about today.
As so it goes in this line of work. As it always does. But this time you have someone to keep you company with as you wander off to check for anything unusual the Variant could have set up around the surrounding area.
Hands deep in your pockets you watch the glowing portal door disappear once more, leaving you and Loki alone on the tree line of some German forest near the Octoberfest festivities. You make a dissatisfied expression before taking a step into the woodland, following the supposed direction that the Variant would have gone in.
You’re able to make it about thirty yards in when a certain concerned someone jogs up close to your side, “Are you, are you alright?” Wonders Loki, he saw your less then joyful expression earlier and was dismayed by your solemn reaction that is rightly very unlike you.
Off put by his concern, you stop dead in your tracks to face him, “Why would I be not okay?” You question a bit hotly, “I’ve done this a thousand times before.”
He nods, “Yes. I know, I know. It’s just, since you are my partner after all. I thought it best to make certain you’re emotions are in check.”
Shaking your head, you can’t help but chuckle, “Now that’s one way to ask if I’m doing alright, huh?” You smirk, “Worried for me now? Did I pick up that you might actually care about someone other then yourself?”
Loki scoffs, “Now wait a moment I do care about others if you must know. They’re just, not….here.” He finishes with, uncertainty clear in his voice.
“Not even me? How charming.” You tease, immediately turning on your heel to continue onward.
Loki’s ran to face you in an instant, “Wait, wait, wait! I didn’t-I didn’t mean it like that.”
You stop as he takes a step back to give you some room, “Fine then. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, since you are my partner and whatnot. So, what did you happen to mean o great and wise Loki who knows all and thinks I’m not okay.”
“Don’t be an ass.” He mutters in a rather serious tone, one that speaks annoyance and slight hurt. Honestly it’s enough to make you rethink your sarcasm a bit. What game is he playing with you now?
You purse your lips together in thought, “Okay yeah. What?” You mutter with a shrug, not sure where this is going.
Loki takes a breath before minding his nerves with leaning against a tree, “Don’t you ever feel bad?”
“About?”
Loki sighs, “The countless lives you reprimand, and the ones you take? Doesn’t that obstruct your conscience a bit?”
“Not really.” Grimacing you quickly catch yourself, “Shit that sounds bad. What I mean is, not entirely..and-and.” You point out as he watches, “That’s only because they technically don’t exist once they leave their actual timeline. So theoretically, I’m killing a ghost. If that makes sense.”
Loki brows furrow as you decide to help put the pieces of the puzzle together for him, “Alright, in conclusion. The timekeepers then reset the timeline that the Variant escaped from. Meaning, they’re going to reappear before the event and that event will not happen. So the Variant’s I kill are nothing but uncontrolled vessels of chaos that must be killed in order for their soul to travel back to their original timeline and body.”
“Then why am I here? Shouldn’t I be returning back then?” His face suddenly appears a bit frightened, “Are you going to kill me?”
“No. I would never do that.” You admit much to his relief, “The big three will handle how it’s intended to go once you leave your timeline. Just like me, you are now free to live as you like with the TVA. Completely under your own will and choice.”
“We’ll that’s, that’s a relief.” Smiles Loki as he brings the two of you into a semi-awkward silence since you’re still not entirely sure what the hell he was on about to begin with.
“Loki.”
“Yes.”
You snicker at his fast reply, “I would like to ask if you’ll relive me of my wonder and tell me why you’re so concerned for me? I can handle myself you know.”
Loki breaths out a nervous snort, “I know Y/N. I’m well informed of your skills.” Muses the Asgardian as his face turns into a soft smile, “I just….I….I care about you.”
“You. Care about me?” Is he? Is this incredibly handsome man confessing something to you? Right now?
“I do. Immensely.” Shyly grins Loki as he takes a step away from the tree.
You smirk, “Why do I have a suspicious feeling you’re confessing your absolute undying love for me.”
The God of Mischief just about chokes on his own spit at that, “I uh…”
“Loki.” You whisper, taking a step closer so that you can reach a hand out for him to willingly accept, “I know you. More then you would think. I knew of your feelings the moment I saw you after our first mission. It was adorable really.”
“You-you did?” He questions, blue eyes looking down upon your intertwined fingers, “Do you? Feel the same?”
“I do. Have been for awhile now actually you just never really realized. And uh, I didn’t want to push it too hard you know? Come on too strong.”
He laughs, “Maybe, perhaps, you might have frightened me at first.”
You raise your brows at this, “Oh I’m a little too intimidating for the God of Mischief? I. Am. Honored. Truly I am.”
“Alright Y/N.” Loki rolls his eyes as you bring his hand up to kiss, distracting him a bit, “Well, uh. You could do…you could do that again.” He advises hopefully.
“You wouldn’t mind?”
He gives you a bright and beautiful grin, “Not at all.”
“In that case.” You swiftly part your hands from his to then press them against his slender cheeks, pulling his lips to yours, you’re greatly pleased when he leans into the kiss. Fingers drawing themselves around you now as he pulls you as close as physically possible.
You smirk into the heated embrace while he gently pinches your bum, snorting at his bout of cheekiness, Loki parts from your lips to kiss you on the cheek before fully pulling away to see your beautiful face once again.
“We could have been doing that this whole time.”
Loki chuckles, bringing up his hand to move a fallen piece of hair out of your eyes, “Forgive me then. I just hope I can make up for it.”
“Oh my love.” You slyly muse, “I know just how we could do that.”