The world around him sizzles in that all too familiar way and Loki braces for his atoms being stretched thin until he’s pulled through time and space once more. Mobius’ apartment dissolves into whiteness for endless seconds and then snaps back. He blinks his eyes open to darkness where the ceiling light had been on before. Then there’s a click and a small lamp begins to warm up.

“Hello?”

Loki shifted closer, their hands resting inches apart on the counter. Words from the Handbook sounded distantly in the back of Mobius’ mind. Physical contact between employees should be kept to a minimum. Non-essential physical contact is prohibited and will result in twenty demerit points per infraction… He should stop this. Move away. Mobius silenced the voice with surprisingly little effort.   “A shame you can’t remember though,” he murmured, leaning closer, allowing their thighs to touch. “Tall, dark, handsome guy like you, I bet you’d have a line of suitors queuing ‘round the block. Probably have some great memories locked up in there.”  “Handsome?” Loki hummed. His voice was different than usual, deeper and rough around the edges in a way that sent a shiver up Mobius’ spine. “Is that how you would describe me?”  “Come on, you know you’re handsome” Mobius chuckled. “It’s how you would describe you.” At this proximity, he could see a hint of stubble on Loki’s chin – as if Loki’s counterpart had also been in a rush this morning. He wondered if it felt as rough as it looked.  “Doesn’t mean I don’t like to hear it,” Loki said. “Especially from you.”

Although Loki couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was, for the last couple of days, something about his friend's demeanor was… off. Mobius had been fidgety, and irritable, and he kept seeming like he was about to say something and then changing his mind, waving it off when Loki questioned him.

More than once he'd caught Mobius in hushed conversation with B-15, shooting furtive glances Loki's way, only to later refuse to elaborate, when questioned.

Loki had made a valiant attempt at not letting any of this bother him, but even the oft-tortured God could only take so much. Sitting across from the man himself, in the silence of the archives for Norns knew how long, while Mobius refused to even so much as glance at him, no matter how noisily he shifted in his chair, nor how heavily he sighed, Loki decided he'd had enough.

"Are you angry with me?"

Mobius had the nerve to look surprised. "What?" But, even though he met Loki's eye for a brief moment in his shock, he immediately glanced away again.

ALT

1. Marvel Cinematic Universe
2. Loki TV
3. Stranger Things

1. Angst
2. Porn
3. Happy Ending

• Loki

• Lokius

• Improper Use of Data Ports by @disturbanceonthesoup