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When he had woken up that morning Mobius had prepared himself for a day like any other: a couple of hours in the office, a standard mission with Michelle and her team in the afternoon, followed by a return to the TVA and a short briefing in case everything went as smoothly as he hoped. After the briefing his favorite moment would come, when he and Loki could close the door of their office behind them to have dinner together and talk, sometimes for hours...if he were really lucky they would have dinner in Loki's quarters, without interruption of too friendly coworkers.
Everything had gone exactly as he expected, until the last minute: Loki remained at the base, busy with the last group of recruits, Variants still stunned by the turn their lives had taken, and in his absence and without his magic, Mobius never felt truly safe. This time his gut was right, it wasn't paranoia that made him feel observed, he didn't feel in danger just because he was spoiled by the reassuring presence of his friend always at his side. There was indeed a danger lurking and he, foolish as he was, had approached out of pure curiosity without reinforcements: a man with the air of someone who had seen better days was sitting on the ground, practically in the middle of the street, in the Egypt of the Fourth Dynasty. His head was bent towards his chest and the noises of the market around the corner didn't seem to disturb him. They had captured the Variant, the mission had been accomplished and Mobius knew he didn't have to interfere, but he had the terrible suspicion that the man had died like this, sitting in the street and leaning against the wall of the house behind him. He walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly and seeing his suspicions sadly confirmed. He looked up and started to walk away when he felt something brush his hand and crawl under the cuff of his shirt.
“Shit ...” it was probably a bug of some kind and while the idea of finding it on his person was not tempting, he wasn't even going to waste any more time and improvise a striptease in the middle of the street. He took a few steps to get away from the man and reach Michelle and the others, when suddenly he was hit by a throbbing pain in his stomach, as if a burning ember had been stuck in his body. He remained doubled over for a few moments, trying to grab the TemPad in his pocket to call for help, but the pain vanished suddenly, mysteriously, and an alien voice made its way into his mind, making him jump.
“Well well, what do we have here? Mobius M. Mobius, it can’t be said that your organization shines for originality, right? I heard about you and your TVA, the new enlightened agency protected by the gods of the North…”
Mobius realized with horror at that moment that he was no longer in control of his body, which was moving like a puppet towards his team and the orange portal that would lead them back to the base: he saw with his eyes, felt and perceived every sensation, but he was no longer in control of himself, of moving his legs and hands, of speaking. If he hadn't seen things far stranger than this in his life at the TVA he would have suspected he was losing his mind, after all hearing voices in your head is never a good sign.
“Are you all right Mobius?”
Michelle glanced at him briefly out of the corner of her eye as she checked the exit of her men and the newly taken Variant.
“Yes, I was just doing one last check” he heard his voice come out of his lips, but he hadn't decided what to say and there had been no conscious action on his part. Panic was slowly starting to invade him, but he had to stay calm, it was vital to understand first of all what he was dealing with and how serious the threat to himself and to the TVA was. The voice he had heard a few moments before seemed to have chosen silence for now and he did not know whether to be grateful or not ... communicating with the entity that was manipulating him was the only way to understand something.
He was walking through one of the base's many intricate corridors, on his way to the Briefing Room with his colleagues, who seemed to not have noticed nothing different about him, at least for the moment; usually he was never so silent at the end of a mission or even so serious: he felt the muscles of his face contract into a grim expression that did not suit him.
If nothing else, he was sure that at least Loki would understand that something was wrong-
“Great idea Mobius, meeting Loki was exactly what I wanted ... you humans have limited time and power, but the body of a God would be unstoppable”
“What do you mean? What do you want from me?”
He still had control of his own mind for the moment, and at least there, in the privacy of his head, he could talk to the invader and try to understand his purposes, although by now he feared he had already guessed: he had waited in silence after all until the thought of Loki, of his powers, had made its way into Mobius's mind.
“Exactly what I said, I need a body to live, and the previous host had the bad taste of kicking the bucket just as we were starting to have fun ...” The alien's voice was low and deep, a voice that perhaps in a different context wouldn't have been unpleasant to hear, but Mobius would have given anything to never hear it again: the bastard had set his sights on Loki. The god wasn't stupid at all, he wouldn't be fooled by this parasite, he was sure of it.
“It is touching how much faith you have in him and in his abilities, but you should know that I have deceived men far more cunning than your god. I can't wait to feel the power flowing through his veins combined with mine… we will be invincible”
Mobius winced at the thought of Loki's powers being used again for evil purposes, at the knowledge he now held… if that creature took possession of his body Thanos would seem like a joke in comparison.
“ Thanos ? What are you hiding from me?” His mind was resisting fiercely, but it was only a matter of time before the parasite was able to gain access to all his knowledge and memories. It was like defending yourself from a nuclear explosion behind a brick wall ...
“Something to add Mobius?”
Michelle's voice at his side interrupted the flow of his troubled thoughts and he engaged all of himself, all of his energies, in trying to make something, even the slightest signal that something was wrong, shine through in his voice or his gaze.
“No, nothing to add”
He always had something to add, he was an analyst, it was his job to notice details that escaped most! Precisely for this reason Michelle raised an eyebrow looking into his eyes, but evidently she saw nothing different in the colleague, since she returned to close the end-of-mission report without questioning him further.
“They'll realize it's not me sooner or later, you can't fool them all, I've been working with these people for hundreds of years!”
“They will only understand if I take longer than I should, but I assure you that I do not intend to keep you company for much longer. By the way, I'll soon know everything about you, but you don't know my name. I am Zipacna , "pleasure", as you humans say.”
“Can't say the same”
“You will learn to appreciate me, maybe we could make a small agreement to benefit each other: I can help you get everything you want, there will certainly be something you crave, a hidden desire that you are ashamed of ...”
Zipacna's attack on his mental defenses quickly became unstoppable, Mobius fought the invasion with all his willpower and bitterly regretted refusing Loki's offer to teach him to defend himself from telepathic attacks ... it would have been very helpful now. Memory after memory, thought after thought, they ceased to be only his and fell in the invader’s hands, who rejoiced at the amount of information he had managed to get his hands on: he didn't think he had accidentally chosen such a good match as a host, Mobius was practically the leader of the TVA, the guide chosen by his subordinates in times of need! His mind kept all the secrets of TVA and his boss ...
“I knew, you pretend to be an example of virtue but in the end you are made of flesh just like everyone else in here ... So you want to know what it feels like to have the obedience of a God? Your dreams, the ones in which you watch him kneel in front of you, will never come true, you don't have enough character and strength to take what you want. I can take him for both of us, he will not be able to fight me “
Mobius at those words felt panic invade him, like a gust of cold wind that left no way out and subjected all his thoughts to its will: he wanted to hurt Loki. He would try to impose his desire on his closest friend, to violate his trust and poison whatever drop of affection there was between them. He could not let him do it, he would fight to his last breath, at the cost of dying, rather than seeing Loki suffer again.
“I won't let you! You won't lift a single finger on Loki, if it's the last thing I do I'll stop you! At the cost of having Loki kill me, you won't hurt him!”
“And you, miserable mortal, you think you can resist? You couldn't stop me from violating your mind, how do you think you can protect him?”
Loki did not need his protection, not in the strict sense: with his powers, his seiðr, he could easily resist any attack, he would certainly be able to win, after all Zipacna kept raving about his "powers" but Mobius had not yet seen a trace of them. Loki was much stronger than that parasite, he would not be defeated and he would save the TVA and himself. As far as he was concerned, Mobius was willing to die.
“Ah, right, Loki's powers. Damned Gods of the North with their magic… I bet that in your memories there is the solution for this too”
Mobius knew exactly what memories Zipacna was talking about this time, he knew what to protect, and building a wall around a specific target was much simpler than trying to defend the too vast terrain of centuries of life: the key to blocking the magic in the TVA, the device he and Loki were hiding in their office, the one that had once been Renslayer’s, was under no circumstances to fall into the hands of the psychopath who was wearing him like a suit.
“I see you have improved, Loki would be very proud of you. You will soon get tired of holding up that beautiful wall, and as soon as I feel you give in I will know what to do ... I would have expected more cooperation from you after I have offered you your deepest desire on a silver platter, it is true that you humans like to suffer”
*
Despite the initial bravado it was evident that Zipacna feared Loki to some degree: he was carefully avoiding being alone in his company until he managed to obtain from Mobius the key to blocking the magic in the TVA.
He had holed up in the archives with the excuse of reviewing some old files, without being trapped with Loki within the four walls of their office: Mobius could only watch as his voice communicated to Loki that he would remain there all afternoon from the relative security of the doorstep of their office. The god had evidently been disappointed by the absence of his colleague, often complaining of needing to talk to "people of at least average intelligence" after spending the morning with the recruits. Mobius knew he was well above average intelligence, and so did Loki, but getting a compliment from him wasn't that easy: he could count on the fingers of one hand the times he had received one. The same could not be said for the contrary, Mobius dispensed compliments as if they were candy, according to Michelle, and towards Loki he had let himself go more than necessary several times , regardless of his dignity. It was a miracle that Loki had not yet understood the depth of his feelings.
“If you gave me access to those memories there would be no room for doubt, Loki would end up exactly where you want: under you”
“I'm not a fool, Zipacna. You just want to have fun with us, you are a sick sadist and I have no intention of making your life easier”
Zipacna had been trying for hours to access his memories, occasionally interrupting the attack on his defenses in the hope of catching him by surprise, but Mobius never let his guard down ... he didn't know how long he could actually last. His mental energy was focused only on that and it was exhausting to defend himself on all fronts without relaxing even for a moment, without considering the panic that threatened to assail him every time his body moved without his input. It was frightening to see his hands move, grab the files and feel the paper between his fingers knowing that he hadn't moved them: it was even more frightening the thought of what those hands could have done to Loki without the consent of either of them.
“You didn't seem so scared last night as you pictured taking him on his desk, making him scream your name so everyone knows he belongs to you”
“I don't deny I imagined it. The difference between my desires and what you intend to do using my body is very simple: Loki's will, his consent. They must be unknown concepts for you, dragging yourself around the Universe passing from one body to another leaving behind an empty shell.”
“They are not unknown to me, I just ignore them to get what I want. If you had done the same, you would have become head of TVA much sooner and you would have already put Loki in his place and then moved on to better and more interesting things.”
“Like power?”
“I see you learn quickly”
If he could, Mobius would have rolled his eyes: it is true that once you met a psychopath, you knew them all. Under normal circumstances, witnessing a conversation between Zipacna and Loki would have been thrilling, but right now Mobius' only hope was that Loki sensed something off from his behavior and had time to stop him: Loki had not yet guessed anything about his real feelings after two years of working closely and being friends, so the statistic didn't seem to be on his side.
“Maybe Loki knows perfectly well what you want from him, he sees it in your eyes every day and the very thought disgusts him ... after all, look at you, you are not good enough for a god or am I wrong? You're just a fool who became a leader by pure chance, with no expectations or ambition, qualities I think Loki possesses. He doesn't want to confront you so as not to encourage you and keep your trust, he’s just waiting for the right moment ... if you don't take what you want from him, he'll do it and I assure you it will be much less pleasant.”
“Excuse me if I trust my observation skills and Loki more than an alien parasite that is unable to survive the outside world even for five minutes without a body to invade “
“It takes a lot more to offend me Mobius, you're not even putting your back into it”
Offending the parasite was not his main concern right then and Zipacna knew it well: it was now evening at the TVA and Mobius was tired, exhausted from a full day spent fighting to defend himself and everything he cared about. Under normal conditions by now he would have been in his quarters with Loki, listening to him complain knowing full well that underneath the mask he wore the god had never been so happy: he could see it in his eyes; in the smile he could hardly hold back when he told him of the stupid questions his recruits asked him; in the large, theatrical gestures of his hands that illustrated, sometimes aided by magic, the latest idea he had had to improve the training program. Mobius had initially given the task of training the newcomers to Loki in part out of exasperation: the god had a perennial need to feel the attention of others on himself and to actively do something. Quick and easy missions didn't keep him busy enough and when he got bored… he became extremely annoying to everyone, but particularly to Mobius, working together all day. The recruits needed someone to properly train them not only on the theory of the work the TVA did, but also on the practical, tactical aspect and the rare offensive actions: Loki was perfect. Over the months Loki had revealed an unexpected predisposition for teaching and an enthusiasm that surprised everyone, including the skeptical Michelle, who had expected to find the corpses of the recruits scattered around the corridors.
Loki was much more than the villain he had convinced himself he was, much more than the weak and unwanted child left to die, much more than the younger brother who grew up in Thor's shadow. And now he was starting to understand it too.
Maybe he shouldn't have thought about Loki. Perhaps he should have kept his remaining concentration on the strenuous defense of the vital information that Zipacna had not yet managed to steal from him. But Mobius was only human after all and as such he had made a mistake to which had contributed his extreme exhaustion and certainly, also his inexperience in defending himself from this type of attack.
The device that had allowed Renslayer to block the magic in the TVA for centuries and that he, Mobius, had deactivated just a year ago, was hidden inside the wall of their office, cleverly camouflaged by the bookcase and the books that filled its shelves. To reach it, it was enough to move all the books, remove the library panel and use the biometrics of Mobius, Loki or Sylvie to open the door. From there, it would be enough to raise a lever to activate it, and that's it.
Now Zipacna knew how to do it, how to make Loki virtually helpless and unable to use the seiðr to defend himself, he could only rely on his body.
Mobius had nothing but pain within him then at the thought of what Zipacna would accomplish, the suffering he would bring not only to the two of them and the TVA but to anyone in his path. He was only animated by the faint hope that someone would be able to stop him.
*
Mobius' behavior the day before had surprised him, and not in a good way: it was very rare that Mobius refused to work with him, side by side in their office, and it was even more rare that he failed to show up at the door of his quarters to dine together… Loki was now used to the presence of the Midgardian bureaucrat in almost every aspect of his life. They ate every meal together, worked together, laughed and spent their free time together: Loki had never had such a relationship with anyone else. He trusted Mobius blindly and that evil voice that made its way into his brain at times to make him question his words and affection was promptly drowned out by feelings he had never experienced before, by his sincere smile and by the clearly visible trust in the blue eyes of the human who was becoming the center of his world. He was under no illusion that he occupied an equally important place in Mobius’ heart and mind, but it was not important: Mobius' happiness was. Always being by his side was torture, but there was no sweeter suffering.
The tiredness on his face had been evident for weeks now and for this reason alone Loki had not insisted, leaving him his space to work and perhaps rest a bit, away from prying eyes in the depths of the archives.
That morning, however, Loki only needed one look to understand that Mobius had not rested at all: he had arrived at the office before him and was already working, his head bent over yet another report to be reviewed, yet another research to complete. He was pale and did not look like someone who had just had a good, restful night of sleep.
“Good morning” saying this he deposited on his friend's desk a cup of hot coffee he had just obtained from the canteen, already sweetened according to his tastes and at the perfect temperature. It was often Mobius who made this kind of gestures towards him, bringing him his favorite tea and sometimes biscuits , but his friend's evident tiredness had led him to perform this little act of kindness and, judging by his smile, he had done the right thing.
“Thanks Loki, perfect as always” he said after taking the first sip of his coffee and meeting his gaze: if Loki hadn't had several centuries of experience behind him, he probably would have blushed like a maiden at the first crush, much alike all the countless times that Mobius had paid him a sincere compliment.
The god sat down at his desk, starting to leaf through the various documents that occupied it to find the point he had reached the previous evening: probably if he had kept his workspace more in order he would not have needed it, as Mobius never lost an opportunity to remind him.
“Are you looking for something?”
“Yes, the Nexus X-314 event research, I was sure I left it here…”
Mobius took an orange folder from his desk, showing him the header with a sardonic smile.
“Or maybe you left it on my desk…”
Loki snorted a laugh, reaching out to bring the file closer to him with magic, without the need to get up and go around his desk: he had done it countless times, often without even thinking about it, like this one.
Still, nothing happened. The file remained firmly in Mobius' hand, and Loki noted with no little anxiety the lack of something, a sensation he had been used to since childhood and whose absence made him feel naked, defenseless... he had already experienced it in the past and he had been certain it would be the last. Mobius promised him.
He repeated the attempt, well aware that it would be useless, but unable to stop, trying to quell the panic within himself and the terrible suspicion that something terrible would soon happen.
“Mobius ... why can't I use my powers?” He watched with trembling wrists Mobius approach him to deposit the file on his desk. There was something about the way he moved, a confidence and aggression not unlike that of a predator and Loki had the strange feeling that he was no longer looking at the person he had known for two years now, but at someone else.
The man positioned himself behind him, placing his hands on his shoulders and starting to gently knead his stiff muscles, trying to encourage him to relax. It wasn't the first time Mobius had touched him like this, all previous occasions were burned into Loki's memory, the feel of his warm hands, wide palms and those strong fingers sinking into his skin ... he had spent several sleepless nights in the company of those memories.
Mobius's touch was always the same, firm but reassuring, careful and precise, and something in Loki melted against his will: this was still Mobius, he would never hurt him, everything was fine.
“I thought it would be interesting to be equal again, to play on the same ground ... I have something in mind, and I think you will like it” saying this he walked away from him, removing his hands from his shoulders. Loki turned to look at him and carefully observed the face he knew as the back of his hand: there was self-confidence, determination and perhaps a hint of expectation on that face. Nothing he hadn't seen before, but the lust he could see in Mobius's eyes was definitely new, and his doubts and fears were blown away like leaves in the wind.
“Get up”
Mobius had never used that tone with him, yet it wasn't the first time he'd heard it: he was a leader after all, he knew how to command respect and how to give orders. A part of him wanted to rebel to keep control of the situation, but a secret part of his nature, which few had had the honor of knowing, felt a thrill of pleasure go through him at the thought of putting himself entirely in the hands of the other man, devoid of his powers and virtually defenseless . Perhaps this was precisely the 'game' that Mobius had in mind and Loki’s desire for his friend led him to consider that becoming his toy for a couple of hours was always better than nothing.
Noticing his hesitation Mobius spoke again, but this time his voice was the same as always, the understanding and calm one of his friend.
“If you don't want to just say no Loki, at any time, if something is wrong just let me know and we will stop”
Loki nodded and letting go of his worries he pulled the chair away from his desk and stood up, lowering his eyes in an implicit form of deference and submission that he suspected Mobius would appreciate, given the role he had chosen for himself. He was not completely surprised by the fact that he was the object of his desire, he knew he was attractive and he had seen his friend's prolonged looks towards him on several occasions, when he thought it would go unnoticed ... those gazes slid along his body like caresses, making him feel desperate for his touch. What amazed him was the sudden change of pace, Mobius had always chosen to hide and ignore their mutual attraction, probably to avoid ruining their deep and unique friendship. Something must have awakened the desire in Mobius, chipping away at his resolve.
Loki watched him approach with slow and calculated movements, until their chests brushed against each other with every breath: only at that moment did their eyes meet again, desire seemed to ignite Mobius's blue gaze like flames, and the god found himself thinking once again that the person in front of him hardly looked the same as the one who had greeted him the previous morning before going on a mission, ruffling his hair on the way out.
Keeping their gazes locked, Mobius put a hand on the side of his neck, encouraging him to tilt his head to finally meet their lips: their first kiss was very different from what Loki had expected. He had imagined a slow, gentle and reassuring kiss similar to the presence of Mobius in his life, but instead found himself overwhelmed by an intense and passionate kiss, almost violent in the sudden penetration of his tongue into the mouth of the god: it was at the same time all he wanted and everything he feared. Being desired so ardently by Mobius inflamed his body, prompting him to return the kiss with everything he had and felt, however there was a part of him that would have wanted to be much more than the object of his desire ... he wanted to receive his gentle caresses, sweet kisses pure in their intent, whispered words of praise.
Mobius's lips almost seemed to want to attack his mouth without giving him time to breath, he moved away a few millimeters only to begin biting his lips, leaving them sensitive and reddened. His mustache irritated and scratched the pale skin of Loki’s face as his warm hands explored his back, slipping under his shirt effortlessly. Loki's hands had taken possession of his friend's broad shoulders, perhaps undecided between drawing him closer and pushing him away to have a moment of respite, a breath of oxygen to reflect on what was happening and why it felt so deeply wrong.
His lips were finally freed from Mobius' insistent kisses, but not like he expected: a hand had abandoned the exploration of his back to suddenly grab his hair, gripping the curls between his fingers to make him arch his neck and unveiling his new target. The feeling of Mobius’ bites on his lips was nothing compared to what he was doing to his neck, sinking his teeth into his skin to leave what would soon become deep bruises and scratches.
The Asgardian god let out a groan of pleasure and pain at the attention he was receiving, wondering if Mobius knew that this was one of the most sensitive parts of his body, if he had discovered it by studying every moment of his life, even the most intimate ones. He weaved his fingers through his friend's silver hair, encouraging his kisses and starting to wish he had his powers again to remove every obstacle between their bodies, to feel the other's bare skin against his own. He contented himself with getting as close as possible to Mobius, until he clearly felt his erection against his thigh, almost unconsciously starting to rub against him for relief.
Loki suddenly felt the cold air of the room on his neck and the absence of Mobius's body to warm his own: he had taken a few steps back, letting go of his hair and ceasing all contact between them to stop and look at him, as if considering his next step. His gaze traveled over every inch of the god's body, lingering on the disheveled hair, the reddened and irritated lips, the neck marked by his bites ... his smile seemed more like a grin when his eyes finally slipped on the obvious erection that filled the crotch of his pants.
Their eyes met and Loki saw the exact moment when the decision was made: he was sure that right then he would do anything Mobius asked.
“Kneel”
*
Chaos reigned in Mobius's mind: this was by far the worst way to discover that at least his desire, if not his feelings, was reciprocated. Loki was entrusting himself entirely to him, convinced that he was facing the man he knew and that would never harm him, never take advantage of the absence of his powers.
Zipacna's lascivious thoughts were deafening, the images he kept projecting in his mind almost made him want to hide himself, shut himself up in the recesses of a happy memory and not see what would happen, what he would choose to do to Loki. However, his conscience prevented him from doing so: Loki could not be estranged from the events and Mobius wanted to carry this weight with him, as far as he could, and continue to fight to regain control of his body even for just a second.
He watched in horror as Loki kneeled before him, his blue eyes clouded with trust and desire, his mind deceived by the implicit promise that he would take care of him, that they would both find pleasure in this encounter.
“Who would have thought, you only had to ask politely…”
( ) His hands went down to his belt, starting to open Mobius's pants to free his erection: Loki's pupils visibly dilated before looking up at him, as if asking for instructions.
“Hands behind your back”
The god quickly obeyed, crossing his wrists behind his back.
Guiding his member with one hand, Mobius stroked Loki's parted lips with the tip, while the other hand slipped through Loki's dark hair, who let out a moan at that gesture. The alien parasite was exploiting all the information it had found in Mobius' mind, some of which concerned rather intimate moments in Loki 's life that he was sadly aware of through his work. He would have given anything to forget those details and get away from the temptation they represented, but more than one night he had found himself coming with his name on his lips, imagining exactly what was happening beyond his control.
He let part of the erection slip into his mouth and in response Loki pressed his lips around him, starting to please him with his agile tongue, his gaze always focused on Mobius’ blue eyes, who was fighting a fierce battle against the sensations that coursed through him. He let out a moan of pleasure from his lips, further tightening his grip on Loki's hair and removing his hand around the base of his member.
Mobius unfortunately knew what the alien's plans were and did his best to mentally prepare himself for what was to come next.
Keeping a firm grip on the back of Loki's neck, Mobius' hips shot forward, thrusting his member all the way down the god's throat, without any concern for the breath he was denying him. He could feel Loki's throat contracting desperately around him in an attempt to expel the intrusion, his clear eyes were watering, yet Loki's hands were still firmly crossed behind his back, as if he was not disturbed by the turn of the events.
Mobius was well aware of the subtle vein of masochism that ran through every Loki, but seeing it exploited by his own hands, his own body, was perhaps the worst torture he could imagine.
He pulled his hips back just enough to let him catch his breath, reaching out with a hand to stroke his cheek briefly, before hitting him with a slap hard enough that Mobius felt its sting in the palm of his hand. The vibrations produced by Loki’s surprised gasp caressed his cock but he didn’t try to pull back or to oppose to this treatment, still looking at him with teary and clouded eyes.
He didn't wait long before starting to push himself back into his mouth at a slow, deep pace, enjoying every moment of submission from the god before him, completely unaware that he had fallen into the wrong being’s hands.
“Please leave him alone, you got what you wanted right? You can keep my body, you can do whatever the hell you want with it but stop!”
“ Why do you think I should keep your human body when I can have that of a god? Sure, when we will be done with him he will no longer be in prime conditions but it’s nothing that his magic will not be able to heal”
“I'll help you find another host! Whoever you want, anywhere!”
“Sorry, non-negotiable terms. Besides… we both like it. Do you think I don’t feel the pleasure that pervades your mind and body? You are not in control, accept it”
Mobius was trying to ignore the pleasure his senses gave him, making him feel dirty and cruel as was not in his nature.
“I knew you would like it, after all you are used to using this beautiful mouth, right?”
Saying this he pulled on the god’s hair, forcing him to move away and then pushing himself back to the bottom of his throat, looking into his eyes.
“I always thought you'd be a perfect whore, you know? Maybe in different circumstances…”
A shadow passed through the god’s blue eyes at those words, as if doubt had begun to make its way into his mind. Mobius would have never addressed him like that, not even for fun, and he hoped Loki would know.
He stroked his cheek again, his pale skin reddened by the slap received just before, but this time he did not hit him, he just penetrated his mouth repeatedly with a brisk pace, giving voice to words and statements that would torment Mobius for a long time.
“What did you say about the humans? Ah, right "It is the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation." Well, I think it's you who has always craved to submit, you love to stay on your knees, I bet you would let anyone do that and more ... you're just a useless whore, right? I just had to ask you kindly after all” at those words Loki's hands left their position behind his back to take place on Mobius's hips, starting to forcefully push him away, evidently angry, his gaze was now as sharp as a blade. He was putting all his strength into trying to push him away, pulling his head back, arching his neck and propping up his forearms on the hips of the man he now understood wasn't really Mobius.
“You're just a coward, a weakling who let his mother die like a bitch! But after all she wasn't even your mother, you don't even know who -”
Those cursed words finally stopped coming out of his mouth, replaced by a scream of pain as Loki snapped his mouth shut around his member, biting him hard enough to make him bleed.
( ) Mobius pulled him away from him suddenly, knocking the Norse god's head against the edge of the desk behind him. Regardless of the injury Loki stood up and slammed the other man against the wall and blocking him with his own body. Even without powers he was perfectly capable of defending himself.
“Who are you? What have you done with Mobius?”
Mobius's hands grabbed the god's tie tightly, pulling him close to whisper in his ear.
“What makes you think I haven't always thought all of this? That I haven’t waited for the right opportunity to put you in your place, where you deserve to be ... you're just scum Loki, you always have been”
He moved away just enough to meet Loki's clear eyes, in which Mobius could unfortunately see the shadow of the doubt trying to take root in his heart. How could he even think to believe the words of that parasite who had stolen his voice? After all they had accomplished together, looking each other's backs, he couldn't really doubt that he had Mobius' trust and respect.
“No ... why wait years to do this? Mobius trusted me blindly, more than anyone ever did. You are not him” Loki's attentive gaze ran feverishly over his face, perhaps in search of a detail, a small difference that could help him understand who or what was in front of him.
“Loki is not a fool, I knew you wouldn't be able to trick him. Now what are you going to do, do you want to keep up the act?”
Mobius was beginning to harbor the faint hope that Loki would be able to stop him and thwart Zipacna's plans: despite being deprived of his seiðr, he was anything but helpless.
His hope began to waver only after a few seconds, when with a force above the norm and very different from that possessed by Mobius’ body, Zipacna threw the Norse god against his own desk, to pounce then on him and ripping by force the shirt he was wearing. The light, fine fabric tore easily under his hands and they both ignored the sound of the buttons falling to the ground.
“What do you want from me? What the Hel are you trying to achieve?” Loki put up a fierce resistance, managing to hit the man above him in the abdomen. The moment his fist hit him Zipacna couldn't hold back a groan of pain and a bloodstain rapidly began to expand, staining the cotton of his shirt.
Loki widened his eyes at the sight of the blood and pushed with all his strength his forearm against Mobius' throat, in an attempt to push him away and he succeeded with a providential knee to the man's groin, still exposed and injured by his teeth.
Loki dropped off the desk, running across the room to the bookcase to disable the blocking device that prevented him from using his powers in the fight.
His desperate attempt was suddenly blocked by Mobius' fingers tightening around his hair again, dragging him back to the low glass table in the center of their office. The god's cry of pain was lost in the air, and for the first time he found himself cursing his idea of soundproofing their office to give both of them more concentration.
Loki found himself again slammed against the table, with the figure of the man pretending to be his best friend straddling him: Mobius's hand then let go of his hair to tighten around his throat, immobilizing him and starting to squeeze. Loki's hands instinctively snapped around Mobius' wrist, desperate to free himself and catch his breath.
The other man's free hand was opening Mobius's shirt, revealing a deep wound in his abdomen that had stopped bleeding, at least for the moment.
“You should be grateful, now you will have again a glorious purpose to fulfill instead of staying here to rot, tied to a foolish and useless mortal” the voice that spoke these words was no longer Mobius'. It was instead a deep and ancient voice, alien as the glow that suddenly lit up with golden light the eyes that watched him squirm in vain.
Something was awakening in Loki's memory: he had read something in the vast library of Asgard about an alien race with similar characteristics, but he had always thought it was folklore, he had not taken that text seriously enough and now one of those creatures had Mobius under his control.
His gaze fell on the open wound, from which the head of what appeared to be a snake slowly emerged and, to his horror, pointed directly at him, at his abdomen left uncovered by the tattered shirt.
Now he remembered.
A race of alien parasites that needed a host to live… without a body to occupy they are as fragile and defenseless as larvae. His body, once he regained control of his powers, would certainly be a beneficial host, unlike an ordinary mortal.
His thoughts and the alien's actions were abruptly interrupted by the sound of an explosion that tore apart the door of their office: from the threshold Sylvie and Michelle watched the scene disgusted and shocked, both armed.
*
Sylvie run through the portal that carried her into the control room of the TVA, her arms loaded with books and scrolls. One of the Minutemen started to approach to offer his help, but quickly backed away at the sight of the woman's sharp gaze.
She hated arriving late to meetings with Mobius and Loki, yet it often happened thanks to the time lag between the Citadel and the TVA ... they had tried several times to synchronize the instruments that artificially measured time, yet they had not been able to find a solution.
She walked quickly to the office shared by the two idiots, hoping to catch them at an inopportune moment: although she wasn't thrilled by the idea of seeing his Variant seducing Mobius, she couldn't wait to free herself from the sexual tension that enveloped them at all times, without considering the puppy eyes that Loki gave Mobius every other minute… pathetic.
“Sylvie!”
Michelle had started running towards her as soon as she turned the corner and there was something wrong with her expression, a shadow of fear that didn't suit her.
“Are you going to the meeting with Loki and Mobius?”
“Yes, why?” the woman accosted her, adjusting her pace to Sylvie’s and starting to speak with an anxious tone.
“I've been trying to get the door to open for ten minutes, neither of them answers the door or the phone! Maybe it's nothing, but the tracking of their TemPads says they're both in the office…”
Sylvie nodded, hoping with all her might that it was just a distraction on their part and not something more sinister: they had just started adjusting to their new lives, they didn't need any more trouble so soon.
They both quickened their pace, arriving in front of the large golden door in a few minutes: Sylvie placed her precious load on the ground and knocked on the door, and then waited a few moments, her gaze fixed on Michelle's worried face.
“I already tried ...”
The Norse goddess rolled her eyes.
“To Hel with it”
She placed her palm on the door, expecting to feel the familiar energy of her seiðr coursing through her veins and being shocked at first and then scared to feel nothing. She tried again, to no avail, knowing it was all in vain: someone had activated the blocking device in the office in front of them.
“What's going on?” Michelle asked, taking note of the expression on her face and placing a hand on her shoulder.
“I have no powers. And if I don't have them ... Loki doesn't either”
The goddess indicated with a nod of the head the golden door, not knowing at all what to think: why on earth would they to do such a thing, knowing of her imminent arrival no less! Loki hated being without his powers, he would never do it voluntarily.
Michelle also seemed lost in her thoughts: she was retracing the previous day, the mission and everything that had happened after it in search of a discordant note ... and she found it.
“Yesterday Mobius was weird after the mission. He did not pay attention to the briefing and from what I know he didn’t return to their office; he and Loki have spent the day practically without seeing each other”
The expression on Sylvie's face was more and more reminiscent of that of a Valkyrie preparing for battle, and Michelle was beginning to fear that their dark thoughts were far more rosy than the reality beyond that door.
“Let's go get dynamite from the Armory”
*
The scene that the two women found themselves in front of would have been difficult to forget: chaos reigned in the office, traces of blood were clearly visible on the floor and objects scattered around during the struggle that must had taken place between the two men and their clothes, the ones they were still wearing at least, seemed to have seen better times.
Mobius sat astride Loki and held a hand tightly around his throat, while from a deep wound on his abdomen a hideous alien creature was making its way to Loki's bare belly. The latter, taking advantage of the opponent's brief moment of distraction, brought a hand into the wound on his belly and, trying not to think too much about the fact that this was Mobius's body, grabbed the slimy creature, pulling it out completely and throwing it as far as possible.
“Kill him!” He yelled at Sylvie, as Mobius's now lifeless body slumped over him. He wrapped his arms around him, praying to see him awaken soon to find comfort in his kind gaze once again.
The Norse goddess entered the room, promptly followed by Michelle, who was holding a rifle aimed at the creature crawling weakly on the floor leaving a trail of blood behind. They watched the pathetic being for a few moments, before Sylvie decided to end its life as it deserved: with a blow of her boot the creature's neck snapped with a sickening noise.
“I don't know what it is, but it must have made contact with Mobius during the mission” Michelle said, walking towards the body of her boss, still held in the arms of Loki, who didn't seem to fare much better. She didn't have time to ask the question that was spinning in her head, Loki preceded her with the answer.
“He's alive, he’s breathing. I need my powers to heal him”
“There” Sylvie answered, one hand still resting on the control panel to deactivate the block. They both felt their power pervade them again and breathed a sigh of relief at the feeling of not being helpless again.
*
Mobius didn't expect to wake up. It was therefore a shock for him to open his eyes again and find himself in his quarters, wrapped in the blankets of his bed as if nothing had happened. He reached a hesitant hand to his abdomen under his pajama top, finding it smooth and devoid of Zipacna 's horrible entrance wound - he was almost starting to think he had had an extremely imaginative and detailed nightmare, when he heard the voices of Loki and Sylvie coming from the living room. The bedroom door was ajar and their conversation was clearly audible.
“Are you going to explain to me now why we found you half naked? If the purpose of that creature was just to enter your body as you say…”
“And it was”
Loki was on the defensive, Mobius had heard that tone of voice from the god countless times, and he could well imagine why he didn't want to share the details of what had happened in their office with Sylvie.
“I don't question that Loki, but I recognize a half truth when I hear one, what are you hiding from me?”
“The actions that creature performed while in Mobius's body are no concern of yours.”
The silence that followed this statement almost made Mobius jump to his feet to go and check the situation: with two Lokis, silence never brings good news.
“Oh. Loki… what did he do to you?”
“Nothing I didn't want”
Mobius shouldn't have heard that conversation, but it was too late now. He got up and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the right opportunity to reveal himself, trying to ignore the pain it caused him to hear Loki's resigned voice, as if he felt somehow guilty of something.
“I need you to be clear, because I don't think blood and head injury were your secret desire”
“I ... I thought it was Mobius. It didn't matter that his requests were strange and that his behavior was different, he was Mobius”
Loki's voice had trembled at the end of that statement and Mobius took it as the signal it was. They needed to talk about what had happened, no matter how painful it would be for both of them, it was about their friendship and everything they had built together.
He entered with a light step into the living room, signaling his presence by clearing his throat: the two occupants of the sofa, each obviously lost in their own thoughts, turned abruptly towards him. Sylvie had placed an arm around Loki's shoulders, who was doing his best to hide his shining eyes.
“Mobius! You shouldn't be up already!” Loki was at his side in an instant, pushing him insistently to sit on the sofa, while Sylvie got up and headed for the door, intending to leave them alone: she didn't need to be a seer to understand that they had a very sensitive conversation in their future.
“I'm going back to the Citadel, I lost too much time today. Get in touch with me tomorrow, please” she met the eyes of both of them before closing the door behind herself.
For several minutes, the echo of Sylvie's retreating footsteps was the only audible noise in Mobius's quarters. He was wondering where to start and expressed his doubt to his friend sitting motionless like a statue next to him, his gaze was fixed on the wall and refused to meet his own.
“I don't know where to start”
“Usually, the beginning is a good place to start” despite the sarcasm there was kindness in his voice and hesitation in his movements as he approached Mobius, sitting close enough to make their shoulders touch.
“You're right. The beginning… is yesterday's mission. Did you read the briefing?”
Loki nodded, turning to him briefly.
“There was a man, he was sitting on the ground with his back to the wall and I touched him to check if he was alive ... obviously he wasn’t and he was the previous host of Zipacna “
“ Zipacna?” Loki asked curiously, changing position on the sofa so that he turned completely towards Mobius, his legs crossed and his elbow resting on the backrest.
“The creature, that was his name. It was at that moment that he entered me, he immediately started to move me as if I were his puppet and to talk to me-”
“Wait- Loki interrupted him- are you saying that you were aware of everything that was going on? Have you seen and heard everything?”
The horror on his face was worse than a stab in the chest.
“Loki, I tried to stop him you must believe me, but I wasn't strong enough and he found all the information he needed in my mind for-”
Loki interrupted him again, approaching further to grab his hands that had begun to gesticulate nervously in a hurry to apologize for what happened, although he was not at fault.
“Mobius, no! It wasn't your fault, you weren't in control of what was happening and how could you have resisted such a force? I had read something about their species and they enslaved entire peoples, no human is able to escape an similar attack against his own mind ...”
Mobius' agitated gaze had subsided, if only from the relief of not being found guilty by Loki, but his conscience was another story altogether.
“He thought he could subdue you too”
“Exactly, if he thought he could enslave a god then he had the potential to turn your mind into jelly” the thought scared Loki, and it was visible in his eyes to anyone who knew where to look, and Mobius knew that face and those blue irises like the palm of his hand.
“It didn't happen, I'm fine now” Loki's hands had never left his and Mobius took the opportunity to squeeze them in his own and caress them as he would have liked to do countless times, without taking his eyes off Loki's.
“This explains how he knew how to stop me from using magic and how he managed to deceive me and others, albeit superficially. What I don't understand is…”
“Why he did that to you? It's my fault”
Mobius looked down, unable to look Loki in the eye as he confessed this part of the story: he would never forgive himself for giving Zipacna the motive to hurt Loki, to treat him like that, and he trembled at the thought of what would be Loki's reaction. How could he confess to him his desire, his love, and in the same breath admit that the violence he had suffered was to blame on his feelings?
“Mobius don't be stupid, it doesn't suit you. How can it be your fault, you had no control!” Loki was trying to meet his gaze, but Mobius kept his eyes fixed on their joined hands.
“He found those ideas, those fantasies, in my mind. I… I've wanted you from day one, and I’m not speaking about lust. The more time I spend with you the more… you are amazing Loki. You have completely rewritten your destiny and that of billions of other people, you have given me and the TVA a new life and a purpose. I don't think you have a vague idea of the progress you have made over the years and how proud I am to be your friend ... the problem is that I would like to be more for you”
Mobius closed his eyes, trying to tame the growing fear and anxiety within him after finally saying these words, what he really thought of Loki and what he wanted from him ... he just hoped to receive a kind rejection and to be able to continue their friendship without looking back.
One of Loki's hands parted from his and went up to rest his palm on his face, encouraging him to look up at him.
“Look at me” he pressed gently.
Mobius met his gaze, amazed at the joy he saw reflected in it, accompanied by anticipation and an immeasurable dose of affection.
“You already are. More than a friend, I mean. I want the same things you want, why do you think I ... did what I did when that creature asked? He used your voice and so I didn't hesitate even for a second”
Both of Loki's hands now encircled his face, drawing him close to him, guiding their lips into their first real kiss. Mobius moved his lips hesitantly on the god's fresh ones, still mindful of the kiss they had exchanged under Zipacna's control, but Loki didn't let his mind be distracted, wrapping his arms around his neck and opening his mouth to deepen the contact. They kissed, exploring each other calmly and gently for a few minutes, caressing each other's faces with the reverence that such a moment deserved.
Loki had never been kissed like that, like something precious and fragile, and now that he had Mobius's lips on his own it was clear as day the difference between his touch and that of the creature who had manipulated them both. They parted to let Mobius catch his breath and a smile spread across their lips.
“You would never hurt me, Mobius. What Zipacna did could not be your fault, he simply exploited your shame for those fantasies ... in those we were both consenting and enthusiastic, right?”
Mobius nodded, watching Loki's eyes return clear.
“Would you ever do anything to me against my will?” his voice was shaking, almost on the verge of breaking, and the first tears were streaming down his cheeks.
“Never Loki, never” Mobius smiled gently at him trying to contain his tears as he remembered what had happened, the horrible words Zipacna had uttered while using Loki as an object.
“His words ... what that dirty parasite dared to tell you- Mobius paused to regain control of himself, it was not the time to let his anger possess him- Loki, I don't think them and I never did, never doubt, even for a moment, of my respect for you! I would have given my life to stop him…”
The god hid his face against his neck, finally starting to let himself go into his arms, certain to receive the comfort he needed. Mobius hugged him with one arm and with his free hand encouraged his long legs to stretch out on his own, making the god almost sit in his lap.
He spent the long minutes that followed stroking Loki's dark hair and his back while it shook with slight tremors, kissing every corner of his face he could reach and trying to put into words everything he felt.
“I would never hurt you Loki, you are the most important person in the world to me and knowing that I have your love and trust is… overwhelming. I love you”
The Norse god held in his arms raised his head, wiping his wet cheeks and meeting his fearless gaze: there was a new light illuminating them now and Mobius hoped with all his heart to see it shine every day for the rest of their long lives.
“I - he paused to clear his throat - I love you too”
They looked at each other smiling like two fools, unable to look away: seeing Mobius possessed and manipulated by that being had shaken Loki deeply and now he just wanted to spend the next few hours enjoying his gaze, his voice.
“You know, I'm afraid I don't remember what happened after you extracted Zipacna from my body”
Loki shuddered at the memory of the moment he had plunged a hand into Mobius's blood: he had seen several horrible things and creatures in his life, but for now the image of that disgusting snake was worthy of the first place.
“I threw it at Sylvie and she crushed it, then while you were unconscious we thought it was better to burn what was left”
Mobius nodded with a smile, perhaps a little sorry he missed the end of the parasite… he wanted to be the one to crush it.
“Great idea”
He wrapped his arms around the god, encouraging him to rest his head in the hollow of his neck and grabbing the woolen blanket resting on the back of the couch to lay it on the long legs resting on his lap. Loki's body relaxed completely on his, physically and mentally exhausted after a day definitely to forget ... at least in part.
That morning he had woken up expecting to have a normal and relatively quiet day at work, he never expected to find himself fighting for his life, to risk losing Mobius and above all to add other memories that his mind would use to create new and horrible nightmares. However, he had ended the day with the knowledge that he was loved and always had someone by his side and he could never regret this, no matter how painful the road.
He fell asleep listening to Mobius' heartbeat, which would one day become as familiar to him as his own, without fearing the nightmares lurking in his subconscious: he was safe.
Fin