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Chapter Text

1,277 days.

That's how long it had been since Loki had sacrificed his freedom to give the multiverse a chance.

After leaving Mobius with an open-ended goodbye, Sylvie had returned to the branch she’d begun to call home.

For a while, her new life was everything she'd hoped it would be. She finally had true freedom, a supportive community, a job she enjoyed, and had even adopted a cat! All without the threat of the imploding Temporal Loom hanging over her head.

All of it was possible thanks to Loki. Every day, her thoughts were pulled toward him—holding together the branches of the multiverse.

At first, these thoughts filled her with gratitude. His sacrifice was the reason she was finally able to live. Never again would anyone have to survive like she had—fighting tooth and nail for the right to exist with the TVA breathing down their neck around every corner.

But as the weeks turned into months, and those months turned to years, guilt about Loki's situation began to steadily infiltrate its way into the peaceful life she'd built.

Yes, she finally had everything she'd ever wanted, but at what cost?

The passionate, wise, and endlessly infuriating man she had come to know was enslaved by his selflessness.

If Sylvie had been able to harness the branches as Loki had, would she have done it? She'd like to think she would, but her previous actions seemed to speak otherwise.

"I asked for your help and you walked away."

"Just so we're clear, no, I didn't. I'm here, aren't I? Again!"

"You're only here because you couldn't kill him."

Loki had been right. She wouldn't have been at the TVA helping with the Loom if Victor Timely had been as easy for her to kill as He Who Remains. Years of living in apocalypses had made her selfish and reactive. She had to be selfish to survive, and being soft would have gotten her killed millennia ago. But maybe she had taken it a bit too far.

"You can't give people free will and then just walk away, Sylvie."
"It's up to us to protect them. It's up to us to do better than He Who Remains."

She hadn't even considered protecting the timelines. She'd freed them, hadn't she? Naively, she'd thought that would be the extent of her responsibility. She'd been so relieved to finally be able to live, that it had blinded her from seeing the bigger picture.

No, she wouldn't have sacrificed what Loki had, because she was selfish in a way that he would never be.

She had let him down so many times.

The worst realizations came to her at night, when the world was dark and dormant, unable to distract her from the harshest truth: that Loki would never have chosen this if he hadn't been forced to.

"If we make it, and the TVA is gone, there might be a timeline for you to rule."

"Ah, and then I'd finally be happy," he quipped back sarcastically. Leaning over, he nudged her shoulder. "What about you? What will you do, when this is all over?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know either. Maybe… Maybe we could figure it out together." As his eyes locked onto hers, she saw the deep sincerity sparkling within. If she was being honest with herself, the weight of the moment frightened her.

"Maybe."

Loki hadn't wanted a throne or glory, he'd wanted to have company. Her company, before she had taken advantage of his feelings and shattered his trust in her completely. When faced with the endless possibilities of the multiverse, Loki had wanted to create a life where he wouldn't be alone.

Yes, Sylvie loved the life she'd created, but with astounding clarity, she realized she would never be able to live it with a clear conscience. Not unless she tried everything she could to help Loki regain his freedom.

With a sigh of resignation, she shuffled over to her closet and crouched down to open the safe she kept at the bottom. With a click, it swung open to reveal He Who Remains' TemPad. With a swipe of her finger, she opened a Time Door to what had formally been the Citadel at the End of Time.

~

When Sylvie stepped through the faint glow of the opaque orange door, there was no ground beneath her. Freefalling, she desperately swiped at the TemPad until she tumbled back into her apartment.

Sprawled onto her shag rug, she tried to calm her erratic breathing.

What the bloody hell just happened?

Obviously, the kintsugi asteroid she had been expecting was no longer there. But she could’ve sworn the portal she'd seen Loki pull himself and the timelines through had led to that exact location.

When she cleared her mind enough to remember past the panic of falling, she realized there had definitely been a green light in her peripheral vision. And the distinct aura of powerful magic.

Tentatively, she swiped open another Time Door. This time, she opened it above her, so she could keep her feet firmly planted in her bedroom. When she stood and saw what awaited her on the other side, her breath caught in her throat.

Yggdrasil.

Loki had woven the timelines into the Worlds Tree.

Her childhood memories were barely more than blips of a dream, but they had been enough to create an instinctual reverence for the tree that linked the Nine Realms together. Most people, herself included—endless skeptic that she was—believe it to be intangible, or possibly even metaphorical. Regardless, she couldn't think of a more fitting symbol to uphold the multiverse.

She didn’t know how long she stood there marveling at the glowing green behemoth, but when she dropped back into her room, her cheeks were wet with tears.

~

Sylvie couldn’t sleep that night. After she had processed her initial awe at Loki’s spectacular feat, she realized something vital: magic of that scale could sustain itself.

While she herself had never been able to manifest anywhere near that much power, she’d seen enough in her overly long life to know it was true. The knowledge was partially based on experience, but more compellingly it seemed to come from innate wisdom deep within. Seeing as every Loki she had met (minus the alligator) seemed to draw on a similar magical core, this seemed like something she could trust.

She had felt the life force from Loki’s Yggdrasil. Regardless of its cosmic position, power, and creator, her instincts told her it embodied the characteristics of any other tree. Including the ability to be self-sufficient.

So why was Loki still there? Didn’t he realize this too?

She supposed it was possible he didn’t. He had seemed a bit off. One second he'd seemed so sure that Timely's little device would fix the loom. Then, within a minute of entering the control room, he'd seemed absolutely positive that his sacrifice was the only way to save them all. What had changed?

But what if he did realize his Yggdrasil's self-sufficient potential, and there was some other reason he was staying there, resigned to his self-imposed martyrdom?

Well then, if that were the case, she would just have to convince him he was wrong. That shouldn’t be too hard. After all, she’d successfully done it before.

She could convince him that he deserved to be happy too.

A trickle of doubt penetrated her confidence. Based on their last few interactions, it was entirely possible that Loki might not trust her anymore.

But maybe she wouldn’t have to convince him alone.

As the sunrise filtered into her bedroom, she opened a new Time Door. It was about time she checked on an old friend.

Chapter Text

1,277 days.

42 months.

3½ years.

No matter how Mobius construed the data, time was passing. It was a phenomenon he was shockingly unfamiliar with.

The irony was far from lost on him. He, Mobius M. Mobius, a literal agent of time itself, had never truly experienced the very thing he'd been trying to protect for as far back as his modified memories allowed. Laughable really.

At first, he'd kept track of the passing days for the sheer novelty of being able to. Now, it just left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Because each day that passed was another day without him.

How was he supposed to move on, knowing that somewhere out at the edge of time, Loki was holding together the multiverse all by himself? He was stuck eternally shouldering a burden that should never have needed to be his to bear.

Why had he thought it was the only way?

Loki had seemed so sure, but minutes before he'd been fully on board with attempting to use Victor's Throughput Multiplier.

To Mobius, it seemed like some other force was at play, but he couldn't see how. They'd fixed Loki's time slipping! He'd literally risked his own skin to do so.

And he knew he'd do it again a thousand times over.

Sometimes, Mobius almost found himself wishing he could go back; before the multiverse had been unleashed, before Loki had met Sylvie, back when he thought his life had meaning. He always shut down that train of thought immediately. How selfish was he? Everyone in the multiverse now had free will, and he was missing a time when he'd been intentionally pruning innocents?

Yes, he could argue that he'd been brainwashed, but as Loki had been quick to point out:

"You and I here at the TVA, we're the only ones who are actually free."

He'd had the free will to do something back then, but had been perfectly happy to let himself believe they were the good guys.

But maybe he wasn't giving himself enough credit. He had cared once, back when he hadn't been able to prune that 8-year-old boy in the Black Sea. That little slip had cost the lives of a couple of Hunters, and Ravonna never forgiven him for it. Hell, he hadn't been able to forgive himself either. But that little boy had been so carefree, so happy. At one point Mobius had a heart, but his work at the TVA left it damaged, covered in scar tissue.

"You know where I'd go if I could go anywhere? Wherever it is I'm really from.

Yeah, wherever I had a life before the TVA came along."

No, It wasn't the TVA he missed. It was Loki.

The God of Mischief's absence was the main reason Mobius hadn't been able to stay. It had been torture, constantly expecting to see him come around the corner with some new ingenious idea, or to sit down at Mobius's desk and strike up their usual banter.

That specific brand of emotional torture—paired with Sylvie's confrontation before Loki's sacrifice—had led him to where he was now: the midwestern sprawl of Cleveland Ohio.

"You found out you're a Variant, and you haven't even looked, have you?

It's just another bad day at the office for you. Timelines are just lines on a monitor. Doesn't matter if a few disappear.

Because you've never bothered to look if one of them was yours."

Well, he sure was looking now.

After Loki's sacrifice, Sylvie had been quick to leave the TVA behind. Luckily, he, B-15, and O.B. had managed to confirm that they'd be able to communicate with her TemPad in case they ever needed her help again. When Mobius had decided to leave the TVA, he'd sent her a message letting her know where he was going. He was shocked when she actually showed up to give him a send-off. The gesture had meant a lot to him.

After her quick departure, he'd spent the majority of his first weeks on this timeline covertly watching Don from a distance. Everything about his Variant fascinated him. Mobius had always been good with young Variants, but he'd never envisioned himself as a father. Kids weren't permitted at the TVA for obvious reasons, so it was somewhat jarring for him to see how naturally Don took to the role.

Fatherhood aside, there were more similarities than differences between them. When Mobius had seen where Don worked and that they shared a passion for jet skis, he'd been over the moon.

It was relieving—and a little disconcerting—that the TVA hadn't been able to take that from him. He cherished the reminder of his humanity, but it also served as undeniable evidence that he'd actually had a life before the TVA. One that he still wasn't sure he wanted to know about, even if Sylvie offered to release his memories.

So he'd kept that uncomfortable curiosity at bay by watching Don.

After a while, he began to feel a little creepy. It was one thing to analyze people from the temporal distance of the TVA or every once in a while on a field mission, but doing it while living on the timeline felt distinctly stalkerish.

He'd decided it was about time he got a job and a place of his own. By then, he'd started to run low on the 21st-century American dollars from the TVA's stock that B-15 had sent him off with. "For until you find a place to land," she'd said.

Ultimately, he'd decided that he would try to live a life that was somewhat similar to Don's. If it satisfied his Variant, maybe it would someday satisfy him too. Anything to fill the void Loki's absence left behind. Luckily, he'd had just enough money left to scrape together a month's rent for a modest apartment. From there, he'd managed to use his passion for jet skis to pull a job at a water sports rental shop.

He enjoyed the job, particularly how it gave him the opportunity to use his people skills in ways other than interrogation. His extraordinary work ethic had even secured him a permanent position. In the winter off-season, his duties switched from customer service to equipment maintenance and upkeep. His coworkers were incredibly kind and welcoming, but no matter how much he tried, he still felt distinctly detached. It was hard to get close to anyone when they could never know who he really was.

~

Presently, Mobius rolled over to glance at the familiar numbers on his bedside clock. 7:30 a.m.. Even on his days off from work, his body always woke him at the same time. Slowly, he pulled himself up to standing. After meticulously making his bed (a habit from the TVA he'd never been able to shake), he trudged toward the bathroom.

Pale blue eyes rimmed with dark circles met his reflection in the mirror. He'd let his hair grow longer during his time here. At first, he'd done it as a makeshift disguise in case he ever ran into Don. After a while, he'd decided he liked it that way. It felt symbolic.

"Let time pass."

~

Mobius flipped through his TV's channels, looking for the news. He enjoyed getting to hear about events that the TVA (or He Who Remains) had decided were too insignificant to monitor. He was also curious to see if he would recognize any current events. Since he was on a branched timeline and the future wasn't written anymore, anything could happen.

It wasn't long before the existential dread began pressing in. As a general rule of thumb, he avoided being in his apartment as much as he could. The small, impersonal space served as a reminder of just how alone he really was.

Hoping some fresh air would help loosen his knot of tangled emotions, he hopped into is car and drove toward Lake Erie.

~

Once parked, Mobius set off to find his usual spot on the lakeshore. He had chosen it for its balanced proximity: close enough to people to remind himself he wasn't completely isolated, but far enough away that he could still have a little privacy.

As he sat down, the frigid January air pierced through his warm layers, whipping the hair around his face. Unbidden, memories flooded from his subconscious.

Mobius rushed back toward the time theater, carelessly shoving past the various TVA workers dutifully going about their tasks. Variants. All of them. Loki hadn't been lying, the TVA had. And he hadn't believed him for a second, sending him right back into the Time Loop.

How many times had Sif berated him? "I hope you know you deserve to be alone and you always will be." He felt slightly nauseated.

The memory skipped ahead.

"Do you really believe you deserve to be alone?"

"I don't know."

Mobius's gloved fingers pulled at his hair, head bowed with guilt. In the end, Loki had ended up alone. He just prayed his friend knew he didn't deserve it.

Why should Loki have to be the one to take up the mantle the TVA should have been upholding all along? He'd fought so hard to do the right thing—bringing the TVA's despicable actions to light—and now he had to physically hold the multiverse together all by himself?

It wasn't just unfair, it was cruel. Loki had tried—really tried—to make the TVA better, and had even seemed to believe that it could be. All that misplaced hope, just to end up sacrificing himself for the cause.

"You can be whoever, whatever you wanna be, even someone good. I mean, just in case anyone ever told you different."

The smile that bloomed across Loki's face was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Hot tears stung at his eyes, slipping down his crooked nose until they fell between his knees, gathering on the concrete.

"I know what I want. I know what kind of god I need to be.

For you. For all of us."

As soon as those last words had left Loki's lips, Mobius had realized he was saying goodbye. He knew from the countless times he'd watched Loki's file that those were the same words he'd said to Odin before letting himself fall from the Bifrost.

The first time Loki had said them, he'd been using them as a cry for help, a desperate last attempt at validation from his dismissive father. This time, it was painfully clear that he'd really meant what he'd said.

"For you."

As Loki's eyes locked onto Mobius's, the bittersweet determination in his gaze shattered Mobius's heart into a million pieces.

Suddenly, his subconscious made a quick, painful segue to the memory that haunted him most.

"Mobius, if I… If I don't make it back, I…"

"You'll make it back."

"Right, but when I use this thing, I might not make it back-"

What had Loki been about to tell him? At the time Mobius had cut him off because he didn't even want to consider the pain of losing him. But now that Loki was really gone, the unspoken words constantly tormented him, picking at his grief like a scab, never allowing him to fully heal.

A green butterfly with purple wing tips landed on Mobius's knee. The tears just flowed faster.

~

"Thought I might find you here."

Mobius jolted at the familiar voice.

"Sylvie?" He whirled around.

Sure enough, Sylvie was situating herself to sit down next to him, dressed as if she'd just walked out of the '80s. Which he belatedly realized she probably had.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Am I not allowed to check in on an old friend?

"Well, see you around, I guess."

After her parting words, he hadn't actually expected to see her again, even if initially, he'd desperately hoped he would. He'd briefly considered the possibility that they might be able to grieve Loki's loss together, but quickly recalled that she wasn't the type of person who did that sort of thing. At least not for him, anyway. Centuries of hunting her down like an animal didn't earn him any favors.

At a loss for what to say, he gave a noncommittal hum and decided to change the subject. "You hungry?"

"I could go for a bite."

"Let's get some takeout. We can talk back at my place."

~

The car ride home was—awkward. He'd tried to make small talk by asking how her new life was going, but she mostly just gave him vague, distracted answers. Obviously, something was on her mind.

After a brief stop to pick up some Chinese food, they made it back to Mobius's apartment complex. He pulled into his designated parking spot and proceeded to lead her through the long winding hallways until they stood in front of his door. As he turned the key in the lock and led them inside, he winced.

Through her eyes, his place must look like a hotel room. Nice looking, but entirely impersonal. Unlived in. He'd even left the news running in the background. Glancing back and seeing her raised eyebrows, he knew he'd been right in his assumption.

"This is… nice," she said unconvincingly.

He sighed. "Yeah, well, I'm still adjusting to it all."

She nodded, opting not to comment on it any further.

After hanging up their coats, Mobius led Sylvie to his dining room table and began unboxing their food. She slid into one of the wooden chairs, and he followed suit a moment later. For a minute or so, they ate in uncomfortable silence. Then, she set down her fork.

"Mobius, I need to tell you something."

He set his fork down too, stomach roiling in apprehension. "What is it?"

"I…" she hesitated. "I did some investigating, and I think Loki might be able to come back."

Mobius froze.

"What did you say?" He whispered, almost unwilling to believe he'd heard her correctly.

She sighed. "I went to the place that Loki opened the portal to—the place where he dragged the timelines. It used to be He Who Remains' Citadel. I thought I'd find him holding on to all the timelines, and I'm pretty sure he is, but-" she paused, collecting herself. "He's formed them into a living, self-sustaining magical entity." Her shining eyes met Mobius's. "He's turned them into a multiversal Yggdrasil."

Mobius took a moment to consider what she'd just said, emotions running wild.

His immediate reaction was elated disbelief. Could she actually have found a way to help Loki? Hope was such a precarious thing, but he couldn't deny that it was beginning to take root. He wanted to jump out of his chair and spin her around with joy, but then the full meaning of what she said finally registered.

"Hang on, you're telling me you've known exactly where Loki's been this entire time and you didn't say anything?"

He'd spent every day of the past 3½ years trying to think of ways to get to Loki, but never even knew where to start. He'd assumed that Loki had gone to some obscure, unknowable place at the edge of time, but now Sylvie was telling him she'd known exactly where he'd been all along?!

"Mobius, I didn't think there was anything we could do. You saw him on the gangway, the branches died when he let go! How was I- how were any of us supposed to know that he'd be able to create something like that with the branches of the multiverse? It's literally unheard of."

He stared at her incredulously for a moment before he snapped.

"First of all, if you had stuck around at the TVA for a bit instead of immediately running off to gods knows where, you would've already known that Loki had woven the timelines into a tree! We didn't know it was self-sustaining, but maybe knowing that would've given you a reason to investigate! You of all people should know better than to assume that anyone knows the extent of what Loki is capable of. Bringing timelines to life with magic? That was unheard of too until we saw Loki do it literally right in front of us!"

She let out a resigned sigh, dropping her head into her palm. After a moment, she replied defeatedly. "Yeah, you're right." She lifted her eyes and met his. "I'm sorry, I should've told you, or at least checked sooner." Sitting up fully, she leaned forward. "But right now, I think we can do something about it. Will you help me?"

Mobius rubbed a hand over his face, exasperated. "Of course I'll help you, I'd do anything to bring Loki back. But that doesn’t mean I forgive you." He fixed her with a glare.

She raised both her hands in acquiescence. "I don't expect you to."

Selfishly, he let Sylvie fidget in the tense silence for a moment before deciding he'd let it stretch on for long enough. "So what are you planning?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but her gaze suddenly latched onto something over his shoulder, her eyes growing wide. He whirled around, expecting some sort of threat, but only saw his TV—still dutifully playing the news.

Which featured live footage of Thor Odinson battling aliens in New York.

Sylvie sucked in a breath. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I think the last part of my plan just fell into place."

"Wha-"

She pulled open a Time Door and looked back at Mobius, pointing at him in a very Loki-like fashion. "Don't move, I'll be right back."

The next second, she was gone.

Five seconds after that, Sylvie, a young girl, and the God of Thunder were all standing in his living room.

Chapter Text

It was clear that winter had arrived in New York.

After picking out his fur cape, Thor made sure to button Love into her warm jacket and fur-lined boots. The two of them stood at the hatch of their ship, the wind swirling through their hair and snow catching in their eyelashes.

It had been many years since Thor had last been to the Midgardian metropolis. He hadn’t been keen on returning, but his ship picked up on a distress signal about a mid-level invasion, and he had sworn that the Earth was under his protection.

The city would always remind him of fighting against Loki and his—no, Thanos’s —army of Chitauri. It brought forth the ache of fighting his brother, whom at the time he had recently believed dead. Not that it would be the last time.

In retrospect, he could not help but realize that although that time had been painful, all the people he had loved and lost had still been alive.

His father. Odin had been the one who used dark energy to send him to Midgard with the objective of stopping Loki by any means necessary.

His mother. Before he departed, Frigga had imparted her own wishes to him: "Bring him home, Thor."

Loki. Initially, he had hoped that his brother could be reasoned with. He soon learned just how deep Loki’s resentment ran.

"Did you mourn?" Loki mocked.

"We all did. Our father-"

Loki cut him off with a finger. "Your father. He did tell you my true parentage, did he not?"

Thor had soon found himself somewhere between demanding and pleading.

"You give up the Tesseract! You give up this poisonous dream! You come home."

His words almost seemed to get through to Loki, his eyes shining with emotion before he huffed out a humorless laugh. Schooling his features into indifference, his next words crumbled Thor's resolve.

"I don't have it."

After his initial inquiries about Jane’s whereabouts, Agent Coulson had told him that S.H.I.E.L.D. had moved her to Norway during the battle, effectively keeping her out of harm's way. Although it became a point of contention in their relationship, he had been relieved that she was safe.

A lump formed in Thor's throat. He should have spent more time with her while he still had the chance. The fresh grief from her loss was still so close to the surface. How precious and fleeting human lives were.

"I mean to rule them, as why should I not?"

"You think yourself above them."

"Well, yes," Loki replied.

"Then you miss the truth of ruling, Brother. A throne would suit you ill."

He had not always believed this of Loki. During his banishment on Earth—after Thor realized just how incompatible his temperament and desires actually were for a would-be king—he came to the realization that his brother had been better suited to the throne all along. He had been cunning where Thor was guileless, quick where Thor was clumsy. Loki never lost sight of the bigger picture, while Thor let any small or imagined slights lure him into tunnel vision.

Although he had not been on Asgard when their father told Loki his true heritage, it was painfully clear how much his little brother had been affected. What had their parents been thinking, not telling the two of them something so vital? It would not have been the family-splintering reveal that it had become if Odin and Frigga had not let their children believe that Frost Giants were heartless monsters. How could they allow that, while knowing full well that Loki was one?

In the end, it had taken Loki until the end of his shortened life to finally accept himself as he was.

"I, Loki, prince of Asgard…"

His gaze landed meaningfully on Thor. "Odinson…

The rightful king of Jotunheim…"

~

"Uncle Thor!"

Thor was jolted from his memories, hastily wiping a tear from his eye. Now was not the time to grieve the past. Sprawled out below their ship was a large snow-blanketed park crawling with the brown-shelled bodies of a band of Procyonites. According to the intel from the distress signal, the rogue group was working for themselves, and set on using New York's power grid to recharge their ship. If the human screams from down below were any indication, the Procyonites were not asking nicely.

"Alright Love, we've got to take these brown-shelled guys down to protect the nice humans. Are you up for that?" She nodded. "You take that group by the trees there, and I'll take the ones by the statue." He handed her Stormbreaker. “Just call for me if you need any help."

And just like that, they leaped off of their ship-turned-home and launched into the battle.

Thor felt himself relax. It was all so familiar, the adrenaline, the comforting swing of Mjolnir, the muscle memory kicking in. Fighting grounded him, for there was no room to think of the past or the future in the throes of battle.

Suddenly, a flash of green caught his eye. Loki must have just taken down an opponent—

He froze, his heart falling through his stomach. Loki was dead. For certain this time. He was imagining things since he had just been thinking of him. He tried to refocus on defending himself from the ire of his current Procyonite opponent, but the distraction had cost him. Just as he braced himself for the incoming blow, another burst of green light had the creature slumping to the ground.

Thor blinked.

Before him stood a blonde woman with a steely countenance. She appeared to be wearing some sort of battered imitation of Loki's Asgardian leathers. When they made eye contact, she just smirked and spun around to take down another opponent, this time with her machete.

Thor's body finally caught up with his racing thoughts, and he threw Mjolnir at the Procyonite, knocking it unconscious. Before the woman could get away, he reached out, catching her wrist.

"Who are you" he demanded, eyes flashing dangerously, "and how do you have my brother's magic."

She managed to twist her wrist out of his iron grip, but didn't move to get away. Placing her hands on her hips, she asked "What makes you think it's Loki's magic and not my own?"

Thor narrowed his eyes, and the ends of the woman's hair began to levitate from static electricity. "Because your whole getup is obviously modeled after his.” Pausing to take her in fully, he added, “Though you look more like some faded photocopy of him if anything."

The woman huffed and rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what he said."
In the blink of an eye, Thor had her shoved against a tree. "What did you just say?" Thunder boomed nearby.

She sighed, seemingly exasperated. "I've met your brother. Real charmer."

"Have care for how you speak of the dead," Thor growled menacingly.

Her face softened toward something akin to sympathy. "Your Loki may be dead, but the one I met isn't."

This sent Thor's mind reeling, but he managed to keep her pinned in place. "You speak as if you believe there to be more than one Loki of Asgard." 

At this, the corner of her mouth twitched. Eyes glinting, she asked, "Have you ever heard of the multiverse?"

***

Mobius's eyebrows rose at his unexpected company.

"Sylvie- what?"

"Where are we?" asked the young girl. She looked familiar, but Mobius was having a hard time remembering her name.

Thor looked down at her kindly before he glanced back up at Sylvie, eyes hardening. "I'm not sure, but this woman knows something about your Uncle Loki, and I intend to find out what."

Suddenly, Mobius remembered. She was Love, Thor's adopted daughter, Gorr's wish from the Altar of Eternity. As the TVA's former expert in the pursuit of dangerous Variants, he had carefully monitored Gorr's timeline and even brought in a handful of Gorr Variants. All of the dangerous ones had watched their daughter die in their arms.

"But Uncle Loki died, right?"

Sylvie cut in, directing her reply at Thor. "Your Loki died, yes. But in the multiverse, he was one of many.”

"You expect me to believe that there are multiple versions of everyone just running about?"

Mobius laughed hollowly as Thor’s eyes snapped to him. "Back at the TVA, we called them Variants."

Sylvie's face hardened briefly at the term, but she recovered quickly. Before Thor had the chance to ask what the TVA was, she redirected the conversation. "Would it help if I proved to you that time travel is real?"

"Oh, I know it is, I've done it myself," Thor responded smugly. "You have to get into a time travel suit and get sucked into some sort of quantum portal. It's how we Avengers reversed Thanos's snap."

"Funnily enough, that's actually how our Loki" Mobius gestured to himself and Sylvie, "came to the TVA in the first place-"

Sylvie elbowed him in the arm and hissed "You're getting ahead of yourself, let me do the talking." He rolled his eyes but allowed her to continue. She looked back at Thor. "What if I told you that we just time traveled and you didn't even realize it?"

Thor scoffed. "I remember that particular sensation quite well, I assure you. I would have realized."

"Oh would you?" Sylvie smirked. "Then why are the three of us on live TV?" She gestured to the news broadcast. Sure enough, Thor, Love, and Sylvie were on screen, fighting the Procyonites in New York.

"Woah," breathed Love. Thor's eyes widened as he took it all in.

"The orange doorway we stepped through—was time travel?"

"'Fraid so," Mobius answered calmly. He was used to having to explain the TVA to the Variants he would interrogate. The reminder of the cruel orders that he'd blindly followed left a twinge of guilt in his chest.

"Alright, so how did you meet this Variant of my brother? You said it had to do with the Avengers time traveling?"

Sylvie nodded at Mobius, and he sighed. "Alright, everyone have a seat. I'll start from the beginning."

~

"Wait, you were the fugitive Loki Variant?"

Sylvie spread her arms wide. "In the flesh," she smarmed, "but if you ever call me Loki I'll make you regret it. I'm Sylvie now, have been for longer than you've been alive."

"So that's how you are able to wield Loki's magic!"

Sylvie glowered. "Like I said before, it's my magic. But yes, it's quite similar to Loki's."

Mobius continued telling the story, with interjections from Sylvie for the parts he hadn't been there for and the explanation of her motives for freeing the timeline. She seemed particularly tense and distant when recounting what happened in the Citadel, and Mobius didn't push her for details. All that she or Loki had said was that they'd fought, and she'd kicked him through a Time Door into the past so that she could kill He Who Remains. Even so, it was abundantly clear to Mobius that the two of them cared about each other.

"And then came the problem with the Temporal Loom," he sighed.

~

"Sylvie, are you gonna explain your plan now? Ya kinda left me hanging when you disappeared off on your little side trip to fight aliens in New York with Thor and Love."

On hearing his daughter's name, Thor instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The gesture was endearing, but Mobius knew he'd done it on instinct, uncomfortable that Mobius knew her name without an introduction. Talking to TVA agents tended to have that effect on people.

"Right," Sylvie replied. "Like we just said, Loki sacrificed any life he could have had to go hold the branches of time together, and with them, he created a multiversal Yggdrasil. I opened a Time Door to its location," she glanced apologetically toward Mobius, "and after seeing and feeling its power, I'm almost certain that Loki’s Yggdrasil can sustain itself, just like an actual tree. I think Loki was just the catalyst, and he should be able to leave."

Mobius's thoughts began racing. If Sylvie was right and Loki really was able to leave, why hadn't he come back? He couldn't possibly want to sit there isolated from everything, could he? Or worse, what if he had returned to one of the timelines but let them all believe that he was still there, holding the branches? After all they'd been through together, it seemed unlikely. Still, unease pooled in his gut.

From the second Loki had disappeared through that portal, the vast majority of Mobius's thoughts had centered around how to get him back without risking the timelines. He'd never even stopped to consider the possibility that Loki wouldn't come back if given the opportunity.

He’d at least thought Loki would be doing everything he could to get back to Sylvie. It seemed like the majority of the time Mobius had spent with him had involved chasing after her for one reason or another. He’d spent years convincing himself he wasn’t bitter about it. The two of them deserved to be happy together if given the chance.

Breaking the contemplative silence that had descended on the group, Mobius voiced some of his thoughts. "If he's able to come back, why hasn't he?"

"It matters not. If what you say is true, we cannot let him remain there." Thor said resolutely. "If there's a chance I could see him again…" He trailed off, eyes glazed with emotion and distant memories.

Mobius looked toward Sylvie for her reaction. She was fidgeting with the cuff of her sleeve, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Finally, she looked up. 

"I couldn't tell you why he hasn't come back, but I get the feeling it has to do with his mindset. Knowing Loki, he's probably convinced himself of something, and is too stubborn to see past it without someone calling bullshit."

Mobius nodded, and when he saw Thor doing the same he flashed the god a sad smile. Thor returned the gesture with a feeble one of his own. If anyone was as familiar with Loki's stubborn streak as Mobius, it was Thor. He'd spent years trying to convince Loki that his adoption and species didn't make him any less of an Odinson. It had taken Loki until his death on the Sacred Timeline to come around.

Love's small voice broke through the weight of emotions blanketing the room. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go get him!"

The young girl's words spurred Thor into action. "Love is right, let us not waste any more time attempting to decipher Loki's motivations when we can go ask him ourselves." He stood up and summoned Mjolnir from the coffee table. Then he looked down at Love and shot a concerned glance toward Sylvie. "I swore to protect my daughter, and I do not wish to put her in any unforeseen danger." Love shot him an indignant glare. "Are you certain it's safe?"

Suddenly, Mobius remembered walking down the gangway with the Temporal Aura Extractor in the bulky TVA suit, terrified of losing his skin. The temporal radiation wasn't an issue now that the Loom was gone, but…

"Yeah, it's safe," Sylvie confirmed. "There's nothing there but the timelines and empty space."

"Uh guys," Mobius interjected. "I know you all have godly powers and physiology to keep you from immediately freezing into a popsicle when you're out in space, but my lack of powers and very human physiology won't do me any favors out there."

"Not to worry, I have space suits back on my ship, and you are welcome to use one," Thor responded easily. He looked pointedly at Sylvie. "Can you open one of those time travel doors to get us there?"

~

Back in New York, everyone boarded Thor's ship (which was still hovering above Central Park, right where they left it). Just before the hatch closed, Mobius caught a glimpse of Doctor Stephen Strange opening a cluster of portals to send the Procyonites and their uncharged ship somewhere far away.

Thor slid into the cockpit and took off, looking for a safe place to land. Love led Mobius and Sylvie to the collection of space suits, giving the pair an impromptu tour along the way.

"...And here are the space suits!" She explained happily while pointing at a compartment filled with sleek suits of varying bright colors. To Mobius's relief, they were nothing like the bulky temporal radiation suit at the TVA. "Uncle Thor insists on having them since he has mortal friends, including humans like Jane."

Mobius reached into the compartment, his fingers brushing against the green suit. Was that too on the nose?

When he looked up, Love was watching Mobius, her stormy blue eyes a little too assessing for comfort. "You love my Uncle Loki, don't you."

Mobius froze, his heart skipping a beat. "What?" He chuckled nervously, heat rising to his cheeks. He was intensely aware of Sylvie's gaze on him. "Of course I do, he's my friend."

Love tilted her head to the side. "Yeah, but it's more than that, right? Earlier, you were talking about Loki like Uncle Thor talks about Jane. It's different from how he talks about his dead friends and family."

Had this kid really figured out what Mobius had been repressing for years that easily?

"Sorry hun, but Loki and I are just friends."

He looked to Sylvie for backup, but she just flashed him a knowing look, the corner of her lip quirking slightly.

Chagrined, Mobius attempted to change the subject. "I'm gonna go check on Thor, see if I can help him find a landing spot." And with that, he grabbed the blue suit and headed toward the cockpit.

~

Within ten minutes they had found a grassy field in upstate New York to land and cloak the ship in. Mobius got into the suit and helmet, and Sylvie helped him with the gloves. After Mobius assured himself that there were no cracks or leaks, the four of them disembarked and stood around Sylvie's TemPad.

"Alright, I'm going to open a Time Door as close as I can get to the timelines. Once we're there, I'm going to try to use my magic to get us inside Loki's Yggdrasil. At the very least, that should get his attention." She paused, looking everyone in the eye. "Are we ready?"

Thor voiced his assent, and Mobius pushed all his anxious thoughts about Loki's motivations aside. He would find out the truth, and deal with the fallout later.

He took a deep breath. "We're ready."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The first thing Mobius heard when he stepped through the Time Door was the crashing of distant waves. It was night, but the glow of street lamps and glittering stars illuminated a tastefully styled town square bordered by snow-capped houses. Loki and Thor were standing a few paces ahead, Love clutching the latter's hand. Thor was murmuring something softly to his brother. He heard the telltale thud of Sylvie's boots stepping onto the cobblestones behind him as the orange door warbled shut. Thor turned to address the group.

"I'm going to go speak with the king to fill her in on our, ah… situation," he said. "In the meantime, there's a place you can stay just up there," Thor pointed down one of the streets toward a hill topped with a small stone cottage. "Are you alright staying with them, Love?" The young girl just shrugged. "Alright then, I'll meet up with you all shortly," he said, squeezing Loki’s shoulder before heading toward a side street with some of the more elaborate residences.

Silence descended once more. "I can watch Love," Sylvie volunteered. Mobius raised his eyebrows. Somehow, he wouldn't have guessed her as the “kids” type. Love turned toward Sylvie in indignation.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” she protested, but Sylvie leaned down and whispered something in her ear. The young girl’s eyes flicked between Loki and Mobius, the corners of her mouth turning up at whatever Sylvie was saying. Then, she willingly took Sylvie’s outstretched hand and the pair started down the road toward the cottage. Mobius flushed, thinking he had a pretty good guess as to what Sylvie might have implied.

Attempting to distract Loki before he pieced it together, Mobius caught his eye and raised a gloved hand to knock on the clear outer casing of his spacesuit helmet. 

“Probably won’t be needing this anymore,” Mobius commented idly, letting his hand fall back down before studying it. “Would you help me take off this glove so I can get the helmet off?”

Loki smiled at him softly, but instead of reaching for the wrist of Mobius's blue glove, he reached toward the neckline of the suit and pressed a small button. The clear helmet retracted with a hiss, subjecting Mobius's face to a cold gust of wind.

“Wouldn’t want your hands getting cold,” said Loki, letting his arm drop back to his side.

"Guess you don't have to worry about that, huh," Mobius replied, eyeing Loki's bare hands and flimsy green clothes.

Loki huffed, "Ice runt, remember?" His subtle smirk reassured Mobius that he didn't take that old taunt personally. It felt like a small eternity had passed since he'd been goading Loki into helping him find his 'superior variant.'

They lapsed into silence. As Loki took in their surroundings, his smile faded away.

"Would you care for a walk?" He asked.

"Fine by me," Mobius answered, grateful for anything to disperse the tension. They started walking toward the water, the roar of the ocean like a siren’s song in his ears. To Mobius, no sound could compare to waves crashing on the shore. The brine-scented wind picked up the closer they approached, whipping his hair out from where it had been tucked behind his ears.

"The longer hair suits you," Loki commented, glancing over at Mobius with another one of his soft smiles.

Mobius hoped the cold masked his burning cheeks. "Yeah, well, I figured I'd shake things up a little," he said, feeling strangely self-conscious. He attempted to change the subject. "I would tell ya what I've been up to these past few years, but I’m guessing I might not have to, seeing as you’ve become the all-knowing God of Stories and all.”

Loki let out a humorless huff of laughter. "Yes, I suppose I have been rather omniscient, haven't I." They walked a few paces in silence, Loki seeming to gather his thoughts. "You know, I actually got to meet Don before all the failed attempts to fix the Loom."

Mobius stopped in his tracks. "Wait, what do you mean 'all the failed attempts?' We never even tried using Multiplier, you just ran out there and…" he swallowed, unable to finish the sentence. The memory was still just as painful after all these years. He attempted to switch topics. "When would you have had time to meet Don?" For some reason, the thought of his Variant and Loki spending time together didn't sit well.

They’d arrived at the beach—a large expanse of tide-smoothed rock with an unobstructed view of the ocean and starry sky. Loki beckoned for Mobius to follow, leading them toward an elevated shelf of rock. Mobius looked over at him, noticing just how weary he looked. "I think we'd better sit," Loki sighed, "it's quite a long story."

Mobius sat down on the rock, looking up at him expectantly. "Well lucky for you, I've got all the time in the world." Loki sank down beside him, and took a deep breath.

"The first time the Loom exploded, I started time slipping again," he began.

~

"Wait, you’re tellin’ me that Casey's Variant was a prisoner? And O.B.'s wrote sci-fi books??" Mobius asked incredulously, trying to reconcile it all with what he knew about the clerk and eccentric engineer.

"They were. when I found out O.B. was a writer, I thought I was completely doomed," Loki chuckled wryly. "I was pleased to hear that he was also a scientist—he claimed it was his 'day job.' He tried to help me control my time slipping, but it wasn't working. So, we decided to explore a different method."

~

"Sylvie told me that ripping you all from your place on the timeline to try and get back to the TVA would be unethical and selfish.” Mobius raised his eyebrows, but Loki pushed on. “She said that I should go ‘write my own story’ like the rest of you. By the end of our conversation, she’d convinced me she was right.” Loki looked down, absentmindedly picking at the skin of his palm. “I went back to return all of your Variants to their lives, but then she came back, saying the branches were all dying. By then, it was too late. Everything, everyone started spaghettifying."

Mobius’s stomach curled with dread. "What did you do then?" He asked gently.

Loki glanced at him sidelong. "I learned to control the time slipping."

~

"After a few centuries of trying to fix the Loom-"

"Hold on, centuries?!" Icy dread snaked its way down Mobius’s spine. "You mean to tell me you spent centuries repeatedly time slipping to fix the Loom and still sacrificed yourself in the end?"

The exhaustion creasing Loki's face was almost unbearable to witness. "It was the only way."

"How could that be the only way? Didn't the Throughput Multiplier ever work?"

"Eventually, yes, but it was all a waste of time." Loki pinched the bridge of his nose. "I time slipped back to the Citadel, where He Who Remains told me he designed the Loom as a failsafe to delete all branches but the Sacred Timeline. He claimed the TVA was collateral damage—easy to rebuild. It was either kill Sylvie and keep the Sacred Timeline, or break the Loom and risk Multiversal War with He Who Remains' Variants."

Mobius was speechless. The two of them sat in heavy silence while he collected himself. "Was that when you decided?" Mobius murmured quietly.

Loki let out a long sigh. "Not quite. I paid visits to you and Sylvie, respectively." At Mobius's questioning gaze, he elaborated. "It was Sylvie from when the Loom originally exploded, and you from our past. Both of you were spaghettified immediately after our conversations. I was only keeping it at bay by freezing time."

Before he could restrain himself, Mobius blurted, "You can freeze time?"

"I can do all sorts of things with time," Loki replied grimly, "but I haven't had to since restoring the Multiverse. If I have to, I’ll use those powers again to eradicate threats to the timelines. It's why I made the Watcher swear that new oath. My… skillset,” he smiled dryly, “keeps the Multiverse safe."

They sat in silence for a time, watching the crashing waves as the minutes inched by. In time, Mobius gathered the nerve to ask the question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to.

"What did I say to you, when you froze time to talk to me?"

Loki didn't respond for a while, increasing Mobius’s unease.

"You told me that I had to keep the big picture in mind, and that most purpose is more burden than glory," he said quietly.

"What?" Mobius whispered, his heart hammering uncomfortably in his chest. "How far did you go back to talk to me, Loki?"

Loki kept his eyes averted. "Our initial confrontation in Time Theater 25."

Mobius leaped to his feet, Loki flinching at the sudden movement. He began pacing back in forth, raking his gloved fingers through his hair. "Why would you talk to me all the way back then Loki?? I was using you! I wouldn’t have been looking out for you at all!”

Abruptly, Loki's hand was on his shoulder, stilling him mid-stride. "That's precisely why I chose that time to speak to you. You were unbiased toward the situation."

Mobius whirled around to face him. "So you listened to the advice I chose to give back when I was still brainwashed by the TVA, pruning Variants? Gods, Loki, it's like if I had gone to ask you for advice when you set the Bifrost on Jotunheim, or during the Battle of New York! Did you suddenly decide you couldn't trust my judgment after I tried to become a better person??"

To his credit, Loki didn't look phased by the vitriol. Mobius knew it was a low blow—using Loki's past mistakes as ammunition—but it hurt that Loki had chosen to seek out advice from him in the past—from a version of himself whose actions he still had a hard time reconciling. Why would Loki trust the words of a Mobius who had blindly followed orders, brainwashed into carrying out the will of mindless androids?

"You care about me too much, Mobius," Loki said gently. "If I had chosen to speak with you in the Temporal Core control room, can you honestly say you would have let me go? I couldn't have anyone holding me back from doing what needed to be done." Loki looked toward the horizon, his eyes glazed with distant memories."It would have hurt so much more."

Mobius looked down at the ground, a vain attempt to hide the tears making their way down his cheeks. He raised a fisted hand to rest on Loki's chest, and before he knew it, his forehead was falling onto the God's shoulder. Loki wrapped his arms around him comfortingly, and the two of them just stood there, holding each other under the stars. A silent apology for the things they couldn't bring themselves to say.

When Mobius eventually lifted his head, the sky was lit by a soft green glow. "Is that from you?" He asked quietly. Loki looked up.

After a moment, Loki said, "It's not, but I can see why you'd think so.” His eyes remained fixed on the green ribbons of light.

"It must be the aurora borealis," Mobius whispered, slightly breathless with awe.

"What is it?" Asked Loki.

"I think it has something to do with electrons flowing through Earth’s magnetic field,” he offered pragmatically. Loki hummed, lost in thought. 

After a time, Loki seemed to notice Mobius rubbing his neck from the strain of looking up so long. He waved his hand, conjuring thick blankets and cushions at their feet. "Would you like to lay down and watch?" He asked.

"Yeah," Mobius smiled softly. "I really would."

~

The stars had begun shifting across the sky by the time Mobius finally mustered the courage to ask, "What was it like? Sitting there in the multiversal Yggdrasil?"

Loki was silent for so long that Mobius half-convinced himself he hadn’t actually asked the question aloud. When the answer finally came, it was so quiet that Mobius almost missed it. 

“Lonely." 

Mobius turned his head, seeing Loki's throat bob with emotion. "It was so lonely, Mobius.”

Mobius swore he could feel his heart breaking. Before he could second guess himself, he shifted to his side, reaching out to take Loki's hand in his gloved one. "It's over now, Loki, you did it! You saved all of us . You-" Mobius's voice broke, and mentally cursed himself. He had to get it out, had to make sure Loki knew. "You get to rest now. It's not your burden anymore." Loki turned his head toward Mobius, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Mobius gave him a watery smile. "You get do have a life too."

They lapsed into a heavy silence, eventually laying back to continue watching the lights. Something about the vulnerability he'd seen in Loki's eyes compelled Mobius to hold onto his hand for a little longer. After a time, Mobius resolved to voice the question that had been eating away at him for 3 1/2 years. Pointedly keeping his eyes trained on the sky, he asked, "What were you gonna tell me, back before we fixed your time slipping?” He swallowed. “You said, 'If I don't make it back—' and then disappeared before you could say."

Out of the corner of his eye, Mobius saw Loki turn his head to look at him. The weight of his gaze was unbearable all of a sudden. He regretted saying anything. "Ya know what, I'm sorry I asked. It was hundreds of years ago for you, I wouldn't expect you to remem-"

"I wanted to thank you," Loki interrupted.

Mobius stole a glance at Loki, confusion quickly replacing his embarrassment. "For what?"

"For saving my life," Loki said solemnly, tilting his body to face Mobius. "You gave me a second chance. You were able to see something in me that I couldn't see in myself."

Mobius mirrored Loki's position, turning to face him fully. His eyes roved across Loki's face, the sincerity he found there stealing his breath away.

"Loki, you're the one that gave, not just me and the TVA, but everything a second chance. I should be thanking you, not the other way around!" He protested emphatically.

The aurora sparkled in Loki's eyes, and Mobius found he couldn't breathe.

"I wouldn't have done any of it if it weren't for you. Don't you see that?"

Mobius held Loki's gaze, his heart stuttering in his chest. The longer they watched each other, the more uneven his breathing became. Loki's eyes searched his face, and after a moment, seemed to find what they’d been looking for. Slowly, he brought his free hand up, tracing Mobius's jawline with a featherlight touch. Loki’s cool fingers were a soothing balm to the heat radiating from his cheeks. Could Loki tell how fast his heart was beating?

Ever so slowly, Loki leaned in closer, his gaze flicking down to Mobius’s lips before meeting his eyes again. "Mobius, I…" Loki took a deep breath. "Is this alright?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Yes," Mobius whispered back breathlessly, reaching out to brush an errant curl from Loki's forehead. His other hand squeezed Loki's in reassurance.

Then, Loki was closing the distance between them. The kiss was doting, gentle even. Painfully romantic. Mobius poured his heart into it, desperate to convey just how much he cared, how long he'd wanted this. How much of him had broken when Loki climbed those invisible stairs into the sky. Loki pulled away slightly, wiping a tear from Mobius's temple.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked softly, eyes searching as his breath fanned across Mobius's cheeks.

Mobius's heart skipped a beat. "Never better," he responded truthfully, gently stroking a thumb across Loki's cheekbone. He couldn't help it when another tear escaped the corner of his eye.

Soon, Loki was crying too, and Mobius pulled him close, the God burying his face against his neck. Loki tangled their legs together, and Mobius stroked his inky black curls, savoring the feeling of holding the man he loved as the northern lights danced across the heavens.

Chapter Text

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

"Let's go faster this time."

"My Variants are already out there."

"Nothing survives, Loki. Not even the Sacred Timeline."

"You cause a war that kills us all."

"What good is free will if everyone's dead?"

"You're replacing one nightmare with another."

"I know what kind of god I need to be."

"You do know yourself."

"A villain."

Loki awoke with a gasp, his limbs tangled in sweaty sheets. A soft light was filtering in through a small leaded window on the far wall. Where was he? He needed to get back, the timelines needed him—

The scent of a familiar cologne surrounded him, soothing his panic.

Mobius.

It all came rushing back.

Sylvie.

Thor.

The Watcher.

Mobius's eyes and the dancing lights…

Loki rolled over, finding the other side of the bed vacant. Muffled voices were coming from the other side of the door.

He pulled himself from bed, bare feet padding toward the window. Outside, a grey spaceship with purple and turquoise stripes sat in the snow. The low-hanging clouds made it difficult to tell, but it must have been close to midday.

Mobius's laugh carried over the hum of voices in the other room, and Loki couldn’t help but smile to himself. Raking his fingers through his sleep-disheveled hair, he went to open the door.

The scene that greeted him made Loki do a double take. Thor was frying up some sort of egg dish on the stove while Love chatted with him from a barstool. Sylvie was on her tiptoes rummaging through one of the cabinets, and Mobius was chopping something on a cutting board. It all looked so ordinary, but the circumstances that had brought them all together were anything but. Loki felt as if his two worlds were colliding.

Across the room, Mobius's eyes met his own. Immediately, he set down his knife and smiled. "Mornin' sunshine."

Thor and Love's conversation tapered off, and everyone turned to face Loki. He gave a halfhearted wave as Mobius made his way toward him.

He and Mobius had fallen asleep in the clothes they'd been wearing the night before, but the latter was now clad in a brown knit jumper and denim trousers. If the luggage in the corner was any indication, he'd used Sylvie's TemPad to go retrieve some essentials.

"How'd ya sleep," Mobius asked, leaning up to give Loki a brief kiss on the cheek.

"As good as can be expected," Loki sighed, running his hand down the side of Mobius's arm. He could feel a blush creeping up his ears from the weight of everyone's attention.

"You owe me 5 units Aunt Sylvie," the young girl's cheery voice piped up.

Mobius rolled his eyes and took Loki's hand, leading him toward the table. "Do you want some lunch? 'Fraid we both slept through breakfast."

Loki caught Thor's eye from across the kitchen island. His brother looked surprised by the exchanges of affection but recovered himself quickly. He shot Loki a warm smile. "I've made a Midgardian dish called an omelette, Brother. Would you like to try?"

"Sure. Smells lovely."

~

Loki hadn't realized how hungry he was until he put the first bite in his mouth. When was the last time he'd had a proper meal? He honestly couldn't remember. Three generous servings later, Loki began collecting everyone's dishes and bringing them to the sink. He was stopped by Thor's hand on his shoulder.

"Would you come for a walk with me, Loki?"

Loki turned to face him, meeting Thor's earnest gaze. "Alright," he replied, though his palms began to sweat. The last time Loki had truly conversed with Thor, he'd been attempting to rule Midgard and secure the Tesseract for Thanos. Safe to say, they hadn't exactly left on good terms. Making matters even more complex was the fact that this Variant of Thor had watched him die. Had clung to his body after the Mad Titan snapped his neck. Truthfully, Loki had no idea what to expect from the interaction.

As they made their way to the door, he conjured himself a Midgardian outfit, similar to what the rest of them were wearing. When they stepped outside, Loki was clad in a forest green turtleneck and dark denim trousers. He was glad he'd included thick black boots when Thor led them off the main path and into the snow.

They walked in silence for a minute or so, the cold wind biting at their exposed skin. Thor was dressed much warmer, but made no comment on Loki's choice to forgo a coat. Even before they'd learned his true heritage, the two of them had discovered that Loki could withstand the cold much better than Thor.

"So… you and Mobius…" Thor smiled suggestively.

"Yes," Loki huffed a laugh. "I'll have you know it's a very recent development, but…" The corners of his lips twitched, and he found himself unable to fight the ensuing grin. "Would you believe me if I told you I wanted to kill him when we first met?"

Thor let out a booming laugh. Until that exact moment, Loki hadn't realized just how much he'd missed that sound. "Actually Brother, I can. You've never exactly been quick to open up."

Loki clicked his tongue but conceded the point. Prior to meeting Mobius and Sylvie, he had been slow to warm up to people. Taking Thor's lead of stating the obvious, he said, "Your daughter is a force to be reckoned with."

Thor smiled fondly. "That she is. Do you know how I came to adopt her?"

"More or less."

"Then you'll likely already know that she was Gorr's daughter first. He was a mortal, but when Love emerged from the Altar of Eternity, she had the powers and vitality of a goddess." He paused. "Selfishly, I'm quite glad for that. Until yesterday, she was the only family I had left. If I were to lose her so soon—"

Loki was a bit taken aback by the display of vulnerability. He supposed he shouldn't be after their emotional reunion the night before, but still, he wasn't quite accustomed to it. Open communication had never been their family’s forte.

"I think Mother would have liked her," Loki said quietly.

"I'm sure she would have," Thor agreed.

A beat of silence passed. "When I first learned she'd died, I—" Loki broke off, a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed. "I'm not envious of you for having to go through that."

Thor let out a deep sigh. "Be grateful you didn't. Though I can imagine the way you found out was horrible in its own way."

"You're not wrong there," Loki murmured quietly. He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "If it's any consolation, I've seen countless timelines where Mother is alive and well. Jane too, for that matter."

Thor drew in a deep breath, simultaneously swiping a stray tear from his cheek. "Good. I'm glad.”

They began trudging up a small hill when Thor broke the heavy silence. "Mobius and Sylvie told me how they came to know you, but I'm curious. What is it like? This TVA?"

Loki thought for a moment. What a complicated question . "It's— horribly bureaucratic and stifling. And honestly, a bit terrifying at first. They use Infinity Stones as paperweights."

Thor halted in his tracks. When Loki turned around, his brother looked aghast. "By the Norns, I— I knew that place was powerful, but I did not imagine…" he breathed.

Loki nodded grimly, standing still while Thor took a moment to process. "They kidnapped me from my timeline right after New York because I managed to escape with the Tesseract. That particular act took me off of the Sacred Timeline, my predestined path . When I managed to regain possession of the Tesseract at the TVA, it wouldn't work. All of the Stones they keep there are rendered completely useless." Thor's expression was somewhere between horror and sympathy. Loki wasn't sure he could stand it. "At first, I wanted to burn the whole place to the ground." Thor chuckled. Good. "Sylvie did too. She might still want to, honestly."

They began walking again before Thor asked, "Was it strange, finding out there are countless different versions of you out there?"

Loki cringed. "You have no idea."

They had arrived at a large rock near the cliffside, overlooking the sea. Thor frowned at the snow blanketing its surface. Loki shook his head with a small smile and cleared the snow off with magic. Thor flashed him a grin. "I had forgotten how useful you are to have around, Brother."

Loki rolled his eyes and gave Thor an exasperated smile. "Glad I can be of service, Your Highness."

Thor laughed as they sat down. After a moment of taking in the view, Loki continued. "I suppose I grew somewhat partial to the TVA once I learned that all its workers were brainwashed Variants. It's not like they'd asked to be kidnapped from their timelines. And, well, by that point, I was becoming rather fond of Mobius."

Thor smirked at him and Loki narrowed his eyes. The desired effect was lessened by the involuntary smile pulling at his lips. He broke their eye contact and sighed, looking back out over the water.

"In time, I started viewing a handful of them as my friends. If we're being honest, I—" Loki hesitated, glancing over at Thor. "I never really had true friends, back on Asgard."

Thor looked like he wanted to protest, but seemed to think better of it. Loki was pleasantly surprised. He almost hadn't said anything, but decided he was curious as to what Thor's reaction would be. If he were being honest with himself, he was waiting for Thor to jump to the defense of the Warriors Three and Sif as he'd always done.

After a weighty pause, Thor murmured, "I'm sorry that I never noticed."

Of all the things Loki had thought his brother might say, the last thing he'd expected was an apology. Completely taken aback, Loki swallowed the lump in his throat, dipping his head into a shallow nod.

Suddenly, the sun broke through the clouds, and Loki couldn't help but tip his face toward it. It had been so long since he felt the warm caress of sunlight, let alone took the time to enjoy it. He glanced over at Thor, squinting against the brightness, and was alarmed to find tears streaming down his brother's face.

"Are you alright?" Loki asked gently, turning to face him.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's just—" Thor took a shuddering breath. "Before you died, you assured me that the sun would shine on us again." Thor chuckled wetly, shaking his head. "I assumed it was one of your rare moments of misplaced optimism, but, well… here we are."

Loki couldn't help the surge of remorse he felt for the man beside him. This Thor had lost his brother, and Loki was just sitting here, acting as if he could fill the chasm his Variant had left behind. "Thor… I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Brother," Thor said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "We're finally together again."

Loki's heart constricted painfully. After a moment, he said, "Do you truly still claim me as your brother, knowing I'm not the Loki you lost? After all the destruction I wrought on Midgard? On Jotunheim?"

Thor turned toward him, his eyes sparkling with sincerity. "Of course I do, Loki. You will always be my brother. Nothing could ever change that." He glanced back toward the horizon, the smile slipping from his face. "After facing Thanos myself and witnessing your terror when you recognized his ship…" He trailed off, a dormant rage flitting over his features. "I can only imagine the horrors you went through under his command." Loki closed his eyes, resisting the memories threatening to resurface. Thor went on. "Thanos was after the Tesseract and sent you to Earth as his pawn. I no longer blame you for what happened in New York, I— I blame myself for letting you fall into that monster's clutches."

Loki's heart twisted painfully. "The events preceding that were hardly your fault."

Thor turned back to him. "Was I not the one that instigated war with Jotunheim? Got myself banished from Asgard? If I had been there for you—" his voice broke with emotion, "perhaps you would not have let go."

"Thor…" Loki sighed, "that decision had nothing to do with you. It was impulsive and brash, and no one's fault but my own, but—" He drew in a breath. "I was irrevocably upset with Father. At the time, I believed he saw me as no more than a political pawn."

Thor made to argue, but Loki held up a hand. "It was not my most sensible conclusion, but none of it was your fault. Hel, I was even the one that goaded you into attacking Jotunheim in the first place."

"You warned me against it—"

"I knew you wouldn't listen. I never planned for us to get past the Bifrost— but I was playing with fire. With all that happened afterward, that scheme was undoubtedly one of the worst decisions I've ever made." He snorted derisively. "Though I suppose if I hadn't made it, I would have ended up at the TVA all the sooner."

Thor was silent for a moment, processing. "The circumstances of how it all happened may have been awful," he began slowly, "but not everything your scheme led to was all bad. I gained humility on Earth, and Father and Mother finally got around to revealing the truth of your heritage."

Loki made a face. "If you call Father finding me panicked and turning blue in the weapons vault 'revealing the truth,' then yes, I suppose he did. Midway through that conversation, he ever so conveniently fell into the Odinsleep."

Thor grimaced in sympathy. "I cannot imagine."

"No, I suppose you can't," Loki sighed.

They were silent for a moment, letting it all sink in. "Before you died, before Thanos—" Thor took a steadying breath. "In your final words to me, you reclaimed yourself as an Odinson. I know you're not the man I lost, but even with less shared history between us, nothing changes the fact that you're my little brother." Loki met Thor's gaze, shining with emotion. "And that I'll always love you."

Suddenly, it was all too much. Loki couldn't control the tears flowing down his face as he braced his elbows on his knees. Thor's warm, steady hand rubbed comforting circles against his back.

It was a while before his shoulders stopped shaking.

"You know, I'm actually your older brother now," Loki said after a while, attempting to sound lighthearted. Thor raised his eyebrows skeptically. "I spent centuries attempting to fix the Temporal Loom before I learned it was a useless endeavor. It took me longer than I care to admit to realize I had to hold the timelines together for the Multiverse to survive. It was all quite poetic, really; Eternal servitude to repent for my sins. Or so I thought. But, uh— I've got at least two or three centuries on you now."

Thor just watched him solemnly, his piercing blue eyes missing nothing. "You don't need to sacrifice yourself to be a hero, Loki."

Loki looked away, willing the tears not to fall again. He took a shaking breath . Since when had Thor become so perceptive?

"I've had to mourn you more times and more often than any other. No sacrifice is worth losing you again I—" Thor's voice dropped to a rough whisper. "I don't think I could bear it."

Before Loki even realized what he was doing, he was pulling Thor into a hug. Immediately, Thor squeezed him back, firmly gripping the back of his neck. "I missed you so much," Loki whispered through his tears.

"You'll stay?" Thor murmured into his hair.

"As long as you'll have me, Brother."

***

Left to their own devices to clean up what remained of lunch, Mobius and Sylvie settled into a comfortable rhythm. Clad in yellow rubber gloves, Sylvie carefully hand washed each dish before handing them off to Mobius to towel dry.

"I— I know this might seem out of the blue," Mobius began, "but, I'm really sorry for all those millennia I spent hunting you down." Sylvie turned to look at him, and he quickly clarified. "I don't expect you to ever forgive me—hell, I probably wouldn't—but I just… wanted you to know. You deserve to be happy, and— and you and Loki made the right call in freeing the timelines." He sighed heavily. "Even with all that happened afterward."

Sylvie set down the dish she'd been lathering and turned off the sink. "Thank you, Mobius, I appreciate it." She turned to face him. "You're a good man, you know that?"

Mobius looked down, shuffling his feet. "I'm not sure I'd go that far…"

"Well I'm not going to waste time arguing with you about it, but like I said yesterday, I'm sorry for keeping Loki's location from you." She looked out the window, lost in thought. "I was so caught up in finally having true freedom—so grateful for Loki's sacrifice, that it took me a while to see the bigger picture."

"We're all just doing the best we can to get by," Mobius said gently. They stood there in comfortable silence for a moment before Sylvie went back to washing the dishes.

"Ya know, in light of recent events, I might have to demote you to ' second favorite Loki,'" Mobius teased. "A certain God of Stories might not be too happy with me otherwise."

Sylvie threw her head back and laughed. Mobius didn't think he'd ever heard her sound so carefree. "As if I were ever truly in the running," she smirked, eyes twinkling.

After finishing the dishes, Mobius and Sylvie sank onto the couch. It was just the two of them since Love had slipped into her room with a book on Astrophysics once Thor and Loki left.

"Mobius?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to leave— once Loki and Thor get back."

Mobius sat up, turning to face her fully. "Really? Why?"

"I'm really happy with the life I've built, and now that Loki is free, I— I've done what I set out to do."

"Can I at least convince you to stay for dinner? It'd be a nice send-off. And Thor loves a good party."

Sylvie looked hesitant for a moment, but eventually conceded with a small smile. "Alright. One more night."

~

The sun dipped toward the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant hues of pink and orange. On the front porch of the cottage, Mobius's fingers carded through Loki's ebony curls. He didn't know how the God had wound up with his head resting in his lap, but he'd be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it.

"You know, I was right about you all along," Mobius smirked. "You really are just a little pussycat."

Loki huffed indignantly  "I'll have you know that I'm a prince , Agent Mobius, and I will not tolerate this abased slander." Despite his words, he made no effort to move away.

"Whatever you say, Your Highness," Mobius chuckled.

As their banter subsided, Mobius's mind couldn't help but wander back to the night before. Although he couldn't fathom how Loki could ever want someone like him, the hours they'd spent under the aurora had done wonders to ease his anxieties. Despite this, there was one more thing nagging at the back of his consciousness. He knew it would sound ridiculous and irrational to voice it out loud, but he wanted to clear the air, and hopefully ease his mind.

"I'm not gonna lie Loki, I didn't expect this turn of events." Loki tilted his head up, giving Mobius his full attention. "This might sound kinda dumb, but I coulda sworn you were head over heels for Sylvie."

Loki hummed in acknowledgment, gently stroking Mobius's knee as he seemed to gather his thoughts. "Perhaps at one point I was, but for me, that was all centuries ago. She never felt the same, so those feelings didn’t last.” He huffed humorlessly. "She kicked me through a Time Door, remember? She was set on killing He Who Remains, and I wanted us to consider the consequences. I tried appealing to her emotions, and in turn, she manipulated mine." He looked up at Mobius. "I'll always care about her, but I assure you, I harbor no romantic feelings." His eyes sparkled, "Except, of course, the ones I have for you." Loki reached up and tucked a strand of Mobius's hair behind his ear. Mobius's heart stuttered in his chest.

"And how long have those been around," Mobius teased, before realizing it was a somewhat vulnerable question.

Loki rolled his eyes before they softened. "Unwittingly? It’s hard to say. I’ve been drawn to you ever since you told me you’d seen my entire life and didn't consider me a villain." Mobius raised his eyebrows incredulously. To his delight, a light blush began coloring Loki’s cheeks. "But knowingly? Since my 134th attempt at fixing the Loom."

"134th huh?" Mobius laughed. "And why's that?" Embarrassingly enough, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy toward the version of himself that had been there. Which is ridiculous, he chided himself. That Mobius had been wiped away in a Temporal Meltdown.

Loki looked a little bashful. "I was, er, having a rough moment, and you just… made me feel safe. It sort of all just clicked into place."

Mobius couldn't help but squeeze Loki a little tighter. He leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Keep saying things like that, sweetheart, and I'll never let you go."

Loki flushed even more, but Mobius caught a glint of mischief in his eye before he pushed himself up, positioning his lips centimeters away from Mobius's.

"Then don't."

A thrill raced up Mobius's spine. He pulled Loki into a deep, possessive kiss.

~

By the time the last rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon, Loki had made his way into Mobius's lap, chin resting atop his head. After a few minutes of quiet embrace, Loki pulled back, looking a bit concerned.

"Earlier, I told Thor that I'd stay here with him. I never asked you if you'd want to go back to your life in Cleveland. I wouldn't be selfish enough to presume you'd want to uproot the entire life you've built to stay here in Norway with us, but—"

Mobius placed a finger against his lips. "If I'm welcome here, I'd be more than happy to stay." He let out a derisive huff. "The so-called 'life' I built? That was just me trying to keep myself distracted from your absence."

Loki gave him a bittersweet smile and squeezed his hand tighter. "Well, I can't imagine my brother having any objections."

Mobius smiled back, brushing a stray curl behind Loki's ear. "Earlier, Sylvie told me that she's gonna go back to her timeline. I convinced her to stay for dinner."

Loki hummed in acknowledgment. "I can't say I'm surprised. She's been uprooted too many times to leave it all behind again."

"I'm glad she's finally found some peace." Mobius sighed. Suddenly, he noticed two approaching figures in the distance. Loki took note of his distraction and followed his gaze. Thor was walking toward the cottage with a fierce-looking woman with long flowing micro braids—the King of Asgard herself.

"Well, looks like my brother brought a dinner guest," Loki observed, elegantly rising off Mobius's lap and offering a hand. "Shall we go greet them?"