It had been ages since he’d fished last. Thorold had done most of that sort of work. Of course, Asriel never minded to fish but he’d had other more important tasks to complete. Thorld had never minded before. Not that there were many rivers or streams where they usually went. High up in the mountains, they were surrounded by a very different form of water; snow. Lots of it. He had tried ice-fishing before. It was something that could be done but not one he did for enjoyment. What Mobius was asking for was something to do that he could enjoy. Thankfully, San Francisco was a much warmer climate.
Since he’d never fished in this city before, or this universe, Asriel had to familiarize himself with the tools that the people here used. Everything was much more …complex. More advanced in some ways but redundant in others. In the end, Asriel chose only what was necessary. Two poles, of course. Asriel wasn’t about to let Mobius start this new hobby on his own.
Fisherman’s Wharf was apparently the place to be for a fisherman so he had Mobius meet him there. It was a beautiful day out which was good. The air was warm and smelled of spring. Everyone was out and about too. Asriel didn’t like being in the city for too long but the wharf itself wasn’t too bad. There at least was enough space at the end for them. Because Asriel definitely knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep his hands to himself today. If Mobius actually wore the tie today, heaven help him.
He waited near the end of the pier, enjoying both sun and wind as they softly whipped about. With the weather so fine, Asriel had left his usual outfit of sweaters and slacks behind and opted for something more fitting; a simple t-shirt and a pair of jeans. And both of them were snug. Because Asriel hoped he wasn’t the only one with roaming hands that day.
Though he couldn’t say why, Mobius was a little nervous about this date. It was a date, right? Not a typical one like when they went out to dinner last time, but still a date. He was also excited. The idea of trying something new, something that apparently was good for relaxing and getting to do it with someone he liked very much, well Mobius really couldn’t think of something much better.
What took him the longest to figure out was what to wear. He knew his typical attire of bland suit wasn’t really appropriate for this kind of outing, but it was also a bit of a security blanket for him. And besides, he couldn’t stop thinking about Asriel’s enjoyment of his ties. In the end, though he knew he looked ridiculous, he opted for a pair of jeans, and a light blue polo shirt with rather ostentatious orange tie. He figured the tie really wouldn’t last long and he wanted to tease Asriel with it. And this way he would be casual enough once the tie had been removed.
His stomach was a mess of nerves and excitement as he made his way down to the pier to meet Asriel. He spotted him almost immediately and he stopped short, unable to not check out how he looked in those tight jeans. His eyes traveled slowly over Asriel and he was suddenly happy it was a warm day because the blush in his cheeks could be due to that and not other much more personal reasons.
”Seems like we got lucky with the weather,” he said, smiling as he approached.
Asriel wouldn’t call it a date. Not because it wasn’t one because it was. But a ‘date’ sounded too formal and whatever they had growing between them, he wanted it to be as informal as possible. He knew that life of strict structured rules and titles. That was a life he wanted to leave behind and he had. No, today he would this… an outing. For them. Just them. Yes, that didn’t make him sound like an idiot at all.
Alright, maybe he could say it was a date. He’d dressed like it was, hadn’t he? And his stomach was in knots over making sure that he say the right things and behave the right way in order for this to happen again.
Because it could all stop at any moment. For one reason or another, what this was between them could end. With anyone else, he hadn’t had that worry. But with Mobius, it was a constant thought in his head. There was no promise that they would still be here tomorrow. If they could be yanked from their timeline without warning, it stood to reason that they could be put back in the same way. All the more reason to enjoy the moment. Which Asriel fully intended to do.
He’d been admiring their view off the wharf when he heard Mobius coming up. The smile on his face was instant as he turned to him. He leaned against the railing and gestured towards the awfully obvious tie he was wearing. “I see you plan on teasing me today.” Good. He’d hoped Mobius would try. Asriel shrugged, the t-shirt moving with his shoulders. It really didn’t cover him as snugly as his sweaters or coats that he usually wore did. The bottom of his shirt barely covered the hem of his pants. “Too good weather for you to keep that tie on,” Asriel went on as he reached out and gave it a tug once Mobius got close enough. “You ready to relax?”
Whatever Asriel thought of it, Mobius was still considering it a date, even if it didn’t feel like the exact right word for it. Outing felt like something someone might do with a friend, and if Mobius was being honest with himself, Asriel was much more than just a friend. That thought still surprised him though, when he actually thought about it, but he couldn’t deny how much he wanted to spend time with him. At least more than was normal for any regular old friendship.
That, Mobius would argue, was the unfortunate part of life. Anything could happen at any time to turn your world upside down. That was something Mobius was now intimately familiar with. Sometimes it changed your life for the better, sometimes the worse, but it was always something that made his head spin. Even meeting Asriel and having these feelings had messed with him, and kind of still were. What he did know was that with each time they were together, Mobius found himself wanting more both physically and just personally.
After what Mobius had been through both before being pulled here and with the whole Spectre thing, he’s now, more than ever, of the mind that he should try living for the moment. He had to start wrapping his head around the fact that he wasn’t actually immortal and he could actually die, or permanently lose someone he cares about. As such, he wanted to enjoy every last moment with Asriel, starting with this fishing trip.
Asriel’s smile lit up his face and it made it really hard for Mobius to not just kiss him right there on the spot. What he can’t help is stepping a little closer than is strictly friendly, moving right into Asriel’s personal space. Mobius wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but he suspected it was the way those jeans hugged Asriel’s ass perfectly. He grinned as Asriel took the bait and tugged at his tie. “Oh? Is it? And here I wore it just for you.” He paused then, not able to speak for a moment as he realized just how attracted he was to the other man. “Yeah, I think relaxing might be just what the doctor ordered.”
Most times, it was Asriel who pursued others. When he had his eyes set on someone, he made sure to make his presence known to them, if they didn’t already. He had learned growing up that if he wanted attention, he would have to find a way to get it for himself. Especially in their society, which had grown and become a little less restricted as he’d gone from his teens into his twenties and so on, where only men could do the seeking.
So it was an understatement to say that Asriel was not used to being the one who was sought after. Needless to say, it was quite the experience.
When Mobius came up, donned in equally casual attire plus one very bright orange tie, Asriel hadn’t expected him to come out of the gate with a saucy compliment and hungry eyes roaming all over him. Did he enjoy both? Of course. He was only surprised by the turn-around. It almost had him feeling -bashful- of all the things. Because his face had definitely turned that pink color when Mobius came up in his space to flirt with him.
“I might put it back on you later,” Asriel promised with a confident wink before he wriggled his fingers around the loose knot of the tie and slipped it off Mobius’ neck. “You look much better without it anyway.” At least, in this particular outfit. “I didn’t know if you had anything else in your closet. But then, you could say the same thing of mine. I guess we both tried to do something a little different today.”
Relaxation. Right. That was the whole goal here, wasn’t it? Helping Mobius find a hobby while they were stuck here in this crazy universe that belonged to neither of them. Asriel gestured over to the rail where he’d gathered everything. “I got us both enough to enjoy a few hours with. Hopefully we catch something. If not, it’s going to be whiskey for dinner.” He wrapped up Mobius’ tie and tucked it into his back pocket, just enough for it to be seen but securely tucked. “And maybe you for dessert. How does that sound?”
Really, it wasn’t like Mobius was one to typically pursue or be pursued. He had no idea what he was doing, but the more time he spent with Asriel, the harder time he had resisting. Besides, it was fun watching the other man’s reactions. It didn’t change how nervous he was though, there was still a worry nagging in the back of his head that he’s being too forward, that he’s going to mess this up. It’s not like he knew what he was doing after all.
And then he would see Asriel and he simply couldn’t help himself. He wanted to touch him pretty much all the time. Just standing next to him would make his brain go all frazzled, like there was no one else around. And with each positive reaction, he was getting bolder and bolder.
That blush wasn’t helping either. Or maybe it was helping a lot. It really depended on your point of view. Mobius thought it was delightful though and really wanted to make it happen more often.
Mobius didn’t move as Asriel loosened his tie. He merely looked at Asriel, a small smile on his face as he tried to assess his reaction. It seemed pretty clear that he had managed to get the desired effect with the tie. “Oh, so you do like the tie then. Not too garish?” He was teasing, of course, aiming once again to try and darken that flush to the other man’s cheeks. “I cannot tell a lie, I had to go out and buy something. When you spend your entire life wearing the exact same thing, it’s kind of hard to know what else to wear. I did okay with this though?” He was being honest this time, no more teasing in his voice as he asked.
”Thanks. I mean really, you didn’t have to get all of this for me.” Of course, he knew that likely he did. Not that Asriel had to buy it but that the equipment was clearly needed for fishing. He’s about to ask about paying him back when the rest of what Asriel said caught up to him. He paused, as if his brain short circuited. Him? For dessert? “I… yes, I think we can do that.”
What was it that Marisa had called him? Besotted. Ever since the word had been put out there, it had been stuck inside Asriel’s head. He argued with himself over it constantly. Because he certainly wasn’t! Absolutely not.
But it was hard to argue when the moment that Mobius came into view, he started to behave like a ruddy schoolboy itching for his first kiss. Only, it wasn’t a kiss that Asriel was aiming for.
He smirked as Mobius explained his outfit. The man did look good. The fact that they both opted for more tight-fitting clothing spoke volumes and Asriel hoped he was going to be able to take advantage of it after. “You did more than okay. You’re lovely. Blue looks good on you. The tie was a little blinding but no more than you, dear. I don’t worry about a little star when the sun itself smiles at me.”
Oh. Okay. Maybe he was besotted. Shite.
Asriel didn’t mind having to gather up everything that they would need to fish. Honestly, it wasn’t really all that much once he knew what he needed to get. Besides, it was the perfect way to make sure he stayed in Mobius’ circle. Hm. Did that sound possessive? Only a tad.
“Come, let’s see how you handle a pole.” Asriel winked at him, furthering the conversation that they’d had on the network. Yes, he was teasing Mobius with implications. Ones that he planned on following through with after. First, though, he’d promised to teach this handsome gentleman how to fish. He started with the basics, testing out what Mobius already knew and filling in the blanks. It didn’t the man too long before he was swinging out his line to the water. Once both of them had their lines out, Asriel took advantage of the moment. “I gather you’re feeling better after the spectre attack?”
Mobius didn’t reallly know what he was. The only people he’d spoken to about Asriel were Marisa and Loki. Loki seemed thrilled for him, which was actually a bit of a relief. He hadn’t had any idea how his friend might take something like that, mostly because he’d never had to tell anyone about something like that before. Of course, Loki had wanted him to dish all the dirt, and he had, though there hadn’t been much at the time. If he had to guess though, Loki probably picked up on how much Mobius liked Asriel before he did.
No one ever said Loki wasn’t good at noticing details before, after all. It’s a large part of the reason Mobius thought Loki was so good at fooling people.
No matter what anyone else thought though, Mobius knew one thing; he liked Asriel more than he liked almost anyone. Especially after only knowing him for such a short time.
If Mobius wasn’t already blushing, being called lovely certainly caused red to creep up his cheeks. Every time Asriel made it clear he found him attractive, Mobius couldn’t help but be surprised. It wasn’t that he thought himself ugly or anything, but he’d never much considered his look at all. He liked it though and he grinned, blue eyes twinkling in response. “I don’t know, I was about to say the same thing about you. I think I just got lucky after wearing a brown suit for all of eternity.” It’s probably the worst response of all time, but how in the world was he supposed to compete with that? It was like Asriel was a poet suddenly.
Mobius huffed out a laugh, genuinely amused by that line. “If you’d seen what I used at my last job, I think you’d be rather impressed with my pole work.” At least Mobius was getting better at catching the innuendo Asriel was often bouncing off him. It made all of this even more fun.
It also made him want more than a few make out sessions.
As it turned out, Asriel was a pretty good teacher. Mobius knew what fishing was, of course, but he had no actual memory of ever doing it himself so it was very much a start from scratch scenario. Still, soon enough Mobius managed to cast his rod, his eyes bright with satisfaction as he managed to figure it all out. Mobius took a deep breath, his eyes closing in pleasure as he smelled the sea air and felt the sun on his face. He felt such peace that it didn’t even bother him that Asriel mentioned the Spectres.
”I am feeling much better, thank you.” He turned and gave Asriel a bit of a pointed look then, raising an eyebrow. “How are you doing?” He knew how upset Asriel had been that night, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he wouldn’t admit it.
Asriel’s attention wasn’t always easily caught. But when it was, it was. And Mobius had certainly caught his gaze and continued to do so.
It was nice to see the other man out of his usual attire and in something more casual. More laid back. Like he’d mentioned, he was looking for a hobby. For something to help him relax and take it easy. Asriel only knew bits and pieces of how life was at the TVA. He had tried not to bring it up since it sounded like a sensitive subject but he also didn’t want to appear too curious, too invested in finding out more. The plan had been to glean more information from Mobius by attempting more friendly conversations and gaining the man’s trust and therefore allowing said information to fall out more easily.
But Asriel had gotten distracted. Clearly by the way he continued to stare at Mobius throughout the entire first half of the afternoon. The terrible (yes, so terrible) part was that Mobius stared back. If he’d doubted before whether or not this attraction between them was real, he certainly couldn’t find any footing to doubt now. Especially when they both seemed to enjoy bringing a blush to each other’s cheeks. He’d been about to ask about that ‘pole work’ Mobius had mentioned doing at the TVA earlier but the conversation for now shifted to the spectre and that night. “Better. Although I didn’t have the life nearly sucked out of me.” That everything could have ended that night with Mobius still left a cold feeling in his stomach but he ignored it. But there was something he felt he ought to share.
“Not to ruin the lovely mood but I feel I have to warn you that it’s not gone. It’s just …somewhere else. Hopefully it should know better than to come back here, especially with Marisa around.” Like she had told him, it likely wouldn’t come back to the apartments. There were far more easily gotten prey out in the city. It made him feel uneasy but it was all he could do for now until a more permanent solution was found. “I would promise to hunt it down myself and take care of it but we know very little about them in my world. As far as we’re told and that I’ve heard, they can’t be stopped. There are stories and rumors of a knife that can do it but no human. Alas, I am only just and no more.”
He had his own pole in the water but he wasn’t paying much attention to it. That was difficult when Mobius was looking like a happy spring bird enjoying its first touch of sun. “They say there’s strength in numbers, however. Sleeping alone could prove fatal.”
No one had ever really caught Mobius’ attention before. He had known, back at the TVA, that there were rumours about him and Ravonna, and even him and Loki, but none of that had been true. He liked them both, certainly. Loki was the best friend he’d ever had, but he’d been too wrapped up in his job to even think about anything beyond friendship and co-worker.
But that was not the case at all with Asriel. When they had met, Mobius had felt almost awestruck, like he couldn’t look away from him and was equally as surprised that Asriel had seemed to want anything to do with him. Everyone he’d become close with before had happened because they were forced to spend time together. He didn’t know why Ariel had first wanted to hang out with him, though he doubts it was solely due to anything like charm.
Now he wasn’t so sure though. Though he didn’t know what he’d done, Asriel did seem rather charmed. That thought made Mobius laugh slightly to himself, but Asriel did seem to stare at him a lot and their few rather intense make out sessions had felt like this wasn’t one sided. At least that was what he hoped. Mobius didn’t get the sense that Asriel was trying to fool him, especially not after the incident with the spectre, but it also wasn’t as if he had much experience with this kind of relationship.
He wanted it though. As they stood there until the brilliant San Francisco sun, rods in the water, teasing each other with words, Mobius found himself wanting so much more with Asriel. He couldn’t help but stare at him, the way the sun shone down on him, how he looked so relaxed, and dare he say it, happy, to just be there with him, enjoying the day together. It made Mobius smile and he didn’t bother to try and hide it.
Even when the topic of the spectre attack came up, as much as the thought of that night still scared him, it wasn’t completely awful either, because Asriel had been there with him, making him feel safe in the aftermath. “No, but I’ve found that sometimes it’s worse, being the witness rather than the victim. It’s hard to watch when people you ca- people you know are hurting.” He blushed, cutting himself off. He did think Asriel cared about him, that night had been evidence enough, but saying it felt like something else.
Admittedly, Mobius did feel a spike of fear when he’s told that the spectre is still around somewhere. It’s a very near thing that he didn’t immediately look around as if he expected to see the thing lurking around, though he suspected he didn’t manage to keep the worry from his face. There was a sense of relief though that Asriel was still joking around slightly. “Oh? Are you saying I shouldn’t sleep alone tonight? I’m not sure who I could crash with on such short notice. Maybe I’ll put a notice up on the network?”
Most of Asriel’s life had been surrounded by rumors of some fashion or another. He was a Belacqua. His family had a history that ran deep. One could say that he had been born into a life of rumors. Some were true. Some were not. It had once been a game for him as a youth to figure out which ones were or weren’t. Some of those games hadn’t been as delightful as he’d hoped. But in the grand scheme and lifetime’s worth of rumors, having any of his own attached to Mobius’ was one he’d gladly welcome.
But this wasn’t his world. Not the one he was from. No one knew him here. They didn’t know what family he came from or what influence the family name still held. He had a clean slate here. Poor, sweet Mobius had no idea who he really was. So that begged the question-
Would he be the same man or try to be different? He’d never desired to be something other than what he was. What he needed to become. But a man like Mobius could certainly convince him to try to be something else. Something… he couldn’t be before.
He saw that look whip across Mobius’ face when he heard that the spectre was still out there. But he was surprised when he didn’t say anything about it. And that amused Asriel greatly. “You really just jumped straight over that spectre business to me flirting with you? I thought you had your priorities straight,” and Asriel teasingly went tsk tsk.
His mouth dropped open a little bit though when Mobius mentioned putting an ad out over the network. Was he being coy? Asriel liked it. “Oh? And what sort of qualities would you ask for?”
Rumours could be a bad thing, Mobius was well aware of that, but really only if you let them bother you. No one back at the TVA had ever been bold enough to speak too openly about anything they thought might be between him and Ravonna, but that was mostly because everyone but him seemed to be scared of him. Maybe B-15 wasn’t afraid, but she also didn’t care about rumours at all. When it came to Loki, Mobius just laughed them off. He didn’t take any of that seriously. Like a god would ever be interested in him. Besides, it had been clear he’d had a thing for Sylvie. Mostly the thought it was all just because people got bored and needed something to gossip about.
On the other hand, Mobius wouldn’t mind hearing more about anything to do with Asriel and his family. He would gladly spend time listening to any tale of his family Asriel wished to share. The other man was clearly fascinating, and seemed like he’d lived a rather interesting life. Mobius could easily find himself happily listening to any story Asriel might want to tell.
That was the thing though. So far, Mobius simply liked Asriel as he was. He had no idea if he was much different from how he’d been before being brought here, but it didn’t really matter to him very much. He liked Asriel as he was now. Whether that was the slightly mischievous man trying to get more information about him, or the man currently teaching him to fish on a glorious spring day, or even the man trying to get into his pants. Mobius was happy to know them all, he saw no need for him to change unless it was something he wanted to do himself.
”Maybe I just don’t want to talk about them?” There was a hint of nervousness and fear in his voice. “I mean, there really isn’t much we can do about them except try to avoid them, right? And maybe hope that there isn’t more than one. It’s not the first time I’ve been in danger before and I’ve found that focusing too much on things I can’t control never leads to anything good. Besides, you’re much more interesting to think about.”
A smirk twitched at the corner of Mobius’ lips. That was exactly the kind of reaction he was hoping for. “Hmm, well. Someone strong and good in a fight. I’m not very good in battle myself. Really bad, actually. I guess they’d have to actually care about my well-being since I can’t afford to pay. Handsome wouldn’t go amiss. Oh, and they’d have to be okay with my tendency towards snuggling because I would have to share a bed with them. You know anyone like that?”
There were times that Asriel wondered how Mobius would fit into his world. If he were part of that universe, who would he be? As a man, he would already have plenty of advantages but in what station would he have been born into? Would they have met by circumstance or by luck? Maybe they wouldn’t have met at all. Most of all, Asriel wondered if Mobius would think of him differently if he knew everything.
Everything.
But it was hard to think such troubling thoughts when Mobius kept smiling at him like he didn’t care about any of that. If ever there was a moment that Asriel could choose where he knew for certain that he was in over his head, this was it. And all on a fishing dock.
“You know me. I enjoy talking too much. Especially on subjects that others normally wouldn’t.” Still, Asriel made a mental note to be wiser about which times he would bring up the spectre. It hadn’t attacked him. It had gone after Mobius. No doubt that had been a horrifying experience, and maybe one that Mobius wasn’t ready to fully talk about. “You do have a good point, however. There are more interesting, more handsome subjects to focus on. And I’m not just talking about myself.” Because Asriel wouldn’t be Asriel without a little vanity.
He didn’t think Mobius was truly serious about putting out that ad. That smirk on his face told Asriel as such. In fact, he was starting to think that Mobius was teasing him. Which he welcomed whole-heartedly.
He was smiling too much. And staring a lot too. Although, if he were a poet, he would say it was more of a longing gaze than a crude stare. Unless his eyes moved south and then he was just admiring how the other man’s form fit so nicely in those clothes. Mobius did look different dressed so casually. It was almost like he was someone else. There was still so much he didn’t know about the man. So much to learn.
Asriel laughed then, shaking his head as he did and stepping closer. “Yes, I think it would be wise to find someone who would enjoy trading snuggles for protection. That might be a very easy person to find. All you’d have to do is include a picture of that smile of yours. Do you have any other requirements or should I just put myself up front for consideration already? I have very little experience with… snuggling. But I’m a quick learner.” And he reached out to touch Mobius’ jeans, sinking one finger in a nearby belt loop.
It was true, there was a lot about Asriel that Mobius didn’t know, and if he did he certainly wouldn’t approve of it all. But the same could be said about Mobius. In fact, Mobius might argue that he was worse, since he couldn’t ever manage to kill someone face to face. He had chickened out, even when he’d thought it was the right thing to do. Asriel was at least able to stick to his guns and follow through on what he thought he needed to do. Mobius merely set what essentially were bombs and walked away without a second thought to all the people he killed by destroying entire timelines.
No, neither of them were innocent and there was no way Mobius would judge Asriel for things in his past, just as he hoped Asriel wouldn't feel less of him in return.
“Maybe I like listening to you talk.” He tried to keep up the teasing tone, but some of the truth got in there too. He loved Asriel’s voice and more and more often he’d started thinking about what it might sound like in certain other situations. Situations he was finding himself wanting more and more, especially with how Asriel looked right now. “You might not be talking about you, but I might be. You’re not the only one in this conversation you know.”
Mobius was very much teasing and it would seem he wasn’t the only one who was enjoying it, if that smile was anything to go by. He was going to have to do this kind of teasing more often. A lot more often. He felt bold in the moment and shifted closer as Asriel stepped towards him. He started to bring his hand up, absolutely itching to touch that smile, but he hesitated, knowing that public displays might put Asriel off a bit. His hand fell and landed a bit more casually on Asriel’s hip.
A small smile pulled at the corners of Mobius’ mouth as he looked Asriel in the eye, a little less teasing and a little more serious, though he was still clearly enjoying the situation. “I think you and I both know it’s you. If you’ll have me.” Gods did he want to kiss him right then and there. He barely even cared about the fishing anymore, he only cared about the man standing there with him.
His line gave a bit of a tug but Asriel didn’t give it much attention. Most likely, it was some fish who had already snuck the worm off the hook because the movement stopped as soon as it started. He wasn’t worried. It wasn’t the fish he was here for anyway. Well, perhaps it was for Mobius. They were here to let him learn a relaxing hobby. But it was difficult not to let himself get distracted when Mobius was turning him into some besotted schoolboy.
”If you’ll have me-”
Asriel was accustomed to flattery. He dished it out as much as he received. That was the game and he was very good at playing it. So how was it that Mobius could do something so simple as say a few sweet words and touch him so gently that made him feel like he was as green as a spring blossom?
“I do happen to already have intimate knowledge of your cuddling moves,” he admitted with a sly smile. That he’d already been in Mobius’ bed and nothing had gone past that was short of shocking. But something had told him that this was different so he’d held back. There was also that lack of certainty. In his universe, men could take lovers. They could have as many as they liked. As long as they were women. If they were men, well as long as no one found out.
Here, the two of them touching each other like this out for anyone to see? It was new and thrilling. And yes, maybe a little terrifying. He bowed his head as his face went bright red under Mobius’ gaze. But the smile only got wider, if maybe a bit flustered.
“I thought we were here to try and find a hobby you like. Unless, you’d like to make me your hobby,” Asriel flirted back, wriggling his eyebrows in an overly-dramatic fashion as he lifted his head up again. “In which case, we might have to change locations to somewhere more private. As much as I’m impressed with your pole work, I think I’d like to see how you handle something else.”
It wasn’t like Mobius didn’t want to learn to fish. He hadn’t been lying when he’d said so. It really did seem rather relaxing and he’d looked up a few fresh fish recipes he wanted to try out. But Asriel was just so distracting. Really, he should’ve had Bruce or whoever it was show him and then he could’ve made dinner for Asriel with his fresh catch.
Not that he wasn’t having a great time. It actually scared Mobius a little bit, just how much he enjoyed spending time with him. He can’t ever remember being so taken with someone and he sure as hell can’t remember anyone being so interested in him. It made him feel desirable for the first time literally ever.
Mobius wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Asriel was good at that kind of game. It would be far more surprising to hear he wasn’t, but if asked, he would think the real reason things were going differently was because this wasn’t a game at all. Mobius didn’t just want sex (though he very much did want that too), he wanted everything else that went along with this kind of relationship. He wanted to know everything about Asriel, meet everyone important to him, including and especially his daughter. He wanted to watch him paint and hear about his work and spend endless hours just being with him.
It terrified him and there was absolutely no chance he was letting go.
“You do, and you didn’t go running for the hills the moment you got out of my grip, so I count that as a win.” He could feel himself blushing, even as his smile widened. His hand, working of its own volition, tugged at the bottom of Asriel’s t-shirt as if he wanted to bring him closer, but was unsure about doing it in such a public place. He might not come from a place quite so homophobic, but all personal relationships had been looked down on at the TVA so he was just as uncertain. He also didn’t want to push Asriel too hard.
It was hard to not touch him at all though, not with this lovely flush on his cheeks and smile on his face. Mobius couldn’t help but think I did that. as he smiled in return.
“Oh, you were already my hobby, but I don’t really find you calming, if you know what I mean. Besides, pretty sure I can handle more than one hobby. Though I’m starting to think maybe not two at the same time, when one of them is you.”
Oh, they were both in trouble now. There was barely any space left between them now. Asriel could feel Mobius’ body heat roll off him like the tide coming in. Wave after wave of intoxicating warmth that was turning his brain into an absolute puddle. If they weren’t in public, Asriel knew he would have done more than just a few fingerling touches. As it was, he was already being tempted with every smile Mobius kept flashing him.
Heavens, he wished Mobius would flash him right now. Deep breaths, Asriel. Try to keep it in your pants. You’re in public here.
But that was also something that was new for Asriel and at his age, new things were becoming more rare. Perhaps that was the reason he could never sit still. He was constantly looking for something new, something different, something to learn about and enhance his knowledge. He knew something Mobius could enhance–
They were supposed to be fishing. Asriel turned to check the line as if he were really paying that any attention. It would have been nice if he could catch something, if only to prove his skill after all that boasting he’d done over the network. Technically speaking, he was angling for a catch still. Just not the fish kind of catch.
“I gallop over hills. I run for the mountains. They’re much farther away. Much higher. Easier to get lost in where no one can find you.” But Asriel was only teasing and he proved it by taking a bold step and slipping in between Mobius and the rail, squeezing himself nicely there. He clearly had no problems with being physical. Although the fact that he was even going this far out in public was quite the fear on its own. “And you can grip me any time.”
He really liked the way that Mobius couldn’t keep his attention on anything else but him. Moving like that right in front of him only made that worse. Asriel leaned back against the railing, hoping Mobius’ finger that was on his shirt would get him to be pulled with.
“Am I not a calming presence for you?” He pretended to be offended but couldn’t hold it for long and grinned again. A really big stupid grin. “Are you saying I’m high maintenance?”
Strange as it might sound, Mobius was happy with where they were for the moment. No doubt if they were somewhere more private, things would be escalating quickly, but there was something to say for anticipation, and that was exactly what was pumping through his veins at the moment. Well, that and a healthy dose of lust.
Mobius found it rather fascinating, watching how Asriel reacted to him. He knew he was just as bad, but he really hadn’t seen anything like it before. Or rather he’d never felt anything like it before because with each smile, each step closer, or shift to touch him, Mobius found it harder and harder not to just take what he wanted. Though he suspected once they were back at one of their apartments, he’d be able to take whatever he wanted. That idea scared him a little bit, but it also thrilled him. There was a certain kind of power to it that he hadn’t expected.
As Asriel moved into the small space between his own body and the railing, he couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle and moved so that their bodies just brushed against each other. The result was that he teased himself with the thought of feeling Asriel pushed closer against him, but he hoped that it was just as much a tease for Asriel. “You know, you’re making it really hard for me not to kiss you right now.” He wasn’t sure where all this boldness was coming from, but he had to think it was all Asriel’s fault. Whenever he was with him, the rest of the world seemed to melt away and left Mobius only caring about the reactions of the rather handsome man in front of him.
“Oh, very much the opposite. You should feel how my heart is racing right now. And I don’t mind high maintenance. It just makes things more interesting.”
Asriel had planned to try to be physical that day. Honestly, he knew he wasn’t the most outwardly affectionate person when he was in front of others. Sometimes, even when he was alone with someone, it still took quite a lot to get him to open up like that. Unless he was only after sex, and in that case, well, that was easy. But this wasn’t just about that and Asriel knew it. Maybe he’d known it from the start somehow that this, that Mobius was different than anyone else he’d met.
Mobius was what the fellows back in his own world would call a ‘soft soul’. As if that was an insult when in actuality, it was very much a strength. Just not one that Asriel had been able to keep. There wasn’t much left of him that was soft these days. But oh, didn’t Mobius make him wish there was. In a way, he was already headed that way, wasn’t he?
When Mobius closed the gap between them, it was insane how fast his heart was slamming against his chest. He could feel it thundering in his ears. The rest of him felt like it was on fire, even if only for that sweet blissful moment when their bodies touched. He smirked wickedly. “Do I make it hard for you? That sounds like a problem.”
It was fun now that Mobius was so close like this, Asriel had to force his head back a little to look up at him. That didn’t lessen the smirk. If anything, he widened it and bit his lip in excitement. “I can fix that for you. But that would require a bit more privacy than this dock can allow us.” He jerked his head back to the city. “You want me to take care of …that problem for you?”
Asriel’s lack of affection to most people hadn’t gone unnoticed by Mobius. It was hardly a surprise considering the world he came from. Mobius, on the other hand, always found himself casually touching people. A hand on the shoulder, a touch to the small of the back, at least when it came to people he cared about. If he’d thought Asriel was okay with it, he wound’t have stopped touching him. Even now, he knew once he started, it was going to be hard to stop, even though they were in a very public place.
Though if anyone was staring, he had taken no notice. At that moment, there was no one else so far as Mobius could see. They could be in the middle of a crowd, and he’d only have eyes for one man.
“Oh, yeah, it is a bit of an issue.” His voice came out soft and low as he continued to watch Asriel’s face. Usually he felt like Asriel had the upper hand, he was far more experienced after all. But right now he could practically feel Asriel’s heart about to beat right out of his chest and he couldn’t quite believe he’d actually caused such a reaction in someone with so much more experience.
Though he didn’t smile with his mouth, Mobius’ blue eyes danced, shining with anticipation and desire as Asriel looked up at him. “I thought you would never ask.” In fact, if they don’t leave soon, he’s going to be sporting a rather obvious erection in his pants like a kid who just hit puberty.