Consequences

Summary: Loki did what he was told, so why is he still in trouble?
Warning(s): Spanking; D/s; non-sexual M/m; slight age-play; fluffiness; Spoilers for the series Loki; AU

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He could hear Mobius yelling at him to wait as he watched the variant, the female Loki who didn't want to be called Loki, step through the portal. He was torn. If he stepped through the portal, he'd be free; no more TVA dictating his every move. But then, he wouldn't be around Mobius any longer either and he found he was growing fond of the man. Still....

He paused on the edge of entering the portal. Freedom and the excitement and chaos of the unknown? Or continued limitations, but rewarding Mobius' trust with obedience? Loki grimaced. He'd never asked to be trusted and he'd never been obedient. Straightening his back, he shifted; prepared to follow his female self into another time.

Mobius didn't think past the fact that Loki was running away. He'd put his trust in the Variant and was certain that trust could be proven.

If Loki didn't turn them against him.

Speeding up his steps, Mobius caught up to Loki before he could enter the portal. He grabbed hold of the other's sleeve and spoke in a low voice. "You don't want to do this."

Loki's mouth thinned and he swallowed, hesitating. He could yank free. Step through the portal. There was a chance he could do it in a way that wouldn't hurt Mobius and that wouldn't possibly bring the other man through with him. A small chance. He didn't want to hurt Mobius....

He waited too long, his worry about possibly hurting the other man and making his situation even worse than it already was causing him to miss his chance. The portal closed inches away from him.

He gently shrugged attempting to get loose from Mobius' grip, even as he whispered, "I thought I did...."

Mobius didn't let go of him, instead gripping Loki's shoulder a bit tighter. He turned to the rest of the TVA agents. "The Variant escaped. We need to return to HQ and figure out our next move."

"You should let go of him. He needs to be reset. He likely let her escape..." Hunter B-15 said, with a scowl.

Loki scowled back but shifted so Mobius was between him and her. "I did not let her escape. I was told to stop, so I did!" Of course, he only stopped because Mobius caught up to him, but he wasn't about to admit that now that he had nowhere else to go.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Mobius said. "Our biggest concern is figuring out what kind of damage has been done to the timeline. And Loki can still help us."

Hunter B-15 continued to scowl, but she didn't say anything else.

Loki tried once again to pull free from Mobius' grip. He didn't pull hard; he didn't want it obvious he was trying to get loose and the other man wasn't allowing it (it made him feel like a recalcitrant child and he didn't want to appear that way to everyone else). He did attempt to pull free, though, hoping that the other man would allow it.

Mobius tightened his grip. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make it clear he wasn't going to let go of Loki. "There's nothing else we can do here. We need to go back." He kept hold of Loki, even as he opened the portal for their return.

Loki huffed in irritation at being restrained, reluctantly letting himself be pulled through the portal. He wasn't in a terribly good mood. The other Loki had bested him, and he never liked being outwitted. Even by another version of himself. And it grated that the only one who had any trust in him was Mobius, even if he wasn't so certain Mobius trusting him was a good thing either. Trusting implied a level of expectation and he wasn't sure he could live up to those expectations. Every other being in the universe that had expectations of him always ended up woefully disappointed. "You do realize I can walk on my own?" he said peevishly, tugging at his arm again.

Mobius glanced towards the others and, seeing none of them were looking at him and Loki, he delivered a firm, though not too hard, swat to the other's backside. "If you aren't careful, you will lose any chance of keeping any goodwill you might have gained."

Loki's eyes widened and he let out a tiny yelp, though not very loud, despite himself. "You... you..." He couldn't bring himself to say the word, but it was obvious he was caught off guard at Mobius' action. "If I was able to use my magic here..." He made an empty threat. He couldn't use his magic in the TVA, but even if he could, he knew, deep down he wouldn't have used it. Mobius was the only one in the entire TVA system that wanted to give him a chance. Hurting the other man would take away the one person keeping him from being reset.

"You wouldn't use it, even if you had it." Mobius spoke with absolute certainty. "Despite the fact you're acting like a naughty little boy on the verge of throwing a tantrum, you're not stupid. You know I'm the only thing stopping you from being reset."

"Naughty little...." Loki started, affronted. "I am not naughty! I'm fearsome!" he declared imperiously. It might have seemed that way if Mobius hadn't been leading him down the hallway like a naughty little boy.

Mobius didn't follow the rest of the TVA agents with Loki. Instead, he headed to his own private office, leading Loki along. He didn't respond to the protest; there was no need to point out the obvious.

"Seriously! I can walk on my own!" Loki pouted, yanking at his arm once it was just him and Mobius around and he didn't have to worry about the guard thinking he was attacking.

"You don't get to dictate what happens right now, little boy," Mobius stated. He reached his office and opened the door, guiding Loki inside.

Loki winced, pouting further at the words. "Why do you keep saying that!? I didn't do anything wrong. I did what you said to do..." he whined. He ignored the fact he almost didn't and only avoided disobeying because he took too long to decide.

Mobius raised his eyebrows. "You were going to follow the variant into the portal. You would have if I hadn't stopped you. That was wrong. That was naughty."

"I'm supposed to stop the variant! That's what I've been told I'm here for...." Loki protested, still whining.

"You weren't trying to stop the Variant when you were about to go into that portal." Mobius headed over to his desk...specifically, to his chair.

"How else would I have stopped her? I would need to follow her to catch her and stop her..." Loki said, in what he thought was a reasonable voice, though it still sounded whiny and a bit peevish. He tried to pull his arm back again, even as Mobius pulled him along. The man was deceptively strong.

Mobius paused and turned to face Loki, though he still kept hold of the other. "We both know that you didn't have stopping her in mind when you were going to follow her. If you keep trying to claim otherwise, you'll be in more trouble than you are already."

"If I didn't plan to stop her, what do you believe I was going to do?" Loki frowned. "If I was going to run, stopping when you told me to was the wrong way to go about it!" He tried to get himself out of what he was beginning to realize was a bit of trouble.

Deciding that he wasn't going to waste time arguing with Loki, Mobius continued leading the other to the desk. He moved round to the chair and sat down, settling Loki across his lap in one swift movement.

Loki yelped as he suddenly found himself upended over Mobius' lap and then whined, "This isn't fair! I did what you told me to do. I stopped!"

"Because I told you to. Not because you realized stopping was the right thing to do." Mobius wrapped his arm around Loki's waist, securing him, before he proceeded to bare him.

"Noooo!" Loki whined, reaching back with both of his hands to keep his pants up. "I thought that is what you would want, doing what you told me to!" He was honestly confused this time. Maybe he hadn't decided on his own that it was the right thing to do, but he'd still done it. Wasn't that enough?

Mobius took hold of Loki's hands and moved them out of the way, holding them against his back, and finished baring him. "I need to trust that you will make the right decisions without me needing to tell you or remind you. You need to prove that my trust in you isn't misplaced. Otherwise I can't protect you."

"I... I don't understand... H... How do you know I wouldn't have made the right decision?" Loki tried one last time to convince Mobius he didn't deserve to be spanked... but the effort wasn't as strong as he could have made. He knew, deep down, Mobius was right. He would have gone through that portal if Mobius hadn't yelled at him to stop. He nearly had even after Mobius had yelled at him to stop. He would have made the wrong choice, to Mobius and the TVA's way of thinking, had Mobius not been there.

"You forget. I've seen your life, Loki. I know you well," Mobius said. "If I hadn't stopped you, you would have gone through the portal." He squeezed Loki's hands and then lifted his hand, bringing it down in a firm smack that he then repeated.

Loki let out a tiny yelp at the first swat and stiffened up... and then it was as if every ounce of control he'd had over himself disappeared. He began to squirm, wiggle, tug and pull at his hands, to get away from Mobius and the stinging, painful swats. "W... would have is... isn't the same as... as did!" Loki wailed, feeling very picked on.

"It is when you only stopped because you were told to." Mobius tightened his hold on Loki, holding him still with little difficulty as he continued to swat down to his thighs.

Loki wailed louder as the swats continued and he couldn’t get away. How was Mobius stronger than him? "B... but I listened to you!" he sobbed. "It's not fair!"

"You need to do the right thing without me needing to tell you," Mobius replied. "You're already on thin ice here, Loki. A wrong move could still get you reset, in spite of my best efforts."

"B... but what if I don't know what the right thing is?! If you aren't here and I mess up...." Loki was finally beginning to understand why he was being spanked- even though he'd obeyed- but now he was frightened. If they'd reset him for making the wrong decision and he didn't even know what the right decision was, how was he going to survive this?

"And that's why I am here and will be as much as I can," Mobius replied. "I'll help you learn to do the right thing, until it becomes instinctual." He was still swatting; still holding onto Loki.

Loki continued to squirm and wiggle, to get away from the swats, though it was more instinctual than because he was fighting. "I... I'm sorry I didn't think it was wrong! I'm sorry I would have left if you'd not stopped me!" he sobbed, trying to get the swats to stop. His bottom was aching by this time, hot and stingy.

"I think you're more sorry that you're getting spanked than because you were going to make the wrong decision." Mobius began to swat a fraction harder and faster.

"It hurts!" Loki wailed, as the swats became harder. "I'll never sit again!" He continued to wriggle, though he was getting tired, so the struggle was lessening.

"You'll heal. The sting will fade." Mobius moved his hand a bit lower, focusing more swats to Loki's sit spots and thighs. "But I hope this will stick in your mind for next time, even after the effects of the spanking fade."

"I.... I won't do anything before you tell me!" Loki promised, taking the lesson to the opposite extreme. He wouldn't make the wrong decisions because he wouldn't make any decisions at all. He still wriggled, but it was obvious he was tired. He was sobbing brokenly, sounding exactly like the scared little boy Mobius had accused him of being before.

Mobius paused the spanking, his hand gently rubbing over Loki's back. "I can only protect you so far, kid. You have to help me the rest of the way."

Loki quivered at the gentle affection. "I…d... don't wanna be reset..." he said in a shaky, frightened voice. "...I'm t... trying to be good..." he continued, his voice small and uncertain.

"I don't want you to be reset either," Mobius said honestly. "But you have to avoid doing things that will make the other agents think you can't be trusted. There's a fine line here." He continued to rub Loki's back even as he spoke.

"H... how do I know what to do if you aren't there?" Loki asked, slowly calming, no longer trying to get away, slumping over Mobius' lap, reacting, and sounding like a little boy.

"We'll work on what to do in different scenarios if there's a time I'm not with you," Mobius replied. "But I plan to be here as much as it's possible to be."

"Promise?" Loki sniffled, grasping onto Mobius' hand with his own, no longer trying to get free at all.

Mobius squeezed his hand. "I promise." His voice was sincere. Reassuring.

Loki relaxed the rest of the way, completely limp over the older man's lap. "Am I still a naughty little boy?" he whispered, in a tiny voice.

"No." Mobius continued to rub Loki's back; continued to squeeze his hand. "Now you're a good little boy."

Loki sniffled again, completely relaxed. "...I'll try to stay good," he promised quietly, his voice hoarse from his crying.

"Good. I have faith in you." Mobius moved Loki onto his lap instead of over it, holding him close and tight, rubbing his hair and back.

Loki whimpered as his sore bottom contacted Mobius' lap, but he didn't squirm away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the older man and snuggled. He felt a need to be held and after everything that had gone wrong for him in the last forever amount of time, he didn't have the strength to fight that need.

Mobius hugged Loki close, still rubbing his hair and back. "I'll do everything in my power to keep you from being reset," he promised.

"Thank you..." Loki whispered. "I... I really am sorry I was naughty. Didn't mean to be... don't wanna be...."

"I believe you," Mobius replied. "And I forgive you. It's a clean slate after a spanking."

Loki sniffled. "Okay..." he whispered, still snuggling, exactly like the little boy Mobius kept referring to him as.

In no hurry to let go of Loki while the other man was snuggling and needing comfort, Mobius continued to hold onto him, rubbing his hair and back.

"Y... you kept calling me a little boy..." Loki finally said hesitantly. "I... is... I..." He didn't know how to say what he was feeling and swallowed, pressing closer and hiding his face in frustration. How could he admit that he felt like a little boy, after Mobius spanked him? Shouldn't he want to encourage the older man to look on him as the adult he was?

"What's on your mind?" Mobius asked gently.

"Just that... after being called a little boy so many times and then being spanked... I feel like a little boy," Loki complained, with a pout.

"That's how you've acted. What your behavior’s been like," Mobius commented. "It isn't a surprise that you'd feel that way."

Loki pouted more. "But I'm not.... not really...." It was obvious he wasn't entirely certain of his declaration. He might not be a child, but Mobius was right. He had been behaving like a little boy in numerous ways. Of course, in Asgardian terms, he wasn't really that old.

"That's not how you've been behaving, though," Mobius commented. "And there's nothing wrong with being and feeling like a little boy." He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around Loki.

Loki sniffled and found himself cuddling the man who had just roasted his backside. "It's okay?" he asked uncertainly. "I... I wasn't trying to be a brat. Didn't know I was being... childish. I was just acting like me. I don't know if I can be different..." he admitted softly.

"You go ahead and act like you," Mobius replied. "The only thing wrong is when your behavior could lead to dangerous consequences for you. Like today. Otherwise, you can act like a little boy. And I'll respond to you."

Loki wrinkled his nose, part of him not liking the fact Mobius saw him as a little boy, but the larger part of him was comforted by the words. Liked the idea of being able to be himself and Mobius not trying to change him. Even if he was a 'little boy'. "What... what made it dangerous today? What could I have done differently? I admit I was tempted to step through the portal. It took longer than it should have to decide against it... and only your order enabled me to resist." He swallowed hard and snuggled closer. "What should I have done differently? To not be tempted?"

"You didn't just start to follow her through the portal, did you?" Mobius asked softly. "When I caught up to you, you were alone. I didn't get a full report, but I can't imagine you just saw her and decided to go after her. You had more interactions with her before that, didn't you? And didn't reach out."

Loki stiffened, before whimpering and curling up tightly against Mobius, saying in a tiny voice, "You're gonna sp... spank me again...." Admitting, without saying the words that he acknowledged and agreed with what Mobius said.

"More than likely," Mobius agreed. "But only when it's necessary. Only when you're naughty."

"Y... you're right. I had interactions with her... spoke with her..." Loki admitted, before saying guiltily, "I told her we could work together so that I could get away from the TVA and not have to be threatened with being reset all the time." He looked down, ashamed. After everything Mobius was trying to do to protect him, he owed the other man more than betrayal. And what he'd attempted to do could very well lead to the very thing he'd been trying to avoid if the wrong people learned of it. He closed his eyes tightly, unable to face Mobius, and waited for the other man to turn him over his knee again. If that didn't deserve a spanking, then he was completely confused about what would get him into trouble and what wouldn't.

"Thank you for being honest with me now," Mobius said. "Following her wouldn't have done any good and would have only been more likely to get you reset." He turned Loki over his knee once more, settling him in place. "I know you're sore already. This is going to be more of a reminder than a full spanking. But if there's a next time, it won't matter if you've already been over my knee."

Loki let out a tiny sob. "Yessir..." he said contritely, feeling very small, and foolish, and young.

Mobius rubbed his back gently for a few moments and then lifted his hand, bringing it down firmly, though not as hard as the previous swats had been.

Loki whimpered as his aching bottom had sting blossom on it anew, but he didn't try and get away this time. Instead, he put his hands behind his back so Mobius could hold him immobile and slumped over the older man's knee in acceptance. Misbehavior brought consequences, he was lucky it was only a sore bottom, and he could feel that Mobius was trying to help him. It was more than he deserved after how he'd behaved. "I was a very naughty little boy..." he whispered despondently, finally able to recognize in himself what Mobius saw. Not fighting it any longer.

"You were. But being punished, being spanked, gets rid of that naughtiness." Mobius squeezed Loki's hands gently as he swatted down to the younger man's thighs and then started from the top again. "And now you're a good little boy."

"Don't feel good..." Loki lamented, honest and open with his feelings, unable to be anything but, in the position, he was currently in. "Feel like a naughty, naughty child...." he sniffled, tears streaming from his eyes. But he still didn't fight and instead lay limp over Mobius' knee. His bottom ached awfully. He felt like he deserved it to hurt worse.

"When you do something naughty, you get punished for it. But then forgiven. No need to feel bad any longer." Mobius gripped his hands tighter, the swats more like firm pats by this point.

"Y... Yessir..." Loki's voice trembled. "I still feel like a naughty little boy, though," he whispered. "Like... like... your little boy..." he admitted. "Disobeyed you and did what I knew you wouldn't approve of and now feel small and bad and... I'm sorry!"

"You are my little boy," Mobius replied, responding to the words Loki said. "But you aren't my naughty little boy now. You're my good little boy."

"I want to be good... I want to be good so much!" Loki said emphatically. He'd always tried his best to help and be 'good' but was often overlooked or ignored... and then he'd felt so hurt, he just gave up trying and turned bad. But he didn't truly want to be bad.

"I believe you," Mobius replied. "And I'll help you to stay good. You're being good right now. Not fighting me, even though I know it hurts." Of course, he was no longer swatting, really just patting as an emphasis for his words.

"Can't fight..." Loki admitted, in a small voice. "...Deserve to be spanked. Shouldn't have done what I did. Don't... don't want to betray you and I almost did..." he said miserably.

"You didn't," Mobius replied. "You came close to betraying me and had to be pulled back, but even if you had to have help, you made the right choice. I believe in you."

"You do?" Loki sounded hopeful. He'd seen in the time-reels of his life that eventually, he'd regained closeness with his brother and father; his mother had died, but she'd always remained as close as he'd allow. But he hadn't lived that life and he'd felt like no one believed in him for a very long time.

"I do," Mobius confirmed. "It's why I spoke up for you. Why I will continue to speak up for you."

"And help me do better..." Loki sniffled, believing Mobius. He lay limp over the older man's lap. His bottom was so sore, even though Mobius was only patting now. He was reluctant to move or have the 'spanking' end, though. He still felt very guilty. Plus... feeling Mobius' control over him, punishing him for his poor decisions, was helping him feel less scared about his position in the TVA. He felt safer... even if his bottom hurt and he felt like a child.

"Do better and be better," Mobius promised. "You're forgiven for being naughty. You're my good little boy again."

"Thank you for helping me, daddy..." Loki whispered, pausing uncertainly, not sure how Mobius would react to the name. It felt like it fit, though.

Mobius smiled at the name and gently squeezed Loki's hands. "You're welcome, son," he replied.

Loki relaxed at the acceptance from Mobius, gripping the older man's hand as if afraid to let go. "What now?" he asked, in a small voice.

"Well, now we need to deal with the problems the variant's caused in blowing up the timeline," Mobius replied. "But if you're not ready to go yet, we have some time."

"I'll stay with you? They'll let me stay with you?" Loki asked hesitantly, nervous that the TVA would make him go with someone else again and he'd be faced with making decisions without Mobius present again. And be tempted to be naughty again.

"I think I can convince them that you'll be better off staying with me," Mobius answered.

"I will... be better off with you. More able to do what I need to. What I'm supposed to..." Loki said quietly. "I'm afraid I'll fail if you aren't near me...."

"You don't have to worry about that, son," Mobius promised. "I won't let us be separated."

"Thank you, daddy..." Loki sniffled, trusting Mobius would keep that promise.

Since the spanking had done what it was supposed to, Mobius moved Loki back onto his lap, wrapping his arms around the younger man once more.

Loki snuggled close as possible, laying his head on Mobius' shoulder. "When... when we have finished whatever it is, we need to finish, will I be locked up in my cell again?"

"No." Mobius stroked Loki's hair, saying softly, "I'll make sure you can stay with me."

Sniffling again, Loki snuggled and nuzzled against Mobius. "Thank you, daddy..." he whispered.

"You're welcome, son." Mobius kept up with the gentle affection, holding Loki close and tight.

Loki finally calmed completely, but he continued to snuggle, content to stay in position until Mobius said they had to go back to work. He didn't even attempt to fix his clothing. He was Mobius' little boy and wouldn't 'grow up' until he was given permission.

The End