Blue || Bucky Barnes

52. Seeking Counsel

Asgard - 2013

Loki runs through the Asgardian palace. God he missed this place. He still knows his way around too, though it wasn't all that long ago he acted as King. He's not entirely sure where his destination is but he runs nonetheless. He has to get away from that stupid raccoon.

He runs around the corner and crashes into something sturdy letting out a thud.
"Loki." Present Thor groans.
"Oh brother." He straightens his garment out. "What are you doing, where's the Aether?"
"I.. Uh, I-" His words are cut short by footsteps. Thor shoves Loki behind a pillar while he too hides behind another.

Frigga walks along the tiled floors with the four maidens trailing behind her. The queen suddenly stops in her tracks. "My ladies, I'll see you after. See you after. Go on ahead." She ushers the ladies off quickly. Frigga turns around looking up at the tall framework of the palace. She walks away from them and Thor pokes his head around the corner watching her movements.

"What are you doing?" Frigga is behind Thor in an instant.
"AAAAA!" He yells startled which makes Frigga yell too.
"Oh, god." She mumbles and Thor retreats quickly trying to cover his beard with his shirt.
"You're better off leaving the sneaking to your brother." Frigga points at him.
"No, I wasn't sneaking. I was just going for a walk." Thor lies, terribly.
"What are you wearing?" Frigga asks her son about his choice of clothing.
"Oh I always wear this. This is one of my favorites." Thor shoves his hands in the pockets of his blue hoodie. Frigga continues towards Thor's stationary person. She raises her hand to his cheek looking over his strange exterior trying to make sense of it all.
"Mmm." Thor mumbles trying not to look at her.
"What's wrong with your eye?" Frigga asks.
"Oh, my eye. Remember the uh, Battle of Harokin..." He grabs his mother's hand away from his cheek. "When I got hit in the face with the broadsword." Thor chuckles awkwardly.
Frigga looks right through him seeing past his lies. "You're not the Thor I know at all, are you?"
"Yes, I am." Thor tries to continue.
"It's no use lying to her brother." Loki steps out of his hiding place and over to meet them.

"Loki." Frigga smiles at her other son grasping his hand. Loki's heart tugs in his chest and he feels his throat tightening.
"The future hasn't been kind to you, has it?" Frigga asks the boys.
"I didn't say I- we were from the future." Thor still doesn't give up the lie.
"I was raised by witches, boy. I see with more than eyes, you both know that." Frigga says.
"Yeah, we're totally from the future." Thor's voice breaks as he looks at his mother.
"Yes, you are, honey." Frigga squeezes both her sons hands again.
"I really need to talk to you." Thor says.
"We can talk." Frigga smiles and pulls both of the boys into a tight embrace. Loki scrunches his eyes closed trying his best to hold in the tears.

-

"His head was over there... his body over there... I mean what was the point? I was too late. I was just standing there. Some idiot with an axe." Loki just sits there letting Thor explain everything to their mother.
"Now, you're no idiot. You're here aren't you?" Frigga raises her eyebrows. "Seeking counsel from the wisest person in Asgard."
"I am. Yes."
"Idiot, no. A failure? Absolutely." Frigga says stealing a glance at Loki who tries to keep his chuckles at bay.
"That's a little bit harsh." Thor says.
"So you know what that makes you?" Frigga asks sitting down beside them. "Just like everyone else."
"I'm not supposed to be like everyone else, am I?" Thor grumbles.
"Mmmm. Everyone fails at who they're supposed to be, Thor. The measure of a person, of a hero, is how well they succeed at being who they are." Frigga consoles and Thor nods his head at his mothers wise words.

"I really missed you, Mom." Thor says and Frigga rests her forehead against his. Her eyes dart away from him to Loki. She sees the sadness in his eyes no matter how much he tries to conceal it.
"Loki.." She says softly drawing his attention to her. She waves him over and he gets up quickly.
"I- um, I..." Loki tries to speak but his tears take over and he can't find any words. Frigga wraps him in a tight embrace and he cries into her shoulder. For a moment he's taken back to his childhood. When he would have a bad nightmare she would always comfort him. She'd wrap the small boy up in her tender embrace and hug him until all the bad things went away. Frigga strokes his hair gently until he begins to slowly calm down. It breaks her heart to see her sons like this. But she's wise enough to know that there's a reason behind their feelings and their visit.