So, this story contains: MPreg, Loki hijinks, pseudo-incest (obviously), non-graphic underage sex (I guess it still counts, even if they're Asgardian) and some stuff inspired from Norse myth. Obviously, it is not compliant in any way with canon.

Full summary: From the moment Loki was placed in her arms, Frigga knew he would be trouble. From the moment Thor first saw Loki, they were inseparable. From the moment Loki became her son, Frigga decided she would stop at nothing to make her two beautiful boys happy.

Or, the story in which Frigga is awesome, Odin is long-suffering and terrible at giving "the dreaded talk", Loki and Thor are horny teenagers until they aren't, and everything turns out as different as you can expect.

Minor future pairing included: Steve/Tony/Bucky

Chapter 1: Encourage Bonding Between Your Children (Especially if One is Adopted)

In hindsight, they should have known. They should have all known. Frigga had, almost instantly. From the moment Odin had placed the child not of her blood into her arms, she had known.

Granted, it wasn't a clear feeling at first. In fact, at first, she was merely taken aback and more than a little wary. But she was also queen and she very carefully did not panic. "Odin? Husband?"

"He is the son of Laufey. I found him abandoned in an icy temple on Jotunheim. When I touched him, his skin turned Aesir pink."

Frigga brushed her fingers over the babe's smooth cheek. It was warm. The babe cracked his eyes open. Wide green eyes met her own, startled, curious.

And Frigga wondered then, how much did he understand? How much had he seen? How much could he truly grasp of the bloodshed that must have occurred around him?

She had no answers to those questions, and for the moment, they did not matter. For her heart was already filled with love for the tiny Jotun. He would be trouble, she knew, but she did not care, because she was hers.

"He is my son," she decided.

Odin was quiet. Frigga looked at him and she saw him staring back at her. She had to ask herself what he had truly been thinking when he'd taken the child, with what designs he had brought the babe to Asgard. She narrowed her eyes at him and cradled the babe closer. He cleared his throat and nodded.

"Yes. He will be known to all as our second son. Loki."

Just like that, they were in agreement. For a good couple of weeks, Frigga remained in her quarters, with Odin and Eir coming to see her. Eir was a necessity—she had to know of Loki's ancestry. The plan was a hastily put together one and would have never stood up to scrutiny if not for Asgard's blind faith in the All-Father. Frigga supposed that it helped that her breasts yielded milk for Loki and no one could question the queen's attachment to her second child.

Thor was brought in a few weeks into Loki's stay. He had been disgruntled, not understanding why his mother remained abed. His visits to Frigga's quarters were, by necessity, very few.

"Come. Come here. I'd like you to meet someone."

Thor's eyes were very wide as he took in the precious bundle in Frigga's arms. He padded to Frigga's side and peered closer. "Mother?"

"This is your brother," Frigga said with a smile. "Loki."

"Loki."

Thor repeated the name like a prayer, and really, that was when Frigga knew.

After that, Thor and Loki were inseparable. Thor was a very active, rambunctious child, but suddenly, all he wanted to do was to be with his new sibling. Loki seemed just as taken with him. They could often be found in the nursery together, with Loki in Thor's arms, tugging on a lock of Thor's golden hair. Thor would often speak of the lessons he had received that day with his tutors or relate tales of his past adventures with his friends.

"I cannot wait for you to grow up, brother. We shall go on grand quests together. We shall be the greatest warriors Asgard has ever seen."

From her place by the fire, Frigga watched them with an indulgent smile and a pang of inner dread. They were so young. It could all go so wrong in so many ways. But Thor looked at Loki with so much love, and for the moment, they were content.

Loki grew up with striking speed. Maybe he truly did want to catch up with Thor, or maybe it just seemed that way to Frigga, who just wanted to stop time and keep them both safe, together, at this age, when nothing could touch them.

But soon, Loki was crawling, moving around, exploring the world around him. His first word was "Tho". His second "Ma."

Thor could not shut up about his brother's achievement for two whole days.

Loki demanded more and more of Thor's attention, although whether he did it on purpose or not was anyone's guess. (Later, Frigga would decide that he definitely did it on purpose.) He cried often whenever Thor was not there, which was how Thor ended up carrying him all over the palace, much to Frigga's dismay.

Thor pouted and started to protest whenever they were found. "But Mother, Loki wanted to explore. He is bored of the nursery."

"You mean you're bored."

"Both of us," Thor amended. "Besides, I want my friends to meet my brother. We will all be shield-brothers when we grow up. Isn't that right, Loki?"

From his place still in Thor's arms, Loki cooed. "Tho..." Thor took it as an agreement and grinned. "See?"

Frigga knew it would not be so easy.

Thor's friends were frustrated that their companion had spurned their regular playtime for the benefit of his new little brother. And Frigga liked Fandral and Sif, but she decided she would keep an eye on them both.

As it turned out, her interference was unnecessary, because Thor made his stance quite clear from the beginning. She heard Fandral and Thor talk one day as they were leaving their lessons. "Thor, come on. We haven't played together in ages. You can be with Loki later."

"Loki will have to sleep later. He can't miss his naps. He is still growing."

Frigga smiled at Thor's sage, knowing tone. He was taking his duties as a big brother seriously. In all honesty, it was adorable.

"But Sif and I will have to go home then. Come on."

"Fandral, I cannot. Loki needs me. He would cry without me. I am his big brother, and I must be there for him."

And that was that.

It was, perhaps, predictable that Thor was the target of Loki's first spell, if only because of the sheer amount of time they spent together. It wasn't an actual spell, but rather, a simple unleashing of raw magic. Loki had been fussy the entire day, and Thor grouchy after a bad day of lessons. Frigga got up to make them some apple juice. She was only a few steps away when she felt the accumulation of seidr.

She turned just in time to see green explode from Loki's fingertips. It struck Thor dead on and he staggered, falling back on his ass. For a few seconds, Thor just sat there and blinked, and then he burst into laughter. "Brother, that is a great trick. Do it again."

He would say that many times in the following years.

Once Loki was old enough, he and Thor started to share a room, and things were both worse and so much better, because their games of the "greatest warriors of Asgard" escalated. And things started exploding at random around the palace as Loki's magic grew. Out of sheer self-preservation—and also because she loved her adorable little boy—Frigga dragged Loki off for private seidr lessons. Thor insisted on coming too, at first, but for all that he was Frigga and Odin's son, he just didn't have the same interest in learning magic as Loki did.

And then, Thor said, for the first time, "Brother, you should not focus so much on your seidr. Sif says it is for women, not real warriors," and things started falling apart.

Loki did not stop spending time with Thor. He was included in their group, but he was never more than a tag along. And Frigga ached when she saw it, because she knew that at this rate, her boys would lose the closeness that had been so precious to them when they'd been younger.

But there was only so much she could do. Not tutoring Loki in seidr was not an option. His Jotnar legacy held deep magic and if they ignored it, Loki could get seriously hurt in time—or hurt others. And Loki was so impossibly talented, far more than Frigga had ever been. She knew he would surpass her long before he reached adulthood.

She tried to avoid teaching him the spell for invisibility, but alas, she was unsuccessful—he chose his own spells and studied without her. And Loki was nothing if not clever. He saw how Heimdall looked at him—Heimdall was nowhere near as stoic and discreet as he thought, damn him—and he was uncomfortable with the scrutiny. So the spells and the masks came up, and Frigga's little boy started to disappear.

And yet, despite it all, it was still Thor that Loki always went to, and they still shared laughter and private smiles. Thor tended to take every prank in stride and hug Loki whenever his hair changed color or his sword flew away. And Frigga treasured those moments, locked them up tightly inside her heart, because he knew they would not last forever, and she would need them further along the line.

It was when Odin decided Thor and Loki finally needed to stop sharing rooms that it all came to a head. They had just finished dinner—a private dinner, with just the four of them, she should have known he had something planned—when he announced it.

Thor's immediate reaction was one of alarm. "But why? Did I do something wrong?"

His eyes were very wide, and he looked seconds away from leaping over the table and clutching Loki to his chest. Loki's face had gone blank, but he was just as pale as Thor, which spoke volumes of what he felt.

Frigga wanted to say it was too soon, but it wasn't, not really. They were young men on the cusp of adulthood. It was surprising her husband had even waited that long.

Odin gave her a long look, and ah, that was why. Odin might be a king, but he was not immune to the plights of parentage, and having to discuss the details of intercourse with his teenaged sons was something he wasn't looking forward to.

Sadly, Frigga could not do it for him. She would have liked to, Norns knew that she did, as uncomfortable as it would have made her, but it wouldn't be appropriate.

"If you will excuse me for but a moment... I will be right back."

She never did return to the lounge, but she did watch Loki and Thor leave. They looked pale and wan, and Frigga ambushed her husband as soon as she could. "What did you tell them?"

Her husband bristled. "What I had to. They are men. Soon, they will start having urges. We do not want royal bastards running around the palace. I instructed them on what is appropriate and what is not."

And that sounded all well and good, but Frigga suspected he was leaving out a good part of the conversation. She silently fumed even as he watched Loki and Thor take separate rooms and divide the things they had practically shared throughout their childhood.

Sif and Fandral were obviously thrilled. They should not have been.

For one whole week, Thor and Loki avoided one another. Frigga wasn't sure when they actually met up and spoke, but they must have at one point, because one day, she woke up to the sound of crackling thunder.

Her mind was instantly on alert. She already knew this was no mere storm. Thor.

As much as she dreaded what she was going to see, she still did not expect the dark clouds that had gathered over the palace. Thor was such a sunny and happy child. He did lose his temper on occasion, but it was never serious. Apparently, that was a good thing, because when the rain started, it was furious and fierce. Lightning split the skies, and in it, Frigga saw the shattering of her family.

She dressed hastily, not even bothering to summon her handmaidens. Her husband was already in the hallway, decked in his formal garb.

"What is happening? Where are Thor and Loki? Where are my sons?"

She gripped his arm and squeezed. His armor creaked under her desperate hold. He didn't flinch. "They are both missing. I will seek them out from the throne. You must look for them too, wife. You know Loki has his ways to avoid my sight."

Frigga nodded and retreated to her quarters. In a haze, she brought out her seer mirror and cast a quick spell. Thor's image instantly manifested on the clear surface. He was walking on the beach, straight in the eye of the storm. When lightning struck him, he did not flinch—it didn't hurt him. But for all that he looked majestic, there was something in him that was broken.

Huginn and Munnin somehow made their way to him despite the angry elements, and Frigga waved off the image. She sought out Loki next. Her mirror stayed blank. Loki's shields were up. She was not surprised, but that didn't mean it did not hurt.

A single tear trailed down her cheek before she angrily wiped it away. Tears would not help. She needed to fix this. She needed to stop it. There had to be something she could do.

This was not the tantrum of a child. Thor would not lose his temper and unleash his thunder just because he and Loki had taken separate bedrooms. They might be young, but they were still princes and they were aware of their responsibilities. Thor wasn't all that accustomed to wielding his innate power at all.

She knew that Thor would likely be back soon. He would not ignore an order from Odin, even one delivered through the ravens.

The mirror showed her the meeting between Odin and Thor. Thor walked into the throne room with his back straight and his eyes in shadow. Outside, the sky was still dark, although the rain had stopped. "Father, you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, Thor. Would you like to explain yourself?"

He was still so young. The burden on his shoulders was too great. Frigga wanted to break something. "I... I cannot," he said. "It is a private matter."

Odin's hold on the arm rests of the throne tightened. "It is no longer a private matter the moment it affects the citizens of Asgard." His voice softened. "Please, my son, speak to me."

"I apologize, Father. I can only say it will not happen again."

Odin let out a heavy breath. He obviously knew he would not get anything more out of Thor, and if he pushed, Thor would just resent him. "Very well. You are dismissed, Thor."

The moment Thor was out of the throne room, Frigga was moving too. She knew he would probably be going to the barracks to break something, so she had to intercept him before he did that.

She arrived just in time, and naturally, he stopped when she called his name. "Thor, I must speak with you. Have breakfast with me?"

Thor flinched, but didn't refuse her. "Of course, Mother."

Thor took her arm, and together, they made their way to her garden. Frigga waited until her handmaidens served the meal, giving Thor time to gather his thoughts. Finally, she addressed the topic at hand. "Thor, I am concerned. What happened this morning? Where is Loki?"

Thor took a deep breath, as if bracing himself. "Loki and I... quarreled. We said some things... I did something I cannot take back. I... I fear he will never forgive me."

Frigga tasted dread in her mouth. "What? Thor, what did you do?"

Thor shook his head. "I cannot tell you. I am sorry, Mother. Please, do not ask. I... I must only hope that Loki will find it in his heart to forgive me one day."

In her heart, Frigga already knew what had occurred. She had probably always known that it would get to this.

There was only one path that she could take, only one thing that could possibly fix it. It could also backfire horribly. She had wanted so many times to tell Loki about his true parentage, because she had known he felt different, and he deserved an explanation. But he was her son, the son of her heart, and she was selfish. She didn't want to lose him.

They were both so young... Was it too soon? Was it too late? She didn't know.

Frigga remembered Thor and Loki playing together as children, the way they'd always been so close. She scanned Thor's face, seeking her answer. He found it in Thor's eyes.

She had to have faith in her children, more than in her weavings, in the half-remembered nightmares that plagued her. For Thor, for Loki, she had to believe.

Odin would not agree. Odin wanted to keep the truth from Loki. He still had not told Frigga what he'd had in mind for Loki when he'd taken the babe from Jotunheim, but whatever it was didn't seem to involve revealing the truth anytime soon.

Well, Frigga could not wait any longer.

Loki came back later that day. He was as impeccable as ever, and unlike Thor, he didn't seem rattled. But Frigga saw the truth he was desperately trying to hide. He saw the way Loki couldn't quite face Thor, no matter how hard he tried.

After dinner, Frigga pulled Loki aside. "Darling, walk with me."

Loki didn't even bother to pretend he didn't know what this was about. "Mother, concerning the matter with Thor... I assure you there is nothing to worry about. It is a simple argument between siblings. It will pass."

"Yes, I know that. But I believe this is rooted in something deeper, something that will not pass, and doesn't have to."

"I do not understand."

Frigga ached for him. And she wished so desperately that she truly had given birth to him, but she had not, and he deserved to know.

The Casket of Ancient Winters was in the Weapon's Vault, under the watch of the Destroyer. "Mother, what are we doing here?" Loki asked once they were in front of the artifact.

"There is a secret, something we have been keeping from you." She took his hands and pressed them to the Casket. She watched with a heavy heart as they turned blue, but she didn't pull away from him. His icy skin didn't burn hers.

A few moments passed and then, he forcibly broke away from her. Frigga released him from her embrace. The Casket clattered to the floor like an abandoned toy as Loki stared at himself in horror.

"What... What is this? What am I?"

"You are my beloved son, my Loki, my little mischievous godling."

Loki looked up at her, his eyes in tears. "What more than that?"

So Frigga told him. She told him the story Odin had, of how he'd wandered into the temple, taken the Casket and found another, greater treasure. Laufey's son.

Loki's voice sounded so broken when he repeated "Laufeyson". And Frigga knew what he was thinking, knew what Aesir thought of the Jotnar.

"Listen to me, my darling. Jotnar are not the uncouth brutes Aesir depict them as. They are not monsters. The All-Father himself is half-Jotun, although that has been practically forgotten. And I know this is very difficult for you to accept. I am so very sorry for the deception. But first and foremost, I need you to understand that you are my son and I love you so very much. So much."

"Does Thor know?"

Frigga shook her head. "I thought you might tell him in your own time. He loves you too, Loki. No matter else you might believe, believe in that."

"And the All-Father? Why did he take me? He must have had a reason."

"Your father does not always share his council, not even with me. But in truth... I think he couldn't not take you. You were such a beautiful child, my Loki, and even the heart of a king is not made out of stone." She hesitated and then finally said what had been on her mind all these years. "He told me that your skin turned Aesir the moment he touched you. I think now that at some level, you sensed the war and the peril, and your magic kept you safe."

"Oh, I see. The All-Father might have slain a Jotnar spawn, but not an Aesir-looking babe."

It was bluntly put, but that was the crux of it. "But my son, that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with who you are. There are a lot of circumstances at work here, things I wish I could change and things I wish I could protect you from. But you are almost a man now, and I can no longer lie to you." She dared to step forward and was gratified when he didn't step back. He was rigid when she hugged him, but again, he didn't break away. "I am so sorry, my darling. I wish I had better words to express what you mean to me. I can only say that the moment you were placed in my arms, you became mine. No matter what your blood is, you will always be Friggajarson."

Loki let out a small, choked sob. "Mother..."

"Trust in that, Loki. And trust in Thor and in your own heart. There is nothing more genuine in all of Asgard than what the two of you share."

She didn't have to explain what she meant. Loki knew. He understood that she had brought him here to make it clear that it was all right to look at his brother and see a romantic interest.

The All-Father would be livid. The Aesir would not like it. But Thor and Loki were Frigga's children, and she would be damned if she allowed her boys to be kept apart by her lies, and those of her husband.

They left the Weapons Vault after putting the Casket back on its pedestal. Loki kissed Frigga's hand and hugged her one more time. "Thank you. I will think on what you said."

It was all that she could hope for, really, that she'd made the right choice and so would her beautiful beloved children.

She didn't sleep that night. She tried, deliberately seeking out answers in her dreams, but slumber simply would not come. Fortunately, she did not need visions to know her gamble had worked.

The next morning, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brighter than ever. Loki and Thor were together at breakfast. Thor had his arm draped over Loki's shoulders and he was grinning so wide he simply lit up the room.

Loki's smile was smaller, but very real, a genuine expression of happiness, nothing like his usual mischievous smirks that often promised a great deal of trouble for the targets of his pranks. Odin looked relieved that his sons had reconciled. He obviously didn't realize what that that reconciliation involved, but ah well. He didn't need to find out just yet. Let the boys enjoy their love. The Norns only knew they still had plenty of trouble coming their way.