The walk is awkward to say the least. Awkward and silent. The clinking of Frigga’s delicate heels against the polished stone flooring is the only noise to be heard throughout the length of the hallway. No one knows what to say, what to do, or even how to act. Nobody can quite come to terms with what just transpired in the throne room.

Loki is distraught with the new information that has come to light. Another lie had been told, one so life changing, his true nature had been hidden from him for the entirety of his long existence. He knew Odin to be a selfish man, but he never imagined such a deceit, especially after what happened last time. To find that Odin wanted nothing more than to prevent his own shame of having an Omega son was enough to uncover all those old feelings of resentment and anger by itself, but then to discover his father had always wanted him to be more like Thor, struck a nerve even deeper and harder. Loki drops his head, silently trying to hold back his tears — his untold pain — and continues to follow his mother.

Tony had no idea where he was going, but dutifully followed behind the Queen. Gravitating towards Loki, he has the sudden urge to hold the God’s hand; a comfort for himself or for Loki, he wasn’t sure. Still uncertain, he keeps himself to himself, walking as closely beside Loki as he can, only stopping when his arm is brushes against the others. Loki feels the contact and instantly craves the comfort it brings. He entwines his fingers with the engineer's, grasping tightly — his sudden, but much needed lifeline. Tony looks from their hands to Loki's face, only to see him staring straight ahead, his face hard and cold. He aches at the tears glazing over Loki's eyes, and squeezes his hand to reassure Loki he's there, no matter what's transpired only minutes ago.

Frigga takes a sharp left turn through a new set of doors that are already being held open by two regally dressed guards into another large room. This room is a lot more comfortable than the cold marble and gold of the throne room. One wall is lined with a thick bookcase, overflowing with well-used and certainly well-loved tomes. Something about this room just shouts Frigga, and even Loki to a degree. Tony cannot for the life of him even begin to imagine this room belonging to Odin or Thor, it just isn't them; too much intellect, and not enough battle.

Frigga takes a seat in an arm chair by the fireplace, and motions for the couple to sit on the adjacent loveseat. Tony takes his place on the centre of the sofa, leaving adequate space for Loki to sit closest to his mother. He notices the green material he's sat on and smiles gently; maybe this room does belong to Loki, or someone who at least thought about him enough to think of his favoured colours, he decides as his free fingers trace the delicate patterns of gold thread.

Loki on the other hand, decides to not sit immediately. Feeling safer in his mother's familiar room, he lets go of Tony's hand and walks to the fireplace. With a simple flick of his wrist, flames flicker to life amongst the cold coals. He crouches down staring into orange, his fingers dancing in the heat close to the flames. Feeling the building heat, Loki removes his hand and stands, inhaling deeply, breathing the burning aroma of his mother's favourite sweet scented logs.

Suitably calm, Loki turns to see his mother's and lover's gaze cast intently on him. He hates the look in their eyes — the pity — the fear that he may explode into an unrelenting rage at any second. He won't, he isn't like that anymore. No longer are his thoughts of darkness like he felt in the void, his heart is no longer black after torment and torture. He doesn't want to go back to that place, he never again wants to feel the pain brought on by the ones who convinced him he could have unlimited power, enough to seek revenge on those who had wronged him, hurt him, lied to him. But that was a different Loki, he knows he can survive this time thanks to these two people in his life.

Taking a seat beside Tony, Loki subconsciously seeks out his lifeline, the one he found in the throne room, and once again on the walk here. His long fingers secretly search along the cushion, curling into the material of Tony's trousers when he finds his thigh. The motion is desperate but small, and if Frigga notices — which of course she does — she keeps it well hidden. Tony shifts closer, his arm unfolding over the back of the chair, a seemingly casual movement, but ultimately one of protection.

For a few more moments, the same silence from their journey still stands. Tony's eyes cast around the room, intrigued by the intricacies and detail put into the architecture; Frigga trains her eyes on her son, waiting for him to make the next move; and Loki stares back at the fire he started until he's ready to speak again.

“Mother," Loki finally begins, turning to look at Frigga, "Please be honest with me, did you know?”

She slips forward to the edge of her seat, taking Loki's free hand in her own, "My son, I know I did you wrong by hiding your true parentage, but I knew nothing of this. When I cradled you in my arms for the first time, you were a healthy Alpha boy, there was nothing to indicate otherwise. The All-Father has used the darkest of magic to hide this terrible lie.” With one hand still grasping Loki's, her other covers her eyes as she begins to sob, "Please forgive me.”

Seeing his mother beg for forgiveness makes his heart clench painfully. Of course he will happily grant her what she seeks. All bad feelings towards her had already been laid to rest. His time on Midgard with Tony and Thor and the other Avengers — his friends — being the defining point in his rehabilitation.

Midgard has been his home for five years now, and in that time he has come to terms with a lot of things, most notably his Jotun origin. He now feels he understands to a degree his parent’s decision to hide the truth from him. It was necessarily beneficial for his childhood on Asgard that the truth be hidden, growing up with the weight of knowing he was a Frost Gianton his shoulders would have been unbearable in the society he lived. The circumstances around how he discovered the truth was unfortunate to say the least, and the things that followed were beyond reproach, he knows. He has repented his sins profusely and proved his worth time and time again since. This new stunt pulled by Odin — but not his mother — though was beyond anything he could have imagined.

“Mother, you have no reason to seek forgiveness, this is Odin’s doing, and Odin's doing alone. This is entirely his fault, do not apologise for yet more of his mistakes! Hiding that I’m an Omega wasn’t advantageous for anyone, only for Odin’s vanity of having two Alpha sons. Odin has lied to me one too many times." Loki lets go of Tony's trouser leg to wrap his mother in a tight embrace, her slender fingers curling around his biceps. She buries her face in his shoulder, her tears wetting the soft leather beneath her eyes. "I believe that you knew not of this, so I will grant you the forgiveness you wish. You are my mother and I love you."

She cries harder against her son, her tears seeping through with a new found happiness. Burying his face in the crook of her neck, Loki tightens his arms around her. He relishes the closeness he hasn't felt in a long time. Not since he was a child has he felt this close to her.

Twitching uncomfortably in his seat, Tony itches in discomfort. With jealous insecurity bubbling away, his skin prickles as he witnesses the intimate moment beside him. He never had such a relationship with his own mother, or his father even. He hasn’t had that kind of relationship with anyone. And as his hand — whether he really wants to or not — subconsciously moves closer to rest on Loki’s lower back, he feels maybe he can have a connection of the sort with his new mate and his extended family.

When Frigga senses Tony’s hand move to settle against Loki, she pulls away from her hold in her son’s arms. She sniffles lightly, her fingers brushing under her much brighter eyes to compose herself as a smile appears on her lips. There is a topic she wishes to breach, but for a moment sits and relishes in the idea her son is safe with his new found knowledge.

Frigga no longer fears Loki will resort back to his old ways of wanton destruction and wreaking havoc, in a way she would have if he had been alone. And while having Tony as his Alpha will ultimately be the reason for this, she knows it won't be through controlling her son, the change will come. Even as an Omega, Loki won't allow anyone, Alpha or not, to assert their dominance over him — without his consent at least. He will still hold his own in the Alpha world, despite being a true Omega.

Since he was a child, Loki has always responded well to those who treat him as their equal, respect him as well as love him, and that is precisely what this relationship will be built on. After centuries of watching bonds be tentatively discovered, Frigga can solemnly swear a mutual respect and love is what the strongest bonds are made of. Every touch, every glance Frigga witnesses proves this always was meant to be; what he and Tony have stumbled upon, proves Loki can work through his new found issues with Odin, and have no one, including her son and his new mate, suffer any consequences.

By merely watching the couple before her — as cliché as it may sound to a mortal — she can see the love blossoming before her. Just their simple movements betray what they thought they could hide. The way Loki sinks back into the sofa, left leg crossed over the other towards Tony, contorting himself in a way that looks uncomfortable, yet still makes him look the most relaxed Frigga has ever seen him. He sits with his back half against the cushion, half pressed closely against Tony. The mortal seems to have no qualms, his arm once again resting over the back of the loveseat, Loki secure in the crook of his elbow.

Smiling to herself in a way that confuses the men in front of her, Frigga explains what is on her mind, "I was so terribly afraid for you, Loki. When Odin exposed his terrible lie, the tortured look on your face was one I recognised all too well and vowed never to see again. I feared what it could lead to. You’ve come so far in the last few years, but I feared that you may resort to your old ways. Then I saw the way you looked at Anthony when he held you in his arms, and I wasn't afraid anymore."

She pauses momentarily, debating whether or not to continue with her train of thought, but inevitably does when she sees the eyes of both men — God and Genius — drop, shy smiles rising to the tint of rose blushing their cheeks, "I can see the love between you."

What she sees next doesn't faze her in the slightest. The denial — so much denial — on their pretty, little faces doesn't deter her from her previous observation either. Maybe it is too early to speak of love and such, but it is there. She can see it as clear as day, and perhaps the boys can as well. There is the same look in Loki’s eyes as in hers when she was mated by Odin those centuries ago.

“Maybe it is too early for such a thought, and it is late into the evening also. I don’t suppose you have eaten much due to your journey either. Why not stay the night, and return to Midgard tomorrow or perhaps," The mother in her pines for her son, she misses him, and the volume of her voice drops showing that, "you could stay a little longer, take a Midgardian vacation?"

Loki thinks about it, he really does but right now he can't bring himself to stay in this place longer than necessary. Not with all these bad feelings raging inside him. But he can see her point also, it was early morning on Midgard when they left, and due to the time differences between the realms, they arrived in Asgard mid-evening. By now it is close to the time most would retire for the night, and he really was starting to feel the hunger. Tony was probably feeling more fatigued than himself, the Bifrost really can exhaust a person, especially if unfamiliar with its travel. If Loki was expecting to return to Midgard as soon as possible, Tony would have to rest.

"Mother, I wish we could stay, but," Once again his silver tongue turns to lead. He never has been able to lie to his mother convincingly, even of it is to protect her feelings.
Luckily Tony picks up quickly enough that Loki is uncomfortable with the idea of staying, and steps in to salvage the situation, "We will have to return to Earth as soon as possible. We kind of went AWOL for a while, so the team will be wondering what the hell is going on, and we have some business to sort with a particular Midgardian sorcerer."

When Loki sees the hurt flash through Frigga's eyes, he quickly comes to a compromise, "But we can at least stay for the night, and food sounds like a wonderful idea."

The smile Frigga presents Loki with, proves that this was a good idea, a nice thought on his behalf. She sees less and less of her sons nowadays, both busy with all things Midgard, so having Loki stay is a blessing to her. She stands quickly, kisses Loki's forehead, and efficiently moves to the door to tell the nearest maid or servant what needs preparing.

"I have sent a maid to prepare your old chambers and a meal for you both. It shouldn't be too long." Frigga says with a smile as she returns to her seat.

Whilst in his mother’s presence, Loki knows he would be unwise to not to get some advice, some answers to his questions. "Before we retire for the night, I wish to have a private moment with my mother; Anthony, can I trust you to not destroy anything if we step outside?"

Turning to look at Loki with a feigned look of hurt on his face, Tony quickly snaps out of it when Loki sees right through him and grants him an award winning smile and kiss on the cheek, "I'll be as good as gold."

"No eavesdropping, and keep the prying to a minimum please."

"I'll do my best..." And with the simple raise of a well-groomed eyebrow, Tony crumbles, "Okay, promise."

And with one of the most genuine smiles he's ever seen, Loki presses a tentative kiss to Tony's lips, his first consciously initiated display of affection, "Thank you."

"Go on, get out of here before things get even more sentimental." Tony says encouraging Loki from his seat, both laughing together.

Tony sits there watching as Loki and his mother walk outside, receiving a warning look from his mate as he purposely shuts the door behind them. Knowing better than to listen in on the conversation, Tony sets about the other thing he's desperate to do: investigate.