A Whole Bunch of Loki's

It's Just a Phase, Mum

(This'll probably be my last upload until after Christmas, as of tomorrow my overtime starts and I have merely one day off until Christmas day itself.
So happy holidays to all, however you celebrate the occasion and if you don't, I hope you have a wonderful day all the same.)

"And this one was from a few years ago," Frigga set down an old looking photo as she stared at it in thought, "I want to say about fifty or so."

"Wow," I hummed, lifting up the picture to look it over.

The old paper was well worn and the colour was fading from white into yellow, a teen-looking Loki smiled out from the centre with his arm thrown over Thor's shoulders.

"It was taken by a visitor who had acquired a camera from Midgard during a trip, clunky looking thing, not like the one Thor brought back with him."

"It's amazing how technology can change, isn't it?" I smiled at her, setting the photograph back down.

"Very much so, especially in so little time."

Frigga took a quick sip of her tea, then delicately replaced the cup back onto its accompanying saucer and proceeded to unfold the top tapestry of a pile she had resting in her lap.

As she worked on unfolding the large piece of cloth, familiar footsteps sounded just behind me and was swiftly followed by two arms wrapping around my shoulders as a kiss was pressed to the top of my head.

"I should have known my two favourite women were out here, nattering," Loki chuckled, pulling out a seat.

"Of course, darling," Frigga smiled at her son as he pulled out a chair to sit beside me. "I wished to show her your life pictures so she's prepared for how edibly adorable your child will be."

I let out a small laugh and rested my hand atop my barely there bump as Loki reached over to take my other hand while giving me a fond smile, giving it a squeeze.

"That's very kind of you, mother."

He tilted his head to look over the pictures already strewn across the table, some being literal photographs, others being paintings of both fantastic and less than stellar quality.

"It's hard to believe I have lived so many lives already," he murmured to himself.

"The joys of being a God, hm?" I smiled at him, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"There were definitely some," Loki paused for a moment, pulling his lips into a line as he thought of the right word, "...interesting ones."

"That there were," Frigga agreed with a gentle snicker, "but my favourite ones are always when you end up being my son."

I audibly aww'ed as she smiled lovingly at him, the look of motherly dedication making my heart swell as Loki returned the expression.

Their connection was something I strived to have with my own child.

"Oh," she said, pulling everyone out of the moment, "now this one is a more recent addition, I believe, only two or three lives ago."

Frigga carefully moved the cups and cakes aside to set a yellow piece of tapestry down in the newly created gap, her smile becoming something a little more awkward as she ran her hands over the folded fabric to straighten it.

"Mother, no."

I turned to Loki, who was staring at the tapestry as if it were the most mortifying thing he had ever set his eyes upon, his pale cheeks slowly turning red until he let out a groan and covered his face.

"Did you have to include this one?"

With my curiosity peaked, I looked down to see what would cause such a reaction.

On the yellowed fabric appeared to be a scene of battle, a blond man with a strangely winged, silver helmet had his arm raised, wielding a hammer as he charged at another man.

This man was obviously Thor, his clothes near similar to the armour I was used to seeing, though he appeared to be wearing something more akin to blue leggings in the picture.

My eyes slowly roamed over the other figure and my eyebrow raised, then I snorted in my attempt to hide a laugh that sputtered out of nowhere.

"Loki, is that you?"

I couldn't tear my eyes away from the man in the strange green and yellow outfit, his face rendering him unrecognisable to the Loki I knew and loved but the horned helmet giving every clue I would ever need that it was indeed him, with a ridiculously long, blond ponytail coming from the back of his headgear.

At least, I assumed that's what it was.

"What in the world."

"Yes," Frigga hummed with a slow nod, "that was a peculiar life for him."

"Definitely a unique look."

A silence falls over us as we stared at the picture, trying not to break face and laugh hysterically to save Loki's already wounded ego.

"So," I finally started after what felt like an eternity, "what was that fight about?"

"Dear, it's probably best you don't ask, those two always wind up scrapping somehow," she gave a soft shake of her head. "In one life, he ended up fighting with Thor, who wasn't his brother at this point if I recall, because he shaved off Lady Sif's glorious hair as a prank."

"We're done here," Loki cried, hastily grabbing the tapestry to roll it up and tuck it under his arm. "This is to be burned and we are to never speak of that again, or any of my previous lives."

He stood up, his chair scraping noisily against the floor in his haste, though he still tucked it back in after stepping around it.

"I am going to dispose of this and then go to my library and never show my face again," he looked down at me, "so you'll know where to find me."

He gave a stiff nod and then turned on his heel and walked off, his boots clomping against the floor unusually noisily for the sneaky man.

We both watched his dramatic exit before turning to one another and finally letting out the giggles we had been holding in.

"I presume you don't still have that outfit," I say, pulling my near empty cup back in front of me.

"Unfortunately not, it was lost long ago."

"A shame," I sighed, picking up a well iced cake from the plate, "it would have made an amazing wedding suit."