For YouThereintheTrunks, because in a roundabout way, you kinda asked for this...
Frigga sat quietly weeping in her private garden. Her once beautiful plants were waning and dying from lack of care. Ever since Loki died she could find joy in nothing, not even in her beloved garden. Everything brought back long forgotten memories of her son, this book or that painting...but nothing brought back the memories like the garden did.
She could almost see a young Loki following her around the garden like he used to.
***FLASHBACK***
"Mother, what is this plant called?" Wide green eyes looked up at her.
"It is called Mistletoe, Loki."
"Why is it called that? What does it mean?"
Frigga chuckled, "Oh my little Loki, must you know the reason for everything?"
"I'm not little! Someday, I'll grow up and be a warrior just like Father! I'll hunt down the Frost Giants with him and Thor!" Loki cried out with passion.
Frigga outwardly showed nothing but motherly indulgence in her son, but inwardly her heart hurt.
"Being a warrior is not everything, Loki, despite what your Father would tell you. You must be wise...and kind to make your way in any Realm."
"Wise and kind...?"
"Yes, Loki. Wise and kind...especially kind. Anyway, Mistletoe has a tradition associated with it, would you like to know what it is?"
"Yes, please Mother."
Frigga looked at the harmless plant and then at Loki, "During the Winter Festival, if you find yourself standing under some Mistletoe that is hanging, you have to kiss whoever is standing there with you!"
Frigga laughed at the look on Loki's face, he was torn between amusement and horror at the idea. Then as she bent down to tend to the plant Loki placed a kiss on her cheek, and then being the boy that he was he ran off to find Thor to share the story of the disgusting plant.
From her garden she over heard: "Kissing, Brother! Can you imagine? What if it were a girl?!"
***END FLASHBACK***
Frigga laughed softly, but found laughing hurt too much. How could she laugh when Loki would never tell her another joke? Or play another prank? When had everything become so wrong?
A tear rolled down the heartsick mother's cheek, then another. Slowly, she gave into her tears, at least out here she could let it out with no one around to judge her.
Her shoulders shook as she quietly cried into her hands, mourning her son even after all this time. Suddenly, large, rough hands drew her's from her face. Frigga looked up into the eyes of the man in front of her.
"I miss him so m..much, Odin..."
Odin was silent as he sat beside his wife and held her a hand carding through her hair. Eventually she quieted down and rested against him. Watching her cry brought home the fact that he could end her suffering in just a few words...just a few to say Loki was safe.
"Frigga..." Odin's voice was unusually gentle, "Darling, I...I know you miss him, I do as well. But perhaps you should focus on the son you still have..."
"Yes..yes, you are right...I shall go and tell the cook to prepare Thor's favorite meal for supper."
And with that Frigga was gone, her grief poured back into herself unill the next time she could not contain it.
Odin stared at the suffering garden, his own, unbidden, memories bubbling up. A five year old Loki ridding high on his (Odin's) broad shoulders, struggling to reach the highest bough on the apple tree in the garden, its fruit was to be a present for Frigga.
Odin sighed, in the end, he reasoned, it would be less painful for Frigga, his beloved wife, to think Loki dead, rather than to know he was alive and that she could not see him.
But that didn't mean Odin did not miss Loki, it was not the same without him. Odin rose, he had a meeting to attend. Life went on.