Based on the Avengers Academy game

"I really don't see the purpose in bringing me here, brother. What benefit could I possibly find amongst immature and misguided youths with the ridiculous idea that they could one day be something called...an Avenger? Is that right?"

"Yes," Thor sighed, annoyed that he had already answered this question more than a dozen times, though admittedly impressed that Loki had managed to phrase it completely differently each time.

"That was actually two distinct questions."

"You need oversight and attention that father believes you will find here at the Academy with me. You will receive an education in mastery of your skill, but also how to be a part of a team, Loki." Thor stopped at the entrance to the grounds with a hand resting on the gate, "there is more power and greatness within a group of comrades than any that you can find alone."

"Blah, blah, blah," Loki sneered, "always the righteous one. Just open the gate so that I can see this marvel for myself before I turn it down and return home. It's unbearably hot here."

"So, you're Frosty."

Loki spun on his heel at the sound of your voice, stopping abruptly at the sight of you on the other side of the wire gate. Thor smiled and watched, still not allowing his brother to pass. "I'm sorry, did you call me Frosty?"

"Well, the outfit gives it away," you nodded. "You're not exactly dressed for the weather, and with Thor as your babysitter...you have to be Loki."

"You have me at a disadvantage. Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry," you smiled, extending a hand through the bars, "I'm (Y/N)."

"(Y/N)," Loki repeated, finally taking your hand into a firm shake. "Would you be so kind as to open the gate? We could continue on this way, but our interaction might be easier on the same side."

"Interesting choice of phrasing, don't you agree, Thor? Same side?"

Your Asgardian friend finally opened the gate to allow his brother entry to the campus despite Loki's groaning and complaining with each step. He had a mischief about him that Thor had amply warned everyone about, but you had to see it for yourself, being the current resident troublemaker and Tony's best friend. Tony was the one who had sent you in to size up the competition and you eagerly complied.

"Is it always this hot?" Loki sighed, pulling at the collar of his heavily layered shirt and coat. "It's nearly unbearable."

"So take it off," you shrugged. "I can take you shopping if you want. I'm sure we could find something to make you look good. Oh! Tony just finished construction on a campus pool last week, but no one's used it yet. That would definitely cool you down. We could buy some swim trunks too. I think we should be able to find something other than that dreary green you have on now."

Loki stopped and turned to Thor as you continued on, pulling in closer to whisper so that you wouldn't hear, "is she always this energetic? Does she not ever stop talking?"

"I heard that," you smiled to yourself, still walking farther from the pair. Your voice didn't carry through the air, but rather directly into Loki's mind, jolting him at the sensation.

"(Y/N) is a telepath, brother. There's no need to whisper, she'll always hear you."

~~~

After convincing Loki to let you take him to the Academy store, you pushed him through each section until finally coming to the swimwear, where he immediately appeared uncomfortable and began to push back on your idea for battling the heat. When he asked Thor to help get him out of the dire situation, he would only stand at the sidelines and laugh, believing that you might actually be good for his brother.

"You're so pale. Do you ever see the sun?"

"I can't say that sunbathing is high on my list of priorities, (Y/N)," he grumbled, crinkling his nose in distaste at the trunks you were holding up for him. "Am I expected to be without a shirt?"

"We can get you a shirt," you smiled, "no problem at all." You pushed a few hangars around and searched the options, finally deciding on a very bright and definitely not brooding or god-like pattern. "How about this one? It says, 'I'm here because (Y/N)'s making me have fun and I don't like it one bit'."

"No."

"Well, the only dark and dreary that we have is this black speedo." You held up the tight swimwear and his eyes widened even more at the lack of material, finally groaning and ripping the shirt and trunks from your hands. "Great! Fun-loving Loki it is!" you clapped excitedly. "Let's get you cooled off!"

Thor moved next to you as you both watched Loki drag his feet to the changing room, wrapping a heavy arm over your shoulders with a boisterous laugh. "He's going to make you pay for this in some way, you do understand that?"

"I know exactly what he plans to do, T-Hammer," you tapped your finger on your temple with a wide grin. "I heard everything."

~~~

When the three of you arrived at the new pool, Tony had a grand opening party well underway, which you knew was happening when you had made the suggestion to Loki to use the facility. You thought that it would be a good way to welcome him to the Academy and maybe even get him to see that trickery and plotting weren't always necessary; that maybe he could make friends if he would allow himself to.

"Who's the new guy?" Tony called out to you, jogging along the poolside to meet your group. "Woah...he's...colorful..."

"It was not by my choice," Loki groaned, pointing at you, "but forced upon me by your teammate here."

"I just thought it would be an easy way to keep our eyes on you, that's all."

"Why do you believe that you would need to do that? I have done nothing to warrant that sort of surveillance."

"Well, not yet," you smirked. "We can't have you thinking you can drain Tony's new pool and ruin his party before you even have a chance to try it out. Why did we buy you this fabulous outfit if you weren't going to get it wet?"

Loki's eyes widened and he was taken aback, clearly forgetting that you could hear what he was thinking. When his senses returned, he opened his mouth to argue and his hands began to raise, but you had him right where you wanted him; you lunged forward and wrapped your arms around his waist, taking you both into the pool before he could think to stop you.

The crowd stood and laughed, cheering you on as you both surfaced and he struggled his way out of the water. Tony nudged Thor with an elbow while he watched and leaned in to whisper, though you heard his every word in your mind.

"Didn't you warn your brother that we already had a troublemaker here?"

"I felt it best to let him find that out for himself," Thor nodded to you. "She may be the exact education that my brother needs."

Part 2

It didn't take more than a few seconds to realize that you had maybe gone too far; Loki had hurried to his room so fast that you almost missed it, pulling yourself out of the pool and turning to see the last sight of him just before reaching the entry to the building. You immediately felt a wave of guilt, despite having been told by Thor that his brother enjoyed tricks and it would have gone much better than this. In fact, Thor stood only a few feet away now, laughing along with Tony until he caught your angry expression staring back at him; when he silenced, Stark followed suit, quickly creating a hush over the entire pool area.

"You said he would think this was funny," you scolded him, poking your finger into his impressive chest. "Now I just feel bad."

"My brother will get over it, as you say."

"I'm going to find him to apologize."

"(Y/N), you're just ruining the joke if you do that," Tony groaned, "so just let the guy cool off- wait, you already did that. So...let him warm up again, then, I don't know. Either way, he's a big boy and doesn't need you to coddle him."

"I'm not coddling him, Tony. I'm making amends for being a jerk. You might want to take notice and learn something from it."

~~~

You had held your resolve as you crossed the pool deck and passed through the main entry into the building; you had even held your composure in the elevator and down the ridiculously long hallway to Loki's room. With your firm convictions set, you couldn't understand why your hand was shaking so violently as it hovered just inches from connection with the door to get his attention. You had taken responsibility for things like this before; for jokes gone a step or two too far or pranks that didn't end quite as planned, but this felt different. You barely knew Loki and you should have known better than to put him into this position so early on. You tried to justify it by telling yourself that you were just getting him before he got you, but it did nothing to help, and when you finally found the will to knock, it was anything but commanding.

"Go away, Thor. I am not in the mood to tolerate your ridicule."

"No, Loki, it's me. Not Thor."

"Oh, that is so much worse!" he called out to you, the door still tightly closed between you. "I am certainly not about to tolerate anything that you might have to say. Have you not done enough for one day?"

"I'm here to apologize, I swear." You watched the door expectantly, hoping that the admission would be taken as truth, but your only answer from him was a heavy silence that made the beating of your heart so much louder in your ears. "Loki?"

Several more agonizing minutes passed before a slow creak of the hinges snapped you to attention, eagerly watching the door open to reveal a defeated god looking back at you as if you might strike out at him again at any second. "Okay. So...apologize," he offered quietly.

"Loki, I'm really, really sorry-"

The door slammed closed in your face with a jarring hit that made you take a few steps back in wide-eyed disbelief. Now there was a rush of adrenaline coursing though you at the blatant disregard, and you weren't about to stand by and let him get away with it. "Hey! You don't have to be such a jerk about it! I'm trying to be sincere!"

"How am I to know sincerity from cynicism when all that I have received from you is the latter? You surely must be able to appreciate my apprehension at extending you my trust."

You could certainly see his point. "Alright," you answered, stepping next to the door so that he could hear you, "so then tell me, how do I earn your trust if you're not willing to let me try?" He didn't answer readily again, but you didn't really expect him to, either; you could hear the muddled thoughts in his mind and quickly blocked them, feeling strangely intrusive to be listening in. With a long sigh, you leaned up against his door, tilting your head to give you a better vantage point to hear him through it. "I really mean it. I'm sorry that I threw you into the pool."

"Is that all?" came his quiet voice through the tiny space between the door and the frame.

"I'm sorry that I made you wear that ridiculous shirt. I will definitely keep my mouth shut about the dark and dreary. You know you, so who am I to argue?"

"And?"

You furrowed your brow, struggling and searching you mind for what other indiscretions that you would have to ask his forgiveness for. You were tempted to drop your barrier and just take the answer from his mind, but instead, you wracked your brain for everything you had said and done since his arrival to the Academy. "Aaaaand...I'm sorry that I called you Frosty."

Catching yourself before you fell into the room when he finally opened the door again, you hurried to attention and took a step back, cautious and a little guarded. He did the first polite thing that you had seen from him since you had met, reaching out and wrapping an arm around your waist to keep you from stumbling. "Now, now, darling," he smiled mischievously, "do you always fall for the bad boys so readily?"

"Wow, that was so...lame," you smiled softly, pushing out of his grip, but he didn't give in easily, instead taking your hand and pulling you into his room before you could try to argue, slamming the door behind you both once inside.

"Hmm, yes...well, I shall endeavor to properly impress you then. But first, I have a few ideas that I would like to discuss. It's not often that I find someone who shares in my love of trickery, and I believe that if we were to join in our efforts, the one called Stark will see that his reign is over."