PART 3 of the "AVENGERS ACADEMY" series. This series is now on HIATUS but I have plenty of ideas. This is pre-Tony/Loki and FrostIron will be the endgame pairing for the series, however throughout there will be multiple pairings for both boys. Thanks for reading!
"Tony, get up," said Jan as she shook Tony's shoulder.
"What? Jan? What are you doing here?" he slurred out as he propped himself against the headboard.
"I know you're probably exhausted from all the dancing yesterday, but remember we got a prince visiting us today and Pepper told me he'll be arriving within the hour."
"Right. Loki. Prince. Tour," mumbled Tony as he forced himself out of bed and made his way to the connecting bathroom.
"I have coffee and muffins in the kitchen. Hurry up."
"Thanks, Jan," was Tony's muffled reply.
Forty minutes later had them waiting alongside Pepper and surprisingly Fury by the school gates.
"Are you sure that it was okay to bring the gauntlet and boots?" Tony asked Jan once more.
"I keep telling you that you should always wear them. You never know when they'll come in handy and they match your jacket really well."
Tony let out a snort. "Of course they match my jacket, you made my jacket." Janet just let out a pleased grin.
"And why are you here Director? Don't trust us to show the new kid around?"
"Wow you really are a genius, Stark. That's precisely why I'm here," drawled out Fury with heavy sarcasm. Tony just rolled his eyes. He was about to give his own snarky reply but was cut off when a large beam of light descended from the sky. Once all the rainbows and special effects calmed down they were greeted to the sight of a tall, large man in a velvet red coat with white fur fringes. Atop his head was a large golden helmet shaped like ram horns, he also had a long white beard, reminiscent of Santa Claus and a black eye patch reminiscent of Fury.
(Tony tried his absolute hardest not to laugh)
Next to him was Loki. Loki was dressed in emerald-colored pants and vest with a long green coat that came down to mid-thigh. He had a yellow shirt, black tie, and white fur accents on his lapel. He had black hair that curled around his ears and fell closer to his shoulders and bright green eyes. His skin was pale and smooth and his face had sharp cheekbones that Tony wanted to nibble on. He wasn't as tall as Odin but he was definitely taller than Tony, even with the Iron Man boots.
(Tony tried his absolute hardest not to drool)
"King Odin," Fury greeted with a nod and a handshake.
"Director, I hope you and your students have not been waiting too long?"
"Not too long, no. Will you be staying for a tour of the school?"
Loki already looked bored at the proceedings as he just kept checking his nails.
"I trust that everything we have discussed has been put forward so I shan't need the tour. My son, however, would be delighted."
"Of course I would be, father," drawled out Loki without any enthusiasm whatsoever. He walked away from the Celtic crop circle on the ground and went over to Pepper, Tony, and Janet. Janet was busy taking a million pictures that she did not really notice when Loki stopped right in front of her and scowl at her phone.
"What is that?" Loki asked pointing to Jan's cell before any of the students could greet him.
"Oh! This is my phone. Communication and storage device, among other things," said Jan as she sidled up next to Loki. "Say 'cheese'!"
Loki was barely able to say the word 'what' before Jan clicked a picture of them. Loki looked confused and a bit ridiculous as he was mid-word while Jan had a large, beaming smile on her face.
"Don't mind Jan," said Tony while Pepper started berating Jan. "Hi, I'm Tony Stark aka Iron Man. That's Janet Van Dyne aka the Wasp and that's Pepper," Tony continued as he pointed at each girl, "Pepper Potts is administrative while Jan and I are students." Loki just stared at Tony with a pleased but bordering on bored expression.
"I will be taking my leave now, Loki," cut in Odin as he turned his attention to his son.
"Fare thee well, father," said Loki. "Best wishes to mother."
Odin just nodded and shook Fury's hand again before the rainbow descended from the sky once more.
"So, phone? Sounds like you've never seen one before. Lucky for you I anticipated something like that and decided to get one for you," cheerfully added Tony once Odin was truly gone. He took out an extra StarkPhone from his pocket and started showing Loki the basics on how to use one. He was really trying to ignore Janet as she snapped photo after photo of them with their heads turned toward one another.
"So I already programmed my number and Janet's and Pepper's in case you ever need to contact one of us or just want to hang out. You can call or text," he continued on to say as he showed Loki how to perform both features. "You can also take pictures like Jan was doing," said Tony as he switched to the camera app, "and you can also listen to music and watch videos online and everything. Sorry I know this is a lot, and there really is more where that came from but I feel like you're a smart guy and will probably figure it out on your own."
Loki let out a pleased grin at that admission. "You would be correct, but I will endeavor to contact you if I need a more expert touch," Loki teased with glowing emerald eyes. Tony just gulped and handed the phone to Loki. Tony tried not to read into the lingering touch from when their fingers met at the exchange.
"I assume you will be the ones to give me a tour?" Loki asked the group in question.
Fury made his way over. "Ms. Potts is in charge. She will help guide you to each building and explain their functions and lastly will show you to your room. Lunch is served at noon and dinner at six in case you want to eat. Welcome to Avengers Academy, Mr. Odinson," finished Fury with a nod.
"Loki, please. Or Prince Loki if you must be formal," responded Loki as he pocketed his StarkPhone and materialized a long, thin staff with a glass orb on top. Not a lot of the residents in Asgard called him by his title so it would be fun to get the mortals to call him as such.
Janet pretended to swoon. "This way Prince Loki," she said with a smile as she started to lead the group toward Dr. Hank Pym's lab.
"Potts, don't forget you're in charge. I'm counting on you to keep them in line," reminded Fury as he headed toward the main administrative building.
"Are you going to be causing mischief?" asked Loki, his eyes dancing in amusement.
"Oh yes, mischief all the way, baby," said Tony as he slung an arm around Loki's shoulders. Loki turned to look at the offending limb and just raised an eyebrow at Tony.
"Right, shouldn't touch the prince without consent. My bad," he apologized with a shit-eating grin. He was totally looking forward to testing his limits with this one.
Pepper just let out a heavy sigh. "Of course Fury would do this to me," she muttered to herself. "Jan and Tony have already taken this tour and I have an information packet for you to read at your leisure later that will actually explain everything. Would you prefer the in-depth tour or just walk around campus to familiarize yourself?" she asked Loki.
"Short version. I will be here for quite some time. I'm sure I will figure it all out eventually."
"Yesssss…" hissed out Jan as she elbowed Tony. "Club time."
Tony just laughed. "Alright Loki, before we get started, do you have dancing up in alien-ville?"
Loki ignored the jibe, but answered. "Yes, we Aesir have quite a few dances. Usually they occur after a banquet. Are we to have one for my arrival?" Loki teased, already knowing the answer was 'no' – he just wanted the mortals to squirm.
"Err, nope, no banquet. But we can eat back at my place and order whatever food you want. I'm sure there is a lot of cuisine you haven't tried yet," replied Tony with a grin.
"I need pictures of your expression whenever you try something new, okay Loki?" asked Janet as she started making a folder in her phone for pictures of Loki's food adventures. She might even go as far and open up a new Instagram account for it.
During this conversation Pepper was just ushering them through campus, but she knew no one was really paying attention. She didn't get paid enough for this and she could just blame Tony and Janet if Fury tried to make a fuss.
Loki could feel his head spin. He hadn't been to Midgard in a long time and he knew that there were many things to learn from a new realm, but the amount of information the two mortals were already filling his head with was getting a bit much. Better to just put it all out of mind for the time being and revisit it later. First dancing, then his room, then food.
"You mentioned dancing?" he cut in easily.
"You bet! Tony and I just finished construction of the best club on campus, Club A," Jan answered enthusiastically. ("It's the only club on campus," muttered Tony - Jan just elbowed him.) "Come on, it's just this way," she said as she turned them around down another sidewalk.
"Hm. Not bad," said Loki as he took in the building before him. He hadn't really known what to expect. The dancing halls of Asgard were large and golden. Most of the club was made out of dark wood, some marble, and sleek metal. "And what is this contraption?" he asked as he made his way to the bar.
"That's ULTRON the bartender. He serves you non-alcoholic beverages. He's a robot with a rudimentary AI built in. Still a work in progress," chattered on Tony nervously. Loki was so smooth and cool and his voice had an accent that reminded him of Great Britain. For some reason he wanted Loki to be impressed.
"A robot?" Loki asked as he peered into ULTRON's face more closely. He faintly heard the sound of another picture being taken.
"It's… damn how do I describe a robot in laymans terms?" Tony mumbled to himself. He tried to dig into his old mythology classes for a substitute. "Do you know what a golem is?" he finally asked.
Loki blinked and turned his head toward Tony in surprise. "Is that what it is?" He hadn't thought that Midgardians had magic, but maybe he was wrong. The little device in his pocket was small and it already could hold images and sounds if the humans were to be believed.
"Sort of, but instead of being made with clay or rock robots are made usually with metal and wires. The AI function, stands for artificial intelligence, is something I programmed to give ULTRON a little personality and to also be able to follow orders or make suggestions. The more people interact with him the more he learns," answered Tony in a rush. He hoped that explanation made sense.
Loki just hummed in contemplation. "I would like to learn more about these 'robots'," he said, the word tasting odd in his mouth.
Tony just looked at him in surprised glee. "Oh we're going to get along great, Loki," he said as he swung his arm around Loki's shoulders. This time Loki just grinned at him back.
"Aww, you two look so cute. Picture time!" Jan took a quick snapshot of Tony and Loki, but this time Loki was prepared and actually left a small grin on his lips. He hadn't really wanted to come to the Academy but his father insisted and the fact that he was going to arrive long before Thor had helped change his mind. This time Loki would be able to gain alliances while Thor rotted away on whatever mission Odin sent him to. It already seemed that these mortals would be a great addition. He was on limited time however since Odin informed him that Amora was going to join soon after his own arrival.
"J, drop a beat," said Tony as he made his way to the dance floor. He was pretty nervous, but he had a lot of fun last night so hopefully Loki wouldn't be a party-pooper.
"C'mon Loki!" exclaimed Janet as she tugged on Loki's arm and dragged him to the dance floor. He allowed himself to be pulled along, not wanting to reveal his true strength or abilities unless he had to.
Pepper just sighed and took out her own phone. After a few updates to Fury she turned and started taking pictures, no doubt Jan would be asking for some later.
"Is that how you Midgardians dance?" he asked as he took in Tony's dance moves. He listened to the music carefully since it also seemed completely different from the kind in Asgard. This music had a heavy bass beat with what sounded like some kind of stringed instrument.
"Midgard-what?" asked Tony, "Is that suppose to mean 'humans'?"
"Midgardian. Since you are from Midgard," answered Loki, as if that actually meant anything.
"Uh, well, we call this planet 'Earth' and we call ourselves 'Earthlings' or 'humans' to be more precise," answered Janet.
"Well, I won't be changing my vernacular, but at least we all know what we mean. Now show me that last move you did again, Armor-Man."
"Iron Man," muttered Tony. He made his dance move again. "You ready to join in?"
"Don't mind if I do," said Loki as he completely ignored Tony's correction of his name. Jan sashayed her way onto the dance floor and danced with Tony for a bit while Loki started his own moves.
Jan let out a low whistle. "Looking good, Loki!"
Loki let out a sharp grin but inwardly he was happy. There weren't many in Asgard who would deign to dance with him and even less who appreciated his moves.
They danced through two more songs before Pepper cut in. "Sorry to break up this love fest, but it's almost lunch time and I still need to get Loki settled in."
The group made their way to ULTRON and got a few drinks. Loki looked at the water bottle and handled it carefully, trying not to crinkle the cheap material too easily.
"Hey, don't you have any stuff? I had to spend several hours just lugging all of Janet's clothes from her car."
Jan let out a huff. "Not all of us can survive on band tees and three pairs of jeans, Tony." Tony just laughed in response.
"Not to worry - I can settle in myself."
"Oh okay. Well I can take you to your dorm now, if you like?" said Pepper as she finally took her eyes from her clipboard.
"That sounds fine," answered Loki, already following the red-head away from the club.
"Would you like to join us for lunch?" asked Tony as he jogged to catch up. "What kind of food do you eat?"
"Lunch sounds delightful. I didn't have a lot of time for breakfast this morning," answered Loki. "I don't have any allergies to food, at least none that I know of, but any variation of bread, beef, cheese, and vegetables should be fine."
Tony let out a big grin. "Pep will get you set up at your room. When you're done come on over to Stark Tower," said Tony as he pointed at his building, "I'll have lunch ready. You think you'll be done in an hour?"
"That sounds like an adequate amount of time," answered Loki.
"See you in a bit, Loki," said Jan as she waved him good-bye. Loki just nodded back.
"So, you seemed pretty cozy with Loki," teased Janet.
Tony could feel his face heat up. They were already at the Tower with JARVIS having a standing order for their meal, hopefully arriving at the same time as Loki so it wouldn't have to sit around too long.
"He's new, like really new, not-born-on-Earth new, of course I'm helping him out," fumbled out Tony as he took off his gauntlet and boots.
"Well, I think you both look cute together."
"Are you really trying to play matchmaker? It's not really fair since he is just the only other person here. At least wait until we have more students so we can have an actual dating pool."
Janet just laughed. "Sure, then you'll have them lined up to date you, right?" she teased.
"Shut up," answered Tony as his cheeks blushed once more. He loved to flirt and he liked people and Loki seemed like an okay guy. However he wasn't sure what to do with a person once he had them. A bit making out and a dance or two seemed fine, but an actual committed relationship? Yeah, that never worked out.
"Aside from that, I was wondering if you could help me with another project."
"A club wasn't enough for you?" said Tony as he sat next to Jan on the couch.
"Nope! We need to constantly improve and make advancements as my mother always says. I want to create a social networking site complete with blogging capabilities and forum space in a closed network solely for Avengers Academy. That way we can post pictures and content all we want without it being accessible to the general public."
"That's...actually an amazing idea, Jan." Tony was the tech wiz but he was mostly interested in hardware not software.
"Well of course it is, I thought of it," she said with a grin.
"So modest."
Jan just lightly shoved Tony in retaliation for his remark. "So, you think you can build something like that?"
"Piece of cake. It'll probably have a few bugs and will require updates once more students make accounts but I can probably throw something together before Amora arrives."
Jan let out a squeal as she threw her arms around Tony in a hug. "Finally I can post all my pictures."
"Sorry to interrupt, Sir. Your meal has arrived via drone and Mr. Odinson is in the elevator approaching this floor. ETA 1 minute."
"Thanks, J. Perfect timing, little fella," said Tony to the drone as he took their meal.
"I didn't even ask you what you ordered," said Jan as she walked over and helped Tony carry everything inside.
"Take a guess. What food contains bread, beef, and cheese, with a side of vegetables?"
"Oh my god. Are you serious? The first earth meal that Loki is going to eat and you ordered cheeseburgers?"
"And fries. And milkshakes with apple pie for dessert."
"I'm actually not sure if I'm appalled or not," said Jan as she unpacked their meal on the kitchen table.
At that moment the elevator opened. "Hey Loki, glad you could make it. Come and join us." Loki made his way over and sat opposite from Janet but next to Tony as he sat at the head of the table.
"So this is yours," said Tony as he passed the unwrapped cheeseburger for Loki, leaving the fries to the side. Next to the milkshake he placed another water bottle just in case. "This is what we call a 'cheeseburger'," continued on to say Tony as he took his own burger into his hands.
Loki observed Tony for a second before realizing this kind of dish did not require utensils to eat with so decided to follow suit and picked up his own burger and took a bite. Janet was already taking a few pictures waiting for his reaction.
Loki chewed for a bit trying to take in the different flavors.
"Well?" asked Tony eagerly. He set his own burger aside in order to observe Loki.
"It is adequate and different. What's in it?"
Tony let out a smile. "Well, first I'm glad that it didn't poison you. Secondly, it has what you asked for: beef, bread, and cheese. Other toppings include grilled onions, ketchup - which is a tomato based paste byproduct, and lettuce."
Loki hummed after taking another bite. "And these?" he asked as he grabbed a fry delicately between his fingers.
"That's a french fry. Not necessarily French, but that's what we call it. It's a fried potato since you also requested vegetables," answered Tony with mirth in his voice.
Loki took a small nibble. The fry was crispy on the outside, but warm and soft inside with a salty after taste.
"Here," said Tony as he opened a few ketchup packets and squeezed it onto the burger wrapper next to Loki's fries. "Try dipping it lightly in ketchup and then eating it. Most people prefer it this way."
Loki did as instructed and found he did like it. "My, my - you Midgardians come up with the most interesting cuisine."
"I would hardly consider cheeseburgers cuisine," jokingly cut in Jan. "It's actually cheap -"
"Ah, ah, ah. Don't listen to Jan," interrupted Tony. "Cheeseburgers are a classic and some can get pretty creative. I went simple this time, but if you liked it, we can always try some fancy ones from other places."
"I do like it so I may take you up on that, Armor Man," replied Loki, taking a huge bite soon after.
Jan just shook her head lightly as she bit into her chicken sandwich - she wasn't big on beef.
"And this?" asked Loki as he reached for his milkshake.
"Also hope you're not allergic - it's a milkshake, sweet and a little thick - try it," urged Tony as he reached for his own cup and sucked on the straw. Loki stared for a while before grabbing his own cup.
His eyes lit up in delight after taking a sip. Without a word he continued to suck in the milkshake until it was empty. Both Jan and Tony looked at him with a mixture of amusement and horror in their eyes.
"I take it you liked it," said Tony, amusement winning over horror. Jan just slid her own milkshake over to Loki.
"Here, you can have mine. I bet you'll enjoy it more than I would."
"Thank you," murmured Loki, his cheeks a rosy color. He continued to eat his burger instead.
They ate in silence for a while until Jan's phone lit up. "Sorry boys, have to take this," she said as she stood and walked out of the room.
"Do you just allow her to enter any room she wishes?" asked Loki as he moved the rest of his burger away and was sipping at the new milkshake.
"Certain rooms are closed to guests but for the most part, yeah, she's my friend and I trust her," replied Tony nonchalantly.
Loki looked interested. "I see. Do you have much to hide here?"
Tony's gaze sharpened for a moment before softening back into something warm and friendly. "Course I do, don't most people have things they hide?"
Loki just hummed, a large grin overtaking his face. "Indeed."
Tony finished the rest of his meal and brought out the apple pie. "Got room for dessert?"
Loki took in his own slice and found that Tony had brought over utensils this time. "Always," he answered.
"Apple pie."
Loki didn't say anything but instead took a bite of the dessert. It was miraculously still warm. "Not as good as the milkshake but I do enjoy it," he replied. Tony let out a small 'whoop'.
"So, on a scale of one-to-ten, what you would rate your Earthly-cuisine?"
Loki thought for a moment. "The cheeseburger a 7, fries an 8, milkshake 10 and apple pie 8," answered Loki seriously.
Tony just grinned widely. "Glad to hear it! Maybe we can do this again sometime," he said a little softer.
"Are you asking me on a date, Armor Man?" teased Loki, his eyes bright and delighted.
"Maybe. You interested?"
Loki hummed for a moment in thought. "Perhaps. I will let you know," he answered ambigiously.
"I'm back!" announced Jan as she entered the room. She could feel the air hung with some sort of tension but she could not place it. "What'd I miss?" she asked as she shoved aside the rest of her meal and pulled her pie piece closer to her.
Loki and Tony just stared at each other a bit heatedly, but didn't answer.
"Seriously, did something happen?" Jan asked again.
"No," Loki answered succinctly. "Thank you again for the meal," he continued on to say as he stood up. "Until next time."
Tony stared at him, a promise in his eyes. "Yes, definately next time," he said as he shot Loki a smirk.
"Uh, bye I guess," said Jan as Loki exited.
"JARVIS, make sure that Loki leaves the building and doesn't try to sneak in anywhere," said Tony suddenly.
"Of course, Sir."
"Tony?"
"Yeah, Jan?"
"Really?"
"What?" Tony asked defensively. "He insinuated that I had things to hide, which I do, and I don't want him snooping around."
Jan just laughed. "Alright, Tony. So you and Loki?" she asked with a gleam in her eyes, ready to hear any juicy gossip.
"Maybe," Tony teased out. "He seems interesting, so we'll see."
Jan let out a small squeal. "You two would look amazing together, just saying."
Tony just grinned in reply. They sure would.
END.