"Loki, this isn't mischief, or fun," you complained after a few hours of dagger and hand to hand combat lessons in one of the training rooms. You swore it was hours of training. You didn't do training. You read and did homework and were a nerd. That was it. You didn't sweat or exercise or do things. You swore Loki was trying to kill you.

"Not yet, it's not," he agreed with a chuckle. "You fail to see the long term fun here, darling." You fwumped down on the mats, exhausted, and guzzled the water that appeared next to you. You weren't sure you remembered how to move. Or think. Or breathe. You wanted to pass out and die. That might help you breathe. Or at least you wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

"And what... long term.. fun.. is that?" you asked him panting as you tried desperately to breathe. Why was breathing so difficult? That was one physical activity you could usually do without trouble. Usually.

"No one knows that I am teaching you, besides that uncle of yours, who is only aware that I showed you a party trick. Imagine Director Fury's surprise the next time you play victim for him, when you can actually defend yourself," Loki cooed, trying to entice you into continuing to train with him. "Besides, this is the only mischief I am willing to let you try to get away with, with your freedom on the line," he reminded you that you were very much grounded.

"This isn't mischief," you grumbled at him.

He laughed. "It got you to practice," he replied with a smirk. It had all been a trick to make you train. Annoying god.

"Trickster," you grumbled again, making him laugh even harder.

He finally stopped laughing and offered you a hand to help you back up. You let him haul you back to your feet. You were sure you didn't help him at all in that endeavor. Your limbs felt like limp noodles.

"One more round, my darling. You need to practice to be able to hold your own against ... supers," he reminded you, trying out the new word. He didn't seem to much like it and nearly spat it out.

"No more rounds," you groaned. Your limbs already felt like jelly. You wanted to lie down in your bed and never get up again. That was reasonable, right?

"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement," he suggested, his voice a purr. You looked up, interested despite your exhaustion.

"What kind of arrangement?" you asked warily, rising to the bait as you were too curious for your own good. You should've known better.

He smiled, clearly pleased you were taking the bait. "One more round and I will give you a massage, help you ease those sore muscles," he offered, his voice enticing.

That sounded lovely. You could lie in one spot while he rubbed your sore muscles. "Fine," you moaned, it really was a very tempting offer.

You took your stance and the sparring match began again. You somehow made it another round and a half before you were so tired that you were making stupid mistakes and nearly got yourself impaled. Loki vanished the dagger just in time to avoid killing you, for which you were eternally grateful. He vanished your dagger as well, just to be safe. You looked up at him with a mix of battle haze and exhaustion, your hands automatically forming fists as you raised them to protect myself. He'd at least drilled that into your head.

"Enough, love, that is enough," he held his hands up in surrender. It was then that you could finally relax, finally lower your guard, finally accept that the sparring was over. "You did well," he told you and you heard the pride in his voice. He wrapped an arm around your waist and guided you back to your room. Or at least he started to. You only took a couple of steps before he teleported the pair of you to your bedroom. "Go shower, then I will give you that massage I promised," he pushed you gently towards the bathroom.

You noted how he was refusing to go anywhere near your shower. He recognized that you weren't of age. Nor were you in any shape to consent if you were. You turned 18 soon and Loki was 18 by Midgardian standards. He'd gone through the math with you one day when you were both bored.

You took a shower that was hot enough to burn a dragon, but that was the only way to ease your sore muscles enough to keep functioning. Why had you let him talk you in to nearly four hours of weapons training? You weren't in shape enough for that. You knew better. You were usually much more logical than that.

He'd been really persistent.

You stumbled back out into your bedroom in a fresh tank top and pajama pants. You found Loki sitting on your bed, wearing only pajama pants. His raven hair was still wet; he'd clearly showered too. He patted the bed beside him. You took a moment to admire the view of him shirtless before you sat down nervously. He coaxed you to lie on your stomach and soon his expert fingers were kneading the sore muscles in your back. You purred and melted under his touch, even as he got the painful knots out of your back.

He pulled the blanket up over you when he had finished and you were practically asleep. You tried to sit up, but he just chuckled and pushed you back down. "Rest, love. I am proud of you, you have done a warrior's work today. I will wake you for dinner." He kissed your forehead. "Though I am sorry I pushed you too hard. I just know that I cannot always be around to protect you and I wish for you to be able to protect yourself." With that, you drifted off to sleep, exhausted by too much strain on your bookworm body.

Loki woke you a few hours later. "Helene has sent word that dinner is ready," he told you gently when you cracked open your eyes to look at him and see why he was disturbing your nap. You growled, but nodded and managed to get yourself out of bed. At least your muscles were way less sore than you had anticipated, though you were still sore. You walked to one of you dressers to find real clothes. "May I be of assistance?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes, reaching a hand out to you. You didn't know what he had planned, but you took his hand anyway. You trusted him, even if most people wouldn't. A moment later, green light shimmered over you and you were suddenly wearing a black and green floor length gown that looked like it came out of a fantasy realm or the renaissance festival and your hair was done in perfect coils down your back.

"Loki!" you exclaimed in mock exasperation as you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. "This isn't practical," you reminded him. The dress was lovely, but not at all practical. Loki rolled his eyes.

"But you look so beautiful," he whined his protest with a grin. He liked seeing you like that.

"Another night, Trickster," you told him firmly. After weeks of being his friend you knew how to talk to him. "There is a... ball... my school is hosting in a couple months' time." You figured 'ball' was close enough of an explanation to explain the prom to him.

"You will wear the dress then?" he asked, seeming pleased by that development.

"Only if you agree to go to the ball with me," you replied with a smirk of your own. Two could play at that game. If he wanted you to wear the dress, he would have to go to prom with you. That was fair.

"I would not have it any other way," he replied and bowed over your hand to kiss your knuckles. As he did, the green glow enveloped you again and you were in jeans, a hoodie that smelled remarkably of him, and fuzzy socks. He had noticed that you got cold easily. Of course he had, he was too observant for his own good most of the time.

"Thank you," you told him as you cuddled in his hoodie. "Can you teleport us downstairs?" you asked with childlike glee. You hadn't gotten to experience much of anyone's powers. They were never used with you except in training and that was boring. He chuckled at your glee.

"Very well," he replied. He wrapped an arm around you and held you tightly to him. You didn't know if he really needed you so close to teleport us, but you wouldn't ask for fear he'd see it as complaining. The green light enveloped you and you were suddenly on the first floor, standing right outside the kitchen. "Go get your dinner," he told you as he let you go.

"Why do you always do that?" You asked him. Your curiosity got the better of you and you had to know. You had kept putting off asking, but finally had the courage tonight.

"Always do what?" he asked, all innocence.

You sighed and rolled your eyes at him, knowing he was avoiding the question. "Not come to get dinner until after I have my plate and I'm sitting at our table," you clarified, though he knew perfectly well what you meant. He really had just wanted to avoid answering the question.

"To model good behavior for the others? To show respect?" he replied. There were multiple reasons and it wasn't just a flippant answer. He paused before he gave you the real answer. "When I first got here, I was warned to let you eat first. The supers are all surprisingly protective of you. Helene makes your meals first, even though she should cater to those more powerful. Where I come from the most powerful or highest ranking eats first. But they chose to give that honor to you."

You weren't quite sure you entirely understood his sentiment, but you smiled, nodding your acceptance of his words and how he meant it as a courtesy. You went to get your plate from Helene and took your usual spot in the dining room. Loki joined you a minute later. You both devoured Helene's delicious dinner. The day's exercise had made you both starving. Helene grinned at you when you asked her if there was any more after your first plate was gone. You had a feeling that she was beyond delighted to be able to feed you seconds. Loki stood when you entered the room again and you blushed at the old fashioned courtesy and took your seat again quickly.

"Should we watch movies upstairs tonight, so you don't have as far to carry me to my bed?" you asked him with a grin.

"I was wondering when you would get around to asking about last night," he commented calmly and dryly. His dry tone made it clear that nothing had happened. Which you already knew.

"So, what happened?" you asked gently. You did want to know the whole story instead of just what you remembered of the night.

"I carried you to bed, that is all," he sounded hurt by that, like you hadn't trusted him.

That wasn't what you meant at all and you backtracked quickly. "I'm not implying more happened," you told him firmly. "I was trying to find out why. You didn't have to do that,"

"I wasn't going to let you stay around those drunkards," he replied with temper in his voice. "It wasn't safe and I didn't much feel like bashing all of their heads in for indecent thoughts or actions towards you, but I didn't want to wake you, either. You seemed so peaceful. So I took you to bed," he added. He kept talking, his nerves making him over explain.

"Thank you," you offered him a warm smile. "That was very kind of you,"

"Anytime, love."

With that, you finished your dinners, took your plates back to Helene and strolled back upstairs to your sitting-room. You had the nicer furniture and the better TV so you went to your room instead of Loki's. Loki had to spend the evening with you regardless, twenty-four hour surveillance and all, so you might as well be comfortable.

You found a superhero movie on your DVD rack and set it up, before taking a spot on your couch. Loki sat with his arm on the back of the couch, an open invitation for you to snuggle up against him, which you did the moment the movie started, curling yourself against him and laying your head on his chest. He ran his fingers through your hair as you watched the movie.

You leaned up after the first movie, amazed that you'd been able to hold out that long. Loki looked down at you, concerned when you moved. You just smiled and sat up a little further so you could kiss him. You felt his smile as he shifted his arms to hold you more securely while he kissed you back. The kisses were gentle and chaste. He was a perfect gentleman and didn't push past kissing, for which you were grateful. You weren't ready for more. Not yet. You, however, greatly enjoyed your evening of kisses and movies.