You took a bite of the chocolate cake after a soft "thank you," to Loki, who was still on his knees in front of you. The cake was the most delicious thing you had ever had in your mouth. It was not only a perfect chocolate cake, but also made with magic as one of the ingredients. There weren't words to describe how amazing it was. No wonder Loki had been saving it for a special occasion.

Your birthday didn't seem special enough.

You hadn't celebrated your birthday in years. Not since Hydra had taken you. Hydra was much more interested in torturing you than celebrating your birthdays.

Loki sank back on his heels, watching you eat your cake with a satisfied smirk. He seemed proud of himself that his offering had been accepted. Like it meant more to him than just a simple birthday present. You couldn't think of what it could mean. It was just a piece of chocolate cake.

The best chocolate cake you had ever eaten.

The team commented on it being your birthday and how they would have gotten you something and a proper cake (Loki's cake was beyond a proper cake thank you very much) and celebrated properly had they know. "You got me an entire wardrobe and apartment furnishings. I think that more than counts as a proper birthday," your mouth replied while your mind was occupied with other things.

Your mind kept trying to come up with a hint of a memory, something you knew from the time before. Your mind kept circling and circling around the memory. I turned twenty today. That was where it started, where the memory was stemming from. That and Loki's words that had followed. That his Sigyn had died twenty years ago to the day.

Then it came to you. A snippet from an excellent cartoon you had watched. The last Avatar had died and the moment he did, the protagonist of the show had been born. Reincarnated.

But that wasn't how the Norse afterlife worked. Warriors hoped to die a glorious death and be chosen by the Valkyrie to be taken to Valhalla to await Ragnarok in Odin's hall. Freya took her half of the warriors to Folkvangr. The rest of the dead went to Hel with the exception of those who died at sea, who went to Ran's realm. Four realms. Four afterlives. No reincarnation.

And yet.

Loki had lost his Sigyn on the same day you had been born. You who had the same name; to come into his life twenty years to the day later. It was too much of a coincidence.

You were pulled from your thoughts by Stark finally breaking free from being sat on by Nat to make a snide comment. "Is no one going to say anything about how the god who made everyone in Stuttgart, Germany kneel before him is on his knees in front of one girl?" Stark demanded incredulously, clearly thinking there was a joke there that needed to be made.

"Lady, if you'll excuse me for just a moment," Loki said to you politely. He got to his feet with feline grace and strode over to Stark in one fluid motion. Without breaking his stride, he picked Stark up by the throat and made his way over to the nearest window, through which he proceeded to defenestrate Stark.

You couldn't help your gasp of shock as Stark went flying out the window. You heard the glass shatter, saw Stark go flying. No one seemed shocked, or seemed to care. You started to jump to your feet, unsure what you would do, but needing to do something. A hand held your shoulder, pushing you back down on the couch. "Wait," a clone of Loki told you calmly while the real Loki took a step away from the window, dusting off his hands.

Bruce calmly made a tally mark on a nearby whiteboard as an Ironman suit went flying out the window to go rescue Stark. "This is a common occurrence around here," Nat reassured you. "Stark offends someone on a daily basis, hence the tally board for who has defenestrated him the most times. I'm starting to think he finds it fun,"

"I assure you I do not find it fun, Romanoff," Stark replied as he flew back in the window. "Reindeer Games, fix the window," he added as he stepped out of his suit. Loki gestured and the window repaired itself. Loki came back over and resumed his spot next to you on the couch as if nothing had happened.

It was definitely going to be an experience living with the team.

*

When the hour got late, Loki offered to walk you back up to your room. You took him up on the offer and bid goodnight to the rest of the team, ready to head to bed. As you were riding the elevator back up to your floor with Loki, the memory from earlier came back into your mind and started bothering you again.

That same memory wouldn't leave you alone. There was something to it. There had to be. It was just too coincidental otherwise.

"It's not a coincidence that I was born the day your Sigyn died, is it?" You asked Loki softly. You were watching him carefully, watching his expression, watching for any change in his demeanor.

All of his attention had been on you. So you didn't miss the slight flinch at your question, the slight hesitation, the slight look like he was cornered into answering before he finally did. He finally inclined his head in agreement. "No, Lady, it was not a coincidence," he let the words hang, waiting to see what you would do with that information.

What would you do with that information?

What did it all mean?

"I'm not her," you said just as softly, just as carefully. You needed to get that point across now, before things... escalated. Before you could even think of things escalating. You had to make sure that he understood, you weren't her. You weren't a replacement for her. You weren't a comparison to her. You were your own person.

He inclined his head again. "I understand that, drotning. Her soul resides within you, but you are your own person. A person that I would very much like to get to know, if you will permit me?"

Her soul resides within you. You would have to dissect those words later. For now...

You nodded and gave him a smile that you hoped was warm and reassuring. "I'd like to get to know you too,"