"HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAY!" Mike and Frankie croon as they walk into the back room, and I smile up at them as I pick up my purse and coat—getting ready to leave.

"Here you are," says Franke as she hands a small, decorative bag to me.

"Awww, you shouldn't have!" I say as I lean forward for a hug.

"Well, open it before you thank me!" she says from over my shoulder.

"I'm thankful regardless of what it is!" I say laughingly as I pull back, and start ruffling through the bag. At the very bottom, I beam at a pair of small, C-shaped earrings with tiny little gems at the top. "Oh my goodness—they're beautiful, Frankie!" I smile up at her, and lean in for another hug.

"My turn," says Mike, stepping forward and handing me his own little bag.

I pull the paper out of it next, and find a little bracelet at the bottom—with gems exactly like the earrings. "Is this a matching set!?" I look up at them, and Mike nods. I tilt my head graciously and lean forward for a hug. "Thank you so much—both of you, these are amazing."

"Are you doing anything special tonight?" Mike asks.

"Yeah," I nod. "I'm going to go home, freshen up, and then head out to Stark tower."

"Ahh," says Frankie. "Aren't worried about running into Daniel?"

I shake my head. "Even if I do, he should be the one worried about running into me—not the other way around."

"Good," Frankie drops her chin with approval. "Good—that's exactly how you should be thinking about it."

"Thanks," I grin, and gesture to the door. "Anyway, I need to head out, they'll be waiting for me soon!"

"Alright dude," she says as I head toward it. "Have a great time tonight!"

"Yeah, have fun!" Mike adds.

"Thanks you guys," I smile at them as I turn back one last time before leaving. "I'll see you guys later!"

I have just enough time after work to hurry back to my apartment and get ready for the birthday party. I might've thought we'd have it at my apartment, but Pepper offered to organize it at Stark tower—we were in agreement that there'd be much more room up there anyway.

My stay with the Asgardians only lasted a couple of days—I refused to impose any longer than that, even though I thoroughly enjoyed waking up every morning to the sight and smell of scrambled eggs and Norse gods in the kitchen. Somehow, it just made me feel grateful to know them, and even more so to befriend them. They really are such kind, incredible people. Even Loki, I think, though he's more reclusive—at times abrasive—than the rest, and I haven't had as much of a chance to interact with him because of that.

All in all, the world is different now—stranger—and much more magical than it was before. And at this point in time, I couldn't be happier to be alive. Good thing it's the perfect occasion to celebrate just that!

A contented smile grows on my face as I peer into the mirror, thinking about how I'm about to go see them all, and have an incredible night. Instead of letting my hair curl naturally, I blow dried and used my round brush to re-curl it. Giant waves are now tumbling over the open shoulders of the dress I picked tonight, which is floor-length and purple—as per the dress code, apart from color. That, I picked accordingly with what I thought my blonde hair would look semi nice flowing over.

Evidently Pepper's inviting quite a few more people over and making an entire scene of this, and if there's one thing I know about the events that Pepper organizes, it's that they're always breathtaking and extravagant.

Though Stark tower's technically walking distance away from me, I take a taxi to it—throwing on my nicest black trench coat on my way out. The man at the front desk nods slightly and wishes me a happy birthday as I walk up, and I take a deep breath as I ride up alone in the elevator.

I start hearing the music even before the doors open, and the sound of people—lots of people. I raise a brow for a moment, wondering if even the vastness of Stark Tower could handle that many people. The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors open with a quiet 'ding.'

I look out into the crowd standing dispersedly across the flat—talking, laughing, and eating. Immediately, I gape inwardly at how nice they're all dressed. I'd wondered if maybe I had overdressed a bit, but it seems I actually underdressed. There's a hell of a lot more jewelry and other accessories in this room than I'd prepared for.

"Lady Cerys!" I hear Thor's voice, and a smile explodes on my face as I turn and see him coming over to me. "Happy birthday, dear friend!" he says, throwing his arms around me for a hug.

"Thank you!" I say, laughing gleefully a bit as he lifts me off the ground enthusiastically, and sets me down.

"Happy birthday, Cerys!" Sif says as she comes up behind Thor—followed by Heimdall. Sif is wearing an elegant red dress, and the guys are wearing suits.

One by one, they all give me a hug, and shower me with kind birthday wishes and gifts. A beautiful scarf from Sif, a pair of dancing shoes from Thor, and a very fancy bottle of perfume from Heimdall. I recoil shyly just a bit, not knowing how to express my deep gratitude for it all. I must've said a million thank-you's in the scope of ten minutes.

"Is..." I pause, glancing around. "Is Loki here?" I ask them.

"Oh he's here somewhere," says Thor. "I'm sure he'll find you at some point, he always does."

I laugh, raising a shoulder. "Well we'll see, I suppose."

Tony's voice suddenly bursts behind me. "BIRTHDAY GIIIIIIIIRL!" he exclaims, making me jump.

I laugh as I turn and see him walking over, with Pepper just behind him, and his arms open wide—wearing a silver suit. "Tony!" I raise my arms in turn and go in for yet another a hug.

"Happy birthday, kid!" he says as he pulls away, handing me a small box. "Open it," he says excitedly—not letting Pepper get a word in quite yet.

I chuckle as I watch her roll her eyes, and look down to unravel the paper surrounding the box—gaping at a small, elegant-looking smart watch inside.

"Oh my gosh, Tony!" I smile up at him. "This is fantastic, thank you so much!"

"My turn yet!?" Pepper steps forward and throws her arms around me next, with a big, wide, happy smile. "Happy birthday, bestie!"

"Aw, Pep... thank you so much for everything," I squeeze her super tight—trying to convey just how grateful I am.

"There's nothing to thank me for!" she says emphatically as she steps back.

"No, there is, you're the best friend anyone could ask for," I respond earnestly, gesturing around the room. "With or without all this, it's the thought you put into everything that really matters to me, and I appreciate it so much."

Pepper knits her brows together and tilts her head, smiling warmly at me. "And that's exactly why you deserve this," she says, handing a small envelope to me. "Happy birthday, Cer."

I smile as I take the envelope from her, trying to hide the fact that I probably know what's inside. The flap isn't closed, so I just un-fold it and pull out a plane ticket with my name on it—to Geneva, Switzerland, for December 22nd.

"Switzerland!" I cry out emphatically, raising an open hand up surprisedly to my face—pulling my smile to the sides, as wide as I possibly can without tearing my cheeks. "This is amazing, Pep!"

Pepper smiles suspiciously as she raises a brow. "You're a good actress Cer, but I know—Thor let the cat out of the bag."

Still smiling, I look over at Thor's guilty expression, and cringe regretfully before laughing. "Yeeaaaaaaah," I say. "He kinda did—but it doesn't matter! This is still incredible."

"I was actually going to tell you about it much sooner, so you'd have time to get the days off from work—until somebody told me that you already know," she says, looking over at him.

"There's the bright side to it though, right!?" I say.

"That's right—gotta see the bright side in things," she nods. "Come on, let's get some drinks!"

I scurry off with Pepper to get some food, which is lining a bunch of the counters throughout the flat. We grab a couple of small plates and fill them with an assortment of small pieces—small, but filling after I've scarfed down a few dozen. After a long while of talking with some of the other guests at the party, including some other Asgardians, I eventually make my way over to the balcony to get some air.

I sigh deeply, taking in the coldness of the air. It's getting close to midnight, and I should probably head out soon.

I hear the door opening off to the side, and turn my head slowly, seeing a tall, lean figure approaching from the shadows. As he steps out from them, I recognize his all-black suit and emerald green eyes—illuminated from the side, by the light from the apartment.

Loki.

"Lady Cerys," he nods as he strides over to me with his hands behind his back.

"Loki," I grin. "Good to see you."

"Likewise," he says as he steps over to my side.

"Someone told me you'd find me eventually."

"Can't say I was looking, but I suppose it was bound to happen," he says with a grin, looking out at the glinting city lights.

I press my lips together and bob my head amusedly, looking back at the skyscrapers. "I suppose so."

Silence hardens around us for a moment, until Loki suddenly shifts over and leans against the glass on his side—holding out a small box to me, with a little green bowtie on top. I turn my head, seeing his contented expression before my eyes drop down to the box.

"Happy birthday, my dear," he says, and I blink up at him surprisedly. Something in my chest flutters as his voice replays in my head—'my dear.'

"Thank you," I say, and reach over and take the box out of his hand slowly, feeling the warmth of his fingers as they brush against mine. I glance at him as I loosen the tie, and open the box.

My eyes widen immediately at the beautiful, white-gold bracelet inside. I take out a small certificate that came with it—certifying the bright, glimmering diamonds embedded along the delicate design.

This is probably more expensive than the plane tickets to Switzerland...

"Holy crap, I..." I shake my head slightly. "I can't accept this," I whisper.

I've never been given a gift like this, not even by a boyfriend. Not even my most serious boyfriends, that I might've anticipated something like this from—even then, it'd make me feel uneasy to know they'd spent so much money on me.

"Why not?" he asks in a casual tone.

I look up at him. "It's... It's too much."

"Hm," he chuckles, and turns to face the city—reaching out and gently laying a hand on my waist, nudging me toward the railing as well. "It seems you've much to learn in the ways of gift-giving."

I inhale lightly at the touch, feeling... almost a bit uncomfortable. Contrary to what I thought I'd feel.

The gift, the subtle touches... the remark about gift giving? I've no idea what any of it is supposed to mean. And I just got my heart broken by someone who only wanted so much out of me. Of course, Loki hasn't outwardly admitted to any attraction at all, so... I guess that means he won't be bothered by my stepping away from his touch...

A small step isn't enough to break the contact, so I turn away entirely—pacing down the balcony a bit as I look down at the bracelet, while a cold breeze lifts the hair off my shoulders.

I turn and look back up at him warmly. "This really is beautiful, Loki," I gesture to the bracelet, and he watches me with a blank look. "This isn't the sort of gift I'd give someone that I don't care about—so it means a lot to me."

Moments pass as he stares at me contemplatively, and I can practically see the thoughts trickling across his expression. Tension flickers across his brow, and then clears—allowing the blankness to return to his face.

"It's your birthday, and I gave you the gift that I saw fit to give," he says, stepping back from the railing. "Nothing more."

My jaw drops slightly as I watch him turn and head back toward the door—certainly not the response I was expecting, even though I didn't have one particularly in mind. I continue to stand here awkwardly for a moment, keeping my eyes on him as he heads back inside and disappears into the crowd.

I look down at the ground where he was standing, narrowing my eyes. That whole encounter was both pleasant and unpleasant.

I bob my head. "Alright," I mumble quietly to myself. "That answers that."