Dreaming in Blue

IV - Baby it's cold outside

On the last second, just before she was completely pushed off Bifrost's light, Loki grabbed Nina's other arm. He thought he would be able to pull her back, but they ended up both falling through.

Nina must have lost consciousness, because she woke up when her body hit the cold water. She took a breath by reflex, and ended up with water in her lungs. Only then she realised she was underwater and immediatly tried to swim up.

Once her head was above the water, Nina entered a coughing fit, that almost had her sink to the bottom once more. She hadn't noticed Loki's voice calling for her desperately until she felt two strong arms grabbing her waist and pulling her to the shore.

"Just breathe, you're alright," a soothing voice spoke in her ear. Her lungs were no longer filled with water, but Nina didn't even realise it since she still couldn't breathe. She hated the water. Nina was extremely scared of rivers, beaches, seas, every body of water. She didn't exactly know into which she had been thrown, but her body was reacting as if she had been drowning in the middle of the ocean.

Nina loved open spaces. She loved space. Now, her planet was very dry, and although they had enough water to let all the inhabitants drink and wash themselves, there were no big lakes, no oceans, no rivers. She hadn't grown up in the water. She knew how to swim, but when it came to it, she'd panic and sink. She had no idea what would have happened if she hadn't been pulled out.

The voice kept saying sweet nothings into her ear in order to clam her down. Nina hadn't realised her eyes were closed until she opened them and found herself face to face with Loki. She wanted to scream and push him away, but she couldn't.

"Just breathe with me, love," he told her. Loki had a hand over her shoulder, holding it very tightly for some reason, and the other on her upper arm. When Nina wasn't able to slow her breathing and her coughs, her panic arose. She felt tears starting to burn the back of her eyes.

Loki took her hand and placed it over his own chest. He wanted her to feel his heart beat, feel his lungs slowly filling themselves with air. He needed her to copy his breathing. To his surprise, she didn't fight it. She let him touch her hand to his chest and she kept it there when he placed his hand over his arm again.

"Nina, breathe with me, please," he asked again in a low voice. "In and out."

He kept speaking and breathing in slowly until she was finally able to match his pace.

"Are you alright?" He asked, eyes and voice filled with worry. Nina nodded. She hated this position she was in. She was extremely angry with Loki for having faked his death, she wanted to be unable to forgive him and hate him forever. But she couldn't do that, could she? Because he had just saved her life, and then saved her from a panic attack, and they were probably stranded somewhere in some random planet and they couldn't go home.

Nina looked around. The soft dim of the two moons could only slightly light their night. But Nina could feel that her knees were sunken in snow, and she could see Loki crouching a few inches from her.

"Can you stand up? We need to get you somewhere warmer," he spoke again. How hadn't she realised she was shivering? Honnestly, no one knew. But now that he had mentioned it, Nina percieved that she was freezing. Her lips were blue, and so were her fingertips. How long had they been on this shore for her fingertips to get this blueish? Apparently, quite a long time. The temperature of the water and that of the air didn't help either. The water was barely a few degrees above freezing point, and the air was easily below zero. Even for a Time Lord, the circumstances were not ideal.

Nina felt a heavy fabric fall on her shoulders. Loki had covered her body with his green cape. Nina nodded, answering his question.

"I-I think so," her voice wavered. She was truly freezing.

"Alright, come on," Loki said. He stood up and pulled Nina up with him. She wobbled for a second, but was able to stabilise herself.

This was going to be a very, very long night.