Icy Inferno (Troyler AU)

⋙ Chapter Four

I felt my eyelids grow heavy. I could feel the water wrapping tightly around me. I drifted deeper and deeper into the abyss of nothing. I knew I’d be dead by the time I reached the river bed. I closed my eyes, willing death to take me. I’d rather die without agony, if I had to die at all.

It was at that point I heard the first noise in a long while - the sound of someone wading towards me. The currents changed. The water grew less dense. I opened my eyes slightly to see a figure heading my way.

Strong arms wrapped around me. The warmth was the most comforting thing I’ve ever felt. I felt sparks fly from where they held me. I was pushed against their chest, relishing in the solid hold. Slowly I was being lifted upwards. The light above me grew brighter and brighter. Sounds began to come back to me.

All of a sudden I broke the surface. I gasped for breath, my arms instinctively latching around the person hold me’s neck. A gwaff noise was made by them but I didn’t care. Air had never felt so good in my lungs. I took quick breaths, trying to fill my lungs. How had I never been so grateful for breathing before?

I turned to look up at my rescuer. My mouth fell open. It was Troye.

I spluttered, my eyes wide in disbelief. He didn’t react. He was staring at the water. He said words too soft for my water logged ears to make out, and the water began to part. Who was he, Moses?

“Did you swallow any of the water?” He said gently into my ear. It confused me for a moment what he had said, his accent seemingly heavier. I tried to ignore how hot his breath was against my frozen body. I shook my head, burying my head into his shoulder. He didn’t try to shrug me off, like I expected. If anything, he brought me closer.

A bubble of energy burst between us. Smoke appeared out of nowhere. Troye was so surprised he almost dropped me. We watched as purple smoke rose from between our bodies.

Someone far away called out to us, but I couldn't make out what. My breath was ragged - too uneven to be normal.  I studied the bank, squinting to see who was there. Eventually I saw the shapes of Connor, who was right at the edge, and Marcus, standing with his arms crossed.

“Yeah, I can. I actually paid attention in first aid class,” Troye said. I frowned, wondering what he was talking about, before realising he had been replying to whatever Connor and Marcus had called out.

“What’s happening?” I croaked.

His heavenly blue eyes locked with mine. He stopped walking for a moment, just staring down at me. “When we get to the river bank I’m going to need to perform CPR, okay?”

“Okay,” my voice wavered. He looked away and kept walking. We both ignored the faint trail of smoke we left behind.

Marcus was at the river bank's edge, with his arms open. Like a baby I was passed from one set of arms to another. Marcus held me with a vice grip, fire sparking from his fingers. I felt my body begin to warm up, but it was an uncomfortable heat - nothing like what I’d felt with Troye. I scolded myself at the thought, before Marcus laid me down on the bank.

A while later Troye came over. I stared at him, thinking he was like a model on an advert who'd just been in the water. He was drenched but somehow managed to make it look hot, whereas I looked like a wet dog.

I shook those thoughts out of my head. How had they got there in the first place?

He went down on his knees, and brushed my hair to the side. Afterwards he held my chin and tilted it to the side.

“What are you doing?” Connor asked cautiously.

“Allowing any water to drain from his mouth and nose,” Troye replied, as if it was obvious. I thought it was, but then again, I had been paying attention during the first aid lessons at school.