"Not at all." I muttered, catching up to him as he paused in his tracks. I stumbled, and Loki was quick to reach out and catch me before I fell face-first into the snow. My reaction was delayed, and I barely stuck my arms out in front of me when he had caught me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, stumbling over my words as well. I glared at him, pulling away. Once again, I tugged my glove off to fumble with my ear piece. It vaguely registered in my brain that my fingers were a concerning shade of gray.

"Put your glove back on." Loki ordered. "You're going to get frostbite."

"I'm fine." I insisted, still awkwardly fumbling with the communication device in my hand. I couldn't feel my fingers, so I couldn't tell if I had actually pressed the buttons or not. I groaned in frustration, slipping my glove back on and wiggling my numb fingers. A voice was calling my name, I suddenly realized, and my head snapped up.

"How are you feeling?" Loki asked me. He was much closer than he had been before.

I blinked slowly, struggling to process what he just said. "Fine. I'm feeling fine."

"Really?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Really. 'm not even cold, see? I'm not even shivering or anything." I jumped when his cool fingers prodded the side of my neck. He frowned, his eyes flickered up to mine.

"That's not good." He muttered, turning away. "I see a shelter in the distance. Come." He said, louder this time, as he motioned me over with his hand. I didn't have the energy to argue, following him blindly. I squinted, attempting to see the shelter he spoke of, but I couldn't see anything. I noticed he kept a much slower pace than before, glancing back at me every once in a while.

"Loki." I mumbled, stopping. My limbs were stiff from the cold, and it had become harder and harder to breathe with the sharp daggers of ice being driven down my throat. He continued on, not appearing to hear me. "Loki." I repeated, though my voice was no louder. My eyes were heavy, and all I wanted to do was rest. I was beyond exhausted.

He was by my side when I looked up. Any other time, it would have startled me, but now, I collapsed into him gratefully. With a small sigh, I rested my weight against him, my eyelids fluttering shut. They opened again in delayed alarm as his arm wound around my waist, dragging me in the direction of the previously mentioned shelter.

"We're almost there, hang on." He muttered. I hung limply from his arms, shallow, labored breaths leaving my lungs in small clouds from my lips. The next thing I knew, he was gently but urgently shaking me off onto the ground in a small cave hollow. I clung to him and his warmth insistently.

"I'm cold." I mumbled in protest. His warm hands once again pressed to the side of my neck, readjusting several times before trying at my wrist. I laid my head on the cool floor of the cave, a shuddering breath leaving my lungs. Loki quickly gathered me up in his lap, causing me to gasp in surprise. I flailed briefly, and clumsily.

He was oddly warmer than usual as he held me close to him. He flattened his legs out in front of him, propping my upper half across them as he began to unwind my scarf from around my neck. I was barely aware that he was undressing me until he unzipped my winter jacket and I felt the sharpness of the cold on my bare collarbone. I groaned in protest, batting his hands away and fumbling for the zipper of my coat. He was quick to pin my arms to my sides, and unzip my jacket again. I shivered as the cold air nipped at my exposed skin, and he slid a frigid hand onto my chest and over my heart.

"I'll be quick, love." He murmured. An icy pain shot into the center of my heart, causing me to choke out a cry and claw at his hand. He grimaced, but continued to assault the muscle in my chest with freezing daggers.

I felt like I was going to die. He was killing me, as payback for god knows what, but he was killing me. He had finally had enough of our arguments. Of*me. It would be easy for him to pass my death off as hypothermia, I panicked.

After several agonizing moments, the pain subsided, leaving me gasping for breath and struggling away from him. I suddenly realized I could feel my limbs for the first time in several hours. I backed away from him until my back hit the opposite wall of the cave, still breathing heavily. Hastily zipping my jacket up, I began to shiver violently. That was a good sign, I knew, but I almost wished he had left me the way I was. The constant shaking drained my energy horribly.

"How do you feel?" Loki eyed me carefully.

"Cold." I chattered out, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Come here."

"No."

"Come here." His voice was edged with frustration.

"I'm f-fine." I insisted, tucking myself closer to the wall when an icy wind howled through. The god crept across the cave to me, and I flinched when he reached for me. A frown crossed his face at that, as he reached to check my pulse. His hands were warm for a frost giant, even warmer than a human. I knew he was using his magic.

"You don't need to waste your magic on me." I muttered.

"If I hadn't already, you'd be dead in less than an hour." He hissed. I must have hit a nerve.

"I have my o-own." I argued.

"And you were too weak to use it."

"Here we go again! Just because I have limits because I'm not an immortal fucking god, I'm weak." I laughed humorlessly.

"That's exactly it." He said flatly. "I liked you better half dead." He muttered, looking out of the cave and not meeting my furious gaze.

"Me too. At least we can finally agree on something." I said sarcastically, leaning back against the cold rock. I slumped against the wall, and it wasn't long before I began to drift off again, my body demanding sleep.

"Wake up, you pathetic mortal." Loki's sharp voice awoke me. "I did not waste all that energy just for you to die on me."

I groaned, attempting to turn away from his hands, gripping my shoulders and shaking me. My eyes flickered open, and I jerked back at his closeness, knocking my head against the rock with a hiss of pain. He withdrew, falling back into a sitting position not much further away. I glared at him, still shivering as I rubbed the tender spot on the back of my head. My limbs were stiff from the gnawing cold, and I longed to just get the fuck out of here and relieve my body of the freezing Arctic temperatures.

"Have you gotten in contact with them yet?" I asked him tiredly. He shook his head, pursing his lips as he took in my trembling form.

Even though I had just awoken, I still had nothing on my mind but sleep. My body begged and ached for it, every muscle felt as if it weighed several tons. My eyelids drooped and I shuddered again. I was suddenly aware of Loki's hands on my shoulders, and once again his face inches from mine as his sharp eyes took in my condition. I caved, allowing myself to lean into his warm touch. He took this as an okay, pulling me against his chest and into his warm embrace. I didn't fight him this time, tucking myself further into him.

He carefully adjusted my body against his, before slipping his, this time warm, hand under my coat. I reacted out of instinct this time though, and I immediately began to struggle, remembering what had happened before.

"Shh. It's not going to hurt, I promise." He reassured me softly. "Calm down."

I forced myself to calm, still shrinking away from his hand, even though I had no room to do so. A warm feeling suddenly rushed through my veins, and soon it felt like a heated blanket being draped over my cold body, except ten times better. I relaxed into him with a sigh of contentment, as I felt relief from the aching cold for the first time in hours.

I began to drift off again quickly, slumping against his chest. He continued to hold his hand over my heart, though he no longer needed to. Carefully, he shifted me against him into a more comfortable position, careful not to wake me. I barely awoke as he tossed his cloak over the both of us.