A/N: Heyo! Sorry for the wait, the holidays were a tad hectic. But classes are back in session and my prime writing time is during class ;) So look forward to some more updates... I'm looking to finish this story pretty quick so only a few more chapters left! But I have another story in the makings as well as a couple one-shots - all involving Loki :)

This my shortest chapter... so sorry, but enjoy!

Water

Chapter 5

Nia was tossing and turning, her temperature rising steadily throughout the second night of her being ill. The healers had done as much as they could and had determined they could do nothing more, as Loki sat next to her holding her hand to say her life was in the hand's of a God was a little cruel. Frigga had just left them, promising Loki to be back in the morning, nothing was comforting him, nothing but Nia waking up and being okay would make him feel better. As he watched his intended's condition fall he had taken on complete responsibility for her sickness. Her magic had been too strong for her body and given the cold temperatures and wet weather conditions it was no wonder she was sick.

"Nia, darling, please be okay, please wake up. I promise I'll never do anything stupid like this again. Or at least I'll apologize before you get hurt, okay?" He couldn't help the constant murmuring to her, he hoped she could hear him and wake up the next time he asked her to.

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It had been three days, it was going on the fourth night Nia hadn't been properly awake, she had in her fever mumbled unintelligible things, but she hadn't regained conscious. Loki had finally been convinced to leave her for a few hours to "take care" of himself, as Frigga put it. As Frigga sat at Nia's bedside, as her son had demanded she couldn't help but shake her head at the girl lying in the bed. She couldn't believe this girl had wiggled her way into Loki's life so thoroughly that he had all these feelings for her; whether they be love or not.

Frigga heard a soft mumble from Nia, however unlike before her eyes opened blearily, blinking owlishly Nia fully opened her eyes and looked around her. "Ah my dear, it is so good of you to join the living again." Frigga smiled, "Loki will be so pleased." Frigga watched Nia's now alert face fall, "What's wrong dear?"

"I do not want to see him." Nia said in a raspy voice.

Just as she spoke, the door to her room entered, "There Mother, I have 'taken care of myself' can I please…" Loki saw Nia awake and stopped in midsentence. He watched her emotions change from those of affection to confusion and settling on anger.

"Loki, if I could hit you right now, I would. So leave me be." Nia said.

"Wait, let me explain."

"There's no explaining. I saw what happened, and I regret to inform you that you had hurt me earlier that day, granted the words you said were because of my confused feelings, however you upset me and I realized I needed to sort myself out. So I did, and I happened upon you and your friends drinking and kissing bar maids! How dare you say 'Let me explain' when I tried to right my wrong and you just made yours worse!" Nia was yelling now.

Frigga pushed her back down, "You need to rest, you only just woke up after three days of being ill. I will speak to my son." Frigga turned to look at Loki who suddenly felt his impending doom; his mother was looking at him with disappointment greater than he had ever seen before.

"Loki how could you do that?" Frigga demanded after hearing the whole story from him.

He tried to squirm away from her line of vision, this was not a conversation he wanted to have with his mother, why couldn't Nia have yelled at him after Frigga had left. "Mother, I already feel badly about how my actions affected Nia, please leave us and let me speak to her." Frigga gave Loki one last hard look before walking away.

Loki let out a sigh and made to enter Nia's room, as he entered he saw Nia was sitting up now with a wet cloth draped across her forehead. Her face set into a glare as soon as she spotted him.

"I thought I told you to let me be?" She said shortly.

"I've decided to offer my apology." Loki tried to convey is sincerity in his voice.

There was a pause, "Well let's hear it." Nia finally said.

He cleared his throat and began, "Nia I apologize for my behavior and how I let my emotions get the better of me. I should not have allowed my hurt to govern my actions." He finished with his head bowed.

"Alright, good enough." Nia sighed removing the cloth from her face.

"Good enough?" Loki asked outraged, "That was a fantastic apology, and you call it 'good enough'?"

"Loki, be happy I accepted it." She huffed. He just grumbled and went to sit with her when she patted the bed next to her.

"What made you forgive me? You quite resembled a dragon about to set me on fire when I left earlier." Loki joked.

She gave him a more playful glare, "I am not going to dwell on bad feelings. We both hurt each other that night and if you can forgive me, than I can forgive you. I had some time to think while your mother lectured you."

"I'm lucky then. I thought for sure I was about to get yelled at some more."

"Hmph, don't feel too lucky. Now you're stuck with me."

This reminded Loki of a rumor he had heard, "Did you know that the maids were gossiping about how I purposefully got you sick because I did not want to marry you, and that it was a plan to kill you?"

Nia laughed, and Loki looked dumbfounded at her laughter, "I think if you were going to kill me it would be done with a lot more thought and flare." Nia admitted.

"That's very true." Loki laughed with her, "For the record I don't want to kill you."

Nia laughed a little bit louder and Loki felt lighter than ever, he hadn't realized how much he valued Nia's lighthearted spirit and infectious laughter until he had lost it. He had to admit he was very glad she had forgiven him.