Exploring Titan

~20~

As all my senses get snatched away from me, I feel my breath hitch in my throat.

The vague sensation of Leo's arms tightly wrapped around me remained, but it felt far off, like a distant dream.

I feel my heartbeat begin to spike as I swiftly lose my sense of orientation.

Logically, I knew we'd only gone in a straight line down. But all my organs scrambled to understand what direction I was facing.

I felt like I was floating up, twisting around, and sinking, all at once.

It was a heady feeling that made me feel a sharp pounding in my head once...twice...three times.

My grip around Leo's shoulders tightened, till my own arms were wrapped around his neck and my face was buried between his shoulder and neck.

I fought to stop my body from shaking as a trauma response to the last time I descended into the ocean, because I'd suddenly realized I hadn't dealt with the situation that happened to me.

But in my defence, I forgot.

I feel the vague sense of pressure around my hips lose, and a spike of panic violently licks through me before the faint feeling slowly creeps up to the middle of my waist.

I calm down.

But only slightly.

I feel my hair being brushed aside. Or more accurately, I became aware that I was being touched by the feeling of whisps of my hair being moved to the side.

This would be oddly erotically sensual if the overall context of the situation was thrown out the window.

I wonder how funny the boys would think this was if I told them-

My thoughts get sharply cut in half when I feel something brush against the tip of my ear.

"Don't panic. I've got you" Leo's voice breaks through the murky darkness and reaches out to me. "Try to control your breathing. Your heartbeat is so loud it's shaking the both of us."

The amused humour in his tone wasn't lost on me, and I appreciated it immensely. I desperately needed some levity to distract me from spiralling.

But then I registered the fact that my loud ass heartbeat could be heard through this silent ocean and embarrassment washes over me.

"Y-you can hear it!?" I ask.

I heard what seems to be a soft chuckle before Leo leans in close to whisper into my ear again.

"It's awfully quiet down here, and sound travels very far, very quickly," Leo says with a light laugh. "I can also tell your head hurts too."

I feel our bodies squish together as he got close.

Too close.

Our legs tangle as I vaguely try to imitate swimming, because I knew I was technically literally underwater. While Leo's legs smoothly kicks out in confident strokes, full-on imitating a swimming motion.

But it was slightly different.

A bit off.

It almost felt like he was simulating a walking motion while underwater.

But given I literally couldn't even see him, I could only guess to what his movements were.

"So please...Calm down and just, breathe." Leo's strong reassuring tone reaches deep down into me, like a one-way path through my very throat, and pulls out my sense of trust and faith in him.