Chapter Two

White Noise

Thor panted, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he held Loki in his arms. He felt him collapse into him as he fainted, sighing before he lost consciousness. Kneeling in the snow, time seemed to slow as he stared mindlessly at the cold wasteland, the towers of ice in the distance.

Details and memories screamed at him through the silence as he held his limp brother in the snow. Loki was back, but like this? He had known about Loki's heritage, he was the only person Odin had told, but his father had also said Loki had died, that Heimdall had seen his death as he peered into the other realms. Without the Bifrost, Thor knew he couldn't have saved him, gave up trying but never hoping that the vision wasn't true. Now he knew it wasn't, his head spun with the fact that both Odin and Heimdall had lied to him, bare faced lie about his brother, blood or not.

He remembered how he felt when he watched Loki fall, how he continued to feel as Asgard mourned a traitorous prince. Watching Loki fall felt like his heart had been torn from him, just like Loki had been stolen from his life, their childhood somehow more precious to him. Thor rose to fame as the savior of Asgard and Jotunheim while Loki's name brought a sour taste to everyone's tongue, except Thor's. Being his brother, he knew Loki's intentions had been for his good as well as everyone else's. But Loki always seemed so blind to the kinder ways, and Thor now knew that Loki thought everyone else was blind to his attempts to leave his own mark on the world. While he looked back on some of Loki's outlandish ventures, he saw things from Loki's perspective. Loki in the shadows was nothing compared to the vicious and cunning brother he saw fall from the Bifrost.

Thor had always hoped he could have asked Loki why. Why he had suddenly gone against his family. His heritage explained his rage but Thor still didn't understand why he decided to risk oblivion instead of admitting defeat. Now he knew, Loki's actions were part of his mark on the world, his immortal, painful truth he wanted everyone to know. They were his 'red lips'. It then occurred to him that Loki could have easily tricked Heimdall into seeing his death, but as Loki lay helpless in his arms, he felt confused as to why he would return. Perhaps someone else had created the false image and thrown Loki back out into space between the realms.

He heard the others lean forwards, confused and stunned by his silence, sensing their impatience while he cradled his brother in silence.

"Home, now!"

Early morning on Jotunheim was like dusk on Asgard. The sun was out of sight but the light reflected off the ice, catching icicles and the smoothness of the towers shining onto the fresh white snow expanding in front of them.

Thor carried Loki, one arm wrapped under his legs with the other held him closer. He had draped his coat over Loki and it covered him well apart from his feet. As he trudged through the thick snow, he tumbled every so often, catching a glance at Loki's deathly pale and blank face. It spurred him on to keep going, knee deep in the thick snowdrifts.

Thor was in front, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg in the middle while Sif brought up the rear. The four of them weapons held high, ready to defend Thor and Loki. Thor was too caught up making sure he didn't crush Loki that he failed to notice the deep laughter behind a great wall of ice. Sif coughed lightly and they all froze, standing tall and colourful against their white backdrop.

Loki came to slightly and moaned into Thor's chest, his clothes muffling his distress. They all crouched down, ducking behind great boulders of ice barely large enough to shield them from view. Thor knelt while he splayed Loki over his lap, his leg dangling over while Thor hugged his torso, trying to keep him warm. Despite being a frost giant, Loki looked worse for ware in the cold and nuzzled further into Thor's warmth as they all listened out for the Jotuns behind the wall of ice.

After sitting still for almost a minute, Hogun and Sif had overheard some of their words between laughs and other vile noises. Sif crouched down and made her way slowly towards Thor. Placing her hand on his shoulder she whispered into his ear. "There are three of them. From their words I don't think they have noticed us, but it is likely they are armed."

Thor frowned and craned his head towards Sif to reply when Loki suddenly yelped, short but shrill, his eyelids fluttering, legs kicking in the snow. Thor quickly placed his hand over his mouth, all five of them feeling their hearts beat faster as the banter behind the ice stopped. Thor and the others breathed slow and deep, listening for the slightly movement. Heavy steps sounded round the corner and Sif and the warriors clenched their fists before edging their hands for their knives and swords. Thor, still with one hand over Loki's mouth had the other around Mjolnir's handle, the slipknot tied into his belt. As he used one hand to untie Mjolnir, he had to take it from underneath Loki, gently easing him flat over his lap as to not cause him to call out again. He twizzled the handle in his grip and held it aloft. Loki, with his head tilted back finally opened his eyes only to see Mjolnir so close to his face. His eyes grew wider as he convulsed, panicking, trying to pry himself from Thor's now weak hold.

The sound of crushing snow increased as screams of rage sounded, sending the blood pumping through all of them. Thor clapped his hand back over Loki's mouth and held him still while he nodded to the others. He saw their coats billowing in the wind as they flew towards the giants leaving Thor and Loki unprotected. Thor rocked Loki, trying to calm him down, his screams piercing through the cold air. He scrunched his eyes shut, hand still clasped to Loki's face, Mjolnir buried, forgotten in the snow.

The chaos ended with a fierce roar and a moan that slowly drained out until it died. Thor stayed motionless until his friends returned, their weapons bloody and their garments ripped. Hogun and Fandral walked out first, both checking their weapons and how they had faired. Sif followed close behind and immediately dropped her sword in the snow, reaching for something to wipe her bloody hands with. Volstagg took his time, grunting while holding a rope wrapped around his wrists, at the end was a snarling wild beast, dark grey and scaly, trying to resist as Volstagg tugged it towards the others.

"Thor!" Sif shouting shocked Thor and he turned to look at her, still supporting Loki in his arms. They'd all gone silent, even Volstagg as the beast gave up and slumped by his feet. He frowned at their stunned expressions and suddenly felt a shiver go down his spine. Loki... had stopped moving. He spun back round to him as he saw his head flung back and his mouth wide open, his eyes closed, his whole body still.

"NO!" He yelled, moaning and muttering to himself as he shook Loki, his head hanging off Thor's lap and flopping lifelessly to face the others. They all stood still, distant from Thor. He felt their silence and it crushed him. It was like they were mourning him already.

"He's not dead. He's not!" He stammered, the desperation clear in his voice.

Sif bowed her head and knelt down, placing her arms gently round Thor and slowly pulling him away from Loki. He jumped slightly when she touched him and only held tighter to Loki. "...can't leave him!"

"Thor, Thor. He's gone. Thor, let go. He had a wonderful life."

Thor tilted his head, rage and tears in his eyes. He opened his mouth, presumably to argue but his emotions took over and he just cried, laying his head on his brother's chest, rocking gently backwards and forwards. His turned his head to the side and spoke slower and calmer, but still shaking. "I can't lose him again. We've been through so much. We've come this far, he can't die now." He stayed still, his tears rolling down his cheeks and leaving a damp mark on his coat still wrapped round Loki. The tears became solid as they became ice, freezing to his face. His face went blank. "It's my fault," he mumbled.

He sat up, looking at Loki's helpless face, placing a shaking hand over his neck. "I... I suffocated him. He was yelling... screaming. They heard, they would have killed us." He sat up quickly, concern spreading on his face.

Sif patted his shoulder and continued to try and pull him away. "We defeated them, we're safe. It wasn't your fault. We're safe, Thor."

Thor grimaced, finally letting go of Loki and setting him down in the snow, pulling his coat further over him, only his face showing. "Loki isn't safe." He cleared his throat. "We can't just leave him here." He looked to the others, almost cowering beside Sif. They were silent until Hogun's gruff voice sounded.

"We'll take him home." Thor was able to hold back any more tears as he continued. He looked down at Loki, still kneeling beside him. His blue skin camouflaged perfectly against the snow, only his black hair seemed out of place. Hogun continued.

"We'll place him on Volstagg's beast. I don't think any of us are up for carrying him the rest of the way." Hogun turned to Volstagg who had the beast tethered calmly at his feet. "He seems harmless by nature."

Thor swallowed, giving the animal a glance before given in and finally admitting to himself that he'd have to trust the wild creature. He nodded and Hogun walked over to Thor, standing over Loki's legs as Thor knelt behind his head and took Loki under his arms. The coat slipped off, revealing Loki's uncovered arms and legs, a dirty, long thin under shirt loosely clinging to the rest of him. Together they carried him over to the animal, now standing tall. Not an impressive height compared to the giants. It seemed almost horse like, save the blue and grey mottled skin, the large powerful legs armed with vicious claws, finished off with razor sharp fangs hanging over it's bottom lip.

Thor handed Loki over to Hogun as he felt his arms shaking, not from his weight, just shaking at seeing his brother's head dangle so lifelessly in front of him. Hogun somehow managed to sit Loki atop the creature, his legs straddling the sides, arms and head drooping downwards. Hogun placed his hand over his chest and gently eased him down, resting Loki's head against the creature's neck. Thor trudged through the snow and placed the coat back around his shoulders. He ignored the blatant confused look he got from Hogun. He was dead, what was the point of keeping him warm now? But with Thor, it wasn't about being practical, it was about dignity and the fact that he would take care of his fallen brother any way he could.

He stroked and smoothed out the creases, again allowing it to seem like he was only sleeping. Thor stood back and couldn't help but stare at his bare feet, a paler blue than that of his leg, the nails chipped and cracked like his fingernails. Thor's lips trembled slightly, his body almost oblivious to the cold. Almost. He shivered, pulling his collar up on his jacket and patted Loki on his back, gently enough as to not move him, but firm enough that he felt the outline of his shoulder blades even underneath his coat. He kept his hand there for a second, bowing his head, feeling his face grow sore from the cold, frozen tears collecting in his eyes and on his cheeks. He brushed them away with his free hand and again patted Loki's back before sighing quietly and walking alongside the animal as Volstagg ushered the animal forwards, tugging on the rope tied around it's neck. It didn't argue as it followed the pace by him, obediently carrying Loki on it's back.

They all pulled their coats further around themselves as they kept walking, the wind and the snow getting heavier and colder as they continued. It was hard to tell where they were now, the landmarks that were visible an hour ago were now impossible to see through the snow as it fell thick and fast. They just kept walking and hoped they would find the Bifrost site soon, the cold was getting unbearable.

Hogun and Fandral walked alongside Volstagg while Sif walked with Thor, not talking to him, just glancing at him as he bit his lip, not once looking away from Loki. A large gust of wind got underneath Loki's coat and blew it off him. It flew over Volstagg's head as he ducked, watching Thor run frantically ahead and reclaim it. He stumbled back towards Loki, dusting off the snow now stuck to the coat. He hauled it around Loki's shoulders and for a second, thought he saw him move, twitch slightly, maybe shiver? The others had stopped and were now looking at him with the same look of confusion on their faces as before. He looked at them then stepped forwards nervously, reaching his hand out for his shoulder. Loki suddenly breathed in deeply, gasping for breath and causing Thor to jump back in shock. He stood stock-still and watched as Loki shook, steadied his breathing and sat up, looking around at Sif and the warriors three. His head bobbed slightly, feeling unusually heavy until his vision went black again and he slumped back against the neck of the animal.

Thor blinked, mouth gaping wide as he focused on his brother's back, the slow rise and fall of his chest mesmerising, a rush of both hope and sadness flooding through his veins. Without a word to the others, he jumped on the beast's back behind Loki and draped the coat over him, tucking it underneath him as he spoke hurriedly to Sif.

"I don't want you to argue with me, I'm going to push this animal till it takes us to the Bifrost site. We thought Loki had gone and time was everything for us, but he's still alive and I'm sure we're close. I..."

"It's alright, we understand. Go." Sif nodded as did the others, blank faces with a glint of happiness in their eyes all willing him on. Thor took off, taking the rope from Volstagg and using it as a leash. He lent forwards to hold Loki as still as possible as the creature tackled the rough terrain with brute force and speed. He hoped his warmth would keep Loki alive, but he still worried as he heard him mumbling nonsense. At least he was breathing now.

Once he reached the Bifrost site, he lifted Loki quickly off the creature, careful not to drop him as he fell almost entirely into his hold, legs barely keeping him upright. The last thing Thor could remember of Jotunheim was the beast wailing and screaming in terror as it ran off into the distance. Bright light consumed them and Loki gripped Thor's collar and said, "Have we made it? Are we home?"

I wrote this in little segments so it might not flow greatly but I couldn't leave you waiting any longer. To those still itching to know what 'red lips' refers to, that will be hinted in the next chapter. Soon, my pretties, soon. Reviews help tremendously, they actually help me see what you like best, then I can include it in the next chapter. :)