Snow. All Brian could see was snow, crushing and choking every last ounce of life out of him. His arms thrashed wildly as he tried to clear a path to the surface. 

Just as Brian was about to give up all hope he felt the cool air on his hand. With one last frantic push he managed to emerge from the murderous white. He gasped in the much-needed oxygen and felt totally exhausted. 

It took all of his remaining strength to pull the rest of his body out of the deep snow. Brian sat for a few moments, still panting, allowing the situation to sink in. Suddenly his mind went into a state of panic. Where the fuck was Justin? 

“Justin!” Brian yelled. Adrenaline coursed though him as he stood up and began to scan the endless white. “Justin!” Brian screamed. Still there was no reply. “Fuck!” Brian cried as he continued to glance over the snow. 

Then he saw it. A hand, sticking awkwardly out of the snow. The same hand that he held just minutes ago. “No!” Brian sobbed, “Justin!” He grabbed at the snow trying to get access to Justin. 

Finally he was able to wrap his arms around Justin’s limp body and pull him to the surface. “Come on Justin,” Brian whispered, “You can’t leave me.” Brian carefully laid the lifeless Justin down on the snow so that he was flat on his back. 

Brian bent forwards so that his ear was over Justin’s mouth, as he listened for any sign that Justin was still breathing. “Shit!” Brian couldn’t feel anything. He tilted Justin’s head back and delicately opened his mouth. 

Brian prayed for a miracle as he pinched Justin’s nose and exhaled a lungful of air directly in to him. Seeing the rise and fall of his lovers chest, Brian repeated the process. 

All of a sudden Justin’s blue eyes opened wide as he gasped and struggled to take in a breath on his own. “It’s okay Justin,” Brian said as he helped Justin to sit up, “Just breathe.” 

As Justin coughed, Brian traced small circles on his back trying to make it easier for him to inhale. Justin lay back against Brian’s chest, unable to support his own weight. “I thought I’d lost you,” whispered Brian as he buried his face in Justin’s neck and put his jacket around him. 

“I’m so cold.” Justin choked out.

“It’s alright,” Brian reassured him as he tried to stand them both up, “We can make it back to the lodge and call for some...” Brian was cut short as Justin screamed out in pain. “Justin?” Brian was terrified, he couldn’t lose Justin, not after all they had been through.

“My leg!” Justin sobbed, “It really hurts. Please make it stop.”

“I’m gonna take a look, okay?” Brian said as he glanced down at Justin’s leg for the first time. As Brian pulled up Justin’s pant leg he had to look away from the leg itself as it was twisted at a strange angle and had a considerable amount of blood oozing out. Seeing Brian avert his gaze Justin asked,

“It’s bad isn’t it?”

“No,” Brian replied as he quickly pulled the pant leg down, “You’re going to be fine. I think it might be broken but that’s all. You have to be brave for me Justin.” 

Brian made some decisions in his head. He knew that he had to get Justin to the lodge as soon as possible. It was dark and a rescue team would have great difficulty in finding them because they weren’t on the main trail. 

Brian knew what he had to do. “Justin,” he knelt down beside him, “I’m going to carry you.”

“No, no, no!” Justin cried, “Please don’t move my leg, it hurts to much. Please!”

Brian felt his heart break at the thought of having to hurt Justin, but he knew that if they didn’t try to get back to the lodge there was a very strong possibility that they would both end up dead. 

“I know it will hurt Jus,” Brian trembled as he spoke, “But I have to get you back to the lodge. You have to be brave and you have to trust me. Justin?“ 

Brian noticed that Justin’s eyelids were fluttering open and shut as he fought to stay conscious. “Justin!” Brian stroked the side of Justin’s face trying to get a reaction. 

“Okay,” whimpered Justin, “But Brian, I’m so tired.”

“I know,” Brian said as he placed his arms around Justin ready to pick him up, “But you have to try and stay awake.” Finally in position, Brian got ready to lift Justin. “Ready?” Brian asked. 

Justin nodded in reply. Brian managed to fight his own fatigue and stood up cautiously with Justin in his arms. Brian stayed put until Justin’s howls of pain had subsided, and then he set off, stumbling through the snow. 

Brian could feel the exhaustion setting in but he struggled on for a few more yards. Eventually however, he felt his legs give in and he knelt down in the snow. “I’m sorry Justin,” Brian whispered, “I can’t go on any further. I’m too tired.” 

Brian held Justin close and wrapped his jacket tighter around him to keep in the warmth, “Someone will find us though. You just have to stay awake.”

“I really don’t think I can Bri,” Justin sobbed, tears falling down his deathly pale cheeks.

“You can.” Brian comforted, “You just have to keep talking to take your mind off how cold you are.”

“I don’t know what to talk about.” Justin sobbed harder.

“Hey! Hey, don’t cry,” Brian kissed the top of Justin’s head, “Just tell me about… tell me about… the new plotline for Rage.”

“Well…” Justin’s bottom lip trembled as he spoke, “JT is kidnapped and…” Brian felt Justin’s head lull forward as he became unconscious.

“Justin!” Brian shouted. Justin’s eyes flickered open again. “So JT,” Brian urged Justin to continue.

“JT…Oh yes, well he’s kidnapped by…by…” Justin’s eyes closed shut and his head drooped once again. 

“Justin!” Brian shouted. Getting no answer, he placed his hand on Justin’s shoulder and lightly shook it. Justin remained unconscious. “Fuck!” Brian yelled as he began to shake Justin more vigorously, “You have to wake up! Damn it! Open your eyes! Come on you son of a bitch, wake up!” 

Justin stayed limp in his arms. “Come on,” Brian softly cried into Justin’s chest. “Don’t do this to me, I love you,” he whispered as he kissed Justin’s ice-cold lips. “I love you.”