Chapter 21: I Trust You and Love You

The morning was quiet with the dry leaves scraping the dirt ground and others of its kind. Dead trees were silently standing, asleep until mother nature let them have their leaves back to blow in the wind. The only thing that didn't look in place was a hole in the middle of the path with two sleeping teenagers on the bottom.

Sasuke and Hinata had fallen asleep in each other's warmth, one not forgetting what the other said in their sleep the whole night. The Uchiha awoke first to a gray sky from the clouds blocking the sun. He was about to sit up if it weren't for the sleeping Hyuuga lying across his chest. He felt a light warmth go up to his cheeks, but ignored it as he sat up only to lightly hold Hinata against him. He may as well let her sleep since there was no way to get out of the hole without some assistance from someone not stuck in it.

He decided that she needed some more warmth at the moment since her face was red from the cold even though she stayed cuddled up against him the whole night. Besides, he kind of wanted her closer to him which surprised him to no end. He held her close enough to where her cold face was up against his neck and she was resting in his lap. He admitted to himself that he thought that she was a cute girl, but hasn't admitted any feelings.

"Sasuke..." a faint voice called to him, it being a familiar angelic voice.

"You're finally awake." he spoke as if he's been up for an hour even though it's been five minutes.

"W-Where are we?" she said quietly, so tired that she didn't care about the unusual closeness between her and the Uchiha.

"We're still in the hole and miraculously not dead." he smirked before standing up and letting her stand on her own.

Hinata blushed, realizing she had fallen asleep the Uchiha during the night and was just now cuddled up against him for warmth. "A-Ano...has anyone passed by?"

"No, and they probably won't for another hour or so." he replied, contemplating the calculations of a plan to get out of the hole. What if he climbed out first and lifted her with his strength? No, it was too deep to do that. He wasn't 10 feet tall, only 6' 1". Maybe if Hinata was taller, he could always stretch to reach for her hand by combining their height. Then it dawned on him. "Hinata, how much do you weigh?"

The girl took a staggering step back from the sudden, random question. "W-What...?"

"I can probably throw you out of this hole and climb out myself." he turned towards her, his eyes scanning her skinny and frail figure.

"I'm not going t-to be thrown out of a 10 foot deep hole!" she argued, fear getting the best of her. She may have befriended the Uchiha, but that doesn't mean her memories of him bullying her have gone away.

"Do you want to be stuck down here for another hour?"

"N-No, but..."

"Then why can't I simply try and lift you out of the hole?"

"I might get hurt!"

"Oh for God's sake Hinata! I'm not going to hurt you on purpose!"

Hinata fiddled with her fingers while looking at her feet, the frost visible on her shoes. "I-I know, but...I don't know."

"You don't trust me enough yet? Is that it?" he asked quietly, looking away from her. The Hyuuga stayed silent and Sasuke understood, but was disappointed that she still didn't trust him enough for him to even get her to safety. "Hinata, I promise I won't hurt you. I want to get you out of the cold so you don't get sick."

"What about yourself? You are in the same situation." she reminded him.

"I can survive out in the cold a little longer if I can't climb out. I haven't been showing any signs of sickness yet while you are." his statement was proved true since right after that, Hinata began to cough and sneeze. The coughs didn't sound like your normal ones though. "Hinata, can you please trust me? Trust me enough to be your friend? Trust me enough to believe I won't hurt you? Trust me enough to get you to safety?"

She stared into the black orbs which only showed care and want towards her. He wanted her safe and out of the cold. He didn't want her to become anymore sick so she can enjoy the rest of the trip. No one has ever cared so much for her before. It was such an...unusual feeling towards her. "Y-Yes Sasuke...I trust you."

Before she could say another word, Hinata was led over near the wall of the hole. Sasuke leaned his body against the side of the hole and began instructing her in the steps to reach the summit. "Hinata, I want you to put your right foot in my hand and step up. I'll hoist you up enough to where you have a good grip on the edge and help you climb the rest of the way."

"O-Okay..."

"One more thing Hinata." he stopped her as she took an eager step forward towards him so she could be lifted up.

"Yes S-Sasuke?" she asked, staring back into his black orbs and a sudden clenching in her gut filled her senses. Her lips tightened in a firm line in an attempt to keep her blush under control.

A sudden kiss on her forehead caused her to blink in confusion. The warmth of someone else's lips against her skin felt so nice. Nicer than a blanket made of cotton. When the lips departed, she was left in almost a daze. That is until the Uchiha knelt down and formed a bowl shape with his two hands. He didn't meet her gaze and she could see a slight red tint to his normally pale skin now. She placed her right foot in his hand, placed her palms on his shoulders, and she stepped up only to be lifted to the top. She easily climbed out only for a jacket to land on her head as it was thrown from the inside of the hole.

"S-Sasuke...can you get out?" she asked quietly, blushing from the previous even between the two.

"I might be able to." he also said quietly to hide the croaking and stuttering his voice would make if he talked in normal volume.

Hinata went on her knees by the edge of the hole to wait to help her friend if he needed it. Sasuke began digging some a small hole in the side of the hole as a step and then another. He knew it was risky since one slip could possibly break his ankle which was why he wasn't going to take the chance with Hinata. He stepped into the first hole only to step up and climb into the other one, high enough to push himself put by placing his palms on the ground.

Hinata silently watched, worried he would fall backwards or slip out of the hole. She then smiled when his palms pressed upon the ground, his foot unconsciously caught in a loose root when he lifted it out of the hole. He used all of his strength to lift out of the hole and then there was a loud crack that both heard only for one to feel it.