It was so cold. She's never felt so tired and useless in her entire life. She can recall a moment she felt like this before. It was during winter when her heater was broken and Sai ran out to buy a new one. It was snowing heavily that day and she almost cried from the intense coldness inside her home. But this was worse.

Ino couldn't feel her feet and she wondered if they were turning blue. Would they freeze to death like in the movies? She glanced down and saw Hinata's eyes shut close, still unconscious from their fall. She can see snowflakes on her friend's eyelashes and her lips were turning bright red. Her skin was icy cold like death. But the reassurance was the beating of Hinata's heart. Ino would place her fingers on Hinata's neck every once in a while to feel a pulse. It kept her hope bright and lit.

The howling wind bit her ears and she shivered, snuggling closer to Hinata and her clothes. But it was wet and it was only a matter of time before the situation gets worse. She glanced up, hoping to see the lights on the patio but could only see white.

'The storms worsening,' she thought in horror, trying to think of something. 'What can I do? What can I do? Wait…' She rummaged through her pocket and felt tears in her eyes when she touched her phone. With shaky hands, she took out her cell phone and moved Hinata to the side so she can be leaning against the rocky wall.

"I'm going to get us out of here," she whispered as she stepped into the cold winds. She shook but quickly turned on the flashlight on her phone. She pointed it towards the patio and started waving it frantically.

"Please see it," she whispered. "Please," she croaked out.


"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura and Sasuke decided to follow Sai and Naruto right after they left. They—specifically Sakura—got worried that they have yet to return and feared that another argument might have started. After all, Ino can be a bit too much when it comes to outbursts.

"S-Sakura," he stuttered, looking pass her shoulder. "Where's the police station?"

"Why?" she asked immediately. When he didn't respond and moved to pass her, she gripped his arm and stared into his eyes.

She saw fear swimming in them.

"What's wrong, Naruto?!" She raised her voice to snap him out of his trance. Something wasn't right. Where was Sai? Ino? Hinata? Why was he asking for the police?

"Hinata and Ino aren't in the resort."

"What do you mean?" She gripped him tighter. "What do you mean, Naruto?"

"I mean that they're not in their rooms! Sai said something about Ino liking to go outside and their winter wear are missing and I need the police so they can help me look for them—"

"How do you know they're not somewhere in the resort?" asked Sasuke calmly, seeing how his girlfriend's face lost all color.

"Why would they take their fucking winter clothes? They probably went outside. Sai went to go check the patio."

"And if they're not there?" asked Sakura, dropping her arm back to her side. "They can't be missing!"

"Let's go check around the resort." Sasuke grabbed Sakura and pulled her towards the back where the game room was located along with the sauna. "We'll look around while you ask the police for help. That way if we don't find anything, we can report to you sooner. The police station is passing the lobby. It's right next to the reception desk." Naruto nodded and ran off in desperation.

"Sasuke, let me go!" Sakura tried to pry off her boyfriend's grip on her arm as he pulled her further away from the lobby. "If what Naruto is saying is true, I have to go with him!"

"Why?"

"Because—be-because my friends—" She stopped resisting and let Sasuke pull her along. "I know Ino. I know she's dumb enough to go outside. I also know Hinata and she would follow Ino wherever if it meant helping her get better. They can be out there."

"Sai's on it."

"Well what if Sai isn't enough?"

"What if they're in here? We'll be reducing the time the police or anyone else would waste when they come to search for them. Help them this way, Sakura."

She said nothing for a while before nodding and wiping the tears from her face.

'Hang in there, you guys.' But she knew deep down that they were out there. Somewhere. 'Sai, fucking find them on time.'


Sai's scarf covered the majority of his face but even then, the wisps of cold air that would hit his face would burn. He closed the door behind him and squint his eyes as he looked around the patio. The dim lights can only give him so much visual. The only thing he could see at this hour of the night was white. The snow crunched underneath his feet but he paid no mind to the near slips he had making his way to the fence surrounding the patio. He looked around and his gazed focused on the forest surrounding the resort. An absurd thought passed through his mind.

What if they were out there?

He shook his head. Why would they even go out there in the first place?

He began to walk back when he felt a shiver run up and down his spine. He glanced around the patio but found no footprints or evidence that they were here. A gut feeling was telling him to go back, to look beyond the fence. He turned back and glanced around the barley seen forest. That's when he saw something from the corner of his eye.

He looked down and saw a dim light moving around erratically. He tried to see what it was until he heard it.

"HELP!"

His eyes widened.

"Ino?"

The light kept moving around and he gripped the rail.

"I-Ino…how?" He felt his heart being squeezed painfully but he forced his legs to run back. He threw open the door and ran towards the lobby where he knew the police station was. He didn't pay attention to the odd looks he was receiving and opened the door of the station.

He nearly buttheads with Naruto who had three police officers behind him.

"Sai, what's wrong? Did you find anything?"

"Yes." Sai gave him a sad but desperate look. "They fell down the cliff. They need help."


"No, please don't die!" yelled Ino as she saw her phone go down to one percent.

"Please, fuck! I paid good money for this phone!" screamed Ino as she kept waving her phone around. "Someone, help!" she yelled.

But finally her phone shut down, leaving her and Hinata alone in the dark. Wet and cold and afraid.

Ino shakily made her way back with her friend. She wiped the snow off Hinata's face and brought her close. Her icy fingers brushed against Hinata's neck and Ino sighed when she felt a heartbeat.

She had to think of something. She could probably drag Hinata back but it'll be a while to go through the thick forest. The hill was steep and she knew that one wrong misstep can lead to an avalanche or worse. She didn't want to cause more pain to her friend. Or to her if she can help it.

They'll have to endure till morning or when their friends realize that they're missing.

"Hinata," whispered Ino, tears of frustration running down her cheeks, "I'm sorry. I'm so stupid! I should have let Sai explained. I shouldn't have run outside. I should have told you to go back to your room. I should have not been so stupid! But here we are because of me."

Her vision began to swim and she felt herself nodding off. Her body went slack against the wall. The wind kept howling and the coldness crept in. Darkness surrounded them and Ino's last thought was of Sai's precious smile and the warmth of a bed.


"I saw a light down there." Sai pointed down the cliff. However the light he saw earlier was gone. "I saw a light moving around. I believe it was my girlfriend or Hinata, her friend."

"We'll check." The officer said something through his radio and walked back inside.

"What's taking them so long?!" asked Naruto, glaring at the resort behind them. "What if they're done there? They're freezing to death."

Sai simply stared at the bottom of the cliff, trying to see if there's someone down there. There had to be! He saw a light. He had a feeling it was Ino or Hinata. He knew they were down there.

"Fuck it. I'm going down." Naruto ducked under the large spaces in between the fence and carefully began moving down. While Sai thought his reckless idea would probably lead to some kind of injury, he did not stop him. The officers were taking too long for his taste. If Naruto can go down there and see if Ino and Hinata were there, then the officers can be a bit more motivated to go rescue them.

Naruto wrapped his orange scarf around the majority of his face and felt the wind slashing on the parts that were exposed. The coldness bit every piece of skin exposed and it began to hurt but he kept taking little steps down the cliff. A few rocks gave out but he quickly regained his balance. It was hard to see what was under him considering it was all covered in snow. It made it even more dangerous. But his girlfriend was missing and he swears that if he finds her hurt or in a worse condition, he'll go insane.

He finally landed on the ground and he looked around. It was hard through all the white blurring his vision but he had to focus! He turned to his side and saw two figures leaning against the cliff. He carefully made his way towards them. As he got closer, his eyes widened when he realized who it was.

"Hinata!" he yelled and ran towards his girlfriend's side. He wiped away the snow that was collecting on her body and carefully touched her neck. He felt a pulse and cried as he hugged her close. Her skin was icy cold and her lips were turning blue. He had to get her out of here! He saw Ino slumped over and he knew that in any minute, their lives can take a turn for the worse.

"They're here!" he yelled, his grip tightly locked around his girlfriend. "They're here! Help!"

Back on the patio, Sai realized that Naruto has yet to come back.

"They're down there," he whispered and ran off to tell the officers.


"Approximately nine o clock last night in a local resort, two bodies were found unconscious near a cliff. Ambulances arrived at the scene in time and took both victims to the hospital. Their conditions are stable and so far there have been no charges against the resort. In other news—"

Hinata moved slightly and turned to her side. Her head began to pound in pain and she stopped trying to find a comfortable position.

"Hinata, you're awake?" She recognized that voice. She moved her head to the side and blinked away the blurriness. Blue eyes that can rival the beautiful sky and that smile, so beautiful that she knew nothing can replace its beauty.

"Na…" she managed to say before coughing.

He turned off the television and immediately grabbed the water bottle that was on the bedside table. He placed the rim of the bottle on her chapped lips. She greedily drank the whole bottle and sighed once she felt satisfied. Suddenly she remembered being outside the resort with Ino. She realized that she was in the hospital. The smell of doctor lingered everywhere.

"What…what happened?"

"We found Ino and you unconscious at the bottom of the cliff that leads to the resort. Remember talking to Ino outside during a snow storm?"

Hinata looked away in shame.

"Wait," she turned to look at him, wide eyes, "unconscious? I-Is Ino okay?"

"Yes." He moved closer and grabbed her hand. "You had me worried sick. When we couldn't find you in the resort, I thought something bad happened." He kissed her knuckles. "When I found you unconscious, I thought that maybe you…" He blinked back the tears and choked out, "I love you so much, Hinata. Please, don't ever do that again." He kissed her knuckles once more and stood up. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. It was smooth and heartwarming. He poured every emotion into that kiss.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears falling down her face. "I'm sorry."

A few tears streaked down his face and he shook his head. "It's not your fault. Good thing they brought you guys to the hospital in time. The doctors said that if you guys stayed out there for another hour or so you guys could have gotten Hypothermia."

"G-Good thing we were found then." She smiled.

That smile looked more beautiful now. Did her eyes always twinkle like that? For some reason, her small details were shining bright right now. Like how her nose kept twitching every time she heard a sound beyond the room. Or the way her fingernails were neatly clean. How her eyes looked different depending on the lighting of the room.

Did she know she was beautiful?

"How's Ino and Sai?"

Her question brought him out of his musing.

"Honestly I don't know, babe. I've been by your side since they brought you here. Sakura came to visit too."

Hinata blushed, happy that he remained by her side. However she was worried about her friends. But a sudden rush of fatigue washed over her and the bed felt more comfortable than when she woke up.

"I'm going to take a nap." She yawned and she heard him chuckle.

"I'm going to call my house, okay? I'll be right back." He kissed her quickly and left the room.

At the end, their vacation didn't really turn out so bad.


Sai's fingers moved across the sketch pad, the pencil shading in the right amount of dark to make the drawing look more realistic. He paused, glanced up, and resumed sketching. Her breathing was comforting and her sleeping face brought peace to his mind. It was a disaster the moment the ambulances arrived. Sakura nearly had a hysteric fit when the officers brought up the unconscious bodies of Ino and Hinata. He had to admit he's never felt anger and fear so much in his life.

He can still recall his terrible childhood memory consisting of jumping from foster care to foster care. Being rejected from a family you thought wanted you was the worse feeling. Being ignored the majority of his life added to the isolation and withdraw that he had as he grew up. He thought that this would be the worse part of his life. He vowed that he will no longer feel such pain once he moved out of the orphanage.

But when he met Ino, these pains were more frequent. They were pains that happened when she came back from work, tired and ready to eat three plates of food and he simply watched her with content as she talked about her day. They were pains that happened when she cries during movies and he hugs her close because he doesn't like seeing her sad. They were pains when he was left alone with his thoughts and the fear of her leaving him would claw its way into his head and he'll begin to over think about her abandoning him and how he's not perfect and she can do better—

And somehow she would always arrive at that time with her brightest smiles and hug him close and whisper how handsome he looks in this shirt or how the weather is perfect. He forgot about the pains through her kisses and touch. He forgot about the possibility of losing her through her words and her eyes.

That's when he decided to ask her to marry him. He wanted her by her side. But what if she didn't?

Her eyes fluttered open and he put down the pencil he was holding for more than an hour.

"What?" She suddenly tried to sit up but the fatigue hit her and she collapsed back on the bed. She turned her head to the side and he stood up, placing his sketching book on the chair he was sitting on. He grabbed the apple juice from the lunch bag the nurse brought in earlier and struck the straw inside it. Her eyes never left his as he placed the straw on her lips. She quickly finished the juice box and she settled comfortable on the bed.

"I don't even like apple juice but I got to say, that was the best thing I've ever drank."

He smiled and threw the small box away.

"You were sketching."

He nodded and grabbed his sketch book. He moved the chair closer and began to flip through his pages.

"I was sketching you."

He gave her the book and watched as that smile appeared on her face. She never really wrapped her head around the idea that he really did like using her as a model for his many drawings. She was so beautiful that he wanted to capture every small detail. He wanted to show the world how beautiful she was.

"I bet you didn't draw the part where I was snoring." She smiled even wider and he let out a chuckle.

"Even if you were snoring, I believe you would still have been the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

She looked away suddenly.

"I'm sorry for being an idiot."

He grabbed his book and placed it on the bedside table. He grabbed her hands and kissed her palms.

"I'm sorry for not explaining it better." He let go of one of her hands and reached into his pocket to take out the ring box. "I should have just asked you if you wanted to marry me." He opened the box and showed her the ring.

Ino gasped and let go of his hand to cover her mouth. Did he just literally proposed to her right now? In the hospital after her near death experience?

But one look at his face said it all. He didn't realize he asked her but he wasn't backing down from the proposition. He wasn't kidding.

"Sai, a-are you serious right now?" she asked, suddenly feeling very ugly. After all, she's in a hospital gown and she sure as hell knew she smelled horrible.

"Yes. I understand that this is a very inappropriate place but I want to know if you'll like to be my wife." She shivered when she heard him say that. Her heart skipped a beat. "It's not an extravagant ring but I hope it shows how much I care about you. I love you, Ino. I want to be by your side forever."

For a few seconds, she couldn't really respond. Was this happening? Was this a dream? Was Sai really proposing to her? When she saw doubt in his face, she leaned forward with all her strength and kissed him.

"Yes, silly! Of course I want to marry you! I love you so much, Sai." She kissed him again and fell back on the bed. She showed her hand to him and wiggled her fingers. "I accept."

He smiled widely and placed the ring on the appropriate finger.

"I can't wait to tell our kids this story," she said, smiling widely.

"Me either." He leaned forward and sealed the promise with a kiss.