InuYasha kept one ear cocked for a rumble of thunder even though the first drop of rain had yet to fall. He could smell the moisture in the air, though, so the actual precipitation was just a formality.

"InuYasha?" Kagome inquired in a hushed tone.

The hanyou flicked a glance at her, indicating that she had his attention.

"Can you…um…tell if there's going to be a storm?" she asked, casting a worried frown at the darkening sky.

InuYasha always wondered why she asked such silly questions.

"Well, yeah, stupid. Anybody with eyes can see those clouds," he remarked, jerking his thumb towards the sky.

"I meant a bad storm," Kagome shot back hotly.

InuYasha rumbled an irritated growl, but paused nonetheless to study the impending tempest with his senses. The air smelled damp and felt cool, so he was certain rain was forthcoming. The wind hadn't kicked up yet, but that kind of thing was hard to predetermine, even for a hanyou.

"Well, there's definitely gonna be some rain," he stated. "And lightning."

"Are you sure?" Kagome all but squeaked.

"Positive. Before rain falls, the air gets damp and cool. Lighting gets it all charged up and it makes the hair on my ears stand up," he confirmed.

That settled, he tucked his arms into the voluminous sleeves of his kimono and continued down the road.

Kagome hurried to catch up to him and said nothing more. Out of the corner of his eye, InuYasha caught her sneaking anxious glances at the ever-darkening sky. She seemed to be moving closer to his side and shrinking each time she regarded the clouds.

At the first flash of lighting, she cried out and the first clap of thunder had her springing on InuYasha. Her arms locked around him, hands fisted tightly in his kimono, and she hid her face against his chest. He was stunned and managed to sputter incoherently before the next angry rumble of thunder drew a helpless whimper from her. She clung tighter to him and trembled.

They hadn't been traveling together very long, but InuYasha was still amazed at the way she always deferred to him when she was frightened. Not that he got some kind of sick enjoyment out of her fear, but he just liked how she instantly turned to him for help. It made him feel strong, capable.

"Keh," he grumbled in mock irritation. "You scared of storms, wench?"

Kagome nodded, her cheek rasping over the coarse fire-rat cloth and unknowingly, his chest. InuYasha's heart stumbled at the contact and he gulped audibly. Her close proximity was a little more than he could handle and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Keh," he groused trying to inject disdain into his tone. "You're such a coward."

Kagome's temper flared and chased away the cold chill of fear. She wrenched herself from him and scorched him with a glare.

"You jerk!" she spat hotly. "You think it's funny don't you?"

InuYasha's ire sparked instantly and he leapt to his own defense.

"Yeah, it's funny alright!" he fired back. "Some priestess you turned out to be, running for cover from everything! You're scared of your own shadow!"

"I am not!" she cried.

"You are so!" InuYasha persisted. "I don't know why I waste my time babysitting such a sorry excuse for a miko."

The moment the words left his mouth, InuYasha felt a stab of remorse.

Kagome's mouth fell open and she stared at him in disbelief. How could he say something so…so cruel? Still, Kagome knew his words rung true. She was always ducking behind him and she was a pitiful miko. As if to underscore his words, lightning flashed overhead and the sharp crack of thunder followed. Kagome flinched and bit her lip to keep from crying out in fear.

She wrapped her arms around her middle and trembled pitifully, hating how pathetic she felt. Compared to her hanyou companion, she was smaller, weaker and not at all brave by any stretch of the imagination.

"I…" she began, trying to summon the will to defend herself, but could think of no viable argument. She sighed in defeat and stared dejectedly at the ground. "You're right," she admitted. "I don't know why you put up with me at all."

Unable to tolerate being near him and all his hanyou strength, Kagome scurried around him and darted across a little field beside the road. The moment she vanished into the dark evergreen forest, there was another brilliant flash of lightning and a blast of thunder. Then rain began to tumble from the sky, slow and heavy.

InuYasha stood in the middle of the road, rain darkening his robes and Kagome's final words echoing hauntingly in the air. He thought that maybe he should wait a moment or two, just to see if she'd come back. Their friendship was still so new that InuYasha had yet to learn to tame his coarse manners and curb his thoughtless outbursts.

At first he folded his arms and scoffed, telling himself that Kagome started yelling first. It wasn't his fault at all. A nagging little voice reminded him that he had provoked her by calling her a coward.

"Feh. She is a coward," he grumbled to himself, though he knew it wasn't really true.

He remembered how she'd sprung on him at the first boom of thunder and he couldn't really fault her. When he was little, he used to be scared of storms too. Kagome was little, too. He'd felt that when she'd wrapped her small arms around him.

Kagome was just one little miko in a big world full of nasty monsters that leapt out at her nearly every day. She couldn't help it if she was jumpy. He should've been honored that she trusted him to keep her safe, but instead he'd thrown her weakness back in her face.

Guilt sank into his bones and a chill that had nothing to do with the rain sank into his body. He took off after her, clearing the field in one leap and shooting through the place where he'd last seen her.

The rain was coming down harder now and the wind was beginning to kick up. The swaying canopy did little hinder the heavy rainfall and it didn't take long before Kagome's trail was washed away completely. InuYasha circled the area where he lost her trail, trying to catch a trace of her scent, but it was futile at this point. The loud rush of wind and slapping of rain against the leaves prevented him from tracking her by sound.

He'd lost her. Panic flared in his gut and fear gripped him in its sickening clutches.

"KAGOME!" he bellowed as loud as he could, but his words fell back to the muddy earth, struck down by the muting rain.

He tried again and pricked his ears for her response, assuming she would call out to him at all. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

"KAGOME!" he cried once more in desperation, with enough volume to make his own ears ring.

The wind taunted him with its loud whooshing, the patter of rain sounded more like a rush of laughter. He started running, calling her name over and over. He was frantic for the slightest whiff of her scent, the faintest sound of her voice.

"Foooool," howled the wind.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," chanted the fat raindrops.

"KAGOME!" he yelled, his voice rasping over his dry throat.

Lightning splintered overhead with a hiss and thunder mockingly cackled, "Kaaa-GO-ME!"

Still, InuYasha called out to her, begging for her to forgive him.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled. "I didn't mean it, Kagome! I swear I didn't mean it!"

His voice shrilly tapered off on a frantic wail. He heard nothing in return, just the storm's taunting ruckus and the rapid tattoo of his heart.

InuYasha was about ready to give up, thinking that he'd pushed Kagome too far this time. Suddenly, his sharp ears perked up and flicked to the right, catching an odd sound. He listened closely, not daring to breathe, and tried to discern what he was hearing.

Crying. Someone was crying.

Without a second thought, InuYasha charged into the thick, dripping brush and followed the sound. He had to stop a time or two and change directions, but he finally found the source.

Underneath a shaggy cluster of bushes sat Kagome with her arms wrapped around her legs and her forehead pressed against her knees. Her dark bangs hung limp and dripping over her arms and her small shoulders shook as she cried softly.

InuYasha stood there torn between relief and aching guilt. Kagome must've felt his demonic aura, because her head snapped up and she pierced him with the most accusing, sorrowful eyes he'd ever seen. He flinched and knew what was coming next.

"O-osuwari," she hiccupped with a pitiful little sniffle.

InuYasha was slammed to the mucky forest floor instantly and the impact rattled his jaw. Normally he would've yelled at her, but this time he knew he deserved it. Tears flowing from her eyes, Kagome scooted out from under the meager shelter of the bush and started to flee once more.

"K-kagome! Wait!" he pleaded frantically.

InuYasha futilely struggled against the weight of the kotodama, only managing to dig furrows in the ground with his claws. She slipped out of his line of sight and he could hear her muffled footfalls receding.

"Kagome, I'm sorry!" he bellowed shrilly. "KAGOME!"

Maybe it was the desperation in his voice that halted her and had Kagome cautiously backtracking. InuYasha caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye, peeking around a tree at him. She looked so adorably meek with her hair plastered to her head, and dark bangs framing large brown eyes.

"Do you mean it?" she asked in a quavering little voice.

InuYasha smiled in spite of himself.

"Yeah, Kagome," he answered softly. "I…shouldn't have said those things. I didn't mean it."

The moment the subjugation abated, he sat up and shrugged out of his kimono. Kagome tentatively regarded him as he plucked wet leaves from the garment and then held it up by the shoulders.

"Come here," he beckoned gently.

Kagome hesitated, still debating whether or not she should forgive him.

"Please," InuYasha coaxed her, his eyes glowing soft and warm.

Kagome slowly stepped out from behind the tree and crossed to him. Her eyes dropped to the forest floor when she stood before him and a light blush tinged her cheeks. InuYasha moved to stand behind her and helped her slip her arms into the ample sleeves. He settled the robe over her small shoulders and pulled her hair out over the collar so it wouldn't hang damp against her back. The sleeves stretched well past her fingertips and his robe practically swallowed her whole.

Kagome turned to face InuYasha and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.

"Um, thank you," she murmured.

"Keh," InuYasha scoffed uncomfortably. "Let's get you out of the rain."

She blinked owlishly at him when he took her hand and tugged her underneath the cluster of bushes where she'd previously been hiding. InuYasha sat cross-legged on the ground and Kagome sat beside him.

Suddenly, the sharp boom of thunder sent her flying into his arms and InuYasha gave a startled laugh. Kagome started to pull away, thinking he was making fun of her again, but the hanyou merely pulled her into his lap.

"Relax, wench," he growled. "I'll protect you."

Kagome was stiff for a moment, but relaxed as the residual warmth from InuYasha's robe chased the chill from her skin. With a sigh, she leaned against his chest and tucked her head under his chin. One of her small hands rested against his chest and her chilled fingers curled slightly into his kimono.

Maybe it was the seclusion of their shelter or the soft drizzling of rain in the leaves, but InuYasha relaxed too. He folded his arms around his little miko and leaned against the sturdy base of a bush, relishing this strange feeling of contentment.

"InuYasha?" Kagome piped up softly.

"What?"

She toyed with a silvery sidelock of hair that dangled in front of her nose, gathering up her nerve.

"I'm sorry if I worried you," she apologized.

InuYasha scoffed and grumbled, "Keh. I wasn't worried."

"Liar," they thought simultaneously.

InuYasha was wrapped around her dainty little finger and he knew it.