It was raining outside. Absolutely pouring. There wasn't any thunder or lightning, and that made the falling rain look amazingly beautiful. I don't know why, but thunder and lightning always make the rain seem frightening. But when it's just the rain, falling gracefully from the sky, it's peaceful and pleasant.

Of course, it was too cold and wet to go outside and do anything. Not only that, but it was late. There was nothing good on TV and nothing but advertisements on the radio. I was bored and had nothing to do, so I grabbed my jacket and went out on the balcony. There was enough overhang to keep me from getting wet and my jacket provided sufficient warmth. I just couldn't go anywhere.

I looked out at the ocean view and got lost in thought. Memories, actually. I have a tendency to do this when I'm completely at peace with myself. I haven't been for a long while, so it's kind of nice.

Lately things have been absolutely chaotic. Daisuke confessed to Riku and I that he was Dark. Riku didn't handle it too well at first, but she eventually accepted it. She's always hated Dark for being a pervert and for leading girls on. Especially since I was one of those girls. Was. After that whole incident with the Black Wings I realized that I had simply been infatuated with him and that I was a fool for thinking he would care about me. I grew up and got over him and I'm really glad that I did.

Daisuke also told us that Hiwatari was Krad. We were completely shocked that such a monster had been living inside of him. It explained why Hiwatari was so cold and distant from everyone else. Why he always had to be so superior. If he wasn't a perfect, solitary human being then Krad would take over and hurt someone. I actually cried a little when he told me, but I calmed down quickly. I know that Hiwatari hates pity.

That whole episode of events was crazy and it seemed to last forever. It feels like it has taken up a good chunk of my life and at the same time, none at all. That was always a confusing concept, the whole feeling two different emotions at the same time. It was freaky.

As I was reminiscing the past event, I noticed the lightning flash behind the clouds. The thunder would follow soon after. But before I could turn and go back inside, I saw another flash of lightning and this time it illuminated something. I waited for it to flash and again, and when it did, I saw a figure on the beach. Someone was out there.

All of a sudden I seemed to develop this sense of adventure, because I went back inside and started to get ready to leave. I went in and changed into a comfortable pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt. I pulled my hair up with my ribbon and put on my rain boots. Then I grabbed my raincoat and umbrella and headed out. Everyone was already in bed, so I got out with no problem.

On my way down to the beach I started to feel this uneasy feeling in my stomach. I wasn't feeling sick or anything, but it felt more like knots were forming. Bad thoughts started to fill my head and I tried my best to shake them away. I was just worried that whoever was down there, might not be there when I arrive. I didn't know if they were standing around or just walking across the beach. Surprisingly, those types of things were my concern. I wasn't worried at all about getting caught or in trouble for leaving in the middle of the night.

I guess that was due to the fact that I used to sneak out a lot to go and see Dark steal some artwork. I'd always go out at all the ridiculous times of night he'd be out, in hopes of meeting up with him. Riku would always notice, though, and bring me home before we got in trouble. I doubt she'd notice anything tonight.

As I got closer to the beach the street lamps became more and more scarce. Pretty soon I was wandering around in complete darkness with only the moon to guide me. It wouldn't have been so bad if the rain wasn't so thick and coming down so hard. I kept pressing on, though.

When I finally got there I looked all around for the stranger. It was at this point that I realized that I had no idea what to do now. Was I just supposed to walk up to them and say, "Hey, I saw you from my balcony and I was just wondering what you were doing out here so late at night, in the middle of the rain?" That would go over well.

I looked over towards the rocks that were built up against the shore line and saw the person standing next to them. I couldn't tell if they could see me or not, because they were too far away, so I snuck up behind them to get a closer look. I wasn't trying to be creepy or stalker-ish, but I wanted to know who they were. I didn't come all this way for nothing, after all.

I walked quietly in their direction until I was almost completely behind them. I wasn't close to them, mind you, I was simply parallel to them. I couldn't see their face because they had their back turned to me, but I had an idea of who the person was. It was definitely a he because his body was too straight to be a girls and his hair was very short. He didn't look to be very tall, so I assumed he was a student. He was slender and wearing blue jeans and shirt. I couldn't tell anything else about him, so I decided to get closer.

I walked a few feet closer, hoping to gather more information on this mystery guy, but I still couldn't get anything else. I went a little closer and still got nothing. Finally, I was practically right behind him when I noticed his hair color. It was blue.

"You're not very good at being sneaky, Miss Harada."

What! How did he know it was me? I didn't make any noise.

"How did you know it was me?"

"I saw you standing out on your balcony. Then I saw somebody come onto the beach and I knew it had to be you."

"How did you know I was behind you?"

"Well you're the only other person on the beach. I felt you getting closer to me."

I was actually kind of amazed and at the same time I was disappointed. Here I was thinking I was being so sneaky and clever and he came out and busted me. He knew it was me the entire time.

"What are doing out here, Hiwatari? It's raining and it's late. You should be at home."

"So should you."

"Well I was until I saw you out here."

"You didn't have to come out."

"I know, but I was curious. I wanted to know what possessed somebody to come out to the beach in the middle of the night in the pouring rain."

He was quiet for a while. He just looked out at the ocean, hands in his pockets, eyes closed. When he did open them, he let out an audible sigh and smiled a small smile.

"It's peaceful out here. The sound of the rain touching down and the waves crashing is very tranquil. I guess I just needed to be somewhere calming."

I thought about it for a moment and he was right. The sound of the rain and waves was very calming and it looked beautiful too. The waves weren't crashing hard against the rocks like they normally would in the middle of a storm. They were calm like they would be on any other day. And because there was no thunder to break the peaceful atmosphere, everything just seemed perfect.

"You're right. It is peaceful out here. However, it's also cold and wet and you're only wearing a t-shirt. You'll catch a cold."

He laughed at my comment and shook his head.

"You worry too much, Miss Harada. It's not that cold and I love the feeling of rain on my skin."

"You're so strange, Hiwatari. Is it worth getting sick over?"

"I won't get sick. I never have before. I only seem to get sick during the winter time. It's the beginning of summer."

Wow, I wish I was like that. I can get sick at any time during the year.

"Wow, you're lucky. I wish I was like that."

He just shrugged off my comment and continued to look out at the ocean. I went over and stood by his side, rather than behind him, and looked out too. I don't know what he's looking at or what he's thinking about, but I found myself staring at all of the little waves forming. I was always fascinated with the fact that one section of a big body of water could rise up and form a wave. I remember learning about it in science class, but it still fascinated me.

But I wasn't fascinated for very long because, all of a sudden, thunder clapped and roared. It danced above us in unison with the lightning and the wind started to pick up. It was a full on storm now and I was terrified of thunder storms.

"Miss Harada, are you all right?"

I looked Hiwatari in the eye and saw general concern shine through them. I was about to ask him why, but then I noticed that I was shaking and no longer holding my umbrella. I must have dropped it when the thunder came and not realized it.

"No, I'm scared of thunder storms."

I sounded like a frightened child, but I didn't really care. I was truly afraid and it made it even worse that I wasn't home. My house was right on the cliff overlooking the ocean, but it was still far away. It didn't seem that far when I was walking down here, but now it might as well have been miles away.

Before I could rattle my brain with more depressing and scary thoughts, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, I'll walk you home."

I nodded at him and he extended his hand out to me. When the thunder clapped again I quickly grabbed his arm instead and clung to him for dear life. I shut my eyes and kept myself next to him. I couldn't explain it, but something about him being here and this close to me made me feel better. Safe.

When the thunder let up for a moment, I fixed myself up a bit. Instead of being completely glued to him, I let up a bit. I reached my hand down to his and took it firmly with my own while I kept my other arm locked with his. It's hard to explain how I'm connected to him right now, but trust me, it works.

He didn't seem bothered at all by my closeness. I was kind of expecting him to tense up or even tell me to let go. But he didn't. And as we were walking he'd stop and comfort me whenever I tensed up or shuddered because of the thunder. I never would have thought that Hiwatari could be the caring, gentle type. Krad made him hide that side of him. Now that he's gone, Hiwatari has a chance to be himself.

He's a sweetheart. He really is.

"Thank you for being so patient and kind to me, Hiwatari. I'm sorry you have to do this."

"It's no trouble at all. I don't mind."

"What are you going to do once you drop me off?"

"I suppose I'll go home. The thunder ruined the peaceful atmosphere."

"How far away do you live?"

"Not terribly far, but I'm a ways away."

"If you want, when we get my house I can have our driver take you home."

"No that's all right. Despite the thunder, I still like the rain and I'd prefer to walk."

"Come on now, I have to pay you back somehow."

"No you don't. I'm perfectly content walking with you, so there's no need for that."

Did he just say he was content to be walking with me? Before Krad disappeared he would have told me to get lost or something. Or because he's a gentleman he would have just done it and left, waiting for me to be gone. It was strange to hear him say such sweet things. It'll take some getting used to.

Before I could think anymore of the subject, I let out a startling sneeze. I turned my head away from Hiwatari so I wouldn't get my germs all over him. He laughed at me and reached his hand into his pocket.

"Why are you laughing at me? That's not very nice."

"I'm sorry, Miss Harada. I couldn't help it. You came out here talking about me getting sick because of the cold and rain, but here you are sneezing even though you're all bundled up. It's just ironic, is all."

He was right. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, yet completely unaffected by the elements. While I was bundled up in warm pants, a long-sleeved shirt and raincoat, yet I was catching a cold. It was very ironic.

I found myself laughing at the situation. I couldn't help it. I exploded into full out laughter, throwing my head back and letting it all out. He started laughing again, this time with me instead of at me. It was nice. Just standing in the rain, holding onto his arm, laughing uncontrollably at something that wasn't all that funny. It was just nice.

But my laughter died down when the thunder rolled again. I shut up quickly and latched tightly onto his arm. It was louder than usual and I got really scared. I had let out a small scream and buried myself into him. I was pressed completely against him and I had my face hidden in his shirt. He tensed for a moment, surprised by my actions, and then relaxed. He wrapped his free arm around me and stroked my hair. It was calming.

"Miss Harada, its O.K. There's nothing to be afraid of."

After a little while I calmed down. I pulled away from him and shook my head, realizing what I had done. I was blushing madly, but it was hard to see in the poor light. I noticed something dangling out of his pocket. He saw me staring at it and he pulled it out. It was a handkerchief.

"Sorry. I was going to give it to you after you sneezed, but then the thunder struck. Here."

He handed it to me and I blew my nose. I whipped my face with it quickly, knowing it wouldn't do anything, and handed it back to him. He stuffed it back in his pocket and I took his arm back.

"Thank you. For everything, I mean."

"It's no trouble at all. Not at all."

I leaned into him for a moment, resting my head on his shoulder. I wasn't quite sure what I was doing, but a voice in my head told me to do it. My heart was racing and I could feel butterflies floating around in my stomach, as if they were in some sort of dance. I was still blushing, but it wasn't from earlier. I'm not really sure what this feeling is, but I like it.

I stopped leaning into him and got myself back together. We continued to walk on until we finally made it to my front door. We were on the porch, finally sheltered from the rain. I was glad. As much as I liked the feeling of the rain on my skin, it became unpleasant after a while. Hiwatari seemed to love it though.

I let go of his arm and watched him shake his head, trying to get some water out of his hair, and put his hands in his pockets. We stood there for what seemed like ages, just staring at each other. We locked eyes, chocolate brown to sapphire blue, and stared. They would wander every once in a while, taking in all of each other's features. It wasn't in a gross, perverted way like most people would. If he was doing what I was doing, then he was taking in all of the small details.

I've noticed quite a few things about him from just looking him over right now. Like the fact that he shifts his weight from one leg to the other every few minutes, or the fact that he always has his hands in his pockets if he can. Little details like that seemed to pop out. I wondered what he was noticing about me.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"You don't have a penny, Miss Harada."

"How would you know that?"

"You're pants don't have pockets and neither does your coat. Rather odd, but it doesn't allow you any place to keep change."

So he was observing the small details like I was. I didn't pay any attention to whether or not my outfit had pockets when I put it on. I was just throwing stuff together.

"But if you must know I was just taking notice of your features. You have very pretty eyes, Miss Harada, and very soft, petite hands."

I know for a fact that my face turned bright red. Again. Only this time he could tell because of the porch light.

"What about you? I have a penny, so, penny for your thoughts?"

His eyes turned really soft and he leaned up against the side of my house. For the first time tonight I noticed that he wasn't wearing his glasses. Him, the way he was right now, he looked perfect. Absolutely perfect. He was a combination of everything: gorgeous, beautiful, handsome, cute, hot, and adorable. Just everything.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how much you've changed. In the short amount of time that Krad's been gone, you've changed so much. I like it."

"Oh? What about me has changed?"

"Well, for one, you're being very friendly. Normally, you wouldn't say more than two words and be done with the entire conversation. You're talking more and opening up to people. You're sharing your feelings and I've never seen you smile or laugh genuinely before today. You've changed."

"So it's a good thing?"

"I said I liked it, didn't I? Of course it's a good thing."

His eyes softened even more as he broke away from my house and walked towards me. He stepped closer and closer until our faces were only a few inches apart. I already knew my face was tomato red and I could see some pink in his cheeks, but he was confident. He wasn't blushing because he was embarrassed.

"Well I'm glad you like the change in me. I do too."

He closed the space between our faces and took my lips with his. His lips were soft and sweet and his kiss was gentle, yet passionate. It was the perfect kiss. Dark never kissed me like this. He never even came close. Hiwatari's kiss felt so… so… incredible. It was everything I've ever wanted in one simple kiss. Every emotion I've ever wanted someone to feel about me was made obvious in this kiss.

He pulled away and opened his eyes. He stared at me, yet again and smiled. He pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in my hand.

"Thank you for taking notice of something other than the way I look. You looked deeper and saw what I can be. What I'm trying to be. I can't tell you how much that means to me. You're amazing, Risa."

I loved the way my first name sounded coming from him. It seemed so right to hear coming out of his mouth. I actually felt my heart skip a beat.

"It's late. You should head inside now and go to bed. Take care of yourself and I hope you don't get too sick. I'd really like to see you tomorrow."

He smiled at me one more time before he left. I felt bad for not saying anything to him. He said all of those wonderful things about me and I just stared at him. I didn't know what to say. No, I could speak at all. I couldn't use my voice without feeling like it would crack. All I could do was stare and hope he knew what I was feeling. What I wanted to say. I want to see him tomorrow, too.

I looked down at my hand, remembering that he placed something in it, and opened my palm up. There in the center of my hand was a bright, shiny penny.

"You're amazing, too, Satoshi. I will see you tomorrow."

I said that, knowing full well that he couldn't hear me. Still, I think he knows how I feel. He knows that we'll see each other tomorrow. I smiled at the thought and went inside, back up to my room. The house was still quiet. I peeked into Riku's room and saw that she had fallen asleep. I knew that my parents were asleep hours ago, so I just went to bed. I changed back into my night gown and crawled under the covers.

I really love the rain, all by itself. But now I think I love it even more when the thunder and lightning dance together with it.

"A/N: All right, so this was just a quick little thing that I came up with. It was intended to be a one-shot. Therefore I will NOT make it longer, nor will I make a sequel. So please don't ask. But I do hope you enjoyed it and I'd really appreciate reviews. Please and thank you."