A/N: Started writing this in the midst of a fantastic lightning storm with near gale-force winds and then I had to retreat back inside because I was afraid my laptop was going to short-circuit from the rain ^^;; Thank goodness for balconies :p (if you didn't know, I love thunder/lightening storms.)

(I was on vacation at the time of this writing).

It's funny how most people say they wake to the noise of thunder, but for her, it's the lightening. At least, that was her first thought when she woke with a start, the bright flashes filtering through even the double-layer of curtains, not frightening in the least but rather mesmerizing instead. There was probably thunder as well, for that frequency of lightening bolts piercing the sky surely would not be alone, but the noise of the rain, and the winds that drove it, made the rumbles hard to distinguish amongst the already-fierce waves breaking against the beach. With some effort, Sio gently pried herself from Adam's embrace, before slipping on his shirt that had been tossed over the back of a chair and padded out onto the balcony.

Despite being a beautiful tropical country, it appeared that Panama got its fair share of foul weather as well; the gales immediately blew her tangle of brown hair into her face, the rain only making it more difficult to push back. Still, there was something magical about it—the untamed power of nature, of the Earth itself; sometimes she felt that if the Evolutionary Invasion Objects could see and understand what they did, then perhaps they too, might stand in awe, if even for just a second. Although the winds were as strong as she'd ever experienced, they were still warm—not chilly at all, and the raindrops that pattered against her skin actually felt rather refreshing. Sighing, she leaned just over the railing a little—not too much, because the beach was right below and falling ten meters was not going to do wonders for either her or the baby.

'Nee…I wonder, if you'll like storms as much as your kaa-san does…' Gently she patted her growing belly, not quite rounded out yet, but noticeable if you were looking for that tell-tale bump. This was the reason she and Adam had managed to get this leave at all, despite the growing severity of the on-going war that was now looking more and more likely to be a long-term commitment. Aside from the obligatory congratulations and well-wishing among the entire DOGOO community and their friends and family, the Commander had agreed that the significance of their first child deserved a short retreat that was just as special.

'Eh? Panama, huh…well, 's not like I've any objections, but yeh sure like that place, 'ey?' He'd teased her when she announced her location of choice for their little break—not their countries of birth, but a seemingly entirely unrelated country that just happened to be the site of their first shore leave. And second. And the one where he'd officially asked her to be with him. Most of the organization probably thought she'd chosen it because it was a nice tropical country and popular for romantic getaways, and maybe it was true for others…but for her, the significance and memories that it held…even if the first trip had been a rather dangerous encounter with Objects that somehow managed to reconstruct the Musashi… Taking a deep breath, she didn't even flinch as a pair of arms encircled her from behind, the waves masking the sound of his entrance.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Mm, I was okay but I wanted to see the storm for a bit…there's something really cool about it…" She gasped as the entire sky lit up bright as day for just a split-second, and she felt his laugh at her childlike wonder rumbling against her back.

"Guess yer not th' type t' get scared of storms then. Good." He nuzzled the top of her head, smoothing the stray strands that were starting to stick to her face. "I always thought storms were pretty neat in their own right, myself."

"Yeah…even though everyone always got worried during typhoon season in Japan, I think I was the only one in my class who actually sort of looked forward to it each year…which only made them think I was weirder…" The loner military otaku who actually liked typhoons? Yeah, that fact had cemented her status as class outcast real quick. "It's too bad Harold and the rest of the hurricane hunters aren't here to see it…" She felt him stiffen for a second, before holding her tighter.

The Object in the hurricane. Their first official mission together. True, back then she'd seen him as nothing more than an arrogant, know-it-all, bossy leader, and he thought of her as nothing more than some pipsqueak newbie whom just so happened to be a shooter class. And yet he'd trusted her—trusted her skill and instincts, and even incorporated their powers together to overcome that unexpected bump of one Object actually being two.

And he'd actually had the good graces afterwards to carry her back to her room, when she'd passed out from the exhaustion, much to his embarrassment of being teased by every single passing crew member. Giggling at the memory, and her own first tendrils of realizing she'd gotten a massive crush on him, she leaned backwards just slightly into his warmth.

"Somethin' funny, squirt?" He peered at her curiously, one eyebrow raised at her unexpected grin.

"N-No…just, I remember, our first mission…I thought I was gonna shoot those eggs, and then you so kindly 'corrected' me." How could she have known what he'd been thinking, the second he'd cut her parachute and then so boldly scooped her into his arms?

"Ah. Right. Well I mean, c'mon, you were just startin' out, I doubt yeh could've shot all of 'em down in time, in those conditions."

"I could've handled it…probably…" A slight pout, because she'd been in her Nobunagun mode then, and nothing stood in her way when she was like that.

"Maybe. But we couldn't take that chance. Yeh know that." He was stroking her hair, the gesture nearly as hypnotizing as the storm itself.

"You were all yelling at me, like I was crazy because of that dance, right?"

"How was I supposed to know that was how yeh—er, communicated with yer e-gene?"

"…You also called me a 'dumbass'."

He winced slightly. "…Yeh. I…hadn't developed my social graces quite yet…" She squeaked slightly as something warm brushed the nape of her neck, his lips trailing slowly down towards that sensitive junction near her shoulder. "Sorry…I was an ass."

"Y-You still…kind of are—ah! A-Adam…" A slight nip, as if reminding her that while he would admit to his own faults around her, he made no apologies for the person he was. "Mmm…you're going to leave a mark…"

"A little late for that, dont'cha think?" He muttered dryly, in truth there were already several purplish marks that dotted her neck and the area surrounding it, one more wouldn't make a difference… Another squeak that bordered on a whine as one hand surreptitiously ducked underneath the shirt and the other snaked lower still. "…Is this my shirt?"

"A-ah, I-I—ah—yes w-well, i-it was the first one, I—ah! C-Could, find…ah, Adam, stop…"

"Why…" A husky breath in her ear, and oh, gods it was getting so hard to think clearly… "Y'don't seem very interested in stopping any time soon…" Her hips bucked, and she heard his smirk.

"B-Because, w-we're, outside…haah, s-seriously A-Adam, we can't—here—!" She was becoming very aware of each and every sensation, and that tingling warmth that was so deliciously addicting…

"Eh…there's nothin' out there but th' ocean…but hey, 'f it makes yeh feel better we can just go back inside…" A quick jab in the stomach let him know very clearly her thoughts if he attempted to go any further out here, and with a grin and a gasp on her part, he picked her up, princess-style, and maneuvered them out of the wind and rain.

"I wonder if this will affect our flight back tomorrow…" She murmured hazily as he undid the buttons with his teeth. Not that she wanted this trip to end, but it wouldn't do to leave the rest of their platoon for too long.

"Hmm…probably not. If anything, DOGOO'll probably come get us themselves…" A small victory on his part as the fabric came undone and was tossed, for a second time, over the chair.

"Yeah…but maybe they won't."

"Maybe. If they don't, I ain't complaining. Just means more time to ourselves."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

A smile back at her. "Starting now?"

"Didn't it already start?"

"Yeh. Sure did."

"Then let's continue…"

"I'll certainly take yeh up on tha'…"

Another lightening blitz through the curtains, and secretly Sio wished that the storm would never end.