A/N: Hi, everyone! Welcome to my first oneshot! I hope you all enjoy, and, as always, please drop a review!

James laid curled up in the sleeping. The blankets are pulled up and over his head. His body trembles, and he jumps at every crash of thunder. Soft, quiet whimpers escaped past his lips, and unwanted tears slid down his cheeks.

He was scared.

Terrified.

He's always been afraid of storms. Ever since he was a young child. As he got older, the fear didn't seem to go away. It only became greater.

He wished he wasn't alone. But, his teammates Jessie and Meowth had both left him here alone. Jessie went shopping in a the nearby town, while Meowth had went out hunting or something. He stayed back, having nothing to do and nowhere to go. He had offered to go with Jessie, but she said that she wanted to go alone, much to his dismay.

He bit down hard on his lower lip as another crash of thunder echoed loudly. He squeezed his eyes shut as more hot tears dripped down his cheeks. He curled in on himself more.

He hated this. He hated being so afraid, and of something so stupid as a thunderstorm. He was not a child anymore. He shouldn't be this afraid of a thunderstorm, yet he was. If Jessie found out, she'd make his life a living hell. She'd probably request a new partner, one which wasn't such a big crybaby wimp.

Outside, he could hear something howl, and he shivered. God, where was Jessie? It had been hours since she had left. She was supposed to be back by now. And, on top of that, where was Meowth? A cat possibly couldn't take hours to hunt, could it?

He jumped up with a startled cry when there is a loud bang!

"Anyone here?" Meowth's voice said, much to James' relief.

"Yes, Meowth, I am," James murmured as he poked his head out of the sleeping bag. He quickly dried away his tears so that Meowth didn't see them.

"Hey, Jimmy," Meowth greeted him. "Where's Jess? She not back yet?"

James shook his head no. He continued to chew nervously at his bottom lip. "… Maybe I should go get her. What if she's in trouble? What if - ?"

"Calm down, Jim," Meowth says with a laugh. "Dis is Jess we're talkin' 'bout, rememba? She's a tough goil. She can handle herself."

James nodded in understanding. "Yeah, but –"

He was cut off when a rather large crash of thunder exploded in the distance. He jumped up with a strangled cry. Tears of humiliation and fear slid down his cheeks.

"Jim?" Meowth said softly, and padded over to where James laid. "What's da matta? Are ya scared of stroms or someting?"

"… Yes," James whispered quietly. So quietly it was barely audible. But, luckily for Meowth, he was a cat, and cats have good hearing.

"Does Jessie know?" Meowth asked.

James shook his head as more tears gathered in his eyes and slid down his cheeks. "… No…"

"Shouldn't ya tell her?" Meowth offered.

"What if she yells at me?" James whispered fearfully. "What if she… leaves me? What if she never wants to see or speak to me again?"

"Just 'cause you're afraid of storms?"

James nodded. "Jessie's strong," he reminded Meowth. "She doesn't need such a scaredy cat such as myself to hold her back. She deserves a much better, stronger partner."

"… But, she loves ya, Jimmy!" Meowth exclaimed. "And, when you love someone, ya stick wit dem, through da good and da bad!"

James sniffled, and flinched when another crash of thunder exploded. "Some days, it doesn't feel like she loves me," he mumbled. "She is always hurting me, always putting me down. She's always hitting me, too. If someone loved you, they wouldn't want tp hurt you, would they?"

"I admit, Jessie does have a bit of an anger issue," Meowth replied. "But she still loves ya! I know she does! She's said it many times before!"

James nodded, and smiled softly at what Meowth had said. It was true. Jessie always says I love you, no matter what he did to piss her off that day. And, when they're in trouble, she's the first to protect him from whatever harm they may be in at the moment.

Suddenly, the door swings open, and both James, and Meowth turn to see Jessie walking in, soaking wet from rain. "God, I hate this weather…" she mumbled as she squeezed out her wet hair.

"Welcome back, Jess," James said, and smiled softly at his partner. "How was your trip?"

"Alright, I guess," she replied, and looked curiously down at him. "What did you do, James? Sleep?"

James nodded, and flinched when thunder exploded. Jessie instantly noticed this, and her brow furrows in concern. "James?" she asked softly. "What's wrong?"

James adverts his eyes away from Jessie's. This gives Meowth permission to speak up.

"Jess, dere's something Jim here needs to tell ya."

"James?" Jessie said softly, and walked over to where James laid. She reached a hand out to rest om his cheek, and she instantly felt his tears. "… You're crying. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Nothing in particular," James mumbled. "… It's just… the storm." The last part was said very quietly, and no one but Meowth heard it.

"What did you say, James?" Jessie asks.

"… The storm," James repeated, and looked away from Jessie.

"What about it?" Jessie asked.

"… They scare me," he mumbled, and tears of humiliation slid down his cheeks.

"You're afraid of storms?" Jessie said. More tears slid down James' cheeks.

"Please don't hate me!" he cries. "Please don't leave me!"

"Why would I hate you?" Jessie asked. "And, why would I ever leave you, James?"

"Because I'm nothing but a big scaredy cat crybaby. You're so much stronger and braver than I am. You deserve someone just as strong as you. You don't need someone like me putting you down. You – "

James' rambling was cut off when Jessie presses her lips to his own. He closed his eyes and instantly kissed back. After a few moments, Jessie pulls away for air. She rested her hand on his wet cheek, and gently caresses it with her thumb.

"You should never be afraid to tell me something, James," she whispered. "I will always be here to comfort you whenever you are scared. I promise."

Tears gathered in James' eyes. "I love you, Jessie," he murmuemred.

Jessie gave him a quick, chaste kiss. "And, I love you, James. Always. Now, scoot over. I'm going to lay with you."

James smiled and blushed as he moved over so that Jessie could crawl into the sleeping bag. She instantly wrapped both arms tightly around him. He snuggles close to her, and rested his head on her chest. He yawned and closed his eyes.

"Sleep, James," Jessie murmured as she began to stroke his hair. "I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise."

James nodded, yawned, and snuggled closer to Jessie before he drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep, with the storm behind him.