Rain pelted the hidden garden like a thousand tiny drums, drenching the moonlit foliage and turning stone paths into slick mirrors. Lanterns flickered in their bamboo cages, casting wavering shadows across wet petals. Hinata's cloak clung to her skin as she moved between the potted azaleas, each step muffled by the soft hiss of water.
She paused beneath a wooden pergola, heart racing—not from the chill, but from the memory of Raikage A's touch. The night's storm had drawn her out again, a siren call she could no longer resist.
A low chuckle drifted through the rain. He emerged from the darkness, tall and imperious, rain‑slick hair plastered to his forehead. His robe hung open, revealing the hardened planes of his chest, droplets sliding like jewels across his skin.
"Lady Hyuga," he greeted, voice thick with amusement and something darker. "Come to share the storm with me?"
She stepped forward, water dripping from her lashes. "I… I couldn't stay inside," she admitted, voice trembling. "The rain… it called me."
He advanced, rainwater pooling at his boots. His hand rose, brushing a strand of soaked hair from her face. His fingers trailed down her cheek, following the path of a raindrop to her jaw. Hinata's breath caught as his thumb grazed her lips.
Without warning, he closed the gap. Their lips met—cold rainwater mingling with hot desire. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer until their bodies pressed together, drenched robes molding to muscle and curve.
He broke the kiss, capturing her waist and lifting her onto the edge of the pergola's stone bench. Her legs wrapped around his hips as he leaned in, rain sluicing between them. Each drop was a spark—igniting every nerve ending.
His hands roamed beneath her drenched kimono, fingertips tracing the curve of her hips, the small of her back. She arched into him, soft gasps lost in the storm's roar. Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating their entwined forms—two silhouettes bound by forbidden need.
They moved together with urgent grace, seeking warmth in the cold night. The garden, once a sanctuary of silence, now echoed with the symphony of their shared breath and the relentless drum of rain.
When the thunder finally rolled overhead, it felt like applause for their passion. He held her close, forehead to forehead, both of them trembling from the storm without and the one within.
"Stay with me," he whispered against her lips.
She nodded, voice barely more than a sigh. "Always."
To Be Continued…