The rain fell in soft, steady sheets, draping the Sumeru forest in a gentle haze. The scent of damp earth and fresh leaves lingered in the air, but you hardly noticed it—not when Wanderer was beside you, holding his hat over your head like a makeshift umbrella. Droplets collected on the brim before sliding off, cascading down his arm, yet he remained unbothered, as if the rain was beneath his concern.

"You know," you murmured, glancing up at him, "you could just let me get wet. It’s not like I’ll melt."

Wanderer scoffed, side-eyeing you with that familiar mix of exasperation and amusement. "Tch. And let you catch a cold? I’d rather not deal with that headache."

Despite his words, his tone lacked real bite. The way he stayed close, ensuring the rain never touched you, said more than he probably ever would out loud. His usually neat bangs were damp now, sticking to his forehead, and tiny droplets clung to his lashes, catching the dim light filtering through the trees. He looked almost ethereal like this, but you knew better than to tell him that.

"You're getting soaked," you pointed out instead, watching the raindrops roll down his cheek before he absently brushed them away.

"It doesn’t bother me," he replied simply, as if that was the end of it. As if carrying his hat for you was the most natural thing in the world.