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Kimiko walked along the dirt road, enjoying the warm, hazy night air. It put her on a high, fogging her mind and leaving a lazy smile on her lips. There was nothing better than such a night, well….except for one thing. If he was there…..that would make it better. The stars twinkled like streetlights in the sky, winking at her from above. The moon was but a slice of light, lost among the thousands of stars.

Fields stretched out into the darkness on either side of the road, leaving Kimiko all alone out in the huge sea of knee-high grass and a bumpy dirt road. She didn't really mind though, in fact she was quite enjoying herself. She had to get away from the temple, away from him, and alone with the peaceful warmth of the night. Yes, before she had become a Xiaolin monk she had been a city girl, completely freaked out by the outdoors and its inhabitants.

But it wasn't long before she had grown to love the free growing wild flowers, the earthy scent that filled her nostrils on a walk in the woods, and the midnight rain that came with it. She felt utterly calm when she was on one of her outings, and they helped to ease her mind from the whirlwind of life. But there was one thing that nature couldn't fix.

Her feelings for that boy. Oh how she loathed his smart remarks towards her, his cocky attitude towards everything, his occasional sweet smiles, and his wonderfully green eyes...augh! They all got on her nerves, and it drove her insane knowing that one little wink or his flashy grin could set her heart pounding in her chest! It was infuriating! She had discovered her affection a long time before, and at that point she had just accepted it.

But as time drawled on and he flirted with more and more of the female race, she began to hate her love. She didn't want to tie herself to a flirtatious boy who wouldn't be able to keep a steady relationship without checking out another girl on their first date, but she couldn't help it. He could be so….so sweet at times. Really, she loved his soft side as much as she loved his bold streak, but the latter showed up much more often.

Kimiko had fallen for the self-interested dragon of the wind, and there was nothing she could do about it. Sure, she could quit staying at the temple and move home again, but from all the romance novels she read she knew that wasn't such a good idea. She wanted to stay with her friends, and she loved being a Xiaolin dragon. It made her feel like she actually made a difference, saving the world a few times and defending all that was good from the clutches of evil.

A soft summer breeze danced over the grass, creating a hushed ocean tide background for the young Tohomiko and her thoughts. She wished he could be like that….warm and gentle. The breeze came upon her from behind and swept loose strands of hair around her face. It was like a hug from Mother Nature. She wished he would hug her. She sighed and walked on, staring at the stars. A little white moth that glinted in the pale moonlight rose from out of the grass and fluttered across the sky, dipping down and circling around as it went. Kimiko stopped to admire it for a while, and when it landed in the grass on the other side of the road she sighed. She wished she could be as carefree and unbound like that.

The wind picked up again, and this time it was stronger. The dust of the road swept around her feet, dancing off into the darkness. Kimiko started to walk again, brought out of her daze as she cast one last glance at the area of grass where the moth had landed. She envied that little flier, she really did. She began to grow drowsy as she walked, the warm air dulling her thoughts and the hush of the swaying grass lulling her into a half sleep.

Her eyes unknowingly focused on the faint tree line coming into view, and she wandered on, hoping to find a cozy spot to curl up for a quick nap before she returned to the temple. She came to the edge of the forest, eyeing a huge old oak tree. Surrounding the base was a thick carpet of plush moss, calling for her to come lay down. She obligingly dropped her tired self to the soft cushion below, settling her head against the thickest part of the green.

The soft background music of the grassy sea and the hazy warmth dropped her eyelids and took her deep into slumber, and she was out before she could remind herself she was only taking a nap. 'Rai…I wonder…if we could ever be…'

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A Brazilian boy landed high in the treetops, letting go of his windy ride. The sun was peeking over the horizon and giving everything a morning golden glow. Raimundo scanned the huge field before him, looking for any sign of his favorite fire wielder. He may have flirted with other girls, but his affection ran deeper than the sea for his female team mate. The ocean of green swayed in the wind, and the chirping of the morning birds accompanied it in nature's song.

Rai dropped from the tree and took to the road, searching for any human life in the grass. He knew she liked to take evening walks, but sleeping outside wasn't a habit she had. He wasn't worried in the least, just curious as to where she had bedded down for the night. Nope, not worried at all. The frown on his face was just from waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

Fifteen more minutes had passed when Raimundo arrived at the edge of the field, and his sharp green eyes caught sight of a body, curled up against a massive oak tree. The frown on his face softened into a small smile when he recognized the red and white monk outfit and slender frame of a girl. Kimiko was nestled into a lush bed of moss, a peaceful look across her face. There was dew clinging to her hair, giving her the appearance of an angel. His smile broadened on its own accord.

Rai stepped silently over to the slumbering figure and looked down upon her, his eyes warm with affection. He really did love the girl, no doubt about that. Not really thinking he sat down beside her and picked her up, settling her back down in his lap, her head resting against his shoulder. Raimundo wrapped his arms around her petite form and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent that was unique to her and to her alone. It was quite wonderful, really.

It wasn't long before he nodded off, unable to keep his eyes open in such a peaceful atmosphere. And with the girl of his dreams snuggled into his embrace, there was nothing that could make him more content than he already was. The Xiaolin couple was dozing away the day, oblivious to the world around them.

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Kimiko awoke to the sound of birds and the sunshine in her face. There was one thing that was out of the ordinary though. A pair of strong arms was wrapped around her waist, and she was snuggled against the warm body of someone she couldn't identify yet. After a few seconds of blinking away the sleep in her eyes looked blearily down at the foreign arms around her waist. Normally, she wouldn't have been so calm about it, and more than likely the person who was latched onto her would already be beaten to a pulp and verbally harassed. She was one of those people who tended to fight first and ask questions later.

But seeing as how she had just woken up, she was still a bit foggy in the head and delirious to any sort of danger and whatnot. Her cloudy blue eyes finally focused on the red-clothed arms, and it took approximately point two seconds for her to realize the red cloth was part of the clothing her fellow dragons wore. Three….two….

"Eeep!" Kimiko couldn't suppress the quiet squeak that blurted from her lips.

'Think rationally, Kimiko. It's not one of your team…..definitely not Rai…..perhaps just a coincidence that this person is wearing a red shirt? Please, let it be….wait, I don't want some perv touching me!' Kimiko stiffened and her eyes went wide. She didn't want to think about what they might have done last night, while she was asleep, no less!

Her rational thinking process was botched, and instead of just turning around like a normal person would do, she decided to take the war path instead.

"Get. Off!!" She shoved her elbow back into the torso of the slumbering person, and was quite satisfied when she heard a stifled grunt of pain and the arms around her waist immediately pulled away.

Her feeling of satisfaction was crushed as soon as she turned around, however, when she took in the sight of the person she had wounded. Raimundo sat there, one arm wrapped around his torso and the other was supporting him by means of the ground. He frowned curiously up at her (for she was now standing), one of his eyes closed and his head cocked slightly.

"Hey, what was that for?" He grunted when he finally stood, rubbing the spot where she had elbowed him.

"Err…uh….well, I thought…..I thought you were some pervert, ya know? I didn't bother turning around to see, and….well, augh. You know I don't think well in the morning!!" Kimiko scuffed the ground with her foot, utterly embarrassed.

"You thought I was a perv. Why would a perv be hanging out in the middle of nowhere?" He quirked a brow a her, slightly amused by the situation. Well, except for the dull ache just above his stomach, that wasn't so amusing.

"I don't know! What are you doing here anyway? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself you know!" Her head snapped up and she pointed an accusing finger at him.

Raimundo rubbed the back of his head, avoiding her eyes. "Well, I just thought you might've gotten into trouble….and Omi wanted to know where you were and stuff so Master Fung-"

"Wait, you were worried about me? Rai, that's so sweet!" She smiled, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Hey, I never said anything about being worried, okay! I was just supposed to find you and bring you back to the temple." He crossed his arms and gave her a stubborn glare.

"Oh, so you didn't really care if I was in any danger or not, you just did it because you were told to. I see how it is!" Kimiko rolled her eyes and frowned angrily. Was it really so hard for a guy to be a little worried about his friends once and a while?!

"Kimiko, I didn't mean it like that!" He threw up his arms in exasperation, wondering why girls always got so worked up when you said one little thing that rubbed them the wrong way.

"Sure Rai, whatever. Let's just go." She spun on her heel and began to walk back down the dirt road, fed up with the Brazilian. Really, sometimes he could be so stupid!

Raimundo, watched her for a few seconds, and finally decided to follow, still fuming about her outburst.

'Augh, men!'

"Jeez, I will never understand women!'

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It had been ten minutes since the argument, and the two had still refused to speak to one another. They were still making their way across the field, taking it slow. The two were both lost in thought, so they didn't really bother with hurrying back. Suddenly, something dawned on Kimiko and she stopped walking. Slowly she turned back to look at Rai, her face scrunched in puzzlement.

"Rai?" She asked hesitantly, knowing that what she was about to ask could possibly spark another quarrel or cause a very embarrassing situation.

"Hm?" They had both cooled down, and for now the argument was forgotten.

"I was just wondering….why…." Kimiko fidgeted, her cheeks stained a faint pink. The more she tried to speak, the darker her blush became. 'Aaawwkward…'

"Come on, spit it out girl!" Rai crossed his arms, quirking his brow impatiently.

"Why were you….you know, uh….when I woke up, you were…..you know…." She trailed off, hoping that he understood what she was getting at.

It took him a few seconds of pondering, but she knew when he realized what she was talking about. His face lit up, and then he went from standing in impatience to scuffing the ground awkwardly, his face red with embarrassment.

"Oh. Uhh…." He tried furiously to think of a plausible answer without uncovering his hidden affection, but his brain came up with squat. 'Craaaap!! Crap, crap, crap! Think of something, Pedrosa! You've been in sticky situations before!'

"Rai?" He glanced up at her when she spoke, not knowing what to say. He could possibly loose her for good if he told her the truth about his feelings, knowing that it would be awkward between them for the rest of their time together if she didn't feel the same. "Rai, please answer me. I need to know why." She steeled herself for some kind of joke, barricaded her heart to lessen the hurt when he told her something she didn't want to hear.

"I….Kim, I mean….." He couldn't bring himself to tell her, and it was killing him.

He had always wondered why the heck it was so hard for other people to tell their feelings to each other, and he scoffed at their weakness, but now he began to realize just how tough it was. He took back all those things he had said about people who were too afraid to say anything, because right now he wished he could be one of those people who didn't have to say anything and all would be well.

"Was it just some little prank, then?" He could hear the tremors in her voice, and he looked up to meet a pair of teary blue eyes.

"No, no! It was nothing like that!" He may have to deal with awkwardness for the rest of his time with Kimiko, but he would definitely not let their relationship fall to a scathing, festering grudge against him that wasn't necessary.

"Then why won't you tell me what you were doing?! Rai, as long as it's the truth I don't care!" She was on the verge of hysterics, and he knew it.

But he couldn't tell her while she was watching him. No, that was too much pressure for a guy to endure all at once! Raimundo sighed and scratched the back of his head, trying to get it over with.

"Come here."

"What?"

"Come here, I don't bite." He attempted a wily smirk that usually came easy as breathing, but it ended up looking a bit deflated and tired.

Kimiko took a few hesitant steps forward, unsure of what he was planning. Raimundo was usually a bold, rash boy who never ran out of confidence, but he sure wasn't acting like that now. And in truth, that's what really bothered her, he wasn't being himself.

When she had come close enough Rai lifted his arms and set a light grip on her shoulders, pulling her to him in and embrace. She gasped slightly when she realized the intensity of the situation, but she couldn't keep herself from blushing furiously like a flustered little girl. For a few tense seconds Kimiko stood stiff in his warm hug, but soon she relaxed and the atmosphere calmed considerably.

"Kim, you want to know why you woke up……eh, like that?"

"Y-yeah…." She breathed, unable to elaborate any further. Being this close to the Brazilian boy left her utterly breathless.

"I…well, I love ya Kim. We've know each other for so long, and I guess after a while I finally realized that I do care more than I wanted to." He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the gasp of horror and the shove to get him away from her.

He did as best he could to imprint the feel of her hug in his mind, because he was sure there were going to be no more hugs for him after his little proclamation. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and with every second that passed Raimundo waited with baited breath, hoping to God for a miracle.

Kimiko, on the other hand, was completely shocked. She couldn't gather enough of her scattered wits to answer him, and she didn't realize how scary the silence was to her hugging partner. She managed to startle herself out of her stupor when she realized she wasn't breathing, and with a flinch upon returning to reality she was able to speak again. By now Raimundo was wishing that the ground would swallow him up or that some random rabid squirrel would dash out of the nearby woods and distract Kimiko from his proclamation when it attacked him.

"Rai….." Her voice was soft and shaky, and she gently pushed the boy back away so she could look at his face.

He took note of the fact that she was on the verge of tears, and mistakenly thought that it was a bad thing. His brow creased and he felt his heart begin to break, crushing his long term feelings for the Japanese girl. He looked away, not able to watch her face any longer, because it was too much to bear.

"Rai, do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?" His eyes flashed up to meet hers, and he watched with growing euphoria as a smile spread across her face. She wasn't upset about his revealed feelings, she was so happy she was actually crying.

"Really?" He could not believe his ears. It was too good to be true!

Kimiko nodded, too choked up to give him a vocal answer. Raimundo grinned joyously, pulling her into a crushing hug.

"Rai….can't…breathe!" Kimiko gasped, a smile still tugging up the corners of her mouth.

He instantly let go, concern flashing in his eyes. "Sorry! I'm just….really, really happy to hear you say that, ya know?" He gave her a soft smile, his eyes warm with affection.

"Yeah, I know." Kimiko smiled back, and she could feel the tears welling up again, so she sniffled to end the silence. "Hey Rai, I think we should head home now, they're probably worried." She wiped her eyes roughly with the back of her hand, still smiling at the boy.

"Yeah, let's go." He took her hand and squeezed it tightly, leaning over to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

She giggled softly and squeezed his hand back, and with that the two continued their journey back to the temple, glad for the company of each other.

"Hey, I'm sorry for elbowing you in the gut, Rai."

"Yeah, I know."

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Okay!! I've renewed my writing spark with this little RaixKim one-shot, and it's all thanks to my buddy Andrea because I wanted to write a fic like this for her!! So………thanks Andrea!!! You got me going again with my writing, and for that I am grateful!

Anywho, this was probably one of my favorite one-shots to write, and I actually got it done all in one night. That in itself is a miracle. Well, for me anyways. So, if you liked it I'd love to hear from you in a review, and if you have any questions or suggestions feel free to voice….err, write them! So thanks for reading, and I hope to get back to updating my other stories as soon as possible! Just keep pushing me and I'll get it done! Well, valete until next time!

Mistoffelees Shadow