A/N: Yes, another one. This one is actually not from a Tumblr prompt like the last two, just something I couldn't help but think up.
In the beginning, it is their first night in the temple, and after the line break, it's right after they lost their temple in Xiaolin Chronicles. Yeah, I attempted to make that train wreck of a sequel have something deeper. Don't know how well I did, though. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer~ I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or Xiaolin Chronicles.
It was her first night, and Kimiko couldn't have been more excited. Sure she had to stay with a bunch of stinky boys, but she finally found a place where she belonged. At school, she was the rich spoiled weirdo who 'accidentally' set the classroom on fire. Within her family, she was the trouble child who her aunties always spoke about the second she and her father away.
Here, she was a Dragon with powers she never thought possible.
With these thoughts in mind, she settled onto her mat in her cubicle. She could hear snores coming from the cowboy's side, and silence from the others. This didn't bother her, as her father's snores could be heard across the house. And their house was huge. She bit her lip, missing her father already. Ah well, he would be too busy with work to even notice her absence.
She closed her eyes and was drifting off into a deep sleep, only to be disturbed by a faint thumping noise. It was getting late, so who could that be? Not only that, but couldn't they have chosen a better time?
"Who's there?" she said quietly to not wake the others. As she said these words, she sat up, self-consciously brushing her midnight black hair back.
"Raimundo," a male voice said. "Can I come in, or are you indecent?"
Kimiko rolled her eyes as she got up and pushed the curtain aside to let him in. Raimundo walked in and sat down with his feet laid out in front of him and his arms behind his head as he rested his back against the wooden 'wall'. He had that annoying smirk on his face as he studied her. Finally, he spoke.
"I thought you were blonde."
Kimiko would have facepalmed. He comes to see her for the first time on his own, and that's what he says.
"Well, obviously I'm not," she replied. "Sorry to disappoint."
Raimundo continued to grin idiotically. "So what was it?" he said. "A wig, or hair dye?"
"Dye," she said, almost dismissively. And with that, they were left in silence.
"But why?" Raimundo finally asked.
"I had to make an impression, now didn't I?" Kimiko said. "If I'm going to be stuck here with you lot for the rest of my life, you should see a good side of me to start off our time together."
"So you decide to bring that about by showing us something that is completely not you?" he said. "A fake?"
Those words stung, even though she wouldn't admit it. And she definitely wouldn't show it.
"I don't have to sit around here and have you question my life choices, Raimundo!" Kimiko said, her voice raising.
Raimundo raised his arms in surrender. "Just asking," he said playfully with that stupid smirk. "Might want to keep it down, though. I'm sure the other monks would find it absolutely scandalous if they were to find me in your room."
"Why are you here anyway?" Kimiko snapped.
"Just wanted to see if the big city girl was okay in such 'lowly' conditions," Raimundo said., his voice almost mocking. "Must be hard for you, not having everything at the snap of your fingers.
Kimiko wasn't sure, but she could swear that some spite was laced into his words. However, she did't send him one of her glares yet, not wanting to jump the wrong wagon. Lord knew that happened far too often.
"What's with the tone?" she said, trying to be nonchalant.
Raimundo looked a little surprised.
"Heh, and I thought I was good." He chuckled sheepishly. "I guess you caught me. Sorry about that. It's just, where I come from, poverty is poverty and the old rich geezers don't give a damn."
Kimiko sighed. This was what she hated most. How so many could do so little. She tried to do as much as she could for those who were in need in her own town, but there was only so much she could do without leaving her father's tower, a restriction that had been set for 'her own safety'. Although she was sure it had more to do with the fact that she might have been considered bad publicity with her 'strangeness' than for her actual safety, no matter how much her papa's love was true. But right now, there were other more important things, like the boy at the foot of her mat with her head hanging down, a conflicted look marring his handsome features.
"I'm really sorry about that," she whispered, really trying her best to convince him that she was on his side. Hesitantly, she reached forward and linked her pinky with Raimundo's. "I'm not like that, I promise."
"Never said you were," he said. His face had lifted a little at her touch, and he was slowly getting back in his usual stride.
"You implied it," Kimiko pointed out.
"Well, let's let bygones be bygones, shall we?" Raimundo said, scratching the back of his neck. "Now, princesa, what I'm really here for- do you mind letting me sleep with you?"
Within seconds, the sound of a slap was echoing across the walls of the cubicle.
"What?!" the Japanese girl hissed, her eyes practically dancing with angry flames. "What did you just say?!"
"No!" he nearly shouted out when he figured out how that must have sounded. "You've got the wrong idea!"
"You know, you really aren't making the best first impression on me, Raimundo," Kimiko said, still not ready to let him off the hook.
"Believe me when I say I hardly ever do."
"Oh, I do."
"Listen," Raimundo tried, not trying to sound like a needy kid. "At home, I share a room with seven other kids, and a bed with three of them. I'm used to someone clutching on to me or just being next to me. Can I just stay for a few minutes until I get drowsy and leave? I mean, I would ask Omi, but he would probably give me a whole lecture of seeing past all that and be all high and mighty, and while that might put me to sleep right there, I don't know how I'd end up back in my room. And asking Clay would be too awkward, I mean, he seems like the cuddly type. He might just grab onto me in his sleep and not let go until morning."
Kimiko had to stifle her giggles when he continued to explain how he had boundaries, and he probably wouldn't mind if she were to hold onto him and use her as his pillow- oh god did he just say that.
Next thing Raimundo knew, a pillow was shoved in his face.
"Oh god, you can stay, please just shut up and let me sleep," Kimiko said, her voice shaky but managing to sound irritated. She grabbed her pillow back and made a show of plopping down on it face first. She pulled her blanket closer, trying to ignore the heat rising to her face and the rapid beating of her heart.
About an hour later, just as she calmed down and was drifting off to sleep, she heard Raimundo speak again.
"Thanks," he whispered as he got up and left.
Kimiko didn't answer, but that didn't stop the small smile from flitting across her face the second she was sure he was gone.
Somewhere between their little pillow talk of her hair and poverty, she was sure she had made her first real friend.
"Hey, Kimiko," Raimundo took a seat beside her on the log in front of the fire. He huddled closer to it, letting the heat warm him to his bones. "You've been taking the watch for seven hours straight now, you can give it a rest. I'll take over now."
"I know, I just don't feel tired, " the girl replied.
"I know you're lying, you know," he said it as if it were obvious. Of course, with the three years that had passed since their first meeting, he had gotten to know her better. And the way she was averting her gaze and the bags under her eyes that she hadn't even covered with makeup basically screamed she wasn't being truthful. To him, at least, it was obvious.
"I'm just…" Kimiko tried after a pause. "I just...I'm scared, okay? We lost the temple, we don't know where Master Fung has gone off to, and Ping-Pong is here now, another contender for the title of the Chosen One, something we didn't even know existed until a few months ago. There's been so many changes lately, with you giving up your position as team leader, and the rest of us reaching Shoku level. Even Dojo grew up and shed his skin. I don't know what's going to happen, but I want to be ready and here if something does."
Raimundo looked away for a second. What she had said wasn't a lie, but the way she said it had made it seem like it all happened within the blink of an eye.
"Kimiko, listen to me," he said. "I know it seems tough, but you know you've got me. And we can always count on the others to have our backs." He nodded towards the sleeping figures of their friends. "We'll take this one step at a time. We'll get our temple back, Master Fung will be back soon, and we can go back to being the protectors of the world or whatever and keep training. I know I'm not leader anymore, but I gave that up because I thought we were better as a team, and we didn't need an authority figure. We'll do this all together, and things will go back to being the way they were. But for now, get some sleep. You won't be much help if Chase shows up and you're half dead."
Kimiko leaned into him, smiling softly. "Thanks, Rai."
"No problem," he said. Then hesitantly, "Hey, remember the first night after we met?"
Kimiko couldn't help but blush slightly at the memory. "Yeah?"
"Would you mind just sleeping against me for a while?" Raimundo said, blushing. "I mean, I know after that first night, I left you alone, but for old time's sake, you know? And besides, it's a cold night and you're warm being fire and all...so…and I promise to carry you back into my - I mean, your sleeping bag and-"
"Yeah, yeah, just shut up you big baby," Kimiko smirked, trying to hide her own blush as she cuddled against him.
A/N: Pretty fluffy, huh? Anyway, favorite, follow, and review!