Mother's Day
A/N: This was just a little one-shot idea I got a while ago. In the show, the kid's family lives aren't really divulged very deeply, I mean, we see Kimiko and Clay's dad and that's about it. In some ways that's good, it gives fans a lot to work with when it comes to their backgrounds. Kimiko's dad has a picture of Kimiko in his office but no one else, which to me says he doesn't have a wife and Clay's mom is seen in a brief flashback but never in the present so I think I have the right grounds for this story. Even if I don't, it's fiction so take it as you will.
Description: Holidays are usually meant to make people glad, but when it doesn't apply to you, it can make you feel down. However, sometimes a small talk from someone who understands is all you need to get back up again. Slight Kimiko/Clay implications.
Disclaimer: In no way at all do I own Xiaolin Showdown or it's characters. I'm gaining no profit from this story but I sorely wish I were. It's mere fan-fantasy on my end.
Pairing: Kimiko/Clay a little bit.
During midday Dojo usually sensed a Shen Gong Wu, it was rare that Clay got a chance to do Ti-Chi in the garden at such a lovely time of day.
Breathing deeply, he swept his leg to the side, moving his body along with his hands to face the opposite direction, it was mighty peaceful.
"Argh! I said forget about it Rai, just leave me alone!" the screeching voice brought a halt to Clay's motions.
"Alright fine! Sorry I don't speak loca girl-talk so I can understand what I did!"
Clay sighed, "Well, so much for peaceful." He turned just in time to see Raimundo storm of back into the temple and Kimiko run to the fountain in the middle of the garden.
"Wonder what it is this time," Clay mused aloud, walking over to the fountain. Sure, Kimiko and Rai sometimes got on each other's nerves but it was rare they ever did so to the extent of these theatrics.
As he got closer he was surprised to hear the staggering breathing that accompanied…crying?
Clay's brow wrinkled in concern, "Oh, musta been more serious then I thought. Kimiko's one tough filly, not like her at all to start cryin' over a small thing."
As he walked around the fountain to where Kimiko was, he moved slowly, last thing he wanted to do was spook her, she'd be more likely to attack.
A small smile came to his mind at the thought "Just like a filly ain't it?"
Gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder. She gasped and whipped around quickly, pulling her shoulder from his hand.
"C-Clay! Oh, I'm sorry, I was-" her voice was a bit strangled-sounding, as she rubbed her face roughly with her hands balled into fists.
Clay just smiled "Ain't no reason to be sorry Kimiko. I was checkin' on you, wonderin' if you were ok after yer quarrel with Raimundo."
Kimiko sniffed loudly and looked into the water of the fountain "Oh, you heard that?"
Clay let out a small laugh despite himself "Kimiko, I'd be mighty surprised if the whole temple didn' hear that ruckus ya'll were makin'."
"Oh." she still didn't look up from the water of the fountain.
Clay frowned; he was hoping that'd at least get a chuckle. With a small grunt, Clay sat on the ground next to "Kimiko what's wrong? Ya know I can't stand to see a girl cryin'. You want me ta go bash Raimundo's head?"
Kimiko shook her head, twittling her fingers in the water, "No, no…it's not worth that, it's nothing."
Clay raised his hat a bit "It's nothin' you say? Kimiko I thank I've known you long enough ta know you ain't the sorta girl to start the water-works fer nothin'. That'd be 'bout as likely as a rodeo bull wanna to be friends with a rodeo clown, it ain't happenin'."
Kimiko let out a breath, which sounded like a restrained chuckle.
Well, it was a start. Again, Clay reached out and touched her shoulder "Hey," when she looked up he meet her eye to eye "I hear people say talkin' 'bout stuff that's got ya all knotted up makes ya feel better…"
Kimiko hesitated, taking her hand from the pond, "I…I don't think…"
Clay smiled "Hey, I ain't the judging sort."
A strained smile came to her face as she faced him fully "Well…ok. I…gosh, I don't know how to start…"
"From the beginnin' seems like a right good start."
Another small chuckle. He was getting close.
Kimiko sighed and rested her back against the fountain "Well, today's mother's day. After we got finished with our chores Rai asked me for my phone so he could call his mom. I didn't have a problem with that but then he kept saying things like 'I'm surprised you're not burning all your minutes talking to your mom' and 'I bet your mom is probably waiting for your call'…"
Her voice broke a bit. She turned her back to Clay and cleared her throat "I was getting so angry, I told him to just call his mom and leave me alone. Then he wouldn't stop pestering me! 'Well why aren't you calling your mom first?' 'Are you fighting with your mom?' Finally I just snapped at him, practically shooting fire to get him away from me and…and then I came here…"
Clay felt the frown on his face growing deeper as he made to get closer to her, but before he could move she suddenly turn, her face twisted into an angry snarl.
"I don't see why you stupid boys can't just leave me alone! I can deal with my own problems on my own! I don't need your stupid questions and I don't need your pity!" she roared, all put shooting fire out of her eyes.
Clay raised his hands defensively "I know that, I just figured you could use someone to talk ta."
Breathing harshly through her clenched teeth Kimiko turned again, bring her knees up to her chest and hugging them "Well now I did, so leave me alone now." she muttered into her knees.
A paused passed between them. Clay was torn between thinking she needed space to feel better or to stay and try to calm her down…
"Aw heck, when's a man from Texas ever stepped down from a challenge?" he thought decidedly.
Clay moved a bit so he could rest his head against the fountain, folding his arms behind his head as a bit of a pillow, after he pulled his hat over his eyes.
The two were silent for a moment, Clay proved to be more patient than Kimiko gave him credit for. She was just about to yell at him again, when Clay spoke.
"Y'know, I use ta love this holiday. Me 'n Jessie'd try to make my mama breakfast but without daddy's help we'd 've made more of a mess then a breakfast." he chuckled "Mama's face always lit up when we'd come into her room. Jessie loved given 'er pictures n' I'd show her a new rope trick I learned."
Kimiko looked up from her knees but could only see the top of Clay's hat.
"Mama always kept Jessie's pictures in a drawer…I reckon that's way she turned into such a bad egg, when mama passed on my daddy didn't keep her pictures like mama did and been a man course he praises his son. I thank Jessie took it worst, she blames it all on me, sayin' it's cuz I got so much from daddy, but I thank if she really thought about she'd know it was more 'n that." he tone didn't waver at all as he spoke, nor did his posture.
Kimiko slowly sat up more, guilt taking up where anger had been "Oh Clay…I'm so sorry."
Clay sighed "Yeah, me too. Sometimes, I won'er what mama'd be like now. I can only 'member how she was when I was seven. I won'er if she'd be proud of me, if she'd miss me…I won'er if maybe Jessie mighta been a right lady if mama had been around longer…hm, just wishful thanking I guess."
"No, I think you could be right." Kimiko said quickly.
Clay lifted his hat a bit and looked up at her "You thank?"
She smiled "I do." her smile slowly fell, "I know…sometimes I wished my mama had been around when I was little…"
Clay pushed himself upright and lightly put a hand on her shoulder "You too huh?"
Kimiko closed her eyes and nodded "…I wish I could say I knew her, but I don't even have that. My mom left my papa not long after I was born. Papa says she didn't want to be with 'a simple toy maker' her whole life. Back then, that's all papa was, just a small man with a small little shop." a small smirk came to her face "Well, her loss, if she'd known how great papa was gonna be…"
Her smirk slowly fell into an angry frown "She left us, papa says he thinks she's in Europe, or America. He says she always wanted to see the world." her teeth clenched as she opened her eyes "And she didn't mind leaving us to do it."
Clay kept his mouth shut; he wasn't sure what to say in response to that.
"I hate that woman. I don't care who she is, I hope I never find her, I hope she's miserable where she is!" Kimiko spat venomously.
She looked back sympathetically at Clay "And that kinda makes me feel bad for you. My papa's been all I've ever had, I never knew…her. It's not like I had some great mother I have memories of, than had her taken from me. I'm really sorry Clay, hearing me talk that way, it must make you feel awful."
Clay smiled a bit "Ah heck, I can't go thinkin' that now can I? I thank yer right justified ta be mad. Two differ'nt circumstances."
"I guess so." Kimiko smiled a little as well, "Thank you Clay."
Clay waved her off "Ah, weren't nothin'."
It caught him off-guard when Kimiko threw her arms him and hugged her face to his chest "It was something to me." she said softly.
The hug wasn't long, just a squeeze and she pulled away and stood up "Thanks again, now I think I owe Rai an apology."
As she walked away Clay released the breath he didn't realize he was holding. Dumbfounded, he slowly stood up as well, unsure of the restless, wild beating of his heart.
He shook his head, "No need to get all worked up over nothin'." he muttered to himself as he took his Tai-Chi stance once more.
Still, as he went through the motions, he couldn't shake the warm, tingling feeling of his skin where Kimiko had hugged him.
~End
End A/N: Well there it is. Not much, but again, it's an idea I've had for some time so I hope whoever reads it enjoys it. Reviews are always loved, thanks again for reading.