Xiaolin Showdown belongs to Christy Hui - I just like to play in her world.
All That's Left Behind
Kimiko's POV
My stomach complained, I hadn't eaten since the plane ride. I have too much to do right now to think about eating. My suitcases seemed to tease me, "Otōsan*, I remember when you got me those bags, I was 13." I rub the bags. I take a picture out of my bag, it was one when I was little. Mom was alive back then. It shows my father with dark hair and glasses holding my little hand; I look about 5 years old. My smile is big and bright. My mother is holding my other hand. Her crystal heart pendant with a sapphire rests in the middle of her chest. I look in my trunk and I can't find it. I look in the room and I can't find it. NO, I bite my lip.I hurry from the room, almost feeling like I am going to vomit. Rai's voice yells at me across the garden. No, I can't have lost it. I can't... I can't. I slam my fists into the temple wall. Again, and again, the wall scraped my knuckles. The pain feels good. It means I can feel something. Something I can control; again and again while my breathing quickens. I feel my eyes burn. You are not going to cry. You aren't! I cradle my head in my hands and all the numbness and the pain starts to fill up my pores. All my connections to my ancestors are gone.
Raimundo's POV
Is that Kimiko? She looks like a goddess. She opens the sliding door, okay, a very worried goddess. She definitely grew up since I last saw her. She is now a woman, and — coincidence, I am a man. "Hey Kimiko, Everything ok?" She doesn't respond. Her small pale hand punches the temple's bricks. What is she doing? She does it again. Her chest rises up and down in her kimono. OH, GOD... Get ahold of yourself Rai, she is obviously in pain. She slides down and her knuckles are bloodied and bruised. Her head is held by her hands. Gulping hard I tentatively sit down next to her. I have never seen her so down. My hands shake as I try and put my hand on her shoulder. Her breathing speeds up and I can't tell whether she wants me to take my hand away or not. It feels greasy, like she hasn't showered in two days. Her body stiffens.
Kimiko's POV
I can't take it anymore, tears start to clog inside my eyes. They trickle down my cheeks. Papa, I lost it, I didn't mean too. My shoulders shake and my throat tightens. I feel a hand on my shoulder; its warm and somewhat sweaty. I want to melt, I want someone else to take care of me. I want to curl up into a ball and never wake up. Rai's voice is soft and close. I want to run away; I need to find my necklace. It is so difficult to be strong. He pets my hair softly, his fingers rub my scalp. I lay close and clutch him to me, like he is why I am alive. He holds me tight. My sobs increase, and my shoulders shake. Snot drips onto his shirt. He whispers things to me, I don't really care what. It doesn't feel close enough, nothing will be close enough. His grip tightens even more and he sings to me. He kisses my forehead; it feels like fire invaded my stomach. His hand rubs my back softly sending shivers down my spine. His kindness is overwhelming, not exactly suffocating but almost. My emotions churn - Anger - Angry at myself, at Rai for being so kind, AT MY FATHER FOR LEAVING ME! - Sadness - My whole being is crying from the loss of my father. All my memories zoom by me, him tucking me in when I was little, him staying home from work when I was sick. The last one stings the most. Him, in a white kimono that is folded on the left instead of the right, and me receiving some of his ashes in an urn. I am so angry, yet that anger is tinged with sadness. Rai comforts me, and that is when I notice he has stopped rubbing my head and back. He stopped singing too. He rips off one of his sleeves and hands it for me to use as a tissue. His muscle is strong and tan. I run my hand along it and his breathing hitches. "Kimiko, I am so glad your back. I... I missed you."He whispers, words saturated with emotion. My second smile in two days. This time it is a little bigger. His hands rub the bottom of my chin. Like he is contemplating what to do. His lips come closer and closer to mine. Should I give him my first kiss? I feel inexperienced along with confused and don't forget angry — my father died a couple weeks ago for pity sake. Before I can think any more he places one hand on the nape of my neck. His breath tastes like spearmint gum. I know my breath probably tastes horrible. He doesn't seem to mind though because he presses me closer and closer, almost as close as you can go with clothes on... what is that noise? Did I just moan? He sure is a good kisser. I try and pull away but he holds my chin. No tongue, no more moaning, our lips aren't opening or closing anymore; they are just there. I stopped crying. We pull away and Omi is staring at us with his mouth open. What is that around his neck! That boy is dead!
Rai's POV
I wait for her to notice I am touching her. Her hair is all over the place, if any other girl had her hair like that and hadn't showered for two days. I would have been disgusted. Tears flow from her eyes, down her cheeks. My heart aches for her. I want to help her but what can I do? "Kimiko, please tell me what is wrong." She doesn't answer. She just cries more and more. Shoulders shaking. My tongue feels dry and my hands are sweaty. I hope she doesn't notice. She leans into me, her body heat makes my head spin. STAY FOCUSED - you need to comfort her. Right now she reminds me of a defenseless child. She is so beautiful. She bites her lip. What would it be like to kiss those lips? I decide to sing softly to her. "Close your eyes, and tonight / I'll try and make everything all right. I am here / Don't despair..." Was it something I said; maybe a different type of song — a love song maybe? Her hair looks so soft, even though it looks greasy, I don't care. I was right, she hasn't showered for a while. I press my nails against her scalp and keep singing in a hushed tone. She grabs at me fast. I don't think I can breathe, I hold her as tight as I dare. Who ever made her cry so hard is going to die. I will kill them! Her tears progress and fall faster; her shoulders shake and all I can do is hold her. I feel guilty I can't do more. Gross, snot drips down from her nose. My grandma gave me this shirt a long time ago.I feel my grip tighten, I hope I am not hurting her. I press my lips to her forehead and kiss. I rub her back slowly in circles. The silk feels nice but it is covered in the oil from her skin. She hasn't spoken a word. Her jaw clenches in anger. Raimundo you shouldn't have kissed her on the forehead! Maybe I should stop touching her, maybe she doesn't like me comforting her? The snot looks too gross, I can't take it anymore; I rip off one of my sleeves for her to use. Her watery eyes look at my exposed muscle. Her hands run up and down my shoulder. I quiet the moan escaping my mouth. I can't breathe. Once I regain the ability to speak I make an effort at telling her what she means to me. I know this might sound cliche but here it goes. "Kimiko, I am so glad your back. I... I missed you." She smiles at me, it isn't a big smile but I got a smile. My mind soars. I hold her chin in one hand. Should I kiss her? My lips are almost there, she hasn't pushed me away yet. She gives me a questioning look, her blue eyes are so enchanting. She looks like she doesn't know what to do. Before my mind starts to create any doubts I place one of my hands on the back of her neck and kiss her. Her breath tastes horrible. Oh, my God, it is disgusting. Then again; when my grandma died I didn't care about hygiene either. It tastes sour. I try and block out the taste; I am starting to get used to it, it isn't SO bad. I don't care how - or try not to notice how bad her breathe tastes because this is Kimiko. My Kimiko. I just hope the next kiss we share isn't so... sour. But just the fact that she is kissing me makes me pull her closer, as close as I can while having clothes on. What was that? Did I just make Kimko make that noise. Oh, my, My blood is starting to race from my brain and flood some where else. She doesn't seem to have noticed. She would probably think I was disgusting or perverted or something. She tries to pull away and I can't lose her warmth yet. We stopped moving our mouths, they just press against each other; an end to a very unchaste almost make out session, with an innocent kiss. Woah, she stopped crying. I grin as I pull away from her. Omi is staring at us like we are crazy - when he was younger he probably would have thought we were eating each others faces off. Why is he wearing a girly necklace? Kimiko's face changes when she looks at Omi; from one of bliss to one of pure rage! If I were him, I would be running by now.
* Otōsan means father in japanese