Author's Notes:

Disclaimer: Xiaolin showdown (nor any of it's amazing characters) belong to me, unfortunetly.

Finally- we're starting to get to the smutty parts! It's coming up in the last chapter- which happens to be the next chapter, so just hang on a bit. It's coming.

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Chapter Four: Really Cared

Chase froze as he heard a knock on his door.

His whole body just stopped working.

He leaned the broom he had been using to clean up the mirror's glass against the nearest wall and ran to the door. He quickly composed himself- physically, anyway. His mind was rushing from all the things that Jack might say to him, to what he would say to Jack, and his heart was pounding painfully against his chest.

He opened the door….

And nearly shut it again as he saw, not Jack, but Raimundo, the Wind Dragon standing on his stoop.

His hopes crashed to the floor and his voice went icy.

"What on earth do you want here?"

Raimundo shuffled uncomfortably. He didn't know how to proceed. He opened and shut his mouth a couple times, and glanced up at the man standing before him.

"If you have nothing to say to me, leave."

"Iwanyoujackbacksoihaveclay."

"……what?"

Raimundo swallowed. "Clay's in love with Jack. I can't stand that. I need Clay. I love him. I need you to take Jack from him so-"

Chase's mouth curved unpleasantly. "You want me to take little Jack from you so you can have your precious cowboy."

Raimundo's stomach dropped unpleasantly. He had been right all along. Chase would rather slit his own wrists than help him.

"Come in."

"What?"

"Come in. We can talk."

Raimundo looked at him, completely lost for words. "You're serious." Chase looked at him sarcastically. "Do you really want this monk ba-". "Yes." Chase turned to hide his smile. This couldn't have been more perfect. He showed Raimundo to a huge room with a long table stretching across it. Raimundo sat down uncomfortably. He didn't like being here and wanted to leave- soon.

But not just yet.

It seemed like Chase might actually pay attention to him and his heartache. He looked up at the handsome figure standing before him.

"Thank you." He managed to get out. Chase looked down at him.

"What for?"

Raimundo gazed at his hands, not being able to look his enemy in the eye. "For taking Jack away. I can't stand him being so close to my- uh- Clay." He shook his head, wetness gathering unintentionally in his eyes. "He was mine. Mine! Everyone knew how I felt. Well, maybe he didn't, but he- I don't know- should have asked me or something. I mean Jack Spicer of all people? I was aching every day knowing I couldn't hold him, couldn't be with him, and out of the blue Jack Spicer evil boy genius comes swooping down and catches him up! I can't…"

But Chase wasn't really listening to the boy's rambling, immersed in his own thoughts.

If Raimundo loved Clay as much as he said, but Clay loved Jack wouldn't Raimundo put aside his own needs and want Clay to be happy? And where was Clay happy if not with Jack? Yes, this logic applied similarly to Jack and Chase, but… Chase was evil. He didn't care about feelings other than his own…

That wasn't true. He really cared for Jack. Really. So he wouldn't tear him away from Clay… for the moment… but he needed someone to hold, if just for a minute. He needed to release all of this pent up emotion somewhere…

As his eyes fell onto Raimundo still talking, his mouth curled again…

"… But Kimiko said that Clay wouldn't-" Chase cut Raimundo off.

"You don't care for him as much as you think."

Raimundo's mouth fell open. "Have you not heard a word I said?"

"No."

Raimundo blinked, not expecting an answer so blunt. Chase stepped forward, and Rai stood up, not wanting him to tower over his figure.

"We don't need them. Either one of them. What we need..." Chase drawled, continuing to walk until Raimundo was trapped against a wall, and they were nose to nose,

"…is a distraction."