Chapter 10: Set THIS Project Straight.
"ARGH!"
"EEP!" Two individual screams, from the Temple. Everyone did hear that.
"WHY am I in THIS BED?" Kimiko tried to jump up from the bed, but fell over from the pain in her stomach.
"WHY DO I HAVE my arms around you?"
Raimundo let go of her and tumbled off her mattress.
"What did you do?" Kimiko asked, trying to control her voice.
"I didn't do anything! I mean look at you! You're bleeding!" Raimundo pushed back his hair and waited for her response.
"I didn't cut myself." she whispered.
"How could you not know? You even told me to hand you a bottle!" Even more confused, Kimiko remained silent.
She couldn't tell him everything.
Or did she tell him everything last night when she was asleep?
"Aren't you going to tell me everything now? You said you would explain it in the morning."
Raimundo gazed at her calmly, not knowing Kimiko had tears in her eyes already.
"What did I say? Did I say anything about mother?" asked Kimiko.
"Something was mentioned about her. Here; lay back down on the bed." Raimundo said, kindly.
"I don't need to. You probably heard my life story."
Kimiko winced in pain again.
"Are you okay?"
Even though Kimiko didn't think he was that nice of a person, his voice was so... Loving.
And she had to admit, it was nice knowing there was a nice warm body pressed right next to her... "Kimiko?"
Meanwhile in the castle...
"Where is my darling Raimundo?" Sophia wandered around the castle, bumping into people rudely.
"I bet he ran away from you Your Highness." A servant remarked, truthfully.
"Remind me to fire you once I find my darling. Raimundo! Raimundo!"
Her annoying voice kept ringing through the halls, making the King and Queen even cringe.
"May she ever stop talking? Why does she have to marry the Prince anyways?" Lucia asked.
"It's the prophecy, he's supposed to marry the fire...Sorceress." Charon replied.
"Did we have to make a deal with that witch, and let her take Sophia,
Raimundo, Clay, and Omi? Nevertheless, they are all are useless."
They did make a deal with the witch, one of the many things Kimiko nor Raimundo knew.
"Perhaps she forgot a long time ago?" Omi barged in the conversation.
"Silence Omi! We did not say anything of that matter! Remove yourself from the throne room immediately!" Charon demanded.
"Yes Your Majesty. Have you heard word of the Prince yet?"
Changing the subject to the Prince was not something Charon wanted to do.
"Guards, take him away."
Obediently,
five guards shuffled over to Omi, and dragged him away. "The Prince
will come crawling back, after all; the witch will come."
"...And that's it. My mother is somewhere, and so is my father." Kimiko mumbled.
"How can you live like that Kimiko? You were dragged out of your home, and shipped to Xiaolin."
Raimundo got up from the floor and bit his lower lip.
"You didn't mention where you came from anyways, I can tell you that you don't look like anyone over here."
Kimiko, blushing; glanced at her hand.
"I think I am from Japan... Am I different looking than everyone?" she asked.
Raimundo knew she had black hair, that no one else had. The pale pearly white skin which was not like Sophia's at all.
"You do look different." he replied shortly.
Uncomfortable with the subject, she got up from the bed again, and hobbled over to the mirror.
"I guess your right... Shouldn't you be going back to your palace? I think Sophia is waiting for you." Kimiko muttered.
Jealousy twirled around in her heart.
"I'm not going back. I like spending time with you more. So what are we going to eat?"
Eating... Raimundo wasn't going to like the answer to his question.
"You know, I don't think we eat until sometime later... So why don't we do something else?" she suggested.
"Life for a commoner is poorer that I thought..." Raimundo said under his breath.
"Raimundo, I know you are too shy to ask this question, but what happened when you lunged at my lips?" asked Kimiko.
Raimundo stopped walking.
"What do you mean? It was a reaction." Raimundo responded.
"But I have never seen you kiss Sophia before."
"Who would? But anyways, you were there, and willing." Willing? Kimiko didn't know what that meant.
"Look me in the eyes when you say something." Kimiko ordered.
"Why?" She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
"What do you see?" Raimundo reluctantly looked into her eyes. She was perfect.
"I see... Stuff?" he answered, clueless.
"How come you don't see this beauty? Look at this rose."
Kimiko skillfully plucked a rose out of the ground without touching a thorn.
"It's a rose, and they aren't that pretty."
Frowning, Kimiko shoved the flower in his face.
"Look at it!" Raimundo held it in his hands delicately.
"Is this your favorite flower?" asked Raimundo. "No, I like fire ferns." she replied.
"So I see. But why do you see things as pretty? I don't get it! I see beauty in you though."
"Well that's a start." Kimiko clutched her side and continued to walk around in the fields of grass.
"I think we should go back to the Temple." Raimundo stated.
"How about no? We need to walk around more..."
A little nagging voice in Raimundo's head was saying 'This is the chance to show her you care'!
Raimundo shook this off and another memory pushed it's way into his head.
He was starting to like someone!
"So..." Kimiko cocked an eyebrow at his sudden slyness.
"Why are you being so..?" asked Kimiko.
"I'm not doing anything! What are you talking about? It's no like I have a crush or anything."
Suspicious. Very suspicious.
"What's wrong this time Raimundo? Figure out what you want to do something instead of talk to me?"
Raimundo shook his head at her nonsense.
"Kimiko, maybe it wasn't just a mistake when I kissed you."
Her eyes softened at his words.
"Then what was it?" she asked.
"I don't know, I need to figure that out sometimes... So when is breakfast?"
Kimiko laughed playfully at his remark and took his arm.
"I'll do some research on it too."
Again, their eyes connected.
A silence followed after that.
"I don't think we need to think about it much."
Raimundo leaned in toward her face and caressed her cheek with his.
"Raimundo, are you sure you want to-" He didn't hesitate this time.
He pressed his lips against hers with gentleness.
Kimiko's arms encircled his neck, she felt that warmness that she hadn't felt in a long time.
Butterflies flew around in her stomach.
How could Raimundo just do something like that?
After that earth shattering moment, he broke away, slowly.
"Rai." Kimiko brushed his loose bangs from his eyes and gazed longingly into the sea of emerald green.
She said in a quiet voice "So I guess our little project is over."
Kimiko felt so bashful now.
She could feel her cheeks turn redder by the second.
"I need to go, and I think breakfast is served."
Raimundo took her hand.
"Don't you want me to take you to the Temple?" he asked.
"I
can walk by m-myself thank you," Kimiko stammered, "Good thing we
aren't near the Temple, because someone could have seen that..."
She smiled her fake smile and quickened her pace, not caring about the pain in her side.
"What's wrong now? Am I a bad kisser? Kimiko, you can tell me."
"No, I haven't told you everything about my past. My relationships."
Raimundo let go of her hand and instead followed her closely.
"I'm sure you could tell me sometime..."
He knew she would cross her arms in stubbornness, or scowl. Kimiko did both.
"Fine, you'll tell me later." Raimundo sighed, admitting defeat.
"Much better."
He kissed her again.
Or tried to kiss her.
Because she turned, and he kissed the air.
"A hard fish to catch, as someone said..." The Wind seemed to call to him. "Coming Rai?"
"Coming, I just need to get used to you."