Title: Symbolic Rain
Fandom: Xiaolin Showdown
Characters: Rai, Kim, Omi, Clay, Jermaine, Keiko
Prompt: 070:Storm
Word Count: 3,743
Rating: PG-13
Summary: There's a storm and it's raining upon the two that should be together but aren't.
Author's Note: Choppy title and summary, but, beware the drama that'll unfold...

He stepped out into the pouring rain with a bag slung over his shoulder. Thunder clapped as his anger ruptured through his veins. The nerve of her. She knew how he felt and she just threw him out like a rag doll meeting its end. Bitch.

Just before he took off, he heard footsteps hit the cold wet stone. He didn't turn but clenched his eyes shut.

"Raimundo, you're acting stupid," he heard her say. "Get inside and we'll talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about," he sneered. "Xiaolin Dragon, Wind!" he summoned his element and it lifted him to the skies.

She watched him fly into the dark clouds and feared the lightning might hit him. He's just being irrational. Making a storm from a water glass. She kept telling herself these things but they weren't reassuring her. This was exactly the time when he left the first time. Except this time, it was under different circumstances. She turned around and saw her friends standing in the door way. She went up to them.

"Got any idea on where he went?" Clay asked.

"I don't have the slightest clue," she responded.

"Ah, but we do know one thing," Omi said.

"And what's that?"

"He's not going back to the Heylin side," he said trying to cheer her up.

He knocked on the door vigorously. It seemed to be raining all over the world today. Because when he flew over the ocean, it was raining the whole way. As if the heavens were reflecting on his mood. He waited as he heard footsteps race to the landing. The door opened to reveal the African American New Yorker with a smile plastered on him.

"Raimundo! Wassup my man?!"

"Yo Jermaine!" Raimundo responded as he slapped fists with his old friend. "You got my email, right?"

"Yeah, I just got it. Come on in, you're soaked to the bone."

Raimundo stepped through the threshold and was lead to the living room where he dropped his stuff.

"The couch pulls out to a bed and the bathroom is down the hall, first door on the right," Jermaine said. "So, you gonna tell me what happened?"

Raimundo shut his eyes and let in a breathe of air. He walked over to the couch and slumped down.

"Another time. But for now, lets just catch up. Up for it?"

"Sorry man, but I gotta head on out with my honey."

"In this weather?"

"Yeah. That's my girl. Goes out in rain and shine. You cool with that?"

"Yeah, I'm cool. You'll tell me about her when you get back, right?"

"Like there was another way." Jermaine left as he said he would. Leaving Raimundo to his thoughts as he changed out of his wet clothes into dry ones.

Soon after he left, Kimiko slumped into her room. Why was he being so rash about this? To her, it was no big deal. But couldn't help but feel hurt just by the way he left. It was rude, abrupt, arrogant, everything that was Raimundo. So, why was she thinking about him all of a sudden? She guessed that the situation is affecting her more than she thought. She was getting frustrated now.

She took out her PDA and typed in Raimundo's screen name. When it asked for his password, she thought of a number of possibilities that included the obvious.

Wind? No, she thought. Soccer, no, soccerfanatic, no, RioDeJaneiro, no, August4, no, Brazil, no, RaiRocks, no, WindDragon, no.

This will take a long time.

Raimundo laid on top of the pull out and gazed up at the ceiling. The events keep rolling through his head like a movie. The faces, the pain, the betrayal, all wrapped up like a burrito. He rolled to his side and put his concentration on the mantel that stood next to him. Littered with photos of Jermaine and his family. Even one from his High School graduation. And in every single one of them, he was shown with a smile.

Lucky bastard, he thought. Then he switched on his other side and gazed through the door frame that lead to the landing. The rain pounding against the windows and the thunder flashing every five seconds.

Then he heard the door open and Jermaine came in as if he were walking on air. Raimundo sat up and surveyed his friend.

"Had a good night?" he asked.

"Man, you have no idea. We were up in the club and partied all night. I gotta tell ya, she might be the one," Jermaine said. Raimundo slumped and averted his gaze on a spot of the pull out. Jermaine noticed as he made his way to sit on the mattress.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked. Rai let out a sigh.

"You're a man in love, what would you say about a guy that pretty much lost the woman he cares about more than anything?" Jermaine gave him a furtive look.

"Is this about Kimiko?" Raimundo tensed up and immediately flushed.

"Uh... What makes you say that?"

"Come on, man, everybody knows you like her. Even-"

"Don't say it," he muttered.

"-Omi knows." Raimundo groaned and flopped down on the mattress. "The only one that doesn't know is Kimiko."

"Tell me about it. I practically screamed in her face."

"So she knows?"

"I don't know," Rai sighed. "You know how dense she is."

"True. But is that why you're here? Because of her?"

"You could say that," he muttered.

She tried everything she could possibly think of. It was hopeless. But then she got into thinking. Maybe she should try thinking outside the box. She got out her PDA again and tried again.

WindBeatsEarth, no, slang, no, OmiWater, no, FireWind, no, Fire, huh? She thought as her eyes widened. She just gained access to his email account. Why is my element his password? She shoved the thought aside and went into his mailbox. Perhaps there's something there that would tell her his whereabouts. She saw the most recently sent was to a KnicksFan24. She recognized it as Jermaine's. She read the message and her eyes widened even more.

She raced out to find the boys in the meditation hall.

"I know where he is," she exasperated.

The storm kept on rushing at four in the morning. Which made it hard to sleep for Rai. Then again, with everything that has happened, how could he sleep.

Then he heard someone knocking on the door rapidly. He didn't bother getting up. He knew who it was. It was only a matter of time. He heard Jermaine come to the landing with tired footsteps. The door opens, closes, footsteps, here goes.

"Hey, Rai? You've got a visitor and you probably guessed who it is," he said as Raimundo sat up. Then Kimiko stepped into the door frame. "I'll leave you two alone." Then Jermaine left to go back to sleep. Leaving the tension that was obviously building.

"Took you long enough," he sneered

"Rai, can we just talk?" she asked.

"I told you, there's nothing to talk about." He got out of bed and walked over to his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and walked passed her and out into the rain. Kimiko raced behind him.

"Raimundo! You can't keep running forever!" she shouted over the rain.

"Watch me!" he shouted as well. He positioned himself for take off when he felt a delicate had on his. He turned to her and saw her desperate eyes. He knew he couldn't say no to those eyes. He let out a sigh as he turned to her.

"How could you do this to me?!" he shouted.

"What are you talking about?!"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! How could you come home and say you're engaged to that guy!"

"Because I thought you'd be happy for me!"

"Happy?! How can I be happy when the love of my life is off marrying some guy she hardly even knows!" Kimiko gaped at him. She never knew he felt this way towards her.

"Rai... I didn't know!"

"Of course you didn't! You were way to blind to notice how much I care about you!"

"Well excuse you for not telling me after all this time!"

"I was going to tell you today as a matter of fact! Before this whole engagement came along! I couldn't just stand aside and allow you to waste your time with some guy that doesn't know a thing about you!"

"How dare you! He knows everything about me!"

"Oh does he?! Does he know your three tickle spots?! Does he know you have five sets of eyes?! Does he know your favorite color is red because it always made you feel happy?! Or does he even know you cry during the pottery scene in Ghost?!"

She opened her mouth and then closed it. She thought on this. Does he know her? Does Derek know the finer parts of her being? She did date him for two months. Perhaps they did rush things a little.

"Does he?!"

"I-I don't know! OK?! But it doesn't matter! I'm going to marry him! It's too late!"

"No it's not! Nothing is final! There's no such thing as a guarantee!" He shouted as he took a step closer to her. "The point is is that I love you! I have always loved you! Whether you marry this guy or not, I will love you until the day I die!"

She tried to avert her gaze away from his and isn't very successful. His green eyes drew her in like a fishing line. Then, on impulse, she grabbed his face pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. Tongues over lapping the other. He put his hands around her waist and brought her closer. The passion he felt for her was poured into the kiss. The storm not lightening in the least as it poured its rain onto the two. Drenching them entirely.

Then, he picked her up and carried her back into the threshold. Dropping his things at the door and shoved her against the wall of the landing. Not parting in anyway or form. But, unexpectedly, Kimiko's eyes shot open and she shoved him off of her. Raimundo's eyes widened from the shock and puzzlement.

"What's wrong?" he asked. She stared at him in disbelief.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" she yelled. "You know that I'm engaged!"

"Oh geez, I'm sorry, for a second I thought you kissed me," he said sarcastically. She let out a breathe of air and stared at the ground.

"Great ghost of Dashi, what have I done?" she muttered. She then turned back to Rai with anger flared up again. "This is all your fault!"

"All my fault?!"

"Yes! You could've stopped me!" He looked at her in disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding me! You're actually blaming me?!"

"Only because it's true!"

"Oh really?! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked it!"

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me! And you know what else?! I think you want more!"

"What makes you think I want more?!" she growled.

"Because I can see it in your eyes. Are you that bored, Kimiko? Is that all you get with that guy? Just a small kiss and 'see you later?'" She glared at him.

"You know what? Got to hell!"

"Admit it!"

"No!" she shouted as she walked passed him and into the living room. He followed her in.

"Come on!"

"Go away!"

"Not until you admit it."

"There's nothing to admit!"

"Maybe not but I know what will." So, he grabbed her face and pulled her into another kiss. Just when lightning flashed outside. He felt her resist at first but soon relaxed into it and welcomed it by opening her mouth. The passion rekindled. She placed her hands on his wet shirt and lifted it over his shoulders. They broke the kiss for a short time to allow the shirt over his head. They kissed again as soon as it hit the ground. He took off her jacket and they stumbled on to the pull out.

Jermaine woke up the next morning to find the sun shining through his window. He let out a sigh of relief to see the storm had finally ceased. He let out a yawn as he got up and changed out of his boxers into his jersey and blue jeans. He stepped out of his room and was on his way to the front door to get the newspaper. In doing so, he had to pass by the living room. When he reached the door frame, he peered in and saw the two sleeping forms of his friends. His arm over her waist and she was nuzzled under his arm. Their clothes scattered all over the room. He stared in wide eyed.

Then he saw her starting to stir. She lifted her head and saw Jermaine's wide eyes. She lifted the blanket up to her neck and flushed furiously. Jermaine turned away from the awkward silence. Flushed as well. She grabbed Raimundo's over sized shirt and slipped it on. She got out of bed and went over to him.

"How long have you been standing there?" she whispered.

"I just came in," he responded.

"Jermaine, it's not what you think."

"Oh, so you sleeping with Raimundo on my couch didn't happen? Nice try, Kimiko."

"You don't understand, last night... we..."

"You were fighting and he said some things that were probably true. Wouldn't you say so?" She looked at him wide eyed.

"You heard?"

"Of course I heard. The way you were going, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole neighborhood heard. Even over the storm." She let out a groan. "Nice ring by the way." She looked down at her left ring finger and let out another groan.

"What am I going to do?" she asked desperately.

"I dunno, but it sounds like you have a choice to make," he said as he walked out the door, retrieved the paper and made his way to the kitchen.

"He's right you know." She turned around and saw Raimundo's stern face. She let out a sigh.

"I know." He then got out of bed and slipped into a pair of pants. He walked over to her not taking his eyes off.

"So? What's it gonna be?" She looked up at him with guilt over her. She manage to avoid his eyes.

"I... don't know," she mumbled. Then she heard his angry grunt and punched the wall in front of him. Swearing under his breathe. Leaving a hole behind. She doesn't blame him. Then he turned to her with anger flickered in his eyes.

"I swear to Dashi, Kimiko! You have to be the most infuriating woman that I've ever met!" he yelled, which brought out her anger as well.

"I'm infuriating?! What about you you pompous egotistical maniac!"

"Sure! I'm the maniac! At least I know what I want!"

"What's that suppose to mean?!"

"What do you think?!"

"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP! You sound worse than my parents on a good day!" They turned to see Jermaine's head sticking out of the door frame with an aggravated expression on him. Then they got embarrassing looks on them.

"Sorry, man. By the way, are your parents still married?" Raimundo asked.

"After forty years, what do you think?" he sneered and slammed the kitchen door. Raimundo then turned to her red face.

"You hear that?" he asked.

"Yeah. So?"

"So, wouldn't you say that's relevant?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Why is it relevant?"

"Because we fight. Every day. It's our thing. I say something stupid and you hit me." She looked at him as if he was wasting her time.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, I only ask if you want a life like that or a life that has regret. What do you say?" She looked at him furtively. She had absolutely no idea on how to respond. Nor did she know what to do. "What do you want?"

She looked at him. Waiting for her answer. To this, she had no answer.

"I... I gotta go." She raced down the hallway and stepped through Jermaine's bedroom door. She slammed it shut. Then she leaned against and started heaving breaths. Tears rolled down as she slid down to the ground. She needed to talk to someone. Like a girlfriend.

That was when she spotted Jermaine's cell phone on his nightstand. She debated whether she should make a long distance call on it. But she was desperate and she knew he wouldn't mind. So she got up and walked over to it. She picked it, flipped it open and dialed in a number. She held it to her ear and waited for the answer.

"Hello?" she heard the receiver say rather tiredly. She couldn't blame them, it was probably like around three in the morning over there.

"Keiko? Kimiko," she said with a down voice.

"Hey! I didn't recognize the number."

"Yeah, that's because I'm using a friend's phone."

"OK, so, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Because you sound like you're down in the dumps. Spill."

"All right, well, you know that guy I've been seeing?"

"Yeah?"

"He asked me to marry him and I said yes."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"So, why so down?"

"Well, I told my friends at the temple and Raimundo, the Brazilian guy, just got up and left and he looked like he was angry and I didn't know why. So, he left and came all the way to New York to stay with a friend of ours and I followed him. Then we got into an argument and he told me that he loves me. I had absolutely no idea about it and then he was saying that Derek didn't know a thing about me like Raimundo does and, before I knew it, I kissed him."

"What was it like?"

"It was amazing."

"Ah huh. So what happened after that?"

"Well, I realized what I was doing and pushed him off me and we got into another argument and Raimundo was saying all these things about me not being satisfied with Derek. I tried to tell him that I was but he didn't believe me and so he kissed me again and..." Kimiko's face started to flush.

"And what? Wait, did you sleep with him?" Kimiko's faced reddened even more. "OH MY GOSH! You did! Tell me! What was it like?!"

"I-I dunno..."

"Tell me!"

"It was... It was... amazing."

"Oh my gosh, you love him!"

"I... I dunno. That's whats making this even more confusing. Raimundo is such a sweet guy but we keep getting into all these stupid fights. We got into another one this morning as a matter of fact and he gave me an ultimatum. What should I do?"

"Well... it's really hard to say. But did he say exactly when he gave you the ultimatum?"

"Uh... I think it was whether I want to live where we always fight or living in regret."

"OK... That's not really much of an ultimatum, but why don't you think up a pros and cons list between the two guys." Kimiko considered it and started thinking it up.

"Well, Derek is nice. So is Raimundo. But he was right when he said that all I get from Derek was small kisses and 'see you later', but Rai's ego can get the best of him. Even if his kisses brings some sort of excitement, but I can't help but feel bad for Derek."

"Well yeah, you had sex with Raimundo. I can't really say I'd blame you."

"Are you gonna help me or not?" Kimiko snapped.

"All right, all right. You said that you and Raimundo always fight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how bad are they?"

"I dunno. They differentiate from time to time. We can argue about the most stupidest thing in the world and sometimes they can boil over. I remember this one time we had a fight and we didn't speak to each other for weeks and by the time we started talking again, we completely forgot what we fought about." She heard her friend giggling on the other line. "What's so funny?"

"You sound like you fight like an old married couple." Kimiko's eyes widened.

"That's what Jermaine said."

"Who?"

"The guy in New York, he said that we sounded like his parents and they've been married for forty years."

"Well then, if you ask me, it's kinda obvious now. Wouldn't you say so?" Kimiko looked down and started to realize something. "Well, I'm gonna let you go now, your friend's bill will sky rocket if we continue."

"All right," she giggled. "I'll talk to you soon."

"All right, bye. Love you!"

"Love you too." She hung up and started pounding a new number.

Raimundo sat on the pull out and thought about her outburst. He tried convincing himself that she needed time to think things over, but he isn't mulling it over too well. His hands intertwined and brought up to his lips. Staring at the same grove on the floor for at least five minutes.

Then he had a feeling that someone was staring at him. He looked in the direction that he felt was strongest and saw Kimiko's grin. He stared at her perplexed eyes. She walked over to him and sat down beside him. Then she placed her left hand on his cheek and gently kissed him. He noticed her ring wasn't on and immediately became satisfied. She then pulled away and rested her forehead against his.

"I called him and told him I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with it. Not when my best friend is madly in love with me," she said in almost a whisper. He smiled at her and gave her another deep kiss. This time it felt right to her.

Out of earshot, Jermaine watched the scene unfold and immediately had a smile on him. But just before all this occurred, Kimiko walked past him and gave him her ring. She said she had no use for it anymore. He looked at it with a smile on him.

"No use putting it to waste," he said as he got out his cell phone and speed dialed. "Hey AJ, wanna head out tonight?"