I guess I should say I'm a fiend when it comes to jumping back and forth between past and present tense in my writing.

The world was spinning. It wobbled, shifted, and throbbed every time he blinked.

Raimundo closed his eyes with a groan, bringing a hand up to scrub over his face and letting it fall back to his side. His head was pounding, the pain blooming and receding with every beat of his heart. He hardly even noticed the feel of the mat beneath him, of the small warm hands brushing softly against his cheeks and forehead.

"Rai?"

Opening his eyes a fraction, Raimundo winced. Everything was a painful explosion of light, making his eyes ache until a dark mass moved into his line of sight. He blinked, and his surroundings moved somewhat into focus. It revealed Kimiko staring down at him, her forehead creased with a look of worry. His jaw worked, trying to form words with a voice worn from lack of use. She leaned forward, her frown deepening.

Finally, he croaked.

"Y'know, you keep that look on your face it will stick."

Kimiko's lips pursed briefly, but that couldn't stop the relieved smile that formed on her face. "Very funny."

Raimundo struggled to sit up, propping himself up on his elbows until Kimiko pushed him back down with a shake of her head.

"Don't move." she scolded. He tried again, frowning, only to have her shove him down again. "Don't move!"

He always forgot how strong she could be.

"How long was I out?"

"Just over a day. That's what happens when you take a Tebigonging to the back of your head."

Raimundo groaned again, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration. "And fall off of a cliff side." he muttered, gritting his teeth as more pains began to make themselves known throughout his body.

"No one blames you, Rai. The showdown was as good as yours until Vlad turned into a sore loser." Kimiko's tone was aggravated, her eyes narrowing as she thought of the large Russian. Angry she may be, but the hand that was running absently through his hair was gentle and soothing. He chose not to comment on it, liking the sensation.

"Yeah… tell me again why Jack teamed up with that guy again?"

"Who knows. Maybe cause no one else wanted to?"

Silence fell over the two, with Raimundo shifting slightly and flexing his fingers and toes to regain lost feeling to them. Kimiko's hand retreated and rested with the other on the tops of her knees, which were folded neatly beneath her. She eyed him carefully, biting her lip before turning to reach for the pitcher of water and cup off to one side.

"You thirsty?"

"Yeah actually."

She swatted his hand away when he tried to grab the cup himself, instead helping him sit up and holding it for him until he drank his fill. Raimundo rolled his eyes, a letting out a tired chuckle.

"Thanks mom."

A blush creeped across Kimiko's cheeks, all the way to the tips of her ears. Raimundo noticed how she was still wearing the outfit she had donned for their earlier Shen Gong Wu hunt; a complicated mass of pink ruffles and green bows. Her eyeliner was smudged, and the high placed bun in her hair was messy and lopsided."

"Damn girl, did you move at all while I was out?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

The blush darkened, and she ducked her head. He had to strain to hear her muttered response.

"I was worried, okay?"

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