an. a new story which i wasn't gonna do but the plot wouldn't get out of my head. boring beginning but it will get better! please r&r.

status. '09 revision being done as best as possible for these hopeless works.

disclaimer. i do not own xiaolin showdown.

summary. overcomed with jealousy, after finding out Raimundo has a girlfriend Kimiko pretends to have a boyfriend herself. this was just a tiny lie to get back at Raimundo, but when he asks her to meet the guy what does she do? Easy, ask Spicer to play the role... kimrai kimjack

Tainted Love

Chapter I

Unrequited Feelings

By animeang3l7

It was early morning, two hours away from a beautiful summer dawn. I had been drifting in and out of sleep through the night but as of an hour ago or so, sleep had decided to play truancy. I laid on my mat with my quilt brushing my feet awaiting for the sunrise. As I looked up to the ceiling my eyelids started to become slightly heavy and fractionally close, distorting any perceivable. After a few minutes I decided to give in to it. But even as I shut my eyes, my mind would not shut down and the dream world commence. As if this world wasn't hassle enough; too many things were on my mind for me to , I pushed my numb body upright to lean up against the wall behind me. The cold made a chill run down my spine, it was unsettling but not entirely unneccesary in the heat. I looked slightly up again to the ceiling making a drop of sweat run down the side of my face. Hastily wiping it off I also brushed my loose hair back and yet the hair I so prided was too unruly to be tamed and fell back to its rough mould, my fringe blocking my vision too. Such a vain attempt I made to sweep it away lazily but habit took the better of me.

I looked to the clock again, only five minutes had gone by. Yet it felt as if an hour did. How time goes so slow. My hand stretched out and my body pushed off the wall to grab my game console from the corner of my room. I started to play Goo Zombies 9 to pass the time. But to my annoyance, I couldn't even get passed the first level.

I breathed in and out deeply, after letting out an angry sigh. "Stupid game."

It wasn't that it was too hard or I was sleepy, I mean I could complete Goo Zombies 1 to 8 in my sleep without problem. It was just that I couldn't focus properly. Huh, focus: my achilles heel. As I said before, too many things were on my mind. These silly obstructions in my head had been costing me needed rest in order to be able to function properly during training. Just yesterday I had nearly fallen into the fountain when we were listening to Master Fung in a line. If it weren't for Omi and Clay beside me to catch me I would have surely fell. And Raimundo? Well he was too caught up with drifting in and out of fairyland that he failed to catch my near-disaster, as well as Master Fung's lecture. But then again, does he ever actually listen? Similarly to my situation, he was concentrating on other things. But he still doesn't lose balance even when lacking sleep. Bastard.

So why all of a sudden are the two of us becoming insomaniacs? Lets look to Pedrosa Raimundo for starters. It all started a month, no, was it two months ago? Whatever. He began avoiding all of us, always talking on the phone, skipping trainning, even im-ing during shen gong wu missions. We all know Jack a bit of a pushover, but seriously? At first, I assumed he was chatting to his friends or his family on his new mobile he saved up to buy from New York, but I'm starting to think otherwise, who is he really talking to? I think it was because I wouldn't let him go on my laptop and my mobile phone after constantly calling and emailing someone. He never told anyone who he was calling or why. Just always disappearing to talk to someone else.

This irritated my immensely. He would rather talk to someone, which I am guessing, was miles away, when we were next to him - under the same roof for god's sake. It's not like I want him hounding us for small talk at every second in time. It's just...I don't know, I miss whatever we all had between us. Besides, what was so important about this person that he had to talk to him or her twenty four hours a day. His bills were so high and he wouldn't pay attention that Master Fung was threatening to cut him off it. I really wouldn't blame it if he did, its annoying. It wasn't me who only thought so; Omi, Clay and I were talking about him before we went to sleep. Okay, so it's mean to talk behind other peoples back's but still. But back to our sleeplessness.

The point I'm trying to make is that when Raimundo calls someone in the evening, he doesn't sleep. In event, I can't sleep. Being housed next to him means you can hear all that chatter and laughter. Okay, so I have learnt to mindlessly drone out Clays snoring (by collapsing into a coma while he's still awake) but Raimundo has turned his midnight conversations into obscene buzzing sounds that can even invade the deep workings of your unconsciousness. Am I exaggerating? Perhaps.

… …

"Really? Really? Awh, dang. That's awesome!" Kimiko strode past Raimundo - who was again, on that overheated device in the kitchen. She glanced back at Raimundo who didn't seem to notice her pass by and carried on talking. Kimiko got a glass of water and drank it in one gulp. She slammed the glass down on the counter with more force than intended to. Raimundo put the phone towards his shoulder and whispered tauntingly, "Im on the phone ya know."

"So?"

"Gawd Kim, have some consideration for those who are trying to talk on the phone. Would you like it if I made noise while you were chatting to someone on the phone."

"Whatever." Raimundo meant everything as a joke but Kimiko would not take it. She pushed passed him.

Confused about what was wrong with her, he didn't bother a smart reply, merely whispering an almost inaudible goodnight; feeling awkward. She ignored him and kept walking back to her room. The expected hug and goodnight that never came, only caused him to sigh in weariness.

As she continued her journey to her room she bumped into Clay and staggered onto the floor dazed. "Sorry, wasn't watching where I was going."

"Its okay partner. Night."

"Goodnight." Anticipating Clay to walk beside her, he did the opposite thing. He walked towards the kitchen. She smiled and turned around, voicing a hunch: "grabbing another snack?"

"Yup, you bet lil lady." Clay said while walking closer to Kimiko.

"Well, just eat quietly otherwise Mr Pedrosa will give you a lecture about being considerate." she warned.

"Thanks for the advice. But a bit late. He bit mine and Omi's head off for practicing some techniques and making too much commotion. We had to move somewhere else." he chuckled a bit, taking it not as far as Kimiko.

"Should have told him to piss off." she muttered.

"What was that Kimiko?"

"Eh, just saying that this thing is really annoying. Ya know, with Rai always on the phone, not being there…and stuff."

"Couldn't agree more."

"Grr, its like we're here and right next to him, but no! We're not good enough to talk to! He has to call someone else!"

"I fink the green eyed monster reared its head."

"What was that?" Kimiko's eye twitched out of frustration and anger. "I'm not jealous!"

"Uh whatever you say Kim." he laughed it off. She guessed he was joking so she giggled too.

"Goodnight." Kimiko smiled and paced to her room.

… …

I snapped her eyes open and backed off the wall. I moved the console which lay on my lap and placed it carefully on top of the wooden chest. Positioning myself in a comfier position I began to reflect on the past couple of days. But was cut short when I heard the faintest sound of a goodnight and I love you whisper. By this time, Clay's snoring had died down and even the slightest drip of dew outside could be heard. I hissed, knowingly someone would definitely pick it up, "finally. Some peace and quiet." I stopped dead in my tracks. Listening to any mumbling he might be saying or any sound of movement. My hearing sharpened and picked up the sound of his quilt being pushed away then footsteps coming towards me.

A shadow cast before my eyes and I look up to see him smiling at me. Yes smiling. Not frowning, not steaming smoke from his ears, not even eyebrow stitching for slight annoyance. He was smiling. Scary.

"So couldn't sleep either?" I turned away but he still sat down next to me. I thought he would get the hint. Should've known better.

"You could say that. Talking to your friend again?"

He hesitated a moment before answering, "Yeah about that," I could easily tell that he was debating whether to tell me or not. I was a really good judge of people and could effortlessly analyse a person, it was either that or he was playing plain predictability. "I need to tell you something."

"I need to as well."

"Okay, you go first." he made himself comfy and zeroed straight in the eyes in a way that simply said you held his full attention and was in no way moving to anywhere.

I don't know how he did it. I was about to spark off the fuse that kept in check my temper. Incoherent crap ran about everything he was doing, about my feelings, about the others' opinions, they all ran through my head and yet my anger seemed to dissipate into comfy confusion. "I wanted to tell you that, we are all getting a bit flustered about you always talking on the phone, ignoring us, etc."

"Yeah I kinda figured since the kitchen incident. And a bit flustered? You mean so pissed off that you ?" he grinned.

"Okay, yeah I was pissed, but with that goofy grin, you just exasperate me."

"Bet your jealous too" he asked me slyly.

"No. I'm not. But I miss my best friend."

"Ah. Anything else? Something more deeper?" I looked at him, wondering what the heck would he mean by that.

"No, it's just. It's just that I thought..." I stared at his ever changing expression. He looked like he went through a dozen phases - either that or he suddenly felt the urge to vomit. I was hoping I was right with the former guess.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Uh no. No." he repeated.

"What do you want to tell me Rai?" I perked up, having made my point and everything.

"I wanted to tell you first that I have…"

"Have a what Rai? A case of cat-got-your-tongue?" I joked.

"No. A girlfriend."