This is quite an old fic, I'll admit, but I found it gathering dust in my slash folder and decided to upload it. It's been a while since I've had a Xiaolin fix. Makes a change from Naruto, anyway XD

Disclaimer: Xiaolin Showdown and its characters belong to Christy Hui. Which is not me. So there.

Btw, if Jack's first two thoughts sound a bit lyrical, it's because they're both lines from songs. Thought number one comes from The Obvious Child by Paul Simon, and thought number two comes from Easy Target by blink-182.

Jack Spicer sat by his window and thought to himself How strange that some rooms are like cages.

It had been a month since the last Showdown – a month since he'd laid eyes on the Xiaolin Dragons, and his heart ached.

He knew it was stupid and unorthodox and too much of a hazard to ever be worth the risk, but he couldn't help it. He knew he was supposed to be evil and unfeeling and fixed on nothing but World Domination, but he wasn't.

He missed Raimundo so much that he felt sick. He needed to see him, to get as close as he could without arousing suspicion. He loved fighting the other boy, because that was the only way he got to touch him.

~***~

Raimundo Pedrosa was perched by the temple doors, thinking I wish there was some way out of this.

The four weeks since the previous Shen Gong Wu activation had taken its toll. He was becoming short-tempered with everyone, so that they now avoided saying anything at all to him in case it set him off.

The truth was that he missed Spicer. And this in itself was stupid, because they were enemies, not to mention both guys on top of that, and he didn't know anything about the other boy. But he wanted to see those red eyes so badly.

He felt empty, and knowing what he needed to end the feeling did nothing to improve his mood. He sighed, and buried his head in his arms.

~***~

All his signals are getting lost in the ether, Jack thought, watching the Wind Dragon with boundless affection. He had never understood this line, but suddenly it seemed to make sense. All of Rai's emotions were lost to the air, leaving only a deep concentration as he fought with everything he had to get hold of the Shen Gong Wu.

It was a sad but true fact that the only reason Jack lost so often was because he kept getting distracted. It's very hard to think when you've got a hot Brazilian boy inches away from your face – so close that you can actually feel the warmth of his skin. No wonder Jack only had one Shen Gong Wu left.

He envied the other boy's total detachment – how he could simply focus on one single thing. No matter how hard Jack tried to suppress his emotions and achieve this state of meditation, the concept remained lost to him. He often wondered whether it was something taught in the Xiaolin Temple, but the other monks didn't seem to be nearly as skilled at it. Maybe Rai was just less prone to distractions. Maybe he should stop worrying about meaningless crap and concentrate on getting the Wu.

Except that now it was too late. Rai had taken the opportunity to sneak up behind him and, using the Third Arm Sash, halted the blades of his Helibot. Jack swore loudly as the fragile propellers snapped, whirling uselessly as he hurtled towards the ground. Luckily, his fall was slowed considerably as the arms of his Helibot caught in the branches of the trees. The straps of the pack slipped off his shoulders and he fell the last ten feet or so to the grass below, landing heavily.

"Ouch!" he grumbled miserably as he lay on his back, staring up at the tan-skinned boy floating gracefully downwards, arms full of Shen Gong Wu as the scenery changed back to normal, and landed in front of his friends. Jack bit his lip and struggled not to cry. As much as he wished it was so (if only to rid himself of the constant worry and confusion), he wasn't a child anymore.

~***~

Raimundo faced his enthusiastic friends with a counterfeit grin, their praise and approval washing over him like a smothering, choking wave. His thoughts were with the scarlet-haired boy, who hadn't moved from his horizontal position since the end of the Showdown.

"That was amazing, Raimundo!" Omi yelled, over enthusiastic as ever. "You were aflame!"

"On fire, Omi." Kimiko rolled her eyes and grinned.

"That too," the little monk agreed.

"OK, let's git this show on the road," Clay drawled, heading back towards Dojo. "Master Fung'll be waitin' for us."

"You guys go on ahead," Rai told them, feeling his gaze flicker, inadvertently, back towards Jack. "I'll catch you up."

"Ah! You wish to celebrate your noble victory, Raimundo?" Omi totally missed the point, as usual. "Then I shall not stop you! We shall await your return back at the temple!" Followed by the other chosen ones, the small monk leapt onto Dojo's back, and the dragon flew off, leaving the two teens alone.

"Hey," Rai said softly, walking towards the spot where Jack was still lying on the ground. "You OK?"

"Fine," Jack said curtly, tenaciously turning his face away from the Brazilian's. "Never better."

The other boy crouched down beside him. "That wasn't your best. Today, I mean. Is something up?"

"Nothing's up!" Jack retorted through gritted teeth. "There's nothing wrong. Not at all."

"That's bull, dude, and you know it." Raising an eyebrow, Rai offered out a hand to help the Goth up. Jack regarded it with suspicion and the Dragon rolled his eyes. "No trick. Come on. You can't stay down there."

~***~

Reluctantly, Jack took hold of the younger boy's hand. It felt pleasantly warm, and Rai's fingers were much softer than his own – rough after years of tinkering with mechanics. The Heylin was yanked to his feet with more strength than he'd expected, and tottered uncertainly for a few seconds, colliding with Rai. The Dragon placed his fingertips on Jack's chest, gently pushing him upright. An awkward silence followed, during which Rai didn't remove his hands. Then the Brazilian rolled his eyes again, bit his lip and, with a quiet curse in a language Jack assumed to be Portuguese, leant in and kissed him.

Jack was shocked. Beyond shocked. It took a while for his startled brain to register what was happening, and a few more seconds after this for his body to react. And then his fingers were laced in chestnut hair, and his lips were working furiously, moving with the mouth that covered his own. It occurred to him momentarily that this might be some sort of sick ploy, but the thought was quickly replaced with a defiant 'I don't care', as cautious fingers began to trace his jaw line. Jack pulled out of the kiss, before pressing his lips to Rai's throat.

"Jack..."

"Hnn?"

"I'd better go. They'll be wondering where I am."

"Don't go."

Rai's eyes were soaked in lust. "I don't want to. But I have to."

It took several more kisses for Rai's willpower to finally take over, and it was with audible sounds of loss that they broke apart.

"I'll see you soon," Rai whispered, touching the other boy's hand briefly as he rose into the air. "Here! Take this!" he called to the figure beneath him, as if on an afterthought, throwing something in Jack's direction. The Heylin caught it and studied it briefly. It was the Monkey Staff.

"That was a dirty trick I pulled on you," Rai explained, as his hair was whipped up by the breeze. "It would suck for you to lose your last Wu. Just pay more attention next time!"

"Next time, you'll eat my dust, loser!" Jack yelled back, grinning broadly. Rai grinned back.

"See ya!" he shouted, and sped off, carried by the wind, in the direction of the temple.

Jack brought a hand up to his mouth, where the feeling of Rai's kiss was still lingering. "See you," he murmured quietly in response, before climbing into his jet. He needed a really good excuse for being late for dinner, and somehow he didn't think the truth would quite cut it.

Thanks for reading =) Hope you liked it.