A/N: Thanks so much for the support even if it's too long to update:

VanillaStratos: My most beloved reader I'm so sorry for the delay since work has claimed me. To make it up to you, you can ask me anything you want that is within my capabilities J Thank you for all the support you've given me and I hope I could hear from you in any possible future stories.

mooncrystalrose: Hahaha straight to the point. Thanks for reading and I hope you'll enjoy this

Guest (anon) : Not really an M, maybe T+ ish since I wanna keep it PG haha

jjjpisces1994:: Thanks J

To the 8 Anonymous Guests : Thanks so much for the support, I hope it's still not too late for you to read the last chappie

TheBlatantNinja: Here it is sweetie ;)

Well, the last chapter everyone. It would contain some adult themes so I would prefer it if you're like… 18 and up… because I'm darn paranoid about this. But no lemons. Unless… well here we go! Thanks for all the love and support you've given to this story guys, I hope to hear from you soon!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Senses Overload Anthology

Theme: Taste, Reassurance

Ages: Rai and Kimiko : 16

Clay: 17

Omi: 13

The sun dipped down and stars became more visible as dusk came upon the xiaolin temple. The monks quietly walked through the garden and lit the lanterns along the gardens. The dim light of a flickering flame danced with the shadow of a lone figure of a monk in training. Kimiko had locked herself in the scroll room since the morning after yesterday's incident. Omi had been increasingly annoying as he kept asking about animal births and if human girls can handle the pain since 'they're far too delicate for them to endure it' and Clay kept dropping hints that she's acting 'stranger than a sheep herding a dog' What's worst was that Raimundo started to act as if she wasn't there at all, which was strangely alright for her since she didn't want to talk to him... for the meantime. The thing that happened yesterday... damn it, it wasn't that big of a deal but she's already blushing like a school girl.

She slammed her open palm on the table, immediately regretting the act as she felt her hand throb with pain, having it slam to the edge of a hard bound tome. While she wasn't studious, she can reduce her stress by reading and studying martial arts, yup, productive stress works for her. With a deep sigh, she carefully rolled the aged scroll into a tight furl and re-tied the string before placing it on its proper place. She wondered if they were now eating in the kitchen and her stomach growled, demanding to be filled. The panic alarm resounded in her head when a thought of Raimundo being there; something has to give, either give into her hunger or escape an awkward encounter with the leader.

But then, it would be very unlikely for her to escape his presence for long. For one thing, he's the leader of the group, he's a fellow dragon warrior and... they basically sleep in one room. She managed to dodge this problem the previous night when she fell asleep while meditating with Master Fung. All she remembered was clearing her mind and focusing on her chi. When she opened her eyes, she was lying on her mat with her clothes from the day before still on her. Thinking it must have been Master Fung, she planted her palm on her cheeks and felt the beads of sweat that formed on her forehead.

She slowly placed the old stool back under the desk and made her way to the kitchens. Sounds of utensil being used and glasses being placed on the table resounded through the hallway. The muffled voices of Clay and Raimundo can be heard, her body jolted with panic when she heard his voice and the sarcastic tone of Dojo's was enough to make her know that they're arguing about something.

"Kimiko?"

A shriek nearly escaped her mouth when she heard a voice next to her elbow. She turned around and saw Omi with a teacup in his hand, "Where have you been? Because of your absence, Master Fung has cancelled the training! You should be ashamed!" he lectured her, crossing his arms in a huffy manner. The girl sighed and mentally counted to ten; even if Omi knew what happened yesterday, he would still react the same way he did. So, she nodded and gave her best 'I'm sorry' pout, "Let's go get some dinner" she said to him. He still gave her a reproachful look before he went ahead and entered the room.

As soon as she heard them acknowledge Omi's presence, she took three deep breaths to calm herself down, now regretting to not look into a mirror since she was certain her robe was covered by a thin sheet of dust, her hair must be a mess since she tied them in a rush and her eyes felt puffy.

Walking slowly to the threshold, she evenly distributed her weight on each foot like a ninja and stalked along the wall. Within a few steps, she was about to walk in when she came face to face with the person she had been avoiding the whole day.

"O-oh, hey Rai-"

She didn't even manage to say his name completely before he walked by her without even looking at her. That small action made her heart drop and her stomach flip uncomfortably, the complete opposite of the 'warm and fuzzy' feeling she got whenever he was near. Shaking her head sadly, she proceeded to the kitchens to see Clay drinking his soup and Omi slurping the noodles. Dojo might have been reading something before she came in because he was packing up his reading glasses.

"Hey Kimiko! I haven't you since lunch! Did something happen?" he asked. Same question, different words. Kimiko hung her head before she retrieved her bowl and helped herself with the remaining chicken noodle soup that Clay hadn't claimed yet. She took her usual seat; the one beside Raimundo's and dug her spoon on the soup, but instead of tucking in, she let her spoon swirl and stir and watched the patterns.

Whether it was to expel the awkward silence or not, Omi placed his bowl down and tucked his hands in the sleeves of his robe, "How was your studies Kimiko? Were you able to learn something new to your limited knowledge?"

Kimiko felt a familiar vain pop near her temple and gave Omi a forced smile which he deemed sincere; "Of course Omi" she said through her gritted teeth, "I learned a couple of tricks in the scrolls and tomes. In fact, I even learned a secret technique that can destroy someone with just a flick of my wrist!" Omi's mouth dropped open while Dojo looked indifferent while sipping his tea. Clay quirked a brow as the bald headed monk pointed at her with an accusing finger, "You lie! That kind of technique is only studied by those who have defected to Heylin ways! And you can't learn it in a day; you're not as smart as I!"

She gave him a sly grin and even winked at him, "Wanna bet?" Kimiko's voice sounded so sure that Omi gulped and he slowly stood up with his finished meal in one hand and gave her the 'I'm watching you' motion with the other before placing it on the sink. He even exited the kitchens walking backwards as if she would try to attack him if he turned his back on her.

"So... Uh..." Clay started, "Did you learn any sort o' that stuff?" Kimiko smiled and shook her head, "Nah, I was just bluffing. Although now Omi will try and find that scroll that never existed in the first place" she winked at the chortling cowboy and the green dragon that slithered out, telling them be will be in his tub.

"Kimiko?"

"Yeah Clay?"

Clay scratched the back of his head ruefully, "Not like it's my business but uh... is there anything between you and Raimundo? You're both acting so dang weird."

Half of her wanted to snap at him and tell it was none of his business but now she definitely needed someone to talk to and the last time she checked, Keiko was on a date, Master Fung and Omi will be of no help to this kind of issue, Dojo will just tease them, Raimundo... NO. So Clay was the only option left. He might understand a thing or two, who knows, he might even be a good love adviser. She sighed and took a sip of her tea before looking at him, "Clay, I did something terrible..."

Raimundo wrapped his aching right knuckle with clean bandage gauze. Punching a wall to release frustration... not a very good idea. 'Stupid wall!' he hissed in his thoughts and flinched when he touched a tender part of his knuckle that slowly turned to an ugly shade of purple and red. He threw off his upper garments by the side, slowly sliding to the grass, and didn't mind the chilly evening breeze that passed through the windows. The wind outside was howling and he can hear it pushing the reeds and the bamboos rustling together. He nearly jumped when he heard a small voice behind him, "Oh, you are training even at night?" Omi asked.

He looked around and saw the small monk already dressed in his blue ducky onesies with a competitive edge in the tone of his voice, "No wonder Master Fung chose you above me! If I had known this was the basis of choosing a-"

"No Omi. I'm trying to get out of my pissed off mood and you're bringing it back" he crudely replied.

Omi tilted his head a bit with sincere concern, "The flow of your chi reflects complete disarray. Are you angry or confused, because your chi suggests both." Raimundo's frown lessened as he swept a hand through his hair. Letting his feelings run around like that was really unwise and he snapped at Omi who was only asking innocent questions. 'Damn it Kimiko. Even if you're not here you're still giving me a headache!' he hissed mentally. With a tired growl, he sat on the wooden floor and leaned on the wall, "It doesn't matter. You wouldn't even understand my situation kid"

Omi scowled at his patronizing tone and sat next him with his hands folded on his chest, "Although my mind isn't well-adapted to your culture, rest assured I am wise beyond my years!" he huffed. For the first time that day, a smile broke in Raimundo's face and rubbed the young monk's head, much to the boy's chagrin. "Yeah, you have a mentality of old man Fung (Omi shot him a withering look) and don't get me wrong you're pretty apt with the whole mystical kung fu moves but it's about..." Raimundo paused for ten seconds before he spat out a name; "Kimiko"

Omi looked thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged it casually, "Oh, I am most delighted that I could help you with my vast knowledge! Knowing that Kimiko is a female, they are the most simple of all creatures!"

The Brazilian wanted to throw his head back and laugh. Omi is 100% completely and undeniably wrong. "Girls are the most complicated things to figure out!" He suddenly stood up and paced across the room while throwing his hands on the air, "One minute you're laughing about small things, the next she will make you think she likes you and when you answer her moves, she freaking loses her mind and act like she was the one who was violated! I mean, dang, she was the one who started it!"

He continued his rambling, his footsteps were heavy and it wouldn't surprise his fellow warrior if he had somehow leave a hole with his pacing.

"She's giving me mixed signals and I don't even know if she's just stringing me along or something! She's alright one minute and the next she's mad at something! That chica is either a bipolar or she has a split personality! She is so... Argh!"

"She's a pirate?!" Omi gasped

The comment made Raimundo stop his ranting and turned to his companion, "Uh... what?"

"You said 'Argh!' and one knows that only pirates use that expression. Or maybe it is YOU who is the pirate since you're the one who uttered it in the first place!"

"Okay, Omi I think you're going a little cuckoo-cuckoo since it's way past your bedtime" Raimundo chided and began to push Omi to the direction of their room.

"But Raimundo" he sputtered, "I am supposed to aid you with your problem!"

Raimundo pushed Omi with more force; a subtle hint that he won't need his assistance any longer. The younger monk frowned and slump his shoulders in defeat. But before he disappeared to their quarters, he said "You and Kimiko are behaving oddly. Might I suggest you to talk things inwards and launder things over?"

"It's 'talk things over' and 'iron out the kinks' Omi"

"Yes, that too!"

He sighed deeply and placed a hand over his eyes. He was frustrated in so many levels and with the shaky grounds between him and Kimiko; it would really take a toll in their team. Master Fung would lecture them both and maybe even scold him more since he was the leader. There were too much things weighing on his shoulders, the weight as the leader, as the dragon of wind and now... he feels as if Kimiko's measuring him up or something, or the exact opposite or...

HE DOESN'T KNOW!

Raimundo let out an angry yell but quickly shut it and looked around to see if anyone heard him. Since there no one scolding him yet, he grabbed his robes and sulked towards the training grounds with the intent to sweat out all his problems for some momentary relief.

Kimiko sighed as she stepped out of the shower. The mist around her swirled as she opened the door. Her long hair was thankfully dried by the towel and she wore a simple yellow shirt that was a bit small for her and her shorts. Her chosen outfit might be frowned upon by the monks but it was a relatively warm night (for her since her element made her body heat double the normal temperature) and she wasn't flaunting it as if she's on the catwalk.

Her muscles unknotted and she felt light, a pleasant side-effect of bathing with warm water. But despite the relief her shower had provided, the heavy weight still burdened her chest and an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach clung on her just as tight as it was yesterday.

Thwack

The sound of the wooden pole being kicked made her rush towards the training grounds. Kimiko held a gasp as she watched Raimundo kick the wooden pole with force and followed it with a series of punches. She watched him move; focused and precise. All of his moves were fluid and disciplined as well, something she didn't think he could ever achieve. She was so used with Raimundo's actions which were sloppy, reckless, impulsive yet effective.

He stopped his beating with a disgruntled growl and leaned his head on the pole and closed his eyes. It was then that Kimiko realized the state of his clothes, or lack thereof. Sweat from his forehead trickled slowly to his chin. The beads on his collarbone traveled over his toned chest, down to the ridges of his abs and under his sweatpants that she couldn't help but stare.

Well, no one could really blame her. The teenager in front of her right now was definitely drool-worthy, his handsome face that was evident even during their early years. His body was athletic and lean yet he exhibited a lot of upper body strength despite his slender frame. But what was certainly eye-catching with Rai was his personality. Happy-go-lucky guy, the clown, the rebel, the prankster, the in-your-face warrior who has your back no matter what.

He was kind, haughty, friendly, proud, witty, cocky, overly self-confident, smart, trustworthy, determined. He's the dragon of the wind, their leader, their comrade, their friend. He's her... what?

She stepped over that line yesterday and her sudden cold feet hurt his feelings that might be more than just friendly teasing or even flirting. She unknowingly confused the heck out of him.

Raimundo was tugging something on his wrist which made her eyes widen. Bloodstained gauze was wrapped around his knuckles and she could hear him hiss as he cautiously tried to adjust the knot.

She needed to end this now, it might have been only a day but not talking to him felt like years to her. This has got to stop and she will be the one who will make the first move. Given that she was the root of the problem, she's pretty sure his pride won't let him approach her anyways. She had told Clay about the problem and the only advise he gave her was to 'stand yer ground little lady and say what you want to say.'

'It's now or never'

The Shoku warrior winced as he touched the bleeding knuckle by accident yet again. He unwittingly used it to punch the pole and now it throbbed in pain, that's really gonna swell tomorrow.

His ears suddenly perked when he heard a crunch of dried leaves being stepped on. Emerald eyes widened before he narrowed it at the sight of the teenage girl.

Turning his back on her, he tied his bandage back too tightly but ignored the pain that retaliated with his actions.

"What are you doing here?"

It was more of a demand than a question and Kimiko felt as if she was slapped on the face and she couldn't blame him. It was a superficial reason yes, but hurting another person no matter how insignificant it seems to others was still unforgivable.

She cleared her throat and made a nervous step forward, "Rai... about-about yesterday-"

"What about it?!" His answer was harsh but she stood her ground and squeezed her hands into fists. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears and bit he lower lip. She was tempted to hold her forearm but instead glued the hands to her sides.

With a deep breath, "I'm so so sorry about how I acted yesterday. I mean, I thought we were just playing around and I didn't think you were so serious about it that I... I-I don't know, I just freaked out!"

Just playing around

Didn't think you were so serious

"Freaked out?" His soft response caught her off-guard before he turned to face her with his face colored with anger that was badly concealed. "'Freaked Out'?! That's the understatement of the century right there! I'm not in the mood right now Kim-"

With a courage that came out of nowhere, she stomped in front of him and placed her hands on her hips, "No, I've been running away enough for both of us. We need to settle this now Pedrosa!"

Something inside him snapped as he stared at her red-hued face, "There! You admit you've been running away! Look if you're here to lecture me or tell me how I should act then you're wasting my time. I don't know what kind of game you're trying to pull but I'm not playing anymore!"

He tried to take another step forward but stopped as she spread her arms on the side as if restraining him from leaving her. But what really stopped him were the tears that began to pool in her blue eyes.

He had seen almost every emotion in them. Happiness, anger, irritation, cheer, even sadness but never had he seen that heartbroken expression that lingered.

She dropped her gaze to the ground before she began to talk, "I'm truly sorry" her voice was shaky and she lowered her face so that he couldn't decipher what she was feeling at that very moment. "What I did... it was stupid. I thought we were just goofing around and then, I just... I did it without thinking. I chickened out of something I started because... because..."

"Because?" he repeated, softly coaxing her to answer. He could hear her pain and dejection in her words. His felt as if something was crushing his chest as he saw drops of glistening tears trickle from her face.

Kimiko paused for a second as she tried to properly say what her true reason was. Realization hit her like one of Chase Young's punches and it hurts like it as well.

She hiccupped a couple of times and roughly wiped her eyes with her knuckles, berating herself for showing weakness in front of the young man. Instead of brushing her off, he gently scooped her in his arms. She blushed when she came in contact with his skin and the heat certainly did not come from the humid air or from her element.

She took a deep breath and stared into his eyes. He gingerly wiped her tears with his thumb and gave a small smile which made her say "I think I'm falling for you..."

As soon as she said it, he visibly froze; his brain was unable to comprehend what she had said before he realized she was already out of his grip and ran towards the meditation gardens. He grabbed his robe and hung it on his shoulder and ran.

He rushed after her, his answer waiting to be said aloud to the girl who made him feel things like never before. A warm, scary yet beautiful emotion that only a few lucky ones can feel with that special someone. As he ran through the grass, the wind was as if it was running with him, he knew, he just knew that his answer will determine his future with her.

He stopped as he stood by the grounds where they laid yesterday. He found her sitting under the tree, her hands cupped her face and her shoulders shook as she breathed in and out.

He was about to call her name but decided against it, thinking she might run again if he did. So as quietly as he could, he crept behind her and enveloped her with an embrace, as tight as he can with injured hands.

Kimiko yet again tried to run but this time, he held her close. "Don't" he whispered in her ear, "Don't run."

"B-but -sniff- I-I messed up again. You weren't -hic- you weren't supposed to know. It could ruin everything!" she cried and sobbed to his chest. Her tears damped his skin but he could care less. What puzzled him was her words.

"What do you mean Kim?" his voice was calm and gentle. It made her feel that he was her safe haven; nothing and no one would ever hurt her as long as he's near. Okay, she's getting sappy...

"I mean.. To suddenly say something so serious. I don't even know if you feel the same-"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" he suddenly exclaimed and placed his hand on her chin to make her look at his face, his expression was serious.

"I may act goofy and a prankster but never doubt my feelings for you. I'm in love with you for a long time now Kimiko"

Okay, that was cheesy but he can't really pull off the romantic stuff to save his life. Even Kimiko's lip's quirked upwards at his pathetic attempt to profess his feelings for her but the blush on her face was evident.

"Do you really mean that?"

"Have you ever see me declare my feelings to another girl?" he asked, feigning an affronted look but she answered him with a lifted brow,

"What about that stunt with Dyris?" she taunted

He blinked at her a made a sheepish look, "She was manipulating us! But c'mon that can't be your only reason to run from it."

"It would complicate things. What if... What if the monks won't approve of this? What if relationships between dragons are forbidden and it might cause problems since you're a Shoku warrior and the leader. What if-"

She was silenced by the finger he pressed against her lips.

His eyebrows furrowed as he mulled over her reasons, "Those are a lot of 'what if's Kim. But the problem with those reasons is you wouldn't know until you try. There was no rule that said we can't choose who we love. I don't know about you but I don't care if they boot me out of the temple if it meant having a relationship with you-"

"Rai!" she gasped

"And" he pressed on, "I don't care if the demote me or something like that. If they did, well at least Omi will get another shot at being a leader" he ended with a humorous tone.

Kimiko sighed as she leaned on him, "I don't know what's happening. One moment we were just looking at the clouds and the next, we're saying 'I love you's. What would happen next?"

"Jack Spicer would pop out of the bush and do an interpretative dance with Wuya while wearing a kilt?"

His attempt to lighten the mood was successful as Kim snorted at the mental image and answered, "Maybe we can see that as a challenge in a showdown next time"

He adjusted his hold her as he curled his fingers on her long hair. "Hey Kim"

"Mmh?"

"Your hair looks better when you wear it down. And black hair looks good on you than blue or pink or green or yellow."

She giggled as she leaned some more on his front, looking at the stars as he settled against the tree and placed his chin on top of her head so she was nestled between his neck. She played a bit on the gauze on his knuckles, silently wonder if the hospital ward was still open so that she could at least treat the swelling knuckles.

"Kim?"

She leaned her head towards him, the brightness of her eyes returned as she stared into his own green ones. He swooped down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. It was innocent at first; he didn't want to scare her off if he did something heated. But it was Kimiko who startled him as she twisted her body to wrap her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him.

With his hormones reacting, he pulled her even closer to him and ran his tongue across the seams of her mouth.

Kimiko moaned as she felt him asking for permission to explore her mouth but she denied it, wanting to know how far he would go to get what he wants.

Raimundo quickly caught on and slowly dropped his hands that were clutching the back of her head down to her back, making her shudder at the action. He suddenly cupped her backside that made her gasp in surprise. As soon as she opened her mouth, he jammed his tongue to explore her mouth and played with hers.

Kimiko, drunk with passion, placed her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles under her palms and slowly pushed off his robe from his shoulder. He broke their kiss and kissed her forehead and cheeks. After that, he nipped the side of her neck and sucked on her him, her taste was mix of sweet and salty. Sweetness from her natural taste and scent that mingled together while the saltiness was from her tears that was shed due to the nonexistent problems she feared.

Before she could stop herself, she let out a moan and grinded herself against him. Raimundo reacted in the same manner and bit hard on her neck he was sucking earlier. He was about to put his hands under her shirt when all of the sudden-

"Oh my Dashi, my eyes!"

The two automatically pulled away from one another and looked for the source of the sound. There stood Dojo with a towel on his arm and a cup of what seemed to be hot cocoa judging from the liquid that was dripping from the titled cup that he was yet to notice.

"How- What- When- HOW?!" was he could say as he stared wide eyed at the two monks.

"What are you two doing?! On second thought don't answer that. I- You and you and me and... Ah forget it. It was bound to happen anyways."

Two pairs of eyes stared at him. Raimundo placed his robes back and tied them for good measure and helped Kimiko stand as well while trying to avoid flinching as his hands throbbed again, "What do you mean Dojo?"

The dragon snorted as he placed the cup on the ground and dried his head with the towel, "Please, everyone can see you two have the hots for each other. We even have a betting pool to see when the two of you would get together. Even the Fung-meister joined in"

"Master Fung too?!" Kimiko almost screamed out of anger and embarrassment.

Dojo hummed in agreement as he cleaned his ears, "Yep, he said by next week but Clay won the whole thing"

Raimundo had a confused face while Kimiko's jaw almost dropped on the door, "C-Clay?!"

"Quit repeating the names! But yeah, he changed his bet and said it would either be tonight or tomorrow. Lucky guy."

"I'm gonna kill him" Kimiko growled under her breath before she turned to Dojo, "So, what's the prize of the winner?"

"Meh, winner gets to be your first kid's godparent" He slithered into his room, leaving the two frozen on the spot.

"Raimundo..."

"Yeah?"

"What just happened?"

Raimundo stifled a chuckle when he saw Kimiko's confused expression and pulled her next to him, "I think we just got everybody's approval and we have nothing to worry about."

Kimiko made a face and turned to face him. "You didn't ask me"

Raimundo lifted a brow and inquired "Ask about what exactly?"

"If I want to be your girlfriend!"

"Wha- We're already making out! Doesn't that technically mean we're dating?"

"Making out and being in a relationship while making out is different"

"Yep, you'll be the death of me" he sighed before he knelt in front of her and took her hand, with his wounded one, "Kimiko Tohomiko, will you be my girlfriend?"

Kimiko looked at him before she looked up with a finger on her chin, "Now that I think about it... I don't know if I'm ready to have a boyfriend yet"

"WHAT?!" his shout echoed through the temple and Kimiko quickly slapped a hand on his mouth to quiet him down, "Okay okay yes! Geez I was just making you sweat. Speaking of sweat, you better take a shower coz you reek!"

Rai made a face to look insulted and crossed his arms, "Didn't hear you complaining before"

A blush made its way on her face before she snapped "I didn't notice because I was in the heat of the moment alright?"

Rai snorted as they made their way to the main hall. Kimiko was about to leave him in front of the shower room before he pulled her close and placed a kiss on her lips.

"I think you better tell papa that we're dating now. That'll be tough" Kimiko murmured against his lips. He gave her a confident smirk and answered, "No sweat, he already knows me since our last visit. I'm sure he'll love me!"

The next day

"Are we being attacked?!" Omi shouted as he saw fifty large muscled men carrying different weapons chase Raimundo all over the temple and Kimiko yelling on her cellphone while wearing a scarf despite of the warm weather.

Clay chuckled as he sipped his tea, "Naw, I think Mr. Tohomiko got Kimiko's message about getting a boyfriend."

A/N: Ohmigosh… It is the end. Whoa… but don't worry my lovelies, I already have written a couple of stories so don't worry your pretty heads. I take requests but mainly RaiKim. I dunno if I can even make ChaMiko work. Meh whatevs. So Bye for now and don't forget to pray for my countrymen in the Philippines.