He'd almost forgotten about the broken lamp, but he nods - good to get it done now, so he doesn't spend another night on the couch.
Once they've finished eating and changed over his sheets - only a mildly frustrating process between the two of them - the lamp is left in a careful pile of broken pieces in the kitchen, waiting to be repaired, and they return to the living room to play.
Xie wins, as before, two games in a row, but his demand for the TV is more Queer Eye, now that some more of the tapes have been brought from the other house, so he's pretty sure Kevin doesn't feel like he's lost.
Despite the heaviness of the morning, by the time he goes to sleep that night he feels content.
They settle again, over the next couple of weeks, more things being brought from the other house to make life a little more comfortable (including Xie's guitar, much to his poorly concealed delight) and both of them slowly healing, bit by bit - though Xie's hair and bedding are not the last things they find themselves needing to work together on. Xie starts helping with the cooking more, still not admitting he doesn't know what he's doing but quietly pleased with himself as he starts to learn.
It's weirdly comfortable and domestic, and despite the looming shadow of breaking the bond, of what's happening with Yifu (Xie alternates between trying to ignore what's going on when Kevin is working in the basement, and pressing him for information), Xie feels like more than just his shoulder is healing.
Kexing has been in touch to suggest an appropriate meeting point, even begrudgingly worked with them to ensure they were both happy with the warding, but the decision had been made that it wasn't safe for Xie to go with him.
Which he's sulking about, but pretending he isn't.
The meeting point turns out to be a disused martial arts studio in an industrial area that's seen better days. The glass front is papered over so the inside is dark, a pile of grubby mats and some broken training dummies pushed up against one wall. The back room, however, it well lit and comfortably decorated, completely at odds with the room outside. Kexing waits for Kevin (and whatever escort he wanted to bring) lounging in a carved wooden chair, while Zishu sits at a low table with a cup of tea.
It's fairly obvious that the furniture and decor are, if not magical in nature, at least the result of some magical intervention - even for people who can't see that kind of thing.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2023-10-25 01:25 pm (UTC)He'd almost forgotten about the broken lamp, but he nods - good to get it done now, so he doesn't spend another night on the couch.
Once they've finished eating and changed over his sheets - only a mildly frustrating process between the two of them - the lamp is left in a careful pile of broken pieces in the kitchen, waiting to be repaired, and they return to the living room to play.
Xie wins, as before, two games in a row, but his demand for the TV is more Queer Eye, now that some more of the tapes have been brought from the other house, so he's pretty sure Kevin doesn't feel like he's lost.
Despite the heaviness of the morning, by the time he goes to sleep that night he feels content.
They settle again, over the next couple of weeks, more things being brought from the other house to make life a little more comfortable (including Xie's guitar, much to his poorly concealed delight) and both of them slowly healing, bit by bit - though Xie's hair and bedding are not the last things they find themselves needing to work together on. Xie starts helping with the cooking more, still not admitting he doesn't know what he's doing but quietly pleased with himself as he starts to learn.
It's weirdly comfortable and domestic, and despite the looming shadow of breaking the bond, of what's happening with Yifu (Xie alternates between trying to ignore what's going on when Kevin is working in the basement, and pressing him for information), Xie feels like more than just his shoulder is healing.
Kexing has been in touch to suggest an appropriate meeting point, even begrudgingly worked with them to ensure they were both happy with the warding, but the decision had been made that it wasn't safe for Xie to go with him.
Which he's sulking about, but pretending he isn't.
The meeting point turns out to be a disused martial arts studio in an industrial area that's seen better days. The glass front is papered over so the inside is dark, a pile of grubby mats and some broken training dummies pushed up against one wall. The back room, however, it well lit and comfortably decorated, completely at odds with the room outside. Kexing waits for Kevin (and whatever escort he wanted to bring) lounging in a carved wooden chair, while Zishu sits at a low table with a cup of tea.
It's fairly obvious that the furniture and decor are, if not magical in nature, at least the result of some magical intervention - even for people who can't see that kind of thing.