Oh, oh, oh it's magic (Xie and Kevin)

[xie_er]

Zhao Jing used to be a nobody, born into influence and wealth but always in the shadow of those around him. In magical circles he was even worse, a barely-remembered witch that didn't have enough power for any familiar to even consider looking twice at him.

Somehow, though, after many years (and a few suspicious deaths), he's managed to climb his way to the CEO of Five Lakes, his power - of both kinds - growing exponentially.

The previous CEO was surrounded by some unfortunate rumorus before his death, so Zhao Jing has been focused on repairing the reputation of he company and solidifying his support, mundane and magical, which means it is far too delicate a moment for Xie to be in the spotlight, even if he was promised he'd be allowed to stop hiding when the position was in Zhao Jing's hands.

He just has to wait a little longer, that's all, and it's not like it's difficult to only appear in his animal form whenever Zhao Jing is in public, just uncomfortable, and the last thing they need is for somebody to recognise Xie for any of the things he's done to help his witch get where he is today, when his position is still so precarious...

He tells himself all the excuses he's heard from Yifu, repeats them in his head like a mantra as he sits through all the meetings and negotiations, a little black cat and Zhao Jing's feet, watching the men and women he's speaking to for anything Yifu can use. He hangs around when Zhao Jing steps out the room, listens to what they say behind his back - that's his job with normal people, to be a pair of ears they don't realise are there. Even paranoid types who scan for bugs would miss him, which he finds funny, privately, because he is a bug of a sort.

Not that he's allowed to take his original animal form - a scorpion would be out of place if anybody caught sight of him, and Yifu doesn't like the idea of him hiding in pockets or anything like that. He says it's dangerous, that something could happen to him, but Xie privately thinks he just finds the form creepy. Even around other magical people, the cat is preferred - his job with them is to be a reminder that Zhao Jing has a familiar, and a relatively powerful one at that.

It's hard for familiars to change the form they can take, but he did it, for Yifu.

He tells people the cat is called Scorpion, and that somebody else named him - which is technically true, Xie does mean scorpion, and his parents named him - and that he's vaguely embarrassed to have such a fiercely named cat.

(He doesn't tell magical people anything at all, they know Xie isn't a pet so they're less likely to ask, at most they will wonder why his familiar always stays in animal form. Zhao Jing just tells them he's shy. He isn't, he doesn't care about people seeing him, but it's easier to do the things Yifu wants him to do when nobody knows what he looks like)

Xie hadn't always known he was powerful - when Yifu had taken him in he'd been told he wasn't much, but that maybe he could be useful. Later, when some witch had made an offhand comment about it, the story had become that Yifu recognised his power and took him in before anybody else could steal him away, that he just wanted to protect Xie from the people who would use him for his power. Xie was already so far gone by that point that he accepted it, that he told himself he was lucky he had Yifu to protect him, to guide him.

It's funny how easy it is to lie to yourself.

When the meetings are over for the day he finally shifts back to human form, spending a few minutes stretching out the kinks that come from forcing himself into a form that isn't quite his, especially with how much he's had to do it over the last few weeks, and then going in search of something to eat. He could probably just head back to his own apartment since he doesn't think Yifu needs anything else from him, not today, but the outsiders have all left and everybody in Yifu's manor at least knows Xie, even if they don't know that Xie and Scorpion are one and the same, so it's safe to be around them.

He likes to spend as much time here as he can get away with, likes to remind Yifu he can be useful in other ways... and maybe he likes to keep an eye on this new apprentice Yifu has taken on. He doesn't understand why he needs anybody else when he has Xie, but the last time he'd questioned somebody new in the house Yifu hadn't spoken to him for a week, so he doesn't voice that thought out loud - he just watches the guy suspiciously every chance he gets, and wonders how easy he would be to get rid of.

He's halfway to the kitchen when something makes him stop. A tug of power, the vague echo of chanting, there's a ritual happening and something about it is drawing him close. He frowns, confused, and follows the pull...

Comments

[weird_cop]

"Jimmy," Lisa says finally, trying to add humour to the situation, "are you suggesting that Kevin can't control himself around an attractive young man?"

Quill waves a finger at her. "Oh no, you can't catch me saying that. I just want to know if this is part of the magic."

"You think that the bond might cause romantic feelings?"

"I'm not thinking anything, I'm wondering what we don't know. Look, the last time we stumbled blindly into Things Wot Man Woz Not Meant To Know, we almost got ourselves killed. A lot. And no small part of that was Constable Sefton choosing the Fuck Around and Find Out method of policing."

[xie_er]

If this is part of the magic? What this? Is that a general this or a specific this? Has he noticed something?

Also who has he been fucking around with...

Okay, so, actually, Xie sort of knew the answer to that question, and he also knows how it ended, and under those circumstances it's probably not fair to call it fucking around. Not that he cares anyway because why would he care who Kevin has slept with.

Also why are they so worried about Kevin and his feelings, like Xie is the one causing any hypothetical magically influenced romance, it was Kevin who made this bond happen maybe they should be worried about him seducing Xie not the other way round.

Not that Xie is being seduced.

(He's not even intentionally listening in anymore, he just still hasn't moved because he's processing what he just heard)

[weird_cop]

"Jimmy," says Lisa steadily. "You're working with a dataset of two pairs. One seems to have a stable and very happy relationship and one was unambiguously abusive. You can't draw any conclusions about anything, so stop it."

Quill sighs, but he gives in. "Alright, you're right. I'm being ridiculous."

She pauses, and finally sits down next to him at the table.

"Have you actually talked to him, since Joe?"

[xie_er]

Xie is undecided whether to be grateful to Lisa or get pouty about the whole 'unambiguously abusive' thing. He's still working on coming to terms with looking at the relationship like that, so it continues to be a sore point whenever he's reminded about how they all see it.

Still, at least she talks Quill down, because the idea that they might start analysing every interaction between him and Kevin to work out if it's romantic and if the bond is to blame is a little bit creepy.

He wonders, maybe, if it's just another way for Quill to make sense of his relationship with Yifu - he knows they don't understand it at all, so maybe he just wanted to find a reason to help him explain it.

Because it can't be that he's noticed anything between him and Kevin... can it?

He is about to actually announce his presence and go into the kitchen, but then she brings up Kevin's dead boyfriend and something stops him again.

[weird_cop]

"When he was undercover? When was I supposed to do that?"

But the guilt in his voice is obvious, and she sighs.

"Yeah, none of us are good at that," she admits. "But is it possible that you're just worried about him? He went straight from losing Joe to being so far back in the closet he went undercover, and none of us were there for him."

[xie_er]

He's glad, he thinks, that one of his friends has noticed that. He wonders if maybe this conversation is a precursor to them actually talking to Kevin about it, because Xie just hadn't known what to say that would help. He hoped maybe just listening had been something, but he also knew that being stuck here with him was only delaying Kevin being able to move on.

He's a little bit mad at them, he thinks, for leaving it this long. Quill is right, they couldn't really do anything while he was undercover, but still. They were supposed to be the people he was close to, so why is Xie the only one he's actually talked to about it?

He knows what he wants the answer to be, is annoyed at himself for being so fucking clingy, but he also knows that the answer is probably that it was easier. It was easier to talk to Xie because he wasn't close, because he didn't look at Kevin with that sad pity they seemed so fond of directing Xie's way every now and then. Quiet understanding and a stupid joke might not have been the best way to handle it, but maybe it had been what Kevin needed at the time?

He hoped he wasn't just fooling himself.

[weird_cop]

"We're shit at this, aren't we?" Quill decides.

"Yes," Lisa agrees, "we are. We've always been shit at this, Jimmy. Tony and I figured shit out, but the rest of you - you always had someone outside to lean on and talk to. Kevin doesn't have that any more, and he hasn't had a chance to process this."

This is the moment that the portal opens downstairs, although no one hears it from the kitchen.

"So what are you suggesting we do?"

[xie_er]

Xie hears, and wonders if he should give them warning by making a little noise, or just sneak back upstairs and let it play out - except he really wants to know what the answer is to that question. He shoots a cautious look at the basement stairs and decides to chance it, wanting to listen just a little longer and hope he still has time to bolt back upstairs before Kevin comes up and sees him there.

The fact that Kevin knows he's standing on the stairs not moving hasn't quite factored in to his calculations.

[weird_cop]

"We could start by just talking to him..." Lisa starts, hesitantly because she's not sure where to start.

But then Tony has called their names from the basement and she stops in what she was saying.

Kevin comes upstairs slowly, turning towards the other staircase curiously. If Jimmy and Lisa were in the kitchen, why was Xie...?

[xie_er]

Xie? Xie wasn't anywhere, Xie is already in the upstairs hallway darting back into his room.

He takes a few seconds to compose himself and decide whether or not to pretend to still be playing his guitar before deciding not to, and actually if he goes downstairs now Kevin is far less likely to call him out in front of everybody and he can probably distract him before he ever gets round to it.

So he goes back downstairs like he's only just emerged to say hello and ask Kevin what the news was about his hand.

[weird_cop]

There's a weird vibe in the kitchen, which doesn't help Kevin's confusion much, but does distract him. He waits for Xie to come back down again before sharing the news.

"Looks good. Says it should be another two weeks and then it's just normal healing to get full use back."

[xie_er]

It's still two weeks too long for Xie's taste, but he gave up on that argument already so he doesn't say anything, just nods in satisfaction that doing it the slow way hasn't caused any permanent damage.

"Good."

[weird_cop]

Kevin watches Xie as he says this, wondering if that one word answer is hiding anything. Whether he means 'good' because he wants to get on with it, or 'good' because he wants to draw it out, or what.

Quill and Lisa both think it's good, anyway, and they congratulate him heartily, confirming that he's got nothing to get on with except dedicating himself to healing.

They present the grocery items they brought and he grins at the chance to really make homemade wontons - among other things.

"Maybe you can invite us all over for dinner sometime," says Quill, and Kevin readily agrees.

On the way out, Quill puts a hand on his shoulder awkwardly.

"And hey, we should figure out a safe way for us all to get a few pints of counselling," he says. "We haven't had that in a long time."

[xie_er]

The ingredients for wontons make Xie wonder if the other shoe is about to drop - what big, devastating thing is he going to need comfort for that Kevin has decided to go all out on making wontons?

It'll be a little while before it occurs to him that Kevin is just doing it because Xie likes them... and maybe because it's a new cooking thing to try, and that's a thing that he likes.

He's still lingering in the kitchen door as they leave, but he catches the offer Quill makes to Kevin and he thinks good about that, too. He grumbled and sulked about being left on his own when Kevin went to see Kexing, but for this... this he'll play nice. Kevin needs it.

[weird_cop]

Kevin lingers by the basement door, watches them leave, and then locks it, before turning around to lean against the doorframe, wondering how to raise this question.

"What were you doing when I arrived?"

Yes, deflect, that's a good plan.

[xie_er]

Damnit he thought he'd avoided that...

He hesitates for a moment, debating whether or not to lie.

Then he decides he'd rather Kevin just be disappointed about the eavesdropping than disappointed about eavesdropping and lying.

"I just didn't want to interrupt their conversation..."

So he isn't going to lie, but he doesn't have to tell the whole truth....

[weird_cop]

"Oh."

Well, that was probably the obvious answer, Kevin's not sure what he expected. He's torn, then, between asking what they were talking about and respecting their privacy at least.

He opts to take the higher ground, but not before giving Xie an exaggerated look of disapproval. Then he decides he'd better get on and get this conversation over and walks into the kitchen.

"Have you got a minute?"

[xie_er]

He's surprised that's all he gets - and slightly impressed that Kevin has the self control not to ask what they were talking about - except then it becomes immediately obvious why he wasn't pushing the matter, because he clearly has something else more pressing to talk about.

Maybe this is what the wontons are for.

"Okay..." He says cautiously, following him into the kitchen.

[weird_cop]

This is not what the wontons are for, and Kevin would be sad if he started associating them with hard conversations.

He puts the kettle on, using it as an excuse to stay by the counter rather than sitting at the table.

"Zishu had some things to say about separation," he says slowly. "About what happens to familiars when they're not bonded to a witch."

[xie_er]

It's not so much that Xie associates them with bad news, it's just that he assumes that the only reason Kevin would deliberately choose to make his favourite comfort food is because he expects Xie to need comforting.

He realises rapidly, though, that the wontons were not for this conversation because this conversation was not planned prior to Zhou Zishu opening his big stupid mouth.

He sighs.

"I've been through it before, I can deal with it. I'd been dealing with it for nearly two years before Yifu, I can do it again."

Admittedly he'd been fucking desperate for a bond at that point, and he doesn't actually believe a word he's saying, but he doesn't need to believe it, he just needs Kevin to believe it, because if Kevin decides they need to stay bonded just for Xie's sake, even though it's the last thing he wants, Xie might actually scream.

[weird_cop]

"That's not the point," Kevin says.

He can imagine, now, if Xie was two years into it, then Zishu would say he was one year away from serious trouble. He must have been desperate. No wonder he was so easy for Zhao to manipulate.

"The point is - I didn't know. I assumed you could just... go about your life, not being bonded.

"I thought it would be good for you."

[xie_er]

Xie wants to say he assumed, he never asked, but he knows that's not really fair. He didn't know to ask, and it was clear that he didn't, that's not really his fault.

"Well. It wouldn't." He shrugs "But that's my problem, not yours. Your problem is being bonded to me, so I found a way to fix it."

He sounds calm, matter of fact, which he thinks is a fucking miracle, but the last thing he wants in this moment is to break and admit all of the stupid thoughts in his stupid brain.

[weird_cop]

"Xie," Kevin says slowly, quietly.

"How poorly do you think of me that you think I'd want this for you? That I wouldn't care about you doing this to yourself?"

Is he making it about himself? Probably, but Xie is using some messed up idea of what he wants to do this horribly self destructive thing, so technically he made it about Kevin first.

[xie_er]

"I don't." Xie says simply, almost bluntly "I know you wouldn't want it for me, I know you'd care, because you wouldn't want it for anyone. That's why I didn't tell you, so you wouldn't have to feel guilty about it."

He's a little taken aback, to be honest, that Kevin thinks anybody could think that poorly of him after knowing him for even five minutes.

"I know you care." He repeats "You care so much you'd subject yourself to a bond you didn't even want in the first place, indefinitely, with a confirmed criminal who has literally threatened to murder you, just because you didn't like the alternative for them."

[weird_cop]

"So you'd let me find out later?" Kevin says.

"You'd let me watch it happen to you, or turn it up in my research and realise that you did it to get away from me, and that wouldn't be worse?"

It's not until he says it that he realises his mental image of what happens after has somehow shifted so that Xie is still in his life. Somehow.