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

[xie_er]

Xie looks at him, startled for a moment until he realises. He feels another spike of it's not fair but he's more focused on the feelings, and Kevin's reaction to them.

He wishes he wouldn't be like this, so caring, it makes Xie's heart ache. And yet, at the same time, he's pathetically grateful for it.

He huffs a soft laugh at the follow up.

"Go ahead and get some rest. You're safe, I'm safe, everything is okay." he's not used to reassuring but he's pretty sure that's the right thing to say, right? He can cope with being in his feelings by himself for a bit... and yet it's somehow easier knowing Kevin is there, conscious or not.

"...Thank you."

[weird_cop]

Kevin doesn't bother with you're welcome or no problem. He just accepts the thanks and lies back for a bit, letting himself be swept up into unconsciousness.

Quill is watching with enough attention to recognise when Kevin's breathing steadies, and he huffs out a satisfied breath.

He glances over at Xie, now, not sure how to talk to him, or even if he should say anything. But the guy seems like he's doing okay.

He clears his throat.

"Gave us a scare there, mate."

[xie_er]

Xie has leaned his head back against the side of the ambulance, not quite closing his eyes but thinking about it - until Quill speaks.

He rolls his head over to the side to look at him and then looks away, nodding slightly.

"I know." He says quietly, painfully. He isn't even sure if he means that they were scared he'd escaped or even scared he'd gone back to Yifu, or if they're just talking about Kevin getting dragged into it, but either way he gets it.

[weird_cop]

Quill watches him with a tilted head, trying without telepathy to understand what's going on under those braids.

"Got him, though. Would have been a brilliant plan if you'd told us about it."

[xie_er]

Xie huffs, faintly amused. Yea, he did get him... there's another wave of that complicated grief there, but he pushes it aside.

He tilts his head to concede that, fine, going off on his own was something they were predictably not happy about.

"He wouldn't have agreed to it." He glances over to Kevin briefly "and you all have red tape"

He didn't need to get approval, or do it by the book.

[weird_cop]

"Too right he wouldn't have," Quill says, gesturing at Kevin to indicate the reason he wouldn't have agreed to it.

"Red tape's there for a reason, son. And if there's a team that experienced at bypassing all that bullshit, it's us. If you tell us, right?"

[xie_er]

Xie huffs slightly.

"Why bother with the reprimand?" He asks, an edge of bitterness creeping into his tone "It won't have a chance to happen again."

He doesn't think he regrets doing what he did. He regrets that Kevin got hurt, that he got involved at all, but ultimately he was successful, so he can't say he wouldn't do it again - he just might do it a little differently.

Not that it matters, because before long he'll be in prison and that'll be that, probably.

[weird_cop]

Quill shakes his head.

"No, you know I don't believe that. You clearly have a knack for this thing. Just because it's going to be hard for you doesn't mean you won't manage it."

He's familiar with trickster types, Xie. They've also all discussed many times how they don't think there's a prison that could keep Xie, and they don't know what they're going to do about it.

"Just give us some warning before you pull Kev into it."

[xie_er]

Xie just stares at him for a long moment, because he honestly hasn't imagined a future that wasn't either prison or escape, or the absolute best case scenario of 'relatively light sentence and then disappearing into the sunset', the idea that he might, somehow, stick with them (with Kevin) and stay as... as...

As Kevin's Familiar.

His gaze strays over to Kevin, uncertain. Could it be possible? He came running...

Because Xie is an escaped criminal who was supposed to be in his custody and he's the one who knew where Xie was. That's why. Isn't it?

He could say he didn't pull Kevin in, that he came by his own choice, but he knows that's a weak argument. Of course he came.

"Fine." He says eventually, he can agree to something that isn't going to matter anyway.

[weird_cop]

"Good lad," says Quill, sitting back like the question is settled.

The way Xie's gaze moved over to Kevin isn't lost on him either, and the dry smirk he gives betrays that.

They can have that discussion when he wakes up.

[xie_er]

Xie isn't sure he's ever been called a "good lad" in his life. He's not sure there's anything good about him, if there even could be.

He wonders, though, if maybe... if maybe he might get a chance to find out?

He leans his head back again, does close his eyes this time, cautiously tries to imagine what that kind of life might look like...

It's a nice daydream to pass the rest of the ride to the hospital, if nothing else.

[weird_cop]

When they get the hospital, the prognosis is that Kevin doesn't need to be rushed to surgery, but he and Xie are separated so they can be treated separately. Quill sticks by Xie, at least playing lip service to the idea that he's supervising a prisoner, while Ross, Costain and Lofthouse, once arriving at the hospital, take turns pacing the family room.

Eventually Kevin does get into surgery, and then he comes out, and when he finally opens his eyes sleepily, the first thing he does is reach out through the link, just to find out where Xie is.

[xie_er]

Xie is weirdly grateful for the company, not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts and, honestly, his worry.

He's checked over again, hooked up to various fluids and painkillers and informed he needs to stay in overnight for observation. He's also told he should speak as little as possible, which he's grateful for as well.

He had thought he'd basically pass out as soon as he was left alone, but he feels too wired to sleep, not until he knows Kevin is okay.

"You're awake" Xie says, relieved. He's in the bed beside Kevin and he basically hasn't taken his eyes off him since he came back from surgery

[weird_cop]

"Hey," Kevin replies, relaxing immediately back into the bed, comfortable as he can be to feel Xie in the room with him.

"Everything okay? I saw Tony make the arrest."

His first priority is to make sure the operation succeeded. He assumes he and Xie were the only people injured.

[xie_er]

"Nobody's told me otherwise" Xie confirms, finally relaxing himself now. There's still a lot in his head, but at least Kevin is fine.

For a given value of fine.

"They're all here. They've been worried about you."

[weird_cop]

"Yeah?"

He's not surprised by this, at all, but it still feels like overkill.

"Not exactly life threatening though is it? Jimmy at least could have gone home. Okay."

He steels himself and finally moves, opening his eyes to see Xie beside him and the visitor's chair in which Quill is dozing.

"Hey, Jimmy," he rasps dryly. "Way to sleep on the job."

Jimmy starts up, and after swearing at him, moves to the door and hollers that he's awake.

"One at a time, Jimmy, please."

Rebecca Lofthouse comes in with a nurse, and as Kevin has all his readings taken she informs him about the suspect in custody - apparently magic fire powers are laughably useless in handcuffs - and that they've started making considerable moves on the rest of the organisation. Though she avoids naming the incident that enabled those moves.

She includes both Kevin and Xie in this short debrief, and asks them both how they're feeling, and if they need anything."

"I could do with an expediated check out," Kevin says. "I have a feeling I'll recover much more quickly at home."

She catches his meaning. "I'll see what I can do. Get some rest. I'll send the others home now, they're all pleased you're awake, but they can wait until you have a bit more energy."

[xie_er]

"I've seen what a stomach wound can do to someone. We didn't know for sure she'd missed anything important until the surgery was over" Xie returns- it wasn't life threatening, as it turned out, but it could have been.

(Xie doesn't bother mentioning, unsurprisingly, that he's seen what a stomach wound can do by inflicting one)

Xie just croaks out a rusty (and therefore slightly unconvincing) "Fine" when asked how he is, and shakes his head at the question about needing anything - though he does nod in agreement to Kevin's assertion. The sooner he can magically heal, the better. The sooner they're not in a public place the better too, probably, just in case anybody from Yifu's organisation gets the bright idea to try and get some revenge before the mop-up operation completes.

[weird_cop]

Lofthouse does in fact manage to pull strings, hurrying both their checkups and physio appointments to take place that same day. Interviewing Xie as neutrally as possible about his movements brings them to the conclusion that the semi probably hasn't been severely compromised and they can afford to take an unmarked vehicle there.

The vehicle in question is still an ambulance, and Kevin is made to lie down inside it and take a wheelchair home with him, but it's still better than staying.

He complains constantly but through the link, so not to piss off the poor NHS staff.

[xie_er]

Xie, equally, tries to respond as neutrally as possible - he's aware they're making an effort so he doesn't actually want to antagonise. He doesn't even get defensive that he made sure (as best he could) that they didn't know where the house was.

He responds to Kevin's complaints with friendly mocking, and takes a moment to just enjoy the ease of it all - he knows as soon as they're alone again they're going to have to have a conversation, but something about the interaction makes him feel settled, as though he hasn't irreparably damaged everything.

He is still glad, though, when they get back to the safe house.

[weird_cop]

"Alright. Go, everyone out."

Kevin wastes no time at all in assuring first the Ambulance driver and then Quill that he's good, Xie has him, he's going to look after himself he promises now get out.

He lies on the couch, head on the armrest, and stomach as flat as possible, stares at the ceiling, and gently exhales.

"Hey."

Gently, softly.

"You really scared me."

It's like a confession.

[xie_er]

Xie has curled up in the armchair, suddenly very grateful for the link meaning he doesn't have to talk. It's easier physically, but also right now it's somehow easier emotionally too.

He doesn't respond right away, taking a moment to process his thoughts and try and work out what he wants to say.

"Because I left the house, or because I got hurt?"

Could have died is probably more accurate, maybe even nearly died, but that's a little too much to give voice to, even mental voice.

[weird_cop]

"The latter," Kevin replies.

"I mean, I was scared as soon as I realised you'd left. But because I thought you were going to get hurt."

There are a lot of feelings to be expressed around the fact of his leaving, but Kevin feels that this is the part it's most important Xie knows.

[xie_er]

"I didn't mean to scare you" Xie replies, because it's true, he didn't set out to scare Kevin and he didn't think he'd scare Kevin, because while he knows that Kevin cares about his wellbeing in a general sense, he'd never realised he meant enough to him to feel fear when he was in danger.

He looks up at the ceiling, takes a breath.

"I was scared too. When I realised you were running out of power. I didn't want to see you hurt."

[weird_cop]

"I know" to the first. He knows Xie didn't mean to scare him, because he doesn't think Xie has really believed that Kevin cares about him as a person, rather than a job. Kevin himself didn't realise how that fear would get him.

He waits for Xie's confession and then:

"Thank you. For saving my life."

[xie_er]

Xie is quiet for a long moment, wondering if he really deserves that thanks. Wasn't it just selfishness? He saved Kevin because he didn't want to lose him.

Except if they break the bond he'll lose him anyway, and maybe if he was cynical he could argue that protecting Kevin in that moment stopped the risk of Yifu taking him back, but truthfully he knows; he wants Kevin safe, with or without him.

"You saved me first." he says, echoing Kevin's words from the warehouse - but he doesn't mean him showing up there, he means from the very beginning. He took Xie away so that Yifu couldn't sacrifice him, he took the blindfold off, let Xie see Yifu for what he really was - or, more accurately, let him see what a bond could be like for him.