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]

Kevin closes his eyes for a second.

"Okay."

Then he opens them again, turns his head to look directly at Xie.

"I want that too. I don't know how it's going to work, but... Okay, let's figure it out, together."

[xie_er]

Okay? Is it really so simple? Well, no, but somehow also yes. It's not like anybody can stop them - not without arranging another extremely powerful ritual to attach him to somebody else.

Maybe he'll still have to go the prison, but whatever happens the bond will still be there.

He feels a flood of relief when Kevin says okay, but it's nothing compared to how he feels when Kevin says I want that too. It's almost overwhelming, for a moment, to release all of the worry he's had built up, all of the regret and pain and complicated feelings around Kevin not wanting him, especially since realising he wanted the bond to stay. He has to close his eyes for a second just to let it wash over him.

When he opens them again, he smiles tentatively.

"Together." He agrees.

[weird_cop]

Kevin returns the smile, relieved at how easy that was, almost crying from the flood of emotions.

It's going to be weird and complicated. There will he legal proceedings and criminal trials and Kevin can't imagine the Met will be happy about any of it, but he doesn't care right now.

He tugs lightly on the power between them, no stronger than pulling on someone's sleeve.

"Don't yell at me, but I'm going to do your shoulder first so you can look after me while I'm invalided."

It's a pragmatic decision he's already thought about. His stomach will take a few days, his arms another few more. Xie might as well be mobile through that time.

[xie_er]

It's funny, he thinks, if it were Yifu, he'd be claiming something that benefitted himself was for Xie's good. Kevin's 'it's so you can look after me' just so he can heal Xie first is basically the opposite.

He frowns disapprovingly, but then sighs and nods - he knows there's not much point arguing, and as long as Kevin uses his power he can live with it. Especially because his injuries are more minor, Kevin can still get started on his own when he's done.

"Fine, as long as you actually let me look after you."

Kevin's going to learn how little Xie actually knows about cooking and deal with it.

[weird_cop]

"Come over here so I can get at you."

Kevin marvels again, as he pulls Xie's power into him, how much there is and how relatively little it takes. He actually starts on one of his arms - the one that didn't already have injury upon injury heaped on it before the most recent burn - to give him enough mobility so he can actually touch Xie's shoulder.

It takes a while, but with the amount of power Kevin has to work with, he finds he can make big changes quickly. And there's something pleasing in the circle of drawing out the power, circling it through his own body and easing it back out into Xie's.

[xie_er]

Xie nods, shifting over to sit beside the sofa, turning his injured shoulder towards him. There's something comforting, something right about feeling his power flow in to Kevin. Which is a bit weird, because it never quite felt like that with Yifu, it had always felt more like it was being taken, with Kevin it feels like sharing.

There's something meditative about it, just sitting quietly at Kevin's side and letting the power circle between them, feeling the strength return to his shoulder. He even feels like the bruising is easing, like the roughness in his throat is being soothed.

[weird_cop]

"I knew you were powerful," Kevin remarks, as he finishes, "People kept saying it. But this is so much. I feel like I only used like, half."

It felt right, though. Xie is right in that. He moves the power smoothly into his stomach without much second thought, figuring that the quicker he can at least sit up comfortably the better.

[xie_er]

Xie ducks his head almost sheepishly, hiding his genuinely pleased smile at the compliment.

"I didn't know how powerful I was for a long time, I didn't have anything to compare it to" He admits.

He rolls his shoulder experimentally, stretching his arm out. He stays where he is, settled comfortably on the floor.

[weird_cop]

"Me neither, I guess. Just feels a lot."

He almost makes a joke about trying other familiars, seeing if this is a lot. Decides that's a terrible idea and not a funny joke.

Kevin falls back into his meditation, drawing leisurely on what is available of Xie's power, enjoying the feeling of having it offered. Then, when he feels like he's made a good progress, before he reaches the bottom of the well, he lets go, and experimentally attempts to sit up.

"Yeah, okay. This will do."

[xie_er]

Xie hums in agreement.

"I've heard people say it's a lot. Someone compared me to Zishu once, and he's supposed to be quite powerful." He's not boasting, just matter-of-fact, perhaps a touch disbelieving - he isn't sure if that was somebody actually telling the truth or if they were just trying to flatter Yifu by complimenting Xie.

It hadn't worked, Yifu had been very polite at the time, but Xie hadn't needed empathy to know he was angry. And that he was going to take it out on Xie.

He almost wants to remember those times, now, it makes it easier to deal with his death.

He looks up, nodding approvingly when Kevin sits up without any apparent issues.

"Feeling better?"

[weird_cop]

"Yeah."

Kevin nods. Physically at least, he feels much better, though he'll probably have a better idea when the painkillers wear off. Unfortunately that means he has to face up to some other thing soon enough.

"How are you doing?"

[xie_er]

Xie folds his arms on the couch beside Kevin and rested his head on them, tilted to look at him.

"Much better" He answers, then decides to offer a little more - he guesses Kevin is asking about much more than just his injuries.

"Physically, anyway. Everything else... Will come. I think it will be okay."

He's surprisingly hopeful about it, despite how he's feeling right now, at least he knows he'll have Kevin.

[weird_cop]

"I'm here if you want to talk, he offers, simply.

"And if you don't, I can offer distractions in the form of TV and being beaten at chess."

[xie_er]

"Thank you." He isn't ready, now, he thinks, but when he is, he knows Kevin will be there.

"TV? I'll go get snacks?" he suggests

[weird_cop]

"Sounds good."

Kevin curses the lack of modern technology when he has to get up to physically put a disc in the player, but then sits back on the couch with plenty of room next to him.

"I can't wait until we get clearance to break the circle. I miss Netflix."

[xie_er]

It's nice being able to talk without yelling across the house when he's in the kitchen. Especially when he's rifling through cupboards for the good snacks.

"and live football matches?"

He chucks some popcorn in the microwave and puts the kettle on, loading the bowl and cups onto a tray to bring through when they're ready.

When he does come through, he sets them down on the coffee table and hesitates for only a moment before dropping onto the couch beside Kevin - so they can both reach the popcorn, obviously.

[weird_cop]

"And live football matches," Kevin concedes.

He considers the tea and snacks situation and leans forward just once to transfer the popcorn to his lap, to minimise too much bending forward.

"We should be able to relax some of the security measures at some point though. Go watch in a pub. Do you want to see your friend?"

[xie_er]

It's a good idea, Xie thinks, for him to have moved the popcorn - he might have healed his stomach a little, but it was still injured and he probably shouldn't be doing too much leaning. Maybe he should have thought of that himself, but he'll remember it for anything else that comes up before Kevin is fully healed.

"I'd like to, if I can." He admits - he knows that he is still in custody, so it might be more difficult than usual, but he'll take advantage if they're going to offer it.

[weird_cop]

"We'll work something out," Kevin decides. Actual charges will probably be brought soon, and he's not really looking forward to it. Not looking forward to their little domestic fantasy being ruined by the fact that one of them is a multiple murderer.

His role is about to change from police escort to supportive friend, and he's lucky that their unique unit might let him get away with it.

"Would she meet you in a station, do you think?"

[xie_er]

Xie snorts - he doesn't mean to sound so mocking, it just comes out.

"She's not that stupid"

It's not like his best friend is exactly squeaky clean - he doesn't know how much they know about her crimes, and he isn't about to give them any details. He knows saying that probably reveals she's a criminal, but he doesn't have any non-criminal friends.

...well, he didn't. Now he guesses maybe he sort of does?

[weird_cop]

Kevin shrugs. "It was the easiest option, worth a try."

Although, Xie's implication, while not exactly a surprise, does bring a background question into sharper focus.

"What would she make of me?"

Part of him wants to laugh, the negotiations at the beginning of a new relationship, it's like, well... a new relationship.

[xie_er]

The obvious answer is the explanation that was on his mind about why Du Pusa wouldn't want to go to a police station - she just doesn't trust police - but it actually takes a second or two to occur to him. What actually comes to mind first is that it depends entirely on how he responds to her - she's a bitchy mean girl in the best way and if Kevin tried to be too nice or couldn't stand up to her snark, she'd have nothing but disdain for him. Xie knows, however, that Kevin could absolutely handle her, and she'd probably quite like him.

The cop aspect occurs to him after, and he realises that might significantly colour her attitude.

That said, he's not sure she was ever Yifu's biggest fan, so maybe that will win points in his favour.

"I think she'd take some time to warm up to you," he says eventually "but she would warm up to you."

[weird_cop]

"I can handle that," Kevin decides.

Sometimes friends take a while, that's okay.

"At least you've met all of my friends."

Except for Sarah Quill and Peter Lofthouse, which will probably be weirder.

[xie_er]

He isn't really surprised to find Kevin doesn't have any friends outside of work - though technically neither does he - because it's not like he's really had a chance to make any between undercover and living in the safe house, but it's a little weird to actually think that he's met most (if not all) of the important people in Kevin's life, when Kevin...

Well. He's obviously met the (formerly) most important person in Xie's life, and it's not like Xie has a lot of friends outside of that, but Kevin hasn't really met any of them.

It shouldn't be weird, considering the situation, but it still feels a little odd. It takes Xie a minute to realise why - it's weird to think that somebody who is now probably the most important person to him hasn't met anybody else he considers important.

"Some of them even like me" He says drily - mostly joking - "Or I think they do, anyway."

[weird_cop]

Kevin smirks quietly to himself for a second, and then decides to answer that implied question with an anecdote.

"Lemme tell you something about my team.

"The first few years of working together, Lisa didn't meet us in person once. She's the intelligence analyst, Tone and I are UCOs, she doesn't know anything about us except the data and what's in our reports.

"And I'm doing my best, you know? I'm being professional and diplomatic in what I submit. Just the facts. Nothing about what how my Lead UC is acting, no speculation about what he might be doing off the books, every time he says 'no need to put that in the report, right, mate?' I don't. And she still figures out that he's a little shit.

"So when she tell him this after knowing him in person for a couple of weeks, he asks her what she thinks now, and you know what she says?"

He doesn't need to pause to put popcorn in his mouth, he just likes the dramatic beat.

"'You're our shit.'"