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]

Meanwhile Lofthouse has been facing a lot of awkward conversations and having to pull a lot of strings, but Lisa and Tony enjoy just sitting at Kevin's end, occasionally chiming in with their own comments for him to relay. Tony says if you murder a lawyer no one will arrest you is just one helpful interjection.

When Xie is returned to him, Kevin finally claps a hand around his shoulders to congratulate him on getting through the day.

"Thank you for not having me arrested," he says, deadpan.

[xie_er]

Xie knows it's just a friendly gesture, he does, but he's so tired from the whole day and his throat is starting to hurt after so much talking, even with the healing and the tea, that he can't even stop himself from swaying into it gratefully, just soaking up the contact.

He rolls his eyes at the comment - not at Kevin, but at the fucking lawyer trying that bullshit.

"How serious was Tony about not arresting me, because that lawyer might find he trips and falls onto some knives at home this evening." He deadpans right back.

[weird_cop]

"Dead serious," Kevin tells him.

"Not tonight, though. Tonight I want to go home, watch a terrible movie and eat chilli. Wanna come?"

[xie_er]

Xie pretends to consider this as though he has a choice.

"I'm not sure, do I have to make the chilli?" He asks, gaze flicking to Kevin's injured arms. How do you even make chilli?

[weird_cop]

Kevin considers this question for a minute, keen to offer to make it, but a twinge around his midsection tells him not that his arms are the problem, but he probably should lie down for an extended period of time.

"I'll get someone to bring take out."

He squeezes Xie's shoulder again before removing his arm, looking over at Tony who nods as if to confirm: one take out ordered.

"It'll be in the basement by 8."

"Cheers, Skip."

[xie_er]

Xie makes a show of further consideration, mostly to ignore how much he wishes Kevin's arm had stayed where it was (even if it had already lingered longer than was probably normal)

"In that case, I suppose I can be convinced to come home."

When did the safe house become home? He doesn't know, but he ignores the little voice in the back of his mind that tells him it isn't the safe house - it's just wherever Kevin is.

[weird_cop]

The problem for Kevin is that he doesn't actually have a place that is home right now. He'd ended the tenancy on Joe's place before going undercover: there's stuff in a lock up somewhere but no bed waiting for him.

So... the safe house. Until he figures out what his future is.

When they are home though, and he's easing himself on to the couch, it's not his loss he's thinking about.

"You okay?"

[xie_er]

Xie drops onto the couch next to him and considers the question for a moment.

"Tired, a little stunned, not looking forward to dealing with.. all of this"

He waves a hand vaguely and sighs. It's not like he wants to go back to the way things were, but there was a simplicity to his only problems being 'keep Yifu happy and occasionally stab someone'.

Though he knows it was never really that simple.

[weird_cop]

"Yeah."

And now Kevin is remembering when he had to deal with all of... this.

He considers his options, and under the guise of 'minimising use of the core muscles' he brings his feet up on to couch and shifts along to lean on Xie.

"You're not going to have to deal with it alone, though."

[xie_er]

Xie leans back, partially to lend him the support he's seeking and partially because he just wants to lean in to the contact.

"I know" He replies, soft and grateful. This, he thinks, is what a bond is supposed to be - mutual partnership, support and trust. Everything he tried to convince himself he had with Yifu but never even came close to.

[weird_cop]

It's not dissimilar to a good relationship, Kevin thinks, and then immediately blames that for the feelings he's been struggling with.

Yeah, must be that.

Now though, there's just a bad movie to watch and make fun of.

[xie_er]

Xie just lets himself get absorbed in the movie, using the link to make his sarcastic commentary.

He can't decide if he likes Lestat or not. He reminds Xie of Yifu in some ways, but himself in others.

Then he thinks maybe he's probably Claudia.

He enjoys it, though, and more importantly he enjoys it with Kevin.

[weird_cop]

Kevin focuses mainly on making fun of the acting, although he does eventually admit that Antonio Banderas was a bit of a sexual awakening for a teenage Kevin Sefton.

"I can't decide if I'm disappointed or relieved that I haven't been able to confirm the existence of vampires."

[xie_er]

"There were rumours that some or all of Ghost Valley were vampires, but I think Kexing started them himself" He offers with a faintly amused tone.

He doesn't make fun of him for fancying Antonio Banderas as a teenager, that just indicates he has taste.

[weird_cop]

"I'm pretty sure he himself is not one," Kevin replies, as if that helps.

There was an edge to their home, some very strong elements of the Sight, but it wasn't the two of them.

He's hit by an almost familiar pang he's used to when talking to anyone outside their circle of five; how much he wishes they could see what he sees.

It's followed by the thought of how comfortable and right it feels that he actually can share this sense with Xie.

And then he starts thinking that, in some idealistic future where Xie is not in jail but an equal partner in Kevin's work, how Kevin should get used to showing him these things as a matter of habit.

But it will have to start with taking him out to see the world through Kevin's eyes.

[xie_er]

"He definitely isn't." Xie agrees, and then smirks slightly "Though I have seen some marks on Zishu that might be evidence to the contrary."

Thinking about Kexing and Zishu makes him think, again, about Quill and the conversation he had with Lisa. Had he seen something, he wonders, that made him ask it? That made him wonder about Xie and Kevin?

Admittedly right now they're leaning against each other on the couch and that would probably give anybody ideas, but Quill hadn't seen anything like that...

[weird_cop]

Kevin chuckles, the pain it causes pleasingly dull at the moment, something he puts up with patiently.

"Well now that's all I'm going to think about next time I see them," he complains.

He should see them again; he owes them thanks for the conversation they forced, the reason he is finally just happy to have this bond, the reason he stopped fighting it and realised he didn't want to lose it.

Or Xie.

[xie_er]

Xie just smiles smugly, unapologetic.

He should probably thank them to, for the same reasons, but that would involve admitting his stubbornness to Wen Kexing of all people and he wasn't inclined to do that. He could play nice with him when he had to, but that didn't mean he liked him.

He does wonder if he should ask their advice about his situation, though.

[weird_cop]

Kevin rolls his eyes fondly.

The insult on the tip of his mental tongue is 'brat,' but he holds back on it for now, enough self control to recognise where banter might actually hurt.

And as the movie ends, he stirs.

"I need an early night while I'm still healing. Are you staying up?"

[xie_er]

Xie pulls away, stretching a little to ease the stiffness from sitting in the same position for too long.

"I might for a bit, but I'll probably just go upstairs and play." He decides - it is, really, a form of meditation more effective than any of the actual meditation techniques Yifu made him learn.

[weird_cop]

"Okay."

Kevin starts upstairs, undresses, inspects his dressing and then eases himself into bed, where he reaches out again to wish Xie good night, but then changes his mind.

"Hey. You know what I just realised? I've never heard you play."

[xie_er]

Xie is already settled with the guitar and his headphones when Kevin speaks to him. It's not like he has to stop when Kevin is talking to him, but he pauses in surprise.

"Isn't that the point of the headphones?"

[weird_cop]

"Yes. But still."

Still. It feels... not wrong, exactly, but they've lived together for so long and Kevin has never shared this? Xie watched football with him.

"Can I listen? I won't disturb you."

[xie_er]

"You... want to listen?" Xie stares at the wall like he can see Kevin through it.

"Okay" He says after a moment, reaching to unplug the headphones from the amp. He turns the volume up a little and opens the bedroom door so Kevin can hear without having to leave the bed if he doesn't want to.

He settles back on the bed and thinks for a moment before starting to play, the first song that pops into his head.

[weird_cop]

Kevin laughs gently at his surprise, and settles back into the bed to just listen, letting the music wash into his room and over him, just listening to it.

He likes the music, which he doesn't recognise, but he likes listening to Xie more, likes the knowledge that he's sharing something with him; that he's sharing in his art.

It's as meditative for him as Xie, and while he doesn't start the work of healing at this time of night, he can feel his own power replenishing as he drifts off to sleep.