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]

"I don't mind," is the immediate reply, Kevin's arm slipping from Xie's arm to settle warmly around his waist.

"Wherever you're happy."

If Xie does need space, wants to keep his own room, obviously he can. But Kevin is happy to share immediately.

[xie_er]

Xie isn't quite ready to give up having his room, but he equally wouldn't be surprised if he never went back to sleeping in his own bed after tonight.

He's concerned, briefly, that 'wherever you're happy' might not mean Kevin's happy, but right now he's willing to take the acceptance at face value. He's not picking up any strong emotions to the contrary, anyway.

He tilts his head up so he can lean in for a kiss - his way of saying, without words, that he's happy wherever Kevin is.

[weird_cop]

Kevin leans down and kisses Xie, long and happily, moving only when Xie's ready.

As the show finishes, he wraps his arms around him again, kisses him again, and lets Xie stand before he follows him up to the bedroom.

He doesn't even realise he's stopped thinking of it as 'his' bedroom almost immediately.

[xie_er]

Xie, of course, is slightly less used to that kind of shared thinking - he'd wanted it, but still, Yifu's bed was still Yifu's bed. It will take him a little longer to feel as though anything is theirs rather than Kevin's. He knows he's a welcome guest, at least, but still a guest nonetheless.

He's at least comfortable enough to go through his usual night-time routine, just in Kevin's room instead of his own. Once he's gone through his skincare regimen and stripped to his underwear, he sits on the bed to start undoing his braids. Halfway through the first braid he pauses, thoughtful, and then looks over at Kevin almost shyly.

"...Do you want to...?" He offers, lifting the braid towards him.

[weird_cop]

Kevin's bedtime routine takes about ten minutes - and five of that is spent in the bathroom - so he's already sitting in his underwear at the head of the bed when Xie sits. He'd been ready to watch, but flattered just to be invited to do so.

He immediately brightens and scoots down when invited, kneeling on the mattress next to and slightly behind Xie, happy to take that lovely hair into his fingers again.

He's deft and quick and tender, running each undoes braid through his fingers.

"You have such beautiful hair."

[xie_er]

The enthusiasm is gratifying, and Xie can't stop the warm smile from spreading across his face as he drops his arm and settles comfortably so Kevin can work on his hair. He'd thought he was being a little selfish - it had been so nice to sit and let Kevin undo his braids last time, he just wanted to experience that again - but Kevin makes it clear that he enjoys the process as well.

"I should, you've seen how much work goes into it." He comments, softly amused - but the compliment only makes him feel even warmer, and that touch of pink is back to his face.

[weird_cop]

Kevin smiles, not lifting his head from the work he's focusing on.

"That's part of it, but a lot of it's you. All the work in the world wouldn't give me hair like this."

Which is unfair, probably.

[xie_er]

"I like your hair, it suits you." Xie responds without a second thought.

"I like that you like my hair, too. He adds, a little more hesitant but no less genuine.

He closes his eyes, just enjoying the fingers running gently through his hair

[weird_cop]

"Thank you," Kevin replies to both. He moves a little bit closer for warmth, but lets himself fall quiet as he works through the braids carefully, letting the rhythm of the action become meditative.

He eases the final one out and lets it falls back into the waves of Xie's hair, before using the whole of his hand to gently stroke it, from Xie's head to his shoulders. Then he lifts it away from his shoulders entirely to gently kiss Xie's bare shoulder, just below his neck.

"Ready for bed?"

[xie_er]

Xie is not entirely sure he's ready for this to stop, ever. He wonders how often he can get Kevin to do this, at what point asking will become annoying instead of pleasant.

Still, his braids are our and he has no more excuse, and at least the kiss softened the blow of him being finished a little.

He hums softly in agreement, words being beyond him at the moment whether out loud or through the link, and twists around to catch hold of Kevin and pull him in for a proper kiss.

Then he moves to get into bed.

[weird_cop]

There will come a time, probably, when Kevin is tired or impatient or sick and doesn't want to had this time to his bedtime routine, but it's not now. Now he loves the closeness and the intimacy of it.

He kisses Xie back, smiling into his mouth as he wraps his arms around him, enjoying the sensation of bare skin in his arms.

He leans back, holding the covers up so Xie can scoot under with him, and returns his arm around him.

Later in the night he'll probably roll over so they're sleeping next to each other rather than wrapped up, but for now he just wants to hold him.

[xie_er]

Xie, similarly, will probably wriggle away during the night or otherwise move out of the immediate embrace, but he's content to go to sleep wrapped up in Kevin's arms.

He slides his own arm around Kevin's waist, getting comfortable pressed up against him and letting himself relax into it. He hasn't felt quite so warm and comfortable going to sleep since... actually he doesn't know if he's ever felt this good.

He leans up for one last sleep kiss before murmuring a mental good night and closing his eyes.

[weird_cop]

Kevin can probably say when he's felt this good, but he doesn't try to put a name on it. He returns the sweet dreams message, breathes in the smell of Xie's hair again, and gently drifts off.

He wakes, as he always does, a little before Xie, and yes, they have drifted off into different sides of the bed. He rolls over onto his side to watch Xie sleep for a little while, not wanting to disturb him, but also not wanting to leave this warm, occupied bed.

[xie_er]

Xie stretches, eyes still closed, and rolls over to face Kevin. For a moment it seems like he's just going to go back to sleep again, but he blinks his eyes open slowly and offers a small, unguarded smile.

"Good morning."

He shifts closer, still too sleepy to second guess himself, and wraps himself around Kevin comfortably, wanting him to stay in bed a little longer.

[weird_cop]

"Good morning."

Yes, this is actually the best way of waking up. Kevin wraps his arms around him, smooths out his hair and holds him close, enjoying the warmth and the comfort envelop him until he drifts back into a doze, to stay there a bit longer.

No need to get up just yet.

[xie_er]

On the one hand, it's nice that Kevin gets up before him and makes breakfast, but on the other hand that was when he was sleeping in his own bed, and right now Xie would much rather have this than breakfast.

At least until the others are here and they have to...

He stops mid-thought. Would he have to pretend nothing was going on? The others know Kevin's gay, they know how close they've been growing, they (mostly) like Xie well enough, but maybe this is unprofessional, maybe he wouldn't want them knowing because Xie's a criminal.

He tilts his head up, but Kevin is dozing again and he can't bring himself to wake him with a question like this. Doesn't know if he even wants to ask, just in case.

He sighs softly, curls closer and tries to doze again himself, tries not to think about it.

[weird_cop]

Eventually it's Kevin's bladder, not his stomach, that forces him out of bed, kissing Xie again before he rolls out the other side.

Toilet, trousers and then downstairs, where voices from the basement tell him that the team is here, but there's no urgency to joining them yet.

[xie_er]

Xie stays snuggled up a little longer, but it's not the same without Kevin so he gets up soon enough, getting ready for the day before he heads downstairs to see what's on offer for breakfast.

His concession to actually helping is making the tea in the morning, so he'll start on that if Kevin hasn't already.

[weird_cop]

It feels like a special morning so it's a concession to a special breakfast - crispy bacon, eggs and fried bread, with hot sauce. Kevin dishes up two plates, and checks over his shoulder to make sure the coast is clear before kissing Xie.

It's not that he wants to be secret, it's more that he's not ready for PDA. Or announcing things.

"Sleep well?"

[xie_er]

Xie notices that little check and thinks okay. He's disappointed, of course he is, but he's not necessarily surprised. Maybe it's him, maybe he's just not the kind of person people want to admit to being with. He thinks he can live with that, if he has to - he's already getting so much from Kevin, it would be unfair to ask for more.

(The fact Kevin might just want to actually broach the subject more gently does not occur to him)

"Very well. You?" He asks, tone warm, neither it nor his response to the kiss betraying his disappointment.

"Smells amazing" He adds, setting the teacups on the table and grabbing cutlery before sitting down to eat.

[weird_cop]

"The best I have in years."

Which is true. He thanks Xie for the tea and sits, enjoying breakfast in quiet companionship until Tony comes in with three empty tea mugs.

There's no reason for him to look between them the way he does, but he says nothing except good morning.

"And when you're ready there's something you're going to want to see."

'You,' in this case is Xie.

[xie_er]

Xie is confused by the look, but he does at least say good morning back. He's about to ask what's going on when Tony continues and he resists the urge to sigh.

"What is it now?" He asks tiredly - he'd bet money that it isn't a good thing, it never is.

[weird_cop]

Kevin is not confused by the look, and is grateful to Tony for not saying anything. It helps, of course, that Tony is his best mate and has known this has been coming for a while.

Tony only includes Kevin in his answer out of politeness, though, because his news doesn't really concern him.

"That paper's got hold of some stuff. About you. It's not an operational threat..."

This is police speak for no one's in danger.

"...but it's shit, mate. I'm sorry."

(Kevin is already standing.)

[xie_er]

Some stuff about him? The possibilities run through his head. The crimes he's committed? That's the most likely option he can think of, exposed criminal kingpin's son is prolific assassin, that's the kind of thing that sells papers right? The fact that he was adopted from the streets is unlikely to be it, that's old news that Yifu squashed years ago, back when he was first adopted.

(Privately, Xie thinks that was a mistake, Yifu should have used it to boost his own image, it would have made the perfect puff piece - businessman takes in poor orphan child)

There's something about that apology, though, something unsettling. Xie puts down his fork, appetite suddenly gone (he was mostly finished anyway) and pushes himself to his feet.

"Show me." He says, already moving towards the basement stairs.

[weird_cop]

Kevin grabs one of the teas Tony poured out, plus his own, and follows Xie, close enough behind him to give support.

Downstairs Quill and Lisa are sitting, waiting for them, and unsurprised that Xie is first. Lisa picks up the paper in question and hands it over, unable to keep the pity out of her face.

Jimmy is scowling like he wants to burn down all of Fleet Street.