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

xie_er posting in

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...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

xie_er

"I could live with hearing it a few more times" He admits, although he pauses to pull Kevin's hands away gently, reaching for the conditioner and passing it to him.

"If you keep running your hands through it before it's conditioned I'll get breakages." He adds sternly, his expression softening to a smile so Kevin knows he isn't really serious.

(Well, he is, but not in a mean way)

From:

weird_cop

"Sorry."

Kevin is more genuine in his apology than is really necessary, and is surprised by how embarrassed he is at that.

He obediently applies conditioner to his hand and then starts smoothing it over Xie's hair, occasionally leaning in for a kiss as he does so.

From:

xie_er

Xie just smiles sweetly at him for the apology, because it is sweet, it's genuinely touching that he would apologise for something like that, that he wouldn't get defensive or berate Xie for being demanding when he was already doing something nice.

It's that kind of sweetness that makes him feel safe and warm and wanted. That makes him feel happy.

He responds to each kiss happily, looping his arms around Kevin's waist to hold him close while he smoothes the conditioner through his hair. Once he's done, he turns them around so Kevin's between him and the spray.

"Want me to do yours?" He offers - the conditioner has to stay in for a while anyway, it would be nice to spend that time returning the favour

From:

weird_cop

"If you want."

If Xie has been judging Kevin on his own brand shampoo all this time, he hasn't mentioned it, so Kevin reaches for it to hand to him.

"You don't need to use much."

The coconut oil conditioner is a bit higher end, but nothing approaching Xie's brand.

From:

xie_er

Xie gives it a slightly disparaging look, but he takes it. He contemplates doing some research into better shampoo for Kevin's hair, but realises that there would be better choices of gift for him, and his hair is just fine the way he wants to take care of it.

It's nice to be able to do this, though. To take the time to work the shampoo through it, massaging his scalp at the same time the way Kevin did for him. It's nice, getting Kevin to look after him, but it's just as nice to return the favour.

He leans in for another kiss, pushes him back a little way at the same time to bring him under the water so he can rinse the shampoo out.

From:

weird_cop

It's true that while Kevin would appreciate the thought, he'd appreciate other things more, and his hair is just fine.

He enjoys the attention, though. Lets Xie take care of him and hands him the conditioner when it's time.

He takes advantage of the opportunity to put his hands on Xie's butt while this attention is being paid, of course.

From:

xie_er

Xie laughs slightly, but he's really not complaining, Kevin can grab his butt whenever he likes.

He works the conditioner in and then turns them around again so his own can be washed out, but not without stealing another kiss.

And maybe getting his own hands on Kevin's backside in turn.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin now gets back to running his fingers through Xie's hair, his eyes going a little wide at how amazing it is with the conditioner. He carefully inspects it all for any lingering traces before rinsing his out, fairly quickly.

They've been in the shower fir a while, and he's ready to be dry.

From:

xie_er

Once they're all rinsed off and Xie has squeezed the excess water from his hair, he steps out and grabs towels for them both, passing one to Kevin before wrapping one around his hair first.

Getting dry isn't a slow process by any means, but it's not that quick a one either, since Xie keeps pausing to step close enough for another kiss, but eventually they're dry and he's gone through his skincare routine and put his hair in a braid and some clean boxers on for sleeping, and he feels sleepy and comfortable and happy as he takes Kevin's hand and pulls him towards the bed.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin has his own skincare routine - that involves cocoa butter and that's it - and sleeps naked, so he's more than ready to be dragged, curling into the bed and pulling Xie to him. He gives him slow, indulgent kisses, and settles down.

"Sweet dreams."

From:

xie_er

"You too" Xie replies softly, curling up in his arms. It's only the second night, but he thinks this might already be his favourite way to fall asleep.

That other bed is definitely never getting used. As he's falling asleep he wonders vaguely if it's too soon to just move his things into this room.

From:

weird_cop

Maybe, possibly.

Kevin doesn't care, he doesn't much want to contemplate an empty bed. He falls asleep with his face buried into Xie's hair.

He wakes early, with the sun already peeking through the balcony door, but just turns over to find Xie again, sneak a bit more sleep with him before he has to get up.

But he knows he's going to have to get up.

From:

xie_er

When Kevin turns to find him, Xie automatically shuffles closer to wrap around him, apparently without waking up.

Who needs to get up? He doesn't have any responsibilities, he can stay here as long as he likes...

('As long as he likes' here meaning 'as long as Kevin will stay before his responsibilities make him get up')

From:

weird_cop

Kevin snuggles close to Xie for a while, pressing his lips to his forehead before he's awake enough to do anything else.

"Morning"

From:

xie_er

"Morning." The only reason it's coherent is because it's easier to think words than it is to say them. He's very much not fully awake yet.

He is at least awake enough to recognise that Kevin is awake, though, and his arms around Kevin tighten like he's making sure he isn't intending to leave the bed right now.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin is not intending to leave the bed - at least not now, not while the arms around him are so tight and insistent.

"I have to actually go to work today," he muses, because it's still a strange thought, leaving the house and coming back to see Xie like a commuter.

"I'll leave the portal open so you can come down whenever you want."

From:

xie_er

That is a strange thought... he wonders what he's going to do with his day, just stay here keeping himself busy like some kind of housewife? He almost snorts at the idea, he'd be a terrible housewife, he barely knows how to clean and he's hardly going to have dinner waiting on the table.

Maybe he will just go with him... not right away, he thinks, he doesn't want to just trail after him like a puppy, but when he inevitably gets bored he can go and... well, he doesn't know what, but he'll think of something.

"Okay" He replies softly "When do you have to go?"

From:

weird_cop

"As soon as I've had breakfast."

Early, but not yet.

Kevin moves only as much as he needs to kiss Xie again.

"I'm going to chat with Lofthouse but I reckon... maybe we can take it easy with the wards. At least enough so we can have phone reception and WiFi here."

From:

xie_er

"Mm, that sounds like a good idea" He agrees. It'll be nice, he thinks, to feel a little more connected with the outside world again - and make it easier to deal with his lawyers.

Even though a part of him also sort of likes their little bubble.

From:

weird_cop

On that subject; coincidently, rather than telepathically:

"You should probably phone your lawyers today. If nothing else you may have a breach of privacy case."

Or the lawyers will have to apologise profusely.

From:

xie_er

Oh, yea. That.

It almost makes him angry again, but it's not quite as raw as it was yesterday so he can think slightly clearer about it. There's a limited number of people who knew quite so many details...

"Did the lawyers have a copy of the statement I made to Lofthouse?"

Maybe they are getting fired after all.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin's few seconds of silence speaks volumes as he holds Xie tighter.

"They would have made you sign something on the first day that gave them access to everything."

From:

xie_er

"I'm going to fucking kill them. I told them not to get creative"

He's awake now, and he's angry, and he really wishes he could just go back to the sleepy warmth of enjoying the morning.

Fucking lawyers.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin regrets and is apologetic for waking Xie up so poorly. As long as he doesn't move, Kevin keeps holding him.

"You're right to be angry," he says first, sincerely. "But they obviously think this will keep you out of prison."

From:

xie_er

Xie rolls his eyes, but it's not at Kevin and he doesn't pull away, in fact he moves in even closer, tucking his head against Kevin's chest.

"That stupid diminished responsibility thing Costain brought up? They can still use that argument without telling the whole country first" He grumbles