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 knows well enough that there are plenty of witches out there who'll stop at nothing to get a Familiar, he knows that Yifu wasn't exaggerating or making up boogiemen to scare him, it's a genuine risk for a Familiar kid on their own. Whoever is after Spot, he's willing to bet Kevin's right and he's still looking.

He shrugs at the question.

"I don't know, a lot of the Familiars I've met haven't really talked about their families," most of them were adults, though, so it makes a bit of sense. There's nobody he's been close enough to for that to come up in conversation "I think it's probably genetic, so at least one of his parents is or was a Familiar, but whether the other is human or witch or even another Familiar... impossible to say."

He pauses for a moment, like he's steeling himself - which he is, because he really doesn't like to talk about his life before Yifu. Even with Kevin, he's only admitted bits and pieces in passing, he's never really properly talked about it.

"Kids I used to know... sometimes their parents were dead, too, sometimes they were abused or neglected... I'd guess it's something mundane like that"

[weird_cop]

Kevin looks sideways at Xie, debating whether to touch him, and opts not to.

"I know," he says gently. "I've done all the training, worked beats. There's no non-traumatic way for a kid to end up on the streets. But he's got that, and some witch after him. It's a lot."




Something is wrong the minute they walk into the carpark. the atmosphere changes. It might just be coincidence that there's also no pedestrians among the cars apart from Kevin and Xie, but the noise of the city beyond the gates suddenly sounds muffled, slightly blurred, and the air suddenly feels unseasonably mild, like they just stepped indoors. And the cars themselves - it looks like a Classic car show no one advertised, if Classic Car shows also included hackney carriages and Roman chariots, and if neon graffiti was considered acceptable customisations for such events.

Kevin sighs, more resigned than anything. He reaches out to say something to Xie and discovers - not unsurpisingly, on reflection - that he can't feel the link.

"It's nothing to worry about," he says aloud. "I know what this is."

[xie_er]

Xie nods slightly - it is a lot, he knows that. He wishes there was more they could do to help, but he knows Kevin probably feels the same.

His focus shifts abruptly when everything changes, though, and in a blink of an eye one of his new throwing knives is in his hand, ready to go. His gaze flicks sideways to Kevin and sees that he doesn't seem surprised or even concerned by this turn of events, which should be reassuring... until he, too, reaches for the link and can't find it.

"If you say so." he replies, his voice even and steady despite just how fucking unsettling it is to not have the link between them. It's not that he doesn't believe Kevin, he just really, really doesn't like not having that.

[weird_cop]

Kevin's hand reaches out, his fingers grazing the back of Xie's where he holds the knife. A staying gesture, as stabbing anyone they encounter here would probably not end well.

He's still unconcerned though, and walks through the cars to where he's parked - and sure enough, there he is.

A tall, golden skinned adonis of a man, dressed in a Roman toga that just emphasises the curve of his muscles, and cleaning casually against their car. When he sees them approach, he stands and spreads his arms - inviting Kevin for an embrace, maybe, or a king welcoming someone into his presence.

"Kevin!" He says warmly. "You don't call, you don't write..."

"Hello, Brutus." Kevin stops a couple of metres away, which makes Brutus have to drop his arms, unfulfilled. "Technically I did call. And I think you answered."

"So you did," Brutus replies, turning his gaze to Xie. "And now you have a new companion."

[xie_er]

Xie nods slightly, an acknowledgement, the knife sliding back out of sight - but not out of reach.

He follows Kevin through towards their car, his eyebrow raising slightly at the sight of the man. His expression stays otherwise impassive, though, and when the attention is shifted to him he lifts his chin to meet that gaze.

"He does." He agrees mildly. He can put the pieces together to make a vaguely educated guess about who - or, more accurately, what - this man is, so he's careful to stay as neutral as possible.

Even if his hands each to reach for Kevin, to stake some kind of claim.

[weird_cop]

Brutus smiles magnanimously at the way Xie lifts his chin, amused at the slightest showing of defiance.

"Welcome to my city, King of Scorpions. I hope the metropolis treats you well. I know Kevin will."

Now he crosses the gap between himself and them, takes Kevin's face in both hands and presses a tender kiss to his forehead.

"I missed you, my acolyte."

Kevin shuts his eyes for a second, enjoying the benediction, before moving his hands to remove those of Brutus.

"We didn't come looking for you, Brutus. We don't have any questions for you."

[xie_er]

He will, and Xie knows he will too, so he inclines his head to accept both the welcome and the statement.

It's much, much harder to keep impassive when he steps forward and takes hold of Kevin's face. When he presses a kiss to his forehead. He tries to tell himself it's different, it's a religious thing (for lack of a better word), but it doesn't keep him from having to expend effort to bite his tongue.

He does allow the tiniest hint of smugness when Kevin removes his hands, though.

[weird_cop]

It's so hard - it always was, with Brutus - not to give in to the warmth of him, sink into the kiss. But Xie's presence helps, and at least Brutus didn't go for mouth and tongue this time. Kevin glances at Xie, and feels almost apologetic, but can't prevent a small smile that he gets to share even this.

The being steps back now, head slanted slightly in acknowledgement.

"No," he corrects. "You have plenty of questions. You just haven't made the effort to earn the answer. At least not by asking me."

He glances quickly at Xie. "You went elsewhere with your sacrifice, and I think it was the right choice. No, I'm not here to grant you a boon or send you on a quest. I'm here because I wanted to see you. To give my blessing - with a lower case b - and welcome you back."

[xie_er]

Xie tilts his head slightly, curiously, intrigued by what's happening now.

He's being very magnanimous about it, but it feels like somebody stepping back because somebody else has won. Xie has won, even if he never realised this is what he was competing with. Even if they weren't really competing.

It is, he knows, far, far more complicated than that, but Xie is going to allow himself to bask in this interpretation of it, because how often do you get to say that your boyfriend chose you over a god?

[weird_cop]

"Thank you," says Kevin now. "For this and for..."

He glances quickly at Xie and back to Brutus.

"I wasn't sure if you could hear me, but I had to try. And you did, didn't you? I couldn't have done the ritual without you."

Thank you for saving him.

He comes just shy of saying it out loud - it's almost embarrassing how grateful he is that he was able to do what he did. Special, Xie had said. Blessed, Lisa had said. Maybe they're both true, but all Kevin knows is that it feels like he did something extraordinary, gained something extraordinary. And he's not sure if he deserved it. But he does know that he's pathetically grateful that it worked.

Brutus places a hand on his shoulder.

"You did the work, Kevin. I just gave you a bit of a boost."

[xie_er]

The way Kevin glances at him helps him understand, revises his interpretation slightly - clearly, Brutes stepped aside from the very beginning, whether he knew or not that this is how it would turn out.

He realises, mostly, that he should be grateful as well, that this is the source of the power that allowed Kevin to rescue him.

He agrees with Brutus, Kevin did the work, but he's still thankful that the god made it possible.

[weird_cop]

Kevin places his own hand over that of the god on his shoulder, and nods, acknowledging that.

"And now I'm back," he says.

Brutus nods. "And already back on your path, I think. Welcome back, Kevin. As our friend Mr Flamstead would say: we were all very worried about you, weren't sure you were going to make it."

Kevin removes the hand form his shoulder, but doesn't quite let go. It's Brutus who removes his hand, kisses Kevin on the cheek and turns to offer a hand to Xie.

"Look after him, Scorpion King. I'll know if you don't."

[xie_er]

Xie smirks slightly and nods.

"Oh, I will." He says. It's mostly promise, but perhaps a little bit of innuendo too.

He's nothing but serious when he takes the offered hand, though, his eyes conveying what he can't quite say out loud;

Thank you for looking after him until he could get to me

[weird_cop]

Brutus laughs at the innuendo, and after shaking Xie's hand he stands aside to let them at the car.

Kevin opens the passenger door for Xie, nods to Brutus as he moves around to the driver's seat, and then leans over and kisses Xie, long and tenderly.

By the time they stop, he can feel the link has returned, the familiar sense of power available to him, the feeling of being whole again.

Outside it's started to rain.

[xie_er]

Xie gives him a nod and gets into the car, and when Kevin leans over to kiss him he leans into it, wrapping his arms around Kevin's neck to hold him as close as he can manage.

When they finally break apart, he's a little breathless - just as much from relief at feeling the link settle back into place as it was from the kiss itself.

"Well. He's interesting" He comments - it's stupid, but he needed to say something, needed to reach out across the link and feel that Kevin was there.

[weird_cop]

Kevin grins a little sheepishly.

"That's one way of putting it. Thank you for not stabbing him when he kissed me."

He puts his hand on Xie's thigh briefly before pulling out.

"I've never taken anyone else into the Outer Boroughs before. That was a first."

[xie_er]

"I was tempted." Xie admits with a faintly amused smirk.

He's not an idiot, though, that's the main thing that stopped him.

"Think it's another one of those things where we count as one person?" he asks, settling his own hand on Kevin's thigh as he drives.

[weird_cop]

"Definitely," Kevin agrees. "Probably helped that he called us, rather then me having to go and knock on the door. But I think that's what it was."

He heads our towards the safe house, thinking of all of the day's general progress.

"And that's what a day's work looks like for me."

[xie_er]

"When you're not kidnapping Familiars or fighting off assassins, anyway." Xie adds, slightly teasing.

It's nice, though, to see that it's not all chaos and danger, that Xie doesn't need to worry about him all the time.

(Just some of it)

"More of the same tomorrow?"

[weird_cop]

"I wish," Kevin replies.

"I've got to go through the info from that CHIS, see if Lisa can use any of it. Then you and me have to brainstorm what we're going to do about our homeless familiar problem. Before it becomes a problem."

On the way home, he pulls up outside a large pharmacy. "Just need to get some stuff. Need anything?"

[xie_er]

Xie wrinkles his nose slightly - he can see why it's an important part of the job, but it sounds like a very boring part of the job too.

He probably doesn't get to pick and choose the interesting bits, though.

He glances out the window and frowns slightly, looking over at Kevin. He'd know if he was sick or something, right...?

"Not that I can think of. Want me to come with you?"

[weird_cop]

"Not if you don't want to," Kevin replies, leaning over again to give him a kiss. "Won't be long. You want to come?"

Xie has already been recognised once today, it depends what he wants.

[xie_er]

If it was just a case of going out in public, he'd rather not, but the curiosity gets the better of him and he nods.

"I'll come." he agrees. Besides, it would be boring just sitting waiting in the car with nothing better to do.

Now that the wards are down more often, he wonders if he should broach the subject of getting a phone - the only person he'd really call or text was Du Pusa, since there's no point texting someone you can talk to in your head, but it would probably be useful for other things too.

[weird_cop]

Kevin grabs a basket and walks the aisles fairly quickly, grabbing toothpaste and shaving cream...

"I thought maybe we should call Zishu about the familiar thing," he says, as he turns into the sexual health and wellbeing aisle, pausing by the lubes.

[xie_er]

Xie wonders if he's just being stupid when Kevin starts with standard toiletries, if he was worrying about nothing. He still thinks it when he stops by the lube, to be fair, but it's overtaken by a different kind of concern.

"He might have some contacts, or be able to make a suggestion" Xie agrees - it's a little reluctant, since he doesn't necessarily like or trust either Zishu or his husband, but they did help Kevin when he needed it so he can't deny they have their uses.