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]

"The what?"

Kevin is so matter of fact about the question that Xie just knows he's stupid for asking, but he also doesn't have any way of answering that won't give away that he doesn't know, so he may as well just admit to it.

[weird_cop]

Well.

That explains a lot.

Kevin kisses him again, no hunger in it, just because he wants to alleviate any worries Xie has of thinking himself stupid.

"I'm going to actually find some proper sexual health information for you," he promises.

"For now, you'll have to trust me when I tell you that's a spot in your ass that feels really good when treated right. You just need to approach it in the right way.

"But, that doesn't mean you have to do anything you're unsure about."

He means this, and it's important he gets it across. So he wraps his arms around Xie, holding him tight.

"You were going to do something you didn't want to, because you thought I wanted to, weren't you?"

[xie_er]

"I do trust you." He says honestly - he trusts that he's telling the truth, but beyond that he trusts him enough to let him prove it, to let Kevin show him what he's been missing.

He's already done a lot of that, after all.

He sighs softly, wrapping his arms around Kevin and snuggling into his embrace.

"After everything you've done for me, I thought I should be able to do this for you..."

[weird_cop]

Kevin pulls a face that Xie can't see, but for the effect anyway.

"Do me a favour, and next time you find yourself thinking you should put up with something you hate for me, let me know you hate it."

He strokes Xie's back for a few seconds and adds:

"Except football, its too late for that."

[xie_er]

"I do hate football, but I really don't mind putting up with it, for you." He admits with a soft laugh. He looks up again, leans in for another kiss.

"I promise, I'll tell you."

[weird_cop]

"That's what's so perfect about you. Putting up with football."

Kevin pulls Xie up a little, shuffles down so their faces are level on the bed and he can kiss him properly.

"I promise I don't want to do anything that you don't enjoy. If you're not having fun, I'm not having fun."

[xie_er]

Xie huffs a soft laugh, but he relaxes into the kiss.

"I always enjoy myself with you." He confirms softly "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it."

He's still getting used to being able to do that.

[weird_cop]

"I'm sorry I didn't check in with you earlier," Kevin returns. "I could have asked what you wanted instead of just announcing what I wanted."

He sighs happily, settling down for a comfortable cuddle.

"I know it's not always easy to talk about these things. Thank you, for letting me in."

[xie_er]

"You don't need to apologise" Xie protests, faintly, fondly exasperated. "You're perfect."

He smiles slightly.

"Thank you for being someone i can talk to"

[weird_cop]

"Let me apologise for this one thing," Kevin tells him. It's sincere - he feels like he messed up.and he doesn't want Xie to feel like he messed up.

But more importantly, he accepts the perfect accusation and the thanks graciously.

"Hey." If he was speaking out loud, it would be quiet. "I love you."

[xie_er]

Xie just smiles softly and nods, not arguing further- he's allowed to apologise for this if he really insists.

He felt like he ruined the evening, but lying wrapped up in Kevin's arms, warm and comfortable and content, he's hard pressed to hold onto that idea.

Then Kevin speaks again and Xie's eyes flick open, his head jerking back a little in surprise so he can stare at Kevin.

It only lasts for a moment before he's grabbing Kevin's face in both hands and dragging him close for a kiss.

"I love you too"

[weird_cop]

"Don't be so surprised."

He's amused though. It feels good to say it, have it out there and mean something. But he takes the kiss, and holds Xie throughout it, long and lovingly and warm.

He doesn't feel like the evening is ruined. It would have been ruined had he accidentally hurt Xie with his own idiocy, but now he has a romantic evening cuddling in bed with the man he loves. It couldn't be better.

[xie_er]

He shouldn't be surprised, not really, because why would somebody do so much for him, support him, compliment him so genuinely, if they didn't love him.

But still, the idea that Kevin could love him is going to take a while to make any sense to him. He's not sure it will ever make sense, actually.

He'll never not be glad for it, though.

"I'm not surprised I love you." He returns, teasing and affectionate "I'm surprised I ever felt anything else."

[weird_cop]

"You thought I was an asshole," Kevin points out reasonably. "Because I'm such a good UC."

[xie_er]

He thought he was an asshole because he was jealous, but he doesn't want to mention that, would rather stay in this happy, affectionate place.

"Yes, you're very good at being a dick." He agrees, amused "but what I'm trying to say is that the real you is very easy to love."

[weird_cop]

Kevin kisses him again, happy to accept that compliment.

"Thank you," he replies, and passes up the opportunity to joke about kidnapping.

"You are too, you know." He has a feeling Xie doesn't know this.

[xie_er]

Xie scoffs slightly, disbelieving. He can't be that easy, he's demanding and bitchy and kind of fucked up, and a criminal to boot.

Besides, he thinks, if he's so easy to love, why is Kevin the first person who's done it?

"Easy or not, I'm just glad you do."

[weird_cop]

Kevin just hums in agreement and hold Xie until they fall asleep.

In the morning he wakes relatively early, and wakes Xie up gently for some hand stuff- mostly an assertion that what they do is fine and Kevin loves it and there's no more he needs.

In the ops room Lisa agrees to look through the gathered information, and Tony and Kevin have a long talk about the implications of homeless familiars and how they can help Spot, which mostly asks the main question: how do you go about finding and vetting witches?

And at lunchtime Kevin goes to the local health centre and picks up a bunch of men's sexual health leaflets, as you do.

So a relatively normal day, which ends with:

"Hey, you guys want to come over this weekend? Weather should be nice and we've got a good garden at the moment."

[xie_er]

Xie is more than happy to be woken up that way, and it does dismiss any of his lingering uncertainties about the night before.

His day mostly consists of drifting between watching Lisa work, and eventually being drawn into asking interested questions, and joining in with Tony and Kevin's conversation - mostly to input his knowledge of Familiars and, once, hesitantly offering a vague recollection of being told once, when he was very young, that his parents would help him find a suitable witch when he came of age, and that maybe there was some magical equivalent to a matchmaker out there who could do such a thing. Whether that was the case here in the UK, or even the case at all, he couldn't confirm, though.

(The leaflets he will think about later. He is grateful, but embarrassed that it's necessary.)

He nods along with the invite, a little surprised by how pleased he is with it. It's not just the chance to show off the work he's done on the garden, it's also the idea of hosting together, as a couple.

(It's maybe, the tiniest bit, because he does actually like these people)

[weird_cop]

"Look at you all couply," Lisa says with obvious approval. Tony has already nodded to say he's up for it.

"Spouses?" Quill asks. "I mean I'll be along anyway, but Sarah will understand if the whole profession is persona non grata."

"She's a journalist," Kevin tells Xie. "Not on one of the papers that ran with the story."

He doesn't want to influence the answer but he's secretly hoping to see Sarah and Jessica.

[xie_er]

Lisa's comment actually draws the tiniest hint of pink to his cheeks, but he valiantly tries to ignore it.

(It's the acknowledgement more than the approval, though that's nice too, he's just still basking in being comfortably public about their relationship)

He's confused, for a moment, until Kevin explains, and then he feels another glow of warmth (without a blush at this point) just for being asked.

"She's welcome." He replies easily - it's not quite that he doesn't want to tar them all with the same brush, more that he's willing to make an exception.

[weird_cop]

"Both the Quill women please, Jimmy," Kevin adds. "If they're available. I'll invite Rebecca and Peter as well."

"I'll let you know if she decides to bring a salad," says Quill, knowing she will.

"We've got the cans," Tony adds.

That's decided then; that and the fact that Kevin and Tony and Xie will try and get in contact with Kexing and Zishu and pick their brains about familiars.

"I'm going to plan some information gathering work as well," Kevin adds when they get home. "It's stupid that we don't know more about this stuff."

[xie_er]

"It is" Xie agrees, slightly teasing "I can help actually write down the things I know. I might be able to contact some other Familiars too, though I'm not sure how willing they'd be to talk"

He hadn't suggested them for helping Spot because most of them were criminals who couldn't be trusted to have the kid's interests at heart, but they might be good sources of information - if they could be convinced to share that information with the police.

[weird_cop]

Kevin shoots him an amused glance for the teasing. But he takes it on the chin.

"'Cause I'm police," he fills in. "So... okay. What if I wasn't police? Who could I be that they'd talk to?"

He's a UC. They could work on a character for him.

[xie_er]

"They'd be willing to talk to someone like them, as long as you had a reasonable excuse for asking questions..." Xie replies thoughtfully. It couldn't be someone too innocent or they'd just knock him back, but somebody like the person who was Zhao's apprentice... maybe if he was asking on behalf of somebody powerful....