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:

weird_cop

Xie wriggling sends a shiver of contentment through Kevin, despite being aware that he's probably bordering on too drunk to do anything about it, but he closes his eyes and lies back, thinking about how good this feels.

"We were great hosts today. Everyone loved the garden."

From:

xie_er

"They did, didn't they?" Xie agrees, smug and pleased "The food was great as well. As always."

He never really thought he'd do anything so painfully normal, let alone enjoy it as much as he had, and yet.

From:

weird_cop

As always, Kevin smiles, glowing under the praise of his cooking.

"Thank you for suggesting it, and for getting on with my friends so well."

From:

xie_er

He did just want to do something nice for Kevin, even though making him host pales in comparison to everything Kevin has done for him, so he's glad it worked out and that he enjoyed it.

And that he did get on with his friends - he hadn't been too worried, because he already knew he could at least play nice with Lisa and the others, but the other family had been an unknown quantity that he hadn't been sure about.

"You're welcome." He says jokingly (and in Mandarin), punctuating it with another kiss before finally pushing himself up a little. He's not nearly as graceful as usual, but he manages to get something approaching upright - or sitting on Kevin's legs, anyway.

"Clothes" He says, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

From:

weird_cop

"Yes, clothes."

Not needing to translate for the others, Kevin switches to Mandarin on instinct, grabbing Xie's hips so he can sit up without dislodging him from his thighs, and pulling off his T shirt before helping Xie with his buttons.

They're both a bit drunk, it needs two pairs of hands.

From:

xie_er

As soon as his shirt is off he gets distracted running his hands over Kevin's chest and murmuring compliments - there's nothing particularly urgent about it, he's drunk and sleepy and not actually pushing for anything, it's just that part of being drunk and sleepy is thinking about how much he loves and wants Kevin, and how he's spent most of the day sticking to publicly appropriate forms of affection.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin counters, his usual string of compliments now being drawn from his not quite complete Mandarin vocab list, bit he manages to be creative with it.

Xie's shirt eventually comes off, and he starts picking at the more bulky jewellery from his braids, leaning in to kiss him as he does so.

From:

xie_er

All getting undressed should be slow and lazy and interspersed with kisses and compliments, he thinks.

While Kevin is working on his hair, he manages to get both of their jeans undone (eventually), but that's as far as he gets when he's still perched on Kevin's thighs.

From:

weird_cop

Eventually - very eventually - Kevin eases his hands through hair that's not completely unbraided but should be enough to sleep in. He runs his hands down the hair, sliding casually on to his sides and hips, and then tucks his hands into Xie's jeans, reaching in towards his butt while bending one of the legs he's sitting on in a way that says hey, get up without actually saying it.

"I want to see all of your beautiful body."

Like so much, this is the first time he's strung these words together in Mandarin, or heard bed talk at all in the language. He hopes he's not fucking it up.

From:

xie_er

He's very much not fucking it up at all, although that might be because Xie is barely even paying attention to the language they're speaking and is taking any slips or poor pronunciation as a side-effect of being drunk.

"I do like to give you what you want" He replies, fondly amused as he climbs off the bed - swaying only slightly - so he can strip off his jeans. There's a couple of moments where it looks as though he might fall, but while he lacks his usual poise he does at least manage to stay upright.

From:

weird_cop

Kevin wastes no time - as soon as the weight from his legs is gone he moves to get his own jeans off and to the edge of the bed so he can watch Xie- and be there with a hand to his hip when it looks like he might fall.

"I know you do."

He doesn't have the Mandarin for I'm glad that you're happy and I no longer feel like you're being forced into this. I know that, although you didn't choose this, you continue to choose me. I'm happy that you like me.

From:

xie_er

Once he manages to get his jeans off, Xie steadies himself with hands on Kevin's shoulders - and then just gives up and leans into him so he can push him back onto the bed again, falling forward himself.

He muffles his own laughter with a kiss.

"I love you." He says, just because it felt like it needed to be said. Sometimes it feels like it's constantly waiting to spill out - this is one of those times, and he doesn't feel the need to stop it.

From:

weird_cop

"I love you too."

Kevin kisses Xie's mouth and his cheek and his forehead, pulling him back on the bed so they can settle into each other's arms. His hand snakes around the back of Xie's head and he twists their legs together.

He doesn't add anything else though. There's not much more to say.

From:

xie_er

Smiling, Xie shifts around with Kevin to get them both comfortable and then relaxes with a contented sigh.

The room is spinning a little but mostly he just feels a happy buzz. He traces fingertips over Kevin's back, eyes already drifting closed.

"Good night, handsome"

From:

weird_cop

"Good night."

Kevin kisses his forehead again and curls his hand around him, drinking in the sensation of him for a few minutes before he too drifts off happily.

The morning light wakes him rudely through the balcony doors, and he scowls at it for as long as possible until he relents, kissing Xie on the shoulder as he struggles out of bed.

Xie can stay, but Kevin needs to make breakfast.

From:

xie_er

Xie grumbles something horribly insulting in Mandarin and sticks his head under the pillow.

It's probably about the light and not Kevin.

He is personally offended by the existence of morning and the loss of warm, comfortable boyfriend.

"Where are you going, come back to bed" He grumbles - he's still not speaking English just because he's half awake and he hasn't quite mentally switched back from the night before.

From:

weird_cop

"I'm going to make breakfast. We have guests," Kevin replies, still matching the language because it's easier than not. He returns to the bedside long enough to tuck his warm side of the covers neatly around Xie and kisses his sleepy cheek.

"You can stay in bed until you're awake. I'll see you later, gege.."

From:

xie_er

Xie almost demands that the guests can go hungry, but he also thinks he could probably do with some food as well, so he will begrudgingly allow it.

Especially when he tucks him in so sweetly and calls him gege. He chuckles sleepily and snuggles down into the duvet and is all set to go back to sleep when his brain finally catches up with him.

"Wait a minute you're speaking Chinese." He says accusingly - he was last night as well, he remembers, and translating for Xie when he did it accidentally!

From:

weird_cop

Kevin is just about to leave the bedroom into the bathroom when Xie says that. He pauses briefly and carries on, shrugging indifferently.

"You started it."

From:

xie_er

"That's not the point!" He protests "I didn't even know you could"

He'd been aware that Kevin probably understood some of it, had been cautious what he said around him - even switched to Cantonese when talking to Du Pusa the first few times, even though he was out of practice, just in case he could understand what Xie was saying. He didn't know he could speak it fluently enough to have actual conversations.

He hadn't said anything particularly complicated last night that he can recall, but still, conversational Mandarin was more than he'd been expecting.

(He isn't actually mad or anything, just surprised)

From:

weird_cop

"I'm full of surprises."

Kevin continues on, chatting through using the loo and brushing his teeth.

"I learned the basics before going undercover, picked up more on the job. You'd be surprised what people say if they don't think I understand them."

Xie probably wouldn't be surprised. He was always well disciplined.

From:

xie_er

He's correct, Xie wouldn't be surprised but only because he's been on the receiving end of that kind of assumption, especially when he was younger and still learning, his spoken English hadn't been that great, but he could understand quite a lot of it.

He'd used it, too, once or twice.

"So what you're saying is I don't need to have made so much effort to speak English this whole time?" He asks. Most of the time it's not that much effort, but sometimes when he's tired or distracted or otherwise struggling to think, it does take more energy than usual to translate everything.

From:

weird_cop

"Yes. Though your English is still better than my Chinese. Guess I need the practice."

This shouldn't be surprising either: Kevin is always hungry for more knowledge, more skill. Given how much of the reading they've been doing had to be translated, language itself is a useful skill.

From:

xie_er

"I'm sure that can be arranged" Xie says, soft and fond. It would be nice, he thinks, to speak Chinese more, to help Kevin practice. He likes being in touch with his roots - and not just in the fancy, snobbish way that Yifu preferred - so being able to share them with Kevin is a thought that makes him happy.

He does get up after a little while, feeling slightly more human after washing his face and brushing his teeth, but after he takes out the rest of his braids he just leaves his hair loose for the moment - as much as he knows they have company, he's too hungover for braids right now.

Eventually he makes it downstairs in search of tea and breakfast.

From:

weird_cop

Xie is the last one down, but not by much. Tony is making tea as he arrives, wearing just yesterday's jeans, while Lisa sits at the table nursing an instant coffee, wearing Tony's shirt and feeling rough.

Kevin is in the kitchen, of course, frying up bacon.

"Morning, gorgeous," he says in English. "What portion of grease to crunch do you want?"