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]

"Let us know," says Tony.

Lisa, hesitantly, puts a hand out to Xie's shoulder.

"We'll find him," she says quietly. "He'll be okay."




Kevin doesn't reach out to Xie when he wakes. Primarily because he doesn't remember there is a link to reach through.

He wakes to find himself lying on damp concrete ground, under an arch of bricks, his wrists and ankles bound roughly with tape.

All he can think is that he's cold, and feels empty. And scared, but a gentle, worried kind of scared, not quite high enough to be panic. He's alone: there's no one here to threaten him.

But how he got there, or even who might be looking for him, he has genuinely no recollection.

[xie_er]

The fact that when he reaches out and realises Kevin's awake he isn't met with any particularly strong panic or anger or anything beyond a sort of uncertain fear is, in itself, a little concerning. He wouldn't even have felt it at all if he hadn't been actively reaching for it. He hadn't even really, entirely, expected to find him awake, because why the hell wouldn't he have reached out to Xie immediately?

"Kevin? Are you okay? What's happening? Are you hurt? We're almost there"

"He's awake" He says out loud

[weird_cop]

"Who's there?"

He says it aloud, without even noticing that he's also thinking it. He heard a voice, so he assumes that he heard the voice.

Which means there's someone close by, but when he looks up into the shadows caused by the street light spilling into the arch, he can't see anyone.

It gives him another flash of worried panic, as he scrambles to find the speaker.

"Where are you?"

[xie_er]

At first, Xie thinks that it's just another case of Kevin sharing something through the link that he's saying to someone else - it's worrying, and frustrating, that he won't reply properly, that he won't explain what's going on, because Xie knows he's better trained than that.

But any other option is unthinkable, so he doesn't think it.

"In the car with Lisa and Tony, we're close now. What can you see? Who's with you?" He encourages, trying to keep down his own panic so he doesn't make Kevin's any worse.

"He's not telling me anything," he says, frustrated, but he leans forward to point out the building ahead of them "there. He's in there."

As soon as Tony pulls up he's shoving himself from the car, ignoring any attempts to stop him or call him back. He's really not used to working as part of a team, and he wants to get to Kevin. There's already a knife in his hand, just in case.

[weird_cop]

Lisa tumbles out behind him while Tony speeds off to find somewhere to park that's not actively blocking the street, but she can't catch up.



The building in question has a sunken garage level, disused like the test of it, doorway wide open where the previous occupants made a hasty run for it. In the space below, under one of the supportive structures, Kevin has brought himself to a kneeling position, ready to try and fight someone off if need be.

His head is hurting and he can feel dried blood on his upper lip, neither of which speak well for his ability to fight, but he had to do something.

He doesn't ask who Lisa and Tony are. He focuses on the questions he's been asked because they seem straightforward.

I'm in a basement. Or a car park, or something. The doors open, there are streetlights outside. I don't see anyone, or hear anyone...

"No wait, someone is coming."

That someone is of course, Xie, bit all Kevin sees when he comes into view is the knife in his hand.

[xie_er]

There really doesn't seem to be anyone there, but Xie couldn't care less about anyone else when he sees Kevin and he rushes forward - he still has the knife out, though, because he's not a complete idiot. At least, he wouldn't be a complete idiot if the circumstances were normal.

At first, he thinks that Kevin doesn't realise it's him because he's backlit and Kevin probably can't see his features, and then he realises that's a stupid thing to think because how can Kevin not just know?

How can Kevin be reacting like he's about to be attacked, not like the man he loves is running to his rescue?

He's too close to really change course, though, and he drops to his knees in front of Kevin, knife disappearing into his sleeve as he reaches out to him even though he knows, now, that might not be the right thing to do. He just really, really wants to be wrong...

[weird_cop]

Kevin feels like he probably should flinch again, and in fact he does lift his bound hands between them when the man reaches for him, instinctively trying to block.

But there's something about the look in the man's eyes when he kneels, some feeling of care and affection that makes him think that can't possibly be dangerous. Not to Kevin, not now.

And Kevin is so confused and lost, not sure if he's shivering from the cold or the fear, that he doesn't want to push anyone away right now. He moves his hands to take the one reaching for him.

"How did you do that?" He asks, coming to the conclusion that this is the man who's been talking to him as clearly as he's been in the room with him


Lisa hurries in shortly after Xie, sees the situation, and hurries forward herself, crying his name.

[xie_er]

Something is clearly amiss, and honestly Xie just can't tell what it is. He doesn't know why Kevin is speaking to him out loud, why he's acting so strange, and none of the possibilities are good ones.

He curls his hands gently around Kevin's and at least takes a moment to be glad they've found him and he's safe.

"How did I do what?" He asks "I'm going to cut you free, okay?" He adds, flicking his switchblade into his hand to cut through the binding around Kevin's wrists.

[weird_cop]

Kevin obediently presents his hands, to be cut free, again deciding that if this lovely young man wants to rescue him, he'll accept it.

"You were talking to me," he says with a very slight questioning tone, because he's sure it was him, "before you were even here. How did you do that?"

Meanwhile the woman has reached him, and also dropped to his side, her face stricken worry, her eyes not quite on his face but at the side of his head. And now he's seen that, he's aware of a cold sensation in his ear, thick and wet like he's bleeding, but bleeding ice.

"Oh god," she says, "you're leaking magic. What happened, Kevin?"

Kevin frowns at her, unsure what to make of a question that makes no sense.

[xie_er]

Xie stares at him, horrified. The possibilities rapidly diminish into just one, awful conclusion.

Before he can even come up with a way to respond, Lisa's words catch his attention and he jerks his head sharply towards her.

"He's what?" He asks, even though he knows what she said, has no idea what it means but knows it can't possibly be good.

He takes a breath, turns back to Kevin, curls hands around his again because he desperately needs the contact

"Kevin, baby, what do you remember?"

[weird_cop]

Kevin isn't sure what to make of 'baby.' It's not that this isn't a lovely looking man, it's just unexpected. He looks between the two people and back at the questioner, squeezing his hands because it seems like he needs comfort right now.

"I don't..." he starts and then stops, realising the enormity of what he's about to say.

"Nothing. I don't remember anything before waking up and hearing you. Have I had an accident?"

Lisa also has her hand on Kevin, resting on his upper arm while she examines his ear, taking a tissue from her pocket and wiping up the cold silver.

"It's not from him," she tells Xie, "something left it here."

This isn't necessarily good news, though.

"Not an accident, Kevin. Someone did this to you."


At this point Tony has parked and caught up with them, calling Lisa and Kevin's names from outside.

"We're down here!" Lisa calls back.

[xie_er]

Someone did this to him... somebody magically tore out his memories. Why? What possible reason could somebody have for doing this?

And how the fuck did they fix it?

"Kexing. We have to get him to Wen Kexing. Maybe he can.. maybe he'll..." He's the only magical healer Xie knows, he has to be able to fix this, right? Right?

[weird_cop]

Tony pauses at the entrance as he arrives, takes everything in, covering the whole cellar, before he hurries down.

"Right," he says, taking charge. "Xie, get that tape off his legs. Lise, do a sweep of this basement to make sure we haven't missed anything. Kev..."

He moves Lisa gently out of the way, and her expression loses the panic, sets into the much calmer face of someone with a job to do. Tony takes her place next to Kevin, replacing her hand on his arm with his own.

"Detective Constable Kevin Sefton, listen. I'm DS Tony Costain, your immediate superior, and this is Xie Zhao, your boyfriend. We're going to take care of you, okay?"

Kevin doesn't remember any of this, but the part about Tony being his superior officer makes sense given the way he's taken charge, and the incredibly attractive man who hasn't stopped touching him, and who Kevin doesn't want to stop touching him... he can live with the idea of boyfriend.

So he nods politely. "Okay."

Tony hauls his leather trenchcoat off, and Kevin reels from the amount of blood on the t shirt beneath it, but Tony doesn't seem to mind. He hands the coat to Xie to give to Kevin.

"The bosses are on their way. Hold tight while I help case the scene, then we'll get you to someone who can help, okay?"

Again, Kevin agrees.

[xie_er]

Xie hates, a little bit, that Tony is the one who sweeps in and takes charge, because he should be able to do that, he should. He's grateful for it, too, because he really needs somebody else to just deal with the situation and he can focus on Kevin.

He doesn't object to the instruction, just nodding and letting go of Kevin's hands long enough to cut the tape around Kevin's ankles, then grabbing Tony's jacket and draping it carefully around his shoulders.

"It's going to be okay." He says softly, making an effort to speak out loud for now - the Familiar explanation might be a bit much for him right this second "They won't be long and then we can get you out of here. Are you hurt anywhere?"

[weird_cop]

"I don't think so."

Kevin rubs his ankles to check on circulation, then shifts his position so he's no longer kneeling, sitting on the floor for now, but with the coat under his damp jeans seat.

"No physical pain? I think. My ear is cold."

But now the woman has wiped away the stuff he expects it will warm up, at least to the cold the rest of him is at.

He reaches out for Xie's hands again, taking them in his.

"Boyfriend?"

[xie_er]

Xie nods, reassured - they're still going to want to check him over for injuries, but the lack of pain is a good sign. He hopes.

He smiles sadly when Kevin takes his hands, it's nice, reassuring even, but he feels guilty that Kevin is doing anything to reassure him in that moment, it should be the other way round.

"Boyfriend." He nods "We live together. You were out shopping for a date when this happened."

It's not really relevant information, but it's something, and he feels like it's good to keep talking

[weird_cop]

Kevin smiles, warmed by this idea, imagining himself out shopping to impress Xie, who he can already tell has better dress sense than this.

"What, you didn't want to be seen out with..." he waves at his dirty clothes: damp jeans, sweat soaked T-shirt, "this style icon?"

[xie_er]

Xie laughs softly, reassured by Kevin still being so Kevin about things. He has to resist the urge to kiss him.

"I'd want to be seen with you whatever you wore." He says, amused "but this was a special date."

[weird_cop]

"Why?" Kevin asks. "Anniversary or something?"

None of this is jogging memories, and it feels like he's being told something that happened to someone else. He wants to believe its him - and he's sure that the regard he's seeing in Xie's face is real - he just can't connect the picture he's being painted with something already existing in his mind.

Lisa and Tony have finished their sweep at the same time Quill and Lofthouse arrive, and the four of them gather in the entrance to consult with each other. On the way, Tony looks over to Xie with a questioning look and a jerk of his head. An invitation to join them, if Xie thinks it's a good idea.

[xie_er]

"Or something." Xie says, realising the whole "first real date" thing will probably take some explaining - never having had a date before is easy enough to gloss over, but explaining why this is his first date with his boyfriend is a larger can of worms.

He's almost grateful when Tony catches his attention. He nods slightly, pushing himself to his feet and offering Kevin a hand.

Maybe it would be better to have the conversation without Kevin, but Xie really doesn't like the idea of leaving him to the side while they talk about him.

[weird_cop]

Kevin politely takes the offered hand. He doesn't need it to stand, per se, but the contact is nice. Then he pauses to attempt to put Tony's coat on properly, and gives up when he realises his chest and shoulders are a little broader than his sergeant's. It goes back over his shoulders.

"Wait, he says suddenly, before agreeing to join the others.

"What did..." he pauses. Tony had said 'Lise,' so presumably that's her name but he's not sure.

"What did she mean about 'leaking magic?'"

[xie_er]

Xie doesn't want to be overbearing so he lets Kevin figure out the coat on his own, just waiting patiently for him to be ready before they join the others. The question makes him pause, though, uncertain exactly how to answer.

"Lisa has the ability to see magic, you all do, and she could see something... she might be able to explain this better than me."

He doesn't know what she saw, after all, so he doesn't really know how to explain it.

[weird_cop]

"Magic," Kevin repeats.

He lets Xie lead him over to the group, who have fallen silent to let him join them.

"Magic?" He asks.

"Yeah," says Quill. "Fucking magic. Sorry Kev; magic exists and you, Detective Constable, are the most powerful witch we've got in the Met. And the person we'd usually ask to sort this mess out. Again. Sorry."

Lofthouse is looking at Kevin with a detached concern, wver professional. She smiles now.

"Right, introductions. DC Sefton, you've met Tony and Xie. I'm Superintendent Rebecca Lofthouse, this is DI James Quill and our intelligence analyst Lisa Ross. We're the full total of everyone in the Met who know about magic which means we're on our own trying to trace what happened to you. Given you can't remember anything, I don't need we need to take a witness statement, so your priority is to get well as soon as you can, okay?"

Kevin, feeling a little overwhelmed by this, looks at Xie and agrees.

"Tony," she says. "I'll let you take Kevin and Xie to the source you mentioned. If they're not able to help, you might as well take them both home. The rest of us will try and piece together what we know."

"Right, ma'am," Tony agrees, looking at Kevin and Xie in order to take them back to the car, and from there to Kexing's.

[xie_er]

Xie realises belatedly that it's the very concept of magic he's having issue with, but by that point they're with the others and Quill takes over the explanation. It's probably better that way.

He gives Kevin a reassuring look when he glances his way - almost reaching out through the link to tell him it's going to be okay, but stopping himself again. One thing at a time.

It's strange, though, to have to hold himself back from something that's become so natural to them.

Xie makes the call when they're on the way, grumpily admitting that yes, okay, he needs his help again, shut the fuck up gloating about it Kexing this is serious. He doesn't know how much of the Mandarin Kevin will actually understand in this state, so he's careful what he says, but he does explain it's magical and memory related and they don't actually know, exactly, what happened so hopefully Kexing can help them figure it out.

[weird_cop]

Sitting together with Xie in the back, Kevin watches him talk on the phone with a vaguely curious look. Apparently he knows Chinese... which he guesses makes sense if his partner is Chinese. Presumably that's why he learned.

"Do I need to know anything about this person?" He asks now.