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]

"Xie?" She says, the worry clear in her tone.

"Are you okay? We're on our way."

She's been told that ambulances were called out, one fatality and three casualties, and enough to figure out that Kevin's one of them.

[xie_er]

Xie opens his mouth, closes it again and shakes his head, holding the phone towards Du Pusa.

"The bitch is dead, her two little minions are unconscious, Kevin's out cold but being looked after." Du Pusa reports, side-eyeing Xie as she does so.

"Xie is... physically he's fine." The paramedics who checked him over confirmed that much at least. Beyond that, she has no idea what's going on with him.

[weird_cop]

"Oh, Xie."

It's not as pitying as it might once have sounded from her. Empathy, sympathy. Worry, mostly.

There's a moment when she talks to someone away from the phone and then she's back.

"Lofthouse is going to make sure they let you go with Kev. Hang in there, okay? Text me when you're sure which hospital."

[xie_er]

"Hao." Xie says, soft and almost distracted. His gaze has strayed back to Kevin and he's watching him intently.

"He says okay." Du Pusa clarifies. "I'll stay with him if I can and I'll keep you updated."

She'd much rather slip off into the shadows and try and avoid any difficult questions, though at least she didn't kill anybody so really she's done well, but she's also worried about Xie and doesn't really want to leave him on his own.

[weird_cop]

Lisa thanks her profusely and reluctantly hangs up, knowing there's nothing she can do.

They arrive at the hospital while Kevin's in surgery, and Lisa makes a point of finding Xie to be with him. Tony more quietly thanks Du Pusa in case she wants to leave while the authorities are still bustling around.

Kevin finally wakes some time into the night, and the first thing he does is try to reach out through the link, gasping when he remembers.

"Xie?"

[xie_er]

Xie is a hair's breadth from being kicked out of the hospital, or at least getting on the reception's last nerve, pacing like a caged tiger snapping at anybody who so much as looks at him funny. Du Pusa is keeping him as calm as she can manage but there's little she can do.

She hesitates before taking Tony's offer, but since they're present to be with Xie she decides it's for the best, there's not a lot else she can do anyway, so she just makes them promise to call her if anything happens and heads off.

Xie is immediately aware when Kevin wakes - not because of any link, but because he's been sitting by his bedside staring at the rise and fall of his chest without looking away, barely even blinking. He straightens up abruptly at the sound of the gasp and looks to his face, eyes wide.

"Bond. Please. I need it back." Some part of him wishes he could say more than that, but he's tired and worried and he's been in a lot of pain over the last twenty four hours and something in him has snapped.

[weird_cop]

Kevin blinks at him, not quite understanding his meaning, before he rasps out a dry "Okay."

He goes to push himself up on to his elbows, but the movement is cut short by the pain cutting right across his torso and he falls back. Scrunching his eyes shut against the pain he tries again but can't even move.

He grunts and lies there for a second, waiting for his breathing to get under control before he attempts to approximate the ritual without actually moving.

But they're still outside of London and his power is still depleted, so all he manages to do is make his heartbeat monitor beep angrily at them.

[xie_er]

Xie draws breath sharply when Kevin falls back, a hand reaching out in worry. He almost, almost tells him he doesn't need to but he just feels so desperate that he lets him try anyway.

He realises before long that he just doesn't have the energy for the bonding ritual and he bites back a sob.

"It's... okay..." he says, fighting for calm. He reaches out to take Kevin's hand, squeeze it reassuringly, but it's hard to do when his own are trembling so badly.

"I can wait." He says, not even realising he's slipped into Mandarin.

The angrily beeping heart monitor also sent an alert to the nurse's station, and a young man steps in to check on him.

"You're awake...and straining yourself apparently." He says, his tone friendly but chiding "Is everything alright?"

[weird_cop]

"Yes," Kevin says weakly, clutching Xie's hand. "Everything's fine."

It hurts his throat to talk, even. But he manages to get the words out. Everything isn't fine, not really. But it will be.

"I'm sorry," he adds in Mandarin. He'll try again in a few hours.

[xie_er]

"The doctor will come and see you in the morning, try and get some sleep." The nurse assures after giving the monitors a quick once-over to make sure there aren't any issues, he's pleased to see the heart rate has calmed down again so he's content to leave them to it. "You too." he adds to Xie, given that he somehow looks as though he hasn't slept in a week.

Xie doesn't even turn to look at him, his gaze is focused entirely on Kevin. He shakes his head at the apology, trying to squeeze his hand again.

"Get some sleep, I'll be here" It's easier to talk in Mandarin, takes just that little bit less energy to stay coherent - though it's still a lot of energy. He never thought he'd deteriorate this quickly but he feels like his every nerve is on fire with need. He's not quite losing his mind but everything is just more difficult, more grating. He needs Kevin to get better so they can bond again.

(And he hates himself, just a little, for that being his most pressing concern)

[weird_cop]

Kevin opens his eyes again, devastated to see Xie in so much distress, and gives a barely identifiable nod of his head.

He mouths I love you before letting his eyes fall shut again.

Except he doesn't try to sleep. He steadies his breathing and focuses his attention inside, meditating so he can replenish his magic.

He does eventually drift off, though, and when he wakes in the morning he feels like he might be able to try again.

The pain isn't any better, though.

[xie_er]

When he does wake up, he'll find Xie in exactly the same position - sitting by his bed, Kevin's hand clutched in his own (they're trembling worse now) and staring fixedly at him. His eyes are a little blood-shot.

He doesn't say anything, but there's expectant pleading in his look.

He's very quickly getting the sense, though, that it's going to take some more recovery before Kevin is really up to the task. He's trying not to think about it.

[weird_cop]

That look terrifies him, just a little. As he wakes up and realises what's making Xie so desperate, as he gets to grip with how bad he must be feeling, Kevin is hit by how casually cruel he'd been about thus possibility for so long.

He squeezes his hand again and closes his eyes without saying anything.

He pulls all the power within him together and twists it carefully before sending it out to find the bond again.

It feels so different from the last time. He doesn't need to move or draw any circles because there's nothing to sacrifice to, and he acts slowly and deliberately, restrained by his physical wounds and his lack of power.

For a long time there's nothing except the slow sap of power as he uses it up in the attempt.

Then it finds something, and the feeling is like a shock of static electricity as groping fingertips finally find a metaphorical handrail.

And then his power runs out and he gasps in frustration as it slips from him.

[xie_er]

He feels it. He can feel those tendrils of achingly familiar power reaching out to him. He can even reach back, will himself to meet them, and for a moment it's there - then it slips out of his grasp and there's nothing he can do to chase it, to grab hold again and help it get the rest of the way.

He cries out, desperate and frustrated and almost physically pained by the need, by how close it was only to fail again, and he feels raw and broken and desperate but he also feels guilty because he can see, he can, just how hard Kevin is trying, and how difficult this is for him, but there's nothing Xie can do about it.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." he mutters, pulling his hand away from Kevin's because he can feel himself wanting to grab on painfully tight and he doesn't want to hurt him more than he already has "This is my fault."

[weird_cop]

Kevin gasps again when Xie pulls his hand away, and tries to follow him, stopping at the pain in his shoulder.

"I can do it," he says. "I just need time to replenish my power fully."

Or get to London, where he can tap into the power there. But how do you explain that to a doctor?

"Stay with me. Please."

He realises how pathetic he sounds, how pathetic he feels. But he can't stop remembering how it felt when Xie broke the bond, to not have him. And he chose that.

Xie is acting like this because he's unbonded, but je was fine for those brief minutes Kevin saw him bonded to that woman. What if he decides someone else can give him what Kevin can't?

[xie_er]

"I know..." Xie says, he understands that time is needed, but it grates at his every nerve to have to wait.

"I... I'll stay." It aches to be here without the bond, but it would ache even worse to be away from him. Even now he itches to grab hold of his hand again and never let go.

Kevin is right, technically any bond would do, and Xie is honestly a little bit terrified that he'll grow desperate enough to consider it before Kevin is well enough, but right now he's set - he never, ever wants to go through any of that again, he wants Kevin. He wants that bond. Anything else is a pale comparison, nobody else could feel so right to be bonded to.

[weird_cop]

"I'm sorry," Kevin says again. "I should have just waited and stolen you back. But I thought... I don't know what I was thinking."

He was thinking that his boyfriend had left, and told him to come after him, and he wasn't going to be apart from him for a second longer than he had to.

"I miss you."

[xie_er]

"No I... I told you to come for me..." It's a struggle to speak coherently, but he's forcing himself to manage, this is a conversation they should have - and Kevin shouldn't be sorry. This is his fault, all of it, he'd been so focused on getting Kevin's memories back that he'd done something to hurt them both.

"I miss you too." He says, broken. Despite all his attempts he reaches out again, grabs Kevin's hand, clinging to him.

[weird_cop]

Yeah, but Kevin doesn't have to do do what Xie tells him. There's no magic bond giving him compulsions.

He's just an idiot in love.

"We don't have to talk about it now," he says finally, recognising the difficulties for both of them, for different reasons.

And also because he should be angry, and he'll get around to telling Xie off later.

He drops into Mandarin just because it seems more comfortable for Xie, and he only has one thing to say.

"I love you."

And that's when the door to his room opens to admit the promised doctor.

[xie_er]

"I love you too" He returns, squeezing his hand. If he was in his right mind, he'd move aside for the doctor, but he doesn't budge an inch.

The doctor gives him a concerned look, but focuses on Kevin.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, checking over the chart and looking at the readings from the machines first of all.

[weird_cop]

"Everything hurts," Kevin croaks out helpfully. "But apart from that, great."

Behind the doctor, Tony stands in the doorway for a second, before coming forward and resting a hand on Xie's shoulder: a gentle hint that he should move back.

"You should have got a request to move him to a London unit," he's saying. "It's not personal, it's just that these are the kind of burns our unit deal with."

This is not true, but they haven't figured out a good story. It's just important to get Kevin back into the boroughs ASAP so he can access the magic.

[xie_er]

The doctor chuckles slightly.

"That is to be expected, but we can look at your pain medication." He says, looking down at the chart again.

Xie flinches at the touch to his shoulder, and though it looks like he's going to resist for a moment, he does finally let go of Kevin and push his chair back to give the doctor more room.

"I believe we did get that request, yes," the doctor agrees, glancing up at Tony "it's being processed, I just need to confirm that your friend here is well enough to travel. I don't expect there'll be any issue."

[weird_cop]

Tony stays by Xie, but moves his hand to the back of the chair, smiling at the doctor. "We'll be out of your hair as soon as we can," he says.

He glances down at Kevin and smiles a bit wider.

"You want anything?"

Kevin shakes his head. "Pain medication," he repeats. "And a full report of everything you found in the houses."

"Get healed up first, mate. Work later."

[xie_er]

"Ah, one of those types are we?" The doctor says jovially "Rest is part of the healing process, young man, so I would follow your friend's advice." He says to Kevin, stern but kind.

"The nurses will bring you some more painkillers soon," he adds "but I'm happy to clear you to be moved, someone will be by later to let you know when we can get that arranged. Get some rest."

He glances over at Xie before he leaves, frowns slightly.

"That goes for you as well." He adds. Xie doesn't respond, so the doctor glances at Tony instead "See if you can get them both to get some sleep?"

[weird_cop]

Tony smiles reassuringly at him.

"Will do," he confirms. "Not sure if that's possible but I'll do my best."

When the doctor's gone, he looks at Xie, and hardly needs Kevin to explain: "I need ot be at full magic strength before I can do the ritual."

"Right," Tony says. At least all Kevin needs is painkillers, but Xie is a different problem.

"I'd lose my job if I suggested downers," he says after a second. "You had anything to eat, even?"