(BL) Hunting The Field Guide

Kellen felt woozy when Rhys pulled away. His eyes felt swollen, his lips were swollen, and him and Rhys, while mostly satisfied, were clearly wanting more. Kellen knew better, and so did Rhys.

It also didn't help the fact that Taylor and Hill were turning a blind eye since there was only a tent flap between them. If they went any further…?

Kellen had issues kissing in the Guild tower, he couldn't even imagine getting caught doing anything else.

After Rhys pulled away, Kellen was the one fussing over him. Making sure he was okay. He seemed mildly affected, his eyes a little bloodshot, his lips swollen more than normal, but beyond that he appeared outwardly fine. Kellen knew that it would take at least one blood test to make sure that he was okay.

Rhys cleared his throat, letting out a heavy sigh before he called the girls back in. Kellen felt a little embarrassed, but both women were smiling. Taylor also looked a little apologetic.

"I'm sorry we stopped you two from doing that earlier, and I appreciate you waiting as long as you did. Carlos actually got back to me about the blood test that we took earlier just now and let me know that you are on the more mild side. As long as Captain Thatcher didn't drink any of your blood he should recover quickly." Taylor gave Rhys a pointed look. "And other specific bodily fluids." She warned and Kellen felt his face warm while Rhys let out a huff of laughter.

"Understood, Green." Rhys said softly, sounding more relaxed. Kellen couldn't say that he wasn't feeling the same. Kissing the man had soothed something that hugging him hadn't been able to do. Maybe it was the connection, but he wasn't quite sure.

Hill shook her head slightly, staring at the couple before she sighed, crossing her arms.

"Well, now that I've gotten the full story, and the little things that I need and we've told you about Brent, I'm going to have to head back. With Casper the only one back in the city, I'm essentially the only one here. Miro is travelling too much between to be a solid person to rely on right now, and Captain Thatcher? We finally got visuals on the others. My guess is that they were cleaning up the last of the man-made monster rush. Especially since there were higher Class monsters thrown into the mix." Hill told him.

Kellen glanced at Rhys, trying to understand what he was feeling, and who they were talking about. Rhys didn't really react, giving Kellen nothing to go off of. Instead, he nodded slowly, his lips turned up slightly.

"That would make some sense, considering how long they've been gone. They did warn me when they left months ago that they were going deeper into the forest. How much do you think they cleared out and mapped this time?" Rhys asked Hill and Hill made a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat. She raised a hand to her chin, rubbing it in a thoughtful gesture.

"Unsure. That's a hard thing to say. Last time because Jax got injured so early on they weren't able to go too far. But too far to them is a great distance to normal people." Hill said, and Taylor groaned.

"They're going to come here first, aren't they? Fuck. I really didn't want more on my plate right now." Kellen slowly clicked the pieces together after Taylor's comment.

More on her plate, months long adventure, Hill knows them…

"Are we talking about the two S Class members that you called back forever ago?" Kellen asked, and Rhys' lips turned up with pleasure.

"You remembered." He said softly, and Kellen gave him a strange look.

"Why would I forget that? I'm sure I actually knew that you had other S Class members to your Guild, but it wasn't as important as you so I just forgot it. Especially since I never interacted with them." Kellen said and Hill burst out laughing.

"Jax will be devastated to hear that. He won't recover. I can already see him crying like a big baby. Jules? Well, they might be fine." Hill said with a smile. "I think you'll get along with both of them but I will warn you and say that Jax is a bit…much. Especially because you're a Guide, and that you're the Captain's pair. Oh, and you're injured." Hill's warning was fair. Especially if they were an S Class…Esper?

Kellen wasn't quite sure, since that wasn't clarified.

"Are they both Espers?" Kellen asked carefully and the trio in the room looked around. They seemed to be hiding something from him, and Kellen didn't like it. "What? You're all sharing this secretive look, while looking amused. Is there something I'm not getting? I'm asking the question because I wasn't aware that there was an S Class Guide in the Guild. I feel like that is something you would have disclosed to me when I joined." Kellen was right to be a little upset, and Rhys pulled him closer.

"Kellen, sugar, it's just complicated. It's not that there is a Guide, but…well, let's just say they're the reason I didn't find it so strange that you had Esper capabilities." Rhys said with a little smile. Kellen glanced in confusion towards Taylor, who just sighed.

"That still doesn't answer my question." Kellen insisted and Hill chuckled.

"Just wait till you meet them. It'll make a bit more sense then." Hill told him. Not brushing him off, but clearly not answering him either. Kellen wasn't sure he liked that response, and Hill just smiled at him, shaking her head lightly. She moved towards Kellen, before she reached out her hand and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad you're out safe, and that we can go back to talking to each other like this. The tension before was too much for me." Hill admitted softly before Rhys swiped at her hand and she danced away, all smiles.

"Hands off." Rhys warned, like a territorial dog and Hill laughed.

"Yeah yeah. Kellen's his own person, and you know I couldn't ever look at him like that. Especially now. Send someone if you need anything." Hill said as she left, and it was just Taylor, Rhys and Kellen again. Taylor sighed.

"Alright, let's go through our second panel of tests, get some food into you, and then I'll observe a guiding session for you. I know that you, Kellen, don't care, but Captain Thatcher probably would appreciate it. I can also eat during that as well." Taylor said when Kellen was about to protest. He sealed his lips, but glared at her with his one good eye. Taylor's lips twitched. "It's good to have you back." She said, echoing the same sentiment that Hill had.

Kellen was glad that they thought so, because now that he was awake? They were going to find his nitpicking not as fun.

~

Two days passed in a heartbeat of Rhys remaining at his side through test after test. Kellen knew that because he was awake, he was the guinea pig. Carlos called him as much.

He didn't refer to him by his name, and instead called him test subject number 1. He knew that it bothered Rhys, but Carlos was a man who lived on the edge. He had problems with authority, had worked for the bad guys, and knew that he was in high demand right now.

Did that mean he pushed other people's buttons just to see how far he could go? Yes. Did that mean that Kellen let him get away with it? Also no.

Isabella looked ready to strangle Carlos, as did Sakura who was tagging along to make sure he was on his 'best behaviour' while also keeping an eye on Kellen and Rhys.

So when Carlos pushed too far, no one really expected that it was Kellen who was going to snap. Well, no one except Carlos.

One moment, everything was 'fine'. Carlos was pushing his buttons, making Rhys tense up, and also making Kellen uncomfortable while Isabella made a face from behind him, already planning the lecture she was going to give him. The next moment?

Kellen had his good hand wrapped around Carlos' healed neck, silencing the man. Sakura and Isabella laughed, while Taylor dropped her clipboard and Rhys froze next to them.

Carlos stopped talking, halted mid taunt while Kellen glared at the other man. His sight had been improving over the last two days, but that didn't mean he wasn't still constantly wearing the eyepatch. That meant he only had the one eye to get his point across, hence the hand getting involved.

"Enough, Carlos." Kellen warned and Carlos, for his part, was shocked, but not surprised. He knew what he was doing, but it was clear that he was trying to get the people who were normally classified as insane to react. They were holding it together by a damn thread, so Kellen stepped in.

There was no need for Rhys to get involved when Kellen could just as easily put him into his place.

Carlos' throat moved against Kellen's hand. Kellen could feel it as he swallowed, before his lips turned up slightly with a smile.

"Understood." Carlos said, much calmer and relaxed. Sakura seemed shocked, as did Isabella. Taylor was fumbling, trying to pick up her clipboard but her hands were still shaking a little from the shock.

Rhys started laughing.

"Got to hand it to Kellen. He never ceases to amaze me." Rhys said, full, blinding smile. Over the last two days Taylor had helped them through at least one guiding session a day. Because of that and Rhys just simply being around Kellen, he'd relaxed a considerable amount. He wasn't up to pregate levels yet, but he was on his way.

So was Taylor. She didn't have much of a choice, especially after Kellen had told Rhys how bad she was doing. And how she was avoiding touching Kellen so that he couldn't find out.

It was also the reason why Rhys hadn't ripped Carlos' face off, which the idiot probably knew.

Sakura bobbed her head, staring at him as Kellen released Carlos' neck. Normally, Isabella would have rushed to him to check on him, but instead she just sighed, shaking her head.

"You were warned several times." She told him softly and Carlos reached up, rubbing his neck where Kellen had held him. He chuckled.

"I was, and I still pushed. That's on me." Carlos admitted, but he didn't look repentant. Kellen gave him a look and he chuckled. "Lesson's learned. No need to manhandle me again." Carlos promised, and Kellen believed him. As much as he liked to push, he had learned his lesson. When someone said stop. He knew it meant stop.

Kellen relaxed back into the bed, and the check up continued with far less lip and taunts than before.