(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Worry about only me Chapter 122: Worry about only me The Captain was on a mission.  He rushed the two of them to the cafeteria and ordered food for delivery, all while chatting to Hill and Gunther in a group call.

At the same time, he had his arm around Kellen like a leash.

He wasn’t going to let him escape, and Kellen could feel everyone’s eyes on him.  Most of them were hostile, or sympathetic.

It wasn’t a great feeling, but the Captain wasn’t giving Kellen enough time to stew in it.

He was making sure they didn’t idle in one place long enough for them to get caught in a conversation.

He even breezed past the A Class gym when others had clearly spotted them.

They seemed stunned that the Captain had done so, while Kellen just looked at them apologetically.  The Captain was still on the phone when they approached Kellen’s apartment.

Kellen wondered briefly if this was where the Captain actually wanted to take him, or if he wanted to go to his apartment, but he was still on the phone.

Kellen didn’t want to interrupt him, since it did seem he was busy working.

It sounded like a very serious conversation between the three of them.  Opening the door with his key card, Kellen took off his shoes, lining them up in the closet, before taking off his longer jacket and hanging it up in the closet.

After making sure they were neatly put away, he pulled on his downstairs house slippers.  He heard the door close behind him, so he knew that the Captain had entered.

The Captain had released his hold on him once he had stepped into the apartment.

After all, there weren’t a lot of places Kellen could run here.  Glancing at the Captain, who had wandered into the kitchen but was still on the phone, Kellen shrugged and headed upstairs.

He began pulling off the leather straps that criss crossed his body as he made his way up, listening as the Captain’s voice got further and further away the more he climbed.  Opening his door, he headed for the closet and opened the drawer that he kept the straps in.

There were several other sets, all of varying sizes, but this was his largest size.

Again, he worried that he was going to have to get a bigger set made.

Closing that drawer, he looked around the closet and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him.  He knew he didn’t have a lot of clothes before this.

After all, he had lived out of two duffle bags for seven years, but after shopping with the Captain, and the clothes having arrived, the closet actually was starting to feel lived in.

But, this was where Kellen came to a dilemma.

Should he put on one of the outfits that the Captain bought him, or should he wear his normal clothes?

He had been mixing and matching the things the Captain had bought him with his normal clothes, but he wasn’t sure if the Captain would be upset if he saw him dressed that way.  It was a little embarrassing to admit that he had so little clothing before the Captain, even if the Captain knew that.

At least, now it feels embarrassing.

Kellen had no idea why, since he had been perfectly fine with the fact that he didn’t have a lot before the Captain.

It hadn’t been possible to have a variety of clothing while on the front lines.

Sighing, rolling his shoulders, Kellen decided he’d stick to what he knew.

He pulled off his two shirts, tossing them into the laundry bin.

He would put on a pair of pants that the Captain had got him, while wearing one of his own t-shirts.

Black on black was fine, and the Captain might not even notice that he’d gotten Kellen the pants he selected.

Why would he?

“Who said you could run away from me?” The Captain’s voice from behind Kellen made him jump.

He spun, shirt off, pants on but unbuttoned, to face him.  He had entered the room quietly, and had a rather serious expression on his face.

He was frowning, his eyebrows were drawn, and his eyes were bright yellow.

His arms were crossed as he looked Kellen over, and Kellen felt his hands creep up and cover his nipples.

It was instinctual, and Kellen watched as his lip twitched.

“Why are you covering yourself?

I’ve already seen all of it.” Kellen’s face heated at his words.

“I, uh, it wasn’t intentional.” Kellen sighed again, turning his back to the Esper while knowing it was completely dangerous, but he was too embarrassed for no reason and he wanted to pull on a shirt.

Kellen bit his lip, aware he was hiding it from the Captain, but he was too nervous.

“If I’m honest, Captain, I feel like everyone’s been in a weird mood today, and you are no exception.

What’s wrong?

Why did you want to have a conversation in private?” Kellen asked, yanking a black t-shirt out of a drawer and pulling it on quickly.

He quickly grabbed a pair of lighter pants that the Captain had gotten him and changed his bottoms.  After he was finished, he turned to face the Captain, and was pleased that he hadn’t moved.

But, his expression hadn’t changed either.  “I’ll talk about it after food arrives.

You should go make yourself some tea.” Kellen met his gaze and stared at him for a minute before the Captain sighed.

He raised his hands, running them through his hair with his eyes closed before he ran them over his face.

Kellen watched him as he kept his eyes closed, before glancing at him through his fingers, the glowing, yellow orbs watching Kellen in return.

“Why don’t you make me a cup too?” He asked, his tone a little less harsh, and Kellen nodded.  Kellen, nervous, moved past the Esper to go downstairs, and the Captain didn’t do anything.

He didn’t follow him right away, except with his eyes.

He still had his hands on his face, so Kellen could only see his eyes.

Kellen felt like he was being watched by a beast, and he did his best not to rush down the stairs.  He headed for the kettle, filling it up before grabbing two mugs and thinking about what tea to make.

He had a feeling this was going to be a strange conversation, so he knew he was probably going to need something to help with that.

Deciding on a tea called Soothe, he put one in each mug before putting the tea away.

The Captain’s voice behind him made him jump again.

He was definitely using his powers to sneak up on Kellen.

Under normal circumstances, he would have ripped into the man, but Kellen had a feeling now was not the time.  “What’s in this tea for it to be called Soothe?” Kellen needed to calm down.

The Captain was clearly highly reactive right now.

Honestly, he was surprised at how well he was holding himself together, given the warnings that were blaring in Kellen’s ears right now, and Brent’s reaction.

Kellen couldn’t let his feelings, his worry, affect how he treated the Captain right now.

He knew that it would hurt him, and that was the last thing Kellen wanted to do to the man.  “It’s a herbal tea.

The flowers and herbs in it are supposed to help calm your mind or emotions.

I felt we both could use it today.” Kellen told him softly, and felt the Captain place his hand on Kellen’s waist like a brand.

The heat from his hand through his t-shirt made him shiver.

It was like he was running a fever.  “I won’t deny that.” He murmured.

The two of them stood, waiting for the water to boil.

It wasn’t long after the kettle popped that there was a knock on the front door.

Kellen swayed at the speed the Captain yanked his hand away from Kellen to answer the door.

The Captain was barely holding it together, but Kellen had no idea why.

What had made him so upset?

What had set him off like this?

Gathering himself again, Kellen spun on his heel, both tea cups in hand, and planced them on the island while the Captain closed the door with his foot, his hands full of bags.

Kellen went to help him, but the Captain shook his head.

He had a sharp look to his face, and Kellen wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, but something told Kellen he wasn’t ready for the answer quite yet.  “Y-You should take off your jacket, Captain.

You look as if you’re ready to bolt out of here at any moment.” Kellen’s words tumbled out of his mouth as the Captain placed the bags on the counter.

He paused, clearly surprised by Kellen’s words.

In Kellen’s defense, he did try to sound like he was joking, keeping his tone light, but he knew that he sounded nervous instead.

After a few beats of silence, the Captain glanced at Kellen.  “Well, I’m not quite sure if you’re okay with me being here.

After all, I did sound quite threatening in the guiding room.” He wasn’t wrong, Kellen would give him that.

The Captain probably also didn’t know that Kellen was on high alert because his Guide senses were telling him to do so either.

Kellen clenched his hands tightly, pressing them against the counter before he turned to look up at the man.  “You did sound quite threatening, and I myself am not sure if the threat is over or not, but it bothers me more that you are uncomfortable in my house.” Kellen wasn’t sure what that said about him, but it was an insult as his father’s son.

He never, ever wanted anyone to feel uncomfortable in his house if he had invited them in.

Or they had invited themselves in.  The Captain lived in a separate category in Kellen’s mind.

He was his partner, his pair.

This should be his second home, and it hurt Kellen that he wasn’t comfortable here.

The same way it probably hurt the Captain that Kellen wasn’t comfortable in his apartment either.  The Captain’s face shifted at Kellen’s words, and the darkness that he hadn’t really noticed until now lifted.

His expression softened slightly, and he turned, unbuttoning his jacket before hanging it up in the closet.

He rolled up the sleeves on his button up shirt, before glancing at Kellen again.  “Better?” He asked him, his tone teasing and Kellen nodded.

He shook his head, a slight smile placed on his lips before he turned back to their food.

He began unpacking everything, putting quite a few containers on Kellen’s side.

He honestly couldn’t remember what he had ordered for them.  CREATORS’ THOUGHTS CalyB Something is seriously wrong, and poor Kellen has no idea.