(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 175

Chapter 175: A soft, squishy Esper Chapter 175: A soft, squishy Esper Kellen was exhausted, and it wasn’t even 3 pm yet.  After he had been rudely interrupted by the two lovers of everyone of the Guild, he’d had to go back up to his apartment and change.

He had kind of expected Rhys to still be in his house, and was a little disappointed that he was gone, but had dealt with it easily when he found that Rhys had left him a note on the mirror of the bathroom.  Thanks for keeping my toothbrush, Sweetheart Kellen had been smiling like a fool since he’d seen it.

At least, until he made his way to the main elevators and had to compose himself into the hard, Field Guide instructor that he was meant to be.  He had slowly made his way down to the Guide levels, stopping in to see if Miro was around on his research level to see if he could talk to him about tomorrow.

Miro had been in, and had been singing to some of his more docile plants.

Kellen had only been allowed in because of his status, and not because the researchers had trusted him.

Miro’s expression had lightened when he’d seen Kellen.  “Guide Woods!

You’ve come to visit!” He exclaimed, and Kellen kicked himself for not visiting sooner.

Miro was so obviously happy he felt like a monster.

The way that his normally dark, black eyes had lit up from within had made something warm grow in Kellen’s chest and he easily accepted the hug from Miro.  “I have, but I’ve also come to ask for a favour.” Miro froze, stepping back from Kellen, a worried look on his face.  “You haven’t come to hurt my plants, have you?” Kellen laughed, shaking his head.  “No no, it’s about the Field Guides.

Remember how I asked if it was possible for them to come in for a visit?

I know it’s rather sudden, but is tomorrow okay?” Miro’s face, which had been closing off, opened again rather quickly, surprising Kellen.

He had thought he was going to still be upset, especially since it was sudden.

If he didn’t have to leave the Guild, he would have normally given him a week’s notice.

He actually felt quite bad about it being less than 24 hours.  “Ah, that.

You said tomorrow?” Miro asked, and Kellen nodded in confirmation.

Miro turned his back to Kellen, returning to checking on his plants.

“Hmm.” He pondered, but Kellen could see how his shoulders were shaking, and there was colour on his cheeks.

He was flushed, and excited, and it was very cute how he was trying to play it off like he was thinking about it.

If Kellen had approached him when he wasn’t around his plants, he probably would have had a completely different reaction.  He probably would have had a flatter, but still excited reaction.

Kellen was interested in the way he was able to change just from the lack of plants around.

He was still surprised by how some powers affected others, and now that he knew about this, he would try to visit Miro more.  “I guess…I’ll allow it.

What time?” Miro asked, and Kellen kept pace with him as he moved through the beautiful atrium that Miro had created in two floors in the middle of the tower.  Miro had taken over more than two floors of the tower, but Kellen had a feeling he had basically made them into a vertical garden, separating out the natural flora from the invasive ones from the gates.

The way that this garden was laid out, with placards and detailed descriptions, it was clear that Miro wanted people to visit his gardens, but at the same time… “Would it be alright if they came in two separate groups at two separate times?

The classes are split up so that the Guides can continue their duties outside of becoming Field Guides.” Miro nodded.  “What times?” Kellen then proceeded to hammer out the details with Miro, watching as green snuck into his gaze as he spoke, and a few of the vines in the area began to dance slowly, moving to curl around Kellen’s shoulders and hair.

It was cute and harmless, but did worry Kellen with how easily Miro stepped into the power he had.  Honestly, he should be more worried about the Captain for the very same reason, but he wasn’t.

He wasn’t sure if it was because he had a lot more faith in the Captain, or what it was, but Miro…Miro didn’t strike him as a man with a strong personality in the same way that the Captain was.  That wasn’t a diss to Miro, Kellen really liked him, but it was true to say that in a room, you would notice the Captain first over Miro.

Kellen knew it was probably intentional on Miro’s part, but that didn’t make him any less worried.

It wasn’t like flora wasn’t alive.  Kellen would definitely have to spend more time around him, give him more human contact.

He feared Miro would get swallowed by the plants if he didn’t.

He wasn’t sure if that was just his personal feelings, or if that was his Guide powers talking to him, warning him.

He was new to having A Class powers.

He had no idea what to expect.  Miro was a sweetheart even to the end, and agreed to look over the baby Field Guides with Brent while Kellen was gone.

He was sad that Kellen wasn’t going to be able to go through the gardens with them, but Kellen just told him that it meant that the two of them could go through the gardens together at another time.

Miro had lit up from the inside, and given Kellen another hug.  It meant Kellen left with a smile on his face, and a warmth in his heart.

The worry he had for him was overshadowed by Miro’s enthusiasm to show off his gardens, and spend time with the people he cared about.

It carried Kellen into his first class of the day.  Brent was easy, especially when Kellen had confirmed that he’d spoken to Miro already.

The rest of the class?

They were actually a mixed bag.  Some were quite excited to go to the gardens, while some seemed hesitant.

It wasn’t until Brent spoke up that Kellen finally understood why.  “Lots of them have tried to guide Miro before.

When he falls asleep mid session it cuts off like they’re being rejected.

They aren’t used to dealing with Espers near the edge of exhaustion yet, like we are from the front lines.

It’s painful for them.” Brent whispered to Kellen, and Kellen nodded.  It wasn’t easy to numb yourself to that shock, especially so since Kellen had come face to face with a rejection recently.

The reason why it probably hadn’t hurt as much as it should have was because Kellen caught it early, but also might have been because Kellen had been expecting it at the time.  He and the Captain had been in a strange headspace for a while, and Kellen had a feeling he had put up a protective barrier of some sort, especially given how weird the Captain had been prior to their guiding session yesterday.

Hell, he could have played a role in the rejection, but Kellen had never heard of it happening like that before.

When a Guide rejected an Esper, it usually was explosive.  The Esper shot away from the Guide like in an action movie.  That obviously hadn’t happened, but that was all Kellen could come up with.

The suggestion that their compatibility might have played a role in it was a good suggestion too, but since Kellen didn’t want it to happen again, he wasn’t going to test it.

To not be wanted at a base level hurt his pride, and he didn’t want to bring it up with the Captain ever again, because it wasn’t going to happen ever again.  The Espers who had tested out the plan while Kellen, Brent and Hill had gone for their chat had provided good feedback to Brent during their guiding sessions before their first class.

Kellen and Brent had adjusted their lesson accordingly, and it was still a little difficult for the first class.

It was good that they had run it past some others, since they sometimes forgot the base level that most Guides were working with, which was nothing.  Bree was still their star pupil, and Kellen had watched as her purple hair had grown out over the two weeks, showing the brown, almost blonde roots underneath.

The Field Guides were filling out though, and were excited to show off their newfound strength.

Kellen and Brent had a feeling that most of the Espers in the Guild found it cute that subsection of the Guides were offering to carry things for others, or help them move.  Kellen couldn’t blame him.

He overheard Bree saying she helped someone move into a new apartment over the weekend and she felt like a new person.

People were allowed to change, they were allowed to adapt and overcome.

It wasn’t his fault that his Guides were adorable, and growing on him.

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS CalyB Miro must be protected at all costs.