(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 305

Chapter 305: A boyfriend’s comforting embrace Chapter 305: A boyfriend’s comforting embrace “I-I don’t need-” “Oh hush, Kellen.

You’re just a sweet boy who others have taken advantage of.

Admittedly, I too want to take advantage of your sweetness, but in a different way.

So let me pay the tax, hmm?

I guess it would be considered boyfriend tax, but I doubt you consider us boyfriends.” Rhys’ chuckle made Kellen feel worse.  They were a pair, they were together, and they were currently living together, even if it was temporary.

What Rhys said…made sense to him, and it wasn’t as if there was another way to say that.

Well, maybe they were lovers, but even Kellen knew that they hadn’t done enough to be considered that.

At least, he didn’t think so.  “I consider us boyfriends.

We’re a pair first, but we are…dating.” Kellen’s tongue felt weird saying the word.

Well, maybe weird wasn’t correct.

It was uncomfortable.

Unusual.

He hadn’t said it a lot, especially when it came to him.

Rhys’ arms tightened around him.  “We are?

I had no idea.” Rhys teased and Kellen sighed.  “You should.

You’re the one who worked so hard to get us to this point.” Kellen mumbled and Rhys pressed a kiss against Kellen’s throat.  “I am glad you know that.” Rhys’ voice sounded light, happy.

Kellen grumbled.  “I am well aware of it.

You seem to forget that I told you I would also put effort into our relationship.” Kellen told him.

Rhys pressed another kiss against his throat, his hands patting and rubbing Kellen’s skin over his shirt.

Kellen didn’t hate it, but it was a sensitive spot.

“Rhys, maybe don’t pat there?

My bruise is-” Rhys practically unattached himself from Kellen before he got up, taking over the spot Kellen’s Dad had been in so that he was facing him.  His face had gone pale and he took Kellen’s shoulders in his hands.

Kellen was having whiplash.  “Are you alright?

I’m so sorry.

I can’t believe I forgot about your injury.

Fuck, I’m sorry.” Rhys was tripping over himself, and he looked terrible.

Kellen felt his lips twitch.

He raised his hands, placing them on top of Rhys’ on his shoulders.  “I’m fine.

I was just going to warn you to be careful.

It’s tender, so squeezing makes it hurt a little bit more.” Kellen told him.

Rhys’ expression didn’t change, and it looked like he was beating himself up.  “I was trying to comfort you, and I ended up hurting you.

I’m sorry.” Kellen chuckled.

He wasn’t the one who needed to be comforted.

It was Rhys.  “Rhys, come here.” Kellen said and Rhys hesitated for only a moment before he shuffled closer and slid his hands around Kellen proper.

Kellen did the same, holding onto the other man in a tight, comfortable hug that slowly had Kellen’s body relaxing.

Kellen could feel that Rhys was doing the same, and Kellen tucked his head into the nook of Rhys’ neck, relaxing into the touch of the other.  Kellen hadn’t expected to find comfort like this from another person, but now that he had, he felt greedy for it.

He’d noticed it when they had cuddled on the couch and hadn’t done anything…intimate.

They had just…held each other, and that had felt more deep and intimate than anything they had done in the bedroom.

Kellen had never just…held someone, or been with something that he could do that with.  Rhys was changing him in ways he’d never anticipated.

He was worried that he was never going to be able to be the Kellen he was before him at this rate.

He wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing yet, but he was sure about one thing.  He didn’t hate it.  Rhys’ soft sigh against his neck, where he too had tucked his head, made Kellen’s body relax further.  “Should we have done this in the closet instead of touching each other?” Kellen asked and Rhys snorted, not expecting Kellen’s words.  “Oh, I would gladly take whatever you give me, Kellen, but I think we needed both.” Rhys told him and Kellen chuckled.

He agreed, especially since he could feel his heart rate slow, his body relax, and he didn’t feel like he was trembling.  “Why did you tell them?” Kellen finally asked.

It was something he had wanted to ask since he had heard him tell every day detail of his life.

Rhys’ arms tightened around him.  “You were never going to tell them, Kellen.

I know that they needed to hear it, but I also knew you would have hated it if I had told them when you weren’t around.

You probably wouldn’t have forgiven me.

So, I saw the chance, and I took it.

I’m not apologising for telling them about the people who hurt you.

You’re Dad was trying to make a point, but he didn’t quite get there.

I knew what he was trying to say.” Kellen twitched.  “What do you mean?” Kellen asked and Rhys sighed again.  “Most people who stay that long on the front lines have a death wish, Kellen.

You didn’t, at least, not in the same way as everyone else.

The front lines are usually reserved for those who have nothing to go back to.

There was a reason I was at the forefront of front lines as soon as I formed my Guild, Kellen.

Partially to see you, but also because I had nothing to lose then.” Kellen didn’t like this talk.

He didn’t like hearing it, and he didn’t like how it made him feel.  “No.

Don’t say that ever again.” Kellen’s voice was hoarse, his emotions choking him.

“I don’t like it.

You have things to lose, don’t you dare say that again.” Kellen ordered, his arms hoping to bruise him.

Rhys sighed happily.  “It’s alright Kellen, I know better now.

Don’t work yourself into a panic about it.

I have you now, and I don’t want to lose even a moment with you if I don’t have to.” Rhys told him, patting his back to comfort him.

Kellen buried his head into his shoulder, rubbing his face against his skin.  “Good.

And I know lots of people were there just because they had nowhere else to go, but for a group that everyone says that they wanted to die, none of them did.

They just got used to others dying, I think that there is a difference.” Kellen mumbled.

“Brent was there because he had nowhere else to go, but I wouldn’t say that he wanted to die.

Sure, he might have been accepting if it had happened, and I would never bring this up to Brent because he’ll argue with me about it, but he had a zest for life.

He just…wouldn’t hate it that if it came to a situation where he didn’t make it out of the gate alive after doing his best, he would think that was the best way to go.” Kellen said and Rhys chuckled.  “Brent has a lot of secrets, doesn’t he?” Rhys asked and Kellen sighed.  “We all do, but yeah, I think Brent has a few more than normal.” Kellen said and Rhys chuckled.  “But I do think I know what you mean.

People couldn’t work that hard if they actually wanted to die.” Kellen nodded.  “The money isn’t that good.” He muttered and Rhys laughed.  “No, especially not as a freelance Field Guide.” He teased and Kellen sighed.

He finally felt…a little bit normal.

He didn’t feel tense, or that awful feeling in his chest.

He knew it was thanks to Rhys, but he didn’t know what to say to him.  “I…Thank you.” Kellen whispered.

“You seemed to know what I needed before I did.

Thank you.” Kellen told him and Rhys pressed a kiss against Kellen’s throat, pulling back but still keeping his arms around him.

He stared at Kellen’s face, scanning him before he smiled brightly.  “You’re welcome, Kellen.

What kind of boyfriend would I be if I couldn’t do at least this much?” He asked and Kellen frowned.  “I hope you aren’t thinking you have to be capable of this much for me to like you.

I didn’t even know your personality and I liked you, Rhys.

I even liked you when you were a moody asshole.

You don’t need to go out of your way to be nice to me.” Kellen said and Rhys’ smile dropped from his face.

He pulled Kellen closer, hugging him tightly.  “Damn it.

Why do you keep saying things like this when I’m trying my best?

Is it so wrong that I want to look good for you?” Rhys demanded, but Kellen couldn’t tell if he was speaking to him, or to himself.  “I don’t think it’s a bad thing, I just want you to know that I appreciate you doing the things you do.

I…I didn’t even know that I needed it until you did it.

So, thank you again.” Rhys held onto him, his arms tight and warm.

Kellen could feel himself relaxing even more into his hold, until the smell of something burning filled his nose.

“The cookies!” He cried, pushing Rhys’ arms off of him as he struggled to get up, moving towards the door without his cane.  Rhys laughed, sweeping him up and the bedroom door slammed against the wall as he moved them towards the stairs.  “Green!

What have you done?” Rhys called as they descended the stairs.

Kellen, who had panicked for a second, relaxed as soon as Rhys took control.

Rhys was taking up parts of Kellen that he didn’t even know were empty.

He could never let this man out of his sight anymore.

There was no way he would be able to survive without him anymore.

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS CalyB Kellen is realising a lot of things right now, and slowly learning what the feelings he is feeling mean and are called.

He’s having an awakening of sorts.