(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 378

Chapter 378: Dinner with family
Kellen made sure he messaged Rhys, letting him know of his plan, and also messaged Taylor. He wasn’t asking her to join him, and was instead checking in with her. This was the time that he normally went for his observed guiding sessions with her and Rhys, but for the next month, they were dropping it down to once a week.

One, Taylor hadn’t seen much changes in the results she was getting recently, and two, she had a lot on her plate right now. She was helping with the human trial side of things, or so he was told. Kellen hadn’t known that they were moving into human trials, but it felt too soon. Maybe they were just making sure that they had all of their ducks in a row so that they could transition into that easily.

Kellen didn’t know, nor did he think it would do him any good to know. So, he just didn’t care about it. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t worried about Taylor overworking herself.

Gwen peered over his shoulder in the elevator as he texted her.

“Who are you texting? Is it…Taylor?” She guessed, her expression brighter after they had hugged for another ten minutes. Kellen nodded, looking up once the doors opened for the cafeteria and Kellen was faced with the fact that it was more empty compared to before. He swallowed his feelings down and answered Gwen as they stepped out of the elevator in unison.

“Yeah. Just checking in on her. It’s a little strange to not have to see her today.” Kellen admitted and Gwen smiled.

“You could still go see her everyday if you wanted to.” She suggested and Kellen chuckled.

“I think she’s too busy for that now.” Gwen, who didn’t know what was going on in the Guild frowned, obviously worried that Kellen had come to that conclusion on her own. She grabbed a couple of trays, assuming that Kellen would need more than one as they got into line for the cafeteria.

“Kellen Woods.” She started, ready to lecture him, and Kellen let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s not my brain this time. She is genuinely busy this time. I can’t say the specifics, but yeah.” Kellen said, and Gwen deflated. Kellen finished his text, sent it off, and tucked his phone into his pocket. He took the two extra trays that Gwen had picked up and nodded his thanks.

“Well good. Or not so good. I was working up a really good lecture this time. It was going to involve making Captain Thatcher feel bad.” Kellen smirked, snorting, before he started laughing.

“Oh yeah? Was it because I made him feel that way?” Kellen asked, teasing her. Gwen gave him a look.

“Of course it’s because you made him feel that way! It was going to be about relying on the people who care about you. Very moving. Very emotional. You would have cried.” She said, sniffing and pretending to wipe a tear away with her finger. Kellen laughed openly at her, his smile reaching his eyes. Damn. They both had needed this.

The others in the cafeteria looked upon the siblings, and Kellen was hoping that they were looking upon them fondly.

Gwen and Kellen continued to tease each other, Gwen making fun of how much food he’d grabbed even as she helped him carry it all to a table and they laughed and joked throughout the whole dinner. It was nice. Kellen couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had had a moment like this. Between his job, and her working to qualify for the Esper games and her friends, they had been super busy. They hadn’t had time to check in like this.

“So? How is the Guild?” Kellen asked. He smiled, knowing it was a loaded question. He was, after all, sleeping in the same bed as the Captain of the Guild that she was in. A Guild that she was in basically on probation.

Gwen fiddled with her fork, a complicated look on her face.

“It’s…good. Not quite what I was expecting, but I also think I joined at a strange time.” Gwen admitted and Kellen perked up at that. She had some gripes? What were they?

“Oh? Is something wrong? I’ve never been in a Guild before, nor did I want to be in one so I didn’t really come into this with any preconceived notion of what I was getting into. Did something not live up to your expectations?” Kellen asked her and Gwen sighed. She glanced around, and Kellen put down his fork to cover her vision. Preventing her from glancing nervously around at the Espers who were in the cafeteria with them. “Ignore them. Tell me.” Kellen insisted.

“Well…I just…I feel like I’ve been training forever. Don’t get me wrong, I do think I need it. I just…I was told we were going to go on a lot of trips, bonding exercises. All that fun stuff, and we’ve barely gone on one. I know it’s a silly thing to complain about. We have a terrorist organisation who is targeting not only the city, but our family personally. I guess I’m just…angry? Bitter?” Gwen shrugged, pushing around some food on her plate with her fork. “It’s not really a big deal, and I know I’m being silly.” Kellen shook his head, smiling softly.

“I don’t think it’s silly at all. You’re allowed to be frustrated, Gwen. It’s okay to feel that way. This is a frustrating situation. You were promised things, and because of things outside of your control, you aren’t getting them. I completely understand your frustrations.” Kellen told her. “It’s okay to have these feelings. There is nothing wrong with that.” Kellen told her, and Gwen swallowed.

“Is it?” She asked softly and Kellen nodded.

“Totally. Just don’t take it out on people who don’t have any control over the outcome either. So don’t get mad at your trainers.” Kellen told her and Gwen’s lips twitched.

“I’m not that kind of girl. I wouldn’t do that.” Gwen defended and Kellen smiled. Reaching out, he ruffled her hair aggressively, much to her protest. “Kellen!” She shouted, and Kellen laughed, sitting back on his bench, grinning.

“I know you wouldn’t, but as an older member, and someone who has been in this field a lot longer than you, I have to say it. Our Gwen is a good little Esper, isn’t she?” Gwen’s cheeks flamed.

“Don’t you dare.” She said, and Kellen smiled, turning to his food to shovel a few mouthfuls in, silencing himself. Gwen calmed down slowly, before she sighed. “That, and I can’t really date. You have no idea how hard that is to do when everyone looks up to you, Kellen. All they want to know is if all the rumours about you are true.” Kellen was surprised to hear that.

“What? How the hell am I getting in the way of your dating life?” Gwen gave him a look, before she gestured around the general area of the cafeteria.

“Duh! I’m not exactly leaving the Guild to go out, now am I? I’m doing my best to stay in, out of trouble, because lord knows what would happen if I got killed or worse, captured.” Gwen shuddered. “I’m too cute. I don’t even want to think what they would do if they sunk their claws into me.” While it was true that she was cute, Kellen didn’t even want to humour the idea of her being kidnapped, or killed. They weren’t pleasant thoughts to Kellen.

“Okay. So your dating pool is smaller? How does that involve me?” Kellen asked, glancing up at his sister. She stared at her clueless older brother, before she shook her head.

“Kellen, you’re a damn hero around here. Not only did you save the Espers from surging, you also are dating and paired with the Captain of the Guild. You know, the whole reason a lot of the Espers are here. He’s like a shining beacon to them, and then you come in, all tough and badass and willing to go to jail for them to protect them, even against your own kind.”

“Guides and Espers are human, Gwen.” Kellen reminded her and Gwen rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean though, right? That’s how a lot of the Esper’s view you. This great guy who if they have worked with before, they are impressed with your work ethic, and if they haven’t, they are stunned by your everything else.” Kellen scoffed at her praise, not believing it for a second.

“If that was the case, Gwen, they would have approached me to act on that.” Gwen gave her older brother a look.

“Kellen, you’re the kind of guy that you look at, but don’t touch. You kind of project this aura of ‘I’ll kill you if you approach’ and I’ve also heard tales of how you have turned down young Espers and bruised their egos.” Kellen was sure he had heard this kind of lecture from Brent before, so he really wasn’t expecting this from his sister of all people.

“That just…that can’t be true. That’s ridiculous.” Kellen protested, still in denial and Gwen smirked at him.

“Just admit it. You couldn’t even notice that others were flirting with you. You needed Captain Thatcher to spell it out for you.” She teased, and Kellen felt his face heat.

“O-Or!” Kellen started, trying to defend himself. “I just liked him so much that I didn’t notice anyone else.” Gwen, who had her mouth open ready to mock him for whatever he said, paused. Her expression soured.

“Damn it. What the hell am I supposed to say when you say something as cute as that? Fuck you, Kellen. That’s adorable. Have you told Captain Thatcher that?” Gwen asked and Kellen flushed.

“Uh, well, he knows I’ve had a crush on him for a while.” Kellen thought back to the previous night and his face turned a deeper shade of red. “I am pretty sure he knows.” Kellen murmured. Gwen smirked, leaning her elbows against the table so she could rest her face against them. She smirked.

“Awe. My big brother, all in love and shit. While I can’t even get a date because of him.” She protested and Kellen sighed.

“You’ll be able to have fun when you’re on the front lines. It won’t be all work, and Hill will be there. She’s a bad influence, so I’m sure she’ll show you all of her favourite hunting grounds.” Gwen’s eyes sparkled, before she started laughing.

“You aren’t worried if she lays her hands on me?” Gwen asked, and Kellen gave her a hard look.

“Let it be known, I’ve already warned her of the consequences of her actions. You, however, are my baby sister. You’ll probably be laying your hands on her if my understanding of your personality is correct, and I don’t particularly care to know if I’m wrong.” Kellen said, moving onto a fresh plate of food. “And, I’m not so blind to everything, Gwen. I know you have been up to no good for a long, long time. You might have been able to turn invisible, but you were terrible at sneaking at first.” Kellen told her, shoving a bite into his mouth. Gwen’s expression faltered, before she sighed. “Plus, I think some of the receptionists downstairs might have been interested in you.” Kellen added, and Gwen brightened up.

“Really?”