(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 383

Chapter 383: What do you mean by that?
Kellen didn’t realise so much time had passed as he chatted with the Guides until he felt a shift in the air. Kellen turned before the hand landed on his shoulder, and he met Rhys’ slightly surprised, but happy gaze.

“Oh. I was planning to sneak up on you and surprise you. I wanted to embarrass you in front of your students.” Rhys teased and Kellen felt his cheeks warm as the other Guides laughed.

“That is simply unnecessary.” Kellen told the other man and Rhys laughed. He bent, wrapping his arm around Kellen’s shoulders and pulling him against him. Rhys let out a deep sigh as Kellen checked his status. He was stable, he was okay, and he hadn’t used much power in between the time he had last seen him and now.

“It’s okay, Captain Thatcher. Everyone knows how lovey dovey you two are.” One of the Guides said.

“That’s right! We got to brag about it on the front lines to the Nemesis Guild members. We rubbed it in their faces that their Captain wasn’t paired up. It really made them mad.” Another male Guide piped up, chuckling. That brought all of the Guides alive, chatting to each other about their paired Captain and their teacher.

Kellen was more embarrassed that they were bragging to another Guild, especially Captain Sergei’s Guild.

“I know that you, as members of the Saturn Guild, have a bit of a rivalry with the Nemesis Guild, but I am actually on rather good terms with Captain Sergei. I am actually surprised he hasn’t brought this up in any of the emails we’ve exchanged.” Kellen muttered, and Rhys’ arm tightened around his shoulders.

“You exchange emails that frequently with him?” He prompted and Kellen tilted his head back, looking at Rhys’ slightly pouting expression.

“Well, yeah. I use him to check in on everyone, and what the gates are up to.” Kellen said. “Captain Sergei is quite reliable in that regard. He is also the only one on the front lines who forked over the huge amount of money to have an actual base out there.” Rhys’ expression darkened at that and it didn’t take Kellen more than a few seconds to realise he’d messed up. “Uh, of course, that isn’t a mark against you, Rhys! I just meant-”

“I know what you meant. You like nice and rich Espers, don’t you?” Rhys was clearly pouting, but wouldn’t take his hands off of Kellen. Kellen was floundering as the other Guides watched on, amused.

“I don’t-that’s not-even if I was, that doesn’t take you out of that type, does it? You are a nice and rich Esper.” Kellen pointed out and Rhys ‘harrumphed’.

“Yeah. But not as rich as Sergei is in your eyes.” Rhys muttered darkly. “I could do that too, you know. I could have a permanent base out there. There just wasn’t a reason to when we only really have four Guilds out there at any given time and Sergei is always out there, more than we are.” Rhys defended and Kellen raised his hand, patting it.

“Yes, of course. I know that. This isn’t a hit against you. Both you and Sergei met any crazy demand I had when I made contracts. Only Sakura was crazy enough to try to negotiate discounts because we were friends in high school.” Kellen tried to comfort him. Someone let out a slight gasp.

“I-I always wanted to ask about that, but…you went to school with Captain Sakura, Guide Woods?” It was the girl Kellen had been comforting before. Her eyes were big and sparkling as he glanced at her and Kellen sighed.

“Yes. I did know her in high school.”

“So…you knew her before she was a she?” Kellen froze. It wasn’t the girl who asked, but another guy. Not even one of his Guides, but an Esper who had been listening in. Kellen didn’t like the look on his face, and Kellen didn’t hide his displeasure.

“Yeah. I knew her when she was still figuring it out. Why? Is that a problem?” Kellen was immediately defensive. Where Rhys had been clearly jealous before, his grip tightened on Kellen’s shoulders, his breath fanning Kellen’s ear as he let out a soft, but firm exhale.

“Oh? I didn’t mean it like that, you know? I was just curious about what she would be like. You know, before she became so…girly and shit. You know, when she was a he?”

“Kellen.” Rhys’ soft way of calling his name made sure that Kellen didn’t get up and punch the smug little smirk off of his face. It was clear from the shock on several faces around him that they didn’t know about Sakura’s situation. Kellen hated people like this the most.

The fact that the idiot thought it was okay to behave like this with his Captain around? Kellen was going to make sure he was reprimanded, but he also was pretty sure he didn’t need to lift a finger.

“Rhys, move back.” Kellen warned, and Rhys released him, letting out a deep sigh. Kellen would have worried from that sound that he was disappointed in Kellen if he hadn’t seen his anger reflected back from those yellow eyes of his.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” The idiot Esper asked as Kellen got to his feet. He wasn’t as tall as the other man, which was fine. The man was a giant. Kellen squared up with him all the same, his arms crossed, his legs a slight distance apart. Enough to give him a wide, stable stance.

A stance he had taught his Guides, who recognised what might happen if the man kept talking shit.

“You have to ask if you said something wrong? Of course you said something wrong. That is her personal business, and it is not your place to speak on it. I’ve known her since we were about 8 years old, and you will realise even I wasn’t speaking on it.” Kellen said, his jaw clenched. His balled up hands were hidden by his biceps. The Esper scoffed.

“She’s a damn Captain. She doesn’t get privacy anymore. It’s not like I said anything wrong. I didn’t call her a slur or something, and I’m still calling her by her preferred gender.” The way they were speaking was so incredibly disrespectful but Kellen couldn’t quite put his finger on why until he said preferred gender.

He wasn’t being respectful. He was mocking her. A woman who was an S Class Esper, who had worked hard for her Guild, her people, and to make her own place in the world. Kellen didn’t give a fuck if she had a different route to getting to where she wanted in life, everyone had their own struggles. It was why Kellen never asked certain types of questions. It wasn’t polite, and it was also none of his damn business.

“What the hell do you mean, ‘preferred gender’? That’s her damn gender. It always has been.” Kellen started. “And also, but some damn respect on her name. You wouldn’t like it if someone spoke about Captain Thatcher that way, and I will not tolerate that kind of disrespect for any of the S Classes that put their necks on the line to create safe spaces for other Espers.” Kellen was fuming. The Esper snorted.

“A safe space? It’s full of girls. How is that a safe space when someone like her is-” Kellen’s hand snapped, gripping the other man’s jaw and forcing him into silence. The Esper’s eyes widened as Kellen realised his face was bathed in a blue light.

“Shut your mouth.” Kellen ground out, aware now that his emotions were getting the better of him. “Have you ever considered that it’s creeps like you that make the women around you feel uncomfortable?” It was a long shot, and Kellen was reaching, but it was always these kind of assholes who spoke about Sakura like this.

The ones who had been excluded from safe spaces. The ones who thought that they were a gift unto all of womankind. Those who had been too pushy, too rough, too unsafe to be around.

Kellen watched as his face turned red, clearly from anger and embarrassment and Kellen shoved him back.

“Unlike you, Sakura has never had a complaint on her file. Ever. So why don’t you go and self-reflect on that aspect before you go pointing fingers against innocent people who are just trying to live their lives?” Kellen growled, blinking slowly as he stared at the other man. They were seconds from an altercation, Kellen could feel it. He was ready for it if the man pushed it, until a hand landed on his shoulder and the Esper deflated visibly.

“Mark my words, Esper Franks, we will make sure that an incident doesn’t happen like this again. You better run along before I allow my boyfriend to make an example out of you.” Rhys told him, both Kellen and Rhys staring at him with eerie, glowing eyes. Esper Franks disappeared, and Kellen had to take a few deep breaths to calm down.

When idiots spoke of Sakura like that, he always got a little worked up. Rhys pulled him close, pressing his lips against his temple.

“How many times have you gotten into fights like this?” Rhys asked and Kellen sighed.

“More than I would care to count. The idiots on the front lines were the worst. I often sent them to medical.” Kellen muttered quietly and Rhys’ shoulders shook.

“Does Sakura know?” He asked and Kellen turned, giving him a strange look.

“Why would she need to know? I’m not doing this to brag about it. I’m doing it because it’s the right thing to do.” Rhys’ expression softened and he bent, pressing his head against Kellen’s shoulder.

“Damn it. Stop making me fall even more in love with you.” Rhys muttered and Kellen felt his face flush. He said that too loud, and he could hear the Guides behind them giggling. That was going to spread all throughout the Guild by midnight tonight. That was probably his wish too.