(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Guiding is the easy part Chapter 47: Guiding is the easy part Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around the Captain’s neck as he adjusted his grip on the Guide.

Kellen wasn’t sure what was going on.  “Captain?” He asked, only to have those yellow eyes stare down at him.

For a moment, Kellen felt like he was staring into the eyes of a beast, before his eyes relaxed, his facial muscles moved, and the man smiled down at him.  “Yes, Mr.

Woods?” His voice grew softer, and Kellen felt his heart race at the easy transition.

Just 20 minutes ago he had been so cold and stoic, focused as Kellen held his hand and guided him.

Now he was soft again, and that transition made something warm and hard melt inside of Kellen.

He swallowed.

“A-Are you done now?” He asked nervously.

It wasn’t exactly what he wanted to ask, but it was the easiest thing he could get out.

The Captain smiled wider.  “Of course.

We were supposed to have our guiding session, weren’t we?

I’m sorry I missed it.” He started moving away from the others, climbing out of the hole he’d made in the ground.

He carried Kellen as if he weighed nothing, and Kellen frowned.

He must have been exhausted from using his powers, but he wasn’t showing it.

Kellen tightened his grip around his neck.

“Easily forgiven.

You were doing other important things.

The only reason I was a little upset was because you didn’t let us know.

It isn’t like you to miss things without reason, and you clearly had one.” Kellen spoke softly.

The Captain sighed.  “I did message Green originally, worried you had forgotten to carry your phone with you again.” Kellen felt his cheeks tint at the pointed dig.

“But I wasn’t able to reach out again to give her another update after we heard the first explosion.” The Captain moved with quiet, but powerful strikes.

It was only a matter of minutes before they were near where Kellen and Hill had originally landed.

The place was crawling with first responders, D.E.C.

members, and reporters.

The D.E.C.

members were holding the reporters back so the rest could work.

As soon as they came into sight, a riot of sound came their way.

The Captain tenses, and since Kellen was having constant contact with him, he could feel his powers fluctuate.

It was clear to him that as much as the Captain was standing and behaving normally outwardly, the man was in a delicate state.

Worried, Kellen grabbed his face with his hands, turning his head in Kellen’s direction.

“Captain, you need to control your emotions right now.

You don’t want to show others your weak side, I know that at the very least.

You also aren’t close to surging, but we both know you are far from stable right now.” Kellen spoke quietly, trying to make his voice so low that even Hill couldn’t hear him.

Kellen stared into the yellow gaze before him, the Captain staring back in surprise.

After a moment, his features softened.

He moved one hand, holding Kellen’s hand in place on his face while his other held the fully grown man up like he weighed nothing.

Maybe to the Captain, Kellen did weigh nothing.

It wasn’t a concern to him at the moment.  “Yes, but you’ll always be there to soothe me, won’t you Mr.

Woods?” The Captain was fishing, and in this case, Kellen was willing to bend to him.

He chuckled, pulling the Esper’s face closer towards his own.  “If you’ll have me.” Kellen told him before kissing him gently, pushing a small amount of guiding power into him.

The Captain’s shoulders relaxed immediately, and Kellen pulled away.

It was a chaste kiss.

He smiled.

“Better?” He asked, already knowing the answer.

The Captain gave his hand a squeeze before wrapping both arms around the Guide again.

He was grinning like a man possessed, and Kellen wasn’t aware of the reason why.

He’d been so focused on keeping the Captain sane that he didn’t care about the fact that he’d given every last reporter in the city a front page photo of the new pair.  “I think it’s time for us to head home now.” The Esper told his Guide with a warm smile, giving the Guide a second to prepare himself before propelling himself into the air.

Kellen glanced behind him, catching Hill’s gaze who gave him a wink.

That was the only distraction he was given before he remembered something.

He hated this.  He’d been so distracted by the worry for the Captain that he hadn’t had time to fully process being in the air with Hill.

But now that they were on their return trip and he was relaxed enough to get uncomfortable.

The Captain, who had been focused on getting back safely to the Guild, noticed that something was up with Kellen.

Glancing down at the man, he noticed the way he had his eyes closed tightly, and how his grip tightened around his neck.

He chuckled, his heart squeezing at the sight of the younger man relying on him to get him to the Guild safely.

When they eventually landed, Kellen fully expected that the Captain would tease him about his behaviour.

He didn’t.

And when Kellen opened his eyes, meeting the yellow gaze above him, he found the man had a tender expression on his face.

He wanted to ask why, but something inside made him stop.

He wasn’t sure if he was ready for the answer.  With confidence, the Captain entered the lobby.

With the Guide still in his arms, he had waited for Hill to land and open the door for him.

Kellen, confused as to why he hadn’t put him down, didn’t speak, still mulling over the look the Captain had given him earlier.

Hill also helped them by getting them into the elevator, and even hit the button the Captain wanted.  The medical bay.  Kellen felt his blood freeze as he knew how angry his friend was going to be.

Whether it was just at him or not, he wasn’t sure.

Both him and the Captain weren’t in great shape, and she would know that as soon as she touched them.

He winced, not looking forward to this.  Hill didn’t follow them, instead giving them a wave as the Captain headed towards Taylor’s office.

He knocked on her door, before using one of his hands to open it.

When Taylor looked up and saw them, she ordered both of them to sit down.

The Captain, refusing to let Kellen go, sat down with him in his lap, much to Kellen’s embarrassment.

She ignored Kellen, going to look after the Captain first, much to his upset, but once he was cleared, she turned her attention to her trouble-seeking friend.  “Shirt, off.” She ordered tartly, and with a great sigh, Kellen did as he was ordered.

Taylor seemed surprised by how much muscle mass he had retained.

“How?” She demanded, her eyes glowing an otherworldly green as she looked over him intently.

The Guide shrugged.  “I drank a huge cooler of shakes.” He told her.

“And I had a full lunch.” Taylor froze at his revelation, before she shook her head.  “Well, I’m glad that they worked, but given how your body looks on the inside, it’s a miracle you’re still standing.

You’ve overextended your powers Kellen, but you already knew that.” He nodded at her chastising tone, while the Captain’s grip on him tightened subtly.  “Yes, but I actually feel fine.

I’m not dizzy or delirious.

I was for a moment, but after consuming another shake, I was fine.

Despite a single nosebleed that lasted not even a minute, I’m fine.” Kellen recalled everything he could, knowing she needed every last drop of information he could give to get a full picture.

While the Captain seemed unconvinced that he was doing okay, given the circumstances, Taylor received his report positively.  “Only a nosebleed of less than a minute?

You are continuing to get more powerful Kellen.

That part is worrying, but if I sent you to get tested every time I had a concern, you’d never leave the Center.” She sighed, sitting back on her desk as she looked over the two before her, her eyes returning to their normal shade.

“We aren’t doing our guiding session today.

In fact, both of you are on ordered bedrest.

If I see either of you around outside of the cafeteria, or picking up a food order, I’m going to be furious.

In fact, get Hill or Gunther to pick it up for you.

I’ll make sure the front desk knows.” Her gaze grew serious, and her eyes glowed green again, flexing her powers.

Kellen opened his mouth, much to her unamusement.  “I can’t.

I have my new recruit here and he only just signed a contract with Casper.

I need to show him around, get him comfortable, and go over what his new job entails.” Taylor glared at Kellen and he flinched.

She was normally pretty well mannered.

Unless it came to breaking her rules.  “You’re lucky to even conscious Kellen!

You know you are going to experience side effects from the level of guiding you did, but you’re going to argue with me about your new Guide?

Are you fucking crazy?

What about your health?” Captain tensed behind Kellen and he knew he was screwed.  “Side effects?

What kind?” He demanded and Kellen’s face turned red.

Taylor glanced at him, but didn’t hold back.

Kellen knew it had to be because he was his pair, but he hoped it was because he was the Captain of the Saturn Guild.  “There is a reason Guides keep sessions to 15-30 minute intervals.

Any longer than that and there is a chance for a rebound of sorts.

We call it overextension or overexertion.

With your Class, and how long Kellen was Guiding, there is no chance he’s escaping side effects.

Kellen here is trying to tell me that he is going to go about the rest of his day like nothing happened.” She sighed, shaking her head as the Captain’s grip on Kellen tightened further.

She continued.

“Side effects can vary for everyone, but for Kellen he usually runs a particular type of fever and is usually overly sensitive to touch of any kind.

These are fairly common side effects, but are particularly awful.

They can be excruciating without a partner, especially without an Esper.

The only way to soothe the sensitivity is to gently surround the Guide in the Esper’s power while touching the Guide.

That’s the only way to calm them.

Even if this side effect is common, it can sometimes last for days.” She sighed again, running her hand over the top of her smoothed hair.

“I don’t think that’ll be the case for Kellen, even at his level, but he needs his rest.

Even if it’s with sleeping pills.

Give me a sec.” She turned and went for a large cabinet behind her desk.

Kellen could feel the Captain’s stare on him.

He was clearly upset.  “Don’t.

I would do it all over again and you are not going to order me not to.” Kellen warned, refusing to meet his yellow gaze.

His fingers grazed his skin, pushing his hair away from his forehead again.  “Kellen…” He started, and Kellen pushed his hand away.  “No.

It’s part of my job, and as Taylor said, it’s not going to last for long.

I can also still do my job even if I have side effects.” The Captain muttered something low enough that Kellen couldn’t hear, but Taylor could.

She snorted rudely.  “You’re right Captain Thatcher, his is stubborn.” She finished routing around in the cabinet and emerged with a small baggy labeled ‘sleeping pills for Guides’.

It left a lot to be desired, but she handed them off to Kellen.

“Alright, these should work if it gets to be too much.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” She warned her stubborn friend.  “Don’t worry, I’m going to take care of him.

Please let Casper know to show the new Guide to a guest room and apologise for Kellen being unavailable.” Kellen hated that the Captain spoke for him.

He threw a glare in his direction.

The Captain, who had yet to be at the receiving end of such a sharp glare since earlier in the week, flinched.  “I can at the very least tell him that myself.

Brent would rather hear it from me too.” The Captain paused, before he sighed.  “I don’t want to fight with you.” He admitted sadly, and Kellen nodded, crossing his arms while still sitting in the other man’s lap.  “And I don’t want to fight with you either.

I just want to tell Brent that I’m sorry and I’ll see him tomorrow.

It’s on the way up to our apartments.

I promise it’s just a quick in and out and then you can keep an eye on me, alright?” Kellen dropped his voice into a soothing tone.

The Esper stared into Kellen’s face, watching him.  “You’re very good at manipulating people Mr.

Woods.

If I was anyone else, I would be worried.” He told him, and Taylor sighed, settling down in her chair again as Kellen pulled on his top again.  “Remember Kellen, you’re working on borrowed time.

The fact that the side effects outside of the nosebleed haven’t already manifested is a miracle.

Don’t push your luck.” Her warning felt ominous, but Kellen smiled and laughed it off.  “Thank you for your concern Taylor.

I’ll see you tomorrow.” She nodded and Kellen got up out of the Captain’s lap, much to the Captain’s frown.

But, the Captain stood, taking the younger man’s hand in his.

When Kellen shot him a confused look, the grip only tightened.

He was behaving as if he was afraid Kellen was going to sprint away on him.

Kellen shook his head.

Did his word mean so little?

The two headed out, waiting for the elevator in calm silence, at least on Kellen’s part.

The Captain was anything but.

As soon as the elevator arrived, the man stepped in, hovering behind Kellen like his shadow.

Kellen hit the button for the Guiding Division as the Captain glowered behind him, and Kellen couldn’t help the small smile that touched his lips.

He didn’t know why, but he found the sulking, worried behaviour of the Captain as rather cute.

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS CalyB Note to self – keep all guiding sessions under 30 minutes.

Side effects are NO JOKE.

Dumb foolish boy has no IDEA what is about to rock him.