Chapter 250: Bitter pill to swallow
Brent was having a hard time. Unlike Rhys and Kellen, he didn’t have a shiny, pretty ring to show off to ward off the damn lecherous Espers that wanted a piece of his ass.
It was annoying, frustrating, and it was clear that they only respected something of that caliber. He tried to remind himself that they were of a different era, but a few of the damn shitheads were Brent’s age or younger!
They fucking knew better, but Brent still felt them copping a damn feel when he thought he wasn’t looking. It was a crime that they never did when Sergei was around, so it wasn’t like the fuckers didn’t know he was taken, they just didn’t respect him enough to care.
Brent was ready to lose his damn mind. They thought they had a chance, but the truth of it all was that even if there was a potential, it burnt to a crisp the moment they laid hands on him without his consent. It was a true tragedy that he wasn’t allowed a gun like Kellen was.
He would have been happy to shoot them in the thigh or arm and send them off to Lieutenant Dickenson without any regrets. He’d just give the big guy something shiny and pink since that seemed to be his vice.
Brent didn’t let it show that it frustrated him as much as it did, nor did he tell Kellen. The man had enough on his plate with the meeting the next morning, and he didn’t want to tell Sergei either and make the meeting worse. He already knew that the tensions between the S Classes were high, no matter what kind of test Kellen had done. It wasn’t just compatibility that mattered.
Some people just didn’t like others, no matter what that person did.
It was only a small miracle that the Guides liked Brent, Kellen, and Kellen’s Dad. They didn’t blame them for the lockdown since the E.A.G. had been pushing everyone like this for a while. They did blame Captain Dina for the lockdown a bit, but they also understood. They had been close with her girlfriend. They understood that loss made others a little crazy, so they had compassion for the older woman.
That was what told Brent that she was a good Captain, even if she was lashing out a bit here and there. It also made Brent even less willing to stir things up. He had to hold out. Had to wait. Even if the Guides were also annoyed and pissed off at what the damn Espers thought they could get away with.
They were forming a community of Guides that were just talking shit about the damn S Classes, and he hoped that they heard them talking shit. Brent knew that it would have to come to a head at some point, usually with a gun or a knife, but while he only had one hand right now he had to be careful. He knew he couldn’t fight back as well as he normally could, and that pissed him off more.
He did his best to control his emotions. He knew that most of the S Classes would be gone after the meeting. Most would go back home, especially after Kellen and the others had explained that the E.A.G. were behind the attacks and had tried to kill them or severely harm them so that their cities and regions were defenseless.
Brent was holding out hope that the worst ones would leave. He knew that Kellen wanted a few of them to stay to help out, that some of them would, but Brent just hoped that the worst ones left. He had a sneaking suspicion the goods ones would go, since they were worried about their people, but fuck. He was already doing enough as it was, keeping them alive, healthy, and hearty. Dealing with their damn groping like they didn’t know who the fuck he was?
That was hard enough. He was docile because this wasn’t his place, his home. They didn’t know how much of a good Field Guide he was, and how he’d let lesser Espers smother in gates before. They were lucky that they were worth more to him alive then dead right now.
Did Brent know that he was taking his work home with him? Hell yeah. He knew that Sergei could tell that something wasn’t quite right every time they met up for coffee, or lunch or dinner. He knew that Sergei could sense it, but when he tried to speak about it Brent brushed it off. He told Sergei that it was alright, everything would be alright once the meeting was done.
He wasn’t hiding it completely from Sergei, letting him know that his shitty attitude was because of the shitty Espers that were bothering him, but that he didn’t want to make a big deal about it until after the meeting.
Brent could tell that made Sergei feel conflicted, but he let Brent get away with it. Brent didn’t know if that was because he also wanted the meeting to go smoothly, or if he was doing it to respect Brent’s wishes. If it was the latter, the man was too damn sweet for him. Brent was finding that without a Kellen buffer, or Kellen to often run ideas past since he was busy with his own work, Brent was getting flustered and flushed all over again.
It didn’t help that they were spending a lot of time alone. They tended to not hang out with anyone else, and it wasn’t until Brent asked that Sergei explained. He didn’t mean to not explain it, it just slipped his mind because he was spending so much time around S Classes that he didn’t normally and his nerves were a little fried. Brent easily forgave him, probably would forgive him for several things if he did anything wrong.
Sergei explained that the reason that he wasn’t seeing Kellen or Rhys as often as he probably would like was so that Rhys and Sergei didn’t exhaust themselves of each other’s presence. They wanted to spend the smallest amount of time together so that they didn’t snap at each other during the meeting. They needed to have a united front, not that they didn’t want to hang out with each other as couples.
Couples. That word still felt strange to hear, even if it soothed the part of Brent that was angry and violent about his current situation. He wanted to come with them to the meeting, but he also knew that he had a giant fucking target on his back.
He wasn’t dumb. Colby was still a threat. If he got a visual of Brent he’d lock on and try to take him. He’d already tried once, and had done it several times before successfully. The man had every right to be cocky and confident.
Brent was safe because Aunt Dina and the others were keeping him locked away, and now that Brent had interacted with more, shitty Espers, he understood that he was in good hands. Brent did wonder if the Chronos Guild were going to send someone, or who the city was going to send as their representative and how deep in the pockets of the E.A.G. they were, but he wouldn’t know.
He wasn’t going because he wasn’t an S Class, and he was a serious danger to everyone there. There it was. Part of the reason why Brent was so angry, annoyed and bitter.
It was the first time that his being an A Class had been a damn burden to anyone, but especially Kellen. It was hard to believe, and a bitter pill to swallow. Brent had never been a problem for others before outside of his own behaviour, but he kept a good handle on that. Now that he was with his friends, the people who he considered his actual family over the ones that were trying to kill him, it was hard.
Hard to admit that now that the charm of them being here was wearing off that Brent was...a problem for them. They probably didn’t even consider it that way, but fuck, Brent hated this. He wanted to fix it, make it all better.
He needed a new damn prosthetic so that he didn’t feel so fucking useless. He wanted to be able to help out, even if he couldn’t be with them at their side at the meeting. He wanted his brother to just leave him the fuck alone.
None of this would have happened if the fucking idiot hadn’t tried to kill him at the party. He wondered if he even realised that.
~
Brent huffed as he slammed the door closed to the bathroom, sliding the lock home and thankful that the party had single bathrooms instead of the large scale ones where he could get cornered in a stall and it would take someone forever to find him.
He was dressed up, pretty, and damn it, Sergei wasn’t the only one who noticed. He’d pinned up his jacket but as he stared at himself in the mirror, he was reminded once more of what had been taken from him. Anger welled up and he knew that most of these feelings came from the fact that he felt useless, hopeless and he didn’t want to burden the others.
Brent sighed, his hand finding the edge of the sink as he continued to stare at his reflection and feeling like a fucking waste of space. Then, the soft knock sounded at the door.
"Brent? Are you alright?" Brent felt even more terrible. It was Sergei, and the man shouldn’t have to deal with a moody, fucking teenage Brent right now. He should be dealing with the happy, excited Brent. Brent felt like a piece of shit for continuing to take this out on him. He didn’t deserve this Brent.
"I’m fine." Brent called, watching his lips move, the words leave his mouth while he stared at his green eyes in the mirror and felt soulless.
"If you are, can I come in?" Sergei asked. Brent hesitated. A large part of him wanted to say no, to refuse so that he didn’t see him like this. "Honestly, I was just hoping to get a minute away from everyone. Is that okay?" Brent moved. He wasn’t about to let Sergei feel shitty in that room too. Brent slid the lock back, opening the door and coming face to face with the man who he should have told he was handsome several times over.
Sergei didn’t normally wear classic formal clothes and usually opted for the formal version of his Guild uniform. However, Rhys had convinced him to wear a suit, a three piece suit, with a tie. It was a black and white suit, nothing crazy, but it had Brent’s whole body aware of him. His blue eyes watched him, his piercings catching in the light and his tattoos peeking out over the edge of his collared shirt.
Damnit, Brent didn’t need to be horny right now. Horny and angry were a terrible combination.
Well, not always, but not right now. He didn’t think Sergei was the kind of man who would appreciate a bathroom hook up when everyone important was outside the door.
Brent took a step back, pulling himself together as Sergei stared down at him, his face unmoving. Sergei came in, closed the door behind him and slid the lock home. He then pressed himself against the door, still staring at Brent.
"I’ve let it go on long enough. What’s wrong, Brent? What’s going on? You look miserable, and I know that you aren’t normally. I thought you would tell me eventually, but I can’t see you like this anymore." Brent’s body stiffened hearing Sergei’s soft, gentle voice. "Zaichonok, I want to help. Let me, please." It was the please that broke him.
Brent dropped his head, unable to meet those piercing, blue eyes. Damn it.