(BL) Taming the Field Guide

They took another break shortly after that, most of the Espers needing it to process what they had just heard. Kellen, for his part, wasn’t shocked. But how could he be? He was used to finding out the worst of people, even after he trusted them.

Kellen wasn’t worried about the Espers, he was more worried about how the Guides were doing. They’d gotten a heads up from Kellen before, but that didn’t mean that everyone had heard it in such grim details. Sergei came with them again, but stayed outside of the room because he didn’t belong inside while Rhys and Kellen went into the den of Guides hand in hand.

There was the sound of sobbing, obvious and overwhelming, in the room. It was clear that lots of the Guides were deeply affected by what they had heard. Even the S Classes that Kellen had spoken to before were upset. Both the blonde and the brunette were crying, while the dirty blonde and the black haired S Class were calm but angry. The burnt Guide wasn’t saying anything and their expression was hard to read as well.

Kellen made a beeline towards them.

"Welcome back, Guide Kellen." They rasped and Kellen gave them a small nod. They turned their head, looking towards an Esper who had somehow gotten into the room before Kellen and Rhys had. Kellen assumed they were either a teleporter or a speed Esper, Kellen wasn’t sure. He also didn’t care to know.

Not if what they said was true.

"How is everyone doing?" He asked, aware that other Guides around them were distraught. He swore the burnt Guide smiled at him.

"They’ll recover. This isn’t the first time crimes have been committed against us Guides, and it won’t be the last." They turned, looking at the others. They seemed...envious. "It’s a good thing that they can cry for others. They’re salvageable." Kellen had no idea what they meant by that, and he honestly didn’t want to know.

"I see." Kellen said, and the burnt Guide chuckled. It was a rough sound, like sandpaper against porous rock. It sent a small shiver down Kellen’s spine, but he did his best to keep his face neutral. They had no control over it, after all.

"You’re here for work, not pleasantries. Please, I wouldn’t want to keep you any longer. We have what we said we would give you ready. It took a while since a few of our Espers were a little unwilling to give information to some upstarts, but we convinced them otherwise." There was a gleam in their eyes that made a cold sweat break out on Kellen’s neck. Kellen was a little concerned how they convinced them, especially since Kellen was getting the distinct feeling it was their Esper in particular who had been difficult.

Kellen moved closer as a few pieces of paper appeared, coming from the dirty blond and the black-haired braided Guide. Rhys kept a firm grip on his hand.

"I hope that doesn’t cause any of you any issues." Kellen said earnestly, and the three that weren’t crying gave soft smiles, or the best that they could.

"Even if it does, Guide Kellen, we would never blame you. Trust us when we say that." The dirty blonde said, handing over the papers in their hands. Kellen almost glanced down to scan the papers but decided against it. Instead, he treated them much the same way that they had. They hadn’t shown them before it had been brought up, so Kellen made sure to tuck it away inside an internal pocket of his jacket. Rhys even helped and then smoothed out his jacket when Kellen was done.

"There. Not a thing out of place. If anything, they’ll just think I whisked you away to have my dastardly way with you." Rhys teased, winking, and Kellen rolled his eyes.

"It bothers me that they never consider that it could be the other way around." Kellen muttered and Rhys let out a loud burst of laughter before he covered his face.

"Mm, I think the more you are in the limelight, the more that idea will shift. Ah, I’m just thinking about poor Pamela. She’s going to be pulling her hair out because she can’t be within an arms reach of either of us. No control, which means that she is going to hear what happens after the fact." When he brought up Pamela, Kellen did feel an ounce of guilt.

He felt bad for their PR person. Pamela was going to have the shitty end of the stick because she wasn’t able to come with them across the ocean. She probably wouldn’t approve of what Kellen was doing and how he was going to do it, but he had very little choice in his opinion. He was sure that as she watched Kellen become more unhinged, she might have taken up habits to deal with it.

Kellen sighed, his shoulders slumping for a moment.

"We should get her a fruit basket or something. Or a liquor basket." Kellen muttered. Rhys snorted, pulling Kellen close to nuzzle his throat as he laughed silently. His shoulders jerked, and feeling the man laugh did something to Kellen’s nervous system. He relaxed, even if it felt like everyone was on edge around him.

Even the S Class Guides were staring at him, staring at the moment of sweetness with wide, curious eyes.

"Let’s not encourage her coping mechanisms, even if it is hers. I don’t think she drinks, or at least, not as often as some of our higher ups. She might actually like the fruit basket. I’ll send a text to Hill when we get back into town." Rhys told him and Kellen nodded.

"I’m going to have to give her several for what I have in mind, and how I might tarnish the Saturn Guild’s image." Kellen admitted, wincing. "I keep doing that. I’m sorry." Rhys stiffened at Kellen’s apology.

"Why did I put in all that effort to make a good impression if I can’t let my fiancé do what he wants? No apologies from you, Mr. Woods. I won’t accept them. You are allowed to take my reputation and walk all over it so long as you end up in my bed at the end of the night." Rhys declared.

It could have been romantic in a slightly unhinged way, if it wasn’t for the way that everyone had frozen after Rhys had spoken. Kellen didn’t understand why until Rhys turned and Kellen turned with him.

It was clear from the energy in the room that the man who was approaching them didn’t belong there. He was doing something highly illegal, but given that Sergei hadn’t stopped him, or hadn’t been able to, Kellen wondered who they were.

Kellen didn’t recognise them as someone who had spoken a lot or too little upstairs thus far. He was on the older side, but not as old as Elder Ellis or Kellen’s parents. He probably had a few extra years on Rhys, if Kellen could guess. He actually kind of looked like Rhys, in a strange way.

His dark hair and almost yellow gaze told him as much.

That was when Kellen’s body went cold and he couldn’t stop how his body moved.

"Are you fucking insane?" Kellen hissed, furious, and Rhys’ grip on Kellen tightened.

"Kellen." He warned, but Kellen didn’t hear him.

"What are you doing here like that? Rhys is an exception to the rule when it comes to yellow eyes. What in the world-"

"Ah, but I am coming to see my Guide, Guide Woods. You would be wise to watch your tone. Not all of the Espers around you are so forgiving today." The man slipped past Kellen and moved towards the S Classes. Kellen watched in horror as he approached the brunette and she hesitated before she crawled off of the bed. He held out a hand to her, slow, deliberate. He was staring at Kellen, not his partner, and that made Kellen’s skin crawl.

When the brunette met Kellen’s gaze, there was anger there, and resignation. Kellen felt his spine stiffen, his body protesting. He wanted to stop this, he wanted to prevent this from happening. Kellen knew that sometimes guiding others you didn’t like had to happen. He’d done it plenty of times, but being imprinted to one?

He’d heard of it, but he’d foolishly pushed it to the back of his mind. He’d been ignorant to it because of his parents and how well that had worked out for them. Kellen couldn’t contain the low, soft growl that left his throat.

"Kellen." Rhys warned, half understanding and half plea. He would fight for Kellen, he would do it, but he didn’t want to if he didn’t have to. Kellen understood, but that didn’t mean he had to remain silent when he saw something he didn’t like.

"Don’t tell me that you do that intentionally." Kellen spat, pissed. "Do you force her to Guide you when you’re at that level because then she has to do more intimate types of guiding?" Kellen wasn’t about to hold back. He was angry, and even the other S Class Guides were scared.

The S Class who hadn’t taken his gaze off of Kellen smiled. It made Kellen’s skin crawl.

"It’s when she feels pity for me the most." Kellen didn’t think that was the fucking case at all. Not from the way she was all but recoiling from him. For the first time, Kellen hated his nature. Hated that he wanted to help this man because he was disgusting. Lowest of the low. At least some of the other Espers who had imprinted on the S Classes were making it up to their Guides, like the one who was imprinted with the Blonde. He at least looked as disgusted as Kellen felt at the other Esper’s actions.

"Arguable." Rhys added dryly, and the Esper glanced at him. Rhys huffed. "I always know when Kellen feels pity for me, and I promise you, it’s never when he’s giving me intimate guiding." Kellen gave Rhys a flustered look, but while Rhys’ words were revealing, his eyes were hard, yellow gems in his face. He was making a point, and the Esper who was on the edge of surging, huffed.

"What would you know? You grew up in a soft era, away from all of the hardships that the rest of us had to go through." Kellen found that statement ridiculous. Kellen and Rhys might have not had to lose as many people as the others had to, but that wasn’t because it was easy.

Kellen had worked hard, fought tooth and nail to bring people back that others had sworn off. Not once, not twice, not even three times. Kellen didn’t have enough fingers on each hand to count how many times he’d been able to do the impossible.

Kellen was getting ready to fight, to snarl at the man when Rhys let out a low, dangerous laugh.

"Don’t tempt me to do something dangerous, old man. I know that your Guide would be welcomed with open arms into any good Guild, but you? You wouldn’t last a day. You’re just upset that even after all the shit you’ve pulled, you’ll never be worth a pinky finger on any of the Guides in this room." A bomb had been thrown, and by Rhys, no less.

Kellen knew there was a reason he loved the man so fiercely.