(BL) Taming the Field Guide

Brent wasn’t sure how much time had passed until someone told him. Hours. They had been at it for hours. Brent wasn’t aware of how many calories he was burning, nor how much he was drinking as Zaria and Henry tended to him and Ellie.

It was thrilling. It was like sparring with Kellen, but not. He knew all of Kellen’s tells, but he didn’t know his Mom’s. It meant that he kept getting shoved to the ground, kept getting pinned, kept finding himself at the mercy of the older woman.

Brent loved it.

He felt like he was alive for the first time in a long time, and it was delightful to find that Ellie’s eyes were reflecting back the same vibrancy that Brent was feeling. Both of them were humming with life, unaware of the time, sweat and laughter that they were putting in. All the while, Henry watched over them, the Espers coming and going. Zaria switched for another Lieutenant, Lieutenant Gardner, and Zaria lingered a little longer to speak to Gardner before she left.

They kept going until Brent’s muscles wouldn’t let him. His body was screaming, but his soul was alive. They were laughing, Brent lying on his back on the ground, Ellie sitting down next to him. Henry watched on, smiling.

"This is very familiar, my love." Henry said as he approached. He gave Brent a bottle of water before handing his wife one.

"In what way?" She asked, her purple eyes dancing and he bent, kissing her on the forehead.

"It’s similar to how you look after you spar Gwen and Kellen." He told her and she laughed.

"Didn’t we already agree that Brent and Charlie are our unofficial children, sweetheart?" She joked while Brent felt the words spoken out loud like a jolt of electricity down his spine. He sat up quickly, his eyes wide as he stared at the older couple. They were in their own world, smiling and chuckling to each other.

"What?" Brent breathed and that brought both of them to look at him. He was unfamiliar with the look outside of how Sergei looked at him. It was similar, but not quite the same.

"Brent, come on. Did you really think that we would be able to leave you alone after all this time? That we would go to such lengths if we didn’t consider you as such?" She asked and Brent nodded.

"Honestly? Yeah, I did. You’re kind people, so I did think you would help out others like this." Brent told them. Ellie laughed while Henry’s eyes stared at him, amused.

"We’re kind, not stupid. We never adopted any one else that Kellen said were his friends." Henry pointed out. "We didn’t need to adopt Taylor because she had her own supportive family, and Sakura...well, she said no." Henry said with a shrug. "She wanted to build her own family, and wanted to remain as Kellen’s friend, not his sibling. We respected her wishes, even if we still make sure she is doing well." That was surprising to Brent. He wasn’t aware that Henry and Ellie had a close relationship with her.

That was probably by design if what she said was true. However, that didn’t explain how they got here.

"I just don’t understand. Why...adopt me? I have parents." Brent said.

"Shitty ones." Ellie muttered, the smile fading from her face for a moment. "Really shitty ones. No one deserves a family like that, Brent, truly. Especially not someone like yourself who isn’t like them." Brent didn’t feel like that was true. He wasn’t as good of a person as they seemed to think he was.

Henry watched Brent’s face fall, his expression grow somber as the high from their sparring session faded slowly.

"Brent," Henry said carefully, pulling his attention towards him. Henry slowly lowered himself to the ground, reaching for Brent’s knee. He patted it slowly, deliberately, and Brent swallowed. "We won’t force you into the family. We’re not that kind of family. We just want you to know that you always have a place with us. Even if you and Kellen have a fight, we’ll have your back. You’re important to us, not just because you are Kellen’s friend but also because you’ve become important to us personally as well. You’re a good kid, and you need some elders in your corner. Especially after your grandfather has passed." Henry’s words were soft, but landed like daggers.

Brent swallowed thickly, his hand squeezing the water bottle in his hand so tightly that he had to put it down. He was afraid he was going to burst it.

"I’m not as good as you think I am." Brent muttered, thinking of all the things he’d turned a blind eye to, what he had to do to survive, how he’d hurt countless people to get here. Ellie’s laughter filled the air and pulled Brent’s attention to her.

She was smiling, her eyes still purple, but there was a sharpness there. A heaviness that made Brent’s chest tighten just seeing it.

"Brent, you’re no fool. You’ve seen how some of the older Espers and Guides act. The younger generation gives them quite a bit of leeway because there aren’t a lot of them left, but I know you see it." She leaned in closer. "Honestly, the shit that your family is doing, has been doing, isn’t even the most evil thing I’ve witnessed. That I’ve had to turn a blind eye to before. Does that make me a monster?" Brent opened his mouth to protest but Henry spoke up.

"You lot seem to think that we’ve gotten soft in our old age. That raising children has changed who we are fundamentally as people, and maybe it has. Maybe you’re right. Maybe Kellen can get away thinking that we’re soft and senile. However, there are some things that will never change about us." Henry said, his smile the perfect one that was on all of the posters in Guiding Centers and pamphlets.

Ellie smiled and Brent felt his heart stutter.

"Shame that Tom got away, isn’t it?" She said softly. "Tragic that he won’t ever face the consequences of his actions." She didn’t sound as torn up as she should and Brent felt a slow bead of sweat cool and slide down his spine.

She was right. Why hadn’t they kicked up more of a stink that Tom got away? Especially after he had hurt Kellen for so long? After he’d potentially added the E.A.G. in coming into the city, unknowingly or not. Why hadn’t he heard his name from Kellen, Rhys or anyone else until now? Why hadn’t he been seen moving about, even in the shadows?

Brent’s eyes widened as he stared at the two sweetest, kindest people he’d met. People who S Classes trusted, who they respected. Who they listened to, and realised that it wasn’t just because they were sweet and kind.

Both of them smiled at Brent as he put the pieces together.

"He...He went missing, didn’t he?" Brent asked softly and Henry laughed.

"Well, we thought it was only fair we went on one final ’vacation’ with him." Henry said coyly and Brent’s gaze darted to Ellie as she chuckled.

"Shame he wasn’t able to find his way back." She said with a shrug. Brent had no idea what she meant by that, and he didn’t think he wanted to know. All he knew was that in the confusion of everything else that had happened, Captain Tom had gone missing and Brent knew, deep in the pit of his stomach, no one was ever going to find him.

"What about his...wife? Ex wife?" Brent asked and Henry smiled.

"Once he’s been declared M.I.A. for long enough she’ll be paid a stipend as if he’s passed away in the line of duty. She’ll be well compensated for all that she suffered at his hands, don’t you worry. If she needs anything, the D.E.C. has also agreed to step in and help. Captain Fisher has been very understanding and generous with her. After all, she was one of the few people who was always nice to him when he arrived at the D.E.C." That was news. Lieutenant Fisher was officially Captain Fisher?

Good for him.

Brent let out a soft sigh, everything washing over him. He could try to hold onto it, try to process what they were implying, what they were saying, but Brent didn’t need to. He didn’t want to.

He understood that they were trying to say that they weren’t good people. That they were willing to do things like kill people without a moment of hesitation, but Brent didn’t blame them for that. Like they had suggested, they had grown up in a different time, a harsher time.

Brent probably would never fully understand that they had to do to survive, and he wasn’t sure if he ever did. That didn’t excuse some of their behaviour, but fuck, Brent wasn’t a good person either. And fuck Tom. Fuck that man for making the strongest person he knows tremble at a damn machine. He deserved whatever the Woods gave him, and the E.A.G. had every right to be afraid of them. Henry was protecting Brent with words alone, and Ellie was honing him back into the blade that she’d made her son. Brent was just a cheaper version of Kellen.

It was a great honour to even be considered a part of the Woods family.

"I just don’t think I deserve the name." Brent admitted to them and watched as their faces fell.

"It’s just a name, Brent." Henry said softly and Brent exhaled, shaking his head.

"No, it’s not. You can say that because you are a Woods. You don’t...get it." Brent said carefully. He’d always understood the kind of weight that Kellen had carried because of his name because he had been the failure of his own family. Not cruel enough to do what they wanted, not an Esper so he didn’t have cool powers, and a child that no one wanted.

Three marks against him. He’d changed his name for his safety, and for his sanity. Now he was back here, trying to reclaim the name he’d given up willingly. Now the Woods were offering him a way out at the end of all of this. Whether they knew it or not.

"I appreciate the thought, I do, I just..." Brent trailed off. "I don’t think I deserve it. People like Charlie do, they need protection. He truly doesn’t have family." Brent muttered. "I’ll...be fine." Brent muttered.

Two powerful arms wrapped around him. Sweaty, gruff, but strong.

"You’re about as bad as Kellen." She grumbled, holding him tightly. "You’re not fine, and damnit, Brent, we want to be able to brag about you properly. It’s fully selfish. We want to brag about all of our children. Our sons." Brent felt his eyes water.

"Brag about me?" Brent whispered, his voice suddenly hoarse. She squeezed him tighter.

"Of course. There is so much to brag about a son like you. A powerful A Class Field Guide, forging your own path forward. Kellen has told us countless stories about you. Do you know how big of a deal it is that you don’t go into stabilized gates and guide people through them often? That you deal with fluctuating gate more often? That is something to brag about and a very dangerous and wonderful specialization. You should be proud of yourself. The fact that you can hold your own even when others intentionally gave you want others would consider a disadvantage is also something to brag about. There are also your handsome looks, your good temperament, your fashion sense in comparison to our other children. There are so many things to love, Brent, and brag about." Brent was not prepared for this kind of attack. He’d been bracing for betrayals, for surprise attacks, but not anything that made his heart weep.

"I, uh," Brent couldn’t speak as Henry got onto his knees and wrapped his arms around Brent as well.

"Sh. It’s okay. You don’t have to speak or protest. Just consider it. We’ll wait for you." Henry whispered and Brent felt his body shake. Damn it. Damn the Woods.