(BL) Taming the Field Guide

Chapter 188: Making friends one bite at a time

It was a rather odd evening. The energy in the room wasn’t that of a normal hang out, but Kellen had been in these kinds of environments before. Usually it had been on the front lines and around a campfire, but Kellen had been here before.

So, he made sure that food was constant, the drinks were flowing, and everyone was there for each other.

Hill was the life of the party, as per usual. She kept the mood up, but Kellen could tell that every once in a while she would fall quiet and her face would grow somber. They had gotten through another serious event, had survived another hell, but that only meant that there was more to come.

Kellen could understand why today was so heavy and hard. Kellen knew that the funeral was over, but now it meant that Kellen had to go overseas to go rescue his best friend from his family. Kellen wasn’t an idiot.

He was going into enemy territory. The E.A.G. had their claws in deep overseas, which was why when they thought they could come into his city, his home, Kellen had lost his damn mind. Things were not over, they were just starting, and the people that Kellen had around him right now were people that he cared about and people that he was mostly leaving behind.

With Jax and Jules thrown in to make things...interesting.

Kellen knew that this was the point where things were going to change. Kellen knew that the funeral was something that was holding them back from moving forward. It felt like a lot had hinged on it. Kellen’s health felt attached to the funeral, as did his parent’s life, the well-being of the Guild, everything.

Now?

Now the funeral was over, they were together again, and Kellen could feel the shift in the air. Did he feel bad that he was working towards a goal that meant he wouldn’t be here for the Guild while he was gone? Well, Kellen wouldn’t be gone completely. He just wouldn’t be here physically, but everyone would still be able to reach out to him if they needed him.

Kellen just needed to make sure that everyone knew that they could reach out to him while he was gone. Even Jax and Jules if they needed it.

Did Kellen want to turn his lip up at the other S Classes? Yes, but, he’d also gotten to see Jules interact with others and he had softened slightly to him. Jax? The man was still abrasive. Still loud.

Still looked at Kellen and the other Guides with something in his gaze that made Kellen tense. He didn’t like something about him, but there was also something inside him that told him that Jax wasn’t a bad person. He was just...a classic S Class Esper. Kellen worked hard to not judge everyone by their Class, since he didn’t want to be judged by his Class either.

So, today was a great time for Kellen to get to know Jules and Jax better. There were few times that someone showed their true colours before, during and after a funeral. Jax and Jules had shown him that they could work well with the Guild members. In fact, they had stepped up. They had taken over for those who were grieving without question, and even with their S Class status, they took directions from the Lieutenants well.

Rhys didn’t have to step in at all during the ceremony, and he didn’t have to step in at all while they were at their apartment either. It was safe to say that Kellen was slowly lowering his guard to them, but he was still suspicious.

He didn’t think Jules was a bad person. That Kellen was feeling a little more secure about. They also didn’t call Rhys by that atrocious nickname either. Kellen wasn’t sure who had spoken to them, but Kellen knew someone had. It could have been Rhys, it could have been Hill.

Kellen didn’t care, he was just happy they weren’t calling his Esper by a nickname that didn’t belong to them.

There was a moment where Rhys asked Kellen to come upstairs early on when people were arriving. He wanted to check with Kellen, make sure he was okay with everyone who was in the house. Of course, they could speak quietly but it wasn’t like everyone in the house didn’t have heightened hearing. At the moment they had four S Classes in the same small space so Rhys knew that the others could hear him when he asked.

Kellen felt his heart squeeze as the other man asked him, ready to kick out anyone who Kellen considered a threat to him and the others. Kellen had pulled Rhys in for a kiss. Soft, tender, full of affection for the man.

He was so glad that he could show that kind of affection for him again. It was a damn miracle in Kellen’s mind. He was able to kiss his man, show him the affection that he wanted, and act on most of his urges. That same man looked a little shocked, but in a good way. He was grateful for any affection that Kellen showed him, and that warmed Kellen deep inside.

"I’m fine, my darling boyfriend. I’ve calmed down, I think, since I was given permission to touch you as I want." Kellen told him, feeling truthful, and a little naughty. The way that Rhys’ eyes smoldered into the bright golden tone that Kellen was familiar with made Kellen grin. Rhys sighed, leaning in and stealing another kiss but keeping everything polite. Respectable.

They had company, after all.

"Let me know if anything changes. They are my people, but you are my heart." Rhys told him solemnly and that response told Kellen everything that he needed to know. He might have gotten off on the wrong foot with these two, but Rhys still considered them his.

Kellen would get to know them better, if it was the last thing he could do. He would not leave this Guild, this city without feeling like he was close to them as well.

So, that’s what Kellen allowed. He approached Jules first, since that seemed to be the easier task to handle. Jules and Kellen shared a lot in common, even if it was slightly mixed up. They were both doubles, both S Classes, and both attached to very dangerous men. Rhys just hid his a little bit better.

Kellen learned that Jules was a Healer Esper, which was why they were able to go out galivanting around with Jax without support. Jules also had a theory that that was also why they were able to utilize their guiding powers even though they were of a lower standard.

Normally, having a two Class difference between an Esper and a Guide would be an issue. However, Jules was fairly certain that due to their Esper powers they were able to efficiently utilize their secondary powers through that. Jules did often find that they were thinner when Jax and Jules were in a rather difficult situation, but Jax always rode his insanity a little more than others.

He could handle it when Jules’ guiding proficiency dipped, because his body was prepared for it.

It was a fascinating conversation, one that they were even able to rope Taylor and a hesitant Casper into. Both had heard Jules’ take on this before, so it was very interesting for Kellen to sit in and listen to them talk, and also for them to hear Kellen’s opinion as the only other double power holder that they knew of at the moment.

Jules also had a theory as to why Kellen’s powers were higher than theirs. There was no maliciousness in their tone, they had been sincerely thinking about this and Kellen felt like an asshole for having snapped at them when they had first arrived.

Jules knew how dangerous Rhys’ powers were. After all, it wasn’t as if Jules knew nothing of Rhys. They had essentially known Rhys for as long as Casper had, but with large gaps of time where they had been out with Jax. Originally Jules had been meant to be paired up with Rhys, but Jax got to them first.

That, and Jules and Rhys had a terrible compatibility score. Not even above 15%. Kellen did not smile when he heard that, but he could feel how that information set his mind at ease. He was honest with himself that he did like to hear that.

Anyway, Jules theorized that Kellen needed to stabilize his Guide powers first before his other powers awoke more. He had two parents who were very powerful in their own right, it wouldn’t make sense if Kellen had come out basic. His body had been preparing itself since conception to be able to handle the powers that they planned to give him. Constant exposure to someone who had the same powers as him probably helped spur on his development of his powers, both types, and it was only after consistent exposure like what would have from a partnership that Kellen’s body finally realised it was ready.

It was an interesting theory, and Jules knew it was a bit far-fetched, but they also knew Rhys’ origins. They knew how powerful Rhys’ powers were, so why couldn’t Kellen’s powers also do the same?

Jules also asked Kellen to explain how his powers worked, curious how they were different from Rhys’. Kellen explained that up until this point he had been mostly experiencing warning symptoms. Twitching or twisting of the gut that would tell Kellen whether he would make it out of certain situations okay, or not okay.

He combined that information with extensive research so that he could back up those feelings since he hadn’t initially trusted them, and Taylor piped up that Kellen had always been like that. Ever since he had awoken as a teen he’d been able to pick up on things around them in a fairly uncanny way.

Taylor realised, in that moment, that she had probably been a little blind to the fact that that was strange because she then went to work for the Captain, and everyone shared a soft chuckle at that.

Kellen and the others had a great time discussing Kellen’s powers, how they were interesting in comparison to the Captain’s, and also how they were a bit more hands on compared to the Rhys’. Jules was fairly certain that Kellen wouldn’t have to worry about the insanity that Rhys did, but then again, they weren’t their consistent Healer.

That was Taylor, but Kellen trusted their input. After all, they were a Healer, and as their eyes glowed with that familiar green glow, Kellen knew that they weren’t blowing smoke out of their ass. They truly were speaking from a familiarity that Kellen couldn’t ignore.

However, Kellen knew that Rhys wouldn’t believe it. He was still worried, as were the others, and Kellen couldn’t deny their fear. He wasn’t behaving like his normal self, but Jules and even Taylor shrugged that off a bit.

They told him that it was normal to be a little out of sorts. He’d been a bit out of sorts when he’d jumped Classes last time too, but this was significant. He’d jumped Classes twice in this last run, so he needed a longer adjustment period, and no one could ignore the poison in his system.

Kellen took their words seriously, grateful for their assurance. He made sure that they had enough to eat in return, something that made Hill laugh. She was drifting between their group, and the other group that Rhys was tending to.

That didn’t mean that Kellen didn’t catch how Hill and Taylor were purposely avoiding looking at each other when the other was looking, but instead stealing glances at each other when they thought no one would catch them.

Gunther had even noticed, and he hadn’t been here for a few weeks.

Kellen wondered what a bit more alcohol would do to the situation?