(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19: First Guiding session

"Well, Kellen." Ms. Hill began. "You're basically a veteran from the front lines. All of the Guilds know who you are because you were there for so long, and good at your job. You practically had a choke hold on the Field Guide work, and people fought to gain access to you and your partner. We are very grateful that you prioritized us, by the way. But, that being said, now that you are with us, and you are a higher Class, we want you to be on the team that goes into the gate. Not the scouting team, but the official team that goes in after them. How do you feel about that? I know you haven't gone into a gate that was higher than B Class just for safety reasons, but your basic knowledge and expertise is something we just can't overlook. With that being said, if you do agree, the Captain would be joining you as well in the gate. If you are worried you might be under too much stress, please speak up now. If you also don't want to do it, I understand, but that would mean we'll have to hire another Field Guide as soon as possible so that we can brief them on what we need them to do. Of course, if that ends up being the case, we would love your input on who to hire as well." Ms. Hill had dropped her playful personality, getting rather serious as she spoke. It was understandable, since this was the first pitch they were throwing Kellen as a Guide from their Guild. He was surprised that they weren't trying to force him do to it, but also pleased that the two Espers respected him enough to sit him down and have this conversation.

That being said, Kellen wasn't so sure he could accept the offer. He hadn't had a lesson with Casper yet, he barely even knew his new body, and he wasn't in perfect form yet. There were so many things he needed to learn before he could even think about taking on such a big role, and he didn't even know how far away they were from winning the rights for the gate. if it was only a few weeks, he would have to turn it down. That was not enough time for him to feel comfortable guiding however many people would be on the team.

"I'm flattered with the offer, but can I have some more time to think about it? I think if I was still a C Class I'd have jumped at the offer, but because I don't know the depths of myself right now, I need some more time to figure that out. It's not a no, I am very interested in this offer, but I just..." He trailed off. No one said anything for a moment, before Kellen felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the Captain, who gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"I understand. It's urgent, but that doesn't mean we should rush you. Take your time. Is there any way we can help? What do you need to help you with your decision?" He asked. Kellen looked away from him in thought.

"You probably aren't going to like my answer since we just signed a pair contract, but I need several Espers of different levels. That way I can test how much my powers have changed. Especially at the base level, which is the most important for Guides to know." Captain's grip tightened on Kellen's shoulder as the man stiffened.

"Base level?" He asked and Kellen nodded.

"Holding hands. I use that as my gauge for everything, which is standard practise." The Captain relaxed, and Kellen felt a small smile touch his lips before it disappeared.

"That's easy then. I can agree to that. What else?" He prompted and Kellen frowned again as he thought.

"Well, a sparring partner would be very helpful since I've not been keeping up with the fitness level I would need on the front lines. I also need the results from our guiding sessions with Taylor. I like to know every nook and cranny of my powers, which is what makes me so useful in the field. If I know exactly how close I can get to the edge without collapsing, that is the line between life and death." The Captain seemed surprised for a minute, before he softened.

"Of course. I'll ask around about both of those things." He told him but the sound of Ms. Hill clearing her throat made both of the men look at her.

"Office lackey, remember? I can do those things, Captain. On the topic of powers, I really do think Kellen should go in for another test to confirm if he is A Class or not. I know that we're just assuming that he is, but I think for everyone's peace of mind he should do it. I offered to be his partner, and it still stands. If you're worried, Captain, you can come with us." Ms. Hill offered. Kellen felt his body tense at the mention of retesting. The Captain, who still had his hand on Kellen's shoulder, felt the younger man stiffen. He glanced down at how he was staring straight ahead, and his lips tugged up in a smile.

"I would probably feel better if Ms. Green was there as well, just in case. Alright, so Ms. Hill will take over finding you a sparring partner and also some willing test subjects." He gave the Guide's shoulder a squeeze. Kellen turned his attention to him. "Are you opposed to getting retested today? I promise this will be the last time I ask you to. I know you're probably tired, but if we get this out of the way now, we don't have to worry about it again." The Esper's tone was soft, his yellow eyes gazing fondly at the man who was trying his hardest to hide his fear. Kellen wiped his damp hands nervously on his pants.

"Uh, sure. The sooner it is done, the sooner I never need to go inside that building ever again." He stated, and Ms. Hill looked at him strangely. The Captain, however, reached out his other hand and ruffled his hair.

"Exactly." He agreed, smiling. Kellen felt his heart race as he stared up into the soft, warm gaze. "Now, shall we go do some guiding under the watchful eye of Ms. Green? We can borrow her after the session for the retest at the Center as well. Did you already meet with her today? What did she say about your diet? You appear too thin, even more so since I saw you at the Guiding Center." Kellen nodded at his words, trying to push the nervousness that flooded his system down. He hated how he had no control over his body's response whenever the Center was mentioned. He hated that those people had so much control over him, even now. He had worked so hard to push them away and out of his mind, only to be proven wrong every damn time. The only thing that was able to comfort him in the slightest was that he wasn't going alone this time. This time he had the Captain, Ms. Hill, and Taylor with him. They wouldn't let them treat him the way they had before. Ms. Hill had no idea how the Center had treated Kellen in the past, but Taylor had some idea, and the Captain...well, Kellen had a feeling that he knew exactly how they had treated him. Probably more than his parents did. The only other thought that comforted the Guide was that after years and years of retests, it was proven that he was right. The Center would probably trip over themselves to appease him because of his test results yesterday.

"I agree with Captain Thatcher. You are still too skinny. I miss the Kellen who was a fucking beefcake, and I personally, would like him back. We should head for the medical bay." Ms. Hill got to her feet first, back to being her regular, bubbly self. She headed for the door while Kellen got to his feet. The Captain stood as well, watching the Guide intently. As Kellen went to pass him, he grabbed his hand. Kellen paused in his steps and happened to be in front of the man. He looked up, confused.

"What's up?" He asked and the Captain scanned his face for a moment. He thought he was going to make a comment about the retest, but instead he took him by surprise.

"How long do you think you'll need others to help you with your guiding?" He asked. Kellen blinked, before a surprised, but knowing smile crossed his face.

"A few days at most." He told him, and the Esper exhaled.

"A few days?" He confirmed, and Kellen couldn't help himself. The man was being strangely adorable. Kellen's hand only hesitated for a second before he reached up and cupped his cheek. The Captain's eyes widened as he spoke.

"You can be a big boy, Captain. It's only a few days and after that, only in extreme emergencies. I'll ask permission in those cases. I promise I won't guide someone else after that." Colour rode on the Captain's cheeks. Kellen thought he was going to get angry at him because he'd been so bold, but instead the Captain's eyes narrowed and he raised his hand to cover Kellen's on his cheek. He leaned into the touch, sighing.

"You should be careful when you tease me, Mr. Woods. Otherwise, you will find out just exactly how big my boy can be." Kellen blinked at his response, before he snorted, and his shoulders began to shake with his laughter as the tension left his body. The Captain smiled down at him, before shaking his head. "Get out of here before Ms. Hill complains we're taking too long." He let Kellen retract his hand, every move he made making it seem he was reluctant to let the Guide go.

"Captain, you can make sexy eyes at him later. We have places to be." Ms. Hill called from the hallway while the Captain ran his hand over his face with a sigh. Kellen turned, heading for the door to meet Ms. Hill in the hallway, but not before he felt the heated gaze of the Captain scan him from top to bottom. Woo. Was it hot in here?

~

When the three of them entered the Medical wing, Ms. Hill was the one to lead them to where Taylor was. She wasn't in her office, and instead was in a larger room a few doors down the hallway. Taylor was excited to see them when we entered, her smile infectious. First thing she did was shove three dense calorie shakes into Kellen's hands while she finished setting up the room. The trio glanced around the room. It wasn't huge, but was full of very similar equipment one would find in the Center. Kellen recognised several of the machines, and felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him.

Taylor, noticing that Kellen hadn't opened the shakes yet, gave the man a death glare. She took two of her fingers, gestured to her eyes, pointed at Kellen with said fingers, then made a line across her neck. Feeling mildly threatened, it shook Kellen out of his fear long enough for him to crack open the first shake. He poured it into his mouth, before cracking open the second and doing the same. Ms. Hill and the Captain watched on, concerned as Kellen opened the third and did the same.

"Green, is that normal?" Captain asked, as Ms. Hill got a phone call and had to rush out of the room. Taylor glanced back at the Guide who had now finished the three shakes she had given him, and the Esper who had never had a serious partner. She turned back to the equipment.

"Totally normal Captain Thatcher. You haven't spent too much time around Guides, right? Well, similar to Espers, they have drawbacks to their powers. One of them is that they have an unending appetite. A Guide who is on active duty will never be full."

"The active duty part is very important. If a Guide isn't using their powers they do eventually cap out and start behaving like a regular civilian." Kellen added and Taylor nodded at his words.