(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Lunch date with the Captain

True to his words, the Captain made Kellen take the lead, letting the Guide take him around the Guild tower. He was pleased that the Guide knew his way around the building so quickly, but he also remembered that Kellen was the type of man that if he saw a map once, he'd remember 70% of it, and if he ran through it once, it was practically memorized. Pleased that his pair was such a capable man, the Captain took the time to watch the Guide in front of him. It was a secret pleasure he saved for moments like this, when the Guide wasn't aware of the effect he had on the Esper behind him. It made the Captain feel like he was doing something naughty, and that only pleased him more. Kellen would only be doing naughty things with him now, so these moments were like little appetizers to the main course. The Captain savored them with his whole being.

The cafeteria was overflowing with others, and as the Captain looked around, he noticed the glances that the Guide in front of him was getting. They were subtle, but it was clear to his eyes that the others were checking him out. Instead of letting the rage fill him, the Captain decided to settle on pride. Pride that the beautiful man before him, even if he didn't acknowledge their relationship as romantic, chose to enter a pair contract with him. Kellen never had a hair out of place, his uniform was always pressed and neat, and even when the man was on the front lines covered in gods knows what, he looked like he was only mildly inconvenienced. Kellen wasn't the type of man who even noticed others if they weren't important to him, which helped the Captain get over any jealousy he had rather quickly. He knew that if Kellen said he was faithful, he would be faithful. There would be no question in his mind that his attention would stray. What he was worried about was getting his attention at all.

"What?" Kellen asked, noticing that the Captain was staring at him. The Captain moved forward until he was beside the Guide, his hand brushing against his.

"I'm just interested in what you're going to eat." He told him, a small smile on his face. Kellen scoffed, rolling his eyes as the two of them got to the back of the line. _{freewebnoveℓ.com}

"I promise you, it's not that interesting. You might even look at me like I'm a freak after eating with me." He told the Esper, and the Captain noticed the small, slightly nervous movement. Kellen, whether he was aware of it or not, had always been aware of where the Captain was, but now that they were a pair, he'd become even more so. The Captain had to fight the giant smile from splitting his lips. He could already tell that everyone was staring at them, and he didn't want to feed the rumour mill too much. Kellen glanced back at the Captain curiously when he didn't respond right away.

"I can't foresee a time when that would ever be the case, Mr. Woods." Kellen narrowed his eyes at the Esper's soft words, before he shrugged, reaching for a tray as they approached the front of the line. The Captain chuckled at the Guide's response. The Captain was being sincere in his words. He was sure there was nothing Kellen could ever do that would make the man think he was a freak. Freaky, maybe, but never anything negative. Ever since he'd laid eyes on the man on the front lines, he wasn't able to think negatively about someone who was such a hard worker, kind but severe, and honest to a fault. He knew that trait of his was going to get the both of them in trouble eventually.

The Captain grabbed his own tray, watching in silent fascination as the Guide noticed and ordered the highest calorie foods. He kept ordering until he had three overflowing plates of food, and the Captain was sure the only reason he stopped was because he lacked space. There was no hesitation in his voice when he'd ordered, and the Espers behind and in front of them seemed surprised. The Captain noticed that he wanted to grab a couple of calorie heavy drinks, and took them from the Guide's hands and placed them on his tray. He'd gotten what he considered a large amount of food for himself, but since this Guide was looking after the both of them, it was the least he could do. He was rewarded with a soft smile from the Guide. The smile alone made the Captain feel like he could sit through a meeting with the D.E.C. and not lose his temper.

Kellen led the two towards an empty table, setting down his tray quietly. The Captain watched the man get settled before he made the wise decision to sit across from him. He wanted to be able to stare at the man without making it obvious, since the man in question still had his guard up around him. It was smart of him to do. The Captain was a little giddy to finally get him in his hands, and was sure he would do something off the cuff if not kept in line. Kellen set out the food, taking the plates off of the tray and setting the tray to the side. The Captain placed the drinks he'd taken for him out for him to organize as well. He watched in quiet wonder as he set up his area exactly as he wanted before he began to eat.

"Do you normally eat this much?" He asked, genuinely curious. The Guide shrugged.

"Well, sometimes. My grocery bills are usually my biggest expense, but Guides do get a subsidy from the government for that. It does help quite a bit, especially since the amount can go up depending on the Class of Espers you usually guide. Beyond that, I'm just following Taylor's orders. I have to make sure that I have enough energy in my body today so that I don't lose any of my muscle mass. Well, that's just a personal goal." He sighed, staring down at the plates in front of him. "I might have to look into getting a bigger size for my guide uniform." The Captain laughed at the forlorn tone, smiling at him kindly.

"That's an easy fix. I'll have Hill send a couple bigger sizes to your apartment. That way you can be as big or as small as you want." Kellen seemed surprised at his words, before he nodded.

"Do I need to pay for the extras?" He asked and the Captain smiled at him, his eyes creasing as he looked into the eyes of the Guide. For some reason, Kellen flushed.