(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Morning after Blues

In the morning, Kellen got out of bed and headed for the shower. After cleaning his body, he stepped into his closet and got dressed, brushed his teeth and headed downstairs. The kitchen and living room were spotless, almost as if no one had been there the night before. Turning on the kettles, he went about making a hearty breakfast of an omelet with lots of veggies in it and a little bowl of fresh cut fruit, ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. It wasn't until he was sat down, tea in hand, food before him that he allowed himself to freak out. He put the cup down and grabbed his head.

What the fuck had he done last night?

Kellen hadn't drunk enough for him to forget anything he'd done last night. Everything was hazy, but it was there. He remembered allowing the Captain to carry him upstairs, helping him brush his teeth, helping him take his shirt off....and everything else.

He touched his lips, remembering the feeling of the Captain's pressed against his. His nipples were still a little tender this morning from last night, and he felt embarrassed. The Captain's body weight pressed against his...the feeling of his fingers in Kellen's hair...his tongue tracing likes down his body...the feeling his hand against Kellen's cock....

Face flushed, Kellen slammed it against the counter of the island. He needed to forget these things. They weren't helpful, and the Captain had only been...helping him practise. Yup. Just practise. Even though he told him not to guide while they practised.

Kellen rubbed his face against the cold stone of the island and groaned. None of that had been a smart idea. He should never have done that with the Captain. He knew that the Captain wanted more from him, but he didn't know what that meant. What was the difference between being a pair, and being romantic partners? If he wanted a physical relationship, they were a Guide and Esper, of could the Captain was going to get that. What more could he want from Kellen?

Trying to push those thoughts down, Kellen pulled himself together enough to finish his breakfast and get ready for work. Once his shoes were on and he'd grabbed his bag, sans his usual kit given how the Captain had reacted to it yesterday, Kellen opened his front door. Outside was Casper, who'd had his hand raised in a knock. Kellen caught himself before he ran into the other Guide, and Casper laughed.

"Good morning Kellen. How was your sleep? I heard the other lieutenants and Captain Thatcher stopped by last night. I wanted to join, but I had a lot of work I needed to get done. I hope they didn't cause you too much trouble." Casper smiled at him warmly and thoughts of what happened last night ran through Kellen's head. Swallowing, Kellen put on his best Guide smile before turning and letting the door close behind him. Making sure it was locked, he joined Casper and the two of them began walking down the hallway.

"Yeah, I don't have a headache, so I'm fine. What brings you to my door?" He asked as Kellen led the way. He glanced at the Captain's door, before turning his attention back to Casper.

"Well, I wanted to pick you up one last time before letting you have full lease on your new job. Plus, you settled in so quickly with the research department so you don't even need to coming to the Guiding Division if you don't need to. But, you are always welcome there. If you ever feel like you need to take a break from them coddling you, don't be afraid to come over to us. You're also welcome if you have any more questions. Plus you do still have some lessons with me on being an A Class Guide, but I have a feeling you're pretty resourceful." Casper smiled at Kellen, and that was when Kellen noticed he had a bag slung over his shoulder. It was rather unusual for Casper to have anything but the little data pad he had. "I got your phone number from Green, so if I have anything urgent I need from you I can just message you. Beyond that, I forgot to give you your company laptop, so I made sure to bring it with me today." Casper pulled the strap of the bag off of his shoulder, giving the whole thing to Kellen. "It's a pretty normal laptop, but I put a sticky note on the screen that will guide you through our set up protocol. If you have any questions, you should ask Dr. Lyons since she's more tech savvy than I am." He pushed up his glasses as they came to a stop, waiting for the elevator. "I hope to see your outline by the end of the day. Maybe we'll meet up for lunch?" He asked tentatively and Kellen smiled.

"Yes, I hope to see you at lunch. Do you want to give me your number so I have it in my phone too?" Kellen asked as they stepped into the elevator, Kellen adjusting the two bags he now had. The two Guides rode the elevator to the gym level of the tower, exchanging basic information and smiling to each other. Both were excited to have a friend of an equal level as them, but both were also nervous to be too upfront about it.

When the elevator opened, the two of them headed for the main elevators. Glancing into the glass room, they noticed that most of the Espers were to one side of the room, around the sparring arena. Kellen, interested, slowed and Casper took notice. He glanced at the group of Espers before a light went on in the back of his mind.

"Oh, it has to be the Captain. I wonder who he's fighting this time?" Casper mused and Kellen wasn't able to stop his own curiosity.

"Did you want to check it out?" He asked and Casper hummed, before he nodded. Kellen let them into the gym and as soon as they opened the door they could hear the Espers. Heading towards the gathered group they could pick out Gunther's voice in particular as he spoke, but the two Guides were too far away to pick up what he was saying. The closer they got, Kellen realised that most of the group was made up of the new and slightly older recruits. Both of these groups hadn't gone to the front lines yet. That also meant that Gwen was here somewhere, but so was Ian.

As if on cue, Ian spun around and laid eyes on Casper. Casper stiffened beside Kellen and Kellen reached out, gripped onto his arm. "No reaction, Casper." He whispered and Casper nodded. He exhaled, before relaxing again. Gunther caught sight of them around the same time and smiled widely at the two Guides.

"Hey, it's the two famous Guides in our guild! Hey boys!" He waved them over and Kellen responded with a wave of his own.

"What is everyone doing?" Kellen asked the lanky Esper, his eyes still roaming the group for his sister. He eventually did find her, but she wouldn't even spare him a glance. She was transfixed by the fight happening in the sparring arena. When Kellen finally looked at the arena, he understood why.