(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 403

Chapter 403: A little bit of good natured teasing

Kellen was rushing to make it on time for his meeting. As someone who had arrived early every other time, he felt terrible. The worst part? He was still making sure his clothing was correct in the elevator as he was coming down from their apartment.

His face was flushed, he was sure it was obvious what he had been up to, and this felt like the first time he had truly slipped up. The times before this? They didn’t count since half of them had been from Rhys trying to bother Kellen just to get him to notice him.

The other half? Kellen just didn’t count them.

The elevator opened and Kellen moved quickly out of the metal box, turning towards the cafeteria and found that most of the Guides were there already, as well as a surprise repeat guest.

Casper was also with the group, chatting to them quietly as Kellen stuttered in his steps, before he moved quickly towards the group. The Guides noticed him, and Kellen watched as several emotions ran across their faces before delight finally settled on most of their faces, along with humour.

When Casper turned to look at him, he watched as his grey eyes narrowed and he pushed up his glasses. Kellen felt his face heat. He was in for a teasing, he knew it.

"Ah. You’re quite late, Kellen. It’s very much unlike you." Casper started. Kellen couldn’t even protest. He knew that to be true.

"I’m sorry, I-"

"But," Casper interrupted, a smile touching his lips, "it isn’t unlike a certain Captain I know." Kellen’s face went beet red as the rest of the table erupted in laughter. He couldn’t even deny it, and damn it, if his thighs didn’t burn with knowing. He was sure it was also obvious. His figure, the figure he had been maintaining for moments like this, was significantly reduced.

He was skinner, thinner, his muscles practically gone. Rhys had really taken a chunk out of him. A rather large bite. Kellen came to a halt near the edge of the table, staring at the wide smiles, the sparkling eyes, and found that he couldn’t even complain.

They were all Guides. They all knew what this job entailed and they were all earnestly excited for him. For their Captain. Kellen was the one not used to this kind of behaviour, and even as his face burned, he just dropped his head for a moment, hiding his face as the others laughed at him before he raised it and sighed.

"I can’t deny it." He muttered, and Casper’s smile touched his eyes.

"As you shouldn’t. I believe Captain Thatcher would sob if you did so. He seems to have taken a huge chunk out of you. Are the higher levels still taking a toll on you?" It was a rather polite question asking what he had been up to, but as the head Guide, it was a fair question. Even if they had several sets of big ears around them.

But, Kellen didn’t mind speaking on this. It wasn’t like people didn’t know that they had a huge gap between them before Kellen jumped Classes. He’d rather be honest about this part in public, then keep it to himself and have another person in his situation going through it alone.

"Well, yes. It’s still quite the high cost. We don’t guide at certain levels." Kellen said honestly, and Casper raised his eyebrows.

"Still?" He asked, surprised, and Kellen felt more warmth flood his face. Gosh, he had to be redder than a tomato at this point. Kellen nodded.

"Yeah, still. The main cost has gone quite a bit down, but everything else..." Kellen sighed. "Taylor’s predictions are still quite high. They are dropping, so now I won’t die if we do the highest level of guiding, but yeah." That seemed to shock everyone, including Casper.

"You could have died if you were guiding at higher levels?" One of the Guides asked and Kellen nodded.

"Well, yes, depending on the length of the session. Since most are calculated to the 15 minute model, there was a chance. I would have passed out first, long before things got dangerous and Rhys isn’t the kind of Esper who would have continued." Kellen said confidently and Casper sighed.

"I’m saying this now, but I fucking hope none of the Espers in the Saturn Guild are the kind of Espers that would have continued." Casper’s gaze flickered around the rest of the cafeteria, at the other big ears listening in and watched as a few of the Espers in the room looked grim. Kellen chuckled.

"You mean, he doesn’t want to be away from you for long." Casper shot back and Kellen flushed. He wouldn’t deny it, and it wasn’t like he was particularly comfortable with Rhys being away from his side for too long either. Before, he would have let Casper say what he said, leaving all of the weight of the words on Rhys. Now, he didn’t want to do so. _{fɾēewebnσveℓ.com}