(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 408

Chapter 408: A bath for two

"What was that about Guides and Espers?" Kellen asked after a while.

Rhys was in the bathtub with him. He had left for a while, letting Kellen soak in the water as the tub filled to go clean up the bed and the bedsheets. It didn’t take long, but Rhys did make sure that everything was back in its place.

He did leave the ties attached to the bed. Kellen was right in thinking that now that that line had been crossed, Kellen should expect them to be added to their time together in bed. Kellen hadn’t hated it, and told Rhys as much when the man seemed nervous about it. Kellen was just...he wasn’t sure about having his hands spread like that. He might like it more if they were tied together.

Rhys had nodded enthusiastically about that. He appeared willing to do anything for Kellen if it was to help him like something more, especially sexually. Kellen liked that side of him.

"Ah." Rhys said, shifting in the water, pulling Kellen tighter against him. "Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to go on a rant. I just feel very strongly about it. Especially now that I’ve put in some more work to learn about Guides and I see how much you do for me." Kellen felt his face heat.

"I don’t really do that much." Kellen muttered, embarrassed. Rhys pressed his lips against his head.

"Hush. You do a lot for me. You are just conditioned to believe it’s not a lot. That it’s your duty. How much do you eat in a day, Kellen?" Kellen sunk a little bit deeper into the water. He could feel where this conversation was going. Rhys laughed at his attempt to escape the conversation. "None of that. It’s just a question, and a point. I feel like we both get indoctrinated, but in different ways. Espers are told that our actions can be ignored because we have a very important job to do, but we have to do that job. No matter the cost. No matter the fear. No matter what kind of toll it will have on us. Guides? Similar, but not quite the same." Rhys said and Kellen couldn’t find it in himself to disagree with what he said.

It wasn’t as if Kellen hadn’t noticed it. He’d felt the way everyone had stared at him when he said he wanted to be a Field Guide. He’d seen how everyone had looked at him, felt how they treated him when he didn’t fall into the line that they had wanted for him. They had wanted Kellen, the son of Esper and Guide Woods, to go to a center, probably Guiding Center A, and also become a poster child for them.

Kellen had shirked off that mold for what he wanted to do. What he needed to do to find some worth for himself after the belittling he had dealt with from everyone else. From himself, too. He had to find himself, and he wasn’t going to do that in a Guiding Center. At least, not at first.

"I...agree with that. There is a sense of indoctrination. There kind of has to be. A forced sense of togetherness, almost patriotic in nature. If there wasn’t, I think the amount of Guides would be far less. No one would want to come out of hiding." Kellen told him and Rhys sighed. The water rippled out from their bodies and Kellen watched it as it encountered the bubbles lingering on top of the water.

"It’s unfair. I can’t fight that feeling. Guides shouldn’t be treated the way they are." Rhys muttered. "I’m not much better. I’ve only changed because of you, but that doesn’t mean I thought my actions were okay either. I just..." Rhys trailed off. "How come you’ve never asked me about when I drained you? Why I drained you?" It felt like Rhys had had that question burning at the tip of his tongue for a long time. Kellen tilted his head back, catching a glimpse of Rhys from where he’d sunk down further in the water.

"I always thought you’d bring it up if you wanted to talk about it. I didn’t want to pry." Kellen said. Rhys frowned.

"You have every right to ask me questions, Kellen. It’s your right as my pair, my partner, my boyfriend." Rhys told him and Kellen flushed. He glanced away from him and adjusted his spot, moving back and closer to Kellen. Rhys let out a grunt. "Elbow, Kellen Mind my stomach, would you?" He asked carefully and Kellen felt terrible.

"Sorry! I was just-" Rhys raised Kellen’s hand out of the water, pressing his lips against the red marks there.

"It’s okay. Just be careful, is all. It wouldn’t be good for either one of us if you damaged something else." Rhys’ gaze held a core of desire while still remaining yellow. Kellen swallowed.

"Well, I could take over if that was the case." Kellen offered up, and Rhys chuckled. A smile split his face as he stared down at Kellen, both of their hair slick back with water. Kellen wasn’t sure what that smile meant, but he knew that Rhys probably wasn’t for what he suggested. _{freёwebnoѵel.com}

"Hmm. A possibility for sure. Just be careful, alright?" Rhys said. It was clear he was brushing off what he said, and Kellen just shrugged. He wasn’t really for or against it. He honestly kind of preferred being the one who was on the receiving end.

Kellen didn’t say anything else, just sitting in the silence as Rhys held him. He was enjoying the moment as he could feel Rhys breathing behind him.

"It started shortly after I awakened." Rhys said into the silence. Kellen turned his head slightly, looking back at Rhys.

"Hmm?" Kellen wasn’t quite keeping up with what Rhys was saying. Rhys cleared his throat, looking a little pale.

"The ability to steal everything from the Guides who guided me. It started...after I admitted that guiding actually hurt to receive." Kellen felt his heart stop.

"What?" He asked, shocked. It wasn’t an unheard of situation. It happened every once in a while, but he didn’t think it had happened to Rhys. He put on such a brave face about it. Normally it was a big deal and it usually appeared on those who were lower Class.

For someone like Rhys? Who needed more guiding to counteract his powers? Who was constantly using his powers, all the time? Kellen wanted to swear. That sounded horrible. Kellen couldn’t even blame him for his body forcing him to come up with a solution, even if it was awful.

It was either that, or die.