(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 79

Chapter 79: The fear begins to set in

Kellen opened his eyes, his alarm blaring, and drowsiness filling his muscles. He reached out, slapping the alarm off as he stared up at the ceiling. He hadn’t been this tired in a long time, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the Captain and his antics.

Yesterday, he had proven to Kellen just how thirsty he had been. Kellen had been unaware of the Captain’s actual appetites, and had made assumptions. He’d known that Espers could probably get...hungry. But, he had also read textbooks in preparation. He knew averages, and assumed that, you know, Espers would be slightly higher than that. He’d also experienced side effects with the Captain, and he had wrongly assumed that the Captain had gotten uh, everything he needed done when with him.

He had been wrong.

Very, very wrong.

When Kellen had used the word attentive to describe the Captain to Terry, he was far off the mark. Kellen should have used the word competitive. The Captain did care about Kellen, he had made that very clear yesterday, but he had also made it clear that when it came to Kellen’s pleasure, and the Captain’s pleasure he derived from giving Kellen pleasure, it was a competition. A competition against Kellen’s own body and how far it could go.

Kellen vaguely remembered begging the Captain to stop yesterday, and the Captain had only chuckled. Telling him he could go farther, he could go one more time. Oh, how many times had he whispered those sweet, poisoned words. Only to immediately whisper them again once Kellen came. The man was relentless.

Kellen felt sore in ways he’s never had before, and it wasn’t as if they had gone further. The Captain had respected Kellen boundaries on most things yesterday, except when Kellen wanted to put an end to things. He felt that the Captain had murmured something about "training" but Kellen wasn’t sure what kind of training it was. Who would want to do that kind of training?! Kellen had pushed himself to the limits many, many times. Physically and mentally, and this was the worst he’d felt the day after before. He was fairly certain he passed out yesterday and the Captain had brought him up to room.

The alarm blared again and Kellen realised he’d hit snooze, and didn’t turn it off. Groaning, he rolled over and grabbed the phone, turning off the alarm proper. He had planned to go work out, but that just didn’t seem feasible given how his body felt.

Weakly, Kellen sat up, his legs shaking as he moved until he was sitting with them over the edge of the bed. He sighed, his muscles shaking. He wanted to curse the man who did this to him, but he was his pair. The curse would eventually bounce back on him, so he held it in. At most, raising his fist and shaking it in the direction of the Captain’s room.

"You have driven me up the wall." He muttered to himself, groaning as his muscles protested him getting to his feet. His legs shook like a newborn baby deer, and he wondered what it would be like when they went the whole way. Kellen went white. He was not ready. He was very much, in no way, ready.

Pulling on a T-shirt, and a pair of slightly baggy sweatpants, Kellen made his way down the steps. Holding onto the railing like his life depended on it. It was as if he had done a very hard leg day, but worse.

Heading for the kitchen, he had just turned on the kettle when his doorbell rang. His face falling into an angry expression, he headed for the door, ready to tear a strip off of the Captain, only to find Brent there. He had a bag slung over his shoulder, and stood in the Guild’s workout clothes that they provided. He blinked.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, and Kellen relaxed his face.

"That wasn’t for you. Come on in, Brent." Brent grinned, following Kellen in and kicking his shoes off at the door. He took in the way Kellen was walking and the missing Captain, and put two and two together.

"Ah, so you had a good day yesterday? The Captain wore you out?" He asked, and Kellen turned to respond to him seriously to find the man grinning from ear to ear. Kellen grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl nearby and threw it at him. Brent caught it with his prosthetic arm, chuckling.

"Shut the fuck up, Brent." Kellen growled, moving towards the kettle as it popped. He pulled down his favourite mug, wincing as his muscles strained. Brent took pity on him and helped him out by grabbing his tea and dropping a bag into his cup. He leaned against the counter, taking a bite out of the apple Kellen had tossed at him.

"Oh, you didn’t like it? Was he too rough for your tastes? You can be honest with me, I won’t tell a soul." Brent’s eyes sparkled, and Kellen wanted to groan. He shouldn’t have let him in, but it was too late now.

"That’s not...I just..." He sighed. "That Captain’s probably listening in on us." Kellen muttered quietly and Brent’s eyes widened as he glanced in the direction of his apartment.

"No, there’s no way he could-" He cut off because of the serious look Kellen was giving him. Kellen had no doubt the Captain could hear him. He had no idea why he felt that, but he just had a gut feeling. Brent whistled. "Wow. You’ve got a real monster on your hands." Kellen frowned at his fellow Field Guide.

"He is not a monster." Kellen stated firmly, and Brent blinked, before his expression softened.

"Does he not like to be called that?" He asked, and Kellen shook his head, taking the tea bag out of his tea.

"No, I don’t like calling him that." Brent seemed stunned at the revelation, while Kellen sighed. "Anyway, as you can see, there will be no working out for me. Probably muscle relaxants or something similar. Like a hot pack. Or ice." Brent chuckled, before heading towards the couch and dropping his bag down on it. He rolled his shoulders.

"Alright, if we’re not working out this morning, I guess I can help you make breakfast instead. All I ask is that you compensate me appropriately." Brent winked, and Kellen rolled his eyes. Kellen then glanced towards the package on the counter. It was the gifts that the Captain had gotten him. The aprons. He sniffed.

"Alright, as long as you wear an apron, and not mine. One of those."

"Why would I be happy when someone ignored my words and warnings? I can’t fucking do anything today, Captain! I’ve never had this happen before, and I am used to pushing my body to my limits. Of course I am pissed at you. Whatever fucked up training you were muttering about, I want no part of. And if you insist on it, I’m going to be pissed." The Captain’s face was frozen, while Kellen could hear Brent holding back laughter from where he was in the living room.

Kellen knew he should be more quiet, but damnit, it was his house, and he was angry! He had never expected the Captain to ignore his words like that, and it had to have consequences. If the Captain wanted a serious relationship with him, like he had insisted, there were things he needed to respect. If he wanted their relationship to be like any other Esper and Guides, then sure, he could walk all over Kellen’s boundaries. But he wouldn’t like the consequences.

"Kellen, I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you were serious." Kellen glowered at the man.

"When is saying no never serious?" Kellen demanded, and the Captain opened his mouth, about to respond, before he closed it. He closed his eyes, sighing.

"No, you’re right. I was about to say an excuse, but you’re right." Kellen narrowed his eyes.

"What were you about to say?" He demanded, but Brent piped up just in time.

"The Captain was going to suggest that sometimes, in the heat of the moment, some people tend to say the opposite of what they want." Brent winked at Kellen, as the Captain opened his eyes to look over at Brent. "Since you have no experience, I doubt you would do the same. But, slip ups happen. When’s breakfast going to be ready?" He asked without missing a beat. Kellen turned his gaze towards the Captain, who now had a pained expression on his face.

"I’m sorry Kellen. It wasn’t intentional." Kellen knew it wasn’t intentional, but for some reason, his chest ached. Why was that?

"It’s fine now that you know what you did wrong. You know that I’m not the type to do that. I would tell you if I wanted more of something, or if I disliked it. So I do not like it when you do not listen to me." Kellen stated firmly, and the Captain nodded, looking like a beaten up puppy. He pulled away from Kellen with a sigh.

"I understand. I’ll...I’ll leave you two alone then." Kellen, who had been filled with anger only a minute before, Yanked on the back of the man’s sweater as he turned to leave.

"Where the hell do you think you’re going? You’re going to help us eat all this food, and then you’re taking us out for tea." Kellen growled, and Brent and the Captain stared at the Guide in confusion. Brent knew if it had been anyone else, the Captain wouldn’t have seen Kellen for at least a week for breaking his rules, and the Captain had expected the same thing. To be so easily forgiven was a privilege that the Captain hadn’t known he had. Until now.

Something had changed inside of Kellen, and that small change made the Captain begin to hope. Hope that even after he’d fucked up, there might still be a chance that everything he wanted was still in the future. Kellen just had to open his heart just a little bit more.