Chapter 247: A time out with the Captain

Rhys was a little annoyed with his lovely Guide. Why was he annoyed?

Because even though he knew that his body wasn’t in the greatest condition, he kept pushing himself over and over and thinking that he was okay.

Rhys knew that it was in Kellen’s nature, but he’d honestly, foolishly thought that he might realise that he couldn’t do that right now. Too much was changing, too much was happening inside of his body that he needed to be wary. Cautious. Careful.

He had thought that he understood that.

As he watched Kellen sway on his feet, he realised he was wrong.

It was a small miracle that Kellen didn’t faint or fall, but it didn’t stop there. It appeared that Kellen wasn’t even aware of what was going on around him. He was barely conscious. When Rhys rushed over, sweat trickling down his spine, Kellen didn’t respond to him calling his name. Rhys panicked more.

It got to the point that even the others started to notice that something was wrong, but when Kellen finally stirred and he looked at Rhys with a blank, blue eye, Rhys saw red.

Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good, and Rhys was going to get to the bottom of it. He barely let Kellen put things in place to let others handle what was going on. Kellen was far more important to him than some stupid ass Espers. Kellen was his. His fiancé. His man. His Guide.

He didn’t give a fuck about some Espers that could end this city. He could just use his powers to halt it before it even happened and take Kellen and those he cared about out of harm’s way and let the city burn. It would be one way to deal with the E.A.G. They couldn’t get away with their bullshit if they were caught in a surging S Classes self detonation.

Kellen was at least aware that something was wrong and let Rhys take him aside, sit him in his lap and hold onto him. However, that wasn’t the end of it.

Everything was made worse when Rhys pulled back the eye patch and stared into the shimmering, almost yellow eye of Kellen’s healing eye.

Horrifying. Terrifying.

It made Rhys want to pick him up and flee the room. He didn’t even want to acknowledge what he had seen. Why? Why was this happening? Why couldn’t Kellen’s eyes have remained the same after all this time? He wouldn’t be able to keep him safe once Kellen’s eye healed if he had two different eye colours. That wasn’t normal for anyone, and Kellen already had a damn target painted on his back.

This was made worse by the fact that he knew that Kellen would not imprint on him for his own safety. This wasn’t a mark against what he felt for Rhys, but that the man had a stubborn streak a mile wide and liked his job. He wanted to be able to do it for as long as possible, and Rhys respected that about Kellen.

It was just a bitter pill to swallow when he was coming face to face with another change, another thing he hadn’t seen in his visions when he was supposed to be able to use his powers to predict what was going to happen and brace for it. It was frustrating, especially when it came to the one his heart beat for.

When Kellen revealed the poison in his veins to misdirect others from what was going on, Rhys had to admit that it was a smart move. Even if he didn’t like others knowing what was going on with Kellen, it wasn’t as if that information wasn’t public. It was just the names that weren’t public, but Kellen was.

He was the Guide who had done the damn near impossible and entered and opened a gate that no one thought could be done. He should be proud of it, and the poisoning was almost dealt with anyways. It was just Taylor’s healing powers that were working quietly at fixing things, and they were doing that. They still had to fight the poison, but it was going much faster than it had before.

Rhys and everyone else was impatient, while Kellen, who should be the most impatient, was relaxed and calm. He didn’t seem to mind all that much that it was taking so long for everything to heal. At least, after he got a glove that he could wear and the use of his other hand back, even with restrictions.

Rhys was pissed. Fear and worry filled him as he held a man that shouldn’t be as delicate as he was in his arms. His newly minted S Class Guide, A Class Esper, who had somehow managed to surprise him with an engagement that he had never thought would come to pass unless he put in the work, was scaring him.

Kellen patted Rhys’ arm where he could reach it, as if sensing that something wasn’t right with Rhys. That wasn’t fair. Unlike Kellen, Rhys had an effect on the surrounding area. He could sense when Rhys wasn’t doing well, as could every other person, while Kellen...

Kellen had paused. Stopped. And no one had really noticed.

That terrified Rhys. Chilled him to the bone. He didn’t like to think about it, didn’t like when he realised that it had happened once, and then again. He didn’t know the cause and he wanted to run every test, right now.

But he knew he wouldn’t be able to get Kellen to agree to it.

"Wait, you were the Guide that rescued those Espers and Guides who got stuck in that gate?" It was one of the Espers who exclaimed that, and Rhys tensed. He tugged Kellen tighter against him even as Kellen chuckled.

"Yes, I was. They were our Guild members, after all. Of course I did it." Kellen slid his eye to Brent for a moment before he smiled wider. "I also happened to think that one of my best friends had gotten sucked into the gate when it behaved strangely, and my sister got sucked in, so if no one else was going to do it, I needed to." Kellen told them. The Espers stared at him in awe, mixed with desire. Rhys wanted to stand over Kellen and growl, warning them off. He was his.

They had no space to sneak in. Kellen had always liked Rhys, and Rhys had been waiting for Kellen for years. They would not be able to touch him without sacrificing parts of their body to do so.

"That’s very impressive." One of the men said and Kellen laughed.

"I did what I had to do. These injuries are worth it. I’m lucky I didn’t lose anything else, and even then, my eye is healing. Just slowly." Kellen said.

"Haven’t you tried using a Healer?" Another one piped up and Kellen chuckled.

"Believe me, I am full of the power of a healer, but the poison is stronger." Kellen told them. "It’s like a battle inside of my body right now. I’m not allowed to do much." Kellen said. With a start, Rhys realised that all of the Espers as a unit had turned pitying gazes towards Rhys.

"We’re sorry for your loss." They said, and Rhys bristled. He knew that they were trying to be kind, but to suggest something so demeaning about Kellen, like his only worth to Rhys was a sleeve for his cock was just-

"It’s fine. We’ve figured out ways around it." Kellen said openly, startling not only the Espers, but the Guides. "And Rhys doesn’t want me for just my body." Kellen shut them down easily, and Rhys watched as their faces warmed in embarrassment. Kellen glanced at Rhys, his blue eye fierce, and Rhys watched in awe as his expression relaxed, warming as he stared at Rhys’ face.

He would never get tired of that. How fiercely Kellen desired him, protected him, and wouldn’t let anyone speak ill of him. Rhys would do the same for Kellen, but it was lovely to see that it went both ways. Even with the ring on his finger, Rhys felt it even more in this moment.

The Espers had been trying to form a bond with Rhys over something stupid, and Kellen hadn’t destroyed the bond, but had told them in no uncertain terms that was not the way to bond with Rhys. He was loved. He was taken care of. He was cared for.

He didn’t need their shitty bonds in the first place.

Rhys wanted to worship him, and take him to get several tests done at the same time. Tragically, he wasn’t a Healing Esper. Rhys kicked himself, wishing that had been an option. Had he known he would have ended up with someone like Kellen, he would have tried to see if he could negotiate with the greater powers to get what he wanted.

Tried to get what would help Kellen the most.

"He’s right. I like him for his brains too." Rhys rumbled. "And how fast he can run, and how he can pick fights with me when no one else would, or how he cooks for me, or when he gives me full debriefs about plant life in a particular gate, or gets mad at how Guides are portrayed in movies." Rhys would have kept going if a gloved hand hadn’t covered his mouth. Kellen’s face was bright red when he stared at Rhys, giving him a warning glance. Rhys grinned.

"They don’t need that much information." Kellen warned but Rhys didn’t agree. He glanced at the S Classes and saw the greed in their eyes. They did need that information. They did need to know that things could be like this for them, and they honestly needed to see a healthy relationship between a Guide and an Esper, even if Rhys didn’t like it.

Rhys gently tugged at Kellen’s hand, nibbling on his fingertips when he pulled his hand away. He watched as Kellen’s cheeks flushed, but he didn’t yank his hand away. He did frown, his lips pouting and Rhys loved it.

"Well, I think we’ll need to agree to disagree, my love. They need to know that there is no space for them to weasel in. You’re an impressive package." Rhys said, wiggling his eyebrows and making Kellen’s face warm more.

"Rhys Thatcher." Kellen hissed, and it was a delight to see him react like that to him. He had worried that he wouldn’t react at all. The fear still clung to him. It hadn’t passed, and Rhys didn’t think it would for a while.

Seeing Kellen standing there, listless, would haunt him for a long, long time.

"What? You are, my love. So sexy, and handsome, and smart, and talented. Who wouldn’t want to get their grubby hands on you?" Rhys asked and Kellen frowned. He had an objective view on himself, but he still had a hard time seeing his worth.

"He’s right, you know." Kellen’s Mom spoke up, her expression impressively neutral in the face of her son being flirted with. "I didn’t raise any average children, that’s for sure. Or else how would both of my children be desired as much as they are? Of course, my lovely husband has a bigger role in this than I do, but I can take some credit." Kellen blushed while his Dad did, but his Dad wasn’t humble.

He raised a hand to his cheek, gently grabbing his wife’s hand.

"Well, I won’t deny that Kellen has some of my tenacity, but he does take after you, my lovely wife." The S Classes, and the Guides were at a loss at what they should do. They hadn’t experienced this before.

A generational love story that didn’t end in tragedy, and Rhys could tell it was changing them without them even being aware of it. Rhys smiled, his hands gripping his Guide tighter. He understood. It had happened to him too, and it was part of the reason he had quietly insisted that the Woods needed to come with them, at least at first.

The others needed to see this, see what the E.A.G. was trying to destroy, and why it was important to protect. Kellen alone wasn’t enough in this case.