Chapter 232: We get a second date? Sounds good
Breakfast was an event. Once his Dad had gotten everyone to the table, everyone was pretty much fending for themselves.
Kellen was amused by the fact that even Taylor, Hill and Gunther had brought over some food as well. It seemed that this had been thoroughly planned and the only other person who was surprised was Sergei. Brent’s eyes glittered as he looked at the other man, soothing him since he’d also kept him in the dark.
Kellen just shook his head, chuckling at the tender moment he was able to help create.
Rhys, of course, made sure that Kellen’s plate was full of food, that he wasn’t wanting for anything, and even tried to hand feed him a couple of times. Kellen just let the man get away with it. Seeing the happiness in his face was worth more than any strange feelings he had about letting the man feed him by hand.
Everyone teased them about it though, and as much as Kellen felt his face warm, he just smiled through it. It was fine. This was nice.
The meal ended and the fun had to stop. Kellen and Rhys were excused for the day to celebrate but everyone else was going to work after this. It was almost a punishment to Kellen and Rhys, but his parents, and Aunt Dina were very insistent on it.
The S Classes would be arriving tomorrow for the meeting. They would begin planning out the press conference, and they were already fielding questions from the media about who the new people in the Phoenix Guild building were. The group was going to have a very busy day, and all Kellen and Rhys were allowed to do was relish their new phase in their relationship.
Rhys brought up a good point. He was the contact for most of the S Classes that were coming in for the meeting. Was he allowed to respond to them?
That brought on a serious discussion, and it was finally decided that he could respond, but mostly to direct them to Sergei. Or Aunt Dina. Rhys just smiled and nodded, his arm around Kellen’s shoulder. They were serious about them taking some time for themselves, and while Kellen appreciated it, he could feel his skin crawling a bit at being still.
Rhys was the one who made it clear that they would not be staying still. The room had made some suggestive remarks when Rhys said that, but he quickly calmed Kellen’s mind. They had gotten in and hadn’t really explored the Guild building, then they had gone on a date. They could take the day to get used to the Guild building and take their time relaxing. Rhys knew that neither one of them had really had time to relax since the poison gate, and Kellen hadn’t really relaxed when he was healing.
In fact, he was still healing, so this was the perfect time for them to test his aim, see how fast he could move, all of that. Kellen’s eye lit up at the suggestion. He’d been practically couch bound for most of his healing journey so to hear that not only could he move but that it was Rhys who was telling him he could? That was a great gift.
Taylor’s slightly salty face could be seen on the tablet, but when Rhys turned to her she could only sigh heavily and agree. Kellen was probably at a level where he could do light exercise, as long as they stayed safe. Rhys gave her a thumbs up, winking at her and promising that they were being very safe.
Taylor didn’t trust them, but wasn’t about to call them out in front of everyone.
That was how the morning ended, and Rhys and Kellen broke off from the others to go on a tour. Uncle Vance was the one who went with them and strongly suggested that they come to the medical bay first. Rhys agreed as Kellen turned and didn’t catch the glares that Rhys got. No one considered for a second that Rhys was the one that was hurt. Even if that was the case, Rhys had the ability to reset himself.
It was becoming clear that while Rhys and Kellen might have the same type of Esper power, it wasn’t at the same level. That, or Kellen hadn’t started training his powers yet. Both were true, with an added hint of Rhys wanting to keep Kellen safe and Kellen not really focused on his Esper powers in the slightest.
Kellen didn’t pick up on why Uncle Vance wanted to see him until he caught his green gaze scanning him in the elevator, away from prying eyes with a bit of awareness that Taylor had never afforded him and Kellen felt his whole face go red.
Honouring his words, Uncle Vance did give them a tour of the medical bay, showing off their facilities and everything that was available to the public after he had treated some of Kellen’s injuries. They weren’t anything serious, thank goodness, and then he sent Kellen and Rhys off after telling them a few places that he felt the couple would be interested in.
They didn’t have an obstacle course room like they had at the Saturn Guild, but they did have a rock climbing room and a few pods. Kellen had no idea what he meant by pods and Uncle Vance’s eyes sparkled as he entered his office.
It was a smack in the face as Kellen remembered, and wondered how he had forgotten, his Uncle’s vice.
His office was bright, sparkly pink. Frills and sparkles, crystals, a sparkly chandelier, pink furnishings matched with white trim, silver, and several large, cute stuffed animals were sitting in the chairs. They acted as pillows and guests while they were empty. His Uncle’s chair was pink and white with a cute comfort pillow in the shape of a giant cat paw print that he sat on with the ease of a man who had sat there many times before, and would sit there many times after.
The charms all over everything, the lace and frills, did not match the man who did not accent himself in the same way. He just enjoyed this space, but acknowledged that this didn’t match him in the slightest.
Kellen was only startled for a second before he relaxed, adjusting. It wasn’t his first time seeing this since his Aunt had shown him this office, or a version of it, when he and Gwen had been on a call and Uncle Vance wanted to talk to them too. Gwen had been fascinated as a child, and Kellen had just asked him plainly why it was so bright in his room.
Rhys seemed to be having a little bit more of a culture shock moment and Uncle Vance didn’t take it to heart. After all, Taylor’s office was still quite plain. She tried to hide her vice from the others, even if it was pretty obvious in a different way. She was normally such a nice girl and yet, she kept asking for raises? Yeah, keep trying to hide it, Taylor.
They didn’t remain long in the office, just long enough to listen to Uncle Vance tell them where to go, where points of interest in the building could be for them, and for the other S Classes, and he explained the pods.
The pods were something that Espers away from the front lines had created to hone their skills. It was not something that the Saturn Guild would ever consider, nor the Nemesis Guild, so Kellen had no idea about them. Or maybe he had heard whispers about them from the Guilds who had rented him before he had joined the Saturn Guild but he had brushed it off.
He had, if Kellen was honest with himself, dismissed it as something only a pompous, rich Esper would get. Now that he was in the home of a pompous, rich Esper away from the front lines, he felt a little ridiculous.
Rhys thought it would be a good idea for them to check it out, and Uncle Vance suggested that they use the pod that his Aunt used. For their safety, since he wasn’t sure that the other pods would be able to keep up with the magic output of Rhys or Kellen if they used the other grades.
Kellen nodded, and Rhys smiled, before they both left on their second date in two days.
~
Kellen found that the climbing wall wasn’t something he was allowed to use. As soon as Rhys saw it, he gave Kellen a firm headshake, even as Kellen gave him a look begging him to let him climb. Even with his glove, he wasn’t allowed.
Rhys had a good point, which only made Kellen more upset. They hadn’t really tested Kellen’s strength since he’d gotten the use of his hand back, even with the glove. They had done simple tests because Kellen had wanted to be thorough, but had also wanted to get on the road. Rhys and Sergei had handled up the directed setup while they had been traveling, while Kellen had taken on more of the mental load while traveling.
Kellen had huffed and puffed, and then asked if he could at least watch Rhys climb the wall. Rhys had seemed surprised by that, before he gave Kellen a knowing look. Kellen had attempted to be innocent, but when Rhys tossed his head back and laughed before sinking his hand into Kellen’s hair and yanking him forward to kiss him, all tongues, harsh breath and Kellen’s knees going a little weak, he knew that he had failed to hide his true intentions.
It was worse when Rhys made up the excuse of wanting not to ruin his shirt and had stripped it off. Kellen would have felt like a pervert if not for the fact that Rhys was living for Kellen showing off his desire for the man. He was loving the attention, showing off his ring and muscles for Kellen personally.
Kellen watched the man scale the wall with the ease of a man who hadn’t just looked at the wall for the first time. Instead, he worked like he had been on it several times, clearing it in record time. The Espers who were around and watching them curiously came closer and asked about what he had done, and why he had done it.
It was Kellen who had stepped in and answered, explaining every hold and move as if he himself had made it and Rhys glowed more. He was a proud man, happy to show off Kellen as well. When Kellen was asked if he was going to climb it, he showed off his injured hand and injured eye, a solid reason for most Espers as well to not do it.
They did ask why he was still injured and if he had been to see Lieutenant Dickenson, and Kellen and Rhys had just chuckled. He explained that the Healers had done their best and now it was time to just wait for time to do its best. Then, they left and went to the shooting range.
Kellen was delighted that his aim was still the same. Rhys was also pleased that his aim hadn’t worsened either. Kellen went through the several types of guns available to him there and Rhys watched him with a gaze that wasn’t yellow but wasn’t gold either. It was somewhere in the middle and Kellen felt that if his eyes had a tell, they would be the same.
Seeing Rhys move like that? Kellen hadn’t realised he was such a physical man before Rhys but he was certainly feeling a certain way. Watching him fire guns? Watching him move casually with calm and ease? Kellen wanted to lick him clean. It was a good thing he had put his shirt back on or Kellen might have done something dangerous. Or gotten caught by people who were innocent in his desires.
They had a quick lunch after, before moving to go through the rest of the building. It was a good thing that they had gotten badges from his Aunt otherwise they would have been caught in between. Unable to leave but unable to go forward. Each area was shut down tightly. It was for safety and also a show of power. Kellen understood it, knew that the Saturn Guild was in the same position back home, but even Kellen didn’t have access to the Guiding Division here and that made him sad.
He would ask his Aunt about that later, see if he could get in to see the Guides and make sure that they were okay. Maybe see if there was a place for any of his students and if any of the Guides here wanted to learn at least self defense if not how to be a Field Guide.
They would save the pods for another day, since Kellen could feel how Rhys was looking at him. They ended up making it till mid afternoon before they ended up back in their apartment, their hands all over each other. It was probably a good thing they hadn’t been in a room with others. The tension would have been enough to drive the others crazy.
Kellen just enjoyed kissing his future husband, smiling into the kiss.
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