Chapter 241: S.O.S., we need some assistance
Kellen squinted from across the room, uncertain, and a little confused. Why was...Brent behaving like that?
At first, everything had seemed normal. Brent was smiling, relaxed, Sergei was stiff and looked uncomfortable but pleased, and Rhys was a glowing ray of sunshine when he entered the room holding Kellen’s hand. They were having the catch up meeting for Kellen and Rhys, and they would begin to welcome some of the S Classes that were coming for the S Class meeting that Sergei and Rhys had summoned.
The actual meeting was two days away, but the S Classes that were further away were given more time to arrive with the assumption that everyone would depart soon after the meeting concluded. Hence why Rhys and Sergei had arrived early, and Kellen had no doubt that some of the other S Classes had arrived early too.
Kellen was sure he was glowing in the same way that Rhys was. The two had been rather attentive to each other over the last two days and Kellen wanted to show off the fact that Rhys was wearing his ring about as much as Rhys wanted to show off his new ring.
His parents were there, along with the members of the Phoenix Guild that Kellen had known for a long time, and those who he was slowly growing fond of the more time he spent with them. He found that Zaria was very funny, and he liked her spunk.
The meeting began normally, or as normal as any meeting could with this much energy in the room. It took them about ten minutes to get on topic, but Kellen was relaxed. He was feeling patient today, and let it happen.
Kellen did find that something was suspicious. Brent, who was normally at the center of this kind of fun and instigation, was silent. Even the others who had been housing and taking care of Brent were surprised by his lack of response. Brent was...keeping to himself. He was barely making eye contact with anyone and Kellen was growing concerned until lunch. That was when Brent stood up and made a beeline for Kellen.
"Rhys, can I borrow Kellen for a few moments?" Brent asked. Everyone was shocked at the behaviour. Everyone but Sergei. He had a knowing smile on his lips that faded whenever Brent looked back at him. He knew exactly what was going on, but he was letting Brent handle it. Kellen grew suspicious again, but he was already pushing back his chair, moving Rhys’ hand off of his thigh without hearing what Rhys was going to say.
Brent was being polite, not truly asking for permission. Rhys’ responding laughter was answer enough.
"Of course! Have fun, you two. Let me know if you need anything. Are you going to go to our room to chat? If you do, take an escort." Rhys warned. Kellen would have brushed it off under normal circumstances as the Esper being overprotective, but something in Rhys’ eyes told him otherwise. Kellen also felt a strange prickle up the back of his spine.
"Uncle Parker? Could you come with us?" Kellen asked, knowing that Rhys needed to speak to everyone else while they broke for lunch. He couldn’t trust someone he didn’t know, not with Brent’s protection. The others seemed surprised that Kellen even agreed, same with Brent. It was only when Kellen met Rhys’ eyes that he gave a bitter smile.
"Feeling something, love?" Rhys asked and Kellen gave a noncommittal shrug.
"Nothing serious, but there. Better to agree with you now, then not." Rhys gave a laugh.
"I worry that the more I am around you, the stronger your powers will get." Rhys told him and Kellen scowled at him. "But I’m not willing to give up my time with you in the slightest. It’s nothing concrete for me either, but I do think that you two shouldn’t be alone. It might be related to whatever S Class is going to arrive first, could be related to those who are after Brent. Either way, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone trusted from the Phoenix Guild with you." Rhys made a good point, and showed that Kellen’s feeling wasn’t misplaced.
Uncle Parker easily agreed, flowing behind the two Guides as they made their way to Kellen and Rhys’ assigned room. Brent was nervous, jumpy, and Kellen worried that something terrible had happened. Uncle Parker was doing his best to keep his expression neutral, but he clearly had an inkling about what was going on.
His eyes sparkled in a way that Kellen had seen for a long time. It was a good thing, even if the worry for Brent hadn’t died down.
~
When they arrived at Kellen and Rhys’ room, Kellen made sure that Uncle Parker was sworn to secrecy before Brent went on his ramble, and a ramble it was. Kellen had never seen Brent so disorganised, disoriented, and needing guidance. Kellen knew it was a big deal since he was coming to Kellen of all people for something that wasn’t related to working out, guiding, or gate statistics.
Kellen was barely able to pierce together what was going on until he got about three minutes in, then he figured it out. Kellen blinked as he realised that Brent was coming to him for relationship advice. Brent, to Kellen.
It took another two minutes for Kellen to compose himself, before he was grinning and listening to Brent’s issues in earnest.
From what Kellen could put together from his friend’s rambling, and pacing, Brent was in a rather awkward position. He was worried that he was going to fuck this up, and since he had a history of fucking things up, he had no idea what to do. He really, really liked Sergei, but he didn’t want to lose him to something stupid like a rumour.
Kellen almost laughed.
"Brent, you know that as soon as you got involved with an S Class that you weren’t really calling the shots anymore, right? That’s something you were all quietly trying to tell me for months, and I didn’t listen." Kellen pointed out and was delighted when Brent turned pink.
"I am aware of that Kellen! Of course I am! I just-" Brent cut off with a sound of frustration. "I just don’t want to let him make the choice that he wants to end it, and I’m confused and worried and I don’t know what to fucking do! You just got engaged, you should have more answers!" Brent gestured to Kellen, a little wildly, and Kellen’s grin only grew.
"Ah yes, I have all the answers. As someone who approached you to help me look at rings without realising that they were wedding rings and I was being a fool." Kellen pointed out. Brent rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively.
"Tomato, tomato, it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is that you were successful, Kellen!" Brent was well and truly panicking and while Kellen knew that he shouldn’t be laughing at him, he couldn’t help it.
’Oh Brent. This is precious. Does Sergei know that you care this much?" Kellen had a feeling that he did, but from the wide-eyed look that Brent gave him in response, Brent didn’t believe that Sergei had caught on. That was probably better for Sergei since he would need an upper hand when it came to Brent.
Not for any malicious reason, but it was a bit like herding a cat in Brent’s case. Given that he was freaking out like this and it was over keeping Sergei interested in him. Kellen wanted to laugh, but that wasn’t the right answer in this situation. Kellen knew that at the very least.
"Brent, have you spoken to Sergei about your concerns?" Kellen asked and watched as the man swallowed, looking pale suddenly.
"W-Well, a little." Brent stuttered. "But I need more information. A better plan. I need to make sure." Brent said, and Kellen could feel the tension and anxiety coming off of him. Brent was serious, he was panicking, and that just told Kellen that he was taking this very seriously.
Kellen wondered what had happened yesterday that had sent Brent off the deep end like this.
"Brent, first off, take a few deep, calming breaths. If you need to pace, do that, but you need to calm your mind. Panicking isn’t going to help you find a solution. You know that, deep down." Kellen kept his voice calm, collected, and Brent was seriously anxious if he took Kellen’s words at face value. It took him a long moment to collect himself.
He didn’t sit down on the couch, and instead kept standing, but Kellen could tell that the little moment had helped him calm down. He was doing much better just a few minutes later.
"Thanks, Kellen." Brent muttered, the colour gone from his face, but he was a more natural shade now. He also looked a little less unhinged, and a little more like himself.
"No problem. Now, you’re worried that Sergei is going to get tired of you, is that right?" Kellen asked. Uncle Parker coughed, earning a glare from both men before they turned back to each other. It was clear that Brent was embarrassed to even admit it, but he gave Kellen a nod in affirmation. Kellen frowned in thought. "Hmm. Honestly, I can’t see it happening, but I know that logic doesn’t have a hold here right now." Brent blushed.
"My sincerest apologies, Kellen." He sounded annoyed, but Kellen just laughed.
"I’ve grown more sympathy and understanding towards those who have foolish thoughts in this transition to S Class. I am not mocking you, Brent, and I don’t think I ever would. Let’s put our heads together, outside of asking Sergei what he’d want, and think up a few plans." Kellen suggested, and Brent looked cautious, but grateful that Kellen was taking him seriously.
"Thank you for not dismissing my worries." Brent told him and Kellen felt anger well up inside of him.
"You have put up with enough of my own self-doubt and confusion, knowing exactly what was going on but knowing better than to make it worse. This is the very least I can do for you, Brent. The least." Kellen told him before the two Guides got to work making a plan for Brent.
Admittedly, the ideas were ridiculous, and it was made even more ridiculous when Uncle Parker piped up with a few ideas of his own. They wrote them down in Brent’s phone in an app that Kellen had no idea that the man had. It was a hidden thing and from the quick glance that Kellen got from the interior of the app, it was lists. Lists upon lists, and Kellen spotted his own name amongst them before Brent had swiped away and started a fresh list. Huh.
That was interesting, and given what Kellen knew of Brent as a person, the likelihood that it was a list about Kellen and the things he liked, disliked, and other things of that nature was high. It was...cute of Brent, and Kellen almost smiled.
He wasn’t going to tell Sergei about it at all.
By the time that lunch was done, Brent and Kellen hadn’t eaten, nor had Uncle Parker, but they had soothed Brent’s worries and he was more like himself. Kellen was glad. He even had a ten point list of things that he could do if he felt like something was wrong, but Kellen made sure that the first point was to talk to Sergei.
Kellen had learned the hard way what not talking did, and he was not about to let his friend sob uncontrollably in another man’s arms for no good reason. Brent, hearing that, took it to heart.
When they finally decided to leave the apartment, Kellen was glad that the feeling, the tingling in his gut was gone so he walked back to the meeting room feeling like everything had gone well. He had no idea of the storm he was about to walk into upstairs.
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