(BL) Hunting The Field Guide-Chapter 413: Dr. Lyons has a crush~

Kellen did his best to not let his worries affect his classes, nor his interactions with others. His students didn’t need to know that their fellow trainee Guides were in potential danger. Or, more potential danger.

They were Guides. They were always in danger, especially right now. Kellen had to take some blame for that too.

Before all of this, he had been alone. Then, Brent had come along. He hadn’t considered how his actions could affect the others around him because he hadn’t really had others around him. It seemed that some part of him had always known that and his actions had reflected that. But now?

Now Kellen was kicking himself internally about how he had painted a target on his back, and thus, had painted a target on anyone who interacted with him backs. It wasn’t like everyone didn’t know that he had personally trained the Guides coming to the front lines. Everyone knew. Plus, Brent was with them.

Brent had been working on his own after Kellen had left for the city, but he had come pretty much as soon as Kellen called and taken up the mantle that Kellen had handed him. With a bribe and blackmail, of course, but that was more in jest than anything else. If Brent really said no, Kellen would have respected his wishes.

Before that, Brent had worked with Kellen. Everyone knew that. They had worked as a pair for years. They also hadn’t ended on a sour note. There were very few people on the front lines who wouldn’t know that if Brent left for an extended period of time, it was probably because he went to work with Kellen.

Plus, he was wearing the uniform of the Saturn Guild when they weren’t going into gates. It was a no-brainer that they were affiliated.

Kellen was trying not to spiral about what was going on at the front lines. He didn’t think he was doing a particularly good job when Casper came to speak to him at one point in his office. However, Kellen was a bit preoccupied when he came by to visit.

Maeve was back from the front lines, not because of the warning from Gunther, but because apparently the Peach Guild needed her expertise with something. Kellen had a feeling he knew exactly what they needed her help with, but he wasn’t going to prod her for more details. He was busy chatting to her in his office while he worked on the next phase of his training plan.

She looked good, happy even, until Kellen heard a knock at his door. Both of them turned, staring at Casper who had his little tablet with him. He seemed to have a thoughtful look on his face as he noticed the pile of snacks on Kellen’s desk that Maeve had brought in with her. A peace offering of sorts. They were also clearly from her since the pile was right in front of her on his desk.

She had kind of just dropped them there after she had pushed the door open.

Casper’s lips turned up as he pushed up his glasses, entering the room.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked carefully, and Maeve laughed.

"No. I feel like I’m the one interrupting important Guide business." Maeve said, wiggling her eyebrows. Casper chuckled softly.

"You, Dr. Lyons? Never. You and your fellow Doctors are always welcome to Guide business. Shall I send you the schedule?" Casper asked casually and Maeve laughed. She placed her hand on his shoulder, giving it a warm squeeze before she patted it.

"It’s alright. I wouldn’t want to scare them. I know for a fact you send the stronger ones my way, Lieutenant Casper, and I appreciate it." She said with a smile. "Not that I get up to the same antics as some of our more prolific Espers, but I do appreciate when a Guide doesn’t balk at me." Kellen hated hearing that. His brows furrowed, and he was about to go into a long rant when Maeve stopped him. "Kellen, it’s not what you think." She said, a twinkle to her eye.

Even Casper seemed amused.

"It really isn’t. Maeve has scared a few of her Guides in the past with her stature. None who have worked for us, and certainly not after you arrived, but it’s an inside joke. The previous Guild that Dr. Lyons worked at didn’t consider her feelings in the slightest." Casper sniffed, raising his nose slightly. "They didn’t even value her at all." He sounded pretty upset about that, and Kellen agreed.

She was a great person, and her work was instrumental right now. Especially if Carlos was calling on her for help. Maeve looked embarrassed.

"Gee, when you say it like that, I get embarrassed. I didn’t know you felt that way about me, Lieutenant Casper, but I have another in my heart." She slid her gaze to Kellen, who felt his eyes widen in shock. For a brief second, he worried it was him she was referring to. "She works at the coffee shop upstairs. I’ve been meaning to ask her out, but between work and everything else, it just hasn’t happened yet." Maeve lowered her voice, speaking as if she was sharing a great secret and Casper’s lips twitched.

"If it’s who I think it is, I’ve heard she’s had several Espers and Guides alike pestering her." Kellen felt out of the loop. There was a barista that everyone was crushing on? Who? Maeve and Casper started laughing at Kellen’s confused expression.

"That, Kellen, tells me you’ve never considered a woman in the slightest." Maeve teased and Kellen felt his face heat. He wanted to defend himself, but after a moment of hesitation, decided that it didn’t matter. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

"I think women are perfectly capable, but I don’t find them sexually attractive. Is that a bad thing?" He huffed and Maeve laughed harder. She moved towards him, reaching out and ruffling Kellen’s hair, much to his grumbling. Her smile was wide, reaching her eyes.

"Not at all. I’m glad that you stuck to your guns. I’ve heard of a few Guides or Espers who chose compatibility scores over their own preferences in the past. I’m glad that your relationship worked out, and that it seems to be going so well." Maeve’s genuine pleasure that Kellen was doing okay was balm to Kellen’s damaged heart. He hadn’t been able to see her because she’d been so busy recently, but he could tell that they could become good friends.

Kellen was never going to tell Maeve that he had almost done just that. He had a feeling that it wouldn’t go over well, as it hadn’t really gone over well with Rhys when he had told him about it in the beginning either. Granted, Rhys was trying to get into his pants at the time, but still. He had a feeling Maeve might rip a strip off of him.

Casper’s twitching lips told him that Casper had a feeling, if he didn’t already know of Kellen’s previous plans. Kellen couldn’t remember if he’d told the other Guide.

"Thanks, Maeve." Kellen said, his face flushed. Maeve’s eyes slid to the pile of snacks on the table, and wordlessly, Kellen grabbed one and opened the package. Maeve remained still, not speaking until Kellen had shoved the treat into his mouth. Then, she smiled, patted him on the shoulder and left the room with a wave to Casper.

Casper wasn’t able to close the door fast enough to prevent her from coming back in, shoving a handful of snacks on top of his tablet, and she slammed the door behind her with a wide grin. Casper blinked, staring down at the pile of treats full of calories and sugar before he burst into laughter.

"You have the whole team trained." He accused, turning to Kellen who was shaking his head, a smile on his lips.

"I swear I did nothing of the sort. They were like this before I got here." Kellen told him and both men shared a small laugh, a warm moment, before Casper looked at Kellen. Really looked at him.

"Are you okay, Kellen? Captain Thatcher told me about what is going on on the front lines and about how no one is being pulled quite yet. How are you handling it?" Casper asked and Kellen swallowed.

"I’m fine. There’s only so much I can do, and only so much I can regret. What’s done is done, and I know that everyone will do their best to keep everyone safe." Kellen said stiffly, his throat closing up. "How are you holding up? I haven’t seen Gunther checking into his safe spots, in fact, I haven’t seen him at any of the centers, and I’ve checked. Are you okay?" Kellen asked and watched as Casper’s grip tightened on the tablet in his hand. He wouldn’t meet Kellen’s gaze either.

"I’m...fine. I’m making do. Like you, I have many regrets, but what has been done, has been done. As long as I know Gunther is still alive, I’m okay." Casper said. Kellen wasn’t sure he could be the same way if their roles were reversed. Would he be able to sit back, patiently waiting if Rhys was off doing a top secret mission?

He wasn’t so sure he could, but he would try. He’d want to be like Casper if the situation ever came up. Anxious, but understanding. Hopeful. There wasn’t a part of Casper that thought Gunther wasn’t going to come out of this. That wasn’t an option for Casper, and it wasn’t an option for Kellen either.

Kellen nodded slowly.

"I’m glad to hear it. Was there a particular reason you came down?" Kellen asked and he shook his head. Kellen smiled. "I’m going over the next phase of training and trying to work it into something that would work for my students. Do you want to help?" Kellen asked and Casper nodded immediately. It appeared that Casper might be fine, but he wanted to be around someone. Kellen too, was the same.

Casper put his tablet onto the couch, along with all of the snacks and joined Kellen on the other side of the desk. For a moment, it felt like Brent was back here, by his side, and Kellen shook it off. He’d be home soon. Casper wasn’t going to replace him. Everything was going to be fine.