(BL) Hunting The Field Guide-Chapter 469: We believe in you

Kellen and Rhys didn’t go to sleep after the bath. They laid in bed, wrapped up in each other’s arms for as long as they could before Kellen had to get up.

He headed for the closet, pulling out his gun cases, his actual uniform with all of the bells and whistles, and began to pull it on. Rhys watched him, silent, but Kellen could feel his gaze on his skin.

Kellen was just missing his boots at this point, opting for the shorter coat since he didn’t know what he’d be walking into when he went into the gate. When Kellen finished tucking his gun into his waistband, he turned, facing Rhys.

The man looked sad. Terribly, irreparably sad. Kellen’s heart squeezed and he moved towards the other man, his footsteps firm. He reached out, grabbing the other man’s head and pressing it against his chest while Rhys wrapped his arms around Kellen.

"This isn’t goodbye." Kellen said softly. "We don’t say goodbye on the front lines. It’s a curse. I will be back. Believe in me." Kellen told him and Rhys just squeezed him more.

"This isn’t goodbye. I...I’ll probably head downstairs and go to sleep. I can’t see you enter the gate. If...When they get notice that you’ve touched the core, I’ll wake up then and wait for you. So you better make it all the way out, Kellen. Or so help me, I’ll go in and find you, and then at least we’ll be together." Rhys told him, the anger in his tone, the desperation in his voice washing over Kellen. Kellen swallowed.

He couldn’t be mad if that happened, but he would do everything within his power to fight against it.

"Okay." Kellen agreed. "You have every right to that, but I won’t let it come to that." Kellen told him. Now that he had his arms around him, he didn’t want to let him go. His heart begged him not to, but he knew he had to.

That didn’t mean he didn’t hesitate.

"Are you going to eat before you leave?" Rhys asked and Kellen nodded.

"I was planning to come back after speaking to Carlos and Sakura, and then leave from the tower." Kellen told him and Rhys exhaled.

"Okay. I’ll make sure you have food then. Come up here. I’ll...I’ll see you off." Rhys told him. "I can’t go to the front lines, since that would leave the city unprotected, but I can see you off." Rhys sounded like a part of him was breaking and Kellen didn’t know what to say. He wanted to beg the man to come in with him, tell him he was sorry, but...

"So you couldn’t ever come with me?" Kellen asked softly and Rhys held his breath before he let out a shaky breath.

"We would have figured it out." He told him and Kellen shook his head. He felt himself smile at the man who was his, who held his heart and just sighed. He pressed his lips against his forehead, pulling away to gently kiss his lips.

"I’ll see you again shortly. I don’t think I’ll be gone long, and I’m armed. Honestly, I kind of wish the E.A.G. would attack me right now. I don’t have any patience for it." Kellen told him and Rhys’ eyes turned up slightly.

"At least you would be able to blow off some steam before you go inside." Rhys joked and Kellen gave him a soft smile. He kissed him again, deeper, harder, before he pulled back.

"I’ll see you soon." Kellen confirmed, heading for the door, forcing himself not to look back at the other man. It would only make this smaller, temporary separation worse. He was going to see him again before he left. This wasn’t goodbye.

~

The air was charged as Kellen moved through the Guild. Everyone who saw him had this strange, choked look on their face that Kellen wasn’t quite able to place. He just assumed that they were mad at him, so he didn’t make any conversation with them. Kellen headed down to the garage and used the car that Rhys had gotten him to get him to the Peach Guild.

Nothing happened on the way, and Kellen was a little happy to see how easy getting through the city was for him. When he pulled up to the Peach Guild and got out he half expected to hear more gunshots, but nothing happened.

Kellen walked into the Guild lobby, and the air shifted. It was like every member knew what Kellen was about to do. They all stared at him, somber, and when he made eye contact with the receptionist, she yanked her phone to her ear, pressing buttons quickly.

It was only a few minutes later that Sakura showed up, marching out of an elevator, short of breath and looking every bit of a mess that she had been over camera.

"Kellen! What are you doing here alone?" She demanded, and it was clear that she expected either Rhys or another Esper to accompany him. Kellen gave a tight smile.

"What do I have to fear right now?" Kellen asked, genuine, and Sakura turned pale. She closed her eyes for a moment, nodded, before she ran a hand over her face.

"Right. Yeah. Fair enough. Okay. Well, you can follow me downstairs." She said, gesturing to the elevator before she hesitated for a second and reached for Kellen, pulling him in. "I’m so sorry this has happened to your family." She whispered and Kellen felt his heart squeeze.

"It’ll be okay." Kellen told her. "I won’t let this get any further. If I have to fight a gate, I will." Kellen told her. He wasn’t joking, and Sakura pulled back.

"What can you do, Kellen? No offense, but you aren’t an Esper. You’ll need our help to fight the gate." She said, her eyes fierce. "Do you know how hard I’ve had it trying to convince him not to go into the gate himself?" She asked and Kellen felt his eyes widen.

"He...wants to go into the gate himself?" He asked and Sakura groaned.

"He’s gotten it into his head that he’ll be fine because of his powers. I’m begging and pleading with him not to do something so ridiculous, which is where the next round of suits came from. He made one for you. Especially for you. Is Rhys....not going with you?" She asked and Kellen nodded.

"He’s going to stay back." Kellen told her as they approached the elevators. Kellen didn’t mind that she kept her arm around his shoulder. It was a comfort for both of them, and Kellen was glad for it.

Sakura let out a deep, heavy sigh.

"He’s going to go crazy like Sergei." She muttered and Kellen stared grimly at the elevator doors as they waited for the few seconds it took for it to come up to the lobby.

"No, he’s going to be worse." Kellen told her grimly and Sakura tightened her grip on his shoulder.

"And you still didn’t let him come in the gate with you?" She asked softly, very softly. Kellen was sure no one else around them was able to hear her words.

"What other choice do I have? Let him come in with me and potentially watch him die, or have him outside and know I have someone to run to once I get out? I don’t like either of these options, Sakura, but I just..." Kellen trailed off and Sakura gave him another squeeze.

"I’m sorry I poked. It’s a sensitive subject. Still, for what it’s worth...I get it." Sakura said softly. "I would have a hard time letting the ones I love go into danger as well. I’m like you in that sense. I like to do things for myself." Sakura said, the elevator arrived and they got in. She swiped her card, and they went down.

"Thank you." Kellen finally said as the doors opened again and they stepped out. "I know it’s not a choice most people would make. It wasn’t like it was an easy one for me either." Kellen told her and Sakura sighed.

"No. This situation is really going to test us all." She agreed and Kellen couldn’t help but agree. "I’m pissed at the system we have in place too. After this, we have very valid grounds to protest this. I can’t believe that the other poison gate didn’t protest." Sakura grumbled and Kellen laughed.

"They probably did, but it was drowned out by the death tolls. Hopefully, we won’t have the same issue." Kellen told her with a grin and Sakura stared down at the man before she squeezed him again.

"If anyone can do it, you can, Kellen." She told him, her confidence born not from her abilities, but her faith in her friend. Kellen felt his heart warm.

"Thank you for saying that, Sakura. I...I think I needed to hear that." Kellen told her, and Sakura was about to answer when a door was flung open and a man who looked nearly crazed came towards them. Kellen recognised him immediately. It was Carlos. Insomniac Carlos, carrying a suit in his hands.

"I’ve done it!" He declared, nearly deranged. "I’ve made the best suit yet! 2%! That’s all that gets through, and I was right! My blood was the answer!" He was damn near hysterical, but Kellen couldn’t say anything against the man. Carlos would have run tests to make sure he was right, and even if they were rushed, the error could only be maybe 2-10% difference.

"Really?" Kellen asked, curious and Carlos shoved the suit into Kellen’s hands before he grabbed his arm. His gaze was wild, vivid, and Kellen knew that the man had been keeping himself alive and awake with caffeine, guiding, and pure spite.

"You better not fucking die in that gate. So help me, I’ll not listen to Sakura and storm the front lines again. I’ve done it once, I can do it again." He warned and Kellen felt his lips turn up slightly.

"Thank you for your concern, Carlos, but with this new suit, I should be able to manage." He told the man and Carlos nodded. Before he released Kellen and marched back to his room. Kellen thought they were done, as did Sakura, before Carlos came back out. He had these weird face masks in his hand. They looked like they covered the whole face, with a strange breathing apparatus at the mouth.

"Here. Take these. I made enough for every survivor. They should be better than the version I gave the front line people." Carlos barked, and Kellen took them. He should be able to fit them into his backpack and Kellen felt his face break out into a smile.

"Thank you, Carlos. I won’t let your inventions down." Kellen promised and Carlos nodded, before finally waving them off.

"Go! You have much more important things to do than to deal with me." Carlos said gruffly, his voice raspy, and Kellen nodded. He turned with Sakura, a little smile on his lips too. That went a lot better than he thought it would go.