(BL) Taming the Field Guide-Chapter 73: A kettle about to boil over

By the time that Rhys got home, Kellen was nose deep in a novel that Hill had sent over earlier, two cups of tea deep, and laid out on the couch like a slug. He would have felt ridiculous and like he was doing something wrong if Rhys hadn’t seen him like that and had grinned like a fool.

"I’m glad you’re so comfy." Rhys said after he’d taken off his shoes and came to stand at the end of the couch. His eyes were creased at the corners as he stared at Kellen, laid out, his Captain’s jacket half undone.

Kellen turned his head from where he was lying on his side and perked up. He pulled himself up slightly, staring at Rhys intently.

"Do that slowly." Kellen ordered and Rhys blinked, before he started laughing. His expression was full of joy at Kellen’s words and the man did the smart thing and slowed his hands. Kellen shifted on the couch, putting down his book so that he could use his free arm to push himself up and watch Rhys.

"You want a strip tease?" Rhys asked, humour in his eyes and Kellen nodded slowly.

"Is that what this is called? I like it, whatever this is." Rhys’ grin grew, his shoulders shaking even as he worked on undoing his buttons. Kellen let out a heavy breath, watching his boyfriend move and just...exist. "I want you." Kellen told him and watched Rhys’ humour fade, his eyes flaring gold in between one heartbeat at the next.

"Kellen, have mercy on me." Rhys begged. "You can’t say things like that while I’m trying to be good." Rhys murmured and Kellen huffed.

"If I sucked you off, it’d be okay at this point, right? I just want to feel you. I need to feel you. Think about how I’m feeling? I want to know that you’re real and safe. I’m not even asking you to fuck me. I’m being good." Kellen argued and Rhys’ fingers trembled as they pulled off his Captain’s jacket and carefully laid it against the arm of the couch.

"Taylor would protest that." Rhys told him and Kellen growled, clenching his teeth tightly.

"Fucking Christ. Just give us a break. This is so damn annoying." Kellen growled and Rhys’ lips twitched. He looked as if he was preventing himself from saying something. Kellen glowered at him. "What? Don’t hold your tongue. If you’re upset about something, say it." Kellen told him. He sounded harsh, but he wanted to support Rhys in his anger.

Rhys shifted on his feet, raising a hand to cover the lower half of his mouth as he stared at the handsome, pretty Kellen laid out on his back, slightly inclined on the couch. His other hand went to support his elbow as he looked down at the other man.

"I’m worried you’re going to be upset with what I say." Rhys told him and Kellen huffed, rolling his eye.

"I won’t." Kellen told him, but Rhys’ eyes curled up at the corner.

"I’m not sure, but...if you say so, I’ll believe you because I trust you." Rhys said, chuckling. "I was going to say that we could have avoided this situation if we had both gone into the gate. We both would have been poisoned, therefore...we could have been intimate by this point." He suggested. He wasn’t trying to sound cocky, but the emotion that filled Kellen was...annoyance.

Plain and simple.

But, he had said that he wasn’t going to get mad at him. Clenching his teeth, Kellen reigned in his anger while Rhys chuckled, coming around the back of the couch to lean in and kiss Kellen’s forehead.

"You can get angry, it’s okay. It was just a passing thought." Rhys told him but Kellen vibrated with his self restraint. After his recent outburst? Kellen had to redeem himself. Kellen took several deep breaths, the impact of those words tearing at him.

He did not regret his choice. He would do it again if knowing that Rhys was safe and he was going into a gate like that with Gwen also inside of it. However, he wouldn’t repeat that kind of situation again outside of what he had done. For Rhys to make a joke like that, maybe it wasn’t a joke but he was just bringing it up...

Yeah, Kellen was upset, but it wasn’t just anger. He felt a lot of consuming emotions that he couldn’t put into words. They whirled around inside of him until finally, Kellen spoke up.

"I don’t like you saying that." Kellen told him. Rhys’ expression softened as he stared at Kellen.

"That’s why I hesitated to say it. Are you okay?" Rhys asked and Kellen shuddered, staring up at Rhys.

"I don’t even think that would be true." Kellen muttered. "Knowing Taylor, she still wouldn’t let us be intimate." Kellen felt like he was hysterical, but he wasn’t yelling. He was barely even moving. Rhys pressed another kiss against his forehead.

"I know. I’m sorry. It wasn’t a good joke." Rhys apologised and Kellen sniffed.

"I’m sorry that you felt you...needed to say that." Kellen felt a deep sorrow for Rhys. He knew that he was upset about those words, but it also hurt him that Rhys was apologising to him for speaking his thoughts.

"Kellen, it’s okay. I’m not upset. I was laughing when I said it, remember?" Rhys told him and Kellen sniffed. He felt like a terrible person that Rhys had to comfort him when Kellen should be the one to comfort him. Damn.

They were having a nice moment and here Kellen was, ruining it.

"How could you not be upset when I’m upset about it? There’s no way." Kellen sniffed and when he looked up at Rhys, the man was frozen. He was in his dress shirt, his tight Captain’s pants, and his slick back hair. Kellen couldn’t help being attracted to this handsome man. Who could blame him? He hadn’t become the most desired Captain worldwide for no damn reason. That made Kellen even more upset.

Kellen reached up, slipping his hand in between the pockets of the buttons and pulled Rhys closer to him.

"You’re mine." Kellen whispered, his gaze scanning Rhys’ face. It was a possessive claim, but the way that Rhys looked back at him? Thrilled to his core? That made the moment even more tense.

"Yes sir." Rhys growled, staring at Kellen’s lips like a man thirsty and just kissing Kellen would give him everything that he would need. Kellen let out a shaky breath.

"There has to be a way to get this out of our system before Taylor kills us." Kellen whispered. "I just want to touch you all over." Kellen told him and Rhys gulped.

"Ah shit. Sugar, stop seducing me." Rhys groaned. "Why don’t we cuddle? Do some pg skin contact?" Rhys suggested, but his golden eyes told a different story.

"How long do you think that would last? We need to get this out of our system or we’re both going to be in trouble." Kellen warned. Rhys closed his eyes, letting out a heavy breath before his shoulders slumped.

"Fuck. I...shit yeah, you’re right. Give me a moment to think of something." Rhys murmured. "And Kellen? It’s okay to feel things, alright?" Kellen didn’t say anything to that. Rhys let out another sigh. "I have an idea, but I’m going to have to go to my apartment for a moment." Rhys told him. Kellen looked at Rhys, curious what he had at his apartment that wasn’t here.

"What are you getting?" Kellen asked, ignoring Rhys’ comment before. He knew he could feel things. He knew that was allowed. Rhys chuckled.

"Just a few...things. Promise it’s not anything you haven’t seen before." Kellen didn’t know what he meant by that. However, he did have one concern.

"Are you going out looking like that?" Kellen asked. Rhys blinked, pulling back slightly to look at himself. Rhys was in his Captain pants and his dress shirt.

"I mean, it’s just next door. Is there something wrong with this?" He asked and Kellen glowered at him.

"What if you run into someone and they hit on you?" Kellen asked and Rhys looked shocked.

"Sugar, who in their right minds would hit on me? Knowing how hot and dangerous my boyfriend is?" Kellen wouldn’t be appeased.

"Put your jacket on. For safety." Kellen ordered and Rhys started laughing.

"Kellen, sweetheart, my love, it’s right next door." Rhys told him and Kellen grumbled.

"Yeah, but what if someone runs into you in the hallway? I don’t want them seeing what’s mine." Kellen ordered. Rhys looked absolutely ecstatic.

"You’re about as bad as an Esper." Rhys told him, chuckling as he leaned in and kissed Kellen’s forehead again. "You’re so sweet and cute. God, I love you. I’ll put on the jacket again so you can watch me strip again, alright?" Rhys teased even as Kellen was serious.

"Alright." Kellen agreed, and Rhys laughed. He pulled away, going back around to where he’d placed his jacket and pulled it on carefully, slowly, watching Kellen’s face as he did so. He was all smiles, so damn charming that Kellen knew he was going to be more sexually frustrated just by witnessing him.

"You’re too damn attractive for your own good." Kellen told him seriously. That only made Rhys grin more.

"Oh? Am I? What are you going to do about it? Are you going to make sure that everyone knows that you own me?" Rhys asked and Kellen grumbled.

"You keep fucking saying that Rhys. One of these days I’m going to take you up on that." Kellen warned and Rhys let out a laugh.

"I’m looking forward to it, honestly. Mark me up the way you want to, baby. I can handle it." Rhys said with a wink before turning and leaving the apartment. "I’ll be right back! Miss me tons!" Rhys called while Kellen pouted.

The man was going to drive him up the wall.