The start of the drive back to the city was rough. The area immediately outside of the front lines was still filled with dangerous monsters. Even though the Espers had patrolled the area, there were still a few rather large ones that were attracted to the noise of so many trucks and cars moving by.
Thankfully, they had Hill, Rhys, and a few other well versed Espers around. Rhys didn't even have to blink an eye before the monsters were gone, disintegrated into dust. The man wasn't even trying to show off.
He was just busy, on a mission, and didn't want to interrupt his time with Kellen. If he had to leave the reinforced van that they were in? Kellen felt like the monsters would have nightmares about a human with glowing yellow eyes.
It was all okay anyways. Kellen was guiding him just by being near him, and he was keeping an eye on his levels. Rhys was in no danger of surging, and everyone knew that. Well, now that Kellen was awake and moving about.
There was a reason that Rhys and Kellen were at the front of this caravan. While Rhys couldn't predict anything that was going to happen because Kellen and Rhys were involved, that didn't mean he couldn't prevent anything from happening. The sheer energy of an S Class being nearby would scare away the more intelligent monsters.
They could sense danger for the most part, and Rhys was a big dog. An S Class.
Part of the reason why Sakura had left so early as well. A warning.
Kellen was quietly tucked against Rhys in the front of the vehicle, both men not wearing a seatbelt in case of an emergency exit. Their driver was a helpful, chatty Esper who had a calm air about them.
They worked exclusively on the front lines as a porter of sorts, and Kellen had used him before. It was nice to be able to chat to someone about something else outside of the future that was looming in front of Kellen.
All the work he had to do, all the tests he had to take.
How he had to explain his success, and his failure to his parents.
That part was going to be the hardest, he imagined. Seeing the look on his parents face when his sister was wheeled out, alive but unconscious and missing a limb? God above, Kellen didn't want to even think about it, so he didn't.
Rhys was there, a constant by his side. The man hadn't taken a hand off of him since he'd woken up, and Kellen was grateful for that. He needed it too. He'd dozed off a couple of times while they were travelling and Kellen would wake up in a cold sweat, needing to know that Rhys wasn't just a dream. He was real, alive, and next to him. Kellen knew that he was deeply affected by what had happened in the gate.
That was obvious, and something everyone would agree with. He just didn't think he'd be this clingy. He knew that Rhys would be. The man was an S Class, and had been fighting himself for a long time. Kellen was not opposed to him carrying him around especially since he was a little bit unstable on his own two feet thanks to the eyepatch.
Kellen was just surprised by how much he was clinging to the man back.
It wasn't a bad thing, he would never consider clinging to Rhys a bad thing. Not when the man smiled down at him so warmly when Kellen tugged on his sleeves, wrapping his good arm around Rhys' waist and pulled him close. The fact that Kellen was sitting in Rhys' lap throughout the whole drive was a good sign of that.
Kellen would have flipped out, demanded to at least sit on his own if this had been any other time. Kellen should soak in this affection while he could. Before his own instincts kicked in again and he had to draw firm lines between him and Rhys again.
Not super firm lines, Just…respectable lines. Lines that proved that they cared about each other, but also respected each other as an Esper and a Guide. He didn't want to come off as a clingy Guide. That would be something he wasn't sure he could come back from if he turned down that path.
It also didn't help that he'd had this nagging feeling ever since this morning in the back of his mind that he wanted to mark Rhys. Make sure everyone knew that he was his. Kellen knew that Rhys was his. His was his pair, Rhys had told him that he would die without Kellen.
That was a firm commitment, but that didn't soothe the feeling that was growing inside of Kellen. Something had changed in the last few days. He knew it, but he was keeping it to himself. He felt emotional, dysregulated. He told Taylor of course, since she was his Doctor and friend and would strangle him if he didn't.
She didn't show concern right away, but did grow a little concerned the more Kellen spoke. Her first guess, since they were away from most of her proper equipment for this kind of thing, was that he was just experiencing emotional backlash from his time in the gate. That was a very reasonable response.
The second? Well, she said that they would have to wait until they got back to the city. She looked like a weird mixture between grim and excited as she said that, and Kellen didn't want to know. He had a feeling that she was saving everyone from a greater turmoil as she kept her thoughts to herself.
So, Kellen fully believed that it was the first option. Rhys had overheard everything, of course. He wouldn't leave Kellen's side, and Kellen didn't really have any intention of hiding that he was feeling a lot of emotions from the man.
He just hid what kind of emotions he was having from the man.
Rhys had promised to help Kellen however he needed, and Kellen was grateful for that. The man didn't seem to mind either. He actually looked quite content as Kellen would occasionally press his lips against Rhys' throat, sniff him, hold him close, run his good fingers through his hair. Rhys actually looked more like a pleased cat than anything else.
He even joked that he should be purring under Kellen's quiet attention. Of course, during one of their few breaks so that Taylor and Carlos could check on all of their patients. He wasn't going to embarrass Kellen right now, not when he was so snugly tucked against Rhys' side. He'd learned his lesson.
Embarrassing Kellen in front of people didn't get him what he wanted. Slowly luring Kellen in did.
Overall, the ride back to the city wasn't difficult. Tense, but not difficult. The transfer of patients up into the Guild Tower wasn't difficult either with the special elevator that the Guild Tower had in the basement.
Getting into the city wasn't difficult either, and Kellen could feel how tense Rhys was as soon as they crossed over the city boundary. He didn't relax until all of the vans and trucks in the caravan were unpacked and Sakura confirmed that everything was good on her side.
Everyone was tense as they headed towards the Medical Bay and met up with Casper for the first time in what felt like years.
Casper nearly started crying at the sight of everyone, and especially so when he caught sight of Kellen. Kellen watched as his grey eyes watered, his hair a damn mess as he gripped onto the little tablet in his hands. It was on a string, like always, and he dropped it to his side as Hill approached Casper quickly.
Kellen watched on in silence, Rhys holding onto his waist like a man about to drown, as Hill and Casper hugged tightly.
"You made it back safely." He said tersely, his voice quivering. Hill let out a dry laugh.
"Yeah. Mostly." She said, and unspoken were the few members that they had lost along the way. They hugged for a long moment while the professionals moved around them. The four tried to remain out of the way, giving Taylor, Carlos, and Taylor's team as much space as they could.
That meant that they were shoved into a slightly larger part of the corridor, near the elevators, while Casper and Hill had their reunion. Then, it was Casper's turn to have one with Kellen and Rhys.
Casper's eyes spilled over slightly as he saw the state that Kellen was in. He looked absolutely mournful as he looked over his fellow Guide.
"Kellen. You look…" He trailed off sniffing, and Kellen gave a watery smile of his own.
"I'm alive, Casper. I got to the core." Kellen told him and Casper's expression fell. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before he opened his gaze and determinedly reached for the other Guide. Kellen easily hugged the thinner man, Casper's grip stronger than Kellen would give the man credit for.
"You madman." He whispered, squeezing Kellen. "I'm glad you made it out safely. I had no idea what I was going to do in the aftermath of the Guild collapsing if you didn't." Casper told him and Kellen let out a dry laugh, but didn't say anything.
It certainly wouldn't have been Kellen's concern, but he knew what Casper was saying. He wasn't blaming Kellen, just unloading his worries. Kellen gave him a squeeze with his good arm.
"Good thing it's something you don't have to worry about." Rhys said from behind them. He'd let Casper hug Kellen, but kept his hand on Kellen's hip. Always touching, always there. Casper pulled back, staring at the hand that was touching Kellen, but didn't make a comment on it.
"You certainly didn't make it easier." Casper scolded, sniffing as he wiped under his eyes. He stared at his Captain, his eyes searching, before he shook his head and sighed. "Well, now that we have most of our team back, we can worry about clean up. Kellen, I'm assuming Taylor's ordered bedrest?" Casper asked and Kellen grinned, holding up a thumbs up.
"I'm working, but only as a test subject." Kellen said. "I'll stay here until Taylor's finished getting everyone else settled, but I'm sure I can go back to my apartment now that I'm home." Kellen said and Rhys shifted behind him.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up." He warned, and Kellen gave a soft laugh.
"Well, I'll probably be allowed back to my apartment." Kellen adjusted easily, smiling at Casper. Hill smiled as she looked over Kellen and Rhys, her gaze going to Casper as well. Her smile faltered.
"Did you hear anything about Gunther, Casper?" Hill asked softly. Casper's demeanor shifted, growing tense. His jaw tightened, his expression clouding over and he let out a shaky breath.
"No. Nothing." He told them flatly, and Kellen let out a soft sigh. That was not good.