Kellen hadn't exactly been aware when he'd gotten back to his apartment the previous night. Yes, he'd spoken to Maeve at the cafeteria while they were picking up their food, but there was a reason for that.
Beyond Kellen only having one hand available to him at the moment, he had been exhausted. Rhys had to force him to eat when they'd gotten home. He'd even carried him up to the bed and changed him before tucking him into bed. Even in the morning, Kellen's Dad had come knocking early in the morning with muffins he'd made the night before, and questions he needed to ask Kellen about before he went to help Casper that day.
Kellen hadn't really spent any time in his apartment aware that he was back into the city. When Rhys came back to the conference room Kellen held his breath.
They were back. They were away from the front lines.
They were safe.
Kellen ignored the fact that there was a quiet 'for now' next to those words. They were safe. It seemed that Rhys was also grappling with the words as he stared at Kellen. Kellen hadn't moved from his seat while Rhys had been showing Sakura out. He didn't really need to move. He wasn't thirsty, wasn't hungry. He didn't feel hunger.
Rhys' eyes scanned Kellen as Kellen did the same. Rhys was in his Captain outfit, but the one reserved for when he was away from the front lines. Not as flashy, more subdued. He wasn't wearing his hat today, but his hair was gelled and perfectly in place. Kellen's fingers twitched. He wanted to mess it up, make him look like the Rhys that he knew.
Rhys' slow, seductive smile as he remained so far away from Kellen made Kellen frown.
"What are you doing over there?" Kellen asked, annoyed, and Rhys' smile grew boyish in nature.
"Watching you. What are you doing over there? Are you planning to stay in the conference room all day? I'll tell Green." It was a threat with no teeth. He wouldn't do that, not when it was clear that Kellen wasn't doing anything at the moment. Kellen still furrowed his brows.
"You're a snitch." Kellen accused. "There's no loyalty to your pair." Kellen watched as Rhys' eyes flared a bright yellow before they simmered.
"Oh? Are you sure you want to say that? Do you understand that I've been very forgiving for everything that you've done so far, Kellen?" Kellen felt a shiver run down his spine at the words leaving Rhys' mouth.
"Forgiving? You're my pair, and you agreed to what I was doing." Kellen protested, even though he knew he was in the wrong. Rhys stared at Kellen, the smile still on his lips but his eyes grew cold. The temperature dipped in the room as well and Kellen's breath stuttered. "Y-You did!" Kellen reminded him, even if they both knew it came with a cost.
Finally, Rhys stepped into the room but Kellen wasn't so sure that was a good thing at the moment. Rhys took measured steps into the room, his eyes never leaving Kellen's face. Kellen shifted nervously in his seat. This was not anything good for him. He could tell. Rhys stopped a few steps away from Kellen, forcing Kellen to crane his neck back so that he could meet his gaze.
It was worse when Rhys bent, placing both of his hands on either side of Kellen's chair. Caging him in.
"Kellen Woods," Rhys started and Kellen swallowed thickly. "I'm on edge, you know this because you haven't been cleared to guide me officially yet. You should be careful with your words, not because I would ever hurt you, but because you are hurting me with them." Kellen's eyes went wide, his mouth opening slightly at Rhys' words. "While you are right that I didn't want to hold you back, you cannot fathom how much it hurt me to do so. We've talked about this a bit, you know I could never let you do that again. Why are you saying that right now?" Rhys' question was sincere, his eyes scanning Kellen's face.
Kellen found himself at a loss for words.
Why was he saying this? Why was he bringing it up again? Why was he hurting Rhys again?
Kellen felt his eyes water so suddenly it surprised not just Rhys, but himself.
"Kellen?!" Rhys' voice now held an edge of panic to it as he watched Kellen raise up his good hand to wipe away his tears.
"I-I don't know why I'm crying." Kellen admitted. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you." Kellen told him dejectedly. "I don't know what's gotten into me. I've been so emotional since a few days ago." Kellen admitted, his tears silently rolling down his face. Rhys stared at him, his expression worried as he watched Kellen.
"This is killing me. I can't kiss you. Fuck. I should go demand Carlos and Green prioritize me being able to kiss you when it comes to researching things related to poison." Rhys muttered, annoying and hopeless. Kellen let out a wet laugh.
"That would be a stupid thing to ask of them and a waste of precious researchers." Kellen protested but Rhys didn't seem to think so.
"No, it's not, when I can't comfort my partner. My pair. My boyfriend." Rhys repeated and Kellen felt his face warm. It had been a while since he'd heard that. He didn't hate it.
"Say that again." Kellen mumbled and watched as Rhys' eyes widened slightly, but the edge to his stance softened slightly.
"Which part?" Rhys asked and Kellen stared at him.
"The last little bit." Kellen told him and Rhys softened more. He reached out a hand, cupping Kellen's face with his hand. Kellen wasn't ashamed to admit that he leaned into the touch. Rhys was putty in Kellen's hands at that point.
"My partner, my pair, my boyfriend." Rhys repeated on a soft whisper. Kellen's eyes fluttered closed hearing those words before he opened them again and stared up at Rhys. It was really a shame that he couldn't admire Rhys' handsome face with both eyes. He took in every inch of his pretty features.
Kellen raised his hand to touch Rhys' face. He traced along the bridge of his nose, touched his eyebrows, his forehead, his cheekbones. Kellen stopped at his lips, his thumb pulling down that unnecessarily thick bottom lip to show off his bottom teeth. They were so white and pretty. Kellen sighed.
"What am I going to do?" Kellen pondered out loud and Rhys' eyes creased as he smiled.
"What's the problem, Kellen?" Rhys asked, his voice rough. Kellen knew what that meant. The man was having dirty thoughts. Kellen could see it in the shade that his eyes had changed to. Something that only Kellen could really notice.
A deep, burnt gold that simmered and shined just for Kellen. Only for Kellen.
Kellen let out another heavy sigh.
"How am I going to make sure that everyone else knows that?" Kellen muttered softly and Rhys blinked slowly.
"What does everyone else need to know?" Rhys asked, the sound of clothing shifting as the man got down on his knees so that he could be closer to Kellen instead of hovering over him. What a sweet man. Kellen really didn't want anyone else to know that he was like this. Kellen had gone into a gate to save his sister, of course, but also to protect this man's Guild.
"That you belong to me." Kellen told Rhys boldly, and watched as the man's face turned bright red. His eyes widened and Kellen watched as he shuddered slightly. Kellen's gaze narrowed as he caught it and Rhys let out a choked laugh.
"Oh boy." Rhys whispered. Kellen's finger was still on his bottom lip and not feeling generous, Kellen pinched the skin between his fingers. Rhys let the man tug him closer, this body heat mixing.
"What was that for?" Kellen asked, a little upset. He was worried that Rhys wouldn't like what he'd just said. Even if he knew that the man had suggested ridiculous things in the past, that was in the past.
Lots of things had changed between then and now.
"I was just thinking about how inappropriately hard I am." Rhys told Kellen around the finger pinching his bottom lip. "Wanna feel?" He was teasing Kellen. He clearly didn't expect Kellen to take him up on his offer, even if there was a glint in his eyes that said he really wanted to. So it came as a shock to Rhys when Kellen let go of Rhys' lip and slid his hand down his body towards Rhys' cock.
He was right, the man was rigid in his hand. Kellen's body relaxed slightly as soon as he made contact.
"You are hard." Kellen told him casually while Rhys was clearly fighting demons. The man's throat was thick, his veins in stark contrast. His eyes were glowing a hellish level of yellow and the armrest cracked under his hand.
"You're killing me here." Rhys rasped. "Please. Take your hand off if you aren't going to touch me." Rhys begged and Kellen paused. Would that make him feel better?
He glanced down Rhys' body, staring at where his hand was placed before he looked up at Rhys' tight expression.
"Are you opposed?" Kellen asked and watched as Rhys let out a harsh breath.
"Fuck. Why would I be? A little handy in the conference room? You could have me anywhere." Rhys told the Guide holding his cock. Kellen gave it a gentle squeeze.
"I can't do anything more than that." Kellen warned and Rhys let out a harsh laugh.
"Sugar, I don't fucking care. Whatever you want. Whatever you can, just please, touch me soon, okay?"