Chapter 144: What else are you hiding?

Taylor left at a reasonable time, thanking Kellen for his help, the food, and the laughter as they had gone over the files that Kellen had pulled up. She left to go to the assigned apartment that she had to get some sleep.

Kellen had really encouraged that she should do that. She looked exhausted, and she had driven to work. She really should not be behind a wheel right now.

Or, Kellen suggested, she could ask Hill to take her home safely. She was good at that.

Kellen had watched as his friend, one who he had teased about being with Rhys before and she’d barely reacted beyond getting upset, turned the colour of a tomato.

“Kellen Woods, you are not allowed to utter those words around me ever again.” She declared, before leaving the apartment, her face red. Kellen had just laughed, happy that she was potentially looking forward to something romantic.

Kellen had never considered it before, but now that he was in a relationship that was relatively healthy, he wanted the same for his friends who wanted that too. He was happy he could tease Brent and Taylor, and Hill about all of this. He was excited that he could.

The same way they had teased him when he had first started being Rhys’ Guide. Before he realised that his feelings for the man were far more serious then just being his pair.

Kellen was having a rather thoughtful moment by himself, sitting on the couch when Rhys came back. Kellen half expected him to have Gunther with him, so when he came back empty handed, his cheeks slightly flushed and his clothes still messy.

Rhys caught Kellen’s gaze as he came in and gave a slightly goofy smile.

“Gunther is at my old place. Tucked him in. Told Green where he was and she said she’d come pick him up in the morning.” Rhys chuckled. “Casper called 10 times. I only answered him on the last call and told him he was safe for the night. He did not like that.” Kellen stared at him, his eye narrowing as he caught on.

“Are you…drunk right now?” Kellen asked slowly and Rhys reached up, pushing his hair back with his hand. Kellen felt his body tense at the movement, his eye watching him with baited breath.

“Tipsy. Not drunk. I’ll be fine tomorrow, but it’s a good thing Gunther is on medical leave. He’s going to hurt tomorrow, in more ways than one. I think Green is going to need to heal his eyes tomorrow.” He joked. Kellen felt his body soften at the clarification.

Again, he didn’t think Rhys would do anything close to cheating on him, he was just sensitive right now. Kellen smiled a little as Rhys stomped over and slumped onto the couch. He tilted his head back, resting his arms on the back of the couch. He turned his head towards Kellen, his expression warming as he smiled again.

“I love you.” Rhys told him. Easy, lime breathing. Kellen felt his face blush.

“I love you too.” Kellen told him and Rhys’ expression grew mushy. He reached for Kellen, his hand patting the couch cushions, but he didn’t move more than that.

“I really really love you. Too much. A dangerous amount. So much so that I just want to wrap you up in blankets and keep you safe.” Rhys told him, his yellow gaze sharpening. “But that’s not okay.” He said. Kellen nodded.

Not okay was putting it mildly in Kellen’s books, but the man was at least aware that Kellen found that behaviour unacceptable.

Rhys nodded along, sighing heavily.

“I just hate seeing you injured. I think I just sometimes forget that people can be injured inside as well. Which is silly, because I heal all of my internal injuries all the time.” Rhys’ tongue was a little loose today. Too loose, and Kellen felt a slow smile touch his lips.

It was a cute side to see, especially after the emotional rollercoaster that was the day.

“I hate seeing you injured too. Is Gunther going to be alright on his own? You know, with sleeping there unmonitored?” Kellen asked. Rhys shrugged his shoulders.

“He will be. He’s a big boy, and he drank enough liquor that he’ll be fine. I put him in the bedroom closest to ours so I’ll hear if anything goes wrong.” Rhys told him casually.

Kellen paused.

Hear if anything goes wrong?

Kellen blinked a few times, processing what he had just heard.

“You can hear through the walls? I thought they were S Class proof?” Kellen asked and Rhys grinned.

“Well, we try, but nothing is fully S Class proof. They can dampen our hearing and provide more privacy than what we would normally get, but I can punch a hole easily through the wall, Kellen. It’s not that sound proof if I want to listen.” Kellen felt a sneaking suspicion run down his spine. An old feeling. A warning.

“How do you know that?” Kellen asked. Rhys paused.

Rhys, who was already looking at Kellen, paused to look at him better. His mouth opened, then shut, and Kellen knew that the man did something because the air felt different and suddenly he was sitting up. He had sucked the tipsiness out of himself.

He was stone cold sober.

“Kellen, I-” He started and Kellen just quietly shook his head.

“No no, tell me. How do you know that, Rhys? Because now that I know you well enough, I don’t think anyone lived in this apartment before me.” Kellen said. Rhys looked like a man caught in a trap that he’d set himself. He swallowed, shifting.

His hands dropped from the edge of the couch, gripping onto his knees as he began to look around nervously, avoiding Kellen’s piercing gaze.

“Not going to answer, huh?” Kellen said, and Rhys knew that was an answer enough. Kellen sighed. “Rhys, my stupid, dumb Esper,” Rhys flinched when Kellen called him dumb, “when are you going to learn that telling me is the best option? Keeping things to yourself is only going to make things worse.” Kellen told him.

Rhys went pale.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered and Kellen chuckled.

“You better be. I’m mad because now I know when you weren’t here, you were listening in on me like a pervert.” Rhys’ face went red. He didn’t deny it, and that only made the moment worse.

Honestly, Kellen wasn’t all that angry about finding out that Rhys, the pervert, was listening in on him. The man was like that. He had been craving Kellen in ways that Kellen hadn’t fully understood until recently. Kellen was more upset that it was one more thing to add to the list of things that Rhys had hidden from him.

Kellen didn’t get angry. He didn’t explode. He didn’t even feel anger begin to rise in his heart. Instead, he sat up straight, pulling his shoulders back. He crossed his legs, placing his hand on his knee, squeezing it tightly as he stared at the man shaking in his socks. There was something to be said about the fact that he had so much power over the S Class Esper. If Kellen was a different man, that might have gone to his head.

“You owe me.” Kellen said simply. Rhys’ eyes widened in surprise.

“I do?” He asked, before fumbling. “I mean, of course I do. What do I owe you?” He asked and Kellen shrugged.

“You’ll find out. Much like the fact that you have been keeping several things from me intentionally, I am going to keep what you owe me a secret as well. Just know you will come to pay for it someday. It may be soon. It may be later. You will pay for it, however.” It was ominous. Kellen intended for it to be that way. He wanted Rhys to squirm, feel uncomfortable. He wanted him to think about his actions and reflect.

What he got instead, however, was a man who looked like he was looking forward to whatever Kellen decided.

“As long as the surprise isn’t ending our relationship, I’ll agree to anything to make you happy.” Rhys told him. Kellen stared at Rhys, at the man who had hid things from him, kept him in the dark, but also knew what he was doing was bad. Kellen had a sneaking suspicion he might keep doing this too.

He was older than Kellen, and habits were hard to break.

“I have a terrible feeling that this might be a common occurrence.” Kellen muttered, and Rhys chuckled. He at least looked guilty when he did so.

“I’m sorry. I’m planning for the next ones to be small things.” Rhys told him. “Like gifts.” He said, giving an easy example. Kellen wasn’t letting him off easily.

“Oh, so you’re already planning them?” Kellen asked and Rhys flinched.

“No no, not like that! I just, ugh fuck, I’m going to keep shoving my foot in my mouth.” Rhys muttered. Kellen finally let a small smile show, before he leaned in, asking a question that had popped into his mind as soon as he heard the words slip from his lips.

“Did you listen in on me masturbating?” Kellen asked. Rhys’ jaw dropped, his gaze darted away, and Kellen narrowed his gaze.

Rhys’ shoulders hunched, collapsing in on himself.

“I plead my innocence.” Rhys muttered and Kellen let out a dangerous sound.

“There is no one innocent here. You truly are a pervert. Tell me, how many times did you get off to me?” Kellen asked. Rhys swallowed and Kellen could tell that the man liked this direction of questioning.

“That…depends. Are we counting as I listened or…outside of that too?” Kellen whistled.

“Rhys Thatcher.” Kellen said. He winced as he heard his full name. “You better be fucking prepared when my fluids aren’t poisonous anymore.” Kellen warned.

Rhys looked like his mouth had dried up. His eyes were wide yellow saucers in his face before dropping quick and fast into gold.

“Yes sir.” He muttered quietly, and Kellen almost laughed. That wasn’t going to be a punishment at all, but Kellen? Kellen was going to make his jaw hurt when he was done with him. He already had plans.

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