(BL) Taming the Field Guide

Chapter 204: A serious confession

Brent felt like his heart was going to beat through his damn ribcage. Seeing Kellen alone had been a shock, even if he knew that he was coming. They’d been in constant communication up until he said he was leaving and then Brent had been in communication with Kellen’s parents until they went dark to travel across the continent.

However, Sergei? That was a direct punch to the solar plexus. Brent was surprised he was even able to still breathe.

The man had looked like a tall glass of water to Brent’s parched throat. He’d gotten another piercing, Brent could tell. It made Brent wonder if he’d done anything else, and then he’d felt filthy for even considering it with Kellen’s parents around. He was normally more in control of himself but damn it, it had been too long and Brent had been being very, very good.

His uniform fit his body perfectly, his shoulders outlined in the dark fabric. Brent even thought the way he had styled his hair was cute, and god, he wanted to suck on those damn pierced lips of his. Brent knew he had a pierced tongue, and Brent was a little awkward with how his body had warmed up just thinking about it.

It was only made worse when Kellen gave him the nod of encouragement. Brent had to do everything he could to remain calm, normal. He’d been so damn awkward when he’d spoken to him that Brent had just grabbed him and tugged him away. The problem was that Brent didn’t think to bring him to the apartment he’d been assigned and instead was going to bring him to the damn bathroom that he’d spoken to him in before.

He was panicking, he knew it, but he needed to be out of the line of sight of the others. He could feel how the other Espers outside of Rhys were reacting to Sergei being around him. He knew that they were possessive of him, but this was bad.

Brent tugged Sergei into the bathroom, tossing him behind him as Brent locked the door behind him with his hand and then turned. It was only then that he realised what he had done, and Brent felt incredibly self conscious of the other man.

Sergei stared at Brent, his eyes scanning him, checking on him. Brent wasn’t wearing the best outfit he had, but he had tried to be presentable. A soft sweater in a nice suede brown, a pair of dark wash pants and a casual pair of shoes. Brent normally would have worn something rougher, harsher, but Mr. Caulder had decided he was going to make sure that Brent’s wardrobe was appropriate for the head of the James family.

Brent hadn’t argued with the man after he had quietly brought up everything that he had to give up for Brent. How could Brent argue with that? The man was practically in hiding because of Brent. The least he could allow was the man to dress him. Brent was lucky that was all he was asking, and it wasn’t even a hard task. He made sure to throw in a few leather jackets for Brent’s sake.

"You look healthy." Sergei said softly and Brent was pulled back to the moment. He nodded.

"Yeah. You, uh, look healthy too. Kellen took care of you on the way here?" Brent asked, curious more than anything. Sergei looked a little awkward.

"Only hand holding and aura guiding." He clarified, sounding nervous and Brent blinked, before a slow, easy smile touched his lips. Brent scoffed.

"I wasn’t worried about that. Kellen would never do something to overstep his own personal boundaries and the ones that an Esper had set. Excluding Rhys entirely." Brent said and Sergei relaxed. Brent hesitated before he reached out his hand and touched Sergei’s upper arm. The connection only amplified what he was already able to feel from Sergei. His levels were good, but not too good.

Kellen knew what to do when someone had a partner but they needed help. Brent scoffed, but he couldn’t stop the giant smile that crossed his face. Sergei watched him, quiet for a long moment before he moved. It wasn’t fast, or sudden. It only startled Brent because he was already on edge.

Sergei reached for Brent and placed his hands on Brent’s hips. It was a careful touch, but still possessive. Brent sucked in quietly and Sergei froze. His blue eyes met Brent’s, checking to see if this touch was okay. Brent, who had always moved quickly before this, felt his face warm.

"Is this okay?" Sergei asked quietly and Brent felt his knees grow weak. Damn this man.

"Oh my god." Brent muttered and Sergei stared at him. He didn’t move closer but he didn’t pull away either.

"Brent?" He asked and Brent wanted to shake him.

"I would have pushed you away if it wasn’t." Brent muttered, unsure what to even do with himself. Sergei relaxed, nodding as he stared at Brent. It was so damn embarrassing how he was trying to imprint Brent’s whole face into his mind.

"I missed you." Sergei told him, a gut punch to Brent who was already trying to grasp at straws. He wasn’t expecting such impassioned words from him so quickly, but then again, he was the one who pulled him away to another room. Brent let out a soft noise.

"I, uh, I-" Sergei’s lips looked so damn soft as he cut Brent off.

"You don’t have to say it back right away. It’s alright. I’ll miss you enough for the both of us." Sergei told him so seriously. "Did you get my warning? Did you watch the press conference?" Sergei asked and Brent felt his whole face go red.

Right. That press conference.

How the hell could Brent forget it? The man had declared that he had someone he was interested in and that everything was on the table once they were together again. Sergei might not know it, but he had a lot of followers in the city. The papers had been questioning who was the lover who had run off on the Captain of the Nemesis Guild. It was embarrassing because Brent hadn’t run off. They had just not been able to meet up for that conversation that Brent had also put off.

Now it felt like too much time had passed, and also not enough. Brent knew that this was big, this was serious but he also...didn’t want anyone but Sergei at this point. The man was infuriating but in a way that Brent knew was the same way Rhys made Kellen mad.

"I did." Brent muttered, wanting to yell at him for his missing comment, but saving that anger for later. "Are you an idiot? The whole world watched that." Brent scolded and Sergei smirked.

"If you did, then yes the whole world did." Brent’s mouth opened then shut. How could he say that with a straight face? Was he for real right now?

"Sergei, what the-how was the trip over here?" Brent asked, changing the subject entirely. Sergei’s eyes warmed from inside, a small change that Brent noticed. It did something to Brent that he was still able to pick up on the small shift, the small change in behaviour in the other man.

"Good. Kellen and Rhys kept everything to a minimum. I could tell that Rhys wanted more, but Kellen was aware of his surroundings and scolded him several times. That alone was very satisfying." Sergei told him and Brent grinned.

"Oh, I’m sure it was." Brent muttered, feeling Sergei slink closer, closing the distance between them. Brent wasn’t even aware that he was being backed up against the wall across from the sink until his back hit tile and Brent stared at Sergei. Brent let out a soft breath, his chest rising and falling as he met the Esper’s gaze. He watched as they shifted from blue to the silver of his powers.

"Brent." Sergei said his name and Brent felt his heart squeeze. "Brent." Sergei repeated, leaning in and pressing his forehead against Brent’s shoulder. "Brent." He whispered, his hands sliding from Brent’s hips and up his back, holding him so carefully that it brought tears to Brent’s eyes. Brent let out a shaky breath as he wrapped his arm around Sergei and held him close too. "Every day without you felt like I couldn’t breathe." Sergei’s voice was coarse and Brent’s body tensed.

"Don’t say that." Brent whispered, feeling guilty for something he had no control over.

"There were several times where I considered if it was worth living if you were gone." Sergei whispered. "I know that this is me getting ahead of myself, but I wanted to tell you this in person instead of over the phone. When you were missing...I realised how much you meant to me. You already meant so much to be before that. You should know you hold my heart in the palm of your hands." Sergei’s confession was heartfelt and painful for Brent to hear.

It was painful because it was so emotional for the man who normally wasn’t. He was collected, calm, organised. Brent was sure that he had planned this confession over and over and hearing him say it now? Brent squeezed him tighter as he realised the underlying issue here.

Sergei thought that Brent was going to fight him on this. That was a major problem and one that Brent had no idea Sergei would even consider. Brent had been calling Sergei his Esper this whole time. He had made it clear he was a taken man, and here Sergei was professing his love for Brent while also trying to not sound possessive.

Brent slid his hand up into Sergei’s hair and tugged. Sergei went willingly, his head coming back as he stared at Brent. His features were calm but a storm raged behind Sergei’s eyes.

"Sergei, what the hell are you saying to me?" Brent saw the moment of fear and panic in his gaze, as if the two of them hadn’t been dancing around this the whole damn time they’d been away from each other. Did Sergei think Brent was lacking morals? Or was he not as possessive as other S Classes? Brent wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. "Why are you speaking as if this is a one-sided thing?" Brent asked and watched as something switched.

Sergei’s mouth opened, his breath shaky as he stared at Brent’s eyes, his gaze darting to his lips.

"It’s not?" Sergei asked and Brent felt the burn from his gaze on his lips. Brent licked his lips unconsciously.

"Sergei, baby, are you a fucking idiot? I was trying to get into your bed for eons before you let me sleep next to you in your cot. Then while I’ve been across the ocean I’ve been messaging and calling you nonstop. Are you that dumb? Even Kellen understood that Rhys liked him sooner than this." Brent scolded. Sergei’s pale skin flushed.

"I didn’t want to be presumptuous." Sergei murmured and Brent’s fingers twitched in his hair. Brent smiled as he leaned in, his lips brushing Sergei’s.

"Be a little presumptuous, would you? Otherwise I feel like I’m doing something bad thinking about kissing you as hard as I have." Brent whispered. Sergei groaned.

"There are several S Classes outside." Sergei reminded him. Brent chuckled.

"One of them is Kellen. He’d afford us at least this much. Shut me up with your lips if you’re that worried." Brent told him and Sergei didn’t need to be told twice. Sergei pulled Brent close, his lips gentle and mindful of his piercings as he pulled him close. As soon as their lips met, something melted inside of Brent. The simple touch was enough to tell him that Sergei was real, this was happening, and damn it, Brent’s eyes began to water and spill over.

Sergei pulled away, worried that he’d hurt him but Brent yanked him down.

"I’m fine. I’m fine. Just emotional. I’ve wanted this for so long." Brent whispered against Sergei’s lips. Sergei pursed his lips for a second before he relaxed. His lips were firmer, harder against Brent’s and he didn’t need to speak for Brent to understand that he felt the same.

It wasn’t just Brent’s tears against his cheeks after that.