Bab 31: Unwelcome Welcome Party

When Kellen opened the door to his new apartment he noticed immediately that something was different about it. He wasn't sure at first, until his eyes caught the fruit bowl he'd unpacked in the morning full of fruit on the counter in an obvious place. Curious, he began to inspect the kitchen and found that he was right, someone had been in his apartment, but it wasn't for any nefarious purpose. In fact, they left a list and a note explaining what was left and where. Kellen even found out that he had a small pantry tucked behind the stove, he just had to go around the island to access it from the other side.

Calmer, since it was something he had planned, Kellen went back to the front entrance and took off his shoes, slipping his feet into his slippers. He planned to leave the shoes near the door until he bumped against the wall and a panel slid out. The panel was a shoe rack, and stunned, Kellen put his shoes inside. Curious, he felt around the wall, pressing lightly, and found that he was right. The paneling on the wall next to him hid a closet for coats and a shoe rack. He took off his Guide uniform jacket, hung it up with a smile, before heading upstairs to change into more casual clothes.

Coming back downstairs after changing into a white t-shirt and black sweatpants, he began poking around the kitchen seriously. He investigated where the cafeteria crew had put everything and found that even though he hadn't put everything away this morning, they had finished it for him. They'd left the boxes folded up and in the pantry, and had chosen practical cupboards to put everything away in. He was quite impressed with them. It felt like he was in a professional kitchen. His fingers tingled, and glancing at the pillar connected to the island, he found his father's 21 birthday gift to him. A plain, black apron that he used to wear before he went to the front lines. He hadn't taken it with him since what use would it have been there? But now...smiling softly to himself, he pulled on the apron, tying it around his waist and began looking through the fridge to see what he wanted to make. He had a lot of toys he wanted to play with, but only one stomach. Hmm...

A knock interrupted Kellen as he was in the middle of pulling out a bunch of vegetables, and nervous, Kellen placed them on the counter before checking the peep hole. Surprised, he opened the door. Outside the door, Gunther, Hill, the green haired man from before and the Captain stood outside. All four of them were wearing civilian clothes, while Kellen noticed that Gunther had two bags in his hands brimming with cans. Hill whistled at the sight of me.

"Looking good Kellen. What are you doing?" She asked and Kellen blinked. He honestly hadn't been expecting anyone to show up today after the long day he'd had.

"Oh, I was just starting to work on dinner. They delivered lots of ingredients to my apartment after lunch and I wanted to try some of them out." He said and Gunther frowned. He glanced behind Kellen, frowning even more at the lack of boxes that he could see.

"You're already unpacked? We were coming to help, but now I feel guilty." He said and Kellen smiled. Kellen felt his eyes being drawn to the Captain and jerked his gaze back to the others. He was still angry for his behaviour earlier, and for making him look like a bad pair. But time had passed and he hadn't seen him since, so Kellen felt a little softer towards the man. It helped that he was clearly nervous, not having his usual self confidence that he normally had while interacting with Kellen. Kellen felt his eyes glance over at him again and scanned him. The dark blue t-shirt he wore strained against his chest, and Kellen could see the distinct outline of his nipples. Swallowing, feeling like he'd seen something he shouldn't, he turned back to answer Gunther.

"I didn't have a lot to unpack in the first place. You guys came to help?" He confirmed, and Hill and the Captain nodded. Gunther shrugged, holding up the two bags in his hands while the green haired man seemed nervous. It was obvious he'd been dragged into this, and if he was to guess, it was by Hill. Kellen offered him his hand. "We were never formally introduced. I'm Kellen Woods." He took Kellen's hand, meeting his gaze rather seriously with his dark one and Kellen was slammed with the depth of his powers. He never felt this way with the Captain, which was surprising, but every Esper was different. That might be why he was so nervous.

"I'm Miro Anderson. We've met before, but only in passing. You...complimented my work." His cheeks flushed and Kellen grinned.

"That sounds like me. I don't remember what I said, but I stand by it. What you've done with the lobby is amazing, and very refreshing." Kellen released his hand stepped back, allowing the others to enter the house. "Come on in then. I might not have anything two can lug around as big strong Espers, but I won't turn down the company." He teased and Hill patted his shoulder as she entered. Gunther kicked off his shoes near the door and Kellen had to resist lining them up as Hill followed suit. Miro lined his up and so did the Captain, and when he met his gaze the Captain winked at him, his smile tender. He reached out his hand slowly before ruffling Kellen's hair. Confused, Kellen turned away from him to see Hill and Gunther pulling the stools out from the island. Thankfully there were four stools there, so the four of them could sit with ease. Kellen moved back into the kitchen while Gunther handed out what was inside of the bag. Beer. He cracked them and handed them out to everyone. When tried to hand one to Kellen, he shook his head. "Oh, I don't drink beer." Hill's jaw dropped.

"But! But, I saw you drinking at your going away party!" She protested, confused and Kellen chuckled, leaning against the counter. The Captain had come to reside in the kitchen, leaning against the pillar connected to the island. Not quite touching Kellen, but not far away either.

"I said I don't drink beer, not that I don't drink." He told her smugly and her jaw dropped. Gunther was confused.

"I don't have anything but beer here. I didn't even think about that." He muttered and Kellen smiled.

"What do you like to drink, Mr. Woods?" Captain asked softly, and Kellen tilted his head to face him.

"Ciders, actually." Hill let out a sound of indignation.

"Ciders? Those silly frou frou drinks?" Kellen's smile split his face at her upset. Gunther wasn't much better while Miro kept his head down, keeping out of this.

"Cider's usually have more alcohol than beer, actually." Hill scoffed at his words.

"Is this a Guide thing?" She asked and he laughed.

"No, this is a Kellen thing. I've never liked the taste of beer, but I don't mind ciders. I'm actually not a big drinker. I prefer tea." He gestured towards the far counter where they could see a rather serious kettle sat. She stared at him, stunned, before shaking her head and taking a large swig from her can. The Captain cleared his throat and they turned to look at him.

"I might have some ciders at my place. I'll be back." Kellen nodded as he pulled on his shoes, heading next door. Gunther took a long sip of his beer.

"So, what were you planning to make?" He asked and he shrugged.

"No idea. I was going to wing it. Besides, I got a lot of fun toys that I wanted to try out." Gunther raised an eyebrow while Hill coughed.

"What kind of toys?" Gunther asked and Kellen turned, unaware of where their heads had gone.

"Specialized toys. These are to help make bread, this is for pasta, this is to finely chop things, this is to deep fry things, this is to steam things, and this a doughnut machine. There are more, but I doubt you want me to pull them all out." He told the three with a smile. Gunther grinned.

"Man, I was going to suggest we all order take out, but you look so excited to cook. It makes me feel like a dick." Kellen shrugged.

"We can order take out. None of this is going to go bad in a day. But, I also don't mind cooking for you guys either. It's been a while since I've made snacks for others outside of field rations, so if we go that route you have to give me some grace." Kellen grew excited at the idea of cooking for others, but didn't want to force it. He knew he wasn't a great cook, and like he said, it had been ages since he'd cooked anything my rations for others. His Dad would only let him help cook over the last seven months, so he wasn't as confident in himself.

"You don't need to worry about that Kellen. You make something, and we'll eat it." Hill sang, stepping in over Gunther. He shot her a dirty look while she grinned at the Guide. Kellen chuckled, turning back to the fridge. They'd left quite a lot of meat out so he had a lot to pick from. He picked through a couple of things before placing them on the counter, then he went through every cupboard to find what he needed for prep. Pulling out the air fryer, he set that up before he began working on a quick brine for the chicken thighs he had. He made quick work of slicing and setting the chicken up in a metal bowl, covering it plastic wrap and setting it back into the fridge. He was just putting the cutting board into the dish washer when another knock sounded on the door. Miro got up and answered it before Kellen could, letting the Captain back in. He was holding one bag, and had a smile on his lips.

"Turns out I had a few. I didn't know what you'd like so I grabbed all of them." Stunned, Kellen nodded as the Captain looked over everything in the kitchen, including Kellen. Amusement filled his gaze. "You have a whole production line going on. Did they convince you to cook for them?" He asked and Kellen laughed as he rinsed his hands before moving onto the next task. He grabbed a large plastic bag and a pork chop, shoving it inside before grabbing the mallet he'd already pulled out.

"I didn't need much convincing. I like cooking for others." He said before he began pounding the meat flat. The Captain picked up his can from before and joined the others at the island. Miro stayed on the end, so Captain slid in next to him. Watching him from left to right was Miro, Captain, Hill and Gunther.

"I'm not surprised to hear that. You seem to like to take care of others, Mr. Woods." He took a sip of his beer as Kellen paused, his cheeks going pink before he made quick work of the other pork chops he'd taken out. They watched Kellen as if possessed, leaving the man alone to work as they chatted amongst themselves. Kellen didn't mind, since it gave him time to focus.

Once the pork was set aside, he set up a few bowls with eggs, flour and breadcrumbs. Grabbing a frying pan as well as some oil, Kellen asked Hill to get a plate ready with paper towels while he set about coating and frying the pork once the oil was ready. Once the pork was done, Kellen set to work shredding cabbage and other veggies with a mandoline, before using a larger frying pan and sautéing the veggies he'd cut. He pulled out a larger, serving plate and laid the veggies down first, before Slicing the pork cutlets thinly and laying them on top. He didn't make a sauce from scratch, instead offering the sauces in the fridge up while Captain grabbed plates and cutlery. The other three were stunned.

"First snack is done. Enjoy." Kellen didn't stop moving, now pulling out the chicken and began a similar process of breading and frying the chicken. The finished chicken went straight into a large bowl on the island and this time Kellen whipped up a quick lime aioli to go with it. He poured that into a bowl with a spoon before putting it beside the chicken with a smile. The next thing he worked on were some potatoes that he cut in half and tossed into the air fryer to crisp up. Then he grabbed some sweet onions from the pantry and sliced them into thick slices before battering and frying them as well. Kellen took a second to look at the four Espers who were inhaling the food, and a soft, pleased feeling filled him. This might not be the healthiest meal, but he was glad they were enjoying it.

Glancing around, Kellen noticed that the Captain had put a pack of ciders in reach of him, and smiling, he looked over the variety pack. He settled on an apple/pear cider and popped it while he waited for the potatoes to cook. The Captain glanced up then, noticing Kellen watching him and motioned for him to come over. Confused, Kellen moved around the island and the Captain reached out, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. He pulled the younger man in, enfolding him in his warmth. With his free hand he stabbed a piece of chicken, dipped it in the sauce and brought it to Kellen's lips.

"Eat, Mr. Woods." He murmured, pressing the chicken firmly against his lips. Stunned, Kellen accepted the bite, chewing and he was pleased that it didn't taste awful. The Captain repeated the same bite and brought it to his lips again. He continued bringing bites of food to the Guide's lips until Kellen's timer went off.

"Enough. I need to finish making more snacks." He said and the Captain chuckled. He put down his fork to wipe his thumb across Kellen's lips, pulling away and meeting Kellen's gaze, he licked his thumb. He blinked, shocked while the Captain grinned, unrepentant.

"You're free to go now." He told him, and Kellen sucked in as his face heated.

"Get a room you two!" Hill called while Gunther whistled. Miro looked vaguely uncomfortable while Kellen basically fled from the man, his face warm. He took a large drink from the cider can before checking on the potatoes.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind, but I'm sure Mr. Woods would be embarrassed if you heard him." Kellen was very, very happy that his back was turned to the Espers, because he knew he wouldn't get away from the teasing if they saw how red he'd gone. He dropped the tongs he meant to use to pull the potatoes out and the three miscreants behind him laughed. He crouched down to pick them up, shaking his head.

"I do mind, which is why-" He cut off, embarrassed at even remembering what happened earlier in the day. He slammed the air fryer closed and set another timer. He distracted himself by setting about to make nachoes. The Captain wouldn't drop it, a glint in his eyes.

"Which is why what? What's going on in that head of yours?" He asked before finishing his beer and cracking another one. They had actually finished quite a few of the cans already. Kellen set about laying out the corn chips, maybe a little too angrily as Hill saw the shredder for the cheese, and quietly took that job away from him.

"I don't mind emergency guiding Captain, b-but that wasn't that, was it?" Kellen flung his accusatory gaze towards the man, his face flushed but angry. Hill and Gunther shared a look, but kept their mouths shut. The Captain's eyes widened before he laughed.

"Oh, I think that was emergency guiding Mr. Woods. Who knew what could have happened to me if I hadn't done that?" Kellen's face heated more as Gunther shared another look with Hill.

"You've been fine and I, out of all people, know what your current state is. You're more stable then you probably ever been, right?" Kellen demanded, and the Captain paused with the beer raised to his lips before he lowered it, his facial expression softened.

"You're right. My constant stress headaches have faded thanks to your dedicated help, Mr. Woods." Kellen nodded, but he knew his face was still red.

"So you didn't need to do that. That felt-that was..." Kellen sighed, covering his face with his free hand, remembering the sensation of his tongue against the Captains. "It felt like you were marking me, Captain." One second the Captain was seated at the island, the next second he had his hands cupping Kellen's face from the other side, staring deeply into the blue eyes.

"You felt marked?" He asked softly, and Kellen gasped.

"How did you-?" He shook his head.

"You felt like I was marking you? How did know that make you feel?" He prompted again, and Kellen swallowed thickly. He knew the Captain wasn't going to answer him until Kellen answered his question.

"W-Worried." He admitted and the Captain exhaled. Kellen's eyes zeroed in on his partially opened lips and he gulped.

"Why? I'd never hurt you." Captain's soft whisper forced Kellen's gaze back up and away from the Captain. He couldn't meet his gaze.

"I-I know you wouldn't, but I don't know what being marked by you means." His eyes, which had been a bright yellow, simmered to a deep golden colour.

"It means you're mine, Mr. Woods." Kellen felt his mind go hazy. He turned his gaze back to the Captain's, watching as the golden gaze dipped to his lips. He almost let him kiss him if he hadn't remembered that they had witnesses. Witnesses with big mouths. Frantically, Kellen pushed at the man's chest, trying to break his hold on him. The Captain let him go, a hungry look on his face.

"Uh, um, what does that even mean?" Kellen asked, turning his back to the man to check on the potatoes. Captain followed him, wrapping his arms around the nervous man.

"It means, Mr. Woods, that even if you try to push me away and run, I'll still be here in the end. I'm patient, and have time. I can wait for you to come to me." He bent forward, his lips brushing the younger man's ear. "For me." Kellen gulped, gripping onto the counter to keep himself from visibly reacting.

"Captain Thatcher, I am not food." He chastised, his voice weak. The Captain's chuckle was dark.

"Then why are you so sweet?" He asked in returned and Kellen felt his mouth open and shut like a fish. He wanted to scream, his body telling him he needed to get away from him as soon as possible.

"Captain, leave the cook alone. He might stop feeding us if you bother him anymore." Hill warned, her voice cutting through the moment. Kellen exhaled, glancing back at the Captain. A shiver went down his spine. The man was looking at him like he was a four course meal and he was starving.

"Hill's right. I'll stop cooking if you don't go back around that island right now." He tried to sound forceful, but the way his lips tilted up meant he didn't buy it either. But, he stepped away from him and headed back to his seat.

"Fine. I'll be a good boy." He said before taking another swig from his beer. The heat from his gaze was enough to scorch the poor Guide, and Kellen knew he was anything but good.