(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 346

Chapter 346: Reflections with the Captain
Breaking the plan to Gunther wasn’t going to be easy. Kellen knew it, Rhys knew it, even Hill, once she heard about it, knew it.

They all thought he was going to take it poorly. Well, Kellen didn’t, but Rhys and Hill did. Kellen saw it as a way for him to get over his trauma, while getting some space. Rhys and Hill? They worried that Gunther would think that they wanted to send him away.

It was why Rhys was doing a shot by the elevators, Kellen’s number already pulled up on the screen with Hill right beside him.

“Fuck. I shouldn’t have let Kellen twist my arm.” Rhys muttered, the alcohol burning as it raced down his throat. Hill wiped her mouth, making a face.

“Was that fucking sour puss? What the hell did you just make me drink?” Hill made a disgusted sound, retching, while Rhys snorted. He chuckled, showing off the bottle he’d hidden with his sleeve.

“Gwen gave me this. Wished me good luck. She also slid me this.” Rhys pulled out a broken piece of glass that was the same colour as Kellen’s eyes. Hill, surprised, stared at the little broken piece of glass before glancing at the bottle. She scoffed, yanking it out of his hand before downing half the bottle.

“It has little to no alcohol. Drink half.” Hill thrust the rest of the bottle towards Rhys, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Rhys shook his head, shoving the little gift into his pocket, along with the shot glass and poured the liquor down his throat. He made a disgusted noise, the sugary sweet liquor something he hadn’t had in a long time.

“Ugh. This is…I need to teach her how to drink.” Rhys muttered and Hill gave him a look.

“She does not need to be an alcoholic at a young age. She wouldn’t be able to keep up with someone who can reset themselves, plus Kellen’s a lightweight. You see how he gets after like, one cider?” Rhys could remember. He had dropped his defenses, his cheeks warming and his expression had softened.

They hadn’t had a chance to drink since he’d found out what was going on with Gunther, and he felt that everything was moving forward now. It felt like everyone had been holding their breath, waiting for something to happen with the gate. Long enough had passed where nothing else had happened, and it finally felt like the gears were turning once more.

Everything was moving forward.

Rhys needed to do that too. He needed…fuck. He hoped Gunther didn’t take this the wrong way.

“How has he been today?” Rhys asked, tossing the bottle into the garbage near the elevator doors. Hill sighed, shaking her head. Her hair had only gotten curlier since she hadn’t been straightening it over the last few days. Being out of her usual routine, she hadn’t had time to stop by her apartment and get her normal supplies. Which, Rhys learned, included a hair straightener.

He’d never noticed it before, but apparently she had taken one to the front lines too? He had never thought that she was that kind of woman, but then again, he knew her, but he’d kept her at a distance.

Out of the two of them, he’d always thought that Hill would have left first. He’d never considered that it could have been Gunther. Not even in his wildest dreams. Not even in any of the futures he’d seen previously, but he should have known not to trust them. The futures he saw in regards to him were always a little wonky. Never quite right.

“He’s been quiet today. More reserved. Asked a few questions, asked about Casper, but nothing too probing. Worked out, ate. Made sure that he received Guiding. Kellen’s words that he’d practically tossed at him over his shoulder really had an impact.” Hill sighed.

“Yeah. That doesn’t surprise me. He really isn’t holding his punches when it comes to Gunther.” Rhys said and Hill chuckled. She smacked Rhys’ shoulder before she began to move down the hallway.

“Well, I think Captain, that you’ve been holding them too much. He needs you to step up right now, not Kellen. I’m not one to talk, I’m also out of my element when it comes to helping him, but you…you grew up with him. As like, a kid. You can reach him in a way that I can’t.” Hill sighed. “Like Kellen can’t. He had his struggles, but he grew up with good parents. He doesn’t get it, you know? But you two? Fuck. My parents are bad, but not…” Hill trailed off, and Rhys understood what she meant.

Her parents had never taken out their anger on her. She might feel that it would have been easier if they had, but as someone who had experienced it, Rhys couldn’t agree with her. Look at him and Gunther? Neither one of them was exactly normal.

“I just…Fuck, Hill. What am I supposed to do? I just want things to go back to how they were before.” Hill snorted.

“Where they were making passive comments at each other, snarling at everyone, and neither one of them was happy and were making everyone else around them miserable? Yeah, sounds like a great time. Would very much like to go back to walking on eggshells around Gunther and never knowing what part of me would set him off.” Hill said sarcastically, a bitter smile on her lips.

Rhys frowned, realising, again, that there were so many aspects of his Guild that he’d created that he’d neglected. This was another part. He knew, of course, that Gunther snapped at Hill, but he thought it was only every once in a while. Even if that was the case, it was clear that it greatly affected her.

Rhys was going to have to make time to deal with this mess he’d helped create, help foster. Whether intentional or not, he’d buried his head in the sand about some issues. Maybe all issues. He was going to have to look into this.

Rhys was sure it stemmed from his powers. He probably got cocky, thinking that if he didn’t see a giant disaster looming in the future, then everything was okay. Clearly, he was wrong, since one relationship going sour might ruin everything he’d built up until this point. It wasn’t going to be a gate forming in the tower that was going to take him down, but instead personal relationships exploding that was going to do it.

“Fuck. Sorry Hill. I didn’t mean it like that. I just…” Hill glanced back at him, smiling at him softly. Her eyes were warm as she looked at him.

“It’s okay. I knew what you meant, I’m just being a bitch about it.” Hill said and Rhys shook his head.

“No, you aren’t being a bitch about it. You have every right to make a jab like that. I deserve several more than that, especially with you acting as a bodyguard for a damn fellow Lieutenant. I feel awful for doing this to both of you.” Rhys exhaled. He felt like shit about this whole situation. At least he’d gotten some guiding from Kellen before this, their Guiding session with Green giving him an excuse to feel that soft, welcoming power flow into him and providing some comfort he could fall back onto during this moment.

“It’s fine, Captain. You have a lot-”

“Don’t make excuses for me, Hill. We all know I dropped the ball on this. Fact is, I was so focused on Kellen and everything he meant or didn’t mean to me that I neglected other parts of the Guild. Whether consciously or unconsciously, it wasn’t right. You two did try to correct me, but yet, here we are.” Rhys gestured to the door Gunther was locked up behind. “I have my best friend locked the fuck up, and my other friend has to watch over him so he doesn’t do anything rash. I feel like a damn fool for not realising everything. What’s the fucking point of having the powers that I do if I can’t see a damn thing that’s helpful?” Rhys was disgusted with himself and Hill stared at him.

She blinked several times, before she started laughing.

“Wow. Wow wow wow. Kellen’s really brought out the humanity in you, hasn’t he?” Rhys furrowed his brows, unsure what she meant while Hill smiled. “Captain, I wouldn’t be able to have a conversation with you like this 3 months ago. You were too…Esper, if I’m honest. Now that Kellen’s around, you’ve softened. I bet if you knew what was going to happen three months ago, you wouldn’t have given a damn.” Rhys wanted to protest what she said, but thinking back on it, she might be right.

He had been…harder back then. He hadn’t even warned Kellen of the dangers of guiding him, too anxious to get his hands on him to even care about his well-being. Hell, half of his actions when he’d first started trying to court him had been…well, not good was a nice way to put it.

Harassment was probably more accurate. Kellen had been rather kind with him. He was lucky that Kellen hadn’t beaten him up within an inch of his life for some of his behaviours. Rhys ran a hand over his face.

“You are probably right.” Rhys admitted and Hill chuckled.

“Exactly. So, as much as all of this fucking sucks, I don’t want to go back to that time. I’m not one for dwelling on the past anyways. You gotta just take the punches as they come, you know?” Hill said with a smile, her brown eyes sparkling and Rhys met her gaze before he shook his head. Fuck. She was right, and now they had to break the plan to Gunther.

Hopefully the sourpuss was going to help take the edge off of this conversation. The second bottle in his pocket was for Gunther. How Gwen had known? Rhys wasn’t going to ask any questions of Kellen’s sister, especially since Kellen’s Mom had been in the conference room when they’d had the original conversation.