(BL) Hunting The Field Guide - Chapter 354

Chapter 354: Friends don’t let friends hurt themselves, at least not alone
Kellen had thought he was doing okay, until the fighting started. His blood ran cold, and Brent swore up a storm. Kellen couldn’t remember that Brent had called anyone until Taylor and Gwen were there.

He didn’t really remember what they were saying, his gaze focused on the way that the two were going at each other. He didn’t even realise he was crying until Gwen’s fingers were wiping away his tears.

“It’s going to be okay Kellen. It’s going to be okay.” Kellen was crying, the soft sounds leaving his lips at the sheer pain he felt in his chest.

This wasn’t a joke. This wasn’t for fun. Kellen had seen them fight for fun, and this wasn’t it. Kellen had seen the state that Rhys had come home in the first time, the time after he had stopped Gunther the first time, and seen the state he’d been there personally when Gunther had thrown a garbage can at him.

This?

Kellen didn’t know what this was, but he also couldn’t take his gaze off of it. It was so raw, so visceral, so angry. This felt like a long time coming, and that feeling alone made him realise that he should have been worried. He should have been terrified. He shouldn’t have let this happen at all.

“We need to turn off the t.v.” Brent said, and Kellen shook his head quickly, aggressively.

“Don’t turn it off.” Kellen said through his emotions, and Brent gave him a look like he was crazy.

“It’s clearly upsetting you. We need to turn it off.” Brent fought back, and Kellen shook his head more.

“No! We can’t!” Kellen was working himself up, and it was clear that Taylor and Gwen hated to see it. Brent’s jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring as he watched Kellen, tears running down his face, Gwen wiping them away as she sat next to him, but he was unable to tear his gaze away from the t.v.

“What are you hoping to gain by continuing to watch it, Kellen? You’re only going to hurt yourself more!” Kellen winced as Gunther hit Rhys in the jaw.

“Why the hell haven’t they cut the feed yet?” Taylor complained. “Kellen, you shouldn’t watch anymore. Please. This is hurting us to watch.” Taylor pleaded, and Kellen wouldn’t budge. Brent shouted in frustration, getting up since he couldn’t stand to witness Kellen hurt himself anymore.

“I’m going to make some fucking calls.” Brent muttered, whipping his phone out as he stormed into the hallway. Taylor moved so that she was occupying the other side of Kellen. Gwen on one side, Taylor on the other. Taylor took the laptop away from him, closing it as Kellen winced with every hit, every punch that was thrown.

“This isn’t looking good, Taylor.” Gwen muttered and Taylor sighed.

“I’m going to have to patch both of them up, and give them a stern talking to.” She agreed, and Kellen jerked.

“Do you need some guiding?” Kellen asked, sniffing, and both girls looked at him with sympathy.

“No, Kellen. I can get some from someone else. You should save it for when Rhys gets back.” Taylor told him gently, and Kellen nodded. The fighting went on for what felt like hours, the blood splattering everywhere until suddenly, the feed was cut and the newscasters filled the screen. Kellen’s whole body relaxed, the tension leaving him but that wasn’t a good thing.

He slumped, Gwen catching him as Kellen tried to keep himself upright but his muscles felt like noodles.

“Oh dear.” He muttered, and Taylor sighed.

“It’s a good thing that you cancelled your classes today, because you are on bedrest, Doctor’s orders.” Taylor said, and Kellen opened his mouth to complain, but couldn’t find it in him to fully put up a fight.

He didn’t think he’d be as affected as he was. It was just two friends falling out. It shouldn’t have been this damaging to him. He knew it wasn’t even real, but that…Kellen felt ill, and Gwen and Taylor watched as all colour drained from his face.

Suddenly he was up and moving, the two women dragging him to a bathroom so that he could throw up if needed. Kellen had never thrown up like this in his life. Wasting food?

Unheard of.

Yet, here he was, on his knees next to a toilet, his body heaving. Even as upset as he was, he couldn’t give up on who he was. He wasn’t able to throw up, instead heaving, over and over as he sat there. Gwen and Taylor were speaking quietly to each other in the main part of the bathroom.

Then, the voices of his parents filled his ears and someone made a soft noise of comfort behind him.

“Son, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” Kellen’s eyes watered, tears overflowing as he continued to heave. In the end, even though he was on his knees before the toilet, he wasn’t able to throw up. Exhausted, he leaned on his Dad as he was helped up to his apartment, as Gwen and Taylor needed to get back to work. Brent showed up, looking miserable and angry all at once, but he didn’t take it out of Kellen.

Instead, he had all of their items that they had taken with them to that room in his arms, and he helped Kellen and his Dad get settled in the apartment before storming off, saying he would be coming back.

Kellen’s Dad had a direct line to Kellen’s Mom, who had gone back to the conference room after checking up on her son. From there, Kellen and his Dad learned what had happened after that had been filmed and broadcasted to everyone.

Apparently, Gunther and Rhys had fled the scene, fighting each other each time that they met each other. Kellen’s Mom wouldn’t type what they had been saying to each other, but she did say it was vile. As time went on, it became clear that this was only going to get worse. It did when Rhys used his powers on Gunther, freezing him, and that was apparently the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Gunther had laughed wildly before declaring that he was no friend of his, and he wanted out of the Guild. He wasn’t going back to the Saturn Guild, and Rhys and his ‘little Guide’ could kiss his ass. Kellen’s Mom had included it because it was probably going to come up in the future.

While Kellen was getting debriefed on what was going on, he was wrapped up in a blanket, a cup of tea in his hands, Rhys’ jacket wrapped around his shoulders under the blanket, and his slippers on his feet. For some reason, he still wasn’t able to get warm. Kellen’s Dad had a rather serious expression on his face, worry filling him as he told Kellen what his Mom had found out.

Even then, he had a feeling it was highly censored. Both of his parents trying to protect him from what Rhys and Gunther had said to each other. Kellen appreciated it, but they didn’t need to. He had been there when Gunther had exploded a few times, he could piece together what they weren’t saying.

It did destroy a part of him that it was this bad.

A knock sounded, and Kellen knew it wasn’t Rhys, so when his Dad went to answer it, he wondered who it would be on the other side.

It was Casper, Brent and Charlie. Brent had his hands full of bags, his expression grim, and Casper looked like Kellen. He was stricken, his eyes wide and wet, and his outfit askew. Charlie looked like he didn’t know what was going on, but that he knew it was bad. He had his head down, his expression meek.

“I’ve brought backup, and sweets. You’re going to need them.” He told every single Guide in the room. “Kellen, keep your ass seated. I’ll bring it over.” Brent told him, closing the door with his foot. He then kicked his shoes off before storming into the kitchen and rattling around in Kellen’s kitchen till he found what he wanted.

When he came back over, he put the bags carefully on the coffee table along with several plates, cutlery, and glasses. Then he revealed what was in the bags.

Several large, huge cheesecakes, pops, juices, and other sweets. Kellen was surprised he’d managed to get this, and was even more surprised when Brent snapped the lid off, and used a knife to cut a huge slice for Kellen before handing it to him, then pouring him a large glass of a fluorescent orange pop.

“Drink and eat.” Brent barked, and Kellen only stared at him.

Kellen knew why he was doing this, but he was just shocked that Brent would do it, especially here.

“Brent, I-”

“Shut your goddamn mouth if you’re only going to speak lies. You aren’t okay, I’m not here to listen to you say that. I’m here to serve you fucking cheesecake and pop, and that’s what I’m fucking doing.” Brent snapped, serving a piece for Kellen’s Dad and Casper, before handing one to Charlie. Everyone seemed confused by the combo, but it was Kellen who knew why he had chosen this.

This was the first thing the two of them had eaten together after they had completed a really difficult gate together, and it was the same day that Kellen and Brent had solidified their partnership.

They had had a similar meal whenever they had completed another dangerous gate, since pop and cheesecake were delicacies out on the front lines. They were expensive, and hard to get.

Kellen felt his eyes water as he sunk his fork into the cheesecake, shoving it into his mouth. He understood the symbolism that Brent was going for, and it was making him even more emotional.

Brent wasn’t going anywhere, and from the way that his grim expression softened, he knew that Kellen understood it as well. So the Guides sat in silence, Charlie and Kellen’s Dad keeping the mood light as the other three remained mostly quiet, waiting.

Waiting until one of them returned to the Guild.