(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 256

Chapter 256: Trying to wash away your worries

Kellen was on his way to pick up a fresh tea from the coffee shop when he noticed a large crowd forming in the hallway between the cafeteria and the coffee shop. The crowd was so big it was blocking the entrance into the coffee shop itself and Kellen was surprised. Normally everyone here had enough consideration to be respectful and not do such things. What had distracted them?

Curious, and confused as to why that was happening and blocking his way, Kellen slightly sped up his gait. A few of the Espers closer to him noticed him and went white, tapping the shoulders of those around them until the entire group realised he was there.

"O-Oh! Guide Woods! We weren’t doing anything bad!" Kellen felt a frown form on his lips. That wasn’t what someone doing something good said. He shifted, leaning on his cane. His thigh was throbbing slightly, but it wasn’t as painful as it had been yesterday. He was quite grateful for the cream.

"You weren’t, were you? Then what has the lot of you congregating here? Who or what are you looking at?" Kellen asked, but instead of answering with words, they stepped back and revealed who they were staring at.

Kellen felt his own eyes widen in surprise as he was directed to look where they had been looking.

A man. That was the first thing he noticed. But his face was slightly sunken in, his expression forlorn, and he was wearing several sweaters. His brown hair wasn’t spiked and instead lay mostly flat against his head and face, covering his expression. It couldn’t hide it, since Kellen had a clear view of him from the doorway.

He was sitting in one of the giant, comfy chairs in the coffee shop that was pressed against the window. His legs were pulled up, and he had his arms wrapped around his legs. In front of him, on the table were a few things. Several of the shakes that Taylor created, along with a big cup of some kind of warm drink as well as a glass of water.

He looked...better, but not quite. Kellen didn’t know that he’d started moving before the man turned towards him. Casper looked terribly upset to see Kellen, and that only made Kellen’s heart twist in his chest.

"I promise I’m not here to guide anyone." The words spilled out of Casper and Kellen flinched. Casper’s gaze jerked to Kellen’s cane and Kellen watched as the stronger man’s eyes began to water. Something was terribly wrong, but Kellen couldn’t put his finger on it.

His tea forgotten, Kellen shuffled closer to Casper until Kellen’s legs were touching Casper’s feet.

"Casper? I’m not going to chastise you for coming into the building. It’s your place too, alright? I just worried you would continue to work if I didn’t tell you to go home. God, I didn’t want to make you feel like you couldn’t come back here." Kellen muttered, looking over him.

He felt...unstable. That was a good way to put it.

Casper looked away from him before glancing behind him. Kellen turned his body, and noticed he was staring at one of the many shakes on the table behind him. Kellen grabbed one of them, handing it to him, and watched as Casper opened the lid and poured it into his mouth. Casper then turned to the right and revealed the bag that must have held empties. Kellen had a hard time wrapping his head around it since there were so many of them. _{ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom}

He blinked. Concern filled him the longer he stared at Casper.

"It’s...okay Kellen. I know you did it for my own good, I just...I felt like I was going to go crazy if I didn’t feel others around me." Casper said quietly and Kellen didn’t know what to say.

Yeah, that made total sense. Casper grew up with this Guild. It was in his blood as much as it was in Rhys’. Kellen should have realised that when he’d banished him, and fuck, he really should have sent him to his Dad.

Kellen let out a heavy sigh, running his hand over his face. There was no use to beating himself up like this. He was just going to have to come face to face with the fact that his Dad was alive, Casper was alive, and that was okay. No more what ifs.

"Let me go get a tea, and then we can go talk in my office. Somewhere a little more quiet. The others seem like they want to speak to you. Is it alright if I send them over?" Casper’s dull, dim expression brightened and Kellen didn’t wait for him to answer after seeing that. Fuck. He’d made another bad call.