More Than Human

Chapter 76: Shovel Talk

Price stood outside Gaz's door.

He had done a lot of things over the course of his career. Hell, he and part of his team had been regularly going and torturing a Russian terrorist in a basement more for fun than anything else. But, for whatever reason, this task made him feel intimidated.

He raised his hand up to knock and held it there for a moment. Lord this was so stupid. What did Alex know anyway?

He was just about to lower his hand and leave with his tail between his legs when the door opened and he came nose to nose with a dryad.

"Oh! Morning, Captain."

"Mornin, Kyle." He lowered his hand, trying to seem casual.

There was awkward silence for a moment before Gaz continued, "You, um... you needed something?"

"Oh. Right. Yeah." Price cleared his throat, "Just thought we could talk."

Gaz brows knit together, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. It's fine, Son." He assured.

Gaz gave a little nod before stepping aside to allow him to enter. He closed the door behind him and they both settled on the edge of Gaz's bed.

Price huffed, he had never done something like this before. Why was it so damn difficult?

"So..." he started, Gaz watched him expectantly, "you and Gary?"

Gaz blushed, "Oh."

"It's nothin' to be embarrassed about, Kyle." Price couldn't help but chuckle.

"Did Alex put you up to this?"

"Well, sort of. He just asked if I had talked to you about it. And I hadn't, so..." He explained.

"So you knew?" Gaz asked, Price gave a small nod, "Bloody hell, was I the only one that didn't?"

"No?"

"Alex had to fucking explain it to me."

Price laughed again, "Maybe I should have given you that puberty talk."

Gaz groaned, "I'm good without that. Thank you, Sir."

Price snorted, "Yeah, well, the offer stands."

There was another pause and Gaz was looking at him curiously.

"You feel... strange about it?"

"Can't hide anything from you. Can I, Kyle?" Price commented. It was true, Gaz's connection to him as his patron made him highly attuned to what he was feeling. He always knew when he was just a bit off.

"You're right. I'm confused about how to feel, honestly." He admitted, "I'm excited for you. But..."

"But?" Gaz encouraged.

Price let out a terse breath, "It's stupid. But it feels like you're one step closer to... leaving the nest, I suppose. I couldn't get you to progress much at all in all this time, and Sanderson was able to do it in a day. Soon... soon you won't need me, and it's selfish, I know, but that scares the hell out of me, Kyle."

Gaz pursed his lips, trying to come up with something to say. Price always seemed to know the right response, the right course of action. Now it was Gaz's turn to speak to him, and he could only hope that he said the right thing.

"Well, that's just not true."

"What?" Price looked at him.

"I'm never not going to need you, Captain." He told him, "I mean, logistically speaking, I've imprinted on you. You're my patron, I live to serve you. Without you around I start to fall apart. You should have seen me in that cell of Makarov's. Without you there..." He took a deep breath, trying to stave off a waver that threatened to over take his voice. "All that to say, you aren't going to lose me, Price. Ever."

Price swallowed and placed a hand on Gaz's shoulder, shaking him around lightly, "Thank you, Sprout."

"No need to thank me for the truth, Sir."

Price shook his head fondly, "So, tell me about this little crush of yours."

Gaz groaned and Price laughed, "Come on, Kyle. You'll talk to Alex but not to me?"

"I sounded like a bumbling idiot talking to Alex."

"Oh alright. I'm not gonna interrogate you." Price paused before smirking, "You gotta give me a little something, though."

Gaz blew a little raspberry, trying to decide what of the things he had told Alex was the least embarrassing, "He..."

Price gave him an encouraging smile.

"He makes me feel good." Gaz finally spat out, blooming slightly.

"That's what I like to hear." Price nodded in approval, "Now I've just gotta talk to him."

Gaz looked up at that, eyes wide, "You're not going to be weird about this, are you?"

"Oh no. Not weird. Haven't seen Roach for a few years, y'know. Just have to make sure he's still an acceptable partner for you."

"That's exactly what I meant by being weird!" Gaz chastised, "Leave him alone."

Price just hummed and stood up to leave the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Price decidedly did not listen to Gaz. He was the Captain afterall. Kyle had no real authority over his decisions. Besides, Price felt a strange sense of parental obligation for the dryad.

He cornered Roach alone in the kitchen later in the day. The man was filling a bowl with some fruit and what looked like tufts of cotton. He spun around and startled at the sight of Price standing and leaning in the doorframe. He nearly choked on the piece of cotton in his mouth, swallowing hard around it to get it down.

"Hello, Captain." He greeted, "Scared me!"

"Sorry 'bout it, Roach." Although he didn't sound sorry at all.

He stepped forward into the room and got close to Roach, looking down at him, "Tell me, Bug, how do you feel about Gaz?"

Roach blinked, "Like Gaz a lot, Sir! Care about him."

Price hummed, nodding, "So do I. I'll tell you something, Kid, I love that boy as if he was my own son. Grew that dryad from when he was just a tiny sapling. So, I want what's best for him." He crowded Roach forward until he was forced to sit down on one of the stools at the island, "So tell me, what are your intentions with my boy?"

Roach stared up at him with wide eyes, "W-well, I..."

He swallowed, getting his thoughts together. He didn't want to sound like an idiot, and if he wanted Price's approval, he needed to prove himself. So he steeled himself and made proper eye contact with the captain, sitting up as straight as he could.

"Want to make Kyle happy. I want to help him grow." Roach told him firmly.

Price couldn't help the way his eyes softened slightly, and he leaned back a bit. He could barely keep himself in the stern position when it was with Roach, but he pushed himself to do it since it was on behalf of Gaz.

"Good. See that you do." He leaned back down so that he could speak directly into Roach's ear, "Make sure that you treat him well. Because if you hurt him, I will squash you like the insect you are."

He stood up straight again with a cheery smile and gave Roach a friendly pat on the arm, "Good talk, Roach! I'll leave you to your meal!"

Roach stared after him with wide eyes as he left, blinking in shock. He swallowed and let out a puff of air before buzzing, "Very scary man."