After checking up on the Field Guides and finishing up his conversation with his two top picks, Kellen made his way back down to check on the rescued Guides. Not only to talk to his Dad about his conversation with the Guides he’d just had, but also check up on everyone in general.

Kellen had a bit more of a pep in his step as he headed back down towards the lower levels. He didn’t have as much stress in his body because he knew that he’d finished his tests. He was in the clear. There wasn’t anything heavy hanging over him now.

Any tests that he would have to do after this were simple ones. Ones he’d already done with Rhys before, and he only had to do a few of them. Simple. Guiding Rhys tests that he could do in his sleep.

Kellen could feel his good mood radiating from him as he passed the normal guards who were also in good spirits as well. Kellen looked at the guards, then pointed at the main room that most of the Guides used.

"Is Dad and Mom here?" He asked the guards and they chuckled. They pointed inside, smiling.

"Yeah, with your adoptive brother." They teased and Kellen scoffed.

"Which one?" He teased and the guards laughed. The energy in the whole Guild had changed since a few of the unconscious members of the Guild had started to wake up. Kellen was just glad that everyone wasn’t as serious anymore, including himself.

Kellen entered into the room, noticing that many of the Guides were in a circle formation again, chatting to Charlie and his Mom, surprisingly. Kellen’s Dad was talking with a smaller group, only a few Guides and only a few medical Espers were roaming around the room. When Kellen entered, everyone glanced up but didn’t make a big deal of it. Kellen made his way towards his Dad, who seemed the most surprised that Kellen was approaching him.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" He asked as Kellen approached, and Kellen realised that he had a book in his lap. He was reading to the Guides, and as Kellen got closer, he realised that it was a book about Guides.

The same book, or at least one of the books that Kellen had given to Charlie.

"Nothing bad, Dad. I just got back from speaking to the Field Guides and checking up on them." Kellen said. His Dad’s expression softened, clearly relieved that it wasn’t anything bad.

"Oh good. I’m glad to hear that nothing terrible has happened on such a good day." He said, his eyes warm. Kellen couldn’t help but agree.

"Is it alright if I join you?" Kellen asked, turning to the Guides that his Dad had originally been hanging out with and reading to. They immediately nodded, one of them even getting up to grab Kellen a seat so that he didn’t have to struggle. Kellen nodded his thanks, taking a seat next to his Dad in the spot that had been made available to him. "Thankfully, the kids are doing okay, they have continued their studies without my help, but they were happy to have any scrap I could give them." Kellen said with a small smile.

Kellen’s Dad stared at him with affection. He reached out, squeezing Kellen’s shoulder.

"Of course they were happy to have you there. They adore you, and you’re their teacher. The kind words that I’ve heard from those Guides while they’ve been down here, or in the Guiding Division have been very wonderful to hear. I am glad that you are a firm, but fair teacher." His Dad told him. Kellen felt his face warm, but he didn’t stop the smile that touched his lips.

"Are you sure that they aren’t trying to butter you up because you’re my Dad?" Kellen asked. "Or famous?" Kellen teased and his Dad laughed. The other Guides glanced around, and it was clear to Kellen that a few of them knew who Kellen’s Dad was, while a few of the younger ones weren’t aware.

That was...fine, Kellen thought. The younger ones couldn’t always know who his Dad was, and it was probably a good thing that they didn’t know how famous he was. That was okay, but, Kellen had a feeling that they didn’t know who his Dad was because they hadn’t been educated properly.

"Haha, nice one, Kellen, but I think you are quickly taking over the mantle for your Mom and I." His Dad said, his eyes bright. "Need I remind you that you filmed your crimes. I think when Gwen showed me how many views that video had gotten it was well over a few million views." Kellen was shocked to hear that.

"It was put online?" Kellen asked. His Mom, who had the ability to hear them, let out a bark of laughter.

"Sweetie, are you serious? Of course people stole that video and reposted it everywhere. It’s not everyday that you get to see a Guide beating up others." His Mom said, then puffed out her chest proudly. "That’s my son." She said and his Dad shook his head, smiling.

"Don’t look so proud, Ellie, or I might think that you helped him." His Dad spoke warmly, but Kellen and his Mom felt the chill underneath it.

"A-Anyway," Kellen interrupted, "I was talking to some of the ones who we were interviewing, the short-listed ones, and they had some interesting ideas. I wanted to run them past you before I spoke to Rhys about them." Kellen said. His Dad sat up a little straighter, his gaze curious as he met his son’s blue eyes.

"Oh? They had some ideas? I’m sure they were interesting if you want to discuss them with me. Are you hoping that I’ll be able to help you come up with a solid argument against your Captain boyfriend?" He asked and Kellen’s face warmed.

"Well, I feel like you have more experience dealing with Espers when it comes to work life balance and getting what you want, so yes." Kellen admitted honestly. His Dad burst into laughter, pulling Kellen in for a hug before he kissed him on the cheek.

"My boy, I’ve taught you well. You’ve come to the right person, and honestly, this is a lesson all of you could use." His Dad said, glancing at the other Guides who were listening in with curious expressions. Kellen’s Mom grinned, getting up and closing the door in the faces of the guards.

"You aren’t allowed to hear, and I’m only staying because I’m in full approval of this lesson." She said with a wink. The Espers outside in the hallway put up halfhearted protests, but they were smiling.

Kellen just knew that word he had turned to his Dad for help to convince Rhys was going to go around the Guild, and he wasn’t even upset about it. It was true that his Dad was an expert in this field. If they were going to discuss how to deal with monsters, that was when they would turn to Kellen for help.

His Dad gathered everyone into a circle again, basically taking over Charlie’s circle and he began to give out the secret to how he always managed to get what he wanted.

It was simple. It was smart. It was...something that Kellen wasn’t sure he would be able to execute properly. His Dad even had them attempt it, but Kellen felt stiff, awkward. He gave up after his third attempt had even Charlie snorting through his nose.

Well, in the worst case scenario, he could challenge Rhys to a wrestling match. He knew that Brent sometimes used that term. He’d seen weird porn that also referenced that. It could work. Even if Kellen only had one useful arm right now, Brent only ever had one arm pretty much always. He could manage this.

Plus, it wasn’t like this was a horrible idea. It was a smart idea, but it was going to add more to Kellen’s workload before they left for abroad. That was what Kellen was pretty sure Rhys was going to protest.

Kellen decided that to get ahead of this, he was going to go back home early and get some baking done, and let Rhys know that he was back at their apartment. Communication and baked goods?

Rhys would be crazy to not agree with whatever plan Kellen and his Field Guides had come up with.

~

Kellen had decided to throw another crazy thing at Rhys and he wore just an apron and his boxers to cook. He even kept his phone nearby, so he knew when Rhys was coming home.

Rhys had let Kellen know that his conversation with Casper had gone very well. It had been emotional, they had both apologised, and Casper had seemed far less reluctant about the whole situation after he had expressed his issues to Rhys. Kellen was sure that some of those issues had also been about Rhys, but the man wasn’t going to tell Kellen that over text.

Rhys had also said that he was going to be able to sneak home for dinner, but that he was going to have to go out later to visit the Nemesis Guild and the Peach Guild in the dead of night.

Kellen thought it was a little ridiculous that the man who could manipulate time and how others perceived it had to go in the dead of night, but Rhys said sometimes he just wanted to feel like he was scheming with the other Espers.

Kellen had no argument for that, besides that it was stupid. Of course he was scheming with the other Espers. That was something they were always doing. Doing it under the cover of night didn’t change it much in his eyes, but who was Kellen to tell Rhys not to have fun with it?

This was probably just his way of showing how happy he was that his people were waking up, the Guild was going to be okay, and that he could rely on the others to keep the city safe while he was gone.

Rhys had let Kellen know that he was on his way about five minutes ago, so Kellen made sure that he was putting the last finishing touches on the meal he’d planned. It was something easy to reheat, because if Kellen knew Rhys, he knew that the man was about as hungry for Kellen as Kellen was for him.

A simple pesto pasta dish, with lots of fresh herbs, pine nuts, and grana Padano. Kellen had the microplane out and ready to put more grana Padano on the food once it was plated. It was a delicious-smelling meal, one that didn’t really need an apron, but even as Kellen felt ridiculous in this outfit, he couldn’t stop the smile from crossing his lips.

The lock sounded and the door opened. Rhys’ voice washed over Kellen from behind.

"Man, dinner smells delicious. I could smell it in the hallway." Rhys’ voice was normal, calm. Kellen wasn’t sure if he’d looked towards him yet or not, but Kellen just nodded. He opened the oven, taking out the garlic bread he’d made as well.

He hadn’t had enough time to make the bread fresh, but that was fine. He didn’t really have two hands to knead the dough properly anyways.

"I’m glad. I made the pesto myself." Kellen told him with his back still to him. That was when he heard something drop to the floor behind him and Kellen felt his smile grow a little more.

"What are you wearing?" Rhys asked, his voice sounding a little strangled. Kellen glanced over his shoulder coyly. Rhys was standing there, his shoes off, his jacket half off his body, his yellow eyes as wide as saucers.

"Making dinner, obviously." Kellen said, and then, feeling bold, wiggled his butt. "I wasn’t sure if you were bringing anyone with you, so I kept the boxers on." Kellen told him. Rhys’ mouth moved, his eyes scanning Kellen’s body from behind.

He then raised a hand, covering his eyes for only a second as he pulled his hand down his face. Kellen smirked. This wasn’t part of his Dad’s plan, but he was beginning to think it should be.