What is a pair?

The shakes gave Kellen enough energy to keep himself together to get out of the building, but it was clear that the last three strenuous days were catching up with his body. Add that to the relief of being confirmed an A Class, Kellen's body was quickly heading towards shut down mode. Everyone knew he couldn't get home on his own, so as the three Espers led him outside of the Center, they all offered him rides home. Kellen refused everyone's offer and instead called his Dad. His Father never expected his son to call him, so he was ecstatic to be of service. Within ten minutes he had pulled up outside of the Center in all of his glory. He'd grabbed his current favourite car, a bright blue sports car that had custom silver lightning bolts down the sides of the car. Everyone watched in awe as he rolled the windows down and he called out to the group waiting for him. 

"Hello Honey! How was your first day at work? Did it go well? Oh, hello Taylor! You look positively radiant. Hello Captain Thatcher, Ms. Hill." Ms. Hill snorted at the obvious snub from Kellen's Father, but didn't do anything more about it. She understood why he was treating them coldly, but she hoped that he would warm up to her eventually. She liked Kellen, and hated the idea of his parents disliking her forever. Captain Thatcher, however, plastered on a welcoming smile as he helped the waving Guide towards his Father's vehicle. Kellen's Dad's smile faltered as he saw the state his son was in, but held his tongue. Kellen got into the car, giving his Dad a soft smile that only made his father worry more. He watched the S Class Esper help his son buckle himself into the car before he closed the door and leaned against the open window. 

"Work was a little hectic today since we had the new recruits come into the guild. Mr. Woods had a busy day touring the tower as well. Please make sure he eats enough since we had him retested today. Hopefully for the last time. You'll be happy to know he is solidly in the middle of A Class. Taylor and I think he's like this because of the guiding, but also the release of the stress." His father's face grew serious as he stared at his son, whose eyes were barely open as the Captain spoke. "The Center said they would break the news tonight, so you might want to tune in to see it. We decided to break both stories at the same time." His eyes were soft as he looked at the younger man, before he turned his gaze to the older Guide. His eyes shifted, becoming more guarded, calculating. "Oh, as per his contract he's to move into the guild tower tomorrow. If he needs anything he can message me or Ms. Hill. I hope you have a good night, Mr. Woods, and Mr. Woods." The Captain smiled before stepping away from the car. He waved at the stunned older man before turning towards the two women on the sidewalk. Taylor waved at them as he pulled away in a daze. Kellen's Father let his son rest for a few minutes before he tentatively started asking questions. 

"You're...moving into the Guild tower?" He asked and Kellen's chuckle filled the air. 

"The apartment next to his." He clarified and his Dad shook his head, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. 

"That little snake." He hissed and Kellen's chuckle turned into full blown laughter as his gaze stared out the window. He had a slight smile playing on his lips as he spoke. 

"Hmm, I don't think he's a snake. Maybe a fox or something like it? He's very sneaky, but also isn't." He told his Father, who glanced at his son in stunned silence as they pulled to a red light. When it changed colour he turned his gaze back to the road. He sighed.

"At least your Mother was honest when she was courting me." He muttered under his breath and Kellen ignored it. That dragged another sigh from his Father. "So, did you pass out today?" He asked and Kellen shot him a dirty look.

"No, I didn't. It was a normal day at work. I got shown around the guild building, met a couple of the other guides, and also ran into Gwen while she was on her tour. She was pissed that I joined the guild before her." His Dad shook his head at Kellen's gleeful tone. 

"But she looked well? She told your Mother that she was going out with her friends tonight so we won't be celebrating with her." Figures.

"Yeah, she looked well. She's gained more muscle, which suits her. She had enough energy to attack me, so she's fine. She seemed to be better off then some of the other recruits." That seemed to please him the most. 

"It's actually very nice to know that Taylor is going to be looking after the both of you. Neither of my children know how to take care of themselves. Both of you haven't been able to say no to Taylor since you were young either." He chuckled as they pulled into their neighbourhood. Kellen kept his gaze on the houses passing by. 

"Well, that's because Taylor's really pretty, and nice. And unlike Gwen and I, she was one of the popular kids in school." Kellen told him honestly, maybe too honestly as his Dad glanced at him, slightly confused. 

"You think Taylor is cute? I could have sworn..." Kellen felt his cheeks heat. 

"Dad, not like that! I have never liked her like that, and I don't think Gwen has either. You can't deny that Taylor is pretty though. There were even rumours that she and the Captain were secretly going out." His Dad scoffed.

"Neither one of them is a good match for each other. I like Taylor, but healing Espers are just as sneaky as the others." It was said with a hint of venom, but Kellen understood where his Father was coming from. That didn't mean he was going to show him that. His Father pulled into the driveway, then pulled into the garage. 

"I know that, but it was fun to see Taylor squirm when I brought it up. Either way, I guess I'm glad that Taylor is looking out for us too. She's going to monitor the Captain and I's guiding sessions for the next two weeks, and then she's going to make a diet plan so that I don't die and can maintain a healthy weight." He chuckled. "They want beefcake Kellen back." His Dad chuckled, turning off the engine before he grabbed his son's bag and jacket out of his lap, getting out of the car. "Hey!" Kellen protested. 

"You're coming in for dinner tonight, no protests. Get changed and come down. We'll talk more once you do. I am making tacos, and if you hurry I might even make dessert." Grumbling that he was using bribes against his only son, Kellen went up to his apartment and changed quickly. He made sure that the rest of his uniform was in tip top shape before entering the main house wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt and slippers. 

Kellen's Dad had laid out the stolen goods on the couch so Kellen could see them as soon as he stepped into the house. The jacket was spread out and clearly already ironed, so Kellen knew his Mom had done it. His Father was in the kitchen while his Mom set the table. The t.v. had the news pulled up, but was paused and a timer went off as soon as his Dad noticed him. 

"Ah, great timing. Can you pull the toppings out of the fridge Honey?" His Dad asked and Kellen did as he was told. Soon, the family was sat around the table, their plates full of tacos and his Mom turned on the t.v. as they ate. 

"Good evening everyone. Tonight, we have an update on the gate rights situation. It appears that the Peach Guild has pulled out of negotiations, which leaves only the Saturn and Nemesis Guild left to duke it out. So far expert opinions are that the Nemesis Guild will gain the rights as they have the rights to the only A Class gate currently in our country. The Saturn Guild has quite a bit of power to negotiate in turn, but we shall wait to find out the results. 

Speaking of the Saturn Guild, we also have an update on the situation with the sighting of Captain Rhys Thatcher at the Center yesterday. He was spotted at the Center again today, with a young man dressed in the guiding uniform of the Saturn Guild. Accompanying him was Lieutenant Karen Hill and Healer Taylor Green. The Center confirmed that this was for a retest of the Guide held by Captain Thatcher. We now have been told the identity of the Guide." A picture flashed on screen and Kellen was surprised it was his official Guide id. "The Guide in question until yesterday was a Guide at Guiding Center B. Kellen Woods is the son of the famous imprinted couple Mr. and Mrs. Woods who retired almost 15 years ago. Guide Woods had been working as a C Class Guide and-" She cut off, holding her ear piece. She audibly gasped. "G-Guide Woods had been working as a C Class Guide who had been involved in the incident at Guiding Center B, but as of this afternoon it is confirmed that Guide Woods is the first Guide in our country to jump Classes. Guide Woods has made the astonishing jump from C Class to A Class, as confirmed by our sources. What's more, Guide Woods has beaten another record as well. Going above and beyond his parents compatibility rating of 70%, Guide Woods has gotten a whopping score of 90% with none other than Captain Rhys Thatcher." The news anchor seemed surprised by the words she was hearing from her own mouth. "Is this correct? Who confirmed this?" She asked, and listening to her earpiece she nodded. "The Center themselves have confirmed both as facts. Wow. What a great day for our country, and also for the Saturn Guild. I can almost hear the wedding bells now." She chuckled, before continuing on. "We'll have more news on this topic tomorrow. The Saturn Guilds PR team has just announced they will be holding a press conference on the topic tomorrow so we will be able to speak to the man of the hour then."

She quickly moved onto the next topic, announcing the results of the Esper Games while Kellen finished his tacos thoughtfully. He hadn't heard he was going to do a press conference tomorrow, but it wasn't a big deal. It couldn't be worse than talking to a room full of Espers, could it? 

"You went in for another test today?" His Mom asked as the news' anchor's voice droned on in the background. He nodded.

"Yeah. Ms. Hill helped me this time. Everyone insisted that Taylor joined us. Did you know Taylor invented those calorie shakes aimed towards Guides? I told her she needs to create some more flavours." His Dad seemed mildly interested in the news.

"I've used those before. They work quite well." He nodded in agreement. 

"They do, but they only come in three flavours. I've had to drink like 8 of them today since every time she saw me she'd make this disgusted face at how skinny I'd gotten. Currently I'm supposed to be eating like, 10 000 calories a day? It seems like a lot, but I also think my body is trying to catch up to my sudden jump in powers." His Dad chuckled. 

"Honey, I have eaten 7 000 calories a day since the day I met your Mother. It isn't a lot, especially if you're partnered with an S Class. I would even say it's on the low end. I'll make you a list of what I eat throughout the week and you can give it to Taylor. Nevermind, I'll send it to her after dinner. I have an extra box of my high calories granola, did you want to take that with you when you went into work? If you like it a lot, I can make you more." Kellen loved how his Dad was always ready to lend a helping hand. He shook his head, chuckling. 

"I'll see if I like it first before I agree to the whole box. If I do, I might use it to make parfaits or something as a midday snack." He grinned. 

"What a smart plan, Kellen. Did you need help packing up after dinner?" He asked his son and his Mother gave the two of them a strange look. 

"Pack up? Where is he going?" She asked, and Kellen realised his Dad hadn't told his Mom anything they had discussed in the car.

"Part of my contract is that I have to live in the Saturn Guild tower. Before you make that face, I already confirmed that my job is 9-5, this is partially a security reason, but also so that I am close by in case of emergencies. I don't mind, since I get overtime if I get called in when I'm off the clock." His Mom stared at him in stunned silence before she sighed, and shook her head. 

"You aren't an idiot Kellen. You know what that Esper wants from you, don't you?" She asked her fully grown son. He nodded.

"Yes, the Captain has made it very clear he wants to have uh, intimate guiding with me." Kellen felt his cheeks heat as he said the words in front of his parents. His Dad smiled at his son's innocent reaction.

"Kellen, he wants to have sex with you. Not guiding. That Esper is after you, personally. I don't think your match rate has anything to do with this." Her voice was very serious as she spoke to her son. Kellen felt his heart rate pick up. 

"Well, he has been slightly insistent on being in a romantic relationship with me, but we can be partners without that, can't we?" His parents, an Imprinted pair, stared in silence at their son for far too long. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"What the hell are they teaching in guiding schools these days?" His Dad muttered before reaching across the table and taking his son's hand. "Sure Honey, you can do that, but it is very hard to have a relationship that intimate without developing feelings. I think the Captain did the right thing by telling you his intent before you began to get closer." He paused before continuing. "How did you speak to him about this? Were you able to confirm the details in private?" Private? He was supposed to do that in private? Kellen thought back to Gunther's comment and he groaned, covering his face with his free hand. 

"I didn't realise I should have done it in private. Now I am regretting it a lot." He admitted. His Mom, getting suspicious, scooted closer. 

"Kellen, how many people were there?" She asked and Kellen wanted the ground to swallow him up. 

"Do you two remember where you met us yesterday? The hallway that overlooked the large, open gym for the A Classes?" His Dad gasped. 

"Kellen, no!" His Dad was getting embarrassed for him. 

"What did you say to him, Kellen?" His Mother was insistent. Kellen's face went beet red. 

"I...I said many things, but the thing that I know stuck with others because I'm already facing the consequences of my actions is...I uh, called him a coward for trying to run away from our compatibility match." His Dad pulled his hands away to cover his mouth in shock. His Mom started laughing. Kellen's ears burned. 

"Kellen, you are a fool! You said that to an S Class Esper? In front of others? I wouldn't have been surprised if he took you upstairs to discipline you for speaking out of turn in front of witnesses." Kellen couldn't meet the eyes of his parents. Neither of them said anything as they stared at their son who had spent time in one of the worst places on earth. "Did he do that?" His Dad asked, and Kellen knew that tone. 

"No Dad. I wouldn't call it discipline. I was just thinking about the other thing that I did." His Mother watched him, her eyes dancing, but purple.

"What else did you do Kellen?" She asked. Kellen reached up, scratching the back of his neck feeling far too hot. 

"Well, when Ms. Hill asked if we were an item, I said no, while the Captain said yes. He was confused, since he took my anger at the situation as a confession." His Mom nodded while his Dad ran his hands over his face.

"I am going to have a word with the current Guide educators. Why the hell-no, Kellen? Sweetheart? Why did you think he wouldn't think you were confessing to him given the situation? We imprinted at 70%. The news anchor tonight wasn't really joking when she said she heard wedding bells. No doubt everyone thinks you are going to announce your wedding date at the press conference tomorrow. Now that he has agreed to be a pair with you, that man is never going to let you go." Kellen had really needed his Dad's perspective, he thought. 

"Oh. I guess I've just been thinking about all of this as if I was still a C Class Guide. No one would think to do that with someone so low level." The Esper in the room narrowed her eyes. 

"They would. Espers are greedy, Kellen. If a compatibility rating like yours was placed in their laps on a silver platter, most wouldn't even give a fuck about the Class of the Guide. The reason the Center doesn't test compatibility between Espers and Guides who are 3 classes apart is because if the Esper was the higher class, they would simply steal the Guide and hide them away. There aren't enough safety procedures in place to protect all the Guides out there. The fact that the Captain said no to you is unfortunately an indication of his character. Fuck. I never thought I'd be giving you away to a fucking S Class monster." She ran her hands through her thick hair, sighing. Her husband patted her shoulder. 

"S Classes aren't monsters dear, not when a Guide has the leash." He glanced at his son, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Kellen has always been good at giving orders. I'm sure that Captain Thatcher will be quite tame by the time the wedding rolls around." Kellen stared with wide eyes at his Father, embarrassed beyond words. Thankfully, he was saved by his phone vibrating aggressively against his thigh. He answered the call quickly without checking who called.

'Hello?" He asked, the sound of loud music and people chatting filling his ears. 

"What the fuck is this about you becoming an A Class Guide? Why the hell didn't you say anything Kellen?" Gwen's angry voice filled his ears and Kellen appreciated the distraction. He got up from the table and headed into the living room for some privacy. 

"Sorry. I wasn't allowed to say anything until it was announced. Surprise." He lied easily and she groaned over the phone. 

"Fuck. You. I looked like an idiot when it came on in the bar and I had no clue. And a 90% match with the fucking Captain? Are you insane? Is he insane? Are you okay?" She demanded. "Did he threaten you or something? Do you need help?" She asked and Kellen's grip on his phone tightened as he remembered the conversation he just had with their parents. 

"I appreciate your concern, but I am currently in the middle of getting reamed out by Mom and Dad about the whole thing. I'm fine. You know I was excited to meet someone who I had high compatibility with, I guess I just didn't realise who it was going to be nor how high." He admitted to her softly and she sighed. 

"Fuck. Well, I'm happy for you if you're happy. I just...I didn't think you liked the Captain that way. You never brought him up when we talked." Oh shit, okay. It was finally clicking what his parents were trying to drill into him. People were going to assume things. 

"I never said anything because I didn't like him, nor did I have the chance to. He's the fucking Captain of the Saturn Guild Gwen, and I was a freelance Field Guide on the front lines. Who would ever think that anything was going to happen between us?" He told her in a hushed whisper. "I don't even think I've wrapped my head around this, but the Captain and I aren't in a romantic relationship." She made a noise on the other end that sounded suspiciously like suppressed laughter. 

"Oh sure you aren't. Let me know when that changes. I want to buy you a drink and laugh at you. Anyway, fuck you for not telling me ahead of time, and congratulations Kellen. I'm proud of you for never giving up on yourself." Awe, she did care. 

"Proud of you too for today as well. Have fun with your friends, and do not take bets on my behalf." He warned. She hung up on him and he stared at the phone for a second before he crouched down, putting his head in between his knees. He sighed. Fuck. 

Now that he had been told by his whole family, it was finally settling in. The Captain hadn't signed a long contract with him because he was sure that they'd be together together by the end of the year. You had different contracts for that, and from Caper and Ms. Hill's reaction, they thought the same thing. So did everyone! They thought he was just being stubborn about this, but Kellen really just wanted to build a relationship full of trust and respect for each other. The Captain hadn't been shy with his words either. Maybe Kellen needed to do some research or something. He hadn't dated anyone before, so he had no idea how this was supposed to work. He needed reference materials, and he needed them now. 

His phone pinged, and he glanced down to notice an unfamiliar number. Pulling it up, it was Ms. Hill.

Hey little Kellen! This is Hill, your personal driver for tomorrow. I wanted to check in with you to ask how much stuff you were bringing? I wanted to know so I could bring a car or a van if need be! Please get back to me asap!

Ms. Hill probably had the most experience in this field. After all, he had seen her stealing a couple of Guides and even Espers to get some privacy with them over the years he had been working with her. Maybe he could ask her for some help?

Ms. Hill, I only have a few things so a car should be perfectly fine. On a different note, could I get your help with something?