Kellen and his Dad stayed with Casper until around 9 pm, when there was a knock at the door. Kellen got up to get it, Casper and Kellen’s Dad cuddling on the couch in the same way that Kellen had cuddled with him when he was younger.

Kellen didn’t cuddle with him like that anymore, at least not often. Kellen had Rhys now, so he could just cuddle with him. Casper, however, didn’t have anyone and it was not recommended that Casper and Gunther behave like that with each other right now, so his Dad gladly stepped in.

He did wonder how his Mom would take it, but she wasn’t here.

Kellen opened the door and found Pamela, Gunther and Rhys behind the door. Rhys glanced into the room, scanning the area before his eyes landed on Kellen’s Dad. He gave a wry smile, pulling out his phone.

"Someone forgot their phone down in the office, so another someone has been looking desperately for them around the Guild Tower. I’ll let her know that you’re safe and here, Henry." Rhys said, smirking as Kellen’s Dad grew a little pale. "It’s good to know that Kellen got that trait from you, instead of working to make it his own." Rhys said dryly and Kellen glowered at his boyfriend.

"Be nice. Dad has been a great help right now. I couldn’t use my hand, obviously, and he helped us bake a bunch." Kellen used the time he was speaking to glance between Pamela and Gunther. Both looked...drained. Similarly drained, too.

They had talked, that much was clear. Kellen had a feeling the only reason why Rhys looked normal was because of his powers. Gunther looked like he’d lost weight, and Pamela? The poor woman looked like her pink eyes were going to jump out of her face and walk away. Even her braids were messy.

"You all look like you could do with a cupcake. Come in here, and I won’t take any arguments." Kellen warned, grabbing Pamela first and yanking her in. Rhys got the memo and yanked Gunther into the room with him as well.

Gunther looked particularly stricken to be crossing the threshold and Kellen wondered why for only a second.

"C-Casper hasn’t invited me in yet. I shouldn’t." Gunther protested and Rhys sighed.

"Theo, don’t be an idiot. As if Casper wouldn’t want you to come into his apartment, especially when you look like that. What did the man risk it all for if not to make sure you were able and healthy?" Rhys scolded, and Gunther looked embarrassed.

Casper sat up in Kellen’s Dad’s arms, as if he hadn’t fully registered that there were people at the door until they were forced into the apartment by Kellen and Rhys. He looked a little awkward, like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Kellen didn’t think the same way.

Getting non-romantic affection and comfort from others wasn’t wrong. Kellen knew that, Rhys knew that, Brent knew that, hell, Hill did that the most out of everyone around Casper and those that mattered to them didn’t get mad at her for it. There was no shame in it. Especially since Casper could be Kellen’s Dad’s son.

"I-I-" Casper started, like he was trying to create an excuse. He pushed away from Kellen’s Dad, looking flustered and embarrassed. However, Kellen’s Dad was Kellen’s Dad. Instead of being hurt or upset, he turned to the others, opening his arms.

"Does anyone else want to cuddle?" He offered. To everyone’s surprise, it was Gunther who moved first, nodding. Kellen’s Dad smiled wider, opening his arms for the Esper to come into them and soon, Gunther was next to Casper on the couch, curled up in a father’s arms, while Pamela and Rhys ate some sweet treats.

Casper looked a little shocked, but also...relieved. Happy. He was glad that Gunther was getting this kind of time with someone, even if it wasn’t him. Gunther was also aware that there were others that might need this kind of time, so after about 15 minutes, he sat up and motioned for Pamela to do the same.

Pamela, who had been standing in the kitchen munching on a cookie, raised her hands. She was surprised that Gunther was even offering her this kind of thing, but Gunther was having none of it. His expression was stormy, his already dark eyes intimidating as he pointed at Pamela and gestured for her to ’get her butt over here’. Pamela put down the cookie, moving towards the couch with the look of a dog about to get punished.

Gunther got up, letting Pamela take his spot while Kellen’s Dad sat there, his arms open, his eyes kind. Pamela looked incredibly awkward, but after a few moments of being in his Dad’s arms, Pamela melted into the hold.

Everyone ignored the way that she was crying softly, even Casper.

He even got up, joining Kellen, Rhys and Gunther in the kitchen. It was a small space, meaning that everyone was touching each other in the kitchen, their shoulders bumping against each other.

In Rhys and Kellen’s case, it was intentional. Kellen had turned and pressed his back against Rhys’ chest, Rhys wrapping his arm around Kellen’s stomach, his hold comforting, but also telling Kellen that he also needed some cuddling later.

"How did the meetings go?" Kellen asked, giving Rhys something to talk about. Rhys shrugged, sighing.

"They went. Sergei has been a great help since he stopped arguing with me on every little fucking detail. I know it’s because he’s trying to fish Brent from us, but he should know better. He’s going to be outsourcing to us, not the other way around. Brent signed a damn contract, and unlike Guiding Center B, I’m not giving up without a fight. I know his value." Rhys muttered. Kellen smirked.

"Be kind to him. He only gets to hear his voice over the phone right now. He’s holding up very well for a man on the edge." Kellen told him and Rhys grumbled.

"I know that, which only makes it more frustrating that he’s running laps around everyone else that we’re talking to. The flights are being worked out right now through discrete, secretive means. While we could handle an attack in the air, we’d all rather not have to. We’re also calling a general meeting for the S Classes of the world. Those who can make it are going to reach out within the next week, those who can’t are also going to do the same." Rhys said. Kellen was a bit surprised to hear that.

"A general meeting? Aren’t those rare?" Kellen asked and Kellen’s Dad piped up from the couch.

"They are, but they are also important. I think with everything going on in the world, it makes sense to try and call one. However, Rhys, you’ll need to keep this in mind. The E.A.G. could have infiltrated." His Dad warned and Kellen felt his skin crawl. Something about his Dad’s words had his body on high alert.

"Dad, don’t say something like that." Kellen said. "It doesn’t feel right." Kellen told him. That had Rhys, Gunther, and Casper’s attention. Rhys stiffened behind him, while Gunther looked intrigued and Casper looked ill.

"What?" Casper whispered, taking a step back. "You aren’t about to have another vision, are you?" Casper asked and Kellen paused. Was he?

This didn’t feel like a vision. Not really. However, all of his visions had been sudden, all consuming events that had made it difficult for Kellen to function. This felt...more like the warnings he used to get. Like his gut feeling warnings that Taylor had called his lucky rabbits’ foot.

"I...don’t know. This feels...different, but similar? I’m not sure what to call it. It can’t be the luck that I used to have because I know I used that all up in the gate." Kellen muttered, more confused than anything else. It was Rhys who potentially called it what it was.

"Kellen, you used to say that you would just know if something was going to go good or bad, right?" Rhys asked and Kellen nodded. Casper and Gunther were staring at them, their gaze going from Rhys to Kellen. Kellen could tell that Rhys was looking a little strange from their expressions alone.

"Yes. You’re Guild and many others felt the benefit of my ability. Taylor called it my lucky rabbit’s foot and said that it would run out someday." Kellen repeated.

"And you knew that the last time you used it, it would be completely used up inside of the poison gate, right? That was something you could tell?" Rhys asked and Kellen nodded.

"Yeah. That was something I could tell." Kellen repeated. Gunther seemed to catch on to what Rhys was implying, his face going lax.

"Wait, what are you saying, Rhys? Are you implying what I think you are?" Gunther asked, but Kellen was a little lost. What was he implying?

"Kellen, did it never cross your mind before now that you could have been using a premonition power, similar to my visions, without the visions before this? That you were always attuned to my kind of powers, but you just didn’t have a strong connection?" Kellen froze.

What?

"But I didn’t go crazy." Kellen blurted, before slapping his hand against his mouth. That was the least appropriate thing to say right now. Rhys let out a soft, understanding chuckle.

"Love, you were able to Guide yourself whenever you needed it. You also aren’t Esper primary, you’re Guide primary. Honestly, the only reason I’m bringing this up is because...it’s strange, isn’t it? That you would have an ability that is so uncanny, but no one ever considered it something strange? Taylor is the exception, because she knows both you and I, so she wouldn’t think anything strange of it." Rhys squeezed Kellen in his arms. "Henry, how long as Kellen had this power?" He asked. Henry’s response was a little slower, measured.

"Kellen has had it since he was a boy. Essentially, since he awakened." Henry said carefully. "He was always able to predict when certain things would happen. Mostly good. My boy liked to know when the good things would happen." Henry said carefully, a fondness, and a creeping worry in his voice. "Are you saying that Kellen has always been a little bit of both?" Henry asked and Rhys squeezed Kellen tighter.

"Yeah, I think I am. Or, at the very least, we need to look into when Kellen awakened and...when I awakened." Rhys said and that was when Kellen rolled his eyes.

"That’s a jump too far, isn’t it? We have a five year age difference. I didn’t awaken when you awoke, Rhys." Kellen told him. "That’s a jump too far, plus, I awoke as a C Class. There was no way I could handle an S Class then."

"I corrected so that I was only an S Class, Kellen. I did that. Whose to say that you couldn’t have done the same to keep yourself safe?" Rhys asked. "If you have powers like mine, if you could sense or see that you could be in danger otherwise, why wouldn’t you awaken at a weaker level and give yourself room to grow?" Rhys asked.

Kellen felt his skin itch, his body twitch with annoyance and frustration. He wouldn’t do that to himself. He wouldn’t. He knew what it had felt like, the devastation of being just a C Class when the rest of his family were A Class. At the same time, he couldn’t dismiss what Rhys was saying either. Kellen felt his lip curl up in annoyance.