Chapter 64: Treat your in-laws well
Kellen and the Captain headed towards the upper A Class gym. Both of them assumed that Gunther was pushing the new recruits hard since he’d been in a foul mood earlier.
Turns out, they weren’t wrong, but weren’t quite right either.
When they got to the gym, they found Kellen’s Mother in the gym outfit normally worn by the students of the Guild, while Kellen’s Father sat at one of the bench press benches, a nicely wrapped basket at his feet. Gunther looked flabbergasted, Kellen’s Mom had excitement on her face, and Kellen’s Dad looked serene, if not a little mischievous. Gwen was nowhere in sight, but most of the Espers in her year group weren’t in sight. Kellen watched as his Mom saluted Gunther, saying something that Kellen couldn’t pick up, and Gunther only hung his head in exasperation before responding. The smile Kellen’s Mom gave reminded Kellen of Gwen, right before she got into trouble.
"What are they saying?" Kellen asked, and the Captain smiled down at him.
"Your Mother is teasing Gunther. She wants to ’pretend’ she’s a new recruit to see what Gwen’s reaction will be." Kellen couldn’t help the smile that split his face. Great minds think alike. Wait.
"How did they get into the tower? When I went looking for you I needed an escort." Kellen asked and the Captain gave his hand a squeeze.
"Did you really think I was going to make your parents go through the same treatment as everyone else? They’re your parents. Whenever they enter the lobby the upper power structure of the Guild is notified, and the front desk asks where they are going. Then they receive a visitor’s pass. If your parents had any plans to ruin me and my Guild, they already have the best access point. Giving them a key card won’t hurt anyone." He shrugged as Kellen stared at him. "And it could get me brownie points with you. This is your new home. Our new home. Who would block their in-laws’ entrance? Maybe that’s not how others do it, but I happen to like your parents, and they seem to tolerate me." Kellen couldn’t take his gaze off of the Captain’s face. His eyes were yellow and bright, but he had this...expression on his face. Almost like he was...embarrassed? The Captain? Kellen’s cheeks split with a slow grin, and the Captain’s ears began to turn red. "Why are you looking at me like that?" The Captain asked, and Kellen shook his head, giving the Captain’s hand a squeeze.
"I just thought you were being rather cute, Captain Thatcher." Kellen dragged them towards the door before the Captain could process what Kellen said. They were inside before the Captain could corner the Guide and smother him with kisses, and he especially couldn’t do it with the way Kellen’s parents were glaring at him. His Mother had open hostility while Kellen’s Father was being a bit more discreet about it. "Mom, Dad. What are you doing here? You didn’t even text me, and instead texted Taylor? What’s that about?" Kellen protested and his Dad broke out into a smile. He stood as he spoke.
"Well, you barely respond to my messages when I text you, and Taylor is your friend and Healer, so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone. Now, get over here and give me a hug." Kellen released the Captain and easily went to his Father’s arms, hugging the older man with a sense of comfort he relished. He’d missed this on the front lines more than he had thought. And given the emotional roller coaster of the day, he could really use the comfort of his parents. His Dad noticed that his son held on a little longer than usual, but made no comment on it. Instead, he gave him another squeeze and held on as long as he wanted. It was while the two were hugging that the door to the gym opened again.