Two parties in the equation.
Oh.
Right.
Now that was probably an obvious thing for most people. Practically a given, but for the Guide who had long since seen a version of two people in an unbalanced equation, it wasn't really as simple. As if it were something out of the ordinary, he kept forgetting it and inadvertently reverting to what he was used to.
After all, from what he'd witnessed growing up, a lot of it really had to do with performance and keeping scores.
Of course, he wouldn't dare think that others had no love for one another. That simply wouldn't be fair for those who had genuine relationships.
But unlike the kind of love he received from his husband and the people around him, what he saw before was definitely more transactional.
If a Guide performed well, then they would continue to be kept. But if someone performed better, even those in supposedly stable bonds would start panicking.
