Sweet Admiration (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 34🌻

🌞🌻

After it got dark, he returned to the condo to find that Art had gone home. He was relieved, because he wasn't sure how he would act if Art were still there. It looked like Mew was in his office, but he came out after hearing Gulf come home.

"Welcome back," Mew said.

"I'm home..." Gulf automatically replied.

"Where were you?" Mew asked.

Had he been worried about me? Gulf wondered. He quietly warned himself not to think about it, and said, "Pachinko."

"Oh, you play pachinko?"

"Just like everyone else did in college. This was the first time since I came here, though." It was an awkward conversation. Gulf couldn't look Mew in the eyes, and Mew had reverted back to his cold, distant attitude. "Art went home?"

"Yeah, finally. He gave you trouble, didn't he, Gulf?"

He called me Gulf again! he thought, blushing. "I'm sorry about yesterday. He just wouldn't stop."

"If you give in once, it's all over with him. He thinks if he keeps it up, he'll always get his way. He'll refuse to go home and start insisting that he wants to move in."

"I didn't know that...I meant to tell him it was okay with me, but only if you said yes. I guess I didn't make it clear enough."

"It's my fault that I didn't tell you that's how he is. He'll just keep asking the same questions, so it's probably better if you don't get involved anymore."

Gulf had no intention of doing so, anyway. He had promised himself that. But Gulf realizing it on his own and hearing it from Mew's mouth were completely different things. Mew had practically looked him in the face and said, "Don't interfere with us."

"I understand." It's not like he wasn't depressed enough already. He had been depressed ever since he had seen them kissing last night. He never wanted to think about it again. Gulf turned to go to his room.

"Gulf!" Mew quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

Surprised, Gulf turned around, and Mew let go of his hand. Mew looked surprised at his own behavior. "Um, I'm going to make some coffee, can we talk?"

"I'll make it."

"No, let me. You always make it." He made Gulf sit on the sofa. Mew cheerfully turned on the coffee maker, and before long, the aroma of coffee drifted throughout the room.

He handed Gulf a mug filled to the brim with coffee.

"Thank you," Gulf said, and Mew smiled, relieved. He drank the coffee with milk and sugar in it. Holding his cup, Mew sat down beside him. Startled, Gulf looked up and locked eyes with Mew.

Seeing Gulf's confused expression, Mew stared at him evenly. "I'm sorry. I was so childish yesterday."

"P'Mew..."

"It was Art's fault, yet I blamed you. I'm sorry I acted like that towards you."

Gulf couldn't think of what to say.

"And not only that. I know you tried to apologize, but I wouldn't even listen. I just want to let you know, you have no reason to apologize." Mew's kind voice echoed in his ears.

Why is he being so nice to me? I'm only his roommate, Gulf thought.

"It's okay, P'Mew. I understand why you were angry at me."

"Gulf?"

"Art's your brother, he's important to you. You love him with all your heart. I can tell. You couldn't scold him because you love him. So of course you were mad at me."

"...Love him?" Mew seemed confused, but so was Gulf. He didn't even know what he was saying anymore. He didn't understand why Mew was being so nice to him. It was supposed to be Art who was important to Mew, so he didn't know how to act when Mew treated him so nicely.

"Well, you love him, don't you?" If it was true, he just wanted to know so he could get it over with. He didn't want to be unsure of the answer anymore.

He remembered the wonderful day they had spent together in Odaiba that Mew had called a date. He had felt like he was floating on air when Mew treated him like that. He told himself he would never have these kinds of expectations again.

"I love him as a brother." Mew gave a safe answer, and seemed a little confused.

Gulf felt like asking about what he had seen the night before.

"I saw you and Art kissing last night."

"What?"

"In the middle of the night, I wanted to apologize, so I went to the living room. Art was there, and while you were sleeping, I saw him kiss you."

He knew it. Mew had been sleeping and hadn't realized. He could tell by the surprised look on Mew's face.

"That's..."

"I was shocked. In many ways." But his biggest shock was realizing that he loved Mew so much. The faint longing he had for him 12 years ago was now transforming into real feelings. He loved Mew. He loved him. But it was true that he was dismayed by those feelings.

"Kissing me? Are you sure that's what you saw?"

"I'm positive." Gulf asserted.

"But...it was just a kiss," Mew stammered.

"Just a kiss?"

"In some countries, a kiss is just a greeting."

"So Art was just greeting you while you were asleep?" Gulf said harshly. Mew realized how harsh it sounded, too. He looked like he was thinking about something for a while, and then looked at Gulf's face.

"Is that what you're mad about?"

"I just..."

"You're condemning me because of a stupid kiss?"

"A stupid kiss? Condemning you? Who's condemning who?" Gulf was so angry, he felt hollow. Having Mew say "just a stupid kiss" bothered him, but maybe he was condemning him.

"You're criticizing me right now, aren't you?"

"Criticizing you? What are you talking about?"

"It's okay. Do whatever you want. Say whatever you want. Tell me what's bothering you."

Gulf stared sadly at Mew.

"I'll listen to everything. So please, don't make that sad face anymore." Mew wrapped both hands around Gulf's face. Gulf was stunned as Mew gazed into his eyes. He held his breath. His body stiffened and he couldn't move. Mew was touching his cheeks gently. He couldn't even move his tongue. He just stared up at Mew's beautiful face.

"Art's kiss was nothing. It meant nothing to me. See how easy it for me to kiss someone?" Mew brought his face close to Gulf's, his hands still touching Gulf's cheeks.

It felt like Gulf was watching it happen to someone else. He had no idea what Mew was about to do. Before long, Mew's lips touched Gulf's, and Gulf came back to himself at the warm sensation. Mew's soft lips nibbled gently at Gulf's, kissing him softly.

Ohh...Mew's kissing me...

As soon as he realized that, Gulf surrendered himself to Mew. It was the first time that he had kissed the person he had been longing for. He was drunk with ecstasy.

TBC