Love Time (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 13🌻

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Mew's attitude did not change much even after the day that he gave a car ride to Gulf. He did not speak out to him unless he had a reason, and he did not do anything like staring at Gulf.

Gulf hatefully thought that Mew would chase after him more easily since they have talked a lot in
the car, but he felt more and more stupid for being on his guard when Mew remained quiet.

Gulf thought it was weird. How could this quiet man so forcefully give a car ride to Gulf...?

How could he have taken him and brought him to the hospital when he refused? He vaguely guessed at the reason by his co-worker's comment.
"Good good, you're back to normal. Last week you looked goddamn awful."

His colleague that he sometimes had lunch with at the company cafeteria said when he saw Gulf's face.

"Did I really look that bad?"

"Bad? Are you kidding me? Your face looked wane; you looked so tired. Whenever I pass by your pale countenance on the hallways, I'm worried about when you'll collapse."

"Don't exaggerate," Gulf laughed. His co-worker shook his head at him with a serious face.

"I'm not kidding you. It really felt like that."

He suddenly realized his colleague's mirthless face. Perhaps...Mew reached out to him even though he knew that Gulf was avoiding him, because he couldn't stand to look at how tired he was. He did have some ulterior motives, but...Even so, Mew did absolutely nothing to Gulf. He
pathetically worried about Gulf and not only did not show any emotions of love, but did not even bring it up in their conversation.

If he did not express it by words or behavior, even if he knew that he liked him, there was no "harm." If he didn't show those feelings, even if for example they talked together, they were just a mentor and student.

Besides, Gulf did not dislike the man named Mew Suppasit. If it wasn't about the romantic feelings he harbored, he was a serious, trust-worthy, and likable type of man.

That day he really did cause trouble for Mew. It felt like a burden but he felt like he had to pay him back. While he worried, he remembered that he offered to have dinner with him. It was eight days after the round-trip to the hospital, Gulf asked him to have dinner while still hugging the heavy atmosphere of mutually not-speaking.

He had answered the female worker who left with "I'll go on ahead," and Gulf looked around the office to make sure the only two people remaining at the office were he and Mew. The
wall clock was pointing to 8 p.m.
Mew was concentrating on the computer's monitor and did not seem to realize that they were alone by themselves. Gulf hurriedly checked the remaining documents and packed up his things. He lightly sighed. He wasn't sure how to speak to him.

When Gulf went to stand next to him, Mew seemed to notice his presence and lifted his face.

"Good work today."

Easy smile. Gulf tried to smile, too, but his nervousness might have prevented him from smiling easily. He avoided the direct eye contact and looked at Mew's screen from behind his back.

"You're working really hard."

"No...I'm just slow."

It felt uncomfortable for a silence to fall between them, so Gulf hurriedly rambled.

"Last time you went through the trouble of picking me up. It's a bit weird to say this is as a thanks, but won't you have dinner with me? I'll pay. When are you free?"

Mew turned to face him and cocked his head, as if uncomfortable.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me that much."

"Well, I don't feel comfortable."

"I'm really okay."

Gulf didn't know what to do at an unanticipated turn of events. He thought if he asked, he'd accept after refusing once. However, Mew strongly refused.

Last time, when they were talking about many things in the car, Mew might have grown to hate him and lost interest in him. That was the kind of development he would wish for, but he couldn't honestly be happy if he thought the reason was because of his hysterical behavior.

"You don't want to have dinner with me?"

Mew hurriedly shook his head at the question.

"It's not the kind of reason like I don't want to, or anything like that. But if I make you worry about things like that, it becomes a burden for me, too..."

Gulf couldn't read Mew's emotions by his expression or words. He wasn't sure if he really thought that, or if he found Gulf annoying. Mew lightly tapped and made sounds with his fingers on top of the mouse.

"...Tomorrow, I will finish my work faster. I don't want some kind of treat as a thanks, but if you just want to have dinner together, I'll be happy."

"Tomorrow?"

"Will that be okay?"

He looked at him as if stealing a glance at him. Gulf avoided his eyes and pumped Mew's shoulders.

"Okay, then tomorrow."

He slowly walked out of the office so that it'd look natural. Gulf breathed in and out. And he was surprised to find his palms sweaty. He didn't think he'd be so nervous.

As promised, the next day, Gulf and Mew ate together after work. It was a horrible weather with drizzling rain starting from the morning, so he had been hoping that the weather would clear by the time they got off work.

However, the thick cloud had no intention of dispersing, and it ended up raining the entire day.

It was a thin and weak rain, so Gulf had a folding umbrella, but he didn't want to bother to take it out so he walked without it. However, the feeling of his body gradually getting soak was surprisingly cold, so by the time they got to the store, his body had completely froze.

They compromised to pay for their own meals beforehand, but Gulf had no intention of letting Mew pay. He said anywhere that Mew wanted was fine, and Mew went to a tiny bar a
little place away from main street. At first Gulf thought it was a boring store at the simple, tiny interior, but later he realized that Mew frequented this place.

They did not have much items on the menu, but everything that they ordered was delicious.

The elderly store owner was a very friendly man, and Gulf drank a bit of alcohol offered to him. His feelings softly loosened.

"It's very unusual for Mr. Mew to bring anyone with him."

He had given them squid with bean paste sauce as an extra service, and his showed tiny wrinkles around his eyes.

"He'd always eat quietly by himself."

When Gulf stole a glance at his profile, Mew was shyly laughing. They didn't really have a conversation per se. However, until Gulf returned to his apartment and took a bath, then went to bed, he felt really, totally great. It felt like his anxiety and upset feelings before he went for dinner were all a lie. The feeling of being lightly drunk and thinking about the small talk they had from the bar to home all felt good, like echo of piano keys being struck with one finger.

TBC