Sweet Admiration (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 41

🌻

Gulf was still working overtime, as he glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 10p.m. He hadn't been able to make dinner. He hadn't even contacted Mew to tell him he would be late, so he couldn't relax. He was reluctant to call him on his cellphone. If he called home, there was a chance Mew wasn't there yet, so he tried there. Luckily, he got the answering machine, and left a message, relieved.

"It's Gulf. I have to work overtime today, so I'll be late. Tomorrow's my day off, so if I finish up everything here I'm going to a friend's house. So don't worry if I'm not there." Gulf hung up the phone, and thought, Why did I lie and say I was going to a friend's house? I only have one friend in Tokyo---Bright.

And he he didn't even want to go to Bright's house. After all, he was Mew's brother, and was living with his girlfriend in a one-room apartment. If he came over all depressed, it would only bother Bright.

Gulf didn't know what to do. He loved Mew. But in order to clearly tell him his feelings, he knew he should ask Mew himself if what Art had said was true. But he was too scared. What if Mew told Gulf that Art was the one he loved? Just imagining that was almost too much for him to bear. If that happened, there was no way he could stay at the condo anymore. His 'dormitory' could go screw itself. He would leave that condo and probably just wander around Tokyo in despair.

There weren't very many people left in the office. However, Gulf wasn't even halfway done with his work. Depressed, he continued working on a project proposal.

"Still at it, huh?" said a voice suddenly above his head. Looking up, he saw President Soga on his way out of the office.

"Yes. Good work today. Are you leaving now?"

"Yeah. I guess you have some overtime, then. If you're the last to leave, make sure to lock up." Waving his hand, the president was about to leave the office when Gulf remembered something.

"Oh! President! Wait a minute, please!"

Soga stopped and turned around.

"President, you said before that P'Mew's condo was just a temporary housing arrangement for me, and that you'd find a proper company housing complex for me, didn't you? I was wondering what was going on with that."

Soga nodded his head, as if he was remembering something. "Oh, well, Mew told me to let some other employee use it."

"What? Why did he do that?"

"Oh, didn't he tell you? The other day he came to me and said, 'N'Gulf will be staying with me from now on, so don't worry about the company housing.' So I guess things are going well, huh? He even said he'd begun to think having a roommate was ptetty good!"

"Oh, I see..."

"I'm actually thankful for it, myself. Someone else wanted to move into the company housing, so now I can give it to him."

"I understand. Thank you for everything." Gulf bowed his head. Soga raised his hand cheerfully and left the office.

Mew had gone to the trouble to tell the president that he was going to take Gulf in from now on. He had brought the idea up once before, but he didn't know Mew had talked to the president about it. On one hand, Gulf felt genuinely happy, but since he couldn't figure out Mew's true intention right now, he was also confused.

His feelings kept wavering. He loved Mew. He wanted him.

Ever since that summer 12 years ago, he had only wanted him.

But what should he do? The person he longed for was out of reach. He felt far, far away.

In the middle of the silent office, Gulf clasped his hands together in prayer and closed his eyes. Please give me courage. Please give me the courage to laugh and smile with the person I love again.

TBC