Fevered Kiss (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 38🌻

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"Mew?"

Mew looked away.

"I thought you didn't want me to touch you," Mew said in a low voice.

Gulf gasped. 'That's right. I didn't mean to, but the whole time, I've been shrinking from Mew's touch.'

Somehow, in the hours he'd spent searching for Mew, his fear of being touched had disappeared. But, of course, Mew had no way of noticing something that Gulf had just figured out himself. After all, just this afternoon, Gulf had shaken off Mew's hand and run away. Of course Mew thought Gulf didn't want to be touched.

"No, no, that's not it. It's not that I didn't want you to touch me..." Gulf said hurriedly.

Mew gave a bitter laugh. "I'm the one who made love to you without even asking. It's true that I did stupid things in high school, and I was the one who made you feel uncomfortable today...I was the one who ended up leading Kaownah like that. You have every right to refuse to be touch by me..."

"No, Mew. It's not that I didn't want you to touch me. I'm okay now. Something happened, that's why I acted strangely." Gulf explained quickly, wishing Mew would look at him.

But Mew cut him off, saying, "all I do is hurt you. I'm no good for you. You must know that."

Mew didn't give Gulf a chance to interrupt. When he'd finished talking, he brushed past Gulf without warning. He headed toward his apartment, not looking back.

"Mew!" Gulf ran after him. "Wait! Wait, Mew. Listen to me!"

But Mew didn't turn around. It stunned Gulf a little. Mew always listened carefully to what Gulf had to say, Mew never interrupted him or cut him off. No matter how softly Gulf spoke, Mew always listened. But now, when Gulf was calling out to him frantically, Mew wasn't turning around.

'Why? Why?! Why isn't Mew listening? If he'd only listen, he'd understand everything.'

"Mew!"

By the time they'd reached the door of the apartment building, Gulf grabbed Mew's arm, but Mew threw him off.

"After all, you've got someone else to listen to you," Mew muttered. With that, he disappeared into the building, leaving Gulf to stare after him in shock. He felt himself grow pale and his heart contract. He could only stand there, his hand still raised.

'Other people to listen to me?' As if he would talk to anyone but Mew. He had no one else. Mew was the only one for him.

'Why would Mew say something like that?'

Gulf felt more confused than ever. This made no sense. He couldn't understand what was happening.

'I shoud go after him,' Gulf realized, coming back to himself. Gulf ran into the apartment building. There must have been some kind of misunderstanding, and it could only be because Gulf had pushed Mew away. He had to fix things.

When he got inside, he could see Mew at the end of the hall.

"Mew!" Gulf yelled. He knew Mew can hear him, but Mew didn't turn around as he entered his apartment. And then the automatic lock clicked shut, separating them.

"Wait! Mew!"

Gulf felt dizzy with worry. He had broken out into a cold sweat.

'What does Mew think? What does he have the wrong idea about?'

Who was he thinking of when he'd said that Gulf had someone else to talk to? Gulf loved Mew so much. No one else, just Mew.

"Mew!"

He was about to run up to the door when the doorman's office door opened and a small, white haired-man emerged.

"Now, now, what's all the commotion?" He grabbed a hold Gulf's arm, making Gulf gasp.

The doorman looked at Gulf with wide eyes. "Why, you're Mew's friend..."

"I need to see Mew. I need to speak to him," Gulf said quickly. He knew the doorman too well to throw him off.

The doorman followed Gulf's gaze toward the door, but Mew had vanished.

Mew must have heard the doorman's voice through the door, but he still hadn't turned around. He hadn't stayed. Gulf could only stand there in shock. What could be so bad that Mew would ignore him like this? What did Mew think happened?

"Did you have an argument?" the doorman asked kindly.

Gulf nodded and bit his lip.

"It's hard to talk things out when you're both all hot under the collar. Maybe you should let things cool down first?" the doorman thumped Gulf on the shoulder, and Gulf hung his head.

He can yell as loud as he wanted, but there was no point if Mew wouldn't turn around. He'd just be a nuisance, not only to the doorman, but also to the other tenants. And Mew would be bothered by it too. Maybe he should just retreat for now, like the doorman said.

But Gulf couldn't go home like this, not when he didn't even  understand what was going on. He didn't want to go home like this.

"I'm sure Mew will cooled down by tomorrow. Then you'll be able to talk things out." The doorman thumped Gulf comfortingly on the shoulder again.

Gulf clenched his fists. He couldn't even bring himself to nod. His eyes burned, and his vision blurred with tears. Behind his tightly eyelids, he could see Mew's broad back, Gulf realized that it wasn't a side of Mew he'd seen often. Mew was always next to him or facing him. He rarely had his back to Gulf.

'Mew!' Gulf yelled silently. His heart throbbed. 'Mew. I need to talk to you. I need to clear things up.'

If Gulf can do that, then Mew would stop being so stubborn. He would go back to the way he always has. He would look at Gulf, listen to him, and smile. If only Gulf could clear up this misunderstanding.

'You have someone else to talk to.' Where had Mew gotten that idea from? Who did he think it was?

Gulf didn't know.

'Hey, Mew. I don't understand. Tell me! What are you thinking?'

Gulf bit his lip hard enough that his mouth flooded with the taste of copper.

TBC