Eternal Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 5

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Mew Suppasit.

He'd met him seven years earlier, while studying abroad in England. He had been studying economics at Cambridge University when he met Mew, who was enrolled in the same department.

Mew's elegance and dignity had always put him at the center of attention. His frightingly handsome, and it was rumored that he came from mixed blood. He was supposed to be the son of an oil baron, or the son of a hotel king, or the sheikh of an ancient tribe. There were rumors that there were bodyguards around the campus even when he wasn't there, and on and on. Every imaginable story had its advocate.

No one knew anything for certain except that he was a citizen of United Ridwan Emirates, but that didn't dampen the interest everyone showed in him. He continued to be an object of envy and desire. Gulf was no exception, always watching him from afar.

They might have been in the same department, but their social positions and points of view were worlds apart. Normally, nothing would have ever given them reason to speak to each other.

But one evening, everything changed.

Rain had been pouring down in sheets for hours and Gulf was looking for shelter when a black car stopped in front of him. The window at the back rolled down and Gulf was shocked by whom he saw before him.

"Mr. Kanawut"

He was even more shocked that the legendary Mew Suppasit knew his name. He was sure he looked like a total idiot, staring at the man.

Mew granted Gulf a glimpse of the smile that was said to have charmed women the world over.

"Let me take you home. You'll get wet."

Gulf declined the offer immediately. "That's all right!"

He didn't have the courage to share a ride in a chauffered luxury car. And besides, it would only take five minutes to get to his dorm if he ran.

But Mew got out of the car and stood in front of Gulf, oblivious to the rain. Then he took Gulf's hand and led him to the car, as if he was escorting a lady. Confronted by Mew's gentle gaze, his eyes hiding a hint of passion, Gulf couldn't possibly refuse. He slid into the car, feeling like he was floating on a cloud.

It took one week for "Mr. Kanawut" to become "Gulf". Another month for Gulf to realize that he harbored homosexual feelings for Mew. And six months after that, when Gulf's swelling emotions had refused to subside, he finally screwed up his courage to confess to Mew. He finally risked Mew's scorn and the loss of a dear friend, which he had feared too much to act, until then,

"We can't see each other anymore. I don't think of you as a friend anymore "

They were in Mew's room when Gulf confessed. Mew wrapped his right arm around Gulf and pulled his friend toward him.

"Don't you want to hear my answer?"

Mew showed no surprise, just smiled.

"No."

Gulf turned his face away, lips drawn tight, he was so nervous he felt his heart would leap out of his throat.

"What if I told you that I won't let you leave until you hear it?"

He hadn't thought Mew would've that cruel. It had taken so much courage to confess in the first place that Gulf couldn't stand to be embarrassed even more. He would be lying if he said he didn't hold out some hope that Mew would stay with him, but he would never have admitted it.

Mew smiled at Gulf's silence.

"There's no helping it."

Mew wrapped his other arm around Gulf.

"I feelt the same."

So that was what people meant when they talked about being on cloud nine. Fueled by the passion in Mew's words and body, the days after were like living in a dream. Mew couldn't have been kinder. There was a forceful side to his personality, but Gulf found even that deeply seductive. He gave no thought to what lay ahead of them. Mew filled his mind and heart, always occupied his thoughts.

But one day, exactly a year after they'd met, Mew suddenly returned to his country. That was when Gulf first found out that he was from Madina.

"When things calm down, I'll call you. I'll come back for you."

Mew's words had been brief, but  Gulf had believed them then. He wanted to believe them. Nothing mattered except escaping the anxiety that had hung over him, threatening like a dark cloud.

But it didn't take long to realize that he had been right to worry. Gulf saw on the news that the king of Madina was bedridden and that Mew had taken on the role of regent. The news that Mew was the king's only son and heir to the throne came as a shock. And because his mother had been English, he was now the object of world interest--the first king of his country to have foreign blood.

Just as Gulf had recovered from the shock of that, he heard news of Mew's engagement. He couldn't find the words to describe his feelings at that time. The news had devastated him. But somewhere inside himself, he'd decided that the engagement was inevitable. And he had given up. He couldn't keep hoping for a happy ending to his relationship with Mew. Dreams were exactly that, after all---only dreams, and he'd just woken up. He'd felt another, completely aloof Gulf inside himself, watching the Gulf who was so sad.

After that, Gulf never had another relationship. As a result, his grades became excellent and he'd gone back to his country to graduate at the top of his class. He'd spent the last four years at one of the top company. He worked manically, and, as a result, stood above the rest. His performance caught the eyes of his superiors.

He could trust his work. He liked that the results appeared in clear, numerical values. And Gulf's work this time had been to hear the proposal for a contract from a certain British oil company, which was seeking sponsors for a crude oil drilling project.

Mew couldn't possibly have arranged all that.

TBC