Eternal Love (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 9🌻

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When he woke up, Mew was already gone. The hope that it had all just been a dream disappeared the instant Gulf sat up in the canopied bed.

The buttons of his night shirt had been refastened, but the things they'd done last night lingered disgustingly in his mind and on his skin. No matter how carefully the evidence was cleared away afterwards, there was no way to eliminate the memories or the sensations that remained with him.

Gulf had slept through the morning, as if he had been relanctant to reclaim his consciousness.

Why had Mew done all this? Why was he so obsessed with me? Gulf had spent all night thinking, and understood even less now.

All he was sure of was the revulsion he felt at so easily surrendering himself to Mew. He told himself that he had been overwhelmed by pleasure.  That way, his physical pleasure would be untainted by any dangerous emotions. That would be better than what really happened.

Maybe Mew truly intended to lock him up with the women of the palace. Sooner or later, the man would marry.  And  he might take several more wives into the women's quarters after that. As many as four wives could be recognized in Mew's religion. Did the man intend to treat him like a property, like a wife? To keep him on the side for when he wanted something different?

Gulf shuddered. He was horrified at the idea of a life spent waiting for Mew's next visit. This was fine for the man's wives, since they would carry out the important duty of producing successors, but Gulf would only exist as an object to sleep with.

"I can't believe this is happening," he whispered.

He was wrapping his arms around his shoulders, beginning to shake with disgust, when he heard a knock at the door.

He grimaced as he sat up. His joints creaked and a dull pain ran through his legs. He blamed the degeneracy of the night before, and a shame, deeper than the humiliation he already felt, welled up in him.

The door opened and Mew appeared.

"You don't have to get up," he said as he came into the room and walked straight to the bed.

Gulf gritted his teeth against the pain in his limbs and, showing none of it on his face, silently stood up from the bed.

What happened last night was nothing, he told himself so that he could pretend it was true.

"How are you? Any pain?" Mew inquired.

Gulf ignored him and turned toward the window. He wouldn't meet the other man's eyes nor speak to him. He wanted to show Mew that he wasn't going to just accept whatever abuse was doled out to him.

"So after the curses comes silence." Mew sighed dramatically. "That's fine. I have some work to do in Madina today. If you need anything, tell Sana. I'll come back tonight."

Mew turned and left the room, utterly indifferent. It drove Gulf crazy to hear the man so casually say that he would be back that night. He dug his nails into the palms of his hands.

Last night all over again, he thought. It made him eager to escape the place as soon as possible. The more time he spent with Mew, the less he would be able to resist his charms. Gulf knew himself well enough to realize that.

TBC