Eternal Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 34

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"Feel free to use anything you find in here. I won't mind. Also..." AA pushed a button on the room's telephone. There was a knock on the door soon after and an older man appeared. "This is Hayil. If there's anything you need, let him know. He can manage just about anything. That includes when you're hungry. Hayil, this is Gulf, a guest from Thailand."

Gulf stood tall and greeted the servant. "It's pleasure to neet you"

He extended his hand and Hayil returned his grip.

"The first thing is clothing," Hayil said practically. "What would you like?"

"Oh..."

Now that he'd mentioned it, Gulf realized that he was still dressed like a woman. Hayil didn't so much as raise an eyebrow at Gulf's scarlet face. He took a placid step closer. "Allow me."

Gulf nodded, and Hayil looked him over quickly, then left the room. He must have been taking in Gulf's measurements.

"Hayil can get a pretty good fit just by looking at you." AA shrugged. "But he looked so sly, I think he was imagining what you look like naked."

Hayil soon returned with a change of clothes in hand. Gulf thanked him and accepted the men's shirt and slack he'd brought.

"Once you've changed, would you like to have a look around?" AA asked.

Gulf wasn't sure how to respond to the invitation. He didn't feel much like sightseeing.

"Thank you, but I don't think I will," he finally answered.

AA clicked his tongue. "You'll just get depressed if you stay shut up inside. You should breathe the air outside. Madina is such a beautiful city, but I'll bet you haven't see any of it yet."

AA was right. Going outside might cheer him up a little. Gulf changed his answer the second time, accepting the invitation gratefully. "Thank you then."

"Of course. Would you like to eat something first? Hayil, is lunch ready?"

"Yes, sir."

Hayil left the room with a respectful gesture and AA sat down on an easy chair against the wall.

"I'd like to change," Gulf said.

Despite the obvious implication that he wanted to be alone, all AA did was give a breezy "go ahead." Gulf remembered that the bedroom was connected to this room and he thought about going into the next room to change, but decided not to. It wouldn't bother him if AA saw him change.

He dropped the women's abaya and pulled on the pants and shirt. He felt more relaxed just being in men's clothes again and his mood improved.

AA glanced up at him. "Can I ask you something?"

Gulf agreed, steeling himself for the worst---which came immediately after AA's frank question. "Are you gay?"

The man couldn't have asked Gulf something more impolite if he had tried. And to ask that after watching him change clothes...what could he say except that AA was a candid man?

It caught Gulf off-guard.

"Did it embarrass you to watch me change?" he asked evenly.

AA nodded. "Aren't you even a little bit conscious of men watching you?"

"Unfortunately, I've never in my entire life been aware of men looking at me," Gulf answered.

'With one exception, that is.'

When Mew's eyes were on him, his heart raced painfully fast.

"Then why were you with Mew?" AA asked.

This question stopped Gulf short. Why had he been attracted to Mew if he wasn't gay? He was deeply troubled by the question and he didn't find an answer.

He had wanted to clear the air when he'd confessed to Mew, and he had been prepared for a hopeless battle. But amazingly, his gamble had paid off. He hadn't thought Mew would accept him, so he had felt incredible when Mew had returned his feelings. And everything that happened after had just been more and more incredible. 'Floating on cloud nine' was the only way to describe what it had been like back then.

"You know what Mew is like," AA said. "He was freed, if only for a moment, from the strict customs and heavy responsibility of the court. It's not all that remarkable that he would have some romantic adventures while he was studying abroad. And as long as no one was going to find out, it was probably less hassle to be with men. A woman could come back to haunt him later."

Gulf finally understood what AA was trying to say. The man thought that Gulf had seduced Mew.

Certainly, he had been the one to confess his feelings. He couldn't deny that. But his feelings had been more of longing. He'd liked Mew so much that he wanted to get to know him better, but he hadn't thought of anything past that.

But in any case, Mew's sex appeal was the reason that they'd begun a physical relationship. Mew knew exactly how charming he could be, and he had imprisoned Gulf with flirtatious little acts and glances.

'If I invited you into my bed, what would you do?'

Mew had gazed at him with smoldering eyes and Gulf had taken his outstretched hand, as if a spell had been cast over him.

If only he hadn't confessed his feelings, or he hadn't taken Mew's hand..But no matter how much he regretted the past, there wasn't anything he could do about it now.

TBC