And It Started Like This

Missing

A/N: Be warned, no proofreading had happened here.

***

When Mew was already feeling a lot more restless five days after Gulf's departure, he was considerably more resentful of him.

The days flew by, and no matter how much coffee he drank, it never helped his irritable and prickly demeanor, and it never helped his prickly and agitated demeanor. He was tense at home and preoccupied at work. After an irate Mew nearly bit his head off for taking the TV remote, Ton's smart-ass comments came to a screeching halt; finally, Ton learnt to avoid speaking to the brunette almost entirely.

The fact that Gulf had been a bit flippant when they said their goodbyes didn't help matters. At the train station, Gulf had given him a short peck on the lips as they were removing their belongings from the car, and he had lifted his guitar case onto his shoulder and said, "I'll call you." He was gone with that.

He hadn't, however, called. Anyway, Mew was too obstinate to contact Gulf himself for the first few days. He'd call if he wanted to converse. What else was new if he didn't because he was busy and Mew wasn't high on his priority list?

Mew wasn't the only one relieved to see his name on the call display when Gulf eventually called on the evening of his fifth day away.

"It's Gulf," he murmured, hardly unable to understand what he had just witnessed.

Ton concealed his snicker with an over-dramatized sigh of relief from the sofa beside him. He whispered, "Thank God. I'm not sure how much more Prima Donna Suppasit I'd be able to take on."

Mew didn't even pay attention to Ton's comment, gazing at him for a split second before opening his phone.

"I was beginning to think you'd really been mugged, Kanawut."

On the other end of the line, he heard Gulf's quiet chuckle."Sorry. It's been really busy. We—"

"It's alright, I understand," Mew interrupted, his drawl dripping with disdain. "You're a star now—of course you're too busy to take five minutes to make a phone call."

"I really am sorry, Mew. I meant to call sooner it's just—"

"For all I knew, you could have been dead. If some ruffian had put a gun to your head, God knows Atthaphan and Thanayut would be positively useless protection."

Gulf sighed gently, but his tone had lost its light-hearted enjoyment. "Now you're just being dramatic. If you were so worried, why didn't you just try to call me?"

"I wasn't worried, Kanawut," he spat. "It's the principle of the matter. Clearly you can't be bothered to consider other people's concerns." The argument was weak, he knew it, and he continued to disregard Ton's dubious glance in his direction with tenacity.

Before Gulf spoke again, there was a brief pause."...I told you you'd miss me."

Mew was a little too quick with his denial to be convincing. "I know your underdeveloped self is under the impression that everything is a matter of the heart but believe me, Kanawut, I'd just prefer that my boyfriend have at least some semblance of common courtesy."

"Uh-huh."

Guelph could see straight through him. Quite the surprise there.

"Are you quite finished then? Or do you not care for an update?" Gulf didn't sound angry—more bored, if anything.

Mew remained silent, aware of his flaws but unable to accept them because of his pride.

Gulf continued, taking Mew's silence as an answer. "We're making good progress, actually. Looks like we'll be able to come home by Thursday or so."