A Piece of You

Part 2. Curious

"Hi!", Mew greeted Gulf with a smile. He arrived early wanting to chat with Zee for a while. The bar and restaurant is owned by Zee and there's a spot reserved for the group at the corner. He felt like there's a lot of information he had to take in the last week, the men, especially Mild and Boat are too enthusiastic to tell him stories not that he joined the group chat. Saint is working as a model and working for their family business, a clothing line. Run and Tong are working in an entertainment company, while Kaownah is in a band. Mild and Boat are also employed in private companies. Gulf on the other hand has been teaching. Not that he is really unaware of some of things, Saint had already informed whenever he asked something when he was back in New York, but he likes the energy of the people in the group. If he remembers they were not that loud when it was just Zee, Tong and him during their university days.

"Hi!", Gulf answered lifting his eyes from his phone, looking at how Mew took a seat beside him, he can feel the usual thumping of his heart whenever Mew is near. It never change, from then until now.

"You like to play games?", Mew asked glancing at the game plastered on Gulf's screen. He looks at Gulf, the person who rarely join in the teasing and chatting.

Gulf chuckled, "Yeah. Stress reliever. Children can be so chaotic, I need to vent out during weekends"

Mew, "Want to play together sometime? I also like to play whenever I'm frustrated especially if I can't remember some things. Just to vie away my thoughts"

"Uhm. Yeah, sure", Gulf glances at Mew's smiling face, it is so Mew to start a conversion first. Mew was also the first one who talks to him when he joined the club.

"Zee is still busy", Mew looks around, "This place is really nice"

Gulf looks at his watch, "He'll be closing out in 30 minutes, just in time when the others will arrive"

Mew, "Do you usually arrive early?"

Gulf, "I don't like being late and it gives me time to just enjoy some alone time before the others arrive. You already know how chaotic all of them are when we are together"

Mew chuckled, "Yeah". Silence fell between them. Mew curiously roams his eyes around trying to find something that can interest him, he didn't got the chance to fully appreciate the place the last time they were there. On the other hand, Gulf silently watch Mew.

"Are you really...ok?", Gulf asked in a soft voice after a while. He looks at Mew, eyes surveying every part of Mew that he can now see clearly, upclose, trying to check if there's any physical remnants of the accident. His hand unconsciously rise to Mew's head, hidden in the hair near his temple is a scar but almost not visible because of his locks.

Mew notices how Gulf surveyed him, worry in his eyes. He eyes the man curiously when Gulf try to pull his hand away when it was inches away near his temple. He reached for Gulf's hand and smile, guiding Gulf's hand on the scar. He can feel as Gulf's softly traces the scar against his hair.

Gulf blushed when he locked his eyes on Mew's and immediately put his hand down.

"Cute", Mew chuckled. He finds it fascinating how Gulf blushes whenever he is embarrassed even though he's been with his own friends, even the last time when they were all together and some of the group would call him out for spacing out. "Are you always like that? I don't remember. But why are you still shy around all of us?". He asked.

Gulf wanted to say that it isn't the case, he won't get flustered easily, it is just that he always finds Mew looking at him the last time and he can't help how his face warms because of it.

"Gulf, can I ask you something?", Mew continue as Gulf stayed silent. "No one's giving me answer so perhaps you can give me. Why did me and First broke up?"