All You Need Is Love (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 9🌻

PRESENT
🌞🌻

"Hello, sir."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

As soon as he heard the voice, tension gripped Gulf's entire body.

After returning the bartender's greeting, Mew made his appearance. He was such a flamboyant man. The moment he entered, the shadows of the bar evaporated. Gulf's entire body was flooded with anxiety at the mere sight of this radiant man. Today he was wearing a navy blue two piece suit. The jacket was open, revealing his chest and the same flashy gold necklace.

"I was on my way here when some guys started having problems, and I wound up having to go deal with it. It was a real pain."

His bangs were set with gel, but one strand fell across his forehead. Gulf watched him, fascinated, as he brushed it back into place with annoyance.

"Is everything taken care of now?"

"Yeah, I took care of it," Mew answered the bartender's question testily and sat down next to Gulf. A glass of brandy was soon set before him. Some ice floated inside him, in the shape of balls.

"Your glass is empty, Gulf. Are you done drinking already?"

The sudden change in conversation sent Gulf's heart racing. "No, it's just---I was wondering what to get next when you came in."

"Then hurry up and pick something. Otherwise we can't toast."

"I'll take a gin and tonic then." Drawn in by Mew's upbeat tone, Gulf answered in the same spirit.

"Right away, sir."

While they waited, Mew lit a cigarette. "Do you smoke?"

Gulf refused the pack Mew offered him with a smile. "Cigarettes make me sick."

"Yeah, they cut your life in half." Mew turned a guileless smile on him.

"I wish someone would say there were benefits, but cigarettes never did anybody good."

"My only wish is to die from smoking. I'd also be okay with drinking myself to death."

"It doesn't sound like you're joking, sir. I'm going to have to ask you to stop talking like that." The bartender smiled, skillfully steering the conversation. "You've been hospitalized for that already, haven't you? Your throat was a mess." He placed the finished gin and tonic before Gulf.

"That had nothing to do with cigarettes, though." Mew answered, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"You were hospitalized?"

"Don't blow it out of proportion. I caught a little cold at a bad time is all. It wasn't cigarettes. Anyway, to us! Cheers! C'mon, pick up your glass."

Gulf reluctantly picked his glass up, leaving the story unexplained.

"How long has it been? Seven, eight years?"

"Eight, I think." The past stole back into Gulf's mind at Mew's question.

"That long? It's gone by so fast. What have you been doing with yourself? I bet you went straight to college and got an office job like everyone else. I can't believe you're working at a damn bank." Mew grinned, his eyes fixed on a point directly in front of him.

"And I can't believe you'te the director of a company. That's incredible."

"It's not really a company. We just call it that."

"That's not fair. You still perform all the duties of a director, just like any other." The bartender refuted Mew's self-pitying words with a sincere look.

"You never shut up, do you old man? Try keeping it to yourself for a change." Apparently, Mew had deep respect for this bartender, because although the words were harsh, his eyes were laughing.

They chatted in spurts as they drank. The majority of their conversation was about where friend from high school had ended up, and neither of them touched on the central issue.

"I better get going. The last train's about to leave."

The clock was approaching midnight.

"Is it that late already? Take care on your way home. I'm going to keep drinking."

Gulf hadn't expected to get away so easily. And despite how much alcohol he'd had, Mew didn't look very drunk. Apparently, he can handle more than his share of alcohol and tobacco.

Gulf hesitated before saying, "It was good to see you again."

"You too. We should go drinking again soon."

"Yeah," Gulf answered ambiguously and left the bar. He walked for a few seconds, then turned back to look at the bar. But he lacked the courage to open the door again.

Talking about the past with Mew had been completely shallow, both of them trying not to hurt the other and keep up appearances. He hadn't a bad time, but it felt somehow unstable.

But the fact that he had been able to talk to Mew made him a little happier.

TBC