Original Sin (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 20🌻

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When Gulf stepped out of the train station, a fine mist of water droplets fell around him, as if the shower had just started running. The rainy season hadn't yet broken, which led to a series of damp, humid days.

Gulf's mind still hadn't cleared from the research trip he'd taken with Bright, and the worst part was that he had leaked his secret to someone who never should have found out. The calmer he got, the deeper the realization sank in of how badly he had screwed up.

Several uneventful days went by. Bright was being considerate and avoided conversations about Mew. But if he ever said just a few words about Mew, Gulf wouldn't be able to handle it. He couldn't even look forward to Bright's completed draft without tension.

Gulf was plagued by a gloom he didn't know how to shake. It was giving him stomach pain and torturing him with anxiety. On top of that, he was running out of time to ask Mew for another book. He had put off the confrontation for three months already. Mew could write fast, but if they wanted to publish something new within the year, Gulf had to get to work.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Mew said coldly, gazing at Gulf, who stood outside his door.

"I apologize. I've had my hands full lately."

"I see. Come in."

Seeing each other again after so long, Gulf found Mew's arrogance almost comforting. Aware of its effect on him, Gulf fought back the sudden impulse to cling to Mew. He'd come for business. They could discuss private matters later.

Gulf had been away from Mew's condo for a long time, but the silence seemed to be even more commanding than ever. It was as if the rooms reflected the silent soul of Mew Suppasit, the man who ruled over the place. There was no one in the world who could disrupt the calm of Mew's heart. Not even Gulf.

"What brings you here today?" Mew asked, gesturing for Gulf to take a seat on the sofa.

The maid came in immediately, bowed her head to Gulf, and placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

"I'm here for business. We were wondering if you would be able to start work on your next project for our company soon."

Once Gulf steadied himself, the words came out much more easily than he'd expected.

"And?"

"Earlier you told me that you had sketched an outline for a sequel for Emergence. Do you think you could write that? We'd be hoping to publish within the year."

"Within the year, huh?"

That was all Mew said. The silence was heavy. Thanks to the year that Gulf had been with Mew, Gulf could tell the other man wasn't in a very good mood. But he couldn't figure out why. Gulf suspected that he had said something wrong, but he couldn't be sure.

"Isn't there something else you want to talk to me about before that?" Mew asked.

"What do you mean?" Gulf inclined his head slightly.

Despite not having met face to face to talk for so long, Gulf had been diligently keeping in touch over e-mail. As far as he knew, there was nothing that he needed to tell Mew.

"I can't think of anything," he said after some thought.

"I see," Mew murmured quietly, a slight smile twisting his lips. "Let's discuss the matter of writing a sequel first, then."

"Thank you, sir!"

Relief flooded Gulf, but before his heart had time to bask in its joy, Mew continued. "Oh, but there's a condition."

"A condition?"

"We'll play pool again, like before. If I win, I get your body, and if I happen to lose, I'll write a fix number of pages for the draft. How does that sound?"

Gulf felt as if Mew had lodged a spear into his chest. Why was Mew talking about an exchange all of a sudden? For his first book with Mew, Gulf had taken the bet as a last resort because he wanted Mew's manuscript so badly. But once more, the man was telling him to put his body on the line as a tool for his job, not as a lover.

"Either way, I'd be bending my policy for you again. That's why I thought I should use the same condition as last time. Don't you like the idea?"

Gulf was struck speechless as Mew delivered another blow with utter aplomb.

"Why would you do that?" Gulf finally managed to wring out a small protest.

"I just explained why. Your comprehension skills are as weak as ever."

"You know that's not the problem!" After shock came a strong anger. Gulf's voice  was harsh, trembling with his mounting rage, and he stopped speaking. He gazed back into Mew's pitch black eyes. Gulf would never find an answer there.

"Are you in or not? We're not here to explore my reasons for betting, just to accept or decline."

The frigid rationality of Mew's words rubbed Gulf the wrong way. His anger, which demanded the right to interrogate Mew, rose into his throat. But as Gulf's gazed into Mew's cold eyes, his anger gradually transformed into resignation. Nothing he said could have any effect on Mew when the man looked like that. Gulf knew that much. For him, it was business. He wasn't after his lover's body.

"Very well." Gulf's voice sounded thin as he answered.

"Then it's a deal."

There wasn't the slightest hint of affection in Mew's voice, only an indifferent cruelty that unnerved Gulf. At times like that, Gulf witnessed the coldness of the man named Mew Suppasit.

Feeling as if he were treading across thin ice, Gulf walked toward Mew, his hands reaching for him. But Mew turned away and prevented him for touching him.

What was Mew so angry about? If he wouldn't tell Gulf why he was so upset, how was Gulf supposed to know?

But Mew didn't even give Gulf time to ask the question. He was led into the game room and took off his jacket, preparing himself for the worst. He accepted a cue from Mew, who hung his jacket on the back of a chair.

"We'll do three games of nine-ball. The first to win two games wins."

"All right."

There are many ways to play pool. One of those is nine-ball, a simple game where the players must strike balls numbered one through nine and knock them into the side pockets in order. No matter how the game goes, the person who drops the nine-ball is the winner, so even if one player hit the eight other balls, the player to score the final ball would win.

Gulf had some exprience with playing pool, but he was no match for Mew, who played at a professional level. His amateurish struggles were due to his strong desire to read a new creation by Mew, and also his pride, which refused to be trampled on by Mew.

"You can start." Mew said.

Gulf glanced at Mew, but he didn't read any emotion on Mew's face. That cut sharply at Gulf's heart, so Gulf started the game, and even he found it easy enough to drop the one-ball during his break shot, and then the two ball, but he failed to sink the three-ball. Perhaps it was a sign of his dulled skill. He anticipated defeat.

Just as expected, Mew easily sank balls four through nine. Following that, he then dominated the next game completely. There was no need the third game since Mew had won two in a row.

"And that's the game." Mew said.

TBC