I Want You To Be My Last

Part 43.1 : Keep it real

There are several wrong things about that article, about the whole thing, really, yet Gulf couldn't bring himself to go through it again just to check.

He was too busy laughing at the hilarity to even care.

Well, at least until reality dawned on him and he realized that fuck, no, it's not a goddamn laughing matter. Far from it even; if he had to think about it properly. Because fuck knew if this was the first of many that might be posted about him and his Phi, and if that wasn't a terrifying possibility, he didn't know what else is.

For one, someone had actually been right there to take pictures of him and P'Mew and two, that that woman in the photos was actually him and if someone had successfully taken those without either he or his Phi knowing, it would only be a matter of time before his face would be revealed next.

Truth be told, the immediate panic was enough to make him choke, only vaguely thankful the roads were mostly deserted at this hour because he'd been certain the way the car swerved when he'd temporarily lost control of the wheel would have been enough to get him into an accident.

Or worse.

He was breathing harshly to calm himself, and at least managed to get his bearings enough to focus on the road again when he noticed his phone vibrating quietly on the dashboard.

When he'd realized it was P'Mew calling, he didn't even think twice in answering. Setting the phone into the holder with shaking fingers and hitting the loudspeaker icon.

P'Mew's voice was both a welcomed relief and a warm caress when he'd murmured Gulf's name and said hello, yet Gulf's chest hadn't stopped pounding, his earlier giddiness now completely replaced with wariness.

"Hello to you too, P'Mew. Have you seen the news?" he countered, not bothering with the niceties, wondering and equal-parts certain P'Mew did, otherwise he wouldn't be sighing heavily like that in answer.

"Yes baby. I did. Are you okay?"

Gulf barked out a mirthless laugh, one that sounded hollow and dry even in his own ears.

"Define okay, Phi." he gritted, then commanding himself to take a deep breath, reminding himself that this was P'Mew he was talking to, he wasn't the enemy here. "Sorry. I just. I didn't expect this. I mean, it hadn't even been an hour since I left the apartment and this article is already out there, those pictures with it. Which, if I may add, is really fucking hilarious if I'm not presently worrying about what they would publish next. God forbid a shot of that goddamn dress with my face on it, because we both know that is possible. Since that woman they've photographed canoodling with you was me." okay, that came out a little harsh, but he had a feeling the older man would understand the reaction anyway.

"They won't, baby." P'Mew sighed, and it made Gulf wonder why the older man sounded sure despite the wariness in his tone.

"They won't what, P'Mew? Publish the ones with a clear shot of my face? Because let's admit it, they might already be planning on it. Oh God, my management is going to fucking kill me." he despaired.

"No, baby, that's not gonna happen. I promise you. They won't have anything, you hear me, anything that would connect you to that picture, or to me. I made sure of it." and there was that, the goddamn confidence. That reassuring tone that made Gulf screech, both in surprise and in question.

"What? What do you mean you made sure of it? What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying I know they won't have anything apart from just those pictures they've already posted, Gulf. I know, because I was the one who sent them those." P'Mew admitted quite readily, and fuck it, the way he'd hit the breaks in his surprise would have been completely terrifying if he wasn't presently wheezing. Thankfully still, the roads here were mostly empty. Otherwise, he would certainly be in an accident now. Fuck.