Khrū | MewGulf ✔

20 | Courtroom

Sighing, Mew just holds him and cards his fingers through the younger's hair, trying to calm him down. Gulf doesn't know how much time's passed but he eventually has no tears left to cry and all the tension's left his body.

Now, he's just exhausted and he knows he should sleep but it's so comfortable in Mew's arms that he doesn't want to move at all. However, it's the elder who pulls back, cupping his face and wiping away the last few tears.

"Let me help you win this fight" he gazes at the younger with a determined expression. "I have a friend who's a lawyer. Obviously, we still have to pay him but I can help with that. I'm not letting her rip a perfectly happy family apart."

"Phi--you---" Gulf stammers.

"It's fine, I want to help. Let me pay for it" Mew insists.

"How can I accept this?" Gulf feels like crying again. "That's too much––"

"Gulfie--"

"I love you" the younger suddenly blurts, kissing him. "I know, it might be too early to say that but I don't care. I love you, Phi."

"I love you too" Mew breaks into a smile, connecting their foreheads. "So will you let me help you? I won't let her take him, I promise. We'll get through this together."

Trying not to cry again, Gulf connects their lips in a sweet, intimate kiss, sighing into it as he goes lax in Mew's embrace. If someone had told him that by the end of his first semester, he would be his professor's lover and that he would help him in a fight for custody of his child, he would have laughed at them.

They move to the bedroom and they don't intend to be intimate but somehow, they end up holding each other and Mew makes love to the younger, holding his hand the entire time, as if he needed him to stay grounded.

The next few weeks are strangely domestic. Gulf and Panit stay at Mew's place most of the time since the kids now have holidays too and Mew's house is closer to Techno's place, which means he can watch the kids. It's so adorable, the adults want to coo at them. In the beginning, it's a little weird between Mew and Techno, since the elder is also his professor but they quickly get along as friends too.

Mew's lawyer friend is nice and extremely competent. After the first meeting, he's convinced that they will win the case. Suddenly, Gulf's situation doesn't seem so grim anymore. The only uncomfortable thing is that Panit is caught in the crossfire.

Gulf hates that he's caught in between. It would have been so much better if Pam had just stayed away or at least not make them fight over custody. Surprisingly, when Gulf sits down with his son to explain what's going to happen, he doesn't seem affected. He doesn't even remember her.

"Even so, she's your mom and I'm sorry she can't be part of our family" Gulf apologizes.

"Daddy is family. Daddy and Mew-Dada and Aura. And P'Tech" he smiles and the sincerity in his words makes Gulf tear up.

Not only did Panit just tell him that he doesn't need his mom but he also called Mew Dada. A big smile is parting Gulf's lips when he next speaks.

"Mew is Dada now?" Gulf raises an eyebrow.

"Dada makes Daddy happy," Panit says proudly, which surprises Gulf because he didn't expect a four-year-old to pick up on them being a couple.

They've held hands a couple of times in front of the kids but that's pretty much all of it because they want to figure out if they are something permanent before involving them.

Apparently, the kids have known for a while now, and somehow, Gulf doesn't mind; he actually quite likes it. Especially, when he tells Panit to call Mew by his new title and the way the elder grins contently proves that he wants to be a dad to Panit too.

For the court day, Mew helps Gulf buy a suit. He feels a little awkward in it but Mew made sure he looks good and respectable, so he's not as worried anymore. He really does look like a dad who can take care of his son. He still has a baby face but the parted hairstyle helps with sharpening his face, or so Mew says.

On D-day, Techno stays with the kids so Mew can be in court as well because Gulf's not sure he can do it alone. Of course, the elder will only sit there as a visitor because it wouldn't be smart to reveal that Gulf is in a relationship with a man. The lawyer says that it's probably gonna come up because that's one of the arguments that could potentially make him lose the case.

It's a long day and they spend more than three hours in court, explaining and hearing the other party out. The judge takes painfully long to finally call them back into the room but eventually, they all return to the courtroom once more and Gulf holds his breath anxiously when the judge announces the result.

He gets full custody of his son.

Exhaling in relief, he hugs his lawyer and he's glad that he's actually gotten to know him a little because otherwise, it would have been weird. As soon as they're in private, Gulf charges at Mew, kissing him passionately, pulling him close.

"Thank you" Gulf mumbles against the elder's lips. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you."

"No need to thank me" Mew laughs a little, kissing him back. "Let's get home and celebrate with the kids."

"Yeah" Gulf smiles. "Yeah, I'd like that."

-------

Just the epilogue left.

And I am planning to take a break after this book is gonna complete. I would comeback with a longer story :)