Just One More Night

Chapter Twenty-One

Gulf just stood there, like a complete idiot, while Mew ran away, all smiley, to give his best man speech. How did he ended up being the one who needed to sit down? He'd never expected to hear those words from Mew. Considering how they got involved in the first place, Gulf never thought their relationship could reach this point. He remembered how completely stunned he was when Mew showed his first clear interest in him. How beautiful and intense their first time was. How he was convinced it was just going to be an unforgettable one night stand. And every time they ended up in each other's bed, again and again, he repeated to himself: Ok Gulf, just one more night. And then let's get the hell out of here. Before it's too late. And now it was definetely too late: he was completely and embarassingly crazy about Mew Suppasit. Mew could probably tell from the way he was staring at him from his seat, waiting for him to start talking.

"Good afternoon, everybody. I hope you're enjoying the party". He cleared his throat, trying to sound more confident. "As you know, I'm the bride's big brother and she asked me to say a few words about her relationship with Kla, who just officially joined our family". The couple shared a smile and Jom rested her head on Kla's shoulder. "I saw their love blossom from the very beginning. I saw my sister's smile changing, becoming brighter. She was genuinely happy and even though I was glad she had found someone to lean on, I could never fully understand how they could make it work so effortlessly". Mew stopped for a second, making eye contact with Gulf. "Truth to be told, I thought I was the last person who could talk about this. But then it hit me. When you find your perfect match, you just know. You have this gut feeling from the beginning. And it's scary...letting someone in. There's always a chance for you to get hurt. But there's an equal chance to be very, very happy".

Gulf smiled at him, overwhelmed by his beautiful speech and the way he was looking at him the whole time. Mew smiled back at him and then turned his attention to the happy couple again. "To Jom and Kla. May you always be this happy. Kla, please take care of my sister, I'm officially passing you the baton but don't let your guard down too much. I'm still here around the corner, making sure you treat her right". Kla chuckled, slightly bowing to show his respect. "A toast to the newlyweds". Mew raised his glass in Gulf's direction. "Cheers".

After his speech Mew joined Gulf at his table, where the younger was sipping his sparkling wine. Mew gently placed his hand on Gulf's, trying to catch his attention. "Hey, did you like the speech?".

Gulf bit his lip, smiling. "You nailed it. I told you you had nothing to be worried about".

Mew nodded, feeling better after taking this weight off his shoulders. "I guess I was inspired".

Gulf blushed, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. After a few seconds, Mew extended his hand, hopeful. "Would you like to dance with me?".

Mew lingered on his hand, caressing the back of it with his thumb. His touch never failed to make him shiver. "I'd love to".

With his heart pounding in his throat, Gulf took his hand and let him lead him to the dance floor. Mew pulled him closer, his hands on his hips, while Gulf put his own around his neck. Then Mew pressed his lips to Gulf's ear, lowering his voice to a husky whisper: "So...have you thought about what I said earlier?".

Gulf met his eyes, questioning and intense. "Yeah and...how could you say you want to be with me and then leave me alone like that?".

Mew chuckled at Gulf's childish expression, brushing his cheek against his. "I'm sorry, duty called. But I'm here now".

Gulf took a long, deep breath. "You can't just drop a bomb like that! You never...and I...I'm a lot. You wouldn't last a second with me. Also, sometimes I'm loud and I act like a baby".

Mew smiled, spinning him out, holding on to his hand. Then he spinned him back, Gulf's body pressed against Mew's once again. "I already know that. I think it's endearing. What else?".

Gulf nervously bit his lip. "I don't know the first thing about relationships".

Mew leaned his forehead against his. "I can teach you all I know. And we can figure out the rest together". 

Gulf looked at Mew again, out of excuses. Truth was, there's was nothing in the whole world he wanted more than to be with him. And he was right, sometimes you had to throw caution to the wind if you wanted to have it all. And Gulf wanted it all, the good and the bad, as long as he had him by his side. "Okay".

Mew's expression changed, his eyes shining brighter. "Okay?".

Gulf nodded, cupping his face with his hands. "Yeah. Let's give it a try".