Water On Fire [MileApo | mxm]

28

The Man Suang press conference is on August 8. Pond catches Mile and Apo staring at each other across the stage, and it's reminiscent of a teacher separating two rowdy kids, only making it worse because now they're yelling across the room.

Mile learns in his joint interview with Apo that someone has been harassing and threatening to kill his partner. For the briefest of seconds, Mile's face goes furiously cold as the words sink like a stone to his gut. He has visions of tearing this person apart limb from limb like they're made of lotus petals. Then, his acting kicks in instinctually. He resorts to humor as a coping mechanism.

He and Apo are due for a long talk. How could Apo keep something like this from him? The younger man brushes it off, saying he's lived a full and dignified life and he's ready. Mile doesn't share the sentiment. He wants to put Apo in a bullet-proof glass box. He is already calculating the cost of the security detail he plans to hire for Apo. And the hitman he plans to hire for the harasser's car 'accident.' It's morally questionable, sure, but not Mile's fault. The same people who keep testing Mile will act surprised when he actually goes off.

"I almost had a heart attack," he hisses to Apo later. "Death threats? When were you going to tell me?"

"Never. It doesn't matter. It's part and parcel in this industry, nothing new, nothing to worry about-"

"But what if it is?! What if I wake up one day to the news that you've been killed?!"

"What difference would it make then if you knew about the threats beforehand? What's meant to happen will happen. I don't even know the guy."

"Why don't I believe you?"

Apo sighs. He's definitely hiding something.

"I'm going to kill him," Mile vows. "And you're going to let me."

"Mile, no. Don't do anything stupid, please."

"Fine. I'll just have his workplace shut down and his family-"

"Mile..."

"I'm serious. If I were him, I'd go hide everyone and everything I love, change my identity, and pray for my life."

"I swear I don't know the guy. But... What if... Do you think it's..."

"Build?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of his fans-"

"If he's behind this...I won't destroy his workplace. I'll buy the agency out from under him and hire him back as a cleaner so he can watch as I make it more successful than he could ev-"

"Mile! Calm down; it was just a hunch."

Mile shakes his head.

"You're a blameless target. No one who's of sound mind has any reason to target you. But... Imagine if we were openly out, and together. In this country."

Apo shudders.

•••

Mile makes good on as much of his promise as Apo will allow. On August 9, he drives Apo to the GMM building and hovers around the area with a security detail. Kinn Mode is officially on. He joins Apo inside and hands him a coffee, which Apo promptly drains. The way he sucks the dregs is utterly lewd.

"What?" Apo answers Mile's quirked brows.

"You could suck a watermelon through a straw," Mile grits out.