MileApo : Catching Feelings

seven

This was the first time in Apo's life that a man had made his heart beat this fast, with zero physical exertion, and it totally took him by surprise. He was flustered, running away from the scene, incapable of even looking at Mile afterward. But meditation had come to Apo's rescue, as at all times when he was in trouble, and a few hours into it, he was able to sort out his emotions.

They were both actors and this was part of their job description, chemistry is key and it takes work to perfect that chemistry. Yet both of them were only human, it was completely human to be affected by such proximity and intimacy. It was just a thing of the moment. No major concerns.

Apo quickly recovered from all those awkward feelings he'd experienced and was back on his feet again, tweeting pictures of the two from the workshop, and captions in which he had "accidentally" typed Boo instead of bro for Mile. Keyword - accidentally. And to Mile, it felt so immediate that he abandoned all his doubts about the sentiments during the workshop being mutual. Apo was unaffected enough to joke about it.

What happened that day, was just a thing of the moment. No major concerns.

Days and weeks passed quickly, 2020 gave way to 2021, Mile's birthday came, the series trailer was released, the teaser was out, interviews were conducted, fanservice was mandated, and so much happened. And Mile and Apo grew closer and closer to eachother, but neither of them crossed the line again. It was all professional. They kissed and shook hands afterward, all sexual tension between the two was saved for the cameras, and both chose to remain friends.

Friends that told eachother their dreams, about their childhood, their vivid memories, embarrassing stories, their problems, and their past. Friends that laughed at inside jokes, friends that made eachother feel safe like they needn't be anybody but themselves. Friends that called eachother every night till one of them couldn't fight the sleep, friends that made fun of eachother knowing full well there was no space for offense. The list could go on, and it went on.

When things began to get tough, both were there for eachother. The film company ended up not being able to handle all the production costs. For most of the cast, the series had been a haven or a light at the end of the tunnel. They were all there for each other during the hard times, having bonded over the months, supporting eachother, through words and unspoken care. And Apo and Mile were lucky enough to have eachother to lean on.

They walked alongside the Rama VIII bridge, the lights overhead gave the night a touch of magic. Bangkok was a completely different place at night, everything seemed to be alive with more vigor than during the day. Mile loved the nightlife in Bangkok, especially the colorfull lights and the cooler temperatures. But tonight, Mile nor Apo were in the mood to enjoy the ambiance, they just needed some air.

They finally reached a spot where they could sit peacefully, facing the river, as they nibbled some food they'd bought on the streets.

"I'd actually given up acting, you know... I wasn't on a break as everyone thought," Apo spoke into the night air, but then sat in silence for a few minutes. Mile faced to look at him but didn't say anything, he knew Apo was just forming the words he wanted to say in his head. He had been really stressed the past few weeks, even having a few skirmishes with Mile, but Mile knew him well enough to understand that he wasn't really the problem.

"I'd been doing it for so long, but it wasn't really going anywhere. Like, sure I was recognised, sure I had fans, I've even had lead roles... but... it just didn't give me the kind of satisfaction... All my roles felt too inhumane... Too good or too bad... Never like real people, you know?"

Mile nodded along, just creating the space for Apo to open up. Apo didn't expect Mile to say anything, he was willingly telling him about his past. Apo found it strange as well, the desire he was getting to open up to a man he had only known for a few months when he'd never even told his best friend of eight years half the things he'd told Mile. There was something about Mile, something about Mile that said, I'm safe, and Mile had never done anything for Apo to suspect otherwise.