Starstruck on You [Mile x Apo] [MileApo]

Chapter 16: A Question of Time

Kiet's hands wrung endlessly in his lap as he sat in the middle of the floor of the bedroom suite he shared with Niran. In front of him, seated at the foot of his bed was Decha and Mile sat on Niran's, both faced him and were bidding their time, probably for him to spill his guts or confess. Ignorance was bliss he thought as he said nothing. His head bowed in a submissive action, clearly defeated before the sword had even been drawn by his enemy, in this case Mile who said absolutely nothing the entire car ride. He definitely felt the icy gaze from his friend...well former at this point...and just remained dutifully silent.

If he so much as twitched, he noticed how Mile practically bared his teeth at him with a growl rumbling in the guitarist's chest, and peeked over to Decha who just pinned him to the seat with a deadly glare. Niran had stayed behind to help Kamala with the vendors, excused the absence of three of the band members due to fatigue with the promise to catch up later, and all of them ignored Kamala's look of dismay at this turnabout.

When she tried to catch Mile's sleeve, she was met with a glowering expression that telegraphed his thoughts; however, what she got from Mile was "We're leaving for the hotel, seems Kiet's got food poisoning. We'll see you in the morning."  And she was left with her mouth unhinged like a gaping fish. Her reality check was Niran shouting for her to come give farewell greetings to their local sponsors. She hissed under her breath to herself that she'd check in with Kiet to make sure the fool was actually sick and not feigning for sympathy, or she'd really poison his food to make sure he learned never to cross her. The woman straightened up, swiveled to head back to the dining room, lipstick perfect smile plastered on as she went without the image of a woman worried her plans were falling apart. She accounted for everything, even a hitch like her sister and her useless boyfriend – that thought a pep back in her step and a purr in her chest – Mile would be hers. Or no one else's.

Kiet had seen the passing warning look from the woman as Decha shuffled him promptly to their private car, arm wrapped around his shoulders with the pretext of helping, but Kiet could feel fingertip bruises developing under his shirt where Mile and Decha had manhandled him back to the hotel suite to be interrogated. Kiet didn't blame them. He couldn't. The jig was up, he was caught red-handed, and he felt like the villain in one of those dramas that waited to be tortured mercilessly, only to ponder if death was a sweet compassion.

"Kiet—" Decha started.

"I have nothing to say" Kiet stated resolved. He'd pondered and figured admitting to nothing was his best option. His gaze still in his lap as he spoke, although he couldn't bear looking at either of them. Especially Mile. "Nothing of value. Nothing of defense. Nothing."

A loud crash startled Decha and Kiet, they looked up towards where Mile had kicked over the night table with a lamp on it, sending it to the floor, making Kiet wince at the sound and the fragments on the floor. He felt like the lamp at this moment – at Mile's mercy – and all he could do was wait to be kicked in the face. It didn't help that the dim lighting in the room came after Mile destroyed the lamp without a care.   All Kiet could see was the flickering lightbulb that struggled to 'live' reflect across Mile's angry face before it went out entirely. It was absolutely terrifying to see. The ferocity in those onyx-colored irises was enough to make even the boldest of men confess to avoid being melted alive with their brutal flames alone, Kiet gulped.

"Want to try again?" Mile spoke with a surprisingly soft tone. His hands were in his pockets, keeping curled fists inside them.  Decha had gone into the bathroom where Mile had caught Kiet in the act of plotting something devious, only for Decha to peel Kiet out of Mile's hands before he broke the man's face with his fist.  Mile was chided by his best friend to behave until they got the information they needed. Apo first. Pummel second.