Chapter VII

"I didn't know you could act so good. Well you're already a nice person so this is easy for you." Key said as he poured Onew another drink. "Do you think she's buying it?" 

Onew nods his head as Key continued to talk. The plan is to treat Luna well, act nice, be a good husband even when it's just the two of them. Key would create trouble, upset Luna or quarrel with her just so Onew could rescue her or be her champion. It's not the best thing to do given that he doesn't want anything to do with his 'wife'. Luna's encounter with Tiffany went on around the gossip circle for a week or two until another scandal broke. Krystal was again sent to the summer house for creating trouble. He still goes home to his apartment that he now shares with Luna. She still doesn't cook but makes coffee every morning. She likes to read the newspaper and takes a long time in the shower before going to bed. Onew thinks she does this to avoid talking to him. She still has nightmares. She screams her brother's name but when he comes to her and holds her while she cries as she continues to dream somehow the pain on her face lessens. Because of this Onew decided not to fall asleep on the sofa again. It only happens when he's not sharing the bed with her. 

It's been six months since they got married. Six months that he had not seen Seohyun. It was like hell for him. He wants to hear her voice, wants to touch her but all he could do is dwell in his misery and continue his plans with Key. 

Key was just about to leave when he stopped and turned to face Onew again. "Your wife just texted me." Now this is a first. Luna never sends him messages. She never calls. Sometimes if he is lucky she would answer a call from him but she never sends him any.

"What did she say?"

Key laughed before he answered. "She said that I should bring a dozen eggs later."

"What?"

"We were watching a basketball game and ended up making a bet." Onew did not know Luna likes basketball. " She doesn't like basketball." Key said like he read Onew's mind. "You took so long changing that we ended up watching tv while we wait for you." Key would visit and stay for dinner on some days. Luna somehow queitly accepted that Key would be a constant visitor in their house. She still doesn't talk much and ignores Key most of the time. 

"I didn't know you two are now on texting level," Onew said his thoughts and almost regrets it when he saw Key's face.

"Jealous?" Key teased. He threw his pen to Key who easily caught it. When Onew got home Luna was cleaning the apartment, it smelled good and looks like heaven. It has not been cleaned for a while and Onew was glad she did. She looked past Onew expecting another person. 

"Key's not coming over tonight." Onew said and Luna just nods her head. "But I bought eggs." Luna just looked at him and still said nothing. Suprisingly he found food already served in their small kitchen. Onew already ate dinner but it looks like Luna waited for them. 

"You cooked," Onew said taking a seat not waiting for Luna to do the same. 

"Just pasta," she started to put some on her plate and Onew did the same. He did not expect much but she did a good job with her simple pasta. Something good must have happened today, he thought. Luna filled their glasses with lemonade and they ate in silence.

"I'll wash the plate," Onew said but Luna told him to take a shower instead and she'll take care of the dishes. Onew did as told and left her alone. Their room was tidied and everything was in place. He never expected her to do anything in the house but now it looks like she'll be doing some chores or maybe it's just a one time thing? He can't wait to tell Key so he sent him a text. 

Minutes after when he's done with his shower and all freshen up he checked his phone and found a text from Key. It was just an emoji with his tongue out. Then another message from Luna's father telling him to meet him tonight. And right on cue Luna came in.

"Something wrong?" She asked looking at him with those untrusting eyes. He shakes his head and told her that he'd be out for while. She did not say anything and just took a book from the coffee table. 

Onew met his father-in-law in a coffee shop near their apartment. He was alone and was already drinking tea when he got there. Onew declined the offer of tea thinking Luna would have prepared something back home. She sometimes has tea before going to sleep.

"This won't take long," Luna's father said. He looked at Onew with mild curiousity before speaking again. "I talked to your father a few days ago. He is preparing for the elections. It's good that the troubles your sister caused had died down." Onew nods his head but does not really understand where this conversation is going.

"You do remember the contract you signed before the wedding?" Onew nods again. "My daughter may not have read everything. But I'm sure you did."

"What do you want?" Onew would not pretend that he likes this man and Luna's father expects this. 

"The time has come for you to do what was agreed upon." He smiled unkindly towards Onew. "My daughter may not be the woman of your dreams and she does not expect love and devotion from you. But your union is necessary and it needs to last."

"It's too early for that."

"No it is not. Do it."

"What if your daughter would not agree. You said it yourself she did not read the damn paper."

"Do you really think I'd care? She'd do anything you'll tell her to, well anything that we tell her to." He said not caring a bit about her daughter. "You can tell her yourself or I can tell her right now." He took his phone out.

"No, I'll do it." Onew said. It's better if he talks to Luna first and maybe Key should be there too.

"Good." Mr. Park stood up signaling the end of their meeting. "I know you won't love her but at least take it easy on her." How could this man who cares nothing about his own daughter tell him to go easy on her? Onew did not meet his eyes but he nods his head. Mr. Park left first and Onew spent a few more minutes in the coffee shop before deciding to go home.

He found Luna still reading. She did not look up when he came inside their room. He went inside the bathroom to splash some cold water onto his face. Maybe it's better if Key's not present when he tells her.

"Luna," he calls her and she pretends to read still. "We have to talk." She then closed the book and puts it back on the coffee table. Now she looks at him with those eyes that speaks nothing of love. Somehow Onew notices that it's less weary and angry.

"So...?" She says impatiently. 

Onew sits down on the edge far from her but still looking at her. How can one so young look so tired? She's not exactly very young but she looks like she fought a lot battles and lost all of them.

"You remember the paper you signed?" She nods her head. "You did not read it at all." She nods again not looking away from him. He took a deep breath before telling her. "We told you some of the things written there but there's one thing that we left out."

A frown crosses her faces but she did not say thing wanting to let Onew continue. "Your father just reminded me earlier. I met him. I don't really know how to tell you but..."

"Just say it," Luna said. "After everything that's happened nothing can shock me anymore." Onew stared at her for a while and thought that she looks determined. 

"We have to consumate our marriage and at least have one child."

Luna blinked once and again. She opened to say something but ended up closing it again.

"I know it's crazy and - "

"You agreed to this?"

"It was in the contract. Your father would not remove it. He wants this marriage for real."

Luna looked like she can't breathe and she stood up and left Onew in the room. He gathered his wits and followed her, she was in the kitchen drowing glasses of water. "Please say something."

"What?" Luna said. "My father sold me and now he wants me to -" she could not finish it. "What would happen if we don't do it?"

"Then my father would face difficulties in his campaign. And the truth about me would come out." Luna did not need to ask what it was. She knows that Onew is not his father's son.

"You want me to agree to this?" She asked him.

"I don't know but I don't have a choice."

"They won't know if we did it or not."

"You're forgetting something. You need to get pregnant." Onew said and saw Luna's eye widen. "We can't pretend. It needs to be done."

Luna shook her head. "I'm not...I can't." He saw the tears even before they fell and without knowing it he already gathered her in his arms. 

"Shhh...." he tried to comfort her and she turned to him. "We don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"You don't mean that. You'd do anything for your family." And Onew knows this is true. He's already into this marriage and he knows there is no turning back. He knows he can't turn back time and he can't have Seohyun back but he will protect his family no matter what.

"I'm sorry." And for the first time since he met her he really means it. 

-

AN: Hi everyone! So another chapter for this almost forgotten fic. I was going thru twitter yesterday and I suddenly miss my lunew babies... huhu

But yeah things will be changing for this couple... please leave a comment. Thank you for reading! :)