'Are you the one who's been hogging all the Dew?' a familiar voice called as he passed the coolers near the front door.

'Does four qualify me?' he asked Yuri.

'That makes you an Absolut piggy,' she answered with a smile, but her voice lacked its usual animation and Sehun noticed that her face was pale.

Sehun gave the soda can in his hand a test shake. 'I'd say there's a good third left. With maybe only five percent of that being backwash. Want it?'

'Ewww! But even if it was fifteen per cent saliva, I'd have to say yes,' Yuri answered. She took the can and drained it in one long swallow. 'Ahhhh. That should keep me going a little longer. True, Pepsi One has more caffeine, but what's caffeine without sugar?'

'Uh, I'm trying to come up with something clever here, but failing,' Sehun told her. 'Milk without the chocolate? Vodka without the tonic?'

'Better stop now before you hurt yourself.' Yuri's smile took the sting out of her words. 'Did Luna have fun tonight?'

'Looked like fun was being had last time I saw her,' Sehun answered. 'She was-'

He broke off as Luhan rushed through the open back door. 'Somebody puked in the hot tub. I've gotta see if the pool guy will come out tonight to drain and refill. My mom will have a convulsion if she doesn't get her morning soak. Something about pores and heat and toxins. Honestly, I don't listen.'

'So I guess this means you won't be able to take me home anytime soon,' Yuri said. 'I'm wiped.'

'Are you sure it's not dehydration?' Luhan asked. 'Want me to find you something to drink?'

Yuri shook her head. 'I just want to crash.'

'I can take you home,' Sehun offered. 'I was about to head out anyway.'

Yuri nodded gratefully.

'Great, thanks,' Luhan said, rushing off again.

'I'll go get Luna and her friend and we're out of here,' Sehun told Yuri. For a second he allowed himself to think about what it would be like if his sister and Sunny weren't at the party. If he'd been handed this chance when he could have been alone with Yuri. There was something about being with a girl in a car - it was like the two of you were in your own private world.

Which is why you should be glad to have Luna and Sunny along, Sehun told himself. You definitely need chaperones. And what about that plan of yours - to meet other girls? Huh? What happened to that? He had to admit he hadn't been all that aggressive about his other-fish-in-the-sea fishing. He hadn't even asked for phone numbers from Victoria or Krystal. Neither mermaid had been nearly intriguing as Yuri. Which is why chaperones equalled good and safe. He might attempt something brainless, disloyal and all things bad without someone to watch him.

Sehun headed for the pool room, but a familiar giggle stopped him from his tracks. Luna was in the living room, on the burgundy sofa. He could hear her laughing, but the back of the sofa was too high from him to see her. A brief stab of worry went through him; was she drunk? Was she with a guy? Kai? He stepped around the couch and stopped in surprise. His sister was practically convulsed with laughter, all trace of the pouty, self-pitying Luna gone. Sunny sat next to her, also laughing her off.

'What's so funny?' he asked, going over to them.

Luna took one look at his face and laughed even harder. She looked a little pale, and her brown eyes were kind of spacey. 'I don't know,' she answered, her giggles finally subsiding slightly. 'I'm just happy.'

'Oh.' Sehun wasn't sure what to say to that. He settled for, 'So you had a good time?'

Sunny snorted, which got Luna laughing again. Sunny joined in.

'O-K,' Sehun said. 'You two have obviously had enough to drink.'

'I'm not drunk,' Luna protested, slurring her words. 'I only had one beer.'

'Yeah, I'm not drunk. I mean, she's not drunk,' Sunny agreed. She sat back on the couch and gazed at Sehun with a huge grin on her face.

'Need some help?' Yuri asked, coming up behind him.

'I've got two drunk girls who say they're not drunk,' Sehun told her. 'Any help at all would be appreciated.'

She smiled at him, then reached out her hands toward Luna. 'Up,' she ordered cheerfully. Luna giggled and grabbed her hands. Yuri hauled her to her feet and steered her over to Sehun. Then she pulled Sunny up and led her toward the front door, holding onto her arm.

Sehun kept hold of Luna, too. Not that she seemed likely to fall over - he just got the feeling she might wander off toward something funny or pretty or shiny, if she got the chance. If he didn't know her better, he'd think she was stoned.

He and Yuri got both girls outside and into the tiny backseat of the VW. Yuri took the passenger seat, and Sehun climbed in beside her. Eyes on the road, he told himself as he pulled out of the driveway. The last thing he should be doing was looking at Yuri's long legs stretched out next to him. Remember, there are other people in the car.

Except, after he dropped off one of his little chaperones - Sunny - the other one fell into a nothing-will-wake-me sleep in the back seat. Luna was usually a night owl, but she was snoring before Sunny even reached her front door - which left Sehun and Yuri unsupervised in the front.

Just keep your hands on the wheel and your mind on the road, Sehun instructed himself firmly.

'What's on your mind?' Yuri asked, ruining the plan.

He couldn't exactly tell her the truth. But what was he supposed to say? 'Eunhyuk,' he said, surprising himself.

'Eunhyuk?' Yuri repeated. 'Why?'

'He was really strong,' Sehun replied thoughtfully. 'I take martial-arts classes. I've gone a few rounds with a lot of different guys. But Eunhyuk was, like, freakishly strong.

Yuri leaned her head back against the headrest and gazed at him with a tired smile. 'Eunhyuk was just drunk,' she assured him. 'Some people get angry when they're drunk.'

Yeah, but they don't usually get stronger, Sehun thought.

Yuri sighed and turned to look out of the window.

'You okay?' he asked.

'Mmm,' she murmured. 'Just tired.'

He took the hint. She didn't feel like talking. Which made it a tiny bit easier to concentrate on the road - until he pulled into Yuri's driveway.

Her house wasn't in the Spanish mission style, like a lot of the places in Malibu. It was spare and clean, with no ornamentation, almost like something carved out of one piece of stone. It managed to distract him from Yuri's presence for, precisely, no time at all.

'Thanks for the ride,' she said, putting her hand on the door handle.

'Sure,' Sehun replied. Better to say little than too much.

'And sorry if I was sort of a to you before - down on the beach, after the fight. It's just that seeing you get mauled by Eunhyuk...' Yuri's voice trailed off.

'I know,' Sehun said thoughtfully. 'You were scared for me.'

She didn't answer. Instead she leaned toward Sehun and kissed him on the mouth.

Then she pulled away and jumped out of the car as she ran up to the house, his whole body tingling from that one electric moment of contact.

Why the hell did she do that? he asked himself.

And why the hell did she have to stop?

*Note - Oooh~ What was that?! Yuri kissed Sehun?! What's happening here~