(a/n: Update 01/15/14 - Pared down some parts and slightly expanded the conversation between Luna and Kris and Luna and Yongguk.)

                After the photo shoot, Luna lingered to help get things settled at the stables, feeling somewhat conflicted on several fronts.  Yongguk had left earlier to pick his brother up from school, leaving the others to their devices and she was left feeling there was something they should have discussed between them in the meantime.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything to be done about it and despite how… giddy she still felt from working with Yongguk, not everyone was quite so happy.

                The horses had to be taken care of and the practice ring cleaned up, which the rest of the staff were recruited to help take care of in the meantime.  Zitao and the rest of his crew looked as if they were going to be around for at least a little while so Luna, Yixing, and Luhan opted to take their mounts out for a run to work out the last of their nerves.

                “That was fun today,” Yixing smiled, looking over at his companions while they enjoyed their leisurely gallop, Luna in the middle and Luhan on her other side.

                “It was,” Luna nodded in agreement, seeing Luhan mirror the gesture.  “I didn’t expect us to be put into pairs or posing with anyone else though,” she admitted, chewing her lip thoughtfully as she recalled her interactions with Yongguk in particular.  She had so not been ready for his hands on her waist, or when he’d helped her to the ground after their shoot.

                “I don’t think any of us did but you guys looked really good together,” Luhan promised with a genuine smile, dragging Luna from her thoughts with the brief concern that he was a mind reader.  “After you got over the whole awkward, sitting together part anyway.  I thought Yongguk was going to freak out when you leaned forward and he grabbed you to make sure you didn’t fall.”

                Luna scoffed at him and then glared with a growing flush, “You had Amber blushing like a school girl, so you’re one to talk.”

                “Amber is a blushing school girl under that cool exterior of hers,” Luhan remarked pointedly with a smug expression.  “It’s just she hides it well.”  Yixing nodded in quiet agreement, leaving Luna to look between them skeptically, trying to get her pink cheeks under control.

                “Right…” she sighed with a roll of her eyes.  “How did the shoot go for you, Xing?” Luna asked, turning her attention to the dimpled young man on her right.

                “It was good,” he beamed back at her, giving her a thumbs-up sign.  “Krystal and Sulli were very fun to work with.  They worked hard to bring it to life,” he explained with a nod.

                “Which someone else would have seen if she wasn’t staring at a certain coworker,” Luhan teased, reaching across the distance to nudge Luna’s arm playfully.

                “I wasn’t staring!” Luna defended herself immediately while a renewed blush flashed across her face.

                “Yes you were,” Luhan retorted self-assuredly, veering to the left to get out of range of her shorter reach.

                “Yongguk was too, in all honesty,” Yixing added innocently, making Luna gape at him at his unexpected addition to the conversation.

                “And I’ll bet you Youngjae got a picture of it too,” Luhan added with a bark of laughter.

                “Eh?” she blinked in surprise, unaware he’d been present at all.

                “Ne.  He and Daehyun were hovering around the shoot the whole time,” Yixing nodded in agreement, expression serious, otherwise Luna might have thought he was messing with her.

                “I think Dae was having more fun making fun of us than anything else but Youngjae at least was pretty focused on capturing the event on his digital camera.  Even if his partner in crime was being a noisome pain in the ,” Luhan rolled his eyes, coming in close again as they slowed down when they started to approach the stables once more.

                Luna remained quiet while she contemplated that little tidbit of information.  She’d have to see if she couldn’t get Youngjae to show her the pictures later.  Sure, they’d gotten a bit close after coming down from Wind’s Playmate and of course they had talked but she wasn’t staring at him.  Okay.  Maybe she was a little. 

                Pensive, she kept to herself and finished up at the stable with a glance back at the house.  Zitao and his crew were still present but they’d moved indoors to speak with Minseok and Victoria.  Oddly enough, Luna found the whole situation rather ironic because, however inadvertently, she’d been a model for a day.  Wasn’t that what Himchan had said of her this past weekend?

                She rolled her eyes at the thought and took another breath before she headed to her car.  The bigger concern of late though was Kris…  Of course she’d told him about today and he was going to want to know details, which wouldn’t be a problem exactly except for… Yongguk.  Kris wouldn’t like that they’d worked together so closely.  Even worse, she couldn’t even begin to tell him that she’d liked it.  Like, really liked it.

                Getting into her car, she sat down in front of her steering wheel and placed both hands on her cheeks, shaking her head.  He was just a friend, wasn’t he?  So why was she getting butterflies just thinking about his hands on her waist again, holding her steady?  And there was absolutely no denying the shiver that had gone up her spine when he’d leaned close to murmur into her ear.  She didn’t even remember what he’d said, only that the sound of his deep, steady voice speaking to her directly over her shoulder had definitely given her goose bumps.

                “Ugh!  You’re so stupid,” she told herself, starting the car to head home.  She sent a quick glance at her phone to see if Kris had texted her at all.  He’d been surprisingly silent of late and she wasn’t sure if she should be happy about it or worried.  She’d expected him to contact her over the weekend but he hadn’t and it was… odd.

                It didn’t really matter though.  His latest message was simple enough.  Hey babe.  Dinner on Friday?  She checked and saw it was sent earlier that morning.  Short and sweet.  Sort of.

                Luna sent a quick response, Hey baby.  I’d love to.  Should we meet at your place?

                Message complete, she put the phone down and headed home, set upon answering his next text when she got there.  She had to stare at it for a moment after she read the text though, certain she was seeing it wrong.

                Luna.  Stay away from that shoveler.  He’s dangerous.

               What the hell?  Taking a steadying, confused breath, Luna called Kris from her car, making sure the doors were still locked.  “Baby?” she asked when the call connected, her voice hesitant.

               “Luna?  Are you alright?” Kris asked immediately, voice tense but otherwise normal.

               “I’m fine.  Are you okay?” she asked instead, trying to focus on him.

                “No, I’m not alright,” Kris growled back, making her jump in her seat.  “That jackass you work with attacked me on the job, Luna.  In front of the basketball team!  He’s unstable and unpredictable and you need to stay the hell away from him!”  His tone was fierce as he practically yelled at her, the command making her flinch involuntarily.

                “Easy, baby,” she soothed, brow furrowed in confusion.  She’d just seen Yongguk not that long ago when he went to… pick up his brother.  “How did he attack you?” she asked, not discounting them running into each other.

                “Does it matter?!” he snapped back, clearly still upset and offended she would even question him.  “You don’t believe me, do you?” he demanded with a savage snarl.

                “I never said that!” she defended herself immediately, beginning to get a headache from the tension in her neck and shoulders.  “I’m just trying to understand.  That’s all, baby,” Luna hedged, avoiding a definite answer one way or the other.

                “Ugh!  Never mind,” he muttered darkly.  “I swear it sounds like you’re taking his side.”  Luna pursed her lips and hesitated to answer.  She wasn’t taking either side right now but having Kris angry and yelling at her wasn’t helping.  “Dammit, Luna!” he snapped when she didn’t give him the correct response.  “He ing approached me!”

                “Kris,” she whispered, trembling in reaction to his tone.

                “I swear to God, if he even ing looks at me funny again, I’m going to kick his ing !” he railed and she heard a car horn in the background.  He had to be driving which didn’t make her feel particularly good right then.  “And if he so much as touches you, I’ll cut his goddamned hand off!”

                That took her aback and she blinked in shock.  “Baby.  Just calm down,” she urged in a shaky tone, more freaked out than she cared to admit.  He didn’t normally threaten violence at all.

                “No, Luna!  Just.  Stay the hell away from him,” Kris stated firmly in a slightly calmer tone of voice and she could imagine him glaring at her.  The thought made her cringe unhappily.

                “I work with him,” she reminded him with a hesitant tone, knowing it was going to upset him.

                “Dammit, Luna!” he hissed back, laying on the horn in the background.  “Get the hell out of the way!” he screamed at someone on his end.  Luna winced and pulled the phone away from her ear but didn’t try to say anything.  He returned his attention to her in the next moment.  “No.  Don’t talk to him.  Don’t touch him.  Don’t even ing look at him!” he demanded acidly.

                “Kris!” Luna snapped, on the verge of tears at his absurd reaction.

                He paused at the sound of her voice and things fell eerily silent on the other end before she heard him take a deep breath.  “Sorry baby.  I got a little carried away,” he admitted in a much smoother tone, letting Luna breathe a shade easier, though the tears were harder to banish.  “Listen.  This isn’t over,” he told her, adding on, “but we’ll discuss it more on Friday.  There are a few things we need to talk about.”

                Well that didn’t sound too good but at least he’d stopped yelling.  Luna took a shaky breath and wiped at her eyes.  “O-okay,” she stammered, feeling very much on uneven ground.  “What time?”

                “Seven and don’t be late,” he stated, making her start in surprise when he just ended the call.

                Immediately, she put the phone down and covered with both hands, taking several deep, trembling breaths as she looked at her reflection in the rearview mirror.  She had never heard him react like that before and it frightened her.  Something told her there was more to the story than Kris was saying and there was an equally sick feeling in her stomach that it really might have something to do with Yongguk protecting his brother.  Right now, she didn’t even begin to know who to believe but if Kris had this side to him… she was even more unsure about the whole marriage proposal thing.

                It took her a moment to collect herself enough so that she wasn’t shaking when she stepped out of her car to head to her apartment.  On her way, she debated stopping by to speak with Yongguk in person but after that phone call, she knew she’d need a moment to gather her thoughts.  Either way, this ridiculous animosity between them was seriously starting to get out of hand.  Never mind the reason, Kris’s behavior seemed to be getting more extreme and unpredictable.  They really needed to have an honest conversation about what was going on.  Very soon.

                Closing her eyes for a moment, Luna convinced herself to take a shower and eat a microwave meal before she found herself splayed out over the couch, staring at the ceiling with too many thoughts in her head.  It didn’t make sense that Kris would have his boys attack Junhong; it didn’t make sense that Yongguk would attack Kris at the school; and it certainly didn’t make sense that Kris would have gotten as upset as he did on the phone over the whole thing.  Ruffling her damp hair with her fingertips, she sighed and scrunched her nose, concluding that speculation was getting her nowhere.

                With butterflies and nerves both vying for dominance in her gut, Luna knocked on Yongguk’s door, wondering what the hell she was doing and why.  Kris would kill her if he knew what she was about to do and the thought really irritated her, actually…  She gasped in surprise when the door was yanked open a few seconds later and Yongguk appeared in the entryway.

                “Luna,” he smiled tentatively, obviously confused but glad about her presence.

                “Hey, Yongguk,” she waved, threading her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture.

                “Uh… what can I do for you?  Would you like to come in or something?” Yongguk offered, unsure how to respond.

                “Actually, I just wanted to ask you something,” she admitted hesitantly.

                “Oh?” Yongguk murmured, glancing over his shoulder before he gestured behind him, nodding back at Junhong presumably, before he stepped into the hallway with her, gently shutting the door in the process.

                “How is he?” she asked before she forgot, feeling bad for not saying anything sooner.

                “He’s good,” Yongguk responded with a smile, rubbing his left arm briskly, his body language indicating he was uncomfortable about something.

                “I’m glad.”  Luna paused to nod at him, feeling nervous but not really afraid to continue like she would if she’d been in front of Kris.  The realization startled her and Luna’s next words were delayed a bit longer than she intended.  She saw Yongguk’s confusion and jumped into continuing, “I… uh.  I heard you sort of ran into Kris today,” she offered, curious to see what sort of response she’d get.

                He made an irritated face as he looked away, not annoyed with her but definitely unhappy about the comment.  “You could say that,” he agreed with a nod, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes.  “I take it you spoke with him?”

                Luna grimaced and hummed in agreement.  “He mentioned a fight?” she cringed, making the statement into a question as best she could.  Saying that Yongguk attacked him just didn’t feel right any which way she looked at it.

                “I’m not surprised,” Yongguk barked a laugh, shaking his head in the process.  “No.  We didn’t fight,” he promised, gently reaching out to grasp her upper arm with his hand.  “But he didn’t like what I had to say when I picked my brother up from school.  That much is certainly true.”

                She chewed her bottom lip carefully and searched his eyes, daring to ask, “And what did you tell him?”  Luna knew it was incredibly rude to pry and she could see in his eyes that he wasn’t too keen on the question himself, but since she had her doubts about how much Kris would tell her, she had to do what she could elsewhere.  It was yet another thing he would have hated and she found herself irritated with how many things she could tally that Kris wouldn’t like in reference to what she was doing…

                Yongguk was quiet for a moment longer, his eyes intense while he met her gaze, debating how to answer the inappropriate question.  He blinked slowly and shifted his hand to brush the backs of his fingers against her cheek.  The caress was tender and gentle, making her shiver while her stomach did a backflip.  “It’s enough to say that I look after those I care about.  That extends to Junhong especially,” he explained in a quiet whisper, edging that much closer to her so that she felt the heat of his presence, a simmering warmth that made her tremble pleasantly.  “But it also means you too, Luna.”

                His hand shifted again so that he cupped her cheek with his palm, the texture a combination of smooth and rough from the calluses he’d developed.  She inhaled slightly when he leaned down, face drawing closer to hers, entrancing her with his proximity.  Mesmerized by his eyes, it wasn’t until she felt his breath teasing her lips that she realized what was about to happen and blushed fiercely, ducking her head as her right hand came to press against his chest, “I’m with Kris.”

                It was a knee-jerk response and she almost felt bad about it for a second.  God, she wanted to feel the tenderness his gaze promised.  She wanted to experience the warmth he offered every time she looked at him, but she couldn’t.

                There was a quiet sigh in response, his breath tickling her hair instead as Yongguk murmured, “I know.”  His voice dropped to an even quieter whisper when he added, “I just wish you weren’t.”  She wasn’t sure if she was even supposed to have heard it but that didn’t stop him from tilting her head up just a hair so he could press his lips tenderly to her forehead.

                Luna closed her eyes and curled her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, holding on tight as butterflies swarmed her stomach, making it hard to breathe.  It became a real battle to keep herself from lifting her chin to meet his lips and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip instead.  “Sorry,” she breathed in a shaky exhale when he finally pulled away, nearly taking her ability to think with the absence of his touch.

                She wasn’t even sure what she was apologizing for, only that she was really sorry about something; probably not being able to kiss him.  It just wasn’t right under the circumstances with Kris between them.  Wait a minute…  She was with Kris.  If anyone was coming between somebody it was Yongguk.  Strangely, Luna was mostly okay with that thought.  Oh dear…

                “Me too,” he whispered, raising his other hand to capture her free cheek, staring into her face as if he could see right through her in the process.

                If she didn’t know for a fact she was wearing clothes, Luna would have thought she was by the way she felt.  The sensation was breathtaking, frightening, and exhilarating and she found she had to step away just to gather her thoughts.  “Yongguk,” she gasped, pushing herself back with the hand that was pressed against his chest, tearing her gaze from his eyes.  It was easier to think and speak if she wasn’t looking right at him.

                “Luna…” he trailed off, brow furrowing while he nibbled his bottom lip.  “I’m sorry,” he apologized, forcing himself to take a step away so that he was nearly pressed against the door, looking chagrined.  He went on when she hesitantly looked up to meet his gaze again, “I just don’t think you should be with Kris is all.”

                “Why?” Luna asked in a mere whisper of sound, hands balled into fists.

                “Because,” he answered immediately, so many things left unsaid in that one word.

                “Because why?” she pressed though she remained where she was standing, not satisfied with the ambiguous response.

                She watched Yongguk close his eyes as he struggled for an answer.  “Because Kris-” he stopped short, eyes still closed.  “Because I-” again he was unable to continue, though he looked at her this time.  “Because you deserve better,” he told her simply, his voice steady and honest.

                Luna bit her bottom lip as emotion welled within her.  She wondered what he would have said if he’d continued his second explanation.  Had he meant himself perhaps?  And if so, why did the mere thought fill her with a strange sense of happiness?  She smiled around the tears that suddenly pricked her eyes, touched by his concern.  It prompted her to tell him, “He asked me to marry him.”

                “Don’t,” Yongguk murmured immediately, eyes closing of their own accord.

                His response didn’t surprise her.  “Yongguk,” she called softly, wanting to reach out to touch him but afraid of what either of them would do if she did.  Her curiosity was almost enough to make her do just that but then his warm brown eyes peeked open to look at her and she forced herself to continue.  “Himchan… told me to ask you about why you changed.  That it was your story to tell.”  Luna didn’t know why it was suddenly important to know, but she felt it would make all the difference.

                “Himchan’s an ,” Yongguk laughed mirthlessly, though he didn’t look away, his eyes gaining a haunted quality and she could almost see the memories he wasn’t telling her dancing across the surface of his gaze.

                “What-” she started to say before the door opened behind Yongguk, making them both jump.

                “Hyung?  Oh!  Miss Luna,” Junhong gasped, clearly surprised to see her still out there.  “Sorry!” he gasped, ducking his head in embarrassment when he realized he’d interrupted their conversation.

                “It’s alright,” both Yongguk and Luna answered at the same time, though the latter frowned upon getting to see Junhong’s bruises for the first time herself.  It was one thing to hear about them, another entirely to get a front row seat.  The one looked eerily familiar…  When he moved to duck back inside, she called out, “Junhong!”

                The taller male paused with his head still bowed, though he looked at her out of the corner of his eye while Yongguk shifted just a hair to be that much closer to him.  It was probably a subconscious maneuver really, but it made Luna’s mouth quirk to the side in the beginnings of an amused smile.  He really was protective of those he cared about.  “Yes, Miss Luna?” Junhong asked, blinking at her from under the fall of his blonde curls.

                She didn’t respond yet, but simply stepped closer with a quick glance at Yongguk, and raised her fingers towards Junhong’s cheeks though she stopped short of touching him.  It would have been rude, considering she really didn’t know him that well.  She was warmed by his unspoken trust when she realized he would have let her anyway.  “I’m sorry to hear about what happened,” she murmured, peering at the bruise around his eye and the healing, multicolored array of discoloration on his cheek.

                “I’ll be alright,” he told her softly, a hesitant smile pulling at his lips, though she could see the split on his bottom one.  They had really done a number on him.  Luna could only imagine the other wounds not visible and had to keep herself from cringing.

                “Did you need something?” Yongguk asked, placing his hand to the taller male’s shoulder in inquiry.  In the exchange, she could see a measure of the concern Yongguk had for his younger brother and she understood just a glimmer more about why he’d taken the attack on Junhong so personal.

                Himchan had said that Yongguk was Junhong’s legal guardian, which meant that their parents were… no longer a part of their lives, for whatever reason, making them the only family they both had.  The thought made her realize she hadn’t called her parents in far too long.

                “Not really, hyung.  It’s just my homework,” Junhong admitted shyly, glancing at Luna out of the corner of his eye.

                “Luna?” Yongguk asked, turning his attention to her, leaving it up to her.

                It would have felt immensely awkward if she tried to continue the conversation so she let it drop and nodded.  “Of course.  Go help your brother,” she waved, edging towards her apartment with a forced laugh.

                “Thank you,” he acknowledged and gave her a small wave, the tender smile on his lips making her stomach do a few more backflips.

                “It was good to see you again, Miss Luna,” Junhong waved, feeling braver when he knew he wasn’t the reason for the interruption anymore.

                “You too, Junhong,” she smiled, letting the lapse go as they avoided the topic of his injuries since it was obvious he didn’t want to dwell on them either.  He just smiled and nodded before he ducked inside with Yongguk following in short order.  It wasn’t until she couldn’t see them anymore that she felt free to move again, conflicted and still curious.

                With more questions than answers, she resigned herself to go back to her apartment.  She still didn’t know why Yongguk had changed, nor did she find any of the main answers she had been seeking.  Even worse: she was starting to question how she felt about Kris but there was no denying what she’d experienced a few moments ago when Yongguk had almost kissed her.

                Her heart was still beating faster than normal and her cheeks were a teensy bit warm.  Ugh!  What was wrong with her?!  What sort of woman fell for another man she’d really only just met when she was practically betrothed to her long term boyfriend of over a year?  Only one that made her heart flutter, filled her with butterflies, smiled at her with such tender warmth, and promised so many more wonderful things with his eyes and gentle, respectful touch if she but let him.  Well damn…  She face planted on the couch with a gusty exhalation.  When was the last time Kris made her feel like that?

                Luna groaned pitifully and closed her eyes, dreading Friday.  That wasn’t good.  She was going to be meeting Kris on Friday so shouldn’t she be happy or excited or something like that?  Luna shivered when she realized the very thought of talking with him actually frightened her.  Not just because she knew she couldn’t tell him yes about the marriage question, but also for whatever else he wanted to talk to her about.  Partially ashamed of herself, Luna covered with her palm.  She shouldn’t have to be afraid…  People in a relationship weren’t supposed to be afraid of those they were with.

                “It’s alright, Luna,” she told herself, removing her hand as she smoothed the front of her shirt reflexively.  They could finally sit down and no matter what, they were going to work out whatever this bit of craziness was between them.  Once she figured out what was really bothering him, she could help him work through it and he would stop getting so mad at things and she could stop feeling afraid or nervous around him.  “He’s not going to hurt you again.  He promised, remember?  Like you told Yongguk, it was just an accident.”

                So why was there a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her it wasn’t…?

                “That’s it.  I’m calling mom,” she told herself, searching for her phone determinedly.

(a/n: Here we go.  We're definitely closing in on the end though so it shouldn't be too many more updates.  It's already shaping up longer than originally intended and I'm okay with that!  heh  I don't do short well anyway.

I am a bit sorry for the teasing in this one.  So close!  Gyah!  One of these days though.  He's trying!  As usual, I hope you've enjoyed and I would love to hear what you think of things, especially since we've got a few unanswered questions and new tidbits of info!  Woot!  If not, thank you for checking it out either way and please look forward to the next update!)