After her nightmare-inducing weekend, Luna was more than ready to throw herself back into work to help get her mind off things.  It was easier when she didn’t have to think about it really, though she was very grateful that Yongguk had opted to check in on her on Sunday, even if she had told him more than she wanted to.

                Fortunately, the bruise healed most of the way before work started again and she had enough concealer and other cosmetics on hand to take care of the lingering effects.  It was still tender but as long as she didn’t touch it, she was fine.  She smiled when Wind’s Playmate seemed more affectionate than usual after she got her ready first thing in the morning.  Perhaps the mare sensed she was a bit vulnerable at the moment and was responding accordingly.  Either way, it brightened Luna’s morning just a bit more.

                She missed Yongguk on her way out to the circuit ring but was eventually distracted by Luhan, Yixing, and Sulli who came to join her in the practice area.  Amber and Krystal showed up not too much later, making lazy circles around the complex as they worked out the newest horses.  Neither of the two competed in shows but they gave lessons often enough and handled a lot of the greener mounts to get them used to riders.

                Just before lunch, Victoria and Minseok arrived, dragging Daehyun and their newest assistant, Youngjae, along for the ride.  A self-proclaimed techie, he was trying to streamline the kitchen, as well as the security system for the house and the rest of the complex, and pretty much driving Daehyun up the walls in the process.  Their cook had been busy that morning and surprised them all with cinnamon scones, just because he could.

                “They have been tested and approved!” he grinned in satisfaction.  “Several times over I might add,” he nodded with a chuckle, snatching another scone up before he handed them off completely.

                “Would you stop hogging the tray!?” Victoria grumbled, swatting at the various hands crowding around as she bullied her way close to snag two of them: one for her and one for Luna which she handed off with a warm smile.  “Here you go, my dear.  Enjoy,” she encouraged, throwing an arm around her in a friendly hug.

                “Thanks, Vic,” Luna giggled, humming in delight at the first bite which greatly pleased Daehyun.

                “Success!” he cheered, taking another scone, the other already finished, before he headed back towards the house.  “I kept some back in the kitchen so you guys can have those,” he waved, glaring at Youngjae good-naturedly when he remained behind nibbling on one of the treats.  “You coming or not, newbie?” he grumbled, giving him a disgruntled expression.

                “Oh!  On my way!” Youngjae assured him, snagging another from the tray before he hurried after the other male.  He was very new but he already knew enough not to try and take anything from Daehyun’s reserved foods or stashes.

                Almost belatedly, Luna realized that Yongguk was still missing.  It didn’t take her long to snag Wind’s Playmate and go off in search of him before the staff could send someone else.  She ran into him on his way to his vehicle, but he convinced her it was alright, alleviating some of the guilt she felt about his absence.  With his confident assurances, she returned to the rest of the group and quickly fell into the day to day affairs of the stables.

                Victoria was practically beside herself later with the news that they had finally scraped together enough funds to commission Zitao to do something with their practice uniforms.  “And he was quite excited about your ideas for the purple riding coat,” she winked, clapping with delight when Luna squealed excitedly.

                “Ne,” Minseok beamed, patting Luhan on the shoulder since he was right there.  “We’ve got the first fitting scheduled for the middle of next week,” he announced, earning excited cheers and murmurs from the group.

                “Do we get new training gear too?” Krystal asked, raising her hand as her expression reflected the hope therein.

                “I think we can finagle something,” Victoria hummed with one finger held up tentatively.

                “Yes!” Krystal grinned, giving Amber a high five as they cheered along with everyone else.

                “Oh!  What about Yongguk?” Sulli urged, pointing out the returning young man as he jogged over to join their gathering.

                “What about me?” he asked with amused confusion, looking no worse for wear for his disappearance.

                “We’re getting new uniforms!” Luna grinned, bouncing in front of him so that she was the first to give him the news, eyes scanning him quickly again just to be sure he was fine.

                “Eh,” Minseok rolled his eyes with a fluid hand gesture.  “We may just have to get him a new and improved pitch fork,” he winked, clearly teasing.

                “I don’t know if I want to give the old one up,” Yongguk responded without missing a beat, eliciting a measure of laughter throughout, though his gaze lingered on Luna with a small smile.

                Being among the friendly and familiar faces was like a balm for Luna and she felt safe in their company.  There was nothing to confuse her and if they seemed to be hovering a bit more than usual, then maybe she was just a good story teller and they thought she needed an extra eye with the lack of sleep she’d had.  Granted, that part was true but it wasn’t the only thing…

                She was almost worried to check her phone at the end of the day though.  Kris had checked up on her again yesterday, a confirmation text to make sure she was home alone and she’d lied because Yongguk had been there at the time, which led her to feel incredibly nervous after sending it.  She’d been so afraid he’d somehow come by or know but then things had worked out and she just didn’t know if she was going to have another text like it…

                Biting her lip uncertainly, she retrieved her phone and turned it on with a daunting sense of nervousness.  She could have sobbed with relief when the only text she got from Kris was: I hope you’re having a good day.  Call me later?  Now that was the Kris she knew and loved.  Maybe the weekend had just been a really bad fluke and they could both get over it and simply move on.

                Really, it was the worst occurrence by far.  They’d argued before and he had a habit of making remarks that often hurt her verbally, which she believed were due in no small part because he was just frustrated with the lack of progress in his painting career, but he’d never physically harmed her before, or kept going when she told him to stop…

                Luna clenched her eyes shut tight and clutched the phone to her chest, pushing the memory away.  It was an accident and he hadn’t really meant to hurt her.  He loved her.  He did.  He wouldn’t have kept telling her that over and over again if it wasn’t true, would he?

                “Luna?”  She practically jumped when she heard the deep voice behind her.

                “Huh?” she gasped, swallowing quickly and giggling with nervousness when she saw Yongguk standing there.  “Yes?”

                “You alright?” he asked, searching her face with his eyes; his kind, concerned eyes.

                She traced a strand of hair behind her right ear and nodded quickly, “I’m fine.  Just off in my own little world,” she explained with a dismissive wave.

                “Ah.”  She saw his eyes drop to the phone in her hands, expression hardening slightly.

                “It’s alright.  It was just Kris wishing me a good day,” she smiled, forcing herself to relax.

                “Oh,” Yongguk murmured in response, his face surprised, then slightly confounded before it evened out into a smile.  “Glad to hear it,” he sighed, the tone somewhat wistful.

                “Um… thanks again for yesterday,” she murmured softly, stepping forward to place her hand on his arm again, like she had the day before.

                “You’re welcome,” he responded sincerely, laying his right hand atop hers, the pressure supportive and warm.

                Luna felt slight resistance when she pulled her hand back, a very subtle shift in his gaze as he looked at her, and she waved instead.  “I should probably be going.  But you’re right down the hall if I need anything, right?” she giggled as she paused at her car door.

                “You know it,” he nodded in agreement, stuffing his hands in his pockets and giving her a slightly strained smile.  She didn’t mean to keep pushing him away like that, but his concern and attention was confusing for her because she was with Kris, and Yongguk knew that.

                Pulling out of the stables, she watched him in her rearview mirror, conflicting emotions making her tense.  He really was good to her and it felt wrong some days to accept his friendship when she knew he wanted more, but they both knew where things stood right now.  And if this text was any indication, Kris was sorry for what had happened recently and it looked like he was ready to go back to being the person she fell for.  She owed him another chance for that, right?

                After Monday, things really did seem to change and Luna saw Kris almost every day after work.  He had basketball practice which extended past her hours on occasion but he sent her a text every afternoon, wishing her a good day, and then stopped by unexpectedly in the evening.  While it was nice to see him, he… hovered.  He followed her into most rooms, held her close when they sat together on the couch, and was constantly touching her if they were just standing somewhere.  Nor did he say much but his gaze was always on her, when it wasn’t checking the front door he locked every time he came over.

                “You expecting somebody?” she finally asked on Thursday when he’d offered no explanation for his behavior otherwise.  His comments had been sparse, if somewhat caustic since she could tell he was still bitter about Yongguk, but he remained physically polite since the weekend.

                “Not at all,” he assured her smoothly, sliding a hand around her waist and hugging her close to him on the couch where they were watching TV.  If his grip was a bit tighter than usual, it wasn’t entirely odd of late.

                “You sure?” she pressed with a small smile, one brow raised.  “You’ve been as interested in my door as you have been with me this week,” she laughed, adding, “I might think I need to be worried.”

                He snorted at her estimation and frowned at her.  “I have you.  What need do I have for your door?”

                “You tell me,” she teased, becoming a bit concerned when the frown lingered.

                “I just… get worried about you being by yourself,” he explained tersely, glaring at the door again.  “It’s not really safe and you spend so much time alone, I’m afraid you’ll forget about me.”

                “I could never forget about you, love,” she promised, patting his knee where they sat together, leaning up to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.  “And as for being by myself, Yongguk’s just down the hall if something happens,” she reminded, flinching when his gaze hardened inexplicably.

                “Him,” Kris grumbled with narrowed eyes.  “I don’t like him, Luna.”

                “He’s a good friend,” she explained softly.

                “That’s what worries me,” he told her simply, leaning closer while he grabbed her hands in his.  “It’s the ones closest to you that you have to be careful of.”  Something about the way he said it made a chill run up her spine and she wasn’t sure if it was just because he was implying Yongguk might hurt her or something else entirely.

                “Kris…” she sighed in mild disappointment, grimacing slightly.  Since Kris had met Yongguk, he’d gotten more overprotective than usual and it was nice, in its own way, but also stifling.

                “Move in with me, Luna,” he blurted out of the blue, cupping her cheek with his hand to catch her undivided attention.

                “What?” she gasped, blinking in surprise.

                “You should get out of this small apartment,” he stated, looking around the room with some disdain, not particularly thrilled about her living arrangements.  “You know I have more room and we’d be able to see each other more and it would be cheaper too,” he went on with a bright smile, focusing his attention back on her excitedly.

                “And further from where I work,” she reminded him with a shake of her head, not eager for this topic again.  “What brought this on?” she asked, caressing his cheek with some confusion.

                He didn’t answer her question and went on with his logic instead, “You wouldn’t have to work anymore if we lived together you know?  You could just stay at home.  That way you could take care of me better since you do worry a bit,” he reminded her with a knowing nod.  “And I could take care of you and keep you safe and close and you wouldn’t need anything else.”

                Luna hesitated to respond as she looked at him with a concerned gaze.  “I do worry about you sometimes, baby.  But I love my job too,” she explained as calmly as possible, brow furrowed when she lowered her hand, giving him an odd look.

                “Luna.  I love you,” he told her, “but you ride animals for a living.  Baby,” he sighed, grabbing her arms to pull her closer.  “Animals are dangerous and unpredictable.  That one tried to bite me.  What would you do if something like that happened and one of them attacked you?” he asked with a shake of his head, hands tightening around her arms.  He kept her from responding by running over her response as he explained, “You could get seriously hurt or die.  That’s what,” he stated, pointing a finger in her face.  “And I can’t have that.  Plus, you clean up after them like some sort of servant,” he added in a patronizing tone, his expression showing how much he thought of her position.

                Somewhat baffled by his logic, Luna’s mouth opened as she struggled for a response.  It was nice he was concerned for her, but this was a little extreme.  “I ride horses for a living and it’s part of the job,” she explained evenly, leaning back somewhat to put some distance between them, not at all liking where this was going.  His outright dismissal of her passion was new and that hurt too.

                “I’m not saying that’s a bad thing for a temporary hobby, dear,” he amended, seeming to realize he was going a bit far as he patted her leg in what she could only read as a condescending manner.  “But it’s not much of a career now is it?  And it’s still dangerous,” he reiterated with a finger held between them.  “I’ve seen you after some of the falls you’ve taken,” he explained, nodding along with his words.

                “And?” she asked in return.  “You’ve been hurt at basketball practice before,” she explained with a shake of her head.

                “That’s different,” Kris stated immediately, offended she could even compare the two.

                “And what’s wrong with my career choice?” Luna asked guardedly, expression perturbed.  “What about Victoria?” she challenged, shifting further away with her arms crossed over her chest.

                “She’s married, love,” Kris told her simply, as if that explained everything.  “Minseok could take care of everything on his own, which is what I would do.”

                “And?”  Luna’s head was spinning over the direction of their conversation.  It was something she hadn’t even been remotely prepared for.

                “If we were married, I would take care of everything and you wouldn’t have to work like that full time.  Though you could help out from time to time,” he added as a concession with a permissive nod.

                “But we’re not married,” she reminded him carefully with one brow raised, nervous about his mention of the topic.

                “We could be,” he responded without missing a beat, grabbing her top hand as he leaned forward, eyes shining at the prospect.  His hands were incredibly warm as they engulfed hers, holding her in place.

                Luna’s eyes widened and she gasped in confused surprise.  “Are you proposing to me?” she asked guardedly, very much confused and… a bit disappointed if that was the case.  It was entirely unexpected but there was nothing romantic about it.  Sure, spontaneity was a good thing sometimes, but for a marriage proposal?

                “Maybe?” Kris asked with a nervous laugh, making a move as if to shift off the couch.

                “Wait!” Luna urged, tensing her arms to hold him still as she felt that familiar sting of guilt in her chest when his expression faltered.  “Slow down, love,” she murmured with a quick smile to buy herself a moment of time though her heart raced and she felt sick to her stomach with nerves.

                “You don’t want to marry me?” he asked, searching her face with genuine confusion, some fear, and a trace of what appeared to be anger.  His hands around hers tightened and she practically watched the potential verbal storm brewing in his gaze.

                “It’s not that, baby,” she placated, squeezing his hand tight to try and reassure him.  “It’s just this is moving really fast,” she forced a laugh, holding his gaze with some difficulty.  “I mean just a minute ago you asked me to move in with you and now we’re talking about getting married?”  That was much too fast for her taste, especially in light of the most recent events.

                “Why not?” he asked, shifting that much closer, almost as if his increased presence would change her mind.  “I mean, we’ve been together for over a year now and you know we’re meant to be together,” he went on hurriedly with a defensive edge to his tone.

                “Just…” she hedged, taking a breath while she held his eyes.  “Let me think about it,” she requested, her lip quickly as her stomach clenched.  It wasn’t what he wanted to hear and she knew it, making her more nervous about asking.  “This is just so sudden,” she hedged, still completely off balance by various aspects of their conversation this evening.

                “If you love me, I don’t see why it should be an issue,” Kris murmured, blinking at her, his hands balling into fists on his lap when he finally let her go.  His expression reflected hurt, rather as if she’d betrayed his trust, and Luna had to fight the nauseating guilt as it roiled sickeningly in her gut.

                “I do love you, baby,” she reassured him with a strained smile, glancing down at his hands nervously.  “Just give me a little time, alright?”

                “I’m beginning to wonder about your feelings for me Luna,” he told her in a flat tone, holding her gaze with hard eyes.  There was that worrisome tension again.  His expression made her feel small and cornered and she had to resist the impulse to shrink away with her hands in front of her defensively.

                Instead, she swallowed and reached to grab his fists, trying to present a brave face though she was beginning to get scared.  “They haven’t changed, love.  I’m still yours,” she promised in a quiet tone, blinking at him quickly.  When his latent anger continued to simmer for a few seconds more, she had to convince herself he wasn’t going to hurt her again; it was a long, tense moment.

                “How much time?” he finally sighed heavily in a grating tone, eyes narrowed while a stern frown otherwise dominated his features.

                Luna chewed her lip nervously, not sure how to respond.  How much time did one need to make a decision on this sort of situation?  That was so not a fair question…  “I don’t know, Kris.  Just… some time,” she stated again, panic warring with her racing heart.  “Please.”

                His frown deepened while he leaned closer, the gesture intimidating as he loomed over her, clearly unhappy about the idea.  “Fine,” he muttered uncharitably when she just stared at him in a frozen manner, glancing away as he pulled his hands free, wounded.

                “Thank you,” she breathed a sigh of relief, offering a weak smile, though his withdrawal and reaction hurt all the same.  She wasn’t rejecting him, and she didn’t know how to better explain it, but she just didn’t know either.

                “It’s getting late,” he grumbled with a glance at his watch, catching her off guard again as he declined to look at her.

                She checked the wall clock herself and noticed it wasn’t even seven yet…  “Oh.  Okay,” she murmured in confusion.  “Will you be by tomorrow?” she asked hesitantly, standing up with him as they headed for the door together.

                He grunted in response while he slipped his shoes on.  “Not sure.  We’ve got a game tomorrow afternoon so I’ll let you know,” he spoke in a clipped tone.

                “Alright,” she nodded, resting her hand on his arm in an uncertain gesture.  When he opened the door, she caught his sleeve in her fingers and reminded him, “I do love you, Kris.”  It just felt like he needed to hear it again; just to confirm what she’d told him already.

                “I love you too,” he sighed, turning to face her as he leaned down and kissed her quickly.

                She was going to close the door behind him when she noticed him pause in the hallway.  Confused, she stuck her head out too and blinked in surprise as she saw Yongguk and Junhong heading towards their apartment from the elevator.

                “Hi… Mr. Wu,” Junhong forced an uneasy smile, holding his bag of what looked to be takeout that much closer, Yongguk standing mutely beside him with a flat expression on his face.

                “Junhong,” he nodded in mild surprise, looking between the two males in growing understanding as Luna came to stand beside him.  “I didn’t know you knew… Yongguk.”

                “Ne,” Luna smiled at both of them, waving in greeting.  “That’s right.  He goes to your school, doesn’t he?  They’re brothers,” she explained, looking up at Kris and thereby missing Yongguk’s slight frown.

                “Is that so?” Kris asked with apparent interest, easing his hand around Luna’s shoulders to pull her closer in a semi-possessive gesture, eyeing Yongguk all the while.

                “Yes,” Yongguk responded flatly, his jaw clenching as he maintained eye contact with Kris, posture tense.

                Luna was well aware of the awkward tension in the hallway and glanced at Kris’s hand on her shoulder with her bottom lip between her teeth.  “So?  Did you guys get takeout?” she asked, forcing a smile as she looked between the two brothers.

                “Ne,” Junhong grinned with false cheer, latching onto the new topic gratefully.  “Chinese food,” he laughed, holding up their spoils.

                “Very nice,” she agreed, patting Kris on the torso.  “You’re both probably hungry so please don’t let us hold you up,” she offered, nodding at Junhong and then Yongguk, rather wishing he’d smile right about now.  After her conversation with Kris, she could use a genuine smile right about now.

                “Oh, by all means,” Kris agreed, stepping past as he gestured down the hall with a smug smirk in place, eyes still on Yongguk.

                “Come on, Junhong,” Yongguk urged, pressing his brother forward first, bringing up the rear.

                “It was nice seeing you Miss Luna,” Junhong waved at the shorter woman, glancing at Kris as he walked by quickly.  “Mr. Wu.”

                “How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me miss?” Luna laughed as he went past, nodding at Yongguk who slowed down slightly before them.

                “Have a good night, Luna,” he urged, finally giving her a warm smile as he bowed politely in her direction.  When he straightened up and looked at the taller male beside her, his face lost all warmth and he simply stated, “Kris.”

                “You too, Yongguk,” Luna waved, keeping the smile in place despite the cold animosity the two were showing each other.  She waited until he started walking before she pressed on Kris’s back and aimed him back towards the elevator.  “Alright, love.  You have a good night too.”

                Kris looked over her head for a second longer, expression smug, before he smiled down at her and nodded, “I’ll try.  Take care of yourself and think about what I said,” he added, bending down to kiss her deeply in the hallway, holding her close.

                “I will,” she gasped with a confused smile, waving at him as he walked away and stepped into the elevator.  “I definitely will,” she admitted with a sigh, jerking in surprise when she caught a flash of movement in the corner of her eye and realized it was Yongguk’s door closing.  Her cheeks burned and she was suddenly uncertain as she wondered if he’d seen Kris kiss her.  Surely her boyfriend had just been saying goodbye to her, right?  Chewing on her nail and even more unsettled, she headed back into her apartment with a perplexed expression.

(a/n: Tadah!  I hope you've enjoyed the latest update and as always, please look forward to the next one!  Thank you!

*update 01/14/14 - this chapter has been trimmed and fleshed out further, resulting in a longer update.  lol  The conversation between Kris and Luna now has more content.)