(No POV)

His heart got a head start of himself, beating erratically as he raced head forward to the garage, Baekhyun's voice ringing in his head, without stop. The voice in his head spoke in layers.

"Aren't you always happy to do things for Xiumin?"

"You seem to like him?"

"But you can't now?"

"Would you rather do that, see him come home, battered or even dead, when you knew you had a chance to protect him yourself?"

"You have to actively protect people you love yourself, there is no assuming that they'll be better off without you."

The light at the end of the door glimmered with a spiral of hope that sent shivers down Luhan's spine, he struggled to keep himself going.

A dull roar of the engine rutted to life and Xiumin hadn't spent a split second to look back. He didn't dare, the pain thought would wash over himself if he saw anyone, but. 

He must've been dreaming when a familiar voice shouted over the noise of the car.

"Don't leave me!"

The voice was faint, only so that the eldest man himself could make it known.

"Kris, stop," he whispered, but repeated, louder this time again, "Kris, stop the car!"

"What's wrong?" the Chinese man killed the engine, and the faint sound of footsteps clacked louder with every second that passed. 

Luhan huffed and huffed, a warm feeling rushed through his lungs. Was it the blood rushing to his head from the run? No. A spark of affection cycled through himself. 

His breaths stuttered to a slow stop and his hands met his dusty knees. Xiumin flicked open the heavy door before the van even met a complete stop. Kris followed soon after he changed the gears to the brakes. Those angry eyes of his grew more agitated than normal, eyebrows furrowing in annoyed confusion. 

"Wait, Kris!" A voice that came deep from his throat shouted out, "switch with me! I changed my mind! I'll go with him instead!"

"And what made you change your mind?" he answered flippantly, sticking his chin up in Luhan's face. Luhan kept his head down.

"Let his choice be, I'll call you if we need anything," Xiumin stepped forward, catty eyes grew large in hope.

Kris looked as if he were going to retort but he kept his lips shut, tight, forming a creased line. Luhan simply looked up seeing Xiumin shoot him a look over the shoulder as he turned his heel. Hooded eyes and an arched brow beckoned him to claim the driver's seat. With hands in his pockets he climbed back into the shotgun seat, waiting for his partner.

Kris clapped Luhan's shoulder, stopping his path as he ran to the wheel. 

"Don't mess up this time," he warned and suddenly the burden on his shoulders were lifted as well as the hand. Luhan only offered a wide smile in return.

"Where are we going?" Luhan asked, he knew the address, but foreign to his knowledge.

"To see someone," was the short reply.

"Who? The woman from before?"

"No, the other one, my grandfather, he asked to see me." 

Luhan didn't have to turn his attention to know that it was an odd subject to talk about, especially for Xiumin, or Minseok for the matter.

"Why.. Why after all this time? Didn't they mention that you haven't seen each other and that you shouldn't?" Luhan couldn't help but worry. Things were flowing too smoothly this time now for it not to be a set up.

"Of course I'm nervous too, we are all suspicious, but we have to try and check out what's happening. That is why you are here right?" Xiumin turned to the window, remembering the chance that Luhan rejected him. 

"What exactly did happen?" 

"I came home, just one day, and I didn't even go to school. I was sent to his house, and by the time I returned it was too late, they were dead. My parents were dead," Xiumin pursed his lips, "and I thought that just... at least I wasn't alone, but that man just abandoned me, left me on the streets like I was just some trash."

"Did anyone want your parents dead?" 

"Probably, they weren't exactly hitmen, but they were in charge of training people to become hitmen, like a school, but only for experienced ones. I guess they were on the good side of too many hitmen or something.. they were a threat."

"Did they train you?" Luhan let his mind wander.

"They did, at the ripe age of four, my dad was more in charge of weapon making, my mother at techniques," he tried to remember.

"Four?" he was baffled.

"Technically? My mom took me with her on a mission of sorts, but it's really when I started to play around with the methods and such."

"I don't know if that's a good thing, but if it means meeting you then I suppose so," Luhan tried controlling his face but the heat still rushed to his cheeks after he realized what he just said.

Xiumin was silent, causing Luhan to look over worriedly.

He couldn't see his face, but the pink blush painted on his ears bloomed another warm feeling in his heart.

Shortly afterwards they arrived, suffering through an embarrassingly awkward car ride.

The white mansion at the top of the hill resonated with class, frightening in a way. With heavy hearts they headed on, knocking the door once. No response followed, so Luhan knocked harder a second time, the door swinging wide open.

"What the-" this was odd. 

Xiumin stepped in hesitantly, letting the cool outside air drift into the empty house. 

Luhan opened his mouth to call for someone, but Xiumin quickly clamped his mouth shut.

"Quiet, whoever was here could still be here, we don't need to set off any traps," he whispered carefully into the younger's ears.

Luhan nodded, sealing his lips and treaded carefully, following Xiumin, who seemed to recognize the area. Reaching the main living room they were met with a surprising scene. 

There, laying one the floor was a broken glass, followed up by the man of the hour himself, back facing the two newcomers. A puddle of warm blood still fresh, gathered underneath him.

Xiumin hovered over the body carefully although surprised he couldn't rush things. The body twitched, heaving as Xiumin flipped him over.

"Grandpa, what happened?" he furrowed his brows as Luhan hurried over to support the man's head, putting pressure on the wound.

"Listen my boy, it's too late, they came and gone, I don't know why, they must've known."

"Who?"

"I don't know, but please, listen to me Minseok," he gulped for breath, clinging to the small hand that held his.

"What is it?"

"It wasn't my choice to leave you, but I had to, they took everything from me. I shouldn't have, I know that now, but it's too late," he coughed, a sputter of blood running from his nose.

"I forgive you, but who?"

"I don't know, but there's another thing you must know," he mustered his energy to grip the sleeve of Xiumin's shirt.

"Get out of here immediately after though," he hesitated, wondering whether he should tell his grandson, "your mother, she wasn't who we thought she was."

"What?" he egged the old man to finish before passing out.

"She's the one... who killed your father while you were gone, it was planned the whole time, but she couldn't kill you so she killed herself instead," he coughed more blood, painting half his face red.

The body began convulsing furiously in their arms before going completely still, looking up at Xiumin with eyes that finally turned from guilt to true peace.

Xiumin stretched his sleeve over his wrist, wiping the blood from his grandfather's face with a face complicated with feelings unexplainable.

After closing the man's lids he suddenly stood, turning away from the two.

"Let's go Luhan," he spoke quietly, "we're done here."

Luhan looked down at the head in in hands, which looked so happy and at peace. He carefully let it down, wishing him the best up there in death. He hurried after the older, who was half way out the door already.

Whatever just happened, he didn't know what would happen. He couldn't think of anything to say. 

Xiumin rested his chin in his hand, staring out the window with a clouded conscience.

"Ah, so what'll we do now? I guess I'll maybe go practice my aim again with the others huh?" Luhan tried to ease the tension by making conversation, even if it was more one sided. 

"Hm..."

"Maybe I can get DO and Kai to even come down too, " Luhan fluttered his eyes back and forth between the road and Xiumin.

"Yeah..."

"And-"

"Luhan, you don't have to force a conversation, I get it," Xiumin whispered, "I appreciate the thought though, thank you."

"Ah.. okay," Luhan got the hint and furrowed his brows, concentrating on the road with hard eyes. He thought he pissed off the elder once again, that is, until he heard a small sniff by his side. 

Note: 

Short chapter but it's all I can write for now. 

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