A/N: I think this might be rated M? But I dont really think so, but i'll give you a warning, so...BE WARNED! 

Gary peaks over his shoulder to see his passengers asleep though he was sure Jihyo was half awake due to the turbulence they were experiencing currently. Gary steadies his hand over the wheel trying to control the plane a little better. The distance to his grandfather is closer than Seoul which gives them ample of gas just in case they need to change course.

Straight ahead is nothing but dark clouds and he can’t help but admire the serenity of it all. He needs it, he needs peace. He can’t help but look back again, eyes falling on Nix’s round face. It’s selfish and underserved but Gary already has the peace he craved. And he was sure Jihyo already found hers in Nix as well. For such a small person, Nix had managed to achieve miracles adults only dreamed of.

Gary’s eyes blur but this time he knew it was going to happen. He braces himself before looking beside him and sure enough the little girl is already there, so hauntingly innocent. Gary takes a deep breathe gripping the wheel to help him calm down. The little girl smiles at him, teeth sharp as nails and the smile never reaching her eyes.

Under his breath he says, “I’m sorry.” He dares lift an eye and what he sees makes him gasp. The little girl’s left eye socket is empty, blood streaming down her left cheeks. Her usually long black hair in his nightmare is gone with only her bloody scalp showing. “Oh god,” Gary reaches to help but a hand on his shoulder snaps him out of his daze.

“Gary?” Jihyo’s voice gentle.

“S-Sorry,” he stutters wiping the wetness around his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’m fine, just a little tired,” he lies. Gary was shaking so hard he can barely hold onto the stirring wheel.

It was quiet, the turbulence settling down. “I have them too. Nightmares.” He hears Jihyo say but he remain silent afraid he might burst out crying. “I don’t like to sleep ‘cuz that’s the worst. I have no control over them. They just flow.” Gary feels Jihyo’s warm hand on his shoulder.

It’s the first time Jihyo had confided in him and Gary feels his lip curving to a smile. Everything seems like the first with Jihyo and Gary is reveling in it. He wants Jihyo to continue, to tell stories, Gary would take anything Jihyo will offer. “I could help you sleep at night,” he says before he could stop himself.

“Oh god,” Jihyo sighs and Gary can practically feel Jihyo rolling her eyes in annoyance.

Gary tenses and quickly turns to Jihyo hoping to fix the situation. “I’m joking.” He jokes? He doesn’t.

She frowns at him. “Okay.”

“’Kay.”

The only warning Gary gives is calling out both their names and telling them to brace themselves for landing. Without any watch towers and due to tall grass and weeds forming the clearing Gary struggles to make a smooth landing. He hits his head against the door before pulling on the brakes.

He looks back and sees in horror Jihyo with a bloody nose Nix huddled under her chin. “,” he curses.

“Its fine, I’ve had worst,” Jihyo smiles faintly. She brush the blood with her hand arms still around the little girl. Gary wants to pull her for a kiss but he ignores the impulse and gather their belonging.

He helps Nix get out of the plane, he meant to put her down to stand but instead he held her against his chest, her arms automatically wrapping around his neck. “He doesn’t like visitors. And I don’t think he like me. But-“

Then somebody was shooting at them. Jihyo ducks down and instinctively raises her gun to the area where the shot came from.

“It’s a warning shot. It’s him.” Gary explains. He takes Jihyo’s arms. “Just stay close.”

Jihyo tries to take her arm back but Gary was stronger and didn’t budge. “I don’t need you to protect me.” She hiss.

Gary looks down at her. “But I need you to protect me from him.”

“What?” Jihyo looks confuse.

WHAM

An object hits Gary square on the forehead making him stumble back.  “Don’t even think about it missy!” A familiar voice from his youth warns.

Gary shakes the daze out of his head. “It’s me! It’s me, Gary!”

“Gary?” The figure walks closer and Gary tries to look as innocent as he can. He must have fail because his grandfather slaps him across the cheeks. “Gary?”

“Ugh. Yeah. It’s me. Stop hitting me, you’re scaring her.” He motions to Nix, who did look horrified.  She hides half of her face against Gary’s and the other half looking at the older man incredulously.

“Oh. Sorry little girl.” His grandfather smiles at Nix and frowns at Gary. “What’d you do?”

Gary looks for Jihyo and finds her beside him, closer than usual. He turns back to the older man and sees him grinning. “What?” Gary ask a little apprehensively.

“Never mind me, let’s go in,” he replies with a knowing smile. Gary feels queasy all of a sudden. His grandfather knows something he doesn’t and that’s never a good thing. They follow the older man through the tall grass with the moon high in the sky. Nix tucking her head in the crook of Gary’s neck while Jihyo keeps a safe distance, arms touching his elbow once in a while.

They walk for about forty minutes with no one speaking, the only noise are coming the frogs and crickets. They stop in an area that doesn’t particularly screams secret lair but Gary knows they’re about to see something amazing. His grandfather squats and touches a blade of grass –a grass that look like any other grass- and the ground beneath them starts to shakes. “Hold on to your family, Gary.”

Gary does. He loops his arms around Jihyo and bring her against his chest and when there was no protest he brings himself closer to her, chin resting on her head. The ground shakes for another second and it descends slowly at first then a loud creak is heard before they were tumbling down with speed. It was like an elevator that goes downwards instead of up.

All he can see is a blur of concrete walls as they delve into darkness, the moon unable to reach them anymore. Nix squeaks as the speed picks up and the three of them tumble onto the ground, with Jihyo and Nix on either side of him, both holding for dear life.

Then, it stops. The air feels heavy in Gary’s lungs, he coughs but the tightness is still present.

“Is everyone okay?” the older man asks cheerfully.

“Where are we?” Jihyo asks in the dark, her hand grasping his arm.

“That m’dear is a secret. But come on in,” he croaks. Gary can hear his grandfather shuffle and type in something –password probably- into something –entrance door pad?-. And a heavy metal door unlocks. Gary closes his eyes from the brightness in front of him. “Welcome to my home.”

The first thing that Gary notice is the gigantic evergreens littering the entry way. He whistles. How in the hell did they ever grow that tall underground if beyond comprehension. On his left was a long dining table that can probably seat one hundred people no problem. Above them were lights that shines as bright as the sun in Seoul. Another whistle is heard, this time it was from Jihyo.

Gary glance at Jihyo at the corner of his eyes. He flinches when he sees the dried blood on her temple that must have come from his bumpy landing. Her black clothes were coated with mud with her hair sticking out messily. But he was more fascinated with her lips. It was cracked and dried and Gary wants more than anything to lean in and it.

He was taken out of his stupor by Nix making noises of appreciation and wonder. Maybe later, he muse taking one last look at Jihyo’s lips.

The hallway seems to go on forever but Gary can see over the older man, a wooden door with beautiful carvings. He thinks he sees his name and his father’s carved delicately on the door but he can’t be sure from the distance he was standing in. The older man stops and asks without turning, “Do you seek asylum, dear boy?”

Without hesitation Gary answers, “Yes.”

His grandfather nods. “Are you aware of my condition?”

He feels Jihyo stiffen beside him. Gary doesn’t know. He had assumed that since they were family that his grandfather would take pity, especially since Gary was positive that his grandfather has a soft spot for children. Gary briefly looks at Nix. “No. But, I’m willing to do anything.” His voice loud and clear, chest puffing.

A beat pass and his grandfather shrugs. “Don’t be so dramatic grandson. All I want is…” this time the older man turns slowly to his audience face beaming, “for you and the young lady beside you to get married.”

Gary stammers a ‘What’ in time with Jihyo’s ‘Excuse me?’ His grandfather laughs head shaking. Gary and Jihyo look at each other and then to the laughing man in front of them. “Oh! Oh...your faces.”

“What do you want from me?” Gary asks ticked off.

“I was joking.” He tells Gary with a kinder smile. “Your welcome here Gary, always.”

Gary smiles back with a slight bow. He ignores the clench of his chest as they were lead into another room. He ignores Jihyo. He ignores his clammy hand. He ignores the disappointment that he wasn’t going to marry Jihyo. He ignores all those because there’s no room for that in a killer.

Assassin, he echoes.

He is one. Gary doesn’t deny this. But maybe for once he can, no, he wants to change for the better.

“Where are we, sir?” asks Jihyo hesitantly. Gary knows she was very cautious, he would too knowing this is enemy territory.

“This is my home,” the older man replies. “I will answer all your questions later and you can answer mine when you freshen up, especially you Gary, it’s been twenty years last time I saw you and you look like you still don’t like showers.” Gary rolls his eyes smiling. Nix giggles wrapping her arms more securely around his neck. “Does the girls want to share a room, or, what was your name little one?”

Nix press her cheeks to Gary’s temple and whispers, “Nix, sir.”

“What a beautiful name! Do you want to share a room with your older sister? I’ll make sure Gary’s room is nearby,” the older man offers a kind smile. Gary can’t help but think back when he was Nix’s age and his grandfather bringing him presents without his father finding out.

“I-I want, I want all of us in one room,” Nix says.

“Including me?” Gary’s grandfather chuckles.

Nix giggles. “If you want to, sir. But I want the three of us together.”

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Nix,” Gary interjects and for some reason he feels faint.

Nix frowns. “Oh. Why not, my lord?”

Gary opens his mouth but nothing came out. There were so many reasons. Like he might accidently attack Jihyo with his mouth in front of Nix or Gary might accidently walk in on Jihyo getting dress. It was a very bad idea.

“I’m with Nix with this one. Why can’t we all be in the same room?” Jihyo looks up to him with genuine curiosity.

Gary, again, opens his mouth to protest, but no words were said. “Well that does it! Let’s go to your suite. Two hours is enough, correct? There are towels and clothes you can use in the room. I’ll call for you,” his grandfather says cheerfully.

They find themselves standing in front of a door, vines creeping up against the walls making their way to the door knob. Gary sighs and will himself to calm down. He wasn’t a teenager after all.

The room was huge just like everything else in the underground home. There were no windows but that doesn’t matter because the walls were crawling with vines making it feel like they were in the jungle. It wasn’t humid Gary notices and that was a relief. The bed was so big you could fit ten people on it.

 He lets out a sigh of relief.

“This is pretty amazing,” Jihyo gesture around.

“Yeah. How is this possible?” Gary gently place Nix on the edge of the bed.

Jihyo takes a peek at the bathroom. “My father would kill to have this.”

Gary let the girls use the bathroom first. Jihyo offers her hand to and Nix she takes it with two hands. They skip to the bathroom with towel at hand. He suddenly feel useless and alone so he takes out his gun from his belt loop and starts to take it a part. Gary finds a wash cloth and begins to wipe whatever dirt he can find in the crevices.

He jumps a little when the bathroom door creaks open, fog from the hot shower moving into the room. Nix emerges in a yellow dress her hair messy and wet. Gary stares at Nix’s hair then to Jihyo who was standing by the door still wearing her black outfit. “Did you cut her hair?” He finds it ridiculous.

Nix jumps onto the bed with a toothy smile. “Do I look pretty?”

Gary nods quickly. “You’re always pretty Nix.” The little girl smiles and started to bounce on the mattress.

“Do you…do you want one?” He hears Jihyo ask. Heat pools around his stomach.

He feigned ignorance. “Want what?” Gary watch Nix jump higher and higher.

“A trim.”

Gary plays it cool. “I don’t need it.”

Jihyo chuckles. “Have you seen your hair?”

It’s a bad idea he tells himself. The close proximity he will be in would be the breaking point of Gary’s self-control. He can’t afford to lose Jihyo’s trust, he needs her help to protect Nix. He exhales a big breath before he rejects Jihyo’s idea. “Okay.”

He was only human after all.

Gary gives Nix a smile before heading to the bathroom. And, whoa, was it hot in there. The whole bathroom was made out of marble except for the toilet which was, thank god, still made out of ceramic. “What…where? How do you wanna do this?” He inquires looking at everything except at Jihyo.

“Sit on the toilet,” she instructs.

Gary does what he was told. When he takes a sit, he sees his face on the mirror and he laughs. He, indeed, needed a haircut and a shower, and maybe a first aid kit. There was a gash near his forehead that have already started crusting.

“Don’t we look terrible?” Jihyo was suddenly on his left looking at him through the mirror.

Gary swallows, nodding. “But I’d had worst.”

“Yeah?” Jihyo takes a handful of his hair and uses the scissors to filter through the strands. Gary stays still and tries to ignore the slow rumble of his groin.

“Couldn’t get to the extraction point on time so I hid using the bodies of the people I’ve just killed for two days.” Talking was helping him be distracted at the fact that Jihyo was so close he could feel her warmth through his clothes.

“Did you take a in your pants?”

Gary huffs. “No.” He did pee though.

Jihyo shrugs taking measured cuts of his hair. “I had to crawl through the sewage canal in Jeju with sniper equipment on my back. Had to kiss a few rats along the way.”

“You’re lying.” Gary says accusingly, turning to look at her, bringing Gary’s face inches away from Jihyo’s. 

“Hey, don’t move.” Gary’s head snap back into place. “And yeah was lying ‘bout the equipment.” Before Gary can utter another word, Jihyo had moved in front of him, her face engulfing his whole vision. “This is the most crucial part, don’t move a muscle.”

Gary wants to abort this mission. He can’t do it. He needs to get away…

“Here, I’ll…I’ll just…” Gary’s legs make room for Jihyo’s petite body. He takes her hips and guide her in the middle of both his legs bringing her closer to Gary.

Oh god.

Abort.

Must. Abort. This. Mission.

He stares at Jihyo’s abdomen. And when she doesn’t make a move of cutting his hair, he takes a chance and looks up. She was magnificent at this angle. A breathe escapes Gary’s mouth, unbidden. “Jihyo,” he says, voice lace with lust. When did he become such an idiot around women? “Jihyo, I want to kiss you,” Gary stammers pulling Jihyo closer until his chin touched her flat stomach, “I’ve-I’ve been trying not to think of you that way,” Gary stretch his arms to cup her cheeks, thumb resting on her bottom lips. Oh. Oh god, Gary can’t stop. He then pulls her down to his height, their lips a hairline away. “Let me just…”

He didn’t finish whatever he was going to say. Jihyo had closed the gap and was pressing her lips against his. Gary feels his eyes flutter close, bolts of electricity shooting through his body. Both of his hands held Jihyo’s cheeks like it was oxygen.

And to Gary’s surprise, Jihyo moves to straddle his lap. Gary groans and feels Jihyo smile into the kiss.

God help him.

Gary grabs Jihyo’s earning him a moan, he takes advantage of the distraction to inside Jihyo’s mouth, and, oh boy, Gary was going to blow even before anything happens. His left hand traces the curve of her back wondering what the skin feels like under her clothes. “Oh god, Jihyo, we need to slow down…” He says, biting her bottom lips. As a reply, Jihyo rolls her hips against his crotch and Gary had to grab her hip to slow down the motion. “,” he swears.

“Didn’t know you were this easy,” Jihyo whispers tongue playing with his earlobe.

“God, yeah.” He growls as Jihyo rubs herself against him. Even through the thick clothing, Gary was pretty sure Jihyo can feel him and she was using it to her advantage. She lightly pushes him against the toilet tank, lips tracing his jaw then she stops at his lips, hovering. Gary can’t think, he can’t breathe, and all he can feel was Jihyo on him-

“Someone’s knocking…” Nix calls out.

Jihyo stiffens but lips still close for Gary to kiss. He looks to the door to make sure Nix wasn’t standing nearby before taking and smashing it against his. He kissed her slow, tongue lazily tracing every single molecule of Jihyo.

Jihyo was the best thing Gary had ever heard and he wants to hear it over and over again. He on her tongue earning him a sigh of approval. Gary was just about to pull away and on another body part -preferably somewhere in her chest area- when they both hear Nix’s footsteps.

“Uh. You need to hide my…” Gary looks down at his crotch.

Jihyo giggles. “Got it.” She stands looking properly ravished, Gary smirks. “Nix, I’m coming out okay?” Jihyo says out loud, eyes –pupil blown he might add- on Gary. “You’re a good kisser,” she tells him casually but Gary can feel something had changed between them. They need to talk about it, but Jihyo is choosing to keep it light.

Gary grins, taking the bait. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

Jihyo smiles back. “Hm. Bet you did.” Her eyes landed on his crotch.

Gary’s stomach twist and he really needs to take care of business now. “Uh, you should go. I need to…”

Jihyo nods making her way to the door. Gary was about to his pants when Jihyo place a kiss on his cheeks. “I’d take care of you and your little friend but we need to talk first. Okay?”

Gary stomps down the urge to throw Jihyo on the floor and just go at it. But he reminds himself that Nix is in the same room and they can’t afford to be caught by a child. “I know, Jihyo.”

A/N: What a long chapter! Finally, we see Gary and Jihyo's relationship develop some more! Thank you for reading and commenting everyone, they make me happy :D