...And A Thief Will Kill 

Eyeing up the rest from the front deck of the boat, Luhan and Baekhyun looked over their friends. The group was still on shore, yet Chanyeol and Chen were boarding the boat, as the two spoke. It was obvious that there might be a few issues with Kris and Tao's journey and Lay, having entered the country very... strangely, in the first place would be hard too.  Maybe this wasn't the only reason Baekhyun's heart ached, but it was a big part.

"If Tao shuts up and lays low, this won't go wrong," Luhan stated as he leant on the side of the porcelain ship. It was a hot day and just being able to stand under the beating sun was relaxing. Baekhyun being there couldn't even ruin the well-deserved rest Luhan was about to take on. 
"If Tao is a potential problem, it's obvious that he will live up to the expectation." 
Luhan laughed... maybe for the first time in a while. Actually, that was true, Luhan hadn't smiled in a very long time. Looking at West Korea for, maybe, the last time inspired something within him and lifted an unknown force from over his head. The sparkling, turquoise ocean around them encouraged freedom and the way the sun ate into the water made it impossible not to remember how endless the possibilities were from here on out. 
As the heat warmed his heart Baekhyun looked towards his hyung with equal humour, smiling as he realised how happy Luhan was to be leaving. 
"Remeber when Taozi turned 15? Xiumin made him that peen-ya-tor horse thing with the sweets in it." Baekhyun sounded out like an idiot but his point was well received. 
Luhan spluttered joyous merriment, "Yes! Oh my lord, Tao was mean to hit it but Lay swapped out the rolling-pin with a bread knife." 
Nodding, Baekhyun happily reminisced. He could see Tao now, about nothing and everything all at once. "I don't think we've ever been that close to death before." Baekhyun giggled as Luhan did in turn.
It was nice, just talking under the sun. Luhan hoped that life might be more like this from now on. The breeze in their hair, the salt in the air, it was beautiful.
Feeling so happy was beautiful.

"Oi, what are you two so happy about?" Chanyeol demanded with a giant grin, the fresh air clearing whatever grudge he was holding. 
"Nothing," Luhan smiled with pursed lips, running his hands through his hair to try and tame the mess, "Everything!"
Chen nodded, "Well come on! Help us get the stuff out of the bags so we can go get those liabilities."
Baekhyun and Luhan sniggered as they did just that. 

***

Chen hadn't really anticipated Sehun weighing so little, he was a tall guy with broad shoulders, yet seemed to have zero body fat. Walking up the long plank onto the boat wasn't suspicious for Chen at all. In fact, Chen's bag with his belongings in it weighed more than Sehun. This was a freaking doddle!
Chanyeol, however, wasn't so happy. Kai's fat was currently at the base of his rucksack and breaking his spine. Folding up the 16-year-old brat had been the easy part despite the latter, but now, Chanyeol was wondering why Chen was smiling. It must have been hell in that bag, though, it's wasn't small but Chanyeol wasn't exactly taking care and bumped it around as he stepped through the door.

Meanwhile, Tao and Kris had got their together and managed to get on and back off of the boat in a matter of minutes. In the end, Tao had come across the most eager too as he ran off the deck and covered the ground to where the rest was hiding. D.O., having trusted Tao to take his bag onto the boat prior, was already in palpitations and it only got worse as Tao forced him down into the rucksack. 
"Careful Taozi!" Kris hissed as he watched Tao zip up the bag, noticing D.O.'s big eyes peering out desperately. 
It was tragic no doubt. 
"Leave a hole for breathing!" Xiumin pleaded as Kris also closed him into the sack. 

In hindsight, Xiumin wished he applied for asylum all those years ago. Sure he would have been entered into recruitment and possibly rejected but at least he would never have been stuffed into Wu Yifan's backpack. 

Kris only pursed his lips as Tao began to trail off, holding D.O. a little above the ground and banging the elder against his long leg as he walked.
"Do you think he'll die?" Lay questioned emptily as Suho's concern grew.
"No Xing," Suho rolled his eyes, "I don't think he is going to die." 

It didn't take long to get everyone onto the boat. Lay and Suho were naturally the trickier pairs to deal with, seeing as Zhang Yixing was a lazy and took his sweet time. 
"Thanks, honey." Suho had hissed as he exited the stuffy bag, "didn't know you had spilt bourbon in there... nice." 
Lay's eyes grew wide and frantic, "Neither did I..." He scowled and made a b-lin