Color Codes

Suho   Baekhyun   Chanyeol   D.O.   Kai   Sehun   Kris   Xiumin   Luhan   Lay   Chen   Tao

Waking abruptly as the train jolted to a stop, Kai sat up to find himself on the floor not entirely sure where he was. Caught off guard as D.O. had quickly scrambled off the bed and wrapped his arms around Kai’s shoulders, he jumped at the elders touch.

“Kai are you okay, are you hurt?”

Pushing D.O. away at the memory of what he said earlier, Kai muttered as he began picking their stuff that had been scattered around the room.

“N-no, I’m fine.”

“Well you’re clearly not fine, what is it?”

“I’m fine hyung just drop it and help me clean up.”

Slightly surprised by the younger’s behaviour, D.O. decided not to push it any further and helped put everything away again. Once the room was tidy, a strange look crossed over Kai’s face.

“What’s wrong?”

“T-the train... it jolted and sent everything flying, so it would have done the same in the others rooms, d-do you think they’re okay?”

“I’m not sure... come on we’ll go check, who’s next door?”

“Um, Sehun and Luhan I think.”

Pushing the door open to see a pitch black corridor, Kai hated himself as he took D.O.’s hand and headed out into the darkness. Tiptoeing to the next door Kai gently knocked the door but getting no response pulled the door open to see an empty though rather messy room. Exchanging worried glances D.O. dragged Kai along to the next door and knocked on it.

“Baekhyun? Chanyeol?”

Hoping D.O. wouldn’t notice the fresh tears that were pooling in his eyes, Kai took a deep breath and opened the door. Feeling the rest of his heart shatter as a look of horror filled D.O.’s eyes, Kai swiftly pulled his hand free and went on to check on Tao and Kris by himself only to find the same thing. Moving onto Suho and Lay’s room Kai didn’t even bother knocking this time and almost pulled the door off its hinges, not that D.O. noticed as he was still standing at Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s room. Looking around the room Kai was about to turn back and leave when something on the back of the door caught his eye.

“H-hyung, there’s a note here...”

Pulling it free Kai opened it and read it aloud to D.O. who had not moved from the doorway, but only turned his head looking across the inky shadows over to the younger.

“What once were twelve now are two, whatever are you going to do?

You must find the remaining ten, if you ever want to see them again.

But do not take this message light, for to find them you only have tonight.”

Heading back over to D.O., Kai welcomed a hug even if he knew it would only end up hurting him.

“Hyung I’m scared.”

“...Me too.”

“I-I want our members back, I don’t want to lose them.”

“You won’t okay, we’ll find them.”

“Do you promise?”

“I promise!”

“Okay, I... hey there’s something on our door.”

Heading over to the door, still in D.O.’s arms Kai pulled the note off the door as an eerie moan filled the silence that surrounded them.

“W-what is that?”

“Probably just our imagination... right?”

“I hope so, what does this note say?”

“Maybe some honey water will clear your mind?”

“Suho!”

“...So we look for a kitchen?”

“There’s got to be one on the other side of the dining car, otherwise we’d have walked through it.”

Letting D.O. walk ahead, Kai paused for a minute before ducking into their room.

“Kai? ...KAI?”

“I’m here hyung, I was just grabbing a torch.”

“Why?”

“Because I know you don’t like the dark and I thought it might help.”

“Aw... when this is over I owe you one.”

Feeling like his heart should have skipped a beat as D.O. leaned closer smiling, Kai realized just how hollow he felt inside as he stepped back away from the elder.

“Okay seriously what’s wrong?”

“I just think we should focus on finding the others is all.”

Walking ahead through the carriages they had so happily came through a few hours before, Kai tried his best to ignore the look he knew D.O. was wearing as he tried to catch up. Letting him catch up as they made their way through the dining car, they stopped in-front of the door that now wore a padlock.

“I’m like 90% sure that wasn’t there earlier.”

“What do we do?”

“Can you pick locks?”

“No, can you?”

“No... maybe there’s a key?”

Watching as D.O. looked around for a key he was probably never going to find, Kai saw something shiny out of the corner of his eye. Finding it was a knife that had been left out from earlier, a little light bulb flashed above his head as he grabbed it and turned back towards the door.

“Hey Kai, what are you doing?”

“I’m unlocking the door.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t pick locks?”

“I can’t, but I can loosen screws.”

With a puzzled expression D.O. placed the tablecloth he was holding back on the table and headed back to join Kai at the door. Smiling as he realized Kai was using the knife as stand in screwdriver, D.O. planted a kiss on his cheek while he was too distracted to stop him.

“Kai you’re a genius! How did you think of that?”

“I just wanted to make sure Suho was safe, I wasn’t really thinking.”

“Well I’m sure he’ll appreciate it, I know I would.”

As the lock fell to the floor, Kai just stood staring at it as if frozen.

“...I know you won’t tell me what’s wrong, but I’m sorry, I know whatever it is it’s my fault.”

“If you don’t know what it is, why are you apologising?”

“Because I can’t bear the thought of you being mad at me, I know it’s my fault and that’s enough information for me.”

“...I wish it could be fixed that easily hyung.”

“Okay... but when you’re ready to talk about it I’m right here.”

Trying his best not to feel guilty about staying mad at D.O., Kai pushed the door open and looked into the grim kitchen. Wondering if it would look less depressing once they entered, a small smile momentarily crossed Kai’s lips as D.O. reached for the torch hanging around his wrist and instead of taking it he held it in his hand and turned it on.

“Hyung, you can take the torch.”

“I-I know, but I couldn’t choose between wanting to hold your hand and having the torch on.”

“So you did both... that’s kinda sweet.”

“Well at least I can still make you smile, that’s reassuring.”

“...Come on, let’s find Suho.”

Heading into the bleak kitchen, D.O. jumped as a loud thud came from the cupboard beside him.

“Yah! What was that?”

“W-well it’s under the sink so it’s either the pipes or...”

Stopping mid-sentence Kai fell to the floor and practically ripped the doors open to find Suho tied and gagged inside. Helping Suho out of the cupboard and untying him both Kai and D.O. immediately wrapped their arms around the startled elder.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine, kinda confused but fine... thanks for finding me.”

“We’re just glad you’re okay hyung, you know we’d never leave you lost right?”

“That means a lot guys, is everyone else okay?”

“We don’t know we couldn’t find anyone just these weird notes, what happened?”

“Uh... Well I was sitting talking to Lay, the train jolted and I fell to the floor... the next thing I know I’m tied up under the sink.”

“Talking?”

“Yes talking, we were discussing where we thought we were going.”

Before D.O. had a chance to question this there was a loud crashing sound from the previous carriage.

“Hey D.O., could you check that out please?”

“W-why me?”

“Because I’d like to ask Kai’s opinion on something private, please will you see what it was?”

“Okay... but if I scream you better come running.”

“We will hyung, promise.”

Handing D.O. the torch as he left, Kai turned to Suho slightly confused by his earlier statement.

“So... you wanted to ask me something?”

“Kind of, I wanted to know what’s bothering you.”

“Wow, it really is that obvious huh?”

“I’d like to think I know you well enough to see when your upset Kai, you wanna talk about it?”

“O-only if you promise not to breathe a word of it to D.O.”

“Oh no, what did he do?”

“Well when we got back to the room he was looking in his bag and he found out that whoever packed it didn’t put any of his stuffed toys in it so I’m like well we can leave the lights on and then this voice said there was no exceptions lights were to be out at ten so I said that if he wanted he could sleep with me and pretend I was a giant teddy bear and then he kissed me...”

“Oh you had your first kiss? Aw that’s great, how was it?”

“It was magical.”

“...But?”

“But he fell asleep before I did and I didn’t mind since he doesn’t really hug me that much so I figured well if I can’t sleep at least I can enjoy this but then he pulled me close a-and whispered Baekhyun’s name.”

“In a ‘don’t you talk about my baby like that’ way or in a ‘aw that’s so romantic’ way?”

“The second way...”

“Aw Kai, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault hyung, if anything it’s mine.”

“How on earth could it be your fault?”

“I’m not good enough for him, I’m just the best of a bad situation.”

“Don’t you dare think that, he’s lucky to have you!”

“You think?”

“I know, if he doesn’t see how lucky he is then he’s an idiot.”

“Thanks hyung.”

“...Even knowing about Baekhyun you still love him, don’t you?”

“I do... I feel like such an idiot.”

“Have you told him why you’re upset?”

“No, all he knows is it’s something he’s done.”

“Will you tell him?”

“I don’t know, he’s been acting like normal since the train stopped it’s confusing me.”

Interrupted by several thuds getting louder each time, they both exchanged confused looks as D.O. came back in.

“Is it alright if I come back in?”

“Course... what’s that?”

“Another clue, took me ages to get it unstuck.”

“What does this one say?”

“Don’t forget, while you’re in the kitchen don’t be naughty and eat the junk food.”

“Lay!”

“H-how do we find him?”

“...Check the cupboards.”

“Why?”

“Maybe there’s another clue were the junk food is.”

“We are going to find him, right?”

“Of course we will, he’ll be back in your arms before you know it.”

“...How long have you known?”

“The whole time hyung.”

“Hey you were right, there’s a clue here.”

“You should have packed for this trip yourselves~”

“...Is there a baggage car on this train?”

“The last car looked like a baggage car when we walked past it earlier, we could try there.”

“Sounds good!”

Heading back into the dining car they were surprised by the huge mess that greeted them.

“I thought you were the tidy one?”

“It looked like this when you sent me in here!”

“Oh really?”

“Yes!”

“We can deal with this later guy’s, we have a time scale remember?”

Climbing over the chaos that covered the floor, they quickly headed back through the train desperately trying to keep up with Suho. Not paying attention to how many cars they had run through or even what was in them they all stopped in the final car seriously out of breath.

“Okay, I know we know about you two but it does not mean you can try to kill us running like that hyung!”

“I’m sorry, I just... I need to know he’s okay.”

“It’s okay, we understand. Just let us catch our breath before making us look in here?”

“Sure, I-I guess that’s fair.”

“Come on hyung I’ll help you look.”

Trying not to smile at the confused look on the still exhausted D.O.’s face as he helped Suho look through the boxes and trunks that filled the car, Kai didn’t notice he nudged a box the wrong way until D.O. shoved him out the way sending them both crashing to the floor.

“Kai are you okay?”

“Y-yeah... what happened?”

“You pushed a box without noticing and nearly got crushed by the cascade of boxes on top of it.”

Seeing that Kai was okay if slightly shaken, Suho smiled slightly as he quietly left D.O. to comfort him. Turning his attention back to the boxes, a long wine red trunk at the back of the car caught his attention. Undoing the fraying leather straps and unusual keyless lock, Suho flung the lid open to see Lay contorted inside with a single tear track drying on his cheek.

“Lay! Oh thank goodness you’re alright!”

“Suho? Is that really you?”

“Yes it’s me, baby I’m here.”

Practically jumping out of the trunk, Lay happily wrapped his arms around the elder’s shoulders and whispered.

“I thought you weren’t coming.”

“Don’t be silly, you know I’d never stop looking for you until you were safe.”

“You really mean that?”

“I’m here aren’t I?”

“Yeah, you are.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find you sooner, I-I hope you can forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive, I love you Suho.”

“I love you too Lay, please don’t get taken away again.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“N-not that I want to let go but do you maybe want to get out of the box?”

“Mhmm.”

Hearing the whispers behind them, D.O. helped Kai to his feet as they went to check it out.

“Hyung! You’re okay!”

“I-I...”

“Oh they know, sorry I meant to tell you.”

“Right... is it just you two that know?”

“Um, no everyone does.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because we want you both to be happy and we think you’re a cute couple.”

“So... in other words we have your blessing?”

“Esentially, yeah.”

Watching as a deep blush coloured Lay’s cheeks, D.O. suddenly reached past him into the trunk.

“What are you doing?”

“The fabric lining in the lid looks loose, I just want to check.”

“Check what?”

“For a clue, there could be one behind it.”

“Okay, while he’s doing that can someone fill me in on what’s happening?”

“Suho hyung... why don’t you two head back to the rooms and we’ll continue looking for the others.”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea... wouldn’t want anyone to find their way back to see that mess, they might worry.”

“Please someone fill me in?”

“Well, everyone is missing and we have until morning to find them or we won’t get them back...”

“T-that’s horrible!”

“D.O. did you find anything?”

“And tonight’s catchphrase is... another clue.”

“What does this one say?”

“It’s not magic, it’s the power of a good book.”

“Kris!”

“Didn’t we run through a car full of books?”

“I-I don’t know I was too busy trying to keep up with you to look.”

“Me too.”

“Okay, well we’ll head back to the rooms and clear them up a bit and you guys see what you can find in the book car.”

“Okay hyung, we’re on it.”