Chapter Text
"Final boarding call for the Stargazer Screen-Free Cruise, the Stargazer Screen-Free Cruise will be departing in fifteen minutes."
Sami brushed his hair out of his eyes and smiled into the camera. "So, that's all from me for now! I'm gonna miss you guys. A month of nothing but human interaction, no tech allowed! I can't help but wonder if I'll discover another mystery offline - although, after that lost flute, I think I need the break!" He made an exaggerated "phew!" gesture and laughed. "Bye, and remember..." He whipped out his pocket magnifying glass and held it up to his eye. "Stay curious!"
He hit Post and immediately took off towards the bridge that separated the dock from the massive cruise ship, gleaming white with Stargazer painted delicately in blue on its nose. This was an extremely exclusive invitation extended to only the top influencers, celebrities, and important figures. The email that arrived quietly one afternoon had a review attached that described the experience as "Gatsby-esque." Two thousand guest rooms and seven decks with a casino, thirty different restaurants, four pools, a movie theater, a colossal gym, two nightclubs and practically anything else one could want for a month away, and all inclusive, of course. Once they were at sea, the ship would be stalled for ten minutes each evening and the lights shut off temporarily so the passengers could enjoy the full light of only the stars - hence the name.
A smiling stewardess checked his boarding pass against a list. "Over there, please, Sir - technology surrender point." Sami thought they could've made it sound less ominous, but grabbed the handle of his suitcase anyway and wheeled it over to where men in starched white slacks and shirts were standing behind tables - sailor's wear.
"Write down your name," one told him, passing him a clipboard, "and all the devices you're surrendering, and their value. That way if anything gets lost, we have a record." He was handsome, Sami thought, with sun-kissed skin and muscled arms consistent with working outside, and kind blue eyes despite his surly nature. His badge said MAX.
"I only have the phone, the camera," Sami said, heaving the strap of his Panasonic off his shoulder, "and my headphones. I don't have to give you my magnifying glass, do I?"
The man squinted, as if trying to figure out if Sami was joking or not. Then he said "No."
Sami took his time with the clipboard. "Can you please be careful with the camera? It's worth more than my car." His car was a lemon, so it was true, but they didn't know that.
"Yeah, yeah." Sami watched him anyway, carefully bubble wrapping the camera bag and placing it into a hard shell case, then putting his phone into its own pouch and putting that into the case too, along with his headphones. "Thanks... Max."
"Registration is that way. Next!"
So much for human interaction. Sami shrugged and trailed up the bridge to the doors of the ship. He wasn't going to let one grumpy person ruin his vibe. The counter was the same bright blue as the ship's name paint and stood out from the white walls all around it, and yet another smiling lady stood there to greet him.
"Welcome to the Stargazer! Here's your welcome pack." Sami took the huge tote bag, surprised by it - he'd seen people checking in luggage smaller than this. "What's in here?" He had only filled out a short online form outlining his clothing sizes, talking about his likes and dislikes and confirming he had no allergies.
"A short book detailing what's available on board, a neck pillow, some candy, pyjamas, travel socks, medication for seasickness, personalised shampoo and shower gel, Stargazer t-shirt, a ticket book for the casino, house-made jam from the ship's breakfast buffet, and a bottle of champagne." She rattled all this off as if she'd already said it a hundred times, and she probably had, given that Sami was late.
"Wow. And everyone gets this?"
"Yes, sir. Your Stargazer ticket and identification, please?" Sami fumbled with his bags, found his documents. "Mr Sami Zayn. Very good. Your room is on the second floor, breakfast is all day on the third, the gym is 24 hours on the fourth... well, you'll read all that in the book. Will you be wanting a daily wake-up call?"
"Yes, I think so. I'll call if anything changes."
"Enjoy your stay aboard the Stargazer!" Sami smiled at her and took his room key.
The rooms were more like miniature suites, with the bathroom almost bigger than the rest of the room. The blue and white theme continued here, and Sami automatically reached for his phone to record it before remembering it wasn't there. He would have to get used to that. He explored the room instead. That bathroom with a hot-tub style bath, but there was also a showerhead and detachable shower curtain so people could choose. A handsome, incredibly comfortable four-poster double bed - he almost sank into the mattress when he flung himself onto it. A large fridge well stocked with snacks and drinks, and Sami fished in the tote bag and put his bottle of champagne in there. A wardrobe and set of drawers. A desk and chair, below a window that looked out onto the dock, where people waiting for other cruises stood around. He supposed he, and everyone else, would have an excellent sea view once they got going. A landline phone, with instructions on how to call the front desk. When he went through the tote bag he found a breakfast order form, for anyone who didn't wish to leave their rooms, especially very early. Sami was an outgoing person and was determined to network here, but this could still come in handy.
There was a loud whistle and a little shudder ran through the floor, and then they were gliding away from the dock. Sami felt a thrill; the cruise had begun. Nobody had anything more advanced than the landline in their rooms. Any mysteries he found here, unless criminal, would likely stay here. He decided to unpack, and heaved his suitcase up onto the bed. Nobody could say anything about books, so he'd brought plenty of his favourite mystery novels, and packed his clothes underneath. It took more than an hour to get everything put away correctly. Packing for a month at sea was no mean feat, so Sami had chosen mostly simple shirts, shorts and sweaters, like he was wearing now. Those along with a couple pairs of jeans and slacks, a work suit, and his tuxedo meant he felt prepared for any dress code. There was a laundry room on board, because of course there was, but upon reading the welcome book, passengers were encouraged to delegate their laundry to staff.
Having carefully folded and hung his clothes, Sami climbed into bed and flicked through his favourite book, the one that had started all this for him. Mystery Unmasked, by Detective Rikishi Uso. Sami had been twelve years old and absolutely obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. The idea that a detective could have existed with those skills kept Sami up long into the night, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and stories like Nancy Drew were a revelation - but Detective Uso's book changed everything, waiting for him when he woke on his 13th birthday, along with a comically huge magnifying glass he soon learned wasn't very practical. From then on, he was a town nuisance, investigating everything from his grandmother's smashed milk bottles (the neighbors' dog did it) to who stole a piece of pie from the local diner (a homeless kid who wanted it for his sister).
Though the book was almost thirty years old and well-thumbed, he'd kept it in fantastic condition in the hopes of one day getting it signed. Alas, Detective Uso was a recluse. The only news footage of him was from when he was a very young police officer, rambling to reporters after his latest realisation had caught a serial killer. He'd be a good deal older now, probably too rich to care about some guy who liked to solve mysteries. Sami thought he had a son, but he couldn't be sure because he himself seemed to be one big mystery. Even his Wikipedia was only two paragraphs long. Sami was still obsessed, though his attempt at creating a subreddit for the book and the detective at large had flopped miserably. He never released any other work, and most people in the literary world had no idea who he was.
Sami flipped to his favourite part and read aloud in a gruff voice.
"Turn over every stone, peek through every keyhole, for mystery is everywhere. Curiosity may have killed the cat, dear reader – but satisfaction brought it back!" He grinned to himself, closing the book with a snap. "Mystery is everywhere..." He cast an eye back over the portion of the welcome book explaining the all-day breakfast buffet. "I wonder if I'll find it at the omelette bar."
"Hiiieeee! Good morningggg! Welcome to the Stargazer all-day breakfast!" The young, bouncy platinum blonde woman dressed in the same whites as them all trilled at him. "I'm Tiffy, I'll be one of your staff for the cruise! If you need anything, just ask!" Sami was a little taken aback by her enthusiasm after she must have already said it multiple times, but he gave her a big smile back anyway, not bringing up the fact it was two in the afternoon. "Thanks, Tiffy."
The room was already humming with activity, six or seven other people standing around the buffet. Sami collected a giant cinnamon roll, a bowl of fruit salad and a plate of buttery scrambled eggs, and wandered to a table, feeling a little bit like he was in high school. "Is this seat taken?" he asked a couple, the woman lithe with silky dark hair and the man heavily tattooed and greying in the front. The man, his mouth full, shrugged, and the woman rolled her eyes. "No, it's not. Sit." She nudged the man, pushing their coffee pot towards Sami. "Don't be a dick, we've been here five minutes."
She extended her hand to Sami and he shook it. "AJ Lee, and this pig is CM Punk."
"Sami Zayn." He poured himself a cup of coffee.
"Mm!" CM Punk said, swallowing heavily. "Sorry, man. Can't beat a donut, right?" He wiped his hands off on a napkin, then shook with Sami too. Sami felt proud that he'd met two people right off the bat. Only 1997 more to go. "What do you do, bro?"
"Uhh..." Sami was used to people making fun of his job. Best to strip it down unless people recognised him. "I'm a content creator with a focus on community outreach." The food was to the gold standard he expected and he was glad he had come straight here while things were at their freshest for the day.
"Cool, cool."
"What about you?"
"I'm a tattoo artist," Punk said, flexing his brightly coloured arms. "Inker of the Year five years running, deserved it, thank you very much. My extremely hot wife here is a champion snowboarder. Olympic silver medalist kinda champion, as a matter of fact." Suddenly an image formed in Sami's mind of a tiny figure wrapped in insulated blue gear giving a thumbs up to a roving camera while she sped down a snowy mountainside. "Team US snowboarder AJ Lee!"
"Keep your voice down, sweetie," AJ said. "Came here to get away from all that. Here I'm just AJ."
"Sorry. You were saying?"
Punk continued. "We both were real open about hating social media while being on social media, you know? Next thing you know, this invitation comes in. Perfect, right? A whole month, just humans being humans."
"Seems pretty perfect," Sami agreed. "I can't think why I was invited, personally. I have a pretty thriving online life."
"Maybe that's why you got invited, because someone connected to this knew you and thought you needed to switch off," AJ said thoughtfully. "Meet real people. I mean, it's already working, right?" Sami liked both of them, but he liked AJ more. "I suppose that's right. Do you know who it is? Running this place, I mean."
"White Bear Inc, whoever they are," Punk said. "I tried to find out whatever I could on them, but the trail goes cold fast. Maybe they used to be under a different name."
Sami nodded, though he couldn't deny his ears had pricked up at the hint of mystery to his words. "Or maybe... I don't know. I have tons of friends, maybe one of them works for them and nominated me for this." It wasn't really a mystery worth solving, since Sami was here no matter who invited him. "Either way, I'm here now."
AJ was reading a brochure. "There's a panel on offline relationship building we were gonna go to, if you wanted to tag along."
Sami shook his head. "Sounds interesting, but I think I'd rather keep exploring the ship." He tapped the huge fold-out map in the welcome book. "Seven decks, lots of hidden little secrets, I bet."
Punk nodded, as if he'd been expecting him to decline. "You got a business card? Probably see you around." Sami panicked - Amateur Sleuth was right there on his cards in big bold letters. "I, uh, they're in my room, I'll get them later. See ya." Sami left as fast as he could, realising just after that he'd left his dirty dishes simply sitting there instead of carrying them back. Oh, well. He wouldn't be the first person to do so. He'd just have to do better for the rest of the trip.
He decided to try out one of the indoor pools, so after a quick trip back to his room to change into his swimwear and his hair (mostly) contained by his swim cap, he followed the map, and the smell of chlorine got stronger and stronger. He could hear excited shouts echoing off the walls and the air became a lot more humid.
Absorbed in the map, Sami couldn't duck when a locker opened abruptly and bonked him in the face. He let out a pathetic squeak and collapsed to the floor, stunned.
"Oh shit, I'm sorry, dawg." A little dazed, Sami found himself hauled to his feet. The man who had done so was gorgeous, even seeing stars Sami could admit that. Big brown eyes, tribal tattoos covering his left chest and arm, dark hair that clung wetly to his face and draped over his shoulders. "I'm short sighted, didn't see you comin'. You okay? I can get the medical guys." Sami shook his head, and it didn't hurt. "Think I'm good. Surprised me more than anything." He waved the map. "Should look where I'm going." The guy laughed, revealing perfectly white teeth. "I'm Sami." But the man recoiled slightly when he extended his hand. "I don't really love handshakes." He offered up his fist and Sami bumped his own against it. "I'm Jimmy. You swimming?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Well, I was gonna get out, but we've got a month here, right? I got nothing better to do."
So the man called Jimmy joined him in the pool. It was fairly empty, everyone beelining for the outdoor pools on the upper decks in the sun, so Sami had the space to stretch out, floating on his back. He did a couple of lazy lengths to warm up and then pulled down his swim goggles and dove forward. Sami loved swimming, but he just hadn't found the time to do it since he'd had top surgery last winter, and before that he was too self-conscious. Here, he was unburdened, and he was soon steaming up and down the lane, so deep in concentration that when he was splashed, he almost swallowed a mouthful of water. Coughing, he resurfaced and glared at Jimmy, who was grinning. "What was that for?"
"I can't swim as good as you," Jimmy grinned. "Gotta pass the time." He splashed Sami again, but instead of getting into it with this rude stranger, Sami splashed him back, bigger. This time it was Jimmy who gasped and coughed, and Sami who smirked. "Oh, man," Jimmy said, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "Now you've done it." They started splashing each other, shouting and laughing excitedly, until a misfire from Sami hit a couple instead. "So sorry," he shouted over, mortified.
"You should be," the man said, heavily accented, because now it is my turn." He brought his tree-trunk arm out of the water and showered them both, making them shriek. The woman with him splashed him for the sake of fairness, then another lone man joined in, and soon they were all laughing and water was flying every which way.
"Okay, ceasefire, ceasefire!" Sami laughed, hanging onto.the ladder and wiping his eyes. "I'm Sami, and this is Jimmy." He lifted a dripping hand to shake with them all.
"I am Rusev," the man said, and Sami realised the accent was Russian. "Strongman. My lady, Lana, she throw knives. Circus people, da? But more... upmarket. No bumpkin allowed." Sami had never heard of them, but if they were here they had to be important. "Nice to meet you." After some prompting, the shy German who had joined them revealed his name was Ludwig, and he was married to the blonde who had greeted him in the breakfast room. "Computer science engineer," he said in clipped, perfect English. "I was very lucky to be invited. Nobody else on staff was permitted to bring a partner or family member." That stuck in Sami's mind. Maybe he could find out over the course of the cruise just why Ludwig had been singled out.
"What about you two?" Lana spoke for the first time, a throaty voice that suggested many years of smoking. "You are a beautiful couple, you must have a double act."
Sami felt heat rush to his cheeks, and when he looked over Jimmy was blushing too. "No!" he yelped. "I mean- we're not- he's-- we just met, out there." He gestured lamely towards the changing rooms.
"Oh! My mistake." Sami cleared his throat awkwardly. Jimmy was hot, really hot, but Sami's gaydar had been dead silent. No use in imagining anything would happen with a straight guy. Even if he was gay, Sami would have to explain the other stuff too.
The faux pa had shattered the comfortable atmosphere and they all dispersed soon after, Sami squeezing the water out of his swimwear so he could walk back to his room - he wasn't going to shower around all of them, not now.
"Hey, uh," Jimmy's voice stopped him as he turned to leave. "I'll see you around, Sami?"
Sami smiled. "Yeah. See you around, Jimmy."
***
Sami went right back to exploring after his post-swim shower. He got lost three times, but he wasn't the type to get phased by that, and always found his way back outside. They were well at sea now, and he enjoyed the spray on his face and the scent of salt in the air. He'd chosen soft, dark grey cotton shorts and a green polo shirt, and the breeze was pleasantly cool. The sky was turning purple as the sun went down. In a few hours, the first starlight viewing would be held. He had plenty of time for dinner.
Though the ship boasted many restaurants, and going back to have breakfast for dinner was certainly tempting, Sami had been thinking about seafood since he stepped on board, so he made his way to the large sushi restaurant. His mouth watered at the smells of tuna and soy sauce, and he had no problem ordering a plate of tuna tartare and a large sushi roll containing avocado and crab. As his buzzer went off to say his order was ready, Sami suddenly caught sight of a familiar face. Hair fluffy over his face from the chlorine, he seemed to be concentrating very hard on depositing pickled ginger onto each piece of his sushi, his brown eyes focused. When he straightened up, Sami caught his eye, smiled at him, waved.
Jimmy squinted at him, then looked beside and behind himself, as if expecting Sami to be waving at someone else. When he found nobody else around him, he simply looked awkward and scurried away.
Sami's cheeks heated as he found a seat for himself. So much for "see you around". Was he that forgettable? Sami sighed. Oh, well. He could make other friends, maybe catch up with Punk and AJ if he could find them. The food was so good he forgot to be upset, and soon he was slurping the last of his broth and sauntering back to his room, weighed down by Japanese carbohydrates. It had hit the spot wonderfully, and Sami would sleep well tonight. Pulling the ship's event programme from his crossbody bag, he flopped down onto his bed and scanned the Day One itinerary, running his eyes over the Evening column. Lots of different talks and panels on how to live offline, but after eating so much, Sami didn't feel like attending any of them. The LGBTQ+ mixer sounded more his speed. Free drinks, on until the small hours, people like him around, there might even be another trans man. And one of the nightclubs was hosting it, so he'd get to dance off his calories.
The music was playing at a tasteful volume when Sami arrived, coloured lights casting their beams around the room.
"Sup?" a spray-tanned man asked, flashing very white teeth to match his uniform. "I'm Matt. You single? Taken? Maybe it's complicated?"
Sami was about to answer that he was being extremely forward, until he noticed the baskets Matt was gesturing to - green for single, red for taken, golden for "it's complicated", he guessed. "Oh! Single, please." He tried not to blush as he put on the green wristband.
"Flag pins," Matt gestured, and indeed there were, sorted into bowls depending on the flag. Sami happily picked up trans and asexual pins, securing them to the front of his polo shirt. He was safe here.
"Sami! Over here!" Jimmy was waving from a corner where he sat with two other men. Sami felt a ripple of irritation; was this guy everywhere? And what was with him suddenly knowing who Sami was again? He tried not to get angry - maybe Jimmy wasn't out and had panicked, the way Sami had when asked about business cards? But if that was the case, surely he would've followed him out of the restaurant and explained. Sami suddenly desperately missed social media - they could've exchanged handles, and that would be that. Overwhelmed, he spun on his heel and marched right back out.
Finding his way outside, he took deep breaths of the sea air, clinging to the railing. Only a day here, and he'd already hurt his own feelings over a man. Well done, Sami. Spectacular.
"Sami?" Sami turned and there was Jimmy. "Why'd you run off? I want to hang out again, you're cute. I thought you'd probably show up to this thing, so I came along."
Sami sniffed; under his annoyance there was a little voice that said he thinks you're cute. "Don't play dumb. Looking at me in the restaurant like I had two heads when you'd been all buddy-buddy with me in the pool a couple hours ago." Jimmy looked confused, and it made Sami madder than ever. "What, you can't even look me in the eye at a sushi restaurant? You were practically on top of me in the pool."
"Sushi rest... oh!" Jimmy's face cleared and he suddenly doubled over laughing. "Oh... oh, Sami!" he giggled.
"Oh, so me being upset is funny to you?"
"N-no!" Jimmy had tears in his eyes as he leaned against a wall. "Fuck... god damn it, that's funny." He wiped his eyes. "Oh, Sami, we're both dumb." He turned and ran back in the direction of the nightclub, still giggling.
"Wait!" Sami shouted, deflating at being left again - but Jimmy was back in a moment or two, dragging-- Sami blinked hard, unsure of what he was seeing.
"This is Jey," Jimmy giggled, "my twin brother. You see?" His brother nodded at Sami. "Sup? Sorry about earlier. You thought I was Jim, huh?" Sami noticed for the first time that they were both wearing pins, Jimmy the bisexual flag and Jey the pansexual one.
Once Sami got over the shock, it was easy to tell the difference between them. Jimmy had a rounder face shape, a longer face, his eyes a deeper brown, and when he smiled at Sami he had a small gap in his front teeth. "I think there's a stylist here," Jimmy said. "Imma look into getting my hair done, so we're more different from a distance. And for the record, Sami," he added, "you will never find me in a sushi restaurant. I'm allergic to shellfish. So? Am I forgiven?"
Sami smiled, big and bright. "You are." He scrabbled in his bag, finding two business cards and handing them over. "Nice to meet you-"
"I knew it!" Jey shouted so loudly that several people outside looked over. "I knew I recognised you!" Sami's ears burned.
"Wait, who is he?" Jimmy asked, and Sami was grateful for his ignorance, even if he was pretending.
"Sami Zayn! NotNancyDrew! You know, from YouTube? TikTok? Frickin' Instagram reels?"
"Oh, the voice!" Jimmy said. "I always hear your voice coming from his room. You fight crime or something?"
"Or something," Sami said, blushing. "Look, I'm kind of undercover here. You mind not telling people unless I initiate it?"
"You got it, uce." When Sami just blinked, he laughed. "Sorry. Uce is like... bro, dude, man? It's a family thing." Sami felt warm. "Wanna go back in, Jimmy? Jey?"
"Hundred. Come meet our group. Can I buy you a drink?"
"It's all free, though."
"Oh yeah. Can I order you a drink?"
"...Yes."
He went inside with the twins and rejoined the two men they'd been chatting to. The more queer people the merrier, after all.
"Cody," offered another bottle blonde with very blue eyes, adjusting the aromantic pin on his shirt. Did everyone dye their hair here? "Rhodes. Of Rhodes Tobacco?"
Now Sami understood - the club had a "smoking IS allowed" sign, and a cigarette machine emblazoned with a shiny gold R - he'd seen similar ones all over the ship. The company had probably sponsored half the cruise. He shook Cody's hand. "Wow. What are you doing here? Doesn't keeping your business alive kind of depend on technology nowadays?"
"All of us depend on it, sweets," said the man next to him, sipping on his beer. "That's the point." He switched his pint to the other hand and extended it to Sami, the light reflecting off his gay flag pin. "Wade Barrett-"
"The hockey broadcaster," Sami smiled. "I'm Canadian, I know some sports. Nice to meet you both." Though he exchanged pleasantries with the others, the chemistry was undeniable between him and Jimmy as the place filled, the drink flowed and the music got turned up. At some point Jey slipped away, eyeing Cody, and a few minutes later Cody followed him. "They think they're being subtle," Wade Barrett said in his ear, and Sami laughed. "As long as it's in the air, I'm going to go flirt with the bombshell giving out the wristbands. You two all right here?" Seeming satisfied that they would be, he swaggered away. Sami laughed again, turning to Jimmy, who was frowning and fanning himself. "You okay?"
"Too hot," Jimmy mouthed, and he was off like a shot, limber despite his three drinks. Bemused, Sami followed, finding him outside breathing heavily in the cool air. "You okay, Jimmy?" he asked again. "Need me to go find your brother?"
"Nah." Jimmy wiped his forehead. "I'm okay, I just got overstimulated." He tried to smile at Sami. "I need another minute. Why don't you go back in?" Sami flicked his eyes down to catch the colour of his wristband - green. "No, it's okay. You never said what you did - are you and Jey in some sort of family business, or...?"
Jimmy giggled, looking relieved for the reason to laugh. "No! Our dad used his connections to get us here. He used to be with the police, but neither of us wanted that for ourselves." He reached out, wound his fingers into Sami's. "You're single?"
Sami smiled, squeezing his hand. "Uh-huh."
"Sorry, I should've asked to hold your hand." Jimmy was adorably awkward.
"No, it's okay. Can I put my arms around you?" He gasped excitedly when Jimmy grabbed his polo shirt and tugged him closer, and wrapped his arms around Jimmy's neck. They looked at each other, smelling the liquor on each other's breaths.
"Can I kiss you?" Jimmy asked, and Sami leaned in. Sami loved kissing, it made his stomach churn in a good way, and Jimmy was a sweet, gentle kisser. Sami pulled back to grin shyly at him, and dove back in. When he opened his mouth a little Sami didn't resist, and Jimmy's tongue made him shiver.
The ship's horn blew loudly and they sprang apart with a yell. Looking at each other bashfully, Sami laughed. "Thank you. That was very nice." The air stung his red face, and Jimmy was pink-cheeked too. "My number is on the business card... though I suppose that doesn't apply here." It wasn't much of a flirt, but Jimmy smiled and came closer. "Maybe I could take you on a real date, face to face, like real people. Tomorrow?" Sami smiled and put his arms back around him. "I'll come find you at breakfast."
Something suddenly started vibrating between them and Sami squealed at the strange feeling, withdrawing. "Shit, sorry, sorry," Jimmy swore. "My pager, I silenced it." He retrieved an old-fashioned pager from his front pocket and answered it. "What's up, Dad? Yes, sir. Yeah, Jey and I are at the mixer I told you about. Hey, guess what, we met the Rhodes of Rhodes Tobacco! Well, his son. He'll probably give you free product if you drop your own name." A pause, and his expression turned obstinate. "She is not my mother, I won't have dinner with her. Myself and Jey will eat later. Look, can't we just work up to this stuff, trust me that I'm interacting with a human being right this minute?" Sami took his hand and he smiled. "Okay, whatever! I'll see you when I come to bed." He hung up, rolling his eyes. "Spark notes, my dad tagged along on this trip, brought our stepmother who's about our age, totally disrespects our actual mother's memory, expects me and Jey to play happy families just because we're forced to talk to each other. Insisted we carry these things too, so we could still talk. Had us hide them. Fucking cops, the rules never apply to them." Sami was still holding his hand, and rubbed his thumb over it. "Sorry. You didn't ask to know any of that." Jimmy let go of Sami's hand to push his hair back, sighing.
"S'okay," Sami shrugged. "I got my stuff too. Maybe not as dramatic as all that, but," he gestured at his pins, "I only came out on my channel three years ago, after I'd already built a pretty big online audience presenting as a cis man. There was some nasty stuff in response. I had to move."
"Wow. You win, I think." Sami couldn't help laughing at that, and then they were both feeling better. "I think this cruise is gonna be good. Maybe they'll die down if I'm gone for a whole month."
Just then, an announcement came over the loudspeakers. "Good evening, passengers. Our first Stargaze Viewing will commence in fifteen minutes, during which we will gradually be slowing to a stop. Thank you, and have a pleasant Stargaze!" This message repeated in a few languages, and then English again to finish.
"I'd better make a move," Sami said. "See you around?"
Jimmy smiled big. "Yeah! I'll go detach Jey from whoever he's kissing and meet you there, k? It'll probably be special, since it's the first night, so I wanna see." Sami walked away feeling like he was walking on air. He'd met a cute boy, and kissed him, and arranged a date for tomorrow. His friends would be so proud.
The fourth deck, the biggest one with a pool at the very front that looked over the stern of the ship, was buzzing with activity. Two thousand people seemed like two hundred thousand when most of them were in one spot. Sami squeezed into a seat where he could find one, next to a Herculean figure of a man, showing off his massive arms in a tank top that had a snake on it. Probably some kind of important athlete, if Sami had to guess. Though he looked fierce, Sami had read enough about archetypes to figure he'd soften instantly for a person in crisis. "I like your Atheris squamigera."
"My huh?" The man looked down at himself as if expecting a wardrobe malfunction.
Sami pointed at his tank top. "African bush viper."
"Oh, is that what it is? I just thought the snake was cool." The man smiled and his whole face changed, making him look happy and approachable. His smile was crooked, suggesting a broken jaw at some point. He held out a great paw of a hand and Sami shook it. "Randy Orton. You know, 108.7, The Viper?" The nickname stirred something in Sami.
"I... don't listen to the radio," Sami said awkwardly. "But I swear I know your face."
That crooked smile again. "I was a boxer forever ago, an MMA fighter too. Cared more about my brain than I did about winning, so now I run the decks and the show is even named after me." Sami remembered now, his face adorning massive banners hanging outside of stadiums. "I'll have to tune in sometime. When we have our technology back, I mean."
They were saved from having to think of further conversation topics by microphone feedback. "Okay, everyone!" A woman in the staff uniform was calling from the front, where a spotlight shone on her. "We have now come to a total stop, and are going to turn off all the lights so you can enjoy the light of only our solar system. This will last ten minutes, during which time services will be suspended to avoid injuries in the low light. Thank you, and have a wonderful Stargaze!" Everyone cheered and clapped and she stepped down.
As the lights began to fade out, Sami felt a tap on his shoulder, and Jimmy was smiling down at him. "Am I late?"
"No," Sami said in a low voice. "They're just getting started - here -" He looked around, but every seat was taken. Hoping it wasn't too forward, he patted his lap. "You want to sit?"
Jimmy laughed - Sami liked his laugh - and shook his head. "I'd get in your way." He squatted instead, leaning against Sami.
The lights went out - and the whole ship was cast in a glow under the stars. Everyone ooh'ed and aah'ed, and Sami stared at the stars until his eyes watered, unable to believe the universe could create something so beautiful. Focusing in on one that seemed to shine brighter than the others, he squeezed his eyes shut and wished with all his might.
I wish I had a real mystery to solve!
"What'd you wish for?" Jimmy murmured next to him. Sami smiled at him. "Can't tell you, can I? Or it won't come true."
"Well," Jimmy whispered back, "I wished for a cute guy to kiss me under the starlight. Will it come true?"
That was so much better than anything Sami had come up with. His second kiss with Jimmy was shy, full of teeth, but it made Sami want another and another. Making out under the stars was just about the most romantic thing Sami had ever done, and it only took one night away from his devices. They broke apart, both blushing again and smiling shyly at each other, and linked hands to watch for the rest of the time.
The lights slowly started to come back up, everyone blinking in the artifical glare, and Sami squeezed Jimmy's hand. "Can I take you for ice cream?"
"Yeah!" Jimmy cheered, kissing Sami's hand. "I love ice cream."
Before Sami could ask about flavour preferences, maybe tease Jimmy a little, a snatch of conversation filtered over to him. "Look, honey, they've even colored the pool. I wonder if it's UV reactive."
Sami looked over, and for a moment he agreed; in the half-light, it looked like they had simply dyed the pool. Stretching tendrils out through the water, the dye floated and dispersed, and as someone shone their flashlight on it, it came up a cloudy red. It almost looked like... Sami followed the path of the dye.
Screams. Floodlights on the pool. The body of the man floating face up, his white uniform ruined with red blossoms and those kind blue eyes open but not seeing as his blood eked into the water. In case Sami was in any doubt, his name badge was still attached. MAX.