Arthur led the way to the port side of the social hall, where the wind was blocked but there was nothing to block the view of—well, all that nothing. The stars, though; they were even more beautiful from the ship than they’d been from upstate New York, endless specks of glittering white spread across the deep black of the night sky.
Rory leaned against the wall of the social hall, feeling the music vibrating within. “No land yet.”
“We’re smack in the middle of the Atlantic.”
“Didn’t actually need the reminder, thanks.”
Arthur smiled. He was looking forward, out into the dark night as well. “I should teach you to swim. First class has a pool—we can sneak in.”
“Hell no,” Rory said, with feeling. “I stick out bad enough in second. Besides, it’d be a waste of time. You, skintight bathing getup, dripping wet? I’ll be paying attention but I’m not gonna learn anything.”
Arthur snorted. “Iamgoing to teach you at some point,” he said, his tone a little more sober, “because I don’t think I can take thinking you’ve drowned again.”
Rory stilled.
“Earlier this year, I thought you’d fallen in the Hudson River, and then you did fall in the Delaware. And now we’re on a boat, and I’m finding it difficult to forget how close I’ve come to losing you to water.” Arthur cleared his throat. “So. You should let me teach you to swim.”
“Aw geez.” Rory moved an inch closer. “Yeah, okay. I’ll learn. I’ll probably stare at you and get distracted a lot, but I’ll learn, yeah?”
Arthur smiled, small but real and grateful. “Thank you for putting up with me.”
“Putting up withyou?” Rory scoffed. “You’ve been putting up with me puking since we got on this boat, staying in the cabin with me when you got better things to do.”
“Everyone gets sick,” Arthur said. “And I assure you, I don’t have anything I’d rather do than be with you.”
Rory bit his lip. It still seemed hard to believe that Arthur was just as into him, but it was impossible to ignore what was staring him in the face. “I can see it now, here on the ship,” he said hesitantly. “You’re so happy to be getting outta New York. You got a lotta pressure on you there.”
Arthur glanced down at him, brow furrowed. “That’s true. I love the city, and I’m sure I always will, but it comes with expectations. What about it?”
“You coulda left and taken the pomander abroad a month ago,” said Rory. “But you were sticking around. For me.”
“You’re worth it,” Arthur said simply.
Rory couldn’t help moving another inch closer at that.
“And what do you think ofgetting outta New York?” Arthur said, straight faced.
Rory half huffed, half laughed in surprise at Arthur’s imitation of him.
“I’m serious,” Arthur said, grinning. “You’ve only left the state twice and now you’re on the open sea with your whole country behind you. What do you think?”
Rory stared out past the railing, where the rising moon had lit the sky. The wind was fresh and salty in his nose, on his skin, the ship vibrating from the engines as it rolled through the waves. He was only inches from Arthur’s warmth, drinks in hand, and through the wall, he could make out that the band had started up “Rhapsody in Blue.”
“I’m on a big ship, not locked up in my room, scared of myself,” he finally said, his throat tight. “I’m going on a new adventure, to a whole new country, with friends.” He swallowed. “I think maybe, if she could see me right now, my mom would be happy. And you’re the one who would’ve made that happen.”
Arthur’s hand made an aborted move in his direction, then he dropped it with a quiet curse. “Darling,” he said softly.
Rory nudged him pointedly. “Let’s go back to our room. I got three days I want to start making up for.”
The evening before they were due to dock, Arthur went to the second-class barber to get cleaned up. Rory, who was never gonna see the appeal of letting some other man run a knife over your face, went to wait on the promenade.
He was holding his cap against the wind, watching the waves, when Zhang’s astral projection shimmered into view, floating in the air past the rail.
“I have to tell you something, but you need to keep your eyes on me.” And before Rory could even process that, Zhang added, “You’re being watched.”
Rory’s eyes went wide and he started to turn.
“That was why I saideyes on me,” Zhang hissed.
