Roommates

Link's POV

Navi is the first to greet us at the dock. I crouch down to give her a good pet while Pik, following his guide dog, steps forward and gives Zelda a hug.

"Thanks for inviting us," Zelda says to him.

"Yeah, thanks Pik," I say.

Malice doesn't say anything. She's in her own world. I don't even think she wants to be here. Makes sense, I guess. Wouldn't want to go on a trip with my ex either, especially not one where we're stuck on a boat for a whole weekend.

Pik chuckles. "Don't thank me. I'm happy you guys were able to make it. After all, a birthday's no fun without a good party."

Impa joins the conversation, having just arrived with Kiroh. She laughs loudly and throws an arm around Pik's shoulder. "Good thing you invited me and Kiroh then, because," she gestures at me, Zelda, and Malice, "these homebodies don't know how to properly party."

Malice, again, stays silent. Usually she'd eagerly take up a fight with Impa for something so trivial as being called a homebody. Her silence might actually be an attempt at hiding from Pik. Since he can't see her, if she doesn't speak, maybe he'll forget that she's here.

Well, if Malice won't speak up against Impa's little insult, I will.

I raise my chin, trying to look taller than Impa. "Don't say I don't know how to party. My fraternity threw most of the parties you've attended in the past two years."

"Yeah, and it says a lot that I attend more of those than you and Zelda combined."

That's fair. Impa is definitely the biggest party animal out of all of us. I don't even care for alcohol, loud music, dancing, drugs, and games that make people do things they usually wouldn't. Never saw the appeal of Truth or Dare. I know Impa loves that stuff, and I wouldn't be surprised if Pik does too, even if I've never seen him at the frat house.

I'm glad I don't have to deal with those parties anymore.

Hm... Maybe I have become a bit of a homebody.

"Alright," Pik clasps his hands, "Now that everyone's here, let's set sail before the sun beats us to it."

A line of yachts stretches out behind him, bobbing gently in the harbor. I glance down the row, trying to guess which one is his. If I didn't already know his boat had four rooms, I'd assume it was the smallest one here. I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that Pik's family has that kind of money. He doesn't look the part at all; he wears a loose graphic T, black swim trunks, and flip flops. Plus the messy hair and colorful tattoos... Even I look more like a rich kid with my Berks and sunglasses. If I took off my cap and brushed my hair, I could pass for a chill 19-year old multi-millionaire pro athlete, no? Get myself a Rolex and a Porsche? No big deal.

"Let me give you a tour of the King of Red Lions," Pik says, turning toward the ocean.

"Is that the name of the boat?" I ask. Pik nods.

"Shouldn't it be Queen of Red Lions?" Zelda notes. "Boats are usually given feminine names."

"Historically, captains would name their boats after significant women in their lives." Pik turns around as if to look at her. "However, since my mother bought and named the yacht, and since there are no other women in the family, she named the ship after our family crest."

His family has a crest? Pretentious much? Then again, so does Zelda's. Can't decide what's cooler: red lions or blue and gold eagles. I'll have to side with the Hyrules on this one. No bias.

Pik leads us down the dock until he stops in front of a white yacht. It's not the biggest one here, but it's definitely up there. The thing's got clean lines, dark windows, and shiny metal railings. Straight out of a hollywood movie.

He steps on first, holding onto the rail while Navi hops up beside him. I help Zelda up, not because she needs the help but because I'm a gentleman. This weekend is going to be super romantic for her. It's the first time she's doing something relaxing since her dad passed away, and I'll make sure it's gonna be a 10/10 getaway.

The deck is made of smooth wood and decorated by white furniture. There's a sunbed and two long sofas that curve around the coffee table like parentheses. Pik walks over to a minifridge in the shade of the second floor deck and hands each of us a cold beer.

"Let me show you your rooms first so you can put down your stuff."

He leads us through a sliding glass door, and damn, this place is nice. Like, hotel-suite-level nice. A kitchen area with actual appliances, two flat-screen mounted on the wall, a whole ass bar, and like three chandeliers for no reason. Everything's modern but not in a sterile way. Old money kind of modern, if that makes sense.

"Inside we've got the main cabin," says Pik. He points towards the other side of a row of glass windows and adds, "You are welcome to use the jacuzzi anytime."

"Jacuzzi, eh?" I glance at Zelda, smirking, raising an eyebrow to tease her a bit. She swats my arm as if it was a naughty thought. Okay, maybe it was.

We follow Pik downstairs into a narrow wooden hallway. No windows, and apparently no AC in this part of the ship. It's freaking humid down here. And crowded. But I guess it makes sense to keep the hallway as narrow as possible; more space for the bedrooms.

"Down here, we have three cabins and one restroom," Pik explains. "The restroom is small, so if you need to, you can use the bigger bathroom upstairs in the master cabin."

Zelda nods along like this is the average vehicle. Meanwhile, I'm still taking it all in, needing to touch every railing, every lamp, sofa texture, wall texture, plant texture. I feel like a five year old at a McDonald's playground.

"Does your yacht have monkey bars and a slide?" I ask, half-joking.

"No," Pik laughs. "But there are two jet skis if you wanna have some fun in the water."

"Bro..." I whisper, eyes wide. "Please adopt me."

Everything here seems like so much fun. I want to stay forever. I mean, imagine having your own yacht! You really don't need a house or car anymore. Just chill on the water for the rest of your life. Eat fish for dinner, watch DVDs on the flat screen, play pool, tan on the sunbed, and drink sparkling wine in the jacuzzi.

Pik opens the door to the first bedroom. A king bed, white carpet, low ceilings, and a long oval window along one wall. The next two rooms each have a pair of twin beds. Impa and Kiroh take the king room.

This must mean that Malice and Pik each get one of the twin rooms, and Zelda and I take the master bedroom upstairs! Hell yeah! Private space for the two of us, isolated from the others. Ocean scenery, drinks, bikinis, hot tubs... This couldn't get any better. It's all screaming summer romance. And maybe... just maybe... This is gonna be it. Zelda and I have been getting closer lately... real close. And after she tried to sleep with me at that masquerade ball on Halloween, and then again at the townhome on Christmas, I have a feeling that she's been dying to take things all the way. I mean, she's honestly been ready since Kafei's bachelor party, but she was drunk that night, so I won't count it.

While Impa and Kiroh settle into their room, Pik shows us the room next to it. It's much smaller, and the two twin beds are on opposite sides. Not very romantic.

"This room is for Zelda and Malice," he then says.

I stare blankly.

What?

I mutter close to Zelda's ear, "I thought you and I were gonna share a room."

"I thought so too," she whispers back.

I guess Pik is hoarding the master bedroom. And there's nothing I can do about it because he's the host.

Hold on a second. I do a quick mental check. If Malice and Zelda are sharing one of the twin rooms, and Impa and Kiroh are sharing one of the king rooms, then that leaves one of the twin rooms for just me. Am I sleeping alone? Is this a punishment or a reward? Maybe this is a prank?

I face Pik, who is standing in the hallway behind us, Navi tucked by his side.

"Uh, Pik," I start, but he seems to know exactly what I'm about to say.

"There's only four rooms," he says to us. "Malice doesn't like sharing with men, so I had to figure out a way to pair her with a girl. Zelda seemed the most logical."

"I think Malice and I should switch," I say casually. "That way, Malice would have her own room."

"She wouldn't. There are two more people joining us this weekend."

Zelda turns to Pik. "Oh really?"

He laughs. "What, you thought I was gonna sail this boat blindly? That wouldn't be very safe."

I didn't even think about that. "Who's our captain?" I ask.

"My brother. He's upstairs, preparing to leave the harbor."

Zelda lights up. "Your brother is here? I'm finally meeting your family?"

"Yeah, you'll like him! He's a lot like you. Very nerdy."

"Hey!" Zelda laughs.

Pik laughs along. "It's a compliment. Trust me."

"Who's the other person?" Zelda asks. "Did one of your parents manage to come along? Or your other brother?"

"Nope." Pik hesitates, then shrugs. "I invited a friend." Another short pause. "Marin."

I watch Malice's reaction closely. She doesn't necessarily seem bothered by it, but it did catch her attention that Pik invited another girl. For the first time today, she's looking up from the floor.

"Anyways, Marin and I are taking the bedroom upstairs."

Now I see why he's hoarding the master bedroom. He's got romantic plans of his own.

I keep my eyes on Malice. Wouldn't be surprised if Pik added that sentence solely to make her jealous. She's still quiet, biting down on her cheek with an annoyed glare that Pik can't see.

I glance over at Impa's room and whisper to Zelda, "Do you think Kiroh would share with Pik's brother so we can sleep together?"

Kiroh peeks his head out. "Dude."

Impa follows and shoots me a look. "Then I'd have to share a room with Malice. No thank you."

"Fuck you too," Malice says to her.

Zelda smiles at me and rubs my arm. "We can survive two nights apart. We used to live in separate houses, remember?"

"Nah. I have no recollection of that at all. Must be some repressed trauma."

Zelda giggles quietly. "Believe me, I wish we could be together, too."

The way she says it—kind of coy, kind of sexy—makes me think she really did want to take the next step on this trip. Ugh, why did Pik have to invite so many people?

"I don't even remember what it's like to sleep in a bed of my own," Zelda adds.

Malice and Impa groan and gag at the same time.

"Get a room," Malice comments. She throws me an evil smirk. "Oh wait, you can't."

I shrug it off. "At least I have a date, loser."

While Zelda and Malice check out their rooms, I head over to mine and drop my bag on the bed closer to the window. I look out the small window. The sunset is making the whole ocean look red. This view would work magic on any girl. Especially Zelda who loves nature and sunsets. I have to find a time this weekend to watch the sunset with her. Alone. Side mission unlocked.

When I leave my room, Zelda is suddenly gone. Only Malice is left down here, everyone else already went back upstairs.

I gently knock on her open door. "Are you not coming?"

"I'm good," she growls. "Never wanted to come along in the first place."

"Then why did you?"

She gets up from her bed, walks over to the door, squints at me, and says, "Mind your own business," right before she shuts the door in my face.

Jeez. What's up with her?

Is she that upset because of Pik? Or did something else happen recently to upset her?

I head upstairs and somehow end up in a new section of the yacht. Looks like a living room but smaller, and more chill. There's a pool table and a minibar next to some sofa chairs, and big windows overseeing the deck. I spot Kiroh and Impa down there, making out with the sunset in the background.

Did not need to see that.

I turn around. Where's Zelda?

This boat is bigger than it looks on the outside. I open the nearest door and find myself standing in the cockpit. A guy's sitting by the wheel, eyes on the fiery horizon.

This must be our captain, Pik's brother.

He notices me in the reflection of the window and turns around.

"Oh, hi," he says, smiling. He gets up—taller than I expected. And lankier, too. I can barely see the family resemblance. He's Pik with glasses and no tattoos. I can tell he's never been in a fight before. He's got that wealthy look, clean cut, perfect skin, freckles, calm smile. Total opposite of Pik, really. Not at all what I expected. Unlike Pik, this guy actually does look like a rich kid. With his beige pants and navy blue polo quarter-zip. He reaches out his hand. Is that a real gold Rolex on his wrist? You've got to be kidding me.

I almost dab him up, but I realize he's trying to shake my hand.

"I'm Ramses."

"Link."

I grip his hand and stare up at him for a sec, thinking where the hell have I heard that name before?

"Something the matter?" he asks.

"Have we... met?"

"I want to say no, but..." He pauses to think, looking flustered as if I put him on the spot or something. He's still gripping my hand. "Now that you mention it, you do look familiar..." He lets out a breathy, calm chuckle. "I'm usually good with faces... Oh wait, you're an athlete, right?"

I nod. "Link Miyamoto. Played soccer and baseball for HU."

"That's right! I remember reading an article about you. It was last February, almost exactly a year ago."

Oof. He must've read about the baseball brawl then.

I try to keep the conversation light with a small joke: "So, are you a fan or a hater?"

He gives me one of those rich person laughs, and before he can answer, the door swings open and Zelda steps inside. He finally lets go of my hand, eyes now locked on her. All of a sudden, he looks confused. And the same goes for her.

"Ramses?" she says.

"Zelda?" His voice softens. "Did my father invite you?"

I squint at them, trying to figure out what's going on.

"Pik invited me," she explains. Her eyes study him carefully. Not in the checking-out kind of way, more like a security guard at the airport.

Then her jaw drops, her brows shoot up, eyes growing in shock.

"Are you and Pik related? Are you his brother?"

The guy nods slowly. "Yes. How do you know him?"

"He's one of my closest friends!"

"Oh, that's right! He went to HU as well. You must forgive me for my forgetfulness—I still often think of him as a Juilliard student. I only recently found out about his... lies."

I have no idea what's happening. Pik went to Julliards? What?

Zelda steps in a little, eyes darting to me briefly before focusing right back on the other guy. "You never told me you were Pik's brother."

She makes it sound like they've known each other for years. Who is this kid? And why does he look so familiar to me?

He smiles, half amused and half embarrassed. "My sincerest apologies. I wasn't trying to hide it, I just didn't think you two ran in the same circles. He never mentioned you, and I assume he has never mentioned me to you either."

"I mean... he told me he had brothers, but I don't think he ever shared any names. It makes sense now; his parents are obsessed with love, and so are yours. And his mother, I mean, your mother—she told me that all three of her sons are named after their zodiac signs. Aries, leo, and pisces. You're an aries, named after the ram, your older brother Leontes is named after leo, and Pik must then be named after pisces. I should've connected the dots..."

When did Zelda meet his mother?

Wait...

No way...

I remember where I know him from!

The masquerade!

That's where I've seen him before! Rhoam's buddy Penn tried to set Zelda up with his son. I didn't recognize him because he was wearing a mask that night.

"But," Zelda continues, frowning a little. "If our families are so close... How come my father never realized that Pik was attending HU? I remember the Scholar's Symposium in my first semester at HU. Father and Pik both attended my speech, and afterwards met outside the lecture hall. It seemed like Father didn't recognize Pik at all. He later even criticized his ripped jeans."

Ramses chuckles, shaking his head. "Last time your father saw Pik was at least six years ago. Pik's appearance has changed rather dramatically since then. From the pictures Pik showed me, it looked like he dyed his hair blue and white at one point, pierced his face, and... well, I don't recall tattoos being part of the ensemble back then."

"Now that you mention it, when your mother showed me a family photograph of all of her sons, I completely failed to recognize Pik. He does look quite different without his dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings."

"Not only that, but our families were also under the impression that Pik was studying at Julliards. So even if your father did spot the resemblance, he might have disregarded it, thinking my brother was miles away." Remy shrugs lightly. "I can't say I blame Rhoam for not making the connection."

Zelda folds her arms, still scanning him suspiciously, as if she doesn't trust the puzzle she's piecing together.

Then a genuine laugh falls from her lips. "So... you and Pik are actual, full, biological brothers? This isn't a joke?"

Rammy nods again, smiles, and adjusts his glasses. "Same parents, same wild upbringing. Pik's just the prodigal rebel version."

"Right," Zelda says, clearly still processing.

I'm just standing over here like a third wheel. Should I leave? I feel kinda awkward. I glance at Zelda. Back at Ramen. Our eyes meet, and he inspects me from top to bottom before he speaks again.

"Oh," he says. "Wait a moment."

Is he recognizing me now?

"You said your name was Link?"

I nod, and something clicks into place behind his eyes.

"I think we're roommates for the weekend," he says. "Pik told me we'd likely have to share. I hope you don't mind."

He seriously doesn't remember me from the masquerade ball. I know for a fact that he looked at me at least once while he was slow-dancing with my girlfriend. I guess I was wearing a mask too, so he couldn't have seen my full face.

I'm curious to see how long it'll take him to realize who I am.