Chapter 1 – Riptide

AN: So this story is a bit new for me. It will involve and be based around a gay couple. If that bugs you I hope you open up your mind. Anyway, I'm straight and I've never written about a gay couple before so we'll see how that goes. Also, this first chapter (and maybe a few after) will be almost solely romance-based. This is also new to me because I don't usually write romance. Bear with me and tell me how I did, and where I can improve. I live to become a better writer. All comments are appreciated.

As you read, keep this in mind: I don't own the Suite Life series or any characters from the shows. I only own the original characters you see throughout the story, and the plot.


Cody looked at the running video game system in his and his brother's bedroom before closing the door. Then, he looked over at his friend, Eric, and smiled. Cody gestured to the game console, spinning Call of Duty with a whirring hum. "Want to play?"

Eric smiled and wetted his lips before shaking his head.

Cody tried to calm himself down. His heart was racing and his mind was spinning. A few deep breaths did wonders, but his gears were still cranking mercilessly fast on the inside.

He didn't know why he offered to play Call of Duty with Eric. Cody knew he wasn't any good. He could remember, vividly, all the times Zack beat him. Zack didn't just beat him; he humiliated him. They'd play a match to fifty and less than twenty minutes would pass before Zack would win 50-0. On a lucky day – one when the sun was shining through the rain, casting smallish rainbows on the wall – Cody would get a few points. But he never won.

Cody nearly laughed out-loud. He had no intentions on playing with a game console. There was something else he was planning on playing with. It was standing, white and lean and athletic, in front of him – Eric.

Eric swallowed a lump in his throat. "I don't want to play with that." He smiled again, still nervous. It had only been a week before they started dating. It was still a secret. They each could blame it on experimentation if they wanted out, but neither truly did. When they held each other, when their eyes and lips met, it felt right.

Eric Matthews could remember it like it was yesterday – the first time they met:

It was a Sunday. The rain outside made it impossible for Zack and his best friend, Eric Matthews, to go to the skate park. Instead, they stayed at the suite and decided to play video games. They were both good – Zack was better – but they were both good.

By that point in time Eric had already begun to question his sexuality. All his life he had been surrounded by people who lived and breathed the message: Girls, not guys. But he was starting to notice certain characteristics of certain people around him. Most prominently, he had begun to notice how attractive Zack Martin was.

Zack wasn't tall, but he wasn't short. His dark blonde hair flowed perfectly over his forehead from left to right. His crystalline green-blue eyes seemed to be able to pierce anybody's soul – and melt any girl's heart. He had an attractive face, with modest, yet sharp features. He had a great smile, and an even better flirty smirk. His years of playing soccer and basketball showed in the locker room when he removed his shirt to show defined muscles covering his chest and stomach. Eric was starting to think Zack was attractive. Eric was starting to think he was gay, or at least bisexual. But still, he clung to one thought – maybe it was more of a hope. He didn't feel any feelings towards his best friend, and that had to mean he wasn't gay.

But that fateful Sunday that thought, or hope, was shattered. They were tied, 24-24, playing Call of Duty. That was when Cody Martin, Zack's twin brother, walked in the room. Cody carried with him most – not all, but most – of Zack's physical attraction, but there was more to him than that. Along with looks Cody carried with him an air of confidence and independence.

Zack paused the game, wary that Eric had just entered his sight, and introduced Cody.

"Eric, this is my brother, Cody. Cody, this is Eric."

Cody smiled and extended his hand. "Hey, Eric."

Eric stood, stunned. He couldn't believe Cody was extending his hand towards him. He couldn't believe Cody was welcoming Eric's touch. Eric took his hand and smiled slightly, shyly. "Hey Cody, I'm Eric."

Their hands lingered together, passionately, for a few seconds, their eyes just a few moments longer. But that was all it took for Eric to be convinced. He could feel himself slipping, falling in love. With Cody Martin. With his best friend's brother. With another guy.

He had no idea Cody had reciprocated those feelings in that same, slight amount of time. He had no idea Cody was looking over the tall, athletically built, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, boy in front of him. Eric had no idea Cody was also falling in love.

Zack didn't catch anything. He was too busy thinking about how he was going to pull out his shotgun, turn the corner, and blast Eric's soldier's brains out for the win.

"You ready Eric?"

Eric pulled his eyes away from Cody's for a second, before replying, "Yeah, go ahead."

Zack un-paused the game, but Eric's eyes drifted back to Cody's. Both boys smiled at each other, cautiously – not wanting to come on too strong.

Zack laughed as a message flew across the screen:

zackattackXbossman killed EricTheRed

That was only a week ago but since then so much had happened. It was funny to him how he could think that so much had happened. While it was true, it seemed that words couldn't describe exactly how much had happened. He had fallen in love.

It was a few days after that fateful Sunday when Cody and Eric really decided to give it a go.

"Cody." Eric nodded to Cody, concealing a smile.

"Hi, Eric." Cody wanted to say and do so many things but only those two words could escape his mouth.

"How are you?" Eric was beating himself up inside for beating around the bush. He knew he needed to do something to spur a true conversation.

"Well, I guess I'm-"

Cody was cut off as a nervous, but dedicated Eric leaned in, pressing his lips to Cody's.

Cody felt his eyes bulge and his eyebrows rise. After a brief moment of surprise he let himself relax into the kiss. Cody didn't have as much experience as his brother did, kissing, but he had still dated a few girls. That was before he realized where his true feelings lie. Cody had always thought how anticlimactic kissing seemed, how plain it seemed. But this kiss was unlike anything he had ever experienced.

His head started spinning and Cody didn't know if it was because his brain was working in overdrive or it if was because the blood was draining from his brain to his groin.

When Eric pulled away Cody could only smile like a goofy kid, "Eric… I… that was… wow."

Eric felt a cooling wave of relief wash over him. He had been so worried Cody would take it the wrong way. He had been so worried Cody didn't reciprocate his feelings. But now, those thoughts seemed so naïve, so ridiculous, so small. "I like you, Cody."

"I like you, Eric."

"Do you want to… you know… be together?"

Cody hesitated.

Eric noticed. "I'm sorry. I just thought-"

"No, I do! I do. I've just never done this. With a boy I mean."

Eric shook his head, "Neither have I. But a few days ago, when I met you, when I shook your hand and looked into your eyes, I knew I was falling in love." Eric's heart began racing, hammering the inside of his chest. He hadn't meant to say he loved Cody.

But Cody was put at ease, "You love me? I felt the same thing. I think I fell in love with you too."

Their lips met in another kiss that sealed both of their fates. But, neither knew how tragically it would end. It was almost certain that if they did know, neither would have made the commitment that would make them the happiest and saddest they'd ever be in their lives.

Eric liked reflecting back on those days, so recently passed. It reminded him how happy his decision made him. No longer did he have to hide his feelings. No longer did he have to battle with himself, telling himself he was gay then telling himself he wasn't. No longer did he have to wonder. It was set in stone: Eric Matthews was gay. And Eric Matthews loved Cody Martin.

Now, as the two approached each other, full of passion and desire, Cody looked at the clock gladly noticing it would be a full hour before Zack returned from running his errands, or what ever it was that he was doing.

Their eyes locked, blue meeting green-blue, and then their lips followed suit. It wasn't long before lips parted to make room for tongues that battled for dominance. The feeling sent erratic shockwaves through Eric's body. Some parts of him were completely numbed; other parts were electrifyingly stimulated.

They were reduced into a mass of groping and moaning softly. Hands slid under shirts and mouths and tongues found necks. The room heated up tenfold with pure passion.

Eric slid his hands under Cody's shirt feeling his skinny, secret boyfriend's body. Cody showed his approval by completely removing the garment. Eric followed suit, and they were further reduced into a mass of skin. They each breathed deeply savoring each other's scent, wanting the moment to last forever.

Neither heard the suite's door open and close. Neither heard Zack walk in.

Their kissing resumed with the same passionate fervor. Unbeknownst to them, Zack Martin reached for the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door into his bedroom.

Both Cody and Eric's heads whipped around to inspect the disturbance. Faces reddening, Cody withdrew from Eric's arms, while Eric retracted his hands from Cody's groin and butt.

"What the hell is going on here?" Zack's voice was quiet and forced but it rang out like the scream of a thousand F-22s.

Neither Cody, nor Eric could find their voice; it was lost deep in their embarrassment and desperation to find a response.

Zack could feel his own blood draining from his face in the opposite way his red-faced twin's had migrated. It a shocking and horrifying realization he knew, in an instant, that his brother and his best friend had been making out, half-naked. In an instant he knew that his brother and his best friend were going behind his back, dating. In the most life-altering instant of Zack Martin's life he realized his brother was gay.


Thank you for reading this chapter. Stay tuned for more to come. With the release of this story I have officially put 'Stage Two' on hold. I'm sorry to anybody that wanted the resolution to that story any time soon. I need to re-map-out the rest of the plot and choose how I want to get from where we are now to the end. Don't worry though, 'Dreamer' is still kickin'. We're on the descent towards the end of that story, so I needed a new project. This one came a little prematurely, but that's okay.

Anyway, please tell me how I did with this chapter. I'm in a completely new environment here, writing romance. Any stylistic problems? Typos? (I'm sure there are a few of those) Tips to make me a better writer? I'll take all the help I can get.

A few questions to ponder: How will Zack react? How will Cody and Eric react? How will Zack's reactions have implications on all of their lives? Stay tuned to find out.