The slow churning of the sea always calmed him, always calmed them both. Even if Zack wouldn't admit it aloud, he knew that it was something they shared in common. It was almost surreal, the way they sighed in unison, watching the stars, hands behind their heads, secluded from the rest of the ship.

If anyone were to catch them up here, he'd point his finger straight at Zack and claim that it was all his fault, that Zack conned him or forced him or blackmailed him into this.

Anything to keep himself out of trouble, to keep himself from admitting that he craved this, that he wanted to be alone with his brother for a little while, that he needed it.

Ever since the Gemini project, it felt like something between them was left unsaid; Cody guessed…no, he knew Zack felt it to. Even as the weird fruit wore off, even as they went their separate ways…he felt those unsaid words, lingering between them, making every kiss he shared with Bailey feel awkward and emotionless.

That's what really made him decide to sneak out with Zack tonight, to hide past the measly security and climb atop the deck, higher and higher, through passageways he'd never explored before, recalling how he felt the whole time, how utterly stupid it felt.

After all, he had no idea where he was going and couldn't they just talk in one of their rooms? It was pitch black, naturally considering they were in the middle of the ocean and they conserved power by shutting off unnecessary lights at night but…

The sea churned, waves smashing against the ship, making it rock lightly, making Cody more afraid then he should have been, making him inhale sharply and then curse himself inwardly for showing any sort of fear. But instead of being mocked for it, Zack felt around in the darkness and grabbed Cody's hand, holding it tight. It felt reassuring, too reassuring, too warm and comfortable and it shouldn't have calmed him so much because it never did before.

He couldn't help but focus on that warmth, that comfort and he let Zack lead him through the impossibly black darkness, wondering where his brother was leading him, and realizing with dismay that Zack knew exactly where he was going, while Cody was utterly lost. It was just another thing between them that they didn't share.

The sea.

They really were alike in this way, weren't they? They both loved the sea. After a few minutes of being lead through the darkness, Zack had reached up with his free hand and felt around, finding a door knob that lead to a sort of rooftop on the ship.

Which brought him here, to this moment, lying side by side together, arms behind their heads with eyes drawn to the skies.

His logical side was screaming at him, saying this was too dangerous, saying that they could slip and fall onto the deck and break something. Or even worse, fall into the sea and drown together, nobody ever knowing what became of them.

The thought wasn't as terrifying as it should have been…he felt relaxed up here, safe, even when all logic was telling him that, in reality he really wasn't safe and that they should leave right now.

Cody glanced over at his brother, who in turn looked back and him and smiled. "This is pretty cool, huh?"

He turned his gaze back to the stars, feeing Zack follow suit. "Yeah…" He felt himself whisper, smiling back, enjoying the cool sea breeze.

It was good. This was good, he felt happy and relaxed and Zack gently nudged him before pointing at the stars. "Hey…is that constellation Gemini?"

Cody blinked a few times, and shook his head. He reached out, taking his brother's hand and shifting it. "No, this is Gemini."

"…Oh" … " Hey Cody?"

"Hm?"

"What's the story of Gemini?"

At that, Cody blinked and looked over at his brother in disbelief. "…Really? You seriously don't know?" Zack looked over at him, his gaze more serious then Cody had seen it in a while, and he instantly felt guilty for the scrutinizing edge in his voice.

"Nope. You're the smart one, remember?" There was a hint of a smile on his lips, and Cody relaxed a bit.

He took a breath, deciding to simplify the story, not really wanting to tell the whole thing.

"Castor and Pollux…Or Polydeuces, either one really-"

"Polydeuces sounds cooler."

Cody felt himself grin. "Agreed. Anyway…They were twins. But one of them was a god and the other wasn't. One day Castor died-" He felt something catch in his throat at that, it tasted bitter and made his blood run cold. Zack glanced over at him, eyebrow raised, about to ask what was wrong but Cody spoke before he could. "Castor died and Polydeuces, the brother that was immortal, wanting to bring him back to life, shared his immortality with him. But the price they had to pay was to be stuck in the stars forever."

"…So you're saying he gave up his immortality to be with his brother in the sky? Like…forever?"

His throat was heavier then it should have been.

"Yup."

"…Oh."

Cody felt his body stiffen a bit, trying to silence his mind, trying not to let his thoughts drift, like they always do. He tried to focus on the churning of the sea, the crashing of the waves against the ship. He closed his eyes, and just as the silence was beginning to get comfortable again, Zack spoke.

"…Hey Cody? …If I die-

"Shut up." He snapped, he didn't mean to snap, worst of all he caught Zack visibly wince in the corner of his eye. He swallowed and licked his dry lips, trying to relax.

"You're not going to die, Zack." And before his brother could say anything Cody continued, not wanting to hear it, not wanting to even think about it.

"And besides even if you did. Which you wont. …I'd just find a way to bring you back."

Zack looked at him, and he couldn't help but look right back, finding a grin on his brother's lips, "Glad you're planning to use those smarts on something useful."

He laughed lightly, and felt himself scoot closer to his brother, unable to look away, unable to stop himself from thinking of the future, of the inevitable. He needed to do something, say something, anything to get his mind off of the fact that his brother would, one day definitely d-

"Zack…Why did you really try to mess up my internship?"

Zack looked back at the stars, shrugging his shoulders. "Didn't you figure it out during that weird…mind meld…thing?"

He shook his head. "No…I mean, yeah, I guess that was one of your reasons…but there's another one and I couldn't really figure it out at the time but...yeah."

Cody sucked at stuff like this…at least when it came to Zack. With Bailey, it was a different situation entirely…she…she was his girlfriend and there's a million advice columns and science articles that tell you exactly how to talk to your girlfriend, the techniques were perfected, down to an art.

But how do you talk to your twin? They weren't like 'normal' twins, they weren't. Even when those other twins at the Gemini project got their minds back they were still closer then he and Zack had ever been.

They still held hands and hugged and had this unexplainable, natural symmetry between them that he and Zack weren't able to even come close to achieving without having to be under the influence of some weird fruit.

Even after all of it was over, they still felt like the black sheep of the group, they felt awkward around those other twins, all of them with their smiles and joy and relief that they could be different again, that they could be different together and not apart.

His mind began shifting again to the twin girls he and Zack saw-

"I'm scared."

Cody felt his eyes widen. "What?"

Zack wouldn't look at him. "Think we should've told on them?"

"Who?"

"The twins…Nelly and Kelly…I think. …Should we have told someone what we saw?"

He remembered it far too clearly. They had just had the bad guy sent to jail, the cops having nearly magically poofed in at the perfect time, and instead of just leaving the lab like a normal person would, Zack turned and headed in the opposite direction.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing? Bailey and the others are over that way!" Cody pointed to emphasize, but he didn't need to, the fruit was still screwing with them and he knew trying to reason with his brother was a lost cause. Zack was after the pretty girl and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

So instead of trying he sighed, tugged on the uncomfortable collar of the jumpsuit and followed Zack through the maze of lab equipment.

"Just what are you planning to tell her when you see her?"

Zack grinned. "Ohhh, nothing special. Just that I'm totally the hero who saved her and her sister and she should totally make out with me out of sheer gratitude."

Cody couldn't help but grin as well, and he wondered if it was because of the fruit or if he was just genuinely amused. "Oh? So now you're the hero? What ever happened to 'we make a good team…?"

Zack looked back at him and pouted, literally pouted and Cody nearly burst into laughter.

"Well, yeah we're both the hero but come oooonnn Cody! Give me a break!"

He chuckled lightly despite himself, "Fine. Which way do you think they went?"

Zack shrugged. "Dunno, they seemed to book it out of here pretty fast."

"They might not even be in the lab anymore, Zack."

"Yeah but I didn't see them go towards the exit…"

Almost as if on cue, they heard a gentle thump coming from behind the door directly to their left. They turned their heads at the same time, their thoughts in unison, and Cody wondered to himself if he'd ever actually get used to the idea of his brother in his head.

Zack simply shrugged and said aloud. "How do you think I feel? Come on, lets just check to see if it's them or not."

And before Cody could object, Zack gripped the doorknob and pulled it open, glancing inside. Cody's curiosity got the best of him and he looked over his brother's head, leaning against his body and blinking when he spotted them.

The twin girls they had been searching for, hugging each other tightly, clinging to each other like a life line, only to pull away and one of them, Cody couldn't tell which, wiped her sister's eyes. "Shh, don't cry. Are you okay?"

She nodded, chewing her lip, staring worriedly at her sister. "I thought I'd lost you!" Her voice was so choked, so full of emotion that Cody felt his chest clench…or maybe it was Zack's? Either way, it didn't matter. He was sure they both felt like they were intruding here, like they weren't supposed to be seeing this moment.

The girls hugged again, one of them whispering reassurances, words Cody couldn't really catch but understood all the same. After another minute, he gently pushed his fingers into his brother's back, telling him telepathically 'Lets go'

Zack agreed, but before they could leave he spotted something, something that made his body go stiff and Cody glanced curiously in the girls direction.

He couldn't believe it.

They…they were kissing.

One of the twins, Kelly, maybe, wrapped her arms around her sister, burying a hand in her blonde hair, keeping their lips tightly connected.

They were really kissing, desperately. And they didn't stop. Over and over again their lips collided, only pulling apart briefly to catch air, their bodies pressed as tightly against each other as their lips.

It was as if they needed each other to survive.

In between desperate kisses they whispered, loud enough that Cody could hear, loud enough that he knew Zack could hear, too.

"I love you so much, I thought I lost you. I was so scared."

"Shh, don't be scared baby, I'm here. I'll never leave you again."

"I love you, I love you."

"I love you too, I'm so sorry. I love you too. Don't cry. I'm here. I love you. I love you."

They kissed again, and Cody couldn't stop himself from thinking that he and Bailey never kissed like kisses they shared were always soft, and sweet, and not at all desperate and nowhere near as passionate. They never clung to each other like this, like there was nothing else in the world but them, never whispered such powerful reassurances, never so sure of their emotions.

Cody had always thought that such a thing, such emotions were reserved for adults only, that one day, when he was older things like this would just happen, just fall into place. He told himself that at this age he wasn't capable of understanding what love really was.

But these girls, these twin sisters were ..in love. Undeniably, desperately in love with each other.

It should've been wrong, should've felt wrong to both of them, but it didn't. Zack didn't look at Cody, Cody didn't look at Zack. Instead they watched the girls for another minute before slowly, simultaneously moving away from the door leaving the girls alone, lost in their own world as they made their way out of the lab in silence.

And all of a sudden he was back on the ship with Zack lying next to him, arms behind his head, staring at the Gemini constellation, Cody couldn't bring himself to follow suit.

"No. I don't think we should've told on them."

"…Me neither. …It seemed…"

"…Right?"

Zack nodded, closing his eyes, feeling the churning sea. "Yeah, it seemed right."

The silence resumed, and there was a question on Cody's mind that he wouldn't dare to ask, no matter how much it itched at his skull.

Zack spoke again, his voice hushed, as if not wanting to be heard. "…Think…Think we'll ever be like that?"

The question was stolen right from Cody's head, and his eyes widened, his body automatically sat up, looking down at his brother disbelievingly. "What?"

Zack's eyes shot open wide and he sat up, too, waving his arms left and right palms up as if trying to dispel the words from the air.

"No no! Not like that! I-I mean…You know, like…normal twins who're all, close and …stuff."

More waves crashed and roared against the ship, their thundering unable to drown out the pounding of his pulse. Cody felt himself flush and shudder and he blamed the strong winds, the chilling sea breeze. He licked his dry lips, trying to avoid looking at his brother's face but unable to.

"I…I don't know…I mean…I think a connection like that builds up over the span of many years, Zack…and it's not like we were ever…it's not like we…"

And suddenly Zack's lips were against his, the weight of his brother's body making him nearly fall onto his back again, and at first, he couldn't move. His eyes were so wide he thought they might pop out, something in his stomach jumped and it shocked him just how much willpower it took for him to pull away from the kiss.

"W-What the hell Zack!"

His brother winced, and witnessing the simple action made his chest ache.

"…I…I want to be."

"What? Zack, you better start talking some sense or I swear-"

Zack groaned in annoyance, tugging lightly on his hair. His brow furrowed…he was frustrated, Cody realized. Extremelyfrustrated, and he'd only seen Zack wear this look maybe three or four times in their lives together.

He looked him in the eyes and Cody found it difficult to breathe.

"I want to be that close, okay? I want to be close with you, I wanna have that stupid twin thing, I wanna wear the same clothes and accidentally say the same things at the same time and we'll never have that chance now that you're going off to fucking YALE and leaving me behind to rot here and do whatever. That's why I tried to fuck up your internship and your plans with Bailey. I just wanted to spend Spring Break with you, okay? It's the last chance we're ever gonna have to be kids and be free and just be able to spend time together. There, are you happy now? I said it! Mystery solved! Now we can go back to treating each other like shit and you can go off to your stupid university and get married and have kids and have a job and completely forget about your retarded brainless twin brother you left back home."

It took at least a minute for all that to sink in.

All the new information swirled around in his head, making it ache, making Cody look at his brother, really look at him for what might've been the first time ever.

Everything was starting to come together, and it was all so easy, all so obvious that he couldn't believe he never caught it before.

"Wh…Why didn't you ever tell me this?"

Zack actually threw his head back and laughed, but it wasn't joyous at all and Cody hated the sound, hated the way it made his throat feel constricted, his body numb.

"Like you'd ever actually listen to me. You're always so busy lost in your own world that you don't even-" Zack got quiet for a second, before shaking his head and letting out a breath.

"Just…forget I said anything, ok? It was stupid." Zack lies back onto the cool steel, this time he keeps his eyes tightly shut, biting at his bottom lip, as if trying to erase all that he revealed.

Cody's mind was still reeling, still trying to process all the information, thousands of actions blurring together and finally making sense and suddenly he has so many questions.

He didn't even realize he said it until after the words left him,

"But…why did you kiss me…?"

The reply is almost instantiations, as if Zack had been expecting the question this whole time.

"Isn't it obvious? You know for such a smart ass you seriously can't take a hint."

But…it made no sense…right? He replays memories over and over in his mind, girls Zack has dated, girls Zack has chased, girls Zack has stared at in the nudie magazines he's managed to somehow get his hands on.

"B…But you've dated and gone after countless girls!"

Zack groans at that and shifts, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter, the strain evident on his features. "But that's different! I don't want…I mean…they don't really matt-…Ugh! Just forget it!"

And it all started making sense. Everything from lies and excuses, to smiles that seemed just too fake for comfort to actions that Cody could've sworn were just for attention, and the most importantly; Words. The things Zack said, from the little hints slipped inside their daily dialogue to literally pointing it out.

Zack wanted it. Wanted to be like those twin girls they saw and Cody wonders just how those two started. Were they once like he and Zack were?

Did they fight? Live utterly different lives until one day, everything just changed? Or had they been like that forever? Connected, in love, constantly since the day they were born…

It seemed like something out of a stupid romance novel, it seemed too improbable to really happen in reality but…he had seen it. The passion, the desperation…the undeniable love between them. It wasn't hormones, it wasn't a phase, it was real love and his brother just admitted to him that he wanted the same thing, and despite all his shortcomings all he had been trying to do was convey that to him, to say it without really saying it, trying save himself the pain of rejection.

Suddenly Cody's own words rang harsh and loud in his head 'You may be my twin…but you're not my brother.' 'I hate you' 'Why are you here?' and countless other cruelly selfish insults that his brother just stood there and took all the while craving, wanting, inwardly begging for something else, something more.

He thought of the twin girls, of their love, and he looked at his brother, looked at his tense form, watched his eyes strain to stay closed, seeing complete fear in every detail of his skin.

He thinks of the kiss, of the kind of courage Zack had to have had to try it, of how he'll be leaving for college after graduation, away from his brother for who knows how long.

It was just now occurring to him, and meanwhile Zack must've been thinking about it for weeks, hell, months.

…Maybe years.

And suddenly Cody feels his body move without any real consent from his conscious mind, suddenly he's leaning over his brother and slowly, slowly moving down, trying to ignore how wrong this all is, trying to ignore how guilty he feels for not noticing any of this sooner.

Zack seems to feel his presence, and he opens his eyes, only to stare right into Cody's, and the look he gives him screams too much of fear, of hesitation, of wantand hunger.

He speaks, and Cody feels his throat beginning to tighten. "Cody…What're you doing?"

He doesn't know, he wants to say, he doesn't know, he's just young, and confused and this is just a phase and those girls we saw were just going through a phase, too. We can never be that close, no matter how much you want it, no matter how much I want it. We will never be like them, we'll never be 'real' twins, will we?

And he doesn't want to believe it, he wants to take a page from his brother's book for once, wants to scream 'fuck logic! Isn't it worth trying? Especially after all you've been through trying to hide it from me? You're my brother for fuck's sake! I can't just say no without…without….

Cody licks his lips, the wind picking up, the cold making him instinctively want to lean closer into the warmth below him. He takes a deep breath, tastes the salt on his tongue and manages to speak.

"…L-…Look, I'm just…I'm gonna try it, ok? I…I at least owe you that and…and if it doesn't…uhm…"

Zack fills in the blanks for Cody like real twins would do, like those twin sisters most likely do.

"Feel right?"

"…Yeah. Then…Then we can just pretend it never happened…deal?"

"Y-Yeah…Deal."

His brother's face is flushing red now, and his breathing is starting to get shallow and Cody leans in closer, feeling his own face flush, feeling his heart pound harder then it ever did when he tried to kiss Bailey.

Their lips are almost touching, and he hesitates, just for a second. Zack's body is absolutely still, and Cody isn't sure he's breathing anymore and he knows, he just knows that his brother is scared and not for the reasons he should be.

They kissed.

And at first? It's slow, and odd to Cody how well their lips fit together.

Not like Bailey's, her lips were always so big, so overpowering that it felt like she'd swallow his mouth if he wasn't careful.

At first, he's the one doing all the kissing, Zack just lay there, frozen in fear, his body seemingly paralyzed and Cody should've pulled away then, he knew. But this wasn't right, he wanted to really try and just letting it end like this would leave it so half assed, so unfinished and he couldn't stand leaving things unfinished.

He pressed a bit harder, trying to get Zack to relax, gently putting a hand on his shoulder as if to calm him and the simple action does wonders. Suddenly his brother's hand is in his hair, gently, very gently, pressing their lips closer.

Suddenly, one testing kiss becomes two, and then three, and Cody's making up excuses in his mind as to why the last kiss wasn't good enough to count, there wasn't enough involvement on both parts, that angle was all wrong. If he was going to try it he was going to do it properly no matter how many times it took.

Three kisses became four, then five and suddenly he found himself fully on top of his brother, pressing his lips harder and harder against Zack's own, shuddering when Zack thrusts his tongue into his mouth and tastes him, delves into him, unravels him.

Suddenly the excuses die down in his mind, and for the first time since he can remember he stops thinking just loses himself in the sensation, in the rising heat between their bodies.

He's lost count of their kisses now, each one becoming more raw, more savage, all opened mouthed and biting and tongues wrapping against each other, fighting each other, the simple taste being enough to overload his senses.

He feels Zack's hands sliding up his night shirt but he doesn't do anything to stop it, instead he arches towards those hands, shudders at how they know just exactly how to touch, exactly how hard to press.

Not like Bailey, not like her feather light fingertips toying with his skin, making him want to laugh at their ticklish gentleness. No, this wasn't anything like Bailey, this was Zack and he knew, he just knew what felt right.

He knew, like real twins would know, like those sisters most likely know.

And it suddenly occurred to Cody that this was considered cheating, he was cheating on his girlfriend…with his brother. The thought made his stomach lurch and he forced himself to pull away, feeling breathless, feeling his lower body throbbing.

All of a sudden the few inches of distance between them seemed to stretch for miles, and it shocked him to realize that he didn't want to stop, that he wanted to lean back down and taste those lips again, he wanted to feel them fit together perfectly, as if they were always meant to.

He tried to force the thoughts from his mind, he took Zack's hand and pulled it out from his shirt, trying to steady his breathing, trying to look anywhere but his brother's wide, rejected eyes.

"We…We can't do this."

And it should end there, Zack should silently agree and they should leave and never talk about this again and that would be it. Maybe they could go the rest of their lives ignoring that it ever happened, that either of them ever wanted it.

But Zack was too stubborn for that. He sat up and gripped Cody's shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact. His glare was harsh, scrutinizing and it penetrated Cody's defenses more then he ever thought possible.

"Why not?" Zack's nails were digging into his shoulders lightly, and he should've pulled away from the grip, but he didn't, he didn't move, he didn't look away. He searched his brain for the most cold and logical answer he could think of.

He only hesitated for a split second, but he was sure his brother caught it.

"Because…I don't want to, ok? I tried it, I don't like it. It's sick, and it's wrong and we're just being overly hormonal teenagers. …Now, we had a deal remember? Lets get the hell out of he-" Zack's hand was over his mouth now, silencing him. Cody watched his brother take a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself, trying to fight away his anger and frustration but it was so painfully evident in his voice.

"Don't lie to me, ok? I know when you're lying. Admit it, you want this too. You want it, and you're just trying to pretend you don't, you're trying to pretend that it feels wrong but it doesn't."

He slowly moves his hand away from his brother's mouth and lets out a shaky breath, as if trying to hold back tears. "It doesn't feel wrong…It feels right. Just…can't you admit I'm right? For once?"

Cody feels himself shift, feels his throat become heavy and his lips burn and he did want it, he wanted it more then he wanted anything else, more than he ever wanted Bailey, more than he wanted Yale and Zack was right but he didn't…he couldn't…

"…I'm scared, Zack."

Zack leans foreword then, and Cody twitches but doesn't move, he holds his breath as his brother presses his forehead to his own and whispers to him,

"Shh, It's okay baby. Don't be scared…I'm here."

And he recognizes those words, he remembers the twin girls, the lovers who said them, and suddenly he finds his lips on his brother's again, their kisses quickly becoming powerful, desperate.

More so then they were before, this time he feels Zack gently push him onto his back and he doesn't protest, instead he buries his fingers in his brother's hair and forces their lips closer.

He gives in to the furious want tugging at his chest, making his body tremble, making every kiss they shared more heated, more intense and Zack's hand was sliding up Cody's shirt again and instead of pulling away like he knew he should, he arched foreword, pressing his body against that hand, shuddering at how such a simple touch was making his entire body seemingly flush.

It was good, too good and it almost scared him how natural this felt. He feels his own hands cling to Zack's shirt, tugging on it, suddenly hating the distance it created between him and his brother's skin. The fabric is hot and it makes his hands burn and he pulls away from the kiss, panting like crazy and whispering to his brother "Take this off!"

The shirt comes off barely a second after he says it, Zack throws it over his head, off of their little roof, maybe off of the ship itself but he doesn't seem to care. Instead he tugs lightly on his brothers shirt, and Cody doesn't say no, doesn't fight back. He arches off of the hard metal surface and helps Zack remove the cloth from his skin.

He throws that, too, and Cody finds that he really doesn't care anymore, instead he only moans as his brother's lips are suddenly on his neck, pressing firm kisses to his skin, pressing him back against the cold metal of the ship, making him wrap his arms around his brother's impossibly warm chest for heat.

Cody never thinks to tell his brother to stop, to be careful, to not suck and bite at his neck so firmly, so passionately. He never thinks that later he'll have to hide those marks, instead he arches his neck, baring more of his skin, silently begging Zack to do it, to bite him, mark him, as if it'll make up for lost time.

As if it'll make up for his own ignorance. Zack's lips find his again and the kiss is so inflamed with emotion that Cody wondered how the hell he ever missed it before. How could he have been so blind to it all?

He kissed back with desperation, lapping at his brother's tongue, pressing their bodies together, as if trying to apologize for never noticing, for never looking, for always thinking Zack was so one-dimensional, that he couldn't be hiding anything under those pranks and stupid grins.

He was a shitty brother, a shitty twin and he hated himself for it.

They were moving faster now, their bare chests pressed together, Zack's lips against his own as his hips arched foreword into his brother's, making his heart jolt in his chest, making them both shudder almost simultaneously.

Cody feels himself moan into his brother's mouth, feels the waves crashing against the ship and the finely coarse texture of Zack's hair between his fingers. Their bodies start moving faster, hips arching foreword and kisses becoming more sloppy, more inflamed.

The wind picks up around them, howling in their ears as Zack slow grinds his hips into Cody's, and by all means Zack shouldn't be able to hear him over the wind when he moans out, "Oh god, do that again." But he does, he hears it and grinds their hips together, his tongue trailing along Cody's collar bone, up his neck and to his ear where Zack whispers to him to just let go, to stop holding back.

They find a steady rhythm a second later.

He digs his nails into his brothers back, feeling himself arch foreword, hearing himself moan as he wraps a leg around his Zack's waist, trying to bring their hips closer, trying to increase the friction between their bodies.

Zack's lips are against his ear, his pants and moans making Cody outright shudderand nuzzle his brother's cheek, moaning right back, crying out his brother's name as Zack slams his hips foreword, picking up the pace between them.

Sweat forms on his skin, quickly wiped away by the howling winds, he tastes salt on his lips and arches his head back against the uncomfortable steel, moaning without restriction, too lost in the overwhelming ecstasy to feel ashamed.

His entire body is burning and flushing and he knew Zack had to be feeling the same thing because he moans right back, moans out Cody's name and speeds up the pace, presses their hips closer together, catching his lips in a kiss that could only be described as bruising.

The friction is utter torture, he feels his muscles clench, his erection throbbing under his pajama pants and Zack's body is hot against his own, the taste of his lips utterly addicting as pressure builds in his lower belly. He moans out his brothers name, tugging at his hair, feeling his head thrash back and forth as their grinding becomes erratic until suddenly-

Suddenly he's crying out into the night air, Zack's face buried into his neck as he moans back, screams back, Cody knows he releases first, but Zack is right behind him and gripping onto him as if he were drowning and Cody's body was the only thing keeping him from drowning in an unfathomable darkness.

They arrive in front of Zack's room, both of them completely shirtless and it made Cody feel vulnerable, naked in a more ways then he could have imagined. He's grateful for the dimmed hall lights that hide the flush on his face.

He's grateful for the warm hand in his own, squeezing it tight.

Then he realizes then that they've been holding hands all the way back from their secluded rooftop, and by all means he knows he should feel ashamed, dirty, guilty...

Instead he looks at his brother's bedroom door, knowing there was nothing inside stopping him from entering. No roommate, no prying eyes. Zack must be thinking the same thing because he tightens his grip on his brother's hand, before releasing it as if telling him to make his own choice.

As if it were that simple.

They stared at the door in silence, and Cody wished he knew what his brother was thinking. …Was he regretting what they did? Reliving it in his mind? Did he want to ask Cody to come in? …Was he still afraid?

So many questions, too many and just as he was about to draw up the willpower to ask they heard voices coming from down the hall. Cody froze, eyes widening, fear beginning to grip him. What if they were caught like this? Together at who knows what time, shirtless with obviously drying stains on their pajama pants…

"What're you doing? Get in here!"

He was snapped out of his thoughts, having not noticed Zack opening the door, eyes wide as he gestured Cody inside, but he couldn't will himself to move, at least not fast enough for Zack. His brother's hand was suddenly clasped tightly around his own again, and he was tugged roughly into the bedroom. Zack used his free hand to quietly, gently shut the door as the voices increased in volume.

They didn't breathe for a full 30 seconds, instead they kept their hands clasped tight as the voices passed their door and moved down the hallway, seemingly taking forever to fade into the distance. Once they did however, they unclasped hands and took a deep breath, almost in unison, almost.

The silence between them resumed, and Cody wondered if they had been closer, if they spent more time together…would he know what to say? Would he feel more ashamed of their actions if he ever truly thought of his brother as just that…a brother?

There were too many regrets weighing on him now, too much to think about, too many actions to analyze. With a sigh he made his way over to the vacant bed, he needed time to think, time to sleep and he lay down on the naked mattress, shifting uncomfortably.

"…Cody, what the hell are you doing?"

"Going to bed, what does it look like? I'm not gonna risk going back to my room now."

The silence resumed then, and Cody let both his eyes close, he put an arm under his head as a makeshift pillow, and just as he was about to fall into a pained, awkward sleep, he was being forced up by the wrist.

He didn't have time to protest, all at once he was flung into Zack's bed, his brother's hand gripping his wrist firmly, keeping him in place as he lay beside him. Cody's eyes were wide open now, his breathing hitched and his heart suddenly hammering at their close proximity. Hell, their noses were almost touching.

Words escaped him as he stared into his brother's eyes, his throat suddenly heavy and Zack's hand leaving his wrist, about to pull away completely before Cody took it in his own. An impulse, he supposed, but he twined his fingers through his brother's own and it felt right all the same.

A comfortable silence settled between them, drowsiness slithering it's way into their bodies, and in that tired haze, Cody felt himself speak.

"Zack?"

His twin blinked tiredly, licking his lips. "Hm"

Cody had to ask this now, while his brother's defenses were down, blurred by exhaustion.

"How long have you felt this way about…me, about…us?"

Zack's eyes opened at that, slowly, eyelids still heavy. Their hands were still clasped together, and Cody squeezed lightly, trying to reassure him that it was alright…that he didn't hate him for this.

"…I dunno…" He hesitated for a beat, taking a breath "…Forever, I guess."

Cody felt his heart clench at that, every limb of his body suddenly feeling heavy, his throat as well, weighted down by some massive, invisible force. He squeezes his brother's hand tightly, trying to pour as much affection into the action as possible.
He tried very hard to make sure he voice doesn't crack. "I…I'm sorry I didn't notice."

And Zack only shrugs, forcing himself to be nonchalant. "It's too late now."

"Why?" Why is it always too late?

"You have a girlfriend, remember?"

The realization hits him, along with a strange sense of disappointment, and then guilt. When did he start thinking of Bailey as a nuisance? As something that held him back? He was in love with her…Right?

He swallows again, trying to push those thoughts back. Maybe he'd feel differently in the morning. "…You have a girlfriend, too." And it was as if he just noticed it, really noticed it.

"Yup. Maya."

Cody's chest feels heavy again. "I…I guess it is too late."

Zack squeezes his hand, and their eyes meet in the darkness, their noses brushing against each other lightly. And Zack whispers to him; "I'd break up with her. If you wanted to…I mean, I'd break up with her in a second."

"…But don't you like her?"

Their hands are clasped so tightly now that Cody feels his wrist beginning to get sore, but he only holds on tighter, his breathing far too shallow.

Zack's voice comes out in a small whisper, as if he wanted more then anything to stay silent and never reveal anything to his brother ever again.

"I'd leave her for you."

And Cody tried not to think about how much that really meant. About how long Zack had gone after Maya, after all he went through to stay with her, that he'd drop her in a second for a relationship that wouldn't…that wasn't…that couldn't…

He feels himself scoot closer to his brother, their legs lightly touching. Without even thinking about it he presses a light kiss to his brother's nose and touches his forehead against his twin's.

"Goodnight, Zack."

"Night, Cody."

-End of chapter one-