This Is Why You Don't Date Twins
By: Riley
Summary – In theory it's cute when a set of twins dates a set of twins. In reality, it can be difficult. AU/UA one-shot.
Zack sighed, tilting his head to rest on the back of the couch.
It was funny how the ceiling, the plain old white ceiling, could be so interesting when there was more he would rather be doing. Who enjoyed spending a perfect spring day indoors when there was so much New York City had to offer?
Even from where he sat on the lumpy gray couch in the living room of his and Cody's apartment, through the open windows Zack could see hordes of people walking around the city. He was dying to be one of them. The sounds of excited chatter of those on their way to and from Central Park and the surrounding sites reached his ears with ease. It certainly didn't help his envy that every few minutes or so a balmy breeze would blow through, rustling the pages of his books and kissing his skin.
It reminded Zack of why he enjoyed living in the city so much; there was always a lot to do on a great day and it was a travesty to be indoors. Even when it was raining. But that's what happened when there was work that needed to be done. Zack's upper lip curled as his mother's words swirled through his head. Of course, it was followed shortly by her saying, 'I told you so'.
Nope, that was Cody's voice.
Because he was always right.
At least I know how to have a good time, Zack thought. Still, he couldn't help but feel slight irritation with his brother, which was typical where academics were concerned. Zack wasn't as much of a procrastinator as he had been in middle and high school, but even he couldn't deny that studying video game design didn't always hold his attention. Zack had learned over the years that constant breaks and not forcing himself to cram helped more than doing nothing. Then again, Cody finishes all his homework for the school year when it starts.
And because of that, Cody was out enjoying it.
Noticing he didn't receive a response from his sigh which, clearly, he was doing to get attention, Zack shifted his gaze to the right to look at his girlfriend. That was definitely more interesting than finishing up his schoolwork and tests on different kinds of wood used in construction for his job. Well, maybe it was tied a little. Studying video games for a major was amazing but sitting next to his girlfriend, close enough to touch was incomparably. Long distance relationships were a bitch on its worst days and he took advantage of every time she came to visit.
If Zack had any money to spend, he would go visit her in her home of Australia. (The beaches may have something to do with it). But the two thousand dollars for a roundtrip ticket was the kind of money he'd see in his dreams—or at least with four months of minimum wage work. That was just the plane ticket. That didn't include money for a hotel, food, souvenirs, a passport, and whatever else was needed to fly across the world. It was amazing she found him worth it to visit him so often.
At his second sigh, Zack's eyebrows came together. Okay, clearly, she wasn't getting that he wanted her attention. He watched her as she focused on her book. Her knees were draw towards her chest, feet rested in his lap, and dark blue eyes shifting back and forth over the page. She was ignoring him. Or maybe she had grown used to him watching her, he watched her a lot. Every few seconds she would reach up a hand to push her black rimmed glasses up her nose before returning it to the side of the book.
Even though her knees were drawn up high enough to rest her book on her thighs, Riley Jackson could see his eyes searching for hers. "What are you looking at?" Riley finally asked.
"Not much," Zack replied.
Crack!
"Ow!" Zack grabbed his stinging arm as Riley lowered her book back to her lap. Clearly, all those years of playing cricket—even for fun, was paying off. Or maybe she had been drafted by the Red Sox and didn't tell him. The brief look of horror on her face at least shows she accidentally hit him a little too hard. Before she burst out laughing, anyway. "I was kidding! I know you've threatened me before, but you don't actually have to try to kill me."
"I'm sorry," Riley apologized though she continued to laugh. "I didn't realize I was too close to hit you. I swear, I meant to just swat your arm. I reckon that was really daggy of me." She reached up and rubbed the spot she hit him. It was already blazing red. "Are you okay?" Turning his arm in her hands, instantly making his skin burn in a good way, Riley examined the bruise and winced. "Ooh, that's looking really aggro."
"Well, maybe that's because you just tried to murder me with a book!"
"If I was going to murder you, I'd be a lot more creative than a bloody book." Riley arched an eyebrow. "Then again, you do say school bores you to death so I reckon that may be the best way to torture you, yeah?"
"Jerk."
"Dirk."
Zack blinked. "What's a dirk?" He didn't care to know especially, but loved to hear her talk with her accent as much as he could.
A wry smile curled Riley's lips. "A short dagger. I couldn't think of an insult to say back that wouldn't take things too far."
"Coming from the girl that curses nearly every other word?"
"That's just my fucking culture, boofhead," Riley teased. She lifted Zack's arm and pressed a kiss to the red spot. "Better?"
"Much," Zack said. Another breeze moved through the room and Zack closed his eyes, reveling in the coolness that combatted the humidity of the day.
"Amazing," Riley said. Zack opened his eyes and found her smiling at him, cheek bunched up as it rested in her upraised palm. Somehow, she made the single word almost sound sarcastic. Maybe that was the point. He'd heard it enough times before.
"I know I am," Zack quipped. He made a show of pulling his arm away when Riley rolled her eyes. "You walked yourself into that one, Sweet Thang."
"I really did." She shook her head then said, "It's amazing you made it twenty minutes before you complained." Her smile widened. "Usually it takes you five."
"I was trying to be a good boy today." Zack tossed his book aside and rested his hands on Riley's feet, gently tapping her toes. She curled them out of the way, flinching as she did so at the tickling sensation. "It's a great day. How can I not take advantage?"
Riley looked at him for a long moment then she smiled widely, the smile threatening to split her face. "You're right!" She agreed. She tossed her book onto the coffee table as well. "Let's go!"
"What about my homework?" Zack asked.
"Homework schmomework. It's not due until Tuesday, yeah? Just do it Monday. We're missing everything."
Zack grinned. "Have I ever told you that I love you?"
"Not today." Riley barely got the last word to leave her lips before Zack danced his fingertips over the bottom of her feet, making her shriek with laughter, frantically trying to pull away from him. He then grabbed her legs and with one tug, pulled her forward to spread his tickling to her stomach. She continued to laugh, leaning away from him. "Okay, okay! I love you, too."
Zack leaned over her and placed a grateful kiss on her lips. Then he backed away, grabbing her hands to pull her up. He rolled off the couch and reached for his shoes that lay discarded on the floor. He quickly pulled them on and grabbed his phone and wallet. He waited for Riley to grab her belongings as well before the two left the apartment, immediately swept up in the crowds that swirled around them.
On a bad day, Zack didn't enjoy living directly in the city; there was too much noise and it kept him from getting a good night's sleep. But on a good day it meant there was enough to do, experience, and people to meet that an entire day could be made of it. Reaching Central Park, Zack pulled his phone from his pocket to text his brother to see where they were.
He walked a few paces before he realized that Riley wasn't at his side. He turned the other way and found her standing at a clothing stall. While other woman carefully moved around her, she continued to look at a black and white sundress before looking down at herself and making a face. That's what hurt Zack the most, as confident as she was, one of her biggest insecurities was how she looked. Part of it Zack knew was because of her tattoos, black hair, and dark blue eyes, standing out from everyone else—which he personally liked—and part of him knew it was his fault, where she subconsciously compared herself to each and every girl he may have been enticed by.
Case in point the tall, leggy blonde that stood behind her, checking out a blouse. He looked at her for a moment before coming up behind his girlfriend and gently placed a hand on her lower back.
Riley kicked at the ground, tilting her head back and forth as she made a humming sound. A sure sign she was trying to decide whether or not to buy the dress.
"You should get it," Zack prompted. "You'd look amazing."
"Mm." Riley frowned. Her eyebrows creased her forehead, making her youthful face look much younger with a pout. "I don't think I can pull it off."
"Sure, you can! Just pull down the zipper, push it off one shoulder—"Zack grinned when Riley swatted him on the arm and laughed. "I think you should buy it, but, no matter what you wear, I think you look beautiful." His smile widened when Riley 'aww'd' and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, you guys!"
Zack and Riley turned to find Cody, Riley's twin sister Rhuben, their cousin Crystal, and Tapeworm Michaels waving them over. Zack reached out his hand towards Tapeworm. Tapeworm grabbed it and the two came together in a man-hug.
"Dude, how've you been? I'm surprised MIT would even let you leave," Zack commented.
Tapeworm laughed good naturedly and ran his hand over his buzzed hair. "Yeah, well, I needed a break at some point." He held out his arm. "Have you seen my tan?"
Even Cody lifted an eyebrow at Tapeworm's pale skin. But there was pale and then there was alabaster, and Tapeowrm's skin may as well be blinding. "Uh…"
"That's my point." Tapeworm smirked, retracting his arm. "I've been in labs for so long I've forgotten what sunlight actually feels like." He took in a deep breath, holding out his arms as another breeze blew.
"Perfect timing for you to come up to New York then," Crystal commented once she released her cousin from her welcome hug. She tucked her black-blue hair out of her eyes and behind her ears. "Max couldn't make it?"
"Max doesn't have the same breaks I do," Tapeworm explained. "But she said she'd kill me if I didn't at least take the time to come up and visit and we all know she's not one to back away from that statement." He laughed along with their friends. "But she does miss you all."
"We miss her, too," Crystal agreed. She reached out and patted Tapeworm on the shoulder. "But you can be my date for the weekend. We'll bombard her with silly pictures to make her know what she's missing."
"And wind up with one less cousin after the weekend, yeah?" Riley asked.
"More room for us when we go visit Uncle Christian again," Rhuben added. Her eyebrows twitched upwards as she smirked, her amusement shining all over her face. She laughed when Crystal rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, no you know how important having your own space is," Crystal said.
"Oh please, you get your own room whenever you come visit us in Australia," Riley interrupted.
Cody laughed again and motioned for everyone to get out of the way of those that were trying to get around them. They started up the path towards more booths and stalls that had been set up. He shifted the bags he was carrying in his right hand to his left, using that time to lace Rhuben's fingers in his own. She looked away from the ice cream cone she was holding to smile brightly at him, quickly moving up on her tiptoes to receive his peck.
"So, what did you guys end up getting?" Zack finally asked. "It looks like you bought out this whole place."
Cody could easily hear the envy in his voice. He cut himself off from making a snarky remark of getting work done early but cut himself off. It wasn't a good idea to get into verbal blows with his brother when it was a day to just hang out and have fun. Though bantering with his brother brought some of the best entertainment in the worst times.
"This is from the art museum," Cody explained, lifting his left hand. "They had an exhibit on—"
"—On Monet?" Riley interrupted.
"Yeah, exactly!" Cody smiled at her. "It was focusing on the works he'd done of sculptures and everything."
"Aw, I was hoping to see that. It closed didn't it?"
"Yeah, today was the last day."
"But it was good, yeah?"
"Must've been," Rhuben agreed. She squeezed Cody's hand, rolled her eyes. "He kept us in there for over an hour looking at the same two paintings."
"Hey, if you understand anything about art then you understand you have to look at the big picture, not just what's in front of you," Cody pointed out.
"So, we weren't looking at squiggly yellow buildings?" Tapeworm brought a hand up to his chin and tilted his head. "I clearly missed the big picture here." Cody rolled his eyes and Tapeworm laughed, gently pushing him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me for enjoying art."
"We're not excusing you for that, we're excusing you for how long you take looking at it," Zack said flatly. He had a sour look on his face as Cody and Riley continued to converse about the exhibit.
The group made their way slowly around Central Park, taking in all the sites before deciding to stop for lunch. Spreading out in the shade of a large oak tree, Cody rested his back against the trunk and stretched his legs out. Rhuben stretched out and lay on her back, resting her head in Cody's lap. Cody smiled and used his left hand to pull his fingers through her hair, using his other one to play with her fingers, making her smile widen.
Confession time, he had tried to force Zack to get some of his homework done that morning just so he had some time alone with his girlfriend. Not that he didn't enjoy having Zack around, but he needed his space sometimes. Plus, Cody was a bit more private with his relationship habits. Pecks and hugs here and there weren't a problem for him but being able to lean over and just give a passionate kiss in front of other people was never something he was comfortable with.
So, the time he had to just be the two of them was just fine, especially with the limited time they had between visits. He thought he handled a long-distance relationship well, carving out time in both of their schedules to do video chats when they could, moving his phone plan over to an international plan to keep the phone bill down with their daily phone calls. But nothing was better than being able to hold Rhuben's hand and walk down the streets of New York, being able to kiss her when he wanted to. And not have a full list of what he was doing wrong shortly thereafter.
No, he enjoyed running his fingers through her hair, gently running his fingers across her scalp to release the scent of lavender through the air. It wafted around him, enveloping him in a soothing embrace. All until Zack burped loudly and sighed in content, having finished his lunch.
"You're done already?" Crystal asked. Her eyes widened in surprise at the empty plate sitting next to him.
"I'm a growing boy," Zack defended himself.
"I can eat a lot and even I'm impressed by that," Tapeworm said.
"That's because you at least know table manners," Crystal reminded him. She crossed her legs at the ankle and leaned back, resting her hands in the grass behind her. "Which goes a long way, there's a reason Zack and Max aren't still dating." She laughed when Zack tilted his head and gave her a pointed look. She smiled sweetly in response. "I mean you and Max just ran your course and it didn't work out." She rubbed the back of her neck as she added, "But it worked well for Tape," under her breath, making Tapeworm laugh.
"We're twenty-years old, do you think we can ever get through a conversation without talking about things that happened in high school?" Cody asked, receiving the unanimous answer of, "No."
"Life isn't worth living if you can't relive the embarrassing moments," Tapeworm said. He lifted his chin and elbowed Crystal. "Like the one time you thought you could be into Zack." Now Crystal whacked him on the arm as Riley, Rhuben, and Tapeworm cracked up. "Woops, was I not supposed to say that?"
"Wow, really?" Zack and Cody asked in unison, but with different degrees of enthusiasm. Not that Cody really had any place to say anything about it, he had dated Crystal for a few months when they were about fourteen years old. But he been happily dating Rhuben for almost two years.
"It was just for a second," Crystal defended herself. She stuck her nose in the air. "And I figured out very fast that that would not work out."
"Yeah, you just decided to date the guy who, at first, thought that all work in the house was only for 'womenfolk'." Riley used air quotes around the words. "I was more surprised you took the time to deal with that than with him." She jerked her thumb towards Zack who was picking food out of his teeth with his fingernails. "How is Moose, anyway?"
Cody half listened as Crystal explained life back in Kettlecorn, Kansas with Moose Falcone. He remembered when Moose had first arrived at their school in Boston and how all the girls had been attracted to him in one way or another. Mostly because of his accent and southern charm, Cody realized later. He remembered how continuously self-conscious it made him. He'd had plenty of girlfriends but always had a voice in the back of his head that told him he needed to be more like the 'alpha male' to be regarded better. Rhuben continuously told him it wasn't true and she liked him the way he was. But if that were the case, why did it seem like everyone spoke about a little attraction to his brother. He didn't remember any of the girls his brother was with saying the same about him.
"What's that smile on your face, mate?" Riley asked Tapeworm.
Cody craned his neck and saw the impish smile on Tapeworm's face. Oh boy. Whenever any of them got that look, though Cody noticed it was suspiciously like Max's, something was about to happen. "Nothing, I just think it's funny that you were so quick to change the subject about Crys liking Zack."
"What can I say? Girls love me," Zack commented.
Cody rolled his eyes. Rhuben must've sensed his discomfort for Rhuben sat up and gave him a sweet kiss, running her fingers through his black hair. Cody smiled back and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, using his eyes to silently thank her. Rhuben winked 'you're welcome' back. "Not all of them," Cody finally said, turning his attention back to his brother.
"It was only for a second," Crystal snapped.
"Oh, wait, was this after he kissed you after you guys playing basketball?" Riley asked.
Now Zack looked stricken. "Wait, she told you about that?"
"Not right away, Casanova," Riley's voice was thick with sarcasm and a little bit of annoyance. "But yeah. She told me."
Tapeworm, who was clearly enjoying himself, pressed with the questions. "Wait, is Rhu the only one you haven't kissed?" He slapped himself on the forehead. "And Riles is the only one Cody hasn't gone out with."
"Ha." Crystal smiled. "That's funny."
The conversation died down from there. But only for a few moments. Music started to blast out from the speaker system set up around the park. Rhuben started to gently sway back and forth to the beat of the song. Cody knew what was coming; she was going to ask—or force as what often happened—him to dance with her and he was going to embarrass himself while doing it. He liked to dance, but he couldn't do it. With dancing, he had two left feet and was very self-conscious about it. In some dancing forms the man was supposed to be the leader and he couldn't even lead her to the dance floor if he wanted.
The music continued to swell and before Cody knew it, Zack had taken Rhuben's hand and twirled her out into the grass. Cody watched, a storm brewing in side him as he watched the two move in sync, laughing as they did so while moving to the music. He clenched his hands when Zack dipped her low towards the ground then snapped her up again with ease, putting his face close to hers. That was his last straw really.
Cody got up from the grass and walked over to the two, grasping his brother on the shoulder. "Hey, man, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Yeah, whatever," Zack replied. He followed Cody away from their friends and crossed his arms. "What's the matter with you?" He paused. "Apart from the obvious, I mean."
Cody rounded on his brother. "Like you trying to steal my girlfriend?"
A sound, a mixture of a snort and a cough, came from Zack. He then started to cough, holding up a hand before resting his hands on his knees. Cody glanced towards the sky in disdain, waiting for his brother to compose himself. "I'm sorry," Zack wheezed, finally standing up straight. "I'm trying to do what?"
"You heard me," Cody replied.
"Yeah, and it's ridiculous," Zack said. "Why would I try to steal Rhu from you?"
"I don't know, Zack, you tell me."
"Is this just because you can't dance to save your life? 'Cause, I mean everyone already knew that and if she was going to leave you for that—"
Cody gritted his teeth. "No! This doesn't just have to do with that. What about yesterday when we were playing soccer?" Now Zack rolled his eyes. "And you wouldn't let me and Riles play." That was where his issues began, really. He had just been able to keep quiet because it wasn't a big deal. But how could anyone stay calm when, for hours, they two had played the game at NYU's soccer field, pushing and shoving and falling on top of each other without a care in the world.
"You can't play three on two," Zack explained. He paused, the corner of his mouth lifting in a sly smile. "I mean, in some ways you can. But for soccer you can't. We may be good but we're not that good and besides, I was doing you a favor. Remember the last time you tried to play? You sprained an ankle tying your shoes."
Cody puffed up. "There's too much length on the laces, I needed to make sure my shoes fit properly."
"If by 'fit properly' you mean 'need to be cut off' then I agree with you."
"Still…"
"And what about you? All yesterday you and Riles were acting like Julia Child with your own cooking show. Newsflash, Cody, it's dinner not the last supper." Zack waved his hand. "And who cares what some Sharpay guy—"
"—Monet—"
"—Whatever, painted a thousand years ago? But if it gets you all hot and bothered, that's fine. Just don't bring my girlfriend into it." The twin boys crossed their arms as they glared at each other. "Why in the world would I want to go out with Rhu? Do you how long I spent trying to get even one date with Riles? And that was just the one." Okay, Zack did have a little bit of a point. From fourteen to seventeen Zack had a thing for her, not getting a chance to really date her until they dealt with some setbacks on both sides. Now Cody felt a little embarrassed, letting his insecurities get in the way. "Just because there are some things we both like and you couldn't even begin to do doesn't mean I'm lying in wait to steal her from you."
"Same here," Cody replied. Zack shifted his feet. "Come on, Zack, I know you wonder the same thing." Zack had only mentioned it once, and exactly once. Wondering why Riley would be with him, where school and academics weren't his forte, when Cody was the one who could talk about any topic of conversation with little research. "If it would've been better if we dated the other one."
Zack was silent for a moment. Then he licked his lips and said, "Probably not the same way you have," he said slowly. Cody glared again, "So just admit that you want her, too. You already kissed Crys and Riles, why not make it with all three."
Eyebrows rising, Zack nodded. "So that's what this is about."
Cody pursed his lips. "Well…"
"Okay, I've thought of it sometimes," Zack finally admitted. He scratched the back of his head. "Not seriously, though."
"So…maybe we should try it," Cody suggested. Zack gave him a disgusted look and Cody sighed heavily. He reached out and slapped Zack upside the head. "Not like that! I mean, maybe we should try going out on a date with them. Just to see what it would be like."
"Are you crazy?"
"Actually, I've been tested and my IQ lands somewhere below Mensa and above genius."
"No, I mean why would we want to do this?"
"Zack, I need to know that you're not going to get bored and try to—"
"—I know I may not be the brightest bulb in the car park—" Cody's face twisted in confusion. "—But even I'm not this dumb. I love Riley. You love Rhuben. You and I know what it's like to be compared to each other and how much we hate it. And so would they. Now, call me crazy—"
"—I have plenty of other words better than 'crazy'—"
"—but, wouldn't it be a better idea to get their input? Women don't really like it when you make their decisions for them." He rubbed his ear. "I can still hear mom's voice ringing in my ear from the last time she gave me that lecture."
"That's because you tried to tell her to make you a sandwich," Cody said.
"She was already in the kitchen, it wouldn't have been too difficult to do."
Cody wasn't going to let him off the hook. "So?"
"Fine," Zack said. "Let's try it."
Reaching out, Cody grabbed Zack's arm and dragged him back to their friends. Crystal was the first one to notice them coming. "There you are," she remarked. She wiggled her phone back and forth. "We were just saying we could go back on Campus. Your friend Woody said something about there being a party."
"Mhm, apparently there's going to be a hot dog eating contest," Tapeworm added. "And I plan on keeping my record intact."
"Cody here thinks it would be a better idea if I went on a date with Rhu and he went on a date with Riles," Zack interrupted.
Crystal tossed her phone aside. "Well, this just got more interesting."
"I know." Tapeworm pouted and slapped his hands to his thighs. "I wish I some popcorn."
Riley burst out laughing. "Get fucked," She said, once she calmed down. Then she brought up a hand to cover her mouth. "I'm sorry, mate, that was rude of me. I meant, are you fucking crazy?"
"See? She took that very well," Zack said sarcastically. He patted Cody hard on the shoulder. Cody rolled his eyes. He was doing that a lot.
"Don't act like this is just me, you're the one who agreed with it."
"You think I want to date him?" Riley and Rhuben then harmonized. "I don't want to date him!" They pointed to their sister's respective boyfriend. "I want to date you!" Then they shot each other exasperated glances. "Stop that!"
"It's like watching a soap opera," Tapeworm murmured. Crystal swatted at him.
He looked over at Rhuben, who's eyebrows then came together as she studied her boyfriend. "Look," he said under his breath. "I just thought—"
"Hang on a tick." Rhuben got up and grabbed Cody's arm, pulling him a few feet away for privacy. That was another thing he loved about her, that she knew when he needed some time alone. He didn't have a problem with putting himself out there; opting to be in drama club and doing public speaking engagements all the time. He just wasn't fond of the potential reception. "Okay, what is this about, Cozy?"
He smiled, feeling his heart warm at her nickname for him. "I just thought that, maybe there was some part of you that wondered what it'd be like to go out with Zack." She tilted her head to the side. He rushed to continue. "The chances of having twins is already 1 in 67 pregnancies."
"I reckon there's a point to you telling me that statistic," Rhuben said slowly.
"There is," he agreed. That's what he loved about her as well. With Zack, he would've shot him down the second he started speaking. She sat and listened to everything he had to say, her eyes lighting up as he did so. She did say she loved to hear him talk. "With that many chances of pregnancies there are about sets 33.9 twins born every year. The chances of an identical set of twin boys and girls dating are an even smaller number. But what are the chances that those sets of twins that are dating are with the one they're supposed to be with?"
Rhuben brought her hand up to her forehead for a second. "What are the chances that we're already with the right ones?" Then she ran her fingers through her hair, as he had been doing before, releasing another cloud of lavender.
"So, you never wanted to go out with Zack?" Cody pressed.
"Wanted to? No. Thought about it, sure. Who wouldn't have?" Reaching up, Rhuben rested her hand on Cody's cheek, partly on her chin. "I'm with you, Cody. Isn't that enough?" He hesitated. A large part of him wanted to say 'yes', but the part of him that had been compared to his brother over the years wouldn't let him. Rhuben's eyes flashed and she dropped her hand.
"Fine," she said quietly.
Cody sighed.
That meant she was angry. When Riley got angry she was loud, when Rhuben got angry she was quiet.
Rhuben walked over to Zack, Crystal, Tapeworm, and Riley. "I have no problem going out with Zack at least once, if that's what Cody wants."
"I love you Cody, but not like that," Riley said. She held up a hand. "No offense, mate."
"None taken," Cody said. He looked over at Zack, who hadn't said anything after the fact. He stood quietly, his hands resting in the pockets of his jeans. "So, where do you want to go?"
Riley took in a deep breath through her nose, realizing she wasn't going to be able to get out of the situation. "I wanted to check out the MoMa." Zack made a face, remembering how he didn't really want to go when it was first brought up.
"Yeah, and I wanted to go to one of the soccer games," Rhuben said. Then Cody made a face, watching sports was never something he was particularly interested in.
Well, Cody reminded himself. Now you'll know if it's something that'd bring them together.
He could never truly understand why someone wanted to sit on a splintery bench and watch people run back and forth kicking a ball.
"So, what was your favorite exhibit?" Cody asked as he and Riley walked out of the MoMa later that night. "I really enjoyed the sculpture collections. Seeing the modern works of some of the most memorable moments in history is just fascinating."
Riley smiled back at him. "I really liked the collection galleries with the paintings from the 1880s to now. Being able to see more of Van Goh's final works was fascinating." She brushed her hair behind her ears. "Pointillism is one of my favorite painting mediums, actually."
"Really?" Cody asked.
"Mhm. I prefer to draw, but painting is sweet as," Riley explained. "It takes forever, but pointillism as a medium can be amazing when the painting is finished."
"I definitely agree," Cody said. "But did you know that pointillism, starting in 1886, was actually a branch from impressionism." He held up a finger. "Not many people knew that. Afterwards the term pointillism wasn't coined by art critics until the late 1880s because it was being used to ridicule the works of the artists."
"Cody," Riley started.
"But now it's something world renounced. It stands out amongst other forms of painting because of the sharp contrast of traditional methods of blending color pigments together."
"Cody."
"But instead of creating muddied colors, even though it follows the CMYK—or the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key process—it's thought that the bright colors are enhanced by the white canvas showing between some of the dots."
"I know what pointillism painting is, Cody," Riley said when he finished.
"Right," Cody said, a little taken aback. They had been having a good time, as they always did and now he had done something to upset her. "Sorry. I just—"
"And, I know it's hard for you, but you don't need to talk down to me."
"I don't talk down to you."
"You do it all the time, Cody. You keep going on and on and when no one understands what you're talking about you give some sort of a snarky remark to make yourself feel better," Riley explained. She took a deep breath. "I'm working to get a degree in Visual Arts, I know a lot about Art History, yeah?"
"Yeah, uh, I know," Cody said. "I'm sorry, I just got a little excited."
"I'm sorry for snapping at you," Riley said and he could hear the sincerity in her voice. She reached out and shook his arm. "Just…relax a little, will ya?" She smiled at him and Cody smiled back and the two kept going.
Across the city, Zack and Rhuben left Gaelic Park after the soccer game ended. They laughed as they went, speaking about the last few minutes of the game. "Okay, the may not have won, but watching the goalie bash his face into the goal post was priceless," Zack said. "Even better when he did it a second time."
"I reckon he started to see stars by the third go," Rhuben agreed. "It's too bad the Violets lost, it was a pretty close game up until then,"
"And you had more fun seeing it with me?" Zack asked.
Rhuben shrugged. "It's better than being asked what's going on every few seconds." She thought for a moment. "Then again, it can be pretty fun to mess with him and confuse him at times."
Zack reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Now you know why I love having him as a brother."
With a laugh, Rhuben pushed his arm. "That's mean."
"Yeah, maybe," Zack said. But he didn't sound too concerned about it. With a tilt of his head he motioned for the two to continue leaving the arena. As they went, Zack asked, "Are you on any sports teams at your school?"
"Yeah, I'm on the soccer team there, but that's it," Rhuben explained. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have the time to get anything done. I'm doing the seminar track for my degree and that means a lot of traveling to see concerts and stuff."
"Like Green Day?"
"Like orchestra."
"Oh." Zack's nose wrinkled.
"Okay, I know orchestras aren't your thing, but I hear classical music can help make people smarter." Rhuben teasingly elbowed him in the side. "It may be good for you."
Zack smiled back. "Jerk," he said.
Abruptly, Rhuben came to a stop. She crossed her arms, eyebrows lowering in a look of obvious offense. "I was just making a joke. I didn't think it meant I was being a jerk…"
"No, no." Zack waved his hands. "You're not, it's just…just a joke." Lamely, lowered his hands. He tapped his thighs. "Do you…let's just head back, okay?" He waited for Rhuben to nod in agreement before they two went walking again.
They arrived back at Zack's and Cody's apartment a half hour later, finding Crystal and Tapeworm sitting on the couch, watching TV. "Hey," Tapeworm greeted. He reached down and picked up a trophy. "Guess what I won?"
Zack frowned and Rhuben gave a small smile as they walked inside. Seconds later, Cody and Riley walked in behind them. Crystal lifted the TV remote and muted what they were watching. "So? How was your night?" She asked.
"It was fine," Rhuben said.
"Just fine?" Tapeworm pressed.
"Just 'fine', mate," Riley agreed. She scratched her forehead. "Honestly, I don't know what else anyone would expect to happen."
All eyes turned towards Cody. He frowned. "Okay, I know it was a weird idea, but—"
"Oh my god!" Zack threw his hands into the air. "Fine. Okay. Fine. Do I think Rhu is attractive? Yes, I think she's very attractive." He turned to Riley. "I think you two,"—he leaned over to motion to Crystal, who had been mistaken for their triplet over the years. "—you three are all very beautiful. You look exactly alike and your looks do play a factor in it." Zack reached out and cupped Riley's face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her cheeks. "But your personality is ultimately what's more attractive to me. I don't know anyone else who can handle me like you do."
"That's because the rest of us gave up," Cody remarked. Rhuben smiled and tapped the tip of his nose with her finger.
"You're the only person that hasn't given up on me," Zack continued, ignoring his brother. "And I'm trying everything I can to give you a reason not to."
Riley's eyes shone as she smiled. "That could never happen."
"Wanna bet?" Cody asked.
Riley ignored him and wrapped her arms around Zack's neck. The two came together in a passionate kiss.
"Do you ever stop?" Cody and Rhuben chorused. Then Cody wrapped his arm around Rhuben's waist to get her attention. "I know I kind of pushed this on you but…I was afraid one day Zack may try to take you away or something."
"Zack and I have absolutely nothing in common," Rhuben reassured him. "Yeah, we both like to dance and we like soccer but I like you. Scientific, rambling you."
"I love you, Bubbles," Cody said.
"I love you, too, Cozy," Rhuben replied. They smiled, kissed, and rubbed their noses together in an eskimo kiss.
"Ugh, that's disgusting," Zak and Riley harmonized.
Tapeworm tilted his head back. "Once again I'm drastically reminded that I don't have Max here."
"You know she would've completely beaten you for that trophy, right?" Crystal laughed. "Or at least Moose would've given you both a run for you money."
"I'm glad tonight was so entertaining for you both," Cody said.
"Not really," Tapeworm said. "It ended in a bust. We were thinking we'd at least get some sort of entertainment out of watching you try to date. I mean, the rest of us have been talking about this for years."
"Besides, this whole thing was your fault," Zack stated.
Crystal slowly blinked. "I merely made a statement for an interesting conversation topic." She smiled sweetly. "You were the ones that actually went along with it."
THE END
A/N: This was a fun one for me to write. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Cheers,
-Riles