a/n my first attempt at a one-shot fanfic...twincest, so don't read if you don't like that...hope you like it, and please leave a review if do :).

It's perfect, Cody Martin thought, looking around the room and smiling to himself.
He had spent three days straight setting it up. Had barely slept. Had even settled for getting B's in a couple of assignments, but he had to admit it – it had been worth it.

It was Valentine's Day and he had decorated the cabin as a special surprise for his romantic date with Bailey that night.
He had had to borrow Zack's room rather than the one he shared with Woody, but his brother had reluctantly agreed to switch room's just for that one evening.
"I guess I can hang out and play video games with Woody", he had muttered.

Cody had set up scented candles around with room (all with scents that complimented each other, of course), had a red heart-shaped rug on the floor where they could sit and kiss after they ate.

The rug and his bed were both covered in iris petals; it wasn't traditional – roses would have been more fitting – but he knew that it was her favourite flower from when he had seen her answers on that dating questionnaire last year. Not that he planned to do anything, of course; neither of them were ready for that. It was just for effect and because he knew she would love it.

He had even made a frame for her favourite picture of them. Whittled it himself.

He grinned remembering how fond she was of corn-cob art.

A quick glance at his watch told him that it was only 10 minutes until she was due to arrive.

Hope she isn't late, he worried.

He had prepared a special meal for them himself – and an even more special desert –using her favourite dishes, along with his own special recipes that he had perfected for the night. It was in the ships' kitchen and he had given the chef specific instructions for when it would be done cooking and when to bring it up for them, giving him a large tip.

Zack had teased him a little about all of the effort he put in.
He wondered if maybe Zack had a crush on Bailey.
He always seemed a bit off when he saw Cody and Bailey kiss and Cody had gotten the impression that he was making fun of their date tonight because he was jealous.

I guess I ought to talk to him, he thought. I don't want things getting awkward between us.

He pushed the thought out of his mind, focusing instead upon how perfect the date was going to be.

Walking around the room, he set about completing the finishing touches, feeling exhausted, but knowing it would be worth it to see the smile on her face.

He checked the time and was surprised to see it was 7:05pm.
Good thing she's a few minutes late, he thought, she could have walked in before I was done.

After dimming the lights – it had cost him a fortune and a lot of begging with Moseby to get a dimmer switch instead of a regular on/off for the room– he pressed "play" on the CD player, starting the mix-CD of romantic songs he had made.

Straightening out his tux carefully – he was a little OCD when it came to creased clothing – he sat down on the edge of his bed, facing the door, feeling a little shaky in anticipation. Any minute now she would be walking through that door.

*

It was after 8:30pm when Zack finally got sick of playing video games in his room.
Man, I'm bored!
Maybe I'll go see if Cody and Bailey are done with their date yet, he thought, getting up from in front of the TV and heading toward the door.

He hesitated, his hand frozen on the doorknob.
It was still quite early and he didn't want Cody to be pissed if he interrupted things with him and Bailey.
Especially not with all that effort he put in to it.

Cody never seemed to hang around with him as much since he had started dating Bailey, so the last thing Zack wanted was to make him mad, end up spending even less time together.

But he was really bored. And hungry.

Shrugging, a cheeky grin on his face, he opened the door and went across the hall to his cabin.

*

How could she not come? Cody thought.
He was crushed.

He felt a tear roll down his cheek and wiped it away with the sleeve of his tux.
He heard the door open, slowly, and looked up, for a second feeling hope. Maybe it was Bailey, all apologetic and with a perfectly reasonable explanation for why she was almost two hours late.

The door swung fully open and he saw the familiar figure standing in front of him.
Not Bailey.
Zack.

He saw his twin squint in confusion – or perhaps his eyes had just not yet adjusted to the dim lighting in the room – and look around the room, frowning slightly.

"Hey, Codester! Where's Bailey?" he asked cheerfully.

As he got closer, Cody turned his head to face him and Zack's smile faltered when he saw the look on his brothers' face.

"Hey, what is it? What happened?" he asked, sitting down on the bed next to Cody. "Did you guys have a fight?"

"No we...we didn't fight. She – never turned up." Cody said morosely and looked down, as though ashamed.

"Oh, Cody. I'm so sorry." Zack said, putting an arm around his brothers' shoulders, forgetting for a second that he was supposed to be the macho one. That he shouldn't show his sensitive side like that.
But he knew he had to. His twin needed him.

Cody felt oddly comforted by his brothers' arm around him.
He felt so upset and vulnerable; it was exactly what he needed. For someone to show that they really cared about him.

Starting to cry softly, he leaned into Zack, burying his face in the other boys' shoulder.

Zack felt the shoulder and sleeve of his shirt dampen with his brothers' tears and his heart ached.
He rubbed his twins' side with the arm that was wrapped around his back and kissed him on the head gently.

"Hey, it's okay." He said, trying to help. "Girls may come and go, but we will always have each other, right?"

Sniffing, Cody looked up and smiled slightly.
"Always." He replied.

"Zack.."
"Yeah?"
"I guess this means you can date Bailey now...I mean, I guess, if you still want. I mean, it's ok with me if..."
"Date Bailey?" Zack asked, frowning in confusion. "Cody, what are you talking about? I don't want to date Bailey."
"I thought you liked her? You always seemed a little...jealous..." Cody said, leaning his head against his brother's shoulder once more. There was something about it that made him feel less like he was dying inside.

"I was jealous," Zack confessed reluctantly. "But not of you, I was jealous of Bailey."

Cody wrapped both arms around him in a hug, squeezed for a second, and then relaxed his arms a little, but did not let go.

"I don't want to date Bailey," Zack continued. He could hear his voice shaking and the sweet familiar smell of Cody, holding him so close, was making his head spin and it was hard to think clearly. "I want to date you."

Cody lifted his head from his twins shoulder once more and kissed Zack on the cheek, shyly, and then looked away, embarrassed.
"You mean you want to spend more time with me? Or..." he felt silly asking. He was sure that the second option wasn't what Zack meant – why would it be? – and Cody had certainly never thought it himself, but now that he had he was sort of hoping it was what his brother wanted. "...or that you want to date me date me...like, in a romantic way?"

The dim lights, the soft music in the background, the sudden turn in conversation ,were all combining to make Zack feel like the hero in one of those corny romance movies he hated that Carey had sometimes made he and Cody watch with her.
"Um, the second one." He said, and involuntarily winced in case he had made his twin feel awkward.

Instead, for the first time since he had entered the room, Cody had stopped crying, and almost looked as though he might smile.

"But...why? You could date any girl you wanted. Why would you want me?"

"Because I love you" Zack replied honestly, and kissed him, just a quick peck, their lips briefly connecting.
"All this time, how could you not know, Cody? You belong with me."

Cody shifted himself on the bed so that he and Zack were sitting facing each other, rather than side by side.

"Y-you're right Zack. You've always been there for me. You make me happy....How could I not see it before?"

"All I ever wanted was to make you happy, Codes." Zack told him, pulling the sleeve of his shirt down a little and using it to wipe away his brothers' tears. "I'd do anything. I'd give you my world. You have no idea how long I have waited to show you how much I care."

Cody thought back. Sure Zack teased him, like brothers did, and they had had their fights – but it was the nice things his twin had done for him that stuck out the most.

Memories quickly started flowing through his mind; Kids calling him a nerd in school and Zack standing up for him...Both of them liking that French girl who stayed at the Tipton and Zack seeing how upset Cody was and letting him date her...Cody being anxious about failing wood shop and Zack giving him his project to use, even though it was the only class he was any good at...

Cody looked into his twins eyes. He had always shared a special bond with Zack and they love between them had always been very strong and mutually felt, but now he felt love for him more profoundly then ever and leaned in, kissing him.
He pressed his lips' against his brothers and when he felt Zack respond to the kiss, slipped his tongue into his mouth, feeling nervous despite all that Zack had told him, relaxing when his twin responded enthusiastically, kissing him back.

He had worried that it would be awkward, kissing Zack, his brother, but it felt so right.

He started to unbutton Zacks' shirt and he felt Zacks hands stopping him.

Pulling away from the kiss, he said: "Not now, Cody. I wouldn't feel right."
"But you do want to...don't you?"
"Of course I do. I want to be with you more than anything...but you're obviously very vulnerable and upset right now...it just wouldn't be right."
He gently pushed Cody backwards on the bed until he was laying flat on his back, head resting on the pillows.
"Sleep a little, okay? We can talk more in the morning. And I'll be here for you, I promise. However long it takes for you to feel okay again."

Cody sat up slightly, leaning his elbows.
"Stay with me, Zack? Please." He asked, chewing on his lower lip slightly, like he sometimes did when he was nervous. "I need you, I don't wanna be alone."

He looked like he might cry again and Zack felt a rush of love for him.
He lay down on his side next to Cody and brushed hid brothers hair out of his face with one hand, gently.
"Of course, Cody"
"And you'll still be here when I wake up?"
"Yes"
"Promise?"
"I promise." Zack said and kissed him on the forehead. "Sleep now, okay? You look tired".

Cody turned on his side and felt Zack wrap him in a hug as he closed his eyes and he fell asleep like that, safe in his brothers' arms.