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It Wasn’t Her
Searching out his twin brother, Zack hadn't been on Cody Martin’s immediate list of things to do. Especially since it had been only hours since he told him that he was going to partner with Bailey Pickett for their science project.
A girl that he had a crush on since he met her. Providing you did not count the time that she mascaraed as a boy that first day or two they been on board of the U.S.S. Tipton. She was just as smart as he was and so a friendly competition had started between them.
Normally, he would team up with his older twin brother for projects. But he wanted to team up with someone that would not leave all the work to himself for once. Just because Zack was much too lazy to want to do it himself.
But what had started as a good idea was not what it appeared initially. He had an argument with Bailey because she had found his idea for the project as stupid and had humored him for the beginning of it.
He was still feeling sensitive over where Bailey had called him a major loon. Not even Zack was that cruel. Yeah, sure he would call him a nerd or crybaby. But he hadn’t ever used those words in an argument.
He tried to work with her and all it led to was a fight. But at least now he knew what she thought of him. Why did he even have a crush on her to begin with?
Eventually he had yelled that if he was that terrible of a partner, why didn't she just partner up with London. She was her roommate after all and everyone knew that London’s attention span did not last long.
And maybe he had panicked a little when she had marched towards him. Quickly yelling to not hurt him. Damn... why did he say that? Now realizing that his brother wasn't that far away.
Spying on him? He didn’t know for sure. But it would have been nice to not have him watching his every move sometimes.
“Zack!” Cody complained, a hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“Shut up!” Zack waved it off. His eyes never strayed from Bailey. He wouldn’t hit her as he did have standards. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t let his anger not be rightfully directed at her. “Don’t you dare lie to me. What did you do to him!?”
“Nothing! What the hell is wrong with you!” Bailey’s voice went a little high pitch.
Zack’s eyes narrowed, obviously not believing her. “I’m not deaf! Why else would Cody yell to not hit him! If you think you can just lay hands on him and get away with it—”
“Zack!” Cody yelled. Jerking Zack’s shoulder slightly.
Zack growled under his breath, twisting to look at his younger brother. “What?! Just cause you got some dumb crush doesn’t mean—”
“She didn’t hit me. Just—just scared me a bit.” Cody begged him.
“Scared you a bit? I know what I heard!” Zack snapped.
“Well, you’re scaring her!” Cody rebutted. “And she just slightly spooked me.”
“Good! Then she will learn not to mess with me! I saw you cowering away from her! Nobody messes with my baby brother!” Zack hissed.
“Then be mad at her for calling me a loon. But she never laid a hand on me! Come on, Zack. I’m okay.”
Zack huffed before turning his back on Bailey but not before dragging his brother by the wrist.
“What!? Zack! Wait!” Cody yelled, almost tripping from the harsh tug.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Zack would ignore his brother’s girlish whines. And neither would it be the last as he hauled him back to his cabin. He couldn’t care less about the stupid science project at this moment. Not when it concerned Cody himself. He was many things but he cared about his twin. Even if he didn’t show it a lot.
It was one of the many things that their mother, Carey, would lecture him about. That he needed to be caring about his brother especially given how sensitive Cody could be. It wasn’t as bad as when they were younger. Not everything would reduce his younger twin to tears and the only comforting thing would be his blankie.
Zack only stopped tugging Cody behind him once the door to his cabin door was shut. His green eyes were studying his brother as if he never seen him before. Like he was looking for something.
"What was that about?" Cody wanted to know.
"Thought you appreciate being away from her or do you like when women hit you?” Zack crossed his arms.
“She didn’t hit me!” Cody protested.
Zack raised an unimpressed eyebrow at that.
“I’m not lying!”
“Of course not, you couldn’t lie to save your life even if you tried. Then why did you say it?” Zack wanted to know.
Cody rolled his eyes, “it just slipped out. It didn’t mean anything.”
Zack frowned. “Still didn’t answer the question of you liking when women hit you.”
“I do not!” Cody denied.
“Right… And your clever brain just happened to forget how your foot got fractured not that long ago?” Zack baited.
“I—” For once Cody seemed to be at a loss for words.
“Take off your shirt,” Zack told him.
“What? No,” Cody denied.
“Cody,” Zack warned. “I am not joking about this.”
“I’m fine,” Cody tried for instead.
“Fine, then.” Zack decided to walk closer to his twin and force the jacket and blue polo over his brother’s blonde head.
“Zack!”
The older blonde ignored him as he checked for any bruises on arms or torso.
“What the hell?! I told you that I’m fine!”
“And I didn’t believe you. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” Zack rolled his eyes. “Quit being such a girl.”
Cody’s cheeks went slightly pink.
“Pants off or do you want me to do the honors?”
Cody could feel annoyance and anger fill him. But he wouldn’t let his brother embarrass him further before chucking his jeans at his brother’s head. The shoes had been kicked off near the bed.
“Do you want me take off my underwear as well? Or are we done?!”
“Well, go on then.” Zack gestured towards the underwear.
“Go to hell!”
Zack smirked, “afraid that my dick is bigger”?
“My dick just shrunk from the very idea of you even looking at it.” Cody deadpanned.
Zack snorted, “you just proved my point.”
Cody’s face went red before shoving the underwear past his knees. Not before chucking it at his brother’s head.
“Satisfied now? Can I get dressed now?”
“Twirl.” Zack made a circling motion with his index finger.
“Fine!” Cody turned around slowly
It was probably the most focused Cody had ever seen his brother. That was when Zack decided to throw his briefs and pants at his face.
It caught him off guard.
“Zack! What the hell was that for?” Cody demanded. His hands were still clutching them, not moving to put them back on yet.
But Zack was no longer paying him attention. Too busy looking at the comic he picked up.
Cody ripped it out of his brother’s hands.
“What? Thought you wanted to get dressed. Dork.”
Pink tinted Cody’s cheeks, still holding his clothes. He ignored Zack’s grin even after shoving on his briefs and jeans.
“What was that all about?”
Zack shrugged, “haven’t you figured that one out?”
“Zack…”
“Whatever. Fine. Wanted to see if you were lying,” Zack rolled his eyes.
“Lying!? What could I possibly be lying about? You aren’t making any sense!”
“What else is new,” Zack huffed. “Bruises. Besides when you decide to lose the ability to stay on your feet… that is.”
“I wasn’t lying!” Cody snapped. “You’re being ridiculous!”
“Am I?” Zack dared. “I don’t joke about nobody hurting you! You’re a pathetic liar but I can tell when you’re hiding something from me! I’m not stupid! I know what I saw and heard!”
“Rude.” Cody huffs. “And I wasn’t hiding anything.”
Not, rude.” Zack shakes his head. “Surely you’ve got to agree that you yelling at Bailey not to hit you was suspicious?”
“I—”
“So, the fact you don’t have any bruises means that she didn’t hit you but maybe someone else did.” He narrowed his eyes at his brother. “So once you’re dressed, you’re going to see the ship counselor because you clearly need to speak to someone.”
“Zack—"
“No, Cody.” Zack started to stand but changed his mind and stayed seated. “Someone hurt you, and you didn’t tell me and that’s—it’s not okay, but I can get why. But you need to speak to someone about it. You clearly do not want to talk to me about it. So… if not me and mom, then… a professional! Aren’t you the one always harping on about getting help?!”
“Fine. But you still don’t have to take it out on Bailey when she hasn’t done anything wrong,” Cody muttered.
“The girl barely notices your existence.” Zack rolled his eyes.
“And this isn’t because you’re mad that I didn’t partner up with you for this project?” Cody asked.
“Whatever, man,” Zack muttered. Refusing to participate in this conversation further.
“Zack, we aren’t going to partner up for everything.” Cody told him.
“Yeah, great. Glad you finally told me that. Wouldn’t want to bring you down or anything.”
Cody bit his lip. He knew now that something was bothering his twin. More than just the words and supposed bruises that he was looking for earlier on him.
It wasn’t like he didn’t know that Zack did care in his own way. But getting an answer from his twin brother could be difficult as hell. He had never liked being honest about his feelings to begin with.
“Come on, Zack. You know better than that. You never are going to bring me down. You’re my twin!”
“Your point?” Zack shot back.
Cody sighed, “I just didn’t want to be stuck with doing all the work again, Zack. And every time you leave me to do all the work.”
“I would help if you actually explained it!” Zack retorted.
Cody’s jaw dropped. The look on his older brother actually looked defeated. How much did he hurt Zack over this?
“Okay. Do you want to help me with the science project?” Cody asked.
Zack actually looked at his brother. Before he wouldn’t even meet Cody’s eyes. “Thought you wanted to still partner with Bailey since you seem to know that I’m always wrong.”
Cody shook his head, “you weren’t wrong, Zack. Maybe my relationship with Barbara wasn’t the best. Always getting mad at me and stomping on my foot when she didn’t like what she heard. And we argued but at least my old partner won’t call me a major loon.”
It was hard to get the words out to actually admit that his older twin was right about something. And he might have denied the question of being hit by women. As it reminded him of how much Barbara did like to hurt him. He wasn’t sure he could accept it as just being kids anymore. The seriousness of Zack had made him realize this. Making sure he didn’t have any bruises that he was hiding had shocked him. First, he had been embarrassed of having no clothes on in front of his own brother. Something that hadn’t happened since they were toddlers at bath time. At least Zack didn’t have anything to be embarrassed about. He just hoped that Zack wouldn’t try to hide things from him in the future.
“You’re still a nerd,” Zack told him. He had a determined look in his eyes, his protective nature was coming out.
No doubt another conversation would be had later but for now there was a timeline to get this science project done since it was still due the next day.