The wrong twin

*TW: swearing, mentioned/implied; past abusive, toxic relationship/ ex boyfriend.*

Caleb is minding his business, when he hears some faint yelling.

One thing about Caleb? He is a sucker for drama and honestly for eavesdropping.

Real-life fights are so much better than the reality tv shows his sister watches.

Caleb's eavesdropping has resulted in him listening to some dramatic fights between his (step)mom and his slightly egocentric adoptive father, some spicy arguments between his sister and her friends

And conversations so cheesy and fluffy between his twin brother Cody and his best friend Gabe, that it practically made him want to vomit.

But good for Cody though, that he has finally found someone that treats him with respect.

It took him long enough.

Caleb still can't handle how truly toxic his twin's ex was.

Just the thought makes him want to put Julio's head through a wall.

Caleb sits down on the couch in his room and grabs his tea, (because someone told him he wasn't allowed to drink cafeïne after 5 pm.

And funny enough this wasn't his bossy, health-freak twin brother. The anxiety-overloaded genius has a serious caffeine problem so anyone else's caffeine intake is none of his business).

Then he takes a bite of his apple.

(Cody was seriously rubbing off on him, he needed to see his other siblings as soon as possible before he was going to start liking carob cookies, documentaries, and sweet, sarcastic, brunette boys.)

with a drink and an apple in his hand he now fully concentrates on the yelling coming from the room next to his, so he can listen to the drama.

The drama appears to be a fight between his twin brother and Gabe. One of the twin's best friends and roommates, who also happens to be Cody's boyfriend of one year.

Caleb is overprotective as heck when it comes to Cody, but he is still his brother, So eavesdropping on fights between him and his boyfriend is gold.

He wondered what the heck his cocky, genius twin brother had done to piss off his boyfriend that bad, because the usual kind, funny, patient guy was yelling.

Which was honestly very entertaining considering both guys are Caleb's best Friends. 

However, it didn't take long for Caleb's attitude to change completely, when he realized that Cody hadn't done anything wrong.

Seriously, he was not just saying that because he always has Cody's back, Gabe was being completely unreasonable.

Caleb tuned back into the conversation.

"Hey, so in case there was any confusion. You are fucking mine! Well... unless you no longer want to be?!" Gabe shouted from the other room.

"Gabe, of course, I still want to be your boyfriend. I'm sorry for not realizing she was flirting with me, I'm sorry for not telling her that I'm taken, but you are blowing this whole thing out of proportion', Cody replied calm.

"Come on Cody, she was clearly flirting with you. Don't lie and tell me you didn't notice!!"

"I'm not lying! How was I supposed to know she was flirting??" Cody yelled back, not even angry, just confused.

"I don't know maybe.. just maybe... you could have used that damn brain of yours that is supposed to be so much fucking better than everyone else's!!"

Caleb bit his lip.

Well, that was just flat-out a rude and mean thing to say.

In the entire time that they had been together, this had never happened before.

Sure they'd gotten into silly arguments before, but Gabe had never gotten this mad at Cody before.

To be fair Caleb knew exactly what Gabe was referring to.

They'd visited their old martial arts gym and one of the girls had beenshamelessly flirting with Cody.

Cody being his oblivious self had no idea that she was flirting with him.

The poor guy was convinced he was just teaching some fight skills to the girl and that she was just being friendly.

"Gabe I didn't-" Cody tried but his angry boyfriend cut him off.

"You what...? Didn't fucking feel her hands all over you??" Gabe yelled.

Okay, that was dramatic, sure she could have gone without the back pats and subtle touches of his arms and shoulders, but Gabe made it sound like she was doing a lot more than that. 

"I'm sorry I-" 

Gabe cut Cody off with more yelling.

"You what?? Forgot you're already taken?? Or what?? You just really liked her touching you??!"

Geez Gabe apparently had some serious jealousy issues.

Figures.

Cody always knew how to pick 'em.

"No i-"

"What ?! You wish I wasn't there so you could have let her shove her tongue down your throat?!" Gabe shouted.

Caleb wondered why was he being so dramatic. Even a blind person could see that Cody had no interest in that girl whatsoever.

In fact, Caleb had been non-stop joking about Cody checking Gabe out while training with the girl.

"No i-"

"You what?! You like disrespecting your boyfriend?!" Gabe asked angrily.

Caleb wondered if he had to step in.

"No.."

Cody had stopped yelling a long time ago, but Gabe was yet to realize this.

"So I am kind of nothing to you huh?!" He proceeded to yell.

Cody finally snapped.

"You know that isn't true, but I'm serious Gabe, take a step back right now!"

Caleb balled his fists.

Since he could only hear what was going on, he didn't exactly know what was happening, but it sounded a lot like the arguments Cody used to have with Julio.

Where Cody would beg him to stand back, because he didn't want to fight him, but felt overwhelmed by all the yelling and the lack of personal space.

This time he didn't sound scared, but Caleb still didn't like it.

***

Caleb was making his way to Gabe's room when he bumped into Cody.

"Heyyy", he tried to say nonchalantly.

It wasn't working.

"Cut the crap, I know you heard all that", Cody said annoyed.

Caleb waved him off but Cody wasn't buying it.

"Okay fine, yes I was eavesdropping.

Anyways, just say the word if you'd like me to put your boyfriend through a wall."

Cody sighed annoyed. "I really have to go right now. But don't touch him! And don't talk to him either! I'm fine, I swear."

"Where are you going?" Caleb asked his protective brother instincts immediately kicking in.

Oh who was he kidding, they were always on, at least when it came down to Cody.

"Therapy. Do me a favor and tell Gabe where I'm at, would you? I'd tell him myself, but I'd prefer not to arrive late for therapy. He doesn't know I'm going to therapy, he knows I usually go on Friday, but she's not available tomorrow."

"Okay, well bye!" Caleb said while shoving him towards the stairs.

Cody was not having it.

"I see what you're doing!"

Caleb raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're getting rid of all the witnesses!"

Caleb burst out in laughter.

"Cody, I am not going to kill him, he is your boyfriend, but he's my best friend too you know. Go to therapy, he'll still be alive when you get back."

Cody glared at him.

"He fucking better be, or all the therapy in the world can't save you from getting murdered by me", he half-heartedly joked.

" Codyyy did you just threaten me? That was adorable."

Cody rolled his eyes and yelled, "Don't talk to him. Don't yell to him. Leave him alone", before leaving their apartment.

"I will", Caleb shouted back.

Oh please, who was he kidding? Of course, he was going to yell at Gabe.

Technically he only promised Cody he'd keep him alive.

He could do that.

But the idea that Cody was going to therapy to talk about his shitty ex-boyfriend, just to come back to his current shitty boyfriend?

Yeah, Caleb didn't like that.

So he figured he'd change that real quick.

He knew Gabe could tell them apart since he had been best friends with both twins for a long time

And thank god that Gabe can tell them apart, because otherwise being roommates with your 3 best friends, including their other roommate Finn, would be very awkward; when one of the 3 is your boyfriend and another one is said boyfriend's identical twin brother.

But Gabe wouldn't expect Caleb to pull a twin swap today, so he probably wouldn't get suspicious if Caleb pretended to be the other twin. 

But just to make sure, he tried his best to look even more like Cody than he already did.

He put one of Gabe's hoodies on since everyone in their home knows that one of the twins wouldn't be caught dead wearing one, while the other twin practically lived in Gabe's hoodies at this point.

He also put Cody's lucky bracelet on, which he only wears on special occasions, and as a finishing touch, Caleb even put some of his girlfriend's concealer on the mole on his neck.

Bless Sabrina for accidentally leaving her makeup back behind when she came over yesterday.

These were all small details that no one else would notice, but Gabe probably would.

The hardest thing was going to be to have his voice sound identical to Cody's since Gabe would easily be able to tell he was Caleb if he didn't at least try to make his voice come out a bit sharper.

**

Caleb walked into Gabe and Cody's room.

Gabe awkwardly stood up.

"Hey baby"

Caleb had to bite his lip so he didn't gag at the nickname. Obviously, he knows his best friend calls his brother that, but having it directed at him felt weird.

"Don't- Don't call h.. me that", he finally snapped.

"...Oh, sorry, I- right that makes sense, okay.. this is awkward. Ba.. sorry, Cody I am really sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Damn right you shouldn't have", Caleb said defensively.

"B... Cody, I'm sorry for being a jealous asshole and for not thinking about your sensory issues."

Caleb swallowed, he thought Gabe just didn't care, but at least he realized it and apologized for it.

"You should be", he finally spat out.

Gabe was a little taken back by the attitude, he figured Cody would forgive him rather quickly, but then again, they'd never fought before.

"I am. I promise. So... uhm.. we're good?"

"Abso-fucking-lutely-not", Caleb spat out.

Gabe's heart started beating faster.

"W-What?" His voice sounded strange to Caleb, almost as if the usually cool, collected guy was trying not to start begging him for forgiveness.

"Gabe, you basically called h.. me a hoe and a cheater and a liar and god knows what else."

"I didn't..uhm.. say that though.. and I didn't ... mean to-you know.. I don't... Cody i".

This was getting awkward.

Caleb cleared his throat.

"Yeah well, you said what you said and I won't tolerate it. As hi.. my boyfriend you should have known you can trust c.. me."

"I know and I'm sorry, it's just when you grow up with a lot of younger siblings, you're kind of used to yelling during arguments, otherwise nobody is going to listen to you and I've always had a little bit of an issue with jealousy because I used to have to beg my parents to give me even just the slightest bit of attention. I'll work on that though."

That kind of makes sense, Caleb is about to let him go with a warning but then he remembers Cody asking him to stand back and he's pissed off all over again.

"No, you don't get to make excuses for treating h..me like trash," he shouts.

Cody has been through this before.

We all know how that ended

I'm not going to stand here and watch him stay in another toxic relationship.

"I am really sorry Cody', Gabe admitted.

Caleb sighed. "I am too I really liked you for h.. me."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Gabe asked confused.

"I think you know what that's supposed to mean."

Gabe felt like someone just punched him in the face and Cody might as well have done that.

"You're breaking up with me?" His voice came out a lot less confident than he meant it to.

"Yeah, it's for the best," Caleb said in a calm tone.

Cody was far too calm about all of this in Gabe's opinion.

"Cody... please don't do this... not like this. Come on it won't happen again! Please give me a second chance", Gabe begged.

He never thought he'd be the kind of person to beg someone to stay, but maybe it was just that he never thought he'd need to convince Cody to stay with him (after one dang argument).

Maybe if he'd done something really messed up like beat him, cheat on him or spill the secrets he trusted him with to someone else.

But because he got a little jealous and raised his voice to him?

Yeah, he did not see that coming.

Sure raising your voice at someone isn't a mature thing to do,

But...

He'd seen Cody forgive certain people for much worse and much faster too.

Cody's voice brought him back to reality.

"If you really loved h.. me you wouldn't need a second chance."

That pissed Gabe off.

Come on of course he loved him!

In fact, he loved him so much that he had been blinded by jealousy, the very first time someone gave his boyfriend just a little bit more than the appropriate amount of attention.

"Are you kidding me, Cody? I do love you!"

"Right, I'm sure you do", Caleb said not sounding very convinced.

"I do! Why do you think I got jealous? You're everything to me!" Cody yelled back.

"Right, I'm sure he d- I mean I do. That's why h- I had to tell you not to hurt me!" Caleb snapped.

Gabe's heart broke a little.

"What are you talking about Cody? I would never hurt you."

Caleb would like to believe that, but he heard what he heard.

"I... he- I told you to stand back. Didn't h.. I?" 

Gabe stared at him in horror.

"Well yeah, but.. Fuck....Cody, I didn't know you said that because you were scared. I thought you were just a little overwhelmed and I listened immediately, I always respect your boundaries. Seriously... Baby, you gotta know I would never hurt you... You do know that right?"

Caleb felt horrible, of course, he did. Gabe is one of his best friends and he cares a lot about him, but he'll always care more about Cody.

Caleb swallowed hard. Gabe looked miserable and he sounded genuine, but Caleb had to do this, for his twin.

Gabe would get over it, eventually.

"Don't call me that. I am not your baby. Not anymore." Caleb said with a sense of determination in his voice that should have convinced Gabe this wasn't his Cody.

But it didn't.

He was far too upset to even consider the possibility that the guy in front of him wasn't his boyfriend but his twin brother.

Gabe had tears in his eyes, but Caleb didn't care.

As he mentioned already, his best friend would get over it.

This was better than having to watch Cody fade away into a broken boy again.

Never fucking again.

Caleb should have done this during Cody's previous relationship too.. but at least he did it this time.

Cody was safe now.

No more psycho lovers.

Seriously how could Caleb keep missing the warning signs?

Gabe's voice brought him back to reality.

"You're really going to throw away everything we have? Over one silly argument?" He asked voice soft, filled with pain.

"I am sorry Gabe. He was.

"But I have to do this", for Cody.

Caleb cleared his throat.

"Oh and do me a favor, don't bring this conversation up again".

That way Cody wouldn't figure out that he had ended their relationship.

Caleb might be able to twist it into making Cody believe Gabe dumped him.

Caleb turned around, left the room, and heard Gabe whisper.

"Cody, don't do this... Don't leave ... not like this".

Caleb continued walking regardless.

"Cody please don't walk away from me", Gabe said louder now.

Gabe tried to follow him, but Caleb shut the door in his face.

I thought I had you all figured out, but I guess I was wrong, something has gone completely wrong. You told me you loved me. Gabe thought to himself.

Finn came rushing in when he heard that Gabe was crying.

"I never thought it would end like this", Gabe choked out.

"I'll kill him", Finn whispered.

"I fucking dare you Finn", Caleb whispered back, knowing they wouldn't be able to hear him.

He checked the time, 06:59 pm, Cody would come home any minute now.

If he played his cards right, he might actually get away with this.

Was what he just did to his best friend and to his twin brother cruel? Yes!...But It's the thought that counts ... right?