The Not-So-Sweet Life of Zack and Cody

Disclaimer: All WWE superstars, shows, catchphrases, wrestling moves, etc. are property of the WWE and are used fictitiously and just for fun. Since the title is a parody of the title of a Disney Channel show I should probably specify that I don't own that either.

Summary: Cody Rhodes has been an uptight grouch ever since he got his nose broken. It might take a lot of coaxing to get him to loosen up. Is the Long Island Iced Z up to the task? NOT SLASH. T for language.

A/N: This is just a warm-up fic to see how people respond to my writing, so please review! I want to know if I should keep writing fan fiction or if I should just stick to my songs and poems. In other words (words I will probably reuse once I'm comfortable delving into M-rated fiction), please be gentle; I've never done this before. Also, this story is set about a month in the future, so I kind of played "fantasy booker" with it… creative license.

"You're doing what with me?" Cody Rhodes shouted. He'd already had a rough day. His flight had been delayed thanks to a snowstorm (in November, at that) so he had to drop his stuff at the hotel and really haul ass to get to the arena, where he barely had time to stretch before his match, and as a consequence it felt like he had pulled every muscle in his body. He just wanted to go back to the hotel, soak in the hot tub for a while, have a beer and relax. He didn't want to have to hurry up and shower and change into something nice for this stupid meeting with creative, but he'd done it, hoping they planned for him to get his Intercontinental title back from his "former" friend Ted DiBiase. As much as his best friend enjoyed being champion, Cody missed the extra attention. But now he wondered what the guys in creative were smoking, as they had just revealed they were planning on…

"Turning you face," one of the men in shirts and ties explained. "It's the right time to shake a few things up in the WWE. We've got Survivor Series coming up and we need some good strong storylines. The fans love you, and quite a large faction is getting sick of having to boo you when they'd rather jump out of their seats and start chanting your name."

"So let them chant. It's not like heels don't have fans."

"Cody, you've been a heel since you walked in the door here. It's about time you showed your fun-loving side. A kinder, gentler Cody Rhodes, if you will."

"Hey, quit stealing my dad's lines, all right? And there is no kinder, gentler Cody Rhodes. There is no fun-loving side. Fun followed dashing right out the door when Speedy Gonzales shattered my schnozz."

"I understand you were upset about the nose incident, but that was months ago. You don't even need the mask anymore."

"What, are you going to tell me to get over it? How about I break your nose and see how long it takes you to get over it?" The poor writer shuddered a little.

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about, Cody. You have a very sour attitude, even outside the ring, and it's starting to bring everybody down. Turning face might make you, you know, less uptight."

Cody sighed. "You guys are dead set on this, aren't you?"

"We'd really like you to think seriously about it."

"You know what? If I get a title shot out of this, you've got a deal."

"Oh, don't worry. We've got you in the running for the tag team championships."

"Tag team?" Cody said.

"Oops. Guess we forgot to mention that. You're going back to teamwork, Cody. We've got a great partner for you, somebody who will definitely bring out your fun side."

"Is it Ted?" Cody asked. He would love to work with his old partner again. They had great chemistry in and out of the ring.

"Sorry, Cody. You can't work with Ted forever. But we think you'll like this guy. He's really upbeat and he's become really popular with the fans in recent months."

"Okayyy…" Cody racked his brain, trying to figure out who it might be. He didn't have to think very long, because just then, his new tag partner walked in the door.

"Hey, sorry I'm late, guys. I could not find my hair gel anywhere! I mean, I looked all over my locker room, in my bag, everything. Then I got thirsty, so I opened the fridge back there to get a soda, and somehow my gel was in the fridge! And I'm just like, 'Are you serious, bro?' Oh, hey Cody. Wait a minute. Is he my new tag partner?"

"God, I hope not," Cody muttered.

"Yes. Cody, I think you know Zack Ryder. You two will be working together for the next few months."

"Sweet! Wait, I'm not turning heel again, am I?"

"No, Zack."

"Good. Because I've never been more over in my life, and I don't wanna do anything to jeopardize that, know what I mean, bro?" He smiled. "But seriously, Cody Rhodes? This is gonna be great! I can't believe I'm really gonna work with the son of the American Dream!"

Cody sighed. "I hope this is a dream," he said under his breath.

Cody Rhodes working with Zack Ryder? Are you serious, bro? Is this a tag team made in heaven, or will they even make it through the next Raw? Find out in the next chapter of The Not-So-Sweet Life of Zack and Cody! Until next time, take care, spike your hair!