Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 01:42:51 +0800 From: YoDawgs Bl.net Subject: Search for conscience, chapter 18 Hey, dudes. It's been a long time since I've updated. I hope you're still enjoying the story. There has been a lack of emails over the past month, I suppose I am partly to blame for that, for not updating. Please, do send me your encouragement, if you do wish to hear more of COdy and his gang. My email is at the top of the page. For now, please enjoy the following Episode. Chapter 18 : SLEEPOVER! Three months passed since Cody had joined the Williams family, and they were three months of heaven. He had gotten accustomed to the Williams' laid back style of living, and enjoyed Sean's company all the time. They rarely got into arguments, with the exception of a few insignificant ones, e.g. "You told me you were going swimming after school. Where were you?! I waited half an hour for you." The memories of his parents still burned neverending hole in his mind, and he cried sometimes at night as he missed them terribly. Sean was always there to comfort him, pressing his head to his chest and stroking his back. He was always grateful. The twins never changed, Sebastian was as laid-back and calm, and did excellently in school. ("Perfect score for Maths AND Science?!" Cody had exclaimed, when they had finally received their Year Seven results.) Seth was as boisterous and mischievous compared to Sebastian, and never failed to think of ways to torment his slightly older brother. It was now late April, the end of spring, and the beginning of sweet summer. The weather was turning slightly hot, and during some days, they had to remove their blazers at school because of the seemingly intolerable twenty two degree heat. Seth had successfully acquired a girlfriend, a brunette from the year above, and accompanied her during the snack-breaks in school, but always rejoined his twin as soon as the bell rang for the end of the day. There were many times when the Cody and Sean were certain that Seth was not going to appear, after a five minute wait, but Sebastian always stood facing Seth's tutor groups with a slight smile on his face. And Seth would loyally burst out of the doors, arm around Tiffany. He would spot Sebastian, and give an immediate peck on the cheek to Tiff, and then would rush toward the trio, smacking Sebastian on the shoulder and leaning over so that Sebastian could ascend atop him. Cody had heard Tiffany ask plenty of times, when they were over at Sean's home, why couldn't she climb on his back as well? And Seth had always replied with the same answer "It's reserved for the only boy I love." It was true. Seth never allowed anyone, not even Cody or Sean, to hitch a piggy-ride. It was like a taboo for Seth. Of course, Sebastian was well aware of his brother's loyalty, and showed it by constantly hugging him or giving him back rubs, while Seth politely tried to decline, although Cody could see that he enjoyed the touch. To Seth's great relief, Sebastian now looked as if he was ready to lead a "normal" life; he had less bruises on his body, he bled less often, and was more physically fit. (He once managed to win a wrestling match between him and Seth, who was extremely indignant about it.) To Cody's great surprise, he found out that he was growing much faster now. He was almost as tall as Sean, and it bothered him a little. After some browsing on the internet via Sean's Alienware Sentia, he had sighed with relief when he found out that puberty started occurring a little after eleven years of age. The twins had developed with almost the same speed as well, and Cody found out that the lumps beneath Sean's nipples were a condition called gynecomastia. After further browsing, he found out that almost 50% of boys were affected by the swelling of the breast, and hard lumps under the nipples. He had explained this to Sean, who immediately flopped down on the bottom level of the double-decker bed with a sigh of relief. He wondered if the twins knew of this, and observed them very carefully the next time they had their shirts off, which was on Friday, he hoped, the twenty-first of April. They had planned a sleepover in the twins' house, which, surprisingly, Cody had not set foot in. Sebastian had noticed this, and had deliberately begged Scott and Samantha to allow Sean and Cody for a nightcap on that Monday. He obviously used his negotiating skills which depicted him as a sick, pitiful child, for Sam sighed exasperatedly and nodded, while Scott rolled his eyes. After school that day, Seth emerged from the crowded Humanities block into the sweltering heat, tie loosened and blazer hung upon his shoulder. He once again kissed Tiffany, towering over her by half a head, and elbowed his way through the crowd to get to Sebastian. Cody noticed how much he had developed over the past three months, and admired the way his chest stood out against the white cotton shirt of his uniform, and the disappearance of the bulge in his stomach. His shoulders were much broader and muscular, beginning to resemble Sean's. He looked over at Sebastian, who mirrored his brother's state of dress, and almost gasped at the similarity. "Wassup, dawg?!" Seth leered, undoing the buttons of his shirt till the bottom, allowing everybody a partial view of his slightly muscular torso. He leant over customarily, and Sebastian once again climbed up onto his back, gripping his shoulders. Seth handed over his tie to Sebastian, who promptly hung it around his next and tied it into a simple knot. "Sleepover today!" Seth jumped a little, jerking Sebastian off his perch for a split second. "I hope you brought your clothes." "Of course, Seth." Cody could not take his eyes off Seth's now stretched torso, but forced himself to do so. They walked through the crowded school, taking in the view of the students in their various states of undress. Sean was sweating profusely, and with a cry of frustration, began unbuttoning his shirt with amazing ferocity, and flung it off himself, tying it around his waist by the sleeves. He thrust his blazer into Cody's hands, before sighing with relief as his body, naked from the waist up, got the full brunt of a slight breeze that blew at that very moment. Cody shrugged, and allowed the twins to lead the way to their home. Sean put an arm around his shoulder as they walked behind the twins. "Can you believe it?! It's Friday already! Good riddance to endless droning for two full days!" he whooped. Cody smiled. He was as excited as Sean, but, being an introvert, he did not show it. Sean continued to prance about, the shirt around his waist making him look as if he was donning a skirt. Cody had the impression that Sean was proud of his body, and wanted to show it off. He was no longer embarrassed by the hard discs directly below his nipples ever since Cody had informed him of the circumstances, and he reveled in it. They reached the street where the twins lived. On any other day, Sean and Cody would have just walked past it, bidding the twins farewell for that day, but today, it was different. Sebastian beckoned to them ten meters away, and started whispering words in Seth's ear as they approached. They walked for another five minutes, chattering about the day's events, until they reached a red bricked house, which looked like it was fashioned in the seventeen hundreds. The twins stopped, and turned around dramatically. "Welcome to our abode." Seth said in an ominous voice, while Sebastian chuckled. "Please, enter." He pulled out the keys for the house from his pocket and unlocked the door. He motioned for them to step inside. And so they did. The very first thing Cody noticed when he stepped onto the wooden floor was that this house was very cosy indeed. Everything was arranged not too neatly, but not too disheveled either. There was a door immediately to their right as they entered, and Cody spotted a television and a Yamaha piano inside, along with a couple of sofas. Straight ahead was a little room which led to the kitchen. Cody assumed that was the dining room. "Ugh! I'm so, so hot!" Seth exclaimed, throwing off Sebastian, and pulling his shirt off, revealing his torso. Cody tried to scout for any differences in Seth's body, especially in the chest region, but could find no faults, or changes. Oh well, he would try later at night, when he could get a better look. "Let's go into the back garden." Seth said. "I want to just lie down and cool off." With that, he sped off through the house. A few seconds later, an audible thud was heard as the back door was presumably slammed, and faint scampering on grass as Seth's feet depressed them. Sebastian gazed at them. "I'm just going to go upstairs and get changed. Why don't you join Seth in the backyard?" he hurried up the red-carpeted staircase. Sean raised his eyebrows and picked his way through the house, followed by Cody. At last, they entered a small kitchen with a white framed door, which had see-through glass. Seth was reclining under a small cooking-apple tree that grew in their backyard. Cody and Sean flopped on the grass beside the slowly-breathing boy. Cody felt that he ought to remove his shirt, for fear of staining it, but was too lethargic to do so. "Seaannn..." "Yeah?" Sean replied with closed eyes. "Oh, not again." "Pleeease..." he groaned. After a few seconds, he felt his shirt being unbuttoned and opened. He lifted himself up so that Sean could remove his shirt, exposing his body to a new coolness. Sean slapped him on the stomach, winding him a little and making him grunt with surprise. "Ugh!" "That's for making me your slave." Sean hung the shirt on a branch of the tree and settled down beside him. After a few moments, Sean commented "I'm really uncomfortable. I haven't a pillow." Cody had time to say "Oh no." before he felt a weight on his chest, and something tickling his breast. Sean was resting his head on his chest, and reclining with his hands folded upon his own chest. The three of them lay there, breathing softly. Then, a loud slam jolted Cody from his recline. A rustling of the grass was heard in alignment with footsteps, before Sebastian launched himself at the ground beside Seth. Cody eagerly looked over at Sebastian to see any distinguishing changes, but to his huge disappointment, Sebastian was wearing a purple "Billabong" T-shirt. He also had two "Quiksilver" caps, one which he threw onto Seth's lap, and the other perched on his head. Seth nodded his thanks and wore the cap. "Why don't you take your shirt off, Sebastian?" Cody inquired. "Nah, it's a bit cold." He replied. "Cold?" Cody thought to himself. Sebastian never had any problems during the winter, when the temperature was far lower than the current temperature, so why should he have a problem now? Seth wrinkled his nose. "He's been like that for the past two weeks. I don't know why, but he doesn't take his shirt off anymore during the day. Only when we sleep, and when the lights are off. Wonder why." He told Cody. Sebastian nudged him hard. "No, Seth." "What?" "Never mind." He lay with his arms behind his head, in the same fashion as his twin, and began to doze. The rest of the long afternoon was spent reclining under the shade of the tree, listening to the wind as it blew through shrubbery. Finally, Cody heard another slam, followed by a yawn and a "Hi, Dad" from Sebastian. He opened his eyes. Scott was sitting on the ground in front of the boys, rimless spectacles perched on his nose. He was still dressed in his black business suit, complete with black and red striped tie. He gazed at them with an expression of blissfulness. "Hey, boys." The twins' father replied softly. He reached out with his right hand, and gently stroked Seth's exposed chest, eliciting sighs from the reclining boy. His face suddenly crinkled into a smile, and he lunged at Sebastian. "Come here, you!" Sebastian squealed as he was gripped by his father and tickled in the ribs. They scuffled on the ground for a few moments, before Sebastian began begging for mercy. Scott ceased his assault, and held Sebastian to his body very tightly. Cody watched with amusement. Scott kissed Sebastian on the back of his head, and hugged him even more tightly, while they lay on the grass, Sebastian lying on top of his father panting softly. The sun was still in the sky, and Scott glanced at his expensive looking analogue watch. "Hmm... only seven `o clock. Mom won't be home till eight. Guess we'll have to starve, eh?" he said to Sebastian, whose eyes widened. "But Daaad... I'm hungry." He found Scott's tie and held it to his face, inhaling the smell. "Can't you cook?" "I can, but I don't want to." He teased Sebastian. Sean snored slightly, the sound oddly magnified by the quiet evening. Scott turned his attention to both of them. "Nice to see you again, Cody. I see you've still got that little streak of white on your fringe." Cody nodded, smiling at him. They reclined for a few minutes, breathing in the summer air. Presently, the temperature began to decline, and Cody was visibly shivering. Scott got to his feet, carrying a slumbering Sebastian. "Wake them up, will ya?" he said to Cody, before turning and striding into the house. Cody shook Sean's shoulder slightly, and Sean awoke with a gasp, breathing hard for a few seconds, before turning around and looking at Cody questioningly. "We have to go in, Sean. It's getting cold." Sean simply nodded, and stumbled into the house. Cody knelt beside Seth and shook his shoulder as well, but Seth would not awaken, no matter what Cody tried. So, as a last resort, he gently picked up Seth in his arms, surprised at how little he weight, and leant him against his body, lifting his shirt from the tree as he supported Seth with his arms. He then lifted Seth and slung him over his shoulder. He then made his way through the garden, wincing as Seth began to get heavier and heavier. At last, he reached the house, and staggered inside. He looked for a couch where he could place the sleeping twin, and spotted the living room. His strength was at its last reserves when he finally dumped Seth in an unceremonious fashion onto a red leather sofa that was facing the Sony television. Suddenly, he heard a thumping on the ceiling, followed by echoing thuds down the carpeted staircase, before Sebastian rushed into the room. "What's the matter?" Cody asked. "I thought he was hurt." Sebastian replied, sitting beside Seth's head, and cradling it in his hands, before letting it rest on his thighs. "He is a really deep sleeper. Even I have problems getting him to wake up. The best I can do is pour water on his face, but he doesn't like that very much." He grinned, stroking his brother's blonde hair and running his fingers across the slightly muscular chest, causing the sleeper to shift. "Where's Sean?" Cody suddenly remembered. "Oh, he's taking a shower." Sebastian glanced at him. Then suddenly, Sebastian began to size him up, and he felt the twin's eyes gazing at his half-naked body. He felt extremely embarrassed, and reached for his shirt to cover himself up, but Sebastian said "No... let me see." Blushing, Cody set his shirt down again and leant back against the sofa, waiting for Sebastian to finish. Finally, Sebastian said in an almost breathless voice "You've grown, Cody." "Really? How?" "Your chest has really expanded, and you've got a four-pack! Your shoulders are... bigger now. I'm so jealous!" Sebastian replied. Cody had not really noticed his own body, while he was concerned about his peers' bodies. He looked down at his own torso, and saw that Sebastian was correct. His breasts were more developed now, and he could feel a slight bulging of his biceps. He no longer had any baby fat, and the muscles rippled across his abdomen. His areolas had grown again in size, and became slightly darker, making them much more visible against his skin. He wondered if he had those discs behind his nipples, but he was not going to check for them now, not especially in front of Sebastian. "Perv." He mocked. Sebastian blushed, and extended his middle finger, trying to conceal his embarrassment. Cody grinned. He was shy of his own body, but somehow, it was satisfying that someone out there at least appreciated it. Seth suddenly let out a long sigh, and stretched his body. He gripped hold of the edges of the sofa and turned his back, so that satisfying cracks echoed throughout his body. "Arrgghhh..." he groaned with release. Sebastian grinned, and stroked the exposed ribs of his twin, causing little sighs to be emitted from the waking twin. "Do you want to watch a movie while we wait?" Sebastian asked. "What do you have?" "Oh, plenty. But what we particularly like watching are martial art movies, ones with plenty of action. Steven Seagal and Jet Li are number one on our list of must watch movies." "Okay then. Surprise me." Sebastian hopped off the sofa, gently placing Seth's head back onto the leather, and headed over to the television, where he pulled out a drawer containing uncountable DVDs, and rummaged in it. Finally, he stood up with a DVD in his hand. "Fearless, Jet Li." The twin read dramatically, a sparkle in his brown eyes. "The best movie ever." He shoved the DVD into the player, and grabbed two remotes. Then, he turned on the television and adjusted the set until it showed the familiar blue screen displaying "Samsung DVD Player 3.0". "Success." He said, rushing back to the sofa and taking a seat. This time, he could not risk lifting Seth's head and causing injury. "Cody, could you lift him up for a moment?" Cody obliged. It felt slightly strange, that he was holding Seth in such a manner, when it should have been Sebastian who would have undertook the task. He gripped Seth at his ribs and pulled him into a sitting position, causing a little groan of discomfort to be emitted from the mouth of the sleeping twin. Sebastian quickly scrambled into the empty space, taking Seth away from Cody and resting his body on his lap. At that moment, Scott came in, devoid of his tie and jacket, and lifted Cody off the sofa. Cody felt a sense of weightlessness before he was placed on Scott's lap. This instantly reminded him of his own father, who used to do exactly the same thing to him. Cody's father always pulled him onto his lap whenever they were watching a movie, and never failed to cuddle him. This vivid memory brought a pain to his chest and tears to his eyes. He could not resist a soft sob. Scott shifted uncomfortably, while Sebastian looked on, concerned. "What's the matter, Cody?" He asked. "Would you rather I sit in the armchair?" "No, no." Cody sniffed. "My dad used to do this to me all the time. I sat on his lap on that same day they died." The tears began to fall, making a soft plopping noise as they hit Scott's dress trousers. "Come here." The twins' father drew him into a hug, which he returned, sobbing his grief into the cotton shirt. After a few minutes, Cody got a grip on himself, and withdrew slowly from the warm embracing arms of his friends' father. "I'm sorry." He said, forlornly, wondering if he had overstayed his welcome. "It's alright, Cody. They told me about your family." He motioned to the twins "I'm so sorry for your loss." He turned Cody around so that he was facing the television. "Now watch the movie! It's one of my personal favourites as well. It'll give something to do, while waiting for Sam to return with the food." Cody leant back against Scott, feeling at peace. Presently, there was another thumping on the ceiling, and Cody could hear Sean descending the stairs, creating a hollow booming sound. He entered the room, dressed in a blue "Nike" shirt and a pair of Quiksilver board shorts. Halfway through the movie, the doorbell sounded, and Sean made haste to open the door. There stood Samantha, carrying her handbag in her right hand, and a plastic bag in her left, labelled Marks and Spencer's. "Oh hello, Sean." "Hi, Mrs. Davenport." "Sam, please. You make me feel really old." "Sam." She walked in, her high-heeled shoes making little taps on the wooden floor. "Hi dear. How was work today?" Scott gently pushed Cody off, and strode over to Samantha, exchanging a kiss. "Hi, Mom!" the twins piped up. Cody started; he had not realised that Seth was awake, for he was still lying upon Sebastian. "Hey there, darlings." She tapped into the living room and kissed both Seth and Sebastian on the forehead, tickling Seth's bare torso as she did, causing him to squirm and squeal. "Don't!" he choked, red in the face. "You asked for it. How can I resist tickling such a cute little naked piglet?" she continued her attack to the detriment of Seth, who tried and tried to push her off, but in vain. Eventually she halted, leaving the panting Seth in the arms of his brother and turned to Cody. "Hey, Sam." He said quietly. "Hello, Cody. Everything well?" "Oh yes, Sam. Thanks for asking. Everything's good." He replied. "Glad to hear it. Now, I need to cook for you little monsters. Damn." She smiled, and headed off to the kitchen, where Cody could hear the pottering of pans and testing of gas stoves. He leant back against the sofa and relaxed as the movie continued. Jet Li was now fighting a man of huge proportions, and succeeding in it. He wondered if it was realistic, if he could ever do such a thing. Scott lingered in the kitchen, small talking with Samantha. Seth levered himself up with his elbows into a sitting position, where he leant over Cody's bare shoulder, pressing his chest upon Cody's forearm. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Nothing." Cody replied. "How would you know?" "I don't. You just seem really sad all of a sudden. Is it because of us?" Seth was persistent. "Not at all. Don't worry about it." He returned his attention to the television as Seth stroked his shoulders and chest, making him even more relaxed. The movie finally ended, and Sean stretched himself, lifting his hands high above his head. Cody was thrilled to see part of Sean's stomach showing, but did not exhibit those feelings. "Finally!" Cody heard Scott exclaim, before he walked into the room and opened the lid of the piano. Then, the soft notes of Chopin's Etude No.1 (Second Book) began to fill the air, and Cody felt at peace again. He lay down on the sofa, using Seth's legs as a pillow. "Is this alright?" he asked tentatively. Seth merely smiled and stroked his torso. He began breathing deeply as Seth caressed his chest and stomach, and by the time Scott finished the piece, Cody was in a hazy state of semi-consciousness. Sebastian, on the other hand, was sitting up attentively, listening to the notes and watching his father play the next piece, a Beethoven Sonata. Sean, on the other hand, was busy rummaging through the drawer containing the DVDs, attempting to find one that he appreciated. "Dinner's ready! You boys hungry?" Samantha poked her head into the living room. She looked at Scott, who had not moved at all, and was still in the midst of the second movement. "Scott!" he jumped. "I meant you too. Get over here." She motioned to the adjoining room, whose table was now set, with coasters and mats. "Awright, Sam. Just lemme finish this piece, and I'll be with you in a sec." Sebastian and Seth took seats next to each other, on the left side of the table, while Sean and Cody took the exact same seats opposite the table. Samantha sat at one end of the table, after she set the food; fish and chips with Caesar salad. It was a typical British meal, and Scott turned up his nose at it jokingly as he came to the table. "Fish and chips... again?!" he asked, in mock exasperation. Sam scowled at him. "You know that's what we eat when we're here. Well, if you don't want it, there are... I'd say, about four people here that would happily devour your portion. You gonna complain some more now?" Scott raised his hands in surrender. "You got me." He sat down. "Now, who wants to say grace?" After a few seconds of silence, he sighed. "Alright. Thank you, lord, for the food that is cooked and placed on this table by my wife. Amen." And he dug into the food immediately. Seth and Sebastian stared incredulously at their father's ridiculous antics, and started eating as well. After fifteen minutes, they Cody was finished, and decided to return to the living room, where he could doze peacefully until the rest of the troupe finally finished their food. He lay on the sofa, stretching his feet gratefully. He noticed that they had become slightly longer, and hurt a little on the shins. He wondered why, until he remembered an article he read online that described such a phenomenon as normal during puberty, as the legs grew longer in a short period of time. His abdomen had also extended very slightly, and his chest had developed, albeit by a tiny amount. He wondered if anyone would notice, besides Sebastian. Sean would be too concerned with his own body to be of any help. Presently, Sebastian finished his dinner and returned to the living room, where he spotted Cody lying there, unconscious. He smiled, looking down at Cody's bare torso, slowly rising and falling with each breath. At that moment, Samantha opened the door to allow the heat generated from the cooking to dissipate. Cody shivered, and hugged himself, goose bumps forming on his torso. Summer was hot in the UK, but the nights sometimes yielded temperatures of eighteen to nineteen degrees Celsius. Sebastian went out of the room, and returned with the black jacket that he and Seth always wore. A quick sniff told him that it was Seth's. He carefully placed the jacket over Cody's shivering torso and made space for himself on the other end of the sofa, before cradling Cody's head in his hands. He glanced at the dinner table; everyone was preoccupied. He grinned, and slowly leant forward to give the sleeping boy a gentle kiss on the forehead.