October 23, 2010 (Present day)
Lincoln was no stranger to waking up in the middle of the night, his constant bouts with his fears, his anxieties, and worst of all, his nightmares made that a common occurrence in his life unfortunately.
But on that night, something worse roused him from his slumber, something far more pressing, far more insistent, something that refused to be ignored.
A full bladder.
Thankfully though, the outside hallway light had been left on for Lincoln, providing an easy passageway for the salvation that was the bathroom across the way.
Lincoln twisted the handle of the sink shortly after he found relief, leaning over from the top of the step stool to pump soap onto his hands and dip his hands into the water.
Ah, cold! He gasped with a giggle when the water splashed over his hands. After his hands were sufficiently cleaned, he turned off the faucet and stepped off the stepping stool, wiping his hands on the back of his pajamas as he did so.
Hopefully Missus Mommy wouldn't mind, he really did love his pajamas a whole lot. They were so comfortable!
He padded through the hallway shortly after, secure in the warm light of it guiding him towards his room, with the plush carpet beneath his socked feet and the soft colors of the hallway soothing him closer to slumber once more.
A grave contrast to the dark hallways and cracked, barren walls of his previous environment. He really was in a better place, with a family who did everything they could to make sure he was comfortable, well-fed, and most importantly, as he still couldn't quite believe, lo—
"Thanks again for such a great night, Loud fam."
Lincoln jolted to a stop at the sudden voice of Reggie coming from downstairs, stopping him just before he reached the stairs themselves.
"We really enjoyed having you here, Regginator." And that was the voice of Mister Daddy, jovially returning the sentiment.
"Don't be afraid to come visit us again as soon as you can." Missus Mommy spoke up next. "I know Lincoln would be happy to see you."
She was right about that. Lincoln loved seeing Mr. Reggie. Maybe I can say goodbye too, He thought, moving to take a step forward.
"Not just Lincoln, us too." Only to be stopped again by the voice of his eldest sister. "We really liked telling you all our stories, Mr. Reggie!"
Reggie chuckled warmly, "And I loved hearing them, Lori. Thanks to your stories, I know without a doubt that Lincoln really is in good hands."
Lincoln had to agree, because even without rehearing all the tales he had been a part of with his sisters for the past month, he knew he was indeed in good hands with the Loud family, because they cared about him, and he hoped within his heart of hearts that one day, he could truly be—
"And he'll always be in good hands with us," Lori went on, "Because we all love him."
It wasn't just the word "love" that was a lightning bolt to Lincoln's train of thought, not only blowing it off the rails, but completely obliterating it in the great emotional explosion of it, but the word "all" as well.
The whole family? Could he really earn the love of the entire Loud family? Sure he knew they tolerated him, even enjoyed his company, but love? Could he really consider himself worthy to amass such an emotional treasure from not only one, but the entirety of his new family?
He considered himself fortunate enough to—
"I'm happy to hear that," Reggie said.
"Sweetheart, why don't you head on upstairs to bed while your father and I walk Mr. Reggie out?" Rita suggested, successfully snapping Lincoln out of his trance. "It's getting pretty late, after all."
"Okay…" Lori relented, obviously knowing any arguing would be pointless. "G'night, Mr. Reggie. Drive carefully."
"Goodnight, Lori," Reggie said amicably in return.
Following a quick additional goodnight to her parents, Lincoln heard Lori begin the trek upstairs.
Also beginning their inevitable meeting in the hallway.
But Lincoln wasn't anxious about that, well, not completely anyway, because after that bombshell she had unknowingly dropped on him, he had quite a few questions now burning within his mind.
And who better to answer them than her? She was the one who voiced the impossible to believe sentiment after all.
Plus, she had been the one to—
Lori stopped when she got to the third step, her eyes catching the tiniest tuft of white peeking from around the corner at the top of the staircase. Lincoln? She thought, taking another step up, What are you doing up?
She gulped when a drop of anxiety bloomed within her, and her mind summoned forth a memory from just the previous day. Well, whatever the reason, She thought, stepping up further, I'll make it better, just like yesterday.
Coincidentally, Lincoln's own mind summoned that exact same memory as well, just a measly twenty-four hours ago when he was forced to face his irrefutably worst nightmare…
And finally got something his heart had yearned for all five years of his thus short life following it.
…
October 22, 2010
The frigid rain bit Lincoln's skin mercilessly, pounding against his brutalized form and exacerbating the full cruelty of the situation he found himself in.
"Get back here, you stupid brat!" The monstrous voice roared after him.
Lincoln didn't dare turn his face, biting his lip and speeding up against the dark torrent trying to push against him. Because of the rain and the blood dripping into his eye from his forehead, he could barely see an inch in front of his face, but thanks to the many times he had peered through the grimy windows of his apartment during his many hours alone, he had memorized the walkway's layout.
He just had to get a little further; a little further and he'd be at the stairs, and from there—well he didn't really know, but he just knew he had to get away from the monster. He had had enough, he had to get away from it. He couldn't stand being brutalized for the smallest infractions anymore.
Even those scary sirens he could hear in the distance couldn't deter him. Instinct and adrenalin demanded that he make a break for freedom.
A flash of lightning briefly lit up the walkway, showing him that he was at the corner next to the stairs. Frantically, his hand wrapped itself around the freezing metal of the banister, spinning himself around and leading him down the stairway to freedom.
"No you don't!" Only to be stopped by his arm being wrapped in the painful grip of another.
Lincoln was forcefully wrenched into turning around, his skin twisting painfully as he was made to gaze upon his abuser.
The monster's smoky visage bore down on him like an all covering cloud of shadow, yanking him up the two steps he had managed to step down and banging his knees on the hard concrete with the uncaring way it handled him.
"Stupid brat! What did I tell you!?" The monster roared, shaking him some more. "Can't you get anything through that thick skull of yours! We need to go!"
Another flash of lightning passed, illuminating the being within the smoke for a split second; a slender figure with bright blue eyes and matted white hair tied into a grimy ponytail.
Lincoln's heartrate tripled with that brief glimpse at the monster's true form, but his desire to escape his abuse gave him just the droplet of courage he needed to resist.
"No!" He screamed, tugging against the monster's pull. "I don't wanna go with you! I'm tired of you hurting me!"
"You had it coming!" The monster spat, yanking on his arm and trying to pull him around the corner. "You know you're not supposed to come out when I'm trying to relax!"
The sound of sirens was growing louder.
"I just wanted some water!" Lincoln protested, gaining an inch back towards the stairs. "I was thirsty!"
The sirens grew louder again, ringing in Lincoln's ears and amplifying his adrenaline even more.
"You know the rules!" The monster screeched, throwing the bitter scent of its breath into Lincoln's face as it tried to pull him back yet again. "When I'm home, you keep that stupid face of yours hidden!"
Tears crawled into Lincoln's eyes in response to the unbelievably cruel dictation. "W-Why…?" He let the tears fall and pulled himself back with every ounce of strength he could muster, "WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME!?"
The monster snarled and got right in Lincoln's face, its yellow eyes shifting into blue once again.
"You wanna know why!?" It hissed. "IT'S BECAUSE YOU RUINED MY LIFE, YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!"
The sounds of the rain, the sirens, and even the lightning all grew muted to Lincoln, and all the energy he had been putting into getting away, suddenly evaporated from within him.
He could've easily been pulled away at that point.
But then, the darkness was partially dispelled by faint flashing lights of red and blue.
"Aw crap, they're already here!" Lincoln barely heard the monster exclaim. "Stupid kid, why didn't you just come with me before!?"
Again, Lincoln didn't really register the words. He just let his gaze fall listlessly to the floor, completely stricken into resignation by the fact that the monster truly, undeniably, despised him.
He didn't see the monster stare off down the street as the lights came closer, nor did he see it look back down at him with a grimace.
He really had no means to defend himself from what happened next.
"You wanna get away so damn badly? Fine, suit yourself."
All the air was slammed out of Lincoln's lungs when the foot of the monster was bashed into his fragile ribcage, and the world slowed as he careened down from the top step onto the unforgiving concrete stairway.
Every blow felt like an additional kick, every thud sounded like another shout of thunder, and every second he continued to fall was a cruel reminder of what had just been done to him.
KRICK! The fall came to an end with Lincoln falling flat on his front on the asphalt, and the oncoming blackness was only briefly pushed back by the lancing pain that ran through his arm when he landed on it.
Above him, he heard the sound of pounding footsteps receding away from him, followed shortly by the bright garishness of the red and blue lights stopping a ways in front of him.
"Holy crap!"
"It's a kid!"
"Somebody call an ambulance!"
All the voices were muffled thanks to the darkness encroaching upon Lincoln, and his thoughts were quickly growing more jumbled as he tumbled further into unconsciousness.
Save one.
Mommy…I'm sorry…
…
A painful gasp shot out of Lincoln with the lurch that came with his sudden expulsion from his latest nightmare.
"I'm sorry!" He cried, his fingers clenching around his blanket and his back tensing painfully strong in a hunch.
His vision was blurry in his daze, a stream of wavy light blue lights undulating dizzily as he blinked to try and focus. Eventually, his room solidified and he stared blearily at the reformed shape of his blue bunny nightlight, staring back at him with its comforting black-eyed gaze.
He wasn't back at that awful scene, at his most terrifying memory; he was back in his room, in his home.
He wasn't in awful pain, left terrifyingly alone; he was healing wonderfully, in a house filled with people who cared about him.
So then why were his eyes starting to sting? Why couldn't he just focus on the good instead of the bad? He knew he was safe here? Why couldn't he take that fact to heart?
Lincoln trembled as the first tears rolled down his cheeks, and he shook as the first restrained sob left him despite his best efforts to hold it in.
Stop it! He told himself. I don't wanna cry anymore! I don't wanna keep making my family sad!
Still, despite that fierce desire, having grown steadily stronger and stronger thanks to the constant efforts of his family to make him feel better at all times, his shoulders still bunched up and began to shake as his whole body trembled with his self-perceived shameful failing yet again.
Why…? He brought his formerly broken arm up to wipe his face, smearing the tears onto the comfortingly light fabric of his pajama sleeve. Why didn't she…Why didn't she—
His thought process was interrupted by a light, the golden light of the hallway, suddenly flicking on just outside his door and streaming in through the crack of his partially open entryway, crossing with the calming blue tones of his nightlight.
Lincoln tensed further, his shame doubling when he realized he had done it yet again; bothering one of his family members in the dead of night with his cursedly weak self's inability to go more than a few days without a night terror.
He debated simply turning against the wall and pretending to be asleep, but that idea was squelched when his door opened and he saw the bright green eyes and fluffy golden locks of the one who had come to his aid, the one he himself had sought out on other nights when he just couldn't face his fears alone.
"Linc?"
…
(A little bit earlier)
Awwwww yeah, another level! Lori grinned to herself as her Quilava grew stronger with a little blue flash on her DS screen. Say your prayers, Whitney! Me and Cyndi are coming for your Miltank, just you wait!
That night had turned out to be a blissfully relaxing one for Lori. She had everything she needed to properly relax in her room; Her DS, a tall glass of water, brought up earlier to make sure she wouldn't have to go downstairs for another one (what kind of person would leave midnight thirst to chance?), and her much beloved lucky charm for handheld gaming matters, the little papercraft flower that had been given to her by Lincoln a few weeks prior, lovingly wrapped around one of her corner bedposts so she could see it with all the ease of a simple look up.
This was one of her favorite things to do on a night like this, mischievously eschewing her bedtime to grab a rare moment of quiet in her chaotic household with only the light of her DS screen acting against the darkness surrounding her; just a simple closing of the lid needed to bring said darkness about once more just in case she heard her doorknob begin to twist.
She was experiencing a quintessential cornerstone of childhood in that moment, and could anything be better?
Then, something pricked against her senses, making her ears perk up and the hair on the back of her neck suddenly stand up.
"I'm sorry!"
Immediately after that feeling came about, fate decided to prove it right by having Lori hear the tiny frightened exclamation that sounded off just beyond her bedroom wall.
Lincoln? Lori sat up, tilting her head to try and confirm whether those words had been a trick of the night or not.
Her hopes for the former were quickly dashed when after a moment of eerie quiet, she began to hear the muffled sounds of crying shakily reverberating from the former linen closet turned bedroom bordering her room.
Lincoln… Lori's instincts forewent any sadness or pity before it could take hold of her, instead having her close her DS and leap out of her bed with all the urgency of a lioness hearing their cub in distress.
She made quick headway for the door, stopping only to turn around and go back for the glass of water she still had on her nightstand.
A useful little discovery made by Leni a while back. Whenever Leni or any of their siblings were to cry, Lincoln included, Leni always suggested a glass of water to help calm down. It had proven a useful little remedy in the past, and judging by the fact that Lincoln had literally woken up crying out "I'm sorry", may have been warranted.
Lori clutched the water close as she made her way out into the hallway, flicking the light so she could avoid tripping and sending the water splashing all over the floor.
A little gasp sounded off from the end of the hallway after she turned on the light, and Lori turned towards Lincoln's room, softly aglow with gentle blue light.
Lori gulped and stepped forward, her heart beating with the desire to help the little one she could hear trying to hide his sniffles.
Don't worry, Lincoln, She thought with a nod, Whatever you dreamt about this time, I promise I'll make it better.
Her promise made, she reached out and pressed her hand against the door, pushing it forward and letting herself into her brother's room.
"Linc?"
…
Both siblings regarded each other as the outside light of the hallway poured in, Lori offering a sympathetic little smile when she saw Lincoln's reddened eyes, Lincoln gulping and squeezing his blanket close as he tried to hide said evidence of crying away from her.
"L-Lori?" He squeaked.
"Hey, buddy," Lori stepped into the room, pushing the door back to keep the hallway lights from pouring in too much. "You okay? I heard you get a little sniffly over in my room."
"I'm sorry…" Lincoln sniffed, looking down at his blankets.
"Don't worry," Lori chuckled, setting the glass of water on Lincoln's nightstand. "I was awake anyway." She then climbed onto the bed with him, taking a spot just across from where he was. "What about you though? Are you okay?" She asked, lowering her voice into a tender timbre. "I heard you say something before I came over." She bit her cheek and leaned towards Lincoln, "Another nightmare?"
Lincoln kept his sights on the blankets, but Lori heard him take a sharp breath in response.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Lori asked, her tried-and-true first play whenever she found herself aiding Lincoln following a nightmare.
Lincoln's eyes clenched shut, as well as his fingers around his blanket. "N-Not really…" He croaked.
"That's okay," Lori said, sitting back and lacing her fingers together in her lap. She was just glad he didn't seem that affected by whatever he had dreamt about. Maybe she would be able to get some more game time in after all. "How about we just talk then?" She amicably suggested. "Did you like the movie we watched tonight?"
Lincoln peered up at her and nodded, perking up a bit as he answered, "Mmhmm. I really liked it. Especially the kitty-cat in it."
Lori giggled, "Yeah, Oliver's really cute." She smirked and leaned forward to run a hand through his hair, "Kinda reminds me of you, Linc."
Lincoln felt a fraction of his anxiety dissipate and he leaned into Lori's touch, actually reminding her more of the cat in question.
From there, they spoke about whatever happened to cross their minds, be it what Lincoln did with Lynn that day, Leni's latest updates on their Halloween costumes, or their success at getting their parents to order that pizza they had spoken about last Saturday.
Soon, a half-hour had passed, and Lincoln looked much better than when Lori had initially stepped in, giving her the impression that he was good to go back to sleep again.
They did have Mr. Reggie's visit the next day to think about after all.
"Alright, Linc," Lori said, standing up from the bed, "D'ya think you're good to head back to snoozeville again?"
Lincoln gulped, and he bunched up his blankets in his hands again, nodding despite how much he wanted to ask her to stay longer. "Uh-huh," He said instead, not wanting to impose on her further.
"You sure?" Lori asked, going up to the head of his bed.
"Mmhmm," He insisted, his heartbeat growing a little louder in his ears.
Lori bit her cheek and reached out to pull the blanket up to his chin, bringing Bun-Bun against his side to make sure he had company when she was gone. "Alright then," She whispered, ruffling his hair lovingly. "If you need me, I'll have my door open, 'kay?"
"Okay…" Lincoln murmured.
And so, despite a cold lump in her stomach telling her that she shouldn't leave, Lori bade Lincoln goodnight, turned around, made her way to the door, and—
"She said I ruined her life…"
A lightning bolt zapped straight through the middle of Lori's spine, stopping her dead in her tracks when she heard that tiny little murmur wisp through the air.
She turned around, facing Lincoln with wide eyes, "What?"
Lincoln was sitting up again, the blanket ruffling around his waist and his arms wrapped around his torso.
"The monster…" He continued, squeezing the spots where his body had made contact with the stairs. "The night I was taken away, she told me I ruined her life, that's why she was so mean to me, why she gave me so many ouchies…"
The air in Lori's chest went icy cold. "Lincoln, that isn't—"
"I know you told me that I shouldn't have ever been given these ouchies," Lincoln quailed, kicking away the blankets because of the heat that burned his insides despite his skin feeling freezing cold, "But…But why did she say that then? What did I do to make her be so mean to me?"
Lori forced her stone-stiff legs into stepping forward, "Lincoln, you didn't—"
"I tried to be a good boy," Lincoln went on with a quiver. "I tried so hard, but—I just didn't want her hurting me anymore!"
His voice suddenly rose, actually causing Lori to wince. The air suddenly felt frigid, almost like it was trying to push her out, but she kept going, because Lincoln was starting to curl up like he always did when he was distraught, and something told her this was going to be a breakdown like none before.
"Linc, it doesn't—you don't have to think about—what matters is—" Lori couldn't keep her thoughts together long enough to form a coherent reply; she was just moving closer by instinct, her arms unknowingly rising towards him.
"I asked her why she was always so mean," Lincoln whimpered, "And that's when she told me it was because of me, just me being with her made her wanna be mean to me." He brought his head down against his blankets and quivered against them. "She was mean just because she didn't like me, the mon—my mo…"
He gasped sickeningly and his head fell against the blanket.
"My mommy hated me!" He cried despairingly. "She hurt me and left me because she hated me! She hated me because I was me! Worthless and stupid and useless and—"
His next self-inflicted insult was stopped by Lori plucking him off his bed, taking him against her and wrapping both her arms around his shaking frame and at long, long last…
Giving Lincoln a hug.
Lincoln completely froze when he felt his cheek fall against her chest and her arms wrap around his freezing form, squeezing him against her as she sat down on the floor with him.
"You aren't worthless," She whispered, folding her legs so she could completely cloak him in loving warmth. "Or stupid, or anything like that. You are literally one of the most precious things in the world to me, Lincoln."
Lincoln didn't reply, he just remained stiff as a statue, coming to terms with what had just transpired.
Lori was hugging him; she was holding him against her, trying to make him feel better by cradling him close and rocking him as she shushed him lovingly.
And…He wasn't scared. He felt safe. He didn't feel trapped, just safe and warm.
Tha-thump-Tha-thump.
And along with her words and coos of love, Lincoln heard another sound, a rhythmic beat going into his ear from the spot Lori had him held against.
Tha-thump-Tha-thump-Tha-thump.
It was considerably more relaxed than his own frenetic beat, and Lincoln couldn't help but find the tension in his body begin to ebb away.
However, with that lowered tension came something else.
"Eh-Eh-EHEHEHUAAA!"
The complete and total crumbling of Lincoln's emotional walls.
Lori frowned, shedding a few tears along with Lincoln as she rocked him some more, "Oh, Linc…" She whispered, burying her nose in his hair.
"I'm sorry!" Lincoln wept, shaking his head against Lori's chest. "You're trying to make me feel better and I'm—"
"You feel whatever you need to feel, Lincoln," Lori assured, jostling him and tilting her fluffy golden locks against his own white ones. "This is a lot to take in, for anyone to take in. There is literally no judgement here, baby bro."
"It feels like there's an ouchie inside of me!" Lincoln mufflingly wailed against her, one hand gripping Lori's shirt, another going over the spot where the hurt was felt, obviously his heart.
"I'll hold you until it feels better then," Lori announced, bringing her hand to rub Lincoln's back while she ignored the slight pain of his fingernails digging into her.
"Don't—Don't you have to go back to bed?" Lincoln asked, staring up at Lori with eyes awash with more tears than Lori had ever seen him shed.
"I will literally stay with you all night and all day tomorrow if I have to, Lincoln," Lori soothed, touching her forehead to his. "Take all the time you need."
Lincoln closed his eyes and curled back up against Lori, coughing and shaking some more, but finding solace in Lori's tender grasp.
"Why did she hate me, Lori?" He asked after several minutes of soaking her pajamas with his tears. "Why did my mommy hate me?"
Lori frowned and nuzzled him again as she searched for an answer. What on Earth could she say? This wasn't something like comforting Leni after a poor grade on a test or patching up a wound on Lynn; this was a little boy who was crying about the fact that his mother, the one who had brought him into the world, hated him. What would anyone say?
"I—I can't answer that, Linc," She said after a long moment of simply letting him quietly weep into her shirt. She gulped and brought her hand to tilt his gaze up to her, as tenderly as her own mother would do. "But—But I don't think it matters much, because—" She gulped and lifted his bangs to expose the spot where she had seen just one of his many bruises back on that very first night he spent as her brother.
All that was left was the barest spot of near imperceptible blue.
"Because I love you, Lincoln," She declared, leaning down and brushing her lips against that very same spot.
Lincoln froze again, his eyes becoming mere pinpricks. "R-Really?" He gasped, his lower lip quivering in the face of yet another emotional onslaught.
Lori looked back down at him, offering a teary smile and squeezing him tighter, "Yup, from the bottom of my heart, I love you, baby bro."
Lori's pajamas were going to be completely soaked given the rate that Lincoln cried into them, and her declaration of love only made that more likely given the way he relaunched into a whole new slew of tears afterwards.
But what Lincoln said next made it worth it.
"T-Thank you, Lori!" He hiccupped, clinging to her like a telephone pole in a hurricane, "I…I love you, t-too!"
Lori continued to hug him close for a while after that, whispering a constant stream of repeated "I love you"s as well as continuously telling him just how wonderful she thought he was.
She refused to let that night pass without him knowing that someone in the world loved him.
That witch didn't know what she had, Lori decided, hiding her grimace by instead kissing Lincoln's tears away from below his eyes.
Eventually, all her loving efforts did the trick, and Lincoln finally went from full on bawling, to just shaking, hiccupping, and coughing against Lori.
All that crying had obviously left his throat feeling more than a little hoarse.
Good thing I brought this, Lori thought, reaching up to grab the glass of water she had set on Lincoln's nightstand.
Leni really was pretty smart from time to time, she had to admit.
"Atta boy," Lori whispered, holding the cup to Lincoln's lips as she helped him take a drink, tilting the rim to aid him further. "Drink slow, okay? I don't want you getting a tummy ache on me."
"Mm(Glug)hmm," Lincoln gulped, his eyes closing peacefully as he replenished the great deal of water he had shed.
I love you, Lori, He thought again, his fingers gripping her pajama shirt harder as the cool liquid did away with his itchy, patchy throat.
A moment later, the cup was pulled away, and Lincoln, in the throes of understandable exhaustion, fell against Lori again.
"There we go…" Lori cooed, setting the cup back and wrapping her arms back around Lincoln. "Are you feeling any better now, Linc?" She asked, rocking him.
Lincoln brought his other hand to his pajama shirt, squeezing the fabric like he did with Lori's. "A little…" He admitted. "The ouchie still hurts, but not as much as before."
Lori pursed her lips. "Well then…" She said, glancing over at Lincoln's bed, "You want me to stay with you?"
Lincoln jolted. "W-Would you?" He chanced, looking up at her.
Lori smirked and unwound her legs from around Lincoln, standing to her feet with a little hop, "I said I would if you needed me to, right?"
"I—You…" Lincoln's heart swelled with further affection for the girl holding him as she slid them into his bed, pulling his blankets up over the two of them and holding him tight once they were both covered. "You really don't mind?" He asked in a hush.
"Not one bit," Lori replied, adjusting Lincoln so he was resting against her side, but could still be hugged by her.
Lincoln blinked, and his hand went from grasping his shirt to wrapping his arm around Lori, letting him hug her in return. "Thank you, Lori," He mumbled, squeezing her just as she had done him. "I'm so glad to have you as a big sister."
"And I'm glad to have you as my baby brother, Lincoln," Lori whispered, administering another kiss to Lincoln's forehead before setting her chin atop his head. "Now get some sleep, okay? We got a big day with Mr. Reggie tomorrow."
Lincoln nodded, his eyelids growing heavy as he settled against Lori, "Okay."
"I love you, Linc."
Lincoln bit his lip, fighting the urge to cry again. "I…" He shuffled and set his head over Lori's chest once more.
Tha-Thump-Tha-Thump.
"I love you too, Lori…" He whispered, letting the gentle rhythm of his big sister's heartbeat lull him back into slumber at long last.
A slumber completely devoid of nightmares.
…
Present Day
Lincoln couldn't recall ever having a more peaceful night's sleep than the previous night. For perhaps the very first time ever, safety and security felt one-hundred percent guaranteed in the mind of Lincoln Loud because he knew even in slumber that someone was there to keep a tight, but loving grasp around him, warding off anything that could have harmed him; for what monster would dare encroach on a boy when he had his big sister there to protect him?
The next day would come about with Lincoln waking up in Lori's folded lap once again, the sound of her heartbeat in one ear, the pixelated sounds of sword slashes and a bombastic Super Nintendo soundtrack gracing the other.
"L-ori?" Lincoln had mumbled.
Lori continued playing, keeping her hands on the controller but her arms wrapped around Lincoln. "Oh, hey Linc!" She said, tilting her chin to give him a quick peck on the head. "Good morning!"
Lincoln blushed, but snuggled against Lori's warmth in response. "Good morning," He murmured, smiling a tiny smile as his own arms found their way around her.
They held onto one another for pretty much the entire time Lori led Link through his latest quest, stopping only when Lori finally acquired the Master Sword and turned off the game before parting from one another.
Lori would brag until the end of time for being the first to give and get a hug from Lincoln, but in order to not bring any discomfort on the boy, she would keep it a secret from everyone else for the time being. No sense in having the other girls begin pressuring for hugs now that he was open to the idea of them.
So the rest of that monumental day passed by as it did, with the family getting ready for Reggie's visit, telling him their stories when he arrived, and the eventual parting that came following dinner.
"Lincoln?" And now, Lincoln and Lori had met up once again at the top of the stairs, Lincoln standing before Lori whilst twiddling his fingers, Lori regarding him concernedly, worrying over what had brought him out of bed.
"H-Hi, Lori," Lincoln mumbled, staring down at his socked feet.
Lori crouched down to his level. "What are you doing out of bed?" She asked tenderly. She gulped, "Did you have another nightmare?" Please, for the love of all that is good, say no; let this kid have the occasional good night's sleep for ding-darn's sake!
Lincoln blushed. "I just had to go to the bathroom…" He replied, pointing at the bathroom door across the hallway.
"So, no nightmare?" Lori asked.
"No, no nightmare," Lincoln answered.
Lori let out a sigh of relief, "Good, I'm glad to hear that." She looked back at Lincoln, taking note of his bashful behavior, and a smirk crossed her face. "Linc, do you want a—"
Her question was cut off by Lincoln running forward, throwing his arms around her and nearly knocking her over in his zeal for the hug he had found himself wanting all day.
Lori, having predicted Lincoln doing such a thing, took him into her embrace without a second thought, maneuvering from the force of his hug-tackle and standing up with a gleeful spin.
"Wow, Linc!" She giggled, coming to a stop and nuzzling her cheek into his hair. "You're already quite the cuddlebug, aren't you?"
Lincoln's response was to snuggle up against Lori's pajama shirt, wrapping his legs around her as well so he could convey every ounce of affection he held for her.
Lori laughed again and bounced him in her arms, "Well, luckily for you, I'm more than happy to accommodate you on that."
"Is it true?" Lincoln asked, his voice muffled by the fabric he was nestled against.
Lori quirked an eyebrow, "Is what true?"
"Do you think…" Lincoln lifted his gaze up towards Lori, "Do you really think everyone loves me? The whole family?"
Lori knew her answer in a millisecond. "Without a doubt, Linc!" She exclaimed, touching her forehead to his. "I know this whole family loves you, just as much as I do!"
Lincoln's eyes widened, and Lori saw his eyes begin to gleam, a telltale sign of oncoming tears that she quickly mitigated by leaning down to plant a kiss on his forehead.
"Why wouldn't they?" Lori whispered, smiling happily when she saw the tears recede slightly. "All those stories you heard tonight prove it, don't they? Everyone here loves you, Lincoln, because you're a part of this family."
Lincoln's lips quivered and he hid his face from her again. "Do you…Do you think that—maybe…"
He trembled and Lori rubbed his back to encourage him to go on.
"Do you think that they'd want to hug me?" He managed to mumble.
Lori's emotions ballooned with elation at the question. "Absolutely!" She gushed, jostling Lincoln in excitement. "Lincoln, they would literally be all for getting a hug from you!"
Lincoln blushed and gripped Lori's pajama shirt in his fingers. "Then…maybe some time soon, I can ask them for a hug too." He gulped and peered back up at Lori, "Maybe soon, after I get better at hugging."
Lori giggled and went from jostling him to gently rocking him, "Hey, I personally think you're already pretty good at giving hugs, but if you need some more time, you're free to take it."
"Thank you," Lincoln murmured, his senses calming with Lori's gentle sways.
"In the meantime," Lori cooed, garnering his attention with another affectionate nuzzle, "It is very late for you, Lincoln, and you need to go back to sleep. You may be super cute, but you still gotta stick to your bedtime, just the same as the rest of us, got it?"
Lori neglected to mention that staying up past her own bedtime was a favorite pastime of hers in that moment.
Fortunately for her, Lincoln didn't seem in the mood to object, given the great big yawn he gave in response.
"Got it…" He murmured, settling against her. "But…" He tilted his head up to Lori, "Can you stay with me again?"
Lori just couldn't say no when Lincoln was staring up at her with those giant baby blue eyes of his. What kind of big sister could?
"Oh, alright," Lori said, jokingly lilting her voice to convey a false sense of inconvenience, "But only because you're so cute."
She turned around and began carrying Lincoln down the hallway, "But no making a habit outta this, alright? We all got our own beds for a reason, y'know."
"I understand," Lincoln replied, nodding against Lori and resting his ear over the spot where her heartbeat could be heard.
Tha-Thump. Tha-Thump.
It only took a measly couple of seconds of listening to it for his eyelids to feel like they were made of iron.
Lori carried Lincoln back to his room, gently nudging the door open with her knee and then promptly pushing it back with a soft kick of her foot to allow only the blue light of the nightlight to light up the room.
"Alright, Linc," She cooed, going over to his bed and tucking themselves in, being sure to recreate the embrace she had held him in the previous night. "Sweet dreams."
She gave him a final peck on the top of his head before nestling her cheek into his feather soft locks. "I love you."
She expected him to simply repeat it back to her, same as the day before.
What he did instead only made her love him more.
"Lori?" He whispered, shuffling in her arms to get her attention.
"Hmm?" Lori hummed, lifting her head to look down at him.
It was done quick as a wink, but Lori knew what happened next would stick into her memory forever and ever.
Lincoln craned himself up and pecked Lori on the cheek, doing so while going scarlet in the face. Once his affection was given, he retreated back into his hiding place in the fabric of her pajama shirt.
"I love you too, Lori," He squeaked, unable to look at her face thanks to his influx of timidity brought upon by the giant emotional step he had just taken.
Lori was left speechless. Then, her fluttering heart roused her from her trance, bringing the most joyous smile she thought she ever had across her face.
In the face of that happiness, she could only hug her baby brother tighter, returning to her spot amongst his white locks so she could nuzzle him with all the love he had just made burst out of her heart.
"I'll always love you, my little Lincoln," She declared, dotting him in a few more kisses before she settled back against the bed. "Forever and ever, because you're the best baby brother the world could've ever given me."
And Lincoln believed her, soon falling asleep in her embrace not long after.
Safe and loved, as he ought to be.