I've found that I've really had fun writing my one-shot series, so I decided to finally just make one that's general. So welcome to The Royal Woods Collection; a collection of one-shots, drabbles, and short multi-chapter series, from a variety of styles and genres. If you want to make a request, feel free to leave it in the reviews, but please keep in mind that I might not do it.
Originally, this story was rated M, but I think I'll keep it T for now. But the rating might go up, but not for now, at least.
And what better way to start this off than with the character I first wrote for; Lucy.
As Lucy brought her fountain pen closer to the page she was writing on, ready to leave her signature, a loud snore from her roommate caused her to pause.
She peeked out from underneath her blanket to look at her athletic roommate. As always, Lynn was sleeping on her stomach, blanket thrown about, her snoring and drooling only interrupted by her sporty sleep talk "I need soccer… for my new FLIBBRS…" she said before shoving her face back into her pillow. Seeing her sister sleeping so calmly and peacefully brought about pangs of guilt inside Lucy; she knew the next morning, Lynn would wake up, expecting everything to still be the same…
Lucy shook her head. No, this was what had to be done. Lynn would be better off… no, the entire Loud family would be better off if she just disappeared. Still, she returned back to her running away note, and added a special section for Lynn, to make sure the jock had some idea of what happened to her. Despite her many faults; like her competitiveness, poor sportsmanship, gross habits and tough loving, Lucy still cared for her dearly, and wanted to minimize the amount of shock and panic Lynn would go through when she awoke the next morning, and finding only a note where her sister should have been…
Lucy signed her running away note, and licked the envelope, closing the now wet flap over the other as she clicked her tongue in disgust. The taste was bitter, though what could one expect from an old envelope.
She slowly and quietly pulled the blanket off from over her head, revealing herself to be clothed in a dark gray hoodie, not in her usual sleeping attire. She grabbed two of her black and white striped socks and pulled them over her feet, squeezing her toes in the cloth with a bit of a struggle. She really was getting older, if her own socks were having a hard time fitting her.
Lucy glanced slightly over to her bat colony, and patted her shoulder rapidly, a signal to her pet Fangs, who immediately flew over to his mistress and landed squarely on her shoulder. Lucy gave a slightly emotional smile; at least she wouldn't be completely alone on her journey.
Where was she even going to go? Lucy frowned as she realized she hadn't really thought about it. But then she remembered; it didn't matter. Just as long as she got away from this house. From her fam… from this family.
Lucy started sneaking over to the door, careful not to make any sounds to awaken Lynn, or anyone else. The walls were notoriously thin in this house. As she grabbed the cold doorknob, she gave one last look at her older sister, who had just started kicking her foot around rapidly, as if she were a dog. Lucy smiled slightly at the sight, and gave a little, "Sigh."
She regretted that that would be the last thing she would ever say to Lynn, but what else could have been said?
She reached back over her shoulders and covered her head with her smoke-covered hood, and carefully made her way down the stairs, in mild annoyance of the creaking noises the stairs made as she descended down. Lucy was relieved when she finally made it to the front door. Finally, everyone would be free of her…
"Not even going to say goodbye?" came a soft voice from behind her. Lucy felt horrified… someone knew she was planning on leaving? How?
The Gothic girl turned around slowly towards the voice. There, in the living room, on the sofa, sat her snow-haired brother, Lincoln, with a sad smile on his face. Lucy could only assume that she had missed him with the hoodie covering her peripheral vision.
"Lincoln… what are you…"
"Lucy, I knew you seemed like you were going to do this for a while. Lucy, please, don't go," he interrupted her in a begging tone, "I'm sure no one here cares about…"
"About what, Lincoln?"
He swallowed nervously, before whispering a small, "I'm sure no one here cares about you being… a-adopted. You… You're still our family."
"No, Lincoln. I'm not," Lucy said despondently. Not her usual sadness, but a true heart aching sadness.
"Lucy, don't say that… just because you aren't blood related… just because you were adopted from one of Dad's dead friends…"
"Lincoln, I don't want to talk about it…"
For some reason, that response seemed to anger the snow-haired boy. "So it's too painful for you to talk about it, but it won't be painful for all of us when the girl we grew up and loved… leaves us forever..." Lincoln stopped with a choke, his quick hot temper dying down as he felt his eyes start to water. Lucy felt the guilt truly begin to weigh down on her, and waves of nausea and confusion overtake her. She stepped closer to Lincoln, causing the older child to look up from the floor and back at her.
"Lincoln, I… I appreciate that you want me, but… this is a big house. Things are… expensive for all of you. It… it would be better if Mo- Rita and Lynn didn't keep me around because I'm their friend's daug-"
SLAP!
Lucy turned her head back to Lincoln. He looked at her wildly, panting loudly, before looking at his open palm, that he had used to slap her. He looked back and forth between the panicked bat flying above them, his hand and her face; the paleness of her skin contrasting a growing and deepening red on her cheek. He gulped, as if he had no idea what to do, before letting out a deep, worried breath;
"Don't call them Rita and Lynn. Call them… call them Mom and Dad. Because that's what they are. They're your parents, and I'm your brother… I don't care what your birth certificate says. I know you're my little sister…"
"How do you know?"
Lincoln's lip trembled, as he lunged forward and pulled Lucy towards him. He wrapped his arms around Lucy's back and waist, so tightly that Lucy felt the air leave her lungs.
"This is how I know…" he whispered tearfully into her ear. He held onto her dear life, scared that if he let go for just one second, she would be out the door and gone forever…
He didn't expect to feel two shaky hands slowly make their way up his back and plant themselves onto him, her nails digging into his skin as if she was his only support. He felt Lucy bury her face into his shirt, and start sobbing lightly. She looked up slightly, as her tear-stained eyes locked with Lincoln's. She smiled slightly at him, before leaning in and kissing him on his lips. His eyes widened in shock, while hers remained closed as she forgot everything as she caressed his lips with hers.
"Th-thank you, Lincoln," she said softly, as she pulled back.
"Wha… what was that about?" Lincoln said, his freckled cheeks starting to redden. Lucy felt a devilish grin slowly curl on her face.
"It's okay, we're not related by blood."
"That just makes it weirder," Lincoln said with an uncomfortable laugh. However, he still managed a warm and brotherly smile. "I love you, Lucy. It doesn't matter where you came from… you'll always be my little sister."
Lucy turned away from him and went back to the stairs, motioning for her bat to return to her. She looked back at the young man, and gave him a loving smile.
"I love you too… brother."
I think Lucy and Lincoln are pretty close. Maybe that's why I do these.
