It was night time in the small town of Royal Woods as the only source of light could be seen coming from the buildings and row of streetlights lining the sidewalk. A thin layer of snow blanketing the ground and pile of snow slowly falling from the trees when the wind passed by. It was cold outside with the temperature rapidly decreasing to the point where even the people sheltering in the warmth of their house could feel the difference. When most of those people were asleep, a white haired teen laid awake on the couch in the living room of his house.
Clad in a big grey hoodie and black pant, Lincoln placed the back of his head against the armrest and let out a sigh. He crossed his arms over his face, covering his eyes from the light before slowly closing them and engulfing himself into the darkness.
His sisters were sleeping peacefully in their shared rooms, something that he tried to do earlier but still struggling to get. It is almost reaching midnight and his eyes still wouldn't let him go to sleep no matter how hard he tries. Oddly enough he was restless even after his usual day with his sisters and that was saying a lot. He thought having ten sisters with different interest to spend his time with would exhaust him during the day. He wasn't necessarily tired but the longer he stay awake, his mind started to wonder to place it should not be.
Like sometimes, he didn't realise how fast time was moving, everything that happened in the past is nothing more than fragment of his memory that he would occasinally use in his life or forget as he grow older. Some of them were good while other remained in the back of his head like a sore pain slowly healing with time. He would be glad to forget all of those bad memories, but does he actually want that.
If he could do something to change something bad from his past, would he do it. Will there even be any different if he did so, he don't know the answer and the longer he thought about it, he becomes more frustrated with himself for only making his condition worse. Not only that he can't sleep, but now he also started to doubt every decisions that he ever made. Why did his mind has to think like this at this time of hour, can't he just go to sleep already. Of all the time, why now?
Lincoln closed his eyes shut tightly and gritted his teeth in frustration. He hated this feeling, it was like as if there is a sharp knife being shoved into his heart with every mistake that he remembered. They're all coming back to him like an old roll of film, flashing in his head in white and black. With every bad choice he ever made played before him, his stomach churned and knotted in discomfort.
After awhile, his body began easing down as he sighed in resignation. He pulled his hands away from his face and eventually opened his eyes, fixating his sight with the light in the room.
It was cold, and the silence pierced through his ears like static. If he look carefully, he could see his own breaths slowly leaving his mouth when he exhaled from his mouth. It is still a day off tomorrow so there is no need for him to be worried if he sleep later than usual. The only reason he wanted to sleep anyway was to stop his thought from affecting him. He already felt worse for remembering his bad memories, he thought that he already got the conclusion and buried them a long time ago, but maybe he was wrong. For some reason they were still there and somehow suddenly coming back to him and only worse at that.
With every mistakes he remembers, his regrets increased and his breathing became harder. It felt like as if there is a heavy burden slowly pressing against his chest and stealing the air from his lungs. The condition in the room wasn't helping him either.
The silence was unusual in their house but it would be expected as most of them were already asleep. With less noise around him, he could clearly hear his thought lingering in his mind like a broken record. He usually ignored them when they come, but now he couldn't think of anything else other than them. His thought forced it's way into his conscious and have no intention of leaving anytime soon.
He had done a lot of mistakes in his life, whether involving his sisters or not, which he never stop trying to fix as best as he could. Even till this day, he never stop doing that. If he can't solve his own problem, then there is no way he could help his sisters. But can he actually say that he already solved his own personal problem though. He never did, instead of fixing his mistake, he put them at the back of his mind ignoring them completely from existing. His sisters were his priority and his own problem didn't matter much to him as long as he can help them.
He was stupid, did he really think that his problem would just go away like that. He was great at helping other people but he couldn't even think of something to fix his own mistake. Even when he did, he couldn't help but think that he can do better, that HE can be better. His sisters were there for him and he knew they would help him if he ask them to.
Then what is stopping him from doing so, his pride, his guilt, or his fear. Why would he be so troubled to ask for help from them. They're his sisters, if anything they would be happy to help him. It was frustrating. He kept running away from his problem, distracting himself by helping his sisters. He is not fine, he never was, he just don't want to admit it. By admitting it, he would be agreeing with his thought that he is weak.
But honestly, he knew his thought was right, he is weak. This is not the first time he was having this kind of thought at night either. Once in awhile, he would be feeling like this and there is nothing he can do about it. That's when he started taking the sleeping pills to help him getting away from his thought. His parent had some of those hidden in the cabinet and he would occasionally steal them without their knowledge when he need to. Tonight isn't that different than those other night either. He was tempted to get the sleeping pills again but there is something preventing him from doing so, something that he knew too well would keep him in place.
"Lincoln?" His breath caught in his throat and his heart started beating faster at the familiar voice.
His body slightly tensed when he heard the footsteps slowly nearing him from the stairs and stopped at the upper end of the couch where his head rested. His eyes lowered, averting the gaze he was receiving from the other end. He don't need to look up to know who the person was. There is no need for him to wonder either why she is down here instead of sleeping in her room like their other sisters.
Silence filled the air as neither of them speak. Both were unsure what they should say to each other but the intense atmostphere in the air only grew stronger the longer they kept quiet.
Letting out a sigh of resignation, Lincoln finally break the ice between them since he started to feel uneasy under her questioning gaze.
"Hey Lisa," He monotonely said, his eyes still not meeting hers. He always felt weak ehenever he looked into them. Perhaps that is why he could never lie to her and she will always know if he did so.
"Greeting male sibling unit, it seemed like my suspicion was proven right after all." She replied before walking to his side and entering his view in her green pajamas. He turned his head to the side, avoiding eye contact with her as the silence returned once more.
"What are you doing down here, it's midnight already, you should be sleeping." He said, trying to sound intimidating, which did little to affect the younger girl. She knew him too well for that trick to work, and he blamed himself for that.
"I went to your room earlier to check on you but you wasn't there, I assumed you would be down here instead because of your trouble entering the state of REM." She fixed her round glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Correct me if I'm wrong." She looked at him, slightly tilting her head.
Letting out a sigh, Lincoln lowered his gaze in defeat. "Yeah, you're right." He answered with a small smile as Lisa nodded at his response.
"If you don't mind, may I ask what could possibly be troubling you at this time of hour?" She asked, her voice changed a little which he couldn't help but notice. She sounds worried and his heart sank a little at the memory of her in the same state.
Lincoln returned his gaze to the ceiling, his eyes filled with guilt and the smile disappeared from his face. "You know why Lisa... I still can't get over it... I-I'm sorry." He confessed in a low voice.
"Are you taking the pills?" Lisa asked.
"Wha-" He raised a brow.
"I asked if you're taking the pills male sibling unit?" She repeated, raising her voice and shocking him a little.
"No... I'm not taking the pills." He replied, slight concern filled his voice for the younger girl. She would usually kept her emotion in check, but right now he felt like she was letting them out just for him.
"Then, there is no reason for you to apology, you still keep you promise with me and I appreciated that you listened to my advice." Lisa said, her brown eyes sparkled with relief and his heart skipped a beat at her tiny smile. "At least you're trying to change, and I'm relieve for that fact."
She was the one who caught him while he was taking the pills when he can't sleep before. Remembering what occured that night and how she cried for him to tell the truth, he couldn't afford to let something like that to ever happened again. On that same night also he made a promise with her and swear on his life to keep it. Although it was hard, he managed to sleep later on even without the help from the pills, even though it always takes a lot of time. But he still keep his promise, and that is the most important thing for him after the girl, herself. He would never make her cry again, especially not because of his own stupidity.
"Lisa," He turned his head and looked at her. Their eyes met and he flashed a soft smile. "Thanks, I really mean it." Lincoln said as a tinge of red painted her cheek.
"W-why are you thanking me?" She lowered her head.
"Without you, I would probably still be taking those pills, and honestly I can't imagine what would have happened to me if you're not there, so thank you Lisa." He said, his right hand gently stroking her messy brown hair through his fingers.
Lisa pushed his hand away from her head and glared at him "Of course I would be worried of your health you are my bo..." She trailed off, only noticing her mistake when she saw the growing smirk on his face. "Y-you are my brother," she averted her gaze, hiding her blushing cheek.
Having enough of seeing her embarassment much to his amusement, he decided it would be better for her if she returned to her room. "Lisa, why don't you get back to sleep, it is getting pretty late you know and I would want to spend more time with you tomorrow." Lincoln suggested.
"What about you then?" She asked, looking back at him.
"Don't worry about me Lisa, I'm going to sleep eventually, I just need to wait for the thought to leave my head first," He assured her. It was quiet for a moment as she thought about it only for her face to become brighter the next second.
"L-Lincoln..." Lisa shyly looked away from him which caught his attention.
"Yeah?" He replied, slightly confused with her gesture.
"What if I say I can help you to sleep... would you believe me?" She asked, her fingers twiddled behind her back.
"Wait, are you going to test your new invention on me?" He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as her eyes widened in shock at his accusation.
"N-No, I would never do that to you." She closed her distance with him and stood on her toes. Her hands clutching the edge of the couch as she leaned her face over his. Realizing how close they are, she quickly took a step back and rubbed her left arm.
"I'm just kidding with you Lisa, of course I trust you, I have no reason not to trust my cute sister." He teased, making her blush harder.
"T-then w-would you mind c-closing your eyes for me." Lisa asked, stuttering a bit.
Smiling, Lincoln closed his eyes at his sister request, He don't know how she can help him but he trusted her and that was enough for him.
Soon after, he felt something warm and soft slid into his oversized sweater and brushed against his stomach and chest, sending a tingling sensation through his body. "Uh Lisa, I'm not complaining but what are you actually doing?" Lincoln asked as the warmth shifting slightly on his body before finally settling in. He could feel two soft mounds pressing against his chest and his heart skipped a beat at the sudden realization.
Lincoln slowly opened his eyes and sure enough the blushing face of his sister filled his vision. She was lying over his chest, her bare upper body no longer covered with her shirt as her head stuck out from the collar of his sweater. His own blush started creeping across his cheek as his eyes widened in shock. He opened his mouth to say something when she suddenly pressed her soft lips against his, silencing him before slowly pulling her head back to the crook of his neck, her eyes averted from looking at him.
"D-Don't speak too loud, the other might h-hear us," She stuttered, her round glasses fogged with the heat radiating from her cheek as her chin resting on her folded arms over his chest. He could feel her rapid hearbeat resonating with his own pounding against his chest. His warmth enveloping her body with comfort as her warmth fills the empty void in his heart, bringing it back to life in a fireworks of emotion fluttering in his stomach.
Awkward silent filled the air as neither of them speak, both were too caught up basking in each other warmth and company with their faces bright red. The need to say anything was lost between the comfort that they were sharing at the moment, and they stayed still as if they were a single organism. His eyes drifted from the green pajama shirt lying on the floor to the blushing girl on top of his chest. A small smile graced his lip. He wrapped his arms around the girl as she shook a little in his embrace. Lisa lifted her head and her blush brightened when she saw him smiling at her.
"I'm definitely not expecting this, I thought you would shoot me with a tranquilizer dart or something like that." Lincoln let out a low chuckle, receiving a pout from her.
"I would never put you in harm Lincoln, you should already know that, seeing you in pain always concern me that I felt terrible for not being able to help you." She said, almost like a whisper but he can clearly hear her voice.
Closing his eyes, Lincoln hugged her small figure tighter against his chest and let her fragrance smell filled his nostrils. He was lucky to have her not only as his sister but also as something else. Their relationship was far stronger than the bond of blood flowing through their bodies and he will never regret that. If this is a mistake than he will make it work, he will make his own path if he needed to as long as she is there for him. She is his strength and trust, with her he don't have anything to worry about.
"So is the thought still there?" Lisa asked, slightly tilting her head to look at him. He opened his eyes and their gazes met.
"Nah, I don't think so, there is not enough room for my self loathing since I can't stop thinking about you right now." He answered with a small smile. "I guess you are just too cute for my mind to resist." He continued.
"I'm not cute, please stop calling me that." Lisa narrowed her eyes at him.
"Really now," he smirked. "So Lisa, why did you go to my room to check on me earlier?" He asked. "I'm pretty sure that is not the only reason you did that." He noticed her eyes widened as her heart started beating faster.
"It is quite cold tonight, I thought you would like to have someone to keep your physical warm." She whispered, hiding her face from his adoring gaze.
"Why are you doing this anyway, I thought I'm just your brother." He teased, making her blush brighter.
"D-Don't be silly Lincoln." She muttered shyly.
"No I want to hear you say it." He leaned his forehead against her and stared lovingly into her eyes.
"G-Go to sleep L-Lincoln." She stuttered in embarassment.
"I won't until you say it." He replied, closing the gap between their lips as her eyes widened.
"F-Fine, you are my boyfriend." She stated, closing her eyes and waiting for the kiss but nothing happened. When she opened them back, Lincoln planted a soft kiss on her forehead and backed away, smiling.
"And you are my girlfriend," He softly said with loving declaration in his voice. "I love you Lisa." He muttered, closing his eyes and burying his nose into her brown hair.
Smiling, Lisa closed her eyes and snuggled her cheek against his chest, listening close to his calm heartbeat. "I love you too... Lincoln."