Loud House: Flash!

6th Flash: Forever's Too Long

The sound of his breath hitching pierced the otherwise cold, dark, and lonely room. Head bowed, eyes shut tight, he steadied himself before opening them again, looking at the piece of paper in his hand. It was an old news clipping, two years to be precise. He'd looked at it every day, but today that would change.

Things had to change.

Minutes passed as he readied himself. Then, stomach churning, he lifted the paper to eye level, took it firmly between both index fingers and thumbs, and tore it down the middle. He repeated this dozens of times, each tear torture to his young ears.

But it had to be done.

When finally he was through, he looked at the pile of paper before scooping it up, throwing it in his wastebasket, and taking a look at the phone on his desk.

Clyde, Rusty, Liam, Zack, Mollie, Girl Jordan… so many asking if he'd go out with them this time. And a single message to all of them, waiting to be sent, stating simply, "Yeah," staring back at him.

After a moment to calm down, he reached over and sent it.

Seconds later the flood of responses came rolling in.

He smiled.

Then he heard them.

It wasn't over. Not yet.

But it had to end.

With coat in hand, he left his darkened bedroom behind and sought his first target.

"Hey, Lily!"

"'Inkoln!"

"Take care, okay?" he hugged her hard. "I love you so much, you know?"

She giggled and returned the hug.

"Lincoln?" Lisa was next, but seemed not the least bit surprised as she smiled and hugged back. "I'm glad you seem better."

"I love you, Lis."

Lisa snorted softly. "A great deal of doubt exists for so much, but never over that."

The twins weren't the least bit surprised when he scooped them next up into his arms at their bedroom entrance.

"Take care, okay, Lincoln?" the twins said in unison as the three hugged tightly.

As he kissed each one on the forehead, he said, "Right back at you. I love you."

They hugged again before he moved on.

"Hey, Dude, looks like you're finally doing better!"

He started to cry as he hugged both Luan and Luna tightly near the top of the stairs.

"Heh," Luan quipped as she helped rub the tears away. "Guess you're more 'moved' on then we thought! Get it?"

She was right, in more ways than one.

"Sigh. Now that I won't have you around for a while," Lucy said as Lincoln hugged her tightly next, "I guess Edwin will just have to keep me company."

"I love you, Luce."

The girl smiled as she returned the hug.

"Hey, Stinkoln!" Lynn poked her head out of hers' and Lucy's room. "Finally got over it, huh?"

He looked up, smiled painfully, then nodded.

She grinned wide. "Good to hear, Lincoln. I'll just-" he surprised her with a tight hug which the girl, after a moment's thought, returned. "You've gotten stronger, Linc."

"Thanks to you."

He then found Leni and Lori in the kitchen, and they immediately zeroed in on his face.

They smiled.

"Take care, okay, Lincy?" his sister's bone crushing hug was finally manageable, something that made him tear up once more. "When we get together again I'll, like, have to get you to model for me! You'll be so much bigger!"

"It's a promise, Leni."

"So, Twerp?" Lori smiled as she leaned against the counter. "You literally sure you're okay?"

He smiled through the pain. "Yeah, Lori. I'll be alright now."

She nodded. "That's good to hear, Lincoln."

He released Leni and immediately swept his oldest sister into a tight hug. "Thank you, Lori, for everything you did for me. Sorry I was-" but she flicked his forehead.

"No problem, Lincoln. Trust me, you weren't anywhere as bad as the rest of our siblings."

A chorus of, "Heys!" echoed from around the house then, causing the three to laugh.

Then, after parting ways, he made for the last person on his list.

"Hey, Mom?"

"Yes, Linc-" she saw his face, then smiled sadly. "You're finally ready, Sweetie?"

It took a moment to fight the pain, but he finally nodded as he stood there in the master bedroom's doorway. "Yeah, I am."

They hugged for what seemed like hours but was really no more than a few minutes before they parted and he sought out his father

"Hey, Dad?"

"Lincoln? Is something-"

"I was wondering," he took a deep breath, let it out, then looked his father in the eye as he said, "I was going to go out with Clyde and everyone, if that'd be alright?"

The look of pure joy that crossed his father's face was unmistakable. "Of course it is, Lincoln. Do you need-"

"I've got money, but thanks, Dad. For everything."

The man hurried over and embraced his son. "Take your time, okay, Lincoln? I'll put dinner aside if you're a bit late."

"I doubt I will be. We're just going to Gus's for a while, that's all."

When his friends arrived, the group of teenagers eagerly hurried on their way.

Lynn Sr. watched them go down 547th Roosevelt Road's walk before looking back at the house which seemed somehow louder than it had been for the last two years.

"I think our boy's going to be okay," his breathing hitched as he began to cry. "Don't worry about Lincoln, everyone, I knew he was made of sterner stuff."

Calming down, he walked back to the bedroom where his TV sat, a memorial for the more than a hundred victims of Royal Woods' most lethal tornado quietly playing upon the screen.

End of 6th Flash