[The Following Week]
Saturday afternoon came quickly for the Louds. Same as before, Rita and Maria made plans to meet at a specific point halfway between their homes where Lincoln would go with her to the Casagrande house. This time however Lori was coming along too because one, she wanted to see Bobby again and two, she wanted to see everyone's reaction when they brake the news that Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Maria and Rita talked about it and it was decided that Lori could also stay over tonight but naturally she and Bobby weren't allowed to have a room alone together. Yeah obvious reasons. Anyway, Rita drove Vanzilla with Lori riding shotgun and Lincoln right behind his mother and his oldest sister.
Now this time, Lincoln and his sister were dressed up. Lori made him wear a white long sleeved dress shirt with a blue neck tie, dark blue dress pants and brown dress shoes and his white hair was gelled and calmed to perfection. Lori was wearing one of her best light blue tops with long sleeves stopping just above her wrists and blue skirt that stopped just below her knees and her best shoes. She also spent what felt like forever on her makeup (which really got on all her siblings nerves since they had to wait forever in line for the bathroom) so she could look her best for Bobby. And of course both siblings had their bags with them that included a tomorrow's clothes, nighttime wear, their toiletries and their sleeping bags.
"I don't get it, why are you making me dress up Lori?" Lincoln asked adjusting his tie slightly so it wouldn't pinch.
"I told you Twerp, you want to look nice when you and Ronnie Anne make your big announcement to her family." she told him. "Also I want to look my best for Boo Boo Bear. I haven't seen him in person for months." she added in a dreamy way.
"But we didn't dress up or anything when she came over a week ago. We were wearing our regular clothes and everything." he said with one brow raised slightly over the other.
"That was different." she replied turning in her seat to look back at him. "First of all, you two decided to surprise us. And while that's all well and fine if it were up to me I would have had you dress up too when you both shared the news. And besides, this time you both will be telling her family and you want to make a good first impression." she explained.
"First impression? But I've met the Casagrandes before back when she and I were still just friends. What real difference will it make if I'm all decked out now?" he asked.
"Oh will you just stop complaining Twerp? Look, we're already at the halfway point and I can see Mrs. Santiago's car right now. Just put up with it for a little while longer and after dinner you can put on your regular clothes again okay?" she asked sounding a little irritated by his complaining.
Lincoln crossed his arms in response. "She's going to laugh at me for overdressing." he grumbled.
"Oh no she won't." she said said with a smile.
The two siblings got out of the car and greeted Maria who did so in return. She would chat with Rita for a little bit then both kids hugged their mother before bidding her goodbye and then would get into the car with Mrs. Santiago. The car ride was uneventful with just Maria and Lori talking while Lincoln sat behind them. To be honest, he was nervous about this. He didn't know why, he had been to the Casagrandes before and they were really nice people. They were happy for him and Ronnie Anne back when they were just friends but now they were going to break the news that they're now officially boyfriend and girlfriend. He didn't remember feeling as nervous when the both of them told his sisters. So why was he nervous now?
It didn't take long at all before Mrs. Santiago would pull in and park. Lincoln entered the building with Lori and he was still fiddling with his outfit. His older sister noticed and rolled her eyes as her brother tried adjusting his tie again.
"Twerp will you just give it a rest? You're going to mess up your outfit." she told him.
"It's really uncomfortable." he complained.
"No it's not you're just looking for a reason to complain." she retorted. That was when Mrs. Santiago opened the door and on the other side were her kids. "Boo Boo Bear!" Lori squealed gleefully as she tackled him in a hug.
"So happy to see you again Babe." he said happily as they embraced. Bobby was all dressed up for her as well, wearing a white dress shirt, black tie and black dress pants.
Lincoln cringed as the two were acting all lovey dovey but that was when he noticed Ronnie Anne. The young hispanic girl was all dressed up as well. She wore a very colorful Mexican style dress that left her arms bare and her hair styled in a fancy bun complete with a flower. She also looked really annoyed and when she saw Lincoln's reaction to her dress she started blushing.
"Don't you say a word Lame-O." she growled. Lincoln was trying hard not to laugh which only got on her nerves. "Hey this wasn't my idea! Abuela wouldn't let me wear anything else tonight!" she said blushing even redder.
When the white haired boy burst into laughing Ronnie Anne growled and punched him hard in the arm. He did cry out and started rubbing the pain but still laughed. "It hurts but it's worth it." he chuckled.
"Alright everyone, let's go in. It's time to make the announcement. Oh this is so exciting." said Maria as they all entered the apartment.
Naturally the Casagrandes had the place fully decorated and they were all waiting eagerly. When they entered everyone turned and smiled brightly seeing Ronnie Anne standing side by side with Lincoln. Frida quickly snapped a picture while Bobby and Lori recorded this with their cellphones.
"Hey guys." Ronnie Anne said sounding a little nervous. She felt Lincoln take her hand and she nodded smiling. "So you all probably already know but we're going to announce it anyway. Two weeks ago Lam...Lincoln and I decided to finally get together and are now officially-" she said before CJ cut her off.
"Boyfriend and Girlfriend!" he cheered to which everyone clapped.
"Congratulations Mija." said Rosa as she ran up and hugged both the kids.
"Thanks Abuela." she said hugging her back.
"So what was it that made you guys finally decide to come around?" Carlota asked them smiling.
Lincoln smiled and rubbed the back of his head. "A couple of slices of pizza and some cold sodas after a few games at the arcade." he answered.
"Alright everyone!" Rosa said clapping her hands. "Let's take our seats at the table, it's time for dinner!" she announced.
Everyone took their seats with naturally Lincoln being seated next to Ronnie Anne, Frida taking more pictures and Rosa bring plate after plate of food to the table. And she went overboard this time. Lincoln's mouth was practically overflowing from all the amazing food Rosa made and boy was he eager to dig into her tamales. Once the plates were set up, she popped open a bottle and proceeded to pour some of it over his food. Ronnie Anne however knew exactly what was in the bottle.
"Um Abuela, that could be a little much don't you think? I mean, Ghost Pepper sauce is pretty intense." she said with a nervous smile.
"Oh Mija don't be ridiculous. I'm sure he'll be just fine." she said as she tilted the bottle.
Looked nervously at the bottle and was shocked to see a sinister looking face in the drop. "By the powers of naughtiness! I command this particular drop of hot sauce, to be really, really, HOOOOOT!" it says before it drips onto his food.
Ronnie Anne watches as he takes bite and after swallowing he smiled. "Hey that's actually really good. Thanks Abuela." he smiled before taking another bite.
Ronnie Anne couldn't understand why his mouth wasn't bursting into flames at that moment. "See Mija, you worry to much." Rosa told her granddaughter.
"So Lincoln, are you going to make an honest woman out of Ronnie Anne?" Hector asked leaning back in his seat while his wife brought him his plate.
"Uh, what do you mean?" he asked with his brow raised.
"He means when after the two of you get married of course." Rosa answered while putting two plates down for Lori and Bobby.
Lincoln only blushed while Ronnie Anne spat out water and started coughing. Carl started laughing at his cousin's reaction to the remark. "Sure, that's what boyfriends and girlfriends do right?" CJ asked. "First they go on lots of dates, then they have dinner with their families and then they get married right?" he asked them.
"Uh, CJ, it's a bit early to start thinking about that isn't it?" Ronnie Anne asked him while sweating a little and blushing.
"It's never too early to talk about the future Ronnie Anne." said her uncle Carlos while his mother placed a plate of food for him and his wife. "Remember, Frida and I started out pretty young before we got together." he said smiling and looking over to his pretty wife.
Frida leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "He's right you know Ronnie Anne. Carlos and I were around your age when we noticed something." she said lovingly.
"Ew, guys please." Ronnie Anne said blushing.
That was when little Carlitos handed a piece of paper to Lincoln and cooed something in baby gibberish. "Aww thanks little guy. What did you draw for me?" he asked taking a look. It was a picture of him and Ronnie Anne holding hands with a red outline of a heart drawn around them. Granted they were both stick figures and the heart was all wobbly but it made the message loud and clear. "Aww thanks Carlitos, I'll treasure it always." he said with his best smile and trying his best not to blush.
"Lame-O please don't encourage him." Ronnie Anne groaned.
This got Maria excited. "I think it's a very sweet idea. Just think, first Bobby marries Lori one day and then later Ronnie Anne marries Lincoln. Can you just imagine?" she asked.
"Not to ruin things for anything for anyone, but wouldn't that be weird?" Ronnie Anne asked. "I mean, if Bobby marries Lori then Lincoln and I would be in laws so..." she remarked.
"Nothing to worry about Ronnie Anne." Hector replied. "When my brother got married to his sweetheart, his wife's cousin actually married his nephew. I now it sounds weird but there's nothing wrong with marrying into the same families so long as you're not related by blood there's no need to be concerned." he explained.
"Alright everyone, let's just be happy for the occasion and enjoy this delicious meal." said Rosa as she finally took her seat.
While everyone began eating, Hector brought out his guitar and started playing music for his family. Lincoln really enjoyed his music. He thought that the family patriarch was just as talented as his sister Luna was and he had hoped that maybe one day they could play together. He was sure that the both of them would be able to harmonize and play something beautiful. The food was rich and flavorful. The seasoned meat went well with the crunchy vegetables and soft hot rice. And her tamales were to die for. Easily his favorite part of the whole dinner. The only thing that annoyed Lincoln and Ronnie Anne was how openly flirty both Lori and Bobby were the whole time. They understood, they missed each other. But they still thought it was gross.
Once dinner was over Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were permitted to change back into their regular clothes and were allowed to go on and do their own things. In Carlota's room she was catching up with Lori as the two were swapping some stories and talking about school and family. That was when Carl came in with his grandfather's guitar.
"Hey Lori." he said with his confident smile and sliding in.
"Hey Carl." she said smiling while thinking 'Here we go again.'
"I wrote this song just for you Babe." he said before just running his hands over the strings and playing what he thought was a song but was just noise.
That was when Frida poked her head in. "There you are Carl! I just wanted to let you know I finished all your underwear." she said holding up a pair of his little boy undies.
"MOMMY!" he freaked while his sister and the girl he was crushing on laughed.
Once Carl left completely embarrassed Carlota looked over to the blonde teen. "It can't be easy for you Lori. Bobby, Clyde, Carl, you just have all the boys competing for your heart." she joked.
Lori laughed at that. "I know, it's truly my gift as well as my curse." she said before they started laughing again.
Meanwhile Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were hanging out. Actually they were playing pirates with CJ and jumping on his bed with him. The two of them felt a little silly doing this but CJ just wanted to play and they were having fun with him. Each of them had wooden swords, hats with skulls and crossed bones and eye patches while they jumped up and down and pretend sword fighting. After a while of playing with CJ the two eleven year old kids retreated to Ronnie Anne's room and decided to play some video games. The two of them were playing Mortal Kombat with Lincoln and Ronnie Anne neck in neck for the win. It was close bot the white haired boy proceeded to preform a gruesome fatality and win the match.
"YES!" he cheered while throwing his hands up.
"Two out of three Lame-O!" she said back with a smirk.
As the both of them were selecting new characters, Lincoln remarked on the dinner. "I gotta say, I'm glad that we finally finished telling both our families about us." he told her.
"Same here. I was a bit nervous but I'm glad we're finally finished with the drama." she replied.
"Wait, you were nervous too?" he asked to which see nodded.
"Felt butterflies in your stomach about the whole thing. How about you?" she asked him.
"Yeah kinda." he shrugged as the next match started. "And I have no idea why. It's not like I haven't come over for dinner before." he told her.
"I guess it's because we're finally coming clean to our families." she said as she delivered a power move on Lincoln's character. "I mean, being boyfriend and girlfriend is still a really big decision. I don't think anyone would blame us for feeling at least a little nervous about it." she said with a shrug.
Lincoln counter attacked before speaking again. "So what happens now? Do we keep going out on more dates?" he asked her.
"That does sound fun." she said before knocking his character across the screen with an uppercut. "But it can be tricky given the distances and I'm not sure our Moms can afford the frequent trips." she said with a small frown. "And it's a real shame, I was really hoping to hang out more y'know?' she asked him.
Lincoln stopped playing for a moment and turned to his girlfriend. "Well, how about we try meeting as much as we can through livestream?" he suggested. "I mean, it's not the same as face to face dating but it's still nice to see and talk to you." he said with an encouraging smile.
She smiled back. "I think we can do that yeah." she said nodding.
"So every day after school? As well as on the weekends?" he asked.
"If neither of us are busy I see no reason why not." she replied.
"Great." he said with a bigger smile.
"But by the way Lincoln..." she said with half lidded eyes and a more suggestive smile.
"Uh...what?" he asked.
"FATALITY!" the game said when Ronnie Anne finished him off.
"Should've kept your focus on the game." she said with a teasing smile.
"Hey!" he said with a smile back. "That's not fair, you distracted me." he complained while she just stuck out her tongue. The both had a good laugh before they agreed.
"FINAL BATTLE!" they declared as they returned to the character roster to choose their next fighters.
That was when there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" Ronnie Anne called. That was when her BFF came in. "Sid!" she said pausing and standing up to greet her friend properly.
"Hey Ronnie Anne, thanks for the invite. Sorry I couldn't come over sooner but I still had dinner and chores." she told her.
"Hey it's okay." she replied. "It would've been nice if you could've eaten with us but I'm glad you're here. You remember Lincoln right?" she asked her.
"Of course. Hi Lincoln." she greeted.
"Hey Sid, really nice to see you again." he said standing up. "By the way, I didn't know you were coming over." he commented.
"I invited her to stay over tonight too." Ronnie Anne told him. "I wanted to break the news to her as well." she added.
"Ooh, what news?" she asked.
"Ronnie Anne and I are making it official." her answered taking her by the hand.
The Eurasian girl let out an excited gasp at that. "Really?! Are you saying?!" she asked.
"Yup." her friend answered. "Lincoln and I boyfriend and girlfriend now." she told her.
"That's so cool!" she cried. "You guys gotta tell me all about it. When did this happen?" she asked.
Sid got comfortable and the two gave her the full story. They told her about their long awaited reunion at the arcade and after a talk they decided to give the whole dating thing a try. They told her how they first told Lincoln's sisters about their decision and how they reacted to it and they just finished telling Ronnie Anne's family too before dinner. She was thrilled for them and suggested they should trying going out with more of their friends whenever Lincoln comes to visit. After that Sid hung out and they played some more games together. But eventually they were told to get ready to go to sleep so everyone would change and move to their respective rooms. Naturally the girls would stay in Carlota's room while the boys stayed in Bobby's.
Now the girls sat around on the bed or in their bedrolls and talked while they ate snacks together. The boys would fiddle and fart around with some mild roughhousing. There was a little teasing as well on both sides. Both Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were teased playfully by their roommates but it was all in good fun. Eventually they were told to call it a night and the kids settled in with the only activity being someone waking up from time to time for a quick bathroom break. The next morning the kids gathered in the living room one last time for a goodbye and the Casagrandes wishing Lincoln and Ronnie Anne the best of luck in the days going forward. But this time Ronnie Anne wanted to ride with Lincoln and Lori when they left.
The ride back was uneventful. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne rode in the back while Lori sat up front next to Maria. The kids talked some more and exchanged a little banter for fun. Once they reached the halfway mark, they waited until they saw Rita pull into the parking lot. Naturally Maria got out to greet her too and the kids said one final goodbye.
"Well, I guess this is until next time." Lincoln said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, I guess it is." she said with her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. "Y'know it's going to be a while before we can actually see each other again right? I mean it's not like we can do this every single week." she said sounding a little bummed.
"Oh I hear that." he said with a sigh. "And I really wish we could. It's a lot of fun coming to visit your family or having you over to visit mine." he told her.
"But at least we'll still be able to chat regularly over our livestreams right?" she asked with a hopeful smile.
Lincoln smiled back bigger to reassure her. "As much or as little as you like." he told her. "Although you may have to get used to background noises. My sisters can be a little loud at times." he warned.
She smirked at that. "Oh I can believe that." she replied. "Anyway, I'll smell you later Lame-O." she said walking back to her mom's car.
"Not if I smell you first." he said heading back to Vanzilla.
But right before the young hispanic girl got into the car a thought dawned on her. When her mother asked what was wrong Ronnie Anne didn't answer but ran back to her boyfriend real quickly.
"Lincoln!" she called as she ran up.
"Uh, what's up?" he asked her.
Then in a move that shocked not only him but everyone, she kissed him. Right on the lips the same way he kissed her once not long ago. It was a quick one, barely two seconds long but it wasn't a small one either. When they parted both were blushing with Ronnie Anne looking off the to side bashfully and Lincoln grinning like an idiot. Both their moms saw and thought it was absolutely adorable and Lori looked like her head was going to explode from the excitement. She couldn't wait to tell all her sisters and she had to text literally everybody.
"See you again Lincoln." Ronnie Anne told him once she was able to look him in the eyes again.
"Looking forward to it." he said with a gulp.
They hugged one last time before going their separate ways and getting into different vehicles. Lori tried talking to Lincoln about it the whole trip but he was unresponsive for most of the trip. She actually didn't mind all the much however. The smile on his face told her everything she needed to know. She was just beyond happy that their relationship was already blossoming into something so beautiful. Just a couple of weeks and a few dates after meeting one another's families and they're already kissing. After about an hour and a half of driving they finally got back home and when the van came to a stop Lori dashed out to tell their sisters the news. Lincoln knew what was about to happen but he didn't care. He was still thinking about the kiss.
When he entered the house with his mother the ten Loud sisters squealed with delight when they saw him and rushed in to crowd and surround him. "Guys guys guys please!" he said trying to wiggle his way between the gaggle of girls.
"Way to go Bro!" Luna cheered giving him a quick hug.
"We're so proud of you Linky!" Leni said jumping in pace.
"Why couldn't you have had your first kiss here?!" Lola demanded jealously.
"You've gotta tell us all about Link!" Lynn demanded with an excited smile.
"Guys please!" he shouted getting them to calm down. "Look, I'll tell you all about it but can I please use the bathroom real quick?" he asked.
"Sure you can Link." Luan butted in. "After such a romantic moment, I'll bet you're still feeling flushed! Ha ha ha ha ha! Get it?" she asked with all her siblings groaning at yet another of her corny jokes.
While his sisters were waiting downstairs for him to come back down, Lincoln headed upstairs to their shared bathroom to answer natures call. He was in a good mood after the goodbye kiss with his girlfriend. So much so that what happened next would make it the most unpleasant bathroom break he's had in a long time. You see there was a reason why Ronnie Anne tried talking him out of trying the special hot sauce Abuela poured on his food. And now the sauce was coming back with a terrible vengeance. Lincoln's sisters were all talking downstairs with Lori giving the details of his and Ronnie Anne's goodbye kiss when they heard their brother scream to the top of his lungs from the upstairs bathroom.
"IT BURNS!" he screamed in bloody murder.
[Author's Notes] Sorry for the delay but this one was difficult to do for some reason. But I'm glad that I finally managed to get this uploaded and I hope that you all enjoyed it. Now just a heads up, the next chapter is going to be an important one as far as relationships go. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's first fight. I also wanna tell you guys about some other story ideas involving TLH. Such as one idea shared with me by boygenius2020 where the Loud Family go to Florida Beach for a summer vacation so keep an eye out for that one. I also had an idea for another story based on one of my favorite episodes. I don't wanna spoil too much but I'm sure the title will give you a hint. "Return Of The Space Invaders". Due keep an eye out for that one too.
Thanks so much for reading my stories, please leave me a Review and let me know what you think about it and if you have any ideas for future chapters or stories, leave me a PM and I'll try to get back to you guys.
This is Dragon1990 signing out :-)