Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino
Guest: They're in for a bumpy ride, for sure.
marz-senpai: Clyde was only interested in Addison Pritchett, one of the cheerleaders. That's what led him to work out and join the baseball team. He wasn't that interested in sports. And who knows, I might do a Lynncoln next. I rather like seeing her or Lucy with him, being the closest in age.
Bohemian Serenade
By Lola Presents
Chapter 2
Once Luna donned a wig, they left the car, fetching Lincoln's luggage before heading toward the terminal. Luna had already learned that the unethical photographers sometimes staked out the local airports, hoping to catch a celebrity on their way somewhere, and kept herself close by Lincoln's side, looking down as much as possible.
The likelihood that anyone would recognize her was low, especially wearing a wig and standing arm in arm with a man. Everyone knew that Luna was bi due to an interview she once gave. But she wasn't taking any chances. Of course, it would've helped had she explained her intention before they entered.
"Luna..." griped Lincoln as she led him down the hall. "What are you doing?"
"Sh!" she demanded in a gusty whisper. "Unless you want to blow my cover and end up as the story of the week in The National Enquirer, you're my husband right now, dude. And call me Lulu. Got it?"
After nearly exposing her, Lincoln decided to stay quiet until they boarded the plane. Of course, that would only be minimally better as seating rows separated people, still somewhat limiting them in their discussions. If anything, they'd have to talk in code, something he hadn't done since middle school.
However, once they checked in their baggage and arrived in the main terminal, Luna led him off to the side, where she talked briefly with a man standing near a door marked "Private Owners." Then, after showing the man her identification, he hit a buzzer, opening the door for them.
"Where are we going?" asked Lincoln once they were in the relatively unadorned hallway beyond the door.
"We're riding in style today, bro!" exclaimed Luna. "This is where people with private planes board. And that..." she said, pausing long enough to point toward a small jet through a pane of glass, "...is my company's plane."
"You're shitting me..." whispered Lincoln, staring at the plane. "We get a whole plane to ourselves?"
"Yup!" his sister chirped, smiling when she heard his reaction. "But, only today. We normally ride on the bus. Only, that wasn't fast enough to get me here and back in one night. So, they lent me the plane instead."
"Uh, where's the pilot?" Lincoln asked as they left the building and headed down a small ramp.
"Oh, he's probably still on the plane," Luna returned. "He probably slept there last night, too."
"It has a bedroom?" quipped Lincoln, astounded.
"A small one, yes," answered Luna, walking across the tarmac toward the plane. "And a bathroom, a wet bar, and a lounge."
"Sweet..." cooed Lincoln as they boarded and settled in the lounge.
Soon, the pilot emerged from a door toward the back of the plane and entered the lounge. "Oh! You're back, miss Loud," observed the man. "Are you ready to leave?"
"Read as I'll ever be," sighed Luna, removing her headpiece. "Go ahead and do your thing, Oscar."
Oscar nodded his head curtly and entered the small cockpit, closing the door behind him. Lincoln stared out the window and watched as people milled about, either fueling the plane or loading his two bags into the hold. Finally, everyone cleared the tarmac, and the engines roared to life.
"Alrighty, you two," called Oscar over the intercom. "Buckle up, please, and we'll be on our way."
Lincoln turned away from the window and sat next to his sister, buckling his belt. "So, this is life for you now, huh?" he muttered. "Pretty fancy."
"Heh," chuckled Luna as she buckled her belt. "Wait until you see the bus, bruh. You'll be as equally unimpressed."
"Why is that?" the young man asked.
"Oh, you know," sighed Luna, leaving the majority for him to discover on his own. "Lots of clothes laying everywhere, open food containers, soda cans, you name it. It gets pretty messed up."
"Ah," muttered Lincoln as the plan began moving, pulling into its designated runway.
Then, without warning, the speed increased dramatically faster than the old duster his mother had flown once, and soon, they were airborne and rising fast. Unlike on a conventional passenger liner, one felt everything in a personal jet, and to a much greater degree. Lincoln's heart raced, and he braced himself against the seat by clinging to one armrest and Luna's hand, which greatly amused the young woman.
"Nervous much?" she casually teased.
"No, why?" inquired, sweating bullets. Then, unexpectedly, the plane hit a small air pocket and made a loud thunking noise as it dropped a little. "I mean, yes!" Lincoln muttered as he held on to his sister's hand more tightly.
Luna stared at their intertwined hands and got the oddest feeling, something she hadn't felt in a very long time. His hand was warm and soft, bringing back many memories, both from home and from her time dating Sam. Maybe it was more a sense of familiarity she felt.
Being a celebrity meant that people were either afraid to touch you or wanted nothing more than to put their hands all over you. To have someone close enough to her to reach out to her without any ulterior motive was refreshing.
Finally, they reached optimal altitude and leveled off. The little seatbelt lights dimmed as Oscar announced their ability to move around the cabin. While Luna unbuckled immediately and began making herself a cocktail, Lincoln remained where he was a moment longer.
As Luna stood, Lincoln caught her scent, something he'd enjoyed during the ride here, the long, close walk through the terminal, and their ascent in the plane. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his hair until the fragrance dissipated. He couldn't place the scent despite having ten sisters from which to draw. Whatever it was, exotic or store bought, it nearly overpowered him.
"Too bad I can't have one," chirped Lincoln, trying to engage his sister in small talk, not having enough recent shared experiences to base something more interesting.
"Who says you can't?" argued Luna, setting down her drink before making another and handing it to him. "The drinking age on a private plane is eighteen, bro! Here you go!"
"What?" gasped Lincoln, staring at the drink he held. "Are you serious?"
Luna smirked as she watched Lincoln take his first sip. His expression nearly made her double over in fits of laughter. "Okay," she sighed, coming off her high. "You only get two, dude. Any more than that, and you'll be dancing naked."
Lincoln cocked one brow and stared at his sister. "Is that something you guys do a lot?" he asked, a bit worried about what he'd gotten himself into.
"No..." muttered Luna, growing unusually reflective. "Not me, at least. Sam, yes. That girl doesn't stop partying, so don't be alarmed if she runs through the bus naked on occasion. Sully and Mazzy are dating now, but they aren't exhibitionists like Sam," she informed her brother while rolling her eyes.
Lincoln sat down on a curved sofa and considered his sister. "You're lonely, aren't you?" he asked pointedly. "Maybe even homesick."
"No, I'm not," assured Luna. "What makes you say that?"
"Luna..." he said after taking a sip of his drink, which tasted much better the second time. "You could've hired anyone to fill this position, but you came all the way home to ask me instead. You can't honestly tell me that there's nobody out there for you. I mean, come on, you're a celebrity," he argued. "You should have all the girls screaming to be with you."
"Okay..." muttered Luna, furrowing her brow slightly. "First off, I'm not gay, alright? I'm bi. I know you've only seen me with Sam, but I'd date a guy too. Remember Hugh? The second thing is that the fans don't genuinely know me, you know? They only know the media's representation of me," she continued before taking a short pause. "Besides, all they want is to have sex."
Lincoln sighed and looked at his lap. Then taking another sip from his drink, he looked at his sisters in concern, both for her and himself. "This might be a little forward," he apologized beforehand, "but how do you handle those nights when you need someone, and there's nobody there? What's the harm in treating a fan if it means restoring your sanity?"
"Lincoln..." sighed Luna, teetering between spilling her soul to him and shutting up entirely. "I can't do that, bro. I mean, not only is there the risk of infection, but it would seem so hollow, you know? I want someone special to come along and knock me out of my boots."
"That's a weird way to put it, but I think I understand what you meant," acknowledged Lincoln. "I feel the same way. That's one of the reasons I didn't date much in high school. All I saw were immature, pretentious prats doing some unexplained dance with inadequacy. I wanted someone more honest and open, who can be themselves around me, all while letting me be myself."
"Yeah..." sighed Luna, staring at her empty glass and going silent.
"Anyway..." retorted Lincoln, finishing his drink and setting the glass in a little holder, "...so tell me, what will my duties be?" he asked, desperately wanting to change the subject.
"Well, that's mostly up to Bill," answered Luna, happy to talk about anything other than her love life. "Most likely, you'll be loading and unloading the trucks and helping to set up and break down the equipment before and after shows," she told her eager brother. "During the shows, you all line up before the stage to keep the horny, starry-eyed fans away from the stage and us."
"I see," nodded Lincoln. "Well, I can do that. I've done it for you before, and I remember all the settings you like on your amp and pedals."
"That's more the sound engineer's job," laughed Luna. "But I like your enthusiasm. In any case, I want you on our bus instead of the one the crew uses."
"Why's that?" inquired Lincoln with curiosity. "Wouldn't that alone raise suspicion?"
"About what?" asked Luna, staring at him expectantly.
"You know," sighed Lincoln, moving his pointer finger between them. "The paparazzi might think we're dating or something."
"Ooh..." murmured Luna. "I hadn't thought about that," she said, biting her lip. "Still, you're my brother, and I don't want them messing with you. If you know what I mean, they have their own ways of doing things when they aren't on the clock."
"Um, not exactly," admitted the young man. "What do you mean?"
"You know, come on..." encouraged Luna, not wanting to spell it out for him. "Sex and drugs?"
"Oh, I see," Lincoln chuckled. "Big sister needs her little brother but has to protect him too?"
"No..." cooed Luna. "It's not like that at all," she argued. "Okay, maybe a little bit. I don't want to see you get addicted like Sam or have you get arrested for sex with a fan you didn't know was underage."
Lincoln chuckled again. "It's alright," he conceded. "I'm only messing with you. The only person I plan on taking my pants off around is you," he said. Then almost immediately, he reconsidered. "No, wait. That didn't come out the way I intended. What I meant was..."
But it was too late. Luna had already broken out into fits of laughter. "Hey, I got an idea," she finally said after calming down. "Let's play some Mario Kart. I bet I can beat you now! Loser takes a shot of Jack."
Lincoln was a lightweight, only having had his first drink. Was she trying to get him drunk? Or was this how things were going to be from now on? Would she know when to cut him off? There were so many red flags in Lincoln's brain he couldn't think of anything more to say than, "Um, okay?"
"Oh, don't worry," cooed Luna as she hit a switch that raised the television from a hidden compartment within the coffee table, along with the console and controllers. "I only need to loosen up a little before the show tonight. Besides, you'll be fine. I'll stop you long before you get snockered."
"If you say so," Lincoln gave in, grabbing a controller and getting a game ready while Luna produced the shot glasses and a bottle of Jack Daniels.
Together, brother and sister played video games and laughed at each other's mistakes for almost an hour when Oscar casually walked through the room. "Having a little fun, I see," the man said politely.
"Def!" chirped Luna. "The most I've had in a while!"
"Um..." murmured Lincoln, growing nervous. "Shouldn't you be flying the plane?"
"Oh, don't worry yourself, lad," Oscar said through a thin smile. "I'm sure the rubber bands will hold long enough for me to use the facilities," he said before disappearing down the short, narrow hallway toward the rear of the plane.
"What?" gasped Lincoln, crashing his kart.
"He's kidding, bruh..." laughed Luna, pausing the game. "It's on auto-pilot, and I think that's enough for you," she said, standing and returning the bottle and glasses to their places. "Besides, we should start cleaning up a little. We'll be there soon. I don't want to go on looking like this."
"What's wrong with what you have on?" Lincoln asked, looking his sister over. "You look stunning to me."
Luna gave her brother the most curious look, then explained. "Nah, dude," she cooed. "This outfit is too restrictive for the stage. There's no place to put my headset mic's battery pack or anything. Plus, I need to do my makeup."
Then seeing how confused he got at the mention of her wearing makeup, something she loathed, "It's just so the audience can see my features better," she explained, "now come on!" she finished, grabbing his hand and heading toward the one small bedroom.
After entering, Luna locked the door and stripped out of her tight tank top, reaching behind her to undo her bra. When Lincoln sat down on the tiny bed and focused his attention on his sister, she'd already shed most of her clothing, and he closed his eyes instinctively, blocking his view with his arms.
"Oh, my, God, Luna!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"Changing, why?" she said, oblivious to her brother's plight. That is until she thought about it. Then, turning toward him, she made a demand. "Lincoln," she stated flatly. "Open your eyes, please. You'll have to get used to this because you'll be helping me get ready. Not to mention seeing Mazzy and Sam in the buff."
"But, I mean..." whimpered Lincoln, unsure how to process seeing his sister nude.
"Oh, come on," cooed Luna, trying to deflate the situation. "It's not like you haven't seen me naked before. Remember when I walked out of the restroom back home, only to have a towel fall off? At least, this time, we're not kids and can be adults about it. Right?"
Taking one long, deep breath, Lincoln exhaled slowly and opened his eyes, realizing she was right. He could do this. She was only his sister and had the same parts every other woman in the world had. It was like looking at porn. No, wait, bad example. It was like seeing her in a bikini, without the bikini: same shape, different look. Besides, he'd done it before with Lola, during her pageants. Only, they were kids then.
Over the next forty-five minutes, Lincoln helped Luna get dressed in her stage outfit, which included several loose layers of skimpy clothing, a hidden strap for her battery pack, and a quick lesson in stage makeup. Applying cosmetics for the stage was quite different than what he was used to with Lola's pageants. For one thing, there was a lot more of it.
Luna explained that those in the back rows needed to be able to see her emote on stage, and she needed a proper balance of application and effectiveness to reach them without seeming too flashy up close. Finding that balance took a while for the young man, who had gotten used to full facials and highlights.
When they got done, Luna posed a few times for him from several angles. Satisfied, she pulled out a large bag and dumped it on the bed. "Here you go. These are for you," she announced. "Better change quickly, though, as I think we're about to land."
Lincoln looked at the contents, which included a pair of black boots, some black jeans with a grommet belt, and a black tee-shirt. The thin, tight-fitting shirt had the band logo on the back and the word "Staff" written in white on the front. Along with the other items, there was a full-access pass with his name and picture printed.
Holding the shirt in his hand, he stared at his sister. "Um..."
"Oh, no," she snapped. "This works both ways. I'm not leaving until you change, and no, I'm not looking away either."
Lincoln took another deep breath, exhaled, put down the shirt, and began changing. Embarrassed beyond measure, he couldn't deny her the opportunity. After all, she'd strutted in front of him like it was nothing. He couldn't let her show him up like that. Besides, it wasn't like they were gawking at each other. They were only changing clothes.
At least, that's what he tried telling himself. He had no clue what was going on in his sister's mind, but he got lost in her scent and the sight of her cute, freckled skin. No, wait. What the hell was he thinking? She was his sister, and that's all! Nothing more.
Glad to have gotten that over with, dreading the next time, they left the tiny bedroom and headed back for the lounge just in time for the descent. Though once again, Lincoln grabbed her hand as the plane descended through the clouds at an angle he was sure was entirely unsafe.
"Thanks for being here for me, Lincoln," cooed Luna, trying to redirect his attention. "I love you, bro."
"I love you, too, Luna," Lincoln replied, concluding that he disliked flying altogether. "Just tell me when we land," he requested, shutting his eyes and wincing.
Though they spoke platonically, something in their eyes spoke of other intentions, lying just below the surface. And while neither would admit it, even if they recognized it, a tiny flicker lit deep within their hearts. Only time and patience could tell whether it got extinguished or fanned into a furious flame. For now, the pair only felt like throwing up.
