Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino
Bohemian Serenade
By Lola Presents
Chapter 4
Despite Lincoln thinking something similar earlier that night, he was still surprised to hear his sister admit that she wrote many songs about him. Of course, that was back when they were both still kids, and he didn't pay it much mind. Lincoln didn't believe she was still in love with him.
There was a time when he was rather fond of her as well. However, telling her that might put unwanted and unneeded pressure on his sister. She already had a rough job and had to contend with a problematic bandmate. He loved her, of course, but he wasn't in love with her. Or so he thought.
The problem now was how to respond. Luna had revealed something quite personal, and he couldn't leave it unaddressed. At the same time, he was so stunned that he had no words at the ready. Luna's confession was little more than a trust exercise and deserved a matched response.
"Uh," the young man stammered. "Really? I had no idea. I mean..."
"Of course, you didn't, dude," yawned Luna. "Admitting a former crush on one's brother is not something one typically shares."
Lincoln furrowed his brow. "Pardon me for asking," he quipped, "but why did you?"
"Because..." sighed Luna. "You were cute, and you were always there for me."
"No," chuckled Lincoln. "Why did you share that?"
"Oh!" replied Luna, thoroughly embarrassed. "I don't know, brah. You mentioned forgetting why I wrote them because of my lack of mojo, so I told you why. But, you're right. My songs feel empty to me now."
"Then, we need to find someone who can re-light the fire in your heart," Lincoln said.
Luna smirked a little at his suggestion as if a hetero-normative male would know what she, a bisexual girl, might like in a partner. Hell, he never even recognized her love for him. Then or now.
"No thank, Lincoln," she responded quietly. "But, thanks for offering. That's sweet of you," she added. "But, what about you? Aren't you interested in finding someone yourself?"
"A little..." murmured her brother, unsure if he should breach the subject with her. "There is this girl that I sort of like, but she has some problems that keep me from telling her. I mean, if I thought that dating her would fix her problems, I might ask her out."
Luna's eyes lit up, though her brother couldn't see them from the bottom bunk. Then, clutching her hands and closing her eyes, she silently mouthed the words, "Please let it be me. Please let it be me." Then, after another short pause, she prodded him. "Any chance of telling me who it is?" she asked. "Maybe I can help."
"I'm sorry," Lincoln apologized, "but that would only complicate things further."
"Oh..." sighed Luna, closing her eyes again, smiling broadly. "Okay then. Well, I need some sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, sis," Lincoln yawned, rolling over in his bed.
Luna bit her lip as she slipped her hand between her legs. Her brother had to be talking about her. She couldn't fathom anything else. He had described her to a tee, and when he mentioned that telling her would only complicate things, that clinched it for her.
In the bunk below, things went a little differently. Though Lincoln had felt something while on the plane with her, Luna was his sister, and it would take more than a little long-missed joy to make him fall for her. No, his thoughts rested on another quite distressed girl.
Regardless of topics, the two siblings soon found sleep to the constant hum of the road. However, Lincoln rose around three in the morning, desperate to use the facilities. Quietly slipping out of bed, he made his way out of the little room and down the narrow hallway.
Sighing as he steadied himself on the bowl, his thoughts returned to the cute blonde, who was once his sister's reason for living. Would it even be ethical to ask her out? And would it make a difference in her life? Those two questions circled his brain like a train on a closed loop track.
Luna had given up on Sam, but Lincoln saw through Sam's problems, just as he always had with his sisters. The blonde didn't want to be there. She was under extreme duress and dealt with it the best she could. Only, it was hurting her terribly, already destroying her relationship with Luna.
Finishing up, he flushed and pulled up his sweatpants, and left the tiny bathroom, heading back to bed. But before his hand grabbed the handle, he heard some noise from the lounge and decided to see what it was. Wearily walking into the combined kitchen and lounge, he coughed.
"Oh, hi cutie," chirped Sam as she used a razor to form up a few lines of blow. "Want some?"
"No," Lincoln grumbled, furrowing his brows. "And I don't think you should either."
"Oh, come on," cooed the blond. "I can see your first day was stressful. That'll take the edge off. I promise."
"It might," admitted Lincoln. "But it'll also slowly kill me. I plan on living, thank you. But, since you brought it up, I'd like to talk to you for a minute. You know, before you snort that shit."
Sam furrowed her brow but conceded. Laying down her blade, she folded her arms and leaned back on the plush sofa. "Fine," she complained, still maintaining eye contact with Lincoln. "What about?"
Lincoln walked over and sat beside her, close enough to feel her body heat through her legs. "Listen," he said. "I can tell you aren't into this lifestyle and only want to go home. I'm sorry that Luna can't see past her dreams to see that, and, unfortunately, Sully and Maz are too involved with each other to notice, but I have."
Sam's expression suddenly changed from frustration to melancholy as she looked him up and down. Then, staring into his eyes, "Uh, yeah..." she stammered, on the verge of tears. Then, she unfolded her arms, leaned forward, and cradled her head in her hands. "I hate that I'm legally required to do this. But, going home isn't all that's wrong. I want to be loved again, and I can't do that on the road. It's too much."
"I understand," replied Lincoln, wrapping one arm around her and pulling her close. "But, coke isn't the answer. It's only a temporary escape, one that will eventually kill you. And, quite frankly, you're much too good of a person for me to let that happen. Besides, you're not as alone as you think."
"What?" muttered Sam between her fingers.
"Look," requested Lincoln, "I'm only saying I'm alone in all this, just like you. I want love too, but doing that on the road is difficult. So, I'm here for you. I care a lot about you, and you can confide in me. I'll do what I can to help. But, only if you stop using drugs."
Sam began silently crying and rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks," she whimpered. "That's sweet. But what about you and Luna? Aren't the two of you like..."
"Uh, no," stated Lincoln flatly. "She's my sister."
Sam sniffled before continuing. "But you must know she had a crush on you while growing up. Right? I mean, she talked about you non-stop."
"Yeah..." sighed the young man. "I didn't at the time, but we chatted about that earlier," he explained. "But her dream now is to make it big. Besides, that's a whole can of worms I'd rather not open."
"Lincoln?" sighed Sam through her tears.
"Yes?" acknowledged Lincoln, eyeing her through peripheral vision.
"Please don't think I'm being too forward," she requested, "but I've had a thing for you for a long time. Is it possible that..." she continued, pausing before delivering the final line, "...you might love me back?"
Lincoln took a deep breath, held it momentarily, then exhaled, preparing himself to answer. On the one hand, he did like Sam and wanted to be with her. On the other hand, doing so might cause much more stress in Luna's life, and that's not something Lincoln wanted. In the end, he decided that truth was the best policy.
"Sam..." he said calmly. "I've liked you since you and Luna started dating. Only I was too young and didn't want to interfere with what you had," he told her. "The problem is, I think she still loves you, and if we started dating, that might cause her even more stress. I'm not sure what to do."
Sam peered at Lincoln with her bright blue eyes under her teal-dyed bangs. "You could start by kissing me," she whispered, running one finger down his chest.
Standing, Lincoln began nervously pacing, something clearly on his mind. "This isn't about sex, Sam," he stated. "I know that's what you're used to getting, especially after getting baked. I want a meaningful relationship, though, not just a one-night stand. Besides, you'd have to give up the drugs, something you haven't acknowledged yet. Now, please, talk to me," he demanded. "At least for the moment."
For all the sense Lincoln made, it was like talking to a brick wall. Yes, he'd gotten the wall to leak a little, but it still held. Instead of conceding, Sam stood and pulled her overly long night shirt off, revealing her naked body to him, fully intending on seducing him now that she he was interested.
"Does this change your mind?" she cooed, showing off her ample breasts and neatly shaven pubic mound.
For a moment, Lincoln could do nothing but stare. Luna had spoken the truth about Sam's immodesty. Shaking his head free of her allure, he addressed the problem.
"Not until the drugs are gone," demanded Lincoln, pointing to the lines of coke. "And I mean all of it. Get rid of everything you have and give yourself a couple of days to flush your system. I mean it. I love you, but I'm not going down this road alone, and that's what I'd be doing with you still strung out."
Sam looked shocked, but he'd called her bluff. In her current state of mind, she wanted it all. But, realizing her choice, Sam pursed her lips and averted her gaze while fighting to make sense of her feelings. Then, a moment later, she grabbed the mirror and dumped the powder into a nearby trash bin.
"There," she said, staring at it in disbelief. "It's gone," she said, almost relieved. "I can't believe I just did that. You know how much that cost?"
"I can only imagine," Lincoln purred. "But I do know what you've gained."
"Yeah?" grumbled Sam, folding her arms over her boobs. "What's that?"
"Your dignity," Lincoln told her, handing Sam her nightshirt. "Now, let's sleep on this, alright? We'll talk again if you can maintain yourself for a few days. Alright?"
Taking the shirt and slipping back into it, Sam stood before Lincoln and eyed the young man curiously. "I see why Luna fell for you, even if you are her brother," she told him. "You care. I mean, you genuinely care about people. Don't you?"
"I try," whispered Lincoln as he caressed a stray strand of Sam's hair. Then, tucking it behind her ear, he made a suggestion. "How about we get some sleep? It's been a long day for both of us."
Sam stepped up to him without breaking eye contact and gently kissed him. "Alright," she conceded. "I'll see you in the morning, cutie," she cooed as she headed down the hall.
Sighing deeply, Lincoln returned to his bunk and fell asleep, though his dreams fought against him the rest of the night. He kept finding Luna and Sam in peril, and it was his task to choose which lived. Regardless of who he saved, the other would die horribly, and he kept waking up in sweats.
His night terrors had to stem from Luna's earlier admission. There was no other explanation. His sister couldn't still be in love with him, could she? Then again, maybe he'd never gotten over his crush on her, though Lincoln found it concerning that he might be falling for his sister.
Before his unconscious mind could reach a conclusion, the bus pulled into a restaurant, local to whatever town they were passing through, for breakfast. Lincoln rose, only half-rested and entirely confused by his nocturnal visions.
Still laying in bed, he watched Luna rise and change in front of him, mentally comparing the two girls. They were eerily alike. Both were outgoing and self-assured. They knew what they wanted and had a hard time dealing with things when they couldn't obtain them. Lastly, they were both stunning.
"I think I've gone insane," muttered mentally muttered. "What kind of weirdo thinks about his sister like that, especially when there's an unrelated one pining for you."
Then, Lincoln glanced over just as Luna bent to select something from her bottom drawer, and the troubled young man got a full view of her butt crack. Not only was it covered in delightful freckles, but the crevasse was highly pigmented, which tweaked his buttons.
Turning quickly away, "Okay," he thought, swallowing with difficulty. "That's a good reason. Still..."
"Hey!" gasped Luna, staring down at her brother after getting dressed. "Aren't you getting up?"
"Uh, yeah," mumbled Lincoln, feigning having fallen back asleep. "Go ahead, and I'll be there in a minute."
Pursing her lips, Luna placed her hands on her hips for a moment, then shook her head and left the little room. Whatever was going on in his head had to stop. One couldn't lay about with a job like his. He needed to be able to rise at any time without having to linger. Still, her little brother was as cute as ever trying, and her thoughts began to stray before she left.
Lincoln met his friends outside the bus a few moments, where Sam was getting complimented on how lively she looked that day. Quite surprised, Lincoln had to admit she looked a whole lot better than she did last night. Sam had bothered to select proper clothes and brushed her hair. Most importantly, she didn't appear under the influence of drugs.
"Hi, cutie!" sang Sam as she draped her arm over Lincoln. "Are you ready for IHOP?" she chirped. "I am so hungry that I might have to steal a piece of your sausage!"
"Uh, yeah," muttered Lincoln in return while blushing at the attention he got from her. "I am pretty hungry. Though I'll be eating my sausage, thank you."
"Ooh," cooed Sam. "Now, that'd be a neat trick."
Luna had immediately gone into sentinel mode, watching Sam's every move. And though it was flirty, it had remained innocuous until the last, when it became something sexual. Something pulled at her heart, and Luna could no longer stay silent.
"Hey!" griped Luna, her face full of fury. "What's the big idea, Sam? I told you before I ever left that he was off limits. Hands off!"
"I told you," whispered Sam before releasing Lincoln to face her former girlfriend. "Off limits?" she complained loudly. "Who are you to dictate his life or mine? He's your brother, for crying out loud, and being older doesn't give you the right to tell him who he can be with!"
"Maybe not, but..." muttered Luna, looking back and forth between her brother and Sam, ashamed and hurt.
Had something happened between the two? Was that why Sam had cleaned up her act, and what about the drugs? Those and other questions bounced inside Luna's mind furiously. How could she have misread Lincoln so severely? Then, something occurred to her. Her love for him blinded her to who the boy was talking about the previous night.
Luna's hand flew to her mouth, and she took a step back. She had convinced herself that Lincoln was in love with her and allowed her old feelings to return. While Luna had not yet seen Lincoln acting flirtatiously, Sam's change was too obvious to be anything else, and Luna's heart dropped, running back into the bus, slamming her door.
"Whoa, Sam," Mazzy said, standing beside the blond. "What was all that about?"
"Nothing..." sighed Sam, turning from her friends and walking into the IHOP.
"Hey, Maz?" muttered Lincoln, getting the girl's attention. "Tell Sam that I'll be along in a minute. I need to see what's wrong with my sister."
"You got it," responded the drummer. "But, I don't think it'll matter. Those two have been at each other's throats for a while."
Nodding, Lincoln returned to their room on the bus, stopping to listen at the door. From inside, he heard the sounds of muffled crying. Quietly, he reached down and opened the door, looking back to ensure that none had followed him. Whatever had upset his sister was terrible enough that she was using a pillow to stifle the noise.
Lincoln gently rubbed Luna's back as she wept face down on her pillow. "Hey, Luna?" he warmly prodded. "What's the matter? I know you don't get along anymore, but I thought you'd be happy for us at least."
Upset and furious with herself and him both, she turned her head and faced him, letting her tears drain across her face. "You don't see it do you?" she whimpered. "Didn't I tell you last night? I wrote all those songs and lost my mojo because they were about you!"
"What?" gasped Lincoln, recalling Sam telling him how Luna would always talk about him. "What do you mean? Do you still..."
"I'm in love with you, bruh..." wept Luna, staring at her brother with fluid-filled eyes.
"I..." muttered Lincoln, his hand's circular motion stopping. Blinking at his sister, he knew that she had been sincere. He was also quite aware of the budding feelings within himself. However, there remained one immutable fact. "But, we're siblings, I..."
Then, without warning, Luna threw herself off her bed, latched herself around Lincoln's neck as her boots hit the floor, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.
