Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
Mud and Love
By Lola Presents
Chapter 2
The following day was Saturday, the first day of Spring Break, Lincoln had nine whole days to himself, but being the first day, all he wanted to do was sleep. Unfortunately, nature wouldn't allow so much time in slumber. And despite having silenced his alarm, the morning light woke him.
Yawning, Lincoln partially pulled the covers over his head and rolled, staring at his wall. His oldest sister, Lori, would probably make her appearance sometime that afternoon, assuming she didn't also sleep in or take the prior evening to pre-pack.
Lincoln had slept soundly, and though he was well-rested, he felt like something alluded him. Then it hit him. He and his sister, Lana, had fallen for each other. The only difference between the two was that Lana had no clue how he felt about her.
Perhaps that was for the best, though. While Lana was only seven, Lincoln was thirteen and knew better. More importantly, Lana was mentally and physically immature and refused to take advantage of her, regardless of how he felt about her.
Oddly, physical intimacy never occurred to Lincoln, unlike his occasional thoughts regarding random girls at school. What he felt for his sister was more whole-hearted. However, the closeness of their experience the previous day made Lincoln see her in a whole new light.
Underneath all the unwashed dirt was a girl, one that made his heart race. And the only thing that mattered to him was that she be happy and smile.
Lincoln sighed, knowing he'd have to be careful not to let his feelings get known, especially considering his little sister might not have the capacity to do so. It was one thing for a younger sibling to have a crush on one of their older siblings, but not the other way around, much less in tandem.
No, Lincoln would wait. It was a necessity for everyone's sake. He had no intention of getting himself in trouble, and more importantly, Lincoln didn't want his sister emotionally or physically hurt. Similarly, he couldn't ignore her. He'd committed to her, and she needed his attention.
"This is going to be harder than I thought," Lincoln muttered as he rose and put on his clothes for the day. "What have you gotten yourself into?"
Perhaps, Lincoln might have lingered further, but the scent of his father's cooking alerted his nose, and his stomach immediately responded with complaints. Resigned to playing things cool, he rose and went downstairs for breakfast.
When Lincoln arrived in the kitchen, everyone except Lori was present, milling about while preparing their plates or eating what they had already gotten. In celebration of Spring Break, their father had prepared a small buffet along the kitchen counter, a self-serve affair.
"Good morning, Linc!" chirped Lana from her place beside her twin.
"Good morning, Lana," replied Lincoln calmly, reaching for a plate.
Lincoln quietly filled his plate with food and looked for a place to sit. Finding none, he stood as he stabbed some fried potato chunks and shoveled them into his mouth. Luckily, Luan had just finished her meal and rose to clear her things.
"Here, Lincoln," Luan chirped, happy to be on break from school. "You can take my place."
"Thanks, Luan," Lincoln responded as he sat at the table.
"Your welcome," his sister replied as she trotted off.
"Did you sleep alright?" inquired Lana, beaming at him.
"Uh, yeah," Lincoln informed her, not wanting to let her know he was still awake when kissed. "How is Alberta adjusting?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Lana, still feeling giddy. "She's doing great! She and Hops are getting along well, and she even let me hold her this morning without hopping away!"
"That's wonderful!" cheered Lana's brother. "So? What's on tap for today?"
Lincoln was known for being helpful, and few paid their conversation much mind. However, Lola had lived with her twin her whole life and knew something odd was happening, though unsure of what. The looks Lana was giving their brother were unsettling.
Then there was the matter of Lana mentioning having had a moment with Lincoln last night. Lana didn't have moments, and she certainly didn't need Lincoln's help with anything. For crying out loud, the girl could tear an engine down and rebuild it within a day.
"What?" Lana gasped with stars in her eyes. "You still want to hang out?"
"Sure, why not?" Lincoln smiled. "It's Spring Break. What else am I going to do?"
"In that case..." began Lana, listing her itinerary for the day, which included going to the park to feed the Fishmans and their babies, visiting Liam's to help with Virginia, and digging up some earthworms.
"Sounds like fun," Lincoln responded, grinning at his sister as he ate.
By this point, a few others had taken notice of their odd exchange and stared quietly. Lincoln was helpful, but he had his limits. Everything on Lana's list was something that Lincoln detested, and they couldn't imagine what had possessed him.
"Uh, bruh?" interjected Luna, setting her fork on her empty plate. "Are you feeling well?"
"Uh, yeah," muttered Lincoln in return, looking at Luna. "Why?"
"I don't know..." hummed Luna absent-mindedly. "None of what Lana suggested seems like something you'd do."
"Yes. Well, I don't write songs or poetry either," Lincoln reminded her. "But I still help you and Lucy out, don't I? Can't a brother just help a sister out without getting the third degree?"
"Well, I think it's sweet," chirped their mother as she fetched some emptied plates from the table. "Now, leave your brother alone."
"Here, Mom!" Lana announced, adding her plate to the stack before jumping from her seat in excitement. "Oh, and Lincoln..." she said before leaving the kitchen to get ready. "You might want to wear something you don't mind getting dirty."
Still chewing his latest bite, Lincoln nodded and gave Lana a one-finger salute. He then watched her bounce from the room before returning to the others. While his remaining sisters ate merrily, Lola sat with her arms folded, scowling at her brother. Then suddenly, she rose and left.
"I'm watching you," she whispered as she passed Lincoln on her way out.
Lincoln finished his breakfast and, in short order, had changed into much older clothing, including a pair of knee-high waders. Following Lana from the house, they first visited the garage where his sister kept a metal pail filled with minnows.
"These are for the Fishmans," Lana informed him. "And sometimes fishing, but tell them that!"
Lincoln chuckled. "I won't," he said, crossing his heart. "I promise."
"Awesome," chirped Lana enthusiastically. "Are you ready?"
"Of course!" replied her brother. "Let's go, cutie."
Lana blushed terribly at his words and sped her gait to keep him from seeing. While she desperately wanted to tell him how she felt, Lana knew she couldn't. No, it was more that she shouldn't. But nothing was keeping her from enjoying his company as much as possible.
Focusing on the Fishmans, Lana plodded along the sidewalk, trying to stay a step ahead of her brother. The Fishmans were a family of sturgeons, an endangered species, that Lana had discovered in Tall Timbers Lake, saving the body of water from being renovated into a parking lot.
Lana felt it was her duty to provide and care for them, despite them being entirely capable of surviving independently. And now, she got to share that experience with Lincoln. As they approached the lake's banks, Lana sat down cross-legged and placed the bucket beside her.
"Have a seat, Lincoln," Lana chirped, patting the damp ground. "You can throw in the first batch once I call them."
"How does one call a fish?" inquired Lincoln as he joined her on the ground with the pail between them.
"Like this," Lana announced, sticking her face in the water and addressing the fish.
All Lincoln saw was churning water and bubbles. Then again, he didn't have the affinity for wildlife his sister had. Who knew? Maybe Lana was, indeed, speaking fish. Most likely, the fish merely associated that particular disturbance with getting fed.
Either way, the sturgeons soon arrived, breaking the water's surface as they searched for food. On Lana's cue, Lincoln reached into the pail, fetched a couple of the minnows, then tossed them near the Fishmans and watched them feed.
Lincoln and Lana sat together for nearly an hour as they fed the fish, chatting about whatever came to mind. Soon, the feeders were gone, and it was time to visit Virginia. Lincoln was hesitant, though. The last time he tangled with the pig, she wasn't exactly cooperative and doused him and his friends with mud. Still, if it made his sister happy, he'd endure it.
About forty-five minutes later, Lincoln and Lana approached the Hunnicutt's fence, ensuring they weren't trespassing. Leaning against the railing, Lana propped one foot up on the lower rung, preparing to call Liam's prize pig, Virginia, to them.
"Now, Lincoln..." Lana began explaining. "Most people think farm animals are dumb, but they aren't, except for chickens. They aren't real smart," she said. "They can sense fear, too, so you gotta relax and let them come to you."
"Yeah," muttered Lincoln. "Liam's told me the same thing before. But this time, there's a fence between us. I think I'll be alright."
Lana smiled and nodded, then proceeded to call the pig, which slowly wandered over. After arriving near the gate, Lana reached over and stroked the pig, watching its curly tail twitch excitedly.
"Go on..." urged Lana, grabbing Lincoln's hand and reaching out. "Pet her."
Lincoln winced and closed one eye as Lana guided him toward the large sow. Virginia sniffed the air as his hand neared, emitting a startling grunt. However, Lana paid no mind, interpreting the act as one of acceptance. Once Lincoln's hand rested safely on the pig, he began to relax.
"See? inquired Lana happily. "They aren't so scary once they get to know you."
"Yeah!" chirped Lincoln, surprised at how dog-like the beast was. "This is pretty fun."
"So!" exclaimed Lana, clasping her hands between her legs and leaning over to face Virginia. "How are the piglets doing?"
The sow seemed to nod and made a few short grunting noises. And, as if on cue, Virginia's recent farrow came running, all six of them. If Lincoln didn't know better, Lana just had a conversation with the pig. Was that even possible?
"Lana..." Lincoln gasped without concern for his words. "That was amazing!"
"What?" chirped Lana as she reached over the fence and scooped up the nearest piglet. "It's easy. Just talk to them like you would anyone," she explained. Then, holding the little one up, she looked it over. "This here is Bertha," she said.
"Hey there, y'all!" called Liam as he hopped from his back porch and ran over to them. "What brings y'all to our farm today?"
"Lincoln's spending the day with me!" exclaimed Lana excitedly. "So I thought I'd show him the babies."
"I reckon that'll be alright," the young farmhand acknowledged. "Tho', I best be tellin' ya, I ain't fed 'em yet. Wanna help?"
"Oh boy!" screeched Lana, piercing Lincoln's and Liam's ears. "Would I!"
"Well, if'n yer gonna scream like that..." Liam muttered.
"Oh, right," said Lana. "No loud noises."
It seemed that even Lana forgot things every once in a while, and Lincoln couldn't stop staring at her. She may have mud on her shoes and dirt on her hands and cheeks, but to Lincoln, she was the most beautiful girl in the entire world. And it hurt that he wasn't able to tell her.
Liam opened the gate for them and led them to a roughly-made shed, where he handed a bucket of fruit to Lincoln and another containing vegetable to Lana. Pigs had a varied diet, including roots, eggs, flowers, and other things, but Liam's family used vegetables primarily.
"Now, all ya gotta do is get their attention," Liam said. "Then toss 'em down and watch 'em eat."
"Thanks, Liam," Lana said before walking toward the mother and her babies.
"No problem," Liam replied. "But I gotta go fetch the mornin's eggs. Y'all have fun."
As Liam walked off and entered the hen house, Lincoln and Lana began idly strolling around, calling the pigs and dropping the food around the hay-strewn yard. Things were going well until Virginia lunged for an apple that Lincoln had offered before the boy had time to move away.
Virginia wasn't any old sow. She was immense! And the sheer force of her momentum sent Lincoln tumbling backward into the trough, soaking his clothes in slop. Letting her bucket fall, Lana ran to his aid, offering to help him get out. But Lincoln proved too slippery, pulling Lana in beside him. And as they lay there in the trough, they started laughing.
"You're dirty!" laughed Lana, shaking the slop from her hands.
"So are you!" chuckled Lincoln, wiping his face clean.
Then, suddenly, Lana's face soured. "I guess I am nothing but a dirt magnet, huh?" she said solemnly.
"Nonsense," Lincoln purred, using a finger to wipe a clean streak on Lana's cheek. "I fell in first. You were only trying to help," he assured her, wiping another spot clean. "Besides..." he whispered as he gazed lovingly at her.
"Besides, what?" Lana whispered nervously in response.
"Nothing..." sighed Lincoln, reigning in his emotions before hoisting himself out of the trough. "Let's go get those worms. Hmm?"
"Okay," chirped Lincoln's little sister as she exited her prison and bound along behind her brother.
Once home, Lana returned to the garage to fetch two trowels. They already had an empty pail handy, and getting another would've been overkill. Worms only take up so much space. Lana then led Lincoln to the back corner of their yard, behind the garage.
Lincoln seldom ventured behind the garage as it was hard to mow and was relatively overgrown. But he understood why Lana spent much of her time there. The mild reeds restricted the flow of rainwater as it exited the garage's weather drains, allowing it to form mud.
Lana plopped down in the middle of the muck and motioned for Lincoln to join her. Once he had, his sister handed him a trowel. Though Lincoln had handled worms when fishing at Camp Mastodon, he'd never dug for his own, and he wasn't sure about using the scoop, fearing he'd slice one.
"Hey, Lana..." Lincoln inquired before they began. "What if I cut one in half?"
Lana covered her mouth and giggled. "That's okay," she reassured him. "They only have a single nerve and no brain," she explained. "You can cut one in half, and both halves will live."
"Really?" sputtered Lincoln. "That's interesting. So, if we cut Leni in half..."
"Lincoln!" laughed Lana, tossing a handful of mud at him. "That's awful!"
"Oh, no, you didn't!" screeched Lincoln, returning her volley.
Soon, they were both covered from head to toe with mud. Having forgotten about digging up worms, they chose instead to pelt each other with mudballs while they laughed and tried to duck each other's tosses. Eventually, the sun began to set, and they reluctantly stopped.
"That was fun," admitted Lincoln as he came to a stand and prepared to hose himself down.
"It sure was," cooed Lana, "especially with you."
"Why is that?" inquired Lincoln, standing under the spray of their lawn hose.
"Well..." muttered Lana, waiting her turn under the hose. "Never mind..."
Knowing the drill, Lana stepped quickly through the back door, directly into the cellar stairs. Lincoln joined her downstairs, where Lana routinely began stripping down to her bloomers. Hesitantly, Lincoln followed her lead, assuming modesty wasn't an issue for her. Then, as they finished and put their clothes in the proper bin, they turned and faced each other.
"Umm..." hummed Lincoln as he turned bright red.
"Yeah..." muttered Lana, clasping her hands in front of her.
An awkward moment fell between them as they stood motionless, staring at each other in their underwear. Something had to get done quickly, and Lincoln said the only thing that came to his mind.
"Race you to the shower?" he offered.
For a moment, nothing got said. Instead, Lana beamed at him for a moment before bolting for the stairs. With Lincoln in hot pursuit, they ran through the kitchen, passing Lisa, Lucy, and Luan, who sat at the table chatting while their mother puttered around the sink.
Next, they blazed a trail through the dining room and around the corner leading to the stairs, exposing themselves to Lily, who played quietly on the floor while Luna, Lynn, and Lola sat watching television.
Nearly knocking Leni over as they dashed up the stairs, they offered a quick "sorry" before reaching the upstairs hallway, where they ran into Lori on her way to the restroom.
"What the..." sputtered Lori, who must have arrived while the two were out. "Have you two lost your minds?"
"No," they both sighed, breathing heavily. "Just having fun," Lincoln offered.
And while Lori occupied Lincoln, Lana saw her opportunity and made a break for the restroom, entering and closing the door before anyone else could move.
"Dang it..." sighed Lincoln, walking toward his room instead.
Grabbing last night's towel from his hamper, Lincoln stood in front of his mirror and pre-cleaned himself as best he could. He then rolled onto his bed, happier than he had been in a long time. Not only did he have fun with Lana, but he learned a lot too.
However, Lincoln's mind soon drifted to the basement, where he and his sister had stood, nearly naked, in front of each other. Lana's beautiful smile filled his mind, as did her empathetic personality and creamy smooth skin.
Lincoln was falling hard, and he knew it. And from Lana's reactions that day, he understood she felt the same way. But it wasn't right, and that troubled him, though not as much as the night before. His body was relentless in reminding him of his feelings, leaving him flustered.
The only option he had was to await his turn in the shower and take care of business.
