Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
Mud and Love
By Lola Presents
Chapter 3
Roughly thirty minutes later, Lincoln stepped from the shower, much relieved. The problem with being a twelve-year-old boy resided in going through puberty and being horny often. It didn't help to have the person he loves living in his home, either.
Puberty was the least of Lincoln's problems, though. He had some measure of control over that, at least. Lincoln's main concern was his feelings for Lana. He loved her dearly, in the right ways, and would never put her through something for which she wasn't ready.
Lana was too sweet and innocent for Lincoln to consider otherwise. Despite her knowledge of animal biology, she was only seven and couldn't possibly understand, much less desire, sexual intimacy. However, Lincoln was well into puberty and had needs.
While Lincoln had little concern over Lana being his sister, the difference between their ages nagged at him. There were five years between them, which had other legal and psychological implications. However, Lincoln
did not believe he fell into that category.
Lincoln wasn't attracted to his other younger sisters. Sure, they were cute, but they didn't arouse him. Even Lola, Lana's twin, didn't do anything for him. While he wasn't entirely sure why he'd fallen in love with Lana, it wasn't because she was young.
Confident that he could handle his urges independently, Lincoln pushed his errant thoughts to the back of his mind. Avoiding her wasn't an option as they lived in the same house. Besides, what kind of man would he be if he couldn't keep it in his pants?
Sighing heavily, Lincoln headed downstairs to join his family for dinner.
For the second night in a row, Lana regaled her family with her and Lincoln's exploits that day, ensuring that she left out the awkward elements, which included disrobing in the cellar. The display wasn't that unusual for Lana, but the context said otherwise.
As she did that morning at breakfast, Lola furrowed her brows and scowled through most of Lana's narrative. Something odd was happening, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it. For now, Lola had nothing but her suspicions, and even they were weak.
"A mud fight?" exclaimed Luan. "Seriously, Lincoln? After all the times you complained about my pies?"
"Heh," chuckled Luan's brother. "Yeah, well, it's different when it's voluntary."
"He's right, brah," chirped Luna, Luan's roommate. "Nobody likes getting hit in the face with a cream pie."
"Oh, really?" grinned Luan. "It seems like you'd rather enjoy it."
To Luna's chagrin, the table erupted into hysterics. Even the younger kids, who didn't understand the implications of Luan's joke, chortled.
"I don't get it..." sighed Leni, looking around for clues.
"Luan!" shot their mother, trying not to laugh and turning almost as red as her musical teenager.
As the humor faded, their father rose and went to the kitchen, where he fetched dessert.
"Here you go," he said as he began handing out chocolate parfaits for everyone, beginning with his eldest. "It's good to have you home, Lori-lu, even though it's only for a week."
"Thanks, Dad!" Lori cheered, eagerly grabbing a spoon and digging in.
"Ugh, Dad!" Lynn exclaimed. "I'm going to have to jog for a whole day to get rid of this!"
"Me have it?" asked Lily, pleading with glistening eyes.
"No way, sis!' returned the sporty girl. "I didn't say I didn't want it!"
Lana's discourse, long forgotten, dinner concluded, and the family went their separate ways.
Lincoln sat on the sofa watching the latest episode of ARRGH, sitting between Lynn and Lisa. While Lori relaxed in the recliner closest to the fireplace, Leni lounged in the other. The remainder retired to their rooms for some much-needed relaxation.
The young enthusiast was having the time of his life watching his sisters jump whenever something startling happened in the show. Things were getting good, too. But when something blue blocked his view, Lincoln peered up to see Lana holding a brush in her hand.
"Hey, Lincoln?" she purred, taking off her hat. "Would you brush my hair?"
"Uh, sure?" he responded as Lana handed him the brush and sat on the floor between his legs. "Don't you usually have Lola do this?"
"Yeah, but she's being a butt again," Lana sighed. "Besides, you've done it before. You're just one of the girls, remember?"
How could Lincoln forget? His sisters frequently remind him how he almost backed out of being involved with their lives when he believed it threatened his manhood.
Once Lana was seated, Lincoln gathered her hair and gently slipped off the two bands holding her ponytails together, laying her hair upon his lap. Freshly washed, Lana's golden mane shone brightly under the overhead light, and Lincoln realized how pretty and long it was.
Taking the brush in hand, Lincoln conscientiously began stroking it through the strands, brushing out any kinks and knots. It had been a while since he'd brushed any of his sister's hair, and he was surprised at how soft and silky it was.
"You know," Lincoln said, missing the best part of the show. "You have gorgeous hair."
"I do?" Lana coughed.
"Yup," chirped Lincoln as he lost interest in his program. "And, if I'm not mistaken, it's even longer than Lola's."
"Well, that's because I rarely get it cut," Lana replied. "Lola always goes to the salon and gets hers cut and styled."
"Hang on..." Lincoln suggested. "Stand up. Let me try something..."
"Um..." hummed Lana nervously as she did as directed. "Okay..."
Lincoln carefully gathered Lana's hair behind her and brushed it flat against her back. Then, after some consideration, he got an idea.
"Hey, Lori?" he said. "Do you happen to have some styling scissors?"
"Sure, give me one moment, and I'll get them," Lori responded, preparing to head upstairs. "What did you have in mind?"
"You'll see," Lincoln chirped.
As Lori traversed the stairs, Lana turned and faced her brother with a timid expression. Lana was concerned about what Lincoln might have in mind for her. While he'd styled her hair before, most notably for the pageant, he'd never cut it.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she implored, a slight furrow between her brows.
"Hah!" chuckled Lynn. "Have you seen what he does with Lola's?"
Lana smiled and nodded, then retook her seat and waited for Lori. Soon, the latter returned with a comb and scissors in hand.
"Here you go," she said, handing them over before sitting down, watching intently.
After retouching Lana's hair, Lincoln carefully trimmed away her split ends and neatened the edges. He then sectioned off her crown and intricately braided it so that it lay on a bed of loose hair underneath. Lastly, he turned her around and tweaked her bangs until they had a perfect curl.
"Wow..." sighed Leni as she peered around her sister. "Forget becoming a comic book artist. You could totally run a salon of your own."
"You think?" Lincoln muttered, unsure about Leni's claim.
"I gotta see!" chirped Lana, dashing to the restroom to inspect Lincoln's handiwork.
Using Leni's hand-held mirror, Lana stood before the medicine cabinet mirror, viewed herself from every angle, and was left stunned. For the second time in her life, she looked like a girl, and the best part was that Lincoln made her feel like one too.
While Lana was in no danger of becoming something she wasn't, there was no harm in cleaning up occasionally. Pleasantly grinning as she admired herself, Lana could see herself maintaining her new look. It not only highlighted her femininity but was also practical.
Lana left the bathroom, pleased with herself, only to be greeted by her twin, who wasn't as delighted upon seeing her sister.
"Oh, shit," Lola gasped, staring wide-eyed at her sister. "Our room. Now!" she demanded after regaining her composure.
Though Lana wasn't inclined to join her sister, let alone discuss anything, she followed Lola into their room, wanting nothing more than to end her sister's brooding. Living with Lola's typical personality was hard enough. Dealing with her when she was mad was even worse.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lola demanded after closing and locking the door behind them.
"What are you talking about?" muttered Lana.
Lola pursed her lips tightly and folded her arms, bearing her weight on one leg. Whatever was happening, it was time for her sister to come clean.
"For the last two days, you've spent every waking moment with Lincoln," she reminded her sister. "And the way you look at him, it's like watching Lori look at Bobby!" she declared. "Now, what's going on?"
"Oh, stop it!" demanded Lana, throwing her arms in frustration. "You just can't stand that he's spending time with me and not you!"
"Am not!" spat Lola.
"Are too!" retorted Lana.
"Okay..." offered Lola. "Maybe I am a little jealous, but that doesn't explain your behavior. It's creepy."
"That's stupid," exclaimed Lana, folding her arms in defense. "Lincoln spends so much time with you and others. He hardly ever spends time with me. How do you think that makes me feel?" she began rambling. "I don't have that many friends, and even they don't like hanging out much. You should be ashamed of yourself," Lana went on. "For once, Lincoln's paying attention to me, but my hobbies too!"
Lola's mouth twitched, and she shifted her gaze to her sister's hair.
"What's with the hair?" she inquired accusingly. "It'd be a shame to ruin it with mud."
"What's wrong with you, Lola?" Lana cried, beginning to tear up. "Can't I just be a girl sometimes?"
"Is that what this is about?" asked Lana's twin. "Being a girl?"
"I mean..." whimpered Lana, sitting on Lola's bed. "Yeah. Mostly..."
"Tell me something," Lola demanded. "What's going on between you and Lincoln."
"Nothing!" belted Lana. "I swear. I just..."
"You just, what?" griped her sister.
Lana lowered her gaze, sheepishly peering at her sister from under her freshly curled bangs.
"I just, you know..." Lana whispered, "...like him?"
"He's your brother, ding-a-ling!" Lola spat, grabbing a plastic curler from her vanity and throwing it at Lana, hitting her square in the chest.
"You're not going to tell anyone, are you?" Lana meekly questioned as she stared at her lap while wringing her hands.
"No..." conceded Lola a moment after considering doing just that. "But, you have to stop. It's wrong and creepy."
"Why?" inquired the confused tomboy.
"I don't know," admitted Lola, "it just is!"
"Listen, Lola," Lana urged as she came to a stand and grasped her sister by the shoulders, alarming her. "I need you to let this go. Alright?" she ordered. "I'm not as pretty or self-confident as you are, especially with things like this. And whether or not it's weird, I'm in love with him," she fully admitted. "He doesn't know, and I plan to keep it that way, but he's all I have. Please, put it aside?"
Lola considered her twin carefully. On the one hand, her situation could lead to disaster. On the other hand, Lincoln would probably find someone his age soon, and Lana would move on. Still, either course lent itself to her sister getting hurt. But, for now, she was happy. Maybe this experience would give her some confidence, at least.
"Fine..." conceded Lola, sitting beside her sister. "But I don't like it, and I'm not going to encourage it. Don't expect me to sit around and listen to how great you think he is. I don't want to hear it. Do you understand?"
"Mmhm," hummed Lana before embracing her sister, who steadfastly refused to return the gesture. "Thank you!"
Leaving Lola to her nightly routine, Lana headed back downstairs, where she retook her seat on the floor between Lincoln's legs and finished watching the last half of whatever show had come on during her absence.
"Who knows?" Lincoln announced, seemingly to nobody. Maybe I might."
"Might, what?" inquired Lana, watching the credits roll.
"Oh, we were still discussing the possibility of me opening a salon one day," Lincoln summarized.
"Do whatever makes you happy, Lincoln," chirped Lana. "I'm behind you one hundred percent. And thanks for doing my hair. It looks amazing!"
"I'm glad you like it," responded her brother, running his fingers loosely through her hair. "I thought such an amazing girl needed a style to match."
"Awe..." cooed Leni. "You're such a sweetheart."
"Well, now that you lot have cumulatively ruined my immersion, I'm going to go get ready for bed," announced Lisa as she slid off the couch and headed for the stairs.
As the nightly news came on, the others decided to do the same, and everyone filed upstairs to retire.
As Lana lay in the dark, her mind began to wander, and her breathing became heavy. Lincoln's gentle touch had made her tremble, and recalling how delicately he treated her hair made her pulse quicken. He had been so sweet and understanding the past few days.
The last thing she wanted was to cause him any trouble or stress, especially after Lola's diatribe earlier. However, that desire competed against her need to be close to him. She desperately wanted to snuggle against him and wrap herself in his arms.
Just looking at Lincoln was enough to make the youngster go weak in the knees. His gorgeous eyes and handsome smile drove her crazy, and she didn't know what to do with all that pent-up emotion. Her body tingled as if she should be doing something with it, but she didn't know what.
Lana lay there, staring at the back of her eyelids, enduring the torment as her body chastised her ignorance. Her breathing continued to deepen, and her pulse so profoundly that she could feel it as it flowed through her veins in forceful spurts.
Thinking her sister was asleep, Lana let out a puff of air to release the tension she felt.
"Can't sleep?" Lola whispered.
"No, sorry," her twin apologized. "I thought you were asleep."
"You really love him, don't you?" inquired Lola a moment later.
"Why do you care?" quipped Lana. "I thought you were against it."
"I am," admitted her twin. "I'm just wondering why when you could have anyone you wanted."
"Who, me?" gasped the confused girl.
"Yes, you. Who else would I be talking to?" responded Lola. "You're so much prettier than I am. I have to work at it, but you're naturally beautiful. If only you'd show it more often."
"Stop, Lola," demanded Lana, stunned at Lola's words. "Don't tease me like that."
"It's the truth," Lola muttered. "As much as I loathe admitting it, you're better than me. Without my pageants, I'm useless."
Lola's admission stunned Lana to her core. Lana lived in her twin's shadow all these years, thinking she'd never measure up to her. And here Lola was, complaining about the exact opposite. In a way, the revelation made Lana feel somewhat guilty.
First, Lana usurped some of her sister's glory by participating in a pageant behind her back. Now, she'd taken away her attention from Lincoln. While it was clear that Lola had no feelings for him, Lana did, and now she was caught between the two.
"I'm sorry, Lola," cried Lana, growing emotional. "I know how much you enjoy Lincoln spending time with you. I didn't mean to step on your toes."
"No," sighed Lola reluctantly. "It's alright. I mean, yes. I'm jealous, but you can't help who you are. You need him. I can see that."
"Really?" gasped Lana, not expecting a retraction. "Do you mean that?"
"I do," muttered her twin. "But I'm warning you. Things will get ugly if anyone else finds out, especially Mom or Dad. So, if I were you, I'd be a little more discrete."
"Yeah..." sighed Lana. "Thanks."
Lori and Leni changed into their nightclothes and settled into bed. Both lay there for some time before Lori had to say something.
"Leni?" she whispered in the dark.
"Hmm?" murmured the sleepy teen.
"I haven't been around, so I can't be certain," she began. "But don't you think it's odd that Lincoln is giving Lana so much attention?"
"Not really," Leni returned as she removed her blinder. "Why?"
"I don't know," muttered the college student. "He just seems... overly attentive."
"You call two days overly attentive?" inquired Leni, wishing her sister would go to sleep. "What about all the time he spends with Lola and her pageants? He barely notices Lana. You know how she is, Miss Independent and all."
"I suppose," sighed Lori. "It's just... she has such a gleam in her eyes now."
"Who wouldn't?" Leni posed. "I mean, she's finally getting some attention. You're overthinking things, Lori."
"Probably," agreed the older of the two. "I worry about you guys, you know, now that I'm not around as much."
"Don't be silly," chirped Leni. "Mom and Dad are still here, and I can handle things when they aren't."
"Yeah..." yawned Lori as her body began to relax. "Let's get some sleep."
For the second night in a row, Lincoln had trouble falling asleep. His little sister trusted him with her hair earlier, which affected him deeply. Trust was hard to come by, even amongst family. Sure, there would always be a surface-level affinity and allowance, but one's hair is highly personal.
Lincoln also wondered if he might have gone too far with his offer. The resulting change in Lana's appearance added several years to her face, and though he thought it was perfect, it might have been too adult. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable in her skin.
He only wished others could see her the way he did. Lana was radiant in her intellect, empathy, and zeal for life. Her smile could light up a room, and her embrace was gentle and warm. Her demeanor, in private, was utterly contrary to the rough and tumble persona others saw.
Then again, that's what Lincoln loved about her, and he wanted to keep her to himself.
