Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.

Why Love Fails

By Lola Presents

Chapter 5

Lincoln pulled their car up to the curb in front of their parent's house around nine-thirty. As expected, the lights were still on, and noise emanated from within its confines. As the number of toddlers in the home declined, bedtimes gradually extended, making late-night visits more acceptable.

Lola stepped out, fetched Nova from the backseat, detached the car seat from its base, and headed toward the house. Lincoln locked the doors and followed her to the front door, admiring her from behind.

It didn't matter that he'd been with her for some time; Lincoln was still in awe that he could be with someone, let alone Lola. Sure, she was bratty and selfish in her early years, but to Lincoln, that meant she was self-assured and bold enough to go after whatever her heart desired.

Lincoln had always taken it upon himself to tend to others' needs but seldom his own. There were many areas where he felt significant shortcomings, and these shortcomings bothered him, at least until he coupled with Lola.

So, with a certain amount of pride and completeness, he watched his sister move ahead of him. She completed him in all aspects, and as time passed, she grew less needy and moody, which pleased him even more. Lincoln believed his presence mellowed her, just as her company bolstered him in return.

Turning the knob, Lola entered and placed Nova on the floor by the couch.

"Hey!" she called. "Anyone home?"

In a matter of seconds, the foyer flooded with young aunts, who came to adore the baby, beating even their parents out to greet them.

"Awe," exclaimed Lisa, unstrapping the child and picking her up. "Such a cutie!"

"Okay, girls," announced Rita in a slightly chaste tone. "She's not a toy, and you have to be careful. Sit on the couch and take turns."

"Welcome home, guys," said Lynn as he clasped Lincoln by the shoulder. "What brings you two by this late?"

Lincoln nodded toward Lola.

"Lola wanted to see Lana about something," Lincoln informed his father.

"I see," replied Lynn. "Well, let's leave them to it. I'm sure the girls and your mother have Nova covered. Let's go grab a drink and catch up."

As Lincoln headed to the kitchen with his father, Lola excused herself and headed upstairs. Upon reaching her former room, she rapped lightly upon the door.

"Come in, Luce," said Lana. "You know you don't have to knock."

"It's me, Lola," replied Lana's twin.

The door flew open, and Lana glommed Lola quicker than Hops Jr. could snap up a fly.

"Lola!" she cried, belting out questions rapid-fire. "It's great to see you! How've you been? How's Nova? Where is she?"

Lola's cheeks turned slightly rosy as she pulled Lana into the room and closed the door.

"Actually... I came to talk to you about something," Lola admitted, taking a seat on her old bed, which was still present.

"Oh?" asked Lana curiously, seating herself beside Lola.

"Yeah, I need to know if Winston ever chats with you," Lola said firmly. "He said he had, but I don't know whether to believe him or not."

"Well, yeah. Sometimes," shrugged Lana. "He'll send me a message every few weeks."

"If it's not too much to ask, I need to know what kinds of things he said," Lola demanded seriously.

"Well, he asked about you most," Lana said, thinking back to the most recent chats. "At first, anyway."

"And then?" Lola prodded.

Lana shrugged and shifted nervously, not wanting to look at Lola. Something was bothering her, and Lola recognized the significance.

"Lana?" asked Lola. "Did he start flirting with you?"

"Mm, kinda," admitted Lana. "But, you know I'm not into all that mushy stuff. Besides, I think it was because I looked like you. I don't think he liked me, you know, for me."

"I see," acknowledged Lola, clasping her hands in her lap, bracing herself for what came next. "Lana, there's something I need to tell you."

For the next several minutes, Lola recounted recent events and revealed their reasons. As Lola talked, Lana's mouth fell ever more open in astonishment. Despite her sophisticated appearance, Lana knew her twin was a bit naive, and it hurt to realize that someone had taken advantage of her.

"Oh, Lola," Lana said, bringing Lola into a warm side hug. "I feel so bad for you and what you and Lincoln went through. If I'd known, I mean, back then, I'd have pounded the shit out of him!"

Lola chuckled.

"It's alright, Lana," the former princess said. "I'm not sorry about it. It was a learning experience for me. Had it not happened, I might yet be in the dark about his behavior. Are you sure he hasn't asked you to do a photo shoot or something?"

Lana nodded vigorously.

"Yes. I'm certain," Lana replied, "but he did flirt a little, as I said. He stopped when I showed no interest, though."

"Alright," Lola said satisfactorily. "I just had to make sure he wasn't going to try and collect you too."

The girls sat silently for a moment before Lana spoke again.

"Are you sure Lincoln is alright?" Lana asked. "Sometimes guys can hang on to things like this."

"Yeah, he's fine," Lola said, a sly smile crossing her gradually reddening face.

Lana noticed her twin's reaction, and curiosity raised its ugly head.

"What?" Lana demanded, perhaps a bit too eagerly.

"Okay, okay!" shot Lola as if she were a schoolgirl who couldn't wait to tell her best friend important news.

Lola turned toward Lana, held her hands between them, and suddenly she was seven years old, babbling with her giddy sister.

"The makeup sex was incredible!" Lola said with enthusiasm. "It's like, he and I were one. It was sensual, passionate, and beyond my imagination. I even let him do me in my ass!"

"Lola!" gasped Lana, standing and hiding her crimson face.

"What?" asked Lola, very confused.

She and Lana had always shared everything, and indeed the latter would want to know about this, wouldn't she? Maybe not. Lana wasn't exactly the type to express emotions, let alone talk about them. Lola wondered if she'd mess up confiding in Lana like that.

"I'm sorry," Lana said, still not looking at her twin. "It's just that I forget that you do that now. I know you had to, or else you wouldn't have a baby. But look at me. I don't even have a steady boyfriend, let alone have sex. It's weird to think of you doing... that. Especially with Lincoln."

Lola looked at her now empty hands sadly.

"I understand," Lola said solemnly. "I guess it is kind of weird. I just wanted to share something personal, like we used to."

Lana finally turned to her sister's side, standing in front of her and cradling her head.

"No, no," pleaded Lana. "That's not what I meant. We're twins. Right? So if you make him hot, then why don't I? Is there something wrong with me?"

Lola's eyes flew open with shock.

"Lana!" Lola exclaimed questioningly as her heart stopped for a moment. "You don't have a thing for Lincoln, do you?"

"Lincoln?" chuckled Lana taking a seat beside Lola once more. "No, of course not. But I do want someone to like me the way he likes you. I'm not perfect like you, but I still have yearnings, you know? You're all Lincoln ever talked about, and when Winston texts me, he goes on and on about you. Why is it never me? So yeah, maybe I am a little jealous. Is that so bad?"

Lola let her twin's words roll around inside her head for a moment, coming to terms with them. For all they'd shared in the past, this was perhaps the most revealing discussion they'd ever had, and it took everything the princess had to compile it all.

"What happened between you and Clyde?" Lola asked pensively, not wanting to stir up any bad memories, yet needing to know.

Lana shrugged and looked at her lap.

"I don't know," the tomboy admitted. "Nothing happened precisely. He was sweet and attentive, kind and smart, and most of all, handsome."

Lola cocked her head and stared at Lana.

"Then why did you break it off?" she asked.

It was a well-known fact that Lana ended the relationship a few months ago, though she never offered a concrete explanation. Many believed the boy had been too mousy for her, and Lana encouraged that belief.

"Honestly?" Lana sighed. "I was scared."

"Of what?" pondered Lola. "Falling in love?"

"Of something going wrong and me being unable to fix it," Lana said, looking at Lola with eyes welling up. "I am good with my hands and can fix just about anything. But a broken heart?"

Lana's tears began falling, and Lola took her sister up in her arms, nuzzling her head. Seldom seen, Lana's tears fell upon her blue overalls, leaving little damp spots on the straps.

"So, you still have feelings for him, huh?" asked Lola, hoping to keep the conversation going, fearing that any pause would lead to Lana bottling things up again.

Lana nodded in Lola's arms, continuing to sob, though the flow ebbed somewhat.

"Mmhm," she mumbled. "I miss Clyde and his goofy self so much!"

Lola waited a moment, then pulled Lana away by her shoulders. Holding her there, Lola stared her in the eyes.

"Then tell him that," Lola instructed. "Don't think about it, and don't oversell it, just tell him exactly what you just told me."

"But what if..." began Lana, wiping her face clear of fluid.

"No," shot Lola sternly. "No what-ifs. Worry about what happens later, when it happens. If I had wondered what might happen the first night Lincoln and I got together and had not done it, I wouldn't have Nova. Yes, I have a scar resulting from it, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Do you understand?"

Lana snuffled back some mucus and smiled at Lola, nodding.

"Yeah," Lana said quietly, color coming back to her cheeks and a smile. Chuckling, she continued. "I can't believe you let Lincoln fuck you in the ass. What I wouldn't give for that. I mean, you know..."

"Lana!" cried Lola as they fell back onto her bed, giggling.

After Lincoln shared a drink with his father and spent most of the visit talking about work, he offered to help clean up the dinner mess. With fewer bodies in the house, there weren't nearly as many items to clean, making his offer easier.

Rita welcomed the assistance, and the mother and son worked together to get the job done. Lincoln thoroughly washed each item, then passed it to his mother to rinse and dry. After everything was clean, Rita folded the cloth she used to dry the dishes and glanced at her watch.

"Oh, goodness," she said. "It's almost eleven! You guys should probably get going. You have work tomorrow!"

"Oh, dang it!" Lincoln said, just realizing how long they'd been there. "You're right. Thanks, mom. I love you."

Lincoln kissed his mother on the cheek, dried his hands, and made for the stairs. He followed the sound of giggling and ended up before a familiar door and knocked.

"Lola?" he called sweetly. "It's late. We need to head out."

"Alright! Coming!" Lola called back, still laughing out loud.

"Not yet, you aren't," whispered Lana cheekily. "But later, maybe..."

"Oh, stop it!" scolded Lola, smiling like a kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "You're so bad!"

Lola gathered herself, left her giggling twin lying on the bed, and followed Lincoln downstairs. The remainder of the family was soon assembled in the foyer, each saying goodbye in their unique ways. They exchanged hugs and promised to visit again. The young family then went out the door and down the stoop.

"Bye!" said Lana, waving at them as they walked to their car. "Hey, Lincoln! Next time, use the back door. I hear you like that!"

Lola's cheeks flushed with blood, and all she could do was bow her head as she walked away, hiding her eyes with her hand.

"Huh?" asked their father. "Why would he use the back door?"

"Never mind..." sang Lana as she receded into the house, smiling broadly.

Lincoln helped Lola get Nova situated before seating his sister and entering the car himself. They were tired and yawned. On the other hand, Nova was filled with vigor, having been overstimulated by her aunts. The little girl cooed and babbled from her seat behind them. To soothe her, Lincoln turned on the radio to some smooth jazz.

"So, how did the talk go?" Lincoln asked after pulling away from the house.

Lola sighed. "It went well. We reconnected a lot, and it doesn't look like Winston has bothered her except to ask about me. Mostly. She said he flirted a little at first but stopped when she didn't respond."

"I see," acknowledged Lincoln. "Well, that's good. Anything else I should know? Like, why were you two giggling so hard?"

Lola blushed again slightly. "Nope. It was just girl talk. You know how we get."

"Um, not really," Lincoln admitted. "But alright."

Lincoln then belted out a long, drawn-out yawn, which was timely, as he knew better than to question a girl on girly things. It wasn't because he found any particular subject uncomfortable but because he didn't like to intrude.

"Man, I'm tired," he said, smacking his lips. "What a long day."

"Oh, there was one other thing," Lola announced shyly.

"Hmm?" prodded Lincoln.

"Lana still likes Clyde," Lola informed her brother rather bluntly.

"She does?" he inquired, somewhat surprised. "I thought she left him?"

"Well, she did," Lola explained. "But it wasn't for the reason we all thought. She was scared of messing it up."

"Oh," Lincoln said, nodding, then yawned again as they pulled into their drive. "Well, I don't think I'll be much help there. Clyde and I haven't spoken in a while. Besides, it's not our place to meddle."

"Yeah, I know," sighed Lola reflectively. "I just want her to be as happy as I am."

Lincoln smiled at his girlfriend and the mother of his child.

"Me too," Lincoln replied as he grabbed Nova from the car and headed into the house. "But, we can't do it for her. That's something she has to do on her own."

The couple disappeared into the house, and the lights went out several minutes later. Night had fallen on their home and those within slumbered soundly, unaware of the diminutive shadow lurking about their yard.