Luna II

Luna towelled herself off, and got dressed, her heart still thumping in her throat. She felt like she could throw up - doubts and fear were making her sick. The other Loud sisters wouldn't understand what had just happened, especially Lucy, who was one of the youngest. Was she going to tell the others? Mom and dad? How was she going to explain herself to them? It had happened too fast. It had felt too good. She had been too tired.

Luna became even more tired now. She hadn't slept all night, and what had happened in the bathroom had been amazing, but exhausting. She trudged from the bathroom to the bedroom she shared with Luan. She had hoped the early morning shower would revitalise her, that it would clear her thoughts. Instead, she felt even more exhausted. It had given her even more to think about. The thought loops of Lincoln's innocent smile had made way for his lustful expressions. The desire in his eyes had looked as intense she had felt them herself.

"Morning, Luna!" Luna had no chance to mope or reminisce, Luan had woken up. Her good morning was characteristically chipper. Luna looks up at Luan. She is in her pyjamas, a towel folded over her right arm, and she is holding her toothbrush. She seemed to be getting ready for a shower. "Why the long face?"

"Not now Luan." Luna was curt, and her tone was morose. Luna sat down on her bed, and rested her head in her hands. She didn't want to explain herself to Luan. She had nothing to explain. She had too much to explain. Her hair, still wet, shed cold droplets on her thighs.

"Woah, that was a cold shower. Hahaha, get it?" Luna got it. "Seriously though, what's bugging you, sis?" Luan inquired politely. Luan put away her towel. She was getting ready for a talk, but it was a talk that Luna did not want to be having.

"I just need to get some sleep. I'm tired. That's all." It wasn't all, but the bags under her eyes made the story convincing anyhow.

"No sleep again last night, huh?" Luan crouched down near Luna, with a compassionate smile on her face. The angle forced Luna to look at her. "Maybe you're keeping too much pent up inside, Lun'. You know, thoughts are like laughter, sometimes they have to come bursting out." Luan covered one eye with her fist. "If you try to hold them in, your could burst an eye out. Blah!" She dexterously set off a fake eye on a spring, making it seem like it had detached from her face. She had secretly swiped one of her prank items from the floor. Luan laughed. Luna didn't laugh.

Luna turned hey gaze away, pressing her face in her palms. More tears welled up, half from awkwardness and half from exhaustion. She could scarcely look more depressed. Muffled by her hands, she retorted Luan. "Some thoughts are better left unsaid, dude. Even if both of my eyes would burst out. I'll take the chance." Her voice broke.

Luan's smile turned upside-down. Luna had been mopey and exhausted lately, but it seemed worse than usual. Something serious was going on with her. Luan had an idea of what could be bothering her. She had been perceptive. She had woken up to Luna's voice at night - Luan thought she was talking in her sleep. Nightmares, rather. One topic would always come up. That same topic that Luna had been avoiding when she spoke to her during the day. If Luan was right, she understood why Luna wouldn't want to talk about it. But she had to, for her own good. Luan tried to find a tactful way to pry it out of her. There wasn't one.

"Luna," Luan voice had turned the pinnacle of softness and concern. "Did something happen with Lincoln?"

Luna jolted. What the fuck? What does she know? Had Lucy told her already? Was that even possible? How long had she lied on the bathroom floor after Lucy left? Long enough to say they have had sex? Luna stared at her sister. Her face contorted in a pained expression that Luan couldn't read.

"N-no. Nothing happened. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't know if you know this but - you say his name a lot in your sleep. I figured it may be why you're sleeping poorly."

"Oh." She doesn't know. Luna is half-relieved by the feeling that she is just being paranoid. They only reason Luan suspects anything at all is because she can't keep her mouth shut. She re-evaluated the morning as it flashed before her eyes at top speed, repeatedly. She saw herself, several times a second, giving in to her feelings and coercing Lincoln into indulging her depraved thoughts. If she had just stood and said nothing, would Lincoln have done anything?

"If something happened, you know you can always tell me, right?" Luan's voice soothed. It helped to calm Luna down. Luan seemed genuine, and she was. She worried for her roommate, and was determined to help her through it. Doubly determined to cheer her up. Although, Luan was also a little uncomfortable. Luan tried her hardest to phrase her next line as best she could, but if her hunch was right, she also had to get to the point. She swallowed. "Like, if he, you know... Did something. To you, I mean."

Luna froze. Does she know after all? No, it can't be. Luna shifts, then looks up. Luan must be getting at something else, but what? She was too tired for reason. Lincoln had done something to her, after all. Scenes from this morning flashed before her eyes again. He had done something amazing. Something intoxicating. Fuck, snap out of it, Luna. Luan seems worried, very worried, and she's picking up signals. Luna has to tell her something. Something that eases Luan's mind but doesn't incriminate herself. Something believable. But what?

"Well..." Luna was going to follow that up with a good excuse, but her well was taking longer than anticipated. Much longer. She looked at her sister. She and Luan shared a bedroom, and they were always first to hear each other's problems. Besides, it was rare to see Luan this serious about anything. She wasn't making jokes or puns, she stopped messing around. She was really listening - at the exact moment Luna wished she had nothing to say.

"Go on." Luan implored. Very, very gently, Luan put one of her hands on Luna's knee. The warmth of her hand gave Luna comfort. Only now could Luna feel the warmth and energy that Luan was giving off. Luna took it in, it eased her mind more than words could. Why didn't she touch her more often? The touch opened up a swarm of new feelings about her sister. Did Luan have the same qualities of care and nurture that she admired about Lincoln? Was all her joking around in the genuine interest of seeing her happy? In this moment, it seemed that way. Maybe Luan sensed that Luna needed someone to hear her out, without judgement. She preferred going to Lincoln with her troubles, but now the trouble was Lincoln. Was is possible that Luan could understand?

"Luan..." Luna had started the truth now. It was going to come bursting out. Hey eyes felt to as well, with the torrent of tears that she could no longer hold back. Luna pressed her eyes closed. "Lincoln and I..." Her voice creaked. Her lip quivered. Her body quaked. Luna wrapped her hands around herself.

Luan removed her hand. She feared the worst. It had been about Lincoln after all. Could it be...? She had felt terrible about even thinking such a vile thing about her brother, but to her, Luna's reaction confirmed all her suspicions. It was the only explanation that made sense. Her feelings were right. Luan's heart broke for her. She wouldn't have wanted any of her sisters to go through something like this.

"Luna, did Lincoln... Did he, force you?"

Luna's trembling stopped. She turned sharply to face Luan.

"What!?"

Luna was stunned. Was that what it looked like? She hadn't considered the possibility it could look that way. She hadn't had the time to consider anything. Nor the energy. This is all happenning at once. But of course Lincoln hadn't forced her. In Luna's mind, it was the other way around. She is the older one. She should've been the responsible one. She should've sent him out. It was her fault. Was everyone going to blame Lincoln? Sweet, pure Lincoln?

"No!" Luna shrieked. "No-no-no! No of course not! He would never! He - ... I -" Her breathing turned laborious. A wave of pure panic enveloped her, starting from her toes, and rising all the way to her head. She's only going to make things worse if she keeps talking, the panic says. She shut down.

Luan was startled. Luna's shriek forced her to fall backwards from her crouch. "Oh, s-sorry! That's - Good! Uh- my bad!" She stammered. Luan felt like an idiot. Of course Lincoln wouldn't do something like that. What the hell was she even thinking? She had blindly followed her hunches and feelings. And based on what? That Luna had sleeptalked his name, that she wouldn't talk about Lincoln? Her feelings had let her suggest something so vile. She felt like she couldn't have been more wrong. Whatever it was that Luna was going to tell her, she sure isn't going to tell her now. A voice in her head mocked her: Nice job, Luan, you've made things worse.

"Luna... I'll - I'll let you get some rest, okay?" Luan fumbled with her towel, and awkwardly left for the bathroom. She just wanted to help.