Just like to clear up a few not so important things before we move on.

-Naruto is not a Jinchuuriki or a shinobi. He does not hail from the universe of 'Naruto', but from the one in 'The Loud House'.

-The harem will consist of quite a large number of girls (but nothing too ridiculous), so if you don't fancy that, that's a shame. I'm sure you can figure out who they are. I know that sounds like it's a lot, and it's not my fault the girls are so damn loveable, but I plan on bridging that gap slowly. This may be subjected to change in future chapters, so give me your opinions. (I am unsure if there will be other females involved or not)

-Not every chapter will be very long or based off an episode. There will be original stuff here and there to cultivate connections between characters.

I've been busy with different ideas and exams (regarding my diploma) recently, and I've managed to write what I can and like. I actually wrote twelve different variants of this chapter, originally using 'Heavy Meddle' as the plotline for this chapter, but I changed it after days of thinking. Heavy Meddle will be coming up soon, more than likely the next chapter, but don't keep your fingers crossed.

Anywho, on to the chapter!

Start!

The night was still, and the children of the Loud family had gone to bed not too long after the late night supper they had from Burpin' Burgers.

Deep in sleep, Naruto lay in his bed. Bedsheets down to his ankles, it revealed his nightwear which consisted of a plain-tee he had haphazardly picked out from the rickety white closet that sat next to his bed and a set of boxers that had been imprinted with toads. Snoring softly, he appeared to be very much unaware of the world around him.

There was also the addition of bandages around his head, which had been put on by Luna and Luan after they had returned home. The two were in industries that came with a bit of injury, with Luan suffering from the physical humour she applied to herself during clowning such as slipping and falling on purpose. Meanwhile Luna had her moments practising her stage dives with no one around to catch her or cutting her fingers while shredding furiously on her guitar.

Needless to say, the two who were very fond of their older brother did not mind in the least to take care of his bumps and contusions. In fact, they even put on doctor's coats as they patched him up in order to make him smile, which they had succeeded in. Luan even put on a silly, very out of place, clown nose for added effect, which had succeeded judging by the burst of laughter she had gotten out of him.

Although not one to enjoy being pampered, Naruto didn't exactly mind being taken care of by his little sisters, who were cracking jokes as they bandaged his head up. After all, sisters or not, what was there to hate from having two pretty doctors tending to your injuries?

But the concussion he had sustained earlier on in the night had left him wanting sleep, and such, he had thanked his sisters before stumbling to his room for a change of clothes and a good night's rest.

So imagine his surprise when he awoke in the middle of the night in a stupor to the feeling of cold, clammy, lifeless hands caressing his cheek as if he were haunted by a past lover.

"Buh?!" The boy half-cried, half-mumbled, as he sat upwards. Although dazed and his vision blurred from the sudden awakening, he managed to make out the silhouette of something sitting at the foot of the bed suspiciously in the shape of…

"…Lucy?"

There, clad in the shadows of night, she was sitting cross-legged in front of him, wearing a white shirt and striped pants that were similar to her arm and knee socks. The sliver of moonlight that slipped into his room thankfully provided him with just enough light to see her.

"Hello, Naruto. Bad dreams?" Lucy asked about his sudden awakening as she watched her brother sleep from the shadows.

"Um… Yeah, yeah. S-Something like that…" He then yawned, "Uuuuhh… It's so late… What're you doing in my room, Luce?" Naruto asked while smacking his dry lips together, squinting heavily at his little sister who still continued to sit on his bed.

Lucy kept silent for a moment before looking downwards, trying to hide her face in the dark. "I couldn't sleep… because I was worried for you. You didn't look very good when we were getting back. And I've been here for… a while." Lucy had glanced to Naruto's night stand but was unable to make out the distorted flashing numbers that blinked away at the cracked screen.

Naruto ignored the faint throbbing that had begun to work at the back of his head and chose to focus on his sister instead. "Awww… Thanks, Lucy. I'm happy that you care."

It honestly made his heart soar to know that she was still worried for him, going as far as to stay up late at night just to watch over and ensure that he was okay.

Adjusting himself, Naruto propped himself up with his arm behind his back and sat a little straighter. From what little the blond could see, there was a large opened, black book currently in her lap which she seemed to have been reading before he interrupted her by waking up.

"Are you… reading?" Naruto asked. Not that Lucy could see, but he had a brow raised in curiosity.

"Yes," Lucy replied simply, shutting her book quietly. "I was."

"And… you could see?"

"Well… no." She said with a sigh of longing.

Naruto had to bite down a grin as well as a snicker at how adorable she sounded saying that. Sometimes Lucy could be unintentionally cute. A direct contrast as to what she painted herself out to be.

"But I'm working on my night vision."

"A genuine creature of the night. I see that you're going to be plenty prepared for when you turn into a vampire.

As expected of my favourite Goth." Naruto shifted his pillow and himself to the end of the bed, pressing his back up against the headboard, and patted the empty space where he had once occupied. "C'mere, you look like you're about to fall off any moment."

Lucy gently put her book on the ground and obliged, hopping onto the bed and landing without even disturbing the spring-filled mattress as if she were weightless. Without ruffling the sheets or making any sound whatsoever, she walked over to Naruto and sat down next to him, leaning her head up against his arm and shoulder as she did.

It was uncommon for Lucy to openly show physical affection to just about anyone, even for her parents, but she never hesitated when it came to Naruto. As a Goth, it was naturally expected to be made fun of, even if it was a little, by others. Even her sisters and Lincoln occasionally did, commenting on her depressing aura and unusual interests. But her oldest brother never poked fun at her choice of lifestyle or her 'creepy vibes', never forgot about her and always encouraged her to be what she wanted to be. Though she did cherish and care for her family equally, it was hard for her not to admit that she might have been more biased and favoured Naruto to the rest of her siblings.

"Hey, Lucy, I've got a question to ask." Naruto felt her tilt her head slightly. Now shrouded in the dark, Naruto was unable to see, but could easily tell that Lucy was looking up at him.

"You were sitting there the whole time, right?"

He felt her nod against his arm.

"Huh…" Naruto said, slumping slightly as he thought about it, "Because I could have sworn that someone touched my cheek earlier on." There was a touch of confusion in his voice, and Lucy thought about it for a moment.

"Perhaps it was just your imagination," Lucy said lackadaisically before she offered Naruto another creepier alternative, knowing that he wouldn't be disturbed by it unlike her sisters and Lincoln. "Or perhaps it was a ghost, the spectre of the old tenant who lived here long before we did, his or her spirit trapped in this very room." At that, the darkness of the room seemed morphed and shapes of all kinds started to appear out of thin air. Realising that his eyes were playing tricks on him, Naruto gave his eyes a quick rub, and just like that - they vanished.

He frowned a little at that.

Not the biggest supernatural believer in the family, the blond couldn't exactly say that he believed in ghosts and the paranormal, but he always kept an open mind to pretty much everything. And it wasn't like there was definitive proof of him being haunted, but the touch had spooked him a little. Nothing to lose, why would he turn Lucy's counsel away?

"A ghost? Haunting me? I can't say that I'm that fond of that idea." Naruto made a small grimace at the idea of a ghost haunting him, or more importantly, a ghost invading his personal space. How many times had he stripped down in the comfort of his own room to change clothes, only for there to be a ghost silently watching him? He didn't know. If there really was a ghost haunting his room Naruto didn't enjoy his privacy being breached.

Then again, better him then the rest of his siblings. Any higher power knew that someone like Lori or Leni or even Lynn would freak out at the idea of a ghost haunting their rooms. Lincoln was most likely the safest since Naruto highly doubted that a ghost would haunt what used to be a closet.

It also did irk him, if only a little —read: a lot—, if some damned ghost started spying on his little sisters in their rooms.

"I wonder if there's any way to get rid of it," Naruto mumbled as he stroked the top of Lucy's hair as if she were a pet kitten. Lucy began to rumble slightly. She enjoyed the warm hand combing through her black locks and showed it vocally. "I'm not too keen on sharing my room with someone who already had their turn in it."

At that, Lucy suddenly sat a little straighter and Naruto moved the hand atop of her head aside, allowing her to shift herself forwards and away from him.

"Should we do a seance?" Naruto didn't miss the slight excitement in Lucy's voice, nor the eagerness she was silently exuding from her petite body; mostly due to the fact that he was not feeling very confident in himself to stay calm talking to a ghost. "I've been reading up and practising my abilities to communicate with the dead."

"Do we really need to speak to it?" The blond squirmed in his skin, face curling at the thought of speaking to a ghost.

"I suppose we don't have to speak to it." Lucy said with a slight shrug, "Would you prefer playing a song and singing to it? It's been a while since I've heard you do either."

"Hah… I don't think everyone would appreciate me making noise in the middle of the night in order to speak to a ghost." Naruto said in regards to the rest of their family.

"Then stay here, I'll go to my room and get my candles and Ouija board."

Before Naruto could approve of this, Lucy was already on her feet, about to leave the room.

"Whoa! Hold up, Lucy." Naruto grabbed the corner of her shirt and lightly held his sister back, who already had one foot prepared to get down. "How about we skip the candles and the board just… I'unno, speak to this ghost as it is." Naruto wasn't sure which was worse. An unseen force guiding their hands to speak to them or having light in the room and potentially seeing a ghost.

"Alright." Lucy settled back down, nestling herself in a seated position in front of Naruto, "Give me your hands."

Naruto did as he was told, holding out his hands which dwarfed Lucy's ones. Softly, the little girl entwined her fingers with Naruto's and pressed their palms together.

Lucy's lips cracked into a smile at clasping hands with her big brother and the unseen black eyes underneath the curtain of bangs twinkled excitedly, a particularly rare, but not absent, emotion.

"Let's begin."

The two had ended up drifting off into dreamland together a half-hour after holding hands.

Naruto had ended up falling to the side of the bed in a seemingly uncomfortable position but had his arms wrapped around the tiny figure of Lucy who slumbered quietly with her brother. Curled up in Naruto's embrace, she had her forehead up against his rather steely chest and used his arm as a pillow. It hadn't taken her long to fall asleep since she had the help of her brother's warmth acting as a lovely blanket.

Knowing that her older brother was fine after all, Lucy was able to sleep soundly.

Such was the sight their parents came across when they checked on their son again the morning after. News of his injury had been sent from Lori via text last night, and after returning from their trip they had paid a visit to his room in order to check up on his condition, just ten minutes before Lucy had entered.

With the door opened just slightly, the parents of the Loud family stood by the doorway to their eldest son's room and watched Naruto sleep with Lucy in his arms like she was a stuffed toy.

"Awww… Don't they just look adorable, Lynn?" Rita Loud cooed adoringly at the two sleeping children who were snuggled together in a sweet heap.

"Yes, they do, Rita." The patriarch of the family had a beaming grin on his face at seeing how the two slept together like a bear and his cub. Throwing an arm around his wife's waist, the man beckoned away from the room with his head, "Come on, let's give them a bit more time to rest."

Lynn shut the door and left with his wife in arm, allowing the two to continue with their sleep.

And yes — they were very much aware of the tiny smile Lucy had on her face.

Chapter End

Please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! It's a little short, I know, but I don't intend to write 10k chapters like the first one or the ones I do for my other stories, mainly because some of the word count comes from the script of the show. I know this isn't one of the most popular stories around, but I honestly love writing for this fic when I have inspiration for it.

And is there really a ghost haunting the home of the Loud family? Or is this just a one-off thing? Who knows?