I wanted to get a lot of stuff done in this chapter… So I did. It's mostly fluff.
1349183248123059==1239urj4910o5r3kwju9203535=208495382rj342-2895839245832-90ir49
Though it wasn't dark out, the scenery was still pretty spooky. Lincoln supposed that was the hazard of hanging out in cemeteries though. Lucy sat across from him, both of them on a small blanket he'd laid out specifically for their date together. Graveyards may not have been his thing, but relationships were just as much about the happiness of your partners as they were about your own happiness. She probably would have preferred they came at night, but explaining being out in a cemetery after dark to their parents would have been awkward. Lucy seemed to understand, and didn't complain.
"Dad isn't really up to making your favorite foods, so I thought I would try." Lincoln explained, lifting the lid of the large basket they'd brought with them. It wasn't that their dad didn't have the skill required to make what Lincoln wanted made, but Lincoln somehow doubted his fathers ability to hold himself together long enough to make anything with Blood in the name. "I did get some pointers from him though." Having never cooked before, he wanted enough of a grounding in the realm of cooking that he, at least, didn't completely ruin the dish.
The pungent aroma of meat filled the air, as Lincoln pulled out a container of blood pudding. It wasn't pretty, but he'd tried it before he brought it and it tasted decent. Probably not up to Lucys usual standards, but he'd have time to get better.
A slight upturn at the corners of his younger sisters lips was his reward. Warmth flushed through Lincolns body. Smiles from Lucy were rare, and he was happy to have earned one.
"I'm still new at this. So mine probably isn't as good as you usually have it, but I'll keep trying until my cooking is the best you've ever had." Despite his good feelings, he couldn't help but be nervous of her verdict.
Lucy scooped some onto her plate, while Lincoln pulled some extremely well done eggs from the basket, along with a pitcher of blood orange juice.
She lifted a bite to her mouth and closed her lips around it, chewing thoughtfully.
"It's good." She murmured. Relief washed away his anxiety, and he grinned at her.
Lincoln continued to pull items from the basket and they settled into a companionable silence. If he were doing this with Lori, they'd be making idle chit chat. Talking about their lives, others lives, current events, plans for the future, silly stories, and funny ideas, but Lucy wasn't one to talk unnecessarily. Beyond that, Lucy didn't need to talk to tell Lincoln how much she appreciated his company. She didn't need to speak for Lincoln to know how much she loved him. Lincoln pulled out mint cucumber soda, and a tuna melt for himself. He would have preferred sauerkraut and peanut butter, but this was a date. He wasn't going to chance ruining it by eating something she couldn't stand.
In absence of conversation, Lincoln was left to his own thoughts and observations. Though it was daytime, it was still a bit late. The sun hung low in the sky and cast oranges, reds, and purples across the meet the blues of the daylight hours. With graves on all sides, the area was actually pretty secluded. Or at least, it felt that way. Well kept grass filtered between the stone monuments to the lives of those who came before them, and reached as far as a wrought iron fence that surrounded the property. There was a groundskeepers cabin far to one side.
He turned his attention back to Lucy. She sat, languidly eating a plate of blood pudding and extremely well done eggs. Occasionally she would take a sip from her glass of blood orange juice to wash it all down, and every once in a while she would make small sounds of consideration or appreciation.
At the end of their meal, as Lucy was about to get up, Lincoln pulled her back down and lifted a chocolate pie from the basket. Her lips parted slightly, and she narrowed in of the dessert with a laser like intensity. It was moments like this that made Lincoln wish he could see her eyes more often. They were too beautiful to be kept behind a curtain at all times.
He scooped some onto her plate, and portioned some for himself. Her own slice noticeably larger than his. And as he ate his own piece as a measured pace, he couldn't help the laughter that bubbled at the back of his throat at the sight of her almost tearing into her own piece. She was just slow enough to not make a mess, and when she was done she looked longingly at the rest of the pie, as he set it back into the basket and cleaned up the area to go.
They walked side by side to the exit of the cemetery, when Lucy turned suddenly and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. She tilted her head back to look at him.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Lincoln lifted his hands and parted her bangs, holding them on either side of her head.
"I like your eyes." He responded, and she blushed, hiding her face in his shirt once again.
WELL THAT WAS SWEET.
The situation Lincoln found himself in was rather perilous. He was already dating two of his sisters, and he was trying to add two more to that group. He greeted Luna with a snug hug, and continued into her room. Luan was off somewhere else, which was what Lincoln had been waiting for before he came. And as he sat on Lunas bed, nodding his head, and listening to her jams, he considered his approach. Though he'd already gone through it multiple times, you could never be too prepared.
"I'll be right back." He told her as he went to get his cello, because activities you could do together always brought you closer than activities you did alone.
As they coordinated their tunes and played side by side, Lincoln challenged her a little with a more complicated melody and listened as she responded in kind. He played a little harder, one upping her just a bit, and she played back meeting him hit for hit. She smiled at him, as was his plan. To think he a fun went hand in hand. A toothy grin spread over his own face. They jammed and they dance, setting a furious pace. Then they calmed down, their music tapering off. Too exhausted to continue.
Lincoln flopped on her bed, and found himself laughing, and Luna caught her breath standing beside him. He reached up and pulled her down, hugging her body to him. He wanted her to get used to close physical contact with him, and all his practice with Lori and Lucy told him what to do once he had it. Nothing overt, Luna might freak out. He wrapped one hand under her and one hand over. With his over arm wrapped just below her breasts, brushing their underside. His under arm wrapped under her navel, where her shirt met her skirt, and gripped her hip with his hand. He placed his chin in the crook of her neck, letting his breath tickled over her collar bone.
He could feel her stiffen slightly in surprise, before she relaxed into him.
"We should do this again sometime." He murmured.
"Yeah, that would be rad." She rasped, breathing in deeply through her nose and exhaling just as deep. She seemed to melt inside her skin, and she rested back against him.
Lincoln breathed in, filling his lungs, and breathed out, billowing air across Lunas collar. It was a struggle not to just fall asleep and nap with Luna in his arms, because as nice as that would be, he had goals.
"I haven't been able to hang out with you much over the last few days." He squeezed her extra close. "What have you been doing?"
"Mostly what I usually do." She breathed, too comfortable to speak louder. "I've been working on my tunes." Her voice took on a slight edge of worry, "I've been a little worried about Luan though." She breathed out, releasing her tension. "What about you?"
"Nothing super interesting." He lied, "I've been helping Lori get over her break up with Bobby, and we've become closer as a result." He brushed his thumb against her breast. "Lucy helped me with some stuff and I repaid her by taking her on a picnic."
"Aww, that's adorable." Luna interrupted him.
"I tried my hand at making some of her favorite foods. I didn't do terribly at least." He snaked the fingers of his other hand under the hems of her skirt and shirt, gripping soft flesh. "I've noticed Luan giving me funny looks though. I was wondering if you knew anything about that."
"Ah." She hesitated.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"No, she's been acting a little off since we had that family meeting where you told us all why Bobby broke up with Lori. I noticed her looking at you sometimes too. I don't really know what she'd thinking about, but I think the idea got stuck in her head." She tensed a little, until Lincoln squeezed her closer.
"Don't think about it if it upsets you. Right now, we're relaxing and hanging out. If you're bothered by it, come talk to me tomorrow, but you deserve some you time." He slipped his hand further under her skirt, his fingers just touching the swell of her rear. That was as far as he was willing to go for now.
An hour later, when they both rose from the bed and stretched, Lincoln dragged her to the door with him. He pulled her head down to his level and brushed a chaste kiss against the corner of her mouth. As she was gasping in surprise from that, he handed her a package he'd set aside earlier and waited for her to pull out a pair of headphones. Nice ones too. Not incredibly high quality, but he'd made sure to get the most comfortable pair he could afford.
"W-what's this for?" she clutched his gift.
"Just a token of my appreciation. Thanks for always being there for me." He pulled her into another hug. "You're one of my best friends, and I love you." He pulled away to see that her face had tinged pink.
"I-I Love you t-too Lincoln."
With a final soft smile, he turned and left her room.
I REALIZED HALF WAY THROUGH THAT, THAT I WAS STARTING TO WRITE A POEM THERE.
"Hey Leni, what do you think of me?" Lincoln asked.
He was in Leni and Loris room, acting as a model for Leni, while she darted around him. She looked at him from every conceivable angle, made marks on the fabrics draped over him, stuck pins to hold different pieces together, and grabbed bolts of cloth from drawers. Her tongue poked from the corner of her mouth and her brow was furrowed in a look of intense concentration.
"Mmm, what do you mean Lincy?" The room looked like a fashion tornado had come through.
"I mean, do you think I'm good boyfriend material?" It was a little heavy handed, but Leni was… Not stupid, but oblivious. Generally speaking, she wouldn't make a connection, so Lincoln could afford to be a little obvious about his approach. And if she told anyone later, it wasn't So obvious as to immediately start ringing warning bells in their minds.
"Boyfriend?" She looked surprised and confused, "I don't…" Her brows furrowed again and she tilted her head. Lincoln didn't know how to feel about her reaction. "L-like…"
"Do you? Do you know what a boyfriend is?" That was probably the question he should have opened with. Leni was so innocent that it was entirely possible that thoughts of romance and physical intimacy just hadn't occurred to her.
"A friend that is also a boy? Because you're totes that Linky!" She exclaimed, happy to think she understood. "You're my favorite boy ever!"
"Well, you're not wrong." She grinned radiantly at him. "But a boyfriend is more than just a boy who is a friend. There are certain things that a boyfriend does with their girlfriend that regular friends don't do."
"Like what?" Her head tilted to the side.
"Like kissing, for one."
"But I totes kiss people all the time." By now she'd completely abandoned her work.
"Not like that." Lincoln explained gently. "You kiss people on the cheek or the forehead. There are other places that you can kiss people, and when you kiss people in those places it means you love them more than when you kiss them on the cheek or forehead."
"Like where?" She brought her index finger up and poked a cheek.
"Like… Have you ever seen Mom and Dad kiss?" He waited for her to nod. "You notice how they kiss each other on the lips? Doing that means you love someone as more than a friend." A look of understanding dawned on her. "Both people have to agree before a boy and a girl become boyfriend and girlfriend, but the type of person who would make a good boyfriend for you would be." He had to be careful about how he described this to her. "Someone who's always there for you. Someone who always has time for you and is always patient. Someone who you think about more often than you think about others. Someone who makes you feel good. Someone close to your heart." She took on a look of consideration. It was time for his final strike. "Here, let me show you. Come here."
He held an arm out to her, and pulled her in when she got within arms reach. Wrapping one arm around her waist and the other under her own arms, he pulled her in and pressed his lips against hers. At the moment of contact, he began to massage her spine at the small of her back, and between her shoulder blades. She gasped against him, and he took the opportunity to push his tongue between her lips and coax hers into action. He pulled her organ into his mouth and lightly sucked it, massaging it with his tongue and lightly scraping his teeth across the surface. He tasted her. Strawberry-banana and chocolate. A delightful combination that probably resulted from her love of smoothies. He pulled back, letting her tongue escape, and looked at her. Her face was flushed a brilliant scarlet and her eyes were wide.
"That's the type of kiss boyfriends and girlfriends share." told her.
"Oh."
"So I'll ask again. Do you think I would make a good boyfriend?"
Back on ground she understood, she smiled happily, even despite the blush that still covered most of her face.
"Linky would make the best boyfriend ever." She affirmed
I ALMOST SAID "OTHER PLACES YOU CAN KILL PEOPLE." INSTEAD OF "OTHER PLACES YOU CAN KISS PEOPLE."
Lincoln sat on the edge of his oldest sisters bed, his legs spread to either side of his aforementioned sister, who sat cross legged on the floor in front of him. Her back was resting against her bed frame and her head was tilted back so it rested between Lincolns legs. With her eyes closed, she groaned in total bliss, as Lincoln threaded his fingers through her hair and massaged her scalp. From his angle he could see down the front of her shirt, but he tried not to focus on that.
"You're really good at this." She sighed happily.
"Thanks, I started when Lynn began to play sports. She needed someone to help work out the kinks and she turned to me. I only got better as Lynn took on more and more challenging sports and she needed a more skilled hand to help."
"Oh yeah?" She breathed in deeply. "I never knew that."
"Yeah, well, Lynn doesn't like to show weakness or vulnerability. I doubt she told anyone about it." He moved his hands down to her shoulders.
"That sounds like her."
"Hey, I uh, I have something to tell you." It was a calculated risk on his part. Telling her at all, could lead to her becoming angry with him. If he didn't tell her though, and she found out later, it could seriously hurt her. That outcome was unacceptable. "The other day I was talking with Leni."
"What about?" A note of curiosity entered her tone.
He brought one of his hands from her shoulders and started rubbing the back of his head, prompting Lori to crack an eye open and look at him. His head turned, not making eye contact. This was important. He actually was embarrassed, but it was still vital she know he was embarrassed.
"I asked her if she thought I was good boyfriend material…" He trailed off. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her crack her other eye open, both eyes focused on him. "It was weird, she didn't know what a boyfriend was."
"Heh, yeah well, that's Leni. She's literally as innocent as they come." Lori chuckled.
Lincoln waited a moment before continuing.
"I explained it to her and gave her examples and stuff, but I got carried away and…" He looked back at her, meeting her gaze. "I kissed her." He closed his eyes and shrank in on himself. "I'm sorry. I know Bobby broke your heart by cheating on you, but I didn't mean to do it." He was babbling. "I just got carried away in the moment and it happened before I could stop myself. I'll take whatever punishment you decide on… Even if you want to break up with me…" The last part came out as an emotion filled whisper.
In the darkness imposed by his own clenched shut eyes, the first hint of a response he got from his sister was a snort. His eyes snapped open when he felt her hands grasp either side of his head, and he looked down at her. She was smiling softly up at him, and she pulled him down until their lips met in a gentle kiss. They separated and Lincoln gazed down at his beloved eldest sister. Humor danced in her eyes.
"I'm happy that you told me. It means that you respect our relationship and you respect me enough to not hide it, but what you did and what Bobby did aren't the same thing. They're literally not even on the same scale." She pulled him down again and pressed a kiss against his forehead. "Bobby slept with Ronnie Anne. That's not something you do when caught up in a moment. It literally needs a lot of thought. The fact that he did it, means he didn't respect our relationship." She brought him down again, but he broke free and kissed her forehead instead, eliciting a giggle from her. "It's very possible to kiss someone without meaning to. I've done it before. That's how our relationship started. The fact that you were willing to undergo punishment, just for that, tells me that you love me more than Bobby ever did, and I love you too Lincoln."
Lincoln let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
"Thank you." He told her, and she seemed to understand without explanation. "I do have something else I'm worried about though." She raised an eyebrow in question. "Leni didn't know what a boyfriend was until I explained it to her. She didn't even know there were other kinds of kissing besides kisses on the cheek or the forehead. I'm worried that when she starts dating, she'll get taken advantage of."
He'd been a little hasty before, when he came to the conclusion that bringing up Lenis dating situation would immediately make Lori suspicious of his motives. He supposed he just had a knee jerk reaction towards the idea that others would be just as analytical as him. Really, he'd only had so much success planting the idea of dating him into Loris head when she was mentally unguarded, because she'd already been thinking about it. If he wanted to guide Lori towards the idea that she should include Leni in their relationship, he would have to get her thinking and worrying about Lenis date life on a conscious level. Only after that had been achieved, could he shepherd her subconscious to the thought that Leni should be brought into their relationship.
"She might need someone to guide her away from guys who would only want her for her looks. I think we'll have to watch her to make sure she ends up with a guy who deserved her." He finished.
"I've literally never thought of that until now, but… I don't want to just agree with you, but I'll have to think about this."
"Do you need space? Or can we sleep together tonight?" That sounded kind of dirty, but he knew she'd know what he meant. And she did.
"No, it's fine. We're sleeping in my bed tonight though. As much as I like your room, my bed is bigger."
I KEPT WANTING TO DRIVE THAT SCENE INTO THE GUTTER, BUT I COULDN'T LET MYSELF DO IT. IT WOULD HAVE UNDERMINED THE TONE.
Lincoln paused at the top of the stairs, Luan was leaning against the wall, looking at him. It was a bit unnerving. She smirked and approached him, a swing to her hips, she stopped before him. Her smirk becoming toothy.
"Can I help you?" He asked, leaning back from her just slightly.
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing." A spike of panic ran up Lincolns spine.
"What are you talking about?" On the back foot, though he was, it wouldn't due to sound defensive, as he would if he'd said 'I don't know what you're talking about'.
"Of course you don't" She chuckled, "I'll be keeping my eye on you. Don't crush it, I only have two of them." She laughed as she walked away, even as Lincoln shuddered at the mental image of an eyeball being squished.
BIT SHORT, THAT ONE WAS.
Caution demanded measures be taken to avoid Luans gaze. With that in mind, this particular meeting took place in the attic again. When he'd called Lucy up here, she'd been blushing from head to toe, no doubt expecting another practice session. She was still blushing, but not as hard as she had been.
Lincoln pulled away from her lips and immediately latched onto her throat. Applying enough pressure with his teeth to leave a mark, but not break the skin. His hands slipped up the back of her dress. The nails on one of this hands skittering across her skin, while his other hand cupped her rear and kept her close to him. Her breathing came out as quick gasps, the air rasping in her throat. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clawed at his back.
This wasn't about romance though. This was to remind her that, just as he was hers, she belonged to him. He wanted to leave his mark on her before he gave her, her job. He pulled back, and scraped his tongue over her bruised flesh, before pulling away and looking at her.
"I have a job for you Lucy." She struggled to refocus, even as she caught her breath. "I've been thinking, about how I can get Lori to approve of including you in our relationship, for a while." He'd had an inkling of an idea before. Where he'd send Lucy to seduce Lori, with the goal of catching Lori cheating on him so he could include Luna. He'd discarded the plan, due to how much emotional damage it would cause Lori. There was still one part of it he could salvage though. "I need you to seduce Lori."
A sudden intake of breath from his sister was his answer.
"I'll coach you on what she likes and dislikes, and what sweet spots to hit when pleasuring her. That way, you won't be going in completely blind." While he wasn't planning on walking in of Lori cheating on him, he could still have Lucy seduce her. He wasn't willing to do anything to sacrifice the happiness of the girls attached to him, but his hope was that after Lucy succeeded, Lori would tell him on her own. "It's very important that you succeed Lucy."
He spent the next few hours imparting his younger sister with knowledge of their eldest sister. Her love of head rubs, how to grind against her just right, what she responded most favorably to when they kissed. Things of that nature. And when Lincoln was sure Lucy had all the information she needed, he lead her back to the ladder.
"Wait." He stopped her before she climbed down. "I have a gift for you." He pulled out a polished black headband. "You're eyes are beautiful. I'd like it if you considered wearing this when we're alone."
She reached out and grasped the headband from his hands, looking down at it. She slipped it over her head, brushing her bangs aside and looked at him with sparkling eyes. Standing on her tip toes, she reached for him and he bent to meet her. A final kiss before parting. She descended the ladder, and after waiting an hour, Lincoln followed her.
134812357918230riefjhgyt98403ioejht9840813834-12905i13oj2ry8ew90r-25483uijr3u4189302i
Chapter notes:
I had mint cucumber soda in a restaurant once. It was delicious. I then recreated it later. It was still delicious. I thought I would have Lincoln like it… Just because…
Like two paragraphs in to the Luna section, I start writing poetry unintentionally. I decided to keep it in, but the fact that I did, means that there's a part where it just suddenly stops.
In that scene with Leni, Lincoln got caught up in the moment and forgot about any cameras that could be watching. The same thing happened with Lori in his room, a few chapters ago.
I made Leni even more naive and innocent than she is in the show, because in the show she knows what a boyfriend is. She's also more innocent and naive than she is in Splitting Hairs, but I like the scene as it is. It's cute.