DAY 4 – GENDERSWAPPED
So far, the happiest Loud of the day just so happened to be in the bathroom in nothing more than his undies. He didn't mind, though—this was totally worth waiting to be last in line for the bathroom.
With no need to hurry up and get out before one of his brothers broke the door down and dragged him out or Linka called one of those lunkheads over to break the door down and drag him out, Lynn Loud Jr. could get properly reacquainted with his new best friend.
The bathroom mirror—only it could reflect the bulges in his biceps in all their glory.
Oh, and everything else about his body, too.
He didn't know why it took so long for him to finally start noticing just how developed his physique had gotten over years of exercising and working out like a madman, but all it took was one quick look into the bathroom mirror a few months ago—after taking a cold shower like all the best athletes do—for him to realize that…
Hey, he was actually kinda hot. Niiiiiiice.
His arms and legs were like sculpted pottery of a master craftsman, lithe and refined. His six pack and obliques protruded just enough to leave an indent between each slab of muscle. His pecs could bounce up and down with the best of them, no doubt a gesture that could make all the ladies swoon at the sight of it.
And as fate would have it, he'd finally get the chance to show off at Aloha Beach in just a few hours. Dad was right to organize the trip, though he did more for his favorite son (he wouldn't name him after him if he wasn't) than he realized.
He could see it now—stepping out the beach locker room in nothing but his crimson swimming trunks would make everyone's heads swivel.
And by everyone, Lynn meant everyone.
The ladies would look on in lovestruck awe while the fellas would try and tamp down their jealousy from boiling over.
Except for his brothers—they would be supportive and cheer him on from the sidelines.
…
…
Nah, they'd be jealous, too. Yes, even Loki would give him the stink eye. He maybe have had Bebe, but she was just one babe. By the end of the day, he'd probably have ten cuties wrapped around his little finger. It'd put a big dent in his eldest brother's pride to see his so-called "squirt" of a little brother one-up him like that.
Lynn smirked. 'Now that would be awesome.'
But just like the gains that came with a killer workout, he couldn't afford to jump right in without a little warm-up first. He'd start small at first, but he'd be the resident stud muffin at the end of the day.
And thanks to the insistence of Linka, such a warm-up was gonna be accompanying his family.
'Look out, Clair McBride,' he thought as he turned around and admired the ridges of his back muscles. 'This gun show's gonna be coming your way! Let's see you drool over Loki with these bad boys in your face!'
Nothing, not even the rough, coarse texture of the hot sand crunching underneath his soles could keep the smug grin off Lynn's face. His choice of wearing a thin, gray hoodie proved to be a little uncomfortable, too—his skin was crisping under the heat of the Sun, and the fabric wasn't giving him any ventilation.
Still, Lynn had his reasons. As he made his way over to his objective, weaving past beachgoers who were sure to give him the attention he was looking for soon enough, he went his scheme in his head once again:
He'd casually stroll up to Clair, strip off his hoodie, and smirk with satisfaction as she either fainted on the spot or gazed over his bod in dazzled wonder.
'C-can I...f-feel your arms?' he imagined her stuttering with the most starstruck smile on her face, and he'd be more than happy to accept her admiration.
That, he figured, was totally worth putting up with this discomfort.
Through it all, he only endured trekking through the sand for about a minute before he could see the top of a multicolored beach parasol, divided up into slices of magenta and yellow, in the distance. He knew that was Linka's, meaning that his little sister had to be nearby.
'And where Linka is, Clair is sure to follow.'
But upon approaching the spot within twenty feet, he had quickly realized that his assumptions were half-correct.
Linka was nowhere to be found, either around the parasol or underneath, but Clair...oh, Clair was there alright.
Except she came into a view in a way that made Lynn stop dead in his tracks, his mouth hung open in disbelief while his eyes glassed over from astonishment.
Was it him or was Clair actually...kinda cute?
Like, really cute?
He never gave her looks much thought before, not even when she was nearby him as she rode in Vanzilla on the trip to Aloha Beach along with him and his family.
But that was before she unwittingly decided to give him a feast for the eyes by gracing his vision with her yellow two-piece swimsuit-clad figure. Her limbs were on the scrawny side, but the subtle peaks of suppleness in her thighs, calves, and arms more than made up for it.
And that that didn't even take her choice of attire into account. Even under the shade of the parasol, the bright yellow contrasted wonderfully against her dark skin, making what was already an enticing visual even more appealing.
Even her focused gaze, as it peered into the book she was holding out in front of her, was addicting to watch from afar. What would he do if they scanned over him with just as much attention? Lynn didn't know for sure, but he had a guess that it would melt him into stammering puddle and...and…
'Hold on! This isn't right! I'm the one who's supposed to sweep her off her feet! I'm the stud here! Sure, she may be a cute nerd, but...this is still Clair we're talking about! You can't get all jelly-legged over her! FOCUS!'
Giving his cheeks a few hard smacks, Lynn inhaled deeply and rushed forward with more pep in his steps. In no time at all, he closed the distance, standing right outside the parasol. As luck would have it, Clair hadn't noticed him yet.
Good. That would've ruined the element of surprise.
As surreptitiously as he could, Lynn began to strip himself of his hoodie, forgetting that he was supposed to call Clair's attention before he did so. His motions were awkward as his fingers fumbled about, pulling the zipper down in jerky bursts—the erratic beating of his heart wasn't making the simple task easy to manage, and his waning confidence made it worse.
But when he finally pulled himself free of the hoodie and let it flutter onto the sand, his vigor was renewed when he looked down and admired the perky bulges of his calves. It reminded him of who he was, and how totally irresistible he was about to be in the eyes of his lucky audience.
Slipping a hand on his hip while raising an eyebrow and grinning, Lynn purred in a low voice, "Heeeeeeey, Claaaaair~"
Her response was to look up, smile and…
...not much else. Lynn had enough composure not to show his bafflement.
"Oh. Hi, Lynn," she said.
'What?! Why isn't she swooning?! Dang it! No fainting?! No nosebleeding?! NOTHING?!'
Okay, fine. So Clair was a tougher nut to crack than she let on. No problemo. He'd fix that real quick.
"Sooooo..." Lynn drawled, stretching his arms above his head and slightly thrusting his abs out as he bent backwards a little, "...what'cha up to?"
Alas, not even his innocuous display could get her to start drooling at him. Instead, she just answered him as he hadn't had an effect on her.
"Well, Linka went to get some ice cream, and I'm waiting for her to get back. We're gonna build sandcastles with Leif and Lexx after she finishes her popsicle." She brought a finger up to her lower lip as her face melded into a sudden bout of consideration. "You know what? Now that I think about it, I'm gonna go get some ice cream, too."
"W-wait!"
Lynn's eyes widened as a fiery blush washed over his face, his reaction as sudden as it was embarrassing. He hadn't tried to sound so uncool and desperate, but his body sprung into action the second he thought his chance had slipped away. The only saving grace was that Clair's face bore an inquisitive look instead of one of mockery.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Uh..." His arms fell to the side as he looked back at her, helpless to resist her charm or find the words to keep her around and preserve his dignity. "Well, I-I was...you see, t-the thing is-"
"Lynn?" Clair's brow furrowed with worry as she placed her book by her side. "Are you okay?"
Instead of more babble, his throat shut up on him completely, only allowing air to pass through his body. The tightening sensation coiled down into his stomach as he watched her stand up, step out from under the parasol, and close in on him.
"You look a little red," she said and brought her palm up to cup around his forehead, the little brushes of her deft fingers racking his spine with shiver-inducing tingles. "Are you coming down with a fever?"
He was coming down with something alright—a severe case of "eyesbehindthebackofyourhead-itis". He was self-conscious to his surroundings, hoping that his siblings weren't around to roast him hotter than the Sun over how the tables had turned, and that he was the one being put on the spot instead.
But then, the paralyzing contact ended as Clair suddenly pulled her hand away, acting as if his skin had suddenly turned to bone-chilling ice.
"Yikes!" she cried "Or maybe you're sunburned, and I just made it worse by touching you!"
Her panic was all it took for him to snap out of his stupor. "N-no, you're fine!"
Immediately, Clair heaved a heavy sigh of relief, her hand clutching her chest. Though, she still looked apprehensive enough not to take his word with absolute certainty.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
It was right there and then that Lynn sensed his chance to redeem some cool points. Here was Clair, vulnerable and shaken up by his supposed ailment. This was his chance to dazzle her by showing off just how durable he really was.
He took a stance with his arms folded, his proud smile as cocky as it had ever been.
"Pfft! Of course, I am! I'm Lynn friggin' Loud! It's gonna take more than a little sun to make me buckle!"
And now, he thought, was where his efforts would pay. In just a few seconds, Clair would not only be admiring his outward appearance but the look of his manly fortitude to boot. He could feel it, smell it in the air like the smoky scents of Dad's open-grilled delights—any second now, she was gonna−
"Well, okay then."
'...huh?'
The almost indifferent tone of her reply scalded him like frigid tidal wave, shrinking his bravado down several sizes.
"I was just gonna say that if you needed some shade," she continued as if his self-esteem hadn't just been put through the ringer, "we could wait for Linka under my parasol. But since you said that you're fine, I guess you'd rather go and-"
"Actually…!"
If his arms weren't frozen at his sides, Lynn would've smacked himself in the face for putting his foot in his mouth yet again—it also would've helped him hide his raging blush.
"I mean...actually, I guess I could use a little rest," he finished with a sheepish grin.
Clair hid her mouth behind her hand as she giggled. "Okay."
Before he could make a move, she had slipped back under the parasol and sat back on her long, purple towel. She crossed her legs, then patted the empty space between her thighs.
"Here," she said warmly. "You can use my lap as a pillow, if you want. You'll probably be able to see the water better if your head's elevated."
Lynn swallowed and nodded slowly as she slowly approached her, drawn to the invitation like a moth to a flame. He didn't spare his thoughts much scrutiny, allowing his desire to auto-pilot him without questioning anything.
Like how on Earth that Clair, of all people, was making his head feel funny and his knees so weak with nothing more than that pure smile of hers.
Before he knew it, the back of his head was right where he wanted it to be. The feeling of her smooth skin against his neck and ears was like heaven, and it was a wonder to him that she couldn't pick out his inner thoughts with his flushed face and his dreamy smile so close to her—it didn't help that he was looking right at her instead of at the ocean.
"Oh, and speaking of water, if you need any, don't worry." Clair pointed at the large, open cooler right next to them and laughed. "My dads made sure that I have enough to last for weeks."
Conversation fell by the wayside after that. Clair returned to her book—one hand holding it while the other twiddled its fingers through Lynn's hair—while Lynn smiled and shut his eyes, her touch and the sound of the peaceful waves soothing his nerves. Had he kept them open, he would've had a chance to spot a certain white-haired girl closing in on them from a distance, dropping her grape popsicle in shock as soon as she caught them in the position that they were in, squealing excitedly, then running off to find her oldest brother so that she could borrow his phone and take pictures.
In the meantime, Lynn was too busy congratulating himself on a job well done. Here was Clair, so enamored by him that she wanted him up close to her.
It was exactly as he thought—she didn't have a chance of turning him away.
…
Although, he was just fine with Clair McBride being his only conquest for the day. In the end, he really didn't need anyone else.
Not that he'd say that to anyone but himself.