Sorry for the delay, but I've had some problems in the last weeks.I do not like talking about personal matters and I'm sure no one is interested, so let's just say I had to take care of a sick relative and end the subject.
Although I have not been able to use the internet often in this time, I managed to finish the first chapter of another fanfic, which I just posted.Although linked to this story, the events described do not interfere with the events of this story, and so occasionally I will put some lemons there, which I will not do here.
DATE: APRIL 17, 2015, LOUD TOWER, NEW YORK, 19H45M
In the living room of the superhuman family, ten people are eagerly awaiting their guest's arrival. Dressed in their usual outfits, they seemed ready for a casual dinner with Luna's not-so-secret admirer, but in fact everyone was eager to meet the boy who spent nearly a year admiring the rock star in secret.
They were all sitting on the couches or the carpet watching TV, when an annoyed Luna left the dining room, followed by a worried Rita.
"I can't believe it! We talked about it all week, and today he says he will not come?" Luna yelled, leaving her mother uncomfortable.
"Luna, my dear, your father is still helping Director Santiago investigate what happened to that boy from your school and that armored mercenary." Rita put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, looking directly into her eyes with a kind smile. "I know it's an important moment, but you sure will have another opportunity to introduce your boyfriend to your father."
Luna blushed violently, pushing her mother away in reflex.
"H-He's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend, and nothing more."
As she turned around, the teenage girl saw her siblings looking at her maliciously, with smug smiles on their faces. Luna felt embarrassed, but the truth was that she herself did not know what was going on with her.
Although she met Kade a week ago, she spent almost a whole year receiving gifts and letters from her secret admirer, making her develop feelings for that person she did not even know who was. And even after she had met him, he still was a mystery to the girl, since she did not know much about him, while he had spent all this time watching her as a devotee following his deity faithfully.
It was not that she had an inflated ego, but knowing that someone was so interested in her made her feel very special. It was almost as if she had her own Bobby, only less cheesy.
"Okay kids, let's all stay calm." Rita took a serious tone, making all her children look at her. "If Luna says they're just friends, then they're just friends. I want everyone to behave very well with Kade when he arrives. We do not want it to be the same as when Lori invited her friends from work to have lunch with us."
All the siblings blushed slightly, remembering the way Lori's friends had fled terrified into the express elevator, trying desperately to leave.
"Do not worry, Mom." Lori exclaimed kindly, smiling as if she were in paradise. "We're going to behave very well today."
"Thank you sweetie. Now, get ready you all, it's almost time for our guest to arrive, and, if you'll excuse me, I'll check on dinner."
As soon as the matriarch departed, the siblings sat in the living room, waiting for their guest to arrive. Everyone seemed to be calm about the situation, except for Luna and Lincoln.
Luna still seemed a little nervous, but was struggling to calm down. But Lincoln felt strange. He had a strange feeling that he could not explain. It was not like when he felt the impending danger, but still, he felt something was wrong.
"Hey, Link." Lynn whispered close to his ear, almost scaring him. "Did you notice anything strange?"
The boy looked at his sister with obvious confusion, trying to understand what she thought was out of the ordinary. At least as ordinary as the Louds could be.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about her. She does not seem to be herself today." Lynn pointed to Lori, who was smiling as she texted on one of the armchairs. "Since she arrived, she has not stopped smiling and staring at nothing. It's almost like her brain is off or something."
Lincoln looked at Lori, realizing Lynn was right. As he looked at his own sister, he felt his sharp senses warning that something was wrong. Even so, he could not understand how Lori could cause such a reaction in his senses.
"I do not like that."
MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE THE TOWER...
Kade stopped in front of the Loud Tower, questioning himself about his options.
He began to think that he must have dressed better, since he was the same way he was when he introduced himself to Luna, but wearing a blue vest instead of his black jacket. Still, his appearance was not as important as his behavior. Although he worked hard to act differently last time, there was still the possibility that the Loud Family could recognize him.
He began to think about leaving, feeling divided by his inner dilemma. Although he was in love with Luna, he knew he was playing a dangerous game by getting involved with the Loud family, since sooner or later the White Queen might decide to do something against the family of her enemy. Even so, this was his chance to become intimate with the girl he loved, and that was certainly worth it.
That thought filled him with confidence. After all, he had learned a lot about this family.
All he had to do was take proper care not to arouse suspicion on the part of Luna's family. He knew the biggest threat would be Lori, but the telepath would not read his mind without permission. Beyond her, the only ones who could cause trouble would be Lola with her super strength and Lynn with her super-speed. He would also have to remember laughing at least some of Luan's jokes and not offending Lincoln, since all the sisters seemed to defend him like lionesses protecting a cub.
That thought made him smile, but then he frowned. The truth was that even though he denied it vehemently, he was practically a stalker. He watched Luna and her relationship with her siblings in an unhealthy way.
"Maybe they're right." He sighed, feeling defeated. "Maybe I should really go find a therapist."
Still, he gathered courage and went into the entrance hall, going to the reception desk, where a grumpy man apparently was reading a newspaper.
"Good evening, I'm Kade Lawrence. Luna is waiting for me."
The frowning man began to check the computer, then look into the boy's eyes and point at the express elevator, whose door opened.
"Get that elevator." He spoke with little interest.
The boy was a bit puzzled by the man's attitude, but he just shrugged and went on his way.
Back to 87th floor...
The screen above the elevator door lit up, indicating that someone was being scanned by the elevator.
Luna forgot to be angry with her father, focusing totally on the elevator door. She was anxious to finally get to know her admirer better, but she was not the only one. With the exception of Lori who still seemed to be ecstatic, all the Loud siblings were wondering how the boy who fell in love with Luna looked like. Of course, she had made a description of the boy, but they thought he was exaggerating. Still, they were expecting a teenager that loves rock as much as her.
The express elevator arrived, and the doors soon opened, making Luna smile and letting all the others be amazed at what they saw.
In front of them was a freckled boy, slightly taller than Luna, just as she had described, except that he was wearing a blue vest instead of the leather jacket. Still, the boy did not cease to look cool, especially with the attention that his haircut attracted.
They all stared at the boy, who grew more and more embarrassed. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Luna coughed and approached the boy, raising her hand to a High-five.
"Glad you came, dude." She said, smiling.
"Are you kidding? I would not miss it for anything." Kade smiled too, accepting the High-five.
Luna then turned and put her hand on the boy's shoulder, smiling victoriously.
"Guys, this is Kade Lawrence. Kade, this is my family."
Everyone smiled rather shyly, preparing to introduce themselves.
"Lori."
"Leni."
"Luan."
"Lynn."
"Lincoln."
"Lucy."
"Lana."
"Lola."
"Lisa."
"Lily."
"And I'm Rita Loud, the happy mother of them all." The matriarch approached the boy, inviting him to a handshake. "Nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Loud." The boy returned the gesture, squeezing Rita's hand gently.
"Well, now that our guest has finally arrived, I think we can go into the dining room." Rita turned and started walking toward the dining room, followed soon by her children.
The Loud siblings were eager to talk to Kade, but they knew better to give Luna and his quasi-boyfriend some space. The two teenagers were alone for a moment, and Luna realized that Kade seemed to be worried about something. She put her hand on his shoulder again, this time staring into his eyes with a comforting smile.
"Whats up, K? You do not look very well."
"Well, I'm not very comfortable with all this. I mean, your family is really cool, and I'm just an ordinary guy."
"Do not say that. Reading your letters, I could feel your feelings in the words." Luna put her hands on both of the boy's shoulders, taking a serious tone. "You're not only a great rock lover, but you're also a sensitive, kind guy, and you're certainly the kind of person my family likes."
"Do you really think that?" The boy's eyes widened, surprised at Luna's words.
"I don't think, I know." While still holding his shoulders, Luna approached his face, kissing him on the cheek. "Now come on, my family is waiting."
With renewed confidence, Kade smiled and followed Luna into the dining room, where everyone had already sat down.
Since the father had not appeared, there was a free set for the large table, so the 'kiddie table' was unnecessary. Rita sat down at one end, standing in front of the guest at the other end of the table, with Lori and Leni at her side. The others sat down in age order, with the exception of Luna who sat down to the boy's right, while Lincoln sat to the left.
At the table there were several food choices, consisting of a platter of spaghetti, a platter full of French fries, a roasted turkey, a Beef Wellington, potato salad, a bowl full of gravy, a basket of breads and a wide variety of cooked vegetables.
"Let's go kids, help yourselves." Rita exclaimed cheerfully.
Usually this would be the signal for the Loud siblings to voraciously advance against the food, but this time none of them dared to act in such a way. The siblings passed the platters politely, allowing each to get whatever they thought best, but without even beginning to eat the food. Although they were all hungry, what they wanted most was to watch every movement of Kade, attentive to everything he did.
The boy realized he was being watched, and tried to act so as not to draw too much attention. He decided to fill his plate so as to make a good impression, so he poured himself a small piece of roasted turkey and a large amount of vegetables.
As soon as the guest had finished serving himself, the siblings began to eat. Even so, they kept glancing at him, attentive to his manners at table. Kade was a bit uncomfortable with the way they watched him, but he tried not to concentrate too much on it. He began to savor his food, being immediately impressed by the quality of the food.
"The food is delicious, Mrs. Loud." The teenager looked at the matriarch, smiling sympathetically. "I guess you had a lot of work."
"Oh, it was nothing." Rita blushed slightly at the same time as Leni, Luna, and Luan. "I left the office early, and some of my daughters helped me prepare the food."
"Well, in this case, I congratulate you all. It's good to eat something made by someone who really knows how to cook." The boy tried to be gentle, not realizing he was talking too much.
"Your mommy don't know how to cook?" Lily asked innocently.
All eyes focused on Kade, who tried to think quickly of an exit. Not knowing what to do, he preferred to tell the truth. Or in this case, parts of the truth.
"I do not live with my mommy, Lily." He looked at her tenderly, smiling uneasily. "She and my father died when I was younger, so I'm living with my two older brothers."
"Oh, I am so sorry, Kade." Rita looked at the boy in a maternal way, worried about him. "If I may ask, what happened to your parents?"
"They were journalists writing an article in Chile years ago when an earthquake struck. My brothers and I were at our grandparents' house when we received the news, and our elder brother has taken care of us ever since."
"That's so altruistic of him." Lola was moved, but soon became curious. "And they treat you well?"
"Well, they're not all bad, but they're terrible cooks." The boy scratched his head, smiling uneasily. "Although I do not do much better."
Luna could not help a muffled chuckle. It was funny for her to imagine how Kade's food would taste like to make he think he was a bad cook.
"So your older brother take care of the three of you? Seems very responsible from his part."
"I know. He's pretty bossy sometimes, but he's a nice guy."
"I think we can understand this." Lincoln spoke sarcastically, making everyone look at Lori with broad smiles.
"What?" Lori asked, confused.
Everyone started laughing, making Kade feel good beside them.
The mood began to grow lighter, and Kade felt more comfortable talking to Luna's family. After some time of conversation, he was feeling more and more excited, although something was still bothering him.
Although all the Loud siblings were watching him, Lori looked strangely distracted, staring into nowhere. Though he found her behavior strange, he considered it to be only his mind torturing him, since she was very much like his boss. Not that he bothered to work for the White Queen, but he knew there was still a chance that he and the other soldiers would be ordered to hurt the family of their leader's enemy.
After the delicious dinner, the older sisters helped their mother remove the table, while Lincoln and the younger sisters talked to Kade. Soon after, they came back with some ice cream pots and several small bowls of assorted treats, so that each one of them made an ice cream in its own way. Although the siblings had restrained themselves during dinner, the dessert seemed to awaken the younger sisters' lower instincts, which after a discussion with the older siblings began a food war, so that they made a great mess in the dining room .
When the confusion was over, an enraged Rita ordered her children to clean the mess without using their powers as she walked into the living room with Kade. The boy sat comfortably in an armchair, facing the matriarch, unaware that, in fact, all the confusion in the dining room had been planned by her.
Last night, she made a deal with Lana and Lola to tease their siblings, promising they would not be grounded. Rita planned that she and her husband could be alone with the boy, to have a private conversation with him.
Even if she was alone now, she would not let go of her plan. After looking at the door to the dining room once more, she stared at the teenager, taking on a serious expression.
"Very well, Kade. Now that we're alone, I'd like to ask you something."
"Of course, Mrs. Loud." Kade was nervous, imagining that he had been caught.
"Kade, I want you to be honest with me. What are your intentions with my daughter? Nobody spends so much time sending presents of secret admirer without having something in mind."
The boy felt relieved. He thought she had unmasked him, but she was just acting like any parent would act and trying to find out if he was bad influence for her daughter. If all she wanted was to know his intentions, he would gladly take such a request.
"Well, I think you have the right to ask that, but that is a rather delicate subject for me." Kade blushed a little, and looked at the floor. "It's not easy for me to admit it, but the truth is, I thought I wasn't worthy to even meet your daughter." His tone grew darker and his hands began to tremble. "Actually, I think part of me still thinks that way."
"What do you mean?"
"Since seeing her for the first time, I was sure that I had found the perfect girl. The problem was that she sure was way out of my league. She is very talented, has rockin' powers, several nice friends, and your family is so happy and close-knit." Kade sighed, realizing that he was very shaken. "You must think I'm a fool."
Rita put her hand on the teenager's shoulder, causing him to lift his face to face her. He was surprised to see the woman's motherly gaze, which somehow resembled that of his mother.
"Kade, there's no reason for you to think so." Rita thought a little about what she should say, and blushed a little when she realized that she knew exactly what to say. "I was a secret admirer too, and I can make sure I understand what you're going through."
"Really?" Kade was puzzled, not knowing what to think.
"It's been twenty years, but it still seems like yesterday." Rita took her hand from the boy's shoulder, and went to the bookshelf next to the television. She took a small picture frame of people wearing superhero clothes, and handed it to the boy. "When I was eighteen, I was able to choose between going to college or signing up to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. using my powers to save the world. I ended up opting for the last one, and thanks to that I ended up meeting my husband, who at first I thought was out of my league."
"But you two are superhumans." Although he respected the woman, he did not understand what she wanted to teach him. "I do not see how that applies to me."
"The question is not about what we can do, but about what we feel. Even if I liked him, there were several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents who seemed more interesting than me, with or without powers. I did not thought he would like me, but I ended up getting up enough courage to send him a letter without letting him know who I was." Rita blushed again, feeling a little embarrassed. "Although I only took three letters to ask him out."
"Then I must certainly sound pathetic to you. I mean, it took me almost a year to get up and try to talk to her."
"Not exactly. I asked him to a date before telling who I was, and from what Luna told me, you got the guts to talk to her without resorting to something like that."
Rita smiled warmly, making Kade smile too. Although it was not the same way, she went through a similar situation and made him feel better.
"So, you think I have a chance with her?" He asked hopefully.
"Honestly, I think you already got her love." Rita looked once more at the door, to make sure they were still alone. "I saw her receiving gifts from various admirers, but I also saw how she looked cheerful when she received some gift from the mysterious 'K'. I think all you needed was to finally introduce yourself. It is as we say in this family: 'Actions speak louder than words'."
"Thank you, Mrs. Loud."
"You're welcome. And do not get too excited, because my husband will definitely want to talk to you later."
"Well, if he's as cool as you, I think we'll get along."
Later, in the garage...
The elevator opened, letting its three occupants leave. Lori stepped forward, while Kade and Luna came soon after. The boy was a little shocked that he had to pick up three different elevators to get from the roof to the garage, but considering the attacks they suffered was understandable.
Lori was holding the keys to one of the company's cars, which her mother lent her to take Kade home. She unlocked the car and entered slowly, opening the other door for Kade to enter. She stared happily at the two teenagers standing on the other side of the car, both blushing embarrassingly.
"So... what did you think of my family?" Luna asked, looking away.
"They are cool. Although your brother looks at me in a strange way."
"He was probably just being cautious. Lincoln can be a bit jealous at times, but he is the best little brother in the world."
"Funny. That's what my brother says about me."
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, smiling uneasily. Kade tried to think of something to say, but he remembered what Rita had said. He tried to take the courage to kiss Luna's cheek when he was surprised by the girl. As if thinking the same way he did, she came over to kiss him, giving the boy a quick peck on his lips, causing them both to blush.
Kade was shocked, looking into the girl's eyes. Luna looked so innocent and vulnerable that he could hardly believe she was the same girl he'd fallen in love with. Still, it was undeniable how cute she looked like that.
They remained silent, looking into each other's eyes until they heard the sound of a click.
They looked into the car, and saw that Lori had taken pictures of them. They blushed even more when they remembered that Lori was there, and that only made Lori smile smugly, looking even more mischievous than the cheshire cat.
"We do not have all night, love birds." Lori put down her phone, taking on a friendlier look. "You can continue at any time."
The two teenagers looked at each other again, and silently said good-bye. Kade then got into the car and traveled with Lori through the streets of New York.
They were just silent during the ride, not looking at each other. When they arrived at Kade's house, the boy seemed to be out of orbit, still somewhat affected by the kiss.
"Thanks for the ride, Lori. I'll make it up to you later."
He prepared to leave when the young woman grabbed his arm.
"It was not really out of mere gentleness that I brought you home, my dear pawn."
Kade froze. He then realized he had not told her where his home was, she simply took him home, as if she knew where he lived. The only way for her to do that would be if she had gotten this information straight from his mind, which meant...
At this moment, her appearance started to change. As if a hallucination was vanishing, her hair got longer and her clothes changed to the sexy clothes the White Queen wore.
"Are you really surprised? I mean, its not hard to a telepath like me to make people see what I want them to see." She let go of his arm, smirking. "I expected more from one of my soldiers." She saw that he was about to ask something, and decided to take a step forward. "Do not waste your time, for I will not explain what I am doing. Be content to know that your beloved Luna will not suffer any harm, although some Louds may get injured in the future."
The teenager was astonished.
He wanted to understand why the White Queen was infiltrating the Loud family, but he knew he could not get any answers from her. Knowing that Luna would not get hurt seemed to comfort him, but deep down he began to worry about her siblings.
"What do you wish, my queen?"
"That's better." She smiled happily, satisfied with his servant's obedience. "For the time being, you are suspended from your services to the Hellfire Club. I read everyone's minds tonight, and the fact that Luna is in a loving relationship seems to attract the focus of the whole family. I want you to focus on spending your time with her, and leave the rest with me."
"As you wish, my queen." Kade bowed, and turned away from his queen.
"I know you will."
She looked directly at him, until she entered deep in his mind. He would not remember this conversation, but he would remember to spend as much time as possible with Luna.
At that moment, a man left the house. He looked like Kade, though he looked older than the White Queen. He looked at the scene in front of him, and approached the car, bowing briefly.
"To what do I owe the honor of having you in my humble home, my queen?"
"Nothing that requires your attention, Lieutenant." She stopped playing with Kade's mind as he walked into the house like a zombie. "Just making sure your little brother remembers only what I want him to remember. You do not see any problem with that, do you?"
"We live to serve you, my queen."
"Excellent. Oh, and before I forget, he is suspended from his duties until second order."
Her appearance got back to Lori's normal look and she closed the car door with her telekinesis, and then started the car.
The young man watched the car leave, then looked at the house, thinking of his brother.
"I'm sorry, Kade. I should not have involved you in this."
TO BE CONTINUED ...
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