Author's Note
Alright, I got this one kind where I wanted it and halfway through, I had an idea. One of the sisters at this point has already figured out Lincolns secret. Won't tell who, and it's not in this chapter, or even the next one. But it was an idea that I thought was so perfect, and it made sense and yet was like really?
So yeah, I got that. And I've decided that regardless of what Muted says, molestation is off the table. Just didn't want to have to write that.
Lincoln Loud
If it wasn't for the throbbing that was radiating from his shoulder, he would have worn he had died. Though, as his consciousness was pulled back into reality. He wondered briefly if he was back in 'his' basement. Had he been beaten senseless again for one reason or another? No, that wasn't what happened. Something... no someone had come up behind him.
He groaned out in pain as the events of what had happened came back to him.
He groans again as he opens his eyes, the light of the sun almost blinding as he snapped his eyes closed again. He groans even in the day it shouldn't be this bright in the alley, he thinks as he opens his eyes to slits. He notices that everything around him is white, or at least is covered in white. Sitting up, the thin layer of white powder on him falls to his lap.
Snow.
Apparently, it had snowed last night, leaving a light blanket of white powder covering him and the area a round him. The snow must be reflecting the light causing it to see brighter. He reaches up brushing the snow off himself, wincing as his hand brushes his left arm. Just moving his right arm to perform that action caused a lot of pain.
'Damn it,' He couldn't believe he had let those guys sneak up on him. That was unlike him. Then again he had been trying to get away from Lynn and Lisa, so he wasn't paying attention. He must be getting sloppy. If he keeps making mistakes like that he'll probably end up dead.
'Whats so bad about being dead?' He wondered to himself as he sat there shivering, from the cold, and the pain in his right shoulder. "Wouldn't be cold, or hungry. Wouldn't be afraid all the time.'
'No, I'm not going out by giving up.' He sighed, then groaned as he noticed all his stuff across the alley's ground. 'Fuckers!'
His eyes scanned over what he could see of his things, noticing some things were nothing more than small mounds of snow. Everything he owned in the entire world lay scattered across the ground. Without care. It's not like they didn't know this was all he had. They had sneaked up on him rolling out a sleeping bag. Tears well up in his eyes as he looks at everything he owned, tossed around like trash. He wasn't even angry or mad at this. He was tired. Lincoln told himself that he wasn't going to give up and die. But right now, he just wanted to lay down and not exist anymore.
Lincoln sat in the cold, emotions swirling around him as he spotted the blanket he was given by Skippy, torn and soaked. The new clothes that Leni had bought for him, other than what he was wearing. And even what he worn was ruined. Even his adopted father hadn't been able to make him feel this small. Didn't make him feel like trash. Then he reaches up to grab his necklace out of instinct, then remembers the one thing that they had taken. Tears well up in his eyes again. There is a saying, 'home is where the heart is' And that necklace was his heart, it was his home. The only silver lining he had in the thunderstorm of a life he was living. And they took his heart. They took his home. They took his parents.
Lincoln takes a deep shuttering breath to try to calm himself, only to be thrown into a coughing fit., causing him to hunch over as he coughs his body shaking with each one. His shoulder throbbing worse as it moved along with his body. On the verge of crying from pain, and not being able to catch a breath, before his cough finally dies down. He takes another shuttery breath careful not to start another fit.
'Fucking perfect, just what I didn't need.' Lincoln thought knowing that he was sick. Being unconscious over night, in the cold and snow. Being sick was the least that could have happened to him. At least he woke up,
'I'm sick,' He thought. Yes being sick sucks for everyone. No one likes to feel sick, coughing, their lungs hurting as you struggle to breath. But for people like him, people who live on the streets. Being sick could mean life or death, especially during the winter months. The main reason it's dangerous is what when sick, you cant defend yourself, which makes you an easy target for anyone who would take everything that you owned. No that he had anything worth taking anymore. Sometimes it wasn't even about worth on the streets. Some people were just so angry at life, that they want to hurt others to feel better.
'I should head to the pharmacy,' He thought to himself, thinking he should 'pick up' a few things. Lincoln really didn't wanna steal, but at this point he didn't have much of a choice. He needed to do this, needed to keep going. If nothing else, he needed bandages, and something to help with his throat.
Lincoln stands up, leaning against the wall as the whole world spins around him. He grabs a few of his items from the ground stuffing them into his bag, including his torn blanket. Maybe he could fix it some how. He didn't have his necklace, but at least he might be able to keep something given to him by someone that cared. A couple things here and there, everything else was broken, or ruined. He looked down to where he had been lying, he can see where he had been laying outlined in snow around him. The dried blood stains from where his shoulder had been against the ground. He moves his gaze from the depressing scene. When something orange caught his eye in the snow not too far from where he had been. He leaned down picking it up with a shaky hand, shaking it off. It was the orange jack Leni had bought him.
'At least something is going my way,' he thought as he struggles to put the jacket on, it's soaked through, and cold but he needed something. He looks over at his shoulder, seeing the caked dry blood on his outer shirt, and was sure his t-shirt was bloody too. Lincoln cried out as he pulls it over his shoulder. His jacket should be enough to cover his wound for now. He couldn't let people see it, if anyone saw him with a wound like this, they'll call the police.
He pulled the zipper up on the shirt, feeling the cold jacket cool his skin even farther. But it was necessary. He threw his pack over his uninjured shoulder, and made his way out onto the main road, careful with his movements not wanting to damage, well anything more than it already was. He coughed into his hand and made his way towards the pharmacy. Out on the main street people were rushing past him, obviously doing their Christmas shopping.
Lincoln stumbles a little leaning against a wall for a moment as head started to ache, and a wave a nausea washes over him. He leans there for a moment, before pushing off the building, making his way towards the store again. He wanted to lean there a little longer but a couple people had started to notice. Occasionally people would run into him, then gave him dirty looks, and a few threats from a few. Like it was his fault they weren't watching where they were going. If he was in his right mind, he would have been slipping his hands into a few more pockets, not to say he didn't snatch a few dollars here and there. He didn't have a choice. If he got caught stealing he wouldn't have what he needed, and he doubted he could outrun anyone in his state. Though, he didn't get nearly as much as he normally would have if he had been feeling well. But he could barely walk,and stand straight.
'Stupid snow,' He muttered as he trudged through the snow. When he was younger, and his parents were still alive. He loved the snow. Heck, both his parents had snow related nicknames for him. But playing in the snow for a while, was different from trying to survive in the snow. He stops as he catches sight of himself in a storefront window. To say that he looked alright would be a complete lie. If he was honest with himself, he looked like shit. His skin was pale, almost white, that can't be healthy. Must be from blood loss. His eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles under his eyes. His clothes didn't seem to be holding up that well. Patches of dirt and wetness litter the outfit making him look a bit rough.
He lout out a loud groan, looking away from his reflection getting back on track, coughing as he went.
Lincoln didn't know how long it took him to find the drug store. He was having a difficult keeping track of time the farther he walked. Each step he took he became more tired but he couldn't stop. Until he stood in front of a small storefront, it's most notable feature to the storefront was a neon sign that had RX in the window, that he felt a sharp pain in his head every time it flicked on, making him wince. There wasn't very many people going in and out, which would gave him a chance to grab some things, without getting caught. If he was, he could use the money he had liberated. Might cover him once if he got caught.
Lincoln stumbled through the door, hearing a bell jingle as the door opened. He made a note about the bell, meaning he would at least have to buy something. Roaming around and not buying anything would seem suspicious. Especially being as dirty as he currently was. There were only three aisles in the store, that lead front to back. He didn't see a cashier but he knew there was one somewhere in the store. He vaguely heard talking from another aisle, maybe the cashier was helping someone. This was his chance, while they were distracted. He glances around seeing if there were any cameras that could see him at the moment. He wasn't as stealthy as he usually is, but he was having difficulties thinking right now.
Quickly he grabbed a bottle of aspirin for his headache, slipping it into his pocket as he continued on quickly scanning the shelves until he found the bandages, medical tape, and disinfectant. He quickly tossed a could of each into his bag. He didn't know how much he needed, so he just grabbed a couple of each pack. Once he gathered those items, he swiftly turned the corner, going down the middle aisle now, Looking for anything he could need, though he didn't find anything on that aisle. As he turned the last corner, he was happy to see that it was empty, maybe the cashier and the customers had went to the front.
More medication, but he had his aspirin. Not seeing anything else, he decided that he was going to just grab a drink, and continue on his way. Maybe he could go back to the laundry mat, dry his clothes. Something.
"HEY CATCH!" Lincoln was startled by a voice yelling behind him before someone ran into him, causing him to trip on his own feet and hitting the ground. Lincoln bites down on his tongue to keep from screaming out as his shoulder hits the ground. He clinched his eyes closed as he laid there a moment, everything in his mind flashing white with pain. The person on top of him leaning on his shoulder.
"Geez, Lans. You know mom will kill us, if we get kicked out of another store. We're running low on stores we can actually go into." The person on top of him says. But he knew that voice.
'How does this keep happening!?' He thinks in his head. As he realizes it's Luan Loud now sitting up on him. If he had of been in better shape he might would have appreciated the feeling of her bottom on his lap.
"Hey, Sorry for knocking you off your feet, girl like me has that eff- wait, Lincoln?" Luan now off of him, standing over him.
"Are you alright, Linc?" Another voice from behind Luan asks.
"Ow, yeah. I'm peachy," He croaks out rolling off his injured shoulder, he looks and sees the overalls twin behind Luan. Luan reaches out helping him to his feet.
"Hey, what happened to you yesterday? You said you were going to come over at the arcade." She asked him as he was on his feet, even if he swayed a little.
Yesterday? They only asked me to come yesterday, didn't they? Unless he had been out a lot longer than he thought he had been. If he slept through an entire day, he was going to have to come up with something, he was going to have to lie to them again about why he didn't visit them. He wished that he didn't have to lie to them.
"Sorry, I uh, wasn't feeling good yesterday, I didn't want to get you guys sick." He lied again without really thinking, and wished that the lies didn't come so easily.
"Oh, well, I guess that makes sense. Are you feeling any better today?" Luan asks while Lana comes up closer. He was going to answer when another coughing fit started. And he winced as his shoulder started to throb again.
"Whoa, Linc, that doesn't sound good, and you don't look so good either." Lana points out, and he could feel Luan's eyes scan over his entire being.
"Lans is right, you look like you got thrown out of a car. You really don't look that good." Luan says her gaze finally reaching his eyes.
"What? I feel totally fine. Couldn't feel any bett-" Yet another coughing fit ripped through him, bringing his good hand up to his mouth as he continues to cough, seemingly hacking up a lung. Worse time for this to happen, and he also had forgotten to grab something for his cough. Today was going to suck.
"You sure about that Linc, you look like you are barely standing right now." Lana looks real concerned, with her eyes wide, and worried. He became more aware that he was swaying on his feet more.
"I think that you should be in bed, what are you even doing out right now?" Luan asked him, she sounded really concerned. And his eyelids started to feel heavy.
"What are you doing here?" He countered as if he was some child who got caught taking a cookie when they weren't supposed to. Luan raises her eyebrow at the question, but answers it.
"We are here to grab some meds for Lucy, who for some reason decided to stand out in the rain, and 'ponder her thoughts', whatever that's supposed to mean, and now she is sick. Apparently someone inspired her to start doing that again." Luan explains. And he cringed slightly, he was sure that he had been the one that inspired her to do it again. He remembered her saying something like that when he had visited the Loud house.
"So, why are you here?" Lana asked the same question, that Luan had asked. He had hoped that he had avoided that.
"Uh, my parents are, uh, busy. Too busy to take care of me." His reply came out like he was asking himself a question instead of answering one. He didn't hve a very good reason as to why he was out while sick. Except that he was homeless, but he couldn't tell them that.
He sees the confusion on both of their faces. Okay, he had to admit, that excuse was not really one of his better ones, and painted his fictional parents in a bad light. Lincoln knew that if he was feeling better, he could have come up with something much better than that.
Feeling a bit unsteady, he reaches out and steadies himself against the wall.
"Should you really be alone right now? I don't think that's a very good idea, judging by the looks of you, a light breeze could knock you over." Luan sounded more concerned, even more so when he braced himself against the wall, she had reached out to steady him.
I'm-I'm fine. I just need some medicine, and head home," by home he meant find an empty alley, patch his shoulder up, take whatever pills he managed to take, Go to sleep and hope he doesn't die in his sleep.
"Look at yourself Lincoln, you can barely stand. How are you even going to get home?" Luan questions him.
"I can walk it." He answers trying to get this conversation over with. If it goes on much longer, he thinks he might pass out, and he really didn't want to do that in front of these two. He'd wake up in a hospital with them trying to find fictional parents. Which would lead them to CPS.
"Hey, why don't you come to our house, we can take care of you." Lana speaks up from behind Luan.
'Wait, What did she say?' He wondered.
"Well, I guess it would be irresponsible of me to let you be by yourself while you're like this." Luan gestures to him.
"No, you don't have to do that, Luan. I have taken care of myself before, I can do it again." He tries to sound convincing, and refuse their offer.
It wasn't like what he said wasn't true this time. Having lived on the streets for over two years now, he had learned a trick or two on how to get by when you're sick. Or injured. But, he can say that he hadn't ever been injured or sick at the same time. And neither were small cases.
"Yeah okay, I'm sure you can, but you have us now, and we can't just let you go out like this! Mom and Dad would be so mad if they found out we just left you like this!" Lana said grabbing his hand, pulling him to the exit.
"Wait, I... uh I need to get med..." he started to protest, but he couldn't even pull from Lana's grip.
"We already got some for Lucy, there'll be enough. Now come on." Lana pulls him to the exit. Not even having the energy to continue protesting.
Lincoln stumbles a little trying to keep up with Lana, each time she has to yank when he falls behind, causing pain to shoot up his arm. That and the girl was a lot stronger than her small size would lead to believe. As they got closer to the giant van, his nerves start to get weak, after the accident that claimed his parents life, vehicles scared him. While he can travel in them, they were never a pleasurable experience.
Lana then opens the door of the van and shoves him into a seat in the back. Looking into the driver's seat was a female a bit older than Luan. If he remembered right it was the same young blonde that picked up Lynn at the soccer field. He tried to recall her name, but only knew it was an L name, like all the girls.
"Lana, you and Luan were supposed to be picking up medication for Lucy, not bringing home friends." The female complains from the f ront.
"Chill, Lori, he is sick, and we are going to take care of him!" Lana ecplains while getting into her seat next to him, as Luan follows her sitting at the other end of the van's seat.
"And why are we going to take care of him? Shouldn't' he literally have someone looking after him?" Lori asks, though she started the engine and pulled out on the road.
"His parents are busy, working or something. And he's about to keel over in the pharmacy. I didn't think he's be able to even get home alone, much less be able to take care of himself." Luan stated.
'Why are they talking about me as if I'm not right here?' He wonders as he leans back in the seat closing his eyes. Even if he was peeved about being talked about like he wasn't there, he couldn't help but start to feel comfortable in the warm vehicle despite feeling uneasy about being in the van. He kept his eyes closed, and tried to lose himself in the vibrations of the van, letting it soothe him. It didn't take long before he drifted off to sleep
AVAVA
"He literally looks horrible, Luan." He vaguely heard what he thought was Lori speaking, but it was hard to focus completely. "Lets get him inside."
"Hey, Lincoln, c'mon wake up." He felt someone tap his shoulder, and it caused him to wince in pain. He opened his eyes at first he sees the back of the drivers seat in the Loud's van. He didn't really want to move, he was finally comfortable. Lincoln couldn't remember the last time he had felt comfortable. He grumbled as he turned away from the person who was trying to wake him.
"Well, guess you're going for a ride." The words caused panic to rise up in him, and he was about to get up on his own when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back, and under his knees. He feels himself being lifted out of the van.
"You're so light, Linc." the person sounded surprised, and he just ignored the comment, as he cuddled into the warm body that was carrying him. He felt bad about enjoying the warmth coming off the body, and guilty about enjoying the sweet smell of the person. Smelled like flowers.
Lincoln felt safe, and he couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this safe. It felt as if nothing could hurt him, that all of his problems didn't exist. It felt almost as if he were floating on a cloud.
'I could float on this cloud forever,' He mused before he was laid softly on the soft surface of what he assumed was a couch. He immediately missed the warm body what was once pressed against him.
Looking up, he saw that it was Luan that had carried him from the van to the couch. Another thing that he would have to thank her for.
Then what sounded like footsteps coming from behind the couch, he tried getting up, but his shoulder hurt, and he didn't have the strength.
"Hey, Luan. Did you get the meds for Luce? She's driving me insane." Lynn complains, and when the foot steps stop, he assumed she was now standing somewhere behind the couch.
"Oh, we got it!" Lana responds instead of Luan, then shouts causing Lincoln to wince, "GO LONG!" And he watched as Lana threw the medication over the couch, to he assumed Lynn.
"Lana, keep it down a little, I think Lincoln has a headache." Looked up at Luan, who smiled down at him. When was the last time someone had noticed he was hurting, and if someone noticed, when was the last time someone actually cared.
"Lincoln? What the hell is he doing here?" Lynn asks with confusion, at first he thought she didn't want him there after the soup kitchen. "I mean, it's cool he's here, but when did he get here, and how come no one told me?"
Lynn moves from behind the couch, and looks down at him. He tried to wave, and smile but he couldn't even lift his arm. He sees the concern in her eyes, and watch as her eyebrows raise in shock.
"Jesus, he looks like shit, what happened to him?" Lynn asks turning to Luan.
'Yeah yeah, I look like shit. Making me feel great over here.' He thinks to himself.
"Don't know, looks like the flu or something. Whatever it is, it's hitting him hard. He could barely stand at the pharmacy. Lynn, open meds and give me two pills, and take it up to Lucy, Lana, go grab a pillow and blanket for Linc." Luan asks both of her sisters.
"How about we get that jacket off," Luan looks over at him, and starts towards him.
With a rush of panic, he manages to lift his arm to stop hers from grabbing his jacket.
"No, no... I want to keep it on. I'm a bit cold. Is that okay?" He couldn't let her remove the jacket, she couldn't see his shoulder. She wouldn't understand. It would bring up so many questions that he couldn't answer.
She looked shocked at his reaction, but nods slightly, though she looked like she was about to ask a question, luckily Lana had come back into the room.
"Got'em!" Lana helped him up enough to place the pillow behind his head, and put the blanket over him, it felt so warm. "I hope you feel better Linc."
"Here," Lynn had come back with a glass or orange juice, and handed him the two pills. "Take these and get some rest."
Lincoln snuggled into the blanket that was so warm, on the couch that was so soft. It had been over two years since he had laid on something so soft. The warmth was intoxicating, and lulling him to sleep, he fought to stay awake, to hear what the sisters were talking about. Were they talking about him? Once again, his eyes fluttered closed, and the world around him faded.
AVAVA
Lincoln woke up, and was warm. That was a rarity for him, and he was glad that he was able to feel warm, he could get used to this. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, that was one of the disorientating things about sleeping during the day. That and he didn't even know what time it was when he went to the drug store. He jumped as he heard something thunk on the coffee table next to him. He looked over and seen a bowl of what seemed like soup, what kind he wasn't sure, but he knew that it smelt good.
"This is for you, I made soup for Lucy, since she was sick, and there was some left over." Lori explains while crossing her arms under her chest.
"Thank you, Miss Lori." Lincoln says to her, truly grateful for the bowl of soup. Then grab the bowl pulling it towards himself, picking it up and bringing the bowl to his lips, sipping the soup. The warm soup soothed his throat, and warmed his body. Lincoln sighs softly before picking up the spoon and eating with vigor, or as much as he could muster. He hadn't eaten anything for two days, and that fact made the soup taste like the best thing he had ever eaten.
Looking up and noticing that Lori still stood there, staring at him an eyebrow raised. She looked as if she was trying to figure something out about him. Then she clears her throat.
"Look, Lincoln, can we talk for a second?" Lori asks the question, but nothing about her tone suggests it was actually a question.
He sets the soup down, placing his spoon in the bowl, and swirls the soup around in the bowl, before asking, "What about?"
"Just a few things that I literally need to find out," Lori says as she makes her way around the coffee table, sitting on the edge of the couch, "Lincoln, some of my sisters have taken a shine to you. And yeah, I get that you literally saved Luan from a bad fate. And you helped some of my other sisters here and there. And I am grateful for that. But as their older sister, I need to know that you wouldn't harm them in any way." He looks up into her eyes, and notice she had a serious look.
'Harm them? Had he done that?' He wondered, he lied yes, but he had never hurt any of them, he never would.
"Lori, I never, never would do anything to harm any of your sisters. I swear." He tells her what he was thinking.
"I don't know, Lincoln. I feel like there is something you're not telling them, something that could hurt them." That made him sweat. Had Lori figured him out, did she know that he was some dirty grubby boy? It was true that he was keeping secrets from them, and he thought he was doing a good enough job keeping things under wraps. The look Lori was giving him, made him feel as though she was staring into his very soul.
"What? No. I'm not keeping any secrets that could hurt them. What makes you think that?" his voice was meeker than he liked, but he wasn't feeling well, if he was feeling better maybe he could put up a better defense.
"Nothing makes me say it, I am just warning you Lincoln. If any harm comes to any of my sisters, and I found out you were connected to it, I will hunt you down, and literally turn you into a human pretzel." Lori threatens him, and considering her tone, he believed her.
Only.
'What the hell is a human pretzel?' He wondered, either way he didn't want to find out. I just nod my head.
"I promise, Lori. I won't hurt them at all." I add quickly hoping that would end this conversation.
"You better not, or else." As the words leave her mouth, she had stood up, and gripped his shoulder, that was probably meant to be be a warning, and was to scare him, but causes the wound to reopen. I winced as I felt the skin separate again pain shooting across my body. Holding his expression, he waits for Lori to stand up and leave heading to the kitchen. As soon as she makes it out of the room, he clenches his teeth, and hisses out. He needed to find a bathroom, he tried to ignore the pain in his shoulder as he takes the blanket off, and grabs his pack, going towards the stairs.
If this house was like most of the abandoned ones he had stayed in the bathroom would be upstairs. As he passes the kitchen he heard Lori in the kitchen talking to someone, since he didn't hear another voice he assumed she was on the phone.
Lincoln heard voices above him as he went up the stairs. Once he reached the top he hears noises coming from various rooms that lined the hallway. He couldn't help but notice how big this house was, to house all these people, they were so lucky. He scanned the hallway noticing an opened door at the end of the hallway, he noticed the bathroom beyond the door frame.
'Perfect,' He said to himself as he went into the bathroom closing the door behind him. He walked towards the sink feeling like he was forgetting something, but he shook it off.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he tries not to pick out every detail that made him look like shit, it would take him forever. He could understand why Luan didn't want to leave him at the drug store. If he looked like this after rest, he could only imagine how bad he looked before. Instead he steeled himself and start to take off his jacket that not had red spots appearing on the right shoulder. Once he took it off, his jumper came next, leaving him in just his pants and t-shirt. Rolling up his sleeve he cringes at that he saw. Most of his shoulder was covered in dry blood that was mixing with the fresh blood that was now leaking out.
'Shit shit shit, this is bad. This is terrible." he said to himself, he had never been injured like this before. A few cuts and scraps here and there, but never anything this deep.
Lincoln reaches out to turn on the tap, he needed to clean this wound and see how it bad it actually was. When he heard a noise from behind him. The noise was the rattling of the door knob, which turns causing the foor to open to reveal Luna. He was frozen in place as she walks in swinging the door closed behind her
That's when Luna sees me, started apologizing and goes to turn to leave, before her eyes lands on my shoulder, her eyes widening. She looked him in the eye, then back to his shoulder.
The silence was deafening as she stared at him.
He knew he had forgotten something. He forgot to lock the door