Author's Notes: 80 chapters! I didn't think I would make it this far, but all of your support is what kept me going through those awkward periods of writer's block and internal shame, big shout out to all of my readers! and apologies in advance for the angst overdose..
SuperLuigiFan18: Yeah, it could be wrath, or it could be pride, either diamond is hard to get, there's a hint of which one goes next in "Story Time" ;)
GHOST0938: Lisa's "solution" definitely seems to have caused more harm than good, i'm assuming you're on Lincoln's side here, but i wouldn't call Lola a feminist lol!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House, the brand, as well as all of its characters and settings belong to Chris Savino and Nickelodeon, all rights reserved.
Chapter 80: Promises.
Into the story:
"But statues are dead and don't care about your status or your personal achievements"
Back in the real world.
This line was still stuck in the white haired man's head, unable to leave his mind as it played itself, on loop.
That was the only thing that his beautiful princess wrote to him in response to the part that he wrote.
It had been about a week since he last interacted with that story, as his priorities had shifted towards everything but that, he tried to take Lola for rides across the state, to buy her expensive stuff, to invite her to fancy restaurants, to watch romantic movies with her, to cuddle with her in bed, anything.
But it was no use, Lola either refused his plans or straight up ignored his approaches.
What good was all that money for if she wanted none of it…
He couldn't believe he started missing even that part of her, this Lola… She wasn't his princess anymore.
- Lincoln, lunch is ready, I made your favorite~ - Energetic, but ultimately empty, that was Lola's new attitude, her voice sounded sweet and motherly, he was sure that she still cared deeply about him.
But not in the way that he wanted.
He wanted revenge so badly… They took this away from him, from her, how can he even hope to keep his promise to Lola?
How can it be that Lola doesn't fucking loathe them either?
- Coming! - He announced from his room as he went downstairs to meet with his sister-or-whatever.
- See? I told you that we needed things for Lunch, you can't just rely on Chinese food and Sauerkraut sandwiches all the time - Lola said with a cheeky grin as he watched her brother happily consume her meal, even though she barely had any experience cooking the French Dip that her brother loved so much.
- hmm, yeah, can't lie, this is delicious! - Lincoln replied sincerely, he still felt thoroughly uncomfortable with having her work as a "house wife" of sorts, but she had real talent as a cook and was very efficient with cleaning,
But of course, that only increased his frustrations, this dynamic was neither appropriate for brother and sister, nor for a couple, she refused room service, or even his help whenever it came to chores and would rather go shopping for groceries on her own, and with her own money…
- Glad that you liked it Linc - Lola replied with a warm smile, but then it quickly vanished as Lola started playing with her fingers.
Lincoln knew that gesture, she had something to say, something compromising at that.
- Something happened Lols? - He commented with a raised eyebrow.
- Well, you see, the Miss Teen Northwest Michigan pageant is happening in about a week, and I have a contact that helps me with the appropriate dress for the season… -
- Yes? - Lincoln listened intently as Lola finished her idea, her retaliation was coming as a surprise to him.
- And, well… I invited her here so that she could assist me directly with the measurements and the presentation - She finished while looking at her brother with a fearful expression.
- Hmmm… - Lincoln was not happy - Lola, I thought I was clear with this, I want no visitors in this house, why didn't you ask me before inviting her? -
- Does it matter? - Lola acted confrontational - Regardless of what you have to say, I also live here, and pageants are a priority, her input is the reason why I am doing well right now and I need her here -
- … fine - Lincoln understood the pointlessness of his opinion - But I can always assist you with that you know? - He objected, regardless - In fact, we can always reorganize my meeting room for a photoshoot while I train at being your coach-
- No thanks, Lincoln - Lola answered drily - No offense, but I get uncomfortable with you seeing me… undressed - She added sadly.
That stung, way more than it should, thought the albino sadly.
*ding dong*
The doorbell rang, it seemed that Lola had planned this ahead.
- Coming! - Lola retracted herself from the table happily, rushing to attend her visitor.
Meanwhile, Lincoln stood there on his side of the table as Lola escaped his view to answer the door, uninterested in finding about the identity of this new "coach", having understood that it was a female this time around, he decided to not make a fuzz out of it… although, even if they were a male, he knew it wouldn't make a difference.
There was no jealousy in his heart anymore, far more frustrating feelings were taking priority…
Regardless, he heard the door open.
- Oh em gosh! You don't know how hard it was to find this place, I had to ask, like, everywhere! -
No…
- Come on sis, I gave you the coordinates on goggol maps, it marked you the road to follow in red -
- Really? Like, there was a blue line and a red line, but I thought red meant "no" -
Please no…
- Well it doesn't matter anymore, welcome home! -
- Woah, this place is totes cool Lols, how did you get it? -
Fuck Damn it Lola!
- Its not "mine" Leni, and you missed lunch silly, here, come over, I'll heat it up for you -
Not soon after, Lola came back to the dinning room, holding hands with a person he thought on never seeing again, then, naturally, upon laying eyes on him, the ditzy blonde stopped dead on her tracks, breaking the handholding, which Lola seemed to hardly notice.
- I'll leave you guys to re-acquaintance, brb! - Lola said without establishing eye contact with either, as she headed to the kitchen.
And so, there was silence, Neither Lincoln nor Leni were saying a word.
That is, until the older sister's eyes watered significantly.
- …Linky - She said with a slightly broken voice.
Lincoln continued watching seriously, standing up in the process, but even that couldn't prepare him for receiving a powerful tackle from his emotional sister.
- I missed you SO much! - Leni supported her head on his shoulder as she began allowing a torrential flood of tears to fall.
Lincoln remained still, not returning the hug.
- Why is your phone off?, I've tried calling you and sending you messages, like, ALL the time! - Leni lifted her head to look sadly at him.
Lincoln focused his eyes on hers.
- Lori also told me that you don't answer her texts, I was worried sick Linky! - Leni continued rambling, looking seriously at her brother.
- …why? - Lincoln questioned his sister
- Uh? - Leni quirked an eyebrow.
- …why are you not mad? - Lincoln shrieked slightly.
- But I AM angry, Linky, I thought I had lost you, please don't do that to me, like, EVER again got it!? - Leni answered with slight irritation.
- …I live with Lola, alone, I'm in love with her - Lincoln said to the void, his eyes unfocused.
- Yeah, so? - Leni was not changing her expression.
- …why are you worried about me, why are you not mad? - Lincoln furrowed his brows, focusing his eyes on hers again.
- Linky, I love you and I want to support my little brother in anything he wants to do, I don't know about your thing with Lola, people keep telling me it's, like, totes bad and yada yada - Leni answered honestly, waving her hand and scoffing at those comments - But if it makes you happy then I don't think it can be that bad - The fashionista finished with a genuine smile.
Lincoln just looked at her with distraught eyes, something about how Leni viewed this issue reminded him at how Lily, in her innocence, had said similar things.
Maybe… not all of them are bad?
- But, like, that's something that Lola decides too, you know? And after that thingy that Lisa gave her, I don't know, have you been treating her well? - Leni continued rambling, picking her ideas as she went through.
That comment… he did NOT like, at all.
- …so you knew about that too - Lincoln broke the hug and tightened his fists.
Leni noticed the change, immediately.
- Linky, is everything ok? - Leni looked worriedly at her brother, trying to hold hands with him for support.
All of that was turned upside down when Lincoln forcefully grabbed her hands and shoved her away, making her fall of the ground.
Leni quickly recovered from the fall, but upon seeing her brother grit his teeth, fists trembling.
She felt fear.
- L-linky, what's wrong? - Leni was shaking.
- Whats going on her- Lola didn't even get to finish.
- OUT OF MY HOUSE! - Lincoln screamed, pointing his strong arm to the exit door.
Leni was panicking, she quickly got up and walked backwards.
- WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING LINCOLN! - Lola quickly intervened, dropping the sandwich to the side and putting herself in between her brother and her sister.
Lincoln did not care, for he quickly shoved Lola aside with his arm to approach Leni.
Leni stood still, petrified, until she felt her arm be forcefully gripped by his hand, she was then dragged out of the house, despite Lola's protest.
Now on the door, Lincoln grabbed her by the collar of her green shirt and approached his face closer to her terrified face, who was now bursting with tears.
- And if you dare to speak where I live, I'll hurt you, is that clear Leni? - Lincoln said threateningly.
- I won't, I promise! - Leni managed to get out amidst her panic.
- Good, don't come back - Lincoln rudely said before pushing her out of his apartment and smashing the door to her face.
He then turned around to his next target.
But that target was way stronger than the previous one.
- How could you? - Lola got up, an undefinable expression on her face.
- Took the words straight out of my mouth - Lincoln, however, was visibly seething.
- … That was Leni - She said with dead eyes.
- And this is my house - Lincoln was now standing in front of her.
And that was the point where Lola transformed, and for the first time in over a decade, a *slap* was directed to her brother's face.
- WHAT THE FUCK DID LENI DO TO YOU? - Lola screamed from the top of her lungs, an anger that she had not felt in years was suddenly emerging.
- WHY THE FUCK DID YOU TELL HER WHERE I LIVE? ARE YOU STUPID? - Lincoln's patience was also, officially, gone.
- I CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT, LENI IS YOUR SISTER LINCOLN LOUD - Lola grabbed his shirt, bumping her nose with his at the proximity, her death stare was not receding.
- A SISTER THAT WAS OK WITH YOU DRINKING THAT SHIT? SHE'S GOING TO TELL THAT WASTE OF HUMAN TRASH SO THAT HE CAN CALL THE COPS ON ME! - Lincoln, likewise, forcefully grabbed her shoulders, exerting pressure.
- LENI WOULD NEVER DO THAT, SHE ONLY WANTED TO CHECK ON YOU! - Lola's stare intensified.
- THAT FUCKING RETARD DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO KEEP A SECRET, THIS IS WHY I DON'T WANT ANYBODY NEAR MY HOUSE! - Lincoln continued arguing relentlessly.
- WELL THAT "FUCKING RETARD" IS LITERALLY THE KINDEST AND MOST UNDERSTANDING GIRL THAT YOU'LL EVER MEET, AND SHE WASN'T EVEN THERE WHEN I DRANK THAT YOU MORON! - Lola closed her eyes, shoving her arms away from his grasp and turning around, she was now hugging herself while sobbing - I never thought you could treat her like that -
And no amount of rage in his heart could fully prepare him for witnessing the girl of his life in that state.
- …Lola, I - Lincoln tried to approach her, but upon contact, Lola rudely shoved his arm away.
- NO! - She said fiercely - You want to be a hateful moron for the rest of your goddamn life? - She looked at him decisively - Then fine, hate me too -
- Lola… I could never do that - Lincoln responded softly.
- Then get used to it - Lola said with a very arched frown -
- 'Cause I fucking hate you, Lincoln Loud -
And those words stuck, even more than her line in the story, Lincoln's head was spinning around, alongside the feeling of wanting to puke, something was breaking inside, a pulsation of incommensurable pain in his heart, his essence disconnected from the world for a moment.
And Lola feigned ignorance of his state, simply retreating back into the dinning room to clean up the mess that she caused.
A few minutes later, Lincoln's body was moving again, going upstairs to retrieve his jacket, then coming back down.
- I'm going out - He said without expecting an answer.
- … I can't, I'm sorry, I need to go check on my family, this is getting out of hand -
- Forget it! I thought we talked about this, to think that your own mother was supporting this depravity… -
- Please, I need to go check on them, my family is in trouble again, Lily, Lisa and Lucy all need my help, I promise it's not about Lincoln, I swear! -
- I… can't support you with this, not after what happened in that beach, my sister hasn't been the same ever since, everyone in the mercado Is worried about her! … and we need to take care of our kids -
- Please Boo-Boo bear, I need to go, I can't take it anymore, I can't literally pretend to abandon my own family after so many years of being distant, I know that the "incident" with Lincoln and Lola was wrong, we all do Bobby, I know that your family is against that, I know that god doesn't forgive that sin, but I need to check on the others, Lily is just a little girl and shouldn't be going through… that… alone -
- Fine! You want to go? Then GO! But mis hijas se quedan conmigo -
- Please Boo-Boo-
- Go… I won't stop you -
- … -
- …But if I find out that you were going to see that pendejo, then it's over Lori, it's over -
It was getting late, the sun was already fading, and he still wasn't home, Lola was now laying on her… his bed while reading a light novel, but ultimately unable to focus on it.
A million thoughts were flooding her head, as well as some indescribable feelings.
She was angry, still was, and held nothing but contempt for that man, how could he even dare to hurt an innocent being like Leni? If this is what he had turned into, she wanted none of it.
(You're just mad because you fucking failed in your plan to get him to talk to his family)
But it was also weird, that, in a way, she was feeling jealous about it, how could it be?
Why did she feel jealous of that asshole treating Leni like that, instead of her?
(How could he hate her more than you?)
…Right, her pills, maybe that's what is messing her thoughts, normal Lola would never entertain the thought of missing anything out of a man like that, maybe she had to go for her emergency.
*Crack*
Maybe later, the asshole is here.
- *hic* Hi princess, missed me? - Lincoln entered the room without an ounce of shame, holding a bottle of vodka in his right hand.
And this was a sight that Lola had never experienced before, her brother was an absolute mess of a human being, reeking of alcohol, walking clumsily while trying to lie on his bed, hiccuping like crazy, it clearly wasn't his first bottle, he was wasted.
So that's what he was doing outside.
(How much of a failure are you that you couldn't even stop him from doing that)
- How much did you drink? - Lola crossed her arms and looked angrily at the man.
- Meh, just a few bottles, Jane's had a discount - Lincoln said with a frown, as he positioned himself to lie besides her.
- … Disgusting - Lola turned to her side, she'd rather watch Lindsey win Miss Teen World ten times over than this.
- My princess, please tell me that was a lie - Lincoln rolled over to her side, trying to hug her - You don't *hic* hate me right?
- Get your dirty hands away from me! - Lola exclaimed while getting up from the bed.
- NO! - Lincoln mimicked her movement, jumping out of the bed and approaching her, he was starting to get angry.
- What are you going to do now Lincoln? Are you going to hurt me too? - Lola was agitated, but her rage was empowering any fear that she could have.
- Why can't you understand? I'm doing all of this to protect you! - Lincoln growled, hitting the wall with his left hand and surrounding his sister with his whole body.
- Those are some mighty words, heh? Macho man? Hurting an innocent woman to protect me? What a load of shit! - Lola was not backing down - Oh wait, could it be? Your "little princess" is no longer here, you miss her so badly? Your price for all of your achievements, the cute trophy that you like to carry around? Well, guess what? I don't need a mighty "prince" protecting me, and even if I did, how can I expect a violent drunken imbecile with zero-self restraint that can't even hold a promise to "protect" me? - She said with vitriol before removing herself from his lock - Now, if you'll excuse me, I need my medicine -
- Heh, funny you would say that word - Lincoln looked back at her, crossing his arms - promise? Like the one that you made to Lily? -
- What does Lily have to do with this? - Lola asked drily, as she opened the door leading to the bathroom.
- I know how to count, Lola, you never actually listened, did you? - Lincoln stood over the door, preventing Lola from closing it.
- …So what? - Lola answered, but a certain chill on her spine made her lose confidence.
- You had to bring it down to *hic* two, but you didn't care about my opinion either, did you? - Lincoln said calmly, as he made his way to the bathroom.
- Lincoln, what are you thinking? - Lola saw his advances with nothing but sheer terror.
- Yeah, you know, maybe I am actually tired of being the only mess of a human being here - Lincoln continued in his eerily calm voice as he rummaged through his cupboard.
- Lincoln, please, don't - Lola was now completely alarmed, approaching the frame of the drunken man.
- Here it is, maybe this way you can stop pretending - Lincoln said as he took a hold of Lola's pills.
- Linky, please, I beg you, don't, please! - Lola was now grabbing the hand of the man as he took a look at her medication.
Then, without a second thought, Lincoln spilled its contents on the toilet.
And flushed them away
- Now we have an even playing field, don't you think Lols? - Lincoln turned around to see the woman that he loved kneel on the floor.
- You don't know what you just did - Lola said with a neutral tone.
She then looked up back at him, her eyes revealed a somber aura.
- You just made your worst mistake, Lincoln Loud - She declared.