Rosa really had left; when it came time for dinner, she still wasn't back. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne listened to the pandemonium unfold in the apartment outside the room. Ronnie Anne's whole family was in an uproar about where she was and even more about what they were supposed to eat. Maria was the one to calm everyone down. It wasn't the first time Rosa hadn't been around to cook. They had contingencies. They probably even had leftovers somewhere in the kitchen. The chaos of Rosa not being there made for a perfect distraction when the rest of the family did manage to get food on the table. The two teens could come out and sit at the table together without much attention.
Up until that point, they'd stayed in Ronnie Anne's room, loosely tangled up under the blankets. Lincoln's hands started to roam, brushing up and down her back over her shirt, along her arms, and even her free-flowing hair. He was absolutely enamored with her. Ronnie Anne let him, although she couldn't keep the pink out of her face. She wondered if she was ever going to get used to being admired so openly.
Lincoln's hands eventually drifted lower. He wasn't trying to be sneaky about it, they were looking right at each other. He just slowly moved his hand down to her still bare hips and, more than slow enough to give her a chance to tell him to stop,moved it forward until he was feeling her posterior.
"You're touching my ass." She wasn't offended, but she wasn't letting something so brazen go unacknowledged. Even if it wasn't a challenge, his hand retreated up to her back.
"It's cute…" He mumbled without breaking eye contact.
"It's an ass."
"I just think it's cute." To double down, he moved his hand back.
"Perro." Lincoln's hands continued roaming within their extended range. She didn't stop it, but she did think about it. She'd badgered Lincoln about why he found her 'cute' over their calls. All she got was him stumbling over himself trying to explain without actually giving her a sensible answer. It had been just like his comments now: he just did. Lincoln was normally really good at expressing how he felt and thought, so when he couldn't give her an answer, she just sort of accepted it as some dumb intrinsic thing boys didn't have control over (they didn't have control over a lot of things, to be frank). He was much better at expressing clear interest in her as a person, so that was what she considered true.
Putting together this and last night though, maybe she'd given him too much credit. Maybe looking dumbstruck didn't mean it was all wonder. Maybe her playful insults had some truth to them. And maybe she was overvaluing him, just not in the way she'd originally thought. She didn't stop him, even if she suddenly felt a little more self-conscious about it. He might not have been perfect, but was she really supposed to expect him to be?
Wasn't that something actual relationships were meant to be too? Imperfections and a little give and take? Even if she tuned that subject out, she was sure she had heard something to that effect many times. But the fact it was normal didn't keep her from feeling annoyed considering he was enjoying himself at her expense. Or was he? She had no real desire to do the same thing, but it wasn't hurting her either. That dumb look on his face was still a little amusing, kind of like enjoying making a friend laugh.
"Ugh. I'm infected with lame." She thought of her philosophical debates. 'Full of lame' was true too. The sensation was weird, even several minutes after they were done. Them getting under the covers could only distract them for so long from the state of sticky discomfort both of them were in. Especially with the afterglow still disappearing. Her thinking mind had convinced her her body was full of energy again too. She decided she wanted to wash up. All she had to do was lightly grasp one of Lincoln's arms and he immediately stopped and lifted his hands off her.
"Clean my room up." She said it in a joking way. It felt a little weird getting out from under the covers without any pants or underwear on, and she was sure Lincoln was getting an eyeful of what he'd just been caressing as he climbed out after her. Putting her clothes back on definitely felt weird. Enough that she pushed Lincoln back against the wall so she could get into the drawers under her bed and get a fresh outfit to wear.
The rest of the apartment still appeared empty, and Ronnie Anne stopped in the hallway and wondered if her mother had overheard anything, or if she was there at all. They hadn't been that loud, had they? She definitely hadn't been trying. Her bed didn't creak that much. The city normally provided a lot of ambience, but she was suddenly acutely aware of just how insulated the apartment was from that sound. Her face started to glow a bit and she ducked into the relative isolation and safety of the bathroom.
While she cleaned up, she ruminated on her predicament. This was how it felt to do it without protection, but she hadn't felt like this the first time. She didn't think so, anyway. There'd been a little mess, but not like this. She'd felt weird, but not in this way. She had to wonder again how this had happened, and where fault lay if any. Maybe just a tiny leak she hadn't noticed?
"What's the point…" Ronnie Anne muttered out loud. Things were what they were now. There was just the ahead. What was ahead sucked, but at least it was certain.
The fresh clothes went a long way to making her feel completely revitalized. She put a shirt on last, pulling down on the bottom to straighten it out. The act, and the thoughts that broke into her mind, made her freeze. She thought back to what just happened, how Lincoln had grabbed for her shirt, and how she'd shot him down.
Her body was supposed to be changing, and that included her chest. That was how she was supposed to feed it after it was born, after all. That itself didn't make her squeamish, but she did wonder what was going to happen after she put it up for adoption instead. It was something to look up later. But the point was they were supposed to change, get bigger, change color slightly, and other things. She thought she was too early for any of that to have happened. But she hadn't been sure at that moment and she didn't want him to see in case there were any.
Ronnie Anne looked at herself in the mirror for a second, still holding onto her shirt. She thought for a second she was curious, then quickly decided she didn't want to actually know right now. Maybe after Lincoln was gone. Cleaned up and dressed, she went back to her room.
Lincoln had put all his clothes back on and looked sweaty, but normal. As far as cleaning went, he'd actually soaked some paper towels and had them on the most stained parts of the bed. All the bedding would have to be washed, but that would do until she could find time to sneak it down to the basement with the rest of her laundry.
His girlfriend suggested- physically pushed him- towards the bathroom telling him to get a washrag and scrub himself like she just had. It wouldn't be as good as a full shower, but it was better than nothing. Both of them taking a shower in the middle of the day…she figured it might be a little suspicious. It was a good thing too, because her primos started wandering back into the apartment while Lincoln was in there, convinced dinner overrode any existing orders to stay out. There was still some time before everyone else got there and the teens could slip out, time they used to make Ronnie Anne's room look as unassuming as possible.
Even reheated, the food was superb. Maria didn't even make it a point this time to sit next to Ronnie Anne, so both teens could really enjoy it. Carl did try and put his cousin on the spot by loudly asking when the volume at the table dipped what she'd done to upset Rosa earlier. A near miss with a fork quelled his impish behavior, and no one took any interest in the subject. But it was after that that Ronnie Anne noticed her mom watching her for the first time. Lincoln and her got out of there as stealthily as they slipped in, once it was over. And once they were clear, something dawned on them.
It was going to be over soon. They'd done everything they needed to do-and everything they wanted to do-so their time together would be ending. They were relieved to have overcome those major hurdles, and they knew logically they had to return to normal life. But the heart was a mysterious and irrational force.
They moved out onto the fire escape, somewhere open enough to give a feeling of freedom and something to do by observing Great Lakes City. That was where Ronnie Anne playfully slapped Lincoln upside his head.
"What was that for?"
"Because I'm going to miss you after tomorrow, you idiot." Things were different now. They used to miss each other, sure, but it wasn't such a deep feeling when they were only 'good friends' and talked online almost daily. Ronnie Anne already knew it was going to hurt more now; those daily interactions seemed childish. She still didn't even know if their parents would let them do that.
Can't believe I was stupid enough to get a long-distance boyfriend. There was no way she'd give him up now. But for what Lincoln was to her and for her, that was a huge obstacle. He'd roped her in hook, line, and sinker. She was annoyed with herself, impressed with his almost certainly unintentional draw, and a little proud of herself for getting him hook, line, and sinker too.
Both of them were idiots for doing this. And they were idiots for knowing they were idiots and doing it anyway. But Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were not idiots for simultaneously caring about the other more than themselves.
"I'm going to miss you more." Lincoln put his hand on the side of her head and gave it a light push. But he wondered. In just one weekend, he'd experienced getting a girlfriend AND the most intense pleasure of his life. He'd also experienced the most terror of his entire life. Going from that back to the school and the big family grind seemed kind of anti-climatic. It felt like a big change, but things were hardly going to change at all. It felt wrong.
"I bet you will." She joked, but Lincoln had made her more open with her emotions than ever. They'd have to see who'd be the bigger crybaby going forward. But both of them were really going to miss the other.
The chilly evening air drove them inside for the last few hours before bedtime. They crammed whatever extra moments they could in those few short hours. They both knew it could be months before they ever saw each other in person again. Both separately missed the halcyon days of the Louds and Casagrandes coming together on Thanksgiving and around Christmas. A hearty few years that had tapered off as several Loud kids and Carlota left their respective nests. Last year was the first without an in person visit, although both families sent food and Christmas cards to the other on the appropriate day. This year would probably be the same.
It was still daunting. Ronnie Anne told herself that she wouldn't break down over it tomorrow. She'd gotten a whole day with Lincoln. She would be happy with that. She had to be. This is how it had to be. It was the best outcome. That would have to assuage her fears after he was gone.
When Maria cautiously came into her daughter's room later that evening to make sure each teen went to bed separately, she found that they had already dozed off on Ronnie Anne's bed. She immediately noticed the way her daughter had draped herself over the boy with her arms around his neck. Maria flipped the light off and closed the door. The door opened and closed again a little while later without disturbing them.
Both of them got up briefly around midnight, but only to kick off their shoes, strip down, and get under the covers where it'd be more comfy. They did it without a word, and drifted into a sleep even more comfortable than last night.
Lincoln was the first one to wake up the next morning. This time, he got to enjoy the pleasant experience of waking up tangled with another body. He wasn't even confused about where he was, since he'd gone to sleep thinking about his new girlfriend. He could feel her arm still over him, and his still over her; it had kept them from rolling over apart from one another. Without opening his eyes, he opened his hand and pressed it against what felt like her back. Just the contact made him smile before he was fully awake. He cracked one eye open to look at her.
Lori was standing over them.
Both of Lincoln's eyes shot open and his heart raced into overdrive. Fear, cold, and pain clogged his chest as his breath caught in his throat. For a few seconds, he stopped breathing. Lori's lips were thin and her eye was twitching-a time tested warning of her rage about to burst. Seeing him awake now-and no doubt terrified-, she leaned in, nostrils flaring.
Ronnie Anne woke up just then. It could've been good timing, or maybe Lincoln's sudden trembling or the sound of his heart running a mile a minute woke her up. When she opened her eyes, she just saw him fearfully looking behind her. When she twisted her head around and saw Lori standing over them, her fight or flight kicked in. It was hard to tell if it was a slap or a half put together punch, but it was enough to send Lori reeling away from the two teens.
"What are you doing here?!" Ronnie Anne demanded, sitting up. Lori recovered quickly.
"Get up!" She commanded. "Both of you!" She stomped back over and yanked the blanket off them. Last night, the two lovers had only gone so far as to shrug off their shoes and pants, deciding to sleep in just their shirts, socks, and underwear. Lincoln wasn't as phased by any of his sisters seeing those. Ronnie Anne took a lot more issue with it, shouting in protest and trying to wrestle the blanket back to cover herself. Lori let her have it, and instead grabbed Lincoln's arm and straight up yanked him across the bed and over his girlfriend. Until gravity took over and he tumbled onto the floor.
"Get dressed! Now!" She ordered. Lincoln pathetically scrambled on all fours for his pants and shoes. Ronnie Anne noticed that her bedroom door was ajar. Once she'd dragged Lincoln out of bed, Lori had turned her back to her sister-in-law. Ronnie Anne used the opening to push Lori out of her room. Lori had a slight size advantage on her, but her foot caught on Lincoln's and her stumble left her unable to stop the Latina from angrily shoving her into the hallway and slamming the door closed.
But Lori wasn't done, and, without a lock, Ronnie Anne couldn't stop her from just pushing the door-and her-and forcing her way back in. She grabbed her brother, who hadn't even tied his shoes yet, and yanked him out of the room. Ronnie Anne tried to grab him too, but let go when she was about to be dragged out into the apartment still in her underwear. While she scrambled to grab a pair of shorts to put on, she overheard Lori bark at Lincoln to grab his things.
"Can-"
"No!" Lori cut whatever he was going to say off. She had no patience. Ronnie Anne took enough time getting some shorts, that her mom materialized in her doorway.
"He has to go home now."
"I still have to say goodbye!" She ducked beneath her. Lori was standing in the doorway of Bobby's old room-the guest room now-in such a way the teen couldn't hope to pass her. She tried anyway and, for reasons she didn't even care about guessing just then, Lori didn't use any force to stop her. Ronnie Anne practically barreled into her boyfriend, but Lincoln dropped his bags and caught her.
Even with Lori-and after a few seconds Ronnie Anne's mom-watching, they savored it. This really was the last moment together. For an uncertain amount of time. There was nothing left to say, it really was just enjoying the other's company one last time.
"I'll talk to you soon." Lincoln swore.
"You better…" Reluctantly, they stepped apart. Both wondered when they'd get to do that again.
"C'mon!" No less exasperated, Lori grabbed his now very sore shoulder again. No one stopped her from dragging him away this time. Out of the apartment and in the stairway, Lincoln already felt an emptiness in his stomach, growing as he was marched down the stairs. The chilly morning air outside was a rude shock.
"Get in." Outside, Lori pointed him towards her SUV and shoved him towards it. She watched him trudge towards it, but didn't follow. Once she was convinced that's where he was actually going, she turned around and went into the Mercado instead. Lincoln got into the third row of seats on the right side-as far as he could possibly sit from the driver's seat. Lori didn't take long to come back and climb into the driver seat. Lincoln tried not to meet her eyes in the mirror, but he wasn't fast enough.
"Get up here!" Lori wasn't in the mood for his games. Lincoln clambered over the seats till he was in the front passenger seat. She didn't say or do anything until Lincoln got his seatbelt on, an action that took a few extra seconds due to his hands trembling. When he finally did, they peeled out of there fast enough to push him back into his seat.
And the pedal stayed to the metal for a good while. Weaving through traffic and around corners, Lincoln was almost certain they never dropped below 40, except at stop lights. The whole time he was frozen in his seat, eyes wide and hoping a traffic cop would stop his older sister. He honestly thought he was about to die.
Lori only eased up once they hit the highway out of the city, and it was quickly apparent she did so to focus on other things. "You-" She growled out, turning and pointing at him. Lincoln shrunk against the passenger door. "You are in SO much trouble, Lincoln!"
"Can you keep your eyes on the road?!" He pleaded.
"Do you want me to pull over?!" Lori threatened.
"I want to live!"
"Oh, we'll see!" Lori said ominously. But from that point on, she did keep her eyes on the road. She didn't stop talking though. "You got a girl pregnant! You got Bobby's sister pregnant!"
"Not on purpose!"
"You two aren't even married!" His eldest sister retorted, and Lincoln's breath caught in his throat. "I don't care who started it! You're both idiots!" That didn't hurt as much as calling him a pervert, but it still hurt. "You're both too young for that." Lori didn't shout that one. "You did it again last night, didn't you?!" She accused.
"No!"
"I caught you both IN BED!" His sister thought he was lying. He wasn't, at least technically, since Lori got the time and place wrong.
"We were just sleeping!" Lincoln insisted honestly. "Ronnie Anne wanted to. We did the same thing the night before. Nothing happened. You can ask her grandma!" Lori growled in annoyance, but she seemed convinced; it was no small thing to invoke that woman-she knew that even more than Lincoln.
"Good! Because if I ever find out you two are fooling around again…" Lori didn't specify, but it wasn't hard to imagine she had a lot of ideas.
"I don't care about that." He told her. "I just want to help her through it. She's been really upset all weekend."
"Of course she's upset!" His sister chided. "Having a baby is hard enough even if you don't keep it!"
"I know." Lincoln tried to sound steadfast but it was more like a croak. "I want to help however I can. If I can."
"You'll help if I drag you up here every weekend so you lose as many of yours as she will!" Lori thought that was a threat, but Lincoln genuinely perked up; seeing Ronnie Anne every weekend would be great, actually. Although he realized his new girlfriend might become annoyed with him if he kept showing up to worry over her. Lori realized she hadn't made the impact she wanted and took a moment before steering the conversation in a different direction.
"Just because you're in love doesn't make it right."
"Huh?" Lincoln was caught off guard.
"You do love her, don't you?"
"We're just special to each other." Lincoln explained. Lori nodded.
"Whatever you guys call it, it still doesn't mean you should be sleeping together. I've seen couples break up because they tried too early."
"We just want things to go back to normal after this is over. That was part of Ronnie Anne's reason."
"Lincoln, there's no way things will be normal again." Lori said bluntly.
"Like a normal boyfriend and girlfriend." Lincoln clarified. He thought he spotted Lori smiling; even in a tense moment, she couldn't help being enthralled by the romantic
"Well, normal couples wait until they're married. That includes handsy stuff."
"Please don't go there." Lincoln begged.
"Hey, you two are the ones that let your private business go public!" Mean Lori was back. "You don't get to complain when you get caught doing something wrong!" Then she sighed. "Lincoln, I know you're going to try and do the right thing. But that isn't going to get you out of trouble this time. When this is over, things are going to be different. I'm not sure what Mom and Dad are going to do to you, but you and Ronnie Anne are never going to be in a room alone together again."
Lincoln nodded to show he understood and expected nothing less. Lori sighed again. He wondered if she'd had a speech planned or if she was making this up as she went along.
"I'm more sad than angry." His eldest sister told him. "For you guys. You were always soooo adorable with the pretending not to be interested." She definitely smiled that time. "I really hope this doesn't drive you guys apart."
"It won't." How could it? The entire reasoning was so they could stay together.
"Lincoln, you don't know that." Lori wasn't arguing, she was telling him. "You don't know how you'll feel about this later on. And you definitely don't know how Ronnie Anne will feel about this later on. She's going to have to go through so much. Physically and emotionally. Her social life is going to be ruined!" Lori was angry again.
"I'll help however I can." Lincoln insisted. But the words did get to him. He knew it'd be hard for Ronnie Anne. But would it be too hard? Would she regret it? Would she blame him? She said she hadn't, and didn't want him to apologize for what happened, but would that change? Lincoln suddenly had the desperate urge to see her again and apologize anyway for how hard it would be.
"If that happens, and I really hope it doesn't, you'll have to accept it and move on. I want you to realize that, Lincoln. I need you to tell me you understand."
"I understand." But she'd scared him good.
It was still close to two hours before they got the Royal Woods, but the two siblings rode in silence for all of it.
His homecoming was horrible. Lincoln had expected it, but that didn't make it easier. He'd even started to convince himself he might be safe because his parents wouldn't want to start a scene in the house where his sisters could hear. They must have, because they chose to corner him while he was still outside.
Mom and Dad were on the porch when Lori started pulling up, and they started down the steps before Lori even turned into the driveway. Nothing in their stride suggested a sense of urgency. As Lori pulled in, Lincoln could even see a van-a different van-parked behind Vanzilla and half in the garage. That meant Luna was here. His third oldest sister, despite being an adult, hadn't spread her wings quite yet. Her and her band were still hanging around the Michigan area, playing slightly more advanced venues and building up a following online.
Luna and Sam had bought that van together and put a bed and other amenities in the back. It was a place for them to hang out or even sleep if they couldn't find a couch to surf on. Or, like here, it was somewhere they could sleep instead of the house. Luna still loved her family enough to visit frequently, but she had an independence card to play and she was sure going to use it. Besides, Luan had, more or less, completely taken over their old room. So her and Sam were almost certainly back there out of view. Lincoln even stuck his ear out the window to hear low volume rock music drifting down the driveway. Definitely back there. He wasn't as glad to see Luna as he was for the hope her presence would prevent a scene. It was inevitable, but he'd hope it'd be put off for as long as possible.
Lincoln was completely wrong.
He hurried to climb out of Lori's SUV, desperate to get out of such a claustrophobic space, and found himself in an even worse space in seconds. He turned to close the door, and when he turned back around, both his parents were standing there, less than a foot from it. It startled him enough to back up against the SUV, putting his back to a wall.
Nothing was immediately said. His parents stood over him, making Lincoln feel very tiny despite the fact the last few years had put him close to them in height. They'd put on their best faces of condemnation, ones that didn't look natural at all. Their eyes bored into his, making him want to look away but he was too scared to even move. Lori came around and closed the last gap.
Then the barrage started. That was the only word he could use to describe it. Mom and Dad tore into him. There weren't any questions and they didn't want any answers. They called him irresponsible. They called him foolish. They told him he'd be lucky if he was ever ungrounded before he turned 18.
And they tore into him for staying in Ronnie Anne's room during both nights. Lori didn't say anything; she had already said her piece. She was just there to keep him penned in and frozen under her harsh gaze. In a moment that actually cut deep, they even told he'd hurt his girlfriend by what he'd done on her birthday. That one almost made him speak up. Almost.
"Luna, back off!" His mom's fury halted for a moment when she turned her head and barked that out. Lincoln tilted his head slightly, but not enough to see if Luna was somewhere off to his left. He was too scared to turn his head completely with Lori and Dad still looking at him so intently.
He endured what felt like hours of more verbal condemnation even though in reality it was just a minute or so. Finally, they backed up enough so he could go into the house, and his exile. He rushed the first few steps just to create some distance between himself and his parents, but after that trudged up the steps and into the house.
His jacket didn't have a hoodie, so he just kept his head down to hide his face. It was a straight shot up the stairs from the front door and then he just had to make a quick right. Voices and other noises assaulted his ears as he climbed the steps, but he ignored it all. He made it to his room, closed the door, and then collapsed face first on his bed shoes, jacket, and all. Finally, he was safe.
He wasn't alone for long. Less than a minute after face planting onto his bed, the door thunderously opened.
"LINCOLN!" Lola unnecessarily announced her presence.
"Hey, Lola." Lincoln turned his head to the side so he could see her standing there with her hands on her hips.
"Don't 'Hey Lola' me, mister. We had arrangements!"
"Sorry I wasn't here to help you rehearse for your pageants." He made the effort to lift his head. His little sister's expression made it clear she wasn't buying his apology, but she didn't get a chance to start her rant.
"Lincoln!" Lana charged in carrying a computer, knocking Lola out of the way effortlessly. At 10, their physiques were starting to deviate from each other, and Lana was starting to get bulkier and more muscular compared to her twin. "I got some pictures from that family we gave the puppy to. Look!" On the screen were several pictures of the animal they'd rescued together, looking happy and healthy. Lincoln genuinely perked up seeing them.
"That's great, Lana."
"Excuse me?! Get in line." Lola tried to motion her twin out of the room.
"Venue's closed, little dudes." Luna came in, towering over both her younger sisters. "I gotta speak to Bro."
"Aww." Lana went without an argument.
"I was here first." Lola crossed her arms and stuck up her nose. She squawked indignantly as Luna proved might is right and just picked up her and lifted her out of the room. Lincoln pulled himself up into a sitting position as Luna came back in and closed the door behind her. She had a soda in her hand, no doubt pulled from the mini-fridge in Sam and hers van, and tossed it to him. Lincoln caught it, grateful for something to drink after not even having breakfast that day.
"You alright, Dude? It looked like they were laying into you."
"I got into trouble." Lincoln explained lamely.
"No kidding. What happened? I don't think I've seen Mom and Pop that pissed in…ever." Lincoln broke eye contact and looked down at the can in his hands, tapping his fingers against the side. The rest of his sisters were all going to find out eventually, so why not tell the one asking right now? But…he was embarrassed. Yeah, as siblings they all teased each other about dates and partners, but there were obviously things you didn't talk about. Lori had announced both times her and Bobby were having a baby, but only because that was a cause for celebration. This…
Well, he'd admitted to screw ups before. Was it so different? Definitely, but it still made it easier thinking of it as just another owning up.
"I gave them another grandkid." That was the best way he thought to say it.
"You wot?" When Lincoln looked up, Luna's eyes had widened slightly, but she cocked her head to the side. By the tone, it had either gone in one ear and out the other or, more likely, she was asking if he really said what he just said.
"I went to Ronnie Anne's birthday over Summer Vacation and…she's…pregnant." Lincoln bowed his head again. His face was burning from admitting it. "Mom and Dad said I screwed up."
"Holy shit…" Luna stepped back, leaning against the wall to keep herself upright. "Fucking hell…" Luna had upgraded her vocabulary since moving out. "Uhh…" Luna had rarely been any of her sibling's first choice of confidant or aid, and this was leagues ahead of what few instances there were. Not to mention, she had her flag in a different camp, at least currently. But she wasn't going to walk away from her little bro.
"You…uh…want a hug, dude?" Luna spread her arms out. Lincoln stood up and practically ran into them. Lincoln was, according to himself, old enough to have a girlfriend, and do certain things with that girlfriend. But he wasn't too old to not be comforted by one of his older sisters. It wasn't just comfort, it was security. "Lori knows too?"
"Yeah. It was a long drive home." His voice started to crack as he reopened that fresh emotional wound. Luna patted him on the back and held the back of his head. "We tried being safe."
"I'm ah…sure you did, dude. Sometimes, stuff just happens."
At that moment, Lincoln's door opened again. Both turned to face it, expecting maybe Lily to come in bugging her big brother too. The answer was worse- it was their mom.
Upon seeing her, Lincoln felt Luna's arm tighten, pulling him closer against her leather jacket. She even pivoted slightly, putting more of herself between him and their mom. Lincoln turned his head to avoid looking at her.
"Luna…"
"You already laid into Little Dude. Give him some space. He's already feeling down about it." A long silence prevailed after Luna spoke. Lincoln dared not look, but it was probably because Mom was digesting the fact Luna knew. He could feel the tension in the air and was sure the two adults were staring at each other.
"I have to talk to him alone, Luna. He's not grounded. You can come back after we're done." He wasn't? That was news to him. Still, Luna didn't stop her protective hug. "Luna…" Rita sighed, and stepped forward to separate them herself. At that point Lincoln pried himself free and sat back down, out of fear of physical contact. All his mom had left to do was get Luna out of the room. She didn't go willingly.
"Don't think I won't get the rest of the band." Luna didn't mean her actual band, but she'd used that phrase to describe getting more of her sisters to back her up, even if it was against Lincoln or another one of her sisters. The idea of the rest finding out scared him, but the idea of their support-which he didn't doubt-was a comforting thought.
"Just talking." Rita nodded in exasperation, finally getting Luna out of the room and closing the door. When she turned around, Lincoln wasn't looking at her, but she didn't command him to. "Your father went back to work." Dad must've come home just to yell at him. "You're not grounded." She repeated. "We don't want people thinking anything is wrong." So that was the reason. "So, please just don't tell anyone else. Until we figure out for certain what will happen, we're just going to keep things going normally."
"Okay." Lincoln didn't want to argue. He didn't even want to try and defend himself. He just wanted to rest. No more words. But his mom did step closer to him; he could see her shoes out of the corner of his eyes. Then she leaned down and hugged him, putting her face against the back of his head. It was just as protective as Luna's had been.
They didn't like having to put their feet down. They were just doing what they needed to as parents. Same as Lincoln was doing what he needed to by owning up to what happened. Only doing what they had to, even if it was unpleasant. It didn't take away the fact that they all still loved each other. Lincoln didn't shrink away, because he realized that.
As Mom left, he saw Luna attempt to come in right after. She stopped the other adult and they disappeared out of view after the door closed. She was probably telling Luna something about secrecy too. After a couple of minutes, Luna finally came in again and sat down beside him. Her eyes were sympathetic instead of shocked now.
"Not Too Young to Fall in Love, but you are kinda young to be a parent. It's for the best." Mom must've told Luna that she wasn't actually getting another nephew or niece. She didn't sound bummed out about it, just concerned for him.
"Best bad option."
"Yeah…well, You Can't Always Get What You Want. But it'll work out, Bro." She leaned over and hugged him. "It's not the end of the world." No, but it felt like it.
"I'm really, really tired." Luna confirmed she'd heard with a pat on the shoulder.
"Get some rest, Lincoln. And if you need another hug, I'll be close by."
"Thanks, Luna."
Even if he'd only woken up a few hours ago, Lincoln had meant it. It was a changed world now, and he spent the first real day of it sleeping.