Author's Note, Read Foo!: Hey there, I'm Sage In The Snow! I've been writing fanfiction for a while now, and I finally decided to share one of my stories here.

Lately, fanfiction just isn't the same—with scammers everywhere and the Loud House fandom slowly fading. It's honestly disappointing because it's getting harder to find new fics that truly grab my attention. No offense to those writing today, but I haven't come across a Loud House fic that really scratches that itch—so I decided to make my own.

A little context for this story: it features forbidden romance and some slightly mature themes. If that's not your thing, I'd recommend skipping this one. But overall, I'm writing for fun and will post whenever I feel like it.

So feel free to review, comment, or even talk trash—I don't mind. At the end of the day, I'm just here to share, and whether you love it or hate it is totally up to you. Enjoy! Also: I rarely respond or comment.

Lincoln Loud was sprawled across his bed like a starfish that had given up on life, his signature white hair flopping lazily to the side. A half-eaten bag of "Sour Cream 'n' Onion Tsunami" chips crinkled in his hand as he flipped through the latest Ace Savvy comic. The caption on the page read, "A hero's greatest weapon? A well-timed nap!" Lincoln nodded sagely, mouth full of chips. "Truer words, Ace. Truer words."

Suddenly, the door to his room burst open with a BANG that made Lincoln fling his comic into the air. Luna, his punk-rock older sister, skidded into the room like a disheveled tornado. Her paper clip earrings jangled wildly as she dove under his bed, her voice muffled but frantic. "Linc! Emergency! Hide me, mate! No questions, just—be cool!"

Lincoln blinked, slowly tilting his head to peer over the edge of the mattress. "Uh…sure? But y'know, the floor's kinda dusty under there. Found a fossilized cheese puff last week."

Before Luna could retort, Luan's voice echoed down the hallway like a foghorn of fury. "LUNAAAAAA! WHERE. IS. SHE?!" The sound of squeaky clown shoes (a fashion choice Luan refused to abandon) grew louder. Lincoln sighed, sitting up just as Luan appeared in the doorway, her face redder than a tomato at a salsa convention. In her hands was Mr. Coconut, her beloved ventriloquist dummy—or what used to be Mr. Coconut.

"Lincoln!" Luan barked, holding the dummy aloft like a prosecutor presenting evidence. "Have. You. Seen. LUNA? She turned Mr. Coconut into…into…THIS!"

Lincoln squinted. Mr. Coconut, once a dapper fellow in a tiny suit and bowtie, now looked like he'd joined a motorcycle gang. His wooden body was decked out in a purple leather vest Sharpie'd with "ANARCHY ROCKS," his cheeks bore tattoo doodles of skulls and guitars, and his usual coconut-shell hat had been replaced with a bandana that read "HEADBANGER'S BALL."

"Whoa," Lincoln said, eyes widening. "He's like…Cool Coconut now."

"Cool?!" Luan screeched, her voice cracking. "He's supposed to host Luan's Pun-ishment Hour, not headline a metal festival! Luna defaced him! Do you know how long it took to get permanent marker off his face last time she drew a mustache on him?!"

Under the bed, Luna groaned. "It was an improvement, sis! The people need edge! Also, you used my amp as a plant stand!"

Lincoln, ever the diplomat, held up a chip like a peace offering. "Okay, okay, let's all chill. Luan, maybe Mr. Coconut's just…expressing himself? Midlife crisis? Happens to the best of us."

Luan's eye twitched. "Lincoln. Where. Is. She."

Lincoln hesitated, glancing at the comic still splayed on the floor. Ace Savvy's speech bubble seemed to wink at him: "Honesty's a virtue…but so's not getting karate-chopped by your sister."

"Uh…" Lincoln scratched his head, then suddenly pointed dramatically out the window. "IS THAT A STAND-UP COMEDY CLUB ON FIRE?!"

Luan gasped, whirling around. "MY PEOPLE—wait, no. Nice try." She narrowed her eyes, then dropped to the floor, spotting Luna's boots poking out from under the bed. "GOTCHA!"

Luna scrambled out, her hands up in surrender. "Look, Luan, I was just trying to help! The crowd at the gig was dead until I brought out Punk Coconut! They loved him! He crowd-surfed!"

"He's a wooden dummy, not a mosh pit mascot!" Luan snapped, shaking Mr. Coconut angrily. His new bandana slipped over his painted eye, making him look like a tiny, grumpy pirate.

Lincoln, sensing an opportunity, stand between them and clapped his hands. "Alright, sis-situation getting too spicy. Luna, you gotta apologize. Luan, maybe…let her pay for a spa day for Mr. C? Buff, polish, new bowtie?"

Luna groaned. "Ugh, fine. Sorry for…enhancing your puppet."

Luan crossed her arms. "Apology not accepted until you scrub off every last skull!"

As the two sisters bickered, Lincoln plopped back onto his bed, grabbing his comic. Crisis (mostly) averted. But just as he reached for his chips, the door flew open again. Lynn Loud, sporting her soccer gear and a manic grin, barreled in.

"LINCOLN! I need your calves! My team's doing a trust fall tournament and Margo's bringing a ladder—"

Lincoln paused. "Wait, my calves?"

Lynn grinned. "For climbing! You're the shortest, so you're the base!"

Under his breath, Lincoln muttered, "Ace Savvy never has to deal with this…" He tossed his comic to the side as Luan and Luna's argument escalated to their room.

"YOU RUINED HIS AESTHETIC!"

"I UNLOCKED HIS POTENTIAL!"

"HE'S A DUMMY, NOT A REBEL!"

"TELL THAT TO HIS NEW FANCLUB!"

"Alright, I'm in," he declared, hopping off his bed. "It's best I leave now anyway. This sibling standoff's about to go nuclear."

Lynn, who had been vibrating with barely contained energy, pumped her fists. "YES! Operation: Human Stepladder is a go!" She grabbed Lincoln's wrist and yanked him toward the door before he could reconsider.

And just like that, the two were strolling down the sidewalk, Lynn casually juggled her soccer ball between her knees. "So, the trust fall drill's gonna be epic," she said. "Team bonding at its finest!"

Lincoln side-eyed her. "I mean, sure, trust falls are cool and all, but bringing a ladder seems a liiiittle excessive."

Lynn scoffed. "Pfft. The higher the fall, the deeper the trust!"

Lincoln gave her a deadpan look. "That makes zero sense."

"Makes perfect sense," Lynn shot back, nudging him with her elbow. "Besides, you're not the one falling, so quit whining."

Lincoln shrugged. "Fair."

Little did he know, Lynn's eyes had just darkened with mischief.

Once they arrived, the soccer field was already buzzing with energy. Margo, Maddie, Paula, and Carla were gathered around a very tall ladder, looking like they were preparing for a stunt show rather than a team-building exercise.

"LYNN'S HERE!" Margo bellowed, and in perfect unison, all girls did a playful jig performance.

Lincoln stared. "…What's in god's name am I seeing?"

"Shut up Stinkon! It's our Goodluck Dance!" Lynn said, jumping in the grove like it was totally normal. "And look who I brought!" She shoved Lincoln forward. "My brother! He's our new ladder anchor!"

"Hey, guys. Nice to—WHOA!"

Margo immediately grabbed Lincoln and manhandled him toward the ladder, giving him a rough but friendly pat on the back. "Quit actin' brand new, Loud! We've seen you eat cereal off the floor. We know you man."

Lincoln smirked. "Alright, alright. Just don't fall in love with me when I do get comfortable."

The girls burst out laughing, Maddie fake-swooning. "Oh nooo, he's charming!"

And with that, the trust fall from hell began.

One by one, each girl climbed the ladder, dramatically flung themselves backward, and was caught by the others—laughing, screaming, and generally having the time of their lives. Lincoln, dutifully holding the ladder steady, couldn't help but chuckle at their antics.

Finally, Lynn clapped her hands together. "GREAT JOB, TEAM! Our bond is unbreakable!" She paused, then grinned. "But… there's one member of the team who hasn't gone yet."

Lincoln's blood ran cold.

All eyes slowly turned to him.

"Oh no," he whispered.

"Oh yes!" Lynn sang, dragging out the word like a villain revealing their master plan. "Lincoln Loud… it's your turn!"

"AH, SHI—"

CUT TO: Lincoln clinging to the top of the ladder, knees knocking like maracas.

"I HATE ALL OF YOU!" he screamed, gripping the sides for dear life. "I HOPE YOU NEVER FIND TRUE LOVE! WHEN I DIE, I'M HAUNTING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! I'LL WATCH YOU CHANGE CLOTHES LIKE A CREEPY GHOST!"

"JUMP! JUMP! JUMP!" the girls chanted, ignoring his curses.

At the bottom, Lynn stood with her arms outstretched, grinning up at him. "C'mon, Linc! Trust me!"

Lincoln glared down at her. "I hate you, Lynn."

"Do you, though?" she teased. "Or do you just hate that you have to trust me?"

Lincoln groaned, squeezed his eyes shut, and—in a moment of sheer panic—blurted out:

"GOD, WHY WAS I EVER ADOPTED INTO THIS FAMILY?!"

The chanting stopped.

Lynn's grin froze.

The girls all exchanged wide-eyed looks.

And then—

THUD.

Lincoln hit the ground like a sack of potatoes, wheezing and groaning as the girls slowly processed what he'd just said.

Lynn blinked. "…Wait. Adopted?"

Lincoln, flat on his back, groaned. "Ohhhh."

Finally, practice ended, and the walk home was dead silent.

Lynn marched ahead, her soccer ball tucked under one arm, her face unreadable. Lincoln trailed behind, kicking at pebbles on the sidewalk. The usual playful banter between them had evaporated, replaced by a tension thicker than one of Lola's pageant hairstyles.

Lincoln cleared his throat. "Uh… Lynn? Can we talk?"

"No." Lynn's voice was firm, but not angry. Just… serious. "We're not doing this here. We're doing this at home. All of us."

Ohhh, this was bad. Lynn was never this serious. Even when she accidentally kicked a soccer ball through the living room window, she'd just yelled "GOOOAL!" and sprinted away. This? This was uncharted territory.

And the minute they stepped into the house Lynn dropped her ball, took a deep breath, and bellowed:

"EMERGENCY FAMILY MEETING! NOW!"

The house erupted into full swing.

Doors slammed. Feet pounded down the stairs. Sisters tumbled over each other like a herd of startled deer, ranging from annoyed (Lori) to mildly intrigued (Lucy) to already eating a snack (Lana).

Leni gasped. "Omg, is someone dying?!"

Lola adjusted her tiara. "If it's about my pageant fees, I already told you—worth every penny."

Luna squinted. "Did Luan finally snap and turn Mr. Coconut into a voodoo doll?"

Luan gasped. "That's genius—wait, no, focus!"

"SIT DOWN!" Lynn barked, pointing to the couch.

The sisters scrambled into place.

Mom and Dad rushed in from the kitchen, Rita wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Lynn, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Lynn took a deep breath—then whirled on her parents with an accusing finger.

"HOW COULD YOU LIE TO US?!"

The sisters exchanged confused glances.

Lori frowned. "Uh… lie about what?"

Lynn's voice shook. "About LINCOLN! About him being—" She choked on the word. "…ADOPTED!"

GASP.

Every sister's head snapped toward Lincoln like he'd just grown or something.

Lola dropped her scepter.

Leni's jaw hit the floor.

Lucy's bangs couldn't hide her wide eyes.

Lana blinked. "Wait, like… from a pound?"

"LANA!" the sisters shrieked.

Lincoln groaned. "Oh my god…"

And Lynn Sr. sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Lynn… how did you find out?"

ANOTHER GASP.

"SO IT'S TRUE?!" Lori screeched.

Rita and Lynn Sr. exchanged a heavy look. Then, slowly, Lynn Sr. nodded. "…Yes. Lincoln is adopted."

The room exploded.

"WHAAAAAT?!"

"BUT HE LOOKS JUST LIKE US...KINDA!?"

"Wait, does this mean we can return him?" (That was Luan.)

"Rude." Lincoln remarked.

Leni suddenly burst into tears. "OH MY GOSH, WE ABANDONED HIM HIS WHOLE LIFE!" She tackled Lincoln in a hug. "I'M SO SORRY, LITTLE BRO!"

Luna scratched her head. "Hold up—if he's adopted, does that mean we're not related?"

A dangerous silence fell.

Lynn's eyes narrowed.

Lola gasped. "Oh. My. Glitter. Does this mean…" She whipped out a notebook. "…we can marry him now?"

"LOLA!"

Lincoln choked. "What is wrong with you people? All of a sudden, everyone finally knows I'm adopted!"

"Wait, you knew?!" Lynn sr. spatted, staring at his son like he'd just admitted to secretly being a ninja this whole time.

Lincoln flinched under the sudden attention but shrugged. "Uh… yeah? I mean, I thought everyone knew?"

Lynn Sr. blinked rapidly. "I didn't know that you knew!"

"Well, now you know that I knew… I'm telling you that I didn't know that you didn't knew." Lincoln said clearly, as if this was the most obvious logic in the world.

Rita pinched the bridge of her nose. "Please stop you two, you're giving me a headache."

Lynn Sr. leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "Lincoln…how* did you find out?*"

"You… told me?"

"I what?!" Lynn Sr.'s voice cracked.

A slow, dawning horror crept over his face as Lincoln—completely oblivious to the emotional landmine he was stepping on—cheerfully launched into the story.

"Well… it all started on one particular afternoon…"

Flashback: Six-Year-Old Lincoln's Great Discovery

It was a perfectly ordinary day in the Loud House.

Well, as ordinary as any day could be.

Six-year-old Lincoln, armed with crayons and a mission, had decided to make The Best Family Drawing Ever. There was just one problem—he needed a glue stick.

And thus began Operation: Sneak Into Parents' Room Without Getting Caught.

Creeping like a tiny, white-haired spy, Lincoln slipped into Lynn Sr. and Rita's room. His dad was on the phone, pacing near the window, sounding exasperated.

"Yes, I understand, but—no, we can't do Tuesday, the twins has their second nap that day—"

Lincoln spotted the glue stick on Rita's dresser. Victory!

He stretched onto his tiptoes, fingers brushing the stick—

Fwip.

It fell.

Rolled.

And disappeared under the bed.

"Aww, man…"

Dropping to his knees, he army-crawled under the bed, blindly patting around in the dim light. His fingers hit something cold.

Metal.

Curious, he tugged. A dusty old box slid out, the glue stick resting against it.

…What's in the box?

With all the subtlety of a wrecking ball, he popped the lid open.

Papers. Lots of papers.

Birth certificates. Social security cards. Tax documents (boring).

And then—

A paperclip.

Attached to it: a tiny baby photo.

His baby photo.

But the paper underneath it had big, fancy letters:

ADOPTION FINALIZATION – LINCOLN LOUD

Lincoln blinked.

"Dad?" he called, holding it up.

Lynn Sr., still mid-phone argument, barely glanced over. "Mhm?"

"What's this?"

"—No, we CAN'T reschedule the twins third nap, that's when Luan has her pun club—"

"Dad?" Lincoln tried again, waving the paper.

Lynn Sr. sighed, finally looking. "It's your adoption papers. Now please , let me handle this call."

And just like that, he went right back to arguing about nap logistics.

Lincoln stared at the paper.

Huh?

Then, with the attention span of a goldfish, he shrugged, tossed everything back in the box, and scampered off with his glue stick.

Art waited for no man.

Present Day: The Aftermath

A deafening stillness filled the living room.

Lynn Sr.'s jaw had officially detached from his face and was now somewhere on the floor.

"I… I just…" He wheezed. "I told you?!"

Lincoln nodded. "Yep."

"And you just… never said anything?!"

Lincoln scratched his head. "I mean… I didn't really get it at first. Then when I got older, I figured it out. But it never seemed like a big deal?" He glanced around at his shell-shocked sisters. "…Should it have been?"

Leni burst into fresh tears. "YOU WERE JUST A BABY!"

Lola gasped dramatically. "This changes everything!*"

Luna squinted. "Wait, so… if you're adopted, does that mean your hair isn't naturally white? Did you bleach it this whole time?!"

Luan groaned. "That's what you're focusing on?!"

Rita, who had been quiet this whole time, finally spoke—her voice soft. "Lincoln… are you okay with this?"

Lincoln blinked. Then, with a small smile, he shrugged.

"I've got the loudest, craziest, most annoying family in the world." He grinned. "Why would I want anything else?"

Lincoln's words hung in the air like the last note of a perfect song—simple, honest, and so very Lincoln that for a moment, nobody moved.

Then, like a dam breaking, the Loud family surged forward in one messy, tearful, laughing pile of limbs.

"GROUP HUG!" Lori bellowed, yanking Lincoln into a bone-crushing embrace.

"OOF—" Lincoln wheezed as his sisters descended on him like an affectionate avalanche.

Leni was sobbing into his shoulder. "YOU'RE THE BEST BROTHER EVER!"

Luna ruffled his hair. "Still can't believe you kept this punk secret for years dude."

Lola dramatically pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. "This is the most emotional moment of my life… aside from my Junior Miss Royalty win, of course."

To Lily's bad annunciation. "Bwotha."

Even Lucy, usually allergic to physical contact, gave him a rare, small smile and a pat on the back. "…Welcome to the family. Officially."

Lincoln laughed, his face squished between Lana's elbow and Lisa's clipboard. "Guys—can't—breathe—"

Rita and Lynn Sr. wrapped their arms around the entire huddle, their eyes suspiciously shiny. "We love you, kiddo," Lynn Sr. muttered, clearing his throat. "Always have. Always will."

It was perfect.

Well—almost perfect.

Because standing just outside the hug, arms crossed, was Lynn.

Lori noticed first. "…Lynn?"

The hug loosened slightly as everyone turned. Lincoln peeked through the tangle of arms, his smile softening. "You good?"

Lynn blinked, like she'd been snapped out of a trance. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. It's—" She waved a hand, forcing a grin. "It's great. Just… gonna need a minute to process. You know how it is."

Nobody bought it.

But before anyone could call her out, Lynn suddenly lunged forward and squeezed into the hug, her face buried in Lincoln's shoulder. "…Dummy," she mumbled.

Lincoln chuckled. "Love you too, Lynn."

On the surface, it was just another Loud family moment—chaotic, warm, and slightly suffocating.

But beneath it all?

Lynn's heart was racing.

Because as she held onto her brother—not brother?—adopted brother—something inside her shifted.

A confusing cocktail of emotions bubbled up:

Relief (he still loved them).

Guilt (why was she so hung up on this?).

Fear (what did this mean?).

And… something else. Something she couldn't name. Something that made her stomach flip when Lincoln grinned at her over Lori's shoulder.

She quickly looked away.

Nope. Not thinking about that.

The hug finally broke apart, the sisters wiping their eyes and laughing off the emotional overload.

"Alright, enough mushy stuff!" Luan declared, slinging an arm around Lincoln. "Who wants to hear my new joke? Why did the adopted kid bring a ladder to family therapy?"

Lincoln just sighed, smiling.

Some things would never change.

And honestly?

He wouldn't have it any other way.