Stormbringer, Chapter Six: Lincoln's Lost Light

>An hour ago.
>Following Lori into the kitchen, Leni goes straight for the fridge, digging through the appliance for ingredients.
>"You want anything, Lori?" she asks, calling from the fridge she's waist-deep in.
>"You know what? Sure," Lori replies, pulling some coffee grounds she stashed behind the cold medicine.
>The good stuff, effectively hidden in plain sight.
>Genius.
>Leni pulls herself out of the fridge, looking towards Lori with a light glare.
>Lori notices her expression, and mentally rolls her eyes.
>"Sorry. Yes, please."
>Her face brightens up again, leaning over to dump the assorted fruits and spices onto the counter before diving in again.
>As Lori starts prepping the coffee maker, she tries to figure out what to say.
>She defused the situation from earlier, but she and Leni still need to discuss what is actually happening between them their brother.
>She feels her cheeks start to warm up.
>...And between them, too.
>She hates to admit it, but Leni's a very good kisser, if inexperienced and overeager.
>With a tap of her finger, the coffee machine starts humming softly, toiling away at a much needed cup of coffee.
>Leaning back, Lori loses herself in her thoughts.
>She's had a lot of fights this week.
>Leni.
>Lincoln the night before.
>Bobby boo bo...Bobby, the night before.
>The thought of her boyfriend brings a sense of dread to the sister.
>The party.
>She told him to go ahead without her, she'd be late.
>She didn't know there would be alcohol; she would have told him to wait for her.
>And that...whore...
>Lori could feel her blood pressure starting to rise, at the mere thought of that woman.
>She walked in on them, trying to find Bobby.
>She was all over him.
>Slobbering like a dog.
>Lori narrows her eyes, struggling to remember the details.
>She saw that girl before...
>But where...?
>*VRRRRRMMMM*
>With a startled cry, Lori wrenches herself away from her thoughts, looking at the source of the noise.

>Lori groans.
>"Leni, I've told you before, warn me before you start blending."
>Leni's concentration falters, a look of apprehension on her face.
>"I did tell you, weren't you listening?."
>She starts wringing her hands nervously.
>"I-I didn't mean to startle you. I'm sorry, I don't...I don't want to fight anymore."
>With a sight, Lori turns back to where she was staring before, already slipping back into her memories.
>"It's Ok, Leni," the older Loud whispers, drumming her fingers absentmindedly. "You just spooked me, don't worry about it."
>Blocking out the sound of the blender, Lori digs deeper.
>She knew that girl before.
>That's why she was so angry at the party.
>"Leni," Lori calls, raising her voice to catch her attention, "you remember Carol Pingry, right?"
>"The Junior Prom incident? I thought you were over that."
>"Watch it," Lori warns. "But yeah, Junior Prom. Do you remember who we hung out with before Carol? She was taller than us? Black hair, I think?"
>Leni stops the blender to inspect her smoothie.
>Satisfied, she unhooks the pitcher from the base, and grabs three glasses from the cabinet.
>"I know who you're talking about," she answers, pouring the slurry carefully into the containers.
>"Her name was...she's, uh..."
>Pulling back, Leni scratches her head, concentrating hard on the question.
>"Wait, I know, Verity!"
>Snapping her finger in victory, Leni returns to her task at hand.
>"Verity St. Pierre. We used to be bee-eff-effs. Then mom told us we weren't allowed to see her anymore."
>"Well, I saw her yesterday," Lori replies coolly, pulling the coffee pot from its base, pouring a steaming cup of brew for herself.
>"Yeah? Where, uh," Leni pauses, already knowing this won't end well, "Where did you see her?"
>"At the party," Lori answers, blowing softly to cool her drink. "Making out with Bobby."
>Leni chooses her next words carefully.
>Very, very carefully.
>"Lori, I-I'm sorry," she offers, trying to keep herself calm.

>"Don't worry about it, Len."
>Taking a hard sip of her drink, Lori shrugs off the bitter taste before continuing.
>"Bobby texted me when we were napping," she explains, taking another sip. "He wants to talk about what happened."
>Feeling the pause means it's her turn, Leni chooses her words carefully.
>"Was...was Bobby drunk?" She asks.
>"Oh, literally no doubt about that. He was completely out of it when I went there."
>Lori shakes her head.
>"Doesn't forgive what he did, but I can't pin all the blame on him. So, he texted me when we were napping. He wants to talk."
>Finishing her coffee, Lori rinses her mug out before looking at her nervous sister.
>"So I'm going out to talk to him. I'll be at his house for an hour or two. You're in charge until I'm back."
>Seeing Leni nod, Lori takes a small breath.
>"Ok, Leni. New ground rule."
>She raises her hand, forefinger extended.
>"Stay away from Lincoln and Luna. Just...just give them space, Ok?"
>Leni nods again, taking a tentative sip of her smoothie.
>"You can watch TV or whatever or stay in our room, just don't bother them until I come back."
>"I won't," the younger sister answers glumly, offering a full glass to Lori.
>"Sorry Leni, I have to get going."
>Lori steps closer to her, giving her a light kiss on the forehead.
>"I'll try not to be long, I promise."
>She leaves the room, leaving Leni alone with her drinks.
>Dejected, she cleans up her mess, puts the remaining glasses in the fridge, and slowly walks to the stairs.
>Opening the door, she sees Lori packing a small box with trinkets, baubles and assorted items she and Bobby traded and gained over the weeks.
>She pauses.
>She taps on the door to get her sister's attention.
>"Lori?" she starts, keeping her voice low to avoid agitating Luna, "Why did you ask me about Verity?"
>Lori doesn't look at her, too busy filling the box with more mementos.
>"That's not what you want to know, Leni," Lori answers, picking up the box to test it's weight.

>She walks over to the dresser, taking off her shirt to find something thicker.
>"Rephrase the question, and I'll explain it to you."
>Leni rubs her chin, thinking over what to say.
>She tries again.
>"Why...did you care about who Verity was at the party?"
>"Rephrase the question," Lori says, putting on a green sweater.
>Leni scratches her head in frustration.
>Why is she doing this?
>"Why...why did mom tell us we couldn't play anymore?"
>Lori sits down, sighing heavily.
>Her eyes look tired.
>Patting the spot beside her, she invites her sister to join her on the bed.
>"Leni, Verity wasn't...a nice person."
>Leni stares at her, nodding to get her to continue.
>"You might not remember, but she was nice to mom and us, but she..."
>Lori swallows.
>"She did stuff to Lincoln."
>Leni gasps.
>"She bullied him when no one was around. She'd scare him, squeeze him until he cried, broke his toys..."
>Lori blinks, trying to hold back the tears.
>She's cried enough today.
>"You weren't home when Luna caught her one day. She was either teaching him how to swear, or making him lick a battery. I...I forget. But Luna told mom, and mom..."
>Lori shakes her head, rubbing her temple.
>"Mom kicked her out of the house, and made me promise not to tell you why, when she forbid us from playing with her anymore."
>Lori doesn't look up at Leni.
>She doesn't need to.
>She can feel the horrified girl shaking beside her.
>She sighs.
>"...May as well. I did some stuff to him, too."
>Leni lets out a choked sob.
>"Nothing as bad as her, don't freak out. But Verity encouraged me to be...expressive in my feelings."
>Lori lays back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

>"I pushed him around, ignored him when he wanted to play, pretended there were monsters in his room to scare him...I even trained him like a dog, once, to see if I could."
>She turns her head to see Leni staring through the doorway, across the hall at Luna's room.
>"Did you know that if you place a can of pop, or a book on just the right spot of his head, he'll freeze and balance it until you take it off?"
>Lori can't help but crack a wry grin at that.
>"He used to come into our room all the time," she whispers. "He always wanted to play with us, listen to us talk or read to him."
>"Then when...Verity came over, he'd try to hide under his bed or in the tub."
> Lori closes her eyes, already too late to stop the the tears from streaking down her cheeks.
>"Even after she was gone, Lincoln wouldn't come into our room anymore...Ah huh!"
>The strangled sob catches Lori off guard.
>"W-when I saw her at the party, I...I-I remembered everything she - ah huh! - d-did to him."
>It's too late to open the floodgates.
>"And everything I did to him, too..."
>The dam's already bursting.
>Rolling to her side, Lori curls into a tight ball, trying futilely to hide her shame as she miserably sobs.
>"His h-hair was...so b-b-beautiful," she wails, struggling to talk through the tsunami of emotion. "Now all th-the colour's gone. Ah huh! Ah huh huh huh!"

>Lori continues to weep, blubbering pitifully as she wallows in self-pity.
>She doesn't feel the hand on her shoulder.
>Or hear Leni saying something to her.
>It's only when she starts shaking her does Lori start paying attention.
>"Lori, you...you did do horrible things to Lincoln."
>She flinches at the sheer bluntness of Leni's words.
>"But...but so what? We all did horrible things to him, and to each other."
>Lori can see the red in Leni's eyes. She was crying too.
>"Remember...remember when we all wanted Lily to ourselves, and we kept fighting until she started crying?"
>Lori slowly nods.
>"Or...or when you and Luna had that big fight back in sixth grade?"
>Leni grins, smiling back on the memory.
>"Everyone at recess gathered to watch you two."
>Lori nods again, now thinking back on that day.
>"They all stopped to watch, didn't they?" Lori says, sniffing to clear her nose. "The jocks, the nerds. Everyone. They all stopped to watch us fight."
>"Who won?"
>Lori snorts derisively, but now she's grinning too.
>"Who cares? We both knocked the last of our baby teeth out in that fight. Mom wouldn't let us keep our tooth fairy money as punishment, and dad blended our meals into a smoothie since we couldn't chew with half our teeth missing."
>She sits up, struggling not to laugh.
>"We had to eat steak for a week through a straw, it was awful!"
>Leni giggles at the thought.
>"Re-remember when, uh," Lori pauses, snapping her fingers in concentration.
>"When Lynn threw Luan into a ditch on Hallowe'en? Mom spent two hours picking all the pieces of her costume out of the brambles, and another three to stitch them back together!"
>Leni cackles.
>"I had to help pick thorns out of her back! Heh, what about when, uh, you and Luna rolled Lincoln in bubble wrap and, heh, launched him onto the roof? He bounced off the garage!"
>Both sisters are in hysterics, rapidly trading old war stories of growing up.

>"When I trapped Lucy in the washing machine for two..."
>"Played with a kleenex and accidentally set the rug on fire..."
>"She pooped in the cat litter and tricked everyone into thinking Cliff had cancer..."
>"Locked me in that closet for six hours! Without even a colouring book! six hours!"
>"Dressed him like a girl and took him to the park..."
>"Almost threw me through the window..."
>"Spent a week stalking people with dad's shaver..."
>"So she cut her hair off in the mirror and blamed him..."
>"Gave us all lice so we'd have to shave our heads..."
>"Heh."
>"Heh."
>Wiping her eyes, Lori catches her breath as she look at Leni do the same.
>"We're horrible people, aren't we?" she asks, the happiest she's been all month.
>"Heh heh, yeah, totes," Leni answers warmly.
>Sighing wistfully, Lori leans over and pulls her sister in to a tight hug.
>"I wouldn't trade any of that for someone else. I love you, Leni," she whispers, holding her tight.
>"I love you too, Lori," Leni replies, squeezing just as hard before noticing the clock. "What about Bobby?"
>With a gasp, Lori shoves away from Leni, running to the mirror to check her makeup.
>"Bobby, I completely forgot!"
>Rapidly wiping her face clean, Lori shakily reapplies her makeup as she watches Leni sit up from the mirror.
>"Leni, I'm sorry, I have to go, I'm out of time."
>Turning back, she picks up the box, kisses her sister's cheek.
>"I'll be an hour, I promise! You'll be Ok, Leni! And stay away from Luna!"
>"I will Lori! Bye!"
>"Bye!"

>And with the door slamming, Lori leaves to talk to her boyfriend.
>Leni settled in on her bed, opening a new magazine to pass the time.
>Despite being alone, she's not upset.
>Lori will come back, and even if she's upset, Leni will cheer her back up.
>She goes downstairs for a while to watch a little TV, then to the kitchen to have a snack.
>She's back in her room when she hears Luna's door open, and someone stepping out.
>She can't hear what they're saying, but she can tell it's Lincoln walking down the hall.
>She gets up to open her door and call to him.
>Then sits down again, remembering Lori's request.
>She's trapped in her room now.
>She's already bored, even with the new magazine in her hands.
>She can hear her parent's shower running downstairs, but she still doesn't leave.
>Pinky promises are sacred, after all.
>Resigned to her boredom, Leni lays back, resting her head on her pillow, staring at the ceiling, trying to will the time to pass until Lori's b-
>*SKUTCH*
>*CHOOOOM*
>The roar of the sky outside empties her mind in an instant.
>*Veeeurrm*
>The sudden blackout causes her to cry out.
>Kicking herself into the corner in a panic, she tightly clutches the pillow as she adopts a fetal position.
>"It'sonlyastormit'sonlyastormit'sonlyastorm..." she whispers frantically, desperately trying to seize control of her fear.
>*Tp tp tp*
>"Leni? Lori? It's...it's me. Can I come in, please?"
>Crap.
>Taking a deep breath, Leni hunkers down and holds as silently and as still as she can.
>She waits, hoping her silence would make him go aw-
>"I'm not leaving, you know."
>Crap!
>She hears the door open, and familiar footsteps enter the room.
>Hearing the door close, she decides she has no choice.
>Sorry, Lori.
>Leni swallows, scooting to the centre of her bed, catching his attention.
>"...Lincoln?" she whispers nervously.

>Lincoln blindly gropes for the bed, sitting down on the corner in silence.
>A few moments pass, the two siblings rooted where they are.
>Waiting for the other to speak.
>Lincoln can feel Leni's body heat despite being a few feet away.
>He starts to feel himself warm up, too.
>"So...Lori didn't murder you?" he asks tentatively, taking the initiative and breaking the ice.
>"No, we...talked it over," Leni answers, keeping her distance. "How're you feeling?"
>"I'm better. Still a bit sore, but...better."
>Two sat in silence again, staring out the window, the room faintly illuminated by faint lacework of light arcing across the clouds.
>"I...I'm sorry," Leni mumbles, ignoring the soft rumbles outside. "For everything. This is all my fault."
>She wants him to agree.
>She expects him to yell at her.
>Blame her.
>Maybe even hit her.
>Well, hopefully not that.
>That's scary.
>Leni squeaks when she feels his hand press against her cheek.
>It's warm, soft.
>She automatically leans into it, rubbing her cheek into his palm.
>She remembers how much fun they had the other day.
>When they were watching TV together.
>Cuddling.
>Kiss...kissing.

>Leni looks in her brother's direction.
>She can't see him, but she can feel him looking back.
>It makes her chest feel warm.
>She knows that Lincoln has forgiven her.
>He always does.
>He's a better brother than she deserves.
>Than any of them deserve.
>"Stay put for a second, Ok?" she whispers, feeling her face heat up.
>Pulling his hand away, she gets off her bed and makes for her dre-
>"Whuh!"
>With a cry she trips over a shirt.
>*Krump*
>With a thud Leni hits the ground.
>Smooth.
>She gets up, hoping Lincoln couldn't see any of that.
>She keeps moving.
>Very slowly.
>But when she's there, she gets to work.
>Lincoln waits patiently for Leni to return, leaning his arms back and calmly listening to the rain.
>He can hear her changing her clothes on the other end of the room.
>He can recognize the sound of her kicking off her sandals.
>The soft "fwump" of her dress hitting the floor.
>An unfamiliar soft clicking sound, followed by a spritz of something.
>Smells nice.
>Blackberry?

>Lincoln follows Leni's footsteps as she walks back to the bed.
>Feeling her sit down, he gives her a moment to settle in before continuing the conversation.
>She's a lot closer now.
>"So where's Lori?" he asks, not realizing how close his hand is to hers.
>"She went to see Bobby," Leni answers, trying to control the hammering in her heart. "He wanted to talk."
>"Hoo, that's gonna end well," he replies coolly, already planning how to handle his sister when she comes home.
>"You know about that?" Leni asks incredulously.
>"She told me when she came home."
>"Oh."
>Leni takes a quiet breath.
>Ok Leni.
>You can do this.
>Years of fashion magazines and dating columns have prepared you for this moment.
>Step one: butter him up.
>"Lincoln," she whispers, stealthily sliding an inch closer. "I'm really glad you're Ok."
>"Dude, I told you, water under the bridge," the brother answers, noticing her change in tone.
>Leni falters, thinking of what to say.
>The magazines didn't cover aloofness.
>Come on Leni!
>"I-I'm just saying," Leni stutters, fidgeting nervously. "You've, uh...clearly grown up. Yeah. All big...and strong."
>She puts a lot of emphasis on 'big' as she tentatively brushes his arm.
>Way too much empha-
>Whoa.
>Leni gently pinches Lincoln's bicep.
>There's actually some wire there.
>She can't help but bite her lip.
>Wait.
>No, Leni.
>Focus.
>Come on.

>"S-so big and strong," Leni finishes, squeezing Lincoln's arm again.
>Oh yeah.
>That's a bit of muscle right there.
>"Th-thanks, Leni..." Lincolns mutters shyly.
>He's sweating bullets.
>Her voice is doing weird things to him.
>Like when they kissed.
>"You know, Lori and I, uh...we..."
>Leni stops again, pressing a finger to her chin in thought.
>What to say...
>Oh right!
>Part two: fainting vulnerability.
>Leni slides her hand down his arm, tracing along the peach fuzz until she reaches his hand.
>Drawing it back up to her face, she curls it into a loose fist, wrapping his hand tightly in hers.
>"Lincoln, I'm...I'm doing better now, handling the...the storms," she admits.
>That's the truth.
>From how the storm's been going all week, Leni would have died from shock if it weren't for the safety Lincoln's brought her.
>"I know we can't always do this. I'm...I'm a big girl. But..."
>Leni swallows, just noticing her throat is dry.
>"Can...can we stay together tonight? Just so I can sleep?"
>Leni stares at the dark shape beside her, her eyes imploring the boy-shaped smudge to accept.

>"Please?" she whispers, closing the distance with one last scoot.
>With a tap, the sibling's legs are touching.
>Lincoln can faintly make out that she's wearing a heavy shirt.
>And from the texture rubbing against his skin, it's scratchy.
>A wool sweater, maybe?
>But her legs.
>She's not wearing pants.
>Granted, that's not an unusual circumstance.
>But now?
>Even through the denim of his jeans, he can feel how hot she is.
>He can smell her perfume.
>Definitely blackberry.
>He can smell her skin, too.
>Along with the faint hint of vinegar and salt from her sweat...
>He was practically incandescent himself.
>Lincoln can barely breathe from just how flustered he is.
>This is just too much for the poor boy.
>He whimpers when Leni brings her lips to his ear.
>Her chest squishes into his arm.
>"We can cuddle like huggy ti-"

>Before the girl can finish her invitation, the room illuminates from the flash of lightning outside.
>Right outside.
>Striking the tree, again.
>That thing is definitely not going to survive the summer at this rate.
>Time slows down for Lincoln.
>The sudden flash of light allows him to see Leni clearly, if under a silvery filter.
>She's sitting right beside him, one of his hands in hers, the other close to his face.
>Must have wanted to stroke his cheek.
>Lincoln focuses on her face.
>Her eyes are wide, the whites the size of dinner plates.
>He finds it funny that the light apparently reached one eye first.
>Her right pupil is a tiny pinprick, almost invisible in the sea of blue.
>The other pupil was fully dilated, causing her appearance to look slightly two-faced.
>Her lips are...
>Oh wow.
>Her plump...pouty lips shiny with gloss; her mouth forming a modest, tiny frown, as if she were only mildly surprised.
>Her hair is...well, it's a mess, no use lying.
>Cowlick here, stray hair there.
>A good chunk slowly straightening out from the spook.
>But Leni, being Leni, makes it work.
>She could be struck by lightning, sucked into a twister and buried in a mudslide, and still come out looking radiant.

>Lincoln shifts his gaze lower.
>Her neck.
>Slender.
>Elegant.
>He can almost remember how her skin tasted when he latched onto her.
>Lower still his eyes wander.
>Holy wow.
>It's the sweater.
>The scratchy, heavy, perfect sweater.
>And the perfume.
>She wore that before, too.
>She...she planned this.
>Wait.
>Lincoln's mental process stutters briefly at the revelation.
>Leni actually planned this?
>His eyes continue scaling down.
>Where does she think she's going with this?
>Past the ample swell of her chest, to her covered, slim tummy, all the way down to her thighs.

>Oh God, her thighs.
>Lincoln swallows.
>He liked it a lot when she held him against her with her legs.
>Really liked it a lot.
>B-KOO-
>Lincoln was wondering when the thunder was going to come.
>He later wonder when his hearing will come back.
>He actually felt the shockwave as the sheer audacity of noise breaks into the room.
>He feels Leni's hand tighten like a vice, easily crushing his hand worse than when they were having lunch.
>He takes a deep breath before feeling her other hand anchor into his hair, almost tearing out a clump of his scalp as he rams into her body.
>He turns his head to the side to free his airway, his arms already rubbing his sister's back from behind to placate her.
>Occasionally he tickles the outskirts of her ribcage,
>Pure auditorial annihilation rips through the house for almost ten seconds.
>Ten whole seconds!
>Can you believe it?

>Lincoln knew what's coming.
>One of the perks of being in a large family is that when something unexpected happens, you learn to never let it catch you flat-footed again.
>This time he's ready.
>The boy takes a quick breath and tightens his grip against his sister's sweater, bracing for the crush.
>...
>He twists his head to the side to keep his mouth free of obstruction when he needs to break free for air.
>...Right now.
>He squeezes his eyes shut, hands ready to tickle Leni to worm out of her grapple.
>...any second now.
>He waits for the imminent loss of hearing when his sister wails in his ear like a banshee-alright, what is taking so long here?
>Cracking an eye open, Lincoln glances upwards, towards Leni's face.
>She's staring downward, blankly, her face oddly neutral.
>But even in the dark, he can tell his sister's petrified in terror.
>That's not good.
>He realizes her hands are off him too, seeing them clutched to her temples, her fingers almost ripping out pieces of her scalp.
>That's really not good.
>Lincoln then finally notices that Leni's chest hasn't pushed into him.
>She's holding her breath.
>'Breathing' is pretty up there in the boy's personal checklist of 'Things Leni Needs to Do Regularly,' along with 'eating' and 'being happy.'
>'Breathing' and 'happy' are in short supply right now.
>Lincoln scowls, staring indignantly at the weather outside.
>Not on his watch.

>Letting go of Leni's back, Lincoln pulls away just far enough to comfortably reach up and cup her cheeks.
>"Leni! Leni, listen to me!" he whispers loudly, struggling to keep his voice loud enough to overcome the din outside, and quiet enough to not disturb Luna.
>"You're safe! The storm won't hurt you! It's just noise and water!"
>Although it seems to fall on deaf ears, Len's pupils flick up to his face.
>She's focusing on him at least.
>Good.
>"Leni, focus on my voice, on my hands," Lincoln asks, gently tapping her forehead with his. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you. I..."
>Leni's still holding her breath.
>Now Lincoln's starting to panic.
>He knows if anything happens to her, it'll be on his head.
>And Lori will make sure he lives long enough to regret it.
>And as terrified as he is of Lori carrying out her...inventive threats, he's more afraid of losing his Leni.
>Wait.
>'His' Leni?
>Maybe...?
>Lincoln narrows his eyes, staring intently at his choking sister.
>He sighs.
>Alright.
>The truth.

>Lincoln tries to swallow, finding his mouth suddenly dry.
>"Leni, I'm not going to leave you. I...I don't want to leave you. I love hanging out with you."
>Lincoln pauses, watching his panicked sister closely.
>She's still frozen, but her eyes are still on him.
>That's good.
>He moves his hands from her cheeks, intertwining his fingers with hers from behind.
>"I-I love being with you!" he urges, tugging at her hands weakly. "I don't want you to be afraid of the storms anymore!"
>Leni blinks!
>She's listening!
>"I...I want you to like the rain! I want you to hear thunder and think about me... about us. Because then we could be together, and...and uh..."
>Lincoln realizes he's slowly drawn his face closer to Leni's.
>Their noses are almost touching.
>He tries tugging her hands away again.
>She lets go of her hair, letting it thread through their combined fingers as he brings her hands to his face.

>Lincoln squeezes his sister's hands again, letting them rest against his warm face.
>Letting go, he cups her cheeks once more, their faces almost touching.
>He stares into her dark blue eyes, and her, his.
>"Leni..." he whispers, uncertainty in his voice. "I...I love you. You know that."
>Leni's expression of fear swiftly changes to one of confusion.
>Overcome by his youthful shyness, he looks to her left, casting his eyes to the wall beside her.
>"But I think I...I think I love you more than I sh-should. I...I've been looking forward to the rain. So we could...so I could hold you."
>Lincoln can see Leni's face change to one of curiosity.
>Her lips part, an he can see her chest swell.
>She's breathing again.
>Yes.
>Good.
>But Lincoln's too far gone in his nerves to stop.
>"I don't...I know I shouldn't feel like this," he rambles, moving his hands from Leni's face to her hands on his, trying to keep her touch close.
>"But I don't care, Leni. I love talking to you. I...I love holding you, and k-kissing you, and I'm nohmpph?"
>Lincoln didn't notice Leni smiling sweetly at him in his monologue.
>Or her leaning in.
>He definitely notices when she presses her lips against his, holding his face still as she soothes him.

>As soon as she feels her little brother relax, Leni pulls back, looking down lovingly at her dazed sibling.
>Before he can regain his senses, she pulls him into a tight hug, squeezing as much of her love into his small frame as she can.
>"I know how you feel," she whispers tenderly, her lips brushing against his ear.
>It was barely a whisper, just enough to overcome the wind outside.
>But the warm air from her words blowing into it makes him shudder, burying his face into her neck.
>As she strokes his hair, she can feel his cheeks burning up.
>"I...might not be as smart as Lori, or Luna," she continues, rocking herself back and forth to keep the mood up, "but I know this should feel weird to me."
>Swinging her legs to bring her feet onto her bed, Leni slowly lies down, pulling Lincoln with her, until he's fully resting on her.
>"But I feel the same way," she finishes, pulling his face from its hiding spot to kiss him again.
>This time Lincoln kisses back.

>As the kissing progresses, their hands start to wander.
>Pretty quickly, they figure out where they like to touch, and be touched.
>Leni learns that Lincoln likes her hands on his back, shoulders and head.
>Lincoln figures that Leni likes it...well, everywhere he's touched so far.
>A pleasant murmur comes out of her throat when he strokes her hair or rubs her cheek.
>A happy sigh when he clutches her shoulder, or brushes her arm.
>A content purr as he runs his hand down her side, grasping her hips as her legs start to wrap around his waist.
>He missed this feeling.
>Of the safety in her embrace, of the comfort of lying on her soft body, the warmth as her ankles lock him against her.
>He was right, too.
>She isn't wearing pants.
>Lincoln groans when Leni's mouth shifts, suckling playfully on his upper lip.
>Then he gets a jolt in his spine when he feels her tongue slide past her lips, tapping politely against his teeth.
>Pushing himself harder into her body, he opens his mouth, letting his sister's tongue slip inside, pushing his into her mouth as well.
>Their tongues pushing and wrestle against each other for a moment, before breaking off and mutually exploring the interior decoration.
>Probing molars, tickling the roofs, pushing as far inside as they can go, running against the gumline.
>The taste is exquisite.

>Lincoln calls Uncle first.
>He pulls his face back from the kiss, sucking in cold air as she tries to nibble on his jawline.
>As he pants, the young boy paws around in the dark, fumbling for something to hold himself up.
>His hand lands on something familiar, and Leni's weak moan clues him in quickly.
>"Oh! Sorry," he whispers, pulling his hand away from her chest.
>"Lincoln?" She asks, her voice shaky
>"Y-yeah?" he asks back, feeling her fingers curl around his wrist.
>"You shouldn't...this is your first time, right?"
>Her voice is distant, like her head is turned away.
>"Y-yeah?" he answers, mapping where Leni's taking his hand.
>"Mine...mine too. Your first time shouldn't be spent with someone who, ah...who doesn't know you. A stranger."
>Leni lets go of Lincoln's hand.
>He feels his curled fingers rest against her waist.
>He feels his thumb brush against the hem of her sweater.
>His pinky rests against the swell of her hip.
>He doesn't feel any fabric.
>"Your first time should be spent with someone who...who loves you, and cares about you."
>Her voice drops to a hushed whisper, and Lincoln can feel her lift her head to whisper into his ear.
>Her cheek against his.
>So hot.
>Though he can barely hear her words, they may as well be a foghorn for what she says next.
>"L-like me. Just be gentle, though...please?"

>"I mean, if you...you want to, to, uh..."
>Lincoln feels his heart swell to near-bursting.
>She just...offered herself to him.
>Leni.
>His big sister.
>She trusts him enough to let him...
>"Well, Lincoln?" Are you...What do you want to do?"
>Her breath is shaky and shallow.
>He can feel her pulse from how he's lying on her.
>Her heart is pounding harder than his is.
>His breathing hitches, and his hands start trembling.
>Ok, Lincoln, focus.
>A beautiful lady, madly in love with you, has just given you an offer you can't, and won't, refuse.
>What are you, to quote, 'going to do?"
>Lincoln rests his chin against the top of her breasts, looking up at her from his position.
>He can see her face easily from this distance.
>Even without enough light to give him colour vision, he can see just how hard she's blushing.
>Her eyes are closed, and her supple lips are parted.
>He'll give her an answer she'll like.

>Adjusting his grip on her waist, Lincoln strokes the soft skin of Leni's tummy, his fingers brushing against the hem of her sweater.
>He uses the brief tickling to slip free of the lock her legs had him in.
>She quickly gets over the mild tickling; her nervous giggles turning into cautious sighs as her brother continues to touch her.
>Drawing his legs under him, he lifts his chest off of her body, reaching with his free hand to take hold of hers.
>Locking fingers together, Lincoln leans back down, quickly peppering a string of kisses along her exposed collarbone.
>"Linc...Ah, Lincoln..." Leni whispers, craning her head away from his, silently urging him to trail up and not across.
>Keeping his back arched, he ignores the request for now, focusing on her tummy again.
>Time for step two.
>Slipping his thumb past the barrier, Lincoln slowly edges his hand up Leni's shirt.
>The thin sheen of sweat coating her skin allows his hand to slip and glide across her belly.
>He stops short of her rib cage, his thumb skirting against the skin stretched over bone.
>Leni's mouth is agape, gasping heavily as the foreplay continues.
>He reaches up to plant a series of feathery kisses up her neck, tracing along the racing vein to chew on the curve of her jaw.
>Leni squirms at the intimacy, throwing her free arm over her eyes as she squeezes his hand.
>Her gasping changes to quick, shallow panting.
>She seems to have developed some shyness.

>"L-Lincoln, please..." Leni whimpers, twitching and shivering from each kiss her brother gives her.
>Lincoln can feel Leni's thighs tense up as he teases her, the toned muscles running taut as his fingers danced along her body.
>And what a body!
>Everywhere he's touched over the week has been nothing short of divine.
>Speaking of...
>Leni gasps when Lincoln pushes past her ribs, his fingers drumming softly along the faint outline of bone.
>She squeaks when his thumb finally nudges against her breast, tracing lightly along the swelling mound.
>Leni arches her back, whining softly as she silently begs him to get to it.
>Another flash of lightning illuminates the room.
>It doesn't matter how brief it was.
>What Lincoln sees is seared into his mind for the rest of his days.
>Leni's face, tears in her eyes, her lips trembling, her cheeks rosy and flush; looking desperate.
>Her sweater hiked up, exposing her flat, tight belly, the faint swell of her ribs, and her breast partially obscured by the hem of her clothing.
>He can make out a small splash of bright pink.
>Her slick thighs shiver in excitement, struggling to hold back from wrapping her legs around him and squeezing the life out of the boy.
>And between her thighs...
>O-oh...
>O glory of glories...
>O heavenly testament to the eternal majesty of God's creation...
>"Holy macaroni..." the white-haired boy whispers to himself.
>"W-what?" Leni asks, confused in her haze.
>"What," Lincoln quickly asks back.
>"WHAT," says Lori, standing in the doorway.

Chapter Six, Lincoln's Lost Light.
~Fin~