Stormbringer, Chapter One: Leni's Lightmare

>Leni is secretly terrified of thunderstorms.
>During particularly bad storms, she would force Lori to share the bed with her, and grapple her like a spider monkey.
>She can somewhat control the panic attacks now, but if caught off guard, she’ll spook.
>In the middle of the night, Leni wakes up to a thunderclap so strong, that it actually shakes the house a little.
>Lori isn’t home.
>Lincoln also woke from the thunderclap, but quickly starts to fall back to sl-
>BAMMO
>Leni, eyes squeezed shut, rams through the door and dives into the bed, buyring herself in the covers, and latches onto Lincoln
>Due to the size disparity, her legs wrap around his waist, and his head is forced into her chest.
>Lincoln quickly realizes the problem when she doesn’t react to his muffled complaints.
> She stops hyperventilating when Lincoln returns the hug, and manages to twist his head so he could breathe.
> Leni eventually falls back to sleep, but her grip doesn’t let up.
>Girl has more muscle then she lets on.
>In the morning, Leni slips out, confused as to why she was in Lincoln’s room.

>The next evening, another thunderclap.
>Lincoln wakes up to being smothered in soft fabric and softer warmth.
>He admits that it’s not such a bad feeling, before wriggling his head free to look at her.
>The soft glow of the moon doesn’t help his increasingly conflicted feelings over his big sister.
>The lavender of her pajamas complimented her skin in the low light.
>Her hair was unkempt, but being Leni, it somehow works.
>How does this girl do that?
>Her full lips were tightly pursed in fear, and even then, the occasional whimper manages to squeak through.
>Her body heat has skyrocketed from the response to the thunder, and Lincoln actually started to feel sleepy, he was so comfortable.
>Her eyes were
>Wait.
>She’s wearing a blindfold.
>Did she somehow run through her door, down a cluttered hallway without stepping on anything, open Lincoln’s door, and get in without slamming into him?
>Good Lord, woman.
>Another thunderclap rumbles through the sky, and Lincoln suddenly feels himself struggling to breathe as his sister collapses further into herself, dragging him into her increased density.
>Her grip becomes almost crushing, a he starts losing sensation in his legs and left arm.
>He sees stars when, with a bonk, Len presses her head against his.

>She starts shaking again and her choking gets worse.
>Even in the darkness of night, and Leni’s shadow, Lincoln can see her tears pressing through the blindfold .
>Struggling to breathe, Lincoln starts to panic.
>He doesn’t want to die, but he also doesn’t want Leni to wake up with his mangled, crumbled form in her arms.
>Her skin smells so nice.
>Wait. Leni. That’s it.
>Drawing from a previously unknown fortitude, Lincoln wrests his left arm free from between the two of them, and weakly presses his palm against her head.
>Leni cries out in fear, and flinches away from the touch.
>Lincoln starts to stroke, gently rubbing her temple and smoothing out her hair.
>His vision starts to grey out, and with the last of the air in his lungs, he whispers into her chest.
>“It’s okay, Leni…” He rasps. He could feel her heart slamming in her ribcage. “I’m…here… It’s… okay…”

>If you were even two feet away from the bed, you wouldn’t have heard his last words.
>But Leni, bllind in panic and in the throes of night terrors, heard his words ring loudly like a bell.
>Driving the demons from her dreams, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of calm and support.
>Lincoln. Her baby brother. He’s come to save her.
>With a content, placated sigh, Leni’s body went limp, her muscles losing its strength from the newfound calm, and releasing Lincoln from her death grip.
>A moment passes.
>Two.
>Lincoln’s eyes pop open, and his mouth gapes open, sucking in as much cold air as his ravaged lungs could carry.
>A coughing fit follows, with more ragged gasps behind.
>“Lincoln…”

>Lincoln glances up at the source of the soft voice, just as his slumbering sister pressed her hot, soft lips against his forehead.
>She unconsciously pulls him into another embrace, but gentler, more loving.
>Having found an island of stability, Leni’s switches flip.
>She gives her brother another peck, before rubbing her cheek into his hair.
>Her arm slips under his armpit and wraps over to his shoulder and the other snakes around his waist, pressing into his lower back, nudging him closer to her.
>Her leg shifts and wraps around his knees, drawing them in between hers.
>She’s a damn good cuddler.
> Who’d have figured?
>Lincoln’s face is again pressed into Leni’s chest, but it’s not as smothering as before.
>Her heart has slowed down, thumping rhythmically.
>He returns the hug, wrapping his arms around her chest, rubbing her ridiculously soft jammies.
>Seriously, is this shit satin?
>Leni mumbles again, breathing an airy sigh.
>The deep breath pushed her bosom against Lincoln’s face for a moment, making the boy shiver to his core.

>Whoa, What was that?
>Brushing it off to nerves from his near-death experience, Lincoln feels the lull of slumber digging into him.
>“Goodnight, Leni,” Lincoln whispers, closing his eyes.
>“Ruh…minoy…habba babba…” Leni mumbles back, too deep in slumber to respond properly.
>He rolls with it, and quickly slips into a deep sleep.
>Leni wakes up first.
>Tugging her blindfold off, she's momentarily confused at her surroundings, before realizing she’s in her brother’s room.
>Again.
>She looks down and sees her brother still snoring.
>How did this happen?
>They’re still wrapped around each other.
>Leni trembles when his arms shifts and briefly rubs her back.
>Well, it’s not so bad; Lincoln’s just the right warmth.
>Leni decides to settle back in and wait for him to wake up, cuddling with him as she watches the clouds pass the window.
>Lincoln wakes up a moment later, blinking the sleep out of his eyes before remembering last night.
>He looks up to Leni peering down at him.
>She smiles, kisses his forehead, and gently hugs him.

>“Good morning, Lincoln,” she says. “Thank you so much for last night. I was so scared.”
>Her brow suddenly furrows in worry.
>“...please don’t tell the others about this. They...think I’m dumb enough. I don’t want them thinkioooooohhhh…”
>Her words slur into a pleasant groan as Lincoln dances his arms against her back.
>She looks down through hooded eyes at his beaming face.
>“Tell them what?”
>Leni stares at him, before smiling again.
>“Thank you, Lincoln,” she says, blinking away tears.
>He always comes through for her.
>She crushes him with another deep hug, before sliding out of bed. “Let’s get breakfast.”
>For the rest of the day, the two were practically inseparable, hanging out together in her or his room, discussing random topics.
>He managed to teach her a simple way to cook an egg, and it seems to have stuck.
>In return, she taught him to make a perfect smoothie.

>Lincoln had the time of his live bonding with his sister.
>Once you actually settle down and listen to what she’s saying, she’s actually pretty knowledgeable about things.
>She’s not stupid, just scattered.
>Leni also couldn’t be happier.
>Not only is Lincoln willing to put with with her freakouts, but he spends the day keeping her company and keeping her calm from the noise of thunder.
>He even protects her from Luan and her spider pranks.
>Lori would just give her lip service until she's calmed down, and then kick her out of her bed afterward.
>Late afternoon, and their sharing the TV.
>Lincoln managed to convince her to watch one of his favourite shows, and after a couple of episodes and a bit of explaining the ideas behind it, warms up to it.
>“My name is Steve, and I’m gonna win this competition for my team!”
>“Wow, that’s a good attitude,” one of the announcers points out.
>“Not really, Ken. You see, Steve Smiley is hopelessly addicted to optimism.”
>The pair burst into laughter as poor Steve plows through most of the course before losing steam, promptly falling off while Vic and Kenny comment on this poor, poor man.
>Seriously, watch MXC. Great show.

>They're sharing the sweet spot on the couch, with Lincoln sitting in Leni’s lap.
>They've also draped themselves in a heavy quilt Leni made for Lincoln's birthday.
>Only their heads can be seen, cuddling over the covers, with an odd arm breaking out to grab a sip of a smoothie.
>Leni wipes a tear from her eye, still giggling sporadically.
>She looks down at Lincoln, still guffawing at poor Robin Fife spontaneously donating his pancreas midcourse, scoring a point for both teams.
>She pulls him into a loose hug, pressing her chest into his back while resting her chin on his head.
>“Lincoln,” she singsongs. Her brother shivers at the intimacy in her touch and voice. “You’re the best little brother ever.”
>Leni had never felt so safe and loved in her life.
>“Thanks, Leni,” he replies, squeezing her arms in response. “You’re the b-”
>A blinding flash of white fills the room, as a lightning bolt strikes dead center on the drive way.
>The thunder was more of an explosion, shaking the house harder than ever before, and even causing a few photos to fall off the walls.
>If the fury of the sky didn't deafen Lincoln, his sister's absolutely terrified shriek did the trick.
>Her grip around him turned from loving to outright murderous, throttling most of his air out as she panics.
>He can’t even shake the ringing out of his ears, she’s got such a grip on him.
>Going from bad to worse, the power cuts out, plunging the living room into utter darkness, as further aftershocks of thunder trumpet outside.
>The light spitting going on the entire week before becomes an utter downpour, sounding closer to a metal tub being filled as heavy drops collide with the roof.
>Leni slams her head into the back of Lincoln’s, and he feels a splash of wet against his hair.
>He hopes she didn’t just break her nose.
>It takes a good while for him to wriggle, squirm, and slip around so he could face her.
>She’s sobbing.
>Tears pour down her face like the rain outside, ruining her makeup, which he momentarily mistakes for two black eyes.
>Lincoln's heart flared with anger.
>The blankey they’ve used to stay toast now feels frigid.
>How dare this storm terrorize his sister. She has done nothing to deserve this.
>Leni starts choking, struggling to breathe.
>Her eyes spring open, her pupils pinpricks, unseeing, the whites bloodshot.
>She sucks in as much air as possible through her clenched teeth, before diving into her brother, sobbing messily in her hysterics.
>Lincoln pushes aside his cold fury.
>His sister needs him now.
>“Leni,” he whispers loudly, gently shaking her shoulders. “Leni, it’s alright. It’s alright, you’re safe. I’m here.”
>She doesn’t respond, sobbing raggedly in her terror.
>“Leni, please,” he begs, tears welling in his eyes now.
>Desperate, he starts stroking her head, his fingers threading through her beautiful sunflower-yellow hair.
>Although still weeping, Leni at least tilts her head into his touch.

>“Focus on my hand in your hair,” Lincoln whispers, reaching with his other hand to wipe her tears, smudging her makeup further in the process.
>He takes it further and wraps it around to her neck, stroking her as gently as possible.
>She definitely reacts to that, craning her head back in response, her shriek immediately softening into a coo.
>He grip hasn’t lessened, but he at least has her attention.
>Now what?
>“...Leni,” Lincoln singsongs softly, struggling to be heard over the din outside. “You’re the best sister ever.”
>A moment passes. Two. Lincoln’s eyes have fully adjusted to the darkness. Leni’s lips are parted, breathing heavily. Her heart is still hammering, but it’s no longer slamming as it was before.
>Lincoln leans in.
>He presses his lips against hers. There's the barest pressure.
>Her lips taste exquisite.
>Who knew watermelon and pomegranate were such good bedfellows? Good choice of smoothie, kid.
>He pulls back. She’s dead silent aside from the odd huff.
>“I love you,” he whispers, hoping this does the trick.

>Aside from the cacophony of rain outside, the room is deathly silent.
>Eventually, Leni cracks her eyes open. They’re even more bloodshot now, and she’s struggling to breathe through her nose.
>“L-...Lincoln?” she croaks. Her night vision is terrible; she can barely see.
>Lincoln lowers his hand so it’s cupping her cheek, stroking along the bone. “Leni, it’s okay. It’s okay, I’m here. I’m here. I’m not gonna to leave you.”
>She leans into his hand, taking a calm breath for the first time since she freaked out.
>“I’m not going to leave you,” he repeats. His hand feels wet from a fresh pouring of tears.
>She hiccups. Lincoln blinks. Leni actually hiccuped.
>“Lincoln…” Another hiccup. His heart trembles. “I don't...want to be scared anymore.”
>She clutches him again, burying her face into his shoulder.
>She starts crying again, but it isn’t nearly as bad.
>This isn’t a fight or flight response, but a genuine outpouring of emotion.
>Lincoln reaches behind her and starts rubbing her back, helping coax out more of distress.
>“It’s okay, Leni. Let it out,” he whispers, rocking his sister the best he could. His legs have cramped out a while ago. “I won’t let it hu-”
>“PFFFFFTTTTT”
>He freezes. She stops crying.
>“...Leni? Did you just blow your nose on my shirt?”
>“...s-sorry.”

>Leni pulls back, looking down at Lincoln.
>He smiles, and offers her his sleeve.
>Her smile is shakier, but she accepts the gift, wiping her tears and the last streaks of her makeup.
>Lincoln hears her mumble something under her breath.
>“Pardon?”
>She blushes. “Huh? Oh, uh… Heh. D-did...did you mean it?”
>“Mean what?”
>Leni looks away and starts fiddling with her hair. “Y-you know. That I’m best… sister,” her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “And that you love me…”
>Lincoln takes her hand away from her hair, squeezing her palm in his own.
>“...I did. I mean, I do.”
>Her eyes are still on the floor. “Really?”
>“Of course.”
>"Really really?"
>"Leni."

>She finally looks at him. Her eyes well up again, before she closes them.
>She leans in.
>Her lips press against his.
>Her hair spills over and brushes against his face.
>Her breasts smoosh into his collar bone.
>Oh God, how can her lips taste so sweet.
>She pulls back. She’s breathing deeply.
>Her eyes are lidded again, like from this morning.
>“I love you too,” she whispers, her voice throaty.
>Lincoln shivers at her voice.
>His eyes dart between her eyes and her lips.
>Her.. soft, plump lips.

>He wants to kiss her.
>He needs to kiss her.
>He leans in and returns the smooch, pushing her back against the couch.
>Leni murmurs in pleasure, her arms laying limp beside her.
>She returns the kiss, tasting the smoothie on his lips as well.
>Lincoln finally pulls his dead legs out from under him, making him drape himself over her body.
>Leni gasps at the sudden weight on her torso. But she likes it.
>Her face is burning now. Her arms move, snaking her hand under Lincoln’s shirt, feeling his light muscles and the odd bone poking through the skin.
She shifts her legs, so his waist slips between them.
>Want.
>Lincoln shudders again. His hands fight back, his left gripping her thigh for leverage, the other firmly holding  her side through her sweater.
>Leni moans, her heart starting to race again. She’s kissing Lincoln. Her baby brother. She loves him.
>Need.

>Lincoln’s legs start coming back to life, allowing him to push his weight further into her.
>WANT.
>Leni breaks the kiss, hissing appreciatively at his assertions.
>Her breath is shaky. She shoves back, mashing her lips into his, pressing her tongue against his lips as her legs wrap around his waist.
>NEED.
>Lincoln struggles to understand the emotions and sensations he’s feeling right now. Why did Leni wrap her legs around him? What is she trying to do with her tongue? Why does he want to do the same with his?
>His legs, fully alive and tingling, pushes against the cushion, trying to force their bodies as close as possible.
>His hand releases her thigh, darting up to her sweater.
>It slides against the fabric.
>He tries again.
>It slides against her stomach, eliciting a surprised giggle.
>Third time's the charm.
>His hand moves again.
>Stay on target.
>It rubs against her thigh.
>You’ve turned off your targeting computer. What’s wrong?

>His fingertips pushes against the hem of her sweater.
>Moment of truth!
>Roll to pin the titty!
>THE TABLE LEANS IN!
>NATURAL! FUCKING! TWENTY!
>His fingers slip under her sweater, gliding up to its target.
>She’s not wearing a shirt underneath the sweater.
>Her skin is fucking boiling.
>His palms rubs against her ribs.
>Leni breaks the kiss again, throwing her head back to breathe.
>“L-Lincoln,” she mumbles.
>He can’t reach her lips anymore.
>He latches onto her neck the exact moment his hand wraps around her breast.
>She sighs out a moan.
>Like an Alto holding a perfect C.
>Incredible.
>*Vrrnnhh...*

>The sudden noise breaks their fervour.
>With a flicker, the lights turn back on, and the room floods with the ambience of appliances starting up.
>Lincoln looks at Leni.
>Her makeup is ruined, but she is so beautiful.
>Her eyes are still red from crying, but they aren’t as bad now.
>She looks down at Lincoln, smiling happily. Her skin is flushed.
>She frowns, staring intently right behind him.
>Muttering an apology, she gently pushes her brother off of her before scurrying off.
>Her feet stomp up the stairs as Lincoln struggled to control his breathing.
>He can still taste her in his mouth.
>He glances at the hand that was just up her shirt.
>He flexes his fingers, estimating her cup size from memory.
>A scream from upstairs shunts the last of his daze from his mind.
>“Leni?!”
>No answer.

>Lincoln bolts for the stairs.
>“Leni?! Are you okay?!”
>He scales the stairs faster than Lynn ever could.
>He turns the corner, beelining for the light flowing out o-
>BAM
>He reels back just in time, narrowing avoiding the bathroom door slamming into his face.
>“NOT NOW!”
>Lincoln bangs on the door. “Leni, what’s wrong?!”
>“GO AWAY!”
>“I’M NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!”
>“I SAID DON’T COME IN!” His sister shrieks, echoing through the empty hallway. “I LOOK HIDEOUS!”
>Lincoln grumbles in annoyance.
>She’s freaking out over that?
>A wardrobe malfunction?
>Women.

>Lincoln goes into his room to change his shirt.
>He whistles as he sees firsthand his sister’s handiwork all over his shoulder and sleeves.
>Okay, maybe she was onto something.
>Maybe.
>Glancing at the clock and seeing how late it was, Lincoln decides to change into his jammies.
>The bathroom door is still closed as Lincoln goes back downstairs.
>He pulls back the quilt, wincing at how moist the seat got.
>How did her tears get this far down?
>Lincoln turns the TV back on, grateful that the MXC marathon is still on.
>Fifteen minutes later, he hears a door click open upstairs.
>Footsteps padding to another room.
>Quiet shuffling.
>Then more footsteps.
>The floorboards creaks as Leni comes back downstairs.
>Despite the fresh makeup, Lincoln can still see her flush.

>She sits down beside him.
>For several moments, they sit in silence, watching the TV and the antics of Vic and Kenny.
>Lincoln keeps glancing at Leni, watching her fidget and shift with greater worry each time.
>When the episode ends, Leni cleared her throat.
>“Um…” She starts.
>He can barely hear her, her voice is so low.
>He stares intently at her lips.
>Her... soft, warm lips.
>No.
>Down boy.
>Stop that.
>“Do you...um…” Leni starts shivering.
>She always starts shaking when her nerves start fraying.
>“Ehm...Lincoln, do you want… to sit in my lap again?”
>The last words were barely even audible.
>Lincoln stares at her, dumbfounded.

>He thought he ruined everything with that cop.
>She won’t look him in the eye.
>She’s chewing on her knuckle now.
>Without a word, Lincoln gets up. He walks towards the stairs.
>Leni hangs her head, her shoulder visibly sagging through the thick wool of her jammies.
>Lincoln grabs the quilt from the corner of the couch.
>He turns around.
>She glances up at him, surprised.
>Her blush flares up again as he face away from him.
>“Hup.”
>And plops down onto her lap.
>Heavily.
>“Boof!”
>How many bricks does this kid carry?
>Leni instinctively wraps her arms around Lincoln’s waist as he drapes the quilt over them.
>Leni shifts her legs so they’re cross legged, giving Lincoln something more solid to sit on.
>They watch TV in relative silence, adjusting their posture now and again, trying to get comfortable without using the sweet spot.

>They finally get a good setup.
>Leni leans back, reclining against the couch.
>Lincoln lies back against Leni, resting his head on her collarbone.
>Content at last, she sighs happily, squeezing her brother in a loose hug.
>Eventually, the sense of safety and peace return to the two.
>Every now and again, Leni squeezes Lincoln, plants a soft kiss on his head, or just nuzzle his head with her cheek.
>Lincoln returns the favour best he can, squeezing her arms or kissing her shoulder.
>A loud clap of thunder rumbles through the air.
>Lincoln holds his breath as Leni’s arms tighten.
>He feels her lips press tightly against his head.
>She starts to hum loudly.
>Ten seconds later, she relaxes.
>“Wow Leni, you did great there.”
>“Thanks. It’s...easier when I’m holding you.”
>“Aw.”

>An hour or so later, vanzilla can be heard pulling into the driveway.
>A moment after that, the door clicks open.
>Mom, dad, and everyone else piles in.
>Lori walks in last.
>The shadows under her eyes and the firm, curving line of her lips make it clear she’s not happy.
>She’s the only one to notice Lincoln and Leni cuddling in the couch, to preoccupied with each other to-
>Hold up.
>Lori rubs her eyes.
>She looks at the clock.
>2 AM.
>She waits for everyone else to go into their rooms before approaching them.

>“Alright, you two,” she says. Leni squeaks in surprise, her face going scarlet. “It’s too late. Go to bed. Now.”
>Lincoln yawns loudly.
>“Jeez,” Lincoln grumbles, “Time flies when having fun. Wanna go to bed?”
>Leni  mumbles in protest, not wanting to get out of the bliss they’re in.
>Eventually she gives in and lets him go, leading her to the bathroom to clean up.
>Lori watches them as they leave the living room.
>She’s still annoyed she had to drive the entire trip back h-
>Hold on.
>She rubs her eyes and looks at the two going upstairs.
>Were they…?
>She squints. God, why do her eyes hurt so much?
>Whatever. She’ll deal with this tomorrow.
>Lori waits for them to finish in the bathroom.
>She wants some alone time, however brief it may be.
>She pushes past Leni as they exit, shooting an annoyed glare at her before closing the door.
>She knows what happens on these nights.

>Fifteen minutes later, she enters her room, finding Leni combing her hair.
>“I see that Lincoln has been keeping an eye on you,” she says, her tone even.
>Leni blushes. “Yeah...Lincoln’s been, like, a big help for me. He even-”
>Lori raises her hand. “Save it for the morning. I’ve driven for fifteen hours. I need to sleep.”
>She crawls into her bed, as Leni does the same.
>“I know how you feel about thunderstorms, so I’ll let you come in if you mind the rules. When you calm down, get back in your own bed. Got it? Goodnight, Leni.”
>Leni doesn’t answer. She lays in her bed, staring the ceiling. She’s thinking of Lincoln.
>Lori quickly falls asleep, snoring softly in the darkness.
>Leni looks over at her sister, a pang of jealously knotting in her stomach.
>Lori was just as afraid of thunder as she was growing up. They used to hold each other in their sleep whenever it stormed.
>She glances nervously upwards, not at the ceiling, but through it, imagining the sky full of angry clouds.
>But when they hit puberty, Lori started pushing her away, demanding more space for herself with every year.
>Lori's fourteenth birthday present was her own bed. It took two years of Leni begging and crying to convince her to remove the privacy shade.
>Now, Lori’s calmed down about her obsession with personal space and privacy, but there’s only so much she could tolerate.
>Just then, a loud crack of thunder rang through the sky.

>Leni flinches, crying out as quietly as she could. She nervously glances over at Lori.
>She’s still asleep. Thank God.
>Normally, Lori would be more understanding. But even Leni could tell how badly sleep deprived she is.
>A sleep deprived Lori gets downright vicious. At least she apologizes in the morning if she starts kicking.
>Another crack of thunder booms outside, louder this time.
>Leni slams her pillow over her face, muffling her screams. Her joints lock up in terror.
>When she calms down again, she’s near tears.
>She can’t keep this up. She needed someone now. She needs...she...she…
>Her mattress creaked softly as Leni steps out of her bed.
>Lori is instantly awake. And she is not happy.
>“...two minutes,” is all she whispers. Her voice is dripping with acid.
>Lori starts counting in her head.
>One…
>Two…
>Three…
>…
>Twenty-two…
>Twenty-thr--alright, what’s going on?
>“Well?” She asks, rolling over to glare her sharpest daggers at…
>...an empty room. The door is cracked open.
>“...Leni?”

>Curiosity now overtakes her annoyance.
>Lori creeps out of her shared room, glancing towards the bathroom first to see is she’s in the bathtub again.
>No sign.
>“Where did that moron go…?” Lori wonders aloud. She looks down the hallway.
>She freezes, then quickly pulls back, hiding behind the door as she spies on Leni.
>Leni nervously stands in front of a door. She timidly reaches for the knob, hesitating briefly, before opening the door and slinking in, closing the door behind her.
>Lori shakes her head, clearing the cobwebs of sleep and exhaustion.
>Who’s room is that? Why did Leni not come to her like she always does?
>Was she holding Lincoln’s hand when they went ups-
>Lincoln?
>Lori’s eyes snap open. A multitude of possibilities flash in her rattling mind.
>“No,” she whispers, more in refusal than anything else.
>There’s...there’s no way that’s happening… is there?

>Sheer, freezing worry now overrides Lori’s curiosity.
>As quietly as she could, she tiptoes towards Lincoln’s room.
>Her night vision is better than her sister’s, so she manages to avoid stubbing her toe or stepping on the cat.
>Her hands are trembling as she approaches his room. His door is open a crack.
>She reaches for the knob. She unconsciously holds her breath.
> Pushing the door open, she instinctively stops short of the creaking angle, and steeling herself for what is to come, she peers in.
>Leni’s form can be seen in the darkness, her back to the door.
>Lincoln sleeps besides her, cradled in her arms.
>They’re both out cold.
>Leni snorts in her sleep, and mumbles something.
>“Rrrruuhhhhh...nnn rooll…”
>She buries her face in his hair, squeezing him like an old, familiar plush, and slumbers quietly again.
>The room lights up as a flash of lightning arced across the sky. A low rumbles groans shortly after.
>Lori flinches at the bang, but after a few seconds manages to overcome the anxiety.
>Leni whimpers softly, shivering in her sleep.
>Lincoln simply grunts, squeezing her in a loose hug.
>Her whimpers turn to mumbles of affection as she calms down.
>She kisses his head, slipping back into good dreams.
>Lori realizes she’s standing in her brother’s room now, staring down at them together.
>She slips back out, closing the door silently.
>After creeping back into her room, she slumps against the door, rubbing her pounding temples.
>“You’re losing it, Lor,” she mumbled. “What on earth were you thinking? There’s no way they’d do that.”
>She forces herself back onto her feet, dragging herself back into her bed.
>“Goodnight, L-...” she catches herself, and numerous odd emotions wash over her, even as the crushing tide of sleep starts washing over her.
>Why didn’t Leni come to her?
>What did Lincoln do to make her choose him?
>The last question she thought of makes her stomach turn to ice, before she slips into her own troubled dreams.
>...Am I not good enough, anymore?

Chapter One: Leni's Lightmare
~Fin~