Leni hummed as she brought her needle through the little green cap, tightening the hem with a soft smile playing across her face. It was almost perfect. Just a little while longer and it would be done, ready to adorn her precious little Linky's head.
Thunk-Thunk-Thunk!
"Come in," Leni sang, keeping her eyes on the needle.
The door opened, and to Leni's delight, the eldest and youngest of the Loud house stepped through.
"Hey, Leni," Lori greeted.
"Oh, hey, Lori!" Leni greeted right back. She looked up and saw Lincoln, settled atop Lori's hip. "And hi there, Linky!" She said with a bright grin and an even brighter tone.
Lincoln gulped. His face was pale, and when Leni looked closer, she saw his equally pale hands gripping Lori's shirt in a tense little vicegrip. "What's up?" She asked, biting her cheek concernedly.
Lori moved a little further into the room. "Lincoln wants to ask you something," She said, giving Lincoln a bolstering smile and a reassuring little bounce.
"Ask me something?" Leni parroted. She looked at Lincoln, "What is it, Linky?"
Lori lowered Lincoln to the ground, continuing to beam at him as she tenderly pried his fingers off her shirt.
"Hey, it's okay," Leni heard her croon. Then to her surprise, she saw her elder sister do something else.
She saw her plant a loving little smooch upon their baby brother's forehead.
"I'll be right outside," Lori told Lincoln after pulling her lips back. "Just remember what I told you, and don't be afraid, okay?"
"Mmhmm," Lincoln whimpered with a shaky nod.
With her advice given, she stood up to her full height, matching sights with Leni and smirking when she saw her awestruck face.
"See ya in a bit, Leni," She said with a chuckle. What could she say? Even though she prided herself on her perceived maturity, she couldn't help but take a little pleasure in showing off that she had been the first one to have a breakthrough with Lincoln.
Besides, Leni was about to reach that same level of closeness with their brother herself, so she considered it harmless.
With that in mind, she let them be, leaving Lincoln alone with the perplexed and slightly gobsmacked Leni; though she did make sure to stand just outside the bedroom door after she closed it.
Leni managed to shake herself out of her daze following the click of her door closing. She blinked and looked down at Lincoln, who was now staring fixedly at the ground, his hand rubbing his arm anxiously.
"H-Hi, Linky," Leni spoke first, suddenly feeling a strange spike of nerves eke up her spine. She just couldn't believe it. She knew that Lori and Lincoln were close, but she never imagined they were at the point that Lori could actually be so openly affectionate with him; certainly not to point that she could kiss him without so much as a jolt from him.
And if he's letting her do that, does that mean… Leni's eyes widened when her mind went to the possibility of Lincoln finally being open to the very thing that her and the rest of her sisters had been hoping to give and receive from Lincoln.
A hug.
"Y-You wanted to ask me something?" Leni gulped.
Lincoln's shoulders bunched up, imparting an achy stony pain against his little neck. Already he could feel his heart bashing against his chest, actually causing him a smidge of pain. He couldn't help it, no matter what Lori had told him, he couldn't shake the fear that was adamantly clinging to his mind. What on Earth was he even doing? Asking for a hug from Leni? Trying to tell her he loved her? Trying to confirm that she loved him? Who was he to do such a thing?
"Linky?" Leni set aside the cap and stood to her feet, noticing the way Lincoln was beginning to curl up on himself. "Linky, are you okay?"
"You're such a stupid pest, y'know that?" Within Lincoln's mind, a horrid voice screeched at him from the dark recesses of his memory. "What part of I don't wanna see you do you not understand!?"
"Lincoln?" Leni kneeled down to her little brother, a frown of concern coming across her face. "Linky, what's wrong? You're shaking."
"L-Leni…" Lincoln tried to power past the voice of his mother screaming away within his psyche, completely undoing the pep talk Lori had given him. His hands went up over his ears, vainly trying to block out the voice as his feet shuffled him forward. "Can I—" He gulped and forced himself to look up, "Can I—"
His voice fell when he actually saw her. Her kind blue eyes and worried expression sent a painful pang through his heart, and he was suddenly reminded of everything Leni had done for him.
Leni was the one who led him down the stairs every morning before school, watched cartoons with him, made him feel smart whenever he was struggling with his homeschool work, consoling him whenever his confidence faltered and congratulating him whenever he showed her a completed worksheet. In the gentle glimmer of her eyes, he remembered how they sparkled when she was helping him learn his ABC's, clapping his hands as she jovially sang the classic song for him. Even when Lincoln flubbed "J" and "G" on his repeat of the song, she only let out a giggle and helped him through the rest of the song, bouncing his hands with hers with that same loving smile he had come to cherish from her.
That was just one of many reasons why Lincoln had come to love Leni; her kind spirit, gentle patience and loving encouragement had bolstered Lincoln's nonexistent self-confidence, actually making Lincoln feel like all the claims that he was smart actually seemed legitimate.
That was why he had chosen her as the next person he wanted to hug.
But still, how could he? What had he done to deserve a hug from her?
"Nothing! All you've done is waste her time, stupid brat!"
"Can you what?" Leni's tremulous tone sounded a thousand miles away to Lincoln. "Whaddya want, Linky?" She reached out for him, stopping when she thought the shudder that came over Lincoln a second later was her doing. "You're starting to worry me, is something wrong?"
"If you go through with this, you'll only burden her more!" The voice of his mother shouted. "Haven't you made these people do enough for you!?"
Lincoln's eyes wrenched shut, and beneath the screeches running through his mind, his trembling legs gave out and he fell to his knees.
"UUUAAAHHH!" He wailed as the floodgates opened and his eyes soaked his cheeks in his tears.
"Linky!" Leni's heartbeat tripled when she saw her beloved baby brother collapse before her. She fell in front of him on her knees as well, extending her hands over to him, keeping them hovering at his sides in an unsure frame of what to do next. "Linky, what's wrong? Did something bad happen?! Did something scare you?!"
When Lincoln continued crying, Leni debated calling out for Lori. Even though she wanted to be there for Lincoln, she knew that Lori was undeniably the one he felt safest with, and in the face of Lincoln being in such a clearly distressed state, she found herself just about to fall back on that ace in the hole their family knew Lori to be with the little one.
But Leni also remembered that it was Lori that brought Lincoln to her. According to her, Lincoln had wanted something from her, wanted to ask her something. Would it be so far-fetched to think that maybe she could sooth him by providing whatever it was that he originally came to her for?
It was worth a try, wasn't it?
"Linky…" She fought past the thickness that coated her voice, internally praying that what she was about to do wouldn't make the situation worse. Tremulously, she brought her palms to Lincoln's cheeks, cringing when she felt the coldness of his tears soak into her hands. Then, as tenderly as her finely practiced hands enabled her, she lifted his closed gaze up to her. "Linky, please look at me," She whispered.
Lincoln shook his head, not as a response to Leni, but in an attempt to block out the voice still tearing through his mind.
"Lincoln, please," Leni pleaded, maneuvering her fingers so she could pry his hands from his ears. "I only wanna make you feel better. Lori brought you here because you wanted to ask me something, right?"
With his ears uncovered, Leni's voice grew in power over the voice in Lincoln's mind, and with it rapidly diminishing in scale, Lincoln was able to slowly, painfully slowly, open his eyes to look up at his second-eldest big sister.
The watery smile that Leni beamed down at him with instantly soothed the feelings of fear and unworthiness that plagued his heart.
"Whatever you wanted to ask me for, go ahead and ask for it, Linky," Leni cooed. She brought her thumb to wipe a tear from his eye before it could fall. "Whatever you want, you get, okay? I only wanna see you happy."
The voice was powerless before the sincerity of Leni's words, and Lincoln, bolstered by the inherent love present within them, found himself lifting his arms towards Leni.
"C-Can I…" He gulped and brought them up a little higher, "Can I have a hug?"
Leni's world went on pause for a brief moment, her mind needing a second to process Lincoln's request. When it did, the pure, effervescent joy that sprung up in her heart brought a deluge of tears all her own into her eyes. "Oh, Linky!" She exclaimed, her hands immediately moving beneath his arms so she could pull him up.
Lincoln's arms looped around Leni when she pulled him against her warmth, his legs following suit when his ear found its place against her chest.
Tha-Thump-Tha-Thump!
Her heartbeat immediately brought the same effect on him as Lori's did. All the tension that had essentially turned him to stone seemed to drain away; powerless before the undeniable proof of closeness and affection he was experiencing from his big sister.
In her arms, he was safe, and he was happy.
"Is that what you were so worried about?" Leni asked in a choked giggle, sitting back so she could pull him on her lap. "Linky, of course you can have a hug! I've wanted to give you a hug since the first day I saw you!"
Lincoln jolted at that proclamation. "R-Really?" He asked, lifting his head to look at her demurely.
Leni nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" She said, leaning down to give him a sweet little nuzzle. "Why wouldn't I?"
Lincoln blushed, but returned the nuzzle by snuggling closer to Leni. Hugs were really starting to become his favorite thing in the world. "I—I was scared that you would get mad—because—" He pulled one of his hands back so he could grab his chest, panging with a small bit of phantom pain. "You're already so nice to me."
Leni forced her smile to remain bright and gave Lincoln a gentle rock, "Of course I'm nice to you, Linky! Why wouldn't I be! You're so cute! And…" She smirked and tilted his head so she could administer the next bit of affection she wanted to give.
"I love you, Linky," She declared, brushing her lips over the left side of his forehead.
Lincoln couldn't help but sniffle again. Hugs were still his favorite, but kisses were definitely a close second.
"I love you too, Leni," Lincoln replied, tilting his ear against Leni again.
From then, the two held onto one another, with Leni repeatedly telling Lincoln how much she loved him and that he was free to ask her for a hug anytime and anywhere because of that selfsame love she held for him.
And Lincoln was happy, because what Lori had told him had proven to be true. Someone else did love him! And if Leni loved him, then maybe he really could get the love of the rest of the fa—
"Ohhhh," Leni smirked when an adorable squeak of a yawn interrupted Lincoln's thoughts. "Linky, have you taken your nap yet today?"
Lincoln came down from the yawn and shook his head against Leni's chest as his eyes began to droop. What was it about hugs, kisses, and heartbeats that placed him right at the threshold of dreamland?
"Well, we can't have that now, can we?" Leni crooned, rocking him some more. "We need you all nice and rested for trick-or-treating tonight!" She looked over at her desk, covered in various kinds of fabrics as usual, but with a small stack of picture books set to the side.
Her go to stack for whenever Lincoln requested a story from her.
"You want me to read you a story?" She asked, hoisting herself to her feet whilst continuing to cradle Lincoln close.
"Mmhmm," Lincoln mumbled with a nod. He peered up at Leni drowsily, melting her heart just a little bit more with his sleepy baby blue gaze. "Can we read the story about the mouse and the cookie?"
"Sure!" Leni chimed, reaching out her free arm to grab the requested book from the top of the stack; once more proving that she was the only sister in the family who could hold both Lincoln and Lynn in one arm without any difficulty. "You really like that story, don't you?"
"I like the pictures," Lincoln replied, settling against Leni again after she returned to sit against the bed with him. He yawned again and closed his eyes, "And I really like the way you read."
Leni smiled and placed another kiss on top of Lincoln's head as thanks for the compliment, "And I love reading to you, my little Linky!" She opened the book. "Now get nice and cozy," She lovingly directed. "I'll be right here when you wake up, okay?"
"Mmhmm," Lincoln hummed, circling his arms around her so he could hug her in his slumber. "I love you, Leni."
Leni's heart warmed up several motes and she nuzzled Lincoln, "And I love you, Linky."
Leni had scarcely read two pages before Lincoln fell asleep, his ear resting over her heart and a look of absolute serenity upon his face.
Still, Leni made sure to read him the whole thing.
Because she loved him.
And outside her bedroom door, Lori gave a little fistpump in celebration, because now Lincoln had two big sisters to hug!
…
CLICK!
Lori smiled as the little crocheted Cyndaquil was latched against her dark blue overalls, complimenting the dark red shirt beneath them. Once it was set, she turned to her mirror, adjusting the poofy white hat with a red bow that rested over her tied up blonde twin tails. She smiled when she saw herself. Aside from having to wear full-legged overalls thanks to the cold, she looked like the spitting image of the female trainer from her Pokémon game!
Lookin' good, Lori! She self-complimented. Ready to catch Pokémon and candy, oh yeah!
"Hehehe…" Her ears perked up when she saw a tiny shadow dart across the reflected image of her room in the mirror.
Lori rolled her eyes, Looks like Lynnie got into her costume. She smirked and pretended to adjust the bow on her hat. Might as well play along. She'll just try to surprise me all night if I don't.
She continued to feign distraction, willfully diverting her eyes whenever the little shadow slinked past one bit of furniture to the next, failing miserably at any modicum of stealth, but looking pretty ding-dang cute in the eyes of Lori.
"NINJA ATTACK!" Lynn leapt from the top of Lori's bed, splaying her arms and legs out as she soared through the air.
Lori's back hunched a little when Lynn landed on her. "Ahhh!" She cried out in fake shock. "Lynnie!? I didn't even see you there!"
"That's because I'm a ninja!" Lynn giggled, wrapping her arms around Lori.
As stated, Lynn's Halloween costume was indeed a ninja. She was dressed head to toe in black, with Leni's most noteworthy contribution being the little hand-sewn ninja mask and hood draped over her head, concealing everything but her glimmery green eyes and her little button nose.
"You sure are!" Lori gushed, pulling her off her back so she could hold her at arm's length to get a better look at her. "Wow, Leni really went above and beyond, didn't she?!"
Lynn laughed some more and kicked her black-socked feet. "Uh-huh!" She agreed, pointing to the little navy-blue headband across her forehead, emblazoned with a stylized leaf. "She even made this cool headband for me!"
"Aww, how cute!"
"Yeah!" Lynn agreed at first, only for her eyes to narrow when she found the statement to clash with what she was going for. "But I'm not cute, I'm deadly!"
Right, keep telling yourself that, Lynnie, Lori thought with loving smile. "So you ready for Trick-or-Treating?" She asked, setting her down.
"I'm ready to embark on a mission for candy!" Lynn exclaimed, suddenly procuring several homemade ninja stars from within her costume, all on the lower edge of intimidating thanks to their colorful construction paper composition.
"I'll take that as a yes," Lori chuckled, looking back at the mirror to readjust her hat. "Just make sure you stay close, okay? I don't wanna lose track of you."
"Okay," Lynn agreed, turning to the mirror herself, copying Lori by adjusting her headband.
This was only the second year Lori had played chaperone for the Loud children on their Trick-or-Treating ventures; a necessary arrangement when their father's discomfort with Halloween and the fact that someone had to hand out candy to the Trick-or-Treaters proved needed when not doing so made the Loud House a very eggy place the next morning. She had no qualms with the added responsibility, actually relishing it as she typically did with her other "Eldest child" perks, but she couldn't deny that on that night, she was feeling more than a little nervous.
Why? For the same reason all the daughters of the Loud house were nervous. They had to make sure that this Halloween was nothing short of exemplary, because it was their little brother's first one.
I hope all that planning you've done is gonna pay off tonight, Luan, She thought while biting her lip.
"Lori?" Her reverie was cut short by sound of her baby-est sister's voice and the touch of her tiny hand slipping into her own.
Lori turned to look down at Lynn. Even despite her costume covering just about every bit of her, just the sight of her earnest green eyes proved enough to make her worries completely melt away.
"I'm really excited about tonight," Lynn declared, squeezing her hand. "Me, you, Linky, all of us, we're gonna have the most fun ever!"
Lori grinned and crouched down to Lynn. "You bet we are," She agreed, hoisting her onto her hip. She laughed and booped Lynn on the nose as she carried her out of her room, "Provided you don't scare everyone away with those ninja stars of yours before we get the candy."
"Can I throw them after we get the candy?" Lynn asked, gazing up at Lori with her adorable gaze.
"Only if they're mean," Lori replied with another laugh.
…
"Okay, if we take a left at the end of our street, followed by a right at the end of Washington street, that should net us a few decent sized candy bars, and assuming that rich family still lives on Cleveland Avenue, we should be able to get some full-sized—"
"Luan?"
Luan jolted on the couch, making the little jingling bells of her purple, black, and yellow jester hat ring faintly through the living room.
"Luna!" She barked, setting her hand against the front of the purple and yellow spiral-striped dress she wore, complete with little whimsical pointed fringes at the hem. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" She said, curling her black cloth-pant clad legs beneath her in a pretzel.
Luna clicked her tongue, "I've been standing here for two minutes. I wouldn't call that sneaking up on you." She reached up to swish her recently hair-sprayed prismatic bangs out of her eyes. Along with her little leather jacket, her black T-shirt with a red 'X' on it, her acid washed jeans, and the two spiked bracelets on her wrists, with each spike a different color of the rainbow, she looked like a miniature facsimile of Lady Olivia.
Luna leaned over the arm of the couch, gleaning a closer look at the makeshift map in her younger sister's possession. "I see you're still working on that 'Perfect Halloween Route', huh?"
"Uh-huh," Luan replied without looking over.
Luna frowned and crawled onto the couch with Luan, "Looks pretty…comprehensive."
Comprehensive was definitely one word for it. What once had been a simple map of the neighborhood was now a confusing mish-mash of scrawling lines of every conceivable color, making the supposed easy to read map look more like the end results of a child going crazy with a whole box of crayons.
"I know it looks confusing," Luan grumbled, folding the map and sticking it under her arm. "But I swear, I can read it."
"If you say so…" Luna said, leaning back. "Luan, don't you think you're taking this whole 'perfect route' thing a little too seriously?"
"No way!" Luan replied in an instant. She looked at Luna incredulously. "Luna, have you forgotten what's so important about tonight? It's Lincoln's first Halloween!"
Luna bit her cheek, "I know, and I get why it's so important, but…you seem to be getting pretty worked up over it. Tonight's supposed to be about having fun, remember?"
"And I have to make sure we have that fun!" Luan objected. "Luna, I was the one who told Linky about Halloween! I've been the one hyping it up! If this doesn't turn out awesome for him, then—"
She gulped and pulled her map back out to look at it again. "Then he won't trust me anymore…"
"Luan…" Luna frowned and set a hand atop one of Luan's. "That's not true," She said, lowering the map so she could focus Luan's attention on her. "Lincoln's trust in you isn't all going on how tonight turns out; he's already got so much to trust you for. Remember how you got him through that time at Dr. Finestein's office?"
Luan bit her lip, "Yeah, I remember."
"And hasn't Lincoln been a lot more affectionate with you since then?" Luna pressed on. "And haven't you two been spending a lot more time together, too?"
Luan felt her cheeks grow pink with warmth. "Yeah, that's true, too," She admitted, her mind recalling an occasion where she had made Lincoln a balloon animal, resulting in her getting a doozy of an arm hug.
"So how could you say your whole relationship is riding on one night?" Luna asked with a smirk. "After everything you've done for him, there's not a doubt in my mind that no matter what happens tonight, he'll still think the world of you at the end of it."
All the tension that Luan had been carrying within her drained away at her elder sister's words, and the map in her hand fell to her lap as she turned to face her.
"Thanks, Luna," She said.
"Anytime," Luna warmly replied. Her smirk became more mischievous after the moment passed, and she leaned back against the arm of the couch. "Besides," She said with an impish wriggle of her brow, "Who said you get to be the star of the show tonight? You ever consider that we might wanna make some memories with Lincoln?"
Luan giggled, "Do whatever you want, just remember…" She pulled the little silver mask she had over on the other arm of the couch; a stereotypical theatre mask depicting the "comedy" side of theatre. "This is a night of treats—and tricks."
Luna knew Luan was playing, but she'd be lying if in the roguish laugh she gave while wearing that mask, the memories of pranks gone by made her shiver in that moment.
"Just kidding!" Luan thankfully pulled the mask away to reveal a cheeky little grin. "You're right, this night's about all of us, so let's make sure to make it a great one!"
The small surge of fright, appropriate for the Holiday, left Luna, and she smiled back at Luan, "Definitely."
…
"Alright, arms up, Linky!"
Lincoln did as was asked of him, raising his arms up and closing his eyes as an expanse of green was slid over his T-shirt.
He brought his arms through the sleeves, wriggling himself to aid the efforts of the one dressing him as his head searched for the collar.
"There you are!" He emerged from the brief stint of darkness to the warm, vibrantly smiling face of Leni, eyes aglow as she smoothed out the little green tunic now garbed over his person. "There's my handsome little Linky!" She cooed, bringing her hand to brush his errant white locks back into place.
Lincoln blushed, to which Leni's smile grew and she couldn't help but lean forward to plant a loving little smooch on one of his cheeks. "Yes you are!" She gushed when she pulled back from him. "You're just so cute I could just eat you up!"
The tinge in Lincoln's face deepened, and he brought his hands together shyly as he gave Leni a small smile of his own. What could he say? After spending the last two hours slumbering peacefully in Leni's arms, the love he had proclaimed towards her had only grown stronger, making him greatly look forward to the next occasion he could get a hug from her. Something he would have charged towards her to get had the excitement of finally putting on his costume not been so pressing.
"Thank you, Leni," He mumbled bashfully instead, his smile widening as he stood on his toes. "You look really pretty tonight, too."
He truly meant it. For Halloween, Leni had crafted herself a simple black dress, unremarkable to anyone who would see it, but if one saw her with it in addition to the big red bow she had in her hair and the little crocheted black cat she had attached to the shoulder of her dress, a more seasoned individual would recognize who she was going as immediately.
Kiki the witch from Kiki's Delivery Service.
"Aww, thanks, Linky!" She said, standing up and turning away so she could retrieve the last bit of his costume. "You have no idea how hard it was to get this little Gigi doll to stick to my shoulder." She giggled and lifted her hand to give the adorable plush cat a pat on the head. "I think I did a pretty good job though."
"I do too," Lincoln agreed.
Leni came back to Lincoln. "Thank you, Lincoln," She said, kneeling down to him. She smiled warmly down at the folded piece of green cloth in her hands. "Now, how 'bout we get this on you? You ready?"
Lincoln gulped. This was the moment. The moment he'd be transformed.
"Mind bowing your head for me, Linky?" Leni kindly asked.
Lincoln did so, his heart picking up a few extra beats for good measure.
It was like a bolt of lightning had zapped its way into his head when the cloth was laid upon it, traveling all the way down to his toes in a giddy buzz that looped around until it settled on his brow.
"There we go!" Leni announced once she was done. "C'mon, Linky! Come take a look!"
Lincoln let Leni lead him to the mirror, and when he saw himself, he gasped.
It was perfect. The little green tunic he was garbed in was as bright green as a bed of grass in the spring, nice and toasty warm thanks to Leni using some choice fabrics to make sure the chills of Halloween wouldn't bother him. The sleeves were a lighter green tone, giving it some variety in color, and at the costume's midsection, Leni had sewn a little felt brown belt with a yellow felt belt buckle in the middle.
The tunic itself was exemplary, especially when one knew it was made by a ten-year-old girl, but the coup-de-grace of the outfit was Link's signature hat, resting upon Lincoln's brow with his hair billowing out beneath it to frame his face.
It boasted the same forest-green color as the tunic, but in its brim, Leni had created a thin line of pink, giving it that much of a closer resemblance to the sprite of Link from the game.
And Leni couldn't help but think it looked pretty darn cute in contrast to the fluffy little mass of unkempt locks that was Lincoln's hair.
"Whatcha think, Linky?" Leni asked with a grin.
"I…" Lincoln looked down at himself, lifting his navy-blue cloth pant legs to raise the hems of the tunic higher. "I…" After a second or so of examining himself, he turned back to the mirror. "I look like…" His voice grew thick and he placed his hand on the mirror. "I look like a hero…"
Leni crouched down behind him. "You sure do," She cooed, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You're a regular knight in shining armor, Linky."
Lincoln gulped again, and before he could ruin the moment with tears, he whirled around and threw his arms around Leni's neck.
"Thank you, Leni," He whimpered, pressing his face into the shoulder not occupied by the Gigi doll, releasing the few drops of water that escaped his tightly clenched eyes into the soft fabric of her dress. "I love it. I love it so much. Just like I love you."
Leni felt her heart fill close to bursting for the second time that day, and she wrapped her arms around her baby brother as she nuzzled him sweetly. "Anything for you, Linky," She murmured, turning to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Anything for you, because I love you too, Lincoln. Forever and ever."
And Lincoln believed her, and to reciprocate that love, he turned his head…
And kissed Leni on the cheek in return.
…
"WOOOSH! NINJA RUN!"
The three girls sitting on the couch laughed uproariously at the sight of their father faceplanting into the carpet after yet another unsuccessful dive towards the Loud daughter currently scampering away from him in her ninja costume.
Lynn Sr. groaned and lifted his head from the carpet, sputtering out a bit of fluff that had gotten into his mouth and forcing himself back onto his feet so he could try and catch his rambunctious name bearer.
"Lynn Loud Jr…" He called out tiredly. "Can you please get over here and put your shoes on?!"
"Never!" Lynn Jr. giggled from her place behind the arm of the couch. "Ninjas don't wear shoes!"
"You tell 'em, Lynnie!" Luan egged her on. "What kind of ninja wears red sneakers with glitter on them?"
"Luan, that's not helping," Lynn Sr. groaned, going after Lynn Jr. once more.
Lori, Luna, and Luan continued to watch their father chase after their youngest sister, laughing whenever Lynn managed to evade their father each time he got close, usually exclaiming something along the lines of. "NINJA JUMP!" or "NINJA SLIDE!"
Lynn Sr. seemed doomed to chase Lynn forevermore, stuck in his own Grecian style trial until, like an angel coming down from the heavens to grant him amnesty, the hands of his beloved swooped down to scoop Lynn Jr. up as she passed by their bedroom door.
"Alright, alright, that's enough running around for now," Rita chuckled as she took her youngest daughter into her grasp. "Be a good girl and put on your shoes, Junior."
Lynn Jr. giggled again, but obeyed her mother and stood still as her father came over and slid her feet into her sneakers.
"Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?" Lynn Sr. said, going to give Rita a smooch of affection upon her cheek.
Rita clicked her tongue, but returned the kiss with one of her own, "You could stand to say it more often."
"Ewww!" Lynn Jr. said, covering her eyes. "Mommy and Daddy are kissing!"
"And why shouldn't we kiss?" Rita chided, lowering Lynn Jr. back onto the ground after Lynn Sr. had finished tying her shoes. "I'll have you know that neither you, nor any of your sisters wouldn't be here if your father and I didn't show affection to each other."
"Ew, Mom, TMI!" Lori groaned, covering her ears.
Rita just walked around the couch, leading Lynn Jr. by the hand to the rest of her sisters. "Now," She said, letting Lynn Jr. join her sisters up on the couch. "Let's review the ground rules real quick. Who's in charge while you're all out trick-or-treating?"
"Lori!" The younger girls all replied, Luan dully, Luna agreeably, and Lynn Jr. earnestly.
And Lori just couldn't resist folding her arms across her chest haughtily.
"Good," Rita said with a nod. She looked over at Lori, "Bear in mind Lori that you being in charge doesn't give you free reign over everything. Please be sure to treat your siblings with the same respect we expect them to give you."
Lori's haughtiness faded and she dropped her arms to her lap, "Y-yes, Mom."
Rita smiled and returned her attention to the group as a whole. "And just like last year, no eating any candy until you get back home. No getting here any later than 8:30 either; it's still a school night, after all. Other than that, all other rules are the same as any other day, look both ways before crossing the street, no talking to any strangers on the street, and in the case of Lynn Jr. and Lincoln, please be sure that someone is holding their hands when crossing the street, understood?"
"Yes, Mom!" Three of the four girls replied with gusto; while Lynn Jr. just frowned and turned away, mumbling something about not needing anyone to hold her hand.
"Junior…" Rita pressed.
Lynn Jr. grunted, but offered a tiny reply of, "Yes, Mommy…"
"If we haveta be back by 8:30, then we should get going right now!" Luan said insistently. She looked to the stairs, "Where are Leni and Linky?"
"We're coming! We're coming!" To everyone's surprise, Luan actually got an answer right then. Leni's voice was coming right from the top of the stairs, and in response, the other four Loud daughters jettisoned off the couch to dash towards them, with Rita and Lynn Sr. following close behind with a camera.
"Aww! Sweetheart, you look darling!" Rita cooed as Lynn Sr. immediately snapped several pictures.
Leni smiled and performed a little curtsy with her dress. Though made of simple black cloth, the outfit itself was striking in its deep blackness, matching with the red bow atop her head in a brilliant contrast; giving Leni the ideal appearance of the witch she was emulating despite lacking the hair type or color the character herself had.
"Thanks, Mama. Thank you, Papa," She giggled.
"Where's Linky?" Luan asked somewhat impetuously.
Leni didn't show any offense to Luan's impatience. Instead, her smile only grew giddier and she looked behind herself, back to the spot where everyone then noticed a faint movement of green and a tiny hand clinging to the hem of the dress.
"Aww, don't be shy now, Linky," They heard her croon. "Come on out. Everyone wants to see you in your costume."
Her voice was feather soft, gentle as could be, filled to the brim with all the love the girl uttering those comforting words held for the boy clinging to her dress.
And because of the love so evident in her tone, and the cornerstone of trust that had been built between them just that afternoon, Lincoln managed to eke out from behind Leni, still clinging to her, but bashfully presenting himself to his family.
"AWWWWWW!"
Several dozen camera clicks accompanied the symphonic cry of adoration that reverberated all throughout the Loud house in that moment.
Adorable just wasn't the right word for it in the eyes of the Loud family. To them, the lone son of the family, garbed in his heroic costume with his shaggy white hair sticking out from the green cap, just looked downright precious.
"Oh. My. Gosh!" Lori stood on her toes, excitement welling up from the deepest depths of her heart as Leni and Lincoln moved down the stairs. "That costume is literally top notch, Leni!"
Leni laughed and joined the rest of their family, keeping a hand comfortingly placed on Lincoln's back as he contended with his shyness. "Aw, thanks! I worked really hard on it." She beamed at Lincoln, "And doesn't Linky just look super cute in it?"
"Not just cute!" Lynn chimed. "But really cool, too!"
"Yeah, Lincoln, you totally look ready for adventure!" Luan added.
"And you look just like a hero," Luna remarked with a warm smile of her own.
With the compliments of his sisters washing over him, a small fragment of his shyness dissipated, and Lincoln was able to look on his family with a steadier gaze. "Thank you…" He mumbled, biting his cheek as he looked upon them himself. His cheeks grew a little pinker, but he spoke tremulously on with, "Your costumes are really nice, too."
From there, Leni and Lincoln got a brief reprise of all the safety protocols that were expected of them while out Trick-or-Treating, while Luan and Lynn waited impatiently by the door, and Lori went off to grab something from the other room.
"Just remember, Lincoln," Rita said. "Stay close to your sisters at all times and be sure to hold their hands whenever you cross the street, alright?"
Lincoln nodded, "Yes, Missus Mommy."
Rita smiled and reached out to gently ruffle Lincoln's hair beneath his hat, "Good boy. Have fun, sweetheart."
"Great, we all know the rules," Luan said, her toes tapping against the floor incessantly. "Can we please go now?"
"Just one more thing!" Luan let out an audible groan when Lori said that, but otherwise kept her mouth shut when Lori hopped back into the room with the final pieces of Lincoln's costume.
Lincoln gasped when he saw them, and in a rare moment befitting his age, he stood up on his toes, eyes wide and sparkly.
Lori grinned and kneeled down to Lincoln, holding out the little treasures she had made for him.
"Here you go, Mister Hero."
Lincoln gulped, and reached out for them with tiny, shaky hands.
A cardboard sword, plastered together and painted to look like Link's iconic Master Sword, right down to the purple handle and crossguard, with a little painted in gold gem beneath the blade's base.
Alongside that, Lori had made a smaller cardboard variant of the Hylian shield, not missing a single detail upon its blue and red ornate surface. And to make sure Lincoln could hold both, Lori had also glued it to a candy pail.
"I…" Lincoln took the sword and shield/candy pail. He observed them in his hands, awkwardly, but cutely swiping the sword downward and bringing the shield in front of his chest to imitate the motion of fending off a monster.
"Well aren't you looking quite gallant," Lynn Sr. remarked whilst snapping a picture of the adorable sight.
Luan wasn't even mad about being told to wait anymore. The expression of stunned joy on Lincoln's face was just too heartwarming to be mad about.
But still, Halloween was waiting, and they had limited time to work with.
"So…Can we go n—"
"Just one more thing," Lynn Sr. interjected, making Luan literally throw her hands into the air.
"Dad, you're killing me!" She exclaimed.
Lynn Sr. chuckled and stepped in front of the family. "Now, now, don't go blowing a fuse, sweetheart," He said, presenting the camera. "Papa just wants a pic of all his little ones in their costumes before they go."
And again, Luan couldn't really object to that. It was Lincoln's first Halloween with them after all.
So the children of the Loud house gathered in front of the stairs, with Lincoln and Lynn at the bottom, Luan and Luna one step above, and Leni and Lori on the step above them.
"Alright, kids!" Lynn Sr. said, holding the camera up, "Say 'candy'!"
"CANDY!" The six of them cried.
With the click and flash of the camera, the picture of all of Rita and Lynn Sr.'s children was realized to an everlasting memory, and when it appeared on the small screen of the camera itself, the two parents couldn't help but beam at the happiness that exuded the still image of their little charges; especially the bright gleaming smile of their newest addition.
It was hard to believe considering they hadn't even known of the boy's existence prior to a few months ago, but seeing Lincoln standing amongst their daughters, the two parents really did feel like the heart of their family had become whole.
"Can we go now?" But such musings would have to be had later, because judging by the lack of patience in Luan's tone, waiting to go out into the candy filled streets was becoming less of an option by the second.
Rita clicked her tongue amusingly and went over to the front door to open it. "Alright, alright," She mused, sweeping her hands out to the colorful outside world that the Halloween sunset provided. "Go out and get some candy, kids!"
The children didn't need anything else to be said, and the resulting stampede that came afterward proved that quite clearly thanks to them nearly bowling Rita over in their zeal.
"Bye Mom, Bye Dad!"
"Bye Mommy, Bye Daddy!"
"Bye Missus Mommy, Bye Mister Daddy!"
Rita relaxed away from the door after the cloud passed over her, letting out a breath she had held to avoid being trampled.
"Wow, nice reflexes!" Lynn Sr. complimented.
Rita shook her daze away and looked out to the lawn to watch her kids make their way to the sidewalk. "I just hope they all have fun," She said with a smirk.
"Oh I'm sure they will," Lynn Sr. chuckled, looking back to the picture on his camera; the picture of all his children in their costumes. "After all, it is Halloween."
And it would be a Halloween the Loud children would remember ever more.