"Yeah," the blonde teen, Lori Loud, told her boyfriend on the phone. She laid atop her bed, belly down and feet kicking behind her. "So come early...Yeah, I still want to go. It's my senior year, Boo-boo-bear. We just won't stay for long... Literally pictures, a few dances, and come back."
The voice on the other end made sure to clarify.
"We can stay for the entire one at yours... Let's just say, recent events have caused me to literally despise the idea of going." A small beep alerted the teen of an incoming call. "Hold on, Boo-boo-bear, I got another call."
Lori switched over.
"Hello," a sudden surge of information flooded out of the speaker. "Quinlan?!" Lori found it necessary to sit up. Across the room, Lori's platinum blonde sister, Leni, looked up from her design sketch pad. "What's wrong?!" The oldest Loud shouted into her receiver. The second oldest stood up out of concern and tried to approach.
"Slow down, slow down!" Lori's voice loudly pleaded to the teen on the other end. Apparently the other side of the call obliged. "Uh-huh... Uh-huh... WHAT?!" Lori immediately leapt out of her seated position nearly colliding with her fashionista sister.
"I'll tell Lincoln rig...Me?!" Lori's hand pointed to herself even if QT couldn't see. "What could I... Okay... Wait, you trust me to do that?" There was only a single word from the other side.
Yes.
"I'll be right over." Lori looked both frightened and touched.
The blonde ended the call and stared at a blank cell phone screen. Her sister stood nearby hoping to be clued in on what was happening. Leni watched as Lori simply took in her reflection. In her own image, the oldest Loud could see how unsure she was about what was about to happen.
Still, she needed to press forward.
"LINCOLN!" Lori suddenly yelled out causing Leni to jump back and out of the way of her sister's bull-rush out the door. The blue topped teen ran quickly to the open doorway of the Loud twin's bedroom, where Lincoln was currently receiving a lesson.
"Watch the feet, Linky." The pageant queen, Lola, told her student.
"LINCOLN!" Lori slid to a stop. Her hands grasped the sides of the door frame as she looked in. She spotted the white head of her target. "Lincoln! Get your shoes, Quinlan needs you."
"Huh?" The white haired boy stepped back from his dance partner. "QT?! Is something wrong?!" His voice was filled with worry, Lincoln had started off the day with a bad feeling and he hoped what his older sisters had told him about that morning was the last of it.
He was wrong.
"Quinlan's Mom just heard about you two!" Lincoln's heart nearly halted. "We need to go now!"
"Okay!" The young boy ran out of the room, a nervous sweat already building up. "I-i'll meet you in the van!"
"Good!" Lori was already running down to the first floor to get the keys. "Hurry, Lincoln!"
"Where's the fire?" The patriarch of the Loud house asked as his daughter swiped the keys off a small hanger.
"Quinlan's mother just learned about her and Lincoln's relationship." The father's eyes went wide. "She wants me to talk to her."
"I'll get my loafe-"
"No!" Lori put both her hands out in a stopping fashion. "I need to do this myself."
"But I thi-"
"Please, Dad."
"..."
"..."
The air was tense as Lynn Loud Sr. inspected his daughter. His aged eyes examined his oldest, allowing him to see the emotions bleeding out of her heart.
Regret.
Hope.
And love.
"Okay." The father sunk down into his seat on the couch. "If anything goes south, call me immediately."
"Thank you, Dad." A white and orange blur rushed passed the blonde girl.
"C'mon, Lori, let's go!" Lincoln was waving to his sister from the van.
The Loud teen looked back at her father. His balding head simply nodded towards her. She returned the gesture with a nod of her own. With a confident strut she hurried to the car.
The drive was quick.
The blonde teen was speeding as she tried to explain why Quinlan wanted Mrs. Timber to listen to her. He took it in but Vanzilla was still constantly bouncing as the boy in the passenger seat jostled his leg impatiently. His breathing was quick and his hand weaved his own locks frantically. Lincoln pointed where necessary with urgency, Lori mimicked the mood with sharp turns.
It's not like Lincoln had not expected this day to come, he knew very well they had pushed it last time. It was just he knew the range of possibilities with his own family. They had always purposefully stayed quiet about their relationship, more for QT's sake than his own, and hoped to bring up the topic when it was deemed safe. Now, a worst case scenario was occurring and he was not by her side to weather the storm. His mind was a hectic mess trying to come up with plan upon plan of possible situations but all fell apart when the possibility of losing Quinlan daunted above all of it.
All he knew was she needed him.
If Lori wasn't here, he would have ran through the night to be by her side.
"That's the Impala!" Lincoln pointed at the black, 1970s car. Lori signaled and pulled to stop. The young boy immediately unbuckled and leap from the passenger door even before the engine halted.
"Lincoln!" The blonde, older sister shouted out but it was too late. The white hair lad was already at the door ringing the doorbell. "Dang it!" Lori's pace quickened as she began to turn off the van. As she finished unbuckling she could see the door already opening to the home. In the entrance was a voluptuous woman very similar to Quinlan but older. Her face was not unkind but it was stern. This woman was trained to deliver messages directly even if a person, or in her case a patient, didn't want to hear it.
As Lori exited the car she made sure to walk up confidently.
"You shouldn't be here right now." Lori heard the woman tell her brother.
"I-i know this is confusing but could you listen to someone?" Lincoln knew his sister's role was important. Quinlan choose her for a reason and he respected it.
"I thought it was you I would be listening to." Lori took these words as her cue to approach.
"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you."
The blonde teen stepped into the light above the porch in her blue tank top and khaki hot pants. She stood behind her shaking brother hoping her presence would calm him.
"I'm Lincoln's oldest sister, Lori Loud."
"An older sister?" Mrs. Timber eyed the girl up and down.
"Yes, the oldest of eleven." Lori calmly stated. The Timber mother resisted the urge to show her surprise but, with a cool head, allowed the teen to elaborate. "I'm also Quinlan's friend and who she called to talk to you about her... relationship status."
"...Okay." The shapely woman stepped to one side. "Come in."
"Thank you." The blonde teen told her. Lori pushed Lincoln slightly as his knees unbuckled from the fear. He stepped inside right in front of his sister. He sported a nervous smile that he hoped wasn't too noticeable. "Lincoln, go to Quinlan."
"Now wait a-"
"Please, Mrs. Timber..." The oldest Loud daughter interrupted knowing the risk of her current actions. It was all or nothing. "Just watch, please." For a moment the mother looked at the teen in the eye. She wasn't fully trusting of this young woman but for some reason she felt a hint of familiarity in her.
Mrs. Timber stepped back and allowed the two further access to the abode. The white haired boy did not waste time. Navigating the halls quickly, Lori and Mrs. Timber watched as he made it to Quinlan's door. It was partially cracked from the girl's earlier peeking and pushed as he knocked.
Alone in a darkened room was the curly haired brunette. At the door's movement she quickly glanced up to see the small figure of her lover in the doorway. Her brown eyes went wide and tears began to form. They ran into each other's arms. Lincoln found himself swept off his feet and at head height with his girlfriend who had taken to kissing him on the forehead. In the doorway, Mrs. Timber gasped and was ready to jump in, but a slender arm stopped her.
"Please, just watch." The mother turned to see Lori's understanding face. The Loud girl's aura resonated with the mother and she stopped herself from intervening. Mrs. Timber looked back into the room to see Lincoln's hands on the side of her daughter's face. His forehead was against hers, their eyes were closed and he simply repeated a couple phrases.
"Take a deep breath." The matriarch could hear the boy's soft voice. "With me, Inhale."
Lincoln took a deep breath while his girlfriend followed with a choked one between sobs.
"Exhale."
The white haired boy breathed outwards, QT followed his lead.
"Again."
From the doorway, the Timber mother watched her kin repeat this process until she could no longer hear the labored sounds of choking sobs from her daughter. Then something truly unremarkable happened.
Truly unremarkable for any other girl.
"Better, Honey Bee?"
"Yes... better."
The words were short and raspy whispers but they still caused the mother to take a step back. Without a doubt in her mind, she knew her husband would have done the same. Quinlan wasn't much of a talker for sure. Even if she was more chatty at home, under duress they knew she would shut herself off. She was the type to suffer in silence. No prodding or begging would help. When her grandfather died, it had taken a week to get her talking again. This boy had just done it in a matter of seconds.
"I knew it." Mrs. Timber turned to the gentle voice of the blonde teen beside her. Lori was sporting a knowing smirk aimed towards her brother. "We could watch this longer but I think you get the idea." The girl finally turned to the mother once again with an expression of sympathy.
"Let's go to the kitchen." Mrs. Timber simply stated. With a gesture of approval, Lori agreed. As Lori and Mrs. Timber walked to the kitchen, the couple was left alone to finally talk about the situation.
"Honey Bee, what happened?" Lincoln asked while caressing the brunette's cheek. Having held the boy up for nearly a minute, QT relented and sat on her bed with Lincoln. She set her lover down next to her and clasped his left hand with her own. They faced forward in the darkened room with only the gentle hallway light highlighting their features. Quinlan brushed her curls over her ear before speaking.
"We were having dinner, talking about some stuff..." The teen started.
"Does this have to do with what happened this morning?" Lincoln asked.
"No, no..." QT looked over with surprise. "You heard about that?"
"Yeah, Lori told me about it...Then Carol, then Becky, then Leni, then Dana." His girlfriend looked over to him questioningly. "Oh... they texted me."
"They have your number?" A slightly miffed QT asked.
"What? They asked about it at the sleepover." She frumpfed off his reasoning. "Anyways, I heard what happened. Are you okay? You never responded to my texts or call."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Quinlan looked at her phone. She had rushed to call Lori but now looking at her cell she could see several texts and calls from Lincoln alongside several of her friends and ex friend. "I took a nap after I came home. I'm suspended."
"That's stupid." He found it necessary to comment.
"Yeah...yeah it is. I'm more worried about us though."
"So am I but just hearing about that really, just really," Lincoln's fist shook in the air. "Dang it!" His annoyance came in an outburst.
"It's okay, sweetie, I'm not bothered... it's nothing compared to..." Her voice trailed. "I-iii." A stutter began to build up in the teen's speech.
"Honey Bee?" Lincoln's voice was filled with concern. Her hand covered her mouth and tears began running down her cheeks. A hurt whine came out her lungs, causing the boy to reinstate his presence by holding her hand tighter. The white haired boy watched as the pressure he applied brought her back and she turned towards him grief stricken. QT's hand left her lips and she finally continued.
"I shouldn't have said anything."
"I should have stayed quiet and let things go on as they were."
"No."
"None of this would be happening if I just shu-"
"NO!"
Lincoln grabbed Quinlan by her shoulders and got on his knees to be eye level with her on the bed.
"Don't say that!" Lincoln shouted with all his heart.
"Lincoln..."
"Honey Bee, please, never think you shouldn't speak up."
"But I really messed up."
"No, this was going to happen eventually."
"Not like this though."
"Who cares?!" Lincoln shouted. "When you met my family, it wasn't planned. You knew what could have happened but you still came. And you know what? We are still together. Stronger than ever."
"I know but *sniffle* I'm just so scared."
"It's okay to be scared. I'm scared too." Lincoln admitted while fighting back his own tears. Quinlan needed him to be a man and he'd be damned if he failed her today. "But I'll be here for you. I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens tonight, okay?" Quinlan nodded with him before placing her forehead against his.
"I love you, Lincoln Loud." Her voice was calm as she savored the moment.
"I love you, Quinlan Timber." Lincoln leaned into her. They sat in the dark, hands held together and nuzzling into each other like a pair of swans creating a heart on the waters. They sat in silence taking in one another's warmth. They breathed in each other's scent and listened to the beating of one another's heart.
"So..." Mrs. Timber placed a cup of hot tea in front of the Loud's oldest daughter. "Seems like there's a lot I don't know, Miss Loud." The mother was referring to sudden shouts of proclamation they had both heard come from down the hall. It came suddenly amidst the silence they had wordlessly agreed to as Mrs. Timber brew a kettle for their talk. Perhaps they should have closed the door to at least muffle Lincoln's affectionate claims to Quinlan.
"Erm," The blonde cleared her throat out of nervousness. "I guess so."
"Mmmhmm," The Timber woman sat directly across from the teen. Her presence was intimidating the teen but under the surface it was the woman who was truly terrified. Her daughter was dating a little boy and she had no idea how to handle it.
"Alright then, let's start." If Lori had been more perspective she might have seen the woman's pupils dilate. "I'm Lori Loud, and Quinlan called me because I was literally the most against their relationship." Once again, the teen failed to notice the subtle body movements that revealed how fearful Mrs. Timber was.
"H-how against them were you?" The mother readied herself for the worst.
"I stalked them on a date and called Quinlan a pedophile while tackling her." Mrs. Timber visibly cringed causing the girl to correct herself quickly. "But I don't think that now! That was back then." The mother did not feel relieved.
The woman was conflicted.
On one hand her daughter was committing some sort of crime... probably. They were both minors, was this okay? She desperately wanted it to be okay, but in the back of her mind she knew something was wrong. Legally she had no idea, she's not as well versed as she should be in law. If she had a question she could approach the hospital's lawyer but if she did, she may have to contractually admit who it is. She would never consider it for her daughter's sake. But should she for the boy's?
Lincoln was a kind boy.
He was exactly the type of boy the mother would hope her daughters would bring home. Just in this case, it really should have been Cristina. Mrs. Timber was not exactly an absentee parent, although with long hours it could seem that way. She loved her daughters and knew them well. Quinlan was not a pervert, or at least to her knowledge. There it was, doubt. She was doubting her own daughter. It was gut wrenching. She knew her daughter, she wasn't a creep. So why was she dating a child?
She couldn't recall how long but it had been months. Quinlan had been dating Lincoln for months, and nothing had ever seemed wrong. In fact, her teen daughter could even be considered happier. Was Lincoln the cause of it? The scene minutes ago indicated yes. Did Mrs. Timber dare rip away her daughter's happiness? She couldn't, but, by all logic, she should because this was a deeply seeded matter.
"It's weird, right?" Lori brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Beg your pardon?" Mrs. Timber looked up to see the blonde teen looking into her reflection in the tea. Lori had a calm yet understanding smile.
"A sixteen year old dating an eleven year old." The slender teen continued. "It's like super weird."
"Y-yes...yes it is."
"It's weird how it happened." Mrs. Timber nodded, "it's weird how many of my family and friends weren't bothered." The teen was obviously going to continue but her words caused the Timber mother to sit up and listen attentively.
"And it's weird how well they go together."
Mrs. Timber's eyes widened at the last sentence.
"I know, right?" Lori chuckled at the woman's surprise. "Literally the weirdest thing ever!" The blonde girl readjusted in her chair. "My baby brother going out with some hottie! It had to be some joke!" Her voice was theatrical as she spoke.
"My comic loving, sports hating, dorky, twerp of a brother dating a head turner. It was unbelievable... something had to be wrong." Her features became dour. "So I assumed it was her... something had to be wrong with her... she had to be a pervert. Somehow she was manipulating Lincoln and none of my family could see it. Our brother was in danger and no one would help him except me." Lori's thumbs traced along the rim of her cup.
"So I went on the attack." Mrs. Timber gulped. "I attacked her with questions so she'd slip up, but she didn't. I followed her to see her true colors, but she never changed. Then I fought her over a misunderstanding, and I was the villain. I wanted soooo badly for something to be wrong with them, but literally nothing was. They were just a sweet couple with the only thing strange between them being a number..."
The mother finally spoke up some. "But you and I know that number is important."
"Now it is..." Lori understood what she meant. "But in a few years maybe not... but that doesn't change them now does it?"
"No... no it doesn't." The Timber woman raised an eyebrow.
"We should be concerned. It's weird, right?" Lori voice picked.
"Yes..." Mrs. Timber did not know where this was leading. The woman jumped back as the blonde teen stood up like a preacher.
"It's weird that my brother is dating a teen! It's weird your daughter is dating a kid! And weirdest of all!" Lori's arms that had been flinging with exaggeration suddenly stopped before descending to her sides sadly. "I forgot who Lincoln was..." She returned to a sitting position.
Her face looked down at her cup once again.
"What do you mean, Miss Loud?" A small tinge of pain in her heart.
"Lincoln may be a twerp but he is literally the sweetest boy you will ever meet."
"He does give off that feeling." Mrs. Timber took a sip of her tea in hopes it would calm her nerves.
"I'm glad he does..." Lori's nostalgia began flooding into her words. "Eleven years. Eleven years of crashing through crowded halls and dodging us girls like ping pong balls. I guess a few things rub off. Years of telling him how to treat a girl and showing him how to be a gentlemen, without a doubt he'd be some girl's high school sweetheart someday! Hehe... I just hoped he'd be in high school too." The blonde girl tried to lighten the mood with a small joke. Mrs. Timber didn't react visibly so Lori continued.
"I guess the point I'm trying to make is that Lincoln's too old for his age." She could see the mother's questioning eyes. "He's too smart and understands the world far more than a boy his age should. Did you know he taught my sister how to drive? She failed her driving test like twelve times before Lincoln realised. He was the only one to really try teaching her in a way she could understand. Leni's an angel but she's a bit of a ditz. In the end though, I was the one who was really the kid." The blonde paused for a moment.
"I sabotaged her test and Lincoln called me out for it. I was being selfish and nearly hurt my sister just to feel needed... who was the teen and the kid there, huh?" The oldest Loud admitted one of her biggest failures. "Of course he's still just a kid, but there are times where you really can forget."
"I'm sorry Miss Loud," Mrs. Timber interrupted. "Regardless of how mature your brother is, it doesn't really explain the current predicament."
"I think it perfectly explains it." Lori quickly replied.
"How so?" The brunette showed her disbelief.
"You see, Mrs. Timber, although Lincoln is a nice, mature boy..." The Loud girl rubbed her arm in apprehension. "His luck with girls hasn't been too fortunate."
"..."
"What I mean is, Lincoln has tried in the past. We've set him up with some of our friends," The blonde felt herself grimace at the reminder. "And honestly, not all of them were bad but it's just... girls his age aren't interested."
"I will say, I'm not sure I believe you." The mother hid who she was referring to. "He seems like a fine young boy who would be a darling for any young girl to have."
"But that's just it! He is!" The teen admitted. "He should be, he really should be! Lincoln is such a dear and yet he never really got a girlfriend. God knows he tried but girls his age aren't interested in 'romance'. Not like he is." Lori sighed a bit before continuing.
"Sure they get what being in love looks like but, while they're fine with having a boyfriend in name only, Lincoln actually wanted something real. No girl his age could live up to those standards or even understand them." The teen realized it was finally time to really get down to business. "But an older girl could."
"Are you saying?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Her blonde locks bobbed as she nodded. "Lincoln was always searching for someone who got that and it so happened he found her like really early. I don't know the full story but somehow they met and realized they were both looking for the same thing. Quinlan's circumstances are so different from Lincoln's but they were both just trying to find a real relationship. Not one based on sex or online status, a real partner in life."
"So they haven't had sex?" The timber woman gripped her cup in suspense.
"I can literally tell you, they haven't."
The Timber mother felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders. One of her biggest fears relieved. Sure it was not one hundred percent gone but those few words really comforted her. She still knew they may be cozy but at least her daughter wasn't going that far.
"Quinlan has promised our parents to wait till Lincoln is of age." The softening expression, Mrs. Timber had accidentally let off, gave Lori hope. "Your daughter isn't a pervert. Even she was scared she was, just like you are now. I've been trying to reconcile with her for weeks now and, in that time, Quinlan has opened up to me. I know she really does care for Lincoln genuinely, it's not some twisted fetish. She's really in love with Lincoln. If she wasn't, I'd still be fighting her. Not defending her."
"I know you're concerned." Lori's chair screeched as she hopped to one closer to the woman. "You're a mother, it's what you do." Now closer, the woman could not ignore reality any longer. "Look, it's strange and unbelievable but it's true. They are in love and I'm literally willing to beg on their behalf. Please find it in your heart to just get to know them as a couple before dismissing them."
"Mrs. Loud, please!" The mother's form suddenly slouched forward and her forehead rested in her palms. "Give me a second to think."
Lori remained silent as the woman stayed in her worried contemplation. In the mother's mind was a metric ton of new information. She was happy her daughter was not sexually active with the boy but she was still dating an eleven year old. Mrs. Timber knew this was something that she shouldn't approve of solely on a moral standpoint but when it was concerning her own blood, it was all so different. If she heard this situation as a professional she'd immediately report it. A teen dating a kid? Put them in jail! But she'd never do that to Quinlan and hearing that the other family also wasn't going to do that was the greatest relief she could have at the moment. That was what Lori had said, right?
"Is your family actually okay with this?" The mother really needed to confirm it fully. Finally feeling she was getting somewhere. Lori responded happily.
"Yes! My parents love Quinlan! She's been so great to have around recently." The blonde gushed to the mom.
"Thank goodness." Mrs. Timber finally lent back. "I'd really appreciate if this stays between us, for Quinlan's sake."
"Of course that's fine. We totally get it and so do they."
"Good." The mother told her. This really wasn't something the mother of sixteen years knew how to handle. It really had come out of left field for her and now she just needed to keep it under some level of control. One: she needed to keep her daughter from getting in trouble. Two: she didn't want to push her daughter away. And three: so she could watch over them in case something was actually wrong. "I'm going to be honest with you, Miss. Loud, I'm not comfortable with this at all."
"I totally get that." Lori waved her hands with friendly playfulness. "It's a bit weird but you'll see they are like the sweetest couple."
"Sure, I guess." Mrs. Timber was still a bit uncomfortable to currently allowing this. "I just want to know, are you really okay with all of this?"
"It's kind of hard to understand. We both know it's not really... right? Both Quinlan and Lincoln know it too. They do try to hide it as much as possible but even in public who would really guess it." Lori shrugged. "I've grown more fond of them as time has gone by. After getting to know Quinlan I'm no longer worried. I'm not sure if I'd feel the same way if it was anybody except those two, but I trust Lincoln and I trust Quinlan. I mean you've known Quinlan her whole life, you already know how great she is. I don't need to tell you that."
"No, you don't. *Sigh* this is still a lot to take in." The mother looked over her shoulder down the hallway and shouted. "Quinlan! We're done talking. Come out here."
Small creaks could be heard approaching as the first born daughter of the Timber home came out. Her hand was grasped by her young lover who was doing his best to keep her calm. While put together, they were still nervous. Lori tried to give them hope with a smile but they were both too freaked to notice.
"You can relax. You can continue your relationship FOR NOW." The mother made sure to maintain some authority. "This is a difficult situation and I'm glad you understand that. Still, we need to set up some boundaries and keep this close to the chest. I will be the one to speak to your father at a time of my choosing. I would prefer if you no longer met in public and kept the affection to a minimum. Considering you've kept this hidden for so long, I'm sure you are capable of doing so."
Quinlan nodded enthusiastically, while the stipulations didn't make her happy, she knew they were essential to get her mother to agree. Two elated smiles were directed towards Lori as they thanked the older sister before turning to each other in silent celebration.
"It would be best if you two go home for now." Mrs. Timber referred to the Loud siblings. Lincoln seemed the most worried about this and clasped QT's hand more. His body language did not pass the Doctor. "It's okay Lincoln, I'm no longer upset. Please understand, I'm just concerned. Your relationship is unusual to say the least. I need time to digest this and know the full situation. I hate to say this but my daughter could easily be labeled poorly if your family wasn't okay with this. It comes as a great relief that they are. If we are both okay with the situation, I see no reason to end it. I'm not so blind to ignore the impact you have had on my daughters, and I thank you for it. I hope you will continue to be apart of their futures regardless of my confusion."
"I will be!" Lincoln shouted with conviction. "No matter what, I'll continue caring for Quinlan!"
Lori placed a hand to her heart as the warmth her brother exuded hit her. The teen wasn't alone. To his side Quinlan had her mouth covered, not to hide her pain like earlier but loving whimper she knew she'd admit. Tears streamed down her cheeks and it took all her might not to wrap him in a death-grip of an embrace.
"You said something like that last time too." Mrs. Timber looked the youth over. His stance was firm. He would not back down. "But only now does it truly sink in... Cherish her Lincoln, because I can guarantee you, she is something else."
"Of course she is," Lincoln smiled tearfully at the mother. "That's why I couldn't help but fall in love."