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Fashion (Turn To The Left!)	By : DoctorYnot Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 19619 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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>The day of the flight was an adventure, to say the least. Leni had managed to worry herself enough the night before that her sleep was fitful and restless and ended up waking up late. That meant that by the time Lincoln arrived at her apartment, expecting her to be showered, packed and ready to go, he instead ended up knocking on Leni's door for two minutes, letting himself in with the set of keys she'd given him when she'd first moved out once she didn't , and was then met with the sight of his half-asleep sister in the kitchen pouring a carton of orange juice into a bowl of cereal.
>"Leni!" Lincoln exclaimed, taking the citrus-flavored cheerios from her and dumping them into the sink. "What are you doing!? We're going to be late!"
>"Whuh...? Linky...?" She turned and stared at him with foggy, half-lidded eyes, hardly seeing him through the sleep daze she was still emerging from.
>He knew it would take too long to ease her awake gently, so while his sister stood there swaying like a zombie, he quickly sprang into action: Lincoln rifled through her shelves for some wheatgrass and yogurt, swiped a few icecubes from the refrigerator tray, tore open a packet of flax seeds and then emptied it all into her blender before shoving the cap on and flipping the switch.
>The sudden racket that followed as the blades sprang to life and ground down the ice almost made the poor girl jump out of her slippers. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head, surprised, turning to face him. Leni stared at her brother with slowly dawning recognition as she finally started to come around.
>"Lincoln?" She smacked her lips, her brow furrowing to try and guard herself from some of the morning sunlight. "Why are you so early?"
>"I'm not!" The young man insisted frantically, twisting the cap off the blender and pouring the half-made shake into a glass. He quickly shoved it into her hands, the sleepy blonde staring down at the concoction with curiosity. "You're just late!"
>Leni took a small, experimental sip. She instantly shuddered, her face twisting into an expression somewhere between sucking a lemon and smelling a dirty diaper. "Ugh! Lincoln!" That banished all that remained of her drowsiness as she gawped at him with indignation. "You can't mix wheatgrass and yogurt! It's, like, one or the other!"
>"No time!" Her little brother snatched the nightmare smoothie from her hand, unblended seeds still floating around near the top, and began pushing her into the bathroom. "We've gotta be out of here in twenty minutes or we're never gonna make our flight! That's three minutes to brush your teeth, ten minutes to shower and five minutes to dress! I'll pack!"
>"But I packed last night!" She protested as he forced her into the shower. "And I don't think that makes twenty!"
>"Gooooooo!" Lincoln shouted, shutting the door behind her. He pressed his ear to it to make sure she didn't fall asleep on her feet once he left her alone and, when he at last heard the shower turn on, gave a deep sigh of relief. He quickly made his way over to Leni's room to finish getting everything together. It was as he was hoping that she hadn't been fibbing about already packing that he opened the door, only to come face to face with the biggest, heaviest looking suitcase he'd ever seen placed helpfully at the foot of her bed.
>"Dang it."
--
>They'd ended up cutting it real close but managed to make it to the airport on time thanks to the young man's less-than-strict adherence to the local traffic laws. Even then they probably wouldn't have gotten to the counter before it closed if it hadn't been for Lincoln doing his best to streamline as much as he could about their trip beforehand over the airline's website, ensuring quicker lines and less fuss. There was one thing sure to slow them down, though, that he'd come to grips with the moment he'd first laid eyes on his sister's luggage.
>"You're gonna have to check that." The mousy ticket agent admitted as Lincoln struggled to hoist Leni's suitcase up to the scale. The young man gave a frustrated sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow, before finally shaking his head in exasperation and nodding. For her part Leni just stood off to the side, a little distracted, as her little brother filled out their information on the complimentary luggage tag the woman handed him. He doubted anybody was going to mistake Leni's portable armoire for theirs, but it never hurt to be safe.
>"Where does it all go?" Leni asked, mystified.
>"Hmm?" Lincoln handed the attendant back her pen as he turned to see what his big sister was talking about. She had been watching the parcels and packages get placed on the carrousel behind the airline's front desk and disappear into the bowels of the airport.
>"It's magic." Lincoln grinned at her, taking her hand and pulling her away gently as he began leading her to their gate.
>"No it's not!" She protested, but couldn't help but smile when she felt her little brother's warm hand envelop hers. The young woman began swinging her arms happily, just a bit, as the two made their way through the small local airport. "Stop messing with me, Lincoln."
>"It looks like we have a little time until the plane takes off." He commented, looking at his watch. "Do you want to get a to-go muffin? I know that smoothie I made this morning wasn't great." Lincoln felt his stomach rumble a bit as he smelled the coffee in the air on their way through the food court. He hadn't had much of a breakfast himself, and the stress of straining in his carseat trying to will red lights to green the entire way to the airport had given him a bit of an appetite.
>His sister shuddered at the unwelcome memory. "You're supposed to juice wheatgrass, not just shove it in like that!" She complained, almost throwing her hands up in anguish. Lincoln chuckled as Leni huffed.
>"Sorry, I was in a hurry." He admitted.
>His sister still seemed like she wanted to make an issue of it (he was pretty sure she'd spent most of the car ride over trying to work flaxseeds out from between her teeth with her tongue), but eventually appeared to let it go. She finally shrugged, giving a long sigh. "We should totes just wait for the plane. Since the flight's longer than an hour we get one of those special air lunches! Not just a bag of peanuts."
>Lincoln quirked a brow as the two found a seat in front of their gate. "How do you know that, Leni?"
>It was a fair question. Lincoln had been the one that booked their flight. As far as he was concerned it was just one more aspect of the things he typically took care of, like making sure his big sister remembered her deadlines whenever she got too wrapped up in a new design or calling to remind her when she was supposed to videochat with her boss in New York.
>She turned to look at him like he was crazy. "Because I checked, duh! I had to find out how long the flight was so I could know whether I should take something for my motion sickness." Lincoln blinked. He almost asked her why she hadn't just called him, but she answered his unspoken question before he could. "I tried calling you, but you didn't pick up the phone..." Her voice trailed off quietly as she turned away from him for a moment to glance up at a loudspeaker, the voice blaring out of it announcing that passengers seated in sections one through seven could now board.
>Her little brother went pensive for a moment while Leni was distracted as he tried to think when that could have been. He typically kept his phone on at all times just in case she or his mom needed him. The only time Lincoln had broken that rule was...
>He gave a quiet, unhappy groan as he remembered the dinner he'd had with Mary two weeks ago, just before she'd left on her trip. He'd shut off his phone as a romantic gesture to show her that that night was all about her.
>Lincoln felt the guilt wash over him as he realized he'd ignored his sister, calling to ask whether she should take medicine no less, just so he could get laid. He brought a hand over his face so he could hide the obvious shame on it when Leni suddenly hopped up, grabbing his elbow.
>"That's us, Lincoln!" She began tugging on his arm, excited.
>"What...?" The young man allowed her to pull him to his feet, picking up his suitcase as she did.
>"Seven through fourteen!" She repeated the announcement from the loudspeakers he'd been kicking himself too hard to pay attention to. "That's us! Come on!"
>In a reverse of earlier it was now his sister now pushing him into line to make sure they didn't miss their flight while Lincoln was distracted by other things. The young man was still a little dazed from the ugly realization he'd had when he felt Leni suddenly give him a quick hug. "Thanks for getting us the seats over the wing, by the way. It's cuz those are the ones that rumble the least, right? You're so sweet."
>Lincoln was flabbergasted, wordlessly presenting the tickets to the stewardess managing the tunnel while he turned to stare at his sister. The flight attendant waved them through. "How do you know THAT?"
>Leni didn't seem to notice how incredulous his tone was. "Well, after I saw the flight time on the website, I decided to check to see if maybe we could upgrade. My treat, you know? But then I saw how thoughtful you'd been." She smiled at him happily. "The ones you picked are perfect." Leni continued to lead him, first across the tunnel and then through the aisles of the plane, while Lincoln simply shook his head in surprise. While Leni sidled into her window seat, he opened the overhead compartment.
>"So strong~" She smirked as he swung up his small roll-on to tuck inside.
>"Stop messing with me, Leni." Lincoln griped, still a little off-balance from his sister's newfound self-reliance, as he finished shoving the irregularly bulging suitcase against the other luggage and forced the drawer shut. He gave a long exhale and at last took his seat.
>"Hey, what gives!?"
>Lincoln turned to look at her over the empty seat between them as Leni stared at him in disbelief. She seemed offended.
>"...What?" He shrugged.
>"You can't just-..." She looked down desperately at the ticket stubs in her hand, then flicked her eyes back to her little brother and held them out to him. "My ticket says window and yours says middle! Middle isn't aisle, Lincoln!"
>The young man gave a long sigh and deflated against his headrest, stretching his legs into the area beneath the seat in front of him. "Come on, Leni! The plane is half-empty! This is more comfortable."
>He shut his eyes, waiting for his sister to inevitably fight him on it, but no reply came. Just when he cracked one eye open to see what was the matter, he recoiled as Leni, suddenly much nearer, plopped herself down on the middle seat in a huff.
>"What are you doing?" He asked curiously.
>"Rules are rules, Lincoln!" Leni insisted, obviously flustered.
>Lincoln stared at her, unable to stop the mirth from showing up on his face as he began to tease. "But if rules and rules and your ticket says 'window'..." However, he let the question hang as he looked at her a bit closer and noticed how nervous she actually was.
>His big sister was trying to keep a brave face, staring dead ahead and not even looking at him, but her body was so stiff that he couldn't help but realize something was wrong. Lincoln watched her bottom lip twitch, just a little, and then saw her shut her eyes as the plane started moving. The young man snaked his hand in under the deathgrip Leni had on the armrests, worming his fingers in under her palm, and she responded by clamping her hand around his. She turned to look at him, opening her eyes just long enough to give her little brother a frightened smile, and he leaned in to give her shoulder a soft shove with his.
>"Lincoln!" She complained as they began to take off, and when he let go of her hand she looked genuinely panicked, but only for as long as it took him to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her body against his. Leni didn't offer any resistance, instead laying her head against his chest. She listened to the sound of her little brother's heartbeat, letting it drown out the noise of the engine, and at last gave a long, relaxed sigh as they took to the air.
--
>Once they reached max altitude a few minutes later Lincoln finally let go of her, but it seemed she wasn't quite ready to let go of him. Leni gave a soft murmur of complaint as she felt the warmth from his arms leave her shoulders, nuzzling a little against his shirt.
>"We're done taking off, Leni. You can relax now." She shook her head against his chest, making him laugh. He started to stroke her back affectionately and felt her smile through the fabric.
>"You guys are the cutest couple I've ever seen." Lincoln pulled his nose off the top of his big sister's head to turn around, finally noticing the stewardess hovering just off their row and smirking down at them with amusement. He didn't know how long she'd been standing there.
>She appeared surprisingly young, maybe even younger than he was, and Lincoln got the sense from how casually she spoke that she probably hadn't been working at this job long.
>She was also quite good-looking, and not just in the way airline stewardesses tended to be. The girl had a pretty face, a body that was petite but voluptuous and her dark red hair was pulled into a ponytail that fell down one of her shoulders beneath her elegant flight attendant's hat. The smile on her face was mischevious and her pretty hazel eyes sparkled with mirth as she looked at the two.
>He felt Leni finally pull away from him so she could see who it was.
>"Oh, hello there." Lincoln replied nervously. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, Leni go from staring at the stewardess to staring at him. The young man could feel his sister's eyes boring into the side of his head and felt nervous, as though he was doing something he shouldn't be. He sensed somehow that Leni was studying his reaction to her.
>"Hiya." The young flight attendant answered easily, not missing a beat. "First time flying?"
>"No, I-" He corrected himself, briefly turning to face his big sister. Her expression as she peered at him was guarded and unreadable. "We've flown a couple of times before."
>The stewardess smiled brightly. "Well I think it's really sweet how you helped your girlfriend through that."
>Lincoln felt himself flinch, suddenly remembering what she'd assumed their relationship to be. It was no wonder, with they way they'd been carrying on. The young man felt a red hot flush of embarassment start to rise to his cheeks. "Oh, uhh, Leni's actually my sister. Say hi, Len."
>Leni kept glaring at him for a second before finally turning to face her. "...Hello."
>As oblivious as he was, Lincoln couldn't help but notice the way the girl's body language changed when he clarified that he and Leni weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. She leaned forward slightly, seeming a bit more interested than she was before. "Hi there! Leni, huh? I'm Daphne. I'll be your flight attendant this morning." There was a long pause and she tucked her hands behind her, staring down at Lincoln. "So...That's two of our names..."
>He almost recoiled. "Oh! I'm sorry, I'm Lincoln."
>"There we go. He's my favorite president, you know." Daphne, as they now knew she was called, moved to the aisle seat on the opposite row of the two and sat down. She put her elbow on the armrest and placed her chin in her hand, staring at the flustered young man. Lincoln watched as she crossed her legs, her navy blue skirt riding up just a bit on the seat, and had to force his eyes not to follow her nylon stockings, clearing his throat nervously. She seemed amused by how awkward he obviously felt.
>"Not that we, umm, don't appreciate the company, but shouldn't you be...?" He offered tentatively, but she cheerfully cut him off.
>"Working? I am. I'm making sure two of our valued customers feel safe and comfortable." Daphne gave another easy smile. "Seriously though, the flight's only about a quarter booked. We're overstaffed as it is and they don't let me do anything important anyway since I'm new." She glanced down to evaluate the state of her manicure. "'Sides, my dad's the pilot."
>"O-oh." The young man answered, not quite knowing how to respond to that. He wasn't used to randomly being shown attention from such a pretty girl, and it felt extra weird with his sister sitting right next to him. Especially when he felt Leni slowly wrap her arm around his in a manner that felt less like she was trying to feel safe and comfortable and more like she was being possessive of him.
>"So what takes you two to New York?" The teenager asked curiously, looking up from her fingernails. "Business or pleasure?"
>Before Lincoln could respond his sister interrupted.
>"I'm a fashion designer." She said, a strange edge to her voice, pulling her little brother's arm against her body a bit tighter. "I'm having a show. At the Markham."
>Daphne's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh my gosh! That's so cool!" She leaned over the aisle, whispering in a tone that was both conspiratorial and hopeful. "Do you think I could get some tickets?"
>Leni recoiled, so taken aback by the girl's forwardness that she briefly forgot her simmering resentment at having her moment with Lincoln interrupted. "I...don't think so..." She admitted carefully. When the stewardesses' expression fell, his sister's big shot fashionista act crumbled as her naturally sweet nature finally overcame her desire to be curt.
>"It's, like, really short notice!" Leni whined, flustered at being put on the spot like that. "The show's tomorrow and it's my first big project and I'm not really sure if I can rock the boat and-" The anxiousness she was feeling over the brash young girl's obvious interest in Lincoln was quickly replaced by her longstanding fear over whether she was going to be able to put on a good show or not. Daphne sensed her panicking and immediately became apologetic.
>"Hey, no, I'm sorry!" Her hands reached out as if to either console Leni or wave her off. "It was a big ask, especially from a stranger. And look, don't worry, I'm sure your show's going to go great." The stewardess gave her an understanding smile and his sister reciprocated with a small, appreciative nod.
>Daphne exhaled with relief at having defused the near-meltdown and turned back to Lincoln with curiosity. "So you're there as moral support?" She probed.
>"Y-yeah, sort of." The young man answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
>"No way!" Leni suddenly protested, squeezing his arm tighter. "Lincoln's my assistant! He's...He takes care of everything! I totes couldn't do this without him!" He felt a blush rise to his cheeks again at Leni's overly generous praise. He was getting ready to deny it, of course, when Daphne butted in again. He was starting to feel like a ping-pong ball the girls were bouncing off each other.
>"Yeah." The playful flight attendant agreed, flashing him a smirk. She leaned in just a bit. "He does seem pretty dependable. Humble, too~"
>At this point the young man started slumping into his seat. He was getting the distinct impression he was being made fun of, and his sister's earnestness didn't help.
>Over the next half hour they came to learn that Daphne was a college student. A psychology major, specifically. She claimed she was only working as a flight attendant over the summer, something her dad had set her up with to make a little extra money. At first the young woman was especially keen about Leni's job, but when the topic of how many siblings they had came up (how this happened Lincoln couldn't even guess), their home life suddenly seemed a lot more interesting to her. When the lunch cart came by she took the opportunity to switch places, sliding into their row to take the window seat Leni had abandoned. Lincoln couldn't help but notice the look the older stewardess shot her truant coworker as she handed the two their trays.
>"TEN sisters? And you were the only boy?" Daphne ignored it, instead laughing as she stared at the two incredulously. "Oh my gosh. What order were you born in?"
>"Well," Lincoln replied, fussing with the peel-off cover on his meal, "Lori and Leni are the oldest, then Luna, Luan, Lynn..."
>She couldn't help but grin. "And on top of everything else you're one of the younger ones?"
>"N-no, I'm the middle kid." Lincoln began to object, but their new friend was already off to the races.
>"Dude! There's NO WAY you weren't their little boytoy growing up!" She declared, seemingly delighted by the idea. Lincoln felt his face get hot and immediately opened his mouth to deny it, but his big sister quickly cut in.
>"It's totes true. I'm pretty sure we all had our first kiss with Linky." The blonde giggled. "You know, for practice. Even Lily was able to trick him into it."
>Leni's careless admission and the ensuing howl of laughter from the rookie stewardess almost made him flip his lunch. He accidentally tore off all the plastic with a sudden jerk, nearly sending the beef stroganoff and baby carrots flying. The young man brought his hand up to scratch the side of his face so the girls couldn't see how embarassed he was from how forthright his sister was about their home life.
>"That's so awesome!" The teenage girl insisted between gasps of laughter, hand held over her stomach as she bent over in her seat a little. He was glad at least someone was having a good time. Leni, for her part, didn't seem to think there was anything that strange about what she'd just said and was instead looking at her with excited interest, as though she was waiting to be let in on the joke.
>Daphne finally seemed to calm down, but Lincoln could tell she was barely keeping herself from breaking out into giggles again. "No wonder I thought you guys were a couple. You're exes."
>Leni didn't let the comment slide. Her eyebrows went up in surprise and confusion. "No way! I'd, like, never break up with Linky!"
>The young college girl doubled over in glee again and this time his big sister chuckled along with her, just to be polite. Lincoln couldn't recall the last time he'd felt so mortified. There was nothing more viscerally humiliating than the sound of a cute girl laughing at you. He sunk into his seat, trying to make himself appear small. "Dude, you HAVE to let me interview you for a psych paper!" She insisted between cackles. "You have to! It's like a guaranteed A!"
>"Yeah, well," The young man grumbled, pulling out his phone and pretending he was checking something on it. Anything to avoid looking her in the face. "We're not going to be in town long, so..."
>"Forget that!" Daphne suddenly snatched it from his hand, leaving the flabbergasted young man to stare at her incredulously. Were all New Yorkers this pushy? She ignored him, however, instead hunching over his telephone as her fingers flew across the screen. After a few short moments she tossed it back and Lincoln fumbled, trying not to drop it. "There. You NEED to call me while you're in town."
>Lincoln stared down at the screen. Daphne with a heart at the end was now in his contacts list. "I already texted myself with your crappy ol' Brokia so don't even think about ghosting on me." She added. He pursed his lips unhappily. It had been up to date when he got it.
>"Seriously!" Daphne pleaded. "I know this amazing little Eritrean-Japanese place in the Village that I'm sure you guys would totally dig. And if you need to change the date on your return tickets, my dad can swing that too!"
>The teenage girl turned to his sister and grabbed her hands, staring at her with a smile. "You're the coolest girl I've ever met, Leni. You're so fearless."
>Leni didn't seem to understand, tilting her head curiously, but she was gracious all the same. "Thanks! You're, umm...I like you too!"
>With that the young stewardess smiled and excused herself, explaining that they'd be landing soon. She sidled out carefully while the two pushed up their table trays and held their lunches against their laps. Daphne paused as she passed by Lincoln, the space between the two a tight fit, and for a moment there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide from her teenage body. The young man couldn't really bend over to look at his food without shoving his head beneath her breasts, so instead he nervously tried to pretend he didn't see the bare whisper of skin high on her leg between her stockings and hemline.
>Just then the plane hit a small patch of turbulence and with a soft 'ooh!' she bent over, placing a hand on Lincoln's headrest to steady herself. Her arm was on his right, blocking Leni from seeing either of their faces, as Daphne leaned in very close. He tried to back up to give the girl some space but the armrest release his thumb kept pumping didn't work, leaving him feeling very cornered as the pretty redheaded flight attendant loomed over him, pressing her breasts against his chest while he tried to ignore the smell of her perfume and the feeling of her nylon-covered leg wedging itself between both of his. He saw her smile mischeviously and then bring her lips near his ear while he tried to pull away against his backrest.
>"You're just my type. Let me know if you ever wanna practice kissing with someone besides your sister~" She whispered breathily, then pushed herself off his seat and straightened up.
>"Whoops, sorry!" Daphne then apologized innocently.
>Lincoln was left stewing in his own nervous sweat as the teenage girl sashayed away. They hadn't even landed in New York yet and already he was dealing with situations that he didn't expect would have ever occurred back home.
>The trip was off to a disquieting start.
>His sister, for her part, could be surprisingly insightful, and even while he was trying to recompose himself he noticed that she seemed miffed. He wondered if she'd realized what had happened and questioned why it felt like he needed to lie or make up some excuse. As Lincoln grasped for one she didn't give him the opportunity to, instead just saying right what was on her mind.
>"Lincoln, how come you corrected her so fast when she said we were boyfriend and girlfriend? I mean, it's not, like...Anybody's business, really, is it?" Leni asked tentatively, obviously a bit put-out.
>It was not the sort of question he had been expecting. The young man stammered for a bit, not really knowing where to begin, when she suddenly added a soft, "Oh! You spilled your lunch!"
>He looked down to notice the stroganoff running down the side of his jeans. Lincoln took a deep breath and gave a long, tired exhale.
>"How long did you say this flight was, Leni?"
-------
>"I-it's only a four day trip, did you really need to bring all this stuff?"
>Lincoln huffed as he dragged his sister's giant suitcase through the busy New York City terminal. Not only had they had an overweight luggage fee tacked on to their bill, since it wouldn't have fit into the overhead compartment they'd had to wait half an hour after disembarking for it to get unloaded. It was so heavy he felt like he was dragging one of the twins around by the wrist through the whole of the giant airport. The thing didn't even have wheels on it!
>His sister, meanwhile, was happily rolling along his (much smaller and more sensibly packed) suitcase. She gawked at the massively high ceilings and trendy, overpriced duty-free shops surrounding her. The difference between their small, unassuming local airport in Royal Woods and the metropolitan megahub they were in now was clear to see.
>"Oh my gosh, Lincoln! Did you know they make 'shake de-seeders'!?" She suddenly ran ahead to a shop window and pointed inside after the colorful ad above the doorway caught her attention. "It's for when you, like, blend up some pomegranite or pumpkin, but you don't want any seeds in there! This is what you use!" She hopped up and down happily, turning to her brother with a big grin at her discovery.
>"...Do you WANT to take the seeds out, Leni?" Lincoln asked bemused as he sloughed his way over, making sure not to lose sight of his excitable big sister.
>She seemed to think about the question for a bit, her grin never disappearing, before finally giving another little hop.
>"I don't know!" She admitted happily.
>Lincoln couldn't help but laugh as she sprinted off to a different shop to point out another demented, useless product she demanded they buy.
>"I just can't believe I'm really here!" She finally declared after he talked her into taking a break on a nearby bench, the young man's body aching from trying to chase her down without losing their luggage. His sister was practically vibrating with delight, feet bouncing against the marble floor as she stared at the various well-dressed travelers passing by. "It's, like, I heard about it all my life, y'know? About how glamorous everything in the big city is. And now I'm here! I'm totes part of it!"
>Lincoln pressed his forearm against his back as he sat down next to her, trying to work out the kink it felt like he'd developed, when Leni turned to face him. She was beaming, her face lighting up so brightly he almost felt like he had to shield his eyes. His big sister leaned in, wrapped her arms around him and gave Lincoln a big, wet smooch on his cheek.
>The young man just sat there, too stunned by her sudden gesture to react. He nevertheless found himself smiling despite his embarassment at being fawned over in such a public place. Leni's enthusiasm was infectious. Lincoln's hand found her back and stroked it affectionately as she buried her face into his neck to hide her smile.
>It was only then that he noticed a pre-teen girl, sitting on a bench across the court, smirk at him over his sister's shoulder and point her phone's camera at the two. Lincoln stiffened, wincing at the idea of a video of him and Leni having a normal family moment getting posted to some weird blog. They would probably misunderstand things; internet people were the worst.
>"H-Hey, Len-"
>His sister finished the hug but only so she could take his hands in hers. Leni pulled off from his neck and stared into his eyes, her big, glimmering blues feeling like they were peering into his soul. Whatever he was going to say next, any stupid complaints or self-conscious protests, died on his lips.
>"I'm really glad you're here with me, Lincoln." She stated honestly, her eyes boring into his. She looked away and stared at the floor shyly. "It's what makes things just right."
>Lincoln felt a sharp bolt of emotion smack into him. The saliva in his mouth felt like it got thicker, tangling up his tongue as he tried to think of something to say, but Leni beat him to it.
>"If I can only share this with one person, I'm happy it's you."
>He immediately tried to reassure her. "Leni, everyone else wanted to come. They-"
>His big sister interrupted him, placing her finger on his lips and shaking her head. She stared into her little brother's eyes and the intimacy of the gesture, how heartfelt her words were, made him forget about everything else.
>"This is perfect, Lincoln." She insisted with a smile. "I totes wouldn't change a thing."
>Lincoln brushed her hand away gently and leaned in to give his delighted sister a kiss on the cheek.
>Let them look.
---
>They finally managed to arrive at the hotel after Lincoln located a taxi outside the airport with enough trunk space for Leni's mobile dresser. After carefully loading it into the back the two climbed inside and the car instantly began zipping through the city, the experienced driver taking every shortcut and low-flow zone he knew about so he could resolve the fare quickly. Twenty minutes later they arrived at their destination.
>The Grand Salzburg. Lincoln was dazzled by the fanciness of the building as they pulled up to the curb. Two gorgeous dark grey arches framed the entrance and endless panes of smoky obsidian glass extended what seemed like thirty levels into the air. He hadn't known what to expect back at the airport, but it certainly wasn't this. Apparently his sister's boss at the clothing label had arranged for all of it, insisting talent needed to be pampered. As they were escorted through the polished brass revolving doors, shining like a jewel surrounded by all the expensive black slate, an elegantly dressed man with a pencil-thin moustache and slicked back hair rushed over to greet Leni.
>"Madame Laudé, Madame Laudé!" The man pressed his cheek against one side of her face and then the other, taking her hands in his with unwarranted familiarity as they entered the lobby. "It's such a pleasure for us to receive you. Please, allow me to introduce myself: I am Ossu, the concierge." The fellow stretched up to his full height, making his back as straight as he could, but keeping his head just a little tipped in a sign of deference to the young blonde. His patter and movements were millimetrically precise, clapping twice sharply and giving two nearby hotel employees a stern look that sent them hurrying over to pick up Leni's suitcase as soon as Lincoln finished dragging it inside. They hoisted it up like it was nothing, shocking the young man, but he made sure to protect his battered sense of masculinity by quickly rationalizing that of course it was easier with two people.
>"Signor Valenti has explained everything to us. Your own pageant at the Markham, and at such a young age! It is truly our honor to provide what rest and succor we can to such a luminary." The concierge flattered her shamelessly.
>Lincoln was overwhelmed by it all, both the ostentatiousness of the man and of their surroundings. If anything the interior of the hotel was more impressive than the outside. He was surprised to find that unlike back at the airport, however, Leni somehow brushed it all off casually. "Oh, I don't want any suckers. The sugar hurts my teeth. Thanks though, you're so nice!"
>The man's exuberant laughter practically rattled the chandeliers. Lincoln returned to the waiting taxi while the concierge fussed over Leni and finished pulling his own suitcase out of the trunk, paying the fare and hurrying back inside. When the hotel manager noticed the cab pulling away from the hotel, however, he reacted as if he had been shot, pulling his fist to his mouth and biting his knuckle in distress.
>"Madame Laudé, why didn't you call ahead!? My GOD, the thought of such an eminence taking a common city taxi!" The pain in his voice sounded genuine, which almost made Lincoln laugh. Leni just looked surprised. "If you had let us know we would have sent a chaffeur! Goodness, you must be desperate for a shower. A thousand, thousand apologies for not sending someone out to meet you once you landed. Please, follow me, I will show you to your room immediately." The man reached into his pocket to pull out a white handkerchief, dabbing the nervous sweat off his forehead as he stretched out an arm towards the elevator. When Lincoln began following his sister into it Ossu practically recoiled, giving the young man a stern glare.
>"Your manservant," he seethed as he cast a look at the disheveled state of Lincoln's plain clothes, shirt wrinkled from having to atlas-stone Leni's suitcase before he could dump it into the cab's trunk and pantleg stained brown by beef stroganoff. "Shall have to wait in the lobby."
>Leni turned around, puzzled at who exactly the concierge meant, but giggled when she caught him glaring at Lincoln over his apparent lack of discipline. "Linky's not my manservant, he's my brother!"
>Just like that all the color seemed to drain out of the man's face. He reached for the handkerchief to dab at his forehead again, shaking his head.
>"Y-your brother...We were not told, madame, it was not..." He seemed to be upset about more than just a simple case of mistaken identity or inadvertent disrespect. Lincoln felt himself start to stress out as he realized there was likely some problem with their reservation. They had barely been in town for an hour and already their plans were getting screwed up.
>"Hmm?" Leni turned to look at him, her expression scrunched up in concern. Ossu practically wilted at her obvious lack of comprehension, his knees buckling just a bit. He spared a nervous glance to Lincoln, who he understood had already pieced together some of the situation, for help.
>"Y-you see, the hotel is fully booked. There are no rooms available besides yours. Most of those staying with us are, in fact, here for your show!" The concierge realized that by his phrasing he was in a way implying it was her fault. Ossu began squirming under the guileless, innocent stare of the friendly blonde.
>"So there is...no place for him to stay, you see?" The man offered hopefully. He had apparently dealt with so many high-strung divas that he was expecting the facade to crack and Leni to blow at any second.
>Instead, she processed this for a moment before smiling brightly.
>"That's okay, he can stay with me!" The young woman offered happily.
>The concierge flinched, taking a second to regroup at her suggestion before speaking again. His voice was even more nervous than before as he gently tried to shoot down her compromise without inviting her wrath.
>"B-but there is only one bed, you see, and this establishment does not maintain...'cots'." The word came out of his mouth like he wished he had a medical glove to handle it with and some rubbing alcohol for after.
>"...So?" Leni asked, puzzled.
>Lincoln wanted to interrupt at this point, explain that he could stay at some cheaper hotel nearby, but Ossu's eyes widened at her simple, untroubled question and he quickly stood up straight once more.
>"...Oh! Oh." He cleared his throat. "Of course, of course! How foolish of me! Your 'brother', of course. My God, I am an unforgivable palhaço!" In his nervousness he briefly slipped back into his native tongue. Lincoln did not like the way he had said brother. He had the sense his relationship with Leni was being misunderstood for the third time in two hours. "Yes, of course! Very continental of you, very continental! A man of my training should understand these things, show some discretion. Again, one thousand, thousand apologies. Please, both of you follow me to the elevator." He clapped again once and another hotel employee came over, snatching Lincoln's suitcase out of his hand while he was distracted. He wanted to ask Ossu what he'd meant by 'understand these things', but the instinct to protect his belongings kicked in and he instead stared at the fellow hurrying away with his things. Lincoln pointed to him in surprise and turned back only to see Leni and the concierge already waiting for him inside the elevator.
>"Please, Messiour Linky," Ossu spoke without a hint of condescension, making Lincoln recoil at hearing a stranger using Leni's pet name for him. "Your 'sister' surely wishes to rest."
>The young man wanted to ask him if he could borrow his handkerchief, finding himself increasingly agitated by how presumptuous and quick to assume things everyone seemed to be here, but instead he just followed them inside. The concierge pushed the top button and the doors of the elevator shut, escorting them up to the penthouse.
---
>When they finally arrived at their room Lincoln was even more flabbergasted than he was when they'd first arrived at the hotel.
>The first thing that caught his eye was the incredible skyline visible from outside the window. A window, incidentally, that practically made up one of the walls of the room. The concierge noticed his wonder and explained, proudly, that the structure was made of a new material who's opaqueness could be gradually adjusted, and pointed out the dial on the wall where they could do so. At it was the entire place was illuminated by natural sunlight, the only shadows formed by the bronze reinforcements that framed the interior of the glass.
>"Here is the bed you shall be sharing." Lincoln flinched as he heard the words, turning to see Ossu gesturing to what seemed like an unusually small mattress for the grandeur of the room. Still big enough for two people, of course, but just barely. He was surprised that there was no actual bedroom per se, the lavishly decorated mahogany frame instead located off in a corner of the main room. It was placed on top of a platform slightly raised from the rest of the floor, which put one in mind of some kind of altar. The carpets stretching across the room were a deep, royal red and contrasted elegantly with the sumptuous white of the sheets.
>"Isn't it...a little small?" He asked tentatively.
>Ossu's face lit up. "I see you have an educated eye, Messiour Linky." Lincoln blanched at hearing the concierge call him that again. "Yes, it's in the latest Osnabrückish style! We take great pride in keeping the Grand Salzburg as modern as possible." Ossu made an energetic knife motion against his palm. "It's very intimate. I'm sure it'll be just the thing."
>"OH! EMM! GOSH! Linky, come see the closet!" Leni's voice interrupted him as she exclaimed from inside what Lincoln had initially assumed was the actual bedroom, the young fashionsta having snuck off earlier during the explanation Ossu had given about the window. Lincoln sprinted after Ossu as the concierge chased the girl inside, intent on making him explain what exactly he had meant by that.
>"Ahh yes, I see you noticed the Moroccan ebony of the sh-" He began.
>"It's so big!" Leni interrupted him, stretching out her arms and giving a quick spin to show she could do so without her hands touching the walls. She turned and smiled brightly at the two, making Lincoln chuckle at his sister's wonder. Ossu was initially speechless but quickly recomposed himself.
>"Y-Yes, of course, Madame. The idea of a designer of your magnitude being forced to endure insufficient closet space is laughable." It seemed like he tried to force some laughter, for effect, but it petered out quickly. It appeared the man was too rattled at this point to keep up the performance with the verve he had upon their arrival.
>Lincoln couldn't blame him. Leni had a knack for disarming people.
>"Would you..." He began, scratching the back of his neck with something less than the rigid formality of an experienced concierge. "Would you like to see the bathroom?"
>"Oh, good idea!" Leni nodded, surprising him again. "I could totes use a shower right now. Thanks for showing us around!" The blonde walked over and shook the stunned hotel manager's hand.
>Just when it seemed she was about to run off, however, she instead lingered mysteriously. His sister let go of Ossu's hand and brought a finger up to her face, tapping her chin a couple of times as she stared at the well-dressed fellow. He at first stood at attention but soon began to hesitate under the young woman's glare.
>"Madame?" Ossu asked uncertainly.
>"You know," Leni began, apparently deciding upon something. "With your features you should really, like, wear your hair to the side instead of slicking it back like that. It'd frame your eyes better!"
>The hotel manager was struck speechless at the young fashionista's unsolicited advice on his personal appearance. He brought his hand up to his hair and blinked while Lincoln hung back, trying not to laugh.
>"...Y-yes, madame." He agreed uncertainly. "I shall style my hair in the manner you described and attempt to keep it that way from this point forward."
>"You'll look TOTES cute." She nodded happily. "See you later!" And just like that Leni scampered away to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
>Ossu stood there quietly for a moment, staring off into nothing as he seemed to try and puzzle something out, before turning to Lincoln. His voice was tentative and careful.
>"The...The help shall arrive shortly to arrange your clothes. Please, if there is anything you require, do not hesitate to ask."
>"Actually..." Lincoln began, and the shaken hotel manager halted his nervous retreat. "Would it be possible for the hotel to get us a rental car? I kind of want to show my sister around. She's never been to the city before." Neither had he, of course, but that didn't seem relevant at the moment.
>"Sir." Ossu spoke, and his suddenly firm, serious tone made Lincoln fear he had just crossed some sort of line. "After the taxi cab disaster, the Salzburg would love nothing more than to redeem itself."
---
>Lincoln had sat on the couch (though he was sure Ossu would have corrected him on that point, probably assuring him that it was actually an eighteenth century 'settee' that Napoleon had had brought with him in his baggage train during his conquest of India) as Leni finally finished her shower. He'd been getting a little impatient with nothing to do but play with the window-dial and get lost in his own thoughts, but he reminded himself that this was Leni's trip. Besides, she loved taking showers and was probably excited to try out the one in this hotel.
>Lincoln wondered what it looked like. It was probably made out of solid gold and poured out champagne. He was checking to see how much charge his phone had gotten from the outlet when at last the bathroom door swung open.
>When the young woman emerged she was wreathed in steam and the bathroom behind her looked like a smoke machine had exploded inside of it. She wore two towels: one tied just above her chest and the other wrapped around the top of her head. Lincoln turned to glance at her only for his breath to hitch at the sight.
>The delicate terrycloth stuck to Leni's soaked skin, clinging tight to the curves of her body, as she hummed happily and tied off the top of her towel turban. Her little brother followed a drop of water as it slipped past her cheek, rolling down her thin, delicate neck, over her throat and then disappearing into the valley between her breasts.
>His big sister took a deep, content breath of the cold air outside the steamy bathroom and the precarious towel slit along her side began opening up, cloth peeling off her damp body with the motion of her chest.
>"L-Leni!" Lincoln warned her, surprised to find himself so flustered. He had seen his sister in just a towel before, of course, but in this unfamiliar new setting and with all the concerns he'd been mulling over about their relationship lately, and everyone winking at him about his 'girlfriend' to boot, it all seemed much less innocent.
>"Hmm?" Leni turned to look at him, a single one of her blue eyes opening to stare happily at her little brother. A stray lock of blonde hair escaped her sodden turban, tumbling down to cling against the wet skin of her chest. She gave a soft 'ooh!', her hand letting go of the towel around her to tuck it back up.
>Lincoln heard soggy cloth falling to the carpet just as he turned to face the other way.
>"Leni! What are you doing!?" He shouted nervously from over his shoulder.
>"Oops!" She stated innocently. "Sorry Linky, I just got soooo relaxed in there. I guess I'm not as sharp as usual right now." His sister giggled as she bent over to pick her towel up. Lincoln felt like the biggest pervert on earth as he struggled against his base male instinct to take a quick peek at the soaked, naked bombshell behind him, but he kept his eyes locked on the painting of Louis XIII that hung across the room instead.
>"Stop messing around! Get dressed already!" The panicked young man demanded.
>"Aww, don't be that way, Linky." He didn't hear anything for a second until he suddenly felt her voice again, this time right behind his ear, and her hot breath rolling over the back of his neck. "Come give your big sis a hug~"
>Lincoln bolted like someone had lit his ass on fire, listening to Leni laugh from behind him as he fled towards the bed. "S-Stop goofing around! I was going to take you out to see the city, but I won't if you keep messing with me!"
>"Ohmygosh!" He heard her exclaim from behind him, and then the quick patter of retreating footsteps and a door slamming.
>"L-Leni...?"
>He got no response. After a while the anxious young man steeled his nerves and turned around only to be met with an empty room. The wet towel lay in a heap on the carpet, a few feet away from the bathroom.
>"Leni?" He tried again cautiously, only to be spooked by a sudden squeal from the nearby closet.
>"What am I gonna wear!? What am I gonna wear!? Oh gosh, I'm so excited! Thank you so much, Lincoln!"
>Still a little apprehensive, the young man took a few steps forward, but upon ensuring it wasn't some kind of Luan-style trap he at last collapsed back on the couch again, his nerves an utter wreck.
>"Why don't you just wear what you wore on the flight over...?" Lincoln asked weakly, more not to leave her talking to herself than anything else.
>"Lincoln!" The young man recoiled as the closet door swung open, his sister staring at him judgementally. Thankfully she was only craning her neck to look at him from inside and not giving him a full frontal. Her hands, unseen, slammed hangers together, searching desperately for a dress."Who's crazy now!? I can't wear what I wore to the hotel back out of it! I'll get arrested!"
>Lincoln's eyes widened, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. "What do you mean you'll get arrested?"
>"You know!" She quickly answered. "By the fashion police!"
>He gave a long, weary sigh, and finished dissolving against the couch cushions.
>"There's no such thing as the fashion police, Leni." Lincoln croaked tiredly, bringing his hands up to his temples to rub away the nervous headache that felt like it was coming on.
>The young woman gave a condescending laugh before her head disappeared back behind the door. "Yeah, maybe in Royal Woods! That's way too out of the way to have any. But this is New York! You saw the airport! There's probably, like, fashion SWAT here! I can't get arrested for a fashion faux pas the day before my big show, Lincoln." She gave a stressed huff. "Can you imagine? It would totes be a scandal!"
>Lincoln couldn't help himself. Even with all the other nonsense swirling around inside his head, he laughed. Just by being herself for a while Leni had managed to set him back at ease, even after his earlier anxiety wondering just what kind of vibes he was putting out with her in public.
>"It's not funny!" She declared sternly as she stepped back out into the room.
>Lincoln felt his jaw drop.
>He didn't know how it was possible, but in only a couple of minutes his sister had totally transformed herself. She'd disappeared into the closet a soaked, panicking mess, and had spent most of the time inside it with half her body out talking to him.
>Yet somehow, when the door opened, she was a vision again.
>She wore a short black dress. The neckline hovered low to show some cleavage, but ended right before the point it would have been vulgar. The straps on top were thin, showing off her delicate, feminine shoulders. It wasn't tight on her skin, but it wasn't loose either, hugging her curves but not smothering them as the material flowed down her body like ink, finishing just above her knees. On each wrist she wore a golden bracelet, and on her ears small golden earrings, setting off the darkness of the garment with the warm contrast. On her feet were two glossy, sling-back heels. Her hair, now somehow dry, was pulled into a bun above her head and kept in place with a pair of black laquered hairpins.
>He couldn't help thinking that she looked like she was dressed for a date.
>"Leni, I...W-where do you think we're going?" He struggled to ask, the sight of her nearly rendering him tongue-tied.
>"I'unno..." She smiled self-consciously, folding her hands behind her back and inadvertently pushing out her chest at him. Lincoln shut his eyes and the headache came back. Now he felt like he was the one who needed a shower. At last she seemed to try and explain herself.
>"It's late, y'know? I figured there's not enough time left in the day for the really touristy stuff, so I thought maybe we could just go and get something to eat."
>Lincoln turned to look out the big window. She was right, the sun was almost down. He checked his watch: six twenty five.
>"S-still, that's...pretty fancy." He fumbled. "I didn't pack clothes that nice, Len. I'm not sure I even own any." The truth was he wasn't sure there was a set of clothes in the world that wouldn't make him look like a ragamuffin standing next to her the way she looked right now.
>"Oh!" Leni's eyes widened and she took a couple of steps forward. Right away alarm bells went off in Lincoln's head, his anxious mind playing tricks on him: illuminated only faintly by the setting sun, in what she was wearing, and as tired and nervous as he was, his senses relayed what he thought was the same feeling he'd get if some huge jungle panther was stalking him. His big sister grinned at him, flashing him her perfect white teeth, and he felt himself shrink back. "That's alright. I packed some clothes for you too. I already hung out your outfit." She moved aside to allow him into the closet and he felt his restlessness ease a bit.
>"You...bought me clothes? When?" Lincoln pulled himself off the couch, curious despite himself. Leni suddenly seemed embarassed.
>"D-do you remember when, umm...When I asked if you wanted to, like, move in with me?" She asked softly.
>He did. It had been six or seven months ago, when he'd broken up with Jordan. Or rather, when she had broken up with him. Leni had suggested that, since he was always driving her to and from the doctor, to and from appearances and even to and from work sometimes, and already spent a lot of his time at her place anyway cooking for her and making sure she took care of herself, well, it just made sense. Lincoln hadn't been totally against the idea, especially since the drive out from the city back to Royal Woods was a real killer sometimes, and he wouldn't have had to stay there EVERY night. He could sleep on the couch while Leni took the bedroom.
>His mother, however, had been adamant it couldn't happen, putting a stop to things the minute she'd heard about them. Leni had been depressed for weeks afterwards, and it was only after he started tucking her in at night and making sure he was already there when she woke up in the morning that she started to come out of it. It had been hard on him to make the trip so often but it was all worth it the first time he watched Leni trudge out of her room, miserable, and then seen her face light up the second she spotted him already there and making her breakfast.
>"Yeah." He answered carefully. He knew it was still a bit of a sore point with her. She hadn't talked to Rita for a while after that.
>"Well, I was...You know, I was pretty sure you'd say yes, so I'd already bought a few clothes for you and put them in your side of the dresser. I-I mean, on what was totes going to be your side of the dresser." She corrected herself, rubbing her toe on the carpet and not really able to meet his eyes. "I just thought it'd be nice if we could go out together sometimes, you know? Not just to work or the doctor or the mall. Different kinds of places." She got a small, faraway smile on her face, but it was tinged with a bit of sadness. Something denied.
>Lincoln felt his chest stir and he stepped forward, hugging his sister before he even realized what he was doing. She gave a soft yelp of surprise but didn't push him away.
>For that second he didn't care about the warmth of her body, or the way her skin felt against his, or how great she smelled. He didn't even care about the thoughts at the edge of his mind that had been becoming more and more intrusive since that night at her apartment. All he wanted to do was make his big sister feel better. Lincoln pulled back and smiled at her and Leni couldn't help but smile back.
>"It worked out for the best then, huh? The first time we'll go out together will be at the classiest place in New York. I don't think we would have been able to find somewhere fancy enough for that dress in Royal Woods anyway." Leni beamed at him, hopping into his arms as he was pulling away and giving him another hug. Lincoln rubbed her back and squeezed her elbow playfully before gently pushing her off.
>She couldn't help but moon after him a bit as her little brother disappeared into the walk-in closet and shut the door behind him. Lincoln slowly began to take off his clothes and look around for the outfit Leni had selected for him.
>"So, uhmm, Linky," He heard her ask from just outside the door. It looked like she might have been trying to peek through the slats. "How are we, like, going to get around, anyway? Are we getting a cab?"
>"No." Lincoln answered as he pulled on his tan slacks. He tried to slip the loafers on when she suddenly protested.
>"You can't just wear your old socks! They totes don't go with those! Put on the ones I picked out!"
>"Stop peeping at me, Leni!" Lincoln pointed at her through the door and heard his sister quickly scurry away. Slowly, keeping a suspicious eye on the slats in case a shadow appeared over them again, he put on the new socks, followed by the loafers, the white shirt and tan jacket and finished dressing. He gave himself a spray of the cologne Leni had left on the dresser to wipe out whatever was left of the airport airconditioner smell and stepped back out unsurely, ready for his sister's inevitable judgement.
>Leni just clapped her hands together beneath her chin. "I knew those clothes would look good on you!"
>Lincoln glanced at himself in the mirror, surprised.
>She was right. They did. He didn't look as good as his big sister, of course, but at least it was less of a comical mismatch.
>The young man couldn't help but puff himself up a bit, smirking at his reflection and feeling confident for maybe the first time that day. He turned to his sister and held out his arm. Leni squealed and hurried over to link it with hers, and when she did Lincoln couldn't help but get the curious feeling of a padlock shutting closed.
>"Seriously though, how are we going to get around?" She asked as they walked down the entrance hall, making their way out of the apartment. Lincoln paused to open and then close the door behind them.
>"Ossu got a car for us." Leni nodded, smiling.
>"That guy's so nice. He really shouldn't swear so much, though!"
>"Swear?" Lincoln asked, pushing the button for the elevator.
>"You know. 'My damn Loud, My damn Loud!' He was like a sailor! I didn't want to say anything though, it wouldn't have been polite."
>He laughed as they stepped inside.
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Fashion (Turn To The Left!)