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The town of Royal Woods, Michigan, is quiet.
It’s near 1 in the morning on a chilly Tuesday.
It’s a rarity for the Loud house to be so quiet. But, with everyone asleep, that’s exactly what it is.
Well, almost everyone.
Lynn Loud Jr.
The athlete of the family is still wide awake, tossing her lucky baseball in the air and catching it easily.
She doesn’t know why she can’t sleep. Typically, Lynn can sleep through almost anything. Luna’s guitar, Lucy contacting the dead, Lana’s power tools, and even the inevitable explosions Lisa’s experiments cause.
But not tonight. She’s wide awake, with only one thing on her mind.
Zia.
Ah, yes. Lynn’s best and only friend. The one who saw past her competitive nature, and knows that Lynn is very loveable once you get to know her.
They’ve been friends for six months now, and everyone that knows them can account for the fact that they are basically attached at the hip. They do almost everything together.
Lynn has never had a friend like Zia. She’s never cared about someone besides her siblings so much. But that still doesn’t explain something.
Why is Zia always on her mind?
-
The following Saturday, Lynn finds herself on babysitting duty.
Both her parents and all her siblings besides Lily had plans that the youngest child couldn’t reasonably accompany them for. Lynn originally had a game, but it was cancelled due to the weather.
Lynn doesn’t mind babysitting. Her parents gave her money to order her favorite restaurant and agreed to let her stay up a little later than usual in exchange for babysitting Lily.
Lily is more calm than usual. She’s still recovering from a nasty cold, so she’s content to sit on Lynn’s lap and play with her sister’s fingers.
Lynn is quiet as she watches a football game. She would typically be yelling at the screen, but with Lily being so close, Lynn could upset her with all the noise.
She can barely focus on the game in front of her. Her mind can’t stop wandering Zia. She doesn’t understand why Zia is the only thing she can think about lately.
Her smile, her laugh, the way her eyes sparkle when she talks about the things she loves. It gives Lynn butterflies just thinking about it.
About her.
Lynn sighs, and glances down to her still innocent baby sister.
“Don’t grow up Lily. It sucks.”
-
“COMING THROUGH!”
Lynn just barely manages to pull Zia away from the door, as the twins come barreling down the stairs on one of their mattresses.
“Who told them that was a good idea?” Zia wonders. Lynn smiles sheepishly.
“ You told them it was a good idea?!” Zia exclaims. “What? I’ve done it plenty of times, no one ever got hurt.” Lynn defends herself. “Dude, that is total crap. You did that and knocked Luan out the door and she broke her arm.” Luna recalls. Lynn rolls her eyes playfully, grabbing Zia’s hand so they can go upstairs.
She ignores the way it makes her heart flutter.
-
Lynn and Zia are laying on her bed, watching a movie on Lynn’s iPad.
Lynn feels like she can barely breathe. Zia’s head is on her shoulder, and they’re cuddled so close that they could almost be on top of each other.
Thankfully, Zia doesn’t seem to notice Lynn’s red cheeks or rapid heart rate. Or, if she does, she isn’t saying anything.
Lynn can confidently say that she has never felt this way about any person. She loves her family, they are her whole world. But the love she has for them is different from the love she has for Zia.
Zia sees her. Listens to her rambles, never minds when she tackles her, and most importantly, deals with her crazy family.
Sam, Bobby, Clyde, Liam, Rusty, Zach, and Stella are some of the only other people who embrace the chaos of 11 kids. Zia is the most recent addition to that group.
Lynn doesn’t tolerate people who don’t accept her family. Her brother and sisters are the most important people in her life. She couldn’t imagine her life without them. She doesn’t want to imagine her life without them.
But Zia didn’t just embrace her family, she went out of her way to form relationships with them. She didn’t mind Lincoln having a crush on her, one that he eventually got over. Lana’s messiness and Luna’s loud music didn’t bother her. She loves it.
Lily has declared Zia as her favorite person multiple times. She will often cling to Zia like a moth to a light. But once again, Zia doesn’t care, and for being an only child, she took on the honorary big sister role with confidence.
Lynn’s emerald green eyes suddenly widen. Her heart beat speeds up, and her mind suddenly feels like it became a pile of mush with the sudden realization:
She has a crush on Zia.
-
Luna nearly screams when she opens her bedroom door and sees Lynn sitting there.
She is about to scold Lynn for being in her room without permission, but decides not to when she gets a better look at her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Luna questions, sitting next to Lynn on Luan’s bed.
Lynn stands up, pacing. She wrings her hands together nervously, which makes Luna feel even more concerned. “Dude, you’re starting to freak me out. What’s going on?” Luna asks again. “I have a crush. And you were the only person I could go to about it.” Lynn blurts out.
Luna now feels confused. “I’m…flattered. But why just me? Not even Lori and Luan?” Lynn shrugs. “Because, they would both go crazy. And…they’ve never had a crush on a girl.” The last part comes out quietly.
Luna smiles at her understandingly. “I have to say sis, I’m not exactly surprised.” She admits. Lynn’s brow furrows. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, I’ve never seen you show much interest in guys. I would be more shocked if your crush was a boy, to be honest.” Luna explains. “It’s ok if you like guys too. There’s no rush to label yourself.” She continues.
“I..I don’t know what I am. All I know is that this crush is driving me so crazy I feel like I’m going insane.” Lynn confesses. “That’s completely understandable. I mean, I knew I was bi when I was 13. But there are plenty of people in this world who are unlabeled all together. Sexuality is a spectrum.” Luna reassures her. Lynn nods.
“Now, tell me who this mystery woman is.” Luna requests. Lynn smiles sheepishly. “That’s the thing, it’s not a mystery woman. It’s Zia.”
Luna pauses. “You’re joking.”
Lynn facepalms. “Why would I joke about this? I have a crush on my best friend, that’s the plot to at least 100 movies.” Luna nods. “Right, sorry. I was just surprised. But how long have you been feeling like this?”
“I don’t know. A few months.” Lynn replies. “She’s…everything to me. That night at the sleepover, she made me feel…” Lynn trails off. She doesn’t know how to describe it.
“Made you feel what?” Luna presses. Lynn looks at her, tears filling her eyes.
“Like I was actually loveable.”
Luna’s heart promptly shatters. “What do you-”
“For the longest time…I was always convinced our family would be the only people to ever love me. No one else could handle my competitive nature, so it pushed everyone away. No one was willing to stick around because I was too intense, too much for them to handle. I was almost positive that I was unlovable. You guys love me because you know who I really am. But other people…they never stuck around after they figured out the true me. Because I was too much.”
“But Zia was different. Because she stayed.” Luna puts the pieces together. Lynn nods. “She stayed when no one else did, she loved me even after she got to know me.”
Luna pulls her sister in for a hug, hating that her sister felt so down about herself. Lynn is one of her best friends, and one of her favorite people in the world.
The sisters stay in the embrace for several moments, before Lynn eventually pulls back. “So…what should I do?” She asks. Luna smiles at her reassuringly. “You need to talk to her. You won’t feel better until you tell her. Trust me, I know. I wish I told Sam how I felt sooner than I did.” Luna replies.
“I want to tell her, but what if she doesn’t feel the same way? I could lose her for good. I don’t…want to make her uncomfortable.” Lynn points out. Luna cups her cheeks, forcing Lynn to look at her. “Hey…Zia really cares about you. I can see it, everyone can see it. I seriously, seriously doubt that anything you could do would change that. Just…be honest with her, tell her everything you said to me.”
Lynn nods. “And hey. Don’t ever doubt the fact that you are one of the most amazing people on this planet. I couldn’t imagine my life without you, ok? I love you so so much.” Luna adds. Lynn hugs her once again, feeling tears burn her eyes.
“I love you too.”
-
It’s been a few weeks since her conversation with Luna, but Lynn still can’t find the courage to tell Zia how she feels.
Zia has been over to her house every chance she gets. Lynn loves it, but also hates it. Every time Zia is in her presence, the athlete feels like she’s going to burst into flames or something.
Luna has started paying more attention to Lynn and Zia’s interactions, and she’s kicking herself for not noticing it sooner.
Zia and Lynn look at each other the same way Luna and Sam look at each other. Now that Luna knows Lynn’s true feelings, she’s realizing how damn obvious it is.
She’s 99 percent sure Zia shares Lynn’s feelings. She can’t know for sure-but Zia looks at Lynn like she hung the moon and stars for her.
Luna understands Lynn’s nerves. She had been crushing on Sam for almost a year before she worked up the guts to tell her. Turns out, Sam had been crushing on her for even longer. They could’ve started dating a lot sooner if they weren’t such wimps.
Luna wonders if Lori and Luan have noticed. Lynn isn’t exactly subtle about it.
Talk about Lesbian panic.
Luna yelps when the full force of a certain 14 year old knocks her to the ground. She groans loudly, looking up at her sister, who is grinning.
“Why are you like this?” Luna questions. Lynn laughs. “You love me.”
Luna accepts Lynn’s hand, and the athlete pulls her to her feet. “Have you talked to her yet?”
Lynn freezes, smiling guilty at Luna. Luna’s eyes grow wide. “Dude, come on! You’re going to go crazy if you don’t talk to her!”
Lynn sinks down into the couch. “What am I supposed to say?? Hi Zia, I’m so in love with you that if you don’t kiss me right now I might spontaneously combust?”
Luna can’t help it, she chuckles slightly at Lynn’s dramatics. “No. But you need to say something. How are you supposed to pretend like everything is fine and normal when you’re crazy for her?”
“I’m trying my best!” Lynn argues. “Dude you’re not subtle at all. And based on the way Zia looks at you, it’s pretty damn clear she feels the same way.” Luna retorts.
“And what if she doesn’t? Look, I face the reality of losing the only friend I’ve ever had if she doesn’t share my feelings. I’m sorry, but I just can’t risk that. I can’t imagine my life without her in it, ok?” Lynn rants.
Luna sighs. “Look…I know this is tough. Trust me, Sam was a good friend of mine before we were ever a couple. But not taking that risk, taking that chance? You’ll regret it. And based on your interactions, the way she looks at you? She looks at you like you hung the moon and stars for her. Why else would she look at you that way?”
Lynn doesn’t know how to respond to that. She merely curls into herself, bringing her knees to her chest. Luna wraps an arm around her, rubbing her back and trying to provide some sort of comfort. “It’s going to be alright, little sis.”
Lynn snuggles further into her embrace.
What is she going to do now?
-
A month later, Lynn finds herself home alone. All her siblings have activities today, along with her parents working. Lynn was supposed to have hockey practice, but her coach cancelled due to an emergency.
Lynn finds herself getting bored of watching TV. She would typically go play sports with someone, but no one is here to play.
She pulls out her phone, her eyes landing on one specific contact.
Zia :)
Lynn is still going crazy over this dumb crush. It’s not even a dumb crush at this point, she’s fully in love with her best friend.
‘Come over? My family isn’t home and I’m lonely :(‘
‘Lol of course, I can’t say no to you :)’
‘Can’t wait x’
Lynn stares up at the ceiling, feeling her heart rate speed up.
She has to tell her.
-
“I know she’s nervous, but look at us! We were both insanely nervous to tell each other how we felt, but we were both being completely useless. We could’ve started dating a lot sooner if we weren’t such babies.”
“It seems like she has more at stake than we did, babe. Didn’t you say Zia is her only friend?”
“Yeah. It’s a tough situation, believe me. But Lynn is going crazy, I can see it.”
Luna is cuddled up with Sam on the blonde’s bed. They’ve been discussing Lynn’s crush, with Luna asking for advice on what she can do to help her baby sister.
“I think you just need to give her time, Lunes. She’ll figure it out.” Sam murmurs. Luna sighs. “I just hate seeing her so upset. She’s my little sister, ya know? And one of my best friends.”
Sam tightens her arms around Luna’s waist, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. “I know it’s tough, baby. But she’ll be ok. Everything works out in the end, trust me.”
Luna cuddles further into her girlfriend.
She hopes Sam is right.
-
Zia lets herself into the Loud house, and sees Lynn sitting on the couch. “Hey, Lynn.” She greets, pulling her in for a hug.
The tips of Lynn’s ears turn red, and her heart rate speeds up. Zia pulls back, and her smile fades slightly. “What’s wrong?” She asks.
Lynn sits down on the couch, Zia sitting next to her. “I-I have to tell you something. And you might not like it, but I can’t hold it in any longer and-”
“Lynn.” Zia interrupts her. “Tell me. I promise I won’t get mad.”
“I love you.” Lynn blurts out suddenly. “And not like the way friends love each other, I mean that I am in love with you. I’ve had the biggest crush on you for months and I’ve been so afraid to tell you, because I can’t bear the thought of not having you in my life. I’m sorry if this changes things between us, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable-”
Zia cuts off Lynn’s ramblings by cupping her cheeks and kissing her on the lips. Lynn closes her eyes, reciprocating the kiss and feeling like fireworks went off in her head.
Zia pulls back after a few moments, resting her forehead against Lynn’s. “I love you too, you dork.” She murmurs. Lynn’s eyes dilate, her face painted in an expression of pure shock. “Y-You do?!” Zia chuckles at her expression. “Yes, you goofball. I’ve had a crush on you since that sleepover. I was just waiting for you to say something.”
“Oh, thank god.” Lynn exhales. “I’ve been losing my damn mind for months!” She exclaims. Zia laughs, wrapping her arms around Lynn’s waist, pulling her closer.
Lynn smiles at her, her cheeks still tinged with a slight pink. “So…do you want to be my girlfriend?” Zia grins, kissing her lips once again.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
-
Zia and Lynn spent the next couple hours cuddling and talking to each other about how they’re both such wussies for not telling each other how they feel sooner. When the sun starts to set, Zia realizes she has to go home due to her curfew.
Lynn opens the door for her, unable to fight the smile playing at her lips. “I’ll text you when I get home, ok?” Lynn nods, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Bye.”
The door closes, and Lynn collapses against the door, happy tears pooling in her eyes.
She has a girlfriend.
She has a fucking girlfriend.
-
When Luna comes home, she sees Lynn on the couch, a happy smile on her face. She’s barely paying attention to the football game, which is incredibly odd.
“Ok, what did you do? If you touched any of my shit I’ll smack you silly.” Luna warns.
Lynn laughs, standing up. “It’s funny that you think I would let you. But anyway, no, I didn’t touch your stuff. But, that’s not what happened.”
Luna’s brow furrows. She moves closer to Lynn, eyeing her carefully. “So…what happened, then?”
“Zia and I kissed.”
Luna promptly spits out her water, luckily turning sideways at the last second. “YOU WHAT?!”
Lynn grins. “I told her how I felt and she told me she felt the same by kissing me. So…I have a girlfriend now.”
Luna squeals excitedly, pulling Lynn forward for a gigantic hug. “Dude, that is awesome! Congrats!” Lynn pulls back from the hug, a blush on her face. “Well, I couldn’t have done it without you. No way I would’ve had the guts without your help.”
Luna slings an arm around her shoulders. “Hey, I’m always here for you, baby sis. I Love you.” Lynn leans into Luna’s touch.
“I love you too.”
-
A couple days later, Lynn feels like she’s in heaven.
She’s cuddled up on Zia’s chest, with Zia playing with her hair and rubbing her back. The gentle touches have her barely conscious. Some people think her love for physical touch is only limited to tackling and wrestling, but that’s far from the truth.
“Lynn?”
“Hmmm?”
Zia smiles. “I love you.”
Lynn pulls her in for a kiss.
“I love you more.”