Lincoln always had an affection for the mild, comforting climate of an ice cream store. It was just chilly enough to make his skin tingle with pleasure, like a cool breeze on a fall afternoon. Marcus Kane's Ice Cream Parlor, much to his delight, was no different.

He was somewhat less delighted to see that there was a sizable line leading up to the counter. On the positive side, it gave him ample time to check out the menu, which was painted on a big wooden board nailed to the wall behind the counter. From what he saw, the menu included most of the usual suspects- chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mint, pistachio- along with a few gimmicky flavors that he didn't recognize. "Sweet Tooth," the flavor that marked the very bottom of the menu, was the one that intrigued him the most.

"Hey, Leni?" he asked, pointing towards the menu. "What's 'sweet tooth'?"

"It's, like, vanilla ice cream with swirls of caramel and raspberry filling," said Leni. "I know it sounds weird, but I think you'd like it."

It did sound a bit odd, but the more he thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. That, and Leni hadn't steered him wrong so far today, so why would this be any different?

After a couple minutes, they reached the end of the line, and were greeted by a pale, wiry man with a thick black beard, sunken cheeks and sharp, beady eyes. Lincoln felt a pang of unease, but repressed it for the sake of politeness.

"Heyyy, Ned!" sang Leni.

"Welcome back, Leni!" he sang back, in a light, sunny countertenor voice that belied his sketchy appearance. "Treating your little brother to ice cream, eh?"

Leni nodded.

"Well, isn't that sweet!" he said. "No pun intended, of course."

Lincoln felt his discomfort dissolve upon hearing Ned's jovial voice. I guess looks can be deceiving.

"So what'll it be this time?" he asked.

"Pistachio, please!" Leni announced, eliciting a chuckle from Lincoln. He was so tickled by the way she pronounced "pistachio", embellishing every syllable and letting it roll off her tongue. Almost every time they went out for ice cream, she'd order pistachio, and he couldn't tell if it was because she genuinely enjoyed the taste or if she just liked saying that word.

"And how about you, little man?" asked Ned, looking down at Lincoln with a smile that shone through his dense, shaggy beard.

"I'll take the sweet tooth, please!" said Lincoln, smiling back.

"Excellent choice. And I assume you're both gonna want cones?"

Both of them nodded simultaneously.

"Alright, then, coming right up."

With a grunt of effort, Ned dug out a big, bountiful scoop of ice cream from the freezer, plopped it down onto a sugar cone, and handed it off to Leni. A moment later, he did the same for Lincoln, and Lincoln immediately started to salivate. It looked even more tantalizing than he imagined, with thick, lustrous rivers of caramel and raspberry that cascaded down from the top of the scoop. It took every ounce of his willpower to wait until they sat down, or at least until Leni paid for them.

He watched eagerly as Leni slipped Ned a twenty, retrieved her change and gave him the obligatory "thank you." As soon as he heard Ned's response- "Enjoy your ice cream!" - it was time to chow down. He dashed over to an empty table, threw his bags down, collapsed into his chair and shoved his cone into his mouth.

What he tasted was astonishing. Not only was it some of the richest, creamiest ice cream he had ever tasted, but the contrast between the sweet, gooey caramel and the tart, zesty raspberry provided for a truly unique taste experience, unlike anything he'd had before. From that point on, he deliberately slowed down his pace, letting every bite swirl around his mouth before swallowing. He knew he had to be back at the van by 2:30, but he didn't care; this was ice cream that demanded to be savored.

"Easy, Lincoln," Leni said with a giggle. "You're getting it all over your face!"

Lincoln let out a tiny gasp. The ice cream had so thoroughly entranced him that he didn't even notice Leni taking the seat opposite him. With a sheepish smirk, he picked up his napkin and started dabbing his face clean.

"It's good, right?" she asked. "I knew you'd like it!"

"Like" is a bit of an understatement, thought Lincoln. This is exquisite.

After polishing off their cones and bidding Ned goodbye, the two Louds hoisted up their bags, walked out the door and made their way back towards the mall entrance.

"We got a lot done today, didn't we?" asked Lincoln.

"Sure did!" piped Leni. "You were really helpful, by the way. Maybe I should take you shopping more often!"

Lincoln let out a nervous chuckle, unsure of how he felt about that prospect.

As they approached the front entrance, Lincoln had to squint at the harsh streams of natural light beaming in through the glass doors. After four and a half hours, his eyes had grown adjusted to the artificial lights of the mall, and he had almost forgotten how bright and sunny it was outside. Fortunately, once they exited the building, it only took a few moments for his eyes to get readjusted.

After they spotted Vanzilla in the parking lot (which didn't take long, since it dwarfed most of the other cars in the lot), they found Lori waiting for them in the driver's seat, with her hands on the wheel.

"2:25; right on time," she said, glancing at her watch. "Did you two have a good day?"

Leni responded with a vigorous nod.

"Get everything you need?"

Leni nodded again.

"Great. Get in."

But just as Lincoln was about to reach for the car door handle, Leni stopped him cold.

"Wait!" she cried.

Lori groaned and rolled her eyes. "What now?"

Leni dropped her bags and started rummaging through her purse. "I want to cash in another coupon," she said. "You never said I couldn't cash in two in one day, did you?"

"Well, technically, no..." began Lincoln, prompting a dirty look from Lori.

Seriously, Leni? Now, of all times? What could you possibly-

"Here it is!" she sang. She plucked a dark red slip of paper from her purse and proudly presented it to Lincoln.

FREE HUG FROM LINCOLN

Lincoln's heart melted into goo as soon as he saw the message. He dropped his bags, threw his arms around Leni and gave her a big squeeze.

A wide, borderline goofy grin spread across his face; while he loved giving hugs in general, there was something especially comforting he found about embracing someone bigger than he was. It made him feel secure, like nothing could bother him.

Leni squeezed him back, pressing his face deep into her tummy. "My little Linky," she whispered, rocking him back and forth in her arms. The two of them could have held that embrace for ages... if they weren't under a time constraint.

"Ahem," snapped Lori, rapping her watch with her pointer finger.

Leni and Lincoln hastily released their hug, snatched up all of their bags and piled into the van. They'd have plenty of time to cuddle at home.

On the drive home, while Lori and Leni gabbed in the front seat, Lincoln took the time to stare out the window and quietly reflect on the day. Ultimately, he was thankful that Leni had dragged him into this. He entered the mall that morning with a looming feeling of dread, but he left it with a sweet new leather jacket, freshly groomed nails, and most of all, a newfound feeling of respect for his absentminded big sister.

And it wasn't because of the epic smack down she laid on those bullies- not just because of that, at least. It was because, over the course of the day, he had actually learned something from her. Several things, as a matter of fact. He had learned that fashion and grooming weren't just for girls, that he shouldn't be afraid to share his feelings with Ronnie Anne, and that a little bit of kindness can make a world of difference. There really was more to her head than just air, after all.

Lincoln had little time to relax before Vanzilla pulled into the driveway- at which point, Lori left the driver's seat, flung open the back door and ordered him to get his butt inside. Not one to defy the eldest's commands, Lincoln used the little energy he had left to grab his bags and drag them into the house and up the stairs. Most of the merchandise he was carrying belonged to Leni, so he felt content to just leave it by her door.

But before he could make it back to his own room, his fuel tank ran dry. His legs buckled under his own weight, and he collapsed onto the floor. He tried to muster up the energy to pick himself back up, but it just wasn't happening. Fortunately, Leni made it to the top of the stairs before the situation got too dire.

"Aw, he's all tuckered out," she cooed. She bent down, slid her arms under him, hoisted him up and carried him back to his room. Halfway down the hall, Lincoln briefly opened his eyes, and was met with Leni's warm, loving gaze.

Oh, Leni. What did we ever do to deserve a sister like you?

Once she got to his room, she laid him down onto his bed and tucked him in, with all the gentleness and delicacy of a mother. Lincoln let out a deep, affectionate purr and wrapped himself up in his comforter like a cocoon, overjoyed to be back in his bed again. To cap it all off, Leni handed him Bun-Bun and sent him off to dreamland with a peck on the cheek.

"Have a nice nap, Linky," she whispered, flicking off the lights as she walked out. "You earned it."

THE END