Shadows grew long as Lincoln and Lucy followed Railroad Avenue to Jointer Avenue. It had been unseasonably warm for late September, but now, as the sky cooled from molten orange to chilly purple, the temperature was coming down and it was almost uncomfortable.

"I like fall," Lucy said flatly. They were side-by-side, Lincoln doing everything in his power not to outpace her: He was a faster walker, especially when he was lost in thought like he was now, and Lucy walked like a vampire in an old movie...slowly...deliberately...in no hurry because it knows it has all the time immortality can give it and that it will eventually get what it wants.

"It's nice," he said absently, "the leaves are pretty."

"I like how it gets dark earlier."

"Of course you do."

"I wish it stayed dark all the time."

"It would if you were blind."

Lucy looked at him, her face impassive. "You're right." She stuck her thumbs through the hair veiling her face.

"No! Stop!" Lincoln yelled, grabbing her arm.

"Calm down, Lincoln," she said, "I was joking."

Lincoln took a deep breath, suddenly feeling stupid. Of course she was joking. "I'm not used to humor from you," he said.

She shrugged. "It happens...every once in a while."

"Warn me next time," he said, his thoughts already drifting back to Luna; he didn't hear her reply, if she made one at all. Alright, Linc, prove Fake-Subconscious-Lynn wrong: Go in there and tell Luna how you feel. Not in front of everyone else, of course.

"Linc!"

Ah. Her voice was so sweet; his name never sounded better than when it came from her lips.

"Luce!"

It was like he could hear her now.

"Lincoln."

Lucy too.

"Lincoln!"

Lincoln came to a grinding halt. Lucy was no longer beside him, and he panicked. She was being kidnapped! He whipped around, his heart blasting into his throat, but she was fine, standing a couple feet back.

"What?"

"Something Luna this way comes," she said cryptically.

Huh?

"Hey, bro!" a voice said from right behind him, and he spun.

It was Luna. Lincoln's breath caught and his heart staggered and went down to its knees. Her face was glowing, her eyes were shining, and her smile was radiant. She looked like a lamp. Well, glowing like one, not that she looked like an actual lamp. She was much, much prettier.

"H-Hey, Luna...what're you doing here?"

She shrugged. "I was coming to walk you guys home. It's getting late."

As if on cue, the streetlamps along the sidewalk began to flicker on.

"See?" she said with a drawing grin. "Come on...before The Bogeyman gets us."

"I'd like to meet The Bogeyman," Lucy said, and Luna and Lincoln both jumped; they had forgotten she was there.

"Not me, man," Luna said. "Let's go."

They walked three abreast along the sidewalk, Lincoln in the middle, his heart throbbing and his stomach sick; the prospect of actually professing his love for her ran farther and farther away with every step they took.

Hehhehheh, told ya!

Shut up, Lynn; I'm going to do it.

Nuh-uh.

Yeah-huh.

Then do it.

Not right now!

When you get home, then.

Before dinner? This is something that shouldn't have a time limit, I should –

Bwok-bwok-bwok.

Okay!

A warm hand rested upon his shoulder, and he started. Luna was looking down at him with half-lidded eyes. "How was your day, bro?" she asked, squeezing.

"Uh, g-good," he stammered, speaking more loudly than he had to; she had to hear him over the sound of his crashing heartbeat, after all. "Yours?"

"Good," she said, and mussed his hair. "It's been a good day."

"G-Good. I'm glad to hear that."

She smiled, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Aren't you going to ask how my day was?" Lucy asked from next to Lincoln.

Luna looked up at her sister. "And how was your day, Luce?"

"Dark and depressing."

"Oh, I'm sor –"

"It was awesome."

Luna laughed, and Lincoln laughed too. It was kind of funny, but mainly he was laughing because Luna's laugh was so beautiful.

Five minutes later, they reached their own front porch. Luna's hand lingered on his shoulder, then she slowly drew it away, her fingers grazing lightly and making him shiver.

Then she caressed his cheek, and he seized up, his heart coming to a complete screeching halt and his mind blanking. He felt the way Clyde must feel when he was around Lori...minus the weird bloody nose thing. Seriously, what was with that? It was creepy as hell.

Lincoln somehow got to his room, though he didn't remember how; he suddenly came to himself sitting on the edge of his bed. What time was it? He glanced at the clock. 5:15. Dinner wouldn't be for another hour. That would be enough time for him to...talk to Luna. Right?

He swallowed and got up, crossing to the door and poking his head out. Lola chased Lana into their room with a maniacal expression on her face; Lisa was standing over a smoking hole in the floor, her hands on her hips and her head shaking sadly back and forth; Lynn dodged out of her room, turned, jumped, caught an imaginary ball...then tumbled down the stairs with a sharp cry ("I'm okay," she moaned); Luan was following Lucy down the hall with Mr. Coconuts and throwing her voice. "So, what's Transylvania like, Count? Suck any good necks lately? Why couldn't Dracula's wife get to sleep? His coffin kept her awake." Lucy simply ignored her and went down the stairs, Luan right behind her.

In other words: Monday night.

Lincoln took a deep breath and reigned in his runaway heart. Alright, moment of truth, Loud. Man up, grow a spine...

He nodded determinedly.

But his feet wouldn't leave the ground.

Come on, Linc. Do it.

But I'm scared.

So?

What if I push her away?

That won't happen.

Are you sure?

Yep.

Are you sure you're sure?

Yes, Lincoln, I'm sure, now go get her.

Sigh. Alright, Lincoln, you know best.

Darn right I do, Lincoln.

He took another deep breath...then went into the hall, his feet heavy as blocks of lead. Luna's door was open, so at least he wouldn't have to lift an arm to knock. He drew closer...and bumped literally into Luna as she came out.

"Sorry, bro," she said and smiled nervously, her face turning red. "I was actually just coming to see you."

Lincoln blinked. "I-I was just coming to see you."

"You were?" she asked, her eyes flickering with anxiety.

"Yeah."

For a moment, they awkwardly faced each other. "Uh...c-come in, I guess," she said.

Lincoln nodded and slipped into the room. Luna shut the door behind her. "So," she said as she passed and dropped onto the edge of the bed. "What did you, uh, wanna talk about?"

Icy claws of apprehension dug into the soft lining of his stomach. His face felt hot and his knees felt shaky. The air rushed out of the room and he couldn't bring himself to look at her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper. He unfolded it with trembling fingers and coughed as his eyes scanned the lines scrawled thereon. It wasn't good enough. He made a terrible mistake.

Too late to back out now. Come hell or high water, he was going to tell Luna how he felt.

"Luna," he started, "you are...the most amazing person I know. You're a great sister. You're down-to-earth and kind and gentle."

He didn't hear Luna's breath hitch, and he didn't see the rising light in her eyes; he couldn't look up from the paper if he wanted to.

"I love everything about you...I'm...I'm in love with you." Here he started to talk faster. "I know it's wrong to feel that way about your sister and I will understand if you do not feel the same way. In fact, I don't expect you to. You are the most important person in the world to me, and I can't help that. I can't help loving you. It's not a choice I woke up and made one morning. My heart – my spirit – is drawn to you, and always has been. I've wanted to tell you this for a long time, but I was afraid that you would react poorly...I was afraid that you would hate me and think I'm a pervert. I still am. I'm scared right this second, but I have to get this off my chest, and I have to tell you: I love you, I love everything about you. I hope you don't hate me. It might take you a while to adjust to this, and I will respect your wishes if you don't want me around for a while. Just please find it in your heart to eventually forgive me and to keep on loving me as a sister. I couldn't survive without you in my life in some way, shape, or form."

His eyes lingered on the last word, only blank, white space after it. He was petrified to look up and into Luna's eyes, petrified of what he might see...or what he might not see. He couldn't stare at his own blocky, childish writing forever, though. He had to face this. Like a man. He took a deep breath and looked up.

Tears were streaming down Luna's cheeks, but she was smiling so wide it looked like her face was going to crack. Lincoln was confused.

She held out an arm. "Come here," he said, her voice thick.

Lincoln swallowed and went to her, sitting next to her. "I know this is –"

She cut him off by touching his chin, turning his face to hers, and kissing him, her soft, warm lips pressing needily against his own. He went rigid, then melted into her; her tongue parted his lips and they kissed slowly, deeply, curiously and clumsily exploring each other's mouths, his hand caressing her wet cheek and her hands clutching desperately at the front of his shirt.

When the kiss broke, they both drew back and regarded the other with wide, glimmering eyes. Luna was the first to speak, her hand reaching up and her fingers stroking the crown of his head as she did. "So you did mean it." She smiled.

"Mean what?"

"What you said the night you got drunk."

Lincoln's brow furrowed. "What did I say?"

Her smile widened and she giggled. "You thought I was someone else and you said I reminded you of your sister Luna, that you were in love with her, and not to tell." She laughed richly. "You said 'She's pretty and down-to-earth and kind and gentle. It's wrong, but I don't care. She's perfect. A girl like her only comes around once in a lifetime.'" As she spoke, more tears leaked from her eyes. "You really meant that?"

"I did," Lincoln said earnestly. "I meant every single word. You are perfect, I do love you, and a girl like you does only come around once in a lifetime...if that."

She giggled through her tears and caressed his cheek. "I love you too, Lincoln. You're sweet, kind, caring, compassionate, chill, handsome, smart, loving, and everything else. You're perfect and I love you so much."

They kissed again, slower this time, more passionately, their tongues moving in sweet rhythm and their hearts beating to the same tempo. It was a declaration more than it was a kiss...a simple three word vow from one heart to another.

I love you.

Author's Note: Each of the chapter titles was named after an AC/DC song. They are as follows:

There's Gonna Be Some Rockin' (At The Show Tonight) from the album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)

You Ain't Got a Hold On Me from the album High Voltage (Australian release only – 1975)

Ruff Stuff from the album Blow Up Your Video (1988)

Beating Around the Bush from the album Highway to Hell (1979)

Play Ball from the album Rock or Bust (2014)

Up To My Neck In You from the album Powerage (1978)

Are You Ready? from the album The Razor's Edge (1990)

Love Bomb from the album Ballbreaker (1995)