Christmas Most Wanted
Part II:
Una Navidad Juntos

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Much like the white December snow that blanketed Royal Woods, Lincoln's excitement for his reunion with Ronnie Anne hadn't gone away. In fact, from the moment he opened his eyes on Christmas Eve morning, it had all but snowballed to the point where it was overflowing from his eleven year old heart like Lionel Richie sang about.

He was nervous, obviously. Nothing had changed in the last twenty four hours between he and Ronnie Anne. She was still the person he thought about going to sleep at night, the girl he could trust to be there for him no matter what, the one he'd walk all the way to Great Lakes City to at a moment's notice if he had to to make sure she was okay.

And the girl he forgot to get a stinkin' Christmas gift for.

"No, I can't think like that," he cussed at himself as those thoughts began flooding his mind. "I have to remember all the things the girls told me, especially Lori. If I keep worrying about what to get her, I'll just keep myself from having a good time with her… I don't want to have a repeat of what happened the last time we went to the city. I just want us to have fun, however she wants us to."

He sat alone in his empty room, just watching the hours tick by. Until eventually, Lucy tapped on the grate of his ventilation shaft to get his attention and break him of his self-induced spell.

"Lincoln, Bobby and Ronnie Anne just showed up. Lori's greeting them at the front door as I speak," she told him with her usual melancholy tone of voice.

The boy sprang out of bed in a hurry. "Ronnie Anne!" he blurted out before rushing over to his door to make his way out and down to the living room. He turned himself back around real quick though to leave Lucy with one remark.

"Uh, Lucy… You really shouldn't lurk like that. It's kind of weird," he told her before going back to his business.

Lucy considered how to respond to such an accusation. She had to say something intelligent, something irrefutable. Something to really stick it to him that he couldn't possibly trump.

"No, you."

Lincoln ignored her, because he was too busy fumbling over his own feet as he crashed into the normally crowded hall to make his way down to the incoming guests. He didn't want to seem like he didn't care by not being there when they showed up. Then again, he didn't want to be too spazzy for waiting at the front door like some desperate puppy dog. Was it too late to go comb his turkey tail one more time? Was he wearing a decent shirt? Ronnie Anne liked his orange polo, didn't she? He knew she liked orange popsicles at least… And the one kid from that Welcome to the Wayne show.

His ears picked up on the sound of someone, presumably Lori, opening the front door to the house.

"Dang it, Lincoln. No more time to think! Just get down there and say hi!"

With the speed of a whisp, he flurried down the stairs, just quick enough to make it down as Lori fully opened the door to reveal none other than Bobby Santiago, and his little sister Ronnie Anne.

He probably shouldn't have stared at her the way he did, but he was too paralyzed to really do anything about it. There she was, standing there in her purple (the color of royalty) winter coat, shivering a little shiver and burring a little "bur!" with a smile on her face as she stepped foot inside the Loud house. To some, it probably wasn't a big deal when that happened. To him, it was bigger than the first step on the moon. One small step for Ronnie Anne, one giant leap for his flustered heart. Bobby, Lori, and the rest of the world may as well have been invisible. All he needed to see right now… was her.

And while Lincoln lost himself thinking about the girl beside Bobby, that young man lost himself meeting the gaze of his one true love. "Hello, sunshine," he greeted with a suave smile on his bronze face.

"Bobby, my love!" Lori swooned before allowing herself to be taken into his big, strong arms for a great big hug, followed by a passionate kiss.

And for a split second, Lincoln was able to pull his white hair out of his warren to acknowledge the display of affection from the happy couple. They were awesome, they were happy. That made him happy.

But what made him even happier was that, when he looked back to Ronnie Anne, she just happened to turn her head to look to him. She pulled down the hood of her coat to reveal her shiny raven hair pulled back into her signature ponytail. She shook her head a little bit to really free herself and get comfortable, then looked to Lincoln with her enchanting brown eyes. And of course, a little smile stretched across her face, complementing those adorable freckles of hers that he'd come to love.

He loved… a lot of things about her. So much so, that he wasn't able to really think this through. Was she supposed to say hi first? Or was he? And if it was her, why hadn't she yet? But maybe it was him, and he was weird for taking so much time to think of what to say to her!

He had to say something! It was too risky to let things get awkward so soon! So, without even really thinking about it, he cooly smiled back, and uttered:

"Hello there."

He saw her raising an eyebrow at that. It was at that moment when Lincoln realized that what he had said was literally the stupidest thing to ever come out of his mouth.

"Lincoln, what the actual heck? Of all the things I could have said to her, I said-"

"Ah! General Lame-Obi!" she greeted back with a playfully boastful demeanor. "You are a bold one!"

Seeing the way she had fun just then helped ease his concerned mind just enough to stop worrying, even if just for a moment to appreciate that she was actually there. It became even easier as she approached him, and offered him a loving little jab on the arm.

"What's new, dork?" she followed up with the same smirk as before.

Yup. Ronnie Anne was here. And fortunately, she hadn't changed one bit.

Lincoln rubbed the tender spot on his arm as he laughed a weak little laugh. "Oh, you know. Being everyone's favorite brother. What's new with you?" he joked.

She playfully raised a brow. "Pffft, yeah, sounds new. Since when are you anyone's favorite anything?"

Man, it was good to have her back.

He shrugged a little shrug. "I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm your favorite bully."

"Yeah, you got me there. But only because you let me bully you back," Ronnie Anne teased before ebbing a bit in favor of sincerity. "I've been good. How are you?"

"I'm good," Lincoln simply answered. And despite the tumultuous turn of events that led to this moment, that much was certainly true. He was good. He was with her again, after all.

"Heh heh… good," she somewhat skittishly responded as she rubbed the back of her neck and looked away. Maybe Lincoln's mind was playing tricks on him, but she sort of looked like she was a little flustered about all of this too. Maybe.

And while Lori and her precious Bobby Boo Boo Bear had come to proclaim their undying love to one another during their younger siblings' witty exchange, they decided it was time to come back down from cloud nine to address the others. He turned to Lincoln, she turned to Ronnie Anne.

"Hey bro!" Bobby told him before extending his hand to engage in their elaborate bro handshake.

"Hey man!" Lincoln responded before slapping him five, bumping him fist, and proceeding with several other hilarious shared hand gestures.

The ladies kept it a little more casual. "Hey, Ronnie Anne," Lori began. "Have you been keeping my Boo Boo Bear out of trouble?" she joked as she elbowed Bobby.

"Pffft… More like the other way around, honestly," Ronnie Anne said with a grin.

"That's good," Lori followed. "You look good. How was the drive?"

Ronnie Anne thought it over for a moment before her eyes found their way towards Lincoln. Her grin widened and she nodded her head. "It was good. It gave me time to think about things."

Lincoln's heard sunk with the way she looked at him now. What did she mean by that? Was she talking about him? Them?

She then paced over to Lincoln a little more before slapping his elbow. "So white sauce, where's my present?" she asked with a teasing tone.

The poor boy froze in place as his heart went from his stomach to his throat. "Uhm. Present?"

She waited a few seconds before cracking up at his reaction. "I'm just messing with ya!" she assured him, but her face formed an almost devious little smirk afterwards. Was it her usual smirk, or was it something else? What did it mean? Maybe she wasn't just messing with him. Maybe she did expect a present!

Thankfully, before he could say anything to really fool himself twice like Luan, Bobby perked up with a sudden burst of excitement.

"So babe! I had the perfect idea for how to spend the day together!"

Lori met his gesture with puppy eyes. "Did you? What is it?"

He grabbed his lover by the hands and looked into her eyes with the synergy of Firehouse. "Okay, so you remember how we always said we need to go to the park some time, and go to the gazebo to try and do that one thing?"

Lori could hardly contain her enthusiasm as she fawned over his words. Little cartoon hearts practically fluttered around her as she gasped. "Wait! You mean?!-"

"Uh huh!" Bobby affirmed.

And together, they cheered in unison:

"Go to the gazebo and reenact the Georg/Maria dancing scene from The Sound of Music!"

They were having so much fun spewing their lovey dovey mush all over the place, and it had only been a couple minutes. Meanwhile, Lincoln and Ronnie Anne could only watch with disgust before looking to each other to make sure that they weren't alone in their reactions.

Ronnie Anne stuck her tongue out pretending that she was about to barf, and Lincoln pinched his nose and acted like the place was literally stinking up with the stuff.

It was a nice little distraction for him from the sense of dreadful panic that just a few minutes ago was threatening to consume him, and better yet, another nice reminder that Ronnie Anne was still Ronnie Anne.

"Oh my gosh! That is literally too perfect!" Lori squealed regarding Bobby's proposal. "Okay, let me go grab my coat, and we'll be on our way!"

Ronnie Anne raised a brow with confusion. "Uhm, wait a second. What about us?" she asked as she gestured to Lincoln.

Man, that was a question Lincoln asked himself one too many times over the years. What about us? What about everything we've been through?

The teenagers pondered the possibilities, and it was Lori who came up with a solution.

"I know!" she started as she raised a finger. "You two can just come with us!"

"Yeah! We've all hung out together before!" Bobby chirped. "Remember when we went to Jean Juan's French Mex buffet! I mean, it didn't go perfectly, but it was still fun!"

"Oh, I remember that night," Lori said with an alluring little grin as she glued her eyes to the eleven year olds.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both clammed up before simultaneously babbling about how it was a one time thing, and how they were just friends, and how they didn't need to explain themselves, because they just didn't!

Their older siblings simply laughed at their awkwardness.

"Okay, for real though. What do you guys say? Maybe we can all go get some Flippees, and then uh… Bobby and I can go to the gazebo, while you two catch up with one another."

Lincoln wanted to smack his older sister, but only for a moment before the annoyance was subjugated by this weird combination of dread and excitement. On one hand, he'd get Ronnie Anne all to himself, and he'd even have some time to ease into it if things worked out the way Lori was planning. On the other hand… he still didn't have any idea how to make this afternoon good for Ronnie Anne.

Being the stand up girl she was, his friend took it upon herself to answer on their behalf.

"You know, that actually sounds alright," she started. "I've kind of missed memeing about Flip, and I guess I could spend some time with this jerk," she teased as she smiled at Lincoln.

He nervously laughed. "Oh, I've missed you too… Loser."

Was he trying too hard? He was probably trying too hard. He probably wouldn't need a coat today. He was already sweating enough.

"Alright! Sounds awesome!" Bobby cheered. "Hey, why don't you go get the truck warmed up, hermanita?" he instructed his little sister.

Ronnie Anne slightly scowled at him, but relaxed a little bit. "Alright, fine," she conceded before throwing her hood back up and making way to the outside. She stopped in her tracks to look back at Lincoln once more though, and offered him another little smirk.

"Better get a coat on, Linky," she said with a mocking baby voice, "wouldn't want you to catch a cold."

He feigned a little chuckle to hide the guilt and the worry, but he couldn't think of much else to respond with outside of just, "Yeah."

With that, Ronnie Anne made her way out to the truck, and Bobby and Lori shared a flirty little laugh before deciding to race each other up the stairs.

"I can make it there first," Bobby teased.

"No fair! These are my stairs!" His girlfriend playfully complained before watching his derriere wiggle up the steps. She laughed to herself over all the fun she was already having, but found herself turning to check on Lincoln. He was a dead giveaway about his despondence with the way his cheeks flushed, while everything else stayed motionless.

"Hey, Lincoln?" she asked with a soothing voice.

He turned to face her, momentarily allowing himself to stop wallowing in his own doubts.

"This is gonna be a great day. Just keep thinking that," she told him with compassion in her eyes. She made a point to keep looking at him to make sure he would get the message, and once she was sure he was at least going to consider her words, she turned away to follow her boyfriend's footsteps.

Once alone, Lincoln took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down enough to be able to face the rest of this day with a somewhat leveled head.

"This is gonna be a great day, this is gonna be a great day," he repeated to himself before looking out the window to check on Ronnie Anne.

She sat in the driver's seat of her brother's truck, almost wistfully gazing out into the winter day around her. He wondered what she could be thinking about. Maybe it was how she missed Royal Woods, or maybe even how so many things had changed between now and last Christmas. Maybe she was just thinking about her family back in the city, or even her new friends and what all they were up to.

Heck, he didn't want to admit it, but he had a tiny bit of hope that maybe she was thinking about him, and what kind of things they'd do together over the next few hours. Maybe she was just happy to be here, carefree to all the specifics, just ready to go with the flow and let December 24th come with whatever may.

But maybe she was worried too. Maybe she was actually expecting a lot from him. Fun, laughter, the same Lincoln he'd worried about showing her before, the one who could actually be an alright guy sometimes. It scared him to think that there'd come a day she'd see more of what he was incapable of though, as opposed to the things he could offer her.

Heck, maybe he was just overthinking all of it.

He suddenly realized that he had been staring at her from his window for an extended period of time. If she saw him and his longing eyes fixed on her like a total weirdo he would never hear the end of it, so he decided to leave his house and march into the truck with the hopes that they could at least have a decent conversation. The dreadful thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for the past few minutes were still resonating though, and he came to a conclusion: if she was expecting nothing but the best dang Lincoln anywhere around, he'd try like hell to give it to her. He'd be the best version of himself, for her.

"Today's going to be a great day… Today's gonna be a great day…"

"I hope."

For a little under an hour, Lincoln, Lori, Bobby, and Ronnie Anne kept walking around the park, talking about nothing in particular, cracking jokes here and there whenever one of them walked right into one, bringing up random experiences from the past, sharing their expectations about upcoming movies ("Listen Lame-O, if the best thing a critic can say about MermaidMan is that it's enjoyable and a top three 'we make bad movies extended universe' movie, then don't be surprised when you walk away from it being disappointed"), and stopping at any little landmark that would pique their curiosity. That's how they settled down under a beautiful naked tree to sit, chill, and talk until a bird almost pooped on Lincoln's hat, or how they decided to take a few risky steps on the frozen pond until a crack appeared on the surface and Lincoln let out a Lolaish cry before crawling back to safe ground.

Unfortunately, most of the talking was being done by Lori and Bobby. Lincoln wanted to find the right things to say to Ronnie Anne. He wanted to consider the possibilities about how to grant her the best Christmas ever. And yet, it just didn't seem like it was going to happen. Not with his own self doubts riddling him, and not with the opportunity to talk with her one-on-one being squandered by the conversation that was taking place...

"You know what the problem is, right?'"

"If you say what I think you're going to say-"

"She could have just put the termites in the trees. Five minutes to go take the little buggers and outside and go put them in the trees, and that whole fiasco would have been avoided! Not once, but twice!" Lori argued with her boyfriend regarding a certain situation that made her and her siblings out to be ruthless people.

"Ugh, I literally can't even," she added with rub of her temples.

Bobby couldn't help it. He had to laugh a little as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Babe, you're right. It was pretty crazy. But you know what? This just goes to show who the best big sister in the world is for being able to handle it all so maturely."

Lori melted at his smooth comeback. "Aww, Boo Boo Bear!"

Meanwhile, their respective younger brother and sister followed a comfortable distance behind down a street of cobblestone. Not only a comfortable distance away from Lori and Bobby, but from each other. Lincoln made an effort not to look to Ronnie Anne as he eyed the December day around him, and Ronnie Anne seemed to be in her own little world as she too focused on the winterfied Ketcham Park.

Not much was said between them since leaving the Loud house. Lori and Bobby sure weren't quiet; they were sure to talk about anything and everything from Ace Savvy AU's to Phil Collins. And they were considerate enough to call on Ronnie Anne when talking about CJ's food drive, just as they were when they asked Lincoln how he felt about rabbits.

"I don't like rabbits. They're course, and rough, and irritating, and get everywhere."

The remark ironically got Ronnie Anne to laugh, and the two eleven year olds shared passing glances after. Unfortunately for him, it didn't last. His special friend made sure to turn her head away first to return her attention to the world outside her window, and Lincoln soon followed suit.

Since then, it had been a struggle. He really wanted to find something to talk about with her, but it just seemed like this time it was harder than usual. Not like whenever they would hang out together. Not like Thanksgiving. This time, he had pressure, and in a strange way, it also felt different. Maybe because, for the first time, he felt the need to impress her and not to just be himself.

The same sense of uncertainty followed him to the park and to this very moment where he walked alongside her, and frankly, it was getting even worse. In the car, there was an excuse. Lori and Bobby made it tough to get a word in, which worked both against Lincoln and for him in this case. But now the young adults were getting farther and farther ahead, and the silence between him and Ronnie Anne, a girl he considered to be one of his two very best friends, had become overbearing.

The heck with it, I have to say something. If you want to make this a good day, if you want to show Ronnie Anne a good time… You can't just be quiet all day.

Finally, Lincoln was about to open his mouth, ready to say something, and just as he finally gathered all the motivation, strength and mental preparation that he needed, Ronnie Anne decided to speak, still looking forward.

"You know what I miss about Royal Woods?"

Lincoln closed his mouth once again and was forced to use his mental capacity to compose a new statement.

"What?" he asked, looking at her.

She turned to face him now as well and a little smile crept on her face.

"Flip," she simply answered.

His curiosity was piqued. He certainly didn't expect to hear that.

"Flip?"

"Yup. Flip," Ronnie Anne continued. "Like, don't get me wrong. I like the city. I've gotten used to it. There's always so much happening, and so many places to go to! But, up there, it's like… everyone is kind of a jerk. Even the cats are kind of mean," she trailed off with a little chuckle.

It seemed at first that she was complaining, but as he stopped for a second to think about her way of expressing these thoughts, he realized that the way she carried herself didn't imply she hated it. She was almost speaking fondly of it all.

"Flip though, he's like the 'resident evil,' around here," she explained. "I can't think of too many other people who're as slimy as him."

Again, it was kind of humorous. She was actually referring to the man as a bad guy, and yet, she smiled fondly at the thought of his wacky antics. That, in return, made Lincoln smile too.

"Yeah, Flip is a real character. Dude needs to calm his tits," he joked, earning a laugh from Ronnie Anne.

"Don't let Lori hear you say that. You might get in trouble for saying a 'bad word.'"

"Hey, this isn't Tumblr. I can present a little nipple," he teased further.

"Eww, don't ever let me hear you say nipple again."

The two shared a laugh afterwards. And it felt… nice. Just a moment ago, it seemed like the weight of the world had been pressing on Lincoln Loud like Percy Jackson on the third book of the series. He wanted nothing more than to be like Spider-Man in issue #33 and break free from the crushing rubble. But now, it was almost silly to think about it. Here he was, just laughing and messing around with Ronnie Anne like so many times before.

Rather than allow the moment to pass him by though, he decided it was important to keep the ball rolling. He had to get his head in the game. And he knew just how to do it, too. He'd break out ol' reliable.

He watched Lori and Bobby for a moment, just paying attention to what the two of them had to say, and what they were fawning over now. Because, of course they would be. Anywhere they went, the place became a positivity corner.

Which was super easy to make fun of.

"Oh, Bobby. That is so not true. Carol is so much prettier than me…"

"Babe! I'm telling you, ask anyone around. They'll say what I already know. You're the most perfect girl in the world!"

Lincoln smirked at Ronnie Anne, who immediately picked up on what he was putting down.

"Oh my gosh. Gag me," she quipped with a mocking cringe.

"I know, right?" Lincoln agreed before clearing his throat for his best Bobby impression. "It's okay, Lori. I know you've been really mean and petty to your brother like fifty times since we started dating, but you make up for it by making the best cookies in town."

"Hey, let's not forget the talking to herself. And the farting," Ronnie Anne added.

In that moment, Lincoln realized something. He cared a lot about Lori. Enough that he could make fun of her, just like he could Luna, Lola, or any of his other sisters.

He cared a lot about Ronnie Anne too, though…

He met her with feigned chagrin before getting on to her. "Hey, that's my sister. And I'm pretty sure you know a thing or two about talking to yourself."

Ronnie Anne met him with an inquisitive glare, but the moment her eyes met his, she knew just what was going on. She wouldn't fall for it, either. Two could play at that game.

"Oh, right," she said before imitating Lincoln with petulance. "Oh Ronnie Anne, I know you're going to be going away for a while. Let me tell you a secret about how not to feel like such a total lame-o like meeeee."

Lincoln laughed. "Oh, okay. I'm a lame-o, huh?"

"Always have been. Always will be," Ronnie Anne stated with pride.

Dang it, she was relentless. Just a few seconds into the banter, and he was already running out of steam. He had to say something, something that would really put her in her place and make her see he had the infinity stone of witty comebacks.

And he knew just what.

"No you."

Ronnie Anne guffawed at his blatantly bad attempt to get back at her. It was stupid, but it was good enough to make her find amusement. "Yeah, my point exactly."

They took a moment to let their laugh boxes rest. Their eyes again wandered away from each other, instead looking to the world all around them. Lincoln could feel his little heart racing faster than usual in his chest. This time, it wasn't because things were troublesome. In fact, he really liked the way this felt. It was fun, it was comforting. At the same time, it was a little scary though. Could he really keep this up? And, if he couldn't… would Ronnie Anne be disappointed?

He knew he would be.

He couldn't dwell on his insecurities and fears for long, because soon a familiar voice echoed from the distance, causing Lincoln to snap back to reality. Oh, there goes gravity. He looked over to the source of the commotion, where he saw none other than Flip caterwauling on about his so-called 'steals and deals.'

"Get your Christmas special Flippees! One for three dollars, four for fifteen!"

"Ooo! Flippees!" Lori gushed like the fruity concoctions being sold. She then alluringly batted her eyes at her boyfriend. "Bobby… Didn't you say you'd treat us to some Flippees?"

"Totally, babe. You know the rules. And so do I," he affirmed as he reached into his back pocket for his wallet.

Ronnie Anne simply followed suit as she put her hands into her hoodie pocket for warmth. She rolled her eyes though as they drew nearer to the food cart where the mustachioed man sold his drinks.

Bobby scrutinized the sign with the prices at Flip's cart, thinking over the math in his head. Too bad he didn't study for accounting very much. He paid the inconvenient offer and happily distributed the four Flippees. The other three thanked him and gracefully drank Royal Wood's most famous and infamous drink as they continued walking.

Lincoln was once again embarrassed when he drank so much that he suffered brain freeze, causing everyone to laugh at him. He wanted to glare at them, but he was too busy trying to make the sinting pain go away. His mood was only slightly improved when Lori suffered a brain freeze of her own.

"I guess it's true what they say", he managed to say after recovering his ability to speak, "revenge is a dish best served cold."

Bobby spat his drink and started laughing hysterically, which made Lincoln feel a lot better. Somewhere in Royal Woods, Luan would be feeling proud.

"That was the lamest thing you've ever said, lame-o", Ronnie Anne said, although she couldn't keep the corner of her lips from pointing up in a discreet smile.

They kept walking, with Lori complaining about the literally stupid Flippee and how overpriced they were, until Bobby saw their destination finally approaching.

"Hey babe," he began, cupping his hand under her chin to gently make her face him. "I think the gazebo is available now."

With just that simple statement, Lori was now completely free of the momentary anger that had tainted her mood. Once again, she was ready to enjoy this Christmas Eve with her beloved Bobby Boo Boo Bear without a care in the world.

"The captain Von Trapp to my Maria," Lori swooned as she slipped her hand into his.

With that, the happy couple looked upon their respective siblings. "Well you two, we're gonna be heading that way. I mean, you're more than welcome to come watch us, if you really want to," Lori joked.

Both Ronnie Anne and Lincoln nervously rubbed their necks as they babbled on excuses about how it was okay, that they were fine just hanging out here.

The older couple smiled at that, and then to each other before turning around to make way for the gazebo. Lori looked back one last time though, and directed her warm feelings to her brother with just a look.

He saw it, and he reciprocated it with just a little wave. He knew one day she'd take a leave like this with Bobby again, one that would change their lives forever when she was ready to move on from 1216 Franklin Avenue. He also knew, deep down, that he would take it the hardest.

But as she faced forward once again and leaned her head against her suitor's shoulder, he reminded himself that that day was yet to happen. Today, she would come back home. Today, he had someone else to focus his energy on. Someone who wouldn't be there tomorrow, someone who he had to ensure would remember this day.

He looked to her, catching her staring at the couple almost exactly the same way he was. Maybe she was thinking the same things, maybe not. Maybe she was just still ticked about Flip's swindle, but he chose to believe, at least for his own sake, that she was feeling sentimental too. Even if she wouldn't say it.

Finally, she returned the gaze. He felt himself tense up a little with the realization that, for the first time in forever, they were alone. Just the two of them.

For a little while, they just stared at one another, studying the stress marks around each other's eyes. For Lincoln, he had to guess she was just tired. She had a long drive. They'd done quite a bit of walking. But then he wondered… What did she think of his? Did she see that he wanted nothing more than to impress her and turn every little thing into a memorable moment, but it was all somehow failing and making him look like an idiot?

As his mind wandered to these thoughts, Ronnie Anne looked away from him, and he followed her eyes. Fluttering through the sky, just a few feet away from them, was a butterfly. It had orange and purple marking speckled across its wings, and in a way, it felt like some Life is Strange earth-shattering moment of endless beauty, a frozen frame of marvel in the history of the universe.

"That's pretty awesome," he thoughtlessly uttered.

Ronnie Anne noticed him, and a smile stretched across her face. Lincoln could feel her gaze piercing him once again though, and made an effort to look back to her.

"I like Ladybugs better," she joked.

With just one statement from her, and what felt like one sign from the universe… He felt at ease. At least for the moment.

Again, Ronnie Anne was quiet for a few seconds, but rather than letting their rapport take pause again, she took it upon herself to initiate more conversation.

"Man, that was such a ripoff!" she complained, pointing over to Flip and his three dorky customers. "He was totally chill last Thanksgiving, but he was a total Scrooge just now."

Lincoln knew what was going on. She probably didn't even feel that strongly about the whole ordeal. But, he appreciated that she was here now, and that they at least weren't punishing themselves with awkward silence. "You know how amazing his Flippees are though. Me and Clyde actually worked for him once. His unlimited refill Flippees were too good to pass up," he casually responded, trying to accentuate the positives instead of dwelling on the negatives.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really? What's the story behind that?"

"Well, it wasn't one of our most exciting adventures, but he was at the annual internship fair at school, and we got hired real quick. He said if one of us worked hard enough, we could get promoted and win the unlimited refill cup. But of course, it was a total scam, and he was just getting us to kiss his shoes."

"Gee, sounds like him," Ronnie Anne scoffed.

"But it's not all bad! We totally exposed him with all the security footage! He was soaking his feet in the nacho cheese dispenser!" Lincoln recalled with a grimace.

The girl looked to him with a cringe of her own."Why am I not surprised?… "

"It's one of the many gross things about Flip. Clyde refuses to go to his store now."

She started laughing at that. They kept walking along the trail, not really minding the world surrounding them. For now, it was okay just to worry about one another.

"Speaking of Clyde, how's he doing lately?" She inquired after a moment.

"Oh, he's been really getting into Cuphead. Every time I go to his place, he's always dying on the computer," Lincoln laughed.

"What happened to him playing Hearthstone?"

"He still plays it, though not as much. He just found some other game to be bad at."

"I mean, he can't be worse than you, right?" she snickered, giving him a playful smirk.

"Those are fighting words," Lincoln replied with a grin of his own.

"Yeah, but remember all those times when I'd kick your butt at that muscle fish game?"

"That was beginner's luck!" Lincoln said, somewhat embarrassed.

"Dude, you never landed a single punch!"

"I was going easy on you!"

Ronnie Anne cooly nodded. "You know, after the tenth time, that just completely loses its credibility."

"I didn't know you could count to ten," Lincoln riposted with a smirk of his own.

"Shut up!" she laughed as she grabbed a handful of snow from a nearby railing and half-heartedly tossed it his way.

"Hey!" he grabbed a handful and threw it back at her.

"Oh, you wanna go?" she grabbed a pile of snow with both hands this time, balled them together, and threw it directly at his face.

In that moment, there was that fire of determination, the competitive spirit that always welled up whenever he was challenged by her. He reached for the railing and gathered as much snow as he could, balling them up and throwing it like a catapult in her direction.

Ronnie Anne challengingly nodded, and she reached for yet another pile of snow. Lincoln took heed of this and started forming one as well. However, before he could finish, he was hit in the shoulder by his friend cackling maniacally in front. He ran to gain some distance, getting into a small mound of snow, but not before being hit in the back once again. Crouching down to gather more snow, he finally managed a heap that would stick together, and he tossed it with all his might. However, it ended up just barely grazing her shoulder, and she brushed off what little there was without batting an eye.

"Is that all you got, lame-o?" she taunted. "Why don't you just go ahead and admit defeat?"

"It's over, Ronnie Anne! I have the high ground!" He said with open arms, only to immediately get conked in the head with another frozen projectile, making him land prone on the ground.

"You're such a dork!" she laughed, slapping her knee repeatedly while wiping a tear from her eye with the other.

"Heh, yeah, I guess I am," he conceded. It was a little humiliating, truthfully. Ronnie Anne always seemed to get the best of him. Snowball fights, Muscle Fish… Christmas...

She eventually regained her composure and walked over to where Lincoln was lying on the ground. He glanced up to see her towering above him. Despite the imposing figure however, there was a certain kindness to her smile that she sported, and the hand she extended down for him to grab onto. He did so, and she pulled him upright, allowing him to stand on his feet again and brush the snow off himself.

Ronnie Anne almost always beat him in every game they played, but with this gesture, he remembered that the important thing was that he got to play them with her. No game played with her ever had a dull moment in them. Even when he was getting miserably defeated, the playful banter that came along with it added a life that no one else could possibly fill. In fact, there was never a dull moment with her. She made fun of him all the time, but he knew she didn't actually mean it. He knew she did this because she knew he could handle it. Despite all the banter, insults, and the metaphorical and literal snowballs thrown at each other; beneath each of them was a display of affection that they wouldn't communicate any other way.

"You've got a mean swing," Ronnie Anne teased with a loving little pat to his chest once she was sure they were done lollygagging.

Lincoln wanted to maybe try again at besting her (living with so many sisters gave him his own competitive edge). But instead, he decided to make like Elsa and let it go. Today was about giving her the best, not the other way around.

Even so, he wouldn't be too sappy about it. For her liking, of course. Yeah. Totally.

"And you've got a mean everything," he joked back.

She weakly laughed at that. At first, Lincoln thought it was a pretty good comeback. Something she would be proud of. But the way she looked away from him now, the way she defensively slouched…

Did he say something wrong?

"Ronnie Anne?"

For a moment, she was quiet as she glued her eyes to ground below. Gone was her usual bravado. In its place was… something somber. Something he'd seldom seen from her.

Sadness.

"You know… I've never really uh… I've never really been able to do stuff like this with other people," she said, still not looking to him.

Her words didn't quite register. Sure, she probably knew what they really meant, but for Lincoln, they were practically foreign. What did she mean by that? Something good? Something bad? His heart couldn't tell his mind to tell his mouth what it needed to say. Not like with Lori just a little while ago. He was totally unsure.

It didn't seem to matter though. Ronnie Anne fixed her posture, and made an effort to try and look Lincoln in the eyes as she proceeded onward.

"I don't really like to bring this up, but, I didn't really have a lot of friends growing up. I kind of had to toughen up at a young age because of it," she started again. He knew with those words that now was the time to be quiet and listen. Anything he had to say could wait until after she was finished.

"Look, I don't expect you to say anything to like, make this weird, alright? I just wanted to take a second to tell you that, I'm sorry if I'm not the best at this 'being friends,' thing. I like messing around, I like telling jokes, I like having snowball fights. That's just my style. But I don't want you to think I don't, like… Uhm…"

He saw her hesitate. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, with her eyes moving anxiously from left to right, searching for the right words. He was going to be patient for her, but she seemed to feel the awkward tension building up, and she ended up kicking the snow.

"You know what? Forget I said anything," she told him as she turned her back to him. "Let's keep going, lame-o."

She started to walk away from him without giving him a chance to say anything. Stunned as he was, he idled there, not knowing how to react, until he regained control of his body and paced his way to catch up with her. He could sense her distress, and he knew he had to say something. She wouldn't bring this thing up in the first place if it meant nothing to her.

"Hey, you know, I just wanted to say that-"

"So is it true what they say about Girl Jordan's party?" She interrupted him. "She was talking to me the other day and she said she would be sending me the videos soon for me to laugh at."

"Girl Jordan?" He repeated, somewhat flustered. "I don't know what you're talking about, I was at Liam's… Wait, you and Jordan talk?"

"You're not the only one that texts me, lame-o," she said with a smile. "I'm a popular girl."

"But… Girl Jordan? Why would she…? Oh… Uh… Does she…?"

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, no. She only has eyes for Stella."

"Oh."

"Which, speaking of Stella, she's also told me some stories about her. And how lame you and your dorky friends were", she added with a devious smile. "Why don't you share your version of that fiasco?"

He felt himself blushing at the memory of those events. He could tell she was trying to change the subject, but she was being so direct that he assumed that maybe it was for the best to just indulge her.

"Ok, to be completely fair, it was all Rusty's fault."

And so he told her everything about those few days in school. That led to him telling her about his experience on visiting Middle School and everything that he learned about Lynn. That led to him asking her about how was school in the city. And before they realized, the tension and drama was completely forgotten, leaving place to a very relaxed and cheerful conversation.

They were having a good time, but Lincoln was now starting to worry that they weren't having a special time. Not special enough for Ronnie Anne to remember. Not special enough for it to be meaningful. He was having fun, and he was definitely enjoying every single moment he spent with her, but this wasn't about him. It was about her. He was supposed to make this the best Christmas ever for her, and yet time was flying by as the pendulum swung. If he didn't come up with something, their afternoon together would be over, and no matter no hard he tried or how far he got, in the end it wouldn't even matter.

He kept asking her how she was feeling, and the single raised eyebrow and deadpanned looks she was starting to give him were enough for him to understand that he was now entering annoying-friend territory. The ding dang opposite of what he was looking for. They started their afternoon running from one place to the other, laughing, poking fun at each other, with her taking the lead and him happily following, but now they were slowly walking one next to the other, with two feet separating them, their hands on their respective hoodie pockets, and their gazes down focused on the trail they were absent-mindedly following.

Usually, silences between him and Ronnie Anne felt right. Like there were no words that needed to be said, like the silence came from an unspoken understanding and a profound acceptance of each other's presence. We don't need to talk to have a good time, we're here together and that's enough. Right then and there, though, the silence was nothing like that. It wasn't nice and comforting. It was awkward. Really, really awkward, and he knew it was his fault.

He was now legitimately starting to worry that he would end up ruining this day for her, and so he decided to swallow his pride and bend in to his sister's advices. He didn't have the money nor a store nearby to buy her a smartphone, and he was absolutely certain that if he ever tried to sing her a song she would probably never come back to the city, so in the end, he decided that Lynn's advice was probably his best option. He was no stranger to making a fool out of himself in sports. He could take the hit if it meant it was a memorable experience for Ronnie Anne.

"So," he began, still looking down at the frosty cobble path they were walking on, "what do you say if we text Lori and Bobby and tell them we're going to Jack Frost's Winterland near the mall?"

Through the corner of his eye, Lincoln saw her head turning into his direction.

"Huh?" she said with a confused tone. He looked up at her and saw sheer dumbfoundedness in her expression. He gulped what felt like a plum sized rock.

"I heard they have an awesome ice rink", he explained, trying to look innocent, but his smile and confidence began wearing off the more her expression turned from surprise to slight annoyance. "We could go there, rent some ice skates and, uh, you know, do some… ice-skating… I guess?"

The question lingered in the air for a while, until his friend stopped right where she was, now effectively glaring in his direction.

"Uh… Ronnie Anne?" He asked, stopping as well.

"Alright, that does it", she said in annoyance. "What's going on?"

"Nothing", he was fast to answer. Too fast, as he quickly realized.

"You're acting really weird right now. Something's wrong but I just can't tell what."

"There's nothing wrong! I'm just… simply inviting you to have some good time doing an activity we both enjoy."

"Since when do you enjoy ice skating? You almost pissed your pants forty minutes ago when we were over the pond."

Touché. He was definitely known for his lack of affinity towards winter sports. Sports in general, to be perfectly honest.

"What, can't I just have a good change of heart regarding certain activities?" He said, trying to save face, shrugging and raising his hands, feigning innocence.

"You hate ice skating!" She challenged. "You told me last week that you went to see Lynn play in an ice hockey tournament, and that you wouldn't play it even if people paid you to!"

"That was different", he pointed out, raising an index finger, as he was sweating so cold he was worried that his face would end up covered in ice. "Ice hockey is a different thing, I was thinking more of… of… you know… figure skating?"

Ronnie Anne's arms dropped limp to her sides. Lincoln wanted nothing more than to just bury his head in the snow and stay there until Kingdom Come.

"Figure skating", she repeated.

There was an awkward pause in which his life flashed in front of his eyes, and he tuned out for a second to just think about all the circumstances that had led him to that moment.

"Yes."

"You suddenly decided that you want to do figure skating."

"Well, you know, contrary to popular belief, there's nothing wrong with men wanting to-"

"What made you change your mind so hard that you now want to do figure skating of all things?"

"W-What, can't I just want to do some exercise?"

"Exercise? You? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this boring and cold winter weather, all taking place entirely within our first afternoon together in over a month?"

Her fists were now clenched and her lips pursed as she waited for him to move out of his stupor.

"...I mean, if you don't want to, we can instead-"

"It's not that I don't want to!" She interrupted him, taking a step closer towards him. "You know I love ice skating, but YOU don't! You hate it because you would always trip when you were younger and Lynn tried to get you into it, and you hate the scrapes on your knees and palms! You've told me a million times that it freaks you out!"

Her voice was now raising and she looked mad at him, but even as everything that he was trying to build was crumbling around him, he still found a moment to just appreciate the fact that she remembered all these little things that he had told her at some point during their video calls.

"You've been acting weird all day. You think I didn't notice? You've been staring at me. Keeping your distance. Measuring your words. And you've been acting extra nice towards me. You're always nice, but today you've been acting like I'm sick or something, like you're trying to take care of me. I didn't say anything because I thought maybe you just had a rough week or something, but now I don't even know what's going on! Can't you just tell me what you're up to?"

"Nothing!" He said, looking at her right in the eye. "Listen, I know you like ice skating, alright? I just thought you'd like the idea of going there."

"I don't want to do stuff I can do in the city! I could've stayed there today and go to the ice rink with the guys, but I came here because I wanted to have a nice day with my friend," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest and turning to her left, looking away from him. "But this isn't you, and it's no fun."

Her words sunk into him like cold, icy daggers. He almost had to take a step back, like they had physically impacted him.

"Ronnie Anne…"

"I don't know what's gotten into you, but you're trying to be someone you're not", she said, and for a moment, for the shortest moment, he sensed some sadness in her voice, "and that's not the Lincoln I came here to be with. So you better just tell me what's going on."

He was speechless. Lincoln didn't know what to say. He was somehow used to his plans going wrong one way or the other, but he couldn't remember ever failing this spectacularly, this hard, this painfully bad. This wasn't a silly operation to get the best seat in Vanzilla. This wasn't him trying to get some cereal. This wasn't a material-made mission, it was his opportunity to show Ronnie Anne how much he cared, and he was blowing it up like the world's biggest fool.

He didn't answer. He just looked away, defeated. She waited for him to say something, anything, but after it was clear that his silence wasn't going to be broken any time soon, she turned away and started to walk where they came from.

"I'm glad I came here today, lame-o", she said, and her voice left no doubt that she was, in fact, not glad at all.

Lincoln was about to tear up, in all honesty. This wasn't how things should've gone. This was not what he wanted. It was definitely not what she deserved. His cold fingers hurt when he clenched his fists, and he closed his eyes for a second before calling for her.

"Wait!"

She stopped her march and discretely glanced over her shoulders. Lincoln sighed and raised his hands to rub his temples. He didn't like losing, he didn't like failing, he didn't like admitting his failure, but he would take all of that over ruining his friend's Christmas.

"Alright, I'll tell you", he finally gave in, his shoulders dropping before he gave her a pleading look. "Just… don't go. Please. I'm sorry."

She turned around and took several steps towards him, stopping short of a foot away from him. He was still looking down, so she bent slightly forward to enter his vision.

"I won't leave", she assured him. "I'm just worried. I wanna know what's going on with you and why you're acting so weird."

She didn't rush him nor demand an explanation right away. With the way he knew he was looking, he seemed to have awakened some sense of concern in her, enough for her to be patient with the long moments of silence that followed. Several lies occurred to him in the meantime, some very contrived, some very ridiculous, some so crazy that they may even work, but ultimately, he decided that the best thing he could do was to be upfront and honest about his intentions.

"Yesterday I heard Bobby and Lori talking over the phone", he began. "Lori was really, really happy about having a shared afternoon right before Christmas with him, and… well, I got excited at the idea of having a shared afternoon with you, too."

He didn't dare look at her, because he was absolutely sure that his face was showing a scarlet red blush all the way from his cheeks to his ears.

"But then… then I got to talk with your brother, and he showed me this awesome present that he had for Lori and… Ugh, I don't know, I just… I just felt like I had to get something for you too, but I had nothing."

"Is that it?" She said after a short pause, her voice a whisper that could barely be heard over the cold winter breeze. "Dude, I was joking earlier today. I didn't know you would take it so seriously. I don't need a present, you don't owe me anything."

"It's not that I owe you a gift or that I have to give you one, it's just what I want to do because… because you really mean a lot to me", he asserted, finally finding it in himself to look up at her.

His eyes met hers, and he was finally able to see a slight blush on her pretty, freckled, and currently stunned face.

"I wanted to make this Christmas special for you, because it's the first one you're spending outside of Royal Woods. It's your first Christmas in the city, and I know you'll be with your family and your new friends, but… Well… I won't be there for you and… And I, I just… I wanted to give you something to remember us. To remember Royal Woods. To remember… me."

"I just… That's… wow", she said, nervously laughing a little before giving him a lukewarm smile as she rubbed her left arm.

"I really wanted to give you something great", he continued, "but I couldn't think of anything, so I asked my sisters about it because they usually know what to do in these cases, and they're girls, so one would assume that they'd know what one would like to receive! But even if they were well intended and maybe even spot on with their ideas, I can't make them happen. I spent my allowance so I don't have money to buy you make-up or gift cards, and I can't sing you a song because I suck at karaoke," he admitted, clearly ashamed of everything he lacked. "So I thought that maybe I could try to do stuff you like to make you remember this day and help you have a good time. Like ice skating! I'm not good at it and, well, to be honest it does scare me a little. But that's okay! Because this really isn't about me. It's about you."

As words kept flowing relentlessly and uncontrollably out of his mouth, the world became smaller and smaller. There was no park, no cobble path, no clouds on the sky or snowflakes dancing their way down from upon. As far as Lincoln was concerned, there was only him and her. Nothing else mattered. Just him, being honest and opening his heart out for her, and Ronnie Anne, taking in all this information and processing it at her own accord. It took her some time before everything soaked in and she was finally able to say something back.

"You… You don't have to try so hard to make me feel special", she admitted, bashfully looking away for a second. "Listen lame-o, I came here because Bobby told me I could spend time with you, and that was good enough for me. I came to be with you, the guy I've gotten to know so well. You don't need to be another guy, or do stuff that you don't like, because I like you the way you are."

It took her a few moments to realize how that last part sounded like, and when she did, they both exchanged a very long, emotionally charged look.

"You don't need to get me anything", she said, not making any effort to correct herself, "being with you makes it special enough."

They smiled at each other, and their world became even smaller than it was a few moments ago as they both naturally and instinctively took a few steps closer until they wrapped their arms around the other person, losing themselves in a warm embrace. He felt her burying her face on the crook of his neck, her hot breath sending chills down his spine. He in return squeezed her against his chest, rejoicing in the wonderful feeling of a hug with her special friend. She wasn't one to openly show affection so often, so these moments were scarce and rare, but that only made him cherish them much more.

After several seconds, they broke away from one another, but almost as if they had minds of their own, their arms didn't fully leave each other. His hands slithered down from her back to her waist, resting comfortably on her sides at the same time that her own moved down from around his neck to his forearms, her fingers gently closing around his elbows.

Their faces were now inches apart, and as the moments of silence stretched long enough to feel like an eternity —a beautiful, oniric eternity—, their eyes scanned each other's expressions, stopping to marvel at every single detail. Lincoln found himself astonished at the realization of just how beautiful his friend was. Her soft, round chin, the way her freckles were spread all over the smooth, soft-looking skin of her cheeks, her curled eyelashes, the flickering reflections of light on the shiny surface of her big, brown eyes, like two ponds deep enough for him to get lost into, just as inviting as her lips…

Without even realizing it, his hands were trying to slowly drag her closer once again.

"You really mean the world to me," he admitted, all embarrassment gone, all futile attempts to conceal the true emotions that had been blossoming inside his heart for the past season now come to an end. For once, he didn't feel like he needed a plan of action.

He let his heart take the lead.

"I want to make this the best Christmas ever for you, but I'm too dumb to realize what I should give you as a present," he admitted, making her grin. "So if there's anything I can get you, just tell me."

"I'm serious, lame-o, you don't need to get me anything."

"I'm not gonna accept that answer."

"You're the ultimate dork, did you know that?"

"I'm still going to get you a gift, so better tell me what you want or else I'm gonna have to sing."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

They had a glaring contest that lasted up until one of them lifted the corner of their lips, and they both cracked up laughing out loud, their hands never leaving each other's bodies.

"But seriously," Lincoln said after recovering, giving her a look so intense it pierced past her defenses and touched her soul, "I set myself to make this Christmas an unforgettable one for you. So if there's anything you want, whatever it is, as long as I can get it, I will give it to you. So, Ronnie Anne, what is it that you want the most?"

He gave her time to think, and she gladly took it. Her eyes reluctantly moved down to allow herself to reflect on his question, and he waited, his hands still on her hips, his eyes still on her face, his heart still beating faster than Luna's drumming on a Friday night. He allowed himself to appreciate every single detail of her body language. Her pupils moving from one corner her eyes to the other, her tooth gently biting her lower lip, her right knee bouncing on her place. He loved seeing her thinking so hard, but as much as he was looking forward to her answer, part of him was getting worried that maybe he was setting expectations way too high. That maybe he wouldn't be able to fulfill his promise, and that maybe he would end up ruining it all.

He was still in the process of worrying when he saw the proverbial light bulb turning on inside of her head. A grin spread across her face, her eyes closed for a second, and when she opened them back up and looked at him, a new shade of pink was painting her cheeks.

"Well, if you insist, there is one thing," she mentioned with a teasing flavor to her words.

It piqued his interest, and he gave her a half grin as he raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I get the feeling that you're going to ask me for something impossible just to make me feel bad?"

She buffed.

"Nah, it's definitely possible. In fact… you've given it to me before. Twice."

"Oh?"

He tried to remember. He didn't remember ever given her any present other than on her birthday, and that was only once. What could it-?

"Oh," he said, blushing hard as he thought he realized what she meant. "You…? Do you…? Is it…?"

He couldn't finish the question, but the flustered nature of his behavior must have been enough for her to understand that he had correctly guessed what she meant.

"But," she pointed out, her flaring eyes focused on his, "unlike the others, I only want it if it means something. Not because your sisters tell you to. Not because you want to make up for being a mouth breather. Not just because I'm asking you to. I only want this present if it really means anything to you."

"Oh, uh…"

In the middle of the snowed park, it was suddenly very hot. He almost wanted to tug his collar to get some fresh air, but the need to have his hands on her was stronger than his will to breathe. He considered his options. Could he really do what he was being asked to? He had had some crazy ideas on what he could or should give her, but this one particular answer had never crossed his mind, not even in his wildest dreams. It wasn't something one would unironically consider… but she was asking for it. She wasn't just any girl, she was Ronnie Anne, so if he were to give it to anyone, it would definitely be her.

With that out of the way, the question was whether he could comply with her condition. Would it mean anything? Would it be special? He tried to think, but it only took him one look at her to realize that yes, he wanted it to be meaningful as well. He wanted it to mean something. He didn't want it to go unnoticed or unimpactful. Their relationship had come a long way since their early days of friendship, and it was only logical to take a first step into this new, wonderful and unexplored territory for both of them.

"Well… If that's what you want… I think I can, uh, make it happen," he shyly said. "But are you sure about it? Is, uh, is that really what you want?"

Her hands slowly made their way up again to his neck, and as their gazes intertwined in a metaphysical embrace, the distance between their faces became less and less, until she had to lean her head to her left so their noses wouldn't touch.

"Lincoln," she began, her voice resonating in his ears with a softness that seemed alien coming from her, but that it also felt just right, "all I want for Christmas… is you."

Considering that as all the invitation he needed, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. They didn't move, they didn't breathe, they stood where they were, their lips pressed together, their hands holding onto each other like they were fearing life would escape them if their grasp wasn't strong enough. They were motionless, like statues, a polaroid picture of a moment that neither of them wanted to end, wishing that they could freeze time or turn it into a loop to be trapped in it for the rest of their lives.

When their lungs couldn't take it anymore they broke their kiss. They opened their eyes and saw each other panting like they had just ran a marathon together. It had been quite the emotional experience.

"Wow," Lincoln said with a goofy smile, trying to break the ice.

"Yeah… wow," she agreed, smiling back at him.

"So, uh, did you, you know… like your gift?"

Her flustered expression quickly turned back into her regular smug grin, as she broke the hug and gave him a soft punch on his shoulder.

"Don't be so full of yourself, punk."

He was about to make a snarky remark about practice making perfection, but it was at that precise moment when he heard what sounded like some distant, muffled sobbing. Ronnie Anne seemed to perceive it as well, and they both turned around to discover that, sixty feet away from them, Lori and Bobby were watching them together and taking pictures of them with their cellphones.

"This is literally the happiest day of my life!" Lori cried, her mascara running down her cheeks like a river of ink, clinging onto Bobby like she was afraid she would pass out… which, Lincoln had to admit, was a strong possibility.

"This is so going straight to my Instagram Story!" Bobby excitedly said.

"BOBBY!" Both kids complained, breaking their hug and taking one step away from each other.

"Done! Wait until our sisters see this!" The eldest Loud kid said, pressing a finger on her phone screen.

Lincoln and Ronnie Anne groaned and slapped their faces in annoyance. The older couple approached them, smiling warmly at them and wiping away happy tears from the corner of their eyes. Their younger siblings didn't dare to look at them with how embarrassed they were.

"What are you guys even doing here?" Ronnie Anne asked.

"We were looking for you!" Bobby said with a radiant smile. "Lori and I are going to Gus' Games and Grubs to grab some sodas and talk in one of those comfy dining booths. "You wanna come and play in the arcades?"

Lincoln looked at Ronnie Anne. They were still blushing furiously, but there was a hint of curiosity and childish awe in their eyes at the prospect of maybe playing some Dance Dance Revolution.

"I'm up for it," he told her.

She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her brother before nodding her head.

"Alright! Let's go then!" the older boy said.

Bobby threw his arm around Lori's shoulders and turned around, walking back towards his truck. Lori giggled and rested her head against her boyfriend's shoulder. As the two teens started walking away from them, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln were left alone. After an awkward silence and a few shy looks, they reached an unspoken agreement and began walking after their older siblings. As he did so, Lincoln took a moment to think about everything that had just happened. He had kissed Ronnie Anne. She had asked him to kiss her. It should feel awkward, it should feel like a big step, it should feel like he'd taken a decision that could potentially ruin their amazing dynamic, and yet it didn't. It didn't feel like any of that, it felt… it felt…

Suddenly, in the most discreet way possible, Ronnie Anne's fingers touched his. At the soft, tickling touch on the tip of his fingers, he opened them, and she wasted no time into softly intertwining them with her own. She squeezed his hand with a firm grip, and he turned his head to look at her. She was looking forward, pretending not to notice him, but the treacherous grin on her face gave her away. He was so amused by her reluctance to look at him that, naturally, he kept staring at her, trying to see how far she would go with her act. Turns out, she was able to maintain it for quite a long time, before she finally rolled her eyes and turned her head to give him a teasing smile.

"What? Is there a problem, Lincoln?" she asked with feigned annoyance.

His grin grew wider, and the happy butterflies in his stomach were now flying stronger than ever. It wasn't just the playful look on her face, or the fact that she had called him by his name and not her teaseful nickname. It was the answer to her question what suddenly sunk in his head and heart.

"No," he said after a few seconds, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, "Everything's fine."

It truly was.