7. Bonus Chapter

Chapter 6 was posted 2 days ago, so if you haven't seen that, click back to go read it; this is just a bonus chapter. So for a little context, I occasionally do very short story requests for Loud House threads on 4chan. They're mostly about the abominations, and I don't post them here on because the canon characters aren't usually involved.

Anyway, one of the requests I got was a story about Lemy and Luna. I decided to write it as taking place in the timeline of Family Matters, just a very small snippet in the characters' lives. And I'm posting it here now as a sorta bonus thing because A. I put effort into it and want to show it off and B. There's things in here readers with good eyes for detail and understanding of perceptions can gleam for the main story. Plus, not naming names, but there's a trend of Luna being portrayed as a bad parent I want to rebuke.

This is more likely than not a one-time thing.

Flashback

Outdoor music festivals were Luna Loud's least preferred place to tour. She'd been to plenty as a teen and they weren't anything to write home about. Playing at them was only slightly better. The security was worse, they always had to worry about the elements messing with the gear, and the audience seemed more interested in food and getting wasted then the music. In short, they were a drag.

Worst, they were usually during the day. That really limited the special effects they could use. She liked playing into the night and having fun the rest of it. But noooo, it was during the day. Which meant she had to be home to rest up while it was still evening. Bogus. And playing during the day meant she couldn't spend that time at home.

"Cheers." Luna gave the cabbie his fare and a decent tip as he dropped her off. The destination was neither her tour bus or a fancy hotel- it was a cheap motel a good couple of miles from the festival. Not exactly Rockstar booking, but she had her reasons: the usual leeches with cameras wouldn't think of looking here, and even if they did the neighborhood was rough enough they wouldn't want to hang around waiting for a shot at her. She didn't mind them getting a shot of her, she just didn't want them getting a shot of Lyra and Lemy.

Luna was disappointed to realize the hotel room was dark when she opened the door. They must already be in bed. It was barely pass ten and she'd told them she'd be back early. She'd kind of hoped they'd stay up and wait for her.

Yeah, they were in one of the two beds; She could see them outlined in the darkness curled up together. They'd always slept together, ever since Lemy was big enough to not need a crib anymore and had just never broken the habit. Luna remembered when it'd been all three of them- her in the middle and each of her children sleeping on either side. But that was back when her career was just evening recording sessions in the studio. Now she was out playing live shows most nights, but at least she wasn't gone during the day. Usually.

Had that really been so long ago? It's a long way to top (if you want to rock n roll) but it didn't feel like it'd been years since that.

She tossed her bag on the bed and headed for the bathroom at the back of the room. That was another thing she hated about music festivals: porta-loos. Was in one years ago when it got knocked over, she'd been. Never risking that again.

While that wasn't a risk, she did get spooked when she finished and opened the door to discover someone standing right there.

"Bloody hell!" Luna stepped back, lost her footing, and fell into the bathtub.

"Mom?" Lemy asked anxiously.

"I'm fine, luv!" She put a hand over her hammering heart. "Outdid your Aunt Lucy, you did." She put her arms on the edge of the tub and pushed herself up. He grabbed her hand and tried to help. "What were you doing there?" He got a little red in the face.

"I was waiting for you… I saw you come in." Luna smiled and tussled his hair.

"Just don't give your mum a heart attack." She walked back into the room and sat on her bed, leaning back to switch on the lamp on the table between the beds. Despite that light and the noise they'd been making, Lyra was still asleep. Being a heavy sleeper ran in the genes, she guessed. She'd always been able to count on her to enforce bed time. A responsible girl, for sure, definitely like neither of her parents at that age.

Lemy sat down on the bed next to her. Since she was in a nostalgia trip, Luna remembered back when any time she sat down he'd hop in her lap. Ah, but he was too big for that now. He'd be nine in December.

Nine? Wow, maybe it had been a long time.

"How was your day?" He asked. Her day? Well, one band got taken out of the line up because one of their members had a bad batch of heroin and got carted off in an ambulance, meaning their slot came up before they were completely ready. The air had smelled horrible. And some people had been throwing stuff at the performers all day, just to be cocks.

"Lovely fun." She answered. So maybe the crowd was total piss. Her and Sam and the rest of the band still had a blast playing up there. "But a little advice for when you make it big: don't play at outdoor festivals."

"Got it." He took every bit of advice she gave him in stride. Even at his age he was an enamored with rock as she'd been when she was a teen. Already practicing guitar too. Still had trouble finding a groove, but she had hope for her son. Hell, even her playing had been bad enough to peel paint from the walls at one point.

His sister had never had a musical phase, and Luna had watched intently for one. Strange for a girl who was conceived at a concert (probably). But she had her own thing and Luna let her run with it. Hey, no one interfered with each other's hobbies back home. You do you and I'll do me philosophy. But she sure as hell was going to be enthused if she had a kid interested in the same hobby.

Sucks that it was late, she thought. They could've got some practice in. What to bloody do then? Too late to practice or go out.

"Bollocks." Luna muttered as she laid back with her eyes closed. Her son did the same thing.

"Something wrong, mom?" He asked.

"Sorry, it's too late to do anything."

"It's okay. I'm just glad to see you." Luna cracked an eye open and looked over. He was doing the same thing and tried to look back at the ceiling when he was discovered.

"You see me every day." She pointed out.

"I know. But…uhh…" Luna smiled.

"I hear you." She'd had parents that worked long hours to provide, not that she could explain that to her children. She knew what he meant. "You're pretty smart, little dude."

"I'm not little." Lemy pouted. Her son had started his Rockstar phase last year. Gone the full mile- denim, long, a bandana. He really got it right, although maybe her and Sam had helped him here and there. But with that, he was itching to get into the rock scene- the parties and concerts. He had a rockin' enthusiasm, but Luna drew the line there. The adult rock band scene wasn't for kids. With past experience, she knew they weren't for teenagers, either. She was going to rebuff it whenever he tried to insist he was mature.

Besides, she wanted to keep her little boy a little longer.

"Oh, you're a big dude, huh?" Luna turned her head raised an eye brow. "My little man's growing up already?"

"Yeah!" He insisted, sitting up. Luna smirked and shot her hand up under his arm. Upon being tickled, her 'big dude' made a high pitched squeal and did a little spasm.

"Mom!" He snorted, trying to hold in a laugh and failing to not smile.

"Yeah, you're still my little dude." She sat up and raised her hands menacingly.

Looks there was a way to have fun this late.

He dived under the blankets to seek shelter. "Think you get away that easily?" She followed him under and the shelter suddenly became a prison as the attack continued.

"Oi, what do we 'ave here?" His t-shirt had got tangled and his belly was showing. Luna remembered something else that had always made him laugh when he was a baby. Lemy noticed too and by the panic in his eyes he knew what was coming. He tried to pull his shirt down but his mom was faster.

"Pbbbbbbbbbbt." She blew air on his belly. He shrieked even louder and started kicking his legs.

"Mom, stop!" He squealed. Luna was having too much fun to do so, and by the laughing so was Lemy. She didn't let up. The squealing and blanket kept either from hearing the other bed in the room creak.

WHACK! Something with weight was brought down on Luna's back. "Oof." A few more blows followed. Her son's shrieks of fun turned to terror as a few hit him. They flailed till Luna could pull the blanket off both of them. Lyra was standing by the bedside in her pajamas, wide eyed and chest heaving with her bible held above her head in preparation for another strike.

"Way harsh, dudette." Luna sat up, rubbing a spot on her head where it'd made contact. "You could've just spoke up if we were making too much noise." She noticed her daughters buggered appearance and smirked. "Or did we give you a fright? Monsters in the middle of the night?" Her daughter sat down on the other bed, her face going a noticeable shade of pink.

"Way to go, Lyra." Lemy rubbed his arm. Fortunately for him, his mom had taken most of the assault.

"It's late." Lyra found her voice. "What are you guys doing?"

"We were just having a bit of fun."

"Yeah, we were." Lemy repeated. Lyra reached across the gap and pulled him over to their bed so she could check him for bruises.

"It's not even that late." Luna went on. "I was surprised you guys were already asleep."

"It's called a curfew, mother." Lyra said. She sounded a lot like Lisa sometimes the way she'd state things to her mother. Responsible AND smart. Luna had really gotten lucky. Lemy tried to move back over to the other bed, but his sister stopped him.

"It's past your bedtime." Lyra told him sternly.

"I'm not tired." He complained.

"Bed." Lyra wasn't having any of it. She laid down and pulled him down beside her, keeping him a full hug with a hooked leg to keep him from getting back up. He couldn't break free so he just laid there looking peeved.

"We should all be getting some z's." Luna told him. That'd been fun, but she was tired herself. She didn't need to be messing up tomorrow. She gave him another hair tussle. Even though Lyra was already reaching for it, Luna grabbed the blanket and laid it over them. "Night, dudes."

"Night mom." Lemy gave up trying to wiggle out and accepted his fate.

"Good night." Lyra echoed after a few moments as Luna was crawling into bed. So she'd been gone for the day. That sucked. But she'd gotten to talk to them before she fell asleep that night. It made things just a little bit better.