Sleepover

Before anyone thinks her intentions are twisted, she lawfully means just staying with him. Like a sleepover. A more sentimental than a regular fun sleepover, that's the difference. The main idea of her words are that she wants to be with him tonight instead of Noah.

Undeniably she feels uncomfortable. It was none of her business, yet she saw it. It is none of her business, yet she feels bothered. Upset and disturbed. Staying with Noah will only make these feelings worse, and instead of staying up late pondering of these thoughts like she would, for once she wants to only sleep. Tulip experienced how it felt to let go with Lincoln, and her head was quiet for a while because of it. Tonight she wanted that.

It's funny, it isn't but it is. All of it is humorous without there being any humour. It makes her laugh. A lot of what she knows, if not everything, feels like a lie. As if she had created some delusional world with her desired perception. If Tulip went home to Noah right now, she would feel mocked. What if Piper is with him?

Though she thinks like this, she feels this way, some part of Tulip wants to go back home to Noah anyway. If Piper is there, so be it.

However she said the words of wanting to stay with Lincoln instead. Those words were sincere, there's a newly formed part of her that yearns for Lincoln emotionally. Tulip doesn't know if this is a good thing or not, but she doesn't go against it.

Tonight she wants to feel yet not feel at all. Run away and get distracted.

That's how she's here now behind Lincoln who opens the door of his house.

"I'm home."

Lincoln notifies when going in and welcomes Tulip in. They take off their shoes and step on the house floors that is so clean it's has that ceiling light reflecting on it like a mirror.

No one answers, so his parents must not be home yet or they're that deep in sleep. Lincoln parents are really heavy sleepers. He told her how his mother has never had a nap, if her eyes rest for too long she sleeps for hours. His Dad after spending so long with her since they were teenagers, had his body copy her as if they were one.

Lincoln joked he use to think it was creepy, but it might be a side effect of love. Then he told her it was probably his Dad finding out that he can take long naps without getting in trouble because his mother does it too.

Tulip loves his family stories, her attention would be all over them. So Lincoln would speak of them often. Since that one, he hasn't said any more, but she knows it can't be his last. Not with his family being peculiar characters. Tulip wonders if she would ever get to be part of his stories one day. Well, with Noah too.

They make their way into his living room, and Tulip sits down on the floor against a couch. Tulip starts to feel too warm and fans her body by flapping the jumper to bring cool air in.

"Do you want to wear something else? It's starting to get warmer but we haven't stopped starting a fire during the evening, sorry."

Lincoln apologises, his eyebrows slightly curve, you'll notice that way he really feels sorry. Tulip shakes her head and arms to decline and takes off her jumper. Even then she feels too warm and throw her hair back with a sigh.

Placing water in front of her, Lincoln heads to the corridor where his bedroom is located. Regardless of Tulip opposing to wearing something else, he's probably going there to find something for her.

Tulip sighs, loudly so Lincoln could hear it. It was for jokes, she is only jesting to irk him. Still, a smile makes way to her face, she feels weird. It could be the fire, but all her worries are miraculously gone, and it has her feeling cozy.

Tulip fingers fiddle with the jumper, it's a light jumper that's snug for times when winter is approaching or for the end of winter. Noah got it for her birthday that happens right before the beginning of winter. Telling her it fits her just right in every way. What does that even mean? Now that she thinks about it, Tulip really did just absorb all the words Noah would say.

A pet that wags its tail no matter how many times you neglect as long as you come to it with a pat or treat.

The part of the jumper she fiddles with is where Lincoln had tugged her to him. It was of little strength compared to the tugs she would do to his hair when playing horsey, but at that moment it felt like she would've caved in to anything. If he tugged harder, if Lincoln..

Tulip imagination scatters in a frenzy. They were minor compared to what Noah and Piper were doing but no, honestly these were weighty.

Tulip doesn't understand logically how thoughts like these can be heavy, they feel different to the pressure she feels when her mind is crowded with thoughts of her powers. This wasn't a pressure, it's a sensation that is light yet infectious, like a potent poison that spreads far and wide and plunges deep into her insides. It's a sensation that has her question if she has eaten anything weird but has her hesitate to put a stop to it.

It isn't an out of order sensation, instead it feels right. No, it feels okay? as if this is how it should be. Tulip senses this, an instinct-like-judgement, but she hasn't felt this way with Noah, how can this be true?

Still and all, how can Tulip trust these judgement of hers. At the moment she doesn't feel like she can trust her own mere judgement. Not when the one she had of Noah was a lie. All those years, the influence of her judgement had controlled her so great that this is how the situation has turned to.

Yes, it would be foolish.

A door being shut is heard accompanied by steps, and Tulip sees Lincoln entering the living room. In his hand is a red t-shirt, and basketball shorts that were too small to be called shorts he wears.