Sleepover: 4

A moment passed by, Tulip also casted her eyes when Lincoln did, blankly staring at the table, her mind elsewhere. A hand is felt on top of hers, and Tulip looks down to see Lincoln hands unfolding her clenched hands.

"No secrets."

Lincoln said, with an equally soft quiet voice like Tulip's just in his own, cool way. His eyes would quiver at moments like these if it were some deep secret, or a hard to tell secret.

Tulip exhaled a trembling breath, and a wide grin rest itself on her face. Two opposite gender teenagers in the living-room specifically in the guy's house, talking about idiots, a folded origami cat with cat books below, smiling at each other like weirdos, that's what Lincoln family are seeing at the moment. They arrived a couple minutes ago, a long couple of minions ago actually. Lincoln sister, Susie, his sister experiencing a phase where she wanted to be left alone all the time, stands there with her parents looking at the two. Just as invested, but creeped out.

"…freaks. Definitely, freaks."

"Pahah, I can't. That was all it was, and you kept it as if it was something that'd kill you."

"It would, my pride."

"Your pride is fragile, very fragile."

Thump thump.

After puffing up a flat pillow, Lincoln sits down on-top of the futon that he and Tulip has set up on the floor. His forehead wrinkles when Tulip talks of his pride, then quickly unwrinkled when he felt the wrinkles.

"Hey, no judgement please."

"Mhmm."

Taking off her socks, Tulip crawls under the covers of Lincoln's bed. Lying on the right side so she could look down to Lincoln who is sleeping on the futon, except he wasn't lying but sitting upright.

"Are you not sleeping?"

"I will. Don't tell anyone that I like cats okay, especially handsome looking cats, or cute, or any cat. I definitely don't, in the outside."

Suppressing a laugh, Tulip cheeks puff up and she nods at Lincoln who looks restless over something so minor.

"Yes, you totally don't like cats Lincoln. I've got it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"…"

Rustling is heard and Tulip looks over to Lincoln to see him at last tucked under the covers, his face remained the same as always except Tulip can somehow tell he's relieved. No wrinkles, no tight lips, no red face, he's relaxed.

"I'll turn off the light, is that okay?"

The lamp on the bedside table is still on, lighting the room a with a serene yellow light that has Lincoln teenage boy room feel more cosy like it should, Lincoln on the ground nods, giving her the clear.

Reaching for the pull switch attached to the lamp, Tulip was about to pull until she stops, and after contemplating her thoughts, she looks down at Lincoln who glances at her, waiting for her to pulls the switch. Noticing her hesitation, he sits up.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. Just thanks. I want to say thank you."

Moving her position, she shuffles forward and sits on the edge of the bed hanging her legs out, facing Lincoln properly.

"You listened to me, and you told me a lot. You made me feel better. I'm glad that I'm, we, are spending the night together."

Tulip spoke out, placing her eyes anywhere but Lincoln as she does. She doesn't know if he'll feel her sincerity, he does deserve to be thanked, it's only expected, and of course she will. All she wanted to say is her thanks anyways, that's really all.

The words are said and Tulip who tries to make obvious of how on edge she feels, tries to not clench her hands or even fiddle with them. Aware her darting eyes are giving her away but hey, the hands are already taking a lot out of her.

Dry soft hands quickly turn clammy, definitely will have to move soon, will move soon after her says something. Wait, why is he not saying anything?

Tulip then looks at Lincoln, only when she does is at the same time Lincoln touches her clammy hands. At once without even registering that Lincoln has touched her hands for whatever reason, her awareness of her wet hands has her retracting it like some instinct.

Definitely looked crazy.

Smiling awkwardly, Tulip lips twitch and attempt to curve into a smile, but fail, the realisation and embarrassment settling in. Ugh, why does it feel so embarrassing? It only should if you care right? It's just hands, very wet ones but still.

"..Tulip."

"Tulip."

Amidst her thoughts, Lincoln had been calling out to her. His hands that has reached for her hand is placed on her lap, not taken off. Tulip lowers her raised hand onto her lap, on top of Lincoln's.

"Lincoln."

The two gaze at each other, whispering each other names in the middle of the night is odd, no other things to say to that. The situation has turned odd, but Tulip doesn't do anything, doesn't want to do anything.

Abruptly her eyes looked at Lincoln lips, then back at his eyes again. Is it just her or are his lips glistening, and more red than normal? More pink maybe? Just way more noticeable than normal. Other than his eyes, his lips are definitely sticking out. But why his lips? Why are they attracting her like that, no, attracting?

"I'm glad too, really glad."

His hands that's underneath hers go upwards, and Lincoln intertwines their fingers, so gently, it feels so ghostly. So gentle, their soft, un-calloused hands sticking to each other. Not from her clammy hands, that's long gone, but their undeniable attraction to each other.

Tulip looks at Lincoln, she feels her eyes quivering, or was it her tongue swallowing the rapid saliva that's building up.